The Skanda Purana
by G. V. Tagare | 1950 | 2,545,880 words
This page describes The Glory of Nilakantha which is chapter 57 of the English translation of the Skanda Purana, the largest of the eighteen Mahapuranas, preserving the ancient Indian society and Hindu traditions in an encyclopedic format, detailling on topics such as dharma (virtous lifestyle), cosmogony (creation of the universe), mythology (itihasa), genealogy (vamsha) etc. This is the fifty-seventh chapter of the Kaumarika-khanda of the Maheshvara-khanda of the Skanda Purana.
Chapter 57 - The Glory of Nīlakaṇṭha
[Sanskrit text for this chapter is available]
Nārada said:
1. Thereafter, the Brāhmaṇas and Nārada propitiated Maheśvara and installed Śaṅkara in the holy city Mahīnagaraka.
2. For the welfare of the worlds (they installed) the excellent Liṅga Kedāra to the north of Atrīśa. It is destructive of great sins.
3-6a. A man who takes his holy bath in Atrikuṇḍa and performs the Śrāddha rite in accordance with the injunctions and bowing down to Atrīśa visits Kedāra, will never suck the breasts of a mother again. He shall be liberated.
Then Rudra himself gave Nīlakaṇṭha to the noble-souled Nārada and himself stayed in the splendid Mahīnagaraka.
A man who takes his holy bath in Koṭitīrtha and visits Nīlakaṇṭha as well as bows down to Jayāditya shall attain Rudra-loka.
6b-8. Those excellent men who take their holy bath in the well and worship Jayāditya will by the grace of Jayāditya never face the extinction of their family.
Thus, O son of Pṛthā, the narrative of Mahīnagaraka has been recounted to you. On listening to it completely one is liberated from all sins.