Varaha Purana

सर्वज्ञायेति कण्ठं तु प्रजानां पतये शिरः । प्रद्युम्नायेति च भुजौ दिव्यास्त्राय सुदर्शनम् । अमृतोद्भवाय शङ्खं तु एष देवार्चने विधिः ।। ४१.

Reciting 'Sarvajñāya' at the throat, 'Lord of beings' at the head, 'Pradyumnāya' at the arms, 'Divine weapon' at the discus, and 'Amṛtodbhavāya' at the conch—this is the method of worshipping the deity.

एवमभ्यर्च्य मेधावी तस्मिन् कुम्भे तु विन्यसेत् । सौवर्णं रौप्यताम्रं वा पात्रं विभवशक्तितः ।। ४१.

Having worshipped in this way, the wise one should place in that pot a vessel of gold, silver, or copper, according to his means.

सर्वबीजैस्तु संपूर्णं स्थापयित्वा विचक्षणः । तत्र शक्त्या तु सौवर्णं वाराहं कारयेद् बुधः ।। ४१.

Filling it with all kinds of seeds, the discerning one should then, according to his ability, fashion a golden image of Varāha there.

दंष्ट्राग्रेणोद्धृतां पृथ्वीं सपर्वतवनद्रुमाम् । माधवं मधुहन्तारं वाराहं रूपमास्थितम् ।। ४१.

With the tip of his tusk he raised the Earth, along with her mountains, forests, and trees—Mādhava, the slayer of Madhu, assuming the form of Varāha.

सर्वबीजभृते पात्रे रत्नगर्भं घटोपरि । स्थापयेत् परमं देवं जातरूपमयं हरिम् ।। ४१.

Upon the vessel filled with all seeds, place the precious image above the pot; establish the supreme Lord Hari, made of gold.

सितवस्त्रयुगच्छन्नं ताम्रपात्रं तु वै मुने । स्थाप्यार्च्चयेद् गन्धपुष्पैर्नैवेद्यैर्विविधैः शुभैः ।। ४१.

Cover the copper vessel with a pair of white cloths, O sage, and worship it with fragrant flowers and various auspicious offerings.

पुष्पमण्डलिकां कृत्वा जागरं तत्र कारयेत् । प्रादुर्भावान् हरेस्तत्र वाचयेद् भावयेद् बुधः ।। ४१.

Having made a circle of flowers, keep vigil there; let the wise one recite and contemplate the manifestations of Hari.

एवं सन्नियमस्यान्तं प्रभाते उदिते रवौ । शुचिः स्नात्वा हरिं पूज्य ब्राह्मणाय निवेदयेत् ।। ४१.

When this observance is completed, at dawn when the sun rises, having bathed in purity and worshipped Hari, offer him to a Brahmin.

वेदवेदाङ्गविदुषे साधुवृत्ताय धीमते । विष्णुभक्ताय विप्रर्षे विशेषेण प्रदापयेत् ।। ४१.

To a Brahmin learned in the Vedas and Vedāṅgas, of good conduct and intelligence, devoted to Viṣṇu, especially should this be given, O best of sages.

देवं सकुम्भं तं दत्त्वा हरिं वाराहरूपिणम् । ब्राह्मणाय भवेद् यद्धि फलं तन्मे निशामय ।। ४१.

Listen as I declare to you the fruit that arises from giving to a brāhmaṇa the image of Hari, the Lord, in the form of Varāha, together with a water pot.

इह जन्मनि सौभाग्यं श्रीः कान्तिस्तुष्टिरेव च । दरिद्रो वित्तवान् सद्यः अपुत्रो लभते सुतम् । अलक्ष्मीर्नश्यते सद्यो लक्ष्मीः संविशते क्षणात् ।। ४१.

In this very life, one gains good fortune, prosperity, beauty, and satisfaction; the poor man becomes wealthy at once, the childless obtains a son, misfortune is destroyed immediately, and Lakṣmī enters at that very moment.

इह जन्मनि सौभाग्यं परलोके निशामय । अस्मिन्नर्थे पुरावृत्तमितिहासं पुरातनम् ।। ४१.

Here, in this life, there is good fortune; now listen to what occurs in the next world. In this regard, I will recount to you an ancient story from times past.

इह लोकेऽभवद् राजा वीरधन्वेति विश्रुतः । स कदाचिद् वनं प्रायान् मृगहेतोः परंतपः ।। ४१.

In this world, there was once a king renowned as Vīradhanvan; at one time, that subduer of enemies went to the forest for the sake of hunting deer.

व्यापादयन् मृगगणान् तत्रर्षिवनमध्यगः । जघान मृगरूपान् सोऽज्ञानतो ब्राह्मणान् नृपः ।। ४१.

While slaying groups of deer, he entered the midst of a forest of sages; there, the king, not knowing, killed brāhmaṇas who had taken the form of deer.

भ्रातरस्तत्र पञ्चाशन्मृगरूपेण संस्थिताः । संवर्तस्य सुता ब्रह्मन् वेदाध्ययनतत्पराः ।। ४१.

There, O brāhmaṇa, were fifty brothers, sons of Saṃvarta, devoted to the study of the Vedas, who had assumed the forms of deer.

सत्यतपा उवाच । कारणं किं समाश्रित्य ते चक्रुर्मृगरूपताम् । एतन्मे कौतुकं ब्रह्मन् प्रणतस्य प्रसीद मे ।। ४१.

Satyatapa spoke: 'What reason did they have for taking on the forms of deer? O brāhmaṇa, I am eager to know this—be gracious to me, who bows before you.'

दुर्वासा उवाच । ते कदाचिद् वनं याता दृष्ट्वा हरिणपोतकान् । जातमात्रान् स्वमात्रा तु विहीनान् दृश्य सत्तम । एकैकं जगृहुस्ते हि ते मृताः स्कन्धसंस्थिताः ।। ४१.

Durvāsas said: 'Once, they went to the forest and, seeing young fawns just born and abandoned by their mothers, each of them took one and, holding them on their shoulders, they died.'

ततस्ते दुःखिताः सर्वे ययुः पितरमन्तिकम् । ऊचुश्च वचनं चेदं मृगहिंसामृते मुने ।। ४१.

Then, all of them, distressed, went to their father and spoke these words to the sage regarding the killing of the deer.

ऋषिपुत्रका ऊचुः । जातमात्रा मृगाः पञ्च अस्माभिर्निहता मुने । अकामतस्ततोऽस्माकं प्रायश्चित्तं विधीयताम् ।। ४१.

The sons of the sage said: 'O sage, we have killed five deer just born; since this was done unintentionally, let expiation be prescribed for us.'

संवर्त्त उवाच । मत्पिता हिंसकस्त्वासीदहं तस्माद् विशेषतः । भवन्तः पापकर्माणः संजाता मम पुत्रकाः ।। ४१.

Saṃvarta said: 'My father was violent, and I am especially so because of him; you, my sons, have thus been born with sinful actions.'

इदानीं मृगचर्माणि परिधाय यतव्रताः । चरघ्वं पञ्चवर्षाणि ततः शुद्धा भविष्यथ ।। ४१.

Now, wearing deer skins and observing vows of restraint, you must dwell in the forest for five years; after that, you will become purified.

एवमुक्तास्तु ते पुत्रा मृगचर्मोपवीतिनः । वनं विविशुरव्यग्रा जपन्तो ब्रह्म शाश्वतम् ।। ४१.

Thus addressed, those sons, wearing deer skins as their upper garment, entered the forest without anxiety, reciting the eternal Brahman.

तथा वर्षे व्यतिक्रान्ते वीरधन्वा महीपतिः । तत्राजगाम यस्मिंस्ते चरन्ति मृगरूपिणः ।। ४१.

When the year had passed in this way, King Vīradhanvan came to that place where they, in the forms of deer, were dwelling.

ते चाप्येकतरोर्मूले मृगचर्म्मोपवीतिनः । जपन्तः संस्थितास्ते हि राज्ञा दृष्ट्वा मृगा इति । मत्वा विद्धास्तु युगपन्मृतास्ते ब्रह्मवादिनः ।। ४१.

There, at the foot of a certain tree, those wearing deer skins as their upper garment were standing, reciting; the king, seeing them, thought they were deer and, shooting at them all at once, killed those speakers of Brahman.

तान् दृष्ट्वा तु मृतान् राजा ब्राह्मणान् संशितव्रतान् । भयेन वेपमानस्तु देवराताश्रमं ययौ । तत्रापृच्छद् ब्रह्मवध्या ममायाता महामुने ।। ४१.

Seeing those brāhmaṇas, steadfast in their vows, lying dead, the king, trembling with fear, went to the hermitage of Devarāta and there asked, 'Great sage, I have incurred the sin of killing brāhmaṇas.'

आमूल्य तद् वधं वृत्तं कथयित्वा नराधिपः । भृशं शोकपरीतात्मा रुरोद भृशदुःखितः ।। ४१.

Having recounted the entire event of the killing, the king, his heart overwhelmed with grief, wept in great sorrow.

स ऋषिर्देवरातस्तु रुदन्तं नृपसत्तमम् । उवाच मा भैर्नृपते अपनेष्यामि पातकम् ।। ४१.

Then the sage Devarāta spoke to the best of kings, who was weeping: 'Do not fear, O king; I shall remove your sin.'

पाताले सुतलाख्ये च यथा धात्री निमज्जती । उद्धृता देवदेवेन विष्णुना क्रोडमूर्त्तिना ।। ४१.

Just as the earth, called Sutala, sank into the netherworld and was lifted up by the god Vishnu, taking the form of a boar,

तद्वद् भवन्तं राजेन्द्र ब्रह्मवध्यापरिप्लुतम् । उद्धरिष्यति देवोऽसौ स्वयमेव जनार्दनः ।। ४१.

In the same way, O king, you, overwhelmed by the sin of killing a Brahmin, will be rescued by that god Janardana himself.