Varaha Purana

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.

स्वगृहे नैव भुञ्जामि पितॄणां कार्यमित्युत । अहं व्याधो जीवघाती न तु त्वं लोकहिंसकः ।। ८.

I do not eat in my own house, saying it is for the sake of the ancestors; I am a hunter, a slayer of living beings, but you are not one who harms the world.

मत्सुता जीवघातस्य यदोढा त्वत्सुतेन च । तन्महत्त्वं च संजातं प्रायश्चितं तपोधन ।। ८.

My daughter, who is the wife of a slayer of living beings, has been married to your son; thus, a great atonement has arisen, O ascetic.

एवमुक्त्वा स चोत्थाय शप्त्वा नारीं तदा धरे । मा स्नुषाभिः समं श्वश्र्वा विश्वासो भवतु क्वचित् ।। ८.

Having spoken thus, he rose and then cursed the woman, saying: 'Let there never be trust between a mother-in-law and her daughters-in-law.'

मा च स्नुषा कदाचित् स्याद् या श्वश्रूं जीवतीमिषेत् । एवमुक्त्वा गतो व्याधः स्वगृहं प्रति भामिनि ।। ८.

'And let there never be a daughter-in-law who wishes for her mother-in-law to live.' Having said this, the hunter departed for his own house, O beautiful one.

ततो देवान् पितॄन् भक्तया पूजयित्वा विचक्षणः । पुत्रं चार्जुनकं स्थाप्य स्वसन्ताने महातपाः ।। ८.

Then, with devotion, the wise one worshipped the gods and ancestors, and, having established his son Arjunaka in his lineage, the great ascetic—

धर्मव्याधो जगामाशु तीर्थं त्रैलोक्यविश्रुतम् । पुरुषोत्तमाख्यं च परं तत्र गत्वा समाहितः । तपश्चचार नियतः पठन् स्तोत्रमिदं धरे ।। ८.

The righteous hunter quickly went to the renowned pilgrimage place called Puruṣottama; arriving there with a focused mind, he practiced austerities, reciting this hymn to the earth.

नमामि विष्णुं त्रिदशारिनाशनं विशालवक्षस्थलसंश्रितश्रियम् । सुशासनं नीतिमतां परां गतिं त्रिविक्रमं मन्दरधारिणं सदा ।। ८.

I bow to Viṣṇu, destroyer of the enemies of the gods, whose broad chest is the abode of fortune, who is a good ruler, the supreme goal of the righteous, the three-stepping one, the upholder of Mandara, always.

दामोदरं रञ्जितभूतलं धिया यशोंशुशुभ्रं भ्रमराङ्गसप्रभम् । धराधरं नरकरिपुं पुरुष्टुतं नमामि विष्णुं शरणं जनार्दनम् ।। ८.

I bow to Viṣṇu, Dāmodara, who has adorned the earth, whose glory is radiant like the rays of the moon, whose limbs shine like the bee, the supporter of the earth, the enemy of hell, praised by the noble, the refuge of all, Janārdana.

(नरं नृसिंहं हरिमीश्वरं प्रभुं त्रिधामनामानमनन्तवर्चसम् । सुसंस्कृतास्यं शरणं नरोत्तमं व्रजामि देवं सततं तमच्युतम् ।। ८.४३ (१)) त्रिधा स्थितं तिग्मरथाङ्गपाणिनं नयस्थितं तृप्तमनुत्तमैर्गुणैः । निःश्रेयसाख्यं क्षपितेतरं गुरुं नमामि विष्णुं पुरुषोत्तमं त्वहम् ।। ८.

(I approach that god, the man-lion, Hari, the Lord, the master of three abodes, of endless glory, with well-formed speech, the supreme refuge of men, the imperishable one, always.) Established in three forms, holding the blazing discus in hand, steadfast in righteousness, content with unsurpassed virtues, known as the highest good, the destroyer of others, the great teacher—I bow to Viṣṇu, the supreme person.

(हतौ पुराणौ मधुकैटभावुभौ बिभर्त्ति च क्ष्मां शिरसा सदा हि सः । यथा स्तुतो मे प्रसभं सनातनो दधातु विष्णुः सुखमूर्जितं मम ।। ८.४४ (१)) महावराहो हविषाम्बुभोजनो जनार्दनो मे हितकृच्चितीमुखः । क्षितीधरो मामुदधिक्षयो महान् स पातु विष्णुः शरणार्थिनं तु माम् ।। ८.

(Long ago, the two ancient demons Madhu and Kaiṭabha were slain; he always bears the earth upon his head. As the eternal one has been praised by me with force, may Viṣṇu grant me happiness and strength.) May the great Boar, who enjoys the sacrificial offering, Janārdana, the benefactor, the one with a lotus-like face, the great upholder of the earth, who diminished the ocean, protect me, the one seeking refuge.