35 - Defeat of Kshupa

Sanatkumāra said: 

1-2. O sage of holy rites, how did Dadhicha strike king Kșhupa with his foot after conquering Vişhnu, the lord of Devas in battle? How did that sage of great penance attain adamantine bones from lord Shiva? O Nandin, please recount how Death was conquered by you. 

Nandin said: 

3. There was a king of great splendour known as Kşhupa. He was the son of Brahmä. He, the lord of the people, was the friend of Dadhicha, a leading sage. 

4. In course of time, incidentally a dispute arose between Kşhupa and Dadhicha as to who was the better--a Kşhatriya or a Brahmin. 

5-6. (Kşhupa said) The king holds the physical body of the eight guardians of the quarters.243 Hence I am Indra, Agni, Yama, Nirruti, Varuņa, Väyu, Soma (Moon), and Dhanada (Kubera, the lord of wealth). I am Ishvara (overlord). I should not be dishonoured. 

243. The king embodies the absence of eight lokapālas-the guardian deities presiding over the quarter, viz. (1) Indra, east; (2) Agni, south east; (3) Yama, south; (4) Sürya south-west; (5) Varuna, West; (6) "Väyu, north-west; (7) Kuvera, north; (8) Soma, north-east. As such, he is a divine being. He is authorized to maintain the system of four varnas and Aśhramas, but none of the sacred text-shrutis and smrutis-empowers him to rule over the Brahmana varna. Cf. G. Dh. S. räjä sarvasyeşhte bråhmana-varjam. 

7-9. Osage of holy rites, that deity (i. e. the king) is greater than the greatest.244 Hence, O blessed one, O son of Chyavana, I must never be insulted by you. I must always be honoured. 

244. Cf. Manu: 7.8.

On hearing that opinion of Kșhupa the great sage Dadhicha, son of Chyavana, struck Kșhupa on the head with his left fist, believing in his own supremacy as a brahmin. But the powerful Kșhupa hit Dadhicha with his thunderbolt. 

10-12. Formerly, he was born in the world of Brahma when Brahmā sneezed. He was urged by the thunderbolt wielding Indra to perform a task. He obtained the thunderbolt as a reward for his task. Out of his own will, he became a human, being and afterwards a king. The powerful king then conquered the leading brahmin like the powerful Indra hinself, full of tamas qualities. When struck by the thunderbolt the leading brahmin fell on the ground. 

13-14. Out of sorrow he remembered sage Bhärgava. Bhärgava, the best among the embodied beings, came there and by his yogic power he stitched the body of Dadhicha who had been struck by the thunderbolt. After stitching the severed body.

Bhārgava said: 

15-16. O highly blessed Dadhicha, worship Shiva, the unsullied lord of Devas, worthy of worship by Brahma and others. O brahmin sage! by the grace of the three-eyed lord, you become immortal. Obrahmin, this power of resuscitating one to life has been obtained from him by me 

17. There is no fear, anywhere, from death for the devotees of Shiva. I shall now tell you Shiva's Mantra that revives one to life. 

18-21a “We worship the lord, father of the three worlds,245 the lord of the three deities, three Guņas, three principles, three sacred fires, of three Vedas, of everything splitin to three. He is the scented one, the increaser of nourishment in all living beings in all places: in the Prakruti having the thrce Guņas, in the sense-organs and their objects, in Devas and Gaņas. The fragrant lord is as subtle as fragrance in the flowers. 

245. triyambaka-tryambakam. Cf. TS. 1.8.6.2. 

21b-25. O excellent brahmin of holy rites, O great sage, because puşhti (nourishment) is the very name of Purusha, He is the increaser of nourishment (pușhtivardhana) of all the divine creations beginning with Mahat and ending with Vishesha, of Vişhņu, of Brahmā, of sages, of Indra, and of Devas. Hence, we do worship that immortal nectarine lord Rudra by means of actions, by penance, by study of the Vedas, by yoga and by meditation. By this truth, Shiva himself shall liberate us from the bondage of Death. The lord is the cause of bondage and liberation like the cucumber fruit."246 This Mantra that resuscitates life has been acquired by me from Shiva. 

246. TS. 1.9.6.2. Cf. Shivagita quoted in ST. 

26. By repeating this Mantra, by doing sacrifice with this, by drinking water inspired by this mantra, by meditating on this Mantra in the presence of the Linga, O brahmin, one shall not have any fear of death. 

27. After hearing his words Dadhicha propitiated Shiva by means of penance and attained adamantine bones, indestructibility and absence of affliction. 

28-30. Having obtained indestructibility and adamantine bones Dadhicha hit the king severely on the head with the tip of his foot. King Kșhupa, in return, hit Dadhicha in his chest with his thunderbolt. But by the grace of lord Shiva the thunderbolt was rendered ineffective. It was not injured Dadhicha the great soul of adamantine body. 

31. On seeing the greatness and power of Dadhicha by way of indestructibility and unafflicted state, Kșhupa propitiated the lotus-eyed lord Vişhnu, the younger brother of Indra.