मंकिर्वैराग्यमापन्नस्त्यक्त्वा ग्रामं वनं ययौ
Maṃki, having attained detachment, left the village and went to the forest.
त्रिकालं कुरुते स्नानं गायत्रीजपमुत्तमम्
He performed bathing three times a day and recited the excellent Gāyatrī.
एतस्मिन्नेव काले तु तेन मार्गेण शंकरः 7.3.25.
At that very time, by that path, Śaṃkara passed.
स दृष्टः सहसा तेन पिंडारेण महात्मना
He was suddenly seen by Piṃḍāra, the great-souled one.
न वृथा दर्शनं मे स्याद्वरो मे गृह्यतां द्विज
Let my seeing you not be in vain; grant me a boon, O brāhmaṇa.
यथा तथा कुरु विभो नान्यन्मे हृदि वर्तते
Do as I ask, O Lord; nothing else remains in my heart.
एतत्पिण्डारकं तीर्थ मम नाम्ना प्रसिध्यतु
Let this Piṇḍāraka be renowned as a sacred ford by my name.
एतत्पिंडारकंनाम तीर्थमत्र भविष्यति
This place shall become a holy site called Piṇḍāraka.
अहमत्र महाष्टम्यां निवेक्ष्यामि महामते ते यास्यंति परं स्थानं यत्राहं नित्यसंस्थितः
O wise one, on the great eighth day, I shall reside here; those who come shall attain the supreme abode where I eternally dwell.
मंकिः पिंडारकस्तत्र तपस्तेपे दिवानिशम्
There, Maṅki, known as Piṇḍāraka, performed austerities day and night.
ततः कालेन महता त्यक्त्वा देहं दिवं गतः
Then, after a long time, having abandoned his body, he ascended to heaven.
तस्मात्सर्वप्रयत्नेन स्नानं मन्त्रेण चाचरेत्
Therefore, one should bathe here with all effort and with mantra.
राजेन्द्र महिषीदानमथाष्टम्यां विशेषतः 7.3.25.
O king of kings, especially on the eighth day, the gift of a cow should be made.
इति श्रीस्कांदे महापुराण एकाशीतिसाहस्र्यां संहितायां सप्तमे प्रभासखण्डे तृतीयेऽर्बुदखण्डे पिंडारकतीर्थमाहात्म्यवर्णनंनाम पंचविंशोऽध्यायः
Thus ends the twenty-fifth chapter named 'The Greatness of Piṇḍāraka Tīrtha,' in the third section of the Arbuda division, in the seventh Prabhāsa book, of the eighty-one-thousand-verse Skanda Mahāpurāṇa.
तस्मिन्कनखलंनाम पर्वते पापनाशने
There is a mountain named Kanakhala, destroyer of sins.
शृणु तत्राऽभवत्पूर्वं यदाश्चर्यं महीपते
Listen, O king, to the wondrous event that once happened there.
सूर्यग्रहे महीपाल तीर्थं कनखलं गतः
During a solar eclipse, the king went to the sacred ford at Kanakhala.
प्रभूतं पतितं तोये प्रमादात्तस्य भूपतेः
A great amount of gold fell into the water there due to the king’s carelessness.
ततः स्नात्वा गृहं प्राप्तः पश्चात्तापसमन्वितः
After bathing, he returned home, filled with regret.
स्नानार्थं भास्करे ग्रस्ते तं च देशमपश्यत
When the sun was eclipsed, he went again to that place for bathing.
सुवर्णं पतितं हस्तान्न च लब्धं कथंचन
The gold that had fallen from his hands was not recovered in any way.
नात्र नाशोऽस्ति राजेन्द्र इह लोके परत्र च
O king of kings, there is no loss here, neither in this world nor the next.
अत्र कोटिगुणं जातं सुवर्णं यत्पुरातनम्
Here, the ancient gold has multiplied a crore-fold.
तस्मात्संख्या च संजाता तथैवाकल्पितस्य च यत्नाच्छ्राद्धं करिष्यंति सुवर्णं च विशेषतः ॥ 7.3.26.
Therefore, the reckoning has arisen, and so also for what is not measured; with effort, they should perform śrāddha, especially with gold.
ब्राह्मणेभ्यः प्रदास्यंति संख्या तस्य न विद्यते
They will give to the Brāhmaṇas, and its measure is without limit.
स श्रुत्वा भारती तत्र ह्याकाशादुत्थितां नृप
Hearing this, O king, the goddess of speech arose there from the sky.
शुभ्रं कोटिगुणं प्राज्यं ततस्तुष्टिं समागतः प्रददौ च दयायुक्त उद्दिश्य पितृदेवताः
Then, having attained satisfaction, he gave a pure, exceedingly great gift, endowed with compassion, dedicated to the ancestors and the gods.
ततस्तस्य प्रभावेण स दानस्य महीपतिः
Then, by the power of that gift, that king—
तत्र यः कुरुते श्राद्धं ग्रहे सूर्यस्य भूमिप
Whoever performs a śrāddha there at the time of the sun's transit, O king—
स्नानेन ऋषयो देवास्तुष्टिं यांति महोरगाः
By bathing, the sages, the gods, and the great serpents attain satisfaction.