Vaishampāyana said:—Then Krishna, mounted on his car, went to the
Pārijātra mountain where the mighty Lord of the immortals was remaining
on the back of the Airāvata (1). Then that foremost of mountains, the
Pārijatra, that knew the powers of the high-souled son of Valadeva, on
beholding Janārddana approach, entered into the earth, becoming as small
as a stone for grinding sandal. O foremost of kings, Keshava was then
highly pleased with the mountain (2-3).
O delighter of the Kurus, when Krishna proceeded to renew the fight,
Garuda, with Pārijāta on its back, followed him from behind (4). The
highly powerful Sātyaki and Pradyumna, those two subduers of their foes,
also went there on the back of Garuda in order to protect the Pārijāta
tree (5). By that time the sun went down the horizon and night set in.
But the battle between Sakra and Keshava commenced anew, O king (6) The
highly powerful Krishna, then beholding the elephant Airāvata sorely
afflicted with the wounds inflicted on him, thus addressed the king of
the celestials (7):—
"O mighty-armed one, the foremost of elephants Airāvata has been sorely
wounded by Garuda: night also grows on apace (8). Let us refrain from
fighting (now). Do as thou wishest to-morrow morning again." Thereupon
the mighty king of the celestials replied to him saying "Let it be so
then (9)."
O foremost of kings, the king of the gods Purandara of illustrious soul
then, erecting a temporary shade with stones, stopped there near the
Puskara for the night (10). Then Brahmā, the mighty sage Kasyapa, Aditi,
and other gods and sages came to him there (11). O ruler of men, O
descendant of the Kuru dynasty, the Sādhyas, Viswadevas, the Aswini
Kumaras, the Adityas, the Rudras, and the Vasus also assembled there
(12).
On the other hand, O Bhārata, Nārāyana also remained on that delightful
mountain Pārijātra accompanied by his son and Sātyaki (13). The highly
effulgent one then bestowed a boon on the mountain Pārijātra that, out
of regard for him, O king, had assumed the shape of a grinding stone
(14). "O mighty mountain, thou shalt be called Sānapada; and thou shalt
be auspicious and holy like the Himalaya Mountain (15). O foremost of
mountains, be thou thus great; and abounding in numerous kinds of gems,
do thou outvie the celebrated Meru mountain. I shall ever be glad to see
thee full of different kinds of precious stones" (16).
Thus having bestowed the boon on that mountain, Keshava, after due
salutation to the God having the emblem of the bull, remembered that
foremost of rivers, the Ganges (17). O Bhārata, thus remembered by
Krishna, the river Vishnupadi (having the feet of Vishnu for its source)
came there, and Krishna, having worshipped her, performed his ablutions
in her waters (18). Then the Eternal Hari, taking up the water of that
sacred river Gangā and leaves of Bilwa, invited therewith the god Rudra,
lord of all lords of all things (19). Thereupon the God Mahādeva,
accompanied by Umā and attended by their followers, revealed himself
there on the Ganga’s water and the Bel leaves (20). Keshava worshipped
him with the flowers of the Pārijāta tree and that eloquent speaker then
began to eulogise that lord of lords, the creator of all thus (21):—
The auspicious Krishna said:—"O God I thou confinest the beings (of thy
creations) in Māyā and destroyest it; because thou manifestest thyself
through sound that pervades the universe to beings as soon as they are
born—for this reason thou art called Rudra; thou art self manifest, O
Lord; I entirely resign myself to thy benign protection. Do thou crown
me, devoted to thy devotees, and beloved of thy beloved—with fame (22).
As thou art the lord of all creatures both of those who are attached to
the followers of life and those that have renounced them—thou art
designated Pasupati—(Lord of all creatures). Thou art the performer of
all acts. O god of gods! There exists no master of the universe superior
to thyself that slayeth foes of the celestial heroes (23). In as much as
thou art, O lord, the beginning, the giver of life and the cause of
contentment of all the great divine masters, therefore art thou called
the God of gods, by the learned and the pious who are conversant with
the essential meaning of all the Shastras (24). Because O source of all
intelligence, O lord of all manifest creation, the visible world is
begotten of thee thou art the self-create, the creator of all
creators—the benign bestower of boons and designated _Bhava_ (the source
from which any thing is born) (25). O God over all gods, in as much as
thou wert coronated by all the defeated gods and Asuras and all other
creatures, therefore art thou denominated Maheswara (the highest
divinity) the maker of the universe (26). O bestower of boons, O thou of
immeasurable prowess, thou art the object of adoration of everybody and
therefore, it is that gods, desirous of their own welfare, always
worship thee, and for this reason again thou art celebrated by the name
Bhagavān that is loved by the pious; and it indicates thy presence in
the soul of all creatures (27). O foremost of the lords of the Paradise,
O Infinite one! O god, in as much as thou art the cause of production
and of the thirteen elements (such as earth, sky, space, sun, fire and
the wind, &c., &c.) therefore art thou principally called Tryambaka of
immeasurable fame (28). Thou art designated Sarva for thou subduest thy
foes and Aprameya for none can overpower thee. Thou art called
all-pervading for thou rulest everything by such principles as Raja,
&c.; thou art designated Sankara for thou art the source of pleasure;
thou art the Lord of sound for the Veda is thy word and _Arkāgrateja_
for thy effulgence is more than that of the sun (29). O Lord of all, as
thou dost ever crown them with bliss who are thy devotees and dost
instruct even thy foes the Asuras for their good, it is for thy this
universal blissful aspect that the pious, conversant with the essence of
virtue, call thee the self-manifest Sankara of infinite prowess (30). O
Ishvar of immense prowess! In the days of yore the lord of the
celestials struck thee on the throat with his thunder; but although
capable of retaliating it thou didst, out of affection, suffer thy
throat to be rendered blue; for this reason thou art celebrated by the
name of the Blue-throated (31). O Somadeva, thou art identical with all
the male and female indications amongst the mobile and immobile
creation, therefore do the Brāhmanas, conversant with the essence of
things, call thee the ever adorable Amvicā, the protectress of the
universe and also call thee the source of qualified existence (as
opposed to absolute one) (32). Thou art that _Mahattatwu_ which the
mysterious force known as Māyā in the Vedas produceth, and that is
endowed with conceptual and active energies. Thou art the Yajna of those
initiated into those ceremonies, their prime energy, and the great
_atman_ of the Yogis; therefore there has not been, does not exist, and
will not be, such a being as thyself (33). O God of gods, Myself,
Brahmā, Kapila, Antadeva, and the illustrious sons of Brahmā have all
been produced by thy parts; and thou art the lord of all, the essential
cause of all and the only absolute One that deservest homage" (34).
Thus eulogised the god Mahādeva, having the bull for his emblem,
extended his right arm and thus spoke to Nārāyana (35):—"O best of gods,
thou shalt obtain the things desired by thee; thou shalt carry away the
Pārijāta tree; and thy mind shall not feel the least pain (of
disappointment) (36). O powerful Krishna, do thou compose thyself
remembering the austerities thou didst practise on the Maināka mountain
and the boon I bestowed on thee on that occasion (37). ’Thou shalt be
incapable of being slain’, ’Thou shalt be invincible,’ and ’Thou shalt
be ever more indomitable than myself’—these and such words which I spoke
to thee then-shall be so and not otherwise (_i.e._ they shall be true to
the letter) (38). Moreover, O foremost and virtuous among the gods—he,
that will pray to me with this hymn of praise composed by thee, shall
attain the highest virtue and victory ever his foes in battle and homage
of the highest kind (39). O sinless one, O lord of the gods, worshipped
here by thyself, I shall be called Villodakesara and fulfill the desire
of all that will approach me (40). O Keshava, O Janārddana, whatsoever
learned and worshipful devotee will pass three nights here, observing
fast, shall attain to such regions as he may desire (41). Here also
shall the Ganges (sacred river) be called Avindhyā; and ablutions,
performed in its water after due recitation of Mantras, will be equally
meritorious with those performed in the Ganges itself (42). O mighty
Janārddana, on the summit of this mountain, within the caves underneath
the ground there is a stronghold of the Dānavas called Satpura. Hidden
inside that fastness live mighty Dānavas of wicked soul—who are so many
thorns in the ways of the gods and in the universe (43-44). O sinless
one, through the virtue of a boon bestowed on them by Brahmā, they are,
O God, incapable of being slain by the celestials; therefore do thou, O
Keshava, slay them, disguised as thou art now in a human semblance"
(43).
Having thus spoken and after embracing Vāsudeva, O ruler of men, the god
Mahādeva disappeared on the spot (46). Thus after Mahadeva’s departure,
and on the dawn of day, O ruler of men, Govinda, addressing the mountain
(Pārijātra) said:—"O foremost of mountains, underneath you live mighty
Asuras, incapable of being slain by the gods, by virtue of a boon
bestowed on them by Brahmā (48). Although highly powerful they shall not
be able to come out when I confine them (within the Earth underneath
you); and their avenues thus cut off they shall die in that place (49).
O mighty mountain, I shall also be enshrined on you—and O mountain, I
shall live on your heights holding in check the dreadful Asuras (50). O
foremost of mountains, who ever climbing upon your top shall behold my
image there, he shall attain to the merit of giving away a thousand cows
(51). Those, that will every day devoutly worship me constructing an
emblem of mine with your stones, shall attain to my condition" (52).
Thus the boon-giving Vishnu favored that master and thenceforward that
infallible God is enshrined there (53). And there, O descendant of
Kurus, persons of purified souls always worship him having constructed a
image with the stone of that mountain, with a view to attain to the
Vishnu Loka (54).