Varaha Purana

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.

एतत् सर्वं द्वितीयायामश्विभ्यां ब्रह्मणा पुरा । दत्तं यस्मादतस्तेषां तिथीनामुत्तमा तिथिः ।। २०.

All this was given long ago by Brahma to the Ashvins; therefore, among the lunar days, theirs is the most excellent day.

एतस्यां रूपकामस्तु पुष्पाहारो भवेन्नरः । संवत्सरं शुचिर्नित्यं सुस्वरूपी भवेन्नरः । अश्विभ्यां ये गुणाः प्रोक्तास्ते तस्यापि भवन्ति च ।। २०.

On that day, whoever desires beauty should offer flowers; remaining pure throughout the year, he will always possess a pleasing form, and the virtues spoken of for the Ashvins will also be his.

य इदं श्रृणुयान्नित्यमश्विभ्यां जन्म चोत्तमम् । सर्वपापविनिर्मुक्तः पुत्रवान् जायते नरः ।। २०.

Whoever listens daily to this account of the Ashvins' supreme birth will be freed from all sin and will be born blessed with sons.

महातपा उवाच । पूर्वं प्रजापतिर्देवः सिसृक्षुर्विविधाः प्रजाः । चिन्तयामास धर्मात्मा यदा ता नाध्यगच्छत ।। २१.

Mahātapā said: In the beginning, Prajapati, the divine Lord, wishing to create various beings, pondered, but did not find a way.

तदाऽस्य कोपात् संजज्ञे स च रुद्रः प्रतापवान् । रोदनात् तस्य रुद्रत्वं संजातं परमेष्ठिनः ।। २१.

Then, from his anger, Rudra was born, radiant with power; from his crying, the name Rudra was given to the supreme Lord.

तस्य ब्रह्मा शुभां कन्यां भार्यार्थं मूर्त्तिसंभवाम् । गौरी नाम्ना स्वयं देवी भारती तां ददौ पिता ।। २१.

For him, Brahma created a beautiful daughter, born of form, as a wife; named Gauri, the goddess herself, Bharati, was given to him by her father.

रुद्रायामितदेहाय स्वयं ब्रह्मा प्रजापतिः । स तां लब्ध्वा वरारोहां मुदा परमया युतः ।। २१.

To Rudra, whose body was unique, Brahma, the Lord of creatures, himself gave her; having obtained the lovely one, he was filled with supreme joy.

सर्गकालेषु तं ब्रह्मा तपसा प्रत्युवाच ह । रुद्र प्रजाः सृजस्वेति पौनःपुन्येन चोदितः । असमर्थोऽहमिति जले निमज्जत महाबलः ।। २१.

At the time of creation, Brahma addressed Rudra, urging him by austerity: 'Create beings, Rudra.' But he replied, 'I am unable,' and plunged into the waters, mighty in strength.

तपोर्थित्वं तपोहीनः स्त्रष्टुं शक्नोति न प्रजाः । एवं चिन्त्य जले मग्नस्ततो रुद्रः प्रतापवान् ।। २१.

Without the merit of austerity, one cannot create beings; thus reflecting, Rudra, lacking ascetic power, immersed himself in the waters.

तस्मिन् निमग्ने देवेशे तां ब्रह्मा कन्यकां पुनः । अन्तःशरीरगां कृत्वा गौरीं परमशोभनाम् ।। २१.

While the Lord of gods was submerged, Brahma again made that beautiful Gauri enter his body as an internal form.

पुनः सिसृक्षुर्भगवानसृजत् सप्त मानसान् । दक्षं च तेषामारभ्य प्रजाः सम्यग् व्यवर्द्धिताः ।। २१.

Desiring to create again, the blessed Lord produced seven mind-born sons, beginning with Daksha, and through them, the creatures flourished.

तत्र दाक्षायणीपुत्राः सर्वे देवाः सवासवाः । वसवोऽष्टौ च रुद्राश्च आदित्या मरुतस्तथा ।। २१.

There, all the sons of Daksha, the gods with Indra, the eight Vasus, the Rudras, the Adityas, and the Maruts were born.

साऽपि दक्षाय सुश्रोणी गौरी दत्ताथ ब्रह्मणा । दुहितृत्वे पुरा या हि रुद्रेणोढा महात्मना ।। २१.

Gauri, with beautiful hips, was given by Brahma to Daksha as a daughter; she who was formerly married to Rudra, the great soul.

सा च दाक्षायणी देवी पुनर्भूता नृपोत्तम । ततो दक्षः प्रहृष्टात्मा दौहित्रान् स्वान् स वृद्धिकृत् । दृष्ट्वा यज्ञमथारेभे प्रीणनाय प्रजापतिः ।। २१.

That goddess Dakshayani was born again, O best of kings; then Daksha, delighted, saw his grandsons increase and, seeing the sacrifice, began it for the joy of Prajapati.

तत्र ब्रह्मसुताः सर्वे मरीच्यादय एव च । चक्रुरार्त्त्विज्यकं कर्म्म स्वे स्वे मार्गे व्यवस्थिताः ।। २१.

There, all the sons of Brahma, beginning with Marichi, performed the priestly duties, each established in his own path.

ब्रह्मा स्वयं मरीच्यस्तु बभूवाऽन्ये तथापरे । अत्रिस्तु यज्ञकर्मस्थ आग्नीध्रस्त्वङ्गिरा भवत् ।। २१.

Brahma himself, Marichi, and others took their places; Atri was engaged in sacrificial rites, Agnidra became Angiras.

होता पुलस्त्यस्त्वभवदुद्गाता पुलहोऽभवत् । क्रतौ क्रतुस्तु प्रस्तोता तदा यज्ञे महातपाः ।। २१.

Pulastya became the hotṛ priest, Pulaha was the udgātṛ; Kratu was the prastotṛ in that sacrifice, and the great ascetic Kratu was the prastotṛ at the yajña.

प्रतिहर्ता प्रचेतास्तु तस्मिन् क्रतुवरे बभौ । सुब्रह्मण्यो वसिष्ठस्तु सनकाद्याः सभासदः । तत्र याज्यः स्वयं ब्रह्मा स च इज्यस्तु पूज्यते ।। २१.

Pracetas was the pratihartṛ in that supreme sacrifice; Subrahmaṇya was Vasiṣṭha, and Sanaka and the others were the assembly members; there, Brahmā himself was the yajamāna, and he was worshipped as the one to be honored.

पूज्या दक्षस्य दौहित्रा रुद्रादित्याङ्गिरादयः । प्रत्यक्षपितरस्ते हि तैः प्रीतैः प्रीयते जगत् ।। २१.

The grandsons of Dakṣa—Rudras, Ādityas, Aṅgiras and others—were to be worshipped; they are the visible ancestors, and by pleasing them, the world is satisfied.

तत्र भागार्थिनो देवा आदित्या वसवस्तथा । विश्वेदेवाः सपितरो गन्धर्वाद्या मरुद्गणाः ।। २१.

There, the gods who sought their shares were the Ādityas, Vasus, Viśvadevas, Pitṛs, Gandharvas and others, and the hosts of Maruts.