SECTION IX.

SECTION IX.Parāçara said:—"O Maitreya, listen to what I say anent thy question about Sri, as I had heard from Marichi. That Emanation of Sankara—Durvasa—was ranging this Earth. And it came to pass that the sage saw in the hand of a Vidyadhari a celestial garland,—perfumed by which, O Brahmana, that entire forest of Santanakas[201]had become surpassingly charming to the rangers of woods. And it came to pass that on seeing that graceful garland, that mad Vipra practising the vows, asked for the same of that bride of a Vidyadhara. And solicited by him, that slender-framed and large-eyed spouse of a Vidyadhara, saluting him with regard made it over unto him. And thereat, laying the wreath on his head, that Vipra wearing the form of a maniac proceeded to roam about the earth. And then he saw that deity—Sachi's lord—sovereign of the three regions—mounted on the mad Airavata,—approaching along with the celestials. And the ascetic, resembling a mad man, taking from his head that garland, whose odour was maddening six-footed (black-bees), threw it on the sovereign of the celestials. And thereon the king of the immortals, taking the wreath, placed it over the head of Airavata; and thus placed, the same appeared like the Jahnavi on the peak of Kailasa. And it came to pass that the elephant with his eyes blinded by the temporal exudation,—on being assailed by the odour, smelt the perfume with his trunk (raised),—and then cast the same away to the earth. Then was wroth the reverend Durvasa, best of anchorets; and, O Maitreya, being enraged, he spoke unto the sovereign of the celestials, saying,—‘O thou intoxicated with wealth! O wicked of soul! O Vāsava! how art thou puffed up! But inasmuch as thou dost not regard this wreath, which is the abode of Auspiciousness,—and as, bowing down the head, thou hast not, said,—Thy favour!—nor, with thy cheeks beaming with delight, hast thou placed it on thy head,—as, in (brief), thou dost not pay high homage to this garland given by me,—O fool, thy celestial prosperity shall depart from thee. Surely, O Sakra, me thou deemest like other twice-born ones; and therefore, thou thinking immensely of thyself, hast thus slighted me. And as thou hast cast away the wreath given by me to the earth, therefore thy Triune world shall be reft of Auspiciousness. Me whom when wroth the mobile and the immobile fear,—thou, O monarch of the immortals, hast insulted from thy excess of arrogance".[201]A kind of celestial tree.Parāçara said;—"Thereat the great Indra, swiftly alighting from the back of his elephant, propitiated the sinless Durvasa. And propitiated by him with his head humbled, that best of ascetics—Durvasa—answered the thousand-eyed (Deity),—saying,—‘I am not kind of heart; nor doth forgiveness find, a place in me. They, O Sakra, are other ascetics; but know me as Durvasa. Gautama and others have for nothing fostered thy pride. But me thou must know as Durvasa, who is nothing if not unforgiving. And having been hymned aloud by Vasistha and others,—overflowing with clemency, thou hast grown haughty,—and it is for this reason that thou insultest even me in this way. Who is there in all these three regions that beholding the frowning face of mine furnished with flaming matted locks,—can keep off fear; forgive I will not. What then is the use, O thou of an hundred sacrifices, of thy expending much speech. Thou again and again puttest thyself to useless trouble in thus beseeching me".Parāçara said:—Having said this, the Vipra went away. And, O Brahmana, the monarch of the immortals also, mounting Airavata, went to Amaravati. O Maitreya, from that time the three worlds with Sakra became shorn of Auspiciousness, and the glory thereof faded; and sacrifices and medicinal herbs grew feebler. And no sacrifices are performed, and none practiseth asceticism; and none taketh any delight in good works, such as charity. And all men, void of power, came under the masterdom of the senses; and O prime of the regenerate ones, they could not restrain their hearts even in things intrinsically small. Where strength is, there is Prosperity, and strength ever followeth Prosperity. Where is the strength of the inauspicious? And without strength, where are virtues? And without virtues, persons cannot have power, affluence,etc.And those divorced by power and wealth, are; overriden by all. And, when, overruled a person albeit possessed of time, loseth his sense. On the three worlds, shorn of Auspiciousness, being bereft of strength Daityas and Dānavas began to use force against the celestials. And the Daityas, shorn of Auspiciousness and devoid of strength, being overmastered by covetousness, entered upon hostilities with the celestials, having neither Auspiciousness nor strength. And the celestials, Indra and the rest, on being vanquished by the Daityas,—with the god of Fire at their head,—sought the protection of the exceedingly exalted Great-father. And, having been addressed duly by the deities, Brahmā, then spoke unto the celestials. And Brahmā said,—‘Do ye seek the protection of the Supreme of supreme deities, that Lord, the Destroyer of Asuras, the cause of all,—as well as of creation, protection and destruction, the Lord of the lord of creatures—Vishnu; Infinite; the unvanquished; the cause of the unborn Pradhana and Purusha ripe for creation; Him that taketh off the misery of the humble; even Vishnu. He will provide for your welfare.' Having spoken thus unto the assembled celestials, Brahmā—Great father of all—went along with them to the Northern shore of the Milky Ocean. And repairing thither surrounded by all the celestials, the Great-father, with excellent speech eulogized the prime of prime and the master—Hari. And Brahmā said,—"We bow unto thee, who art All and the Lord of all,—who art infinite, unborn and unspent: who art the stay of the worlds, and the prop of the Earth; who art unmanifested and without difference; Nārāyana,—who art the subtlest of all subtile objects: and who art the weightiest of all things weighty on earth; He in whom and from whom are all things that have sprung into existence, commencing withSat: who surpassest the Prime person; and art the Embodiment of the Supreme Spirit; who are contemplated in order to emancipation byYogisdesirous of deliverence; in whom are not Goodness and the rest,—nor the attributes inhereing in Prakriti. May that one pure beyond all things pure—that primaeval Male be propitious (to us)! May that pure Hari, whose power is not tethered tokalā, kāshthā, nimesha, etc., prove propitious (to us)! May He that is styled the Supreme Lord, who is free from all things,—that Vishnu who is the Soul of embodied things,—be propitious (to us)! May that Hari, who is cause as well as effect, who is the cause even of the cause,—who again is, the effect of the effect,—prove propitious to me! We bow down unto Him who is the effect of the effect of the effect,—and who also is Himself the effect of that effect,—and who is the effect of the effect thereof. We bow unto thee who art the foremost of the celestials,—who art the cause of even the cause,—and the cause of the cause of that cause,—and the origin of all these causes combined. We bow down unto that Supreme State which is the creator as well as the created,—and which is at once cause and consequence. We bow unto that Prime State of Vishnu which is pure cognition, which is constant, causeless, undeteriorating and unspent; and which is the unmanifested and unmodified. We bow down unto that Prime and ever pure state of Vishnu, which is not gross and yet not subtile; which cannot be differentiated. We bow unto that undeteriorating one who is the Supreme Brahmā,—and in one of whose Ayuta[202]of Ayuta portions is this cosmic energy established. We bow unto that Prime State of Vishnu—that Supreme Deity—which is not known either to the deities, or the ascetics, or me, or Sankara himself. We bow unto that Suprenje incomprehensible and indestructible State of Vishnu, which, on the exhaustion of their merits and demerits, theYogis, ever perservering, view, grounded in the Pranava.[203]We bow to the Prime State of that God Vishnu, who is without equal, and whose energy is Brahmā, Vishnu and Siva. O Lord of all! O soul of all beings! O thou that art all! O refuge of all! O thou that never fallest off! O Vishnu, be thou propitious! Come thou within the ken of us who are thy devotees". Hearing this invocation of Brahmā, and then the deities, bowing down, said,—"Be propitious! Come thou within the range of our vision? O thou that art in every thing! O thou that never fallest off! O support of the Universe! we bow unto that Prime State which even the reverend Brahmā doth not know". When the deities as well as Brahmā had ended thus, the Devarshis,[204]headed by Vrihaspati,[205]said,—"We bow down unto him—the creator of the cosmos devoid of difference—who is primæval, who is the Sacrificial Person, who is worthy of being extolled, and who is prior in birth to everything. O Worshipful one! O thou that art the Lord of Past and Future! O thou who hast the Universe for thy form! O undeteriorating one! Be propitious; and manifest thyself unto us who humble ourselves. This is Brahmā; and this is Trilochona in[206]Company with the Rudras. And this is the Sun along with the Adityas[207]and this is the God of Fire with Agni. And these are the two Açwinas and the Vasus; and these are the Maruts. And these are the Sidhyas, and these the Viçwas; and these the deities,—and this the Lord Indra of the celestials. O Lord, all the hosts of the celestials, having been routed by the forces of the Daityas, seek shelter at thy hands, standing in humble guise".[202]Ten thousand.[203]A designation ofOm, for which see before.[204]Lit.—celestial saints—an order of saints.[205]The preceptor of the deities.[206]Litthree-eyed—a name of Siva.[207]Suns keeping company with the Sun proper, who presides over them.Parāçara said:—O Maitreya, thus hymned (by the deities), that reverend one—the holder of the conch and discus—that Supreme Lord—rendered himself visible unto them. And seeing then that holder of the conch, discus, and mace, that abode of wonderful grace,—a very mass of energy,—the deities, with the Great-father at their head, bowing down in humble guise, with their eyes quivering with agitation, began to hymn Pundarikāksha. And the celestials said,—"Salutation! Salutation unto thee! O thou that art without difference! Thou art Brahmā, and thou art the holder of Pināka.[208]Thou art Indra, and Agni and Pavana,[209]and Varuna, and the Sun, and Yama. And the Vasus, and the Maruts, and the Sādhyas, and the Viçwa gods thou. And, O god, those deities that have come unto thee are even thyself, who art the creator of the Universe,—since thou art in everything. Thou art sacrifice, and thou Vashatkāra, and thou Prajāpati. And, O soul of all, thou art knowable and unknowable; and this entire universe is permeated with thee. O Vishnu, worsted by the Daityas, we seek refuge of thee. O Soul of all, be propitious unto us; and do thou favour us by vouchsafing us thy energy. So long affliction lasts, so long the desire of defeating the foe agitates the heart, as long doth stupor last and so long is misery experienced,—as one doth not throw one's self on thy protection, O thou that destroyest all sins. Therefore, O thou of complacent soul, do thou extend thy grace unto us. O master of all energy, do thou favour us with thy own power".[208]The bow, or the Trident of Siva.[209]The Wind-god.Parāçara said:—"Thus eulogised by the immortals, that creator of the cosmos—the worshipful Hari—casting a complacent glance, spoke (as follows). And the auspicious reverend One said,—‘Ye gods, I shall increase your power. Let the deities do as I say. Bring in company with the Daityas all the medicinal plants to the shore of the Ocean of milk, and making Mandāra the churning-stick and Vāsuki the cord, let the deities churn (the Ocean) for ambrosia, I assisting them. And concluding peace with the progeny of the Daitya's, ye should enlist their services in this task; and tell them,—Ye shall in common with us reap the fruit of this undertaking. And on the sea being churned, ye should by drinking the nectar that will come up, attain access of strength and be immortal to boot. And, ye gods, I shall so order that the enemies of the celestials shall not get ambrosia,—but shall only undergo all the trouble".Parāçara said:—Thus addressed by the god of gods, all the celestials, concluding peace with the Asuras, set about churning for ambrosia. And procuring various medicinal herbs, the deities, the offspring of the Daityas, and the Dānavas,—throwing the same into the waters of the ocean of milk, resembling autumnal clouds,—and O Maitreya, making Mandāra the churning-stick and Vāsuki the twine,—at once addressed themselves to churning for ambrosia. And instructed by Krishna, the gods in a body held that (part of Vāsuki's body) where the tail was, and the Daityas held by the fore-part of his body. And, O thou of measureless Splendour, the Asuras, smitten with the fire sprung from the breath of Vāsuki's hood, became enfeebled. And clouds scattered by the breath issuing from Vāsuki's mouth, showering down at his tail, the deities were enlivened. And, O mighty ascetic, remaining in the midst of the Milky sea in the shape of a tortoise, the revered Hari himself became the support of the churning-stick. And the holder of the discus and mace, remaining in one form in the midst of the immortals, and in another, in the midst of the Daityas,—began to pull the king of serpents. And, O Maitreya, in another gigantic form, Keçava pulled the mountain upwards,—which form was seen neither of the celestials nor the Asuras. And Hari obliged with energy the king of serpents; and the Lord invigorated the immortals with another energy. And on the milky-sea being churned by the celestials and the Asuras, first came into existence Surabhi, worshipped of the celestials,—home of clarified butter. And thereat both the deities and the Dānavas experienced very great delight, O great ascetic; and with their minds attracted, they steadily gazed at her. And as the Siddhas were questioning within themselves,—"What is this?"—out came the exalted Vāruni, with her eyes rolling in consequence of intoxication. And then perfuming the universe with odor, from forth a whirlpool of the Milky-sea arose Pārijāta—the tree in which the celestial females delight. And then, O Maitreya, from the Milky-occan arose numbers of Apsarās, wonderful exceedingly, and furnished with grace and nobility. And then sprang the Mild-rayed one;[210]and Maheçwara appropriated him. And the serpents appropriated the poison that sprang from the Milky-sea. And then arose the divine Dhanwantari;[211]clad in white raiment, bearing a Kamandalu[212]filled with nectar. And thereat, O Maitreya, all the Daityas' sons and the Dānavas, along with the ascetics, felt delighted. And then from the water arose the exalted Sri, endowed with excellent grace,—seated on a blown lotus, and carrying also a lotus in her hand. And filled with delight, her hymned the mighty saints with theSrī Sukta;[213]and the Gandharvas, headed by Viçwāvasu, began to chant before her. And, O Brāhmana, bevies of Apsarās—Ghritāchi and others—began to dance, and the rivers—Gangā and the rest—came with water, for bathing her. And an elephant of one of the cardinal points, taking water out of the golden vessels, bathed that goddess—the mighty Mistress of all the worlds. And the Milky-sea, assuming a form, presented her with a wreath of unfading lotuses; and Viswakarmā decked her person with ornaments. And wearing divine garlands and attire, bathed and adorned with ornament, she in the sight of all the celestials sought the bosom of Hari, And on being gazed at by the goddess Lakshmi remaining in Hari's bosom, the celestials, O Maitreya, suddenly 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 andNistrinsas.[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 theVārttā; 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 theyogis. 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."[210]Himansu—name of the Moon.[211]The Esculapius of the Hindus.[212]A vessel so named.[213]A hymn of the Rig Veda.[214]A scimitar—a sacrificial knife.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.'"[215]Lit.—the performer of an hundred sacrifices. It is a name of Indra.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 onKhyati. 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 quarrelsomeAlakshmi,[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".[216]Another name of Vishnu.[217]The genius of ill-luck,

Parāçara said:—"O Maitreya, listen to what I say anent thy question about Sri, as I had heard from Marichi. That Emanation of Sankara—Durvasa—was ranging this Earth. And it came to pass that the sage saw in the hand of a Vidyadhari a celestial garland,—perfumed by which, O Brahmana, that entire forest of Santanakas[201]had become surpassingly charming to the rangers of woods. And it came to pass that on seeing that graceful garland, that mad Vipra practising the vows, asked for the same of that bride of a Vidyadhara. And solicited by him, that slender-framed and large-eyed spouse of a Vidyadhara, saluting him with regard made it over unto him. And thereat, laying the wreath on his head, that Vipra wearing the form of a maniac proceeded to roam about the earth. And then he saw that deity—Sachi's lord—sovereign of the three regions—mounted on the mad Airavata,—approaching along with the celestials. And the ascetic, resembling a mad man, taking from his head that garland, whose odour was maddening six-footed (black-bees), threw it on the sovereign of the celestials. And thereon the king of the immortals, taking the wreath, placed it over the head of Airavata; and thus placed, the same appeared like the Jahnavi on the peak of Kailasa. And it came to pass that the elephant with his eyes blinded by the temporal exudation,—on being assailed by the odour, smelt the perfume with his trunk (raised),—and then cast the same away to the earth. Then was wroth the reverend Durvasa, best of anchorets; and, O Maitreya, being enraged, he spoke unto the sovereign of the celestials, saying,—‘O thou intoxicated with wealth! O wicked of soul! O Vāsava! how art thou puffed up! But inasmuch as thou dost not regard this wreath, which is the abode of Auspiciousness,—and as, bowing down the head, thou hast not, said,—Thy favour!—nor, with thy cheeks beaming with delight, hast thou placed it on thy head,—as, in (brief), thou dost not pay high homage to this garland given by me,—O fool, thy celestial prosperity shall depart from thee. Surely, O Sakra, me thou deemest like other twice-born ones; and therefore, thou thinking immensely of thyself, hast thus slighted me. And as thou hast cast away the wreath given by me to the earth, therefore thy Triune world shall be reft of Auspiciousness. Me whom when wroth the mobile and the immobile fear,—thou, O monarch of the immortals, hast insulted from thy excess of arrogance".

Parāçara said;—"Thereat the great Indra, swiftly alighting from the back of his elephant, propitiated the sinless Durvasa. And propitiated by him with his head humbled, that best of ascetics—Durvasa—answered the thousand-eyed (Deity),—saying,—‘I am not kind of heart; nor doth forgiveness find, a place in me. They, O Sakra, are other ascetics; but know me as Durvasa. Gautama and others have for nothing fostered thy pride. But me thou must know as Durvasa, who is nothing if not unforgiving. And having been hymned aloud by Vasistha and others,—overflowing with clemency, thou hast grown haughty,—and it is for this reason that thou insultest even me in this way. Who is there in all these three regions that beholding the frowning face of mine furnished with flaming matted locks,—can keep off fear; forgive I will not. What then is the use, O thou of an hundred sacrifices, of thy expending much speech. Thou again and again puttest thyself to useless trouble in thus beseeching me".

Parāçara said:—Having said this, the Vipra went away. And, O Brahmana, the monarch of the immortals also, mounting Airavata, went to Amaravati. O Maitreya, from that time the three worlds with Sakra became shorn of Auspiciousness, and the glory thereof faded; and sacrifices and medicinal herbs grew feebler. And no sacrifices are performed, and none practiseth asceticism; and none taketh any delight in good works, such as charity. And all men, void of power, came under the masterdom of the senses; and O prime of the regenerate ones, they could not restrain their hearts even in things intrinsically small. Where strength is, there is Prosperity, and strength ever followeth Prosperity. Where is the strength of the inauspicious? And without strength, where are virtues? And without virtues, persons cannot have power, affluence,etc.And those divorced by power and wealth, are; overriden by all. And, when, overruled a person albeit possessed of time, loseth his sense. On the three worlds, shorn of Auspiciousness, being bereft of strength Daityas and Dānavas began to use force against the celestials. And the Daityas, shorn of Auspiciousness and devoid of strength, being overmastered by covetousness, entered upon hostilities with the celestials, having neither Auspiciousness nor strength. And the celestials, Indra and the rest, on being vanquished by the Daityas,—with the god of Fire at their head,—sought the protection of the exceedingly exalted Great-father. And, having been addressed duly by the deities, Brahmā, then spoke unto the celestials. And Brahmā said,—‘Do ye seek the protection of the Supreme of supreme deities, that Lord, the Destroyer of Asuras, the cause of all,—as well as of creation, protection and destruction, the Lord of the lord of creatures—Vishnu; Infinite; the unvanquished; the cause of the unborn Pradhana and Purusha ripe for creation; Him that taketh off the misery of the humble; even Vishnu. He will provide for your welfare.' Having spoken thus unto the assembled celestials, Brahmā—Great father of all—went along with them to the Northern shore of the Milky Ocean. And repairing thither surrounded by all the celestials, the Great-father, with excellent speech eulogized the prime of prime and the master—Hari. And Brahmā said,—"We bow unto thee, who art All and the Lord of all,—who art infinite, unborn and unspent: who art the stay of the worlds, and the prop of the Earth; who art unmanifested and without difference; Nārāyana,—who art the subtlest of all subtile objects: and who art the weightiest of all things weighty on earth; He in whom and from whom are all things that have sprung into existence, commencing withSat: who surpassest the Prime person; and art the Embodiment of the Supreme Spirit; who are contemplated in order to emancipation byYogisdesirous of deliverence; in whom are not Goodness and the rest,—nor the attributes inhereing in Prakriti. May that one pure beyond all things pure—that primaeval Male be propitious (to us)! May that pure Hari, whose power is not tethered tokalā, kāshthā, nimesha, etc., prove propitious (to us)! May He that is styled the Supreme Lord, who is free from all things,—that Vishnu who is the Soul of embodied things,—be propitious (to us)! May that Hari, who is cause as well as effect, who is the cause even of the cause,—who again is, the effect of the effect,—prove propitious to me! We bow down unto Him who is the effect of the effect of the effect,—and who also is Himself the effect of that effect,—and who is the effect of the effect thereof. We bow unto thee who art the foremost of the celestials,—who art the cause of even the cause,—and the cause of the cause of that cause,—and the origin of all these causes combined. We bow down unto that Supreme State which is the creator as well as the created,—and which is at once cause and consequence. We bow unto that Prime State of Vishnu which is pure cognition, which is constant, causeless, undeteriorating and unspent; and which is the unmanifested and unmodified. We bow down unto that Prime and ever pure state of Vishnu, which is not gross and yet not subtile; which cannot be differentiated. We bow unto that undeteriorating one who is the Supreme Brahmā,—and in one of whose Ayuta[202]of Ayuta portions is this cosmic energy established. We bow unto that Prime State of Vishnu—that Supreme Deity—which is not known either to the deities, or the ascetics, or me, or Sankara himself. We bow unto that Suprenje incomprehensible and indestructible State of Vishnu, which, on the exhaustion of their merits and demerits, theYogis, ever perservering, view, grounded in the Pranava.[203]We bow to the Prime State of that God Vishnu, who is without equal, and whose energy is Brahmā, Vishnu and Siva. O Lord of all! O soul of all beings! O thou that art all! O refuge of all! O thou that never fallest off! O Vishnu, be thou propitious! Come thou within the ken of us who are thy devotees". Hearing this invocation of Brahmā, and then the deities, bowing down, said,—"Be propitious! Come thou within the range of our vision? O thou that art in every thing! O thou that never fallest off! O support of the Universe! we bow unto that Prime State which even the reverend Brahmā doth not know". When the deities as well as Brahmā had ended thus, the Devarshis,[204]headed by Vrihaspati,[205]said,—"We bow down unto him—the creator of the cosmos devoid of difference—who is primæval, who is the Sacrificial Person, who is worthy of being extolled, and who is prior in birth to everything. O Worshipful one! O thou that art the Lord of Past and Future! O thou who hast the Universe for thy form! O undeteriorating one! Be propitious; and manifest thyself unto us who humble ourselves. This is Brahmā; and this is Trilochona in[206]Company with the Rudras. And this is the Sun along with the Adityas[207]and this is the God of Fire with Agni. And these are the two Açwinas and the Vasus; and these are the Maruts. And these are the Sidhyas, and these the Viçwas; and these the deities,—and this the Lord Indra of the celestials. O Lord, all the hosts of the celestials, having been routed by the forces of the Daityas, seek shelter at thy hands, standing in humble guise".

Parāçara said:—O Maitreya, thus hymned (by the deities), that reverend one—the holder of the conch and discus—that Supreme Lord—rendered himself visible unto them. And seeing then that holder of the conch, discus, and mace, that abode of wonderful grace,—a very mass of energy,—the deities, with the Great-father at their head, bowing down in humble guise, with their eyes quivering with agitation, began to hymn Pundarikāksha. And the celestials said,—"Salutation! Salutation unto thee! O thou that art without difference! Thou art Brahmā, and thou art the holder of Pināka.[208]Thou art Indra, and Agni and Pavana,[209]and Varuna, and the Sun, and Yama. And the Vasus, and the Maruts, and the Sādhyas, and the Viçwa gods thou. And, O god, those deities that have come unto thee are even thyself, who art the creator of the Universe,—since thou art in everything. Thou art sacrifice, and thou Vashatkāra, and thou Prajāpati. And, O soul of all, thou art knowable and unknowable; and this entire universe is permeated with thee. O Vishnu, worsted by the Daityas, we seek refuge of thee. O Soul of all, be propitious unto us; and do thou favour us by vouchsafing us thy energy. So long affliction lasts, so long the desire of defeating the foe agitates the heart, as long doth stupor last and so long is misery experienced,—as one doth not throw one's self on thy protection, O thou that destroyest all sins. Therefore, O thou of complacent soul, do thou extend thy grace unto us. O master of all energy, do thou favour us with thy own power".

Parāçara said:—"Thus eulogised by the immortals, that creator of the cosmos—the worshipful Hari—casting a complacent glance, spoke (as follows). And the auspicious reverend One said,—‘Ye gods, I shall increase your power. Let the deities do as I say. Bring in company with the Daityas all the medicinal plants to the shore of the Ocean of milk, and making Mandāra the churning-stick and Vāsuki the cord, let the deities churn (the Ocean) for ambrosia, I assisting them. And concluding peace with the progeny of the Daitya's, ye should enlist their services in this task; and tell them,—Ye shall in common with us reap the fruit of this undertaking. And on the sea being churned, ye should by drinking the nectar that will come up, attain access of strength and be immortal to boot. And, ye gods, I shall so order that the enemies of the celestials shall not get ambrosia,—but shall only undergo all the trouble".

Parāçara said:—Thus addressed by the god of gods, all the celestials, concluding peace with the Asuras, set about churning for ambrosia. And procuring various medicinal herbs, the deities, the offspring of the Daityas, and the Dānavas,—throwing the same into the waters of the ocean of milk, resembling autumnal clouds,—and O Maitreya, making Mandāra the churning-stick and Vāsuki the twine,—at once addressed themselves to churning for ambrosia. And instructed by Krishna, the gods in a body held that (part of Vāsuki's body) where the tail was, and the Daityas held by the fore-part of his body. And, O thou of measureless Splendour, the Asuras, smitten with the fire sprung from the breath of Vāsuki's hood, became enfeebled. And clouds scattered by the breath issuing from Vāsuki's mouth, showering down at his tail, the deities were enlivened. And, O mighty ascetic, remaining in the midst of the Milky sea in the shape of a tortoise, the revered Hari himself became the support of the churning-stick. And the holder of the discus and mace, remaining in one form in the midst of the immortals, and in another, in the midst of the Daityas,—began to pull the king of serpents. And, O Maitreya, in another gigantic form, Keçava pulled the mountain upwards,—which form was seen neither of the celestials nor the Asuras. And Hari obliged with energy the king of serpents; and the Lord invigorated the immortals with another energy. And on the milky-sea being churned by the celestials and the Asuras, first came into existence Surabhi, worshipped of the celestials,—home of clarified butter. And thereat both the deities and the Dānavas experienced very great delight, O great ascetic; and with their minds attracted, they steadily gazed at her. And as the Siddhas were questioning within themselves,—"What is this?"—out came the exalted Vāruni, with her eyes rolling in consequence of intoxication. And then perfuming the universe with odor, from forth a whirlpool of the Milky-sea arose Pārijāta—the tree in which the celestial females delight. And then, O Maitreya, from the Milky-occan arose numbers of Apsarās, wonderful exceedingly, and furnished with grace and nobility. And then sprang the Mild-rayed one;[210]and Maheçwara appropriated him. And the serpents appropriated the poison that sprang from the Milky-sea. And then arose the divine Dhanwantari;[211]clad in white raiment, bearing a Kamandalu[212]filled with nectar. And thereat, O Maitreya, all the Daityas' sons and the Dānavas, along with the ascetics, felt delighted. And then from the water arose the exalted Sri, endowed with excellent grace,—seated on a blown lotus, and carrying also a lotus in her hand. And filled with delight, her hymned the mighty saints with theSrī Sukta;[213]and the Gandharvas, headed by Viçwāvasu, began to chant before her. And, O Brāhmana, bevies of Apsarās—Ghritāchi and others—began to dance, and the rivers—Gangā and the rest—came with water, for bathing her. And an elephant of one of the cardinal points, taking water out of the golden vessels, bathed that goddess—the mighty Mistress of all the worlds. And the Milky-sea, assuming a form, presented her with a wreath of unfading lotuses; and Viswakarmā decked her person with ornaments. And wearing divine garlands and attire, bathed and adorned with ornament, she in the sight of all the celestials sought the bosom of Hari, And on being gazed at by the goddess Lakshmi remaining in Hari's bosom, the celestials, O Maitreya, suddenly 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 andNistrinsas.[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 theVārttā; 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 theyogis. 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 onKhyati. 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 quarrelsomeAlakshmi,[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".

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