तद्दृष्ट्वा सुमहत्क्षेत्रं तापसौघनिषेवितम्
Seeing that vast sacred field, frequented by groups of ascetics,
अहं निर्वेदमापन्नो रोगेणाथ बुभुक्षया
I became despondent, due to the disease and hunger.
तस्मादत्रैव देहं स्वं विहास्यामि न संशयः
Therefore, right here, I shall abandon my body—there is no doubt.
एकांतेऽपि महाभाग न सुप्तं जाग्रति त्वयि ॥ ६.७६.
Even in solitude, O greatly fortunate one, you do not sleep nor remain awake.
तस्मादेतन्महाक्षेत्रं संप्राप्य त्वां व्यवस्थितम्
Therefore, having reached this great sacred field and seeing you settled here,
दर्शयिष्ये मुखं तेषां त्वया हीना अहं कथम्
I shall show you the faces of those deities; how can I, deprived of you, do so?
तस्मात्त्वया समं नाथ प्रवेक्ष्यामि हुताशनम्
Therefore, together with you, O lord, I shall enter the fire.
यावतस्तव संजाता उपवासा महामते
As long as your fasts have been observed, O wise one,
एवं तस्या विदित्वा स निश्चयं ब्राह्मणस्तदा
Thus, having understood her resolve, the Brahmin at that time—
भास्करं मनसि ध्यात्वा यावदग्निं समाददे
Meditating upon the Sun in his mind, he took up the fire.
तद्दृष्ट्वा विस्मयाविष्टः क एते पुरुषास्त्रयः
Seeing that, filled with astonishment, he wondered: Who are these three men?
व्यावृत्य स्वगृहं गच्छ स्व भार्यासहितो द्विज
Turn back and go to your own house, O twice-born, together with your wife.
मुण्डीरस्वामिनं दृष्ट्वा तथाऽन्यं कालवल्लभम्
Having seen the lord of Muṇḍīra and likewise Kālavallabha—
मूलस्थानं च कर्तव्यं ततः सस्यप्रभक्षणम् भक्षयामि तथा सस्यं तेन त्यक्ष्यामि जीवितम्॥ ६.७६.
The root-place must be established, then the destruction of the crops; I will eat the crops, and by that, I will abandon my life.
त्वद्भक्त्याकृष्टमनसो ब्रूहि किं करवामहे
With our minds drawn by devotion to you, tell us, what shall we do?
ब्राह्मण उवाच यदि यूयं समायाताः स्वयमेव ममांतिकम्
The Brahmin said: If you have come to me of your own accord—
तथाऽत्रैव सदा स्थेयं क्षेत्रे युष्माभिरेव हि
Then you must always remain here in this field.
त्वं चापि रोगनिर्मुक्तः सुखं प्राप्स्यस्यनुत्तमम्
And you too shall be freed from disease and attain supreme happiness.
प्रासादत्रितयं तस्मादस्मदर्थं निरूपय
Therefore, construct three temples for our sake.
एवमुक्त्वा तु ते सर्वे गताश्चाद्दर्शनं ततः
Having spoken thus, they all departed from sight.
द्वादशार्क प्रतीकाशं सर्वलक्षणलक्षितम्
Resembling twelve suns, marked with all auspicious signs—
पश्य त्वं सुभ्रूर्मे गात्रं यादृग्रूपं पुनः स्थितम्
Behold, O fair-browed one, my body restored again to its former form.
सोऽहमत्र स्थितो नित्यं पूजयिष्यामि भास्करम्
I shall remain here always and worship the Sun.
त्रयाणामपि तेषां तु साध्वर्चाः शास्त्रसूचिताः
The worship of all three, as prescribed by the scriptures, is auspicious.
ततस्ताः पुष्पधूपाद्यैः समभ्यर्च्य चिरं द्विजः
Then, the Brahmin worshipped them for a long time with flowers, incense, and so forth.
भास्करा भक्तलोकस्य सर्वव्याधिविनाशकाः
The Suns are destroyers of all diseases for those devoted to them.
यस्तान्पश्यति काले स्वे यथोक्ते सूरर्यवासरे
He who beholds them at the proper time, on the auspicious day of the sun and the moon,
इति श्रीस्कान्दे महापुराण एकाशीतिसाहस्र्यां संहितायां षष्ठे नागरखण्डे हाटकेश्वरक्षेत्रमाहात्म्ये मुंडीरकालप्रियमूलस्थानप्रतिष्ठावर्णनंनाम षट्सप्ततितमोऽध्यायः
Thus ends the seventy-sixth chapter, entitled 'The Description of the Establishment of the Priyamūla Site at Muṇḍīrakāla,' in the section on the greatness of the Hāṭakeśvara Kṣetra, in the Nāgara Khaṇḍa of the sixth book of the glorious Skanda Mahāpurāṇa, comprising eighty-one thousand verses.
उमामहेश्वरौ सूत हरिश्चन्द्रेण भूभुजा
O Sūta, Umā and Maheśvara were approached by Hariścandra, the king of the earth.
कृतौ कथयसीत्येवं वेदिमध्यं समाश्रितौ
He said, 'Tell me,' and thus they took their place in the center of the altar.