Varaha Purana

नर उवाच । स्वयं नारायणो देवो लोकमार्गप्रदर्शकः । मया सह तपः कुर्याद् बदर्यां लोकभावनः ।। ४८.

Nara said: 'May Lord Narayana himself, the guide of the worlds, perform austerities with me at Badari for the welfare of the world.'

अयं मत्स्योऽभवत् पूर्वं पुनः कूर्म्मस्वरूपवान् । वराहश्चाभवद् देवो नरसिंहस्ततोऽभवत् ।। ४८.

This one was formerly a fish, then took the form of a tortoise, then became the boar, and after that, the man-lion.

वामनस्तु ततो जातो जामदग्न्यो महाबलः । पुनर्दाशरथिर्भूत्वा वासुदेवः पुनर्बभौ ।। ४८.

Then he was born as Vamana, then as the mighty son of Jamadagni; again, he became the son of Dasharatha, and then appeared as Vasudeva.

बुद्धो भूत्वा जनं ह्येष मोहयामास पार्थिव । सपत्नान् दस्यवो म्लेच्छान् पुनर्हत्वा महीमिमाम् । प्रकृतिस्थां चकारायं स एष भगवान् हरिः ।। ४८.

Having become Buddha, he deluded the people, O king; then, after destroying the hostile, thieving, and foreign enemies, he restored this earth to its natural order—he, that blessed Lord Hari.

पूज्यते मत्स्यरूपेण सर्वज्ञत्वमभीप्सुभिः । स्ववंशोद्धरणार्थाय कूर्मरूपी तु पूज्यते ।। ४८.

He is worshipped in the form of the Fish by those who desire all-knowing wisdom; and in the form of the Tortoise, he is worshipped for the purpose of uplifting his own lineage.

भवोदधिनिमग्नेन वाराहः पूज्यते हरिः । नारसिंहेण रूपेण तद्वत् पापभयान्नरैः ।। ४८.

Hari is worshipped as the Boar, who entered the ocean of existence; likewise, in the form of Narasimha, he is worshipped by people out of fear of sin.

वामनं मोहनाशाय वित्तार्थे जगदग्निजम् । क्रूरशत्रुविनाशाय यजेद् दाशरथिं बुधः ।। ४८.

To remove delusion and for the sake of wealth, one should worship Vamana, born from the fire of the world; and the wise worship the son of Dasharatha for the destruction of cruel enemies.

बलकृष्णौ यजेद् धीमान् पुत्रकामो न संशयः । रूपकामो यजेद् बुद्धं कल्किनं शत्रुघातने ।। ४८.

The intelligent one who desires a son should worship Balarama and Krishna, without doubt; one who desires forms should worship Buddha, and Kalki for the destruction of enemies.

एवमुक्त्वा नरस्तस्य इमामेवाब्रवीन्मुनिः । द्वादशीं कृतवान् सोऽपि चक्रवर्ती बभूव ह । तस्यैव नाम्ना बदरी विशालाख्याऽभवन्मुने ।। ४८.

Having spoken thus, the man said this to him, O sage; he performed the Dvadashi vow and indeed became a universal monarch; and after his name, Badari, renowned as Vishala, came to be.

इह जन्मनि राजाऽसौ राज्यं कृत्वा इयाद् वनम् । यज्ञैश्च विविधैरिष्ट्वा परं निर्वाणमाप्तवान् ।। ४८.

In this very birth, that king, after ruling his kingdom, went to the forest; and having performed various sacrifices, he attained the supreme liberation.

दुर्वासा उवाच । तद्वदाश्वयुजे मासि द्वादशीं शुक्लपक्षतः । संकल्प्याभ्यर्चयेद् देवं पद्मनाभं सनातनम् ।। ४९.

Durvasa said: Now, in the month of Ashvayuja, on the twelfth day of the bright fortnight, one should resolve and worship the eternal Lord Padmanabha.

पद्मनाभाय पादौ तु कटिं वै पद्मयोनये । उदरं सर्वदेवाय पुष्कराक्षाय वै उरः । अव्ययाय तथा पाणिं प्राग्वदस्त्राणि पूजयेत् ।। ४९.

To Padmanabha, offer worship to the feet; to Padmayoni, the waist; to Sarvadeva, the abdomen; to Pushkaraksha, the chest; and to Avyaya, the hands—worship the weapons as before.

प्रभवाय शिरः पूज्य प्राग्वदग्रे घटं न्यसेत् । तस्मिन् सौवर्णकं देवं पद्मनाभं तु विन्यसेत् ।। ४९.

For Prabhava, worship the head; as before, place the pot in front; and in it, install the golden image of the god Padmanabha.

तमेव देवं संपूज्य गन्धपुष्पादिभिः क्रमात् । प्रभातायां तु शर्वर्यां ब्राह्मणाय निवेदयेत् । एवं कृते तु यत् पुण्यं तन्निबोध महामुने ।। ४९.

Worship that very god with fragrant substances, flowers, and so on, in order; at dawn, offer it to a Brahmin; and now, O great sage, hear the merit obtained by doing this.

आसीत् कृतयुगे राजा भद्राश्वो नाम वीर्यवान् । यस्य नाम्नाऽभवद् वर्षं भद्राश्वं नाम नामतः ।। ४९.

In the Krita age, there was a powerful king named Bhadrashva, after whom the land called Bhadrashva was named.

तस्यागस्त्यः कदाचित् तु गृहमागत्य सत्तम । उवाच सप्तरात्रं तु वसामि भवतो गृहे ।। ४९.

Once, Agastya, the most excellent sage, came to his house and said, 'I will stay in your home for seven nights.'

तं राजा शिरसा भूत्वा स्थीयतामित्यभाषत । तस्य कान्तिमती नाम भार्या परमशोभना ।। ४९.

The king, bowing his head, said to him, 'Please remain here.' His wife was named Kantimati, supremely beautiful.

तस्यास्तेजः समभवद् द्वादशादित्यसंनिभम् । शतानि पञ्च तस्यासन् सपत्नीनां यतव्रत ।। ४९.

Her radiance was like that of twelve suns; she had five hundred co-wives, all devoted to vows.

ता दास्य इव कर्माणि कुर्वन्त्यहरहः शुभाः । कान्तिमत्या महाभाग भयात् त्रस्ता विचेतसः ।। ४९.

Those auspicious women performed the tasks of servants every day, frightened and bewildered by the great fortune of Kantimati.

तामगस्त्यस्तथा दृष्ट्वा रूपतेजोऽन्वितां शुभाम् । सपत्न्यश्च भयात् तस्याः कुर्वन्त्यः कर्म शोभनम् । राजा तु तस्या मुदितं मुखमेवावलोकयन् ।। ४९.

Seeing her endowed with beauty and radiance, and her co-wives, out of fear, performing good deeds for her, the king gazed only at her joyful face.

एवंभूतामथो दृष्ट्वा राज्ञीं परमशोभनाम् । साधु साधु जगन्नाथेत्यगस्त्यः प्राह हर्षितः ।। ४९.

Seeing the queen thus, supremely beautiful, Agastya, delighted, said, 'Excellent, excellent, O Lord of the Universe!'

द्वितीये दिवसेऽप्येवं राज्ञीं दृष्ट्वा महाप्रभाम् । अहो मुष्टमहो मुष्टं जगदेतच्चराचरम् । इत्यगस्त्यो द्वितीयेऽह्नि राज्ञीं दृष्ट्वाऽभ्युवाच ह ।। ४९.

On the second day as well, seeing the queen, so radiant, Agastya said, 'Ah, a handful, ah, a handful—this entire world, moving and unmoving, is just this!' Thus, on the second day, seeing the queen, Agastya spoke.

तृतीयेऽहनि तां दृष्ट्वा पुनरेवमुवाच ह । अहो मूढा न जानन्ति गोविन्दं परमेश्वरम् । य एकेऽह्नि फलं चैतद् राज्ञे तुष्टः प्रदत्तवान् ।। ४९.

On the third day, seeing her again, he spoke thus: 'Ah, the ignorant do not know Govinda, the Supreme Lord, who, being pleased, gave this fruit to the queen in a single day.'

चतुर्थे दिवसे हस्तावुत्क्षिप्य पुनरब्रवीत् । साधु साधु जगन्नाथ स्त्री शूद्राः साधु साध्विति । द्विजाः साधु नृपाः साधु वैश्याः साधु पुनः पुनः ।। ४९.

On the fourth day, raising his hands, he again said: 'Excellent, excellent, Lord of the Universe! Women, Shudras—excellent, excellent! Twice-born, kings—excellent, excellent again and again! Vaishyas—excellent!'

साधु भद्राश्व साधु त्वं भोऽगस्त्य साधु साधु ते । साधु प्रह्लाद ते साधु ध्रुव साधो महाव्रत । एवमुक्त्वा ननर्तोच्चैरगस्त्यो राजसंनिधौ ।। ४९.

'Excellent, Bhadrashva, excellent are you! O Agastya, excellent, excellent are you! Excellent, Prahlada, excellent! Dhruva, great vow-holder, excellent!' Having spoken thus, Agastya danced loudly in the presence of the king.

एवंभूतं च तं दृष्ट्वा सपत्नीको नृपोत्तमः । किं हर्षकारणं ब्रह्मन् येनेत्थं नृत्यते भवान् ।। ४९.

Seeing him in such a state, the best of kings, together with his queen, said: 'O Brahmin, what is the cause of your joy, by which you dance in this way?'

अगस्त्य उवाच । अहो मूर्खः कुराजा त्वमहो मूर्खाऽनुगास्त्वमी । अहो पुरोहिता मूर्खा ये न जानन्ति मे मतम् ।। ४९.

Agastya said: 'Ah, you are a foolish king! Ah, these followers of yours are fools! Ah, the priests are fools who do not know my thought!'

एवमुक्ते ततो राजा कृताञ्जलिरभाषत । न जानीमो वयं ब्रह्मन् प्रश्नमेतत् त्वयेरितम् । कथयस्व महाभाग यद्यनुग्रहकृद् भवान् ।। ४९.

When this was said, the king, with joined palms, spoke: 'O Brahmin, we do not know this question you have raised. Please tell us, O greatly fortunate one, if you wish to show us favor.'

अगस्त्य उवाच । इयं राज्ञी त्वया याऽभूद् दासी वैश्यस्य वैदिशे । नगरे हरिदत्तस्य त्वमस्याः पतिरेव च । तस्यैव कर्मकारोऽभूच्छूद्रः सेवनतत्परः ।। ४९.

Agastya said: 'This queen of yours was formerly a maidservant of a Vaishya in the city of Vaidisha. You were her husband, and that Shudra, devoted to service, was the worker of that Vaishya.'