Varaha Purana - Adhyaya 51
Varaha PuranaAdhyaya 5129 Shlokas

Adhyaya 51: Recollection of the Dharaṇī-vrata and the Agastya-Bhadrāśva Dialogue on Liberation

Dharaṇīvrata-smṛtiḥ, Agastya-bhadrāśva-saṃvādaḥ

Ethical-Discourse (mokṣa-dharma framed through allegorical cosmology)

Varaha ji ne bataya ki Satyatapas Himavat mein gaya, Pushpabhadra nadi ke paas. Wahan Citrashila patthar aur Bhadravat banyan tree tha. Prithvi ma ne kaha ki usne ye purana vrat bahut kalpas tak kiya, par bhool gayi thi. Varaha ji ki kripa se unko purani janmon ki yaad aa gayi. Phir Bhadrashva raja ne Agastya ji ka samman kiya aur puchha karm ke bandhan kaise katein. Agastya ji ne ek kahani shuru ki - ek gwala raja samundar ke paas gaya. Wo ek jungle mein gaya jahan saanp the aur alag-alag rang ke jeev the. Ye sab gunon aur sharir ka sanket hai, mukti ka gyan dene ke liye.

Speakers

VarāhaPṛthivīAgastyaBhadrāśva

Key Concepts

Dharaṇī-vrata (earth-centered vow) and jātismaratā (recollection across kalpas)Mokṣa-dharma: cutting saṃsāra through understanding karmic entanglement (allegory of guṇas/elements)
Recitation with translationVaraha Purana Adhyaya 51

Shlokas in Adhyaya 51

Verse 1

श्रीवराह उवाच । श्रुत्वा दुर्वाससो वाक्यं धरणीव्रतमुत्तमम् । ययौ सत्यतपाः सद्यो हिमवत्पार्श्वमुत्तमम् ॥ ५१.१ ॥

Varaha ne kaha, Durvasas ki baat sun ke Satyatapa turant chala gaya. Dharani vrat ki baat suni thi, toh seedha Himalay ke paas pahunch gaya.

Verse 2

पुष्पभद्रा नदी यत्र शिला चित्रशिला तथा । वटो भद्रवटो यत्र तत्र तस्याश्रमो बभौ । तत्रोपरि महत्तस्य चरितं सम्भविष्यति ॥ ५१.२ ॥

Jahan Pushpabhadra nadi hai, wahan do patthar hain, Sila aur Citrashila naam ke. Wahan ek bada bargad ka ped hai, Bhadravat naam ka. Us jagah uska ashram ban gaya. Wahan uske baare mein badi kahani banegi.

Verse 3

धरण्युवाच । बहुकल्पसहस्राणि व्रतस्यास्य सनातन । मया कृतस्य तपस्तन्मया विस्मृतं प्रभो ॥ ५१.३ ॥

Dharti ne kaha, Prabhu, maine bahut saal pehle yeh vrat kiya tha. Hazaaron kalpa pehle tapasya ki thi. Par ab mujhe yaad nahi aa raha, main bhool gayi hoon.

Verse 4

इदानीं त्वत्प्रसादेन स्मरणं प्राक्तनं मम । जातं जातिस्मरा चास्मि विषोका परमेश्वर ॥ ५१.४ ॥

Ab aapki kirpa se mujhe purani baatein yaad aa gayi hain. Main apne pichle janmon ko yaad karne laga hoon. Ab mujhe koi dukh nahi hai, bhagwan.

Verse 5

यदि नाम परं देव कौतुकं हृदि वर्तते । अगस्त्यः पुनरागत्य भद्राश्वस्य निवेशनम् । यच्चकार स राजा च तन्ममाचक्ष्व भूधर ॥ ५१.५ ॥

Bhagwan, agar aapka dil jaanne ko karta hai, to bataiye. Agastya jab wapas aaya Bhadrashva ke paas, to usne kya kiya? Aur woh raja bhi kya karta tha, woh bhi bataiye.

Verse 6

श्रीवराह उवाच । प्रत्यागतं ऋषिं दृष्ट्वा भद्राश्वः श्वेतवाहनः । वरासनगतं दृष्ट्वा कृत्वा पूजां विशेषतः । अपृच्छन् मोक्षधर्माख्यं प्रश्नं सकलधारिणि ॥ ५१.६ ॥

Varaha bhagwan bole. Rishi jab wapas aaya, Bhadrashva ne use dekha. Uske paas safed ghoda tha. Rishi aasana par baitha tha. Raja ne uski acche se puja ki. Phir usne moksh ke baare mein sawal poocha.

Verse 7

भद्राश्व उवाच । भगवन् कर्मणा केन छिद्यते भवसंसृतिः । किं वा कृत्वा न शोचन्ति मूर्तामूर्तोपपत्तिषु ॥ ५१.७ ॥

Bhadrashva ne poocha. Bhagwan, kya karna chahiye taaki janmon ka chakra khatam ho? Kya karne ke baad insaan ko dukh nahi hota, chahe shareer ho ya na ho?

Verse 8

अगस्त्य उवाच । शृणु राजन् कथां दिव्यां दूरासन्नव्यवस्थिताम् । दृश्यादृश्यविभागोत्थां समाहितमना नृप ॥ ५१.८ ॥

Agastya bole. Raja, ek baat suno. Yeh baat paas aur door dono jagah chalti hai. Yeh dikhte aur na dikhte cheezon se judi hui hai. Dhyaan se suno.

Verse 9

नाहो न रात्रिर्न दिशोऽदिशश्च न द्यौर्न देवा न दिनं न सूर्यः । तस्मिन् काले पशुपालेति राजा स पालयामास पशूननेकान् ॥ ५१.९ ॥

Us waqt na din tha na raat. Na koi disha thi na koi taraf. Na aasmaan tha, na devi-devata the, na din ka time, na sooraj. Tab ek raja tha jiska naam Pashupala tha. Woh bahut saare jaanwaron ki hifazat karta tha.

Verse 10

तान् पालयन् स कदाचिद् दिदृक्षुः पूर्वं समुद्रं च जगाम तूर्णम् । अनन्तपारस्य महोदधेस्तु तीरे वनं तत्र वसन्ति सर्पाः ॥ ५१.१० ॥

Woh jaanwaron ki hifazat karta raha. Ek baar usne socha ki poorab wale samundar ko dekhoon. Woh jaldi se wahan chala gaya. Bade samundar ka koi aant nahi tha, uss kinare ek jungle tha. Wahan saamp rehte the.

Verse 11

अष्टौ द्रुमाः कामवहा नदी च तुर्यक् चोर्ध्वं बभ्रमुस्तत्र चान्ये । पञ्च प्रधानाः पुरुषास्तथैकां स्त्रियं बिभ्रते तेजसा दीप्यमानाम् ॥ ५१.११ ॥

Wahan aath ped the jo mann ki ichha poori karte the. Ek nadi bhi thi wahan. Kuch log upar ki taraf ud rahe the, aur kuch alag tarah se hil rahe the. Paanch main purush the jo ek aurat ko pakde hue the. Woh aurat chamak rahi thi.

Verse 12

सा अपि स्त्री स्वे वक्षसि धारयन्ती सहस्रसूर्यप्रतिमं विशालम् । तस्याधरस्त्रिर्विकारस्त्रिवर्ण-स्तं राजानं पश्य परिभ्रमन्तम् ॥ ५१.१२ ॥

Us aurat ne apni chaati par ek badi cheez rakhi thi. Woh itni chamak rahi thi jaise hazaar sooraj ho. Raja dekh, woh idhar-udhar ghoom raha hai. Uska neeche wala honth teen hisson mein hai aur teen rang ka hai.

Verse 13

तूष्णीम्भूता मृतकल्पा इवासन् नृपोऽप्यसौ तद्वनं संविवेश । तस्मिन् प्रविष्टे सर्व एते विविशु-र्भयादैक्यं गतवन्तः क्षणेन ॥ ५१.१३ ॥

Sab chup ho gaye, jaise murde ho. Raja bhi us jungle mein gaya. Jaise hi woh andar gaya, sab log uske peeche-peeche andar chale gaye. Dar ke maare sab ek ho gaye, ek pal mein.

Verse 14

तैः सर्पैः स नृपो दुर्विनीतैः संवेष्टितो दस्युभिश्चिन्तयानः । कथं चैतेन भविष्यन्ति येन कथं चैते संसृताः सम्भवेयुः ॥ ५१.१४ ॥

Saanp aur daku raja ko gher liye the. Raja soch mein pad gaya. Usne socha, itne log iske wajah se kaise bachenge. Aur jo log phanse hue hain, unka kya hoga.

Verse 15

एवं राज्ञश्चिन्तयतस्त्रिवर्णः पुरुषः परः । श्वेतं रक्तं तथा कृष्णं त्रिवर्णं धारयन्नरः ॥ ५१.१५ ॥

Jab raja yeh sab soch raha tha, tab ek aadmi aaya. Woh normal aadmi nahi tha. Uske teen rang the, safed, laal aur kala.

Verse 16

सा संज्ञां कृतवान् मह्यमपरोऽथ क्व यास्यसि । एवं तस्य ब्रुवाणस्य महन्नाम व्यजायत ॥ ५१.१६ ॥

Usne kaha, usne mera naam rakh diya hai. Ab dusra kahan jayega. Yeh bolte hi ek bada naam saamne aaya.

Verse 17

तेनापि राजा संवृतः स बुध्यस्वेति चाब्रवीत् । एवमुक्ते ततः स्त्री तु तं राजानं रुरोध ह ॥ ५१.१७ ॥

Usne bhi raja ko roka. Aur bola, samajh lo, baat saaf hai. Yeh sun ke aurat ne raja ko wahin rok liya.

Verse 18

मायाततं तं मा भैष्ट ततोऽन्यः पुरुषो नृपम् । संवेष्ट्य स्थितवान् वीरस्ततः सर्वेश्वरेश्वरः ॥ ५१.१८ ॥

Kisi ne kaha, maya ke kaam se daro mat. Tab ek aur purush aaya. Woh bahut taakat wala tha, sabka malik. Usne raja ko bacha liya.

Verse 19

ततोऽन्ये पञ्च पुरुषा आगत्य नृपसत्तमम् । संविष्ट्य संस्थिताः सर्वे ततो राजा विरोधितः ॥ ५१.१९ ॥

Phir paanch aur aadmi aaye. Woh raja ke paas gaye. Andar jaake sab ne apni jagah le li. Ab raja ke saamne khade ho gaye. Raja ko aisa laga jaise koi uski baat maanne ko taiyaar nahi hai.

Verse 20

रुद्धे राजनि ते सर्वे एकीभूतास्तु दस्यवः । मथितुं शस्त्रमादाय लीना अन्योन्यं ततो भयात् ॥ ५१.२० ॥

Jab raja ruk gaya, woh saare chor ek ho gaye. Unhone hathiyaar utha liya maarna chahte the. Par phir dar gaye aur ek dusre ke peeche chhup gaye.

Verse 21

तैर्लीनैर्नृपतेर्वेश्म बभौ परमशोभनम् । अन्येषामपि पापानां कोटिः साग्राभवन्नृप ॥ ५१.२१ ॥

Jab woh sab chhup gaye, raja ka mahal chamak utha. Bahut accha lagne laga. Raja, uske saath aur bhi kitne bade paap saaf ho gaye, sab ka hisaab poora.

Verse 22

गृहे भूसलिलं वह्निः सुखशीतश्च मारुतः । सावकाशानि शुभ्राणि पञ्चैकॊनगुणानि च ॥ ५१.२२ ॥

Ghar mein zameen hai, paani hai, aag hai. Hawa chalti hai jo acchi aur thandi lagti hai. Jagah saaf hai aur acchi hai. Aise hi paanch cheezein bataayi gayi hain.

Verse 23

एकैव तेषां सुचिरं संवेष्ट्यासज्यसंस्थिता । एवं स पशुपालोऽसौ कृतवानञ्जसा नृप ॥ ५१.२३ ॥

Woh ek aurat thi jo unke saath bahut der tak rahi. Chipki rahi, chhuti nahi. Raja, woh gaiyaan charane wala aadmi aaram se kaam kar gaya.

Verse 24

तस्य तल्लाघवं दृष्ट्वा रूपं च नृपतेर्मृधे । त्रिवर्णः पुरुषो राजन्नब्रवीद्राजसत्तमम् ॥ ५१.२४ ॥

Raja ne dekha ki woh kitna tez hai. Aur yudh mein raja ka room bhi dekha. Tab ek teen rang wala aadmi aaya. Woh raja se baat karne laga.

Verse 25

त्वत्पुत्रोऽस्मि महाराज ब्रूहि किं करवाणि ते । अस्माभिर्बन्धुमिच्छद्भिर्भवन्तं निश्चयः कृतः ॥ ५१.२५ ॥

Woh bola, main tumhara beta hoon, maharaj. Tum batao, main tumhare liye kya karoon? Hum log koi apna banda dhundh rahe the. Aur humne faisla kiya ki tum hi sahi ho.

Verse 26

यदि नाम कृताः सर्वे वयं देव पराजिताः । एवमेव शरीरेषु लीनास्तिष्ठाम पार्थिव ॥ ५१.२६ ॥

Agar hum sab haar gaye hain, toh theek hai. Raja, hum shareeron ke andar hi rehenge. Waise hi chipke rahenge.

Verse 27

मर्य्येके तव पुत्रत्वं गते सर्वेषु सम्भवः । एवमुक्तस्ततो राजा तं नरं पुनरब्रवीत् ॥ ५१.२७ ॥

Kuch log tumhare bete ban gaye the. Aur jab woh sab khatam ho gaya, phir se janam ho sakta hai. Yeh sun ke raja ne us aadmi se phir baat ki.

Verse 28

पुत्रो भवति मे कर्त्ता अन्येषामपि सत्तम । युष्मत्सुखैर्नरैर्भावैर्नाहं लिप्ये कदाचन ॥ ५१.२८ ॥

Mera beta kaam karta hai, doosron ke liye bhi. Lekin main kabhi bhi bura nahi hota. Logon ke sukh aur bhaav se main kabhi phansa nahi.

Verse 29

एवमुक्त्वा स नृपतिस्तमात्मजमथाकरॊत् । तैर्विमुक्तः स्वयं तेषां मध्ये स विरराम ह ॥ ५१.२९ ॥

Raja ne yeh baat keh di aur phir apne bete ke paas gaya. Woh logon ne usko chhod diya. Phir woh khud unke beech mein shaant ho gaya.

Inside Adhyaya 51

How it unfolds

  1. Where it opens

    Varāha resumes teaching immediately after Durvāsas’ praise of the supreme Dharaṇī-vrata, situating the vow within a lived ascetic geography as Satyatapās moves toward Himavat near the Puṣpabhadrā river, Citrāśilā rock, and the Bhadravaṭa banyan.

  2. Central event

    Pṛthivī confesses that although she practiced the ancient Dharaṇī-vrata through innumerable kalpas, she has forgotten its full form; by Varāha’s grace she regains jātismaratā (memory across births/cycles) and pivots the discourse by asking about Agastya’s return to King Bhadrāśva and the king’s questions on liberation.

  3. Climax resolution

    Varāha narrates the Agastya–Bhadrāśva dialogue: the king asks how karmic bondage and saṃsāra are cut off and how grief is avoided in embodied and disembodied states; Agastya begins a didactic allegory (the cattle-keeper king, ocean, serpent-forest, tri-colored/multiple beings enveloping him) to model how the self becomes bound by interlocking constituents (read as guṇas/elements/psychosomatic factors), setting the stage for discriminative release.

Geographical context

Himavat (Himalaya region); Puṣpabhadrā nadī; Citrāśilā (rock/stone landmark); Bhadravaṭa (sacred banyan); samudra/mahodadhi (ocean); coastal forest inhabited by serpents.

Tirtha focus

  • Primary TirthaPuṣpabhadrā nadī–Citrāśilā–Bhadravaṭa complex (as a sacralized teaching landscape rather than a formally named pan-Indian tīrtha in the excerpt)
  • Associated RegionHimavat (Himalaya region)
  • Pilgrimage MeritImplied rather than explicitly quantified: the chapter treats rivers, rocks, banyans, mountains, and the ocean as pedagogical-sacral ecologies where vow, memory, and mokṣa-inquiry are activated; merit is framed as dharmic recollection and inner purification rather than a stated numerical phala.

Ritual instructions

  • Primary RitualDharaṇī-vrata (earth-centered vow) as recalled through Varāha’s grace (details not fully enumerated in the provided summary).
  • BenefitRecollection of dharma across cycles (jātismaratā), clarification of the mechanism of karmic bondage, and preparation for mokṣa through discernment and disciplined conduct.

The narrative frame

  • VarāhaPṛthivī (with an embedded dialogue where Agastya instructs King Bhadrāśva) · Didactic and contemplative, moving from vow-recollection to philosophical inquiry through allegorical narration.

The emotional journey

  • Dominant RasaŚānta (tranquil, liberation-oriented contemplation)
  • Emotional ProgressionFrom reverent attention to the ‘supreme vow’ → a moment of loss/forgetting and humility in Pṛthivī → grace-enabled recovery of memory → intensified philosophical urgency in Bhadrāśva’s questions → sober, instructive wonder as the allegory opens the anatomy of bondage.

Planning a pilgrimage

  • Visit FeasibilityPartly identifiable but not securely mappable from the excerpt alone: ‘Puṣpabhadrā’ and ‘Citrāśilā’ occur in multiple Indic toponymic traditions; treat the chapter’s geography primarily as sacral-literary unless corroborated by a specific recension’s māhātmya or local tradition.
  • Best SeasonSpring to early summer in Himalayan foothill regions (practically favorable for riverbank and forest access), or post-monsoon for clearer travel conditions.

Frequently Asked Questions

The chapter frames liberation inquiry (mokṣa-dharma) through Bhadrāśva’s questions to Agastya about how karmic action is severed and grief is avoided across states of embodiment. Agastya’s opening allegory—figures enveloping the king—functions as a model for how the person becomes bound by interrelated forces (often read as guṇas/elements and psychosomatic constituents), implying that discernment and disciplined conduct are prerequisites for release.

No explicit tithi, lunar phase, month, or seasonal timing is stated in the provided verses. Chronology is expressed instead through expansive temporal language (bahu-kalpa-sahasrāṇi) indicating repeated cycles across kalpas.

Environmental emphasis appears through the Dharaṇī-vrata frame: Pṛthivī’s vow is positioned as an ‘uttama’ practice tied to Earth (Dharaṇī) and remembered as a long-duration stewardship ethic. The narrative’s detailed placement in river, mountain, banyan, and coastal-forest ecologies foregrounds landscapes as moral-pedagogical settings, supporting a reading of terrestrial care as integral to dharma and memory of cosmic order.

The chapter references the sage Durvāsas (as prior speaker), Satyatapās (as an ascetic moving to Himavat), the sage Agastya (as instructor), and King Bhadrāśva Śvetavāhana (as royal interlocutor). No extended genealogy is supplied in the excerpt, but the king–sage instructional setting reflects a standard Purāṇic courtly pedagogy.

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