Skandapurana 2.2.36

Jaimini said:

Hereafter I shall describe the excellent festival of sleep.

Starting from the full moon of Āṣāḍha, the slumber of Hari occurs when the sun enters Cancer,

throughout the four rainy months, until the full moon of Kārttika, O twice-born ones.

This is the most sacred time for the worship of Hari.

Whatever fruit is spoken of from dwelling in Kāśī for many yugas, established in vows and restraints,

one should know that [same fruit is obtained] in the sacred field of the glorious Puruṣottama

by dwelling in the presence of Hari for even a single day of Cāturmāsya.

As for the days of the four rainy months that one might spend dwelling

in the sacred field in the presence of Jagannātha, with a pure heart,

he directly obtains the fruit of a thousand horse sacrifices.

Having bathed in the holy water of the ocean and beheld the glorious Puruṣottama,

abiding in the vow of Cāturmāsya, he grieves for nothing whatsoever.

Dwelling in the sacred field of the glorious Puruṣottama during Cāturmāsya

and the direct vision of the Lord—these two are the means to liberation.

Therefore, abandoning all Vedic and Smṛti duties, a man

should make every effort to dwell in the sacred field of the glorious Puruṣottama.

Asleep on the seat of the serpent's coils during Cāturmāsya, the Lord,

the teacher of the universe, does not manifest His presence in all sacred fields;

here He dwells in visible form, just as in the abode of Vaikuṇṭha.

Throughout all twelve months the Lord is embodied here;

seen with one's eyes, He grants liberation, especially during Cāturmāsya.

Whatever fruit one obtains by residing for eight months and beholding Viṣṇu day by day,

he surely obtains that from a single day during the Cāturmāsya.

By residing during the Cāturmāsya in the sacred field Śrī Puruṣottama,

day by day [he gains] the great merit born of residing in all sacred fields;

the Lord grants the fruit derived from residing a year in the sacred field.

Even if attached to every sin, and even if fallen from all proper conduct,

even if cast out from all righteousness, one should reside in Puruṣottama.

If a man who has committed sins should then observe a single Cāturmāsya,

abandoning all sins and becoming pure both outside and within,

by the grace of Narasiṃha he goes to the abode of Vaikuṇṭha.

Therefore, with all one's being, [concentrating] on the sleeping state of Viṣṇu,

a man should reside in Puruṣottama during the four rainy months.

Whether he does anything else or not, he attains the fulfillment of his birth.

On the eleventh day of the bright fortnight of Āṣāḍha, one should celebrate the great festival of sleeping;

there he should prepare a pavilion, an excellent bedchamber,

in front of the god, [preparing] a bed upon a jeweled couch,

well-spread, provided with pillows, with a soft silk bedspread,

sprinkled with camphor dust, having a fine awning, auspicious,

enclosed on all sides, free from holes, sprinkled with sandalwood,

with a good door, level, smooth, and adorned with various pictures.

Having made a single bedchamber, at midnight three images—

either of gold, or of silver, or made of brass, or of stone—

he should make according to his faith; each following one is more commendable.

Having placed them duly at the feet of those three gods,

he should worship the gods and place the remnants upon them.

At the conclusion of the worship, he should meditate on their oneness with Kṛṣṇa and the others:

“Come, come, O Lord, O God, sole life of all worlds!

For four months, for the purpose of sleep, for the increase of all auspiciousness!”

Having thus prayed to the lords of gods, [taking] three garlands from their limbs,

and placing them on each of the substitute images, with auspicious hymns and songs,

he should lead them to the door of the bedchamber and make them stay for three ghaṭikās.

He should bathe them with the five nectars, each [measuring] more than a hundred palas.

Smeared with fragrant sandalwood, with garments, ornaments, and the like,

having worshipped them properly, with folded hands he should utter the mantra:

“O worshipful one of the universe, O Lord of the universe, O you dedicated to protecting the universe!

For the welfare of the worlds, O Lord, during the Cāturmāsya when the clouds arrive,

sleeping, worshipped together with Śakra, pacify all calamities!

Come, come to the bedchamber; sleep pleasantly here, O Lord!”

Having thus prayed to the Lord of gods, he should lay Puruṣottama down to sleep.

He should firmly fasten the door of Viṣṇu's bedchamber;

having put the Lord of the universe to sleep, he obtains supreme happiness.

During the four rainy months, while Janārdana is asleep,

one should spend the four months with various vows and observances.

A devoted man will surely dwell in the world of Viṣṇu for a kalpa.

O sages, listen to me as I speak of the observances and vows!

A devoted man should avoid sleeping on a cot, bedstead, and the like.

He should not go to his wife out of season, [nor consume] meat, honey, or food from another.

He should not eat pointed gourd, radish, or eggplant;

he should avoid forbidden food from afar: lentils, white mustard,

kidney beans, horse gram, and fast-ripening grain he should abandon.

Vegetables, curd, milk, and black gram—in order, starting from the month of Śrāvaṇa;

excepting the king, cowherd, and ascetic, one should not put on leather shoes.

If one spends the four rainy months without vows,

for the pacification of that sin he should observe vows in the month of Kārtika.

“Obeisance to Kṛṣṇa, to Hari, to Keśava, obeisance, obeisance!

Obeisance be to Narasiṃha, to Viṣṇu, the conqueror of sin!”

In the evening, morning, midday, and at the conclusion of rites, he should recite this.

His terrible sins accumulated over many births,

he burns away entirely, like fire [burns] a heap of cotton.

Eating once a day, with restrained food, eating the remnants of Viṣṇu's offerings,

Whoever, making the full moon of Āṣāḍha the beginning and that of Kārttika the limit,

eats only at night—heaven is a small reward for him.

He should avoid oil-massage, sleeping during the day, and speaking falsehood.

On the eleventh day of the bright half of Āṣāḍha, or at the Cancer solstice,

or on the full moon of Āṣāḍha, a person undertaking the observance should devoutly adopt the rule.

Having worshipped god Madhusūdana, the destroyer of all sins,

making the resolve before him regarding the observance, worship, recitation, and other rites,

the practitioner of the observance, with palms joined together, should pray to the Supreme Bliss:

"O Lord, the cāturmāsya observance has been undertaken by your grace;

by your grace, O Keśava, may it reach fulfillment without obstacle.

If in the midst of this observance my departure to the other world should occur,

then let it be complete for me by your grace, O Adhokṣaja!"

Having thus prayed to the Lord of gods, established in the previously stated rule,

the practitioner of the observance, with mind dedicated to Viṣṇu, should spend the four months.

At the end of each month, one should perform the breaking of the fast for the pleasure of Kṛṣṇa.

Having worshipped the Lord of the world, he should feed brahmins with sweet foods.

One who is unable, however, should break the excellent observance on the full moon of Kārttika.

Having worshipped Jagannātha on that day, he should then satisfy [the deity] residing in fire.

He should honour the foremost brahmins with sweet milk-rice through devotion to Viṣṇu.

According to his ability, he should indeed give gold and clothing.

If unable, he should perform the previously described observance in the month of Kārttika:

and the manifold observance of Viṣṇu, as well as the kṛcchra and cāndrāyaṇa penances.

Whoever passes [the time] drinking milk, or else living on a diet of vegetables,

having enjoyed vast pleasures here, attains supreme nirvāṇa.

If he should be unable even in that regard, then during the excellent five days of Bhīṣma

the practitioner of the observance should subsist on forest fare for the pleasure of the God of gods.

This observance has been proclaimed as that which brings about the Lord's pleasure,

calms all sins, and grants departure to the realm of Viṣṇu;

it brings fortune, renown, long life, and accomplishes all desires.

O sages, this secret has been told to you; hear another:

These observances and many other observances,

know them to be completely fruitless for those devoid of devotion to the Lord!

Whatever fruit belongs to great sacrifices, whatever excellent fruit to sacred fords,

and whatever fruit belongs to gifts and to pure austerities,

one attains all of that fruit through devotion to Viṣṇu alone.

Those great-souled ones who behold the excellent festival of [the Lord's] sleep,

and those who arrange the festival, do not sleep in a mother's womb.

Having vowed this observance before him at the end of the festival,

and having completed it fully, one is honoured in the world of Brahmā.

Thus ends the thirty-sixth chapter in the Puruṣottamakṣetra-māhātmya in the second Section on Viṣṇu in the glorious Skanda Mahāpurāṇa of eighty-one thousand verses.