Skandapurana 3.3.8
English (machine translation) 3.3.8
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Contents
- 3.3.8.80 — 6 parts
3.3.8.80.1
Sūta said:
Those who know the reality of Śiva—which consists of eternal bliss, is peaceful, free of conceptual differentiation, flawless, and without beginning or end—have attained the supreme state. / 1
Those steadfast ones who, detached from the pleasures of desires, practice unmotivated,
supreme devotion to Śiva attain liberation, not transmigration. / 2
Those who, while intending sensory objects, maintain affection for Śiva
are not overcome by sensory objects, even while enjoying their fruits. / 3
Endowed with devotion to Śiva with whatever disposition,
a man is not destroyed by time; he attains the supreme state. / 4
He who wishes to ascend to the supreme realm, but whose mind is attached to sensory objects,
should worship Śambhu through ritual action; at the end of enjoyment he shall attain Śiva. / 5
Almost no one is capable of abandoning the latent desire for sensory objects;
therefore, action-based worship is a wish-fulfilling cow for embodied souls. / 6
For those who, having enjoyed happiness for a long time even in this world composed of illusion,
desire liberation at the end of the body, this duty has been proclaimed. / 7
Worship of Śiva in this world is always the cause of heaven and final liberation,
especially on Monday when combined with auspicious qualities such as pradoṣa. / 8
For those who perform the worship of Śiva even merely on a Monday,
nothing whatsoever is difficult to obtain in this world or the next. / 9
Having fasted, become pure, and controlled one's senses on a Monday,
one should worship Śiva according to the rules, through Vedic or worldly rites. / 10
A celibate student, a householder, an unmarried girl, a married woman,
or a widow, having worshiped him, obtains the desired boon. / 11
Here I shall relate a story captivating to the listener's heart;
having heard it, they indeed attain liberation, and devotion directed to Śambhu arises. / 12
In Āryāvarta there was a certain king, the best of the upholders of righteousness,
renowned as Citravarman, a King of Justice to the wicked. / 13
He was the protector of the embankments of righteousness, the chastiser of those who walk on evil paths,
the performer of all sacrifices, the savior of those seeking refuge, / 14
the maker of all merits, the bestower of all riches,
the conqueror of hordes of rivals, devoted to Śiva and Mukunda. / 15
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Having obtained mighty sons from his compliant wives, / he at last obtained one fair-faced daughter, long prayed for. / 16
Having obtained that daughter, as Himavat obtained Pārvatī by good fortune, / he considered himself like a god, his desires fulfilled. / 17
Once, summoning virtuous leaders of the twice-born who knew the signs of horoscopes, / his mind filled with curiosity, he asked the consequences of the girl's birth. / 18
Then one excellent twice-born [brahmin] there, learned in many matters, said: / “This daughter of yours, O king, shall be named Sīmantinī. / 19
She will be auspicious like Umā, beautiful like Damayantī, / skilled in arts like Bhāratī, endowed with great virtues like Lakṣmī. / 20
She will have good offspring like the Mother of the Gods, be devoted to vows like Jānakī, / radiant with noble splendor like the light of the sun, delightful like the moonlight. / 21
For ten thousand years she will rejoice with her husband; / having borne eight sons, she will attain supreme happiness.” / 22
When he had spoken thus, the king, honoring that twice-born [brahmin] with wealth, / experienced supreme joy, drinking the nectar of his words. / 23
Then another twice-born [brahmin] too, steadfast and of immeasurable splendor, spoke: / “In her fourteenth year, she will meet with widowhood.” / 24
Hearing his word, harsh as a thunderbolt's crash, / the king for a moment became bewildered in his mind with sorrow. / 25
Then, dismissing all the brahmins, the king, lover of the sacred word, / considered everything to be ordained by fate and became free of anxiety. / 26
And that young girl Sīmantinī, her childhood gradually passing, / heard from the mouth of her own friend of her future widowhood. / 27
Having fallen into deep despair, the maiden pondered; / she approached Maitreyī, the wife of the sage Yājñavalkya, and questioned her: / 28
“O mother, distressed with fear, I have sought refuge at your lotus feet; / you ought to declare to me an action that promotes good fortune in marriage.” / 29
To the king's daughter who had thus sought refuge, the virtuous wife of the sage said:
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“Take refuge, O slender-limbed girl, in Pārvatī united with Śiva. / 30
On Mondays worship Śiva and Gaurī with a collected mind, / having fasted or bathed well, wearing spotless garments. / 31
Restraining speech with an unwavering mind, having performed the proper worship, / and having fed brahmins, properly propitiate Śiva. / 32
Destruction of sins comes through anointing; imperial rule from worshiping the pedestal; / all good fortune and happiness from offering perfumes, garlands, and unhusked grain. / 33
Sweet fragrance comes from presenting incense, and radiant splendor from presenting a lamp; / great enjoyment from food offerings, and prosperity from offering betel. / 34
Virtue, wealth, pleasure, and liberation come from offering salutations; / recitation of mantras is indeed the cause of the perfections such as the eight sovereign powers. / 35
From oblation in fire arises the fulfillment of all desires; / from feeding brahmins comes the satisfaction of all the gods. / 36
In this manner worship Śiva and also Śivā on Mondays; / even if overtaken by terrible misfortune, you will overcome defeat. / 37
Even if fallen into most terrible, awful, and frightening misery, / by the power of worshiping Śiva you will cross over great fear.” / 38
Having thus properly instructed Sīmantinī, the virtuous woman departed; / and that princess of lovely hips did accordingly. / 39
To Damayantī and Nala was born a son named Indrasena; / his son was Candrāṅgada, resembling the moon. / 40
Citravarmā, best of kings, summoning that prince, / gave his daughter Sīmantinī to him with the permission of his preceptors. / 41
There was a great festival at her wedding, / where a great gathering of all kings took place. / 42
Having taken her hand in marriage at the appointed time, the fortunate Candrāṅgada / lived for some months right there in his father-in-law's house. / 43
Once, to cross the Yamunā, that powerful prince / boarded a boat playfully with some companions. / 44
As the prince was crossing the Kālindī, by the power of fate,
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the boat, struck by a whirlpool, sank along with the boatmen. / 45
A very great cry of “Alas, alas!” arose on both its banks; / as all the troops looked on, their wailing touched the sky. / 46
Drowning, some died; some went into the bellies of crocodiles; / the prince and others were not seen anywhere in the vast water. / 47
Hearing that, King Citravarmā too, utterly distracted, / reached the bank of the Yamunā and became motionless. / 48
Hearing it, the king's wives too lost consciousness; / and Sīmantinī, upon hearing it, fell unconscious to the ground. / 49
Likewise the other chief ministers, generals, and family priests, / bewildered and tormented by grief, wailed with their hair disheveled. / 50
King Indrasena also, deeply afflicted upon hearing the news of his son, / fell down senseless together with his wives. / 51
His ministers, his citizens, and the inhabitants of that land, / including children, the elderly, and women, cried out, overcome with grief. / 52
Out of grief, some beat their chests and some beat their heads; / they wandered about crying, “Alas, prince! Alas, dear one! Where are you? Where are you?” / 53
Thus the city of King Indrasena, full of sorrow and miserable, / was suddenly agitated, and likewise the city of Citravarmā. / 54
Then King Citravarmā, consoled by the elders, / slowly went to the city and comforted his daughter. / 55
Together with the relatives who had arrived, the king had the funeral rites / performed completely for that son-in-law who had drowned in the water. / 56
And that virtuous woman Sīmantinī, intent on [reaching] the world of her husband, / though dissuaded by her father out of affection, assumed widowhood. / 57
That auspicious Monday vow which had been taught by the sage's wife, / she of auspicious conduct did not abandon, even though she had met with widowhood. / 58
Having thus met with severe suffering in her fourteenth year, / meditating on the lotus feet of Śiva, she spent three years. / 59
King Indrasena, as if driven mad by grief for his son,
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His kinsmen forcibly seized his seven-limbed kingdom by their might. / Deprived of his throne by valiant kinsmen, that childless king / was captured and cast into prison along with his wife. / And Candrāṅgada, his son, plunged into the waters of the Yamunā; / as he sank down and down, he saw serpent maidens. / Seeing the prince, those [maidens] absorbed in water-sports / were astonished, and brought him to Pātāla, the abode of serpents. / Carried swiftly by the serpent-women, the king's son / entered the delightful and most wondrous city of Takṣaka. / That prince beheld [a city] resembling the abode of Mahendra, / illuminated by rays shining from great gems, / crowded with hundreds of palaces made of diamonds, lapis lazuli, emeralds, and other jewels, / with gates on gateway towers of ruby, radiant with strings of pearls, / with delightful pavements of moonstone and golden door-leaves, / resplendent with hundreds of thousands of jewel-lamps. / There, in the center of the assembly hall, seated upon a jeweled throne, he saw / Takṣaka, lord of serpents, shining with many hundreds of hoods, / wearing divine garments, radiant, adorned with jeweled earrings, / embellished by the brilliance of a crown set with diverse gems, / attended by countless excellent serpents adorned with multicolored jewels, / with palms joined in reverence, rich in the rays of the gems upon their hoods, / surrounded on all sides by thousands of Nāga maidens / radiant with the graceful movements, charm, and beauty of youth, / his limbs shining with celestial ornaments, anointed with divine sandalwood paste, / unassailable like the fire of cosmic dissolution, resembling the sun in splendor. / Seeing him, the steadfast prince bowed down in the assembly hall; / he stood up with joined palms, his eyes dazzled by his splendor. / The Nāga king also, seeing that handsome prince, / asked the serpent-women: 'Who is he? Whence has he come here?' / They said: 'He was seen by us by chance in the waters of the Yamunā.
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Unknown in family and name, he has been brought to your presence.' / Then questioned by the noble Takṣaka: / 'Whose son are you? Who are you? What is your country? How did you come?' / hearing the words, the prince spoke in reply to Takṣaka. / The prince said: / 'There is on the earthly realm a certain country named Niṣadha. / Its sovereign was a king named Nala, of great renown; / he was a righteous king of virtuous fame, the husband of Damayantī. / From him [sprang a son] named Indrasena, his son of great strength. / I am Candrāṅgada by name, newly married; while at my father-in-law's house, / sporting in the waters of the Yamunā, I was submerged, impelled by fate. / I have been brought near you by these serpent-women. / Having seen your lotus feet by merits earned in other births,
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today I am blessed, blessed indeed! My parents have attained their purpose, / in that I have been looked upon with compassion and even addressed by you.'
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Sūta said: / Hearing this noble, unperturbed, and exceedingly charming speech, / Takṣaka spoke again with eager interest to the king's son.
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Takṣaka said: / 'O scion of kings, do not fear! Take courage! / Among all gods, which god is constantly worshipped by you [all]?'
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The prince said: / 'That god who among all gods is remembered as Mahādeva, / that Śiva, the soul of all, the lord of Umā, is indeed worshipped by us.
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By a fraction of a portion of whose splendor, and by rajas, Prajāpati / assumed form and created the universe—he, Maheśvara, is to be worshipped by us.
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Bearing a celestial, sāttvika form from a portion of whom the eternal Viṣṇu, / the soul of all beings, sustains the universe—he, Śiva, is worshipped by us.
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Born from whose tāmasa portion, Rudra, resembling the fire of cosmic dissolution, / destroys this universe at the end—he, Īśvara, is to be worshipped by us.
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Who is the creator even of the creator, and the cause of the cause itself, / the supreme light among lights—that Śiva is our ultimate refuge.
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Who, though near, is far away to those whose minds are ruined by sin, / whose abode is boundless—that Śiva is our ultimate refuge.
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Who abides in fire, who in the earth, who in the wind and in water, / and who is in space, the soul of all—that Sadāśiva is to be worshipped by us. / Who is the witness of all beings, who dwells in the self, unstained, / under whose will the world moves—that Śiva is worshipped by us.
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Whom some call the one, primordial, ancient Person, differentiated by transformation of the guṇas, / others the one knower of the field, others the fourth state, others the immutable—that Śiva is our refuge.
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Whom—an object of consciousness yet an inconceivable reality, of unending majesty, not of this nature— / the activities of mind and speech of those devoted to the self cannot touch: he, this supreme Śiva, is to be worshipped by us.
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Obtaining whose grace, good men do not desire even Indra's radiant station; / having crossed the wheel of time and the iron bar of karma, they walk without fear—that Śiva is our refuge.
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The remembrance of whom instantly brings destruction to the afflictions of all sins even for those born among the lowest castes; / whose entire true nature is to be sought through the Vedas—to that Śiva let us ever offer worship.
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Upon whose head the river of the world of gods has found its abode, on whose body dwells the divine Mother of the universe, / and on whose earlobes—ah!—are the two, Takṣaka and Vāsuki: he who bears the crescent moon on his crest is our sole refuge.
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Triumphant are his lotus feet upon the crest of the Vedas; triumphant forever in the hearts of yogins is his form; / triumphant is his form that illumines all principles; he who has conquered the creation of the guṇas—that Lord is worshipped by us.'
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Sūta said: / Hearing this speech of his, Takṣaka, pleased in mind, / with devotion awakened towards Mahādeva, spoke to the prince.
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Takṣaka said:
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'I am well pleased; may good fortune be yours, O son of an excellent king!
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Since, though a boy, you know the highest reality pertaining to Śiva, higher than the highest.
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This world is full of jewels, and these women are lovely-eyed.
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"All these are wishing-trees; the step-wells have waters of nectar-essence.
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Here there is no terrible fear of death, nor the torment of old age and disease.
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Sport here at your pleasure; enjoy the delights as befit you."
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Thus addressed by the king of serpents, that prince,
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noble in mind, replied with supreme affection, his hands joined in reverence:
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"I have taken a wife at the proper time; my wife is faithful to her vows,
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constantly devoted to the worship of Śiva; my parents have but an only son.
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Believing me dead today, overwhelmed with great sorrow,
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they will surely part with their lives, or else barely breathe by fate.
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Therefore, I must by no means remain here for many days.
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You ought graciously to convey me back to that very world."
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To the prince who spoke thus, having refreshed [him] with divine, excellent food born of celestial trees,
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with excellent perfumes, garments, garlands, gems, and varied divine ornaments,
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and having gratified [him] with various pleasures, the king of serpents said again:
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"Whenever you remember [it], it shall be manifested before you by me!"
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Moreover, to the prince Takṣaka gave a horse that went at will,
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[moving] without hindrance through various continents, oceans, and worlds.
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He gave jeweled ornaments, divine decorations, and garments;
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and to carry them, the lord of serpents gave a rākṣasa.
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And appointing a prince of serpents to assist him,
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Takṣaka dismissed him with affection, saying, "Go!"
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Thus taking the various riches, that Candrāṅgada,
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mounting the horse that went at will, departed with the two of them.
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Emerging in about an instant from the water of that very river,
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he roved on the delightful bank, mounted on the divine steed.
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Now at that time, the slender and virtuous Sīmantinī
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came there to bathe, surrounded by her companions.
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She saw the prince sporting on the riverbank,
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accompanied by the rākṣasa in human form and by the son of the serpent,
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strewn with divine jewels, wearing a crest of divine garlands,
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his body diffusing a divine fragrance over ten yojanas.
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Seeing him of extraordinary form, mounted on the divine horse,
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she stood, her eyes fixed on him, as if stunned, crazed, or frightened.
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And the prince, recalling that she had been seen before,
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[saw that she was] stripped of throat ornaments, devoid of the auspicious necklace,
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her hair unbraided, without bodily unguents,
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the corners of her eyes free of black collyrium, thin-limbed, marred by grief.
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Seeing [her], he dismounted from the horse, sat down on the riverbank,
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and calling that woman of lovely hips, had her sit down and said this:
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"Who are you? Whose wife, or whose virtuous daughter are you?
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Why, O fair woman, is this unbearable sign of grief in your youth?"
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Thus asked with affection, that young woman, tears in her eyes,
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was too bashful to speak herself; her companion told everything:
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"This is Sīmantinī by name, daughter-in-law of the king of Niṣadha,
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the queen of Candrāṅgada, daughter of Citravarman.
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Her husband, by a stroke of fate, drowned in these vast waters;
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thereby this young girl has fallen into widowhood and is wasted by sorrow.
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In this way three years have passed in overwhelming grief.
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Today, Monday having arrived, she came here to bathe.
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Her father-in-law, a mighty king, has been deprived of his kingdom by enemies,
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seized by force, bound, and remains in their power together with his wife.
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Even so, this woman of auspicious conduct, on Monday,
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worships Maheśvara together with Ambikā with supreme devotion and a pure mind."
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Sūta said:
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Having thus made everything known through the mouth of her friend, the woman of good vows,
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Sīmantinī then spoke to the prince herself:
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"Who are you, resembling the god of love? Who are these two at your side?
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Are you a god, a king, a siddha, a gandharva, or a kinnara?
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Why do you inquire about my story as if full of affection?
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Do you know me, O strong-armed one, or have you seen me somewhere?"
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You appear to me as one seen before, like one of my own kin.
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Tell everything in truth, for the good are founded on truth.”
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Sūta said:
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Having said this much, the king's daughter wept for a long time, her throat choked with tears.
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Falling to the ground, surrounded by her female companions, she fainted and was unable to say anything.
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Hearing all the cause of his beloved's grief, Candrāṅgada
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remained silent for a moment, himself overwhelmed with sorrow.
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Then, having consoled his slender-waisted beloved with various skillful words,
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he said: “We are gods known as Siddhas, who can go wherever we wish.
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Then, drawing close to her who feared being grasped by the hand, as if by force,
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her entire body thrilled with horripilation, he whispered this in her ear:
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“In some world, O fair-faced lady, your husband was seen by me;
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pleased by your observance of the vow, he will return right soon.
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He will surely remove your grief in just two or three days.
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I have come to announce this; I am your husband's friend.
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No doubt should be harbored in this matter; I swear by the feet of Śiva.
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Until then, it must remain in your heart and not be revealed anywhere.”
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Hearing his speech, which surpassed a hundred streams of nectar,
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she gazed at him again and again, her eyes bewildered with agitation.
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He spoke words that were an elixir, multiplying the bonds of love,
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accompanied by noble charm and casting sweet side-glances,
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his body thrilled with horripilation bursting forth at the touch of his own hand [on hers].
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Noticing the marks seen before on his limbs, his voice, and other [traits],
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and examining his age, stature, and complexion, she pondered:
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“This must indeed be my husband; surely he can be no other.
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My heart, anxious with love, is attached to this very man.
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How could one have come here from the other world bearing such a form of his own?
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How could there be a darśana of my lost husband for an unfortunate woman like me?
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Is this a dream? But it is not a dream. Is this a delusion? Yet it is no delusion.
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Is this a rogue, or some yakṣa or gandharva?
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Or is this the fruit of that vow which the sage's wife told me [to perform],
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saying, ‘Even if fallen into extreme distress, perform this vow’?
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The excellent twice-born who said to me, ‘Your good fortune will last ten thousand years’—
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surely his word was true; who could know except Īśvara?
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Auspicious omens are also seen day after day.
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When the Lord of Pārvatī is pleased, what is impossible for embodied beings?”
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Reflecting thus in many ways, her doubts were dispelled; to her,
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whose face was bowed with bashfulness, he declared his purpose in her ear:
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“We are going to recount this event to his parents, who are tormented by grief.
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Blessing to you, auspicious lady; you will regain your husband immediately.”
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Having spoken thus and mounted his horse, the prince departed;
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together with those two, he reached his own kingdom in an instant.
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Stationed near the city’s pleasure-grove, he dispatched that young serpent
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to his kinsmen who were seated on the royal throne.
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He went and said to them quickly: “Let Indrasena be released!
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His son Candrāṅgada has arrived from the abode of the serpents.
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Vacate the royal throne; do not hesitate!
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Otherwise, the arrows of Candrāṅgada will swiftly take your lives!
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He who sank into the waters of the Yamunā went to the mansion of Takṣaka,
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and having obtained his assistance, has returned here from that world.”
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Hearing that entire account related in full,
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the adversaries, confounded, cried out, “Excellent, excellent!”
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Then, having quickly reported to Indrasena the return of his lost son,
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and having appeased him as he regained the royal throne, the chiefs among the kinsmen were seized with fear.
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Then all the citizens, having seen the prince in the city park,
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hastily reported it to the king and received great wealth.
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Hearing that his son had arrived, the king was flooded with tears of joy;
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neither he nor the queen, in their supreme delight, were aware of this world.
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Then all the citizens, senior ministers, and domestic priests,
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going out to meet him and embracing him, brought him before the king.
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Then, having entered his own palace with a grand celebration,
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the prince bowed to his parents, shedding tears. // 59
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For a moment, the ruler of the earth did not recognize his own son who had fallen at his feet;
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awakened by the ministers, he somehow stood up and embraced him with a moistened heart. // 3.3.8.160
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In turn saluting his mothers, whose blessings were increased as they were overwhelmed with affection,
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the king's son, embraced [by them], honored all the citizens. // 61
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Seated in their midst, his entire story
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he reported to his father, as well as the friendship of Takṣaka, // 62
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and the heap of wealth consisting of jewels and the like given by the serpent king;
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all that divine [wealth] brought by the Rākṣasas he offered to his father. // 63
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Agitated upon seeing and hearing the deeds of the prince, / he considered it to be the good fortune of his daughter-in-law, earned by worshiping the Great Lord. // 64
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This news full of auspiciousness the king of Niṣadha
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reported through spies to King Citravarmā. // 65
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Hearing the nectar-like report, he rose up in haste,
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gave abundant wealth to them, and danced, overwhelmed with joy. // 66
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Then, calling his daughter and embracing her with tearful eyes,
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he adorned with ornaments her who had cast aside the marks of widowhood. // 67
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Then there was a great festival in the realms, villages, cities, and the like;
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people on all sides praised the auspicious conduct of Sīmantinī. // 68
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Then King Citravarmā, having summoned the son of Indrasena,
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offered his daughter to him again according to the rites of marriage. // 69
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Candrāṅgada also, with jewels and other treasures brought from the abode of Takṣaka,
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which were extremely difficult for mortals to obtain, adorned his own wife. // 3.3.8.170
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With divine unguents gleaming like heated gold,
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she shone with a fragrance spreading for ten yojanas. // 71
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With an unfading garland of the perpetual color of lotus filaments,
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produced from the wishing tree, the young, virtuous woman shone, beautifully adorned. // 72
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Thus, having regained his wife at an auspicious time,
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Candrāṅgada went back to his own city with the approval of his father-in-law. // 73
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King Indrasena, having installed his own son upon the throne,
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worshiped Śiva through austerity and attained the destination of self-restrained ascetics. // 74
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For ten thousand years, together with his wife Sīmantinī,
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King Candrāṅgada enjoyed many worldly pleasures. // 75
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She gave birth to eight sons and one fair-faced daughter;
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Sīmantinī took delight with her husband while worshiping the Great Lord,
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and day by day obtained good fortune arising from the Monday [observance]. // 76
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Sūta said:
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This wondrous narrative has been thoroughly described by me;
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I shall also declare again the māhātmya proclaimed regarding the Monday observance. // 177
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Thus ends the eighth chapter, entitled 'Description of the Monday Observance', in the Brahmottarakhaṇḍa of the glorious Skandapurāṇa containing eighty-one thousand verses. // 8
Linked texts (1)
- Skandapurāṇa — Vyāsa, Sanskrit