Skandapurana 2.9.7

Skanda said:

Then, situated in the midst of the earth, that king, censuring his own deed

and repenting greatly, showing reverence to those great sages,

constantly repeated in his mind the three-syllabled mantra of the Lord. (1)

Even there, with supreme devotion, at the five appropriate times, in his own mind

he respectfully worshipped Hari, the lord of the gods, in the cavity of the earth. (2)

Then the Lord Vāsudeva, master of the universe, was pleased with him / who worshipped him according to the time and according to the scriptures, even in calamity. (3)

The boon-giving Lord Viṣṇu then himself spoke / to Garutmān, of great speed, the best of birds standing near him: (4)

The Holy Lord said:

“O best of birds, O highly fortunate one, go at my word!

The sovereign king named Vasu, righteous of soul, has taken refuge in me. (5)

Due to the fault of transgressing the brāhmaṇas, he has entered the surface of the earth;

he has rendered honor to them. Therefore, go to his presence today! (6)

O Garuḍa, by my command, [deliver] this one hidden in the cavity of the earth;

make that best of kings, who moves down below, one who moves in the sky, without delay!” (7)

Skanda said:

Then Garutmān, having the speed of the wind, flapping his wings,

entered the cavity of the earth where Vasu sat with restrained speech. (8)

Then, lifting him up with his beak, the son of Vinatā

swiftly flew up into the sky and released him there. (9)

At that very moment, the king again became ‘Uparicara’ [the sky-farer];

he went to heaven in his bodily form and attained supreme bliss. (2.9.7.10)

Thus, O brāhmaṇa seer, even by him, due to the fault of speech and disregard of the good,

was a fate fit for one who does not perform sacrifices attained, though he was a great soul who knew righteousness. (11)

Yet solely the Supreme Person, Hari, the Lord, was served by him;

therefore, he quickly cast off the sin and attained the heavenly world. (12)

Enjoying diverse happiness and what his heart desired there,

he dwelt like another Śakra, his fame being sung by the gods. (13)

Once, as he was moving about in an aerial chariot shining like the sun,

accompanied by the apsaras Adrikā, Acchodā beheld him. (14)

She was the mind-born daughter of the ancestors abiding in the abode of Soma. (15ab)

of the great-souled [ancestors] named Agniṣvāttas, who are formless. // 15

Because they were formless, she of pure smiles did not recognize her own ancestors;

she regarded that Vasu as her father, and he regarded her as if his daughter. // 16

Seeing such a feeling between the two of them, the ancestors then cursed them:

“O girl, you shall become a daughter of this king upon the earth! // 17

O Vasu, having become a human being, in your own wife—

in this very apsaras—you will certainly father this daughter.” // 18

Having thus been cursed by the ancestors, the two then bowed down and begged them

for release from the curse. Then those compassionate ones said: // 19

“Because this was inevitably destined to happen, you two have incurred

this curse. In that, only the highest good will befall both of you. // 2.9.7.20

In the twenty-eighth Dvāpara [yuga], however, O Vasu, on earth you shall become the son

of the king, the great-souled Kṛtayajña. // 21

Even there, just as now, you will be endowed with all virtues,

a sky-farer, and a foremost leader among great devotees of the Lord. // 22

Having worshipped Viṣṇu with devotion according to the rite prescribed in the Pañcarātra,

along with your subjects, you will worship the gods and us with his remnants. // 23

Then, with a divine body, you will attain heaven;

having enjoyed divine pleasures there, you will attain the realm of Viṣṇu. // 24

O Acchodā, you too, renowned on earth by the name Kālī,

will be born by a part of yourself from Adrikā, who will have the body of a fish. // 25

There, while still an unmarried girl, you will obtain Hari from Parāśara as your son.

By his grace alone, you will attain worldly enjoyment and liberation.” // 26

Skanda said:

Having thus been cursed and favored by the ancestors, that king,

obtaining birth here from Kṛtayajña, became renowned for his virtues. // 27

Just as before, he was devoted to Kṛṣṇa and knew the rites for the gods and ancestors.

And Mahendra, out of friendship, gave him abundant wealth. // 28

The banner of victory which had formerly been obtained from Vāsudeva

in Śvetadvīpa by himself for the destruction of enemies, Indra gave that to him as well. // 29

Moving in the intermediate space, the king enjoyed very rare earthly pleasures,

and at the end attained heaven with a divine body. // 2.9.7.30

Enjoying the fruit of the remainder of his past merits, which was desired by his mind,

he experienced many kinds of pleasures there and attained intense detachment. // 31

Then, on a solitary peak of Meru, pure and having assumed a steady seat,

he meditated in the lotus of his own heart upon his chosen deity, the lord of Ramā. // 32

Having abandoned the divine body through yogic concentration, that silent sage

then reached the orb of the sun with his subtle body,

which they declare to be the door of liberation for committed yogins. // 33

With his subtle body burnt away by its splendor, consisting of existence and consciousness, exceedingly pure,

that fortunate one became free of all lingering impressions. // 34

Then, by the psychopomp deities residing in that orb,

he was led to the wondrous realm of Viṣṇu called Śvetadvīpa. // 35

For that island, O sage, even though existing on earth, is transcendental;

it is the abode of the devotees of Hari, attainable by unswerving devotion. // 36

And it serves as the gateway to Goloka, Brahmapura, and Vaikuṇṭha, O observer of good vows,

for the great-souled devotees who desire to attain them. // 37

Whichever realm one desires, worshipping Him, to that very realm

the white liberated souls, whose characteristics were previously described, lead him, O sage. // 38

There in that realm, he acquired a divine body like a white liberated soul;

having then attained the realm of Goloka, he reached supreme bliss. // 39

Those who thus worship Nārāyaṇa, the supreme Brahman,

by unswerving righteousness alone, become white liberated souls. // 2.9.7.40

All this which you asked has been narrated to you, O sage:

the state of the unswerving devotees and the description of the White Realm.” // 41

Thus ends the seventh chapter, titled “Description of the Liberation of Uparicara Vasu,” in the glorious Vāsudeva-māhātmya of the second section, the Vaiṣṇavakhaṇḍa, in the glorious Skanda Mahāpurāṇa of eighty-one thousand verses. // 7