See for the online version with illustrations, music and links to the previous translation: http://bhagavata.org/

S'RÎMAD BHÂGAVATAM

"The story of the fortunate one"

 CANTO 8:

Withdrawal of the Cosmic Creations

Chapter 1 The Manus, Administrators of the Universe

Chapter 2 The Elephant Gajendra's Crisis

Chapter 3 Gajendra's Prayers of Surrender

Chapter 4 Gajendra Returns to the Spiritual World

Chapter 5 The Fifth and Sixth Manu and the Prayers of Brahmâ with the Suras.

Chapter 6 The Suras and Asuras Declare a Truce

Chapter 7 Lord S'iva Drinks the Poison Churned with the Mountain Mandara

Chapter 8 More Appears from the Churning: Mother Lakshmî and Dhanvantari

Chapter 9 The Lord Appears as a Beautiful Woman to Distribute the Nectar

Chapter 10 The Battle Between the Demigods and the Demons

Chapter 11 The Dânavas Annihilated and Revived

Chapter 12 Lord S'iva prays to see Mohinî Mûrti, gets bewildered and restores.

Chapter 13 Description of Future Manus

Chapter 14 The System of Universal Management

Chapter 15 Bali Mahârâja Conquers the Heavenly Places

Chapter 16 Aditi Initiated into the Payo-vrata Ceremony, the Best of All Sacrifices

Chapter 17 The Supreme Lord Agrees to Become Aditi's Son

Chapter 18 Lord Vâmanadeva, the Dwarf Incarnation

Chapter 19 Lord Vâmanadeva Begs Charity from Bali Mahârâja

Chapter 20 Lord Vâmanadeva Covers all Worlds

Chapter 21 Bali Mahârâja Arrested by the Lord

Chapter 22 Bali Mahârâja Surrenders His Life

Chapter 23 The Demigods Regain the Heavenly Places

Chapter 24 Matsya, the Lord's Fish Incarnation

 Chapter 1

The Manus, Administrators of the Universe

 (1) The honorable king said: 'Till now, o guru, I've extensively heard about the dynasty of Svâyambhuva Manu wherein the great rulers of the universe were of creation; please describe us the other Manu's [see also 3.11: 23-28]. (2) O brahmin, please tell us, so eager to hear, about all the, by the learned glorified and described, appearances and activities of the Supreme Lord during the changes of the manvantara's [the periods of the Manu's * , see also 2.1: 36, 2.3:9, 2.7: 2, 2.10: 4]. (3) As for the past, the present and the future, what are the activities that the Supreme Lord, the creator of this universe, in a particular era, o brahmin, either did, is doing and indeed will do? [compare B.G. 2:12 and **] 

(4) The great rishi said: 'For this day of Brahmâ [kalpa] have already the six of Svâyambhuva and other Manu's passed. I already described the first one to you as well as the appearance of all the godly with him [see 2.7: 43-45, 3.12: 54, 4.1 and 4.8: 6]. (5) From Âkûti and Devahûti, the two daughters of [Svâyambhuva] Manu, were for instructing on dharma and on jnâna the sons born that are accepted as being the Supreme Lord. (6) Before I in full described Kapila to you [see Canto 3b], now I'll tell you about all that was done by Yajña[-mûrti or -pati], o best of the Kuru's. (7) The master of the world [Svâyambhuva Manu], the husband of S'atarûpâ, after totally renouncing his kingdom went with his wife into the forest for doing his tapas [see: 3.22: 31]. (8) At the river Sunandâ he for a hundred years performed the most severe austerities touching the earth on the one leg [see also 4.8: 78-79] murmuring the following, o scion of Bhârata. 

(9) Lord Manu said: 'He by whom this whole universe is set in motion is not moved by the universe, He who is always awake as one sleeps in this body, Him, the One knowing, does the living entity not know [see also B.G. 18.55]. (10) What by Him, the Supersoul everywhere present, with everything animate and inanimate in this and in all other universes, is allotted one may enjoy; on the property of anyone else one should not infringe. (11) He is not seen by the living entity though His eye always sees, He as the original source of all beings never diminishes, He is the God and companion [see 6.4: 24] everyone should worship. (12) Nor is there of Him a beginning, an end or a middle, He belongs to nowhere and to no one, He is the inside nor [just] the outside of the cosmic creation; all these insights on His form and on Him as the cause of the whole universe all together make up the Greatest Truth [see also 2.1: 24]. (13) That complete of the universe known by so many names [like purusha, virât rûpa] is the Supreme Controller, the Ultimate Truth of Him personally, self-effulgent, beginningless and the oldest; He by His external energy engenders birth, death and maintenance, by the potency of His Self and Spirit He remains aloof, inactive and untouched [compare 1.7: 23]. (14) Therefore do all the saintly people for the purpose of being free from karma in the beginning perform fruitive labor [karma yoga], as a person engaging thus indeed as good as always attains liberation [see also 1.5:12, 1.2: 13 and B.G. 3: 9, 6: 3, 3: 6]. (15) Because of His own gain being satisfied from within, becomes the Supreme Lord, the Controller, engaged indeed never entangled with it and hence are persons following Him never disheartened. (16) Unto Him who free from selfhood is acting for our benefit, who is complete in knowledge, has no desire to enjoy, is fulfilled, and not led by others, unto Him who is there to instruct all of mankind and to lay out His path; unto that master of all principles and duties I pray that each may surrender.'

 (17) S'rî S'uka said: 'The philosophical mantra's thus prayed concentrated the mind, but the asura's witnessing speeded thereafter desiring to guzzle to their taste. (18) When Yajña [Vishnu], the Lord in each his heart, saw them that way determined, ruled the Supreme Personality after having killed them, with the yâma's [the ones vowed, His sons] surrounded by the godly, the heavenly worlds. 

(19) The second Manu next became Svârocisha, the son of Agni and of him there were also the sons headed by Dyumat, Sushena and Rocishmat. (20) In that period became, all together faithful to the Absolute Truth, Rocana the heavenly king [the Indra] and were Tushitâ and others there as the godly, while. Ûrja, Stambha and others were the seven saints. (21) Of the saint Vedas'irâ, impregnating the wife named Tushitâ, was the Lord who was celebrated as Vibhu born. (22) Eighty-eight thousand saintly persons fixed to the vow took initiation and instruction from Him who remained a celibate brahmacâri. 

(23) The third who became the Manu was named Uttama, a son of Priyavrata [see 5.1], and of him there were the sons called Pavana, Srîñjaya, Yajñahotra and others. (24) The seven sages were the sons of Vashistha headed by Pramada, the ones of Sathya, Vedas'ruta and Badhra were the godly and Satyajit was the Indra. (25) From a demigod of dharma was from the womb of Sûnritâ, the Supreme Lord, the Personality of Godhead celebrated as Sathyasena born, appearing together with the Sathyavrata's. (26) He together with his friend Satyajit killed all the Yaksha and Râkshasa sworn liars and evil spirits of misconduct that always harass the living beings. 

(27) The fourth Manu to be was the brother of Uttama known by the name of Tâmasa, and thus there were his ten sons headed by Prithu, Khyâti, Nara and Ketu. (28) The Satyakas, the Haris and the Viras were the godly, Tris'ikha was the heavenly king and the seven sages during the reign of Tâmasa were the ones headed by Jyotirdhâma. (29) The godly named the Vaidhritis were the sons, o King, who by their own strength managed to protect the Veda's that over time had been lost. (30) In that period appeared the Supreme Lord begotten by Harimedhâ from the womb of Harinî and He was called Hari; by Him was Gajendra the king of the elephants, freed from the mouth of a crocodile. 

(31) The honorable king [Parîkchit] said: 'O son of Vyâsa, this is what we would like to hear from you: in what way did the Lord deliver the king of the elephants who was harassed by a crocodile? (32) Whenever and wherever there are the narrations in which one glorifies Hari, the Supreme Personality, Uttamas'loka [the Lord Praised in the Verses], finds one great piety, fortune, auspiciousness and all good'."

(33) S'rî Suta said: "The son of Vyâsa, thus exhorted by the words of Parîkchit, the son of Arjuna who was awaiting his impending death, o dear brahmins, after complimenting him with great pleasure spoke in the assembly of sages who indeed longed to hear from him."

 *: There are fourteen Manus during a day of Brahmâ, and the age of each Manu lasts for seventy-one yugas. (see picture) Thus there are thousands of Manus during the life of Brahmâ. The six mentioned here are: Svâyambhuva, Svârocisha, Uttama, Tâmasa, Raivata and Câkshusa. A manvantara is a period to the measure of one cycle of the sun around the centre of our galaxy. To the fourteen manvantara's can be said that the star closest to the galaxy centre as observed by astonomy has a cycle of about fourteen earthly years [see the Galactic Order].

**: Often quoted in this context is the dictum: 'Nityo nityânâm cetanas cetanânâm'. Both the Lord and the living entities are eternal and sentient.  

Chapter 2  

The Elephant Gajendra's Crisis

(1) S'rî S'uka said: 'There was a very big mountain countless of miles high, o King, known as Trikûtha ['three peaks'] surrounded by an ocean of milk [or plant-juice see 5.20: 18]. (2-3) With its three peaks all around as wide as it was long was it as an island, lush with trees, creepers and shrubs and the sounds of waterfalls in all directions, standing radiant against the sky. It was composed of silver, iron and gold, with more peaks on all sides full of precious stone and minerals. (4) At its foot, always washed dark green by the waves of the sea all around, was the earth green with emerald stones. (5) The perfected, the venerable, the heavenly singers, the ones of knowledge and the great of the world of snakes, the ones of superpower, the dancing girls and the sportive enjoyed there the valleys. (6) The glens resounding with the sounds of the singers made the stout lions of envy roar out for a mate. (7) The dales harbored great numbers of all thinkable jungle animals and the gardens maintained by the enlightened there were beautifully decorated with all types of trees and chirping birds. (8) In the rivers and lakes full of crystal-clear water, were from the by gems glittering sand beaches the damsels of the godly bathing, enriching the air and the water with the fragrance of their bodies. (9-13) In one valley was there of the great soul, the mighty personality of Varuna, a garden with the name Ritumat which was a sporting place of the sura ladies. It was everywhere in honor of the divine most beautifully tended with flowers and fruits and mandâra and pârijâta, pâtala, as'oka and campaka trees. There were fruits like cûtas, piyâlas, panasas, mangoes, âmrâtaka's, kramukas and pomegranates as also coconut and date trees. There stood madhukas, palm trees, tamâlas, asanas, arjunas, arishthas, udumbara's, plakshas, banyans, kims'ukas and sandelwood trees. Also were there found picumarda flowers, kovidâra fruits, sarala- and sura-dâru trees, grapes, sugar cane, bananas, jambu, badarî, akhsa, abhaya and âmalakî fruits. (14-19) In that garden there was a very large lake full of shining golden lotuses surrounded by bilva, kapittha, jambîra, bhallâtaka and other trees and of the great beauty of the kumuda, kahlâra, utpala and s'atapatra flowers were the bees intoxicated humming along with the most melodious songs of the birds. It was crowded with swans and kârandavas, cakrâvakas, flocks of water chickens, koyashthis and dâtyûh's all making their noises. The water, surrounded by kadamba, vetasa, nala, nîpa and vañjulaka flowers, did, agitated by the movements of the fish and tortoises stir the lotuses of which the pollen falling from them covered the surface. The kundas, kurubakas, as'okas, s'irîshas, kûthajas, ingudas, kubjakas, svarna-yûthîs, nâgas, punnâgas, jâtîs, mallikâs, s'atapatras and the mâdhavî-latâs and jâlakâs and other trees growing on the banks adorned it in all seasons abundantly.

(20) Once did on that mountain the leader of the elephants living in that forest in the company of his wives wander there breaking through many thickets full of thorns, creepers and all kinds of trees and plants. (21) Just the smell of him made the lions and other predators and fiery beasts, the other elephants, the rhinoceroses and the big snakes as also the white and black camarî deer all flee in fear. (22) Because of his mercy could the foxes, boars, buffalo's, bears, porcupines, gopucchas and other deer, the wolves, monkeys and other small animals like rabbits and others, roam unafraid. (23-24) He perspiring, with saliva dripping and surrounded by nectar drinking bees, caused, followed by the other he and she elephants and the young in their midst, there all around the mountain the earth to tremble. From a distance smelling the dust of the lotus flowers carried by the breeze was he with his company being thirsty, of an intoxicated vision quickly going to the bank of that lake. (25) Entering its pellucid, cool water drew he to his fill with his trunk from the nectarean lotusdust mixture and bathing thoroughly in it was he relieved of all fatigue. (26) Sucking the water in with his trunk and spraying it over him as well causing his wives and children to bathe, was he, like a concerned householder all too attached to his family, inconsiderate of any hardship poorminded under the influence of the external energy. (27) Like anyone else under divine ordination was his foot, o King, there then angrily captured by a most powerful crocodile [- of mâyâ] by fate arranged, upon which the elephant, having landed in such a dangerous position, with all the strength in him strenuously tried to free himself. (28) To that danger began the wives seeing their leader attacked and captured by that force scanty of mind to cry while the other elephants trying from behind, also weren't able to free him. (29) With the elephant and the crocodile this way fighting, pulling one another in and out of the water, passed a thousand years with both of them staying alive, which, o King, by the immortals was considered most wonderful. (30) Thereafter lost Gajendra, the elephant king, from the exhaust of for years of prolonged fighting being pulled into the water [elsewhere thus] more and more his strength while on the contrary the crocodile at home in the water all together became more fanatic, strong and powerful.

(31) When he, Gajendra, in his life, this way by providence having run into this form of danger, found himself unable to save himself from such a helpless condition, had he to think for a long time and reached he thereupon this decision: (32) 'When all these relatives aren't able to deliver me as an elephant from my distress, then how should my wives free me from the tight grip of the crocodile; though captured by providence can I just as well take shelter of that [Supreme of the Lord] which is transcendental and the refuge of the exalted [compare 7.9: 18]. (33) Against the so very strong serpent of death [time, see B.G. 11: 32] that with its fearful force chases one endlessly, will He who is someone's Controller, protect him who, afraid of death, is of surrender; I will seek my refuge with Him who is the actual shelter of everyone and for whom even death itself runs away.'

Chapter 3  

Gajendra's Prayers of Surrender

(1) The son of Vyâsa [S'uka] said: 'Thus in his intelligence fixed to concentrate his mind on the heart, he [Gajendra] chanted a supreme prayer he had practiced in a previous birth [see also B.G. 6.43-44]. (2) S'rî Gajendra said: 'My obeisances unto the Original One, the Supreme Godhead from whom this material existence is moving in consciousness, let me meditate upon Him, that personality who is the root cause, the Supreme Controller. (3) On Him the universe rests, from Him there are all its elements and by Him it is working, unto Him who Himself is the material world in effect as well as its transcendental cause, unto that Supreme Self-sufficient One I surrender myself. (4) He who from Himself, by His own energy, expanded this cosmic manifestation, that sometimes is manifest and sometimes is not visible, oversees in both cases as the witness all and everything; that Soul without a prior cause, that Supreme of all Transcendence, I beseech, please protect me! (5) When in due course of time everything, all transformations, all that is done, all the worlds and all its maintainers and directors, comes to naught, there is a dense and deep darkness above and beyond which is shining the Almighty One. (6) Like with the looks of a performing artist who then cannot be fathomed, can His movements neither by the gods, the sages or the common creatures be understood or expressed again in words; He so hard to grasp, may He give me His protection. (7) The Lord of those desirous to see the all-auspicious lotus feet, of those freed from all attachment, of those great sages, faultless in the forest, highly elevated practicing vows to the different positions [the âsrama's], the Lord of those who are equal and friendly to all, He is my destination. (8-9) From Him there is no birth, no karma, no name or form, nor modes and faults certainly either; nevertheless does He, who is the destruction and the creation of this cosmic manifestation, by His own potency time and again come into action [as an avatâra]. Unto Him the transcendental One who is the Controller, the Supreme Brahman of unlimited potency, who without a form has assumed forms, who is of so many wonderful activities, I offer my respects. (10) My obeisances unto Him, the enlightenment of the soul, the witness in all, the Supreme of the Self; unto Him who defies description, the mind and even the consciousness my reverence. (11) He, the object of devotion who by the ones of learning in transcendental activities is done justice, unto Him, the master of emancipation, the bestower of happiness for the one who is completely free, my honorable reverence. (12) All my obeisances to the One of Peace fully concentrated on the spiritual in forms fierce and animalistic [like Nrisimhma and Varâha] to the different qualities of nature; to Him who is the knowledge of Brahman as well, I do dedicate my prayer. (13) The knower of the field [see B.G. 13-1-5] I respect, You the superintendent of all, the witness and the original person who art the original source, unto You, the doer of the material creation, You as the primal reality, I offer my obeisances. (14) You I respect as You oversee the objectives of all the senses, You are the end of all doubts with the untrue that because of being Your mirror-image is called the reality, to that reflection, my reverence unto You. (15) My obeisances again unto You, the causeless supreme cause of everything, the cause of all wonders, the source of what is learned in succession, the ocean receiving from all rivers of knowing; I honor You, the granter of liberation and the shelter of the transcendentalist. (16) Unto Him whose fire of knowledge by the modes of nature is covered as in wood, unto Him outside the by the turmoil of nature agitated mind, unto Him manifest personally unto those who from their stage of spiritual understanding gave up on the formal approach, I do dedicate myself. (17) As an animal like me of surrender unto Him, the Immaculate of infinite mercy who releases from being entangled, I offer my respects; by a single part of Your self [the Paramâtma, see also B.G. 10.42] are You ever attentive to all the ones embodied, unto that Supreme Lord of no limits, celebrated in the mind as the direct observer, I offer my obeisances. (18) To all those so very attached to their mind and body, sons and daughters, home, wealth and helpers, are You difficult to achieve, but to persons liberated in the heart in freedom from the influence of the modes of nature are You there already [see B.G. 6.47]; unto Him who is always meditated, the reservoir of all spiritual knowledge, unto that Supreme Lord and Controller, my respects. (19) If the destination that is sought with all the desiring after the religion, the economy, the gratification and the liberation can be achieved by worshiping Him, then what to say about the other benedictions He also bestows like having even a spiritual body; may He, the one of infinite mercy, grant me the liberation of my soul [see also 2.3: 10 and 7.9: 27]. (20-21) The ones with no other purpose than Him do not desire some benediction - those who factually came to the shelter of the Supreme Lord are immersed in an ocean of transcendental bliss by reciting and hearing about the all-auspicious wondrous activities of Him. He, the eternal one transcendental, Supreme Master of all great personalities, the unseen Soul above all that in yoga can be reached by devotion is, as subtle and elusive out of the reach of the senses as He is, the unlimited, all-complete origin whom I worship. (22-24) Of Him are by His parts - the moving and nonmoving different entities, the vedic knowledge the gods and all who belong to Brahmâ - created the less important divisions of names and forms. This continuous display of the modes of nature, this intelligence and mind, these senses and divisions of the gross and subtle of the body, are, like sparks to the fire that is the sun, the shining particles that over and over emanate from and merge into Him as parts and parcels. That fire, indeed not a demigod or a demon, a human being, beast nor bird, a woman, neuter or man either, nor either a living creature, is not the fruitive action nor the manifestation nor the non-manifest; He is the end of excluding this and that [neti neti see also 7.7: 23]; all hail to Him, the unlimited One! (25) I do not wish to continue with my life here or in a world hereafter; what's the use of it when one within and without is locked up; in this birth as an elephant I desire to escape from the timebound that only heads for destruction. I want to be liberated from that degrading limitation of my self [see also 1.2: 3, 6.15.16]. (26) To that do I unto Him, the manifest albeit the unmanifest creator of this cosmic manifestation, that unborn soul and the knower of the universe and transcendental shelter of the Supreme, offer my life and soul. (27) Those of the unification of consciousness unto Him, who by [that bhakti-yoga burnt all the karma and have a unified heart purified, do directly see Him, the Lord of Yoga I'm dedicated to. (28) My respects again and again unto You, the formidable of the forces of the threefold potency of [making, unwinding and keeping up] the complete, unto Him who, to the intelligence appearing as an object to the senses, gives shelter and who, with His difficult to overcome energies [see B.G. 16: 21], is unattainable for the ones who on the path cannot control their senses. (29) I seek my refuge with Him whose glories are so hard to fathom, whose identity by the people in general is not known and under whose influence and intelligence I as a separate soul am defeated.'

(30) S'rî S'uka said: 'When, because of this description that was not directed to any particular person, none of the autocratic godly of Brahmâ with their variety of forms, approached Gajendra, appeared there from the choice of the godly the Lord in person because He is the complete of them all together [compare B.G. 7: 20-23 and 9: 23 ; 4.31: 14]. (31) Hearing his prayer did the Lord of all worlds understanding his predicament, together with the denizens of heaven offering their prayers, as fast as He would, carried by Garuda, forthwith arrive there where Gajendra was, carrying along His disc and other weapons. (32) When he, who in the water so violently was captured and was suffering, saw the Lord who from the back of Garuda wielded His disc in the sky, raised he his trunk holding a lotus flower uttering with difficulty: 'O Nârâyana, Teacher of the Complete, o Supreme Lord, I do offer You my obeisances.' (33) Seeing him aggrieved did the Unborn so full of mercy immediately get down and under the eyes of all the godly present taking him out of the water, saved the Lord Gajendra, with His disc severing the beak from the crocodile.

Chapter 4

Gajendra Returns to the Spiritual World

(1) S'rî S'uka said: 'Thereafter [when Gajendra was freed] showered the godly, the rishi's and the heavenly singers headed by Brahmâ and S'iva, flowers in praise of that feat of the Lord. (2) The sky vibrated of the kettledrums, the gandharva's sang and danced and the saints, the venerable ones and the perfected offered prayers to the Supreme Personality of Godhead. (3-4) He, Hûhû, a singer of heaven who by a curse of sage Devala, had become that crocodile, appeared the very moment as a most wonderfully beautiful gandharva indeed, who, offering obeisances with his head to the Supreme Eternal Master Hailed in the Verses, began to chant the glories of His transcendental pastimes and qualities. (5) He being favored by the Lord circumambulated Him offering his respects, and before all eyes went he, being delivered from all sin, back to his own abode. (6) Gajendra was by the touch of the Supreme Lord instantly freed from the ignorance of being bound and had achieved the selfsame form with four arms and yellow garments [sârûpya-mukti, see also S. B.3.29: 13 ]. (7) He in fact before had, born as the best of Dravida-desa, been the king of Pândya and was, sworn to Vishnu always being on the transcendental path, thus known as Indradyumna. (8) He had, when the time had come for his penance, with the greatest care taken to the vow of silence and was, with matted locks doing his austerity in Kulâcala [the Malaya hills] where he had his âsrama, one day worshipping the Infallible Lord, immersed in love for the Supreme Controller. (9) Out of his own will arrived at the spot the renown Âgastya surrounded by his disciples and seeing him silent sitting alone in meditation without offering a respectful reception, it so happened that the rishi became very angry. (10) He then gave him this curse: 'This degraded soul so unfriendly and inapt of mind before me as an insult to the brahminical, let him enter the darkness as a dull minded elephant indeed.'

(11-12) S'rî S'uka said: 'After thus condemning him left the so powerful Âgastya from there with his associates, o King, leaving Indradyumna thinking that the curse despite of his elevated position was a result of his past deeds. When he got born as an elephant was the remembrance of his identity destroyed, but because he worshiped the Lord offering prayers, got he despite of that elephant's body the chance to remember his past. (13) When the Lord of the Lotus navel thus had delivered the king of the elephants, returned He accompanied by him, who was awarded the position of being his associate, and the gandharva's, the perfected and the sages who all praised him for His wonderful deeds, to His own abode sitting on the back of Garuda. (14) This what I described to you, o King, about the unlimited potency of Lord Krishna in delivering the devotee Gajendra, promotes those who hear of it to the heavenly spheres increasing their reputation as a devotee; it takes away the contaminations of Kali-yuga [see 1.17: 24-25] and drives away the bad dreams, o best of the Kuru's. (15) To counteract the troubles of having had a bad night do people out for the blessing, the pure of the twice-born, faithfully recite this rising in the morning. (16) This is what the All-pervading Great Lord being pleased in the presence of everyone has said to Gajendra, o best of the Kuru dynasty. (17-24) The Supreme Lord said: 'Those who, getting up at the end of the night, with care concentrated do remember My forms - Me and you; the lake, this hill, these caves and gardens; the cane and bamboo's, the groups of trees, these peaks and the abodes of Me, Brahmâ and Lord S'iva; as also this ocean of milk and this white island with its brilliant luster so dear to Me; my S'rîvatsa-mark, Kaustubha-jewel, [Vaijayantî] garland, Kaumodakî club, Sudars'ana disc and Pâñcajanya conch; Garuda, Ananta S'esha, My subtle plenary portion the Goddess of Fortune; all dependent on me, Lord Brahmâ, Nârada rishi, S'iva and Prahlâda; My Matsya incarnation, Kûrma, Varâha, and the other avatâra's; the countless of all My auspicious deeds; the deities of the sun, the moon and the fire; the omkâra mantra, the Absolute Truth, the total material energy; the cows, the brahmins and the eternal dharma; the daughters of Daksha, the dutiful wives of the moon-god, Kas'yapa and also the Ganges, the Sarasvatî, the Nandâ and the Yamunâ; Airâvata [Indra's elephant], Dhruva, the seven so very pious sages and the human beings - are delivered from all reactions of sin. (25) Those offering Me prayers this way, my best, rising at the end of the night, will I, also at the time of their death, grant the greater destination.'

(26) S'rî S'uka said: 'Hrsîkesa, thus having given his address, mounting the back of Garuda then blew on the best one of the sea [His conch] pleasing the host of divine lordships.'  

Chapter 5  

The Fifth and Sixth Manu and the Prayers of Brahmâ with the Suras.

(1) S'rî S'uka said: 'O King, I have described you the to the hearer liberating activity of the Lord with the deliverance of the pious Gajendra. Now hear about the time of Raivata Manu. (2) The fifth Manu known as Raivata was the brother of Tâmasa, and Bali, Vindhya and the others headed by Arjuna were his sons. (3) Vibhu ruled the heavens, o King, and the god-fearing were lead by the Bhûtarayas: the twiceborn of Hiranyaromâ, Vedas'irâ, Ûrdhvabâhu and others. (4) From S'ubhra and his wife Vikunthhâ, appeared with the godly followers of the Truth as His own expansions, the Lord of Vaikunthha, the Supreme Lord in person. (5) By Him was, just to please the Goddess of Fortune, upon her insistence, to the appreciation of all, built a world of Vaikunthha. (6) If someone would try to enumerate His exploits, qualities and transcendental glories would such a person count as many transcendental qualities of Vishnu as one can count particles of matter.

(7) The sixth Manu was Câkshusha, the son of Cakshu and with Pûru, Pûrusa and Sudyumna first were there the sons of Câkshusha. (8) Mantradruma was then the heavenly king and of the godly of the Âpya's and others there were the sages, o King, one knew as Havishmân, Vîraka and others. (9) From Vairâja his wife Devasambhûti was there a son named Ajita who was a partial incarnation [amsa-avatâra] of the Lord, the all powerful master of the universe. (10) His churning the ocean [of milk], as Kûrma keeping Himself within the water in the form of a tortoise, with the moving left and right of the Mandara Mountain, produced the nectar of the suras.'

(11-12) S'rî Parîkchit said: 'O brahmin for what purpose was the ocean of milk churned with the mountain and for what reason did He reside in the water as a tortoise? And what all came with the nectar that the godly achieved from it? Please be so kind to describe all these so very wonderful activities of the Supreme Lord. (13) My heart distressed by hardship for so long is not yet fully satisfied with your describing all the glories of the Master of the Devotees'."

(14) S'rî Sûta Gosvâmî said: "The great son of Vyâsadeva thus requested, o dear twice-born, complimenting him began to describe the heroism of the Lord. (15-16) S'rî S'uka said: 'When the godly were besieged by the asuras fighting them with their pure violence, had some of them fallen close to death and were thus the many of them unable to rise again. With sage Durvâsâ having cursed Indra and his three worlds [*] , o King, did they fall in poverty at the time being unable to perform the rituals and ceremonies. (17-18) The suras, the great Indra, Varuna and all others, in consultation hearing one another meeting on this, could by themselves not reach a satisfactory conclusion. They then went to the assembly of Lord Brahmâ on top of mount Meru and informed him about it all, offering him their obeisances. (19-20) When Lord Brahmâ, the Almighty, saw how all the godly headed by Indra were bereft of all potence and light and how the three worlds were plunged in ill fortune whereas the asura's were flourishing, set he his mind to a continuous remembrance of the Original Person in the beyond and spoke he, the most powerful of them all, bright-faced to the godly:

(21) 'I, Lord S'iva, you all, as also the numbers of the unenlightened, the human beings, the animals, the trees and plants and the insects and germs, all generated from Himself, from His partial incarnation [Brahmâ here or the guna-avatâra] and from all those that are part of Him; let us all head now for the shelter of the Inexhaustible One. (22) For Him no one is to be killed or to be protected, to be disregarded or to be worshiped, nevertheless does He for the sake of creation, maintenance and annihilation accept in due order of time the part of [His incarnation as an avatâra of] passion, goodness and ignorance [see also B.G. 9:29 and 4:8]. (23) Now is the time to establish, for the better of all living beings, His rule of maintenance, the mode of goodness; let us thus take to the shelter of the Teacher of the Universe - may He, so affectionate with us suras, His own people, bring us the good fortune we need [see B.G. Chapters 14 & 18] .'

(24) S'rî S'uka said: 'The Lord of the Veda thus talking to the godly, o subduer of the enemies, went directly to the abode of the Invincible One beyond the world of darkness. (25) There, unto Him who in His true form cannot be seen, but about whom all the Veda speaks, made the master of the gods the divine prayers of which the vibrations then settled the rule of mind. (26) S'rî Brahmâ said: 'The Unchanging One, the Truth Unlimited, the Original Cause in everyone's heart, the Undiminishing, Inconceivable, Evanescent, Unspeakable and Indescribable One, the Unsurpassed God most desirable, do we all gods offer our respects [compare 6.3: 20-21 and B.G. 15:15 and 9: 4]. (27) With the omniscient, the living force to the mind and intelligence of all living beings; the ever vigilant to all the objective, the senses and the knowledge; the immaculate, impartial shelter of all the ones in the dark; with Him the infallible, all-pervading Lord of all three Yugas [in the fourth He is there as His own devotee], I seek my refuge. (28) The wheel of time that with its swifty fifteen spokes [the knowing and working sense and the five airs], three electrifying naves [de modes] and its eight segments [the five elements, mind, false ego and intelligence] by His external energy with great force is revolving around the hub they say that is Him, is there to the living being as a self-invented order; let us unto that factual reality of Him be of the greatest respect [compare 3.21: 18, 7.9:21, 5.21: 13 and B.G 18: 61]. (29) He of one profession [that of goodness], transcendental to the material darkness; that unmanifested, not to locate, unlimited One beyond all measure carried on the back of Garuda [the vedic verses]; He is by the unperturbed and sober, worshiped by means of yoga [see also 4.3:23]. (30) The illusory energy of whom no one is able to overcome, by that energy are the people in general bewildered and do they not understand the real wealth of life; Him of complete control over the living being and the modes of the external energy, that transcendental controller equal unto all, who rules the living beings, we pay homage. (31) Unto us, we relying on a body created from goodness, You appear as near and dear as to the saints situated the same; nevertheless we are not fully aware of the destination so subtle. If that is so with us, then how would that be with the unenlightened and atheistic so displaced despite of their primal interest? (32) To this earth verily created by Him, to this material creation wherein one finds the four types of living beings at His feet [as born from wombs, eggs, moist and seed see, also 2.10 37-40], He is in fact the Supreme One, the Original Person; may He, the Greatest One of unlimited potency, be merciful unto us. (33) The masses of water are but His semen so powerful in generating all life that, including all the godly ruling throughout the universe, wherever indeed flourishes by it; may He, the one of the greatest might, be pleased with us. (34) Soma, the moon, they say that is His mind, is the strength of the denizens of heaven, of the foodgrains and the duration of life; that Supreme Lord making the trees as also all other living entities grow, may He, that source of all opulence, be satisfied with us [see also: 2.10: 30 and 6.6: 24-26]. (35) From His mouth of fire, as also present in the depths of the ocean where it digests all the elements [like the fire of digestion in the stomach], He produces, by its presence in the ceremonies, all wealth; may He, the Almighty be content with us. (36) That which became His eye, the deity of the sun that is the lead of the godly in endeavoring materially; this focus and gateway for the realization of the eternal path, the Absolute Truth and one's liberation, this deity which as well is the cause of one's death, may that All-Powerful One be pleased with us [see also 2.1: 30 B.G. 7: 8, 10: 21 and 11: 19]. (37) From His life force, His breath, in all living entities, from that prâna as the basic principle, from following that air like subjects who follow an emperor, there is all the strength and vitality; may He of All Power be contented with us. (38) From His hearing there are the different directions, from His heart we know the body with its apertures and from the Original Person His navel [of space] generated the ether that of the life force, the senses, the mind, the vitality and our physical body is the [spiritual] shelter; may the Supreme Power of Him be pleased with us. [2.1: 27&29] (39) The great Indra is there of His strength and the servants [of Him] within the three worlds are there of His satisfaction; from His anger there is the Controller on the Mountain [Lord S'iva], and from his sober intelligence there is Virinca [Lord Brahmâ]; from the apertures emanate the mantra's while the saints and founding fathers are there from His genitals; may the One so Powerful be happy with us. (40) The goddess is from His chest, the ancestral is from His shadow, the religion was possible from His front, and irreligion could be there from His back; the higher places are from the top of His head and the dancing girls of heaven are there from His sense enjoyment; may He, the greatest of all prowess, be pleased with us. (41) The learned [brahmins] are there from His mouth, just as the vedic literatures and His confidential knowledge, the administrators [kshatriyas] and the physical strength are there of His arms, from His thighs there are the traders [the vaishyas see also 2.1: 37] and their know-how of provision and from His feet there are the workers [s'ûdra's] unconcerned about the Veda; may He so Supremely Powerful be content with us all. (42) Greed is His lower lip and affection His upper lip; the bodily luster could exist from His nose and by His touch could there be the animalistic lust; from His brows there was the Lord of Death [Yamarâja] but from His eyelashes could there be the eternal Time; may He, the One of all Prowess, be pleased with us. (43) The material elements, their weaver [kâla, time], the fruitive labor and the modes of nature and the variety of forms created is that which makes up the complete of His creative potency [yoga-mâyâ] of which all the learned say that it is hard to fathom - it is the trouble from which the ones who came to realization turn away; may He the Controller of All and Everything be content with us. (44) Let there be our reverence for Him who is the peace free from endeavoring, the self-sustaining and the full satisfaction of all accomplishment; our obeisances unto Him, the Soul to the world which moves in modes, Him, the game-master, who like the air is aloof from all worries about the things of matter. (45) Surrendered to You, we yet wish to see Your smiling lotuslike face. May we see Him, You my Lord, in Your original form, direct before our eyes? (46) By and by in factual forms time after time appearing by Your personal will do You in person, o Mighty One, perform uncommon activities so that You for us are indeed the Supreme Lord in control [B.G. 4:7]. (47) For people eager to enjoy are there many obstacles and little results, thereto with one's projects ending in frustration; being like that is one indeed of no dedication unto You. (48) Not even the slightest activity properly performed goes in vain, because in dedication to the Controller [who is the Time] one realizes You as the Original Soul who for sure is extremely dear and beneficial to all persons. (49) Like indeed with the watering of the root of a tree one also waters the trunk and the branches, is it also with the worship of Vishnu, the soul of everyone [see also 4.31: 14]. (50) All my obeisances unto You, my Lord of the Eternal, o worker of the wonders of the higher existence, o Controller of all the Modes fitly remaining in goodness.'

*: The story goes: 'While Durvâsâ Muni was passing on the road, he saw Indra on the back of his elephant and was pleased to offer Indra a garland from his own neck. Indra, however, being too puffed up, took the garland, and without respect for Durvâsâ Muni, he placed it on the trunk of his carrier elephant. The elephant, being an animal, could not understand the value of the garland, and thus the elephant threw the garland between its legs and smashed it. Seeing this insulting behavior, Durvâsâ Muni immediately cursed Indra to be poverty-stricken, bereft of all material opulence. Thus the demigods, afflicted on one side by the fighting demons and on the other by the curse of Durvâsâ Muni, lost all the material opulences in the three worlds.'

Chapter 6

The Suras and Asuras Declare a Truce

(1) S'rî S'uka said: 'The Supreme Lord Hari, the Supreme Controller, thus being prayed to by the godly then appeared before them, o King, with an effulgence of a thousands suns rising. (2) Because of this was that instant the vision of the godly blocked; they could see in no direction, nor the sky, nor the land, nor themselves, not to mention the Almighty One. (3-7) When the so mighty Lord Brahmâ and Lord S'iva saw His appearance, so pure with the luster of a blue gem, His pinkish eyes like a lotus heart, His shine like molten gold, His yellow silken dress, the great beauty and grace of all His limbs, His smile, His beautiful eyebrows, the jeweled helmet, the decoration of all His ornaments, the light from His earrings, the cheeks of His beautiful face, His belt and bangles, His necklace and anklebells all beautifully set, the Kaustubha gem on His chest, S'rî Lakshmî moving with Him, His flowergarlands and His cakra and His other weapons, was the Supreme Personality satisfied by the worship of the chief of the gods and the divinity for them all [S'iva] who along with all the immortals with all of their bodies prostrated to the ground.

(8) S'rî Brahmâ said: 'Unto the One never born but always appearing, the One free from the modes, that ocean of bliss beyond all existence, that smallest of atoms so inscrutable in all His features, unto You, the Inconceivable One, our reverence again and again [see also B.G. 4.6]. (9) This form of You, o Best of all Persons, is so worshipable and auspicious to all who desire to the vedic directions as realized from the tantra's [special vedic treatises] in practicing yoga; o director who with us controls the three worlds, oh, in You we directly see the complete universe. (10) Unto You in the beginning there was, unto You in the middle there was, Unto You in the end all of this will be; the beginning, the end and the middle of this cosmic creation do You fully control: like the earth to its pot, You're the chief of transcendence. (11) You, by Your energy eternal, with Your soul as the refuge, do, out of Your own for the sake of creation enter this universe so vast and the ones connected, those full of the sastra, see, as high spirited people with a consciousness advanced, You, in the transformation of the modes though You are by those qualities of nature untouched. (12) As with fire from wood, like with the nectar from cows, like with the foodgrains and water that are found on this earth as also like with the livelihood one has from enterprising, achieves the living being by the practice of yoga, intelligent to the modes, indeed You so the greatest souls say. (13) O Lordship to us all, o Master in Your fullness here before us, with the lotus from Your navel, for so long we've waited desiring the goal and now today we all may cherish the vision of bliss, like elephants, who distressed by a forest in flames, would cherish the water of the Ganges. (14) O Soul, who art to each the beyond, about the purpose for which we've arrived at Your feet we do not have to inform You being the witness of all; may You kindly fulfill the needs of these souls to all places we rule. (15) I and He from the Mountain [S'iva], the enlightened and all so led by fathers as Daksha, are like sparks to the fire of You o my Lord - what else would we know independent from You; kindly bestow the good fortune, the mantra's, of twice-born and brahmin.'

(16) S'rî S'uka said: 'Thus being worshiped by Virinca [Brahmâ] and all, understanding what they in their hearts were expecting, replied He with words rumbling as clouds those who in prayer restrained all their senses. (17) Although the Controller could handle by Himself what the godly had to do, wanted He as their Lordship to enjoy His pastimes in churning the ocean and spoke He to them. (18) 'The Supreme Lord said: 'Listen o Brahmâ and S'iva, o gods, to what I have to say; all of you hear attentively as that will bring good fortune to all of you suras. (19) Just settle, awaiting your own good fortune, for a truce with the daityas and danavas their benedictions of a favorable time. (20) If it is important to one's own duties should one even with one's enemies make a truce, like a snake would with a mouse o gods, to the interest of his position [*], (21) Do not hesitate to do your best to make for the nectar of which any living entity in danger of death drinking it can become immortal. (22-33) With in the ocean of milk thrown all sorts of creepers, grass, vegetables and herbs and making with My help Vâsuki [the snake] the churning rope for the rod of Mandara, proceed to churn carefully; it will engage the conspirators of the hindrance but you all, will reap the fruit. (24) You should altogether accept whatever the asuras demand o suras, do not aggress to it as proceeding in peace all ends desired will be met with the greatest success. (25) Do not be afraid of the kâlakûtha ['false time'] poison that will appear from the ocean of milk, never be greedy in operation, nor permit any anger to rise whenever and do not lust after the products either.'

(26) S'rî S'uka said: 'After the Supreme Lord thus had advised the godly, disappeared the Highest Example from them, o King, as He is the Controller free to move. (27) When they had offered Him, their Supreme Lord their obeisances, returned the Great Father with the Lord of Becoming [Bhava, S'iva] back to their abodes and was king Bali approached by the suras. (28) The respectable ruler of the daityas [Bali] observed that although his captains were alarmed, the enemies had no intentions to fight and so he kept them back, well aware of what the time for fighting and what the time for negotiations was. (29) They all approached and sat down with the son of Virocana [Bali], who, well protected by the asura commanders, as the conqueror of all the worlds was blessed with great opulence. (30) The great Indra with mild words pleasing him to his best, as the greatest intelligence submitted to him all that they had learned from the Supreme Personality. (31) It was all very acceptable to the daitya ruler as well as to the other asura chiefs Sambara, Aristanemi and the rest of the inhabitants of Tripura. (32) Following concluding to an armistice between them, embarked they, deva and asura, upon the supreme enterprise of churning for the nectar, o chastiser of the enemies. (33) To that did they all with full force, with great strength and loud cries uprooted Mandara Mountain and took they it to the ocean with their strong and stout arms. (34) Over a great distance carrying the load could Indra and the son of Virocana being fatigued not bear it any longer and gave they it up on the way. (35) The unmovable gold falling down right there crushed with its great weight many of the enlightened and the unenlightened. (36) Carried by Garuda the Supreme Lord thereafter appeared to them all who were broken in their arms, legs and their hearts. (37) Simply glancing over the immortals and mortals who were crushed by the falling mountain brought them back to life unscathed and non-grieving. (38) With the greatest ease He with one hand placed the mountain on Garuda, mounted and went to the ocean, surrounded by the suras and asuras. (39) Unloading the mountain from his shoulder went Garuda, the greatest of all birds, to the waterside and placed he it there, whereupon he was sent away by the Lord [so that he would not eat Vâsuki].'

 *: The idea here is that of a mouse with a snake caught in a basket, wherein the mouse makes a hole and the snake profits then from both if he does not immediately eats the mouse.

Chapter 7

Lord S'iva Drinks the Poison Churned with the Mountain Mandara

(1) S'rî S'uka said: 'De suras invited the king of the snakes, Vâsuki, promising him a share and wound him around the mountain for a churning rope. Thereupon commenced they in great glee with the job of trying for the nectar, o best of the Kurus. (2) Lord Hari took him first by the head and the godly followed His example. (3) The daitya leaders did not like that arrangement and thought to the mature and outstanding knowledge of their study, their birth and experience: 'None of us will try the tail of the serpent as that is the inferior part'. (4) Seeing how consequently the daitya's kept silent, smiled the Supreme Personality giving up the front portion and grasped He with the demigods the rear end. (5) Thus settling the positions for where to hold, did they, the sons of Kas'yapa [godly and demoniac], with great zeal churn to get the nectar from the ocean of milk. (6) As they were churning sank of its weight, having no support, that hill down in the water despite of it being captured by the strong, o son of Pându. (7) Heavily disappointed, dried all of the beauty of their faces up as they saw how their efforts by the stronger will of God were overruled. (8) When He saw how by divine intervention the mountain sank, expanded the Infallible Controller whose ways and powers are so inscrutable, Himself into the wondrous body of a giant tortoise and lifted He [Kurma] it up, entering the water [see also dasâvatâra-stotra verse 2]. (9) Observing it being lifted cheered up as well sura as asura to churn the body that as a big island on top of another one stretched out on His back for a hundred-thousand yojana's. (10) The rotating of the mountain moved by the strong arms of the sura and asura leaders, my best, was by the original tortoise who bore it on His back considered an infinitely pleasant scratching. (11) Thereafter, to encourage them and increase their strength and vigor, entered Lord Vishnu the asuras in the form of their own quality [that of passion], infused He the godly with divinity [the mode of goodness], while He took the form of ignorance with the king of the serpents. (12) On top of the big mountain as another one catching it by one hand exhibited He thousands of hands while from the sky Lord Brahmâ and S'iva headed by Indra offered Him prayers and showered Him with flowers. (13) As well on top as below, as with themselves, with the mountain and with the rope having entered as the Supreme, was the ocean, with great strength madly churned, seriously agitated by the great rock, and were all the alligators disturbed. (14) The serpent king hard breathing in all directions, by the thousands of him spitted fire and smoke that affected the asuras headed by Pauloma, Kâleya, Bali and Ilvala with its radiation which scorched them all like sarala trees in a forest fire. (15) Also the godly were affected in their luster by his fiery breath that smoked their dresses, fine garlands, armament and faces; under the direction of the Supreme Lord it then profusely rained while breezes blew clouds of waterdrops from the waves of the ocean. (16) When the ocean to the best ability of the godly and asuras was duly churned but no nectar appeared, began the Invincible One Himself to churn. (17) As dark as a cloud, in yellow silks, with lightning earrings on His ears, His gleaming hair on His head disheveled, with His garland, reddish eyes and victorious arms securing the universe, churned He, after taking the snake, the churning rod for which the mountain was held, to which He appeared as big as a mountain Himself. (18) After first highly agitating all kinds of fish, sharks, snakes, all sorts of tortoises, whales, water-elephants, crocodiles and timingilas [whale-eating whales], came there, with all the churning going on, from the ocean a very strong poison called hâlahala [or kâlakûtha, see 8.6: 25]. (19) That potent unbearable poison, uncontrollable curling up in all directions high and low, scared all the people who restlessly moved with the Lord their Controller, o my best, not being protected by the shelter of Lord S'iva's lotusfeet. (20) Seeing how he, the best of the demigods [S'iva] so acclaimed by the saints who in austerity walk the path of liberation in service, for the welfare of the three worlds with his wife together was sitting on his mountain [Kailâsa], offered they him their obeisances.

(21) The leaders of mankind said: 'O Lord of Lords, o Mahâdeva, o soul of each, o love of all, deliver us, who took to your lotusfeet, from this poison burning the three worlds. (22) You alone in the whole universe are the controller over bondage and liberation, are the one we worship as persons seeking fortune; you are the spiritual master to mitigate all distress. (23) By the modes of matter, by your own potency, do you execute the creation, maintenance and annihilation of this material world, o Mighty One, when you manifest yourself, o Greatest, as Brahmâ, Vishnu or S'iva. (24) You are the Brahman Supreme, the confidential of the cause and the effect of all the varieties of creation; you with all your potencies manifested are the Supersoul and the Controller of the universe. (25) You are the source of the [spiritual, vedic] sound, the origin of the universe, the Soul, the life-breath, the senses and the elements, the modes of nature and the selfbecoming, the eternal time, the determination and the religiousness of the truth [satya] and truthfulness [rta]; it is unto you that one utters the original syllable consisting of three letters [A-U-M]. (26) Fire, your mouth, makes for the complete of all divine souls; the surface of the globe one does know, o love of all worlds, as your lotus feet; the time is the progress of the aggregate of your demigods; the directions are your ears and the controller of the waters [Varuna] is your taste. (27) With the sky as your navel, the air as your breath, the sun globe for your eyes, the water indeed as your semen, the moon as your mind and the higher worlds, o Lord, as your head, is your self the shelter of all living beings high and low [compare 8.5: 33-43]. (28) With the oceans as your belly, the mountains as your bones, the plants, creepers and herbs as your hairs and the mantra's as your seven layers [koshas], are, o Veda's in person, all the religions the core of your heart [see also 2.1: 32]. (29) The five options of philosophy [of Purusha, Aghora, Sadyojâta,Vâmadeva, and Îs'âna] are your faces with the thirty-eight important mantra's [*] that factually ascertain the reality of the Supersoul, the reality of you o Lord, celebrated as S'iva in the position of your self-illumination. (30) The waves of irreligion [lust, anger, greed and illusion] are but your shadow of which there are so many sorts of creation; your three eyes are the goodness, the passion and the darkness; your simply glancing over brought about the analytic scriptures of the soul, o Lord full of verses, o god of the vedic literatures and their supplements. (31) None of the directors of the world, o Ruler on the Mountain, not Brahmâ, not Vishnu, and the king of the suras [Indra] either, can fathom your supreme effulgence, the impersonal spirit equal to gods and man, wherein the modes of passion, ignorance and goodness are not found. (32) Because you yourself have no knowledge of how you by the sparks of the fire from your eyes, at the time of annihilation, burned to ashes in this world Tripura [7.10: 53], the sacrifices of desire [see e.g. 4.5], the poison of time [to happen in this story e.g.], and many other forms of trouble to the living beings, can we not speak of this in our prayers to you. (33) People who by the self-satisfied spiritual masters within their hearts think of your two lotus feet as moving with Umâ your consort do, later on in their penance, criticize your acts and consider you in the crematorium not always a nice person; they indeed being of such a shameless attitude do not understand your activities. (34) Of that, of that being transcendentally situated to the moving and the nonmoving, are you difficult to understand; if it is not possible for even Brahmâ and the ones belonging to him to comprehend your reality as-it-is, o Great One, what then for us? Though we do our best to offer you prayers, are we to you, as far as we are concerned, creatures of the creation [that is of Brahmâ]. (35) With all things transcendental we cannot see the actual supreme position of You who indeed are there for the happiness of the manifested world, o great Controller whose activities are unknown.'

(36) S'rî S'uka said: 'Seeing their pernicious predicament spoke he, Mahâdeva, the friend of all living beings out of his compassion with the great sorrow to his consort Satî. (37) Lord S'iva said: 'Dear Bhavânî, how pitiable this situation of all the living beings, just see how threatening the present situation is from all the poison produced from the churning of the ocean. (38) Feeling responsible for all of their lives must I indeed do something for their safety; considered as their master is it my duty to give the ones who suffer protection. (39) Devotees protect with their own life other living beings who time bound, bewildered by the external energy, are of animosity with one another. (40) Doing good to others o gentle one, is the Soul of All, the Lord, pleased and because the Supreme Personality of the Lord is pleased are also I and all other moving and nonmoving entities happy; let me therefore drink this poison so that of me there will be the well-being of all creatures.'

(41) S'rî S'uka said: 'Lord S'iva, the well-wisher of the universe, this way addressing Bhavânî then began, with the permission of she who knew his best, to drink the poison. (42) Mahâdeva thereto took the widespread hâlahala poison in his hand and drank it out of compassion for the good of all living beings. (43) To him exhibited that poison from the water its potency by giving his neck a bluish line, the line that to the saintly person is an ornament. (44) The saints as good as always voluntarily take upon them the sufferings of the common people; that action of theirs is truly the highest form of worship of the original person, the complete of the soul [see also 1.5: 17-19 , B.G. 18: 68-69 and 4:7-8]. (45) Hearing of that act of S'iva, the god of gods, the graceful one, was he highly praised by all the people, by the daughter of Daksha [Satî see also 4.3&4], and by Brahmâ and the Lord of Vaikuntha. (46) And to the little bit that was scattered here and there as he drank from the palm, attended some other known living creatures like scorpions, cobra's and other poisonous animals and plants.

 *: The thirty-six mantra's called mukhâni pancopanisadas tavesa are: (1) tat purusâya vidmahe sântyai, (2) mahâ-devâya dhîmahi vidyâyai, (3) tan no rudrah pratisthâyai, (4) pracodayât dhrtyai, (5) aghorebhyas tamâ. .., (6) atha ghorebhyo mohâ. .., (7) aghorebhyo raksâ. .., (8) aghoratarebhyo nidrâ. .., (9) sarvebhyah sarva-vyâdhyai, (10) sarva-sarvebhyo mrtyave, (11) namas te 'stu ksudhâ. .., (12) rudra-rûpebhyas trsnâ. .., (13) vamadevâya rajâ. .., (14) jyesthâya svâhâ. .., (15) s'resthâya ratyai, (16) rudrâya kalyânyai, (17) kâlâya kâmâ. .., (18) kala-vikaranâya sandhinyai, (19) bala-vikaranâya kriyâ. .., (20) balâya vrddhyai, (21) balacchâyâ. .., (22) pramathanâya dhâtryai, (23) sarva-bhûta-damanâya bhrâmanyai, (24) manah-sosinyai, (25) unmanâya jvarâ. .., (26) sadyojâtam prapadyâmi siddhyai, (27) sadyojâtâya vai namah rddhyai, (28) bhave dityai, (29) abhave laksmyai, (30) nâtibhave medhâ. .., (31) bhajasva mâm kântyai, (32) bhava svadhâ. .., (33) udbhavâya prabhâ. .., (34) îsânah sarva-vidyânâm sasinyai, (35) îsvarah sarva-bhûtânâm abhaya-dâ. .., (36) brahmâdhipatir brahmanodhipatir brahman brahmesta-dâ. .., (37) sivo me astu marîcyai, (38) sadâsivah jvâlinyai.

Chapter 8

More Appears from the Churning: Mother Lakshmî and Dhanvantari

(1) S'rî S'uka said: 'When the poison was drunk by him who rides the bull resumed all the immortals and dânavas very pleased the churning of the ocean and was from the great force of it generated the cow of plenty [the surabhi, the source of the ghee]. (2) The sages conversant with the injunctions for the yajña's took charge of it, o King, because it, of the clarified butter, was fit for making oblations with the fire sacrifices and the promotion to God.

(3) Next was generated a horse white as the moon, named Uccaihs'ravâ, that Mahârâja Bali liked to have, but not Indra on the advise of the Lord [see B.G. 10: 27 and compare 4.19: 23].

(4) Thereafter was produced the king of resistance, the elephant Airâvata who white, with four tusks, defied the mountain [Kailâsa] that is the glory of the First Devotee [Lord S'iva]. [see 6.11: 11 and again B.G. 10: 27]. (5) Airâvata headed eight elephants to each direction of the sky and following him was also generated a group of eight she-elephants headed by one named Abhramu, o King.

(6) Next was from the wide expanse of milk generated a valuable gem known as the Kaustubha and another one named Padmarâga; Lord Hari who desired their possession decorated His chest with them. Thereupon was generated the pârijâta flower that embellishes the heavenly places and thereby fulfills the wishes of the ones desiring wealth much the same way, o King, you always do so in the world.

(7) Then were also generated the Apsaras, who exquisitely dressed and decorated with gold were the extremely beautiful and attractive inhabitants of heaven who smoothly moving divert each his heart.

(8) After that manifested directly the Goddess of Splendor [Ramâ or Lakshmî] herself who along with the Lord illumined all directions with her lightening luster as Saudâmanî [lit.: forked lightening, also the sorceress; to deal with that splendor see the 'peace formula' of B.G. 5: 29]. (9) Each sura, asura and human being desired her, as her raving beauty, features, youth, complexion and glories caught their minds. (10) The king of heaven arranged her a seat and all glorious and wonderful sacred waters assumed with golden waterpots filled with pure water a form. (11) The land brought together all the necessities and herbs for installing the deity; the cows contributed with the pure of their five [milk, yoghurt, ghee, dung and urine] and springtime brought together her fresh flowers and fruits. (12) The sages performed the ceremony of installation as is prescribed to which for all good fortune the Gandharva's chanted the lore while their women did their best dancing to the occasion also singing mantra's. (13) The clouds vibrated the drums, kettledrums, murajas and ânakas [two other types of drums] and with the sounds of bugles, conchshells, flutes and vinas it was a great tumult. (14) Next poured the great elephants jugs full of sacred water over the [deity of the] chaste goddess so beautiful with the lotus in her hand, while the twice-born were chanting hymns [see also a classic picture of Laxmi]. (15) The ocean presented yellow silks for her dress from top to bottom and Varuna brought the biggest garland with drunken bumblebees to its sweetness. (16) From Prajâpati Vis'vakarmâ there was a choice of ornaments, Sarasvatî [the goddess of learning] supplied a necklace, Lord Brahmâ provided a lotus flower and the Nâga's [the excellent] brought earrings. (17) Thereupon worshiped in an all-auspicious ceremony went she, with the lotus garland with the bees captured by her hand, around, with the decoration of the earrings to her cheeks and a coy smile on her face that radiated her natural beauty. (18) With her two breasts in symmetry and harmony, smeared with sandalwood pulp and kunkuma, her thin waist, did she, moving here and there with the sweet tinkling of her anklebells, appear exactly like a golden creeper. (19) Examining for the eternal of her position the indwellers of heaven, the perfected, the unenlightened, the keepers of the wealth, the venerable ones and all the rest of the demigods, could she not accept any of them as being faultless:

(20) 'Of the certain of one's austerity has one not conquered the anger, of spiritual knowledge is the scholar not void of attachments and someone great may not have overcome material desires; how can a person as such under the control of something else be a controller? (21) Proficient in the religion one finds no friendship with other living beings, renunciation one may possess but the cause of liberation may be missed, and with whatever power one may find with people, one finds no relief from the power of time; never will one, free from the contamination of the modes of nature, [apart from the Lord] find a second one [see also 1.2: 8]. (22) Someone may live long but indeed have no luck or be of right conduct, someone may be the best in it but not know to live long; if one is of both is such a person in some other way unlucky, and someone of the best score in all fields has no need for me!'

(23) This way of due consideration accepted the Goddess of the Splendor - because He possessed the extraordinary transcendental qualities that were all good and not depending on others - Him Mukunda, the reservoir of the Supreme, as her husband so desirable and qualified in every way, although He never looked for it. (24) After placing on His shoulders a ravishing fresh garland of lotuses vibrating with humming, maddened bumblebees, remained she, with a shy smile to her glittering eyes, by His side with His bosom as her real resort. (25) She, the mother, the goddess, made the bosom of the father of the three worlds her residence, wherein staying she glances over His own servants with the greatest compassion, increasing with the great leaders of the three worlds the supreme of the opulent. (26) With their conchshells, bugles and all sorts of drums was there the greatest sound of musical instruments and became all the gods of heaven and their women engaged in song and dance. (27) Brahmâ, S'iva and all the directors of the world headed by Angirâ honored the personality that was really the greatest, by chanting and showering flowers to what they all saw. (28) With the merciful glance of the Goddess upon all the godly, the fathers of mankind and their generations were they all blessed with good behavior and good qualities and achieved they the ultimate satisfaction.

(29) When the daityas and dânavas, o King, being neglected by Lakshmî got frustrated lost they in their aching greed all sense of shame and their energy. (30) Following appeared Vârunî, the goddess of the drunkards, as a young lotus-eyed girl and the asuras accepted her verily the way the Lord planned it for them.

(31) When thereupon the ocean was churned by the sons of Kas'yapa so eager for the nectar appeared there, o great King, a most wonderful man. (32) He was long, had stout and strong arms, a neck like a conch, reddish eyes, a blackish complexion, looked very young, had a garland and was decorated all over. (33) Clad in yellow, with his broad chest, his earrings with pearls well polished, his gleaming curly hair hanging down in strings, moved he strong as a lion, decorated with bangles, with the jar that to the rim was filled with nectar. (34) He indeed was a part of a plenary portion of the Supreme Lord Vishnu known by the name of Dhanvantari who, standing for the full knowledge of medical science, was there to demand his share of the sacrifices. (35) The asuras, greedy after all things, who saw him with the container full of nectar, immediately snatched the jug away. (36) When that jug containing the nectar by the asuras was carried away, were all the godly dejected and went they to the Lord to take shelter. (37) Witnessing their sadness about it did the Supreme Lord who always tries to fulfill the wishes say: 'Do not be aggrieved, by means of a quarrel among them will I by my own energy take care of the nectar for all of you.' (38) O master of man, then there was among the lot of them a fugue about the nectar to which they with a thirsting heart said: 'Let me first, I first, not you, you wait! (39-40) When the godly deserve to take their share, do all who were of an equal effort in the duty of the sacrifice, have an equal right; this is a matter of traditional duties [sanâtana dharma]!' Thus did the daityas envious and weak, o King, violently, try to appropriate the jug denying it factually each other constantly. (41-46) After this had happened assumed Lord Vishnu, the Supreme Controller who knows a solution for each situation, the form of a supremely beautiful, wonderful woman whom no one could place. Pleasing to the eye was she as dark as a new lotus, in all her limbs of the greatest beauty and harmony, and had she a straight nose to her ornamented ears and fine cheeks. Her new, firm, young but weighty breasts to her thin waist and her merry face attracted humming bumblebees from whom she anxiously eyed. With the mass of her hair waving and her nice neck with a mallikâ flower garland, the beauty of her arms that were ornamented with the finest jewelry and bangles, with the fair sari spread over her breast that was an island of beauty and with the belt that covered her waist moved she with her anklebells in grace. Shy casting her glances with her eyebrows moving, awakened she in the core of the hearts of the daitya leaders a long-standing lusty desire.

Chapter 9

The Lord Appears as a Beautiful Woman to Distribute the Nectar

(1) S'rî S'uka said: 'As they, the asuras, among themselves were snatching the nectar from one another and thus, behaving like thieves, grew very inimical tossing it to and fro, saw they [the Lord in the form of] a very beautiful woman [called Mohinî-mûrti] coming towards them. (2) 'What a body, what a luster and what a beauty of youth She has!' so they said in their hearts lusting to sleep with her as they hastened for her attention. (3) 'Who are you with your lotuspetal eyes and whence and why did you come here; to whom, o beautiful thighs upsetting our minds, do you belong, please tell us! (4) Nor we, nor any godly person, demon, perfected one, creature of heaven or venerable one has ever laid hands on you and known you, not to mention any local master of the human society. (5) We may thank providence, o beautiful eyebrows, for sending you; isn't your mercy there to bring what pleases the senses and minds of all who are of flesh and blood? (6) O smashing lady, could you be our luck to settle the mounting differences between us who as family members are more and more of enmity over this one issue [of the nectar], o slim beauty? (7) Make it so that you with all of us, able and competent brothers that are the descendants of Kas'yapa, are sure to divide [the nectar] justly without any partiality.'

(8) As a full woman looking at them with an enchanting smile spoke the illusion of feminine beauty that was an incarnation of the Lord, thus being urged by the daityas, to them. (9) The Supreme Lord said: 'How can it be that you all, descendants of Kas'yapa, put faith in associating with an eye-catcher like Me; a thing towards women that with the wise never occurs. (10) They all agree that treekeeping monkeys and dogs, o enemies of the suras, and especially loose women, are said to be temporary in their relationships, exchanging one friend for another.'

(11) S'rî S'uka said: 'Thus sporting with them laughed all the asuras, cherishing her in their minds despite of her serious demeanor, and handed they over the jar of nectar. (12) Next taking possession of the amrit container spoke the Lord with a painted smile to all His beauty and words: 'If you promise to accept whatever I may do, honest or not, then I'll give each his share of this nectar. (13) Having heard her consented they, the chiefs of the asuras all mad about her, to the words thus spoken with: 'So be it!'. (14-15) They then observed a fast, bathed, offered oblations of ghee into the fire, were of charity towards the cows, the brahmins and each and everyone, performed ceremonies to the brahmin precept, dressed themselves to their taste with the newest and finest and sat in full ornate all down on kus'a-seats that each faced the east. (16-17) With all the suras and daityas, with their faces thus sitting to the east, all dressed up with garlands and lamps in an arena full of incense smoke, there then, o ruler of man, holding the container, entered she, with her youthful restless eyes, the sounds of her tinkling ankle bells and jugs of breasts, striding slowly with a beautiful sari around her wide hips and elephant trunk thighs. (18) Looking at Her, the Lord Supreme who with golden earrings, charming ears, nose, cheeks and face posed as a girlfriend of the Goddess, were they all enchanted as she with a smiling glance looked them over while her sari waved slightly to her breasts. (19) Thinking it to be a miscalculation of giving milk to snakes, to hand out the nectar to the bunch of vile natured demons, delivered the Infallible One not a drop of it. (20) Arranging different lines for the both of them had the master of the Universe them all orderly seated to their own places. (21) The Lord with the nectar beguiling the daityas with sweet words made the ones sitting at the other side drink of the nectar that defeats old age, death and disability. (22) The asuras, because of what they had promised to do, kept themselves in check, o King and remained silent thinking that to fight with a woman was an abominable thing. (23) Not to break the bond of being friends with her were they, moved by the greatest respect and honor, all bound by her and said they not the slightest to displease her. (24) He who darkens the luminaries [Râhu] dressed himself up as one of the godly and sat among the godconscious to drink the nectar but was by sun and moon quickly detected. (25) The moment he was drinking the nectar was the head of Râhu cut off by the Lord His cakra sharp as a razor, but the decapitated body untouched by the nectar, fell dead on the spot. (26) The head so having attained immortality was by Lord Brahmâ recognized as a planet and it is that very Râhu that during eclipses [or with moonphases] chases the sun and moon in animosity [see also 5.24: 1-3, 6.6: 37 and 6.18: 12-14]. (27) When the godly were almost done drinking the nectar revealed the Supreme Lord Hari, the well-wisher of all the worlds, in the presence of all the asuras and their leaders His original form. (28) Although the suras and asuras were thus one to the same place, time, objective, cause, activities and ambition, were they not equal in the result; the godminded easily achieved the nectar with it because theirs was the benediction of the saffron dust of the lotus feet and not the daityas [compare B.G. 4.11]. (29) Whatever is done for the sake of one's own life and welfare, all those human activities, ideas and words in relation to one's body and family, are all transient [asat, 'untrue'] in separation, but the same indeed becomes factual and permanent if it is done not being separate - it then grows into that which is the watering of the root that is beneficial for everyone [see 8.5:49].'

Chapter 10

The Battle Between the Demigods and the Demons

(1) S'rî S'uka said: 'The dânavas and daityas thus with their combined efforts failed to achieve the nectar, o Ruler, as they had another idea of liberation relating to Vâsudeva. (2) After the amrit, o King, had been generated and had served as a drink to the suras that belonged to Him, left the Lord of all living beings who is carried by Garuda, their presence. (3) Seeing how their rivals enjoyed the best of opulence was intolerable to all the sons of Diti, and so marched they against the godly with their weapons raised. (4) Thereupon, from the refuge of Nârâyana's feet, counteracted with their weaponry all the godly who had found new strength from drinking the nectar. (5) There and then fought the gods and the demons to their honor a most fierce battle at the shore of the milk ocean, o King, with a turbulence that made one's hair stand on end. (6) To that grew they, as fighters to the opportunity of that battle, most violent minded with one another in waging with swords, arrows and all other kinds of weapons. (7) From the mass of conchshells, the trumpets, the drums, the bugles and kettledrums; of the elephants, the horses, the footsoldiers and chariotfighters all together came a tumultuous noise. (8) On the battlefield as chariotfighter against chariotfighter, infantry against infantry, cavalry against cavalry and elephantry against elephantry, fought the enemies one another on an equal basis. (9) Some rode elephants, some fought from the backs of camels and some others engaged as combatants with white- and red-faced monkeys, tigers and lions. (10-12) Both parties of fighters faced one another deformed by the bodies of the water, land and sea animals they took up as their vehicles: vultures, eagles, ducks, hawks, bhâsa birds; killer whales, monkeys, buffalos, rhinoceroses, cows, bulls, wild cows and red cows, jackals and rats; some took to the forms of lizards, rabbits, human beings, goats and some others entered the fight with black deer, swans and also boars. (13-15) With nicely decorated flags and canopies, o King, with parasols that were mostly pure white with precious handles full of jewels and pearls, with normal fans and peacock feather fans, with their upper and lower garments flapping in the wind, with the effulgence of their ornaments and shields and their shining, sharp and clean weapons excessively glittering in the sunshine, looked the two bannered parties of the godly and the dânava heroes with all their garlands, o descendant of Pându, much like two oceans of aquatics. (16-18) Bali the son of Virocana, for the battle celebrated as the captain of the demons drove a vehicle made by Maya called Vaihâyasa ['flying in the air'] that would move wherever he desired. Fully equipped with all the necessary weapons was it inexplicably, indescribably, most wondrous, sometimes being visible and sometimes being invisible. Protected by nicely decorated umbrella's and camaras was he, seated on such an excellent heavenly chariot and surrounded by all the commanders, situated as brilliant as a rising moon. (19-24) All around him there were the different vehicles of the asura commanders of the troops: Namuci, Sambara, Bâna, Vipracitti; Ayomukha, Dvimûrdhâ, Kâlanâbh and Praheti; Heti, Ilvala, Sakuni, Bhûtasantâpa, Vajradamstra, and Virocana; Hayagrîva, Sankusirâ, Kapila, Meghadundubhi, Târaka, Cakradrk, S'umbha, Nis'umbha, Jambha and Utkala; Arista, Aristanemi, and Maya and Tripurâdhipa and the other sons of Puloma and the Kâleyas, of Nivâtakavaca and all others who were unable to get a share of the nectar. Only having had the burden were they all, taking the front with all they had, now great trouble, roaring as lions and blowing their conchshells in the greatest tumult. When Balabhit ['fear of strength', Lord Indra] saw his ferocious rivals got he greatly incensed.

(25) Mounted on Airâvata his carrier elephant was Indra as beautiful to behold as the sun shining over Udayagiri's cascades. (26) Around him had all the gods with banner and weapon taken positions with their carriers: all the leaders of the higher worlds and the demigods of the air, of fire and of water. (27) Having come forward chided the combatants face to face one another as painful to the heart as they could and fought they, drawing near, two by two their battle. (28) Bali fought Indra, Târak fought Kârttikeya, Varuna engaged with Heti, and Mitra, o King fought with Praheti. (29) Yamarâja did so with Kâlanâbha, Vis'vakarmâ tried Maya, Tvashthâ fought Sambara, and Savitrâ contested Virocana. (30-31) Aparâjita fought Namuci, the two As'vinî-kumâras fought with Vrishaparvâ, the demigod Surya fought the hundred sons of Bali who were lead by Bâna, Soma [the moon-god] fought Râhu, Anila [god of the air] fought Pulomâ and the extremely powerful goddess Bhadra Kâlî [Durgâ] waged against S'umbha and Nis'umbha. (32-34) Vrsâkapi [S'iva] fought with Jambha and Vibhâvasu, the fire god, fought with Mahishâsura and Ilvala with his brother Vâtâpi fought the sons of Brahmâ, o suppressor of the enemies. Durmarsa fought with Kâmadeva [Cupid], Utkala with the Mâtrikâ goddesses, Brihaspati opposed S'ukrâcârya and S'ani [Saturn] fought with Narakâsura. De Maruts fought with Nivâtakavaca, the Vasus contested the Kâlakeyas, the Vis'vedevas tried the Paulomas en the Rudras waged against the Krodhavas'as.

(35) All of the ruling suras and asuras this way mixed in pairs engaged in fighting on the battlefield and waging with