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.
ततस्तेषु प्रयातेषु त्रिदिवं ब्रह्मवादिषु । तत्पुत्राः श्राद्धदानेन तर्पयामासुरञ्जसा ।। १३.
When those Brahmavādins had gone to heaven, their sons quickly satisfied them with offerings made during the śrāddha rites.
ते च वैमानिकाः सर्वे ब्रह्मणः सप्त मानसाः । तत् पिण्डदानं मन्त्रोक्तं प्रपश्यन्तो व्यवस्थिताः ।। १३.
All those celestial beings—the seven mind-born sons of Brahmā—remain, observing the prescribed piṇḍa offerings as declared in the mantras.
गौरमुख उवाच । ये च ते पितरो ब्रह्मन् यं च कालं समासते । किं यतो वै पितृगणास्तस्मिंल्लोके व्यवस्थिताः ।। १३.
Gauramukha said: 'Who are those Pitṛs, O Brāhmaṇa, and for what period do they remain? Why are the groups of ancestors established in that world?'
मार्कण्डेय उवाच । प्रवर्त्तन्ते वराः केचिद् देवानां सोमवर्द्धनाः । ते मरीच्यादयः सप्त स्वर्गे ते पितरः स्मृताः ।। १३.
Mārkaṇḍeya said: 'Some excellent ones, who increase the strength of the gods and Soma, are active; they are the seven, beginning with Marīci, and are remembered as the Pitṛs in heaven.'
चत्वारो मूर्त्तिमन्तो वै त्रयस्त्वन्ये ह्यमूर्त्तयः । तेषां लोकनिसर्गं च कीर्त्तयिष्यामि तच्छृणु ।। १३.
Four of them possess form, while the other three are formless; I shall describe to you the creation of their worlds—listen to this.
प्रभावं च महर्धि च विस्तरेण निबोध मे । धर्ममूर्तिधरास्तेषां त्रयोऽन्ये परमा गणाः । तेषां नामानि लोकांश्च कीर्तयिष्यामि तच्छृणु ।। १३.
Hear from me in detail their power and great majesty; three of them bear the form of Dharma, and the others are supreme groups. I shall declare their names and their worlds—listen to this.
लोकाः संतानका नाम यत्र तिष्ठन्ति भास्वराः । अमूर्त्तयः पितृगणास्ते वै पुत्राः प्रजापतेः ।। १३.
The worlds called Saṃtānakas are where the radiant, formless groups of Pitṛs reside—these are the sons of the Lord of creatures.
विराजस्य प्रजाश्रेष्ठा वैराजा इति ते स्मृताः १३.
The best of the progeny of Virāṭ are known as the Vairājas.
एते वै लोकविभ्रष्टा लोकान् प्राप्य सनातनान् । पुनर्युगशतान्तेषु जायन्ते ब्रह्मवादिनः ।। १३.
These, having fallen from their worlds, attain the eternal worlds again, and at the end of hundreds of ages, they are born once more as knowers of Brahman.
ते प्राप्य तां स्मृतिं भूयः साध्य योगमनुत्तमम् । चिन्त्य योगगतिं शुद्धां पुनरावृत्तिदुर्लभाम् ।। १३.
Regaining that memory, they again attain the highest, flawless path of yoga, contemplating the pure course of yoga, which is difficult to return from.