Skandapurana 2.9.14

Skanda said:

Brahmā, the lords of creatures, Śambhu, the Manus, and the great seers,

the Ādityas, Vasus, and Rudras, the Siddhas, Gandharvas, and Cāraṇas,

the Sādhyas, the Maruts, the Viśvedevas, the guardians of the directions,

the two Aśvins, Fire, the Moon, Dharma himself, Prajāpati,

Suparṇa, the Kinnaras, and whatever other troop deities [there were],

the Vaiṣṇavas beginning with Śeṣa, the serpents, and all the wives of the gods,

Sāvitrī, Pārvatī, the Earth, and Sarasvatī,

Śacī, Gaurī, Śivā, Saṃjñā, Ṛddhi, Svāhā, Rohiṇī,

Dhūmorṇā, Aditi, and the wives of Dharma beginning with Mūrti and Dayā,

Arundhatī, Śāṇḍilī, Lopāmudrā, and likewise

chaste wives beginning with Anasūyā, and all the wives of the seers,

the Gaṅgā, Sarasvatī, Revā, Yamunā, Tapatī,

Candrabhāgā, Vipāśā, Śatadru, Devikā,

Godāvarī, Sarayū, Kāverī, Kauśikī,

Kṛṣṇā, Veṇī, Bhīmarathā, Tāmraparṇī, Mahānadī,

Kṛtamālā, Vitastā, Nirvindhyā, Surasā,

Carmaṇvatī, Payoṣṇī, and rivers beginning with Viśvā arrived.

Rambhā, Ghṛtācī, Viśvācī, Menakā, Tilottamā,

and all the apsarases headed by Urvaśī came there.

All the dwellers of Vaikuṇṭha and likewise the dwellers of Goloka,

the foremost attendants of Viṣṇu, arrived there filled with joy.

The eight perfections beginning with Aṇimā, and the nine

treasures beginning with Śaṅkha and Padma, personified, came near Śrī.

The full autumn moon too, then, for the pleasure of Śrī,

dispelled all the darkness of night; the quarters of the sky became spotless.

Then, by the command of Brahmā, Indra began her consecration; / immediately, Tvaṣṭṛ constructed a most magnificent pavilion,

At once Tvaṣṭṛ constructed a most magnificent pavilion,

with long rows of thousands of jewelled pillars, / adorned with diverse, colourful canopies and plantain trees,

adorned with many colourful canopies and plantain trees,

graced with rows of divine wish-fulfilling trees bending with fragrant flowers, / handsome and captivating with diverse components,

furnished with diverse parts, beautiful to behold, captivating the heart,

gleaming with millions of rows of jewel lamps of pure radiance, / with archways and hanging pearl necklaces.

resplendent with archways and hanging strings of pearls.

Seating Śrī on a jewelled throne there accompanied by song and instrumental music,

the great seers performed the consecration.

Airāvata, Puṇḍarīka, Vāmana, Kumuda, Añjana,

Puṣpadanta, Sārvabhauma, and Supratīka, the elephants of the quarters,

trumpeting, consecrated [her] with auspicious waters brought from the four oceans,

drawn up in golden jars.

The great rivers, personified, brought waters there;

the Vedas in bodily form, along with the seers, chanted mantras.

Sweet-voiced Gandharvas sang, and hosts of apsarases danced;

other hosts of gods then played musical instruments.

Great joy then arose among all embodied beings in the three worlds.

The brahmins recited the Śrīsūkta and other hymns, and the women sang songs.

Gongs, cymbals, mṛdaṅga drums, paṇavas, ānakas, and gomukha horns,

they sounded; and the clouds thundered like kettle-drums in the sky.

Then there was a shower of flowers accompanied by shouts of victory,

and the wives of Dharma and the supernatural perfections attended upon her.

Then, to her who was well-bathed, two yellow silken garments,

priceless, the ocean gave, and abundant jewel-ornaments.

Indra brought a seat fit for her to sit upon.

Viśvakarman gave bracelets and rings set with precious gems.

The Moon, her brother, gave an excellent nose-ornament;

he likewise gave her a hair-ornament studded with excellent jewels.

The lotus-born Brahmā gave a lotus, Sarasvatī a pearl necklace,

and the Nāgas, headed by Śeṣa, gave her two kingly jewel-earrings.

Durgā gave collyrium and saffron, the mark of marital felicity;

Sāvitrī gave a forehead ornament, and Śacī a betel-box.

The Spring gave flower garlands, and Śaṃkara a neck-string.

The wielder of the noose gave the Vaijayantī garland, and Kubera a jeweled mirror.

Fire gave a priceless bodice, and Yama gave an auspicious fan.

Others too presented her with ornaments suited for that occasion.

Then, considering, "To whom shall I give this adorned maiden?"

the ocean asked Brahmā. Then the all-knowing one said to him:

"O ocean, this daughter of yours is the mother of myself and of Śiva,

and indeed of all the gods and worlds; this is certain.

Except for Nārāyaṇa, Vāsudeva, the Supreme Brahman, the Lord of all,

the Supreme Spirit alone, she has no other husband.

Therefore, to the Lord Himself, the cause of joy to the three worlds,

who has arrived and is seated, give her according to the rites, O ocean.

Make your birth fruitful, purifying your lineage.

Deliver [yourself] from the ocean of worldly existence by giving her to the Supreme Self.

Though one, you are renowned in seven forms according to the division of the seven continents;

now, having done this, you will attain great renown."

Addressed thus by Brahmā, the ocean, overjoyed, with his hair standing on end,

deeming himself blessed, wished to give his daughter to Viṣṇu.

Then, having implored that Lord along with Brahmā,

he performed the solemn betrothal and then carried out the wedding rites.

Dhanvantari, the Moon, and the gods headed by Indra

were on the ocean’s side at that wedding festival.

In giving garments, ornaments, conveyances, and the like, in the serving of food,

and in honoring the members of the wedding party, they indeed took the lead.

And in the auspicious rites for Lakṣmī, the foremost women there

were the rivers headed by Gaṅgā, and celestial damsels headed by Śacī,

the mountain-wives headed by Menā, and the supernatural perfections such as Aṇimā,

the wife of the Moon, Kanti, and all the apsarases, O sage.

Then, adorning the wedding play of the all-pervading Nārāyaṇa,

Brahmā, upon reflection, appointed Dharma and Mūrti as the parents [of the groom]:

"This Dharma is the support of the world, worthy of worship by all embodied beings;

he is fit to be his father, and he has great affection for him.

And this renowned Mūrti, the birthplace of all good qualities,

the daughter of Dakṣa and wife of Dharma, is worthy to be his mother."

Then on Dharma's side, too, the following were foremost in the duties:

Śaṃkara together with Nandīśvara and Gaṇeśa, O sage;

the great seers headed by Marīci, the lords of creatures, the sage Nārada,

the son of Vinatā [Garuḍa], and the attendants headed by Nanda and Śrīdāman.

Durgā and Sarasvatī, mother of the Vedas, were foremost among the women,

along with the seers' wives headed by Anasūyā, and all the wives of Dharma.

Brahmā together with the Vedas and other [scriptures] was on both sides,

as were the Vedic brahmins who were experts in the rites of marriage.

Then, through the grace of Lakṣmī alone, the ocean

procured all the provisions instantly, causing wonder among the gods.

Whatever he envisioned in his mind was brought forth.

he saw instantly right before him; therefore he became exceedingly glad.

In the middle of the pavilion, he caused

an altar for establishing the sacred fire to be built according to the rule by brahmins versed in the Vedas.

He adorned that altar with perfumes, flowers, unbroken grains, and the like,

with various auspicious colors, and with water-jars having sprouts.

Then, having been ceremonially bathed by the lords of sages accompanied by mantras to the sounds of greatly auspicious musical instruments,

Viṣṇu put on priceless garments, jewel ornaments, and a divine crown.

Having approached that pavilion, which was made to resound in every direction by the sounding of musical instruments and made splendid by the melodious songs of dancing heavenly women,

he sat down on a golden throne together with the praising gods.

Then the ocean, along with his dearest wife and with the Gaṅgā, washed his lotus feet

with an excellent stream of water poured from a pitcher, and along with his family he bore that water on his head.

Then, loudly reciting the auspicious verses, the Creator caused the ocean to give Śrī to Acyuta;

having kindled the fire according to rule, he made offerings into it together with the great sages.

Having given to him his lovely daughter, whose gaze was fixed solely upon his lotus feet,

he gave garments and jewel ornaments in great abundance to the infinite Lord along with his daughter.

Then, around that fire into which offerings had been poured, circumambulation along with Śrī

was performed by Hari, who captivated the hearts of the women and men looking upon him.

Seated together on a single seat, the lovely mother and father of the universe

were worshipped by the hosts of gods along with their wives with priceless garments and ornaments.

And then very auspicious songs celebrating the virtues of Śrī and Viṣṇu

were sung by goddesses such as Durgā and Pulomajā, whose faces were beautiful with smiles.

The hosts of heavenly women, divided into two groups and seated facing each other,

eager to gaze upon the couple, sang with an abundance of love,

such that, hearing it, all the gods, the great seers, and all the women

beheld within themselves the Lord radiant with Śrī, and stood motionless as if in a picture.

Having bowed with devotion and gladly offered excellent unbroken grains and other gifts to the two,

the gods, humble with palms joined, praised them individually with powerful words.

Thus ends the fourteenth chapter, entitled 'Description of the Marriage Festival of Lakṣmī and Nārāyaṇa,' in the Śrīvāsudevamāhātmya of the second section, the Vaiṣṇavakhaṇḍa, of the glorious Skandapurāṇa containing eighty-one thousand verses.