Skandapurana 2.1.35
English (machine translation) 2.1.35
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Now, the confluence of the Suvarṇamukharī and the Kalyā river.
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Bharadvāja said:
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There the auspicious Suvarṇamukharī was joined by
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the holy river named Kalyā, as the Kālindī [is joined] by the Jāhnavī. // 1
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Arising from Mount Vṛṣabhācala, adorned with sovereign sacred fords,
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the Kalyā is the best of rivers, destroying hosts of taints, // 2
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with both banks adorned with clusters of various trees and creepers,
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a comfortable dwelling for hosts of sages, abundant in holy hermitages, // 3
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its banks shining with kuśa grass and unbroken grains glistening from water-oblations given by the twice-born,
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muddy from washing away the musk-paste on the breasts of apsarases, // 4
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made fragrant by the rut-water trickling from elephants' temples,
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surrounded by hundreds of sacrificial posts set up for rites by brahmins and kings, // 5
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gratifying all men with its flood of clear water.
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Even alone, one of the two great rivers is fully capable of destroying sin; // 6
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who is able to extol their greatness when they are conjoined?
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Where, in the midst of the river, stands the stone known as the Brahmaśilā, // 7
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and, by Agastya's austerity, Gayā later manifests her presence.
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Those who have bathed there in the holy water of the two rivers, O best of Kurus, // 8
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obtain the fruit of a hundred pauṇḍarīka sacrifices;
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sins such as the killing of a brahmin are completely destroyed // 9
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for those purified by ablution there at the confluence of the two rivers,
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purifying like the Kṛṣṇaveṇī joined with the Bhavanāśinī. // 10
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Now, the description of glorious Mount Veṅkaṭācala situated on the bank of the Suvarṇamukharī.
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The Suvarṇamukharī shone, joined then with the Kalyā. // 11
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Now, half a yojana to the north of the great river shines
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the renowned Mount Veṅkaṭācala, having an elevation of a yojana. // 12
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This best of mountains is the refuge of all sacred fords:
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Añjanā, Ananta, Vṛṣabha, Nīla, Kesarin, and Potrin— // 13
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these are the groves of the mountain, as are Nārāyaṇa and Veṅkaṭa.
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Because it was previously claimed by the Enemy of Madhu in the form of a boar, // 14
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this mountain is celebrated by noble people as Varāhakṣetra.
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On the bank of the Suvarṇamukharī, on the celebrated Veṅkaṭācala,
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Acyuta dwells eternally, accompanied by the daughter of the king of the ocean.
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While he dwells on that mountain together with Śrī as the Lord of Veṅkaṭa,
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Siddhas, gandharvas, sages, humans, and dānavas revere him.
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For the devotees whose minds are fixed upon that Highest Person,
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wishes are swiftly fulfilled, O Arjuna, and misfortunes are destroyed.
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Those who remember the Lord of the World residing on Mount Veṅkaṭa,
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with their faults cast aside, reach the eternal, imperishable state.
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Arjuna said:
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On Mount Veṅkaṭa, which is exceedingly sacred and bowed to by gods and asuras,
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how did the divine Lord, the husband of Kamalā, manifest himself?
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Or to which virtuous person there, being pleased, did he reveal his wondrous form,
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which grants the fruits of worldly enjoyment and liberation?
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The greatness of Viṣṇu, the primordial god of gods, O great sage,
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I wish to hear in truth; tell it to me in detail.
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Now begins the description of the majesty of the Lord residing on the holy Veṅkaṭācala.
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Bharadvāja said:
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Listen attentively to the greatness of the Lord of Veṅkaṭa;
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it cannot be narrated in full even by Brahmā.
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Blessed are you, for your mind has become devoted to hearing
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the māhātmya of the god of gods, the enemy of Madhu, O tamer of foes, dear friend.
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I have acquired merit, O son of Pṛthā, because the purifying deeds
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of Hari, the lord of all beings, will now be praised by me.
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Formerly, on the bank of the Bhāgīrathī, to the great-souled Janaka,
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who was engaged in the consecration for a sacrifice and possessed of pure knowledge,
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a tale was told by Vāmadeva that destroys sins;
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I shall narrate that purifying tale to you, O son of Pṛthā, celebrating Viṣṇu.
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Nārāyaṇa is the first Lord of all beings whatsoever,
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composed of the universe, creator of the universe, the taintless nature of consciousness.
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The Lord has a thousand heads, a thousand eyes, and a thousand feet,
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by whose light this universe, with the moving and unmoving, shines forth.
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Splendor higher than he, austerity higher than he,
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knowledge higher than he, or yoga higher than he does not exist.
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Nor is there any wisdom higher than he, O son of Pṛthā, bull among men.
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The Lord is always present in all beings,
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and all beings abide comfortably within him alone.
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He alone is the sacrifice, the sacrificer, and the implements such as the sruc and sruva spoons;
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he is the fruit, the giver of the fruit, and likewise the destination to be reached through it.
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When the fire is brought forth, with the sprinkled sacrificial animal they offer oblations;
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those who approach him go to the state established by him.
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Having made the bond of action the sacrificial animal, when the fire of knowledge is kindled,
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those who offer oblations directed to him share in union with him.
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Hari, Sadāśiva, Brahmā, Mahendra, the Supreme, the Sovereign—
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these are declared to be synonymous terms for that Lord of All.
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He who with collected mind meditates upon this māhātmya
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of the Supreme Self, Nārāyaṇa, does not undergo rebirth.
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Consisting of consciousness and bliss, the witness, free from gunas, devoid of limiting conditions,
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though eternal, he assumes this or that state at will.
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He who is the purest of the pure and the supreme refuge of the refugeless,
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the deity of deities, and the highest good among good things,
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he alone is the one to be known among things to be known, the highest to be meditated upon among things to be meditated upon,
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the supreme humility endowed with wisdom among humilities,
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the splendor that generates splendors, the foremost austerity of austerities,
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the support of all beings, without beginning or end, is Janārdana.
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Even Brahmā and the others are bewildered in understanding his true nature;
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unborn, he assumes birth; being the Self of all, he slays enemies;
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though independent, he behaves as dependent upon his devotees.
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He is the witness of actions, the omniscient god whose banner is Garuḍa.
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His true nature sages seek with collected minds:
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Saṅkarṣaṇa, Vāsudeva, and likewise Pradyumna...
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and Aniruddha: this is the renowned group of four forms.
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The praṇava (Om) is praised, then his luminous heart,
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and ‘Bhagavān Vāsudeva’: this mantra reveals him.
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Whoever constantly recites this king of mantras with composed mind
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shall become a vessel of perfections through the grace of Viṣṇu.
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Now follows the description of the creation of beings and so forth made by the Lord.
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Which removes distress, brings prosperity, and bestows enjoyment and liberation—
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how Mādhava created beings at the very beginning of the kalpa,
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all that I shall relate. Listen with an attentive mind.
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As he contemplated creation, from that supreme, fiery form of Hari
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[appeared] he who is renowned as Viriñca, resorting to the quality of passion.
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From the mouth of that god was born Indra, the god along with fire,
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who is lord of the three worlds and the master of acts of cooking.
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And from his mind, ever cool with compassion, arose the moon,
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the constant protector of the waters, of all medicinal plants, and of brahmins.
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From his two eyes arose the sun, the illuminator of the universe,
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the maker of cold, heat, and rain, the cause of time, and the treasury of splendours.
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From his life-breaths was born the wind, the life-breath of the world,
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possessing great strength, the upholder of planets, constellations, the celestial Gaṅgā, and aerial chariots.
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From the navel region of the Great-Souled One the atmosphere arose;
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from his head was the sky, the cause of the appearance of living beings.
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From his two lotus feet arose the earth, the shelter of the multitude of beings;
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from the two ears of the Supreme Self all the cardinal directions went forth.
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So too, the worlds beginning with Bhūr and Bhuvas arose from his thought,
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as well as the worlds beginning with Rasātala, and the hosts of yakṣas, rākṣasas, and others.
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From his mouth, arms, thighs, and feet he brought forth in order
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the brahmins, kṣatriyas, vaiśyas, and śūdras, O bearer of the Kuru lineage.
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The Vedic metres, sacrifice, horses, cattle, sheep, and goats
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obtained their origin of unfathomable source from him.
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By the intention of that god of gods, all that is immobile and mobile,
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the whole host of beings, came to be, as well as time—past, future, and present.
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Assuming the form of the submarine fire, he drinks the water of the oceans;
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at the end of a kalpa, he emits all that is contained within himself.
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Assuming the forms of the sun and moon, he sets in motion the livelihood of living beings,
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both by dispelling darkness and by setting in motion the duties of time.
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Placing the worlds inside his belly at the close of a kalpa,
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he rests on a banyan leaf upon the great ocean, having sportively assumed the form of an infant.
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And then, upon the bed of coils of the mighty king of serpents, fit for his comfort,
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he enters into yogic sleep, accompanied by her whose abode is the lotus.
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From the lotus born of the lake of his navel,
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the lord of all worlds generated the four-faced Creator.
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For this is the sport of Mukunda, who acts by the yoga of his own will;
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no one can know that Lord in truth.
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Whenever there is decline of righteousness and unrighteousness increases,
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or whenever the hosts of gods suffer great affliction,
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whenever the enemies of the gods, irresistible in their arrogance, wax strong,
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and when great terror arises for the earth and for the inhabitants of the earth,
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or whenever for his own devotees, the virtuous,
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an unchecked calamity arises, producing endless torment,
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then, assuming corresponding forms out of sport,
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and swiftly shaking off unrighteousness, he brings about the welfare of the world.
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Named Vidhi, he creates through his passionate self; named Hari, steadfast in goodness, he sustains the universe;
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named Hara, entering upon the quality of darkness, he destroys. There is no one who knows the glories of the slayer of Madhu.
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Assuming the form of the Boar, all the joints and ligaments of whose body were formed by the parts of sacrifice,
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the lord of the world took up his dwelling upon this mountain. How that happened I shall relate; listen, O son of the sovereign of the gods.
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Thus ends the thirty-fifth chapter, named ‘Description of Creation and so forth,’ in the context of the Viṣṇumīhātmya, within the Suvarṇamukharīmāhātmya of the Śrīveṅkaṭācalamāhātmya, in the second section, the Vaiṣṇavakhaṇḍa, of the glorious Skanda Mahāpurāṇa of eighty-one thousand verses.
Linked texts (1)
- Skandapurāṇa — Vyāsa, Sanskrit