Chapter 13 - Glory of Acaleśvara

[Sanskrit text for this chapter is available]

Sūta said:

1-6. Having advised his sons thus and handed over the kingdom to them and the city to the Brāhmaṇas, the king built an Āśrama (hermitage) for himself there and continued to worship Maheśvara, the Lord of Devas, with greatest faith.

The king spent a hundred years subsisting himself on fruit diet. He spent the same period of time with great concentration with dried and withered leaves for his intake. Thereafter, for a hundred years, he continued his penance taking in only water. A further period of a hundred years he spent taking in only air, after which Mahādeva became pleased and appeared before him even as he continued his penance with the intake of only air.

The Lord said “I am pleased. Request for whatever you wish from me. I shall grant you even what is inaccessible to Devas.”

The king said:

7-15. This meritorious holy place that contains many Tīrthas, is conducive to the destruction of all sins due to the greatness of Hāṭakeśvara. So let it become still more sanctified by your residence here. O Lord, if you are pleased grant me this wish.

O Śarva, O Lord of the immortal beings, this distinguished city has been built by me and dedicated to Brāhmaṇas with the mind purified by ardent faith. As per my appeal you should always be pleased to stay steadily and permanently here, whereby it shall have the full complement of all good features.

Bhagavān said:

Acala (permanently abiding) I shall become in this holy spot, O Lord of the earth. I shall become well-known in all the there worlds by the name Acaleśvara.

If a man devoutly visits me stationed here, all his riches and powers shall always be unshakeable and permanent.

If a devout man equipped with great faith performs the rite of Ghṛtakaṃbala (Coating with ghee) to my Liṅga on the fourteenth lunar day in the bright half of the month of Māgha, all the sins committed by him in early childhood, youth or old age will vanish like darkness at the time of sunrise.

Hence, O Lord of the earth, install my Liṅga here itself so that I can stay here remaining steady for ever.

Sūta said:

16-27. After saying thus the Lord of Devas vanished. The king soon built a very charming, palatial shrine and devotedly installed there the Liṅga of the Trident-bearing Lord endowed with all the (auspicious) characteristics.

By seeing, touching, meditating and worshipping it, a man becomes rid of all the sins committed ever from birth to death.

Thereafter the king began to think (anxiously): ‘Will the Lord steadily abide here in the Liṅga?’

In the meantime there arose an aerial voice of excellent distinct tone delighting King Camatkāra: “O lion among kings, do not become worried and anxious in this matter. I shall permanently stay here itself in this Liṅga. To convince you I shall further say another thing also, O king. On listening to it you shall feel relieved and will see carefully that the shadow of this Liṅga of mine shall always be steady solely remaining behind (the Liṅga) and not in different directions.”

Sūta said:

Then he noted the shadow of the Liṅga of the same form and steady too when the sun was in that direction.

Thereupon the excellent king considered himself blessed. In his great delight he bowed down to him (Śivaliṅga) on the ground.

Even today the shadow is seen in the same form always. This feature of the Liṅga, O leading Brāhmaṇas, caused great surprise.

There is another convincing proof. If anyone is destined to die within six months, he will never seé the shadow.

Sūta said:

28-33. Thus the Lord remained for ever in the form of Acaleśvara at Camatkārapura. In the midst of sixty-eight holy places the Lord of Devas, Maheśvara, resides there at his request. Therefore, that holy shrine is glorified as one that accords all desires and liberation unto all embodied beings.

Further, O excellent Brāhmaṇas, I shall describe another incident pertaining to its power. May it be heard.

Due to the greatness of Acaleśvara all the men in that holy place attain all their desired benefit. Some get the heavenly pleasures, others salvation, a few wealth, food-grains and sons. Whatever one keeps in one’s mind and worships Lord Acaleśvara, one obtains it immediately without great effort.

34-40. The Thousand-eyed Lord observed that in his presence all sinful men on the earth go to heaven or attain salvation.

Thereupon, O excellent Brāhmaṇas Indra himself secretly called anger, passion, greed, hatred, fear, lasciviousness, delusion, vice, rivalry and attachment... all in their personified forms... and eagerly told them: “Any devotee, whether a man or a woman, if he or she is found going towards Camatkārapura, should be restrained by you all. Further, if one is residing there, he should be restrained from visiting Lord Acaleśvara. This should be done at my special request.”

They promised, “So it will be and went there at the bidding of Śakra and rendered the greatness of the shrine ineffective and defunct.

Thus the narrative that is destructive of all sins has been recounted to you entirely.

Thus the story of the greatness of Lord Acaleśvara who always resides in that holy spot has been completely narrated.