Varaha Purana

अव्यक्ता धातवः सर्वे समुत्पन्ना जलादयः । अव्यक्तात् पृथिवीपद्मं मेरुस्तस्य च कर्णिका ।। ७५.

All elements, unmanifest, arose—water and the rest; from the unmanifest, the lotus of the earth appeared, and Meru is its pericarp.

चतुष्पत्रं समुत्पन्नं व्यक्तं पञ्चगुणं महत् । ततः सर्वाः समुद्भूता वितता हि प्रवृत्तयः ।। ७५.

A four-petaled, manifest, great lotus of five qualities arose; from that, all the various streams of creation spread forth.

अनेककल्पजीवद्भिः पुरुषैः पुण्यकारिभिः । कृतात्मभिर्महात्मभिः प्राप्यते पुरुषोत्तमः ।। ७५.

By many beings, living through countless cycles, performing virtuous deeds, self-controlled and great-souled, the Supreme Person is attained.

महायोगी महादेवो जगद्ध्येयो जनार्दनः । सर्वलोकगतोऽनन्तो व्यापको मूर्त्तिरव्ययः ।। ७५.

The great yogi, the great god, Janārdana, who is to be meditated upon by the world, who pervades all realms, is infinite, all-pervading, embodied, and imperishable.

न तस्य प्राकृता मूर्तिर्मांसमेदोऽस्थिसंभवा । योगित्वाच्चेश्वरत्वाच्च सत्त्वरूपधरो विभुः ।। ७५.

His form is not material, not born of flesh, fat, or bone; by virtue of his yoga and lordship, the mighty one assumes a form of pure existence.

तन्निमित्तं समुत्पन्नं लोके पद्मं सनातनम् । कल्पशेषस्य तस्यादौ कालस्य गतिरीदृशी ।। ७५.

For his purpose, the eternal lotus arose in the world; at the beginning of the remainder of the kalpa, such is the course of time.

तस्मिन् पद्मे समुत्पन्नो देवदेवश्चतुर्मुखः । प्रजापतिपतिर्देव ईशानो जगतः प्रभुः ।। ७५.

Upon that lotus was born the god of gods, the four-faced one, the lord of progenitors, the god Īśāna, the master of the world.

तस्य बीजनिसर्गं हि पुष्करस्य यथार्थवत् । कृत्स्नं प्रजानिसर्गेण विस्तरेणैव वर्ण्यते ।। ७५.

The origin of the seed of that lotus is described in detail, just as it truly occurred, along with the creation of all beings.

तदम्बु वैष्णवः कायो यतो रत्नविभूषितः । पद्माकारा समुत्पन्ना पृथिवी सवनद्रुमा ।। ७५.

That water became the body of Viṣṇu, adorned with jewels, and from it arose the earth, shaped like a lotus and covered with forests.

तत् तस्य लोकपद्मस्य विस्तरं सिद्धभाषितम् । वर्ण्यमानं विभागेन क्रमशः श्रृणुत द्विजाः ।। ७५.

Now, listen, O twice-born, as I describe in order and in detail the extent of that world-lotus, as spoken by the perfected ones.

महावर्षाणि ख्यातानि चत्वार्यत्र च संस्थिताः । तत्र पर्वतसंस्थानो मेरुर्नाम महाबलः ।। ७५.

There are four great regions established there, and in their midst stands the mighty mountain called Meru.

नानावर्णः स पार्श्वेषु पूर्वतः श्वेत उच्यते । पीतं च दक्षिणं तस्य भृङ्गवर्णं तु पश्चिमम् ।। ७५.

It is of various colors on its sides: to the east it is called white, to the south yellow, and to the west the color of a bee.

उत्तरं रक्तवर्णं तु तस्य पार्श्वं महात्मनः । मेरुस्तु शोभते शुक्लो राजवंशे तु धिष्ठितः ।। ७५.

Its northern side is red in color; Meru, radiant and white, is established among royal lineages.

तरुणादित्यसंकाशो विधूम इव पावकः । योजनानां सहस्त्राणि चतुराशीतिरुच्छ्रितः ।। ७५.

It shines like the rising sun, like a smokeless fire, and rises to a height of eighty-four thousand yojanas.

प्रविष्टः षोडशाधस्ताद्विस्तृतः षोडशैव तु । शरावसंस्थितत्वाच्च द्वात्रिंशन्मूर्ध्नि विस्तृतः ।। ७५.

It extends sixteen yojanas below the surface and is also sixteen yojanas wide; at the summit, shaped like a dish, it spreads to thirty-two yojanas.

विस्तारस्त्रिगुणश्चास्य परिणाहः समन्ततः । मण्डलेन प्रमाणेन व्यस्यमानं तदिष्यते ।। ७५.

Its breadth is three times its circumference on all sides; this is considered its measurement by the circle.

नवतिश्च सहस्त्राणि योजनानां समन्ततः । ततः षट्काधिकानां च व्यस्यमानं प्रकीर्त्तितम् । चतुरस्त्रेण मानेन परिणाहः समन्ततः ।। ७५.

Its total circumference is said to be ninety thousand yojanas, and, measured in a square, it is described as ninety-six thousand yojanas all around.

स पर्वतो महादिव्यो दिव्यौषधिसमन्वितः । सवनैरावृतः सर्वो जातरूपमयैः शुभैः ।। ७५.

That great and divine mountain is endowed with celestial herbs and is entirely surrounded by beautiful golden plateaus.

तत्र देवगणाः सर्वे गन्धर्वोरगराक्षसाः । शैलराजे प्रमोदन्ते तथैवाप्सरसां गणाः ।। ७५.

There, all the hosts of gods, Gandharvas, Nāgas, and Rākṣasas, as well as the groups of Apsarases, delight on the king of mountains.

स तु मेरुः परिवृतो भवनैर्भूतभावनैः । चत्वारो यस्य देशास्तु नानापार्श्वेषु धिष्ठिताः ।। ७५.

That Meru is surrounded by abodes that nurture beings, and four regions are established on its various sides.

भद्राश्वो भारतश्चैव केतुमालश्च पश्चिमे । उत्तरे कुरवश्चैव कृतपुण्यप्रतिश्रयाः ।। ७५.

Bhadrāśva and Bhārata are to the east, Ketumāla to the west, and to the north are the Kurus, sanctuaries for those who have performed meritorious deeds.

कर्णिका तस्य पद्मस्य समन्तात् परिमण्डला । योजनानां सहस्त्राणि योजनानां प्रमाणतः ।। ७५.

The pericarp of that lotus is perfectly circular all around, measuring thousands of yojanas in extent.

तस्य केसरजालानि नवषट् च प्रकीर्त्तिताः । चतुरशीतिरुत्सेधो विवरान्तरगोचराः ।। ७५.

It is said to have nine and six filaments, with a height of eighty-four yojanas, and they are visible in the spaces between.

त्रिंशच्चापि सहस्त्राणि योजनानां प्रमाणतः । तस्य केसरजालानि विकीर्णानि समन्ततः ।। ७५.

There are also thirty thousand yojanas in extent, and its filaments are scattered all around.

शतसाहस्त्रमायाममशीतिः पृथुलानि च । चत्वारि तत्र पर्णानि योजनानां चतुर्दश ।। ७५.

Its length is one hundred thousand yojanas, and its breadth is eighty; there are four petals there, each fourteen yojanas in size.

तत्र या सा मया तुभ्यं कर्णिकेत्यभिविश्रुता । तां वर्ण्यमानामेकाग्र्यात् समासेन निबोधत । मणिपर्णशतैश्चित्रां नानावर्णप्रभासिताम् ।। ७५.

There, that which I have described to you as the 'Karnika,' now listen as I briefly recount it with focused attention: it is adorned with hundreds of jeweled petals, resplendent with various colors and radiant lights.

अनेकपर्णनिचयं सौवर्णमरुणप्रभम् । कान्तं सहस्त्रपर्वाणं सहस्त्रोदरकन्दरम् । सहस्त्रशतपत्रं च वृत्तमेकं नगोत्तमम् ।। ७५.

It possesses countless clusters of petals, golden and reddish in hue, beautiful, with a thousand segments, a thousand inner hollows, and a thousand hundred petals—one supreme, rounded mountain.

मणिरत्नार्पितश्वभ्रैर्मणिभिश्चित्रवेदिकम् । सुवर्णमणिचित्राङ्गैर्मणिचर्चिततोरणैः ।। ७५.

Its ravines are set with precious gems, its platforms are decorated with jewels, its features are adorned with gold and gems, and its gateways are embellished with jeweled arches.

तत्र ब्रह्मसभा रम्या ब्रह्मर्षिजनसंकुला । नाम्ना मनोव्रती नाम सर्वलोकेषु विश्रुता ।। ७५.

There is the delightful assembly hall of Brahma, crowded with Brahmarshis and sages, known by the name 'Manovrati,' renowned throughout all the worlds.