Violation of Vrinda's Faithfulness

Vyasa asked

Sanatkumara, omniscient, supreme among eloquent speakers, what did Hari do there? How did she give up her dharma?

Sanatkumara replied

Having gone to Jalandhara's city, Vishnu resolved to destroy Vrinda's fidelity to her husband and break the daitya's splendour. Supreme among masters of maya, he showed himself to Vrinda in a dream, in an extraordinary body, in a grove in the city. Queen Vrinda was excellent in her vows. By the power of Hari's maya the wife had a nightmare in the night. By Vishnu's maya she saw in her dream her husband riding a buffalo, naked and smeared with oil, adorned with black flowers and served by many predatory beasts, his head shaved, going southward, wrapped in darkness. With her, her whole city was suddenly submerged in the ocean. Toward the end of the night she had many such bad dreams. Waking, the lady thought about the dream. She saw that the rising sun had a hole in the middle and kept losing its radiance. She understood these were evil omens. Full of fear she wept. She could find no peace in the turrets, mansions or palace grounds. With her friends she went to the grove in the city, but even there the lady could find no happiness. Jalandhara's wife, depressed and anxious, wandered from forest to forest without peace. As she wandered she saw two terrible rakshasas with lion faces and cruel fangs. Seeing them she was shaken and began to run. Then she saw a serene ascetic with his disciple, observing a vow of silence. In her fear she clasped his neck with her creeper-like arms and said, "Sage, save me, I have taken refuge in you." The sage saw that she was shaken and pursued by the rakshasas. He gave a terrible humkara and quickly turned them away. The two, frightened by the humkara, turned back.

Sage, the daitya lord's wife was amazed. Freed from fear, she joined her hands before the sage who had protected her, and, like a rod, Vrinda lay on the ground before him and spoke.

Vrinda said

Sage, protector, ocean of compassion, you who counter others' suffering, you have saved me from the terrible fear those crooked ones caused. You are capable in every way and know everything. Ocean of compassion, I wish to tell you something; be kind and listen. Jalandhara is my husband and has gone to fight Rudra. Excellent in vows, tell me how the battle is going.

Sanatkumara said

The sage heard her and kept up the deception of a vow of silence, knowing the means to serve his own purpose. With compassionate eyes he looked upward. At that moment two lords among monkeys came, bowed to him and stood. At a gesture of his eyebrows they rose into the sky. Lord among sages, they returned shortly and stood before him again, bringing a head, a headless torso and hands. She recognised the head, trunk and hands as the ocean's son's. Miserable for her husband, she fell senseless to the ground.

Vrinda said

Lord, you used to amuse me with pleasant talk. How is it you do not speak now to the innocent one you love? You conquered the three worlds and defeated the gods and gandharvas with Vishnu. How is it that an ascetic has now killed you? You did not know Rudra's tattva and so paid no heed to my words. Supreme among daityas, I told you Shiva is the supreme brahman. By the power of serving you, I knew that this came not from pride but from keeping company with the wicked.

Sanatkumara said

So, following her own dharma, his beloved lamented much in different ways, her heart shattered. Holding to fortitude she sighed in grief, joined her hands, bowed to the noble sage and spoke again.

Vrinda said

Ocean of compassion, best of sages, you who work for others' welfare, virtuous one, show me compassion and revive my lord. I think you are able to bring him back to life. Lord among sages, please revive my beloved lord.

Sanatkumara said

Devoted to the vow of fidelity, the daitya's wife said this, fell at his feet and sighed in grief. The sage replied that he could not bring him back to life, since he had been killed by Rudra in battle, and one killed by Rudra in battle can never be revived. Even so, out of compassion, he would revive him, since he knew it is eternal dharma to save those who take refuge. Saying this, sage, he revived her husband. Then Vishnu, supreme among masters of maya, vanished. The ocean's son was revived at once and got up. Pleased, he embraced Vrinda and kissed her face. Seeing her husband, Vrinda's mind too was filled with joy. She put her sorrow aside, thinking it had all been a dream. Pleased, with desire rising in her heart, she played with him in the middle of the forest for many days. Once, at the end of their union, she saw that it was Vishnu. Full of anger Vrinda rebuked him.

Vrinda said

Hari, shame on such conduct. You have had relations with another man's wife. Now I have learned everything correctly. You used your maya to appear as an ascetic.

Sanatkumara said

Saying this, full of rage, she showed her own energy. Vyasa, the faithful wife cursed Keshava: "Enemy of daityas, worst of the wicked, you have defiled others' dharma. Deceitful one, take from me this great curse, more severe than the most virulent poison. With your famed maya you made two beings and showed them to me. They will become rakshasas and carry off your wife. Wretched for your wife, in the forest you will have monkeys as aides. You will roam with the lord of snakes, who came here as your disciple." Saying this, Vrinda entered the fire. With his mind drawn to her, Vishnu tried to hold her back. Sage, meanwhile all the gods, Brahma and the rest, came with their wives to see the good destination she was headed for. While all the gods watched this extraordinary event, the great, supreme radiance that was Vrinda's energy merged into Shivaa's body. The immortals arrayed in the sky cried "Victory." Sage, so the great queen Vrinda, Kalanemi's excellent daughter, gained supreme liberation through the power of devotion to her husband. As the ashes and dust of Vrinda's pyre covered his face, Hari thought of Vrinda again and again. Though the many gods and siddhas there tried to make him understand, he could find no peace.