Skandapurana 2.1.37

Now begins the account of the king named Śaṅkha.

Bhāradvāja said:

Listen, O son of Pṛthā! I will narrate a wonderful story

of how that Blessed Lord came to manifestation on this mountain. // 1

There was a king named Śruta, born in the lineage of the Haihayas,

who ruled the auspicious earth for a long time as if [its inhabitants were] his own children. // 2

His son, a treasury of virtues, was a king named Śaṅkha,

learned in all sacred sciences, who protected the earth. // 3

Toward Viṣṇu, the Lord of the world, whose eyes are wide like lotuses,

he had unwavering devotion, having abandoned reliance on any other. // 4

The God of gods, the Lord of the world, the infinite Supreme Person,

whose majesty is wondrous, he constantly meditated upon with firm resolve. // 5

He performed various observances, gifts, and meritorious acts,

constantly for the pleasure of the Foe of Madhu, who is known through the Vedas. // 6

Directly intended for him alone, he performed sacrifices such as the horse-sacrifice,

pleasing all the brahmins through the grant of the prescribed priestly gifts. // 7

Unflagging, he performed all kinds of religious and philanthropic rites,

with his heart constantly fixed on Keśava, who is affectionate to his devotees. // 8

He incessantly remembers Govinda, mutters [the names of] the imperishable Acyuta,

worships the lotus-eyed one, and praises the Wielder of the Śārṅga bow. // 9

The king constantly listens to the sacred tales of Viṣṇu,

narrated by reciters of the Purāṇas, which ferry [beings] across the ocean of worldly existence. // 10

He worshiped the brahmins solely for the pleasure of Hari.

Though thus engaged with all his being, unwearied, the lord of the earth

did not see the independent Supreme Person of eternal sovereignty. // 11

Not having obtained the darśana of Viṣṇu, whose essence comprises all sacrifices,

his heart was overwhelmed with sorrow, and he fell into intense anxiety. // 12–13

Śaṅkha said:

Much past misdeed must have been done by me

over thousands of births, since the darśana of Hṛṣīkeśa has not been attained! // 14

For the darśana of Viṣṇu, the Slayer of Madhu, is the unbroken fruit

of darkness-dispelling merits accumulated through many previous lives. // 15

How indeed might the Blessed Lord come within the range of my eyes?

Or when will the highest good consisting in hearing his words be attained? // 16

Alas, woe unto me, who have committed offenses, who am devoid of success in religious rites,

far from Nārāyaṇa's grace, and within the grasp of the afflictions of saṃsāra! // 17

Bharadvāja said:

When the king was thus troubled with anxiety and indifferent to life,

Keśava, his form invisible, spoke while all were listening: // 18

The Blessed Lord said:

Do not succumb to sorrow! Listen, I shall tell you what is beneficial.

How could I abandon you, a virtuous man who have made me your sole refuge, O king? // 19

This mountain named Veṅkaṭa is renowned in the three worlds;

even more than Vaikuṇṭha, O king, it is an abode that brings me supreme joy. // 20

Having gone to that best of mountains, as you perform austerity with devotion,

when a thousand years have passed, I shall become visible [to you]. // 21

Agastya, zealous like you for my darśana, straightway

asked the Four-faced One: 'Where may Viṣṇu be seen?' // 22

'Hari can be seen on Mount Vṛṣabha by those who are self-restrained;

go there!'—thus the Lotus-born One said to the sage. // 23

Having been thus instructed by the lotus-born [Brahmā], the pot-born [Agastya]

will come to Añjanādri, that great abode, to perform austerity.

You too, having taken up residence on that sacred mountain,

intent on austerity and having worshipped me, will attain my darśana.

Now, the arrival of King Śaṅkha at the sacred Veṅkaṭācala by the Lord's instruction:

Bharadvāja said:

Thus commanded by the Lord, the enemy of the Dānavas,

Śaṅkha felt incomparable joy, thinking in his heart: “I am blessed!”

Having entrusted his son Vajra with the duty of protecting the subjects,

he went to the Nārāyaṇa mountain, yearning for the darśana of Govinda.

On its lofty peak he saw the auspicious Svāmipuṣkariṇī,

filled with divine waters resembling nectar,

frequented by hosts of numerous Siddhas, Gandharvas, and celestial seers,

soothing the distress of worldly existence, the refuge of all sacred fords,

abounding with cormorants, herons, curlews, swans, and kāraṇḍava ducks,

and delightful with white water-lilies, blue lotuses, pink lotuses, and fragrant water-lilies.

Having seen that divine lotus pool, he constructed a hut on its shore;

gratified by ritual ablutions, drinking, and other acts, with an unswerving focus of mind,

dedicating all actions to Janārdana, the Lord of the Universe.

Now, the arrival of Agastya at Veṅkaṭācala for the sake of the Lord's darśana:

Devoted constantly to japa and meditation, he performed very severe austerity.

At that very time, by the command of the Supreme Lord [Brahmā],

the sage Agastya too, surrounded by hundreds of sages, reached the primeval mountain.

Having begun from the western quarter, making an effort in circumambulation,

he wandered on the mountain for a long time, beholding the sacred fords.

There and then he saw those eager for the darśana of Hari:

Viriñci, Guha, Śakra, Īśa, Viṣvaksena, and others in succession,

the foremost yogins headed by Sanaka, and the seers headed by Nārada,

as well as Siddhas, Gandharvas, Daiteyas, Yakṣas, Rākṣasas, and Pannagas.

Honored by each of them with humble and affectionate words,

he traversed about, beholding all the wondrous things.

Having bathed in all the sacred fords, such as Skandadhārā and others,

he worshipped Govinda, the Lord of the worlds, in each of those places.

As he thus wandered, when a thousand years had passed, that best of sages,

not having seen the lotus-eyed Lord, became filled with anxious grief.

Now, the speech of Guru, the Vasus, and others to Agastya:

At that time, Dhiṣaṇa and Uśanas, and again

the king Vasu, named Uparicara, approached that lord of seers: [41]

“O best of sages, our life has become fruitful,

since you have been seen by us, like a second Nārāyaṇa!

O sage, what we, intent on seeing Acyuta, were instructed

by Brahmā, the lord of the world, that is now told to you:

‘In the southern quarter there is a mountain named Veṅkaṭa,

which is an abode favored by Hari even above Śvetadvīpa.

On that mountain, Govinda, the teacher of the universe, will show his own form

to Agastya and to King Śaṅkha.

At that time, to all the gods, seers, Yakṣas, and Rakṣases,

and to us, darśana of the God of gods will occur.

That will happen before long; therefore, having abandoned all sins,

go to search for Agastya on that mountain of Nārāyaṇa!’

Thus commanded by the Creator, having arrived here by good fortune,

we have seen you, the highly fortunate one of immense splendor.

Having gone along with you to the bank of the Svāmipuṣkariṇī,

we shall also behold Śaṅkha, that foremost of the Lord's devotees.”

Now, the viewing of the delightful sights on the sacred Veṅkaṭācala by Agastya and others:

Bharadvāja said:

Thus instructed by the foremost ones headed by the Lord of Speech [Bṛhaspati],

the pot-born [Agastya] cast off his web of grief and departed swiftly along with them.

He beheld great trees bowed down under the weight of fruits and flowers,

covering the horizons with the shade of their abundant, well-grown branches.

Lions, elephants, tigers, boars, buffaloes, and the like,

and beasts he observed along the path at various intervals. / (52)

Then they beheld peaks of the mountain,

adorned here and there with gold, silver, copper, and other [metals]. / (53)

Driving away gods by their spray and showers of flying drops,

uprooting boulders by their speed, hundreds of mountain torrents were seen. / (54)

A gentle breeze brought them delight,

carrying the fragrance of lotuses as it wandered over the mountain slopes. / (55)

Then the calls of parrots and cuckoos were heard. / (56)

Sitting here and there on broad rocks,

they saw siddhas singing of Kṛṣṇa's majestic virtues. / (57)

Walking around, all the lordly sages headed by Agastya

beheld the divine Svāmipuṣkariṇī with its pure waters. / (58)

[Agastya] saw King Śaṅkha, who had made his dwelling on its bank,

standing with his actions of speech, mind, and body concentrated on Hari. / (59)

Beholding those lords of sages of strict vows, he quickly

performed worship according to the injunctions, preceded by prostrations and praises. / (60)

Seated there, they all honoured one another with eagerness;

devoted to the praise of Govinda, they attained fulfillment. / (61)

Thus ends the thirty-seventh chapter, entitled 'The Description of the Arrival of Śaṅkha, Agastya, and Others at Mount Veṅkaṭa,' in the praise of the Suvarṇamukharīmāhātmya, in the Veṅkaṭācalamāhātmya, in the second section, the Vaiṣṇavakhaṇḍa, in the Skanda Mahāpurāṇa consisting of eighty-one thousand verses. / (37)