शृणुयाद्वा नरो यश्च श्रद्धापूतेन चेतसा
And whoever hears it, or listens with a mind purified by faith,
प्रभासादीनि तीर्थानि मूर्तानि सकलानि च
Prabhāsa and the other sacred places, and all their forms,
तानि श्रुत्वा वचस्तस्य देवाचार्यस्य तादृशम्
Having heard such words from that divine teacher,
यद्येवं देवदेवेश भविष्य त्यशुभं युगम्
If it is so, O Lord of gods, that an inauspicious age will come,
पुरंदराद्य चास्माकं स्थानं किंचित्प्रदर्शय
O Purandara and others, show us some place,
यदाश्रित्य नयिष्यामो रौद्रं कलियुगं विभो पाताले स्वर्गलोके वा मर्त्ये वा सुरसत्तम
By relying on which, O mighty one, we may pass through the fierce Kali age—whether in the netherworld, heaven, or among mortals, O best of gods.
तेषां तद्वचनं श्रुत्वा कृपाविष्टः शतक्रतुः
Hearing their words, Śatakratu was filled with compassion.
अस्पृष्टं कलिना स्थानं किंचि द्वद बृहस्पते
O Bṛhaspati, tell us of some place untouched by Kali.
शक्रस्य तद्वचः श्रुत्वा चिरं ध्यात्वा वृहस्पतिः
Hearing Śakra's words, Bṛhaspati, after long contemplation,
हाटकेश्वरमित्युक्तमस्ति क्षेत्रमनुत्तमम्
He said: 'There is a supreme field called Hāṭakeśvara.'
यत्र पूर्वं तपस्तप्तं विश्वामित्रेण धीमता ६.२८.
Where, in ancient times, the wise Viśvāmitra performed austerities.
यत्र स्थित्वा सभूपालस्त्रिशंकुः पापवर्जितः
Where Triśaṃku, together with kings, remained free from sin.
यत्र शक्रसमादेशात्पूरितं पांसुभिः पुरा
There, by the command of Indra, it was once filled with earth.
यत्र रक्षत्यधस्ताच्च स स्वयं हाटकेश्वरः
There, beneath, he himself, Haṭakeśvara, protects it.
हाटकेश्वरमाहात्म्यादस्पृष्टं कलिना हि तत्
Because of the greatness of Haṭakeśvara, that place is untouched by the Kali age.
तस्मास्वांशेन गच्छंतु तत्र तीर्थान्यशेषतः
Therefore, let all the sacred fords go there in part.
तच्छ्रुत्वा वचनं तस्य सर्वतीर्थानि तत्क्षणात्
Hearing his words, all the sacred fords, at that very moment,
यज्ञोपवीतमात्राणि कृत्वा स्थानानि चात्मनः
Having made their own places only as much as a sacred thread,
एतस्मात्कारणाजात क्षेत्रं पुण्यतमं हि तत्
For this reason, that field has become the most holy.
संगमं सर्वतीर्थानां क्षेत्रे तत्र प्रकीर्तितम्
There, in that field, the confluence of all sacred fords is proclaimed.
तावन्मात्रप्रभावाणि तत्स्थानि प्रभवंति किम् ६.२८.
Such is the power of those present there—what more can be said?
नामतः स्थानतश्चैव तथा चैव प्रभावतः
By name, by place, and likewise by power,
हाटकेश्वरजं क्षेत्रं व्याप्य सर्वं व्यवस्थिताः
All are established, pervading the entire field born of Haṭakeśvara.
न तेषां कीर्तनं शक्यं कर्तुं वर्षशतैरपि
Their praise cannot be accomplished even in a hundred years.
कृतः समाश्रयस्तत्र क्षेत्रे तीर्थैः शुभावहे
There, in that field, a refuge has been made with the auspicious sacred fords.
उच्छेदं संप्रयातानि तीर्थान्यायतनानि च तानि वः कीर्तयिष्यामि शृणुध्वं सुसमाहिताः
The sacred fords and shrines that have come together and been established there—these I shall recount to you; listen with full attention.
येषां संश्रवणादेव नरः पापात्प्रमुच्यते ध्यानात्स्नानात्तथा दानात्स्पर्शनाद्विजसत्तमाः
By merely hearing of them, a man is freed from sin—by meditation, by bathing, by giving, and by touching, O best of twice-born.
इति श्रीस्कांदे महापुराण एकाशीतिसाहस्र्यां संहितायां षष्ठे नागरखण्डे हाटकेश्वरक्षेत्रमाहात्म्ये हाटकेश्वरक्षेत्रे सर्वतीर्थसमाश्रयवर्णनंनामाष्टाविंशोऽध्यायः
Thus ends the twenty-eighth chapter, named 'The Description of the Gathering of All Sacred Fords at the Haṭakeśvara Field,' in the section on the greatness of Haṭakeśvara Field, in the sixth book, the Nāgara section, of the eighty-one-thousand-verse Skanda Mahāpurāṇa.
तत्क्षेत्रं ख्यातिमापन्नं समस्ते धरणीतले
That field has attained renown on the entire surface of the earth.
समस्तेभ्यस्ततोऽदूरान्मुनयः शंसितव्रताः
From not far in all directions, sages devoted to vows [came there].