The Dispute Between Brahma and Vishnu

Brahma said

While the god Narayana slept, a huge, excellent lotus sprouted from his navel. By Shankara's wish it was suddenly produced. Its stalk was endlessly long and its pericarp shone. It was infinite yojanas wide and infinite yojanas tall, wonderful and radiant like a crore suns, supremely beautiful and excellent to behold. Child, Parameshvara Shankara took careful pains, as before. Shambhu made me from the right side of his body. Sage, Mahesha quickly covered me in his maya. In his play he made us, and I came from the navel. Son, born so, I came to be known as the one born of a golden womb. I had four faces and a red complexion, with the Tripundra on my forehead. Confounded by maya, I knew nothing apart from the lotus. Son, my father had made me from his own body, yet my knowledge was weak. "Who am I? Where did I come from? What task is mine? Whose son am I? Who made me?" These doubts rose in my mind. "Why am I so confused? It should be easy to find out. There is this lotus flower, and its source must be below. My maker must surely be there." So thinking, I started to climb down the lotus. Sage, I went from one part of the stalk to the next, and so a hundred years passed, but I could not reach the excellent place from which the lotus grew. Again full of doubt, I wanted to climb up the stalk. Sage, using the stalk's segments I began to climb. But as I could not reach the root, in my confusion I could not find the top either. Again I wandered a hundred years along the segments. Then, confused, I stopped for a while. Sage, at that moment, by Shiva's wish, an extremely auspicious voice from the sky ended my confusion: "Do austerity." Hearing these words from the sky, I made myself do terrible austerity for twelve years, in order to see my father.

Then, to show me favour, Bhagavan Vishnu quickly came. He had four arms and beautiful eyes, carrying a conch, the chakra, a mace and a lotus. His limbs were dark as clouds, he wore yellow garments, a diadem and excellent ornaments, and his pleasant face was lotus-like. He was like a crore Kandarpas together. Seeing him, I was confused and filled with wonder at his lovely form. His colour was both dark and golden. This four-armed form exists in all selves. I saw him appear in it, with the existent and non-existent inside his self. Seeing mighty-armed Narayana, I was delighted. My mind was then confused by Lord Shambhu's maya and play, so I did not know my own father and spoke to him cheerfully.

Brahma said

Who are you?

Brahma continued

Saying this, I tried to raise the eternal being by hand. When he did not wake, I struck him harder and more firmly. At this the one master of himself rose shortly, though still lying on his couch. From sleep, when he looked at me his eyes were like wet lotuses. As I stood there, Bhagavan Hari lit me with his radiance. Woken by Brahma, he smiled once at me and spoke sweetly.

Vishnu said

Welcome, child. Welcome, grandfather, radiant one. Do not be afraid. I will certainly give you whatever you wish.

Brahma continued

Bull among divine rishis, he smiled first and then said this. Hearing it, I was still bound in enmity by rajas, and I answered Janardana accordingly.

Brahma said

You call me "child." I destroy everything, yet you call me a child. Faultless one, you smile and speak to me as though you were the guru and I the pupil. I am maker of the worlds. I am the one who set Prakriti to work. I am eternal and unborn. I am Vishnu and Virinchi, and I came from Vishnu. I am Vidhatri, the self of the universe, lotus-eyed Dhatri. Tell me quickly why you are so confused and speak to me like this. The Vedas always call me Svayambhu, the unborn. I am the grandfather, my own master, supreme Parameshthi.

Brahma continued

Hearing this, Hari, Rama's husband, grew angry.

Vishnu said

I know you are the maker of the worlds. But to create and be Dhatri, you came down from my undecaying limbs. You have forgotten undecaying Jagannatha Narayana. I am Purusha, the supreme self, Puruhuta and Purushtuta, Vishnu, Achyuta and Ishana. The universe came from my powers. I am mighty-armed Narayana, the Ishvara who fills all. Doubtless you came from the lotus in my navel. But that is not your fault; I have spread my maya over you. Four-faced one, hear my true words. I am lord of all the gods, creator, preserver and destroyer; no lord is my equal. Grandfather, I am supreme, the supreme brahman, the truth, the supreme light, the supreme self and the lord. All you see in the universe today, all you hear of, moving and unmoving, know that it is all within me. Four-faced one, I made the twenty-four manifest tattvas. Every small particle is bound to me. I created anger and fear. In my power and play I made your limbs and many others'. I made intellect and the three kinds of ego. Lotus-born one, I made the tanmatras, and from them mind, body and senses. In play I made space and the elements and all derived from them. Lord of beings, Vidhatri, understand this and take refuge in me; I will protect you from every misery.

Brahma continued

Hearing this, Brahma was filled with rage. Confounded by maya, I scolded him: "Who are you? Why so many words? Such excess leads to injury. You are not Ishvara and not the supreme brahman. Someone must certainly have made you." Deluded by maya, I began a terrible battle with him. Because of the great Lord Shankara's maya I fought Hari, and a hair-raising clash broke out between us in the ocean of dissolution. Rajas bound us in enmity.

Then, to quiet the dispute and awaken understanding in us, a lingam appeared before us. It was ringed with thousands of garlands of flame and looked like the fire of destruction. It neither grew nor shrank and had no beginning, middle or end. It was unmatched, beyond determination, the unmanifest origin of the universe. Bhagavan Hari was confounded by those thousands of flames, and when I too was confused, he said: "Why contend with me now? A third has come in the midst of our fight. Where did it come from? We must examine this thing, whose origin is fire. I will go down and find the bottom of this pillar of fire. Lord of beings, to examine it, use the force of the wind and try to go up. Go swiftly." So saying, the one whose self is in the universe took his own form and quickly became a boar. Sage, I became a swan. Since then I am called the great lord Hamsa-Hamsa, and a person who says "Hamsa-Hamsa" will become a Hamsa too. I was fiery white with wings on all sides. In those early times, swift as thought and wind, I flew up and further up. Narayana, whose self is in the universe, took an extremely white form, ten yojanas broad and a hundred long, as large as Mount Meru, with white sharp tusks, colour like the fire of destruction, a long snout and a loud roar, short feet and a many-coloured, firm, matchless body. As a boar he swiftly went down. So for a thousand years Vishnu went on downward. Since then the worlds have known him as Shveta Varaha. Divine rishi, a kalpa passed by men's measure. Vishnu used his powers to go down and wandered about in different ways, but the boar could not find the least sign of the root of the lingam. Destroyer of enemies, meanwhile I too explored upward, wanting to find its end and making every effort. Exhausted, I could not find the end, and after a time I went down. Lotus-eyed Bhagavan Vishnu likewise could not find the end. Gigantic, he rose swiftly, as though all the gods were in him. In front of us, behind us and in every direction stood Parameshvara. With me he bowed and recalled: "What is this? It has no form or name, no karma. It has no mark but the form of a lingam. It cannot be grasped by meditation." So, having calmed our minds, we bowed. Hari and I were both certainly overwhelmed by that vast presence. "We do not know your form. Great lord, we do not know who you are. Mahesha, we bow to you. Please show us your form quickly." So we spent a hundred autumns bowing. Tiger among sages, both of us were still full of pride.