Varaha Purana

धन्वी तूणी शरी खड्गी मायाबलपराक्रमः 125.

Armed with bow, quiver, arrows, and sword, endowed with the power and prowess of illusion.

मायया किं तव धरे न मायां ज्ञातुमर्हसि

By illusion—what is there for you, O Earth? You are not fit to know my illusion.

एतत्ते कथितं भूमे मायाख्यानं महौजसम्

Thus, O Earth, this account of my illusion, endowed with great power, has been told to you.

आख्यानानां महाख्यानं तपसां च परन्तपः

Among stories, it is the greatest story; among austerities, it is supreme, O scorcher of foes.

नित्यं पठेद्यो भक्तेषु अभक्तेषु न कीर्तयेत्

Whoever recites this always among devotees, but does not proclaim it among non-devotees—

अग्रतः पृच्छता शूद्रमद्भक्तेषु तथाग्रतः

And who, when asked, recites it before my devotees, even if they are Śūdras—

कल्यमुत्थाय यो भूमे पठते च दृढव्रतः

Whoever, rising at dawn, O Earth, recites it with firm resolve—

अथ पूर्णेन कालेन पुमान्पंचत्वमागतः

Then, after the full course of time, the man reached his end.

य एवं शृणुयान्नित्यं महाख्यानं वसुन्धरे

Whoever listens daily to this great narrative, O Earth,

एतत्ते कथितं भद्रे त्वया यत्पूर्वमीप्सितम्

This, O blessed one, is what you previously desired and I have now related to you.

अथ कुब्जाम्रकमाहात्म्यारम्भः श्रुत्वा मायाबलं ह्येतद्धरणी संशितव्रता

Now begins the account of the greatness of Kubjāmraka. Having heard of this power of illusion, the Earth, steadfast in her vows,

धरण्युवाच न तत्राहं विजानामि पूर्वमुक्तं च यत्त्वया

The Earth said: I do not know about that, nor what you have spoken of before.

यच्च कुब्जाम्रके पुण्यं पुष्टिस्तस्य सनातनी

And what merit and eternal nourishment exist at Kubjāmraka,

वराह उवाच यच्च कुब्जाम्रके पुष्टिर्यच्च तीर्थमनिन्दिते

Varāha said: The nourishment at Kubjāmraka, and the sacred ford, O blameless one,

तच्च कार्त्स्न्येन मे देवि शृणु तत्त्वेन सुन्दरि

All of that, O goddess, listen as I tell you completely and truly, O beautiful one.

यच्च कर्म यतो भूमे स्नातो याति मृतोऽपि च

And what acts, by which one who bathes there, even if dead, attains—

मधुकैटभौ तथा हत्वा ब्रह्मणो वचनात्तदा

Having slain Madhu and Kaiṭabha, at Brahmā’s command,

पश्यामि तं नतं भूमे रैभ्यं नाममहामुनिम्

I beheld there the great sage named Raibhya, bowed in reverence, O Earth.

युक्तिमन्तं गुणज्ञं च शुचिं दक्षं जितेंद्रियम्

He was wise, knower of virtues, pure, skilled, and master of his senses.

सहस्रं चांबुभक्षेण तथा शैवालभक्षणम् 126.

He had subsisted for a thousand years on water alone, and likewise on Śaiva leaves.

इतः प्रीतोऽस्म्यहं देवि रैभ्यस्य च महात्मनः

Because of this, O goddess, I was pleased with the great-souled Raibhya.

ततो वै तप्यमानं तं गङ्गाद्वारमुपागतम्

Then, as he was practicing austerities, he arrived at the gateway of the Gaṅgā.

दर्शितोऽयं मया चात्मा हेतुमात्रेण केनचित्

To him I revealed myself, for some particular reason.

एवं कुब्जाम्रकं ख्यातं स्थानमतेन्मनस्विनि

Thus, O wise one, this place became known as Kubjāmraka.

अन्यच्च ते प्रवक्ष्यामि तच्छृणुष्व वसुन्धरे

And now I will tell you something else; listen to this, O Earth.

एवं तत्र मया दृष्टः कुब्जरूपं समास्थितः

There, I saw him assuming a hunchbacked form.

नमस्कृत्य स्थितं तं तु मुनिं वै संशितव्रतम्

After bowing to that sage, steadfast in his vows, I stood before him.

ममैव वचनं श्रुत्वा स मुनिस्तपसान्वितः

Hearing my words, that sage endowed with austerity—

यदि प्रसन्नो भगवाँल्लोकनाथो जनार्द्दनः

If the Blessed Lord, Janardana, the Protector of the Worlds, is pleased—