Varaha Purana

ब्रह्मणः सृजतः सृष्टिमादिसर्गे समुत्थिते । चिन्ताभून्महती को मे प्रजाः सृष्टा धरिष्यति ।। २९.

When Brahmā was creating the world at the beginning of creation, a great concern arose in him: 'Who among my created beings will sustain the progeny?'

एवं चिन्तयतस्तस्य अवकाशं प्रजास्विह । प्रादुर्बभूवुः श्रोत्रेभ्यः दश कन्या महाप्रभाः ।। २९.

As he was thus pondering, from his ears appeared ten radiant maidens, providing space for the beings here.

पूर्वा च दक्षिणा चैव प्रतीची चोत्तरा तथा । ऊर्ध्वाऽधरा च षण्मुख्याः कन्या ह्यासंस्तदा नृप ।। २९.

Among them were the eastern, southern, western, and northern directions, as well as the upward and downward—these six were the principal maidens at that time, O king.

अन्याश्चतस्त्रस्तेषां तु कन्याः परमशोभनाः । रूपस्विन्यो महाभागा गाम्भीर्येण समन्विताः ।। २९.

The other four maidens among them were supremely beautiful, endowed with form, great fortune, and depth of character.

ता ऊचुः प्रणयाद् देवं प्रजापतिमकल्मषम् । अवकाशं तु नो देहि देवदेव प्रजापते ।। २९.

With affection, those maidens addressed the sinless lord of creatures: 'Grant us a place, O god of gods, O lord of creatures.'

यत्र तिष्ठामहे सर्वा भर्तृभिः सहिताः सुखम् । पतयश्च महाभागा देहि नोऽव्यक्तसंभव ।। २९.

'Where we may all dwell happily with our husbands; and grant us, O source of all, illustrious husbands as well.'

ब्रह्मोवाच । ब्रह्माण्डमेतत् सुश्रोण्यः शतकोटिप्रविस्तरम् । तस्यान्ते स्वेच्छया भद्रा उष्यतां मा विलम्बत ।। २९.

Brahmā said: 'O fair-hipped ones, this universe extends a hundred crores in breadth; at its end, dwell as you wish, O blessed ones, do not delay.'

भर्तॄंश्च वः प्रयच्छामि सृष्ट्वा रूपस्विनोऽनघाः । यथेष्टं गम्यतां देशो यस्या यो रोचतेऽधुना ।। २९.

'I will also grant you husbands, creating them, endowed with form and free from sin. Go wherever each of you desires now.'

एवमुक्ताश्च ताः सर्वा यथेष्टं प्रययुस्तदा । ब्रह्मापि ससृजे तूर्णं लोकपालान् महाबलान् ।। २९.

Thus addressed, all those maidens went as they wished, and Brahmā swiftly created the powerful guardians of the worlds.

सृष्ट्वा तु लोकपालांस्तु ताः कन्याः पुनराह्वयत् । विवाहं कारयामास ब्रह्मा लोकपितामहः ।। २९.

Having created the guardians of the worlds, Brahmā summoned those maidens again and arranged their marriages, being the grandsire of all.

एकामिन्द्राय स प्रादादग्नयेऽन्यां यमाय च । निर्ऋताय च देवाय वरुणाय महात्मने ।। २९.

He gave one to Indra, another to Agni, one to Yama, one to Nirṛti, and one to the great-souled Varuṇa.

वायवे धनदेशाय ईशानाय च सुव्रत । ऊर्द्ध्वां स्वयमधिष्ठाय शेषायाधो व्यवस्थिताम् ।। २९.

To Vāyu, to Kubera, and to Īśāna he gave others, O virtuous one; Brahmā himself presided over the upward direction, and to Śeṣa he assigned the downward.

एवं दत्त्वा पुनर्ब्रह्मा तिथिं प्रादाद् दिशां पुनः । दशमीं भर्तृनाम्नस्तु दध्यन्नं भोजनं प्रभुः ।। २९.

Having thus given them, Brahmā then assigned a lunar day to the directions again—the tenth day, named after their husbands, with curd-rice as their food.

ततः प्रभृति ता देव्यः सेन्द्राद्याः परिकीर्तिताः । दशमी च तिथिस्तासामतीव दयिताभवत् ।। २९.

From that time, those goddesses, along with Indra and the others, became renowned, and the tenth lunar day became especially dear to them.

तस्यां दध्याशनो यस्तु सुव्रती भवते नरः । तस्य पापक्षयं तास्तु कुर्वन्त्यहरहर्नृप ।। २९.

Whoever, being disciplined, eats curd-rice on that day, O king, those goddesses remove his sins day after day.

यश्चैतच्छृणुयाज्जन्म दिशां नियतमानसः । स प्रतिष्ठामवाप्नोति ब्रह्मलोके न संशयः ।। २९.

Whoever listens to this account of the birth of the directions with a focused mind attains a firm position in the world of Brahma—of this, there is no doubt.

महातपा उवाच । श्रृणु चान्यां वसुपतेरुत्पत्तिं पापनाशिनीम् । यथा वायुः शरीरस्थो धनदः संबभूव ह ।। ३०.

Mahātapā said: Hear also the other birth of the Lord of Wealth, which destroys sin—how Vāyu, dwelling in a body, became the bestower of riches.

आद्यं शरीरं यत् तस्मिन् वायुरन्तः स्थितोऽभवत् । प्रयोजनान्मूर्त्तिमत्त्वमादिष्टं क्षेत्रदेवता ।। ३०.

That first body in which Vāyu resided within—by purpose, the embodied form was ordained as the presiding deity of the field.

तत्र मूर्त्तस्य वायोस्तु उत्पत्तिः कीर्त्त्यये मया । तां श्रृणुष्व महाभाग कथ्यमानां मयानघ ।। ३०.

There, the origin of Vāyu in embodied form is now recounted by me for the sake of fame; listen to it, O highly fortunate one, as I narrate it, O sinless one.

ब्रह्मणः सृष्टिकामस्य मुखाद् वायुर्विनिर्ययौ । प्रचण्डशर्करावर्षी तं ब्रह्मा प्रत्यषेधयत् । मूर्त्तो भवस्व शान्तश्च तत्रोक्तो मूर्त्तिमान् भवत् ।। ३०.

From the mouth of Brahmā, desiring creation, Vāyu emerged, fierce and raining gravel; Brahmā restrained him, saying, 'Become embodied and peaceful,' and thus he became embodied.

सर्वेषां चैव देवानां यद् वित्तं फलमेव च । तत्सर्वं पाहि येनोक्तं तस्माद् धनपतिर्भवत् ।। ३०.

Whatever wealth and fruit belongs to all the gods, protect all that—by this command, you shall become the Lord of Wealth.

तस्य ब्रह्मा ददौ तुष्टस्तिथिमेकादशीं प्रभुः । तस्यामनग्निपक्वाशी यो भवेन्नियतः शुचिः ।। ३०.

To him, Brahmā, pleased, granted the Ekādaśī vow; whoever, disciplined and pure, eats food not cooked by fire on that day—

तस्याशु धनदो देवस्तुष्टः सर्वं प्रयच्छति । एषा धनपतेर्मूर्तिः सर्वकिल्बिषनाशिनी ।। ३०.

To such a one, the god Dhanada, being pleased, quickly gives everything; this is the form of the Lord of Wealth, destroyer of all sins.

य एतां श्रृणुयाद् भक्त्या पुरुषः पठतेऽपि वा । सर्वकाममवाप्नोति स्वर्गलोकं च गच्छति ।। ३०.

A man who listens to or recites this with devotion attains all desires and goes to the heavenly world.

महातपा उवाच । मनोर्नाम मनुत्वं च यदेतत् पठ्यते किल । प्रयोजनवशाद् विष्णुरसावेव तु मूर्त्तिमान् ।। ३१.

Mahātapā said: That which is recited as Manu and the state of being Manu—by necessity, that very Viṣṇu became embodied.

योऽसौ नारायणो देवः परात् परतरो नृप । तस्य चिन्ता समुत्पन्ना सृष्टिं प्रति नरोत्तम ।। ३१.

That Nārāyaṇa, the god who is higher than the highest, O king, had a thought arise concerning creation, O best of men.

सृष्टा चेयं मया सृष्टिः पालनीया मयैव ह । कर्मकाण्डं त्वमूर्त्तेन कर्तुं नैवेह शक्यते । तस्मान्मूर्त्तिं सृजाम्येकां यया पाल्यमिदं जगत् ।। ३१.

This creation has been made by me; it must indeed be protected by me. But ritual action cannot be performed by one without a body—therefore, I shall create an embodied form by which this world may be protected.

एवं चिन्तयतस्तस्य सत्याभिध्यायिनो नृप । प्राक्सृष्टिजातं राजन् वै मूर्त्तिमत् तत्पुरो बभौ ।। ३१.

As he thus reflected, with true resolve, O king, before him appeared an embodied being, born prior to creation.

पुरोभूते ततस्तस्मिन् देवो नारायणः स्वयम् । प्रविशन्तं ददर्शाथ त्रैलोक्यं तस्य देहतः ।। ३१.

When that being stood before him, the god Nārāyaṇa himself saw him entering the three worlds from his own body.