Varaha Purana

ऋषिरध्यात्मयोगेन विहायेदं कलेवरम् । ब्रह्मभूतोऽभवद्धात्रि हरौ लयमवाप च ।। ३६.

The sage, through the discipline of spiritual yoga, abandoned this body; becoming one with Brahman, he attained dissolution in Hari.

वृन्दावनं च राजाऽसौ तपोऽर्थं गतवान् प्रभुः । तत्र गोविन्दनामानं हरिं स्तोतुमथारभत् ।। ३६.

That king, the lord, went to Vṛndāvana for the sake of austerity; there he began to praise Hari, known as Govinda.

राजोवाच । नमामि देवं जगतां च मूर्त्तिं गोपेन्द्रमिन्द्रानुजमप्रमेयम् । संसारचक्रक्रमणैकदक्षं क्षितीधरं देववरं नमामि ।। ३६.

The king said: I bow to the god, the very form of the universe, the lord of cowherds, the peerless younger brother of Indra, the one alone skilled in traversing the cycle of worldly existence, the upholder of the earth, the best among the gods—I bow to him.

भवोदधौ दुःखशतोर्म्मिभीमे जरावर्त्ते कृष्णपातालमूले । तदन्तमेको दधते सुखं मे नमोऽस्तु ते गोपतिरप्रमेय ।। ३६.

In the ocean of becoming, amidst the terrible waves of a hundred sorrows, in the whirlpool of old age, at the dark root of the underworld—he alone brings an end and gives me happiness. Salutations to you, O Govinda, the immeasurable.

व्याध्यादियुक्तः पुरुषैर्ग्रहैश्च सङ्घट्टमानं पुनरेव देव । नमोऽस्तु ते युद्धरते महात्मा जनार्दनो गोपतिरुग्रबाहुः ।। ३६.

When men, afflicted by disease and other troubles, are struck again and again by the planets, O God, I bow to you, O great-souled one, delighting in battle, Janārdana, lord of cowherds, mighty-armed.

त्वमुत्तमः सर्वविदां सुरेश त्वया ततं विश्वमिदं समस्तम् । गोपेन्द्र मां पाहि महानुभाव भवाद्भीतं तिग्मरथाङ्गपाणे ।। ३६.

You are the highest among all knowers, O lord of gods; by you this entire universe is pervaded. O lord of cowherds, of great glory, protect me, who am fearful of worldly existence, O wielder of the fierce discus.

परोऽसि देव प्रवरः सुराणां पुंसः स्वरूपोऽसि शशिप्रकाशः । हुताशवक्त्राच्युत तीव्रभाव गोपेन्द्र मां पाहि भवे पतन्तम् ।। ३६.

You are supreme, O god, the foremost among the gods; you are the true form of man, shining like the moon. O Acyuta, with the face of fire and intense nature, O lord of cowherds, protect me as I fall into becoming.

संसारचक्रक्रमणान्यनेका - न्याविर्भवन्त्यच्युत देहिनां यत् । त्वन्मायया मोहितानां सुरेश कस्ते मायां तरते द्वन्द्वधामा ।। ३६.

O Acyuta, countless revolutions in the cycle of worldly existence arise for embodied beings, deluded by your māyā, O lord of gods; who can cross your māyā, the abode of dualities?

अगोत्रमस्पर्शमरूपगन्ध - मनामनिर्देशमजं वरेण्यम् । गोपेन्द्र त्वां यद्युपासन्ति धीरा - स्ते मुक्तिभाजो भवबन्धमुक्ताः ।। ३६.

O lord of cowherds, those wise ones who worship you—who are without lineage, untouched, formless, scentless, nameless, indescribable, unborn, and supreme—those indeed attain liberation, freed from the bondage of becoming.

शब्दातिगं व्योमरूपं विमूर्त्तिं विकर्म्मिणां शुभभावं वरेण्यम् । चक्राब्जपाणिं तु तथोपचारा- दुक्तं पुराणे सततं नमामि ।। ३६.

I bow always to Him who is beyond sound, whose form is space, who is formless, who is the auspicious essence among those who act, who is to be sought, whose hands bear the discus and the lotus, as described in the Purāṇas by way of analogy.

त्रिविक्रमं क्रान्तजगत्त्रयं च चतुर्मूर्त्तिं विश्वगतां क्षितीशम् । शम्भुं विभुं भूतपतिं सुरेशं नमाम्यहं विष्णुमनन्तमूर्त्तिम् ।। ३६.

I bow to Viṣṇu, the infinite form, the three-stepping one who traversed the three worlds, who has four forms, who pervades all, the Lord of the earth, Śambhu, the all-pervading one, the Lord of beings, the Lord of the gods.

त्वं देव सर्वाणि चराचराणि सृजस्यथो संहरसे त्वमेव । मां मुक्तिकामं नय देव शीघ्रं यस्मिन् गता योगिनो नापयान्ति ।। ३६.

O God, you alone create and dissolve all moving and unmoving beings; lead me swiftly, O Lord, who desires liberation, to that state where yogis, having reached it, do not return.

जयस्व गोविन्द महानुभाव जयस्व विष्णो जय पद्मनाभ । जयस्व सर्वज्ञ जयाप्रमेय जयस्व विश्वेश्वर विश्वमूर्त्ते ।। ३६.

Victory to you, Govinda, of great glory! Victory to you, Viṣṇu! Victory to you, Padmanābha! Victory to you, all-knowing one, immeasurable one! Victory to you, Lord of the universe, whose form is the universe!

श्रीवराह उवाच । एवं स्तुत्वा तदा राजा निधाय स्वं कलेवरम् । परमात्मनि गोविन्दे लयमागाच्च शाश्वते ।। ३६.

Śrī Varāha said: Thus praised, the king then, laying aside his body, attained dissolution in Govinda, the Supreme Self, eternal.

धरण्युवाच । कथमाराध्यसे देव भक्तिमद्भिर्नरैर्विभो । स्त्रीभिर्वा सर्वमेतन्मे शंस त्वं भूतभावन ।। ३७.

Earth said: How are you worshipped, O Lord, by devoted men or by women? Tell me all this, O Creator of beings.

श्रीवराह उवाच । भावसाध्योऽस्म्यहं देवि न वित्तैर्न जपैरहम् । साध्यस्तथाऽपि भक्तानां कायक्लेशं वदामि ते ।। ३७.

Śrī Varāha said: O goddess, I am attained by devotion, not by wealth or recitations; yet I will tell you the bodily austerities suitable for devotees.

कर्मणा मनसा वाचा मच्चित्तो यो नरो भवेत् । तस्य व्रतानि धास्यामि विविधानि निबोध मे ।। ३७.

Whoever, with actions, mind, and speech, is intent on me—hear from me the various vows I prescribe for such a person.

अहिंसा सत्यमस्तेयं ब्रह्मचर्यं प्रकीर्तितम् (-कल्कत)ा । एतानि मानसान्याहुर्व्रतानि तु धराधरे ।। ३७.

Nonviolence, truthfulness, non-stealing, and celibacy—these are declared to be mental vows, O Upholder of the Earth.

एकभक्तं तथा नक्तमुपवासादिकं च यत् । तत्सर्वं कायिकं पुंसां व्रतं भवति नान्यथा ।। ३७.

Single-minded devotion, fasting at night, and other such practices—all these are bodily vows for men, not otherwise.

मौनं चाध्ययनं चैव देवस्तुत्यर्थकीर्तितत् । निवृत्तिश्चापि पैशुन्याद् वाचिकं व्रतमुत्तमम् ।।३७.

Silence, study, and recitation for the sake of praising the gods, and refraining from slander—these are the highest verbal vows.

अत्रापि श्रूयते चान्यदृषिरुग्रतपाः पुरा । ब्रह्मपुत्रः पुरा कल्पे आरुणिर्नाम नामतः ।। ३७.

Here too is heard another story: formerly, in another age, there was a sage named Āruṇi, son of Brahmā, of fierce austerity.

सोऽरण्यमगमत् किंचित् तपोर्थी द्विजसत्तमः । तपस्तेपे ततस्तस्मिन्नुपवासपरायणः ।। ३७.

That best of twice-born went to the forest, seeking austerity; there he practiced penance, devoted to fasting.

देविकायास्तटे रम्ये सोऽवसद् ब्राह्मणः किल । कदाचिदभिषेकाय स जगाम महानदीम् ।। ३७.

That brāhmaṇa dwelt on the beautiful bank of the Devikā river; once, for the sake of ablution, he went to the great river.

तत्र स्नात्वा जपन् विप्रो ददर्शायान्तमग्रतः । व्याधं महाधनुःपाणिमुग्रनेत्रं विभीषणम् ।। ३७.

There, after bathing and reciting, the brāhmaṇa saw approaching before him a hunter, fearsome, with a great bow in hand and fierce eyes.

तं द्विजं हन्तुमायात् स वल्कलानां जिघृक्षया । तं दृष्ट्वा क्षुभितो विप्रो ब्रह्मघ्नस्य भयादिति । ध्यायन् नारायणं देवं तस्थौ तत्रैव स द्विजः ।। ३७.

That hunter came to kill the brāhmaṇa, desiring his bark garments; seeing him, the brāhmaṇa was agitated out of fear of slaying a brāhmaṇa, and stood there, meditating on Lord Nārāyaṇa.

तं दृष्ट्वाऽन्तर्गतहरिं व्याधो भीत इवाग्रतः । विहाय सशरं चापं ततो वचनमब्रवीत् ।। ३७.

Seeing the brāhmaṇa with Hari within, the hunter, as if frightened, abandoned his bow and arrows and then spoke these words.

व्याध उवाच । हन्तुमिच्छुरहं ब्रह्मन् भवन्तं प्रागिहागतः । इदानीं दर्शनात् तुभ्यं सा मतिः क्वापि मे गता ।। ३७.

The hunter said: I came here earlier intending to kill you, O brāhmaṇa, but now, upon seeing you, my mind has gone elsewhere.

ब्राह्मणानां सहस्त्राणि सस्त्रीणामयुतानि च । निहतानि मया ब्रह्मन् निहतौ च कुटम्बिनौ ।। ३७.

O Brahman, thousands of Brahmins and tens of thousands of their wives have been slain by me, and also householders have been killed.

नरकेऽभ्यधिकं चित्तं कदाचिदपि विद्यते । इदानीं तप्तुमिच्छामि तपोऽहं त्वत्समीपतः । उपदेशप्रदानेन प्रसादं कर्तुमर्हसि ।। ३७.

Never, at any time, has there been a mind more sinful in hell; now I wish to perform austerity near you. By giving me instruction, you should show me your favor.