Varaha Purana

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.

तं श्रुत्वा स मुनिस्तत्र साधु राजन्नथाब्रवीत् । असाधुरथ वा तिष्ठ तस्मात् कुष्ठित्वमागतः ।। ६२.

Hearing this, the sage there said, 'O king, if you had acted rightly, you would have remained; but because you did not, leprosy has come upon you.'

एवमुक्तस्तदा राजा वेपमानः कृताञ्जलिः । पप्रच्छ साध्वहं विप्र कथं वाऽसाध्वहं मुने । कथं च कुष्ठं मे जातमेतन्मे वक्तुमर्हसि ।। ६२.

Thus addressed, the trembling king, with joined palms, asked, 'O virtuous one, how did I act rightly or wrongly, O sage? And how has this leprosy arisen in me? You ought to tell me this.'

वसिष्ठ उवाच । एतद् ब्रह्मोद्भवं नाम पद्मं त्रैलोक्यविश्रुतम् । दृष्टमात्रेण चानेन दृष्टाः स्युः सर्वदेवताः । एतस्मिन् दृश्यते चैतत् षण्मासं क्वापि पार्थिव ।। ६२.

Vasiṣṭha said: 'This lotus, known as Brahmodbhava, is renowned throughout the three worlds. By merely seeing it, all the gods are seen; this is visible here once every six months, O king.'

एतस्मिन् दृष्टमात्रे तु यो जलं विशते नरः । सर्वपापविनिर्मुक्तः परं निर्वाणमर्हति ।। ६२.

Upon merely seeing this, if a man enters the water, he is freed from all sins and attains supreme liberation.

ब्रह्मणः प्रागवस्थाया मूर्तिरप्सु व्यवस्थिता । एतां दृष्ट्वा जले मग्नः संसाराद् विप्रमुच्यते ।। ६२.

The form of Brahmā in his prior state is established in the waters; seeing this and immersing oneself in the water, one is released from worldly existence.

इमं च दृष्ट्वा ते सूतो जले मग्नो नरोत्तम । प्रविष्टश्च पुनरिमं हर्तुमिच्छन्नराधिप । प्राप्तवानसि दुर्बुद्धे कुष्ठित्वं पापपूरुष ।। ६२.

Having seen this, your charioteer, O best of men, entered the water; and you, O king, entered again wishing to take it. Therefore, O wicked-minded one, you have incurred leprosy, O sinful man.

दृष्टमेतत् त्वया यस्मात् त्वं साध्विति ततः प्रभो । मयोक्तो मोहमापन्नस्तेनासाधुरितीरितः ।। ६२.

Because you saw this and I said, 'You are virtuous,' O lord, but you fell into delusion, therefore I said, 'You are not virtuous.'

ब्रह्मपुत्रो ह्यहं चेमं पश्यामि परमेश्वरम् । अहन्यहनि चागच्छंस्तं पुनर्दृष्टवानसि ।। ६२.

I am the son of Brahmā and I see this supreme Lord; I come here every day, and you have seen him again.

देवा अपि वदन्त्येते पद्मं काञ्चनमुत्तमम् । मानसे ब्रह्मपद्मं तु दृष्ट्वा चात्र गतं हरिम् । प्राप्स्यामस्तत् परं ब्रह्म यद् गत्वा न पुनर्भवेत् ।। ६२.

Even the gods declare that this lotus is the highest golden one; having seen the Brahma-lotus in the Mānasa lake and Hari present there, we shall attain that supreme Brahman, upon reaching which one does not return.

इदं च कारणं चान्यत् कुष्ठस्य श्रृणु पार्थिव । आदित्यः पद्मगर्भेऽस्मिन् स्वयमेव व्यवस्थितः ।। ६२.

Hear also another cause of leprosy, O king: the sun himself is established within this lotus womb.