2023-02-23 18:49:35 by ambuda-bot
This page has not been fully proofread.
THE CANDĪŠATAKA OF BĀŅA
315
Mahişa, whose head had been shorn of its horns that trickled
away when melted by the heat of the fire of [Candi's] triad
of eyes,¹
Made a plunge into the mud of Pātāla, in accord with his desire
for the general inundation that accompanies the onrush of
[the final] destruction,²
And thus sought to create the impression of a mock-boar."
But, though he filled the sky to its borders with his great
bulk,
Ambikā (Caṇḍī), beholding the Foe (Mahișa), trampled on him
as if he were a [mere] blade of grass".
May that Ambikaã (Caṇḍī) protect you!
Notes. 1. See stanza 39, where a similar scorching of Mahişa is re-
corded; for the three eyes of Candi, cf. stanza 39, note 3, and stanza 40,
note 5. 2. At the end of a kalpa the earth is destroyed by being im-
mersed in ocean. Brahma, the Creator, then begins the work of re-creation;
cf. Süryaśataka, stanza 23, note 6. At the beginning of the present kalpa,
Brahmã created himself as Vişnu, and the latter, in his incarnation as a
boar (vardha), descended into the flood, and raised the earth out of it on
his tusks; cf. Vişnu Purana, 1.4 (Wilson, vol. 1, p. 55-65). Mahişa is
here represented as being so scorched by the fire of Candi's eyes (cf.
stanza 39), that he desires an ocean large enough to drown the whole
world in order to have sufficient cooling water to relieve his burns. Being
a buffalo (mahişa), his instinct teaches him that wallowing in mud will
bring relief; so he plunges down to muddy Pätäla-descending to Pātāla
is synonymous with death-and his descent thither is sarcastically com-
pared to Vişnu's plunge into the waters of primeval chaos. The com-
mentary says: 'Just as the First Boar (Vişnu) made a plunge into the
inundation accompanying the destruction [of the world], even so by this
(Mahişa) [a plunge] is made into the mud of Pâtāla.' 3. Lit. ' suspicion
of a play-hog.' The meaning is that Mahişa is seeking to be a 'make-
believe' Vişnu, as pointed out in note 2. 4. Mahişa again (see note 2)
seeks to imitate Vişnu by filling the sky. It will be remembered that
Vişnu, in his dwarf incarnation, filled the sky with one of his famous
'three steps'; cf. Süryaśataka, stanza 7, note 4 Candi, however, is not
deceived by this false Vişņu, and slays the impostor. 5. In stanza 7 also
Mahişa is compared to a blade of grass.
V.L. (a) patalapańkāiḥ kṣayarayamilitair arṇavecchavagaham. (b) vila-
yanavilasat-. (d) kalika vaḥ.
315
Mahişa, whose head had been shorn of its horns that trickled
away when melted by the heat of the fire of [Candi's] triad
of eyes,¹
Made a plunge into the mud of Pātāla, in accord with his desire
for the general inundation that accompanies the onrush of
[the final] destruction,²
And thus sought to create the impression of a mock-boar."
But, though he filled the sky to its borders with his great
bulk,
Ambikā (Caṇḍī), beholding the Foe (Mahișa), trampled on him
as if he were a [mere] blade of grass".
May that Ambikaã (Caṇḍī) protect you!
Notes. 1. See stanza 39, where a similar scorching of Mahişa is re-
corded; for the three eyes of Candi, cf. stanza 39, note 3, and stanza 40,
note 5. 2. At the end of a kalpa the earth is destroyed by being im-
mersed in ocean. Brahma, the Creator, then begins the work of re-creation;
cf. Süryaśataka, stanza 23, note 6. At the beginning of the present kalpa,
Brahmã created himself as Vişnu, and the latter, in his incarnation as a
boar (vardha), descended into the flood, and raised the earth out of it on
his tusks; cf. Vişnu Purana, 1.4 (Wilson, vol. 1, p. 55-65). Mahişa is
here represented as being so scorched by the fire of Candi's eyes (cf.
stanza 39), that he desires an ocean large enough to drown the whole
world in order to have sufficient cooling water to relieve his burns. Being
a buffalo (mahişa), his instinct teaches him that wallowing in mud will
bring relief; so he plunges down to muddy Pätäla-descending to Pātāla
is synonymous with death-and his descent thither is sarcastically com-
pared to Vişnu's plunge into the waters of primeval chaos. The com-
mentary says: 'Just as the First Boar (Vişnu) made a plunge into the
inundation accompanying the destruction [of the world], even so by this
(Mahişa) [a plunge] is made into the mud of Pâtāla.' 3. Lit. ' suspicion
of a play-hog.' The meaning is that Mahişa is seeking to be a 'make-
believe' Vişnu, as pointed out in note 2. 4. Mahişa again (see note 2)
seeks to imitate Vişnu by filling the sky. It will be remembered that
Vişnu, in his dwarf incarnation, filled the sky with one of his famous
'three steps'; cf. Süryaśataka, stanza 7, note 4 Candi, however, is not
deceived by this false Vişņu, and slays the impostor. 5. In stanza 7 also
Mahişa is compared to a blade of grass.
V.L. (a) patalapańkāiḥ kṣayarayamilitair arṇavecchavagaham. (b) vila-
yanavilasat-. (d) kalika vaḥ.