THE TENTH BOOK
Chapter XI
On the killing of Madhu Kaitabha
1-2. The king Suratha spoke :-- “O Best of the twice born! Who is that Devî that you spoke just now? Why the Devî deludes all these beings? What for does She do so? Whence is the Devî born? What is Her Form? and what are Her qualities? O Brâhmin! Kindly describe all these to me.”
3-9. The Muni spoke :-- O King! I will now describe the nature of the Devî Bhagavatî and why does She take Her Form in due time. Listen. In ancient days, when Bhagavân Nârâyana, the king of the Yogis, was lying in deep sleep on the ocean on the bed of Ananta, after He had destroyed the Universe, there came out of the wax of his ear the two Dânavas, Madhu and Kaitabha, of monstrous appearances. They wanted to kill Brahmâ, who was lying on the lotus coming out of the navel of Bhagavân. Seeing the two Daityas Madhu and Kaitabha and seeing also Hari asleep the Lotus-born Brahmâ became very anxious and thought :-- Now Bhagavân is asleep; and these two indomitable Daityas are ready
to kill me. Now what am I to do? Where to go? How shall I get ease? O Child! Thus thinking, the high souled Lotus born suddenly came to a practical conclusion. He said :-- “Let me now take refuge to the Goddess Sleep, Nidrâ, the Mother of all and under Whose power Bhagavân Hari is now asleep.”
10-24. Brahmâ then began to praise Her thus :-- “O Devî of the Devas! O Upholdress of the world! Thou grantest desires of Thy devotees. O Thou auspicious! Thou art Para Brahmâ! By Thy Command all are doing respectively their works in their proper spheres! Thou art the Night of Destruction (Kâla Râtri); Thou art the Great Night (Mahâ Râtri). Thou art the greatly terrible Night of Delusion (Moha Râtri); Thou art omnipresent; omniscient; of the nature of the Supreme Bliss. Thou art regarded as the Great. Thou art highly worshipped; Thou art alone in this world as highly intoxicated; Thou art submissive to Bhakti only; Thou art the Best of all the things; Thou art sung as the Highest; Thou art modesty; Thou art Pusti (nourishment); Thou art forgiveness (Ksamâ); Thou art Beauty (Kânti); Thou art the embodiment of mercy; Thou art liked by all; Thou art adorned by the whole world; Thou art of the nature of wakefulness, dream and deep sleep; Thou art the Highest; Thou art alone Highest Deity; Thou art highly attached to the Supreme Bliss. There is no other thing than Thee. There is One only and that is Thee. Hence Thou art denominated as One; Thou becomest again the two by contact with Thy Mâyâ. Thou art the refuge of Dharma, Artha and Kâma; hence Thou Thou art Three; Thou art the Turîya (the fourth state of consciousness) hence Thou art Four. Thou art the God of the five elements; hence Thou art Panchamî (five); Thou presidest over the six passions Kâma, anger, etc.; hence Thou art Sasthî; Thou presidest over the seven days of the week and Thou grantest boons seven by seven; hence Thou art Seven. Thou art the God of the eight Vasus; hence Thou art Astamî; Thou art full of the nine Râgas and nine parts and Thou art the Goddess of nine planets; hence Thou art Navamî. Thou pervadest the ten quarters and Thou art worshipped by the ten quarters; hence Thou art named Das'amî (the tenth day of the fortnight); Thou art served by the Eleven Rudras, the Goddesses of eleven Ganas and Thou art fond of Ekâdas'î Tithi; hence Thou art denominated Ekâdas'î; Thou art twelve armed and the Mother of the twelve Âdityas; hence Thou art Dvâdas'î; Thou art dear to the thirteen Ganas; Thou art the presiding Deity of Visve Devas and Thou art the thirteen months including the Malas Mâsa (dirty month), hence Thou art Trayodas'î. Thou didst
grant boons to the fourteen Indras and Thou gavest birth to the fourteen Manus; hence Thou art Chaturdas'î. Thou art knowable by the Pañchadas'î. Thou art sixteen armed and on Thy forehead the sixteen digits of the Moon are always shining; Thou art the sixteenth digit (ray) of the Moon named Amâ; hence Thou art Sodas'î. O Deves'î! Thou, though attributeless and formless, appearest in these forms and attributes. Thou hast now enveloped in Moha and Darkness the Lord of Ramâ, the Bhagavân, the Deva of the Devas. These Daityas, Madhu and Kaitabha are indomitable and very powerful. So to kill them, Thou better dost awake the Lord of the Devas.”
25-34. The Muni said :-- Thus praised by the Lotus-born, the Tâmasi Bhagavatî (the Goddess of sleep and ignorance), the Beloved of Bhagavân, left Visnu and enchanted the two Daityas.
On being awakened, the Supreme Spirit Visnu, the Lord of the world, the Bhagavân, the Deva of the Devas, saw the two Daityas. Those two monstrous Dânavas, beholding Madhu Sûdana, came up before Him, ready to fight. The hand-to-hand fight lasted amongst them for five thousand years. Then the two Dânavas, maddened by their great strength, were enchanted by the Mâyâ of Bhagavatî and told the Supreme Deity, “Ask boon from us.” Hearing this, the Bhagavân Âdi Purusa, (the Prime Man) asked the boon that both of them would be killed that day by Him. Those two very powerful Dânavas spoke to Hari again, “Very well. Kill us on that part of the earth which is not under water.” O King! Bhagavân Visnu, the Holder of the conch and club, spoke :-- “All right. Indeed! Let that be so.”
Saying this He placed their heads on His thigh and severed them with His disc (chakra). O King! Thus Mahâ Kâlî, the Queen of all the Yogas arose on this occasion when the praise was offered Her by Brahmâ. O King! Now I will describe another account how this Mahâ Laksmî appeared on another occasion. Listen.
Here ends the Eleventh Chapter of the Tenth Book on the killing of Madhu Kaitabha in the Mahâ Purânam S’rî Mad Devî Bhâgavatam of 18,000 verses by Mahârsi Veda Vyâsa.
