Sri Varahadev (text & attached file)

[Guest guest]

Sri Varahadev

---------------------------

The Appearance Day of Lord Varahadev

 

Manu then said, "O lord, I shall abide by your order. Now, please

attempt to lift up the earth, which is the dwelling place for all kinds of

living entities, since it has fallen down into the Garbhodaka Ocean."

 

When Lord Brahma saw how the earth had become submerged within the

water, he contemplated for a long time about how it could be lifted. When

Brahma came to the conclusion that only the Supreme Lord could help in this

situation, a small white boar came out from his nostril, and it was no

bigger than the size of the tip of a thumb. As the astonished Brahma looked

on, the boar expanded in the sky so that soon He became as large as a great

elephant.

 

Lord Brahma and his sons, such as the Kumaras, Manu and Marichi began to

argue amongst themselves in various ways. Then, as Brahma guessed that the

extraordinary being must be the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Lord Varaha

repeatedly roared like a great mountain, to enliven His devotees and openly

challenge any demons that might want to oppose His omnipotency. When the

rishis residing in Janaloka, Tapaloka and Satyaloka heard the Lord's

tumultuous voice, which echoed in all directions, they responded by

glorifying Him with the chanting of the Vedic hymns.

 

While flying through the sky, Lord Varaha slashed His tail, and

scattered the clouds with His hooves and glittering white tusks.

Illuminating the sky with His glance, Lord Varaha roared once again, to

reply to the sages, and then He dove deep into the water. The two huge waves

that were created appeared to be like arms, and the ocean cried out as if

praying, "O Lord, do not cut me in half! Kindly give me protection!"

 

Due to having accepted the form of a hog, the Lord searched for the

earth with his sense of smell. At last, after penetrating down to the limit

of the ocean with His sharp hooves, Lord Varaha came upon the earth lying at

the bottom, just as it had been in the beginning of creation. The Lord very

easily placed the earth upon His tusks and lifted it out from the water, and

upon seeing this wonderful act, Brahma and his sons glorified Him with

prayers. After receiving the worship of the great sages, Lord Varaha took

the earth in His hooves and placed it in its proper position upon the water,

before at last, returning to His eternal abode.

 

The pregnancy of Diti

Jaya and Vijaya cursed by the four Kumaras

The appearance of Lord Varaha

The victory of Hiranyaksha and his death at the hands of Lord Varaha.

Canto 3.

 

After describing the appearance of the white Boar Incarnation that had

appeared during the Svayambhuva devastation, Maitreya next described the red

Boar Incarnation that had appeared during the Chakshusha devastation.

Maitreya related these pastimes to Vidura in the same manner in which he had

heard them long ago when Lord Brahma had narrated them to the demigods.

 

Once upon a time, at sunset, Kashyapa, the son of Marichi, was offering

oblations to Lord Vishnu into the sacrificial fire. At this time, his wife,

Diti, approached him due to being greatly afflicted by sex desire.

Without trying to attract him gradually by her bodily expressions, the

beautiful Diti frankly begged her husband, "O learned one, Cupid is forcibly

distressing me with his arrows, just as an elephant troubles a banana tree.

I want to have sons like my co-wives and so you should be merciful to me."

"My father, Daksha, had separately asked each of his daughters, whom we

preferred to marry. Then, after understanding our intentions, he handed over

thirteen of his daughters to you, and we have been faithful to you ever

since that time. O lotus-eyed one, when someone in distress approaches a

great person, his pleas should never go in vain."

 

The hen-pecked Kashyapa could have strongly refused his wife, but

because he was also sexually inclined, he tried to pacify Diti, who had

become very poor-hearted and talkative, due to the contamination of lust.

Kashyapa said, "O afflicted one, I shall soon gratify your desire. It is

only due to having a good wife that a man like me can cross over the great

ocean of material existence. Indeed, a wife is so helpful that she is called

the better half of a man's body. Just as a military commander can easily

conquer invaders while remaining protected within a fort, so a man can

conquer his senses by taking shelter of a good wife. For this reason, a man

could never repay his wife for all the benefit that he derives from her,

even if he were to try to do so during his entire lifetime, or even after

death."

 

"My dear Diti, although I cannot sufficiently repay you, I will satisfy

your sex desire for the purpose of begetting children. I only request you to

wait for a few minutes so that I may not become subject to criticism. The

present moment is most inauspicious because at this time Lord Shiva rides

upon his bull carrier, accompanied by his horrible ghostly companions. He

gives such ghosts the chance of getting a gross material body by placing

them into the wombs of women that indulge in sexual intercourse during this

forbidden period. Lord Shiva is your sister's husband, and with his three

eyes, he will see your forbidden act."

 

In spite of receiving such good instructions from her husband, Diti was

so oppressed by sex desire that she caught hold of Kashyapa's clothes just

like a shameless prostitute, and thus she practically forced him to gratify

her lusty urge. After offering obeisances unto worshipful fate, Kashyapa lay

down with Diti in a secluded place. After finishing the forbidden act,

Kashyapa purified himself by bathing and once again sat down to chant the

Gayatri mantra, while meditating upon the impersonal aspect of the Absolute.

Meanwhile, after having gratified her lust, Diti came to her senses.

With her head lowered in shame, she approached her husband and said, "My

dear brahmana, please insure that my embryo is not killed by Lord Shiva,

because of the great offense that I have committed against him."

 

Diti then prayed for Lord Shiva's mercy in a very clever manner: "Let

me offer my obeisance unto the angry Lord Shiva. He is so great that he can

immediately destroy my embryo, but at the same time he is so merciful and

forgiving. Lord Shiva is known as the lord of all women, who are excused

even by uncivilized hunters, and therefore I beg him to spare me from his

wrath."

 

As Diti stood before him, trembling due to fear of his anger,

Kashyapa said, "Because of your polluted mind, the improper time, your

disobedience, and your neglect of the demigods, your conception will produce

two abominable sons who will create havoc within the world by killing

innocent persons, torturing women, and enraging the great souls. As a

result, the Supreme Lord will incarnate to kill them, just as Indra smashes

mountains with his thunderbolt."

 

Diti replied, "O my husband, it is a great relief for me to know that

my sons will be killed by the all-merciful Supreme Lord, rather than the

wrath of the brahmanas. One who offends the brahmanas or causes fear to

others is so condemned that even those who are already in hell, or who are

of the degraded species in which he will later on appear, feel no compassion

toward him."

 

Kashyapa then informed Diti, "Due to your repentance and firm faith in

the Supreme Lord, as well as your adoration for Lord Shiva and myself, one

of your grandsons will be a greatly exalted devotee whose fame will rival

that of the Lord Himself. Because of his great devotion for the Supreme

Personality of Godhead, others will follow in his footsteps, and because of

his having satisfied the Supreme Lord, everyone will become pleased with

him. As a first-class devotee, your grandson will be able to see the Supreme

Lord, within and without; he will be a reservoir of all good qualities; and

he will feel very pained to see the suffering of the conditioned souls in

this material world."

 

After hearing about the glories of Prahlada, Diti became very pleased.

But, because she could understand that her sons would cause great

disturbances to the demigods, she continued to bear the powerful embryos for

one hundred years without giving birth. Still, the force of Diti's pregnancy

disturbed the entire universe, and the light of sun and moon became

impaired.

 

After observing this fearful condition, the demigods approached Lord

Brahma and submitted, "O lord, just see this darkness that is expanding in

all directions. O sustainer of the universe, who knows the intentions of all

living entities, Diti's pregnancy has caused this great disturbance, and

thus our work has become suspended. Please be merciful unto us, for we have

fallen into a very miserable condition."

 

In response, Lord Brahma informed the demigods of what had happened

long ago. After having travelled all over the material creation, the four

sages Sanaka, Sanatana, Sanandana and Sanat-kumara, entered the spiritual

sky, wherein the Vaikuntha planets are situated. They were able to do this

due to being freed from all material contamination. In the abode of Lord

Narayana, the residents have forms similar to that of the Supreme Lord, and

everyone is engaged in His unalloyed devotional service. There are many

forests full of desire-trees, and throughout all seasons they are filled

with fruit and flowers.

 

While flying in their airplanes, along with their consorts, the

inhabitants of Vaikuntha eternally sing of the character and pastimes of the

Supreme Lord. Although the consorts that crowd the airplanes have large hips

and beautifully smiling faces, they cannot stimulate the passion of the

residents of Vaikuntha. This means that in Vaikuntha there is the enjoyment

of the association with the opposite sex, but there is no sexual

relationship, because everyone is fully absorbed in Krishna consciousness.

When the king of bees hums in a high pitch, singing the glories of the Lord,

the cuckoos, cranes, chakravakas, swans, parrots and peacocks temporarily

stop their singing to listen. Although flowers, such as the champaka,

bakula, parijata and lotus are transcendentally fragrant, they are still

conscious of tulasi's austerities, and of how the Lord prefers to garland

Himself with her leaves. The ladies of Vaikuntha are as beautiful as the

goddess of fortune, and yet they are sometimes seen cleaning the marble

walls, just to receive the grace of the Supreme Lord, even though there is

practically no dust.

 

Upon reaching the outskirts of Vaikuntha, the four Kumaras felt an

unprecedented transcendental happiness. Then, after easily passing through

six gates, the sages saw two doormen at the seventh gate that had similar

bodily features and carried strong maces. They were four-armed and of bluish

complexion, and due to their arched eyebrows, discontented nostrils and

reddish eyes, they appeared somewhat agitated.

The four Kumaras had opened doors everywhere without any conception of

"ours" and "theirs", and so they innocently began to pass through the

seventh gate. The sages, who had nothing to cover their bodies but the

atmosphere, looked just like five-year-old boys, although they were the

oldest created beings, next to Brahma.

 

Due to possessing a disposition quite unpalatable to the Lord, the

two gatekeepers rudely blocked the Kumaras' entrance with their staffs. The

Lord is always anxious to serve great sages, and thus the Kumaras were never

to be prohibited from entering Vaikuntha. The boy-sages had been very eager

to see the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and so upon being checked by the

Lord's two chief doorkeepers, they immediately became agitated.

Their eyes red with rage, the Kumaras exclaimed, "Who are these persons who

are engaging in the Lord's service and yet have developed a discordant

mentality? They must be imposters, and so they suspect others to be just

like themselves. In Vaikuntha there is perfect harmony between the Supreme

Lord and the other inhabitants. These two persons are dressed like the

residents of Vaikuntha, but where has this seed of disharmony come from?

Because of seeing duality, they have become contaminated. Therefore, they

should be put into the material world, where everyone is conceived of as

being either a friend or an enemy."

 

When the gatekeepers realized that they were being cursed by the

brahmanas, they at once became very afraid. After falling down at the

Kumaras' feet, they begged, "You are correct in punishing us for having

neglected such great souls as yourselves. Still, in consideration of our

repentance, we pray that you mercifully insure that the illusion of

forgetting the Supreme Personality of Godhead will not overwhelm us as we

fall down."

 

Just at that moment, the Supreme Lord, having learned of this

incident, came there on foot accompanied by the goddess of fortune. Thus,

the four Kumaras saw Lord Vishnu before them, Whom they had formerly seen

only within their hearts while being absorbed in the ecstatic trance of

meditation.

 

The Lord's beautiful blackish body was dressed in bright yellow

cloth, and around His neck hung a garland of fresh flowers that was

encircled by humming bees. While resting one of His hands upon Garuda's

shoulder, the Lord twirled a lotus flower in another. Indeed, His beauty was

so excellent that it defeated the pride of the goddess of fortune, and thus

the Kumaras looked at Him with unsated eyes.

 

As the Kumaras joyfully bowed their heads, the breeze that carried

the aroma of tulasi leaves from the toes of the Lord's lotus feet entered

their nostrils, causing a spiritual transformation in their body and mind,

even though they had been fully attached to the impersonal Brahman. In other

words, the Kumaras became converted from impersonalists that had desired to

merge into the Lord's brahmajyoti, to devotees who desire to render service

to the Lord.

 

After seeing the Lord's transcendental body, the Kumaras advanced to

the stage of constant meditation upon His personal feature. Their anger

having subsided, the four sages prayed, "Our dear Lord, whatever we had

heard about You from our father, Lord Brahma, has now been confirmed by Your

kind appearance before us. We now understand that the most elevated

transcendentalists are those that constantly engage in hearing about Your

pastimes, without caring for any other benediction, including liberation."

"O Lord, we don't mind being born in any hellish condition, as long as our

hearts and minds are always engaged in Your devotional service."

 

By dint of the Lord's presence, the Kumaras realized that it had

been improper for them to curse the doorkeepers, in spite of the offense

that had been committed.

 

The Supreme Lord then said, "These attendants of Mine, Jaya and

Vijaya, have committed a great offense against you by ignoring My desire. I

approve of the punishment that you have awarded to My servants. Indeed,

since these doormen are My servants, I consider Myself to be the one that

has offended you, and for this reason, I seek your forgiveness. Whatever

wrong a servant commits causes people in general to blame the master, just

as a single spot of white leprosy is considered to pollute the whole skin."

 

"For Me, the brahmanas are the most worshipable personalities, and

so I am prepared to cut off My arm if its conduct proves to be hostile

toward you. Because I am the servant of My devotees, My lotus feet have

become so sacred that they immediately purify one of all sins. I do not

enjoy the offerings that are made into the sacrificial fire with as much

relish as I enjoy the delicacies cooked in ghee that are offered to the

mouths of the brahmanas who have dedicated their lives unto Me."

"The Ganga is the remnants of water left after washing My feet, and it

sanctifies the three worlds. If I can take the dust of the Vaishnavas' feet

upon My head, then who would refuse to do the same? These servants of Mine

have offended you due to not knowing My mind. Still, I will consider it a

great favor if you allow them to return to My presence soon, after reaping

the consequences of their transgression."

 

After hearing with wide-open ears, the Lord's extremely humble and

beautiful speech, which was difficult to comprehend due to its profound

import, the Kumaras pondered over its meaning for some time. Although the

sages could not understand the Lord's actual intention, a thrill passed

through their bodies due to the delight of simply beholding Him.

Understanding their fault in cursing the Lord's faultless servants, the

Kumaras said, "O Lord, we cannot understand Your plans, for You have spoken

as if we had done something good for You. Your adoration of the brahmanas is

meant to teach others, for it is You who are the supreme worshipable Deity."

"O Lord, whatever punishment You wish to award to these two innocent

persons, or to us, we shall accept without duplicity."

 

The Lord replied, "O brahmanas, I have already ordained the

punishment that you inflicted upon Jaya and Vijay, and thus they will have

to accept birth in a demoniac family. But, by concentration of their minds

upon Me in anger, they will always remain connected with Me, and soon

thereafter, they will return to My abode."

 

It is to be understood that the Lord Himself engineered the cursing

of Jaya and Vijaya. Ordinarily, there is no possibility that the Kumaras

could become so angry, that the Lord could neglect His gatekeepers, or that

anyone could return to the material world after reaching Vaikuntha.

Sometimes, the Lord desires to fight, and because there are no enemies in

Vaikuntha, He incarnates into the material world for this purpose. The Lord

only likes to perform His pastimes along with His associates, however, and

so He chooses a devotee to play the part of His enemy. Then, after making a

temporary show of fighting, the Lord recalls His devotee to the spiritual

world.

 

Thereafter, the four Kumaras circumambulated the Lord, offered their

obeisances, and departed from the gates of Vaikuntha.

The Lord then ordered Jaya and Vijaya, "Depart from here, but do not be

afraid. I could have nullified the brahmanas' curse, but I chose not to do

so. Lakshmi, whom you had once stopped at the gate while I was sleeping,

already predicted your fall. Although seven births in the material world are

your designated punishment, I want you to accept three demoniac births

instead. By practicing mystic yoga in anger, you will become quickly

cleansed of your sinful reactions, and thus be able to return to Me in a

very short time."

 

After saying this, the Lord departed, and Jaya and Vijaya, who had

become morose and pale because of the brahmanas' curse, fell down from

Vaikuntha. As they were falling, the Kumaras reassured them that after three

demoniac births, they would once again return to Vaikuntha. The demigods,

who were observing all of this from their celestial airplanes, let out a

great roar of disappointment, and thereafter, Jaya and Vijaya entered Diti's

womb, after being covered by Kashyapa's powerful semen.

 

Lord Brahma then concluded by informing the demigods, "It is the

prowess of these twin demons that has disturbed you, by minimizing your own

potency. I have no remedy for this situation, however, for all of this is

taking place by the desire of the Lord. Rest assured that the Supreme Lord

will come to our rescue, and so do not bother to speculate any longer about

the dense darkness that is covering all directions."

 

After hearing this, the demigods became relieved from their fear and

returned to their respective abodes. Meanwhile, after bearing her embryos

for one hundred years, Diti gave birth to twin sons who were great demons.

At this time, there were many fearful natural disturbances, such as

earthquakes, and raging fires were seen burning everywhere. The inauspicious

planets, such as Saturn and Mars, outshone the auspicious ones like Venus

and Jupiter; and comets, meteors and thunderbolts appeared in the sky.

Fierce winds made a displeasing hissing noise and uprooted great trees; and

due to the covering of clouds, all became shrouded in darkness. The ocean

became highly agitated, and all of the lotuses that grew within the rivers

and lakes withered.

 

Solar and lunar eclipses occurred repeatedly, and from the mountain

caves came sounds like the rattling of chariots. She-jackals vomited fire

while crying out ominously, and asses ran here and there in herds, striking

the earth with their hard hooves and braying loudly. Being frightened by the

braying asses, birds flew shrieking from their nests, and cows passed stool

and urine due to fear. Indeed, the terrified cows yielded blood instead of

milk, and the clouds rained puss instead of water. The deities in the

temples shed tears, and trees fell down even though there were no gusts of

wind.

 

Upon seeing all of these evil omens, everyone except the four

Kumaras became seized by fear. Not knowing about the fall of Jaya and Vijaya

and their subsequent birth as demons, everyone thought that the dissolution

of the universe was at hand.

 

Kashyapa named the first-born, who was formerly Jaya, Hiranyaksha

and the one who was conceived first, who was formerly Vijaya, was named

Hiranyakashipu. Soon after their birth, the demoniac twins exhibited

uncommon bodily features, and their steel-like frames became so tall that

they seemed to touch the sky. Indeed, they blocked the view in all

directions, and as they walked, the earth shook with every step.

 

After performing great austerities, Hiranyakashipu received

benedictions from Lord Brahma, and as a result, he became unafraid of death

and very proud. Being most powerful, Hiranyakashipu was able to bring the

entire three worlds under his control. His brother, Hiranyaksha, had also

received Brahma's benediction of near-immortality, and so he became

similarly powerful and conceited.

 

To satisfy his elder brother, Hiranyaksha took his club and began to

travel all over the universe, with a fighting spirit. Because no one was

able to kill him due to Brahma's benediction, even the demigods fearfully

hid upon seeing Hiranyaksha, just as snakes hide out of fear of Garuda.

 

When Hiranyaksha thus saw Indraloka vacant, he roared loudly,

understanding that the demigods had admitted defeat without even fighting.

After returning from heaven, Hiranyaksha sportingly dove deep into the

ocean, and upon seeing him, all of the great aquatics panicked and fled.

Finally, after moving about in the ocean for many years, Hiranyaksha reached

Vibhavari, Varuna's capital. Just to make fun of the lord of the waters,

Hiranyaksha fell at his feet and smilingly begged, "Give me battle, O

supreme lord!"

 

Upon seeing Hiranyaksha's arrogance, Varuna became enraged. Still,

he curbed his anger by means of intelligence and replied, "O dear one, I

have given up fighting because I am too old. You are so skilled in battle

that I can see no one else but the most ancient person, Lord Vishnu, who can

satisfy you."

 

"O chief of the Daityas, I suggest that you approach Him, and thus

become rid of your pride by lying down dead upon the battlefield, surrounded

by carnivorous animals."

 

Without paying any more heed to Varuna, Hiranyaksha departed. Then,

when he happened to meet the great sage Narada, the demon learned the

whereabouts of the Supreme Lord. After once again entering the depths of the

ocean, Hiranyaksha saw the all-powerful Supreme Lord in His boar incarnation

bearing the earth upwards, while keeping her on the ends of His tusks.

Upon seeing the Lord, the demon laughingly exclaimed, "An amphibious beast!

O best of the demigods, dressed in the form of a boar, the earth belongs to

us, the inhabitants of the lower regions, and so I cannot allow You to take

it away from my presence. You rascal! Today I shall enliven my kinsmen by

killing You. When You fall down dead with Your skull smashed by my mace, the

demigods and rishis who offer You oblations in sacrifice will also cease to

be, just like a tree that can no longer live without roots."

 

Although the Lord was certainly pained to hear such abusive

language, He tolerated it so that He could continue carrying the earth,

which had become very frightened.

 

As Lord Varaha rose out of the water, Hiranyaksha chased Him and

roared, "Are You not ashamed of Yourself for running away after being

challenged by an adversary? There is nothing that is reproachable for

shameless creatures like You!"

 

Despite these harsh words, Lord Varaha calmly placed the earth upon

the surface of the water and then empowered her with the capacity to float.

At this time, Lord Brahma and the other demigods praised the Lord for His

wonderful act of lifting up the earth, and they showered flowers upon Him.

Then, to express His terrible anger, the Lord replied, "Indeed, We are

creatures of the jungle and are searching for hunting dogs like you. One who

is freed from the entanglement of death has no fear from the loose talk in

which you are indulging, for you are bound up by the laws of death. Now,

give up your foolish talk and attempt to kill Me. One may be very proud, but

he does not deserve a seat in an assembly if he fails to fulfill his

promise."

 

Being thus challenged, Hiranyaksha became very angry and agitated,

and his whole body began to tremble. While hissing indignantly, the demon

sprang at the Lord and tried to strike Him with his powerful mace. By moving

aside, however, the Lord dodged the blow, and then with His own mace, He

attempted to smash Hiranyaksha's forehead. Being an expert fighter, the

demon blocked the blow with his own mace, however, and thereafter, a fierce

encounter took place.

 

As both combatants struck one another repeatedly with their strong

clubs, the smell of blood that flowed from their wounds made them more and

more furious. Being very eager for victory, both the Lord and the demon

exhibited wonderful maneuvers, so that the battle looked like a contest

between two powerful bulls for the sake of a cow.

 

Lord Brahma had been staying in the sky, along with all of the

demigods and celestial rishis, so that he could witness the terrible fight

that was being waged for the sake of the earth. Becoming somewhat anxious,

he addressed Lord Varaha, "My dear Lord, Hiranyaksha has always oppressed

the demigods, brahmanas, cows and other innocent creatures. There is no need

for You to play with this serpentine demon any longer, for he is very

skilled in utilizing mystic powers, and he is most arrogant and wicked."

"My dear infallible Lord, please kill him before the demoniac hour of

twilight arrives and thus increases his strength. The auspicious period

called abhijit began at noon and has almost passed. Therefore, please

dispose of Your formidable enemy quickly and thus establish peace within the

world."

 

In response, the Lord heartily laughed, while at the same time He

accepted Brahma's prayers with a glance that was laden with love. Then, as

Hiranyaksha fearlessly stood nearby, Lord Varaha suddenly sprang at him

while aiming His mace at the demon's chin.

 

Hiranyaksha blocked the blow with his own mace, however, and as a

result, the Lord's club slipped from His hand. That blazing mace looked

splendid while whirling around and around as it fell, and a great cry of

alarm arose from the onlooking demigods and rishis. Still, even though he

had an excellent opportunity to strike his unarmed foe, Hiranyaksha

respected the etiquette for single-combat by refraining from doing so.

This kindled the Lord's fury even more, however, and He invoked His

Sudarshana chakra. As this wonderful disc revolved in the Lord's hand, while

He was at close quarters with His enemy, the demigods and rishis exclaimed,

"May victory be Yours!Dispatch him at once!Don't play with the demon

any longer!"

 

Seeing Lord Varaha before him with the Sudarshana chakra in His hand,

Hiranyaksha resentfully bit his lip and began to hiss like a serpent. Then,

that great demon with fearful tusks suddenly sprang into the air while

wielding his club, and while doing so, he shouted, "You are slain!"

 

As Hiranyaksha tried to strike Him, Lord Varaha playfully kicked the

mace from his hand with His left foot and then said, "Pick up your weapon,

since you are so eager to conquer Me."

 

Being so challenged, Hiranyaksha picked up his mace and then hurled it

impetuously while roaring loudly. Without even flinching, however, Lord

Varaha easily caught the mace in His hand, and so the demon felt greatly

humiliated. Being reluctant to take back his weapon when the Lord offered it

to him, Hiranyaksha instead picked up a flaming trident and violently hurled

it. As the trident blazed brightly while soaring through the sky, Lord

Varaha tore it to pieces by releasing His Sudarshana chakra. At this, the

demon became more enraged, and while letting out a loud roar, he rushed at

Lord Varaha impetuously. After striking the Lord on the chest with his hard

fist, Hiranyaksha immediately disappeared.

 

The Lord was not disturbed in the least by the blow, however, any more

than an elephant would feel hurt being struck by a flower garland.

Thereafter, Hiranyaksha employed many conjuring tricks against the Lord, Who

is Yogeshvara, and all who saw the magical display thought that the

dissolution of the universe was at hand.

 

Fierce winds began blowing and the dust that was raised created

darkness in all directions. Torrents of stones fell from the sky, along with

showers of puss, hair, blood, stool, urine and bones- accompanied by

lightning and thunder. Mountains discharged various weapons, and naked

demonesses with their hair hanging loose suddenly appeared, carrying

tridents. Hosts of Yakshas and Rakshasas were heard uttering cruel and

savage slogans as they marched on foot or rode upon horses, elephants and

chariots.

 

By releasing His Sudarshana chakra, however, the Lord was able to

dispel all of these illusions, and at that moment, a shudder of terror

passed through Diti's heart. While recalling the words of her husband, blood

began to flow from her breasts.

 

When Hiranyaksha saw that his magical creations had been dispelled,

he once again made himself visible. In a fit of rage, he tried to crush the

Lord within his arms as a last resort. But, to his great surprise, after

trying to grab the Lord, the demon found that He was still outside the

circle of his arms. Then, as Hiranyaksha angrily struck Him with his fists,

Lord Varaha slapped him indifferently at the root of the ear, making him

stagger backwards. With his eyeballs bulging out of their sockets, his hair

scattered, and his limbs broken, the great demon fell down dead, like an

uprooted tree.

 

Lord Brahma and the other demigods quickly arrived at that spot, to see

the slain body of the demon close up. Still biting his lip, Hiranyaksha's

bodily luster had not faded, in spite of the absence of the soul, because

the Lord's lotus foot remained touching it.

Lord Brahma admiringly said, "Oh, who could meet with such a blessed death?

This fortunate demon was struck by the lotus foot of the Lord, upon Whom

yogis meditate in mystic trance in the hopes of gaining liberation from

their unreal, material bodies."

 

Thereafter, the demigods expressed their great appreciation for the

Lord's having assumed His Varaha form and relieving them of their agonizing

fear of the demon. After receiving the demigods' praises, the Lord returned

to His own abode in the spiritual world, where there is always an

uninterrupted festival going on.

 

Suta Gosvami concluded his narration by saying, "O brahmanas, anyone

who hears, chants, or takes pleasure in the wonderful description of Lord

Varaha's killing of Hiranyaksha is at once relieved from the results of all

kinds of sinful activities, including the killing of a brahmana."