Skandapurana 2.4.36

Brahmā said:

Those three auspicious lunar days at the end of the bright fortnight

in the month of Kārttika, O chief of brahmins, ending with the full moon day, bring good fortune. // 1

Known as the Antipuṣkariṇī, they bring about the destruction of all sins.

Whoever performs the full ritual ablution in the month of Kārttika, // 2

by ritual ablution on these lunar days, he obtains that very full reward.

On the thirteenth day, all the Vedas arrive and purify living beings; // 3

on the fourteenth, the gods along with sacrifices purify living beings;

on the full moon day, the auspicious sacred fords are situated by Viṣṇu. // 4

Whether killers of brahmins or drinkers of liquor, they purify all living beings.

Whoever bathes with warm water on the three days beginning with the Kārttika full moon, // 5

goes to the Raurava hell for as long as fourteen Indras [reign].

One incapable of the rule for the entire month should observe it during these three days; // 6

having obtained the full fruit by that, he rejoices in the abode of Viṣṇu.

That man who, directed toward the gods, the ancestors, Viṣṇu, or the teacher, // 7

does not perform ritual ablution and the like—he surely goes to hell.

A householder who feeds his family during those three days, // 8

having redeemed all his ancestors, goes to the supreme abode.

And whoever recites the Gītā during the final three days, // 9

attains day after day the fruit of horse sacrifices, without a doubt.

Whoever recites the thousand names [of Viṣṇu] during the three days,

is never tainted by sins, like a lotus leaf by water.

Some men [have attained] divine status, and some have attained perfection itself.

Who in heaven or on earth is able to describe the fruit of its merit?

He who listens to the scripture of the Bhāgavata for three days—

by some the state of Brahman was attained through devotion during the three days.

Liberation [is attained] through knowledge of Brahman, or through dying at Prayāga,

or else through observance during the three days in the month of Kārttika.

He who performs the worship of Hari during the three days in Kārttika

has no rebirth even after hundreds of millions of kalpas.

In the month of Kārttika, O best of brahmins, all [is auspicious] in the final three days;

even there, sinless one, special merit belongs to the full moon day.

Rising at dawn, one should perform purification, ritual ablution, and the like.

Having completed all rites, one should perform the worship of Viṣṇu.

Either in a garden or at home on the Kārttika full moon, devoted to Viṣṇu,

one should construct a pavilion there, adorned with banana trunks,

covered with mango sprouts, and well adorned with sugarcane stalks.

Having decorated it with variegated cloths, one should worship the God there.

One should worship Hari with abundant mango sprouts, flowers, fruits, and the like.

A pure man, observing the vows, should listen to the Ūrjamāhātmya,

either completely, or a chapter, or even a single verse.

Or one should listen to the sacred story day by day for a muhūrta.

If a man is unable to listen every day,

he should listen during a sacred month or on a sacred lunar day.

By the power of that merit, a person becomes freed from sin.

A wise man, knowledgeable in the Purāṇas, pure, capable, calm, devoid of envy,

virtuous, compassionate, and eloquent, should recite the sacred story.

When the Purāṇa-reciter has mounted the seat of Vyāsa,

he should bow to no one until the end of the discourse.

A wise man should not recite the sacred story in a place crowded with wicked people,

nor in one overrun by śūdras or beasts of prey, nor in a gambling den.

Filled with faith and devotion, not longing for other business,

restrained in speech, pure, and attentive, the listeners share in merit.

Those wretched men who listen to the sacred story without devotion—

they have no fruit of merit, and there is suffering for them birth after birth.

And at the end of the month, intent on devotion, one should honor the Purāṇa-reciter

with perfumes, garlands, as well as garments, ornaments, and wealth.

Those who listen to the story with devotion are neither poor nor sinful.

Those men who go elsewhere while the story is being recited—

at the end of their enjoyment, their wives and riches perish.

A man seated on a high seat who does not bow down [in respect]

[becomes] a poisonous tree; and likewise, one who sleeps [during the recital] becomes a python in the forest.

Those men who cause disruption while the story is being recited,

after suffering in hells for ten million years, become village pigs.

Those men who cause the auspicious Purāṇic narrative to be heard

dwell in the realm of Brahmā for full hundreds of millions of kalpas.

Those men who provide for the Purāṇa-knower for the sake of a seat

blankets, antelope skins, cloths, a couch, or a wooden board,

and the men who provide garments to wear,

[and] provide ornaments and the like, shall dwell in the abode of Brahmā.

When the reciter is pleased, all the gods are pleased.

Therefore, a person endowed with devotion and faith should satisfy [him] with devotion.

His fruit of merit becomes complete indeed; there is no doubt.

Whatever fruit is obtained in all sacrifices and in all gifts,

a man attains that fruit just by hearing a Purāṇa once.

Especially in the Kali age, apart from the hearing of Purāṇas,

there is no higher dharma for men, no higher path to liberation.

Other than listening to Purāṇas and chanting the name of Viṣṇu, there is nothing higher.

Whoever hears this Ūrjamāhātmya or recites it to others,

he obtains the fruit of going to Badarī, king of sacred fords.

[It is] auspicious, removing all diseases and destroying all sins. (40)

And having heard it all at once, one who is devoted to approaching forbidden women,

and the seller of his daughter or sister—[this text] liberates both. (41)

Whoever, having heard this māhātmya, worships the reciter

with cows, land, gold, and garments—for he is indeed equal to Viṣṇu. (42)

The Dharmaśāstra, the Purāṇa, and whatever Vedic learning and the like [there is],

that book should indeed be given to the reciter by one desiring dharma.

For those who bestow the knowledge of the Purāṇas enjoy endless fruit. (43)

Whoever reads this with devotion, and having heard it, holds it in mind,

is freed from all sins and goes to the realm of Viṣṇu. (44)

This must never be told to anyone devoid of faith, [or] evil-minded. (45)

Without worshipping the guru, the preacher of dharma, with foremost intellect and undivided mind,

having experienced tortures in the hells, one will surely suffer misery in another birth. (46)

Therefore, one should worship with devotion the guru, the illuminator of truth. / This is only a fraction of the māhātmya that has been spoken by me to you, sinless one. (47)

[This segment is included in the previous line / duplicate verse division: This is only a fraction of the māhātmya that has been spoken by me to you, sinless one. (47)]

For it cannot be spoken completely even in hundreds of years. / Formerly, on the summit of Kailāsa, Śiva spoke to Pārvatī; (48)

[Formerly, on the summit of Kailāsa, Śiva spoke to Pārvatī; (48)]

speaking the māhātmya of Kārtika for as long as a hundred years,

even so he did not reach the end; being unable [to complete it], he paused. (49)

One seeking a son, one seeking wealth, and one seeking a kingdom shall obtain their desired fruit.

What need of saying much here? One seeking liberation shall attain liberation. (50)

Sūta said:

Having been thus addressed by Brahmā, Nārada, overwhelmed with love,

bowed again and again and went away, a sage wandering at will. (51)

It was also told by Śaṃkara to his son out of a desire for his welfare;

hearing that speech of his father, the six-faced one was filled with joy. (52)

The majesty of Kārtika was also spoken by Kṛṣṇa to Satyabhāmā;

delighted by it, Satyā then performed the vow. (53)

The seers, having heard the supreme māhātmya from the Vālakhilyas,

became devoted to the vow of Ūrja; therefore, Ūrja is exceedingly dear. (54)

Having studied all the treatises, [this has been] extracted like the essence of milk;

there is no auspicious treatise equal to this, causing delight to Viṣṇu. (55)

Vyāsa said:

Having spoken thus to all those seers, Sūta, the foremost knower of dharma,

then paused; and they then performed worship to him. (56)

Having returned to their own hermitage, those supreme seers, being delighted,

performed the auspicious vow just as was taught by Sūta. (57)

Those who indeed perform the vow of Kārtika according to this rite,

they, freed from all sins, go to the dwelling of Viṣṇu. (58)

Thus ends the thirty-sixth chapter, named 'Description of the Greatness of Listening to the Purāṇa Preceded by the Narration of the Māhātmya of the Final Three Lunar Days Named Puṣkariṇī,' in the Kārtikamāsamāhātmya in the second Vaiṣṇavakhaṇḍa of the glorious Skanda Mahāpurāṇa, a collection of eighty-one thousand [verses]. (36)

Thus ends the Kārtikamāsamāhātmya with commentary, in the second Vaiṣṇavakhaṇḍa of the glorious Skanda Mahāpurāṇa.

Thus ends the thirty-sixth chapter, named 'Description of the Greatness of Listening to the Purāṇa,' in the commentary on the Kārttikamāsamāhātmya composed by Harikṛṣṇa Śāstrī, son of Veṅkaṭarāma, crest-jewel of the astrologers' family. (36)