Skandapurana 2.9.28

English (machine translation) 2.9.28

Language: English

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Having sipped water and controlled his breaths, then, composed in mind,

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having bowed to the chosen deity and others, he should mention the place and time:

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“For the accomplishment of unswerving devotion, the worship of Vāsudeva

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I shall perform”—having thus formed the intention, he should then perform the rite of nyāsa.

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The mantras for nyāsa are the twelve-syllabled, the Vaiṣṇava Gāyatrī,

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the eight-syllabled mantra of Nārāyaṇa, and the six-syllabled mantra of Viṣṇu.

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These are prescribed for twice-born men, but for others here three [are prescribed]:

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the eight-syllabled mantra of Vāsudeva, the five-syllabled mantra of Hari,

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and the six-syllabled mantra of Keśava are approved for nyāsa and for oblations.

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Then, on the limbs of the image of Śrī Viṣṇu just as on one's own limbs,

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he should perform all the nyāsas with those mantras, and then wipe the image with a cloth.

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Placing a water-jar on his left side and invoking into it

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the sacred fords, he should worship it with offerings such as perfume and flowers.

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Sprinkling the worship materials and himself with that water,

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worshiping the conch and the bell, he should perform the purification of the elements.

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Having burned the body consisting of sin with the internal fire and wind,

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firmly concentrated, he should contemplate the identity of his purified self with Brahman.

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Then, having assumed the nature of imperishable Brahman, he should meditate in his heart on Lord Rādhākṛṣṇa

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with an undistracted mind, while performing breath control.

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Having visualized the downward-facing navel-lotus, resembling a plantain flower,

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he should unite the downward apāna breath with the upward prāṇa.

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Bringing that [breath] into the lotus stalk, together with it he should draw

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that lotus upward; then, sounding loudly, it reaches the heart,

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and blossoming there, shining in the space of the heart.

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There, in that mass of splendour, he should meditate on the husband of Śrī Rādhikā,

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who possesses splendour surpassing even that, who is exceedingly delightful to behold and tranquil,

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seated or standing, whose divine form is composed of pure consciousness,

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adolescent in age, more handsome than ten million gods of love,

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distinguished by divine limbs that are fully symmetrical with his beauty,

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with a body radiant as the autumn moon, with two long and handsome arms,

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with lotus feet having reddish, soft soles and lovely toes,

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putting the moon to shame with the brilliance of his raised, red, and glossy nails,

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with the beauty of a pair of feet wearing tinkling small bells, anklets, and ornaments,

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with well-rounded calves and splendid symmetrical knees and thighs,

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with hips beautified by yellow garments fastened by a girdle of fine gems,

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with three folds above an elevated belly and a deep navel,

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with a broad and raised chest adorned with the Śrīvatsa curl,

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ornamented with hanging necklaces of various strands such as the devacchanda,

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wearing garlands of various fragrant flowers and a golden sacred thread,

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adorned with bracelets on hands resembling blossoming red lotuses,

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with several rings of fine gems shining on his fingers of delicate joints,

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sounding a flute that is sweet and charms everyone,

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with broad shoulders, hidden collarbones, and armlets shining on his mighty arms,

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with a forest garland humming with swarms of bees drawn by wandering fragrances,

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with a neck resembling a conch, shining with an exquisite necklace and the Kaustubha gem,

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with a beautiful chin and the lustre of lower lips red as bimba fruit,

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with a face resembling the full moon shining with the grace of a bright smile,

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with an attractive, handsome nose shaped like a sesame flower,

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with makara-shaped earrings shining on symmetrical ears,

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with ear-ornaments consisting of bunches of varied flowers sparkling above the ears,

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with cheeks splendid with the moonlight radiance of even and delicate teeth,

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with delightful eyes broad as lotus petals and red at the corners,

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with a broad, high forehead and eyebrows acting like the bow of the god of love,

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with curly, fine, black, glossy, and enchanting hair,

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bearing a crest on a diadem inlaid with various fine gems,

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graciously looking upon his devotee with love and an affectionate gaze.

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Having meditated thus on Kṛṣṇa, he should then reflect upon Rādhā at his left side:

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two-armed, with limbs radiant like gold, wearing an immaculate safflower garment,

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with a nose-ring made of jewels gleaming beside symmetrical ears,

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a youthful maiden, with eyes like a fawn's, with full, elevated, and firm breasts,

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slender-waisted, broad-hipped, adorned with a jeweled girdle,

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having manifold divine ornaments, smiling with a face like a blooming lotus, // 2.9.28.30

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her hands shining with jeweled rings, armlets, bracelets, and other ornaments,

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her lotus feet radiant with tinkling swan-like anklets, // 31

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bearing an auspicious mark of fine Kashmir saffron shining upon her broad forehead,

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with lips red like bimba fruit, lovely cheeks, and mālatī blossoms woven into her braided hair, // 32

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gazing upon the Lord with love, holding a lotus in her hand.

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Having thus meditated upon Rādhikā there, he should worship the Lord together with her. // 33

Thus ends the twenty-eighth chapter, entitled "Delineation of the Meditation on the Form of Śrī Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa" in the [section on] ritual yoga of the glorious Vāsudevamāhātmya, in the second, Vaiṣṇava Section, in the glorious Skanda Mahāpurāṇa of eighty-one thousand verses. // 28

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Skandapurāṇa — Vyāsa, Sanskrit