The Skanda Purana
by G. V. Tagare | 1950 | 2,545,880 words
This page describes The Greatness of Ekashala Dindimeshvara (dindima-ishvara-tirtha) which is chapter 212 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 two hundred twelfth chapter of the Reva-khanda of the Avantya-khanda of the Skanda Purana.
Chapter 212 - The Greatness of Ekaśāla Ḍiṇḍimeśvara (ḍiṇḍima-īśvara-tīrtha)
[Sanskrit text for this chapter is available]
Śrī Mārkaṇḍeya said:
1-10. Henceforth I shall recount another superb act of the Lord. Merely on hearing it, one is rid of all sins.
Assuming the exact disguise of a begging mendicant, Maheśvara, the Lord of Devas, went to village Ekaśālā seeking alms. He was hungry and thirsty.
He had smeared himself with holy ash and had a rosary displayed in his hand. The Lord of the universe had his matted hair and earrings for his ornaments. The trident shone in his hand.
Clad in elephant hide, the Lord of huge physical form was embellished with the great serpents. He was playing on his splendid Ḍamaruka (hand-drum) resembling a Ḍiṇḍima.
The Lord had a skull in his hand. He was surrounded by many boys. Dancing and singing, laughing and playing at times, he moved on.
The Lord sportingly placed down the Ḍiṇḍima on some houses. Wherever he placed it down, the house collapsed by its weight.
Moving thus the Lord was surrounded by many men. The Lord was sometimes visible and sometimes not visible. Thus the Lord came out of the crowd. He began to run about here and there. Whenever he became invisible, the men stood perplexed. They thought that it should be Śaṃbhu himself. Then they eulogized him.
Even as they devoutly eulogized Śaṅkara, the Lord of the worlds was seen stationed in the form of Ḍiṇḍi (Ḍiṇḍima). Ever since then, the Lord of Devas is called Ḍiṇḍimeśvara. By seeing and touching him, one is rid of all sins.