CHAPTER ONE HUNDRED THREE

Vrndd Curses Vishnu

Narada said:

1-12. Vishnu having gone to Jalandhara broke through his cover and decided to break (i.e. spoil) the vow of chastity of Vrnda. Respectable Vrndaraka saw in her dream her husband mounted upon a buffalo, smeared with oil, naked, adorned with black flowers, and waited upon by groups of eaters of raw flesh, (saw him as) having gone to the southern direction cleanshaved and covered with darkness. (She saw) her city plunged into the ocean with herself. Then the young lady, (trying to) ascertain (the meaning of) her dream, awoke. She repeatedly saw the sun that had risen, as having holes and steady. Knowing it to be undesirable, she, overcome by fear and weeping did not find pleasure at the principal gate and upper story. Then with two (of her) friends she went to the city-garden. The young lady, even after having gone there, did not get pleasure anywhere. Going from forest to forest, she was not at all aware of herself. Then the young lady who was wandering, saw two demons very fierce, having lion-like faces, and fierce fangs and eyes. Seeing them, she being extremely alarmed, became wholly engaged in running. She saw a calm ascetic observing silence with his disciples. Then putting, through fear, her creeper-like arm round his neck she said: " O sage, protect me who have sought your shelter." The sage, seeing her alarmed and followed by the demons, angrily turned away the fierce demons just with a/iMffisound. Vrnda, seeing them to have gone to the sky due to his hum sound, fell (i.e. prostrated herself) on the ground like a staff and spoke (these) words: Vrnda said:

13-14. O you treasure of compassion, you have protected me from a terrible fear. So I desire to say something respectfully. Kindly listen to it. O lord, O you of a good vow, my husband Jalandhara has gone to fight with Rudra. Tell me how he is (faring) in the battle. Narada said:

15-18. The sage having heard the words looked about with compassion. Just then two lordly monkeys came and saluting him stood before him. Then ordered by the indication of his creeper-like brows, they went to the sky. Having gone, the monkeys returned within half a moment and stood before him. Seeing them having in their hands the head and trunk of the Ocean's son, she, afflicted by the grief for her husband, fell unconscious on the ground. She was sprinkled over with the water from the pitcher and was brought back to consciousness by the sage. Putting her forehead on that of her husband, she, being dejected, wept. Vrnda said:

19-20. O lord, how is it that you who formerly amused me with pleasing news, are not talking to me, your innocent beloved. How is it that you, the conqueror of the three worlds, who vanquished gods with gandharvas and Indra, were killed by an ascetic (i.e. Shiva)? Narada said:

21a. Thus weeping, Vrnda said (these) words to the sage. Vrnda said:

21b-22. O you treasure of penance, O best sage, his life is very dear to me. I think you alone are capable of bringing him back to life. Hearing her words the sage laughed and said: The sage said:

23. It is not possible to bring back to life him who is killed by Shiva in a battle. Yet full of pity for you, I shall revive him. Narada said:

24-26. Speaking like this, when he just vanished, just then the Ocean's son, with his mind pleased, embraced and kissed Vrnda. Then Vrnda too seeing her husband, delighted in mind; she lived in the forest with him, and enjoyed with him for many days. Once, at the end of the coitus seeing him to be Vishnu only, Vrnda getting angry censured him and spoke (these) words: Vrnda said:

27-31. O Vishnu, fie upon the conduct of you, molesting another's wife! I have recognized you to be actually an illusory ascetic. The two door-keepers of you whom you showed me through your Maya (illusion), shall become demons and kidnap your wife. You too, afflicted with the grief due to your wife and assisted by the monkeys wander in the forest with him, the lord of all who has become your disciple. Speaking like this, Vrnda, though prohibited by Vishnu, not having any mental attachment for him, entered fire. Then Vishnu, repeatedly remembering her, and having covered himself with the ash of Vrnda's funeral pyre, remained there only; and though advised by the groups of sages and siddhas, did not obtain peace.

 

CHAPTER ONE HUNDRED FOUR

The End of Jalandhara

Narada said: 1-15a.

Then Jalandhara seeing Shiva having wonderful valour, fashioned (an) illusory (form of) ParvatI to delude Shiva. At that time Shiva saw her mounted upon the chariot, weeping, and being killed by Sumbha, Nisumbha and other demons. Seeing ParvatI like that, Shiva too, with his mind dejected, remained silent with his face hung down and forgetting his valour. Then Jalandhara speedily pierced Shiva in his head, chest and belly with arrows plunging up to their feathered ends. Then being instructed by Vishnu, he realised the illusion. He became one having a fierce form, very fierce due to a series of flames. Seeing his extremely fierce form, the demons could not stand before him and took to the ten directions. Then the god gave a curse to Sumbha and Nisumbha: " After having gone away from the battle with me, you will be killed by ParvatI." Again Jalandhara speedily showered (Shiva) with sharp arrows, so that a great surface of the earth was covered with darkness due to the arrows. While Rudra quickly cut off his arrows, the mighty one quickly struck the bull (Nandin) with an iron bar. Due to that stroke, the bull turned away from the battlefield. Though dragged by Shiva, he did not remain on the battlefield. Then Shiva having a fierce form, and very angry, speedily discharged the Sudarsana disc, bright like the sun. Reaching Jalandhara speedily, it burnt heaven and earth. It took (i.e. cut) off his head with big, long eyes from his body. Resounding the earth his body fell from the chariot; and from his body a lustre came out and merged into Shiva's body. Seeing the lustre coming out from his body and merging into (the body of) Shiva, gods like Indra with their eyes blooming with joy, saluted Shiva with their heads (bent down) and told him about Vishnu's act. The gods said:

15b-16. O Shiva, you have protected the gods from fear of the enemy. Something else has come up. What should we do there? Deluded by Vrnda's beauty, Vishnu is stupefied. The lord said:

17. O gods, to remove Vishnu's delusion resort to the fascinating Maya, fit to be resorted to. She will do your work. Narada said:

18. Saying so, the god along with the imps and attendants vanished; and gods praised the Mula Prakrti (literally, the original source) to whom the devotees were dear. The gods said:

19-21. We bow to that pure (cause called) Prakrti, from which the constituents, sattva (goodness), rajas (activity) and tamas (darkness or ignorance) have come up, which is the primary cause of creation, maintenance and destruction (of the world), by whose desire all this existence and non-existence is spread. O lady with benumbing missiles, the twentythree divisions (principles), that formerly remained in the entire world, are the forms and acts of that (i.e. of you). We bow to her. We bow to that nature of Vishnu, which always loves the devotees, and men devoted to whom never meet with poverty, delusion, defeat etc. Narada said:

22-29. To him, who, with a concentrated mind, recites this hymn thrice a day, poverty, delusion, difficulties never touch (i.e. come). Those gods who were praising like this, saw in the sky, (Maya) abiding in an orb of lustre and pervading the atmosphere with a series of flames. They all saw Bharati moving in the sky from its midst: " I alone, divided in three ways, remain with the three constituents. (My three forms are) Gauri, Lakshmi and Svara (respectively endowed) with sattva, rajas and tamas. Go there, O gods; they will do your work." Narada said: O king, when the gods with their eyes blooming with joy due to amazement, were hearing like this, the lustre disappeared. Then all the gods prompted by those words went and, greatly devoted, saluted Gauri, Lakshmi and Svara. O king, then they, loving their devotees, saw the gods bowing down (to them), gave them seeds and said (these) words: The goddesses said: Sow these seeds in that place where Vishnu remains. Then your undertaking will succeed.

 

CHAPTER ONE HUNDRED FIVE

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