Linga Purana

भगवन्ब्राह्मणः कश्चिद् दधीच इति विश्रुतः धर्मवेत्ता विनीतात्मा सखा मम पुराभवत्

O Lord, there was a certain brāhmaṇa named Dadhīca, renowned, knower of dharma, self-controlled, who was formerly my friend.

अवध्यः सर्वदा सर्वैः शङ्करार्चनतत्परः सावज्ञं वामपादेन स मां मूर्ध्नि सदस्यथ

He was always invulnerable to all, devoted to the worship of Śaṅkara; with disrespect, he struck me on the head with his left foot in the assembly.

ताडयामास देवेश विष्णो विश्वजगत्पते उवाच च मदाविष्टो न बिभेमीति सर्वतः

O Lord of gods, O Viṣṇu, Lord of the universe, he struck me, and, intoxicated with pride, declared everywhere, 'I do not fear.'

जेतुमिच्छामि तं विप्रं दधीचं जगदीश्वर यथा हितं तथा कर्तुं त्वमर्हसि जनार्दन

O Lord of the world, I wish to defeat that brāhmaṇa Dadhīca; you should act as is proper, O Janārdana.

ज्ञात्वा सो ऽपि दधीचस्य ह्य् अवध्यत्वं महात्मनः सस्मार च महेशस्य प्रभावमतुलं हरिः

Knowing the invulnerability of the great-souled Dadhīca, Hari remembered the unequalled power of Maheśa.

एवं स्मृत्वा हरिः प्राह ब्रह्मणः क्षुतसंभवम् विप्राणां नास्ति राजेन्द्र भयमेत्य महेश्वरम्

Having remembered thus, Hari said: 'O king, there is no fear for brāhmaṇas, born of Brahmā’s hunger, from Maheśvara.'

विशेषाद्रुद्रभक्तानाम् अभयं सर्वदा नृप नीचानामपि सर्वत्र दधीचस्यास्य किं पुनः

O king, especially for devotees of Rudra, there is always fearlessness, even for the lowly everywhere; what then of Dadhīca?

तस्मात्तव महाभाग विजयो नास्ति भूपते दुःखं करोमि विप्रस्य शापार्थं ससुरस्य मे

Therefore, O highly fortunate one, you will not have victory, O king; I will cause the brāhmaṇa pain for the sake of a curse, along with the gods.

भविता तस्य शापेन दक्षयज्ञे सुरैः समम् विनाशो मम राजेन्द्र पुनरुत्थानमेव च

By his curse, O king, there will be destruction for me along with the gods at Dakṣa’s sacrifice, and then a rising again.

तस्मात्समेत्य विप्रेन्द्रं सर्वयत्नेन भूपते करोमि यत्नं राजेन्द्र दधीचविजयाय ते

Therefore, having approached you, O best of Brahmins, I shall make every effort, O king, for your victory over Dadhīca.

श्रुत्वा वाक्यं क्षुपः प्राह तथास्त्विति जनार्दनम् भगवानपि विप्रस्य दधीचस्याश्रमं ययौ

Hearing these words, Kṣupa said to Janārdana, 'So be it,' and the Lord also went to the hermitage of the Brahmin Dadhīca.

आस्थाय रूपं विप्रस्य भगवान् भक्तवत्सलः दधीचमाह ब्रह्मर्षिम् अभिवन्द्य जगद्गुरुः

Assuming the form of a Brahmin, the Lord, who is devoted to his devotees, approached Dadhīca, the sage, and, after offering obeisance, spoke to him as the teacher of the world.

भोभो दधीच ब्रह्मर्षे भवार्चनरताव्यय वरमेकं वृणे त्वत्तस् तं भवान्दातुमर्हति

O Dadhīca, great sage among Brahmins, ever intent on worship of the Lord, I ask you for one boon; you should grant it to me.

याचितो देवदेवेन दधीचः प्राह विष्णुना ज्ञातं तवेप्सितं सर्वं न बिभेमि तवाप्यहम्

Thus requested by the Lord of gods, Dadhīca spoke to Viṣṇu: 'I know all that you desire; I do not fear even you.'

भवान् विप्रस्य रूपेण आगतो ऽसि जनार्दन भूतं भविष्यं देवेश वर्तमानं जनार्दन

You have come in the form of a Brahmin, O Janārdana; O Lord of gods, you are the past, future, and present, O Janārdana.

ज्ञातं प्रसादाद्रुद्रस्य द्विजत्वं त्यज सुव्रत आराधितो ऽसि देवेश क्षुपेण मधुसूदन

By the grace of Rudra, I know; abandon this guise of a Brahmin, O steadfast one. You have been worshipped, O Lord of gods, by Kṣupa, O slayer of Madhu.

जाने तवैनां भगवन् भक्तवत्सलतां हरे स्थाने तवैषा भगवन् भक्तवात्सल्यता हरे

I know, O Lord, your affection for devotees, O Hari; this devotion to your devotees, O Lord, is fitting for you, O Hari.

अस्ति चेद्भगवन् भीतिर् भवार्चनरतस्य मे वक्तुमर्हसि यत्नेन वरदांबुजलोचन

If, O Lord, there is any fear in me, who am intent on worship of the Lord, you should tell me earnestly, O lotus-eyed giver of boons.

वदामि न मृषा तस्मान् न बिभेमि जनार्दन न बिभेमि जगत्यस्मिन् देवदैत्यद्विजादपि

Therefore, I speak truly; I do not fear, O Janārdana. I do not fear anyone in this world, whether god, demon, or Brahmin.

श्रुत्वा वाक्यं दधीचस्य तदास्थाय जनार्दनः स्वरूपं सस्मितं प्राह संत्यज्य द्विजतां क्षणात्

Hearing these words of Dadhīca, Janārdana, abandoning the guise of a Brahmin in an instant, smiling, spoke in his own form.

भयं दधीच सर्वत्र नास्त्येव तव सुव्रत भवार्चनरतो यस्माद् भवान् सर्वज्ञ एव च

O Dadhīca, there is truly no fear for you anywhere, O steadfast one, for you are intent on worship of the Lord and are indeed all-knowing.

बिभेमीति सकृद्वक्तुं त्वमर्हसि नमस्तव नियोगान्मम विप्रेन्द्र क्षुपं प्रति सदस्यथ

You should say just once, 'I am afraid,'—salutations to you! By my command, O best of Brahmins, say this to Kṣupa in the assembly.

एवं श्रुत्वापि तद्वाक्यं सान्त्वं विष्णोर्महामुनिः न बिभेमीति तं प्राह दधीचो देवसत्तमम्

Even after hearing these conciliatory words of Viṣṇu, the great sage Dadhīca replied to that best of gods, 'I do not fear.'

प्रभावाद्देवदेवस्य शंभोः साक्षात्पिनाकिनः शर्वस्य शङ्करस्यास्य सर्वज्ञस्य महामुनिः

By the power of the god of gods, Śambhu, the wielder of Pināka, of Śarva, of Śaṅkara, the all-knowing one, the great sage—

ततस्तस्य मुनेः श्रुत्वा वचनं कुपितो हरिः चक्रमुद्यम्य भगवान् दिधक्षुर्मुनिसत्तमम्

Then, hearing the words of that sage, Hari became angry and, raising his discus, the Lord prepared to burn the best of sages.

अभवत्कुण्ठिताग्रं हि विष्णोश्चक्रं सुदर्शनम् प्रभावाद्धि दधीचस्य क्षुपस्यैव हि संनिधौ

But the Sudarśana discus of Viṣṇu became blunt at the tip, due to the power of Dadhīca, indeed in the presence of Kṣupa.

दृष्ट्वा तत्कुण्ठिताग्रं हि चक्रं चक्रिणमाह सः दधीचः सस्मितं साक्षात् सदसद्व्यक्तिकारणम्

Seeing that his discus had become blunt at the tip, the wielder of the discus was addressed by Dadhīca, who smiled and is the very cause of the manifest and unmanifest.

भगवन् भवता लब्धं पुरातीव सुदारुणम् सुदर्शनमिति ख्यातं चक्रं विष्णो प्रयत्नतः

O Lord, the discus known as Sudarshana, which you obtained long ago with great effort, is renowned as Vishnu's weapon.

भवस्यैतच्छुभं चक्रं न जिघांसति मामिह ब्रह्मास्त्राद्यैस्तथान्यैर्हि प्रयत्नं कर्तुमर्हसि

This auspicious discus of Bhava does not wish to harm me here; therefore, you should strive with Brahma's weapons and others.