कथं बभूव सा धन्या मान्या सर्वाश्रया जया । तस्याश्च जन्मकथनं वद मङ्गलकारणम्
The earth disappeared—where did she remain? How did she manifest again at the time of creation?
श्रीनारायण उवाच सर्वादिसृष्टौ सर्वेषां जन्म देव्या इति श्रुतिः । आविर्भावस्तिरोभावः सर्वेषु प्रलयेषु च
How did she become blessed, honored, the support of all, and victorious? Tell the story of her birth, which brings auspiciousness.
श्रूयतां वसुधाजन्म सर्वमङ्गलकारणम् । विघ्ननिघ्नकरं पापनाशनं पुण्यवर्धनम्
Śrī Nārāyaṇa said: In the beginning of all creation, the birth of all is from the goddess, so the scripture declares; manifestation and dissolution occur in all dissolutions.
अहो केचिद्वदन्तीति मधुकैटभमेदसा । बभूव वसुधा धन्या तद्विरुद्धमतः शृणु
Some indeed say that the blessed Earth arose from the fat of Madhu and Kaitabha; but listen to the contrary view.
ऊचतुस्तौ पुरा विष्णुं तुष्टौ युद्धेन तेजसा । आवां वध्यौ न यत्रोर्वी पाथसा संवृतेति च
Long ago, those two, empowered by their might in battle, said to Viṣṇu: 'We may be slain only where the Earth is not covered by water.'
तयोर्जीवनकाले न प्रत्यक्षा साभवत्स्फुटम् । ततो बभूव मेदश्च मरणानन्तरं तयोः
While they lived, the Earth did not visibly appear; only after their death did the fat arise.
मेदिनीति च विख्यातेत्युक्तमेतन्मतं शृणु । जलधौता कृता पूर्वं वर्धिता मेदसा यतः
It is said that she became known as Medinī; hear this explanation: previously washed by water, she grew from their fat.
कथयामि ते तज्जन्म सार्थकं सर्वमङ्गलम् । पुरा श्रुतं यच्छ्रुत्युक्तं धर्मवक्त्राच्च पुष्करे
I will tell you her true and wholly auspicious origin, as once heard from the mouth of Dharma in Puṣkara, and as spoken in the Vedas.
महाविराट्शरीरस्य जलस्थस्य चिरं स्फुटम् । मनो बभूव कालेन सर्वाङ्गव्यापकं ध्रुवम्
From the great cosmic Person, who lay in the waters for a long time, a mind arose, pervading all his limbs, unchanging.
तच्च प्रविष्टं सर्वेषां तल्लोम्नां विवरेषु च । कालेन महता पश्चाद् बभूव वसुधा मुने
That mind entered into all, into the pores of the hairs; and after a long time, O sage, the Earth came forth.
प्रत्येकं प्रतिलोम्नां च कूपेषु संस्थिता सदा । आविर्भूता तिरोभूता सजला च पुनः पुनः
In each and every pore, she always abides in wells, manifest and unmanifest, appearing again and again with water.
आविर्भूता सृष्टिकाले तज्जलोपर्युपस्थिता । प्रलये च तिरोभूता जलस्याभ्यन्तरे स्थिता
She appears at the time of creation, present above the waters; and at dissolution, she becomes unmanifest, remaining within the waters.
प्रतिविश्वेषु वसुधा शैलकाननसंयुता । सप्तसागरसंयुक्ता सप्तद्वीपसमन्विता
In every universe, the Earth is endowed with mountains and forests, joined with the seven oceans and seven continents.
हेमाद्रिमेरुसंयुक्ता ग्रहचन्द्रार्कसंयुता । ब्रह्मविष्णुशिवाद्यैश्च सुरैर्लोकैस्तदाज्ञया
She is united with the golden Meru mountain, with planets, moon, and sun, and with the worlds of Brahmā, Viṣṇu, Śiva, and other gods, by their command.
पुण्यतीर्थसमायुक्ता पुण्यभारतसंयुता । काञ्चनीभूमिसंयुक्ता सप्तस्वर्गसमन्विता
She is endowed with holy pilgrimage sites, with the sacred land of Bhārata, with golden soil, and with the seven heavens.
पातालसप्तं तदधस्तदूर्ध्वं ब्रह्मलोकतः । ध्रुवलोकश्च तत्रैव सर्वं विश्वं च तत्र वै
Below her are the seven netherworlds, above is the world of Brahmā; there too is the realm of Dhruva, and all the universe is there indeed.
एवं सर्वाणि विश्वानि पृथिव्यां निर्मितानि च । नश्वराणि च विश्वानि सर्वाणि कृत्रिमाणि वै
Thus, all worlds are fashioned upon the Earth; and all these worlds are perishable, indeed, they are all artificial.
प्रलये प्राकृते चैव ब्रह्मणश्च निपातने । महाविराडादिसृष्टौ सृष्टः कृष्णेन चात्मना
At the dissolution of creation, at the fall of Brahmā, and at the creation of the great cosmic Person and others, she is created by Kṛṣṇa himself.
नित्यौ च स्थितिप्रलयौ काष्ठाकालेश्वरैः सह । नित्याधिष्ठातृदेवी सा वाराहे पूजिता सुरैः
Both her continuance and dissolution are eternal, along with the lords of time; that eternal presiding Goddess is worshipped by the gods in her Boar form.
मुनिभिर्मनुभिर्विप्रैर्गन्धर्वादिभिरेव च । विष्णोर्वराहरूपस्य पत्नी सा श्रुतिसम्मता
She is honored by sages, Manus, Brahmins, Gandharvas, and others; she is acknowledged by the Vedas as the wife of Viṣṇu in his Boar form.
तत्पुत्रो मङ्गलो ज्ञेयो घटेशो मङ्गलात्मजः । नारद उवाच पूजिता केन रुपेण वाराहे च सुरैर्मही
His son is known as Maṅgala, and Ghaṭeśa is the son of Maṅgala. Narada said: In which form was she worshipped by the gods in the Varaha incarnation, O Earth?
वाराहे चैव वाराही सर्वैः सर्वाश्रया सती । मूलप्रकृतिसम्भूता पञ्चीकरणमार्गतः
In the Varaha incarnation, Varahi, the all-supporting one, was worshipped by all. She, arising from the primordial nature, manifested through the process of the fivefold combination.
तस्याः पूजाविधानं चाप्यधश्चोर्ध्वमनेकशः । मङ्गलं मङ्गलस्यापि जन्म वासं वद प्रभो
The method of her worship is manifold, both above and below. Tell me, O Lord, the birth and abode of Maṅgala, even of Maṅgala himself.
श्रीनारायण उवाच वाराहे च वराहश्च ब्रह्मणा संस्तुतः पुरा । उद्दधार महीं हत्वा हिरण्याक्षं रसातलम्
Sri Narayana said: In the Varaha incarnation, Varaha was once praised by Brahma. He lifted up the Earth after slaying Hiranyaksha in the netherworld.
जले तां स्थापयामास पद्मपत्रं यथा हृदे । तत्रैव निर्ममे ब्रह्मा विश्वं सर्वं मनोहरम्
He placed her in the water, like a lotus leaf upon the heart. There, Brahma created the entire wondrous universe.
दृष्ट्वा तदधिदेवीं च सकामां कामुको हरिः । वराहरूपी भगवान् कोटिसूर्यसमप्रभः
Seeing that presiding goddess, filled with desire, the passionate Hari, in the form of Varaha, shining like millions of suns—
कृत्वा रतिकलां सर्वां मूर्तिं च सुमनोहराम् । क्रीडाञ्चकार रहसि दिव्यवर्षमहर्निशम्
Having performed all the arts of love and taken on a most enchanting form, he sported with her in secret for a divine year, day and night.
सुखसम्भोगसंस्पर्शान्मूर्च्छां सम्प्राप सुन्दरी । विदग्धाया विदग्धेन सङ्गमोऽतिसुखप्रदः
From the blissful union and contact, the beautiful one fell into a swoon. The union of the clever with the clever brought supreme delight.
विष्णुस्तदङ्गसंश्लेषाद् बुबुधे न दिवानिशम् । वर्षान्ते चेतनां प्राप्य कामी तत्याज कामुकीम्
Vishnu, from that close embrace, was unaware of day or night. At the end of the year, regaining consciousness, the passionate one left his beloved.
पूर्वरूपं वराहं च दधार स च लीलया । पूजाञ्चकार तां देवीं ध्यात्वा च धरणीं सतीम्
He then assumed his former Varaha form at will, and worshipped that steadfast goddess, meditating upon the Earth.