किं तेऽभीष्टं करोम्यद्य किं ददामि पितामह
"What boon do you desire today? What shall I grant, O Grandsire?"
इति लिंगवचः श्रुत्वा कथितं ब्रह्मणा तदा
Hearing these words of the liṅga, Brahmā then spoke:
जलं गृहाण वाणीश शस्त्रजं शत्रुवारणम्
"Take this water, O Lord of Speech, born of weapons, a ward against enemies."
इत्युक्तः सत्वरो ब्रह्मा गतो यत्र जनार्द्दनः 5.2.65.
Thus addressed, Brahmā quickly went to where Janārdana was.
स पुलोमा महानासीत्स्वारोचिषेंऽतरे मनौ
There, in the Svārociṣa Manvantara, Pulomā was a great being.
ददर्श तत्र तल्लिंगं नाम चक्रे जनार्द्दनः तस्माद्ब्रह्मेश्वरोनाम ख्यातिं लोकेषु यास्यति
There Janārdana beheld that liṅga and gave it a name; therefore, it will be known among people as Brahmeśvara.
ये द्रक्ष्यंति नरा भक्त्या देवं ब्रह्मेश्वरं शिवम्
Those men who behold with devotion the god Brahmeśvara, Śiva,
यस्तु पश्येत्प्रसंगेन देवं ब्रह्मेश्वरं शिवम्
And he who sees, even by chance, the god Brahmeśvara, Śiva,
यः पुष्करं नरो गत्वा तपो वर्षशतं चरेत्
Or the man who, going to Puṣkara, performs austerity for a hundred years,
पंचपातकसंयुक्तो यो मर्त्त्यो दुष्टमानसः
Even a mortal bound by five great sins, with a wicked mind,
चांद्रायणानां विधिवद्दशानामेव यत्फलम्
The fruit obtained from ten properly performed Cāndrāyaṇa rites—
इत्युक्त्वा गतवान्विष्णुर्वैकुंठं शाश्वतं प्रिये
Having spoken thus, Viṣṇu departed, beloved, to the eternal Vaikuṇṭha.
एष ते कथितो देवि प्रभावः पापनाशनः
Thus, O goddess, I have described to you this power that destroys sin.
इति श्रीस्कांदे महापुराण एकाशीतिसाहस्र्यां संहितायां पञ्चम आवंत्यखंडे चतुरशीतिलिङ्गमाहात्म्ये ब्रह्मेश्वरमाहात्म्यवर्णनंनाम पंचषष्टितमोऽध्यायः
Thus ends the sixty-fifth chapter, entitled 'The Description of the Greatness of Brahmeśvara,' in the section on the eighty-four liṅgas, in the Avantya division of the eighty-one-thousand-verse Śrī Skanda Mahāpurāṇa.
यस्य दर्शनमात्रेण महापापं शमं व्रजेत्
By merely beholding him, even great sin comes to rest.
जल्पोनाम महादेवि राजाभूद्भुवि विश्रुतः
There was a king on earth named Jalpona, O great goddess, renowned everywhere.
विकल्पबहुलो नित्यं संसारगतिचिंतकः
He was ever full of doubts, always pondering the course of worldly existence.
तस्य राज्ञो वरारोहे मूर्ताः पंचाग्नयो यथा विक्रांतः पंचमः पुत्रः सर्वे शस्त्रास्त्रपारगाः
O beautiful one, that king had five sons, like embodied fires; the fifth, Vikrānta, was valiant, and all were skilled in weapons and missiles.
पित्रा जल्पेन ते राज्ञा पृथग्राज्ये प्रतिष्ठिताः
By their father Jalpona, the king, they were each established in separate kingdoms.
प्राच्यां सुबाहुर्नृपतिर्याम्यां वै शत्रुमर्दनः
Subāhu became king in the east, and Śatrumardana in the south.
मध्ये विक्रांतसंज्ञस्तु स्वपदे विनियोजितः
Vikrānta, so named, was placed in the central realm.
बभूवुर्मंत्रिणस्तेषां हिता वंशक्रमागताः
Their ministers were devoted to their welfare, descended from their own lineage.
विक्रांतस्य च यो मंत्री विकल्पैकपरायणः
And Vikrānta's minister was wholly devoted to deliberation.
यस्यैषा पृथिवी कृत्स्ना स समर्थः प्रकीर्तितः 5.2.66.
He was said to be capable of ruling this entire earth.
त्रिदशैश्चामृतं लब्धमुद्यमेन महीपते
Even the gods obtained ambrosia, O king, through effort.
हीनोद्यमा मानवा ये क्षत्त्रियाश्च विशेषतः
Those humans who lack effort, especially kṣatriyas—
स्नेहं च कुरुते भ्राता राज्यलुब्धोऽर्थकारणात् क्रियते न किमर्थं तु भूप मंत्रपरिग्रहः
A brother, greedy for the kingdom, feigns affection for the sake of gain; O king, then why is the gathering of ministers undertaken?
परोऽपि हितवान्बन्धुर्बन्धुरप्यहितः परः
Even an outsider may be beneficial, while a relative may be harmful; a relative may be an outsider, and an outsider a relative.
भूमिमेते निर्गिलंति सर्पा बिलशयानिव
These serpents, dwelling in their holes, emerge onto the earth.
मायया मोहितं सर्वं को वा कस्य च बांधवः
All is deluded by illusion—who, indeed, is kin to whom?