Varaha Purana

तया विनापि तत्क्षेत्रं वागूनं व्यवतिष्ठत । ततो गणपतिर्वाक्यमाकाशाख्योऽब्रवीत् तदा ।। १७.

Even without her, that field remained governed by the speech-deities. Then Ganapati, called Akasha, spoke at that time.

न मया रहितं किञ्चिच्छरीरं स्थायि दूरतः । कालान्तरेत्येवमुक्त्वा सोऽपि निष्क्रम्य देहतः ।। १७.

Nothing of the body remains distant, deprived of me. Saying this, he too departed from the body after some time.

पृथग्भूतस्तथाप्येतच्छरीरं नाप्यनीनशत् । विनाकाशाख्यतत्त्वेन तथापि न विशीर्यते ।। १७.

Though separated, still that body was not destroyed; even without the principle called Akasha, it did not disintegrate.

सुषिरैस्तु विहीनं तु दृष्ट्वा क्षेत्रं व्यवस्थितम् । शरीरधातवः सर्वे ते ब्रूयुर्वाक्यमेव हि ।। १७.

Seeing the field deprived of cavities, yet remaining, all the bodily elements spoke these words.

अस्माभिर्व्यतिरिक्तस्य न शरीरस्य धारणम् । भवतीत्येवमुक्त्वा ते जहुः सर्वे शरीरिणः ।। १७.

'There is no sustaining of a body apart from us.' Saying this, all the bodily elements departed.

तैर्व्यपेतमपि क्षेत्रं पुरुषेण प्रपाल्यते । तं दृष्ट्वा त्वब्रवीत् स्कन्दः सोऽहंकारः प्रकीर्तितः ।। १७.

Even with those gone, the field was still guarded by the Purusha. Seeing him, Skanda spoke, known as Ahamkara.

मया विना शरीरस्य संभूतिरपि नेष्यते । एवमुक्त्वा शरीरात् तु सोऽभ्यपेतः पृथक् स्थितः ।। १७.

'Without me, even the emergence of the body cannot occur.' Saying this, he too departed from the body and stood apart.

तेनाक्षतेन तत्क्षेत्रं विना मुक्तवदास्थितम् । तं दृष्ट्वा कुपितो भानुः स आदित्यः प्रकीर्तितः ।। १७.

With him gone, that field remained as if liberated. Seeing this, Bhanu became angry, known as Aditya.

मया विना कथं क्षेत्रमिमं क्षणमपीष्यते । एवमुक्त्वा प्रयातः स तच्छरीरं न शीर्यते ।। १७.

'How can this field exist even for a moment without me?' Saying this, he departed, yet the body did not decay.

ततः कामादिरुत्थाय गणो मातृविसंज्ञितः । न मया व्यतिरिक्तस्य शरीरस्य व्यवस्थितिः । एवमुक्त्वा स यातस्तु शरीरं तन्न शीर्यते ।। १७.

Then Kama and others arose, the group called Matris. 'There is no existence of the body apart from me.' Saying this, he departed, yet the body did not decay.

ततो मायाऽब्रवीत्कोपात् सा च दुर्गा प्रकीर्तिता । न मयाऽस्य विना भूतिरित्युक्त्वाऽन्तर्दधे पुनः ।। १७.

Then Maya spoke in anger, she who is called Durga: 'Without me, there is no existence for this.' Saying this, she vanished again.

ततो दिशः समुत्तस्थुरूचुश्चेदं वचो महत् । नास्माभी रहितं कार्यं भवतीति न संशयः । चतस्र आगताः काष्ठा अपयाताः क्षणात् तदा ।। १७.

Then the directions arose and spoke these great words: 'There is no function without us, certainly.' The four quarters came and departed in a moment.

ततो धनपतिर्वायुर्मय्यपेते क्व संभवः । शरीरस्येति सोप्येवमुक्त्वा मूर्धानगोऽभवत् ।। १७.

Then Dhanapati, the wind, said: 'When I depart, what existence is there for the body?' Saying this, he became absent from the head.

ततो विष्णुर्मनो ब्रूयान्नायं देहो मया विना । क्षणमप्युत्सहेत् स्थातुमित्युक्त्वाऽन्तर्दधे पुनः ।। १७.

Then Vishnu, the mind, spoke: 'This body cannot endure even for a moment without me.' Saying this, he vanished again.

ततो धर्मोऽब्रवीत् सर्वमिदं पालितवानहम् । इदानीमप्युपगते कथमेतद्भविष्यति ।। १७.

Then Dharma spoke: 'I have protected all this. Now, with my departure, how will this be?'

एवमुक्त्वा गतो धर्मस्तच्छरीरं न शीर्यते । ततोब्रवीन्महादेवः अव्यक्तो भूतनायकः ।। १७.

Saying this, Dharma departed, yet the body did not decay. Then Mahadeva spoke, the unmanifest, leader of beings.

महत्संज्ञो मया हीनं शरीरं नो भवेद् यथा । एवमुक्त्वा गतः शम्भुस्तच्छरीरं न शीर्यते ।। १७.

'A body deprived of me, called Mahat, cannot exist.' Saying this, Shambhu departed, yet the body did not decay.

तं दृष्ट्वा पितरश्चोचुस्तन्मात्रा यावदस्मभिः । प्रगतैरेभिरेतच्च शरीरं शीर्यते ध्रुवम् । एवमुक्त्वा तु ते देहं त्यक्त्वाऽन्तर्द्धानमागताः ।। १७.

Seeing him, his fathers and mothers said: 'As long as we have dwelt here, this body has gradually decayed because of us. Having spoken thus, they abandoned their bodies and disappeared.'

अग्निः प्राणो अपानश्च आकाशं सर्वधातवः । क्षेत्रं तद्वदहंकारो भानुः कामादयो मया । काष्ठा वायुर्विष्णुर्धर्म शम्भुस्तथेन्द्रियार्थकाः ।। १७.

Fire is the life-breath, apāna is the downward breath, ether and all the elements, the field (body), the sense of ego, the sun, desires and the rest are by me; wood, wind, Viṣṇu, Dharma, Śambhu, and the objects of the senses as well.

एतैर्मुक्तं तु तत्क्षेत्रं तत् तथैव व्यवस्थितम् । सोमेन पाल्यमानं तु पुरुषेणेन्दुरूपिणा ।। १७.

Released by these, that field (body) remained as it was, protected by Soma, the person in the form of the moon.

एवं व्यवस्थिते सोमे षोडशात्मन्यथाक्षरे । प्राग्वत् तत्र गुणोपेतं क्षेत्रमुत्थाय बभ्रम ।। १७.

Thus, when Soma, possessed of sixteen parts, was established in the imperishable, as before, that field, endowed with qualities, arose and wandered.

प्रागवस्थं शरीरं तु दृष्ट्वा सर्वज्ञपालितम् । ताः क्षेत्रदेवताः सर्वा वैलक्षं भावमाश्रिताः ।। १७.

Seeing the body as it was before, guarded by the all-knowing one, all those presiding deities of the body assumed a state of detachment.

तमेवं तुष्टुवुः सर्वास्तं देवं परमेश्वरम् । स्वस्थानमीयिषुः सर्वास्तदा नृपतिसत्तम ।। १७.

Then all of them praised that supreme Lord, the god, and each returned to their own place, O best of kings.

त्वमग्निस्त्वं तथा प्राणस्त्वमपानः सरस्वती । त्वमाकाशं धनाध्यक्षस्त्वं शरीरस्य धातवः ।। १७.

You are fire, you are also the life-breath, you are apāna, you are Sarasvatī; you are ether, the lord of wealth, you are the elements of the body.

अहंकारो भवान् देव त्वमादित्योऽष्टको गणः । त्वं माया पृथिवी दुर्गा त्वं दिशस्त्वं मरुत्पतिः ।। १७.

You, O god, are the sense of ego, you are the sun, the eightfold group of deities; you are Māyā, the earth, Durgā, you are the directions, you are the lord of the winds.

त्वं विष्णुस्त्वं तथा धर्मस्त्वं जिष्णुस्त्वं पराजितः । अक्षरार्थस्वरूपेण परमेश्वरसंज्ञितः ।। १७.

You are Viṣṇu, you are also Dharma, you are the victorious, you are the unconquered; in the form of the meaning of the imperishable, you are known as the Supreme Lord.

अस्माभिरपयातैस्तु कथमेतद्भविष्यति । एवमत्र शरीरं तु त्यक्तमस्माभिरेव च ।। १७.

With us departed, how will this be? Thus, this body has been abandoned by us.

तत् परं भवता देव तदवस्थं प्रपाल्यते । स्थानभङ्गो न नः कार्यः स्वयं सृष्ट्वा प्रजापते ।। १७.

O god, by you, that supreme state is protected; we should not disturb the place, since you yourself, O creator, have established it.

एवं स्तुतस्ततो देवस्तेषां तोषं परं ययौ । उवाच चैतान् क्रीडार्थं भवन्तोत्पादिता मया ।। १७.

Thus praised, the god became greatly pleased with them and said: 'For the sake of play, you have been created by me.'