दिव्यमूर्त्तिधरं दिव्यं श्रीसिद्धेश्वरपूर्वतः
Directed him to the divine form, the divine Lord of Siddhas, before him.
तस्य दर्शनमात्रेण विप्रत्वं समवाप्स्यसि
By merely seeing him, you will attain Brahminhood.
महाकालवनं रम्यं सिद्धक्षेत्रमथापरम् 5.2.60.
Then to the delightful Mahākāla forest, another sacred place, he went.
दृष्ट्वा संपूजयामास पुष्पैर्नानाविधैस्तथा
Having seen it, he worshipped with many kinds of flowers.
अहो महान्सभाग्योसि यस्त्वया तोषितोऽस्म्यहम्
Oh, how greatly fortunate you are, for I am pleased by you.
वरदोऽस्मि वरार्हाणां शापदोऽस्मि दुरात्मनाम
I am the granter of boons to the worthy, and the giver of curses to the wicked.
ततोऽसौ विप्रतां यातो मतंगो लिंगदर्शनात
Then Matanga attained Brahminhood by seeing the liṅga.
ब्राह्मण्यं दुर्लभं लब्धं लिंगस्यास्य प्रभावतः
Brahminhood, difficult to obtain, was gained by the power of this liṅga.
मतंगेश्वरको लोके ब्रह्मलोकप्रदायकः
Matangeśvara in this world is the giver of the realm of Brahma.
निर्मर्यादा निराचारा निःशंकाश्चातिलोलुपाः दर्शनात्तस्य लिंगस्य तेऽपि यांति त्रिविष्टपम्
Even those without restraint, without conduct, fearless, and excessively greedy, by seeing that liṅga, attain heaven.
ये विशुद्धा महाभागा ध्यानिनो मुक्तिभागिनः
Those who are pure, greatly fortunate, absorbed in meditation, and destined for liberation—
ब्रह्मध्यानपरा ये च यज्ञदानक्रियारताः
Those devoted to meditation on Brahman, and those engaged in sacrifice, charity, and ritual acts—
येऽर्चयंति महा देवि मतंगेश्वरमीश्वरम 5.2.60.
Those who worship, O great goddess, Matangeśvara, the Lord—
एष ते कथितो देवि प्रभावः पापनाशनः
This, O goddess, is the power I have described to you, which destroys sin.
इति श्रीस्कांदे महापुराण एकाशीतिसाहस्र्यां संहितायां पञ्चम आवंत्यखंडे चतुरशीतिलिंगमाहात्म्ये मतंगेश्वरमाहात्म्य वर्णनंनाम षष्टितमोऽध्यायः
Thus ends the sixtieth chapter, called 'The Glory of Matangeśvara,' in the section on the eighty-four liṅgas, in the Avantya Khaṇḍa of the eighty-one-thousand-verse Mahāpurāṇa of Śrī Skanda.
यस्य दर्शनमात्रेण सौभाग्य मतुलं लभेत्
By the mere sight of whom, one obtains incomparable good fortune—
प्रधमं प्राकृते कल्पे राजाभूदश्ववाहनः
In the first natural cycle, there was a king named Aśvavāhana.
अनेकयज्ञकृत्प्राज्ञः संग्रामेष्वप राजितः
He was wise, performed many sacrifices, and was undefeated in battles.
काशिराजसुता सुभ्रू रूपेणातीव शोभना
The daughter of the king of Kāśī, with beautiful eyebrows, was exceedingly lovely in form.
चतुःषष्टिकलायुक्ता सदा भर्तृहिते रता
Endowed with sixty-four arts, she was always devoted to her husband's welfare.
पूर्वकर्मवशाद्देवि दुर्भूगा समजायत
But, O goddess, due to previous karma, she was born unfortunate.
श्रोत्रोद्वेगकरं वाक्यं तस्य राज्ञः करोति सा
She spoke words to that king which caused distress to his ears.
मृर्छां प्राप्नोत्यसह्यां स तस्याः स्पर्शेन भूपतिः दह्यमानोऽतितीव्रेण वह्निना वाक्यमब्रवीत्
Touched by her, the king fell into unbearable faintness, and, burning with intense fire, he spoke.
द्वास्थैतां दुर्भगां भार्यामादाय विपिने वने
He ordered the doorkeepers to take his unfortunate wife into the forest.
ततो नृपस्य वचनमविचार्यमवेक्ष्य सः 5.2.61.
Then, without considering the king's command, he acted.
सा च त्यक्ता वने शून्ये रुदती च मुहुर्मुहुः
She, abandoned in the empty forest, wept again and again.
अथ सा चारुसर्वांगी तत्रासक्तात्ममानसा
Then she, whose every limb was lovely, became wholly absorbed there, her heart and mind attached.
निश्वसन्त्यनवद्यांगी हाहेति रुदती मुहुः
Sighing deeply, her flawless body trembling, she wept again and again, crying out, 'Alas! Alas!'
न विहारे न चाहारे रमणीये न तद्वने त्यक्ता तेन वरारोहे निनिन्द निजयौवनम्
She found no delight in amusements, nor in food, nor in the beautiful forest; abandoned by him, O lovely-hipped one, she reproached her own youth.
दुर्भगाहं क्व जातात्र दुष्टदैववशीकृता
Unfortunate am I, born here under the sway of cruel fate.