Varaha Purana

षष्ठ्यां फलाशनो यस्तु वर्षमेकं व्रतं चरेत् । पौषमाससिते पक्षे चतुर्थ्यां कृतभोजनः ।। ६१.

He who, on the sixth day, eats fruits and observes the vow for one year, and on the fourth day of the dark fortnight in the month of Pausha, takes a meal—

षष्ठ्यां तु पारयेद् धीमान् प्रथमं तु फलं नृप । ततो भुञ्जीत यत्नेन वाग्यतः शुद्धमोदनम् ।। ६१.

On the sixth day, the wise person should first offer the fruit, O king; then, with controlled speech, he should carefully eat pure rice.

ब्राह्मणैः सह राजेन्द्र अथवा केवलैः फलैः । तमेकं दिवसं स्थित्वा सप्तम्यां पारयेन्नृप ।। ६१.

O king, together with brāhmaṇas or with fruits alone, having observed that one day, he should complete the fast on the seventh day.

अग्निकार्यं तु कुर्वीत गुहरूपेण केशवम् । पूजयित्वाभिधानेन वर्षमेकं व्रतं चरेत् ।। ६१.

He should perform the fire ritual, worshiping Keśava in the form of Guha, and, having honored him by name, should observe the vow for one year.

षड्वक्त्र कार्त्तिक गुह सेनानी कृत्तिकासुत । कुमार स्कन्द इत्येवं पूज्यो विष्णुः स्वनामभिः ।। ६१.

Six-faced, Kārttikeya, Guha, commander of the army, son of the Kṛttikās, Kumāra, Skanda—thus Viṣṇu is to be worshiped by his own names.

समाप्तौ तु व्रतस्यास्य कुर्याद् ब्राह्मणभोजनम् । षण्मुखं सर्वसौवर्णं ब्राह्मणाय निवेदयेत् ।। ६१.

At the completion of this vow, he should arrange a meal for brāhmaṇas and present to a brāhmaṇa a golden image of Ṣaṇmukha.

सर्वे कामाः समृद्ध्यन्तां मम देव कुमारक । त्वत्प्रसादादिमं भक्त्या गृह्यतां विप्र माचिरम् ।। ६१.

May all desires be fulfilled, O god Kumāraka, by your grace; may this, received with devotion, be quickly accepted by the brāhmaṇa.

अनेन दत्त्वा मन्त्रेण ब्राह्मणाय सयुग्मकम् । ततः कामाः समृद्ध्यन्ते सर्वे वै इह जन्मनि ।। ६१.

Having given this with the mantra to a brāhmaṇa, along with a pair, then all desires are fulfilled indeed in this very life.

अपुत्रो लभते पुत्रमधनो लभते धनम् । भ्रष्टराज्यो लभेद् राज्यं नात्र कार्या विचारणा ।। ६१.

The childless obtains a son, the poor obtains wealth, one deprived of a kingdom regains his realm—of this there is no doubt.

एतद् व्रतं पुरा चीर्णं नलेन नृपसत्तम । ऋतुपर्णस्य विषये वसता व्रतचर्यया ।। ६१.

This vow was formerly observed by Nala, best of kings, while residing in the realm of Ṛtuparṇa, by practicing the vow.

तथा राज्यच्युतैरन्यैर्बहुभिर्नृपसत्तमैः । पौराणिकं व्रतं चैव सिद्ध्यर्थं नृपसत्तम ।। ६१.

Likewise, by many other eminent kings who had lost their kingdoms, this ancient vow was observed for the sake of success, O best of kings.

अगस्त्य उवाच । अथापरं महाराज व्रतमारोग्यसंज्ञितम् । कथयामि परं पुण्यं सर्वपापप्रणाशनम् ।। ६२.

Agastya said: Now, O great king, I will describe another vow called the Ārogya-vrata, supremely meritorious and destroyer of all sins.

तस्यैव माघमासस्य सप्तम्यां समुपोषितः । पूजयेद् भास्करं देवं विष्णुरूपं सनातनम् ।। ६२.

On the seventh day of that very month of Māgha, having fasted, one should worship the god Bhāskara, the eternal form of Viṣṇu.

आदित्य भास्कर रवे भानो सूर्य दिवाकर । प्रभाकरेति संपूज्य एवं संपूज्यते रविः ।। ६२.

Āditya, Bhāskara, Ravi, Bhānu, Sūrya, Divākara, Prabhākara—having worshiped him by these names, thus the Sun is to be worshiped.

षष्ठ्यां चैव कृताहारः सप्तम्यां भानुमर्चयेत् । अष्टम्यां चैव भुञ्जीत एष एव विधिक्रमः ।। ६२.

On the sixth day, having taken food, on the seventh one should worship Bhānu; on the eighth day one may eat—this is the proper order of observance.

अनेन वत्सरं पूर्णं विधिना योऽर्चयेद् रविम् । तस्यारोग्यं धनं धान्यमिह जन्ममि जायते । परत्र च शुभं स्थानं यद् गत्वा न निवर्तते ।। ६२.

Whoever worships the Sun in this manner for a full year, by rule, gains health, wealth, and grain in this very life, and in the next, an auspicious place from which there is no return.

सार्वभौमः पुरा राजा अनरण्यो महाबलः । तेनायमर्चितो देवो व्रतेनानेन पार्थिव । तस्य तुष्टो वरं देवः प्रादादारोग्यमुत्तमम् ।। ६२.

Formerly, the universal emperor Anaraṇya, of great might, worshiped this god with this vow, O king; the pleased god granted him the highest health as a boon.

भद्राश्व उवाच । किमसौ रोगवान् राजा येनारोग्यमवाप्तवान् । सार्वभौमस्य च कथं ब्रह्मन् रोगस्य संभवः ।। ६२.

Bhadrāśva said: Was that king afflicted by disease, that he obtained health? And how did disease arise for the universal emperor, O brāhmaṇa?

अगस्त्य उवाच । स राजा सार्वभौमोऽभूद् यशस्वी च सुरूपवान् । स कदाचिन्नृपश्रेष्ठो नृपश्रेष्ठ महाबलः ।।६२.

Agastya said: That king was a universal emperor, renowned and handsome; at one time, O best of kings, that mighty ruler...

गतवान् मानसं दिव्यं सरो देवगणान्वितम् । तत्रापश्यद् बृहद् पद्मं सरोमध्यगतं सितम् ।। ६२.

He went to the divine lake of the mind, accompanied by hosts of gods; there he saw a great white lotus situated in the middle of the lake.

तत्र चाङ्गुष्ठमात्रं तु स्थितं पुरुषसत्तमम् । रक्तवासोभिराछन्नं द्विभुजं तिग्मतेजसम् ।। ६२.

There, within it, stood a supreme person the size of a thumb, clothed in red garments, with two arms, and possessing intense brilliance.

तं दृष्ट्वा सारथिं प्राह पद्ममेतत् समानय । इदं तु शिरसा बिभ्रत् सर्वलोकस्य सन्निधौ । श्लाघनीयो भविष्यामि तस्मादाहर माचिरम् ।। ६२.

Seeing him, the charioteer was addressed: 'Bring me this lotus. If I bear this upon my head before all the worlds, I will become praiseworthy; therefore, fetch it quickly.'

एवमुक्तस्तदा तेन सारथिः प्रविवेश ह । ग्रहीतुमुपचक्राम तं पद्मं नृपसत्तम ।। ६२.

Thus addressed, the charioteer then entered and proceeded to take hold of that lotus, O best of kings.

स्पृष्टमात्रे ततः पद्मे हुङ्कारः समजायत । तेन शब्देन स त्रस्तः पपात च ममार च ।। ६२.

As soon as he touched the lotus, a loud sound arose; frightened by that noise, he fell and died.

राजा च तत्क्षणात् तेन शब्देन समपद्यत । कुष्ठी विगतवर्णश्च बलवीर्यविवर्जितः ।। ६२.

And at that very moment, the king, because of that sound, became afflicted with leprosy, lost his color, and was deprived of strength and vigor.

तथागतमथात्मानं दृष्ट्वा स पुरुषर्षभः । तस्थौ तत्रैव शोकार्त्तः किमेतदिति चिन्तयन् ।। ६२.

Seeing himself thus afflicted, that best of men stood there, overwhelmed with grief, pondering, 'What is this?'

तस्य चिन्तयतो धीमानाजगाम महातपाः । वसिष्ठो ब्रह्मपुत्रोऽथ तं स पप्रच्छ पार्थिवम् ।। ६२.

As he was thus reflecting, the wise and great ascetic Vasiṣṭha, son of Brahmā, arrived and questioned the king.

कथं ते राजशार्दूल तव देहस्य शासनम् । इदानीमेव किं कार्यं तन्ममाचक्ष्व पृच्छतः ।। ६२.

'How has this condition come upon your body, O tiger among kings? What should be done now? Tell me as I ask you.'

एवमुक्तस्ततो राजा वसिष्ठेन महात्मना । सर्वं पद्मस्य वृत्तान्तं कथयामास स प्रभुः ।। ६२.

Thus addressed by the great-souled Vasiṣṭha, the king recounted the entire story of the lotus.