36 - Dialogue between Kshupa and Dadhicha 

Nandin said: 

1-3. Lord Vişhņu was pleased with his (Dadhicha's) worship. Accompanied by Shri and Bhűmi (his consorts), holding the conch, the discus, the iron club and lotus in his hands, wearing crown, bedecked in all ornaments, clad in yellow robes, surrounded by Devas and asuras, the Garuda-bannered glorious lord Vişhņu granted him divine vision. Seeing him by his divine vision, Kșhupa bowed to the Garuda-bannered deity and eulogised him with pleasing words. 

4-8. You are the primordial deity with no origin. You are Prakruti, you are Purusha, the protector of the world. You are Vişhņu the lord of the universe. You are Brahmā, with the universe for your body. You are the first principle. O Vişhnu, you alone are the greatest luminary. You are the supreme soul, O lord of Shri, you are the greatest abode. O lord of the earth, Rudra enveloped by tamas originated from your fury. Brahmi, the creator of the universe waveloped by rajas was born of your grace. The lord enveloped by sattva, was born of your grace. O Vişhņu, O Rudra, you are identical with the universe. 

9. The principles of intellect, ego, the subtle elements and the sense-organs O lord, omniformed, are all presided over by you alone. 

10. O great lord, O lord of the universe, O Brahma, o preceptor of The universe, be pleased, O lord of the chiefs of Devas, be pleased. 

11. O Lord of the universe, be pleased. I seek refuge in you, worthy of being sought refuge in. O omniscient lord of long arms. 

12. O liberator of mankind, O highly blessed one! O lord of great strength! O best of souls! O unopposed! O great Vişhņu! perpetual obeisance be to you. 

13-14. O Vişhņu your divine invisible seat in the midst of the ocean is the thousand-hooded Sheșha enveloped in tamas. O lord of Devas, o deity of holy rites, beneath this seat, virtue, knowledge, prosperity and detachment form the four feet. 

15-18. The seven nether worlds are your feet; the earth constitutes your loins; the seven oceans247 are your clothes; the four quarters are your great arms. O lord, the heaven is your head; the sky is your umbilicus; the wind is your nose; the Sun and the moon are your eyes, Puşhkara and others constitute your tresses. The stars, constellations and firmament are the ornaments round your neck. How shall I eulogise you the lord of Devas? You are worthy of worship. Whatever was done, heard and glorified faithfully as divine, whatever was sacrificed by me O Lord! you shall bear all. Obeisance be to you. 

247. sapta sägarāh. The puränas mention seven occans, viz. of salt, sugarcane, winc, ghee, curd, milk and water which surround Jambu, Plakşha, Shalmali, Kula, Krauncha, Shäka and Puşhkara continents respectively. 

Nandin said: 

19-21. This hymn of Vişhnu is destructive of all sins. He who reads or listens to this hymn uttered by Kșhupa, he who narrates this to the brahmins with devotion, goes to the world of Vishņu. After worshipping thus and eulogising the invincible lord who is eulogised by the lord of Devas and others and after bowing to him with bent head, Kshupa spoke in submission. 

The King said: 

22. O lord, long before, a certain Brahmin, known as Dadhicha became a friend of mine. He is the knower of Dharma and a humble soul. 

23-25. He is engaged in worshipping Shiva always. He cannot be killed by anyone at all times. O lord of Devas, he struck me on the head with his left foot, in the open assembly with great contempt. O Vişhņu, O Viśhva, O lord of the Universe, arrogantly he said: "I am not afraid of any body anywhere". O lord of universe, I wish to defeat that brahmin Dadhicha. O Vişhņu, please, help me to my welfare. 

Nandin said: 

26. Višhņu understood that Dadhicha was indestructible. Vişhnu then remembered the incomparable prowess of Shiva. 

27. After remembering thus, Vişhņu said to Kșhupa, born of the sneeze of Brahma-"O leading king, after attaining lord Shiva, brahmins have nothing to fear. 

28. Particularly O king, the devotees of Rudra are free from fear always. If this be true in every respect in regard to base men what then in the case of Dadhicha? 

29. Hence, O blessed one, o king, you have no hope of victory. Of course I shall give a slight pain to the brahmin inviting a curse on me along with Devas. 

30. O leading king, at Dakşha's sacrifice due to Dadhicha's curse I and other Devas will be destroyed but revived again. 

31. Hence, O king, coming into contact with the leading brahmin I shall endeavour for your victory over Dadhicha.

Nandin said: 

32. On hearing these words Kșhupa said to Vişhnu-"So be it" The lord too went to the hermitage of the brahmin Dadhicha. 

33. The lord, favourably disposed to his devotees, assumed the form of a brahmin. The preceptor of the universe con gratulated the brahmin sage Dadhicha and said: 

The lord said: 

34. "O Dadhicha, O brahminical sage, O unchanging one engaged in the worship of Shiva, I desire to choose a boon from you. You should grant the same". 

35. On being requested by Vişhnu, the lord of Devas, Dadhicha said: "All that you desire has been understood. I am not afraid of you. 

36-37. O Vişhnu, you have come to me in the guise of a brahmin. By the grace of Rudra, I can understand everything the past, future and present. O Vişhnu, o lord of Devas, O deity of good rites, leave off this guise of a brahmin. O destroyer of Madhu, O lord of Devas you have been propitiated by Kșhupa. 

38. O lord Vişhņu, I know you are favourably disposed towards your devotees. O lord Vişhnu, your favouritism to your devotees is but proper. 

39. O lord, O lotus-eyed, bestower of boons, it behoves you to say frankly if you are afraid of me engaged that I am in the worship of Shiva. 

40. O Vişhnu, I do not speak in vain. I am not afraid. In this world I am not afraid of Devas, Daityes or brahmins. 

Nandin said: 

41. On hearing the words of Dadhicha Vişhnu in a moment east off his guise of a brahmin. He assumed his own form and said smilingly. 

The Lord said: 

42. O Dadhicha of good holy rites! You have no fear any where since you are engaged in the worship of Shiva. Indeed, you are omniscient. 

43. O leading brahmin, at my behest you should say at least once "I am afraid”. Obeisance to you. Please say to Kșhupa in the open assembly that you are afraid. 

44. Even after hearing the appeasing words of Vişhnu, the great sage did not say that he was afraid. 

45. It was due to the prowess of the Pināka-bearing Shiva, the lord of Devas, the benefactor and omniscient lord that the great sage did not say he was afraid. 

46. Then the infuriated lord Vişhnu desired to burn the sage and so raised his discus. 

47. By the power of Dadhicha even in the presence of Kșhupa, the discus Sudarshana became blunted. 

48 On seeing the discus with blunted tip, Dadhicha said to the Discus-bearing lord, who is the cause of manifesting distinction between the existent and non-existent. 

49. O lord Vishņu, formerly, the terrible discus, Sudarśhana was assiduously got by you from Shiva. 

50. That discus can never kill me. You now try with the missile of Brahmā or other similar weapons. 

Nandin said. 

51. On hearing his words and on seeing his own weapon powerless, lord Vişhņu discharged all missiles from all directions towards hiin. 

52. The powerful Devas thereafter rendered help to Vişhnu who was engaged in fighting against a single Brahmin. 

53. Then Dadhicha who had adamantine bones and who had perfect all-round self control took up a handful of kusha grass. Remembering Shiva, he discharged it against Devas. 

54. It became a divine trident as lustrous as fire of dissolution. Like fire at the close of a yuga it felt inclined to burn all Devas. 

55. Osage, all those weapons which were discharged by Indra, and other Devas bowed to the trident. 

56-57. O excellent brahmin, Devas whose strength was dis- sipated fled from the scene. Then lord Vişhnu, created out of his body millions and millions of divine attendants resembling himself. The excellent sage burnt all of them immediately, 

58-60. Thereafter, Vişhnu became Universe-formed in order to instil awe in Dadhicha. 'The excellent brahmin saw several groups of Devas distinctly, as also crores of Rudras, crores of Ganas, crores of Cosmic Eggs in the body of Vişhnu. On seeing all these therein, the son of Chyavana was surprised. 

61. The great sage sprinkled the universe-formed Vişhnu with water. He spoke to Vişhņu, the unborn lord of the universe, identical with the universe. 

62. O mighty-armed one, eschew this deception O Vishņu, there are thousands of skills (or tricks) with me also which are difficult to comprehend, and which come handy by mere thin king.248 

248. Vijñānam-mäyä. 

63. O uncensured one, you can see within ane the entire universe along with yourself, Brahmā and Rudra. I shall give you divine vision. 

64. After saying this, the sage showed everything in his own body. He spoke again to lord Vişhnu, the source of origin of all Devas. 

65. "Of what use is this deception? O lord, of what avail is the power of magic? O Vişhnu, what purpuse is served by the intrinsic power of objects or by the power of meditation? 

66-67. Hence, eschewing this deception you should fight against me strenuously." 

On hearing these words and on seeing his miraculous power Devas ran away once again. The lotus-born preceptor of the universe Brahmā restrained lord Vişnu who had become inactive. 

68. On hearing the words of Brahma, lord Vişhņu who was defeated bowed to the sage and went away. 

69. Kșhupa was extremely afflicted and dejected. He honoured and adored Dadhicha the leading sage and prayed thus: 

70. O Lord and friend Dadhicha, what has been committed by me due to ignorance may be excused. What can be affected by Vishņu or Devas in your case since you are a devotee of Rudra? 

71. O great Lord, be pleased. O brahmin, the most excellent among men of devotion, devotion of this type is difficult of access to wicked persons, to base Kshatriyas like me. 

72. On hearing the words of the king the brahmin Dadhicha, the most excellent of those who perform penances blessed the king. The leading sage then cursed Devas. 

73-74. May you including Indra and lord Vişhņu and all great sages be destroyed by the fire of fury of Rudra in the holy sacrifice of the patriarch Daksha. 

After cursing thus and glancing at Kshupa the brahmin said again. 

75. O leading king, brahmins should be worshipped by Devas, kings and by the different groups of people. O leading king, the brahmins alone are strong and powerful. 

76. After saying this the brahmin of great lustre entered his own hut. 

After saluting Dadhicha the king too went to his own abode.249 

249. kshayam - gruham ST. abode. 

77. The place of this event is known as the holy centre. Sthāņvīśhvara250 After reaching Sthânvishvara one shall attain identity with Shiva. 

250. Sthåneśhvara or Sthänvishvara is mentioned by Bāṇabhatta in his historical prose kävya Harshacharita written in the first half of the seventh century A.D. The earliest notice of this place by a foreigner is found in the record of the Chinese pilgrim Hieun Thsang, the contemporary of Harşha vardhana, the king of Sthăneshvara and Kannauj. 

The city is identified with the modern town Thanesar, near Kurukshetra, Haryana State. It derives its name from an ancient temple dedicated to lord Shiva. 

78. O great sage, the dispute between Kșhupa and Dadhicha has been briefly recounted to you, as also the power of Shiva and his protege Dadhicha. 

79. He who reads this divine dispute between Kșhupa and Dadhicha will conquer premature death. After Death he will go to the region of Brahmã. 

80. He who enters the battlefield after repeating this story need not be afraid of death. He will always come out victorious.