How Agastya's Prayer Made the Lord Visible to All

Verse 1 (skanda.2.3.1)

श्रीवराह उवाच। हन्त ते कथयिष्यामि पुरावृत्तं वरानने। शृणु पुण्यं महादेवि सभविष्यं सहोत्तरम्

śrīvarāha uvāca| hanta te kathayiṣyāmi purāvṛttaṁ varānane| śṛṇu puṇyaṁ mahādevi sabhaviṣyaṁ sahottaram

Sri Varaha said: Well then, O fair-faced one, I shall tell you an ancient happening. Listen, O great goddess, to this sacred tale, together with what is yet to come and its sequel.

Verse 2 (skanda.2.3.2)

वैवस्वतेऽन्तरे देवि पूर्वे कृतयुगेंऽतरे। वायोस्तपो महद्दृष्ट्वा श्रीभूमिसहितोऽनघ। आगच्छच्छ्रीनिवासश्च स्वामिपुष्करिणीतटे

vaivasvate'ntare devi pūrve kṛtayugeṁ'tare| vāyostapo mahaddṛṣṭvā śrībhūmisahito'nagha| āgacchacchrīnivāsaśca svāmipuṣkariṇītaṭe

O goddess, in a former time, within the Krita age of the Vaivasvata Manvantara, having beheld the great austerity of Vayu, O sinless one, Srinivasa, together with Sri and Bhu, came to the bank of Svamipushkarini.

Verse 3 (skanda.2.3.3)

दक्षिणेऽस्मिन्पुण्यतम आनन्दाख्यविमानके। वसिष्यति च श्रीकांतो वायोः प्रियकरो हरिः

dakṣiṇe'sminpuṇyatama ānandākhyavimānake| vasiṣyati ca śrīkāṁto vāyoḥ priyakaro hariḥ

In this most sacred vimana called Ananda, to the south, Hari, the beloved of Sri, will dwell, gladdening Vayu.

Verse 4 (skanda.2.3.4)

तदारभ्य हृषीकेशः सेनान्याराधितोऽनिशम्। आकल्पांतमदृश्योऽस्मिन्विमानेऽसौ वसिष्यति

tadārabhya hṛṣīkeśaḥ senānyārādhito'niśam| ākalpāṁtamadṛśyo'sminvimāne'sau vasiṣyati

From that time onward, Hrishikesha, ceaselessly worshipped by Senani (Kartikeya), will dwell invisibly in this vimana until the end of the kalpa.

Verse 5 (skanda.2.3.5)

धरण्युवाच। अदृश्यो भगवान्मर्त्यैः कथ दृश्यो भविष्यति

dharaṇyuvāca| adṛśyo bhagavānmartyaiḥ katha dṛśyo bhaviṣyati

Dharani said: How will the Lord, invisible to mortals, become visible?

Verse 6 (skanda.2.3.6)

श्रीनिवासोऽपि देवेशो भवद्दक्षिणपार्श्वगः। एतद्वद सुराधीश जनैराराध्यते कथम्

śrīnivāso'pi deveśo bhavaddakṣiṇapārśvagaḥ| etadvada surādhīśa janairārādhyate katham

And Srinivasa, the Lord of gods stationed at your right side — how will he be worshipped by people? Tell me this, O Lord of the gods.

Verse 7 (skanda.2.3.7)

श्रीवराह उवाच। अगस्त्योऽस्मिन्समासाद्य दृष्ट्वा देवं सनातनम्। आराध्य द्वादशाब्दं तं प्रीणयित्वा पुनःपुनः

śrīvarāha uvāca| agastyo'sminsamāsādya dṛṣṭvā devaṁ sanātanam| ārādhya dvādaśābdaṁ taṁ prīṇayitvā punaḥpunaḥ

Sri Varaha said: Agastya, coming here and beholding that eternal deity, worshipping him for twelve years and pleasing him again and again -

Verse 8 (skanda.2.3.8)

ययाचे तत्र सान्निध्यं भवान्दृश्यो भवत्विति। एवमुक्तो हृषीकेशः श्रीभूमिसहितो धरे

yayāce tatra sānnidhyaṁ bhavāndṛśyo bhavatviti| evamukto hṛṣīkeśaḥ śrībhūmisahito dhare

will beg there for his nearness, saying, "May you become visible." Thus addressed, O Earth, Hrishikesha, together with Sri and Bhu -

Verse 9 (skanda.2.3.9)

श्रीभगवानुवाच। अहं दृश्यो भविष्यामि त्वत्कृते सर्वदेहिनाम्। एतद्विमानं देवर्षे न दृश्यं स्यात्कदाचन

śrībhagavānuvāca| ahaṁ dṛśyo bhaviṣyāmi tvatkṛte sarvadehinām| etadvimānaṁ devarṣe na dṛśyaṁ syātkadācana

The Lord said: For your sake, O divine sage, I shall become visible to all embodied beings; but this vimana shall never become visible.

Verse 10 (skanda.2.3.10)

आकल्पान्तं मुनीन्द्रास्मिन्दृश्योऽहं नात्र संशयः। मुनिस्तद्वचनं श्रुत्वा प्रीतः प्रायात्स्वमाश्रमम्

ākalpāntaṁ munīndrāsmindṛśyo'haṁ nātra saṁśayaḥ| munistadvacanaṁ śrutvā prītaḥ prāyātsvamāśramam

O lord of sages, until the end of the kalpa I shall be visible here — of this there is no doubt. Hearing this word, the sage, pleased, departed to his own hermitage.

Verse 11 (skanda.2.3.11)

ततश्चतुर्भुजो देवः स दृश्योऽभून्नरादिभिः। विमाने मुनिचिन्त्येऽस्मिन्नासिता च तथोत्तरम्

tataścaturbhujo devaḥ sa dṛśyo'bhūnnarādibhiḥ| vimāne municintye'sminnāsitā ca tathottaram

From then on, the four-armed deity became visible to men and others, in this vimana meditated upon by sages, and situated toward the north.

Verse 12 (skanda.2.3.12)

आराध्यमानः स्कंदेन वायुना सेवितः सदा। एवं गते महाकाले चतुर्युगसमन्विते

ārādhyamānaḥ skaṁdena vāyunā sevitaḥ sadā| evaṁ gate mahākāle caturyugasamanvite

Worshipped by Skanda and ever served by Vayu, he remained there. Thus, when the great age comprising the four yugas had passed -

Verse 13 (skanda.2.3.13)

अष्टाविंशे तु संजाते द्वापरान्ते वसुन्धरे। युद्धे च भारतेऽतीते तिष्ये सति युगे तथा

aṣṭāviṁśe tu saṁjāte dvāparānte vasundhare| yuddhe ca bhārate'tīte tiṣye sati yuge tathā

when the twenty-eighth cycle had come, O Vasundhara, at the end of Dvapara, after the Bharata war had passed, and when the Kali age had come -

Verse 14 (skanda.2.3.14)

विक्रमार्कादयो भूपाः शकाः शूद्रादयस्तथा। गमिष्यंति स्वर्गलोकं मामज्ञात्वा वरानने

vikramārkādayo bhūpāḥ śakāḥ śūdrādayastathā| gamiṣyaṁti svargalokaṁ māmajñātvā varānane

kings such as Vikramarka, and the Shakas, Shudras and others, O fair-faced one, will go to the heavenly world without knowing me.

Verse 15 (skanda.2.3.15)

ततः सोमकुलोद्भूतो मित्रवर्मा महारथः। तुण्डीरमण्डले राजा नारायणपुरं वसन्

tataḥ somakulodbhūto mitravarmā mahārathaḥ| tuṇḍīramaṇḍale rājā nārāyaṇapuraṁ vasan

Thereafter, born in the lunar dynasty, the great warrior Mitravarma, a king in the Tundira region, dwelling in Narayanapura -

Verse 16 (skanda.2.3.16)

भविष्यति वरारोहे महाभाग्योदयो महान्। तस्मिञ्छासति भूलोकं धर्मेण पृथिवीपतौ

bhaviṣyati varārohe mahābhāgyodayo mahān| tasmiñchāsati bhūlokaṁ dharmeṇa pṛthivīpatau

will arise, O fair-hipped one, as a being of great and rising fortune. While that lord of the earth ruled the world in accordance with dharma -

Verse 17 (skanda.2.3.17)

अकृष्टपच्या पृथिवी सर्वसस्यविभूषणा। निरीतिकोऽभवत्सर्वो जनो धर्मसमन्वितः

akṛṣṭapacyā pṛthivī sarvasasyavibhūṣaṇā| nirītiko'bhavatsarvo jano dharmasamanvitaḥ

the earth yielded crops without ploughing and was adorned with every kind of grain; and all the people became free of calamity and devoted to dharma.

Verse 18 (skanda.2.3.18)

तस्य पत्नी समभवत्पांड्यकन्या मनोरमा। तस्य जज्ञे कुलोत्तंसो वियन्नामा सुतोऽस्य वै

tasya patnī samabhavatpāṁḍyakanyā manoramā| tasya jajñe kulottaṁso viyannāmā suto'sya vai

His wife was the enchanting daughter of the Pandya king. To him was born a son, the ornament of his lineage, named Viyat.

Verse 19 (skanda.2.3.19)

तस्य पत्नी तु धरणी नाम्नासीच्छकवंशजा। तस्मिन्राज्यं विनिक्षिप्य मित्रवर्मा नृपोत्तमः

tasya patnī tu dharaṇī nāmnāsīcchakavaṁśajā| tasminrājyaṁ vinikṣipya mitravarmā nṛpottamaḥ

His (Viyat's) wife, named Dharani, was born in the lineage of the Shakas. Having entrusted the kingdom to him, that best of kings, Mitravarma -

Verse 20 (skanda.2.3.20)

ययौ तपोवनं पुण्यं वेंकटाद्रेः समीपतः

yayau tapovanaṁ puṇyaṁ veṁkaṭādreḥ samīpataḥ

went to the sacred forest of penance near Venkatadri.

Verse 21 (skanda.2.3.21)

आकाशनामा तु महान्राजाभूत्सार्वभौमकः। एकदारव्रतो राजा धरणीसक्तचेतनः

ākāśanāmā tu mahānrājābhūtsārvabhaumakaḥ| ekadāravrato rājā dharaṇīsaktacetanaḥ

There was a great sovereign king named Akasha, who observed the vow of a single wife, his mind devoted to the welfare of the earth.

Verse 22 (skanda.2.3.22)

यज्ञार्थं शोधयामास भुवमारणितीरतः। कांचनेन हलेनैव कृष्यमाणे धरातले

yajñārthaṁ śodhayāmāsa bhuvamāraṇitīrataḥ| kāṁcanena halenaiva kṛṣyamāṇe dharātale

For the sake of a sacrifice, he purified the ground along the bank of the river Arani. While the earth was being ploughed with a golden plough -

Verse 23 (skanda.2.3.23)

बीजमुष्टिं विकिरता दृष्टा कन्या धरोद्गता। पद्मशय्यागता रम्या सर्वलक्षणलक्षिता

bījamuṣṭiṁ vikiratā dṛṣṭā kanyā dharodgatā| padmaśayyāgatā ramyā sarvalakṣaṇalakṣitā

While scattering handfuls of seed, he beheld a maiden, sprung from the earth, lying upon a bed of lotuses, lovely, and marked with every auspicious sign.

Verse 24 (skanda.2.3.24)

तप्तजांबूनदमयी पुत्रिकेव विराजती। तां दृष्ट्वा स महीपालो विस्मयोत्फुल्ललोचनः

taptajāṁbūnadamayī putrikeva virājatī| tāṁ dṛṣṭvā sa mahīpālo vismayotphullalocanaḥ

She shone as though she were a little daughter wrought of molten gold. Beholding her, that king's eyes widened in astonishment.

Verse 25 (skanda.2.3.25)

आदाय तनया चेयं ममैवेति पुनःपुनः। जहर्ष मंत्रिभिश्चैनं प्राह वागशरीरिणी

ādāya tanayā ceyaṁ mamaiveti punaḥpunaḥ| jaharṣa maṁtribhiścainaṁ prāha vāgaśarīriṇī

"Let me take her up — she is indeed mine," he thought again and again, and he rejoiced together with his ministers; then a disembodied voice spoke to him.

Verse 26 (skanda.2.3.26)

सत्यं तवैव तनया वर्धयस्व सुलोचनाम्। ततः प्रीतमना राजा स्वपुरं प्रविवेश ह

satyaṁ tavaiva tanayā vardhayasva sulocanām| tataḥ prītamanā rājā svapuraṁ praviveśa ha

"It is true — she is indeed your own daughter; rear this fair-eyed one." Then, with a glad heart, the king returned to his own city.

Verse 27 (skanda.2.3.27)

आहूय धरणीं देवीमिदमाह महीपतिः। देवदत्तामिमां पश्य भूतलादुत्थितां मम

āhūya dharaṇīṁ devīmidamāha mahīpatiḥ| devadattāmimāṁ paśya bhūtalādutthitāṁ mama

The lord of the earth, summoning the queen Dharani, said this: "Behold this daughter of mine, given by the gods, sprung up from the ground."

Verse 28 (skanda.2.3.28)

आवाभ्यां तदपुत्राभ्यां पुत्रीयं भविता ध्रुवम्। इत्युक्त्वा प्रददौ देव्या हस्ते प्रीत्या वियन्नृपः

āvābhyāṁ tadaputrābhyāṁ putrīyaṁ bhavitā dhruvam| ityuktvā pradadau devyā haste prītyā viyannṛpaḥ

"Since we two are childless, she shall surely be our daughter" — so saying, King Viyat lovingly placed her in the queen's hands.

Verse 29 (skanda.2.3.29)

तस्यां गृहं प्रविष्टायां धरणी गर्भमादधौ। वियन्नृपश्च सुप्रीतो वीक्ष्य स्निग्धविलोचनाम्

tasyāṁ gṛhaṁ praviṣṭāyāṁ dharaṇī garbhamādadhau| viyannṛpaśca suprīto vīkṣya snigdhavilocanām

As soon as she entered the house, Dharani conceived; and King Viyat, beholding her tender-eyed gaze, was greatly pleased.

Verse 30 (skanda.2.3.30)

उवाच फलिता सुभ्रुर्लता सान्तानिकी च मे

uvāca phalitā subhrurlatā sāntānikī ca me

He said: "My fair-browed vine of progeny has now come to bear fruit."

Verse 31 (skanda.2.3.31)

अथ सा धरणी देवी काले कमललोचना। सुप्रशस्ते मुहूर्ते च स्वोच्चसंस्थेषु पञ्चसु। ग्रहेषु सुषुवे पुत्रं मेषस्थे च दिवाकरे

atha sā dharaṇī devī kāle kamalalocanā| supraśaste muhūrte ca svoccasaṁstheṣu pañcasu| graheṣu suṣuve putraṁ meṣasthe ca divākare

In time, that lotus-eyed goddess Dharani, at a most auspicious moment, when five planets stood in their exaltation and the sun was in Aries, gave birth to a son.

Verse 32 (skanda.2.3.32)

देवदुन्दुभयो नेदुः पुष्पवृष्टिर्गृहेऽपतत्। ववौ वायुः सुखस्पर्शस्तज्जन्मदिवसे तदा

devadundubhayo neduḥ puṣpavṛṣṭirgṛhe'patat| vavau vāyuḥ sukhasparśastajjanmadivase tadā

At that time, on the day of his birth, the drums of the gods resounded, a shower of flowers fell upon the house, and a breeze of pleasant touch blew.

Verse 33 (skanda.2.3.33)

पुत्रसूतिप्रवक्तॄणां सुप्रीतः पुत्रजन्मनि। सर्वस्वदानमकरोच्छत्रचामर वर्जितम्

putrasūtipravaktṝṇāṁ suprītaḥ putrajanmani| sarvasvadānamakarocchatracāmara varjitam

Greatly pleased with those who brought news of his son's birth, he gave away all his possessions in gift, excepting only his royal umbrella and fly-whisk.

Verse 34 (skanda.2.3.34)

कपिलाकोटिदानं च वृषभाणां शताधिकम्। दिवसे द्वादशे पुण्ये जातकर्मादिकाः क्रिया। चकार नामधेयं च वसुदान इति स्वयम्

kapilākoṭidānaṁ ca vṛṣabhāṇāṁ śatādhikam| divase dvādaśe puṇye jātakarmādikāḥ kriyā| cakāra nāmadheyaṁ ca vasudāna iti svayam

He gave in gift a crore of tawny cows and more than a hundred bulls. On the sacred twelfth day he performed the birth-rites and other ceremonies, and himself gave the child the name Vasudana.

Verse 35 (skanda.2.3.35)

श्रीवराह उवाच। आकाशतनयो देवि वसुदानो मनोरमः। ववृधे दिवसैर्बालः शुक्लपक्ष इवोडुराट्

śrīvarāha uvāca| ākāśatanayo devi vasudāno manoramaḥ| vavṛdhe divasairbālaḥ śuklapakṣa ivoḍurāṭ

Sri Varaha said: O goddess, that enchanting child of Akasha, Vasudana, grew day by day like the moon waxing in the bright fortnight.

Verse 36 (skanda.2.3.36)

उपनीतो विनीतोऽसौ गुरुभिर्ब्रह्मपारगैः। पितुरस्त्राणि शस्त्राणि मन्त्रवत्सोऽप्यशिक्षत

upanīto vinīto'sau gurubhirbrahmapāragaiḥ| piturastrāṇi śastrāṇi mantravatso'pyaśikṣata

He was invested with the sacred thread and made disciplined by teachers versed in the Vedas; and he also learned from his father the weapons and missiles together with their mantras.

Verse 37 (skanda.2.3.37)

चतुष्पादं धनुर्वेदं सांगोपांगमधीतवान्। पिता तेनातिबलिना दुराधर्षः परैरभूत्

catuṣpādaṁ dhanurvedaṁ sāṁgopāṁgamadhītavān| pitā tenātibalinā durādharṣaḥ parairabhūt

He studied the fourfold science of archery together with its limbs and sub-limbs; and through that exceedingly mighty son, his father became unassailable by enemies.

Verse 38 (skanda.2.3.38)

आकाश इव निष्पंको ग्रीष्मे भानुमता युतः। वैशाख इव मध्याह्ने दुःसहो दुर्निरीक्षकः

ākāśa iva niṣpaṁko grīṣme bhānumatā yutaḥ| vaiśākha iva madhyāhne duḥsaho durnirīkṣakaḥ

He was like the cloudless sky of summer joined with the blazing sun — unbearable and hard to look upon, like the midday sun of the month of Vaishakha.