Skandapurana 2.1.20

Now, the description of the māhātmya of the sacred ford Pāpavināśana:

Śrī Sūta said:

Again I shall proclaim the grandeur of Pāpanāśana;

listen with concentrated attention, with a disposition of devotion to the Lord.

I will tell an ancient account that destroys all sins,

hearing which one is freed from all sins, there is no doubt about this.

Now, the story of the destitute brahmin named Bhadramati:

Long ago there was an eminent brahmin who had crossed to the end of the Vedas and Vedāṅgas,

a poor twice-born destitute of livelihood, named Bhadramati.

All the scriptures had been heard by that wise brahmin,

and the Purāṇas and Dharmaśāstras in their entirety had been heard.

He had six wives: Kṛtā, Sindhu, Yaśovatī,

Kāminī, Mālinī, and Śobhā, as they are renowned.

By those wives he had two hundred sons.

All of them, his sons and others, were severely tormented by hunger.

Destitute, Bhadramati, seeing his dear sons distressed by hunger

and his beloved wives distressed by hunger, lamented, his senses agitated:

“Fie on a life devoid of fortune! Fie on a life devoid of wealth!

Fie on a life devoid of fame! Fie on a life devoid of hospitality!

Fie on a life devoid of proper conduct! Fie on a life devoid of knowledge!

Fie on a life devoid of exertion! Fie on a life devoid of happiness!

Fie on a life devoid of kin! Fie on a life devoid of renown!

For a man with many children, fie on a life devoid of sovereignty!

Alas, virtues, gentleness, learning, and birth in a noble lineage—

all this has no shine for one sunken in the ocean of poverty.

Brahmins, sons, grandsons, relatives, and brothers,

and disciples—all people abandon one who is devoid of sovereignty.”

Having resolved this, the intelligent and steadfast brahmin Bhadramati [thought]:

“Whether an outcaste or a twice-born, only the fortunate one is honoured.

A poor man in the world is despised by people like a corpse.

Ah, one endowed with wealth, whether harsh or gentle,

even if devoid of good qualities, is deemed virtuous; or if a fool, he is a scholar.

Whether harsh or virtuous, or even a man devoid of righteousness—

if he is endowed with the quality of sovereignty, he is indeed worthy of worship; there is no doubt.

Alas, poverty is suffering, and even in that, desire causes extreme grief!

Men overcome by desire experience suffering in an instant.

Those who are slaves of desire are slaves of the entire world;

for those to whom desire is a servant, the world acts as a servant.

Even a knower of the meaning of all scriptures, if poor, appears like a fool.

For those seized by the great crocodile of destitution, there is no liberator.”

"Alas, sorrow! Alas, sorrow! Alas, poverty is sorrow!

Even there, an abundance of sons and wives causes supreme sorrow!"

Having spoken thus, Bhadramati, who had mastered the meaning of all scriptures,

meditating in his mind then upon a duty that grants great sovereignty,

stood silent, filled with deep affliction.

Now, Kāminī's encouragement to go to the Veṅkaṭa Mountain.

At that time, among those wives, Kāminī, devoted to her husband as a deity,

a wife endowed with virtuous qualities, addressed that husband:

Kāminī said:

"O venerable one, knower of all duties, master of the meaning of all scriptures,

my lord, fortunate one, hear my words, O wise one!

On the bank of the Suvarṇamukharī, resorted to by hosts of seers,

stands the holy Mount Veṅkaṭa, worthy to be served by deities.

On that lord of mountains, Veṅkaṭa, worshipped by gods and demons,

there is an auspicious, purifying sacred ford, the burner of sins.

Having gone there, O fortunate one, to the Pāpanāśa [tīrtha], O wise one,

diligently perform your ritual ablution, accompanied by your wives and sons.

The māhātmya of that sacred ford was heard by me from Nārada;

in my childhood, the sage spoke it in the presence of my father:

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

assuager of all sorrows, bestower of all prosperity,

having bathed in the great sacred ford, Pāpanāśa, following a ritual resolve,

meditating in his mind then upon a duty that grants great sovereignty,

having resolved upon the gift of land, the highest of all gifts,

which leads to the other world and grants the fruit of all desires—

the gift of land is proclaimed to be the highest of gifts;

having given it, a person obtains whatever is most desired.'

"Having thus heard what was spoken by Nārada, my father, a twice-born,

with a delighted mind, reached the Śeṣa Mountain then.

Having gone there, that fortunate one, [for the sake of that] which grants all prosperity,

bestowed a gift of land upon an excellent brahmin learned in the Vedas.

Thereupon, my father, O wise one, endowed with all good fortune,

having attained happiness in this world, went at the end to the realm of Viṣṇu.

And you, having gone, O fortunate one, to Mount Veṅkaṭa, the best of mountains,

diligently make a gift—the gift of land, which grants all desires."

Now, the praise of the gift of land spoken by Kāminī.

"Listen with focused attention to the māhātmya of the gift of land;

no one in this world is able to recount it, O venerable lord!

No gift superior to the gift of land has ever been, nor ever will be;

the giver of land attains supreme liberation; there is no doubt of this.

Having given even a little land to a Vedic scholar who maintains the sacred fires,

one attains the world of Brahmā, free from return.

A giver of land is said to be an all-giver; a giver of land attains liberation.

And the gift of land on Mount Vṛṣa destroys all sins.

Whether burdened with major sins or burdened with all sins,

by giving [even] ten cubits of land, one is freed from all sins.

He who gives land to a worthy recipient obtains the fruit of all gifts;

there is no other equal to the giver of land in the three worlds.

He who gives auspicious land to a twice-born devoid of livelihood—

Śeṣa is never able to declare the fruit of his merit.

To a brahmin who is without livelihood and of virtuous conduct,

whoever gives even a little land is Viṣṇu himself; of this there is no doubt.

Endowed with fields of sugarcane and wheat, betel-nut trees, and the like,

the earth that is gifted makes the giver Viṣṇu himself; of this there is no doubt.

To a destitute brahmin supporting a family and lacking livelihood,

by giving even a little land, one attains intimate union with Viṣṇu.

Forest land given to a brahmin devoted to the worship of gods

yields the fruit of a three-night ablution in the Gaṅgā.

To a brahmin devoid of livelihood and devoted to good conduct,

hear what fruit one obtains by giving a measure of land."

Whatever fruit a man obtains by duly performing hundreds of horse sacrifices

on the bank of the Gaṅgā, that great fruit he obtains.

If he gives a bhārikā of land to an impoverished twice-born,

I shall describe his merit, O my lord, blessed master!

Whatever fruit he would obtain by performing thousands of horse sacrifices

and hundreds of Vājapeya sacrifices on the bank of the Jāhnavī, that he obtains.

The gift of land is proclaimed a great gift, an extraordinary gift,

allaying all sins, bestowing the fruit of liberation.

Hearing which with faith, one attains the fruit of giving land.

Having heard the words of his wife, accompanied by this ancient account,

contented, meditating in his mind on the dweller of Śeṣācala,

Now, the attainment of the good destination by Sughoṣa through the gift of land to Bhadramati.

he resolved in his mind to go to the unsurpassed pleasure mountain.

Then the gentle Bhadramati, devoted to all duties,

went with his wife to the city named Suśālī.

Approaching an eminent brahmin named Sughoṣa, who was endowed with all prosperity,

the twice-born asked for land measuring five cubits in length.

Sughoṣa, devoted to righteousness, seeing him, a householder,

felt joy in his heart, worshipped him, and said:

“I have attained my purpose, O Bhadramati, and my birth is fruitful;

and my family has become sinless, for you are indeed eligible to receive from me.”

Having spoken thus and worshipped him, Sughoṣa, intent on righteousness,

the wise one gave him that [land] measuring five cubits:

“The earth belongs to Viṣṇu, is sacred, and is protected by Viṣṇu.

May Janārdana be pleased with me through the gift of the earth.”

With this mantra, O eminent brahmins, Sughoṣa worshipped that lord among the twice-born

with the thought that he was Viṣṇu, and gave that much land.

The wise one, O brahmins, gave that requested land to Bhadramati,

a devotee of Hari, learned in the Veda, and a householder.

By the gift of land, Sughoṣa, accompanied by ten million ancestors of his lineage,

attained the abode of Viṣṇu, having gone whereto one does not grieve.

Now, Bhadramati's journey to the Veṅkaṭa mountain to give land on the bank of Pāpanāśana.

And the brahmin Bhadramati, accompanied by his sons and wife,

went to the lord of mountains, Veṅkaṭa, bowed to by gods and asuras,

served by Gandharvas, Yakṣas, Śailādis, and others, the son of Meru,

the divine, unsurpassed pleasure mountain come from Vaikuṇṭha.

There, in the pure, holy, auspicious waters of the Svāmitīrtha,

having bathed with his wife and sons following solemn declaration,

bowing there according to the rules on its western bank to the white boar upholding the earth,

he went to the abode of Śrīnivāsa.

There, the devotee of Viṣṇu, the wise one, with his sons and others,

beheld the lord of Veṅkaṭa served by Brahmā and the other gods.

Having bowed with devotion to the lord of gods, Śrīnivāsa, the ocean of mercy,

he went, accompanied by sons and wife, to Pāpanāśana.

Having bathed there according to the rules and performed righteous acts and hospitality,

to a certain devotee of Viṣṇu, learned in the Veda, the wise one,

regarding him as Viṣṇu, gave the auspicious gift of land that bestows liberation.

Now, Bhadramati's direct vision of the Lord by the power of the gift of land.

Then the Lord, bearing the conch, discus, and mace,

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

manifested on the bank of Pāpanāśana by the power of the gift of land.

Then the gentle Bhadramati began to praise [him]:

“Salutations, salutations to you, the cause of all! Salutations, salutations to you, the protector of all!

Salutations, salutations to you, the leader of the immortals! Salutations, salutations to you, the crusher of the Daityas!

Salutations, salutations to you, dear to your devotees! Salutations, salutations to you, the tearer of sins!

Salutations, salutations to you, the destroyer of the wicked! Salutations unto him, the sovereign of the universe!

Salutations, salutations to the primal Dwarf, to Nārāyaṇa of boundless strides,

the wielder of the bow Śārṅga, discus, sword, and mace! Salutations unto him, the Supreme Person!

Salutations to him who dwells in the ocean of milk! Salutations to the imperishable consort of Lakṣmī!

Salutations to him of boundless splendor beginning with the sun! Salutations, salutations to him whose paths are holy!”

Homage, homage to the one whose eyes are the sun and moon! Homage be to you, the bestower of the fruits of sacrifice!

Homage be to the one adorned by the limbs of sacrifice! Homage be to you, who are dear to good people! // 79

Homage, homage to the cause of causes! Homage be to the one devoid of sound and other [sense objects]!

Homage be to you, the grantor of desired happiness! Homage, homage to the one who delights the minds of devotees! // 2.1.20.80

Homage, homage to you, the wondrous cause! Homage be to you, the bearer of Mount Mandara!

Homage be to you named the Sacrificial Boar! Homage to the tearer of Hiraṇyākṣa! // 81

Homage be to you who assumed the form of Vāmana! Homage be to you, the destroyer of the warrior lineage!

Homage be to you, the crusher of Rāvaṇa! Homage be to you, the elder brother of Nanda's son! // 82

Homage to you, beloved of Kamalā! Homage to you, the giver of happiness!

To you, the destroyer of the distress of those who take refuge, again and again, homage, homage! // 83

Thus praised by the brahmin, the Lord, affectionate toward his devotees,

Śrīnivāsa, the treasure of compassion, spoke these words with tenderness: // 84

"Dear child, I am pleased with your great hymn of praise; may it be well with you, O twice-born!

Endowed with all enjoyments, accompanied by sons, grandsons, and descendants,

having attained happiness in this world, obtain liberation at the end of the body."

Having spoken thus, the Lord Viṣṇu vanished right there. // 86

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

and the māhātmya of the gift of land on its bank has also been described. // 87

Thus ends the twentieth chapter, named 'Description of the Fruits of the Gift of Land at the Tīrtha Pāpavināśana', in the Veṅkaṭācalamāhātmya, in the second section, the Vaiṣṇavakhaṇḍa, of the glorious Skanda Mahāpurāṇa comprising eighty-one thousand verses. // 20