Varaha Purana

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.

तं दृष्ट्वा तत्त्वतो भावः परमात्मैष शाश्वतः । धारयामि शिरस्येनं लोकमध्ये विभूषणम् ।। ६२.

Having seen him in truth, this eternal Supreme Self, I bear him upon my head as an ornament amidst the world.

एवं ते जल्पता पापमिदं देवेन दर्शितम् । इदानीमिममेव त्वमाराधय महामते ।। ६२.

Thus, as you speak, this sin has been revealed by the god; now, O wise one, worship him alone.

अगस्त्य उवाच । एवमुक्त्वा वसिष्ठस्तु इममेव व्रतं तदा । आदित्याराधनं दिव्यमारोग्याख्यं जगाद ह ।। ६२.

Agastya said: Having spoken thus, Vasiṣṭha then described this very vow, the divine worship of the sun, known as the vow for health.

सोऽपि राजाऽकरोच्चेमं व्रतं भक्तिसमन्वितः । सिद्धिं च परमां प्राप्तो विरोगश्चाभवत् क्षणात् ।। ६२.

The king too performed this vow with devotion, attained the highest success, and became free from disease in an instant.

अगस्त्य उवाच । अथापरं महाराज पुत्रप्राप्तिव्रतं शुभम् । कथयामि समासेन तन्मे निगदतः श्रृणु ।। ६३.

Agastya said: Now, O great king, I shall briefly tell you the auspicious vow for obtaining a son; listen as I declare it.

मासे भाद्रपदे या तु कृष्णपक्षे नरेश्वर । अष्टम्यामुपवासेन पुत्रप्राप्तिव्रतं हि तत् ।। ६३.

In the month of Bhādrapada, during the dark fortnight, on the eighth day, O king, by fasting, this is indeed the vow for obtaining a son.

षष्ठ्यां चैव तु संकल्प्य सप्तम्यामर्चयेद् हरिम् । देवक्युत्सङ्गगं देवं मातृभिः परिवेष्टितम् ।। ६३.

On the sixth day, one should resolve, and on the seventh day worship Hari, the god resting in Devakī’s lap, surrounded by mothers.

प्रभाते विमलेऽष्टम्यामर्चयेत् प्रयतो हरिम् । प्राग्विधानेन गोविन्दमर्चयित्वा विधानतः ।। ६३.

In the pure morning of the eighth day, one should worship Hari with devotion; after worshipping Govinda according to the prescribed method, as directed.

ततो यवैः कृष्णतिलैः सघृतैर्होमयेद् दधि । ब्राह्मणान् भोजयेद् भक्त्या यथाशक्त्या सदक्षिणान् ।। ६३.

Then, with barley and black sesame mixed with ghee, one should offer oblations with curd; feed the brāhmaṇas with devotion, according to one's ability, always with gifts.

ततः स्वयं तु भुञ्जीत प्रथमं बिल्वमुत्तमम् । पश्चाद् यथेष्टं भुञ्जीत स्नेहैः सर्वरसैर्युतम् ।। ६३.

Then, one should eat first the finest bilva fruit, and afterwards eat as desired, with all kinds of flavors and oils.

प्रतिमासमनेनैव विधिनोपोष्य मानवः । कृष्णाष्टमीमपुत्रोऽपि लभेत् पुत्रं न संशयः ।। ६३.

By observing this procedure every month, even a sonless man, fasting on the Kṛṣṇāṣṭamī, will surely obtain a son, without doubt.

श्रूयते च पुरा राजा शूरसेनः प्रतापवान् । स ह्यपुत्रस्तपस्तेपे हिमवत्पर्वतोत्तमे ।। ६३.

It is heard that once, King Śūrasena, mighty and sonless, performed austerities on the excellent Himavat mountain.

तस्यैवं कुर्वतो देवो व्रतमेतज्जगाद ह । सोऽप्येतत् कृतवान् राजा पुत्रं चैवोपलब्धवान् ।। ६३.

As he was performing thus, the god revealed this vow; the king too performed it and obtained a son.

वसुदेवं महाभागमनेकक्रतुयाजिनम् । तं लब्ध्वा सोऽपि राजर्षिः परं निर्वाणमापत्वान् ।। ६३.

He obtained Vasudeva, greatly fortunate and a performer of many sacrifices; and that royal sage attained supreme liberation.

एवं कृष्णाष्टमी राजन् मया ते परिकीर्तिता । संवत्सरान्ते दातव्यं कृष्णयुग्मं द्विजातये ।। ६३.

Thus, O king, I have described to you the Kṛṣṇāṣṭamī; at the end of the year, a pair of black cows should be given to a twice-born.

एतत् पुत्रव्रतं नाम मया ते परिकीर्तितम् । एतत् कृत्वा नरः पापैः सर्वैरेव प्रमुच्यते ।। ६३.

This vow for a son has been described to you by me; by performing this, a man is freed from all sins.

अगस्त्य उवाच । अथापरं प्रवक्ष्यामि शौर्यव्रतमनुत्तमम् । येन भीरोरपि महच्छौर्यं भवति तत्क्षणात् ।। ६४.

Agastya said: Now I shall declare the supreme vow of valor, by which even a fearful person instantly attains great courage.

मासि चाश्वयुजे शुद्धां नवमीं समुपोषयेत् । सप्तम्यां कृतसंकल्पः स्थित्वाऽष्टम्यां निरोदनः ।। ६४.

In the month of Ashvayuja, one should observe a fast on the pure ninth day; having resolved on the seventh, one should remain steadfast and restrain oneself on the eighth.

नवम्यां पारयेत् पिष्टं प्रथमं भक्तितो नृप । ब्राह्मणान् भोजयेद् भक्त्या देवीं चैव तु पूजयेत् । दुर्गां देवीं महाभागां महामायां महाप्रभाम् ।। ६४.

On the ninth, the king should offer flour as the first act with devotion; he should feed Brahmins with reverence and worship the goddess, Durga, the blessed, the great illusion, the mighty one.

एवं संवत्सरं यावदुपोष्येति विधानतः । व्रतान्ते भोजयेद् धीमान् यथाशक्त्या कुमारिकाः ।। ६४.

In this manner, one should observe the vow for a full year according to the prescribed method; at the conclusion of the vow, the wise should feed maidens according to their ability.