Skandapurana 2.2.25

English (machine translation) 2.2.25

Language: English

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When this was said, Nārada, deliberating according to the scriptures,

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wrote it down in order on a leaf and presented it to that king. // 1

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The king, too, hearing that document and considering it again and again,

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handed over whatever was written there to Padmanidhi: // 2

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"Procure [them], O Padmanidhi! Make a golden pavilion,

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a divine residence for Brahmā, and an immaculate one for the brahmin seers; // 3

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for Indra and the other gods, for the Siddhas, for the inhabitants of the mortal realm,

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for the chief sages, and for the dwelling of the kings who dwell in Pātāla; // 4

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likewise for the serpent-kings, O treasure, and for the inhabitants of the three worlds.

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Unflaggingly, house by house, equipped with appropriate seats, // 5

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quickly have the entire collection of materials prepared, O treasure!

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Viśvakarman also will render assistance to you." // 6

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To Indradyumna, who was issuing these orders, that sage said:

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"Aside from the provisions, this must be done with careful arrangement: // 7

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a triad of fine chariots, well-fashioned with gold, decorated

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with silk, necklaces of jewels, and the like, very costly, strong, and large. // 8

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The chariot of glorious Vāsudeva should be marked with the Garuḍa banner;

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let a lotus banner be fixed at the top of Subhadrā's chariot. // 9

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A chariot with sixteen wheels should be made with effort for Viṣṇu,

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one with fourteen for Bala, and one with twelve for Subhadrā. // 10

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The chariot of the wielder of the discus should have a width of sixteen cubits,

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fourteen for Bala, and twelve for Subhadrā. // 11

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He is the seat of the worlds, repeatedly; he is himself the embodiment of his own seat;

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in his conveyance lies the destruction of the worlds, therefore there is no [ordinary] vehicle. // 12

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He sees the moving and unmoving universe in the spotless mirror of knowledge;

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a spotless mirror is always located on the palm of his hand. // 13

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Because it is in the palm (tala), it is a palm-tree (tāla); the Lord is always marked by it;

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therefore, that belongs to Śeṣa, who has incarnated as Balabhadra. // 14

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Or rather, for the plow-bearer, the plow itself should be made as the supreme banner;

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a spotless banner is to be made, hence it is considered a palm-tree banner (tāladhvaja). // 15

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This deity must not be placed upon an unconsecrated chariot, O king;

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in a temple, in a hall, or in a city, that would become fruitless. // 16

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"Therefore, the consecration of Hari's chariot must certainly be performed first.

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Let the provisions for it be prepared; and it must indeed be carried out by me.

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Having obtained this instruction from my father, O king, I shall quickly come [back]."

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Hearing that speech of his, the triad of chariots was constructed

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in a single day by Viśvakarman with materials procured from the treasury:

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with excellent axles, excellent wheels, excellent pillars, very spacious, with beautiful archways,

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with splendid standards and fine banners, delightful with diverse decorative work,

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adorned with arrays of sculpted figures of couples in varied embraces,

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embellished with half-gold, resembling the very chariot of the Sun,

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with a rumble deep as a cloud, endowed with ropes for pulling when seen,

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yoked with horses swift as wind, a hundred in number and radiant white.

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It was consecrated by Nārada according to the injunctions of the scriptures,

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at an auspicious ascendant, an auspicious muhūrta, and on a favorable lunar day indicated by astrology.

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O venerable Jaimini, tell us; for we consider you omniscient.

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By what rite should this chariot of Hari be consecrated?

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Tell us accurately, so that we may know the full details of the ritual.

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How it was consecrated by that high-souled Nārada,

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that rite I shall tell you, just as it was seen by me formerly.

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Having erected a very beautiful pavilion in the northeast direction of the chariot,

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and having made a hall in its center, [he made] a spotless altar there,

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four-cornered, measuring four cubits, and one cubit high, O twice-born ones.

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On the night preceding the day of consecration, to the north, at an auspicious

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muhūrta, having recited auspicious benedictions, he should perform the offering of sprouts;

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and having given offerings to the thirty-two deities according to rule,

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in the morning he should then draw a diagram in the middle of the altar:

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either a lotus or a svastika; and he should place a water-pot there.

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The wise [priest] should fill its interior with the decoction of five trees,

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sacred waters from the Gaṅgā and other rivers, sprouts together with earth,

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all kinds of perfumes, the five jewels, and the collection of all medicinal herbs.

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Having filled it according to rule, the preceptor, pure and facing east,

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meditating on Viṣṇu, should subsequently fill it with the five products of the cow;

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tied with fine cloth at its neck, with garlands and very beautiful perfumes,

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furnished with fruits and sprouts, and having auspicious festive threads tied [to it].

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There he should worship the Lord of gods, the flawless Narasiṃha,

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with the king of mantras according to rule, and with internal offerings;

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having prayed [to him] for grace, and invoking that Hari into it,

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he should worship him with various external offerings according to rule, O twice-born ones.

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To the northwest of that water-pot, sacrificial twigs, clarified butter, and boiled oblation-rice,

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one thousand and eight [oblations], the guru should offer into the fire according to rule;

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and at the end of that, he should place the residual drops into the middle of the pot.

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Having made the chariot very beautiful with banners, perfumes, and garlands,

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he should sprinkle all its parts with scented sandalwood water.

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He should fumigate it with black agallochum, amid sounds of conches and large horns;

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and having installed Samīraṇa upon the banner of that Nṛsiṃha,

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and having worshipped [him] according to rule with red garlands, perfumes, and wreaths,

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he should then pray to Suparṇa, reciting this mantra:

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"He who is the cause of life for the universe, the body and the very form of the chariot-banner of Hari, / by merely meditating upon whom the embryos of the serpent-wives spontaneously fall away;

whose face is marked with the muddy blood and fat of serpents crushed by his darting, fierce, and large beak— / I bow to him, who is composed of Vedic meters, the spotless, golden-hued King of Birds, Suparṇa!"

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Amid the sounds of Vedic chants, blasts of conches, and vast arrays of musical instruments,

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he should install it atop the chariot, reciting the beautiful hymn.

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[Taking] that water-pot above it, inundating the chariot all around,

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he should sprinkle it together with the Brahmā priest, reciting the king of mantras three times.

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Then, having offered the final oblation, he should give a sacrificial fee to the Brahmā priest;

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he should give a fee to the preceptor, such that that guru is satisfied.

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At the end, he should feed the brahmins with milk-rice pudding, honey, and clarified butter.

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For Balabhadra, he should perform [the rites] with the twelve-syllabled mantra;

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and for the plow-banner, 'lāṅgalaṃ' and 'paviravan' should be the mantra;

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or the twelve-syllabled one is also proclaimed as the root mantra.

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Likewise, the chariot of Bhadrā is to be consecrated with the Lakṣmīsūkta:

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"From the lake of the navel of Murāri, you bear the form of the collection of universes,

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the seat of the four-faced [Brahmā], the abode of Śrī—be firmly fixed!"

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Having recited this mantra, one should raise the lotus-banner.

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This particular difference applies to the sacrificial offerings for the three [chariots] individually:

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one should offer five oblations for each, distributed respectively.

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Having thus consecrated the chariots, one should give gold, a cow, clothing,

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and grain as a priestly fee with full devotion to the God.

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When the chariot is thus consecrated there and well adorned,

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having placed the God upon it according to rule, preceded by the chanting of the Veda,

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with shouts of victory and auspicious words, preceded by various musical instruments,

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with the waving of fly-whisks, incense, and rains of flowers,

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the chariot was drawn by brahmins, kṣatriyas, and vaiśyas;

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or by well-marked horses, or by tamed oxen,

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or it should be pulled vigilantly by men who are devotees of Viṣṇu,

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having pleased all the people with foods, drinks, and ointments.

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Upon the chariot, [one should offer] an oblation to the gods with the mantra, O twice-born:

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"May the gods receive this offering, O Ādityas and Vasus,

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Maruts, Aśvins, Rudras, birds, serpents, planets,

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asuras, yātudhānas, and the deities standing on the chariot,

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guardians of the quarters, guardians of the world, and the obstacles and Vināyakas,

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and the divine great seers: may they grant well-being to the universe!

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May these bring about freedom from obstacles; let there be no adversaries;

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and may the daityas and the hosts of spirits be benevolent and satisfied!"

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Then the God is drawn along level ground while reciting

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the mantra, the Vaiṣṇava Gāyatrī, the purifying sūkta of Viṣṇu,

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with the purifying Vāmadevya hymns, the Mānastoka hymns, and the Rathaṃtara chants.

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Then, with the sound of musical instruments raised amidst the proclamation of an auspicious day,

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the chariot should be drawn very slowly out of affection for the wielder of the discus [Viṣṇu].

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I will tell the portents regarding the chariot here, O best of the twice-born:

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if the pole breaks, there is danger for brahmins; if the axle breaks, destruction of kṣatriyas;

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if the balance-beam breaks, ruin of vaiśyas; by [the breaking of] the yoke-pin, there will be danger for śūdras;

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if the yoke breaks, drought; if the chariot-seat breaks, danger for the subjects;

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if the wheel of the chariot breaks, one should expect an invasion by enemy armies.

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If the banner falls, O priests, another king surely arises;

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if the image breaks, one should predict the king's death.

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If the chariot overturns, O priests, all the inhabitants of the land perish.

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When such inauspicious portents and the like arise,

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one should again perform the offering of oblations and likewise a pacification fire-sacrifice;

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one should repeatedly feed brahmins and indeed give grains.

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One should prepare a fire in the north-eastern direction of the chariot

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and offer oblations of sacrificial sticks with clarified butter, honey, and ghee, both ends and roots,

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using palāśa wood, O best of the twice-born, the initiated priest using the king of mantras,

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to Soma, to Agni, to the creatures, and to the Lord of creatures,

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and to the planets, to Brahmā, and finally to the guardians of the directions.

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Wherever defects appear on the chariot, there and there the initiated priest

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should make offerings with the consecration mantra; excellence will ensue everywhere.

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Together with the brahmins, he should perform the recitation of peace at the conclusion of the fire-sacrifice:

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"May there be well-being for the priests; may there always be well-being for the king;

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well-being for cows, for subjects; may there truly be peace for the world!

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May there always be well-being for the two-footed, peace for the four-footed;

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likewise may there be welfare for subjects, and welfare within ourselves!

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May there be peace and what is auspicious for the God, and for earth, atmosphere, and sky;

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may there be peace and what is auspicious; may there be well-being for us on all sides!

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O God, you are the creator of the world and truly its nourisher alone;

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protect the subjects, O Lord of gods; establish peace, O Lord of the world!"

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And for the person who is the cause of the procession, and for the king,

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having ascertained the malefic planets, one should perform a pacification of the planets.

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Thus ends the twenty-fifth chapter in the Māhātmya of Puruṣottama Sacred Field, in the second section, the Vaiṣṇavakhaṇḍa, of the glorious Skanda Mahāpurāṇa, in the collection of eighty-one thousand [verses].

Linked texts (1)

Skandapurāṇa — Vyāsa, Sanskrit