Varaha Purana

एतत्सर्वं समासेन कथितं ते द्विजोत्तम । गृहाण वेदान् शास्त्राणि सर्वज्ञत्वं च नारद ।। २.

'All this has been told to you in brief, O best of brāhmaṇas. Receive the Vedas, the scriptures, and omniscience, O Nārada.'

एतस्मिन् वेदसरसि स्नानं कुरु महाव्रत । कृते स्नानेऽन्यजन्मीयं येन स्मरसि सत्तम ।। २.

'In this lake of the Vedas, perform your bath, O great vow-holder. By bathing here, you will remember your previous births, O noble one.'

एवमुक्त्वा तिरोभावं गता कन्या नराधिप । अहं तत्र कृतस्नानस्त्वां दिदृक्षुरिहागतः ।। २.

Having spoken thus, the maiden vanished, O king; I, having bathed there, have come here desiring to see you.

प्रियव्रत उवाच । अन्यस्मिन् भगवन् जन्मन्यासीद् यत् तद् विचेष्टितम् । सर्वं कथय देवर्षे महत् कौतूहलं हि मे ।। ३.

Priyavrata said: 'O blessed one, tell me everything that happened in my previous birth. I am filled with great curiosity, O sage.'

नादरद उवाच । स्नातस्य मम राजेन्द्र तस्मिन् वेदसरस्यथ । सावित्र्याश्च वचः श्रुत्वा तस्मिन् जन्मसहस्त्रकम् । स्मरणं तत्क्षणाज्जातं श्रृणु जन्मान्तरं मम ।। ३.

Nārada said: 'O king, after I had bathed in that lake of the Vedas and heard the words of Sāvitrī, in that very moment I remembered a thousand previous births. Listen to the story of my former birth.'

अस्त्यवन्तीपुरं राजंस्तत्राहं प्राग् द्विजोत्तमः । नाम्ना सारस्वतः पूर्वं वेदवेदाङ्गपारगः ।। ३.

'There is a city called Avantī, O king, where I was formerly a foremost brāhmaṇa, named Sārasvata, accomplished in the Vedas and their branches.'

बहुभृत्यपरीवारो बहुधान्यश्च पार्थिव । अन्यस्मिन् कृतसंज्ञे तु युगे परमबुद्धिमान् ।। ३.

'Surrounded by many servants and possessing much grain, O ruler, I lived in a previous age called Kṛta, endowed with supreme wisdom.'

ततो ध्यातं मयैकान्ते किमनेन करोम्यहम् । द्वन्द्वेन सर्वमेतद्धि न्यस्त्वा पुत्रेषु याम्यहम् । तपसे धृतसंकल्पः सरः सारस्वतं द्रुतम् ।। ३.

Then, having contemplated in solitude, I thought, 'What shall I do with all this?' Abandoning everything to my sons, I departed, my resolve set on asceticism, swiftly to the Sarasvata lake.

एवं चिन्त्य मया इष्टः कर्मकाण्डेन केशवः । श्राद्धैश्च पितरो देवा यज्ञैश्चान्ये तथा जनाः ।। ३.

Thus reflecting, I worshipped Keśava through ritual acts, and with śrāddha offerings to the ancestors, to the gods, and with sacrifices to other beings as well.

ततोऽहं निर्गतो राजंस्तपसे धृतमानसः । सारस्वतं नाम सरो यदेतत् पुष्करं स्मृतम् ।। ३.

Then, O King, I departed with my mind fixed on austerity, to the lake called Sarasvata, which is known as Puṣkara.

तत्र गत्वा मया विष्णुः पुराणः पुरुषः शिवः । आराधितो मया भक्त्या जपं नारायणात्मकम् ।। ३.

There, I worshipped Viṣṇu, the ancient, primeval, and auspicious Person, with devotion, reciting the mantra of Nārāyaṇa.

ब्रह्मपारमयं राजन् जपता परमं स्तवम् । ततो मे भगवांस्तुष्टः प्रत्यक्षत्वं जगाम ह ।। ३.

O King, by reciting the supreme hymn that leads to the highest Brahman, the Blessed Lord was pleased with me and appeared before me directly.

प्रियव्रत उवाच । कीदृशं ब्रह्मपारं तु श्रोतुमिच्छामि सत्तम । कथयस्व प्रसादेन देवर्षे सुप्रसन्नधीः ।। ३.

Priyavrata said: 'What is that supreme hymn to Brahman? I wish to hear it, O noble one. Kindly tell me, O devarṣi, with your mind so well disposed.'

नारद उवाच । परं पराणाममृतं पुराणं पारं परं विष्णुमनन्तवीर्यम् । नमामि नित्यं पुरुषं पुराणं परायणं पारगतं पराणाम् ।। ३.

Nārada said: 'I bow always to the Supreme, the immortal of the immortals, the ancient, the transcendent, Viṣṇu of infinite power, the eternal Person, the ancient refuge, who has crossed beyond the highest.'

पुरातनं त्वप्रतिमं पुराणं परापरं पारगमुग्रतेजसम् । गम्भीरगम्भीरधियां प्रधानं नतोऽस्मि देवं हरिमीशितारम् ।। ३.

I bow to Hari, the Lord, the ancient, incomparable, and primeval God, who is both transcendent and immanent, who has crossed beyond, of fierce brilliance, the foremost among those of deep and profound intellect.

परात्परं चापरमं प्रधानं परास्पदं शुद्धपदं विशालम् । परात्परेशं पुरुषं पुराणं नारायणं स्तौमि विशुद्धभावः ।। ३.

I praise Nārāyaṇa, the Supreme among the supreme, the highest, the foremost, the pure abode, the vast one, the Lord beyond the highest, the ancient Person, with a purified heart.

पुरा पुरं शून्यमिदं ससर्ज्ज तदा स्थितत्वात् पुरुषः प्रधानः । जने प्रसिद्धः शरणं ममास्तु नारायणो वीतमलः पुराणः ।। ३.

Long ago, when this world was void, He created it; then, as the prime Person, He remained established. Renowned among people, may that pure and ancient Nārāyaṇa be my refuge.

पारं परं विष्णुमपाररूपं पुरातनं नीतिमतां प्रधानम् । धृतक्षमं शान्तिधरं क्षितीशं शुभं सदा स्तौमि महानुभावम् ।। ३.

I always praise Viṣṇu, the Supreme, the one of boundless form, the ancient, the foremost among the wise, who is steadfast in patience, upholder of peace, Lord of the earth, ever auspicious, of great glory.

सहस्त्रमूर्धानमनन्तपाद- मनेकबाहुं शशिसूर्यनेत्रम् । क्षराक्षरं क्षीरसमुद्रनिद्रं नारायणं स्तौम्यमृतं परेशम् ।। ३.

I praise Nārāyaṇa, the immortal Supreme Lord, with a thousand heads, endless feet, many arms, whose eyes are the moon and sun, the perishable and imperishable, who sleeps upon the ocean of milk.

त्रिवेदगम्यं त्रिनवैकमूर्तिं त्रिशुक्लसंस्थं त्रिहुताशभेदम् । त्रितत्त्वलक्ष्यं त्रियुगं त्रिनेत्रं नमामि नारायणमप्रमेयम् ।। ३.

I bow to Nārāyaṇa, who is known through the three Vedas, who has triple, ninefold, and single forms, who abides in threefold purity, who is the threefold fire, the goal of the three principles, the Lord of three ages, the three-eyed, immeasurable.

कृते सितं रक्ततनुं तथा च त्रेतायुगे पूततनुं पुराणम् । तथा हरिं द्वापरतः कलौ च कृष्णीकृतात्मानमथो नमामि ।। ३.

In the Kṛta age, He is white; in the Tretā age, red-bodied; in the Dvāpara, He is pure and ancient; and in Kali, I bow to Hari, whose self becomes dark.

ससर्ज यो वक्त्रत एव विप्रान् भुजान्तरे क्षत्रमथोरुयुग्मे । विशः पदाग्रेषु तथैव शूद्रान् नमामि तं विश्वतनुं पुराणम् ।। ३.

He who created the Brāhmaṇas from his mouth, the Kṣatriyas from his arms, the Vaiśyas from his thighs, and likewise the Śūdras from his feet—I bow to that all-formed, ancient One.

परात्परं पारगतं प्रमेयं युधांपतिं कार्यत एव कृष्णम्। गदासिचर्मण्यभृतोत्थपाणिं नमामि नारायणमप्रमेयम् ।। ३.

I bow to Nārāyaṇa, the Supreme beyond the supreme, the one who has crossed beyond, the object of knowledge, Lord of warriors, who became Kṛṣṇa for the sake of action, holding mace and shield, with uplifted hand, immeasurable.

इति स्तुतो देववरः प्रसन्नो जगाद मां नीरदतुल्यघोषः । वरं वृणीष्वेत्यसकृत् ततोऽहं तस्यैव देहे लयमिष्टवांश्च ।। ३.

Thus praised, the best of gods, pleased, spoke to me with a voice like thunderclouds: 'Choose a boon.' Then, repeatedly, I desired dissolution into His very being.

इति श्रुत्वा वचो मह्यं देवदेवः सनातनः । उवाच प्रकृतिं विप्र संसरस्वाक्षयामिमाम् ।। ३.

Hearing these words addressed to me, the eternal Lord of gods said: 'O Brāhmaṇa, enter into this inexhaustible nature.'

ब्रह्मणो युगसाहस्त्रं तत्ते तस्मात् समुद्भवः । भविता ते तथा नाम दास्यते संप्रयोजनम् ।। ३.

After a thousand ages of Brahma, you will arise from that; your name and purpose will be given accordingly.

नारं पानीयमित्युक्तं तं पितॄणां सदा भवान् । ददाति तेन ते नाम नारदेति भविष्यति ।। ३.

Because you always offer water, called 'nāra', to the ancestors, you will be known by the name Nārada.

एवमुक्त्वा गतो देवः सद्योऽदर्शनमुच्चकैः । अहं कलेवरं त्यक्त्वा कालेन तपसा तदा ।। ३.

Having spoken thus, the god departed and vanished at once; then, through austerity, I abandoned my body in due time.

ब्रह्मणोऽङ्गे लयं प्राप्तस्तदोत्पत्तिं च पार्थिव । दिवसे तु पुनः सृष्टो दशभिस्तनयैः सह ।। ३.

I entered dissolution within Brahma's body, O King, and was born again, along with ten sons, at the beginning of the day.