Varaha Purana

मारुतस्ते गतिर्वीर गरुत्मान् स च कीर्त्तितः । त्रैलोक्यगामिनी देवी लक्ष्मीस्तेऽस्तु सदाश्रये । द्वादशी च तिथिस्तेऽस्तु कामरूपी च जायते ।। ३१.

Let the wind be your movement, O hero, and Garuḍa your vehicle, as is proclaimed; may Lakṣmī, the goddess who traverses the three worlds, always be your refuge; let the twelfth lunar day be yours, and may she take any form desired.

घृताशनो भवेद्यस्तु द्वादश्यां त्वल्परायणः । स स्वर्गवासी भवतु पुमान् स्त्री वा विशेषतः ।। ३१.

Whoever eats clarified butter on the twelfth day, even with little devotion, whether man or woman, especially attains residence in heaven.

एष विष्णुस्तवाख्यातो मूर्तयो देवदानवान् । हन्ति पाति शरीराणि सृजत्यन्यानि चात्मनः ।। ३१.

This Viṣṇu, as described to you, takes forms to destroy and protect the bodies of gods and demons, and creates others from himself.

युगे युगे सर्वगोऽयं वेदान्ते पुरुषो ह्यसौ । न हीनबुद्ध्या वक्तव्यो मनुष्योऽयं कदाचन ।। ३१.

In every age, this all-pervading Person is declared in the Vedānta; he should never be spoken of as a mere human by those of lesser understanding.

य एवं श्रृणुयात् सर्गं वैष्णवं पापनाशनम् । स कीर्तिमिह संप्राप्य स्वर्गलोके महीयते ।। ३१.

Whoever hears this account of Viṣṇu's creation, which destroys sin, attains fame in this world and is honored in the heavenly realm.

पूर्वं ब्रह्माऽव्ययः शुद्धः परादपरसंज्ञितः । स सिसृक्षुः प्रजास्त्वादौ पालनं च विचिन्तयत् ।। ३२.

Formerly, Brahmā, imperishable and pure, known as the Supreme and the Supreme Beyond, desiring to create beings at the beginning, also considered their protection.

तस्य चिन्तयतस्त्वङ्गाद् दक्षिणाच्छ्वेतकुण्डलः । प्रादुर्बभूव पुरुषः श्वेतमाल्यानुलेपनः ।। ३२.

As he pondered, from his body, from the right side, appeared a man adorned with white earrings, garlands, and ointments.

तं दृष्ट्वोवाच भगवांश्चतुष्पादं वृषाकृतिम् । पालयेमाः प्रजाः साधो त्वं ज्येष्ठो जगतो भव ।। ३२.

Seeing him, the Blessed Lord spoke: 'O noble one, in the form of a bull with four legs, protect these beings; be the eldest in the world.'

इत्युक्तः समवस्थोऽसौ चतुःपद्भ्यां कृते युगे । त्रेतायां स समस्तृभ्यां द्वे चैव द्वापरेऽभवत् । कलावेकेन पादेन प्रजाः पालयते प्रभुः ।। ३२.

Thus addressed, he stood firm on four legs in the Kṛta age; in the Tretā age, he stood on three, in the Dvāpara on two, and in the Kali age, the Lord protects beings with only one leg.

षड्भेदो ब्राह्मणानां स त्रिधा क्षत्रे व्यवस्थितः । द्विधा वैश्येकधा शूद्रे स्थितः सर्वगतः प्रभुः । रसातलेषु सर्वेषु द्वीपवर्षे स्वयं प्रभुः ।। ३२.

Among Brāhmaṇas he is established in six forms, among Kṣatriyas in three, among Vaiśyas in two, and among Śūdras in one; the Lord is present everywhere, in all the netherworlds and on every continent and region.

द्रव्यगुणक्रियाजातिचतुःपादः प्रकीर्तितः । संहितापदक्रमश्चैव त्रिश्रृङ्गोऽसौ स्मृतो बुधैः ।। ३२.

He is called four-footed, consisting of substance, quality, action, and species; and, according to the sequence of the Saṃhitā, the wise remember him as three-horned.

तथा आद्यन्त ओङ्कार द्विशिराः सप्तहस्तवान् । त्रिबद्धबद्धो विप्राणां मुख्यः पालयते जगत् ।। ३२.

Thus, the primordial and endless Om, two-headed and seven-handed, bound with threefold bonds, is the chief among the Brahmins and protects the world.

स धर्मः पीडितः पूर्वं सोमेनाद्भुतकर्मण । तारां जिघृक्षता पत्नीं भ्रातुराङ्गिरसस्य ह ।। ३२.

That Dharma, oppressed before by Soma of wondrous deeds, who sought to seize Tārā, the wife of his brother Aṅgirasa—

सोऽपायाद् भीषितस्तेन बलिना क्रूरकर्मणा । अरण्यं गहनं घोरमाविवेश तदा प्रभुः ।। ३२.

Frightened by that powerful and cruel one, he departed and entered a dense, terrible forest.

तस्मिन् गते सुराः सर्वे असुराणां तु पत्नयः । जिघृक्षन्तस्तदौकांसि बभ्रमुर्धर्मवञ्चिताः । असुरा अपि तद्वच्च सुरवेश्मनि बभ्रमुः ।। ३२.

When he had gone, all the wives of the Asuras, deprived of Dharma, wandered desiring to seize the dwellings of the gods; and the Asuras likewise wandered in the abodes of the gods.

निर्मर्यादे तथा जाते धर्मनाशे च पार्थिव । देवासुरा युयुधिरे सोमदोषेण कोपिताः । स्त्रीहेतोश्च महाभाग विविधायुधपाणयः ।। ३२.

When order was thus lost and Dharma destroyed, O king, the gods and Asuras, angered by Soma’s fault and for the sake of women, took up various weapons and fought.

तान् दृष्ट्वा युध्यतो देवानसुरैः सह कोपितान् । नारदः प्राह संगम्य पित्रे ब्रह्मणि हर्षितः ।। ३२.

Seeing the gods and Asuras fighting in anger, Nārada, delighted, approached his father Brahmā and spoke to him.

स हंसयानमारुह्य सर्वलोकपितामहः । निवारयामास तदा कस्यार्थे युद्धमब्रवीत् ।। ३२.

Then the Grandfather of all worlds, mounting his swan vehicle, restrained them and asked for whose sake the battle was being fought.

सर्वे शशंसुः सोमं तु स तु बुद्ध्वा स्वकं सुतम् । पीडनादपयातं तु गहनं वनमाश्रितम् ।। ३२.

All declared it was because of Soma; and realizing that his own son, oppressed, had fled and taken refuge in a dense forest—

ततो ब्रह्मा ययौ तत्र देवासुरयुतस्त्वरन् । ददर्श च सुरैः सार्द्धं चतुष्पादं वृषाकृतिम् । चरन्तं शशिसङ्काशं दृष्ट्वा देवानुवाच ह ।। ३२.

Then Brahmā, together with the gods and Asuras, quickly went there and, along with the gods, saw Dharma in the form of a bull, shining like the moon, wandering; seeing him, he spoke to the gods.

ब्रह्मा उवाच । अयं मे प्रथमः पुत्रः पीडितः शशिना भृशम् । पत्नीं जिघृक्षता भ्रातुर्द्धर्मसंज्ञो महामुनिः ।। ३२.

Brahmā said: This is my firstborn son, Dharma, greatly oppressed by Soma, who sought to seize his brother’s wife, O great sage.

इदानीं तोषयध्वं वै सर्व एव सुरासुराः । येन स्थितिर्वो भवति समं देवासुरा इति ।। ३२.

Now, all you gods and Asuras, appease him, so that your state may be preserved equally, O gods and Asuras.

ततः सर्वे स्तुतिं चक्रुस्तस्य देवस्य हर्षिताः । विदित्वा ब्रह्मणो वाक्यात् संपूर्णशशिसन्निभम् ।। ३२.

Then all, delighted, praised that god, knowing from Brahmā’s words that he was like the full moon.

देवा ऊचुः । नमोऽस्तु शशिसङ्काश नमस्ते जगतः पते । नमोऽस्तु देवरूपाय स्वर्गमार्गप्रदर्शक । कर्ममार्गस्वरूपाय सर्वगाय नमो नमः ।। ३२.

The gods said: Salutations to you, moon-like one! Salutations to you, Lord of the world! Salutations to you, who are divine in form, who show the path to heaven, who are the very form of the path of action, who are all-pervading—salutations, again and again!

त्वयेयं पाल्यते पृथ्वी त्रैलोक्यं च त्वयैव हि । जनस्तपस्तथा सत्यं त्वया सर्वं तु पाल्यते ।। ३२.

By you this earth is protected, and the three worlds indeed by you alone; the worlds of men, ascetics, and truth are all protected by you.

न त्वया रहितं किंचिज्जगत्स्थावरजङ्गमम् । विद्यते त्वद्विहीनं तु सद्यो नश्यति वै जगत् ।। ३२.

There is nothing in the world, moving or unmoving, without you; bereft of you, the world instantly perishes.

त्वमात्मा सर्वभूतानां सतां सत्त्वस्वरूपवान् । राजसानां रजस्त्वं च तामसानां तम एव च ।। ३२.

You are the soul of all beings, the very essence of the good; you are rajas among the passionate, and you are tamas among the inert.

चतुष्पादो भवान् देव चतुश्श्रृङ्गस्त्रिलोचनः । सप्तहस्तस्त्रिबन्धश्च वृषरूप नमोऽस्तु ते ।। ३२.

You are four-footed, O god, four-horned, three-eyed, seven-handed, three-bonded, in the form of a bull—salutations to you!

त्वया हीना वयं देव सर्व उन्मार्गवर्त्तिनः । तन्मार्गं यच्छ मूढानां त्वं हि नः परमा गतिः ।। ३२.

Deprived of you, O god, we all stray from the right path; lead these deluded ones to the true path, for you are our supreme goal.