Skandapurana 2.5.6: adhyāyaḥ 6

Brahmā said:

The māhātmya of the sound of the bell, and likewise of sandalwood paste, O Acyuta,

and whatever fruit one obtains, O Lord, tell all that in truth. / 1

The Blessed Lord said:

At the time of the rites of bathing and worship, he who produces the sound of the bell

before me, O lord of gods, hear the fruitful merit thereof: / 2

For thousands of crores of years and hundreds of crores of years,

he dwells in my world, served by hosts of apsarases. / 3

Since the bell comprises all musical instruments and all deities,

therefore, with every effort, one should ring the bell. / 4

The bell, comprising all musical instruments, is ever dear to me;

by ringing it, one obtains the merit arising from hundreds of crores of sacrifices. / 5

The sound of the bell should always be made, especially at the time of worship,

[and] for thousands of manvantaras and hundreds of manvantaras / 6

I am continually pleased by the sound of the bell, my child.

Accompanied by the resounding noise of kettledrums and conches, and combined with the sound of the bell, / 7

united with the mṛdaṅga and conch, and accompanied by the praṇava,

worship of me, O lord of gods, grants liberation to men constantly. / 8

Wherever the bell, accompanied by sound, stands before me,

and wherever it is worshipped by Vaiṣṇavas, know that I am present there, my child. / 9

A bell marked with Garuḍa or endowed with the Sudarśana [discus]—

whoever places it before me, I remove his sins. / 10

He who makes the sound of the bell at the time of my worship,

his sins perish, even those accumulated over a hundred births. / 11

One should make the sound of the bell with devotion at the time of [my] sleep,

and at the time of my worship; the fruit arising is multiplied ten million fold. / 12

Those who worship me, O lord of gods, seated upon Garuḍa,

endowed with the conch, lotus, and mace, bearing the discus, and accompanied by Śrī, / 13

what will they do with sacred fords, or with visions of the deities?

What with sacrifices? What even with vows? What with gifts, and what with fasts? / 14

Those by whom my image of Nārāyaṇa upon Garuḍa

is established, go in the Kali age to my realm for ten million kalpas. / 15

Whoever installs [it] before me, whether in a temple or in a house,

thousands of crores of sacred fords and deities abide there. / 16

The blessed one who worships [me] seated upon Garuḍa

on the eleventh day, and likewise at night, full of devotion toward me,

performing singing and dancing, delivers his ancestors from hell. / 17

Again I shall explain; listen to the festival of the bell, my son. / 18

The bell marked with my name which stands before me,

wherever it is worshipped as sacred to Viṣṇu, know that I am there, my child. / 19

He who rings the bell marked with Garuḍa

at incense, waving of lamps, bathing, worship, and anointing, / 20

every day before me, my dear one, obtains the fruit for each one.

[the fruit] arising from ten thousand sacrifices, ten thousand cows, and a hundred cāndrāyaṇa fasts.

Worship performed outside of ritual injunctions becomes fruitful for men;

pleased by the sound of the bell, I grant my own abode. // 22

A bell marked with [Garuḍa] the enemy of serpents and furnished with a discus

brings about the destruction of fear across ten million births when sounded. // 23

Seeing every day with joy a bell marked with Garuḍa,

I show love, O Lord of gods, just as a poor man does upon gaining wealth. // 24

He who sets an auspicious discus upon the head of the bell's handle,

or my beloved Vainateya, has established the three worlds. // 25

Whoever hears the sound of the bell together with [the sight of] the discus at the time of death—

even if he is burdened with ten million sins, the messengers of Yama flee from him. // 26

All faults are indeed destroyed by the sound of the bell, O son;

a festival takes place for the deities accompanied by the Rudras, and for the ancestors. // 27

Even in the absence of Vainateya or a discus, there is no doubt,

I bestow grace upon devotees by the [mere] sound of the bell. // 28

In whatever house there is always a bell furnished with [Garuḍa] the enemy of serpents,

there is no fear of serpents, nor any arising from fire or lightning. // 29

In whose house there is no bell, nor a conch before me,

how is he to be known as a Bhāgavata? How can he be dear [to me]? // 2.5.6.30

I shall tell you, O little son, the māhātmya of sandalwood paste,

by offering which I am exceedingly pleased, without doubt. // 31

Together with sandalwood paste, together with flowers, mixed with camphor and agallochum,

endowed with musk, combined with nutmeg,

furnished with tulasī and sandalwood, it brings me extreme delight.

He who daily gives me [paste] originating from tulasī wood—

that best of men dwells in heaven for endless yugas. // 33

Having offered tulasī-sandalwood paste with devotion to Mahāviṣṇu in the Kali [age],

and worshipping with mālatī flowers, he will never again suckle at a breast.

To him who gives me sandal paste produced from tulasī wood, // 35

I burn away every sin committed across hundreds of previous births.

Tulasī wood paste is cherished by all the gods, // 36

and especially by the ancestors, just as it is ever desired by me. // 37

White sandalwood is considered superior, and likewise black aloe,

only so long as tulasī wood paste is not offered to me. // 38

The fragrance of musk and the sweet scent of camphor last only so long

as tulasī wood paste is not offered to me. // 39

Those who give me tulasī wood paste in the Kali age

in the auspicious month of Mārgaśīrṣa have attained their purpose, without doubt. // 2.5.6.40

He who, being a Bhāgavata, does not offer tulasī wood paste

in the month of Saha during the Kali age—that man is no Bhāgavata. // 41

Whoever anoints my form in the month of Saha

with a mixture of saffron, agallochum, and white sandalwood, shall dwell in heaven for ten million kalpas. // 42

One should anoint [me] with sandalwood paste mixed with camphor and agallochum;

musk in particular is ever pleasing to me. // 43

Whoever anoints me having placed sandalwood paste inside a conch

in Mārgaśīrṣa, toward him I show affection that lasts a hundred years. // 44

He who constantly serves [me] with tulasī leaves and āmalaka fruits

in Mārgaśīrṣa with perpetual devotion, attains his desired fruit. // 45

Thus ends the sixth chapter, named 'Account of the Fruit of Offering Tulasī Wood Sandal Paste to the Lord', in the Mārgaśīrṣamāhātmya within the dialogue between Brahmā and Viṣṇu, in the second [section], the Vaiṣṇavakhaṇḍa, of the glorious Skandamahāpurāṇa consisting of eighty-one thousand verses. // 6