Varaha Purana

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.

या सृष्टिर्ब्रह्मणो देवी श्वेतवर्णा विभावरी । सा कुमारी महाभागा विपुलाब्जदलेक्षणा । सद्यो ब्रह्माणमामन्त्र्य तत्रैवान्तरधीयत ।। ८९.

The white-colored, radiant goddess who is the creation of Brahmā, that blessed maiden with large lotus-like eyes, immediately addressed Brahmā and then vanished there.

साऽन्तर्हिता ययौ देवी वरदा श्वेतपर्वतम् । तपस्तप्तुं महत् तीव्रं सर्वगत्वमभीप्सती ।। ८९.

That goddess, the granter of boons, disappeared and went to the White Mountain to perform intense and great austerity, desiring to become all-pervading.

या वैष्णवी कुमारी तु साप्यनुज्ञाय केशवम् । मन्दराद्रिं ययौ तप्तुं तपः परमदुश्चरम् ।। ८९.

The Vaiṣṇavī maiden, having received Keśava’s permission, went to Mandara Mountain to undertake severe and difficult austerity.

या सा कृष्णा विशालाक्षी रौद्री दंष्ट्राकरालिनी । सा नीलपर्वतवरं तपश्चर्तुं ययौ शुभा ।। ८९.

That black, wide-eyed, fierce goddess with protruding fangs went to the excellent Blue Mountain to perform auspicious austerity.

अथ कालेन महता प्रजाः स्त्रष्टुं प्रजापतिः । आरब्धवान् तदा तस्य ववृधे सृजतो बलम् ।। ८९.

Then, after a long time, the Lord of Creatures began to create beings; as he created, his power increased.

यदा न ववृधे तस्य ब्रह्मणो मानसी प्रजा । तदा दध्यौ किमेतन्मे न तथा वर्द्धते प्रजा ।। ८९.

When Brahmā’s mind-born creation did not increase, he wondered, 'Why is it that my creation does not grow as it should?'

ततो ब्रह्मा हृदा दध्यौ योगाभ्यासेन सुव्रते । चिन्तयन् बुबुधे देवस्तां कन्यां श्वेतपर्वते । तपश्चरन्तीं सुमहत् तपसा दग्धकिल्बिषाम् ।। ८९.

Then, O virtuous one, Brahma contemplated in his heart through yogic practice; thinking, the god discerned that maiden on the White Mountain, performing austerities, her sins burned away by her great penance.

ततो ब्रह्मा ययौ तत्र यत्र सा कमलेक्षणा । तपश्चरति तां दृष्ट्वा वाक्यमेतदुवाच ह ।। ८९.

Then Brahma went to the place where that lotus-eyed maiden was practicing austerity; seeing her, he spoke these words.

ब्रह्मोवाच । किं तपः क्रियते भद्रे कार्यमावेक्ष्य शोभते । तुष्टोऽस्मि ते विशालाक्षि वरं किं ते ददाम्यहम् ।। ८९.

Brahma said: 'What is this austerity you perform, O gentle one? It is fitting to act with purpose. I am pleased with you, O wide-eyed maiden; what boon shall I grant you?'

सृष्टिरुवाच । भगवन्नेकदेशस्था नोत्सहे स्थातुमञ्जसा । अतोऽर्थं त्वां वरं याचे सर्वगत्वमभीप्सती ।। ८९.

Srishti said: 'O Lord, remaining in one place, I am unable to stay easily; therefore, I ask you for the boon of omnipresence, desiring to be everywhere.'

एवमुक्तस्तदा देव्या सृष्ट्या ब्रह्मा प्रजापतिः । उवाच तां तदा देवीं सर्वगा त्वं भविष्यसि ।। ८९.

Thus addressed by the goddess Srishti, Brahma, the progenitor, spoke to her: 'You shall become all-pervading.'

एवमुक्ता तदा तेन सृष्टिः सा कमलेक्षणा । तस्य ह्यङ्के लयं प्राप्ता सा देवी पद्मलोचना । तस्मादारभ्य कालात् तु ब्राह्मी सृष्टिर्व्यवर्द्धत ।। ८९.

Thus spoken to by him, Srishti, the lotus-eyed goddess, entered his lap; from that time onward, the creation of Brahma began to flourish.

ब्रह्मणो मानसाः सप्त तेषामन्ये तपोधनाः । तेषामन्ये ततस्त्वन्ये चतुर्द्धा भूतसंग्रहः । सस्थाणुजङ्गमानां च सृष्टिः सर्वत्र संस्थिता ।। ८९.

The seven mind-born sons of Brahma, among whom some were ascetics, and among them others, and then others, divided into four, became the collection of beings; the creation of stationary and moving beings is established everywhere.

यत्किंचिद् वाङ्मयं लोके जगत्स्थावरजङ्गमम् । तत्सर्वं स्थापितं सृष्ट्या भूतं भव्यं च सर्वदा ।। ८९.

Whatever is spoken in the world, whether stationary or moving, all of it was established by Srishti—past, future, and always.

श्रीवराह उवाच । श्रृणु चान्यं वरारोहे तस्या देव्या महाविधिम् । या सा त्रिशक्तिरुद्दिष्टा शिवेन परमेष्ठिना ।। ९०.

Sri Varaha said: 'Hear further, O beautiful one, the great ordinance of that goddess, who is called the triple power, as declared by Shiva, the supreme lord.'

तत्र सृष्टिः पुरा प्रोक्ता श्वेतवर्णा स्वरूपिणी । एकाक्षरेति विख्याता सर्वाक्षरमयी शुभा ।। ९०.

There, creation was formerly described as white in form, known as the single syllable, auspicious, and composed of all syllables.

वागीशेति समाख्याता क्वचिद् देवी सरस्वती । सैव विद्येश्वरी देवी सैव क्वाप्यमिताक्षरा । सैव ज्ञानविधिः क्वापि सैव देवी विभावरी ।। ९०.

She is called Vāgīśa in some places, the goddess Sarasvati; she is the goddess of knowledge, and elsewhere called Amitākṣarā; elsewhere she is the ordinance of wisdom, and elsewhere the goddess Vibhāvarī.

यानि सौम्यानि नामानि यानि ज्ञानोद्भवानि च । तानि तस्या विशालाक्षि द्रष्टव्यानि वरानने ।। ९०.

Whatever gentle names there are, and those arising from knowledge, O wide-eyed one, O beautiful-faced, those should be regarded as hers.

या वैष्णवी विशालाक्षी रक्तवर्णा सुरूपिणी । अपरा सा समाख्याता रौद्री चैव परापरा ।। ९०.

She who is Vaishnavi, O wide-eyed one, red in form and beautiful, is called another, Raudri, both supreme and non-supreme.

एतास्त्रयोऽपि सिद्ध्यन्ते यो रुद्रं वेत्ति तत्त्वतः । सर्वगेयं वरारोहे एकैव त्रिविधा स्मृता ।। ९०.

These three also are accomplished by one who knows Rudra in truth; all that is to be sung, O beautiful one, is remembered as one, though threefold.