Varaha Purana

धरण्युवाच । बहुकल्पसहस्त्राणि व्रतस्यास्य सनातन । मया कृतस्य तपसस्तन्मया विस्मृतं प्रभो ।। ५१.

The Earth said: For thousands of great ages, I have performed this ancient vow and austerity, but, O Lord, I had forgotten it.

इदानीं त्वत्प्रसादेन स्मरणं प्राक्तनं मम । जातं जातिस्मरा चास्मि विशोका परमेश्वर ।। ५१.

Now, by your grace, my memory of the past has arisen; I have become one who remembers former lives, and am free from sorrow, O Supreme Lord.

यदि नाम परं देव कौतुकं हृदि वर्तते । अगस्त्यः पुनरागत्य भद्राश्वस्य निवेशनम् । यच्चकार स राजा च तन्ममाचक्ष्व भूधर ।। ५१.

If, O highest god, curiosity still remains in your heart, then tell me, O mountain, what Agastya did when he returned again to the abode of Bhadrāśva, and what that king did.

श्रीवराह उवाच । प्रत्यागतमृषिं दृष्ट्वा भद्राश्वः श्वेतवाहनः । वरासनगतं दृष्ट्वा कृत्वा पूजां विशेषतः । अपृच्छन्मोक्षधर्माख्यं प्रश्नं सकलधारिणि ।। ५१.

Śrī Varāha said: Seeing the sage returned, Bhadrāśva, whose banner is white, saw him seated on a noble seat, and after performing special worship, he asked him a question concerning the dharma of liberation, O sustainer of all.

भद्राश्व उवाच । भगवन् कर्मणा केन छिद्यते भवसंसृतिः । किं वा कृत्वा न शोचन्ति मूर्त्तामूर्त्तोपपत्तिषु ।। ५१.

Bhadrāśva said: O blessed one, by what action is the cycle of worldly existence cut off? And what should one do so as not to grieve in embodied or disembodied states?

अगस्त्य उवाच । श्रृणु राजन् कथां दिव्यां दूरासन्नव्यवस्थिताम् । दृश्यादृश्यविभागोत्थां समाहितमना नृप ।। ५१.

Agastya said: Listen, O king, to a divine story, set both far and near, arising from the distinction between the seen and unseen; attend with a focused mind, O ruler.

नाहो न रात्रिर्न दिशोऽदिशश्च न द्यौर्न देवा न दिनं न सूर्यः । तस्मिन् काले पशुपालेति राजा स पालयामास पशूननेकान् ।। ५१.

There was neither day nor night, nor directions or intermediate directions, nor heaven nor gods, nor day nor sun; at that time, a king named Paśupāla tended many herds.

तान् पालयन् स कदाचिद् दिदृक्षुः पूर्वं समुद्रं च जगाम तूर्णम् । अनन्तपारस्य महोदधेस्तु तीरे वनं तत्र वसन्ति सर्पाः ।। ५१.

While tending them, once, desiring to see the eastern ocean, he quickly went there; on the shore of the boundless great ocean, there was a forest where serpents dwelled.

अष्टौ द्रुमाः कामवहा नदी च तुर्यक् चोद्र्ध्वं बभ्रमुस्तत्र चान्ये । पञ्च प्रधानाः पुरुषास्तथैकां स्त्रियं बिभ्रते तेजसा दीप्यमानाम् ।। ५१.

There were eight wish-fulfilling trees and a river; above, birds moved about, and there were others as well; five principal men were there, and they carried a single woman, shining with brilliance.

साऽपि स्त्री स्वे वक्षसि धारयन्ती सहस्त्रसूर्यप्रतिमं विशालम् । तस्याधरस्त्रिर्विकारस्त्रिवर्ण- स्तं राजानं पश्य परिभ्रमन्तम् ।। ५१.

That woman, too, held upon her breast a vast form like a thousand suns; beneath her were three modifications and three colors—see that king wandering about.

तूष्णींभूता मृतकल्पा इवासन् नृपोऽप्यसौ तद्वनं संविवेश । तस्मिन् प्रविष्टे सर्व एते विविशु- र्भयादैक्यं गतवन्तः क्षणेन ।। ५१.

They became silent, as if lifeless; and that king entered the forest; when he entered, all of them entered as well, and out of fear, they became united in a moment.

तैः सर्पैः स नृपो दुर्विनीतैः संवेष्टितो दस्युभिश्चिन्तयानः । कथं चैतेन भविष्यन्ति येन कथं चैते संसृताः संभवेयुः ।। ५१.

Surrounded by those unruly serpents and bandits, the king pondered: 'How will these things turn out, and how did these beings come to be entangled?'

एवं राज्ञश्चिन्तयतस्त्रिवर्णः पुरुषः परः । श्वेतं रक्तं तथा कृष्णं त्रिवर्णं धारयन्नरः ।। ५१.

As the king was thus reflecting, a supreme man appeared, bearing three colors—white, red, and black.

स संज्ञां कृतवान् मह्यमपरोऽथ क्व यास्यसि । एवं तस्य ब्रुवाणस्य महन्नाम व्यजायत ।। ५१.

He made a sign to me, and then said, 'Where will you go?' As he spoke thus, a great name arose.

तेनापि राजा संवीतः स बुध्यस्वेति चाब्रवीत् । एवमुक्ते ततः स्त्री तु तं राजानं रुरोध ह ।। ५१.

The king was surrounded by him, who said, 'Awaken!' When this was said, the woman restrained the king.

मायाततं तं मा भैष्ट ततोऽन्यः पुरुषो नृपम् । संवेष्ट्य स्थितवान् वीरस्ततः सर्वेश्वरेश्वरः ।। ५१.

To the king, who was enveloped by illusion, another man said, 'Do not fear.' Then a heroic man, having surrounded the king, stood firm—he who is the Lord of all lords.

ततोऽन्ये पञ्च पुरुषा आगत्य नृपसत्तमम् । संविष्ट्य संस्थिताः सर्वे ततो राजा विरोधितः ।। ५१.

Then five other men approached the best of kings; having surrounded him, they all stood there, and thus the king was restrained.

रुद्धे राजनि ते सर्वे एकीभूतास्तु दस्यवः । मथितुं शस्त्रमादाय लीनाऽन्योऽन्यं ततो भयात् ।। ५१.

With the king restrained, all those bandits united; taking up weapons to attack, they hid from each other out of fear.

तैर्लीनैर्नृपर्तेर्वेश्म बभौ परमशोभनम् । अन्येषामपि पापानां कोटिः साग्राभवन्नृप ।। ५१.

With those men hidden, the king's palace shone with supreme beauty; and there was a crore and more of other wicked ones, O king.

गृहे भूसलिलं वह्निः सुखशीतश्च मारुतः । सावकाशानि शुभ्राणि पञ्चैकोनगुणानि च ।। ५१.

In the house, there was earth, water, fire, and a pleasantly cool wind; the spaces were pure, and there were five qualities, each with a single attribute.

एकैव तेषां सुचिरं संवेष्ट्यासज्यसंस्थिता । एवं स पशुपालोऽसौ कृतवानञ्जसा नृप ।। ५१.

One alone among them remained for a long time, having surrounded and attached herself; thus that cowherd did so easily, O king.

तस्य तल्लाघवं दृष्ट्वा रूपं च नृपतेर्मृधे । त्रिवर्णः पुरुषो राजन्नब्रवीद् राजसत्तमम् ।। ५१.

Seeing the king's swiftness and form in battle, a three-colored man spoke to the best of kings.

त्वत्पुत्रोऽस्मि महाराज ब्रूहि किं करवाणि ते । अस्माभिर्बन्धुमिच्छद्भिर्भवन्तं निश्चयः कृतः ।। ५१.

'I am your son, O great king. Tell me, what shall I do for you? We, desiring kinship, have made you our resolve.'

यदि नाम कृताः सर्वे वयं देव पराजिताः । एवमेव शरीरेषु लीनास्तिष्ठाम पार्थिव ।। ५१.

'Even if, O lord, we have all been defeated, still we remain merged in these bodies, O king.'

मर्य्येके तव पुत्रत्वं गते सर्वेषु संभवः । एवमुक्तस्ततो राजा तं नरं पुनरब्रवीत् ।। ५१.

'Among your sons, one remains; when all have departed, there is existence.' Thus addressed, the king then spoke again to that man.

पुत्रो भवति मे कर्त्ता अन्येषामपि सत्तम । युष्मत्सुखैर्नरैर्भावैर्नाहं लिप्ये कदाचन ।। ५१.

'You become my son, O best of beings, and also of the others. I am never tainted by the pleasures or natures of men like you.'

एवमुक्त्वा स नृपतिस्तमात्मजमथाकरोत् । तैर्विमुक्तः स्वयं तेषां मध्ये स विरराम ह ।। ५१.

Having spoken thus, the king made him his own son; released by them, he rested among them.

अगस्त्य उवाच । स त्रिवर्णो नृपोत्सृष्टः स्वतन्त्रत्वाच्च पार्थिव । अहं नामानमसृजत् पुत्रं पुत्रस्त्रिवर्णकम् ।। ५२.

Agastya said: That three-colored one, released by the king and being independent, created a son named Aham, a three-colored son.

तस्यापि चाभवत् कन्या अवबोधस्वरूपिणी । सा तु विज्ञानदं पुत्रं मनोह्वं विससर्ज ।। ५२.

He too had a daughter, embodying understanding; she gave birth to a son named Manohva, who bestows knowledge.