The Skanda Purana
by G. V. Tagare | 1950 | 2,545,880 words
This page describes Eminence of Kateshvara-Gangeshvara which is chapter 62 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 sixty-second chapter of the Arbuda-khanda of the Prabhasa Khanda of the Skanda Purana.
Chapter 62 - Eminence of Kaṭeśvara-Gaṅgeśvara
[Sanskrit text for this chapter is available]
Pulastya said:
1. Then go to the pilgrim centre known as Kaṭeśvara where Gaurī herself had built up the worshipable Liṅga of Śiva. And Gaṅgeśvara (i.e., an epithet of Śiva) was made by Gaṅgā herself.
2. In olden time, there was a conflict between Gaurī and Umā. The king, their mutual clash was only in respect of reclaiming each one’s fortune. In this regard Gaurī happened to put forward a condition.
3. Gaurī said, “In our mutual contest through the platform of worship she, before whom Śaṃbhu, i.e., Śiva appears in person, will be certainly considered very fortunate.”
4. After saying so, Gaurī then hurried up and went to the mountain in search of the worshipable Liṅga (of Śiva). After making efforts for a long time in this regard, she could finally get hold of one.
5. That is after coming across a hollow space in the beautiful mountain resembling the shape and size of the hollow space in the human body above the hip bones, the king, Gaurī thought that the same would serve her purpose of a worshipable Liṅga of Śiva and she began to worship it for a month.
6. Then seeing her earnest love Maheśvara became pleased and appeared in person before her asking her to put forward the boon sought by her, to him.
7-10. Gaurī said, “O God, out of jealousy for a rival wife, I perceived this hollow space in the mountain similar as a worshipable Liṅga and then prepared myself to worship it. Hence let this be worthy of worship in the world as Kaṭeśvara. Let any woman either deserted by her husband or very distressed for having a rival counterpart of hers in matrimony be freed from torment soon after her visit here and having a look of this. Blessed with the fortune of a son, let her son be as dear to her as her husband. The God! you had already granted a similar boon consequent to Gaṅgā’s worship. Hence, let the two worshipable Liṅgas here deserve a look of the rulers of men, i.e., the kings equally. Let it, in particular, kill the weak point of any woman regarding a rival wife in matrimonial relations. Always a giver of happiness and good fortune, let this confer wish fulfilment on all men.”