The Description of Devotion, from the Gift of the Lamp to the Contemplation of Union with the Lord

Verse 1 (skanda.6.240.1)

ब्रह्मा उवाच । हरेर्दीपस्तु मद्दीपादधिकोऽयं प्रकुर्वतः । वैकुण्ठवास एव स्यान्ममैश्वर्यमवांछितम्

brahmā uvāca harerdīpastu maddīpādadhiko'yaṁ prakurvataḥ vaikuṇṭhavāsa eva syānmamaiśvaryamavāṁchitam

Brahma said: "For one who performs it, this lamp offered to Hari is greater than a lamp offered even to me; residence in Vaikuntha alone shall be his — he shall not even desire my own lordship."

Verse 2 (skanda.6.240.2)

नारद उवाच । दीपोऽयं विष्णुभवने मन्त्रवद्विहितो नरैः । सदा विशेषफलदश्चातुर्मास्येऽधिकः कथम्

nārada uvāca dīpo'yaṁ viṣṇubhavane mantravadvihito naraiḥ sadā viśeṣaphaladaścāturmāsye'dhikaḥ katham

Narada said: "This lamp, prescribed by men according to the mantra in Vishnu's temple, always bestows a special fruit; how does it become even more so during Chaturmasya?"

Verse 3 (skanda.6.240.3)

ब्रह्मा उवाच । विष्णुर्नित्याधिदैवं मे विष्णुः पूज्यः सदा मम । विष्णुमेनं सदा ध्याये विष्णुर्मत्तः परो हि सः

brahmā uvāca viṣṇurnityādhidaivaṁ me viṣṇuḥ pūjyaḥ sadā mama viṣṇumenaṁ sadā dhyāye viṣṇurmattaḥ paro hi saḥ

Brahma said: "Vishnu is my eternal presiding deity; Vishnu is always to be worshipped by me. I always meditate upon this Vishnu; he indeed is greater than I."

Verse 4 (skanda.6.240.4)

स विष्णुवल्लभो दीपः सर्वदा पापहारकः । चातुर्मास्ये विशेषेण कामनासिद्धिकारकः

sa viṣṇuvallabho dīpaḥ sarvadā pāpahārakaḥ cāturmāsye viśeṣeṇa kāmanāsiddhikārakaḥ

That lamp, dear to Vishnu, always removes sin; especially during Chaturmasya, it brings about the fulfillment of desires.

Verse 5 (skanda.6.240.5)

विष्णुर्दीपेन संतुष्टो यथा भवति पुत्रक । तथा यज्ञसहस्रैश्च वरं नैव प्रयच्छति

viṣṇurdīpena saṁtuṣṭo yathā bhavati putraka tathā yajñasahasraiśca varaṁ naiva prayacchati

O child, Vishnu is pleased by a lamp in a way that he is not even by a thousand sacrifices; through those he does not grant a boon so readily.

Verse 6 (skanda.6.240.6)

स्वल्पव्ययेन दीपस्य फलमानंतकं नृणाम् । अनंतशयने प्राप्ते पुण्यसंख्या न विद्यते

svalpavyayena dīpasya phalamānaṁtakaṁ nṛṇām anaṁtaśayane prāpte puṇyasaṁkhyā na vidyate

With very little expense, the lamp yields for men an endless fruit; when the sleep of Ananta has come, the sum of that merit cannot even be reckoned.

Verse 7 (skanda.6.240.7)

तस्मात्सर्वात्मभावेन श्रद्धया संयुतेन च । दीपप्रदानं कुरुते हरेः पापैर्न लिप्यते

tasmātsarvātmabhāvena śraddhayā saṁyutena ca dīpapradānaṁ kurute hareḥ pāpairna lipyate

Therefore, whoever offers a lamp to Hari with his whole being, joined with faith, is never tainted by sins.

Verse 8 (skanda.6.240.8)

उपचारैः षोडशकैर्यतिरूपे हरौ पुनः । दीपप्रदाने विहिते सर्वमुद्द्योतितं जगत्

upacāraiḥ ṣoḍaśakairyatirūpe harau punaḥ dīpapradāne vihite sarvamuddyotitaṁ jagat

Again, when the offering of a lamp, among the sixteen offerings, is duly made to Hari in his form as the ascetic, the entire world becomes illumined.

Verse 9 (skanda.6.240.9)

दीपादनंतरं ब्रह्मन्नन्नस्य च निवेदनम् । त्रयोदश्या भक्तियुक्तैः कार्यं मोक्षपदस्थितैः

dīpādanaṁtaraṁ brahmannannasya ca nivedanam trayodaśyā bhaktiyuktaiḥ kāryaṁ mokṣapadasthitaiḥ

O Brahman, after the lamp, the offering of food is next; with the thirteenth verse, it is to be performed by those devoted and established on the path to liberation.

Verse 10 (skanda.6.240.10)

अमृतं संपरित्यज्य यदन्नं देवता अपि । स्पृहयंति गृहस्थस्य गृहद्वारगताः सदा

amṛtaṁ saṁparityajya yadannaṁ devatā api spṛhayaṁti gṛhasthasya gṛhadvāragatāḥ sadā

That food which even the gods, setting aside nectar itself, long for — coming always to the very door of the householder's house.

Verse 11 (skanda.6.240.11)

हरौ सुप्ते विशेषेण प्रदेयः प्रत्यहं नरैः । फलैरर्घ्यो विष्णुतुष्ट्यै तत्कालसमुदाहृतैः

harau supte viśeṣeṇa pradeyaḥ pratyahaṁ naraiḥ phalairarghyo viṣṇutuṣṭyai tatkālasamudāhṛtaiḥ

While Hari sleeps, especially, an offering of fruit should be given every day by men, for the pleasure of Vishnu, with fruits that are then in season.

Verse 12 (skanda.6.240.12)

तांबूलवल्लीपत्रैश्च तथा पूगफलैः शुभैः । द्राक्षाजंब्वाम्रजफलैरक्रोडैर्दाडिमैरपि

tāṁbūlavallīpatraiśca tathā pūgaphalaiḥ śubhaiḥ drākṣājaṁbvāmrajaphalairakroḍairdāḍimairapi

With betel leaves, and likewise with auspicious areca-nuts, with grapes, jambu, and mango fruits, with walnuts and pomegranates too —

Verse 13 (skanda.6.240.13)

बीजपूरफलैश्चैव दद्यादर्घ्यं सुभक्तितः । शंखतोयं समादाय तस्योपरि फलं शुभम्

bījapūraphalaiścaiva dadyādarghyaṁ subhaktitaḥ śaṁkhatoyaṁ samādāya tasyopari phalaṁ śubham

— and with citron fruits as well, one should offer the arghya with true devotion; taking conch-water, and placing above it an auspicious fruit —

Verse 14 (skanda.6.240.14)

मंत्रेणानेन विप्रेन्द्र केशवाय निवेदयेत् । पुनराचमनं देयमन्नदानादनंतरम्

maṁtreṇānena viprendra keśavāya nivedayet punarācamanaṁ deyamannadānādanaṁtaram

— one should, O foremost of brahmins, offer it to Keshava with this mantra. Sipping of water is again to be given, after the offering of food.

Verse 15 (skanda.6.240.15)

आर्तिक्यं च ततः कुर्यात्सर्वपापविनाशनम् । चतुर्दश्या नमस्कुर्याद्विष्णवे यतिरूपिणे

ārtikyaṁ ca tataḥ kuryātsarvapāpavināśanam caturdaśyā namaskuryādviṣṇave yatirūpiṇe

Then the waving of lamps (arati) should be performed, which destroys all sin; with the fourteenth verse, one should bow down to Vishnu in his form as the ascetic.

Verse 16 (skanda.6.240.16)

पंचदश्या भ्रमः कार्यः सर्वदिक्षु द्विजैः सह । सप्तसागरजैस्तोयैर्दत्तैर्यत्फलमाप्यते

paṁcadaśyā bhramaḥ kāryaḥ sarvadikṣu dvijaiḥ saha saptasāgarajaistoyairdattairyatphalamāpyate

With the fifteenth verse, circumambulation is to be performed in all directions, together with the brahmins; whatever fruit is obtained by offering the waters born of the seven seas —

Verse 17 (skanda.6.240.17)

तत्तोयदानाच्च हरेः प्राप्यते विष्णुवल्लभैः । चतुर्वारभ्रमीभिश्च जगत्सर्वं चराचरम्

tattoyadānācca hareḥ prāpyate viṣṇuvallabhaiḥ caturvārabhramībhiśca jagatsarvaṁ carācaram

— that same fruit is obtained by those dear to Vishnu from offering that water to Hari; and by circling four times, the entire moving and unmoving world —

Verse 18 (skanda.6.240.18)

क्रांतं भवति विप्राग्र्य तत्तीर्थगमनादिकम् । षोडश्या देवसायुज्यं चिन्तयेद्योगवित्तमः

krāṁtaṁ bhavati viprāgrya tattīrthagamanādikam ṣoḍaśyā devasāyujyaṁ cintayedyogavittamaḥ

— has, O foremost of brahmins, in effect been traversed, along with the journeys to all its sacred places. With the sixteenth verse, the greatest of yogins should contemplate union with the deity.

Verse 19 (skanda.6.240.19)

आत्मनश्च हरेर्नित्यं न मूर्तिं भावयेत्तदा । मूर्तामूर्तस्वरूपत्वाद्दृश्यो भवति योगवित्

ātmanaśca harernityaṁ na mūrtiṁ bhāvayettadā mūrtāmūrtasvarūpatvāddṛśyo bhavati yogavit

At that point one should no longer conceive of any separate form, either of one's own self or of Hari; for, because his nature is both formed and formless, the knower of yoga himself becomes visible as that form.

Verse 20 (skanda.6.240.20)

तस्मिन्दृष्टे निवर्तेत सदसद्रूपजा क्रिया । आत्मानं तेजसां मध्ये चिन्तयेत्सूर्यवर्चसम्

tasmindṛṣṭe nivarteta sadasadrūpajā kriyā ātmānaṁ tejasāṁ madhye cintayetsūryavarcasam

When that is seen, all activity born of the distinction between the real and the unreal ceases; one should contemplate one's own self, in the midst of all radiances, as possessing the splendor of the sun.

Verse 21 (skanda.6.240.21)

अहमेव सदा विष्णुरित्यात्मनि विचारयन् । लभते वैष्णवं देहं जीवन्मुक्तो द्विजो भवेत्

ahameva sadā viṣṇurityātmani vicārayan labhate vaiṣṇavaṁ dehaṁ jīvanmukto dvijo bhavet

Reflecting within himself, "I myself am ever Vishnu," the brahmin attains a Vaishnava body and becomes liberated while yet living.

Verse 22 (skanda.6.240.22)

चातुर्मास्ये विशेषेण योगयुक्तो द्विजो भवेत् । इयं भक्तिः समादिष्टा मोक्षमार्गप्रदे हरौ

cāturmāsye viśeṣeṇa yogayukto dvijo bhavet iyaṁ bhaktiḥ samādiṣṭā mokṣamārgaprade harau

Especially during Chaturmasya, the brahmin becomes joined with yoga. This devotion has been taught, directed toward Hari who grants the path to liberation.