Krishna's Lineage

by Simon Brodbeck

  When dark rain-bearing clouds arrive, the stars disappear from the sky, 16 but the army of the deities, protected by Shakra, was in good spirits. It shone with the cool light and the hot light, the lights of moon and sun. 17 Though it was swift as the wind, it was graceful. The companies of stars were its pennants, torn rainclouds were its clothes, and the planets and constellations were the white of its toothy grin. 18 It was protected by Yama, Indra, Varuna, and wise Kubera the giver of wealth, it was lit up by the fire god and the wind god, and it was devoted to Nārāyana. 19 The great army of the gods contained dark-elves and light-elves. Magical, formidable, and armed with missiles, it looked like an ocean in flood. It looked magnificent.

  20 Then those two armies came together, and it was like the earth and the sky coming together at the end of the age. 21 The battle was terrible—a mêlée of gods and Dānavas, featuring endurance and enterprise, daring and discipline. 22 Fearsome and furious gods and demons sallied forth first from one army and then from the other, like rainclouds rising out of two oceans. 23 Those gods and Dānavas came out from their armies in great excitement, like elephants coming out from two mountain forests in bloom. 24 Then they beat kettledrums and blew conches again and again, and the noise filled heaven, the sky, the earth, and the directions. 25 The shouts of the Daityas were drowned out by the whacking of palms against bowstrings, the twanging of bows, and the booming of kettledrums.

  26 They fell upon each other and felled each other. Some wanted to fight two by two, and broke arms with arms. 27 In that battle, deities hurled vicious lightning-bolts and bludgeons of finest iron, and Dānavas hurled swords and heavy maces. 28 Some fighters fell heavily, cut to pieces by arrows, their limbs smashed by mace-blows. Some found themselves lying face-down.

  29 Then, in the great rage of their hatred for one another, they clashed in battle on horse-drawn chariots and fast-moving aerial chariots. 30 As some were charging into the fray, others were running away. Chariots were warded off by chariots, foot-soldiers by foot-soldiers. 31 The clattering rattle of the rattling chariots made the sky (nabhas) rumble just as it rumbles with stormclouds in the month of Nabhasya.*

  32 Some of the warriors smashed chariots up, some were crushed by chariots, and some chariots got stuck and couldn’t move. 33 Other proud warriors carrying swords and shields used their arms to thrust and parry, crashing their weapons together, before killing each other in the duel. 34 Others were cut open by missiles and killed in battle, and gushed blood like the clouds gushing water at the onset of the monsoon.

  35 It was a chaotic battle, blended with blades and missiles, mixed with maces hurled and swung, and tossed with gods and Dānavas. 36 It was a stormy battle, with great clouds in the form of Dānavas, flashes from the gods’ weapons, and showers of each other’s arrows.

  37 At this point Kālanemi Dānava lost his temper and expanded, like a raincloud being filled up by the ocean in flood. 38 His body emitted clouds that looked like snakes’ heads: they were crowned with flickering lightning and rained blazing thunderbolts. 39 While he hissed with rage and his furrowed forehead poured with sweat, flames shot out of his mouth, together with sparks, a grinding noise, and wind. 40 His arms extended outwards and up into the sky. They were like black snakes with five heads each, and flickering tongues.

  41 He used his bow to obscure the expanse of heaven behind salvos of arrows of various kinds, and behind iron bludgeons too. It was as if he were obscuring it behind high mountains. 42 He stood there at the head of the army with his clothes rippling in the wind, looking like Mount Meru in person, its peak swallowed up by twilight sunshine.

  43 He felled swathes of gods with the trees and the tips of mountaintops thrown around by the force of his thighs. It was as if he were felling great mountains with a thunderbolt. 44 Kālanemi pelted the gods with multitudes of knives and swords in battle. Their heads cut off, their chests split open, they were immobilised. 45 Dark-elves, light-elves, and birds fell, and so did great serpents. Some were smashed up by his fists, some were cut to pieces. 46 Kālanemi terrorised the gods in battle. Try as they might they couldn’t fight back effectively, and they became despondent.

  47 During that onslaught Kālanemi trapped thousand-eyed Shakra with webs of arrows. Although Shakra was riding on Airāvata, he couldn’t move. 48 During that onslaught Kālanemi rendered Varuna devoid of snares and inactive. Varuna looked like a raincloud with no water, or an ocean with no water. 49 During that onslaught, using iron bludgeons that took on any form he wanted, Kālanemi forced the grumbling lord of the world-guardians, Kubera Vaishravana, to discontinue his wealth-giving duties. 50 And during that onslaught Kālanemi tamed the immortal Yama, who destroys everyone with his weapon of death. Yama returned to his own quarter, the southern (yāmya) station. 51 Kālanemi defeated the world-guardians, and then he appropriated their roles, dividing his own body into four and installing it in every quarter.

  52 Travelling along the celestial path that Svarbhānu had shown him through the constellations, he stole Soma’s beauty and his important remit. 53 He forced the bright-beaming sun to move away from the gate of heaven, and he stole its remit, and its path to the north and the south, and its daily deed. 54 He saw Agni the fire god at the mouth of the gods, and made him stay at his mouth. He conquered Vāyu the wind god in no time, and made him do his bidding. 55 He merged all the rivers into the oceans against their will, and put them under his control. Through his virility, the waters became part of his body. 56 And after putting the waters under his control—the ones that rise in heaven as well as the ones that rise on earth—he kept the earth well-guarded, using the mountains.

  57 That Daitya looked like the self-born god: he was the great lord of the great elements. He comprised everyone, and brought fear to everyone. 58 His single body contained the world-guardians, and he also incorporated the moon, sun, and planets, and the fire and wind. That Dānava looked magnificent in battle. 59 He occupied the preeminent position at the origin and dissolution of the worlds, and the ranks of the Daityas praised him just as the gods praise the Grandfather.

  38. The Killing of Kālanemi

  1 Vaishampāyana said:

  There were five who, because of his perverse behaviour, wouldn’t join him: Veda, virtue, patience, and truth, and also Lakshmī, who cleaves to Nārāyana. 2 The Dānava master was angered by their failure to follow him, and he followed Vishnu’s footmarks until he came to where Nārāyana was.

  3 He spied the bearer of conch, discus, and mace sitting on the eagle, brandishing his splendid mace, ready to destroy the Dānavas. 4 The bird was Kashyapa’s crested son, luxuriant with feathers of gold, and Nārāyana sat skilfully astride him like a raincloud full of water, his clothes like lightning.

  5 When he saw Vishnu calm, reliable, and unshakeable, ready to destroy the Daityas in battle, the Dānava was shaken to the core. He said:

  6 This is the enemy of the Dānava seers who came before us, the enemy of Madhu the ocean-dweller, for sure, and Kaitabha. 7 This is our quarrel—one that can never be ended, they say—for which many Dānavas have been struck down in today’s hostilities. 8 This god is merciless in battle, and shameless with women and children. He made the Dānava women stray beyond their boundaries. 9 Among the gods he’s Vishnu, among the heaven-dwellers he’s Vaikuntha, among the serpents in the waters he’s Ananta, and for the self-born he’s the self-born.

  10 This is the lord of the gods, and we must tear him apart. Hiranyakashipu was killed after incurring his wrath. 11 The gods sitting beside the sacrificial fire shelter in his shade, and they get the triple oblation of ghee offered by the great seers. 12 He’s the reason why all those who hate the deities die. Our families have come upon his discus in battle. 13 He’s the one who risks his life fighting for the gods’ benefit. He throws his discus at his enemies, and its fiery energy matches the sun’s. 14 He’s the one who calls time on the Daityas, but since I remain and have become time, the fool will reap the consequence of outstaying his time.

 
; 15 Now, by good luck, this Vishnu has come within my sight. Today, pounded by my arrows, he’ll bow down to me alone. 16 Today, with good luck, I’ll kill this Nārāyana, the bane of the Dānavas, and avenge my ancestors in battle. 17 I’ll soon kill Nārāyana with arrows in battle.

  He takes on different forms to repel the Dānavas in battle. 18 This killer once became the one known for the lotus in his navel, and killed both Madhu and Kaitabha in the single sublime ocean. 19 He once made himself a double body that was half lion but in the shape of a man, and he killed my ancestor Hiranyakashipu all on his own. 20 Aditi, the mother of gods, once produced a fine child—it was him, and striding with his three strides, he stole the three worlds. 21 But now that war is upon us once again on account of Tārakā, he’ll meet with me, and he and the gods will be destroyed.

  22 After saying this, Kālanemi insulted Nārāyana in various ways with nasty confrontational speeches. All he wanted was to fight.

  23 While he was being insulted by the demon chief, the mace-bearer didn’t get angry. His mind had the power of patience, and he said with a smile:

  24 So much for the power of pride, Daitya! But the power born from my displeasure is dependable. Your speech tries my patience, and you’ll be struck down for sins born of pride. 25 In my opinion, you’re a wretch. To hell with your army of words! The women only growl threateningly when the men aren’t there. 26 I see you’re following the path of your forebears, Daitya. But who can travel safely after crossing the line drawn by the patriarch? 27 You’ve caused trouble for the gods, so now I’m going to destroy you and restore each of the deities to their proper position.

  28 During that altercation, while the bearer of the shrīvatsa was making this speech, the Dānava smiled in fury and put his hands on his weapons. 29 His eyes blood-red with fury, he raised a hundred arms for battle holding every weapon, and he bashed Vishnu on the chest.

  30 Led by Maya and Tāra, all the Dānavas raised their vicious weapons and attacked Vishnu in a free-for-all. 31 But while he was being smashed up in battle by powerful Daityas wielding every weapon, Hari didn’t waver. He was as unshaken as a mountain.

  32 The great demon Kālanemi tackled the eagle. With several of his arms and all of his strength he hefted a great mace, and in his passion he hurled it, blazing and terrible, at Garuda. 33 The Daitya’s deed made that mace land on the eagle’s head, and Vishnu was taken by surprise.

  34 When he saw the eagle reeling and his own body injured,* Vaikuntha’s eyes reddened with fury, and he picked up his discus. 35 Then, together with the eagle, the lord suddenly expanded and his arms extended, pervading the ten directions. 36 Filling the directions, the intermediate directions, the sky, and the earth, he swelled up as if he wanted to use his powers to stride across the worlds again.

  37 As Madhusūdana the Slayer of Madhu expanded into the sky for the victory of Indra and the gods, the seers and light-elves praised him. 38 Obscuring the directions with his arms, he strode across the jewel-bearing earth with his feet, grazing heaven with his crown and the sky and clouds with his clothes.

  39 He raised his discus Sudarshana, the terrible ruin of his foes, a sight to behold. It looked like a blazing fire, and with its thousand spokes it shone as if with sunbeams. 40 Its nave was hard as diamond, its edge was dusted with gold, and it brought danger—it was splattered with the fat, bone, marrow, and blood of Dānavas. 41 In the dealing of blows it was one of a kind. Ringed by a rim like a razor, covered with wreaths and strung with garlands, it travelled at will and changed shape at will. 42 Created by the self-born god himself, and spelling danger for every enemy, it was infused with the great seers’ frustrations, and war always drove it wild. 43 When it’s launched in a great battle the worlds and their standing and moving creatures are horrified, but carrion-eating creatures are delighted. 44 Its deeds are unparalleled, and it shines like the sun. Aflame with fury, the mace-bearer lifted that discus in battle.

  45 Using his own power to disarm the Dānava power, the bearer of fortune cut off Kālanemi’s arms with the discus in battle. 46 As for the Daitya’s one hundred gruesome faces, with their sparks and their hoarse laughter: using the discus, Hari struck them violently off. 47 But even after he’d had his arms cut off and lost his heads in battle, that Dānava didn’t waver. He remained as a headless trunk, like a tree with no branches.

  48 Garuda spread his massive wings, accelerated to the speed of the wind, and knocked Kālanemi down with his chest. 49 Whirling out of the sky, his headless and armless body left heaven behind and crashed onto the face of the earth, making it shake. 50 And when the Daitya fell, the gods and the companies of seers praised Vaikuntha in unison, congratulating him again and again.

  51 There were of course other Daityas in the conflict who showed courage, but Hari engulfed them all with his arms and immobilised them in battle. 52 He grabbed some by the hair, and attacked some at the throat. Tearing the face off one, he grabbed others by the waist. 53 They lost their mettle and their lives. Roasted by the mace and discus, they fell out of the sky onto the face of the earth, ruined in every limb.

  54 When all the Daityas had been killed, the supreme mace-bearing person remained. He’d done what Shakra wanted, and his task was complete. 55 And when the punishing war over Tārakā had finished, Brahmā, the Grandfather of the world, immediately arrived in the vicinity. 56 In company with all the brahmin seers as well as the light-elves and bevies of celestial nymphs, that god of gods made a speech in praise of the god Hari:

  57 A great deed has been done, god. Through the destruction of Daityas a thorn has been extracted for the gods, and we’re delighted. 58 The one you’ve killed, Vishnu, is the great demon Kālanemi. No one else was able to kill him in battle, only you. 59 Despising the gods, and the worlds together with their contents mobile and immobile, he culled the seers, and he even opposed me. 60 So I’m delighted by your savage deed, because Kālanemi here, who looked just like Death, has been felled.

  61 Now come, if you please. We must return to the highest heaven. The brahmin seers who live there have assembled and are waiting for you. 62 For how can I grant you a wish, best of wish-granters? You’re the one who grants wishes, even to the best gods and Daityas! 63 The triple-world is thriving now that its irritant has been slain in this war, Vishnu. So give it back to Shakra the very great.

  64 After Lord Brahmā had said this to him, Lord Hari used handsome words to address all the gods led by Shakra:

  65 Thirty gods. While you’re all assembled, pay your respects to Indra the smasher of citadels, then listen to me and heed what you hear. 66 In this war, we’ve killed all those led by Kālanemi—Dānavas full of courage, stronger even than Shakra. 67 During this great campaign, just two have escaped: Virochana’s son the Daitya chief Bali,* and Svarbhānu the great seizer.

  68 So Shakra must return to his favourite quarter, and so must Varuna. Yama must guard his southern quarter, and Kubera the lord of wealth must guard the northern one. 69 The moon must move time onwards in its conjunctions with the constellations, and the sun and its biannual journeys must supply the cloud that begins the monsoon season. 70 The ghee portions must be sent on their way with the blessings of the superintending priests, and the brahmins must invoke the fires using the procedure laid down in the Veda. 71 The gods, the great seers, and the ancestors must be made happy in their desired manner—by the offering of oblations, by private study, and by ancestral rites, respectively. 72 The wind must move around on its proper paths, fire must blaze in its three places,* and the three social classes† must use their intrinsic attributes to please the three worlds. 73 Rites must take place, officiated by brahmins who must be consecrated for the purpose, and all the officiants must receive their sacrificial gifts as promised.

  74 Through their gracious and gentle activities, the sun must continue bringing refreshment to the senses, the moon to drinks, and the wind to the vital powers within living beings. 75 And the water-bearing rivers—the mothers of the triple-world, great Indra—must all
descend, properly and gradually, to the sea.

  76 Be happy, deities. Don’t be afraid of the Daityas. I’m leaving for Brahmā’s eternal heaven, and I wish you well. 77 But don’t be complacent, whether in your own homes in heaven or, more particularly, in battle, for Dānavas are always sneaky. 78 They strike at weak spots and are fickle by nature, whereas you are gentle, upright in character, and honest in your intentions.

  79 After he’d said this to the ranks of the gods, glorious Vishnu, whose power is his truth, set off for Brahmā’s heaven with Brahmā.

  80 This marvel of Vishnu and the Dānavas—which is what you asked me about‡—took place during the war over Tārakā.

  The Divine Plan

  39. Description of Brahmā’s Heaven

  1 Janamejaya said:

  Vaikuntha went off to Brahmā’s heaven together with Brahmā, the god of gods who was born in the waters. But what did he do then, brahmin? 2 After he’d finished killing the Daityas, why was Vishnu led away by the first god, the one born in the waters, before he’d been fêted by the gods? 3 What position did the sovereign creator of beings occupy in Brahmā’s heaven? Or what business did he conduct there? Or what promise was he keeping?

  4 How is it that, even while Vishnu’s away there in Brahmā’s heaven, this whole wide world attains the rich prosperity that gods, demons, and humans praise? 5 When he’s in Brahmā’s heaven, how does he fall asleep at the end of the hot season and wake up when the clouds have gone? How does he carry the yoke of the world?