Chapter 9 - Filling up the Nāgabila

[Sanskrit text for this chapter is available]

Sūta said:

1-2. Śakra summoned the Saṃvartaka wind and said: “You know that there is a great serpent-hole in the holy spot of Hāṭakeśvara. Rush to the place at my bidding and fill it up with dust-particles whereby no one of mortal features can have access to it.

Vāyu said:

3-6. At your behest I had earlier filled up that hole when the Slayer of Puras (Śiva) cursed me for polluting the Liṅga: “Since my Liṅga has been covered with dust particles, you shall be an indiscriminate blower of all sorts of odour. Due to my words (curse) even as you are the sole wafter of the fragrance of camphor, so you will also undoubtedly be the carrier of unpleasant odour of rubbish and filth too.”

Understand this, O Lord of Suras, and spare me. Do me the favour and depute someone else for this task. I am afraid of the Slayer of Puras.

7-15. Thereafter, the Lord of Devas, pondered over the work of filling up the Serpent-hole and did not look into anything else.

Thereupon the preceptor of Devas himself said to Śatakratu: “O Lord of Devas, why are you so worried in this matter? There is the chief of all mountains well-known as Himalaya. He begot three sons. Listen to the details about them. Maināka is said to be the first and Nandivardhana is the second. Raktaśṛṅga is glorified as the third mountain.

O Śakra, afraid of you, Maināka has sunk into the ocean where he continues to be safe with his pair of wings intact.

At the bidding of Himācala as well as Sage Vasiṣṭha the hole (tunnel) around Vasiṣṭha’s hermitage has been entirely filled up by the second one glorified as Nandivardhana. At the bidding of Himālaya and Vasiṣṭha he has left the celestial ground and has gone there in a hurry.

The third one who is remembered as Raktaśṛṅga still stands by, O Thousand-eyed One. Bring him here and get the Serpent-hole filled up.

O Lord of Devas, this hole cannot be closed by filling up otherwise, except through that excellent mountain. What has been said by me is the truth.”

Sūta said:

16-17. On hearing the words of Bṛhaspati, the one venerated by the celestial beings, the Lord of Devas (Indra) rushed to the place where Himalaya was present. He approached Himālaya, the excellent one among mountains, resorted to by Siddhas and Cāraṇas and said:

Indra said:

18-21. There is a great Serpent-hole in the holy spot of Hāṭakeśvara. Even those men who are engaged in committing sins will go through the hole and adore Lord Hāṭakeśvara in Pātāla, O excellent one among mountains. Thereby they will be in a position to compete with me. Hence, O Himālaya, do despatch this son of yours named Raktaśṛṅga by whom it may be possible to fill up the Serpent-hole.

O Mountain, I am a guest come to your abode. Render the hospitality due to me by this gift of your own son; you will thus gain supramundane glory.

22-24. “Yes, it will be so”, said he after worshipping the Lord of Devas.

Thereafter, Himālaya spoke to his son Raktaśṛṅga: “Dear son, the Thousand-eyed One (Indra) has come to me for getting your service. Hence hasten to the place where the Nāgabila is situated. At my bidding fill it up and completely fulfil the desire of Śakra. Be happy along with him as well as with other excellent Suras.”

Raktaśṛṅga said:

25-29. I will not go there at any cost. It is the land of mortals where rugged thorny trees bereft of fruits are in plenty. Neither Siddhas nor Gandharvas, neither Devas nor Kinnaras live there. No charming Tīrthas and no rivers with crystal-clear waters can be found there. Further, the men there are devoid of decency and decorum; they are prone to commit sinful deeds. All of them are evil-minded. Even the brutes are no better. Also, O excellent one among Mountains, my wings have been clipped off by Śakra himself. That has deprived me of the ability to go there even with great difficulty. So let the Thousand-eyed One exclude me from this matter and think about some other means. What has been uttered by me is the truth.

Śakra said:

30-34. I had wounded you. So I shall myself carry you there holding you up by the hand. There too excellent trees shall grow on you. So also there will be meritorious Tīrthas and shrines of deities. All round you there shall be the hermitages of sages. At my instance your power and prestige, if you stay there, will be a crore times more than what you possess slaying here. Further the men though sinful, shall become free from sins by seeing you. Therefore, O son of the Mountain, hasten there in my company. Otherwise (This is no vain threat), I shall smash you into a thousand pieces with a blow of my thunderbolt.

Sūta said:

35-37. On hearing these words of his, Raktaśṛṅga became frightened. He hastened there and entered the Serpent Hole filling it up. O excellent Brāhmaṇas, he got sunk down therein up to the tip of his very nose with all his fascinating tall peaks entirely overspread with trees, creepers and twining vines, whereon charming birds perched.

After establishing thus that mountain, the son of Himācala, Śakra joyously said to him, “May a boon be received from me.”

Raktaśṛṅga said:

38. O Sureśvara, this alone is a great boon to me that you are pleased with me. What shall I do with a boon? I am happy, thanks for your favour.

Indra said:

39. O son of the Mountain, seeing me even in a dream shall not go in vain. What then when you have actually seen me and particularly when you have accomplished my task?

Raktaśṛṅga said:

40. O Lord of all the Suras, if of necessity, a boon has to be granted, let all my rich products always be for the use of Brāhmaṇas, O Lord.

Indra said:

41-46. There shall be a king known as Camatkāra. On you he will establish a city for the sake of Brāhmaṇas. There these tigers among Brāhmaṇas, masters of the Vedas and Vedāṅgas, shall enjoy your rich products fully.

O son of the Mountain, on the fourteenth lunar day in the dark half of the month of Cakra, I shall personally come here along with all the groups of Devas, Kinnaras and Guhyakas. On the most important peak of yours I shall worship the Lord of Devas named Hāṭakeśvara.

On that one day, Hara too, very pleased with you, shall stay on you along with us. Thereby your power and prestige in all the three worlds shall be great. Welfare unto you. I shall now go to the heavenly abode.

Sūta said:

47-48. After saying thus, the Thousand-eyed Lord went back to heaven. Raktaśṛṅga pervaded the entire Serpent-hole and stayed behind. Very important Tīrthas and shrines came to flourish on it along with hermitages of sages.