Harivamsha

by Bibek Debroy

  ‘On seeing this, the danava Maya unleashed another divine and danava maya. He created a net of mountains and these boulders and mountains seemed to laugh out aloud. These were covered with ugly trees fierce at the tips and had forests that were thick with caves. They were populated by lions, tigers and elephants and gigantic elephants trumpeted. There were large numbers of wolves and there were trees that were whirled around by the wind. He created and unleashed this famous maya of mountains in every direction. Meanwhile his son, Krouncha, travelled in the sky, as he willed, showering down and slaying large numbers of gods with falling trees, torrents of boulders and thunderous rocks. This injected a new life into the danavas. That traveller in the night made Varuna’s maya vanish. In the battle, large numbers of gods were struck with rocks and clouds of iron. There was a terrible shower of boulders, interspersed with trees and mountains. Strewn with mountains, the earth was so terrible that it was impossible to cross. In the encounter, several of the gods were seen to be struck by rocks, some others were afflicted by the boulders. Others were obstructed by the large number of trees. They were distracted and their weapons were shattered. The bows slipped from their hands. With the exception of Gadadhara,536 the army of gods abandoned the battle.

  ‘Advancing in the battle, the prosperous lord did not tremble. Gadadhara, the lord of the universe, is patient and he was not enraged. The one who knows about destiny was like a dark cloud. He wished to see the progress of destiny in the battle. Janardana wished to see the gods and the asuras crush each other.537 Instructed by the illustrious one, the fire god and the wind god joined the battle. Goaded by Vishnu’s words, they dispelled the maya. When they joined that great battle, all the clouds were flung aside. The mountains of maya were burnt, reduced to ashes and destroyed. The wind united with the fire and the fire was fanned by the wind. It was like the end of a yuga. The daitya soldiers were incinerated and lost their senses. The wind chased them and the fire followed behind the wind. The fire and the wind roamed around amidst the army of the danavas, as if they were playing. The limbs of some of the danavas were burnt. Others tried to rise, but fell down. Vimanas dashed against other vimanas. With the wind bearing him on his shoulders, the fire was successful in accomplishing his task. When they returned after destroying that maya, everyone praised Gadadhara. The daityas lost all enterprise and the three worlds were freed from their bonds. All the gods were delighted and exclaimed, “Wonderful. Wonderful.” When the one with the one thousand eyes was victorious and Maya was defeated, all the directions became auspicious and the rites of dharma started. The path of the moon was cleaned and the sun was reinstated along his path. The worlds regained their natural states. Good conduct was seen amidst men. Death was restricted to his limits.538 Oblations were offered to the fire. For the sake of heaven, it was seen that sacrifices started to be performed for the gods. All the guardians of the world were in control of their respective directions. Since there were no longer any evil deeds, ascetics could adhere to virtuous characteristics. The side of the gods was delighted and the side of the daityas was distressed. In that battle, dharma possessed three feet and adharma possessed only one.539 The great gate of remaining established on a virtuous path was opened up. People adhered to their own dharma, as befitted their varnas and their ashramas. The kings were radiant in protecting their subjects. The world was peaceful and without any taints. The terrible darkness was pacified. Having accomplished their task, the fire and the wind retreated from the battle. The world sparkled and rites were performed, praising their victory.

  ‘On hearing about the great fear caused to the elder brothers of the gods,540 a famous danava named Kalanemi showed himself. His crown was like the sun and his ornaments and bracelets jingled. He seemed to surpass Mandara and his gigantic body was encrusted in silver. He possessed one hundred arms, with one hundred fierce weapons held in them. He possessed one hundred faces and one hundred heads. The handsome one was stationed there, like a mountain with one hundred peaks. His gigantic frame seemed to stretch forward, like a fire during the summer. His hair had a smoky complexion. His beard was tawny. His teeth, lips and face jutted out. His gigantic frame was so large that it seemed to encompass the three worlds. His arms were as expansive as the sky and the stride of his steps was like that of mountains. When he exhaled from his mouth, that breath was like clouds raining down. His eyes were red and he was cross-eyed. His broad chest was like Mandara. He was ready to confront all the large number of gods in the battle, from whichever direction they might advance. He enveloped the ten directions and roared at the large number of gods. He was thirsty and insolent, like Death that arises at the time of final destruction. He stretched out his gigantic palm in assurance, with large finger joints. Those fingers were long and adorned with ornaments and the finger guards moved when he did this. The handsome one raised his right hand in a sign of assurance. He addressed the danavas and uttered these words, “Arise and strike the gods.” In the battle, all the gods glanced towards their enemy Kalanemi, who was like destiny, and their eyes became full of fright and terror. All the creatures looked at Kalanemi’s stride. They thought this was another Narayana, with his valiant three strides.541 As he stepped forward with his first stride, whirling winds were generated in the sky. The asura advanced into the battle and terrified all the gods. With Maya, that Indra among the asuras gradually advanced into the battle and it seemed as if Kalanemi and that daitya542 were like Vishnu with Mandara. With Shakra at the forefront, all the gods were distressed. They looked towards the terrible Kalanemi, who was advancing like destiny.’

  Chapter 37

  Vaishampayana said, ‘The danava Kalanemi delighted the danavas. His great energy increased, like a cloud at the end of the summer. The lords of the danavas saw him increase his size, until it covered the three worlds. They forgot their exhaustion and arose, as if they had obtained supreme amrita. With Maya and Tara at the forefront, they abandoned their fear and terror. Desiring to fight, the danavas picked up their weapons again. They consulted amongst themselves, arranged themselves in battle formations and prepared to attack. Delighted, the danavas looked towards Kalanemi. With Maya at the forefront, they advanced towards the encounter. All of them abandoned their fear and happily presented themselves for the battle. The great asuras were Maya, Tara, Varaha, the valiant Hayagriva, Viprachitti’s son Shveta, Khara, Lamba, Arishta, Bali’s son Kishora, Ushtra and Svarbhanu, foremost among immortals and one who fought in a crooked way. All of them were accomplished in the use of weapons. All of them had resorted to austerities. All these accomplished danavas advanced behind the supreme Kalanemi. They used heavy clubs, chakras, battleaxes, maces that were like death, bludgeons that could be flung, boulders, summits of mountains, rocks that were plated, spears, catapults, supreme cudgels made of iron, heavy weapons that could kill, shataghnis, machines that were released from yokes to batter down gates, nooses, pointed and sharp darts, spikes, bonds, clubs that were like snakes with flickering tongues, arrows that were like serpents, vajras, other blazing weapons, javelins, unsheathed and sharp swords and white and sparkling tridents. Inspired in their minds, they seized these weapons. With Kalanemi at the forefront, they stood in the field of battle. With the best of these radiant weapons, the army of the daityas was resplendent. It looked like the sky, when a thick and blue cloud has arrived and has shut out the nakshatras.

  ‘Protected by Shakra, the army of the gods was also resplendent. It blazed with the hot energy of the sun and with the cool energy of the moon. Though it possessed the force of the wind, it was peaceful. The flags were bedecked with a large number of stars. The clouds were like garments and planets and stellar bodies seemed to smile in it. It was protected by Yama, Indra, Varuna and the intelligent lord of riches.543 Devoted to Narayana, the fire god and the wind god also blazed. That divine and large army of the gods was like a turbulent ocean. With yakshas and gandharvas, it was shining and fierce, giving rise to fear.

  ‘The two armies clashed, like the friction betwe
en heaven and earth when the end of a yuga arrives. There was a terrible encounter between the gods and the danavas, with forgiveness versus valour and insolence versus humility. The gods and the asuras fiercely penetrated each other’s armies. The vanguards and the rearguards wrathfully engaged, like two oceans full of water. The armies of the gods and the danavas cheerfully advanced against each other, like two elephants emerging from blossoming forests in mountains. Many drums, kettledrums and conch shells were sounded and this roar enveloped the directions, shrouding heaven, the firmament and earth. There was the twang of bowstrings, the slapping of palms and the swishing of bows. The roar of the daityas was dampened by the roar of the drums. They attacked each other and brought each other down. Desiring to fight, they attacked each other with their hands and wrestled with their arms. The gods attacked with terrible vajras and iron clubs. The danavas attacked with sharp swords and heavy bludgeons. They were brought down, their limbs battered with clubs and mangled with arrows. Some fell down. Others were dreadfully hurt. Still others lay down. Wrathfully and angrily, they attacked each other in that battle, using chariots, horses and swift vimanas. Some whirled around in that battle, others retreated. Chariots obstructed chariots and foot soldiers obstructed foot soldiers. The tumultuous clatter of chariots was borne along on the sounds that were already there, like the thunder of clouds carried in the sky by the rumblings of existing clouds. Some chariots were used to fight. Other chariots were used to obstruct. Because of the melee that was created, there were other chariots that were not in a position to move. They attacked each other in that battle. Some proud ones flung down the enemy. As they attacked each other with sword and shield, the ornaments jangled. In the battle, they attacked and mangled each other with weapons and vomited blood. It was like a sharp downpour when clouds assemble. Astra clashed against shastra. The agitated attacked the agitated with clubs. As that tumultuous battle raged, both the gods and the danavas were agitated. The danavas were like a giant cloud and the gods attacked them with radiant weapons. As they showered arrows on each other, the day of the battle turned catastrophic.

  ‘While this was going on, the danava Kalanemi became angry. He was like a turbulent ocean that overflowed because of rain from a cloud. Showers of blazing vajras sought to afflict his head and body, which was like a mountain. But like a cloud that has discharged its lightning, these were fruitless. He sighed in rage. He frowned and perspired profusely. His breath seemed to be tinged with fire and flames seemed to issue from his mouth. His arms seemed to diagonally extend up into the sky and were like dark-hued serpents with five hoods and flickering tongues.544 The arms held many kinds of weapons, like bows and clubs. The sky and the firmament seemed to be enveloped by them, as if by mountains. In the forefront of the battle, his garments fluttered in the wind. He was like Mount Meru itself, with its summit touched by the evening sun. The force of his thighs flung aside mountains, large summits, trees and brought down large numbers of gods, like a giant mountain shattered by the vajra. In that battle, the gods were incapable of standing before Kalanemi. He used many weapons and swords to mangle their heads and chests. Some were slain by the blows of his fists. Others were dismembered. The yakshas, gandharvas and birds were brought down, together with the large serpents. In the battle, the gods were terrorized by Kalanemi. Though they tried, they were bereft of their senses and were incapable of making efforts. In the battle, he used arrows to bind down Shakra, the thousand-eyed one, while he was astride Airavata545 and he was incapable of moving. In the encounter, he deprived Varuna of his noose and repulsed him in every way, so that he looked like a cloud without any water or an ocean without any water. Vaishravana546 could assume any form at will and fought with clubs. However, the lord of riches was defeated, prevented from acting and lost his guardianship of the worlds. Yama is the one who takes everything away and uses death as a weapon. However, that immortal was deprived of all of Yama’s powers and fled to his own direction. He appropriated the tasks of the guardians of the worlds and dividing his body into four parts, took over the four directions.547 With Svarbhanu548 indicating the way, he went to the the divine path followed by the nakshatras. He seized Lakshmi549 from Soma and deprived him of his great kingdom. The sun, the one with the blazing rays, moves along the gate of heaven. However, he550 seized his kingdom, the solar paths and the task of determining times of the day. Agni is the mouth of the gods.551 On seeing him, he replaced Agni’s mouth with his own. He swiftly defeated Vayu and brought him under his own subjugation. He forcibly brought the ocean and all the rivers under his control. Through his energy, he controlled all the bodies of water and made them part of his own body. He conquered all the waters, whether they were on heaven or on earth, including those that were protected well by the mountains. It was as if he established his own universe. Controlling all the great elements, he was as resplendent as Svayambhu himself. The daitya pervaded all the worlds and terrified all the worlds. He appropriated the sun, the moon and the planets and made the guardians of the worlds become parts of his own body. In the battle, having vanquished fire and the wind, the danava blazed. Because of his powers, in the worlds, he assumed the status of Parameshthi.552 The large number of daityas praised him, as gods praised the grandfather.’

  Chapter 38

  Vaishampayana said, ‘There are five traits that are vested with Narayana—the Vedas, dharma, forgiveness, truth and prosperity. However, because of his perverse deeds, he did not obtain any of these. The lord of the danavas desired this Vaishnava status. Having not obtained it, he angrily rushed to Narayana. He saw him there, astride Suparna,553 holding the conch shell, chakra and mace. For the destruction of the danavas, that sparkling mace was being whirled around. He was astride that crested bird with golden feathers, Kashyapa’s offspring. He looked like a cloud that was full of water and lightning seemed to issue from his garments. In the battle, for the destruction of the daityas, he serenely waited in his place. On seeing that Vishnu was not agitated, distressed in his mind, the danava spoke these words. “From ancient times, right from our noble danava ancestors, this one has been our enemy, from the time of Madhu and Kaitabha, who resided in the waters. It has indeed been said that our clashes with him have never brought us peace. In encounters, this is the one who has slain many danavas. In encounters, this is the one who has brought misery to women and children.554 He is the one who accomplished the task of ensuring that danava women were no longer simantinis.555 This is Vishnu of the gods, who resides in Vaikuntha in heaven. He sleeps on the serpent Ananta and on the waters. He is the self-creating one who created Svayambhu.556 He is the one who protects the gods and he is the one who causes us injury. Hiranyakashipu was slain because he confronted his rage. The gods hide in his shadow and station themselves in the forefront of sacrifices. They thus enjoy the oblations that are offered by maharshis at the three kinds of rites.557 He is the cause of the destruction of all those who hate the gods. In a battle, it is his chakra that penetrates our lineage. For the sake of the gods, it is indeed he who is prepared to give up his life in battles. He hurls the chakra towards the enemy and it is like the sun in its energy. He represents death for the daityas and he is stationed as if he is my death too. However, this evil-minded one has exceeded his earmarked timespan and will reap the consequences. It is through good fortune that this Vishnu has appeared before me now. Unless he bows down before me, he will be crushed by my arrows now. It is through good fortune that I have confronted the one who has earlier caused us injury in battles. It is this Narayana who slew danavas and inspired fear in them. In this encounter, I will use my arrows to swiftly kill Narayana. Though he is part of our kin,558 he obstructs danavas in battles. In ancient times, this is the one who was known as Padmanabha.559 In a terrible battle fought in the waters, he killed Madhu and Kaitabha. In earlier times, he divided his body into two, half man and half lion, and killed my father, Hiranyakashipu. As if she was celestial arani,560 this is the one whom Aditi had borne in her womb earlier. In three strides, he c
onquered the three worlds.561 Such is the one who has again appeared before me in the tarakamaya battle. Having faced me, he will be destroyed, with all the gods.” In the encounter, he attacked Narayana with these and many other words. He was eloquent and used other similar disagreeable words in the battle. However, though he was thus attacked by that Indra among the asuras, Gadadhara was not enraged. With the strength of forgiveness in his mind, he smiled and spoke these words. “O daitya! Enough of this strength of insolence. Be steady against my strength of lack of anger. You will now be slain because of your sins of insolence. Your words have transgressed my threshold of forgiveness. It is my view that you are wicked. Shame on the strength of your words. Those who shout like women are not men. O daitya! I can see that you will venture along the path trodden by your ancestors earlier. Having crossed the boundaries that Prajapati decreed, how can one walk in comfort? You are one who causes hardships to the gods and I will slay you. I will then re-establish the gods in their respective places.” The one who sports the srivatsa mark spoke such words in the battle.