Varaha Purana

चकार यज्ञान् विविधान् सहस्त्रानपि स प्रभुः । क्रियमाणैस्ततो यज्ञैर्ववृधेन्द्रस्य तद् बलम् ।। १६.

That lord performed thousands of various sacrifices; through those ongoing sacrifices, Indra’s strength increased.

वर्द्धितेन बलेनेन्द्रो देवसैन्यमुवाच ह । सन्नह्यन्तां सुराः शीघ्रं दैत्यानां वधकर्मणि ।। १६.

With his strength thus augmented, Indra addressed the army of gods: ‘Let the gods quickly arm themselves for the task of slaying the demons.’

एवमुक्तास्ततो देवाः सन्नद्धास्तत्क्षणेऽभवन् । असुराणामभावाय जग्मुर्देवाः सवासवाः ।। १६.

Thus instructed, the gods immediately armed themselves; together with Indra, they went forth to destroy the demons.

गत्वा तु युयुधुस्तूर्णं विजिग्युस्त्वासुरीं चमूम् । जिताश्च देवैरसुरा हतशेषा धराधरे । ममज्जुः सागरजले भयत्रस्ता विचेतसः ।। १६.

They went forth and fought swiftly, and conquered the army of the asuras; the asuras were defeated by the gods, and those who survived, terrified and bewildered, plunged into the ocean's waters.

देवराजोऽपि त्रिदिवं लोकपालैः समं धरे । आरुह्य बुभुजे प्राग्वत् स देवो देवराट् प्रभुः ।। १६.

Then the king of the gods, together with the guardians of the worlds, ascended to heaven and, as before, that divine lord Indra enjoyed his sovereignty.

य एनं श्रृणुयान्नित्यं सरमाख्यानमुत्तमम् । स गोमेधस्य यज्ञस्य फलं प्राप्नोति मानवः ।। १६.

Whoever listens daily to this excellent account in its entirety attains, O mortal, the fruit of the Gomedha sacrifice.

भ्रष्टराज्यश्च यो राजा श्रृणोतीदं समाहितः । स देवेन्द्र इव स्वर्गं राज्यं स्वं लभते नरः ।। १६.

And any king who has lost his kingdom, if he listens to this with focused mind, regains his own realm like Indra regaining heaven.

धरण्युवाच । ये ते मणौ तदा देव उत्पन्ना नरपुंगवाः । तेषां वरो भगवता दत्तस्त्रेतायुगे किल ।। १७.

The Earth said: O god, those noble men who were born at that time among the jewels—what boon did the Blessed One grant them in the Treta Yuga?

राजानो भवितारो वै कथं तेषां समुद्भवः । किं च चक्रुर्हि ते कर्म पृथङ् नामानि शंस मे ।। १७.

Who will those kings be, and how will they arise? What deeds did they perform? Tell me their separate names.

श्रीवराह उवाच । सुप्रभो मणिजो यस्तु राजा नाम्ना महामनाः । तस्योत्पत्तिं वरारोहे श्रृणु त्वं भूतधारिणि ।। १७.

Śrī Varāha said: O Upholder of Beings, listen as I recount to you the origin of Suprabha, the jewel-born king of great mind.

आसीद् राजा महाबाहुरादौ कृतयुगे पुरा । श्रुतकीर्तिरिति ख्यातस्त्रैलोक्ये बलवत्तरः ।। १७.

In the beginning, in the Krita Yuga, there was a mighty-armed king named Śrutakīrti, renowned throughout the three worlds for his strength.

तस्य पुत्रत्वमापेदे सुप्रभो मणिजो धरे । प्रजापालेति वै नाम्ना श्रुतकीर्तिर्महाबलः ।। १७.

O Earth, Suprabha, the jewel-born, became his son; that powerful Śrutakīrti was known as Prajāpāla.

सैकस्मिंश्चिद् दिने प्रायाद् विपिनं श्वापदाकुम् । तत्रापश्यदृषेर्धन्यं महदाश्रममण्डलम् ।। १७.

One day, he went into the forest to hunt wild beasts, and there he saw the blessed hermitage of a sage.

तस्मिन् महातपा नाम ऋषिः परधार्मिकः । तपस्तेपे निराहारो जपन् ब्रह्म सनातनम् ।। १७.

In that place was a sage named Mahātapas, devoted to a higher dharma, who practiced severe austerities, fasting and reciting the eternal Brahman.

तत्रासौ पार्थिवः श्रीमान् प्रवेशाय मतिं तदा । चकार चाविशद् राजा प्रजापालो महातपाः ।। १७.

There, the illustrious king Prajāpāla, intent on entering, made up his mind and entered the hermitage of the great ascetic.

तस्मिन् वराश्रमपदे वनवृक्षजात्या धराप्रसूतोर्जितमार्गजुष्टाः । लतागृहा इन्दुरविप्रकाशिनो नायासितज्ञाः कुलभृङ्गराजाः ।। १७.

In that excellent hermitage, with trees of many kinds born of the earth, the paths were well-trodden, creeper-houses shone with moonlight, and the bees, lords of their hives, moved about without effort.

सुरक्तपद्मोदरकोमलाग्र- नखाङ्गुलीभिः प्रसृतैः सुराणाम् । वराङ्गनाभिः पदपङ्क्तिमुच्चै- विंहाय भूमिं त्वपि वृत्रशत्रोः ।। १७.

With their tender, reddish lotus-like fingers and nails, the divine maidens, leaving the ground, walked in rows beneath the trees, surpassing even the beauty of Indra's slayer of Vṛtra.

क्वचित् समीपे तमतीव हृष्टै- र्नानाद्विजैः षट्चृरणैश्च मत्तैः । वासद्भिरुच्चैर्विविधप्रमाणाः शाखाः सुपुष्पाः समयोगयुक्ताः ।। १७.

Nearby, many kinds of delighted birds and intoxicated six-legged creatures dwelled, and the branches, richly flowered and of various sizes, were joined together.

कदम्बनीपार्ज्जुनशीलशाल- लतागृहस्थैर्मधुरस्वरेण । जुष्टं विहङ्गैः सुजनप्रयोगा निराकुला कार्यधृतिर्यथास्थैः ।। १७.

The grove-houses of kadamba, nīpa, arjuna, and śāla trees were filled with sweet-voiced birds, well-disposed to good people, undisturbed, and steadfast in their duties.

मखाग्निधूमैरुदिताग्निहोमै- स्ततः समन्तात् गृहमेधिभिर्द्विजैः । सिंहैरिवाधर्म्मकरी विदारितः स तीक्ष्णदंष्ट्रैर्वरमत्तकेसरैः ।। १७.

There, the smoke of sacrificial fires rose from all sides, tended by householders and twice-born sages; like a lion tearing apart a lawless elephant, so too the best among them, with sharp fangs and splendid manes.

एवं स राजा विविधानुपायान् वराश्रमे प्रेक्षमाणो विवेश । तस्मिद् प्रविष्टे तु स तीव्रतेजा महातपाः पुण्यकृतां प्रधानः । दृष्टो यथा भानुरनन्तभानुः कौश्यासने ब्रह्मविदां प्रधानः ।। १७.

Thus, as the king observed the various features of the excellent hermitage, he entered; and when he had entered, he saw the great ascetic, blazing with intense energy, chief among the virtuous, seated on a silken seat, radiant like the sun, foremost among knowers of Brahman.

दृष्ट्वा स राजा विजयी मृगाणां मतिं विसस्मार मुनेः प्रसङ्गात् । चकार धर्मं प्रति मानसं सो अनुत्तमं प्राप्य नृपो मुनिं सः ।। १७.

Seeing the victorious king among the deer, his mind, due to the sage's presence, forgot its intent; yet, having attained the sage, the king directed his mind toward righteousness.

स मुनिस्तं नृपं दृष्ट्वा प्रजापालमकल्मषम् । अभ्यागतक्रियां चक्रे आसनस्वागतादिभिः ।। १७.

That sage, seeing the sinless protector of the people, performed the rites of welcome for the king, including offering a seat and hospitality.

ततः कृतासनो राजा प्रणम्य ऋषिपुङ्गवम् । पप्रच्छ वसुधे प्रश्नमिमं परमदुर्लभम् ।। १७.

Then, after being seated, the king bowed to the eminent sage and asked him this most difficult question concerning the earth.

भगवन् दुःखसंसारमग्नैः पुम्भिस्तितीर्षुभिः । यत्कार्यं तन्ममाचक्ष्व प्रणते शंसितव्रत ।। १७.

O venerable one, you whose vows are renowned, please tell me, who have come to you in reverence, what should be done by those who, afflicted by the suffering of worldly existence, wish to cross over it.

महातपा उवाच । संसारार्णवमज्जमानमनुजैः पोतः स्थिरोऽतिध्रुवः कार्यः पूजनदानहोमविविधैर्यज्ञैः समं ध्यायनैः । कीलैः कीलितमोक्षभिः सुरभटैरूर्ध्वं महारज्जुभिः प्राणाद्यैरधुना कुरुष्व नृपते पोतं त्रिलोकेश्वरम् ।। १७.

The great ascetic said: For those sinking in the ocean of worldly existence, a steadfast and reliable boat must be fashioned through worship, charity, offerings, various sacrifices, and meditation; fasten it with the pegs of liberation, tie it with great cords of breath and life-force—O king, now make the Lord of the three worlds your boat.

नारायणं नरकहरं सुरेशं भक्त्या नमस्कुर्वति यो नृपेश । स वीतशोकः परमं विशोकं प्राप्नोति विष्णोः पदमव्ययं तत् ।। १७.

O lord of kings, whoever worships with devotion and bows to Nārāyaṇa, the destroyer of hell and lord of the gods, becomes free from sorrow and attains that supreme, sorrowless, imperishable abode of Viṣṇu.

नृप उवाच । भगवन् सर्वधर्मज्ञ कथं विष्णुः सनातनः । पूज्यते मोक्षमिच्छद्भिः पुरुषैर्वद तत्त्वतः ।। १७.

The king said: O venerable one, knower of all dharma, how is the eternal Viṣṇu to be worshipped by those who desire liberation? Please tell me truly.

महातपा उवाच । श्रृणु राजन् महाप्राज्ञ यथा विष्णुः प्रसीदति । पुरुषाणां तथा स्त्रीणां सर्वयोगीश्वरो हरिः ।। १७.

The great ascetic said: Listen, O wise king, to how Viṣṇu is pleased—so too Hari, the lord of all yogis, for both men and women.