Book 1/Chapter 9/Verse 1-87
On the killing of Madhu
Kaitabha
1-49. Sûta said:--O Munis! When the excellent
Tâmasi S’akti, the Goddess presiding over sleep came out from the eyes, mouth,
nose, heart, etc., of the body of the World-Guru Visnu and rested in the
celestial space, then the powerful Lord Visnu began to yawn and got up. He saw the Prajâpati Brahmâ, terrified and
spoke to him in words, deep like rumbling in the clouds :-- “O
Bhagavân Padmayone! What makes you come here, and leave your tapasyâ? Why do you look so terrified and anxious?”
Hearing this, Brahmâ said: “O Deva! The
two very powerful and very terrible Daityas, Madhu Kaitabha sprung from the wax
of Thy ears approached to kill me; terrified thus, I have come to Thee. So, O Lord of the Universe! O Vâsudeva! now I
am quite out of senses and terrified; save me.” Visnu, then, said
:-- “Now go and rest in peace, without any fear; let those two stupids, whose
life has been well nigh exhausted, come to me for battle; I will certainly kill
them.”
Sûta said :-- While Bhagavân Visnu, the
Lord of all the Devas, was thus saying, those two very powerful Dânavas, elated
with pride, came up there, in their search for Brahmâ. O Munis! The two proud Daityas stood there in
the midst of the Pralaya water without anything to stand on and with calm
attitude. They then spoke to Brahmâ as follows
:-- O You have fled and come here? You cannot escape. Go on and fight. I will kill You before this one. Then I will kill him also who sleeps on this bed
of serpent. Either give us battle or acknowledge
yourself as our servant.
Hearing their words, Janârdan Visnu
addressed them as follows:-- “O two Dânavas, mad for war! Come and fight with
me as you like; I will surely curb your pride.
O two powerful ones! If you trust me, come and fight”.
Hearing this, the two Dânavas in the midst
of that mass of water resting without any support, came up there to fight, with
their eyes rolling with anger. The Daitya,
named Madhu, became very angry, came up quickly to fight while Kaitabha remained
where he stood. Then the hand-to-hand
fight ensued between the two mad athletes; Bhagavân Hari and Madhu became
tired; Kaitabha came up and began to fight.
After that Madhu and Kaitabha joined and, blind with rage, began to
fight again and again hand to hand with the very
powerful Visnu. And Bhagavân Brahmâ and
the Prime Force Âdyâ S’akti witnessed this from the celestial Heavens.
So the fight lasted for a long, long,
time; yet the two Dânavas did not feel a bit tired: rather Bhagavân Visnu
became tired. Thus five thousand years
passed away; Hari then began to ponder over their mode of death. He thought :-- “I fought for five thousands
of years but the two formidable Dânavas have not been tired
anything, rather I am tired; it is a matter of great surprise. Where has gone my prowess? and what for the
two Dânavas were not tired; What is the cause? This is a matter, now, seriously to be thought
over”.
Seeing Bhagavân Hari thus sunk in cares,
the two haughty Dânavas spoke to him with great glee and with a voice like that
of the rumbling of cloud :-- “O Visnu ! If you feel tired, if you have no
sufficient strength to fight with us, then raise your folded palms on your head
and acknowledge that you are our servant; or if you can, go on fighting. O intelligent one! We will take away your life first; and then
slay this four-faced Brahmâ”.
Hearing the words of the two Dânavas,
resting there without any support in the vast ocean, the highminded Visnu spoke
to them in sweet consoling words :-- “See, O heroes! no one ever fights with
one who is tired, afraid, who is weaponless, who is fallen and who is a child;
this is the Dharma of the heroes. Both of you fought with me for five thousands of
years. But I am single handed; you are
two, and both equally powerful and both of you took rest at intervals. I will therefore take rest for a while, and
then fight with certainty. Both of you
are very powerful and very much elated in vanity. Therefore rest a while. After taking rest for a while I will fight
with you according to the just rules of warfare.” Hearing these words of Hari,
the two chief Dânavas trusted and remained far aloof, ready to fight again.
Now the four-armed Vâsudeva, seeing them
at a sufficient distance, began to ponder in his mind thus :-- “How their death
can be effected? Thinking for a time, he came to know that they have been
granted, by the Supreme S’akti Devî, death at their will (Ichchâmrityu); and
therefore they are not getting tired. I
fought so long with them uselessly; my labour went in vain. How then can I now fight, with this certain knowledge. Again if I do not fight, how these two
Dânavas, elated with their boon and giving troubles to all, be destroyed? When the boon is granted by the Devî their
death is also well nigh impracticable. Who
wants his own death, even placed in very great distressed circumstances. Attacked by terrible diseases, reduced to
indigent poverty no one wants to die; so how can it be expected that these two
haughty Dânavas would want their death themselves? Therefore it is advisable me to take refuge of
that Âdyâ S’akti, the giver of the fruits of all desires. No desires can ever be fructified unless She is
thoroughly pleased.
Thus thinking, Bhagavân Visnu saw the
beautiful Devî Yoga Nidra S’iva, shining in the air. Then the supreme Yogi, Bhagavân Visnu, of immeasurable
spirit began to praise with folded palms that great Bhuvanes'varî Mahâ Kâli,
the giver of boons for the destruction of the Dânavas. “O Devî! I bow down to Thee O Mahâmâyâ, the
Creatrix and Destructrix! Thou
beginningless and deathless! O auspicious Chandike! The Bestower of enjoyment and liberation I do
not know Thy Saguna or Nirguna forms; how then can I know Thy glorious deeds,
innumerable as they are. To-day Thy
undescribable prowess has been experienced by me, I being made senseless and
unconscious by Thy power of sleep. Being
tried again and again by Brahmâ with great care to bring me back to my
consciousness, I could not become conscious, so much my senses were contracted
down. O Mother! By Thy power, Thou didst
keep me unconscious and Thou again hast freed me from sleep, and I also fought so many times. O giver of one's honour! Now I am tired; but
Thou hast granted boon to the two Dânavas and therefore they are not getting
tired. These two Dânavas, puffed up with
pride, were ready to kill Brahmâ; and therefore I challenged them to fight with
me and they too are fighting fiercely with me in this vast ocean. But Thou hast granted them the wonderful boon
that they will die whenever they will; and therefore I have now come to Thy
refuge, as Thou protectest those that come under Thy shelter. Therefore, O Mother, the remover of the
Devas' troubles! These two Dânavas are become exceedingly elated by Thy boon
and I, too, am tired. Therefore dost
Thou help me now. See! those two sinners
are ready to kill me; without Thy grace, what can I do
now? and where to go?”
50-59. Thus praised by the eternal Vâsudeva
Jagannâtha Hari, with humility and pranams, the Devî Mahâ Kâli, resting in the
air, said smiling :-- “O Deva deva Hari!
Fight again; O Visnu! These two heroes, when deluded by My Mâyâ, would
be slain by you; I will delude them certainly, by My side long glance; O
Nârâyana! then slay quickly the two Dânavas, when conjured by My mâyâ”.
Sûta said :-- Hearing these loving words
of Bhagavatî, Bhagavân Visnu went to the scene of battle in the middle of that
ocean, when the two powerful Dânavas of serene tempers and eager to light,
became very glad on seeing Visnu in the battle and said :-- “O four-armed one!
we see your desire is very lofty indeed; well stand! Stand! now be ready for battle, knowing that
victory or defeat is surely dependent on Destiny. You should think now thus :-- Though it is
generally true that the more powerful one wins victory; but it also happens
sometimes that the weak gets the victory by queer turn of
Fate; so the high souled persons should not be glad at their victories, nor
should express their sorrows at their defeat; so don’t be glad, thinking, that
you on many former occasions fought with many Dânavas who were your enemies,
and got the victory; nor be sorry that now you are defeated by the two Dânavas”. Thus saying, the powerful Madhu Kaitabha came
up to fight.
Seeing this, Bhagavân Visnu struck them immediately by
fist with great violence; the two Dânavas, elated with their strength, struck
Hari in return with their fists. Thus
fighting went on vigorously.
60-87. Now seeing the two Dânavas of great powers,
fighting on incessantly, Nârâyana Hari cast a glance expressive of great
distress, towards the face of the Devî Mahâkâli. Seeing Visnu thus distressed, the Devî
laughed loudly and began to look constantly with eyes somewhat reddish and shot
towards the two Asuras side-long glances, of love and amorous feelings which were like
arrows from the Cupid. The two vicious
Daityas became fascinated by the side-long glances of the Devî and took great
pleasures in them; being extremely agitated by these amorous darts, looked with
one steady gaze towards the Devî, of spotless lustre. Bhagavân Hari, too, saw the wonderful
enchanting pastime of the Devî.
Then Hari, perfectly expert in adopting
means to secure ends, began to speak smiling and in voice like
that of the rambling cloud, knowing the two Dânavas enchanted by Mahâmâyâ, thus
:-- O two heroes! I am very glad at the mode
of your fighting. So ask from me boons. I will grant that to you. I saw many Dânavas before, fighting; but
never I saw them expert like you, nor I heard like this. I am therefore, very much satisfied by your
such unrivalled powers. Therefore, O
greatly powerful pair of Dânavas! I wish to grant both of you any boon that you
want. Seeing the Devî Mahâmâyâ, the
gladdener, of the Universe, the two Dânavas felt themselves
amorous; and therefore they became proud on hearing Visnu's those words and
told Visnu, with their lotus-like eyes wide open, thus :--
O Hari! what do you like to give us? We
are not beggars; we do not want anything from you. O Lord of the Devas! Rather we will give you
whatever you desire; we are donors; not receivers. So O Vâsudeva! Hrisi Kesa! We are glad to see your- wonderful fight; so
ask from us any boon that you desire. Hearing
their words, Bhagavân Janârdan said :-- “ If you
both are so much pleased with me, then I
want this that both of you be killed by me.”
Hearing these words of Visnu, Madhu
Kaitabha became very much wondered and thinking “we are now cheated” remained
for some time merged in sorrow. Then reflecting
that there is water everywhere and solid earth nowhere, they said :-- “O
Janârdana Hari! We know that you are truthful; therefore now we want this
desired boon from you that you wanted to grant us before now grant us this
desired boon of ours. O Madhusûdana! We
will be slain by you; but kill us, O Mâdhava! on a solid earth, free from any water; and thus keep
your word.
S’ri Bhagavân Hari laughed and remembering
His Sudarsan disc said :-- “O two highly fortunate ones! Verily, I will kill
both of you on the vast solid spot without any trace of water. Thus saying, the Devadeva Hari expanded His
own thighs and showed to those Dânavas the vast solid earth on the surface of
water and said :-- “O two Dânavas! See,
here is no water. Place your two heads
here; thus I will keep my word and you would keep your word.” Hearing this,
Madhu Kaitabha thought over in their minds and expanded their bodies to
ten thousand Yojanas. Bhagavân Visnu
Hari also extended his thighs to twice that amount. Seeing this, they were greatly, surprised and
laid their heads on the thighs of Visnu.
Visnu of wonderful prowess, then cut off quickly with His Sudarsan disc
the two very big heads over His thighs. Thus
the two
Dânavas Madhu Kaitabha passed away; and
the marrow (meda) of them filled the ocean.
O Munis! For this reason, this earth is named Medinî and the earth is
unfit for eatable purpose.
Thus I have described to you all that you
asked. The sum and substance is this
that the wise persons should serve Mahâmâyâ with all their hearts. The Supreme S’akti is worshipped by all the
Devas. Verily verily, I say unto you
that this is decided, in all the Vedas and other S’astras that there is nothing
higher than this Âdyâ S’akti. Therefore this
Supreme S’akti should be worshipped anyhow; either in Her Saguna form or in
Her Nirguna state.
Thus ends the ninth Chapter of the first
Skandha on the killing of Madhu Kaitabha in the Mahâpurana S’rimad Devî
Bhâgavatam of 18,000 verses by Maharsi Veda Vyâs.
Source: Translation of The Srimad Devi Bhagvatam by Swami Vijnanananda
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