36 He was accompanied by the deities—the Ādityas, Vasus, Sādhyas, Maruts, and Rudras, together with the Vishvas—and by the dark-elves, monsters, and mountain-elves, 37 and by the directions and intermediate directions, the rivers and oceans, the constellations, the divisions of time, and the great planets that move across the sky, 38 and by the celestial seers rich in asceticism, the perfected saints, the seven seers, and the purest of the royal seers, and by the light-elves and the companies of celestial nymphs. 39 Thus surrounded by all the gods, Brahmā, the glorious guru of the mobile and the immobile and the supreme knower of the Veda, made his speech to the Daitya:
40 You’ve honoured me with this observance, and I’m delighted with you. If you please, keeper of your vow, choose your reward. Have whatever object of desire you wish for.
41 Hiranyakashipu said:
Truest of the gods. May no god, demon, or light-elf kill me, no dark-elf, serpent, or monster, no human or fiend. 42 Nor may any seer rich in asceticism get angry and curse me with curses. Grandfather of the world, I choose this as my reward. 43 And nor may I be killed by a weapon or missile, or by a rock or tree, or by anything dry or wet, or by anything else.
44 May I become the sun itself, the moon, the wind, and the oblation-eating fire, the waters and the sky, the constellations and the ten directions. 45 May I become anger and desire. May I become Varuna, Vāsava, Yama, and Kubera the giver of wealth and guardian of wealth, the dark-elf who rules over the wild-elves.*
46 Brahmā said:
I grant you these wonderful celestial blessings, my boy. You’ll get all these things you desire, my boy, no doubt about it.
47 After he’d said this, Lord Brahmā went off into thin air to his residence, which befits his high rank and is frequented by troupes of brahmin seers. 48 But then, as soon as they heard about the granting of the wish, the gods, snakes, light-elves, and sages came to find the Grandfather.
49 The gods said:
Now he’s been granted this wish, your holiness, that demon will kill us. So have mercy, your holiness. Think about how he might die.
50 His holiness was the self-born creator and master of all beings, the eternal unmanifest matrix, and the source of the offerings for gods and ancestors. 51 And so, after hearing this speech that was salutary for the worlds, the holy god and patriarch made his reply to all the ranks of the gods:
52 Thirty gods. He must certainly receive the reward for his austerities. But when his austerities expire, Lord Vishnu will put him to death.
53 After they heard what lotus-born Brahmā said, all the gods went off to their own celestial domains, filled with delight.
54 As soon as Hiranyakashipu Daitya had obtained his wish, the granting of the wish made him arrogant, and he harassed all creatures. 55 In those days he even mistreated the sages in their ashrams—the patient and eminent sages firm in their discipline, devotees of truth and virtue. 56 The great Dānava demon† vanquished the gods in all three of the worlds, brought the triple-world under his control, and took up residence in heaven.
57 The Dānava was drunk with arrogance because of his wish, and when he spent time on earth he decreed that the Daityas should be worshipped, and that the deities shouldn’t be. 58 Consequently, the Ādityas, the Sādhyas, the Vishvas, and the Vasus sought protection from Vishnu, the mighty protector. 59 For protection the gods went to Lord Nārāyana the eternal protector, the sacrifice, the god made of brahman, the god of brahman, the master of the past, present, and future, to whom the worlds pay homage.
60 They said: Save us today, lord of the gods, from Hiranyakashipu the destroyer. For you are our highest god, you are our highest guru, and you are our highest ordainer. You the highest divinity of Brahmā and the rest, 61 you with your eyes like the petals of a lotus in bloom, you who strike fear into the enemy side! You must help us to weaken Diti’s lineage.
62 Vishnu said:
Don’t be afraid, immortal gods. I grant you safety, so go back to the third heaven immediately. 63 As for the Daitya who’s been made arrogant by the granting of that wish, the Dānava leader that the best of the gods can’t kill: I myself will kill him, along with his gang.
64 After saying this and dismissing the thirty gods, Lord Hari went to Hiranyakashipu’s assembly hall, your majesty. 65 But first he made half his body that of a man and half his body that of a lion, and in his man-lion form he clapped one paw against another. 66 He looked like a thundercloud, he sounded like a thundercloud, he had the blazing power of a thundercloud, and he was as fast as a cloud. 67 And the powerful, proud Daitya who was as bold as a proud tiger and protected by proud Daitya gangs? He killed him with one paw.
68 That was the story of the man-lion.
After that comes the story of the peerless dwarf—in which, after assuming a Daitya-destroying dwarf form, 69 mighty Vishnu shook up the great unshakeable demons with his three strides, at mighty Bali’s sacrifice long ago.*
70 Viprachitti was there, and Shibi, Shanku, and Ayahshanku; Ayahshiras Iron-Head, Ashvashiras Horse-Head, and bold Hayagrīva Horse-Neck; Vegavat and Ketumat, and the great demon Ugra the Terrible, along with Ugravyagra; 71 Pushkara and Pushkala, and Ashvapati Lord of Horses, with his horses; Prahrāda, Ashvashiras, Kumbha, Samhrāda, and Gaganapriya; 72 Anuhrāda, Hari and Hara, Varāha, and destructive Samhara the Crusher; Sharabha and Shalabha, Kupana and Kopana, and Kratha; 73 Brihatkīrti Far-Famed, and Mahājihva Fat-Tongue, and Shankukarna Spike-Ears, and Mahāsvana Big-Noise; and Dīrghajihva Long-Tongue, and Arkanayana, Mridupāda, and Mridupriya; 74 Vāyu, Gavishtha, Namuchi, Shambara, and massive Vikshara; Chandrahantri Moon-Killer, Krodhahantri Anger-Killer, and Krodhavardhana Anger-Booster; 75 Kālaka, Kālakeya, Vritra, Krodha, and Virochana; Garishtha and Varishtha, and both Lamba and Naraka; 76 Indratāpana and Vātāpi, power-crazed Ketumat; Asiloman and Puloman, Bāshkala, Pramada, and Mada; 77 Khasrima, Kālavadana, Karāla, and Keshin; Ekāksha One-Eye, Rāhu the moon-killer, Samhrāda, Srimara, and Svana.
78 Some held discuses that could kill a hundred at a time, some held iron bludgeons, some were armed with mechanical stone-throwing weapons, some were armed with sling-javelins, 79 some held spears and mortars, some were carrying axes, some held chains and hammers, some held clubs, 80 some had massive boulders as weapons, and some had lances in their hands. They were terrible and swift Dānavas, with all manner of weapons, in all manner of guises.
81 They had the beaks of turtles and cockerels, the faces of hares and owls, and the snouts of donkeys, camels, and boar. 82 There were terrible Dānavas with the jaws of sea-monsters and jackals, there were mole-faced and frog-faced ones, and horrible wolf-faced ones, 83 and cat-faced and hare-faced ones, and others with enormous mouths. There were warriors with the mouths of crocodiles and rams, and the faces of cows, goats, sheep, and buffaloes, 84 and the faces of lizards and porcupines, and there were others with the beaks of cranes, eagles, and peacocks, and the faces of rhinoceroses.
85 Some demons were dressed in the skins of bull elephants, others in the pelts of black antelopes. Some had their bodies wrapped in rags, or wore clothes made of bark. 86 There were demons with turbans, with crowns, with earrings, with diadems, with dangling topknots, and with shells around their necks. They were magnificent Daityas, wearing all manner of costumes and all manner of garlands and unguents.
87 As Hrishīkesha came forward, they each clenched their individual weapons, which seemed to blaze with energy, and they all advanced upon him together. 88 But he beat all the Daityas off using his feet and the palms of his hands, and then he assumed his fearsome form and quickly took back the earth. 89 As he was striding across the earth, the moon and the sun were in the middle of his chest, as he was striding across the sky they were just at his navel, 90 and as boundlessly bold Vishnu was striding beyond that, they were below his knees. That’s what the brahmins say.
91 Vishnu prevailed over the powerful: he took the whole rich earth and killed the demon bulls, and then he gave the jewel-bearing earth to Shakra.
&
nbsp; 92 That was the manifestation of great Vishnu called the dwarf manifestation, narrated for you. The brahmins who know the Veda call it Vishnu’s Glory.
93 The next manifestation of great Vishnu, the soul of all beings, was known as Atri’s son Datta. He was characterised by the utmost tolerance. 94 When the gods and ceremonies and festivals had fallen into disuse, and the four classes had become mixed up, and morality had slackened off 95 and immorality had increased, and honesty had disappeared and cheating was normal, and creatures were withering away, and propriety had lost its pedigree, 96 he was the one who restored the Vedas, along with the rites and sacrifices. He was the noble man who separated the four mixed-up classes.
97 Atri’s wise son Datta was a granter of wishes, and he granted a wish to Arjuna Kārtavīrya, the wise king of the Hehayas.*98 He said: Because of what you’ve done for me, these two arms of yours will turn into a thousand arms, your majesty, no doubt about it. 99 You’ll rule the whole jewel-bearing earth, your majesty. When you’re engaged in battle, the swarms of your enemies won’t be able to look at you without hurting their eyes.
100 That’s another manifestation of Vishnu narrated for you—a glorious, extraordinary, and wholesome one.
Next is the great one’s Jāmadagnya manifestation, 101 whereby King Arjuna Kārtavīrya, who was proud of his thousand arms and a warrior invincible in battle, was killed by mighty Rāma Jāmadagnya.
102 Rāma toppled King Arjuna from his chariot onto the earth. Like a dark cloud he tormented the howling king to his heart’s content, 103 and then, even though Arjuna’s relatives were there to support him, the descendant of Bhrigu cut off all one thousand of his arms with a shining axe.
104 The earth that Mount Meru and Mount Mandara adorn was strewn with tens of millions of kshatriyas, as Jāmadagnya cleared her of kshatriyas twenty-one times. 105 And after he’d cleared her of kshatriyas, that immensely austere Bhārgava offered a horse sacrifice in order to expiate all his sins. 106 At that bountiful rite the delighted descendant of Bhrigu gave Marīchi’s son Kashyapa the jewel-bearing earth as a sacrificial gift. 107 At that great horse-sacrifice ritual that supreme chariot-warrior, great in mind and great in glory, gave away his chariot, and white horses from the west, and untarnishing gold, and cows, and bull elephants.
108 To this very day Jāmadagnya descendant of Bhrigu stands there up on lofty Mount Mahendra, full of glory like a god, pursuing fierce austerities for the good of the worlds, on and on.
109 Vishnu is the eternal and imperishable great lord of the gods, and that manifestation is called his Jāmadagnya manifestation.
110 After that, in the twenty-fourth age, he was born with long lotus-eyes as the son of Dasharatha, and was taught by Vishvāmitra. 111 The mighty strong-armed master split himself into four parts,* but the world knows him as Rāma, brilliant as the sun.†112 The glorious one was born in that form to soothe the world, to defeat monsters, and to ensure proper behaviour. They describe this form of the lord of all beings as the human-leader form.
113 Wise Vishvāmitra gave him missiles—missiles that even the gods wouldn’t have been able to withstand—so that he could kill the gods’ enemies. 114 Mārīcha and Subāhu, two of the most powerful, impeded the rituals of the devout sages, but the great one struck them both powerfully down, dashing their hopes. 115 He was the one who snapped Shiva’s bow, as if this were a game he played to amuse himself, while great Janaka’s festival was in progress.
116 That man Rāma, who knew his every duty, lived in the forest intent upon the welfare of all beings for fourteen years, together with Lakshmana. 117 The beautiful goddess Lakshmī, known to the people as Sītā, followed her husband and stayed at his side, because that had been her former custom.
118 It was at Janasthāna, while he was living in the forest for fourteen years pursuing austerities, that the descendant of Raghu activated his mission for the thirty gods.‡119 And while he was looking around for a trace of Sītā, he killed Virādha and Kabandha. The far-sighted man killed those two terrible monsters, two man-tigers who were actually light-elves suffering under a curse.
120 Their bodies were forcibly dismembered
by arrows nocked with different types of burnished gold,
arrows as bright as fire, sunbeams, or lightning-strike,
arrows as strong as the thunderbolt of the king of the gods.
121 Then he killed Vālin, the mighty chief of the monkeys, for Sugrīva’s sake in a fight, and he had Sugrīva installed in his place.
122 Rāvana was the chief of the monsters. He couldn’t be killed by troops of gods or demons, or by dark-elves, monsters, or creatures with wings. He was hard to beat in battle, 123 and he was protected by tens of millions of monsters. Looking like a pile of black kohl, he was the one who made the triple-world howl (rāvana). He was a cruel monster, a master of monsters, 124 ageless, unbearable, and wild, with a stride like a tiger’s. The ranks of the gods couldn’t look at him without hurting their eyes, and the granting of the wish made him arrogant.*125 Rāvana was massive in body and massive in strength—he looked like a solid thundercloud—but Rāma killed him in battle, along with his troops and advisers. 126 Man-bull Rāma, the lord of the creatures, soon killed the cruel miscreant Rāvana, descendant of Pulastya, long ago.
127 Madhu’s arrogant son was the Dānava called Lavana, a huge and terrible demon who’d had his wish granted. But the man who loved fighting killed him in Madhu’s forest, and he killed other monsters in battle as well. 128 Rāma the supreme upholder of the law did these deeds, and then he offered ten lavish horse sacrifices rich in meat.
129 While Rāma ruled the realm no sharp words were heard, no unsavoury breeze blew, and no property was stolen. 130 While Rāma ruled the realm no widows lamented. In those days there were no setbacks, and the whole world was calm. 131 People didn’t fear losses through floods or fire, and the old never performed funeral rites for the young. 132 Brahmins attended upon kshatriyas, vaishyas were faithful to kshatriyas, and shūdras served the other three classes unselfishly. 133 Women didn’t offend their husbands, and nor did any husband offend his wife. The whole world was calm, and the earth was free of brigands. Rāma was the sole protector, Rāma was the guardian. 134 While Rāma ruled the realm there were thousands of years in which creatures lived without getting ill and had thousands of children. 135 While Rāma ruled the realm, all the deities, seers, and human beings lived together on the broad earth.
136 People who know the old stories, who are committed to Rāma and focused upon the truth, sing lyrics on this topic. They sing the wise one’s greatness.
137 He was dark, youthful, and handsome, with red eyes and a face that shone. He was measured in his speech. He had strong arms that reached down his knees, and the shoulders of a lion. 138 After becoming overlord of Ayodhyā, Rāma ruled for ten thousand and ten hundred years. 139 In his realm the sound of the verses, chants, and formulae was heard constantly, as was the twang of the great man’s bowstring, and the command to give, and to eat.
140 Resolute, replete with virtues, and blazing with his own brilliance, Rāma son of Dasharatha outshone the sun and moon. 141 The mighty descendant of Raghu sacrificed with a hundred holy rites complete with generous gifts to the priests, and after leaving Ayodhyā, he went to heaven. 142 Thus the strong-armed master, the darling of the Ikshvāku family, killed Rāvana and his allies and stepped up to heaven.
143 After that, there was the great god’s manifestation as Keshava, for the good of all worlds. It’s narrated in the tale of Mathurā, 144 wherein Shālva, Kamsa, Mainda, Dvivida, Arishta the bull, Keshin, Pūtanā the daughter of a Daitya, 145 the elephant Kuvalayāpīda with the Water-Lily Crown, Chānūra and Mushtika, and other Daityas residing in human bodies, are all slain by our hero, 146 and the thousand arms of Bāna the wonderworker are cut off, and Naraka is killed in a fight, and so is the mighty Yavana, 147 and all the jewels of the kings are appropriated, and wicked kings are struck down onto the ground, all as a result of his brill
iance.
148 These manifestations of the great one were for the good of the world. And the lord will come into being once again, under the name of Kalkin Vishnuyashas.
149 In the old stories, the teachers of the Veda sing about these divine manifestations infused with divine qualities, and about many other ones too. 150 Whenever an old story (which is equivalent to a recitation of the Veda) is in progress and the manifestations are narrated, even the gods get dizzy. 151 This narration of the manifestations has been presented here merely as a pointer towards the mighty and laudable guru of all worlds.
152 If a person listens to a narration of the manifestations of Vishnu the boundlessly bold with their palms together in respect, the narration delights their ancestors.
153 These are the yoga tricks of the yoga master.
Whoever hears about them is freed from all ills
and soon receives, by the blessed one’s grace,
a fortune, good fortune, and many good times.
32. Vishnu’s Promise
1 Vaishampāyana said:
Hear from me about Vishnu’s all-pervasiveness, about how he is Hari in the krita age, Vaikuntha among the gods, and Krishna among human beings. 2 Hear the true facts about the mysterious march of the master’s deeds, your majesty—past, present, and future. 3 This blessed lord is the unmanifest even when he’s disguised as something manifest, for Nārāyana in himself is endless. He’s really the unchanging source. 4 Even after he’d become Hari, this Nārāyana was eternal: he was Brahmā, Shakra, Soma, Dharma, Shukra, and Brihaspati.
5 The darling of the Yādavas is the same as the one who became Indra’s younger brother, a son of Aditi called Vishnu. 6 For that birth as a son of Aditi was an expression of the lord’s grace. Its purpose was to kill the gods’ enemies: the Dānavas, Daityas, and monsters. 7 Yet that masterful Vishnu was also originally the primary soul who produced Brahmā, and then in ancient times Brahmā the primal person produced the patriarchs, 8 and then, by propagating themselves into peerless brahmin lineages, those noble ones caused the eternal brahman to became manifold.
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