The Skanda Purana
by G. V. Tagare | 1950 | 2,545,880 words
This page describes The Greatness of Gopeshvara (gopa-ishvara-tirtha) which is chapter 162 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 sixty-second chapter of the Reva-khanda of the Avantya-khanda of the Skanda Purana.
Chapter 162 - The Greatness of Gopeśvara (gopa-īśvara-tīrtha)
[Sanskrit text for this chapter is available]
Śrī Mārkaṇḍeya said:
1-5. Thereafter, next to Sarpakṣetra, one should go to Gopeśvara where men are liberated from sins merely by a single bath.
One who takes his holy bath there in that Tīrtha and casts off his life, shall go to the palace of Śiva even though he is defiled by sins.
One who takes his holy bath there in the Tīrtha and adores Lord Īśvara is liberated from all sins. He goes to Rudraloka.
After sporting about in Rudraloka as he pleases, the devotee of great austerities attains human birth and becomes a righteous king.
He will be richly equipped with elephants, horses and chariots and will be accompanied (served) by male and female slaves. He will be honoured by other kings and shall live happily for a hundred years.