Puranic Encyclopaedia: A Comprehensive Dictionary with Special Reference to the Epic and Puranic Literature c4.1178

c4.1178

2) Reason for the incarnations. Mahāviṣṇu has taken so many incarnations in the world. In the Śrī Mahādevī Bhāgavata a story occurs to the effect that Mahāviṣṇu was forced to take so large a number of incarnations due to the curse of the great hermit Bhṛgu. The story is as follows: Kaśyapa had a son named Kaśipu. He was daring and brave and ruled the country as an enemy of the Gods. There arose a severe battle between the gods and the Asuras. Kaśipu was killed in that battle. After Kaśipu his son Prahlāda became King. He too was an enemy of the Gods. So there was a battle between Indra and Prahlāda. The battle continued for a hundred years. At last Prahlāda was defeated. He felt very sorry at the defeat. So he anointed Bali, son of Virocana, as King and leaving the Kingdom he went to the Gandhamādana and began to do penance. The fight continued between Bali and Indra. In this fight Mahāviṣṇu helped Indra. The Asuras were completely destroyed. The defeated Asuras went to their teacher Śukra who promised to protect them by spells and incantations and herbs. The Gods knew that Śukra had undertaken to protect the asuras. Leaving the asuras behind, Śukra went to Kailāsa to get more power of spells and incantations from Śiva. Before going to Kailāsa Śukra had asked the Asuras to wait for him with faith. After this the Asuras sent Prahlāda to the Gods for a truce. Prahlāda, though an Asura was in good favour with the Gods. He reached the court of Indra and said, “Gods, we have no desire at all for war. We have decided to spend the remaining period in penance wearing barks of trees and tufts of hair. How wicked a deed is battle and how delightful it is to become a devotee of God! So hereafter you will not be troubled by us. Likewise I hope you will not do us innocent people any harm.”