Veṅkaṭācala-māhātmya · Chapter 3
Sourceअथ अगस्त्यप्रार्थनया भगवतः सर्वजनदृग्गोचरत्ववर्णनम् ।। ।। श्रीवराह उवाच ।। ।। हन्त ते कथयिष्यामि पुरावृत्तं वरानने ।। शृणु पुण्यं महादेवि सभविष्यं सहोत्तरम् ।। १ ।। वैवस्वतेऽन्तरे देवि पूर्वे कृतयुगेंऽतरे ।। वायोस्तपो महद्दृष्ट्वा श्रीभूमिसहितोऽनघ ।। आगच्छच्छ्रीनिवासश्च स्वामिपुष्करिणीतटे ।। २ ।। दक्षिणेऽस्मिन्पुण्यतम आनन्दाख्यविमानके ।। वसिष्यति च श्रीकांतो वायोः प्रियकरो हरिः ।। ३ ।। तदारभ्य हृषीकेशः सेनान्याराधितोऽनिशम् ।। आकल्पांतमदृश्योऽस्मिन्विमानेऽसौ वसिष्यति ।। ४ ।। ।। धरण्युवाच ।। ।। अदृश्यो भगवान्मर्त्यैः कथ दृश्यो भविष्यति ।। ५ ।। श्रीनिवासोऽपि देवेशो भवद्दक्षिणपार्श्वगः ।। एतद्वद सुराधीश जनैराराध्यते कथम् ।। ६ ।। ।। ।। श्रीवराह उवाच ।। ।। अगस्त्योऽस्मिन्समासाद्य दृष्ट्वा देवं सनातनम् ।। आराध्य द्वादशाब्दं तं प्रीणयित्वा पुनःपुनः ।। ७ ।। ययाचे तत्र सान्निध्यं भवान्दृश्यो भवत्विति ।। एवमुक्तो हृषीकेशः श्रीभूमिसहितो धरे ।। ८ ।। ।। श्रीभगवानुवाच ।। ।। अहं दृश्यो भविष्यामि त्वत्कृते सर्वदेहिनाम् ।। एतद्विमानं देवर्षे न दृश्यं स्यात्कदाचन ।। ९ ।। आकल्पान्तं मुनीन्द्रास्मिन्दृश्योऽहं नात्र संशयः ।। मुनिस्तद्वचनं श्रुत्वा प्रीतः प्रायात्स्वमाश्रमम् ।। 2.1.3.१० ।। ततश्चतुर्भुजो देवः स दृश्योऽभून्नरादिभिः ।। विमाने मुनिचिन्त्येऽस्मिन्नासिता च तथोत्तरम् ।। ११ ।। आराध्यमानः स्कंदेन वायुना सेवितः सदा ।। एवं गते महाकाले चतुर्युगसमन्विते ।। १२ ।। ।।अथ मित्रवर्मण आकाशराजाख्यसुतोत्पत्तिवर्णनम् ।। अष्टाविंशे तु संजाते द्वापरान्ते वसुन्धरे ।। युद्धे च भारतेऽतीते तिष्ये सति युगे तथा ।। १३ ।। विक्रमार्कादयो भूपाः शकाः शूद्रादयस्तथा ।। गमिष्यंति स्वर्गलोकं मामज्ञात्वा वरानने ।। १४ ।। ततः सोमकुलोद्भूतो मित्रवर्मा महारथः ।। तुण्डीरमण्डले राजा नारायणपुरं वसन् ।। १५ ।। भविष्यति वरारोहे महाभाग्योदयो महान् ।। तस्मिञ्छासति भूलोकं धर्मेण पृथिवीपतौ ।। १६ ।। अकृष्टपच्या पृथिवी सर्वसस्यविभूषणा ।। निरीतिकोऽभवत्सर्वो जनो धर्मसमन्वितः ।। १७ ।। तस्य पत्नी समभवत्पांड्यकन्या मनोरमा ।। तस्य जज्ञे कुलोत्तंसो वियन्नामा सुतोऽस्य वै ।। १८ ।। तस्य पत्नी तु धरणी नाम्नासीच्छकवंशजा ।। तस्मिन्राज्यं विनिक्षिप्य मित्रवर्मा नृपोत्तमः ।। १९ ।। ययौ तपोवनं पुण्यं वेंकटाद्रेः समीपतः ।। 2.1.3.२० ।। ।। अथ धरणीतलात्पद्मावत्युत्पत्तिक्रमः ।। ।। आकाशनामा तु महान्राजाभूत्सार्वभौमकः ।। एकदारव्रतो राजा धरणीसक्तचेतनः ।। २१ ।। यज्ञार्थं शोधयामास भुवमारणितीरतः ।। कांचनेन हलेनैव कृष्यमाणे धरातले ।। २२ ।। बीजमुष्टिं विकिरता दृष्टा कन्या धरोद्गता ।। पद्मशय्यागता रम्या सर्वलक्षणलक्षिता ।। २३ ।। तप्तजांबूनदमयी पुत्रिकेव विराजती ।। तां दृष्ट्वा स महीपालो विस्मयोत्फुल्ललोचनः ।। २४ ।। आदाय तनया चेयं ममैवेति पुनःपुनः ।। जहर्ष मंत्रिभिश्चैनं प्राह वागशरीरिणी ।। २५ ।। सत्यं तवैव तनया वर्धयस्व सुलोचनाम् ।। ततः प्रीतमना राजा स्वपुरं प्रविवेश ह ।। २६ ।। आहूय धरणीं देवीमिदमाह महीपतिः ।। देवदत्तामिमां पश्य भूतलादुत्थितां मम ।। २७ ।। आवाभ्यां तदपुत्राभ्यां पुत्रीयं भविता ध्रुवम् ।। इत्युक्त्वा प्रददौ देव्या हस्ते प्रीत्या वियन्नृपः ।। २८ ।। ।। अथ आकाशराजस्य धरण्याख्यपत्न्यां वसुदानाख्यसुतोत्पत्तिः ।। ।। तस्यां गृहं प्रविष्टायां धरणी गर्भमादधौ ।। वियन्नृपश्च सुप्रीतो वीक्ष्य स्निग्धविलोचनाम् ।। २९ ।। उवाच फलिता सुभ्रुर्लता सान्तानिकी च मे ।। 2.1.3.३० ।। अथ सा धरणी देवी काले कमललोचना ।। सुप्रशस्ते मुहूर्ते च स्वोच्चसंस्थेषु पञ्चसु ।। ग्रहेषु सुषुवे पुत्रं मेषस्थे च दिवाकरे ।। ३१ ।। देवदुन्दुभयो नेदुः पुष्पवृष्टिर्गृहेऽपतत् ।। ववौ वायुः सुखस्पर्शस्तज्जन्मदिवसे तदा ।। ३२ ।। पुत्रसूतिप्रवक्तॄणां सुप्रीतः पुत्रजन्मनि ।। सर्वस्वदानमकरोच्छत्रचामर वर्जितम् ।। ३३ ।। कपिलाकोटिदानं च वृषभाणां शताधिकम् ।। दिवसे द्वादशे पुण्ये जातकर्मादिकाः क्रिया ।। चकार नामधेयं च वसुदान इति स्वयम् ।। ३४ ।। ।। श्रीवराह उवाच ।। ।। आकाशतनयो देवि वसुदानो मनोरमः ।। ववृधे दिवसैर्बालः शुक्लपक्ष इवोडुराट् ।। ३५ ।। उपनीतो विनीतोऽसौ गुरुभिर्ब्रह्मपारगैः ।। पितुरस्त्राणि शस्त्राणि मन्त्रवत्सोऽप्यशिक्षत ।। ३६ ।। चतुष्पादं धनुर्वेदं सांगोपांगमधीतवान् ।। पिता तेनातिबलिना दुराधर्षः परैरभूत् ।। ३७ ।। आकाश इव निष्पंको ग्रीष्मे भानुमता युतः ।। वैशाख इव मध्याह्ने दुःसहो दुर्निरीक्षकः ।। ३८ ।। इति श्रीस्कांदे महापुराण एकाशीतिसाहस्र्यां संहितायां द्वितीये वैष्णवखण्डे श्रीवेंकटाचलमाहात्म्ये धरणीवराहसंवादेऽगस्त्यप्रार्थनयाभगवतः सर्वजनदृग्गोचरत्वादिवर्णनंनाम तृतीयोऽध्यायः ।। ३ ।। ।। छ ।।
atha agastyaprārthanayā bhagavataḥ sarvajanadṛggocaratvavarṇanam || || śrīvarāha uvāca || || hanta te kathayiṣyāmi purāvṛttaṃ varānane || śṛṇu puṇyaṃ mahādevi sabhaviṣyaṃ sahottaram || 1 || vaivasvate'ntare devi pūrve kṛtayugeṃ'tare || vāyostapo mahaddṛṣṭvā śrībhūmisahito'nagha || āgacchacchrīnivāsaśca svāmipuṣkariṇītaṭe || 2 || dakṣiṇe'sminpuṇyatama ānandākhyavimānake || vasiṣyati ca śrīkāṃto vāyoḥ priyakaro hariḥ || 3 || tadārabhya hṛṣīkeśaḥ senānyārādhito'niśam || ākalpāṃtamadṛśyo'sminvimāne'sau vasiṣyati || 4 || || dharaṇyuvāca || || adṛśyo bhagavānmartyaiḥ katha dṛśyo bhaviṣyati || 5 || śrīnivāso'pi deveśo bhavaddakṣiṇapārśvagaḥ || etadvada surādhīśa janairārādhyate katham || 6 || || || śrīvarāha uvāca || || agastyo'sminsamāsādya dṛṣṭvā devaṃ sanātanam || ārādhya dvādaśābdaṃ taṃ prīṇayitvā punaḥpunaḥ || 7 || yayāce tatra sānnidhyaṃ bhavāndṛśyo bhavatviti || evamukto hṛṣīkeśaḥ śrībhūmisahito dhare || 8 || || śrībhagavānuvāca || || ahaṃ dṛśyo bhaviṣyāmi tvatkṛte sarvadehinām || etadvimānaṃ devarṣe na dṛśyaṃ syātkadācana || 9 || ākalpāntaṃ munīndrāsmindṛśyo'haṃ nātra saṃśayaḥ || munistadvacanaṃ śrutvā prītaḥ prāyātsvamāśramam || 2.1.3.10 || tataścaturbhujo devaḥ sa dṛśyo'bhūnnarādibhiḥ || vimāne municintye'sminnāsitā ca tathottaram || 11 || ārādhyamānaḥ skaṃdena vāyunā sevitaḥ sadā || evaṃ gate mahākāle caturyugasamanvite || 12 || ||atha mitravarmaṇa ākāśarājākhyasutotpattivarṇanam || aṣṭāviṃśe tu saṃjāte dvāparānte vasundhare || yuddhe ca bhārate'tīte tiṣye sati yuge tathā || 13 || vikramārkādayo bhūpāḥ śakāḥ śūdrādayastathā || gamiṣyaṃti svargalokaṃ māmajñātvā varānane || 14 || tataḥ somakulodbhūto mitravarmā mahārathaḥ || tuṇḍīramaṇḍale rājā nārāyaṇapuraṃ vasan || 15 || bhaviṣyati varārohe mahābhāgyodayo mahān || tasmiñchāsati bhūlokaṃ dharmeṇa pṛthivīpatau || 16 || akṛṣṭapacyā pṛthivī sarvasasyavibhūṣaṇā || nirītiko'bhavatsarvo jano dharmasamanvitaḥ || 17 || tasya patnī samabhavatpāṃḍyakanyā manoramā || tasya jajñe kulottaṃso viyannāmā suto'sya vai || 18 || tasya patnī tu dharaṇī nāmnāsīcchakavaṃśajā || tasminrājyaṃ vinikṣipya mitravarmā nṛpottamaḥ || 19 || yayau tapovanaṃ puṇyaṃ veṃkaṭādreḥ samīpataḥ || 2.1.3.20 || || atha dharaṇītalātpadmāvatyutpattikramaḥ || || ākāśanāmā tu mahānrājābhūtsārvabhaumakaḥ || ekadāravrato rājā dharaṇīsaktacetanaḥ || 21 || yajñārthaṃ śodhayāmāsa bhuvamāraṇitīrataḥ || kāṃcanena halenaiva kṛṣyamāṇe dharātale || 22 || bījamuṣṭiṃ vikiratā dṛṣṭā kanyā dharodgatā || padmaśayyāgatā ramyā sarvalakṣaṇalakṣitā || 23 || taptajāṃbūnadamayī putrikeva virājatī || tāṃ dṛṣṭvā sa mahīpālo vismayotphullalocanaḥ || 24 || ādāya tanayā ceyaṃ mamaiveti punaḥpunaḥ || jaharṣa maṃtribhiścainaṃ prāha vāgaśarīriṇī || 25 || satyaṃ tavaiva tanayā vardhayasva sulocanām || tataḥ prītamanā rājā svapuraṃ praviveśa ha || 26 || āhūya dharaṇīṃ devīmidamāha mahīpatiḥ || devadattāmimāṃ paśya bhūtalādutthitāṃ mama || 27 || āvābhyāṃ tadaputrābhyāṃ putrīyaṃ bhavitā dhruvam || ityuktvā pradadau devyā haste prītyā viyannṛpaḥ || 28 || || atha ākāśarājasya dharaṇyākhyapatnyāṃ vasudānākhyasutotpattiḥ || || tasyāṃ gṛhaṃ praviṣṭāyāṃ dharaṇī garbhamādadhau || viyannṛpaśca suprīto vīkṣya snigdhavilocanām || 29 || uvāca phalitā subhrurlatā sāntānikī ca me || 2.1.3.30 || atha sā dharaṇī devī kāle kamalalocanā || supraśaste muhūrte ca svoccasaṃstheṣu pañcasu || graheṣu suṣuve putraṃ meṣasthe ca divākare || 31 || devadundubhayo neduḥ puṣpavṛṣṭirgṛhe'patat || vavau vāyuḥ sukhasparśastajjanmadivase tadā || 32 || putrasūtipravaktṝṇāṃ suprītaḥ putrajanmani || sarvasvadānamakarocchatracāmara varjitam || 33 || kapilākoṭidānaṃ ca vṛṣabhāṇāṃ śatādhikam || divase dvādaśe puṇye jātakarmādikāḥ kriyā || cakāra nāmadheyaṃ ca vasudāna iti svayam || 34 || || śrīvarāha uvāca || || ākāśatanayo devi vasudāno manoramaḥ || vavṛdhe divasairbālaḥ śuklapakṣa ivoḍurāṭ || 35 || upanīto vinīto'sau gurubhirbrahmapāragaiḥ || piturastrāṇi śastrāṇi mantravatso'pyaśikṣata || 36 || catuṣpādaṃ dhanurvedaṃ sāṃgopāṃgamadhītavān || pitā tenātibalinā durādharṣaḥ parairabhūt || 37 || ākāśa iva niṣpaṃko grīṣme bhānumatā yutaḥ || vaiśākha iva madhyāhne duḥsaho durnirīkṣakaḥ || 38 || iti śrīskāṃde mahāpurāṇa ekāśītisāhasryāṃ saṃhitāyāṃ dvitīye vaiṣṇavakhaṇḍe śrīveṃkaṭācalamāhātmye dharaṇīvarāhasaṃvāde'gastyaprārthanayābhagavataḥ sarvajanadṛggocaratvādivarṇanaṃnāma tṛtīyo'dhyāyaḥ || 3 || || cha ||
English translation
Summary: Manifestation of the Lord to the Eyes of Everyone at the Request of Agastya .
Note: This and the following chapters follow closely the story in VrP, Part II, Chapters 3 ff. The names Viyad or Ākāśa and Dharaṇī remind us of Vedic Dyāvāpṛthivī and the finding of a baby daughter from the bowels of the earth is similar to the ‘birth’ (finding) of Sītā by Janaka while ploughing the sacrificial place.
Śrī Varāha said :
1. Well, I shall relate to you an ancient incident, O lady of excellent face. Listen to the meritorious episode, O great Goddess, along with the sequel and the future.
2-3. Formerly, O Goddess, in the Vaivasvata Manvantara in the first Kṛta Yuga , O sinless lady, Śrīnivāsa accompanied by Śrī and Bhūmi saw the great penance of Vāyu and came to the bank of Svāmipuṣkariṇī.
Śrīkānta (‘the beloved of Śrī’) Hari , desirous of doing what is pleasing to Vāyu, shall stay in this southern meritorious shore in the splendid palace (‘ Vimāna ’) named Ānanda .
4. Ever since then Hṛṣīkeśa constantly propitiated by Lord Kārttikeya shall abide in this palace till the end of the Kalpa but (be) invisible.
Dharaṇī said :
5-6. How will the invisible Lord Śrīnivāsa, the Lord of Devas occupying your right side, be visible to human beings? Tell, O Lord of Suras , how he is (to be) propitiated by people?
Śrī Varāha replied :
7-10. Agastya reached this place and visited the eternal Deva (Lord). He propitiated him for twelve years, delighting him again and again. He prayed for the presence of the Lord, “May Your Lordship be visible.” Hṛṣīkeśa who was accompanied by Śrī and Bhūmi (said as follows), O Dharā :
The Lord said :
O celestial sage, for your sake I shall be visible to all the embodied beings, but this Vimāna will never be visible. Till the end of the Kalpa, O great sage, I shall be undoubtedly visible in this place.
On hearing those words the sage became delighted and returned to his hermitage.
11-12. Thereafter, the Four-armed Lord became visible to human beings and others. Later on he will sit in the Vimāna worthy of being meditated upon by sages (?), being propitiated by Skanda and always served by Wind-god. Thus a great deal of time elapsed along with several sets of four Yugas .
[ The Birth of a Son Named Ākāśarāja to Mitravarmā ]:—
13-20. The twenty-eighth cycle of four Yugas started, O Vasundharā . At the end of Dvāpara the Bhārata war took place and then Kali Yuga set in. Vikramārka and other kings, Śakas and Śūdras and others will pass away without knowing or realizing me, O lady of excellent face. Then the mighty warrior Mitravarman born of the Lunar race will become the king of Tuṇḍīra Maṇḍala (country round Kāñcī ) and reside in the city of Nārāyaṇapura . [1] He will be supreme with great rise in good fortune. When that king rules over the earth righteously, the earth became (i.e. will become) productive of plenty of fruits without being cultivated. It was (i.e. will be) adorned with plenty of plants and vegetation. There was no natural calamity such as drought, too much of rain and the like. All the people were virtuous.
A charming daughter of the Pāṇḍya king was his wife. A son named Viyat (i.e. Ākāśa, Sky) was bora to him. He was an ornament unto the whole race. His wife named Dharaṇī was born of the family of Śakas. Entrusting the kingdom to his care, the excellent king Mitravarmā went to a meritorious penance-grove near Veṅkaṭādri .
[ Padmāvatī Comes out of the Bowels of the Earth ]:—
21-23. The great king named Ākāśa became an emperor. He observed the vow of having only one wife. The king was mentally attached to Dharaṇī (his wife). He cleared the ground on the banks of the river Araṇī for the sake of a Yajña (‘sacrifice’). When the surface of the ground was being ploughed by means of a golden plough, a girl was seen coming out of the ploughed land as he was scattering a handful of seeds. The girl was lying on a bed of lotuses. She was beautiful with all characteristic features.
24-25. She shone like a doll made of gold. On seeing her the king was struck with wonder. His eyes beamed like a full blown (lotus). Taking the child with him, he rejoiced in the company of his ministers saying repeatedly, “This is my daughter.”
An ethereal voice then spoke to him:
26-28. “It is true. This is your own daughter. Bring up this excellent-eyed girl.” Then delighted in his mind the king entered his city calling the queen Dharaṇī. He spoke thus: “Look at this girl granted by the Lord to me. She has come out of the earth. Since we are childless, this girl shall certainly be our daughter.” After saying this, king Viyat (Ākāśa) handed over the child to the queen.
[ Birth of a Son Named Vasudāna to King ākāśa and His Wife Called Dharaṇī ]:—
29-31. As soon as the child entered the abode, queen Dharaṇī conceived. King Viyat was extremely pleased on seeing the lady with beaming glossy eyes. He said: “O lady with splendid eyebrows, the creeper in the form of the continuity of my race has borne fruit.”
Then at the proper time queen Dharaṇī with lotus-like eyes gave birth to a son in a splendid Muhūrta when five Planets were in their ascendant position and the Sun was in the Zodiac Aries.
32. On the day of his birth divine drums were beaten. A shower of flowers fell on the abode (i.e. palace of the king). A gentle breeze pleasing to the touch blew.
33. To the persons who came to inform and congratulate him on the birth of the son the king gave as gift everything he had except the royal Umbrella and the Chowries. [2]
34. He made a gift of a crore of tawny-coloured cows. More than a hundred bulls were gifted. On the auspicious twelfth day he performed all the post-natal holy rites. The boy was named Vasudāna.
Śrī Varāha said :
35. O gentle lady, the charming son of Ākāśa named Vasudāna grew up everyday like the crescent moon in the bright half of a month.
36. The sacred-thread investiture was duly performed. He was educated and trained by preceptors who had mastered the Vedic lore. He learned from his father the wielding of weapons and missiles along with their Mantras .
37. He learned the science of archery consisting of four divisions along with their ancillary subjects and subsidiary activities. Thanks to that powerful son, the father became extremely invincible to enemies.
38. He was as free from mud and stain as the sky in Summer along with the Sun. He was unbearable to look at like the sky at midday during the month of Vaiśākha .
[1]: [1] : As the capital of the country Tuṇḍira or Toṇḍa Maṇḍala, it should have been identical with Kāñcī. But Nārāyaṇapura is on the bank of Araṇī—a river in Toṇḍa Maṇḍala (infra 5.46). And the path to it from Veṅkaṭādri (infra 5.38-46) confirms its being different from Veṅkaṭādri.
[2]: [2] : These are royal insignia which a ruling monarch is prohibited to gift.
Complete chapter-aligned witnesses. Sanskrit Wikisource page 20278, revision 105265 (2017-03-19T23:07:00Z). English is G. V. Tagare’s complete translation, controlled against its chapter page at https://www.wisdomlib.org/hinduism/book/the-skanda-purana/d/doc370682.html and the archival publication witness. The witnesses are aligned at chapter level; no unsupported verse-by-verse equivalence is asserted.