The Skanda Purana
by G. V. Tagare | 1950 | 2,545,880 words
This page describes The Greatness of Candaditya Tirtha which is chapter 91 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 ninety-first chapter of the Reva-khanda of the Avantya-khanda of the Skanda Purana.
Chapter 91 - The Greatness of Caṇḍāditya Tīrtha
[Sanskrit text for this chapter is available]
Śrī Mārkaṇḍeya said:
1-9. Thereafter, O king, one should go to the highly splendid Tīrtha called Caṇḍāditya. O excellent king, it was established by Caṇḍa and Muṇḍa.
Formerly there were two great and terrible Daityas named Caṇḍa and Muṇḍa. Resorting to the banks of Narmadā, they performed very severe penance.
They meditated on Lord Bhāskara (Sun-god), the destroyer of darkness in all the three worlds. Pleased with their penance, the Thousand-rayed Lord said: “Excellent! Excellent! Request for a boon, O heroes, as you wish, whatever has been desired by your mind.”
Caṇḍa and Muṇḍa said:
O Divākara, we should be invincible to all the Devas. We should be mentally very alert. At all times, we should be beyond the reach of all the ailments.
“Let it be so”, said Bhāskara, the stealer of waters. After saying so, Bhānu (Sun-god) vanished. With great devotion Bhāskara was installed there by them. One should go there for the fulfilment of oneself. There one should propitiate by means of libations etc., Gīrvāṇas (Devas), human beings and the Pitṛs. He shall stay in the world of Bhāskara for a period of a day of Viriñci (Brahmā), O king.
He should light a lamp on the sixth lunar day, O king. He is liberated from all sins. He goes to the city of Ravi (Sun-god).
He who listens to the origin of Caṇḍabhānu (i.e. Bhānu installed by Caṇḍa), O leading scion of the family of Bharata, shall be always victorious. He shall be free from mental suffering and physical ailment.