कारयित्वात्मनोमूर्तिं कांचनीं तु स्वशक्तितः । न्यसेत्तस्यां तु शय्यायामर्चयित्वा स्रगादिभिः
Having a golden image of himself made according to his means, he should place it on that bed and worship it with garlands and the like.
आसनं पादुकां छत्रं वस्त्रयुग्ममुपानहौ । पवित्राणि च पुष्पाणि शयाय्यामुपकल्पयेत् 6.119.
He should arrange on the bed a seat, sandals, an umbrella, a pair of garments, shoes, sacred threads, flowers, and other offerings.
एवं शय्यां तु संकल्प्य प्रणिपत्य च तान्द्विजान् । प्रार्थयेच्चानुमोदार्थं विष्णुलोकं व्रजाम्यहम्
Thus having resolved regarding the bed and bowed to those brāhmaṇas, he should request their approval, saying, 'I am going to Viṣṇu's world.'
ततो व्रजेन्नरश्रेष्ठो विष्णोः स्थानमनामयम् । मंडपस्थां स्तुतान्विप्रानिति वाच्यं मुहुर्मुहुः
Then that best of men attains the flawless abode of Viṣṇu; it should be repeatedly declared that the brāhmaṇas in the pavilion are praised.
मंत्रहीनं क्रियाहीनं सर्वहीनं द्विजोत्तमाः । सर्वंसंपूर्णतां यातु भवद्वाक्यप्रसादतः । विधिर्मासोपवासस्य यथावत्परिकीर्तितः
O best of twice-born, even if there is a lack of mantras, rites, or anything else, may everything become complete by the grace of your words; thus the procedure for the monthly fast has been properly described.
इति श्रीपाद्मे महापुराणे पंचपंचाशत्सहस्रसंहिताया। मुत्तरखंडे कार्तिकमाहात्म्ये श्रीकृष्णसत्यभामासंवादे मासो। पवासकथनंनामैकोनविंशत्यधिकशततमोऽध्यायः
Thus, in the glorious Padma Mahāpurāṇa, in the Uttarakhaṇḍa, in the section on the greatness of Kārtika, in the dialogue between Śrī Kṛṣṇa and Satyabhāmā, this is the one hundred and nineteenth chapter, named 'The Account of the Month's Fast.'
सूत उवाच। इति वाक्यं समाकर्ण्य पुनः पप्रच्छ पावकिः । शालग्रामार्चनं भूयस्तच्छृणुध्वं तपोधनाः
Sūta said: Having heard these words, Pāvaka again asked; now hear, O ascetics, about the worship of Śālagrāma in detail.
कार्तिकेय उवाच। भगवन्योगिनां श्रेष्ठ सर्वेधर्माः श्रुता मया । शालग्रामार्चनं ब्रूहि विस्तरेण मम प्रभो
Kārtikeya said: O Lord, best of yogins, I have heard all the dharmas; please tell me in detail about the worship of Śālagrāma, O master.
ईश्वर उवाच। साधुसाधु महाप्राज्ञ यन्मां हि परिपृच्छसि । तदहं संप्रवक्ष्यामि श्रूयतां मम वत्सल
Īśvara said: Excellent, excellent, O great wise one, that you ask me; therefore I shall explain it—listen to me, O affectionate one.
शालग्रामशिलायां तु त्रैलोक्यं सचराचरम् । महाशय महासेन नित्यं तिष्ठति संहितम्
In the Śālagrāma stone, O great-hearted Mahāsena, the entire universe, with all that moves and does not move, always abides together.
दृष्टं प्रणमितं येन स्नापितं पूजितं तथा । यज्ञकोटिगुणं पुण्यं गवां कोटिफलं लभेत्
Whoever sees, bows to, bathes, or worships it, obtains merit a crore times that of sacrifices, and the fruit of giving a crore cows.
छिन्नस्तेन तथा वत्स गर्भवासः सुदारुणः । पीतं येन सदा विष्णोः शालग्रामशिलाजलम्
O child, for one who neglects this, the womb-existence is very dreadful; but whoever always drinks the water from the Śālagrāma stone of Viṣṇu—
कामासक्तोऽपि यो नित्यं भक्तिभावविवर्जितः । शालग्रामशिला पुत्र पूजयित्वाच्युतो भवेत्
Even one who is always attached to desires, but devoid of devotion, O son, by worshipping the Śālagrāma stone, attains to the Imperishable.
शालग्रामशिला बिंबं हत्वा कोटिविनाशनम् । स्मृतं संकीर्तितं ध्यातं पूजितं च नमस्कृतम्
Destroying the image of the Śālagrāma stone brings ruin by the crore; but remembering, reciting, meditating upon, worshipping, or bowing to it—
शालग्रामशिलां दृष्ट्वा यांति पापान्यनेकशः । सिंहं दृष्ट्वा यथा यांति वने मृगगणा भयात्
By seeing the Śālagrāma stone, many sins depart, just as herds of deer flee in fear upon seeing a lion in the forest.
नमस्कारं तु मनुजः शालग्रामशिलार्चने । भक्त्या वा यदि वाऽभक्त्या कृत्वा मुक्तिमवाप्नुयात्
If a person bows in worship to the Śālagrāma stone, whether with devotion or without devotion, he attains liberation.
वैवस्वतभयं नास्ति तथा मरणजन्मनोः । यः करोति नरो नित्यं शालग्रामशिलार्चनम्
There is no fear of Yama, nor of death and birth, for the man who always worships the Śālagrāma stone.
गंधपाद्यार्घनैवेद्यैर्दीपैर्धूपैर्विलेपनैः । गीतैर्वाद्यैस्तथा स्तोत्रैः शालग्रामशिलार्चनम्
With fragrances, water for the feet, offerings, lamps, incense, ointments, songs, instruments, and hymns—thus is the worship of the Śālagrāma stone performed.
कुरुते मानवो यस्तु कलौ भक्तिपरायणः । कल्पकोटिसहस्राणि रमते विष्णुसद्मनि
Whoever, devoted to devotion, worships the Śālagrāma stone in the Kali age, dwells in Viṣṇu’s abode for thousands of millions of aeons.
शालग्रामनमस्कारो भावेनापि नरैः कृतः । मानुषत्वं कथं तेषां मद्भक्ता ये नरा भुवि
Even if performed with mere feeling, the bowing to the Śālagrāma stone by men—how can those men, my devotees on earth, remain in human birth?
मद्भक्तास्तीव्रपापिष्ठा मत्प्रभुं न नमंति ये । वासुदेवं न ते ज्ञेया मद्भक्ताः पापमोहिताः
Those who are my devotees but, being most sinful, do not bow to my Lord Vāsudeva—they are not to be known as my devotees, but are deluded by sin.
मद्भक्तोऽपि च यो भूत्वा भुंक्ते त्वेकादशीदिने । स याति ह्यंधतामिस्रे निरयं मम घातकः
Even my devotee, if he eats on the eleventh day, becomes a killer of mine and surely goes to the dreadful darkness of hell.
मल्लिंगस्पर्शनं कार्यं नान्या शुद्धिर्विधीयते । या तिथिर्दयिता विष्णोः सा तिथिर्मम वल्लभा
Touching the śāla-liṅga must be done; no other purification is prescribed. The date dear to Viṣṇu is also dear to me.
यस्तां नोपवसेन्मर्त्यः स पापी श्वपचाधिकः । शालग्रामशिलायां तु सदा पुत्र वसाम्यहम्
Whoever does not fast on that day, O mortal, is more sinful than an outcaste; but in the Śālagrāma stone, O son, I always dwell.
दत्तं देवेन तुष्टेन स्वस्थानं मम भक्तितः । पद्मकोटिसहस्रैस्तु पूजिते मयि यत्फलम्
The place given to me by the pleased god, through devotion, is my own abode; and the fruit obtained by worshipping me with thousands of millions of lotuses—
तत्फलं कोटिगुणितं शालग्रामशिलार्चनात् । पूजितोऽहं न तैर्मर्त्यैर्नमितोऽहं न तैर्नरैः
That fruit is multiplied a crore times by worship of the Śālagrāma stone. I am not worshipped by those mortals, nor am I bowed to by those men.
न कृतं मर्त्यलोके यैः शालग्रामशिलार्चनम् । शालग्रामशिलाग्रे तु यः करोति ममार्चनम्
Those who have not performed the worship of the Śālagrāma stone in the world of mortals—yet whoever performs my worship before the Śālagrāma stone—
तेनार्चितोऽहं सेनानीर्युगानामेकविंशतिम् । किमर्चितैर्लिंगशतैर्विष्णुभक्तिविवर्जितैः
By him I am worshipped, O commander, for twenty-one yugas. What is the use of worshipping hundreds of liṅgas devoid of devotion to Viṣṇu?
शालग्रामशिलाबिंबं नार्चितं यदि पुत्रक । अनर्हं मम नैवेद्यं पत्रं पुष्पं फलं जलम्
If, O son, the image of the Śālagrāma stone is not worshipped, then my offering—leaf, flower, fruit, or water—is unfit.
शालग्रामशिलाग्रे तु सर्वं याति पवित्रताम् । भुक्त्वान्यदेवनैवेद्यं द्विजश्चांद्रायणं चरेत्
Indeed, before the Śālagrāma stone, everything becomes purified. If a twice-born eats offerings meant for other gods, he should perform the Cāndrāyaṇa expiation.