Skanda Purana 6.2.85.23

6.2.85.23

22 atha karkaṭeśvaraliṃgamāhātmyavarṇanam, tatra dharmamūrtyākhyanṛpativasiṣṭhasaṃvādaprasaṃgenaiśvaryaprāptikāraṇaṃ jijñāsamānena tena pṛṣṭena vasiṣṭhena 'tava prāgjanmani kṛtena pātakena karkaṭatvaprāptau kenacidvāyasena karkaṭaśarīraṃ dhṛtvā śivāgre pātitaṃ tato'ntakāle
śivadarśanaprabhāvenaitasmiñjanmanyaiśvaryaprāptiḥ' iti vṛttāntakathanam, karkaṭeśvaraliṃgamāhātmyavarṇanam ..... .... ...... .. 97 1

22. Now, the description of the māhātmya of the Karkaṭeśvara liṅga: there, on the occasion of a dialogue between the king named Dharmamūrti and Vasiṣṭha, being asked by the king who was eager to know the cause of his attainment of royal power, Vasiṣṭha related the narrative: 'Due to a wicked deed done by you in a previous birth, when you had attained the state of a crab, a crow seized your crab body and dropped it before Śiva; then, by the power of darśana of Śiva at the time of death, your attainment of royal power occurred in this birth'; the description of the māhātmya of the Karkaṭeśvara liṅga. (97.1)