प्रजानां पतयश्चैव सप्त चैव महर्षयः
The lords of creatures and the seven great sages as well—
दैत्याः पिशाचा रक्षांसि भूतानि विविधानि च सर्वे चतुष्पदाश्चैव तिर्यग्योनिगतास्तदा ।। 5.2.52.
The daityas, piśācas, rākṣasas, and various other beings, and all four-footed creatures, and those born in animal wombs at that time,
जंगमानि च सत्त्वानि यच्चान्यज्जीवसंज्ञकम्
And all moving beings, and whatever else is known as living.
प्रणम्य प्रयतो भूत्वा वचनं चेदमब्रवीत्
Having bowed and become intent, he spoke these words:
देहि मे परमं स्थानं यथा कीर्त्तिर्ध्रुवा भवेत्
Grant me the supreme place, so that my fame may be everlasting.
ममाभीष्टकरं स्थानं नित्यमव्ययमक्षयम्
A place fulfilling my desire, eternal, imperishable, and undecaying.
तत्र ते भविता कीर्त्तिः शाश्वती नात्र संशयः
There your fame will become everlasting—of this there is no doubt.
त्रिकल्पप्रभवं लिंगं त्वन्नाम्ना ख्यातिमेष्यति
A liṅga arising in three ages will become renowned by your name.
इत्युक्तो हि मया देवि ओंकारो हृष्टमानसः
Thus addressed by me, O goddess, Om, with delighted mind,
ततः प्रभृति वेदेषु ओंकारः क्रियते द्विजैः
From that time onward, Om is employed by the twice-born in the Vedas.
लयंगतो यदोंकारस्तदाप्रभृति पार्वति
O Pārvatī, from that time onward, the syllable Oṃ entered into dissolution.
यद्युगादिसहस्रेषु व्यतीपातशतेषु च तत्पुण्यमधिकं देवि ॐकारेश्वरदर्शनात् ।।5.2.52.
O Goddess, in thousands of aeons and hundreds of Vyatīpāta cycles, the merit gained is surpassed by the merit of beholding Oṃkāreśvara.
चतुर्ष्वपि च वेदेषु समधीतेषु यत्फलम्
The fruit obtained from studying all four Vedas—
ब्रह्मचर्येण यत्पुण्यं यावज्जीवं कृतेन च
The merit acquired by lifelong celibacy—
करीषसाधने पुण्यं यच्च पुण्यमनाशके
The merit from preparing the sacred fire with cow dung, and the merit that is imperishable—
पूजायां यत्फलं प्रोक्तं तस्य संख्या न विद्यते
The result declared for worship—its measure cannot be known.
किं यज्ञैर्बहुवित्ताढ्यैः किं तपोभिः सुदुष्करैः
What is the use of sacrifices with abundant wealth, or of severe austerities?
पूजनात्स्पर्शनाद्वापि कीर्त्तनाच्छ्रवणात्तथा
By worship, by even touching, by singing praises, or by hearing—
एष ते कथितो देवि प्रभावः पापनाशनः
O Goddess, thus I have told you the power that destroys sin.
इति श्रीस्कान्दे महापुराण एकाशीतिसाहस्र्यां संहितायां पञ्चम आवन्त्यखण्डे चतुरशीतिलिङ्गमाहात्म्य ॐकारेश्वरमाहात्म्यवर्णनंनाम द्विपंचाशत्तमोऽध्यायः
Thus ends the fifty-second chapter, named 'The Greatness of Oṃkāreśvara,' in the section on the eighty-four Liṅgas, in the fifth Avantya Khaṇḍa of the glorious Skanda Mahāpurāṇa, comprising eighty-one thousand verses.
परं विश्वेश्वरं ख्यातं विश्वेषु भुवनेष्वपि
The supreme Lord of the universe, renowned in all the worlds—
बभूव नृपतिः पूर्वं विदर्भायां विदूरथः
There was once a king named Vidūratha in Vidarbha.
जघान तापसं सोऽथ प्रमादान्मृगया गतः
He killed an ascetic, having gone hunting out of carelessness.
मृगं मत्वा महारण्ये ब्राह्मणं देवमोहितः
Deluded by the gods, he mistook a brāhmaṇa for a deer in the great forest.
तत्रासौ यातना घोरां अनुभूयात्मकालतः
There, as a result, he experienced terrible torment at the appointed time.
अदशत्सोऽपि कोपेन ब्राह्मणं चरणे प्रिये
Even in anger, he bit the brāhmaṇa on the foot, O beloved.
च्युतस्तु नरकात्सिंहो द्वितीयेऽभूत्सुदारुणः
Fallen from hell, he became a lion in his next, very dreadful, birth.
पुनर्व्याघ्रो बभूवासौ तृतीयेऽपि भवांतरे
Again, in his third existence, he became a tiger.
तेनापि वैश्यो निधनं नीतः कश्चिद्वनांतरे
By that, a certain merchant too was led to his death in the depths of the forest.
चतुर्थे ऽपि गजो जातः सिंहाद्वधमवाप्तवान् । 5.2.53.
In the fourth birth, he became an elephant and met his end at the hands of a lion.