Skandapurana 15.1

Om, reverence to the glorious Gaṇeśa.

Now begins the fourth, the Dvārakā Māhātmya, in the seventh Prabhāsa Section in the Skanda Mahāpurāṇa.

Śaunaka said:
O Sūta, how, in this terrible age named Kali, / crowded with many heretics, shall we reach Madhusūdana?

When the three ages devoted ever to righteous conduct have passed away, / and the dreadful Kali age has arrived, where is Lord Viṣṇu?

Sūta said: / When the great king Rāma, son of Daśaratha, had gone to heaven, / and the surface of the earth was oppressed by the burden of wicked warriors, 3

for the sake of accomplishing the work of the gods and to remove the burden of the earth, / Janārdana manifested visibly in the house of Vasudeva. 4

When the Lord went to Nanda's settlement and Pūtanā was drained dry, / when Tṛṇāvarta was slain, and the cart overturned, 5

when the serpent Kāliya was subdued, and Pralamba destroyed, / when Mount Govardhana was held up, and Gokula protected, 6

when he was consecrated by Surabhi, Indra's pride was crushed, / the Lord engaged in the rāsa-dance, and the demon Keśin was torn apart, 7

when Hari, at the word of Akrūra, went to Mathurā, / when Kuvalayāpīḍa was slain, and the king of wrestlers killed, 8

when the king of the Bhojas was struck down before the eyes of gods and daityas, / and the ruler of men Ugrasena was consecrated in the city of the Yadus, 9

when the terrifying army of Jarāsandha and the Yavana were slain upon the earth, / and during the Rājasūya, the foremost of sacrifices, the king of Cedi was cast down; 10

when the Bhārata war ceased and the earth's burden was removed, / and the Yādava family was brought to Prabhāsa under the pretext of a pilgrimage; 11

when, addicted to wine-drinking and intent on slaughtering one another, / the Yādava clan was destroyed in a terribly violent feud; 12

when Ananta cast off his body right there and departed from the surface of the earth, / and Janārdana sat down, leaning against the root of an aśvattha tree; 13

when his limbs were pierced by the hunter's shot, he abandoned his body, / the Lord entered his own realm, and Pārtha returned; 14

when the city of the Yadus was inundated on all sides by the ocean, / [Arjuna] then went to Indraprastha and had a temple built for Hari; 15

and when Dvāpara, where dharma and adharma were intermingled, had passed away, / and the very dreadful age called Kali arrived; 16

when true dharma was waning and adharma grew powerful, / the practice of righteous rites was destroyed, the teachings of the Veda excluded, / and dharma stood upon a single foot, bereft of caste and life-stage; 17

in this disordered age, the forest-dwelling seers / assembled and took counsel together—Garga, Cyavana, the Bhārgavas, 18

Asita, Devala, Dhaumya, Kratu, and Uddālaka. / These and many others then said to one another: 19

“Behold, all you sages, the horizon is pervaded by Kali! / The subjects are tormented by robbers running all around, 20

by men dedicated to unrighteousness, who have cast aside truth and uprightness. / How can that Blessed Lord Viṣṇu be reached, O best of sages? 21

Or who will deliver those assembled who are falling into the ocean of worldly existence? / He has no incarnation in Kali, for Madhusūdana appears in only three ages. / Without that lotus-eyed one, how can we exist in the Kali age?” 22

As those ascetics were thus reflecting in their sorrow, / the seer Uddālaka then spoke these words: 23

Uddālaka said: / “Before we are stained by the evil of Kali, O best of sages, / let us go, gathered together, free from sin, to the abode of Brahmā. 24

Let us ask the creator of the world where Viṣṇu abides in the Kali age. / If Viṣṇu is not present in Kali along with Rudra and Brahmā, 25

without that lotus-eyed one, we shall cast off our own bodies. / Without the Blessed Lord, who can remain in the world in the Kali age?” 26

Hearing those words of his, the seers of strict vows / said, “Excellent, excellent!” and set forth to the presence of Brahmā. 27

Speaking of tales of Viṣṇu and describing his true nature, / all the ascetics went with joyful hearts to the presence of Brahmā. 28

Then they beheld the god seated upon a supreme throne, / surrounded by the Grandsire's hosts of beings, both corporeal and incorporeal. 29

Having seen the four-faced god, they prostrated like sticks upon the ground; / having bowed to the god of gods, they praised him then with a hymn: 30

The seers said: / “Salutations to you, O lotus-born one, four-faced, imperishable and immutable! / Salutations to you, the author of creation, O Grandsire, salutations be to you!” 31

Thus praised by the noble sages, the lotus-born one was well-pleased; / honoring them with water for the feet and guest-offering, he asked those eminent sages: 32

Brahmā said: / “What is the purpose of your coming? Tell me truly, my sons. / Is all well with you, O fortunate ones, in regard to your sons, disciples, sacred fires, and kin?” 33

The seers said: / “By your favor the complete fruit of our austerity has been attained, / in that we behold you, the lord and preceptor of all the gods. 34

Hear this reason, O Śambhu, why these [sages] have come to your presence: / When the three ages have elapsed, beginning with Kṛta and ending with Dvāpara, 35

and the dreadful Kali age has arrived, where on the surface of the earth is Viṣṇu, / seeing whom we, freed from bondage, shall attain supreme liberation?” 36

Brahmā said: / “The Blessed Lord is known to me through forms such as the Fish, the Tortoise, and others; / but I do not know the highest form of Viṣṇu, O best of brahmins.” 37

The seers said: / “If you, father, do not know the abiding place of Viṣṇu, / we shall go to Prayāga and cast off our bodies right there.” 38

Brahmā said: / “Do not fall into dejection; I shall instruct you for your welfare. / Go from here to Pātāla, where the best of daityas dwells. 39

Go to him and ask Prahlāda, the best of daityas; / he will know the true abode of Hari as it really is, O brahmins.” 40

Hearing those words of Brahmā, the Supreme Self, / and bowing to the lord of gods, those rich in austerity departed. 41

They went with joyful minds, praising the best of daityas: / “Blessed is this king of the daityas, who knows Janārdana!” 42

Thus reflecting, those brahmins arrived at Sutala. 43

Having gone to his city, they entered his splendid palace; / seeing them from afar, Bali, son of Virocana, / stood up to greet them and, accompanied by Prahlāda, showed them honor. 44

Offering the honey-mixture, a cow, and water of welcome,
he joined his hands in reverence and said with an inner soul full of joy:

“Welcome to you, illustrious ones! Truly, my night has dawned into auspicious day,
since I behold your honours. Tell me, what may I do for you?”

Thus honoured by the king of Daityas, those best of the twice-born,
with rejoicing hearts, then spoke to the son of the lord of the Dānavas.

The seers said:
“We have come here seeking an objective, O Prahlāda, beloved of Hari!
Therefore, O mighty-armed one, be our deliverer from the ocean of worldly existence!

How, O Daitya, in this terrible age named Kali,
shall we exist without Viṣṇu, who grants fearlessness to the frightened?

For in this age eternal dharma has been overcome by adharma,
truth has been overcome by falsehood, and the learned brahmins are overcome by the base.

The paths of the Vedas are conquered by rogues, and men are conquered by women;
brahmins too are slain by those wearing the guise of kings who are foreigners.

In this [age] utterly confounded, devoid of caste and stage of life,
with the Vedic path obliterated, where is the blessed Lord Viṣṇu?

Without knowledge, without meditation, and without restraint of the senses,
where the Blessed Lord may be attained—tell us that secret!

O king of Daityas, you are our friend who shows the way.
Tell us, O illustrious one, where Keśava abides.”

Thus questioned by the eminent twice-born, that best of Daityas,
having bowed to all the brahmins with devotion, with a heart overflowing with joy,

bowing down to the gods and to Brahman, the Supreme Self,
endowed with devotion to the Blessed Lord, began to speak:

Thus ends the first chapter, named 'Description of the Inquiry regarding the Lord’s Abode in the Kali Age Made before Prahlāda by the Great Seers Terrified of Kali at the Word of Brahmā', in the Dvārakāmāhātmya, the fourth [part] of the Prabhāsakhaṇḍa, the seventh [book] of the glorious Skanda Mahāpurāṇa consisting of eighty-one thousand verses. 1.