By the power of Viṣṇu, who had taken birth as Rāma, the mighty Rāvaṇa was struck down upon the island of Laṅkā. After slaying that wicked one, Rāma reclaimed Sītā, the virtuous daughter of Janaka. There, having attained his kingdom, Rāma was surrounded by noble sages and wise ones. In their company, he inquired about the extraordinary prowess of two beings: the great Śaṃbhu, known as Maheśvara, and the Wind-born hero. It was said that, just as the god Maheśvara is without equal in valor upon the battlefield, so too among the monkeys was Hanumān, son of the Wind, the peerless one. Hearing this, Hanumān himself declared, “Among the monkeys, I am the equal.” Filled with devotion, Hanumān resolved, “I shall go to the city of Laṅkā to request a liṅga.” With this purpose, Hanumān journeyed to Laṅkā and approached Vibhīṣaṇa, the righteous king of the Rākṣasas. Vibhīṣaṇa welcomed him and said, “Take this as you wish. Before his conquest of the three worlds, my noble brother Rāvaṇa received this liṅga; today I bestow it upon you, O monkey. This is the truth.” Hanumān gratefully accepted the liṅga, which shone with the radiance of a pure pearl. As Hanumān spoke, Vibhīṣaṇa explained further, “It is heard that long ago, this liṅga belonged to the Lord of Wealth, Kubera. When Rāvaṇa was once bound, it was indeed the Lord of Wealth who, by the grace of this liṅga, became the protector and bestower of riches.” Carrying the sacred liṅga, Hanumān journeyed for seven days and reached the illustrious city of Avantikā. There, on the banks of the holy Rudrasaras, he placed the liṅga and then bathed in its pure waters. Desiring to lift the liṅga once more, Hanumān found himself unable to do so. At that moment, the deity manifested before him and spoke kindly to the son of the Wind: “Hanumatkeśvara will become renowned throughout the world.” The deity further proclaimed, “Whoever beholds Hanumatkeśvara Śiva, even once, shall have no fear of thieves, nor poverty, nor misfortune. All diseases will be destroyed, and planetary afflictions will not trouble him.” It was then revealed that one should anoint the liṅga with saffron and worship with blue lotuses. Incense of black aloe should be offered, along with sesame seeds and grains of rice. Wherever a person dies, Yama, the god of death, becomes as gentle as an ancestor to them. The sacred lake is known as Rudra’s Lake, famed throughout the three worlds. Having bathed there and become pure, one should then behold Koṭīśvara Śiva. If one performs a śrāddha ceremony there for their ancestors, the fruit attained is a crore-fold, O Vyāsa—there can be no doubt. All merits are multiplied a crore times; one is freed from all sins, just as a serpent sheds its skin. By beholding the god Mahākāla, one gains the merit of giving a thousand cows in charity. A person attains the fruit of a thousand Cāndrāyaṇa vows. When worship is performed with fragrant substances and flowers, preceded by a great bathing rite, all desires are fulfilled—even those difficult for the gods to attain. Seasonal fragrances and flowers, along with beautiful garments, are to be offered, and these should be ground upon a stone slab in equal portions. Thus, in the eighty-one-thousand-verse Skanda Mahāpurāṇa, within the fifth Avantya section and the account of the glory of the Avanti region, this is the twenty-second chapter, named “The Greatness of Rudra’s Lake.” Śivā, bestower of welfare, holy, and giver of the world of merit, is ever to be remembered.