Varaha Purana

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.

कृते नारायणः शुद्धः सूक्ष्ममूर्तिरुपास्यते । त्रेतायां यज्ञरूपेण पञ्चरात्रैस्तु द्वापरे ।। ७०.

In the Krita age, Narayana, pure and subtle in form, is worshipped; in Treta, in the form of sacrifice; and in Dvapara, by the Pancharatra rites.

कलौ मत्कृतमार्गेण बहुरूपेण तामसैः । इज्यते द्वेषबुद्ध्या स परमात्मा जनार्दनः ।। ७०.

In Kali, by the path I have established, with many forms and by tamasic means, the supreme soul Janardana is worshipped with a mind of aversion.

न तस्मात् परतो देवो भविता न भविष्यति । यो विष्णुः स स्वयं ब्रह्मा यो ब्रह्मा सोऽहमेव च ।। ७०.

There is no god beyond him, nor will there be; he who is Vishnu is himself Brahma, and he who is Brahma is myself.

वेदत्रयेऽपि यज्ञेऽस्मिन् याज्यं वेदेषु निश्चयः । यो भेदं कुरुतेऽस्माकं त्रयाणां द्विजसत्तम । स पापकारी दुष्टात्मा दुर्गतिं गतिमाप्नुयात् ।। ७०.

Even in the three Vedas, in this sacrifice, the offering is established in the Vedas; O best of twice-born, whoever creates division among us three is a doer of evil, of corrupt mind, and attains a miserable fate.

इदं च श्रृणु मेऽगस्त्य गदतः प्राक्तनं तथा । यथा कलौ हरेर्भक्तिं न कुर्वन्तीह मानवाः ।। ७०.

And hear from me, O Agastya, as I speak of the past, how in Kali men do not cultivate devotion to Hari here.

भूर्लोकवासिनः सर्वे पुरा यष्ट्वा जनार्दनम् । भुवर्लोकं प्रपद्यन्ते तत्रस्था अपि केशवम् । आराध्य स्वर्गतिं यान्ति क्रमान्मुक्तिं व्रजन्ति च ।। ७०.

All the inhabitants of the earth, having formerly worshipped Janardana, attain the Bhuvarloka; those who reside there, having worshipped Kesava, reach heaven, and gradually attain liberation.

एवं मुक्तिपदे व्याप्ते सर्वलोकैस्तथैव च । मुक्तिभाजस्ततो देवास्तं दध्युः प्रयता हरिम् ।। ७०.

Thus, when the state of liberation pervaded all worlds, those eligible for liberation, the gods, then devotedly worshipped Hari.

सोऽपि सर्वगतत्वाच्च प्रादुर्भूतः सनातनः । उवाच ब्रूत किं कार्यं सर्वयोगिवराः सुराः ।। ७०.

He, being all-pervading and eternal, appeared and said: 'Tell me, what is to be done, O foremost of yogis and gods?'

ते तं प्रणम्य देवेशमूचुश्च परमेश्वरम् । देवदेव जनः सर्वो मुक्तिमार्गे व्यवस्थितः । कथं सृष्टिः प्रभविता नरकेषु च को वसेत् ।। ७०.

They, having bowed to the lord of gods, spoke to the supreme lord: 'O god of gods, all people are established on the path of liberation; how will creation proceed, and who will dwell in hells?'

एवमुक्तस्ततो देवैस्तानुवाच जनार्दनः । युगानि त्रीणि बहवो मामुपेष्यन्ति मानवाः ।। ७०.

Thus addressed by the gods, Janardana replied: 'For three ages and many more, men will approach me.'