Skandapurana 3.1.53.54

3.1.53.54

50 atha setumādhavavaibhavavarṇanam, tatprasaṅgena puṇyanidhināmakarājavṛttāntavarṇanam, tatra kadācinmadhurāpurīnareśasya puṇyanidhe rāmadhanuṣkoṭau snātvā tulāpuruṣādi-dānāni dattvā svapurīṃ prati prasthātukāmasya kanyārūpadhāriṇyā lakṣmyā darśanam, tayā kanyayā puṇyanidhibhūpatiṃ pratyahaṃ te kanyā bhūtvā tava gṛhe nivatsyāmīti svābhiprāyakathanam, tataḥ puṇyanidhinā tasyāḥ kanyārūpadhāriṇyā lakṣmyāḥ svagṛhaṃ pratyānīya vindhyāvalyākhyāyāḥ svabhāryāyāḥ samīpe pradānaṃ putravatpo-ṣaṇapūrvakaṃ vardhanaṃ ca, atha tasyā lakṣmyā anveṣaṇārthaṃ vipraveṣadhāriṇā viṣṇunā tatrāgamanaṃ tatrodyāne puṣpāṇi vicinvantyāḥ kanyārūpadhāriṇyā lakṣmyā haṭhā-tkaragrahaṇaṃ ca, tataḥ kanyārodanaṃ śrutvā puṇyanidhinā nijadūtadvārā tasya viprarūpa-dhāriṇo viṣṇoḥ śrīrāmanāthamandiraṃ nītvā nigaḍairbandhanam, atha rātrau svapne puṇya-nidhinā tasya viprasya bhagavadviṣṇurūpeṇa nijakanyāyāśca lakṣmīrūpeṇa darśanam, tataḥ prabhāte svakanyāṃ gṛhītvā rāmanāthālayaṃ gatvā taṃ vipraṃ svapnadṛṣṭabhagavadrūpa-vantaṃ dṛṣṭvā taṃ viṣṇuṃ vijñāya stutikaraṇapūrvakaṃ svāparādhakṣamāpaṇam, nijakanyā-rūpāyāśca tasyā lakṣmyāḥ stutikaraṇam, tatprārthanayā prasannena salakṣmīkeṇa bhaga-vatā puṇyanidhaye varapradānam, tasya bhaktasya puṇyanidherbhūpasya nirantarakīrtaye bhagavatā setumādhavasaṃjñayā nigaḍabaddhamūrtidhāraṇapūrvakameva tatrāvasthitikaraṇam , tataḥ puṇyanidhibhūpena setumādhavabhagavatsevākaraṇam , puṇyanidherdehānte muktiprāptiḥ, setumādhavamāhātmyavarṇanam...... .. .... . 94

50. Now, the splendor of Setumādhava is described; in that context, the account of King Puṇyanidhi is related; there, once, King Puṇyanidhi, the lord of the city of Madhurā, having bathed at Rāmadhanuṣkoṭi and bestowed the gifts of the balance-scale and other presents, wished to depart for his own city, when he beheld Lakṣmī in the form of a girl; that girl expressed her wish to King Puṇyanidhi, saying, 'Becoming your daughter, I shall dwell in your house'; thereupon, Puṇyanidhi brought that Lakṣmī in the form of a girl to his home, handed her over to his wife named Vindhyāvalī, and fostered and raised her like a son; now, in search of that Lakṣmī, Viṣṇu arrived there disguised as a brahmin and forcibly seized the hand of Lakṣmī in the form of a girl as she was gathering flowers in the garden; hearing the girl weeping, Puṇyanidhi, by means of his messengers, took that Viṣṇu disguised as a brahmin to the temple of glorious Rāmanātha and bound him with chains; then at night in a dream, Puṇyanidhi saw that brahmin in the form of Lord Viṣṇu and his own daughter in the form of Lakṣmī; then at dawn, taking his daughter and going to the abode of Rāmanātha, seeing that brahmin possessing the divine form seen in his dream, and recognizing him as Viṣṇu, he praised him and begged forgiveness for his offense; he also praised that Lakṣmī in the form of his daughter; pleased by that prayer, the Lord, together with Lakṣmī, granted a boon to Puṇyanidhi; for the eternal fame of that devotee, King Puṇyanidhi, the Lord remained right there bearing a chained form under the name of Setumādhava; thereupon, King Puṇyanidhi worshiped Lord Setumādhava; at the end of his body, Puṇyanidhi attained liberation; the glory of Setumādhava is described. 94