Varaha Purana

त्वया ततं सर्वत एव तेजः प्रतापिना सूर्य यजुःप्रवृत्ते । तिग्मं रथाङ्गं तव देवकल्पं कालाख्यमध्वान्तकरं वदन्ति ।। २६.

Your radiance, O Sun, spreads everywhere, blazing forth as the Yajurveda commences; your fierce chariot wheel, divine in form, is called Time and dispels darkness.

प्रभाकरसक्त्वं रविरादिदेव आत्मा समस्तस्य चराचरस्य । पितामहसक्त्वं वरुणो यमश्च भूतं भविष्यच्च वदन्ति सिद्धाः ।। २६.

The sages declare that the sun, the first of the gods, is the essence of all that moves and does not move; Varuṇa and Yama embody the power of the grandsire, and he is said to be both past and future.

ध्वान्तं प्रणु त्वं सुरलोकपूज्य प्रयाहि शान्तिं पितरो वदन्ति । वेदान्तवेद्योऽसि मखेषु देव त्वं हूयसे विष्णुरसि प्रसह्य । इति स्तुतस्तैः सुरनाथ भक्त्या प्रपाहि शंभो न इति प्रसह्य ।। २६.

You dispel darkness, honored by the celestial realms; the ancestors say, 'Proceed to peace.' You are known through Vedānta, invoked in sacrifices, and truly you are Viṣṇu, O Lord. Thus praised with devotion by the gods, they implored: 'Protect us, O auspicious one, do not overpower us.'

एवमुक्तस्तदा देवैः सौम्यां मूर्त्तिमथाकरोत् । प्रकाशत्वं जगामाशु देवतानां महाप्रभः ।। २६.

Thus addressed by the gods, he assumed a gentle form; the great shining one quickly became radiant for the deities.

एतत्सर्वं सुराणां तु दहनं शामितं पुरा । सप्तम्यां खलु सूर्येण मूर्त्तित्वं कृतवान् भुवि ।। २६.

All the burning of the gods was then pacified; on the seventh day, the Sun took form on earth.

एतां यः पुरुषो भक्त्या उपास्ते सूर्यमर्चयेत् । भास्करेण च तस्यासौ फलमिष्टं प्रयच्छति ।। २६.

Whoever worships the Sun with devotion in this way, to him Bhāskara grants the desired fruit.

एतत् ते कथितं राजन् सूर्याख्यानं पुरातनम् । आदिमन्वन्तरे वृत्तं मातरः श्रृणु सांप्रतम् ।। २६.

Thus, O King, I have told you the ancient account of the Sun; listen now to what happened in the first Manvantara, O Mother.

महातपा उवाच । पूर्वमासीन्महादैत्यो बलवानन्धको भुवि । स देवान् वशमानिन्ये ब्रह्मणो वरदर्पितः ।। २७.

Mahātapā said: Long ago, there was a powerful great demon named Andhaka on earth; endowed with a boon from Brahmā, he brought the gods under his control.

तेनात्मवान् सुराः सर्वे त्याजिता मेरुपर्वतम् । ब्रह्माणं शरणं जग्मुरन्धकस्य भयार्दिताः ।। २७.

Because of him, all the gods, possessing strength, abandoned Mount Meru; terrified by Andhaka, they sought refuge with Brahmā.

तानागतांस्तदा ब्रह्मा उवाच सुरसत्तमान् । किमागमनकृत्यं वो देवा ब्रूत किमास्यते ।। २७.

When they arrived, Brahmā spoke to those foremost of the gods: 'What is the reason for your coming, O gods? Tell me, what brings you here?

देवा ऊचुः । अन्धकेनार्दिताः सर्वे वयं देवा जगत्पते । त्राहि सर्वांश्चतुर्वक्त्र पितामह नमोऽस्तु ते ।। २७.

The gods said: O Lord of the world, we gods are all afflicted by Andhaka; protect us all, O four-faced grandsire, our reverence to you.

ब्रह्मोवाच । अन्धकान्नैव शक्तोऽहं त्रातुं वै सुरसत्तमाः । भवं शर्वं महादेवं व्रजाम शरणार्थिनः ।। २७.

Brahmā said: O best of gods, I am not able to protect you from Andhaka; let us go to mighty Śarva, the great god, to seek refuge.

किन्तु पूर्वं मया दत्तो वरस्तस्य सुरोत्तमाः । अवध्यस्त्वं हि भविता न शरीरं स्पृशेन्महीम् ।। २७.

But earlier, O best of gods, I granted him a boon: he would be invulnerable, unless his body touched the earth.

तस्यैवं बलिनस्त्वेको हन्ता रुद्रः परंतपः । तत्र गच्छामहे सर्वे कैलासनिलयं प्रभुम् ।। २७.

Yet, among all, Rudra alone, the fierce destroyer, can slay that powerful one; let us all go to the Lord who dwells on Kailāsa.

एवमुक्त्वा ययौ ब्रह्मा सदेवो भवसन्निधौ । तस्य संदर्शनाद् रुद्रः प्रत्युत्थानादिकाः क्रियाः । कृत्वाभ्युवाच देवेशो ब्रह्माणं भुवनेश्वरम् ।। २७.

Having spoken thus, Brahmā, along with the gods, went to the presence of Bhava; seeing them, Rudra performed the rites of welcome and addressed Brahmā, Lord of the world.

शंभुरुवाच । किं कार्यं देवताः सर्वा आगता मम सन्निधौ । येनाहं तत्करोम्याशु आज्ञा कार्या हि सत्वरम् ।। २७.

Shambhu said: What is to be done, O all you gods, who have come into my presence? Tell me what it is, and I will do it at once; your command must be carried out quickly.

देवा ऊचुः । रक्षस्व देव बलिनस्त्वन्धकाद् दुष्टचेतसः ।। २७.

The gods said: Protect us, O Lord, from the powerful Andhaka, whose mind is wicked.

यावदेवं सुरा सर्वे शंसन्ति परमेष्ठिनः । तावत् सैन्येन महता तत्रैवान्धक आययौ ।। २७.

While all the gods were thus speaking to the supreme lord, at that very moment Andhaka arrived there with a great army.

बलेन चतुरङ्गेण हन्तुकामो भवं मृधे । तस्य भार्यां गिरिसुतां हर्तुमिच्छन् ससाधनः ।। २७.

With a fourfold force, desiring to kill Bhava in battle, he came, equipped, wishing to seize his wife, the daughter of the mountain.

तं दृष्ट्वा सहसाऽयान्तं देवशक्रप्रहारिणम् । सन्नह्य सहसा देवा रुद्रस्यानुचरा भवन् ।। २७.

Seeing him suddenly approaching, the gods, stricken by the blow of the lord of the gods, quickly armed themselves and became followers of Rudra.

रुद्रोऽपि वासुकिं ध्यात्वा तक्षकं च धनंजयम् । वलयं कटिंसूत्रं च चकार परमेश्वरः ।। २७.

Rudra, meditating on Vasuki, Takshaka, and Dhananjaya, made them into bracelets, a girdle, and a sacred thread, O supreme lord.

नीलनामा च दैत्येन्द्रो हस्ती भूत्वा भवान्तिकम् । आगतस्त्वरितः शक्रहस्तीवोद्धतरूपवान् ।। २७.

The demon king named Nila, taking the form of an elephant, swiftly approached Bhava, appearing as mighty as the elephant of Indra.

स ज्ञातो नन्दिना दैत्यो वीरभद्राय दर्शितः । वीरभद्रोऽपि सिंहेन रूपेणाहत्य च द्रुतम् ।। २७.

That demon, recognized by Nandi, was shown to Virabhadra; and Virabhadra, taking the form of a lion, quickly struck him down.

तस्य कृत्तिं विदार्याशु करिणस्त्वञ्जनप्रभाम् । रुद्रायार्पितवान् सोऽपि तमेवाम्बरमाकरोत् । ततः प्रभृति रुद्रोऽपि गजचर्मपटोऽभवत् ।। २७.

Tearing open the hide of that elephant, dark as collyrium, he offered it to Rudra, who then made it his garment; from that time, Rudra became the wearer of the elephant hide.

गजचर्म्मपटो भूत्वा भुजंगाभरणोज्ज्वलः । आदाय त्रिशिखं भीमं सगणोऽन्धकमन्वयात् ।। २७.

Clad in the elephant hide and shining with serpent ornaments, he took up his terrible trident and, with his attendants, pursued Andhaka.

ततः प्रवृत्ते युद्धे च देवदानवयोर्महत् । इन्द्राद्या लोकपालास्तु स्कन्दः सेनापतिस्तथा । सर्वे देवगणाश्चान्ये युयुधुः समरे तदा ।। २७.

Then a great battle began between the gods and the demons; Indra and the other guardians of the worlds, as well as Skanda the commander, and all the other hosts of gods fought in that war.

तं दृष्ट्वा नारदा युद्धं ययौ नारायणं प्रति । शशंस च महद् युद्धं कैलासे दानवैः सह ।। २७.

Seeing that battle, Narada went to Narayana and reported the great war taking place on Kailasa with the demons.

तच्छ्रुत्वा चक्रमादाय गरुडस्थो जनार्दनः । तमेव देशमागत्य युयुधे दानवैः सह ।। २७.

Hearing this, Janardana, mounted on Garuda and taking up his discus, came to that very place and fought with the demons.

आगत्य च ततो देवा हरिणाप्यायिता रणे । विषण्णवदनाः सर्वे पलायनपरा भवन् ।। २७.

Then the gods, having been reinforced in battle by Hari, all became downcast and turned to flight.