The Skanda Purana
by G. V. Tagare | 1950 | 2,545,880 words
This page describes Vasudeva-mahatmya which is section 9 of the English translation of the Skanda Purana, the largest of the eighteen Mahapuranas, preserving the ancient Indian society and Hindu traditions in an encyclopedic format, detailling on topics such as dharma (virtous lifestyle), cosmogony (creation of the universe), mythology (itihasa), genealogy (vamsha) etc.
Section 9 - Vāsudeva-māhātmya
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The Vāsudevamāhātmya (Vāsudeva-māhātmya) has 32 chapters.
[The Vāsudevamāhātmya] is a text of Pāñcarātra Āgama. The Āgama claims Vedic origin as it is said to be based on the extinct Ekāyana recension of the Śukla Yajurveda. In this Āgama Vāsudeva is Parabrahman, Nārāyaṇa (Lakṣmī Tantra XV.9). Saṅkarṣaṇa, Pradyumna, Aniruddha are his manifestations. Though these are names of Yādava heroes who lived at the fag-end of Dvāpara Yuga, they are said to represent the self (Jīva), the mind (Buddhi) and the ego (Ahaṃkāra) and as such they are ancient (Purātana) and not limited to Dvāpara Age (Lakṣmī Tantra VI.12b, 13). Vāsudeva means one who is omnipresent and everything resides in him (VP 1.2.12). He is the Supreme Lord who is glorified in this section. Hence the title Vāsudeva-Māhātmya.