The Practice of Penance by Demons

1-2. O you very intelligent one, what effort did all the demons, who were accompanied by Hiranyakasipu and had fled from the battle, do? Tell us in detail their excellent account. O brahmana, we all now desire to hear it from you. Suta said:

3. All the demons who had fled from the battle, who had become powerless, prideless and distressed with grief, went to their father.

4-5a. Having devoutly saluted (their father) Kasyapa, they then said to him: The demons said: O best brahmana, we demons are born from your semen, so also are gods.

5b-9. All we demons are strong, powerful and brave; we also are knowers of expedients; we are very courageous and full of exertion. We are many, and the gods are few. How is it that they are victorious and we, endowed with power and lustre, have fled from the great battle? What is the reason for that, O father? Each one of the demons has the strength of a thousand intoxicated elephants. The gods do not have (strength) like that; and yet in the great war victory is had by the gods. So (please) tell (the reason for) all this. Please remove (our) doubt. Kafyapa said:

10-12a. O all my sons, listen to the reason for the victory (of the gods) — due to which the gods became victorious in the battle. The father is the giver of the semen (i.e. the seed); and the mother is always the soil. She conceives, protects and nourishes (her son). What would a father do in the case of a son whose intentions are fearful?

12b-18. Here (the son's) fate is (i.e. his deeds are) important (i.e. responsible). This is what I think. Association with Karma is due to two things: sin and merit. Proper conduct can be practised by resorting to truth only. Truth endowed with penance and meditation leads to emancipation, O (my) sons. There is no doubt about this that (even) with power, (good) attendants and nobility of birth, sin always leads to a fall, O (my) sons. All that power (etc.) of him who is without religious merit is impaired. O (my) good sons, there are tall and dense trees on the mountains and inaccessible places, (but) by the force of the wind they fall down along with their roots. Similarly those who are without truth and piety go to Yama's abode. O (my) good sons, this is a common rule (applicable) to (all) beings. You have abandoned the truth associated with piety, due to which a being is emancipated here (i.e. in this) and the next world.

19-24. O (my) sons, you, who were destitute of truth, have resorted to impiety. Fallen from truth, piety and penance, you have fallen into the ocean of grief; and (i.e. on the other hand) the gods who are endowed with truth and virtue, and with penance, tranquility and restraint, have a great religious merit and are sinless. Victory is seen there where there are truth, piety, penance, religious merit and Vishnu Hrsikesa. Eternal Vasudeva i.e. Vishnu helps them (only). Therefore, gods endowed with truth and piety become victorious with (Vishnu as their) helper and also due to power and valour. O (my) sons, you are destitute of penance and truth. Those who are conversant with (laws of) morality, know that that man who has Vishnu as his helper, and who has penance and power is alone seen to get victory.

25. You are without piety and also deprived of penance and truth, and you had also formerly secured Indra's position by force.

26. O (my) very intelligent sons, Indra's position cannot be obtained without penance, piety and glory (and merely) with qualities of power and pride.

27-28. O sons, those getting Indra's position (without penance, piety etc.) fall from it. Therefore, O (my) sons, you (should) together practise penance without quarrel and endowed with knowledge and meditation. You should never entertain enmity with Kesava (i.e. Vishnu).

29. O (my) sons, when you will be blessed like this; then (only) you will obtain highest success; there is no doubt about this.

30-31. Thus told by the noble Kasyapa, the very vigorous demons, having listened to the words of their father, devoutly saluted Kasyapa and rising hastily, gathered together and held thorough consultation among themselves.

32-34. Then king Hiranyakasipu said to the demons: "We shall (now) practise penance difficult to practise (but) giving everything." At that time Hiranyaksa said: "I shall practise terrible penance. Then with (my) power I shall seize (all) the three worlds. There is no doubt about this. Having vanquished in battle that wicked-hearted Govinda (i.e. Vishnu) and having killed all gods, I shall reach Indra's position." Bali said:

35. O lords — the sons of Diti — -it is not proper for you to act like this. That enmity which you have with Vishnu, is the cause of destruction.

36. Men obtain happiness by propitiating that Hrslkesa (i.e. Vishnu) with charity, religious merit, penance, and performance of sacrifices.

37-38. Like this (i.e. as advised by Bali) I shall never propitiate Hari (i.e. Vishnu). The wise ones take it to be excelling death if one, by giving up one's nature, serves one's enemy. Neither I nor other demons will serve Vishnu.

39-43. Then Bali again said to that magnanimous grandfather (of him): "This is what is observed in the codes of laws by sages knowing truth — -an advice full of statesmanship — especially regarding an enemy. Knowing oneself to be inferior, and the enemy to be powerful one should go near the enemy and wait for the time (i.e. opportunity) for victory. Darkness always stays by resorting to the shadow of a lamp. Darkness knowing the oilinessof the wick of the lamp and the very powerful light, goes to it and increases. Similarly remaining screened, and showing love actually, O demons, you should form friendship with gods following piety.

44. O prudent king of kings, formerly sage Kasyapa has given good advice; do your deeds in accordance with it."

45. Having heard those words of (i.e. uttered by) him, the powerful demon said: "O grandson, I shall not humiliate myself like this."

46-48a. Other kinsmen also said to him who was proficient in statesmanship: "What Bali said is meritorious and dear to the gods; what he said would increase Indra's pride and is fearful to the demons. All of us will just practise excellent penance. Having vanquished the gods with penance, we shall forcibly (regain) our position."

48b-50. Having thus conversed and having repudiated Bali at that time, the great demons entertaining great enmity with Vishnu in their heart, practised penance in mountaneous inaccessible places and (mountain-) peaks. Thus the demons had abandoned attachment, were well-determined, were free from desire and anger, remained without food and had overcome fatigue.

1. You, the omniscient one, have narrated (to us the account of) the war between (the gods and) the demons. Now we desire to hear (the account) of the noble Suvrata.

2. Of whom was he — -the very intelligent one — -the son? In whose family was he born? What (kind of) penance did the brahmana have (i.e. practise)? How did he propitiate Hari (i.e. Vishnu)? Suta said:

3-4. O brahmanas, I shall tell you the account of the noble Suvrata as I had heard it due to the power of my intelligence. I shall tell you, with Vishnu's favour, the divine, purifying account bringing the Vishnuite merit (to the narrator and the listener).

5-7. O illustrious ones, in the former Kalpa, the best brahmana, named Somasharman was born in Kausika's family at an excellent sacred place which removed sins and which was very meritorious, named Vamana, on the bank of Reva. Being sonless and full of great grief, he was always oppressed by painful poverty. Day and night he thought about the means (to have) a son and wealth also.

8-12. Once his dear wife, Sumana by name, and of a good vow, saw her husband full of worry and with his face hung down. The devout (woman), seeing her husband (like that) said to him: "Your mind is overpowered by innumerable worries. You are confounded by infatuation. O you very intelligent one, give up your worry (i.e. stop worrying). Tell me (about) your worry. Be composed and happy. There is no (other) distress like worry which parches up the body. He who lives by giving up his worries, enjoys happily. O Brahmana, tell me the cause of your worry." Hearing the words of his beloved (wife) Somasharman said to her:

13. Thoughts (are) due to desire, O good lady; and thinking is the cause of grief. I shall tell you all that. Having heard it, understand it accurately.

14. O you of a good vow, I do not know due to which sin I am poor and sonless. This is the cause of my grief. SumanS said:

15-16. Listen. What I say will remove all doubts; the advice (should be such as) shows the correct knowledge. Greed is the seed of sin, and delusion is its root. Falsehood is its trunk, and deceit is its well-expanded branch.

17-22. Religious hypocrisy and crookedness are its leaves; it is always flowered with wicked intellect. Deception is its fragrance, and ignorance is its fruit. The sinful cruel birds like dishonesty, heresy, theft, envy have resorted to the branch of deceit of the tree of delusion. Its good fruit is ignorance; and the juice of the fruit is unrighteousness. Nourished by the water of thirst (i.e. desire) faithlessness is its exudation, O dear one. The good juice of it viz. impiety is (felt to be) superior and becomes sweet, and the tree of greed has fruits of such a type only. That man who is happy after resorting to its shadow, who everyday eats its very ripe fruits, and who is nourished by the juice of fruits i.e. impiety, becomes pleased and proceeds towards a fall.

23-27. Therefore giving up worrying a man should not have greed. He should not at all worry about wealth, sons and wife. Even if he is a learned person he goes along the path of fools, 0 dear one (if he worries). Everyday a fool thinks: 'How can I get wealth? How can I get a good wife? How can I have sons?' Being deluded, he thinks like this day and night. (Just) for a moment he (is deluded and) finds great pleasure while worrying; again he comes to his senses and is oppressed by great grief. O brahmana, give up worry and delusion and act. O you highly intelligent one, nobody has (any) connection with anyone (else) in the worldly existence.

28. Friends, relatives, sons, fathers and mothers with servants, and wives come to have a (chance) relation with a man.

29. In the same way, O good lady, tell (me) in detail what kind of relation is there, by which wealth, sons and other relatives become related. Sutnana said:

30. Some are relations through debt; some are those who had taken away (other's) wealth; some are helpful; others are indifferent.

31-35. Sons, friends or wives are bom (and are) of (these) four kinds. So also wife, father, mother, servants, relatives and friends are born on the earth in accordance with their connection with a person. The person, whose deposit was taken away by another person becomes the latter's virtuous and handsome son on the earth — (is born) in the house of him who has taken away his deposit; there is no doubt about this; because he had left after giving him terrible grief by taking away his deposit. O glorious one, the owner of the deposit becomes the good son of him who had taken away his deposit; he is virtuous, handsome, and is endowed with all good characteristics. Being (born) as his son, he everyday shows devotion to him.

36-38. He speaks sweetly, is attractive and healthy, and shows great love for him; producing excellent love in him by being born as his son and by means of his great qualities, he gives him the same terrible fatal grief by taking away his wealth as he had given him by taking away his deposit in a former existence. So also being short-lived, he dies (a premature death).

39-40a. Thus again and again he is born, gives grief, and dies. When he (i.e. the father) laments, 'Oh my son!' he (i.e. the son) just laughs. So who is whose son and who is the father?

40b-42. (The son says:) "The deposit that was helpful to me was taken away by him. Even by taking away the wealth my life did not formerly depart, even due to great, unbearable grief. Therefore, giving him grief and taking away excellent wealth I shall today go. Whose son am I, who am like this?

43. He is not my father, nor was he the son of anyone. To this wicked one only I have given the state of a goblin."

44-45. Speaking like this, he repeatedly laughs, and goes. Giving him very terrible grief, he goes along this way. O dear one, thus (persons) become the sons of them who had taken away their deposits. Everywhere in the mundane existence, (fathers) full of great grief are seen.

46. I shall later explain to you the son connected (with the father) through debt.

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