Skandapurana 2.7.19.73

2.7.19.73

prāṇātko'pi hyadhiko vā samo vā śāstre dṛṣṭaḥ śrutapūrvo na cā''ste ..61 ..
tattatkāryānugaḥ prāṇo hyeko devo hyanekadhā ..
tasmātprāṇaṃ varaṃ prāhuḥ prāṇopāsanatatparāḥ ..
līlayaiva jagatsraṣṭuṃ hantuṃ pālayituṃ prabhuḥ ..62..
śeṣā'hiśivaśakrādyāścetanāśca jaḍā api ..
vāsudevādṛte ko'pi nainaṃ paribhaviṣyati ..63..
sarvadevātmakaḥ prāṇaḥ sarvadevamayo vibhuḥ ..
vāsudevā'nugo nityaṃ tathā viṣṇuvaśasthitaḥ..64..
vāsudevapratīpaṃ tu na śṛṇoti na paśyati ..
devāḥ pratīpaṃ kurvaṃti rudrādyāḥ sureśvarāḥ ..65..
pratīpaṃ kvā'pi kurute na prāṇaḥ sarvagocaraḥ..
tasmātprāṇo mahāviṣṇorbalamāhurmanīṣiṇaḥ..66..
evaṃ jñātvā mahāviṣṇormāhātmyaṃ lakṣaṇaṃ tathā ..
pūrvabandhānugaṃ liṃgaṃ jīrṇāṃ tvacamivoragaḥ ..67..
visṛjya paramaṃ yāti nārāyaṇamanāmayam ..
śrutvā śaṃkhoditaṃ vākyaṃ punarvyādhaḥ prasannadhīḥ..68 ..
praśrayā'vanato bhūtvā punaḥ papraccha taṃ munim ..
brahmanmahānubhāvasya prāṇasyā'sya jagadguroḥ ..69..
na khyāto mahimā loke kathaṃ sarveśvarasya vai ..
devānāṃ ca munīnāṃ ca bhūpānāṃ ca mahātmanām .. 2.7.19.70..
mahimā śrūyate loke purāṇeṣu sahasraśaḥ ..
etadācakṣva me brahmañchrotuṃ kautūhalaṃ hi me..71..
..śaṃkha uvāca..
purā prāṇo hariṃ devaṃ nārāyaṇamanāmayam ..
aśvamedhairyaṣṭukāmo gaṅgātīraṃ yayau mudā ..72..
halaiścakāra bhūśuddhiṃ nānāmunigaṇairyutaḥ ..
antarvalmīkalīnastu kaṇvo nāma samādhigaḥ..73.

No one is seen in the scriptures, nor has ever been heard of, who is superior or even equal to Prāṇa.
Prāṇa attends to each and every function; indeed, he is one god acting in manifold ways.
Therefore, those dedicated to the worship of Prāṇa call Prāṇa supreme.
He is capable of creating, destroying, and maintaining the world merely in play.
Even the sentient and the insentient, beginning with Śeṣa the serpent, Śiva, and Indra—
none except Vāsudeva can ever surpass him.
Prāṇa consists of all gods; the all-pervading one is made up of all gods.
He constantly follows Vāsudeva and abides under Viṣṇu's command.
He neither hears nor sees anything opposed to Vāsudeva.
The gods, beginning with Rudra and the lords of the celestials, act in opposition,
but Prāṇa, whose range is everywhere, never acts in opposition anywhere.
Therefore the wise call Prāṇa the power of Mahāviṣṇu.
Knowing thus the greatness and nature of Mahāviṣṇu,
casting off the subtle body bound to previous ties as a snake casts off worn-out skin,
one goes to the supreme, taintless Nārāyaṇa."
Having heard the words spoken by Śaṅkha, the hunter, joyful in mind,
bowed low in reverence and questioned that sage again:
"O brāhmaṇa, why is the glory of this noble Prāṇa, the guru of the world,
the sovereign lord of all, not proclaimed in the world?
The glory of gods, sages, and noble kings
is heard by the thousands in the world within the Purāṇas.
Tell me this, O brāhmaṇa, for I have a great curiosity to hear it."
Śaṅkha said:
"Long ago, Prāṇa, desiring to sacrifice to the god Hari, the taintless Nārāyaṇa,
with horse-sacrifices, went joyfully to the bank of the Gaṅgā.
Accompanied by various hosts of sages, he prepared the ground with plows.
Inside an ant-hill lay absorbed in meditation one named Kaṇva.