॥ ॐ नमो भगवते वासुदेवाय ॥
Tuesday, 11 October 2022 - III.18 and III.19 - Hiranyaksha fights Lord Varaha and dies after a terrific battle.
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मैत्रेय उवाच
तदेवमाकर्ण्य जलेशभाषितं महामनास्तद्विगणय्य दुर्मद: । हरेर्विदित्वा गतिमङ्ग नारदाद् रसातलं निर्विविशे त्वरान्वित: ॥
ददर्श तत्राभिजितं धराधरं प्रोन्नीयमानावनिमग्रदंष्ट्रया । मुष्णन्तमक्ष्णा स्वरुचोऽरुणश्रिया जहास चाहो वनगोचरो मृग: ॥
आहैनमेह्यज्ञ महीं विमुञ्च नो रसौकसां विश्वसृजेयमर्पिता । न स्वस्ति यास्यस्यनया ममेक्षत: सुराधमासादितसूकराकृते ॥
T: Maitreya continued: The arrogant daitya (literally means son of Diti) Hiranyaksha ignored Varuna’s warning. He hurried to discover from Sage Narada that Vishnu was right then engaged in retrieving Earth from the ocean floor. Hranyaksha also plunged into the ocean and sought out Vishnu. What he saw there was this incredible boar bearing Earth and rising up.
He shouted: “Oh, Vishnu, disguised as a strange animal, a boar, hear me! This Earth has been for us to keep in the netherworld. You cannot take her away without fighting me. I know you have been put up against us by all those gods, but you are only an illusionist and a trickster. Once I kill you, the gods will stop offering their prayers and tributes to you!”
Varaha was provoked but held His cool. However, Earth was frightened. Therefore Varaha placed her safely in a spot, and endowed her with His energy so she would not sink. Then He turned to Hiranyaksha. Hiranyaksha was taunting Him that He was a coward to run away from the battle.
श्रीभगवानुवाच
सत्यं वयं भो वनगोचरा मृगा युष्मद्विधान्मृगये ग्रामसिंहान् । न मृत्युपाशै: प्रतिमुक्तस्य वीरा विकत्थनं तव गृह्णन्त्यभद्र ॥
T: Bhagavan spoke: “Indeed we are creatures of the jungle, and hunt down dogs like you who have swag and confidence until challenged. Know that you are headed towards death. Maybe I have stolen Earth held by you. Give me a fight, and live up to your brag!”
Hiranyaksha shook in anger. Hissing, he sprang on Varaha with his mace and struck hard. Vyasa says the Lord moved in the nick of time and avoided the blow like a Yogi circumvents death (योगारूढ इवान्तकम् ).
Varaha rushed towards Hiranyaksha who was twirling his mace violently. He now struck with His mace, but Hranyaksha stopped it with his own mace. The two began to fight fiercely. Lord Brahma and others had come to witness this great battle.
Brahma told Varaha, “ Dear Lord, stop toying with this demon. He is up to magic tricks and not easily vanquished. My boon has emboldened him and he is now a universal menace. This is the auspicious Muhurta called Abhijit, most opportune for Your victory. So kill him and establish peace.”
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Lord Varaha laughed at Brahma’s words, looking at him kindly. He struck with His mace hard, aiming at Hiranyaksha’s chin. But Hiranyaksha countered Him and in fact, the Lord’s mace slipped from His hand. The onlookers let out a cry of dismay.
Hiranyaksha did not strike at the unarmed Varaha, and won the Lord’s appreciation for his code of conduct in war. Then the Lord took up His Sudarshana chakra.
Many of the onlookers were anxious for the Lord’s victory, not knowing His divine will.
Hiranyaksha did not take to Sudarshana kindly. He leapt up, coming down hard with his mace and striking the Lord, screaming, “You are now dead!”
Varaha playfully knocked down the mace with His left foot, even as it came upon Him with the force of a tempest. The Lord then said: “Take up your weapon and try again, eager as you are to conquer Me.” Challenged by these words, the demon aimed his mace at the Lord and once more loudly roared. When the Lord saw the mace flying toward Him, He stood firmly where He was and caught it with the same ease as Garuda, the king of birds, would seize a serpent. When the Lord offered it back to Hiranyaksha, he was shamefaced and did not take it.
Now Hiranyaksha took up a fiery trident. When hurled, the Lord cut down the trident in an instant with His Sudarshana. Hiranyaksha rushed to the Lord, struck Him on His chest, but did not cause even a grimace. HIranyaksha now disappeared.
As Hiranyaksha unleashed his magic tricks, the onlookers were alarmed, thinking the end of creation was near. Fierce winds began to blow from all directions, spreading darkness, full of dust and hail storms. The sky rained pus, hair, blood, stool, urine and bones. Mountains began to eject weapon projectiles, and strange demonesses appeared. The Lord coolly launched His Sudarshana, which cut down all that magic.
When the demon saw his magic forces dispelled, he once again came into the presence of Varaha. Full of rage, he tried to crush the Lord in an embrace. Unable to get his arms round Him, Hiranyaksha began to rain blows on the Lord. Just at that moment, Varaha gave one blow to the demon just below his left ear. The demon Hranyaksha had a meltdown, his body spun wildly, his eyeballs jumped out of their sockets, his arms and legs shattered, and his golden hair flew in all directions, as he collapsed and died.
Brahma said that the demoniac hero had died at the hands of the Lord, a rare blessing given to Diti’s worthy son, Hiranyaksha.
Lord Sri Hari ended the Varaha incarnation and went away to His abode. All the gods and sages uttered their prayers of gratitude for ending the menace called Hiranyaksha.
The chapter concludes with our being reminded that Vidura was blessed to hear this story of the Adi Varaha incarnation from Maitreya. This story was narrated by Sage Shuka to Parikshit. Again this was recounted by the Suta to the sages in Naimisharanya.
The last two verses are the Phalashruti, saying anyone hearing this sacred account of the Varaha incarnation, the Lila or sport of Bhagavan Sri Maha Vishnu, will be blessed in the here and the hereafter.
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॥ ॐ नमो भगवते वासुदेवाय ॥
