Varaha Purana

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.

ततस्तावश्विनौ देवौ मार्त्तण्डमुपतस्थतुः । ऊचतुः स्वरुचिं तावत् किं कर्त्तव्यमथावयोः ।। २०.

Then those two gods, the Aśvins, approached Mārttaṇḍa and said: 'O radiant one, what should we do now?'

मार्त्तण्ड उवाच । पुत्रौ प्रजापतिं देवं भक्त्याराधयतां वरम् । नारायणं स वो दाता वरं नूनं भविष्यति ।। २०.

Mārttaṇḍa said: 'Sons, worship the god Prajāpati with devotion; Narāyaṇa will surely grant you the boon you desire.'

एवं तावश्विनौ प्रोक्तौ मार्त्तण्डेन महात्मना । तेपतुस्तीव्रतपसौ तपः परमदुश्चरम् । ब्रह्मपारमयं स्तोत्रं जपन्तौ तु समाहितौ ।। २०.

Thus instructed by the great-souled Mārttaṇḍa, the Aśvins performed severe austerities, practicing the most difficult penance, reciting the supreme hymn to Brahman with concentrated minds.

तयोः कालेन महता ब्रह्मा नारायणात्मकः । तुतोष परमप्रीत्या वरं चैतं ददौ तयोः ।। २०.

After a long time, Brahmā, whose essence is Nārāyaṇa, was greatly pleased with them, and granted them this boon.

प्रजापाल उवाच । अश्विभ्यामीरितं स्तोत्रं ब्रह्मणोऽव्यक्तजन्मनः । श्रोतुमिच्छाम्यहं ब्रह्मंस्त्वत्प्रसादान्महामुने ।। २०.

Prajāpāla said: 'I wish to hear the hymn to the unmanifest-born Brahman, as recited by the Aśvins, O great sage, by your grace.'

महातपा उवाच । श्रृणु राजन् यथा स्तोत्रमश्विभ्यां ब्रह्मणः कृतम् । ईदृशं च फलं प्राप्तं तयोः स्तोत्रस्य चानघ ।। २०.

The great ascetic said: 'Hear, O king, how the Aśvins composed the hymn to Brahman, and what fruit they attained from that hymn, O sinless one.'

ॐनमस्ते निष्क्रिय निष्प्रपञ्च निराश्रय निरपेक्ष निरालम्ब निर्गुण निरालोक निराधार निर्जय निराकार । ब्रह्मन् महाब्रह्मन् ब्राह्मणप्रिय पुरुष महापुरुषोत्तम । देव महादेवोत्तम स्थाणो स्थितस्थापक । भूत महाभूत भूताधिपति यक्ष महायक्ष यक्षाधिपते । गुह्य महागुह्याधिपते सौम्य महासौम्य सौम्याधिपते । पक्षि महापक्षिपते दैत्य महादैत्याधिपते । रुद्र महारुद्राधिपते विष्णु महाविष्णुपते । परमेश्वर नारायण प्रजापतये नमः । एवं स्तुतस्तदा ताभ्यामश्विभ्यां स प्रजापतिः । तुतोष परमप्रीत्या वाक्यं चेदमुवाच ह ।। २०.

Om, homage to you, who are actionless, beyond manifestation, without support, without dependence, without foundation, without qualities, without light, without basis, unconquered, formless; Brahman, great Brahman, beloved of the Brahmanas, Person, supreme among the great; god, greatest of the great gods, the firm, the establisher of the firm; being, greatest of beings, lord of beings, Yakṣa, greatest Yakṣa, lord of Yakṣas; secret, lord of the greatest secrets, gentle, lord of the greatest gentleness, lord of the gentle; bird, lord of the greatest birds, demon, lord of the greatest demons; Rudra, lord of the greatest Rudras, Viṣṇu, lord of the greatest Viṣṇus; supreme lord, Nārāyaṇa, homage to Prajāpati. Thus praised by the Aśvins, Prajāpati was greatly pleased and spoke these words.

वरं वरयतां शीघ्रं देवैः परमदुर्लभम् । येन मे वरदानेन चरतस्त्रिदिवं सुखम् ।। २०.

Choose a boon, one most difficult for the gods to obtain, by which, through my granting, you may move happily among the three worlds.

अश्विनावूचतुः । आवयोर्यज्ञभागं तु देहि देव प्रजापते । सोमपत्वं च देवानां सामान्यत्वं च शाश्वतम् ।। २०.

The Ashvins said: Grant us, O Lord Prajapati, a share in the sacrifice, the right to partake of Soma among the gods, and an eternal equality with them.

ब्रह्मोवाच । रूपं कान्तिरनौपम्यं भिषक्त्वं सर्ववस्तुषु । सोमपत्वं च लोकेषु सर्वमेतद् भविष्यति ।। २०.

Brahma said: You shall have a form and beauty without equal, healing power over all things, the right to Soma in all worlds; all this shall indeed come to pass.