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.
स्नातुकामामथो रामामाजघानातिपापकृत्
Then, desiring to bathe, he struck Rāma, having committed a most grievous sin.
पुनः षष्ठे भवे जातः पिशाचः पिशिताशनः
Again, in the sixth existence, he was born as a flesh-eating piśāca.
मंत्री मंत्रविदां श्रेष्ठो ब्राह्मणस्तं जघान ह
A brāhmaṇa, the best among those skilled in mantras, killed him.
तीक्ष्णदंष्ट्रः करालास्यो मांसशोणितभोजनः
He had sharp fangs, a terrifying mouth, and fed on meat and blood.
आक्रम्य निमिराजेन राज्ञा राक्षसशत्रुणा
He was subdued by King Nimi, the enemy of the rākṣasas.
दारुणः सारमेयोऽभूदतिकृष्णोऽष्टमे भवे
In the eighth birth, he became a fierce, jet-black dog.
नवमे जंबुको जातः श्मशाने स च मांसभुक्
In the ninth, he was born as a jackal in a cremation ground, feeding on flesh.
दशमे त्वभवद्गृध्रस्तीक्ष्णतुंडो भयावहः
But in the tenth, he became a vulture with a sharp beak, terrifying to behold.
एकादशे ऽपि चंडालो गतोऽवंत्यां वरानने
Even in the eleventh, O beautiful one, he was born as a caṇḍāla in Avanti.
स दंडपाशिकेनैव प्राप्तो बद्धश्च तत्क्षणात् 5.2.53.
There, he was immediately seized and bound by the keeper of the rod and noose.