Canto 2 - Chapter 7: The stories of the Lord's sportful descents ...

Discourse VII

The stories of the Lord's sportful descents

Brahmā continued : When the infinite Lord assumed the form of the divine Boar, representing all kinds of sacrifices, and determined to lift the earth (from the bottom of the ocean), Hiraṇyākṣa (the very first progeny of Diti) came upon Him (for an encounter) inside that great ocean and the Lord tore him to death with His tusks even as Indra (the wielder of the thunderbolt) clipped the wings of the mountains.

Next He was born as the son of Ruci (who belonged to the class known as the Prajāpatis or lords of created beings) and his wife Ākūti (a daughter of the very first Manu Swāyambhuva) under the name of Suyajña (who held the position of Indra in the first, i.e., Swāyambhuva Manvantāra), and begot through His Consort, Dakṣiṇā, a group of gods who bore the title of Suyama. When (as Indra) He relieved the great affliction of all the three worlds, He was renamed by Swāyambhuva (His maternal grandfather) as Hari (the Reliever of distress).

Again He was born, O Nārada, as the son of Kardama (another Prajāpati) and his wife Devahūti (under the name of Kapila) with nine sisters, and imparted to His mother the Knowledge of the spirit, by means of which she wiped off in the course of that very life the dirt of attachment to the world of matter, which had polluted her heart, and attained to the state of Kapila (i.e., final beatitude).

Pleased with the sage Atri (one of the seven sages who held the office of the Saptarṣis during the first Manvantara and was so-called because he had transcended the three Guṇas or modes of Prakṛti), who sought from Him a son, He said, "I have given Myself as a son to you!" That is why the Lord became known by the name of Datta* (when He was born as a son of Atri). Purified in body by the dust of His lotus-feet, Yadu, Sahasrabāhu (who was born in the clan of Kṣatriyas bearing the title of 'Haihaya') and other kings realized the twofold consummation of Yoga (in the shape of enjoyment and liberation).

At the dawn of creation I (Brahmā) practised austerity for the purpose of creating the various worlds. As a result of that penance of mine the eternal Lord appeared in the form of the four brothers (Sanatkumāra, Sanaka, Sanandana and Sanātana), all of whom bear the word 'Sana' as a part of their names, and fully expounded in the present Kalpa the truth of the Spirit, which had been lost during the Dissolution at the end of the preceding Kalpa, and which the sages forthwith perceived in their heart (as a result of that exposition).

Of Mūrti, a daughter of Dakṣa and the wife of Dharma (the god of virtue), He was born as the twin sages Nārāyaṇa and Nara, who were unequalled in the glory of their austere penance. The celestial nymphs who accompanied the god of love as his army to conquer them beheld there other nymphs, as charming as themselves, evolved by dint of their Yogic power, and could not violate the sanctity of their vow. (6) Pious souls (like Lord Śiva) may burn down the god of love with their angry look; but they cannot burn anger, which they find too much to endure and which burns their own self. Such anger is afraid to enter the pure heart of the divine sages Nara and Nārāyaṇa; how, then, could lust ever penetrate their mind ?

Pierced by the shaft-like words of his step-mother (Suruci) in the presence of his royal father (king Uttānapāda), Dhruva, who was yet a child, betook himself to the woods to practise austere penance. Pleased with the praises that he uttered, the Lord bestowed upon him an eternal abode (in the shape of the polar star) which celestial sages extol (to this day) while coursing round it both up and down.

King Vena (a descendant of Dhruva) having gone astray, all his power and fortune was burnt by the thunderbolt of the Brāhmaṇas' curse and he was about to descend into hell. When, therefore, the Brāhmaṇas prayed to the Lord, He appeared in the form of Pṛthu (through the churning of Vena's dead body) and rescued Vena, thus earning the epithet of 'Putra' (a son).† It was He again who used the earth as a cow and milked all its rich produce (in the shape of foodgrains etc.) for the benefit of the world. (9)
* 'Datta' is a passive past particle from the root 'Dā' (to give) and therefore means "Given".

† 'Putra' (Put+tra) literally means he who saves his father from the hell named 'Put', into which a man dying without a son is hurled—

He was (further) born of king Nābhi and his wife, Sudevi (Merudevi), as Rṣabha, who having completely rid Himself of all attachment and thoroughly composed His mind and senses, established Himself in His spiritual essence and, regarding everything with the same eye, practised uninterrupted meditation, appearing as an idiot; which state has been spoken of by great seers as the state of a Paramahamsa ( one who is ever absorbed in abstract meditation).

The same Lord, who presides over and is worshipped in all sacrifices, personally appeared at my (Brahmā's) sacrifice as Hayagriva (one who has the head of a horse), with a golden complexion, who is Veda personified and represents all the sacrifices and all the deities in His person and from whose nostrils, even as He breathed, issued forth the holy Vedas.

During the universal dissolution (at the end of the sixth or Cākṣuṣa Manvantara, that preceding the present one) the would-be Manu (king Satyavrata) beheld the Lord in the form of the divine Fish, who, being the stay of the earth (that appeared in the form of a boat), supported all classes of living beings. Picking up the Vedas, that had dropped from my (Brahmā's) mouth into the most dreadful ocean (that had washed away and submerged the entire creation), He continued to sport therein (till the next creation).

When the leaders of the immortals and the Dānava chiefs commenced churning the ocean of milk to get nectar out of it, the primal Deity assumed the form of the divine Tortoise and bore on His back Mount Mandara (which served as the churnin god). Now as the mountain revolved on His back, the friction relieved the itching thereon and brought Him a nap.

In order to dispel the great fear of the gods (the denizens of heaven) the Lord assumed the form of a Man-Lion (Nṛṣimha) with a face which looked most frightful on account of His restless eyebrows and moving jaws. When the demon chief (Hiraṇyakāśipu, elder brother of Hiraṇyākṣa) assailed Him with a mace from a distance, the Lord quickly (seized and) threw him down on His thighs; and even as he tried to wriggle out, the Lord ripped up his belly with His claws.

Seized by the foot inside a lake by an alligator of vast strength, the famous elephant (who happened to be the leader of his herd) felt much distressed and, holding up a lotus in his trunk, called out thus: "O Primal Person, O Protector of all the worlds, O Lord of sacred renown, Whose names are auspicious to hear!" (15) Hearing his invocation, the infinite Lord Śrī Hari appeared on the scene, armed with His celebrated discus (Sudarśana) and mounted on the shoulders of Garuḍa (the king of the birds). He severed the head of the alligator with the discus and, taking the elephant, who sought His protection, by his trunk graciously rescued him (from the enemy's mortal grip).

Though the youngest of all the (twelve) sons of Aditi, Lord Viṣṇu (the Deity presiding over sacrifices) was the foremost among them in point of virtues, as is evidenced by the fact that He covered all the three worlds by His strides the moment king Bali gave Him the promise to grant Him land (measuring three paces). Although in the form of a dwarf He thus wrested the earth (from Bali) under the pretext of asking for land measuring three paces, He demonstrated to the world at large (by His example) that a man who sticks to the path of righteousness cannot be overthrown even by the all-powerful except through solicitation. (17) Dear Nārada, to acquire sovereignty over the gods (the position of Indra)—this was not the object sought for by Bali, who placed on the crown of his head (as a token of reverence) the water in which the foot of the Lord (who had taken strides to measure the three worlds) had been washed, nay, who was not the least inclined to do anything other than that which he had solemnly undertaken (even though warned and cursed by his own preceptor, Śukrācārya) but offered to Śrī Hari his own body (to be measured as the third step) by placing his head at the Lord's feet.

Immensely pleased with your highly developed devotion, O Nārada, the Lord (appearing as the divine Harṁsa) taught you the Yoga of Devotion as well as the divine wisdom, which is like a lamp to reveal the truth of the Spirit and which only men who have taken refuge in Lord Vāsudeva can easily grasp. (19) In the various Manvantaras the Lord (appearing as the Manu) preserves the race of the Manus and wields His authority over all the ten directions—an authority which is unobstructed like the discus of Lord Viṣṇu (Sudarśana)—spreading by His exploits His charming glory up to the highest heaven, Satyaloka, which lies even beyond Maharloka, Janaloka and Tapoloka, and inflicting punishment (in the capacity of Manu) on the wicked kings (from time to time).

And, descending into this worlds as Dhanvantari (a king of Kāśi), who is glory itself, the Lord, on the very utterance of His name, immediately cures the diseases of men who suffer from numerous ailments. Nay, He won the rank of immortals and got a share in the sacrificial offerings.* Again, it was He who taught (to the world) Āyurveda (the science of healthy and long life). (21)
* The story of king Dhanvantari has been told at length in Harivamśa (Harivamśa-Parva, 29) and there is a passing reference to Him in Śrīmad Bhāgavata (IX.xvii. 4—29).

When the Kṣatriya race turns out to be the enemy (rather than the protector) of the Brāhmaṇas and abandons the path of virtue, as if courting the tortures of hell, nay, when it becomes a veritable thorn in the side of the world and is exalted by Providence only for its destruction, the Supreme Spirit appears as Paraśurāma of tremendous prowess and exterminates it thrice seven times with His sharp-edged axe.

Ever disposed to shower His grace on us (Brahmā and the other gods), will the Lord of Māyā take His descent in the line of Ikṣwāku (as Śrī Rāma) along with His part manifestations (Bharata, Lakṣmaṇa and Śatrughna) and in obedience to the command of His father (king Daśaratha) go in exile to the forest, accompanied by His Spouse (Sītā) and younger brother (Lakṣmaṇa). There the ten-headed monster (Rāvaṇa) will make Him his enemy and come to grief. (23). When Śrī Rāma (reaches the seashore), intent like Hara* (Lord Śiva) upon burning His enemy's city, the whole host of alligators, serpents and crocodiles in the ocean will feel terribly oppressed by the very look of the Lord, whose eyes will turn crimson with wrath stirred by separation from His beloved Consort (Sītā); and Ocean with his limbs all trembling due to fear will immediately allow Him a passage. (24) (During Rāvaṇa's encounter with Indra in the course of his conquest of the four quarters) the tusks of the elephant (Airāvata) bearing Indra on its back were smashed as they struck against Rāvaṇa's breast, painting the quarters white with (the clouds of) their dust. This made Rāvaṇa, the conqueror of all the quarters, laugh (in exultation). When, however, he carries off the Lord's Spouse (Sītā) and stalks (with pride) between the two contending armies (on the battle-field of Laṅkā), the Lord will immediately put an end to his laughter (pride) as well as his life with the mere twang of His bow.

In order to relieve the oppression of the earth, which will be overrun by the armies of kings who are secondary incarnations of demons (the enemies of gods), the Lord will be partially born as Śrī Balarāma and Śrī Kṛṣṇa, representing severally a grey and a dark hair of the Deity. In these forms He will perform feats bearing testimony to His greatness, even though His ways are beyond the comprehension of the common people. (26) To suck out the life of the demoness Ulūkikā (Pūtanā) even as a new-born babe (of less than ten days), to turn a cart upside down with His foot, while yet three months old, and to knock down two very high Arjuna trees while crawling on His hands and knees between them—all these feats are such as cannot be conceived to have been performed by anyone else than the Lord Himself. (27) Living in Vraja, He will bring back to life the cattle of Vraja as well as their keepers—who meet their death by drinking the poisonous water of the Yamunā—by casting His gracious look at them. And further in order to purify the waters of the Yamunā He will sport in that river and expel the serpent Kāliya, whose tongue is ever restless due to the vehemence of the fierce poison. (28) The same night, when the (dry) forest of rushes (surrounding them on all sides) begins to be consumed by wild fire and the entire Vraja is dead asleep (on the bank of the Yamunā), that Lord of incomprehensible power with Balarāma will ask them to close their eyes, and save them from certain death. This exploit of the Lord will be indeed supernatural. (29) Every cord that His mother (Yaśodā) catches hold of to bind her Child with will prove inadequate. Nay, when the cowherd lady (Yaśodā) beholds the (fourteen) spheres in His mouth, even as He yawns, she will at first be filled with dismay and then she will be roused to a sense of His supreme divinity. (30) Again, He will rid His father Nanda of fear (of the python) and deliver Him from Varuṇa's noose and will further rescue the cowherd boys that will be shut up in caves by the demon Vyoma (Maya's son). Nay, He will take to His own (eternal and blissful) Abode, Vaikuṇṭha, the people of Gokula, even though they remain working all day long and, due to over-exertion, sleep as a log at night. (31) When, on the yearly sacrificial offering (to Indra) being stopped by the cowherds (Nanda and others), the god of rain will pour down torrential showers all over the territory of Vraja for the destruction of that land, the Lord in His anxiety to protect (them as well as) their cattle will, at the (tender) age of seven, graciously and sportfully hold up on His untiring hand Mount Govardhana even as a tall mushroom for seven days (consecutively). (32) While sporting in the groves (of Vṛndāvana) on a night bright with the rays of the full moon, He will, as a prelude to His Rāsa dance, pour out (from His flute) a sweet and prolonged melody, which will kindle the flame of love in the heart of the young cowherdesses (and draw them to the lovely spot). (In the course of the Rāsa dance that follows) an attendant of Kubera (Śaṅkhacūḍa by name) will carry them off and the Lord (while rescuing them) will sever his head (33) Nay, (demons like) Pralamba, Dhenuka (who lived in the form of a donkey), Vaka, Keśi and Ariṣṭa, champion wrestlers (such as Cāṇūra), the elephant (Kuvalayāpiḍa), Karīsa, the Yavana hero (Kālayavana), the demon Naraka (born of Earth), Paunḍraka (who had assumed the false appearance of Śrī Kṛṣṇa and posed as the real Śrī Kṛṣṇa) and so on; even so other champions like Śālva, Dwivida (the monkey chief), Balwala, Dantavaktra, the seven bulls (of king Nagnajit), the demon Śambara, king Vidūratha (Dantavaktra's brother) and Rukmi (brother of Rukmiṇī); the kings of the Kambojas, the Matsyas, the Kurus, the Kekayas, the Sṛñjayas, and other bragging warriors who will appear on the field of battle, armed with a bow, will be slain by Śrī Hari Himself under the assumed names of Balarāma, Arjuna, Bhīma and so on, and attain to His divine Abode. (34-35)
* There is an allusion here to Lord Śiva's famous expedition against the city of Tripura.
* By speaking of Śrī Balarāma and Śrī Kṛṣṇa as representing the Lord's hair Brahmā means to say that a single hair (the minutest fraction) of the Lord is enough to relieve to earth's burden. The statement is further intended to indicate the fair and dark complexion of Śrī Balarāma and Śrī Kṛṣṇa respectively. In reality, however, Śrī Kṛṣṇa is the integral Divinity, the Lord Himself— 'कृष्णास्तु भगवान् स्वयम्'.

By flux of time the intellectual calibre of men gets dwarfed and their life too becomes short. When, therefore, the Lord realizes that the import of the entire Veda—which embodies His teachings—can no longer be grasped by them, He manifests Himself in every cycle through the womb of Satyavatī (as Vedavyāsa) and splits up the tree of Veda into many branches.

When the demons (the enemies of the gods), though devoted to the path of the Vedas, will destroy the people with their (aerial) citadels of invisible velocity, built by Maya (their architect), the Lord will assume a garb that will delude their mind and prove most alluring to them, and teach them many a heresy. (37) At the close of the Kali age, when there will be no discourses on Śrī Hari even in the residences of pious souls, when the twice-born (the Brāhmaṇas, the Kṣatriyas and the Vaiśyas) will turn heretics and the Śūdras will become the rulers of men, nay, when the uttering of "Swāhā", "Swadhā" and "Vaṣaṭ"† will be heard no more (when there will be no talk of sacrifices to gods of offering oblations to the manes), the Lord will appear as Kalki (the Punisher of Kali).

It is the same Lord of infinite powers who manifests the glories of His Māyā (marvellous creative faculty) in the form of austere penance, myself (Brahmā) and the nine seers who are the lords of created beings, at the time of creation, in the form of Dharma (the god of virtue), Lord Viṣṇu (the Deity presiding over sacrifices), the fourteen Manus (the progenitors and protectors of mankind), the immortals and the rulers of the earth, at the time of preservation and in the form of Adharma (the spirit of unrighteousness), Hara (the god of destruction), the class of serpents (residing in the nethermost regions) known by the name of Manyuvaśas and demons etc., at the time of dissolution of the universe. (39) What man, gifted with insight, in this world could catalogue the powers of Lord Viṣṇu, even though he might have counted all the particles of dust on the earth ? (As the Lord proceeded to measure the three worlds with His strides), He raised His legs with such irresistible force that the whole universe from the outermost sheath of Prakṛti (primordial matter) to the highest heaven (Satyaloka) began to shake violently, when He supported it by His own might. (40) ( O Nārada !) neither myself nor those elder brothers of yours (Sanaka and others) know the whole truth about the Lord, who is a storehouse of innumerable potencies, Māyā (who brings forth and withdraws into herself the entire creation) being one of them. How, then, could others know it ? Even the Primal Deity, Lord Śeṣa (the serpent-god); who is possessed of a thousand mouths, cannot reach His end even to this day, though he has been singing His praises (from eternity). (41) They alone are able to cross the Lord's Māyā (deluding potency), so difficult to get over, and know it in reality, to whom that infinite Lord extends His grace, which is possible only when they take refuge in His feet with their whole being and in a guileless manner. And it is these alone who cease to look upon their body, which is the food of dogs and jackals, as their self or as their own. (42) Dear Nārada, it is I who know the wonderful creative energy of that Supreme Being, and so do you and your elder brothers (Sanaka and others), Lord Bhava (Śiva), Prahlāda (the foremost of the Daityas), the celebrated Śāyambhuva Manu and his wife (Śatarūpā), as well as their sons and daughters, kings Prācinabarhi, Rbhu, Aṅga and Dhruva; even so kings Ikṣwāku (the eldest son of Vaivaswata Manu), Purūravā (the son of Ilā), Mucukunda, Videha (Janaka), Gādhi (father of the celebrated sage Viśvāmitra), Raghu, Ambariṣa, Sagara, Gaya, Yayāti (the son of Nahuṣa) and others; and similarly kings Māndhātā, Alarka, Śatadhanu, Anu and Rantideva; Devavrata (Bhīṣma), the demon king Bali as well as kings Amūrtaraya and Dilipa; the sages Saubhari, Uttanka, Devala, Pippalāda, Sāraswata and Parāśara as well as kings Śibi and Bhūriṣeṇa and devotees like Uddhava, Vibhīṣaṇa, Hanumān, Upendradatta (Śuka), Arjuna (Pṛthā's son), Ārṣṭiṣeṇa, Vidura and Śrutadeva know His Māyā. (43—45) Women and Śūdras (members of the labouring and artisan classes) as well as the Hūnas and Śabaras and those leading a sinful life, nay, even lower animals such as birds and beasts who have been taught to imbibe the virtues of the Lord's devotees, much more those who follow the teachings of the Vedas, are able to realize the true nature of the Lord's Māyā and cross the same. (46)
* Although the incident connected with Śaṅkhacūḍa did not occur the very night the famous Rāsa dance took place, the two events have been promiscuously joined together apparently because Brahmā is making only a passing reference to the pastimes of the Lord and is not so attentive to details.
†The words 'Swāhā' and 'Vaṣaṭ' are uttered when an offering is made to the gods; while every oblation that is offered to the Piṛṣ is accompanied with the utterance of the word 'Swadhā'.

The substance of the Supreme Spirit is ever most serene and free from fear and of the nature of absolute consciousness. It is untainted by Māyā, and destitute of all diversities and is beyond the real as well as the unreal. It is beyond the reach of words (both sacred and profane) and transcends the fruit of actions which is attained as a result of diverse course of discipline. Nay, even Māyā, who is ashamed to stand before it, flees away from its presence. (47) That is the essential character of the Lord, the Supreme Person, which the wise realize as Brahma (the Absolute), which is free from sorrow and of the nature of eternal bliss. Having fixed their mind on Him, ascetics neglect even the means of discarding the notion of difference (viz., Self-Knowledge), just as Indra, being himself the god of rain, has no use for a spade which is employed in digging wells. (48) It is the Lord, again, who bestows on man the fruit of his actions; for it is He who inspires all noble acts that are performed in accordance with the natural disposition of the doer. Even when the body gets dissolved as a result of its constituents in the form of the elements being disintegrated, the unborn Spirit dwelling in it does not, any more than the ether interpenetrating it.

Thus have I talked to you in brief, dear child, about the Lord who creates the universe by His very thought. Whatever there exists as cause or effect is no other than Śrī Hari, although the latter stands even apart from it. (50) This is the 'Bhāgavata' which the Lord was pleased to teach me. It describes in brief the glories of the Lord : do you now expand it. (51) Proceed with this work of amplification with a will that men may develop devotion to Lord Śrī Hari, the Universal Spirit and the Sustainer of all. (52) The mind of the man, who proceeds to describe the Lord's Māyā, or approves of another describing it or reverently hears it described everyday, is never deluded by Māyā. (53)
Thus ends the seventh discourse in Book Two, comprising among other things the dialogue between Brahmā and the sage Nārada, of the great and glorious Bhāgavata-Purāṇa, otherwise known as the Paramahāṃsa-Sarhhitā.