यश्चैतच्छृणुयाद्भक्त्या चतुर्दश्यां समाहितः
Whoever listens to this with devotion, with concentration, on the fourteenth day—
इति श्रीस्कान्दे महापुराण एकाशीतिसाहस्र्यां संहितायां षष्ठे नागरखण्डे हाटकेश्वरक्षेत्रमाहात्म्ये श्रीमातुः पादुकामाहात्मवर्णनंनामैकोननवतितमोऽध्यायः
Thus, in the Skanda Mahāpurāṇa, in the section of eighty-one thousand verses, in the sixth, the Nāgara section, in the glory of the Hāṭakeśvara field, this is the eighty-ninth chapter named 'The Description of the Greatness of the Mother’s Sandals.'
न तयोः कथितोत्पत्तिर्माहात्म्यं च महामते
Their origin and greatness have not been told, O wise one.
तस्माद्विस्तरतो ब्रूहि एकैकस्य पृथक्पृथक्
Therefore, tell in detail, each one separately.
अग्नितीर्थसमुद्भूतां सर्वसौख्यावहां शुभाम्
Arising from the sacred fire, auspicious and bestowing all happiness.
सोमवंशसमुद्भूतः प्रतीपो नाम भूपतिः
From the lunar dynasty was born a king named Pratīpa.
तस्य पुत्रद्वयं जज्ञे सर्वलक्षणलक्षितम्
To him were born two sons, endowed with all noble marks.
अथो शिवपदं प्राप्ते प्रतीपे नृपसत्तमे
Then, when the eminent king Pratīpa attained the abode of Śiva,
ततश्च मंत्रिभिः सर्वैः शंतनुस्तस्य चानुजः
Afterwards, by all the ministers, Śāntanu, his younger son,
एतस्मिन्नंतरे शक्रो न ववर्ष क्रुद्धाऽन्वितः
Meanwhile, Indra, filled with anger, did not send rain.
अतः कृच्छ्रं गतः सर्वो लोकः क्षुत्परिपीडितः
Therefore, all people, tormented by hunger, fell into hardship.
संत्यक्ताः पतिभिर्नार्यः पुत्राश्च पितृभिर्निजैः ६.९०.
Wives were abandoned by their husbands, and sons by their own fathers.
दैवयोगात्क्वचित्किंचित्कस्यचिद्यदि दृश्यते
By fate, if anything at all was seen anywhere by anyone,
शुष्का महीरुहाः सर्वे तथा ये च जलाशयाः
All the great trees were withered, as were the reservoirs of water.
एवं वृष्टेः क्षये जाते नष्टे धर्मपथे तथा
Thus, when the rain had ceased and the path of righteousness was lost,
न कश्चिद्यजनं चक्रे न स्वाध्यायं न च व्रतम्
No one performed sacrifice, nor study, nor any vow.
एतस्मिन्नेव काले तु विश्वामित्रो महामुनिः
At that very time, the great sage Viśvāmitra,
परिभ्रमंस्ततः प्राप्य कंचिद्ग्रामं निरुद्वसम्
Wandering about, reached a certain village, destitute.
अथ तत्र भ्रमन्प्राप्तश्चंडालस्य निवेशनम्
There, while wandering, he arrived at the dwelling of a caṇḍāla.
अथापश्यन्मृतं तत्र सारमेयं चिरोषितम्
There he saw a dog, long dead.
ततश्च श्रपयामास सुसमिद्धे हुताशने ६.९०.
Then, on a well-kindled fire, he began to cook it.
समादाय पितॄंस्तर्प्य यावदग्नौ जुहोति सः
Taking it, he offered it in the fire, satisfying the ancestors as he made the oblation.
गतश्चादर्शनं सद्यः सर्वेषां क्षितिवासिनाम्
He immediately became invisible to all the inhabitants of the earth.
एतस्मिन्नंतरे वह्नौ मर्त्यलोकाद्विनिर्गते
Meanwhile, as the fire departed from the realm of mortals,
एतस्मिन्नंतरे देवा ब्रह्मविष्णुपुरः सराः
At that moment, the gods, led by Brahma and Vishnu,
अथ तैर्भ्रममाणैश्च प्रदृष्टोऽभूद्गजो महान्
Then, as they wandered, they saw a great elephant.
अथ देवा गजं दृष्ट्वा पप्रच्छुस्त्वरयाऽन्विताः
The gods, seeing the elephant, questioned it with urgency.
वंशस्तंबेऽत्र संकीर्णे संप्रविष्टो हुताशनः
The fire entered into a dense bamboo clump there.
अथ तैर्वेष्टितस्तस्मिन्वंशस्तंबे हुताशनः
Then, surrounded by them, the fire was within the bamboo clump.
यस्मात्त्वयाहमादिष्टो देवानां वारणाधम
Because you commanded me, O lowest among elephants of the gods,