Skandapurana 17.20

English (machine translation) 17.20

Language: English

17.20.2

Now begins the second [part], the Vastrāpatha (Girnār) kṣetramāhātmya, in the Prabhāsakhaṇḍa. (7.2)

1. In the account of the māhātmya of Dāmodara: the arrival of many seers at the house of a certain king named Gaja; there, when questioned by Gaja, the seers relate to King Gaja the māhātmya of all tīrthas and kṣetras; account of the māhātmya of the Name; account of the māhātmya of Dāmodara — 200 1

17.20.5

2. Demonstration of the etymological meaning of the word Bhava; account of the establishment of Bhava by the gods; account of the māhātmya of Bhava — 202 2

17.20.6

3. Account of the māhātmya of the Svarṇarekhā river; proclamation of the foremost tīrthas situated in the Vastrāpathakṣetra, such as Brahmakumbha, Brahmeśvara, Kālamegha, Dāmodara, Kālikā, Bhavendreśvara, Raivata, Ujjayanta, Kumbhīśvara, and Bhīmeśvara — 202 2

17.20.7

4. Account of the māhātmya of Dunnāvalli-hṛd-giri-sthāna — 203 1

17.20.8

5 Description of the māhātmya of Gaṅgeśvara. [p.] 203.1

17.20.9

6 Description of the procedure for pilgrimage to Cakratīrtha; the reporting to King Bhoja by a certain forest-guardian that a young girl leaping like a deer was seen; upon hearing that, the giving of much wealth to that forest-guardian by Bhoja, who was pleased; then, having gone to that forest along with that forest-guardian, Bhoja's capturing that deer-faced girl and going to his own house; then, when Bhoja asked that girl the reason for her curse consisting of a human body and a deer's face, her non-speaking, and Bhoja's asking of the brahmins; then, the description of the account of both their previous seven births recounted by the deer-faced [girl] who obtained clear speech after eating the puroḍāśa offered by the great sage belonging to Sarasvatī. [p.] 203.1 / 7 In the conversation between the deer-faced [girl] and King Bhoja, regarding the occasion of the description of her own origin, the seer Uddālaka's going to another forest to discharge urine; there, the falling of a drop of his semen; there, the drinking of Uddālaka's drop of semen by a female deer; then, the recounting to Bhoja by the deer-faced [girl] of her own birth from Uddālaka through the female deer; description of the māhātmya of many sacred fields and sacred fords such as Dvāravatī and Kurukṣetra; the description of the māhātmya of the Svarṇarekhā preceded by the account of her marriage to King Bhoja following her attainment of a divine face by casting away the previous birth's deer-face into the Svarṇarekhā. [p.] 206.1

17.20.10

8 In the conversation between the [sage] belonging to Sarasvatī and Bhoja, in the dispute between Brahmā and Rudra, description of the propitiation of Rudra performed by Brahmā at the word of Viṣṇu. [p.] 207.1

17.20.11

9 In the description by Viṣṇu to Brahmā of the story of Dakṣa's sacrifice and other matters, the description of the destruction of Dakṣa's sacrifice; description of the birth, marriage, and other deeds of Pārvatī; then, upon not seeing Śaṃkara who had disappeared at one time, the departure of the gods led by Viṣṇu together with Pārvatī mounted on a lion in order to search for Śiva; then, the darśana of Śaṃkara by them in the Vastrāpathakṣetra at Prabhāsa; the installation of his own form named Bhava there in the Vastrāpathakṣetra by Śaṃkara upon the command of Viṣṇu and others; description of the māhātmya of the origin of Bhava. [p.] 207.2

17.20.12

10 Description of the instruction given by the sage belonging to Sarasvatī to King Bhoja, who was eager for pilgrimage to the Vastrāpathakṣetra. [p.] 212.2

17.20.13

11 Description of the rules and sequence for the pilgrimage to the Vastrāpathakṣetra. [p.] 213.1

17.20.14

12 In performing śrāddha, description of the māhātmya of days such as Gajacchāyā; description of the faults to be abandoned by pilgrims; description of the fruits of ritual ablution, gifting, and other rites at various sacred fords such as Bhīmeśvara, Skānda, and Rāmeśvara; stating the fruit of remembering sacred fords; description of the procedure for pilgrimage. [p.] 214.1

17.20.15

13 Stating the fruit of the worship of Harihara; stating the fruit of ritual ablution, gifting, recitation, oblations, and the worship of gods and the twice-born there; description of the path of smoke and the path of rays; description of the māhātmya of śrāddha, gifting, and other rites. [p.] 215.1

17.20.16

14 In Vāmanapura, after performing austerity on the bank of the Svarṇarekhā by Vasiṣṭha, who was tormented by grief for his son, the installation of a liṅga right there through the grace of Śiva; then, in the description of the māhātmya of the Somanātha installed by Vāmana, the taking of refuge with Viṣṇu by the gods put to flight by Bali; then, Viṣṇu's assuming the form of Vāmana for the purpose of the gods, taking three paces of earth in the assembly of Bali, and after subduing Bali, his worship of Somanātha and installing a liṅga; description of the origin of Someśvara. [p.] 216.1

17.20.17

15 Vāmana's going to the Raivataka forest to receive darśana of Dāmodara; there, after thoroughly worshipping Nṛsiṃha and performing ritual ablution, gifting, and other rites, going thereafter to the Vastrāpathakṣetra for darśana of Dāmodara; there, after performing a night vigil, his departure towards perfection; description of the māhātmya of the night vigil before Dāmodara. [p.] 218.1

17.20.18

16 Then, Vāmana's going into the dense forest for the sake of pilgrimage; after seeing many sacred fields and sacred fords, the darśana of Śiva on the path; description of the conversation between Śiva and Vāmana; there, the recounting of the māhātmya of Indreśvara to Vāmana by Śiva; description of the māhātmya of Śivarātri, and statement of the rules for the Śivarātri observance. [p.] 219.2

17.20.19

17 Seeing the god cursed by Bhṛgu, and knowing that the god would also subdue Bali in the form of the Vāmana incarnation, Nārada's going before Bali; there, Nārada's agitating Bali's mind by stating that the glory of Devendra was greater even than his, and also causing Bali to remember the deception practiced by the gods at the time of the churning of the ocean; returning to heaven, Nārada's speaking in the very same way to Śakra as well; having thus mutually agitated them through strife and other means, Nārada's exposition of statecraft, the treatises on dharma, and other conduct to Bali; in the description of the origin of Mount Raivataka, the daily arrival of Viṣṇu to see the god staying in the temple of Viṣṇu on Mount Kumuda situated south of Meru; the installation of Hari and Hara right there on Mount Kumuda by Kumuda; the granting of a boon to Mount Kumuda by Hari and Hara; then, in the fifth Manvantara named Raivata, upon the birth of a dull-witted son to the seer Ṛtavāc, in the conversation between Ṛtavāc and Garga, after hearing of the flaw of dullness in his own son born under the asterism Revatī, the casting down of the asterism Revatī by the enraged seer Ṛtavāc by directing his glance; then, the falling of the asterism Revatī upon Mount Kumuda; thereby, the description of the renown of the Kumuda mountain by the name Raivataka; then, the birth of a girl named Revatī from Mount Raivataka; the raising of Revatī by the royal seer Pramuñca; from the word of Agni, Pramuñca's giving of Revatī to King Durdama; by bathing in the Revatīkuṇḍa, the birth of a son known as Devata; description of the māhātmya of the Śivālakṣmī tree worthy of worship by Vaiṣṇavas; the instruction to Bali by Nārada on the rules for the Vaiṣṇava vow, vigil, and other rites; Bali's performing the Vaiṣṇava vow, vigil, and other rites accordingly, and summoning brahmins with the permission of Śukra to commence a sacrifice in order to destroy impending portents; description of the power of Bali's sacrifice. [p.] 222.2

17.20.20

18. The explanation of the methods of breath control and others; the description of the eightfold origination of nature; the exposition of the twenty-five principles according to the Sāṃkhya system; the description of the method of meditation upon Bhava; the arrival of Nārada before Vāmana, who was staying in the presence of Bhava; the recounting by Nārada to Vāmana of the whole account of Bali's sacrifice and other matters; the rebuke of Nārada by Vāmana due to [Nārada's] nature of causing pointless quarrels; then the description by Nārada of the state at the end of the kalpa; the recounting by Nārada to Vāmana of the slaying of Hiraṇyākṣa and others; then, upon Nārada's word, Vāmana going before Bali to restrain Bali, asking Bali—though forbidden by Śukra—for three paces of ground, then pervading the entire universe by expanding himself and subjugating Bali ... 228 2

Linked texts (1)

Skandapurāṇa — Vyāsa, Sanskrit