Chapter 81 - The Birth of Bhauma and His Worship

[Sanskrit text for this chapter is available]

Vaiśampāyana said:

1. I desire to hear correctly about the birth of Lohitāṅga (i.e. Mars), joy (due to it) among the people, his power, grandeur and lustre.

Vyāsa said:

2-4. Kujāta (lit. born of the Earth i.e. Mars) is a deity born from the portion of Hara and is the Earth’s son. He is good and is endowed with vitality, is brave and powerful on the earth. The divine planet is sharp, cruel, of a reddish body and powerful. He is young, handsome, and he, the lord, is of the nature of a stroke of lightning. He has baked (i.e. tormented) the demons, the eaters of corpses and the enemies of gods and men, plants, beasts and birds according to his position (at their birth).

Vaiśampāyana said:

5-6. How was he born from Śiva? How was he born as the son of the Earth? How is this divine planet (so) cruel? I desire to know this. How can he always be propitiated in all the worlds? O preceptor, tell me, who have faith in you; (I want to hear it) from (your) mouth. There is no doubt about it.

Vyāsa said:

7. In the family of Hiraṇyākṣa, was born an intelligent demon, the destroyer of the gods, Andhaka by name and the king of the demons.

8. Due to Viṣṇu’s boon only he became as valorous as Viṣṇu (himself). He himself vanquished one by one, all gods, enjoyers of sacrifices, like Indra and others.

9-10a. Then gods, having gone to Brahmā, said these words: “He has snatched away our kingdom, happiness and sacrifices. So please tell us the means of killing him; (please) do it.”

10b-14a. Then Brahmā said (these words to the gods): “There is no means of his death, due to (his having obtained) a boon from Viṣṇu and due to his having drunk nectar. But I shall fashion Śraddhā (i.e. faith) accompanied by Kāma (i.e. desire) so that his status as a demon would be disgraced. Also Vicikitsā (i.e. Error) will surpass all women. His mind is not fixed except on Pārvatī (Goddess) Durgā. Then the lord of the world (i.e. Śiva), being angry, would deform him. Then giving up his demon-hood, he will be his attendant.”

14b-15a. Saying so, the lord of the beings sent to him Śraddhā with Kāma, Vicikitsā (i.e. Error), Māyā (his magical power).

15b-16. Then, moving foolishly due to passion and intent upon finding a woman, he, due to (being influenced by) Error, did not notice (the difference between) his wife and other women. Then instigated by Māyā, he wandered in the three worlds.

17-18a. On the surface of the Himālaya, he saw an extremely beautiful gem of a woman (viz. Pārvatī). Seeing Pārvatī, the demon went under the influence of passion. Due to the loss of his understanding, he then desired to seize Durgā (i.e. Pārvatī).

18b-20a. Umā (i.e. Pārvatī) had taken the form of Koṭavi^[1] (i.e. her naked form), and remained near the lord. He, the best demon, interested in seizing her being stupid due to passion and with his mind disturbed, did not give up (pursuing) Pārvatī, the mother.

20b-21. Then as a result of (her) meditation, her husband came there and met Pārvatī. Seeing him the lord of the demons went to his own abode. He made his soldiers ready and was eager to conquer Śiva.

22-23. He, the insensible one, (was), due to infatuation brought about by passion (eager) to take Pārvatī. Hearing this the gods, urged by Nandin, went to him, fought a fierce fight, fearful to the world. The preceptor of the demons brought back to life, the demons that died in the war.

24-26. All communicated this news (to Śiva) on Kailāsa. Then angrily Śiva said (these) words to Nandin: “O hero, at my behest, quickly go the abode of the demons, and in the assembly of the demon-king, and seizing forcibly that wicked Śukra^[2] (the preceptor of the demons) with his hair, even when all the demons are watching, bring him, overcome with fear, to me in a moment”.

27. Then that glorious lordly Nandin, urged by the lord of Pārvatī, seized that Śukra with his hair (and brought him) with force from the presence of the demons.

28. The demons struck him (i.e. Nandin) who was bringing Śukra, with weapons and arrows. They were not able to hurt the mighty Nandin.

29. Nandin, seizing him with his hair, and being glad, came with him in front of Śiva in the presence of gods.

30. Śiva, the lord, of a formidable form, and resembling death, angrily seized the preceptor of the demons, and swallowed him.

31. Then the angry and mighty lord of demons, surrounded by his entire army, ran there to Śiva with fierce weapons etc.

32. The angry gods and the Vidyādharas went (there) with great rage to fight with the demons.

33. In the meanwhile a terrible and fierce battle took place between the gods and demons which caused fear to all the worlds.

34. In the great war, the gods struck the demons with trusted weapons. The demons (also) struck the gods.

35. Desiring to conquer one another, they pierced (one another) with golden arrows resembling the thunderbolt and having jewels attached to their feathered parts.

36a. Their bodies and the sky shone very much with (those) lovely (arrows).

36b-37a. The best gods, the brave sons of Kaśyapa, struck with their stocks of unfailing missiles the demons and knocked them down.

37b-38a. In a moment all the gods destroyed with trusted weapons the great army of the demons that had pervaded the world and that was well covered over with power and weapons.

38b-39. The demon though raised for a long time, on (i.e. by) his trident, with great effort by Śiva himself did not perish. Then that Andhaka, of an humble mind, was made (by Śiva) his attendant named Bhṛṅgiriṭi, O brāhmaṇa.

40. Then speaking to the gods, Śiva vomitted Śukra. The foetus fell down on the ground, so he was known as Bhauma.

41. Śukra, having spoken to Śiva, gladly went to the demons. Thus Bhauma (i.e. Mars) is born as a portion of Śiva and from the Earth (also).

42. His worship should be done by those of pious vows on the fourth day (falling) on Tuesday, when his position at birth is not favourable, when he passes from one to another zodiacal sign, or has entered an undesirable zodiacial sign.

43-44a. Bhauma, with his figure drawn in a triangle or a circle, and being worshipped with red flowers and anointments, gives knowledge and wealth, sons, happiness and glory. What again do you want to hear?

Vyāsa said:

44b-46a. O disciples, I have told this religious account (of the vow) bringing about auspicious (fruits), hearing which a man is neither reborn nor does he die. It gives merit to the brāhmaṇas and should be practised by those who desire auspicious things. After being blessed go happily by my command.

Brahmā said:

46b-48. O son, having thus narrated, revered Vyāsa, the son of Satyavatī, giving his verdict about piety, left. O child, knowing the truth devoutly enjoy as you like by gladly singing (the glory of) Hari and advising people about right conduct and pleasing the lord of the worlds.

Pulastya said:

49. O king, Nārada, who was thus told, went to see the best sage Nārāyaṇa (i.e. Viṣṇu) in the hermitage of Badarikā.

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

Koṭavī—An epithet of the goddess Durgā represented as naked.

[2]:

Bhārgava—Name of Śukra, regent of planet Venus and preceptor of the Asuras.