Skandapurana 4.23
English (machine translation) 4.23
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Śivaśarman said:
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“O Lord of Satyaloka, O Ordainer, great-grandfather of all!
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I wish to make a request, [yet] out of fear I dare not speak.”
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Brahmā said:
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“What you intend to ask, O brahmin, that thought in your mind is known [to me].
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You desire to ask about liberation; these two attendants will explain that.
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For nothing here is beyond the reach of these two attendants of Viṣṇu;
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These two know everything, whatever exists in Brahmā’s universe.”
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Having been spoken to thus and honored by Brahmā, the Lord’s attendants
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Bowed to the creator of the world and departed, filled with joy.
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Mounting their vehicle again, they went towards Vaikuṇṭha.
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As they were going, the two attendants were questioned again by the brahmin:
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Śivaśarman said:
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“How far have we reached, and how far is yet to be traversed?
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And another [question] I ask you both, O auspicious ones: speak that too with kindness!
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Kāñcī, Avantī, Dvāravatī, Kāśī, and Ayodhyā the fifth,
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Māyāpurī, and Mathurā—these are the seven cities that bestow liberation.
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Leaving aside the other six cities, liberation was established
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In Kāśī alone by the Creator of the universe. Why then is liberation not mine now?
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You ought, out of grace, to tell all this before me.”
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Hearing his words, the two attendants spoke with respect:
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The two attendants said:
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“We shall relate accurately to you what has been asked by your sinless self.
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By the grace of Viṣṇu we know the past, the future, and the present.
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As far, O brahmin, as is illuminated by the rays of the sun and moon,
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So extensive is declared the earth, with its oceans, mountains, and forests.
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And just as much above is the circular expanse of the sky.
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At [a distance of] one hundred thousand yojanas from the earth stands the sun.
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A hundred thousand [yojanas] above the sun, the moon is visible;
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One hundred thousand yojanas elevated from the moon is the sphere of the asterisms.
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Two hundred thousand [yojanas] above the sphere of the stars is Mercury (Saumya);
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Two hundred thousand [yojanas] from Mercury is Venus; two hundred thousand from Venus is Mars.
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Two hundred thousand [yojanas] above Mars is the preceptor of the gods (Jupiter);
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The height of Saturn is two hundred thousand yojanas from the priest of the gods.
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Elevated by one hundred thousand [yojanas] above Saturn is the sphere of the Seven Seers;
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One hundred thousand above the Seven Seers stands Dhruva.
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Whatever realm can be traversed on foot on the surface of the earth,
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That is known as Bhūrloka, along with oceans, continents, mountains, and forests.
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Bhuvarloka is declared to extend from Bhūrloka up to the sun;
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From the sun up to Dhruva, O brahmin, is sung as Svarloka.
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Maharloka is measured at one crore [yojanas] above the earth;
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Janaloka is reckoned by men at two crores [of yojanas] from Bhūrloka.
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Tapoloka is measured at four crores [of yojanas] from the earth's surface;
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Eight crores above the earth is declared to be Satyaloka.
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Above Satya[loka] is Vaikuṇṭha in measure of yojanas;
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reckoned from the terrestrial world, it measures sixteen crores [of yojanas], // 21
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where Śrī's husband dwells visibly, granting fearlessness to all.
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Sixteen times beyond that is Kailāsa, the abode of Śiva, // 22
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where Śambhu, accompanied by Pārvatī, the elephant-faced one, Skanda, and the Nandis,
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dwells as the lord of the universe; he is considered both with parts and supreme. // 23
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This [universe] is the play of that God who assumes forms for his own sport.
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He is known as the Lord of the Universe, and this world carries out his command. // 24
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He is the ruler of all, and there is no other ruler above him.
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He himself creates the beings; he himself protects and also consumes [them]. // 25
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He is declared the sole omniscient one, whose actions are subject to his own will;
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there is no instigator of his whatsoever, nor anyone to check him. // 26
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That supreme Brahman which is formless, and that which has form as proclaimed by the Veda,
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all-pervading, ever eternal, real, devoid of duality, // 27
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higher than the highest of all causes, supreme,
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which the Vedas declare to be the form of Brahman consisting of bliss, // 28
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that consciousness, by which the Vedas know, but which neither Viṣṇu nor Brahmā knows,
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from which words turn back, along with the mind, without reaching it, // 29
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knowable by oneself, the supreme light seated in the heart of all,
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attainable by yogins, indescribable, having the means of knowledge alone as its range— // 30
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he who, though having diverse forms, is formless; though going everywhere, is beyond sensory perception;
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though infinite, has the form of Death; knowing all, yet free from action: // 31
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this is his sovereign form, adorned with the crescent moon,
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his throat dark as the tamāla tree, an eye flashing on his forehead, // 32
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radiant with the female half on his left, with the auspicious Śeṣa made into his armlet,
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the slope of his matted hair continually washed by noble contact with the waves of the Gaṅgā, // 33
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resplendent with limbs honoured with heaps of ash from the body of the god of love,
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bearing the ornament of great serpents fastened on his varied body, // 34
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mounted upon a chariot of a great bull, his weapon the twanging Ajagava bow,
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his upper garment an elephant's hide, auspicious, with five faces, // 35
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terrifier of great Death, surrounded by mighty hosts of gaṇas,
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protector of those who seek refuge, the cause of nirvāṇa for those who bow down, // 33
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beyond the path of desires, devoted to granting boons.
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O twice-born one, of him whose nature is reality, who is beyond form,
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all things stand pervaded by his higher and lower Rudra forms. // 37
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Though formless, Śiva alone, possessing form, is indeed the cause.
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Whether for liberation or for enjoyment, there is no giver of liberation other than Śiva. // 38
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Just as all this was entrusted to Pārvatī's husband by him,
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all this moving and unmoving, visible and invisible, by the formless one, // 39
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so the entire world was made over to Viṣṇu by Mṛḍānī's beloved,
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and he sports eternally, O brahmin, through his willful play. // 40
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As is Śiva, so is Viṣṇu; as is Viṣṇu, so is Śiva;
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and between Śiva and Viṣṇu there is not the slightest difference. // 41
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Having summoned first Brahmā and all the other hosts of deities,
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and the vidyādharas, serpents, siddhas, gandharvas, and cāraṇas, // 42
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having fashioned an auspicious throne equal to his own throne,
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seating Hari upon it, and fashioning a charming parasol // 43
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that was smooth, with a crore of ribs, crafted by Viśvakarman,
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white, with a gem-encrusted handle, draped with large pearls, // 44
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adorned above with a wonderful jar,
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a thousand yojanas in extent, made of all kinds of gems, auspicious, // 45
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embellished with delightful chowries made of silk threads;
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and with materials suitable for a royal consecration, all the medicinal herbs and the rest, // 46
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with the visible waters of sacred fords, with five charming pitchers,
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with white mustard, unbroken grains, and dūrvā grass, and with mantras appearing of their own accord; // 47
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and having brought from the gods, the seers,
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the siddhas, and the serpents, sixteen auspicious maidens from each; // 48
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with vīṇās, mṛdaṅgas, lotuses, kettledrums, marus, ḍiṇḍimas, and jharjharas,
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with drums, bronze cymbals, and other instruments, with melodious singers, // 49
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while the courtyard of the sky was filled with the great roar of Vedic chanting—
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On an auspicious lunar day, under an auspicious astrological lagna, endowed with the strength of the moon and stars,
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[him] whose delightful crown was bound on, for whom the auspicious marriage-thread rite was performed,
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adorned by Mṛḍānī, endowed with noble splendour by the noble Lakṣmī,
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having consecrated [him] in the pavilion of the cosmic egg, Maheśa himself
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gave him all his own supreme sovereignty, which belongs to no other.
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Then the lord of gods, together with his attendants, praised the wielder of the Śārṅga bow, / and spoke these words to Brahmā, the creator of the worlds:
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"This Viṣṇu is worthy of my worship; you, too, must bow to this Hari." / Having spoken thus, Rudra himself bowed to the one whose banner is Garuḍa.
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"This Viṣṇu is worthy of my worship; you, too, must bow to this Hari."
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Having spoken thus, Rudra himself bowed to the one whose banner is Garuḍa.
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Then by all the lords of the Gaṇas, by Brahmā, and by the hosts of the Maruts,
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by yogins such as Sanaka and others, by the siddhas, and likewise by the divine seers,
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by the vidyādharas along with the gandharvas, by the hosts of yakṣas, rākṣasas, and apsarases,
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by the guhyakas, cāraṇas, and bhūtas, by Śeṣa, Vāsuki, and Takṣaka,
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by the birds and the kinnaras, and by all things mobile and immobile—
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then, shouting "Victory, victory!", and "Homage, homage be [to you]!",
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then Hari, by Maheśa in the assembly of the heaven-dwellers at that time,
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and by these delightful great shouts, was worshipped with supreme splendour:
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"You are the creator of all beings, their protector, and you alone are their destroyer; / you alone are worthy of worship by the worlds, you alone are the sovereign of the universe,
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the giver of righteousness, wealth, and pleasure, the chastiser of those who act unjustly. / And in battle, you shall be invincible even to me.
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The giver of righteousness, wealth, and pleasure, the chastiser of those who act unjustly,
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and in battle, you shall be invincible even to me.
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The power of will, the power of action, and likewise the supreme power of knowledge—
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receive this triad of powers, O Viṣṇu, bestowed by me.
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Those who hate you, O Hari, must surely be chastised by me with care; / to your devotees, O Viṣṇu, the highest nirvāṇa must be granted by me.
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To your devotees, O Viṣṇu, the highest nirvāṇa must be granted by me.
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Take also this māyā, difficult to dispel by gods and asuras,
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by which the universe, utterly deluded, will know nothing at all.
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You are my left arm, and that Grandfather [Brahmā] is my right; / indeed, you shall be the protector and also the progenitor of even this Creator."
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Indeed, you shall be the protector and also the progenitor of even this Creator."
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Having thus established Hari in the sovereignty of Vaikuṇṭha, Hara himself, / the lord of Umā, sports at will on Kailāsa along with his attendants.
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on Kailāsa along with his attendants the lord of Umā sports at will.
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From that time forward, this god who wields the Śārṅga bow and bears the mace,
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Hari, the destroyer of the dānavas, rules over the entire three worlds.
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"Thus the state of the worlds has been related to you, O brahmin; / now we two shall tell you the cause of your own nirvāṇa.
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now we two shall tell you the cause of your own nirvāṇa.
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Whoever listens with focused mind to this supreme narrative,
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having gone to heaven, will then attain nirvāṇa in Kāśī.
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At sacrificial festivals and at weddings, and in all auspicious rites,
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at the time of a royal consecration, in the rite of installing a deity,
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at conferrals of all offices, and upon entering a new home,
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it must be recited with care for the complete success of that undertaking.
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A childless man obtains a son, an impoverished man becomes wealthy,
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the sick man is freed from illness, and the bound man is freed from bondage.
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This must be recited constantly with care by one desiring good fortune; / it is the dispeller of inauspicious things, dear to Hara and Nārāyaṇa."
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it is the dispeller of inauspicious things, dear to Hara and Nārāyaṇa.
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Thus ends the twenty-third chapter, named 'The Consecration of the Four-Armed [Viṣṇu]', in the first half of the fourth section, the Kāśīkhaṇḍa, in the glorious Skanda Mahāpurāṇa consisting of eighty-one thousand verses.
Linked texts (1)
- Skandapurāṇa — Vyāsa, Sanskrit