Chapter 16 - Brahmā consoles the gods

[Sanskrit text for this chapter is available]

Summary: Brahmā consoles the gods harassed and frightened by the demon Tāraka.

Brahmā said:—

1. The gods terribly tormented by Tāraka, bowed to and eulogised me, the lord of subjects with great devotion.

2. On hearing the eulogy of the gods pleasing and true to facts I was highly pleased and replied to the heaven-dwellers thus.

3. O gods, welcome to you. I hope you are all fulfilling your duties without obstacles. Why have you all come here? Tell me.

4. On hearing my words those gods bowed to me duly and spoke. Being tormented by Tāraka they were in a piteous plight.

The gods said:—

5. O lord of the worlds, thanks to the boon received from you. The demon Tāraka is very haughty. Driving us out with force he has taken possession of our positions.

6. Is it not known to you what misery has befallen us? Please dispel our misery quickly. We seek refuge in you.

7. He torments us wherever we happen to stay by day or at night. Wherever we flee we see Tāraka.

8. O dear, lord of all, we are extremely harassed and agitated due to Tāraka.

9. Agni, Yama, Varuṇa, Nirṛti, Vāyu and other guardians of the deities are under his control.

10. None of them is ever independent. All serve him in the manner of human beings accompanied by their followers.

11. Being harassed by him, the gods have become subservient of him. They are engaged in carrying out his wishes. All of us are his servants.

12. Our woman folk, the groups of heavenly nymphs have been captured by Tāraka, the powerful.

13. No sacrifice is in the making. No ascetic is in penances. The charitable and virtuous activities are being seldom pursued in the worlds.

14. His commander-in-chief is a simple demon—Krauñca. He has now gone to the nether worlds and is harassing the people very much.

15. The regions of our three worlds have been forcibly taken, O Brahamā (Brahmā?), by this Tāraka of sinful and ruthless temperament.

16. O lord of the worlds, we were in heaven but now that we have been turned out by that demon we shall go to any place which you may kindly suggest.

17. You are our final resort. You are our ruler, creator, and protector. But we are scorched in the fire of the name Tāraka. We are extremely agitated.

18. Our ruthless activities against him have turned out to be weak and ineffective, even as medicinal herbs of great potency are rendered ineffective in an ailment brought about by the combination of all deranged humours.

19. We had some hope of victory in Sudarśana the discus of Viṣṇu. But even that discus has become ineffective in his neck where it has fallen as though it were a floral offering to a deity.

Brahmā said:—

20. O sage, on hearing these words of the gods, I told them befitting the occasion.

21. “O gods, the demon Tāraka has flourished, thanks to my words of blessings. His destruction through me does not seem proper.

22. Improper is the destruction through that source wherefrom he has flourished. Even a poisonous tree tended and nurtured by one cannot be cut and felled down by oneself.²⁴

23. Śiva is the most suitable agent to carry out your task. But I myself cannot do anything remedial in this case.

24. Tāraka will be destroyed by his own sin. How that shall be done you know from me. I shall advise you.

25. Thanks to the power of the boon granted by me. Tāraka cannot be killed by me or by Viṣṇu or by Śiva or by any one of the gods. It is true.

26. O gods, if there is a son born of Śiva, he alone can kill the demon Tāraka.

2 7. O best of gods, you carry out the remedy I am suggesting. By the grace of lord Śiva, it can be successfully accomplished.

28. Satī, the daughter of Dakṣa, formerly cast off her body. She is now born of Menakā’s womb. That event is already known to you all.

29. O gods, it is certain that lord Śiva will marry her. Still you shall pursue your endeavour.

30. Make such arrangements as to ensure the discharge of semen into Pārvatī, the daughter of Menakā.

31. Śiva is a great Yogin who can make semen flow upwards in the body. Only Pārvatī can make him discharge the semen downwards, out of the body. There is no other woman capable of it.

32. That daughter of the lord of the mountains is now in her prime of youth. She is serving Śiva in his penance on the Himalayas.

33. As a result of the tenacious pleadings of her father, she is serving Him in meditation.

34. She is the most beautiful lady in the three worlds. She stands in front of Him and worships Him. Still lord Śiva who is engrossed in His meditation is not distracted by her presence.

35. It is your duty to ascertain means to make Him desire Pārvatī for His wife. O gods, do something in that direction very quickly.

36. I shall go to the demon’s abode and try to dissuade him from his obstinacy. O gods, you can go to your abode

24. For the similarity of idea and verbal expression, cp. Kalidasa’s Kumāra.

37. After saying thus to the gods I hastened to the demon Tāraka. I addressed him thus.

Brahmā said:—

38. You are ruling over our heaven which contains the essence of all brilliance. You are desirous of getting more than what you bargained for at the time of your penance.

39. I granted you a boon but not the kingdom of heaven. Hence leave off this region. You can rule over the earth.

40. O best of Asuras, even there you can achieve the fruit of your activities as here in Devaloka. There is nothing to hesitate in this matter.

41. After thus exhorting the demon to leave off heaven I, the lord of all, remembered Śiva and Śivā and vanished from the scene.

42. Leaving the heaven, Tāraka descended to the earth. Stationed in the town Śoṇita, he ruled over the entire kingdom.

43. On hearing my words, the gods bowed to me and went to Indra’s abode. They were duly received by Indra.

44, After reaching there and consulting one another, the gods in a body lovingly told Indra.

The gods said:—

45. “O lord, you should carry out the suggestions of Brahmā and see that Śiva is lovingly inclined towards Śivā.

Brahmā said:—

46. After explaining every thing to the lord, the gods went in all directions to their respective abodes with great pleasure.