सर्वबाधाविनिर्मुक्तो धनधान्यसमन्वितः संपूज्यः सर्वलोकेषु सौभाग्येकनिधिर्भवेत्
Freed from all troubles, endowed with wealth and grain, honored everywhere, he becomes the sole treasure of good fortune.
|| जायते भूपतिर्लोके सार्वभौमो वरानने जायते दुर्भगा नैव सौभाग्येश्वरदर्शनात्
A universal king is born in the world, O beautiful-faced one; misfortune never arises from the sight of the lord of prosperity.
न वैधव्यं न च व्याधिर्नाकालमरणं श्रिये
There is neither widowhood, nor disease, nor untimely death for those blessed by fortune.
यथा लक्ष्मीर्हरेर्नित्यं सावित्री ब्रह्मणः स्मृता तथा सा जायते नारी सौभाग्येश्वरदर्शनात्
Just as Lakshmi is always remembered as Hari's, and Savitri as Brahma's, so a woman is born thus from the sight of the lord of prosperity.
एष ते कथितो देवि प्रभावः पापनाशनः 5.2.61.
This, O goddess, has been told to you—the power that destroys sin.
इति श्रीस्कांदे महापुराण एकाशीतिसाहस्र्यां संहितायां पञ्चम आवंत्यखण्डे चतुरशीति लिंगमाहात्म्ये सौभाग्येश्वरमाहात्म्यवर्णनंनामैकषष्टितमोऽध्यायः
Thus ends the sixty-first chapter, called 'The Description of the Greatness of Saubhagyeśvara,' in the Liṅgamāhātmya section of the fifth Avanti book of the glorious Skanda Purāṇa, comprising eighty-four thousand verses.
यस्य दर्शनमात्रेण रूपवाञ्जायते नरः
By merely seeing him, a man becomes handsome.
पाद्मकल्पे महादेवि पद्मोनाम महीपतिः पृथिव्याश्चतुरंताया जातो धर्मरतो बली
In the Padma age, O great goddess, there was a king named Padma, born at the four ends of the earth, devoted to righteousness and mighty.
स कदाचिन्महाबाहुः प्रभूतबलवाहनः
Once, that great-armed one, possessing abundant strength and vehicles,
बिल्वार्कखदिराकीर्णं कपित्थधवसंकुलम्
In a place filled with bilva, arka, and khadira trees, and crowded with kapittha and dhava trees,
तत्र वन्यसहस्राणि हत्वा सबलवाहनः
There, having slain thousands of wild animals, he was accompanied by his troops and vehicles.
एक एवोत्तमबलः क्षुत्पिपासासमन्वितः। स वनस्यांतमासाद्य महदारण्यमासदत्
Alone, possessing supreme strength and afflicted by hunger and thirst, he reached the edge of the forest and entered a vast wilderness.
तच्चाप्यतीत्य नृपतिर्ददर्शाश्रममुत्तमम्
Having crossed that, the king saw a most excellent hermitage.
पुष्पितैः पादपैः कीर्णमतीव सुखशाद्वलम्
It was covered with blossoming trees and exceedingly pleasant, with soft green grass.
श्रुत्वाथ तं तथा शब्दं कन्या श्रीरिव रूपिणी 5.2.62.
Then, hearing that sound, a maiden, radiant like fortune herself, appeared.
सा तं दृष्ट्वैव राजानं पद्मगर्भसमुद्भवम्
She, upon seeing the king—born from the womb of a lotus—
उवाच स्मयमानाथ किं कार्यं क्रियतामिति
Smiling, she spoke: 'What task should be done?'
दृष्ट्वा चैवानवद्यांगीं यथावत्प्रतिपूजितः
Having seen her, flawless in form, and properly honored,
क्व गतो भगवान्भद्रे तन्ममाचक्ष्व शोभने हसंती प्रत्युवाचेदं वाक्यं समधुराक्षरम्
He asked, 'Where has the revered one gone, O gentle one? Tell me, O beautiful one.' Smiling, she replied with sweet words.
कन्याहं पृथिवीपाल कौमारब्रह्मचारिणः
She said, 'I am a maiden, O protector of the earth, devoted to maidenly celibacy.'
सुता कण्वस्य मामेवं विद्धि त्वं मनुजाधिप
Know me as the daughter of Kaṇva, O king of men.
तस्यास्तद्वचनं श्रुत्वा नृपेणोक्तं वरानने
Hearing her words, the king spoke to the beautiful-faced one:
भार्या मे भव सुश्रोणि ब्रूहि किं करवाणि ते
'Become my wife, O lovely-hipped one. Tell me, what shall I do for you?'
आहरामि तवाद्याहं भार्या मे भव शोभने विवाहानां च रंभोरु गांधर्वः श्रेष्ठ उच्यते
'Today I shall bring you; become my wife, O beautiful one. Among marriages, O slender-thighed one, the Gandharva rite is considered the best.'
नृपस्य वचनं श्रुत्वा कन्या वचनमब्रवीत् 5.2.62.
Hearing the king's words, the maiden replied:
तदर्थं मां स्थितं विद्धि त्वया मेऽपहृतं मनः
'Know that I am here for that purpose; my mind has been taken by you.'
आत्मनो बंधुरात्मैव गतिरात्मैव चात्मनः
'The self is its own kin, its own refuge, and its own goal.'
सत्यं मे प्रतिजानीहि दत्तमात्मानमद्य मे
'Promise me truly: give yourself to me today.'
इति तस्या वचः श्रुत्वा परिणीता नृपेण हि
Hearing her words in this way, she was indeed married by the king.
कामिता सा नृपेणेव ततो गंतुं समुद्यतः
She, desired by the king, then prepared to depart.