Skandapurana 4.23

Śivaśarman said:

“O Lord of Satyaloka, O Ordainer, great-grandfather of all!

I wish to make a request, [yet] out of fear I dare not speak.”

Brahmā said:

“What you intend to ask, O brahmin, that thought in your mind is known [to me].

You desire to ask about liberation; these two attendants will explain that.

For nothing here is beyond the reach of these two attendants of Viṣṇu;

These two know everything, whatever exists in Brahmā’s universe.”

Having been spoken to thus and honored by Brahmā, the Lord’s attendants

Bowed to the creator of the world and departed, filled with joy.

Mounting their vehicle again, they went towards Vaikuṇṭha.

As they were going, the two attendants were questioned again by the brahmin:

Śivaśarman said:

“How far have we reached, and how far is yet to be traversed?

And another [question] I ask you both, O auspicious ones: speak that too with kindness!

Kāñcī, Avantī, Dvāravatī, Kāśī, and Ayodhyā the fifth,

Māyāpurī, and Mathurā—these are the seven cities that bestow liberation.

Leaving aside the other six cities, liberation was established

In Kāśī alone by the Creator of the universe. Why then is liberation not mine now?

You ought, out of grace, to tell all this before me.”

Hearing his words, the two attendants spoke with respect:

The two attendants said:

“We shall relate accurately to you what has been asked by your sinless self.

By the grace of Viṣṇu we know the past, the future, and the present.

As far, O brahmin, as is illuminated by the rays of the sun and moon,

So extensive is declared the earth, with its oceans, mountains, and forests.

And just as much above is the circular expanse of the sky.

At [a distance of] one hundred thousand yojanas from the earth stands the sun.

A hundred thousand [yojanas] above the sun, the moon is visible;

One hundred thousand yojanas elevated from the moon is the sphere of the asterisms.

Two hundred thousand [yojanas] above the sphere of the stars is Mercury (Saumya);

Two hundred thousand [yojanas] from Mercury is Venus; two hundred thousand from Venus is Mars.

Two hundred thousand [yojanas] above Mars is the preceptor of the gods (Jupiter);

The height of Saturn is two hundred thousand yojanas from the priest of the gods.

Elevated by one hundred thousand [yojanas] above Saturn is the sphere of the Seven Seers;

One hundred thousand above the Seven Seers stands Dhruva.

Whatever realm can be traversed on foot on the surface of the earth,

That is known as Bhūrloka, along with oceans, continents, mountains, and forests.

Bhuvarloka is declared to extend from Bhūrloka up to the sun;

From the sun up to Dhruva, O brahmin, is sung as Svarloka.

Maharloka is measured at one crore [yojanas] above the earth;

Janaloka is reckoned by men at two crores [of yojanas] from Bhūrloka.

Tapoloka is measured at four crores [of yojanas] from the earth's surface;

Eight crores above the earth is declared to be Satyaloka.

Above Satya[loka] is Vaikuṇṭha in measure of yojanas;

reckoned from the terrestrial world, it measures sixteen crores [of yojanas], // 21

where Śrī's husband dwells visibly, granting fearlessness to all.

Sixteen times beyond that is Kailāsa, the abode of Śiva, // 22

where Śambhu, accompanied by Pārvatī, the elephant-faced one, Skanda, and the Nandis,

dwells as the lord of the universe; he is considered both with parts and supreme. // 23

This [universe] is the play of that God who assumes forms for his own sport.

He is known as the Lord of the Universe, and this world carries out his command. // 24

He is the ruler of all, and there is no other ruler above him.

He himself creates the beings; he himself protects and also consumes [them]. // 25

He is declared the sole omniscient one, whose actions are subject to his own will;

there is no instigator of his whatsoever, nor anyone to check him. // 26

That supreme Brahman which is formless, and that which has form as proclaimed by the Veda,

all-pervading, ever eternal, real, devoid of duality, // 27

higher than the highest of all causes, supreme,

which the Vedas declare to be the form of Brahman consisting of bliss, // 28

that consciousness, by which the Vedas know, but which neither Viṣṇu nor Brahmā knows,

from which words turn back, along with the mind, without reaching it, // 29

knowable by oneself, the supreme light seated in the heart of all,

attainable by yogins, indescribable, having the means of knowledge alone as its range— // 30

he who, though having diverse forms, is formless; though going everywhere, is beyond sensory perception;

though infinite, has the form of Death; knowing all, yet free from action: // 31

this is his sovereign form, adorned with the crescent moon,

his throat dark as the tamāla tree, an eye flashing on his forehead, // 32

radiant with the female half on his left, with the auspicious Śeṣa made into his armlet,

the slope of his matted hair continually washed by noble contact with the waves of the Gaṅgā, // 33

resplendent with limbs honoured with heaps of ash from the body of the god of love,

bearing the ornament of great serpents fastened on his varied body, // 34

mounted upon a chariot of a great bull, his weapon the twanging Ajagava bow,

his upper garment an elephant's hide, auspicious, with five faces, // 35

terrifier of great Death, surrounded by mighty hosts of gaṇas,

protector of those who seek refuge, the cause of nirvāṇa for those who bow down, // 33

beyond the path of desires, devoted to granting boons.

O twice-born one, of him whose nature is reality, who is beyond form,

all things stand pervaded by his higher and lower Rudra forms. // 37

Though formless, Śiva alone, possessing form, is indeed the cause.

Whether for liberation or for enjoyment, there is no giver of liberation other than Śiva. // 38

Just as all this was entrusted to Pārvatī's husband by him,

all this moving and unmoving, visible and invisible, by the formless one, // 39

so the entire world was made over to Viṣṇu by Mṛḍānī's beloved,

and he sports eternally, O brahmin, through his willful play. // 40

As is Śiva, so is Viṣṇu; as is Viṣṇu, so is Śiva;

and between Śiva and Viṣṇu there is not the slightest difference. // 41

Having summoned first Brahmā and all the other hosts of deities,

and the vidyādharas, serpents, siddhas, gandharvas, and cāraṇas, // 42

having fashioned an auspicious throne equal to his own throne,

seating Hari upon it, and fashioning a charming parasol // 43

that was smooth, with a crore of ribs, crafted by Viśvakarman,

white, with a gem-encrusted handle, draped with large pearls, // 44

adorned above with a wonderful jar,

a thousand yojanas in extent, made of all kinds of gems, auspicious, // 45

embellished with delightful chowries made of silk threads;

and with materials suitable for a royal consecration, all the medicinal herbs and the rest, // 46

with the visible waters of sacred fords, with five charming pitchers,

with white mustard, unbroken grains, and dūrvā grass, and with mantras appearing of their own accord; // 47

and having brought from the gods, the seers,

the siddhas, and the serpents, sixteen auspicious maidens from each; // 48

with vīṇās, mṛdaṅgas, lotuses, kettledrums, marus, ḍiṇḍimas, and jharjharas,

with drums, bronze cymbals, and other instruments, with melodious singers, // 49

while the courtyard of the sky was filled with the great roar of Vedic chanting—

On an auspicious lunar day, under an auspicious astrological lagna, endowed with the strength of the moon and stars,

[him] whose delightful crown was bound on, for whom the auspicious marriage-thread rite was performed,

adorned by Mṛḍānī, endowed with noble splendour by the noble Lakṣmī,

having consecrated [him] in the pavilion of the cosmic egg, Maheśa himself

gave him all his own supreme sovereignty, which belongs to no other.

Then the lord of gods, together with his attendants, praised the wielder of the Śārṅga bow, / and spoke these words to Brahmā, the creator of the worlds:

"This Viṣṇu is worthy of my worship; you, too, must bow to this Hari." / Having spoken thus, Rudra himself bowed to the one whose banner is Garuḍa.

"This Viṣṇu is worthy of my worship; you, too, must bow to this Hari."

Having spoken thus, Rudra himself bowed to the one whose banner is Garuḍa.

Then by all the lords of the Gaṇas, by Brahmā, and by the hosts of the Maruts,

by yogins such as Sanaka and others, by the siddhas, and likewise by the divine seers,

by the vidyādharas along with the gandharvas, by the hosts of yakṣas, rākṣasas, and apsarases,

by the guhyakas, cāraṇas, and bhūtas, by Śeṣa, Vāsuki, and Takṣaka,

by the birds and the kinnaras, and by all things mobile and immobile—

then, shouting "Victory, victory!", and "Homage, homage be [to you]!",

then Hari, by Maheśa in the assembly of the heaven-dwellers at that time,

and by these delightful great shouts, was worshipped with supreme splendour:

"You are the creator of all beings, their protector, and you alone are their destroyer; / you alone are worthy of worship by the worlds, you alone are the sovereign of the universe,

the giver of righteousness, wealth, and pleasure, the chastiser of those who act unjustly. / And in battle, you shall be invincible even to me.

The giver of righteousness, wealth, and pleasure, the chastiser of those who act unjustly,

and in battle, you shall be invincible even to me.

The power of will, the power of action, and likewise the supreme power of knowledge—

receive this triad of powers, O Viṣṇu, bestowed by me.

Those who hate you, O Hari, must surely be chastised by me with care; / to your devotees, O Viṣṇu, the highest nirvāṇa must be granted by me.

To your devotees, O Viṣṇu, the highest nirvāṇa must be granted by me.

Take also this māyā, difficult to dispel by gods and asuras,

by which the universe, utterly deluded, will know nothing at all.

You are my left arm, and that Grandfather [Brahmā] is my right; / indeed, you shall be the protector and also the progenitor of even this Creator."

Indeed, you shall be the protector and also the progenitor of even this Creator."

Having thus established Hari in the sovereignty of Vaikuṇṭha, Hara himself, / the lord of Umā, sports at will on Kailāsa along with his attendants.

on Kailāsa along with his attendants the lord of Umā sports at will.

From that time forward, this god who wields the Śārṅga bow and bears the mace,

Hari, the destroyer of the dānavas, rules over the entire three worlds.

"Thus the state of the worlds has been related to you, O brahmin; / now we two shall tell you the cause of your own nirvāṇa.

now we two shall tell you the cause of your own nirvāṇa.

Whoever listens with focused mind to this supreme narrative,

having gone to heaven, will then attain nirvāṇa in Kāśī.

At sacrificial festivals and at weddings, and in all auspicious rites,

at the time of a royal consecration, in the rite of installing a deity,

at conferrals of all offices, and upon entering a new home,

it must be recited with care for the complete success of that undertaking.

A childless man obtains a son, an impoverished man becomes wealthy,

the sick man is freed from illness, and the bound man is freed from bondage.

This must be recited constantly with care by one desiring good fortune; / it is the dispeller of inauspicious things, dear to Hara and Nārāyaṇa."

it is the dispeller of inauspicious things, dear to Hara and Nārāyaṇa.

Thus ends the twenty-third chapter, named 'The Consecration of the Four-Armed [Viṣṇu]', in the first half of the fourth section, the Kāśīkhaṇḍa, in the glorious Skanda Mahāpurāṇa consisting of eighty-one thousand verses.