Wrath of the Demons
After
defeating the demons, the devas, led by Indra, claimed every treasure that had
emerged from the cosmic sea. Rising up to the heavens, Swarga, they became
rulers of the cosmos. They warmed the earth, ushered in light and rain, made
the tides rise, the moon wax and day dawn.
The
asuras meanwhile sulked in Patala, the murky realm under the earth and sea.
Angry and bitter, they took an oath, "We will oppose the gods in every way
we can: what they generate, we will destroy. If they spread light, we will
extend darkness. If they support life, we will stifle it."
They
began attacking the gods every day, every month, every year, every aeon, their
victory causing winter to arrive, the tides to fall, the moon to wane and the
sun to set.
The
gods fought back.
The
unending battles of devas and asuras, the successes followed by failures, gave
Nature its cyclical rhythm.
Madhu and Kaitabha
Two
demons, Madhu and Kaitabha, decided to attack Brahma and arrest the creative
process.
They
climbed up the lotus stalk that emerged from Vishnu's navel and made their way
to the seat of the creator. But Vishnu divined their intentioned. He grabbed
them, placed them on his thighs, crushed them to death, and smeared their fat
over earth, making it rich and fertile.
Namuchi and Vritra
When
Namuchi, the demon of darkness, locked away light in his fortress, and Vritra,
the demon of drought, locked away moisture, the earth became dry, dark and
barren plants withered, animals died.
Indra,
king of the gods, tried subduing the two demons but failed. "These demons
can only be killed by weapons that are neither solid nor liquid,"
disclosed Brahma.
Vishnu
immediately collected the foam of the sea that is neither solid nor liquid and
fashioned out of it the vajra, a weapon as powerful as a bolt of thunder.
Indra
used this magnificent weapon first to kill Namuchi and then Vritra. He razed
their fortresses to the ground, bringing light and moisture back into the
world.
Grateful
for Vishnu's timely help, Indra called him Upendra, his brother, friend and
guide.
Death of Mura
Mura,
the asura, had acquired the power to kill anyone by his mere touch. So he stood
before the gates of Amravati, city of the gods, and challenged Indra to a duel.
"I
cannot fight him. If he touches me, I will die," said Indra, trembling
with fear.
"I
will fight him then," said Vishnu, striding out to face the demon. Looking
straight into Mura's eyes,Vishnu smiled and said, "Why are you so scared?
I won't bite."
"I
am not scared," growled Mura, piqued by Vishnu's words.
"Then
why are you perspiring so much?" asked Vishnu.
"I
am not perspiring at all." "Yes, you are."
"No,
I am not." So saying Mura rubbed his forehead to prove there was not a
drop of sweat on his body. As soon as Mura touched himself, he choked and died.
Hiranyakashipu's Immortality
Hiranyakashipu
decided to get a boon that would make it impossible for anyone, even Vishnu, to
kill him.
He
appeased Brahma who declared, "No man or beast can kill Hiranyakashipu in
daylight or in the dark, within or without a house."
Secured
by this boon, the demon-king launched an attack on the heavens, defeated the
gods and wrested control of the cosmos, plunging it into darkness.
Narasintha Rescues Prahlada
Hiranyakashipu
forbade the very mention of Vishnu's name in his realm. But he could not stop
his own son Prahlada from chanting, "Narayana-Narayana."
Torture
had no effect on Prahlada devotion.
Exasperated,
Hiranyakashipu screeched, "Where can I find Vishnu? I shall kill him and
end your obsession once and for all."
Prahlada
said, "He is everywhere, even in the pillars of your palace."
Hiranyakashipu
smote a pillar. From within emerged a magnificent monster that was neither man
nor beast. It was Vishnu in the form of Narasimha the ferocious man-lion!
Roaring
lustily, Narasimha pounced upon Hiranyakashipu, dragged him to the palace threshold
that is neither inside a dwelling nor outside. There, at twilight, which is
neither day nor night; he ripped open the demon's belly, pulled out his heart
and drank his blood.
Thus
did Vishnu outwit the demon who tried outwitting death.
Vishnu Beheaded
Once,
the seven cosmic seers, the sapta-rishis, keepers of sacred wisdom, visited
Amravati and found Vishnu sitting beside Indra.
Saluting
Vishnu, they said, "Without your support the gods are powerless against
the demons. You are greater than the gods."
This
comment of the sages upset the devas. Jealous of Vishnu's prowess and rising
fame, they decided to kill him.
They
found Vishnu deep in thought resting his chin on his bow. Turning into
termites, they chewed the taut bowstring until it snapped. The bowshaft
straightened with such force that it slashed Vishnu's head off.
Horse-headed Vishnu
Without
Vishnu, there was no one to stop the demons from stealing the sacred Vedas and
mutilating its verses.
Saraswati,
goddess of knowledge, cursed the gods who had harmed Vishnu. Ashamed of their
conduct, consumed by guilt, the devas decided to resurrect their benefactor.
They
found Vishnu's body but not his head.
Vishnu's
head had, unknown to them, become one with the sun, his long hair turning into
rays of light. "Find another head," said Indra.
The
devas placed the head of a horse on Vishnu's body and brought him back to life.
The
horse-headed Vishnu, Hayagriva, defeated the demons and restored the Vedas to
Saraswati who chose Vishnu as her eternal guardian.
Alms from Bali
Everyone
loved, respected and obeyed Bali. In time, however, the adoration of his
subjects and his absolute power inflated his ego. "I am lord of the three
worlds. I can give anyone anything they want," he declared pompously.
"If
you are so rich, can you give me three paces of land?" asked Vishnu,
approaching Bali as Vamana, the dwarf.
"Is
that all you want? Take it," said Bali.
Vamana Blinds Shukra
"What
harm could this little one do?" argued Bali, picking up his kamandalu to
pour water into Vamana's hand.
Once
Bali poured water into Vamana's hand, Bali could not, by law, go back on his
word. Knowing this, Shukra reduced himself in size, entered Bali's water-pot
and blocked its snout with his head.
When
water did not come out of the pot, Vamana divined Shukra's intentions.
"There must be a choke in the snout," said Vamana to Bali, "Let
me remove it."
Vamana
pushed a blade of grass into the water-pot and gouged out one of Shukra's eyes.
The demon-priest leapt out of the kamandalu howling in agony.
Water
then poured freely into Vamana's hand and he obtained from Bali full rights
over all the land he could cover in three strides.
Two Steps of Vamana
With
one step Vamana claimed the heavens striding with ease across all the stars and
planets of the astral realm.
The gods
washed the lord's feet with the waters of Ganga, the celestial river, which was
brought down to the world of man when Vamana took his second step to claim the
earth.
Bali
was overwhelmed by humility when he saw the lord's foot stretching across every
horizon, overshadowing tall hills and vast plains.
Third Step of Vamana
Vishnu's
foot on Bali's head had crushed his ego, granted him salvation and transformed
him into a divine demon.
Mankind
mourned Bali i though a demon, his reign marked a period of peace and
prosperity. For the benefit of mankind, Vishnu declared, "Once a year,
after the rains, Bali shall rise from Patala. With him will rise the bounty of earth?"
This temporary ascent of Bali during harvest-time is a time of festivity and
joy, celebrated as Onam in Kerala and as Diwali in the rest of India.
Vishnu, the God of Gods
Vishnu
had done the impossible. He had conquered the cosmos not by war, but by taking
three steps! This conqueror of the three worlds, Trivikrama, was no ordinary
god: he was god of gods, master of the universe- Jagannatha.
Gods,
demons and humans saluted this great divinity.
Vaikuntha,
the highest heaven that stands above Swarga became Vishnu's abode, whence he
oversaw the welfare of the world, descending from time to time in various forms
to battle forces that threatened harmony and order.
Writer
– Devdutt Pattanaik
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