ये पश्यंति विशालाक्षि देवं रूपेश्वरं शिवम्
Those who see the god Rūpeśvara Śiva, O wide-eyed one,
सदा रूपकरं लिंगं भुक्तिमुक्तिफलप्रदम्
The liṅga that always manifests forms, bestowing the fruits of enjoyment and liberation,
येऽर्चयंति नरा नित्यं देवं रूपेश्वरं परम्
Those men who worship daily the supreme god Rūpeśvara,
स एव सुकृती लोके कुलं तेनाप्यलंकृतम्
He alone is virtuous in the world, and his lineage is adorned by him.
यः पूजयति देवेशं प्रसंगादपि पार्वति 5.2.62.
Whoever worships the Lord of gods, even incidentally, O Pārvatī,
एष ते कथितो देवि प्रभावः पापनाशनः ।। रूपेश्वरस्य देवस्य धनुःसाहस्रकं ७ब्
This, O goddess, I have told you—the power of the god Rūpeśvara, destroyer of sins, equal to a thousand bows.
इति श्रीस्कांदे महापुराण एकाशीति साहस्र्यां संहितायां पंचम आवन्त्यखण्डे चतुरशीतिलिंगमाहात्म्ये रूपेश्वरमाहात्म्यवर्णनंनाम द्विषष्टितमोऽध्यायः
Thus ends the sixty-second chapter, called 'The Greatness of Rūpeśvara,' in the section on the eighty-four liṅgas, in the fifth Avantya Khaṇḍa of the glorious Skanda Mahāpurāṇa, comprising eighty-one thousand verses.
त्रिषष्टिसंख्यकं दिव्यं दर्शनात्पापनाशनम्
The divine liṅga, numbering sixty-three, by being seen destroys sins.
विदूरथोनाम नृपः ख्यातकीर्त्तिरभूद्भुवि
There was a king named Vidūratha, renowned for his fame on earth.
एकदा तु वनं यातो मृगयां स विदूरथः
Once, Vidūratha went to the forest for hunting.
तं दृष्ट्वा चिंतयामास किमेतदिति पार्थिवः
Seeing that, the king pondered, 'What is this?'
चिंतयन्निव तत्रासौ ददर्श विजने वने
While pondering thus, he saw in that lonely forest—
स तं पप्रच्छ नृपतिः किमेतदिति भो द्विज
The king asked him, 'O brāhmaṇa, what is this?'
कुजंभोनाम विख्यातो भिनत्ति वसुधामिमाम्
'Kujaṃbha by name, renowned, is breaking this earth apart.'
तमजित्वा कथं राज्यं भोक्ष्यसे वसुधाधिप
How will you rule the kingdom, O lord of the earth, without defeating him?
उपद्रुतास्तथा देशा ध्वस्ताश्चैव तथाश्रमाः
The lands have thus been afflicted, and the hermitages likewise destroyed.
यदि त्वं घातयस्येनं पातालांतरगोचरम् 5.2.63.
If you kill him, who moves within the depths of the underworld—
इति विप्र वचः श्रुत्वा मंत्रयामास पार्थिवः
Hearing these words of the Brahmin, the king deliberated.
तं मंत्रं क्रियमाणं तु सूनुभ्यां सह मंत्रिभिः
That counsel was undertaken together with his sons and ministers.
ततः कतिपयाहे तु तां कन्यां जलजेक्षणाम्
Then, after a few days, that lotus-eyed maiden—
एतच्छ्रुत्वा महीपालः क्रोधपर्याकुलेक्षणः
Hearing this, the king's gaze became agitated with anger.
दृष्ट्वा भूमौ पुरा गत्तें तत्र संशयिते मयि
Having seen the body lying on the ground before, while I was in doubt there—
स हन्यतां सोऽपहर्त्ता मुदावत्याः सुदुर्मतिः
Let him be slain, that evil-minded abductor of Mudavati!
तौ सुतौ तत्र संप्राप्तौ पाताले पितृशासनात्
Then those two sons arrived there in the netherworld, by their father's command.
ततः परिघनिस्त्रिंशशक्तिशूलपरश्वधैः
Then, with iron clubs, swords, spears, tridents, and axes—
ततो मायाबलवता तेन दैत्येन तत्क्षणात्
Then, by the power of illusion of that demon, at that very moment—
हत सैन्यौ रणे बद्धौ राजपुत्रौ महाबलौ ।। 5.2.63.
The two mighty princes, their armies slain in battle, were captured.
ततः श्रुत्वा महीपालो विवर्णवदनोऽभवत्
Then, upon hearing this, the king became pale-faced.
रुरोद बहुधात्यर्थं पुत्रस्नेहेन पार्थिवः अनेकसृष्टिसंहारदृष्टकार्यपरावरः
The king wept greatly in many ways, overwhelmed by love for his sons, though he had witnessed many creations and dissolutions, and knew the highest and lowest things.
उदितादित्यसंकाशः सप्तकल्पानुगो वशी राजानं कथयामास त्रिकालज्ञो महामुनिः
Then, shining like the risen sun, following seven cycles, the great sage, knower of the three times, spoke to the king.