"Janamejaya said, 'How O Brahmana, was the Horse-sacrifice of the
Prajapati Daksha, the son of Prachetas, destroyed during the age of
Vaivaswata Manu? Understanding that the goddess Uma had become filled
with rage and grief, the puissant Mahadeva, who is the soul of all
things, gave way to wrath. How, again, through his grace, was Daksha
enabled to reunite the divided limbs of that Sacrifice? I desire to know
all this. Tell me all this, O Brahmana, truly as it occurred.'
"Vaisampayana said, 'In days of yore Daksha made arrangements for
performing a Sacrifice on the breast of Himavat in that sacred region
inhabited by Rishis and Siddhas where the Ganges issues out of the
mountains. Overgrown with trees and creepers of diverse kinds that spot
abounded with Gandharvas and Apsaras. Surrounded by crowds of Rishis,
Daksha, that foremost of virtuous men, that progenitor of creatures, was
waited upon by the denizens of the earth, the firmament, and the heavens,
with their hands joined together in reverence. The gods, the Danavas, the
Gandharvas, the Pisachas, the Snakes, the Rakshasas, the two Gandharvas
named Haha and Huhu, Tumvuru and Narada, Viswavasu, Viswasena, the
Gandharvas and the Apsaras, the Adityas, the Vasus, the Rudras, the
Sadhyas, the Maruts, all came there with Indra for sharing in the
Sacrifice. The drinkers of Soma, the drinkers of smoke, the drinkers of
Ajya, the Rishis, and the Pitris came there with the Brahmanas. These,
and many other living creatures belonging to the four orders, viz.,
viviparous and oviparous and filth-born and vegetable, were invited to
that Sacrifice. The gods also, with their spouses, respectfully invited
thereto, came on their celestial cars and seated thereon shone like
blazing fires. Beholding them, the Rishi Dadhichi became filled with
grief and wrath, and said, "This is neither a Sacrifice nor a meritorious
rite of religion, since Rudra is not adored in it. Ye are certainly
exposing yourselves to death and chains. Alas, how untoward is the course
of time. Stupefied by error you do not behold that destruction awaits
you. A terrible calamity stands at your door in course of this great
Sacrifice. Ye are blind to it!" Having said these words, that great Yogin
saw into the future with eyes of (Yoga) contemplation. He beheld
Mahadeva, and his divine spouse, viz., that giver of excellent boons
(seated on the summit of Kailasa) with the highsouled Narada sitting
beside the goddess. Conversant with Yoga, Dadhichi became highly
gratified, having ascertained what was about to happen. All the deities
and others that had come there were of one mind with reference to the
omission to invite the Lord of all creatures. Dadhichi alone, desirous of
leaving that spot, then said, "By worshipping one who should not be
worshipped, and by refusing to worship him who should be worshipped, a
man incurs the sin of homicide for ever. I have never before spoken an
untruth, and an untruth I shall never speak. Here in the midst of the
gods and the Rishis I say the truth. The Protector of all creatures, the
Creator of the universe, the Lord of all, the Puissant master, the taker
of sacrificial offerings, will soon come to this Sacrifice and you all
shall see him."
"'Daksha said, "We have many Rudras armed with lances and bearing matted
locks on their heads. They are eleven in number. I know them all, but I
do not know who this (new Rudra) Maheswara is."
"'Dadhichi said, "This seems to be the counsel of all that are here, viz.,
that Maheswara should not be invited. As, however, I do not behold any
god that can be said to be superior to him, I am sure that this proposed
Sacrifice of Daksha will certainly be overtaken by destruction."
"'Daksha said, "Here, in this vessel of gold, intended for the Lord of all
Sacrifices, is the sacrificial offering sanctified by mantras and (rites)
according to the ordinance. I intend to make this offering unto Vishnu
who is beyond compare. He is puissant and the Master of all, and unto Him
should sacrifices be performed."'
"'Meanwhile,' continued Vaisampayana, 'the goddess Uma, sitting with her
lord, said these words.'
"'Uma said, "What are those gifts, what those vows, and what are those
penances, that I should make or undergo by means of which my illustrious
husband may be able to obtain a half or a third share of the offerings in
sacrifices." Unto his wife who was agitated with grief and who repeated
these words the illustrious Mahadeva said with a joyous countenance,
"Thou dost not know me, O goddess! Thou knowest not, O thou of delicate
limbs and low belly, what words are proper to be addressed to the Lord of
Sacrifices. O lady of large eyes, I know that it is only the sinful, who
are bereft of contemplation, that do not understand me.[1404] It is
through thy power of illusion that the deities with Indra at their head
and the three worlds all become stupefied.[1405] It is to me that the
chanters utter their praises in Sacrifices. It is to me that the
Saman-singers sing their Rathantaras. It is to me that Brahmanas
conversant with the Vedas perform their Sacrifices. And it is to me that
the Adhvaryus dedicate the shares of sacrificial offerings."
"'The goddess said, "Persons of even ordinary abilities applaud themselves
and indulge in the presence of their spouses. There is no doubt in this."
"'The holy one said, "O Queen of all the gods, I do not certainly applaud
my ownself. Behold now, O lady of slender waist, what I do. Behold the
Being that I will create, O thou of the fairest complexion, for
(destroying) this Sacrifice (that has displeased thee), O my beautiful
spouse."
"'Having said these words unto his spouse Uma who was dearer to him than
his own life, the puissant Mahadeva created from his mouth a terrible
Being whose very sight could make one's hair stand on its end. The
blazing flames that emanated from his body rendered him exceedingly awful
to behold. His arms were many in number and in each was a weapon that
struck the beholder with fear. That Being, thus created, stood before the
great god, with joined hands, and said, "What commands shall I have to
accomplish?" Maheswara answered him, saying, "Go and destroy the
Sacrifice of Daksha." Thus ordered, that Being of leonine prowess who had
issued from the mouth of Mahadeva, desired to destroy the Sacrifice of
Daksha, without putting forth all his energy and without the assistance
of any one else, for dispelling the wrath of Uma. Urged by her wrath, the
spouse of Maheswara, herself assuming a dreadful form that is known by
the name Mahakali, proceeded in the company of that Being who had issued
from Mahadeva's mouth, for witnessing with her own eyes the act of
destruction which was her own (for it was she who had impelled her lord
to accomplish it for her sake). That mighty Being then set out, having
obtained the permission of Mahadeva and having bowed his head unto him.
In energy, strength, and form, he resembled Maheswara himself who had
created him. Indeed, he was the living embodiment of (Mahadeva's) wrath.
Of immeasurable might and energy, and of immeasurable courage and
prowess, he came to be called by the name of Virabhadra--that dispeller
of the goddess's wrath. He then created from the pores of his body a
large number of spirit chiefs known by the name of Raumyas. Those fierce
bands of spirits, endued with terrible energy and prowess and resembling
Rudra himself on that account, rushed with the force of thunder to that
place where Daksha was making preparations for his sacrifice, impelled by
the desire of destroying it. Possessed of dreadful and gigantic forms,
they numbered by hundreds and thousands. They filled the sky with their
confused cries and shrieks. That noise filled the denizens of heaven with
fear. The very mountains were riven and the earth trembled. Whirl winds
began to blow. The Ocean rose in a surge. The fires that were kindled
refused to blaze up. The Sun became dimmed. The planets, the stars, and
constellations, and the moon, no longer shone. The Rishis, the gods, and
human beings, looked pale. A universal darkness spread over earth and
sky. The insulted Rudras began to set fire to everything. Some amongst
them of terrible form began to smite and strike. Some tore up the
sacrificial stakes. Some began to grind and others to crush. Endued with
the speed of wind or thought, some began to rush close and far. Some
began to break the sacrificial vessels and the celestial ornaments. The
scattered fragments strewed the ground like stars bespangling the
firmament. Heaps of excellent viands, of bottles of drink, and of
eatables there were that looked like mountains. Rivers of milk ran on
every side, with clarified butter and Payasa for their mire, creamy curds
for their water, and crystalised sugar for their sands. Those rivers
contained all the six tastes. There were lakes of treacle that looked
very beautiful. Meat of diverse kinds, of the best quality, and other
eatables of various sorts, and many excellent varieties of drink, and
several other kinds of food that might be licked and sucked, began to be
eaten by that army of spirits with diverse mouths. And they began to cast
off and scatter those varieties of food in all directions. In consequence
of Rudra's wrath, every one of those gigantic Beings looked like the
all-destructive Yuga-fire. Agitating the celestial troops they caused
them to tremble with fear and fly away in all directions. Those fierce
spirits sported with one another, and seizing the celestial damsels
shoved and hurled them on all sides. Of fierce deeds, those Beings,
impelled by Rudra's wrath, very soon burnt that Sacrifice although it was
protected with great care by all the deities. Loud were the roars they
uttered which struck every living creature with dread. Having torn off
the head of Sacrifice they indulged in glee and shouts. Then the gods
headed by Brahman, and that progenitor of creatures, viz., Daksha,
joining their hands in reverence, addressed that mighty Being, saying,
"Tell us, who thou art."
"'Virabhadra said, "I am neither Rudra nor his spouse, the goddess Uma.
Nor have I come here for partaking of the fare (provided in this
Sacrifice). Knowing the fact of Uma's wrath, the puissant Lord who is the
soul of all creatures has given way to wrath. I have not come here for
seeing these foremost of Brahmanas. I have not come here urged by
curiosity. Know that I have come here for destroying this Sacrifice of
yours. I am known by the name of Virabhadra and I have sprung from the
wrath of Rudra. This lady (who is my companion), and who is called
Bhadrakali, hath sprung from the wrath of the goddess. We have both been
despatched by that god of gods, and we have accordingly come here. O
foremost of Brahmanas, seek the protection of that Lord of the deities,
the spouse of Uma. It is preferable to incur even the wrath of that
foremost of gods than to obtain boons from any other Deity." Hearing the
words of Virabhadra, Daksha, that foremost of all righteous persons,
bowed down unto Maheswara and sought to gratify him by uttering the
following hymn, "I throw myself at the feet of the effulgent Isana, who
is Eternal, Immutable, and Indestructible; who is the foremost of all
gods, who is endued with high soul, who is the Lord of all the universe."
[Here follow five and half slokas which appear to be interpolations]. His
praises having thus been hymned, the great god, Mahadeva, suspending both
Prana and Apana (the two foremost of the five life-breaths) by shutting
his mouth properly, and casting (benignant) glances on every side, showed
himself there. Possessed of many eyes, that vanquisher of all foes, that
Lord of even the gods of all gods, suddenly arose from within the pit in
which was kept the sacrificial fire. Possessed of the effulgence of a
thousand Suns, and looking like another Samvartaka, the great god smiled
gently (at Daksha) and addressing him, said, "What, O Brahmana, shall I
do for you?" At this juncture, the preceptor of all the deities adored
Mahadeva with the Vedic verses contained in the Moksha sections. Then
that progenitor of all creatures, viz., Daksha, joining his hands in
reverence, filled with dread and fear, exceedingly agitated, and with
face and eyes bathed in tears, addressed the great god in the following
words.
"'Daksha said, "If the great god has been gratified with me,--if indeed,
I have become an object of favour with him,--if I have deserved his
kindness,--if the great Lord of all creatures is disposed to grant me
boons,--then let all these articles of mine that have been burnt, eaten,
drunk, swallowed, destroyed, broken, and polluted,--let all these
articles, collected in course of these articles be of use to me. Even
this is the boon I crave. Unto him the many long years, and with great
care and effort, go not for nothing. Let these articles be of use to me!
Even this is the boon I crave!"--Unto him the illustrious Hara, the tearer
of Bhaga's eyes, said, "Let it be as thou sayest!" Even these were the
words of that illustrious progenitor of all creatures, that god of three
eyes, that protector of righteousness.[1406] Having obtained that boon from
Bhava, Daksha knelt down to him and adored that deity having the bull for
his mark, by uttering his thousand and eight names.'"