Clash between Vishnu and Dadhichi

Brahma said

The lord loves his devotees, and to serve Kshuva he disguised himself as a brahmana and came to Dadhichi's hermitage. The teacher of the universe paid his respects to the brahmana sage and, using a ruse to carry out Kshuva's purpose, said to that foremost devotee of Shiva: "Dadhichi, you who revere the imperishable Bhava, I beg a boon of you, and you ought to give it." Dadhichi, the best of Shiva's devotees, was entreated thus by the lord of the gods, who sought to further Kshuva's aim, and he answered Hari at once.

Dadhichi said

Brahmana, I see what you want: you are here on Kshuva's business. You are the lord Hari, and your maya has dressed you as a brahmana. Janardana, Rudra's grace lets me see past, present and future at all times, so I know you for Vishnu. Put aside this brahmana's guise. Kshuva, a devious man, has been your worshipper, but I know you as the lord who cherishes his devotees. Leave off the pretence, call Shankara to mind and show your own shape. And why should anyone be afraid of me, a worshipper of Bhava? Rest on the truth when you speak to me; my mind dwells on Shiva and I never lie. I fear nobody in the universe, neither gods nor daityas nor any other.

Vishnu said

Dadhichi, excellent in vows, all your fears are gone, because you worship Bhava and know everything. I bow to you. Say at least once that you are afraid. At my request, put up with Kshuva, lord of kings.

Brahma said

The great sage laughed to hear Vishnu. Dadhichi, supreme among Shiva's devotees, was fearless and answered.

Dadhichi said

I have not the slightest fear of anyone. It is directly because of the power of Shambhu, wielder of Pinaka and lord of the gods.

Brahma said

Hearing the sage, Hari grew angry. He raised his chakra and stood ready to burn the excellent sage. But the terrible chakra had no effect on the unshaken brahmana. By Isha's powers, in the king's presence, it was blunted. Seeing the chakra repelled, Dadhichi smiled and spoke to Vishnu, who is himself the cause of existence and nonexistence.

Dadhichi said

Bhagavan, long ago you toiled to win the fearsome Sudarshana. Yet that disc belongs to Bhava Shambhu and cannot kill me. Hari, vent your anger on me with every weapon you have: the brahmastra, arrows, anything else.

Brahma said

Hari heard him and saw he was only human, without any special vigour. One by one he angrily let loose every weapon. The gods lovingly tried to help Vishnu, and with distorted minds they fought that single brahmana. From every direction they quickly hurled their own astras and shastras. Shakra and others on Hari's side hurled them at Dadhichi with great force. Remembering Shiva, Dadhichi took a fistful of kusha grass and flung it at all the gods. With the vajra in his bones he could control everyone. By Shankara's powers the kusha in the sage's fist became a trident, blazing like the fire of destruction, set on burning the gods with their weapons and their crests. Shiva's weapon blazed in every direction, brighter than the fire at the end of a yuga. All the weapons hurled by the gods, Narayana, the moon and others bowed before the tip of that weapon. Their valour gone, all the gods and residents of heaven fled.

Afraid, Hari, supreme among those who use maya, stayed alone. From his own body Bhagavan Vishnu Purushottama made hundreds of thousands of divine beings just like himself. Those brave companions of Vishnu fought the lone devarshi Dadhichi, who held Shiva in his atman. In the battle he fought those many companions of Vishnu, and Dadhichi, Shiva's excellent devotee, burned all of them down violently. Hari was astounded at what the sage had done. The universe is Hari's form and he is skilled in great maya, and so in Hari's body Dadhichi, the excellent brahmana, saw thousands of gods and other beings directly. There were crores of beings and crores of entities, crores of eggs in the one whose body was the universe. Chyavana's son saw all of it, and spoke to the lord Vishnu Jagannatha, without origin, praised by the universe.

Dadhichi said

Mighty-armed one, give up this maya. On reflection it is only an illusion. Madhava, I too know thousands of things that are hard to understand. Look carefully and see the whole universe inside me. I will give you divine insight, and you will see yourself, Brahma and Rudra.

Brahma said

Saying this, the sage showed him everything inside his own body. Chyavana's son's whole body was full of Shambhu's energy and the universe was in it. Dadhichi, supreme among Shiva's devotees, remembered Shankara in his mind and, intelligent and fearless, laughed and said to Vishnu, lord of the gods:

Dadhichi said

Hari, what power have your maya or your mantras? So wish to fight properly, and make your effort without them.

Brahma said

Vishnu heard the fearless sage, filled with Shambhu's energy, and was angry with him. The gods returned to help the divinity Narayana, who wanted to fight the powerful sage Dadhichi. Then Kshuva came to them. He held back the lotus-born one, Hari and the gods and made them stop. He had heard my words and Hari's: "The brahmana has not been vanquished. Go near the sage and bow to him." Even more distressed, Kshuva went to the lord of sages, honoured Dadhichi and helplessly begged him: "Tiger among sages, be pleased. You are the crest of Shiva's devotees. May Paramesha show his favour. He cannot be seen by one who keeps the company of the wicked." Hearing the king and the host of gods, Dadhichi, ocean of austerities, showed them favour. But then the sage saw Rama's lord and the others, his rage stirred, and remembering Shiva in his heart he cursed Vishnu and the rest: "The gods with Indra, the lords among sages, the divinity Vishnu and his companions will be burned by the fire of Rudra's rage." Having cursed the gods, the sage looked at Kshuva and said: "Lord of kings, a supreme brahmana deserves worship from gods and kings. Brahmanas have the strength of Vishnu's powers." Having stated this plainly, the brahmana went into his hermitage. Kshuva honoured Dadhichi and went home, Vishnu went to his own world and the gods to wherever they had come from. Since then that place has been a tirtha, known as Sthaneshvara. A person who goes to Sthaneshvara attains sayujya with Shiva.

Son, I have briefly told you of the dispute between King Kshuva and Dadhichi and how Brahma and Vishnu were cursed that they would be without Shiva. A person who constantly recites this account of the dispute between Kshuva and Dadhichi conquers untimely death, and when he dies goes to Brahma's world. A person who always recites it before entering a field of battle has no fear of death and is victorious.