Skanda Purana · Verses 7.2-3

// ṛṣaya ūcuḥ // //
kathāyā lakṣaṇaṃ brūhi guṇadoṣānsavistarān //
ārṣeyapauruṣeyāṇāṃ kāvyacihnaparīkṣaṇam //
kathaṃ jñeyaṃ mahābuddhe śrotumicchāmahe vayam

// sūta uvāca // //
atha saṃkṣepato vakṣye purāṇānāmanukramam //
lakṣaṇaṃ caiva saṃkhyāṃ ca uktabhedāṃstathaiva ca

purā tapaścacārogramamarāṇāṃ pitāmahaḥ //
āvirbhūtāstato vedāḥ saṣaḍaṃgapadakramāḥ

tataḥ purāṇamakhilaṃ sarvaśāstramayaṃ dhruvam //
nityaśabdamayaṃ puṇyaṃ śata koṭipravistaram

nirgataṃ brahmaṇo vaktrādbrāhmaṃ vaiṣṇavameva ca //
śaivaṃ bhāgavataṃ caiva bhaviṣyaṃ nāradīyakam

mārkaṇḍeyamathāgneyaṃ brahmavaivartameva ca //
laiṅgaṃ tathā ca vārāhaṃ skāṃdaṃ vāmanameva ca

kaurmyaṃ mātsyaṃ gāruḍaṃ ca vāyavīyamanantaram //
aṣṭādaśaṃ samuddiṣṭaṃ sarvapātakanāśanam //

ekameva purā hyāsīdbrahmāṇḍaṃ śatakoṭidhā

tato'ṣṭādaśadhā kṛtvā vedavyāso yugeyuge //
prakhyāpayati loke'sminsākṣānnārāyaṇāṃśajaḥ

anyānyupapurāṇāni muninā kathitāni tu //
tāni vaḥ kathayiṣyāmi saṃkṣepādavadhāryatām

ādyaṃ sanatkumāroktaṃ nārasiṃhamataḥ param //
tṛtīyaṃ skāndamuddiṣṭaṃ kumāreṇānubhāṣitam

caturthaṃ śivadharmākhyaṃ sākṣānnandīśabhāṣitam//
durvāsasoktamāścaryyaṃ nāradoktamataḥ param

kāpilaṃ mānavaṃ caiva tathaivośanaseritam//
brahmāṇḍaṃ vāruṇaṃ cānyatkālikāhvayameva ca

māheśvaraṃ tathā sāṃbaṃ sauraṃ sarvārthasaṃcayam///
parāśaroktaṃ paramaṃ mārīcaṃ bhārgavāhvayam

etānyupapurāṇāni kathitāni dvijottamāḥ

// ṛṣaya ūcuḥ // //
purāṇasaṃkhyāmācakṣva sūta vistaraśaḥ kramāt//
dānadharmamaśeṣajña yathāvadanupūrvaśaḥ

// sūta uvāca // //
idameva purāṇe'sminpurāṇapuruṣastadā //
yaduktavānsa viśvātmā manave tannibodhata

purāṇaṃ sarvaśāstrāṇāṃ brahmāṇḍaṃ prathamaṃ smṛtam //
anantaraṃ ca vaktrebhyo vedāstasya vinirgatāḥ

purāṇamekamevāsīttasminkalpāntaretathā//
trivargasādhanaṃ puṇyaṃ śatakoṭipravistaram

vinirdagdheṣu lokeṣu kṛṣṇenānantarūpiṇā //
sāṅgāṃśca caturo vedānpurāṇanyāyavistaram

/
mīmāṃsāṃ dharmaśāstraṃ ca parigṛhyātmasātkṛtam //
matsyarūpeṇa ca punaḥ kalpādāvudakārṇave

aśeṣameva kathitaṃ brahmaṇe divyacakṣuṣe //
brahmā jagāda ca munīṃstrikālajñānadarśanaḥ

pravṛttiḥ sarvaśāstrāṇāṃ purāṇasyābhavattataḥ

tataḥ kālakrameṇāsau vyāsarūpadharo hariḥ //
aṣṭādaśapurāṇāni saṃkṣepsyati yugeyuge

caturlakṣapramāṇāni dvāparedvāpare sadā //
tadāṣṭādaśadhā kṛṣṇā bhūrloke'sminprabhāṣate

adyā'pi devaloke tu śatakoṭipravistaram //
tadartho'tra caturlakṣaḥ saṃkṣepeṇa niveśitaḥ

purāṇāni daśāṣṭau ca sāṃprataṃ tadihocyate//
nāmatastāni vakṣyāmi saṃkhyāṃ ca munisattamāḥ

brahmaṇā'bhihitaṃ pūrvaṃ yāvanmātraṃ marīcaye //
brāhmaṃ taddaśasāhasraṃ purāṇaṃ tadihocyate

likhitvā tacca yo dadyājjaladhenusamanvitam //
vaiśākhyāṃ paurṇamāsyāṃ ca brahmaloke mahīyate

etadeva yadā padmamabhūddhairaṇmayaṃ jagat //
tadvṛttāṃtāśrayāṃtaṃ tatpādmamityucyate budhaiḥ

pādmaṃ tatpañcapañcāśatsahasrāṇīha paṭhyate //
tatpurāṇaṃ ca yo dadyātsuvarṇakamalānvitam //
jyeṣṭhe māsi tilairyuktaṃ so'śvamedhaphalaṃ labhet

vārāhakalpavṛttāntamadhikṛtya parātparaḥ //
yatrāha dharmānakhilāṃstaduktaṃ vaiṣṇavaṃ viduḥ

caritairañcitaṃ viṣṇostalloke vaiṣṇavaṃ viduḥ //
trayoviṃśatisāhasraṃ purāṇaṃ tatprakīrtitam

tadāṣāḍhe ca yo dadyādghṛtadhenusamanvitam //
paurṇamāsyāṃ viśuddhāyāṃ saṃ padaṃ yāti vaiṣṇavam

śrutakalpaprasaṅgena dharmānvāyurathābravīt //
yatra tadvāyavīyaṃ syādrudramāhātmyasaṃyutam

caturviṃśatisāhasraṃ nānā vṛttāntasaṃyutam //
dharmārthakāmamokṣaiśca sādhuvṛttasamanvitam

śrāvaṇyāṃ śrāvaṇe māsi guḍadhenusamanvitam //
yo dadyāddadhisaṃyuktaṃ brāhmaṇāya kuṭumbine //
śivaloke sa pūtātmā kalpamekaṃ vasennaraḥ

punaḥ saṃjāyate martyo brāhmaṇo vedavittamaḥ //
vedavidyārthatattvajño vyākhyātattvārthavittamaḥ

yatrādhikṛtya gāyatrīṃ varṇyate dharmavistaraḥ //
vṛtrāsuravadhopetaṃ tadbhāgavatamucyate

sārasvatasya kalpasya madhye ye syurnarāmarāḥ//
tadvṛttāntodbhavaṃ puṇyaṃ puṇyodvāhasamanvitam

likhitvā tacca yo dadyāddhemasiṃhasamanvitam //
paurṇamāsyāṃ prauṣṭhapadyāṃ sa yāti paramāṃ gatim //

aṣṭādaśasahasrāṇi purāṇaṃ tatprakīrtitam

yatrāha nārado dharmānbṛhatkalpāśrayāṃstviha //
pañcaviṃśatsahasrāṇi nāradīyaṃ taducyate

tadiṣe pañcadaśyāṃ tu yo dadyāddhenusaṃyutam//
uttamāṃ siddhimāpnoti iha loke paratra ca//
sarvānkāmānavāpnoti nātra kāryā vicāraṇā

yatrādhikṛtya śakunīndharmādharmavicāraṇam //
purāṇaṃ navasāhasraṃ mārkaṇḍeyaṃ taducyate

parilikhya ca yo dadyātsauvarṇakarisaṃyutam //
kārtikyāṃ pauṇḍarīkasya yajñasya phalabhāgbhavet

yattadīśānakalpasya vṛttāntamadhikṛtya ca //
vaśiṣṭhāyā'gninā proktamāgneyaṃ tatpracakṣate

likhitvā tacca yo dadyāddhemapadmasamanvitam //
mārgaśīrṣe vidhānena tiladhenuyutaṃ tathā //
tacca ṣoḍaśasāhasraṃ sarvakratuphalapradam

yatrādhikṛtya māhātmyamādityasya caturmukhaḥ //
aghorakalpavṛttāntaprasaṃgena jagatpatiḥ //
manave kathayāmāsa bhūtagrāmasya lakṣaṇam

caturdaśasahasrāṇi tathā pañcaśatāni ca //
bhaviṣyacaritaprāyaṃ bhaviṣyaṃ tadihocyate

tatpauṣamāsi yo dadyātpaurṇamāsyāṃ vimatsaraḥ //
guḍakumbhasamāyuktamagniṣṭomaphalaṃ labhet //

rathaṃtarasya kalpasya vṛttāntamadhikṛtya ca //
sāvarṇinā nāradāya kṛṣṇamāhātmyasaṃyutam //
proktaṃ brahmavarāhasya caritaṃ varṇyate'tra ca

tadaṣṭādaśasāhasraṃ brahmavaivartamucyate //
purāṇaṃ brahmavaivartaṃ yo dadyādbrāhmaṇottame //
māghamāse paurṇamāsyāṃ brahmaloke mahīyate

yatrāgniliṅgamadhyasthaḥ prāha devo maheśvaraḥ //
dharmārthakāmamokṣārthānāgneyamadhikṛtya ca

kalpaṃ tallaiṅgamityuktaṃ purāṇaṃ brahmaṇā svayam

tadekādaśasāhasraṃ phālgunyāṃ yaḥ prayacchati //
tiladhenusamāyuktaṃ sa yāti śivasātmyatām

mahāvarāhasya punarmāhātmyamadhikṛtya ca //
viṣṇunā'bhihitaṃ kṣoṇyai tadvārāhamihocyate

mānavasya prasaṃgena dhanyasya munisattamāḥ //
caturviṃśatsahasrāṇi tatpurāṇamihocyate

kāñcanaṃ garuḍaṃ kṛtvā tiladhenusamanvitam//
paurṇamāsyāmatho dadyādbrāhmaṇāya kuṭumbine//
vārāhasyaprasādena padamāpnoti vaiṣṇavam

yatra māheśvarāndharmānadhikṛtya ca ṣaṇmukham //
kalpe tatpuruṣe vṛtte caritairupabṛṃhitam

/
skāṃdaṃ nāma purāṇaṃ tadekāśīti nigadyate//
sahasrāṇi śataṃ caikamiti martyeṣu paṭhyate

parilekhya ca yo dadyāddhemaśūlasamanvitam //
śaivaṃ sa padamāpnoti makaropagame raveḥ

trivikramasya māhātmyamadhikṛtya caturmukhaḥ //
trivargamabhyadhāttattu vāmanaṃ parikīrtitam

purāṇaṃ daśasāhasraṃ kaurmakalpānugaṃ śivam

yaḥ śaradviṣuve dadyāddhemavastrasamanvitam//
kṣaumāvṛtaṃ yutaṃ dhenvā sa padaṃ yāti vaiṣṇavam

yacca dharmārthakāmānāṃ mokṣasya ca rasātale //
māhātmyaṃ kathayāmāsa kūrmarūpī janārdanaḥ

indradyumnaprasaṃgena ṛṣīṇāṃ śakrasannidhau //
saptadaśasahasrāṇi lakṣmīkalpānuṣaṅgikam

yo dadyādayane kaurmaṃ hemakūrmasamanvitam//
gosahasrapradānasya sa phalaṃ prāpnuyānnaraḥ

śrutīnāṃ yatra kalpādau pravṛttyarthaṃ janārdanaḥ//
matsyarūpī ca manave narasiṃhopavarṇanam

adhikṛtyābravītsaptakalpavṛttaṃ munivratāḥ///
tanmātsyamiti jānīdhvaṃ sahasrāṇi catudarśa

viṣuve haimamatsyena dhenvā kṣaumayugānvitam //
yo dadyātpṛthivī tena dattā bhavati cākhilā ////

yadā vā garuḍe kalpe viśvāṇḍādgaruḍo'bhavat //
adhikṛtyābravītkṛṣṇo gāruḍaṃ tadihocyate

tadaṣṭādaśa caikaṃ ca sahasrāṇīha paṭhyate ///
svarṇahaṃsasamāyuktaṃ yo dadyādayane pare //
sa siddhiṃ labhate mukhyāṃ śivaloke ca saṃsthitim

brahmā brahmāṇḍamāhātmyamadhikṛtyābravītpunaḥ //
tacca dvādaśasāhasraṃ brahmāṇḍaṃ dviśatādhikam

bhaviṣyāṇāṃ ca kalpānāṃ śrūyate yatra vistaraḥ //
tadbrahmāṇḍaṃ purāṇaṃ tu brahmaṇā samudāhṛtam

yo dadyāttu vyatīpāta ūrṇāyugasamanvitam //
rājasūyasahasrasya phalamāpnoti mānavaḥ

hemadhenvāyutaṃ tacca brahmalokaphalapradam//
caturlakṣamidaṃ proktaṃ vyāsenādbhutakarmaṇā

idaṃ lokahitārthāya saṃkṣiptaṃ dvāpare dvijāḥ

idamadyāpi deveṣu śatakoṭipravistaram //
upabhedānpravakṣyāmi loke ye saṃpratiṣṭhitāḥ

pādme purāṇe yatproktaṃ nārasiṃhopavarṇanam //
taccāṣṭādaśasāhasraṃ nārasiṃhamihocyate

nandine yatra māhātmyaṃ kārtikeyena varṇitam //
loke nandipurāṇaṃ vai khyātametaddvijottamāḥ

yatra sāmbaṃ puraskṛtya bhaviṣyati kathānakam //
procyate tatpunarloke sāṃbameva munivratāḥ

evamādityasaṃjñaṃ tu tatraiva paripaṭhyate //
aṣṭādaśabhyastu pṛthakpurāṇaṃ yacca dṛśyate //
vijānīdhvaṃ dvijaśreṣṭhāstadetebhyo vinirgatam

pañcāṅgāni purāṇasya cākhyānamitaratsmṛtam //
sargaśca pratisargaśca vaṃśo manvantarāṇi ca //
vaṃśānuvaṃśacaritaṃ purāṇaṃ pañcalakṣaṇam

brahmaviṣṇvarkarudrāṇāṃ māhātmyaṃ bhuvanasya ca //
saṃhāraśca pradṛśyeta purāṇaṃ pañcalakṣaṇam

dharmaścārthaśca kāmaśca mokṣaśca parikīrtyate //
sarveṣvapi purāṇeṣu tadvirūḍhe ca yatphalam

sātvikeṣu ca kalpeṣu māhātmyamadhikaṃ hareḥ //
rājaseṣu ca māhātmyamadhikaṃ brahmaṇo viduḥ

tadvadagre ca māhātmyaṃ tāmaseṣu śivasya hi //
saṃkīrṇe ca sarasvatyāḥ pitṝṇāṃ ca nigadyate

caturbhirbhagavānviṣṇurdvābhyāṃ brahmā tathā raviḥ //
aṣṭādaśapurāṇeṣu śeṣeṣu bhagavāñchivaḥ

vedavanniścalaṃ manye purāṇaṃ vai dvijottamāḥ //
vedāḥ pratiṣṭhitāḥ sarve purāṇe nātra saṃśayaḥ

bibhetyalpaśrutādvedo māmayaṃ cālayiṣyati //
itihāsapurāṇaistu niścalo'yaṃ kṛtaḥ purā

yanna dṛṣṭaṃ hi vedeṣu na dṛṣṭaṃ smṛtiṣu dvijāḥ //
ubhayoryatra dṛṣṭaṃ ca tatpurāṇeṣu gīyate

yo veda caturo vedānsāṃgopaniṣado dvijaḥ //
purāṇaṃ naiva jānāti na ca sa syādvicakṣaṇaḥ

aṣṭādaśapurāṇāni kṛtvā satyavatīsutaḥ //
bhāratākhyānamakarodvedārthairupabṛṃhitam

lakṣeṇaikena tatproktaṃ dvāparānte mahātmanā //
vālmīkinā ca yatproktaṃ rāmopākhyānamuttamam

brahmaṇā vihitaṃ yacca śatakoṭipravistaram//
āha tannāradāyaiva tena vālmīkaye punaḥ

vālmīkinā ca loke tu dharmakāmārthasādhakam //

evaṃ sapādāḥ pañcaite lakṣāḥ puṇyāḥ prakīrtitāḥ //
purātanasya kalpasya purāṇe tu vidurbudhāḥ

itihāsapurāṇāni bhidyante kāla gauravāt //
skāndaṃ tathā ca brahmāṇḍaṃ purāṇaṃ laiṅgameva ca

vārāhakalpe viprendrāsteṣāṃ bhedaḥ pravartate //
aṣṭādaśaprakāreṇa brahmāṇḍaṃ bhinnameva hi

aṣṭādaśapurāṇāni tena jātāni bhūtale //
laiṅgamekādaśavidhaṃ prabhinnaṃ dvāpare śubham

skāndaṃ tu saptadhā bhinnaṃ veda vyāsenadhīmatā //
ekāśītisahasrāṇi śataṃ caikaṃ tu saṃkhyayā

tasyā''dyo yo vibhāgastu skandamāhātmyasaṃyutaḥ //
māheśvaraḥ samākhyāto dvitīyo vaiṣṇavaḥ smṛtaḥ

tṛtīyo brahmaṇaḥ proktaḥ sṛṣṭisaṃkṣepasūcakaḥ //
kāśīmāhātmyasaṃyuktaścaturthaḥ paripaṭhyate

revāyāḥ pañcamo bhāgaḥ sojjayinyāḥ prakīrtitaḥ //
ṣaṣṭhaḥ kalpo nāgaraśca tīrthamāhātmyasūcakaḥ

saptamo yo vibhāgo'yaṃ smṛtaḥ prābhāsiko dvijāḥ//
sarve dvādaśasāhasrā vibhāgāḥ saṃprakīrtitāḥ

asminprābhāsikaḥ sarvo varṇyate kṣetravistaraḥ //
tīrthānāṃ caiva māhātmyaṃ māhātmyaṃ śaṃkarasya ca

anyeṣāṃ caiva devānāṃ māhātmyaṃ ca prakīrtyate //
iti bhedaḥ purāṇānāṃ saṃkṣepātkathito dvijāḥ

imamaṣṭādaśānāṃ tu purāṇānāmanukramam//
yaḥ paṭheddhavyakavyeṣu sa yāti bhavanaṃ hareḥ

idaṃ pavitraṃ hi yaśonidhānamidaṃ pitṝṇāmapi vallabhaṃ ca//
idaṃ ca deveṣvamṛtāya nityamidaṃ mahāpātakahṛcca puṃsām

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iti śrīskānde mahāpurāṇa ekāśītisāhasryāṃ saṃhitāyāṃ saptame prabhāsakhaṇḍe prathame prabhāsakṣetramāhātmye sasaṃkhyākāṣṭādaśamahāpurāṇopapurāṇavarṇanapūrvaka purāṇapustakadānaphalavarṇanaṃ nāma dvitīyo'dhyāyaḥ