Varāha Mahā Purana
1 - Earth’s Enquiry about Creation Benedictory Prayer
1. Bowing to Nâràyana, Nara the greatest Man, and goddess Sarasvati, may Jaya be narrated.
2. Adoration to the Varäha (incarnation of God Vishnu) who lifts up the Earth with ease and under whose hoofs the mount Meru (the golden mountain) tinkles.
3. May the foremost God, Varäha, dispel my foes; who is Krishna, Vishnu and the lord of gods; who is the enemy of the demon Kamsa; who killed (the demons) Mura, Naraka and Rävana (in his different incarnations); who, in his huge and extensive form, raised, like a clod of clay, by the tip of his tusk, the Earth encircled by oceans and full of mountains and rivers.
Suta (the Purãna-narrator) said:
4. The Earth asked the Supreme god (Vishnu) as to when, in yore, was she lifted up with force by the mighty god in the form of the boar.
Earth said:
In each Kalpa (cosmic age) O Lord, it is you that raise me up. And I do not know, O Kešhava (Vishnu), your form in the first creation.
6. Again, when the Vedas were stolen (by the demon Hayagrïva), you, in the form of a fish, entering Rasätala.’ (the nether region) took them out and gave them to Brahma.
7. Again, O destroyer of the demon Madhu, on the occasion of churning the milky ocean jointly by gods and demons (for obtaining the divine nectar), you, taking the form of a tortoise, raised up the mountain Mandara (which formed the central churning rod).
8. O illustrious lord of the worlds, you, again, with one of your tusks lifted up me, the Earth, from the deep ocean when I was sinking down to the nether regions.
9. Still again, by you (in your incarnation as Nrusimha (‘man-lion’) was destroyed (the demon) who was haughty on account of the boon (bestowed on him by God Brahmä) and who was tormenting the world.
10. Then, O God, you, (in another of your incarnations) assuming the form of (Parašhuräma, the son of (the Brähmana sage) Jamadagni, made the Earth once devoid of Kshatriya rulers.
11. And, then, (in another of your incarnations as Räma, son of king Dašharatha), through your kingly strength, the demon Rävana was killed by you. O illustrious God, in still another incarnation of yours in the form of Våmana (dwarf), the demon Bali was bound by you.
12. I do not know, O God, even a small portion of your multifarious actions. (Now), after lifting (me up how do you create and why?
13. By whom is the creation destroyed, and by whom is it protected? By whom, O all-pervading one, arc you attainable?
14. How does creation originate and how does it end? How are the aeons (Yugas—Kruta, Tretä, Dväpara and Kali) reckoned and why are there four Yugas?
15. Of them, what is the speciality of the present aeon? And, O great god, what is the desire? Who are the sacrificers? Who are the kings? Who have attamed final emancipation?
16. Be pleased to tell me all this briefly. Being asked thus, the great God in the form of the boar laughed.
17-18. In the belly of that laughing lord, the Mother World saw the (eleven forms of God) Rudra, the several gods (Devas), the (deities called) Vasus, the groups of (semi-divine beings) Siddhas, the great sages, the seven worlds, the sun, the moon and planets and the inhabitants therein performing their duties. All this, the Earth beheld with her entire body shivering.
19. Soon after the great God was seen with his mouth opened wide, He was seen by the Earth in His four-armed form sleeping in the great (milky) ocean.
20. While seeing the God Janärdana (Vishnu) sleeping on the serpent-bed in the ocean, she also saw God Brahma (seated) in the lotus-flower (that sprouted) from His navel. The goddess Earth, with folded hands, extolled Him as follows:
Earth said:
21. Obeisance to you whose eyes resemble lotus-petals, you wearing the yellow garment; obeisance to you, the supreme soul who destroys the enemies of Gods.
22. Obeisance to you sleeping on the bed of (the thousand-hooded serpent) Shesha and bearing (your consort, goddess) Lakshmi on your chest; obeisance to you, O God of gods, the giver of the final liberation.
23. Obeisance to you bearing the bow, sword and disc; you without birth and death; obeisance to you, from whose navel-lotus Brahmä has taken birth.
24. Obeisance to you with tender hands and rosy lips. I surrender myself to you: protect me, this innocent woman.
25. Seeing you as a boar dark like collyrium all over, O Janärdana (Vishnu), I was fear-stricken; and seeing the whole world in your body, I am afraid again. O preserver, now, bestow your benevolence upon me and, O great lord, protect me.
26-27. (May the twelve forms of Vishnu protect me. (Thus) may Kešhava protect my feet, my shanks; may Mädhava protect my hip, Govinda the genitals; may Vishnu protect my navel, Madhusüdana the belly; may Trivikrama protect the breast, Vämana the heart; may Shridhara protect my neck, Hrushikešha my face, Padmanäbha the eyes, and Dämodara the head.
28. Thus having covered herself (as above) with the (twelve) names (of Vishnu), the Earth uttered, “O illustrious Vishnu, I bow to you”, and stopped.
Summary of chapter 1 of the Varāha Mahā Purana is as follows:
The holy inquiry begins as Devarshi Nārada, filled with divine humility and spiritual thirst, approaches the eminent Maharshi Pulastya at a sacred hermitage. Devarshi Nārada inquires about the sublime mysteries of the divine manifestations of Bhagavān Vishṇu, specifically asking why the Supreme Being assumed the form of a dwarf, Vāmana Prabhu, to measure the three worlds. Nārada also asks about the sacred history of Prahlāda, the devout prince who engaged in battle despite his unshakeable devotion to Hari, and the sacred divine union of Mahādeva Śiva and Satī, along with her rebirth as Parvatī. Maharshi Pulastya gratefully receives the divine inquiry and begins recounting the eternal truths of Sanātana Dharma, setting the foundation for the sacred narration of the Vāmana Purāṇa.