Varaha Purana

कश्चिदासीत्पुरा राजनृषिः परमधार्मिकः

Once, O King, there was a sage of supreme righteousness.

तस्य पुत्रो महातेजा योगमास्थाय बुद्धिमान्

His son, endowed with great brilliance, wise and established in yoga,

तेन रुष्टेन शप्तोऽभूत्पुत्रः परमधार्मिकः

When angered by him, the supremely righteous son was cursed.

तथेत्युक्त्वा महातेजाः पुत्रः परमधार्मिकः

Having said so, the son of great brilliance, supremely righteous, agreed.

क्षणेनान्तर्हितो जातः पितरं प्रत्युवाच ह

In a moment, he vanished and then spoke to his father.

मा भूद्वाक्यं च ते मिथ्या धार्मिकस्य कदाचन

Let your words never be false, for one who is righteous.

इह चैव पुनस्तावदागमिष्ये न संशयः

Here, again, I will certainly return—there is no doubt.

मिथ्याभिशंसिनं तात यथेष्टं तारयिष्यति 193.

Father, he will rescue the one who falsely invokes, as he wishes.

अप्रवृत्तस्त्वसम्भाष्यो योऽहं मिथ्या प्रयुक्तवान्

But I, who have spoken falsely, am unfit to act or to be addressed.

अहं पुत्र न सद्वादी न क्षमे धर्मदूषितम्

Son, I am not a speaker of truth, nor do I tolerate the violation of dharma.

धर्मज्ञश्च यशस्वी च नित्यं क्षान्तो जितेन्द्रियः

He who knows dharma, is renowned, always patient, and has mastered his senses.

याचितस्त्वं मया पुत्र गन्तुं वै तत्र नार्हसि

You have been entreated by me, son, not to go there—you should not.

यदि वैवस्वतो राजा तत्र प्राप्तं यदृच्छया

If King Vaivasvata happens to arrive there by chance,

विनश्येयमहं पश्य कुलसेतुविनाशनः

I will perish—see, the destruction of the family bridge.

नरकस्य पुदित्याख्या दुःखेन नरकं विदुः

The place called 'pudita' of hell—people know it as hell by its suffering.

अपुत्रस्य हि तत्सर्वं मोघं भवति निश्चयः

For one without a son, all of that becomes futile, certainly.

शुश्रूषावान्भवेच्छूद्रो वैश्यो वा कृषिजीवनः

A Shudra who serves, or a Vaishya who lives by farming,

तपो वा विपुलं तप्त्वा दत्त्वा दानमनुत्तमम् 193.

Or one who performs great austerity, or gives unsurpassed charity,

पुत्रेण लभते जन्म पौत्रेण तु पितामहः

Birth is attained through a son, and the grandfather through a grandson.

न हास्यामीति वत्स त्वां मम वंशविवर्द्धनम्

I will not abandon you, child, who increases my lineage.

वैशम्पायन उवाच हृष्टपुष्ट वपुर्भूत्वा पुत्रः परमधार्मिकः

Vaiśampāyana said: The son, supremely righteous, became joyful and robust in form.

पुत्र उवाच दृष्ट्वा च तमहं देवं सर्वलोकनमस्कृतम्

The son said: Having seen that god, who is revered by all the worlds—

आगच्छामि पुनश्चात्र न भयं मेऽस्ति मृत्युतः

I come here again, and I have no fear of death.

सत्ये तिष्ठ महाभाग सत्यं च परिपालय

Abide in truth, O greatly fortunate one, and uphold the truth.

सूर्यस्तपति सत्येन वातः सत्येन वाति च

The sun shines by truth, and the wind blows by truth.

उदधिर्ल्लङ्घयेन्नैव मर्यादां सत्यपालितः

The ocean does not cross its boundary, preserved by truth.

सत्येन यज्ञा वर्त्तन्ते मन्त्रपूताः सुपूजिताः

By truth, sacrifices proceed, purified by mantras and duly honored.

सत्यं गाति तथा साम सर्वं सत्ये प्रतिष्ठितम् 193.

Truth is the foundation of the Gāyatrī and the Sāma; everything is established in truth.

सत्येन सर्वं लभते यथा तात मया श्रुतम्

By truth, everything is obtained, as I have heard, dear father.