Conversation between Kshuva and Dadhichi

Suta said

Hearing the infinitely intelligent Vidhatri, Narada, supreme among brahmanas, was amazed and asked again with delight.

Narada said

Daksha's sacrifice was held in Shiva's absence. Why did Hari and the gods go where dishonour was certain? Tell me. Did Hari not know Shambhu's power of dissolution? Why did he fight the ganas like an ignorant man? I still have a doubt, ocean of compassion; please dispel it, and tell me of Shambhu's conduct, which fills the mind with enthusiasm.

Brahma replied

Noble brahmana, listen gladly to the conduct of the moon-crested one. Your question dispels every kind of doubt. In ancient times Hari was cursed by a sage and so lost his knowledge. That is why, to help Kshuva, he went with the immortals to Daksha's sacrifice.

Narada said

Why did the excellent sage Dadhichi curse Vishnu? How did Hari harm him by helping?

Brahma answered

There was once a very energetic king, Kshuva, friend of Dadhichi, the immensely radiant lord among sages. Over austerities a long debate arose between Kshuva and Dadhichi in earlier times, and it did great harm; it is famous in the three worlds. Dadhichi was a devotee of Shiva and knew the Vedas. He said: "Among the three varnas, brahmanas are without doubt the best." King Kshuva heard the great sage, confounded by the insolence of prosperity, and replied: "A king holds the eight guardians of the world in his body, so a king is best. He is lord of the varnas and ashramas. The shrutis say all the gods exist in the supreme king. Sage, I am therefore that divinity, and a king is superior to a brahmana. Son of Chyavana, think on this. I must not be disrespected, and you must worship me in every way." The excellent sage heard Kshuva's views, which ran against shruti and smriti, and Bhargava was filled with great rage. The immensely energetic one felt his pride wounded and was angry. Dadhichi struck Kshuva on the head with his left fist. Kshuva struck Dadhichi with the vajra and cut him down. Then the king, evil in intelligence, roared in anger. Struck by the vajra, Bhargava fell dead on the ground.

When Kshuva had done this, the extender of the Bhargava line remembered Shukra. The yogi came to where Dadhichi's body lay and joined the two parts Kshuva had severed, so that the body was as before. The foremost among Shiva's devotees, who had begun the knowledge of conquering death, then spoke to Dadhichi.

Shukra said

Son Dadhichi, worship the lord Sarveshvara Shiva. Hear the excellent Mahamrityunjaya mantra stated in the shrutis; I will give it to you. We worship Tryambaka, father and lord of the three worlds. He is the father of the three mandalas, Maheshvara of the three gunas. He is in the three tattvas and the three fires, and divides himself into three in everything. He is in the three parts of the day and the three arms. Mahadeva is in the three divinities. He is the fragrance that increases nourishment, everywhere in all beings, creator of the three gunas, in the senses and in everything else, gods and ganas. Like the scent in flowers, he is the scent in the gods. He is lord of the immortals and the nourishment in Prakriti, so Purusha and Prakriti are two. He is in Mahat and every transformation, in Vishnu, the grandfather and the sages, and in the senses of the gods; so he is the one who increases nourishment. Great sage, excellent in vows, he is the immortal divinity Rudra. So worship him through deeds, austerity, study, yoga, meditation, japa, truth and every other means. He is the most subtle and himself the noose of death. Like a cucumber, the lord is the cause of bondage and release. In my view the Mritasanjivani mantra is the best. Keep the niyamas, remember Shiva and perform japa of it gladly. Day and night, after japa and offering oblations with this mantra, drink water. If meditation is done in Shiva's presence there is no fear of death. After nyasa and the rest, follow the norms and worship Shiva; if the norms are followed eagerly, Shankara is pleased, for he is affectionate to his devotees. I will tell you the meditation; japa must follow meditation, and an intelligent person will use the mantra until it succeeds by Shambhu's power. The meditation: "With Girija I worship the three-eyed conqueror of death. She holds two pots of water in two hands and sprinkles his head, and holds two more pots in her other two hands. He holds a string of rudraksha beads, a deer and a lotus in his hands, and the moon on his head pours nectar over his whole body."

Brahma said

Shukra himself taught Dadhichi, supreme among sages, remembered Lord Shankara and returned to his own abode. Hearing him, the great sage Dadhichi remembered Shiva and, full of joy, went to the forest for austerities. There, following the norms, he used the Mahamrityunjaya mantra and did japa of it gladly, remembering Shiva and tormenting himself in austerity. For a very long time he did japa and worshipped Shankara with austerities, and satisfied Shiva with the Mahamrityunjaya mantra. Shambhu, affectionate to his devotees, was pleased by the japa and appeared before him. Seeing his own lord Shambhu, the lord among sages was delighted, bowed in the proper way with devotion and praised him with joined hands. Shiva was pleased with the sage, son of Chyavana, and said, extremely pleased, "Ask a boon." Hearing Shambhu, Dadhichi, supreme among devotees, joined his hands humbly and said to Shankara: "Lord of the gods, Mahadeva, grant me three boons: the vajra should be in my bones, I should be unkillable, and I should never be distressed in any way." Parameshvara was happy and granted the three boons. Having them, the great sage was delighted. The follower of the Vedic path went quickly to Kshuva's home, with the excellent boons that he could not be killed, that the vajra was in his bones and that he would never be distressed. He kicked the lord of kings on the head. King Kshuva was angry; in particular he was insolent because Vishnu had favoured him. He struck Dadhichi on the chest with the vajra, but the vajra could not destroy the great-souled Dadhichi. By Paramesha's powers, Vidhatri's son was amazed.

He went quickly to the forest and worshipped Hari Mukunda, Indra's younger brother. Because of the Mahamrityunjaya mantra, and because Dadhichi served the refuge of the distressed, Kshuva had been vanquished by him. Bhagavan Madhusudana was pleased by his worship and showed himself to him in divine form, seated on Garuda. With divine sight the king saw the divinity Janardana, bowed to the one on Garuda and praised him in eloquent words, the unconquerable lord worshipped by the lord of the gods and others. Full of devotion he looked at Janardana, bowed his head and spoke.

The king said

Lord, a brahmana named Dadhichi, a modest man who knows dharma, was once my friend. Now Shankara's power makes him impossible to kill by any means; he has propitiated Mahadeva, the stainless conqueror of death. Before a whole assembly he insulted me, planting his left foot on my head, and that great ascetic hit me hard and boasted that nothing frightens him. Hari, since winning that boon over death his arrogance has no equal.

Brahma said

Hari understood that the great-souled Dadhichi was beyond killing, and thought of Mahesha and his unrivalled might. Then he told Kshuva, Vidhatri's son: "Great king, a brahmana has no cause for dread, and a devotee of Rudra least of all. Should I grieve this brahmana, he will curse me and the gods, and through that curse we shall perish at Daksha's sacrifice, though I shall rise once more. A sacrifice therefore gains you nothing. Even so, king, I shall try to help you overcome Dadhichi." Kshuva accepted Hari's word and waited there, glad, hoping to see his wish fulfilled.