Part 6: Fight with Bali

Upendrasena, lord of the city Rājendra, gave his daughter Padmāvatī to the Viṣṇu Puṇḍarīka. Having heard that she excelled the wife of Anaṅga in beauty, Prativiṣṇu Bali came there to kidnap her. Then Ānanda and Puṇḍarīka attacked Bali puffed up with pride in his strength of arm, despising the strength of the world. Weapons, the bow, plough, et cetera, were delivered immediately to the two of them by gods like attendants at an armory. Their army was destroyed by the stronger forces of Bali and they (Bali’s forces) gave lion’s-roars announcing their master’s victory. Ānanda and Puṇḍarīka rushed in their chariots to the business of fighting, delighted. For a battle-field is a source of joy to heroes. Then Puṇḍarīka blew Pāñcajanya loudly and the enemy-army disappeared from the battle-field like a group of sea-monsters from the ocean. Śārṅgin twanged the bow, like an echo of the conch, as it were, and the miserable remnant of the enemy disappeared at its loud sound. Bali himself approached to fight, exceedingly strong, raining arrows constantly like a cloud streams of water. Viṣṇu destroyed his arrows and he destroyed Viṣṇu’s arrows. So, angry again at the destruction of his arrows, Bali took the cakra. “Villain, you do not exist!” saying, powerful Bali whirled the cakra and hurled it at Viṣṇu Puṇḍarīka. Dazed for a moment by the blow of its hub which struck with a slap, Viṣṇu recovered consciousness instantly and took the cakra himself. Saying, “Villain, you do not exist!” Janārdana whirled the cakra and cut off Bali’s head.

Then, accompanied by Ānanda, Viṣṇu made an expedition of conquest, destroying hostile kings, and became an ardhacakrin. Viṣṇu lifted a great stone, Koṭiśilā, as easily as an anklet (tulākoṭi). When he had passed the sixty-five thousand years of his life, he went to the sixth hell because of his harsh karma. Puṇḍarīka spent two hundred and fifty years as prince, the same number as king, sixty in the expedition of conquest, sixty-four thousand, four hundred and forty as ardhacakrin.

Ānanda, whose life-term was eighty-five thousand years, alone, joyless without his brother, passed the time with difficulty. He took initiation from Sumitra because of strong disgust with existence from separation from his brother. Seeking spiritual knowledge, he attained omniscience and arrived at the eternal abode, the abode of joy.