Varaha Purana

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.

दिनादिर्यो हि देवस्य ब्रह्मणोऽव्यक्तजन्मनः । स सृष्ट्यादिः समस्तानां देवादीनां न संशयः ।। ३.

The day of the god Brahma, who is born from the unmanifest, is indeed the period of creation and dissolution for all beings, gods and others—there is no doubt.

सर्वस्य जगतः सृष्टिरेषैव प्रभुधर्मतः । एतन्मे प्राकृतं जन्म यन्मां पृच्छसि पार्थिव ।। ३.

This, by the divine law, is the creation of the entire universe; this is my natural birth, about which you ask me, O King.

तस्मान्नारायणं ध्यात्वा प्राप्तोऽस्मि परतो नृप । तस्मात् त्वमपि राजेन्द्र भव विष्णुपरायणः ।। ३.

Therefore, by meditating on Nārāyaṇa, I have attained the supreme state, O King; so you too, best of kings, should devote yourself to Viṣṇu.

धरण्युवाच । योऽसौ नारायणो देवः परमात्मा सनातनः । भगवन् सर्वभावेन उताहो नेति शंस मे ।। ४.

The Earth said: That Nārāyaṇa, the supreme and eternal soul—O Lord, tell me truly, should one worship him with all one's being, or not?

श्रीवराह उवाच । मत्स्यः कूर्मो वराहश्च नरसिंहोऽथ वामनः । रामो रामश्च कृष्णश्च बुद्धः कल्की च ते दश ।। ४.

Śrī Varāha said: Matsya, Kūrma, Varāha, Narasiṃha, Vāmana, Rāma, Rāma, Kṛṣṇa, Buddha, and Kalki—these are his ten forms.

इत्येताः कथितास्तस्य मूर्त्तयो भूतधारिणि । दर्शनं प्राप्तुमिच्छूनां सोपानानीव शोभते ।। ४.

These forms of his, O bearer of beings, are described as steps for those who desire to see him, shining like a staircase.

यत् तस्य परमं रूपं तन्न पश्यन्ति देवताः । अस्मदादिस्वरूपेण पूरयन्ति ततो धृतिम् ।। ४.

His supreme form is not seen by the gods; they gain strength by filling themselves with forms like ours.

ब्रह्मा भगवतो मूर्त्या रजसस्तमसस्तथा । याभिः संस्थाप्यते विश्वं स्थितौ संचाल्यते च ह ।। ४.

Brahmā, by the form of the Lord, and likewise by rajas and tamas, establishes and stirs the universe in its existence.

त्वमेका तस्य देवस्य मूर्तिराद्या धराधरे । द्वितीया सलिलं मूर्तिस्तृतीया तैजसी स्मृता ।। ४.

You alone, O mountain-holder, are the Lord's first form; the second is water, and the third is said to be fire.

चतुर्थी वायुमूर्तिः स्यादाकाशाख्या तु पञ्चमी । एतास्तु मूरत्यस्तस्य क्षेत्रज्ञत्वं हि मद्धियाम् । मूर्त्तित्रयं तथा तस्य इत्येताश्चाष्टमूर्तयः ।। ४.

The fourth is the form of air, and the fifth is called space; these are his forms, and the knower of the field is my understanding. Thus, three forms and these eight forms are his.