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.
वेदिमध्यगतौ नित्यं पार्वतीपरमेश्वरौ ओषधिप्रस्थमासाद्य पुरं हिम वतः प्रियम्
Parvatī and the Supreme Lord, always present in the center of the altar, reached the Oṣadhiprastha, the beloved city beneath the snowy mountain.
अत्र नः संशयो जातः श्रद्धेयमपि ते वचः
Here, a doubt has arisen for us, though your words are worthy of faith.
परं यत्कारणं कृत्स्नं तद्ब्रवीमि निबोध्यताम्
I shall tell you in full the supreme reason for all this; listen attentively.
य एष ओषधिप्रस्थे विवाहः प्रागभू त्तयोः
This marriage of the two, which took place at Oṣadhiprastha, occurred previously.
वैवस्वतेऽन्तरे पूर्वं संजातो द्विजसत्तमाः
It happened in a former age, O best of twice-born, during the interval of Vaivasvata.
हाटकेश्वरजे क्षेत्रे यश्चोद्वाहस्तयोरभूत्
And in the field born of Hāṭakeśvara, their wedding was celebrated.
पार्वतीहरयोः सूत सोऽस्माभिर्विस्तराच्छ्रुतः
O Sūta, the marriage of Pārvatī and Hara in that place has been heard by us in detail.
हाटकेश्वरजे क्षेत्रे दक्षयज्ञे मनोहरे ६.७७.
In the field born of Hāṭakeśvara, at the delightful sacrifice of Dakṣa.
सोऽस्माकं कीर्तनीयश्च त्वया सूतकुलोद्वह
That event is to be recounted by us, and by you, O foremost of Sūtas.
विवाहसमयं सम्यग्देवदेवस्य शूलिनः
The time of the marriage of the god of gods, the wielder of the trident.