30 verses
Maitreya said: Hearing the cause of disturbance recited by Brahmā, the devatās gave up worrying and all returned to Svarga.
Worrying about her sons because of the information given by her husband, virtuous Diti gave birth to twin sons only after a hundred years.
The information given by Kaśyapa was that the sons would make the worlds lament. She was worried that her sons would cause problems to the universe. Or she was worried that they would be killed by Viṣṇu.
Many disturbances which caused great fear to the world occurred in the heavens, earth and antarikṣa1 when the two were born
Nipetuḥ means occurred.
The earth and its mountains shook. All the directions were afire. Thunderbolts and meteors fell. Comets, a cause of disaster, appeared.
The verb appeared should be added after ketavaḥ.
Harsh winds constantly hissing, with dust as their flags and hurricanes as their troops, uprooted the trees.
The winds made a piercing sound, with hurricanes as their troops.
With complete darkness, no place could be seen in the sky without luminaries visible, caused by dense clouds with lighting, which seemed to laugh loudly
Nothing could be seen in the sky which had luminaries (bhā-gaṇaḥ) because of masses of clouds with laughing lightning.
The grieving ocean with high waves and agitated inhabitants wailed loudly. The rivers and wells with withered lotuses were also agitated.
Vārdhiḥ means ocean. Sodapānāḥ means with wells.
There were many eclipses of the sun and moon with halos. There was thunder without clouds and from mountain caves arose sounds of chariots.
Nirghātā means thunder without clouds. Sounds like chariots (ratha-nirhrāda) arose from mountain caves (vivarebhyaḥ).
Female jackals vomiting fearful fire from their mouths howled inauspiciously along with the cries of their husbands and owls within the villages.
Śivāḥ means female jackals. Ṭaḍkāraiḥ means with sound.
Dogs here and there uttered cries sounding like singing and weeping while raising their heads up.
Grāma-siṁhāḥ means dogs.
O Vidura! Wild Asses ran about in herds, striking the earth with their hard hooves and braying in glee.
O Vidura! The asses were joyful (rabhasā), making braying sounds.
Frightened by the braying, birds flew from their nests while shrieking. The cows in their pens and in the forest passed urine and stool.
The birds were frightened by the braying of the asses (rāsabhāt).
Frightened cows gave blood instead of milk. Clouds rained puss. The deities shed tears. Trees fell over without any wind.
Asṛgdohā means blood came out of the udders. Devaliḍgāni means deities.
The inauspicious planets with retrograde motion overtook the auspicious planets and fought with them.
Auspicious planets refers to Jupiter, Venus, and others. Cruel planets Mars, Saturn, and others surpassed the auspicious planets and with retrograde motion fought.2
Seeing also other powerful, evil portents, the citizens except for the Kumāras,, not knowing the truth, became afraid, and thought that the universe was about to be destroyed.
Brahma-putrān means the Kumāras, since they had cursed the door keepers.
These two original demons, like two mountains, immediately displaying valor, grew up with bodies like steel.
In spite of the curse of the brāhmaṇas, these two devotees of the Lord were still superior. To make this known, this verse shows that they did not have a trace of hellish suffering thought they performed many sinful acts without pious acts, and attained lordship over the three worlds with power, enjoyment and wealth.
Touching the sky, blocking the directions with the crests of their golden helmets, with blazing bracelets on their arms, they stood, shaking the earth at every step, surpassing the sun with their belted waists.
Kāstā means the directions. Bhujau in the dual is poetic license.
Kaśyapa gave names to his sons. He who was first to be impregnated in Diti was known as Hiraṇyakaśipu and he who came out first from Diti was known as Hiraṇyākṣa.
This verse describes how Kaśyapa (prajāpatiḥ) gave the twins names on the tenth day after birth. He named them such the child which came first from his body was known as Hiraṇyakaśipu and the child which first came from Ditis body was known as Hiraṇyākṣa. Yathā and tathā should be supplied. The Piṇòa-siddhi says:
yadā viśed dvidhā bhūtaṁ bījaṁ puṣpaṁ parikṣarat
dvau tadā bhavato garbhau sūtir veśa viparyyayād
When a person impregnates semen twice in the womb, the two embryos are born in reverse order to the impregnation.
Hiraṇyakaśipu was the eldest from the perspective of Kaśyapa, since he had been deposited first. From the perspective of the mother, Hiraṇyākṣa was eldest since he was born first from her womb. Though either could be considered elder, because of the stronger position of the father, Hiraṇyakaśipu was considered the elder.
By the power of his arms and assisted by Brahmās boon, Hiraṇyakaśipu, proud and unafraid of death, controlled the three worlds and their devatās.
Dorbhyām means by the power of his arms. The word ca indicates that Brahmās blessing helped him in strength (though the main reason was that he was a devotee of the Lord.)
His younger brother Hiraṇyākṣa, dear to him, pleased him daily. With club in hand, he went to the heavens, desiring to fight and seeking combat.
mano-vīrya-varotsiktam asṛṇyam akuto-bhayam bhītā nililyire devās tārkṣya-trastā ivāhayaḥ
Seeing him, uncontrollable and fearless, with intolerable temper, with jingling gold anklets, with vaijayantī garland and s club placed on his shoulder, possessing mental and bodily strength and strength given by Brahmā, the devatās became frightened and disappeared just as snakes disappear out of fear of Garuòa.
He was proud because of his mental strength, bodily strength, and strength given by the devatā (Brahmā). Asṛṇyam means uncontrollable.
Seeing that the devatās along with their leaders had disappeared because of his strength, the king of the demons, intoxicated, roared loudly.
Not seeing them, Hiraṇyākṣa became intoxicated (kṣibān). Instead of this klīvān (the devatās were impotent) is also seen.
Returning from heaven, the mighty demon, desiring to sport, like a mad elephant, dove into the deep ocean, which made a terribÿe sound.
Not seeing any equal opponent in the ten directions, burning with the heat of his great strength, he dove into the ocean with the hope that maybe someone there would be to his equal and he could fight
When he entered the ocean, the aquatics, the troops of Varuṇa, depressed and fearful, defeated by his strength without even being struck, ran far away.
The powerful demon moved about in the ocean for many years, striking with his iron club the huge waves agitated by wind. He then reached the city of Varuṇa called Vibhāvarī.
Over many years (varṣa-pūgān) he struck even the huge waves with his club made of iron (maurvyā). Maurvyā can also mean made of a type of grass called mūrvā. He moved about (caran). He came to the city called Vibhāvarī and thought, There is a city here. I will enter it.
Having reached Varuṇa, the protector of Pātāla-loka, the king of the aquatics, Hiraṇyākṣa bowed down low before him in jest, and said with a smile, O king! Give me a fight!
Varuṇa is the protector of Pātāla-loka (asura-loka). Hiranyākṣa bowed down to make fun of Varuṇa.
You, the master of the planet, the famous ruler, have destroyed all power among those think themselves great warriors, since, having conquered all the demons at a previous time, you performed a rājasūya sacrifice.
He speaks with opposite meaning. Because of the absences of demons before this time, it was possible for all persons to perform rājasūya sacrifices. Now, conquer me and perform a rājasūya sacrifice. Or, your sacrifice will be perfected now, if you conquer me.
When mocked explicitly by the proud enemy, powerful Varuṇa, lord of the waters, controlled his rising anger and replied with intelligence, Dear sir! I have become peaceful.
Varuṇa thought, My anger will not be beneficial. I have become peaceful means I have grown old. If I were to meet you when was young, then I would defeat thousands like you. Or the phrase can mean I have taken sannyāsa, and thus cannot fight, but even now I can defeat you.
O best of demons! I do not see anyone except the most ancient person could satisfy you who in combat. You are most expert at battle, but even persons like you praise Viṣṇu.
How will I be relieved of my desire for battle? This verse answers. Therefore, o best of demons, you should go to Viṣṇu, whom warriors such as you praise as the person who can relieve the itch for battle.
Reaching him very quickly, you will lie down on the battlefield, stripped of pride, surrounded by dogs. By his merciful desire, he assumes many forms for destroying wicked person like you.
How long will it take to reach him? Very quickly, in five days you can meet him. Stripped of your pride (vismayaḥ), you will lie down to sleep. Now afflicted by the sickness of pride, you do not sleep, agitated with the desire to fight. Where the warriors lie down (vīraśaye) is the battlefield. That will be your suitable bed. You will have many people to care for your limbs. The dogs will surround you. If that is so, then please tell me the form of the Lord. Searching inside and outside the universe, on finding him, I will fight with him. How can he kill me? You will see! For destroying the wicked, he assumes forms such as Varāha or Nṛsiṁha. I know in general, but I do not know in what particular form he will kill you.
Thus ends the commentary on Seventeenth Chapter of the Third Canto of the Bhāgavatam for the pleasure of the devotees, in accordance with the previous ācāryas
In the Seventeenth Chapter, at the birth of the two demons, many ill omens appeared. Hiraṇyakṣa, conquering everywhere, mocked Varuṇa. The devatās gave up worrying because they had faith that the Lord would handle the situation.