Tarakasura

 219-221. The powerful Taraka went to his city (Mod. Khambhat or Cambay) situated on the shore of the sea (near the confluence of the river) Mahi with the sea. It extended over twelve Yojanas . It was rendered beautiful by a rampart wall made of copper. It contained many palaces and mansions. It was rendered splendid by many miraculous features. In that city three (types of) sounds never died out—the sound of music, the twanging sound of the bowstring and the sound of “Xet the worldly pleasures be enjoyed”. After entering the city the king went to his palace. 

222-225. With great festivity and celebration, he was received and honoured by his sons and wives. There, the king went to his brilliant assembly-hall and occupied the throne. He was eulogized by the sons of Diti and gratified and amused by celestial damsels. The Lord was surrounded by leading Daityas seated on brilliant thrones, as if by lions. In the meantime a divine lady appeared in that city. In beauty she was unequalled, O son ofPrtha. She was adorned with different kinds of ornaments. On seeing her, king Taraka was very much surprised. Surprised thus amidst those Daityas, he addressed them with these words smilingly: 

226. “Who are you, gentle lady? Tell me, O lady fascinat¬ ingly beautiful in form, what have you to <fo with me? Formerly we have never seen a woman like you.” 

The woman replied: 

227-230. Know me, O excellent Daitya, who am the goddess of splendour and glory of the three worlds. O Lord, I have been acquired by you by means of your penance and heroism. 1 adhere to and serve that man who has heroism, is never idle or lethargic, is endued with austerity and is never cowardly, who is a liberal donor and reasonable enjoyer. I abandon at once, O delighter of Diti, a coward, a person, who is extremely morose and dejected, one who harasses chaste ladies and one who fears and suspects everyone. Mahendrahad been almost abandoned by me when your- mother had been insulted by him. Now he is under your control. 

231. Taraka then said to her, “Surely, so be it”. That gentle-lady, Laksmi, honoured in the three worlds, permeated him. 

232. Then the women who were very well adorned joyously received him with due honour, taking up the VJrakamsya 1 (‘a. bell-metal pot or plate used to wave lights before victorious, heroes on their return’) and felicitated him. 

233. The Devas who had been bound by the Daityas were- highly dejected. They stood at the gate, and were made the- laughing stock of women, the Daitya and other citizens. 

234. In the meantime, Vi?nu, the intelligent one adopted: the form of a Daitya. Standing in the midst of those who were- laughing in derision, he recited these two.verses: 

235-236. “What is seen of them is very small and insignificant. What is it that the king will not do, recollecting the anger of his mother? There is no one who does not bow down after approaching a very powerful person. O Suras, stay here by adopting the way of white cranes like Markas (? monkeys).” 

237 On hearing this advice directly from Hari, the advice which had been intended to be a sarcasm, the Devas stayed there in the form of monkeys. 

238. They began to dance in many ways. The Daityas and the womenfolk of the Asuras urged and incited them and joyously fed them. 

239. Thereupon Visriu, the intelligent one, spoke to the gatekeeper of the Daitya, “Announce (to the king) these monkeys for the sake of amusement and diversion of the great king.”  

240-242. The delighted gatekeeper entered the assembly. He knelt on the ground and joined his palms in reverence. Then he spoke clearly and concisely (lit. in a very few words) without any quibble whatsoever, “O Xord of Daityas, groups of monkeys are standing at the entrance. They are capable of amusing you very well. If you have a desire, it behoves you to see.” 

On hearing this the king said, “Why do you then delay?” 

243-244. On hearing these words the gatekeeper said to-Kalanemi, “The great king wishes to see these monkeys im¬ mediately, O Chief of bodyguards. Along with these please entertain our Lord.” Thereupon, Kalanemi took them to the king. 

245. Among the Markas, the Vi$iju Marka also went after abandoning the form of a Daitya. Then they danced well in front of Daitya Taraka. 

246-247. All the Markas were cheered and applauded by the Daityas. Being amused, they shouted with joy and delight. The king was excessively delighted by their dance. He said, “O Marka-devas, I am delighted and so am granting you freedom from fear. Be pleased to stay in my abode. No fear need be entertained in the heart.” 

248. On hearing this, Vi§pumarka danced and spoke thus, “O king, we wish to know the limit and boundary of your abode.” 

249. On being asked thus, Taraka, the excellent Daitya laughed and said, "My abode is three-storeyed. This is the group- of the three worlds.” 

250. Harimarka then said, “If it is so, remember your own words. O king, let these Markas roam about in all the three worlds without any sort of fear. 

251. O king, adherence to truth is far superior even to a hundred horse-sacrifices. Remembering this virtue, O Lord of Daityas, make your words truthful.” 

252. Then the Daitya who was excessively surprised, spoke these words, “Well, O monkey, you are highly enlightened. Tell me the truth. Who are you?” 

The Lord replied : 

253-254. If it has reached your ears, I am Narayapa by name. It is to protect the Devas that I have adopted the form of SiMarka. Ifthatisan honourable virtue, keep up your own words. Let these Suras roam about your abode. 

255. O leading king, haughtiness should never find a place in your heart, thinking yourself to be a hero if you see the power of Kala (Time or Death). 

256. If people die successively, there is no slayer as such. It is sheer foolishness, if the hater thinks that he is the perpetrator also. 

257. Who are they whom mishaps do not beset at due time? They (i.e. mishaps) afflict sages, Devas, great Asuras, people who are old and learned in the three Vidyds (or Vedas) and ascetics in the forest. It is the power of Kala and not that of any doer or agent. 

258. Neither by the power of Mantras nor by intelligence nor by manliness does one get what he is not destined to get. At the due time even one who is asleep does get it. 

259. None of these is conducive to the happiness of a person : service rendered to parents, worship of deities or other good behaviour and conduct. 

260. Neither learning nor penance, neither charitable gifts nor friends and kinsmen are competent to save a man afflicted by Kala. 

261. Without the power of Kala, men cannot avert (the destiny). Hundreds of obstacles cannot prevent that which is bound to happen from happening and that which is bound to go from going. 

262. Meritorious deeds are like the physical body. Kala is like the individual soul. It is when these two join together that effects are achieved, O Daitya. 

263. Alas! O Daitya, crores of Daityas far superior to you, have, in the days gone by, suffered miserable plights and have been tossed and wafted by the wind of Kala like cotton from the silk-cotton tree. 

264. After getting this position you are thinking too much of yourself. You consider yourself as eternal as Lord Brahma, the source of all living beings. 

265. This is not an unshakable position. Nor can it be said that it is an unending post of anyone in particular. On account of your childish intellect you think, ‘This is mine.’ 

266 . You believe in what should not be believed. You consider the unstable, stable. Under the delusion of ‘This is mine’ you wish to possess and retain the glory of the three worlds. 

267. This (position) cannot be a steady and permanent possession of yours, of ours or of others. It is after passing through many others that it has come to you and is stationed in you for the time being. 

268. O Taraka, she (i.e. Trailokya-Iaksmi) is fickle. She will stay with you for some time and like an extremely restless harlot she will pass on to others. 

269. I do not see now those persons by whom the three worlds have been enjoyed richly endued with gems and jewels as well as medicinal herbs along with rivers, mountains and mines. 

270-272. There have been many leading Danavas of great might, viz. Hirariyakasipu the hero, the invincible Hiranyaksa, Prahlada, Namuci the hero, Vipracitti, Virocana, Kirti, Sura, Vatapi the warrior, Ilvala, Asvagriva, Sambara, Puloman, Madhu, Kaitabha and the others, the chief of whom was Visvajit. All of them have been killed by Kala. Indeed Kala is mightier than (all) others. 

273. Austerity extending over ten thousand years has been performed by all of them. It is not correct that you alone have practised a great penance. All of them were engaged in holy and truthful rites. All of them possessed very great learning. 

274. All of them were donors, giving plenty to the deserving. All of them were sons of the daughters of Dak§a. Refulgent and victorious though they were, they were slain and annihilated by Kala. 

275. Give up your desire for sensual enjoyments and lustful experiences. Give up this pride arising from affluence and prosperity. When this affluence vanishes, grief will afflict you. 

’ 276. Do not grieve at the time of sorrow. Do not be excessively delighted at the time of happiness. Abandoning (i.e. ignoring) the past and the future, maintain your activity in the present. 

277. Indra was always alert and engaged in Yogic practice. Still Kala has beset him. Pardon me, O Daitya, ere long he will beset you too. 

278. Who is competent to stand before me in battle if I am angry? But Kala, the powerful factor, has intervened. Hence I stand waiting, O Taraka. 

279-281. You alone know me, O Daitya, who I am and of what nature is my prowess. In the different Kalpas, crores and thousand billions of great Daityas have been killed (by me). Of them, O Taraka, you cannot equal even a thousand-millionth part. In every Kalpa, it is I who create the entire universe beginning with Brahma. If I wish, I keep it (ever) alive. If I do not wish, I destroy it in a moment. It is not that I do not dare to kill you in the company of all the other Daityas. 

282-285. But I do not violate Dharma even to the slightest extent with the tip of the finger. In spite of being the most prominent one, if I infringe upon Dharma which is of the nature of the excellent Brahman, in whom will Dharma seek refuge? Do not think that I am the agent; the lord who is the perma nent supreme authority'is Kala. It brings to perfection the universe as in the case when fruit appears in the tree. Misery aS well as happiness arise from the same type of Karmans and Puru$a (person) undergoes it, O Daitya. See the wonderful nature of Kala. It should be noted by all intelligent men that everything happens due to the influence of Kala. 

286. Learned men know that when one’s own Kavnion becomes ripe, it yields the fruit. Hence one should perform auspicious rites which will be of a meritorious nature. 

287. There shall be happiness, tha nks to meritorious deeds. It is certain that misery will result from sins. Thinking about promise if can honour my words wholly. 

Taraka replied : 

288-289. On seeing me stationed here accompanied by Kalanemi and others, whose intellect will not become pained? . in that of Mrtyu who is desirous of killing others (will become pained). But your intellect is steady. It is not pained. It visualizes the reality. 

290-295. Whatever you say is true. There is no doubt about ' the universe fading (towards destruction) which embodied being will be eager to believe in the body or in riches WOrld as non * eter naI in this way. The worId ,s thrown into the fire of Kala which is terrible and which goes on perpetually. It is a secret thing (known to a few alone). Even as a man says, “I shall do this today I shall do this tomorrow”, Kala dispels everything, fike the flood in a river that sweeps away everything on its way. only now have I seen this. It has not been forgotten. The prattle of men who are being taken away by Kala is heard. But the people who are attached to jealousy, false prestige, covetousness, lust, anger, fear, desire, delusion and arguments do not understand it. O Kes'ava, they cannot discriminate between What is weighty (i.e. important) and what is not weighty, what should be done and what should not be done, O Kesava. 

296. I know you, O Vispu, as the Lord, the most excellent one among all living beings. What shall we do? On account of our powerful natural traits, we do not meditate on you. 

297. Some worship you with devotion, some with enmity, some with frivolous sport. All of them are worthy of your compassion. You are the immanent soul of all embodied beings. 

298. The ancient and eternal Dharma is the same unto all living beings. Let all the heaven-dwellers who, being seized depend on me, are released by me, now go away. 

299. Again, in the form of monkeys, they must roam about in all the three worlds. They must not desire a share in the Yajnas. This is the stipulated condition. 

300. When delighted. this was said by Taraka, the Devas -If a ram, even after being shorn, be released alive from a butcher, it is (definitely) a gain.

Source

https://freeglobaluniversity.blogspot.com/search/label/Skanda