Varaha Purana

तन्मध्यमं सयुग्मं तु सर्वमाद्यं प्रदापयेत् । स्वशक्त्याभरणं चैव दरिद्रस्य स्वशक्तितः ।। ५५.

The middle one, along with the pair, should be given all the foremost items; ornaments according to one's ability should be given to the poor, according to their capacity.

यथाशक्त्या महीं कृत्वा काञ्चनीं गोयुगं तथा । वस्त्रयुग्मं च दातव्यं यथाविभवशक्तितः ।। ५५.

According to one's ability, having made the earth golden, likewise a pair of cows, a pair of garments should be given according to one's wealth and capacity.

गां युग्माभरणात् सर्वं सहिरण्यं च कारयेत् । एवं कृते तथा कृष्णशुक्लद्वादश्यमेव च ।। ५५.

One should give a cow, a pair of ornaments, and everything with gold; thus, having done so, one should observe both the dark and bright twelfth days.

रौप्यां वा पृथिवीं कृत्वा यथाविभवशक्तितः । दापयेद् ब्राह्मणानां तु तथा तेषां च भोजनम् । उपानहौ यथाशक्त्या पादुके छत्रिकां तथा ।। ५५.

One should make an offering of the earth in silver, according to one's means and capacity, and give it to Brahmins, along with food for them; likewise, according to one's ability, one should offer sandals, shoes, and umbrellas.

एतान् दत्त्वा वदेदेवं कृष्णो दामोदरो मम । प्रीयतां सर्वदा देवो विश्वरूपो हरिर्मम ।। ५५.

Having given these, one should say: 'May Krishna, Damodara, always be pleased with me; may Hari, the Lord of all forms, be ever favorable to me.'

दाने च भोजने चैव कृत्वा यत् फलमाप्यते । तन्न शक्यं सहस्त्रेण वर्षाणामपि कीर्तितुम् ।। ५५.

The merit obtained from giving and feeding in this way cannot be described even in a thousand years.

तथाप्युद्देशतः किञ्चित् फलं वक्ष्यामि तेऽनघ । व्रतस्यास्य पुरा वृत्तं शुभान्यस्य श्रृणुष्व तत् ।। ५५.

Yet, O sinless one, I will tell you briefly some of the results; listen to the auspicious deeds performed in ancient times through this vow.

आसीदादियुगे राजा ब्रह्मवादी दृढव्रतः । स पुत्रकामः पप्रच्छ ब्रह्माणं परमेष्ठिनम् । तस्येदं व्रतमाचख्यौ ब्रह्मा स कृतवांस्तथा ।। ५५.

In the first age, there was a king, steadfast in vows and versed in Brahman; desiring a son, he asked Brahma, the supreme lord, and Brahma revealed this vow to him and performed it likewise.

तस्य व्रतान्ते विश्वात्मा स्वयं प्रत्यक्षतां ययौ । तुष्टश्चोवाच भो राजन् वरो मे व्रियतां वरः ।। ५५.

At the end of his vow, the Soul of the Universe appeared before him in person, and, pleased, said: 'O king, choose a boon from me.'

राजोवाच । पुत्रं मे देहि देवेश वेदमन्त्रविशारदम् । याजकं यजनासक्तं कीर्त्या युक्तं चिरायुषम् । असंख्यातगुणं चैव ब्रह्मभूतमकल्मषम् ।। ५५.

The king said: 'O Lord of gods, grant me a son skilled in Vedic mantras, devoted to sacrifice, endowed with fame, long-lived, possessing countless virtues, pure, and Brahman-like.'

एवमुक्त्वा ततो राजा पुनर्वचनमब्रवीत् । ममाप्यन्ते शुभं स्थानं प्रयच्छ परमेश्वर । यत्तन्मुनिपदं नाम यत्र गत्वा न शोचति ।। ५५.

Having said this, the king spoke again: 'O Supreme Lord, grant me at the end a blessed place, that which is called the sage's abode, where, having reached, one does not grieve.'

एवमस्त्विति तं देवः प्रोक्त्वा चादर्शनं गतः । तस्यापि राज्ञः पुत्रोऽभूद् वत्सप्रीर्नाम नामतः ।। ५५.

The god replied, 'So be it,' and became invisible; the king's son was born, named Vatsapri by name.

वेदवेदाङ्गसंपन्नो यज्ञयाजी बहुश्रुतः । तस्य कीर्त्तिर्महाराज विस्तृता धरणीतले ।। ५५.

He was accomplished in the Vedas and their branches, a performer of sacrifices, learned in many scriptures; his fame, O great king, spread across the earth.

राजाऽपि तं सुतं लब्ध्वा विष्णुदत्तं प्रतापिनम् । जगाम तपसे युक्तः सर्वद्वन्द्वान् प्रहाय सः ।। ५५.

The king, having obtained such a son, Viṣṇudatta, radiant in glory, renounced all dualities and devoted himself to austerity.

आराधयामास हरिं निराहारो जितेन्द्रियः । हिमवत्पर्वते रम्ये स्तुतिं कुर्वंस्तदा नृपः ।। ५५.

He worshipped Hari, fasting and mastering his senses, on the beautiful mountain Himavat, composing hymns at that time.

भद्राश्व उवाच । कीदृशी सा स्तुतिर्ब्रह्मन् यां चकार स पार्थिवः । किं च तस्याभवद् देवं स्तुवतः पुरुषोत्तमम् ।। ५५.

Bhadrāśva said: 'O Brahman, what kind of hymn did that king compose? And what happened to him as he praised the supreme Lord?'

दुर्वासा उवाच । हिमवन्तं समाश्रित्य राजा तद्गतमानसः । स्तुतिं चकार देवाय विष्णवे प्रभविष्णवे ।। ५५.

Durvāsā said: 'Relying on Himavat, the king, his mind absorbed there, composed a hymn to the powerful god Vishnu.'

राजोवाच । क्षराक्षरं क्षीरसमुद्रशायिनं क्षितीधरं मूर्तिमतां परं पदम् । अतीन्द्रियं विश्वभुजां पुरः कृतं निराकृतं स्तौमि जनार्दनं प्रभुम् ।। ५५.

The king said: 'I praise Janārdana, the Lord, who is both perishable and imperishable, who reclines upon the ocean of milk, who supports the earth, who is the supreme goal among embodied beings, who is beyond the senses, whose arms encompass the universe, who is manifest and unmanifest.'

त्वमादिदेवः परमार्थरूपी विभुः पुराणः पुरुषोत्तमश्च । अतीन्द्रियो वेदविदां प्रधानः प्रपाहि मां शङ्खगदास्त्रपाणे ।। ५५.

You are the primeval god, the embodiment of ultimate reality, the all-pervading, ancient, supreme person; beyond the senses, foremost among those who know the Vedas; protect me, O wielder of conch, mace, and weapon.

कृतं त्वया देव सुरासुराणां संकीर्त्यतेऽसौ च अनन्तमूर्ते । सृष्ट्यर्थमेतत् तव देव विष्णो न चेष्टितं कूटगतस्य तत्स्यात् ।। ५५.

O god, you have performed deeds among gods and demons, which are recounted, O infinite form; this creation is for your purpose, O Vishnu, and nothing is done by one who is hidden.

तथैव कूर्मत्वमृगत्वमुच्चै - स्त्वया कृतं रूपमनेकरूप । सर्वज्ञभावादसकृच्च जन्म संकीर्त्त्यते तेऽच्युत नैतदस्ति ।। ५५.

Likewise, you have taken the forms of the tortoise and the boar; you have assumed many shapes; due to your omniscience, repeated births are recounted for you, O Acyuta, but in truth, they do not exist.

नृसिंह नमो वामन जमदग्निनाम दशास्यगोत्रान्तक वासुदेव । नमोऽस्तु ते बुद्ध कल्किन् खगेश शंभो नमस्ते विबुधारिनाशन ।। ५५.

O Narasimha, salutations to you; O Vamana, O Jamadagni by name, O destroyer of the lineage of ten-headed Ravana, O Vasudeva; salutations to you, O Buddha, Kalkin, lord of birds; O Shambhu, salutations to you, destroyer of the arrogant.

नमोऽस्तु नारायण पद्मनाभ नमो नमस्ते पुरुषोत्तमाय । नमः समस्तामरसङ्घपूज्य नमोऽस्तु ते सर्वविदां प्रधान ।। ५५.

Salutations to Narayana, to Padmanabha; salutations, O Supreme Person; salutations to you, honored by all assemblies of immortals; salutations to you, chief among all who possess knowledge.

नमः करालास्य नृसिंहमूर्त्ते नमो विशालाद्रिसमान कूर्म । नमः समुद्रप्रतिमान मत्स्य नमामि त्वां क्रोडरूपिननन्त ।। ५५.

Salutations to you, with fierce-faced Narasimha form; salutations to you, Kurma, whose body is like a vast mountain; salutations to you, Matsya, whose form resembles the ocean; I salute you, O Ananta, who assumed the form of a boar.

सृष्ट्यर्थमेतत् तव देव चेष्टितं न मुख्यपक्षे तव मूर्त्तिता विभो । अजानता ध्यानमिदं प्रकाशितं नैभिर्विना लक्ष्यसे त्वं पुराण ।। ५५.

This action of yours, O Lord, is for the purpose of creation; your embodiment is not primary, O Supreme; this meditation has been revealed to the ignorant; without them, you are not perceived, O Ancient One.

आद्यो मखस्त्वं स्वयमेव विष्णो मखाङ्गभूतोऽसि हविस्त्वमेव । पशुर्भवान् ऋत्विगिज्यं त्वमेव त्वां देवसङ्घा मुनयो यजन्ति ।। ५५.

You are the origin of sacrifice, O Vishnu, and you yourself are its limbs; you are the oblation; you are the sacrificial animal; you are the priest and the object of worship; the hosts of gods and sages worship you.

यदेतस्मिन् जगध्रुवं चलाचलं सुरादिकालानलसंस्थमुत्तमम् । न त्वं विभक्तोऽसि जनार्दनेश प्रयच्छ सिद्धिं हृदयेप्सितां मे ।। ५५.

Whatever in this world is stable or moving, established by gods, time, and fire, is supreme; you are not divided, O Janardana, O Lord; grant me the accomplishment my heart desires.

नमः कमलपत्राक्ष मूर्त्तामूर्त्त नमो हरे । शरणं त्वां प्रपन्नोऽस्मि संसारान्मां समुद्धर ।। ५५.

Salutations to you, lotus-eyed one, both embodied and unembodied, O Hari; I have taken refuge in you—lift me up from worldly existence.

एवं स्तुतस्तदा देवस्तेन राज्ञा महात्मना । विशालाम्रतलस्थेन तुतोष परमेश्वरः ।। ५५.

Thus praised by that great-souled king, standing beneath the vast mango tree, the Supreme Lord was pleased.