Varaha Purana

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?'

अचैतन्यं यदि गृहे विद्यतेऽन्नं सुसंस्कृतम् । इदानीमत्र संदृष्टा एते तु जलजन्तवः ।। ८.

If, in your house, there is well-prepared food that is devoid of consciousness, then why do I see these aquatic creatures here now?

(उप्ताः सहस्त्रतां यान्ति प्रतिसंवत्सरं मुने ।) ।। ८.२६ (१)।। अहमेकं कुटुम्बार्थे हन्म्यरण्ये पशुं दिने । तं चेत् पितृभ्यः संस्कृत्य दत्त्वा भुञ्जामि सानुगः ।। ८.

They are raised by the thousands every year, O sage. For the sake of my family, I kill one animal in the forest each day; after offering it, properly prepared, to the ancestors, I eat it with my household.

त्वं तु जीवान् बहून् हत्वा स्वकुटुम्बेन सानुगः । भुञ्जन्नेतेन सततमभोज्यं तन्मतं मम ।। ८.

But you, together with your family and followers, having killed many living beings, continually consume that which is unfit to be eaten; this is my view.

ब्रह्मणा तु पुरा सृष्टा ओषध्यः सर्ववीरुधः । यज्ञार्थं तत्तु भूतानां भक्ष्यमित्येव वै श्रुतिः ।। ८.

Long ago, all plants and herbs were created by Brahma; the Veda declares that these are to be eaten by beings for the sake of sacrifice.

दिव्यो भौतस्तथा पैत्रो मानुषो ब्राह्म एव च । एते पञ्च महायज्ञा ब्रह्मणा निर्मिताः पुरा ।। ८.

The five great sacrifices—divine, elemental, ancestral, human, and Brahmanical—were established by Brahma in ancient times.

ब्राह्मणानां हितार्थाय इतरेषां च तन्मुखम् । इतरेषां तु वर्णानां ब्राह्मणैः कारिताः शुभाः ।। ८.

These were instituted for the welfare of Brahmins and, through them, for the benefit of the other classes; the auspicious rites for the other varnas are performed by Brahmins.

एवं यदि विभागः स्याद् वरान्नं तद् विशुध्यति । अन्यथा व्रीहयोऽप्येते एकैके मृगपक्षिणः । मन्तव्या दातृभोक्तृणां महामांसं तु तत् स्मृतम् ।। ८.

If this order is maintained, then the food becomes pure; otherwise, even these grains are to be considered like the flesh of animals and birds, both for the giver and the eater—it is regarded as great meat.

मया ते दुहिता दत्ता पुत्रार्थे देवरूपिणी । सा च त्वद्भार्यया प्रोक्ता दुहिता जन्तुघातिनः ।। ८.

I gave you my daughter, divine in form, for the sake of a son; she, who is called your wife, is the daughter of one who slays living beings.

अतोऽर्थमागतोऽहं ते गृहं प्रति समीक्षितुम् । आचारं देवपूजां च अतिथीनां च तर्पणम् ।। ८.

Therefore, I have come to your house to observe your conduct, your worship of the gods, and the offerings made to guests.

एतेषामेकमप्यत्र कुर्वन्नपि न दृश्यते । तद् गृहं गन्तुमिच्छामि पितॄणां श्राद्धकाम्यया ।। ८.

But here, not even one of these is being performed; thus, I wish to leave this house, desiring to perform the śrāddha for the ancestors.