Shiva Purana (Books 1 & 7)

तथा सनत्कुमारो ऽपि मेरौ मदनुशासनात् प्रसादार्थं गणस्यास्य तपश्चरति दुश्चरम्

So too, Sanatkumara, by my instruction, is performing severe austerity on Meru for the sake of this gana's favor.

द्रष्टव्यश्चेति युष्माभिः प्राग्गणेशसमागमात् तत्प्रसादार्थमचिरान्नंदी तत्रागमिष्यति

You must see him before meeting Ganesha; soon, for the sake of his favor, Nandi will come there.

इति सत्वरमादिश्य प्रेषिता विश्वयोगिना कुमारशिखरं मेरोर्दक्षिणं मुनयो ययुः

Thus instructed urgently by the lord of yogis, the sages went to Kumara's peak on the southern side of Meru.

तत्र स्कंदसरो नाम सरस्सागरसन्निभम् अमृतस्वादुशिशिरस्वच्छा गाधलघूदकम्

There is a lake called Skanda-saras, vast as the ocean, with nectar-sweet, cool, clear water, both deep and shallow.

समंततः संघटितं स्फटिको पलसंचयैः सर्वर्तुकुसुमैः फुल्लैश्छादिताखिलदिङ्मुखम्

All around, it is bordered by heaps of crystal rocks, and its shores in every direction are covered with blooming flowers of all seasons.

शैवलैरुत्पलैः पद्मैः कुमुदैस्तारकोपमैः तरंगैरभ्रसंकाशैराकाशमिव भूमिगम्

With moss, blue lotuses, red lotuses, and white water lilies resembling stars, with waves shining like clouds, it was as if the sky itself had descended to earth.

सुखावतरणारोहैः स्थलैर्नीलशिलामयैः सोपानमार्गौ रुचिरैश्शोभमानाष्टदिङ्मुखम्

With pleasant places for entering and exiting, and landings made of blue stone, the beautiful stairways and paths shone in all eight directions.

तत्रावतीर्णैश्च यथा तत्रोत्तीर्णश्च भूयसा स्नातैः सितोपवीतैश्च शुक्लाकौपीनवल्कलैः

There, those who had descended and those who had emerged, having bathed, wore white sacred threads and pure white loincloths and bark garments.

जटाशिखायनैर्मुंडैस्त्रिपुंड्रकृतमंडनैः विरागविवशस्मेरमुखैर्मुनिकुमारकैः

With matted hair topknots, with shaven heads, adorned with three horizontal lines, their faces smiling in detachment, there were young ascetics.

घटैः कमलिनीपत्रपुटैश्च कलशैः शिवैः कमण्डलुभिरन्यैश्च तादृशैः करकादिभिः

With water pots, with pitchers made from lotus leaves, with auspicious vessels, with other such containers and ladles in their hands.

आत्मार्थं च परार्थं च देवतार्थं विशेषतः आनीयमानसलिलमात्तपुष्पं च नित्यशः

For their own sake, for others, and especially for the gods, they constantly brought water and fresh flowers.

अंतर्जलशिलारूढैर्नीचानां स्पर्शशंकया आचारवद्भिर्मुनिभिः कृतभस्मांगधूसरैः

Some, standing on submerged stones in the water, careful not to touch those of lower status, observed proper conduct, their bodies dusted with sacred ash.

इतस्ततो ऽप्सु मज्जद्भिरिष्टशिष्टैः शिलागतैः तिलैश्च साक्षतैः पुष्पैस्त्यक्तदर्भपवित्रकैः

Elsewhere, some immersed or emerging in the water, some sitting on stones, offered sesame seeds with husks, flowers, and discarded blades of sacred grass.

देवाद्यमृषिमध्यं च निर्वर्त्य पितृतर्पणम् निवेदयेदभिज्ञेभ्यो नित्यस्नानगतान् द्विजान्

Having performed offerings to gods, sages, and ancestors, they would present the water to the learned twice-born who came daily for bathing.

स्थानेस्थाने कृतानेकबलिपुष्पसमीरणैः सौरार्घ्यपूर्वं कुर्वद्भिःस्थंडलेभ्यर्चनादिकम्

At each place, performing various offerings of food and flowers, and fanning, they would worship with solar water and other rites at the altars.

क्वचिन्निमज्जदुन्मज्जत्प्रस्रस्तगजयूथपम् क्वचिच्च तृषयायातमृगीमृगतुरंगमम्

Somewhere, elephants from scattered herds would submerge and emerge; elsewhere, deer, antelope, and horses would come driven by thirst.

क्वचित्पीतजनोत्तीर्णमयूरवरवारणम् क्वचित्कृततटाघातवृषप्रतिवृषोज्ज्वलम्

Elsewhere, peacocks and noble elephants, having drunk, would come out; in another place, bulls, striking the banks, shone as they faced each other.

क्वचित्कारंडवरवैः क्वचित्सारसकूजितैः क्वचिच्च कोकनिनदैः क्वचिद्भ्रमरगीतिभिः

In some places, with the calls of noble ducks, in others, with the cries of cranes, elsewhere with the cooing of cuckoos, and in some places with the humming of bees.

स्नानपानादिकरणैः स्वसंपद्द्रुमजीविभिः प्रणयात्प्राणिभिस्तैस्तैर्भाषमाणमिवासकृत्

With birds living on the trees, engaged in bathing and drinking, affectionately and constantly making sounds, as if speaking among themselves.

कूलशाखिशिखालीनकोकिलाकुलकूजितैः आतपोपहतान्सर्वान्नामंत्रयदिवानिशम्

With the branches along the banks filled with cuckoos calling, all day and night, they would recite their names, exhausted by the heat.

उत्तरे तस्य सरसस्तीरे कल्पतरोरधः वेद्यां वज्रशिलामय्यां मृदुले मृगचर्मणि

On the northern shore of that lake, beneath a wish-fulfilling tree, on a platform of diamond stone, upon a soft deerskin—

सनत्कुमारमासीनं शश्वद्बालवपुर्धरम् तत्कालमात्रोपरतं समाधेरचलात्मनः

Sanatkumara was seated, always appearing as a youth, just then having risen from meditation, his mind unwavering.

उपास्यमानं मुनिभिर्योगींद्रैरपि पूजितम् ददृशुर्नैमिषेयास्ते प्रणताश्चोपतस्थिरे

Worshipped by sages and honored even by the greatest yogis, the sages of Naimisha saw him and, bowing, approached.

यावत्पृष्टवते तस्मै प्रोचुः स्वागतकारणम् तुमुलः शुश्रुवे तावद्दिवि दुंदुभिनिस्वनः

While they were asking him the reason for his arrival, a tumultuous sound of celestial drums was heard in the sky.

ददृशे तत्क्षणे तस्मिन्विमानं भानुसन्निभम् गणेश्वरैरसंख्येयैः संवृतं च समंततः

At that very moment, a radiant aerial chariot appeared, shining like the sun, surrounded on all sides by countless leaders of Shiva's attendants.

अप्सरोगणसंकीर्णं रुद्रकन्याभिरावृतम् मृदंगमुरजोद्घुष्टं वेणुवीणारवान्वितम्

It was crowded with hosts of celestial nymphs, encircled by the daughters of Rudra, resounding with the beats of drums and murajas, accompanied by the melodies of flutes and lutes.

चित्ररत्नवितानाढ्यं मुक्तादामविराजितम् मुनिभिस्सिद्धगंधर्वैर्यक्षचारणकिन्नरैः

Richly adorned with canopies of various jewels, splendid with strings of pearls, it was attended by sages, perfected beings, celestial musicians, yakshas, charanas, and kinnaras.

नृत्यद्भिश्चैव गायद्भिर्वादयद्भिश्च संवृतम् वीरगोवृषचिह्नेन विद्रमद्रुमयष्टिना

It was surrounded by those who danced, sang, and played instruments, marked with the emblem of the heroic bull, and with a staff made of vidrama wood.

कृतगोपुरसत्कारं केतुना मान्यहेतुना तस्य मध्ये विमानस्य चामरद्वितयांतरे

It was honored with a grand gateway and a banner, worthy of reverence, and in the center of that aerial chariot, between two fly-whisks,