मैत्रेय उवाच ।
निशम्यात्मभुवा गीतं कारणं शङ्कयोज्झिताः ।
ततः सर्वे न्यवर्तन्त त्रिदिवाय दिवौकसः ॥ १॥
दितिस्तु भर्तुरादेशादपत्यपरिशङ्किनी ।
पूर्णे वर्षशते साध्वी पुत्रौ प्रसुषुवे यमौ ॥ २॥
उत्पाता बहवस्तत्र निपेतुर्जायमानयोः ।
दिवि भुव्यन्तरिक्षे च लोकस्योरुभयावहाः ॥ ३॥
सहाचला भुवश्चेलुर्दिशः सर्वाः प्रजज्वलुः ।
सोल्काश्चाशनयः पेतुः केतवश्चार्तिहेतवः ॥ ४॥
ववौ वायुः सुदुःस्पर्शः फूत्कारानीरयन् मुहुः ।
उन्मूलयन्नगपतीन् वात्यानीको रजोध्वजः ॥ ५॥
उद्धसत्तडिदम्भोदघटया नष्टभागणे ।
व्योम्नि प्रविष्टतमसा न स्म व्यादृश्यते पदम् ॥ ६॥
चुक्रोश विमना वार्धिरुदूर्मिः क्षुभितोदरः ।
सोदपानाश्च सरितश्चुक्षुभुः शुष्कपङ्कजाः ॥ ७॥
मुहुः परिधयोऽभूवन् सराह्वोः शशिसूर्ययोः ।
निर्घाता रथनिर्ह्रादा विवरेभ्यः प्रजज्ञिरे ॥ ८॥
अन्तर्ग्रामेषु मुखतो वमन्त्यो वह्निमुल्बणम् ।
सृगालोलूकटङ्कारैः प्रणेदुरशिवं शिवाः ॥ ९॥
सङ्गीतवद्रोदनवदुन्नमय्य शिरोधराम् ।
व्यमुञ्चन् विविधा वाचो ग्रामसिंहास्ततस्ततः ॥ १०॥
खराश्च कर्कशैः क्षत्तः खुरैर्घ्नन्तो धरातलम् ।
खार्काररभसा मत्ताः पर्यधावन् वरूथशः ॥ ११॥
रुदन्तो रासभत्रस्ता नीडादुदपतन् खगाः ।
घोषेऽरण्ये च पशवः शकृन्मूत्रमकुर्वत ॥ १२॥
गावोऽत्रसन्नसृग्दोहास्तोयदाः पूयवर्षिणः ।
व्यरुदन् देवलिङ्गानि द्रुमाः पेतुर्विनानिलम् ॥ १३॥
ग्रहान् पुण्यतमानन्ये भगणांश्चापि दीपिताः ।
अतिचेरुर्वक्रगत्या युयुधुश्च परस्परम् ॥ १४॥
दृष्ट्वान्यांश्च महोत्पातानतत्तत्त्वविदः प्रजाः ।
ब्रह्मपुत्रान् ऋते भीता मेनिरे विश्वसम्प्लवम् ॥ १५॥
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Maitreya continued : The gods (the denizens of heaven) were rid of fear on hearing the cause (of the darkness) as explained by Brahmā (the self-born); and then they all returned to heaven. (1)
As for Diti, that virtuous lady had been very apprehensive of trouble to the gods from the children (in her womb) ever since her husband predicted the same, and brought forth two twin sons after full one hundred years. (2)
Even at the hour of their birth in that hermitage, many an evil portent, which foreboded a great calamity to the world, occurred in heaven and on earth as well as in the space between these two regions (in mid air). (3)
Parts of the globe shook along with the mountains; all the quarters appeared to be on fire, meteors and thunderbolts descended on earth and comets portending grief appeared. (4)
There blew winds which were most uninviting to the touch, hissing again and again and uprooting gigantic trees. They had storm for their army and clouds of dust for their ensigns. (5)
The luminaries in the heavens having been screened by masses of clouds in which lightnings sometimes flashed as though laughing, darkness reigned everywhere, so that nothing could be seen anywhere. (6)
The ocean with its high waves wailed aloud as if stricken with sorrow, and there was commotion among the creatures inhabiting its bowels. The rivers and lakes etc., were also agitated and their lotuses withered. (7)
Misty halos appeared round the sun and the moon during solar and lunar eclipses again and again. Claps of thunder were heard (even without clouds) and sounds like that of rattling chariots emerged from mountain caves. (8)
In the interior of villages she-jackals yelled portentously, vomiting a strong fire from their mouth; and jackals and owls also joined them with their cries. (9)
Raising their necks, dogs uttered here and there various cries in the manner now of singing and now of wailing. (10)
And donkeys in rut ran hither and thither in herds, striking the earth, O Vidura, with their hard hoofs and wildly braying. (11)
Frightened with the (braying of the) donkeys, birds flew shrieking out of their nests, while cattle in the cow-pens as well as in the woods passed dung and urinated. (12)
Cows yielded blood in place of milk from terror, clouds rained pus, the images of gods shed tears and trees fell down without a blast. (13)
Ominous planets (such as Mars and Saturn) shone brighter and surpassed the auspicious ones (such as Mercury, Jupiter and Venus) as well as a number of lunar mansions and, taking a seemingly retrograde course, came into conflict with one another. (14)
Noticing these and other such mighty portents of an evil type, people other than the sons of Brahmā (Sanaka and others, who were aware of the fall of Jaya and Vijaya and their birth as Diti's sons) were seized with fear inasmuch as they did not know the secret of these portents, and thought that the dissolution of the universe was at hand. (15) (1-15)
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तावादिदैत्यौ सहसा व्यज्यमानात्मपौरुषौ ।
ववृधातेऽश्मसारेण कायेनाद्रिपती इव ॥ १६॥
दिविस्पृशौ हेमकिरीटकोटिभिः
निरुद्धकाष्ठौ स्फुरदङ्गदा भुजौ ।
गां कम्पयन्तौ चरणैः पदे पदे
कट्या सुकाञ्च्यार्कमतीत्य तस्थतुः ॥ १७॥
प्रजापतिर्नाम तयोरकार्षीद्-
यः प्राक् स्वदेहाद्यमयोरजायत ।
तं वै हिरण्यकशिपुं विदुः प्रजा
यं तं हिरण्याक्षमसूत साग्रतः ॥ १८॥
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The two earliest Daityas (sons of Diti) soon revealed their (former) prowess and with their steel-like frames grew to the size of two huge mountains. (16)
Kissing the sky with the crests of their gold crowns, screening the quarters (with their bodies) and shaking the earth with their footfall at every step, and their arms adorned with brilliant bracelets, they stood eclipsing the sun by their waist, which was surrounded with an excellent girdle. (17)
Kaśyapa (one of the lords of created beings) gave them names. (Accordingly) of the two twin brothers, the people came to know the one who descended from his loins (and entered the womb) first, by the name of Hiranyakaśipu; while he whom Diti brought forth first was known as Hiranyākṣa*. (18) (16-18)
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चक्रे हिरण्यकशिपुर्दोर्भ्यां ब्रह्मवरेण च ।
वशे सपालान् लोकांस्त्रीनकुतोमृत्युरुद्धतः ॥ १९॥
हिरण्याक्षोऽनुजस्तस्य प्रियः प्रीतिकृदन्वहम् ।
गदापाणिर्दिवं यातो युयुत्सुर्मृगयन् रणम् ॥ २०॥
तं वीक्ष्य दुःसहजवं रणत्काञ्चननूपुरम् ।
वैजयन्त्या स्रजा जुष्टमंसन्यस्तमहागदम् ॥ २१॥
मनोवीर्यवरोत्सिक्तमसृण्यमकुतोभयम् ।
भीता निलिल्यिरे देवास्तार्क्ष्यत्रस्ता इवाहयः ॥ २२॥
स वै तिरोहितान् दृष्ट्वा महसा स्वेन दैत्यराट् ।
सेन्द्रान् देवगणान् क्षीबानपश्यन् व्यनदद्भृशम् ॥ २३॥
ततो निवृत्तः क्रीडिष्यन् गम्भीरं भीमनिःस्वनम् ।
विजगाहे महासत्त्वो वार्धिं मत्त इव द्विपः ॥ २४॥
तस्मिन् प्रविष्टे वरुणस्य सैनिका
यादोगणाः सन्नधियः ससाध्वसाः ।
अहन्यमाना अपि तस्य वर्चसा
प्रधर्षिता दूरतरं प्रदुद्रुवुः ॥ २५॥
स वर्षपूगानुदधौ महाबल-
श्चरन्महोर्मीञ्छ्वसनेरितान् मुहुः ।
मौर्व्याभिजघ्ने गदया विभावरी-
मासेदिवांस्तात पुरीं प्रचेतसः ॥ २६॥
तत्रोपलभ्यासुरलोकपालकं
यादोगणानामृषभं प्रचेतसम् ।
स्मयन् प्रलब्धुं प्रणिपत्य नीचव-
ज्जगादमे देह्यधिराज संयुगम् ॥ २७॥
त्वं लोकपालोऽधिपतिर्बृहच्छ्रवा
वीर्यापहो दुर्मदवीरमानिनाम् ।
विजित्य लोकेऽखिलदैत्यदानवान्
यद्राजसूयेन पुरायजत्प्रभो ॥ २८॥
स एवमुत्सिक्तमदेन विद्विषा
दृढं प्रलब्धो भगवानपाम्पतिः ।
रोषं समुत्थं शमयन् स्वया धिया
व्यवोचदङ्गोपशमं गता वयम् ॥ २९॥
पश्यामि नान्यं पुरुषात्पुरातनात्
यः संयुगे त्वां रणमार्गकोविदम् ।
आराधयिष्यत्यसुरर्षभेहि तं
मनस्विनो यं गृणते भवादृशाः ॥ ३०॥
तं वीरमारादभिपद्य विस्मयः
शयिष्यसे वीरशये श्वभिर्वृतः ।
यस्त्वद्विधानामसतां प्रशान्तये
रूपाणि धत्ते सदनुग्रहेच्छया ॥ ३१॥
इति श्रीमद्भागवते महापुराणे पारमहंस्यां संहितायां
तृतीयस्कन्धे हिरण्याक्षदिग्विजये सप्तदशोऽध्यायः ॥ १७॥
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Fearing death at the hands of none by virtue of a boon got from Brahmā, Hiranyakaśipu was puffed up with pride and brought under his sway by (the strength of) his arms all the three spheres (the earth, heaven and the subterranean region) along with their guardian deities. (19)
His beloved younger brother, Hiranyākṣa, who always tried to please him and was very fond of war, once went up to heaven, mace in hand, seeking (an adversary in) combat. (20)
His tempo was difficult to resist. He had anklets of gold tinkling about his feet. Adorned with a Vaijayanti garland, he rested his huge mace on one of his shoulders. (21)
His strength of mind and body as well as the boon conferred on him (by Brahmā) had puffed him up. He feared death at the hands of none and there was no check on him. The gods, therefore, were seized with fear at his very sight and hid themselves even as snakes hide themselves for fear of Garuḍa. (22)
The chief of the Daityas saw that they had vanished before his might, and roared aloud on not finding Indra and the other gods that had been intoxicated with power. (23)
Having returned therefrom, the mighty Daitya, like an elephant in rut, dived into the deep ocean—which was terribly roaring—just for the sake of sport. (24)
On his entering the ocean the aquatic creatures forming the host of Varuṇa (the god presiding over the waters) were distracted with fear and ran away too far, scared by his very splendour without his dealing a blow. (25)
Moving about in the ocean for very many years, the mighty Hiranyākṣa smote the gigantic waves tossed by the winds with his iron mace again and again and reached Vibhāvari, the capital of Varuṇa, O dear Vidura. (26)
Seeing Pracetā (Varuṇa), the guardian of Pātāla (the abode of the demons) and the lord of the aquatic creatures, there, he fell at the latter's feet like a low man to make fun of him, and said with a smile, "Give me battle, O supreme lord! (27)
You are the guardian of a whole sphere and a ruler of wide fame, and have crushed the might of arrogant and conceited warriors. Nay, having conquered all the Daityas and Dānavas in the world, you once performed a Rājasūya sacrifice, my lord." (28)
Thus wantonly mocked by an enemy whose vanity knew no bounds, the worshipful lord of waters waxed angry: but he managed to curb the anger that had sprung in him by dint of his reason and replied, "O dear one, we have (now) desisted from warfare (have grown too old for a combat). (29)
I do not see anyone else than the most ancient Person (Lord Viṣṇu), who will give satisfaction in battle to you, who are so skilled in the ways of war. Therefore, O chief of the Asuras, approach Him, whom even heroes like you mention with praise. (30)
On reaching Him you will be rid of your pride at once and will lie down on the field of battle (in eternal sleep), surrounded by dogs. It is in order to exterminate wicked fellows like you and to show His grace to the virtuous that He assumes various forms (from time to time)." (31)
- In his commentary on the above verse, Śrīdhara Swāmi, the earliest known commentator of Śrīmad Bhāgavata, quotes the following verse from a work entitled "Piṇḍasiddhi":—
(19-31)
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