And this other one, who, out of greed for the scent of flowers, has taken the form of a musk-deer,
let him fall into a terrifying mountain chasm!” // 36

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When the thunderbolt of a curse was hurled in this way by him in fierce wrath,

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our pride vanishing in that very instant, we both went to him for refuge, // 37

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and grasping the feet of that divine sage, having spoken to him [thus]:

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“This curse of yours cannot fail; therefore, let its termination be declared.” // 38

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Then, beholding the two of us whose minds were exceedingly distressed, O king,

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the king of sages became gracious, very cool with compassion. // 39

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And he said: “Let it not be so! O you two of foolish mind, anywhere [else],

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the alleviation of the curse will come about through circumambulation of the Red Mountain [Aruṇādri]. // 1.3.2.22.40

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Long ago, indeed, the Enemy of Tripura [Śiva] presided over an auspicious assembly.

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He was attended upon by the guardians of the directions, headed by Indra, Upendra, and Yama. // 41

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And at that time, the goddess of the Nandana forest, to the God of gods,

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offered as a present a certain pale-red fruit. // 42

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Overcome with curiosity due to their childhood, Gajānana and the Six-faced One [Skanda]

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begged their father for that most enticing fruit. // 43

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Then the Lord spoke to his two sons, who were eager for the fruit,

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having concealed the fruit with the hollow of his hands: “O boys! // 44

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Whichever of you two is able to circumambulate this entire earth

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encircled by the Lokāloka mountain, to him I will give [it].” // 45

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When this was said by Pārvatī's Lord, whose moon-like face was smiling,

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Skanda set out to circumambulate the earth. // 46

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The Pot-bellied One [Ganeśa], however, of his father, the Lord in the form of the Red Mountain,

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performed a circumambulation right there in front, at that very instant. // 47

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Seeing that cleverness of his, the Three-eyed One [Śiva], to Heramba,

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bestowed the fruit, having sniffed his head with affection. // 48

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‘From this day forth, of all fruits [and rewards] the overlord

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shall you be!’—having granted this boon to the Single-tusked One, Śaṃkara // 49

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also spoke to the members of the assembly, all the gods and asuras,

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variegating the hall with the spreading moonlight of his teeth: // 1.3.2.22.50

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‘This stationary form of mine is the Red Mountain. Whoever, through devotion,

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performs circumambulation of it, he shall attain conformity of form with me. // 51

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He whose feet suffer pain due to circumambulation of this mountain,

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he, as a universal emperor, attains the eternal state superior to all.’ // 52

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Thus, by the ordinance of Śambhu, performing circumambulation of the Red Mountain,

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all the gods obtained their respective desires. // 53

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You two also, whose impurity arose from intoxication, have been chastised by me;

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by circumambulation of the Red Mountain, there will be an end to your curse. // 54

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Even though you are animals, circumambulation of Aruṇādri will be accomplished for you

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through your association with the Pāṇḍya king, Vajrāṅgada.” // 55

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Thus, with their bodies withered by the hālāhala-poison of the curse from that ocean of an intolerant great sage,

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cast down by the heavy burden of their sins, they were swiftly born into the wombs of a horse and a deer. // 56

Thus ends the twenty-second chapter, titled ‘Description of the Account of Vajrāṅgada’ in the section on the glory of the circumambulation of Aruṇācala, in the second half of the Aruṇācalamāhātmya, in the first Māheśvarakhaṇḍa of the Skanda Mahāpurāṇa consisting of eighty-one thousand verses. // 22

Linked texts (1)

Skandapurāṇa — Vyāsa, Sanskrit