The Skanda Purana
by G. V. Tagare | 1950 | 2,545,880 words
This page describes Greatness of Durgaditya which is chapter 322 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 three hundred twenty-second chapter of the Prabhasa-kshetra-mahatmya of the Prabhasa Khanda of the Skanda Purana.
Chapter 322 - Greatness of Durgāditya
[Sanskrit text for this chapter is available]
Īśvara said:
1-3. Thereafter, O great goddess, a pilgrim should go to the shrine that dispels all sins. It is called Durgāditya and is situated to the south thereof (i.e. shrine of Brahmā).
When Durgā, the destroyer of miseries, herself met with grief she propitiated Sūrya in order to dispel grief.
Thereupon, after a great deal of time, Divākara (the Sun-god) was pleased with her. The Lord spoke these sweet words to the highly resplendent Durgā, “O goddess, of Devas, choose your boon. I am pleased with you.”
Durgā said:
4. O Divānātha (Lord of the day), if you are pleased, destroy the series of miseries.
Sūrya said:
5. Ere long, Lord Tripurāntaka will come over to the excellent Liṅga in the excellent holy spot Unnata.
6-7. O goddess, my name will find a place here in the form Durgāditya.
O great goddess, after saying this Ravi vanished there itself.
A devotee should worship Durgāditya on a seventh lunar day coinciding with a Sunday.
O goddess of Devas, by worshipping Durgāditya all miseries and different kinds of leprosy perish in his case.