The Skanda Purana
by G. V. Tagare | 1950 | 2,545,880 words
This page describes The Greatness of Gangeshvara (Ganga-ishvara) which is chapter 5 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 fifth chapter of the Vastrapatha-kshetra-mahatmya of the Prabhasa Khanda of the Skanda Purana.
Chapter 5 - The Greatness of Gaṅgeśvara (Gaṅga-īśvara)
[Sanskrit text for this chapter is available]
The God said:
1. O great Goddess, from there one should go to the holy place Gaṅgāsrotas (the stream of Gaṅgā) lying to the west of Maṅgala, and then to the Phallus, and especially to Surārka.
2. If there is a desire for the fruits of the pilgrimage one should visit these places, according to the rules. Having bathed one should properly offer the piṇḍas (balls of rice offered to the manes while performing Śrāddha). Then ample food, along with Dakṣiṇā should be given to Brāhmaṇas.
3. O dear one, I have thus narrated to you the entire account of the greatness of the holy place; it is auspicious and destroys the mass of sins of Kali. If it is recited it destroys the mass of sins.
4. This should not be told to a wicked-minded person. It completely destroys sins. It should be listened to according to the rules spoken in the Bhaviṣya (Purāṇa).”