The Skanda Purana
by G. V. Tagare | 1950 | 2,545,880 words
This page describes Greatness of Cyavaneshvara (Continued) which is chapter 283 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 eighty-third chapter of the Prabhasa-kshetra-mahatmya of the Prabhasa Khanda of the Skanda Purana.
Chapter 283 - Greatness of Cyavaneśvara (Continued)
[Sanskrit text for this chapter is available]
Īśvara said:
1-2. On seeing the demon Mada of a hideous face rushing towards him with a wide open mouth like the god of Death, as though he would swallow him and licking the mouth (with the tongue) frequently, Lord Śatakratu became paralysed physically out of fear, O great goddess. He was extremely frightened and bowed to Cyavana and said:
3-6. “From now onwards, these Aśvins are entitled to Soma juice, O Bhārgava. What I am telling you is entirely true. O ascetic, let not your undertaking be futile. I fully know, O Brāhmaṇa-sage, that you will not do anything that is unfruitful. These Aśvins will become entitled to Soma juice again in the manner they have been made today by you. I did all these things so that, O Bhārgava, your power shall be revealed once again. I wanted the fame of the father of Sukanyā to spread in the world. So I revealed your power. Hence be pleased with me. Let everything be as you wish.”
7. On being told thus by Śakra, the anger of Cyavana subsided. The prestige of the Lord of Suras was kept up.
8-10. Indra (or Cyavana) divided Mada among spirituous liquors, women, dice and hunting. The powerful Bhārgava deposited Mada created earlier into all these. He propitiated Śakra with Indu (i.e. Soma juice). He performed the Yajña on behalf of the king unto all the Devas including Aśvins. O lady of excellent complexion, he thus proclaimed his power all over the worlds.
Then he sported with Sukanyā in the great forest. O goddess, this Liṅga is associated with him bearing the name Cyavaneśvara.
11. The Liṅga installed by Cyavana is destructive of all sins. He who adores it in accordance with the injunctions shall attain the benefit of a horse-sacrifice.
12. Hence the sages frequent the Tīrtha of Candramas (Moon-god). Those sages are called Vaikhānasas and Vālakhilyas.
13-14. A man should perform Śraddha [Śrāddha?] duly here in the month of Āśvina, especially on the Full-Moon day. He should feed Brāhmaṇas separately. He will get the merit of visiting a crore of Tīrthas. There is no doubt about it.
A man who listens to this sin-destroying story shall become free of the sins of the entire life.