Philosophy and Religion / Harivamsa

Harivaṃśa

51. The proposal of relieving the Earth of her burden

VAISHAMPAYANA said:—Hearing these words of Vishnu, Brahmā, the Grand-Father of all, gave vent to words fraught with the well-being of gods (1).

“There is no fear, from the Asuras, of the gods whom you give protection by becoming their leader in various battles (2).

When you yourself, the slayer of your enemies, and the king of gods, are crowned with victory, what fear do men, engaged in religious observances, cherish (3)?

Truthful and pious men are always freed from ills. Death cannot prematurely visit the pious (4).

Enjoying their sixth portion, the kings, the foremost of men, do not fear one another (5).

Doing good to their subjects and realizing duly tributes from their tributary kings without being blamed by them, they fill up their treasuries with wealth (6).

Meting out mild punishment and being forbearing they govern their respective prosperous provinces and protect the four Varnas (7).

Without creating disturbance amongst their subjects and being adored well by their ministers and protected by the four divisions of army they are enjoying the six means¹ (8).

They are all well-versed in the science of archery, observant of the Vedic rites and they all worship the gods with sacrifices accompanied by profuse gifts (9).

Having performed the ceremony of initiation and studied the Vedas they propitiate the great saints with chastity in thought, words and deeds and the ancestral manes, hundreds of times, with holy Srāddhas (10).

There is no such object in the world, Vedic, customary, and scriptural that is not known to them (11).

Believing in the great Brahman, all those kings, effulgent like the great Rishis, are endeavouring to bring back the golden age (12).

By their power Vāsava is pouring good showers, and the winds, with dust removed, are duly blowing in the ten quarters (13).

The earth is freed of all the evil portends and the planets are ranging at ease in the sky. United with the stars the moon is beautifully moving about in the sky (14).

The sun, that produces regular successions, is moving in its two paths. Being prepitiated by various oblations the fire has become sweet scented (15).

The sacrifices being thus duly undertaken and multiplied the entire world is propitiated and men cherish no fear of death (16).

The earth has been oppressed by the power of those powerful kings of brilliant fame following one another (17).

The earth, exhausted with this weight and assailed by the kings, has come before us like a boat on the verge of being drowned (18).

Oppressed by the kings resembling the fire of dissolution and having the mountains shaken and the oceans agitated the earth is re peatedly perspiring (19).

With the body, energy, strength and the extensive territories of the Kshatriyas the earth is ever enjoying peace (20).

In every city the king is surrounded by ten millions of soldiers; in every kingdom, hundreds and thousands of villages are growing prosperous and the earth has been completely covered with thousands of kings, their powerful army and millions of villages (21-22).

Pleacing before her the Time, freed of all diseases and being shorn of energy the Earth has come to my house. O Vishnu, thou art her most excellent refuge (23).

This Earth, the land of human actions, has been greatly assailed. It behoves thee to do that by which the eternal Earth, the stay of the universe, may not suffer deterioration (24).

O Madhusudana, great is the iniquity in oppressing her, since on her being assailed all the works of the humanity will come to a close and the universe will fare ill (25).

Being oppressed by the kings the earth has become evidently exhausted. Renouncing her firmness and natural forbearance she has grown impatient (26).

We have heard her history. Thou hast listened to it also. We shall therefore consult with thee for relieving her of her load” (27).

Wending righteous ways all these kings are multiplying their territories. Amongst men the three other Varnas are following the Brāhmanas (28).

All the words are truthful, all the Varnas are observing their respective duties, all the Brahmanas are studying the Vedas and all other men are devoted to Brāhmanas (29).

Thus exist men in the world who are the instruments of righteousness. Let such practices be observed by which virtue may not suffer deterioration (30).

This earth is the goal of the pious and none else. Virtue is the most excellent object they should endeavour to secure. Therefore to relieve the earth of her burden it is meet to destroy the kings.

Therefore, O great one, come with us to hold a consultation. With the earth before us let us go to the summit of the mount Meru (31–32).”

Having said this, O foremost of kings, the self-controlled Grand-Father of all, Brahmā, of great effulgence, began to take rest with the earth (33).

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