Chapter 72 - Incarnations of Hari

Vyāsa said:

1. Listen, O leading sages, I shall recount to you briefly the incarnations which Hari took up in order to remove the burden of the Earth.

2-4. O brahmins, whenever there is increase in evil and virtue dwindles down, lord Viṣṇu takes incarnation by dividing his body into two in order to protect the good, establish virtue and chastise the wicked and other enemies of Devas. He is born in every Yuga for protecting the subjects.

5-6. O brahmins, formerly, the Earth was afflicted by excessive burden. The Earth went to the assembly of heaven-dwellers. After bowing down to Devas including Brahmā, the Earth narrated every thing speaking piteously in her grief.

The Earth said:

7. Fire is the preceptor of gods; sun is the preceptor of cows, Nārāyaṇa is the preceptor of those worthy of being saluted by me as well as other people.

8. Now, Daityas, the followers of Kālanemi have come to the mortal world. Day and night they harass the subjects.

9. That Asura Kālanemi who was slain by all powerful Viṣṇu is now born as Kaṃsa the great Asura and a son of Ugrasena.

10-11. There are many other very powerful asuras such as Ariṣṭa, Dhenuka, Keśin, Pralamba, Naraka, Sunda, Bāṇa, the fierce son of Bali and many others. They are wicked souls born in the abodes of kings. I do not attempt to enumerate them all.

12, O Devas holding divine forms, there are many Akṣauhiṇīs (huge armies, of haughty leading Daityas of great strength), on me.

13-14. O lords of immortal beings, afflicted and distressed by their excessive burden I am unable to steady myself. I hereby submit to you, O highly blessed ones, may the extra burden be removed from me lest I should sink into the nether worlds in my bewilderment.

Vyāsa said:

15. On hearing these words of the Earth Brahmā was requested by Devas to remove the burden of the Earth.

Brahmā said:

16-18. O heaven-dwellers whatever the Earth says is true. You all, I and Hara—all of us are the excellent and elegant powers of Nārāyaṇa. Among these powers there is superiority and inferiority complex by way of hindering others and being hindered by them. Hence come ye. We shall go to the excellent shore of the milk ocean. There we shall propitiate Hari and intimate everything to him.

19. That lord is the Ātman of all. He is identical with the universe. He will always work for your benefit. With a small part of himself he will be born over the Earth and he will establish virtue.

Vyāsa said:

20. After saying thus Brahmā went along with Devas. With full concentration, he eulogised the Garuḍa-emblemed deity.

Brahmā said:

21. O lord with thousand forms, obeisance, obeisance be to you; O thousand-armed one, O many-armed and manyfooted one, obeisance, obeisance to you, O lord engaged in creation, maintenance and destruction of the universe, O incomprehensible one.

22. You are the subtlest of all subtle beings; you have a great magnitude, O lord, you are weightier than the weightiest. O lord, possessed of Pradhāna, cosmic intellect and sense-organs, O lord identical with the chief worlds, be pleased.

23. On account of the mighty Asuras born on the Earth, O lord, this Earth is extremely afflicted. She is pained under the heavy weight of suffering. In order to get the burden removed she has approached you the ultimate resort of worlds, the redeemer without any other greater being.

24-25. O lord of Devas, all of us are ready to carry out your orders viz—Indra, the slayer of Vṛtra, Nāsatya and Dasra (Aśvins), Varuṇa, Rudras, Vasus, Sun, wind, fire and Devas. What should be done by these and by me, O lord, command us. We shall await your behest for even eschewing defects.

Vyāsa said:

26-27. O excellent brahmins on being eulogised thus, the great lord, plucked out two hairs from his head, one white and the other black. He then spoke thus to the Devas. “These two hairs of mine will incarnate on the Earth distressed due to excessive burden.

28. May all Devas incarnate on the Earth. Let them fight with the mighty proud Asuras who are already born before.

29. Then, there is no doubt about it, all those Asuras on the Earth will be exterminated after being reduced to powder by means of different weapons.

30. O immortal ones, this hair of mine will be born as the eighth child in the womb of Devakī, the wife of Vasudeva who is comparable to a goddess.

31. After birth on the Earth it will kill Kaṃsa bora of Kālanemi. After saying this, Hari vanished there itself.

32. Those Devas then bowed down to the noble lord who became invisible, went to the top of Meru and then descended on the Earth.

33. The holy sage Nārada said thus to Kaṃsa—“The eighth child in the womb of Devakī born in the Earth will kill you”.

34. On hearing it from Nārada, Kaṃsa became infuriated. He kept Devakī and Vasudeva as prisoners in their own house and guarded their well.

35. O brahmins, whenever a son was born Vasudeva immediately handed over that son to Kaṃsa as he himself had told him before.

36. The sons of Hiraṇyakaśipu became well known as these six children in the womb. Urged by Viṣṇu, his (Yogic) slumber joined them gradually to the womb of Devakī.

37. This Yogic slumber pertaining to Viṣṇu is also called Mahāmāyā and Avidyā. The entire universe is deluded by her.

[Note: In some editions of the Brahmapurāṇa the chapter ends here. Also see a Sanskrit rendering @ WikiSource]

Lord Hari said to her:

38. O slumber, go hence. One by one take these children (of Hiraṇyakaśipu) who are in the nether worlds now to the belly of Devakī at my behest.

39. When they have been killed by Kaṃsa, my sinless part named Śeṣa will become the seventh child in the womb of Devakī by means of a small part.

40-41. In the cowherds’ colony, there is another wife of Vasudeva named Rohiṇī. At the birth of Devakī’s child, it should be taken to the belly of Rohiṇī. People will then say that there was an abortion of the seventh child in the womb of Devakī due to her fear from Kaṃsa and also due to the rigours of imprisonment.

42. Since the child in the womb has been dragged away, the heroic boy comparable to the peak of Meru, Saṅkarṣaṇa will be born in the world.

43. Then, I shall be born in the auspicious womb of Devakī. You should also go to the womb of Yaśodā without delay.

44. I shall be born at night on the eighth day in the dark half of the mouth of Śrāvaṇa during the rainy season. You will be born on the ninth day.

45. O uncensured lady, urged by my Śakti, Vasudeva will take me to the bed of Yaśodā and you to that of Devakī.

46. O gentle lady, Kaṃsa will seize you and hurl you against a rocky slab. Thereafter, you will attain an abode in the firmament.

47. With due deference to me, Indra will bow down to you a hundred times; with his head bent down in obeisance he will accept you as his sister.

48. Thereafter, you will kill thousands of Daityas. With various abodes (i.e. shrines) you will adorn the entire Earth.

49. You are identical with the following deities:—Bhūti (Existence), Sannati (Obeisance), Kīrti (Renown), Kānti (Splendour), Pṛthivī (Earth), Dhṛti (Courage), Lajjā (Bashfulness), Puṣṭi (Nourishment), Umā and other goddesses whoever they may be.

50-51. If the devotees eulogise you in the morning and in the afternoon with their forms bent down in humility, and address you as Āryā, Durgā, Vedagarbhā, Ambikā, Bhadrā, Bhadrakālī, Kṣemyā and Kṣemakarī, they will have whatever they desire, due to my favour.

52. Worshipped by means of wine, meat and other presents and various items of foodstuffs you will become delighted and fulfil all desires of men.

53. Undoubtedly, all of them will have welfare always due to my favour. It need not be suspected at all. O gentle lady, go, in the manner mentioned before.