Skandapurana 2.9.28

Śrī Nārāyaṇa said:

Having sipped water and controlled his breaths, then, composed in mind,

having bowed to the chosen deity and others, he should mention the place and time:

“For the accomplishment of unswerving devotion, the worship of Vāsudeva

I shall perform”—having thus formed the intention, he should then perform the rite of nyāsa.

The mantras for nyāsa are the twelve-syllabled, the Vaiṣṇava Gāyatrī,

the eight-syllabled mantra of Nārāyaṇa, and the six-syllabled mantra of Viṣṇu.

These are prescribed for twice-born men, but for others here three [are prescribed]:

the eight-syllabled mantra of Vāsudeva, the five-syllabled mantra of Hari,

and the six-syllabled mantra of Keśava are approved for nyāsa and for oblations.

Then, on the limbs of the image of Śrī Viṣṇu just as on one's own limbs,

he should perform all the nyāsas with those mantras, and then wipe the image with a cloth.

Placing a water-jar on his left side and invoking into it

the sacred fords, he should worship it with offerings such as perfume and flowers.

Sprinkling the worship materials and himself with that water,

worshiping the conch and the bell, he should perform the purification of the elements.

Having burned the body consisting of sin with the internal fire and wind,

firmly concentrated, he should contemplate the identity of his purified self with Brahman.

Then, having assumed the nature of imperishable Brahman, he should meditate in his heart on Lord Rādhākṛṣṇa

with an undistracted mind, while performing breath control.

Having visualized the downward-facing navel-lotus, resembling a plantain flower,

he should unite the downward apāna breath with the upward prāṇa.

Bringing that [breath] into the lotus stalk, together with it he should draw

that lotus upward; then, sounding loudly, it reaches the heart,

and blossoming there, shining in the space of the heart.

There, in that mass of splendour, he should meditate on the husband of Śrī Rādhikā,

who possesses splendour surpassing even that, who is exceedingly delightful to behold and tranquil,

seated or standing, whose divine form is composed of pure consciousness,

adolescent in age, more handsome than ten million gods of love,

distinguished by divine limbs that are fully symmetrical with his beauty,

with a body radiant as the autumn moon, with two long and handsome arms,

with lotus feet having reddish, soft soles and lovely toes,

putting the moon to shame with the brilliance of his raised, red, and glossy nails,

with the beauty of a pair of feet wearing tinkling small bells, anklets, and ornaments,

with well-rounded calves and splendid symmetrical knees and thighs,

with hips beautified by yellow garments fastened by a girdle of fine gems,

with three folds above an elevated belly and a deep navel,

with a broad and raised chest adorned with the Śrīvatsa curl,

ornamented with hanging necklaces of various strands such as the devacchanda,

wearing garlands of various fragrant flowers and a golden sacred thread,

adorned with bracelets on hands resembling blossoming red lotuses,

with several rings of fine gems shining on his fingers of delicate joints,

sounding a flute that is sweet and charms everyone,

with broad shoulders, hidden collarbones, and armlets shining on his mighty arms,

with a forest garland humming with swarms of bees drawn by wandering fragrances,

with a neck resembling a conch, shining with an exquisite necklace and the Kaustubha gem,

with a beautiful chin and the lustre of lower lips red as bimba fruit,

with a face resembling the full moon shining with the grace of a bright smile,

with an attractive, handsome nose shaped like a sesame flower,

with makara-shaped earrings shining on symmetrical ears,

with ear-ornaments consisting of bunches of varied flowers sparkling above the ears,

with cheeks splendid with the moonlight radiance of even and delicate teeth,

with delightful eyes broad as lotus petals and red at the corners,

with a broad, high forehead and eyebrows acting like the bow of the god of love,

with curly, fine, black, glossy, and enchanting hair,

bearing a crest on a diadem inlaid with various fine gems,

graciously looking upon his devotee with love and an affectionate gaze.

Having meditated thus on Kṛṣṇa, he should then reflect upon Rādhā at his left side:

two-armed, with limbs radiant like gold, wearing an immaculate safflower garment,

with a nose-ring made of jewels gleaming beside symmetrical ears,

a youthful maiden, with eyes like a fawn's, with full, elevated, and firm breasts,

slender-waisted, broad-hipped, adorned with a jeweled girdle,

having manifold divine ornaments, smiling with a face like a blooming lotus, // 2.9.28.30

her hands shining with jeweled rings, armlets, bracelets, and other ornaments,

her lotus feet radiant with tinkling swan-like anklets, // 31

bearing an auspicious mark of fine Kashmir saffron shining upon her broad forehead,

with lips red like bimba fruit, lovely cheeks, and mālatī blossoms woven into her braided hair, // 32

gazing upon the Lord with love, holding a lotus in her hand.

Having thus meditated upon Rādhikā there, he should worship the Lord together with her. // 33

Thus ends the twenty-eighth chapter, entitled "Delineation of the Meditation on the Form of Śrī Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa" in the [section on] ritual yoga of the glorious Vāsudevamāhātmya, in the second, Vaiṣṇava Section, in the glorious Skanda Mahāpurāṇa of eighty-one thousand verses. // 28