Chapter 32 - The Emissary is sent

[Sanskrit text for this chapter is available]

Sanatkumāra said:—

1. Then lord Śiva, Death to the wicked, goal of the good, decided in his mind to slay Śaṅkhacūḍa in accordance with the wishes of the gods.

2. He made his friend the lord of Gandharvas his messenger and sent him in a wonderful chariot^[1] hurriedly to Śaṅkhacūḍa joyously.

3. At the bidding of lord Śiva, the emissary went to the city of the Asura which was superior to Indra’s Amarāvatī and Kubera’s Palace.

4. Reaching there, he saw the excellent abode of śaṅkhacūḍa in the middle; it shone with its twelve entrance doors with gatekeepers in each.

5. Puspadanta (Puṣpadanta?) saw the main excellent entrance. Fearlessly he informed the gatekeeper.

6. Passing beyond that door he joyously went in. It was spacious, exquisitely fine and richly decorated.

7. Going in he saw Śaṅkhacūḍa, the ruler of Dānavas, seated on a gem-set throne in the midst of heroic warriors.

8. He was surrounded by leading Dānavas and served by three crores of attendants and guarded by another hundred crores of well armed soldiers moving to and fro.

9. Seeing him, Puṣpadanta was struck with wonder. He gave the message of war as conveyed by Śiva.

Puṣpadanta said:—

10. O great king, O lord, I am the Emissary of Śiva named Puṣpadanta. Please listen to what is mentioned by Śiva himself. I am telling you the same.

Śiva said:—

11. Now, give back their kingdom to the gods and their authority. If not, fight with me, the greatest of the good warriors.

12. The gods have sought refuge in me, the lord of the gods and the benefactor of the good. I the infuriated will certainly slay you.

13. I am Śiva, the destroyer. I have granted protection to all the gods. I am the holder of the chastising rod for the wicked and favourably disposed to those who seek refuge in me.

14. O lord of Dānavas, consider and let me know one of the two alternatives specifically, whether you will return the kingdom or fight.

Puṣpadanta said:

15. O lord of Dānavas, what has been stated by Śiva has been conveyed to you. Śiva’s words have never gone in vain.

16. I wish to return to my lord Śiva immediately. After going back what shall I tell Śiva, you clearly let me know.

Sanatkumāra said:—

17. On hearing these words of Puṣpadanta who was the emissary of lord Śiva, the king laughed, then spoke to him.

Śaṅkhacūḍa said:—

18. I will never return the kingdom to the god. The earth shall be enjoyed by heroic warriors. O Śiva, I shall fight with you who are a partisan of the gods.

19. The hero who allows another to supercede him is the basest in the world. Hence O Śiva I shall certainly march towards you just now.

20. I reach there in the morning in the course of my victorious campaign. O messenger, go and tell all this to Siva.

Samtkumāra said:—

21. On hearing these words of Śaṅkhacūḍa, the emissary of Śiva laughed aloud and then spoke haughtily to the lord of the Asuras.

Puṣpadanta said:—

22. O Great king, you cannot face the Gaṇas of Śiva. Then how can you face lord Śiva himself?

23. So return their positions of authority to the gods entirely. Move immediately to Pātāla if you wish to live.

24. O excellent Dānava, do not regard Śiva an ordinary deity. He is indeed the great soul, the lord of the lord of all.

25. Indra and other gods abide by his commands. The Siddhas, the patriarchs, the sages and the serpent lords all follow suit.

26. He is the overlord of Viṣṇu and Brahmā. He is both possessed and devoid of attributes. By a mere twitch of his knitted eyebrow everything is dissolved.

27. Śiva is the perfect form of gods, the cause of the annihilation of the worlds, the goal of the good, the destroyer of the wicked. He is free from aberrations. He is greater than the greatest.

28. He is the overlord of Brahmā. He is lord Śiva even into Viṣṇu. O excellent Dānava, his behest should never be slighted.

29. Of what avail is an unnecessary digression, O great king. Ponder deeply. Know him to be great lord, the great Brahman, the knowledge-formed.

30. Return their kingdoms to the gods as well as their positions of authority. O dear, thus you will fare well. Otherwise, terror will strike you.

Sanatkumāra said:—

31. On hearing this, the valorous king of the Dānavas, deluded by his fate spoke to the emissary of Śiva thus.

Śaṅkhacūḍa said:—

32. I shall neither give up kingdom nor the positions of authority, without a fight with him. This is certain. I tell you the truth.

33. The entire universe whether mobile or immobile is subject to the vagaries of time. Everything originates in time and everything merges into time.

34. Go and tell Śiva exactly what I have said to you. Let him do what is proper. Do not talk much.

Sanatkumāra said:—

35. O good sage, Puṣpadanta the emissary of Śiva when thus addressed by the Asura returned to lord Śiva and told him everything duly.

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

Citraratha (lit. of wonderful chariot) seem, to be an appellation of Puṣpadanta. Or Citraratha, lord of Gandharvas, may have assumed the name Puṣpadanta as an emissary.