Varaha Purana

विश्वमूर्तिं महामूर्तिं विद्यामूर्तिं त्रिमूर्तिकम् । कवचं सर्वदेवानां नमस्ये वारिजेक्षणम् ।। ६.

I honor the lotus-eyed one, the universal form, the great form, the embodiment of knowledge, the triple-formed, the protector of all gods.

सहस्त्रशीर्षिणं देवं सहस्त्राक्षं महाभुजम् । जगत्संव्याप्य तिष्ठन्तं नमस्ये परमेश्वरम् ।। ६.

I bow to the Supreme Lord, the thousand-headed God, thousand-eyed, mighty-armed, who pervades and stands throughout the universe.

शरण्यं शरणं देवं विष्णुं जिष्णुं सनातनम् । नीलमेघप्रतीकाशं नमस्ये चक्रपाणिनम् ।। ६.

I bow to Viṣṇu, the eternal, victorious God, the refuge and protector, whose appearance is like a dark raincloud, who bears the discus.

शुद्धं सर्वगतं नित्यं व्योमरूपं सनातनम् । भावाभावविनिर्मुक्तं मस्ये सर्वगं हरिम् ।। ६.

I bow to Hari, pure, all-pervading, eternal, of the form of space, ancient, free from existence and non-existence.

नान्यत् किंचित् प्रपश्यामि व्यतिरिक्तं त्वयाऽच्युत । त्वन्मयं च प्रपश्यामि सर्वमेतच्चराचरम् ।। ६.

O Acyuta, I see nothing apart from you; I see all this, moving and unmoving, as pervaded by you.

एवं तु वदतस्तस्य मूर्त्तिमान् पुरुषः किल । निर्गत्य देहान्नीलाभो घनचण्डो भयंकरः ।। ६.

As he was speaking thus, a person with form emerged from his body—dark as a raincloud, fierce, and terrifying.

रक्ताक्षो ह्रस्वकायस्तु दग्धस्थूणासमप्रभः । उवाच प्राञ्जलिर्भूत्वा किं करोमि नराधिप ।। ६.

With red eyes, a short body, and a luster like a burnt pillar, he stood with joined palms and said: 'O king, what shall I do?'

राजोवाच । कोऽसि किं कार्यमिह ते कस्मादागतवानसि । एतन्मे कथय व्याध एतदिच्छामि वेदितुम् ।। ६.

The king said: 'Who are you? What is your purpose here? Why have you come? Tell me this, O hunter; I wish to know.'

व्याध उवाच । पूर्वं कलियुगे राजन् राजा त्वं दक्षिणापथे । पूर्णधर्मोद्भवः श्रीमाञ्जनस्थाने विचक्षणः ।। ६.

The hunter said: 'O king, in a former age, in the Kali Yuga, you were a king in the southern region, born of perfect righteousness, illustrious and wise, dwelling in Janasthāna.'

स कदाचिद् भवान् वीर तुरगैः परिवारितः । अरण्यमागतो हन्तुं श्वापदानि विशेषतः ।। ६.

Once, O hero, surrounded by horses, you entered the forest, especially to hunt wild beasts.

तत्र त्वयाऽन्यकामेन मृगवेषधरो मुनिः । दण्डयुग्मेन दूरे तु पातितो धरणीतले ।। ६.

There, driven by another desire, you struck down a sage disguised as a deer with your staff from a distance, causing him to fall to the ground.

सद्यो मृतश्च विप्रेन्द्रस्त्वं च राजन् मुदा युतः । हरिणोऽयं हत इति यावत् पश्यसि पार्थिव । तावन्मृगवपुर्विप्रो मृतः प्रस्त्रवणे गिरौ ।। ६.

O King, as soon as the Brahmin died, you rejoiced, thinking, 'This deer has been killed by Hari,' while you beheld it as a deer.

तं दृष्ट्वा त्वं महाराज क्षुभितेन्द्रियमानसः । गृहं गतस्ततोऽन्यस्य कस्यचित् कथितं त्वया ।। ६.

Seeing him, O great king, your senses and mind were disturbed; you returned home and told someone else about it.

ततः कतिपयाहस्य त्वया रात्रौ नरेश्वर । ब्रह्महत्याभयाद्भीतचितेनैतद् विचिन्तितम् । कृत्यं करोमि शान्त्यर्थं मुच्यते येन पातकात् ।। ६.

Then, after a few days, O lord of men, you, fearful of the sin of Brahmin-killing, pondered at night, 'What should I do for atonement, so that I may be freed from this sin?'

ततस्त्वया महाराज सकृन्नारायणं प्रभुम् । संचिन्त्य द्वादशी शुद्धा त्वया राजन्नुपोषिता ।। ६.

Thereafter, O king, you once meditated upon Lord Nārāyaṇa, and on the pure Dvādaśī day, you observed a fast.

नारायणो मे सुप्रीत इति प्रोक्त्वा शुभेऽहनि । गौर्दत्ता विधिना सद्यो मृतोऽस्युदरशूलतः ।। ६.

On an auspicious day, declaring, 'Nārāyaṇa is well-pleased with me,' you gave a cow according to the rite; but the one who had died suffered immediately from a pain in his belly.

अभुक्तो द्वादशीधर्मे यत् तत्रापि च कारणम् । कथयामि भवत्पत्नी नाम्ना नारायणी शुभा ।। ६.

The reason why the Dvādaśī vow was not fully observed, I shall tell you: your virtuous wife, named Nārāyaṇī, was the cause.

सा कण्ठगेन प्राणेन व्याहृता तेन ते गतिः । कल्पमेकं महाराज जाता विष्णुपुरे तव ।। ६.

Because she uttered with a choking breath, O king, your fate was that for one kalpa you were born in Viṣṇu's city.

अहं च तव देहस्थः सर्वं जानामि चाक्षयम् । ब्रह्मग्रहो महाघोरः पीडयामीति मे मतिः ।। ६.

And I, dwelling in your body, know everything without end; the terrible affliction of Brahminicide tormented me—so I thought.

तावद्विष्णोस्तु पुरुषैः किङ्करैर्मुसलैरहम् । प्रहतः संक्षयं यातस्ततस्ते रोमकूपतः । स्वर्गस्थस्यापि राजेन्द्र स्थितोऽहं स्वेन तेजसा ।। ६.

Then I was struck by Viṣṇu's attendants with clubs and destroyed; from your hair follicles, O king, I remained by my own power, even while you were in heaven.

ततोऽहःकल्पनिर्वृत्ते रात्रिकल्पे च सत्तम । इदानीमादिसृष्टौ तु कृते नृपतिसत्तम ।। ६.

Then, when the day of Brahmā ended and the night began, O best of kings, now, at the beginning of this creation, O foremost ruler, it is thus.

संभूतस्त्वं महाराज राज्ञः सुमनसो गृहे । काश्मीरदेशाधिपतेरहं चाङ्गरुहैस्तव ।। ६.

You were born, O great king, in the house of King Sumanas; I, too, was born from your hair as the ruler of Kāśmīra.

यज्ञैरिष्टं त्वयानेकैर्बहुभिश्चाप्तदक्षिणैः । न चाहं तैरपहतो विष्णुस्मरणवर्जितैः ।। ६.

You performed many sacrifices with abundant gifts, but I was not overcome by them, since they lacked remembrance of Viṣṇu.

इदानीं यत् त्वया स्तोत्रं पुण्डरीकाक्षपारकम् । पठितं तत्प्रभावेन विहायाङ्गरुहाण्यहम् । एकीभूतः पुनर्जातो व्याधरूपो नृपोत्तम ।। ६.

Now, by the power of the hymn to the lotus-eyed Lord that you recited, I abandoned my hairs, became one again, and was reborn in the form of a hunter, O best of kings.

अहं भगवतः स्तोत्रं श्रुत्वा प्राक्पापमूर्त्तिना । मुक्तोऽस्मि धर्मबुद्धिर्मे वर्त्तते साम्प्रतं विभो ।। ६.

Having heard the hymn to the Blessed Lord, I, formerly embodied as sin, am now freed; a mind intent on righteousness now abides in me, O Lord.

एतच्छ्रुत्वा वचो राजा परं विस्मयमागतः । वरेण छन्दयामास तं व्याधं राजसत्तमः ।। ६.

Hearing these words, the king was filled with great wonder and, O best of kings, granted a boon to that hunter.

राजोवाच । स्मारितोऽस्मि यथा व्याध त्वया जन्मान्तरं गतम् । तथा त्वं मत्प्रसादेन धर्मव्याधो भविष्यसि ।। ६.

The king said: 'Hunter, just as you have reminded me of my past birth, so, by my grace, you shall become a righteous hunter.'

यश्चैतत् पुण्डरीकाक्षपारगं श्रृणुयात् परम् । तस्य पुष्करयात्रायां विधिस्नानफलं भवेत् ।। ६.

Whoever hears this account of the lotus-eyed Lord shall obtain, during the pilgrimage to Puṣkara, the merit of bathing according to the prescribed rite.

श्रीवराह उवाच । एवमुक्त्वा ततो राजा विमानवरमास्थितः । परेण तेजसा योगमवापाशेषधारिणि ।। ६.

Śrī Varāha said: Having spoken thus, the king ascended the excellent celestial chariot and, by supreme power, attained union with the bearer of all.