Varaha Purana

धरण्युवाच । परमात्मा शिवः पुण्य इति केचिद् भवं विदुः । अपरे हरिमीशानमिति केचिच्चतुर्मुखम् ।। ८९.

Dharanī said: Some know Śiva, the Supreme Self, as pure and holy; others know Bhava as Hari, Īśāna, or the Four-faced one.

एतेषां कतमो देवः परः को वाऽथवाऽपरः । एतद्देव ममाचक्ष्व परं कौतूहलं विभो ।। ८९.

Among these, which god is supreme, and who is subordinate? O Lord, please tell me this, for I am greatly curious.

श्रीवराह उवाच । परो नारायणो देवस्तस्माज्जातश्चतुर्मुखः । तस्माद् रुद्रोऽभवद् देवि स च सर्वज्ञतां गतः ।। ८९.

Śrī Varāha said: Nārāyaṇa is the supreme god; from him was born the Four-faced one, and from him arose Rudra, who attained omniscience.

तस्याश्चर्याण्यनेकानि विविधानि वरानने । श्रृणु सर्वाणि चार्वङ्गि कथ्यमानं मयाऽनघे ।। ८९.

O beautiful-faced one, listen as I recount to you the many and various wondrous deeds of his, O sinless one.

कैलासशिखरे रम्ये नानाधातुविचित्रिते । वसत्यनुदिनं देवः शूलपाणिस्त्रिलोचनः ।। ८९.

On the delightful peak of Kailāsa, adorned with various minerals, dwells the god with the trident and three eyes, day after day.

सैकस्मिन् दिवसे देवः सर्वभूतनमस्कृतः । गणैः परिवृतो गौर्या महानासीत् पिनाकधृक् ।। ८९.

One day, the great god, bearer of the bow Pināka, revered by all beings, was surrounded by his attendants and by Gaurī.

तत्र सिंहमुखाः केचिद् गणा नर्दन्ति सिंहवत् । अपरे हस्तिवक्त्राश्च हयवक्त्रास्तथापरे ।। ८९.

There, some of the attendants, with lion faces, roared like lions; others had elephant faces, and still others had horse faces.

अपरे शिंशुमारास्या अपरे सूकराननाः । अपरेऽश्वामुखा रौद्रा खरास्याजाननास्तथा । छागमत्स्याननाः क्रूरा ह्यनन्ताः शस्त्रपाणयः ।। ८९.

Some had the faces of porpoises, others of boars; some had horse faces, fierce and terrible, with donkey and goat faces as well, and some with faces of sheep and fish, cruel and countless, bearing weapons in their hands.

केचिद् गायन्ति नृत्यन्ति धावन्ति स्फोटयन्ति च । हसन्ति किलकिलायन्ति गर्जन्ति च महाबलाः ।। ८९.

Some sang, some danced, some ran, some shouted; some laughed, some made shrill noises, and some, mighty in strength, roared.

केचिल्लोष्टांस्तु संगृह्य युयुधुर्गणनायकाः । अपरे मल्लयुद्धेन युयुधुर्बलदर्पिताः । एवं गणसहस्त्रेण वृतो देवो महेश्वरः ।। ८९.

Some leaders of the attendants, seizing clods of earth, fought; others, proud of their strength, wrestled in hand-to-hand combat; thus, the great lord Maheśvara was surrounded by a thousand attendants.

यावदास्ते स्वयं देव्या क्रीडन् देववरः स्वयम् । तावद् ब्रह्मा स्वयं देवैरुपायात् सह सत्वरः ।। ८९.

While the great god was playing with the goddess, at that very moment, Brahmā himself quickly arrived with the gods.

तमागतमथो दृष्ट्वा पूजयित्वा विधानतः । उवाच परमो देवो रुद्रो ब्रह्माणमव्यम् ।। ८९.

Seeing him arrive, and after worshipping him according to the proper rites, the supreme god Rudra spoke to the imperishable Brahmā.

किमागमनकृत्यं ते ब्रह्मन् ब्रूहि ममाचिरम् । किं च देवास्त्वरायुक्ता आगता मम सन्निधौ ।। ८९.

He said: Brahmā, tell me quickly the reason for your coming. Why have the gods, filled with urgency, come into my presence?

ब्रह्मोवाच । अस्त्यन्धको महादैत्यस्तेन सर्वे दिवौकसः । अर्दिता मत्समीपं तु बुद्ध्वा मां शरणैषिणः ।। ८९.

Brahmā said: There is a great demon named Andhaka, by whom all the gods have been tormented; knowing this, they have come to me for refuge.

ततश्चैते मया सर्वे प्रोक्ता देवा भवं प्रति । गच्छाम इति देवेश ततस्त्वेते समागताः ।। ८९.

Therefore, I told all these gods, 'Let us go to you, O Lord of gods,' and so they have all come here.

एवमुक्त्वा स्वयं ब्रह्मा वीक्षां चक्रे पिनाकिनम् । नारायणं च मनसा सस्मार परमेश्वरम् । ततो नारायणो देवो द्वाभ्यां मध्ये व्यवस्थितः ।। ८९.

Having spoken thus, Brahmā himself gazed at Pinākin, and in his mind remembered Nārāyaṇa, the supreme lord; then the god Nārāyaṇa stood between the two.

ततस्त्वेकीगतास्ते तु ब्रह्मविष्णुमहेश्वराः । परस्परं सूक्ष्मदृष्ट्या वीक्षां चक्रुर्मुदायुताः ।। ८९.

Then, Brahmā, Viṣṇu, and Maheśvara, having come together, gazed at one another with subtle vision, filled with joy.

ततस्तेषां त्रिधा दृष्टिर्भूत्वैका समजायत । तस्यां दृष्ट्यां समुत्पन्ना कुमारी दिव्यरूपिणी ।। ८९.

Then, from their gaze, which became threefold, a single vision arose; from that vision, a maiden of divine form was born.

नीलोत्पलदलश्यामा नीलकुञ्चितमूर्द्धजा । सुनासा सुललाटान्ता सुवक्त्रा सुप्रतिष्ठिता ।। ८९.

She was dark as the petal of a blue lotus, with blue, curly hair; her nose was fine, her forehead beautiful, her face lovely, and her form well proportioned.

त्वष्ट्रा यदग्निजिह्वं तु लक्षणं परिभाषितम् । तत्सर्वमेकतः संस्थं कन्यायां संप्रदृश्यते ।। ८९.

All the auspicious marks described by Tvaṣṭṛ as belonging to the tongue of Agni were seen united in that maiden.

अथ तां दृश्य कन्यां तु ब्रह्मविष्णुमहेश्वराः । ऊचुः काऽसि शुभे ब्रूहि किं वा कार्यं विपश्चितम् ।। ८९.

Then, seeing that maiden, Brahmā, Viṣṇu, and Maheśvara said: 'Who are you, O auspicious one? Tell us, what is your purpose, O wise one?'

त्रिवर्णा च कुमारी सा कृष्णशुक्ला च पीतिका । उवाच भवतां दृष्टेर्योगाज्जाताऽस्मि सत्तमाः । किं मां न वेत्थ सुश्रोणीं स्वशक्तिं परमेश्वरीम् ।। ८९.

That maiden was three-colored—black, white, and yellow. She said, 'O best of beings, I have arisen from your combined gaze. Do you not recognize me, the beautiful-hipped, your own supreme power?'

ततो ब्रह्मादयस्ते च तस्यास्तुष्टा वरं ददुः । नाम्नाऽसि त्रिकला देवी पाहि विश्वं च सर्वदा ।। ८९.

Then Brahmā and the others, pleased with her, granted her a boon: 'By name, you shall be the Goddess of the Three Times; always protect the universe.'

अपराण्यपि नामानि भविष्यन्ति तवानघे । गुणोत्थानि महाभागे सर्वसिद्धिकराणि च ।। ८९.

O sinless one, you will also have other names, arising from your qualities, O highly fortunate one, and all will grant success.

अन्यच्च कारणं देवि त्रिवर्णाऽसि वरानने । मूर्तित्रयं त्रिभिर्वर्णैः कुरु देवि स्वकं द्रुतम् ।। ८९.

And, O goddess with a beautiful face, another reason you are three-colored: with your three forms and three colors, quickly manifest your own triple form.

एवमुक्ता तदा देवैरकरोत् त्रिविधां तनुम् । सितां रक्तां तथा कृष्णां त्रिमूर्तित्वं जगाम ह ।। ८९.

Thus addressed by the gods, she then assumed a threefold body—white, red, and black—and became the triple-formed.

या सा ब्राह्मी शुभा मूर्त्तिस्तया सृजति वै प्रजाः । सौम्यरूपेण सुश्रोणी ब्रह्मसृष्ट्या विधानतः ।। ८९.

That auspicious form which is Brāhmī creates beings; gentle in appearance, beautiful-hipped, she brings forth creation according to Brahmā’s ordinance.

या सा रक्तेन वर्णेन सुरूपा तनुमध्यमा । शङ्खचक्रधरा देवी वैष्णवी सा कला स्मृता । सा पाति सकलं विश्वं विष्णुमायेति कीर्त्त्यते ।। ८९.

That form of red color, beautiful and slender-waisted, holding conch and discus, is known as the Vaiṣṇavī aspect of the goddess; she protects the entire universe and is called Viṣṇumāyā.

या सा कृष्णेन वर्णेन रौद्री मूर्त्तिस्त्रिशूलिनी । दंष्ट्राकरालिनी देवी सा संहरति वै जगत् ।। ८९.

That form, black in color, fierce, bearing a trident, with protruding fangs, is the goddess Raudrī; she destroys the world.