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Skandapurana 2.4.9

English (machine translation) 2.4.9

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The Vālakhilyas said:

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Kṛṣṇa spoke to Dharma concerning the twelfth [lunar day] named Vatsā:

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The twelfth tithi joined with the twilight hour of cow-dust is [prescribed] for the worship of the calf. 1.

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The worship of the calf is indeed to be performed at a banyan tree on the first day.

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Having smeared with sandalwood and the like a cow with her calf, of uniform colour,

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well-behaved and yielding milk, one should worship her with flower garlands. 2.

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On that day, O Yudhiṣṭhira, food cooked in oil and cooked in a pot,

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cow's milk and cow's ghee, as well as curds and milk, one should avoid. 3.

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At the close of the day, half a ghaṭī on both sides of half the sun's orb,

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the waving of lamps should then be performed, and one should observe the auspicious and the inauspicious. 4.

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Having first arranged various lamps placed in golden vessels and the like,

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one should wave the lamps beforehand and observe the auspicious and the inauspicious. 5.

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Having lighted all the lamps, one should place them facing the north;

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nine principal lamps are declared, and one may prepare others as well. 6.

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If the flame rests toward the south, luminous and possessed of a crest,

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and if steady, it is said to bestow happiness; but the opposite bestows sorrow. 7.

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In the dark fortnight of Kārtika, on the five tithis beginning with the twelfth,

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the rite of waving lamps in the first part of the night is declared for men. 8.

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The first lamp indicates a fortnight, and the second a month;

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the third indicates a season here, and the fourth a solstice likewise;

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while the fifth lamp determines the auspicious and inauspicious for the year. 9.

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'Born of a portion of the sun, destroyers of darkness,

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may the lamps illuminate me at the three junctures of time and indicate the auspicious and inauspicious.' 2.4.9.10.

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Having consecrated [them] with the mantra, one should then wave the lamps in order: 11.

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First the deities, then the brahmins, elephants, and horses,

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elders, superiors, inferiors, and women headed by mothers. 12.

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Then one should place the waved lamps in their respective places;

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by rough flames there would be destruction of wealth; by white ones, loss of food;

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in exceedingly red ones, wars; and in black crests, death. 13.

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A cowherd woman named Ekāṅgī performed this observance;

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endowed with wealth and grain, she became [prosperous] within three years. 14. / Therefore, the worship of cows is to be performed on the twelfth of Kārtika.

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Those men who, having heard this māhātmya of the cow observance, perform it, 15.

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by the power of the cow observance they are not separated from cattle on earth;

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whatever offense against cows may have been committed dissolves through the observance. 16.

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The Vālakhilyas said:

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On the fourteenth lunar day in the dark fortnight, in the month of Āśvina,

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near the festival of lamps, one should perform this observance. 17.

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Having bathed in the morning on the thirteenth and cleaned one's teeth,

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undertaking a rule of three nights, intent on devotion to Govinda, 18.

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at the end of this observance, the Govardhana festival is likewise to be performed.

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An overlap of more than three muhūrtas is to be accepted; an overlapping with the next day incurs no fault. 19.

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In the dark fortnight of Āśvina, on the thirteenth at nightfall,

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one should offer the lamp and an oblation to Yama; untimely death is destroyed. 2.4.9.20.

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Anciently, the young boy of Hemanaka was freed from untimely death

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on the dark thirteenth of Āśvina through compassion. 21.

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The messengers said:

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"Tell [us] the means, O Yama, having shown mercy before us,

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so that one may not fall from life during such a great festival!"

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Yama said:

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"In the dark fortnight of Āśvina, on the thirteenth day, at nightfall,

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whoever offers a fine lamp at the door of his house every year,

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with this mantra, O messengers, must not be brought by you during the festival;

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even if premature death has arrived, my command must be obeyed:

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'Together with Death, with the noose and the staff, and with Time and me,

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may the son of the Sun be pleased by the offering of a lamp on the thirteenth day!'

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Whoever presents a lamp at the doorway with this mantra

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has no fear during the festival, nor of premature death."

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The Vālakhilyas said:

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"On the fourteenth day overlapped by the preceding tithi, in the other-than-bright [i.e., dark]

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fortnight of Āśvina, one should diligently perform a ritual ablution at daybreak.

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A person who bathes on this empty day at a time other than dawn,

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his religious merit accumulated over a year is surely destroyed; there is no doubt.

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Likewise, on the dark fourteenth in Āśvina, at sunrise, O gods,

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an oil massage is distinguished in the last watch of the night.

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If the fourteenth day does not occur on two days at moonrise,

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or even if it occurs on both days, then the earlier one alone is taken.

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If out of obstinacy, stubbornness, or even supposed refinement, one does not perform

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the oil massage on the fourteenth, he goes to the Raurava hell.

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Lakṣmī resides in the oil, and the Gaṅgā in the water on the fourteenth of Dīpāvalī;

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whoever performs the morning bath indeed does not see the world of Yama.

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Then apāmārga, and tumbī, and prapunnāḍa as well—

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one should wave them during the bath indeed for the destruction of hell,

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three times, having recited the excellent mantra three times:

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'O apāmārga, endowed with clods of the furrow, furnished with thorny leaves,

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remove sin, being waved again and again!'

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One should wave the apāmārga and prapunnāḍa over one's head.

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Having bathed, with wet clothes, one should offer a lamp to the two sons of Mṛtyu:

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the two dogs, Śyāma and Śabala, brothers and servants of Yama;

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the two sons of Mṛtyu are satisfied on the fourteenth by the gift of a lamp.

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One should perform this ritual ablution together with loved ones and relatives;

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having performed the water-offering belonging to the bath, one should then make a water-offering to Yama:

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'To Yama, to the King of Dharma, to Death, and to the Ender;

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to the son of Vivasvat, to Time, and to the Destroyer of all beings;

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to Audumbara, to Dadhna, to the Dark, to the Supreme Lord;

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to Vṛkodara, to Citra, to Citragupta—homage to you!'

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These should be the fourteen mantras, each accompanied by 'namas';

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with each one, one should offer three palmfuls of water mixed with sesame seeds.

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It may be performed with the sacred thread over the left shoulder or over the right shoulder;

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for Yama possesses a two-fold nature: both godhead and ancestorhood.

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Even one whose father is living should perform the water-offering to Yama and Bhīṣma;

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having worshipped the deities, a lamp should be offered for Naraka.
Here itself, the rule of bathing for one desirous of prosperity is told by me:

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On the fourteenth and on the new moon of Iṣa, and on the first day of Kārtika,

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when one bathes, one should take an oil bath at moonrise;
and on the tithi of the bright second of Ūrja, when the moon is in Svātī,

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a person who takes an auspicious bath is never separated from Lakṣmī.

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Because of the waving of lights with lamps here, this is called Dīpāvali.

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Even on the new moon, an equinox, a Sunday, during a vyatīpāta, or on a dinakṣaya,

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an oil massage in the morning here does not incur fault, for the sake of dispelling sins.

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Having eaten the greens of māṣa leaves on that day,

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on the fourteenth named Preta, a person is liberated from all sins.

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On the dark fourteenth of Iṣa, and on the tithi of the new moon,

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at the start of the new moon combined with Svātī, then Dīpāvali should take place.

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One should observe this continuous three-day festival of lamps.
Thus the great king Bali was addressed by Hari, who was pleased:

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Thus the great king Bali was addressed by Hari, who was pleased. .. 49 ..

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'Ask a boon, good fortune to you, whatever is in your mind!'

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Having heard this speech of Viṣṇu, Bali spoke [these] words:

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'What is to be asked for myself? Everything has already been given by me.'

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"I shall ask for the sake of the world; if you are able, grant that to me.

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Today the earth was given by me to you, who assumed the disguise of the Dwarf (Vāmana).

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And since it was traversed by you in three steps during three days,

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therefore let there be sovereignty on the surface of the earth for three days, O Hari.

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Whatever mortals make gifts of lamps on earth during my reign,

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may this wife of yours [Lakṣmī] remain forever firmly established in their house.

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In whosever home darkness shall fall during my reign,

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let the darkness [of the loss] of Lakṣmī and offspring forever fall upon their home.

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And those who offer lamps on the fourteenth [day] for [the prevention of] Naraka,

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all their ancestral multitudes shall not dwell in Naraka.

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Those by whom rows of lamps (dīpāvali) are not made when Bali's reign arrives—

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how shall lamps blaze in their home, O Keśava?

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Those people who cause sorrow and lack of joy during Bali's reign,

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sorrow shall forever fall upon their home; of this there is no doubt."

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One should ask, "Let there be Bali's reign during the three [days beginning with] the fourteenth."

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Formerly, having begged for this earth in the form of a dwarf,

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[Hari] gave [it] to Indra the son of Aditi, and [sent] Bali to dwell in Pātāla.

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Thus those three days were granted by Hari to the lord of the Daityas;

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therefore, indeed, one should arrange a great festival at this time by every means.

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O best of sages, the Great Night (Mahārātri) arose on the fourteenth;

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therefore its festival must be celebrated by those intent on the worship of Śakti.

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When Bali's reign arrives, Yakṣas, Gandharvas, Kinnaras,

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herbs, Piśācas, mantras, and jewels—

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all become gladdened and dance at dusk.

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And those various mantras attain perfection during Bali's reign; of this there is no doubt.

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Just as people are extremely delighted when Bali's reign arrives,

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so during those days people should be exceedingly joyful.

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When the thousand-rayed sun is in Libra, at dusk on the fourteenth and the new moon day,

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men should show the way to the ancestors, holding torches in their hands.

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The deceased spirits residing in Naraka,

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verily see the path by means of this observance; no doubt in this regard should be entertained by the eminent sages.

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In the month of Āśvina, the three lunar days beginning with the fourteenth (bhūta) are proclaimed;

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for deeds such as giving lamps, those prevailing at midday are to be accepted.

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If these three lunar days occur prior to the saṃgava period,

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they must be observed together with the preceding day for deeds such as giving lamps.

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The ṛṣis said:

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"O twice-born ones, we wish to ask about the māhātmya of Kaumodinī:

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what is to be eaten on that day, and whose worship should one perform?

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For what reason is it performed, and who is its deity?

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What specifically should be given there, and what should not be given?

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What joy is prescribed here, and what sport is declared here?

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O best of ṛṣis, tell all the fruit of Dīpāvalī!"

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The Vālakhilyas said:

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"Then, O best of sages, at dawn on the new moon day,

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having bathed and worshipped the gods and ancestors with devotion, and having bowed down,

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and having performed the pārvaṇa-śrāddha with curd, milk, clarified butter, and so forth,

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one should not eat by day on that occasion, except for children and the sick.

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Then at the hour of dusk, one should worship auspicious Indirā [Lakṣmī].

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One should make a spotless pavilion for Lakṣmī with various kinds of cloths,

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and decorated with various flowers, tender sprouts, and paintings.

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There one should worship Lakṣmī and also worship the gods.

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The divine women too should be worshipped with many offerings,

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and one should massage the feet of Lakṣmī and the others with devotion.

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On this day in ancient times, all the gods were released by Viṣṇu

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from the prison of Bali, and Lakṣmī too was liberated.

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Then, together with Lakṣmī, the gods returned to the ocean of milk;

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they slept happily for a long time. Therefore, O best of sages,

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couches with cord netting and good mattresses should be prepared,

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covered with cloths resembling milk foam in the respective directions.

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One should install those gods and Lakṣmī, accompanied by the chanting of the Vedas.

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Lakṣmī, freed from the fear of the Daityas, slept comfortably within the belly of a lotus.

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Therefore, here the ceremony of happy sleep should be performed according to rule for her satisfaction.

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He who on that day [makes] a lotus-bed for the increase of the happiness of Padmā,

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having left his house, that Padmā would never go anywhere else.

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Those men who do not thus perform the happy sleep of Lakṣmī,

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how indeed do they, devoid of anxiety for wealth, sleep at night?

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Therefore, with every effort, a man should worship Lakṣmī;

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freed from poverty, he will be established within his own class.

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Having boiled cow’s milk combined with mace, cloves, cardamom,

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cinnamon, and camphor, having added sugar as appropriate,

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he should make laddus from it and offer them to Lakṣmī.

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He should present other fourfold foods, saying: 'May Śrī be pleased.'

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Before Hari has awakened, one should first have women awaken Lakṣmī.

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Whatever woman—or man—awakens Lakṣmī at the time of awakening and eats,

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for an entire year Lakṣmī does not abandon them.

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Having received freedom from fear from the brahmins, the enemies of the gods, terrified of Viṣṇu,

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praised Śrī in the Ocean of Milk, knowing that she was asleep, reposing in a lotus:

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"You are light, Śrī, the sun, moon, fire, lightning, gold, and stars;

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the light of all lights, stationed in the light of lamps, reverence to you!

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The Lakṣmī who, on the sacred day of Dīpāvalī upon the earth,

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and in the cowshed of cattle on Kārttikā [is present], may that Lakṣmī be a granter of boons to me!"

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Then at dusk he should make a gift of lamps and likewise wave a firebrand

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around his own head, which wards off all misfortunes.

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Likewise, lamp-trees should be set up according to one’s means in temples of the deities and elsewhere,

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at crossroads, in cremation grounds, at rivers, mountains, and dwellings,

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at the roots of trees, in cow-pens, in courtyards, and in houses.

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The grounds of the royal highway should be adorned with cloths and flowers.

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Having adorned the entire city, then at dusk,

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having first fed the brahmins, and having fed the hungry,

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adorned and shining in fresh garments, one should dine.

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Then, in the afternoon, the king should proclaim to the city:

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"Today is the reign of Bali; people, play as you wish!"

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Having thus ordered, "Let children play as they wish!" the king

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should give playthings to them, and then observe the good and bad.

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