Canto 3 - Chapter 13: The Lord's Descent as the Divine Boar ...

Discourse XIII

The Lord's Descent as the Divine Boar

Śrī Śuka continued : On hearing this most sacred discourse from the lips of the sage (Maitreya), who was proceeding with the same, O king, Vidura made the following enquiry again, fond as he was of hearing the stories of Bhagavān Śrī Kṛṣṇa (son of Vasudeva). (1)

Vidura said : Having secured a spouse after his own heart O sage, what did Emperor Swāyambhuva, the beloved son of Brahmā (the self-born), do next? (2)
Full of reverence as I am, please narrate to me, O most pious Maitreya, the story of that royal sage, the first sovereign (of the globe), since he had taken refuge in Viṣwaksena (Lord Viṣṇu, lit., the universal lord or He who exerts His power all round). (3)
The highest reward, commended by the wise, of learning acquired by men with great pains extending over a long period, is to hear the praises of those who have installed the lotus-feet of Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa (the Bestower of Liberation) in their heart. (4)

• The word Kāyam' has been derived from the noun 'Ka' (a name of Brahmā)—कस्य इदम् (that which belongs to Brahmā).
  † The Manu owed his name to his father, Swayambhū (the self-born Brahmā). The word has been derived as 'स्वयम्भुवः अपत्यं पुमान्' (the son of Swayambhū).

Śrī Śuka went on : When Vidura, who was full of modesty and had had the honour of bearing in his lap the feet of Śrī Kṛṣṇa (who was no other than the thousand-headed Puruṣa), spoke thus and urged Maitreya to the narration of the Lord's stories, the sage's hair stood erect and he replied to him as follows. (5)

Maitreya said : When Swāyambhuva Manu came into existence with his consort (Śatarūpā), he bowed respectfully to Brahmā ( the repository of the Vedas) and addressed him thus with joined palms : (6)
"You are the one (undisputed) father—progenitor as well as sustainer—of all living beings. Yet in what way can we, your children, be of service to you? (7)
We make obeisance to you, O praiseworthy father; from among duties we may be found capable of kindly prescribe that by discharging which we may enjoy celebrity all round in this world and a happy destiny in the other." (8)

Brahmā replied : May all be well with both of you, O sovereign of the globe. I am pleased with you, my son, since with a guileless heart you have of your own accord surrendered yourself to me with the words "Enjoin me (what to do)." (9)
The way in which sons should offer worship to their father, my valiant son, is only this that, free from jealousy (towards their brothers), they should reverently and dutifully carry out his behest to the best of their ability. (10)
Begetting, through her, issues that may prove to be your compeers in virtues, therefore, rule over the earth with righteousness and worship the Supreme Person through sacrificial performances. (11)
The best service you will be doing to me will be through the governance of the people, O ruler on men. Lord Śrī Hari (the Controller of the senses) will be pleased with you when He sees you looking after your subjects. (12)
Their labours prove of little avail, who fail to win the pleasure of Lord Janārdana, who reveals Himself in the form of sacrifices; for that way they disregard their own self (who is no other than the Lord). (13)

Manu said : I shall abide by your command, O destroyer of sin! Kindly assign an abode to me as well as to my progeny, my lord. (14)
The terrestrial globe, which is the abode of all living beings, stands submerged in the vast expanse of water. Efforts should be made, my lord, to recover the goddess (Earth). (15)

Maitreya continued : Finding the earth submerged in water, as at the time of final dissolution, Brahmā taxed his brain for a long time as to how he should be able to lift her up. (16)
"Even as I was engaged in pushing on the work of creation," he said to himself, "the earth, which was all the time being washed by the waters, sank to the lowest depths. Now what should be done in the matter by us, who have been charged with the work of creation? Let the Lord, from whose heart (thought) I sprang, contrive some device for me." (17)

As he was thus reflecting, a tiny boar, just as big as a thumb, emerged all of a sudden from one of his nostrils, O sinless Vidura. (18)
While Brahmā stood looking on, the boar in the air instantly grew to the size of an elephant, O Vidura (descendant of Bharata)! This was really most wonderful. (19)
Beholding that (strange) form of a boar, Brahmā with Marīci and other Brāhmaṇas, Sanaka and his three brothers and Swāyambhuva Manu speculated about it in various ways:—(20)
"Who can be this weird creature standing in the guise of a boar? Oh, how strange that it came out of my nostrils! (21)
Even though (at first sight) it looked only as big as the upper part of a thumb, in an instant it grew to the size of a huge rock. Might it be Lord Viṣṇu Himself who is exercising my mind?" (22)
While Brahmā was thus pondering along with his sons, the Lord presiding over sacrifices (for the boar was none other than He) who now looked like a huge mountain, roared aloud. (23)
The all-powerful Śrī Hari delighted Brahmā and those foremost Brāhmaṇas by His loud roar, which made the quarters resound. (24)
Hearing the roar of the Lord disguised as a boar, which removed their perplexity, the sages, who all belonged to the Janaloka, Tapoloka or Satyaloka, began to extol Him through the holy Mantras of the three Vedas. (25)
The Lord, whose form has been glorified in the Vedas, took the tribute paid to His virtues by those holy men as Veda itself. He gave a loud roar once more and, sporting like a lordly elephant, entered the waters in the interest of the gods. (26)
The divine Boar (the Saviour of the earth), who was possessed of a steel-like frame and whose skin had a thick coat of stiff bristles, first sprang into the air, erecting His tail and shaking His mane, and tore the clouds with His hoofs. He shone most splendid at that time with His white tusks, shedding a lustre wherever He cast His glance. (27)
Having disguised Himself as a boar, even though He was no other than Lord Nārāyaṇa, representing all the sacrifices in His own person, He went smelling about with His nose in search of the earth; and even though possessed of fearful tusks, He regarded with a gentle look the Brāhmaṇas (Marīci and others) who were extolling Him, and dived into the water. (28)
With its bowels torn open by the headlong plunge taken by His body, which resembled a mountain of adamant, the ocean thundered aloud and, tossing up its high waves like so many arms, cried as it were in distress: "Protect me, O Lord of sacrifices!" (29)
Cleaving the waters with His hoofs, which were sharp as arrows, the Lord, who represents all the sacrifices in His person, then reached the other end of that fathomless ocean and discovered in the depths of it the terrestrial globe, which is the abode of all living beings; and which the Lord had absorbed into His body while about to retire at the end of the previous Kalpa. (30)

The Lord shone most resplendent as He rose lifting up the earth on His tusks out of the depths of the ocean, where it had been lying submerged. While He was yet in those waters, a demon (Hiraṇyākṣa by name) of irresistible prowess assailed Him with his club in order to obstruct His way. This excited His fury, which blazed forth like His discus (Sudarśana) and He playfully disposed of him even as a lion kills an elephant without any exertion. With His temples and snout stained by the demon's blood He presented the appearance of a lordly elephant that had just turned up the earth (of a mound of red ochre). (31-32)
Even as the Lord, who was dark as a Tamāla tree, lifted the earth (out of the water) on the ends of His white tusks, like an elephant (carrying a lotus on his tusks), dear Vidura, Brahmā (the Creator) and others recognized Him and, joining palms, waited upon Him with hymns of praise that closely resembled Vedic Mantras. (33)

The sages said : "Victory, victory to You, O invincible Lord, the Promoter of sacrifices! We make obeisance to You even as You shake Your own (divine) Body, consisting of the three Vedas (in order to free it from moisture). We bow once more to You, who have assumed the form of a boar with a special object (that of rescuing the earth) and in the pores of whose bristles lie hidden the various sacrifices. (34)
This form of Yours, O Lord, made up as it is of sacrifices, is one that cannot be easily perceived by the sinful. The various Vedic metres (Gāyatri etc.) find a place in Your skin, the (holy) Kuśa grass in Your bristles, clarified butter in Your eyes and the functions of the four priests (the Hotā and others) in Your four legs. (35)
The Śruk (a sort of large wooden ladle used for pouring clarified butter on a sacrificial fire) is located in Your snout; the Śruvā (a smaller ladle used for pouring clarified butter into the Śruk), O almighty Lord, finds a place in Your nostrils; the Iḍā (a dish or plate from which food is taken at a sacrifice) exists in Your belly; the Camasas (vessels used at sacrifices for drinking the Soma, generally of a square shape, made of wood and furnished with a handle) abide in the cavity of Your ears; the Prāśitra (a vessel in which the Brahmā's share is poured) exists in Your mouth and the Grahas (ladles or vessels employed for taking up a portion of some fluid, especially of Soma, out of a larger vessel) in Your throat. And Your act of chewing, O Lord; constitutes the Agnihotra (pouring oblations into the sacred fire). (36)
Your repeated descent (into the world of matter) is what is known as the Dīkṣaṇīya Iṣṭi (the offering of oblations into the sacred fire at the time of consecration for a sacrifice); the three Iṣṭis known by the name of Upasads (which precede the Sūtyā or pressing of the Soma in a Jyotiṣṭoma sacrifice) constitute Your neck; the Prāyaṇīya Iṣṭi (that which follows the Dīkṣa or consecration) and the Udayanīya Iṣṭi (that which is performed at the end of a sacrifice) are Your tusks; the Pravargya (the ceremony called Mahāvīra performed at the beginning of every Upasad) forms Your tongue; the Sabhya and the Āvasathya fires form Your head and the putting of bricks in layers or rows for the preparation of a sacrificial altar constitutes Your vital airs, revealed as You are in the form of a sacrifice. (37)
Your generative fluid is the Soma and Your sitting posture constitutes the sacrificial rites performed thrice (in the morning, at midday and in the evening) everyday. The seven constituents of Your body are the seven classes of main sacrifices (viz., Agniṣṭoma, Atyagniṣṭoma, Uktha, Śoḍaśī, Vājapeya, Atirātra and Āptoryāma); while the joints of Your body constitute all the Satras (series of sacrifices continued for a number of days). In this way You combine in Your person all the Yajñas (sacrifices in which the Soma is not used) and Kratus (those in which the Soma is used), the tendons of Your body forming the various sacrifices. (38)
Hail, hail to You, who represent in Your person all the Mantras (sacred formulas) employed, the deities worshipped and the materials used (by way of oblations etc.) in a sacrifice, as well as all sacrificial acts and other activities. Nay, You also embody the wisdom gained through dispassion, Devotion and self-control, and are our teacher imparting all sorts of knowledge. Hail, hail to You. (39)
Borne by You on the pointed ends of Your tusks, O Lord; the earth with its mountains, O Supporter of the globe, shines resplendent like a lotus plant with leaves supported on the tusks of a lordly elephant emerging from water. (40)
Again, with the terrestrial globe supported on the tusks, this boar-like form of Yours, which consists of the three Vedas (Ṛgveda, Yajurveda and Sāmaveda) looks as charming as the beauty of a huge mountain with a mass of clouds hanging on its summit. (41)
(Kindly) place this mother of the entire animate and inanimate creation, who is Your spouse, firmly (on water) in order to make her habitable for all; for You are their Father. Then we shall make obeisance to You as well as to her, in whom You have deposited Your seed (in the form of sustaining power) even as the sacrificer invokes the sacrificial fire in the Araṇi (the piece of wood used for kindling of fire by attrition with the chanting of sacred formulas). (42)
Who else than You, O Lord, could venture to lift up the earth, that had sunk into the lowest depths of water? This is, however, nothing miraculous for You, the abode of all wonders, who have created this most marvellous universe by Your Māyā (wonderful creative energy). (43)
When You shook Your body composed of the Vedas, we, the inhabitants of the Janaloka, Tapoloka and Satyaloka, got splashed and thoroughly depurated by the drops of holy water flying from the end of Your mane. (44)
Alas! he has verily lost his wits, who seeks to know Your endless exploits in their totality. O Lord, bring happiness to the whole universe, which stands deluded through contact with the objects of senses, brought about by Your Yogamāyā. (45)

Maitreya resumed : While being thus extolled by those sages through verses closely resembling the Vedic hymns, the Protector of the universe (in the form of the Boar) placed the earth on the surface of the water, which supported His hoofs. (46)
Having thus placed on the water the earth, which He had sportfully lifted up from its depths, the almighty Lord Śrī Hari, the Protector of all beings, went out of sight. (47)
Lord Janārdana is quickly pleased in His heart of hearts with him who thus listens to or narrates with devotion the blissful and charming story of Śrī Hari, the very thought on whom rids one of all sorrows and sins and whose sportful activities are all worth recounting. (48)
What is hard to obtain when He who is capable of granting all our desires is pleased? So have done with such blessings as are of little value. For, on those who adore Him with their mind exclusively fixed on Him, that supreme Lord, who is seated in the heart of all, confers His highest state of His own accord. (49)
Having known the real worth of all the objects of human pursuit and having once quaffed with the cup of one's ears the nectar of the Lord's stories, sifted from among other old legends—the nectar which ends the cycle of births and deaths—who in this world would feel surfeited, unless he is other than a human being? (50)

Thus ends the thirteenth discourse in Book Three, narrating among other things the descent of the Divine Boar, of the great and glorious Bhāgavata-Purāṇa, otherwise known as the Paramahamsa-Sarhhitā.