Varaha Purana

एष ते विधिरुद्दिष्टः श्रावणे मासि वै विभो । एतस्याश्च प्रभावं यत् श्रृणु पापप्रणाशनम् ।। ४७.

O mighty one, this rite has been prescribed for you in the month of Śrāvaṇa; listen to the power of this, which destroys sin.

पुरा कृतयुगे राजा नृगो नाम महाबलः । बभ्राम स वनं घोरं मृगयासक्तमानसः ।। ४७.

Long ago, in the Kṛta Yuga, there was a king named Nṛga, of great might, who wandered in a terrible forest, his mind absorbed in hunting.

स कदाचित् तुरङ्गेण हृतो दूरं महद्वनम् । व्याघ्रसिंहगजाकीर्णं दस्युसर्पनिषेवितम् ।। ४७.

Once, carried far away on his horse, he entered a vast forest filled with tigers, lions, and elephants, frequented by bandits and serpents.

एकाकी तत्र राजा तु अश्वं मुच्य तरोरधः । स्वयं कुशमथास्तीर्य सुप्तो दुःखसमन्वितः ।। ४७.

There, the king, alone, released his horse beneath a tree, spread out some kuśa grass himself, and, afflicted by hardship, fell asleep.

तावत् तत्रैव लुब्धानां सहस्त्राणि चतुर्दश । आगतानि मृगान् हन्तुं रात्रौ राज्ञः समन्ततः ।। ४७.

Meanwhile, fourteen thousand hunters arrived there at night, surrounding the king on all sides, intent on killing animals.

तत्रापश्यन्त ते सुप्तं हेमरत्नविभूषितम् । नृगं राजानमत्युग्रं श्रिया परमया युतम् ।। ४७.

There they saw him sleeping, adorned with gold and jewels—King Nṛga, exceedingly formidable, endowed with supreme splendor.

ते गत्वा त्वरितं व्याधाः स्वभर्त्रे संन्यवेदयन् । सोऽपि रत्नसुवर्णार्थं राजानं हन्तुमुद्यतः ।। ४७.

The hunters quickly went and reported to their leader; he, desiring the jewels and gold, prepared to kill the king.

तुरगस्य च हेतोस्तु निस्त्रिंशा वनचारिणः । राजानं सुप्तमासाद्य निगृहीतुं प्रचक्रमुः ।। ४७.

Because of the horse, the forest-dwellers, armed with swords, approached the sleeping king, intent on capturing him.

तावद् राज्ञः शरीरात् तु श्वेताभरणभूषिता । नारी काचित् समुत्तस्थौ स्त्रक्चन्दनविभूषिता । उत्थाय चक्रमादाय ते म्लेच्छा विनिपातिताः ।। ४७.

Then, from the king’s body, a woman adorned with white ornaments, garlands, and sandal paste arose; taking up a discus, she struck down those barbarians.

दस्यून् निहत्य सा देवी तस्य राज्ञस्तनुं पुनः । प्रविशन्त्याशु राजाऽपि प्रतिबुद्धोऽथ दृष्टवान् । म्लेच्छांस्तु निहतान् दृष्ट्वा सा स्वमूर्त्तिलयं गता ।। ४७.

Having slain the bandits, that goddess swiftly re-entered the king’s body; the king awoke and saw the slain barbarians, and she vanished into her own form.

अश्वमारुह्य स पुनर्वामदेवाश्रमं ययौ । तत्रापृच्छद् ऋषिं भक्त्या का स्त्री के ते निपातिताः । एतत् कार्यमृषे मह्यं कथयस्व प्रसीद मे ।। ४७.

Mounting his horse, he went to the hermitage of Vāmadeva; there, with devotion, he asked the sage, 'Who was that woman? Who were those who were struck down? O sage, please tell me the meaning of this event.'

वामदेव उवाच । त्वमासीच्छूद्रजातीय अन्यजन्मनि पार्थिव । तत्र त्वया ब्राह्मणस्य प्रेषणं कुर्वता श्रुता । श्रावणस्य तु मासस्य शुक्लपक्षे तु द्वादशी ।। ४७.

Vāmadeva said: 'O king, in a previous birth you were of the Śūdra caste; there, while serving a Brahmin, you heard about the twelfth day of the bright fortnight in the month of Śrāvaṇa.'

सविधानात् त्वया राजन् भक्त्या वै समुपोषिता । उपोषितायां तस्यां तु राज्यं लब्धं त्वयाऽनघ ।। ४७.

'O king, by observing that day with proper rites and devotion, you attained a kingdom when it was completed.'

सर्वापत्सु च सा देवी भवन्तं परिरक्षति । यया विनिहताः क्रूरा म्लेच्छाः पापसमन्विताः । भवांश्च रक्षितो राजन् श्रावणद्वादशी तु सा ।। ४७.

'In all dangers, that goddess protects you; by her, the cruel, sinful barbarians were slain, and you, O king, were saved—she is that Śrāvaṇa Dvādaśī.'

एकैव पाति चापत्सु राज्यमेकैव यच्छति । किं पुनर्द्वादशैतास्तु येनैन्द्रं न ददुः पदम् ।। ४७.

'She alone protects in calamities, she alone grants a kingdom; what then of these twelve Dvādaśīs, by which even Indra did not attain his station?'

दुर्वासा उवाच । तद्वद् भाद्रपदे मासि शुक्लपक्षे तु द्वादशीम् । संकल्प्य विधिना देवमर्च्चयेत् परमेश्वरम् ।। ४८.

Durvasa said: In the month of Bhadrapada, on the twelfth day of the bright fortnight, one should make a resolve and worship the Supreme Lord according to the prescribed rite.

नमोऽस्तु कल्किने पादौ हृषीकेशाय वै कटिम् । म्लेच्छविध्वंसनायेति जगन्मूर्त्ते तथोदरम् ।। ४८.

Salutations to Kalki—his feet; to Hrishikesha—his waist; to the destroyer of the mlecchas—his abdomen, O form of the universe, thus.

शितिकण्ठाय कण्ठं तु खड्गपाणेति वै भुजौ । चतुर्भुजायेति हस्तौ विश्वमूर्त्ते तथा शिरः ।। ४८.

To Shitikantha—his throat; to the wielder of the sword—his arms; to the four-armed one—his hands; to the universal form—his head, thus.

एवमभ्यर्च्य मेधावी प्राग्वत् तस्याग्रतो घटम् । विन्यसेत् कल्किनं देवं सौवर्णं तत्र कारयेत् ।। ४८.

Having worshipped in this way, the wise person should, as before, place a pot in front of him and have an image of Kalki made of gold there.

सितवस्त्रयुगच्छन्नं गन्धपुष्पोपशोभितम् । कृत्वा प्रभाते विप्राय प्रदेयं शास्त्रवित्तमे । एवं कृते भवेद् यस्तु तन्निबोध महामुने ।। ४८.

Covered with a pair of white garments and adorned with fragrance and flowers, it should be given in the morning to a learned Brahmin; hear, O great sage, what results from this act.

पूर्वं राजा विशालोऽभूत् काश्यां पुर्यां महाबलः । गोत्रजैर्हृतराज्योऽसौ गन्धमादनमाविशत् ।। ४८.

Formerly, there was a mighty king named Vishala in the city of Kashi; his kingdom was taken by his kinsmen, and he entered Gandhamadana.

तस्य द्रोण्यां महाराज बदरीं प्राप्य शोभनाम् । हृतराज्यो विशेषेण गतश्रीको नरोत्तमः ।। ४८.

In a valley there, O great king, he reached the beautiful Badari; deprived of his kingdom and fortune, that best of men stayed there.

कदाचिदागतौ तत्र पुराणावृषिसत्तमौ । नरनारायणौ देवौ सर्वदेवनमस्कृतौ ।। ४८.

Once, the two ancient and noble sages, Nara and Narayana, revered by all the gods, came there.

तौ दृष्ट्वा तत्र राजानं पूर्वागतमरिंदमौ । ध्यायन्तं परमं ब्रह्म विष्ण्वाख्यं परमं पदम् ।। ४८.

Seeing the king, who had arrived there before, those two destroyers of enemies beheld him meditating on the Supreme Brahman, the highest state known as Vishnu.

तौ प्रीतावूचतुस्तं तु राजानं क्षीणकल्मषम् । वरं वृणीष्व राजेन्द्र वरदौ स्वस्तवागतौ ।। ४८.

Pleased, the two said to the king, whose sins were diminished: 'Choose a boon, O king of kings; we have come here to grant you a blessing.'

राजोवाच । भवन्तौ कौ न जानामि कस्य गृह्णाम्यहं वरम् । आराधयामि यत् तस्माद् वरमिच्छामि शोभनम् ।। ४८.

The king said: 'I do not know who you both are, nor from whom I should accept a boon. I desire a worthy boon related to the one I worship.'

एवमुक्तौ तु तौ राज्ञा कमाराधयसे प्रभो । कं वा वरं वृणुष्व त्वं कथयस्व कुतूहलात् ।। ४८.

Thus addressed by the king, they said: 'Which lord do you worship? What boon do you wish for? Tell us out of curiosity.'

एवमुक्तस्ततो राजा विष्णुमाराधयाम्यहम् । कथयित्वा स्थितस्तूष्णीं ततस्तावूचतुः पुनः ।। ४८.

Thus questioned, the king replied: 'I worship Vishnu.' Having said this, he remained silent, and then the two spoke again.

राजन् तस्यैव देवस्य प्रसादादावयोर्वरः । दातव्यस्ते वरं ब्रूहि कस्ते मनसि वर्त्तते ।। ४८.

'O king, by the grace of that very deity, we have the power to grant boons. Speak the boon you desire, whatever is in your mind.'