Skandapurana 2.5.18

English (machine translation) 2.5.18

Language: English

2.5.18.1

Now begins the fifth [sub-section], the Māhātmya of Mārgaśīrṣa, in the Vaiṣṇavakhaṇḍa. (2.5)

1. In the context of the dialogue between Sūta and Śaunaka, description by the Lord to Lord Brahmā of obtaining the fruit of all desires by hearing the Mārgaśīrṣamāhātmya; description of the morning ablution in Mārgaśīrṣa performed by the gopīs; the gopīs' attainment of Kṛṣṇa through the religious merit of the morning ablution. 193

2.5.18.3

2. Description of the māhātmya of applying the tripuṇḍra after ablution, preceded by the description of the rules according to the prescribed manner, with mantras, for morning ablution, purification, rinsing the mouth, and so forth. 193

2.5.18.4

3. The rule for applying the tripuṇḍra made with clay originating from Dvāravatī, clay from the root of a tulasī plant, and so forth; description of the rule for applying the gopīcandana mark; the fruit of bearing the marks of the Lord's incarnations on one's body; narration of obtaining the fruit of religious merit for a body marked with the Lord's weapons; description of the qualification for all rites of a body imprinted with the Lord's eight-syllable name. 194.1

2.5.18.5

4. Description of the fruit of bearing the heated cakra mark and wearing a rosary of lotus seeds and tulasī; the māhātmya of wearing a garland of myrobalan fruits; the māhātmya of wearing tulasī wood; description of the manner of installing, meditating upon, and worshipping the image of the Lord; description of the sequence with mantras for worshipping the conch and so forth. 195.2

2.5.18.6

5. The māhātmya of the fruit of the bath with the five nectars; the māhātmya of the bath with water from a conch; narration of the fruit of worshipping the conch. 196.2

2.5.18.7

6. Description of the māhātmya of the sound of the bell; the fruit of worshipping the image of the Lord; narration of the fruit of offering tulasī-wood sandalwood paste. 197.1

2.5.18.8

7. Description of the māhātmya of the fruit of jātī flowers offered to the Lord; description of flowers dear to the Lord; the māhātmya of the superiority of the jātī flower among all flowers; description of the māhātmya of the fruit of placing a garland adorned with a thousand jātī flowers on the neck of Viṣṇu. 198.1

2.5.18.9

8. Description of the māhātmya of tulasī; obtaining the fruit of giving all objects through the gift of a tulasī leaf; description of the fruit of worshipping the Lord with tulasī; the māhātmya of the fruit of offering incense and lamps; the māhātmya of a lamp endowed with a thousand wicks. 198.2

2.5.18.10

9. Narration of the injunctions according to the treatises for cooked food, side dishes, and the like in the vessel of food offering. 199.2

2.5.18.11

10. Narration of the māhātmya of the rite of worshipping the Lord after the food offering; narration of the fruit of circumambulation and so forth; the fruit of reciting the thousand names of Viṣṇu; narration of the cause of the Lord obtaining the name Dāmodara; the māhātmya of partaking of the tīrtha and food offering; conclusion of the worship ritual, its concluding ceremony, and narration of its fruit. 200.2

2.5.18.12

11. The māhātmya of the Ekādaśī preceded by illustrating the story of King Vīrabāhu; Bharadvāja offering hospitality to King Vīrabāhu; in Bharadvāja's narration of the account of Vīrabāhu's previous birth, the description of the account of obtaining kingship in this birth from the religious merit born of a Śūdra's hospitality to a brahmin in a previous birth. 201.1

2.5.18.13

12. King Vīrabāhu having asked about the cause of his attaining the state of a Śūdra in a previous birth, the narration by the twice-born Devaśarman of the account of his attaining the state of a Śūdra due to the flaw of observing Dvādaśī combined with Daśamī, despite having previously been a brahmin, followed by the prohibition of Dvādaśī combined with Daśamī; the description that even though he became a Śūdra, righteous discernment arose in him on account of the good deed of hospitality to a brahmin in a previous birth, and therefore hospitality to guests must certainly be performed; the description by Bharadvāja to the king of the sequence of the rite for the concluding ceremony of the Ekādaśī observance; narration of the unbroken Ekādaśī observance. 203.1

2.5.18.14

13. The māhātmya of the night-vigil on Dvādaśī; the sequence of rites of gifts and so forth during the vigil; description of the eligibility of a son born of Dvādaśī. 204.4

2.5.18.15

14. Narration of the rules and injunctions for ablution, gift, worship, and so forth preceded by a description of the māhātmya of the Matsya festival on Dvādaśī; the rule for muttering mantras during the Matsya festival; narration of the prayer mantra to the river at the time of the bath; narration of the fruit of offering fruits, flowers, and the like to the Lord; description of the māhātmya of donating a golden image in the form of a fish. 205.2

2.5.18.16

15. Narration of the manner of worshipping a married couple in Mārgaśīrṣa; the māhātmya of the gift of cows, land, gold, garments, beds, ornaments, and dwellings; the māhātmya of offering fruits and flowers at the time of worshipping the Lord; the māhātmya of satisfying brahmins with gifts and so forth in Mārgaśīrṣa; the māhātmya of remembering the names of the Lord in Mārgaśīrṣa.

2.5.18.17

16. Meditation on the Lord and its māhātmya; description of the eligibility to impart the hymn of praise to the Lord; the characteristics of guru and disciple; description of the māhātmya of the Bhāgavata; the statement of fruits of the Bhāgavata; description of the fruit of reciting the Bhāgavata scripture after worshipping it. 207

2.5.18.18

17. Description of the māhātmya of Mathurā. 201

2.5.18.19

Thus ends the fifth [sub-section], the Māhātmya of the Month of Mārgaśīrṣa, in the Vaiṣṇavakhaṇḍa. (2.5)

Linked texts (1)

Skandapurāṇa — Vyāsa, Sanskrit