A Study of the Bhâgavata Purâna; or, Esoteric Hinduism
Religion
A Study of the Bhâgavata Purâna; or, Esoteric Hinduism
Puranas. Bhagavatapurana. English
Considering everything, Lakshmî at last accepted Vishnu for her husband.
He placed her on His breast. She favored the Devas, so they became
possessed of all the virtues. She showed indifference to the Asuras, so
they lost their might, energy and modesty and became greedy.
Then arose a lotus eyed girl called Vâruni (Spirituous liquor.) The
Asuras accepted her.
Then arose Dhanvantari, part of a part of Vishnu, with a pot of Amrita
in hand. Seeing the pot of Amrita, the greedy Asuras took that by force.
They quarrelled with each other, some saying "First myself," "First
myself," others saying "Not you" "Not you," whilst the weaker amongst
them finding that they were going to be deprived, cried out in jealousy
"The Devas are also entitled to an equal share. They have also toiled
with us."
At this time Vishnu became a most beautiful young woman. She filled the
hearts of the Asura Chiefs with passion. They asked the tempting girl to
settle their differences and to make a proper distribution of Amrita
amongst them. "But how can you trust a woman," said the girl. But the
Asuras had fallen in love with her, so they made over the Amrita pot to
her without further thought. She consented to distribute Amrita on the
condition that the Asuras should put up with whatever she did, right or
wrong. The Asuras consented. She then made the Devas and Asuras sit in
two separate rows. She distributed the whole of the Amrita amongst the
Devas. Only one Asura, named Râhu, sat with the Devas. The Sun and the
Moon pointed him out to the girl Vishnu. Vishnu then and there severed
the head from the body of the Asura, but as the head had touched Amrita,
it became immortal. Brahmâ made it a planet. Râhu still pursues the Sun
and Moon at eclipses out of enmity.
When the Amrita was wholly spent, Vishnu assumed His own form and in the
presence of all left the place on the back of Garuda.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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