Varaha Purana — Chapter 168

VrP 168.1

धरण्युवाच ।। मथुरां रक्षते कोऽसौ क्षेत्रपालो व्यवस्थितः ।। तेन दृष्टेन यत्पुण्यं कथयस्वाखिलं प्रभो

dharaṇyuvāca || mathurāṃ rakṣate ko'sau kṣetrapālo vyavasthitaḥ || tena dṛṣṭena yatpuṇyaṃ kathayasvākhilaṃ prabho

Dharaṇī (the Earth) said: "Who is he that guards Mathurā, stationed there as the field-protector? Tell (me) fully, O lord, what merit (comes) from seeing him."

AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition

VrP 168.2

श्रीवराह उवाच ।। दृष्ट्वा भूतपतिं देवं वरदं पापनाशनम् ।। तस्य दर्शनमात्रेण मथुरायां फलं भवेत्

śrīvarāha uvāca || dṛṣṭvā bhūtapatiṃ devaṃ varadaṃ pāpanāśanam || tasya darśanamātreṇa mathurāyāṃ phalaṃ bhavet

Śrī Varāha said: "Having seen the god, lord of beings, giver of boons, destroyer of sins — merely by the sight of him the fruit (of a pilgrimage) at Mathurā comes about.

AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition

VrP 168.3

पुरा वर्षसहस्रं तु तपस्तप्तं सुदारुणम् ।। पूर्णे वर्षसहस्रे तु मया सन्तोषितो हरः

purā varṣasahasraṃ tu tapastaptaṃ sudāruṇam || pūrṇe varṣasahasre tu mayā santoṣito haraḥ

Long ago he performed most terrible austerity for a thousand years; and when the thousand years were complete, Hara was made content by me.

AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition

VrP 168.4

वरं वरय भद्रं ते यस्ते मनसि वर्त्तते ।। ईश्वर उवाच ।। सर्वगस्त्वं हि देवेश मया ज्ञातं सुनिश्चितम्

varaṃ varaya bhadraṃ te yaste manasi varttate || īśvara uvāca || sarvagastvaṃ hi deveśa mayā jñātaṃ suniścitam

'Choose a boon — blessings on you — whatever is in your mind.' Īśvara said: 'You are indeed all-pervading, O lord of gods; that has been known by me with full certainty.

AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition

VrP 168.6

मथुरायां च देव त्वं क्षेत्रपालो भविष्यसि ।। त्वयि दृष्टे महादेव मम क्षेत्र फलं भवेत्

mathurāyāṃ ca deva tvaṃ kṣetrapālo bhaviṣyasi || tvayi dṛṣṭe mahādeva mama kṣetra phalaṃ bhavet

"And in Mathurā, O god, you shall be the guardian of the sacred field. When you have been seen, O Mahādeva, the fruit of my sacred field will come about."

AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition

VrP 168.7

अन्यथा नाप्नुयात् सिद्धिमेवमेतन्न संशयः ।। येन यद्यादृशं पुण्यं कृतं तीर्थे प्रयत्नतः

anyathā nāpnuyāt siddhimevametanna saṃśayaḥ || yena yadyādṛśaṃ puṇyaṃ kṛtaṃ tīrthe prayatnataḥ

Otherwise one would not attain success — this is certain, there is no doubt. Whatever merit of whatever kind has been made by someone at a sacred ford with effort,

AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition

VrP 168.8

भजते मनुजः सिद्धिमात्मभावेन तादृशीम् ।। मम क्षेत्रप्रवेशे च भूमिः संसारनाशिनी

bhajate manujaḥ siddhimātmabhāvena tādṛśīm || mama kṣetrapraveśe ca bhūmiḥ saṃsāranāśinī

a man obtains a success of just that sort in accordance with his own disposition. And at the entry into my sacred field the ground (itself) destroys transmigration.

AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition

VrP 168.9

मथुरायां च मे स्थानं सदा देव प्रदीयताम् ।। देवदेव वचः श्रुत्वा हरिर्वचनमब्रवीत् इन्द्रस्यैव पुरी रम्या यथा नाकेऽमरावती ।। जम्बूद्वीपे तथोत्कृष्टा मथुरा मम वल्लभा

mathurāyāṃ ca me sthānaṃ sadā deva pradīyatām || devadeva vacaḥ śrutvā harirvacanamabravīt indrasyaiva purī ramyā yathā nāke'marāvatī || jambūdvīpe tathotkṛṣṭā mathurā mama vallabhā

"And in Mathurā let a place always be granted to me, O god." Having heard the speech of the God of gods, Hari spoke these words: "Just as Indra's city Amarāvatī is lovely in heaven, so in Jambūdvīpa Mathurā is pre-eminent and dear to me."

AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition

VrP 168.11

न मया कथितं देवि ब्रह्मणश्च महात्मनः ।। रुद्रस्य न मया पूर्वं कथितं च वसुन्धरे

na mayā kathitaṃ devi brahmaṇaśca mahātmanaḥ || rudrasya na mayā pūrvaṃ kathitaṃ ca vasundhare

"It has not been told by me, O goddess, even to the great-souled Brahmā; nor was it told by me formerly to Rudra, O Vasundharā —

AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition

VrP 168.12

मया सुगोपितं पूर्वं गुह्याद्गुह्यतरं परम् ।। अत्र क्षेत्रे पुरी रम्या सर्वरत्नविभूषिता

mayā sugopitaṃ pūrvaṃ guhyādguhyataraṃ param || atra kṣetre purī ramyā sarvaratnavibhūṣitā

it was well concealed by me before, more secret than the secret, supreme: in this sacred field there is a lovely city, adorned with all jewels.

AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition

VrP 168.13

तस्यां तिष्ठन्ति तीर्थानि तानि वक्ष्यामि तच्छृणु ।। षष्टिकोटिसहस्राणि षष्टिकोटिशतानि च

tasyāṃ tiṣṭhanti tīrthāni tāni vakṣyāmi tacchṛṇu || ṣaṣṭikoṭisahasrāṇi ṣaṣṭikoṭiśatāni ca

In it stand the sacred fords; those I shall tell — hear that. Sixty thousand crores and sixty hundred crores:

AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition

VrP 168.14

तीर्थसंख्या च वसुधे मथुरायां मयोदिता ।। गोवर्द्धनं तथाक्रूरं द्वे कोटी दक्षिणोत्तरे

tīrthasaṃkhyā ca vasudhe mathurāyāṃ mayoditā || govarddhanaṃ tathākrūraṃ dve koṭī dakṣiṇottare

such is the count of fords in Mathurā declared by me, O Earth. Govardhana and Akrūra are the two crores, in the south and the north.

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

VrP 168.15

प्रस्कन्दनं च भाण्डीरं कुरुक्षेत्रसमानि षट् ।। पुण्यात्पुण्यतरं श्रेष्ठमेतद्विश्रान्तिसंज्ञकम्

praskandanaṃ ca bhāṇḍīraṃ kurukṣetrasamāni ṣaṭ || puṇyātpuṇyataraṃ śreṣṭhametadviśrāntisaṃjñakam

Praskandana and Bhāṇḍīra — six (fords) equal to Kurukṣetra. More holy than holy, the best, is this one called Viśrānti.

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

VrP 168.16

असिकुण्डं सवैकुण्ठं कोटितीर्थोत्तमं स्मृतम् ।। अविमुक्तं सोमतीर्थं यमनं तिन्दुकं ततः

asikuṇḍaṃ savaikuṇṭhaṃ koṭitīrthottamaṃ smṛtam || avimuktaṃ somatīrthaṃ yamanaṃ tindukaṃ tataḥ

Asikuṇḍa together with Vaikuṇṭha is remembered as the best of the crore of fords; (then) Avimukta, Somatīrtha, Yamana, then Tinduka,

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

VrP 168.17

चक्रतीर्थं तथाक्रूरं द्वादशादित्यसंज्ञितम् ।। एतत्पुण्यं पवित्रं च महापातकनाशनम्

cakratīrthaṃ tathākrūraṃ dvādaśādityasaṃjñitam || etatpuṇyaṃ pavitraṃ ca mahāpātakanāśanam

Cakratīrtha, and Akrūra, and the one named Twelve Suns. This is meritorious and purifying, and destroys the great sins.

AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition

VrP 168.18

कुरुक्षेत्राच्छतगुणं मथुरायां न संशयः ।। ये पठन्ति महाभागाः शृण्वन्ति च समाहिताः

kurukṣetrācchataguṇaṃ mathurāyāṃ na saṃśayaḥ || ye paṭhanti mahābhāgāḥ śṛṇvanti ca samāhitāḥ

In Mathurā it is a hundred times (that of) Kurukṣetra — there is no doubt. Those greatly fortunate ones who recite, and who with collected minds hear

AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition

VrP 168.19

मथुरायास्तु माहात्म्यं ते यान्ति परमं पदम्।। कुलानि ते तारयन्ति द्वे शते विंशयोर्द्वयोः

mathurāyāstu māhātmyaṃ te yānti paramaṃ padam|| kulāni te tārayanti dve śate viṃśayordvayoḥ

the greatness of Mathurā — they go to the highest state; they carry across their families, two hundred and twenty-two.

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

VrP 168.21

एतत्ते कथितं देवि सर्वपातकनाशनम् ।। तीर्थानां चैव माहात्म्यं किमन्यच्छ्रोतुमिच्छसि

etatte kathitaṃ devi sarvapātakanāśanam || tīrthānāṃ caiva māhātmyaṃ kimanyacchrotumicchasi

This has been told to you, O goddess — (this) destroyer of all sins, and the greatness of the sacred fords. What else do you wish to hear?

AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition

VrP 168.168

विंशतिर्योजनानां हि माथुरं मम मण्डलम् ।। पदे पदेऽश्वमेधानां फलं नात्र विचारणा एतन्मरणकाले तु यः स्मरेत्प्रयतो नरः।। स गच्छेत्परमां सिद्धिमिह संसारनाशिनीम्

viṃśatiryojanānāṃ hi māthuraṃ mama maṇḍalam || pade pade'śvamedhānāṃ phalaṃ nātra vicāraṇā etanmaraṇakāle tu yaḥ smaretprayato naraḥ|| sa gacchetparamāṃ siddhimiha saṃsāranāśinīm

For my Mathurā circuit is twenty yojanas; at every step there is the fruit of horse-sacrifices — there is no questioning here. And the man who, self-controlled, remembers this at the time of death, he attains the supreme success here, which destroys transmigration.

AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition