Agnipurana 114

English (machine translation) 114

Language: English

114.4 — 4 parts
114.14 — 9 parts
114.21 — 1 part
114.25 — 8 parts
114.34 — 11 parts
114.41 — 16 parts

114.1

Agni said:
I shall describe the glory of Gayā, the most excellent of supreme sacred fords.
The demon Gayāsura performed ascetic austerity. Tormented by his ascetic austerity, the gods

114.2

spoke to Viṣṇu residing in the Milk Ocean: “Protect us from Gayāsura!”
Saying “So be it,” Hari said to the daitya: “Ask a boon.”

114.3

The daitya said: “May I become purer than all sacred fords.”
Saying “So be it,” Viṣṇu departed. Having seen the daitya, or not [even] seeing Hari,

114.4

[all creatures] went to heaven; the earth was empty, as were the gods, Brahmā and the other deities.

114.4.p3

2 'tattapastāpitaiḥ' in manuscripts ga, gha, and jha

114.4.p4

3 'brahmādayaḥ punaḥ' in manuscripts kha, ga, gha, ṅa, cha, ja, and jha / p. 380

114.4_2

The gods went and said to Hari: “O Hari! The earth and the third heaven are empty,

114.5

merely from the sight of the daitya!” Hari said to Brahmā:
“For the sake of a sacrifice, request the body of the daitya together with the gods.”

114.6

Having heard that, Brahmā together with the gods said to Gayāsura:
“As a guest, I request your pure body for a sacrifice.”

114.7

Gayāsura said “So be it,” and fell upon his head.
When [the demon] shook, the lord performed the sacrifice, [offering] the final oblation upon the body.

114.8

Brahmā spoke again to Viṣṇu: “At the time of completion, the asura moved.”
Viṣṇu then summoned Dharma and said: “The stone imbued with the deities—

114.9

all you gods, place it upon him; may those [gods] remain upon it.
Then my form, Gadādhara, shall abide there together with the immortals.”

114.10

Having heard that, Dharma placed the supreme stone imbued with the deities [upon him],
who was born as the daughter Dharmavratā from Dharma and Dharmavatī.

114.11

Marīci, the son of Brahmā, married her, who was endowed with ascetic austerity.
As Hari delighted with Śrī, and Śambhu with Gaurī, so did he with her.

114.12

Bringing kuśa grass, flowers, and other items from the forest, overwhelmed with fatigue,
having eaten, he said to Dharmavratā: “Massage my feet.”

114.13

Saying “So be it,” the beloved massaged the feet of the rested sage.
In the meantime, while the sage was asleep, Brahmā arrived.

114.14

Dharmavratā thought: “Shall I worship Brahmā,
or continue massaging the feet? Brahmā is the guru of my guru, worthy of worship.”

114.14.p2

1 'tac chrutvā satvaro brahmā' in manuscript ṅa

114.14.p4

3 'dehe pūrṇāhutim' in manuscripts kha, cha, and ja

114.14.p5

4 'dehamayīm' in manuscripts ga, cha, and ja

114.14.p7

6 'samānīya śramānvitaḥ' in manuscript ja

114.14.p8

7 'supte samāgataḥ' in manuscripts gha, ṅa, ja, and jha

114.14.p9

8 The passage beginning with 'dharmavratā' and ending with 'gurorguruḥ' is absent in manuscript cha / p. 381

114.15

Having reflected, she worshipped Brahmā with offerings of hospitality and the like.
Marīci saw her and, because of the breach of his instruction, cursed [her]:

114.16

“You shall become a stone!” Out of anger, Dharmavratā said to him:
“Abandoning the rubbing of your feet, your guru was worshipped by me.

114.17

Since I am blameless, you will certainly receive a curse from Śaṅkara.”
Bearing her own curse, Dharmavratā entered into the midst of fire.

114.18

She performed ascetic austerity for tens of thousands of years.
Then the gods, headed by Viṣṇu, said: “Ask a boon.”

114.19

Dharmavratā said to the gods: “Avert my curse!”
The gods said:
“The curse was given by Marīci; it cannot be otherwise.

114.20

You shall become a holy stone, marked with the feet of the gods,
Devavratā, the divine stone, embodying all the gods and foremost deities,

114.21

imbued with all the gods, sacred, and immovable upon the asura.”

114.21_2

“If you are all pleased with me, may you abide upon me at all times,

114.22

Brahmā, Viṣṇu, the Rudras and others, and the deities headed by Gaurī and Lakṣmī.”
Agni said:
Having heard Devavratā's words and saying “So be it,” they went to heaven.

114.23

That stone imbued with the deities was placed on the demon's [head] by Dharma.
The daitya, along with the stone, moved; thereupon Rudra and the others stood [upon him].

114.24

Even along with the gods, the daitya shook; then he was propitiated by the gods.
Hari residing in the Milk Ocean gave his own form, the glorious Gadādhara,

114.25

[saying:] “Depart, O gods! I myself will go in a form accessible to the deities.”

114.25.p2

1 'marīcistāmapaśyadvai' in manuscript gha

114.25.p3

2 'dharmavratābravīdvacaḥ' in manuscript ja

114.25.p4

3 'pavitrā devānāṃ vanditā tvam' in manuscript gha

114.25.p5

4 'sarvatīrthamayī' in manuscripts gha and jha

114.25.p7

6 "gacchetyuktvā svayaṃ gacchet" in manuscript jha.; "gacchantūktvā svayaṃ yāsye" in kha. and cha.

114.25.p8

7 "mūrtyā devaikagamyayā" in gha. and ṅa.

114.25_2

The god Gadādhara, whose nature is both manifest and unmanifest, stood [there].

114.26

For the sake of immobility, the god himself stood as Ādigadādhara. / Formerly, an Asura, a Daitya named Gada, was slain by Viṣṇu.

114.27

From his bones the primeval mace was fashioned by Viśvakarman. / With that primeval mace, the Rākṣasas headed by Heti were slain.

114.28

by Gadādhara according to rule; therefore, he is Ādigadādhara. / And when Ādigadādhara stood upon the stone that consists of the gods,

114.29

and the Gayāsura became motionless, Brahmā offered the final oblation. / Gayāsura said to the gods: "Why was I deceived?

114.30

By Viṣṇu's word alone, would I not have become motionless? / If I have been subdued, O gods, you ought to grant me a boon."

114.31

The gods said: / "Because you were made motionless by us for the creation of a sacred ford, / [this] field shall belong to you, and to Viṣṇu, Śambhu, and Brahmā.

114.32

Renowned above all sacred fords, it shall bestow the world of Brahmā upon ancestors and others." / Having spoken thus, those gods remained, and the goddesses, the sacred fords, and others remained.

114.33

Having performed the sacrifice, Brahmā then gave the sacrificial fee to the officiating priests: / the Gayākṣetra of five krośas, and he bestowed fifty-five

114.34

villages, having made mountains of gold, rivers flowing with milk and honey, / lakes with curds and clarified butter, and many mountains of food and the like,

114.34.p3

2 "tadaṅgānnirmitā" in jha.; "tadarthā nirmitā" in cha.

114.34.p5

4 The reading beginning with "gado nāmāsuraḥ" and ending with "tasmādādigadādharaḥ" is absent in the manuscript ja.

114.34.p11

10 "dadhyādyair bahūnannādiparvatān" in ja.

114.35

the wish-granting cow, the wish-granting tree, and houses of gold and silver. / Saying, "Let the foremost of Brahmins not beg for little," the Lord gave [them].

114.36

When, having accepted wealth and other things out of greed at the sacrificial rite of Dharma, / they remained at Gayā, they were then cursed by Brahmā:

114.37

"You shall become devoid of learning and filled with craving! / The rivers shall be devoid of milk and the like, and the mountains will become mere stone."

114.38

The Brahmins said to Brahmā: "Everything has been destroyed by the curse! / Show us favor for our livelihood." And he said to the Brahmins:

114.39

"You shall subsist on the sacred ford as long as the moon and sun endure. / Those men who, having come to Gayā, will worship you

with sacrificial offerings to the gods and ancestral offerings, with wealth, and with ancestral rites, a hundred generations of their family shall go / from hell to the heavenly realm, and from the heavenly realm to the supreme state."

114.41

Gaya also performed a sacrifice with abundant food and bountiful sacrificial fees. / The city was named Gayā after him; there the Pāṇḍavas worshipped Hari.