Chapter 15 - Greatness of Śukreśvara (Śukra-īśvara)

[Sanskrit text for this chapter is available]

Pulastya said:

1. Then one has to go to Śukreśvara established by Śukra in ancient times. By having a look of this, a man instantly gets rid of his sins.

2-3. O virtuous king! seeing the demons who were defeated once by gods, Bhārgava, the intelligent Brāhmaṇa was prodded to think as to how could the demons win over the gods and attain great fame? Thinking that by worshipping Śaṃkara he could proceed on the path of fulfilment, he began to nurture such a desire in mind.

4. Having decided like this, he proceeded towards the high region of Arbuda and finding a cave in the valley began performance of difficult austerities.

5. Having installed the worshipable Liṅga of Śiva he got himself intently engaged in worship with incense, perfume and by anointing the Liṅga with scented oil.

6. Then after a thousand years of nurturing such a desire, the God finally came before him and said:

Mahādeva said:

7. O good Brāhmaṇa! I am satisfied with the faith of yours. You can ask for that auspicious boon even if that is difficult to obtain.

Śukra said:

8. If Mahādeva is satisfied, the great God may grant me that learning by which I may bring to life the living beings who have met with death in a battle.

Pulastya said:

9. O virtuous king! having imparted him that learning, Śiva told Śukra that he could enjoy and ask for yet another boon.

Śukra said:

10-11. Whoever touches or worships this Liṅga on the eighth day of the waxing period of Moon in the month of Kārtika (i.e., October), let there be no fear for him or her of untimely death by your grace. Let them all obtain their wishes nurtured in the mind.

Pulastya said:

12. Saying, ‘it will be so’, Śiva then disappeared from sight. Śukra also got demons killed by gods many a time.

13. By the power of that learning, the sage brought many back to life. On the head of that Sukreśvara [Śukreśvara?] temple there is a great pool with clean water which is the destroyer of sins.

14. A human being gets completely free from sins by having a bath there. O king! the grandfathers become pleased by the performance of Śrāddha here.

15. They become satiated with the water alone here. So the need for making the offerings again in the form of cooked rice-balls becomes superfluous. Hence everyone, with all possible efforts, needs to observe the ritual of having a bath there.