ततः पंचदशे वर्षे संप्राप्ते भगवान्रविः
Then, when the fifteenth year arrived, the glorious Sun spoke.
अतिदुर्लभमप्याशु तव दास्याम्यसंशयम् ॥६.५६.
Without doubt, I shall quickly grant you even that which is extremely difficult to obtain.
तस्माद्देहि सुतं मह्यं वंशवृद्धिकरं परम्
Therefore, give me a son, one who will greatly increase the lineage.
सप्तम्यश्च द्विजश्रेष्ठ निराहारस्तु भक्तितः या
And on the seventh day, O best of twice-born, she observed a fast with devotion.
एवमुक्त्वा च सप्ताश्वो विरराम दिवाकरः
Having thus spoken, the Sun, drawn by seven horses, ceased his course.
नातिदीर्घेण कालेन ततस्तस्याभव तत्सुतः
Then, after not too long a time, a son was born to her.
ततश्चक्रे पिता नाम वटेश्वर इति स्वयम्
Thereafter, the father himself gave him the name Vaṭeśvara.
वटेश्वरसुतान्दृष्ट्वा पौत्रांश्च द्विजसत्तमाः
O best of Brahmins, seeing the sons and grandsons of Vaṭeśvara—
वटेश्वरोऽपि संज्ञाय पित्रा संस्थापितं रविम् ६.५६.
Vaṭeśvara, knowing this, established the Sun as installed by his father.
ततःप्रभृति लोके च स वटादित्यसंज्ञितः
From that time onward, in the world, he became known as Vaṭāditya.
सप्तम्यां सूर्यवारेण उपवासपरायणः स प्राप्नोति सुतं श्रेष्ठं स्ववंशस्य विवर्धनम्
Whoever, devoted to fasting, observes the vow on the seventh day, the day of the Sun, obtains an excellent son who increases his own lineage.
निष्कामो वा नरो यस्तु तं पूजयति मानवः
Or, any man who worships him, even without desire, O human being—
अथ गाथा पुरा गीता नारदेन सुरर्षिणा
Then, there is a verse formerly sung by Nārada, the sage among the gods:
अपि वर्षशता नारी वंध्या वा दुर्भगापि वा
Even if a woman is barren for a hundred years, or unfortunate—
किं दानैः किं व्रतैर्ध्यानैः किं जपैः सोपवासकैः
What use are gifts, or vows, or meditations, or recitations with fasting?
वर्षमेकं नरो भक्त्या यः पश्येत्सूर्यवासरे
If a man, with devotion, beholds (the Sun) on the Sun's day for one year—
तस्मात्सर्वप्रयत्नेन तं देवं यत्नतो द्विजाः
Therefore, with every effort, worship that god diligently, O Brahmins.
इति श्रीस्कांदे महापुराण एकाशीतिसाहस्र्यां संहितायां षष्ठे नागरखंडे श्रीहाटकेश्वरक्षेत्रमाहात्म्ये सांबादित्यमाहात्म्यवर्णनंनाम षट्पञ्चाशत्तमोऽध्यायः
Thus ends the fifty-sixth chapter, entitled 'The Greatness of Sāmbāditya,' in the section on the glory of the Hāṭakeśvara field, in the sixth book, in the eighty-one-thousand-verse Skanda Mahāpurāṇa.
भीष्मेण ब्राह्मणेंद्राणां संमतेन तथात्मना
By Bhishma, with the approval of the foremost Brahmins and by his own will,
शंतनोर्दयितः पुत्रो गांगेय इति विश्रुतः
The beloved son of Shantanu, renowned as the son of Ganga,
तस्यासीत्तुमुलं युद्धं भार्गवेण समं महत् अंबाकृते शितैः शस्त्रैरस्त्रैश्च तदनंतरम्
He fought a fierce and great battle with Bhargava, for the sake of Amba, with sharp weapons and missiles thereafter.
ततो ब्रह्मादयो देवाः स्वयमेव व्यवस्थिताः गताश्च ते समुत्थाप्य पुनरेव त्रिविष्टपम्
Then Brahma and the other gods themselves appeared and, having intervened, returned again to heaven.
अंबापि प्राप्य परमं गांगेयोत्थं पराभवम्
Amba too, having suffered utter defeat at the hands of Ganga's son,
भर्त्सयित्वा नदीपुत्रं बाष्पव्याकुललोचना
Rebuked the son of the river, her eyes filled with tears.
यस्माद्भीष्म त्वया त्यक्ता कामार्ताहं सुदुर्मते
"Because you, Bhishma, have rejected me, tormented by desire, O most wicked-minded one,
स्त्रीहत्यया समायुक्तस्त्वं च नूनं भविष्यसि
You will surely be stained with the sin of killing a woman."
ततः स घृणयाऽऽविष्टो भीष्मः कुरुपितामहः
Then Bhishma, the grandsire of the Kurus, was overcome with remorse.
भगवन्काशिराजस्य सुतया मे प्रजल्पितम् ६.५७.
"O venerable one, these words were spoken to me by the daughter of the King of Kashi.
तत्किं स्याद्वाक्यमात्रेण नो वा ब्राह्मणसत्तम
O best of Brahmins, does such a thing come to pass by words alone, or not?
स्त्रीजनो वा द्विजो वापि तस्य पापं तु तद्भवेत्
Whether it is a woman or a Brahmin, the sin accrues to the one who wrongs them.