Varaha Purana

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.

एषा सृष्टिर्वरारोहे कथिता ते पुरातनी । तया सर्वमिदं व्याप्तं जगत् स्थावरजङ्गमम् ।। ९०.

This creation, O beautiful one, has been described to you as ancient; by her, all this world, stationary and moving, is pervaded.

या साऽऽदौ वर्द्धिता सृष्टिर्ब्रह्मणोऽव्यक्तजन्मनः । तया तुल्यां स्तुतिं चक्रे तस्या देव्याः पितामहः ।। ९०.

That creation which grew at the beginning from Brahma, of unmanifest birth, by her, the grandsire made a similar praise to that goddess.

ब्रह्मोवाच । जयस्व सत्यसंभूते ध्रुवे देवि वराक्षरे । सर्वगे सर्वजननि सर्वभूतमहेश्वरि ।। ९०.

Brahma said: 'May you triumph, O source of truth, O steadfast goddess, O excellent syllable; all-pervading, mother of all, great goddess of all beings.'

सर्वज्ञे त्वं वरारोहे सर्वसिद्धिप्रदायिनी । सिद्धिबुद्धिकरी देवि प्रसूतिः परमेश्वरि ।। ९०.

All-knowing are you, O beautiful one, bestower of all accomplishments; O goddess, giver of wisdom and success, origin of all, supreme goddess.

त्वं स्वाहा त्वं स्वधा देवि त्वमुत्पत्तिर्वरानने । त्वमोङ्कारस्थिता देवि वेदोत्पत्तिस्त्वमेव च ।। ९०.

You are Svāhā, you are Svadhā, O goddess; you are the origin, O beautiful-faced one. You are established in the syllable Om, O goddess, and you alone are the source of the Vedas.

देवानां दानवानां च यक्षगन्धर्वरक्षसाम् । पशूनां वीरुधां चापि त्वमुत्पत्तिर्वरानने ।। ९०.

You are the origin, O beautiful-faced one, of the gods, the demons, the yakshas, gandharvas, and rakshasas, as well as of animals and plants.

विद्या विद्येश्वरी सिद्धा प्रसिद्धा त्वं सुरेश्वरि । सर्वज्ञा त्वं वरारोहे सर्वसिद्धिप्रदायिनी ।। ९०.

You are knowledge, the mistress of knowledge, accomplished and renowned, O queen of the gods. You are all-knowing, O beautiful one, and the bestower of all accomplishments.

सर्वगा गतसंदेहा सर्वशत्रुनिबर्हिणी । सर्वविद्येश्वरी देवी नमस्ते स्वस्तिकारिणि ।। ९०.

You are present everywhere, free from doubt, destroyer of all enemies. You are the goddess, mistress of all knowledge. I bow to you, O bringer of auspiciousness.

ऋतुस्नातां स्त्रियं गच्छेद् यस्त्वां स्तुत्वा वरानने । तस्यावश्यं भवेत् सृष्टिस्त्वत्प्रसादात् प्रजेश्वरि । स्वरूपा विजया भद्रा सर्वशत्रुप्रमोहिनि ।। ९०.

He who approaches a woman purified by her cycle, having praised you, O beautiful-faced one, will surely have creation by your grace, O queen of progeny. She will be true to form, victorious, auspicious, and bewilderer of all enemies.

श्रीवराह उवाच । या मन्दरगता देवी तपस्तप्तुं तु वैष्णवी । राजसी परमा शक्तिः कौमारव्रतधारिणी ।। ९१.

Śrī Varāha said: The goddess who went to Mount Mandara to perform austerity, the supreme royal power, the one who undertook the vow of maidenhood.