Varaha Purana

सोऽब्रवीद् देवसमितिर्वर्तते ब्रह्मणो गृहे । एवं श्रुत्वा वसुस्तस्थौ द्वारि ब्रह्मौकसस्तदा । तावत् तत्रैव रैभ्यस्तु आजगाम महातपाः ।। ५.

He replied, 'A gathering of the gods is taking place at Brahma's abode.' Hearing this, Vasu waited at the door of Brahma's house; meanwhile, the great ascetic Raibhya arrived there.

स राजा प्रीतमनसा वसुः संपूर्णमानसः । उवाच पूजयित्वाग्रे क्व प्रयातोऽसि वै मुने ।। ५.

That king Vasu, his mind delighted and completely content, honored him and spoke first: 'Where are you coming from, O sage?'

रैभ्य उवाच । अहं बृहस्पतेः पार्श्वे आगतोऽस्मि महानृप । किञ्चित्कार्यान्तरं प्रष्टुमहं देवपुरोहितम् ।। ५.

Raibhya said: 'I have come from the side of Brihaspati, O great king. I wish to ask the priest of the gods about a certain matter.'

एवं वदति रैभ्ये तु ब्रह्मणस्तन्महत्सदः । उत्तस्थौ स्वानि धिष्ण्यानि गता देवगणाः प्रभो ।। ५.

As Raibhya was speaking thus, O lord, the great assembly of Brahma, along with the hosts of gods, rose from their seats and departed.

तावद् बृहस्पतिस्तत्र रैभ्येण सह संविदम् । कृत्वा स्वधिष्ण्यमगमद् वसुना च सुपूजितः ।। ५.

Then, Brihaspati, after conferring there with Raibhya, went to his own seat, having been duly honored by Vasu.

रैभ्य आङ्गिरसो राजा वसुश्चोपविवेश ह । उपविष्टेषु राजेन्द्र तेषु तेष्वपि सोऽब्रवीत् ।। ५.

Raibhya, the descendant of Angiras, and King Vasu sat down; when they were seated, O king of kings, he spoke to them.

बृहस्पतिर्देवगुरू रैभ्यं वचनमन्तिके । किं करोमि महाभाग वेदवेदाङ्गपारग ।। ५.

Brihaspati, the guru of the gods, said to Raibhya in his presence: 'What shall I do for you, O greatly fortunate one, master of the Vedas and Vedangas?'

रैभ्य उवाच । बृहस्पते कर्मणा किं प्राप्यते ज्ञानिनाऽथवा । मोक्ष एतन्ममाचक्ष्व पृच्छतः संशयं प्रभो ।। ५.

Raibhya said: 'O Brihaspati, what is attained by action, or by knowledge? Please tell me, O lord, about liberation, for I ask you this out of doubt.'

बृहस्पतिरुवाच । यत्किंचित् कुरुते कर्म पुरुषः साध्वसाधु वा । सर्वं नारायणे न्यस्य कुर्वन् नैव च लिप्यते ।। ५.

Brihaspati said: 'Whatever action a person performs, whether good or bad, by offering all to Narayana and acting thus, he is not tainted.'

श्रूयते च द्विजश्रेष्ठ संवादो विप्रलुब्धयोः । आत्रेयो ब्राह्मणः कश्चिद् वेदाभ्यासरतो मुनिः ।। ५.

'It is also heard, O best of twice-born, that there was a dialogue between two who were at odds: a certain Brahmin named Atreya, a sage devoted to Vedic study.'

वसत्यविरतं प्रातःस्नायी त्रिषवणे रतः । नाम्ना संयमनः पूर्वमेकस्मिन् दिवसे नदीम् । धर्मारण्ये गतः स्नातुं धन्यां भागीरथीं शुभाम् ।। ५.

He lived constantly, bathing at dawn, devoted to the three daily rituals; formerly, a man named Samyamana, on one day, went to the blessed and auspicious Bhagirathi river in the forest of Dharma to bathe.

तत्रासीनं महायूथं हरिणानां विचक्षणः । लुब्धो निष्ठुरको नाम धनुःपाणिः कृतान्तवत् । आययौ तं जिघांसुः स धनुष्यायोज्य सायकम् ।। ५.

There, a keen-sighted hunter named Nishthuraka, bow in hand, fierce as death, came upon a great herd of deer sitting there, intending to kill them, having fitted an arrow to his bow.

ततः संयमनो विप्रो दृष्ट्वा तं मृगयारतम् । वारयामास मा भद्र जीवघातमिमं कुरु ।। ५.

Then the Brahmin Samyamana, seeing him intent on the hunt, tried to stop him: 'Do not, good man, commit this act of taking life.'

एतच्छ्रुत्वा वचो व्याधः स्मितपूर्वमिदं वचः । उवाच नाहं हिंसामि पृथग्जीवं द्विजोत्तम ।। ५.

Hearing these words, the hunter, with a slight smile, spoke: 'I do not harm a separate soul, O best of twice-born.'

परमात्मा त्वयं भूतैः क्रीडते भगवान् स्वयम् । कृता मृदा बलीवर्द्दास्तद्वदेतन्न संशयः ।। ५.

'The Supreme Self, the Blessed Lord, plays with beings Himself; oxen and clay are made by Him—so it is said, and there is no doubt of it.'

अहे भावः सदा ब्रह्मन्नविद्येयं मुमुक्षुणाम् । यात्राप्राणरतं सर्वं जगदेतद् विचेष्टितम् । तत्राहमिति यः शब्दः स साधुत्वं न गच्छति ।। ५.

'O Brahmin, this notion always arises—this ignorance belongs to those seeking liberation. All this world, engaged in the journey of life-breath, is set in motion. The word "I" in this context does not attain goodness.'

इत्याकर्ण्य स विप्रेन्द्रो द्विजः संयमनस्तदा । विस्मयेनाब्रवीद् वाक्यं लुब्धं निष्ठुरकं द्विजः ।। ५.

Hearing this, that foremost Brahmin, Samyamana, spoke to the hunter Nishthuraka with amazement.

किमेतदुच्यते भद्र प्रत्यक्षं हेतुमद्वचः । ततः श्रुत्वा मुनेर्विप्रं लुब्धकः प्राह धर्मवित् । कुत्वा लोहमयं जालं तस्याधो ज्वलनं ददौ ।। ५.

What is this that you say, O blessed one? Your words are direct and reasoned. Then, having heard this from the sage, the hunter, who knew righteousness, said: 'Why did you place an iron net and fire beneath it?'

दत्त्वा वह्निं द्विजं प्राह ज्वाल्यतां काष्ठसचयः । ततो विप्रो मुखेनाग्निं प्रज्वाल्य विरराम ह ।। ५.

Having kindled the fire, he said to the Brahmin, 'Let the pile of wood be set ablaze.' Then the Brahmin, with his mouth, ignited the fire and ceased.

ज्वलिते तु पुनर्वह्नौ तं जालं लोहसंभवम् । पृथक्पृथक् सहस्त्राणि निन्येऽन्तर्जालकैर्द्विज । एकस्थानगतस्यापि वह्नेरायसजालकैः ।। ५.

When the fire was blazing again, the Brahmin separated thousands of iron nets, each with its own mesh, even though the fire was in one place, with iron nets.

ततो लुब्धोऽब्रवीद्विप्रमेकां ज्वालां महामुने । गृहाण येन शेषाणां करिष्यामीह नाशनम् ।। ५.

Then the hunter said to the Brahmin, 'O great sage, take one flame, by which I will destroy the rest here.'

एवमुक्त्वा हुताशे तु तोयपूर्णं घटं द्रुतम् । चिक्षेप सहसा वह्निः प्रशशामाशु पूर्ववत् ।। ५.

Having spoken thus, he quickly threw a water-filled pot onto the sacrificial fire; suddenly, the fire was extinguished as before.

ततोऽब्रवील्लुब्धकस्तु ब्राह्मणं तं तपोधनम् । भगवन् या त्वया ज्वाला गृहोतासीद्धुताशनात् । प्रयच्छ येन मार्गाणि मांसान्यानाय्य भक्षये ।। ५.

Then the hunter said to that ascetic Brahmin, 'O revered one, give me that flame which you took from the fire, so that I may go and cook the meat I have brought.'

एवमुक्तस्तदा विप्रो यावदायसजालकम् । पश्यत्येव न तत्राग्निर्मूलनाशे गतः क्षयम् ।। ५.

Thus addressed, the Brahmin looked at the iron net, but there was no fire there; it had perished at the root and was gone.

ततो विलक्षभावेन ब्राह्मणः शंसितव्रतः । तूष्णींभूतस्थितस्तावल्लुब्धको वाक्यमब्रवीत् ।। ५.

Then the Brahmin, steadfast in his vows, stood there silently, feeling embarrassed, while the hunter spoke these words.

एतस्मिञ्ज्वलितो वह्निर्बहुशाखश्च सत्तम । मूलनाशे भवेन्नाशस्तद्वदेतदपि द्विज ।। ५.

In this fire, O noble one, many branches blaze forth; when the root is destroyed, the fire is extinguished. Tell me, O Brahmin, if this is so.

आत्मा स प्रकृतिस्थश्च भूतानां संश्रयो भवेत् । भूय एषा जगत्सृष्टिस्तत्रैव जगतो भवेत् ।। ५.

The Self, abiding in its own nature, is the refuge of all beings. Again, this creation of the world arises from that, and in that, the world exists.

पिण्डग्रहणधर्मेण यदस्य विहितं व्रतम् । तत्तदात्मनि संयोज्य कुर्वाणो नावसीदति ।। ५.

By the rule of accepting alms, whatever vow is prescribed for him, by uniting that with the Self and performing it, one does not fall.

एवमुक्ते तु व्याधेन ब्राह्मणे राजसत्तम । पुष्पवृष्टिरथाकाशात् तस्योपरि पपात ह ।। ५.

When the hunter spoke thus to the Brahmin, O best of kings, then a shower of flowers fell from the sky upon him.