Varaha Purana

तस्य दुःखेन संयुक्तो विप्रोऽसौ वाक्यमब्रवीत् मित्रत्वे वर्त्तसे रक्षस्तव दास्यामि किं वद

Afflicted by his suffering, the Brahmin spoke: 'You behave as a friend, O demon; tell me, what shall I give you?'

आत्मना चोपकारेण प्रियं किं करवाणि ते ददासि यदि तद्विप्र यन्मे मनसि वर्त्तते

'By my own help, what dear thing shall I do for you? If you give, O Brahmin, that which is in my mind—'

मथुरायां च यत्स्नातं कृतं विश्रान्तिसंज्ञके

'And what was done at Viśrānti, after bathing at Mathurā—'

तेन दुःखेन संयुक्तो विप्रो वाक्यमथाब्रवीत् कथं जानासि रक्षस्त्वं तीर्थं विश्रान्तिसंज्ञकम्

Afflicted by that sorrow, the Brahmin then spoke: 'How do you know, O demon, of the holy place called Viśrānti?'

कथं च संज्ञा तस्याभूत्कथय त्वं हि राक्षस पुरी उज्जयिनी नाम्ना तस्यां वासो हि मे सदा

'And how did it get that name? Tell me, O demon. The city named Ujjayinī—there I always dwelt.'

कस्मिंश्चिदथ कालेन गतोऽहं विष्णुमन्दिरम्

'At some time, I went to the temple of Viṣṇu.'

विश्रान्तितीर्थमाहात्म्यं श्रावयन्स दिनेदिने

'Day by day, I would proclaim the greatness of the Viśrānti holy place.'

सा संज्ञा च श्रुता तत्र विश्रान्तेश्च मयाऽनघ

There, O faultless one, that place is known as Viśrānti, and I have heard its name.

विश्रामं कुरुते तत्र तेन विश्रान्तिसंज्ञिता

One rests there, and thus it is called Viśrānti, the place of rest.

एकस्नानस्य हि फलं तव दत्तं च राक्षस 167.

The fruit of a single bath has been given to you, O Rākṣasa.

इति श्रीवराहपुराणे मथुरामाहात्म्ये विश्रान्तिमाहात्म्यं नाम सप्तषष्ट्यधिकशततमोऽध्यायः

Thus ends the one hundred sixty-seventh chapter, named 'The Greatness of Viśrānti,' in the Mathurā Māhātmya of the glorious Varāha Purāṇa.

धरण्युवाच तेन दृष्टेन यत्पुण्यं कथयस्वाखिलं प्रभो

The Earth spoke: Tell me, O Lord, all the merit gained by seeing that place.

श्रीवराह उवाच तस्य दर्शनमात्रेण मथुरायां फलं भवेत्

Śrī Varāha said: By merely seeing it, one attains the fruit of Mathurā.

पुरा वर्षसहस्रं तु तपस्तप्तं सुदारुणम्

Long ago, a thousand years of severe austerity were performed.

वरं वरय भद्रं ते यस्ते मनसि वर्त्तते सर्वगस्त्वं हि देवेश मया ज्ञातं सुनिश्चितम्

Choose a boon, auspicious one, whatever abides in your mind; you are omnipresent, O Lord of the gods, I have certainly known this.

मथुरायां च मे स्थानं सदा देव प्रदीयताम्

May my abode always be granted to me in Mathurā, O Lord.

मथुरायां च देव त्वं क्षेत्रपालो भविष्यसि

O Lord, you will be the guardian of the field in Mathurā.

अन्यथा नाप्नुयात् सिद्धिमेवमेतन्न संशयः

Otherwise, one would not attain perfection; thus it is, there is no doubt.

भजते मनुजः सिद्धिमात्मभावेन तादृशीम्

A man attains perfection of such a kind by devotion in his own nature.

विंशतिर्योजनानां हि माथुरं मम मण्डलम् 168.

My Māthura region extends for twenty yojanas.

न मया कथितं देवि ब्रह्मणश्च महात्मनः

I have not spoken of this, O goddess, even to the great-souled Brahmā.

मया सुगोपितं पूर्वं गुह्याद्गुह्यतरं परम्

I have kept it well hidden before, more secret than the most secret, supreme.

तस्यां तिष्ठन्ति तीर्थानि तानि वक्ष्यामि तच्छृणु

In that region are the tīrthas; I will tell you of them, listen to this.

तीर्थसंख्या च वसुधे मथुरायां मयोदिता

O Vasudhā, I have declared to you the number of tīrthas in Mathurā.

प्रस्कन्दनं च भाण्डीरं कुरुक्षेत्रसमानि षट्

Praskandana and Bhāṇḍīra, and six equal to Kurukṣetra.

असिकुण्डं सवैकुण्ठं कोटितीर्थोत्तमं स्मृतम्

Asikuṇḍa, along with Vaikuṇṭha, is remembered as the most excellent among the ten million sacred fords.

चक्रतीर्थं तथाक्रूरं द्वादशादित्यसंज्ञितम्

Cakra Tīrtha, as well as Ākrūra, and the place known as Dvādaśāditya.

कुरुक्षेत्राच्छतगुणं मथुरायां न संशयः

There is no doubt that in Mathurā, the merit is a hundred times greater than at Kurukṣetra.

मथुरायास्तु माहात्म्यं ते यान्ति परमं पदम्

Those who attain the greatness of Mathurā reach the supreme state.