Varaha Purana

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.

हेमवस्त्रादिभिस्तास्तु भूषयित्वा तु शक्तितः । पश्चात् क्षमापयेत् तास्तु देवी मे प्रीयतामिति ।। ६४.

After adorning them with gold, garments, and other ornaments as able, one should then seek their forgiveness, saying: 'May the goddess be pleased with me.'

एवं कृते भ्रष्टराज्यो लभेद् राज्यं न संशयः । अविद्यो लभते विद्यां भीतः शौर्यं च विदन्ति ।। ६४.

By performing thus, one who has lost his kingdom will surely regain it; the unlearned attains knowledge, and the fearful become known for their valor.

अगस्त्य उवाच । सार्वभौमव्रतं चान्यत् कथयामि समासतः । येन सम्यक्कृतेनाशु सार्वभौमो नृपो भवेत् ।। ६५.

Agastya said: I shall briefly describe another universal vow, by which, when properly performed, a king swiftly becomes sovereign over all.

कार्तिकस्य तु मासस्य दशमी शुक्लपक्षिका । तस्यां नक्ताशनो नित्यं दिक्षु शुद्धबलिं हरेत् ।। ६५.

On the tenth day of the bright fortnight in the month of Kartika, one should eat only at night and offer pure oblations in all directions daily.

विचित्रैः कुसुमैर्भक्त्या पूजयित्वा द्विजोत्तमान् । दिशां तु प्रार्थनां कुर्यान् मन्त्रेणानेन सुव्रतः । सर्वा भवन्त्यः सिद्ध्यन्तु मम जन्मनि जन्मनि ।। ६५.

With various flowers and devotion, one should worship the foremost Brahmins; then, with this mantra, the virtuous should pray to the directions: 'May all the goddesses grant success to me in every birth.'

एवमुक्त्वा बलिं तासु दत्त्वा शुद्धेन चेतसा । ततो रात्रौ तु भुञ्जीत दध्यन्नं तु सुसंस्कृतम् ।। ६५.

Having spoken thus and given oblations to them with a pure mind, one should then eat well-prepared rice and curds at night.

पूर्वं पश्चाद् यथेष्टं तु एवं संवत्सरं नृप । यः करोति नरो नित्यं तस्य दिग्विजयो भवेत् ।। ६५.

First and last, as desired, thus for a year, O king; whoever performs this daily will achieve conquest of the directions.

एकादश्यां तु यत्नेन नरः कुर्याद् यथाविधि । मार्गशीर्षे शुक्लपक्षादारभ्याब्दं विचक्षणः । तद् व्रत धनदस्येष्टं कृतं वित्तं प्रयच्छति ।। ६५.

On the eleventh day, one should carefully perform the rite according to the rule, beginning from the bright fortnight of Margashirsha for a year; this vow is dear to the god of wealth, and when performed, grants riches.

एकादश्यां निराहारो यो भुङ्क्ते द्वादशीदिने । शुक्ले वाऽप्यथवा कृष्णे तद् व्रतं वैष्णवं महत् ।। ६५.

Whoever fasts on the eleventh day and eats on the twelfth, whether in the bright or dark fortnight, performs the great Vaishnava vow.

एवं चीर्ण सुघोराणि हन्ति पापानि रपार्थिव । त्रयोदश्यां तु नक्तेन धर्मव्रतमथोच्यते ।। ६५.

Thus, when these fierce vows are observed, they destroy sins, O king; on the thirteenth day, the vow of righteousness is performed by eating only at night.

शुक्लपक्षे फाल्गुनस्य तथारभ्य विचक्षणः । रौद्रं व्रतं चतुर्दश्यां कृष्णपक्षे विशेषतः । माघमासादथारभ्य पूर्णं संवत्सरं नृप ।। ६५.

In the bright fortnight of Phalguna, the wise should begin; the fierce vow is especially performed on the fourteenth day of the dark fortnight, starting from the month of Magha, for a full year, O king.

इन्दुव्रतं पञ्चदश्यां शुक्लायां नक्तभोजनम् । पितृव्रतममावास्यामिति राजन तथेरितम् ।। ६५.

On the fifteenth day of the bright fortnight, the moon vow is observed by eating at night; the ancestral vow is performed on the new moon, O king, thus it is prescribed.

दश पञ्च च वर्षाणि य एवं कुरुते नृप । तिथिव्रतानि कस्तस्य फलं व्रतप्रमाणतः ।। ६५.

Whoever, O king, performs these lunar vows for ten or five years, what is the fruit for him according to the measure of the vow?

अश्वमेधसहस्त्राणि राजसूयशतानि च । यष्टानि तेन राजेन्द्र कल्पोक्ताः क्रतवस्तथा ।। ६५.

Thousands of Ashvamedha sacrifices and hundreds of Rajasuya rituals, and other rites prescribed in the scriptures, are performed by him, O king.

एकमेव कृतं हन्ति व्रतं पापानि नित्यशः । यः पुनः सर्वमेतद्धि कुर्यान्नरवरात्मज । स शुद्धो विरजो लोकानाप्नोति सकलं नृप ।। ६५.

Even a single violation destroys the vow and brings constant sin; but, O prince among men, whoever performs all this completely becomes pure, free from stain, and attains all the worlds, O king.

भद्राश्व उवाच । आश्चर्यं यदि ते किंचिद् विदितं दृष्टमेव वा । तन्मे कथय धर्मज्ञ मम कौतूहलंमहत् ।। ६६.

Bhadraashva said: If you know of any marvel, or have seen one, O knower of dharma, please tell me, for my curiosity is great.

अगस्त्य उवाच । आश्चर्यभूतो भगवानेष एव जनार्दनः । तस्याश्चर्याणि दृष्टानि बहूनि विविधानि वै ।। ६६.

Agastya said: The Blessed Lord Janardana himself is the source of wonders; many and various marvels of his have indeed been seen.

श्वेतद्वीपं गतः पूर्वं नारदः किल पार्थिव । सोऽपश्यच्छङ्खचक्राब्जान् पुरुषांस्तिग्मतेजसः ।। ६६.

Once, O king, Narada went to Shvetadvipa and there he saw men bearing conch, discus, and lotus, blazing with intense radiance.

अयं विष्णुरयं विष्णुरेष विष्णुः सनातनः । चिन्ताऽभूत्तस्यतान्दृष्ट्वा कोऽस्मिन्विष्णुरिति प्रभुः ।। ६६.

"This is Vishnu, this is Vishnu, this is the eternal Vishnu"—such was his thought on seeing them; but he wondered, "Who among these is truly Vishnu, the Lord?"

एवं चिन्तयतस्तस्य चिन्ता कृष्णं प्रति प्रभो । आराधयामि च कथं शङ्खचक्रगदाधरम् ।। ६६.

As he pondered thus, his mind turned to Krishna: "How shall I worship the bearer of conch, discus, and mace?"