Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 34
सूत उवाच । दक्षिणे चोत्तरे चापि संप्राप्ते चायनद्वये । पूजयित्वा पदं विष्णोरिमं मन्त्रमुदीरयेत्
sūta uvāca | dakṣiṇe cottare cāpi saṃprāpte cāyanadvaye | pūjayitvā padaṃ viṣṇorimaṃ mantramudīrayet
സൂതൻ പറഞ്ഞു—ദക്ഷിണായനമോ ഉത്തരായനമോ, ഈ ഇരട്ട അയനങ്ങളിൽ ഏതെങ്കിലും എത്തിയാൽ, വിഷ്ണുവിന്റെ പാദമുദ്രയെ പൂജിച്ച് ഈ മന്ത്രം ഉച്ചരിക്കണം.
Sūta
Tirtha: Viṣṇoḥ Pada
Type: kshetra
Listener: Ṛṣis
Scene: At dawn of solstice, devotees and priests worship a footprint pedestal with lamps, incense, tulasī and flowers; the sun is depicted at a turning point; mantra recitation in unison.
FAQs
Purāṇic dharma unites sacred time and sacred place: worship at the right season, then seal it with mantra.
Viṣṇupada (the sacred footprint of Viṣṇu) as a tīrtha of special efficacy.
During either ayana (solstice season), perform Viṣṇupada pūjā and then recite the prescribed mantra.