Varaha Purana — Chapter 161

VrP 161.1

अथ देववनप्रभावः ।। धरण्युवाच ।। ये धर्मविमुखा मूढाः सर्वज्ञानविवर्जिताः ।। का गतिः कृष्ण तेषां हि विहिता नरके सुरैः

atha devavanaprabhāvaḥ || dharaṇyuvāca || ye dharmavimukhā mūḍhāḥ sarvajñānavivarjitāḥ || kā gatiḥ kṛṣṇa teṣāṃ hi vihitā narake suraiḥ

Now, the power of Devavana. Dharaṇī said: Those deluded ones who turn away from dharma and are devoid of all knowledge — what destiny, O Kṛṣṇa, has been appointed for them by the gods in hell?

AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition

VrP 161.2

अभुक्त्वा नारकं दुःखं सुकृतैः पुण्यदैर्नृणाम् ।। प्रयान्ति कर्मणा येन तमुपायं ब्रवीहि मे

abhuktvā nārakaṃ duḥkhaṃ sukṛtaiḥ puṇyadairnṛṇām || prayānti karmaṇā yena tamupāyaṃ bravīhi me

Tell me that means, that act, by which men may go (to heaven) through merit-bestowing good deeds without having undergone the pain of hell.

AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition

VrP 161.3

श्रीवराह उवाच ।। सर्वधर्मविहीनानां पुरुषाणां दुरात्मनाम् ।। नरकार्त्तिहरा देवी मथुरा पापघातिनी

śrīvarāha uvāca || sarvadharmavihīnānāṃ puruṣāṇāṃ durātmanām || narakārttiharā devī mathurā pāpaghātinī

Śrī Varāha said: For men wholly devoid of all religious duty, of evil nature, the goddess Mathurā removes the torment of hell and destroys sin.

AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition

VrP 161.4

मथुरावासिनो ये च तीर्थानां चोपसेवकाः ।। वनानां दर्शको वाथ मथुराक्रमकोऽपि वा

mathurāvāsino ye ca tīrthānāṃ copasevakāḥ || vanānāṃ darśako vātha mathurākramako'pi vā

Those who dwell in Mathurā, and those who frequent its holy fords, or one who views its forests, or even one who merely traverses Mathurā —

AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition

VrP 161.5

एषां मध्ये कृतं यैश्च एकं च शतमोजसा ।। न ते नरक भोक्तारः स्वर्गभाजो भवन्ति ते

eṣāṃ madhye kṛtaṃ yaiśca ekaṃ ca śatamojasā || na te naraka bhoktāraḥ svargabhājo bhavanti te

and those by whom, among these, one thing — or a hundred — has been done with vigour: they are not eaters of hell; they become sharers of heaven.

AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition — the model flagged this verse as uncertain

VrP 161.6

आदौ मधुवनं नाम द्वितीयं तालमेव च ।। वनं कुन्दवनं चैव तृतीयं वनमुत्तमम्

ādau madhuvanaṃ nāma dvitīyaṃ tālameva ca || vanaṃ kundavanaṃ caiva tṛtīyaṃ vanamuttamam

First is the forest named Madhuvana; the second is Tālavana; and the third excellent forest is Kundavana.

AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition

VrP 161.7

चतुर्थं काम्यकवनं वनानां वनमुत्तमम् ।। पंचमं वै बहुवनं षष्ठं भद्रवनं स्मृतम्

caturthaṃ kāmyakavanaṃ vanānāṃ vanamuttamam || paṃcamaṃ vai bahuvanaṃ ṣaṣṭhaṃ bhadravanaṃ smṛtam

The fourth is Kāmyakavana, the best of forests among forests; the fifth is Bahuvana; the sixth is known as Bhadravana.

AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition

VrP 161.8

सप्तमं तु वनं भूमे खादिरं लोकविश्रुतम् ।। महावनं चाष्टमं तु सदैव च मम प्रियम्

saptamaṃ tu vanaṃ bhūme khādiraṃ lokaviśrutam || mahāvanaṃ cāṣṭamaṃ tu sadaiva ca mama priyam

The seventh forest, O Earth, is Khādira, famed in the world; and the eighth is Mahāvana, which is always dear to me.

AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition

VrP 161.9

लोहार्गलवनं नाम नवमं पातकापहम् ।। वनं बिल्ववनं नाम दशमं देवपूजितम्

lohārgalavanaṃ nāma navamaṃ pātakāpaham || vanaṃ bilvavanaṃ nāma daśamaṃ devapūjitam

The ninth is the forest named Lohārgala, which removes sins; the tenth is the forest named Bilvavana, honoured by the gods.

AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition

VrP 161.11

यथाक्रमेण ये यात्रां वनानां च जितेन्द्रियाः ।। करिष्यन्ति वरारोहे इन्द्रलोकं व्रजन्ति ते

yathākrameṇa ye yātrāṃ vanānāṃ ca jitendriyāḥ || kariṣyanti varārohe indralokaṃ vrajanti te

Those who, with senses subdued, make the pilgrimage of the forests in due order — O fair-hipped one, they go to the world of Indra.

AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition

VrP 161.161

एकादशं तु भाण्डीरं द्वादशं वृन्दका वनम् ।। एतानि ये प्रपश्यन्ति न ते नरकभोगिनः

ekādaśaṃ tu bhāṇḍīraṃ dvādaśaṃ vṛndakā vanam || etāni ye prapaśyanti na te narakabhoginaḥ

The eleventh is Bhāṇḍīra, the twelfth the forest of Vṛndā; those who behold these do not undergo hell.

AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition