तथा नारी सुरूपाढ्यं यं पश्यति नरं क्वचित्
Likewise, whenever a woman sees a man endowed with handsome form,
लिप्यते न च पापेन कथंचित्तकृतेन च ६.७८.
Neither is stained by sin, however it may have been committed.
कस्यचित्त्वथ कालस्य तत्र राजा विदूरथः
Then, at some time, there was a king named Viduratha there.
तस्य भार्याऽभवत्तन्वी तरुणी वररूपधृक्
He had a slender, youthful wife, possessing excellent beauty.
न तस्याः स जराग्रस्तश्चित्ते वसति पार्थिवः
But in her mind, the king, afflicted by old age, did not dwell.
पार्थिवोऽपि परिज्ञाय तस्यास्तच्च विचेष्टितम्
The king, having perceived her conduct,
तत्कुण्डं पूरयामास ततः पांशूत्करैर्द्रुतम्
Swiftly filled that pond with heaps of earth.
यश्चैतत्पूरितं कुण्डं पांशुना निखनिष्यति
Whoever will dig up that pond, filled with earth,
परदारकृतं पापं तस्य संपत्स्यतेऽखिलम्
All the sin arising from adultery will accrue to him.
जगाम स्वगृहं पश्चात्प्रहृष्टेनांतरात्मना
Afterwards, with a delighted heart, he went to his own house.
अथ तां विरतां ज्ञात्वा सोऽन्यचित्तां प्रियां नृपः
Then, knowing her to have withdrawn and to have her mind elsewhere, the king—her beloved—
अन्यस्मिन्दिवसे शस्त्रं सूक्ष्मं वेण्यां निधाय सा ६.७८.
On another day, she placed a fine weapon in her braid.
ततस्तेन समं हास्यं कृत्वा क्षत्रियभावजम्
Then, together with him, she made a jest arising from his Kshatriya nature.
ततो निद्रावशं प्राप्तं तं नृपं सा नृपप्रिया
Afterwards, that beloved of the king found the king overcome by sleep.
एवं तस्य फलं जातं सद्यस्तीर्थस्य भंगजम्
Thus, the result for him was produced immediately, arising from the breaking of the sacred place.
अद्यापि तत्र देवेशो रुद्रशीर्षः स तिष्ठति
Even today, the Lord of the gods, Rudraśīrṣa, remains there.
यस्तस्य पुरतः स्थित्वा जपेद्रुद्रशिरः शुचिः
Whoever stands before it and recites the Rudraśīrṣa with purity,
वांछितं लभते चाशु तस्येशस्य प्रभावतः
quickly obtains the desired object by the power of that Lord.
रुद्रशीर्षं न संदेहः स याति परमां गतिम्
There is no doubt that one who recites the Rudraśīrṣa attains the highest state.
नित्यं दिनकृतात्पापान्मुच्यते द्विजसत्तमाः
O best of twice-born, he is freed every day from sins committed by day.
माहात्म्यं सर्वपापानां सद्यो नाशनकारकम् रुद्रशीर्षस्य माहात्म्यं तस्माच्छ्रोतव्यमादरात्
The greatness of Rudraśīrṣa is the immediate destroyer of all sins; therefore, its greatness should be heard with reverence.
इति श्रीस्कान्दे महापुराण एकाशीतिसाहस्र्यां संहितायां षष्ठे नागरखण्डे श्रीहाटकेश्वरक्षेत्रमाहात्म्ये रुद्रशीर्ष (जागेश्वर )माहात्म्यवर्णनंनामाष्टसप्ततितमोऽध्यायः
Thus ends the seventy-eighth chapter, named 'The Description of the Greatness of Rudraśīrṣa (Jāgeśvara),' in the section on the greatness of the Śrīhāṭakeśvara field, in the sixth Nāgara section of the eighty-two-thousand-verse Skanda Mahāpurāṇa.
लिंगमस्ति सुविख्यातं सर्वपातकनाशनम्
There is a liṅga, well-known, which destroys all sins.
यमाराध्य च तैः पूर्वं शक्रामर्षसमन्वितैः
Having worshipped it formerly by those filled with the anger of Indra and the immortals—
प्रकोपो वालखिल्यानां संजज्ञे गरुडः कथम्
How did the wrath of the Vālakhilyas arise? How did Garuḍa come about?
चकार विधिवद्यज्ञं संपूर्णवरदक्षिणम्
He performed a sacrifice according to rule, complete with the best gifts.
ततः शक्रादयो देवाः सहायार्थं निमंत्रिताः
Then the gods, beginning with Indra, were invited for assistance.
तथा वेदविदो विप्रा यज्ञकर्मविचक्षणाः
Likewise, learned Brāhmaṇas, skilled in Vedic rites and sacrifices, were invited.
अथ ते वालखिल्याख्या मुनयः संशितव्रताः प्रस्थिता यज्ञवाटं तं भारार्ताः क्लेशसंयुताः
Then those sages called Vālakhilyas, firm in their vows, set out for the sacrificial enclosure, burdened and afflicted with hardship.
अथ तेषां समस्तानां मार्गे गोष्पदमागतम्
Then, on the path of all of them, a cow’s hoofprint appeared.