यज्ञानां तपसां चैव दानानां चैव यत्फलम्
The fruit of sacrifices, austerities, and gifts,
यदि पश्येच्चतुर्दश्यां वैशाखे कार्त्तिके तथा । तस्य पुण्यमसंख्यातं जायते नात्र संशयः
If one sees on the fourteenth day in Vaiśākha or Kārttika, his merit becomes countless; there is no doubt about this.
एष ते कथितो देवि प्रभावः पापनाशनः 5.2.68.
O Devi, this power, destroyer of sin, has been described to you.
इति श्रीस्कांदे महापुराण एकाशीतिसाहस्र्यां संहितायां पञ्चम आवन्त्यखण्डे पिशाचेश्वरमाहात्म्यवर्णनंनामाष्टषष्टितमोऽध्यायः
Thus ends the sixty-eighth chapter, named 'The Description of the Greatness of Piśāceśvara,' in the fifth Avantya section of the eighty-one-thousand-verse Śrī Skanda Mahāpurāṇa.
ईश्वर उवाच। एकोनसप्ततिं देवि शृणु पार्वति यत्नतः
Īśvara said: O Devi, listen carefully to the sixty-ninth chapter, O Pārvatī.
कलिंगविषये देवि सुबाहुर्नाम पार्थिवः
O Devi, in the land of Kaliṅga, there was a king named Subāhu.
तस्य पत्नी विशालाक्षी दुहिता दृढधन्वनः
His wife, Viśālākṣī, was the daughter of Dṛḍhadhanvan.
परस्परानुरागत्वात्परा प्रीतिरभूत्तयोः
Because of mutual affection, there was great love between them.
आयुर्वेदविदां मुख्यैः शरीरस्य चिकित्सकैः
With the foremost physicians skilled in Ayurveda treating his body,
एवं बहुतरे काले गते देवि महीपतिम्
Thus, after much time had passed, O Devi, the king...
कथमेषा शिरोरोगे जरा ते पृथिवीपते प्रयतंतेऽस्य नाशाय तथाप्येष न शाम्यति
O King, how is it that, despite all efforts to cure this disease of the head, it still does not subside?
एवं स प्रियया प्रोक्तः सुबाहुः पृथिवीपतिः
Thus addressed by his beloved, King Subahu spoke.
सुखदुःखाश्रयं देवि शरीरं सर्वदेहिनाम्
O goddess, the body of all embodied beings is the seat of pleasure and pain.
इति संबोधिता राज्ञी तेन राज्ञा वरानने 5.2.69.
Thus addressed by the king, the queen with a beautiful face listened.
यदा सा वारितात्यर्थं पृच्छत्येव पुनःपुनः
When she, being restrained, kept asking again and again,
यदि त्वं श्रोतुकामासि रोगस्यास्य समुद्भवम्
If you wish to hear the origin of this disease,
महाकालवनं गत्वा सिद्धगंधर्वसेवितम्
Go to the great Kāla forest, attended by accomplished beings and gandharvas.
श्वः प्रभाते गमिष्यामि त्वया सार्द्धं शुचिस्मिते उत्सुका गमनार्थाय महाकालवनं शुभम्
O fair-smiling one, tomorrow morning I will go with you, eager to visit the auspicious great Kāla forest.
अथ सा रजनी वृत्ता प्रभाते नृपसत्तमः
Then, when the night had passed, the best of kings,
आजगाम क्रमेणैव महाकालवनं शुभम्
Arrived in due course at the auspicious great Kāla forest.
पातालवाहिनी तत्र गंगा त्रिपथगामिनी
There flowed the subterranean Ganga, the river of three paths.
तासां च संगमस्तत्र तल्लिंगं संगमेश्वरम्
There was their confluence, and at that confluence, the liṅga called Saṅgameśvara.
अथ प्राप्ते सुबाहौ च सा राज्ञी विस्मयान्विता यत्त्वयोक्तं पुरा देव कथयिष्यामि तत्र वै
Then, when Subahu arrived, the queen was filled with wonder and said, 'O lord, what you spoke of before, I will tell you here.'
एवमुक्तः सुबाहुस्तु प्रियया पृथिवीपतिः 5.2.69.
Thus addressed by his beloved, King Subahu,
सुखं स्वपिहि भद्रांगि श्रांता वयमनिंदिते
Rest well, O auspicious one, for we are weary, O faultless lady.
अथ सा रजनी वृत्ता प्रभाते नृपसत्तमः
Then, when the night had passed, the best of kings,
अहमासं कुशूद्रस्तु सर्वदा वेदनिंदकः
I was Kuśūdra, always a blasphemer of the Vedas.
पुत्रो जातस्तु दुःशीलो देवब्राह्मणवंचकः
A son was born to me, of bad conduct, a deceiver of gods and brahmins.
अथ दीर्घेण कालेन द्वादशाब्दं भयावहा
Then, after a long time, there came a dreadful period of twelve years.
वियोगस्तु त्वया प्राप्तो मया सार्द्धं सुतेन च
Separation from you befell me, along with our son.