Varaha Purana

इत्युक्तोऽहं पुरा तैस्तु ब्राह्मणैर्वेदपारगैः । तमेव सर्वं संप्राप्तो ब्रह्मशापं सुपुष्कलम् ।। ३७.

Thus I was formerly addressed by those Brahmins, masters of the Vedas; I received that complete curse of Brahmā from them.

ततस्ते ब्राह्मणा सर्वे प्रणिपत्य महामुने । उक्ताऽनुग्रहहेतोर्वै ऊचुस्ते मामिमं पुरा ।। ३७.

Then all those Brahmins, bowing to the great sage, spoke to me before, for the sake of granting favor.

षष्ठान्नकालिकस्याग्रे यस्ते स्थास्यति कश्चन । स भक्ष्यस्ते तु भविता कंचित्कालं नराधम ।। ३७.

'Whoever stands before you at the sixth meal-time, O lowest of men, that one will become your food for a certain time.'

यदेषुघातं लब्ध्वा तु प्राणैः कण्ठगतैर्भवान् । श्रोष्यसे द्विजवक्त्रात् तु नमो नारायणेति हि । तदा स्वर्गगतिस्तुभ्यं भविता नात्र संशयः ।। ३७.

'When, having been struck by an arrow, with life lingering in your throat, you hear from the mouth of a Brahmin the words "Obeisance to Nārāyaṇa," then you will attain heaven—of this there is no doubt.'

परवक्त्रगतस्यापि विष्णोर्नाम श्रुतं मया । लब्धद्वेषस्य विप्राणां प्रत्यक्षं तव सत्तम ।। ३७.

'Even if Viṣṇu's name is heard from another's mouth, I have heard, O best of beings, that for one who has incurred the Brahmins' wrath, it is manifest.'

यः पुनर्ब्राह्मणान् पूज्य स्ववक्त्रेण नमो हरिम् । वदन् प्राणं विमुच्येत मुक्तौऽसौ वीतकिल्बिषः ।।। ३७.

Whoever, honoring Brahmins, utters 'Salutations to Hari' with his own mouth and departs his life, is freed from sin and attains liberation.

सत्यं सत्यं पुनः सत्यमुत्क्षिप्य भुजमुच्यते । जङ्गमा ब्राह्मणा देवाः कूटस्थः पुरुषोत्तमः ।। ३७.

This is truth, indeed, again and again, truth—raising my arm, I declare: Brahmins who move about are gods; the Supreme Person is unchanging.

एवमुक्त्वा गतः स्वर्गं स राजा वीतकल्मषः । ब्राह्मणोऽपि सदायुक्तस्तं व्याधं प्रत्यभाषत ।। ३७.

Having spoken thus, the king, freed from faults, went to heaven; and the Brahmin, always steadfast, addressed the hunter.

ऋषिरुवाच । जिघृक्षोर्मृगराजस्य यत्त्वया रक्षितो ह्यहम् । तत्पुत्र तुष्टस्ते दद्मि वरं वरय सुव्रत ।। ३७.

The sage said: Because you protected me when the king of beasts sought to seize me, I am pleased with you, O virtuous one; ask for a boon, I grant it.

व्याध उवाच । एष एव वरो मह्यं यत् त्वं मां भाषसे द्विज । अतः परं वरेणाहं किं करोमि प्रशाधि माम् ।। ३७.

The hunter said: This alone is the boon for me—that you speak to me, O twice-born; what need have I for any other boon? Please instruct me.

ऋषिरुवाच । अहं त्वया पुरा पुत्र प्रार्थितोऽस्मि तपोऽर्थिना । बहुपातकयुक्तेन घोररूपेण चानघ ।। ३७.

The sage said: Formerly, O son, you sought me for penance, though you were burdened with many sins and had a terrible form, O sinless one.

इदानीं तव पापानि देविकाभिषवेण च । मद्दर्शनेन च चिरं विष्णुनामश्रुतेन च । नष्टानि शुद्धदेहोऽसि सांप्रतं नात्र संशयः ।। ३७.

Now, your sins have been destroyed by the ablution in Devikā, by seeing me for a long time, and by hearing the name of Viṣṇu; you are purified in body at this moment—there is no doubt.

इदानीं वरमेकं त्वं गृहाण मम सन्निधौ । तपः कुरुष्व साधो त्वं चिरकालं यदीच्छसि ।। ३७.

Now, in my presence, accept one boon: perform penance, O virtuous one, for as long as you desire.

व्याध उवाच । य एष भवता प्रोक्तो विष्णुर्नारायणः प्रभुः । स कथं प्राप्यते मर्त्यैरेष एव वरो मम ।। ३७.

The hunter said: This Viṣṇu, Nārāyaṇa, the Lord, whom you have spoken of—how is he attained by mortals? This alone is my boon.

ऋषिरुवाच । तमुद्दिश्य व्रतं कुर्याद् यत्किंचित्पुरुषोऽच्युतम् । स परं तमवाप्नोति भक्तया युक्तः पुमानिति ।। ३७.

The sage said: If a person undertakes a vow for Acyuta, however small, he attains the Supreme, being endowed with devotion.

एवं ज्ञात्वा भवान् पुत्र व्रतमेतत् समाचर । न भक्षयेद् गणान्नं तु न वदेदनृतं क्वचित् ।। ३७.

Thus knowing, O son, you should practice this vow: do not eat food from a group, and never speak falsehood anywhere.

एतत् ते व्रतमादिष्टं मया व्याधवर ध्रुवम् । अत्रैवं तपसा युक्तस्तिष्ठ त्वं यावदिच्छसि ।। ३७.

This vow has been prescribed for you by me, O best of hunters, certainly; here, engaged in penance, remain as long as you wish.

श्रीवराह उवाच । एवं चिन्तान्वितं मत्वा वरदो ब्राह्मणोऽभवत् । मोक्षार्थिनमथो बुद्ध्वा वञ्चयित्वा गतो मुनिः ।। ३७.

Śrī Varāha said: Thus, considering with thought, the Brahmin became a giver of boons; realizing the hunter sought liberation, the sage departed, having deceived him.

श्रीवराह उवाच । स शुभं शोभनं मार्गमास्थाय व्याधसत्तमः । तपस्तेपे निराहारस्तं गुरुं मनसा स्मरन् ।। ३८.

Śrī Varāha said: The excellent hunter, taking up the auspicious and beautiful path, performed penance without food, remembering his teacher in his mind.

भिक्षाकाले तु संप्राप्ते शीर्णपर्णान्यभक्षयत् । स कदाचित् क्षुधाविष्टो वृक्षमूलं समाश्रितः ।। ३८.

When the time for alms arrived, he ate dried leaves; once, afflicted by hunger, he took shelter at the root of a tree.

बुभुक्षितस्तरोः पर्णमैच्छद् भक्षितुमन्तिकात् । इत्येवं कुर्वतो व्योम्नि वागुवाचाशरीरिणी ।। ३८.

Hungry, he wished to eat a leaf from the tree nearby; as he was about to do so, a bodiless voice spoke from the sky.

मा भक्षयस्व सकटमुच्चैरेवं प्रभाषिते । ततोऽसौ तं विहायान्यद् वार्क्षं पतितमग्रहीत् ।। ३८.

Do not eat the leaf that is crooked—so spoke the voice loudly; then, leaving it, he took another fallen leaf from a different tree.

तमप्येवं निषिद्धं स्यादन्यं तथैवमेव च । एवं स सकटं मत्वा व्याधः किञ्चिन्न भक्षयत् ।। ३८.

That too was forbidden in the same way; thus, considering the leaf crooked, the hunter ate nothing.

निराहारस्तपस्तेपे स्मरन् गुरुमतन्द्रितः । तस्याथ बहुना काले गते ऋषिवरोऽभ्यगात् ।। ३८.

Fasting, he performed austerities, remembering his teacher without fatigue; then, after a long time had passed, the great sage arrived.

दुर्वासाः शंसितात्मा वै किञ्चित्प्राणमपश्यत । व्याधं तपोत्थतेजोभिर्ज्वलमानं हविर्यथा ।। ३८.

Durvāsas, whose mind was disciplined, saw him with only a little life remaining, the hunter blazing with the energy born of his penance, like an offering in the fire.

सोऽपि व्याधस्तु तं नत्वा शिरसाऽथ महामुनिम् । उवाच स कृतार्थोऽस्मि भगवन् दर्शनात् तव ।। ३८.

That hunter too, bowing his head to the great sage, said: 'O Lord, I am fulfilled by your sight.'

इदानीं श्राद्धकालं मे प्राप्तं त्वमवधारय । शीर्णपर्णानि भक्षयन् वै तैरेवाहं महामुने । भवन्तं प्रीणयामीति व्याधस्तं वाक्यमब्रवीत् ।। ३८.

'Now the time for the śrāddha has come for me—please understand this. Eating only dry leaves, O great sage, I seek to please you with these,' the hunter spoke these words.

दुर्वासा अपि तं शुद्धं शुद्धभावं जितेन्द्रियम् । जिज्ञासुस्तत्तपो वाक्यमिदमुच्चैरुवाच ह ।। ३८.

Even Durvāsas, seeing him pure, with a pure mind and self-controlled, wishing to test his austerity, spoke these words aloud.

यवगोधूमशालीनामन्नं चैव सुसंस्कृतम् । दीयतां मे क्षुधार्ताय त्वामुद्दिश्यागताय च ।। ३८.

'Give me well-prepared food of barley, wheat, and rice, for I have come here hungry, seeking you.'