Chapter 202

“Markandeya said, ‘Thus addressed by Utanka, that unvanquished royalsage, with joined hands, O thou foremost of the Kuru race, replied untoUtanka, saying, ‘This visit of thine, O Brahmana, will not be in vain.This my son, O holy one, known by the name of Kuvalaswa is endued withsteadiness and activity. In prowess also he is unequalled on earth.Without doubt he will accomplish all this that is agreeable to thee,aided by all his brave sons endued with arms like unto iron maces. Giveme leave to retire, O Brahmana, for I have now given up my weapons.’ Thusaddressed by the king, that Muni of immeasurable energy replied unto him,saying, ‘So be it.” And the royal sage Vrihadaswa then, having commendedhis son to obey the behest of the high-souled Utanka saying, ‘Let it bedone by thee,’ himself retired into an excellent forest.’

“Yudhishthira said, ‘O holy one, O thou possessed of the wealth ofasceticism, who was this Daitya of great energy? Whose son and whosegrandson was he? I desire to know all this; O thou possessed of thewealth of asceticism I never heard of this mighty Daitya before. I desireto know all this truly, O holy one, and with all particulars in detail, Othou of great wisdom and ascetic wealth!’

“Markandeya said, ‘O monarch, know everything as it happened, O ruler ofmen, as I narrate the particulars truly, O thou of great wisdom! When theworld became one broad expanse of water and creatures mobile and immobilewere destroyed, when, O bull of the Bharata race, the entire creationcame to its end. He who is the Source and Creator of the Universe, viz.,the Eternal and unfading Vishnu, He who is called by Munis crowned withascetic success as the Supreme Lord of the Universe, that Being of greatholiness, then lay in Yoga sleep on the wide hood of the Snake Sesha ofimmeasurable energy, and the Creator of the Universe, that highly-blessedand holy Hari, knowing no deterioration, lay on the hood of that Snakeencircling the whole Earth and as the Deity lay asleep on that bed, alotus, endued with great beauty and effulgence equal unto that of theSun, sprang from his navel. And from that lotus possessed of effulgencelike unto the Sun’s, sprang the Grandsire Brahma, that lord of the worldswho is the four Vedas, who hath four forms and four faces, who isinvincible in consequence of his own energy and who is endued with mightystrength and great prowess and as the Lord Hari of wondrous frame,possessed of great lustre and decked with a crown and the Kaustubha gemand attired in purple silk, lay stretched for many a yojana on thatexcellent bed furnished by the hood of the snake itself extending far andwide, blazing, O king, in his beauty and the lustre of his own body likea thousand Suns concentrated in one mass. He was beheld some time afterby two Danavas of great prowess named Madhu and Kaitabha and beholdingHari (in that posture) and the Grandsire with eyes like lotus-leavesseated on that lotus, both Madhu and Kaitabha wandered much and theybegan to terrify and alarm Brahma of immeasurable prowess, and theillustrious Brahma alarmed by their continued exertions trembled on hisseat, and at his trembling the stalk of the lotus on which he was seatedbegan to tremble and when the lotus-stalk trembled, Kesava awoke. Andawakened from his slumber, Govinda beheld those Danavas of mighty energy,and beholding them the Deity said unto them, ‘Welcome, ye mighty ones! Iam gratified with you! Therefore, I will grant you excellent boons!’ Andthereupon both those proud and mighty Danavas, O king, laughingly repliedunto Hrishikesa, saying, ‘Ask boons of us, O Divine one! O thou that artthe Supreme Deity, we are disposed to grant thee a boon. Indeed, we willgrant thee a boon! Therefore, ask thou of us anything that cometh to thymind.’ Thus addressed by them the holy one spoke, ‘Ye brave ones, I willaccept a boon from you. There is a boon that I desire. Both of you arepossessed of mighty energy. There is no male person like unto any of you.O ye of unbaffled prowess, submit ye to be slain by me. Even that is whatI desire to accomplish for the good of the world.’ Hearing these words ofthe Deity, both Madhu and Kaitabha said, ‘We have never before spoken anuntruth; no, not even in jest; what shall we say of other occasions! Othou foremost of male Beings, know that we have ever been firm in truthand morality. In strength, in forms, in beauty, in virtue, in asceticism,in charity, in behaviour, in goodness, in self control, there is no oneequal unto either of us. A great danger, O Kesava, hath approached us.Accomplish thou, therefore, what thou hast said. No one can prevail overTime. But, O Lord, there is one thing that we desire to be done by thee.O thou best and foremost of all Deities, thou must slay us at a spot thatis absolutely uncovered. And, O thou of excellent eyes, we also desire tobecome thy sons. This is the boon that we desire, know then, O chief ofthe gods! Let not that O Deity, be false which thou hadst at firstpromised to us.’ The Holy One then replied unto them saying, ‘Yes, I willdo as ye desire. Everything will be as ye wish!’

“Markandeya continued, ‘Then Govinda began to reflect but uncovered spacefound he none and when he could not discover any spot that was uncoveredon earth or in the sky, that foremost Deity then beheld his thighs to beabsolutely uncovered. And there, O king, the illustrious Deity cut offthe heads of Madhu and Kaitabha with his keenedged discus!'”