Varaha Purana

इत्युक्त्वा तु तदा ब्रह्मा तेषां पन्थानमाकरोत् । दक्षिणायनसंज्ञं तु पितॄणां च पितामहः ।। ३४.

Having said this, Brahma then established for them the path called the southern course, as the grandsire of the ancestors.

तूष्णीं ससर्ज भूतानि तमूचुः पितरस्ततः । वृत्तिं नो देहि भगवन् यया विन्दामहे सुखम् ।। ३४.

He then created beings in silence; the ancestors said to him, 'O Lord, grant us a means of subsistence by which we may attain happiness.'

ब्रह्मा उवाच । अमावास्यादिनं वोऽस्तु तस्यां कुशतिलोदकैः । तर्पिता मानुषैस्तृप्तिं परां गच्छथ नान्यथा ।। ३४.

Brahma said: 'Let the new moon day be yours; on that day, when satisfied by humans with water mixed with kusa grass and sesame seeds, you attain supreme satisfaction—never otherwise.'

तिला देयास्तथैतस्यामुपोष्य पितृभक्तितः । परमं तस्य संतुष्टा वरं यच्छत मा चिरम् ।। ३४.

Sesame seeds should be given on this day, after fasting with devotion to the ancestors; they become supremely satisfied and quickly grant a boon.

महातपा उवाच । ब्रह्मणो मानसः पुत्रः अत्रिर्नाम महातपाः । तस्य पुत्रोऽभवत्सोमो दक्षजामातृतां गतः ।। ३५.

The great ascetic said: Atri, the mind-born son of Brahma, was a great sage; his son was Soma, who became the son-in-law of Daksha.

सप्तविंशति याः कन्या दाक्षायण्यः प्रकीर्त्तिताः । सोमपत्न्योऽतिमन्तव्यास्तासां श्रेष्ठा तु रोहिणि ।। ३५.

The twenty-seven daughters of Daksha are renowned; they are considered the wives of Soma, and among them Rohini is the foremost.

तामेव रमते सोमो नेतरा इति शुश्रुमः । इतराः प्रोचुरागत्य दक्षस्यासमतां शशेः ।। ३५.

We have heard that Soma delights only in her and not in the others; the rest, coming together, complained to Daksha about the lack of equality.

दक्षोऽप्यसकृदागत्य तमुवाच स नाकरोत् । समतां सोऽपि तं दक्षः शशापान्तर्हितो भव ।। ३५.

Daksha also came repeatedly and spoke to him, but he did not act with equality; then Daksha cursed him, saying, 'Become hidden.'

एवं शप्तस्तु दक्षेण सोमो देहं त्यजेदथ । उवाच सोमो दक्षं तु भवानेवं भविष्यति । अनेकजो विहायेमं ब्रह्मदेहं सनातनम् ।। ३५.

Thus cursed by Daksha, Soma was about to abandon his body; Soma said to Daksha, 'So shall it be for you: having many offspring, you will abandon this eternal Brahma-body.'

एवमुक्त्वा क्षयं सोम अगमद् दक्षशापतः । देवा मनुष्याः पशवो नष्टे सोमे सवीरुधः ।। ३५.

Having spoken thus, Soma declined due to Daksha's curse; when Soma was lost, gods, humans, cattle, and plants perished.

क्षीणाभवंस्तदा सर्वा ओषध्यश्च विशेषतः । क्षयं गच्छद्भिरत्यर्थमोषधीभिः सुरर्षभाः ।। ३५.

Then all beings became diminished, especially the herbs; as the plants withered away, the gods suffered greatly.

मूलेषु वीरुधां सोमः स्थित इत्यूचुरातुराः । तेषां चिन्ताऽभवत् तीव्रा विष्णुं च शरणं ययुः ।। ३५.

Sickened, they said that Soma remained at the roots of the plants; their anxiety became intense, and they sought refuge in Vishnu.

भगवानाह तान् सर्वान् ब्रूत किं क्रियते मया । ते चोचुर्देव दक्षेण शप्तः सोमो विनाशितः ।। ३५.

The Blessed Lord said to them all, 'Tell me, what should I do?' They replied, 'O god, Soma has been destroyed by Daksha's curse.'

तानुवाच तदा देवो मथ्यतां कलशोदधिः । ओषध्यः सर्वतो देवाः प्रक्षिप्याशु सुसंयतैः ।। ३५.

Then the god said to them, 'Let the pot-ocean be churned; let all the gods quickly and skillfully cast in the herbs from everywhere.'

एवमुक्त्वा ततो देवान् दध्यौ रुद्रं हरिः स्वयम् । ब्रह्माणं च तथा दध्यौ वासुकिं नेत्रकारणात् ।। ३५.

Having spoken thus to the gods, Hari himself meditated on Rudra; he also meditated on Brahma and Vasuki for the purpose of the churning.

ते सर्वे तत्र सहिता ममन्थुर्वरुणालयम् । तस्मिंस्तु मथिते जातः पुनः सोमो महीपते ।। ३५.

All of them together churned the abode of Varuna; when it was churned, Soma was born again, O king.

योऽसौ क्षेत्रज्ञसंज्ञो वै देहेऽस्मिन् पुरुषः परः । स एव सोमो मन्तव्यो देहिनां जीवसंज्ञितः । परेच्छया स मूर्त्तिं तु पृथक् सौम्यां प्रपेदिवान् ।। ३५.

He who is called the knower of the field, the supreme person within this body—he himself is to be understood as Soma, called the life of embodied beings; by the will of the Supreme, he took on a separate, gentle form.

तमेव देवमनुजाः षोडशेमाश्च देवताः । उपजीवन्ति वृक्षाश्च तथैवोषधयः प्रभुम् ।। ३५.

Humans, the sixteen deities, trees, and herbs all live by him as their lord.

रुद्रस्तमेव सकलं दधार शिरसा तदा । तदात्मिका भवन्त्यापो विश्वमूर्तिरसौ स्मृतः ।। ३५.

Then Rudra bore him entirely upon his head; from that time, the waters became his very essence, and he is remembered as the form of the universe.

तस्य ब्रह्मा ददौ प्रीतः पौर्णमासीं तिथिं प्रभुः । तस्यामुपोषयेद् राजंस्तमर्थं प्रतिपादयेत् ।। ३५.

Brahma, pleased, gave him the full-moon day as his sacred time; on that day, one should fast and offer him the due honor, O king.

यवान्नहारश्च भवेत् तस्य ज्ञानं प्रयच्छति । कान्तिं पुष्टिं च राजेन्द्र धनं धान्यं च केवलम् ।। ३५.

Barley food should be taken; he grants knowledge, beauty, and nourishment, O king, and also wealth and grain in abundance.

महातपा उवाच । आदित्रेतासु राजानो मणिजा ये प्रकीर्त्तिताः । कथयिष्यामि तान् राजन् यत्र जातोऽपि पार्थिव ।। ३६.

The great ascetic said: O King, I shall recount to you the jewel-like kings who are renowned in the ages of the Krita and Treta, and in which lineage you yourself were born, O ruler of men.

योऽसौ सुप्रभनामासीत् स त्वं राजन् कृते युगे । जातोऽसि नाम्ना विख्यातः प्रजापालेति शोभनः ।। ३६.

He who was known by the name Suprabha—that was you, O King, in the Krita Yuga; you were born with the illustrious name Prajāpāla, famed and radiant.

शेषास्त्रेतायुगे राजन् भविष्यन्ति महाबलाः । यो दीप्ततेजा मणिजः स शन्तेति प्रकीर्तितः ।। ३६.

The others, O King, will be mighty in the Treta Yuga; the one of blazing splendor among the jewel-like kings is called Śānti.

सुरश्मिर्भविता राजा शशकर्णो महाबलः । शुभदर्शनः पाञ्चालो भविष्यति नराधिपः ।। ३६.

Suraśmi will be a king, and Śaśakarṇa, of great strength; Śubhadarśana, a prince of the Pāñcāla lineage, will become lord of men.

सुशान्तिरङ्गवंशे वै सुन्दरोऽप्यङ्ग इत्युत । सुन्दश्च मुचुकुन्दोऽभूत्सुद्युम्नस्तुर एव च ।। ३६.

Suśānti will arise in the Aṅga dynasty, and Sundara will also be known as Aṅga; Sunda, Mucukunda, Sudyumna, and Tura were also born.

सुमनाः सोमदत्तस्तु शुभः संवरणोऽभवत् । सुशीलो वसुदानस्तु सुखदो सुपतिर्भवत् ।। ३६.

Sumanas became Somadatta, and the auspicious Saṃvaraṇa was born; Suśīla became Vasudāna, Sukhada became Supati.

शम्भुः सेनापतिरभूत् सुकान्तो दशरथः स्मृतः । सोमोऽभूज्जनको राजा एते त्रेतायुगे नृप ।। ३६.

Śambhu became the commander of the army, and Sukānta was remembered as Daśaratha; Soma became Janaka, O King—these were the kings in the Treta Yuga.

सर्वे भूमिमिमां राजन् भुक्त्वा ते वसुधाधिपाः । इष्ट्वा च विविधैर्यज्ञैर्दिवं प्राप्स्यन्त्यसंशयम् ।। ३६.

All these lords of the earth, O King, having enjoyed this world and performed various sacrifices, will undoubtedly attain heaven.