The Skanda Purana
by G. V. Tagare | 1950 | 2,545,880 words
This page describes The Greatness of Varuneshvara (varuna-ishvara-tirtha) which is chapter 81 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 eighty-first chapter of the Reva-khanda of the Avantya-khanda of the Skanda Purana.
Chapter 81 - The Greatness of Varuṇeśvara (varuṇa-īśvara-tīrtha)
[Sanskrit text for this chapter is available]
Śrī Mārkaṇḍeya said:
1-8. Then, O great king, one should go to the excellent Varuṇeśvara where the great Lord Varuṇa became a Siddha. O excellent king, subsisting on oil-cakes, vegetables and leaves, he observed Kṛcchra, Cāndrāyaṇa and other austerities and propitiated the Lord of the Daughter of the Mountain. Thereby he attained great Siddhi.
One who takes his holy bath there in that Tīrtha, offers libations to the Pitṛs and deities and devoutly worships Śaṅkara, attains the greatest goal.
Listen to the meritorious benefit of that person who offers along with cooked rice a Kuṇḍikā (pitcher), Vardhanī (pot) or a big water-pot. He attains that benefit which a man is likely to get by means of a Sattra (sacrifice) lasting for twelve years. No hesitation need be felt about it.
Of all Dānas, the gift of cooked rice is remembered as the greatest. O excellent king, water and cooked rice cause instant delight.
Men who die there in the Tīrtha attain residence in the city of Varuṇa until all the living beings are annihilated.
Afterwards, when the period is completed, he is reborn in the mortal world. A man who gifts cooked rice always lives for a hundred years.