Chapter 13 - Resuscitation of Indra in the context of the destruction of Jalandhara

[Sanskrit text for this chapter is available]

Vyāsa said:—

1. O holy lord, son of Brahmā, it has been heard by me before that the lord Śiva killed the great Asura Jalandhara.

2. O intelligent one, please narrate the story of the moon-crested lord in detail. Who can be satiated with listening to the spotless glory of the lord?

Sūta said:—

3. On being requested thus by Vyāsa, the great sage and son of Brahmā of eloquent speech spoke the following significant words without excitement.

Sanatkumāra said:—

4. O sage, once Bṛhaspati and Indra went to Kailāsa with great devotion, to see lord Śiva.

5-6. Coming to know of the arrival of Bṛhaspati and Indra eager to see him, lord Śiva wished to test their knowledge. Accordingly, the lord, the excellent goal of the good, stood blocking their path in the naked form with matted hair and beaming face.

7-9. Bṛhaspati and Indra were walking on gleefully. On their way they saw this wonderful person of huge size. He was quiet and composed and very refulgent with matted hair on his head. He was fair-complexioned with long arms and wide chest. He was terrible to look at. Without realising that the person who stood there blocking their path was Śiva himself, Indra who was proud of his authority said to him.

Indra said:—

10. O, who are you? Where have you come from? What is your name? Tell me truly. Is the lord Śiva in his apartment or has he gone anywhere?

Sanatkumāra said:—

11. O sage, on being asked by Indra thus, he did not say anything. Indra asked him again. But the naked person did not say anything.

12. Indra, the supreme lord of the worlds, asked again. The lord the great Yogin who assumes forms variously kept quiet.

13. The naked lord, though asked repeatedly by Indra, did not say anything, for he wanted to test the knowledge of Indra.

14. Then the lord of Gods, proud of the wealth of the three worlds, became enraged. Rebuking the lord with matted hair he spoke these words.

Indra said:—

15. “O evil-minded one, though asked you did not reply to me. Hence I am going to kill you with my thunderbolt. Who can save you?”

Sanatkumāra said:—

16. After saying this and looking at him ferociously Indra raised his thunderbolt in order to kill him.

17. On seeing Indra lifting up his thunderbolt, Śiva prevented the fall of the thunderbolt by making his hand benumbed.

18. Then Śiva became furious. His eyes became terrible. He blazed with his burning splendour.

19. Then Indra burnt within himself by the benumbing of his arm like a serpent whose exploits had been curbed by pronouncing magical formulas.^[1]

20. On seeing him resplendent, Bṛhaspati realised immediately that he was lord Śiva himself and bowed to him.

21. Then the noble-minded Bṛhaspati joined his palms in reverence. He prostrated before him on the ground and began to eulogise the lord.

Bṛhaspati said:—

22. Obeisance to Śiva, the chief lord of the gods, the supreme soul, the three-eyed, possessed of matted hair.

23. Obeisance to the succouring lord of the distressed, the destroyer of Andhaka^[2] and the Tripuras, and identical with Brahmā, the Parameṣṭhin.

24. Obeisance to Śiva of odd eyes, of diverse, deformed and surpassing features, going beyond all forms.

25. Obeisance to the destroyer of sacrifice of Dakṣa, to the bestower of fruits of sacrifice, identical with sacrifice and the initiator of the greatest rites.

26. Obeisance to Śiva the annihilator of Time, of the form of Time, the wearer of black serpents, the great lord and the omnipresent.

27. Obeisance to the destroyer of Brahmā’s head,^[3] the one eulogised by Brahmā and the moon. Obeisance to you favourably disposed to Brahmins. Obeisance to you the great soul.

28. You are the fire, the wind, the ether, the waters, the earth, the sun, the moon, the stars, and the solar system.

29. You alone are Viṣṇu, Brahmā, and eulogised by them; you are the great lord, the sages Sanaka etc. You are Nārada the great saint.

30. You alone are the lord of all the worlds, the soul of the universe. You are converging in everything and different from everything; you alone are greater than Prakṛti.

31. With the Rajas attribute you alone create the worlds assuming the name Brahma. You are identical with Viṣṇu in Sattva attribute and you protect the entire universe.

32. With the Tamas attribute you assume the form of Śiva, O great God and you alone devour the universe composed of five elements.

33. With the strength of meditating on you, O creator of the universe, the sun blazes, the moon exudes nectar and the wind blows.

34. O Śiva, with the strength of meditating on you, the clouds shower water. Indra protects the worlds like his sons.

35. With the strength of meditating on you, the clouds, the gods and the great sages carry on their tasks. They are afraid of you.

36. O Śiva, by serving your lotus like feet, the people in the world do not honour the gods and they enjoy the prosperity of the world.

37. By serving your lotus like feet the people attain the supreme goal inaccessible to every one and unattainable even to Yogins.

Sanatkumāra said:—

38. After eulogising Śiva, the benefactor of the worlds thus Bṛhaspati made Indra fall at the feet of Śiva.

39. After making Indra, lord of the gods, fall at his feet with bowed head, Bṛhaspati humbly spoke these words to Śiva with bowed head.

Bṛhaspati said:—

40. O great lord, favourable to the distressed, please raise up Indra fallen at your feet. Please quieten the anger rising from your eyes.

41. O great lord, be pleased. Protect Indra who has sought refuge in you. Let this fire rising from the eye in the forehead be rendered calm.

Sanatkumāra said:—

42. On hearing these words of Bṛhaspati, Śiva, the lord of Gods, the ocean of mercy, spoke in a thundering stentorian voice.

Lord Śiva said:—

43. O Bṛhaspati, how can I take up the fury that has already come out of my eye? A serpent does not wear again the slough that has been cast off.

Sanatkumāra said:—

44. On hearing these words of Śiva, Bṛhaspati’s mind was agitated with fear and he spoke dejectedly.

Bṛhaspati said:—

45. O holy lord, indeed the devotees should be pitied always. O Śiva, thus please make your name Bhaktavatsala (favourably disposed towards the devotees) true.

46. O lord of gods, you deserve to cast elsewhere the fierce brilliance. O uplifter of all devotees, raise up Indra.

Sanatkumāra said:—

47. On being addressed thus by Bṛhaspati the delighted Śiva, the destroyer of the distress of those who bow to him and the one named Bhaktavatsala replied thus to Bṛhaspati.

Śiva said:—

48. O dear one, I am delighted by your eulogy. I shall grant you the excellent boon. Henceforth you shall be famous as Enlivener because you have conferred life on Indra.

49. I shall cast off this fire born of my eye in the forehead intended to kill Indra lest it should afflict him.

50. On saying this he held that wonderful brilliance born of the eye in the forehead^[4] and cast it off in the briny ocean.

51. Then the lord Rudra of great divine sports vanished from the scene. Bṛhaspati and Indra were relieved of their fright and they became happy.

52. After having the immediate perception of Śiva for which they had come here, Bṛhaspati and Indra became contented and went away to their abodes joyously.

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

For the similarity of idea and verbal expression, compare Kālidāsa’s Raghuvaṃśa II. 32.

[2]:

Andhaka was an Asura of great prowess who became so arrogant that he attempted to abduct both Śiva and Pārvatī. A great battle was fought between the two in the Mahākāla forest of Avanti. Śiva slew the Asura and obtained the appellation ‘the slayer of Andhaka’ for himself.

[3]:

See Note 43 P. 58.

[4]:

Śiva is represented as the three-eyed God. His third eye which stands in the middle of his forehead is very destructive. It reduced Kāma to ashes.

This eye usually remains closed. But when it opens, its glance works havoc. At the periodical dissolution of the universe, it destroys all the gods and created beings.