Skandapurana 7.12

English (machine translation) 7.12

Language: English

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Vyāsa said: / When Mahādeva had gone to heaven to teach the supreme observance, / what did the great goddess do then, all alone? / Sanatkumāra said: / When Mahādeva had gone to heaven, the blessed goddesses, / the mothers of the world, approached the goddess, the daughter of the best of mountains: / the daughter of Agni Bharata, renowned as Mālinī, / and the imperishable Śucāvatī, daughter of the god Parjanya;

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[Variant readings: 1. sana u – ka. 2. tasmina – ka.] / 582

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Sāvitrī, the Mother of the Vedas, and Gāyatrī together with Durgā; / Śrī, Kīrti, Lakṣmī, Dhṛti, and likewise Prajñā; / Khyāti, Diti, Danu, Aditi, Siṃhikā, Khaśā, / Rākā, Kuhū, Sinīvālī, and the auspicious Anumati; / Gaṅgā, Sarasvatī, and other auspicious rivers; / and the wives of the seers, of the gods, of the yakṣas and rakṣasas, / of the serpents, birds, and gandharvas. / All these, having come and bowed to Pārvatī, / knowledgeable in all duties and committed to dharma and purpose, asked: / “By what duty or austerity, O Lady of gods, O fair-faced one, / is great merit attained, and which [gift] is proclaimed to be imperishable?” / The goddess said: / “For your benefit, O women of good vows, and for that of the worlds, / I shall proclaim dharma properly in due order. / There is indeed no gift higher than the gift of food; / from food living beings arise; therefore, it is regarded as superior to that. / The man who, properly preparing food, gives it to a twice-born, / attains all desires and is honored in heaven. / In an aerial chariot shining like the sun, yoked with peacocks and swans / and abounding in all desirable things, the giver of food goes indeed to heaven. / If at any time that best of men returns to human existence, / he will be wealthy in grain and riches, of noble birth, and handsome. / The man who gives according to his capacity day after day, / by that action attains the world of Prajāpati.

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[Variant readings: 3. devamātā – ka. 4. svaṣā – kha. 5. numatī – ka. kha. 3 [6]. ṛṣīṇāṃ patnayo yāśca – ka. kha. 7. namaskṛtvā – ka. kha. 8. śca (cca) – ka. 9. satvāni – kha. 10. sarvakāmānavāpnoti – ka. 11. mayūrahaṃsayuktaṃ ca – ka. 12. samṛddhimat – ka. 13. vimānaṃ sūryasaṃkāśaṃ – ka. 14. labhate śubham – ka. 15. mānuṣyāṃtāṃ yāti – kha. 16. samākīrṇe kule jāyati – kha.] / 583 / Even if one should give prepared food to a vipra just once, / it accrues to him a hundredfold, even a thousandfold, / in the worlds, and he will also be happy here. / Even if discarded, treated with contempt, or disrespected,

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Whoever, O goddesses, O auspicious ones, gives food—of whatever kind—
even to him, when he is being tormented by rākṣasas in a terrible hell,
sustenance comes in abundance, whereby satisfaction arises for him.
If at some point that man returns to human existence,
he becomes an enjoyer of pleasures among the mlecchas and rejoices like an immortal.
Food alone is thus superior; therefore, there is nothing higher on earth.
Food is declared to be Prajāpati, and he is considered to be the year;
and the year is that sacrifice, [and] everything is established in the sacrifice.
From that arise beings, both stationary and moving.
Therefore, food is indeed superior to all—so says the sacred tradition.

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There is indeed no gift higher than the gift of food.
From food beings arise; therefore, that is indeed praised.

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Sweet-smelling, cool water endowed with divine flavors—
hear the reward of his giving who offers it to brahmins:
Mounting an aerial chariot resembling the sun and filled with the music of apsarases,
he goes to heaven, achieving dwelling in the world of Varuṇa.

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Having dwelt there for eighty thousand [years], happy like a god,
he is born in a great, unmixed family, rich in wealth and grain.

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He who gives a vessel full of water to a brahmin—
flavors attend him, and, having gone to heaven, he is honored.

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[Critical apparatus and page numbers: 17 masaṃskṛtamathāpi - kha. 18 devi - ka. kha. 19 śubhe - ka. kha. 20 labhate puṇyamavyayaṃ - kha. 21 na tasmāt paramaṃ - kha. 22 ccaitat - gha. 23 saṃkīrṇe - kha. 584 . 584 .]

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And he who gives vessels completely filled, O fair-faced ones,
shall become a vessel of pleasures and rescues his ancestors from danger.
He who constructs an abundant pond of water, O goddesses,
where indeed all creatures drink water—
having delivered his fathers, and likewise grandfathers
and great-grandfathers, in desirable worlds,
[becoming] a bird, he roams like a god, O goddesses, for six hundred tens of thousands of years.
And again in the human world, free from all diseases,
he becomes an enjoyer of pleasures and is born on par with a king—
a giver, a sacrificer, strong, radiant, and handsome.
That man who digs a pit full of water, O fair-smiling ones,
and gives it to brahmins after having properly fed them,
adorned with eight varied banners,
and decorated with a flag, a streamer, and flowers—
having delivered his ancestors, that best of men,
goes by an aerial chariot praised in song by apsarases to the realm of Varuṇa.
Whoever gives silver, gold, land, sesame seeds, or jewels
to all beings, hear the fruit of his merit:
Accompanied by all worlds, in a great aerial chariot,
having reached the world of Indra, he rejoices like a god.
And having fallen thence, righteous and prosperous with all desires,
he is born in this world in a great family, fortunate indeed.
The man who plants a tree that yields shade, flowers, and fruit
along the path, O gentle goddesses, he delivers his ancestors.

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[Critical apparatus and page number: 24 śubhānane - ka. kha. 25 stāraṇācca - ka. 26 devi - ka. kha. 27 gāvaḥ - ka. 28 kāmakeṣu - ka. 29 samaśnute - ka,? smite - kha. 30 ravicitrābhiḥ - ka. 31 yātyapsarasa- gītena - kha. 32 indralokaṃ sa - kha. 33 lokeśo - kha. 34 devi - ka. kha. 35 somyāḥ? 585]

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Likewise, having given it to brahmins and then redeemed it, a man—
what fruit he obtains, hear that, O splendid ones!
As long as embodied beings enjoy the blossoms of the tree
and the fruits of the bearing tree are eaten by creatures,
for that many thousands of years, having delivered even his ancestors,
he reaches the world of Soma and attains the immortal fruit.
He who attentively gives fruits to brahmins,
he shall become a possessor of many fruits and fortunate indeed.
The best among men who offers firewood in the winter season
to brahmins, O goddesses, he enjoys the world of Agni.
He who offers a golden vessel adorned with jewels
rejoices in heaven in an aerial chariot crowded with hundreds of apsarases.
He who offers a silver vessel to brahmins, O auspicious ones,
having reached the status of a gandharva, rejoices with Urvaśī.
He who gives a copper vessel especially to brahmins
becomes a yakṣa endowed with power in the service of the king of yakṣas.
He who presents a house filled with all desired things,
having attained the world of Brahmā, is served with all desires.
Having dwelt there for four full crores [of years] by that deed,
he is then born as a generous, pleasure-enjoying householder.
He who provides medicinal herbs and various grains
attains the world of Soma, adorned with all desires.
Having stayed there for seven thousand years, that man
is born here endowed with all wealth and enjoying pleasures.

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[Critical apparatus and page number: 35 punaḥ puna - kha. 36 tacchraṇuṣva - ka. kha. 37 mahāprabhe - ka. kha. 38 upayujyanti - ka. 39 somṛtaḥ - ka kha. 40 devi - ka. kha. 41 śubhe - ka. kha. 42 varṣakoṭyaḥ - ka kha. 43 saṃmṛddhaṃ - ka., saṃpūrṇaṃ - kha. 88 sarvanaropeto - kha. 586]
He who gives a cultivated field, ripe and bearing fruit,
becoming a master of fields, enjoys the realm of Prajāpati.

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And whoever gives land to a noble-minded brahmin / wanders happy in all the worlds, in an aerial chariot of great brilliance, / for many thousands of years, able to assume any form at will. / When that man eventually returns to human life by the turn of time,

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the earth becomes for him a wish-fulfilling cow in every respect. / Whoever gives a garment to a brahmin, O highly renowned one, / reaches the world of Virāj and dwells happily for ten million years. / He who gives a covered seat to a brahmin / attains sovereignty and reaches heaven free from sorrow. / And the best of men who gives a well-spread bed / enjoys many dear, devout, and divine wives. / And whoever gives an adorned maiden to a brahmin

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goes to the world of the ancestors and dwells there for a hundred myriad years, / and when born again here, is endowed with every wish;

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he obtains devoted wives and is blessed with offspring. / And whoever gives a horse adorned with gold and endowed with good marks, / reaches the world of the Gandharvas by that deed, O goddess. / [Whoever gives] a chariot, a horse, an elephant, a female slave, a maiden, or a house,

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and gives land, is born as a king on earth. / […]

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Conferred according to rule with mantras, the religious reward for that is great: / she stands before him as a wish-fulfilling cow yielding all desires.

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[Textual variants for verses 51–62]

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And he who gives a water-cow, the fruit of his gift is great: / having set up an auspicious water-booth, a pond, or a fully abundant well, / having filled water-pitchers completely, adorned them with fragrant unguents and garlands / and diverse kinds of flowers, and having worshipped the best of brahmins, / thoroughly satisfied with food and drink, he should give them vessels of sesame seeds; / he should give an abundant priestly gift, and then make them touch it [saying]: / 'May the waters, auspicious and gentle, satisfy my ancestors; / may my ancestors always go where they will and grant all desires.' / Having thus given that cow and then bought it back, / he should maintain that water-booth, O goddess, which secures the world of Brahmā. / Having given vessels of sesame seeds, a pair of new garments, / the presence of gold, and diverse kinds of fruits, / he should then, pure and having taken a ritual ablution, give according to rule to the brahmins. / […] / 'Clarified butter the cows bring forth; clarified butter is established in the earth; / clarified butter is fire and the gods; may clarified butter be bestowed upon me.' / Giving according to this rule, he reaches the world of Brahmā. / The man who gives a cow along with her calf and a bronze milking pail, / with golden horns, silver hooves, draped in fine silk and linen, / furnished with a bed and covering, endowed with many flowers and fruits, / having gratified the brahmins, adorned with fragrant unguents and garlands— / at the time of the gift, the gods dwell within her limbs: / Brahmā resides on her head, Śakra rests upon her flank, / the moon and the sun are in her eyes, and the wind is established in her nostrils.

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[Textual variants for verses 63–74] / Fire resides in her mouth, Soma the Lord himself in her tongue; / in her ears are all the directions, and the Rudras reside in her veins; / the world guardians reside in her feet, and all the mountains are in her bones; / the seven oceans are in her belly, and the scorching suns rest on her neck; / Gaṅgā, best of rivers, is in her dewlap, and the auspicious Vasus are on her sides; / Prajāpati is in her generative organ, and the sacred fords are everywhere in her urine; / Śrī became her dung, and the serpents are her horns in every respect; / the Sādhyas, the Viśvedevas, and the worlds abide resting upon her tail; / mantras, sacrifices, gifts, and self-restraints together with the seers, / constellations, planets, and whatever forms of stars exist, / the Gāyatrī, the Triṣṭubh, the Jagatī, and the Paṅkti meters, / the Anuṣṭubh, the Ṛgveda, the Yajurveda, the Sāma, and the Atharvaveda likewise, / the mothers of the world, the clouds, and the rain, / Dharma, Nārāyaṇa, living beings, and rivers— / resting in her hair follicles, the gods are situated; / and the Yakṣas, the Rākṣasas, the Piśācas along with the birds, / sacrifices, priestly gifts, and the auspicious apsarases, / the noble-minded Gandharvas, and whatever others are of this kind—

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all of them reside in her horns, O Vyāsa. / The fruits of sacrifices and gifts, and the various paths / all abide within the calf—the whole, auspicious [embodiment] consisting of the gods. / That [cow] inhabited by the gods and revered by all the worlds,

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72 śiro - ka. . 73 syāt ka, lokāpālāḥ syu - gha . 74 pārśve tu vasavaḥ - ka . 75 mūrttaṃ - ka. . 76 niyamā - gha, yamāni - ka . 77 niyamaiḥ saha (?) . 78. pca yajuścaiva va - ka. . 79 sāmagāthivarṇaṃ - gha . 80 ṛtuvarṣamathāpi - gha. . 81 ṛ (kra) tavaśca - gha . 82 sarve - ka, sarvadevamayaṃ (?) . 83 sarvairhastadvayena tu - ka. .
589
Well-composed, he should bestow with mantras into the hands of the brahmins / kuśa grass, gold, seeds, sesame, and white mustard seeds. . . 86 . .

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Then, O one of noble vows, he should bestow the cow with water, with this mantra: / 'She who embodies all the gods, the milch cow, she who also embodies all the worlds, . . 87 . .
for the sake of all the worlds and for the benefit of all the worlds, / I offer this great-natured, auspicious [cow] for imperishable [merit].' . . 88 . .

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Having thus given that cow, wherever that creature is reborn, / going there, she delivers him from fear. . . 89 . .
She yields all desires, bestows all worlds, / confers all knowledge, and grants the fruit of all sacrifices. . . 8.111.90 . .

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Going to all the worlds by means of her, he rejoices like an immortal; / and born here [on earth], he attains that very wish-granting cow. . . 91 . .
Born as a mortal by virtue of her, he becomes a possessor of a thousand cows, exceedingly strong, / handsome, wealthy, and endowed with many sons. . . 92 . .
Whoever gives a cow in the process of calving, facing both ways, / according to the prescribed rule, attains recollection of former births. . . 93 . .

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Whoever duly gives a cow to the brahmins, / she delivers him from things of fear and even from hell. . . 94 . .
And whoever gives a black antelope hide to a student of the Veda observing vows, / obtains the fruit of [giving] the earth, and yoga succeeds for him. . . 95 . .
Whoever, self-controlled, gives shelter / to yogis, students of the Veda, and brahmins, obtains the fruit of a horse sacrifice. . . 96 . .
He gains an Āptoryāma, a Pauṇḍarīka, and a thousand cows; / and having obtained supreme memory, O people of noble vows, he attains yoga. . . 97 . .

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84 viprāya (?) . 85 daśāṃ - gha . 86 suvarṇabījāni - ka. . 87 siddhāntakām̐stathā - gha. . 88 gāstatodbhistu - ka. . 89 suvratāḥ (?) . 90 sarvadevanamaskṛtā - ka kha. . 91 sānte - kha, śāntaṃ - ka . 92.. kṣapāt - ka. . 93 tathā ka . 94 kāmadughā - gha . 95 tathā - gha. . 96 tadā - ṣa . 97 tato - gha. .
590
A best of men who gives a water-pot to a brahmin, / O goddess, attains perpetuity in righteousness by that act. . . 98 . .
Whoever, O brahmin-seer, according to his ability rescues / the sick, the afflicted, the bewildered, and the faint-hearted, is freed from the killing of a brahmin. . . 99 . .
Whoever gives gold to a poor twice-born, / O deities, obtains the fruit of ten horse sacrifices. . . 8.111.100 . .
And whoever gives at once all these gifts / that have been completely described, O goddess, becomes the sole king upon the earth. . . 101 . .
Whoever constantly hears this, gives according to his capacity, / and recites it, O fortunate ones, he too goes to heaven. . . 102 . .
Thus ends the one hundred and eleventh chapter in the Skandapurāṇa.

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The Goddess said:
Listen again, O auspicious goddesses, how even without giving gifts, / just by fasting, righteousness is attained. . . 1 . .
Whoever, O goddess, spends the month of Mārgaśīrṣa eating only once a day, / constantly becomes wealthy in cattle through that deed, O goddess. . . 2 . .
Through [such practice in] the month of Pauṣa, he obtains many righteous sons; / and doing so in the month of Māgha, he repeatedly gains dear things. . . 3 . .
Constantly eating only once a day in the month of Phālguna, / he gains good fortune among women, and women become extremely dear to him. . . 4 . .
The best of men who spends the month of Caitra eating only once a day, / is born handsome in a family abundant in wealth and grain. . . 5 . .

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98 dharmannityatvamāpnute - 99 viprarṣi (?) - ka . 100 pṛthivyā saikarāḍ - ka kha, mucyate bhayāt - gha . 101 dānadhyāyaḥ 110 - gha. .
1 sanatku - ka, pa rvatyuvāca (?) . 2 dharmopi labhyate - ka . 3 pauṣyamāsena - ka. . 4 priyā (n) - ka . 5... samṛddheṣu - ka. .
591
A human being who spends the month of Vaiśākha eating only once a day, / achieves preeminence in the world, honored and wealthy. . . 6 . .

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Whoever practices eating only once a day throughout the month of Jyeṣṭha, / becomes the foremost among brothers and attains abundant enjoyment. . . 7 . .
And whoever practices eating only once a day throughout the month of Āṣāḍha, / gaining honor from the king, he attains abundant desires. . . 8 . .
And if a man conducts himself likewise in the month of Śrāvaṇa, / attaining the post of army commander, he is born strong. . . 9 . .

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Whoever practices eating only once a day throughout the month of Bhādrapada, / through that action, O goddess, he is born wealthy. . . 8.112.10 . .

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And he who endures the month of Āśvina eating only once a day, / for him trade bears fruit, as do agriculture and herds of livestock. . . 11 . .
Moreover, whoever endures the month of Kārttika eating only once a day, / having obtained the fruit of a horse sacrifice, he is exalted in the realm of fire. . . 12 . .
A best of men who spends his entire life eating only once a day, / goes to the realm of Śakra in an aerial chariot shining like the sun. . . 13 . .
And he who endures a full year eating only once a day, / becoming equal to an earthly sovereign, protects the earth like Mahendra. . . 14 . .
If a best of men observes a fast for one day and night, / he obtains the splendid fruit of ten pieces of gold. . . 15 . .
A best of men who observes [a fast of] a day and night month after month, / purified by that deed, becomes learned and righteous. . . 16 . .
Whoever spends a full year [fasting] day and night / on the fourteenth and eighth lunar days of both fortnights, . . 17 . .

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Engaged in that practice, freed from all sin, / he does not go to hell, O goddesses, nor does he see Yama. (18)

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[Apparatus readings …]
592
And the wise man who fasts for three nights month after month, / having reached the realm of Kubera, finds supreme happiness. (19) / The self-controlled, pure man who eats on the fourth day / reaches the realm of the Gandharvas and rejoices like Indra in heaven. (20) / He who eats on the fifth day, untired month after month, / reaches the realm of Vāyu and goes to heaven. (21)

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He who eats on the sixth day, constantly established in his vow, / reaches the realm of Varuṇa and he too attains an exalted abode. (22)

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He who eats on the seventh day, having conquered the pairs of opposites, firm in his vow, / reaches the realm of the sun and he too attains an exalted abode. (23)

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And the pure man who eats on the eighth day, / having reached the realm of Viṣṇu, becomes possessed of supreme splendor. (24) / The man who eats on the ninth day, established in his vow, / becoming dear to the Vasus, roams with the Vasus. (25) / But having eaten on the tenth day, he obtains the fruit of a ten-day sacrifice; / becoming equal to the Aśvins, he constantly shines like the sun. (26) / And obtaining human birth again, he obtains ten wives, / imperishable gold, and he does not die untimely. (27)

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The pure man who eats on the eleventh day, / having obtained the fruit of the eleventh [day], attains the state of a member of Rudra's retinue. (28)

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Having stayed there for eight hundred [years], endowed with great happiness, / he obtains brahminhood and is born here as a performer of sacrifices. (29)

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The man, O goddesses, who constantly eats on the twelfth day, / having obtained [the fruit of] a twelve-day rite, reaches Indra's world. (30)

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[Apparatus readings …]
593
Having lived there happily, that best of men, born here again, / becomes an emperor, a ruler, or an exceedingly great archer. (31) / But the man who constantly eats on the thirteenth day, / reaches the abode of Bhārgava and dwells [there], endowed with heavenly pleasure. (32) / If that man is born human again, O auspicious ones, / the auspicious one is born in an excellent family full of wealth and grain. (33)

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The man who constantly fasts for fourteen days, / having reached the Tuṣita realm, becomes an excellent leader of the gaṇas. (34) / But he who constantly fasts for half a month without indolence, / having become equal to the king of the gods, stays in heaven. (35) / He is born again here on the great earth as a king. / The wise man, having subdued anger and conquered his senses, who fasts for a month, (36) / in a divine aerial chariot, surrounded by apsarases, / worshipped like a god and praised on all sides, (37)

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shining like the sun, constantly enjoys happiness. / He dwells in all the worlds for many tens of thousands of years. (38) / Then, having reached the assembly of Brahmā, well honored by Brahmā, / that best of men dwells in the realm of Brahmā like Brahmā himself. (39) / If he returns again, he becomes a lordly brahmin; / he attains yoga there and enjoys the sovereign power of yoga. (40) / Then, having become a master of yoga, he becomes a gaṇapati of Śambhu. / [Now hear] another rule for all fasts, yielding supreme merit: (41)

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Listen from me, O goddesses, in proper order as it truly is. / Bathed, pure, having sipped water, having offered into the sacred fire, well-composed, (42)

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[Apparatus readings …]
594
consecrating himself in this way, the wise man should observe the fast. / He should bathe at dawn, noon, and dusk, and offer into the fire itself, (43)

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restrained in speech, without anger, self-controlled, righteous, truthful in speech, compassionate, / constantly reciting the Gāyatrī and purifying texts day after day, (44)

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or the Rudras or the gaṇas; and at night sleeping on bare ground, / having strewn kuśa grass according to rule, avoiding women and Śūdras. (45)

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Then he should eat, O goddesses, free from grief and free from jealousy. / As many days as he stays [in the vow], for so many [days] he should feed brahmins. (46) / Then, when the time is fulfilled, having honored fully a hundred excellent brahmins / or a thousand, according to his capacity, (47)

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having given sacrificial food to eat, and cows and clothes in order, / he should present gold and a vessel of sesame to each one. / He then attains that fruit which is difficult to obtain through other vows. (48)

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The best of men who releases a dark-bodied bull, / or any other [bull], O fortunate ones, that man delivers his ancestors. (49)

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As many hairs as there are on that noble bull, / for that many thousands of years he rejoices in heaven. (50)

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He who gives vessels of sesame to brahmins with a pure mind, / on the new moon day of the dark [fortnights], well-composed, (51)

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having gratified the ancestors, that bull among men / reaches the realm of the ancestors imperishably and enjoys happiness for a long time. (52)

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This rule of fasting has been told by me, O fair-faced ones. / Listen again with concentrated attention to the rule of the cāndrāyaṇa. (53)

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He who undertakes the cāndrāyaṇa as prescribed, well-composed, / reaches the realm of Soma and attains equality with Soma. (54)

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28 tato - ka kha. . 29 snāyeta - ka., snātaḥ - kha. . 30 sapatnī.. - kha. . 31 viśoko pro.. kha. . 32 gāvo - ka . 33 mahābhāgān - ka., mahābhāga - kha. . 34 suśobhanāḥ - ka. .
595
Whoever performs the prājāpatya penance, whether once or many times, / becomes equal to Prajāpati and is exalted in his world. // 55
And whatever best of men performs the sāntapana kṛcchra penance / delivers himself from suffering and goes to the world of Agni. // 56
And whoever, being noble-minded, performs the mahāsāntapana penance / attains omniscience and reaches the world of Brahmā. // 57

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And whatever best of the twice-born performs the tulāpuruṣa penance, / freed from all sins, mighty, he would go to heaven. // 58

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By the atikṛcchra penance a man goes to the abode of Śarva; / likewise, by the kṛcchrātikṛcchra he would attain the status of a Gaṇapati. // 59
And whatever best of men performs all the kṛcchra penances, / whatever desire he longs for, that indeed he completely attains. // 8.112.60
Whoever might perform any one of these with a collected mind, / he becomes purified by that and attains divine status as well. // 61
A man who lives constantly for a year subsisting only on milk, / or consuming barley-porridge processed with cow's urine, // 62
or subsisting on oilcake [and] fruit, or without pungent herbs and salt, / he, having obtained the fruit of an horse sacrifice, enjoys the world of Brahmā. // 63

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Liberated from all sins, completely freed from all bonds, / in an aerial chariot shining like the sun, he moves about like Brahmā. // 64
And whatever best of men, a great soul freed of impurities, / practices all these severally for as long as he has breath, // 65
that person of great resolve, having attained the worlds he desires, or liberation itself, / or great sovereignty, remains resplendent. // 66

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35 ca - kha. . 36 samaśnute - kha. . - kha. . 37 gacchate - kha. . 38 divi pūjitaḥ - ka., divimūrjitaḥ - kha . 39 sarvasya - ka. . 40 sa narottamaḥ - ka. . 41. deteva - ka., deveha - kha. . 42 kṛcchrasya - ka kha. . 43 siddho - ka. . 44 bhakto - kha. . 45... va sa (śa)ḥ - ka . 46 yaścaitānyeva - ka . 47 dīvyamāno- vatiṣṭhate - kha. .
596
And all these same [observances], both gifts and austerities, / are always prescribed for Śūdras too in every way without mantras; / of this there is no doubt—so spoke Prajāpati. // 67
All those Śūdras are declared to be without mantras, cleansed of defilements. // 68
For women, however, the husband is the deity; none other is prescribed. / He is the goal, the supreme abode; he is traditionally regarded as the supreme duty. // 69

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She who, permitted by him, should practice this duty, / being well-composed, obtains the fruit of that duty. // 8.112.70

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She, however, who should practice any duty unpermitted by him / does not obtain that fruit; but the devoted wife obtains the fruit. // 71

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And whatever woman, permitted by her husband, having performed abundant duty, / gives [the merit] to her husband, her fruit becomes infinite. // 72
And whatever she desires, either in this world or in the next, / she attains all that, O goddesses, and also becomes fortunate. // 73
Her husband becomes devoted to her, and she is dear to him then; / she has sons and offspring, and does not experience sorrow. // 74
This duty has been told by me to you, O mothers of the world. / What else do you wish to hear further than this, O beautiful ones? // 75
For this duty is very great, exceedingly splendid, and hard to accomplish by those of untrained mind, O excellent ladies; / and one who knows duty should not recount this to any rogue or unrighteous person. // 76
Sanatkumāra said:
Then all those goddesses together, the mothers of the world, / having worshipped the Great Goddess, spoke with delighted minds: // 77

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[Sanatkumāra said:]
“Ah, the dharma has been declared by you, O lady revered by all the gods! / By the practice of which a very great fruit is quickly obtained. // 78
From here, O goddess, let us look upon the auspicious forest of this mountain, / strewn with kinds of flowers and filled with flocks of numerous birds.” // 79
Then, having arisen, that goddess, together with the mothers of the gods, / [set out] to see that excellent, divine forest of Mount Mandara. // 80
Endowed with great yoga, directing her eye that brings pleasant ease, she walked about, / beholding the peaks made of red arsenic and gold, // 81
and the delightful, clear-watered torrents of the mountain, / pools full of blue lotuses, and most charming reservoirs; / seeing these, and Nandin standing at her side, the Mountain's Daughter rejoiced. // 82
Then a slender-waisted daughter of Meru, named Śubhāvatī, / said to the daughter of Himavat, showing her the auspicious forest: // 83
“O Daughter of the Mountain, look at this [forest], beautiful with playful graces, / endowed with every season, like [...] well-spoken [wisdom]. // 84
This very great [mountain] brings forth [...] / like a well-spoken [counsel] applied by the wise in times of distress. // 85
So too shines the excellent golden rock on the mountain peak, / like a learned Sāmaveda chanter singing according to the rules. // 86
And this gem-studded, radiant mountain crest constantly / shines like the rising sun [...]. // 87
This beryl peak with a floor of sapphire / shines, O Śarvāṇī, bearing [...] over the mountain [...]. // 88
This intoxicated elephant, looking like one surrounded by female elephants, / bowing its head down, O fair-browed one, with its sprout [...] // 89 //”

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[...]

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“Ah, behold this handsome [tree] endowed with rows of woods, O auspicious lady, / like Jayanta anointed to the heir-apparentship with chowries! // 90
And behold this tree, O Śarvāṇī, dancing with its sprout-hands / beside its mother, like a dear son born of her own womb. // 91
Indeed, I consider this the beloved dwelling of the goddess of the forest; / an exceeding splendor is seen here such as I have never seen!” // 92
Sanatkumāra said:
Having heard those words of Śubhāvatī, the Mountain's Daughter, / the imperishable daughter of Himavat, looked upon the young tree. // 93
And so that goddess of gods, roaming on the great mountain, / saw a young aśoka tree in full bloom, radiant like the rising sun, // 94
standing with its hundreds of coppery sprouts joined as if in folded hands. / Having seen it, O sage, the goddess Girijā experienced supreme joy, // 95
and thought in her mind: “This tree is my son. / This praiseworthy son of mine will be an increaser of delight. // 96
When the Lord arrives, then, permitted by the Self-manifest [Śiva], / I will adopt this young aśoka tree as my dear son. // 97
And for me, who am childless, this best of trees will become / a son, O best of mothers, destroying the grief of [not having] a son.” // 98
Sanatkumāra said:
Having thus decided about that tree, the beautiful Umā, / moving toward another place, looked about there. // 99
Then, in the meantime, terrible omens occurred there: / there arose a great velocity of wind that felled the mountain trees. // 100

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A peak of the lord of mountains fell without any calamity, / and trees were uprooted without any wind. // 101

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Meteors fell from the sky, and an inauspicious wind blew; / moreover, O delight of Kālī, the goddess’s left eye twitched. // 102

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Seeing these, the astonished goddess spoke thus to Śailādi [Nandin] / and to her companions skilled in speech, who were present at that time. // 103
The goddess said:
“This mountain, filled on all sides with those trees, appears as if mad. / I consider this to be a great peril; this is not thought to be accidental. // 104 //”

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“And these dreadful portents do not occur without cause; / act in such a way that these inauspicious [omens] bring us no danger.” / Then Nandī, having bowed down with folded hands, said to the goddess of gods: / “From where could fear come to you, O Bhavānī, who are the mother of the gods?” // 106
Sanatkumāra said:
While he was speaking thus, O Vyāsa, to the goddess, the mother of the universe, / the Daitya Andhaka also came at that time from Pātāla to Mandara, // 107

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surrounded by thousands of Daityas and Dānavas led by Prahlāda, / the glorious, great Daitya, like Śakra [surrounded] by the hosts of gods. // 108

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By the very counsel of the foremost Daityas, that great Asura / came to behold Mandara, just as Indra [goes] to the Nandana grove. // 109

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Prahlāda, Anuhlāda, Śini, and Bāṣkali, / Tuṇḍa, Tuhuṇḍa, Vātāpi, Bali, Bāṇa, Virocana, // Ilvala, Namuci, Vyaṃsa, the great asura Vipracitti, / Sunda, Nisunda, Naraka, Dhenuka, and Ariṣṭa,

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[…] / 600 / Mura, Kārttasvana, Hastin, Duryodhana, Maya, / Tāraka, Tārakākṣa, Vidyunmālin, Prabhākara, // Hālāhala, Kumbha, Śaṃbara, Kālasaṃvara, / Dhundhu, likewise Indradamana, Hayagrīva, Śatodara, // Meghanāda, Siṃhanāda, Dundubhi, Śatadundubhi, / Kālanemi, Baka, Daṇḍa, Vipāka, and Pāka,

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Vṛṣaparvan, Śatāvarta, Puloman, and Śarabha, / Bala, Gaganamūrdhan, and renowned Sūcīroman, // Asiloman, Pralamba, Śambhu, and Devāntaka, / Mahiṣa, Bhīmasena, Vāyu, and Vāditra— // these followers of Andhaka also reached Mandara. // Bearing weapons, having conquered hosts of gods, of great majesty yet fallen from the path of dharma, / all heroic and never turning back, they went to Mandara together with Andhaka. // Sanatkumāra said:

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Like a herd of elephants in rut, O son of Kālī, / like raining clouds, like venomous serpents, // like a fierce, huge herd of proud boars, / so that host of dānavas roamed upon Mandara. // As he was roaming there, that Andhaka then saw the Goddess of gods / accompanied by her female companions, as a wolf [might see] a lioness.

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Looking at her then, that Kāleya, the evil-minded son of Hiraṇyākṣa, / appeared as if asleep [or] unwinking due to improper yoga.

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601 / Beholding the venerable Goddess, that daitya of deluded mind / did not bow down, O Vyāsa; he merely stared. // Seeing that daitya staring without blinking at the daughter of the mountain, / Prahlāda of great intellect spoke these meaningful words: // […] / Overcome by Destiny, Death, the god of love, / and wrath, when his time had arrived, that evil-minded enemy of the gods,

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possessed then by those [forces] that subdue all worlds, / spoke this word regarding the foster-mother of the universe:

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Andhaka said: / 'Who is this slender-waisted lady here, incomparable in beauty, auspicious? / Never before have I seen such a woman, O dānavas! // Look at this slender-waisted one who has come [either] in heaven or on earth! / If she is indeed a wife, whose is she, and who is her lord husband? // Who am I, and why do I live? This word of mine is true: / He whose youthful wife this is, possessing lovely, splendid, long eyes, // what need has that fortunate, great-souled one of dwelling in heaven? / This secret kingdom is false for me, as long as this woman is not my beloved!

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I have many thousands of beautiful women; / they are all fit merely to be her handmaidens, O dānavas!'

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Sanatkumāra said: / Hearing that speech of his, the son of Hiraṇyakaśipu, / embracing Andhaka, spoke many wonderful things, O son of Kālī:

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Thus is the addition in manuscript Gha.

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602 / 'This is the mother of the world, the imperishable daughter of Himavat, / known in the universe as Umā, endowed with the power of austerity and yoga,

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whose son was Brahmā, and who gave the office of Prajāpati; / and who, by the boon of his son, became the son of Brahmā;

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who grants auspicious boons to us and to the deities, / the renowned one worshipped by all worlds and gods;

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who abides having pervaded the entire aggregate of beings without remainder, / by whose self this whole imperishable universe is sustained;

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who by his own will can collapse all this in half a wink: / this lady is the wife of that divine, wise Supreme Lord. / For she is capable in an instant, O lord of the sons of Diti,

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either to burn the entire universe, or to carry it away, or to cast it into hell. / How did you, deluded daitya, not bow down to her?'

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Sanatkumāra said: / While that enemy of the gods was thus speaking what is aligned with dharma, / the Goddess along with the [other] goddesses vanished in an instant, O sage. […] / Those women, the mothers of the world, became invisible.

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Then, when they had disappeared, on foot they reached / the auspicious forest of Mandara, filled with many sights,

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beautified with balā plants, clusters of kadamba, with atimukta and priyaṅgu, / with campakas, bakulas, lodhras, aśokas, and nāgakesaras,

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with punnāgas, tilakas, and groves of devadāru, / with pines, coconuts, and clusters of lotuses.

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With its ravines, ridges, caves, and mountain streams, / nothing more delightful than it exists anywhere on earth. // 134
Then all those demon lords roamed upon the great mountain, / which was filled with many cascades and crowded with diverse trees. // 135
Roaming there, they saw the seven seers, great sages endowed with yoga, / perfected masters staying at a certain mountain stream, // 136
seated upon a stone slab, conversing with one another / in tales full of righteousness, of wondrous import, insightful, and bringing great joy. // 137
Seeing them, that Andhaka questioned Prahlāda, the foremost of the asuras: / “Who are these seers here, and for what purpose have they gathered here?” // 138
Then the wise asura, the son of Hiraṇyakaśipu, having understood, / positioned in their midst, spoke to that thorn in the side of the gods. // 139
Prahlāda said:
“O Andhaka, these are the seven great-souled seers who have assembled: / Bhṛgu, Atri, Marīci, Viśvāmitra, and Aṅgiras, // 140
as well as Bharadvāja and Vasiṣṭha—masters of yoga whose wealth is austerity, / great-souled men whose sins are burnt away by austerity, who have come here. // 141
I do not think their arrival at Mandara is without cause, O lord. / Remaining here in seclusion from this point, let us, all the lords of the asuras, // find out what work these adepts are doing here. // 142
Becoming quiet, holding their peace, according to their strength, / let us learn the opinion of all of them; remain silent, O lords of the daityas!” // 143

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Sanatkumāra said:
Then, having made an agreement, those bulls among the asuras stood by: / “Whoever among us utters a sound shall be put to death by us.” // 144
While those wicked-minded asuras stood thus, / those seers endowed with austerity spoke words to one another: // 145
“This region of the mountain is not pure; today let us go elsewhere, O twice-born ones! / For the arrival of very wicked daityas is seen here. // 146
Even Bhavānī has gone elsewhere, distressed by the fear of the asuras. / Those asuras are wicked-souled, whose destruction is certain. // 147
All those who destroy righteousness have gone to their doom. / If those cruel ones had not destroyed righteousness for the sake of kingdom, // 148
those haters of the gods would not all have met their destruction in this manner. / If they had remained contented with their own realm, // they too would have shone in all the worlds, worthy of worship like the gods.” // 149
Sanatkumāra said:
Aṅgiras said this to them: “Indeed, there is no [lasting joy] here for those who desire; / for those who have set out for the sake of dominion, unrighteousness is close at hand. // 150
Righteousness alone indeed secures a kingdom for the desirous; / one should never practice unrighteousness; [in it] there is no stability or realm whatsoever.” // 151
Atri said:
“They desire a kingdom through unrighteousness, and they constantly conquer in battle, / but those whose livelihood harms others do not become dear to the world. // 152

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The righteous, on the other hand, soon slay their enemies without agitation / and become firmly established in their kingdoms; therefore one should take refuge in righteousness. // 153
Those, however, who, abandoning righteousness and delighting in wickedness, / seek a kingdom by sheer force, do not ever attain that kingdom. // 154
And whatever kingdom is attained by them through cruel deeds, / that does not belong to them for long, and they become hated on that account.” // 156
Bhṛgu said:
“In ancient times, this righteousness, which brings fear to the asuras, / was attained by Brahmā wishing to create, but they do not abide by it. // 157
By their very nature, they are all cruel from birth; / and because of their cruel inclination, they have resorted to that conduct.” // 158
Sanatkumāra said:
While they were conversing in this manner regarding the asuras, / the three arrived: Dhātṛ, Vidhātṛ, and Kṛtānta. // 159
Having duly honoured them, devoted to one another, / those seers as well as those three sat down upon the stones. // 160
The seers bowed with great respect to those who were seated / and said: “Where have you, the sustainers of the world, set out for today?” // 161
Dhātṛ said:
“Returning from the world of Brahmā today, we have come, O twice-born ones; / we have been commanded by Brahmā to go near Kaśyapa.” // 162

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[...]

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Again the sages asked, “What was told to Kaśyapa, the twice-born?” / Then Dhātṛ related to the sages what he had told Kaśyapa: // “When you informed Brahmā, the grandfather of the worlds, O brāhmaṇa, [saying,] / ‘The asuras are my sons, and the gods are also dear to me, O Lord. // Act in such a way, O best of immortals, that they do not harbor mutual enmity, / O creator of the world, so that I may then be at peace.’ // Commanded there by Brahmā, I say unto you, O great sage: / As the conduct of gods and asuras, and their mutual friendship, // and the production of nectar, and the kingdom and the establishment of all order— / having been asked by you, O best of seers, the Lord narrated / everything of the future deeds of the gods and asuras. // Having reported all that to him, we were sent by Brahmā / and have come here to see the Lady, the daughter of the snowy mountain.” // Sanatkumāra said: / To those who spoke thus, those seers rich in tapas, / with restrained minds, all asked again then, O sage: // “What conduct of the gods and asuras is told to happen in the future, O auspicious ones, / that we wish to hear, if your mind is inclined to favor us. // And what did you report to the goddess, O best of gods? / Narrate all that as well, if we indeed deserve your favor.” // Hearing their words, those three best of gods, / endowed with great might, said to him: “You explain it, O Kṛtānta!”

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[...]

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Then he narrated to them, just as it would occur, the source of many wonders, / the cause of the gods, the asuras, and the world, properly established of old by the Creator.
Thus ends the one hundred and twelfth chapter, named The Ascent of Mandara, in the Skandapurāṇa.

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Vyāsa said: / What was told of old to those seers on Mandara by that great-souled Kṛtānta, / narrate all that to me.
Sanatkumāra said: / There will be a son of Hiraṇyakaśipu, / Indra of the asuras, mighty, wise, Prahlāda, the bull among asuras. // Having produced nectar along with the gods, the leader of the host of gods, / having conquered the gods in battle, that bull among Daityas took the nectar away; / then, defeated in battle by Viṣṇu, he will consecrate his son to the kingdom.
Vyāsa said: / How was that nectar churned by the gods / and the mighty asuras, O son of Brahmā? This I wish to know.
Sanatkumāra said: / When Prahlāda, the bull among asuras, was consecrated in Indra’s realm / by Brahmā, O Vyāsa, he then protected the asuras. // Then there was a battle of the gods with the asuras. / The gods then addressed the venerable Grandfather.
The gods said: / “Lord, the gods are slain in battle by the asuras like mortals! / Direct us, O you of noble vows, so that the gods do not die!”

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[...]

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Addressed thus, Brahmā said to the gods with Indra: / “Go and quickly produce nectar from the Ocean of Milk. // In all the manvantaras, whichever gods arise, / all of them produce nectar from the Ocean of Milk together with the asuras. // Then the lords of the gods consume it, and from that satisfaction arises; / even the dead rise up, and having drunk it, they do not die.”
The gods said: / “How do the gods, the lords of the manvantaras, / produce that nectar on earth? Tell us that entire means.”
Brahmā said: / “In the western region, in Somapurī, is that auspicious lake, the Ocean of Milk, / where those seven auspicious oceans are always present; // where Irā, Mālā, Sinīvālī, Kuhū, Rākā, Irāvatī, / Sāvitrī, Gāyatrī, Surabhi, and Kadrū, // Aditi, Diti, and Devikā, the source of all things, / and the all-enduring, auspicious cows that grant all desires, // affectionate, yield six-flavored milk comparable to nectar; / where dwell the foam-drinking seers, whose nature is austerity, restraint, and tranquility. // Gathering whatever herbs exist in this world, O best of gods, / domestic, wild, celestial, and human by the thousands, // trees, creepers, shrubs, bushes, and other such plants, / and casting in medicaments, and King Soma,

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prosperity, fortune, fame, renown, contentment, / glory, faith, retention, and deduction and deliberation—”

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Strength, righteousness, energy, contentment, the goddess Sarasvatī,
all the sacred fords, and diverse gifts,
the bull, the chariot, the banner, the elephant, and the horse,
and eight auspicious things they cast there, as well as the Vedic metres,
the Vedas, whatever knowledges there be, and these Mothers of the Worlds,
mantras, sacrifices, gold, and the ritual utensils of mantras;
throwing whatever was splendid, satisfying, and full of sap therein,
they then brought the churning rod:
Mandara, the foremost of mountains, and Akūpāra the tortoise.
Having placed the churning rod, Mandara the lord of mountains, upon its back,
held firm by Viṣṇu, and Vāsuki as the churning-rope—
where his head was, there were the Daityas; where his tail was, there were the gods—

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pulling that churning rod, they churned for many years.
Then, after a thousand years, a horse shall rise up from it.

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And the cows endowed with fortune, an auspicious rutting elephant,
a bull with a terrifying roar, maidens, hollow bamboo-reeds,
the set of eight auspicious items, and Dhanvantari the physician;
Śrī, Lakṣmī, and those that follow, and Vāruṇī intoxicating with intoxication;

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and divine medicinal herbs, both cultivated and wild, together with humans,
all the trees and the like, and then Soma, king of the earth;

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and drawing up the nectar, as well as that inaccessible poison,
and sacrifices and the like—all whatever had been collected there.

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[Apparatus readings]
"Thus in the Manvantaras here, by the gods together with Asuras and humans,
nectar is churned, O gods, and in that manner it is produced.
Therefore, going hence together with the Dānavas, O deities,
churn the nectar quickly; then you shall obtain that benefit."
Sanatkumāra said:
Addressed thus by Brahmā, the creator of the world, those lords of the gods
returned to this world and acted accordingly in every respect.
While it was being churned, poison arose first,
terrifying to gods and Asuras; Śaṅkara then drank it.
Then, once again, from that ocean of milk there arose
many wondrous treasures; the deities took them.
The Asuras did not take them, and those [treasures] cursed the Asuras;
they despised the auspicious things, and because of that they met destruction.
The treasures said:
"Since you wicked, cruel ones do not rejoice in us,
therefore whatever you desire shall not come to pass in that way."
The Asuras did not even take Vāruṇī, who brings intoxication and power;
therefore, those Asuras were indeed wicked in every way.
Then arose the horse named Uccaiḥśravas, supremely splendid,
and the four-tusked elephant, and the physician of very great fame,
Ghṛtācī, Pūrvacitti, and the enchanting divine Rambhā;
and taking the nectar, Soma then arose, O gods.

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[Apparatus readings]
Sanatkumāra said:
Then, having abandoned those treasures, the excessively arrogant Asuras
then seized the nectar by sheer force from the hand of Soma.
The gods, approaching them together, spoke with soothing words to them who were deluded:
"It is not proper for you to act thus; let us partake of it together.
May our friendship be very firm! Filled with the pride of strength,
do not make this toil futile here, O lords of the Dānavas!"
To all of them speaking thus, Prahlāda, the lord of the Dānavas,
a master of great illusions, setting righteousness aside, said this:
Prahlāda said:
"When you took the treasures that arose from the ocean,
at that time nothing was said to you by us, O lords of the gods!
In this same way we, all the gods [here], take this treasure;
we will certainly not give this up today without a fight.
This nectar, the source of all auspiciousness, has come into our hands, O gods;
if you must have it, take it by battle if you can!"
Sanatkumāra said:
Spoken to thus by those cruel ones, the gods were as if frightened;
pale-faced and dejected, they said nothing to them at that time.
Embarrassed by that, the lords of the gods, being of great courage, turned away;
they indeed became dispirited, thinking, "We are ruined!"
Seeing them thinking thus, Purandara of a thousand eyes
said: "What is the use of despair? Let us slay them in battle!"

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47 ratnānāmasurā - ka., te nāgamasurā - gha. . 48 somaṃ hastād - ka . 49 ajahustathā - ka. . 50 mohitāḥ - kha . 51 madabalānvitāḥ - (?) . 52 kleśamevaṃvidhaṃceha - gha., tathā - ka., vidhaṃ - gha . 53 ratnāni - ka. kha. . 54 idameva - kha., idamekaṃ - kha . 55.. ttām̐stadābruvan - (?) . 56 vṛḍitāste - ka. kha. . 57 hāhatāḥ (?) . 58 cābruvan (?), cetyacintayan (?) . 59. nnihanyate - kha. .
612
Viṣṇu said:
"This plan of Śakra's regarding battle is ill-advised, O lords of gods. / For all the gods, great in power, are unable to slay [them] in battle. ..8.113.50 ..

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Therefore, as long as they do not drink the auspicious nectar, / precisely so long shall I seize it, resorting to delusion and deceit. ..51 ..

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Arm yourselves, all gods, and stand ready having formed an array, / while I take the nectar and come here, O sky-dwellers."
Sanatkumāra said:
Then, resorting to delusive power and assuming the form of Yajñaśrī, / the lord of the gods went towards the sons of Diti. ..53 ..

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Having gone to that king of the asuras, he of great strength addressed this [to him], / endowed with the form of Yajñaśrī, lotus in hand, with spotless eyes. ..54 ..

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Viṣṇu said:
"Knowing the gods to be weak and the dānavas, proud of their power, / to be strong and utterly unassailable, I, Yajñaśrī, have arrived. ..55 ..
Let all the dānavas, enemies of the gods, accept me. / Those gods have met destruction; you are the gods, no doubt." ..56 ..
Then the asuras rose up, and the dānava Prahlāda, / turning clockwise around her, placed the jar in his hand. ..57 ..
The god said to the dānavas whose minds were captivated by the female form:
"You ought not to cast this entirely upon me today. ..58 ..

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Lest the gods ever seize it from you, resorting to māyā. / For they are all wicked in conduct, reliant upon deception and trickery." ..59 ..

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Skandapurāṇa — Vyāsa, Sanskrit