Varaha Purana

अत्र पिण्डप्रदानेन एतौ तव पितामहौ । दुर्गतावपि संसिद्धौ पापकृद्विकृतिं गतौ ।। ७.

By the offering of piṇḍa here, these two grandfathers of yours, though fallen into misfortune, have attained perfection, even though they had committed evil deeds.

तीर्थप्रभाव एषोऽस्मिन् ब्रह्मघ्नस्यापि तत्सुतः । पुतः पिण्डप्रदानेन कुर्यादुद्धरणं पुनः ।। ७.

Such is the power of this holy place, that even the son of a Brahmin-slayer is purified by the offering of piṇḍa, and can indeed be uplifted again.

एतस्मात् कारणात् पुत्र अहमेतौ विगृह्य वै । आगतोऽस्मि भवन्तं वै द्रष्टुं यास्यामि साम्प्रतम् । एतस्मात् कारणाद् रैभ्य भवान् धन्यो मयोच्यते ।। ७.

For this reason, my son, I have separated these two and come here to see you; now I shall depart. For this reason, Raibhya, you are called blessed by me.

सकृद् गयाभिगमनं सकृत्पिण्डप्रदापनम् । दुर्लभं त्वं पुनर्नित्यमस्मिन्नेव व्यवस्थितः ।। ७.

A single visit to Gayā, a single offering of piṇḍa, is difficult to obtain; yet you remain constantly engaged in this very act.

किमनु प्रोच्यते रैभ्य तव पुण्यमिदं प्रभो । येन साक्षाद् गदापाणिर्दृष्टो नारायणः स्वयम् ।। ७.

What more can be said, O Raibhya, about your merit, by which you have directly seen Nārāyaṇa himself, the wielder of the mace?

ततो गदाधरः साक्षादस्मिंस्तीर्थे व्यवस्थितः । अतोऽतिविख्याततमं तीर्थमेतद् द्विजोत्तम ।। ७.

Therefore, Gadādhara himself is present at this holy place; for this reason, O best of twice-born, this holy place is exceedingly renowned.

श्रीवराह उवाच । एवमुक्त्वा महायोगी तत्रैवान्तरधीयत । रैभ्योऽपि च गदापाणेर्हरेः स्तोत्रमथाकरोत् ।। ७.

Śrī Varāha said: Having spoken thus, the great yogi vanished right there; and Raibhya then composed a hymn of praise to Hari, the wielder of the mace.

रैभ्य उवाच । गदाधरं विबुधजनैरभिष्टुतं धृतक्षमं क्षुधितजनार्त्तिनाशनम् । शिवं विशालासुरसैन्यमर्दनं नमाम्यहं हतसकलाशुभं स्मृतौ ।। ७.

Raibhya said: I bow to Gadādhara, praised by the hosts of gods, who is patient, who removes the suffering of the hungry, who is auspicious, who crushes the vast armies of demons, and who destroys all misfortune when remembered.

पुराणपूर्वं पुरुषं पुरुष्टृतं पुरातनं विमलमलं नृणां गतिम् । त्रिविक्रमं धृतधरणिं बलेर्हं गदाधरं रहसि नमामि केशवम् ।। ७.

I bow in secret to Keśava, the ancient person, the foremost of men, the primeval, pure, and spotless refuge of people, the Trivikrama who bore the earth for Bali, the wielder of the mace.

सुशुद्धभावं विभवैरुपावृतं श्रियावृतं विगतमलं विचक्षणम् । क्षितीश्वरैरपगतकिल्बिषैः स्तुतं गदाधरं प्रणमति यः सुखं वसेत् ।। ७.

He who is of pure mind, surrounded by riches, adorned with Śrī, free from stain, wise, praised by sinless lords of the earth—whoever bows to Gadādhara dwells in happiness.

सुरासुरैरर्च्चितपादपङ्कजं केयूरहाराङ्गदमौलिधारिणम् । अब्धौ शयानं च रथाङ्गपाणिनं गदाधरं प्रणमति यः सुखं वसेत् ।। ७.

He whose lotus feet are worshipped by gods and demons, who wears armlets, garlands, ornaments, and a crown, who lies upon the ocean, who holds the wheel in his hand—whoever bows to Gadādhara dwells in happiness.

सितं कृते त्रेतायुगेऽरुणं विभुं तथा तृतीये पीतवर्णमच्युतम् । कलौ घनालिप्रतिमं महेश्वरं गदाधरं प्रणमति यः सुखं वसेत् ।। ७.

He who is white in the Kṛta age, red in the Tretā, yellow in the third (Dvāpara), and in Kali is dark as a raincloud, the great lord—whoever bows to Gadādhara dwells in happiness.

बीजोद्भवो यः सृजते चतुर्मुख- स्तथैव नारायणरूपतो जगत् । प्रपालयेद् रुद्रवपुस्तथान्तकृद् गदाधरो जयतु षडर्द्धमूर्तिमान् ।। ७.

He from whom Brahmā, born from the seed, creates the world in the form of Nārāyaṇa, who protects as Rudra and also brings about the end—may Gadādhara, possessing sixfold forms, be victorious.

सत्त्वं रजश्चैव तमो गुणास्त्रय- स्त्वेतेषु नान्यस्य समुद्भवः किल । स चैक एव त्रिविधो गदाधरो दधातु धैर्यं मम धर्ममोक्षयोः ।। ७.

Sattva, rajas, and tamas—these three qualities arise from him alone and from no other; may that threefold Gadādhara grant me steadfastness in righteousness and liberation.

संसारतोयार्णवदुःखतन्तुभि- र्वियोगनक्रक्रमणैः सुभीषणैः । मज्जन्तमुच्चैः सुतरां महाप्लवे गदाधरो मामु दधातु पोतवत् ।। ७.

In this ocean of worldly existence, with its painful strands, with the dreadful crocodiles of separation—when I am sinking, may Gadādhara bear me up like a great boat.

स्वयं त्रिमूर्तिः स्वमिवात्मनात्मनि स्वशक्तितश्चाण्डमिदं ससर्ज्ज ह । तस्मिञ्जलोत्थासनमार्यतेजसं ससर्ज्ज यस्तं प्रणतोऽस्मि भूधरम् ।। ७.

He, the Trimurti himself, by his own power, created this cosmic egg from himself; in that, he created the earth, radiant with noble brilliance, arising from the waters—unto him, the bearer of the earth, I bow.

मत्स्यादिनामानि जगत्सु केवलं सुरादिसंरक्षणतो वृषाकपिः । मुख्यस्वरूपेण समन्ततो विभु- र्गदाधरो मे विदधातु सद्गतिम् ।। ७.

He who, for the protection of gods and others, takes on names such as Matsya and so forth, the Bull-Ape, who is all-pervading in his principal form and wields the mace—may he grant me the highest path.

श्रीवराह उवाच । एवं स्तुतस्तदा विष्णुर्भक्त्या रैभ्येण धीमता । प्रादुर्बभूव सहसा पीतवासा जनार्दनः ।। ७.

Śrī Varāha said: Thus praised at that time by the wise Raibhya with devotion, Viṣṇu, Janārdana, suddenly appeared, clad in yellow garments.

शङ्खचक्रगदापाणिर्गरुडस्थो वियद्गतः । उवाच मेघगम्भीरधीरवाक् पुरुषोत्तमः ।। ७.

Holding conch, discus, and mace in his hands, seated upon Garuḍa, moving through the sky, the supreme person spoke with a voice deep as a cloud and words full of dignity.

तुष्टोऽस्मि रैभ्य भक्त्या ते स्तुत्या च द्विजसत्तम । तीर्थस्नानेन च विभो ब्रूहि यत्तेऽभिवाञ्छितम् ।। ७.

"I am pleased, Raibhya, by your devotion and your praise, O best of twice-born, and by your bathing at the sacred place. Tell me, O illustrious one, what you desire."

रैभ्य उवाच । गतिं मे देहि देवेश यत्र ते सनकादयः । वसेयं तत्र येनाहं त्वत्प्रसादाद् गदाधर ।। ७.

Raibhya said: "Grant me, O Lord of gods, the path where Sanaka and the others dwell, so that by your grace, O bearer of the mace, I may reside there."

देव उवाच । एवमस्त्विति ते ब्रह्मन्नित्युक्त्वाऽन्तरधीयत । भगवानपि रैभ्यस्तु दिव्यज्ञानसमन्वितः ।। ७.

The Lord said: "So be it." Having spoken thus to you, O Brāhmaṇa, he vanished; and Raibhya, endowed with divine knowledge, also disappeared.

क्षणाद् बभूव देवेन परितुष्टेन चक्रिणा । जगाम यत्र ते सिद्धाः सनकाद्या महर्षयः ।। ७.

In an instant, by the favor of the discus-bearing Lord, he attained the place where those perfected sages, Sanaka and the others, reside.

एतच्च रैभ्यनिर्द्दिष्टं स्तोत्रं विष्णोर्गदाभृतः । यः पठेत् स गयां गत्वा पिण्डदानाद् विशिष्यते ।। ७.

This hymn to Viṣṇu, the wielder of the mace, as prescribed by Raibhya—whoever recites it, having gone to Gayā and performed the offering of ancestral cakes, surpasses others.

श्रीवराह उवाच । योऽसौ वसोः शरीरे तुव्याधो भूत्वा नृपस्य ह । स स्ववृत्त्यां स्थितः कालं चतुर्वर्षसहस्त्रिकम् ।। ८.

Śrī Varāha said: He who, having become the disease in the body of Vasu, remained in his own nature for a period of four thousand years of men.

एकैकं स्वकुटुम्बार्थे हत्वा वनचरं मृगम् । भृत्यातिथिहुताशानां प्रीणनं कुरुते सदा ।। ८.

Each time, for the sake of his own family, he would slay a wild animal in the forest, and always pleased his servants, guests, and the sacred fire.

मिथिलायां वरारोहे सदा पर्वणि पर्वणि । पितॄणां कुरुते श्राद्धं स्वाचारेण विचक्षणः ।। ८.

In Mithilā, O beautiful one, at every sacred occasion, the wise one always performed the ancestral rites for his forefathers, according to his own tradition.

अग्निं परिचरन् नित्यं वदन् सत्यं सुभाषितम् । प्राणयात्रानुसक्तस्तु योऽसौ जीवं न पातयेत् ।। ८.

Constantly serving the fire, speaking truth and pleasant words, intent on sustaining life, he would not take the life of a living being.

एवं तु वसतस्तस्य धर्मबुद्धिर्महातपाः । पुत्रस्त्वर्जुनको नाम बभूव मुनिवद्वशी ।। ८.

Thus, as he dwelt there, possessed of righteousness and great austerity, a son named Arjunaka was born to him, self-controlled like a sage.