Varaha Purana

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—

यावल्लोका धरिष्यन्ति तावच्चैव महाप्रभो 126.

As long as the worlds endure, O Great Lord, so long—

त्वयि भक्तिः सदा भूयाद्यावत्स्थानं जनार्द्दन

May devotion to you, Janardana, always remain, for as long as your abode exists.

एतदेव परं चित्ते मया चैव विधार्यते

This alone is cherished in my heart and upheld by me.

ततस्तस्य वचः श्रुत्वा रैभ्यस्यर्षेरहं पुनः

Then, having heard the words of that sage Raibhya, I again—

ममैवं वचनं श्रुत्वा ब्राह्मणः स वसुन्धरे

O Earth, when the brahmin heard my words in this manner—

एतस्य तीर्थवर्यस्य महिमानं त्वया प्रभो

O Lord, the greatness of this foremost of sacred fords—

अन्यानि यानि तीर्थानि एतत्क्षेत्राश्रितानि तु

And whatever other sacred fords are established in this region—

शृणु तत्त्वेन मे ब्रह्मन्यन्मां त्वं परिपृच्छसि

Hear from me, O brahmin, in truth, that which you ask of me.

तीर्थं तु कुमुदाकारं तस्मिन् कुब्जाम्रके स्थितम्

There is a sacred ford in the form of a water-lily, situated at Kubjāmra.

कौमुदस्य तु मासस्य तथा मार्गशिरस्य च

During the month of Kaumuda, as well as in Mārgaśīrṣa—