Varaha Purana

मासनाम्ना तु संयुक्तं प्रादुर्भावविधानकम् । प्रीयतामिति सर्वत्र विधिरेष प्रकीर्तितः ।। ४३.

Joined with the name of the month and the rite of manifestation, everywhere this is declared as the rule, saying, 'May he be pleased.'

श्रूयते च पुरा राजा हर्यश्वः पृथिवीपतिः । अपुत्रः स तपस्तेपे पुत्रमिच्छंस्तपोधनम् ।। ४३.

It is heard that in ancient times there was a king named Haryaśva, lord of the earth, who, being childless, performed austerities desiring a son, O best of sages.

तस्यैव कुर्वतो व्युष्टिं पुत्रार्थे मुनिसत्तम । आजगाम हरिः पूर्वं द्विजरूपं समाश्रितः ।। ४३.

As he was performing the night vigil for the sake of a son, O eminent sage, Hari himself came first, taking the form of a twice-born.

उवाच तपसा राजन् किं ते व्यवसितं प्रभो । पुत्रार्थमिति प्रोवाच तं विप्रः प्रत्युवाच ह ।। ४३.

He spoke: 'By your austerity, O King, what have you resolved, O Lord?' The sage replied to him, saying, 'It is for the sake of a son.'

इदमेव विधानं तु कुरु राजन्नुवाच ह । एवमुक्त्वा तु राजानं क्षणादन्तर्हितः प्रभुः ।। ४३.

He said, 'This is the procedure, O King; perform it.' Having spoken thus to the king, the Lord vanished in an instant.

राजाऽपि तं चकाराशु मन्त्रवन्तं द्विजातये । दरिद्राय तथा प्रादात् ज्योतिर्गार्गाय धीमते ।। ४३.

The king quickly performed the ritual with mantras for the twice-born; he gave it to the poor and to the wise Jyotirgarga.

यथादितेरपुत्रायाः स्वयं पुत्रत्वमागतः । भगवंस्तेन सत्येन ममाप्यस्तु सुतो वरः ।। ४३.

Just as another's son attained sonship himself, O Lord, by that truth, may I too have a noble son.

अनेन विधिना दत्ते तस्य पुत्रोऽभवन्मुने । कुवलाश्व इति ख्यातश्चक्रवर्ती महाबलः ।। ४३.

By this method, when given, a son was born to him, O sage; he became known as Kuvalashva, a mighty emperor.

अपुत्रो लभते पुत्रमधनो लभते धनम् । भ्रष्टराज्यो लभेद् राज्यं मृतो विष्णुपुरं व्रजेत् ।। ४३.

A sonless man obtains a son, a poor man obtains wealth; one who has lost his kingdom regains it, and the dead reach Vishnu's abode.

कीर्त्तित्वा सुचिरं तत्र इह मर्त्यमुपागतः । चक्रवर्ती भवेद् धीमान् ययातिरिव नाहुषः ।। ४३.

Having been praised there for a long time, he came to this mortal world; he became a wise emperor, like Yayati, son of Nahusha.

दुर्वास उवाच । वैशाखेऽप्येवमेवं तु संकल्प्य विधिना नरः । तद्वत् स्नानादिकं कृत्वा ततो देवालयं व्रजेत् ।। ४४.

Durvasa spoke: In the month of Vaishakha, a man should resolve in this way, following the procedure; after bathing and other rites, he should go to the temple.

तत्राराध्य हरिं भक्त्या एभिर्मन्त्रैर्विचक्षणः । जामदग्न्याय पादौ तु उदरं सर्वधारिणे । मधुसूदनायेति कटिमुरः श्रीवत्सधारिणे ।। ४४.

There, worshipping Hari with devotion, the wise man should recite these mantras: 'To Jamadagni, the feet; to the bearer of all, the abdomen; to Madhusudana, the waist and chest, the bearer of the Srivatsa.'

क्षत्रान्तकाय च भुजौ मणिकण्ठाय कण्ठकम् । स्वनाम्ना शङ्खचक्रौ तु शिरो ब्रह्माण्डधारिणे ।। ४४.

'To the destroyer of Kshatriyas, the arms; to the one with a jeweled throat, the neck; by his own name, the conch and discus; to the bearer of the universe, the head.'

एवमभ्यर्च्य मेधावी प्राग्वत् तस्याग्रतो घटम् । विन्यस्य स्थगितं तद्वद् वस्त्रयुग्मेन वेष्टितम् ।। ४४.

Having thus worshipped, the wise man, as before, should place a pot in front of him, covered and wrapped with a pair of cloths.

वैणवेन तु पात्रेण तस्मिन् संस्थापयेद्धरिम् । जामदग्न्येति विख्यातं नाम्ना क्लेशविनाशनम् ।। ४४.

In a vessel made of bamboo, he should install Hari there, known by the name Jamadagni, the destroyer of suffering.

दक्षिणे परशुं हस्ते तस्य देवस्य कारयेत् । सर्वगन्धैश्च संपूज्य पुष्पैर्नानाविधैः शुभैः ।। ४४.

He should make the deity hold an axe in the right hand; worship him with all fragrances and various auspicious flowers.

ततस्तस्याग्रतः कुर्याज्जागरं भक्तिमान्नरः । प्रभाते विमले सूर्ये ब्राह्मणाय निवेदयेत् । एवं नियमयुक्तस्य यत्फलं तन्निबोध मे ।। ४४.

Then, in front of him, the devoted man should perform vigil; at dawn, when the sun is pure, he should offer it to a Brahmin. Hear from me the fruit of such observance.

आसीद् राजा महाभागो वीरसेनो महाबलः । अपुत्रः स पुरा तीव्रं तपस्तेपे महौजसा ।। ४४.

There was a king of great fortune, Virasena, of great strength; he was sonless and once performed intense austerity with great energy.

चरतस्तत्तपो घोरं याज्ञवल्क्यो महामुनिः । आजगाम महायोगी तं दृष्ट्वा नातिदूरतः ।। ४४.

As he was performing that fierce austerity, the great sage Yajnavalkya, a great yogi, came and saw him not far away.

तमायान्तमथो दृष्ट्वा ऋषिं परमवर्चसम् । कृताञ्जलिपुटो भूत्वा राजाभ्युत्थानमाकरोत् ।। ४४.

Seeing the approaching sage, radiant with supreme power, the king, with hands joined in reverence, rose to greet him.

स पूजितो मुनिः प्राह किमर्थं तप्यते तपः । राजन् कथय धर्मज्ञ किं ते कार्यं विवक्षितम् ।। ४४.

Honored, the sage spoke: 'For what purpose are you practicing austerity? O king, tell me, knower of dharma, what is the task you wish to accomplish?'

राजोवाच । अपुत्रोऽहं महाभाग नास्ति मे पुत्रसंततिः । तेन मे तप आंस्थाय कृष्यते स्वतनुर्द्विज ।। ४४.

The king said: O most fortunate one, I am without a son; I have no lineage of sons. Therefore, I am afflicted by this austerity, and my own body is tormented, O twice-born one.

याज्ञवल्क्य उवाच । अलं ते तपसाऽनेन महाक्लेशेन पार्थिव । अल्पायासेन ते पुत्रो भविष्यति न संशयः ।। ४४.

Yajnavalkya said: Enough of this austerity, O king, with such great hardship. With little effort, you will have a son—there is no doubt.

राजोवाच । कथं मे भविता पुत्रो अल्पायासेन वै द्विज । एतन्मे कथय प्रीतो भगवन् प्रणतस्य ह ।। ४४.

The king said: How will I obtain a son with little effort, O twice-born one? Please tell me this, O blessed one, who is pleased with me as I bow before you.

दुर्वासा उवाच । एवमुक्तो मुनिस्तेन पार्थिवेन यशस्विना । आचख्यौ द्वादशीं चेमां वैशाखे सितपक्षजाम् ।। ४४.

Durvasa said: Thus addressed by that renowned king, the sage explained this Dvadashi observance, which occurs in the bright fortnight of Vaishakha.

स हि राजा विधानेन पुत्रकामो विशेषतः । उपोष्य लब्धवान् पुत्रं नलं परमधार्मिकम् । योऽद्यापि कीर्त्यते लोके पुण्यश्लोको नरोत्तमः ।। ४४.

That king, especially desiring a son, observed the vow as prescribed, and obtained a son named Nala, supremely righteous, who is still praised in the world today as a most virtuous and noble man.

प्रासङ्गिकं फलं ह्येतद् गतस्यास्य महामुने । सुपुत्रो जायते वित्तविद्यावान् कान्तिरुत्तमा ।। ४४.

This is the incidental result for one who performs it, O great sage: a good son is born, possessing wealth, knowledge, and excellent beauty.

इह जन्मनि किं चित्रं परलोके श्रृणुष्व मे । कल्पमेकं ब्रह्मलोके वसित्वाऽप्सरसां गणैः ।। ४४.

Hear from me what is remarkable in the next world, beyond this birth: after dwelling for one kalpa in Brahma's world among the hosts of Apsaras,

क्रीडत्यन्ते पुनः सृष्टौ चक्रवर्ती भवेद् ध्रुवम् । त्रिंशत्यब्दसहस्त्राणि जीवते नात्र संशयः ।। ४४.

At the end of his sport, upon creation again, he surely becomes a universal monarch, living for thirty thousand years—of this there is no doubt.