Varaha Purana

ब्रह्मोवाच । देवानामथ यक्षाणां गन्धर्वाणां च सत्तम । आदौ प्रतिपदा येन त्वमुत्पन्नोऽसि पावक ।। १९.

Brahmā said: Among the gods, yakṣas, and gandharvas, O excellent one, you, O Pāvaka, were first born on the Pratipadā, the first lunar day.

त्वत्पदात् प्रतिपदं चान्या संभविष्यन्ति देवताः । अतस्ते प्रतिपन्नाम तिथिरेषा भविष्यति ।। १९.

From your feet, at each step, other deities will arise; therefore, this day will henceforth be known as Pratipada.

तस्यां तिथौ हविष्येण प्राजापत्येन मूर्तिना । होष्यन्ति तेषां प्रीताः स्युः पितरः सर्वदेवताः ।। १९.

On this day, with offerings of havis in the prājāpatya form, the ancestors and all the gods, pleased, will be worshipped.

चतुर्विधानि भूतानि मनुष्याः पशवोऽसुराः । देवाः सर्वे सगन्धर्वाः प्रीताः स्युस्तर्पिते त्वयि ।। १९.

The four kinds of beings—humans, animals, asuras, and all the gods with the gandharvas—are satisfied when you are honored.

यश्चोपवासं कुर्वीत त्वद्भक्तः प्रतिपद्दिने । क्षीराशनो वा वर्त्तेत श्रृणु तस्य फलं महत् ।। १९.

Whoever, devoted to you, observes a fast on Pratipada, or subsists on milk, hear now the great result that comes to him.

चतुर्युगानि षट्त्रिंशत् स्वर्लोकेऽसौ महीयते । तेजस्वी रूपसंपन्नो द्रव्यवान् जायते नरः ।। १९.

For thirty-six yugas he is honored in heaven; radiant, handsome, and wealthy is the man born thus.

इह जन्मन्यसौ राजा प्रेत्य स्वर्गे महीयते । तूष्णीं बभूव सोप्यग्निर्ब्रह्मदत्ताश्रयं ययौ ।। १९.

In this very life he becomes a king, and after death he is honored in heaven; thus, Agni, remaining silent, attained the abode granted by Brahma.

य इदं श्रृणुयान्नित्यं प्रातरुत्थाय मानवः । अग्नेर्जन्म स पापेभ्यो मुच्यते नात्र संशयः ।। १९.

Whoever, rising early each morning, listens daily to this account of Agni's birth, is freed from sins—of this there is no doubt.

प्रजापाल उवाच । एवमग्नेः समुत्पत्तिर्जाता ब्रह्मन् महात्मनः । प्राणापानौ कथं देवावश्विनौ संबभूवतुः ।। २०.

Prajāpāla said: Thus, O Brahman, the birth of the great-souled Agni has been described. How did the two gods, the Aśvins, arise as the breaths of life?

मरीचिर्ब्रह्मणः पुत्रः स्वयं ब्रह्मा द्विसप्तभिः । रूपैर्व्यवस्थितस्तेषां मरीचिः श्रेष्ठतामगात् ।। २०.

Marīci, son of Brahmā, and Brahmā himself, took form in fourteen ways; among them, Marīci attained the highest rank.

तस्य पुत्रो महातेजाः कश्यपो नाम वै मुनिः । स्वयं प्रजापतिः श्रीमान् देवतानां पिताऽभवत् ।। २०.

His son was the great sage Kaśyapa, radiant and illustrious, himself a progenitor, who became the father of the gods.

तस्य पुत्रा बभूवुर्हि आदित्या द्वादश प्रभो । अदित्यपत्यानि ते सर्वे आदित्यास्तेन कीर्तिताः ।। २०.

His sons were the twelve Ādityas, O lord; all these, born of Aditi, are thus called Ādityas.

तेषां मध्ये महातेजा मार्त्तण्डो लोकविश्रुतः । नारायणात्मकं तेजो द्वादशं संप्रकीर्तितम् ।। २०.

Among them, the illustrious Mārttaṇḍa is renowned in the worlds; the twelfth, possessing the essence of Nārāyaṇa, is proclaimed.

ये ते मासास्त आदित्याः स्वयं संवत्सरो हरिः । एवं ते द्वादशादित्या मार्त्तण्डश्च प्रधानवान् ।। २०.

These Ādityas are the months themselves, and the year is Hari; thus, these twelve Ādityas, with Mārttaṇḍa as chief, are established.

तस्य त्वष्टा ददौ कन्यां संज्ञां नाम महाप्रभाम् । तस्यापत्यद्वयं जज्ञे यमश्च यमुना तथा ।। २०.

To him, Tvaṣṭṛ gave his radiant daughter named Saṃjñā; from her were born two children, Yama and also Yamunā.

तस्य तेजोऽप्यसहती बभूवाश्वी मनोजवा । स्वां छायां तत्र संस्थाप्य सा जगमोत्तरान् कुरून् ।। २०.

Unable to endure his brilliance, she, swift as the mind, left her own shadow there and went to the northern Kurus.

तद्रूपां तां सवर्णां तु भेजे मार्त्तण्डभास्करः । तस्या अपि द्वयं जज्ञे शनिं तपतिमेव च ।। २०.

The Sun, Mārttaṇḍa, took that shadow, identical in form, as his wife; from her too were born two children—Śani and Tapatī.

यदा त्वसदृशं भेजे पुत्रान् प्रति नरोत्तम । संज्ञां प्रोवाच भगवान् क्रोधसंरक्तलोचनः । असमत्वं न कर्त्तव्यं स्वेष्वपत्येषु भामिनि ।। २०.

But when, regarding the sons, she behaved unequally, the blessed one, his eyes reddened with anger, spoke to Saṃjñā: 'Partiality must not be shown among your own children, O beautiful one.'

एवमुक्ता यदा सा तु असमत्वं व्यरोचत । तदा यमः स्वपितरं प्रोवाच भृशदुःखितः ।। २०.

When thus addressed, and partiality no longer pleased her, Yama, deeply distressed, spoke to his father.

नेयं माता भवेत् तात अस्माकं शत्रुवत् सदा । सपत्नीव वृथाचारा स्वेस्वपत्येषु वत्सला ।। २०.

This woman is not our mother, father; she is always like an enemy to us—like a co-wife, behaving falsely, yet affectionate to her own children.

एवं यमवचः श्रुत्वा सा छाया क्रोधमूर्च्छिता । शशाप प्रेतराजस्त्वं भविष्यस्यचिरादिव ।। २०.

Hearing these words of Yama, Chāyā, overcome with anger, cursed him: 'You shall become the lord of the dead, as if without delay.'

एवं श्रुत्वाऽथ मार्त्तण्डस्तदा पुत्रहितैषया । उवाच मध्यवर्ती त्वं भविता धर्मपापयोः । लोकपालश्च भविता त्वं पुत्र दिवि शोभसे ।। २०.

Then, having heard this, Mārttaṇḍa, desiring the welfare of his son, spoke: 'You shall become the mediator between righteousness and sin, and you shall be a guardian of the worlds, my son, shining in heaven.'

शनिं शशाप मार्त्तण्डश्छायाकोपप्रधर्षितः । त्वं क्रूरदृष्टिर्भविता मातृदोषेण पुत्रक ।। २०.

Mārttaṇḍa, agitated by Chāyā’s anger, cursed Śani: 'You shall have a cruel gaze, my son, because of your mother’s fault.'

एवमुक्त्वा समुत्थाय योगं भानुर्दिदृक्षया । तामपश्यत्त्वसौ साश्वी उत्तरेषु कुरुष्वथ ।। २०.

Having spoken thus, Bhānu rose up, intent on seeing her through yogic vision; but he did not see her, for she, in the form of a mare, was in the northern Kurus.

ततोऽश्वरूपं कृत्वा स गत्वा तत्रोत्तरान् कुरून् । प्राजापत्येन मार्गेण युयोजात्मानमात्मना ।। २०.

Then, taking the form of a horse, he went to the northern Kurus; by the path of the progenitors, he united himself with her.

तस्यां त्वाष्ट्र्यामश्वरूप्यां मार्त्तण्डस्तीव्रतेजसः । बीजं निर्वापयामास तज्ज्वलन्तं द्विधाऽपतत् ।। २०.

In that mare-form, belonging to Tvaṣṭṛ, Mārttaṇḍa of intense radiance discharged his seed; that blazing seed fell in two parts.

तत्र प्राणस्त्वपानश्च योनौ चात्मजितौ पुरा । वरदानेन च पुनर्मूर्त्तिमन्तौ बभूवतुः ।। २०.

There, the vital breath and the downward breath, formerly victorious over themselves, by the boon given, again became embodied.

तौ त्वाष्ट्र्यामश्वरूपिण्यां जातौ येन नरोत्तमौ । ततस्तावश्विनौ देवौ कीर्त्त्येते रविनन्दनौ ।। २०.

Those two, born from the mare-form of Tvaṣṭṛ, became the best of men; therefore, those two gods are renowned as the Aśvins, sons of the Sun.

प्रजापतिः स्वयं भानुस्त्वाष्ट्री शक्तिः परापरा । तस्याः प्राग्वच्छरीरस्थावमूर्त्तौ मूर्तिमाश्रितौ ।। २०.

The Sun himself is the progenitor, Tvaṣṭrī is the supreme power, both manifest and unmanifest; in her body, as before, the formless ones took form.