Varaha Purana

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.

यो यज्ञैरीड्यते देवो यस्मात् सर्वमिदं जगत् । उत्पन्नं सर्वदा यस्मिंल्लीनं भवति सामरम् ।। ७०.

That god who is worshipped by sacrifices, from whom this entire universe arises, and into whom, along with the gods, it always dissolves—

नारायणः परो देवः सत्त्वरूपो जनार्दनः । त्रिधात्मानं स भगवान् ससर्ज परमेश्वरः ।। ७०.

Nārāyaṇa, the supreme god, Janārdana of the nature of sattva—he, the Supreme Lord, created himself in threefold form.

रजस्तमोभ्यां युक्तोऽभूद् रजः सत्त्वाधिकं विभुः । ससर्ज नाभिकमले ब्रह्माणं कमलासनम् ।। ७०.

Endowed with rajas and tamas, the mighty one, with rajas predominating over sattva, created Brahma, the lotus-seated, upon the lotus arising from his navel.

रजसा तमसा युक्तः सोऽपि मां त्वसृजत् प्रभुः । यत्सत्त्वं स हरिर्देवो यो हरिस्तत्परं पदम् ।। ७०.

He, joined with rajas and tamas, also created me, O master; that sattva is Hari, the god, and Hari is the supreme abode.

ये सत्त्वरजसी सोऽपि ब्रह्मा कमलसंभवः । यो ब्रह्मा सैव देवस्तु यो देवः सः चतुर्मुखः । यद्रजस्तमसोपेतं सोऽहं नास्त्यत्र संशयः ।। ७०.

He who possesses sattva and rajas is Brahma, born from the lotus; he who is Brahma is the god, and that god is four-faced; what is endowed with rajas and tamas, that am I—there is no doubt in this.

सत्त्वं रजस्तमश्चैव त्रितयं चैतदुच्यते । सत्त्वेन मुच्यते जन्तुः सत्त्वं नारायणात्मकम् ।। ७०.

Sattva, rajas, and tamas—this triad is so called; by sattva a creature is liberated, and sattva is of the nature of Narayana.

रजसा सत्त्वयुक्तेन भवेत् सृष्टी रजोऽधिका । तच्च पैतामहं वृत्तं सर्वशास्त्रेषु पठ्यते ।। ७०.

Through rajas, joined with sattva, creation occurs when rajas predominates; this is the paternal tradition, recited in all scriptures.

यद्वेदबाह्यं कर्म स्याच्छास्त्रमुद्दिश्य सेव्यते । तद्रौद्रमिति विख्यातं कनिष्ठं गदितं नृणाम् ।। ७०.

Whatever action is outside the Vedas, performed following a scripture, is known as fierce, and is said to be the lowest among men.

यद्धीनं रजसा कर्म केवलं तामसं तु यत् । तद् दुर्गतिपरं नॄणामिह लोके परत्र च ।। ७०.

Whatever action is deficient in rajas, and whatever is purely tamasic, that leads men to a miserable state in this world and the next.

सत्त्वेन मुच्यते जन्तुः सत्त्वं नारायणात्मकम् । नारायणश्च भगवान् यज्ञरूपी विभाव्यते ।। ७०.

By sattva a creature is liberated, and sattva is of the nature of Narayana; and Narayana, the blessed one, is manifest in the form of sacrifice.