Chapter 44 - Vishnu Promises Help to the Gods

1-3. Vaishampayana said:—Hearing those most excellent eulogistic verses recited by the foremost of the twice-born Kashyapa the Lord Narayana, having a grave but sweet voice, delightedly and distinctly said to the great gods through the muttering of clouds. The words were heard from the sky, but nobody could see the Lord. Isvara said it with great delight.

4. Vishnu said:—O leading celestials, I am pleased with you. May you fare well. Do you pray for boons and I am ready to grant them. Kashyapa said:—O immortals, blessed are we all since the Lord has been pleased with us. You are our supreme refuge. If O Lord, you are propitiated and desirous of giving us boons, be you born as Vasava’s younger brother, ever enhancing the joy of your kinsmen and as the son of myself and Aditi.

5-8. Vaishampayana said:—Then Aditi, the mother of Devas, desirous of praying for a boon, said to the Lord:—"I pray to you for a boon. For the well being of all the gods be you born as my son".

9. The Gods said:—O lord, do you become our brother, master, king and protector. If you are born as Aditi’s son Vasava and other celestials will be able to hear the name of Deva. Do you therefore be born as Kashyapa’s son.

10-14. Vaishampayana said:—Thereupon Vishnu said to the Devas and Kashyapa:—"O gods, your enemies will not be able to stand even for a moment before me. Having slain the Asuras and other enemies of the celestials I will make the latter partake of sacrificial offerings. By my creative power I will make the gods partake of Havya and the Pitris of Kavya. Therefore O you gods, return by the same way by which you came. I will satisfy the desire of Aditi the mother of gods as well as that of the great Kashyapa. Do you repair to your respective abodes. May good betide you and may you attain to your desired-for objects".

15. Thus addressed by the powerful Vishnu the gods delightedly worshipped the Lord.

15-21. Having bowed unto the Deity, the great Vishvadevas, Kashyapa, Aditi, Sadhyas, Maruts, and the highly powerful Indra repaired to the great hermitage of Kashyapa in the eastern quarter. And having arrived at that hermitage filled with saints they engaged in the study of the Vedas and awaited Aditi’s conception. Aditi, the mother of gods, held in her womb that great one, the soul of the universe of great power for a thousand celestial years. After the completion of the thousandth year she gave birth to the son, the protector of the gods and the destroyer of the Asuras. Living in the womb the Lord withdrew the energies of the three worlds and saved the gods. When that master of gods, the joy of the three worlds, the fear of the Daityas and the enhancer of the delight of the gods was born the celestials were freed from fear.