Linga Purana

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.

तस्य तद्वचनं श्रुत्वा दृष्ट्वा निर्वीर्यमायुधम् ससर्ज च पुनस्तस्मै सर्वास्त्राणि समन्ततः

Hearing these words and seeing his weapon rendered powerless, he again produced for him all the missiles from every side.

चक्रुर्देवास्ततस्तस्य विष्णोः साहाय्यमव्ययाः द्विजेनैकेन योद्धुं हि प्रवृत्तस्य महाबलाः

Then the imperishable gods assisted Vishnu, the mighty ones having set out to fight the Brahmin alone.

कुशमुष्टिं तदादाय दधीचः संस्मरन्भवम् ससर्ज सर्वदेवेभ्यो वज्रास्थिः सर्वतो वशी

Taking a handful of kusa grass and remembering Bhava, Dadhicha created the thunderbolt-bone for all the gods, sovereign in every way.

दिव्यं त्रिशूलम् अभवत् कालाग्निसदृशप्रभम् दग्धुं देवान्मतिं चक्रे युगान्ताग्निरिवापरः

A divine trident appeared, shining like the fire of destruction at the end of an age, intent on burning the gods like another cosmic fire.

इन्द्रनारायणाद्यैश् च देवैस्त्यक्तानि यानि तु आयुधानि समस्तानि प्रणेमुस् त्रिशिखं मुने

All the weapons abandoned by Indra, Narayana, and the other gods bowed to the trident, O sage.

देवाश् च दुद्रुवुः सर्वे ध्वस्तवीर्या द्विजोत्तम ससर्ज भगवान् विष्णुः स्वदेहात्पुरुषोत्तमः

All the gods, their strength shattered, fled, O best of twice-born; then the blessed Vishnu, supreme among men, created from his own body—

आत्मनः सदृशान् दिव्यांल् लक्षलक्षायुतान् गणान् तानि सर्वाणि सहसा ददाह मुनिसत्तमः

Divine hosts, hundreds of thousands in number, resembling himself; and the best of sages suddenly burned them all.

ततो विस्मयनार्थाय विश्वमूर्तिरभूद्धरिः तस्य देहे हरेः साक्षाद् अपश्यद्द्विजसत्तमः

Then, for the sake of wonder, Hari became the universal form; and the best of Brahmins saw that form of Hari directly.

दधीचो भगवान्विप्रः देवतानां गणान् पृथक् रुद्राणां कोटयश्चैव गणानां कोटयस्तदा

The blessed sage Dadhicha saw separately the hosts of gods, the multitudes of Rudras, and the hosts of their groups at that time.

अण्डानां कोटयश्चैव विश्वमूर्तेस्तनौ तदा दृष्ट्वैतदखिलं तत्र च्यावनिर् विस्मितं तदा

He also saw the multitudes of cosmic eggs in the body of the universal form; seeing all this there, Cyavana was amazed.