Varāha Mahā Purana
3 - Birth of Närada
Priyavrata said:
1. Tell me, O divine sage, all your doings in the other birth. I am deeply interested to know them.
Närada said:
2. When I bathed in the lake of Vedas at the behest of Sävitri (the mother of Vedas), O great king, I got memory of my doings in numerous previous lives. Listen to the happenings in my past life.
3-4. In the Krutayuga, in the country named Avanti, I was born as a Brahmin by name Särasvata, very intelligent, well versed in the Vedas and Vedäñgas, served by many attendants and possessing a lot of wealth.
5. Then, in solitude, I thought: “What shall I do with (material) things that are (mainly) pairs of opposites (like good and evil, cold and heat, etc.)? So, giving all this to my sons, I shall go to the lake Särasvata with determination to perform penance.”
6. Having thought thus, I propitiated Vishnu with rituals, the manes with Shräddhas, and the gods and men with sacrifices.
7. Then, I went to the lake Särasvata with full resolve to perform penance.
8. Reaching there, I worshipped Vishnu, auspicious and primordial spirit, uttering (the sacred name) ‘Näräyana’ with great devotion.
9. When I recited the great hymn (by name) Brahmapära, O king, the Lord was pleased and he appeared before me.
Priyavrata asked:
10. I wish to hear, O excellent sage, the nature of the (hymn) Brahmapãra. Be pleased to tell me this clearly, O divine sage.
Narada replied:
11. I bow to Vishnu who is higher than the highest, farther than the farthest, the most powerful, the eternal and the refuge of all.
12. I bow to the illustrious Lord Vishnu, the eternal, the incomparable, the ancient, the farthest, the most effulgent, the foremost among the most intelligent.
13. With pure mind I extol Näräyana, the highest, the Supreme, the important, the great refuge, pure and extensive, and the Almighty.
14. May the stainless and ancient Näräyana protect me. He who, in yore, created this Pura (body) namely Prakruti and residing therein, has become known as Purusha (spirit).
15. I always extol Vishnu the great and auspicious, of endless form, the most ancient, the foremost among the just, possessing fortitude and peace and the lord of earth.
16. I extol the great immortal god Näräyana, possessing thousand heads and numerous feet and hands, having the sun and the moon as his eyes, and sleeping in the milky ocean.
17. I bow to the immeasurable Näräyana, Triyuga ( the creator, protector and destroyer), who can be attamed by three Vedas (Ruk, Yajus and Säma), who has twenty-eight forms, who stands firmly in Trishukla (the sacred combination of three days, namely Uttaräyana, the day of gods; the bright-half of the moon, the day of the manes; and the day-time), who is divided into three sacred fires (Dakshina, Gärhapatya and Ähavaniya), who can be seen by the three qualities (Sattva, Rajas and Tamas and who has three eyes.
18. I bow to Vishnu, the ancient one, who is white in Krutayuga, red in Tretäyuga, yellow in Dväparayuga and black in Kaliyuga.
19. I bow to Him who has the world as his body and who created Brahmins (the caste of priests) from his mouth, kshatriyas (the caste of kings) from his breast, Vaišhyas (the caste of merchants etc.) from his thighs and Šhüdras (the caste of servants) from his feet.
20, I bow to the immeasurable Näräyana, the supreme entity, the highest of the highest, the lord of fighters, who took the form of Krishna with a purpose, and who holds in the hands mace, sword and nectar”.
21. Thus extolled by me the god was pleased and several times asked me in a voice majestic like the rumbling of clouds, to seek a boon. I sought the union with Him.
22. Having heard this the eternal god told me: ‘‘O Brahmin, attain the original nature. That will lead to the aim.
23. Water is Nara. You give it to the manes. There fore your name will be ‘Näradå’
24. Saying thus, the god immediately disappeared. Then after doing penance for a long time I gave up my body and got dissolved into the Brahmaloka (the world of the creator) and rose there, O king.
25-26. Then the day was created along with ten sons. It is the beginning of the day of the mysteriously-born god Brahma, no doubt, with the creation of all the gods and others. This is the creation of all the worlds by the prowess of the lord.
27. This is my previous birth, O King, about which you asked me.
28. Since by meditating on Näräyana, I attamed greatness, you also, O best of kings, be a devotee of Vishnu.
Summary of chapter 3 of the Varāha Mahā Purana is as follows:
Following the tragic dissolution of Daksha's sacrifice, Mahādeva Śiva, overcome with deep grief and divine detachment, roams the sacred realms carrying the holy frame of Satī Devi until Bhagavān Vishṇu uses his divine discus to dismember the body, establishing the revered Śakti Pīṭhas across the earth. Afterwards, a profound cosmic dialogue takes place between Hari and Hara, wherein the essential non-difference and eternal identity of Bhagavān Vishṇu and Parameśvara Śiva are revealed to the devas and ṛshis. The two supreme manifestations of the Divine affirm that whoever perceives duality between Hari and Hara remains bound in ignorance, whereas those who honor both with equal devotion attain ultimate liberation and eternal peace.