Varaha Purana

स्मरन् विष्णुं पठन् वेदं ददद् दानं यजन् हरिम् । ब्राह्मणः शुद्ध एवास्ते विरुद्धमपि तारयेत् ।। ६८.

Remembering Vishnu, reciting the Veda, giving gifts, and worshipping Hari—a Brahmin remains pure, and can even save others who are opposed.

एतत् ते सर्वमाख्यातं यत् पृष्टोऽहं त्वया नृप । मन्वादिर्भिर्विस्तरशः कथ्यते येन पार्थिव । समासतस्तेन मया कथितं ते नृपोत्तम ।। ६८.

All this I have told you, O king, as you asked; what is described in detail by Manu and others, I have summarized for you, O best of kings.

भद्राश्व उवाच । भगवन् त्वच्छरीरे तु यद् वृत्तं द्विजसत्तम । चिरजीवी भवांस्तन्मे वक्तुमर्हसि सत्तम ।। ६९.

Bhadrāśva said: O blessed one, whatever has occurred in your body, O best of twice-born, you who are long-lived—please tell me that, O noble one.

अगस्त्य उवाच । मच्छरीरमिदं राजन् बहुकौतूहलान्वितम् । अनेककल्पसंस्थायि वेदविद्याविशोधितम् ।। ६९.

Agastya said: This body of mine, O king, is filled with many wonders; it has endured through many cycles of creation, and has been purified by Vedic knowledge.

अटन् महीमहं सर्वां गतवानस्मि पार्थिव । इलावृतं महावर्षं मेरोः पार्श्वे व्यवस्थितम् ।। ६९.

I have wandered over the whole earth, O king, and have gone to Ilāvṛta, the great region situated beside Mount Meru.

तत्र रम्यं सरो दृष्टं तस्य तीरे महाकुटी । तत्रोपवासशिथिलं दृष्टवानस्मि तापसम् । अस्थिचर्मावशेषं तु चीरवल्कलधारिणम् ।। ६९.

There I saw a beautiful lake, and on its shore a great hermitage; there I saw an ascetic weakened by fasting, reduced to skin and bones, wearing only bark garments.

तं दृष्टृवाऽहं नृपश्रेष्ठ क एष नृपसत्तम । विश्वास्य प्रतिपत्त्यर्थं विधेयं मे नरोत्तम ।। ६९.

Seeing him, O best of kings, I wondered, 'Who is this, O foremost of rulers?' To gain his trust and understanding, I considered what should be done, O noble one.

एवं चित्तयतो मह्यं स मां प्राह महामुनिः । स्थीयतां स्थीयतां ब्रह्मन्नातिथ्यं करवाणि ते ।। ६९.

As I was reflecting in this way, O Brahman, the great sage addressed me: 'Stay, stay! Remain here, I will offer you hospitality.'

एतच्छ्रुत्वा वचस्तस्य प्रविष्टोऽहं कुटीं तु ताम् । तावत् पश्याम्यहं विप्रं ज्वलन्तमिव तेजसा ।। ६९.

Hearing these words of his, I entered that hut; there I beheld the sage, shining as if ablaze with radiance.

भूमौ स्थितं तु मां दृष्ट्वा हुङ्कारमकरोद् द्विजः । तद्धुङ्कारात् तु पातालं भित्त्वा पञ्च हि कन्यकाः ।। ६९.

Seeing me standing on the ground, the sage uttered a humkāra; from that sound, five maidens broke through the earth and emerged from the netherworld.

निर्ययुः काञ्चनं पीठमेका तासां प्रगृह्य वै । सा मां प्रादात् तदाऽन्याऽदात् सलिलं करसंस्थितम् ।। ६९.

One of them brought a golden seat and offered it to me; another gave me water held in her hands.

गृहीत्वाऽन्या तु मे पादौ क्षालितुं चोपचक्रमे । अन्ये द्वे व्यजने गृह्य मत्पक्षाभ्यां व्यवस्थिते ।। ६९.

Another took hold of my feet and began to wash them; the remaining two stood at my sides, each holding a fan.

ततो हुङ्कारमकरोत् पुनरेव महातपाः । तच्छब्दादन्तरं हैमद्रोणीं योजनविस्तृताम् । गृह्याजगाम मकरोत्प्लवं सरसि पार्थिव ।। ६९.

Then again, the great ascetic uttered a humkāra; from that sound, a golden basin, a yojana in width, appeared, and a makara leapt into the lake, O King.

तस्यां तु कन्याः शतशो हेमकुम्भकराः शुभाः । आययुस्तमथो दृष्ट्वा स मुनिः प्राह मां नृप ।। ६९.

In that basin, hundreds of auspicious maidens carrying golden pitchers arrived; seeing this, the sage spoke to me, O King.

स्नानार्थं कल्पितं ब्रह्मन्निदं ते सर्वमेव तु । द्रोणीं प्रविश्य चेमां त्वं स्नातुमर्हसि सत्तम ।। ६९.

'All this has been prepared for your bath, O Brahman; you should enter this basin and bathe, O noble one.'

ततोऽहं तस्य वचनात् तस्यां द्रोण्यां नराधिप । विशामि तावत् सरसि सा द्रोणी प्रत्यमज्जत ।। ६९.

Then, by his instruction, O lord of men, I entered that basin in the lake; as I did so, the basin sank beneath the water.

द्रोण्यां जले निमग्नोऽहम् इति मत्वा नरेश्वर । उन्मग्नोऽहं ततो लोकमपूर्वं दृष्टवांस्ततः ।। ६९.

Thinking myself submerged in the water of the basin, O king, I then rose up and beheld a world never seen before.

सुहर्म्यकक्ष्यायतनं विशालं रथ्यापथं शुद्धजनानुकीर्णम् । नीत्युत्तमैः सेवितमात्मविद्भि - र्नृभिः पुराणैर्नयमार्गसंस्थैः ।। ६९.

There I saw a vast and excellent city, with broad avenues thronged by pure-hearted people, attended by the wise and self-realized, by ancient kings established in the path of righteousness.

संसारचर्यापरिघाभिरुग्रं गम्भीरपातालतलस्थमाद्यम् । सितैर्नृभिः पाशवराग्रहस्तैः द्विपाश्वसंघैर्विविधैरुपेतम् ।। ६९.

It was a formidable place, inaccessible to the course of worldly life, situated deep in the nethermost region, filled with white-clad men holding nooses, and surrounded by various groups of elephants and horses.

विचित्रपद्मोत्पलसंवृतानि सरांसि नानाविहगाकुलानि । अम्भोजपत्रस्थितभृङ्गनादै- रुद्गीतवन्तीव लयैरनैकैः । कैलासश्रृङ्गप्रतिमानि तीरे - ष्वनेकरत्नोत्पलसंचितानि । गृहाणि धन्याध्युषितानि नीचै - रुपासितानि द्विजदेवविप्रैः ।। ६९.

There were lakes covered with diverse lotuses and water-lilies, crowded with many kinds of birds; the hum of bees settled on lotus leaves seemed to sing in manifold melodies; on the banks stood houses resembling the peaks of Kailāsa, adorned with many precious lotuses, inhabited by the blessed and revered by twice-born sages and gods.

कैलासश्रृङ्गप्रतिमानि तीरे - ष्वनेकरत्नोत्पलसंचितानि । गृहाणि धन्याध्युषितानि नीचै - रुपासितानि द्विजदेवविप्रैः ।। ६९.

On the banks stood houses resembling the peaks of Kailāsa, adorned with many precious lotuses, inhabited by the blessed and revered by twice-born sages and gods.

पद्मानि भृङ्गावनतानि चेलु - स्तेषां पुनर्गुरुभारादजस्त्रम् । जलेषु येषां सुस्वरास्यो द्विजाति- र्वेदोदितानाह विचित्रमन्त्रान् ।। ६९.

Lotuses, bent by the weight of bees, constantly swayed there; in the waters, twice-born ones with melodious voices recited wondrous mantras from the Vedas.

सिताब्जमालार्चितगात्रवन्ति वासोत्तरीयाणि खगप्रवारैः । सरांस्यनेकानि तथा द्विजास्तु पठन्ति यज्ञार्थविधिं पुराणम् ।। ६९.

Their bodies were adorned with garlands of white lotuses, their upper garments were fine, and flocks of birds abounded; in many such lakes, the twice-born recited the ancient rites of sacrifice.

भ्रमन्नहं तेषु सरःस्वपश्यं वृन्दान्यनेकानि सुराङ्गनानाम् । विद्याधराणां च तथैव कन्याः स्नानाय तं देशमुपागताश्च ।। ६९.

As I wandered among those lakes, I saw many groups of celestial maidens, and likewise daughters of the Vidyādharas, who had come to that place to bathe.

ततः कदाचिद् भ्रमता नृपोत्तम प्रदृष्टमन्यत्सुसरः सुतोयम् । प्राग् दृष्टमेकं तु तथैव तीरे कुटीं प्रपश्यामि यथा पुराऽहम् ।। ६९.

Then, as I wandered, O best of kings, I saw another beautiful lake with pure water; just as before, on its bank I saw a hut, as I had previously.

यावत् कुटीं तां प्रविशामि राजन् तपस्विनं तं स्थितमेकदेशे । दृष्ट्वाभिगम्याभिवदामि यावत् स्मयन्नुवाचाप्रतिमप्रभावः ।। ६९.

O King, as I entered that hut and saw the ascetic standing in one place, I approached and greeted him; as I did so, he smiled and spoke, his power beyond compare.

तापस उवाच । किं मां विप्र न जानीषे प्राग्दृष्टमपि सत्तम । येन त्वं मूढवल्लोकमिममप्यनुपश्यसि ।। ६९.

The ascetic said: O best of Brahmins, do you not recognize me, though you have seen me before? Why do you look upon this world as if you were deluded?

दृष्टं मत्कमिदं देवैर्भुवनं यन्न दृश्यते । त्वत्प्रियार्थं मया लोको दर्शितः स द्विजोत्तम ।। ६९.

This world, which even the gods have not seen, has been revealed to you by me, O best of twice-born, for your sake and out of affection.

संपदं पश्य लोकस्य मदीयस्य महामुने । दधिक्षीरवहा नद्यस्तथा सर्पिर्मयान् ह्रदान् ।। ६९.

Behold, O great sage, the wealth of my world: rivers flowing with curds and milk, and lakes filled with clarified butter.