Professional Documents
Culture Documents
3 tri'teeyadashakah' - mahaakaalyavataarah'
(In this chapter the story of Madhu and Kaithaba is introduced (Chapter VI,VII,VIII,IX of
Book I of Devi Bhagwatham) . The scene is Pralaya (deluge) and Lord Vishnu is sleeping.
Two asuras called Madhu and Kaidabha are playing in the water of deluge . They had
obtained boon from Parasakthi to die whenever they wish. They decide to attack Lord
Brahma who was sitting on a lotus and ordered him to move away from there. And Brahma
starts praying Parasakthi. She came out of the sleeping Vishnu and assured Lord Brahma
that she would kill those asuras. Meanwhile Lord Vishnu wakes up and starts fighting with
the Asuras. The first chapter of Devi Mahathmyam of Markandeya Purana says that these
Asuras rose from the wax in the ears of Lord Vishnu )
Hey boon giver, those 2 asuras, controlling their mind, for a 1000
years, they chanted the vaak bheeja-mantram, and made you happy,
asked for a boon to die only when they wish.
‘Aim’ is the vakbheej mantaram . chanting this mantram the 2 asuras
did penance. After a 1000yrs devi became visible to them. And told
them to ask for a boon. They asked, “We would like to die only when
we wish to”. Devi granted them this boon. Like that they became
svachhandamrityu (death by own wish). With this boon they became
arrogant.
3. the 2 arrogant asuras who played along the waves of the ocean by
going up and down the waves, accidentally saw brahma meditating
on a lotus. With intentions of wanting to fight with him they said like
this
In the huge oceanic waves rising and falling-the asuras- by chance
saw some one sitting on a lotus and having four heads. With
arrogance they said.
पद्मासनं र्वीरर्वरोपभोग्यम्
न भीरुभोग्यं न र्वराकभोग्यम्
मुञ्चेदमद्यैर्व न यावस िेत् त्वम्
प्रदशणय स्वं युवध शौयणर्वत्त्वम् ll4ll
padmaasanam veeravaropabhogyam
na bheerubhogyam na varaakabhogyam .
munchedamadyaiva na yaasi chettvam
pradarshaya svam yudhi shauryavattvam .. 3-4..
5.Having heard this, due to fear, Lord Brahma started praying to that
vishnu of endless power, who was sleeping without moving with
great devotion to awaken that hari. but that lotus eyed God never
moved.
Hearing the asuras orders brahma got scared. He is not used to
fighting a war. Vishnu is a warrior and very brave. Brahma prayed &
called him with devotion. Vishnu continued to sleep. He did not
show any signs of waking up.
When brahma saw the 2 powerful asuras he thought which of the 4 means he
should use to conquer them. Sama(conciliation), dama(gifts), bheda(bribing)
and danda(war or punishments). It is advisable not to enter into war with them
as I do not know their strength, they are already puffed up with pride, if I
praise them I am only displaying my weakness, & when they come to know
this, only 1 is enough to kill me. It is not advisable to give them bribes also. I
cannot create misunderstandings between them too. So it is best that I awaken
Mahavishnu from his deep slumber. Thus thinking brahma took refuge in Hari
and began to chant hymns to him who was in deep meditative sleep(yoga
nidra)[ skanda 1 chapter 7 slokas 8-13 srimad devi bhagvatham].
नुवतप्रसन्नाब्जभर्वस्य तूर्णम्
वनाः सृत्ा वर्वष्ोाः सकलां गतस्तर्वम्
वदवर्व प्तिता तत्क्षर्मेर्व दे र्वो
वनद्रावर्वमुिो हरररुप्तर्त्थतोभुत् ll7ll
nutiprasannaa'bjabhavasya toornam
nih'sri'tya vishnoh' sakalaangatastvam .
divi sthitaa tatkshanameva devo
nidraavimukto harirutthito'bhoot .. 3-7..
7. Pleased with the prayer of the lotus born, you(Nidra Devi) without
any delay came out of all the body parts of Lord Vishnu, and stood
on the sky. Immediately, Lord Vishnu got rid of the sleep and woke
up.
Thus praised by brahma the nidra devi was pleased & left as a
shining light from each and every body part (eyes,mouth,nose,heart
etc) of bhagvan hari. All these lights joined together to form a
beautiful lady and stood in front of brahma. When thus left
completely by devi yoga nidra, Vishnu began to move his body and
at this brahma became very glad.
Nidra devi is devi’s tamo-guna avataram. Sleep and laziness are signs
of tamoguna. Because she came out of a sleeping body of Vishnu
she is known as a tamo-avataram. She is called as maha kali. A
beautiful devi came in the sky.
9.When Lord Vishnu was saying like this, those proud Asuras, came
there all ready to fight a war. Sri hari, without thinking about their
strength, for sake of protecting Brahma got ready for the war.
Vishnu was clear that he would kill madhu kaithabham. At that time
the asuras reached there. Brahma helplessly looked towards Vishnu.
After consoling brahma, Vishnu got ready to fight the asuras. The
fact that they had ichhamrityu due to the devis boon was unknown
to Vishnu. He did not think about it also. He had to save brahma. He
had no choice.
वबभेवम रागावदमहाररपुभ्यो
जेतुं यवतष्येहवममान् सुशिान्
तदर्त्थणशप्तिं मम दे वह वनत्म्
वनद्रालसो मा ि भर्वावन माताः ll10ll
bibhemi raagaadimahaaripubhyo
jetum yatishye'hamimaan sushaktaan .
tadarthashaktim mama dehi nityam
nidraalaso maa cha bhavaani maatah' .. 3-10
ब्रह्मोर्वाि
O Thou, holder of the disc and club! Thou always destroys the
enemies of Thy devotees; O Omniscient One! Thou art the Lord of all
the Lokas and all-powerful; no one can know what is Thy form; O
Lord of the Devas! Thou art the destroyer of all pains and sufferings!
So get up and protect me. O Protector of the Universe! nothing is
concealed from Thy eyes! Every one becomes pure by hearing and
chanting Thy name. Thou art Nirākāra (without any form); yet Thou
creates, preserves and destroys the Universe. O Cause of the world!
O Supporter of all! Thou art shining as king of kings over all and yet
Thou dost not understand that the two Dānavas, puffed up with
pride have become ready to kill me. If thou does neglect me, seeing
me very much distressed and under your protection then Thy name
as Preserver will become quite useless. Thus praised, when Viṣṇu did
not get up, Brahmā thought that "Bhagavān Viṣṇu is now surely
under the influence of sleep of the Primal Force Ādyā Śakti and is not
therefore getting up; what am I to do now, thus distressed! These
two Dānavas, elated with pride are ready to kill me; now what am I to
do and where shall I go? I don’t find any body who can protect me
any where.”
ब्रह्मोर्वाि
दे वर्व त्वमस्य जगताः वकल कारर्ं वह ज्ञातं मया सकलंर्वेदर्विोवभरम्ब ।
यवद्वष्ुरप्यप्तखललोकवर्वर्वेककताण वनद्रार्वशं ि गवमताः पुरुषोत्तमोSद्य ll 1
सां ख्या र्वदं वत पुरुषं प्रकृवतं ि यां तां िैतन्यभार्वरवहतां जगतश्च कत्रीम् ।
वकं तादृशावस कथमत्र जगवन्नर्वासश्चैतन्यतावर्वरवहतो वर्ववहतस्त्वयाद्य ll 3
नाट्यं तनोवष सगुर्ा वर्ववर्वधप्रकारं नो र्वेवत्त कोSवप तर्व कृत्वर्वधानयोगम् ।
ध्यायत यां मुवनगर्ा वनयतं वत्रकालं संध्येवत नाम पररक्त््प्य गुर्ान्भर्वावन ll 4
बुप्तद्धवहण बोधकरर्ा जगतां सदा त्वं श्रोश्चावस दे वर्व सततां सुखदा सुरार्ां l
कीवतणस्तथा मवतधृवत वकल कां वतरे र्व श्रद्धा रवतश्च सकलेषु जनेषु मातााः ll 5
यज्ञेषु दे वर्व यवद नाम न ते र्वदं वत स्वाहे वत र्वेदवर्वदु षो हर्वने कृते Sवप l
न प्राप्नुर्वंवत सततं मखभागधेयं दे र्वास्त्वमेर्व वर्वबुधेष्ववप र्वृवत्तदावस ll 9
ज्ञातं मया तर्व वर्विेष्टतमद् भुतं र्वै कृत्वाप्तखलं जगवददं रमसे स्वतंत्रा l
लीनं करोवष सकलं वकल मां तथैर्व हन्तुं त्ववमच्छवस भर्वावन वकमत्र वित्रम ll 19
उवत्तष्ठ दे वर्व कुरु रूपवमहाद् भुतं त्वं मां र्वा प्तत्वमौ जवह यथेच्छवस बाललीले l
नोिेत्प्रबोधय हररं वनहनेवदमौ यस्त्वत्साध्यमेतदप्तखलां वकल कायणजातं ll 21
meaning
I have now known that verily, verily Thou art the only Mother of all the worlds
as Thou hast brought Hari under the influence of sleep. O Devī! Now when it is
evident that all the worlds, etc., have come from Thee, then the Vedas have
also come from Thee; what doubt is there? So the Vedas, too, do not know
fully Thy nature; for the effect can never know its cause. So, it is very true that
Thou art incomprehensible of the Vedas, O Mother! When I, Hari, Hara and the
other Devas and my son Nārada and other Munis have not able to realise Thy
nature fully, then who else can be so intelligent in this world that will realise all
Thy nature? So Thy glory is beyond the speech of all beings. O Devī! If, in the
place of sacrifice, the ritualists, the knowers of the Vedas, do not utter Thy
name Svāhā, then the Devas, participators of the offerings in Yajña, do not get
their share, however hundreds of oblations be offered; so Thou art also the
giver of sustenance allowances to the Devas. O Bhagavatī! In previous Kalpas,
Thou hadst saved me terrified from the fear of the Dānavas. O Devī Varade!
now, too, I am terrified at the sight of the terrible forms of Madhu and
Kaiṭabha and take Thy refuge. O high-minded one! Now I thoroughly see that
by Thee, by Thy power Yoganidrā the whole body of Bhagavān Viṣṇu is
senseless; but how is it that Thou dost not realise my sufferings. So, either dost
Thou leave possession of this Ādi-Deva, or destroy Thyself these two
Danavendras -- lost do either of the two as Thou likest. O Devī! Those that do
not know Thy extraordinary powers, those stupid ones meditate Hari, Hara, etc.
But, O Mother! By Thy grace, I realise to-day, as eye-witness, that Viṣṇu even is
to-day lying unconscious in deep sleep, totally senseless of anything outside
by Thy force. O Bhagavatī! Now, when Kamalā, the daughter of Sindhu is
unable to rouse Her husband Hari, by her effort, or rather Thou hast made Her,
too, perforce, sleep unconsciously, it seems she is without any effort and does
not know anything of what is going on outside. O Devī! Verily those are
blessed who worship Thy lotus feet with their whole heart full of devotion and
without any hope of getting rewards, abandoning the worship of other Devas
and knowing Thee as the Creatrix of the whole world and the giver of all
desires. Alas! now the intelligence, beauty, fame, and all good qualities have
forsaken Hari and fled away to some unknown quarters. O Bhagavatī! Thou art
really adorable in the three worlds for, by Thy power of Yoganidrā, Hari has
been kept in prison, as it were, in this way. O Mother! Thou art the Śakti of all
this universe and endowed with all prowess and energy; all other things are
Thy creation. As a dramatic player, though one, plays in the theatre, assuming
many forms, so Thou, too, being one, playest always in this charming theatre
of world, created by Thy Guṇas, in various forms.
O Mother! Thou, in the beginning of the Yugas, dost manifest first the Viṣṇu
form and givest him the pure Sattrik Sakti, free from any obscuration and
thereby madest Him preserve the Universe; and now it is Thyself that hast kept
Him thus unconscious; therefore, it is an undoubted fact that Thou art doing
whatever Thou willest, O Bhagavatī! I am now in danger; if it be Thy desire not
to kill me, then dost break the silence, look on me and show Thy mercy. O
Bhavāni! If it be not Thy desire to kill me, then why hast Thou created these
two Dānavas, my death incarnate; or is it that Thou wantedest to put me to
ridicule. I have come to know of Thy wonderful acts; Thou createst this whole
Universe, and Thyself remaining aloof, playest always and in the time of
Pralaya resolvest everything again into Thee. Therefore, O Bhavāni, what
wonder is there, that Thou wouldst want to kill me in this way? But, O Mother!
I won’t feel any pain if Thou willingly killest me but this is to my great
dishonour that being given power over these beings, I would then be made an
object to be killed by the Daityas; this, indeed, is hard to me. So, O Thou
Leelāmayī like a sportive girl! get up! O Devī! assumest the wonderful form
Thyself and killest me or the two Daityas, as Thou willest; or rouse Hari who
will then kill the Daityas. All these are in Thy hands.”