Skandapurana 6.1.26.53.1

6.1.26.53.1

.. vyāsa uvāca .. ..
guhyasthāne pavitrāṇi kīrtitāni tvayā mune ..
pramāṇaṃ kathayasvādya mahākālavanasya me .. 1 ..
.. sanatkumāra uvāca .. ..
yathāśrutaṃ mayā pūrvaṃ gadato brahmaṇaḥ svayam ..
tatte'haṃ saṃpravakṣyāmi śṛṇu tvaṃ gadato mama .. 2 ..
yojanasyaiva paryaṃtaṃ caturdikṣūpaśobhitam ..
sauvarṇaistoraṇaiścaiva muktādāmavilaṃbibhiḥ .. 3 ..
dvārāṇi tatra śobhaṃte kāṃcanaiḥ kalaśaiḥ sthitaiḥ ..
sitapadmamukhairdvārairanekamaṇimaṃḍitaiḥ .. 4 ..
maheśvaraprayuktāśca dvārādhyakṣā mahābalāḥ ..
dvāreṣu teṣu śobhaṃte lokānugrahakārakāḥ .. 5 ..
piṃgaleśaḥ sthitaḥ pūrve bālarūpo vibhāvasuḥ ..
tīrthasyābhimukho gauro gururgaṇairathānugaḥ .. .. 6 ..
dakṣiṇe'pi mahāyogī kāyāvarohaṇeśvaraḥ ..
vitteśaḥ paścime dvāre kṣetrasyābhimukhaḥ sthitaḥ .. 7 ..
niyukto vai maheśena vāruṇīṃ diśamāsthitaḥ ..
uttarāṃ diśamāśritya sthitaścaivottareśvaraḥ .. 8 ..
sādhakaḥ sarvakāryāṇāmādiṣṭaḥ śaṃkareṇa saḥ ..
mānavā ye vasaṃtyatra kṣetramadhye sudhārmikāḥ .. 9 ..
mṛtā rudrapuraṃ yāṃti vimānaiḥ sārvakāmikaiḥ ..
kṛṣṇapakṣe caturdaśyāmatha vārkendusaṃgame .. 5.1.26.10 ..
paṃceśānīṃ namaskṛtya pratilomānu lomataḥ ..
upoṣito dinaikena dhyāyamāno maheśvaram .. 11 ..
mucyate sarvapāpaistu bahujanmakṛtairapi ..
evaṃ ca vipra yo yātrāṃ paṃceśānīṃ samārabhet .. 12 ..
anenaiva svadehena rudralokaṃ sa gacchati ..
paṃceśānīmathānyāṃ te sukhena kriyate yathā .. 13 ..
tathā śṛṇu pravakṣyāmi sarvapāpapraṇāśinīm ..
prātaḥ snātvā rudrasarasyekādaśyāṃ samāhitaḥ .. 14 ..

Vyāsa said: / Sacred abodes have been proclaimed by you, O sage. / Tell me now the extent of the forest of Mahākāla. // 1
Sanatkumāra said: / Just as I heard it in ancient times as Brahmā himself spoke it, / that I shall declare to you; listen as I tell it. // 2
To the extent of a single yojana, adorned on all four sides / with golden arched gateways hung with strings of pearls, // 3
the gates shine there, with stationed golden pitchers, / with gates facing white lotuses, adorned with many gems. // 4
And stationed by Maheśvara, the mighty guardians of the gates / shine at those gates, bestowing grace upon the worlds. // 5
Piṅgaleśa stands in the east, the sun appearing in youthful form, / facing the sacred ford, fair-complexioned, heavy, followed by hosts of attendants. // 6
In the south also stands the great yogin Kāyāvarohaṇeśvara; / the lord of wealth stands at the western gate facing the sacred field, // 7
assigned by Maheśa, stationed in the western quarter; / and having taken his place in the northern direction stands Uttareśvara, // 8
the accomplisher of all deeds, commanded by Śaṃkara. / Those very righteous mortals who dwell here within the sacred field, // 9
upon dying, go to the city of Rudra in aerial chariots that fulfill all desires. / On the fourteenth day of the dark fortnight, or during the conjunction of the sun and the moon, // 10
having bowed to the five Īśānas in reverse and direct order, / fasting for a single day, meditating on Maheśvara, // 11
one is freed from all sins, even those accumulated over many births. / And thus, O brahmin, he who undertakes the pilgrimage to the five Īśānas // 12
goes to the realm of Rudra in this very body of his. / Now listen as I declare another pilgrimage to the five Īśānas, destructive of all sins, // 13
so that it may be performed with ease. / Having bathed in the morning in the Rudrasaras on the eleventh day, concentrated in mind, // 14