Skandapurana 7.13

English (machine translation) 7.13

Language: English

7.13.p1

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Sanatkumāra said:
Then, having seen Mahādeva, the sole kinsman of the seven worlds, / with folded hands, bowing with their knees and head, they all said: // 1
"O Lord, best of the gods, for the sake of the world, / a gift was formerly accepted by Hari, through which evil seized him. // 2
Therefore, O Lord of this universe, being implored by us, / bring welfare to your devoted and bowed servant, O Lord of Gods! // 3
Let this sacrifice be completed; let Hari be freed from evil; / let all the gods, along with Indra, recover their own vigor!" // 4

7.13.p3

20. infant son – ms. kha. 21. having reached hundreds – ms. ka; he, having reached those – (?). 22. reality – ms. kha; then (?) 23. dwelling in the heavenly realm – mss. ka, kha; ... because of dwelling – ms. kha.
1. they him – ms. gha. 2. and with bowed heads – mss. ka, kha. 3. to the evil one – mss. ka, kha. 4. foremost – ms. kha. 5. let them attain – mss. ka, kha.
667
Sanatkumāra said:
Having heard their words, the Lord, with a joyful face, / completing the sacrifice, pierced that mountain with his trident. // 5
From that fissure then, waters white as nectar, conch, and the moon / flowed forth; then they gave a ceremonial bath to Viṣṇu there. // 6

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Then, as soon as he had bathed, there emerged from his body / a demonic evil, exceedingly dreadful, deformed, with a distorted face. // 7
She rushed to slay the gods, [but] was restrained by the friend of the gods; / […] / he said to her: "The gods, along with Indra, must not be slain by you. // 8
Right here your well-worshiped place shall be, / holy above all sacred fords, destroying all sins. // 9
You will constantly deliver seven [generations] before and after.

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Known in the world as Saṃdhyā, auspicious, best of all sacred fords, // 8.121.10
an auspicious divine stream of water that bestows the fruits of all sacrifices; / having worshiped you, mortals will deliver seven families." // 11
Sanatkumāra said:
Then, by Rudra's command, all those deities, / having duly worshiped the God of Gods, the husband of Umā, // 12
and having established a sanctuary for the god, departed to heaven itself; / and when the hosts of gods had left, Hari, then on Śiva's peak, // 13

7.13.p6

having then performed the horse sacrifice, remained worshiping the god. / Then, as he performed it for six thousand years / and six months, the Lord of Gods, whose emblem is the bull, was pleased. // 14
Śiva, with Nandi and with his attendants, rejoiced and, extremely pleased in spirit, / spoke to him again: "Speak, what shall I give you?" // 15

7.13.p7

6. him – mss. ka, kha, gha. 7. and holy – ms. kha. 8. destroying – ms. ka. 9. will deliver – ms. kha. 10. having worshiped her – ms. ka. 11. seven families (?), having worshiped seven families you (?) 12. deities – mss. ka, kha. 13. words then – ms. ka. 14. indeed – ms. kha. 15. to Śiva's peak – mss. ka, kha. 16. having a very joyful mind – ms. ka.
668
Viṣṇu said:
"O Lord, O protector of the world, slayer of Kāla, tell me that / whereby no diminution will come upon me, either through evil or through austerity." // 16

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Sanatkumāra said:
Then, laughing, the pleased Lord of Gods, the lord of creatures, / having addressed Viṣṇu, said: "Practice the secret Great Vow!" // 17

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And he, having provided protection, [taught] him that auspicious [way], bearing all virtues: / yoga, yantra, and observance, which accomplishes supreme sovereignty, // 18

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which is the divine Pāśupata rite that fulfills all desires; / having practiced it for twelve years, he attained supreme sovereignty. // 19
The trident-bearing God himself, being pleased upon seeing him thus, / gave him half of his body; that became Viṣṇu-Śaṅkara. // 8.121.20

7.13.p11

Whatever mortal listens to this regularly on every junction-day / and worships Śiva-Viṣṇu, he will attain the supreme goal. // 21
Thus that Viṣṇu, Vāmana of immense might, having conquered [the demons], / handed over the entire threefold world to all the gods. // 22
Sanatkumāra said:
Then, when the threefold world was occupied by the gods, O best of sages, / those asuras who remained from the slain took refuge with two Dānavas. // 23

7.13.p12

[Taking refuge in] both Tāraka and Maya, they waged war alongside the immortals. / Maya and Tāraka, surrounded by sons and grandsons, / and the Dānava Vipracitti, and those who are remembered as his sons, / all the Nivātakavacas, the Paulomas, the sons of Kālakā, / and the valiant Saiṃhikeyas, and likewise the host of Bali's descendants—

7.13.p13

[Apparatus readings] / 669 / these and many other Dānavas, arrogant with power, / armored and enraged, then challenged the gods. / Seeing them calling them out, the gods also, fully mailed, / uniting with them then, waged battle, eager for combat.

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Between them took place that tumultuous battle, hair-raising, / for eight hundred and sixteen thousand / divine years; and victory in that conflict did not fall to either side. / Then the gods in that battle, by the unassailable Saiṃhikeyas,

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mighty beings though they were, were defeated like herds of beasts by lions. / Discerning their strength, thousand-eyed Purandara / went for refuge to Rudra, the imperishable lord of the gods of gods. / Having gone, he saw Mahādeva, who had made his abode upon the peak of the mountain Svarṇacūḍa, / together with the Goddess, surrounded by his Gaṇas, / blazing like fire, difficult to behold for the undisciplined. / Announced beforehand to him by Nandin, that best of gods, / having seen [him] and bowed with his head, spoke these words:

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"O God, eight hundred and sixteen thousand / divine years of the battle of the gods have elapsed. / Both Tāraka and Maya, Dānavas maddened by war— / taking refuge in them both, all the Asuras are slaughtering the gods like beasts.

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To those gods who are being slain, O best of gods, / grant life, or whatever, O God, is fitting."

7.13.p18

Sanatkumāra said: / Having heard his words, the blessed Lord whose banner bears a bull, / having reflected thereupon, then said: "Rāma, Rāma!"

7.13.p19

[Apparatus readings] / 670 / The blessed Lord said: / "Rāma, Rāma, O mighty-armed one! You have performed very great austerity. / Go, and by good combat make all the gods free from anguish!" / Sanatkumāra said: / Addressed thus then, glorious Rāma Jāmadagnya / spoke in a humble voice, bowing down with deep reverence:

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Rāma said: / "O Blessed One, I am of little strength, severely emaciated by austerity. / Knowing nothing of divine weapons, O Lord of gods, I shall not be able to fight, O Omnipresent One!"

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The God said: / "Go, O best of brahmins! Today you will be able to fight; do not grieve today. / I shall reinvigorate you; do not worry, O Bhārgava!" / Sanatkumāra said: / Then the blessed Lord Hara said to Indra, the lord of gods: / "He will slay your enemies; provide him with a chariot!" / Sanatkumāra said: / Then Śakra also, having bowed down and taken Rāma with him, / went to that place where that battle was happening. / Then Purandara, having equipped him with an excellent chariot, / Śakra himself said to Rāma: "Challenge the Saiṃhikeyas!"

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He, in that excellent chariot, Rāma, best among strikers, / wearing armor, quivers fastened, holding arrows, sword, and bow, / with arm-guard and finger-guards fastened, bearing fixed flags and banners, / rushed with speed against the unassailable Saiṃhikeyas.

7.13.p23

[Apparatus readings] / 671 / Between them and him a most terrible battle took place, / like a dreadful one between tigers and a lion in the forest. / There the Siddhas, Gandharvas, and Cāraṇas saw a marvel: / that though he was but one on the battlefield, he appeared in manifold forms. / Neither taking out diverse arrows nor drawing them on the string, / nor bending his bow, was Bhārgava seen then. / His very great bow was seen by the enemies / only as bent into a complete circle, and he became difficult to look upon.

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Enraged, that mighty Bhārgava, wheeling around, / shot ten sharp arrows into each of their faces, O Vyāsa. / There they witnessed the wondrous dexterity of that wise one; / a great cry of 'Well done! Well done!' arose there among the living beings.

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Sanatkumāra said: / Their faces pierced by those arrows, the mighty Saiṃhikeyas, / though prideful, fell onto the earth like palm trees struck by the wind. / Then that troop of ten thousand enemies of the gods / was consumed by Bhārgava, just as the universe [is consumed] by Time. / Then the gods together with the ṛṣis, Gandharvas, and Cāraṇas, / crying 'Well done! Well done!' to him, praised him with joyful faces. / Sanatkumāra said: / Having witnessed that deed of his, the blessed Pākaśāsana, / having honored Bhārgava with great reverence along with the gods—

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The one of great splendor embraced him again and again and spoke this:
“This deed is yours alone; no one else in heaven possesses its equal.

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Since those sons of Siṃhikā have suddenly been slain by you,
that great deed belongs only to you, or to Tryambaka at Tripura.
There is no one equal to you in the world; I speak this truly.
They could not be equaled by any god or by any mortal;
though invulnerable to all living beings, they were slaughtered by you alone.
Therefore, pleased with you, we grant you invulnerability,
inexhaustible strength in battle, and supreme fame on earth.
And Tryambaka will approach you with desired divine boons,
and you shall conquer the host in battles as you desire.”
Sanatkumāra said:
Thus spoken to by those pleased gods, O Vyāsa, that ascetic of great austerities,
the renunciant with a gladdened and delighted mind, went to the god Tryambaka.
The gods, too, well-prepared, then swiftly rushed upon
Tāraka, who was maddened by war, together with Maya.
Those mighty ones, their fury held back by the onslaught of the Daityas, yet rushing with the speed of an ocean,
fell upon the hordes of Daityas and struck them violently, as forest lions strike elephants.
Thus ends the one hundred and twenty-first chapter, named “The Bestowal of Boons on the Son of Jamadagni,” in the Skandapurāṇa.

7.13.p28

Sanatkumāra said:
Seeing the slaying of the sons of Siṃhikā and the victory of the gods,
the Daitya armies suddenly broke on all sides.
[… / …]
Driven back on another side was Tāra, the heroic Maya, Virocana,

7.13.p29

Vipracitti, Ṣaṇḍa, and the great Asura Prahlāda.
Then, enraged, Kālanemi advanced against Keśava in battle.
Mounting a great chariot equipped with a raised banner a hundred nalvas high,
the Dānava rushed with speed against Keśava.
Even as he charged, Keśava loosed his great, unhindered discus, O Vyāsa;
he then obstructed it.
Seeing it obstructed, all the gods became enraged;
disarmed, they were indeed defeated by Kālanemi.
[…]
Having routed them, the lord of Daityas turned them away,
and having done so, the imperishable one then assumed the status of World-Protector.
Pervading the earth and heaven at that time, existing as one of great power,
like the Self-manifest one, he wandered through the three worlds by worldly illusion.
Sanatkumāra said:
Seeing that Daitya established in such a state, the gods along with Indra,
terrified with fear, then took refuge with the imperishable Hari.
And Hari, the refuge, the lord of the gods and friend of the three worlds,
granted them freedom from fear, desiring the death of the Dānava.

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Pervading heaven and earth in every way with his cosmic form at that time,
he remembered that lotus-marked discus which had been fashioned by Rudra.

7.13.p31

Then with it, O Vyāsa, he struck off the great head of the Dānava,
as a violent wind knocks down a ripe fruit from the top of a palmyra palm.
When that Daitya was slain, both Tāraka and Maya,
the great warriors, retreated and rushed swiftly toward Pātāla.

7.13.p32

Sanatkumāra said:
Thus, O Vyāsa, took place that fierce battle [against the sickness] caused by Tāraka,
in which Kālanemi was slain, along with the renowned Virocana,

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the valiant sons of Siṃhikā, the great Asura Tuhuṇḍa,
Surocana, Śatāvarta, Hāla, and Gārgyaśiras,

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Vipāka along with Pāka, Caṇḍa, Kārtasvana, and Kubha.
These and other lords of Daityas were slain in [that war against] Tāraka’s sickness.
And at the battle of the banner, the cruel Vipracitti was slain with his younger brother.

7.13.p35

Vyāsa said:
How did that battle take place between the gods and the Asuras,
and how did its name come to be “Dhvaja” (Banner)?

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And after performing that deed difficult for all beings,
the descendant of Bhrgu’s line, the son of Jamadagni, came into the presence of Tryambaka.
What was he told by the god of gods? This I wish to know.

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Sanatkumāra said:
Sent by the immortals themselves at that time, Jamadagni’s son
went to Puriścandra, the secret dwelling of the god.

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Vyāsa said:
How did that celestial dwelling, Puriścandra,
become the secret abode of the Great Lord? Relate that, O one of steadfast vows.
Sanatkumāra said:
Here I shall relate to you an ancient event, O wise one,
hearing which even an evildoer may attain the supreme destination.
Formerly there were two seers of great soul, Nara and Nārāyaṇa;
for the sake of the gods' purpose, it is said, they committed the slaying of a brahmin.

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Overcome by that evil deed, those two extraordinarily powerful gods
lost their senses and fell severely into animal wombs.
Then, when a divine year had elapsed, the boundless-minded
Brahmā himself arrived there along with the gods and the seers.

7.13.p40

[Variant readings]
675
Then the lord of the gods awakened him along with Nara;
yet the two were not awakened, entirely enveloped by [their past] karma. // 25
Then Brahmā spoke to all those dwellers of heaven:
"For the sake of Nārāyaṇa, perform the supreme duty. // 26

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Then the god, along with Nara, will be freed from the [sin of] brahmin-slaughter."
Bowing their heads to him as he spoke thus,
all the gods, with folded hands, said:
"Instruct us: what austerity, what rite [should we perform]?" // 27
Brahmā said:
"Disciplined, feeding on air, with senses conquered,
all of you properly chant the Rudrahṛdaya; thence you will attain yoga." // 28

7.13.p42

Sanatkumāra said:
Saying, "So be it," the lords of the gods, lying in the water
together with the seers, chanted for six million years. // 29
Then, after a great span of time, for those of composed self,
subtle yoga appeared, from which an auspicious fire arose. // 30
Burned by that fire, the sin of brahmin-slaughter then completely abandoned
Nara and Nārāyaṇa and entered into the water. // 31

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The waters, entered by it, did not remain sapid; they lost their taste,
they became devoid of fragrance, discolored, and bereft of luster;
the earth became devoid of strength, and heat lost its sharpness. // 32

7.13.p44

Sanatkumāra said:
Then, seeing it thus, they again applied themselves [in yoga]
and chanted the Rudrahṛdaya with concentrated minds. // 33
Then the blessed god, trident in hand, whose emblem is the bull, arrived
and said to the gods: "I am pleased; speak of what you desire." // 34

7.13.p45

[Variant readings]
676
Sanatkumāra said:
Then, properly beholding Rudra, those deities rejoiced;
and bowing low, they praised the bearer of Indra's vehicle of sacrifice. // 35
The gods said:
"Salutations to the supreme deity, possessing the splendor of the fire at the end of an eon,
to the one in the water undergoing austerity, and to the heart of the Rudras! // 36

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Salutations to the one who holds a great axe in hand, whose dwelling is golden,
to the lord of the Vasus, and to the lord of the gods! // 37
Salutations to the pure, to the licking fire, to Sadyojāta, to wrath,
to the lord of the planets, and to the heart of the planets! // 38
Salutations to the king of planets, who is followed by the great planets!
Salutations to the one fierce in peace and self-restraint, who bears a fierce staff! // 39
Salutations to Yama, to the protector of Yama, who holds Yama's staff!
Salutations to the supreme deity, and to the highest of the high! // 40

7.13.p47

Salutations to the lord of the great, and to the bearer of the water-pot,
to Vāmadeva, to the eldest, and to the lord of animals! // 41
To the lord of Pradhāna, and to the impeller of Pradhāna;
salutations to the thousand-faced one, to the bearer of the mace, to the bearer of the trident! // 42
Salutations to the creator who has the form of the wind, who possesses manifold forms!
Salutations to the destroyer of the sacrifice, and to the slayer of the fire of desire! // 43
Salutations to the one whose limbs are the Vedic meters, whose eyes are irregular,
to the destroyer of the aggregate of senses, and to the knower of the end of the Veda! // 44

7.13.p48

May there be salutations to the slayer with the thunderbolt, and to the one ecstatic in mind,
to the one garlanded with the Vedas and Vedāṅgas; salutations to you who wear a garland of lotuses! // 45

7.13.p49

[Variant readings]
677
Salutations to the burner of mountains, and to the one born from the Mountain's daughter,
to the great, universal-formed one, revered by the great! // 46
To the one with hundred thousands of eyes, with an eye upon the forehead,
to the author of great yoga, and likewise to Tatpuruṣa! // 47
Salutations to the secret of the Vedas, praised by the gods and the Vedas,
to the yogin who is meditated upon, who laughs like the falling of a thunderbolt! // 48

7.13.p50

Salutations to you who dwell in the heart; salutations to the all-pervading one,
to the lord of Kumāra's boons, and to the father of Kumāra! // 49
To the one who wanders with a staff in hand, to the end-maker, to the undefeated one,
to the auspicious, the auspicious-formed, the promoter of all that is auspicious! // 50
To Śiva, to the lord of Śivā, to the ever all-auspicious one,
to the secret of the archery Veda, and to the propagator of the archery Veda! // 51
To the destroyer of all sins, and to the slayer of all evil;
O lord of the gods, be benevolent and gentle, and grant us what is in our hearts. // 52
Whatever improper word has been uttered by us, O blessed one, O all-pervading lord,
all that you ought to forgive out of affection for your devotees. // 53
This friend of the gods, whose self is overcome by evil, O all-pervading lord,
together with Nara, O lord of the gods, may he become pure as the moon!" // 54
Sanatkumāra said:
Whatever person, endowed with devotion, regularly and attentively recites
this hymn to Tryambaka, O Vyāsa, is freed from evil. // 55

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He would also be released from all sins, and he regains what was lost;
and he meets with no bad state of existence, even if he were a great doer of sin. // 56
Sanatkumāra said:
Thus praised and pleased by the gods, the blessed lord of the world,
the lord of the gods, spoke to all the gods, O son of Satyavatī. // 57

7.13.p52

[Various readings]
678
The God of gods said:
“O gods, I am well pleased; choose the boon you desire!
I shall grant it, O greatly wise ones; do not remain silent, speak out in full!”
The gods said:
“This Hari, O Mahādeva, has his mind afflicted by sin.
Dispel it swiftly from him, like the sun [dispelling] mist!
For the benefit of the world and for the sake of the gods, this mighty one
performs deeds, O Lord of gods; destroy, therefore, his sin!”

7.13.p53

“And may we, dwelling among the attendants, attain equality with you,
the status of attendants, O Lord of all gods, if you deem it proper, O All-pervading One!”
Sanatkumāra said:
While those gods were speaking thus, O best of seers,
the blessed Śarva, laughing with a delighted heart, spoke:
“This Viṣṇu, O gods, shall immediately be released from this sin,
and this sin, O blessed ones, shall come into existence in saline soil,
and in the sap of trees, and in the foam of waters,
and in the smell of great serpents, and likewise in the reviling of women,

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and in proclaiming the inauspicious misfortune of an initiated brahmin,
in slander of brahmins, and in failing to praise cows,

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and in not kindling the fire, and in the damming of rivers.
Whatever man, filled with passion and delusion, should do these things,
he would incur this [sin] in the world, even if he were a self-manifest guardian of the world.

7.13.p56

When, however, Viṣṇu becomes the son of Vasudeva,
then this Nara shall enjoy her in bodily form.

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[Various readings]
679
Having enjoyed there the boon-giver who was born as Hari’s sister,
he, completely freed from sin, shall then walk this world again.

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Yet, so that this sister of his does not cause any affliction,
let him perform severe austerity, exceedingly hard to practice.
And you, together with the seers, right here, deeply concentrated,
perform the preparatory rite untroubled, by my command.”

7.13.p59

Sanatkumāra said:
Having been addressed thus by the God, all the gods then said to Hari:
“Perform severe austerity; from that you will indeed attain the highest good.”
Then he, ascending Candra, king of mountains, deeply concentrated,
performed immense austerity, mortifying the host of senses.
The noble gods also, together with the seers of noble vows,
deeply concentrated, performed austerity on Hiraṇyavarṇa, king of mountains.

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Then, when their observance was concluded, the wielder of the Pināka
enjoined that blazing, great Pāśupata observance.

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With a pleased heart, having addressed the bulls among gods,
he spoke in a voice deep and grave like the sound of clouds and kettledrums.
The God of gods said:
“This preparatory rite has been well performed by you yourself, O world-guardians;
having observed this Pāśupata [vow], go, untroubled and free from fear!

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This supreme and purifying observance is superior to Sāṃkhya and Yoga;
nothing higher than this, nor more subtle, exists anywhere.

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With all his limbs smeared with ashes, sky-clad and pure,
worshipping Rudra with steadfastness of body, one is freed from all sins.

7.13.3

[Various readings]
680
Ashes are superior to wet bathing; in wet [bathing], the destruction of living beings is certain.
One should know wetness as Prakṛti, and Prakṛti as bondage.
For the abandoning of Prakṛti, bathing with ashes is prescribed,
as well as being sky-clad and pure, so that one may never be reborn.
Among yantras, it is the supreme yantra, other than which none exists;
six-limbed, granting all desires, revered by all the worlds,
pure, all-purifying, removing all sins, auspicious,
and increasing austerity—let them practice it with focused minds.
The yantra should be understood as sinless, and that is considered Prakṛti.
Bondage is declared to be threefold, and renunciation itself has its fruit;
therefore, for the abandoning of everything, one should practice this yantra,

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always unregarded in the world, so that one may never decay;
and attaining the supreme yoga, which is the highest among yogas,
than which there is nothing greater, six-limbed, fulfilling all desires,
liberated by which a yogin falls no more into death and the like.
Attaining that yoga, perfected by divine action,
the great yogin is not smeared by deeds done or undone.”
Sanatkumāra said:
Thus commanded by the God of gods, the heaven-dwellers,
having completed that severe observance, became attendants of Śaṃkara.
Attaining the status of attendants of that trident-bearing God,
deeply suffused with austerity, they favored that region.
The gods said:
“Because our preparatory rite was well practiced here to its completion,
therefore this is known as the secret sanctuary of Maheśa.”

7.13.3_65

[60-76 Apparatus variants]
[681]
‘[This sacred place] shall be renowned in the three worlds as Puriścandra, radiant,
five yojanas broad, and just as long, auspicious,

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thronged with siddhas and cāraṇas, echoing with flocks of apsarases,
resounding with many birds, filled with rivers and waterfalls,
a holy, great penance-grove for ascetic sages.’

7.13.3_67

Whoever comes here, prepares a caru offering and feeds a brahmin,
and worships the Lord of the god of gods, rejoices in Rudra’s world.

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And whoever, observing restraints here, bathes in ashes with vows subdued,
should stay even for a single muhūrta, shall go to the midst of the gaṇas.
Imperishable, immortal, freed from old age and disease,
he becomes a leader of Rudra's gaṇas and attains the sovereign power of yoga.

7.13.3_69

Even a person of willful conduct, exceedingly wicked in soul, who dwells here for a single day,
attains the fruit of an horse sacrifice and is freed from all sins.

7.13.3_70

Even a person of evil conduct, full of desire, who abandons his life-breaths here,
reaches the assembly of the gods and shall move among the gods.

7.13.3_71

Sanatkumāra said:
Then all those deities, having attained that supreme austerity,
performed the sacrificial ablution to Īśa, the Supreme Self.

7.13.3_72

Then, having accomplished their purpose, endowed with the power of great yoga,
all those celestials set their minds on going to Hari.

7.13.3_73

Approaching him who was blazing like the sun, O Vyāsa,
those mighty ones saw the imperishable Hari on Mount Hariścandra.

7.13.3_74

He too, with his sins shaken off after a long time, performing great austerities,
having then attained equality with the gods, was joyful in soul.

7.13.3_75

[77-87 Apparatus variants]
[682]
Rising up with speed towards them, O best of seers,
he swiftly descended from the peak and stood among them.
Then, delighted, meeting together fully with Hari,
they endowed that peak of the mountain with a reward:
‘Because Hari shone here as stainless as the moon
by means of great austerity, therefore this Lord of Mountains
shall be known as Hariścandra; of this there is no doubt.
And because a descent was made here by one who is not ordinary,
therefore let this precipice become holy in the world in every way.’
O lords of gods, whichever man, coming here, casts himself from this cliff,
shall go to Hari's exceedingly radiant world.
A person afflicted with disease, [even if] tainted by the great sins,
who gives up his life-breaths here, is also freed from great terror.
Whatever a man continually prays for here at the precipice,
all that he swiftly obtains—so it is declared.
Sanatkumāra said:
The knower of dharma who reads or listens to this [account of] Hariścandra and Puriścandra
destroys all his sin.
And whatever man, pure and free from malice, always reads this in an assembly of twice-born and gods,
he, stainless, blazing with brilliance like the sun, dwells in heaven like an immortal, foremost among them.
Thus ends the one hundred and twenty-second chapter, titled ‘Description of Mount Hariścandra’, in the Skandapurāṇa.

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[88-102 Apparatus variants]
[683]
Sanatkumāra said:
Having reached that Puriścandra, Rāma, son of Śakti,
his mind tormented by the asuras, saw the Supreme Lord.
Beholding Mahādeva, imperishable, together with Ambā and his attendants,
he bowed, joined his palms in reverence, and stood humbly before him.

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Sanatkumāra said:
Then the high-minded Lord, pleased, the source of words,
spoke these deep-toned words to the son of Jamadagni,
who was covered as if by kiṃśuka flowers, sprinkled as if with red sandalwood,
thus covered completely with blood,
flowing with red chalk like another king of mountains.

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The god of gods said:
O son of Jamadagni, a great deed has been done by you today in battle,
wishing for the benefit of the gods, striking down the sons of Siṃhikā.

7.13.3_79

Pleased with this deed of yours, O mighty-armed one,
I grant seven boons; name them as you desire.
Rāma said:
O Lord, if you are pleased, grant me yourself, O Master,
the arising of all knowledge as set forth by all the Vedas.
May I be unslayable in battle; grant me the science of archery,
an axe that slays all, an unimpeded chariot,
a vast array of weapons, and imperishable immortality.
Grant these boons to me, O God; homage to you!

7.13.3_80

684
Sanatkumāra said:
As he was speaking thus, O Vyāsa, the blessed Hara smiled and said:
“All this will belong to you by my command. / 8.123.10
You shall observe the vow of the archery treatise for one year.
Therefore, you must dwell right here, O scion of the Bhṛgu lineage.” / 11
Then the blessed three-eyed god himself
prescribed for him the terrible vow, and he observed it with self-restraint. / 12

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When the vow was completed, the god, the destroyer of the sacrifice, came in person
and bestowed on him the archery treatise, with mantras and all its collections [of spells], / 13

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along with its cords, covers, methods of exertion, and pulling,
as well as the vast collection of missiles, together with their counter-missiles. / 14

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Then Īśāna gave it to him and said in a clear voice:
“This science of archery along with its missiles, O mighty one, / 15

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must not be given to kṣatriyas—remember this command of mine!
If, however, out of delusion you should ever give it to kṣatriyas,
you will become light in their eyes, and you will have no victory in battle.” / 16
Sanatkumāra said:
Then, having given the axe and a chariot that moved at will, / which was equipped and ready as soon as conceived by the mind, imperishable, / 17
provided with an immortal king of the yakṣas as charioteer,
the wielder of the Pināka suddenly vanished from his sight. / 18

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Having obtained the boons, O Vyāsa, he went to his father’s presence;
and he did not see him there, [for he had been] slain by the sons of Kārtavīrya. / 19

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685
Without performing his funeral rites, that valiant Rāma
made the earth devoid of kṣatriyas twenty-one times. / 8.123.20

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And with their blood he made seven lakes
at Samantapañcaka, O Vyāsa, and gratified his ancestors with it. / 21
Then, having made the earth devoid of kṣatriyas, the best of the Bhṛgus,
by the grace of Mahādeva, shone like the lord of the three worlds. / 22
To him Śrī, Tuṣṭi, Dhṛti, Siddhi, Kīrti, and Yaśas,
Śraddhā, Medhā, Kṣānti, Anasūyā, and Prasaṃyama, / 23
Ūhā, Apohā, Tarka, Dama, and Śama—
all personified mothers approached the descendant of Bhṛgu. / 24

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He then said to them all, “Enter into me without hesitation;
but let this ill-behaved Śrī remain far away!” / 25

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Sanatkumāra said:
To him speaking thus, the virtuous Śrī said to the very powerful one:
“For what reason, O mighty-armed one, do you not welcome me who am difficult to attain?” / 26
Rāma said:
“You are fickle, intoxicating, and impermanent, O fair one.
Therefore, I do not welcome you; stay far away from me! / 27

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Any man possessed by you, even if he were the Lord himself,
deluded by the pride of sovereignty, engages only in what should not be done.” / 28

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Sanatkumāra said:
That king, the glorious descendant of Bhṛgu, noble-minded, worshipped with sacrifices;
and long ago, O twice-born, the earth sank down during his sacrifice. / 29

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686
Vyāsa said:
Why did the earth enter Pātāla during his sacrifice?
What do you consider the reason for that? This I wish to know. / 8.123.30

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Sanatkumāra said:
That protector of the earth went to Kaśyapa, the best of sages,
and said, “Be my hotṛ-priest, O best of the steadfast!” / 31

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To him who spoke in this manner, O Vyāsa, Kaśyapa, enraged,
then spoke to that ruler of men, censuring the best of the Bhṛgus: / 32

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“You are fallen, of bad conduct, broken in character, an extreme evildoer!
How can I perform the sacrifice for you, a perpetrator of the slaughter of embryos?” / 33

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Sanatkumāra said:
Then, at those words, he said to the best of seers:
“Do not remain in my territory today, O best of sages! / 34

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I am the master of the world, O brahmin; go where I am not.”
Then he, leaving his country, went away at that time; / 35
and he found no country where that powerful one was not master.
Finding none, he then took refuge in a forest,
and having become invisible, he wandered for many years. / 36

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Then he saw a male pigeon perched on a tree,
bound by desire, captivated by a female pigeon. / 37

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The male pigeon said:
“From the moment, O woman of shapely hips, you were seen by me, O fair one,
from that moment I wither away and find no pleasure, O lovely one!” / 38

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The female dove said:
“Never speak thus, wicked one! For it is contrary to dharma.”
The male dove said:
“If you will not give yourself to me here, O slender-waisted one, I will take you by force.
Yield to me; I bow down at your feet!”

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The female dove said:
“Have you no fear, cruel one, of the mighty son of Jamadagni,
that today you violate here a faithful wife whose husband is away?”

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Sanatkumāra said:
When addressed thus by her, that male dove, O son of Śakti,
said: “Who is this Rāma? Truly no one is my equal!”

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As he was speaking thus there, an arrow inscribed with the name of Rāma
swiftly severed his head; and Kaśyapa witnessed that.

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Seeing what had thus occurred, frightened by that mighty one,
the high-minded [Kaśyapa] performed the sacrifice for the royal son of Jamadagni.

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Kaśyapa said:
“I shall officiate at your sacrifice this very day, O king, best of the Bhṛgus,
if you will give me the auspicious sacrificial fee I desire.”

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Rāma said:
“Whatever you say, of that there is no doubt: I shall give it, O you of great austerity.
Officiate at my sacrifice according to rule; today I remain under your control.”

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Sanatkumāra said:
Then, O Vyāsa, took place his horse sacrifice of immense sacrificial fees,
in which the gods attained satisfaction.

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Then, at the time of the sacrificial fee, the glorious son of Jamadagni
said to Kaśyapa: “Speak, what sacrificial fee may I give you?”
He replied: “Give to me as the sacrificial fee the entire earth, along with its mountains and forests,
and whatever wealth is in your house.”
Having done that for him with a purified inner self,
he put on bark garments and said to Kaśyapa: “What shall I do?”

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Kaśyapa said:
“Depart from this country and go to another country, sir!
You must not reside in my country today, O descendant of Bhṛgu.”
Sanatkumāra said:
Saying, “So be it,” and circumambulating him clockwise,
he went to the ocean, the source of rivers and abode of Varuṇa.
Having gone to that dreadful ocean, the descendant of Bhṛgu said:
“Grant me a region to dwell in, O great ocean!”

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The ocean said:
“Proceed according to rule, since you now stand under my control.
Standing near the shore, draw your mighty bow,
and release an arrow, O Rāma, desiring an excellent land.
As far as that arrow, impelled by your strength, is cast
and reaches, just so far shall I grant your dwelling.”
Sanatkumāra said:
Then that tiger among the Bhṛgus, showing respect and unwearied,

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drew his mighty bow, O Vyāsa, and fitted an arrow,
having resolved in his mind: “This [arrow] of mine shall go a hundred yojanas”; then he consecrated it with mantras.

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Then Śambhu was praised by the ocean to avert that,
for the welfare of the gods and to prevent the drying up of the ocean.
He arrested that matchless arrow released by the son of Jamadagni;
checked, having traversed only twelve yojanas, it fell down.
And as if laughing, the ocean ceded that much land,
and the son of Jamadagni of great splendor dwelt there accordingly.
The son of Bhṛgu, equal to the king of the gods, his soul rejoiced, made that region,
which was frequented by herds of deer and flocks of birds,
and resounded with the terrible roars of lions, mighty elephants, śarabhas, and bears, as prosperous as the city of the gods.
Thus ends the one hundred and twenty-third chapter in the Rāmamāhātmya of the Skandapurāṇa.
Sanatkumāra said:
When the earth was thus given by the son of Jamadagni to the great-souled one,
she then sank downwards as if from the collapse of a mountain peak.
The sage angrily said to her: “Stay, stay, O bearer of wealth!
Why, having abandoned me, are you sinking downwards, O auspicious one?”
The earth said:
“Without Rāma, the son of Jamadagni, my dear husband of boundless splendor,
I cannot stay, O sage, my heart being captivated by his virtues.
If you do not grant me today to Rāma, O bull among sages,
I shall go down, O lord; I will not remain otherwise.”
Sanatkumāra said:
Hearing those words of hers, Kaśyapa, best of ascetics,
spoke angrily to the earth, as if burning [her] with his splendor:

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[…] Kaśyapa said: / Go down again, you evil-doer, to a downward path! / I myself will become the earth; behold the power of my austerity! (6)

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Then the blessed one, Vyāsa, resorting to supreme yoga, / attained the state of the earth and sustained human beings. (7)

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When he had shone forth as the earth for many thousands of years, / then the earth, dejected, propitiated Kaśyapa. (8)

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The earth said: / O lord, through austerity, through yoga, and through strength, / no one at all is equal to you in heaven or on earth, O sovereign lord! (9)

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I bow my head to win your favor; I have seen your supreme power. / Forgive whatever wrong I have done, O great sage! (10)

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Indeed, by your command alone may I be the earth among the worlds. / Best of brahmins, you ought to show favor to me, who am wretched! (11)

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Sanatkumāra said: / Seeing her thus positioned, the blessed one, the best of seers, / then smilingly spoke to the goddess, the earth who was bowed down: (12)

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It was indeed because of your offense that this was done by me in such a manner. / Now perform the role of the earth granted by me! (13)

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Attaining the status of my daughter, born of Kaśyapa's lineage, / you will be known in the world as Kāśyapī, O bearer of wealth! (14)

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Sanatkumāra said: / Thus, Vyāsa, that earth, having gone down, stood firm again; / having regained the state of the earth, she became free from distress. (15)

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Whoever, having purified himself, always hears or reads this: / the great sage Kaśyapa's becoming the earth, / and the earth's return, and her restoration, / shall obtain imperishable worlds and the fruit of the earth. (16–17) / Constantly bowing down here to her, the source of all the worlds, O sage, / the best of men who proclaims the wealth-giving earth obtains the imperishable world of the seer. (18) / Thus ends the one hundred and twenty-fourth chapter, entitled 'Kaśyapa's Becoming the Earth', in the Skandapurāṇa.

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Sanatkumāra said: / Hereafter I shall declare the mighty battle of the standard / of the gods and the asuras, which destroyed [their] vital breaths. (1) / There was a glorious, immensely powerful son of Danu named Vipracitti; / self-disciplined, he performed austerity at [the place called] Bhastrāpada, so it is heard. (2) / Having propitiated the lord of the gods, the blessed three-eyed one, / he chose the boon of immortality, and the guardian of the gods granted it to him. (3) / [He gave him] a divine, celestial standard, made of illusion, going everywhere, auspicious and golden. / And the blessed one, delighted in mind, said to the lord of the Dānavas: (4) / 'O son of Danu, this supreme all-formed standard belongs to you; / relying on it, you shall be invincible in battles, (5) / and immortal, O mighty-armed one, provided you do not utter a sound; / otherwise, your victory in battle will depend on your fortunes.' (6) / Addressed thus by the god, with that great standard in battle, / together with the Danavas, O best of brahmins, he challenged all the gods. (7)

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That battle was terrible, tumultuous, hair-raising, / and exceedingly dreadful for eight hundred and ten years. (8)

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There they saw a wonder of the intelligent son of Danu: / that single-handedly, with the all-formed standard, he slew many. (9)

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And as he fought in battle relying on the standard through illusion, / the gods, bewitched as they looked on, did not strike him. (10)

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They saw neither the sons of Danu nor the Daityas in battle; / all the gods, bewildered, saw only the standard. (11) / Whatever unfailing weapons the gods hurled / were completely covered by the wind of the standard's shadow. (12) / In front, behind, on both sides, and above, / they saw only the standard, not the Daityas nor the Dānavas. (13) / Sharp arrows, blazing like tongues of fire, / issuing from the standard, Vyāsa, tore apart the best of the gods. (14)

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Clubs, iron maces, slings, and javelins, / and other weapons were seen issuing from the standard. (15) / By that Daitya relying on the standard, those gods were completely / routed, rendered senseless in battle, their prowess lost. (16) / Seeing all those best of gods broken and being shattered, / the Dānava, relying on the standard, roared like a raincloud. (17) / Perceiving that vulnerability of his, the blessed Pākaśāsana [Indra], / aiming at the standard, hurled his vajra in extreme fury. (18) / Resembling a blazing sun, accompanied by a terrible sound, / that vajra brought the lord of the Dānavas, along with his standard, into the realm of Yama. (19)

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Focusing his aim upon the banner, the great-souled lord of the gods / struck down all those Dānavas, fourteen thousand in number.
Deafened by that roar, those mighty warriors who rivaled the king of the gods, / who bore emblems equal to Indra's, were struck down at the banner by the thunderbolt with the might of the king of gods.
Thus ends the one hundred and twenty-fifth chapter, on the battle at the banner, in the Skandapurāṇa.

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Vyāsa said:
Bhastrāpada was mentioned by you, O imperishable son of Brahmā. / How did that place come to be? I wish to know this.
Sanatkumāra said:
Born in the Ikṣvāku lineage was a lord of subjects named Bāhu. / His entire kingdom was seized by force by the Haihayas and Tālajaṅghas, / O best of brahmins, and he went to the forest with his wife.
Having gone to Ṛcīka's hermitage and protected by Ṛcīka, / he dwelt in the middle of the forest together with his pregnant wife.
At the time of that wife's delivery, O son of Śakti, / poison was administered to her by her co-wife out of passion and delusion.
Afflicted with intense agony, burning and racked with pain, / she cried out, "Cold water!" and fell fainting to the ground.
Seeing her fallen thus, the king, tormented with grief, / although old, took a water jar and went to the river for water.
Having filled that jar and taken it upon his shoulder, sorrow-stricken, / he collapsed due to old age and exhaustion, and died.

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When the seers cried out, "He is dead, he is dead!", / that queen, struck with grief for her husband, arose from her faint.

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Afflicted by the burning of the poison and by the death of her husband, / she wailed like an osprey, O Vyāsa.
All the seers, headed by Vasiṣṭha, assembled for Bāhu; / having properly arranged the pyre, they approved the funeral rites.
As she, Śaivyā, entered that fire, being pregnant, / she was stopped by the seers and by the high-souled Aurva, O Vyāsa.
On that day at dusk, O Vyāsa, dispelling her grief, / that fetus emerged together with the poison (gara), radiant as fire.
The seer then gave him the name Sagara ('with poison'); / and, filled with compassion, performed all his life-cycle rites.

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He also imparted to him the science of archery, the Vedas with their auxiliary limbs, / a vast array of divine weapons, and an unhindered, imperishable chariot.

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With that foremost of chariots he slew the enemies in battle, / and, aiming the weapon of Aurva, destroyed their power.
Having slain them thus, O Vyāsa, and having regained the kingdom, / and having married the sister of Vainateya (Garuḍa) and the fair-waisted Śaivyā,
the mighty-armed king of great splendor, being childless, / worshipped Tryambaka, the best of the gods, for the sake of sons.
The blessed Lord granted him a son who would perpetuate the lineage, / and also sixty thousand high-souled sons.
Sanatkumāra said:
Having obtained the boon, the high-minded king spoke to his two wives, / the sister of Vainateya and Śaivyā.

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Sagara said:
The god has granted me one auspicious son who will perpetuate the lineage, / and sixty thousand high-souled sons.

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Between the two, which auspicious, beneficial boon does each queen choose? / Speak, I will make no division for you, wise ones.

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The sister of Vainateya said:
May sixty thousand sons be mine, O lord of men. / Śaivyā said: Let there be for me one son who will perpetuate the lineage.
Sanatkumāra said:
Then Śaivyā gave birth to a son named Asamañja; / and the sister of Vainateya gave birth to a great gourd.

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From that gourd then emerged those ten thousand, / multiplied by six, O Vyāsa, of mighty strength.

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Then the son Asamañja was abandoned by Sagara, / knowing him to be unrighteous and fixed in improper conduct.
His son Aṃśumat, however, was exceedingly righteous even as a child; / Sagara, the best of kings, then bestowed his affection upon him.

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When Asamañja had been cast out, consecrated for a horse sacrifice, / he appointed those sixty thousand [sons] to guard the horse.

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As those high-souled princes were attentively following the horse, / Śakra, having become invisible, stole that excellent horse away.

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Having searched through all the worlds and not seeing the excellent horse, / they went to their consecrated father and reported the [loss of the] horse.

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[…] Then the king, enraged as if burning those sons, / with eyes red with anger, said: "Perish swiftly this very day! / Do not return without searching out the horse, you cruel ones! / What use are such sons as you to me? Go all of you to the realm of Yama!" / Sanatkumāra said: / Thus addressed, O best of brahmins, they then searched the entire three worlds, / and caused this whole earth to be dug up. / Having then seen the elephants of the directions and seers of strict vows, / holding the earth, seeing and bowing down to them all, / they perceived the sage Kapila sleeping in a pool of water, / and near him they saw the horse; then, enraged, they thought: / Driven by the destined end, ripe in time, wishing to die, / through their father's curse, they then spoke to Kapila, the best of sages: / "This wicked-minded one is the thief who stole our excellent horse and is asleep. / Let us all lead him today to our father's presence." / Sanatkumāra said: / Then, all bound by the noose of time, very mighty, / and under the control of destiny, they struck him with their feet. / Afflicted by them, he, enraged, then suddenly released / the breath held back for ten thousand years, like the king of serpents. / That breath, of the nature of fire, having issued from his mouth, / burned all the sons of Sagara, who were bereft of righteousness and virtue.

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[…] When they were all burned, the seers, headed by Nārada, / reported that exceedingly difficult event to Sagara as it happened. / Then that king, afflicted with grief, steadying himself by his own will, / the magnanimous one, commanded his beloved grandson Aṃśumat. / Sagara said: / "Ascending this chariot, go to that excellent horse; / bring it here, O mighty-armed one, so that our time [for the sacrifice] does not pass. / You must act according to the word of that best of seers, / so that he does not direct his anger at us; in you our lineage is established." / Sanatkumāra said: / Thus addressed, that king mounted his chariot, majestic, revered by gods and siddhas, / and went with speed, possessing the prowess of the king of gods, to where the yogin who brought an end to Sagara's sons shone. / Thus ends the one hundred twenty-sixth chapter, named 'The Origin of Sagara', in the Skandapurāṇa.

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Sanatkumāra said: / Having gone to that region frequented by the great elephants, / he saw them turned to ashes, and the sage blazing with radiance. / Then, with words full of praise in his presence, / bowing down, he sought forgiveness for all the evil deed done by his forebears. / Kapila said: / "O king, here in solitary seclusion I remained absorbed in meditation, free from distress. / Afflicted by them, I suddenly released the breath from my mouth.

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[…] That breath had been restrained by me for ten hundred years; / released suddenly, it burned all those fathers of yours.

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They were not deliberately burned by me, O king, nor in wrath; / they were killed just as birds [are knocked down] by a fruit ripened by time. / This horse was placed beside me by someone who knew what he was doing, / taken for their destruction; do not be angry, let the horse be taken."

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Sanatkumāra said: / With his permission, O Vyāsa, that king Aṃśumat, / the high-minded one, set about offering water for them. / The son of Vinatā said to him: "Water for my nephews / must not be offered [in this manner], O mighty-armed one; this will not reach them."

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Aṃśumat said: / "How indeed may my fathers attain heavenly realms? / I wish this to be told by you, O son of Kaśyapa."

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The son of Vinatā said: / "In the world of the gods there is a sacred river named Gaṅgā, remover of inauspiciousness. / If the bones of your kin here are in every way

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touched by its waters, O king, then they may attain liberation / from inauspiciousness, O tiger among kings; otherwise, what use is [ordinary] water to them?"

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Sanatkumāra said: / Then taking the horse, O Vyāsa, the king returned; / of virtuous soul, he gave that horse to his grandfather. / Then having obtained the horse sacrifice, that magnanimous king, / afflicted by the slaughter of his sons, set his mind on destroying the ocean.

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Then the lord of rivers bowed to him, pacified him, / and became his son; and he spoke this to him then:

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“O king, by a descendant of your lineage I must indeed be made magnificent, / filled with the water of the Gaṅgā just as before, O mighty-armed king!

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Do not be angry; I am your son, conferring renown, of boundless splendor. / And I will grant you gems; come to peace, O my master!”

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Then the king’s anger toward the ocean was pacified. / And Viṣṇu, pleased with him at that time, granted him his desired boons:

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A full hundred horse sacrifices, an imperishable abode in heaven, / eternal perpetuity of his lineage, and supreme, imperishable renown;

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and also [divine] companionship, and supreme steadfastness in righteousness. / Having obtained these boons and enjoyed a kingdom free of rivals,

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he went to the forest, and having performed austerity, went from there to heaven. / Then Aṃśumat shone forth as king, righteous and true to his promise.

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Having consecrated his son in the kingdom, with the desire for the descent of the Gaṅgā, / he performed austerity and went to heaven, possessing great strength and prowess.

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Then his son Dilīpa, great-souled, like the king of the gods, / having ruled the kingdom, O Vyāsa, went to the forest, endowed with great strength.

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Engaged there for the sake of the Gaṅgā, having performed austerity, he went to heaven / without having attained that desire; and then he had a son:

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the auspicious king named Bhagīratha, lord of Jambudvīpa, / righteous, truthful of speech, heroic, like righteousness incarnate.

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Right from his birth, O best of sages, / this thought dwelt in his heart: “How may I bring about the descent of the Gaṅgā, O master?”

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Then, in the course of time, having performed all duties, the king / performed immense austerity, by which the Lord of the Universe was pleased.
Then Brahmā himself approached and said to him who observed strict vows: / “Speak! What shall I give you? Choose your boons, O lord of men!”
Sanatkumāra said:
Then the king, seeing him, bowed with a joyful face / and spoke of the imperishability of righteousness and an imperishable abode in heaven,

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Skandapurāṇa — Vyāsa, Sanskrit