Skandapurana 17.17
English (machine translation) 17.17
- Language
- English
17.17.1
The king said: / Wonderful is this narrative heard by me through your grace. / Having seen Nārāyaṇa and Śakra on Mount Mandara,
17.17.2
What did the lord of sages do then? Tell me that in detail, O sage! / Make me, who am tormented by the delusion arising from wandering in saṃsāra, / free of thirst by the flood of the nectar-water of the narrative, O lord!
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The Sārasvata [sage] said: / Then that Nārada, knowing that the god had been cursed previously by the twice-born / Bhṛgu, [thought:] 'This will not happen otherwise.
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What is to happen, will happen, O Lord; let the present be considered! / And this Viṣṇu, having become Vāmana, will go to that city.
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Afterward he will subdue Bali, which will please me. / How can one remain in the present, fierce [state of affairs] without a war?
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The battles between gods and dānavas, of daityas, gandharvas, and rākṣasas, / of reptiles and birds—all have been stopped.
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In the destruction of my fortune, there is no strife born of rivalry. / The lord of the gods was previously restrained by his guru; what shall I do?
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This guru is to be respected by me, so I do not curse him. / But then my effort for war does not succeed; what do I do?
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By some stroke of fate, human effort does not succeed; / even so, effort should be made towards human endeavor by a wise man. / Fate sometimes bears fruit even without human effort—
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That statement which has been said is useless, since success comes from exertion. / Having gone to Bali, I shall speak so that he will wage war.
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If he does not listen to my word, I shall certainly curse him.' / Having spoken thus, Nārada swiftly went to the palace of Bali; / in merely the twinkling of an eye, he stood in the sky with his two disciples.
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Upon a mansion resembling a mountain, seven stories high and exceedingly bright, / on top of it was a celestial assembly hall fashioned by Viśvakarman.
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In it was a celestial lion-throne; seated upon it was Bali, O king, / surrounded by all the daityas, who were devoted to proud talk and laughter,
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Surrounded by calm seers and brahmins, and likewise by Uśanas himself, / and by sons, friends, and wives, in the celestial palace.
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The lord of the daityas was fanned with celestial chowries held by the hands of heavenly nymphs, / and was being praised by cāraṇas.
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While he was seated, intoxicated with arrogance, those chiefs of the daityas and dānavas, / who were all eager for battle, were deliberating among themselves.
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Rising again and again, they spoke, boasting against the gods: / 'All this triple world of ours has now departed!
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Through Śukra's advice, will great prosperity be obtained without a war? / If the lord of daityas makes friendship with the king of the gods,
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Why does Bali not ask for Airāvaṇa, who is always rutting? / Why does the Sun not surrender his swift horse?'
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As long as the greedy treasurer is not attacked on the battlefield, / so long will he not surrender the wealth that was accumulated by the gods.
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The ocean does not reveal its jewels from the netherworld, / as long as we do not cast Mandara into it and churn it.
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Just as the digits of nectar from the moon are consumed gradually by the gods, / why does the watery one not give a share to Bali?
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The cool wind of the celestial river, fragrant with lotus filaments, / blows gently in heaven, but not likewise in the palace of Bali.
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Clouds uplifted with rainbows release water upon the earth's surface; / shaken by Bali’s sword, they go again from the surface of the earth to heaven.
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On our earthly surface, Yama kills people; / it is not so in heaven, nor in Pātāla—behold, alas, this cause and effect!
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That Citragupta personally writes upon our foreheads / lifespan, livelihood, sons, and happiness; but for the gods, it is not the same.
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The seasons of rain, cold, and heat exist now upon the earth; / they wander upon the earth in fear, not in heaven nor in Pātāla.
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Born from one seed, you gods and Dānavas are cousins; / why are we placed on earth, and by whom are the gods placed above?
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When the ocean was being churned, the king of Daityas was deceived by the gods; / all the gods stood on one side, and Bali alone stood on the other.
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And when the jewels emerged—whatever anyone's fortune was: / elephants, horses, wish-fulfilling trees, the moon, cows, and celestial tuskers.
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Taking the nectar, the gods assigned us to drinking [liquor]; / crushed by this, you, exceedingly arrogant, do not know.
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The remaining nectar that was not drunk was kept by the gods in Satyaloka; / ah, how crooked are the gods! Why is the remainder not given?
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Believing it to be wine, we were deceived of the nectar; / thus sesame oil is dear to those who have never seen clarified butter.
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It is not possible to count the crooked deeds of Viṣṇu; / nevertheless, what was performed by those who were satisfied and delighted is told.
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Fair-limbed, beautiful, with lovely brows and full, high breasts, / with beautiful hair, a moon-like face, and eyes extending to her ears,
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marked with three folds at the waist, a slender maiden graspable even with a fist, / with feet like land-growing lotuses, her arms adorning her like creepers,
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endowed with all ornaments, possessing all auspicious marks, / the goddess who enchants the three worlds arose at the churning of the nectar.
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She who arose first from the nectar, indeed, belongs to him whose property it is; / the three worlds come under the control of him who possesses that lovely-eyed one.
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Enchanted by her, all the gods, Dānavas, and Rākṣasas / abandoned the churning, and all strove to seize her.
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There was one woman and many gods, Dānavas, Daityas, and Rākṣasas; / a very great dispute arose: “How will it be resolved here?”
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Viṣṇu came, seized everyone by the arm, and restrained them: / “Why, alas, is this argument being held among you for her sake?
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An undertaking for the sake of nectar is ruined for the sake of a woman!” / Having first made an agreement, she was kissed again by Viṣṇu.
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Wearing a divine form, wearing a garland, adorned with a garland of forest flowers, / his body illuminated by the Kaustubha gem, holding the conch, discus, and mace,
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having placed an auspicious garland in her hand, Viṣṇu stood before her; / raising his arm, Hari spoke these words to everyone:
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“Let everyone form a circle and remain seated in their own places; / let Lakṣmī look upon you and bestow the garland of choosing according to her will.
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Whoever, excessively lustful, causes a disruption to the svayaṃvara, / he must be killed by all together, just like a hunter lusting after another's wife.
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Let the sin of violating another's wife and the murder of a woman befall him; / let it be proclaimed: ‘So be it!’ for anyone else who acts thus.”
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Considering Hari impartial, saying “So be it,” they agreed: / “Among gods, Dānavas, Daityas, Gandharvas, serpents, and Rākṣasas, / whoever is favored as a husband, truly he shall be yours.”
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She had already been captivated by him, drawn by the casting of his glance; / looking with a glance was the primary enchantment he cast upon women.
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“Just so,” placing a hand to her ear, what was whispered / a woman holds in her heart, afflicted by the arrows of Kāma.
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She would choose him alone here; there is no doubt at all; / previously, when the quarrel had arisen, Hari had acted to avert it.
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When she was seized by all, she did not release Hari at all; / “You alone are my husband,” she said; “Release me, go far away.”
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Having moved away, Viṣṇu then entered among the assembly of gods; / then, having addressed me, they all went to their respective places on their own.
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Vijayā first announced all the gods in proper order; / she looked, and after deliberating upon him, passed him by.
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“Śiva is detached, peaceful, the beloved of Gaurī, three-eyed; / he never looks at any other, the three-eyed one ever intent on meditation.”
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When the female companion said, “This is the Grandfather [Brahmā],” then by her, / having bowed, she went far away, remaining silent and not looking.
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“Leave aside the Sun, who brings bloom to lotuses, and Fire, whose nature is burning; / the wind blows,” she went far away, “since Varuṇa is my father.
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The lord of gods, attached to the face of Paulomī [Śacī], does not please me.”
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Inflicting killing, binding, cutting, splitting, punishing, and dragging, / Yama, son of Vivasvat, does not show a gentle form.
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The gods, Dānavas, Gandharvas, Daityas, serpents, and Rākṣasas—
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seeing them to be exceedingly fierce, she moved on; then that Supreme Person was seen; / having beheld him with her glance, whose face was surrounded by eyes reaching to his ears,
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pervaded by supreme good fortune, charming, captivating to Kāma, / marked with the bristling of body hairs and droplets of perspiration,
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looked upon with angry glances by the leaders of gods, Dānavas, and Daityas, / the delightful lady chose him as her groom and then personally gave him the garland.
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Seeing that conduct of the gods, the Daityas spoke among themselves: / “Look at the division made by the gods! They have all gone to heaven on their own.”
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"You [should go] to the bottom of Pātāla; humans [belong] on the surface of the earth; / let the gods go to the triple world; we are not dwellers of heaven."
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Let the kṣatriya mortals rule on the surface of the earth. / But if, having abandoned Pātāla, the earth is to be protected,
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by certain Daityas, Dānavas, and Rākṣasas—that is not proper! / But what is the use of much talk? Bali is king in the triple world.
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Having divided the jewels, let the kingdom be ruled equally!" / While they were boasting in this way, they saw Nārada,
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descending from the sky like a second sun, / carrying a staff of Brahmā in his hand and holding a text on warfare,
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wearing a black antelope skin, peaceful, with an umbrella, a vīṇā, and a water-pot, / having a fine girdle knotted into three strands of muñja grass,
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bearing the form of Brahmā, serene, adorned with celestial rudrākṣa beads, / suspended with a string of sacred cords tied in the past aeon.
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"A debate between Brahmā and Hara, proud with arrogance of origin, / is now being engaged in by the enraged ones"—his mind was intently absorbed in this thought.
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Seeing that Nārada had arrived, they approached him in astonishment: / "O lord, be gracious! Please come to my house.
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I am blessed, I have acquired merit, since you have come to my dwelling!" / Thus addressed by Bali, the brahmin entered the residence of the Asura; / having offered a seat, foot-water, and respectful offering, the twice-born was worshipped.
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Having entered, all the Daityas and Dānavas sat down together. / Along with Śukra, the Daitya Bali addressed Nārada:
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"Here is my kingdom, here are my wives, here are my sons, and here am I, Bali. / Speak of whatever you have need of here; giving is my foremost vow."
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Nārada said: / "Those brahmins who are pleased with devotion, those brahmins are gods on earth; / but those who, even though worshipped according to one's capacity, beg again—they are the lowest.
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I have been honored by you and am delighted; I have no need of wealth. / I am pleased by your rule, by your sacrifices, gifts, and vows. / But I see something unpleasant being done against you by the gods, O Bali: / even though honored by you, the king of gods is not satisfied.
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All the gods do not tolerate your dominion on the surface of the earth. / In heaven, grief has arisen for me over the conflict between the gods and you.
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He who, having armed himself, first marches his army into enemy territory— / that kṣatriya is victorious, and his kingdom increases.
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The destruction of your kingdom will come to pass; so it has been heard by me. / Knowing this, let whatever is appropriate be done immediately."
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Bali said: / "O lord, tell me the virtues by which a king rules his kingdom; / I must also bestow gifts upon a worthy recipient—tell me about that as well."
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Nārada said: / "Endowed with twenty-six virtues, a king rules a kingdom; / he attains the fruit of kingship. Listen, I shall explain it to you.
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He should practice virtues without bitterness; he should abandon affection for an atheist; / he should pursue wealth without cruelty; he should pursue desire without arrogance.
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He should speak pleasantly without being a miser; he should be brave without boasting; / he should be a giver without boundless excess; he should be bold without being harsh.
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He should not make alliances with the ignoble; he should not quarrel with kinsmen; / he should not employ untrustworthy persons as spies; he should perform his duty without oppressing [others].
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He should not speak of his wealth in times of misfortune; he should not proclaim his own virtues; / he should not seize [property] from the virtuous; he should not rely on a wicked man.
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He should not inflict punishment without investigation; he should not reveal his counsel; / he should not distribute [wealth] to the greedy; he should not trust harmful persons.
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His wives should be well protected by trusted guards; he should protect others; a king should be compassionate; / he should not indulge excessively in women; he should eat wholesome food, not unwholesome.
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He should not steal; he should honor the venerable; he should serve his guru without deceit; / a deity should be worshipped without hypocrisy; he should desire wealth that is not blameworthy.
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He should serve with genuine affection; he should be skillful and know the proper time; / soothing speech should always be spoken; while showing favor, he should not rebuke.
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He should not strike a brahmin; having defeated his enemies, he should leave no remnant; / he should not show anger without cause; he should not be mild toward wrongdoers.
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Thus one should abide in kingship for a long time, if you desire welfare in this world. / Austerities, recitation of sacred texts, gifts, pilgrimages to sacred fords, and life in hermitages—
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do not equal even a sixteenth part of self-realization through yoga. / You should practice detachment from worldly existence and the honoring of brahmins.
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Worship should be offered through diverse sacrifices; Hari, Nārāyaṇa, is to be meditated upon. / I have arrived here incidentally, and I shall proceed to Mount Raivataka.
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There abides Lord Viṣṇu and the river that purifies the three worlds; / and there stands the Śivā tree, rich with abundant flowers and fruits. / Going there, I shall observe that vow dear to Viṣṇu."
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Bali said: / "What is this [mountain] named Raivataka? What is the vow dear to Viṣṇu? / And what are the Śivā trees that are spoken of? Tell me that in detail."
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Nārada said: / "Formerly, at the beginning of the yuga, O lord of Daityas, mountains were made with wings; / later, having deliberated, Brahmā made them immobile again.
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Huge in body, they would fly up and descend at will. / Meru, Mandara, and Kailāsa remained fixed by his command alone.
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Those that were checked but would not remain still were rendered stationary by Indra. / On the southern peak of Meru is that mountain called Kumuda,
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divine, winged, golden, covered with heavenly trees. / Upon it a divine city of Viṣṇu was built by Viṣṇu.
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In the middle of it is a divine mansion in which Lakṣmī is ever present. / On the peak of Meru is a delightful city, and there is an enchanting palace;
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there abides the god Bhava, where Bhavānī is seated. / There is the lovely assembly hall of Maheśvara, made of gold and adorned with jewels.
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There abides Lord Viṣṇu, surrounded by the gods led by Brahmā; / Viṣṇu always goes to that assembly to see the god Maheśvara.
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Because it was adorned everywhere with golden water-lilies, / the gods who gathered there gave it the name Kumuda.
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Once the blessed Rudra came to that mountain / to see that city protected by Viṣṇu on its delightful peak.
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Seeing Hara arrived at his abode, he was worshipped by Hari; / and Gaurī, worshipped by Lakṣmī, remained there delighted.
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The two seated upon a single throne deliberated with each other; / knowing the reason through Hara, everything was told to Hari:
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“This city must be made by you on Mandara, the excellent mountain. / I should not be asked the reason; it will certainly come to pass.
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Hara alone knows the reason, and no one else at all.” / Having said, “So be it,” they remained; that mountain too [remained].
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Seeing that Rudra had arrived, Kumuda himself approached: / “Blessed am I, my merit is accomplished, since the two of you have come to my home.”
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Addressed by both: “O best of mountains, what boon shall we grant you?” / Being addressed thus by them, he, dull-witted, chose a boon.
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Because it is the cause of future events, it will not be in vain: / “Wherever I am, there the two of you must dwell; let this be my boon.
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Coming into my presence, you must remain for a day of Brahmā.” / Saying, “So be it,” both Hari and Hara, with their consorts, departed.
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The fifth Manu, who was formerly renowned by the name Raivata— / hear that which occurred before Kumuda at his birth.
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There was an illustrious seer renowned as Ṛtavāc; / to that childless, great-souled one, a son was born at the end of Revatī.
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He performed for him according to rule the birth-rites and other ceremonies, / as well as the sacred thread ceremony and the like; but he turned out ill-behaved, O king.
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From the time he was born, from that time forth, that seer / suffered the affliction of a chronic illness, exceedingly hard to bear.
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And his mother, afflicted with leprosy, came to supreme distress. / The seer, grieving, fell into anxious thought: “What is this?”
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“A foolish, dull-witted son causes sorrow to his father; / one who walks the wrong path especially—that is indeed worse than grief.
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Childlessness is better for men, not a wicked son; / [he is] of no benefit to friends, nor for the satisfaction of the ancestors.
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A good son enters day after day into the heart of his parents; / cursed is the birth of that evil-doer who causes grief to his parents!
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Blessed are those sons who are esteemed by all the world, / benevolent to others, peaceful, devoted to virtuous deeds.
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Discontented, joyless, overwhelmed with sorrow and grief, / the state of having a wicked son leads the living being to hell, not to heaven.
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It causes misery to friends and likewise delight to enemies; / indeed, a wicked son brings premature old age upon his parents.”
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Nārada said: / Thus that sage, his mind burning with anguish / over the deeds of that exceedingly wicked son, questioned the elder Garga.
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Ṛtavāc said: / “Formerly, maintaining good vows, the Vedas were studied by me according to rule; / having completed my studies, I took a wife according to injunction.
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Whatever rites, based on Śruti and Smṛti, are to be performed with a wife, / those were performed according to ordinance and in accordance with desire.
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And for the sake of a son he was begotten to save me from the hell named Put, O sage; / has he been born bringing sorrow to us through wicked conduct by his own fault, or by his mother's fault, or by mine? Tell me, O learned one!”
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Garga said: / “O best of sages, this son of yours was born at the end of Revatī; / therefore he is for your sorrow, because he was born at an evil time.
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There is no wrongdoing on your part, nor on the mother's, nor on the family's; / the cause of his ill behaviour is something else, arrived at the end of Revatī.
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The junction between Revatī and Aśvinī, and likewise between Āśleṣā and Maghā, / and between Jyeṣṭhā and Mūla, is declared to be the dreadful Gaṇḍānta.
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Whatever men, women, or horses are born in the three Gaṇḍas / do not stay long in the house, and even while staying, they are terrifying.” / Addressed thus by Garga, he, very prone to anger, became exceedingly enraged.
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Ṛtavāc said: / “Because my only son was born at the end of Revatī,
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did Revatī not know: ‘A brahmin will curse me’? / Therefore, let Revatī fall from the sky, blazing furiously!”
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Nārada said: / When that word was uttered by him, the asterism Revatī fell indeed,
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while all the world watched, their minds filled with wonder.
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By the power of the Lord's will, it fell upon the mountain's peak; / the asterism Revatī fell down all around upon Mount Kumuda.
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It reached the country of Surāṣṭra and fell on the auspicious earth. / The great mountain Ujjayanta, the son of the Himālaya,
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had previously made mutual friendship with Kumuda: / “Wherever you will stay, there I too shall certainly stay.”
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Having done this, taking water from the Gaṅgā along with the Yamunā / and the holy belonging to Sarasvatī, he came to sprinkle it.
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The two stayed together until the universal deluge was summoned; / and from that fall, Mount Kumuda became renowned as Raivataka.
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It is exceedingly delightful on the whole earth, O lord of the earth; / and Mount Kumuda, golden, because of the falling of Revatī,
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became lotus-hued on its exterior, O king; / but in its middle, that best of mountains was Meru-hued, golden.
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Then Mount Raivataka produced a maiden / born from the splendour of Revatī, whose face was like Revatī.
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An excellent woman was seen by the royal sage named Pramuca; / like a father, the name Revatī was given to her, O best of kings.
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And that excellent woman became renowned everywhere as Revatī; / [that mountain is] a place composed of all splendour, the resort of the waters of all sacred fords.
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joined with streams of Gaṅgā water as well as those of the Yamunā; / the water belonging to Sarasvatī stayed there—those three [waters] within the pits.
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It is known as Revatīkuṇḍa, where Revatī was born. / By remembering it, by seeing it, and by ritual ablution, destruction of all sins takes place.
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That girl was brought up by that noble Pramuca; / and she attained youth on that Raivataka mountain.
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Then, seeing her endowed with youth, the sage Pramuca / pondered in solitude: "Who will be her husband?"
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Offering oblations again and again, that best of brahmins asked his preceptor, the fire: / "Grant me favor! Tell me, who will be her husband?
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There is no other suitable for her in [any] lineage. What shall I do?" / Rising from the fire-pit, the bearer of oblations spoke:
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"Listen to my words, O brahmin, concerning who will be her husband: / Born in the lineage of Priyavrata, endowed with great strength and prowess,
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the son of Vikramaśīla, born from the womb of Kālindī, / the king named Durdama will indeed be her husband."
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In the meantime, that king Durdama arrived, / desiring to slay deer on the mountain. Not seeing the sage in the house, [he said:] / "Beloved, where has father gone? Come, tell me the truth!"
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Nārada said: / Standing right in the sacrificial fire-chamber, he heard that dear speech: / "Who is this addressing [someone] as 'beloved' in my house?"
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The sage saw the noble king Durdama. / Rejoicing upon seeing Durdama, the sage said to Gautama,
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his disciple endowed with humility: "Bring the arghya and pādya offerings! / For one thing, this king has arrived after a long time;
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moreover, the king is now my son-in-law, and my daughter is suitable for him." / Then the king pondered the reason for [being called] a son-in-law.
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In silence, according to the rule, the king received the arghya at the brahmin's command. / To him seated on a seat, who had accepted the arghya, the great sage, the brahmin,
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spoke relevantly to the lord of kings: "O king, is all well in your city, / in your treasury, army, allies, servants, ministers, and subjects, / and likewise in yourself, O mighty-armed one, upon whom everything depends?
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And is your wife well, who indeed stays here in this place? / Tell me also of the welfare of the other [wives] who are in your palace."
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The king said: / "By your grace, there is no misfortune anywhere in my kingdom. / I have become curious about this: who is my wife here, O sage?"
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Pramuca said: / "Revatī is your excellent wife. Do you not know, O best of kings? / How have you forgotten her who is the beauty of the three worlds?"
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The king said: / "Subhadrā, Śāntapāpā, the daughter of Kāverī, / the younger sister of Sūrātmaja, Kadambā of excellent progeny,
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Vipāṭhā, and Nandinī—these wives I know; / they dwell in my home. I do not know at all whence Revatī is my wife!"
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The seer said: / "Just now you called her 'beloved'; that Revatī is your beloved. / That word cannot be otherwise, O best of kings!"
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The king said: / "There was no fault of intention; may that utterance of mine be forgiven! / The word slipped from my mouth; I did not know [her], O best of brahmins!"
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The seer said: / "There is no fault of intention; I know it completely, [yet] do it! / You were declared to me by the fire; today you shall become my son-in-law."
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By these and other words, the king accepted Revatī as his wife. / When the seer was thus prepared to perform the marriage according to the rules, / the maiden said to her father: "Father, listen to something from me!
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If you wish to perform my marriage with a husband, father, / let him perform my marriage under the Revatī constellation, out of grace."
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The seer said: / "O gentle girl, the Revatī constellation does not stand in heaven in conjunction with the moon. / There are other constellations too, O fair-browed one, suitable for marriage."
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The maiden said: / "Father, without that, time appears defective to me. / When time is defective, father, how can a marriage take place for one like me?"
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Pramuca said: / "An ascetic renowned as Ṛtavāc felt anger toward Revatī; / being enraged, he cast down that constellation.
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And she has been promised by me to him as his wife, as is known to you. / If you do not wish for the marriage, a crisis has come upon us!"
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The maiden said: / "Did that sage Ṛtavāc alone perform austerity himself, / and not you, my father? Am I the daughter of a worthless brahmin?"
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The seer said: / "You are not the daughter of a worthless brahmin; there is no ascetic superior to me. / You, my daughter, must be given away by me; I cannot undertake anything else."
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The maiden said: / "If my father is an ascetic, then why is this constellation not set up / again in the sky, and why is my marriage not performed then?"
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The seer said:
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"So be it! May good betide you, gentle girl; be pleased! / For your sake, I shall place the Revatī constellation back in the path of the moon."
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Then, by the power of his austerity, the great sage, the best of brahmins, / restored the Revatī constellation just as before, in conjunction with the moon. / Having performed the marriage of his daughter, he spoke to his son-in-law:
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"Tell me, O king, what wedding gift shall I give you? / Even if difficult to obtain, I shall grant it, for great austerity belongs to me."
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The king said: / "I am born in the lineage of Manu Svāyambhuva, O sage. / By your grace, I choose a son who will be the lord of a manvantara."
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The seer said: / "He will be a protector of the earth, endowed with great strength and prowess. / Revatī, having bathed in Revatīkuṇḍa, will give birth to a son."
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Having done so, the king departed, and she gave birth to a son. / The name Raivata was given [to him]; he became the Manu, O king.
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And by him it was declared then: 'On this Raivataka mountain, / women who take a ritual ablution will have sons of great strength, / long-lived, and free from grief and poverty.'
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Nārada said: / When this was spoken, O king, that mountain became elongated and fell. / Those two deities, Hari and Śaṃkara, accompanied by their consorts, were remembered.
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The moment they were remembered, they arrived then, because previously they were bound by him: / 'Wherever I am, there you two must dwell; this is certain.'
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Therefore, the two deities Viṣṇu and Hara dwelt upon that best of mountains. / On the pleasant Raivataka mountain, by the water of the Svarṇarekhā river, / Revatī worshiped the deity Hari, and he said to her:
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'May your union with the moon take place in the sky by the brahmin's command. / Choose another boon that is in your heart; I am pleased.'
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Revatī said: / 'O God, you must always dwell upon the Raivataka mountain. / Wherever a ritual ablution was performed by me, the people who will bathe there—
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may their abode be in the city of Viṣṇu: this is chosen by me.' / Having then said 'So be it,' four-armed Dāmodara dwelt upon the Raivataka mountain, / and Rudra himself also remained there.
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All the rivers, headed by Gaṅgā, remained along with Viṣṇu. / But when the milk-ocean was being churned, when a tree arose
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during the crushing of the gods and Daityas, therefore it was remembered as the āmalakī. / In this tree Lakṣmī is always present, O king, as in her father's house.
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The tree is known as Śivā and Lakṣmī, and is served by the best among the gods. / By all the gods, headed by Brahmā, this tree is regarded as belonging to Viṣṇu.
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Having deliberated, it was released formerly by all upon the Raivataka mountain. / Those who undertake a pilgrimage to this tree on the day of Hari,
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on the eleventh lunar day in the bright fortnight of Phālguna, O best of kings, / their sons and grandsons will abound in virtues; / at the end, residence in the city of Viṣṇu comes to pass, there is no doubt here.
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Bali said: / How is this Vaiṣṇava observance, dear to Viṣṇu, to be performed? / How is the night-vigil to be kept, by what rule? Tell that!
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Nārada said: / Having fasted on the eleventh lunar day of the bright fortnight of Phālguna, / having bathed in a river, pond, stepped well, ordinary well, or even at home,
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Linked texts (1)
- Skandapurāṇa — Vyāsa, Sanskrit