Skandapurana 2.9.1
English (machine translation) 2.9.1
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2.9.1.1
Reverence, repeated reverence to Lord Kṛṣṇa.
2.9.1.2
Now begins the glorious Vāsudevamāhātmya.
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Śaunaka said:
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O Sauti, for the welfare of living beings, manifold spiritual means
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such as dharma, knowledge, detachment, and yoga have been spoken by you to us. (1)
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And their meanings have been made clear by diverse traditional narratives;
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all of them have indeed been respectfully heard by us, O [sage] of great intellect! (2)
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Yet they are exceedingly difficult to practice for all humans,
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and on account of the multitude of obstacles, success in them is rare indeed. (3)
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Even when practiced with immense effort by men possessing fortitude,
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they are accomplished only after a very long time. (4)
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Therefore, for the twice-born and for all the stages of life,
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and also here for women, śūdras, and others, please tell us an easy means, (5)
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by which, even when performed slightly by any embodied soul whatsoever,
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a great fruit, unobstructed by obstacles, may come to pass. (6)
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Having carefully deliberated upon such a means of liberation, O broad-minded one,
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you ought to declare it graciously for the benefit of all living beings. (7)
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By the grace of Baladeva, Vyāsa, and Janaka,
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you know everything; so tell that to us who wish to know.
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Sauti said:
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O Śaunaka, the great seer Sāvarṇi, indeed in this very manner,
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having become humble, questioned Skanda again, the son of Śaṅkara. (9)
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Sāvarṇi said:
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Various religious duties have been heard, and Sāṅkhya knowledge in many forms,
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as well as means such as yoga, which were spoken of by you, O Guha.
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I consider them very difficult to accomplish indeed for people like us;
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even for other great beings, they are surely attainable only with difficulty after a long time.
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Therefore, you ought now to tell me that highest means,
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which brings welfare and is easy to perform for those belonging to the classes and stages of life.
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Sauti said:
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Having been questioned in this way by that lord of sages, who was desirous of knowledge, Guha,
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that Kārttikeya, meditating on Vāsudeva in his heart, spoke:
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Skanda said: Listen, O brahmin, I shall declare what was heard by me from the mouth of my father,
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an easily performed means of liberation for all living beings.
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Equal to pleasing the deity, for those desiring the achievement of their desired end,
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there is no other means whatsoever for those belonging to the classes and stages of life here.
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Even a small virtuous deed performed in connection with God
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bestows a very great fruit without impediment to men.
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Work pertaining to the gods, to the ancestors, one's own duty, and whatever work is done with desire—
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through connection with the deity, it instantly grants the attainment of desired ends.
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What was previously spoken of as difficult—Sāṅkhya, yoga, dispassion, and the like—
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even that becomes easy and quickly yields perfection by this very means.
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Because whatever is desired is accomplished through the worship of God alone,
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therefore, according to their ability, he should be worshipped with love by all human beings.
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Sāvarṇi said:
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Many kinds of gods were described by you previously, O Six-faced One,
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and diverse methods of worshipping them were described.
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All their fruits were spoken of by you individually;
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prominent among them is attainment of heaven and the like, yet they are seized by time.
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From the worship of Brahmā, O Guha, for yogins following the path of cessation,
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the fruit is the attainment of worlds such as Jana, yet it perishes at the end of two parārdhas.
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Having accomplished difficult deeds here through great hardship,
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if the gain of the fruit is perishable, then what is the use of acquiring it?
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The worship of those denizens of heaven whose body,
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status, power, and the like are destroyed by time does not please me here.
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Tell me, O Guha, of that God who is himself fearless, the remover of fear for others, eternal,
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whose abode is imperishable, the giver of imperishable fruit, affectionate toward his devotees,
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by whose grace all desires whatsoever of all beings
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would be accomplished straightforwardly here.
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And tell me in full detail that method of worshipping him which is easy
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and approved by the wise; truly, I wish to know this.
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Sauti said:
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Being thus questioned by that great seer, the Lord Guha,
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well-pleased and noble-minded, honouring him, said this:
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Thus ends the first chapter, named "The Question of Sāvarṇi," in the Vāsudevamāhātmya of the second section, the Vaiṣṇavakhaṇḍa, in the glorious Skanda Mahāpurāṇa consisting of eighty-one thousand verses.
Linked texts (1)
- Skandapurāṇa — Vyāsa, Sanskrit