Skandapurana 6.3.234

Sūta said: / Now I shall relate another [matter], by whom it was performed formerly, O twice-born one. / Indeed, in the charming city of Kāśī there lived an exceedingly poor brahmin.

Distressed by hunger and thirst, he wandered constantly upon the earth. / Seeing the distressed brahmin, the Lord, who is fond of brahmins,

assuming the form of an old brahmin, respectfully asked that twice-born one: / "Why do you, O brahmin, exceedingly sorrowful, constantly wander the earth?

I wish to hear all of that; please tell [me], O best of the twice-born." / The brahmin said: / "I am an exceedingly destitute brahmin; I wander the earth for alms.

If you know a remedy, please tell me, O lord." / The old brahmin said: / "Satyanārāyaṇa is Viṣṇu, who grants the fruit of desired aims.

Do you perform his worship, O brahmin, the supreme vow, / by performing which a man becomes liberated from all sorrows."

Having carefully spoken the rite of the vow to the brahmin, / the old Satyanārāyaṇa vanished right there.

"I will certainly perform that vow which was spoken by the brahmin." / Reflecting thus, that brahmin obtained no sleep at night.

Then, having risen in the morning, having resolved: / "I will perform the Satyanārāyaṇa vow," the twice-born one went for alms.

On that very day the brahmin obtained abundant wealth. / With that very [wealth] he performed the vow of Satya together with his kinsmen.

Freed from all sorrows, endowed with all prosperities, / that best of the twice-born became [happy] through the power of this vow.

And from that time forth, he performed the vow month after month. / Thus having performed this vow of Nārāyaṇa, the best of the twice-born,

freed from all sins, attained the liberation difficult to attain. / Whenever [any] person on earth shall perform this vow, O brahmins,

then all sorrow of that man is destroyed. / Thus it was spoken by Nārāyaṇa to the great-souled Nārada.

That has been related by me, O brahmins; what else shall I relate to you?" / The seers said: / "From that brahmin, by whom on earth was it heard [and] practiced, O sage? / We wish to hear all that; faith is born in us."

Sūta said: / "Listen, all you sages, by whom the vow was performed on earth. / Once that best of the twice-born, according to his ample means,

undertook to perform the vow along with his kinsmen and relatives. / In that interval of time, a wood-seller arrived.

Setting down the wood outside, he came to the brahmin's house. / With his soul afflicted by thirst, having seen the brahmin performing the vow,

bowing down, he said to the twice-born one: 'What is this being done by you? / When it is done, what fruit does one obtain? Tell me in detail, O lord.'

The brahmin said: / 'This is the vow of Satyanārāyaṇa, which grants all desired things. / By his grace, all my great wealth, grain, and the like [has arisen].'

Having learned of this vow from him, the wood-seller became overjoyed. / He drank water, ate the food offering, and went to the city.

He thought in his mind regarding the god Satyanārāyaṇa: / 'Whatever wealth is obtained today from selling wood in the town,

with that very [wealth] I will perform the supreme vow of the true God.' / Reflecting thus in his mind, carrying the wood on his head,

he went into the charming city to where wealthy men resided. / On that day he received twice the price for the wood.

Then, with a joyful heart, well-ripened plantain fruit, / sugar, ghee, milk, and wheat flour—

taking [them] together, [each] one and a quarter [in measure], he went to his home. / Then, having summoned his relatives, he performed the vow according to the injunctions.

By the power of that vow he became endowed with wealth and sons. / Having enjoyed happiness in this world, at the end he went to the realm of Satya.

Translation:— / Sūta said: “O seers! I shall relate the history of the one who performed this observance in earlier times; listen attentively! In the beautiful city of Kāśī, there lived an exceedingly poor brahmin. Distressed by hunger and thirst, he constantly wandered about the earth. The Lord, who is fond of brahmins, assumed the disguise of a brahmin one day, approached him, and asked: ‘O vipra! Why do you wander upon the earth, constantly miserable?’ The destitute brahmin replied: ‘I am a poor brahmin. I wander the earth for alms. / O venerable one! If you know any remedy for this, please tell me.’ The old brahmin said: ‘Lord Satyanārāyaṇa grants desired fruits; therefore, you should worship him. By doing this, a man is freed from all miseries.’ Lord Satyanārāyaṇa, having come disguised as the old brahmin, explained the entire procedure of the observance to that poor brahmin and disappeared. The brahmin began to think to himself: ‘The observance that the old brahmin told me to do, I shall certainly perform.’ Having made this resolve, he could not sleep at night. / Getting up in the morning, having resolved upon the observance of Lord Satyanārāyaṇa, he went out for alms. On that day, the poor brahmin received much wealth in alms. Gathering together with his kinsmen, he completed the observance of the blessed Lord Satyanārāyaṇa. After completing the observance of Lord Satyanārāyaṇa, that poor brahmin was freed from all afflictions and endowed with various kinds of riches. From that time onward, this brahmin began to perform this observance every month.

In this manner, whatever man performs the observance of Lord Satyanārāyaṇa will be freed from all sins and attain liberation. Whatever man performs this observance will also be liberated from all sorrows.” Sūta said: “Thus have I related to you the observance of the blessed Lord Satyanārāyaṇa as told by Nārāyaṇa to Nārada. O vipras! What more shall I say now?” The seers said: “O best of sages! Hearing from that vipra, who else in the world performed this observance? We all desire to hear this matter; there is an attitude of faith in our minds for this.” Sūta said: “O sages! Listen to all those who performed this observance. / Once upon a time, that same vipra, according to his wealth and prosperity, prepared to perform this observance together with his kinsmen. At that very time, a woodcutter who sold wood arrived, placed his firewood outside, and entered the brahmin's house. Afflicted with thirst, seeing the brahmin performing the observance, that woodcutter bowed to the vipra and asked: ‘What are you doing, and what fruit is obtained by doing this? Please tell me as well.’ The brahmin said: ‘This is the observance of Lord Satyanārāyaṇa, which fulfills all desires. By his grace alone, wealth, grain, and the like have increased in my home.’ / Learning about the Satyanārāyaṇa observance from the vipra, the woodcutter became very delighted. Having taken the water sanctified by his feet and eaten the food offering, he went to his house. The woodcutter resolved in his mind: ‘Whatever wealth I receive today by selling wood, with that alone I will perform the excellent observance of the blessed Lord Satyanārāyaṇa.’ Holding this thought in his mind, placing firewood on his head, the woodcutter went to sell it in that city where wealthier people lived. In that city, he obtained four times more price for his firewood than before. / Joyfully taking the price, the woodcutter bought bananas, sugar, ghee, milk, yogurt, and wheat flour, and taking other materials for the observance of Lord Satyanārāyaṇa, he went home. There, having invited his kinsmen, he performed the worship and observance of Lord Satyanārāyaṇa according to the ritual injunctions. Through the power of this observance, that old woodcutter became endowed with wealth, sons, and the like, enjoyed all worldly happiness, and at the end of his life went to the realm of Vaikuṇṭha.”

[Thus, in the glorious Skandapurāṇa, in the Revākhaṇḍa, in the Satyanārāyaṇavratakathā, …]