Chapter 41 - The narrative of Bhārgava Paraśurāma (e)

Vasiṣṭha continued:—

1. On seeing the terrible killing of their father, the hundred sons of Kārttavīrya hurriedly resisted the excessively terrible Bhārgava severally, by means of their respective armies.

2. Extremely infuriated at the death of their father all those sons who had an Akṣauhiṇī each and who were extremely ferocious in battle, offered a tumultuous fight.

3. On seeing his heroic sons who were proficient in battle, Rāma took up his axe and fought with them in battle.

4. Within a short period of only two Muhūrtas^[1], Rāma hurriedly slew that army consisting of a hundred Akṣauhiṇīs^[2].

5. On seeing their armies sportingly annihilated with his axe by Rāma, all of them of highly esteemed valour, fought with Rāma.

6. Striking with different kinds of divine weapons, those sons of great valour and prowess encircled the noble-souled Bhārgava.

7.^[3] The powerful holy lord Rāma, stationed in the middle of their circle, shone like the navel of a wheel.

8. While the hundred princes were encircling him, Rāma (facing each of them) shone as if dancing in the battle like Lord Kṛṣṇa in the midst of Gopīs (cow-herd girls of Vṛndāvana at the time of Rāsa dance), and they appeared glorious like the Gopīs adance around Kṛṣṇa.

9. Then the Devas with Brahmā as their leader came there seated in their respective aerial chariots. They showered Rāma of no unabated vigour, with garlands of flowers from the Nandana garden in the heaven.

10. The sound produced by the clash of weapons mingled with Huṃkāras (sounds of Huṃ) reached the firmament like that of the triple symphony. The wounds caused by the arrows appeared like those caused by nails and teeth.

11. Those who had been wounded and injured with the weapons began to scream like experts in vocal music who sang at a high pitch. The Devas with eyes expressive of great wonder surveyed the battle zone of the kings that proceeded like this.

12. Desirous of killing the sons of the king in. battle by means of different kinds of excellent missiles, Rāma, the powerful lord wielding his bow, separated the stronger ones from the group and formed a new line.

13. He killed those heroic warriors one by one. Out of the hundred, five fled losing all courage viz. Śūra, Vṛṣāsya, Vṛṣasena, Śūrasena and Jayadhvaja.

14. With their minds filled with great fright and desirous of protecting their lives, those princes went into the forests at the foot of the Himalayas severally (Each entering a separate forest). None of those afflicted and unhappy ones was seen afterwards.

15. After slaying the other kings also who had gathered there to assist king Kārttavīrya, Rāma, accompanied by Akṛtavraṇa joyously came to the river Narmadā and took his bath.

16. After taking bath, performing his daily rites and worshipping the bull-emblemed lord, O lord of the Earth, he set off in order to visit Lord Śiva, the resident of the Kailāsa mountain.

17. He wanted also to meet Umā, the consort of his preceptor and Skanda and Vināyaka their sons. This noble-souled sage accompanied by Akṛtavraṇa went on with the speed of the mind.

18. After completing his task, he rejoiced much. Reaching the Kailāsa mountain instantly, he saw the great city named Alakā.

19. It was rendered beautiful by the mansions and palaces studded with different kinds of previous gems and jewels. It appeared splendid, due to the Yakṣas who had assumed various forms and who had ornaments of different and wonderful types.

20. It was full of groves, parks and gardens abounding in many types of trees. It was rendered beautiful by very large lakes and tanks.

21-24. It was externally surrounded by the Alakanandā, also called Sītā (a branch of the Gaṅgā).

There the elephants, even when they are not thirsty, joyously drink waters turned lawny in colour, due to the saffron mixed into it when the celestial damsels bathe in it.

Here and there musical notes are heard, produced jointly for ever by the Gandharvas and the Apsaras.

On seeing the city, O’ king, Bhārgava rejoiced excessively.

He went to the peak above it where there was the great abode of Śiva. Thereafter, O leading king, he saw a great Banyan tree with cool shade.

25. Beneath it, there was an excellent abode that was connected with the Siddhas and that was worthy of residence. There he saw a rampart wall extending to a hundred Yojanas.

26-30. It was studded with different kinds of precious stones and jewels. It was beautiful with four gateways. It was filled with Gaṇas. He saw Nandīśvara, Mahākāla, Raktākṣa, Vikaṭodara, Piṅgalākṣa, Viśālākṣa, Virūpākṣa, Ghaṭodara, Mandāra, Bhairava, Bāṇa, Ruru who was very terrible, Vīraka, Vīrabhadra, Caṇḍa Bhṛṅgi, Riṭi, Mukha, leading Siddhas, Nāthas, Rudras, Vidvādharas, the great serpents, the Bhūtas, Pretas, Piśācas, Kūṣmāṇḍas, Brahma-Rākṣasas Vetālas leading Dānavas, leading Yogins with matted hair, Yakṣas, Kimpuruṣas, Ḍākinīs and Yoginīs.

On seeing them he became glad and with the permission of Nandin lie entered it.

31-32. There he saw Śiva’s palace surrounded by the world. It extended to four Yojanas. At the eastern entrance he saw Kārttikeya and Vināyaka seated. The former was on the left side and the latter on the right side. On seeing them, Bhārgava bowed down to both of them whose valour and exploit were like that of Śiva.

33. The excellent Pārṣadas (attendants of Śiva) and the Kṣetrapālas were stationed there. They were adorned with bejewelled ornaments and were seated on thrones set with precious stones and jewels.

34. Vināyaka enquired of Bhārgava as he was entering Śiva’s palace and said—“O great Sir, stay for a while.

35-37a. Mahādeva is sleeping now in the company of Umā. I shall go in, take the permission of the lord and come back within a moment. Then I shall enter along with you, dear brother. Stand here now.”

On hearing these words of Vināyaka, the delighter of the family of Bhṛgu began to speak to Gaṇeśa in a hurry.

Rāma said:—

37b-40. Dear brother, I shall go into the harem, bow down to Pārvatī and Śaṅkara, the sovereigns of the Universe, and shall immediately return to my own abode.

Kārttavīrya, as well as Sucandra along with their sons, relatives and the armies, thousands of other kings of the Kāmbojas, Palhavas, Śakas, Kānyakubjas, lords of Kosalas and others who were extremely powerful and who were experts in the use of Māyā (power of illusion)—all these had been killed by me, due to the favour of Śambhu. Hence, I shall bow down to him and go back to my own house”.

41. After saying this, Bhārgava stood there in front of “Gaṇapati. The lord of Gaṇas then spoke these sweet words to Bhārgava.

Vināyaka said:

42-43. “Stop for a while, O highly fortunate one. You will certainly see the lord. Now, O brother, the lord of the Universe is in the company of Bhavānī.

He who spoils the pleasure of a man and a women seated together in the same seat, shall surely go to hell.

44 Especially this is definitely decided that a Brāhmaṇa shall never see his father, preceptor or king, enjoying privacy.

45. Whether out of carnal desire or otherwise, if a person sees another person inclined to sexual intercourse, he shall have to suffer certainly separation from his wife in the course of seven births.

46. He is a base man—he who looks at the buttocks, breasts and face of another man’s wife, his mother, sister or daughter”.

Bhārgava said:

47. O, unusual and unprecedented words have been heard from your mouth. Have they come out due to your mistake or have you uttered them jocularly?

48. The restriction from the scripture cited by you refers to lovers and passionate ones prone to aberrations. There is no fault in case of an infant or a person devoid of passionate feelings.

49. I will get into the harem brother. What have you to object to in this matter, O boy. Stand by. I shall do in accordance with what is seen and what is relevant to the occasion, there.

50. It is there that our mother and father are present as observed by you and they are the parents of all the worlds, Pārvatī and Parameśvara”.

51. After saying this, O king, Bhārgava attempted to go-in. Vināyaka got up in a hurry and restrained him.

52. There was a wordy warfare between them and then, a tug and pull at each other’s hands. On seeing this, Skanda became bewildered and wanted them to realize their mistake.

53. He seized both of them with his hands and pushed them away from each other.

Then the infuriated Bhārgava, the slayer of heroic; enemies, took up his axe and attempted to hurl it at Gaṇeśa.

54-55. The elephant-faced lord (Gaṇeśa) saw that the excellent scion of the family of Bhṛgu was about to hurl his axe against himself with great rapidity due to his anger. Therefore, he lifted Bhārgava by means of his hand quickly and took him to the different worlds viz. Bhūrloka, Bhuvarloka, Svarloka, Maharloka above it, Janaloka, Tapo-Loka and Satyaloka and then brought him to Vaikuṇṭha.

The son of Īśa (i.e. Śiva’s son) then showed the Goloka to the excellent scion of the family of Bhṛgu. Then he let him fall down to the seven nether-worlds and showed them also. He then lifted him up once again and hurled him into the midst of the waters rapidly. This made Bhārgava frightened and he became desirous of protecting his own life. Then Gaṇeśa. brought him to the same place where he was standing before.

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

Muhūrta=48 minutes.

[2]:

A division of army consisting of 21870 chariots, as many elephants, 65610 horse and 10350 foot-soldiers.

[3]:

The propriety of comparison in vv. 7 and 8 as well as in vv. 10 and 11 deserves reconsideration.