Kshuva and Dadhīci

Kshuva was a king. Dadhīci was a ṛshi (seer) and a great devotee of Bhagavān Śiva. The Śiva Purāṇa tells of their quarrel in Chapters 38 and 39 of the Satī Khaṇḍa, in the Rudra Saṃhitā. This account explains why Bhagavān Vishṇu was present at Daksha’s yajña (fire ritual). It includes a debate on who is higher, a fight, the saving of Dadhīci’s life, his tapas (austerity) and three varas (boons) from Bhagavān Śiva, a battle in which all divine weapons fail, and Dadhīci’s śāpa (curse).

The debate on varṇa

A question arose between Dadhīci and King Kshuva. Which is higher, the brāhmaṇa or the kshatriya? The debate grew hot and personal. In the argument Dadhīci struck Kshuva with his left fist.

Kshuva was deeply insulted. He answered with all the force he had and struck Dadhīci with his vajra. The blow was terrible. It split Dadhīci’s body in two and left him at the edge of death. (Chapter 38)

Śukrācārya revives Dadhīci

The great Śukrācārya, who owns the Mṛtasañjīvanī vidyā (the knowledge that brings the dead back to life), came to the place. He used his knowledge to bring the badly wounded Dadhīci back to life.

After this, Śukrācārya gave Dadhīci a great gift. He taught him the full Mahāmṛtyuñjaya mantra. The teaching included the dhyāna-śloka (a verse for meditation) on the three-eyed Bhagavān Śiva, and a word-by-word explanation of the inner meaning of each part of the mantra. The mantra is:

Tryambakaṃ yajāmahe sugandhiṃ pushṭivardhanam /
urvārukamiva bandhanān mṛtyor mukshīya māmṛtāt //

This teaching made Dadhīci a complete master of this supreme mantra of protection to Bhagavān Śiva. (Chapter 38)

Dadhīci’s tapas and the three varas

After he was revived, Dadhīci did very severe tapas to Bhagavān Śiva. Bhagavān Śiva appeared before him, was pleased and gave him three varas:

  1. Vajra-bones (vajra-asthi). Dadhīci’s bones were filled with the power of the Brahmavidyā, which was recited through every pore of his body. His body became as unbreakable as the vajra and could hold cosmic power.
  2. Avadhyatva (invincibility). No weapon of any kind, divine or other, could harm Dadhīci’s body. The Sudarśana Cakra of Bhagavān Vishṇu, the vajra of Indra and the weapons of all the devas could not touch him.
  3. Adainya (fearlessness). Dadhīci would never show submission, defeat or fear before any being in creation. He would never say “I am afraid” and would never bow to any power lesser than Bhagavān Śiva himself.

With these three varas, Dadhīci went to find Kshuva. He struck Kshuva on the head with his left foot (padāghāta). (Chapter 38)

Kshuva asks Vishṇu for help

Kshuva could not stand against Dadhīci, whose strength came from his devotion to Bhagavān Śiva. He went to Bhagavān Vishṇu and made his request. Bhagavān Vishṇu knew well the power of Dadhīci and the invincibility that Bhagavān Śiva’s varas had given him. He tried to talk Kshuva out of it. He said: “Dadhīci is a supreme devotee of Śiva. He has received direct varas from Śiva. I cannot truly harm him, and I know how any fight will end. Let this go, Kshuva.”

Still, Bhagavān Vishṇu protects the devotees who come to him, and he was moved by Kshuva’s sincerity. So he agreed to try. (Chapters 38 and 39)

Vishṇu first tries to persuade

Bhagavān Vishṇu first tried a peaceful way. He took the form of an old brāhmaṇa and went to Dadhīci. His request was small. He said: “O great ṛshi, say just once, just once, ‘I am afraid.’ Only this one sentence, to satisfy the honour of the kshatriya who was struck.”

Dadhīci knew Bhagavān Vishṇu at once. He had tri-kāla jñāna, the knowledge of past, present and future, a share of the all-knowing power of Bhagavān Śiva, given to his devotee. He refused politely but with complete firmness. He said: “O Vishṇu, I know who you are. I fear only my own adharma. I do not know the word ‘fear’ before any being in creation. This is Śiva’s vara to me, and I will not break it even for your sake.” (Chapter 39)

The battle

Bhagavān Vishṇu showed his true form and used the Sudarśana Cakra. This is the most powerful weapon he has, and he had received it as a gift from Bhagavān Maheśvara himself. The cakra went toward Dadhīci and came back completely blunted. It could not harm him.

Dadhīci said to Bhagavān Vishṇu: “O Vishṇu, this cakra was given to you by Maheśvara. It will not harm me, who am also Maheśvara’s.”

Bhagavān Vishṇu used all his weapons one after another. All of them failed. The devas who had gathered came to help Bhagavān Vishṇu and added their weapons. All of them fell down before the power of Dadhīci’s devotion to Bhagavān Śiva.

Dadhīci called on Bhagavān Śiva, took a single blade of darbha grass and threw it. In flight it turned into a blazing triśūla (trident) of the fire of pralaya (the end of the world), and it began to burn the devas. All the divine weapons on the field bowed down before it. The devas ran away in terror. (Chapter 39)

The Viśvarūpa and Dadhīci’s own form

In a last effort, Bhagavān Vishṇu showed his Viśvarūpa (his form that holds the whole universe). Dadhīci was not overcome. He bathed that cosmic form with sacred water as a sign of respect. Then he challenged Bhagavān Vishṇu to give up māyā and fight him directly.

Dadhīci then showed his own form. Within his body were all the brahmāṇḍas (cosmic eggs, that is, universes). Brahmā, Vishṇu and Rudra could be seen inside him, as they are within the Parabrahman. Dadhīci was showing Bhagavān Vishṇu that by Bhagavān Śiva’s grace the devotee of Śiva holds what Bhagavān Vishṇu himself holds.

At this moment Brahmā arrived. Kshuva saw the whole of what stood before him and gave up. Bhagavān Vishṇu bowed to Dadhīci and withdrew. (Chapter 39)

Dadhīci’s śāpa

Dadhīci forgave Kshuva and declared that brāhmaṇas are supreme. Then he spoke to the gathered devas and to Bhagavān Vishṇu and gave a śāpa:

“You have come here to support adharma, to help a kshatriya who struck a brāhmaṇa, against a devotee of Śiva. For this you will all be burned by the Rudra-kopāgni, the fire of Rudra’s anger, at Daksha’s yajña.”

This is the reason, in the Satī Khaṇḍa, why Bhagavān Vishṇu was present at Daksha’s yajña. There he was defeated by Vīrabhadra and for a moment lost consciousness. (Chapter 39)

Sthāneśvara Tīrtha

The place of Dadhīci’s tapas and of this conflict was named Sthāneśvara. This tīrtha (sacred place) is mentioned in many Purāṇas and became one of the famous sacred places of northern India. (Chapter 39)

Other Purāṇas

The Liṅga Purāṇa tells of a conflict between Dadhīci and a king named Kshupa. In it too there is a debate on brāhmaṇas and kshatriyas, the Sudarśana Cakra is blunted, and Dadhīci defeats all the devas. The Kūrma Purāṇa, Chapter 15, speaks of Dadhīci at Daksha’s yajña.

Sources

  • Śiva Purāṇa, Rudra Saṃhitā, Satī Khaṇḍa, Chapter 38
  • Śiva Purāṇa, Rudra Saṃhitā, Satī Khaṇḍa, Chapter 39
  • Liṅga Purāṇa (the conflict of Dadhīci and Kshupa; chapter not given)
  • Kūrma Purāṇa, Chapter 15 (Dadhīci at Daksha’s yajña)