Varaha Purana

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.'

इत्युक्तेन त्वसौ व्याधश्चिन्तां परमिकां गतः । क्व संभविष्यते मह्यमिति चिन्तापरोऽभवत् ।। ३८.

When thus addressed, the hunter fell into deep thought: 'How will this be possible for me?'—he became absorbed in this worry.

तस्य चिन्तयतः पात्रमाकाशात् पतितं शुभम् । सौवर्णं सिद्धिसंयुक्तं तज्जग्राह करेण सः ।। ३८.

As he pondered, a pure vessel fell from the sky, golden and endowed with success; he took it in his hand.

तद् गृहीत्वा मुनिं प्राह दुर्वासाख्यं ससाध्वसः । अत्रैव स्थीयतां ब्रह्मन् यावद् भिक्षाटनं त्वहम् । करोमि तत्प्रसादोऽयं क्रियतां ब्रह्मवित्तम ।। ३८.

Taking it, he spoke to the sage named Durvāsas, trembling: 'Please remain here, O brahmin, while I go to seek alms; let this favor be granted, O knower of Brahman.'

एवमुक्त्वा ततो भिक्षामटनं व्याधसत्तमः । नातिदूरेण नगरं धनयोषसमन्वितम् ।। ३८.

Having spoken thus, the best of hunters went to seek alms, not far from there, to a city filled with wealth and women.

तस्य तत्र प्रयातस्य अग्रतः सर्वशोभनाः । वृक्षेभ्यो निर्ययुश्चान्या हेमपात्राग्रपाणयः । विविधान्नानि तस्याशु दत्त्वा पात्रं प्रपूरितम् ।। ३८.

As he arrived there, all the most beautiful women came forth from the trees, golden vessels in hand, and quickly filled his vessel with various foods.

स च भूतार्थमात्मानं मत्वा पुनरथाश्रमम् । आजगाम ततोऽपश्यत् तमृषिं जपतां वरम् ।। ३८.

Considering his purpose accomplished, he returned again to the hermitage and saw the sage, the best among those who recite prayers.

तं दृष्ट्वा स्थाप्य तां भिक्षां शुचौ देशे प्रसन्नधीः । प्रणम्य तमृषिं वाक्यमुवाच व्याधसत्तमः ।। ३८.

Seeing him, he placed the alms in a pure place, his mind serene, and, bowing to the sage, the best of hunters spoke these words.

भगवन् क्षालनं पद्भ्यां क्रियतामृषिपुंगव । यदि त्वहमनुग्राह्यस्तदेवं कर्त्तुमर्हसि ।। ३८.

'O Lord, let your feet be washed, O foremost of sages; if I am worthy of your grace, please allow me to do this.'

एवमुक्तः स जिज्ञासुस्तपोवीर्यं शुभं मुनिः । नदीं गन्तुं न शक्नोमि जलपात्रं न चास्ति मे ।। ३८.

Thus addressed, the sage, wishing to test the power of his austerity, said: 'I cannot go to the river, nor do I have a vessel for water.'

कथं प्रक्षालयाम्याशु व्याध पादौ महामते । इत्येतन्मुनिना व्याधः श्रुत्वा चिन्तापरोऽभवत् । किं करोमि कथं चास्य भोजनं वै भविष्यति ।। ३८.

'How can I quickly wash your feet, O wise hunter?'—hearing this from the sage, the hunter became absorbed in thought: 'What shall I do, and how will he eat?'

एवं संचिन्त्य मनसा गुरुं स्मृत्वा विचक्षणः । जगाम शरणं तां तु सरितं देविकां सुधीः ।। ३८.

Thinking thus in his mind, remembering his teacher, the wise one took refuge in the river Devikā.

व्याध उवाच । व्याधोऽस्मि पापकर्माऽस्मि ब्रह्महाऽस्मि सरिद्वरे । तथापि संस्मृता देवि पाहि मां शरणं गतम् ।। ३८.

The hunter said: 'I am a hunter, a sinner, a slayer of brahmins, O holy river; yet, remembering you, O goddess, protect me who has come for refuge.'

देवतां नैव जानामि न मन्त्रं न तथार्चनम् । गुरुपादौ परं ध्यात्वा पश्यामि सततं शुभे ।। ३८.

I do not know the deity, nor the mantra, nor the proper worship; I simply meditate on the feet of my teacher, O auspicious one, and see them always.

एवं विधस्य मे देवि दयां कुरु सरिद्वरे । ऋषेः क्षालार्थसलिलं समीपं कुरु माचिरम् ।। ३८.

O best of rivers, have compassion on me, who am thus; quickly bring water here for the sage to wash.

एवमुक्त्वाऽथ व्याधेन देविका पापनाशिनी । आजगाम यतस्तस्थौ दुर्वासाः संशितव्रतः ।। ३८.

Having spoken thus by the hunter, the sin-destroying Devikā came to the place where the steadfast Durvāsas was staying.

तस्य पादौ स्वयं देवी क्षालयन्ती सरिद्वरा । जगाम ह्रादिनी भूत्वा व्याधाश्रमसमीपतः ।। ३८.

The river goddess herself, washing the sage's feet, became a swift current and went near the hunter's hermitage.

तं दृष्ट्वा महदाश्चर्यं दुर्वसा विस्मयं ययौ । प्रक्षाल्य हस्तौ पादौ च तदन्तं श्रद्धयान्वितम् । बुभुजे परमप्रीतस्तथाचम्य विचक्षणः ।। ३८.

Seeing this great wonder, Durvāsas was amazed; after washing his hands and feet, with devotion, he ate with supreme delight, having sipped water, wise as he was.

तमस्थिशेषं व्याधं तु क्षुधादुर्बलतां गतम् । उवाच वेदाध्ययनं सर्वे वेदाः ससंग्रहाः । ब्रह्मविद्या पुराणानि प्रत्यक्षाणि भवन्तु ते ।। ३८.

To that hunter, emaciated and weakened by hunger, he said: 'Let the study of the Vedas, all the Vedas with their collections, the knowledge of Brahman, and the Purāṇas become directly manifest to you.'

एवं प्रादाद् वरं तस्य दुर्वासा नाम चाकरोत् । भवान् सत्यतपा नाम ऋषिराद्यो भविष्यति ।। ३८.

Thus Durvāsas granted him the boon and said: 'You will become the sage named Satyatapas, foremost among ascetics.'

एवं दत्तवरो व्याधस्तमाह मुनिसत्तमम् । व्याधो भूत्वा कथं ब्रह्मन् वेदानध्यापयाम्यहम् ।। ३८.

Having received the boon, the hunter spoke to the eminent sage: 'How, being a hunter, can I teach the Vedas, O Brāhmaṇa?'