Varāha Mahā Purana
49 - Padmanabhadvadashi
Durvasas said:
1. In the same manner, on the Dvadashi day in the bright half of the month of Ashvayuja (Tula) lord Padmanabha should be worshipped.
2-3. The feet should be worshipped as Padmanabha, the waist as Padmayoni, the belly as Sarvadeva, the chest as Pushkaraksha, the hands as Avyaya, the weapons as before, and head as Prabhava, and then, as already described earlier, the pot should be placed and over it the golden image of Padmanabha.
4. After performing worship with sandal, flowers etc., early in the morning the next day it should be gifted to a Brahmin.
5. Listen to the result accruing from the observance of this.
6. In the Krutayuga there was a valiant king named Bhadrashva. His kingdom also came to be known by his name Bhadrashva.
7. Once sage Agastya came to him and said that he would stay with him for a week. The king, with bowing head, agreed with pleasure.
8. The king’s wife by name Kantimati was so beautiful that she had the splendour of a dozen suns.
9. She had five hundred co-wives but they were all devoted to her and they attended on her like servants.
10-11. Agastya saw her in her radiant beauty, the co-wives earnestly serving her and the king being delighted at her happiness.
12. He was very glad to see all this and exclaimed, “O Lord of the worlds, how good in this!”
13. On the second day seeing the beaming queen, Agastya exclaimed, “The whole world has been acquired”.
14-15. On the third day, seeing her he said, “Fools do not know lord Vishnu, who by a single day’s propitiation has given this king this gift”.
16-18. On the fourth day, he threw up his arms and exclaimed, “well done, lord of the world! well done, women and Shudras! well done, Brahmins! well done Kshatriyas! well done Vaishyas! well done Bhadrashva! well done Agastya! well done Prahlada!, well done Dhruva!, Saying thus Agastya danced in joy before the king.
19. The king with his queen, seeing him thus immersed in joy, asked him the cause of his delight.
Agastya said:
20-21. “You are a foolish king, all your followers are fools, your priests are also so, since they do not understand me”.
22. Told thus, the king with folded hands, requested him to be sympathetic and tell him clearly so that he could understand.
Agastya said:
23. “In the former life, this queen was a servant in the house of the Vaishya Haridatta, and you were her husband, a Shudra serving in the same household.
24-25. The Vaishya, observing Dvadashi in the month of Ashvayuja, went to the temple of Vishnu and after worshipping there with flowers, incense etc., left you both there to keep guard and to keep the lamps burning.
26. When the Vaishya was gone, you were both engaging yourselves in keeping the lamps burning throughout night.
27-28. In course of time both of you died, and due to the merit, you had acquired (by attending to the duty assigned to you by the Vaishya in the temple), you were born in the family of Priyavrata and this queen, who was originally servant of the Vaishya, became your wife.
29-30. If this is the result of simply keeping the lamp burning in the temple for another’s sake, it is beyond words to state the effect of doing such a thing for one’s own sake. Hence, I said ‘O lord of the worlds, how good is this!”.
31-32. The merit acquired by the worship for one year in Krutayuga, is acquired by the same for half a year in Tretayuga, by quarter of a year in Dvaparayuga and by the mere utterance of the name ‘Narayana’ in Kaliyuga.
33. Hence, I exclaimed ‘the whole world has been acquired’.
34. The result of burning the lamp before for author’s sake is what has been gained by you. Hence, I exclaimed ‘Fools do not know effect of serving Hari’.
35. Since the Brahmins and Kshatriyas perform with devotion sacrifices of various kinds they were hailed by me.
36. I do not find in this world anything more worthy than the worship of Vishnu. Hence, I congratulated myself saying ‘O Agastya, well done’.
37. That woman is blessed who attends on her husband, because that kind of service is an indirect service of god. A Shudra who does so, is even more blessed.
38. That woman and that Shudra are blessed, if they attend on the twice-born. Hence, I said “Well done, women and Shudras”.
39. Although born in the Asura clan, Prahlada proclaimed that he knew none other than Purushottama (Vishnu). Hence, I said “Well done Prahlada”.
40-41. Dhruva who belonged to the line of Brahma, went to the forest when he was but a boy, and there worshipping Vishnu attained an extremely glorious position. Hence, I said “Well done Dhruva!”.
42. Hearing these words of the great Agastya, the king sought his advice, but the sage was leaving for the tirtha Pushkara.
43. Bhadrashva followed him to get his advice, and he was then told about this Dvadashivrata by the sage.
Durvasas said:
44. “O sage, I have told you this much”. Agastya then told the king:
45. “I am leaving for Pushkara, but you will be blessed with good sons”. So saying, the sage suddenly disappeared.
46. By observing this Padmanabhadvadashi as prescribed and with fasting, the king attained the height of glory in this world.
47. Enjoying all pleasures surrounded by children and grandchildren, he finally reached the world of Vishnu with the blessings of Padmanabha.
Summary of chapter 49 of the Varāha Mahā Purana is as follows:
The battle intensifies as the mighty demon generals Jambha and Kujambha enter the front lines, unleashing torrential barrages of mystical arrows and illusions against the divine army. Bhagavān Vishṇu and the celestial guardians intervene, counteracting the dark sorcery with divine discus and tridents that pierce through the demonic defenses. In a climax of divine valor, the demonic commanders Jambha and Kujambha are slain on the battleground, their defeat shattering the morale of the remaining asura forces.