Chapter 94 - The prayer by Indra

Vyāsa said:

1. Playfully carrying the umbrella of Varuṇa, the jewel mountain and bearing lord Kṛṣṇa on his back accompanied by his wife, Garuḍa went ahead.

2. Lord Kṛṣṇa reached the gateway of heaven and blew the conch. Then Devas approached the lord along with the vessels full of materials of worship.

3. After being worshipped by Devas, Kṛṣṇa entered the abode of the mother of Devas that had the shape of the peak of white mountain. After entering it he saw Aditi.

4. Accompanied by Indra he bowed to her. The lord gave her the excellent earrings and intimated to her the death of Naraka.

5. Then Aditi the mother of Devas was pleased. Unruffled, she directed her mind to the lord who is the creator of the worlds and eulogised him.

Aditi said:

6. Obeisance to you, O lotus-eyed one, O lord causing fearlessness to devotees, O lord, the eternal Ātman, O Ātman of living beings, O Ātman of everything, O creator of living beings.

7-10. You are of the nature of vital airs, soul and mind, intellect and sense-organs. You are beyond three attributes. O pure one, you are devoid of mutually clashing opposites. O lord stationed in the heart of all, O lord devoid of all conceptions such as those of whiteness, and length. You are untouched by birth, You are devoid of dreamy state. You are all these—dusk, night, day, Earth, firmament, wind, water, fire, mind, intellect and subtle elements. You are Acyuta, the cause of creation, sustenance and destruction; you are the lord of makers and doers. With your forms named Brahmā, Viṣṇu and Śiva, you are the lord of all. This universe consisting of mobile and immobile beings is pervaded by your Māyā.

11. O lord, if one takes the non-Ātman to be the Ātman, this misconception is your Māyā. It is from this that the ideas of ‘I’, ‘Mine’ etc. emerge.

12-19. O lord, this is the activity of your Māyā amid the ocean of worldly existence.

Those men who are devoted to their own Dharmas and by whom you have been propitiated, surmount all this Māyā and proceed to self-liberation.

Brahmā and Devas, human beings and animals are enveloped by the darkness of delusion. They are involved in the great whirlpool of your Māyā.

O lord, these men bound by your Māyā desire to obtain all desires when rebirths of the Ātman cease, after propitiating you.

You were propitiated by me with a longing for sons and for the extermination of the hosts of foes. It was not for liberation. Indeed, it is the activity of Māyā.

It is like the longing for loin-cloth and similar things from the wish-yielding Kalpa tree. This kind of guilt happens in the case of those who perform meritorious deeds deriving worldly fruits. It originates from their own defects.

Hence, be pleased, O unchanging lord, who cause illusory delusion into the entire universe. Destroy our ignorance, O lord of all living beings having perfect knowledge and good intention.

Obeisance to you, to the discus-armed one, obeisance to you who have the conch in your hand. Obeisance to the deity holding the ironclub. O Viṣṇu, obeisance to you, having lotus in your hand.

I see your form rendered splendid by gross signs and symbols. I do not know the greatest principle. O Supreme lord be pleased.

Vyāsa said:

20-23. Thus eulogised by Aditi the lord laughed and spoke to Aditi.

Śrīkṛṣṇa said:

O gentle lady, you are our mother. Be pleased. Be one that bestows boons.

Aditi said:

Let it be as you wish. O tiger among men, you will be unconquerable by Devas, Asuras and human beings.

Vyāsa said:

Immediately thereafter, Satyabhāmā accompanied by Śacī bowed to Aditi and said again and again—‘Be pleased’.

Aditi said:

24. O lady of fine eye-brows, due to my favour you will never have old age or deformity. O lady of blameless limbs, you will enjoy all worldly pleasures.

Vyāsa said:

25. Permitted by Aditi, the king of Devas duly worshipped the lord with adequate reverence.

26. Then, O excellent ones, Kṛṣṇa accompanied by Satyabhāmā visited the divine gardens and parks such as Nandana.

27-28. There Keśava, the lord of the Universe, the destroyer of Keśin saw the Pārijāta tree which put forth bunches of excessively fragrant flowers, which was divine, which caused cool comfort and delight, which was beautified by tender sprouts, which had the lustre similar to that of gold and which was produced when the milk ocean was churned for getting nectar.

O excellent brahmins, on seeing the Pārijāta tree, Satyabhāmā spoke to the lord.

Satyabhāmā said:

29-32. O Kṛṣṇa, why is not this tree taken to Dvārakā?

If these words of yours are true—“Satyā is my most beloved one”, let this tree be taken to my house for beautifying my garden. O Kṛṣṇa, these pleasing words are often mentioned by you to me—“O Satyā, neither Jāmbavatī nor Rukmiṇī is so much desired by me as you are”. If, O lord, those are not mere complimentary flattering words, if they are really meant, let this Pārijāta be an ornament to my house.

I shall appear very splendid amongst my co-wives if I wear the bunch of its flowers on my braid of hair. Hence I desire for It.

Vyāsa said:

33. The lord who was requested thus laughingly placed the Pārijāta tree on Garuḍa. Then the guards of the park said.

The guards of the park said:

34. O lord, Śacī is the crowned queen of Devas. It does not behove you to take away the Pārijāta tree specially adopted by her.

35. When the milk ocean was being churned for obtaining nectar, this tree had been adopted by Devas for embellishing Śacī. If you take this, you will not go safe and secure.

36. You seek for this Pārijāta out of foolishness. Who will go out safe and secure if he takes this with him? O Kṛṣṇa, the lord of Devas will indeed be furious over this.

37. The immortal ones will follow Indra with the thunderbolt raised up in his hand. Hence, O Acyuta, enough of your attempts to quarrel with Devas. Scholars do not praise that action which is very bitter in its result.

Vyāsa said:

38-44. When this was mentioned by him, the infuriated Satyabhāmā said:—

Satyabhāmā said:

Who is Śacī and who is Indra the lord of Devas, in regard to this Pārijāta tree? This Pārijāta tree is common to the worlds. It originated formerly (as common to all). Why should Indra alone take it? Just like the wine, moon or Śrī, O guards of the park, this tree born of the ocean is common to all.

If Śacī clings to this, on account of her pride in the mighty arms of her husband, go quickly to her and mention these words—Satyabhāmā says in words couched in her pride over her husband, “If you are the beloved of your husband, if you are fond of him, prevent my husband from removing this tree, I know your husband Indra. I know the lord of Devas. Still I, a human being, shall remove this Pārijāta.”

Vyāsa said:

45. The guards of the park who were addressed thus, went to Śacī and told her what they were told. Śacī then encouraged her husband the over-lord of Devas.

46. Then, O brahmins, Indra who was surrounded by the armies of Devas began to fight over the Pārijāta tree.

47. Then Indra stood ready with the thunderbolt in his hand. Devas also stood in readiness holding their weapons such as iron clubs, sword and tridents.

48-50. On seeing Indra seated on his lordly elephant, surrounded by Devas and approaching him for a battle, the lord blew on his conch. He filled the quarters with sounds. He discharged thousands and ten thousands of arrows. On seeing the quarters and the firmament covered with hundreds of arrows, Devas discharged many missiles and weapons.

51. Then lord of the worlds playfully split each of the missiles and weapons discharged by Devas, into a thousand bits.

52. Garuḍa snatched the noose of the king of waters (i.e. Varuṇa), split it into bits like the body of a young serpent and moved about.

53. The lord, the son of Devakī, struck down on to the ground the staff discharged by Yama. It was broken when he hurled his iron club at it.

54. The lord Kṛṣṇa smashed the palanquin of the god of wealth into minute bits like gingelly seeds. The sun and the moon lost their prowess as it was destroyed by a single glance of the lord.

55. The fire god was split into hundreds by means of arrows. The Vasus were made to flee in all directions. The tips of the tridents of Rudras were split by the discus and the Rudras themselves were struck down on to the ground.

56. The Sādhyas, Viśvedevas, Maruts and Gandharvas were sent up into the sky like the cotton bits from a Śālmali tree by the Śārṅga-bearing lord through his arrows.

57. Garuḍa killed and ate Devas and Upadevas by means of his beak, wings and claws.

58. Then Indra, the lord of Devas, and lord Kṛṣṇa, the slayer of Madhu showered each other with a thousand arrows like two clouds by heavy downpours.

59. In the utter confusion obtaining there, Garuḍa fought with Airāvata and lord Kṛṣṇa with Devas accompanied by Indra.

60. When weapons and missiles were split and scattered, Indra hastily seized the thunderbolt and Kṛṣṇa took up his discus Sudarśana.

61. On seeing the king of Devas and Śrī Kṛṣṇa holding up their thunderbolt and discus respectively the whole of the universe consisting of mobile and immobile beings raised a hue and cry.

62. Lord Kṛṣṇa caught hold of thunderbolt hurled by Indra. Without releasing his discus he told him ‘stay, stay’.

63. As the king of Devas lost his thunderbolt, as his vehicle was wounded by Garuḍa, he became inclined to run away then. Satyabhāmā spoke to him.

Satyabhāmā said:

64. O lord of three worlds, it is not proper for the husband of Śacī to run away. Śacī will honour you with a big garland of Pārijāta flowers.

65. Of what nature is your divine realm? You are unable to see Śacī approaching you lovingly as before shining with the Pārijāta garlands.

66. O Indra, enough of your endeavour. It does not behove you to be ashamed. Let this Pārijāta tree be taken away. Let Devas be rid of pain.

67. On account of her excessive pride and arrogance Śacī did not view me with reverence as I went to her house. Nor did she honour me.

68. Being a woman, my mind is very light. I was devoted to the praise of my husband. Therefore, O Indra I picked up a quarrel with you.

69. Hence, enough of this Pārijāta which is another man’s property. Why should it be taken away? Which woman does not become proud due to beauty and fame.

Vyāsa said:

70. O brahmins, when addressed thus the king of Devas returned and said to her:

O my angry friend, stop from expatiating on a sorrowful fact.

71-73. I do not experience any shame on being conquered by that lord of universal form who is the cause of creation, sustenance and annihilation of the universe.

He is without a beginning or a middle or an end. The worlds are resting in him. They originate from him. He is the cause of origin, protection and annihilation. O gentle lady, if I am routed by him how can I feel ashamed of it?

Who can conquer him? His form is the entire world. It is subtle and minute. It is known only to those who have understood the Vedas. He is unborn, and unmade He is the permanent lord. He is the primordial lord who can remove universe if he pleases. Who can conquer him?