Skanda Purana

Expressions researched:
"skanda Purana"

SB Canto 1

It is said in the Skanda Purāṇa that spirit is always uncontaminated and indestructible. It cannot be distressed, nor can it be dried up.

SB 1.9.34, Purport:

It appears that Bhīṣmadeva is repenting the actions he committed against the person of the Lord. But factually the Lord's body was not at all pained, due to His transcendental existence. His body is not matter. Both He Himself and His body are complete spiritual identity. Spirit is never pierced, burnt, dried, moistened, etc. This is vividly explained in the Bhagavad-gītā. So also it is stated in the Skanda Purāṇa. It is said there that spirit is always uncontaminated and indestructible. It cannot be distressed, nor can it be dried up. When Lord Viṣṇu in His incarnation appears before us, He seems to be like one of the conditioned souls, materially encaged, just to bewilder the asuras, or the nonbelievers, who are always alert to kill the Lord, even from the very beginning of His appearance. Kaṁsa wanted to kill Kṛṣṇa, and Rāvaṇa wanted to kill Rāma, because foolishly they were unaware of the fact that the Lord is never killed, for the spirit is never annihilated.

SB Canto 2

In the Skanda Purāṇa there is a narration that a hunter in the jungle became the most enlightened devotee of the Lord by the guidance of Śrī Nārada Muni.

SB 2.8.18, Purport:

The common religion of all classes of human beings, regardless of whosoever and whatsoever one may be, is devotional service. Even the animals may be included in devotional service to the Lord, and the best example is set by Śrī Vajrāṅgajī, or Hanumān, the great devotee of Lord Śrī Rāma. As we have already discussed, even the aborigines and cannibals can also be engaged in the devotional service of the Lord if they happen to be under the guidance of a genuine devotee of the Lord. In the Skanda Purāṇa there is a narration that a hunter in the jungle became the most enlightened devotee of the Lord by the guidance of Śrī Nārada Muni. Therefore devotional service to the Lord can be equally shared by every living being.

In the Kāśī-khaṇḍa of the Skanda Purāṇa is is said: "Even the devotees of the Personality of Godhead are not annihilated during the period of the entire annihilation of the material world, not to speak of the Lord Himself. The Lord is ever-existent in all three stages of material change."

SB 2.9.33, Purport:

In various places in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam and in other revealed scriptures the existence of the Personality of Godhead is mentioned. For example, in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (SB 2.8.10), Mahārāja Parīkṣit asks:

sa cāpi yatra puruṣo

viśva-sthity-udbhavāpyayaḥ

muktvātma-māyāṁ māyeśaḥ

śete sarva-guhāśayaḥ

"How does the Personality of Godhead, the cause of creation, maintenance and annihilation, who is always freed from the influence of the illusory energy and is the controller of the same, lie in everyone's heart?" Similar also is a question of Vidura's:

tattvānāṁ bhagavaṁs teṣāṁ

katidhā pratisaṅkramaḥ

tatremaṁ ka upāsīran

ka u svid anuśerate

(SB 3.7.37)

Śrīdhara Svāmī explains this in his notes: "During the annihilation of the creation, who serves the Lord lying on the Śeṣa, etc." This means that the transcendental Lord with all His name, fame, quality and paraphernalia exists eternally. The same confirmation is also in the Kāśī-khaṇḍa of the Skanda Purāṇa in connection with dhruva-carita. It is said there:

na cyavante 'pi yad-bhaktā

mahatyāṁ pralayāpadi

ato 'cyuto 'khile loke

sa ekaḥ sarvago 'vyayaḥ

Even the devotees of the Personality of Godhead are not annihilated during the period of the entire annihilation of the material world, not to speak of the Lord Himself. The Lord is ever-existent in all three stages of material change.

Śrīla Jīva Gosvāmī also quotes another common passage, which is found in three Purāṇas, namely the Padma Purāṇa, Skanda Purāṇa and Liṅga Purāṇa. "By scrutinizingly reviewing all the revealed scriptures and judging them again and again, it is now concluded that Lord Nārāyaṇa is the Supreme Absolute Truth, and thus He alone should be worshiped."

SB 2.9.36, Purport:

To become absorbed in the transcendental name, quality, form and activities of the Supreme Person, Vāsudeva, means to change the temper of the mind from matter to absolute knowledge, which leads one to the path of absolute realization and thus frees one from the bondage of material contact and encagements in different material bodies.

Śrīla Jīva Gosvāmī Prabhupāda therefore comments on the words sarvatra sarvadā in the sense that the principles of bhakti-yoga, or devotional service to the Lord, are apt in all circumstances; i.e., bhakti-yoga is recommended in all the revealed scriptures, it is performed by all authorities, it is important in all places, it is useful in all causes and effects, etc. As far as all the revealed scriptures are concerned, he quotes from the Skanda Purāṇa on the topics of Brahmā and Nārada as follows:

saṁsāre 'smin mahā-ghore

janma-mṛtyu-samākule

pūjanaṁ vāsudevasya

tārakaṁ vādibhiḥ smṛtam

In the material world, which is full of darkness and dangers, combined with birth and death and full of different anxieties, the only way to get out of the great entanglement is to accept loving transcendental devotional service to Lord Vāsudeva. This is accepted by all classes of philosophers.

Śrīla Jīva Gosvāmī also quotes another common passage, which is found in three Purāṇas, namely the Padma Purāṇa, Skanda Purāṇa and Liṅga Purāṇa. It runs as follows:

āloḍya sarva-śāstrāni

vicārya ca punaḥ punaḥ

idam ekaṁ suniṣpannaṁ

dhyeyo nārāyaṇaḥ sadā

"By scrutinizingly reviewing all the revealed scriptures and judging them again and again, it is now concluded that Lord Nārāyaṇa is the Supreme Absolute Truth, and thus He alone should be worshiped."

It is said in the Skanda Purāṇa: "Simply by either remembering Him or vibrating His holy name one can attain the perfection of all penances, sacrifices or fruitive activities."

SB 2.9.36, Purport:

It is said in the Skanda Purāṇa:

yasya smṛtyā ca nāmoktyā

tapo-yajña-kriyādiṣu

nūnaṁ sampūrṇatām eti

sadyo vande tam acyutam

"I offer my obeisances unto Him, the infallible, because simply by either remembering Him or vibrating His holy name one can attain the perfection of all penances, sacrifices or fruitive activities, and this process can be universally followed."

In the Skanda Purāṇa it is said that when the Supreme Lord, the Personality of Godhead, who carries in His hands a conchshell, wheel, club and lotus flower, is worshiped, certainly all other demigods are worshiped automatically because Hari, the Personality of Godhead, is all-pervading.

SB 2.9.36, Purport:

One need not be anxious to propitiate each and every demigod and goddess because the root of all of them is the Personality of Godhead. As by pouring water on the root of the tree one serves and enlivens all the branches and leaves, so by rendering service unto the Supreme Lord one automatically serves every god and goddess without extraneous effort. The Lord is all-pervading, and therefore service unto Him is also all-pervading. This fact is corroborated in the Skanda Purāṇa as follows:

arcite deva-deveśe

śaṅkha-cakra-gadā-dhare

arcitāḥ sarva-devāḥ syur

yataḥ sarva-gato hariḥ

When the Supreme Lord, the Personality of Godhead, who carries in His hands a conchshell, wheel, club and lotus flower, is worshiped, certainly all other demigods are worshiped automatically because Hari, the Personality of Godhead, is all-pervading.

There are regular and systematic cycles of these mahā-kalpas, vikalpas and kalpas. In answer to Mahārāja Parīkṣit's question about them, Śukadeva Gosvāmī answered in the Prabhāsa-khaṇḍa of the Skanda Purāṇa.

SB 2.10.46, Purport:

The four yugas are calculated in terms of the heavenly calendars and accordingly are twelve thousand years in terms of the heavenly planets. This is called a divya-yuga, and one thousand divya-yugas make one day of Brahmā. The creation during the day of Brahmā is called kalpa, and the creation of Brahmā is called vikalpa. When vikalpas are made possible by the breathing of Mahā-Viṣṇu, this is called a mahā-kalpa. There are regular and systematic cycles of these mahā-kalpas, vikalpas and kalpas. In answer to Mahārāja Parīkṣit's question about them, Śukadeva Gosvāmī answered in the Prabhāsa-khaṇḍa of the Skanda Purāṇa.

SB Canto 3

In the Skanda Purāṇa, there is mention of the Lord's meeting with sixteen thousand cowherd damsels.

SB 3.3.21, Purport:

In the Skanda Purāṇa, Prabhāsa-khaṇḍa, in the topics between Lord Śiva and Gaurī, there is confirmation of His internal potential manifestations. There is mention of the Lord's meeting with sixteen thousand cowherd damsels although He is the Haṁsa (transcendental) Supersoul and maintainer of all living entities. The sixteen thousand cowherd damsels are a display of sixteen varieties of internal potencies. This will be more elaborately explained in the Tenth Canto. It is said there that Lord Kṛṣṇa is just like the moon and the internal potential damsels are like the stars around the moon.

SB Canto 5

Skanda Purāṇa, states: Human society must follow the instructions received from śruti and smṛti, Vedic literature.

SB 5.4.8, Purport:

In his Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu (1.2.101) Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī, quoting the Skanda Purāṇa, states:

śruti-smṛti-purāṇādi-

pañcarātra-vidhiṁ vinā

aikāntikī harer bhaktir

utpātāyaiva kalpate

(Brs. 1.2.101)

Human society must follow the instructions received from śruti and smṛti, Vedic literature. Practically applied in life this is worship of the Supreme Personality of Godhead according to the pāñcarātrika-vidhi. Every human being must advance his spiritual life and at the end return home, back to Godhead. Mahārāja Ṛṣabhadeva strictly followed all these principles. He remained an ideal gṛhastha and taught His sons how to become perfect in spiritual life. These are some examples of how He ruled the earth and completed His mission as an incarnation.

SB Canto 6

In Skanda Purana it is stated that by once chanting the holy name of the Lord, which consists of the two syllables ha-ri, one guarantees his path to liberation.

SB 6.2.7, Purport:

The Yamadūtas had considered only the external situation of Ajāmila. Since he was extremely sinful throughout his life, they thought he should be taken to Yamarāja and did not know that he had become free from the reactions of all his sins. The Viṣṇudūtas therefore instructed that because he had chanted the four syllables of the name Nārāyaṇa at the time of his death, he was freed from all sinful reactions. In this regard Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura quotes the following verses from the smṛti-śāstra:

"Simply by chanting one holy name of Hari, a sinful man can counteract the reactions to more sins than he is able to commit." (Bṛhad-viṣṇu Purāṇa)

"If one chants the holy name of the Lord, even in a helpless condition or without desiring to do so, all the reactions of his sinful life depart, just as when a lion roars, all the small animals flee in fear." (Garuḍa Purāṇa)

sakṛd uccāritaṁ yena

harir ity akṣara-dvayam

baddha-parikaras tena

mokṣāya gamanaṁ prati

"By once chanting the holy name of the Lord, which consists of the two syllables ha-ri, one guarantees his path to liberation." (Skanda Purāṇa)

These are some of the reasons why the Viṣṇudūtas objected to the Yamadūtas' taking Ajāmila to the court of Yamarāja.

Śrīla Madhvācārya explains that the words otaṁ protam refer to the cause of all causes and it is confirmed in Skanda Purana.

SB 6.3.12, Purport:

Śrīla Madhvācārya explains that the words otaṁ protam refer to the cause of all causes. The Supreme Lord is both vertical and horizontal to the cosmic manifestation. This is confirmed by the following verse from the Skanda Purāṇa:

yathā kanthā-paṭāḥ sūtra

otāḥ protāś ca sa sthitāḥ

evaṁ viṣṇāv idaṁ viśvam

otaṁ protaṁ ca saṁsthitam

Like the two threads, horizontal and vertical, of which a quilt is manufactured, Lord Viṣṇu is situated as the vertical and horizontal cause of the cosmic manifestation.

Prajāpati Dakṣa offers his obeisances to the Supreme Soul, the Supersoul, even though unable to see Him. In this regard, Madhvācārya quotes from the Skanda Purāṇa.

SB 6.4.24, Purport:

The conditioned soul has desires, and the Supreme Soul fulfills them, but the conditioned soul is unable to see the Supreme Soul. Thus Prajāpati Dakṣa offers his obeisances to the Supreme Soul, the Supersoul, even though unable to see Him. In this regard, Madhvācārya quotes the following verse from the Skanda Purāṇa:

yathā rājñaḥ priyatvaṁ tu

bhṛtyā vedena cātmanaḥ

tathā jīvo na yat-sakhyaṁ

vetti tasmai namo 'stu te

"As the various servants in the different departments of big establishments cannot see the supreme managing director under whom they are working, the conditioned souls cannot see the supreme friend sitting within their bodies. Let us therefore offer our respectful obeisances unto the Supreme, who is invisible to our material eyes."

SB Canto 7

Śrīla Madhvācārya quotes from the Skanda Purāṇa.

SB 7.3.17, Purport:

Śrīla Madhvācārya quotes from the Skanda Purāṇa, which says that Hiraṇyakaśipu, having become a devotee of Lord Brahmā, who is known as Hiraṇyagarbha, and having undergone a severe austerity to please him, is also known as Hiraṇyaka. Rākṣasas and demons worship various demigods, such as Lord Brahmā and Lord Śiva, just to take the post of these demigods.

In the Skanda Purāṇa there is this description: Hiraṇyakaśipu was so powerful that everyone but the three principal demigods—namely Lord Brahmā, Lord Śiva and Lord Viṣṇu—engaged in his service.

SB 7.4.13, Purport:

In the Skanda Purāṇa there is this description: upāyanaṁ daduḥ sarve vinā devān hiraṇyakaḥ. Hiraṇyakaśipu was so powerful that everyone but the three principal demigods—namely Lord Brahmā, Lord Śiva and Lord Viṣṇu—engaged in his service. Madhvācārya says, ādityā vasavo rudrās tri-vidhā hi surā yataḥ. There are three kinds of demigods—the Ādityas, the Vasus and the Rudras—beneath whom are the other demigods, like the Maruts and Sādhyas (marutaś caiva viśve ca sādhyāś caiva ca tad-gatāḥ). Therefore all the demigods are called tri-piṣṭapa, and the same word tri applies to Lord Brahmā, Lord Śiva and Lord Viṣṇu.

If one commits any of the above offenses, one must read at least one chapter of Bhagavad-gītā. This is confirmed in the Skanda-Purāṇa.

SB 7.5.23-24, Purport:

If one commits any of the above offenses, one must read at least one chapter of Bhagavad-gītā. This is confirmed in the Skanda Purāṇa, Avantī-khaṇḍa. Similarly, there is another injunction, stating that one who reads the thousand names of Viṣṇu can be released from all offenses. In the same Skanda-Purāṇa, Revā-khaṇḍa, it is said that one who recites prayers to tulasī or sows a tulasī seed is also freed from all offenses. Similarly, one who worships the śālagrāma-śilā can also be relieved of offenses. In the Brahmaṇḍa Purāṇa it is said that one who worships Lord Viṣṇu, whose four hands bear a conchshell, disc, lotus flower and club, can be relieved from the above offenses. In the Ādi-varāha Purāṇa it is said that a worshiper who has committed offenses may fast for one day at the holy place known as Śaukarava and then bathe in the Ganges.

From the Skanda Purāṇa, there are many, many devotees of the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

SB 7.10.21, Translation and Purport:

Those who follow your example will naturally become My pure devotees. You are the best example of My devotee, and others should follow in your footsteps.

In this connection, Śrīla Madhvācārya quotes a verse from the Skanda Purāṇa:

ṛte tu tāttvikān devān

nāradādīṁs tathaiva ca

prahrādād uttamaḥ ko nu

viṣṇu-bhaktau jagat-traye

There are many, many devotees of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and they have been enumerated in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (6.3.20)

SB Canto 9

Lord's mind, intelligence and senses can never be affected by material conditions. This fact is further explained in the Skanda Purāṇa.

SB 9.10.11, Purport:

One who does not know the spiritual potency of the Supreme Personality of Godhead thinks of the Lord as an ordinary human being. But the Lord's mind, intelligence and senses can never be affected by material conditions. This fact is further explained in the Skanda Purāṇa, as quoted by Madhvācārya:

nitya-pūrṇa-sukha-jñāna-

svarūpo 'sau yato vibhuḥ

ato 'sya rāma ity ākhyā

tasya duḥkhaṁ kuto 'ṇv api

tathāpi loka-śikṣārtham

aduḥkho duḥkha-vartivat

antarhitāṁ loka-dṛṣṭyā

sītām āsīt smarann iva

jñāpanārthaṁ punar nitya-

sambandhaḥ svātmanaḥ śriyāḥ

ayodhyāyā vinirgacchan

sarva-lokasya ceśvaraḥ

pratyakṣaṁ tu śriyā sārdhaṁ

jagāmānādir avyayaḥ

nakṣatra-māsa-gaṇitaṁ

trayodaśa-sahasrakam

brahmaloka-samaṁ cakre

samastaṁ kṣiti-maṇḍalam

rāmo rāmo rāma iti

sarveṣām abhavat tadā

sarvoramamayo loko

yadā rāmas tv apālayat

CC Adi-lila

Śrīla Jīva Gosvāmī, examining the nature of Kṛṣṇa's abode, refers to the Skanda Purāṇa.

CC Adi 5.18, Purport:

Śrīla Jīva Gosvāmī, the great authority and philosopher in the line of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, has discussed the abode of Kṛṣṇa in his Kṛṣṇa-sandarbha. In the Bhagavad-gītā the Lord refers to "My abode." Śrīla Jīva Gosvāmī, examining the nature of Kṛṣṇa's abode, refers to the Skanda Purāṇa, which states:

yā yathā bhuvi vartante puryo bhagavataḥ priyāḥ

tās tathā santi vaikuṇṭhe tat-tal-līlārtham ādṛtāḥ

"The abodes of Godhead in the material world, such as Dvārakā, Mathurā and Gokula, are facsimiles representing the abodes of Godhead in the kingdom of God, Vaikuṇṭha-dhāma." The unlimited spiritual atmosphere of that Vaikuṇṭha-dhāma is far above and beyond the material cosmos.

Skanda Purāṇa confirms, matters inconceivable to a common man should not be a subject for argument.

CC Adi 5.41, Purport:

The Skanda Purāṇa confirms, acintyāḥ khalu ye bhāvā na tāṁs tarkeṇa yojayet: "Matters inconceivable to a common man should not be a subject for argument."

In the Skanda Purāṇa, the demigod Indra requested Lord Śeṣa, who was standing before him as Lakṣmaṇa, "Please go to Your eternal abode, Viṣṇuloka, where Your expansion Śeṣa, with His serpentine hoods, is also present."

CC Adi 5.120, Purport:

Śrīla Jīva Gosvāmī, in his Kṛṣṇa-sandarbha, has described Śeṣa Nāga as follows: "Śrī Anantadeva has thousands of faces and is fully independent. Always ready to serve the Supreme Personality of Godhead, He waits upon Him constantly. Saṅkarṣaṇa is the first expansion of Vāsudeva, and because He appears by His own will, He is called svarāṭ, fully independent. He is therefore infinite and transcendental to all limits of time and space. He Himself appears as the thousand-headed Śeṣa." In the Skanda Purāṇa, in the Ayodhyā-māhātmya chapter, the demigod Indra requested Lord Śeṣa, who was standing before him as Lakṣmaṇa, "Please go to Your eternal abode, Viṣṇuloka, where Your expansion Śeṣa, with His serpentine hoods, is also present."

In the Rāma-gīta of the Skanda Purāṇa, Lakṣmaṇa, Bharata and Śatrughna have been described as the triple attendants of Lord Rāma.

CC Adi 5.153, Purport:

With reference to the Viṣṇu-dharmottara, the Laghu-bhāgavatāmṛta explains that Rāma is an incarnation of Vāsudeva, Lakṣmaṇa is an incarnation of Saṅkarṣaṇa, Bharata is an incarnation of Pradyumna, and Śatrughna is an incarnation of Aniruddha. The Padma Purāṇa describes that Rāmacandra is Nārāyaṇa and that Lakṣmaṇa, Bharata and Śatrughna are respectively Śeṣa, Cakra and Śaṅkha (the conchshell in the hand of Nārāyaṇa). In the Rāma-gīta of the Skanda Purāṇa, Lakṣmaṇa, Bharata and Śatrughna have been described as the triple attendants of Lord Rāma.

From the Skanda Purāṇa admonishing that a person who eats grains on Ekādaśī becomes a murderer of his mother, father, brother and spiritual master, and even if he is elevated to a Vaikuṇṭha planet, he falls down.

CC Adi 15.9, Purport:

From the very beginning of His childhood life Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu introduced the system of observing a fast on the Ekādaśī day. In the Bhakti-sandarbha, by Śrīla Jīva Gosvāmī, there is a quotation from the Skanda Purāṇa admonishing that a person who eats grains on Ekādaśī becomes a murderer of his mother, father, brother and spiritual master, and even if he is elevated to a Vaikuṇṭha planet, he falls down.

CC Madhya-lila

The temple of Lord Śiva, in Bhuvanesvara is mentioned in the Skanda Purāṇa.

CC Madhya 5.140, Purport:

The temple of Bhuvaneśvara is situated about five to six miles from Bālakāṭīcaṭi. The temple of Lord Śiva is mentioned in the Skanda Purāṇa, in the narration about the Lord's garden and the one mango tree. A king named Kāśirāja wanted to fight with Lord Kṛṣṇa, and consequently he took shelter of Lord Śiva to acquire the power to fight the Lord. Being pleased with his worship, Lord Śiva helped him fight Kṛṣṇa. Lord Śiva's name is Āśutoṣa, which indicates that he is very easily satisfied when one worships him, regardless of the purpose, and he gives his devotee whatever benediction the devotee wants. Therefore, people are generally very fond of worshiping Lord Śiva. Thus Kāśirāja was helped by Lord Śiva, but in the fight with Lord Kṛṣṇa he was not only defeated but killed. In this way the weapon known as Pāśupata-astra was baffled, and Kṛṣṇa set fire to the city of Kāśī. Later Lord Śiva became conscious of his mistake in helping Kāśirāja, and he begged Lord Kṛṣṇa's forgiveness. As a benediction from Lord Kṛṣṇa, he received a place known as Ekāmra-kānana. Later, the kings of the Keśarī dynasty established their capital there, and for many hundreds of years they reigned over the state of Orissa.

The following quotation from the Skanda Purāṇa concerning the blaspheming of a Vaiṣṇava.

CC Madhya 15.261, Purport:

The Hari-bhakti-vilāsa cites the following quotation from the Skanda Purāṇa concerning the blaspheming of a Vaiṣṇava:

yo hi bhāgavataṁ lokam upahāsaṁ nṛpottama

karoti tasya naśyanti artha-dharma-yaśaḥ-sutāḥ

nindāṁ kurvanti ye mūḍhā vaiṣṇavānāṁ mahātmanām

patanti pitṛbhiḥ sārdhaṁ mahā-raurava-saṁjñite

hanti nindati vai dveṣṭi vaiṣṇavān nābhinandati

krudhyate yāti no harṣaṁ darśane patanāni ṣaṭ

In a conversation between Mārkaṇḍeya and Bhagīratha, it is said, "My dear King, one who derides an exalted devotee loses the results of his pious activities, his opulence, his reputation and his sons. Vaiṣṇavas are all great souls. Whoever blasphemes them falls down to the hell known as Mahāraurava, accompanied by his forefathers. Whoever kills or blasphemes a Vaiṣṇava and whoever is envious of a Vaiṣṇava or angry with him, or whoever does not offer him obeisances or feel joy upon seeing him, certainly falls into a hellish condition."

Quotation from the Skanda Purāṇa. It was spoken by Nārada Muni to the reformed hunter Mṛgāri

CC Madhya 22.147, Translation and Purport:

"O hunter, good qualities like nonviolence, which you have developed, are not very astonishing, for those who are engaged in the Lord's devotional service are never inclined to give pain to others because of envy."

This is a quotation from the Skanda Purāṇa. It was spoken by Nārada Muni to the reformed hunter Mṛgāri.

A pure Vaiṣṇava believes in the statements of the śāstras. This verse is quoted from the Vedic literature, the Skanda Purāṇa.

CC Madhya 24.278, Translation and Purport:

Parvata Muni continued, "My dear friend Nārada Muni, you are glorified as the sage among the demigods. By your mercy, even a lowborn person like this hunter can immediately become attached to Lord Kṛṣṇa."

A pure Vaiṣṇava believes in the statements of the śāstras. This verse is quoted from the Vedic literature, the Skanda Purāṇa.

Stated in the Skanda Purāṇa: A person who worships the demigods and gives up Lord Vāsudeva is like a man who gives up the protection of his mother for the shelter of a witch.

CC Madhya 24.330, Purport:

There is no need to worship demigods. This is confirmed in the Bhagavad-gītā (BG 7.20):

It is also stated in the Skanda Purāṇa:

vāsudevaṁ parityajya yo ‘nya-devam upāsate

sva-mātaraṁ parityajya śva-pacīṁ vandate hi saḥ

"A person who worships the demigods and gives up Lord Vāsudeva is like a man who gives up the protection of his mother for the shelter of a witch."

CC Antya-lila

Skanda Purana: Persons who are not very highly elevated in pious activities cannot believe in the remnants of food (prasādam) of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, nor in Govinda, the holy name of the Lord, nor in the Vaiṣṇavas

CC Antya 16.96, Translation and Purport:

The Lord said again and again, "Only by great fortune may one come by a particle of the remnants of food offered to the Lord." The servants of the Jagannātha temple inquired, "What is the meaning of this?"

The remnants of Kṛṣṇa's food are mixed with His saliva. In the Mahābhārata and the Skanda Purāṇa it is stated:

mahā-prasāde govinde nāma-brahmaṇi vaiṣṇave

sv-alpa-puṇyavatāṁ rājan viśvāso naiva jāyate

"Persons who are not very highly elevated in pious activities cannot believe in the remnants of food (prasādam) of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, nor in Govinda, the holy name of the Lord, nor in the Vaiṣṇavas."

Teachings of Lord Caitanya

Skanda Purana: "O hunter, the qualifications which you have just now acquired—such as nonviolence and others—are not astonishing, because one who is engaged in devotional service to the Supreme Lord cannot be a source of trouble for anyone under any circumstance."

Teachings of Lord Caitanya, Chapter 13:

The cultivation of knowledge, renunciation or meditation may be a little helpful in the beginning, but they cannot be considered necessary for the discharge of devotional service. In other words, devotional service can be discharged independently of the cultivation of knowledge and renunciation. In this regard, there is also a verse from Skanda Purāṇa in which Parvata Muni told a hunter tribesman: "O hunter, the qualifications which you have just now acquired—such as nonviolence and others—are not astonishing, because one who is engaged in devotional service to the Supreme Lord cannot be a source of trouble for anyone under any circumstance."

"My dear Devarṣi (Nārada), you are glorious, and by your mercy, even the lowest creature, became elevated to the path of devotion."

Teachings of Lord Caitanya, Chapter 16:

There is a verse in the Skanda Purāṇa which states: "My dear Devarṣi (Nārada), you are glorious, and by your mercy, even the lowest creature, a hunter of animals, also became elevated to the path of devotion and attained transcendental attachment for Kṛṣṇa."

Nectar of Devotion

Skanda Purāṇa:it is said, "In the country known as Mayūradhvaja, the lower-caste people who are considered less than śūdras are also initiated in the Vaiṣṇava cult of devotional service."

Nectar of Devotion 5:

Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī specifically mentions herein that every man has the birthright to accept devotional service and to become Kṛṣṇa conscious. He has given many evidences from many scriptures, and he has especially quoted one passage from Padma Purāṇa, wherein the sage Vasiṣṭha tells King Dilīpa, "My dear King, everyone has the right to execute devotional service, just as he has the right to take early bath in the month of Māgha (December-January)." There is more evidence in the Skanda Purāṇa, in the Kāśī-khaṇḍa portion, where it is said, "In the country known as Mayūradhvaja, the lower-caste people who are considered less than śūdras are also initiated in the Vaiṣṇava cult of devotional service. And when they are properly dressed, with tilaka on their bodies and beads in their hands and on their necks, they appear to be coming from Vaikuṇṭha. In fact, they look so very beautiful that immediately they surpass the ordinary brāhmaṇas."

Skanda Purāṇa it is advised that a devotee follow the past ācāryas and saintly persons, because by such following one can achieve the desired results.

Nectar of Devotion 7:

In the Skanda Purāṇa it is advised that a devotee follow the past ācāryas and saintly persons, because by such following one can achieve the desired results, with no chance of lamenting or being baffled in his progress.

In the Skanda Purāṇa it is said that for a person who has lived in Dvārakā for one fortnight, there is awaiting elevation to the Vaikuṇṭhalokas.

Nectar of Devotion 7:

In the Skanda Purāṇa it is also said that for a person who has lived in Dvārakā for six months, for one month, or even for one fortnight, there is awaiting elevation to the Vaikuṇṭhalokas and all the profits of sārūpya-mukti (the privilege of having the same four-handed bodily features as Nārāyaṇa).

In the Skanda Purāṇa it is directed that a devotee should offer water to the tulasī plant and āmalaka trees.

Nectar of Devotion 7:

In the Skanda Purāṇa it is directed that a devotee should offer water to the tulasī plant and āmalaka trees. He should offer respect to the cows and to the brāhmaṇas and should serve the Vaiṣṇavas by offering them respectful obeisances and meditating upon them. All of these processes will help the devotee to diminish the reactions to his past sinful activities.

Skanda Purāṇa: "Persons who are decorated with tilaka or gopī-candana and who mark their bodies all over with the holy names of the Lord, and on whose necks and breasts there are tulasī beads, are never approached by the Yamadūtas."

Nectar of Devotion 9:

A similar statement is in the Skanda Purāṇa, which says, "Persons who are decorated with tilaka or gopī-candana (a kind of clay resembling fuller's earth which is produced in certain quarters of Vṛndāvana), and who mark their bodies all over with the holy names of the Lord, and on whose necks and breasts there are tulasī beads, are never approached by the Yamadūtas." The Yamadūtas are the constables of King Yama (the lord of death), who punishes all sinful men. Vaiṣṇavas are never called for by such constables of Yamarāja.

In the Skanda Purāṇa Lord Brahmā tells Nārada, "My dear Nārada, anyone who puts on his neck Krsna's flower garland becomes relieved from all disease and reactions to sinful activities."

Nectar of Devotion 9:

In the Skanda Purāṇa Lord Brahmā tells Nārada, "My dear Nārada, anyone who puts on his neck the flower garland which was formerly used by Kṛṣṇa becomes relieved from all disease and reactions to sinful activities, and gradually he is liberated from the contamination of matter."

It is stated in the Skanda Purāṇa that during this period, if someone circumambulates the temple of Viṣṇu at least four times, it is understood that he has traveled all over the universe.

Nectar of Devotion 9:

The Cāturmāsya ceremony is observed during the four months of the rainy season in India (approximately July, August, September and October), beginning from Śrāvaṇa. During these four months, saintly persons who are accustomed to travel from one place to another to propagate Kṛṣṇa consciousness remain at one place, usually a holy place of pilgrimage. During these times, there are certain special rules and regulations which are strictly followed. It is stated in the Skanda Purāṇa that during this period, if someone circumambulates the temple of Viṣṇu at least four times, it is understood that he has traveled all over the universe. By such circumambulation, one is understood to have seen all the holy places where the Ganges water is flowing, and by following the regulative principles of Cāturmāsya one can very quickly be raised to the platform of devotional service.

In the Skanda Purāṇa there is a statement about submission unto the lotus feet of the Lord.

Nectar of Devotion 9:

In the Skanda Purāṇa there is a statement about submission unto the lotus feet of the Lord. It is said there that those who are sober devotees can offer their submission to Kṛṣṇa in the following three ways: (1) samprārthanātmikā, very feelingly offering prayers; (2) dainyavodhikā, humbly submitting oneself; (3) lālasāmayī, desiring some perfectional stage. This desiring some perfectional stage in spiritual life is not sense gratification. When one realizes something of his constitutional relationship with the Supreme Personality of Godhead, he understands his original position and wants to be reinstated in this position, either as friend, servant, parent or conjugal lover of Kṛṣṇa. That is called lālasāmayī, or very eagerly desiring to go to one's natural position. This lālasāmayī stage of submission comes in the stage of perfect liberation, which is technically called svarūpa-siddhi, when the living entity understands, by perfect spiritual advancement and revelation, his original relationship with the Lord.

In Skanda Purāṇa it is stated that: "Devotees whose tongues are decorated always with prayers to Lord Kṛṣṇa are always given respect even by the great saintly persons and sages, and such devotees are actually worshipable by the demigods."

Nectar of Devotion 9:

According to great learned scholars, the whole Bhagavad-gītā contains many authorized prayers, especially in the Eleventh Chapter, where Arjuna prays to the universal form of the Lord. Similarly, in the Gautamīya-tantra all the verses are called prayers. Again, in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam there are hundreds of prayers to the Lord. So a devotee should select some of these prayers for his recitation. In Skanda Purāṇa the glories of these prayers are stated as follows: "Devotees whose tongues are decorated always with prayers to Lord Kṛṣṇa are always given respect even by the great saintly persons and sages, and such devotees are actually worshipable by the demigods."

In the Skanda Purāṇa: "If someone sees the face of the Lord while ārati is going on, he can be relieved of all sinful reactions coming from many, many thousands and millions of years past."

Nectar of Devotion 9:

In the Skanda Purāṇa there is the following description of the result of seeing ārati (worship) of the Deity: "If someone sees the face of the Lord while ārati is going on, he can be relieved of all sinful reactions coming from many, many thousands and millions of years past. He is even excused from the killing of a brāhmaṇa or similar prohibited activities.

In the Skanda Purāṇa it is said that those who are attached to ritualistic activities, the four orders of social life and the four orders of spiritual life, are considered devotees.

Nectar of Devotion 11:

In the Skanda Purāṇa it is said that those who are attached to ritualistic activities, the four orders of social life and the four orders of spiritual life, are considered devotees. But when devotees are actually engaged in offering service to the Lord directly, these must be bhāgavatas, or pure devotees. Those who are engaged in fruitive activities, or prescribed duties according to the four orders of social and spiritual life, are not actually pure devotees. But still, because they are offering the result to the Lord, they are accepted as devotees. When one has no such desire, but acts spontaneously out of love of God, such a person must be accepted as a pure devotee.

In the Skanda Purāṇa it is stated as follows: "Let me offer my respectful obeisances unto the tulasī tree, which can immediately vanquish volumes of sinful activities."

Nectar of Devotion 11:

In the Skanda Purāṇa there is a statement praising the tulasī tree as follows: "Let me offer my respectful obeisances unto the tulasī tree, which can immediately vanquish volumes of sinful activities. Simply by seeing or touching this tree one can become relieved from all distresses and diseases. Simply by offering obeisances to and pouring water on the tulasī tree, one can become freed from the fear of being sent to the court of Yamarāja (the King of death, who punishes the sinful). If someone sows a tulasī tree somewhere, certainly he becomes devoted to Lord Kṛṣṇa. And when the tulasī leaves are offered in devotion at the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa, there is the full development of love of Godhead."

In the Skanda Purāṇa there is another statement about tulasī, as follows: "Tulasī is auspicious in all respects."

Nectar of Devotion 11:

In the Skanda Purāṇa there is another statement about tulasī, as follows: "Tulasī is auspicious in all respects. Simply by seeing, simply by touching, simply by remembering, simply by praying to, simply by bowing before, simply by hearing about or simply by sowing this tree, there is always auspiciousness. Anyone who comes in touch with the tulasī tree in the above-mentioned ways lives eternally in the Vaikuṇṭha world."

In the Skanda Purāṇa there is this statement: "A person who is constantly engaged in reading literature enunciating the cultivation of Vaiṣṇava devotional service is always glorious in human society, and certainly Lord Kṛṣṇa becomes pleased with him."

Nectar of Devotion 12:

In the Skanda Purāṇa there is this statement: "A person who is constantly engaged in reading literature enunciating the cultivation of Vaiṣṇava devotional service is always glorious in human society, and certainly Lord Kṛṣṇa becomes pleased with him. A person who very carefully keeps such literature at home and offers respectful obeisances to it becomes freed from all sinful reactions and ultimately becomes worshipable by the demigods."

In the Skanda Purāṇa there is a similar statement: "Persons whose bodies are always decorated with gopī-candana—even seen once, can help the seer be relieved from all sinful activities."

Nectar of Devotion 12:

In the Skanda Purāṇa there is a similar statement: "Persons whose bodies are marked with tilaka, symbolizing the conchshell, wheel, club and lotus—and who keep the leaves of tulasī on their heads, and whose bodies are always decorated with gopī-candana—even seen once, can help the seer be relieved from all sinful activities."

There is a story in the Skanda Purāṇa about a hunter who was converted into a great devotee under the instruction of Nārada Muni.

Nectar of Devotion 14:

There is a story in the Skanda Purāṇa about a hunter who was converted into a great devotee under the instruction of Nārada Muni. When the hunter became a perfect devotee, he was not prepared to kill even an ant. Parvata Muni, a friend of Nārada's, saw the wonderful transformation of the hunter by devotional service and remarked, "My dear hunter, your unwillingness to kill even an ant is not very astonishing. Any person who develops the devotional attitude has all the good qualities automatically manifested in his person. A devotee is never a cause of distress to anyone."

In the Skanda Purāṇa there is a story of an old man residing in Hastināpura, capital of the kingdom of the Pāṇḍus, who desired Kṛṣṇa as his beloved son.

Nectar of Devotion 16:

In the Skanda Purāṇa there is a story of an old man residing in Hastināpura, capital of the kingdom of the Pāṇḍus, who desired Kṛṣṇa as his beloved son. This old man was instructed by Nārada to follow in the footsteps of Nanda Mahārāja, and thus he achieved success.

In the Skanda Purāṇa there is a statement about developing ecstatic love toward Kṛṣṇa simply by glancing.

Nectar of Devotion 17:

In the Skanda Purāṇa there is a statement about developing ecstatic love toward Kṛṣṇa simply by glancing. It is stated there, "When the inhabitants of Jāṅgala Province saw the Personality of Godhead, Kṛṣṇa, they were so stricken with feeling that they could not withdraw their glance from Him."

In the Skanda Purāṇa a devotee tells Lord Kṛṣṇa, "My dear Lord, my mental state has dried away the luster of my face and body, due to separation from You."

Nectar of Devotion 37:

In the Skanda Purāṇa a devotee tells Lord Kṛṣṇa, "My dear Lord, as the sun evaporates all the water on the ground by its scorching heat, so my mental state has dried away the luster of my face and body, due to separation from You." This is an example of withering in ecstatic love.

In the Skanda Purāṇa, there is a description of Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma, surrounded by all the cowherd boys.

Nectar of Devotion 42:

In the Mathurā-khaṇḍa chapter of the Skanda Purāṇa, there is a description of Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma, surrounded by all the cowherd boys, always engaged in taking care of the cows and calves. When Kṛṣṇa was met by Arjuna at a potter's shop in the city of Drupada-nagara, because of the similarity of their bodily features they made intimate friendship. This is an instance of friendship caused by the attraction of similar bodies.

Krsna, The Supreme Personality of Godhead

We understand from Skanda Purāṇa that Kṛṣṇa is always surrounded by many thousands of goddesses of fortune.

Krsna Book 32:

We understand from the Brahma-saṁhitā and Skanda Purāṇa that Kṛṣṇa is always surrounded by many thousands of goddesses of fortune. The gopīs are all goddesses of fortune, and Kṛṣṇa took them hand in hand on the bank of the Yamunā.

It is said in the Skanda Purāṇa that out of many thousands of gopīs, Rādhārāṇī is the most prominent.

Krsna Book 32:

It is said in the Skanda Purāṇa that out of many thousands of gopīs, 16,000 are prominent, out of those 16,000, 108 are especially prominent, out of these 108 gopīs, eight gopīs are still more prominent, out of those eight gopīs, Rādhārāṇī and Candrāvalī are even more prominent, and out of these two gopīs, Rādhārāṇī is the most prominent.

1968 Correspondence

This idea is not manufactured by me, but it is authoritative statement in the Gita Mahatma Skanda Purana.

Letter to Harikrishnadas Aggarwal -- Los Angeles 3 March, 1968:

I thank you once more for your appreciating my mission of one God, Sri Krishna; one scripture, Bhagavad-gita; and one mantra, Hare Krishna. This idea is not manufactured by me, but it is authoritative statement in the Gita Mahatma Skanda Purana.