Varaha Purana

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?"

येन वेद्मि परं तेषां देवो नारायणः प्रभुः । एवं संचिन्त्य दध्यौ स तं देवं परमेश्वरम् ।। ६६.

"By what means may I know which among them is the supreme Lord Narayana?" Thinking thus, he meditated on that supreme God.

दिव्यं वर्षसहस्त्रं तु साग्रं ब्रह्मसुतस्तदा । ध्यायतस्तस्य देवोऽसौ परितोषं जगाम ह ।। ६६.

Then, as the son of Brahma meditated for a full thousand divine years, the Lord became pleased with him.

उवाच च प्रसन्नात्मा प्रत्यक्षत्वं गतः प्रभुः । वरं ब्रह्मसुत ब्रूहि किं ते दद्मि महामुने ।। ६६.

The Lord, appearing before him with a gracious heart, spoke: "O son of Brahma, ask for a boon; what shall I grant you, great sage?"

नारद उवाच । सहस्त्रमेकं वर्षाणां ध्यातस्त्वं भुवनेश्वर । त्वत्प्राप्तिर्येन तद् ब्रूहि यदि तुष्टोऽसि मेऽच्युत ।। ६६.

Narada said: "O Lord of the world, I have meditated on you for a thousand years; if you are pleased with me, Achyuta, tell me how you may be attained."

देवदेव उवाच । पौरुषं सूक्तमास्थाय ये यजन्ति द्विजास्तु माम् । संहितामाद्यमास्थाय ते मां प्राप्स्यन्ति नारद ।। ६६.

The Lord of gods said: "Those twice-born who worship me by following the Purusha Sukta, or by adhering to the original Samhita, they shall attain me, O Narada."

अलाभे वेदशास्त्राणां पञ्चरात्रोदितेन ह । मार्गेण मां प्रपश्यन्ते ते मां प्राप्स्यन्ति मानवाः ।। ६६.

If the Vedic scriptures are not available, people may see me by the path set forth in the Pancharatra; by that path, they shall attain me.

ब्राह्मणक्षत्रियविशां पञ्चरात्रं विधीयते । शूद्रादीनां न तच्छ्रोत्रपदवीमुपयास्यति ।। ६६.

The Pancharatra is prescribed for Brahmins, Kshatriyas, and Vaishyas; it shall not be accessible to the ears or status of Shudras and others.

एवं मयोक्तं विप्रेन्द्र पुराकल्पे पुरातनम् । पञ्चरात्रं सहस्त्राणां यदि कश्चिद् ग्रहीष्यति ।। ६६.

Thus I have declared, O best of Brahmins, in the ancient kalpa: if anyone among thousands should accept the Pancharatra—

कर्मक्षये च मां कश्चिद् यदि भक्तो भविष्यति । तस्य चेदं पञ्चरात्रं नित्यं हृदि वसिष्यति ।। ६६.

If, at the end of his actions, anyone becomes my devotee, then this Pancharatra will always abide in his heart.

इतरे राजसैर्भावैस्तामसैश्च समावृताः । भविष्यन्ति द्विजश्रेष्ठ मच्छासनपराङ्मुखाः ।। ६६.

Others, enveloped by royal and tamasic dispositions, O best of twice-born, will turn away from my command.

कृतं त्रेता द्वापरं च युगानि त्रीणि नारद । सत्त्वस्थां मां समेष्यन्ति कलौ रजस्तमोऽधिकाः ।। ६६.

In the Krita, Treta, and Dvapara yugas, O Narada, those established in sattva will reach me; but in Kali, rajas and tamas will predominate.

अन्यच्च ते वरं दद्मि श्रृणु नारद साम्प्रतम् । यदिदं पञ्चरात्रं मे शास्त्रं परमदुर्लभम् । तद्भवान् वेत्स्यते सर्वं मत्प्रसादान्न संशयः ।। ६६.

And now I grant you another boon, Narada—listen: by my grace, you shall know all of this Pancharatra, my exceedingly rare scripture; there is no doubt.

वेदेन पञ्चरात्रेण भक्त्या यज्ञेन च द्विज । प्राप्योऽहं नान्यथा वत्स वर्षकोट्यायुतैरपि ।। ६६.

O twice-born, I am to be attained only through the Veda, the Pañcarātra, devotion, and sacrifice—not otherwise, even in ten million years, dear one.

एवमुक्त्वा स भगवान् नारदं परमेश्वरः । जगामादर्शनं सद्यो नारदोऽपि ययौ दिवम् ।। ६६.

Having spoken thus, the Blessed Lord, Supreme Ruler, became invisible to Nārada at once; and Nārada too went to heaven.

भद्राश्व उवाच । भगवन् सितकृष्णे द्वे भिन्ने जगति केशवान् । स्त्रियौ बभूवतुः के द्वे सितकृष्णा च का शुभा ।। ६७.

Bhadrāśva said: O Lord, who are the two women, one white and one black, said to be separate in the world, O Keśava? Who are these two women, and who is the auspicious one called white and black?

कश्चासौ पुरुषो ब्रह्मन् य एकः सप्तधा भवेत् । कोऽसौ द्वादशधा विप्र द्विदेहः षट्शिराः शुभः ।। ६७.

And who is that man, O Brāhmaṇa, who becomes one and then sevenfold? Who is that twice-bodied, six-headed, twelvefold lord, O excellent one?

दम्पत्यं च द्विजश्रेष्ठ कृतसूर्योदयादनम् । कस्मादेतज्जगदिदं विततं द्विजसत्तम ।। ६७.

O best of twice-born, what is the union of husband and wife, and the eating after sunrise? Why is this world so spread out, O best of Brāhmaṇas?

अगस्त्य उवाच । सितकृष्णे स्त्रियौ ये ते ते भगिन्यौ प्रकीर्तिते । सत्यासत्ये द्विवर्णा च नारी रात्रिरुदाहृता ।। ६७.

Agastya said: The two women, one white and one black, are said to be sisters; night is declared to be the woman of two colors, representing truth and untruth.

यः पुमान् सप्तधा जात एको भूत्वा नरेश्वर । स समुद्रस्तु विज्ञेयः सप्तधैको व्यवस्थितः ।। ६७.

That man who, being one, is born sevenfold, O lord of men, is to be understood as the ocean, existing as one in seven forms.

योऽसौ द्वादशधा राजन् द्विदेहः षट्शिराः प्रभुः । संवत्सरः स विज्ञेयः शरीरे द्वे गती स्मृते । ऋतवः षट् च वक्त्राणि एष संवत्सरः स्मृतः ।। ६७.

That lord who is twelvefold, with two bodies and six faces, is to be known as the year; the two bodies are the two courses, and the six mouths are the six seasons—thus is the year remembered.