Skandapurana 6.3.36

English (machine translation) 6.3.36

Language: English

6.3.36.1

Mārkaṇḍeya said: / Then one should go, O best of kings, to the unsurpassed Dārutīrtha, / where in ancient times Dāruka, the beloved of Indra, attained perfection.

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Yudhiṣṭhira said: / How, O sinless father, was austerity practiced formerly by Dāruka? / I wish to hear the account from you, O best of brahmins.

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The glorious Mārkaṇḍeya said: / Ah, I shall tell you the wondrous, ancient event / that took place in heaven's assembly among seers of purified selves.

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The beloved charioteer of the wielder of the thunderbolt was named Mātali. / Formerly, on account of some reason, he cursed his son.

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Afflicted by the curse, trembling, pressing with his head / the auspicious feet of Indra, he petitioned the lord of gods, O Bhārata.

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The lord of gods spoke to him, who was accursed and helpless: / 'By what deed will there be an end to this dreadful curse?'

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'Resorting to the bank of the Narmadā, pleasing Maheśvara, / remain there until the end of the yuga, for you shall attain another birth.

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Being born again, purified, renowned by the name Dāruka, / having worshiped the supreme deity who holds the conch, discus, and mace,

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and attained human form, you will thereafter achieve perfection.' / Thus spoken to by the wise god of a thousand eyes,

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having bowed with his head to the ground, he came, distracted in mind. / Resorting to the bank of the Narmadā, emaciating his own body,

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distressed by vows and fasts, ever devoted to silent recitation and oblations, / [he worshiped] the great-souled Mahādeva, the granter of boons, holding the trident in hand,

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with supreme devotion, O king, until the dissolution of all beings. / Becoming the charioteer of Viṣṇu of great intellect upon his descent in portion,

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pleasing the Lord of the World, he then indeed attained the auspicious state.

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This is the origin of Dārutīrtha, O father of good vows; / this has been related by me just as Śaṅkara formerly told me.

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Then Yudhiṣṭhira, having heard this, went to the highest amazement; / with hair standing on end again and again, he looked at his brothers.

The glorious Mārkaṇḍeya said: / Having bathed at that sacred ford according to the precept, O ruler of men, / and having observed the twilight worship, whosoever worships the lord of the gods, Śaṅkara,

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and whoever undertakes the study of the Vedas right there, self-composed, / he obtains the fruit of a horse-sacrifice, O king, there is no doubt here.

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Whosoever, pure, feeds brahmins with devotion at that sacred ford, / obtains the excellent fruit of [feeding] a thousand brahmins.

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Ritual ablution, gifting, silent recitation, oblation, recitation of scripture, and worship of deities— / whatever is done with a pure disposition, all that becomes fruitful.

6.3.36.19_1

Thus ends the thirty-sixth chapter, named 'The Description of the Greatness of the Dāruka Sacred Ford,' in the Revākhaṇḍa of the fifth section, the Āvantyakhaṇḍa, in the glorious Skanda Mahāpurāṇa consisting of eighty-one thousand verses.

Linked texts (1)

Skandapurāṇa — Vyāsa, Sanskrit