Vishnu's Words

Daksha said

Lord of the gods, Hari, Vishnu, friend of the distressed, ocean of compassion, protect me and my sacrifice. You protect a sacrifice; you are the sacrifice, its performer and its atman. Lord, be compassionate and see that this sacrifice is not shattered.

Brahma continued

Daksha lovingly said many such things to him, his mind overwhelmed by fear, and fell at his feet. Vishnu lifted up the suffering Daksha. He heard the evil-minded man, remembered Shiva, his own lord Mahesha Parameshvara, and since he knew Shiva's tattva, he set about kindling understanding in Daksha.

Hari said

Daksha, listen; I will tell you the truth. My words are like a great mantra and will benefit you in every way and bring you happiness. You did not know the truth and showed disrespect to Shankara, the paramatman and lord of everything. When Ishvara is dishonoured every undertaking becomes futile and there is calamity at every step. When those who should not be worshipped are worshipped and those who should be worshipped are not, three things follow: poverty, death and fear. So every effort must be made to honour Vrishadhvaja. Because Mahesha has been dishonoured a great fear has come. Though we have powers, we have none now. Your bad policy has caused it. I tell you the truth.

Brahma said

Hearing Vishnu, Daksha was filled with worry, his face pale, and sat down on the ground in silence.

Meanwhile Virabhadra, leader of the ganas, sent by Rudra, arrived at Daksha's sacrifice with the troops. Some followed at the rear, some came through the sky, and others filled all the directions and sub-directions. These brave ganas obeyed Sharva's command, fearless and like Rudra in valour, innumerable and supremely valiant, roaring like lions. Their roars echoed in the three worlds. Dust covered the sky and the directions were wrapped in darkness. In terror the earth with its seven dvipas, mountains and forests shook, and all the oceans were stirred. Those great soldiers looked like the destruction of the worlds. Seeing it, the immortals and the rest were astounded. Witnessing the soldiers' arrival, Daksha's agitated face turned red, and like a rod he fell, with his wife, at Vishnu's feet.

Daksha said

With you as my strength I began this great sacrifice. Vishnu, great lord, you are the measure in accomplishing any virtuous task, the witness of rites, the protector of sacrifices, the womb of Vedic dharma, the brahman. So devise a way to save my sacrifice. Who but you can? You are lord of everything.

Brahma said

Daksha had turned away from the tattvas of Shiva and was miserable then. Hearing him, Vishnu answered, kindling understanding in him.

Vishnu said

Daksha, I will devise a way to protect your sacrifice; my pledge to protect truth and dharma is famous, and what you say is true. But you have committed a transgression. Listen, and cast aside your cruel intelligence. A wonderful thing happened in an instant in the Naimisha kshetra. Do you not remember it? Has your evil intelligence made you forget? Who here can protect you from Rudra's rage? If anyone protects an evil-minded man like you he will win no approval. Evil-minded one, you do not see what should and should not be done. Capability does not always make a rite succeed. Understand that your karma does not come about through your own capacity. Apart from Ishvara himself, no one can bestow karma. If a person is devoted to Ishvara, serene and full of faith, Shiva gives him the fruits of karma. If men rely on knowledge alone and are not devoted to Ishvara, they go to hell for a hundred crore kalpas, and afterward, birth after birth, are bound in the nooses of karma and cooked in hell by karma alone.

Virabhadra, the crusher of enemies and leader of Rudra's ganas, was born of the fire of Rudra's rage and has come to this sacrifice with the ganas. Without doubt he has come for our destruction, and there is nothing he cannot do. We will all be set ablaze, and only after that will the great lord's heart be pacified. In my confusion I too have deviated from the pledge given to Shri Mahadeva. Since I have stayed with you, I will suffer too, Daksha. I no longer have the capacity to counter this. I have transgressed the pledge and opposed Shiva, and those who oppose Mahesha cannot find happiness in the three periods of time. So along with you I shall suffer. My Sudarshana chakra cannot strike him. It arose from Shiva and Shiva uses it for dissolution. Even without Virabhadra, Ishvara's chakra would have slain us now and then swiftly returned to Hara. Even after I broke my pledge to Shiva the chakra stayed with me and was not suddenly taken back, which only shows his supreme compassion. After this it is certain that the chakra will not remain with me; wreathed in flames it will soon depart. We must worship Virabhadra lovingly and quickly, but he is full of anger and may not save us. Alas, an untimely dissolution has suddenly come upon us! There is no refuge in the three worlds now. Who in the worlds gives refuge to one who hates Shankara? Even when the body is destroyed Yama's pain remains, with many miseries impossible to bear. Seeing one who hates Shiva, Yama himself gnashes his teeth and makes him fall into a pot of heated oil; it cannot be otherwise. Having said all this, I should have kept the supreme pledge and left. Because I associated with wicked people I did not go swiftly. Even if we try to run from here, Sharva's devotee will drag us back with his weapons. There is no place Shri Virabhadra's weapons cannot reach, heaven, earth or the nether regions. Such is the power of all the ganas of Shri Rudra, the trident-bearer. This is certain. Earlier, in Kashi, Shri Kalabhairava playfully cut off Brahma's fifth head with the tips of his nails. This is certain.

Brahma said

Having said this, lotus-faced Vishnu stayed there in distress. Meanwhile Virabhadra reached the sacrificial pavilion. While Govinda was still speaking, that ocean of soldiers arrived with Virabhadra, and the gods and others watched.