Skandapurana 2.5.16: adhyāyaḥ 16

The Blessed Lord said:

"Listen to the meditation, O four-faced one; with a pleased mind I shall tell it,

by merely hearing which a human being attains good fortune on earth. // 1

"Now, [one should meditate on him] inside a brilliant jewelled pavilion upon a golden ground surrounded by a glorious garden,

mounted upon a lotus-throne established on a radiant jewelled platform arisen beneath a shining wish-fulfilling tree, // 2

possessing the lustre of a great sapphire, very young, with dishevelled hair falling to the edges of a face smeared with jaggery,

whose charming face resembles a fully blown lotus surrounded by swarms of bees, possessing glorious blue-lotus eyes, // 3

his blossoming cheeks illuminated by dangling earrings, with an exquisite nose, lovely crimson lower lip, and gently smiling mouth,

shining with various glittering throat ornaments, bearing a tiger-claw amulet, with beautiful eyes, // 4

his chest greyed with the dust raised by cows, his well-nourished limbs radiant with gold ornaments,

girded at the waist and upon the pair of charming shanks and thighs with a cord of jingling bells, // 5

laughing, with the noble splendor of lotus hands and feet resembling the radiance of the shining bandhujīva flower,

holding milk-rice in his right hand, and holding fresh, pure clarified butter from yesterday's milk in his left hand, // 6

the fire consuming the hordes of enemies of the gods who were a burden to the earth, engaged in slaying Pūtanā and others,

the Lord surrounded by a multitude of cowherdesses and cowherds, praised by the lords of gods and others, the God of gods. // 7

"Having worshipped Kṛṣṇa early in the morning and remembered him, bowed in devotion with [hymns like] the Snake-King's Thunderbolt,

one should please him with white lotuses, fresh butter, and milk mixed with curds. // 8

The man who thus worships Acyuta every single day early in the morning, constantly endowed with faith,

shall soon obtain complete fortune here, and having departed, shall attain the pure, supreme abode. // 9

"The mantra, enchanting to the worlds, was spoken earlier, O son;

it is indeed named after the glorious Dāmodara. Hear about those who are qualified for it: // 2.5.16.10

This king of mantras must not be given by you to an unfit person, O son.

And it should be kept secret with effort, a secret that bestows swift perfection. // 11

[A student who is] lazy, dirty, afflicted, full of hypocrisy and delusion,

destitute, diseased, angry, lustful, eager for pleasures, // 12

seized by envy and jealousy, deceitful, harsh-spoken,

having wealth acquired unjustly, always attached to another's wife, // 13

ever the enemy of learned men, ignorant yet fancying himself wise,

fallen from vows, miserable in conduct, slanderous, wicked-minded, // 14

gluttonous, cruel in action, foremost among the wicked,

miserly, sinful, violent, terrifying to his dependents— // 15

a disciple endowed with such qualities [a guru] must not accept.

If he should accept [such a one], that student's fault would generally affect the guru. // 16

Just as the minister's fault [affects] the king, [and] the wife's fault the husband,

so the fault committed by a disciple undoubtedly reaches the guru. // 17

Therefore, the guru should always examine the disciple before accepting him:

one devoted in body, mind, and speech to serving the guru, // 18

of non-stealing conduct, possessed of faith, striving for liberation,

ever devoted to celibacy, firm in vows, free from blemish, // 19

cheerful of heart, pure, non-deceitful, clean in intention,

intent upon helping others, and devoid of desire for his own gain, // 20

bringing satisfaction to his guru with his own mind, wealth, and body,

likewise bringing satisfaction to dependents, O son, pure— // 21

to such a disciple he should impart the mantra, and not otherwise.

If he should speak [it] otherwise, a curse of the deity will fall upon him. // 22

Listen, O son: I shall also proclaim the characteristics of the guru.

Endowed with these marks indeed, he becomes a guru unto men: // 23

even-minded, tranquil of soul, free from anger, a friend to men,

virtuous, great, impartial in the world—he is proclaimed a guru. // 24

Constantly observant of my vows, highly esteemed by Vaiṣṇavas,

devoted to narratives that take refuge in me, ever delighting in my festivals, // 25

an ocean of compassion, truly accomplished in purpose, benefactor of all living beings,

free from desire, accomplished in all respects, skilled in all sciences, // 26

cutter of all doubts, not indolent, a revered guru,

a brahmin who knows all seasons, who bestows grace upon all. // 27

Endowed with the aforementioned qualities, a disciple, from such a guru,

should receive that mantra, O son, in [the month of] Mārgaśīrṣa, which is my course. // 28

And the wise man should undertake the observance of Vaiṣṇava vows;

he should constantly listen to the supreme Śrīmadbhāgavata, dear to me. // 29

The Purāṇa named Śrīmadbhāgavata, renowned throughout the world,

he should hear with faith, as a cause of my delight. // 30

The man who daily recites the Bhāgavata Purāṇa,

for every syllable, his will be the fruit born of gifting a tawny cow. // 31

Half a verse or a quarter of a verse originating from the Bhāgavata,

whoever recites or hears [it] daily, obtains the fruit of a thousand cows. // 32

The one who, self-controlled, daily recites a verse of the Bhāgavata, O son,

that mortal attains the fruit of the eighteen Purāṇas. // 33

Where my story is ever [told], there dwell the Vaiṣṇavas;

those men indeed are beyond Kali who constantly worship me. // 34

Those men who worship the scriptures of the Vaiṣṇavas in their home,

are freed from all sin and become praised by the gods. // 35

Those who daily worship the Bhāgavata scripture in their home in the Kali [age],

they clap their arms and leap for joy; I am pleased with them. // 36

For as many days, O son, as the Bhāgavata scripture remains in a home,

for so long the ancestors drink milk, clarified butter, honey, and water. // 37

Those who give the Bhāgavata scripture with devotion to a Vaiṣṇava,

they dwell in my world for thousands of crores of kalpas. // 38

The men who always worship the Bhāgavata scripture in their home,

by them the gods are delighted until the dissolution of all beings. // 39

Even half a verse or a quarter of a verse of the Bhāgavata in one's home is superior;

what is the use of other collections of scriptures by the hundreds or thousands? // 40

In whose home in Kali the Bhāgavata scripture does not dwell,

there is never any release for him from the noose of Yama.

How can he be known as a Vaiṣṇava in the Kali [age], in whose house

the Bhāgavata scripture does not reside? Indeed, he is lower than an outcaste dog-cooker.

Even at the cost of all his possessions, O lord of the worlds, an acquisition of the scripture should be made

by a Vaiṣṇava, always with devotion, for my pleasure, O dear son.

Wherever the sacred Bhāgavata scripture is found in the Kali [age],

there I myself always abide together with the thirty [gods].

There are all the sacred fords, rivers, streams, and lakes;

the sacrifices, the seven sacred cities constantly, and all holy mountains.

My scripture must indeed be heard by one who desires fame, virtue, and victory,

for the destruction of sins, O lord of the worlds, and for liberation by one of righteous mind.

The holy Śrīmad Bhāgavata grants longevity, health, and vigor;

by reading it or even by hearing it, one is completely freed from all sins.

Those who do not listen to and do not rejoice in the supreme Śrīmad Bhāgavata—

truly, truly, O lord of the worlds, Yama is forever their master.

When a mortal does not go to hear the Bhāgavata, O son,

especially on an Ekādaśī, there is none more devoted to sin than he.

A verse of the Bhāgavata, or half a verse, or even a quarter,

in whose house it remains written down, in his house I dwell.

Visiting all hermitages and bathing in all sacred fords

does not purify human beings in such a manner as does the Śrīmad Bhāgavata.

Wherever the Śrīmad Bhāgavata is found, O four-faced one,

there I go, just as a milch cow fond of her calf.

One who expounds my story daily, one who delights in hearing my story,

and one whose mind is delighted by my story—I shall never abandon that man.

Whoever does not rise upon seeing the holy Śrīmad Bhāgavata,

his religious merit of an entire year vanishes, O dear son.

Having seen the Śrīmad Bhāgavata, if one should honor it upon seeing it

with rising up and salutations, incomparable pleasure of mine arises.

Whoever, seeing the Bhāgavata from afar, steps forward to meet it,

at every step obtains the fruit of a horse sacrifice, without doubt.

The man who indeed stands up and bows down to the Śrīmad Bhāgavata,

to him I grant wealth, sons, a wife, and devotion.

Those men who listen to the Śrīmad Bhāgavata with devotion, O son,

with royal services of worship, I become subjugated by them.

During all my festivals, those men who listen to the supreme Śrīmad Bhāgavata

with devotion and for my pleasure, O one of good vows,

with garments, ornaments, flowers, incense, lamps, and offerings,

I am captivated by them, just as a good husband by a virtuous wife.

Thus ends the sixteenth chapter, titled 'Description of the Excellence and Greatness of the Bhāgavata' in the Greatness of the Month of Mārgaśīrṣa, in the dialogue between Brahmā and Viṣṇu, in the second section, the Vaiṣṇavakhaṇḍa, of the glorious Skanda Mahāpurāṇa, in the collection of eighty-one thousand verses.