Varaha Purana

एवमुक्तस्तदा तेन तापसेन नराधिप । विस्मयापन्नहृदयस्तमेवाहं तु पृष्टवान् ।। ६९.

When addressed in this way by that ascetic, O king, my heart was filled with wonder, and I questioned him further.

भगवंस्तव लोकोऽयं सर्वलोकवरोत्तमः । सर्वलोका मया दृष्टा ब्रह्मशक्रादिसंस्थिताः ।। ६९.

O venerable one, your world is the foremost among all worlds; I have seen all worlds, including those of Brahmā, Indra, and others.

अयं त्वपूर्वो लोको मे प्रतिभाति तपोधन । संपदैश्वर्यतेजोभिर्हर्म्यरत्नचयैस्तथा ।। ६९.

But this world appears to me as something entirely new, O possessor of austerity, endowed with wealth, splendor, power, and heaps of palace-jewels.

सरोभिः सूदकैः पुण्यैर्जलजैश्च विशेषतः । अत्यद्भुतमिदं लोकं दृष्टवानस्मि ते मुने ।। ६९.

With sacred lakes, pure pools, and especially with lotuses, I have seen your world, O sage, and it is truly astonishing.

इत्थंभूतं कथं लोको भवांश्चेत्थं व्यवस्थितः । कथयस्वैतस्य हेतुं मे कश्च त्वं मुनिपुंगव ।। ६९.

How has such a world come to be, and how are you established here in this way? Tell me the reason for this, and who you are, O foremost of sages.

कथमिलावृते वर्षे सरस्तीरे महामुने । दृष्टवानस्मि सोऽहं त्वं सरस्तत् सा कुटी मुने । हेमहर्म्याकुले लोके किं वा स्थानं तु ते कुटिः ।। ६९.

How did I see you, O great sage, on the shore of a lake in the Ilāvṛta region? That lake, that hut, O sage—what is your place in this world filled with golden palaces?

एवमुक्तः स भगवात् मयाऽसौ मुनिपुंगवः । प्राह मह्यं यथावृत्तं यत् तु राजेन्द्र तच्छृणु ।। ६९.

Thus addressed by me, that eminent sage spoke to me as things had happened. Hear this, O king.

तापस उवाच । अहं नारायणो देवो जलरूपी सनातनः । येन व्याप्तमिदं विश्वं त्रैलोक्यं सचराचरम् ।। ६९.

The ascetic said: I am Nārāyaṇa, the eternal god in the form of water, by whom this entire universe, the three worlds with all that moves and does not move, is pervaded.

या सा त्वाप्याकृतिस्तस्य देवस्य परमेष्ठिनः । सोऽहं वरुण इत्युक्तः स्वयं नारायणः परः ।। ६९.

That very form of the supreme god, Parameṣṭhin, which you have seen—I am he, called Varuṇa, but truly the supreme Nārāyaṇa himself.

त्वया च सप्त जन्मानि अहमाराधितः पुरा । तेन त्रैलोक्यनाशेऽपि त्वमेकस्त्वभिलक्षितः ।। ६९.

In former times, you worshipped me for seven births; therefore, even at the destruction of the three worlds, you alone were chosen by me.

एवमुक्तस्तदा तेन निद्रामीलितलोचनः । पतितोऽहं धरापृष्ठे तत्क्षणात् पुनरुत्थितः ।। ६९.

When he had spoken thus, I, my eyes heavy with sleep, fell to the earth, but in that very moment I rose again.

यावत्पश्याम्यहं राजन् तमृषिं तच्च वै पुरम् । तावन्मेरुगिरेर्मूर्ध्निं पश्याम्यात्मानमात्मना ।। ६९.

O King, as I looked, I saw that sage and that city; then, by my own self, I beheld myself on the summit of Mount Meru.

समुद्रान् सप्त पश्यामि तथैव कुलपर्वतान् । सप्तद्वीपवतीं पृथ्वीं दृष्टवानस्मि पार्थिव ।। ६९.

I saw the seven oceans, the principal mountain ranges, and the earth with its seven continents, O ruler of men.

अद्यापि तं लोकवरं ध्यायंस्तिष्ठामि सुव्रत । कदा प्राप्स्येऽथ तं लोकमिति चिन्तापरोऽभवम् ।। ६९.

Even today, O virtuous one, I remain meditating on that supreme world; I became absorbed in the thought, 'When will I attain that realm?'

एवं ते कौतुकं राजन् कथितं परमेष्ठिनः । यद् वृत्तं मम देहे तु किमन्यच्छ्रोतुमिच्छसि ।। ६९.

Thus, O King, I have told you the wondrous story concerning the Supreme Lord and what happened to my body; what else do you wish to hear?

भद्राश्व उवाच । भगवन् किं कृतं लोकं त्वया तमनुपश्यता । व्रतं तपो वा धर्मो वा प्राप्त्यर्थं तस्य वै मुने ।। ७०.

Bhadrāśva said: O venerable one, what did you do, having not yet seen that world? Was it a vow, austerity, or righteousness, O sage, undertaken to attain it?

अनाराध्य हरिं भक्त्या को लोकान् कामयेद् बुधः । आराधिते हरौ लोकाः सर्वे करतलेऽभवन् ।। ७०.

Without worshipping Hari with devotion, what wise person would desire worlds? When Hari is worshipped, all worlds are as if in the palm of one's hand.

एवं संचिन्त्य राजेन्द्र मया विष्णुः सनातनः । आराधितो वर्षशतं क्रतुभिर्भूरिदक्षिणैः ।। ७०.

Thinking thus, O King, I worshipped the eternal Viṣṇu for a hundred years with sacrifices rich in gifts.

ततः कदाचिद् बहुना कालेन नृपनन्दन । यजतो मम देवेशं यज्ञमूर्तिं जनार्दनम् । आहूता आगता देवाः सममेव सवासवाः ।। ७०.

Then, after a long time, O delight of kings, as I was performing sacrifice to the Lord of gods, the embodiment of sacrifice, Janārdana, the gods along with Indra were summoned and arrived together.

स्वे स्वे स्थाने स्थिता आसन् यावद् देवाः सवासवाः । तावत् तत्रैव भगवानागतो वृषभध्वजः ।। ७०.

As long as the gods with Indra stood in their respective places, at that very moment the Lord bearing the bull-banner arrived there.

महादेवो विरूपाक्षस्त्र्यम्बको नीललोहितः । सोऽपि रौद्रे स्थितः स्थाने बभूव परमेश्वरः ।। ७०.

The great god, the three-eyed, blue and red Mahādeva, Virūpākṣa, also stood there in his fierce form as the Supreme Lord.

तान् सर्वानागतान् दृष्ट्वा देवानृषिमहोरगान् । सनत्कुमारो भगवानाजगामाब्जसंभवः ।। ७०.

Seeing all the assembled gods, sages, and great serpents, the blessed Sanatkumāra, born from the lotus, arrived.

त्रसरेणुप्रमाणेन विमाने सूर्यसन्निभे । अवस्थितो महायोगी भूतभव्यभविष्यवित् ।। ७०.

He, the great yogi who knows past, present, and future, stood in a celestial chariot the size of a speck of dust, shining like the sun.

आगम्य शिरसा रुद्रं स ववन्दे महामुनिः । मया प्रणमितस्तस्थौ समीपे शूलपाणिनः ।। ७०.

Having arrived, that great sage bowed his head to Rudra; I too, having bowed, stood near the wielder of the trident.

तानहं संस्थितान् देवान् नारदादीनृषींस्तथा । सनत्कुमाररुद्रौ च दृष्ट्वा मे मनसि स्थितम् ।। ७०.

Seeing those gods, the sages like Nārada, Sanatkumāra, and Rudra all assembled, a thought arose in my mind.

क एषां भवते याज्यो वरिष्ठश्च नृपोत्तम । केन तुष्टेन तुष्टाः स्युः सर्व एते सरुद्रकाः ।। ७०.

O best of kings, who among these is to be worshipped by you in sacrifice, and who is the most excellent? By pleasing whom would all these, including Rudra, be satisfied?

एवं कृत्वा स्थिते राजन् रुद्रः पृष्टो मयाऽनघ । एवमर्थं क इज्योऽत्र युष्माकं सुरसत्तमाः ।। ७०.

Having thus considered, O King, I asked Rudra, 'O sinless one, among you excellent gods, who is to be worshipped here in this sacrifice?'

एवमुक्ते तदोवाच रुद्रो मां सुरसन्निधौ ।। ७०.

When I had spoken thus, Rudra then addressed me in the assembly of the gods.

रुद्र उवाच । श्रृण्वन्तु बिबुधाः सर्वे तथा देवर्षयोऽमलाः । ब्रह्मर्षयश्च विख्याता सर्वे श्रृण्वन्तु मे वचः । त्वं चागस्त्य महाबुद्धे श्रृणु मे गदतो वचः ।। ७०.

Rudra said: Let all the gods, as well as the pure devarṣis and the renowned brahmarṣis, listen to my words; and you too, Agastya of great wisdom, hear what I say.