The Padma Purana

by N.A. Deshpande | 1951 | 1,261,945 words | ISBN-10: 8120838297 | ISBN-13: 9788120838291

This page describes the end of jalandhara which is chapter 104 of the English translation of the Padma Purana, one of the largest Mahapuranas, detailling ancient Indian society, traditions, geography, as well as religious pilgrimages (yatra) to sacred places (tirthas). This is the one hundred fourth chapter of the Uttara-Khanda (Concluding Section) of the Padma Purana, which contains six books total consisting of at least 50,000 Sanskrit metrical verses.

Disclaimer: These are translations of Sanskrit texts and are not necessarily approved by everyone associated with the traditions connected to these texts. Consult the source and original scripture in case of doubt.

Chapter 104 - The End of Jalandhara

[Sanskrit text for this chapter is available]

Nārada said:

1-15a. Then Jalandhara seeing Śiva having wonderful valour, fashioned (an) illusory (form of) Pārvatī to delude Śiva. At that time Śiva saw her mounted upon the chariot, weeping, and being killed by Śumbha, Niśumbha and other demons. Seeing Pārvatī like that, Śiva too, with his mind dejected, remained silent with his face hung down and forgetting his valour. Then Jalandhara speedily pierced Śiva in his head, chest and belly with arrows plunging up to their feathered ends. Then being instructed by Viṣṇu, he realised the illusion. He became one having a fierce form, very fierce due to a series of flames. Seeing his extremely fierce form, the demons could not stand before him and took to the ten directions. Then the god gave a curse to Śumbha and Niśumbha: “After having gone away from the battle with me, you will be killed by Pārvatī.” Again Jalandhara speedily showered (Śiva) with sharp arrows, so that a great surface of the earth was covered with darkness due to the arrows. While Rudra quickly cut off his arrows, the mighty one quickly struck the bull (Nandin) with an iron bar. Due to that stroke, the bull turned away from the battlefield. Though dragged by Śiva, he did not remain on the battlefield. Then Śiva having a fierce form, and very angry, speedily discharged the Sudarśana disc, bright like the sun. Reaching Jalandhara speedily, it burnt heaven and earth. It took (i.e. cut) off his head with big, long eyes from his body. Resounding the earth his body fell from the chariot; and from his body a lustre came out and merged into Śiva’s body. Seeing the lustre coming out from his body and merging into (the body of) Śiva, gods like Indra with their eyes blooming with joy, saluted Śiva with their heads (bent down) and told him about Viṣṇu’s act.

The gods said:

15b-16. O Śiva, you have protected the gods from fear of the enemy. Something else has come up. What should we do there? Deluded by Vṛndā’s beauty, Viṣṇu is stupefied.

The lord said:

17. O gods, to remove Viṣṇu’s delusion resort to the fascinating Māyā, fit to be resorted to. She will do your work.

Nārada said:

18. Saying so, the god along with the imps and attendants vanished; and gods praised the Mūlā Prakṛti (literally, the original source) to whom the devotees were dear.

The gods said:

19-21. We bow to that pure (cause called) Prakṛti, from which the constituents, sattva (goodness), rajas (activity) and tamas (darkness or ignorance) have come up, which is the primary cause of creation, maintenance and destruction (of the world), by whose desire all this existence and non-existence is spread. O lady with benumbing missiles, the twenty-three divisions (principles), that formerly remained in the entire world, are the forms and acts of that (i.e. of you). We bow to her. We bow to that nature of Viṣṇu, which always loves the devotees, and men devoted to whom never meet with poverty, delusion, defeat etc.

Nārada said:

22-29. To him, who, with a concentrated mind, recites this hymn thrice a day, poverty, delusion, difficulties never touch (i.e. come). Those gods who were praising like this, saw in the sky, (Māyā) abiding in an orb of lustre and pervading the atmosphere with a series of flames. They all saw Bhāratī moving in the sky from its midst: “I alone, divided in three ways, remain with the three constituents. (My three forms are) Gaurī, Lakṣmī and Svarā (respectively endowed) with sattva, rajas and tamas. Go there, O gods; they will do your work.”

Nārada said:

O king, when the gods with their eyes blooming with joy due to amazement, were hearing like this, the lustre disappeared. Then all the gods prompted by those words went and, greatly devoted, saluted Gaurī, Lakṣmī and Svarā. O king, then they, loving their devotees, saw the gods bowing down (to them), gave them seeds and said (these) words:

The goddesses said:

Sow these seeds in that place where Viṣṇu remains. Then your undertaking will succeed.

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