Chapter 4 - Description of the Lord’s Incarnations by Drumila

[Sanskrit text for this chapter is available]

King Nimi said:

1. Be pleased to describe to us those various deeds performed by Lord Hari in his various incarnations which he has taken at his own sweet will, in the past, present and future.

Drumila replied:

2. He is a person of childish (immature) understanding who seeks to count the innumerable excellences and attributes of the Infinite Lord. It may be possible for him in the course of a long period of time and with extreme difficulty, to count the particles of dust on the earth, but never the excellences of Almighty Lord—the resort of all powers.

3. When, with the five elements evolved out of himself, Nārāyaṇa, the First Prime Deity, created this universe known as Virāj, like his own body, and entered it with a ray or part of his own (as Inner Controller) he came to acquire the epithet Puruṣa (the Indweller in the body).

4. The assemblage and arrangement of three worlds rest on the support of the Lord’s personality^[1]. Both the cognitive and conative sense-organs of all embodied beings function due to his sense-organs only. He is by himself knowledge or consciousness. It is through his birth, that creatures derive their physical strength, the energy and strength of their senses and activity. Through Sattva and other attributes (viz. Rajas and Tamas), he became the Prime Agent of creation, subsistence and destruction of the Universe.

5. At the beginning of creation (of the Universe) this Prime Deity, in association with the attribute rajas appeared as Brahmā for the creation of universe; (associated with the attribute Sattva), he become Viṣṇu, the dispenser of the fruit of sacrifice and the protector of the twice-born castes (Brāhmaṇa, Kṣattriya and Vaiśya) and the religious order; associated with his attribute tamas, he became Rudra for the destruction of the universe. In this way, he from whom the creation, protection of the universe ever continues through the instrumentality of Brahmā, Viṣṇu and Rudra, is the First and Foremost Deity.

6. As Nārāyaṇa and Nara, the foremost of the sages and of perfectly serene mind, he was born of Dharma and his spouse Mūrti, the daughter of Dakṣa. He expounded to sages (like Nārada) the path of action leading to the realization of the Soul (who is characterised by actionlessness). He practised (an ideal type of) penance and his feet are still served (and worshipped) by prominent sages.

7. Suspecting with the apprehension that this sage (Nārāyaṇa-Nara) covets to take possession of his position (as the king of heaven), Indra deputed Kāmadeva, the god of love, along with, his troupe. Being ignorant of his (Nārāyaṇa’s) spiritual greatness, Kāmadeva went with his paraphernalia—a bevy of celestial damsels, the vernal season and the gentle wind (from the sandal-forests of Malaya) to his hermitage at Badarī, and hit him with shafts in the forms of side-glances of heavenly damsels.

Knowing perfectly well that the indiscretion has been committed by Indra, he laughed loudly without even slightly feeling the touch of pride (at his own moral strength). He assured the trembling visitors, “O (mighty) god of Love, O (South) wind, O heavenly damsels, do not be afraid. Please accept our hospitality (If no hospitality is offered, the hermitage would be as good as void). May our hermitage be non-void (i. e. worthy of its existence).”

9. When the sage Nārāyaṇa who removed their fear addressed them thus, the gods who bent their head low with shame, submitted to him, “O all-pervading Lord who are transcendental to the Māyā, this unpurturbedness in you is not surprising. You are the Supreme Self subject to no modifications, and your lotus-feet are respected with obeisance by hosts of sages who revel in the bliss of self-realization.

10. (It is not surprising that we should behave according to our nature and create obstacles in your penance), A number of obstacles are created by gods in the path of your servants (devotees) who want to transcend the abode of gods (the heaven), and attain directly to your highest region. No impediments obstruct the path of others who offer in sacrifices the respective shares of gods as oblations. But as you are the protector of your devotees, your votary sets his foot on the heads of obstacles (and trampling them down ascends to Vaikuṇṭha).

11. (When your non-devotees perform penance they fall a victim to us—the erotic passion or the passion called Anger). Those who cross the immeasurable oceans in the form of tempters like us overcome hunger, thirst, (extremes of climate in) three seasons (viz. the summer, rains and the winter), winds and curb the palate and the sexual urge, succumb to futile anger and thereby waste their austerities in uttering imprecations). They are like ocean-crossers who get themselves drowned in the cavity caused by a cow’s hoof.”

12. While they were praising him thus, the Almighty Lord, (in order to humble down the pride of beauty of celestial nymphs and others) created by Yogic Power and showed them women of marvellous beauty, all well adorned with costly ornaments and raiments, waiting upon, himself.

13. When those attendants of gods (viz. Kāma, the spring season, heavenly ladies) saw women beautiful like goddess Śrī, (their pride for their own beauty was humbled down and) their own complexion became faded at the excellence of the superior beauty of those women and they were enraptured with fragrance of their bodies.

14. The god of the Lord of gods (Nārāyaṇa) laughingly told them who were bowing to him with humility, “Choose any one of these women who is suitable, as an ornament of the celestial world.”

15. Saying “so be it”, the servants of gods complied with his Command. They selected Ūrvaśī, the most beautiful among heavenly damsels and repaired to the celestial regions following her.

16. They paid their respects to Indra in the assembly of gods and while all gods were eagerly listening, described to him the superior spiritual power of Nārāyaṇa at which Indra was astonished and became afraid (at his indiscretion in offending Nārāyaṇa).

17. It is for the good of the world that Lord Viṣṇu incarnated with a ray (part) of his own, in the form of a swan (to expound Jñāna yoga to god Brahmā when questioned by his sons), as Datta (the son of Atri) as the ever celibate Sanat- Kumāra, as our father Ṛṣabha. Taking the form of Hayagrīva (a horse-necked God), he killed the demon Madhu and recovered the Vedas from him.

18. In his incarnation as a Fish, at the time of deluge (at the end of Kalpa), he protected Manu, the earth and the sages and (seeds of all) plants and herbs. In his descent as a divine Boar, he killed demon Hiraṇyākṣa, the son of Diti, while he was lifting up the earth from the bottom of the sea. Assuming the form of divine Tortoise, he supported the mount (Mandara) on his back at the time of churning the ocean for nectar. Descending as Hari, he rescued from the jaws of a crocodile the afflicted king of elephants who appealed to him for succuor.

19. He rescued the sages (called Vālakhilyas) who were thumb-sized and who, while they went to fetch samidhs for sage Kaśyapa, fell into a hollow created by cow’s hoofs who were drowning as if in a sea (and were therefore, ridiculed by Indra) and were praying him (for life). He absolved Indra also who was involved in the darkness (of the sin of slaying a Brāhmaṇa) due to his killing of Vṛtra (who was a Brāhmaṇa). He set free the heavenly ladies who lay helplessly imprisoned in the houses of Asuras. For ensuring freedom from fear for the righteous people, he incarnated as a Man-lion and killed Hiraṇyakaśipu, the King of Asuras.

20. In every Manvantara, during the wars between gods and Asuras, he incarnated with his rays for the sake of gods and killing the leaders of Asuras, he protected the three worlds. Appearing as the divine Dwarf (Vāmana), he, unḍer the pretext of requesting for alms took away this earth from Bali and gave it back to gods, the sons of Aditi.

21. Incarnating as Paraśurāma, the conflagration born in the Bhṛgu clan for destroying the forest in the form of Haihaya family, he extirpated the Kṣattriyas from the surface of the earth twenty-one times. As Rāma, the consort of Sītā, he constructed a bridge across the sea (to Laṅkā) and killed the ten-headed Ṛāvaṇa destroying his fort of Laṅkā. Victorious is^[2] Rāma whose glory destroys the Sins of the world.

22. For the removal of the burden of earth, the eternal, birthless Lord will take birth in the race of Yadus, and will accomplish feats which would be very difficult even for gods to perform. Then he would incarnate as Buddha and would delude by his disputations and dialectics those who, though ineligible, will try to perform sacrifices. And ultimately at the end of Kali Age, he will descend as Kalki and exterminate the Śūdra rulers.

23. O mighty-armed Janaka (Nimi)! Innumerable are such incarnations and deeds of the Lord of the universe of immense glory (a few of which have been recounted to you.

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

Or. The three worlds constitute a part of and exist within his person—Bhāvāratha Dīpikā

[2]:

Bhāvāratha Dīpikā states that this verb in the present tense (Jayatī) indicates that this dialogue took place while Rāma was alive. The use of the future tense with reference to Kṛṣṇa and others supports this view.