Skandapurana 2.4.35

English (machine translation) 2.4.35

Language: English

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I shall tell you the glory of the fourteenth [tithi] known as Vaikuṇṭhā.

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Listen in brief to what was formerly spoken by the Vālakhilyas. // 1

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In the Kṛta age, on the fourteenth day of the bright fortnight of Kārtika,

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the Lord of Vaikuṇṭha came from Vaikuṇṭha to Vārāṇasī. // 2

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When the fourth part of the night remained, having bathed in the Maṇikarṇikā,

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and having taken a thousand golden lotuses, he then proceeded // 3

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to worship Śiva along with Śivā with intense devotion.

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Having performed the worship of the Lord of the Universe, he then worshipped with the lotuses. // 4

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First counting up to a thousand, thereafter [offering a lotus] with each single name,

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the worship was begun by him. Śiva tested his devotion. // 5

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One lotus from among the lotuses was hidden and taken away by Hara.

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Then, as Viṣṇu worshipped, there was one lotus short. // 6

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He looked here and there; the lotus was nowhere to be found.

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"Has a confusion arisen regarding the lotuses, or is my confusion regarding the names?" // 7

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Reflecting for a moment, that Hari [thought]: "There was no confusion of names on my part;

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the confusion has arisen only regarding the lotuses." Having reflected thus again and again, // 8

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"The resolve was made by me for a thousand lotuses for the sake of the worship.

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How can Mahādeva be worshipped by me with one lotus lacking? // 9

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If I go to fetch [one], there would be a break in my seat.

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What is to be done now?" Then Hari was distressed with anxiety. // 10

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An idea arose in his heart, O foremost among sages:

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"Foremost among sages call me 'Lotus-eyed' (Puṇḍarīkākṣa).

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My eye resembles a lotus; I will offer [it] in place of the lotus." // 11

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Having decided thus in his mind, inserting his forefinger, // 12

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and plucking it from the middle of his eye, Mahādeva was worshipped.

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Then Maheśvara was pleased and indeed spoke this word: // 13

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"There is no devotee of mine equal to you in the three worlds, with the moving and the unmoving.

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Sovereignty over the three worlds is given to you; become the protector of the world. // 14

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Choose another boon, good fortune to you, whichever boon is desired by your mind.

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I will surely grant it; no doubt need be entertained here. // 15

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Those men who, relying on devotion to me, hate Janārdana,

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are hateful to me, O Viṣṇu, and shall certainly go to hell." // 16

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"The protection of the three worlds has been assigned to me, O Maheśvara.

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How are the daityas, difficult to subdue and possessing great strength, to be killed by me?" // 17

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"This is the Sudarśana discus, the destroyer of great daityas.

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Accept it, O Lord Viṣṇu; it is offered by me to you. // 18

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With this, O Lord, make slaughter of all the daityas."

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Having thus given the discus to Hari, he then spoke [these] words: // 19

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"In the year named Hemalamba, in the auspicious month of Kārtika,

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on the fourteenth day of the bright fortnight, towards daybreak, // 20

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on the tithi of Mahādeva, during the brāhma hour, having bathed in the Maṇikarṇikā,

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having arrived from Vaikuṇṭha, the liṅga of the Lord of the Universe was worshipped [by you] // 21

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with a thousand lotuses. Therefore, it will be dear to me,

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renowned throughout all the worlds as Vaikuṇṭhā Caturdaśī. // 22

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I grant another boon; hear my word, O Viṣṇu:

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during the first part of the night, your worship must be performed by all castes. // 23

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One should fast by day, and in the evening worship you.

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Afterwards my worship must be performed; otherwise it will be fruitless. // 24

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In the worship of Hari, the fourteenth [tithi] extending into the night is to be accepted;

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at the time of dawn, one should perform the worship of Śiva. // 25

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Those men by whom Viṣṇu is worshipped first with a thousand lotuses,

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and if Śiva is worshipped afterwards, they are indeed liberated while living. // 26

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Having bathed at Pañcanada in the evening, one should worship Bindumādhava,

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or who, having bathed in Viṣṇukāñcī, should worship Anantasena. // 27

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Then, having bathed in Rudrakāñcī, one should worship Praṇaveśa.

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Having first bathed at Vahnitīrtha, one should then worship Nārāyaṇa. // 28

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Then, having bathed in Retodaka, one should worship Kedāreśa.

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Having first bathed in the Sūryaputrī [Yamunā], one should worship Veṇīmādhava. // 29

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And then, having bathed in the Jāhnavī [Gaṅgā], one should worship Saṅgameśa.

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All fortunes become subservient to him; O Viṣṇu, I have spoken the truth! // 2.4.35.30

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Having thus granted boons to him, Śiva disappeared.

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Therefore, with every effort, both Hari and Hara should be worshipped. // 31

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In Kali[-yuga], for ten thousand [years], Viṣṇu leaves the earth;

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half that time the water of the Jāhnavī [remains], and half that time the village deities. // 32

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On the full moon day of Kārttika, however, one should perform the festival of Tripura.

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A lamp must certainly be offered in the evening in a temple of Śiva. // 33
A lord of Daityas named Tripura undertook austerity at Prayāga.

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Pleased by his austerity, Brahmā granted him a supreme boon: // 34

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"You shall have no death from gods, Asuras, or men."

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Having thus obtained the boon, the Daitya [mounted] that which was crafted by Viśvakarman— // 35

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an aerial chariot named Tripura—and having mounted it, the three worlds

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when indeed he tormented, Hara was then praised by the gods. // 36

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The slayer of enemies destroyed Tripura with a single arrow.

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On the full moon day of Kārttika, all the gods praised [him]. // 37

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On that day, lamps were offered to Hara by all the gods.

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By all means lamps should be offered for the satisfaction of Hara. // 38

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Seven hundred and twenty lamp wicks joined together—

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offering a lamp [with these] on the full moon day, one is freed from all sins. // 39

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On the full moon at twilight, the festival of Tripura is to be observed.

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And one should offer lamps in a temple of the gods with this mantra: // 2.4.35.40

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"Insects, moths, and mosquitoes, trees, and whatever living creatures move in water and on dry land—

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having seen this lamp, may they not be subject to [further] rebirth; and may outcasts certainly become brahmins!" // 41

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Therefore, the great festival for Tripura should be celebrated on the full moon day.

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On the Kārttika full moon, when joined with the Kṛttikā asterism, whoever has the darśana of the Lord [Svāmin], // 42

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for seven births he becomes a wealthy brahmin who has mastered the Vedas.

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Having performed the release of a bull here, through a night-fast one goes to the city of Śiva. // 43

Thus ends the thirty-fifth chapter, titled "The Narration of the Rules for the Observances of Vaikuṇṭhacaturdaśī and Tripurīpūrṇimā," in the praise of the month of Kārttika, in the second Vaiṣṇavakhaṇḍa of the glorious Skandapurāṇa, in the collection of eighty-one thousand [verses]. // 35

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Note on Vikuṇṭhā

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Note on Vaikuṇṭhacaturdaśī

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For what reason is there an injunction to offer lamps in a Śiva temple on the Kārttika full moon? In the Skandapurāṇa 1.3.2.20–21, there is mention that on the Kārttika full moon, Pārvatī goes to Aruṇādri: "This Aruṇādri is manifestly the fire-mountain hidden. It blazes with its own light on the night of the Kṛttikā full moon."

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The māhātmya of the Kārttika full moon is embedded in Śiva's slaying of Tripura with a single arrow. The designation of the month of Āśvina is Iṣa. Iṣa—in [the sense of] wish, desire. Prior to engaging in an action or sacrifice, the awakening of desire regarding the action is necessary. Only then will the path of action be straight. Otherwise, just as the path of nature's growth is crooked, so it will be. It appears that the process of Iṣa, of creating desire, of fashioning a single arrow out of all arrows, is not completed in the month of Āśvina. For this reason, there is the injunction to produce a single arrow on the Kārttika full moon. In Kāṭhaka Saṃhitā 25.1 there is a section called Iṣu, where the name of the Upasad offering is Iṣu. This mention is the transmission of the Purāṇic account into Vedic literature.

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Other Purāṇic references on the Kārttika full moon

Linked texts (1)

Skandapurāṇa — Vyāsa, Sanskrit