Skandapurana 2.7.19.51.2

2.7.19.51.2

mucyaṃte jīvasaṃghāśca sadā tadvaśavartinaḥ ..15..
kramādviṣṇośca māhātmyaṃ yathā sātiśayaṃ bhavet..
ekaikasminsthitā śaktirdevarṣipitṛmātṛke..16..
pratyakṣeṇā''gamenāpi tathaivā'numayā'pi ca..
ādau narottamaṃ vidyādbale jñāne sukhe tathā..17..
tasmādbhūtaṃ śataguṇaṃ vidyājjñānādibhirvṛtam ..
bhūtānmanuṣyagaṃdharvānvidyācchataguṇādhikān ..18..
tattvābhimānino devāstebhyo vidyācchatādhikān..
tattvābhimānidevebhyaḥ saptaiva ṛṣayo varāḥ..19..
saptarṣibhyo varo hyagniragneḥ sūryādayastathā..
sūryādgururguroḥ prāṇaḥ prāṇādiṃdro mahābalaḥ.. 2.7.19.20..
indrācca girijā devī devyāḥ śaṃbhurjagadguruḥ..
śaṃbhorbuddhirmahādevī buddheḥ prāṇo balādhikaḥ..21..
na prāṇātparamaṃ kiṃcitprāṇe sarvaṃ pratiṣṭhitam..
prāṇājjātamidaṃ viśvaṃ prāṇātmakamidaṃ jagat..22..
prāṇe protamidaṃ sarvaṃ prāṇādeva hi ceṣṭate..
sarvādhāramimaṃ prāhuḥ sūtraṃ nīlāṃbudaprabham ..23..
lakṣmīkaṭākṣamātreṇa prāṇasyāsya sthitirbhavet..
sā lakṣmīrdevadevasya kṛpāleśaikabhājinī..24 ..
na viṣṇoḥ paramaṃ kiṃcinna samo vā kathaṃcana..
.. vyādha uvāca..
kathaṃ jīveṣvayaṃ prāṇaḥsūtranāmā'dhiko'bhavat..25..
nirṇayo vā kathaṃ hyasya prāṇādhikyaṃ kathaṃ vibho..
etadācakṣva me brahmankathaṃ prāṇādvibhuḥ paraḥ..26..
..śaṃkha uvāca ..
śṛṇu vyādha pravakṣyāmi yatpṛṣṭo nirṇayastathā..
prāṇādhikyaṃ samuddiśya jīvaiśca sakalairapi..27..
purā nārāyaṇo devaḥ padmasṛṣṭau sanātanaḥ..
sṛṣṭvā brahmādikāndevānidaṃ prāha janārdanaḥ ..28 ..
sāmrājye'haṃ sthāpayeyaṃ brahmāṇaṃ vaḥ patiṃ prabhum..
yo yuṣmāsvadhiko devo yauvarājye sureśvarāḥ..29..

the multitudes of living beings, who are always subject to his control, are liberated. / In order that the greatness of Viṣṇu may become pre-eminent, / a power resides in each one among the gods, sages, ancestors, and mother goddesses. / Through direct perception, through scripture, and likewise through inference, / one should first know the best of men in strength, knowledge, and happiness. / Greater by a hundredfold than him one should know a spirit endowed with knowledge and the like; / one should know the human Gandharvas to be a hundred times greater than spirits. / The gods who identify with the elements should be known as a hundred times greater than them; / superior to the gods who identify with the elements are the seven seers alone. / Superior indeed to the seven seers is Agni; from Agni, Sūrya and the others; / from Sūrya, Bṛhaspati; from Bṛhaspati, Prāṇa; from Prāṇa, Indra of great strength; / and superior to Indra is the goddess Girijā; superior to the goddess is Śambhu, the guru of the universe; / superior to Śambhu is Buddhi, the great goddess; superior to Buddhi is Prāṇa, greater in strength. / There is nothing higher than Prāṇa; everything is established in Prāṇa; / from Prāṇa this universe was born; this world is composed of Prāṇa; / everything here is woven upon Prāṇa; indeed, it moves only because of Prāṇa. / They call him the support of all, the Sūtra, having the luster of a dark blue cloud. / By a mere glance of Lakṣmī alone can this Prāṇa maintain his state; / that Lakṣmī possesses only a small fraction of the grace of the God of gods. / There is nothing higher than Viṣṇu, nor is there anyone equal to him in any way. / The hunter said: / How did this Prāṇa, named Sūtra, become superior among living beings? / Or how is this established? How is the superiority of Prāṇa [explained], O lord? / Tell me this, O brahmin: how is the Lord superior to Prāṇa? / Śaṅkha said: / Listen, O hunter! I will tell you the determination as asked, / regarding the superiority of Prāṇa over all living beings as well. / Formerly, the eternal god Nārāyaṇa, during the lotus creation, / having created Brahmā and the other gods, Janārdana said this: / 'I shall place Brahmā in supreme sovereignty as your master and lord, / and whoever is the superior god among you, O lords of the gods, in the position of heir-apparent.