Varaha Purana

ऋषय ऊचुः । मोहनार्थं तु लोकानां त्वया शास्त्रं पृथक् कृतम् । तत् त्वया हेतुना केन कृतं देव वदस्व नः ।। ७१.

The sages said: For the purpose of deluding the worlds, you have separately composed a doctrine; by what reason did you do this, O god? Please tell us.

रुद्र उवाच । अस्ति भारतवर्षेण वनं दण्डकसंज्ञितम् । तत्र तीव्रं तपो घोरं गौतमो नाम वै द्विजः ।। ७१.

Rudra said: In Bhāratavarṣa there is a forest called Daṇḍaka; there, a brahmin named Gautama performed severe and terrible austerities.

चकार तस्य ब्रह्मा तु परितोषं गतः प्रभुः । उवाच तं मुनिं ब्रह्मा वरं ब्रूहि तपोधन ।। ७१.

Brahmā, the lord, was pleased with him and said to that sage: 'Ask for a boon, O one rich in austerity.'

एवमुक्तस्तदा तेन ब्रह्मणा लोककर्तृणा । उवाच सद्यः पङ्क्तिं मे धान्यानां देहि पद्मज ।। ७१.

Thus addressed by Brahmā, creator of the worlds, Gautama immediately said: 'Grant me, O lotus-born, a row of grains.'

एवमुक्तो ददौ तस्य तमेवार्थं पितामहः । लब्ध्वा तु तं वरं विप्रः शतश्रृङ्गे महाश्रमम् ।। ७१.

Thus addressed, the grandsire granted him that very boon; having obtained it, the sage established a great hermitage at Śataśṛṅga.

चकार तस्योषसि च पाकान्ते शालयो द्विजाः । लूयन्ते तेन मुनिना मध्याह्ने पच्यते तथा । सर्वातिथ्यमसौ विप्रो ब्राह्मणेभ्यो ददात्यलम् ।। ७१.

There, O brahmins, he cultivated rice at the edge of his hermitage; it was harvested by the sage and cooked at midday; that sage generously gave all hospitality to the brahmins.

कस्यचित् त्वथ कालस्य महति द्वादशाब्दिका । अनावृष्टिर्द्विजवरा अभवल्लोमहर्षिणी ।। ७१.

Then, after a long time, O best of brahmins, a great drought lasting twelve years occurred, causing hair-raising distress.

तां दृष्ट्वा मुनयः सर्वे अनावृष्टिं वनेचराः । क्षुधया पीड्यमामास्तु प्रययुर्गौतमं तदा ।। ७१.

Seeing that drought, all the sages dwelling in the forest, afflicted by hunger, went to Gautama at that time.

अथ तानागतान् दृष्ट्वा गौतमः शिरसा नतः । उवाच स्थीयतां मह्यं गृहे मुनिवरात्मजाः ।। ७१.

Then, seeing them arrive, Gautama bowed his head and said: 'Remain in my house, O sons of eminent sages.'

एवमुक्तास्तु ते तेन तस्थुर्विविधभोजनम् । भुञ्जमाना अनावृष्टिर्यावत् सा निवृताऽभवत् ।। ७१.

Thus addressed by him, they stayed and enjoyed various foods, until that drought was ended.

निवृत्तायां तु वै तस्यामनावृष्ट्यां तु ते द्विजाः । तीर्थयात्रानिमित्तं तु प्रयातुं मनसोऽभवन् ।। ७१.

When the drought had ended, those brahmins desired in their minds to depart for pilgrimage.

तत्र शाण्डिल्यनामानं तापसं मुनिसत्तमम् । प्रत्युवाचेति संचिन्त्य मीरीचः परमो मुनिः ।। ७१.

There, the ascetic named Śāṇḍilya, the foremost among sages, was addressed by the great sage Mārīca, after reflecting.

मारीच उवाच । शाण्डिल्य शोभनं वक्ष्ये पिता ते गौतमो मुनिः । तमनुक्त्वा न गच्छामस्तपश्चर्तुं तपोवनम् ।। ७१.

Mārīca said: Śāṇḍilya, I will speak what is proper; your father Gautama is a sage. Without informing him, we should not go to practice austerities in the forest.

एवमुक्तेऽथ जहसुः सर्वे ते मुनयस्तदा । किमस्माभिः स्वको देहो विक्रीतोऽस्यान्नभक्षणात् ।। ७१.

When this was said, all those sages then exclaimed: 'Has our own body been sold for eating his food?'

एवमुक्त्वा पुनश्चोचुः सोपाधिगमनं प्रति । कृत्वा मायामयीं गां तु तच्छालौ ते व्यसर्जयन् ।। ७१.

Having spoken thus, they again discussed how to depart; creating a cow by illusion, they left it in his rice field.

तां चरन्तीं ततो दृष्ट्वा शालौ गां गौतमो मुनिः । गृहीत्वा सलिलं पाणौ याहि रुद्रेत्यभाषत । ततो मायामयी सा गौः पपात जलबिन्दुभिः ।। ७१.

Seeing that cow wandering in the forest, the sage Gautama took water in his hand and said, 'Go to Rudra.' Then that cow, formed by illusion, fell down, struck by the drops of water.

निहतां तां ततो दृष्ट्वा मुनीन् जिगमिषूंस्तथा । उवाच गौतमो धीमांस्तान् मुनीन् प्रणतः स्थितः ।। ७१.

Seeing her thus slain and the sages preparing to depart, Gautama, wise and humble, addressed those sages.

किमर्थं गम्यते विप्राः साधु शंसत माचिरम् । मां विहाय सदा भक्तं प्रणतं च विशेषतः ।। ७१.

For what reason are you leaving, O sages? Please tell me quickly. Why do you abandon me, your ever-devoted and especially humble follower?

ऋषय ऊचुः । गोवध्येयमिह ब्रह्मन् यावत् तव शरीरगा । तावदन्नं न भुञ्जामो भवतोऽन्नं महामुने ।। ७१.

The sages said: O Brahman, this is cow-slaughter here; as long as it remains with your body, we will not partake of your food, O great sage.

एवमुक्तो गौतमोऽथ तान् मुनीन् प्राह धर्मवित् । प्रायश्चित्तं गोवध्याया दीयतां मे तपोधनाः ।। ७१.

Thus addressed, Gautama, knower of righteousness, said to those ascetics, 'Grant me atonement for the killing of the cow, O possessors of austerity.'

इयं गौरमृता ब्रह्मन् मूर्च्छितेव व्यवस्थिता । गङ्गाजलप्लुता चेयमुत्थास्यति न संशयः ।। ७१.

This cow is not dead, O Brahman; she lies as if unconscious. Bathed in the water of the Ganga, she will rise again—there is no doubt.

प्रायश्चित्तं मृतायाः स्यादमृतायाः कृतं त्विदम् । व्रतं वा मा कृथाः कोपमित्युक्त्वा प्रययुस्तु ते ।। ७१.

Atonement is for the dead; for one not dead, this is already done. Do not undertake a vow or become angry, having said this, they departed.

गतैस्तैर्गौतमो धीमान् हिमवन्तं महागिरिम् । मामाराधयिषुः प्रायात् तप्तुं चाशु महत् तपः ।। ७१.

When they had gone, the wise Gautama went to the great mountain Himavat, desiring to worship me and to perform great austerity at once.

शतमेकं तु वर्षाणामहमाराधितोऽभवम् । तुष्टेन च मया प्रोक्तो वरं वरय सुव्रत ।। ७१.

For one hundred years I was worshipped; pleased, I said to him, 'Choose a boon, O steadfast one.'

सोऽब्रवीन्मां जकटासंस्थां देहि गङ्गां तपस्विनीम् । मया सार्धं प्रयात्वेषा पुण्या भागीरथी नदी ।। ७१.

He said to me, 'Grant me the Ganga, the river of austerity, from your matted locks. Let this holy Bhagirathi river go with me.'

एवमुक्ते जटाखण्डमेकं स प्रददौ शिवः । तां गृह्य गतवान् सोऽपि यत्रास्ते सा तु गौर्मृता ।। ७१.

Thus addressed, Shiva gave him a single lock of hair. Taking it, he went to where the cow lay dead.

तज्जलप्लाविता सा गौर्गता चोत्थाय भामिनी । नदी च महती जाता पुण्यतोया शुचिह्रदा ।। ७१.

Bathed in that water, the cow arose, shining; and a great river was born there, pure and holy.

तं दृष्ट्वा महदाश्चर्यं तत्र सप्तर्षयोऽमलाः । आजग्मुः खे विमानस्थाः साधुः साध्विति वादिनः ।। ७१.

Seeing that great wonder, the pure Seven Sages came there, standing in the sky in their celestial cars, exclaiming, 'Excellent! Excellent!'

साधु गौतम साधूनां कोन्योऽस्ति सदृशस्तव । यदेवं जाह्नवीं देवीं दण्डके चावतारयत् ।। ७१.

'Well done, Gautama! Among the virtuous, who is equal to you, who thus brought down the goddess Jahnavi into Dandaka?'