Skandapurana 2.9.6

Sāvarṇi said:

"Indeed, the great king Vasu was a devotee of the Lord.

What untruth did he speak, on account of which he fell from heaven into a hole in the earth?

By whom was he raised up from the earth again? Why was he cursed by the ancestors?

How was the king freed from that? Tell me this, O Skanda!"

Skanda said:

"Hear, O brahmin, this story of Vasu, who possessed the splendor of Indra,

from the hearing of which instantaneous destruction of all sins occurs.

Formerly, in the Svāyambhuva manvantara, the Indra named Viśvajit

began a great sacrifice called the horse sacrifice, O sage.

Sacrificial beasts, goats and others, were bound there in large numbers, bleating aloud;

and all the hosts of gods, greedy for the offerings, were seated there.

Wandering at will for the welfare of all worlds,

great seers possessing the brilliance of the sun arrived there.

Honored by the host of gods with water for feet, water for hospitality, welcome, and the like,

those great sages saw the animals suitable for sacrifice crying out.

Beholding that elaborate sacrifice, filled with violence,

even of the gods who are of a sattvic nature, they felt great astonishment indeed.

Seeing that violation of dharma, out of compassion those best of brahmins,

endowed with righteous minds, spoke then to the gods headed by Mahendra:"

The great seers said:

Together with the gods and seers, O Mahendra, listen to our words!

Indeed, we proclaim the eternal essence of dharma as it truly is. // 2.9.6.10

At the time of world creation, by Brahmā the supreme lord,

you were created from sattva, upholders of four-footed dharma. // 11

From rajas and tamas, he [created] Manus and rulers of men;

and he created lords of the asuras as upholders of dharma. // 12

Then, for all of you, teaching the rites of sacrifice and the like,

he created the Veda for your welfare, granting the fruits of all desires. // 13

Indeed, non-violence alone is praised in that Veda as the supreme dharma;

the direct slaughter of animals in sacrifice is not approved by the Veda. // 14

For the intent of the Veda is entirely in establishing

the four-footed dharma, and not in its destruction through violence. // 15

Even so, kings who are rulers of asuras, under the influence of the flaws of rajas and tamas,

due to dullness of mind regarding statements such as ‘one should sacrifice with a fit goat (aja),’

understood the meaning to be a he-goat and the like; but they did not know [it means] rice grains and the like. // 16

However, for you who are sāttvika, the meaning of the Veda as it truly stands

must be grasped, and not otherwise; and action of that kind is proper. // 17

Whatever quality one has, such is one's nature;

and engaging in action should be according to one's own nature. // 18

For your deity, being sāttvika, is Viṣṇu himself, the lord of Ramā;

therefore, qualification belongs to the non-violent sacrifice for his pleasure. // 19

Performing a sacrifice by actually slaughtering a visible animal,

that, O best of gods, is truly an inverted dharma for you. // 2.9.6.20

Under the influence of the qualities of rajas and tamas, having resorted to demonic wealth,

these sacrificers of yours are like those who do not know the Veda. // 21

From association with them alone has this perversion of mind now arisen

in you; thus has such an action been commenced: this is certain. // 22

For rājasika, tāmasika, and demonic men,

deities such as Bhairava are to be worshipped according to their qualities. // 23

For the pleasure of their own deity, corresponding to their own quality,

the rule of violent sacrifice on earth is indeed proper only for them. // 24

Even among them, those Daityas, Rākṣasas, men, and others who are devoted to Viṣṇu—

even for them a violent sacrifice is not proper; how much less then for you? // 25

For the remnant of the sacrifice for all who perform sacrificial action

is permitted by the scripture itself for eating. // 26

The consumption of liquor and meat by sāttvika deities anywhere

has never been seen by us, nor heard from the mouth of the virtuous. // 27

Therefore, this sacrifice must be performed with rice grains, milk, clarified butter,

and other fit food essences, and not by violence to animals. // 28

Even there, one should sacrifice with seeds known by the name aja,

which have remained for a period of three years and do not sprout again. // 29

Absence of malice, non-greed, self-restraint, compassion toward living beings, austerity,

celibacy, truthfulness, absence of deceit, forbearance, and fortitude— // 2.9.6.30

this has been proclaimed as the form of the eternal dharma;

he who acts transgressing that, a destroyer of dharma, falls down. // 31

Skanda said:

Though thus instructed respectfully by the great sages who knew the secret of the Veda

with correct reasoning, because it would disrupt their own pledge,

they did not accept their word at all, even though they knew its authoritative nature. // 32

Then, because of transgressing the great, pride, anger, arrogance, and the rest,

the descendants of adharma who seek out weaknesses, entered into them. // 33

While they argued, ‘An aja is a goat, not seeds,’ and the like,

and the best of seers, dejected in mind, were instructing them again, // 34

the glorious king Uparicara arrived there by chance,

illuminating the quarters with his brilliance, the foremost friend of Indra. // 35

Seeing that Vasu suddenly arriving, traveling through the atmosphere,

the brahmins said to the gods: ‘He will dispel your doubt. // 36

Formerly, this lord of the earth performed great sacrifices by the thousands

according to the rule stated in the Sātvata Tantra and by the Āraṇyaka.’ // 37

In which no actual slaughter of animals ever took place in any [rite],

nor was there any substitute for sacrificial gifts, nor worship of gods who were not directly present. (38)

Famous everywhere through non-violence and the protection of righteousness was that king,

the foremost among the devotees of Viṣṇu, observing the great vow of having only one wife. (39)

Such a best of the righteous, true to his word and knower of the Veda—

this great Vasu would by no means speak a contrary word.” (2.9.6.40)

Having thus made an agreement, the gods and the seers,

eagerly coming at once, questioned King Vasu. (41)

The gods and great seers said:

“O King! With what should one sacrifice? With an animal, or indeed with herbs?

Sever this doubt of ours; you are considered our authority.” (42)

Skanda said:

Joining his palms, that Vasu inquired of them:

“Whose view is what among you? Speak the truth attentively.” (43)

The great seers said:

“‘One must sacrifice with grains’—this alone is our view, O ruler of men.

The view of the gods, however, is an animal. Speak your own opinion, O King.” (44)

Skanda said:

Knowing the opinion of the gods, Vasu, by resorting to their side,

then spoke these words: “One should sacrifice with an animal such as a goat.” (45)

Having thus resorted to the untrue side of the proud [gods],

the king, though a knower of righteousness, falsely pronounced the Veda to be intent on violence. (46)

At that very moment, due to the fault of his speech, the king [fell] from the sky;

he suddenly fell downwards and entered into the earth.

Gone into the midst of the earth, the king met with a great calamity,

yet memory did not abandon him then, because of his taking refuge in Nārāyaṇa. (48)

Having released all the animals, those dwellers of heaven then,

fearing violence, went to heaven, and the great seers to their own hermitages. (49)

Thus ends the sixth chapter, entitled “The Description of the Downward Fall of Uparicara Vasu Due to Stating that the Veda is Intent on Violence,” in the Śrī Vāsudeva-māhātmya in the second Vaiṣṇava Section of the glorious Skanda Mahāpurāṇa, an eighty-one-thousand-verse compendium. (6)