{"collection":"Hinduism","html_url":"https://unchartedknowledge.5gfusion.net/browse/hin/db/bk04ch22.htm","path":"hin/db/bk04ch22.htm","source_url":"https://sacred-texts.com/hin/db/bk04ch22.htm","text":"THE FOURTH BOOK\nChapter XXII\nOn the part incarnations of the several Devas\n1. Janamejaya asked :-- O grandfather! What bad act did that child commit, that no sooner he was born than he was killed by Kamsa?\n2. Especially, Maharsi N\u00e2rada is the the best amongst the Munis and foremost amongst the Brahm\u00e2-vids (Knowers of Brahm\u00e2), always doing virtuous acts, and learned; why did he become the agent in this very sinful act?\n3. Pundits declare that the doers and stimulators of any evil deed both are equally responsible; then how is it that N\u00e2rada, being the best of the Munis, instigated the wicked Kamsa to do this evil act!\n4. I am very much in doubt on this point. Kindly describe, in detail, the act that the child did as the result of which be had to meet with this fate of being killed.\n5. Vy\u00e2sa said :-- The Devarsi N\u00e2rada is always fond of seeing quarrels brought about amongst parties; he always likes thus to see the fun. Here specially to serve the gods\u2019 purpose he went to Kamsa and incited him to such an act.\n6. Really he never intends to speak a lie; he is always truth speaking; pure hearted, and always ready to serve the gods.\n7. Thus the six sons were born to Devak\u00ee; and Kamsa, too, killed those six sons consecutively as they were born. These six sons named Sadgarbha, were killed just after their births, owing to their having been previously cursed.\n8. O King! Hear why they were cursed before. In the reign of Sv\u00e2yambhuva Manu, were born to Urn\u00e2; the wife of Maharsi Mar\u00eechi, the six powerful sons, all of a virtuous disposition.\n9-11. Once, on an occasion, the Praj\u00e2pati Brahm\u00e2, on seeing his daughter, became passionate, and was ready to hold sexual intercourse with her. At this, those six sons laughed at him. Brahm\u00e2 cursed them saying \u201cYou all go quickly and take your birth in the wombs of the asuras.\u201d Therefore those six sons became the sons of K\u00e2lanemi in their first birth. At their second birth, they became the sons of Hiranyakas\u2019ipu. This second time they had the fear of curse in their minds and therefore were born endowed with knowledge.\n12. In this birth they became peaceful and, collecting all their energies, they began to practise austerities. Brahm\u00e2 was pleased at this and asked the Sadgarbha to take boons.\n13. Brahm\u00e2 said :-- O my sons! I was very angry to you before and cursed you; now I am very much pleased with you; ask boons from me that you all desire.\n14-15. Vy\u00e2sa said :-- Hearing Brahm\u00e2\u2019s words, they were very glad and becoming very anxious to secure their objects of desire, said :-- O our grand\nsire! Today thou art pleased unto us; now favour us with our desired boons. That we may be invulnerable to all the Devas, human beings, the big serpents the Gandarbhas, and the Lord of Siddhas, (semi-divine beings supposed to be of great purity and holiness and said to be particularly characterised by eight supernatural faculties called Siddhis).\n16. Vy\u00e2sa said :-- Brahm\u00e2 told them \u201cWhat you have asked, you would certainly get; O blessed ones! better go now; my words will be found to be literally true. No doubt in this.\u201d\n17-19. Granting them boons, Brahm\u00e2 went away; they then became very glad. O best of Kurus! Hiranyakas\u2019ipu began to think \u201cMy sons now have pleased the Grandsire Brahm\u00e2 and are now regardless of me\u201d and got very angry and said :-- You all are become very proud on account of receiving boons; and since you have ceased your good feelings towards me I also henceforth cut off my connection with you. Now better go to P\u00e2t\u00e2la; you will be known in this world as Sadgarbha.\n20-21. At present you would be always involved in deep sleep and remain in P\u00e2t\u00e2la for many years; and when you will be born one after another in the womb of Devak\u00ee, then your father K\u00e2lanemi of previous birth will be born as Kamsa; and he would be cruel hearted and surely kill you all, no sooner you be born.\n22. Vy\u00e2sa said :-- Thus because they were cursed, they took their births repeatedly and Kamsa, too, being urged on by the same curse, killed those sons of Devak\u00ee, the Sadgarbha, no sooner they were born.\n23-24. In the seventh womb of Devak\u00ee, Ananta made his appearance. The foetus in the womb was attracted by Yoga m\u00e2y\u00e2 and placed in the womb of Rohin\u00ee. But there was the rumour that there was miscarriage in the womb of Devak\u00ee in the fifth month; and this became known to the public.\n25. Kamsa came to know that there had been miscarriage. That wicked soul became exceedingly glad to hear this gladdening news.\n26. And at about this time the Bhagav\u00e2n, the Protector of the devotee appeared in the eighth womb of Devak\u00ee to serve the purpose of the gods and to relieve the load of the Earth.\n27-28. The King said :-- O best of Munis! \u201cYou have described the part incarnations of (1) Kas\u2019yapa as V\u00e2sudeva and (2) of Bhagav\u00e2n Hari to relieve the burden of the Goddess Earth as prayed by Her; and (3) of Ananta Deva; but you have not described the part incarnations of the other Devas. How the other Devas incarnated as their parts on this earth, kindly describe them now.\u201d\n29. Vy\u00e2sa said :-- The part incarnations of Suras and Asuras on this earth, and their names I am now saying to you in brief; hear.\n30-32. V\u00e2sudeva was the part incarnation of Kas\u2019yapa, Devak\u00ee was of Aditi, Baladeva, of Ananta; V\u00e2sudeva S\u2019r\u00ee Krisna, of S\u2019r\u00eem\u00e2n N\u00e2r\u00e2yana; the son of Dharma existing even at that time in his physical body; Arjuna, of Nara, the younger brother of N\u00e2r\u00e2yana.\n33. Yuidhisthira was part incarnate of Dharma, Bhimasena, of V\u00e2yu, the powerful twins of M\u00e2dri, Nakul and Sahadeva, of As\u2019vin\u00ee-kum\u00e2ras?\n34. The valiant hero Karna, born of Kunt\u00ee, was part incarnate of the Sun, and the high minded Vidura, the knower of the Supreme Essence, was incarnate of Yama, the king Dharmar\u00e2j. Drona, the \u00c2ch\u00e2rya of the Kurus and the P\u00e2ndavas was the part incarnate of Brihaspat\u00ee; and his son As\u2019vatth\u00e2m\u00e2 was part incarnate of Rudra Deva.\n35. S\u2019antanu was the part incarnate of the Ocean; his wife, of the river Ganges in human farm. It is stated in the Pur\u00e2nas that the king Devaka was part incarnate of the Lord of Gandarvas.\n36-41. The Grand-father of the Kauravas, the foremost of the heroes, Bh\u00eesma Deva was the incarnate of Vasu; Vir\u00e2ta, the Lord of Matsya was the part incarnate of Maruts; Dhritar\u00e2stra, of the Daitya Hamsa, the son of Arista Nemi; Kripa and Krita Varm\u00e2, of Maruts; Duryodhana, of Kali and S\u2019akuni, of Dv\u00e2para; Suvarch\u00e2khya Somapraru, of the son of the Moon; Dhristadyumna was part incarnate of Fire and S\u2019ikhand\u00ee of R\u00e2ksasa; Pradyumna was part incarnate of Sanatkum\u00e2ra; the king Drupada was part incarnate of Varuna; Draupad\u00ee, of Laksm\u00ee; Draupad\u00ee\u2019s five sons, of Visve-devas; Kunt\u00ee was incarnate of Siddhi; M\u00e2dri, of Dhriti; G\u00e2ndh\u00e2r\u00ee, of Mati; the wives of S\u2019r\u00ee Krisna were the heavenly public women; thus all the Devas came as their part incarnations, urged on by Indra.\n42-43. Amongst the Asuras, S\u2019is\u2019up\u00e2la was the incarnate of Hiranyakas\u2019ipu; Jar\u00e2sandha, of Biprachitti, S\u2019alya, of Prahl\u00e2da; Kamsa, of K\u00e2lanemi and Kes\u2019\u00ee, of Haya S\u2019ir\u00e2. The Asura named Arista of the form of a cow that was killed by Krisna was the son of Bali.\n44. Dhristaketu was part incarnate of Anuhr\u00e2dha, Bhagadatta, of V\u00e2skala; Pralamba, of Lamba; Dhenuka, of Khara.\n45. Ch\u00e2n\u00fbra and Mus\u2019tika, the two athletes, were part incarnates of V\u00e2r\u00e2ha, and Kis\u2019ora, the two dreadful Daityas.\n46-47. Kubalaya, the elephant of Kamsa, was part incarnate of Arista, the sun of Diti. Vak\u00ee was the daughter of Bali, Vaka was her younger.\nThe powerful son of Drona, As\u2019vatth\u00e2m\u00e2, though known as the part incarnate of Rudra, was really born of the four parts of Yama, Rudra, Cupidity and Anger.\n48-49. The Daityas and R\u00e2ksasas that were born to relieve the heavy burden of the Earth were all incarnates of Asuras. O king! I have thus narrated to you in order the incarnations of the Suras and Asuras, as they are stated duly in the Pur\u00e2nas.\n50-51. When Brahm\u00e2 and the other Devas went to Visnu and prayed to Him then Hari gave to Brahm\u00e2 one hair of a black colour and one hair of a white colour. The Bhagav\u00e2n S\u2019r\u00ee Krisna was born of that black hair and S\u2019ankarsana Baladeva was born of the white hair. They were both the incarnations of Visnu.\nNote here the black is the younger and the stronger; and they also represent the polarities. The J\u00eevas are points of those hairs.\n52. He who hears with devotion the story of these part incarnations becomes freed of all sins and passes away his time merrily, surrounded by his circle of friends; there is no doubt in this.\nThus ends the 22nd chapter in 4th book of S\u2019r\u00eemad Dev\u00ee Bh\u00e2gavatam the Mah\u00e2 Pur\u00e2nam, of 18,000 verses by Maharsi Veda Vy\u00e2sa on the part incarnations of the several Devas.","title":"The Devi Bhagavatam: The Fourth Book: Chapter 22","type":"page"}