Skandapurana 2.9.1

Reverence, repeated reverence to Lord Kṛṣṇa.

Now begins the glorious Vāsudevamāhātmya.

Śaunaka said:

O Sauti, for the welfare of living beings, manifold spiritual means

such as dharma, knowledge, detachment, and yoga have been spoken by you to us. (1)

And their meanings have been made clear by diverse traditional narratives;

all of them have indeed been respectfully heard by us, O [sage] of great intellect! (2)

Yet they are exceedingly difficult to practice for all humans,

and on account of the multitude of obstacles, success in them is rare indeed. (3)

Even when practiced with immense effort by men possessing fortitude,

they are accomplished only after a very long time. (4)

Therefore, for the twice-born and for all the stages of life,

and also here for women, śūdras, and others, please tell us an easy means, (5)

by which, even when performed slightly by any embodied soul whatsoever,

a great fruit, unobstructed by obstacles, may come to pass. (6)

Having carefully deliberated upon such a means of liberation, O broad-minded one,

you ought to declare it graciously for the benefit of all living beings. (7)

By the grace of Baladeva, Vyāsa, and Janaka,

you know everything; so tell that to us who wish to know.

Sauti said:

O Śaunaka, the great seer Sāvarṇi, indeed in this very manner,

having become humble, questioned Skanda again, the son of Śaṅkara. (9)

Sāvarṇi said:

Various religious duties have been heard, and Sāṅkhya knowledge in many forms,

as well as means such as yoga, which were spoken of by you, O Guha.

I consider them very difficult to accomplish indeed for people like us;

even for other great beings, they are surely attainable only with difficulty after a long time.

Therefore, you ought now to tell me that highest means,

which brings welfare and is easy to perform for those belonging to the classes and stages of life.

Sauti said:

Having been questioned in this way by that lord of sages, who was desirous of knowledge, Guha,

that Kārttikeya, meditating on Vāsudeva in his heart, spoke:

Skanda said: Listen, O brahmin, I shall declare what was heard by me from the mouth of my father,

an easily performed means of liberation for all living beings.

Equal to pleasing the deity, for those desiring the achievement of their desired end,

there is no other means whatsoever for those belonging to the classes and stages of life here.

Even a small virtuous deed performed in connection with God

bestows a very great fruit without impediment to men.

Work pertaining to the gods, to the ancestors, one's own duty, and whatever work is done with desire—

through connection with the deity, it instantly grants the attainment of desired ends.

What was previously spoken of as difficult—Sāṅkhya, yoga, dispassion, and the like—

even that becomes easy and quickly yields perfection by this very means.

Because whatever is desired is accomplished through the worship of God alone,

therefore, according to their ability, he should be worshipped with love by all human beings.

Sāvarṇi said:

Many kinds of gods were described by you previously, O Six-faced One,

and diverse methods of worshipping them were described.

All their fruits were spoken of by you individually;

prominent among them is attainment of heaven and the like, yet they are seized by time.

From the worship of Brahmā, O Guha, for yogins following the path of cessation,

the fruit is the attainment of worlds such as Jana, yet it perishes at the end of two parārdhas.

Having accomplished difficult deeds here through great hardship,

if the gain of the fruit is perishable, then what is the use of acquiring it?

The worship of those denizens of heaven whose body,

status, power, and the like are destroyed by time does not please me here.

Tell me, O Guha, of that God who is himself fearless, the remover of fear for others, eternal,

whose abode is imperishable, the giver of imperishable fruit, affectionate toward his devotees,

by whose grace all desires whatsoever of all beings

would be accomplished straightforwardly here.

And tell me in full detail that method of worshipping him which is easy

and approved by the wise; truly, I wish to know this.

Sauti said:

Being thus questioned by that great seer, the Lord Guha,

well-pleased and noble-minded, honouring him, said this:

Thus ends the first chapter, named "The Question of Sāvarṇi," in the Vāsudevamāhātmya of the second section, the Vaiṣṇavakhaṇḍa, in the glorious Skanda Mahāpurāṇa consisting of eighty-one thousand verses.