Bhagavatapurana 4.5: atha pañcamo'dhyāyaḥ

4.5.1

/0 maitreya uvāca
bhavo bhavānyā nidhanaṃ prajāpater asat-kṛtāyā avagamya nāradāt /
sva-pārṣada-sainyaṃ ca tad-adhvararbhubhir vidrāvitaṃ krodham apāram ādadhe //

Maitreya said:
Bhava, learning from Nārada of the death of Bhavānī, who had been dishonored by the Prajāpati,
and that his army of attendants had been routed by the Ṛbhus of that sacrifice, gave way to boundless anger.

1. Maitreya said:—On hearing from Nārada of Pārvati's death on account of Daksha the Prajapati's neglect of her and of the routing of the host of his followers by the Ribhus in that sacrifice, Śiva was filled with anger which knew no bounds.

4.5.2

kruddhaḥ sudaṣṭauṣṭha-puṭaḥ sa dhūr-jaṭir jaṭāṃ taḍid-vahni-saṭogra-rociṣam /
utkṛtya rudraḥ sahasotthito hasan gambhīra-nādo visasarja tāṃ bhuvi //

Furious, with his lips tightly bitten, he, Dhūrjaṭi, tearing out a matted lock of hair
that blazed fiercely like lightning and fire, Rudra suddenly rose up, laughing with a deep roar, and dashed it upon the earth.

2. Filled with rage, biting his lips Dhūrjati (Siva) looked terrible and rose in impatience pulling out his matted locks which were of dazzling and terrific splendour like the streaks of lightning and flames of fire; and with a laugh and deep roar he dashed his jaṭā (matted locks) on the ground.

4.5.3

tato 'tikāyas tanuvā spṛśan divaṃ sahasra-bāhur ghana-ruk tri-sūrya-dṛk /
karāla-daṃṣṭro jvalad-agni-mūrdhajaḥ kapāla-mālī vividhodyatāyudhaḥ //

Then [arose] a colossal figure touching the sky with his body, with a thousand arms, shining like a dark cloud, with three eyes like suns,
with frightful fangs, hair like blazing fire, wearing a garland of skulls, and with various weapons raised.

3. Out of it arose Virabhadra (of enormous dimensions) who by his stature touched the skies, who was endowed with a thousand arms, who looked like the dark clouds, had three eyes (shining) like three suns, and prominent tusks, who wore locks of hair which looked like flames of fire and a garland of skulls and who was armed with various weapons for ready use.

4.5.4

taṃ kiṃ karomīti gṛṇantam āha baddhāñjaliṃ bhagavān bhūta-nāthaḥ /
dakṣaṃ sa-yajñaṃ jahi mad-bhaṭānāṃ tvam agraṇī rudra bhaṭāṃśako me //

To him, who stood with folded hands asking, 'What shall I do?', the Lord, the master of spirits, said:
'Slay Dakṣa along with his sacrifice! You are the leader of my soldiers, O Rudra, an expansion of my warrior force.'

4. Virabhadra praying with joined palms to know what he should do, the worshipful Lord of the Bhutas says (said) : "Destroy Daksha and his sacrifice; thou art the leader of my attendants, O soldier of Rudra, thou art my portion."

4.5.5

ājñapta evaṃ kupitena manyunā sa deva-devaṃ paricakrame vibhum /
mene-tadātmānam asaṅga-raṃhasā mahīyasāṃ tāta sahaḥ sahiṣṇum //

Commanded thus by the wrathful [Śiva], who was anger itself, he circumambulated the all-pervading god of gods; / he considered himself capable of bearing, with irresistible speed, the strength of the greatest beings, dear one.

5. Thus commanded by the wrathful Siva, he went round his Lord, the God of gods, and by virtue of the irresistible force (he felt within himself) he thought himself capable of braving the strength of the great (the stronger), O son (Vidura.)

4.5.6

anvīyamānaḥ sa tu rudra-pārṣadair bhṛśaṃ nadadbhir vyanadat subhairavam /
udyamya śūlaṃ jagad-antakāntakaṃ samprādravad ghoṣaṇa-bhūṣaṇāṅghriḥ //

Followed by the attendants of Rudra, who were roaring loudly, he roared most terribly; / raising a trident capable of ending the ender of the world, he ran forward, his feet adorned with ringing bells.

6. Then followed by the roaring attendants of Rudra, he made a terrible roar raising the Śūla which would put an end even to Yama who kills all, and ran in great impatience with his feet adorned with jingling ornaments.

4.5.7

athartvijo yajamānaḥ sadasyāḥ kakubhy udīcyāṃ prasamīkṣya reṇum /
tamaḥ kim etat kuta etad rajo 'bhūd iti dvijā dvija-patnyaś ca dadhyuḥ //

Then, observing dust in the northern direction, the sacrificial priests, the patron of the sacrifice, the assembly members, / the brahmins, and the brahmins’ wives thought: “What is this darkness? Whence has this dust arisen?”

7. Then (Now) the priests, the sacrificer and those who formed the assembly observed the dust in the northern direction; the Brāhmins and their wives began to think thus: "What darkness is this? or whence is this cloud of dust?

4.5.8

vātā na vānti na hi santi dasyavaḥ prācīna-barhir jīvati hogra-daṇḍaḥ /
gāvo na kālyanta idaṃ kuto rajo loko 'dhunā kiṃ pralayāya kalpate //

“Winds do not blow, nor are there robbers, for Prācīnabarhis of stern punishment is still alive; / cows are not being herded. Whence is this dust? Can the world now be fit for dissolution?”

8. Winds do not blow; there are certainly no thieves; the King Prāchīnabarhis of terrible command is still alive; cows are not driven in such haste; whence is this dust? Does the world now prepare itself for a Pralaya or deluge?"

4.5.9

prasūti-miśrāḥ striya udvigna-cittā ūcur vipāko vṛjinasyaiva tasya /
yat paśyantīnāṃ duhitṝṇāṃ prajeśaḥ sutāṃ satīm avadadhyāv anāgām //

The women, along with Prasūti, their minds agitated, said: “This is indeed the ripening of that evil deed, / when the lord of creatures, while his daughters were watching, showed contempt toward his sinless daughter, Satī.

9. The women of whom Prasūti, the wife of Daksha, was the chief remarked with a perplexed heart, "This is the fruit of his (Daksha's) fault in that he put the innocent Satī to disgrace before the eyes of his other daughters."

4.5.10

yas tv anta-kāle vyupta-jaṭā-kalāpaḥ sva-śūla-sūcy-arpita-dig-gajendraḥ /
vitatya nṛtyaty uditāstra-dor-dhvajān uccāṭṭa-hāsa-stanayitnu-bhinna-dik //

He who, at the time of cosmic dissolution, his matted locks scattered, impales the great elephants of the directions on the points of his trident, / and dances with his weapons raised like banner-arms spread wide, splitting the quarters with his loud roaring laughter—

10—11. Having angered *Him* who at the time of dissolution dances with His matted locks waving wildly and with the elephants of the cardinal points hanging by the points of His Śūla and spreading out His banner-like arms furnished with weapons (lifted for use) riving all sides with His thundering laughter;—having angered Him and filled Him with rage,—Him who is of irresistible splendour and prowess, who could not be even seen when He knits His frowning brows and who with His terrible tusks scatters the host of stars, how could there be security to this Prajāpati Daksha who has provoked His anger?

4.5.11

amarṣayitvā tam asahya-tejasaṃ manyu-plutaṃ durnirīkṣyaṃ bhru-kuṭyā /
karāla-daṃṣṭrābhir udasta-bhāgaṇaṃ syāt svasti kiṃ kopayato vidhātuḥ //

having provoked him of unbearable brilliance, who is steeped in wrath, terrible to look upon with his knitting brows, / who scatters the constellations with his frightening fangs—how could there be well-being for him who angers the creator?”

4.5.12

bahv evam udvigna-dṛśocyamāne janena dakṣasya muhur mahātmanaḥ /
utpetur utpātatamāḥ sahasraśo bhayāvahā divi bhūmau ca paryak //

While Dakṣa's people, their vision agitated, were repeatedly saying many such things, / terrible omens by the thousands, causing great fear, arose on all sides in the sky and on the earth.

12. When the people with their bewildered vision were thus wildly talking about it, there appeared frequently on earth and in the heavens and on all sides most terrible ill-omens in thousands, which filled even the great Daksha with fear.

4.5.13

tāvat sa rudrānucarair mahā-makho nānāyudhair vāmanakair udāyudhaiḥ /
piṅgaiḥ piśaṅgair makarodarānanaiḥ paryādravadbhir vidurānvarudhyata //

Just then, Vidura, the great sacrifice was surrounded by Rudra's followers who rushed around, / short of stature, with uplifted weapons of diverse kinds, tawny, reddish-brown, with bellies and mouths like aquatic monsters.

13. O Vidura, by this time the great sacrifice was invested on all sides by the attendants of Rudra who came running in vehement haste with various weapons ready to aim (at the

enemy) and who were dwarfish, bloodred and yellow in complexion and had mouths and stomachs like those of the Makara.

4.5.14

kecid babhañjuḥ prāg-vaṃśaṃ patnī-śālāṃ tathāpare /
sada āgnīdhra-śālāṃ ca tad-vihāraṃ mahānasam //

Some smashed the eastern hall, and others the hall of the patron’s wife, / the assembly pavilion, the hall of the Āgnīdhra priest, the residence, and the kitchen.

14. Some broke the Prāgvamsa (the sacrificial room with its columns turned towards the east); others broke the apartment of the sacrificer's wife; and some others the hall in the front, the apartment where the offerings are stored, the room of the sacrificer and the kitchen.

4.5.15

rurujur yajña-pātrāṇi tathaike 'gnīn anāśayan /
kuṇḍeṣv amūtrayan kecid bibhidur vedi-mekhalāḥ //

They broke the sacrificial vessels, and some extinguished the fires; / some urinated in the fire-altars, and they tore down the boundaries of the sacrificial altar.

15. Some broke the sacrificial utensils to pieces and some others extinguished the fires, some made water into the sacrificial basins, while some others demolished the zone-like constructions around the sacrificial platform.

4.5.16

abādhanta munīn anye eke patnīr atarjayan /
apare jagṛhur devān pratyāsannān palāyitān //

Others tormented the sages, and some threatened the wives; / others seized the gods who were nearby and fleeing.

16. Some struck the sages and hermits and some others threatened their wives; some seized the gods who were near and tried to run away.

4.5.17

bhṛguṃ babandha maṇimān vīrabhadraḥ prajāpatim /
caṇḍeśaḥ pūṣaṇaṃ devaṃ bhagaṃ nandīśvaro 'grahīt //

Maṇimān bound Bhṛgu, Vīrabhadra seized Prajāpati [Dakṣa], / Caṇḍeśa seized the god Pūṣan, and Nandīśvara grabbed Bhaga.

17. Maṇiman arrested Bhṛigu and Virabhadra took hold of the Prajāpati Daksha; Chaṇḍīsa seized the god Pūshana and Nandīsvara the god Bhaga.

4.5.18

sarva evartvijo dṛṣṭvā sadasyāḥ sa-divaukasaḥ /
tair ardyamānāḥ subhṛśaṃ grāvabhir naikadhādravan //

Seeing this, all the priests, the assembly members, and the heaven-dwellers, / severely battered by them with stones, fled in different directions.

18. Seeing that they were being severely pelted with stones all the priests, those of the assembly and the gods took to flight in different directions.

4.5.19

juhvataḥ sruva-hastasya śmaśrūṇi bhagavān bhavaḥ /
bhṛgor luluñce sadasi yo 'hasac chmaśru darśayan //

While Bhṛgu was offering oblations with ladle in hand, the glorious Bhava / tore out his beard in the assembly—he who had laughed, showing his beard.

19. The glorious Virabhadra cut off the beard of Bhṛigu who was pouring the offering with the Sruva in his hand and who had laughed in the assembly showing his beard.

4.5.20

bhagasya netre bhagavān pātitasya ruṣā bhuvi /
ujjahāra sada-stho 'kṣṇā yaḥ śapantam asūsucat //

Tearing him down in rage to the ground, the glorious one plucked out the eyes of Bhaga, / who, sitting in the assembly, had made an eye-gesture while [Dakṣa] was cursing.

20. In great rage the worshipful Virabhadra pulled out the eyes of Bhaga who fell on the ground and who, standing in the sacrificial hall, had made a sign to the upraiding Daksha with his eye.

4.5.21

pūṣṇo hy apātayad dantān kāliṅgasya yathā balaḥ /
śapyamāne garimaṇi yo 'hasad darśayan dataḥ //

He knocked out the teeth of Pūṣan, as Bala knocked out those of the king of Kaliṅga— / of him who had laughed, displaying his teeth, while the great one was being cursed.

21. As Bala broke the teeth of the king of Kalingas, so did he break down the teeth of the god Pūshan who had laughed showing his teeth, while the most worshipful Rudra was being reproached.

4.5.22

ākramyorasi dakṣasya śita-dhāreṇa hetinā /
chindann api tad uddhartuṃ nāśaknot tryambakas tadā //

Kneeling on Dakṣa’s chest and hacking at it with a sharp-edged weapon, / the three-eyed lord was unable even then to sever his head.

22. (Throwing him down and) seating himself on the chest of Daksha he cut (his head) with his sharp-edged weapon, but then the three-eyed god Virabhadra was unable to sever it.

4.5.23

śastrair astrānvitair evam anirbhinna-tvacaṃ haraḥ /
vismayaṃ param āpanno dadhyau paśupatiś ciram //

When his skin was not pierced in this way by weapons endowed with spells, / Hara, the lord of animals, attained supreme astonishment and pondered for a long time.

23. Thus finding that even the skin of Daksha was not cut by the weapons charmed with the Vedic mantras called Astras,

Vīrabhadra who is another form of Hara, the Lord of *Pasus* (souls), was greatly astounded and long pondered what to do.

4.5.24

dṛṣṭvā saṃjñapanaṃ yogaṃ paśūnāṃ sa patir makhe /
yajamāna-paśoḥ kasya kāyāt tenāharac chiraḥ //

Seeing the method of suffocating the sacrificial animals in the sacrifice, that master / severed the head from the body of that sacrificial animal—the patron Dakṣa.

24. Recollecting the method of slaying the sacrificial animal in a sacrifice, the Lord of souls cut by that method the head of Daksha whom he now made the animal to be sacrificed by the sacrificer, and severed it from his body.

4.5.25

sādhu-vādas tadā teṣāṃ karma tat tasya paśyatām /
bhūta-preta-piśācānāṃ anyeṣāṃ tad-viparyayaḥ //

At that time, there were shouts of praise from the spirits, ghosts, and fiends who saw that deed of his, / while the opposite arose from the others.

25. Then arose a shout of approbation "Well done! Excellent", from among the *Bhūtas*, *Pretas*, and *Piśachas* who praised that act of Vīrabhadra, while the shout to the contrary effect (censuring the act) arose from others (Brahmins and others.)

4.5.26

juhāvaitac chiras tasmin dakṣiṇāgnāv amarṣitaḥ /
tad-deva-yajanaṃ dagdhvā prātiṣṭhad guhyakālayam //

In anger, he offered that head into the southern sacrificial fire, / and having set fire to that sacrificial arena of the gods, he departed for the abode of the Guhyakas.

26. In his rage he threw Daksha's head as an offering into the same *Dakshiṇāgni* and, having burnt that sacrificial edifice, he set out for the Kailāsa, the home of the Guhyakas.