Mahārāja Parīkṣit inquired: The Supreme Personality of Godhead is the proprietor of everything. Why did He beg three paces of land from Bali Mahārāja like a poor man, and when He got the gift for which He had begged, why did He nonetheless arrest Bali Mahārāja? I am very much anxious to know the mystery of these contradictions. (1-2) Śukadeva Gosvāmī said: O King, when Bali Mahārāja lost all his opulence and died in the fight, Śukrācārya, a descendant of Bhṛgu Muni, brought him back to life. Because of this, the great soul Bali Mahārāja became a disciple of Śukrācārya and began to serve him with great faith, offering everything he had. (3)

The brāhmaṇa descendants of Bhṛgu Muni were very pleased with Bali Mahārāja, who desired to conquer the kingdom of Indra. Therefore, af ter purifying him and properly bathing him ac cording to regulative principles, they engaged him in performing the yajña known as Viśvajit. (4) When ghee [clarified butter] was offered in the fire of sacrifice, there appeared from the fire a celestial chariot covered with gold and silk. There also appeared yellow horses like those of Indra, and a flag marked with a lion. (5) A gilded bow, two quivers of infallible arrows, and celestial armor also appeared. Bali Mahārāja’s grandfather Prahlāda Mahārāja of fered Bali a garland of flowers that would never fade, and Śukrācārya gave him a conchshell. (6)

When Mahārāja Bali had thus performed the special ritualistic ceremony advised by the brāhmaṇas and had received, by their grace, the equipment for fighting, he circumambulated the brāhmaṇas and offered them obeisances. He also saluted Prahlāda Mahārāja and offered obeisances to him. (7) Then, after getting on the chariot given by Śukrācārya, Bali Mahārāja, decorated with a nice garland, put protective ar mor on his body, equipped himself with a bow, and took up a sword and a quiver of arrows. When he sat down on the seat of the chariot, his arms decorated with golden bangles and his ears with sapphire earrings, he shone like a worshipable fire. (8-9)

When he assembled with his own soldiers and the demon chiefs, who were equal to him in strength, opulence and beauty, they appeared as if they would swallow the sky and burn all directions with their vision. After thus gathering the demoniac soldiers, Bali Mahārāja departed for the opulent capital of Indra. Indeed, he seemed to make the entire surface of the world tremble. (10-11) King Indra’s city was full of pleasing or chards and gardens, such as the Nandana gar den. Because of the weight of the flowers, leaves and fruit, the branches of the eternally existing trees were bending down. The gardens were visited by pairs of chirping birds and sing ing bees. The entire atmosphere was celestial. (12) Beautiful women protected by the demi gods sported in the gardens, which had lotus ponds full of swans, cranes, cakravākas and ducks. (13)

The city was surrounded by trenches full of Ganges water, known as Ākāśa gaṅgā, and by a high wall, which was the color of fire. Upon this wall were parapets for fighting. (14) The doors were made of solid gold plates, and the gates were of excellent marble. These were linked by various public roads. The entire city had been constructed by Viśvakarmā. (15) The city was full of court yards, wide roads, assembly houses, and not less than one hundred million airplanes. The crossroads were made of pearl, and there were sitting places made of diamond and coral. (16) Everlastingly beautiful and youthful women, who were dressed with clean garments, glit tered in the city like fires with flames. They all possessed the quality of śyāmā. (17) The breezes blowing in the streets of the city bore the fragrance of the flowers falling from the hair of the women of the demigods. (18)

Apsarās passed on the streets, which were cov ered with the white, fragrant smoke of aguru in cense emanating from windows with golden filigree. (19) The city was shaded by canopies decorated with pearls, and the domes of the pal aces had flags of pearl and gold. The city al ways resounded with the vibrations of pea cocks, pigeons and bees, and above the city flew airplanes full of beautiful women who constantly chanted auspicious songs that were very pleasing to the ear. (20) The city was filled with the sounds of mṛdaṅgas, conchshells, kettledrums, flutes and well-tuned stringed instruments all playing in concert. There was constant dancing and the Gandhar vas sang. The combined beauty of Indrapurī de feated beauty personified. (21)

No one who was sinful, envious, violent toward other living entities, cunning, falsely proud, lusty or greedy could enter that city. The people who lived there were all devoid of these faults. (22) Bali Mahārāja, who was the commander of number less soldiers, gathered his soldiers outside this abode of Indra and attacked it from all direc tions. He sounded the conchshell given him by his spiritual master, Śukrācārya, thus creating a fearful situation for the women protected by In dra. (23) Seeing Bali Mahārāja’s indefatigable en deavor and understanding his motive, King In dra, along with the other demigods, approached his spiritual master, Bṛhaspati, and spoke as follows. (24) My lord, our old enemy Bali Mahārāja now has new enthusiasm, and he has obtained such astonishing power that we think that perhaps we cannot resist his prowess. (25)

No one anywhere can counteract this military arrangement of Bali’s. It now appears that Bali is trying to drink up the entire universe with his mouth, lick up the ten directions with his tongue, and raise fire in every direction with his eyes. Indeed, he has arisen like the annihilating fire known as saṁvartaka. (26) Kindly inform me. What is the cause for Bali Mahārāja’s strength, endeavor, influence and victory? How has he become so enthusiastic? (27) Bṛhaspati, the spiritual master of the demi gods, said: O Indra, I know the cause for your enemy’s becoming so powerful. The brāhmaṇa descendants of Bhṛgu Muni, being pleased by Bali Mahārāja, their disciple, endowed him with such extraordinary power. (28)

Neither you nor your men can conquer the most power ful Bali. Indeed, no one but the Supreme Per sonality of Godhead can conquer him, for he is now equipped with the supreme spiritual power [brahma-tejas]. As no one can stand before Yamarāja, no one can now stand before Bali Mahārāja. (29) Therefore, waiting until the sit uation of your enemies is reversed, you should all leave this heavenly planet and go elsewhere, where you will not be seen. (30) Bali Mahārāja has now become extremely powerful because of the benedictions given him by the brāhmaṇas, but when he later insults the brāhmaṇas, he will be vanquished, along with his friends and assistants. (31)

Śukadeva Gosvāmī continued: The demigods, being thus advised by Bṛhaspati for their benefit, immedi ately accepted his words. Assuming forms ac cording to their desire, they left the heavenly kingdom and scattered, without being observed by the demons. (32) When the demigods had disappeared, Bali Mahārāja, the son of Vi rocana, entered the heavenly kingdom, and from there he brought the three worlds under his control. (33) The brāhmaṇa descendants of Bhṛgu, being very pleased with their disciple, who had conquered the entire universe, now en gaged him in performing one hundred aśva medha sacrifices. (34) When Bali Mahārāja performed these sacrifices, he gained a great reputation in all directions, throughout the three worlds. Thus he shone in his position, like the brilliant moon in the sky. (35) Because of the favor of the brāhmaṇas, the great soul Bali Mahārāja, thinking himself very satisfied, be came very opulent and prosperous and began to enjoy the kingdom. (36)

Mahārāja Parīkṣit inquired: O most opulent Śukadeva Gosvāmī, please explain to me how Manu and the others in each manvantara are en gaged in their respective duties, and by whose order they are so engaged. (1) Śukadeva Gosvāmī said: The Manus, the sons of Manu, the great sages, the Indras and all the demigods, O King, are appointed by the Supreme Personality of Godhead in His various incarnations such as Yajña. (2) O King, I have already described to you various incarnations of the Lord, such as Yajña. The Manus and oth ers are chosen by these incarnations, under whose direction they conduct the universal af fairs. (3) At the end of every four yugas, the great saintly persons, upon seeing that the eter nal occupational duties of mankind have been misused, reestablish the principles of religion. (4)

Thereafter, O King, the Manus, being fully engaged according to the instructions of the Su preme Personality of Godhead, directly reestablish the principles of occupational duty in its full four parts. (5) To enjoy the results of sacrifices [yajñas], the rulers of the world, namely the sons and grandsons of Manu, dis charge the orders of the Supreme Personality of Godhead until the end of Manu’s reign. The demigods also share the results of these sacri fices. (6) Indra, King of heaven, receiving ben edictions from the Supreme Personality of Godhead and thus enjoying highly developed opulences, maintains the living entities all over the three worlds by pouring sufficient rain on all the planets. (7)

In every yuga, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Hari, assumes the form of Siddhas such as Sanaka to preach tran scendental knowledge, He assumes the form of great saintly persons such as Yājñavalkya to teach the way of karma, and He assumes the form of great yogīs such as Dattātreya to teach the system of mystic yoga. (8) In the form of Prajāpati Marīci, the Supreme Personality of Godhead creates progeny; becoming the king, He kills the thieves and rogues; and in the form of time, He annihilates everything. All the dif ferent qualities of material existence should be understood to be qualities of the Supreme Per sonality of Godhead. (9)

People in general are bewildered by the illusory energy, and there fore they try to find the Absolute Truth, the Su preme Personality of Godhead, through various types of research and philosophical specula tion. Nonetheless, they are unable to see the Su preme Lord. (10) In one kalpa, or one day of Brahmā, there take place the many changes called vikalpas. O King, all of these have been previously de scribed to you by me. Learned scholars who know the past, present and future have ascer tained that in one day of Brahmā there are four teen Manus. (11)

Śukadeva Gosvāmī said: The present Manu, who is named Śrāddhadeva, is the son of Vivasvān, the predominating deity on the sun planet. Śrāddhadeva is the seventh Manu. Now please hear from me as I describe his sons. (1) O King Parīkṣit, among the ten sons of Manu are Ikṣvāku, Nabhaga, Dhṛṣṭa, Śaryāti, Nar iṣyanta and Nābhāga. The seventh son is known as Diṣṭa. Then come Tarūṣa and Pṛṣadhra, and the tenth son is known as Vasumān. (2-3) In this manvantara, O King, the Ādityas, the Va sus, the Rudras, the Viśvedevas, the Maruts, the two Aśvinī-kumāra brothers and the Ṛbhus are the demigods. Their head king [Indra] is Pu randara. (4) Kaśyapa, Atri, Vasiṣṭha, Viśvāmitra, Gautama, Jamadagni and Bha radvāja are known as the seven sages. (5) In this manvantara, the Supreme Personality of Godhead appeared as the youngest of all the Ādityas, known as Vāmana, the dwarf. His fa ther was Kaśyapa and His mother Aditi. (6)

I have briefly explained to you the position of the seven Manus. Now I shall describe the future Manus, along with the incarnations of Lord Viṣṇu. (7) O King, I have previously described [in the Sixth Canto] the two daughters of Viśvakarmā, named Saṁjñā and Chāyā, who were the first two wives of Vivasvān. (8) It is said that the sun-god had a third wife, named Vaḍavā. Of the three wives, the wife named Saṁjñā had three childrenYama, Yamī and Śrāddhadeva. Now let me describe the children of Chāyā. (9) Chāyā had a son named Sāvarṇi and a daughter named Tapatī, who later became the wife of King Saṁvaraṇa. Chāyā’s third child is known as Śanaiścara [Saturn]. Vaḍavā gave birth to two sons, namely the Aśvinī brothers. (10) O King, when the period of the eighth Manu arrives, Sāvarṇi will become the Manu. Nirmoka and Virajaska will be among his sons. (11) In the period of the eighth Manu, among the demigods will be the Sutapās, the Virajas and the Amṛtaprabhas. The king of the demi gods, Indra, will be Bali Mahārāja, the son of Virocana. (12)

Bali Mahārāja gave a gift of three paces of land to Lord Viṣṇu, and because of this charity he lost all the three worlds. Later, however, when Lord Viṣṇu is pleased because of Bali’s giving everything to Him, Bali Mahārāja will achieve the perfection of life. (13) With great affection, the Personality of Godhead bound Bali and then installed him in the kingdom of Sutala, which is more opulent than the heavenly planets. Mahārāja Bali now resides on that planet and is more comfortably situated than Indra. (14) O King, during the eighth manvan tara, the great personalities Gālava, Dīptimān, Paraśurāma, Aśvatthāmā, Kṛpācārya, Ṛṣyaśṛṅga and our father, Vyāsadeva, the in carnation of Nārāyaṇa, will be the seven sages. For the present, they are all residing in their re spective āśramas. (15-16)

In the eighth man vantara, the greatly powerful Personality of Godhead Sārvabhauma will take birth. His fa ther will be Devaguhya, and His mother will be Sarasvatī. He will take the kingdom away from Purandara [Lord Indra] and give it to Bali Mahārāja. (17) O King, the ninth Manu will be Dakṣa sāvarṇi, who is born of Varuṇa. Among his sons will be Bhūtaketu, and Dīptaketu. (18) In this ninth manvantara, the Pāras and Marīcigarbhas will be among the demigods. The king of heaven, Indra, will be named Adbhuta, and Dyutimān will be among the seven sages. (19) Ṛṣabhadeva, a partial incar nation of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, will take birth from his father, Āyuṣmān, and his mother, Ambudhārā. He will enable the In dra named Adbhuta to enjoy the opulence of the three worlds. (20)

The son of Upaśloka known as Brahma sāvarṇi will be the tenth Manu. Bhūriṣeṇa will be among his sons, and the brāhmaṇas headed by Haviṣmān will be the seven sages. (21) Haviṣmān, Sukṛta, Satya, Jaya, Mūrti and oth ers will be the seven sages, the Suvāsanas and Viruddhas will be among the demigods, and Śambhu will be their king, Indra. (22) In the home of Viśvasraṣṭā, a plenary portion of the Supreme Personality of Godhead will appear from the womb of Viṣūcī as the incarnation known as Viṣvaksena. He will make friends with Śambhu. (23) In the eleventh manvantara, the Manu will be Dharma-sāvarṇi, who will be extremely learned in spiritual knowledge. From him there will come ten sons, headed by Satyadharma. (24) The Vihaṅgamas, Kāmagamas, Nir vāṇarucis and others will be the demigods. The king of the demigods, Indra, will be Vaidhṛta, and the seven sages will be headed by Aruṇa. (25) The son of Āryaka known as Dharmasetu, a partial incarnation of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, will appear from the womb of Vaidhṛtā, the wife of Āryaka, and will rule the three worlds. (26)

O King, the twelfth Manu will be named Ru dra-sāvarṇi. Devavān, Upadeva and Devaśreṣṭha will be among his sons. (27) In this manvantara, the name of Indra will be Ṛtadhāmā, and the demigods will be headed by the Haritas. Among the sages will be Tapo mūrti, Tapasvī and Āgnīdhraka. (28) From the mother named Sunṛtā and the father named Satyasahā will come Svadhāmā, a partial incar nation of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. He will rule that manvantara. (29) The thirteenth Manu will be named Deva sāvarṇi, and he will be very advanced in spir itual knowledge. Among his sons will be Cit rasena and Vicitra. (30) In the thirteenth man vantara, the Sukarmās and Sutrāmas will be among the demigods, Divaspati will be the king of heaven, and Nirmoka and Tattvadarśa will be among the seven sages. (31)

The son of Devahotra known as Yogeśvara will appear as a partial incarnation of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. His mother’s name will be Bṛhatī. He will perform activities for the welfare of Di vaspati. (32) The name of the fourteenth Manu will be In dra-sāvarṇi. He will have sons like Uru, Gambhīra and Budha. (33) The Pavitras and Cākṣuṣas will be among the demigods, and Śuci will be Indra, the king of heaven. Agni, Bāhu, Śuci, Śuddha, Māgadha and others of great austerity will be the seven sages. (34) O King Parīkṣit, in the fourteenth manvantara the Supreme Personality of Godhead will appear from the womb of Vitānā, and His father’s name will be Satrāyaṇa. This incarnation will be celebrated as Bṛhadbhānu, and He will ad minister spiritual activities. (35) O King, I have now described to you the fourteen Manus appearing in the past, present and future. The total duration of time ruled by these Manus is one thousand yuga cycles. This is called a kalpa, or one day of Lord Brahmā. (36)

Śukadeva Gosvāmī said: The Supreme Per sonality of Godhead, Hari, in the form of a woman, captivated the demons and enabled the demigods to drink the nectar. After hearing of these pastimes, Lord Śiva, who is carried by a bull, went to the place where Madhusūdana, the Lord, resides. Accompanied by his wife, Umā, and surrounded by his companions, the ghosts, Lord Śiva went there to see the Lord’s form as a woman. (1-2) The Supreme Personality of Godhead welcomed Lord Śiva and Umā with great respect, and after being seated comforta bly, Lord Śiva duly worshiped the Lord and smilingly spoke as follows. (3) Lord Mahādeva said: O chief demigod among the demigods, O all-pervading Lord, master of the universe, by Your energy You are transformed into the creation. You are the root and efficient cause of everything. You are not material. Indeed, You are the Supersoul or su preme living force of everything. Therefore, You are Parameśvara, the supreme controller of all controllers. (4)

The manifest, the unmani fest, false ego and the beginning, maintenance and annihilation of this cosmic manifestation all come from You, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. But because You are the Absolute Truth, the supreme absolute spirit soul, the Su preme Brahman, such changes as birth, death and sustenance do not exist in You. (5) Pure devotees or great saintly persons who desire to achieve the highest goal in life and who are completely free from all material desires for sense gratification engage constantly in the transcendental service of Your lotus feet. (6)

My Lord, You are the Supreme Brahman, com plete in everything. Being completely spiritual, You are eternal, free from the material modes of nature, and full of transcendental bliss. In deed, for You there is no question of lamenta tion. Since You are the supreme cause, the cause of all causes, nothing can exist without You. Yet we are different from You in a rela tionship of cause and effect, for in one sense the cause and effect are different. You are the orig inal cause of creation, manifestation and anni hilation, and You bestow benedictions upon all living entities. Everyone depends upon You for the results of his activities, but You are always independent. (7)

My dear Lord, Your Lordship alone is the cause and the effect. Therefore, alt hough You appear to be two, You are the abso lute one. As there is no difference between the gold of a golden ornament and the gold in a mine, there is no difference between cause and effect; both of them are the same. Only because of ignorance do people concoct differences and dualities. You are free from material contami nation, and since the entire cosmos is caused by You and cannot exist without You, it is an ef fect of Your transcendental qualities. Thus the conception that Brahman is true and the world false cannot be maintained. (8) Those who are known as the impersonalist Vedāntists regard You as the impersonal Brahman. Others, known as the Mīmāṁsaka philosophers, regard You as religion. The Sāṅkhya philosophers re gard You as the transcendental person who is beyond prakṛti and puruṣa and who is the con troller of even the demigods. The followers of the codes of devotional service known as the Pañcarātras regard You as being endowed with nine different potencies. And the Patañjala phi losophers, the followers of Patañjali Muni, re gard You as the supreme independent Person ality of Godhead, who has no equal or superior. (9)

O my Lord, I, who am considered to be the best of the demigods, and Lord Brahmā and the great ṛṣis, headed by Marīci, are born of the mode of goodness. Nonetheless, we are bewil dered by Your illusory energy and cannot un derstand what this creation is. Aside from us, what is to be said of others, like the demons and human beings, who are in the base modes of material nature [rajo-guṇa and tamo-guṇa]? How will they know You? (10) My Lord, You are the supreme knowledge personified. You know everything about this creation and its be ginning, maintenance and annihilation, and You know all the endeavors made by the living entities, by which they are either implicated in this material world or liberated from it. As the air enters the vast sky and also enters the bodies of all moving and nonmoving entities, You are present everywhere, and therefore You are the knower of all. (11) My Lord, I have seen all kinds of incarnations You have exhibited by Your transcendental qualities, and now that You have appeared as a beautiful young woman, I wish to see that form of Your Lord ship. (12)

My Lord, we have come here desir ing to see that form of Your Lordship which You showed to the demons to captivate them completely and in this way enable the demi gods to drink nectar. I am very eager to see that form. (13) Śukadeva Gosvāmīsaid: When Lord Viṣṇu was thus requested by Lord Śiva, who carries a trident in his hand, He smiled with gravity and replied to Lord Śiva as follows. (14) The Supreme Personality of Godhead said: When the demons took away the jug of nectar, I assumed the form of a beautiful woman to be wilder them by directly cheating them and thus to act in the interest of the demigods. (15) O best of the demigods, I shall now show you My form that is very much appreciated by those who are lusty. Since you want to see that form, I shall reveal it in your presence. (16)

Śukadeva Gosvāmī continued: After speak ing in this way, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Viṣṇu, immediately disappeared, and Lord Śiva remained there with Umā, looking for Him all around with moving eyes. (17) Thereafter, in a nice forest nearby, full of trees with reddish-pink leaves and varieties of flow ers, Lord Śiva saw a beautiful woman playing with a ball. Her hips were covered with a shin ing sari and ornamented with a belt. (18) Be cause the ball was falling down and bouncing up, as She played with it Her breasts trembled, and because of the weight of those breasts and Her heavy flower garlands, Her waist appeared to be all but breaking at every step, as Her two soft feet, which were reddish like coral, moved here and there. (19)

The woman’s face was decorated by broad, beautiful, restless eyes, which moved as the ball bounced here and there from Her hand. The two brilliant earrings on Her ears decorated Her shining cheeks like blu ish reflections, and the hair scattered on Her face made Her even more beautiful to see. (20) As She played with the ball, the sari covering Her body became loose, and Her hair scattered. She tried to bind Her hair with Her beautiful left hand, and at the same time She played with the ball by striking it with Her right hand. This was so attractive that the Supreme Lord, by His internal potency, in this way captivated every one. (21) While Lord Śiva observed the beau tiful woman playing with the ball, She some times glanced at him and slightly smiled in bashfulness. As he looked at the beautiful woman and She watched him, he forgot both himself and Umā, his most beautiful wife, as well as his associates nearby. (22)

When the ball leaped from Her hand and fell at a distance, the woman began to follow it, but as Lord Śiva observed these activities, a breeze suddenly blew away the fine dress and belt that covered her. (23) Thus Lord Śiva saw the woman, every part of whose body was beautifully formed, and the beautiful woman also looked at him. Therefore, thinking that She was attracted to him, Lord Śiva became very much attracted to Her. (24) Lord Śiva, his good sense taken away by the woman because of lusty desires to enjoy with Her, became so mad for Her that even in the presence of Bhavānī he did not hes itate to approach Her. (25) The beautiful woman was already naked, and when She saw Lord Śiva coming toward Her, She became extremely bashful. Thus She kept smiling, but She hid Herself among the trees and did not stand in one place. (26) His senses being agitated, Lord Śiva, victimized by lusty desires, began to follow Her, just as a lusty elephant follows a she-elephant. (27)

After following Her with great speed, Lord Śiva caught Her by the braid of Her hair and dragged Her near him. Although She was unwilling, he embraced Her with his arms. (28) Being em braced by Lord Śiva like a female elephant em braced by a male, the woman, whose hair was scattered, swirled like a snake. O King, this woman, who had large, high hips, was a woman of yoga-māyā presented by the Supreme Per sonality of Godhead. She released Herself somehow or other from the fond embrace of Lord Śiva’s arms and ran away. (29-30) As if harassed by an enemy in the form of lusty de sires, Lord Śiva followed the path of Lord Viṣṇu, who acts very wonderfully and who had taken the form of Mohinī. (31)

Just as a mad dened bull elephant follows a female elephant who is able to conceive pregnancy, Lord Śiva followed the beautiful woman and discharged semen, even though his discharge of semen never goes in vain. (32) O King, wheresoever on the surface of the globe fell the semen of the great personality of Lord Śiva, mines of gold and silver later appeared. (33) Following Moh inī, Lord Śiva went everywherenear the shores of the rivers and lakes, near the mountains, near the forests, near the gardens, and wherever there lived great sages. (34) O Mahārāja Parīkṣit, best of kings, when Lord Śiva had fully discharged semen, he could see how he himself had been victimized by the illusion cre ated by the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Thus he restrained himself from any further māyā. (35)

Thus Lord Śiva could understand his position and that of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who has unlimited potencies. Hav ing reached this understanding, he was not at all surprised by the wonderful way Lord Viṣṇu had acted upon him. (36) Seeing Lord Śiva unagitated and unashamed, Lord Viṣṇu [Madhusūdana] was very pleased. Thus He re sumed His original form and spoke as follows. (37) The Supreme Personality of Godhead said: O best of the demigods, although you have been amply harassed because of My potency in assuming the form of a woman, you are estab lished in your position. Therefore, may all good fortune be upon you. (38) My dear Lord Śambhu, who within this material world but you can surpass My illusory energy? People are generally attached to sense enjoyment and con quered by its influence. Indeed, the influence of material nature is very difficult for them to sur mount. (39) The material, external energy [māyā], who cooperates with Me in creation and who is manifested in the three modes of na ture, will not be able to bewilder you any longer. (40)

Śukadeva Gosvāmī said: O King, having thus been praised by the Supreme Personality, who bears the mark of Śrīvatsa on His chest, Lord Śiva circumambulated Him. Then, after taking permission from Him, Lord Śiva re turned to his abode, Kailāsa, along with his as sociates. (41) O descendant of Bharata Mahārāja, Lord Śiva, in jubilation, then ad dressed his wife, Bhavānī, who is accepted by all authorities as the potency of Lord Viṣṇu. (42) Lord Śiva said: O Goddess, you have now seen the illusory energy of the Supreme Person ality of Godhead, who is the unborn master of everyone. Although I am one of the principal expansions of His Lordship, even I was illu sioned by His energy. What then is to be said of others, who are fully dependent on māyā? (43) When I finished performing mystic yoga for one thousand years, you asked me upon whom I was meditating. Now, here is that Su preme Person to whom time has no entrance and who the Vedas cannot understand. (44)

Śukadeva Gosvāmī said: My dear King, the person who bore the great mountain on His back for the churning of the Ocean of Milk is the same Supreme Personality of Godhead, known as Śārṅga-dhanvā. I have now described to you His prowess. (45) The endeavor of one who constantly hears or describes this narration of the churning of the Ocean of Milk will never be fruitless. Indeed, chanting the glories of the Supreme Personality of Godhead is the only means to annihilate all sufferings in this mate rial world. (46) Assuming the form of a young woman and thus bewildering the demons, the Supreme Personality of Godhead distributed to His devotees, the demigods, the nectar pro duced from the churning of the Ocean of Milk. Unto that Supreme Personality of Godhead, who always fulfills the desires of His devotees, I offer my respectful obeisances. (47)

Śukadeva Gosvāmī said: Thereafter, by the supreme grace of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Śrī Hari, all the demigods, headed by Indra and Vāyu, were brought back to life. Be ing enlivened, the demigods began severely beating the very same demons who had de feated them before. (1) When the most power ful Indra became angry and took his thunder bolt in hand to kill Mahārāja Bali, the demons began lamenting, “Alas, alas!” (2) Sober and tolerant and well equipped with paraphernalia for fighting, Bali Mahārāja moved before Indra on the great battlefield. King Indra, who always carries the thunderbolt in his hand, rebuked Bali Mahārāja as follows. (3)

Indra said: O rascal, as a cheater sometimes binds the eyes of a child and takes away his possessions, you are trying to defeat us by dis playing some mystic power, although you know that we are the masters of all such mystic powers. (4) Those fools and rascals who want to ascend to the upper planetary system by mys tic power or mechanical means, or who en deavor to cross even the upper planets and achieve the spiritual world or liberation, I cause to be sent to the lowest region of the universe. (5) Today, with my thunderbolt, which has hundreds of sharp edges, I, the same powerful person, shall sever your head from your body. Although you can produce so much jugglery through illusion, you are endowed with a poor fund of knowledge. Now, try to exist on this battlefield with your relatives and friends. (6)

Bali Mahārāja replied: All those present on this battlefield are certainly under the influence of eternal time, and according to their pre scribed activities, they are destined to receive fame, victory, defeat and death, one after an other. (7) Seeing the movements of time, those who are cognizant of the real truth neither re joice nor lament for different circumstances. Therefore, because you are jubilant due to your victory, you should be considered not very learned. (8) You demigods think that your own selves are the cause of your attaining fame and victory. Because of your ignorance, saintly per sons feel sorry for you. Therefore, although your words afflict the heart, we do not accept them. (9) Śukadeva Gosvāmī said: After thus rebuk ing Indra, King of heaven, with sharp words, Bali Mahārāja, who could subdue any other hero, drew back to his ear the arrows known as nārācas and attacked Indra with these arrows. Then he again chastised Indra with strong words. (10)

Since Mahārāja Bali’s rebukes were truthful, King Indra did not at all become sorry, just as an elephant beaten by its driver’s rod does not become agitated. (11) When In dra, the defeater of enemies, released his infal lible thunderbolt scepter at Bali Mahārāja with a desire to kill him, Bali Mahārāja indeed fell to the ground with his airplane, like a mountain with its wings cut off. (12) When the demon Jambhāsura saw that his friend Bali had fallen, he appeared before Indra, the enemy, just to serve Bali Mahārāja with friendly behavior. (13) The greatly powerful Jambhāsura, carried by a lion, approached Indra and forcefully struck him on the shoulder with his club. He also struck Indra’s elephant. (14) Being beaten by Jambhāsura’s club, Indra’s elephant was confused and aggrieved. Thus it touched its knees to the ground and fell unconscious. (15)

Thereafter, Mātali, Indra’s chariot driver, brought Indra’s chariot, which was drawn by one thousand horses. Indra then left his ele phant and got onto the chariot. (16) Appreciat ing Mātali’s service, Jambhāsura, the best of the demons, smiled. Nonetheless, he struck Mātali in the battle with a trident of blazing fire. (17) Although the pain was extremely severe, Mātali tolerated it with great patience. Indra, however, became extremely angry at Jambhāsura. He struck Jambhāsura with his thunderbolt and thus severed his head from his body. (18) When Nārada Ṛṣi informed Jambhāsura’s friends and relatives that Jambhāsura had been killed, the three demons named Namuci, Bala and Pāka arrived on the battlefield in great haste. (19) Rebuking Indra with harsh, cruel words that were piercing to the heart, these de mons showered him with arrows, just as tor rents of rain wash a great mountain. (20) Quickly handling the situation on the battle field, the demon Bala put all of Indra’s one thousand horses into tribulation by simultane ously piercing them all with an equal number of arrows. (21)

Pāka, another demon, attacked both the chariot, with all its paraphernalia, and the chariot driver, Mātali, by fitting two hun dred arrows to his bow and releasing them all simultaneously. This was indeed a wonderful act on the battlefield. (22) Then Namuci, an other demon, attacked Indra and injured him with fifteen very powerful golden-feathered ar rows, which roared like a cloud full of water. (23) Other demons covered Indra, along with his chariot and chariot driver, with incessant showers of arrows, just as clouds cover the sun in the rainy season. (24) The demigods, being severely oppressed by their enemies and being unable to see Indra on the battlefield, were very anxious. Having no captain or leader, they be gan lamenting like traders in a wrecked vessel in the midst of the ocean. (25) Thereafter, Indra released himself from the cage of the network of arrows. Appearing with his chariot, flag, horses and chariot driver and thus pleasing the sky, the earth and all directions, he shone efful gently like the sun at the end of night. Indra was bright and beautiful in the vision of everyone. (26)

When Indra, who is known as Vajra-dhara, the carrier of the thunderbolt, saw his own sol diers so oppressed by the enemies on the battle field, he became very angry. Thus he took up his thunderbolt to kill the enemies. (27) O King Parīkṣit, King Indra used his thunderbolt to cut off the heads of both Bala and Pāka in the pres ence of all their relatives and followers. In this way he created a very fearful atmosphere on the battlefield. (28) O King, when Namuci, another demon, saw the killing of both Bala and Pāka, he was full of grief and lamentation. Thus he angrily made a great attempt to kill Indra. (29) Being angry and roaring like a lion, the demon Namuci took up a steel spear, which was bound with bells and decorated with ornaments of gold. He loudly cried, “Now you are killed!” Thus com ing before Indra to kill him, Namuci released his weapon. (30)

O King, when Indra, King of heaven, saw this very powerful spear falling to ward the ground like a blazing meteor, he im mediately cut it to pieces with his arrows. Then, being very angry, he struck Namuci’s shoulder with his thunderbolt to cut off Namuci’s head. (31) Although King Indra hurled his thunder bolt at Namuci with great force, it could not even pierce his skin. It is very wonderful that the famed thunderbolt that had pierced the body of Vṛtrāsura could not even slightly injure the skin of Namuci’s neck. (32) When Indra saw the thunderbolt return from the enemy, he was very much afraid. He began to wonder whether this had happened because of some miraculous superior power. (33) Indra thought: Formerly, when many mountains flying in the sky with wings would fall to the ground and kill people, I cut their wings with this same thunderbolt. (34)

Vṛtrāsura was the essence of the austerities undergone by Tvaṣṭā, yet the thunderbolt killed him. Indeed, not only he but also many other stalwart heroes, whose very skin could not be injured even by all kinds of weapons, were killed by the same thunderbolt. (35) But now, although the same thunderbolt has been re leased against a less important demon, it has been ineffectual. Therefore, although it was as good as a brahmāstra, it has now become use less like an ordinary rod. I shall therefore hold it no longer. (36) Śukadeva Gosvāmī contin ued: While the morose Indra was lamenting in this way, an ominous, unembodied voice said from the sky, “This demon Namuci is not to be annihilated by anything dry or moist.” (37) The voice also said, “O Indra, because I have given this demon the benediction that he will never be killed by any weapon that is dry or moist, you have to think of another way to kill him.” (38) After hearing the ominous voice, Indra, with great attention, began to meditate on how to kill the demon. He then saw that foam would be the means, for it is neither moist nor dry. (39)

Thus Indra, King of heaven, severed Namuci’s head with a weapon of foam, which was neither dry nor moist. Then all the sages satisfied Indra, the exalted personality, by showering flowers and garlands upon him, almost covering him. (40) Viśvāvasu and Parāvasu, the two chiefs of the Gandharvas, sang in great happiness. The ket tledrums of the demigods sounded, and the Ap sarās danced in jubilation. (41) Vāyu, Agni, Varuṇa and other demigods began killing the demons who opposed them, just as lions kill deer in a forest. (42) O King, when Lord Brahmā saw the imminent total annihilation of the demons, he sent a message with Nārada, who went before the demigods to make them stop fighting. (43) The great sage Nārada said: All of you dem igods are protected by the arms of Nārāyaṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and by His grace you have gotten the nectar. By the grace of the goddess of fortune, you are glori ous in every way. Therefore, please stop this fighting. (44)

ŚrīŚukadeva Gosvāmī said: Accepting the words of Nārada, the demigods gave up their anger and stopped fighting. Being praised by their followers, they returned to their heavenly planets. (45) Following the order of Nārada Muni, whatever demons remained on the bat tlefield took Bali Mahārāja, who was in a pre carious condition, to the hill known as Astagiri. (46) There, on that hill, Śukrācārya brought to life all the dead demoniac soldiers who had not lost their heads, trunks and limbs. He achieved this by his own mantra, known as Saṁjīvanī. (47) Bali Mahārāja was very experienced in universal affairs. When he regained his senses and memory by the grace of Śukrācārya, he could understand everything that had hap pened. Therefore, although he had been de feated, he did not lament. (48)

Śukadeva Gosvāmī said: O King, the de mons and Daityas all engaged with full attention and effort in churning the ocean, but be cause they were not devotees of Vāsudeva, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Kṛṣṇa, they were not able to drink the nectar. (1) O King, after the Supreme Personality of Godhead had brought to completion the affairs of churning the ocean and feeding the nectar to the demi gods, who are His dear devotees, He left the presence of them all and was carried by Garuḍa to His own abode. (2) Seeing the victory of the demigods, the demons became intolerant of their superior opulence. Thus they began to march toward the demigods with raised weap ons. (3)

Thereafter, being enlivened because of drinking the nectar, the demigods, who are al ways at the shelter of the lotus feet of Nārāyaṇa, used their various weapons to counterattack the demons in a fighting spirit. (4) O King, a fierce battle on the beach of the Ocean of Milk ensued between the demigods and the demons. The fighting was so terrible that simply hearing about it would make the hair on one’s body stand on end. (5) Both parties in that fight were extremely angry at heart, and in enmity they beat one another with swords, arrows and vari eties of other weapons. (6) The sounds of the conchshells, bugles, drums, bherīs andḍamarīs [kettledrums], as well as the sounds made by the elephants, horses and soldiers, who were both on chariots and on foot, were tumultuous. (7) On that battlefield, the charioteers fought with the opposing charioteers, the infantry sol diers with the opposing infantry, the soldiers on horseback with the opposing soldiers on horse back, and the soldiers on the backs of elephants with the enemy soldiers on elephants. In this way, the fighting took place between equals. (8)

Some soldiers fought on the backs of cam els, some on the backs of elephants, some on asses, some on white-faced and red-faced mon keys, some on tigers and some on lions. In this way, they all engaged in fighting. (9) O King, some soldiers fought on the backs of vultures, eagles, ducks, hawks and bhāsa birds. Some fought on the backs of timiṅgilas, which can devour huge whales, some on the backs of śarabhas, and some on buffalo, rhinoceroses, cows, bulls, jungle cows and aruṇas. Others fought on the backs of jackals, rats, lizards, rab bits, human beings, goats, black deer, swans and boars. In this way, mounted on animals of the water, land and sky, including animals with deformed bodies, both armies faced each other and went forward. (10-12)

O King, O descendant of Mahārāja Pāṇḍu, the soldiers of both the demigods and demons were decorated by canopies, colorful flags, and umbrellas with handles made of valuable jew els and pearls. They were further decorated by fans made of peacock feathers and by other fans also. The soldiers, their upper and lower gar ments waving in the breeze, naturally looked very beautiful, and in the light of the glittering sunshine their shields, ornaments and sharp, clean weapons appeared dazzling. Thus the ranks of soldiers seemed like two oceans with bands of aquatics. (13-15)

For that battle the most celebrated commander in chief, Mahārāja Bali, son of Virocana, was seated on a wonder ful airplane named Vaihāyasa. O King, this beautifully decorated airplane had been manu factured by the demon Maya and was equipped with weapons for all types of combat. It was in conceivable and indescribable. Indeed, it was sometimes visible and sometimes not. Seated in this airplane under a beautiful protective um brella and being fanned by the best of cāmaras, Mahārāja Bali, surrounded by his captains and commanders, appeared just like the moon ris ing in the evening, illuminating all directions. (16-18)

Surrounding Mahārāja Bali on all sides were the commanders and captains of the de mons, sitting on their respective chariots. Among them were the following demons: Na muci, Śambara, Bāṇa, Vipracitti, Ayomukha, Dvimūrdhā, Kālanābha, Praheti, Heti, Ilvala, Śakuni, Bhūtasantāpa, Vajradaṁṣṭra, Virocana, Hayagrīva, Śaṅkuśirā, Kapila, Meghadun dubhi, Tāraka, Cakradṛk, Śumbha, Niśumbha, Jambha, Utkala, Ariṣṭa, Ariṣṭanemi, Tripu rādhipa, Maya, the sons of Puloma, the Kāleyas and Nivātakavaca. All of these demons had been deprived of their share of the nectar and had shared merely in the labor of churning the ocean. Now, they fought against the demigods, and to encourage their armies, they made a tu multuous sound like the roaring of lions and blew loudly on conchshells. Balabhit, Lord In dra, upon seeing this situation of his ferocious rivals, became extremely angry. (19-24) Sit ting on Airāvata, an elephant who can go any where and who holds water and wine in reserve for showering, Lord Indra looked just like the sun rising from Udayagiri, where there are res ervoirs of water. (25)

Surrounding Lord Indra, King of heaven, were the demigods, seated on various types of vehicles and decorated with flags and weapons. Present among them were Vāyu, Agni, Varuṇa and other rulers of various planets, along with their associates. (26) The demigods and demons came before each other and reproached one another with words piercing to the heart. Then they drew near and began fighting face to face in pairs. (27) O King, Mahārāja Bali fought with Indra, Kārttikeya with Tāraka, Varuṇa with Heti, and Mitra with Praheti. (28) Yamarāja fought with Kālanābha, Viśvakarmā with Maya Dānava, Tvaṣṭā with Śambara, and the sun-god with Vi rocana. (29) The demigod Aparājita fought with Namuci, and the two Aśvinī-kumāra brothers fought with Vṛṣaparvā. The sun-god fought with the one hundred sons of Mahārāja Bali, headed by Bāṇa, and the moon-god fought with Rāhu. The demigod controlling air fought with Puloma, and Śumbha and Niśumbha fought the supremely powerful material en ergy, Durgādevī, who is called Bhadra Kālī. (30-31)

O Mahārāja Parīkṣit, suppressor of en emies [Arindama], Lord Śiva fought with Jambha, and Vibhāvasu fought with Mahiṣāsura. Ilvala, along with his brother Vātāpi, fought the sons of Lord Brahmā. Dur marṣa fought with Cupid, the demon Utkala with the Mātṛkā demigoddesses, Bṛhaspati with Śukrācārya, and Śanaiścara [Saturn] with Na rakāsura. The Maruts fought Nivātakavaca, the Vasus fought the Kālakeya demons, the Viśvedeva demigods fought the Pauloma de mons, and the Rudras fought the Krodhavaśa demons, who were victims of anger. (32-34) All of these demigods and demons assem bled on the battlefield with a fighting spirit and attacked one another with great strength. All of them desiring victory, they fought in pairs, hit ting one another severely with sharpened ar rows, swords and lances. (35)

They severed one another’s heads, using weapons like bhuśuṇḍis, cakras, clubs, ṛṣṭis, paṭṭiśas, śaktis, ulmukas, prāsas, paraśvadhas, nistriṁśas, lances, parighas, mudgaras and bhindipālas. (36) The elephants, horses, chariots, chariot eers, infantry soldiers and various kinds of car riers, along with their riders, were slashed to pieces. The arms, thighs, necks and legs of the soldiers were severed, and their flags, bows, ar mor and ornaments were torn apart. (37) Be cause of the impact on the ground of the legs of the demons and demigods and the wheels of the chariots, particles of dust flew violently into the sky and made a dust cloud that covered all di rections of outer space, as far as the sun. But when the particles of dust were followed by drops of blood being sprinkled all over space, the dust cloud could no longer float in the sky. (38)

In the course of the battle, the warfield be came strewn with the severed heads of heroes, their eyes still staring and their teeth still pressed against their lips in anger. Helmets and earrings were scattered from these severed heads. Similarly, many arms, decorated with ornaments and clutching various weapons, were strewn here and there, as were many legs and thighs, which resembled the trunks of ele phants. (39) Many headless trunks were gener ated on that battlefield. With weapons in their arms, those ghostly trunks, which could see with the eyes in the fallen heads, attacked the enemy soldiers. (40) Mahārāja Bali then attacked Indra with ten arrows and attacked Airāvata, Indra’s carrier elephant, with three arrows. With four arrows he attacked the four horsemen guarding Airāvata’s legs, and with one arrow he attacked the driver of the elephant. (41)

Before Bali Mahārāja’s arrows could reach him, Indra, King of heaven, who is expert in dealing with arrows, smiled and counteracted the arrows with arrows of another type, known as bhalla, which were extremely sharp. (42) When Bali Mahārāja saw the expert military activities of Indra, he could not restrain his anger. Thus he took up another weapon, known as śakti, which blazed like a great firebrand. But Indra cut that weapon to pieces while it was still in Bali’s hand. (43) Thereafter, one by one, Bali Mahārāja used a lance, prāsa, tomara, ṛṣṭis and other weapons, but whatever weapons he took up, Indra immediately cut them to pieces. (44) My dear King, Bali Mahārāja then disap peared and resorted to demoniac illusions. A gi ant mountain, generated from illusion, then ap peared above the heads of the demigod soldiers. (45)

From that mountain fell trees blazing in a forest fire. Chips of stone, with sharp edges like picks, also fell and smashed the heads of the demigod soldiers. (46) Scorpions, large snakes and many other poisonous animals, as well as lions, tigers, boars and great elephants, all be gan falling upon the demigod soldiers, crushing everything. (47) O my King, many hundreds of male and female carnivorous demons, com pletely naked and carrying tridents in their hands, then appeared, crying the slogans “Cut them to pieces! Pierce them!” (48) Fierce clouds, harassed by strong winds, then ap peared in the sky. Rumbling very gravely with the sound of thunder, they began to shower live coals. (49) A great devastating fire created by Bali Mahārāja began burning all the soldiers of the demigods. This fire, accompanied by blast ing winds, seemed as terrible as the Sāṁvartaka fire, which appears at the time of dissolution. (50)

Thereafter, whirlpools and sea waves, ag itated by fierce blasts of wind, appeared every where, before everyone’s vision, in a furious flood. (51) While this magical atmosphere in the fight was being created by the invisible de mons, who were expert in such illusions, the soldiers of the demigods became morose. (52) O King, when the demigods could find no way to counteract the activities of the demons, they wholeheartedly meditated upon the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the creator of the uni verse, who then immediately appeared. (53) The Supreme Personality of Godhead, whose eyes resemble the petals of a newly blossomed lotus, sat on the back of Garuḍa, spreading His lotus feet over Garuḍa’s shoulders. Dressed in yellow, decorated by the Kaustubha gem and the goddess of fortune, and wearing an invalu able helmet and earrings, the Supreme Lord, holding various weapons in His eight hands, became visible to the demigods. (54)

As the dangers of a dream cease when the dreamer awakens, the illusions created by the jugglery of the demons were vanquished by the tran scendental prowess of the Supreme Personality of Godhead as soon as He entered the battle field. Indeed, simply by remembrance of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, one becomes free from all dangers. (55) O King, when the demon Kālanemi, who was carried by a lion, saw that the Supreme Personality of Godhead, carried by Garuḍa, was on the battlefield, the demon immediately took his trident, whirled it and discharged it at Garuḍa’s head. The Su preme Personality of Godhead, Hari, the master of the three worlds, immediately caught the tri dent, and with the very same weapon he killed the enemy Kālanemi, along with his carrier, the lion. (56)

Thereafter, two very powerful de mons named Mālī and Sumālī were killed by the Supreme Lord, who severed their heads with His disc. Then Mālyavān, another demon, attacked the Lord. With his sharp club, the de mon, who was roaring like a lion, attacked Garuḍa, the lord of the birds, who are born from eggs. But the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the original person, used His disc to cut off the head of that enemy also. (57)

Śukadeva Gosvāmī said: Thereafter, the de mons became inimical toward one another. Throwing and snatching the container of nectar, they gave up their friendly relationship. Meanwhile, they saw a very beautiful young woman coming forward toward them. (1) Upon seeing the beautiful woman, the demons said, “Alas, how wonderful is Her beauty, how wonderful the luster of Her body, and how wonderful the beauty of Her youthful age!” Speaking in this way, they quickly approached Her, full of lusty desires to enjoy Her, and be gan to inquire from Her in many ways. (2)

O wonderfully beautiful girl, You have such nice eyes, resembling the petals of a lotus flower. Who are You? Where do You come from? What is Your purpose in coming here, and to whom do You belong? O You whose thighs are extraordinarily beautiful, our minds are becom ing agitated simply because of seeing You. (3) What to speak of human beings, even the dem igods, demons, Siddhas, Gandharvas, Cāraṇas and the various directors of the universe, the Prajāpatis, have never touched You before. It is not that we are unable to understand Your iden tity. (4) O beautiful girl with beautiful eye brows, certainly Providence, by His causeless mercy, has sent You to please the senses and minds of all of us. Is this not a fact? (5) We are now all engaged in enmity among ourselves be cause of this one subject matterthe container of nectar. Although we have been born in the same family, we are becoming increasingly in imical. O thin-waisted woman, who are so beautiful in Your prestigious position, we therefore request You to favor us by settling our dispute. (6)

All of us, both demons and demi gods, have been born of the same father, Kaśyapa, and thus we are related as brothers. But now we are exhibiting our personal prow ess in dissension. Therefore we request You to settle our dispute and divide the nectar equally among us. (7) Having thus been requested by the demons, the Supreme Personality of God head, who had assumed the form of a beautiful woman, began to smile. Looking at them with attractive feminine gestures, She spoke as fol lows. (8) The Supreme Personality of Godhead, in the form of Mohinī, told the demons: O sons of Kaśyapa Muni, I am only a prostitute. How is it that you have so much faith in Me? A learned person never puts his faith in a woman. (9) O demons, as monkeys, jackals and dogs are un steady in their sexual relationships and want newer and newer friends every day, women who live independently seek new friends daily. Friendship with such a woman is never perma nent. This is the opinion of learned scholars. (10)

ŚrīŚukadeva Gosvāmī continued: After the demons heard the words of Mohinī-mūrti, who had spoken as if jokingly, they were all very confident. They laughed with gravity, and ulti mately they delivered the container of nectar into Her hands. (11) Thereafter, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, having taken posses sion of the container of nectar, smiled slightly and spoke in attractive words. She said: My dear demons, if you accept whatever I may do, whether honest or dishonest, then I can take re sponsibility for dividing the nectar among you. (12) The chiefs of the demons were not very expert in deciding things. Upon hearing the sweet words of Mohinī-mūrti, they immedi ately assented. “Yes,” they answered. “What You have said is all right.” Thus the demons agreed to accept Her decision. (13)

The demigods and demons then observed a fast. After bathing, they offered clarified butter and oblations into the fire and gave charity to the cows and to the brāhmaṇas and members of the other orders of society, namely the kṣatri yas, vaiśyas and śūdras, who were all rewarded as they deserved. Thereafter, the demigods and demons performed ritualistic ceremonies under the directions of the brāhmaṇas. Then they dressed themselves with new garments accord ing to their own choice, decorated their bodies with ornaments, and sat facing east on seats made of kuśa grass. (14-15) O King, as the demigods and demons sat facing east in an arena fully decorated with flower garlands and lamps and fragrant with the smoke of incense, that woman, dressed in a most beautiful sari, Her ankle bells tinkling, entered the arena, walking very slowly because of Her big, low hips. Her eyes were restless due to youthful pride, Her breasts were like water jugs, Her thighs resembled the trunks of elephants, and She carried a waterpot in Her hand. (16-17)

Her attractive nose and cheeks and Her ears, adorned with golden earrings, made Her face very beautiful. As She moved, Her sari’s border on Her breasts moved slightly aside. When the demigods and demons saw these beautiful fea tures of Mohinī-mūrti, who was glancing at them and slightly smiling, they were all com pletely enchanted. (18) Demons are by nature crooked like snakes. Therefore, to distribute a share of the nectar to them was not at all feasi ble, since this would be as dangerous as supply ing milk to a snake. Considering this, the Su preme Personality of Godhead, who never falls down, did not deliver a share of nectar to the demons. (19) The Supreme Personality of Godhead as Mohinī-mūrti, the master of the universe, arranged separate lines of sitting places and seated the demigods and demons ac cording to their positions. (20)

Taking the con tainer of nectar in Her hands, She first ap proached the demons, satisfied them with sweet words and thus cheated them of their share of the nectar. Then She administered the nectar to the demigods, who were sitting at a distant place, to make them free from invalidity, old age and death. (21) O King, since the demons had promised to accept whatever the woman did, whether just or unjust, now, to keep this promise, to show their equilibrium and to save themselves from fighting with a woman, they remained silent. (22) The demons had devel oped affection for Mohinī-mūrti and a kind of faith in Her, and they were afraid of disturbing their relationship. Therefore they showed re spect and honor to Her words and did not say anything that might disturb their friendship with Her. (23)

Rāhu, the demon who causes eclipses of the sun and moon, covered himself with the dress of a demigod and thus entered the assembly of the demigods and drank nectar without being detected by anyone, even by the Supreme Per sonality of Godhead. The moon and the sun, however, because of permanent animosity to ward Rāhu, understood the situation. Thus Rāhu was detected. (24) The Supreme Person ality of Godhead, Hari, using His disc, which was sharp like a razor, at once cut off Rāhu’s head. When Rāhu’s head was severed from his body, the body, being untouched by the nectar, could not survive. (25) Rāhu’s head, however, having been touched by the nectar, became im mortal. Thus Lord Brahmā accepted Rāhu’s head as one of the planets. Since Rāhu is an eternal enemy of the moon and the sun, he al ways tries to attack them on the nights of the full moon and the dark moon. (26)

The Su preme Personality of Godhead is the best friend and well-wisher of the three worlds. Thus when the demigods had almost finished drinking the nectar, the Lord, in the presence of all the de mons, disclosed His original form. (27) The place, the time, the cause, the purpose, the ac tivity and the ambition were all the same for both the demigods and the demons, but the demigods achieved one result and the demons another. Because the demigods are always un der the shelter of the dust of the Lord’s lotus feet, they could very easily drink the nectar and get its result. The demons, however, not having sought shelter at the lotus feet of the Lord, were unable to achieve the result they desired. (28) In human society there are various activities performed for the protection of one’s wealth and life by one’s words, one’s mind and one’s actions, but they are all performed for one’s personal or extended sense gratification with reference to the body. All these activities are baffled because of being separate from devo tional service. But when the same activities are performed for the satisfaction of the Lord, the beneficial results are distributed to everyone, just as water poured on the root of a tree is dis tributed throughout the entire tree. (29)

Śukadeva Gosvāmī continued: Upon Lord Śiva’s drinking the poison, both the demigods and the demons, being very pleased, began to churn the ocean with renewed vigor. As a result of this, there appeared a cow known as surabhi. (1) O King Parīkṣit, great sages who were com pletely aware of the Vedic ritualistic ceremo nies took charge of that surabhi cow, which produced all the yogurt, milk and ghee abso lutely necessary for offering oblations into the fire. They did this just for the sake of pure ghee, which they wanted for the performance of sac rifices to elevate themselves to the higher plan etary systems, up to Brahmaloka. (2) Thereaf ter, a horse named Uccaiḥśravā, which was as white as the moon, was generated. Bali Mahārāja desired to possess this horse, and In dra, the King of heaven, did not protest, for he had previously been so advised by the Supreme Personality of Godhead. (3) As the next result of the churning, the king of elephants, named Airāvata, was generated. This elephant was white, and with its four tusks it defied the glo ries of Kailāsa Mountain, the glorious abode of Lord Śiva. (4)

Thereafter, O King, eight great elephants, which could go in any direction, were generated. They were headed by Airāvaṇa. Eight she-elephants, headed by Ab hramu, were also generated. (5) Generated thereafter from the great ocean were the cele brated gems Kaustubha-maṇi and Padmarāga maṇi. Lord Viṣṇu, to decorate His chest, de sired to possess them. Generated next was the pārijāta flower, which decorates the celestial planets. O King, as you fulfill the desires of everyone on this planet by fulfilling all ambi tions, the pārijāta fulfills the desires of every one. (6) Next there appeared the Apsarās [who are used as prostitutes on the heavenly planets]. They were fully decorated with golden orna ments and lockets and were dressed in fine and attractive clothing. The Apsarās move very slowly in an attractive style that bewilders the inhabitants of the heavenly planets. (7)

Then there appeared the goddess of fortune, Ramā, who is absolutely dedicated to being enjoyed by the Supreme Personality of Godhead. She appeared like electricity, surpassing the light ning that might illuminate a marble mountain. (8) Because of her exquisite beauty, her bodily features, her youth, her complexion and her glories, everyone, including the demigods, the demons and the human beings, desired her. They were attracted because she is the source of all opulences. (9) The King of heaven, Indra, brought a suitable sitting place for the goddess of fortune. All the rivers of sacred water, such as the Ganges and Yamunā, personified them selves, and each of them brought pure water in golden waterpots for mother Lakṣmī, the god dess of fortune. (10) The land became a person and collected all the drugs and herbs needed for installing the Deity. The cows delivered five products, namely milk, yogurt, ghee, urine and cow dung, and spring personified collected everything produced in spring, during the months of Caitra and Vaiśākha [April and May]. (11)

The great sages performed the bath ing ceremony of the goddess of fortune as di rected in the authorized scriptures, the Gandharvas chanted all-auspicious Vedic man tras, and the professional women dancers very nicely danced and sang authorized songs pre scribed in the Vedas. (12) The clouds in per sonified form beat various types of drums, known as mṛdaṅgas, paṇavas, murajas and ānakas. They also blew conchshells and bugles known as gomukhas and played flutes and stringed instruments. The combined sound of these instruments was tumultuous. (13) There after, the great elephants from all the directions carried big water jugs full of Ganges water and bathed the goddess of fortune, to the accompa niment of Vedic mantras chanted by learned brāhmaṇas. While thus being bathed, the god dess of fortune maintained her original style, with a lotus flower in her hand, and she ap peared very beautiful. The goddess of fortune is the most chaste, for she does not know any one but the Supreme Personality of Godhead. (14)

The ocean, which is the source of all valu able jewels, supplied the upper and lower por tions of a yellow silken garment. The predomi nating deity of the water, Varuṇa, presented flower garlands surrounded by six-legged bum blebees, drunken with honey. (15) Viśvakarmā, one of the prajāpatis, supplied va rieties of decorated ornaments. The goddess of learning, Sarasvatī, supplied a necklace, Lord Brahmā supplied a lotus flower, and the inhab itants of Nāgaloka supplied earrings. (16) Thereafter, mother Lakṣmī, the goddess of fortune, having been properly celebrated with an auspicious ritualistic ceremony, began mov ing about, holding in her hand a garland of lotus flowers, which were surrounded by humming bumblebees. Smiling with shyness, her cheeks decorated by her earrings, she looked ex tremely beautiful. (17)

Her two breasts, which were symmetrical and nicely situated, were covered with sandalwood pulp and kuṅkuma powder, and her waist was very thin. As she walked here and there, her ankle bells jingling softly, she appeared like a creeper of gold. (18) While walking among the Gandharvas, Yakṣas, asuras, Siddhas, Cāraṇas and denizens of heaven, Lakṣmīdevī, the goddess of fortune, was scrutinizingly examining them, but she could not find anyone naturally endowed with all good qualities. None of them was devoid of faults, and therefore she could not take shelter of any of them. (19) The goddess of fortune, examining the assembly, thought in this way: Someone who has undergone great austerity has not yet conquered anger. Someone pos sesses knowledge, but he has not conquered material desires. Someone is a very great per sonality, but he cannot conquer lusty desires. Even a great personality depends on something else. How, then, can he be the supreme control ler? (20)

Someone may possess full knowledge of religion but still not be kind to all living en tities. In someone, whether human or demigod, there may be renunciation, but that is not the cause of liberation. Someone may possess great power and yet be unable to check the power of eternal time. Someone else may have re nounced attachment to the material world, yet he cannot compare to the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Therefore, no one is completely freed from the influence of the material modes of nature. (21) Someone may have longevity but not have auspiciousness or good behavior. Someone may have both auspiciousness and good behavior, but the duration of his life is not fixed. Although such demigods as Lord Śiva have eternal life, they have inauspicious habits like living in crematoriums. And even if others are well qualified in all respects, they are not devotees of the Supreme Personality of God head. (22)

Śukadeva Gosvāmī continued: In this way, after full deliberation, the goddess of fortune accepted Mukunda as her husband because alt hough He is independent and not in want of her, He possesses all transcendental qualities and mystic powers and is therefore the most desira ble. (23) Approaching the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the goddess of fortune placed upon His shoulders the garland of newly grown lotus flowers, which was surrounded by humming bumblebees searching for honey. Then, expect ing to get a place on the bosom of the Lord, she remained standing by His side, her face smiling in shyness. (24) The Supreme Personality of Godhead is the father of the three worlds, and His bosom is the residence of mother Lakṣmī, the goddess of fortune, the proprietor of all op ulences. The goddess of fortune, by her favora ble and merciful glance, can increase the opu lence of the three worlds, along with their in habitants and their directors, the demigods. (25)

The inhabitants of Gandharvaloka and Cāraṇaloka then took the opportunity to play their musical instruments, such as conchshells, bugles and drums. They began dancing and singing along with their wives. (26) Lord Brahmā, Lord Śiva, the great sage Aṅgirā, and similar directors of universal management showered flowers and chanted mantras indicat ing the transcendental glories of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. (27) All the demi gods, along with the prajāpatis and their de scendants, being blessed by Lakṣmījī’s glance upon them, were immediately enriched with good behavior and transcendental quali ties. Thus they were very much satisfied. (28) O King, because of being neglected by the god dess of fortune, the demons and Rākṣasas were depressed, bewildered and frustrated, and thus they became shameless. (29)

Next appeared Vāruṇī, the lotus-eyed god dess who controls drunkards. With the permis sion of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Kṛṣṇa, the demons, headed by Bali Mahārāja, took possession of this young girl. (30) O King, thereafter, while the sons of Kaśyapa, both demons and demigods, were engaged in churning the Ocean of Milk, a very wonderful male person appeared. (31) He was strongly built; his arms were long, stout and strong; his neck, which was marked with three lines, re sembled a conchshell; his eyes were reddish; and his complexion was blackish. He was very young, he was garlanded with flowers, and his entire body was fully decorated with various ornaments. (32) He was dressed in yellow gar ments and wore brightly polished earrings made of pearls. The tips of his hair were anointed with oil, and his chest was very broad. His body had all good features, he was stout and strong like a lion, and he was decorated with bangles. In his hand he carried a jug filled to the top with nectar. (33) This person was Dhanvantari, a plenary portion of a plenary por tion of Lord Viṣṇu. He was very conversant with the science of medicine, and as one of the demigods he was permitted to take a share in sacrifices. (34)

Upon seeing Dhanvantari car rying the jug of nectar, the demons, desiring the jug and its contents, immediately snatched it away by force. (35) When the jug of nectar was carried off by the demons, the demigods were morose. Thus they sought shelter at the lotus feet of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Hari. (36) When the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who always desires to fulfill the am bitions of His devotees, saw that the demigods were morose, He said to them, “Do not be ag grieved. By My own energy I shall bewilder the demons by creating a quarrel among them. In this way I shall fulfill your desire to have the nectar.” (37) O King, a quarrel then arose among the de mons over who would get the nectar first. Each of them said, “You cannot drink it first. I must drink it first. Me first, not you!” (38)

Some of the demons said, “All the demigods have taken part in churning the Ocean of Milk. Now, as everyone has an equal right to partake in any public sacrifice, according to the eternal reli gious system it is befitting that the demigods now have a share of the nectar.” O King, in this way the weaker demons forbade the stronger demons to take the nectar. (39-40)

The Supreme Personality of Godhead, Viṣṇu, who can counteract any unfavorable situation, then as sumed the form of an extremely beautiful woman. This incarnation as a woman, Mohinī mūrti, was most pleasing to the mind. Her com plexion resembled in color a newly grown blackish lotus, and every part of Her body was beautifully situated. Her ears were equally dec orated with earrings, Her cheeks were very beautiful, Her nose was raised and Her face full of youthful luster. Her large breasts made Her waist seem very thin. Attracted by the aroma of Her face and body, bumblebees hummed around Her, and thus Her eyes were restless. Her hair, which was extremely beautiful, was garlanded with mallikā flowers. Her attrac tively constructed neck was decorated with a necklace and other ornaments, Her arms were decorated with bangles, Her body was covered with a clean sari, and Her breasts seemed like islands in an ocean of beauty. Her legs were decorated with ankle bells. Because of the movements of Her eyebrows as She smiled with shyness and glanced over the demons, all the demons were saturated with lusty desires, and every one of them desired to possess Her. (41-46)

Śukadeva Gosvāmī said: O best of the Kurus, Mahārāja Parīkṣit, the demigods and demons summoned Vāsuki, king of the serpents, requesting him to come and promising to give him a share of the nectar. They coiled Vāsuki around Mandara Mountain as a churning rope, and with great pleasure they endeavored to pro duce nectar by churning the Ocean of Milk. (1) The Personality of Godhead, Ajita, grasped the front portion of the snake, and then the demi gods followed. (2) The leaders of the demons thought it unwise to hold the tail, the inauspi cious portion of the snake. Instead, they wanted to hold the front, which had been taken by the Personality of Godhead and the demigods, be cause that portion was auspicious and glorious. Thus the demons, on the plea that they were all highly advanced students of Vedic knowledge and were all famous for their birth and activi ties, protested that they wanted to hold the front of the snake. (3)

Thus the demons remained si lent, opposing the desire of the demigods. See ing the demons and understanding their motive, the Personality of Godhead smiled. Without discussion, He immediately accepted their pro posal by grasping the tail of the snake, and the demigods followed Him. (4) After thus adjust ing how the snake was to be held, the sons of Kaśyapa, both demigods and demons, began their activities, desiring to get nectar by churn ing the Ocean of Milk. (5) O son of the Pāṇḍu dynasty, when Mandara Mountain was thus being used as a churning rod in the Ocean of Milk, it had no support, and therefore although held by the strong hands of the demigods and demons, it sank into the wa ter. (6) Because the mountain had been sunk by the strength of providence, the demigods and demons were disappointed, and their faces seemed to shrivel. (7) Seeing the situation that had been created by the will of the Supreme, the unlimitedly powerful Lord, whose determi nation is infallible, took the wonderful shape of a tortoise, entered the water, and lifted the great Mandara Mountain. (8)

When the demigods and demons saw that Mandara Mountain had been lifted, they were enlivened and encour aged to begin churning again. The mountain rested on the back of the great tortoise, which extended for eight hundred thousand miles like a large island. (9) O King, when the demigods and demons, by the strength of their arms, ro tated Mandara Mountain on the back of the ex traordinary tortoise, the tortoise accepted the rolling of the mountain as a means of scratching His body, and thus He felt a pleasing sensation. (10) Thereafter, Lord Viṣṇu entered the de mons as the quality of passion, the demigods as the quality of goodness, and Vāsuki as the qual ity of ignorance to encourage them and increase their various types of strength and energy. (11) Manifesting Himself with thousands of hands, the Lord then appeared on the summit of Man dara Mountain, like another great mountain, and held Mandara Mountain with one hand. In the upper planetary systems, Lord Brahmā and Lord Śiva, along with Indra, King of heaven, and other demigods, offered prayers to the Lord and showered flowers upon Him. (12)

The demigods and demons worked almost madly for the nectar, encouraged by the Lord, who was above and below the mountain and who had entered the demigods, the demons, Vāsuki and the mountain itself. Because of the strength of the demigods and demons, the Ocean of Milk was so powerfully agitated that all the al ligators in the water were very much perturbed. Nonetheless the churning of the ocean contin ued in this way. (13) Vāsuki had thousands of eyes and mouths. From his mouths he breathed smoke and blazing fire, which affected the de mons, headed by Pauloma, Kāleya, Bali and Ilvala. Thus the demons, who appeared like sarala trees burned by a forest fire, gradually became powerless. (14) Because the demigods were also affected by the blazing breath of Vāsuki, their bodily lusters diminished, and their garments, garlands, weapons and faces were blackened by smoke. However, by the grace of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, clouds appeared on the sea, pouring torrents of rain, and breezes blew, carrying particles of water from the sea waves, to give the demigods relief. (15)

When nectar did not come from the Ocean of Milk, despite so much endeavor by the best of the demigods and demons, the Supreme Per sonality of Godhead, Ajita, personally began to churn the ocean. (16) The Lord appeared like a blackish cloud. He was dressed with yellow garments, His earrings shone on His ears like lightning, and His hair spread over His shoul ders. He wore a garland of flowers, and His eyes were pinkish. With His strong, glorious arms, which award fearlessness throughout the universe, He took hold of Vāsuki and began churning the ocean, using Mandara Mountain as a churning rod. When engaged in this way, the Lord appeared like a beautifully situated mountain named Indranīla. (17) The fish, sharks, tortoises and snakes were most agitated and perturbed. The entire ocean became turbu lent, and even the large aquatic animals like whales, water elephants, crocodiles and timiṅgila fish [large whales that can swallow small whales] came to the surface. While the ocean was being churned in this way, it first produced a fiercely dangerous poison called hālahala. (18)

O King, when that uncontrolla ble poison was forcefully spreading up and down in all directions, all the demigods, along with the Lord Himself, approached Lord Śiva [Sadāśiva]. Feeling unsheltered and very much afraid, they sought shelter of him. (19) The demigods observed Lord Śiva sitting on the summit of Kailāsa Hill with his wife, Bhavānī, for the auspicious development of the three worlds. He was being worshiped by great saintly persons desiring liberation. The demi gods offered him their obeisances and prayers with great respect. (20) The prajāpatis said: O greatest of all demi gods, Mahādeva, Supersoul of all living entities and cause of their happiness and prosperity, we have come to the shelter of your lotus feet. Now please save us from this fiery poison, which is spreading all over the three worlds. (21)

O lord, you are the cause of bondage and libera tion of the entire universe because you are its ruler. Those who are advanced in spiritual con sciousness surrender unto you, and therefore you are the cause of mitigating their distresses, and you are also the cause of their liberation. We therefore worship Your Lordship. (22) O lord, you are self-effulgent and supreme. You create this material world by your personal en ergy, and you assume the names Brahmā, Viṣṇu and Maheśvara when you act in creation, maintenance and annihilation. (23) You are the cause of all causes, the self-effulgent, incon ceivable, impersonal Brahman, which is origi nally Parabrahman. You manifest various po tencies in this cosmic manifestation. (24) O lord, you are the original source of Vedic liter ature. You are the original cause of material creation, the life force, the senses, the five ele ments, the three modes and the mahat-tattva. You are eternal time, determination and the two religious systems called truth [satya] and truth fulness [ṛta]. You are the shelter of the syllable om, which consists of three letters a-u-m. (25)

O father of all planets, learned scholars know that fire is your mouth, the surface of the globe is your lotus feet, eternal time is your move ment, all the directions are your ears, and Var uṇa, master of the waters, is your tongue. (26) O lord, the sky is your navel, the air is your breathing, the sun is your eyes, and the water is your semen. You are the shelter of all kinds of living entities, high and low. The god of the moon is your mind, and the upper planetary system is your head. (27) O lord, you are the three Vedas personified. The seven seas are your abdomen, and the mountains are your bones. All drugs, creepers and vegetables are the hairs on your body, the Vedic mantras like Gāyatrī are the seven layers of your body, and the Vedic religious system is the core of your heart. (28) O lord, the five important Vedic mantras are represented by your five faces, from which the thirty-eight most celebrated Ve dic mantras have been generated. Your Lord ship, being celebrated as Lord Śiva, is self-illu minated. You are directly situated as the su preme truth, known as Paramātmā. (29)

O lord, your shadow is seen in irreligion, which brings about varieties of irreligious creations. The three modes of naturegoodness, passion and ig noranceare your three eyes. All the Vedic liter atures, which are full of verses, are emanations from you because their compilers wrote the various scriptures after receiving your glance. (30) O Lord Girīśa, since the impersonal Brah man effulgence is transcendental to the material modes of goodness, passion and ignorance, the various directors of this material world cer tainly cannot appreciate it or even know where it is. It is not understandable even to Lord Brahmā, Lord Viṣṇu or the King of heaven, Mahendra. (31) When annihilation is per formed by the flames and sparks emanating from your eyes, the entire creation is burned to ashes. Nonetheless, you do not know how this happens. What then is to be said of your de stroying the Dakṣa-yajña, Tripurāsura and the kālakūṭa poison? Such activities cannot be sub ject matters for prayers offered to you. (32)

Exalted, self-satisfied persons who preach to the entire world think of your lotus feet constantly within their hearts. However, when persons who do not know your austerity see you mov ing with Umā, they misunderstand you to be lusty, or when they see you wandering in the crematorium they mistakenly think that you are ferocious and envious. Certainly they are shameless. They cannot understand your activ ities. (33) Even personalities like Lord Brahmā and other demigods cannot understand your po sition, for you are beyond the moving and non moving creation. Since no one can understand you in truth, how can one offer you prayers? It is impossible. As far as we are concerned, we are creatures of Lord Brahmā’s creation. Under the circumstances, therefore, we cannot offer you adequate prayers, but as far as our ability allows, we have expressed our feelings. (34)

O greatest of all rulers, your actual identity is impossible for us to understand. As far as we can see, your presence brings flourishing hap piness to everyone. Beyond this, no one can ap preciate your activities. We can see this much, and nothing more. (35) Śrīla Śukadeva Gosvāmī continued: Lord Śiva is always benevolent toward all living en tities. When he saw that the living entities were very much disturbed by the poison, which was spreading everywhere, he was very compas sionate. Thus he spoke to his eternal consort, Satī, as follows. (36) Lord Śiva said: My dear Bhavānī, just see how all these living entities have been placed in danger because of the poison produced from the churning of the Ocean of Milk. (37) It is my duty to give protection and safety to all liv ing entities struggling for existence. Certainly it is the duty of the master to protect his suffer ing dependents. (38) People in general, being bewildered by the illusory energy of the Su preme Personality of Godhead, are always en gaged in animosity toward one another. But devotees, even at the risk of their own tempo rary lives, try to save them. (39)

My dear gentle wife Bhavānī, when one performs benevolent activities for others, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Hari, is very pleased. And when the Lord is pleased, I am also pleased, along with all other living creatures. Therefore, let me drink this poison, for all the living entities may thus become happy because of me. (40) Śrīla Śukadeva Gosvāmī continued: After informing Bhavānī in this way, Lord Śiva be gan to drink the poison, and Bhavānī, who knew perfectly well the capabilities of Lord Śiva, gave him her permission to do so. (41) Thereafter, Lord Śiva, who is dedicated to aus picious, benevolent work for humanity, com passionately took the whole quantity of poison in his palm and drank it. (42)

As if in defama tion, the poison born from the Ocean of Milk manifested its potency by marking Lord Śiva’s neck with a bluish line. That line, however, is now accepted as an ornament of the Lord. (43) It is said that great personalities almost always accept voluntary suffering because of the suf fering of people in general. This is considered the highest method of worshiping the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who is present in eve ryone’s heart. (44) Upon hearing of this act, everyone, includ ing Bhavānī [the daughter of Mahārāja Dakṣa], Lord Brahmā, Lord Viṣṇu, and the people in general, very highly praised this deed per formed by Lord Śiva, who is worshiped by the demigods and who bestows benedictions upon the people. (45) Scorpions, cobras, poisonous drugs and other animals whose bites are poi sonous took the opportunity to drink whatever little poison had fallen and scattered from Lord Śiva’s hand while he was drinking. (46)

ŚrīŚukadeva Gosvāmī said: O King Parīkṣit, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Hari, be ing thus worshiped with prayers by the demi gods and Lord Brahmā, appeared before them. His bodily effulgence resembled the simultane ous rising of thousands of suns. (1) The vision of all the demigods was blocked by the Lord’s effulgence. Thus they could see neither the sky, the directions, the land, nor even themselves, what to speak of seeing the Lord, who was pre sent before them. (2)

Lord Brahmā, along with Lord Śiva, saw the crystal-clear personal beauty of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, whose blackish body resembles a marakata gem, whose eyes are reddish like the depths of a lotus, who is dressed with garments that are yellow like molten gold, and whose entire body is attractively decorated. They saw His beauti ful, smiling, lotuslike face, crowned by a hel met bedecked with valuable jewels. The Lord has attractive eyebrows, and His cheeks are adorned with earrings. Lord Brahmā and Lord Śiva saw the belt on the Lord’s waist, the ban gles on His arms, the necklace on His chest, and the ankle bells on His legs. The Lord is be decked with flower garlands, His neck is deco rated with the Kaustubha gem, and He carries with Him the goddess of fortune and His per sonal weapons, like His disc and club. When Lord Brahmā, along with Lord Śiva and the other demigods, thus saw the form of the Lord, they all immediately fell to the ground, offering their obeisances. (3-7)

Lord Brahmā said: Although You are never born, Your appearance and disappearance as an incarnation never cease. You are always free from the material qualities, and You are the shelter of transcendental bliss resembling an ocean. Eternally existing in Your transcenden tal form, You are the supreme subtle of the most extremely subtle. We therefore offer our respectful obeisances unto You, the Supreme, whose existence is inconceivable. (8) O best of persons, O supreme director, those who actu ally aspire for supreme good fortune worship this form of Your Lordship according to the Vedic Tantras. My Lord, we can see all the three worlds in You. (9) My dear Lord, who are always fully independent, this entire cosmic manifestation arises from You, rests upon You and ends in You. Your Lordship is the begin ning, sustenance and end of everything, like the earth, which is the cause of an earthen pot, which supports the pot, and to which the pot, when broken, finally returns. (10)

O Supreme, You are independent in Your self and do not take help from others. Through Your own po tency, You create this cosmic manifestation and enter into it. Those who are advanced in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, who are fully in knowledge of the authoritative śāstra, and who, through the practice of bhakti-yoga, are cleansed of all material contamination, can see with clear minds that although You exist within the transformations of the material qualities, Your presence is untouched by these qualities. (11) As one can derive fire from wood, milk from the milk bag of the cow, food grains and water from the land, and prosperity in one’s livelihood from industrial enterprises, so, by the practice of bhakti-yoga, even within this material world, one can achieve Your favor or intelligently approach You. Those who are pi ous all affirm this. (12)

Elephants afflicted by a forest fire become very happy when they get water from the Ganges. Similarly, O my Lord, from whose navel grows a lotus flower, since You have now appeared before us, we have be come transcendentally happy. By seeing Your Lordship, whom we have desired to see for a very long time, we have achieved our ultimate goal in life. (13) My Lord, we, the various demigods, the directors of this universe, have come to Your lotus feet. Please fulfill the pur pose for which we have come. You are the wit ness of everything, from within and without. Nothing is unknown to You, and therefore it is unnecessary to inform You again of anything. (14) I [Lord Brahmā], Lord Śiva and all the demigods, accompanied by the prajāpatis like Dakṣa, are nothing but sparks illuminated by You, who are the original fire. Since we are particles of You, what can we understand about our welfare? O Supreme Lord, please give us the means of deliverance that is suitable for the brāhmaṇas and demigods. (15)

Śukadeva Gosvāmī continued: When the Lord was thus offered prayers by the demigods, headed by Lord Brahmā, He understood the purpose for which they had approached Him. Therefore, in a deep voice that resembled the rumbling of clouds, the Lord replied to the demigods, who all stood there attentively with folded hands. (16) Although the Supreme Per sonality of Godhead, the master of the demi gods, was capable of performing the activities of the demigods by Himself, He wanted to en joy pastimes in churning the ocean. Therefore, He spoke as follows. (17) The Supreme Personality of Godhead said: O Lord Brahmā, Lord Śiva and other demigods, please hear Me with great attention, for what I say will bring good fortune for all of you. (18) As long as you are not flourishing, you should make a truce with the demons and asuras, who are now being favored by time. (19)

O demi gods, fulfilling one’s own interests is so im portant that one may even have to make a truce with one’s enemies. For the sake of one’s self interest, one has to act according to the logic of the snake and the mouse. (20) Immediately en deavor to produce nectar, which a person who is about to die may drink to become immortal. (21) O demigods, cast into the Ocean of Milk all kinds of vegetables, grass, creepers and drugs. Then, with My help, making Mandara Mountain the churning rod and Vāsuki the rope for churning, churn the Ocean of Milk with un diverted attention. Thus the demons will be en gaged in labor, but you, the demigods, will gain the actual result, the nectar produced from the ocean. (22-23)

My dear demigods, with pa tience and peace everything can be done, but if one is agitated by anger, the goal is not achieved. Therefore, whatever the demons ask, agree to their proposal. (24) A poison known as kālakūṭa will be generated from the Ocean of Milk, but you should not fear it. And when var ious products are churned from the ocean, you should not be greedy for them or anxious to ob tain them, nor should you be angry. (25) Śukadeva Gosvāmī continued: O King Parīkṣit, after advising the demigods in this way, the independent Supreme Personality of Godhead, the best of all living entities, disap peared from their presence. (26) Then Lord Brahmā and Lord Śiva, after offering their re spectful obeisances to the Lord, returned to their abodes. All the demigods then approached Mahārāja Bali. (27)

Mahārāja Bali, a most cel ebrated king of the demons, knew very well when to make peace and when to fight. Thus although his commanders and captains were agitated and were about to kill the demigods, Mahārāja Bali, seeing that the demigods were coming to him without a militant attitude, for bade his commanders to kill them. (28) The demigods approached Bali Mahārāja, the son of Virocana, and sat down near him. Bali Mahārāja was protected by the commanders of the demons and was most opulent, having con quered the entire universe. (29) After pleasing Bali Mahārāja with mild words, Lord Indra, the King of the demigods, who was most intelli gent, very politely submitted all the proposals he had learned from the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Lord Viṣṇu. (30) The proposals sub mitted by King Indra were immediately ac cepted by Bali Mahārāja and his assistants, headed by Śambara and Ariṣṭanemi, and by all the other residents of Tripura. (31)

O Mahārāja Parīkṣit, chastiser of enemies, the demigods and the demons thereafter made an armistice between them. Then, with great enterprise, they arranged to produce nectar, as proposed by Lord Indra. (32) Thereafter, with great strength, the demons and demigods, who were all very powerful and who had long, stout arms, uprooted Mandara Mountain. Crying very loudly, they brought it toward the Ocean of Milk. (33) Because of conveying the great mountain for a long distance, King Indra, Mahārāja Bali and the other demigods and de mons became fatigued. Being unable to carry the mountain, they left it on the way. (34) The mountain known as Mandara, which was ex tremely heavy, being made of gold, fell and smashed many demigods and demons. (35) The demigods and demons were frustrated and disheartened, and their arms, thighs and shoulders were broken. Therefore, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who knows every thing, appeared there on the back of His carrier, Garuḍa. (36)

Observing that most of the de mons and the demigods had been crushed by the falling of the mountain, the Lord glanced over them and brought them back to life. Thus they became free from grief, and they even had no bruises on their bodies. (37) The Lord very easily lifted the mountain with one hand and placed it on the back of Garuḍa. Then, He too got on the back of Garuḍa and went to the Ocean of Milk, surrounded by the demigods and demons. (38) Thereafter, Garuḍa, the chief of birds, unloaded Mandara Mountain from his shoulder and brought it near the water. Then he was asked by the Lord to leave that place, and he left. (39)