Varaha Purana

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.

धरण्युवाच । रैभ्योऽसौ मुनिशार्दूलः श्रुत्वा सिद्धं वसुं तदा । स्वयं किमकरोद् देव संशयो मे महानयम् ।। ७.

The Earth spoke: O tiger among sages, having heard that the wealth was attained by Raibhya, what did the sage himself do then? This is a great doubt of mine.

श्रीवराह उवाच । स रैभ्यो मुनिशार्दूलः श्रुत्वा सिद्धं वसुं तदा । आजगाम गयां पुण्यां पितृतीर्थं तपोधनः । तत्र गत्वा पितॄन् भक्त्या पिण्डदानेन तर्पयत् ।। ७.

The blessed Varaha said: That tiger among sages, Raibhya, having heard that the wealth was attained, went to the holy Gaya, the ancestral pilgrimage, O ascetic. There, having arrived, he satisfied his ancestors with offerings of rice balls, with devotion.

ततो वै सुहमत्तीव्रं तपः परमदुश्चरम् । चरतस्तस्य तत्तीव्रं तपो रैभ्यस्य धीमतः । आजगाम महायोगी विमानस्थोऽतिदीप्तिमान् ।। ७.

Then, as Raibhya performed extremely intense austerity, most difficult to practice, while he was engaged in that severe penance, a great yogi, radiant and seated in a celestial chariot, arrived.

त्रसरेणुसमे शुद्धे विमाने सूर्यसन्निभे । परमाणुप्रमाणेन पुरुषस्तत्र दीप्तिमान् ।। ७.

In a pure chariot, as fine as dust particles and shining like the sun, there appeared a radiant man of atomic size.

सोऽब्रवीद् रैभ्य किं कार्यं तपश्चरसि सुव्रत । एवमुक्त्वा दिवो भूमिं मापयामास वै पुमान् ।। ७.

He spoke: 'Raibhya, O steadfast one, what purpose do you pursue by performing austerity?' Having said this, that man measured the earth from the sky.

तत्रापि रथपञ्चाभं विमानं सूर्यसन्निभम् । युगपद् ब्रह्मभुवनं व्याप्नुवन्तं ददर्श सः ।। ७.

There, he saw a chariot resembling five chariots, shining like the sun, simultaneously pervading the world of Brahma.

ततः स विस्मयाविष्टो रैभ्यः प्रणतिपूर्वकम् । पप्रच्छ तं महायोगिन् को भवान् प्रब्रवीतु मे ।। ७.

Then, Raibhya, filled with wonder, bowed and asked that great yogi: 'Who are you? Please tell me.'

पुरुष उवाच । अहं रुद्रादवरजो ब्रह्मणो मानसः सुतः । नाम्ना सनत्कुमारेति जनलोके वसाम्यहम् ।। ७.

The man spoke: 'I am the younger brother of Rudra, the mind-born son of Brahma. By name, I am Sanatkumara, and I dwell in the world of Janas.'

भवतः पार्श्वमायातः प्रणयेन तपोधन । धन्योऽसि सर्वथा वत्स ब्रह्मणः कुलवर्धनः ।। ७.

'I have come near you, O ascetic, out of affection. You are truly blessed, child, enhancer of Brahma's lineage.'

रैभ्य उवाच । नमोऽस्तु ते योगिवर प्रसीद दयां मह्यं कुरुषे विश्वरूप । किमत्र कृत्यं वद योगिसिंह कथं हि धन्योऽहमुक्तस्त्वया च ।। ७.

Raibhya spoke: 'Salutations to you, best among yogis. Be gracious, show me compassion, O universal form. What is to be done here? Tell me, lion among yogis. How am I blessed, as you have said?'