Skandapurana 2.2.10

Indradyumna said:

"You had never traveled there since your birth, O best of the twice-born;

how could you know the divine account at Puruṣottama?"

Vidyāpati said:

"Remaining there in the evening, I approached the Lord.

At that time, a cool breeze carrying a divine fragrance blew,

and a rising, confused sound was heard in the path of the sky,

a sound made of distinct syllables, crying repeatedly: “Step forth! Advance!”

The mountain was covered by a shower of falling flowers from the sky-dwellers;

an assembly took place in the presence of Vaikuṇṭha, O king.

The sound of vīṇās, flutes, mṛdaṅgas, and carcari drums,

blended with divine singing such as had never existed before, arose there.

A thousand articles of worship for the delight of the Supreme Lord,

never before seen by mortal men, were offered there by the gods.

Having duly worshipped the God, discerned only by their hands,

and having pleased Madhusūdana with hymns of praise beginning with “Victory!”,

those thirty gods departed to the abode of the gods as they had come.

When they had gone, my friend, the Śabara Viśvāvasu,

gave me these divine offerings of food and this garland,

priceless, unfading, bestowing royal fortune and joy,

destroying misfortune, sin, and demons; it was fittingly brought by me.

Listen to the location of that supreme sacred field of Viṣṇu,

and his enchanting form of unprecedented sculptural mastery;

indeed, that cannot be described by any earth-born mortal.

I tell you of what was seen through your good fortune and prowess.

Dense on all sides, the sacred field has the Blue Mountain at its navel;

it is renowned as five krośas in length and breadth,

covered with golden sand along the shore of the king of sacred fords.

On the mountain’s summit stands an exceedingly tall, vast banyan tree lasting until the end of the kalpa,

a krośa wide, devoid of flowers and fruits, yet radiant with tender shoots.

Even as the sun moves across, its shade does not depart.

Behind it lies a pool named Rohiṇa;

from its spring of water it is adorned with steps of sapphire stone,

surrounded on all four sides by outer crystal platforms,

charming, filled with waters that remove masses of sin.

In the middle of its eastern platform, cooled by the shade of the banyan,

resides the God made of sapphire, bearing the discus and mace,

measuring eighty-one aṅgulas, standing upon a golden lotus.

His forehead surpasses the beauty of a crescent moon of the eighth lunar day;

his eyes seem intent on disdaining the splendour of a pair of smiling blue lotuses.

The rising nectar-moon of his face releases one from the three afflictions;

he is made lovely by the sesamum flower shone upon by his two nostrils.

Though his body is of stone, his lower lip is bathed in a gentle smile;

charming are his chin and jaw, with cheeks blossoming in laughter;

the two corners of his mouth are truly fashioned like no others before.

Bearing auspicious lower lip, cheeks, chin, and corners of the mouth recessed in laughter,

the God serves as a model for artisans like Viśvakarman and others.

With his pair of ears adorned with ear-ornaments shaped like makara mouths,

he derides the full moon between Jupiter and Venus;

by the region of his neck producing the beauty of a necklace for onlookers,

he causes suspicion that the pearl originated from a right-coiled conch.

He has a pair of stout, broad shoulders, and four arms reaching down to his knees;

the all-pervading Lord's chest is adorned with a pure, clear necklace.

He bears the divine Kaustubha reflecting the fourteen worlds;

he is charming with the fine line of body-hair entering the deep pool of his navel,

and the necklace descending through the three folds [of his belly], appearing motionless.

With a girdle-band of fine gems and a string of tinkling pearls,

the God's hips shine as vessels of the world’s loveliness.

Adorned with yellow garments and a long-hanging pearl garland around his waist,

his two pillar-like shanks serve as an auspicious gateway to liberation.

With rounded, symmetrical knees, a garland reaching to the forefeet,

and two anklets rich in gems, the feet of the Lord shine resplendent.

Adorned with necklaces, bracelets, armlets, crowns, and other ornaments,

Keśava, who embodies knowledge, self-hood, sovereignty, and the Sound-Brahman,

bears these very principles transformed into his discus, lotus, mace, and conch.

The god illuminating all quarters stands atop the blue mountain (Nīlādri),

beholding whom and bowing with devotion, one is freed from the bondage of the body. // 32

Lakṣmī stands at his left side, embraced by the lotus-handed one,

intent on playing the lute, her eyes fixed upon the Lord's face, // 33

the dwelling-place of all beauty, adorned with all ornaments.

Indeed, I saw those two parents of the world standing on the mountain, // 34

silent, yet bestowing grace with smiling eyes upon those who look upon them.

I understood them to be alive, O king, for the sake of granting grace to the wretched. // 35

Śeṣa stood behind, his multitude of hoods serving as an umbrella;

in front was seen Sudarśana, endowed with form, // 36

and behind him was Garuḍa standing with folded hands.

Having thus seen that wonderful form of the Lord of Śrī in person, // 37

the mind, as if pulled by cords, runs straight to that very place.

If good deeds earned through many thousands of births // 38

have ripened all at once for someone, he indeed sees Him.

Even by baths at sacred fords, austerities, gifts, sacrifices to the gods, and vows, // 39

a mortal is not able to behold such a Puruṣottama. // 2.2.10.40

Those who meditate on Viṣṇu situated at Puruṣottama, of blue form and radiant like a spotless sky,

their bonds destroyed, enter the city of Viṣṇu, reaching which one grieves no more here. // 41

Whatever manifold fruits of action are taught for men through the eighteen branches of knowledge,

all of that taken together amounts to but a hundredth part of the vision of this Viṣṇu. // 42

What more need be said in this regard, O king? As far as a man’s mind conceives of desires,

he will obtain far more than that by bowing to the Lord of Nīlādri, through the greatness of that sacred land. // 43

He alone is the true giver, he the sacrificer in rites, the speaker of truth, and he indeed of righteous conduct,

highest in all virtues through all existences, by whom the Lord of Nīlādri has indeed been seen. // 44

Those servants who are there of Mādhava, the Lord of the world,

from them this māhātmya was learned by me, O king. // 45

Handed down by tradition concerning that [place] since the beginning of creation, ancient

and renowned is this narrative; hearing it, I indeed went there. // 46

Having gone there by your command and having seen the glorious Puruṣottama,

I have reported [it] to you, O king of kings; do as you wish.” // 47

Indradyumna said:

“Having heard of the sin-destroying form of the Lord from an authoritative word,

and by the reception of the divine floral offering, I have achieved my purpose, O holy one! // 48

My sins accumulated through many births have been destroyed,

and I have become qualified for the darśana of the Lord of Śrī here. // 49

With all my heart I shall go with my most prosperous kingdom;

I will make my dwelling there, and establish city and fortresses. // 2.2.10.50

I will sacrifice with the horse-sacrifice ritual for the delight of the foe of Mura;

with a hundred offerings I will worship the Lord of Śrī day after day. // 51

I will please the Teacher of the World through vows, fasts, and observances,

so that he will sprinkle me, who am tormented, with the nectar of his words. // 52

The Lord, directly Nārāyaṇa, the all-pervading, is compassionate to the wretched.”

While he was thus praising the Lord with faith and devotion, // 53

Nārada arrived there, curious to view the worlds.

Seeing that seer coming, the foremost of Vaiṣṇavas, the son of Brahmā, // 54

the king then anticipated the fulfillment of his purpose.

Rising hastily, O brahmins, with water for the feet, arghya, and sipping-water, // 55

bowing down to him seated on an excellent seat, he spoke this with folded hands:

Indradyumna said:

“Today my sacrifices, gifts, study, and austerities have borne fruit, // 56

since the second form of Brahmā has come to my house.

Although, O sage, I have attained my purpose through the favor of your arrival, // 57

still, to please you, what command of yours may I carry out?

For what purpose has my dwelling been purified [by your visit]?” // 58

Jaimini said:

Hearing that speech of the king, soft with devotion and humility,

the son of Brahmā, smiling, spoke to the king:

Nārada said:

“O Indradyumna, best of kings, by the pure multitude of your virtues,

The gods, the perfected beings, and the sages together with Brahmā are delighted [by you].

Each one of your virtues, worthy on its own to establish you,

is desired [by them and] sufficient for residing in Brahmā's abode.

I descended to see Nara, who resides at Badarāśrama;

at the time of meditating upon him, such an endeavor of yours came to be known [to me].

Well resolved, O king! Since such an understanding arose in you,

for devotion arises from repeated practice throughout a thousand births, O king,

toward Mādhava, the Lord of the worlds, whose abode is in the cave of Nīlācala.

Worshiping this very Lord of the universe, the exceedingly wise Grandfather [Brahmā]

fashioned this creation and attained the status of Grandfather.

You are born in his lineage; such devotion is indeed appropriate for you.

Devotion to Viṣṇu yields the fruit of the four aims of life; it is no fruit of slight austerity.

Beginningless ignorance, which greatly strengthens the five afflictions,

is destroyed by this singular devotion to Viṣṇu that arises.

In the forest of worldly existence, which is crowded at every step with distress and peril,

devotion to Viṣṇu alone bestows happiness upon wandering men.

In this ocean of worldly existence, shelterless, surging with the winds of dualities, and very difficult to cross,

devotion to Viṣṇu is remembered as the boat for those who have sunk.

Taking refuge only in Mother Devotion to Viṣṇu, the divine lady,

the righteous, with contented minds, never grieve at all.

For high-souled men who rejoice in drinking the nectar of devotion to Viṣṇu,

who are vessels for liberation, the status of Brahmā is an insignificant gain.

The threefold mass of sins belonging to living beings, which is exceedingly great, O king,

acts like a moth in the great forest fire of devotion to Viṣṇu.

Sacred fords headed by Prayāga and the Gaṅgā, and austerities,

the horse sacrifice, the best of sacrifices, and exceedingly great gifts,

vows, fasts, and observances, even when thousands of them have been accumulated—

the sum of these gathered together and multiplied millions of times

is not proclaimed to equal even a thousandth part of devotion to Viṣṇu.

Jaimini said:

Having heard the māhātmya of devotion to Viṣṇu declared by the divine seer,

the king, desiring to know the essential nature of devotion to Viṣṇu,

spoke this word again to Nārada, accompanied by due reverence:

Indradyumna said:

The greatness of devotion to Viṣṇu has been well explained, O great sage;

the desire to know its essential nature has been in my heart for a long time.

Describe now the defining characteristic of devotion, O best of Vaiṣṇavas!

No other speaker is known to me on the face of the earth than you.

Nārada said:

Well asked, O king, concerning the supreme characteristic of devotion!

I shall explain it truly to you, who are an excellent vessel of devotion.

This is not to be spoken to an unworthy person, to a man who is blind [with ignorance] and whose inner self is impure.

Listen attentively, O sinless king, as it is declared by me:

Devotion to Viṣṇu is eternal, [to be understood] both generally and specifically.

It is said to be devotion because of taking refuge [in him], [concluding] that this is the sole cause

for obtaining absolute bliss and ending the continuous series of sorrows.

It is considered threefold according to the division of the guṇas, and a fourth beyond the guṇas.

For those overwhelmed by desire and anger, who, seeing [something], do not see anything else,

devotion practiced for gain and for harmful sorcery, O king, is tāmasic.

For the sake of superior renown, or out of rivalry with another,

or aiming at the other world by association, that devotion is recorded as rājasic.

Observing that the other world is more enduring, seeing transient worldly phenomena [as perishable],

and not at all abandoning the duties prescribed for one's stage of life and caste,

the devotion that is performed for knowledge of the Self is sāttvic.

[Conceiving that] 'This universe is the Lord of the universe, and there is no other cause;

I am not different from him, nor does he exist apart from me'—

such meditation devoid of external limiting adjuncts, through the excellence of divine love,

is the hard-to-attain devotion called 'non-dual', leading to liberation.

Through sāttvic devotion they attain the abode of Brahmā; through rājasic devotion, the realm of Indra;

and having enjoyed pleasures through tāmasic devotion, they go to the world of the ancestors.

Returning again to the mortal world, [they reverse] that devotion by contrary progression:

One of tamas should cultivate rājasika [devotion], and one of rajas likewise sāttvika [devotion];

Cultivating non-dual contemplation, the sāttvika [devotee] attains liberation.

Having resorted even to a single [type], one proceeds by degrees along the path of liberation.

For one devoid of devotion to Viṣṇu, whatever Vedic and traditional rites [there are],

Atonements and the like, sacred fords, pilgrimages, mortifications and similar austerities,

High birth in a family, crafts, and all worldly ornament—

Their only fruit is bodily affliction, like the adultery of an unchaste woman.

Even one devoid of family conduct, if firm in devotion and having conquered the senses,

Is praiseworthy among all people, but not so a scholar of the eighteen sciences

Who is bereft of devotion, O best of kings, even if of good birth and righteous.

Devotion to Viṣṇu certainly does not arise in a man of small fortune;

Having acquired which with effort, a fulfilled person does not suffer.

That by which one knows the Lord of the Universe is celebrated as knowledge;

That action by which the Blessed Lord is pleased is the destroyer of inauspiciousness.