Skandapurana 2.1.19

Now, the description of the continuous residence of Brahmā and others on the holy Mount Veṅkaṭa.

The glorious Sūta said:

Now, therefore, I shall describe the majesty of Mount Veṅkaṭa

to you with attentiveness; listen, being well concentrated! // 1

Hundreds of thousands and millions of lakes as well as rivers,

and most meritorious oceans, and even forests and hermitages;

holy sacred fields such as Vedāraṇya and others;

and sages headed by Vasiṣṭha, siddhas, cāraṇas, and kiṃnaras;

the Blessed Lord Madhusūdana together with Lakṣmī and Dharaṇī;

the Four-Faced One [Brahmā] accompanied indeed by Sāvitrī and Sarasvatī;

the Lord of Gods, the Three-Eyed One, Destroyer of Tripura, together with Pārvatī;

and the gods led by Indra, preceded by Heramba and the Six-Faced One [Skanda];

the planets headed by Āditya, and likewise the eight Vasus, O twice-born ones;

the ancestors, the guardians of the worlds, and other hosts of deities—

in that which purifies the world and destroys multitudes of major sins,

day and night dwell upon the summit of Mount Veṅkaṭa.

By the mere darśana of it, men obtain happiness of intellect.

The wives of the siddhas and cāraṇas, having made their dwelling on its summit,

worship at all times the Lord of Veṅkaṭa, the treasure-house of mercy.

Crores of sins of killing a brahmin, crores of sins of approaching the forbidden,

clinging to one's body, are destroyed by the breezes of Mount Veṅkaṭa.

Now the sequence of meditation at the time of ascending holy Mount Veṅkaṭa.

One should pray to that mountain, Mount Veṅkaṭa, which increases merit:

“O Golden Mountain, most meritorious, attended by all the gods,

whom even the gods headed by Brahmā serve with faith—

O best of mountains, I would tread upon you with my feet.

Pardon this offense of mine today out of compassion, since my mind is full of sin.

Grant me the darśana of Mādhava, who has made his abode upon your summit.”

Having thus prayed to Mount Veṅkaṭa, the best of mountains,

a person should then walk with gentle steps up holy Mount Veṅkaṭa.

On Mount Veṅkaṭa, most meritorious, the destroyer of all sins,

having bathed in accordance with rules in the Svāmipuṣkariṇī tīrtha,

one should then make an offering of a rice ball, even if the size of a mustard seed,

or offer to the ancestors rice balls equal in size to a śamī leaf.

Those dwelling in heaven attain liberation; those dwelling in hell attain heaven.

Now the māhātmya of the tīrtha named Pāpavināśana.

Then, above it, is the great and world-renowned [tīrtha],

the best of all tīrthas, holy, named Pāpavināśana.

It exists, O brahmins, on the most meritorious and pure Mount Veṅkaṭa,

by the mere recollection of which dwelling in the womb does not recur.

Reaching it, to the north of the Svāmitīrtha, a man should bathe.

From bathing there, men go to Vaikuṇṭha; there is no doubt in this.

The seers said:

O Sūta, speak of the grandeur of the tīrtha named Pāpavināśa.

For, instructed by Vyāsa, you know everything, O great sage.

The auspicious Sūta said:

I shall tell you, O best among brahmins, an auspicious story

that took place at the Brahmāśrama hermitage, on an auspicious flank of the Himālaya.

That meritorious hermitage was the auspicious Brahmāśrama,

filled with various trees, on an auspicious flank of the Himālaya,

abounding with many shrubs and creepers, frequented by deer and elephants,

resounding with siddhas and cāraṇas, a delightful forest in full bloom,

crowded with many ascetics, adorned with practitioners of tapas,

and by highly fortunate brahmins who resembled the sun and fire,

teeming with ascetics endowed with restraints and observances,

initiated, devoted to sacrifice, self-controlled in diet, and of perfected souls;

surrounded by Vedic scholars accomplished in Vedic recitation,

by students, householders, forest-dwellers, and mendicants,

devoted to the conduct of their own stage of life, performing what is prescribed for their own class,

and surrounded on all sides by the Vālakhilya seers.

Now the account of the śūdra named Dṛḍhamati.

In that hermitage long ago, O twice-born ones, a certain bold śūdra named Dṛḍhamati,

joyful, came into the presence of the brahmins.

He arrived at the hermitage and was received hospitably by the ascetics.

A śūdra named Dṛḍhamati bowed down prostrate indeed.

Seeing those hosts of sages, who resembled gods and possessed great splendour,

performing various sacrifices, the śūdra rejoiced exceedingly.

Then the intention arose in him to perform peerless austerity.

Then, approaching the sage who was the head of the hermitage and an ascetic, he said:

Dṛḍhamati said:

“O rich in austerity, salutations to you! Protect me, O ocean of compassion!

By your grace I desire to perform a sacrifice; be gracious to me.”

Now, the duties of a śūdra taught to Dṛḍhamati by the sage called the head of the hermitage.

Thus addressed by the śūdra, the brahmin then said to him:

The head of the hermitage said:

“A śūdra, born of low birth, cannot be initiated into a sacrifice.

If such an intention arises in you, become intent upon service.

Instruction should never be given to one who is of low caste.

In instructing [such a person], a great fault accrues to the teacher.

A wise man should not teach a śūdra, nor should he officiate at a sacrifice for him.

Likewise, he should not make a śūdra study sacred treatises, grammar, and the like,

nor poetry, nor drama, nor indeed poetics.

He should never teach Purāṇa and epic to a śūdra.

And if a brahmin should ever teach these to a śūdra,

the brahmins would expel that brahmin from a village filled with sacred knowledge.

And one should abandon like a caṇḍāla a twice-born man who instructs a śūdra;

and one should avoid from afar a śūdra endowed with literacy.

Therefore, serve a brahmin with faith; good fortune to you!

Service to the twice-born is proclaimed for a śūdra by Manu and others.

For you ought not to abandon the duty inherent to your nature.”

Thus addressed by the sage, that śūdra then reflected:

“What should be done by me now? For my faith in religious observances is supreme.

I will strive today so that true knowledge may arise in me.”

Having thus resolved in his mind, the śūdra Dṛḍhamati then,

going not far from the site of the hermitage, made a beautiful hut of leaves.

There indeed, a shrine for deities and holy sanctuaries,

flower-gardens and the like, as well as the digging of ponds and such,

he caused to be made with faith, for the attainment of his own austerity.

Performing ritual baths, vows, and also fasts and the like,

offering food and oblation, he worshipped the deities.

Endowed with firm resolves and observances, subsisting on fruit, with his senses conquered,

constantly with bulbs, roots, flowers, and fruits,

he duly honoured the guests who arrived.

In this way indeed, a very long time passed for him.

Now, the procedure for performing rites disclosed to Dṛḍhamati by the brahmin named Sumati.

Then to his hermitage came [a brahmin] named Sumati by name,

a twice-born man born in the lineage of Garga, truthful of speech, with senses mastered.

Honouring the sage with welcoming words and pleasing him with fruits and the like,

telling sacred tales, [the śūdra] inquired after his welfare.

Thus honoured by offerings such as water for washing feet,

that brahmin, felicitating him with blessings and accepting his hospitality,

took leave of him with a delighted heart and returned to his own hermitage.

Thus day by day, that brahmin, fond of this śūdra,

came to his hermitage to see that person born of śūdra birth.

For a long time there was association of the twice-born man with the one of śūdra birth.

Having fallen under the power of affection, he did not transgress what the śūdra said.

Then the śūdra said to the twice-born man who had arrived, brought under the sway of affection:

“Explain to me the injunction for offerings to gods and ancestors; for you are considered my guru.”

Thus addressed by the śūdra, he instructed [him] in all this.

He then caused the rites for the ancestors and others to be performed for the śūdra.

When the ancestor-rite was performed by him, that best of the twice-born was dismissed.

Now, the miserable state suffered by Sumati due to instructing a śūdra in Vedic rites.

Then, after a long time, having been sustained by the one of śūdra birth,

abandoned by the hosts of brahmins, that twice-born man met his death.

Led away by the soldiers of Yama, he was cast into the hells,

for thousands of tens of millions of kalpas, and hundreds of tens of millions of kalpas.

Having experienced the hells in turn, at the end of them he became an immovable thing.

Then he was born as a donkey, and after that as a dung-eating hog.

Then he was born as a dog, and afterwards he became a crow.

Then, having become an outcaste, he thereafter entered the womb of a śūdra.

Afterwards he became a vaiśya, and immediately following that, a kṣatriya.

Being tormented by powerful adversaries, he then became a brahmin.

Invested with the sacred thread by his father in the eighth year from conception, that brahmin,

dwelling in his father's house and intent upon observing proper conduct,

while once walking in a dense forest, was seized by a brahmarākṣasa.

Weeping, wandering, stumbling, bewildered, babbling, laughing aloud,

and constantly crying, “Alas, alas!”, he abandoned Vedic rites.

Seeing his son in such a state, the father, stricken with grief,

took his son and, out of affection, went for refuge to Agastya,

who was performing austerity in the presence of Śiva on the bank of the Suvarṇamukharī.

Having bowed to the sage with devotion, the father of that son

reported to him his son's conduct.

Now, the departure of Sumati to Mount Veṅkaṭa by the instruction of Agastya for the removal of misfortune:

Then the brahmin said to the pitcher-born eminent sage:

“O brahmin, this son of mine has been seized by a brahmarākṣasa.

He finds no peace, O brahmin; protect him with a compassionate glance!

I have no other son for the discharge of the debt to the ancestors.

Tell me a means to destroy his suffering, O pitcher-born one!

In the three worlds, there is no one devoted to austerity equal to you.

Except for you, there is no savior for this son of mine.

Show mercy to my son, O master! For the virtuous are compassionate by nature.”

Śrī Sūta said:

Being thus addressed by him then, the pitcher-born one entered into meditation.

Having meditated for a long time, he then spoke to the brahmin:

Agastya said:

“In a previous life, O wise one, this son of yours was a brahmin.

A brahmin named Sumati, he indeed imparted instruction to a śūdra;

he instructed him in all Vedic rites.

Therefore, having experienced the hells for a thousand tens of millions of kalpas,

at the end of them he was born on earth in the wombs of immovable things and others.

Now, through the residue of his karma, he has been born as your son, a brahmin.

He has been seized here by a brahmarākṣasa sent by Yama,

due to the terrible sin committed in his previous birth.

I will tell you the means for the destruction of the brahmarākṣasa.

Listen with faith, concentrating your mind:

On the bank of the Suvarṇamukharī, frequented by hosts of seers,

there is the sacred Mount Veṅkaṭa, worthy of being resorted to by the gods.

Upon it there is a great sacred ford named Pāpavināśana;

it is holy, renowned, and a destroyer of great sins.

Of bhūtas, pretas, piśācas, vetālas, and brahmarākṣasas,

as well as of great diseases, that sacred ford is traditionally known as the destroyer.

Taking your son, go to that sacred ford situated in the midst of the mountain.

Pure and concentrated, bathe your son in the Pāpavināśana sacred ford.

By bathing there for three days, the brahmarākṣasa will be destroyed;

on earth, no other means exists for its destruction.

Therefore, go quickly to the mountain named Veṅkaṭa;

there bathe your son in the sacred ford named Pāpavināśana.

Make no delay here; go with haste, O brahmin!”

Being thus addressed, that brahmin bowed down to Agastya on the ground like a staff,

and, permitted by him, he departed for Mount Veṅkaṭa.

Having gone with his son to Pāpavināśana, that brahmin—

Now, the removal of Sumati's misfortune through bathing in Pāpanāśana:

having bathed his son for three days preceded by a formal vow,

the father, foremost among brahmins, also bathed himself in Pāpavināśana.

he arrived, performed the sequence of his daily rites, and drank the water.

Then his son was freed there from the brahmarākṣasa;

he became free from disease, healthy, and endowed with handsome form.

Enriched with all prosperity, after enjoying numerous pleasures,

at the end of his body he attained liberation through ritual ablution in Pāpavināśana.

The father too, by ritual ablution there, attained liberation at the end of his body.

Now, the removal of the wretched state incurred by Dṛḍhamati, who performed Vedic rites:

That śūdra who had been instructed by him, having experienced the hells in turn

and having been born in many vile wombs,

afterward obtained a birth as a vulture on the mountain Veṅkaṭācala.

Once, in order to drink water at the sacred ford Pāpavināśana,

he arrived, drank the water, and sprinkled his own body.

At that very moment, possessing a divine body and adorned with all ornaments,

he mounted a celestial aerial chariot and went to the abode of the immortals.

Śrī Sūta said:

Such indeed is the power of this sacred ford Pāpavināśana;