History of Dharmashastra (Ancient and Mediaeval Religious and Civil Law in India) v5.c74.t2.235

v5.c74.t2.235

Chap. 109 deals with the questions how Ādi-Gadādhara abided in manifest and unmanifest forms, how his *gadā* (mace) was produced and how the tīrtha called Gadālola became a destroyer of all sins. There was a powerful Asura called Gada, who, when Brahmā requested, gave up his bones to Brahmā. Viśvakarmā, at the desire of Brahmā, fashioned a wonderful mace out of the bones. In the times of Svāyambhuva Manu an Asura named Heti, son of Brahmā, performed severe austerities for thousands of divine years. He secured from Brahmā and other gods the boon that he could not be killed by gods, *daityas*, men or with such weapons as the discus of Kṛṣṇa and others. Heti conquered the gods and became Indra. The gods went to Hari and requested him to kill Heti. He asked for a powerful weapon and the gods gave him the mace manufactured from the bones of Gada and Viṣṇu killed Heti with the Gadā. This story about demon Heti is mentioned in Agni 114 26-27 and Nāradīya (uttara) 47. 9-11. Hari is called Ādi-Gadādhara because he was the first to wield that mace and stood on the silā on the head of Gayāsura, supported by the Gadā, in order to make (the head of Gayāsura) stable. He shows himself in the form of hills viz. the Muṇḍapṛṣṭha hill, the Prabhāsa and other hills. These and Akṣayavaṭa, Phalgu and other rivers are the non-manifest forms of Ādigadādhara. The Viṣṇupada, Rudrapada, Brahmapada and other padas are the non-manifest and manifest forms of Gadādhara.¹⁴⁹³ The image of Gadādhara is purely a mani-