Varaha Purana

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.

दुर्भगा या तु नारी स्यात् पुरुषश्चातिदुर्भगः । एतच्छ्रुत्वा तृतीयायां लवणं तु विवर्जयेत् ।। २२.

Any woman who is unfortunate, or man who is exceedingly unfortunate, upon hearing this, should avoid salt on the third lunar day.

सर्वकामानवाप्नोति सौभाग्यं द्रव्यसम्पदम् । आरोग्यं च सदा लोके कान्तिं पुष्टिं च विन्दति ।। २२.

One thereby attains all desires, good fortune, abundance of wealth, constant health in this world, beauty, and nourishment.

प्रजापाल उवाच । कथं गणपतेर्जन्म मूर्तिमन्तं च सत्तम । एतन्मे संशयं छिन्धि धृतिकष्टं व्यवस्थितम् ।। २३.

The protector of creatures said: O noble one, how was Ganesha, the Lord of the hosts, born with a form? Please dispel this doubt of mine, which has firmly taken hold and troubles my resolve.

महातपा उवाच । पूर्वं देवगणाः सर्वे ऋषयश्च तपोधनाः । कार्यारम्भं तथा चक्रुः सिध्यन्ते च न संशयः ।। २३.

The great ascetic said: Formerly, all the hosts of gods and the sages rich in austerity undertook various endeavors; their actions succeeded, there is no doubt.

सन्मार्गवर्तिषु यथा सिद्ध्यन्ते विघ्नतः क्रियाः । असत्कारिषु सर्वेषु तद्वदेवमविघ्नतः ।। २३.

Just as actions performed by those who follow the righteous path succeed without obstacles, so too, in the case of unrighteous actions, all are inevitably met with hindrances.

ततो देवाः सपितरश्चिन्तयामासुरोजसा । असत्कार्येषु विघ्नार्थं सर्व एवाभ्यमन्त्रयन् ।। २३.

Then the gods, along with the ancestors, powerfully contemplated how to create obstacles for all unrighteous acts, and they all invoked this intention together.

ततस्तेषां तदा मन्त्रं कुर्वतस्त्रिदिवौकसाम् । बभूव बुद्धिर्गमने रुद्रं प्रति महामतिम् ।। २३.

At that time, as those denizens of heaven were performing their rite, the thought arose among them to approach Rudra, the great-minded one.

ते तत्र रुद्रमागम्य कैलासनिलयं गुरुम् । ऊचुः सविनयं सर्वे प्रणिपातपुरःसरम् ।। २३.

Thereupon, they went to Rudra, the preceptor dwelling on Mount Kailāsa, and all of them, with humility and preceded by respectful salutations, spoke to him.

देवा ऊचुः । देवदेव महादेव शूलपाणे त्रिलोचन । विघ्नार्थमविशिष्टानामुत्पादयितुमर्हसि ।। २३.

The gods said: O God of gods, great god, wielder of the trident, three-eyed one, you should create obstacles for those who are not distinguished by virtue.

एवमुक्तरस्तदा देवैर्भवः परमया मुदा । उमां निरीक्षयामास चक्षुषाऽनिमिषेण ह ।। २३.

Thus addressed by the gods, Bhava, filled with supreme joy, gazed intently at Umā with unblinking eyes.

देवानां सन्निधौ तस्य पश्यतोमां महात्मनः । चिन्ताऽभूद् व्योम्नि मूर्तिभ्यो दृश्यते केन हेतुना ।। २३.

In the presence of the gods, as that great soul gazed upon Umā, a thought arose: By what reason are forms seen in space?

पृथिव्या विद्यते मूर्त्तिरपां मूर्त्तिस्तथैव च । तेजसः श्वसनस्यापि मूर्त्तिरेषा तु दृश्यते । आकाशं च कथं नेति मत्वा देवो जहास च ।। २३.

On earth, there is form; in water, likewise, there is form; in fire and in wind, this form is seen. But how is it that space is said to have none? Thus pondering, the god smiled.

ज्ञानशक्तिमुमां दृष्ट्वा यद् दृष्टं व्योम्नि शंभुना । यच्चोक्तं ब्रह्मणा पूर्वं शरीरं तु शरीरिणाम् ।। २३.

Seeing Umā, the embodiment of knowledge and power, and what was seen in space by Śambhu, and what was previously declared by Brahmā—that the body belongs to embodied beings—

यच्चापि हसितं तेन देवेन परमेष्ठिना । एतत्कार्यचतुष्केण पृथिव्यादिचतुर्ष्वपि ।। २३.

And that laughter of the supreme lord, and what was spoken by him before—all these four causes pertain to the four elements, earth and the rest.

मूर्त्तिमानतितेजस्वी हसतः परमेष्ठिनः । प्रदीप्तास्यो महादीप्तः कुमारो भासयन् दिशः । परमेष्ठिगुणैर्युक्तः साक्षाद् रुद्र इवापरः ।। २३.

From the supreme lord’s laughter, a radiant, exceedingly brilliant boy with a blazing face was born, illuminating the directions, endowed with the qualities of the supreme lord, appearing as another Rudra himself.

उत्पन्नमात्रो देवानां योषितः सप्रमोहयन् । कान्त्या दीप्त्या तथा मूर्त्या रूपेण च महात्मवान् ।। २३.

As soon as he was born, he bewildered the minds of the goddesses by his splendor, brilliance, form, and beauty, being possessed of great soul.

तं दृष्ट्वा परमं रूपं कुमारस्य महात्मनः । उमाऽनिमेषनेत्राभ्यां तमपश्यत भामिनी ।। २३.

Seeing that supreme form of the great-souled boy, Umā, the radiant one, beheld him with her unblinking eyes.

तं दृष्ट्वा कुपितो देवः स्त्रीभावं चञ्चलं तथा । मत्वा कुमाररूपं तु शोभनं मोहनं दृशाम् । ततः शशाप तं देवः स्त्रीशङ्कां परमेश्वरः ।। २३.

Seeing him, the god became angry, considering the fickle nature of women and the boy’s beautiful, enchanting form; then the supreme lord cursed him with suspicion of femininity.

कुमार गजवक्त्रस्त्वं प्रलम्बजठरस्तथा । भविष्यसि तथा सर्पैरुपवीतगतिर्ध्रुवम् । एवं शशाप तं देवस्तीव्रकोपसमन्वितः ।। २३.

O boy, you shall have an elephant’s face and a large belly; you shall certainly wear serpents as your sacred thread and belt. Thus the god, filled with intense wrath, cursed him.

अर्द्धकोट्या च रोमाणामात्मनोऽङ्गे त्रिलोचनः । कूपकास्वेदसलिलपूर्णशूलधरस्तथा । धुन्वन् शरीरमुत्थाय ततो देवो रुषान्वितः ।। २३.

With half a crore of hairs on his own body, the three-eyed, trident-bearing lord, his pores filled with sweat, shaking his body, then rose up, filled with anger.