Skandapurana 2.1.15

Now the greatness of the Rāmakṛṣṇatīrtha.

The venerable Sūta said:

"On the exceedingly holy [mountain] named Veṅkaṭa, which destroys all sins,

listen with great attention to the māhātmya of the Kṛṣṇatīrtha,

where merely by immersion even an ungrateful person is liberated.

Those who, bewildered by delusion, disrespect fathers, mothers, and elders,

and whatever other evil-minded, ungrateful, shameless people there may be—

all of them are purified in this Kṛṣṇatīrtha merely by a bath.

Formerly, a sage named Kṛṣṇa, on the mountain named Veṅkaṭa,

dwelt performing austerity, focused in meditation on Viṣṇu.

There he fashioned an excellent sacred ford for ritual ablution.

Having bathed there once, a mortal is freed, even if he were ungrateful.

In this regard, I shall recount an ancient legend that destroys sins,

by the mere hearing of which a person may attain liberation.

Long ago there was an eminent brahmin, the great sage Rāmakṛṣṇa,

truthful, virtuous, eloquent, endowed with compassion for all beings,

impartial to enemy and friend, self-restrained, an ascetic with senses conquered,

well-versed in the supreme Brahman, taking refuge solely in the reality of Brahman.

That sage of such power performed very severe austerity.

Remaining everywhere on the surface of the earth with all limbs motionless,

he did not move from his place by even the distance of an atom.

As he stayed there practicing austerity for many hundreds of years,

an anthill covered him and enveloped his limbs.

Though his body was overtaken by an anthill, the great sage Rāmakṛṣṇa

continued his austerity alone and did not even notice the anthill.

And while that eminent sage was practicing austerity, Vāsava,

releasing masses of clouds, caused torrential rain to fall.

In this way, he poured rain continuously for seven days.

Though being pelted by a great downpour of rain, the sage

endured that rain with closed eyes.

With a great roar instantly deafening ears then,

a great thunderbolt fell right onto the anthill.

While the rain was falling, unbearable with cold wind and other hardships,

Now, the manifestation of the Lord, pleased by the austerity of the great seer named Rāmakṛṣṇa:

the top of the anthill was shattered, struck by the thunderbolt.

Then the God appeared, bearing the conch, discus, and mace,

mounted on the son of Vinatā, adorned with a garland of forest flowers.

Pleased by the austerity of Rāmakṛṣṇa, he spoke these words:

“O treasure of austerity, Rāmakṛṣṇa, you who have crossed to the end of the Vedic scriptures!

Whatever best of men bathes on the day of my manifestation,

the reward of his merit cannot be described even by Śeṣa.

When the sun is in Capricorn, O brahmin, on the great lunar day of the full moon,

conjoined with the constellation Puṣya, the time for ritual ablution is prescribed.

Whatever mortal of noble mind bathes on that day at Kṛṣṇatīrtha,

he will be completely freed from all sins and will obtain all desires.

On the day of my manifestation, in the auspicious waters of Kṛṣṇatīrtha,

for the complete purification of their sins, there come to bathe

all the gods and men, and the guardians of the directions endowed with great splendor.

All these great-souled ones, possessing radiance equal to ten million suns,

they all become purified from ritual ablution in this Kṛṣṇatīrtha.

This great sacred ford will attain renown in the world under your name.”

Having spoken thus, Śrīnivāsa vanished right there.

Such is the power of that sacred ford, which cleanses great sins,

which grants purity of intellect to men, and bestows all sovereignty.

Thus has the glory of Kṛṣṇatīrtha been told to you, O brahmins,

bestowing the realm of Viṣṇu upon those who hear and recite [it].

Thus ends the fifteenth chapter, named ‘Description of the Greatness of Rāmakṛṣṇatīrtha’, in the Venkaṭācala-māhātmya in the second Section on Viṣṇu in the glorious Skanda Mahāpurāṇa consisting of eighty-one thousand verses.