The Skanda Purana

by G. V. Tagare | 1950 | 2,545,880 words

This page describes Anarakeshvara (anaraka-ishvara-linga) which is chapter 27 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 twenty-seventh chapter of the Caturashiti-linga-mahatmya of the Avantya-khanda of the Skanda Purana.

Chapter 27 - Anarakeśvara (anaraka-īśvara-liṅga)

[Sanskrit text for this chapter is available]

Note: Though this deity [i.e., Anarakeśvara] is described in the previous (Āvantya) Khaṇḍa, the legend of Nimi is used to confirm its sanctifying nature. Nimi is a very respectable king in Buddhist, Jaina and Brāhmaṇical traditions, though this legend about him is not found in Jaina, Buddhist and other Brāhmaṇical Purāṇas. Nimi’s offer to stay in hell till all hellish beings are relieved smacks of a Buddhist Bodhisattva. That a Kalā (1/16 part) of Nimi’s merit of seeing Lord Anarakeśvara is enough to redeem all jīvas from hell, shows the greatness of the merit of visiting/serving Anarakeśvara.

Śrī Mahādeva said:

1-12. O goddess, the Liṅga named Anarakeśvara is the twenty-seventh deity. If it is only seen, Naraka (hell) is not seen even in dreams.

O goddess, in the Kaliyuga of an earlier Kalpa named Vārāha, truthfulness became defunct on account of the adverse nature of the times. The people became bereft of moral restraints. They were atheists, without proper abodes, supportless. The (system of) various castes and stages of life became disturbed. People began to deceive one another. Brāhmaṇas did not worship Devas. They pursued despicable avocations. The men were overwhelmed with covetousness and delusion. They were too lascivious. They became extremely inimical and engaged themselves in mutual destruction. Yajñas, study of the Vedas, offerings of balls of rice and libations (to Pitṛs)—everything fell into disuse. Brāhmaṇas began to eat everything. They engaged themselves in false argumentations. Transaction of buying and selling the merchandise was carried through false weights and measures. O my beloved, men were seen with greying hairs (even) in their sixteenth year. Life expectancy of men began to decline. Men and women came to such a stage.

On account of their sins, they began to fall into hells they deserved. Their heads were pierced with hatchets. Others were cut with saws. With pincers and tongs blazing like fire their eyes were plucked out and pierced with sharp red-hot iron nails thrust into them. They were attacked with boulders and peaks of hills. Rocks were ruthlessly used to pulverise them. They were cast into blazing abysmal pits. They were burned in heaps of fires. Others were hung with faces downwards into filth and rubbish. They were struck and pounded with huge batons and sticks held in the hands. They were tied with iron fetters and kept suspended with faces down. Being hurled into the air they kept on wailing and crying piteously.

13-21. Men were bitten and eaten by worms, black bees, flies with sharp stings, mosquitoes and ruthless birds with beaks as hard as steel. Some of those who were hewn and cut thus used to run about for water in their acute thirst. But fierce guards of Yama compelled them to drink their own urine and made them agitated through forceful smites. Only those limbs with which heinous crimes were committed by persons on the earth were subjected to infliction of injuries by the guards in charge of tortures. The eyes of those persons who see the preceptor, Devas and Brāhmaṇas with angry looks and the wives of others with evil eyes are pierced and plucked out through iron spikes and rods. The ears of those who had passively listened to the wilful abuses and censures of preceptors, friends, deities and chaste women were bored with iron rods. Then they were scraped with sharp weapons and then heated nails were thrust in. Afterwards they were rapidly struck with iron bars. The tongues and mouths of those men who had been indulging in calumniation of others and speaking harsh words to preceptors and mothers were cut and served by means of darts dazzling like fire, and sharp-pointed rods were thrust into their mouths. Thereafter wind was forced into them. The limbs of those men of evil conduct who plucked flowers and leaves in the gardens or parks, specially meant for deities, were also cut.

22-271). A red-hot iron image of a woman was placed on the chests of those wicked men by whom other people’s wives were embraced. They were then struck by fierce servants of Yama. Women in a similar position were forcibly made to embrace red-hot iron images of men. After a lapse of some time, they were hurled into big iron cages (furnaces) blazing with fire along with men.

The pain of limbs in the hells was hundred times more than what is experienced in the body in this world.

Other men were pecked at and eaten by crows, scorpions and vultures. Those who were being burnt and scorched began to cry in distress, “Oh brothers! Oh father!” repeatedly. They never attained peace. They experienced unbearable miseries, O Pārvatī. Thus they certainly had the misery of torture.

27c-33. A blessed man named Nimi saw the path of Yama. It was terrible, impassable and hideous, filled with persons of sinful activities. It was completely enveloped in darkness. It appeared like a meadow with tresses of hairs spread everywhere like weeds. Flesh and blood constituted a marshy spot stinking with the odour of the sinners. It was surrounded by blazing flames of fire. It was infested with crabs and vultures flying with faces down. Ghosts as huge as the Vindhya mountain, with needle-like faces, moved about here and there. Trees lay scattered all round. Blood and flesh oozed out from arms, thighs and palms severed down. Bodies with bellies and hands cut off lay about everywhere. The foul smell of the corpses made the path unwholesome and devoid of joy. The hell Asipatravana was also surrounded by these. It was filled with gravel and sand as well as pieces of rocks and lumps of iron. He also witnessed the physical torture suffered by the evil-doers.

34-41. Observing such a foul-smelling atmosphere he spoke to the man (servant of Yama) there to know how far they were to go along that path. “I wish to know this: What is this region? Does it belong to Devas?” On being asked thus, the messenger of Yama wielding a big staff in his hand and blazing with the lustre of fire, pointed out the path in front and said, “Come this way.”

The king requested the servant humbly: “O officer of Yama, tell me what sin has been committed by me for which this suffering has to be borne by me who am righteous. I am well-known by the name Nimi in the family of Janaka. I was born in the land of Videha. I have been perfect protector of men. The four castes were ably sustained by me by keeping them righteous in the same way as by Manu formerly through texts giving importance to piety. I performed many Yajñas. The earth was ruled piously. I was never guilty of abandoning the battlefield. No guest was turned away by me. I evinced no interest in other men’s wives, wealth, etc. That being the case, how is it that I have been put into Naraka that is excessively awful.”

On being asked thus by Nimi, the servant of Yama bowed down to him. Though he was cruel he spoke politely.

The Puruṣa said:

42-49. O great king, what you say is true. There is no doubt about it. But a small sin has been perpetrated (by you). I shall remind you. In the course of a Śrāddha you had earlier promised a monetary gift, but, O king, it was not given by you. It was an oversight, a case of forgetfulness. This is the result of that sin. Your sin is only this much. There is nothing else. O Vaideha, O king, come on for the enjoyment of the merits.”

On hearing this, Nimi, the saintly king, spoke to the messenger: “O follower of the Deva, I shall go there where you take me. But may I ask you a question? It behoves you to speak truthfully. These crows with adamantine beaks are plucking out the eyes of these persons. But the eyes are replaced again and again. O great messenger, what mean and despicable act has been done by them? Tell me this. In the same manner, they remove the tongues that continue to come out afresh. Why are these miserable ones hewn and cut with a saw? Why are these unconscious men afflicted day and night? These and many other tortures of the evil-doers are seen. How long will this continue? Give me a general estimate.”

The Puruṣa said:

50-60. What you are asking me, O king, regarding the outcome of the sinful actions, I shall explain to you briefly and as it actually exists. A man experiences the results of merits and demerits in succession. As the benefit is enjoyed (or the adverse result endured) the merit and demerit get reduced. O leading king, no man can get rid of a pious or sinful deed without the enjoyment or suffering of its results. The truth has been spoken by me. Thus these great sinners remain within the hells and get their highly terrible sins reduced through the tortures continuing day and night. Whether in the state of Devas, or human beings or brutes, auspicious and inauspicious results arising from merit and demerit, i.e., happiness and misery, they experience undoubtedly. O king, this has been recounted to you by me in a general way as regards the results of their meritorious or sinful actions, salvation, etc. Come on, let us go elsewhere. All has been seen by you now.

Thereafter the king began to proceed keeping him ahead. At that time the men undergoing tortures shouted: “Do us this favour, O king. Stop for a short while. The wind blowing after contact with your limbs delights us. O tiger among men, it removes distress from our limbs, of all the troubles and tortures. O king, be merciful.”

On hearing their words the king asked the officer of Yama: “How do these persons get delighted when I stay back? What is that merit done by me in the mortal world which has this power to cause delight? May this be explained.”

The Puruṣa said:

61-69. On the fourteenth lunar day in the month of Āśvina, the well-known deity Anarakeśvara in Mahākāla (Mahākālavana) was visited by you. This is the benefit thereof. That is why, O king, the wind in contact with your body is delightful to those evildoers. The torture does not harass them.

The King said:

If in my presence the torture does not harass them, O fair-faced friend, I shall stay here itself, motionless like a post.

The Puruṣa said:

Come on, O eminent king, let us go. Enjoy the pleasures acquired by you by your own merit. You will not bear this torture of the sinners.

The King said:

Neither in heaven, nor in Brahmaloka, men obtain that happiness which one gets in bringing relief to those who are distressed. My idea is to cause that relief. Hence I will not go away as long as these are excessively distressed. Let the hell-dwellers be happy due to my presence. If those many persons derive pleasure when I am (apparently) miserable, actually all those things have been attained by me. Hence, You may go. Do not delay.

The Puruṣa said:

Here Dharma and Śakra have come to take you with them. Necessarily you have to go away from this place. O king, do go.

70-72. In the meantime, Dharma accompanied by Śakra spoke thus: “O Nimi, O knower of the highest Dharma, Devas are pleased with you. Come, do come, O tiger-like one, this is enough. O Lord, O king, Siddhi has been acquired by you and the everlasting worlds too. You need not be grief-stricken. Listen to my words, O Lord. Naraka should of necessity be seen by all kings. I shall take you to Svarga. You have performed Upāsanā perfectly. Get into this excellent aerial chariot and proceed to the place free from impurities.”

Nimi said:

73-81. In Naraka thousands of men are tormented. O Dharma, they are lamenting and wailing saying to me, “Save.” Hence I will not go away.

Indra said:

It is due to the acts of these evil-doers that they have fallen into the hell, O king; you have to go to Svarga for your meritorious deeds.

The Puruṣa said:

You know well, O knower of Dharma, or you, O Śakra, the consort of Śacī, what is that special auspicious merit of mine. It behoves you to recount it.

Dharma said:

On the fourteenth lunar day in the dark half of the month of Āśvina, O mighty one, the Lord, well-known as Anarakeśvara, the bestower of Svarga, was seen by you in the excellent Mahākālavana. Hence your merit is something special. There is no limit to it. O king, enjoy happily the merit acquired by yourself. Let all these hellish ones suffering the torture due to their own acts get it reduced (by the endurance of the results).

The King said:

If in my presence no progress is achieved by these men, how can they be expected to crave for the association of good people? Hence, with that little special merit of mine that remains to my credit, let the sinners undergoing torture be released from the hell.

Dharma said:

O king, formerly you had visited Anarakeśvara. Give unto these a fraction (one-sixteenth) of the merit resulting therefrom. By the power of that merit these will be liberated from the hell.

The king did accordingly and they were liberated from the hell.

82-93. Thereupon Dharmarāja in the company of Śakra spoke to Nimi: “Thus the excellent place (position) has been attained by you, O Lord of the earth. See these hellish people; they are liberated from their sinful deeds.” Thereupon, a shower of flowers fell on that king. Hari (Indra) made him get into the aerial chariot and took him to Svargaloka. All the sinners who were there, were saved from the tortures. O my beloved, they went to Svargaloka by the power of that Lord.

Hence that deity is well-known as Anarakeśvara Deva. The saviour from Naraka was eulogized by all the groups of the Devas. A man who visits Anarakeśvara Deva everyday becomes meritorious. His family is sanctified by him alone.

Those men who devoutly worship Anarakeśvara Deva, get their sins accumulated in the course of a hundred previous births dissolved.

O Daughter of the Mountain, those who support and encourage the (desire to) visit this Lord, become rid of sins and proceed towards my place.

By visiting that Liṅga, a man enables the past and future ten thousand members of his family to go to my Loka (Region).

The fourteenth lunar day in the dark half in combination with the astrological position Śivayoga is said to be a great favourite of that Lord. It is destructive of all sins.

Those men who observe fast on that day and approach Anarakeśvara Deva become liberated from sins arising (committed) in the course of a hundred births.

This Lord, on being adored on that lunar day, washes off sin acquired mentally, verbally and physically. Thus, O goddess, the sin-destroying power has been recounted to you. Listen to the excellent greatness of Jaṭeśvara Deva.

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