Varaha Purana

तस्मात् क्षोभात् समुत्तस्थुः कुमार्यः सौम्यलोचनाः । नीलकुञ्चितकेशान्ता बिम्बोष्ठायतलोचनाः । नितम्बरशनोद्दामा नूपुराढ्याः सुवर्चसः ।। ९१.

From that agitation arose maidens with gentle eyes, with dark, curled hair, full lips, wide eyes, adorned with fine garments and sashes, rich in anklets, radiant in beauty.

एवंविधाः स्त्रियो देव्या क्षोभिते मनसि द्रुतम् । उत्तस्थुः शतसाहस्त्राः कोटिशो विविधाननाः ।। ९१.

Such women, as the goddess's mind was disturbed, quickly arose in hundreds of thousands, in tens of millions, with diverse faces.

दृष्ट्वा कुमार्यः सा देवी तस्मिन्नेव गिरौ शुभा । तपसा निर्ममे देवी पुरं हर्म्यशताकुलम् ।। ९१.

Seeing the maidens there on the mountain, the auspicious goddess, by her austerity, created a city filled with hundreds of mansions.

विशालरथ्यं सौवर्णप्रासादैरुपशोभितम् । अन्तर्जलानि वेश्मानि मणिसोपानवन्ति च । रत्नजालगवाक्षाणि आसन्नोपवनानि च ।। ९१.

With wide streets, adorned with golden palaces, houses with inner pools, stairways of jewels, windows latticed with gems, and nearby gardens.

असंख्यातानि हर्म्याणि तथा कन्या धराधरे । प्राधान्येन प्रवक्ष्यामि कन्यानामानि शोभने ।। ९१.

Countless mansions and maidens were on the mountain. I will tell you, O beautiful one, the principal names of the maidens.

विद्युत्प्रभा चन्द्रकान्तिः सूर्यकान्तिस्तथाऽपरा । गम्भीरा चारुकेशी च सुजाता मुञ्जकेशिनी ।। ९१.

Vidutprabhā, Candrakānti, Sūryakānti, Gambhīrā, Cārukeśī, Sujātā, and Muñjakeśinī.

घृताची चोर्वशी चान्या शशिनी शीलमण्डिता । चारुकन्या विशालाक्षी धन्या पीनपयोधरा ।। ९१.

Ghṛtācī, Urvaśī, Śaśinī adorned with virtue, Cārukanyā, Viśālākṣī, Dhanyā, and Pīnapayodharā.

चन्द्रप्रभा गिरिसुता तथा सूर्यप्रभाऽमृता । स्वयंप्रभा चारुमुखी शिवदूती विभावरी ।। ९१.

Candraprabhā, daughter of the mountain, Sūryaprabhā, Amṛtā, Svayaṃprabhā, Cārumukhī, Śivadūtī, and Vibhāvarī.

जया च विजया चैव जयन्ती चापराजिता । एताश्चान्याश्च शतशः कन्यास्तस्मिन् पुरोत्तमे ।। ९१.

Jayā, Vijayā, Jayantī, Aparājitā, and hundreds of other maidens were in that excellent city.

देव्या अनुचराः सर्वाः पाशाङ्कुशधराः शुभाः । ताभिः परिवृता देवी सिंहासनगता शुभा ।। ९१.

All were attendants of the goddess, holding nooses and goads, auspicious. Surrounded by them, the auspicious goddess sat upon her throne.

सुसितैश्चामरैः स्त्रीभिर्वीज्यमाना विलासिनी । कौमारं व्रतमास्थाय तपः कर्तुं समुद्यता ।। ९१.

Fanned by women with pure whisks, radiant, she undertook the vow of maidenhood, ready to perform austerity.

यौवनस्था महाभागा पीनवृत्तपयोधरा । चम्पकाशोकपुन्नागनागकेसरदामभिः ।। ९१.

In the prime of youth, most fortunate, with full and rounded breasts, adorned with garlands of campaka, ashoka, punnaga, and naga flowers—

सर्वाङ्गेष्वर्चिता देवी ऋषिदेवनमस्कृता । पूज्यमाना वरस्त्रीभिः कुमारीभिः समन्ततः ।। ९१.

The goddess, worshipped on all her limbs, honored by sages and gods, was revered by noble women and maidens all around.

सर्वाङ्गभोगिनी देवी यावदास्ते तपोऽन्विता । तावदागतवांस्तत्र नारदो ब्रह्मणः सुतः ।। ९१.

The goddess, enjoying all delights, remained there engaged in austerity; then, at that time, Narada, son of Brahma, arrived.

तं दृष्ट्वा सहसा देवी ब्रह्मपुत्रं तपोधनम् । विद्युत्प्रभामुवाचेदमासनं दीयतामिति । पाद्यमाचमनीयं च क्षिप्रमस्मै प्रदीयताम् ।। ९१.

Seeing suddenly the ascetic son of Brahma, the goddess said to Vidyutprabha: 'Let a seat be given, and quickly bring water for washing the feet and for sipping.'

एवमुक्ता तदा देव्या कन्या विद्युप्रभा शुभा । आसनं पाद्यमर्घ्यं च नारदाय न्यवेदयत् ।। ९१.

Thus addressed by the goddess, the auspicious maiden Vidyutprabha offered a seat, water for the feet, and arghya to Narada.

ततः कृतासनं दृष्ट्वा प्रणतं नारदं मुनिम् । उवाच वचनं देवी हर्षेण महताऽन्विता ।। ९१.

Then, seeing Narada the sage seated and bowing, the goddess spoke to him, filled with great joy.

स्वागतं भो मुनिश्रेष्ठ कस्माल्लोकादिहागतः । किं कार्यं वद ते कृत्यं मा ते कालात्ययो भवेत् ।। ९१.

'Welcome, best of sages! For what reason have you come here from your world? Tell me what you wish to accomplish, so that no time may be lost for you.'

एवमुक्तस्तदा देव्या नारदः प्राह लोकवित् । ब्रह्मलोकादिन्द्रलोकं तस्माद् रौद्रमथाचलम् ।। ९१.

Thus addressed by the goddess, Narada, knower of the worlds, replied: 'From Brahmaloka to Indraloka, and from there to the fierce mountain, I have come.'

ततस्त्वामिह देवेशि द्रष्टुमभ्यागतः शुभे । एवमुक्त्वा मुनिः श्रीमांस्तां देवीमन्ववेक्षत ।। ९१.

'Therefore, O goddess of the gods, I have come here to see you, O auspicious one.' Having spoken thus, the illustrious sage gazed upon the goddess.

दृष्ट्वा मुहूर्तं देवेशि विस्मितो नारदोऽभवत् । अहो रूपमहो कान्तिरहो धैर्यमहो वयः ।। ९१.

Having looked for a moment, O goddess of the gods, Narada was astonished: 'Ah, what beauty! Ah, what radiance! Ah, what composure! Ah, what youth!'

अहो निष्कामता देव्या इति खेदमुपाययौ । देवगन्धर्वसिद्धानां यक्षकिन्नररक्षसाम् ।। ९१.

'Ah, what freedom from desire in the goddess!'—so thinking, he felt disquiet, for among the gods, gandharvas, siddhas, yakshas, kinnaras, and rakshasas—

न रूपमीदृशं क्वापि स्त्रीष्वन्यासु प्रदृश्यते । एवं संचिन्त्य मनसा नारदो विस्मयान्वितः ।। ९१.

Nowhere among other women is such beauty seen. Thus reflecting in his mind, Narada was filled with wonder.

प्रणम्य देवीं वरदामुत्पपात नभस्तलम् । गतश्च त्त्वरया युक्तः पुरीं दैत्येन्द्रपालिताम् ।। ९१.

Bowing to the boon-bestowing goddess, Narada rose into the sky and, with haste, went to the city ruled by the lord of the daityas.

महिषाख्येन भूतेशि समुद्रान्तःस्थितां पुरीम् । तत्राससाद भगवानसुरं महिषाकृतिम् ।। ९१.

O goddess of the earth, that city named Mahisha, situated at the edge of the ocean—there the blessed one encountered the asura in the form of a buffalo.

दृष्ट्वा लब्धवरं वीरं देवसैन्यान्तकं महत् । स तेन पूजितो भक्त्या तदा लोकचरो मुनिः ।। ९१.

Seeing that mighty hero, granted boons and destroyer of the gods' army, the sage, moving among the worlds, was then worshipped with devotion by him.

प्रीतात्मा नारदस्तस्मै देव्या रूपमनुत्तमम् । आचचक्षे यथान्यायं यद् दृष्टं देवतापुरे ।। ९१.

With a pleased heart, Narada properly described to him the goddess's unsurpassed beauty, just as he had seen in the city of the gods.

नारद उवाच । असुरेन्द्र श्रृणुष्वेकं कन्यारत्नं समाहितः । येन लब्धं तु त्रैलोक्यं वरदानाच्चराचरम् ।। ९१.

Narada said: 'O lord of the asuras, listen attentively to the jewel among maidens, by whom the three worlds and all beings, moving and unmoving, have been obtained through boons.'

ब्रह्मलोकादहं दैत्य मन्दराद्रिमुपागतः । तत्र देवीपुरं दृष्टं कुमारीशतसङ्कुलम् ।। ९१.

'From Brahmaloka I have come, O daitya, to Mount Mandara; there I saw the city of the goddess, crowded with hundreds of maidens.'