Chapter 88 - God Rudra Saved

[Sanskrit text for this chapter is available]

The King (Parīkṣit) enquired:

1. Out of gods, Asuras or human beings, whoever worship (and propitiate) god Śiva who himself has renounced all worldly pleasures are blessed with wealth and enjoyment of pleasures, but not so in the case of those who are the votaries of Viṣṇu though he is the consort of the goddess of wealth.

2. We entertain a grave doubt and we desire to know (its solution) as to why the goal (i.e. the fruit achieved) of those who worship these two deities of different dispositions, is quite contrary to their expectation? Why do the Devotees of the Lord of Lakṣmī do not get wealth and while those of Siva become rich?

Śrī Śuka said:

3. God Śiva is ever associated with his Śakti. He is invested with three guṇas viz. Sattva, rajas and tamas and is the presiding deity of the three types of (Cosmic) ego characterised by the guṇas, viz. sattva (or vaikārika ego, rajas (taijasa type of Ego) and tamas (or tāmasa type of ego).

4. Out of these three types of ego were evolved sixteen modifications or products (viz. mind from the sāttvika ego, ten sense-organs from rājasic type of ahaṃkāra and five bhūtas or elements from the tāmasic type of ego). He who adores one of these potencies is blessed with all types of earthly prosperity.

5. Lord Hari, on the other hand, is unaffected by and hence devoid of the attributes (of Prakṛti). He is the Supreme Person far beyond the range of Prakṛti. He is omniscient and is a witness to everything. A person who worships him becomes bereft of guṇas.

6. After the conclusion of the Horse-sacrifice, while listening to the exposition of the righteous duties, your grandfather, King Yudhiṣṭhira asked this very question to Kṛṣṇa.

7. The glorious Lord Kṛṣṇa who descended into the race of Yadu for blessing people with the Summum bonum (by showing the way to Mokṣa) was very much pleased with that question and explained to him who was very desirous and eager to listen to him.

The Lord explained:

8. I gradually relieve a person of his wealth on whom I wish to bestow my grace. Then his own relatives, finding him penniless and hard-pressed with adversity and sorrow- stricken, forsake him (of their own accord).

9. When (he finds that) all his efforts with the desire of acquiring wealth have been futile, he becomes despondent and forms friendship with persons who are devoted to me. Then only I shower my grace on him.

10. My grace is the revelation of myself i.e. of Brahman. It is too subtle (to be comprehensible), Pure consciousness and infinite Reality (existence).

[Additional half verse from the vṛnḍāban edition (Quoted from Bhāgavata Purāṇa in Bengali script):]

10(A). The intelligent person who realizes it as his own-self is liberated from Saṃsāra. Hence, people avoid me as one too difficult to be propitiated and turn to other gods (to worship).

11. Thereupon, having obtained sovereignty and prosperity from gods who are easily and quickly propitiated, they become arrogant, puffed up with pride and maddened. They forget the very gods who have bestowed boons on them and despise them.

Śrī Śuka said:

12. Gods Brahmā, Viṣṇu, Śiva and others are competent to pronounce a curse or grant boons. But dear Parīkṣit, God Śiva and Brahmā accord grace or curse instantaneously. (The moment they are pleased or displeased), but not so god Viṣṇu.

13. As an illustration of this, those versed in ancient lore cite the ancient legend how god Śiva after giving a boon to Vṛkāsura, found himself in danger.

14. There was an Asura called Vṛka, the son of Śakuni. That wicked-minded fellow saw Nārada on the way and asked him which god out of the trinity (of Brahmā, Viṣṇu and Śiva) was easily and quickly propitiated.

15. Nārada advised him, “Do propitiate god Śiva and you will quickly accomplish your purpose. He gets pleased with slight merit and is enraged at the slightest offence.

16. When the ten-faced demon Rāvaṇa and Bāṇa eulogised him like bards, he bestowed on them unparalleled prosperity and sovereignty in consequence of which he found himself involved in serious troubles (Rāvaṇa uprooted mount Kailāsa, the residence of god śiva and Bāṇa made him the protector of his capital city).

17. Being thus advised, that Asura began to propitiate god Śiva by offering to him the oblation of his own flesh chopped from his body, through the mouth of the fire-god, at the place called Kedāra in the Himālayas.

18. Out of desparation for not being able to visualize god Śiva (in spite of the sacrifice of his flesh), the Asura, on the seventh day, (took a bath in the holy waters of that place) and began to cut with sharp weapon his head with wet matted hair.

19. At that time the highly merciful god (with matted hair) who was brilliant like the fire-god, came out of the sacrificial fire. Just as we would do (to prevent our friends from suicide), he held both of his arms with his own and prevented him from that act. By the blessed touch of śiva, his body became healed of wounds and perfect as before.

20. He spoke to him, “Dear Asura! It is enough (desist from offering your head to me). Seek of me any boon you desire and I shall confer it on you. I am pleased even if water is reverentially offered to me by people devoted to me. You have unnecessarily tortured your body so cruelly.

21. That extremely sinful demon sought the god a boon that spelt terror to all living beings. (He requested as a boon:) “May every body die on whose head I shall lay my palm.”

22. Hearing that prayer, Lord Śiva got depressed at heart (for a moment), O Parīkṣit. But laughingly he said, “Yes. Be it so.” and gave the boon which was like giving nectar to a serpent.

23. The Asura who was thus granted boon, was really desirous of laying his hand upon Gauri (Pārvatī, the spouse of god Śiva). And they say that with a view to testing the efficacy of that boon, he advanced to place his hand upon the head of god Śiva himself. And god Śiva was seized with terror at his own act (of granting the boon.)

24. Agitated with terrific fear and trembling, he began to run fast to the northern direction with the demon pursuing (close on his heels). He ran traversing the whole of the earth, the heaven and the end of cardinal points.

25. Lords of gods did not know how to counteract or intervene and they kept quiet. At last Lord Siva went to Śvetadvīpa the ever-refulgent region of Viṣṇu lying beyond the sphere of darkness.

26. There abides Lord Nārāyaṇa in person, the ultimate resort of those who have renounced everything for the Lord, and hence have attained serenity of mind (by getting rid of passions like love, hatred, etc.) and have refrained from all forms of violence, an abode having attained which a person never returns to Saṃsāra.

27. Perceiving the predicament of god Śiva, the Lord who destroys all afflictions, assumed the form of a small boy by his Yoga-māyā and manifested himself at a distance.

28. Shining like fire by his refulgence and adorned with his girdle of muñja grass, deer-skin, staff and a rosary of Rudrākṣa beads and with darbha grass in his hand, he paid obeisance to the demon as if in deep humility.

The Lord said:

29. O son of Śakuni, evidently your honour is much exhausted. Have you come from a long distance? Have rest for a short while (for a minute) (If proper care is taken of this body,) it fulfills all the cherished desires like the heavenly wish-yielding cow.

30. If the matter is fit for our ears, (i.e. if there be no objection in hearing of your intention) O mighty one, let me know on what you have set your mind. Generally a man desires to accomplish his purpose with the help of his chosen assistants.

Śrī Śuka said:

31. When he was thus accosted in such nectar-showering words, the demon felt refreshed and confided to him (Viṣṇu) all that he had done before.

The glorious Lord (disguised as a Brahmacārin) remarked:

32. If this be the case, we do not believe in his (Śiva’s) words; for he has been reduced to the State of a goblin (Piśāca) by the curse of Dakṣa, and is now the king of Pretas and Piśācas (evil spirits).

33. If you regard Śiva as the preceptor of the world and still have faith in him, O king of Dānavas, you may easily test the truth of his words this very moment, O dear Asura, by placing your palm on your head.

34. If the words of Śiva are found to be false, you straightway kill that liar so that he may not live to utter a falsehood again.”

35. In this way his mind was changed by the wonderful and extremely soft, winning words of the Lord. And the wicked-minded fellow in utter forgetfulness placed his palm on his own head.

36. That very moment the Asura fell down with his head split up as if he was struck down with vajra (thunder-bolt). And there were applauding shouts like “Victory” “Salutations” and “Well-done” in the heavens.

37. When the wicked demon Vṛkāsura was killed, gods, sages, manes (ancestors) and Gandharvas let down showers of flowers and god Śiva was rescued from a dangerous situation.

38-39. To god Śiva who was thus saved, spoke the glorious Lord Viṣṇu: God Mahādeva! This sinful fellow has been killed by his own sins. O Iśa (Controller of the world)! What creature who has committed sin (or offence) against the great can possibly be safe and happy? What need be said when the offence is committed against the controller of the universe and the father of the world like you?

40. Whoever hears or relates this account of Liberation of god Śiva (from mortal danger) by Lord Viṣṇu, the Supreme Soul, who is the veritable sea of incomprehensible powers, becomes emancipated from Saṃsāra (the cycle of births and deaths) and becomes free from the danger of enemies as well.