The Skanda Purana
by G. V. Tagare | 1950 | 2,545,880 words
This page describes Greatness of Aparanarayana which is chapter 307 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. This is the three hundred seventh chapter of the Prabhasa-kshetra-mahatmya of the Prabhasa Khanda of the Skanda Purana.
Chapter 307 - Greatness of Aparanārāyaṇa
[Sanskrit text for this chapter is available]
Īśvara said:
1-4. To the east of Sāṃbāditya, rather a little bit to the south-east, there is the shrine of the deity named Aparanarāyāṇa. There is no other deity in the world that can be called superior to this one.
O goddess of Devas, Sūrya who has the form of Viṣṇu too, assumed another form. In the form of Viṣṇu he granted boons to Sāṃba. Therefore, formerly Viṣṇu became famous by the name Apara. A devotee should worship Puṇḍarīkākṣa in the form of the Sun-god in accordance with the injunctions on the eleventh lunar day in the bright half of the month of Phālguna. He will be rid of all sins. He will become richly blessed with all desires fulfilled.