Varaha Purana

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.'

स वैश्योऽश्वयुजे मासि द्वादश्यां नियतः स्थितः । स्वयं विष्ण्वालयं गत्वा पुष्पधूपादिभिर्हरिम् ।। ४९.

That Vaishya, in the month of Ashvayuja, on the twelfth day, observing discipline, went himself to Vishnu's temple and worshipped Hari with flowers, incense, and the like.

अभ्यर्च्य स्वगृहं प्रायाद् भवन्तौ रक्षपालकौ । स्थाप्य द्वावपि दीपानां ज्वलनार्थं महामते ।। ४९.

Having worshipped, he returned to his own house. You two, the guards, remained there, having lit two lamps for the sake of illumination, O wise one.

गते वैश्ये भवन्तौथ दीपान् प्रज्वाल्य संस्थितौ । यावत् प्रभाता रजनी निशामेकां नरोत्तम ।। ४९.

When the Vaishya had left, you two stayed there, having kindled the lamps, until the night passed and the single night was over, O best of men.

ततः काले मृतौ तौ तु उभौ द्वावपि दम्पती । तेन पुण्येन ते जन्म प्रियव्रतगृहेऽभवत् ।। ४९.

Then, in time, both of you, husband and wife, died. By that merit, you were born in the house of Priyavrata.

इयं तु पत्नी ते जाता पुरा वैश्यस्य दासिका । पारक्यस्यापि दीपस्य ज्वालितस्य हरेर्गृहे ।। ४९.

This wife of yours was formerly a maidservant of the Vaishya, and even the lamp belonging to another, which was lit in Hari's house—

यः पुनः स्वेन वित्तेन विष्णोरग्रे प्रदीपकम् । ज्वालयेत् तस्य यत् पुण्यं तत् संख्यातुं न शक्यते । तेन साधो हरे साधु इत्युक्तं वचनं मया ।। ४९.

Whoever, with his own wealth, lights a lamp before Vishnu—the merit of that act cannot be measured. Therefore, O noble one, 'Excellent, O Hari, excellent!'—this was spoken by me.

कृते संवत्सरे भक्तिं हरेः कृत्वा विचक्षणः । संवत्सरार्धं त्रेतायां सममेतन्न संशयः ।। ४९.

In the Krita age, one who worships Hari with devotion for a year attains the same result in the Treta age in half a year—of this there is no doubt.

त्रिमासे द्वापरे भक्त्या पूजयँल्लभते फलम् । नमो नारायणायेत्युक्त्वा कलौ तु लभते फलम् । तेन मुष्टं जगद् विष्णोर्भक्तिमात्रं मयेरितम् ।। ४९.

In the Dvapara age, by worshipping with devotion for three months, one attains the fruit. By simply saying 'Salutations to Narayana' in Kali, one attains the fruit. Therefore, I have said that the whole world is a handful for Vishnu, by devotion alone.

पारक्यदीपस्योत्कर्षाद् वै देवाग्रे फलमीदृशम् । प्राप्तं फलं त्वया राजन् फलमेतन् मयेरितम् । अहो मूढा न जानन्ति हरेर्दीपक्रियाफलम् ।। ४९.

Because of the greatness of a lamp belonging to another, such a result is obtained before the gods. The fruit you have attained, O king, is this fruit I have described. Ah, the ignorant do not know the result of offering a lamp to Hari.

एवं विधं द्विजा ये च राजानो ये च भक्तितः । यजन्ते विविधैर्यज्ञैस्तेन ते साधवः स्मृताः ।। ४९.

Thus, those twice-born and those kings who worship with devotion by various sacrifices—they are remembered as virtuous.

अहं तमेव मुक्त्वाऽन्यं न पश्यामि महीतले । तेन साधो अगस्त्येति मया चात्मा प्रशंसितः । हर्षेण महता राजन् व्याक्षिप्तेन मयेरितम् ।। ४९.

I see no one else on earth except him; therefore, O noble one, I praised Agastya as myself, O King, with great joy and excitement.

सा स्त्री धन्या स शूद्रस्तु तथा धन्यतरो मतः । भर्तुः सुश्रूषणं कृत्वा तत्परोक्षे हरेरिति ।। ४९.

That woman is blessed, and likewise that Śūdra is considered even more blessed, who serves her husband with devotion, thinking of Hari even when he is not present.

सा स्त्री धन्या तथा शूद्रो द्विजसुश्रूषणे रतः । तदनुज्ञया हरेर्भक्तिः स्त्री शूद्रो तेन साध्विति ।। ४९.

That woman is blessed, and likewise that Śūdra who delights in serving the twice-born; by their permission, devotion to Hari is praiseworthy in a woman or a Śūdra.

आसुरं भावमास्थाय प्रह्लादः पुरुषोत्तमम् । मुक्त्वा चान्यं न जानाति तेनासौ साधुरुच्यते ।। ४९.

Assuming an asuric disposition, Prahlāda did not recognize anyone but the Supreme Person; therefore, he is called a saint.

प्रजापतिकुले भूत्वा बाल एव वनं गतः । आराध्य विष्णुं प्राप्तं तत् स्थानं परमशोभनम् । तेन साधो ध्रुवेत्येवं मयोक्तं राजसत्तम ।। ४९.

Born in the lineage of the progenitors, Dhruva went to the forest as a child, worshipped Viṣṇu, and attained that most excellent place; therefore, O best of kings, I called him a saint.

इति राजा वचः श्रुत्वा अगस्त्यस्य महात्मनः । अल्पोपदेशराजाऽसौ पप्रच्छ मुनिपुंगवम् ।। ४९.

Hearing these words of the great-souled Agastya, the king, though a ruler with little instruction, questioned the foremost of sages.

अगस्त्यश्च महाभागः कार्तिक्यां पुष्करं व्रजन् । गतेऽगस्त्ये प्रगच्छन् वै भद्राश्वस्य निवेशनम् ।। ४९.

And the illustrious Agastya, journeying to Puṣkara in the month of Kārttika, after Agastya departed, proceeded to the abode of Bhadrāśva.

पृष्टश्च राज्ञा तामेव द्वादशीं मुनिसत्तमः । दुर्वासा उवाच । इदमेव मया तुभ्यं कथितं ते तपोधन ।। ४९.

When the king asked about that very Dvādaśī, the best of sages, Durvāsas, said: 'This alone I have told you, O possessor of austerities.'

कथयित्वा पुनर्वाक्यमगस्त्यो नृपसत्तमम् । उवाच पुष्करं यामि पुनरेष्यामि ते गृहम् । एवमुक्त्वा जगामाशु सद्योऽदर्शनतां मुनिः ।। ४९.

Having spoken thus, Agastya addressed the best of kings again: 'I am going to Puṣkara; I will return to your house.' Saying this, the sage quickly departed and at once became invisible.

राजाऽपि तेन विधिना पद्मनाभस्य द्वादशीम् ।. उपोष्य परमं काममिह जन्मनि चाप्तवान् ।। ४९.

The king, following that instruction, observed the Dvādaśī of Padmanābha and attained his highest desires in this very life.