The Skanda Purana
by G. V. Tagare | 1950 | 2,545,880 words
This page describes The Greatness of Tapeshvara (tapa-ishvara-tirtha) which is chapter 141 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 forty-first chapter of the Reva-khanda of the Avantya-khanda of the Skanda Purana.
Chapter 141 - The Greatness of Tāpeśvara (tāpa-īśvara-tīrtha)
[Sanskrit text for this chapter is available]
Śrī Mārkaṇḍeya said:
1-5. Thereafter, O king, one should go to the excellent Tāpeśvara Tīrtha where a doe frightened by a hunter became a Siddha.
After casting off her limbs (body) into the water, she rose up unto the outer space. The hunter was dismayed at the sight of the doe. He set aside his bow and arrows and started performing excellent austerities. Penance was performed by the hunter for a period of a thousand divine years.
When the time elapsed thus, Maheśvara became pleased. He said, “O great hunter, speak up what appeals to your mind. What boon shall be granted?”
Vyādha said:
O Lord of Devas, if you are pleased, if a boon is to be granted to me, let my stay beside you be granted to me, O Mahādeva.
Īśvara said:
6-11. Let it be so, O hunter. You are granted the boon desired by you.
After saying this, Mahādeva, the Lord of Devas, vanished. When the Lord disappeared the Vyādha installed Maheśvara, worshipped him in accordance with the injunctions and went to heaven.
Ever since then that Tīrtha became well-known in all the three worlds. It is heard that Tāpeśvara Tīrtha originated from the repentance of the Vyādha.
He who takes his holy bath there in the Tīrtha and worships Śaṅkara attains Śivaloka. So said Maheśvara to me.
Men who bathe in the Tāpeśvara Tīrtha in the waters of Narmadā, are liberated from the three types of distress. No hesitation need be felt in this respect.
For the sake of the suppression of sins, a devotee should take the holy plunge on the eighth and fourteenth lunar days and particularly on the third lunar day.