Varaha Purana

भवान् शशी सूर्यहुताशनोऽसि त्वयि प्रलीनं जगदेतदुच्यते । भवत्प्रतिष्ठं रमते जगत् यतः स्तुतोऽसि रामेति जगत् प्रतिष्ठितम् ।। १२.

You are the moon, the sun, and the fire; in you, this entire world is said to dissolve; the world delights, being established in you; therefore, you are praised as Rāma, the foundation of the universe.

भवार्णवे दुःखतरोर्मिसंकुले तथाक्षमानग्रहणेऽतिभीषणे । न मज्जति त्वत्स्मरणप्लवो नरः स्मृतोऽसि रामेति तथा तपोवने ।। १२.

In the ocean of worldly existence, filled with the terrible waves of suffering and the dreadful crocodile of impatience, a man does not sink who has the raft of your remembrance; thus you are remembered as Rāma, even in the forest of austerities.

वेदेषु नष्टेषु भवांस्तथा हरे करोषि मात्स्यं वपुरात्मनः सदा । युगक्षये रञ्जितसर्वदिङ्मुखो भवांस्तथाग्निर्बहुरूपधृग् विभो ।। १२.

When the Vedas were lost, you, O Hari, always assumed the form of a fish; at the end of the age, with all directions reddened, you, O mighty one, became fire, assuming many forms.

कौर्मं तथा ते वपुरास्थितः सदा युगे युगे माधव तोयमन्थने । न चान्यदस्तीति भवत्समं क्वचि- ज्जनार्दनाद् यः स्वयं भूतमुत्तमम् ।। १२.

In every age, O Mādhava, you have always assumed the form of the Tortoise during the churning of the ocean; there is truly no one equal to you anywhere, O Janārdana, who yourself are the supreme being.

त्वया ततं विश्वमिदं महात्मन् स्वकाखिलान् वेद दिशश्च सर्वाः । कथं त्वमाद्यं परमं तु धाम विहाय चान्यं शरणं व्रजामि ।। १२.

By you, O great soul, this entire universe is pervaded; you know all directions completely. How could I abandon you, the original and supreme abode, and seek any other refuge?

भवानेकः पूर्वमासीत् ततश्च त्वत्तो मही सलिलं वह्निरुच्चैः । वायुस्तथा खं च मनोऽपि बुद्धि- श्चेतोगुणास्तत्प्रभवं च सर्वम् ।। १२.

You alone existed at first; then from you arose earth, water, fire in its highest form, wind, space, mind, intellect, and the qualities of consciousness—all these have their origin in you.

त्वया ततं विश्वमिदं समस्तं सनातनस्त्वं पुरुषो मतो मे । समस्तविश्वेश्वर विश्वमूर्ते सहस्त्रबाहो जय देव देव । नमोऽस्तु रामाय महानुभाव ।। १२.

By you this whole universe is pervaded; you are eternal, regarded by me as the Supreme Person. O Lord of all the worlds, whose form is the universe, thousand-armed one, victory to you, O god of gods! Homage to Rāma, of great glory.

इति स्तुतो देववरः प्रसन्नः तदा राज्ञः सुप्रतीकस्य मूर्तिम् । संदर्शयामास ततोऽभ्युवाच वरं वृणीष्वेति च सुप्रतीकम् ।। १२.

Thus praised, the best of gods became pleased and revealed his form to King Supratīka, and then spoke to him: 'Choose a boon, O Supratīka.'

एवं श्रुत्वा वचनं तस्य राजा ससंभ्रमं देवदेवं प्रणम्य । उवाच देवेश्वर मे प्रयच्छ लयं यदास्ते परमं वपुस्ते ।। १२.

Hearing these words, the king, with reverence, bowed to the god of gods and said: 'O Lord of gods, grant me union with your supreme form at the time of dissolution.'

इतीरिते राजवरः क्षणेन लयं तथाऽगादसुरघ्नमूर्तौ । स्थितस्तस्मिन्नात्मभूतो विमुक्तः स भूमिपः कर्मकाण्डैरनेकैः ।। १२.

When the king thus spoke, in a moment he attained dissolution into the form of the destroyer of demons; established in that state, he became liberated, that ruler of the earth, through many acts of ritual.

श्रीवराह उवाच । इतीरितं ते तु मया पुराणं स्वायम्भुवे चादिकृतैकदेशम् । शक्यं न चास्यैर्बहुभिः सहस्त्रै- रपीह केनापि मुखेन वक्तुम् ।। १२.

Śrī Varāha said: Thus, I have told you this ancient account, as it was related to Svāyambhuva; even with thousands of others, it is not possible for anyone to speak it fully here.

उद्देशतः संस्मृतमात्रमेत- न्मया भद्रे कथितं ते पुराणम् । समुद्रतोयात् परिमाणसृष्टिः क्वचित् क्वचिद् वृत्तमथो ह्यनर्ध्यम् ।। १२.

O blessed one, I have told you this Purāṇa only in summary, as remembered; the creation of the oceans' waters, and what occurred here and there, is immeasurable.

स्वयम्भुवा कथितं ब्रह्मणाऽपि नारायणेनापि कुतो भवेऽन्यः । अशक्यमस्माभिरितीरितं ते तन्मूर्त्तित्वात् स्मरणेनेदमाद्यम् ।। १२.

Even Brahmā, self-born, and Nārāyaṇa have recounted this; who else could do so? It is impossible for us—thus it has been said to you—because of the vastness of that form, only a remembrance of the beginning is possible.

समुद्रे बालुकासंख्या विद्यते रजसः क्षितौ । न तु सृष्टेः पुनः संख्या क्रीडतः परमेष्ठिनः ।। १२.

On earth, the grains of sand in the ocean are countless; but the acts of creation performed by the Supreme Lord cannot be numbered.

एष नारायणस्यांशो मया प्रोक्तः शुचिस्मिते । कृते वृत्तान्त एषश्च किमन्यच्छ्रोतुमिच्छसि ।। १२.

This portion concerning Nārāyaṇa has been told by me, O fair-smiling one; this is the account as it happened in the Krita age—what else do you wish to hear?

धरण्युवाच । एतत् तन्महदाश्चर्यं दृष्ट्वा गौरमुखो मुनिः । ते चापि मणिजाः प्राप्ताः किं फलं तु वरं गुरोः ।। १३.

Earth said: Having seen that great and wondrous event, what fruit or boon did the sage Gauramukha and those jewel-bearing ones obtain from the teacher?

कोऽसौ गौरमुखः श्रीमान् मुनिः परमधार्म्मिकः । किं चकार हरेः कर्म्म दृष्ट्वाऽसौ मुनिपुंगवः ।। १३.

Who is that illustrious sage Gauramukha, supremely righteous? What did that foremost of sages do upon witnessing Hari's deed?

श्रीवराह उवाच । निमिषेण कृतं कर्म दृष्ट्वा भगवतो मुनिः । आरिराधयिषुर्देवं तमेव प्रययौ वनम् । प्रभासं नाम सोमस्य तीर्थं परमदुर्लभम् ।। १३.

Śrī Varāha said: Having seen the act performed by the Lord in a moment, the sage, desiring to worship the god, went to the forest called Prabhāsa, the most difficult-to-attain holy place of Soma.

तत्र दैत्यान्तकृद् देवः प्रोच्यते तीर्थचिन्तकैः । आराधयामास हरिं दैत्यसूदनसंज्ञितम् ।। १३.

There, the god who destroys demons is praised by those who contemplate holy places; he worshipped Hari, known as the slayer of demons.

तस्याराधयतो देवं हरिं नारायणं प्रभुम् । आजगाम महायोगी मार्कण्डेयो महामुनिः ।। १३.

As he was worshipping the god Hari, Nārāyaṇa, the Lord, the great yogi and sage Mārkaṇḍeya arrived.

तं दृष्ट्वाऽभ्यागतं दूरादर्घपाद्येन सो मुनिः । अर्चयामास तं भक्त्या मुदा परमया युतः ।। १३.

Seeing him approach from afar, the sage joyfully worshipped him with offerings of water for washing the feet, filled with supreme devotion.

कौश्यां वृष्यां तदासीनं पप्रच्छेदं मुनिस्तदा । शाधिं मां मुनिशार्दूल किं करोमि महाव्रत ।। १३.

Then, as he sat in the cow-shed, the sage asked him: 'Instruct me, O best of sages, what should I do, O great vow-holder?'

एवमुक्तः स विप्रेन्द्रो मार्कण्डेयो महातपाः । उवाच श्लक्ष्णया वाचा मुनिं गौरमुखं तदा ।। १३.

Thus addressed, the illustrious sage Mārkaṇḍeya, endowed with great austerity, spoke gently to the sage Gauramukha at that time.

मार्कण्डेय उवाच । एतदेव महत्कृत्यं यत्सतां संगमो भवेत् । यत्तु सान्देहिकं कार्यं तत्पृच्छस्व महामुने ।। १३.

Mārkaṇḍeya said: 'This alone is the great duty—that there should be association with the virtuous. But if there is any action about which you have doubt, ask about that, O great sage.'

गौरमुख उवाच । एते हि पितरो नाम प्रोच्यन्ते वेदवादिभिः । सर्ववर्णषु सामान्या उताहोस्वित् पृथक् पृथक् ।। १३.

Gauramukha said: 'These are called the Pitṛs, according to the Vedic authorities. Are they common to all castes, or are they distinct and separate?'

मार्कण्डेयः । सर्वेषामेव देवानामाद्यो नारायणो गुरुः । तस्माद् ब्रह्मा समुत्पन्नः सोऽपि सप्तासृजन्मुनीन् ।। १३.

Mārkaṇḍeya: 'Among all the gods, Nārāyaṇa is the original teacher; from him, Brahmā was born, and he too created the seven sages.'

मां यजस्वेति तेनोक्तास्तदा ते परमेष्ठिना । आत्मनात्मानमेवाग्रे अयजन्त इति श्रुतिः ।। १३.

'Worship me'—so he was told by the supreme lord; at first, they worshipped themselves with their own selves—so declares the scripture.

तेषां वै ब्रह्मजातानां महावैकारिकर्मणाम् । अशपद् व्यभिचारो हि महानेष कृतो यतः । प्रभ्रष्टज्ञानिनः सर्वे भविष्यथ न संशयः ।। १३.

Among those born from Brahmā, engaged in great creative acts, a great transgression was committed, so a curse was pronounced: 'You will all become devoid of knowledge—there is no doubt.'

एवं शप्तास्ततस्ते वै ब्रह्मणात्मसमुद्भवाः । सद्यो वंशकरान् पुत्रानुत्पाद्य त्रिदिवं ययुः ।। १३.

Thus cursed, those born from Brahmā's own self, after producing sons who would continue their lineage, immediately went to heaven.