Vayu Purana

विष्णोरुत्पत्तिमाश्चर्य्यं कथयस्व महामते। एतदाश्चर्य्यमाख्यानं कथ्यतां वै सुखावहम् ।। ३५.

Tell us, O great-minded one, the marvelous origin of Viṣṇu; recount this wondrous story, which brings happiness.

प्रख्यातबलवीर्य्यस्य प्रादुर्भावा महात्मनः। कर्म्मणाश्चर्य्यभूतस्य विष्णोः सत्त्वमिहोच्यताम् ।। ३५.

Let the being of Viṣṇu, renowned for strength and valor, his manifestations and wondrous deeds, be described here.

अहञ्च कीर्त्तयिष्यामि प्रादुर्भावं महात्मनः। यथा स भगवाञ्जातो मानुषेषु महातपाः ।। ३५.

I shall now recount the manifestation of the great-souled one, how that blessed one, of great austerity, was born among men.

सप्तसप्ततपः प्रोक्ता भृगुशापेन मानुषे। जायते च युगान्तेषु देवकार्य्यर्थसिद्धये ।। ३५.

Seventy-seven births have been spoken of, as a result of Bhṛgu's curse, in which he is born at the end of each age to accomplish the purpose of the gods.

तस्य दिव्यतनुं विष्णोर्गदतो मे निबोधत। युगधर्म्मे परावृत्ते काले च शिथिले प्रभुः ।। ३५.

Hear from me about the divine body of Viṣṇu; when the law of the age declines and time grows weak, the Lord appears.

कर्तुं धर्म्मव्यवस्थानं जायते मानुषेष्विह। भृगोः शापनिमित्तेन देवासुरकृतेन च ।। ३५.

To establish righteousness, he is born among men here, due to the curse of Bhṛgu and the deeds of gods and asuras.

कथं देवासुरकृते अध्याहारमवाप्नुयात्। एतद्वेदितुमिच्छामो वृत्तं दैवासुरं कथम् ।। ३५.

How did he, because of the deeds of gods and asuras, obtain another birth? We wish to know how the conflict between gods and asuras occurred.

दैवासुरं यथावृत्तं ब्रुवतस्तन्निबोधत। हिरण्यकशिपुर्दैत्यस्त्रैलोक्यं प्राक् प्रशासति ।। ३५.

Listen as I recount the story of the gods and asuras as it happened: the demon Hiraṇyakaśipu once ruled the three worlds.

बलिनाधिष्ठितं राष्ट्रं पुनर्लोकत्रये क्रमात्। सख्यमासीत्परं तेषां देवानामसुरैः सह ।। ३५.

The realm was governed by Bali in turn, throughout the three worlds; there was great friendship between the gods and asuras.

युगं वै दशसङ्कीर्णमासीदव्याहतं जगत्। निदेशस्थायिनश्चैव तयोर्देवासुराभवन् ।। ३५.

There was an unbroken age of tenfold mixture, and the world was undisturbed; in those days, gods and asuras remained obedient to command.

बलवान् वै विवादोऽयं संप्रवृत्तः सुदारुणः। देवासुराणां च तदा घोरक्षयकरो महान् ।। ३५.

But then a mighty and terrible conflict arose, bringing great destruction to both gods and asuras.

तेषां दायनिमित्तं वै संग्राणा बहवोऽभवन्। वाराहेऽस्मिन् दश द्वौ च षण्डामार्कोत्तराः स्मृता ।। ३५.

For the sake of their inheritance, there were many battles; in this Boar epoch, ten and two are remembered as the six northern of the Sun.

नामतस्तु समासेन श्रृणुध्वं तान् विवक्षतः। प्रथमो नारसिंहस्तु द्वितीयश्चापि वामनः ।। ३५.

Now, listen in brief to their names, as I intend to declare them: the first is the Narasimha, and the second is the Vamana.

तृतीयः स तु वाराहश्चतुर्थोऽमृतमन्धनः। संग्रामः पञ्चमश्चैव सुघोरस्तारकामयः ।। ३५.

The third is the Varaha, the fourth is the Churning of the Nectar; the fifth battle, indeed, is the terrible Taraka war.

षष्ठो ह्याडीबकस्तेषां सप्तमस्त्रैपुरः स्मृतः। अन्धकारोऽष्टमस्तेषां ध्वजश्च नवमः स्मृतः ।। ३५.

The sixth is the Adibaka among them, the seventh is known as the Tripura; Andhakara is the eighth, and Dhvaja is remembered as the ninth.

वार्त्तश्च दशमो ज्ञेयस्ततो हाला हलः स्मृतः। स्मृतो द्वादशमस्तेषां घोरकोलाहलोऽपरः ।। ३५.

The tenth is known as Vartta, then Hala is remembered as the eleventh; the twelfth among them is known as the dreadful Kolahala.

हिरण्यकशिपुर्दैत्यो नरसिंहेन सूदितः। वामनेन बलिर्वद्धस्त्रैलोक्याक्रमणे कृते ।। ३५.

The demon Hiranyakashipu was slain by Narasimha; Bali was subdued by Vamana when he sought to conquer the three worlds.

हिरण्याक्षो हतो द्वन्द्वे प्रतिवादे तु दैवतैः। महाबलो महासत्त्वः संग्रामेष्वपराजितः ।। ३५.

Hiranyaksha was killed in single combat, in a challenge by the gods; mighty in strength and valor, undefeated in battle.

दंष्ट्रायान्तु वराहेण समुद्राद्भूर्यदा कृता । प्राह्लादो निर्जितो युद्धे इन्द्रेणामृतमन्थने ।। ३५.

By the tusks of the Boar, the earth was raised from the ocean; Prahlada was defeated in battle by Indra during the churning of the nectar.

विरोचनस्तु प्राह्लादिर्नित्यमिन्द्रवधोद्यतः। इन्द्रेणैव स विक्रम्य निहतस्तारकामये ।। ३५.

Virochana, son of Prahlada, always intent on killing Indra, was himself slain by Indra in the Taraka war.

भवादवध्यतां प्राप्य विशेषास्त्रादिभिस्तु यः। सञ्जभो निहतः षष्ठे शक्राविष्टेन विष्णुना ।। ३५.

Having attained invulnerability from you, and equipped with special weapons and the like, Sanjaba was slain in the sixth battle by Vishnu, who had entered Shakra.

अशक्नुवन्तो देवेषु पुरं गोप्तुं त्रिदैवतम् । निहता दानवाः सर्वे त्रिपुरस्त्र्यम्बकेण तु ।। ३५.

Unable to protect the triple city among the gods, all the Danavas were slain by Tryambaka in the destruction of Tripura.

अष्टमे त्वसुराश्चैवं राक्षसाश्चान्धकारकाः। जितदेवमनुष्यैस्तु पितृभिश्चैव सङ्गतान् ।। ३५.

In the eighth battle, thus, the Asuras and the Rakshasas, bringers of darkness, gathered with the Pitris who had conquered gods and men.

संवृतान् दानवांश्चैव सङ्गतान् कृत्स्नशश्च तान् । तथा विष्णुसहायेन महेन्द्रेण निबर्हिताः ।। ३५.

The assembled Danavas, gathered together in their entirety, were destroyed by Mahendra with the aid of Vishnu.

हतो ध्वजो महेन्द्रेण मायाच्छन्नश्च योधयन्। ध्वजे लक्ष्यं समाविश्य विप्रवर्त्तिर्महाभुजः ।। ३५.

Dhvaja was slain by Mahendra, fighting while concealed by illusion; the mighty-armed Vipravartin, entering the mark on the banner, was overthrown.

दैत्यांश्च दानवांश्चैव संहतान् कृत्स्नशश्च तान्। रजिः कोलाहले सर्वान् देवैः परिवृतोऽजयत्। यज्ञामृतेन विजितौ षण्डामार्कौ तु दैवतैः ।। ३५.

Raji, surrounded by the gods, conquered all the Daityas and Danavas assembled in the Kolahala; Shandamarka was conquered by the gods with the nectar of sacrifice.

एते दैवासुरा वृत्ताः संग्रामा द्वादशैव तु। देवासुरक्षयकराः प्रजानामशिवाय च ।। ३५.

These are the twelve Daiva-Asura battles that have occurred, bringing destruction to gods and demons, and misfortune to living beings.

हिरण्यकशिपू राजा वर्षाणामर्बुदं बभौ। तथा शतसहस्राणि ह्यदिकानि द्विसप्ततिः । अशीतिं च सहस्राणि त्रैलोक्यस्येश्वरोऽभवत् ।। ३५.

King Hiranyakashipu ruled for a hundred million years; and then for seventy-two hundred thousand more, and for eighty thousand he was lord of the three worlds.

पर्याये तस्य राजाऽनु बलिर्वर्षार्बुदं पुनः । षष्टिं चैव सहस्राणि त्रिंशतं नियुतानि च ।। ३५.

After him, in succession, Bali became king for another hundred million years, and for sixty thousand and thirty hundred thousand more.