Varaha Purana

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.

तस्य कालेन महता चारित्रेण च धीमतः । बभूवार्ज्जुनकी नाम कन्या च वरवर्णिनी ।। ८.

To him, in due course of time and by his virtuous conduct, was born a daughter named Arjunakī, of excellent complexion.

तस्या यौवनकाले तु चिन्तयामास धर्मवित् । कस्येयं दीयते कन्या को वा योग्यश्च वै पुमान् ।। ८.

When she reached the age of youth, the knower of dharma began to ponder: 'To whom should this maiden be given? Who is a worthy man?'

इति चिन्तयतस्तस्य मतङ्गस्य सुतं प्रति । धर्मव्याधस्य सुव्यक्तं प्रसन्नाख्यं प्रति ब्रुवन् ।। ८.

As he was thus reflecting, he spoke clearly regarding the son of Mataṅga, known as Prasanna, the righteous hunter.

एवं संचिन्त्य मातङ्गः प्रसन्नं प्रति सोद्यतः । उवाच तस्य पितरं प्रसन्नायार्ज्जुनीं भवान् । गृहाण तपतां श्रेष्ठ स्वयं दत्तां महात्मने ।। ८.

Having thus decided, Mataṅga, intent upon Prasanna, said to his father: 'O best of ascetics, give Arjunī to Prasanna, the great-souled one, as your own gift.'

मतङ्ग उवाच । प्रसन्नोऽयं मम सुतः सर्वशास्त्रविशारदः । गृह्णाम्यर्जुनकीं कन्यां त्वत्सुतां व्याधसत्तम ।। ८.

Mataṅga said: My son is pleased, thoroughly learned in all the scriptures; I accept Arjunakī, your daughter, O best of hunters.

एवमुक्ते तदा कन्यां धर्मव्याधो महातपाः । मतङ्गपुत्राय ददौ प्रसन्नाय च धीमते ।। ८.

When this was said, the great ascetic Dharmavyādha gave his daughter to Mataṅga’s son, who was pleased and wise.

धर्मव्याधस्तदा कन्यां दत्वा स्वगृहमीयिवान् । साऽपि श्वशुरयोर्भर्तुः शुश्रीषणपराऽभवत् ।। ८.

Dharmavyādha, having given his daughter, then returned to his own house; and she devoted herself to serving her husband and parents-in-law.

अथ कालेन महता सा कन्याऽर्जुनकी शुभा । उक्ता श्वश्रुवा सुता पुत्रि जीवहन्तुस्त्वमीदृशी । न जानासि तपश्चर्तुं भर्त्तुराराधनं तथा ।। ८.

Then, after a long time, that auspicious maiden Arjunakī was addressed by her mother-in-law: 'Daughter, you are like one who takes life; you do not know how to perform austerities or to properly honor your husband.'

साऽपि स्वल्पापराधेन भर्त्सिता तनुमध्यमा । पितुर्वेश्मगता बाला रोदमाना मुहुर्मुहुः ।। ८.

Rebuked for a small fault, that slender-waisted girl, still a child, went to her father’s house, weeping again and again.

पित्रा पृष्टा किमेतत् ते पुत्रि रोदनकारणम् । एवमुक्ता तदा सा तु कथयामास भामिनी ।। ८.

Her father asked, 'What is this, my daughter? Why are you crying?' Thus questioned, the beautiful girl began to speak.

श्वश्व्राऽहमुक्ता तीव्रेण कोपेन महता पितः । जीवहन्तुः सुतेत्युच्चैरसकृद् व्याधजेति च ।। ८.

She said, 'Father, my mother-in-law, in great and intense anger, called me the daughter of a killer, and repeatedly called me a hunter’s child.'

एतच्छ्रुत्वा स धर्मात्मा धर्मव्याधो रुषान्वितः । मतङ्गस्य गृहं सोऽथ गत्वा जनपदैर्वृतम् ।। ८.

Hearing this, the righteous Dharmavyādha, filled with anger, went to Mataṅga’s house, surrounded by the people of the region.

तस्यागतस्य संबन्धी मतङ्गो जयतां वरः । आसनाद्यर्ध्यपाद्येन पूजयित्वेदमब्रवीत् । किमागमनकृत्यं ते किं करोम्यागतक्रियाम् ।। ८.

When he arrived, Mataṅga, best of the victorious, his relative, honored him with a seat, water for washing feet, and other rites, and said: 'What is the purpose of your coming? What should I do for you, now that you have come?'

व्याध उवाच । भोजनं किंचिदिच्छामि भोक्तुं चैतन्यवर्जितम् । कौतूहलेन येनाहमागतो भवतो गृहम् ।। ८.

The hunter said: 'I wish to eat some food that is devoid of consciousness; it is out of curiosity that I have come to your house.'

मतङ्ग उवाच । गोधूमा व्रीमयश्चैव संस्कृता मम वेश्मनि । भुज्यतां धर्मविच्छ्रेष्ठ यथाकामं तपोधन ।। ८.

Mataṅga said: 'I have wheat, rice, and barley, all properly prepared in my house. O best of those who know dharma, O ascetic, eat as you wish.'

व्याध उवाच । पश्यामि कीदृशास्ते हि गोधूमा व्रीहयो यवाः । स्वरूपेण च सन्त्येते येन वो वेद्मि सत्तम ।। ८.

The hunter said: 'Let me see what kind of wheat, rice, and barley you have. By their very nature, I will know, O noble one.'

श्रीवराह उवाच । एवमुक्ते मतङ्गेन शूर्पं गोधूमपूरितम् । अपरं तत्र व्रीहीणां धर्मव्याधाय दर्शितम् ।। ८.

Śrī Varāha said: When Mataṅga had spoken thus, a winnowing basket filled with wheat and another with rice were shown to Dharmavyādha.

दृष्ट्वा व्रीहीन् सगोधूमान् धर्मव्याधो वरासनात् । उत्थाय गन्तुमारेभे मतङ्गेन निवारितः ।। ८.

Seeing the rice and wheat, Dharmavyādha rose from his excellent seat to leave, but was stopped by Mataṅga.

किमर्थं गन्तुमारब्धं त्वया वद महामते । अभुक्तेनैव संसिद्धं मद्गृहे चान्नमुत्तमम् । पाचयित्वा स्वयं चैव कस्मात् त्वं नाद्य भुञ्जसे ।। ८.

Mataṅga said: 'Why have you begun to leave, O wise one, without eating? Excellent food is ready in my house, cooked by myself. Why do you not eat?'

व्याध उवाच । सहस्त्रशः कोटिशश्च जीवान् हंसि दिने दिने । अथेदृशस्य पापस्य कोऽन्नं भुञ्जति सत्पुमान् ।। ८.

The hunter said: 'Day after day, you kill thousands and millions of living beings; who among the virtuous would eat the food of one so sinful?'