Matsya Purana 178: adhyāyaḥ 178

178.1

kālaneminā saha viṣṇuyuddham
matsya uvāca.
pañca tannābhyavartanta viparītena karmmaṇā.
vedo dharmmaḥ kṣamā satyaṃ śrīśca nārāyaṇāśrayā .. 178.1 ..

Matsya said:—The Vedas, Dharma Forbearance, Truth and Lakṣmî, these five things were not attained by Kâlanemi on account of his ignoble deeds, contrary to the laws of dharma, other things came under his possession In not being able to attain these five things he became angry, and wanted to enthrone himself in place of Viṣnu and appeared before Him. He saw the Lord riding on His Garuda and holding conch, quoit, club, lotus, wearing white apparel and brandishing His club to destroy the demons His garment appeared like lightning He himself appeared like rain clouds His carrier was Garuda, Kaśyapa’s son having crest and golden wings Seeing Him thus appearing in the battlefield with a calm composure, ready to destory the demons, that demon angrily said—1-5

178.2

sa teṣāmanupasthānāt sakrodho dānaveśvaraḥ.
vaiṣṇavaṃ padamanvicchan yayau nārāyaṇāntikam .. 178.2 ..

178.3

sa dadarśa suparṇasthaṃ śaṅkha cakragadādharam.
dānavānāṃ vināśāya bhrāmayantaṃ gadāṃ śubhām.. 178.3 ..

178.4

sajalāmbhoda sadṛśaṃ vidyutsadṛśa vāsasam.
svārūḍhaṃ svarṇapakṣāḍhyaṃ śikhinaṃ kāśyapaṃ khagam .. 178.4 ..

178.5

dṛṣṭvā daityavināśāya raṇe svasthamavasthitam.
dānavo viṣṇumakṣobhyaṃ babhāṣe lubdha mānasaḥ .. 178.5 ..

178.6

ayaṃ sa ripurasmākaṃ pūrveṣāṃ prāṇanāśanaḥ.
arṇavāvāsinaścaiva madhorvai kaiṭabhasya ca .. 178.6 ..

“He is my enemy He is the Destroyer of my elders, He lived in the oceans, destroyed the demons Madhu and Kaiṭabha It can be said that as long as He lives, the war between us will not end There will be a most fearful fight between Him and me He has killed many demons in this battle He is very cruel He has not shown His clemency even to the children and the women of the demons killed He is shameless He is Viṣṇu He is the heaven of the Devas He sleeps on the Śeṣa serpent. He is the Prime Soul He is the Lord of Brahmâ and the Devas and our Tormentor Hiraṇyakaśyapu was the victim of His fury The Devas under His guardianship enjoy the sacrificial oblations and the offerings of clarified butter poured into the fire by the Ṛiṣis He is the Destroyer of all the enemies of the Devas Our race is annihilated by His quoit For the benefit of the Devas He has no regard for His own life and throws His quoit shining like the Sun in midst of the demons He is Bhagavân Keśava—the Destroyer of the demons He is Bhagavân Viṣṇu—our Destiny He has now come to fight Now this Viṣṇu subdued by me will make His salutations to me In this battle I shall kill Viṣṇu—the terror of the demons—and will then kill all the rest of the Devas Thus I will free myself from the debt of my ancestors This Viṣṇu in all forms causes anguish to the demons I have heard that this very same Viṣṇu bears enmity to the demons even after he gèts other births, and he has killed the demons Madhu and Kaiṭabha, when a lotus sprouted from His navel, and when there was only one vast expanse of water all over the universe I have also heard of His having torn Hiraṇyakaśyapu my father in the form of Narasiṁha (half man and half lion) He had measured the three realms by His three strides; when Aditi held Him auspiciously in Her womb Now the Târakâmaya war has commenced and He will be destroyed by fighting with me” Having uttered such words, he got ready to encounter Viṣṇu—6 22

178.7

ayaṃ sa vigraho'smākamaśāmyaḥ kila kathyate.
anena saṃyugeṣvadya dānavā bahavo hatāḥ .. 178.7 ..

178.8

ayaṃ sa nirghṛṇo loke strī bāla nirapatrapaḥ.
yena dānavanārīṇāṃ sīmantoddharaṇaṃ kṛtam .. 178.8 ..

178.9

ayaṃ saviṣṇurdevānāṃ vaikuṇṭhaśca divaikasām.
ananto bhogināmapsu svapannādyaḥ svayambhuvaḥ .. 178.9 ..

178.10

ayaṃ sa nātho devānāmasmākaṃ vyathitātmanām.
asya krodhaṃ samāsādya hiraṇyakaśipurhataḥ .. 178.10 ..

178.11

asya cchāyāmupāśritya devā makhamukhe śritāḥ.
ājyaṃ maharṣibhirdattamaśnuvanti tridhā hutam .. 178.11 ..

178.12

ayaṃ sa nidhane hetuḥ sarveṣāmamaradviṣām.
yasya cakre praviṣṭāni kulānyasmākamāhave .. 178.12 ..

178.13

ayaṃ sa kila yuddheṣu surārthe tyaktajīvitaḥ.
savitustejasā tulyaṃ cakraṃ kṣipati śatruṣu .. 178.13 ..

178.14

ayaṃ sa kālo daityānāṃ kālabhūtaḥ samāsthitaḥ.
atikrāntasya kālasya phalaṃ prāpsyati keśavaḥ .. 178.14 ..

178.15

diṣṭyedānīṃ samakṣaṃ me viṣṇureṣa samāgataḥ.
adya madbāhu niṣpiṣṭo māmeva praṇamiṣyati .. 178.15 ..

178.16

yāsyāmyapacitiṃ diṣṭyā pūrveṣāmadya saṃyuge.
imaṃ nārāyaṇaṃ hatvā dānavānāṃ bhayāvaham .. 178.16 ..

178.17

kṣiprameva haniṣyāmi raṇe'maragaṇāṃstataḥ.
jātyantaragato hyeṣa bādhate dānavān mṛdhe .. 178.17 ..

178.18

eṣo'nantaḥ purā bhūtvā padmanābha iti śrutaḥ.
jaghānaikārṇave ghore tāvubhau madhukaiṭabhau.. 178.18 ..

178.19

dvidhābhūtaṃ vapuḥ kṛtvā siṃhasyārddhaṃ narasya ca.
pitaraṃ me jaghānaiko hiraṇyakaśipuṃ purā .. 178.19 ..

178.20

śubhaṃ garbhamadhattainamaditirdevatāraṇiḥ.
trīn lokānujjahāraiko kramamāṇastribhiḥ kramaiḥ .. 178.20 ..

178.21

bhūyasttvidānīṃ saṃgrāme saṃprāpte tārakāmaye.
mayā saha samāgamya sa devo vinaśiṣyati .. 178.21 ..

178.22

evamuktvā bahuvidhaṃ kṣipannārāyaṇaṃ raṇe.
vāgbhirapratirūpābhiryuddhamevābhyarocayat .. 178.22 ..

178.23

kṣipyamāṇo surendreṇa na cukopa gadādharaḥ.
kṣamā balena mahatā sasmitaṃ cedamabravīt .. 178.23 ..

Lord Viṣṇu, inspite of such harsh words, kept Himself quite calm, and only said with a smile—“Demon! you are somewhat conceited and that is why you are addressing Me so impatiently The strength of conceit is no strength indeed, whereas the strength of angerlessness is more stable and really strong Filled with conceit, in My opinion, you are void of valour Fie to your words. Verily, women pose at a place where there are no men Demon! I see you are ready to follow the footsteps of your ancestors I shall do unto you as I have done with your compeers gone by, for who can remain in comfort after breaking the bridge of dharma made by Lord Brahmâ? O, one eager to destroy the Devas! I shall kill you without doubt, and shall instal the Devas in their places”—23-27

178.24

alpaṃ darpabalaṃ daitya! sthiramakrodhajaṃ balam.
hatastvaṃ darpajairdoṣairhitvā yad bhāṣase kṣamam .. 178.24 ..

178.25

adhīrastvaṃ mama mato dhigetattava vāgbalam.
na yatra puruṣāḥ santi tatra garjanti yoṣitaḥ .. 178.25 ..

178.26

ahaṃ tvāṃ daitya! paśyāmi pūrveṣāṃ mārgagāminam.
prajāpatikṛtaṃ setuṃ bhitvā kaḥ svastimān vrajet .. 178.26 ..

178.27

adya tvāṃ nāśayiṣyāmi devavyāpāraghātakam.
sveṣu sveṣu ca sthāneṣu sthāpayiṣyāmi devatāḥ .. 178.27 ..

178.28

evaṃ bruvati vākyaṃ tu mṛdhe śrīvatsadhāriṇi.
jahāsa dānavaḥ krodhāddhastāṃ ścakre sahāyudhān .. 178.28 ..

When Viṣṇu, the holder of Śri Vatsya, spoke like that, the demon laughed with anger, and holding missiles in hundreds of his hands, began to hit the chest of the Lord Maya and other valiant demons also ran after Viṣṇu with their keen arms and Nistriṁśa weapons—28-30 Lord Viṣṇu was not moved in the least by the blows of the demons He kept Himself firm like a mountain—31

178.29

sa bāhuśatamudyamya sarvāstra-grahaṇaṃ raṇe.
krodhāddviguṇaraktākṣo viṣṇuṃ vakṣasyatāḍayat .. 178.29 ..

178.30

dānavāścāpi samare mayatārapurogamāḥ
udyatāyudha nistriṃśā viṣṇumabhyadravan raṇe .. 178.30 ..

178.31

sa tāḍyamāno'tibalairdaityaiḥ sarvodyatāyudhaiḥ.
na cacāla tato yuddhe kampamāna ivācalaḥ .. 178.31 ..

178.32

saṃsaktaśca suparṇena kālanemī mahāsuraḥ.
sarva prāṇena mahatīṃ gadāmudyamya bāhubhiḥ .. 178.32 ..

Kâlanemi taking up a ponderous club hurled it at Garuda, which indeed astonished the Lord When Garuda felt exhausted, the Lord feeling Himself also troubled, become angry, took up His Sudarśana, quoit, and exhibited His majestic glory At that time Viṣṇu began to grow with Garuda, and covered all the directions with His arms, and the Lord pervading all over the universe rose to heaven, and started His destructive campaign against the demons—32 37

178.33

ghorāṃ jvalantīṃ mumuce saṃrabdho garuḍopari.
karmmaṇā tena daityasya viṣṇurvismayamāviśat .. 178.33 ..

178.34

yadā tena suparṇasya pātitā mūrdhni sā gadā.
suparṇaṃ vyathitaṃ dṛṣṭvā kṛtañca vapurātmanaḥ .. 178.34 ..

178.35

krodha saṃraktanayano vaikuṇṭhaścakramādade.
vyavarddhata sa vegena suparṇena samaṃ vibhuḥ .. 178.35 ..

178.36

bhujāścāsya vyavarddhanta vyāpnuvanto diśo daśa.
pradiśaścaiva khaṃ gāṃ vai pūrayāmāsa keśavaḥ .. 178.36 ..

178.37

vavṛdhe ca punarlokān krāntukāma ivaujasā.
tarjanāyāsurendrāṇāṃ varddhamānaṃ nabhastale .. 178.37 ..

178.38

ṛṣayaścaiva gandharvāstuṣṭuvurmadhusūdanam.
sarvān kirīṭena lihan sābhramambaramambaraiḥ .. 178.38 ..

The Ṛiṣis and the Gandharvas began to chant hymns to Viṣṇu, and at the same time the Lord rose so high that His coronet touched the clouds, His feet covered the earth and His stretched arms spread in all directions Then He took His mighty Sudaraśana chakra, shining like the rays of the Sun, containing a thousand edges, the destroyer of the enemies looking like a blaze of fire, its ends adorned with golden work and its middle bedecked with diamonds, having garlands on it going and assuming forms at will, terrible to all the enemies, the eater of the blood, bone and marrow of the demons made by Brahmâ Himself, conjoined with the fury and fortitude of the Maharṣis, by the throwing of which the moveable and immoveable objects become burnt up, by virtue of which the goblins and the Râkṣasasa get satisfaction (by getting blood and flesh to live upon)—38 45

178.39

padbhyamākramya vasudhāṃ diśaḥ pracchādya bāhubhiḥ.
sa sūrya karatulyābhaṃ sahasrāramarikṣayam .. 178.39 ..

178.40

dīptāgni sadṛśaṃ ghoraṃ darśanena sudarśanam.
suvarṇareṇu paryantaṃ vajranābhaṃ bhayāpaham .. 178.40 ..

178.41

medo'sthi majjā rudhiraiḥ siktandānavasambhavaiḥ.
advitīya praharaṇaṃ kṣuraparyanta maṇḍalam .. 178.41 ..

178.42

sragdāmamālāvitataṃ kāmagaṃ kāmarūpiṇam.
svayaṃ svayambhuvā sṛṣṭaṃ bhayadaṃ sarvavidviṣām .. 178.42 ..

178.43

maharṣi roṣairāviṣṭaṃ nityamāhavadarpitam.
kṣepaṇādyasya muhyanti lokāḥ sasthāṇujaṅgamāḥ .. 178.43 ..

178.44

kravyādāni ca bhūtāni tṛptiṃ yānti mahāmṛdhe.
tadapratimakarmograṃ samānaṃ sūryavarcasā .. 178.44 ..

178.45

cakramudyamya samare krodhadhīpto gadādharaḥ.
samuṣṇan dānavaṃ tejaḥ samare svena tejasā .. 178.45 ..

178.46

ciccheda bāhū cakreṇa śrīdharaḥ kālaneminaḥ.
tacca vaktraśataṃ ghoraṃ sāgni pūrṇāṭṭahāsi vai .. 178.46 ..

Raising such a Sudarśana chakra, unmatched in accomplishing its objects and looking violent like the burning rays of the Sun Viṣṇu took away all the Dânava’s energy and cut down the arms and the hundreds of the heads of Kâlanemi looking like fires But the demon still remained unmoved, and his headless form like the trunk of a tree stood up in the field when Garuda threw him down on the ground by the force of his wings, and by his breast His body fell down with great violence and he expired instantly Then the Devas rallying together cried out “Bravo! Bravo!” and adored Viṣṇu Then all the demons took to flight, but they were all resisted by the stretching arms of Viṣṇu who caught hold of their hair and necks He powdered the faces of many and broke the waists of several A good many were cut down by the quoit and the club blows of the Lord Several died falling from the heavens When all the demons were thus destroyed, the Lord stayed there after doing the work of Indra On the termination of the Târakâmaya war, Brahmâ along with the Ṛiṣis, the Gandharvas and the nymphs went there—46-56

178.47

tasya daityasya cakreṇa pramamātha balāddhariḥ.
sacchinnabāhurviśirā na prākampata dānavaḥ .. 178.47 ..

178.48

kabandho'vasthitaḥ saṃkhye viśākha iva pādapaḥ.
samvitatyamahāpakṣau vāyoḥ kṛtvā samañjasam .. 178.48 ..

178.49

urasā pātayāmāsa garuḍaḥ kālaneminam.
sa tasya deho vimukho vibāhuśca paribhraman .. 178.49 ..

178.50

nipapāta divantyaktvā kṣobhayan dharaṇītalam.
tasminnipatite daitye devāḥ sarṣigaṇāstadā .. 178.50 ..

178.51

sādhu sādhviti vaikuṇṭhaṃ sametāḥ pratyapūjayan.
apasarpantu daityaśca yuddhe dṛṣṭaparākramāḥ .. 178.51 ..

178.52

te sarve bāhubhirvyāptā na śekuścalituṃ raṇe.
kāṃścit keśeṣu jagrāha kāṃścit kaṇṭheṣvapīḍayan .. 178.52 ..

178.53

cakarṣa kasyacidvaktraṃ madhye'gṛhṇaddayāparam.
te gadā cakranirdagdhā gatasatvā gatāsavaḥ .. 178.53 ..

178.54

gaganād bhraṣṭasarvāṅgā nipeturdharaṇītale.
teṣu daityeṣu sarveṣu hateṣu puruṣottamaḥ .. 178.54 ..

178.55

tasthau śakrapriyaṃ kṛtvā kṛtakarmā gadādharaḥ.
tasmin vimarde nirvṛtte saṃgrāme tārakāmaye .. 178.55 ..

178.56

taṃ deśamājagāmāśu brahmā lokapitāmahaḥ.
sarvairbrahmarṣibhiḥ sārddhaṃ gandharvāpsarasāṅgaṇaiḥ .. 178.56 ..

178.57

devadevo hariṃ devaṃ pūjayan vākyamabravīt.
kṛtaṃ deva mahatkarma surāṇāṃ śalyamuddhṛtam .. 178.57 ..

After adoring Viṣṇu, He said “Devadeva! You have done a great work You have removed the source of pain to the Devas You have gratified us all by killing these demons The demon Kâlanemi destroyed by You could not have been killed by anyone else He was a source of utmost sufferings to the Devas and the three realms He caused a great pain to the Ṛiṣis and was bent on doing me harm as well You have, therefore, done me a personal favour by killing Kâlanemi May You be blessed Pray move on to the north where the Brahmarṣis will behold You Deva! what boon can I confer on you for you Yourself are the giver of boons to all You have destroyed the thorn of the three realms Now hand over the fullest kingdom of the three realms to Indra”—57 63 Visṇu thus praised by Brahmâ, said to Indra and the other Devas:—"Devas! Hear with attention what I say. In this warfare I have killed a demon more valiant than Indra, but two have escaped from this great war. They are Virochana and Râhu, consequently, Indra and Varuṇa should guard the eastern and western quarters respectively. Dharmarâja and Kuvera should keep guard on south and north respectively. The Moon along with His satellites should return to His realm. O Sun! enjoy Yourself with Your northern and southern Ayanas and seasons throughout the year. The daily oblations of clarified butter, &c., poured into the sacrificial fire may now be resumed.

178.58

vadhenānena daityānāṃ vayaṃ ca paritoṣitāḥ.
yo'yaṃ tvayā hato viṣṇo! kālanemī mahāsuraḥ .. 178.58 ..

178.59

tvameko'sya mṛdhe hantā nānyaḥ kaścana vidyate.
eṣa devān paribhavan lokāṃśca sasurāsurān .. 178.59 ..

178.60

ṛṣīṇāṃ kadanaṃ kṛtvā māmapi pratigarjati.
tadanena tavāgyreṇa parituṣṭo'smi karmaṇā .. 178.60 ..

178.61

yadayaṃ kālakalpastu kālanemī nipātitaḥ.
tadā gacchasva bhadrante gacchāma divamuttamam .. 178.61 ..

178.62

brahmarṣayastvāṃ tatrasthāḥ pratīkṣante sadogatāḥ.
kañcāhaṃ tava dāsyāmi varaṃ varavatāmvara! .. 178.62 ..

178.63

sureṣvatha ca daityeṣu varāṇāṃ varado bhavān.
niryātayaitattrailokyaṃ sphītaṃ nihatakaṇṭakam .. 178.63 ..

178.64

asminneva mṛdhe viṣṇo!śakrāya sumahātmane.
evamukto bhagavatā brahmaṇā hariravyayaḥ .. 178.64 ..

178.65

devāṃśchakramukhān sarvānuvāca śubhayā girā.
viṣṇuruvāca.
śrṛṇvantu tridaśāḥ sarve yāvanto'tra samāgatāḥ .. 178.65 ..

178.66

śravaṇāvahitaiḥ śrotraiḥ puraskṛtya purandaram.
asmin mahati saṃgrāme daiteyau dvau viniḥsṛtau.. 178.66 ..

178.67

virocanaśca daityendraḥ svarbhānuśca mahāgrahaḥ.
svāṃ diśaṃ bhajatāṃ śakro diśaṃ varuṇa eva ca .. 178.67 ..

178.68

yāmyāṃ yamaḥ pālayitāmuttarāñca dhanādhipaḥ.
svāṃ diśaṃ bhajatāṃ śakro diśaṃ varuṇa eva ca .. 178.68 ..

178.69

yāmyāṃ yamaḥ pālayitāmuttarāñca dhanādhipaḥ.
ṛkṣeḥ saha yathāyogaṃ gacchatāṃ caiva candramāḥ .. 178.69 ..

178.70

abdaṃ ṛtumukhe sūryo bhajatāmayanaiḥ saha.
ājyabhāgāḥ pravartantāṃ sadasyairabhipūjitāḥ .. 178.70 ..

178.71

hūyantāmagnayo viprairvedadṛṣṭena karmaṇā.
devāścāpyagnihomena svādhyāyena maharṣayaḥ .. 178.71 ..

"O Brâhmaṇas! Resume Agnihotras and other sacrifices according to the Vedic injunctions, and oblations be offered in Fire. The Devas may be gratified by sacrifices, the Pitris by the performance of Śrâddhas, and the Maharṣis by the recitation of the Vedas. The wind may freely roam in His realm and blow from there. The three fires may now gratify the three realms and the three varṇas. The sacrifices may be resumed through the Brâhmaṇas, and the Yâjnikas may accept their sacrificial fees. The Sun may nourish the earth, the Moon may foster the Rasas, and the Wind may refresh all. Let all in this way resume Their allotted functions. Let the mother rivers rising from the mountains Mahendra, Malaya, etc., flow to the oceans O Devas! cast aside your fears of the demons, be calm, may you be prosperous I am going to Sanâtana-Brahmaloka. Do not ever be afraid of the demons either in your realms or in battlefield. The demons are mean and whenever possible will attack the Devas They have no fixed abodes You should remain careful in your abodes, in the Heavens and in battlefiled. You are simple and good. Gentleness and frankness are your wealth."—64-79.

178.72

śrāddhena pitaraścaiva tṛpti yāntu yathāsukham.
vāyuścaratu mārgasthastridhā dīpyatu pāvakaḥ .. 178.72 ..

178.73

trīṃstu varṇāṃśca lokāṃstrīṃstarpayaṃścātmajairguṇaiḥ.
kratavaḥ sampravartantāṃ dīkṣaṇīyairdvijātibhiḥ .. 178.73 ..

178.74

dakṣiṇāścopapādyantāṃ yājñikebhyaḥ pṛthak pṛthak .
gāntu sūryo rasān somo vāyuḥ prāṇāṃśca prāṇiṣu .. 178.74 ..

178.75

tarpayantaḥ pravartantāṃ sarva eva svakarmabhiḥ.
yathāvadānupūrvyeṇa mahendramalayodbhavāḥ .. 178.75 ..

178.76

trailokyamātaraḥ sarvāḥ samudraṃ yāntu sindhavaḥ.
daityebhyastyajyatāṃ bhīśca śāṃnti vrajata devatāḥ .. 178.76 ..

178.77

svasti vo'stu gamiṣyāmi brahmalokaṃ sanātanam.
svagṛhe svargaloke vā saṃgrāme vā viśeṣataḥ .. 178.77 ..

178.78

viśrambho vo na mantavyo nityaṃ kṣudrā hi dānavāḥ.
chidreṣu praharantyete na teṣāṃ saṃsthitirdhruvā .. 178.78 ..

178.79

saumyānāmṛjubhāvānāṃ bhavatāmārjabandhanam.
evamuktvā suragaṇān viṣṇusatya parākramaḥ .. 178.79 ..

178.80

jagāma brahmaṇā sārddhaṃ svalokantu mahāyaśāḥ.
etadāścaryamabhavat saṃgrāme tārakāmaye.
dānavānāñca viṣṇośca yanmāntvaṃ paripṛṣṭavān .. 178.80 ..

Lord Viṣṇu after thus speaking to the Devas retired to His realm in company of Brahmâ. Such was the wonder of the Târakâmaya war that waged between the Devas and the demons and I have related all that to You.—80.