Varaha Purana

देवदेव त्रिलोकेश त्वदर्थोऽयं समुद्यमः । प्राग्जन्माराधितो भर्त्ता भवान् देवो महेश्वरः ।। २२.

'O God of gods, Lord of the three worlds, all this effort is for you. In a previous birth, you, O great Lord, were worshipped by me as my husband.'

इदानीं मे भवान् देवः पतिर्नान्यो भविष्यति । किन्तु स्वामी पिता मह्यं शैलेन्द्रो मे व्रजामि तम् । अनुज्ञाप्य विधानेन ततः पाणिं गृहीष्यसि ।। २२.

'Now, O God, you alone will be my husband, no other. But my father, the lord of mountains, is my master; I will go to him. With his permission, you may then take my hand according to custom.'

एवमुक्त्वा तदा देवी पितरं प्रति भामिनी । कृताञ्जलिपुटा भूत्वा हिमवन्तमुवाच ह ।। २२.

Having spoken thus, the radiant goddess approached her father, Himavat, with joined palms and addressed him.

अतोऽन्यजन्मभर्त्ता मे रुद्रो दक्षमखान्तकः । इदानीं तपसा सैव ध्यातोऽभूद् गतिभावनः ।। २२.

'In a previous birth, Rudra, destroyer of Daksha's sacrifice, was my husband. Now, through austerity, I have meditated upon him as the goal of my heart.'

स च विश्वपतिर्भूत्वा ब्राह्मणो मे तपोवनम् । आगत्य भोजनार्थाय याचयामास शंकरः । मया स्नातुं व्रजस्वेति चोदितो जाह्नवीं गतः ।। २२.

'He, the lord of the universe, came to my hermitage in the form of a Brahmin, asking for food. When I told him to go bathe, he went to the Jahnavi.'

तत्रासौ वृद्धकायेन द्विजरूपेण शंकरः । मकरेण धृतस्तूर्णं अब्रहह्मण्यमुवाच ह ।। २२.

There, assuming the form of an old Brahmin, Shankara was quickly seized by a crocodile and, speaking words unbefitting a Brahmin, addressed me.

ब्रह्महत्याभयात् तात मया पाणौ धृतस्ततः । धृतमात्रः स्वकं देहं दर्शयामास शंकरः ।। २२.

'Out of fear of the sin of Brahmin-killing, father, I took his hand; as soon as I did, Shankara revealed his true form.'

ततो मामब्रवीद् देवः पाणिग्रहणमागताम् । भवती देवि मा किंचिद् विचारय तपोधने ।। २२.

Then the god spoke to me, who had come for the hand-taking: 'O goddess, endowed with austerity, do not hesitate in any way.'

एवमुक्ता त्वहं तेन शंकरेण महात्मना । तदनुज्ञाप्य देवेशं भवन्तं प्रष्टुमागता । इदानीं यत् क्षमं कार्यं तच्छीघ्रं संविधीयताम् ।। २२.

'Thus addressed by the great-souled Shankara, having sought your permission, O lord of gods, I have come to ask you. Now, whatever is proper, let it be done quickly.'

एवं श्रुत्वा तदा वाक्यं शैलराजो मुदा युतः । उवाच दुहितां धन्यां तस्मिन् काले वराननाम् ।। २२.

Hearing these words, the king of mountains, filled with joy, spoke to his blessed daughter, whose face was radiant, at that moment.

पुत्रि धन्योऽस्म्यहं लोके यस्य रुद्रः स्वयं हरः । जामाता भविता देवि त्वयाऽपत्यवतामहम् । स्थापितो मूर्ध्नि देवानामपि पुत्रि त्वया ह्यहम् ।। २२.

'Daughter, I am blessed in this world, for Rudra himself, Hara, will be my son-in-law. Through you, O goddess, I will have descendants, and you have placed me above even the gods.'

स्थीयतां क्षणमेकं तु यावदागमनं मम । एवमुक्त्वा गतो राजा शैलानां ब्रह्मणोऽन्तिकम् ।। २२.

'Wait but a moment until I return.' Having said this, the king went to Brahma, lord of the mountains.

तत्र दृष्ट्वा महात्मानं सर्वदेवपितामहम् । उवाच प्रणतो भूत्वा ब्रह्माणं शैलराट् ततः ।। २२.

There, seeing the great-souled grandsire of all the gods, the king of mountains, bowing down, addressed Brahma.

देवोमा दुहिता मह्यं तां रुद्राय ददाम्यहम् । त्वया देव अनुज्ञातस्तत्करोमि प्रशाधि माम् ।। २२.

O gods, this daughter is mine; I shall give her to Rudra. With your permission, O gods, I do this—grant me your approval.

ततो ब्रह्मा प्रीतमना याहि रुद्राय तां शुभाम् । प्रयच्छोवाच देवानां तदा लोकपितामहः ।। २२.

Then Brahmā, pleased in mind, said, 'Go and give her to Rudra.' Thus spoke the Grandfather of the worlds to the gods.

एवमुक्तः शैलराजः स्ववेश्मागम्य सत्वरम् । देवानृषीन् सिद्धसंघान् चामन्त्रयत सत्वरम् ।। २२.

Thus addressed, the King of Mountains quickly returned to his own abode and promptly summoned the gods, sages, and hosts of siddhas.

तुम्बुरुं नारदं चैव हाहाहूहूं तथैव च । स गत्वा किन्नरांश्चैव असुरान् राक्षसानपि ।। २२.

He also called Tumburu, Nārada, Hāhā and Hūhū, and, going, summoned the Kinnaras, asuras, and even the rākṣasas.

पर्वताः सरितः शैला वृक्षा ओषधयस्तथा । आगता मूर्त्तिमन्तो वै पर्वताः सङ्गमोपलाः । हिमवद्दुहितुर्द्रष्टुं विवाहं शंकरेण ह ।। २२.

Mountains, rivers, rocks, trees, and herbs—all came in embodied form, along with the confluence stones, to witness the marriage of Himavat’s daughter with Śaṅkara.

तत्र वेदिः क्षितिश्चासीत् कलशाः सप्त सागराः । सूर्यो दीपस्तथा सोमः सरितो ववहुर्जलम् ।। २२.

There, the altar was the earth itself, the seven oceans were the pots, the sun was the lamp, the moon was present, and the rivers brought water for the rites.

एवं विवाहसामग्रीं कृत्वा शैलवराधिपः । प्रेषयामास रुद्राय समीपं मन्दरं गिरिम् ।। २२.

Having thus prepared all the wedding arrangements, the lord of the mountains sent Mandara Mountain to Rudra’s presence.

स तदा मन्दरोक्तस्तु शंकरो द्रुतमाययौ । विधिना सोमया पाणिं जग्राह परमेश्वरः ।। २२.

Then, as Mandara announced, Śaṅkara swiftly arrived and, according to the rite, the supreme lord took Pārvatī’s hand with Soma as witness.

तत्रोत्सवे पर्वतनारदौ द्वौ जगुश्च सिद्धा ननृतुर्वनस्पतीः । पुष्पाण्यनेकानि विचिक्षिपुः शुभाः ननर्तुरुच्चैः सुरयोषितो भृशम् ।। २२.

At that festival, Parvata and Nārada sang, the siddhas danced, the trees joyfully scattered many auspicious flowers, and the celestial women danced with great delight.

तस्मिन् विवाहे सलिलप्रवाहे चतुर्मुखो लोकपरः स्वसंस्थः । उवाच कन्यां भव पुत्रि लोके नारी प्रभर्त्ता तव चान्यपुंसाम् । इत्येवमुक्त्वा स उमां सरुद्रां पितामहः स्वं पुरमाजगाम ।। २२.

At that wedding, amidst the flowing waters, the four-faced Lord, absorbed in his own state, said to the maiden: 'O daughter, be the foremost woman in the world; let other men have wives through you.' Having thus spoken, the Grandfather returned to his own city, with Umā and Rudra.

जामातरं पर्वतराट् सुपूज्य विसर्जयामास विभुं स सोमम् । देवांश्च दैत्यान् विविधानृषींश्च संपूज्य सर्वान् विविधैस्तु वस्तुभिः । विभूषणैर्वस्त्रवरान्नदानै - र्विसर्जयामास तदाद्रिमुख्यान् ।।२२.

The lord of mountains, having duly honored his son-in-law Soma, respectfully dismissed him. He also honored all the gods, various asuras, and sages with many kinds of gifts, ornaments, fine garments, and excellent food, and then dismissed those foremost among the mountains.

स वीतशोको विरजो विशुद्धः शुभाननां देववराय दत्त्वा । उमां महात्मा हिमवानद्रिराजः पैतामहे लोक इवाध्वरे भात् ।। २२.

Freed from sorrow, pure and serene, the great-souled King Himavat, having given his auspicious-faced daughter Umā to the best of gods, shone like the Grandfather of the worlds at a sacrifice.

इतीरितेयं तव राजसत्तम प्रसूतिरेषा न विदुर्यां सुरासुराः । स्वयंभुदक्षादिराजः त्रिजन्मभि- र्गौरीविवाहोऽपि मया सुकीर्तितः ।। २२.

Thus, O best of kings, this is your noble lineage, which neither gods nor asuras know. The self-born Dakṣa, the lord, and the threefold birth of Gaurī’s marriage have been well recounted by me.

श्रीवराह उवाच । एवं सा गौरिनाम्ना तु कारणान्मूर्त्तिमागता । संबभूव यथा प्रोक्तं प्रजापालाय पृच्छते । ऋषिणा महता पूर्वं तपसा भावितात्मना ।। २२.

Śrī Varāha said: Thus, for this reason, she who is called Gaurī took form, as has been told, when the great sage, his mind purified by austerity, asked the protector of creatures.

गौर्या उत्पत्तिरेषा वै कथिता परमर्षिणा । विवाहश्च यथा वृत्तस्तत्सर्वं कथितं तव ।। २२.

The origin of Gaurī has thus been told by the great sage, and her marriage as it happened—all this has been related to you.

एतत्सर्वं तु गौर्या वै संपन्नं तु तृतीयया । तस्यां तिथौ तृतीयायां लवणं वर्जयेन्नरः । यश्चोपोष्यति नारी वा सा सौभाग्यं तु विन्दति ।। २२.

All this concerning Gaurī was accomplished on the third lunar day; on that day, one should avoid salt. Whoever, man or woman, observes this fast attains good fortune.