Skandapurana 2.2.25

Jaimini said:

When this was said, Nārada, deliberating according to the scriptures,

wrote it down in order on a leaf and presented it to that king. // 1

The king, too, hearing that document and considering it again and again,

handed over whatever was written there to Padmanidhi: // 2

"Procure [them], O Padmanidhi! Make a golden pavilion,

a divine residence for Brahmā, and an immaculate one for the brahmin seers; // 3

for Indra and the other gods, for the Siddhas, for the inhabitants of the mortal realm,

for the chief sages, and for the dwelling of the kings who dwell in Pātāla; // 4

likewise for the serpent-kings, O treasure, and for the inhabitants of the three worlds.

Unflaggingly, house by house, equipped with appropriate seats, // 5

quickly have the entire collection of materials prepared, O treasure!

Viśvakarman also will render assistance to you." // 6

To Indradyumna, who was issuing these orders, that sage said:

"Aside from the provisions, this must be done with careful arrangement: // 7

a triad of fine chariots, well-fashioned with gold, decorated

with silk, necklaces of jewels, and the like, very costly, strong, and large. // 8

The chariot of glorious Vāsudeva should be marked with the Garuḍa banner;

let a lotus banner be fixed at the top of Subhadrā's chariot. // 9

A chariot with sixteen wheels should be made with effort for Viṣṇu,

one with fourteen for Bala, and one with twelve for Subhadrā. // 10

The chariot of the wielder of the discus should have a width of sixteen cubits,

fourteen for Bala, and twelve for Subhadrā. // 11

He is the seat of the worlds, repeatedly; he is himself the embodiment of his own seat;

in his conveyance lies the destruction of the worlds, therefore there is no [ordinary] vehicle. // 12

He sees the moving and unmoving universe in the spotless mirror of knowledge;

a spotless mirror is always located on the palm of his hand. // 13

Because it is in the palm (tala), it is a palm-tree (tāla); the Lord is always marked by it;

therefore, that belongs to Śeṣa, who has incarnated as Balabhadra. // 14

Or rather, for the plow-bearer, the plow itself should be made as the supreme banner;

a spotless banner is to be made, hence it is considered a palm-tree banner (tāladhvaja). // 15

This deity must not be placed upon an unconsecrated chariot, O king;

in a temple, in a hall, or in a city, that would become fruitless. // 16

"Therefore, the consecration of Hari's chariot must certainly be performed first.

Let the provisions for it be prepared; and it must indeed be carried out by me.

Having obtained this instruction from my father, O king, I shall quickly come [back]."

Hearing that speech of his, the triad of chariots was constructed

in a single day by Viśvakarman with materials procured from the treasury:

with excellent axles, excellent wheels, excellent pillars, very spacious, with beautiful archways,

with splendid standards and fine banners, delightful with diverse decorative work,

adorned with arrays of sculpted figures of couples in varied embraces,

embellished with half-gold, resembling the very chariot of the Sun,

with a rumble deep as a cloud, endowed with ropes for pulling when seen,

yoked with horses swift as wind, a hundred in number and radiant white.

It was consecrated by Nārada according to the injunctions of the scriptures,

at an auspicious ascendant, an auspicious muhūrta, and on a favorable lunar day indicated by astrology.

The sages said:

O venerable Jaimini, tell us; for we consider you omniscient.

By what rite should this chariot of Hari be consecrated?

Tell us accurately, so that we may know the full details of the ritual.

Jaimini said:

How it was consecrated by that high-souled Nārada,

that rite I shall tell you, just as it was seen by me formerly.

Having erected a very beautiful pavilion in the northeast direction of the chariot,

and having made a hall in its center, [he made] a spotless altar there,

four-cornered, measuring four cubits, and one cubit high, O twice-born ones.

On the night preceding the day of consecration, to the north, at an auspicious

muhūrta, having recited auspicious benedictions, he should perform the offering of sprouts;

and having given offerings to the thirty-two deities according to rule,

in the morning he should then draw a diagram in the middle of the altar:

either a lotus or a svastika; and he should place a water-pot there.

The wise [priest] should fill its interior with the decoction of five trees,

sacred waters from the Gaṅgā and other rivers, sprouts together with earth,

all kinds of perfumes, the five jewels, and the collection of all medicinal herbs.

Having filled it according to rule, the preceptor, pure and facing east,

meditating on Viṣṇu, should subsequently fill it with the five products of the cow;

tied with fine cloth at its neck, with garlands and very beautiful perfumes,

furnished with fruits and sprouts, and having auspicious festive threads tied [to it].

There he should worship the Lord of gods, the flawless Narasiṃha,

with the king of mantras according to rule, and with internal offerings;

having prayed [to him] for grace, and invoking that Hari into it,

he should worship him with various external offerings according to rule, O twice-born ones.

To the northwest of that water-pot, sacrificial twigs, clarified butter, and boiled oblation-rice,

one thousand and eight [oblations], the guru should offer into the fire according to rule;

and at the end of that, he should place the residual drops into the middle of the pot.

Having made the chariot very beautiful with banners, perfumes, and garlands,

he should sprinkle all its parts with scented sandalwood water.

He should fumigate it with black agallochum, amid sounds of conches and large horns;

and having installed Samīraṇa upon the banner of that Nṛsiṃha,

and having worshipped [him] according to rule with red garlands, perfumes, and wreaths,

he should then pray to Suparṇa, reciting this mantra:

"He who is the cause of life for the universe, the body and the very form of the chariot-banner of Hari, / by merely meditating upon whom the embryos of the serpent-wives spontaneously fall away;

whose face is marked with the muddy blood and fat of serpents crushed by his darting, fierce, and large beak— / I bow to him, who is composed of Vedic meters, the spotless, golden-hued King of Birds, Suparṇa!"

Amid the sounds of Vedic chants, blasts of conches, and vast arrays of musical instruments,

he should install it atop the chariot, reciting the beautiful hymn.

[Taking] that water-pot above it, inundating the chariot all around,

he should sprinkle it together with the Brahmā priest, reciting the king of mantras three times.

Then, having offered the final oblation, he should give a sacrificial fee to the Brahmā priest;

he should give a fee to the preceptor, such that that guru is satisfied.

At the end, he should feed the brahmins with milk-rice pudding, honey, and clarified butter.

For Balabhadra, he should perform [the rites] with the twelve-syllabled mantra;

and for the plow-banner, 'lāṅgalaṃ' and 'paviravan' should be the mantra;

or the twelve-syllabled one is also proclaimed as the root mantra.

Likewise, the chariot of Bhadrā is to be consecrated with the Lakṣmīsūkta:

"From the lake of the navel of Murāri, you bear the form of the collection of universes,

the seat of the four-faced [Brahmā], the abode of Śrī—be firmly fixed!"

Having recited this mantra, one should raise the lotus-banner.

This particular difference applies to the sacrificial offerings for the three [chariots] individually:

one should offer five oblations for each, distributed respectively.

Having thus consecrated the chariots, one should give gold, a cow, clothing,

and grain as a priestly fee with full devotion to the God.

When the chariot is thus consecrated there and well adorned,

having placed the God upon it according to rule, preceded by the chanting of the Veda,

with shouts of victory and auspicious words, preceded by various musical instruments,

with the waving of fly-whisks, incense, and rains of flowers,

the chariot was drawn by brahmins, kṣatriyas, and vaiśyas;

or by well-marked horses, or by tamed oxen,

or it should be pulled vigilantly by men who are devotees of Viṣṇu,

having pleased all the people with foods, drinks, and ointments.

Upon the chariot, [one should offer] an oblation to the gods with the mantra, O twice-born:

"May the gods receive this offering, O Ādityas and Vasus,

Maruts, Aśvins, Rudras, birds, serpents, planets,

asuras, yātudhānas, and the deities standing on the chariot,

guardians of the quarters, guardians of the world, and the obstacles and Vināyakas,

and the divine great seers: may they grant well-being to the universe!

May these bring about freedom from obstacles; let there be no adversaries;

and may the daityas and the hosts of spirits be benevolent and satisfied!"

Then the God is drawn along level ground while reciting

the mantra, the Vaiṣṇava Gāyatrī, the purifying sūkta of Viṣṇu,

with the purifying Vāmadevya hymns, the Mānastoka hymns, and the Rathaṃtara chants.

Then, with the sound of musical instruments raised amidst the proclamation of an auspicious day,

the chariot should be drawn very slowly out of affection for the wielder of the discus [Viṣṇu].

I will tell the portents regarding the chariot here, O best of the twice-born:

if the pole breaks, there is danger for brahmins; if the axle breaks, destruction of kṣatriyas;

if the balance-beam breaks, ruin of vaiśyas; by [the breaking of] the yoke-pin, there will be danger for śūdras;

if the yoke breaks, drought; if the chariot-seat breaks, danger for the subjects;

if the wheel of the chariot breaks, one should expect an invasion by enemy armies.

If the banner falls, O priests, another king surely arises;

if the image breaks, one should predict the king's death.

If the chariot overturns, O priests, all the inhabitants of the land perish.

When such inauspicious portents and the like arise,

one should again perform the offering of oblations and likewise a pacification fire-sacrifice;

one should repeatedly feed brahmins and indeed give grains.

One should prepare a fire in the north-eastern direction of the chariot

and offer oblations of sacrificial sticks with clarified butter, honey, and ghee, both ends and roots,

using palāśa wood, O best of the twice-born, the initiated priest using the king of mantras,

to Soma, to Agni, to the creatures, and to the Lord of creatures,

and to the planets, to Brahmā, and finally to the guardians of the directions.

Wherever defects appear on the chariot, there and there the initiated priest

should make offerings with the consecration mantra; excellence will ensue everywhere.

Together with the brahmins, he should perform the recitation of peace at the conclusion of the fire-sacrifice:

"May there be well-being for the priests; may there always be well-being for the king;

well-being for cows, for subjects; may there truly be peace for the world!

May there always be well-being for the two-footed, peace for the four-footed;

likewise may there be welfare for subjects, and welfare within ourselves!

May there be peace and what is auspicious for the God, and for earth, atmosphere, and sky;

may there be peace and what is auspicious; may there be well-being for us on all sides!

O God, you are the creator of the world and truly its nourisher alone;

protect the subjects, O Lord of gods; establish peace, O Lord of the world!"

And for the person who is the cause of the procession, and for the king,

having ascertained the malefic planets, one should perform a pacification of the planets.

Thus ends the twenty-fifth chapter in the Māhātmya of Puruṣottama Sacred Field, in the second section, the Vaiṣṇavakhaṇḍa, of the glorious Skanda Mahāpurāṇa, in the collection of eighty-one thousand [verses].