महाकालवनं रम्यं देवगंधर्वसेवितम्
The delightful Mahākāla forest is served by gods and gandharvas.
प्राची सरस्वती तत्र वाप्याकारा च संस्थिता
There, the eastern Sarasvatī is established in the form of a pond.
ततो देवः प्रसन्नात्मा प्रत्युवाचाथ नूपुरम्
Then the god, his mind serene, spoke to Nūpura.
भविता वल्लभो देव्याः पार्वत्याः शंकरस्य च 5.2.47.
He will become beloved to the goddess Pārvatī and to Śaṃkara as well.
उदितादित्यसंकाशो विभावसुसम द्युतिः
He will shine with the brilliance of the rising sun, radiant like fire.
प्रभावं तादृशं दृष्ट्वा देवैरुक्तं वरानने
Seeing such power, the gods addressed the beautiful-faced one.
प्राप्ता च कामिकी सिद्धिर्नूपुरेण च दर्शनात्
The desired attainment has been gained through the sight of Nūpura.
सर्वकामप्रदो नित्यं नूपुरेश्वर नामतः
Ever granting all wishes, he is called Nūpureśvara.
नूपुरेश्वररुद्रस्य ते यांति परमं पदम् वसंति मुदिताः सर्वे यावदाभूतसंप्लवम्
Those who belong to Nūpureśvara Rudra reach the supreme state and dwell joyfully until the dissolution of all beings.
जन्ममृत्युजरारोगदुःखानि विविधानि च
Birth, death, old age, disease, and various sufferings—
वापी गंगासमा सा तु स्वयमेव शुभेक्षणे प्रयागमेतज्जानीहि भूधरेंद्रांगसंभवे
That pond is equal to the Gaṅgā, O auspicious-eyed one; know this Prayāga, born from the body of the lord of mountains.
तत्र स्नात्वा पुमान्देवि वाजपेयफलं लभेत्
There, by bathing, a person, O goddess, attains the fruit of the Vājapeya sacrifice.
कृष्णाष्टम्यां च यः स्नात्वा पूजयेन्नूपुरेश्वरम्
And whoever, having bathed on the eighth day of the dark fortnight, worships Nūpureśvara—
एष ते कथितो देवि प्रभावः पापनाशनः 5.2.47.
This, O goddess, has been told to you: the power that destroys sin.
इति श्रीस्कांदे महापुराण एकाशीतिसाहस्र्यां संहितायां पञ्चम आवंत्यखण्डे चतुरशीतिलिंगमाहात्म्ये नूपुरेश्वरमाहात्म्यवर्णनंनाम सप्तचत्वारिंशो ऽध्यायः
Thus, in the eighty-one-thousand-verse Skanda Mahāpurāṇa, in the fifth Avanti section, in the glory of the eighty-four liṅgas, is the forty-seventh chapter called 'The Description of the Greatness of Nūpureśvara.'
यस्य दर्शनमात्रेण न भवस्य भयं भवेत्
By merely seeing him, there is no fear of worldly existence.
कल्पावसाने प्रथमे पाद्मे पद्मनिभेक्षणे ब्रह्मा वै चिंतयामास कथं सृष्टिर्भवेदिति
At the end of the kalpa, at the beginning, in the lotus-eyed Padma, Brahmā pondered how creation might arise.
इत्याकुलितरूपस्य तस्य नेत्रद्वयात्तदा
Thus, from his troubled form, at that time, from his two eyes—
तस्मादश्रुकणाज्जातो हारवोनाम दानवः
From those drops of tears, a demon named Hārava was born.
दक्षिणान्नयनाज्जातः कालकेलीतिविश्रुतः
From the right eye was born one renowned as Kālakelī.
करालवदनो दुष्टो यमरूपो दुरासदः
With a terrifying face, wicked, resembling Yama, and hard to approach.
तौ तु दैत्यौ समागत्य कृतसंकेतकौ तदा
Then those two Daityas came together, having made an agreement.
ततो ब्रह्मा भयाविष्टः कांदिशीकश्चचार ह
Thereupon, Brahmā, seized by fear, wandered about in confusion.
पुरुषं पीतवसनं शंखचक्रगदाधरम् उवाच को भवाञ्छेते निःशेषेस्मिंश्चराचरे
He saw a man clad in yellow garments, bearing a conch, discus, and mace, and said: 'Who are you, who stand here as the sole lord among all moving and unmoving beings?'
तमुवाच ततो विष्णुरहमेवं जगत्पिता 5.2.48.
Then Viṣṇu replied to him: 'I am the father of the world in this way.'
इत्युक्तः पद्मजस्तेन कृष्णेनाक्लिष्टकर्मणा
Thus addressed by Kṛṣṇa, whose actions are untainted, the lotus-born one spoke.
मया सृष्टं जगत्सर्वं सदेवासुरमानुषम्
All this world, with gods, asuras, and humans, has been created by me.
भोक्तुकामौ क्षुधाविष्टौ दृष्ट्वा ब्रह्माब्रवीदिदम्
Seeing the two, seized by hunger and eager to consume, Brahmā spoke these words.
यदि त्वं कारणं किंचिदस्य लोकस्य कथ्यसे
If you are said to be in any way the cause of this world—
तच्छ्रुत्वा तु तदा विष्णुर्ज्ञात्वा दुःखं परस्परम्
Hearing this, Viṣṇu then, understanding their mutual distress—