Skandapurana 2.1.6

Now follows the story of Padmāvatī related by the companions to Bakulamālikā:

The women said:

“We are the women dwelling in the inner apartments of King Ākāśa,

indeed the companions of Padmālayā, the daughter of the king.

Keeping the princess at our head, we had previously gone into the forest,

busily gathering flowers for the sake of the princess.

Seated at the base of a tree, there we beheld a man.

dark as a sapphire, his chest the dwelling of Indirā,

with a gentle smile on his face, and two lovely, stout, long arms,

clad in a spotless yellow garment, resplendent with a golden arrow and bow,

adorned with a golden diadem, necklaces, armlets, and other ornaments.

Having seen him, our lotus-eyed companion, whose abode is the lotus,

resembling molten gold in appearance, said: 'Look, look!'

As we were looking, he then vanished quickly from sight.

Fainting, that friend was then carried by us to the royal palace."

Now the questioning of the astrologer by Viyadrāja concerning Padmāvatī, and related matters:

Seeing his daughter unwell, the king asked an astrologer:

"Tell me, O best of brahmins, O sage, the fruit of the planetary transits for my daughter."

The brahmin, equal to Bṛhaspati, having contemplated the celestial bodies in his mind, [said:]

"All the planets are favorable to your daughter, O best of kings.

Yet the fruit of the planets always produces some confusion, O king."

Then, having also calculated the time of the query, the wise man spoke to him again,

multiplying the shadow, [reckoning] the ascendant, and examining their fruits:

"The Moon, ruler of the ascendant, is in the ascendant, and Bṛhaspati is indeed in the quadrant.

The bird of the day is sleeping, but the bird of the query has attained sovereignty.

Hear, O king, its outcome: she will surely recover her health.

An exalted man has come for the sake of the maiden.

Seeing him, your daughter fainted; she shall attain union with him.

A certain young woman sent by him will arrive.

Whatever word she speaks, that will be beneficial to you.

Do that, O great king; I speak the absolute truth.

Moreover, I will tell you that which grants all objectives and destroys all afflictions;

do it today, bringing happiness to your daughter:

have an abhiṣeka of the Agastya-liṅga performed by brahmins."

Having said this to the king, the astrologer then went home.

Now, upon the astrologer's instruction, the sending of brahmins and others to worship the Agastya-liṅga:

Then Ākāśarāja as well, having summoned Vedic brahmins

and honored them, ordered: "O twice-born, having gone to the temple of the god,

perform the great abhiṣeka of Śambhu accompanied by mantras."

Having thus instructed them, he summoned us and said, O auspicious lady:

"O maidens, gather the provisions for the great abhiṣeka."

Having been thus commanded by the king himself, we went to the temple.

"Tell us directly, O auspicious lady, the reason for your arrival:

From where are you? For what purpose [do you come]? Or where do you wish to go,

having mounted this celestial horse, as though arrived from the world of the gods?"

The venerable Varāha said:

Having been thus questioned by them, the delighted Bakulamālikā,

delighting the girls, spoke sweet words:

Bakulamālikā said:

"I have come from Śrīveṅkaṭādri, Bakulamālikā by name.

Desiring to see Dharaṇī, I have mounted this horse.

Would it be possible to see the queen there in the royal palace?"

Hearing her words, those daughters of the king said:

"Indeed, together with us, O auspicious lady, you will see Dharaṇī."

Having been told this, she then arrived at the king's palace with them.

While they were thus arriving, Queen Dharaṇī [saw] a Pulinda woman

Now the answer of the Pulinda woman to the question asked by Dharaṇī:

coming along the street, adorned with guñjā berries and conch-shells,

having tied an infant suckling at her breast upon her back with the end of her garment,

[crying:] "I speak the truth, listen! The past, the present, and the future!"

As she was speaking thus from street to street, [Dharaṇī] of pure smile summoned her,

took a golden winnowing basket, placed pearls in it,

and made three heaps measuring three prasthas, placing them before her [saying]:

"Speak the truth: whether what is to come, or what has been."

Questioning her thus, Queen Dharaṇī stood waiting.

Being questioned, she said what had been thought in her mind:

"What you thought of is in the middle heap; speak to me frankly, O auspicious lady."

"So be it," Dharaṇī, the king's beloved, then said to the Pulinda woman.

Dharaṇī said:

"The astrological sign has been named; tell me the result, and I will give you a heap of wealth." // 33

The Pulinda woman said:

"I will tell you the truth, O fair-browed lady; give me food for my child."

Thus addressed, Dharaṇī took food in a golden vessel. // 34

Having given it to that Pulinda woman, she said: "Tell the truth."

Taking the food with milk and giving it to her son, that passionate woman, // 35

that fair-browed one, spoke the truth: "The emaciation of your daughter's body

has come from a man, O timid one. Because she cannot see his form, // 36

she has been seized by fever in her limbs, afflicted indeed by the arrows of the Bodiless One.

He, indeed, is the supreme God of gods, who has come directly from Vaikuṇṭha. // 37

On the peak of Mount Śrīveṅkaṭa, on the bank of the Svāmipuṣkariṇī,

the master of illusion, supreme bliss, Ramā's lord together with Śrī, // 38

taking forms at will, sports—Hari, the giver of whatever his devotees desire.

Riding upon a horse, wandering within the forest, // 39

he arrived at the pleasure-garden, O queen, and saw your daughter.

Seeing her who is like Ramā, he himself fell under the power of love. // 40

The god will send his companion, Lalitā, near you.

Meeting him like Ramā, she will take pleasure for a long time in happiness. // 41

O daughter of a king, see that this word of mine is true this very day.

Give food for my son!"—saying this, the Pulinda woman fell silent. // 42

Having given her abundant food once again, she dismissed her.

When that Pulinda woman had departed, the blameless woman // 43

arose from that courtyard and entered the auspicious inner palace,

where the maiden Padmālayā sat surrounded by her companions. // 44

Going near her daughter, the maiden who was love-sick, [she said:]

"Daughter, what shall I do for you? Or what thing is dear to you, O auspicious girl?" // 45

Thus questioned by her mother, that wise maiden spoke softly: // 46

Now the characteristics of the Lord and the devotees of the Lord as stated by Padmāvatī.

"That which brings delight to the eyes in the world, which is dear to the minds even of the virtuous,

which Brahmā and the others wish to see, and which is all-pervading and great, // 47

the most radiant even among radiant entities, the deity even of the gods,

attainable here by virtuous devotees, never by non-devotees— // 48

on that very Entity, O mother, my mind is fixed here.

Seek only that, O mother, which grants all wishes to devotees." // 49

The glorious Varāha said:

Having heard this, Dharaṇī then asked her daughter again:

"Tell me the characteristic marks of his devotees, by whom that is to be attained, O fair-eyed one." // 50

Padmālayā said:

"O mother, listen attentively to the secret characteristic marks of the devotees:

marked constantly with the conch and disc on both arms, O Vasundharā, // 51

they have an upright mark with a central space, especially those devotees;

others, moreover, bear twelve marks [of tilaka]: // 52

on the forehead, the belly, the chest, the neck, on the abdomen, and on the two flanks,

on the two elbows, on the two arms, on the back, and at the nape of the neck— // 53

the twelve names beginning with Keśava on the twelve limbs;

and on the crown of the head they bear [the mark with the thought], 'Obeisance to Vāsudeva.' // 54

I shall tell their charming observances; listen, O mother:

devoted to reciting the Vedas, they perform Vedic rituals. // 55

Those who speak the truth, O queen, and never envy others,

who do not censure others and do not steal others' property, // 56

who never think of, look upon, or touch

the beautiful wives of others—know them to be Vaiṣṇavas. // 57

Compassionate to all beings, devoted to the welfare of all beings,

they always sing of the Lord of gods—know these indeed to be his devotees. // 58

Those who are satisfied with whatever comes, devoted to their own wives,

free from passion, fear, and anger—know those devotees to be Vaiṣṇavas. // 59

Endowed with such virtues, bearing the five weapons as well,

whether through a father, in the form of a spiritual preceptor, or through another cultured person... // 60

Having taken the fire according to the rule prescribed in one's own Gṛhyasūtra, the wise man

should make sixteen oblations with the mantras of the discus and the other weapons.

Next, with the principal mantra and with the hymn to Puruṣa,

and then one hundred and eight [oblations] with the auspicious mantra to Jātavedas,

having offered oblations with the great mystical utterances, he should heat the discus and other [brands] there.

The wise man should have them applied by the guru according to the mantras, well-heated and bearable.

The conch and discus on the two arms, and likewise the bow Śārṅga and arrow on the head,

the mace must be borne on the forehead, and the sword on the heart.

Thus these five must be borne by devotees of Viṣṇu desiring liberation;

or else simply the well-marked discus and conch on the two arms.

Those devotees endowed with such marks are known as Vaiṣṇavas;

only by them, endowed with righteous conduct, can that Brahman be attained.

My love is in him alone; my mind longs to attain him.

O mother, apart from Viṣṇu, no desire whatsoever arises toward others.

I remember the dark Viṣṇu; I speak of Hari, Acyuta.

Through him alone do I live, O mother; let a means for union with him be considered.”

Glorious Varāha said:

Having spoken thus to her mother, the distressed lotus-faced maiden fell silent.

Hearing that, [the mother] pondered: “How can Viṣṇu be pleased?”

Now, the arrival of the female companions along with Bakulamālikā before Dharaṇī:

Meanwhile, the maidens, having worshipped the Lord of Agastya,

came together with Bakulamālikā to see Dharaṇī.

Then, having honored the brahmins who had arrived with good food,

and having given full priestly gifts along with garments and ornaments,

and having had blessings recited for the accomplishment of the desired object,

she dismissed all the brahmins and then asked her women,

those high-minded ones who had returned after worshipping the Lord of Agastya.

Thus ends the sixth chapter, named “Description of the Marks of a Devotee of Viṣṇu and the Account of Padmāvatī Related by Her Companion to Bakulamālikā,” in the dialogue between Dharaṇī and Varāha, in the Śrī Veṅkaṭācala-māhātmya of the second section, the Vaiṣṇavakhaṇḍa, in the glorious Skandapurāṇa of eighty-one thousand verses.