Skandapurana 6.3.67

English (machine translation) 6.3.67

Language: English

6.3.67.1

The venerable Mārkaṇḍeya said: / Immediately after that, my dear, situated in the midst of the water, / is the sacred ford known as Luṅkeśvara, saluted by gods and asuras.

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This sacred ford is greatly meritorious and full of various wonders on the earth. / Hear, O descendant of Bharata, the origin and the māhātmya of this sacred ford.

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Formerly there was an immensely heroic dānava, arrogant with strength, / known as Kālapṛṣṭha, who was the son of a son of Brahmā.

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Resorting to the bank of the Gaṅgā, he performed extensive austerity. / Remaining head downward, he inhaled smoke day and night.

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Immediately after that, the god was staying there with Umā. / Seeing him established in such severe austerity, Pārvatī said:

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"Look, look, O Mahādeva, a man stands inhaling smoke! / Be pleased with him today; grant him a boon quickly, O all-pervading Lord!"

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Īśvara said: / "O goddess, the words you have spoken do not please me, my dear. / One should always attend to one's own concern and avoid the concern of another.

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He who follows the inclination of fools, women, children, and enemies / falls into terrible calamity. This is truly stated."

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The goddess said: / "When a husband is requested by his wife, he speaks many arguments. / That woman falls into low esteem; thus is it read in the scriptures.

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I will give up my life if you do not heed me." / Urged by Pārvatī, the god went toward that dānava.

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Īśvara said: / "For what purpose do you inhale smoke? For what purpose do you practice austerity? / What is your distress? What is your sorrow? State your desired objective.

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You appear to be young, just twenty years of age even today. / Therefore declare to me in full the great reason for your austerity."

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The dānava said: / "Let unswerving devotion be granted to me, and my steadfastness toward you. / Another thousand years have passed without obstacle for me, O all-pervading Lord.

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Two thousand days have been completed by me in austerity toward you."

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Īśvara said: / "Ask for your desired objective; I am pleased with you, O man of good vows." / Hearing the god's words, the dānava thought:

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"Shall I ask for heaven today, or shall I ask for the entire earth today?" / Thus he reflected, afflicted by the arrow of desire.

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The dānava said: / "If you are pleased with me, O god, and will grant me a boon, O Lord, / I am not satisfied with battles, since there is no strength whatsoever [left in them for me].

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Upon whosever head, O god, I touch with my hand, / let him—be he god, dānava, or gandharva—turn to ashes that very moment."

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Īśvara said: / "Whatever you have imagined, let all that bear fruit for you. / Rise up, go quickly to your dwelling, O dānava."

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The dānava said: / "Wait, O Lord of the gods of gods, until I test your boon! / I shall place my hand upon your head, so that I may have confidence [in it]."

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Immediately after that, the god Maheśvara reflected: / "Neither Skanda, nor Hari, nor Brahmā is capable in this matter now."

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Recognizing that danger had arrived, the god beseeched the bull: / "Fight with this sinful one right now for a moment!"

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The daitya stretched out his hand intending indeed to touch the god on the head. / Struck by the bull's tail, the daitya fell downcast to the ground.

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The god, however, went in the southern direction together with Umā. / Terrified with fear, he looked back again and again, turning his neck.

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When the god had gone out of sight, he fought with the bull. / Those two, the foremost among the strong, endowed with great strength, fought each other

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with blows like thunderbolts in anger for three ghaṭikās. / Indeed, he could not touch the bull's head with his hands.

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Striking with a sweep of his tail, the bull then returned. / That daitya too got up and pursued the bull from behind.

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With the speed of wind he reached where the god Maheśvara was. / Seeing the Dānava coming, the bull spoke these words:

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"Mounting my back, O god, you must go at once!" / Mounting the bull, the god went away together with Umā.

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Then the god reached heaven and went to Śakra's mansion; / yet the Dānava, arrogant with power, did not leave the god's trail.

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Leaving Indra's world, he then went to Brahmā's world. / Wherever the god went in fear together with the gods,

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right there he saw the Dānava clinging to his back. / Having wandered through all the worlds, the god was filled with astonishment:

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"There is no place whatsoever where I may rest for a moment!" / Knowing that a dreadful conflict had arisen between the god and the Dānava,

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the sage Nārada danced there for a long time, his heart rejoicing: / "Blessed am I today! My birth and my life have been well lived!"

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Beholding this great quarrel, his satisfaction was supreme. / Leaving the battle there between the god and the Dānava, Nārada

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the brahmin then came to where the god Maheśvara was. / Seeing that brahmin, the god honored him and said this:

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"O Nārada, best of sages, do you know where Keśava is? / Go there quickly and report to Keśava!"

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Nārada said: / "Of the gods, Dānavas, siddhas, Gandharvas, serpents, and rākṣasas— / of all of them, the Lord of gods surely removes distress.

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This is unthinkable; it should not be spoken, nor should one even imagine it in mind. / I cannot comprehend such distress of yours, O Lord!"

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Īśvara said: / "Go quickly, Nārada, to where the god Janārdana is. / All that has been done by the Dānava is known to you.

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Indeed, this Dānava cannot be slain even by the hosts of Maruts led by Indra. / Having gone to the god Keśava, report it, O great sage!"

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Nārada said: / "I will not go, O god! Sleeping happily in the Ocean of Milk, / Keśava is resting; give an order to dispatch others, O Lord!

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Whether by mother, sister, or daughter, likewise a king and a master, / and beginning with a guru—one should not awaken one who is sleeping."

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Īśvara said: / "If a great fire breaks out somewhere in a house, / those inside meet their end if the unwise do not wake up."

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Nārada said: / "Go quickly, Mahādeva; protect yourself, O glorious lord! / I am going, there is no doubt, to where the god Janārdana is."

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Then Nandin and Mahākāla, terrifying with clubs in their hands, / struck the Dānava there with weapons such as maces.

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All three had huge bodies, the height of seven palm trees; / no peace arose among them as they fought one another.

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Immediately after that, the brahmin went to Keśava. / He saw him sleeping in the Ocean of Milk, resting on the couch of Śeṣa,

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his two feet held by Lakṣmī and placed upon her thighs, / being sung to by apsarases; and having bowed down to Keśava with devotion, [he said:]

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"Today my birth is fruitful, and my life is well lived! / Awaken the Lord of gods, O Lakṣmī, without hesitation!"

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Hearing Nārada's words, she pressed his big toe: / "Nārada is standing at the door; arise, O Madhusūdana!"

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Seeing Nārada, the god too attained supreme joy: / "Welcome, best of sages! The night has become a beautiful dawn today."

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Nārada said: / "Today my dawn is fruitful, O god, from your darśana. / But there is no welfare for the gods; arise quickly and let us go!"

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The venerable Viṣṇu said: / "Brahmā, Indra, Rudra, and whatever other hosts of Maruts there are— / you ought to explain the cause of their distress."

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Nārada said: / "An exceedingly severe and dreadful austerity was performed by the Dānava, / and Rudra granted a boon: the turning to ashes [of anyone], as desired in his mind.

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By the power of that boon alone he is fit to kill the god. / Learning of such an attempt, the god was led away along with the immortals."

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Hearing Nārada's words, Hari went along with the sage. / The god saw Īśāna going toward the northern direction.

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Seeing the god, Rudra embraced him again and again; / and Madhusūdana bowed down to the god, the Lord of the universe.

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Viṣṇu said: / "Let the cause of fear be told, O god, O Maheśvara! / Whether of gods, Dānavas, or yakṣas, I will send them to Yama's abode.

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The duty was placed upon your forehead, O Maheśvara, / after cutting off the head, the limbs, and the senses, no doubt."

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Īśvara said: / "There is no happiness among fools, nor is there happiness among the sick; / there is no happiness for one subject to another, and especially for one conquered by a woman.

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Conquered by a woman, O Viṣṇu, a boon was granted by me to the Dānava: / 'On whose head he places his hand, that one shall become like a heap of ashes.'

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He was declared by me to be invincible and immortal, O Keśava. / That sinful one wishes to kill me; do you have a remedy?"

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Viṣṇu said: / "Let all the immortals go together with you, O Śaṅkara. / Today I shall devise a means for slaying the Dānava.

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Stay on the bank of the Revā, O god, together with the immortals. / No delay should be made; go swiftly, O Lord!

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Where the southern Gaṅgā and the great river Revā are, / and wherever the eastward-flowing Sarasvatī is seen,

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no great sacred ford equal to that is seen among mortals. / Those who perform ritual ablution and donation there with devotion,

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their sin committed in seven lifetimes is destroyed, there is no doubt of this. / This sacred ford is of great merit, destroying all sins.

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Go there, O Lord of gods, to Luṅkeśa together with the immortals." / At the very word of Viṣṇu, [the god] entered the excellent pool.

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He took great delight there together with the host of Maruts. / Then, right after that, the god created illusions of many kinds. 67.70

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Bringing forth the spring month, beautified with pleasure gardens and forests, / with aśoka trees, bakulas, and very lovely brahmavṛkṣas, 67.71

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with śrīvṛkṣas, kapitīhas, śirīṣas, and rājacampakas, / with bilvas, and likewise palmyra palms, kadambas, and udumbaras, 67.72

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with sacred figs and various other trees in abundance, / rich in fragrant flowers of various kinds, and made resonant with bees. 67.73

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In the midst of that was a great, very lovely banyan tree, / filled with many birds and echoing with the cries of cuckoos. 67.74

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And there Kṛṣṇa assumed in an instant the form of a maiden; / in the three worlds, with moving and unmoving beings, there was no maiden equal to her. 67.75

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And there were seven other maidens, shapely and fair-eyed, / all bearing celestial forms and adorned with celestial ornaments, 67.76

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desiring a man, if one were to desire women. / With pearls, precious jewels, rubies, and very lovely beryls, 67.77

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and with lovely garlands and bamboo poles, a swing was fashioned and fastened. / Having mounted it, the stately maidens then sang melodiously. 67.78

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A cool breeze blew, touching the very lovely forest. / Urged by the wind, the scent struck the dānava's nostrils. 67.79

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Then, having smelled the fragrance of the blossoms, he was filled with supreme wonder: / 'Having smelled such holy scent, the like of which I have never seen or heard before!' 67.80

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As he was pondering something in the forest, there came a very beautiful sound of singing. / Having heard the sound of the song, he was enchanted by the illusion of Hari. 67.81

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Just as deer fall into the great snare of a hunter, / so, touched by death, he fell into [the snare of] Kṛṣṇa, O king. 67.82

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Having seen that maiden, the daitya fell in a swoon to the ground. / Having fallen, he beheld that single maiden standing at the foot of the banyan tree. 67.83

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Having looked upon the face of the women, he was once again afflicted with passion. / Grasping a golden rod, he wished to bring her down. 67.84

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The maiden said: / 'Do not touch me! I am an unmarried girl, O best of your lineage. / Hey, let me go, let me go quickly, so that I may go home!' 67.85

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The dānava said: / 'I desire marriage with you, O very lovely one. / You will surely become the queen over the entire face of the earth, there is no doubt.' 67.86

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The maiden said: / 'A father protects in childhood, a husband protects in youth, / a son protects in old age; a woman does not deserve independence. 67.87

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I have no independence of my own; I was born in a noble family. / My father must be asked, as must my brother and my mother too.' 67.88

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The dānava said: / 'If you do not desire me today and do not assert your independence, / then I will surely kill myself, truly, O fair-eyed one.' 67.89

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The maiden said: / 'Trust should never be placed in just any man. / Men are treacherous towards women, dissolute and infatuated with passion. 67.90

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Only after having married me may you enjoy pleasures with me. / If my life were to end afterwards, there would be neither you nor any other for me. 67.91

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Whether a brahmin woman, a kṣatriya woman, a vaiśya woman, or even a śūdra woman, / she should not have a second husband in this life, remaining faithful to one.' 67.92

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The dānava said: / 'Whatever word you have spoken, I have taken it to heart. / Give me an oath today, whatever pleases your mind.' 67.93

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The maiden said: / 'Know me to be a cowherd's daughter; I am playing with my friends. / Whatever is the ordeal in our families, perform that according to rule. 67.94

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In our family, poison is not the ordeal, nor the sacred water, nor the balance. / Among all cowherd lineages, a hand is placed upon the head.' 67.95

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Blinded by desire, O best of kings, his hand was placed upon his head. / In an instant he was reduced to ashes, burned like a heap of straw. 67.96

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An auspicious shower of flowers was made upon Keśava by the gods. / Delighted, all the gods went to their own abode, freed from distress. 67.97

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Keśava went to the Milk Ocean when Kālapṛṣṭha had been struck down. / Whoever hears this deed of the dānava with devotion 67.98

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becomes ever victorious, according to the word of Śaṅkara. / For this reason, O king, it is renowned as Liṅgeśvara. 67.99

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And because sin dissolves [there], it is destroyed merely by bathing. / Skin, bone, blood, flesh, fat, and sinew, 67.100

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and the sin residing in the marrow and semen, born of ten million births, is destroyed / when one drinks the water with devotion at Luṅkeśvara, O great king. 67.101

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By merely three handfuls, sin disperses in a thousand ways, / especially on the fourteenth day and on the eighth day of both fortnights. 67.102

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That person who, having fasted, [offers water] with devotion to the ancestors, O son of Pāṇḍu, / by him all those grandfathers who were in hell are delivered. 67.103

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And whoever gives even a single cowrie to a brahmin who has mastered the Vedas, / by him is obtained the entire fruit of giving at Kurukṣetra and other places; 67.104

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it is obtained, not otherwise, O king; this is what Śaṅkara declares. / This touchstone liṅga was fashioned by Śaṅkara, O king. 67.105

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By mere touch, an abode with Rudra is attained by men. / By it, the entire fruit of giving at Kurukṣetra and other places [is gained]. 67.106

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For this reason, O king, the world-protectors are its guardians, / and the auspicious Durgā, bearing four arms, was created to protect it. 67.107

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Kubera, the lord of the world-protectors, is also a guardian of Īśvara; / and he protects it at all times through the agency of the planets, 67.108

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in forms resembling sons and brothers, having the nature of relations with their lord. / And Laṅkeśvara, O best of kings, is not abandoned by the gods even today. 67.109

Thus ends the sixty-seventh chapter, entitled the description of the māhātmya of Luṅkeśvara tīrtha, in the Revākhaṇḍa of the fifth Avantī section in the glorious Skanda Purāṇa, the collection of eighty-one thousand verses.

Linked texts (1)

Skandapurāṇa — Vyāsa, Sanskrit