The Skanda Purana
by G. V. Tagare | 1950 | 2,545,880 words
This page describes Greatness of Pangu Tirtha which is chapter 17 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 seventeenth chapter of the Arbuda-khanda of the Prabhasa Khanda of the Skanda Purana.
Chapter 17 - Greatness of Paṅgu Tīrtha
[Sanskrit text for this chapter is available]
Pulastya said:
1. Then one should go to the Paṅgu Tīrtha—the destroyer of all sins. Earlier a Brāhmaṇa named Paṅgu had performed austerity here.
2. In earlier times a Brāhmaṇa by name Paṅgu was born in the lineage of Sage Cyavana. Due to his disability, he was unable to walk.
3. Once while occupied with some household work, he was unable to go with friends and family relatives. O king! he felt very sad.
4. Given up by them, he then went to the Arbuda region. There on the banks of a pond, he began performing penance.
5. Having installed a Liṅga of Śiva there, he began to worship it. He used to offer perfumes, flowers and other associated items to it with due faith.
6. Moved by devotion to Śiva he used to subsist only on air. The good Brāhmaṇa Paṅgu was invariably engaged in offering oblations to sacrificial fire and in muttering the God’s name.
7. Then, O great king! Mahādeva satisfied with the Brāhmaṇa spoke thus to Paṅgu:
The God said:
8. O Paṅgu! Mahādeva is pleased with you and you can ask for a good boon. I shall grant you all that even if the same may be difficult to have.
Paṅgu said:
9-10. O God of gods! let this sacred place be famous after my name. O Śaṃkara! I, being disabled, have come here for your blessings. Let there always be your presence along with your wife here.” With him saying like this, the Lord said the following to the Brāhmaṇa.
The God said:
11-12. This centre of pilgrimage will be named after you O best of Brāhmaṇas. This pilgrimage will acquire its popularity by the fame of your religious austerity. There will be my presence in this place on the fourteenth day of the bright period of moon in the month of Phālguna (i.e., March).
Pulastya said:
13-14. By a mere bath only the Brāhmaṇa acquired supernatural appearance. This God of gods and the greatest God, i.e., Maheśvara dwells here with Gaurī. O best of kings! one should take bath there on that day when the lame Brāhmaṇa getting free from his disability had attained supernatural appearance there.