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Fourth Skandha · Chapter 5

Chapter 5

Unit 67 of 318Fourth Skandha · Chapter 5Fourth Skandha · Chapter 51 source entries

Fourth Skandha · Chapter 5

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व्यास उवाच अथ किं बहुनोक्तेन संसारेऽस्मिन्नृपोत्तम । धर्मात्माद्रोहबुद्धिस्तु कश्चिद्‌भवति कर्हिचित् ॥ १ ॥ रागद्वेषावृतं विश्वं सर्वं स्थावरजङ्गमम् । आद्ये युगेऽपि राजेन्द्र किमद्य कलिदूषिते ॥ २ ॥ देवाः सेर्ष्याश्च सद्रोहाश्छलकर्मरताः सदा । मानुषाणां तिरश्चां च का वार्ता नृप गण्यते ॥ ३ ॥ द्रोहपरे द्रोहपरो भवेदिति समानता । अद्रोहिणि तथा शान्ते विद्वेषः खलता स्मृता ॥ ४ ॥ यः कश्चित्तापसः शान्तो जपध्यानपरायणः । भवेत्तस्य जपे विघ्नकर्ता वै मघवा परम् ॥ ५ ॥ सतां सत्ययुगं साक्षात्सर्वदैवासतां कलिः । मध्यमो मध्यमानां तु क्रियायोगौ युगे स्मृतौ ॥ ६ ॥ कश्चित्कदाचिद्‌भवति सत्यधर्मानुवर्तकः । अन्यथान्ययुगानां वै सर्वे धर्मपरायणाः ॥ ७ ॥ वासना कारणं राजन् सर्वत्र धर्मसंस्थितौ । तस्यां वै मलिनायां तु धर्मोऽपि मलिनो भवेत् ॥ ८ ॥ मलिना वासना सत्यं विनाशायेति सर्वथा । ब्रह्मणो हृदयाञ्चातः पुत्रो धर्म इति स्मृतः ॥ ९ ॥ ब्राह्मणः सत्यसम्पन्तो वेदधर्मरतः सदा । दक्षस्य दुहितारो हि वृता दश महात्मना ॥ १० ॥ विवाहविधिना सम्यङ्‌मुनिना गृहधर्मिणा । तास्वजीजनयत्पुत्रान्धर्मः सत्यवतां वरः ॥ ११ ॥ हरिं कृष्णं नरं चैव तथा नारायणं नृप । योगाभ्यासरतो नित्यं हरिः कृष्णो बभूव ह ॥ १२ ॥ नरनारायणौ चैव चेरतुस्तप उत्तमम् । प्रालेयाद्रिं समागत्य तीर्थे बदरिकाश्रमे ॥ १३ ॥ तपस्विषु धुरीणौ तौ पुराणौ मुनिसत्तमौ । गृणन्तौ तत्परं ब्रह्म गङ्गाया विपुले तटे ॥ १४ ॥ हरेरंशौ स्थितौ तत्र नरनारायणावृषी । पूर्णं वर्षसहस्रं तु चक्राते तप उत्तमम् ॥ १५ ॥ तापितं च जगत्सर्वं तपसा सचराचरम् । नरनारायणाभ्यां च शक्रः क्षोभं तदा ययौ ॥ १६ ॥ चिन्ताविष्टः सहस्राक्षो मनसा समकल्पयत् । किं कर्तव्यं धर्मपुत्रौ तापसौ ध्यानसंयुतौ ॥ १७ ॥ सिद्धार्थां सुभृशं श्रेष्ठमासनं मे ग्रहीष्यतः । विघ्नः कथं प्रकर्तव्यस्तपो येन भवेन्न हि ॥ १८ ॥ उत्पाद्य कामं क्रोधञ्च लोभं वाप्यतिदारुणम् । इत्युद्दिश्य सहस्राक्षः समारुह्य गजोत्तमम् ॥ १९ ॥ विघ्नकामस्तु तरसा जगाम गन्धमादनम् । गत्वा तत्राश्रमे पुण्ये तावपश्यच्छतक्रतुः ॥ २० ॥ तपसा दीप्तदेहौ तु भास्कराविव चोदितौ । ब्रह्मविष्णू किमेतौ वै प्रकटौ वा विभावसू ॥ २१ ॥ धर्मपुत्रावृषी एतौ तपसा किं करिष्यतः । इति सञ्चिन्त्य तौ दृष्ट्वा तदोवाच शचीपतिः ॥ २२ ॥ किं वा कार्यं महाभागौ ब्रूतं धर्मसुतौ किल । ददामि वां वरं श्रेष्ठं दातुं यातोऽस्म्यहमृषी ॥ २३ ॥ अदेयमपि दास्यामि तुष्टोऽस्मि तपसा किल । व्यास उवाच एवं पुनः पुनः शक्रस्तावुवाच पुरः स्थितः ॥ २४ ॥ नोचतुस्तावृषी ध्यानसंस्थितौ दृढचेतसौ । ततो वै मोहिनीं मायां चकार भयदां वृषः ॥ २५ ॥ वृकान्सिंहांश्च व्याघ्रांश्च समुत्पाद्याबिभीषयत् । वर्षं वातं तथा वह्निं समुत्पाद्य पुनः पुनः ॥ २६ ॥ भीषयामास तौ शक्रो मायां कृत्वा विमोहिनीम् । भयतोऽपि वशं नीतौ न तौ धर्मसुतौ मुनी ॥ २७ ॥ नरनारायणौ दृष्ट्वा शक्रः स्वभवनं गतः । वरदाने प्रलुब्धौ न न भीतौ वह्निवायुतः ॥ २८ ॥ व्याघ्रसिंहादिभिः कान्तौ चलितौ नाश्रमात्स्वकात् । न तयोर्ध्यानभङ्गं वै कर्तुं कोऽपि क्षमोऽभवत् ॥ २९ ॥ इन्द्रोऽपि सदनं गत्वा चिन्तयामास दुःखितः । चलितौ भयलोभाभ्यां नेमौ मुनिवरोत्तमौ ॥ ३० ॥ चिन्तयन्तौ महाविद्यामादिशक्तिं सनातनीम् । ईश्वरीं सर्वलोकानां परां प्रकृतिमद्‌भुताम् ॥ ३१ ॥ ध्यायतां कः क्षमो लोके बहुमायाविदप्युत । यन्मूलाः सकला माया देवासुरकृताः किल ॥ ३२ ॥ ते कथं बाधितुं शक्ता ध्यायन्ति गतकल्मषाः । वाग्बीजं कामबीजञ्च मायाबीजं तथैव च ॥ ३३ ॥ चित्ते यस्य भवेत्तं तु बाधितुं कोऽपि न क्षमः । मायया मोहितः शक्रो भूयस्तस्य प्रतिक्रियाम् ॥ ३४ ॥ कर्तुं कामवसन्तौ तु समाहूयाब्रवीद्वचः । मनोभव वसन्तेन रत्या युक्तो व्रजाधुना ॥ ३५ ॥ अप्सरोभिः समायुक्तस्तरसा गन्धमादनम् । नरनारायणौ तत्र पुराणावृषिसत्तमौ ॥ ३६ ॥ कुरुतस्तप एकान्ते स्थितौ बदरिकाश्रमे । गत्वा तत्र समीपे तु तयोर्मन्मथ मार्गणैः ॥ ३७ ॥ चित्तं कामातुरं कार्यं कुरु कार्यं ममाधुना । मोहयित्वोच्चाटयित्वा विशिखैस्ताडयाशु च ॥ ३८ ॥ वशीकुरु महाभाग मुनी धर्मसुतावपि । को ह्यस्मिन् सर्वसंसारे देवो दैत्योऽथ मानवः ॥ ३९ ॥ यस्ते बाणवशं प्राप्तो न याति भृशताडितः । ब्रह्माहं गिरिजानाथश्चन्द्रो वह्निर्विमोहितः ॥ ४० ॥ गणना कानयोः काम त्वद्‌बाणानां पराक्रमे । वाराङ्गनागणोऽयं ते सहायार्थं मयेरितः ॥ ४१ ॥ आगमिष्यति तत्रैव रम्भादीनां मनोरमः । एका तिलोत्तमा रम्भा कार्यं साधयितुं क्षमा ॥ ४२ ॥ त्वमेवैकः क्षमः कामं मिलितैः कस्तु संशयः । कुरु कार्यं महाभाग ददामि तव वाच्छितम् ॥ ४३ ॥ प्रलोभितौ मयात्यर्थं वरदानैस्तपस्विनौ । स्थानान्न चलितौ शान्तौ वृथायं मे गतः श्रमः ॥ ४४ ॥ तथा वै मायया कृत्वा भीषितौ तापसौ भृशम् । तथापि नोत्थितौ स्थानाद्देहरक्षापरौ न तौ ॥ ४५ ॥ व्यास उवाच इति तस्य वचः श्रुत्वा शक्रं प्राह मनोभवः । वासवाद्य करिष्यामि कार्यं ते मनसेप्सितम् ॥ ४६ ॥ यदि विष्णुं महेशं वा ब्रह्माणं वा दिवाकरम् । ध्यायन्तौ तौ तदास्माकं भवितारौ वशौ मुनी ॥ ४७ ॥ देवीभक्तं वशीकर्तुं नाहं शक्तः कथञ्चन । कामराज महाबीजं चिन्तयन्तं मनस्यलम् ॥ ४८ ॥ तां देवीं चेन्महाशक्तिं संश्रितौ भक्तिभावतः । न तदा मम बाणानां गोचरौ तापसौ किल ॥ ४९ ॥ इन्द्र उवाच गच्छ त्वं च महाभाग सर्वैस्तत्र समुद्यतैः । कार्यं ममातिदुःसाध्यं कर्ता हितमनुत्तमम् ॥ ५० ॥ व्यास उवाच इति तेन समादिष्टा ययुः सर्वे समुद्यताः । यत्र तौ धर्मपुत्रौ द्वौ तेपाते दुष्करं तपः ॥ ५१ ॥

vyāsa uvāca atha kiṃ bahunoktena saṃsāre'sminnṛpottama | dharmātmādrohabuddhistu kaścid‌bhavati karhicit || 1 || rāgadveṣāvṛtaṃ viśvaṃ sarvaṃ sthāvarajaṅgamam | ādye yuge'pi rājendra kimadya kalidūṣite || 2 || devāḥ serṣyāśca sadrohāśchalakarmaratāḥ sadā | mānuṣāṇāṃ tiraścāṃ ca kā vārtā nṛpa gaṇyate || 3 || drohapare drohaparo bhavediti samānatā | adrohiṇi tathā śānte vidveṣaḥ khalatā smṛtā || 4 || yaḥ kaścittāpasaḥ śānto japadhyānaparāyaṇaḥ | bhavettasya jape vighnakartā vai maghavā param || 5 || satāṃ satyayugaṃ sākṣātsarvadaivāsatāṃ kaliḥ | madhyamo madhyamānāṃ tu kriyāyogau yuge smṛtau || 6 || kaścitkadācid‌bhavati satyadharmānuvartakaḥ | anyathānyayugānāṃ vai sarve dharmaparāyaṇāḥ || 7 || vāsanā kāraṇaṃ rājan sarvatra dharmasaṃsthitau | tasyāṃ vai malināyāṃ tu dharmo'pi malino bhavet || 8 || malinā vāsanā satyaṃ vināśāyeti sarvathā | brahmaṇo hṛdayāñcātaḥ putro dharma iti smṛtaḥ || 9 || brāhmaṇaḥ satyasampanto vedadharmarataḥ sadā | dakṣasya duhitāro hi vṛtā daśa mahātmanā || 10 || vivāhavidhinā samyaṅ‌muninā gṛhadharmiṇā | tāsvajījanayatputrāndharmaḥ satyavatāṃ varaḥ || 11 || hariṃ kṛṣṇaṃ naraṃ caiva tathā nārāyaṇaṃ nṛpa | yogābhyāsarato nityaṃ hariḥ kṛṣṇo babhūva ha || 12 || naranārāyaṇau caiva ceratustapa uttamam | prāleyādriṃ samāgatya tīrthe badarikāśrame || 13 || tapasviṣu dhurīṇau tau purāṇau munisattamau | gṛṇantau tatparaṃ brahma gaṅgāyā vipule taṭe || 14 || hareraṃśau sthitau tatra naranārāyaṇāvṛṣī | pūrṇaṃ varṣasahasraṃ tu cakrāte tapa uttamam || 15 || tāpitaṃ ca jagatsarvaṃ tapasā sacarācaram | naranārāyaṇābhyāṃ ca śakraḥ kṣobhaṃ tadā yayau || 16 || cintāviṣṭaḥ sahasrākṣo manasā samakalpayat | kiṃ kartavyaṃ dharmaputrau tāpasau dhyānasaṃyutau || 17 || siddhārthāṃ subhṛśaṃ śreṣṭhamāsanaṃ me grahīṣyataḥ | vighnaḥ kathaṃ prakartavyastapo yena bhavenna hi || 18 || utpādya kāmaṃ krodhañca lobhaṃ vāpyatidāruṇam | ityuddiśya sahasrākṣaḥ samāruhya gajottamam || 19 || vighnakāmastu tarasā jagāma gandhamādanam | gatvā tatrāśrame puṇye tāvapaśyacchatakratuḥ || 20 || tapasā dīptadehau tu bhāskarāviva coditau | brahmaviṣṇū kimetau vai prakaṭau vā vibhāvasū || 21 || dharmaputrāvṛṣī etau tapasā kiṃ kariṣyataḥ | iti sañcintya tau dṛṣṭvā tadovāca śacīpatiḥ || 22 || kiṃ vā kāryaṃ mahābhāgau brūtaṃ dharmasutau kila | dadāmi vāṃ varaṃ śreṣṭhaṃ dātuṃ yāto'smyahamṛṣī || 23 || adeyamapi dāsyāmi tuṣṭo'smi tapasā kila | vyāsa uvāca evaṃ punaḥ punaḥ śakrastāvuvāca puraḥ sthitaḥ || 24 || nocatustāvṛṣī dhyānasaṃsthitau dṛḍhacetasau | tato vai mohinīṃ māyāṃ cakāra bhayadāṃ vṛṣaḥ || 25 || vṛkānsiṃhāṃśca vyāghrāṃśca samutpādyābibhīṣayat | varṣaṃ vātaṃ tathā vahniṃ samutpādya punaḥ punaḥ || 26 || bhīṣayāmāsa tau śakro māyāṃ kṛtvā vimohinīm | bhayato'pi vaśaṃ nītau na tau dharmasutau munī || 27 || naranārāyaṇau dṛṣṭvā śakraḥ svabhavanaṃ gataḥ | varadāne pralubdhau na na bhītau vahnivāyutaḥ || 28 || vyāghrasiṃhādibhiḥ kāntau calitau nāśramātsvakāt | na tayordhyānabhaṅgaṃ vai kartuṃ ko'pi kṣamo'bhavat || 29 || indro'pi sadanaṃ gatvā cintayāmāsa duḥkhitaḥ | calitau bhayalobhābhyāṃ nemau munivarottamau || 30 || cintayantau mahāvidyāmādiśaktiṃ sanātanīm | īśvarīṃ sarvalokānāṃ parāṃ prakṛtimad‌bhutām || 31 || dhyāyatāṃ kaḥ kṣamo loke bahumāyāvidapyuta | yanmūlāḥ sakalā māyā devāsurakṛtāḥ kila || 32 || te kathaṃ bādhituṃ śaktā dhyāyanti gatakalmaṣāḥ | vāgbījaṃ kāmabījañca māyābījaṃ tathaiva ca || 33 || citte yasya bhavettaṃ tu bādhituṃ ko'pi na kṣamaḥ | māyayā mohitaḥ śakro bhūyastasya pratikriyām || 34 || kartuṃ kāmavasantau tu samāhūyābravīdvacaḥ | manobhava vasantena ratyā yukto vrajādhunā || 35 || apsarobhiḥ samāyuktastarasā gandhamādanam | naranārāyaṇau tatra purāṇāvṛṣisattamau || 36 || kurutastapa ekānte sthitau badarikāśrame | gatvā tatra samīpe tu tayormanmatha mārgaṇaiḥ || 37 || cittaṃ kāmāturaṃ kāryaṃ kuru kāryaṃ mamādhunā | mohayitvoccāṭayitvā viśikhaistāḍayāśu ca || 38 || vaśīkuru mahābhāga munī dharmasutāvapi | ko hyasmin sarvasaṃsāre devo daityo'tha mānavaḥ || 39 || yaste bāṇavaśaṃ prāpto na yāti bhṛśatāḍitaḥ | brahmāhaṃ girijānāthaścandro vahnirvimohitaḥ || 40 || gaṇanā kānayoḥ kāma tvad‌bāṇānāṃ parākrame | vārāṅganāgaṇo'yaṃ te sahāyārthaṃ mayeritaḥ || 41 || āgamiṣyati tatraiva rambhādīnāṃ manoramaḥ | ekā tilottamā rambhā kāryaṃ sādhayituṃ kṣamā || 42 || tvamevaikaḥ kṣamaḥ kāmaṃ militaiḥ kastu saṃśayaḥ | kuru kāryaṃ mahābhāga dadāmi tava vācchitam || 43 || pralobhitau mayātyarthaṃ varadānaistapasvinau | sthānānna calitau śāntau vṛthāyaṃ me gataḥ śramaḥ || 44 || tathā vai māyayā kṛtvā bhīṣitau tāpasau bhṛśam | tathāpi notthitau sthānāddeharakṣāparau na tau || 45 || vyāsa uvāca iti tasya vacaḥ śrutvā śakraṃ prāha manobhavaḥ | vāsavādya kariṣyāmi kāryaṃ te manasepsitam || 46 || yadi viṣṇuṃ maheśaṃ vā brahmāṇaṃ vā divākaram | dhyāyantau tau tadāsmākaṃ bhavitārau vaśau munī || 47 || devībhaktaṃ vaśīkartuṃ nāhaṃ śaktaḥ kathañcana | kāmarāja mahābījaṃ cintayantaṃ manasyalam || 48 || tāṃ devīṃ cenmahāśaktiṃ saṃśritau bhaktibhāvataḥ | na tadā mama bāṇānāṃ gocarau tāpasau kila || 49 || indra uvāca gaccha tvaṃ ca mahābhāga sarvaistatra samudyataiḥ | kāryaṃ mamātiduḥsādhyaṃ kartā hitamanuttamam || 50 || vyāsa uvāca iti tena samādiṣṭā yayuḥ sarve samudyatāḥ | yatra tau dharmaputrau dvau tepāte duṣkaraṃ tapaḥ || 51 ||

English translation

1. Vyasa said O best of kings! There is no need of dwelling at length on this point; suffice to say, that in this world, are found persons very rare that are religious, and free from egoism, jealousy, anger, etc.

2. O king of kings! Even in the Satya Yuga, the Golden age, this world, moving and unmoving, was covered with feelings of jealousy and anger. What to say in this Kali Yuga (Dark Age)! (There is no wonder that this world would be full of these vicious things.)

3. O best of kings! When the Devas are deceitful, jealous, and filled with feelings of anger, what is to be said with human beings and other lower creations!

4. O Lord of the Earth! It is natural, that injury be inflicted on those persons that commit injury; but when peaceful persons, void of any enmity, are injured, that is certainly an act wicked and mischievous.

5. Whenever, any devout ascetic, calm and quiet, is engaged in prayer and meditation, and silent muttering of one's mantrams, the king of the Immortals throws hindrance in his asceticism. (This is certainly a mischievous act.)

6. (Holy, unholy and mixed persons exist in all the yugas). To those that are holy, all the yugas are the Satya yuga; to the unholy ones

always it is the Kali yuga (Dark age); and to the mixed ones, always it is Treta and Dvapara.

7. You will very seldom find a few persons, following really the True Religion; otherwise, you would have found all the persons in the different yugas religious, appropriate to those yugas.

8. O king! In all cases where the conservation of religions and religious affairs are concerned, know that the original wish and desire is the cause. If this desire be impure and sullied, religion becomes also sullied for, verily, this impurity in one's desire is one's cause of ruin in every respect. (Therefore the impure desires are never to be cherished and indulged.)

9. A son, named Dharma, was born of the heart of Brahma; he was devoted to Brahmajnana (the knowledge of Brahma), truthful, and always engaged in rites and ceremonies and in accordance with the Vedic religion.

10. This high souled Muni Dharma was a householder and married duly, according to the proper procedure, to the ten daughters of Daksa Prajapati.

11. This Dharma, the foremost amongst the followers of truth, impregnated them and had four sons, named respectively Hah, Krisna, Nara, and Narayana.

12. Hah and Krisna, amongst the four, used to remain always in the practising of the yoga.

13. Nara and Narayana came over to the Himalayan mountains and, in the hermitage of Badarika, commenced the difficult religious asceticism and penance.

14. The foremost of the ascetics, those two ancient Munis, began to recite that highest mantra of Para Brahma, the Gayatri, on the wide spacious bank of the Ganges.

15. The two Risis named Nara and Narayana, born of Hari's Ams'a, practised excellent tapasya for full one thousand years.

16. The whole Universe, moving and unmoving, became hot through the Fire of their Tapas. Indra became also perplexed.

17-18. The thousand-eyed Indra became anxious, thought and within himself thus What is to be done now? These two sons of Dharma are practising Tapas and are in meditation. If they succeed, they can occupy my excellent seat in Heaven; how can I break their Tapasya and what steps shall I take to hinder them.

19-20. Lust, anger, and insurmountable avarice Indra brought into existence and, intent on hindering their tapasya, mounted on the elephant Airavata, went quickly to the hill Gandhamadan, and approaching the holy hermitage, saw the two ancient Risis.

21. Their bodies were incandescent by Tapasya, as if they were the two rising Suns. Were they Brahma, Visnu manifested there or were

they the two shining sources of light? These two Risis were the sons of Dharma. What would they do with their Tapasya?

22-23. Thinking thus, the lord of S'achi seeing them addressed thus O highly fortunate ones! O two Risis the sons of Dharma! Please tell me what are your objects? I have come here to give thee excellent boons; I am very pleased with your Tapasya; therefore ask boons from me; and even if they be not worth giving, I will give them to you.

24-25. Vyasa said The Risis were deeply immersed in meditation and seemed very firm and resolute; they, therefore, did not reply anything, though Indra, standing before them, repeatedly urged them to ask boons from him. Seeing this, the king of the Immortals began to terrify them with his supernatural enchanting fearful mayic powers.

26. He created lions, tigers, wolves and other murderous animals and began to terrify the two Risis with them; Indra also produced rains, hurricanes and fires very frequently so that they might yield.

27. In spite of Indra's attempt to terrify them by his wonderful Maya, the two Munis, Nara Narayana, the two sons of Dharma, could not be brought under his control. And Indra returned to his own place.

28-31. And he became very sorry and thought thus:-- These two Munis could not be tempted away with boons, nor did they fly away from their place of worship, though terrified with fire, wind, wolves, tigers and lions. No one, I think, would be able to break their meditation. When fear and temptations have not distracted their meditation, they are certainly meditating on the Eternal Maha Vidya

S'n Bhuvanes'wan, the Prime Force of Nature, the Source of all Mayas, and the Goddess the Creatrix of all the worlds, the wonderful highest Prakriti; what other expert in emitting Maya there can be? Who can break their meditation!

32. Indeed! how can this whole host of Mayas that are created by Gods and Asuras overpower those purged of all their sins, who are meditating their Creator, the Supreme Maya, that Illusion by which one considers the unreal Universe as really existent and as distinct from the Supreme Spirit, whence the Gods and Asuras have derived all their supernatural powers.

33. He in whose heart reign the seed mantras of Vak, Kama and Maya, called Vagvijam, Kamavijam, Mayavijam, no one is able to stand against and overpower him.

34-35. O king! Indra, enchanted by Maya, did not desist from tempting the two Risis, but he went on thinking other means by which their asceticism could be baffled and asked Kama and Vasanta (the god of Lust and the season spring) to come before him and addressed them, thus O Kama! You now be united with your wife Rati and Vasanta (the God of spring) and go to the hill Gandhamadan, accompanied by all the Apsaras (celestial damsels) and with all the Rasas (love sentiments).

NOTE The Gandhamadan is the mountain like unsurpassable intoxicating happiness of the senses.

36-37. There you will find the two ancient excellent Risis Nara and Narayana practising asceticism in solitude, in the hermitage of

Badarika. O Manamatha! You better go before them, and with the influence of your arrows, do now my work and make their hearts extremely lustful.

38. O Fortunate One! Charm over them by means of your arrows, make them leave their asceticism by magical spells.

39. Who is there in this world of Devas, Daityas, human beings, that, being whipped by your arrows, do not come under your control?

40. When Brahma, I, Mahadeva, Moon and Fire are all fascinated by your arrows, then is there any doubt that these two Risis would not be fascinated by them!

41. I am sending these public women as your assistants. Rambha and other beautiful celestial nymphs would all follow you.

42. You alone, or Rambha or Tilottama alone can do this work. Will there be any doubt if you all unite in this?

43. O Good One! Do this work for me; I will confer on you your desired objects.

44. O Manmatha! I tempted them with boons but these two ascetics, of controlled minds, could not be displaced from their seats. My efforts were rendered useless.

45. I frightened them very much with all the Mayic powers; yet they could not be dislocated from their deep thoughts. It seems that they are quite heedless in the preservation of their bodies.

46. Vyasa said Kamadeva, on hearing the king of the Devas, addressed him thus O Indra! Today I will fulfill all your desires.

47. But there is one word. If these two ascetics be meditating Visnu, S’iva or Brahma or the Sun, then I will be able to bring them under my control.

48. And if they be meditating on the Great Seed Mantra, the root of all Maya, and the great Kamavijam, the king of the Kama, I will never be able to subdue such a devotee of the Highest Devi.

49. If these two ascetics have devotedly taken refuge of the Great Power Maha Devi, then they will not come under the sight of my arrows.

50. Indra said O Blessed One! Go now with your assistants, ready to do your work. No body but you, I find, that can fulfill my this beneficial, though very difficult work.

Vyasa said Thus ordered by Indra, they all departed to where the Dharma's sons Nara, and Narayana were performing their hard Tapasyas.

Here ends the Fifth Chapter in the Fourth Book of S’ri Mad Devi Bhagavatam, the Maha Puranam of 18,000 verses by Maharsi Veda Vyasa.

Complete chapter-aligned witnesses. Sanskrit Wikisource page 24760, revision 75626 (2016-08-03T23:50:45Z). English is Swami Vijñanananda’s complete 1921–23 public-domain translation, controlled against the archival OCR and its chapter page at https://sacred-texts.com/hin/db/bk04ch05.htm. Historic spelling and transliteration are lightly normalized; no verse-by-verse alignment is asserted.