A History of Assam c26.s1.8

c26.s1.8

¹ Naraka is said to have been slain by Krishna, who is an incarnation of Vishnu or Hari. The latter was Naraka’s father: hence the father slew his son. The poet represents this as a sort of voluntary sacrifice on the part of Naraka, who, feeling himself too old for his accustomed warlike exploits, purposely, *i.e.*, out of consideration for his father, lived in a careless fashion, in order to afford his father an opportunity of slaying him, so that his father (Vishnu) might have the reputation of having slain the much-feared demon Naraka. The poet, however, cannot refrain from adding a word of disapproval of Vishnu’s conduct setting aside the claims of kinship for the sake of earning a reputation.