Reading section 6

attained excess of delight. And, O exceedingly pious one, on being overlooked by Lakshmi, the Daityas, ever disregarding Vishnu—headed by Viprachitti—were wrought up with extreme anxiety. And then, O twice-born one, the Daityas, endowed with great prowess, possessed themselves of the Kamandalu that was in the hand of Dhanwantari, and which contained the ambrosia. And then Vishnu, assuming a female form, and thereby exciting their desire, secured the same, and then the Lord made it over unto the celestials. And then the immortals,—Sakra and the rest—quaffed off the ambrosia; and thereat the Daityas rushed against them with upraised weapons and Nistrinsas.[214] And having drunk ambrosia, the invigorated gods beat the Daitya-hosts, and these flew in all directions and entered the nether regions. Then the deities, bowing down unto the bearer of the conch, discus and mace, as formerly, began to govern the celestial regions. And then the glad-rayed Sun began to course in his own path; and, O best of ascetics, the luminaries also gyrated in their own orbits. And then the reverend Fire, crowned with a fair splendour, began to burn brightly. And, all creatures felt a regard for righteousness. And, O foremost of anchorets, the triune world was furnished with grace; and that chief of the celestials—Sakra—again waxed graceful. And Sakra, seated on his throne, receiving back the celestial regions, and established in his celestial sovereignty, began to hymn the Goddess holding a lotus in her hand. And Indra said,—"I salute the Lotus-sprung mother of all beings—unto Sri having lotus-like eyes, and reposing in the bosom of Vishnu. Thou art Siddhi, and thou art nectar, and thou Swāhā and Swadhā, O purifier of the worlds. And thou art twilight and light and lustre, and affluence, and intelligence, and veneration, and Saraswati. Thou art the learning of sacrifice; thou art the worship of the Universe-form (of the Most High); thou art the Occult Learning, O beauteous one; and thou art the knowledge of Brahmā, O goddess,—and thou art the bestower of the fruit of emancipation. And thou art the Science of Dialectics; and thou art the Three (Vedas); and thou art the Vārttā; and thou art the knowledge of chastisement, etc. O goddess, this universe is filled with thy gentle and terrific forms. And, O goddess, who, save thee, can dwell in the person of that god of gods, the bearer of the mace, who is contemplated by the yogis. O goddess, the triple world, having been renounced by thee, had come to the verge of destruction; and, through thee hath it again recovered its position. And, O exalted one, men come by wives and sons, and houses, and friends, and corn, and wealth through thy kind look. And, O goddess, freedom from bodily ailments, riches, destruction of foes, and felicity, are not difficult of attainment for those people that view thy glances. Thou art the mother of all creatures, as that god of gods—Hari—is their father. And this universe consisting of mobile and immobile, was primævally permeated by thee as well as Vishnu. And, O thou that purifiest everything, if thou forsakest (us), neither our treasures, nor our cattle, nor our houses, nor our attires, nor our bodies, nor our wives, are secure unto us. O thou that residest in the bosom of that god, Vishnu, if thou forsakest me, neither sons, nor friends, nor ornaments are secure unto me. O stainless one, he that is forsaken by thee, is also forsaken by goodness, truth, purity character, and

other virtues. And, those that are glanced at by thee,—albeit devoid of any good quality, ever attain note, on account of character and other virtues, as well as lineage, and wealth. And, O goddess, he that is looked at by thee, is praiseworthy and accomplished and blessed and intelligent and high-born and heroic and possessed of prowess. And, O nurse of the Universe, O beloved of Vishnu, all virtues, character, etc., are instantly prevented in him from whom thou turnest away thy countenance. But the tongue even of the Deity is incapable of celebrating thy perfections. O lotus-eyed one, prove auspicious! Me mayest thou never renounce."

Parāçara said,—"Thus eulogised to the height, the goddess Sri resident in all beings spoke unto Satakratu[215] in the hearing of all the gods. And Sri said,—'O chief of the celestials, O Hari, pleased am I with thy hymn. Do thou mention the boon thou desirest. I have come hither to confer the same on thee.' Thereat Indra said,—‘O goddess, if thou wouldst confer a boon on me, if I am worthy of one, let this be the great boon, that this triple world thou wouldst not forsake. And let this be the second boon that him also thou woudst not forsake, who, O ocean-sprung One, shall propitiate thee with this hymn.' Thereat Sri said,—‘O foremost of the celestials, O Vāsava, this triple world will I not leave. I confer upon thee this boon, being pleased with thy hymn and prayer. And I shall never be displeased with him whoever shall chant this hymn.'"

Parāçara said,—"O Maitreya, formerly the great goddess, Sri being pleased with the hymn and prayer, conferred this boon on the lord of the celestials. In the days of yore, Sri was begot of Bhrigu on Khyati. And she again came out of the Ocean when it was churned by the celestials. As the great god Janārddana,[216] the lord of the Universe, goes through incarnations, so does Sri to help Him. When Hari assumed the form of a dwarf, she took birth as a lotus, and when He descended on earth as Parasurāma, she appeared as the Earth. At time of the incarnation of Rāma, she became Sitā, and when He was born as Krishna, she became Rukhmini. And thus in all the incarnations, she assisted Vishnu. When he had a celestial shape, she assumed the shape of a celestial, and when he assumed a human form, she took a human shape. She changed her body (human or celestial) according as Vishnu did. Sri does not renounce the abode of him for three generations, who reads or hears of this story of her birth. O sage, never can quarrelsome Alakshmi,[217] dwell in that house where this hymn of Sri is chanted. O Brāhmana, I have related unto thee everything of what thou didst ask me for—how Sri formerly was born as the daughter of Bhrigu and how she afterwards came out of the Ocean of milk. This eulogy of Lakshmi, the source of all wealth, came out of the mouth of the lord of celestials. Poverty can never infest those persons on earth, who chant this hymn every day".

SECTION X.

Maitreya said,—"O great sage, thou hast related unto me all I had asked thee for. Do thou now give me again an account of the family of Bhrigu from Bhrigu downwards".

Parāçara said,—"Lakshmi was born of Bhrigu and Kyāti and became the spouse of Vishnu. And two more sons were born of Bhrigu and Kyāti namely Dhātā and Bidhātā. Two daughters, by name Ayati and Niyati were born of the high-souled Meru. And Dhāta and Bidhātā took them as their wives. They gave birth to two sons named Prāna and Mirkandu. Of Mirkandu again was born a son named Mārkandeya. And hear then again, a son was born of Prāna by name Vedaçirā. Of the other sons of Prāna one was named Kritimān and the other Rājavān. And in this way did spread the family of the great Bhrigu. Māricha's spouse Satmbhuti gave birth to a son named Paurnamasam. And of him were born two sons named Birajā and Sarvaga. And their sons I shall mention, O twice-born one, when I shall relate the lineage at leisure. And Angirā's wife Smriti gave birth to four daughters, named Sinibali, Kuhoo, Rākā and Anumati. And by Atri, Anasuyā gave birth to three sons untouched by sin named Soma, Durbāsā and the sage Dattatreyo. And Pulastya's wife Preeti gave birth to a child named Dattoli, who in his former birth or in the Sayambhava Manwantara was known as the sage Agāstya. Kshamā, the wife of the Patriarch Pulaha was the mother of three sons; Kardama, Avarian and Sahishnu. The wife of Krātu, Sannati, brought forth the sixty thousand Bālakhilyas, pigmy sages, no bigger than a joint of the thumb, chaste, pious, resplendent as the rays of the Sun. Vasishtha had seven sons by his wife Urjja, Rajas, Gātra, Urdhabhahu, Basana, Anagha, Sutapas and Sukra, the seven pure sages. The Agni, named Abhimani, who is the eldest born of Brahmā, had, by Swahā, three sons of surpassing brilliancy:—Pavaka, Pavamana and Suchi who drinks up water. They had forty-five sons who (with the son of Brahmā, the Agni named Abhimani and his three descendants) constitute the forty-nine Fires. I have mentioned the progenitors (Pritras) who were created by Brahmā. Of those by Agnishwattas and Varhishads the former being devoid and the latter, possessed of Fires,[218] Swadha had two daughters Mena and Baidhārini. They were both, O twice-born one, acquainted with theological truth and given up to religious meditation, accomplished in perfect wisdom and adorned with all estimable qualities, Thus I have narrated the progeny of the daughters of Daksha. He who hears it with reverence, shall never want offspring".

SECTION XI.

Parāçara said:—I mentioned unto you that the Menu Swāyambhava had two heroic and pious sons Priyavrata and and Uttanpada. O these two, O Brahman, Uttanpada, had, by his favourite wife Suruchi, a son, Uttama, whom he dearly loved. O twice-born one, the king had another queen by name Suniti, to whom he was less attached. By her he had another son Dhruva. Beholding his brother Uttama on the lap of his father as he was seated upon his throne, Dhruva was desirous of ascending to the same place. But as Suruchi was present the king could not receive his son, approaching there delightedly and desiring to be taken on his father's knee. Beholding the child of her sapatni[219] thus anxious to be placed on his father's lap and her own son already seated there Suruchi said,—"O child, why do you vainly cherish such a presumptuous desire born as thou art from a different mother and art no son of mine. Thou art inconsiderate enough to aspire to a station which is fit for excellent Uttama. It is true thou art the son of the king but I have not given thee birth. This regal throne, the seat of the king of kings is suited to my son only; why shouldst thou trouble thyself for it. Why does thou idly cherish such an ambition as if thou wert my son? Dost thou not know that thou art the offspring of Suniti?" Parāçara said;—O twice-born one, hearing the words of his step-mother, and quitting his father, the boy repaired in a passion to the apartment of his own mother. Beholding him angry and his lips trembling, Suniti took him upon her lap and said,—"O child, who is the cause of your anger? Who hath not welcomed thee? Who doth not know, that by behaving ill towards thee he hath offended thy father?" Being thus addressed Dhruva repeated to his mother all that the arrogant Suruchi had said to him in the presence of the king. Her son having related all these sighing, she was greatly distressed. And Suniti, rendered poorly, with her eyes dimmed, sighed and said,—"Suruchi has rightly spoken; thine, child, is as an unfortunate fate: those who are born to fortune are not liable to the insults of their step-mothers. Yet be not afflicted, my child, for who shall efface what thou hast formerly done, or shall assign to thee what thou hast left undone. The regal throne, the umbrella of royalty, excellent horses and elephants are his whose virtues have deserved them; remember this my son and be consoled. That the king favours Suruchi is the reward of her merits in a former birth. The name of wife alone belongs to such as I, who have not equal merit. Her son is the progeny of accumulated piety and is born as Uttama and mine son art thou, O Dhruva, of inferior merit. It does not behove thee, O my child, to be sorry on this account; a wise man will be satisfied with the degree which appertains to him. If thou art greatly hurt at the words of Suruchi, do you try to amass piety which bestows all good. Be thou good-natured, virtuous-souled, friendly and engaged in doing good to all living creatures; for prosperity descends upon worthy persons as water flows towards low ground".

Dhruva said;—"O mother, what thou hast said to console me doth not find place in my heart which has been rent asunder by harsh words. I shall so exert that I may attain to the most exalted rank adored by the whole world. I am not born of Suruchi who is the favourite wife of the king. Do thou behold my prowess, O mother, who am born of and reared by thee. Let Uttama, my brother, who is not born of thee, receive the regal throne, conferred on him by my father.

"I do not wish to have that which is given by others, O mother. I shall by my actions acquire such a position which had not been enjoyed even by my father". Parāçara said:—Having addressed his mother thus, Dhruva issued out of his mother's dwelling. And quitting the city, he repaired to a neighbouring thicket. He beheld there seven ascetics, who had repaired there before, sitting upon the hides of the black antelope, which they had taken from off their persons, and spread over the holy kusa grass. Saluting them respectfully and bowing unto them humbly the prince said, "Do ye know me, O great ascetics, as the son of Uttanpada, born of Suniti. Being dissatisfied with the world, I have appeared before you". The Rishis replied:—"O prince, thou art only a boy and but four or five years of age. There can be no reason why you should be dissatisfied with life. You cannot be disgusted with anxiety since thy father reigns; we cannot imagine, O boy, that you suffer the pain of separation from the object of your affections. Nor do we see any sign of disease on your person. What is the cause of your dissatisfaction? Tell us if it is known to you". Parāçara said,—Thereupon he repeated unto them what Suruchi had spoken to him. And having heard that they said to one another,—"Oh! How wonderful is the vehemence of Kshatriya nature? He is a mere boy and still he cannot stoop to indignities and he has not been able to remove from his mind what his step-mother had said. O son of Kshatriya, if it pleases thee, tell us what thou desirest to do through your dissatisfaction with the world. O thou of immeasurable prowess, tell us in what thou wishest to have our help? Speak freely: for we perceive that thou desirest to have something from us". Dhruva said:—"O ye foremost of twice-born ones, I wish not for riches, neither do I long for a kingdom. I aspire to a station which hath never been acquired by any before. O excellent sages, tell me how I may effect this and attain to that station which is the most elevated in this world". Maychi said—"O Prince, none can attain to that best of stations who does not propitiate Govinda. Do thou therefore worship the undecaying". Attri said—"He with whom is pleased the first of spirits Janārddana, gets at this imperishable dignity—I mention unto you the truth". Angira said,—"If thou desirest for an exalted station do thou worship Govinda in whom immutable and undecaying, all that is, exists". Pulastya said,—"Worshipping the divine Hari, the Supreme Soul, the Supreme Stay and Supreme Brahmā thou mayst attain to eternal liberation, what of reaching that most exalted station". Kratu said,—"Nothing is difficult to attain if Janārddana is pleased, who is the soul of sacrifice in sacrifices and supreme spirit in abstract contemplation". Pulaha said,—"Do thou adore, O pious boy, that Vishnu, the lord of sacrifice, and Universe, worshipping whom Indra obtained the dignity of a king of the celestials". Vasishtha observed:—"Anything, that a man desires, may be obtained in this world by adoring Vishnu what of that exalted position". Dhruva said:—"You have told me, humbly bowing before, what is the deity to be adored: do ye now inform me of the prayer which is to be meditated by me to propitiate him. May the great ascetics, delightedly inform me of the prayer by which I may propitiate the God". The Rishis said,—"O Prince, hear, we shall relate unto thee, how those, who are devoted unto Vishnu, shall worship Him. They shall first

withdraw their minds from all exterior objects and then fix it steadily on that being in whom the world exists. O Prince, hear from us the prayer that is to be recited by him, who has thus concentrated his thoughts on one only object, whose heart is filled with his spirit, and who has controlled himself. 'Om, salutation to Vasudeva, who is manifest as Brahmā, Vishnu and Siva, and whose form is inscrutable'. This prayer was offered in olden times by your grandsire, the Manu Swayambhuva, and propitiated by which, Janārddana conferred upon him prosperity, which he desired, unequalled in three worlds. Do thou therefore try to propitiate Govinda by reciting this prayer continually".

SECTION XII.

Parāçara said:—O Maitreya, hearing these words from beginning to end, that Prince, saluting these sages, issued out of that thicket. And confiding in the accomplishment of his object, O twice-born one, he repaired to the holy place on the banks of the Yamuna called Madhuvana, or the grove of Madhu, called after the name of a demon of that name who resided there and was known thus on the earth. Slaying the highly powerful son of the Rakshasa, Madhu—Lavana, Satrughna (the youngest son of Daçaratha,) founded a city at that spot which was named Mathura. And Dhruva engaged in performing penance at that holy shrine the purifier of all sin, where was Mahadeva, the god of Gods meditating upon Hari. In accordance with instruction given by Marichi and others, he began to contemplate, Vishnu the sovereign of the gods, seated in himself. O twice-born one, Dhruva, thus contemplating him, having his mind perfectly withdrawn from all other thoughts, the Great Hari, ever existing in all creatures and natures, took possession of his heart. O Maitreya, Vishnu thus occupying the heart of that one engaged in his meditation, the earth, the supporter of elemental life, could not sustain his height. When he used to stand upon his left foot (for praying) one half of the earth bent beneath him and when he used to stand upon his right foot the other half of the earth sank down. And when he used to stand touching the earth with his toes, the whole earth shook with its mountains and rivers, O twice-born one. The rivers and seas were greatly agitated thereby and even the celestials called Yāmas, being greatly alarmed, in consultation with Indra began to concert measures for interrupting the devout exercises of Dhruva. And, O great ascetics, the Kushmandas in company with Indra, assuming, various shapes actively engaged in obstructing his meditations. One assuming, by virtue of illusion, the shape of his mother Suniti, stood before him, with tears in his eyes, and saying in tender accents—"My son, desist from this penance, that is destroying thy health. I have after many troubles gained thee and have formed many hopes in thee. O child, it does not behove thee to forsake me, at the words of my rival, helpless, alone and unprotected. Thou art my only refuge. Thou art a boy of five years old. Such a hard penance doth not become thee. Desist therefore from such fearful practices which are not productive of any beneficial result. For thee this is the time of youthful pastime, then comes the season for study, then the period of worldly enjoyment and lastly that of austere devotion. O my boy, thou art but a child, this is the season of thy play—why hast thou thou engaged in asceticism to destroy thyself? Thy chief duty consists in thy devotion to me now. Do thou engage in such works as become thy age and circumstances. Be not guided by bewildering error and desist from such unrighteous actions, If thou dost not renounce to-day these devout austerities I shall terminate my life before thee". Parāçara said:—But Dhruva being wholly intent upon seeing Vishnu did not behold his mother weeping, with her eyes bleared with tears. "O child! O child! fly, the hideous Rākshasas, with uplifted weapons are coming this side of the forest". Saying this (the illusion) disappeared. Instantly crowded there the Rākshasas uplifting terrible arms and with countenances emitting fiery flame. They began to emit hideous cries before that prince and whirl and toss their threatening weapons.

Hundreds of jackals, from whose mouths gushed out flame, while they expanded them, yelled horrible cries to appal the boy wholly engrossed by meditation. Those night-rangers cried out: "Kill him, kill him, tear him to pieces; eat him up, eat him up". And those goblins having faces of lions, and camels, and crocodiles, howled about to strike terror into the heart of the prince. All these (illusions of) Rākshasas and jackals, their cries and weapons made no impression upon his senses whose mind was completely given up to the meditation of Govinda. The son of the lord of earth, entirely taken up by one idea, beheld continually. Vishnu only seated in himself and saw no other object All these illusions being thus baffled the celestials were greatly disturbed. Being terrified at this discomfiture and afflicted by the devout austerities of the boy the celestials assembled and repaired in a body for help to Hari, who is the creator of the universe, and without beginning or end. The celestials said:—"O lord of the celestials! O lord of the world! O great god! O supreme spirit! being afflicted by the devout austerities of Dhruva, we have come to thee to seek thy refuge. As the moon increases in his orb day by day, so, O lord, (this boy) by his devotion is approaching incessantly superhuman power. O Janārddana, we have been greatly alarmed by the devout austerities of the son of Uttanpadā and have taken thy refuge: do thou desist him from his devout exercises. We do not know whose position, he aspireth to—whether the throne of Sakra, of the sun, of the lord of wealth or that of Varuna the lord of water.

"O lord, be propitiated with us, remove this mace of affliction from our breast and desist the son of Uttanpada from his devout exercises". The Great God (Vishnu) replied:—"He aspireth not to the throne of Indra, nor to the sovereignty of the solar orb or the deep, nor to the rank of the lord of riches. I shall soon confer on him, O celestials, what he desireth to have. Removed of your anxiety do you all proceed to your respective quarters—I shall soon desist that boy, whose mind is wholly engrossed with devout meditation".

Parāçara said:—Being thus addressed by Vishnu the celestials headed by the performer of hundred sacrifices, saluting him, repaired to their respective habitations. And that Great God, who is all things, being pleased with Dhruva's whole-minded devotedness to him, assuming his shape with four arms, approached him and said,—"May good betide thee, O son of Uttanapada! I am pleased with thy devout exercises. I have come here to confer boons on thee—do thou beg one, O thou of firm vows. Withdrawing thy mind from external objects while thou hast dedicated it to me alone—I am greatly pleased with thee; do thou therefore beg of me an excellent boon". Parāçara said—Hearing the words of that great God, the boy opened his eyes and beheld before him that Hari whom he had seen in his meditation. And beholding him with the conch, the discus, the mace, the bow and the scimitar in hand and crowned with a diadem, he bowed his head down to the earth. With his hair standing erect and being greatly stricken with fear, Dhruva addressed himself for worshipping that great God. Reflecting how he could offer thanks unto him, and what he could say in his praise, he was greatly perplexed with anxiety and then at last had recourse to that deity. Dhruva said,—"O great God if thou art greatly pleased with my devout exercise, do thou confer upon me this boon, that I may praise thee whenever I wish. O god, I am a boy, how shall I be able to sing thy glory, whom even the great sages like Brahmā, conversant with Vedas, have not been able to know sufficiently. My heart is filled with devotion to thee, O lord, do thou grant me the understanding of placing my praises at thy feet". Parāçara said,—O foremost of twice-born ones, the lord of the earth Govinda touched with the tip of his conch, the son of Uttanapada standing with jollied palms. And greatly pleased, that prince, bending low his head, praised that undecaying protector of living beings. Dhruva said,—"I bow unto Him whose forms are earth, water, fire, air, ether, mind, intellect, the first element, primæval nature, and the pure, subtle, all-pervading soul that excels nature. Salutation unto that Purusha who is devoid of qualities, pure, subtle, extending all over the earth, and who is separate from Prakriti; who is supreme over all elements, all objects of sense, intellect and who is separate even from Purusha. I seek refuge unto him, who is one with Brahmā, who is the soul of the whole universe, pure, and who is the foremost of all gods. Salutation unto that form of thine, O thou the soul of all things, which is designated as Brahmā by virtue of his pervading and maintaining the whole Universe, which is unchangeable and meditated upon by the sages. Thou art the great god pervading the whole universe with a thousand heads, a thousand eyes, a thousand feet and who passes ten inches beyond its contact.[220] Thou art that excellent Purusha—whatever has been and whatever is to be. Thou art the progenitor of Virāt,[221] Swarat,[222] Samrāt,[223] and Adipurusha. The lower and upper and middle parts of the earth are not without thee—the whole universe is from thee—whatever has been and whatever shall be. The whole universe is thy form and exists in thee. From thee is sacrifice derived, and all oblations and curds and ghee and animals of either class (domestic or wild). From thee the Rig Veda, the Shāma Veda, the metres of the Vedas and the Yajur Veda have sprung. Horses and cows having teeth in one jaw only have been