Varaha Purana

योऽयं विष्णुस्तु दशधा कीर्त्यते चैकधा द्विजाः । स आदित्यो महाभाग योगैश्वर्यसमन्वितः ।। ७२.

This Viṣṇu is praised in ten ways and also in one way, O twice-born; he is the glorious Āditya, endowed with yogic power and lordship.

स देवकार्याणि सदा कुरुते परमेश्वरः । मनुष्यभावमाश्रित्य स मां स्तौति युगे युगे । लोकमार्गप्रवृत्त्यर्थं देवकार्यार्थसिद्धये ।। ७२.

That supreme Lord always performs divine tasks, assuming human form; in every age, he praises me for the sake of establishing the path of the world and fulfilling divine purposes.

अहं च वरदस्तस्य द्वापरे द्वापरे द्विज । अहं च तं सदा स्तौमि श्वेतद्वीपे कृते युगे ।। ७२.

And I am the giver of boons to him in every Dvāpara, O twice-born; I always praise him in Śvetadvīpa during the Kṛta age.

सृष्टिकाले चतुर्वक्त्रं स्तौमि कालो भवामि च । ब्रह्मा देवासुरा स्तौति मां सदा तु कृते युगे । लिङ्गमूर्तिं च मां देवा यजन्ते भोगकाङ्क्षिणः ।। ७२.

At the time of creation, I praise the four-faced one and become Time; Brahmā, the gods, and the demons always praise me in the Kṛta age; the gods, desiring enjoyment, worship me in the form of the liṅga.

सहस्त्रशीर्षकं देवं मनसा तु मुमुक्षवः । यजन्ते यं स विश्वात्मा देवो नारायणः स्वयम् ।। ७२.

Those seeking liberation worship the thousand-headed Lord with their minds; he is the soul of all, the god Nārāyaṇa himself.

ब्रह्मयज्ञेन ये नित्यं यजन्ते द्विजसत्तमाः । ते ब्रह्माणं प्रीणयन्ति वेदो ब्रह्मा प्रकीर्तितः ।। ७२.

Those excellent twice-born who always worship with the Brahma-yajña please Brahmā; the Veda is declared as Brahmā.

नारायणः शिवो विष्णुः शंकर पुरुषोत्तमः । एतैस्तु नामभिर्ब्रह्म परं प्रोक्तं सनातनम् । तं च चिन्तामयं योगं प्रवदन्ति मनीषिणः ।। ७२.

Nārāyaṇa, Śiva, Viṣṇu, Śaṃkara, and Puruṣottama—by these names, the supreme, eternal Brahman is proclaimed; the wise speak of it as the yoga of thought.

पशूनां शमनं यज्ञे होमकर्म च यद्भवेत् । तदोमिति च विख्यातं तत्राहं संव्यवस्थितः ।। ७२.

Whatever is the pacification of animals in sacrifice, and the act of offering oblations, is known as 'Om'; in that, I am established.

कर्मवेदयुजां विप्र ब्रह्मा विष्णुर्महेश्वरः । वयं त्रयोऽपि मन्त्राद्या नात्र कार्या विचारणा ।। ७२.

O Brahmin, Brahmā, Viṣṇu, and Maheśvara are joined with the karma-Veda; we three are also mantras and so forth—there is no need for deliberation.

अहं विष्णुस्तथा वेदा ब्रह्म कर्माणि चाप्युत । एतत् त्रयं त्वेकमेव न पृथग् भावयेत् सुधीः ।। ७२.

I am Vishnu, and likewise the Vedas, Brahma, and actions as well, O steadfast one; these three are truly one, and the wise should not regard them as separate.

योऽन्यथा भावयेदेतत् पक्षपातेन सुव्रत । स याति नरकं घोरं रौरवं पापपूरुषः ।। ७२.

Whoever, O virtuous one, considers these otherwise, with partiality, that sinful person goes to the dreadful hell called Raurava.

अहं ब्रह्मा च विष्णुश्च ऋग्यजुः साम एव च । नैतस्मिन् भेदमस्यास्ति सर्वेषां द्विजसत्तम ।। ७२.

I am Brahma, and Vishnu, and also the Rig, Yajur, and Sama Vedas; there is no division in this, O best of twice-born, for all.

रुद्र उवाच । श्रृणु चान्यद् द्विजश्रेष्ठ कौतूहलसमन्वितम् । अपूर्वभूतं सलिले मग्नेन मुनिपुंगव ।। ७३.

Rudra said: Hear further, O foremost of twice-born, filled with curiosity, of something unprecedented that occurred while immersed in the waters, O eminent sage.

ब्रह्माणाऽहं पुरा सृष्टः प्रोक्तश्च सृज वै प्रजाः । अविज्ञानसमर्थोऽहं निमग्नः सलिले द्विज ।। ७३.

Formerly, I was created by Brahma and told, 'Create beings'; but lacking proper understanding, I was submerged in the waters, O twice-born.

तत्र यावत् क्षणं चैकं तिष्ठामि परमेश्वरम् । अङ्गुष्ठमात्रं पुरुषं ध्यायन् प्रयतमानसः ।। ७३.

There, for a single moment, I remained, with concentrated mind, meditating upon the Supreme Lord as a person the size of a thumb.

तावज्जलात् समुत्तस्थुः प्रलयाग्निसमप्रभाः । पुरुषा दश चैकश्च तापयन्तोंशुभिर्जलम् ।। ७३.

Then, from the water arose ten men and one, radiant like the fire of dissolution, heating the water with their rays.

मया पृष्टाः के भवन्तो जलादुत्तीर्य तेजसा । तापयन्तो जलं चेदं क्व वा यास्यथ संशत ।। ७३.

I asked them, 'Who are you, emerging from the water with brilliance, heating this water? Where will you go, tell me?'

एवमुक्ता मया ते तु नोचुः किंचन सत्तमाः । एवमेव गतास्तूष्णीं ते नरा द्विजपुंगव ।। ७३.

Thus addressed by me, those excellent men said nothing; in this way, those men departed in silence, O eminent twice-born.

ततस्तेषामनु महापुरुषोऽतीवशोभनः । स तस्मिन् मेघसंकाशः पुण्डरीकनिभेक्षणः ।। ७३.

After them, a great person appeared, exceedingly splendid, resembling a cloud, with eyes like lotuses.

तमहं पृष्टवान् कस्त्वं के चेमे पुरुषा गाताः । किं वा प्रयोजनमिह कथ्यतां पुरुषर्षभ ।। ७३.

I asked him, 'Who are you? Who are these men who have gone? What is your purpose here? Tell me, O best among men.'

पुरुष उवाच । य एते वै गताः पूर्वं पुरुषा दीप्ततेजसः । आदित्यास्ते त्वरं यान्ति ध्याता वै ब्रह्मणा भव ।। ७३.

The person said: Those men who departed earlier, radiant with brilliance, are the Adityas; they hasten forth, having been meditated upon by Brahma, O Bhava.

सृष्टिं सृजति वै ब्रह्मा तदर्थं यान्त्यमी नराः । प्रतिपालनाय तस्यास्तु सृष्टेर्देव न संशयः ।। ७३.

Brahma indeed creates creation; for that purpose, these men go forth, to protect that creation—there is no doubt, O god.

शम्भुरुवाच । भगवन् कथं जानीषे महापुरुषसत्तम । भवेति नाम्ना तत्सर्वं कथयस्व परो ह्यहम् ।। ७३.

Shambhu said: O blessed one, how do you know this, O supreme among great persons? By what name is all this known? Tell me, for I am eager.

एवमुक्तस्तु रुद्रेण स पुमान् प्रत्यभाषत । अहं नारायणो देवो जलशायी सनातनः ।। ७३.

Thus addressed by Rudra, that person replied: I am Narayana, the eternal god, who rests upon the waters.

दिव्यं चक्षुर्भवतु वै तव मां पश्य यत्नतः । एवमुक्तस्तदा तेन यावद् पश्याम्यहं तु तम् ।। ७३.

May you obtain divine sight; look upon me with care. Thus spoken by him, I then beheld him.

तावदङ्गुष्ठमात्रं तु ज्वलद्भास्करतेजसम् । तमेवाहं प्रपश्यामि तस्य नाभौ तु पङ्कजम् ।। ७३.

At that moment, I saw him, the size of a thumb, blazing with the radiance of the sun; and in his navel was a lotus.

ब्रह्माणं तत्र पश्यामि आत्मानं च तदङ्कतः । एवं दृष्ट्वा महात्मानं ततो हर्षमुपागतः । तं स्तोतुं द्विजशार्दूल मतिर्मे समजायत ।। ७३.

There I saw Brahma, and myself beside him; having thus seen the great soul, joy arose in me, and my mind turned to praise him, O tiger among twice-born.

तस्य मूर्तौ तु जातायां सक्तोत्रेणानेन सुव्रत । स्तुतो मया स विश्वात्मा तपसा स्मृतकर्मणा ।। ७३.

O virtuous one, when that form was born, I praised the Soul of the Universe with this hymn, composed with devotion and remembrance of his deeds through austerity.

रुद्र उवाच । नमोऽस्त्वनन्ताय विशुद्धचेतसे सरूपरूपाय सहस्त्रबाहवे । सहस्त्ररश्मिप्रवराय वेधसे विशालदेहाय विशुद्धकर्मिणे ।। ७३.

Rudra said: Salutations to the Infinite, of pure mind, of manifold forms, with a thousand arms; to the Creator, radiant with a thousand rays, of vast body, performer of pure deeds.