The Skanda Purana
by G. V. Tagare | 1950 | 2,545,880 words
This page describes The Greatness of Karkateshvara (karkata-ishvara-tirtha) which is chapter 137 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 one hundred thirty-seventh chapter of the Reva-khanda of the Avantya-khanda of the Skanda Purana.
Chapter 137 - The Greatness of Karkaṭeśvara (karkaṭa-īśvara-tīrtha)
[Sanskrit text for this chapter is available]
Śrī Mārkaṇḍeya said:
1-8. O Dharmaputra, thereafter one should go to the excellent Karkaṭeśvara Tīrtha on the northern bank of Narmadā. It is destructive of all sins.
He who takes his holy bath there in accordance with the injunctions and adores Śiva, shall never return from Rudraloka. Undoubtedly his departure will be one without a return.
It is very difficult to describe in detail the greatness of the Tīrtha as heard by me in the Purāṇa. Hence I shall recount it briefly.
Whatever is done by one at that Tīrtha, whether auspicious or inauspicious, O great king, out of delight or arrogance, shall entirely become everlasting.
After performing penance there at that Tīrtha Vālakhilyas and Marīcis rejoice in the different worlds even today as they please, O scion of the family of Kurus.
Men staying there do not know it as they are excluded from its knowledge in the same manner as one is not aware of the immutable Ātman, the imperishable refulgence stationed in the body.
There at the Tīrtha, Goddess Nārāyaṇī began her penance formerly and even today she continues the severe austerities which she has been doing for the last one hundred million years.
A devotee should take his holy bath in the Tīrtha and propitiate the Pitṛs and deities. His Pitāmahas become satisfied for twelve years thereby.