Skandapurana 4.14
English (machine translation) 4.14
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The two attendants said:
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To the front of Alakā is the illustrious city of the northeast.
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Here dwell constantly the devotees of Rudra rich in austerity, (1)
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absorbed in the remembrance of Śiva, devoted to the observances of Śiva,
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having consecrated their actions to Śiva, always delighting in the worship of Śiva. (2)
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Desirous [of this alone], they practice tapas, thinking, 'May ours be the enjoyment of heaven here!'
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Those men dwell here in the charming city of Rudra, bearing the form of Rudra. (3)
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Led by Ajaikapād and Ahirbudhnya, indeed all eleven
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Rudras are the lords here, their hands holding up tridents. (4)
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And they protect the group of eight cities from wicked beings and enemies of the gods;
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the excellent ones constantly grant boons to the devotees of Śiva. (5)
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Austerity was performed by them as well, having reached the city of Vārāṇasī,
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and having established the auspicious, great liṅga Īśāneśa. (6)
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By the grace of Īśāneśa, the guardians of the northeast direction,
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even all eleven, walking alone, adorned with crowns of matted hair, (7)
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with an eye on the forehead, blue throats, pure limbs, and bull banners,
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and the thousands of countless Rudras who are upon the earth, (8)
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dwell in this northeastern city, rich with all enjoyments.
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Those who, having worshipped Īśāneśa in Kāśī, or even in other regions, (9)
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have died, are born here as favored ministers by that merit.
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Those who worship Īśāneśa on the eighth and fourteenth days [of the lunar fortnight] (10)
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are certainly to be recognized as Rudras themselves, both in this world and the next.
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Having kept a vigil at night in the presence of Īśāneśvara, (11)
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and having fasted on whatever fourteenth day [it may be], a person does not partake of the womb again.
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Listening thus on the path to heaven to the tale told by the attendants of Viṣṇu, (12)
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Śivaśarman saw from high above the moonlight of the moon even by day,
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delighting abundantly the mind together with all the senses. (13)
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Filled with wonder again and again, Śivaśarman asked the two attendants of Hari:
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'What realm is this?' And the two spoke to that twice-born: (14)
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The two attendants said:
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'O highly fortunate Śivaśarman, this is the realm of the treasury of arts (the Moon),
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by whose rays raining nectar the world is refreshed. (15)
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O brahmin, the blessed seer Atri was born as the father of Soma
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from the mind of Brahmā, who in the beginning was eager to create offspring. (16)
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Indeed, an unexcelled tapas was performed by him long ago
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for three thousand celestial years, as we have heard here. (17)
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His semen, having attained the state of Soma, surged upward,
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and flowed forth from his two eyes, illuminating the directions in ten ways. (18)
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Then the ten goddesses (directions), commanded by Brahmā, received that embryo;
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having gathered, they held it, but they were not able to hold it at all. (19)
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When those directions were unable to bear that embryo,
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then Soma fell down to the earth together with them. (20)
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Seeing Soma fallen, Brahmā, the grandfather of the worlds,
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placed him upon a chariot out of a desire for the welfare of the worlds. (21)
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With that excellent chariot, Brahmā carried him in circumambulation
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around the ocean-bounded earth three times seven (twenty-one) times. (22)
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Whatever radiance of his dripped down and reached the earth,
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from that the medicinal plants arose by which the world is sustained. (23)
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Having obtained his brilliance and being nurtured by Brahmā himself,
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the blessed one performed tapas, O fortunate one, for a hundred padmas [of years]. (24)
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Having reached the supreme, purifying sacred field Avimukta,
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and having established an immortal liṅga called Candreśa after his own name, (25)
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he became the king of seeds, medicinal plants, waters, and brahmins,
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by the grace of the god of gods, the lord of the universe who holds the Pināka bow. (26)
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Having constructed a well there known as Amṛtoda,
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by drinking whose water and bathing [in it] a man is freed from ignorance. (27)
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He who was placed by the pleased god of gods upon his own crest-lock,
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having taken that single supreme digit which revives the universe. // 28
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Afterwards, though cursed by Dakṣa and having waned throughout the month,
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that moon is nourished again by that very digit. // 29
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Having obtained that great sovereignty, Soma, the best among those endowed with soma,
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undertook the Rājasūya sacrifice, with a sacrificial fee of hundreds of thousands. // 4.1.14.30
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Soma gave the three worlds as the sacrificial fee—so we have heard,
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to those foremost brahmin seers and to the assembly members, O twice-born one! // 31
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Where Brahmā, Hiraṇyagarbha, Atri, and Bhṛgu were the priests,
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and Hari, accompanied by many sages, was an assembly member. // 32
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Taṃsinī, Kuhū, Dyuti, Puṣṭi, Prabhāvasu,
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Kīrti, Dhṛti, and Lakṣmī—nine goddesses served him. // 33
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Having propitiated Rudra together with Umā through the sacrificial rite,
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he obtained the renown 'Soma', bestowed by Śambhu, who is with Umā. // 34
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Right there Soma performed the most difficult austerity;
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right there he also performed the Rājasūya before Candreśvara. // 35
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Right there that treasure of digits was addressed by the delighted brahmins:
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'Soma is the king of us brahmins, one whose generosity extends to the three worlds.' // 36
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Right there he attained the position of the eye of the God of gods,
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by the God with a delighted mind, for the sake of gladdening the three worlds. // 37
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'You are my supreme form'—thus he was addressed by the power of that austerity—
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'When the world attains your rising, happiness will arise. // 38
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Touched by your hands filled with nectar, this moving and unmoving world,
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though overcome by the heat of the sun, will cast off supreme exhaustion.' // 39
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Having said this, Maheśāna joyfully granted other boons:
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'O king of the twice-born, because you performed exceedingly fierce austerity here, // 4.1.14.40
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and because the offering of the sacrificial rite was dedicated by you to me,
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and because this liṅga bearing the name Candreśvara was established by you,
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therefore, O Soma, in this liṅga bearing your name, bearing the form of the crescent moon,
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though I am all-pervading, every month on the fifteenth day of the bright fortnight, // 42
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I will dwell for a day and a night endowed with the sovereignty of the three worlds.
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Therefore, even a small pious deed performed here on the full moon day— // 43
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recitation of mantras, oblation, worship, meditation, gift-giving, feeding of brahmins,
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and great worship—will surely be for my delight. // 44
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Renovating ruins and the like, offering dance, instrumental music, and the like,
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the act of raising a banner, and satisfying ascetics and renunciants— // 45
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all that is done at Candreśvara leads to endless fruit.
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I will tell you another secret; listen, O treasure of digits! // 46
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It should not be told to a non-devotee, to an atheist, or to a hater of the Vedas.
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When a new moon day falls on a Monday, O Soma, // 47
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then a fast should be observed with reverence by virtuous men on the fourteenth day.
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Having performed the daily rites on the thirteenth day, O Soma, listen! // 48
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Having worshipped the liṅga called Candreśvara during the twilight on Saturday,
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having taken a single meal at night on the thirteenth day and undertaken the observance, // 49
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having fasted on the fourteenth day and kept vigil at night,
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and having bathed in the morning in the waters of Candroda at the conjunction of Monday and the new moon, // 4.1.14.50
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having worshipped the twilight according to rule, and having performed all the water rites,
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one should properly perform a śrāddha at the sacred fords near Candroda. // 51
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Without the invocation and the guest water, one should carefully offer rice balls
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to the three generations of ancestors who are in the nature of the Vasus, Rudras, and Ādityas, // 52
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and dedicating them likewise to maternal grandfathers and to other members of the lineage,
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the giver of rice balls, having pronounced the names of teachers, fathers-in-law, and kinsmen, // 53
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and performing the śrāddha with faith at this sacred ford, delivers them all.
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Just as ancestors are satisfied by the offering of rice balls at Gayā, // 54
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so ancestors are satisfied by śrāddhas here at the Candroda pool.
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And just as a man at Gayā is released from all debts born of ancestors, // 55
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so he is completely released from debt by the offering of rice balls at Candroda.
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Whenever any best of men goes to see Candreśvara, // 56
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then his ancestors and great-grandfathers dance with joy:
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'He will make a water offering to us at this sacred ford Candroda!' // 57
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If due to our misfortune he does not make it at all,
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then through contact with that sacred ford our satisfaction will come to pass.
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Even if the indolent person does not touch it, he will gaze upon it for [our] satisfaction.
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Having thus performed the śrāddha and then touched Candreśvara, the observer of the vow,
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having satisfied the brahmins and ascetics, should then break his fast.
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When the vow is thus observed in Kāśī on a Monday with a new-moon day,
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he will be freed from the three debts, O moon, through my grace.
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Here a pilgrimage should be undertaken on the full-moon day of Caitra by dwellers of the sacred field;
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it dispels obstacles in the sacred field to attain liberating knowledge.
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Having thoroughly worshipped Candreśvara, even if staying elsewhere,
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having pierced the veil of the flood of sins, he will reach the world of Soma.
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In the Kali age, the greatness of Candreśa is not comprehended by the unfortunate.
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And I shall tell you something else, a supreme secret, O lord of the night:
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This seat of Siddhayogīśvara grants accomplishment to practitioners.
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Among gods and asuras, Gandharvas, Nāgas, and Vidyādharas too,
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among Rākṣasas, Guhyakas, Yakṣas, Kiṃnaras, and mortals,
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seventy million accomplished beings have attained perfection here before me.
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Restricting his diet for six months and meditating upon Viśveśvarī here,
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he sees the foremost siddhas who have arrived to worship Candreśvara.
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Siddhayogīśvarī manifestly becomes the granter of boons to him.
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You too [attained] great perfection by beholding Siddhayogīśvarī.
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There are many sacred seats on earth for the accomplishment of practitioners;
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yet on the surface of the earth, none grants siddhi more swiftly than the seat of Yogīśvarī.
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Where this Candreśvara liṅga has been established by you, O moon,
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that very place is that seat, invisible to those whose minds are unrefined.
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Those who have conquered desire, anger, greed, longing, and pride
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behold Yogīśvarī, my supreme, beneficial Śakti.
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Those people who, on every eighth and fourteenth lunar day,
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worship with devotion at the seat of Siddhayogīśvarī—
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she of unseen form, auspicious, tawny-hued, granter of all accomplishments—
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she will manifest before them with incense, food-offerings, lamps, and other rites.
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Having thus granted boons to that moon, O twice-born,
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Maheśāna vanished there in the city of the Lord of All.
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Beginning from that time, the king of the twice-born became a ruler in this world,
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making the quarters free from darkness with his spreading rays.
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Men who observe the Monday vow and are devoted to drinking soma
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go indeed to the world of Soma by a vehicle lustrous like the moon.
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The origin of Candreśvara and the austerity of the moon—
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the person who listens to this with devotion is honoured in the world of the moon.
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Agasti said:
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As the two attendants were telling this auspicious story that brought joy to Śivaśarman / and dispelled fatigue on the divine path,
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they then reached the world of the stars.
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Thus ends the fourteenth chapter, named 'The Description of the World of Soma', in the first half of the Kāśīkhaṇḍa, in the fourth [book] of the glorious Skandapurāṇa, a compendium of eighty-one thousand verses.
Linked texts (1)
- Skandapurāṇa — Vyāsa, Sanskrit