Bhava-Bhārgava Saṃvāda

In the Mokshadharma Parva of the Śānti Parva, Bhīshma tells Yudhishṭhira of a meeting between Mahādeva Bhava (Bhagavān Śiva) and Śukrācārya Bhārgava. This is Chapter 289. The account explains why Śukra took the side of the asuras. It tells how he was swallowed into Śiva’s body, stayed there for crores (tens of millions) of years, and came out with his tapas greatly grown.

The questions

Yudhishṭhira asks a question that had long been on his mind. Uśanā (Śukra) was a devarshi (a seer among the devas) of great learning and tapas. Why then did he serve the asuras and work against the devas? Why did he raise the strength of the dānavas and lower the radiance (tejas) of the devas? And why could Śukra not travel through the sky as the Saptarshis do?

Bhīshma answers through the account of Bhava and Bhārgava. (Mahābhārata, Śānti Parva, Mokshadharma Parva, Chapter 289)

Why Śukra turned against the devas: Bhagavān Vishṇu and Bhṛgu’s wife

The asuras were beaten again and again by Indra’s forces. They fled to the āśrama of Bhṛgu, Śukra’s father, and Bhṛgu’s wife gave them shelter. The devas could not enter the āśrama, so they went to Śrī Mahāvishṇu for help. Bhagavān Vishṇu saw that the asuras were using Bhṛgu’s wife as a shield. He cut off her head with his Sudarśana cakra.

The asuras who were left now took refuge with Śukra himself. His mother had been killed by Bhagavān Vishṇu’s act, and Śukra took up the asuras’ cause with all the force of his anger. (Mahābhārata, Śānti Parva, Mokshadharma Parva, Chapter 289)

Śukra enters Kubera’s body

By the great power of his yoga, Uśanā entered the body of Kubera, the king of the yakshas and the keeper of the devas’ treasure. From within Kubera’s own form he began to take away Kubera’s wealth. Kubera could not resist from inside and lost his peace. He went to Indra in distress. From Indra he went on to Mahādeva and told him that the great ṛshi Uśanā had entered his body by yoga and seized his wealth. (Mahābhārata, Śānti Parva, Mokshadharma Parva, Chapter 289)

Śiva swallows Śukra

The great yogī Maheśvara heard Kubera’s report. His eyes red with anger and his śūla (trident) in hand, he rose to face Uśanā. As Śiva bent the śūla into the curve of a bow to strike, Śukra came within reach of Śiva’s hand. Mahādeva saw that the śūla could not harm one so near. He opened his mouth and swallowed the Bhārgava. Śukra went into Mahādeva’s belly. (Mahābhārata, Śānti Parva, Mokshadharma Parva, Chapter 289)

The years inside Śiva’s belly

Inside Śiva’s stomach Uśanā did not die and did not dissolve. He wandered through the inside of Śiva’s body and explored its wide, shining space. Mahādeva meanwhile sank into deep tapas. He stayed still in the cosmic waters like a pillar, his breath stopped, for crores of years. During this time Śukra shared in the great tapas that Mahādeva was doing. The two, one inside the other, went through this hard discipline together for vast ages. Śukra’s own tapas grew in this time through being close to Śiva’s tapas-śakti (power of austerity) and taking part in it. (Mahābhārata, Śānti Parva, Mokshadharma Parva, Chapter 289)

Brahmā’s visit and Pārvatī’s words

After Śiva came out of the cosmic waters, Brahmā came to him and asked about his tapas. Śiva said that his austerities were complete. At some point Mahādeva saw that Śukra’s tapas had also grown greatly within the whirl of his own tapas. Uśanā, still inside Śiva’s belly, called out and asked to be let go. Śiva refused.

Then Pārvatī Devī stepped in. She went to her husband and calmed his anger. She said: “He who is within you has become as your son. Let him not be destroyed. One who has come out of your body, by whatever path, should not perish.”

Moved by Pārvatī Devī’s words, Śiva laughed. He allowed Uśanā to leave by whatever path he wished. (Mahābhārata, Śānti Parva, Mokshadharma Parva, Chapter 289)

Śukra leaves

Śukra bowed down before both Śiva and Pārvatī and went away. (Mahābhārata, Śānti Parva, Mokshadharma Parva, Chapter 289)

What came of it for Śukra

Śukra spent crores of years inside Śiva’s body while Śiva did his own tapas. When he came out, the power of Śiva’s gathered tapas had passed into him, and Uśanā was the most powerful being in the three worlds. His great powers include his Mṛtasañjīvanī vidyā (the knowledge that brings the dead back to life) and his ability to keep the whole asura army going. In the sky he is the planet Venus, which marks time. In the Devāsura wars, the tapas he gained from being close to Śiva let him serve the asuras with great effect. (Mahābhārata, Śānti Parva, Mokshadharma Parva, Chapter 289)

Sources

• Mahābhārata, Śānti Parva, Mokshadharma Parva, Chapter 289 (the Bhava-Bhārgava Saṃvāda)