The Skanda Purana
by G. V. Tagare | 1950 | 2,545,880 words
This page describes Greatness of Shankaranatha which is chapter 252 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 fifty-second chapter of the Prabhasa-kshetra-mahatmya of the Prabhasa Khanda of the Skanda Purana.
Chapter 252 - Greatness of Śaṅkaranātha
[Sanskrit text for this chapter is available]
Īśvara said:
1-3. Thereafter, O great goddess, a devotee should visit the Liṅga well-known in all the three worlds as Śaṅkaranātha. It is destructive of sins.
O fair lady, it was installed by the Sun-god there, after performing severe penance.
The pilgrim should observe fast and worship Maheśvara, the Lord of Devas. He should control his senses, perform Śrāddha and then feed Brāhmaṇas. With concentration and mental purity, he should give clothes and gold to Brāhmaṇas in accordance with his capacity. He goes to the greatest region. No doubt need be entertained in this respect.