ॐनमः पुरुषोत्तमाय अथ स्कान्दे महापुराणे षष्ठनागरखण्डप्रारम्भः व्यास उवाच॥ स धूर्जटि जटाजूटो जायतां विजयाय वः। यत्रैकपलितभ्रांतिं करोत्यद्यापि जाह्नवी॥६.१.
Om, obeisance to the Supreme Person. Now, in the Skanda Mahāpurāṇa, begins the section on the Sixth City. Vyāsa said: May he, the matted-haired one, whose locks still bewilder the river Gaṅgā with a single streak of gray, arise for your victory.
ऋषय ऊचुः। हरस्य पूज्यते लिंगं कस्मादतन्महामते विशेषात्संपरित्यज्य शेषांगानि सुरासुरैः॥६.१.
The sages said: O greatly wise one, why is the liṅga of Hara worshipped, especially by gods and demons, abandoning his other forms?
तस्मादेतन्महाबाहो यथावद्वक्तुमर्हसि। सांप्रतं सूत कार्त्स्न्येन परं कौतूहलं हि नः॥६.१.
Therefore, O mighty-armed one, you ought to tell us this properly now, O Sūta; for we have great curiosity about it in its entirety.
सूत उवाच। प्रश्नभारो महानेष यो भवद्भिरुदाहृतः। कीर्तयिष्ये तथाप्येनं नमस्कृत्य स्वयंभुवे॥६.१.
Sūta said: This question you have raised is indeed weighty; still, I shall recount it, having first bowed to the Self-born.
आनर्तविषये चास्ति वनं मुनिजनाश्रयम्। मनोज्ञं सर्वसत्त्वानां सर्वर्तुफलितद्रुमम्॥६.१.
In the land of Ānarta there is a forest, a refuge for sages, delightful to all beings, with trees bearing fruit in every season.
तत्राश्रमपदं रम्यं सौम्यसत्त्वनिषेवितम् ६.१.
There is a lovely hermitage, frequented by gentle beings.
अब्भक्षैर्वायुभक्षैश्च शीर्णपर्णाशिभिस्तथा। दन्तोलूखलिभिर्विप्रैः सेवितं चाश्मकुट्टकैः॥६.१.
It is served by ascetics who live on water and air, who eat fallen leaves, by those who use their teeth as mortars, and by those who pound with stones.
स्नानहोमपरैश्चैव जपस्वाध्यायतत्परैः। वानप्रस्थैस्त्रिदण्डैश्च हंसैश्चापि कुटीचरैः॥६.१.
It is also attended by those devoted to bathing and offering oblations, those intent on recitation and study, forest-dwellers with three staffs, swan-like sages, and those who dwell in huts.
स्नातकैर्यतिभिर्दान्तैस्तथा पंचाग्निसाधकैः। कस्यचित्त्वथ कालस्य भगवांस्त्रिपुरांतकः॥६.१.
By graduates, self-restrained ascetics, and those who practice the five fires; and at some time, the blessed destroyer of Tripura arrived there.
सतीवियोगसंतप्तो भ्रममाण इतस्ततः। तस्मिन्वने समायातः सौम्यसत्त्वनिषेविते॥६.१.
Tormented by separation from Satī, wandering here and there, he entered that forest, attended by gentle beings.
क्रीडंति नकुला यत्र सार्धं सर्पैःप्रहर्षिताः। पञ्चाननाश्च मातंगैर्वृषदंशास्तथाखुभिः। काकाः कौशिकसंघैश्च वैरभावविवर्जिताः॥६.१.
There, mongooses play joyfully with snakes; five-faced monkeys with elephants, and Vṛṣadaṃśas with mice; crows with flocks of herons, all free from enmity.
ततश्च भगवान्रुद्रो दृष्ट्वाश्रमपदं तदा। नग्नः कपालमादाय भिक्षार्थं प्रविवेश सः॥६.१.
Then the blessed Rudra, seeing that hermitage, naked and carrying a skull, entered for the sake of alms.
अथ तस्य समालोक्य रूपं गात्रसमुद्भवम्। अदृष्टपूर्वं तापस्यः सर्वाः कामवशं गताः॥६.१.
Upon beholding his form, emerging from his body, never seen before, all the ascetic women became subject to desire.
गृहकर्म परित्यज्य गुरुशुश्रूषणानि च। मिथः संभाषणं चक्रुः स्थानेस्थाने च ताः स्थिताः॥६.१.
Abandoning their household duties and service to their elders, they stood in various places, conversing among themselves.
एका सा कापि धन्या या चक्रे तस्यावगूहनम्। विश्रब्धा सर्वगात्रेषु तापसस्य महात्मनः॥६.१.
One among them, truly fortunate, embraced him, the great-souled ascetic, confidently with all her limbs.
तथान्याः कौतुकाविष्टा धावंत्यः सर्वतोदिशम्। दृश्यंते तं समुद्दिश्य विस्तारितविलोचनाः॥६.१.
Others, seized by curiosity, ran in all directions, gazing at him with wide-open eyes.
काश्चिदर्द्धानुलिप्तांग्यः काश्चिदेकांजितेक्षणाः। अर्धसंयमितैः कैशैस्तथान्यास्त्यक्तबालकाः॥६.१.
Some women had their bodies half-anointed, some had only one eye adorned, and others, with their hair half-arranged, had abandoned their children.
एवमालोक्यमानः स कामिनीभिर्महेश्वरः। बभ्राम राजमार्गेण भिक्षां देहीति कीर्तयन्॥६.१.
Thus, as Maheshvara was observed by the desirous women, he wandered along the royal road, proclaiming, 'Give alms to this body.'
अथ ते मुनयो दृष्ट्वा तं तथा विगतांबरम्। कामोद्भवकरंस्त्रीणां प्रोचुः कोपारुणेक्षणाः॥६.१.
Then, the sages, seeing him in such a state, devoid of clothing and causing desire to arise in women, spoke with eyes reddened by anger.
यस्मात्पाप त्वयास्माकमाश्रमोऽयं विडंबितः। तस्माल्लिंगं पतत्वाशु तवैव वसुधातले॥६.१.
Because you, sinner, have defiled our hermitage, therefore let your linga fall swiftly to the earth.
एतस्मिन्नंतरे भूमौ लिंगं तस्य पपात तत्। भित्त्वाथ धरणीपृष्ठं पातालं प्रविवेश ह॥६.१.
At that very moment, his linga fell to the ground, pierced the surface of the earth, and entered the netherworld.
सोऽपि लिंगपरित्यक्तो लज्जायुक्तो महेश्वरः। गर्तां गुर्वीं समाश्रित्य भ्रूणरूपः समाविशत्॥६.१.
Maheshvara, now bereft of his linga and filled with shame, took refuge in a deep pit, assuming the form of an embryo.
अथ लिंगस्य पातेन त्रैलोक्यभयशंसिनः। उत्पाता दारुणास्तस्थुः सर्वत्र द्विजसत्तमाः॥६.१.
Then, with the fall of the linga, ominous disturbances foretelling terror in the three worlds arose everywhere, O best of twice-born.
शीर्यते गिरिशृङ्गाणि पतंत्युल्का दिवापि च। त्यजंति सागराः सर्वे मर्यादां च शनैः शनैः॥६.१.
Mountain peaks crumbled, meteors fell even during the day, and all the oceans gradually abandoned their boundaries.
अथ देवगणाः सर्वे भयसंत्रस्तमानसाः। शक्रविष्णुमुखा जग्मुर्यत्र देवः पितामहः॥६.१.
Then, all the hosts of gods, their minds shaken by fear, led by Shakra and Vishnu, went to where the god Pitamaha was.
प्रोचुश्च प्रणताः स्तुत्वा स्तोत्रैः सुश्रुतिसंभवैः। त्रैलोक्ये सृष्टिरूपं यत्कमलासनसंस्थितम्॥६.१.
Having bowed and praised him with hymns drawn from well-known scriptures, they spoke to the lotus-seated creator, the origin of creation in the three worlds.
किमिदं किमिदं देव वर्तते ह्यधरोत्तरम्। त्रैलोक्यं सकलं येन व्याकुलत्वमुपागतम्॥६.१.
What is this, O god, what is happening here, above and below? By what cause has the entire three worlds come to such distress?
प्रलयस्येव चिह्नानि दृश्यंते पद्मसंभव। किं सांप्रतमकालेऽपि भविष्यति परिक्षयः॥६.१.
Signs of dissolution are appearing, O lotus-born; will destruction occur even at this time?
सर्वेषां सुरमर्त्यानां दैत्यानां मन्त्रकोविदः। गतिर्भयार्तदेहानां सर्वलोकपितामहः॥६.१.
For all gods, mortals, and demons, you are the master of mantras, the refuge for those afflicted by fear, and the grandfather of all worlds.
तेषां तद्वचनं श्रुत्वा देवानां चतुराननः। उवाच सुचिरं ध्यात्वा ज्ञात्वा दिव्येन चक्षुषा॥६.१.
Hearing these words of the gods, the four-faced one, after long contemplation and perceiving with divine sight, spoke.