The Bhagavata Purana 2

by Bibek Debroy

  Chapter 8(6)

  Shri-Shuka said, ‘The large number of gods prayed to the illustrious lord, Hari, in this way. O king! With the resplendence of one thousand suns rising simultaneously, he manifested himself before them. At this, the eyes of all the gods were suddenly dazzled. They were unable to see the directions, or their own selves, not to speak of the lord. With Sharva, 912 the illustrious Virinchi beheld his form. It sparkled like a dark emerald. 913 His eyes were red, like the inside of a lotus. His yellow silken garments were as bright as molten gold. All his limbs were beautiful and pleasant. His face was excellent and his eyebrows were handsome. His diadem had expensive gems and he was adorned with two armlets. His cheeks were illuminated by the dazzle of his earrings and his beautiful face was like a lotus. He was adorned with an ornamented girdle, bracelets, necklace and anklets. He wore the Koustubha gem as an ornament and a garland of wild flowers, and Lakshmi added to the radiance. In their personified forms, Sudarshana and other weapons tended to him. With the large number of immortals and with Sharva, the foremost among the gods 914 prostrated his limbs on the ground and praised the supreme being.

  ‘Brahma said, “O one without birth! Through your own maya, you are born, preserved and destroyed. 915 You transcend gunas. You are bliss, in the ocean of nirvana. You are smaller than an anu. Your powers are impossible to calculate. I bow down to you. O one whose glory is great! I bow down to you. O supreme Purusha! This beneficial form of yours is sought after by those who follow the Vedas, the tantras and yoga. You are the one who creates and preserves the three worlds. O one with the universe in your form! We can perceive ourselves and everything in you. You are your own controller. In the beginning, everything existed in you. In the middle, everything exists in you. In the end, everything will exist in you. You are the beginning, the middle and the end of the universe. You are supreme and beyond everything, like the earth in a pot. 916 You resorted to your maya and everything emanated from you. You created the universe and also entered it. Those who are learned and knowledgeable are united with you and can perceive you in their minds. You create the transformation of the gunas, but you are not affected by the gunas. Fire can be extracted from kindling, milk from cattle, and food, water and a means of subsistence from the earth. In that way, using yoga, men can perceive you in their intelligence. Wise people know you in the gunas and speak about it. O protector! You have appeared before us in all your glory. O one with a navel like a lotus! This is what we have desired for a very long period of time. Having seen you today, all of us are delighted, like an elephant suffering from a forest conflagration is when it sees the waters of the Ganga. We, and all the guardians of the worlds, have sought refuge at your feet for a reason. Please satisfy us. O one who exists inside and outside! We have come to you. You are a witness to everything. What is there that you need to be informed about? I, Girisha, the gods and Daksha and the others are like sparks from a fire. 917 O lord! Independent of you, what can we possibly understand? Instruct and counsel us about what is best for the gods and the brahmanas.”’

  Shri-Shuka continued, ‘Thus, Virinchi and the others worshipped him and he understood what was in their hearts. They stood there, their hands joined in salutation and with all their senses restrained. In a voice that rumbled like the clouds, he spoke to them. The lord of the gods was alone capable of accomplishing the task of the gods. However, he desired the pastime of the churning of the ocean and other allied activities. He spoke to them.

  ‘The illustrious one said, “O Brahma! O Shambhu! O gods! Listen to the words I speak. Listen to how all of you gods can obtain the greatest benefit. The daityas and danavas are favoured by destiny. As long as that lasts and until it turns in your favour, it is recommended that you have an alliance with them. O gods! When a task is important, there should be an alliance even with enemies. For the sake of accomplishing an objective, one should behave like the snake with the mouse. 918 Without any delay, efforts should be made to extract amrita. After drinking it, a living being becomes immortal, even if he is devoured by death. Fling all the herbs, grass, creepers and plants into the ocean of milk. Using Mandara as a churning rod and Vasuki as the rope, churn it. O gods! With my help, churn it single-mindedly. The daityas will suffer the hardship, while you reap the fruits. O gods! You should accept whatever the asuras desire. No success can be achieved through anger, but everything is achieved through conciliation. The kalakuta poison will be generated from the ocean, but do not be scared of it. When objects of desire are produced, you should not be greedy. Nor should you be angry.”’ 919

  Shri-Shuka continued, ‘O king! Having instructed the gods in this fashion, the illustrious Purushottama, the lord who easily follows his own path, vanished from their sight. Having bowed down to the illustrious one, the grandfather and Bhava returned to their own abodes. The gods went to Bali. The revered king of the daityas saw the enemy. Though his own leaders were agitated and uncontrolled, he restrained them. He knew about the time for alliances and the time for war. Virochana’s son was on his seat, protected by the leaders among the asuras. Having conquered everything, he was full of great prosperity. They approached him. The immensely intelligent and great Indra assured him with gentle words. Following everything that Purushottama had instructed, he addressed him. This appealed to the daitya, 920 the other lords of the asuras, Shambara, Arishtanemi and the residents of Tripura. Thus, the gods and the asuras had a fraternal alliance. O scorcher of enemies! For the sake of the amrita, they made supreme efforts. Those extremely indomitable ones used their energy to uproot Mount Mandara. Roaring loudly, they used their strong arms, which were like clubs, to convey it to the ocean. Because the distance was far and the burden heavy, Shakra, Virochana’s son and the others were unable to bear it and, helpless, abandoned it along the path. When it fell down there, the golden mountain crushed many immortals and danavas under its weight. The illustrious one got to know that they were broken-hearted. Their arms, thighs and shoulders were broken. He arrived there, astride Garuda. He saw that the falling mountain had crushed the immortals and danavas. He glanced at them and they regained their lives. They became free of their anxiety and their wounds. As if he was playing, he raised the mountain with one hand and placed it atop Garuda. Ascending, and surrounded by large numbers of gods and asuras, he went to the ocean. Suparna, supreme among birds, took the mountain from his shoulder and placed it at the edge of the water. Hari then gave him leave to depart.’

  Chapter 8(7)

  Shri-Shuka said, ‘Offering a share in the fruits, they invited Vasuki, the king of the nagas. Like a rope, they wound him around the mountain and were delighted. O extender of the Kuru lineage! For the sake of the amrita, the gods started to make efforts. Initially, Hari seized the front and the gods were also there. However, the lord of the daityas did not approve of what the great being sought to do. “We will not grasp the serpent’s tail. That limb is inauspicious. We have studied and possess learning. Our birth and deeds are famous.” Purushottama saw that the daityas stood silently. Smiling, he let go off the front and with the immortals, seized the tail. Kashyapa’s descendants divided it up in this way. For the sake of the amrita, they made great efforts to churn the ocean of milk. O descendant of the Pandu lineage! While the ocean was being churned, the heavy mountain had no support and sank into the water, despite being held by those powerful ones. Their minds were distressed. Their radiant faces faded. Despite their being strong, because of destiny, their manliness was destroyed. The lord saw that the lord of obstacles had created this impediment. However, his valour was indomitable and his intentions could not be countered. Therefore, he assumed the great and wonderful form of a tortoise. He entered the water and raised the mountain up. On seeing that the kulachala had again been raised up, the gods and the asuras resumed the churning. The back of the tortoise extended for one lakh yojanas and was like another giant dvipa. O dear one! Using the strength of their arms, the Indras among the gods and the asuras rotated the mountain on his back. That origin
al and immeasurable tortoise bore this rotation and thought that someone was scratching his limbs. Vishnu entered them in different forms and enhanced their strength and energy—asura traits in asuras, encouragement in the large number of gods, and the divine form of ignorance in the Indra among the nagas. 921 Like another Indra among mountains, the thousand-armed one appeared on top of that king of mountains and grasped it with his hand. The gods, with Brahma and Indra at the forefront, praised him and showered down flowers on him. He supported it from above and below, and his supreme atman entered them and enthused them. Proud of their strength, they swiftly churned the ocean with the giant mountain and the large number of crocodiles was agitated.

  ‘The Indra among serpents possessed one thousand hard eyes and mouths. Flames mixed with smoke emerged from his breath and robbed the lustre of asuras like Poulama, Kaleya, Bali, Ilvala and others. They were like sarala trees 922 burnt down in a forest conflagration. The lustre of the gods was also destroyed from the flames in the breath. Their garments, excellent garlands, jackets and faces were covered with smoke. However, controlled by the illustrious one, the clouds rained down sufficiently on them and the breeze blew fragrantly from the waves of the ocean. In this way, the gods and the asuras did their best to churn the ocean. When amrita was not generated, the illustrious one began to churn himself. He was as dark as a cloud and wore golden garments. The earrings on his ears flashed like lightning. The wavy hair on his head glistened. Wearing garlands, his eyes were red. With triumphant arms that ensure fearlessness to the universe, he seized the dandashuka. Resembling another mountain, holding the mountain from above and below, he churned with the churning rod. Because of the churning, the great ocean was agitated and fish, makaras, snakes, tortoises, whales, sea elephants and timingilas 923 were terrified. An extremely virulent poison known as halahala was initially produced. O dear one! Terrible and intolerable in its force, it couldn’t be controlled and spread in all the directions, upwards, downwards, whirling and curling around. Scared and unable to find protection, the terrified subjects sought refuge with Ishvara Sadashiva. They saw the supreme among the gods seated atop the mountain 924 with the goddess, performing austerities for the welfare of the three worlds. Desiring liberation, sages were worshipping him.

  ‘They bowed down and prayed to him. The Prajapatis said, “O god of the gods! O Mahadeva! O one who is in the atmans of creatures! O creator of creatures! Save us. We have sought refuge with you. The poison is burning down the three worlds. You alone are the lord of the entire universe, of both bondage and emancipation. Accomplished ones worship you. You are the preceptor who delivers those who seek refuge. O lord! Through your own strength and full of gunas, you undertake creation, preservation and destruction. O lord who is a witness to everything! You assume the forms of Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva. You are the supreme and mysterious brahman. You are the cause of creation, the cause and the effect. You manifest many kinds of powers. You are the atman, the lord of the universe. You are the source of sound. You are the original cause of the universe. You are the atman. You are the breath of life and the senses. You are material objects and the gunas. You are innate nature. You are time, sacrifices, truth, truthfulness and dharma. It is said that you are the original sound with three aksharas. 925 The fire is your mouth. You are the atman of all the gods. The worlds know that the earth is your lotus feet. You are the progress of time. All the gods are in your atman. The directions are your ears. The lord of the waters 926 is your tongue. The sky is your navel. The wind is your breath. The sun is your eyes. The water is your semen. Your atman is a refuge for all atmans, superior or inferior. The moon is your mind. O illustrious one! The firmament is your head. The oceans are your stomach. The mountains are your bones and their joints. All the herbs and plants are your body hair. The metres are directly your seven sheaths. 927 The three Vedas are in your atman. All dharma is in your heart. O lord! The five Upanishads are your faces and the thirty-eight categories of mantras emerge from these. 928 You are known as Shiva and are the essence of the paramatman. O god! You are established in your own self-illuminating state. Your shadow leads to the creation of different kinds of adharma. Your three eyes are sattva, rajas and tamas. Samkhya is your atman and the sacred texts emanated from your glance. O ancient rishi! O god! You are full of the Vedas. O lord of the mountains! You are the supreme radiance where sattva, rajas and tamas do not exist and where the guardians of the world, Virinchi, Vaikuntha and Indra of the gods cannot go. You are the brahman, where differentiation is non-existent. You are the one who destroyed Kama, the sacrifice, Tripura, the deadly poison and many others. 929 You destroy the bhutas who cause injury. However, we are not praising you because of that. At the time of destruction, you withdraw all this into your own atman. Sparks of fire emerge from your eyes and you burn everything down. We do not know how this happens. Those who find delight in their atmans and are teachers think of your feet in their hearts. They torment themselves through austerities and think of you roaming around in the dual, with Uma. They talk of you as a fierce being who is always in cremation grounds. Indeed, they are without shame and do not know you at all. You are beyond cause and effect and supreme of the supreme. O lord! Thus, it is not possible to comprehend your nature and powers. Brahma and the others cannot do it, how can we? We are only outcomes and creatures of his creation. To the best of our ability, we are praying to you. O Maheshvara! We cannot see the supreme and you are supreme of the supreme. Though your deeds are not manifest, you have manifested yourself for the welfare of the worlds.” He was compassionate and saw that they were suffering and greatly afflicted. The god who was a well-wisher to all creatures spoke to his beloved Sati. Shiva said, “Alas! O Bhavani! Behold the calamity that confronts subjects. Because of the churning of the ocean of milk, a deadly poison 930 has arisen. It is recommended that I should grant those who seek to save their lives freedom from fear. This much is the objective of any master who wishes to protect the distressed. Virtuous people regard their own lives as fleeting and give those up to save beings. Confounded by his 931 maya, creatures are bound in this enmity. O fortunate one! If a person is compassionate, Hari is pleased in all his soul. O illustrious lady! If Hari is pleased, I and all mobile and immobile objects, are pleased. Therefore, I must consume this poison. Let me make it safe for the subjects.” The illustrious creator of the universe thus took Bhavani’s permission and knowing about his powers, she assented.