Skandapurana 5.270

Sūta said:
"Now, there is also another very meritorious group of seven liṅgas there,
by worshipping, seeing, and especially honoring which,

a mortal becomes long-lived and free of all diseases.
The god Maheśvara there is called Mārkaṇḍeśvara;

another is Indradyumneśvara, Hara who removes all sins;
and likewise Pāleśvara, who destroys all afflictions;

then the well-known Ghaṇṭaśiva, who was established by Ghaṇṭa;
and the one named Kalaśeśvara, together with Vānareśvara;

[and] Īśāna Śiva, who is the lord of lords of that sacred field.
Worshipped by men with devotion, he grants desires beyond human reach,

all things wished for in the mind, even while the Kali age persists."

The seers said:
"Who is this one named Mārkaṇḍa by whom the liṅga was installed?
Who was King Indradyumna? Tell us, O son of Sūta!

And likewise the one named Pālaka, by whom this Hara was established?
And the one named Ghaṇṭa—in what lineage was he born?

And he who is known as Kalaśa, accompanied by a monkey, / and Īśāna as well: tell it all! Our great curiosity remains.

Proclaim it again, for from it good fortune arises for men; / [tell of] these gods who were installed in this sacred field by the best of men,

and likewise their conduct and power, O Sūta's son, / and the giving at the proper time, and the mantras in full detail!

Sūta said: / I shall recite to you this ancient tale / told in person by Bhartṛyajña to the lord of Ānarta,

by merely hearing which a mortal man becomes long-lived, / and in no way meets untimely death through its power.

He who was renowned as Mārkaṇḍa was celebrated first; / his origin has been related to you, which destroys sins.

Now I shall tell of Indradyumna, O best of sages: / of what lineage he was, and of what power, honored by all rulers of the earth. / In earlier times, O best of brahmins, there was a king named Indradyumna, / devoted to brahmins, a refuge, a protector of virtuous folk, / a sacrificer, a master of giving, capable, and devoted to the welfare of all beings.

Neither famine nor disease, nor fear caused by thieves / befell anyone among the people while that knower of dharma ruled.

Just like the torrents of rain, or like the stars in heaven, / or like the sands in the Gaṅgā, beyond counting,

so were the sacrifices performed by him, all with complete sacrificial fees: / the Agniṣṭoma, the Atirātra, the Uktha, and the Ṣoḍaśins,

the Sautrāmaṇī, the animal sacrifices, and the Cāturmāsyas, O best of brahmins, / the Vājapeyas, the horse sacrifices, and especially the Rājasūyas,

and likewise other Pauṇḍarīka sacrifices, with a mind purified by faith.

He gave gifts, especially at the sacred fords: / sweet foods to the lords of brahmins, along with sacrificial fees.

There was no city or town on the face of the earth, / nor any sacred ford where he did not have an abode of the gods.

He gave thousands—untold hundreds of millions—of maidens / to brahmins, to brahmins desiring wealth.

On the tenth day, at night, a kettledrum beaten / on the back of an elephant went through the entire city:

“At daybreak will be the Vaiṣṇava day that removes sin. / A fast must be observed, except by the old and the young; / otherwise I shall punish whoever takes food.”

Then, by the grace of Viṣṇu, that royal sage Indradyumna / went to the world of Brahmā in that very body of his.

There, at the end of a thousand kalpas, he was told by Brahmā himself: / “Indradyumna, go to earth; you may not remain here any longer.”

Indradyumna said: / “Why do you cast me down swiftly from your world, O Brahmā? / For I am free from sin, O lord of gods; so tell me the reason!”

The venerable Brahmā said: / “The extinction of your fame has taken place today on the face of the earth. / As long as one's fame remains on earth's surface, so long may a person dwell in heaven.

For this reason people make stepped wells, wells, tanks, / and temples of the deities marked with their own names.

Therefore go to the surface of the earth and make your fame anew, / if you wish to dwell in this world of mine for a long time.”

Then, as soon as that king of kings looked at himself that very moment, / he found himself arrived upon the face of the earth, facing the city of Kāmpilya.

Then he asked the people: “What is this city called? / What is this land? Who is the king here? What is this town, and what city is this?”

They said to him: “This is the great and famous city called Kāmpilya; / this land is named Ānarta, and the king here is Pṛthivījaya.

Who are you? Why have you come here? Tell us if there is some business.”

Indradyumna said: / “Formerly there was a king named Indradyumna in the city of Rocaka, / in the land of Vaijaruka in days of old. Where is that land, and where is that city?”

The people said: / “We know neither that city nor the land, nor the king / named Indradyumna whom you ask about, good sir.”

Indradyumna said: / “Is there anyone long-lived here who knows that king, / or the land, or that city? Tell me that without delay!”

The people said: / “There is the great sage Mārkaṇḍeya, known as the rememberer of seven kalpas; / he is heard to dwell in Naimiṣāraṇya. Go to him, ask, and you will know.”

Then he, going swiftly through the sky, / bowed down low and questioned that sage residing in Naimiṣāraṇya:

“Has the king named Indradyumna ever been seen or heard of by you? / We have heard that you are long-lived; therefore we ask, O good sage.”

The venerable Mārkaṇḍeya said: / “Within seven kalpas, no king named Indradyumna / has been seen or heard of by me here; what then can I say to you?”

Hearing those words of his, that ruler of the earth became hopeless; / having attained supreme dispassion, he resolved upon death.

He brought pieces of wood, lit a fire, / and wished to enter it, when King Indradyumna was addressed [by the sage]:

“You must not do this here! I have become your friend; / I will avert your death, even if it be very grave.

You are free from illness, you are very handsome; why do you desire death? / Tell me the reason for your death; I shall remedy it for you.”

Indradyumna said: / “You were spoken of to me as long-lived by the residents of Kāmpilya city; / therefore I have come to your side here, O great sage.

You, O good sage, might speak news concerning Indradyumna, [I thought]; / my fame is unknown, so I am going to death.”

Sūta said: / Knowing that resolve of his, that lord of sages, being compassionate / and knowing that his effort had been in vain, spoke this out of courtesy:

“If that is so, do not enter the fire! I shall find out about that king; / I have a supreme friend, a crane named Nāḍījaṅgha.”

And he is ancient; he will surely know that king. / Therefore come, let the two of us go to his presence on the Himālaya.52.

The darśana of good people is never in vain anywhere.53.

Having spoken thus, the sage and the king departed, / delighted, through the path of the sky toward the crane on the Himālaya.54.

The crane, too, seeing Mārkaṇḍeya arrive, / went to meet him, pleased, and honoured him with a welcome.55.

Blessed am I! Fortunate am I, whose meeting with you has occurred! / O best of knowers of the Absolute, what hospitality may I offer you?56.

The venerable Mārkaṇḍeya said: / You are longer-lived even than I, because you are established as a friend. / Was King Indradyumna seen or heard of by you?57.

This friend of mine has a purpose in seeing him; / otherwise his death will occur. Therefore have I come to you.58.

The crane said: / I remember without doubt seven kalpas multiplied by two; / yet I do not recall even a mention arising about Indradyumna.59.

Let alone his darśana! This is the truth spoken by me.6.271.60.

Indradyumna said: / Is this the power of austerity, of gift, or of religious observance, / by which such a lifespan has come about even in the state of a crane? Tell us!61.

The crane said: / From the māhātmya of the ghee blanket [offered] to the trident-bearing God of gods, / such a lifespan has come to me; the state of a crane [came] from a sage’s curse.62.

Long ago, I was a boy in the dwelling of a brahmin, / the wise son of Parāśara, in delightful Camatkārapura.64.

By name I was called Viśvarūpa, and by another name I was known as Baka; / endowed with extreme restlessness, yet beloved of my father.64.

Then at a certain time, upon the solstice into Capricorn, O lord, / having obtained out of extreme restlessness the Jāgeśvara liṅga / that was worshipped by my father, it was thrown by me into a jar of ghee.65.

Then, when the night had passed, I was asked by my father: / 'My son, have you indeed cast away Jāgeśvara somewhere? / Therefore tell me; by that, I will give you excellent food.'66.

Then, having quickly taken it from that jar of ghee, / out of greed for food I placed it, drenched in ghee, into my father’s hand.67.

Then at a certain time I met with death, / and from that power was born in a king’s palace, remembering my past lives.68.

In the mansion of the lord of Ānarta, I was known by the name Baka. / The god Hara was installed by me in Camatkārapura.69.

Through that power, O best of brahmins, the realm of the Grandfather was attained.6.271.70.

Then, whatever auspicious liṅgas stood upon the surface of the earth, / I covered them with ghee when the sun entered Capricorn. / The auspicious liṅga that was installed by me in Camatkārapura71.

was worshipped day and night, after having installed my son in the kingdom / and having appointed attendants everywhere, provided with wealth and garments.72.

Then after a long time the blessed Śiva was pleased with me; / having approached my presence, he spoke this word:73.

'I am thoroughly pleased, auspiciousness to you, O best of kings, / by your gift of blankets of ghee beyond counting.74.

Therefore choose, auspiciousness to you, the boon that rests in your mind. / Even what should not be given I will give, even if it be very hard to attain.'75.

Then Hara was addressed by me: 'If you are pleased with me, O Lord, / make me your gaṇa, O God; I choose nothing else.'76.

The Blessed One said: / 'Come, O highly fortunate Baka, to Kailāsa, the highest mountain; / with me, in this very body, become a gaṇa!77.

And whatever other human being in this mortal world shall make [it] for me / when the sun enters Capricorn, at the beginning of the night, / having offered the blanket even once, shall surely become my gaṇa.78.

And you, making yourself equal to my liṅga, shall become / renowned as Dharmasena, free from any deformity.'79.

Having spoken thus, the Blessed One took me from there; / having gone to Mount Kailāsa, he gave me command of a hundred crores of gaṇas.6.271.80.

Then at a certain time, wandering at will, / I went to the highest mountain, the great mountain Himavat,81. / where Gālava resides, constantly established in austerity. / His wife was large-eyed, marked with all auspicious marks,82.

red in seven places, deep in three, with hidden ankles and a slender waist. / Seeing her, I became overcome with passion, O best of sages.83.

And it was thought by me in my mind: 'How can I abduct her? / Therefore, having attained discipleship, I will show devotion to him.84.

Having become devoted to his service, I might thereby obtain the lady.'85.

Then, in the form of a young ascetic student, Gālava was approached by me: / 'Detached from worldly existence, I will perform great austerity.86.

Grant initiation to me, O lord, so that I may become your disciple.87.

I will always fetch darbha grass and flowers, / and always firewood, fruits, and water.'88.

Recognising me to be endowed with humility and in the form of a brahmin, / he then gave me initiation according to the rite seen in the scriptures.89.

Then, having obtained initiation, day after day I pleased / him and also that wife of his by service as prescribed, / though with an impure mind, intent on seeking a weak point.6.271.90.

When another day arrived, that resolute woman, experiencing her menstrual course, / stayed far from the hut and slept at night.91. / I, assuming a great form and seizing that ascetic woman / who was sleeping comfortably and unsuspectingly, set out facing south.92.

Then, awakened from sleep by my touch / and recognising me, the disciple, in the guise of a thief, she cried out.93.

And she said to her husband, Gālava, the best of sages: / 'This wicked disciple is abducting me from here, O lord!94.

Therefore protect me, O highly fortunate one, before he goes far away!'95.

Hearing that, Gālava said repeatedly, 'Halt! Halt! / O evil-doer! O very wicked soul, your movement has been paralysed by me!'96.

Then, because of his words, the arrest of my movement came about, / so that I stood completely motionless, just like a painted figure.

Then I was cursed by that noble Gālava: / 'Since I was deceived by you, become a crane, O wicked-minded one!'

Then I saw myself suddenly in the form of a crane; / even in crane-hood, my memory arising from my previous existence was not lost.

Then his wife also, having undergone a bath with her clothes on, / her limbs suffering from my touch, stood ready to utter a curse:

'Because, O sinner, I was touched by you while asleep and menstruating, / and taking on the conduct of a crane, my husband was deceived by you / assuming another form, therefore truly become a crane!'

Thus cursed then by both of them, full of grief indeed, / I clung to the feet of the noble Gālava:

'I am a gaṇa of the god of gods, the three-eyed noble lord; / renowned as Pālaka, I am the master of ten million gaṇas.

I came here on some business of the Lord. / Beholding your wife, I fell under the power of the god of love.

Knowing this, forgive my transgression, O lord of sages! / A person ill-mannered upon obtaining fortune, knowledge, and sovereignty,

does not stay long in his position, just as I, arrogant with pride, / assuming the form of a disciple, came near you

for the sake of abducting this great chaste woman, O lord of sages. / Therefore show favour to me, who am wretched and prostrate,

by granting a blessing, since forbearance belongs to ascetics. / Voice is the beauty of cuckoos; devotion to the husband is the beauty of women; / knowledge is the beauty of the ugly; forbearance is the beauty of ascetics.'

Sūta said: / Hearing that pitiful speech of his, that sage devoted to Maheśvara, / recognizing him in the role of a kin, took pity and spoke these words:

'A truthful brahmin lives in auspicious Camatkārapura,

renowned as Bhartṛyajña. Then, by his instruction, / your crane-hood will surely come to an end by my words, without doubt.'

Then I saw myself reduced to the state of a crane.

Thus my long life came about through devotion to Śiva / and the māhātmya of the Ghṛtakambala, and the crane-hood through the sage's curse."

Indradyumna said: / "For this purpose I was brought to your presence, O bird, / for news of Indradyumna, having resolved upon death.

He was not recognized by you due to my misfortunes, O bird; / therefore I shall resort to the blazing bearer of oblations.

This was previously vowed by me, having resolved it in mind: / 'If Indradyumna is not known, I must resort to fire.'

Therefore give me permission, accompanied by Mārkaṇḍeya, / so that I may enter the fire, O crane, my renown having fallen."

Mārkaṇḍeya said: / "Do you know any other person older in age than yourself, / so that I, having gone to him, may ask for the sake of this noble soul?

Endowed with supreme faith, he has arrived with me; / so how can he abandon his life while I stand by as his companion?

And another fitting word which I say to you, O bird: / this man, joined with sorrow, will accomplish [death by] fire; / not having saved him, how could I go back to the hermitage?"

Sūta said: / Knowing that resolve of the two, the crane, deeply dejected in mind, / thought for a long time: 'How can there be happiness for these two?'

Then the king and the sage gathered wood, / and seeing the two wishing to enter the fire, the crane spoke these words:

"Heed my word, O wise one, if you wish to live. / That King Indradyumna has indeed been made clear to me today.

He who will know [him] is my elder, expert in all scriptures. / Taking this man, who is resolved upon death,

sighing like a serpent, his eyes agitated with tears, / come with me to Mount Kailāsa,

where there is my beloved owl who enjoys long life. / He will surely know him; do not bring about death in vain."

Then, joined with that noble crane, / he arrived with Mārkaṇḍeya at Mount Kailāsa, best of mountains.

He too, seeing that the crane, his deeply esteemed friend, had arrived, / came forward delighted and welcomed him with greetings.

Then, having embraced him again and again as he rested, / after inquiring about his welfare, he uttered this speech:

"Welcome to you, O best of birds; O king, a warm welcome to you! / Tell me today, friend, the purpose of your coming.

Who are these two men who have arrived with you near me, / divine in form, highly fortunate, surrounded with splendour?"

The crane said: / "This one here is named Mārkaṇḍa, renowned in the three worlds; / by the grace of Maheśvara he attained the supreme perfection. / The second is his friend, whom I do not know in truth; / he has come near me with his friend Mārkaṇḍa.

If you know that King Indradyumna, O wise one, / declare the truth, so that he may turn back from death.

You are known by me to be long-lived; for this reason I have come near you."

The owl said: / "Twenty-eight kalpas have passed since I was born; / no King Indradyumna was ever seen or heard of."

Indradyumna said: / "Why is there owl-hood for you? Proclaim that to me quickly! / This is a wonder to me, that you have endless lifespan, / yet owl-hood has arisen, dreadful and censured by the world."

The owl said: / "Listen, I shall tell you how my long life came to be: / by the grace of Maheśvara, through my worship with bilva leaves; / [and] owl-hood was obtained by me through the curse of the noble Bhṛgu."

I was formerly a brahmin, mastered in all sciences, / renowned by the name Ghaṇṭaka in the excellent Camatkārapura, / a celibate student endowed with self-control, devoted to the worship and adoration of Hara.

With whole bilva leaves, grown at the tip, possessing three leaflets, / at the three times of day, Śambhu was constantly worshipped by me with a count of one hundred thousand.

Then, at the end of a thousand years, the blessed Hara was pleased with me; / granting me darśana, he spoke in a voice deep as a thundercloud:

‘I am pleased with you, child; choose a boon, O one of good vows, / since you have worshipped me at the three times of day with whole bilva leaves.

With a single three-leafed shoot grown at the tip of the bilva, / such satisfaction is produced as not even with ten millions of other [leaves]

or even flowers, may you have good fortune, however fragrant they may certainly be.’ / O friend, having bowed down deeply, I said to that moon-crested lord:

‘If you are pleased with me, O God, if a boon is to be given to me, / then make me, O Lord of the World, free from old age and death.’

Having agreed with ‘So be it!’, Mahādeva, the great lord, / the lord of gods, vanished toward Kailāsa in an instant.

Then, delighted, having obtained the boon from the great lord, / I rejoiced, considering myself to have achieved my goal.

At that very time, there was a Bhārgava, an excellent sage, / skilled in all treatises, who had mastered the Vedas and their auxiliary sciences.

He had a virtuous wife, known by the name Sudarśanā, / dearer to him even than his life's breaths, the daughter of the sage Gālava.

A daughter was born to him, peerless on earth in beauty. / She was suddenly seen by me as she was playing at her pleasure,

slender-waisted, with beautiful hair, bimba-fruit lips, and long eyes. / But looking upon her, I fell under the power of the god of love.

Then I asked: ‘Whose daughter is this beautiful-eyed maiden, / whose every limb is well-proportioned, who shines like a divine maiden?’

Her female companions said to me: ‘She is the daughter of the Bhārgava sage, / and even now this sweet-smiling girl remains unmarried.’

Then, approaching that Bhārgava, filled with humility / and standing with folded hands, I asked for that maiden.

Recognizing that I belonged to the same caste, that son of Bhṛgu, / though I was deformed, gave that daughter, O noble one.

Then that maiden, learning, ‘I have been given according to dharma by my father / to an ugly man,’ went and spoke these words to her mother:

Very modest and exceedingly afflicted with grief: ‘Look, mother! By father / I have been given to a deformed man; I do not dare to go on living.

I will either consume poison or enter the fire!’ / Hearing that statement of hers, that twice-born was restrained by her [mother]:

‘Why, O lord, was she given by you to a deformed man, O master, / when this maiden is endowed with great beauty and possesses all auspicious marks?’

Hearing this speech, the Bhārgava, the best of sages, / then rebuking her, said: ‘Shame on a woman who acts like a man!

The maiden was requested by him, and she is being given by me to him. / So why do you forbid me from giving this daughter away?’

Having said this, he went to sleep together with his wife and daughter.

Then, arriving at midnight while the people were sleeping at night, / the sleeping daughter of the Bhārgava was abducted by me and carried off to my home.

She was constrained by me by force into the way of sexual desire, though she was unwilling. / After that, the brahmin, her father, woke up in the morning:

‘Where is that daughter? By whom has my girl been taken away and lost?’ / Then he wandered outside near his forest to search,

surrounded by many sages, following the trail of footprints. / Then that maiden was seen by him, with the wedding rites already performed,

weeping loudly there, bashful, with her face cast down. / Thereupon, his soul overwhelmed with anger, that Bhārgava spoke to me:

‘Since my daughter was wed by you according to the practice of a night-roamer, / let you become a night-roamer [an owl] right now on account of this deed!’

Ghaṇṭaka said: / ‘Why do you curse me so quickly, O best of the twice-born, when I am blameless? / She was given to me by you yourself; therefore she was carried off by me at night.

Whatever evil-minded man having first given a maiden does not give her afterward, / he goes to a terrible hell for as long as the dissolution of all beings.’

Then he reflected: ‘What he said is true.’ / Endowed with repentance, he spoke these words:

‘This which was said by you is true, but my word cannot be otherwise: / you will be endowed with the form of an owl, there is no doubt.

And when the great sage Bhartṛyajña is born here, / having obtained his instruction, you will regain your own body.’

Then I saw myself possessing the form of an owl; / even so, the memory belonging to my previous existence was not lost to me.

Then, having looked upon me in that form, his daughter who had been wed by me on that mountain, / filled with grief and unwilling to endure widowhood, / entered the fire.

Thus the state of an owl came about for me, O one of great splendor, / by the curse of the Bhārgava on account of the maiden, as has been told to you.

That Maheśvara was worshipped with whole bilva leaves, / by that a long life was attained—this that I have told you is true.

Tell me truly what duty there is for you who have come to my home: / what may I do, O noble one, even if it were very hard to obtain?’

Indradyumna said: / ‘That I have come to your presence in order to gain knowledge of Indradyumna, / and was brought by Nāḍījaṅgha, having resolved upon death:

if you do not know him by fame and by family, / then I shall certainly enter the blazing fire.

If not, then tell me of some other long-lived being; / going to him, I shall ask him, so that he knows him or does not.’

The crane said: / ‘What has been said by him today is proper; do that, speak to him, sir, / if you know anyone who has lived longer than yourself.

If not, I too, together with Mārkaṇḍa, / will quickly enter the fire right now before your eyes.’

Knowing this, O fortunate one, think of someone ancient / elsewhere on the earth's surface, since you possess long life.

Indeed, with great hope I have come to your abode; / in particular, this man Mārkaṇḍeya is dear to me.

There are excellent mountains here by the hundreds and thousands, / on which dwell blessed ascetics who live long; / otherwise, his life will not be preserved in any way.

Let there be the highest benefit for the royal seer Indradyumna, / and also for the two of us; therefore, consider it quickly."

Knowing that resolve of the king to die, / the owl, moved by pity, then spoke these words:

"If indeed, O fortunate one, you wish to die right now, / then come with me to Mount Gandhamādana.

A vulture dwells there, and he is my greatest friend, / and ancient too; he will know that king well. / He will surely tell you, without doubt, upon my word."

Hearing his words, the king was addressed by all three, / beginning with Mārkaṇḍeya: "O fortunate one, do not enter the fire.

All of us will go there along with you; / perhaps he too knows the king Indradyumna."

Hearing their words, filled with supreme hope, / the king set out for Gandhamādana together with all of them.

Seeing them all with folded hands, / and seeing the owl in front, the king of vultures went to meet them with joy.

Then, joyful in spirit, he said: "Welcome to you, O best of birds! / You are seen after a long time. Who are these others standing here?"

The owl said: / "This is my greatest friend, known as the crane Nāḍījaṅgha; / and Mārkaṇḍa is stationed as his greatest friend.

He is renowned in the three worlds, remembering seven aeons on earth. / And someone is his friend; I do not know him directly.

Being about to die, he was brought by me into your presence. / He will live if King Indradyumna is recognized; / otherwise, he will quickly enter the blazing fire.

Therefore, if you know the king Indradyumna, tell us; / you are also considered ancient by me, and thus I have come to ask."

The vulture said: / "I do not recall a king renowned as Indradyumna; / neither seen nor heard of is King Indradyumna."

Hearing his words, the king, very despondent in mind, / reflected in his heart, having resolved upon death.

Then, filled with curiosity, he asked that best of birds: / "Tell me, by what action was such a lifespan obtained [by you]?

Then, having heard your [story], I shall enter the fire."

The vulture said: / "Indeed, I was a monkey in Camatkārapura, / right there in the foothills of Mount Raktaśṛṅga.