Skandapurana 4.52.9.1

4.52.9.1

Skanda said: / When the ray-garlanded sun had gone to Kāśī, which enchants the three worlds, / Hara, staying on Mount Mandara, again fell into deep anxiety, O sage: / ‘Even today the yoginīs do not return; even today the sharp-rayed sun does not return. / Even news of Kāśī is exceedingly difficult for me to obtain—how strange! / What wonder is it that Kāśī shakes even my mind, / motionless though it is? What calculation then can be made of any other god? / With a glance I burned Kāma, the conqueror of the three worlds; / alas, longing for Kāśī torments me even more! / Whom indeed can I dispatch from here to investigate news of Kāśī? / Who indeed is skilled to discern it, except the four-faced one [Brahmā]?’ / Thus summoning the Creator with great respect / and seating him there, Śrīkaṇṭha spoke to the four-faced one: / ‘The yoginīs were sent previously; then the thousand-rayed sun was sent; / even today they do not return from Kāśī, O pot-born one! / That Kāśī stirs longing in my mind, O lord of the world, / like some fickle-eyed maiden stirs an ordinary man! / Here on Mandara, in this lovely cave, I find no great delight, / like a crocodile in a shallow pond of impure, turbid water! / The heat born of the hālāhala poison did not afflict me so, / as the anguish born of separation from Kāśī intensely afflicts me here! / Even though seated on my head, raining drops of nectar, / the cool-rayed moon is unable, alas, to dispel the heat born of separation from Kāśī! / O Creator, execute my task, O noble, foremost, wise one! / Go quickly from here to Kāśī, and strive for my desire! / O Brahmā, you alone know the reason for leaving Kāśī; / even a fool would not leave Kāśī, let alone one who understands anything! / Why should I not go to Kāśī this very day by my own māyā, O Brahmā? / But I do not wish to transgress King Divodāsa, who abides by his duty! / O Creator, since you yourself arrange all things that must be arranged, / saying “do this” and “do that” to you is altogether pointless!’