Skandapurana 2.3.5

Skanda said:

For what reason does the Lord reside there again with faith?

What is the merit, and what is the fruit of seeing him, touching him, and so forth?

And also the eating of food offerings, and likewise of performing a great worship;

and the fruit of circumambulation—tell me out of compassion, O Father!

Śiva said:

Formerly, in the beginning of the Kṛta Yuga, for the welfare of all beings,

the Lord [dwelt] there embodied, devoted to yoga and austerity.

In the Tretā Yuga indeed, he was wholly intent on the practice of yoga with the hosts of ṛṣis;

and when the Dvāpara arrived, one steadfast in knowledge was indeed hard to find.

The Lord became difficult to see for both ṛṣis and deities;

therefore, the hosts of ṛṣis and the gods, failing to attain the presence of the Lord,

went to the realm of the Self-born [Brahmā], their minds agitated with wonder.

Having gone there and paid homage, they gladly addressed the Lord of the worlds,

placing Bṛhaspati at their head, both the gods and the ṛṣis rich in austerity.

The gods said:

Homage to you, the refuge of all the worlds, who removes the distress of those who seek shelter,

bestower of livelihood, full of compassion, grandfather, lord of the gods!

Our misfortunes must be reported [to you]; you are our father and deliverer. (7)

Brahmā said:

For what reason have you come, your minds bewildered by wonder,

assembled together with the seers? State the cause of your arrival. (8)

The gods said:

Now that Dvāpara has arrived, the broad-minded

Lord is no longer seen at Viśālā. Tell us the reason for that! (9)

Has Viśālā been abandoned [by him], or where has he gone himself from there?

Or is it because of our transgression? And how may he be pleased? (10)

Brahmā said:

I do not know this; indeed, it is only today that I hear it from your mouth.

What is the reason that the Lord has gone beyond your range of sight, O gods?

Come, let us go to the shore of the ocean of milk! (11)

Having been spoken to thus, the denizens of heaven, placing Brahmā at their head,

went, along with the seers rich in austerity, to the shore of the ocean of milk. (12)

Having gone there, to the lord of the universe, god of gods, Vṛṣākapi,

they praised the lord of the world with words of wondrous sense. (13)

Brahmā said:

Homage to you, overseer of the Spirit, dwelling in the cave [of the heart] of all beings,

Vāsudeva, support of all, cause of the world, composed of the universe! (14)

You alone are the cause, the lord, and indeed the refuge of all beings.

Resorting to the power of māyā, you move about, you who alone are beautiful. (15)

He who, being one, appears manifold, the imperishable one who appears like an actor,

though all-pervading, out of compassion a bee to the lotus of his devotees' hearts,

bestows manifold bliss: to that lord of the worlds I bow! (16)

The gods said:

Fire to the forest of people's misfortunes, who assumed goodness, lord of heaven and earth,

the self of the moving and unmoving, the infinite Lord—may he look upon us with side-glances of compassion! (17)

A man who even once is devoted to drinking the nectar-essence of whose name

regards the supreme good as mere grass: to that Hari I pay homage! (18)

Reflected in ignorance, he has attained the condition of the individual soul;

due to true knowledge, his self is tranquilized—may he purify the three worlds! (19)

The Gandharvas said:

Those who drink water with even a drop of contact with the water of Hari's feet never drink milk again and again from a mother's lap.

When men, even incidentally, drink the nectar of his name, dying they go to immortality and never fall below, free from fear. (20)

Then, having been praised, Hari visibly arose from the ocean and spoke.

Unperceived by others, Brahmā alone knew that; no one else. (21)

Then Brahmā, having understood that and bowed to him, O denizens of heaven,

explained everything: 'O gods, listen respectfully!

The Lord disappeared on seeing that the people have evil intellects.' / Hearing these words of his, all the gods went to heaven. (23)

Having heard his words thus, all the gods went to heaven.

'Then I, in the form of an ascetic, having lifted Hari out from the sacred ford named Nārada,

shall install him, desiring the welfare of the world, (24)

by whose mere darśana even great sins

dissolve in an instant, like deer upon seeing a lion. (25)

Having overcome righteousness and unrighteousness, having seen the all-pervading Hari, the lord of Badarī,

they attain liberation without effort, O six-faced one! (26)

The sacred fords have mostly been abandoned by Hari on account of the Kali age;

having reached Badarī, he abides visibly indeed. (27)

Now that the Kali age has arrived, by those who desire liberation

Badarī should be visited, leaving aside all the other sacred fords. (28)

Without knowledge, without yoga, without the hardships of wandering to sacred fords,

a living being attains the state of absolute liberation in a single birth. (29)

He by whom Hari has been worshipped through thousands of other births

may go to see Badarī, where a living being does not grieve. (30)

The best of men who utters, even incidentally, "Badarī, Badarī",

kindles a lamp against the affliction of worldly darkness. (31)

Just as no trouble from darkness arises through the sight of a lamp,

Even so, upon seeing Badarī, whence could fear of death arise for a person?

Beholding whom, sins, though unimpeded, weep,

Perceiving the path of liberation, I bow to that Lord of Badarī.

The earth with its mountains and forests circumambulated ten times—

Such is the circumambulation of Hari, at every single step in Badarī.

Whatever merit is obtained in a horse-sacrifice, and through a hundred Vājapeyas,

Such is [obtained] from circumambulating Hari, at every single step in Badarī.

Whatever merit is in Cāturmāsya, and likewise from the gift of a cosmic egg,

Such is the circumambulation of Hari, at every single step in Badarī.

The good deed that arises through atikṛcchras, mahākṛcchras, and Vedic penances,

Such is the circumambulation of Hari, at every single step in Badarī.

Even a mere grain of boiled rice of Viṣṇu's food offering in Badarī, O Six-faced One,

Purifies sin through its eating, just as a chaff-fire purifies gold.

The food that the Blessed One eats along with seers such as Nārada—

That must be eaten without hesitation by everyone for the purification of being.

That which even the immortals surely desire on every side under various pretexts,

Devoted to that, they go to Badarikā to consume Viṣṇu's food offering.

After the meal of Viṣṇu, they depart to their own abode;

Devotees headed by Prahlāda enter the realm of Hari.

Whatever sin has been knowingly committed in childhood, youth, or old age,

Dissolves through eating Viṣṇu's food offering in Badarī.

A sin for which an expiation ending only with death is prescribed,

Departs upon eating what has been offered to Viṣṇu in Badarī.

At other sacred fords, a mortal attains liberation through exertion;

From eating the food offering of Viṣṇu, a man attains residence in his realm.

He whose heart holds [Hari's] form, whose mouth [his] name, whose belly the food offering of Hari,

And on whose head is the foot-washing water together with the sanctified remnants, is himself Acyuta.

Brahmin-murder, drinking liquor, theft, intercourse with a guru's wife—

These go to complete destruction from eating the food offering of Viṣṇu in Badarī.

There is no sacred field equal to Badarī; there is no wealth equal to the food offering;

A sacred field equal to the one belonging to Nārada has never existed, nor will it ever exist.

Badarī should be visited with effort; that which is offered should be eaten;

The Blessed One should be seen; a ritual ablution in the Vahnitīrtha is very difficult to obtain.

Whatever sacred fords, observances, and restraints exist on earth—

The foot-washing water in Viśālā is purifying beyond them.

What need has he of gifts, austerity, or the fatigue of wandering to sacred fords,

If he should obtain even a mere drop of Viṣṇu's foot-washing water in Badarī?

They talk of expiations only so long, O Six-faced One,

As long as the foot-washing water of Viṣṇu in Badarī is not obtained.

Or, for those men who desire the path to liberation without exertion,

The eating of Viṣṇu's food offering must be performed by them with diligence.

Those men who accept gifts, sinful and bound to transmigration,

For them the fruit produced by the pilgrimage never arises at all.

From reviling Viṣṇu's food offering, they are condemned, having fallen into darkness;

From eating the food offering, there is indeed purification of being, without doubt.

Those who, personally bringing the food offering, feed brahmins—

What need have they of the fruit of the gift of a man's weight in gold? Their purpose is achieved.

Having arrived at Kurukṣetra when the sun is seized by Rāhu,

The merit from a great gift is obtained in Badarī from a mere mouthful [of the food offering].

Having reached the sacred field of Badarī, even a mere mouthful with effort [pleases Hari].

This is the great means for pleasing Hari there in Badarī:

By feeding ascetics Viṣṇu's [food], even an offender becomes beloved.

There is no deity equal to Viṣṇu; there is no city equal to Viśālā;

There is no recipient equal to an ascetic; there is certainly none equal to the sacred ford of the seers.

Those meritorious men who observe Cāturmāsya [there],

The fruit of their merit cannot be stated even by Brahmā.

The attainment of fruit for mendicants is proclaimed here especially:

The tenfold merit that is proclaimed from hearing the Vedānta,

That is granted to mendicants by the mere sight of Badarī.

Especially in Cāturmāsya, they become partake of the fruit of absolute liberation.

For renunciants at the abode of Badarī [liberation is attained] without effort, my son.

Even those who are foolish, sunken in dullness, or wearing ochre robes out of deceit—

from the darśana of Badarī, liberation lies in the palm of their hand.

Whether learned or ignorant, renunciants of strict vows,

wishing to attain its fruits, must behold Badarī.

Having heard this sacred chapter, even in passing, a man,

freed from all sins, is glorified in the world of Viṣṇu.

Thus ends the fifth chapter, in the dialogue between Śiva and Kārttikeya in the Māhātmya of Badarikāśrama, in the Vaiṣṇava Section of the eighty-one-thousand-verse collection of the glorious Skanda Mahāpurāṇa.