मया संश्लेषितः स्नेहादुत्संगेऽप्यधिरोपितः
Out of affection, I embraced him and even placed him upon my lap.
ये पश्यंति नरा लिंगं त्वया संपूजितं भुवि 5.2.77.
Those men who see the liṅga worshipped by you upon the earth,
गणाध्यक्षा भविष्यंति सर्वकामैरलंकृताः
Will become leaders of the gaṇas, adorned with every desired blessing.
दर्शनात्क्षीयते पापमैहिकं पूर्वकं तथा
By its sight, sin is destroyed—both worldly and previous.
यः पूजयेच्चतुर्द्दश्यामष्टम्यां सोमवासरे
Whoever worships it on the fourteenth, eighth, or Monday,
पैतृकैर्मातृकैः सार्द्धं कुलैस्तु सप्तभिर्युतः
Together with paternal and maternal ancestors, and seven families,
पुष्पदंतेश्वरं दृष्ट्वा सोऽश्वमेधफलंलभेत्
Having seen Puṣpadaṃteśvara, he attains the fruit of an Aśvamedha sacrifice.
मृतो गांधर्वलोके तु याति विद्याधरैर्वृतः नियमेन गणाध्यक्ष जायते ब्रह्मणो दिनम्
Upon death, he goes to the Gandharva world, surrounded by Vidyādharas; by rule, he is born as leader of the gaṇas on Brahmā’s day.
ऐश्वर्यं सप्तलोकेषु भुक्त्वा भोगान्यथाक्रमम्
Having enjoyed sovereignty in the seven worlds, he experiences pleasures in due order.
एष ते कथितो देवि प्रभावः पापनाशनः
This, O goddess, has been told to you—the power that destroys sin.
इति श्रीस्कांदे महापुराण एकाशीतिसाहस्र्यां संहितायां पञ्चम् आवंत्यखण्डे चतुरशीतिलिङ्गमाहात्म्य उमामहेश्वरसंवादे पुष्पदन्तेश्वरमाहात्म्यवर्णनंनाम सप्त सप्ततितमोऽध्यायः
Thus, in the glorious Skanda Mahāpurāṇa, in the eighty-one-thousand-verse Saṃhitā, in the fifth Avaṃtya section, in the chapter on the greatness of eighty-four liṅgas, in the dialogue of Umā and Maheśvara, is the narration of the greatness of Puṣpadaṃteśvara, the seventy-seventh chapter.
यस्य दर्शनमात्रेण तीर्थयात्राफलं लभेत्
By mere sight of whom, one attains the fruit of pilgrimage to holy places.
शाकले नगरे देवि चित्रसेनो महीपतिः
In the city of Śākala, O goddess, was the king Citrasena.
तस्य चन्द्रप्रभा भार्या प्राणे भ्योऽपि गरीगसी
His wife was Candraprabhā, more dear than life itself.
अपुत्रस्यापि नृपतेः पुत्री जाता मनोरमा
Though the king was childless, a daughter was born to him, named Manoramā.
सर्वलक्षणसंपन्ना कन्या लावण्यवत्यपि
The maiden, endowed with all marks of excellence, was also possessed of beauty.
वैराग्याद्ब्रह्मचर्यं च चचार तनुमध्यमा
Out of detachment, the slender-waisted woman practiced celibacy.
उत्संगे च निजे कृत्वा मूर्ध्नि चाघ्राय हर्षितः
He joyfully placed her on his own lap and, smelling her head, was delighted.
नृपाय नृपपुत्राय संमताय द्विजाय वा हर्षेण चावृतो राजा पुनः पप्रच्छ तां सुताम्
To the king, to the prince, or to the respected brahmin—overcome with joy, the king again questioned his daughter.
पृष्टा च सा यदा देवी न चोवाच नृपं प्रति
And when the goddess was questioned, she did not speak to the king.
यदि मद्वचनं पुत्रि प्रतिभाति न सांप्रतम् 5.2.78.
If, my daughter, my words do not seem agreeable to you at this time—
इत्युक्ता सा नृपतिना पित्रा प्रोक्ता पुनःपुनः
Thus addressed by the king, her father, and urged again and again—
जहास चातिहासेन पुनः श्वासांश्च मुंचति
She laughed loudly and then began to sigh repeatedly.
तामवस्थां गतां दृष्ट्वा पुत्री मुन्मत्ततां गताम्
Seeing his daughter in that condition, as if she had fallen into madness—
भूतेन वा पिशाचेन मत्सुता लक्षणैर्युता
He thought, 'My daughter, adorned with auspicious marks, is possessed by a spirit or a piśāca.'
तदा प्रोक्तस्तया पुत्र्या मा तात विमना भव
Then his daughter said to him, 'Do not be disheartened, father.'
न पिशाचेन यक्षेण तव कन्या महीपते
O king, your daughter is not possessed by a piśāca or a yakṣa.
प्राग्ज्योतिषे पुरे विप्रो हरस्वामी बभूव ह
In the city of Prāgjyotiṣa, there was indeed a brahmin named Harasvāmin.
रूपयौवनसंपन्ना तस्य नाहं प्रिया विभो
Although endowed with beauty and youth, O lord, I was not dear to him.
नान्यस्य कस्यचिद्द्वेष्टा मुक्त्वा मां पृथिवीपते
He did not hate anyone else, O king, except for me.