Skandapurana 2.9.17

English (machine translation) 2.9.17

Language: English

2.9.17.2

Resembling crores upon crores of suns arisen at one time,

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he beheld that great light, divine and dazzlingly white, O sage,

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pervading all cardinal and intermediate directions, above and below;

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it is declared to be the imperishable Brahman, characterized by being, consciousness, and bliss,

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which completely pervades both Prakṛti and Puruṣa and their effects;

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having crossed beyond the six cakras within themselves,

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those perfected in yoga behold it at the crown of the head by the grace of Vāsudeva.

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Illumined by its light, the sun, fire, moon, and stars

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illuminate the entire world; it is self-luminous and immortal.

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This the Sātvatas call Brahmapura, the abode of the Lord,

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in the vicinity of which, all around, stand crores of worshippers,

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and hosts of Brahmās and Śaṃkaras with offerings in hand,

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and throngs of cowherds and gopīs fall [in prostration] one upon another in agitation.

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He upon whom is Kṛṣṇa's grace beholds Him within that light;

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others see only the light, O sage, and not Him.

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Within it he beheld a wondrous divine temple, delightful and composed of various supreme gems,

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lovely with thousands of columns gleaming with gems, and an assembly hall magnificent to behold,

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adorned all around with numerous radiant rows of mansions of His worshippers—

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men and women adorned with splendid, fine garments and jewel ornaments.

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There the sage, with immense joy, beheld a divine throne

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fashioned from the essences of best gems and jewels, causing wonder to the minds of onlookers.

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There he then saw Lord Kṛṣṇa, Nārāyaṇa, seated beyond the guṇas,

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all-knowing, the Lord, Puruṣottama, whom the Sātvatas call Vāsudeva,

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whom some call the Paramātman, some the Supreme Brahman higher than the highest,

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whom some call Brahman, others Bhagavān, and devotees Viṣṇu and the Supreme Lord.

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whose limbs are more enchanting than thousands of Kāmadevas, who is ever youthful, an ocean of compassion,

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lovely to behold with an exceedingly peaceful form, beyond both the perishable and the imperishable, self-dependent,

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whose sidelong glances effect the playful creation, preservation, and destruction of many a world-egg,

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the great sovereign over countless millions of world-eggs, alone praised by the universe, dressed in the guise of an exquisite dancer,

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wearing priceless, divine, superior yellow garments, richly adorned with ornaments of many fine jewels,

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having a complexion resembling a fresh raincloud, with fine makara-shaped earrings glittering at his ears,

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said to be white-complexioned because he is enveloped in an abundant white radiance issuing from his own limbs,

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wearing a splendid crown radiant with choice jewels, with handsome eyes like the petals of an autumn lotus,

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his body smeared with fragrant, excellent sandalwood paste, his broad chest marked with the sign of the Śrīvatsa,

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sounding a sweet flute held before his mouth with his lotus-like handsome arms,

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worshiped by groups of female companions headed by Jayā, Suśīlā, and Lalitā, along with Rādhā,

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and by Ramā, Satyabhāmā, Kālindī, Jāmbavatī, and the other foremost women,

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attended upon by Dharma, by all the Vedas, by the opulences, and by knowledge and the other virtues with folded hands,

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and by his many personal weapons taking embodied form, headed by Sudarśana,

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worshiped by the foremost of his own attendants, some having the color of sapphires, rubies, and gold, and some white,

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headed by Nanda and Sunanda, whose arms gleam with discus, mace, lotus, and conch,

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attended upon by many two-armed attendants headed by Śrīdāman, in the dress of cowherds, bowing low with devotion,

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and by Garuḍa in front, and by the eight bow-bent Opulences,

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served by Mūrti, Śānti, Dayā, Puṣṭi, Tuṣṭi, and Medhā,

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and indeed by Śraddhā, Kriyā, Unnati, Maitrī, as well as Titikṣā, Smṛti, and Buddhi.

Having beheld that most wondrous divine form, his senses completely captivated by its beauty and fragrance, / with sight obstructed by tears of bliss and his hair standing on end in love, he became filled with joy.

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With his sight blocked by tears of joy, his hair standing on end with love, he was filled with bliss.

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Bowing to him like a staff, Nārada, overcome with love,

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stood with hands folded in reverence, gazing upon his face.

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Hari honored him, having respectfully inquired after his welfare—

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the sage who was his exclusive devotee, whom he himself had wished to see.

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Having regained his composure through tasting the nectar of the Lord's words,

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the sage, filled with the great bliss of beholding him, praised him with devotion.

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Nārada said:

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Victory to you, O Lord Kṛṣṇa, O Nārāyaṇa, O Lord of the universe!

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O Vāsudeva, abode of all, ever beloved to exclusive devotees!

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You whose wondrous feet are worshiped by Rādhikā, Kamalā, and the rest,

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are indeed the supreme goal for those who seek ultimate good.

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You are the eternal Self of eternal souls, the conscious animating the conscious.

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Higher than both the perishable and the imperishable, you are supreme Brahman, O Hari!

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Just as purity and perfection come through supreme devotion to you,

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it cannot be so for men through other means such as austerity and the rest.

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The single divine moonlight of your feet, abiding in the hearts of seekers of liberation,

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is capable of immediately dispelling thick darkness, O Lord of the righteous!

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You alone are to be worshiped, meditated upon, and known through all the Vedas;

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you are established, O Lord, as the Cause of all causes.

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The white radiance that exists in each single pore of your skin,

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tranquil and consisting of bliss, surpasses the light of ten million moons.

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In this imperishable abode, free from qualities, named the immortal,

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in this mass of radiance, you ever reside beyond the qualities as the Supreme Person.

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From Time, which brings fear to the universe, and from the great terror of Māyā,

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devotees are indeed liberated by the strength of worshiping you.

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To you, the Lord of the universe, I have come for refuge,

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to the Self of all, the all-pervading Brahman, the Great Person, the Infallible One.

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In such a way that my devotion to your lotus feet remains always unwavering,

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be pleased to grant your grace, O Lord of gods!

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Skanda said:

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Having been thus praised with devotion by the celestial seer,

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the Supreme Lord spoke to the sage, delighting him with speech like nectar.

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Thus ends the seventeenth chapter, titled 'The Vision of Lord Vāsudeva', in the Vāsudevamāhātmya of the Vaiṣṇavakhaṇḍa, in the Skanda Mahāpurāṇa of eighty-one thousand verses.

Linked texts (1)

Skandapurāṇa — Vyāsa, Sanskrit