Skandapurana 2.4.13

Sūta said:

When the best of celestial seers had taken leave of the Lord of Śrī and departed,

Satyā, her face beaming with joy, then spoke to Vāsudeva. // 1

Satyabhāmā said:

I am blessed! I have accomplished my purpose! My life is fruitful!

What gift, religious observance, or tapas was indeed performed by me formerly, // 2

by which, O Lord, I, born a mortal, have come to share half your body?

And in another birth, what was my conduct, who was I, and whose daughter?

Tell me all that—how I became your beloved. // 3

The glorious Kṛṣṇa said:

Listen with a single mind, O beloved, how in a previous birth // 4

you performed meritorious observances; I shall tell you all of it.

At the end of the Kṛta age, there lived in Māyāpurī an excellent twice-born, // 5

named Devaśarman of the Atri lineage, who was fully versed in the Vedas and Vedāṅgas.

When advanced in years, he had a daughter named Guṇavatī. // 6

Sonless, he gave his daughter to his own pupil named Candra;

he regarded him as a son, and that self-controlled one regarded him like a father. // 7

Once the two went to the forest, seeking to gather kuśa grass and firewood;

and the two were slain by a rākṣasa possessing a form equal to death. // 8

Both went to the realm of Viṣṇu by the power of their respective merit.

Then Guṇavatī, hearing that both were killed by a rākṣasa, // 9

afflicted by the grief born of [losing] father and husband, lamented piteously.

Quickly selling all the household utensils, and [performing] that rite, // 10

she then performed their funeral rites according to her ability.

She dwelt in that very city, living as though dead. // 11

Two observances were properly kept by her from birth until death:

the observance of Ekādaśī, and the proper observance of Kārtika. // 12

Thus Guṇavatī truly observed the vows properly year after year.

Once she became afflicted with disease, emaciated, and tormented by fever; // 13

she went slowly, somehow, to the Gaṅgā to bathe, O beloved.

As she entered the water, trembling and distressed by cold, // 14

just then, bewildered, she saw an aerial chariot coming from the sky.

Then, seated in that aerial chariot, she went to the realm of Vaikuṇṭha. // 15

By the merit of the Kārtika observance, she attained my presence.

Then, when, at the request of the gods led by Brahmā, to the earth

I came, all those attendants also departed with me.

Indeed, all these Yādavas are my very attendants, O passionate lady!

Your father was Devaśarman, who is now named Satrājit.

And he who was named Candra is this Akrūra; and you are that auspicious Guṇavatī,

giving me great delight through the merit of the Kārtika observance.

Because earlier a garden of tulasī was made by you at my door,

therefore this wishing-tree has come to your courtyard, O auspicious one.

Because earlier the Kārtika observance was performed from birth until death,

by that [merit] you shall never at any time suffer separation from me.

Satyā said:

"Among the months, why indeed is that month of Kārtika the best?

It is dear to you, O Lord of the gods of gods! Let the reason for that be told."

Śrī Kṛṣṇa said:

"Well asked by you, O beloved! Listen with a one-pointed mind

to the conversation between Pṛthu, the son of Vena, and the great sage Nārada.

When asked in this very way in ancient times by Pṛthu, Nārada spoke.

Nārada said:

'Formerly, there was an asura named Śaṅkha, the son of the ocean.

He indeed snatched away the authorities of the guardians of the worlds, headed by Indra.

The thirty [gods] and others stayed in the fortress of the caves of the Golden Mountain [Meru];

they remained fearful of him. Then the daitya reflected:

"Although the thirty [gods] have had their authority taken away and have been conquered by me,

they appear endowed with strength. What is to be done by me in this matter?

It has been understood by me: the gods are endowed with the power of the Vedic mantras.

I shall take them away; then they will all truly become devoid of power."

Thinking thus, then, observing that Viṣṇu was asleep,

the daitya quickly seized the Vedas of the primeval self-manifest [Brahmā] from Satyaloka.

Carried away by him, those Vedas escaped out of fear of him;

accompanied by the seed-syllables of sacrificial mantras, they entered the waters.

Searching for them, even Śaṅkha, wandering inside the ocean,

did not see them gathered together anywhere at that time, O daitya!

Then Viṣṇu, praised by the gods and awakened, spoke to them:

Viṣṇu said:

"I am the granter of boons, O hosts of gods! By auspicious songs, musical instruments, and the like,

I have been awakened by you on the bright eleventh day of the month of Ūrja [Kārtika].

Therefore, this lunar day is to be honoured; it is exceedingly pleasing to me.

All the Vedas stolen by Śaṅkha are residing in the water.

I shall bring them back, O gods, having slain the son of the ocean.

From this day forward, let the Vedas, accompanied by the seed-syllables of mantras,

always rest in the waters every year during the month of Kārtika.

The best among men who perform morning ritual ablution at this time,

they would all become well-bathed with the concluding baths of sacrifices—of this there is no doubt.

From this day forward, I too shall dwell amidst the waters.

You also, together with the lords of sages, come along with me!

And, O Indra, protection is always to be provided by you to those observing the Kārtika vow."

Having spoken thus, the Lord Viṣṇu, assuming a form resembling a śapharī fish,

fell from the sky into the water while a certain dweller of the Vindhya was watching.

Having slain the asura Śaṅkha, Viṣṇu went to the Badarī forest.

Summoning all the seers there, the Lord commanded this:

Viṣṇu said:

"Search for those Vedas scattered within the waters,

and swiftly bring them from within the waters of the ocean.

Meanwhile, I shall remain at Prayāga accompanied by the hosts of deities."

Nārada said:

'Then, by all those sages endowed with the power of austerity,

those Vedas, accompanied by sacrifices and endowed with their seeds, were drawn up.

Among them, whatever portion was obtained by whomever, that indeed belonged to him.

From that point onward, O king, each one became the seer of that [particular part].'

Then all the sages gathered together and went to Prayāga.

They presented the recovered Vedas to Viṣṇu and the Creator.

Having obtained all the Vedas, Brahmā, filled with joy,

sacrificed with a horse sacrifice, accompanied by the hosts of celestial seers.

At the end of the sacrifice, all the gods quickly made a petition:

The gods said:

O God of gods, Lord of the universe, O Lord, listen to our request!

This is a time of joy for us; therefore, grant us a boon!

In this sacred spot, Brahmā recovered the lost Vedas,

and by your grace, O husband of Ramā, we have received our sacrificial shares.

May this spot on earth be the best for us, increasing merit,

and may it always bestow worldly enjoyment and liberation by your grace.

May this time also be of great merit, purifying even those who have slain a brahmin;

and may what is given here become inexhaustible. Grant us such a boon!

Viṣṇu said:

O gods, that which has been stated by you is chosen by me as well.

So be it! It shall be easily attained and famous as the sacred field of Brahmā.

A king born of the solar dynasty will bring Gaṅgā here.

And here she will unite with Kālindī, the daughter of the Sun.

And let all of you, headed by Brahmā, dwell with me.

This sacred ford shall be renowned as the King of Sacred Fords.

All sins are destroyed by the darśana of the King of Sacred Fords.

When the sun enters Capricorn, it destroys the sins of those who bathe.

May this period also always bestow the fruit of great merit upon men:

the fruit such as dwelling in the same realm [as the deity] through ritual ablutions in the month of Māgha, when the sun is in Capricorn.

Nārada said:

Having said that to the gods, the God of gods vanished right there along with the Creator.

All the gods too remained with their portions, and Indra and the others vanished.

167a / Whoever worships Hari, the Lord, at the root of a tulasī plant during the month of Kārtika, / having enjoyed all pleasures here, goes to the city of Viṣṇu in the end. // Thus ends the thirteenth chapter, named “The Description of the Context of the Praise of the Prayāga Sacred Ford Preceded by the Narration of the Account of Satyabhāmā's Previous Birth,” in the Māhātmya of the Month of Kārtika in the second section, the Vaiṣṇavakhaṇḍa, in the glorious Skanda Mahāpurāṇa, a collection of eighty-one thousand [verses].