Chapter 57 - Varuṇa visits Bhārgava

Jaimini continued:

1. “Thereafter, Śuṣka, Sumitra, and other sages of praiseworthy holy vows and rites, went towards the mountain Mahendra with a desire to see Bhārgava Rāma.

2. Passing through very many countries, forests, rivers etc., those leading sages gradually reached the excellent mountain.

3-5. After climbing it slowly, they reached his well-renowned hermitage and its precincts. All the cruel beasts of prey therein had become quiescent. The splendid penance grove the middle, was very fascinating on account of groves of trees laden with the fruits and flowers of all seasons. The shade was lovingly cool and pleasing. It was one without anything to be compared with. The wind was very fragrant and pleasant. It was echoing with the sounds of the chanting of the Vedic Mantras. With their faces very much delighted, they entered the hermitage with the elderly ones at the head, in the order of seniority in age.

6. Those ascetics saw Rāma who was comfortably seated on a Brahmāsana (mat made of the Darbha-grass) with a soft deerskin placed over it. He was very calm and was surrounded by his disciples.

7. He appeared like a person engaged in penance for the extenuation of the defect (sin) of burning the three worlds deliberately at the outset, like the Kālāgni (fire at end of a Kalpa).

8. After approaching the excellent scion of the family of Bhṛgu who was engaged in the great vow of sagehood, those sages who were by nature humble in their conduct, saluted him with their heads bowing down, due to devotion.

9. On seeing those sages come, the leading member of the family of Bhṛgu, respectfully worshipped them very well, with the materials of worship such as Argha, Pādya etc.

10. When the hospitable reception was over and the sages who had come from other countries were seated comfortably, Rāma the bravest among the members of the family of Bhṛgu, spoke to them these words smilingly.

11. “Welcome unto you all, O highly exalted ones of great fortune, you have come here. Tell me without hesitation what should be done by us.”

12. After bowing down to Rāma, those sages said thus:—“O excellent sage, understand that we are the sages who had our homes in Gokarṇa.

13. That great holy place along with the sacred ponds etc. was caused to fall into the waters of the ocean by the sons of Sagara who were digging up Earth for some other reason.

14. Undoubtedly, we desire and expect from you to regain that holy spot that sanctifies everyone, after causing the waters of the ocean to recede.

15. It is well known that you were born in the family of Bhṛgu, with the potentiality of a part of Viṣṇu. Therefore, there is nothing in the three worlds which cannot be carried out by you.

16. We have heard that you alone are the person capable of presenting this desired object in the whole world. It was to request you for this, O Rāma, that we have all come here.

17. It behoves you, O leading Brāhmaṇa, to grant that excellent holy spot now, after causing the waters of the ocean to recede, by your own prowess”.

Rāma said:

18. “All these things are completely known to me, O ascetics. The task that you all have set could also be carried out by me. No doubt need be entertained about this.

19. But this task desired and expected by you is excessively terrible in the world. Even by me, it can be carried out only by taking up arms and not otherwise.

20. I have granted the boon of freedom from fear to everyone. I have laid down my weapons. I am quiescent now. According to an earlier behest of my father, I have taken up the vow to perform penance.

21-22. Formerly, I had taken this vow in the midst of good men—“I will never take up arms”. After that, I have come here to perform a penance.

Since the object of your desire can be achieved only by taking up arms, my mind is in a dilemma. It is vacillating like a moving swing.”

Śuṣka said:

23. “The taking up of arms for the protection of the good does not make any one go astray from truthfulness (to his vows) as mentioned by Brahmā formerly.

24. Hence, for the sake of our welfare, weapons should be taken up by you. Thereby a great righteous action shall be carried out by you.”

Jaimini said:

25-26. On being earnestly requested by the sages thus, the intelligent scion of the family of Bhṛgu acceded to it, for the sake of Dharma only in his view. Along with them, the excellent sage proceeded towards the South-Western direction, O king, with a desire to see the lord of rivers (Varuṇa).

27. The leading scion of the family of Bhṛgu, the noble-minded sage Rāma descended from Sahya, the excellent mountain and reached the western shore of the lord of rivers.

28-30. Everywhere round him the highly fortunate sage saw the ocean that was agitated by the wind; that was a mine of all precious gems; that was being filled with water continuously; the majesty, depth and vastness of which could never be understood, like that of the minds of great men; that was very difficult to be crossed by everyone; that contained different kinds of crocodiles; that could never be assailed in the world like Dhātṛ (the creator and dispenser of destiny).

31-34. That was like the soul in pervading everything; that had slighted everything and become haughty; that was a support to all living beings; that was the king of rivers; that had a chain of hundreds of extremely unsteady and lofty billows, that was rendered splendid and beautiful by the mass of foams of hundreds of waves which split and dispersed, due to their having dashed into the cavities within heaps of rocks at the sides, and that had a deep rumbling sound. He saw the ocean along with the groups of sages. It was as though he was served by the cool sparkling sprays from the waves. For a short while, O leading king, the powerful sage took rest on the shores of the lord of rivers. He was desirous of meeting Pracetas (Varuṇa).

35. Then Rāma got up and stood facing the south. He spoke these words to Varuṇa in deep resonant tone like the sound of rumbling cloud.

36. “I have come here along with the groups of sages with a desire to see you. Hence, take up your own form O Pracetas, and grant me your vision.”

37. Even after hearing these words Varuṇa, the lord of aquatic beings, O king, did not move from his place. He became bolder.

38. Although he was repeatedly called by Rāma, the king of waters did not grant his vision nor did he give any reply.

39. His (Rāma’s) intransgressable request was disregarded by Varuṇa. He treated it with indifference because he knew that Rāma was very much a suppliant.

40. Thinking that his request had been disregarded by Varuṇa, Rāma, the most excellent one among the wielders of weapons, looked at him angrily.

41. Being much infuriated, he assumed a form similar to that of agitated ocean and wished to make the ocean devoid of waters by resorting to his own inherent power.

42-44. Then he sat near his bow ‘Vijaya’ and sipped the water ceremoniously. Rāma bowed down mentally to Śarva and took up the great bow. With eyes turned red due to anger,

he drew the bow. Stroking the excellent bow along with its string, the excellent member of the family of Bhṛgu made a twanging sound with the string, even as all the living beings were watching. The loud report of the bow string was heard touching the vaults of heaven with great harshness.

45-47. The entire Earth consisting of seven continents and oceans shook thereby.

Then with great force, Rāma fixed to the bow an arrow with golden feather heads, an excellent arrow comparable to the Kālānala (fire at the end of the world). He joined to it a very terrible missile, belonging to Bhṛgu and having the fire-god for its deity. The bravest among the descendants of Bhṛgu joined a missile for the charging of which and to discharge which he chanted the requisite Mantra. Thereupon, the Earth including the mountains, forests and parks quaked and trembled.

48-50. Devas, Asuras and the great serpents became extremely agitated. On seeing the excellent scion of the family of Bhṛgu who had joined the missile (to the bow) and whose eyes were extremely red due to anger, the mobile and the immobile beings became bewildered and perplexed in their minds. The quarters became covered up with layers and layers of clouds along with the burning of quarters. Rough gusts of winds blew, making loud reports and spreading dust particles. The sun’s rays became dim and its disc became red.

51-53. There was a heavy down-pour of bloody-coloured rain water along with thunderbolt and the fall of meteors. Everyone became bewildered saying “What is this?”

Rāma pulled out a great arrow that was terribly emitting smokes and fumes, and on which the divine missile was charged.

As Rāma was drawing the bow with an arrow at the tip of which there were shooting flames, the sages saw him resembling the final fire at the close of Kalpa.

54. His terrifying body seen standing within the circle made by the bow the string of which was drawn upto his ears, became unapproachable to all.

55. His terrible form as he drew the bow was like the halo-encircled disc of the sun, rising at the close of Kalpa.

56. As he shook with anger, his body, which was terrible with its flames like the fire at the end of Kalpa, appeared like the circular face of Viṣṇu’s discus,

Rāma attained the excessively terrific form of Viṣṇu in the guise of Man-lion, when he was surrounded (as it were) by the brilliant flame of the fire of anger.

57-58. As he drew the bow, Rāma’s body with the face with the eye-brows knitted, became like that of Śiva desirous of burning the Tripuras formerly.

On seeing him with blazing body, all the sages began to eulogise him suddenly due to fright saying—“O Rāma, be pleased: be victorious.”

59-60. The entire harem of the ocean-god became (as if) engulfed as it was hidden under the layers of smoke emerging from the fire of the missile.

Struck by the heat of blazing fire of the missile, the waters of the ocean became stirred up and the tide began to flow.

61-62. The living beings in the deep waters such as big whales, small whales, alligators, crocodiles, fishes, snakes and tortoises became extremely distressed.

When the waves were tossed up as the various living beings jumped up, fell down and lay exhausted in it, the ocean became suddenly and extremely agitated.

63-64. Along with the water that flowed, the living beings moving about within the waters made a great up-roar due to fright. They were distressed and rendered exhausted due to the high tide.

Then flames and sparks emerged from that arrow terrifying to everyone with their hissing sound. This was observed that they spread in all directions.

65-67. Violent gusts of wind whirled all round. Since it was full of flames of fire, it appeared like a red canopy.

As the waters of the ocean agitated by the fire of the missile increased in quantity like those of the ocean at the time of deluge, the waves moved towards the shore.

The ocean appeared to deafen the quarters through the excessive rumbling sound of the waters hit and stirred up by the fire of missile.

68-69. The mountain Sahya was rendered obscure and darkish by the waters encircled by the flames of fire of the missile all round, as they resorted to the mountain suddenly.

On seeing Rāma with the bowstring drawn as far as his ears, the ocean became very sad and gloomy like a sinner at the sight of Yama, the god of Death.

70a. With all his limbs quaking with fear the lord of rivers gave up his natural courage and became a coward.

70b-73a. He assumed his real form. He was bedecked in his ornaments. Varuṇa waded through his own waters. Pracetas (i.e. Varuṇa) appeared near Bhārgava with palms of his hands joined in reverence. He came hurriedly near Bhārgava as though he was extremely afraid of the swift arrow.

73b-75. Having fallen at the lotus-like feet (of Rāma) who had drawn the bow, the extremely frightened (Varuṇa) spoke with words faltering due to excitement.

“Protect me, O bravest among the members of the family of Bhṛgu, protect me with sympathy. I have sought refuge in you. Forgive this offence of mine, O Rāma, committed by me in ignorance. I stand by biding your directive. Command me—What shall I do?”

Bhairava ghāṭi below Gangotri in Garhwal (U.P.) at the junction of Bhāgīrathī and Jāhnavī.