इह सौभाग्यमाप्नोति परत्र च शुभां गतिम्
Here he attains good fortune, and hereafter he reaches an auspicious state.
न गर्भमाविशेद्भूयो भवेत्सौभाग्यभाजनम्
He does not enter the womb again, and becomes a recipient of good fortune.
अपि जन्मसहस्रस्य पापं क्षयति तत्क्षणात् ऐहिकामुष्मिकान्कामान्स प्राप्स्यति महामतिः
Even the sin of a thousand births is destroyed at that moment; that wise one attains all desired enjoyments in this world and the next.
मुने निशामयेदानीं गंगेश्वरसमुद्भवम्
O sage, now listen to the origin of Gaṅgeśvara.
यं श्रुत्वा यत्रकुत्रापि गंगास्नानफलं लभेत्
Hearing which, anywhere, one obtains the fruit of bathing in the Gaṅgā.
तेन दैलीपिना सार्धमस्मिन्नानंदकानने
Along with that Dailīpin, in this forest of bliss—
स्मृत्वा लिंगप्रतिष्ठायाः काश्यां लोकोत्तरं फलम्
By remembering the installation of the liṅga at Kāśī, one attains a transcendent reward.
गंगेश्वरस्य लिंगस्य काश्यां दृष्टिः सुदुर्लभा
A sight of the liṅga of Gaṅgeśvara at Kāśī is exceedingly rare.
तस्य जन्मसहस्रस्य पापं संक्षीयते क्षणात्
In an instant, the sins of a thousand births of that person are destroyed.
तस्य संदर्शनं पुंसां जायते पुण्यहेतवे
For people, its very sight becomes a cause of merit.
प्रत्यक्षरूपिणी गंगा तेन दृष्टा न संशयः
By seeing it, one undoubtedly beholds Gaṅgā herself in manifest form.
भविष्यति न संदेहो मित्रावरुणनंदन
There is no doubt, O son of Mitrā and Varuṇa, it will be so.
ततोपि दुर्लभं काश्यां लिंगं गंगेश्वराभिधम् 4.2.91.
Even so, the liṅga named Gaṅgeśvara at Kāśī is most difficult to obtain.
श्रुत्वा गंगेश माहात्म्यं न नरो निरयी भवेत्
Having heard the greatness of Gaṅgeśa, a man will not go to hell.
इति श्रीस्कांदे महापुराण एकाशीति साहस्र्यां संहितायां चतुथें काशीखंड उत्तरार्धे गंगेश्वरमहिमाख्यानं नामैकनवतितमोऽध्यायः
Thus ends the ninety-first chapter called 'The Glory of Gaṅgeśvara' in the Uttara section of the Kāśī Khaṇḍa of the Śrī Skanda Mahāpurāṇa, comprising eighty-one thousand verses.
यस्य स्मरणमात्रेण महापातकसंक्षयः
By mere remembrance of whom, great sins are destroyed.
अस्य वाराहकल्पस्य प्रवेशे मुनिपुंगवैः
At the beginning of this Vārāha Kalpa, by the foremost sages—
मार्कंडेय उवाच शृणुध्वं मुनयः सर्वे संति नद्यः परःशतम्
Markandeya said: 'Hear, O sages, there are hundreds of excellent rivers.'
सर्वाभ्योपि नदीभ्यश्च श्रेष्ठाः सर्वाः समुद्रगाः
Of all the rivers, those that flow to the ocean are the best.
गंगा च यमुनाचाथ नर्मदा च सरस्वती
Gaṅgā, Yamunā, Narmadā, and Sarasvatī—
ऋग्वेदमूर्तिर्गंगा स्याद्यमुना च यजुर्ध्रुवम्
Gaṅgā is the embodiment of the Ṛgveda, and Yamunā is certainly of the Yajurveda.
गंगा सर्वसरिद्योनिः समुद्रस्यापि पूरणी
Gaṅgā is the source of all rivers and the fulfiller even of the ocean.
किंतु पूर्वं तपस्तप्त्वा रेवया बह्वनेहसम्
But formerly, having performed austerities with Reva, who was full of great sin—
गंगा साम्यं विधे देहि प्रसन्नोसि यदि प्रभो
'O Lord, if you are pleased, grant equality to Gaṅgā.'
यदि त्र्यक्षसमत्वं तु लभ्यतेऽन्येन केनचित् 4.2.92.
If equality with the three-eyed one is attained by anyone else,
पुरुषोत्तम तुल्यः स्यात्पुरुषोन्यो यदि क्वचित
If there is ever another man equal to the Supreme Person,
यदि गौरी समा नारी क्वचिदन्या भवेदिह
If there is ever another woman here who is equal to Gauri,
यदि काशीपुरी तुल्या भवेदस्या क्वचित्पुरी
If there is ever a city anywhere that is equal to Kashi,
निशम्येति विधेर्वाक्यं नर्मदा सरिदुत्तमा
Hearing these words of the ordinance, Narmada, the foremost river,
सर्वेभ्योपि हि पुण्येभ्यः काश्यां लिंगप्रतिष्ठितेः
For, among all merits, the establishment of the linga in Kashi—