Varaha Purana

नमोऽस्तु वेदान्तरगाप्रतर्क्य नमोऽस्तु नारायण मत्स्यरूप । नमोऽस्तु ते सुस्वर विश्वमूर्त्ते नमोऽस्तु विद्याद्वयरूपधारिन् ।। 9.

Homage to you, who are beyond the reach of the Vedas and reasoning; homage to Nārāyaṇa in the form of a fish; homage to you, melodious one, universal form; homage to you, bearer of the form of knowledge and fearlessness.

नमोऽस्तु चन्द्रार्कमरुत्स्वरूप जलान्तविश्वस्थित चारुनेत्र । नमोऽस्तु विष्णोः शरणं व्रजामः प्रपाहि नो मत्स्यतनुं विहाय ।। 9.

Homage to you, whose forms are the moon, sun, and winds, who dwell within all waters, with beautiful eyes; homage to Viṣṇu—we seek your refuge; protect us, leaving aside your fish form.

त्वया ततं विश्वमनन्तमूर्त्ते पृथग्गते किञ्चिदिहास्ति देव । भवान् न चास्य व्यतिरिक्तमूर्त्ति- स्त्वत्तो वयं ते शरणं प्रपन्नाः ।। 9.

By you, O infinite form, the universe is pervaded; what else exists here, O god, apart from you? You are not different from this; from you we have sought refuge.

खात्मेन्दुवह्निश्च मनश्च रूपं पुराणमूर्त्तेस्तव चाब्जनेत्र । क्षमस्व शंभो यदि भक्तिहीनं त्वया जगद्भासति देवदेव ।। 9.

The sky, the moon, the fire, and the mind are forms of your ancient body, O lotus-eyed one; forgive us, O auspicious one, even if we lack devotion—for by you, O god of gods, the world shines.

विरुद्धमेतत् तव देवरूपं सुभीषणं सुस्वनमद्रितुल्यम् । पुराण देवेश जगन्निवास शमं प्रयाह्यच्युत तीव्रभानो ।। 9.

This divine form of yours appears contradictory—most fearsome, yet with a sweet voice, like a mountain; O ancient Lord of gods, abode of the world, grant us peace, O unfailing one, O intensely radiant one.

वयं हि सर्वे शरणं प्रपन्ना भयाच्च ते रूपमिदं प्रपश्य । लोके समस्तं भवता विना तु न विद्यते देहगतं पुराणम् ।। 9.

Indeed, we have all sought your refuge; out of fear, we behold this form of yours. In the world, apart from you, nothing ancient embodied exists.

एवं स्तुतस्तदा देवो जलस्थान् जगृहे च सः । वेदान् सोपनिषच्छास्त्रानन्तःस्थं रूपमास्थितः ।। 9.

Thus praised at that time, the Lord, abiding in the waters, assumed his form and took up the Vedas along with the Upaniṣads and scriptures.

यावत्स्वमूर्तिर्भगवांस्तावदेव जगत् त्विदम् । कूटस्थे तल्लयं याति विकृतिस्थे विवर्द्धते ।। 9.

As long as the Blessed Lord remains in his own form, so long does this world exist; when he is in the immutable, all dissolves into him, but when in the mutable, it grows.

श्रीवराह उवाच । एवं सृष्ट्वा जगत्सर्वं भगवान् लोकभावनः । विरराम ततः सृष्टिर्व्यवर्द्धत धरे तदा ।। १०.

Śrī Varāha said: Thus, having created all the worlds, the Lord, the sustainer of beings, ceased; then creation flourished upon the earth.

वृद्धायामथ सृष्टौ तु सर्वे देवाः पुरातनम् । नारायणाख्यं पुरुषं यजन्तो विविधैर्मखैः ।। १०.

Then, when creation had grown, all the ancient gods worshipped the Person called Nārāyaṇa with various sacrifices.

द्वीपेषु चैव सर्वेषु वर्षेषु च मखैर्हरिम् । देवाः सत्रैर्महद्भिस्ते यजन्तः श्रद्धयाऽन्विताः । तोषयामासुरत्यर्थं स्वं पूज्यं कर्तुमीप्सवः ।। १०.

On all the islands and in all the regions, the gods, with great sacrificial rites and full of faith, worshipped Hari, wishing to greatly please him and make him their object of worship.

एवं तोषयतां तेषां बहुवर्षसहस्त्रिकम् । काले देवस्तदा तुष्टः प्रत्यक्षत्वं जगाम ह ।। १०.

Thus, as they sought to please him for many thousands of years, at that time the god, satisfied, appeared before them.

अनेकबाहूदरवक्त्रनेत्रो महागिरेः श्रृङ्गमिवोल्लिखंस्तदा । उवाच किं कार्यमथो सुरेशो ब्रूतां वरं देववरा वरं वः ।। १०.

With many arms, bellies, mouths, and eyes, towering like the peak of a great mountain, the Lord of gods then spoke: 'Tell me, what is to be done? Speak your wish, best of gods, your boon.'

देवा ऊचुः । जयस्व गोविन्द महानुभाव त्वया वयं नाथ वरेण देवाः । मनुष्यलोकेऽपि भवन्तमाद्यं विहाय नास्मान्भवते ह कश्चित् ।। १०.

The gods said: 'Conquer, O Govinda of great power! By your boon, O Lord, we gods exist. Even in the world of men, apart from you, no one else exists.'

रुद्रादित्या वसवो ये च साध्या विश्वेऽश्विनौ मरुतश्चोष्मपाश्च । सर्वे भवन्तं शरणं गताः स्म कुरुष्व पूज्यानिह विश्वमूर्ते ।। १०.

The Rudras, Ādityas, Vasus, Sādhyas, Viśvedevas, Aśvins, Maruts, and the ancestors—all have sought refuge in you, O universal form; make us worthy of worship here.

एवमुक्तस्तदा तैस्तु महायोगेश्वरो हरिः । करोमि सर्वान् वः पूज्यानित्युक्त्वाऽन्तरधीयत ।। १०.

Thus addressed by them, Hari, the great lord of yoga, said, 'I will make you all worthy of worship,' and then vanished.

देवा अपि निजौकांसि गतवन्तः सनातनम् । स्तुवन्तः परमेशोऽपि त्रिविधं भावमास्थितः ।। १०.

The gods also returned to their own eternal abodes; and the supreme Lord, praised by them, assumed a threefold nature.

एवं त्रिधा जगद्धाता भूत्वा देवान् महेश्वरः । आराध्य सात्त्विकं राजं तामसं च त्रिधा स्थितम् ।। १०.

Thus, having become the threefold sustainer of the world, Maheśvara worshipped the sattvic, rajasic, and tamasic forms, each established in three ways.

सात्त्विकेन पठेद् वेदान् यजेद् यज्ञेन देवताः । आत्मनोऽवयवो भूत्वा राजसेनापि केशवः ।। १०.

With the sattvic aspect, one should recite the Vedas and worship the gods with sacrifice; Keśava, having become a part of himself, also acts through the rajasic aspect.

स कालरूपिणं रौद्रं प्रकृत्या शूलपाणिनम् । आत्मनो राजसीं मूर्तिं पूजयामास भक्तितः । तामसेनापि भावेन असुरेषु व्यवस्थितः ।। १०.

He, in the form of time, fierce by nature and bearing a trident, worshipped his own rajasic form with devotion; and with the tamasic disposition, he abided among the asuras.

एवं त्रिधा जगद्धाता भूत्वा देवान् महेश्वरः । आराधयामास ततो लोकोऽपि त्रिविधोऽभवत् ।। १०.

Thus, having become the threefold sustainer of the world, Maheśvara worshipped the gods; then the world, too, became threefold.

ब्रह्मविष्णुमहेशाननाम्ना गृह्य व्यवस्थितः । स च नारायणो देवः कृते युगवरे प्रभुः ।। १०.

He, known by the names Brahmā, Viṣṇu, and Maheśa, was established; and that god Nārāyaṇa, the Lord, was supreme in the Kṛta Yuga.

त्रेतायां रुद्ररूपस्तु द्वापरे यज्ञमूर्तिमान् । कलौ नारायणो देवो बहुरूपो व्यजायत ।। १०.

In the Tretā Yuga, he appeared as Rudra; in the Dvāpara, as the embodiment of sacrifice; in the Kali Yuga, the god Nārāyaṇa manifested in many forms.

तस्यादिकृत्ततो विष्णोश्चरितं भूरितेजसः । श्रृणुष्व सर्वं सुश्रोणि गदतो मम भामिनि ।। १०.

Now, O beautiful-hipped lady, listen as I recount in full the deeds of Viṣṇu, the one of great splendor, as they were first performed—hear them all as I narrate, O fair one.

आसीत् कृतयुगे राजा सुप्रतीको महाबलः । तस्य भार्याद्वयं चासीदविशिष्टं मनोरमम् ।। १०.

In the Kṛta Yuga there was a king named Supratīka, mighty in strength; he had two wives, both equally charming and delightful.

विद्युत्प्रभा कान्तिमती तयोरेते तु नामनी । तयोः पुत्रं समं राजा न लेभे यत्नवानपि ।। १०.

Vidyutprabhā and Kāntimatī were the names of those two; though the king strove earnestly, he did not obtain a son from either of them.

यदा तदा मुनिश्रेष्ठमात्रेयं वीतकल्मषम् । तोषयामास विधिना चित्रकूटे नगोत्तमे ।। १०.

Then, at that time, he pleased the foremost sage, Ātreya, pure of sin, by proper rites on the excellent mountain Citrakūṭa.

सक ऋषिस्तोषितस्तेन दीर्घकालं वरार्थिना । वरं दिदित्सया यावदब्रवीदत्रिजो मुनिः ।। १०.

That sage, gratified by the king who longed for a boon and served him for a long time, was moved to grant a boon, and so the sage, son of Atri, spoke.

तावदिन्द्रोऽपि करिणा गतः पार्श्वेन तस्य ह । देवसैन्यैः परिवृतस्तूष्णीमेव महाबलः ।। १०.

Meanwhile, mighty Indra also arrived there on his elephant, surrounded by the armies of the gods, remaining silent.