The Column of Fire

Ishvara said

Children, may all be well with you. I hope that by my commands the whole universe is held by the gods and everyone is engaged in his own karma. Gods, I already knew of the battle between Brahma and Vishnu. Your evident distress is like a speech already made.

Nandikeshvara continued

So Amba's husband smilingly comforted the gods who had come, using words one uses for children. Ishvara told the assembly of gods that he would go to the place where Hari and Dhatri were fighting, and in that assembly he instructed hundreds of Ganeshas accordingly. As supreme Isha prepared to leave, hundreds of instruments sounded. The Ganeshvaras put on armour, with many ornaments and mounts. Ishvara, Ambika's husband, climbed onto an auspicious chariot in the shape of Pranava, marked with five rings. His sons, the ganas, Indra and all the other gods followed him, with colourful banners, fans and yak-tail whisks. Flowers rained on the assembly and there was singing and dancing. Honoured by everyone, with the supreme goddess, Pashupati went to the battlefield with all the soldiers. When he saw the two fighting, he hid himself in the clouds. The sound of instruments stopped and the ganas' voices quietened. The brave Brahma and Achyuta, wanting to kill each other, had released the Maheshvara and Pashupata weapons. The blazing weapons loosed by Brahma and Vishnu were burning the three worlds. Isha saw that it was as though the terrible time of dissolution had come. Between them the partless one took the form of an extremely terrible column of fire. Those blazing weapons could destroy the worlds, but in an instant they fell into the great column of fire that had appeared, which was extraordinary. Those wonderful weapons grew calm and auspicious. The two spoke to each other: "What is this extraordinary form, beyond all senses? What is this column of fire that has arisen? We must find its top and bottom."

Proud of their prowess, eager to test it, the two brave ones decided to go quickly. "Let us try together; neither of us can find this out alone." Saying this, Vishnu took the form of a boar and set out to look for the bottom. Brahma took the form of a swan and set out for the top. Hari pierced Patala and went even deeper but could not find the foundation of the column, bright as fire. Exhausted in his boar form, Hari came back to the former battlefield. Child, your father Vidhatri flew into the sky. He saw a wonderful ketaki flower dislodged from above, very fragrant and unfaded though it had fallen many years before. The illustrious Parameshvara had laughed on seeing what the two were going through, and when he shook his head, by his favour the excellent ketaki blossom was shaken loose.

Brahma asked: "Lord of flowers, why are you falling? King of flowers, who wore you?" The flower said: "The top of this column is immeasurable. I have been falling for a long time and have now reached the middle. So I do not see how you can wish to see the top." Brahma said: "In the form of a swan I have reached this point, and you must do something to serve me. Great friend, for my sake do what I wish. Come with me to Vishnu's presence and tell Achyuta that Dhatri has seen the end of the column." Saying this, he bowed repeatedly to the ketaki blossom: "The instruction of the texts is that in time of calamity speaking a falsehood is praised."

When they arrived, Dhatri saw that Achyuta had returned exhausted, his happiness destroyed, and so he danced for joy. Like a eunuch who lies, he spoke deep-meaning words to Achyuta: "Hari, I have seen the top of the column, and this ketaki flower is my witness. Tell him." At Dhatri's word, in his presence the ketaki blossom confirmed the false words. Believing them true, Hari bowed to Vidhatri and worshipped him with the prescribed sixteen offerings. Then, to punish Vidhatri for his deceit, Ishvara himself took a form and came forth from that lingam of fire. Seeing the lord rise, Hari trembled again and clasped his feet with his hands. "Your form has no beginning or end. It is because of our deluded understanding and our desires that we thought otherwise. You are sattva and the source of compassion. Please favour us and pardon our sin. This must have been caused by your play." Ishvara answered: "Child Hari, I am pleased with you. Though you hankered for lordship, you did not depart from true words. So I tell you that among people you will be treated on an equal footing with me and receive the same kind of worship. From now on you will have your own separate sacred field, the setting up of your own image, your own festivals and your own worship." So in ancient times the god, pleased with Hari's adherence to truth, gave him equal status while the crowd of gods looked on.