Varaha Purana - Adhyaya 91
Varaha PuranaAdhyaya 9136 Shlokas

Adhyaya 91: The Vaiṣṇavī Goddess on Mount Mandara: Emergence of the Maidens, Construction of the Goddess-City, and Nārada’s Visit

Mandarādri-sthitā Vaiṣṇavī-Devī: Kumārī-sṛṣṭiḥ, Devīpura-nirmāṇaṃ, Nārada-darśanaṃ ca

Mytho-Narrative (Devī-tapas, celestial mediation, and asura-oriented intrigue)

Varāha menceritakan kepada Pṛthivī perihal Dewi Vaiṣṇavī yang bersemayam di Gunung Mandara, menunaikan kaumāra-vrata serta bertapa dengan tekun. Daripada kṣobha (gelora) dalam batinnya, lahirlah kumārī yang tidak terbilang; tanda-tanda bersama mereka dihuraikan, lalu disebut beberapa nama terpilih seperti Vidyutprabhā, Candrakānti dan Sūryakānti. Sang Dewi membina sebuah kota yang indah di puncak gunung, dengan banyak rumah besar dan istana emas, dikelilingi para gadis pengiring yang memegang pāśa dan aṅkuśa, sedangkan baginda tetap teguh dalam tapas. Nārada datang, disambut dengan āsana dan adat layanan tetamu, lalu terpesona akan kecantikan serta vairāgya (ketidakmelekatan) yang tiada bandingan. Kemudian beliau segera menuju ke kota asura Mahiṣa yang dilingkungi lautan, menyampaikan khabar tentang kehadiran Dewi yang luar biasa, lalu menyediakan latar bagi tindak balas pihak asura melalui berita perantara, bukan pertembungan langsung.

Key Concepts

kaumāra-vrata (vow of maidenhood / disciplined continence)tapas (ascetic heat as transformative power)kṣobha (mental agitation as narrative catalyst for emanation)kumārī-gaṇa (multiplicity of feminine attendants/emanations)devīpura-nirmāṇa (sacred urban/architectural imagination on a mountain ecology)atithi-satkāra (hospitality protocol: āsana, pādya, arghya, ācamana)intermediary speech (Nārada as messenger shaping political/ecological outcomes)

In this adhyaya

People

  • VarahaSpeaksVarāha
  • NaradaSpeaksNārada
  • DeviSpeaksDevī (Vaiṣṇavī)
  • MahishaSpeaksMahiṣa (asura)
  • PrithiviSpeaksListensPṛthivī

What happens

  1. How it opens

    Varāha, in dialogue with Pṛthivī, introduces a Vaiṣṇavī Devī residing on Mandarādri, steadfast in kaumāra-vrata and prolonged tapas, establishing an ascetic yet sovereign feminine presence within a mountain setting.

  2. Stories within

    The Vaiṣṇavī Devī’s tapas on Mandara and the emanation of kumārīs from kṣobha; Construction/manifestation of the devī-city (devīpura-nirmāṇa) on the mountain; Nārada’s visit, hospitality reception, and subsequent message to Mahiṣa

  3. The turning point

    A moment of inner kṣobha (mental disturbance/creative agitation) becomes the catalyst for emanation: innumerable kumārīs arise, first described by shared auspicious bodily marks and then by a selective list of named maidens (e.g., Vidyutprabhā, Candrakānti, Sūryakānti). The Devī simultaneously manifests a splendid devī-pura, mansions and golden palaces, populated by attendants bearing pāśa and aṅkuśa, while she remains absorbed in austerity.

  4. How it ends

    Nārada arrives and is received with full atithi-satkāra (āsana, pādya, arghya, ācamana). He marvels at the Devī’s unmatched beauty coupled with dispassion/niṣkāmatā, then departs swiftly to Mahiṣa’s ocean-bounded city, transmitting the report that will precipitate an asura reaction through mediated intelligence rather than immediate battle.

Tirthas

Mandarādri (Mount Mandara); a mountain setting described as Viśālā (as a locale/region); an ocean-adjacent asura city (samudrāntaḥsthitā purī) associated with Mahiṣa; implied cosmographic movement: Brahmaloka → Indraloka → Raudra-loka (as stated) → Acala/Mandara.

  • Mandaradri (Mount Mandara) as a sacralized tapas-site rather than a formally legislated tirtha in this adhyaya’s presentationMain tirthaMandarādri (Mount Mandara) as a sacralized tapas-site rather than a formally legislated tīrtha in this adhyāya’s presentation

    Mandara/Viśālā (as indicated in the narrative locale descriptors; not mapped to a single later pilgrimage circuit within the provided summary)

  • MandaradriMandarādri (Mount Mandara)
  • VishalaViśālā (locale/region descriptor)
  • Samudrantasthita puriSamudrāntaḥsthitā purī (ocean-adjacent asura city of Mahiṣa)
Recitation with translationVaraha Purana Adhyaya 91

Shlokas in Adhyaya 91

Verse 1

श्रीवराह उवाच । या मन्दरगता देवी तपस्तप्तुं तु वैष्णवी । राजसी परमा शक्तिः कौमारव्रतधारिणी ॥

Śrī Varāha bersabda: Dewi yang pergi ke Mandara—Vaiṣṇavī—telah menjalankan tapa untuk bertapa; Dia ialah Śakti tertinggi yang berciri rajas, serta pemegang kaumāra-vrata (nazar kegadisan).

Verse 2

चन्द्रप्रभा गिरिसुता तथा सूर्यप्रभामृता । स्वयम्प्रभा चारुमुखी शिवदूती विभावरी ॥

Dia ialah Candraprabhā, yang bercahaya laksana bulan, puteri gunung (girisutā); juga Sūryaprabhā, bagaikan amerta; Svayamprabhā, yang bersinar dari diri-Nya; Cārumukhī, yang berwajah indah; Śivadūtī, utusan Śiva; dan Vibhāvarī, malam yang bercahaya.

Verse 3

जया च विजया चैव जयन्ती चापराजिता । एताश्चान्याश्च शतशः कन्यास्तस्मिन् पुरोत्तमे ॥

Jayā dan Vijayā, Jayantī dan Aparājitā—mereka ini serta ratusan gadis yang lain berada di kota yang amat utama itu.

Verse 4

देव्याः अनुचराः सर्वाः पाशाङ्कुशधराः शुभाः । ताभिः परिवृता देवी सिंहासनगता शुभा ॥

Semua pengiring Dewi itu penuh berkat, memegang pāśa (jerat) dan aṅkuśa (cangkuk); dikelilingi mereka, Dewi yang mulia bersemayam di atas singgahsana singa.

Verse 5

सुसितैश्चामरैः स्त्रीभिर्वीज्यमाना विलासिनी । कौमारं व्रतमास्थाय तपः कर्तुं समुद्यता ॥

Diipas oleh para wanita dengan cāmara putih bersinar, Sang Jelita itu—setelah menegakkan kaumāra-vrata (nazar kesucian gadis)—bertekad untuk melaksanakan tapa.

Verse 6

यौवनस्था महाभागा पीनवृत्तपयोधरा । चम्पकाशोकपुन्नागनागकेसरदामभिः ॥

Dia berada pada kemuncak usia muda, amat berbahagia, berdada penuh dan bulat, dihiasi untaian bunga campaka, aśoka, punnāga dan nāga-kesara.

Verse 7

सर्वाङ्गेष्वर्चिता देवी ऋषिदेवनमस्कृता । पूज्यमाना वरस्त्रीभिः कुमारिभिः समन्ततः ॥

Dewi itu dihormati pada seluruh anggota tubuh-Nya, disembah hormat oleh para ṛṣi dan para dewa, serta dipuja dari segenap penjuru oleh wanita-wanita utama dan para gadis.

Verse 8

सर्वाङ्गभोगिनी देवी यावदास्ते तपोऽन्विता । तावदागतवांस्तत्र नारदो ब्रह्मणः सुतः ॥

Selagi Dewi Sarvāṅgabhoginī tekun ber-tapa, pada ketika itu Nārada—putera Brahmā—telah tiba di sana.

Verse 9

तं दृष्ट्वा सहसा देवी ब्रह्मपुत्रं तपोधनम् । विद्युत्प्रभामुवाचेदमासनं दीयतामिति । पाद्यमाचमनीयं च क्षिप्रमस्मै प्रदीयताम् ॥

Tatkala melihatnya serta-merta, sang Dewi, memandang putera Brahmā yang kaya dengan pahala tapa itu, berkata kepada Vidyutprabhā: “Berikanlah tempat duduk; dan segeralah persembahkan air basuhan kaki (pādya) serta air untuk ācaman.”

Verse 10

एवमुक्ता तदा देव्याः कन्या विद्युत्प्रभा शुभा । आसनं पाद्यमर्घ्यं च नारदाय न्यवेदयत् ॥

Menurut titah Dewi, gadis yang mulia Vidyutprabhā pun mempersembahkan kepada Nārada tempat duduk, air basuhan kaki, serta persembahan arghya.

Verse 11

ततः कृतासनं दृष्ट्वा प्रणतं नारदं मुनिम् । उवाच वचनं देवी हर्षेण महताऽन्विता ॥

Kemudian, setelah melihat tempat duduk telah disediakan dan resi Nārada menunduk memberi hormat, sang Dewi pun bertutur dengan sukacita yang besar.

Verse 12

सैकाकिनी तपस्तेपे विशालायां तु शोभने । तस्यास्तपन्त्याः कालेन महता क्षुभितं मनः ॥

Seorang diri, dia melakukan tapa di tempat yang luas lagi indah; setelah lama ber-tapa, fikirannya menjadi sangat bergoncang.

Verse 13

स्वागतं भो मुनिश्रेष्ठ कस्माल्लोकादिहागतः । किं कार्यं वद ते कृत्यं मा ते कालात्ययो भवेत् ॥

Selamat datang, wahai resi yang paling utama. Dari loka manakah engkau datang ke sini? Nyatakan tugasmu, agar tiada kelengahan waktu menimpa dirimu.

Verse 14

एवमुक्तस्तदा देव्याः नारदः प्राह लोकवित् । ब्रह्मलोकादिन्द्रलोकं तस्माद्रौद्रमथाचलम् ॥

Apabila dewi bertitah demikian, Nārada, yang mengetahui segala loka, berkata: “Dari Brahmaloka aku ke Indraloka; dari sana ke Raudra, lalu ke gunung.”

Verse 15

ततस्त्वामिह देवेशि द्रष्टुमभ्यागतोऽस्मि शुभे । एवमुक्त्वा मुनिः श्रीमांस्तां देवीमन्ववेक्षत ॥

“Maka, wahai Dewi penguasa para dewa, wahai yang membawa keberkatan, aku datang ke sini untuk menatapmu.” Setelah berkata demikian, sang muni yang mulia memerhati dewi itu dengan saksama.

Verse 16

दृष्ट्वा मुहूर्तं देवेशि विस्मितो नारदोऽभवत् । अहो रूपमहो कान्तिरहो धैर्यमहो वयः ॥

Setelah memandang seketika, wahai Dewi penguasa para dewa, Nārada pun terpegun: “Aduhai, betapa indah rupa! Aduhai, betapa bercahaya! Aduhai, betapa teguh! Aduhai, betapa kuat daya muda!”

Verse 17

अहो निष्कामता देव्याः इति खेदमुपाययौ । देवगन्धर्वसिद्धानां यक्षकिन्नररक्षसाम् ॥

“Aduhai, betapa niskāmatā (bebas daripada nafsu-keinginan) pada sang dewi!”—demikian ia merenung dengan rasa pilu, sambil memikirkan para dewa, gandharva, siddha, yakṣa, kinnara dan rākṣasa.

Verse 18

न रूपमीदृशं क्वापि स्त्रीष्वन्यासु प्रदृश्यते । एवं संचिन्त्य मनसा नारदो विस्मयान्वितः ॥

“Rupa seperti ini tidak terlihat di mana-mana dalam kalangan wanita lain.” Setelah merenung demikian dalam hati, Nārada pun dipenuhi rasa hairan.

Verse 19

प्रणम्य देवीं वरदामुत्पपात नभस्तलम् । गतश्च त्वरया युक्तः पुरीं दैत्येन्द्रपालिताम् ॥

Setelah menunduk sujud kepada Dewi pemberi anugerah, dia pun melompat ke hamparan langit; dan dengan tergesa-gesa dia menuju ke kota yang dijaga oleh raja para Dānava.

Verse 20

महीषाख्येन भूतेषि समुद्रान्तःस्थितां पुरीम् । तत्राससाद भगवानसुरं महीषाकृतिम् ॥

Dia tiba di kota di tepi lautan, yang berkaitan dengan makhluk bernama Mahīṣa; di sana dia bertemu asura yang berwujud kerbau.

Verse 21

दृष्ट्वा लब्धवरं वीरं देवसैन्यान्तकं महत् । स तेन पूजितो भक्त्या तदा लोकचरो मुनिः ॥

Setelah melihat pahlawan agung yang telah memperoleh anugerah—perkasa, pemusnah bala tentera para dewa—maka resi pengembara dunia itu pada saat itu dihormatinya dengan penuh bhakti.

Verse 22

प्रीतात्मा नारदस्तस्मै देव्याः रूपमनुत्तमम् । आचचक्षे यथान्यायं यद्दृष्टं देवतापुरे ॥

Dengan hati yang gembira, Nārada menceritakan kepadanya, menurut tertib yang wajar, tentang rupa Dewi yang tiada bandingan, yang telah dilihatnya di kota para dewa.

Verse 23

तस्मात्क्षोभात्समुत्तस्थुः कुमार्यः सौम्यलोचनाः । नीलकुञ्चितकेशान्ता बिम्बोष्ठायतलोचनाः । नितम्बशनोड्डामा नूपुराढ्याः सुवर्चसः ॥

Daripada kegelisahan itu bangkitlah para gadis—bermata lembut, hujung rambutnya gelap dan berkeriting, bibir laksana buah bimba serta mata yang panjang; berpinggul elok, kaya berhias gelang kaki, dan bersinar dengan seri kemuliaannya.

Verse 24

नारद उवाच । असुरेन्द्र शृणुष्वेकं कन्यारत्नं समाहितः । येन लब्धं तु त्रैलोक्यं वरदानाच्चराचरम् ॥

Nārada berkata: “Wahai raja para asura, dengarlah dengan tumpuan tentang satu permata di antara para gadis; dengan anugerah pemberi-berkatnya, tiga alam—yang bergerak dan yang tidak bergerak—telah diperoleh.”

Verse 25

ब्रह्मलोकादहं दैत्य मन्दराद्रिमुपागतः । तत्र देवीपुरं दृष्टं कुमारिशतसङ्कुलम् ॥

“Wahai Daitya, dari Brahmaloka aku datang ke Mandarādri. Di sana aku melihat kota Sang Dewi, yang dipenuhi ratusan gadis.”

Verse 26

तत्र प्रधानाया कन्या तापसी व्रतधारिणी । सा देवदैत्ययक्षाणां मध्ये काचिन्न दृश्यते ॥

“Di sana, gadis yang paling utama ialah seorang pertapa, pemegang vrata (nazar suci). Bahkan di tengah para dewa, daitya dan yakṣa, dia tidak tampak sebagai insan biasa.”

Verse 27

यादृशी सा शुभा दैत्य तादृश्येकाण्डमध्यतः । भ्रमता तादृशी दृष्ट्वा न कदाचिन्मया सती ॥

“Wahai Daitya, sebagaimana mulianya yang suci itu, yang seumpamanya—ketika aku mengembara di tengah lingkup kosmos (aṇḍa-maṇḍala)—tidak pernah sekalipun aku lihat; demikian agungnya seorang satī.”

Verse 28

तस्याश्च देवगन्धर्वा ऋषयः सिद्धचारणाः । उपासांचक्रिरे सर्वे येऽप्यन्ये दैत्यनायकाः ॥

Para Deva-Gandharva, para Ṛṣi, para Siddha dan Cāraṇa—semuanya—serta para pemimpin Daitya yang lain juga, datang menghadap dan berkhidmat kepada baginda.

Verse 29

तां दृष्ट्वा वरदां देवीमहं तूर्णमिहागतः । अजित्वा देवगन्धर्वान् न तां जयति कश्चन ॥

Setelah melihat dewi pemberi anugerah itu, aku segera datang ke sini. Tanpa terlebih dahulu menewaskan Deva-Gandharva, tiada siapa dapat menundukkan baginda.

Verse 30

एवमुक्त्वा क्षणं स्थित्वा तमनुज्ञाप्य नारदः । यथागतं ययौ धीमानन्तर्धानेन तत्क्षणात् ॥

Setelah berkata demikian dan berhenti seketika, Nārada—sesudah memohon izin daripadanya—berangkat seperti ketika datang, lalu lenyap serta-merta.

Verse 31

एवंविधाः स्त्रियो देव्याः क्षोभिते मनसि द्रुतम् । उत्तस्थुः शतसाहस्राः कोटिशो विविधाननाः ॥

Apabila fikiran Dewi menjadi gelisah, segera bangkitlah wanita-wanita seperti itu—beratus ribu, bahkan hingga berkoṭi-koṭi—dengan wajah yang beraneka ragam.

Verse 32

दृष्ट्वा कुमार्यः सा देवी तस्मिन्नेव गिरौ शुभा । तपसा निर्ममे देवी पुरं हर्म्यशताकुलम् ॥

Melihat para gadis itu, Dewi yang mulia itu, di gunung yang sama, dengan kekuatan tapa telah mencipta sebuah kota yang dipenuhi ratusan mahligai.

Verse 33

विशालरथ्यं सौवर्णप्रासादैरुपशोभितम् । अन्तरजालानि वेश्मानि मणिसोपानवन्ति च । रत्नजालगवाक्षाणि आसन्नोपवनानि च ॥

Di sana terdapat jalan-jalan besar yang luas, dihiasi istana-istana emas; rumah-rumah dengan kisi-kisi di bahagian dalam serta tangga bertatah permata; jendela-jendela bagaikan jalinan ratna, dan taman-taman kesenangan yang berdekatan juga ada.

Verse 34

असंख्यातानि हर्म्याणि तथा कन्या धराधरे । प्राधान्येन प्रवक्ष्यामि कन्यानामानि शोभने ॥

Di sana terdapat istana-istana yang tidak terbilang, dan demikian juga para gadis di atas gunung itu. Wahai yang jelita, akan aku nyatakan, menurut keutamaan, nama-nama para gadis itu secara berurutan.

Verse 35

विद्युत्प्रभा चन्द्रकान्तिः सूर्यकान्तिस्तथाऽपरा । गम्भीरा चारुकेशी च सुजाता मुञ्जकेशिनी ॥

Vidyutprabhā, Candrakānti, dan seorang lagi bernama Sūryakānti; juga Gambhīrā, Cārukeśī, Sujātā, dan Muñjakeśinī.

Verse 36

घृताची चोर्वशी चान्या शशिनी शीलमण्डिता । चारुकन्या विशालाक्षी धन्या पीनपयोधरा ॥

Ghṛtācī dan Urvaśī, serta seorang lagi bernama Śaśinī yang dihiasi keluhuran budi; Cārukanyā, Viśālākṣī, Dhanyā, dan Pīnapayodharā.

Inside Adhyaya 91

Tirtha focus

  • Pilgrimage MeritMerit is implied through proximity to tapas and darśana of the Vaiṣṇavī Devī’s manifested order (devīpura) and disciplined continence; the chapter emphasizes transformative sanctity via austerity rather than enumerating a formal tīrtha-phala.

Ritual instructions

  • Primary RitualKaumāra-vrata supported by tapas; and the model of atithi-satkāra (ritual hospitality) even in an ascetic environment
  • BenefitCultivates spiritual potency through restraint and tapas, and accrues dharmic merit through honoring guests; the narrative frames such discipline as a source of order, charisma, and protective power.

The narrative frame

  • Dialogue ToneReverential, descriptive, and anticipatory—building intrigue through wonder (adbhuta) and strategic foreshadowing via Nārada’s mediation

The emotional journey

  • Dominant RasaAdbhuta (wonder) with a strong undercurrent of Śānta (tranquil ascetic poise)
  • Emotional ProgressionAwe at sustained tapas → astonishment at sudden emanation and celestial urban splendor → reverent admiration during Nārada’s reception → tension/anticipation as information is carried to the asura polity.

Planning a pilgrimage

  • Visit FeasibilityTextually feasible as a contemplative ‘Mandara’ pilgrimage motif, but the adhyāya does not provide enough internal geographic specificity to guarantee a single historical site identification; modern visits typically align with later Mandara/Mandaragiri identifications in regional traditions.

Frequently Asked Questions

The chapter foregrounds disciplined self-regulation through tapas and the kaumāra-vrata, presenting restraint and non-attachment (niṣkāmatā) as a source of power and order. It also models social ethics via formal hospitality (atithi-satkāra) even within ascetic settings.

No explicit tithi, nakṣatra, lunar phase, month, or seasonal marker is specified in the given text. The narrative uses qualitative time (kālena mahatā, “after a long time”) rather than calendrical scheduling.

While not explicitly framed as environmental doctrine, the narrative situates transformative practice within a mountain ecology (Mandarādri) and depicts a non-destructive mode of ‘world-making’—a city manifested through tapas rather than extraction. The episode can be read as emphasizing restraint and disciplined power as stabilizing forces that indirectly support terrestrial balance, aligning with Varāha–Pṛthivī’s broader Earth-centered frame.

The principal cultural figure is Nārada (identified as Brahmā’s son, brahmaṇaḥ sutaḥ), functioning as a trans-lokic mediator. The chapter also references Mahiṣa (an asura leader) and invokes broader classes (deva, gandharva, siddha, cāraṇa, yakṣa, kinnara, rakṣas) rather than specific royal lineages.

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