The Skanda Purana

by G. V. Tagare | 1950 | 2,545,880 words

This page describes Greatness of Parnaditya which is chapter 259 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-ninth chapter of the Prabhasa-kshetra-mahatmya of the Prabhasa Khanda of the Skanda Purana.

Chapter 259 - Greatness of Parṇāditya

[Sanskrit text for this chapter is available]

Īśvara said:

1-4. Thereafter, O great goddess, a pilgrim should go to the shrine of the Lord of Suras, Parṇāditya. It is situated on the northern bank of Prācī Sarasvatī.

Formerly, O goddess, in Tretāyuga, a certain Brāhmaṇa named Parṇāda came to Prabhāsa Kṣetra and performed a very severe penance. Endowed with great devotion, he propitiated the Sun-god.

He offered incense, garlands and unguents to the Lord by way of propitiation; he recited hymns and prayers to the Sun-god as mentioned in the Vedas, with great concentration and mental purity, day and night.

Even as he meditated upon the Sun-god thus for a great period of time, Lord Sun became pleased with him and spoke these words:

5. “O eminent Brāhmaṇa of good holy vows, I am pleased with this penance of yours. Welfare unto you; choose your boon, what has been always desired.”

The Brāhmaṇa said:

6. This alone is the most excellent boon that the Lord himself is pleased (with me). O Lord, vision of thine, even in dreams, is very rare, O Lord of Devas.

7. O Divākara, if a boon is to be necessarily granted to me, O Bhāskara, be always present here.

8. With your favour, O Lord Divākara, let all your devotees go to your world.

After saying, “It will be so” Lord Ravi vanished.

Parṇāda also continued to stay there engaged in the adoration of Ravi.

9. A devotee should take his holy bath there on the sixth lunar day in the month of Bhādrapada and then visit the deity Parṇāditya. He shall never get into misery.

10. By visiting Parṇāditya, a man gets that benefit which one gets after gifting a hundred cows duly at Prayāga.

11. Those who suffer from chronic leprosy, limping, scabbies etc., but do not know Parṇāditya at all, are dull-witted ones.

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