Varaha Purana

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.

दम्पत्यं तदहोरात्रं सूर्याचन्द्रमसौ ततः । ततो जगत् समुत्तस्थौ देवस्यास्य नृपोत्तम ।। ६७.

That union of husband and wife is day and night; from them, the sun and moon arose, and from them, O best of kings, this world came forth.

स विष्णुः परमो देवो विज्ञेयो नृपसत्तम । न च वेदक्रियाहीनः पश्यते परमेश्वरम् ।। ६७.

That Viṣṇu, the supreme god, is to be known, O best of kings; and one without Vedic rites does not behold the Supreme Lord.

भद्राश्व उवाच । योऽसौ परापरो देवो विष्णुः सर्वगतो मुने । चतुर्युगे त्वसौ कीदृग् विज्ञेयः परमेश्वरः ।। ६८.

Bhadrāśva said: O sage, that supreme and non-supreme god Viṣṇu, who is all-pervading—how is he to be understood in each of the four ages, O Supreme Lord?

युगे युगे क आचारो वर्णानां भविता मुने । कथं च शुद्धिर्विप्राणामन्यस्त्रीसंकरैर्मुने ।। ६८.

In each age, what will be the conduct of the castes, O sage? And how will the purity of Brāhmaṇas be, when there is intermixture with other women, O sage?

अगस्त्य उवाच । कृते युगे मही देवैर्भुज्यते वेदकर्मणा । यजद्भिरसुरैस्त्रेतां तद्वद् देवैश्च सत्तम ।। ६८.

Agastya said: In the Kṛta age, the earth is enjoyed by the gods through Vedic rites; in the Tretā age, it is likewise enjoyed by those who perform sacrifices and by the gods, O excellent one.

द्वापरे सत्त्वरजसी बहुले नृपसत्तम । यावद् धर्मसुतो राजा भविष्यति महामते ।। ६८.

In the Dvāpara age, O best of kings, when sattva and rajas are predominant, as long as the king who is the son of Dharma exists, O wise one.

ततस्तमः प्रभविता कलिरूपो नरेश्वर । तस्मिन् कलौ वर्त्तमाने स्वमार्गाच्च्यवते द्विजः ।। ६८.

Then, darkness will prevail in the form of Kali, O lord of men; and in that Kali age, the twice-born will deviate from their own path.

राजानो वैश्यशूद्राश्च प्रायशो हीनजातयः । भविष्यन्ति नृपश्रेष्ठ सत्यशौचविवर्जिताः ।। ६८.

Kings, Vaiśyas, and Śūdras will mostly be of low birth, O best of kings, devoid of truth and purity.

अगम्यागमनं तत्र करिष्यन्ति द्विजातयः । अनृतं च वदिष्यन्ति वेदमार्गबहिष्कृताः । विवाहांश्च करिष्यन्ति सगोत्रानसमांस्तथा ।। ६८.

There, the twice-born will approach the unapproachable, will speak falsehood, will be excluded from the Vedic path, and will marry those of the same lineage and those not equal as well.

राजानो ब्राह्मणान् हिंस्युर्वित्तलोभान्विताः शठाः । अन्त्यजा अपि वैश्यत्वं करिष्यन्ति पणे रताः । अभिमानिनो भविष्यन्ति शूद्रजातिषु गर्विताः ।। ६८.

Kings, greedy for wealth and deceitful, will harm Brāhmaṇas; even outcastes will assume the status of Vaiśyas, delighting in trade; and those of Śūdra birth will become proud and arrogant.