Varaha Purana — Chapter 159
VrP 159.1
अथ मथुराप्रदक्षिणा विध्यादिकम् ।। धरण्युवाच ।। श्रुतं सुबहुशो देव तीर्थानां गुणविस्तरम् ।। प्रोच्यमानं तु पुण्याख्यं त्वत्प्रसादाज्जनार्दन
atha mathurāpradakṣiṇā vidhyādikam || dharaṇyuvāca || śrutaṃ subahuśo deva tīrthānāṃ guṇavistaram || procyamānaṃ tu puṇyākhyaṃ tvatprasādājjanārdana
— tr. refused: cyber
VrP 159.2
न दानैर्न तपोभिश्च न यज्ञैस्तादृशं फलम्।। भूमेः प्रदक्षिणायाश्च यादृशं तीर्थसेवया
na dānairna tapobhiśca na yajñaistādṛśaṃ phalam|| bhūmeḥ pradakṣiṇāyāśca yādṛśaṃ tīrthasevayā
Not by gifts, nor by austerities, nor by sacrifices is such a fruit (won) as (is won) by the circumambulation of the earth and by the frequenting of sacred fords.
AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition
VrP 159.3
भुवश्च चतुरन्तायास्तीर्थप्रक्रमणं हरे ।। सर्वतीर्थाभिगमनमस्ति दुर्गतरं नृणाम्
bhuvaśca caturantāyāstīrthaprakramaṇaṃ hare || sarvatīrthābhigamanamasti durgataraṃ nṛṇām
But the traversing of the sacred fords of the earth with its four limits, O Hari — the visiting of all the fords is (a thing) very hard for men (to accomplish).
AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition
VrP 159.4
अस्ति कश्चिदुपायोऽत्र येन सम्यगवाप्यते ।। प्रसादसुमुखो भूत्वा तत्सर्वं कथयस्व मे
asti kaścidupāyo'tra yena samyagavāpyate || prasādasumukho bhūtvā tatsarvaṃ kathayasva me
Is there some means here by which it may be fully obtained? Being gracious of countenance, tell me all that.
AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition
VrP 159.5
श्रीवराह उवाच ।। भद्रे शृणु महत्पुण्यं पृथिव्यां सर्वतोदिशम् ।। परिक्रम्य यथाध्वानं प्रमाणगणितं शुभम्
śrīvarāha uvāca || bhadre śṛṇu mahatpuṇyaṃ pṛthivyāṃ sarvatodiśam || parikramya yathādhvānaṃ pramāṇagaṇitaṃ śubham
The blessed Boar said: Hear, good lady, the great merit (that comes) from circumambulating the earth in every direction according to the road, auspicious (and) reckoned by measure.
AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition
VrP 159.6
भूम्याः परिक्रमे सम्यक्योजनानां प्रमाणकम् ।। षष्टिकोटिसहस्राणि षष्टिकोटिशतानि च
bhūmyāḥ parikrame samyakyojanānāṃ pramāṇakam || ṣaṣṭikoṭisahasrāṇi ṣaṣṭikoṭiśatāni ca
In the circumambulation of the earth the measure of leagues is exactly this: sixty thousand crores and sixty hundred crores.
AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition
VrP 159.7
तीर्थान्येतानि देवाश्च तारकाश्च नभस्थले ।। गणितानि समस्तानि वायुना जगदायुषा
tīrthānyetāni devāśca tārakāśca nabhasthale || gaṇitāni samastāni vāyunā jagadāyuṣā
These fords, and the gods, and the stars in the vault of heaven — all of them have been counted by Wind, whose life is (as long as) the world's.
AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition
VrP 159.8
ब्रह्मणा लोमशेनैव नारदेन ध्रुवेण च ।। जाम्बवत्याश्च पुत्रेण रावणेन हनूमता
brahmaṇā lomaśenaiva nāradena dhruveṇa ca || jāmbavatyāśca putreṇa rāvaṇena hanūmatā
By Brahmā, by Lomaśa, by Nārada and by Dhruva, by the son of Jāmbavatī, by Rāvaṇa, by Hanumān —
AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition
VrP 159.9
एतैरनेकधा देवैः ससागरवना मही ।। क्रमिता बलिना चैव बाह्यमण्डलरेखया
etairanekadhā devaiḥ sasāgaravanā mahī || kramitā balinā caiva bāhyamaṇḍalarekhayā
by these gods the earth with its oceans and forests has been traversed many times over, and by Bali too, along the line of the outer circle.
AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition
VrP 159.11
योगसिद्धैस्तथा कैश्चिन्मार्कण्डेयमुखैरपि ।। क्रमिता न क्रमिष्यन्ति न पूर्वे नापरे जनाः
yogasiddhaistathā kaiścinmārkaṇḍeyamukhairapi || kramitā na kramiṣyanti na pūrve nāpare janāḥ
And it has been traversed by certain of those perfected in yoga, headed by Mārkaṇḍeya; (but other) people, neither earlier nor later, will (ever) traverse it.
AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition
VrP 159.12
अल्पसत्त्वबलोपेतैः प्राणिभिश्चाल्पबुद्धिभिः ।। मनसापि न शक्यंते गमनस्य च का कथा
alpasattvabalopetaiḥ prāṇibhiścālpabuddhibhiḥ || manasāpi na śakyaṃte gamanasya ca kā kathā
By living beings endowed with little strength of character and little power, and of little intelligence, (these fords) cannot be (compassed) even in thought — and what talk can there be of going (there)?
AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition
VrP 159.13
सप्तद्वीपे च तीर्थानां भ्रमणाद्यत्फलं भवेत् ।। प्राप्यते चाधिकं तस्मान्मथुरायाः परिक्रमे
saptadvīpe ca tīrthānāṃ bhramaṇādyatphalaṃ bhavet || prāpyate cādhikaṃ tasmānmathurāyāḥ parikrame
Whatever fruit would arise from wandering to the fords in the seven continents, more than that is obtained in the circumambulation of Mathurā.
AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition
VrP 159.14
मथुरां समनुप्राप्य यस्तु कुर्यात्प्रदक्षिणम् ।। प्रदक्षिणीकृता तेन सप्तद्वीपा वसुन्धरा
mathurāṃ samanuprāpya yastu kuryātpradakṣiṇam || pradakṣiṇīkṛtā tena saptadvīpā vasundharā
Whoever, having reached Mathurā, performs the circumambulation (of it), by him the earth with its seven continents has been circumambulated.
AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition
VrP 159.15
तस्मात्सर्वप्रयत्नेन सर्वकामानभीप्सुभिः।। कर्त्तव्या मथुरां प्राप्य नरैः सम्यक्प्रदक्षिणा
tasmātsarvaprayatnena sarvakāmānabhīpsubhiḥ|| karttavyā mathurāṃ prāpya naraiḥ samyakpradakṣiṇā
Therefore, with every effort, by men who desire all their wishes, the proper circumambulation is to be performed after reaching Mathurā.
AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition
VrP 159.16
धरण्युवाच ।। यथाविधानक्रमणं मथुरायामवाप्यते ।। प्रदक्षिणाफलं सम्यगनुक्रमविधिं वद
dharaṇyuvāca || yathāvidhānakramaṇaṃ mathurāyāmavāpyate || pradakṣiṇāphalaṃ samyaganukramavidhiṃ vada
Dharaṇī said: Since the fruit of circumambulation is obtained in Mathurā by traversing according to the prescription, tell (me) rightly the rule of the sequence (to be followed).
AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition
VrP 159.17
श्रीवराह उवाच ।। पुरा सप्तर्षिभिः पृष्टो ब्रह्मा लोकपितामहः ।। इदमेव पुरा प्रोक्तं यथा पृष्टा त्वया ह्यहम्
śrīvarāha uvāca || purā saptarṣibhiḥ pṛṣṭo brahmā lokapitāmahaḥ || idameva purā proktaṃ yathā pṛṣṭā tvayā hyaham
The blessed Boar said: Formerly Brahmā, the grandfather of the world, was asked by the seven seers, and this very thing was told of old, just as I have now been asked by you.
AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition
VrP 159.18
श्रुत्वा सर्वपुराणोक्तं तीर्थानुक्रमणं परम् ।। पृथिव्याश्चतुरन्तायास्तथा तद्वक्तुमुद्यतः
śrutvā sarvapurāṇoktaṃ tīrthānukramaṇaṃ param || pṛthivyāścaturantāyāstathā tadvaktumudyataḥ
Having heard the supreme enumeration of the fords of the earth with its four limits, as declared in all the Purāṇas, he then set about telling it.
AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition
VrP 159.19
सर्वदेवेषु यत्पुण्यं सर्वतीर्थेषु यत्फलम् ।। सर्वदानेषु यत्प्रोक्तमिष्टापूर्त्तेषु चैव हि
sarvadeveṣu yatpuṇyaṃ sarvatīrtheṣu yatphalam || sarvadāneṣu yatproktamiṣṭāpūrtteṣu caiva hi
Whatever merit (there is) in all the gods, whatever fruit in all the fords, whatever is declared (to be) in all gifts and in sacrifices and works of public utility —
AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition
VrP 159.21
इत्युक्त्वा ऋषयो जग्मुरभिवाद्य स्वयम्भुवम् ।। आगत्य मथुरां देवीमाश्रमांश्चक्रिरे द्विजाः
ityuktvā ṛṣayo jagmurabhivādya svayambhuvam || āgatya mathurāṃ devīmāśramāṃścakrire dvijāḥ
Having said this, the seers went away, having saluted the Self-existent one; and coming to the goddess Mathurā the brahmins made their hermitages (there).
AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition
VrP 159.22
ध्रुवेण सहिताश्चासन्कामयानास्तु तद्दिनम् ।। कुमुदस्य तु मासस्य नवम्यां शुक्लपक्षके
dhruveṇa sahitāścāsankāmayānāstu taddinam || kumudasya tu māsasya navamyāṃ śuklapakṣake
And together with Dhruva they were desiring that day: on the ninth of the bright fortnight of the month Kumuda (Kārttika),
AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition
VrP 159.23
मथुरोपक्रमं कृत्वा सर्वपापैः प्रमुच्यते
mathuropakramaṃ kṛtvā sarvapāpaiḥ pramucyate
Having made the beginning (of the circuit) of Mathurā, one is released from all sins.
AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition
VrP 159.159
अन्तरा भ्रमणेनैव सुग्रीवेण महात्मना ।। तथा च पूर्वं देवेन्द्रैः पंचभिः पाण्डुनन्दनैः यत्फलं लभ्यते विप्रास्तस्माच्छतगुणोत्तरम् ।। प्रक्रमान्मथुरायास्तु सत्यमेतद्वदामि वः
antarā bhramaṇenaiva sugrīveṇa mahātmanā || tathā ca pūrvaṃ devendraiḥ paṃcabhiḥ pāṇḍunandanaiḥ yatphalaṃ labhyate viprāstasmācchataguṇottaram || prakramānmathurāyāstu satyametadvadāmi vaḥ
(and) merely by the intermediate circuit made by great-souled Sugrīva; and so too the fruit that was formerly obtained by the lords of the gods, by the five sons of Pāṇḍu — from that, O brahmins, (the fruit) of the circuit of Mathurā is a hundred times greater; this truth I declare to you.
AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition — the model flagged this verse as uncertain