The Padma Purana


This page describes diti’s wailing which is chapter 6 of the English translation of the Padma Purana, one of the largest Mahapuranas, detailling ancient Indian society, traditions, geography, as well as religious pilgrimages (yatra) to sacred places (tirthas). This is the sixth chapter of the Bhumi-khanda (section on the earth) of the Padma Purana, which contains six books total consisting of at least 50,000 Sanskrit metrical verses.

[Sanskrit text for this chapter is available]

Sūta said:

1-2. The other miserable wife of Kaśyapa, named Danu, being tormented by the grief due to the son (of Aditi) came to Diti’s house. She was weeping, she who was reached by (i.e. was of) great grief, saluted the two lotus-like feet of Diti. Diti advised her.

Diti said:

3. O glorious one, what is the cause of your weeping? Women are (said to be) ‘Putriṇī (i.e. endowed with sons) (even though) they have (only) one son. O beautiful, auspicious one, you are the mother of even a hundred magnanimous sons like Śumbha.

4-7a. Tell me the reason why you are unhappy—(you) who have the two magnanimous and very mighty and valorous sons like king Hiraṇyakaśipu and the very mighty Hiraṇyākṣa. O friend, tell me why you are having this great grief. Tell me fully the reason for which you are weeping now.

7b. Having thus spoken to the queen (i.e. Danu), the high-minded (Diti) ceased speaking.

Danu said:

8-9. See, see, O magnanimous one, the desire of my co-wife (i.e. Aditi) has been fulfilled by the god of gods—the disc-holder (i.e. Viṣṇu). As Viṣṇu had formerly granted a boon to Aditi, even now he has granted a great boon to her son.

10. This son is known to be born from Kaśyapa, and is the guardian of the three worlds. Snatching the position of Indra from your son, he has given it to him (i.e. to Aditi’s son).

11-12a. (Now) Aditi, who is full of desires (i.e. whose desires are fulfilled) is exalting with happiness, (since) her younger son, Vasudatta, along with the gods, is enjoying Indra’s position which is very difficult to be obtained.

Diti said:

12b-13. O you glorious one, tell me of which position my very intelligent son is deprived; O friend, (tell me) also how other demons and goblins are deprived of lustre. Tell me in detail the cause of this.

14a. Saying (these) words to her (i.e. to Danu), Diti, who was extremely unhappy, stopped speaking.

Danu said:

14b-16a. Gods and demons, being enraged, went to fight (i.e. fought). A great war, causing the destruction of the demons, took place. The gods and Viṣṇu struck down my sons in the war; so also your sons (were struck down) by the god of gods, viz. the disc-holder (i.e. Viṣṇu).

16b-20. As a lion would frighten with his own lustre (beings) that have gone to the forest, in the same way your sons and my sons were killed by having the conch in his hand (i.e. by Viṣṇu). He destroyed, crushed, made to flee, and unnerved the army (of the demons) led by Kālanemi and unconquerable even for the gods and demons (together). As, in the forest fire would bum grass with its flames, so Keśava (i.e. Viṣṇu) completely consumed all the hosts of demons. Many of my sons, O respectable lady, and many of your sons also died (in the war). As all the moths perish after reaching (i.e. coming in contact with) fire, similarly all the demons reaching (i.e. coming in contact with) Hari (i.e. Viṣṇu), perished.

2la. Diti thus listened to this fearful account.

Diti said:

21b. O you good one, how do you tell me this, which is like the fall of the thunderbolt?

22-23a. Saying so, that respectable lady fell down in a swoon. She, who was very much oppressed by the grief due to her son, said: “Alas! a misery has come about; it is very troublesome and tormenting.”

23b-32a. Seeing her, the greatest sage said (these) auspicious words: “Well-being to you; do not weep; O you illustrious one, persons like you, who are energetic and free from greed and infatuation, do not grieve like this. O honorable lady, in this mundane existence, to whom do the sons belong? To whom do the good relatives belong? One has nothing to do with anyone (else). O dear one, listen to it all. You are the daughters of Dakṣa and are my beautiful wives. O auspicious one, I am your husband, who your desires. I bring you together; I am your guardian, and protector, also, O you of a beautiful face. Why did the cruel demons, not controlling themselves, entertain enmity (with the gods)? O you magnanimous one, your sons are destitute of truthfulness. Due to that fault (of them) and due to your morbid affection (for them), O auspicious one, they were killed by Vāsudeva (i.e. Kṛṣṇa, i.e. Viṣṇu) and were thrown down by the gods. Therefore do not entertain grief which destroys real salvation. Grief would destroy (i.e. destroys) religious merit, and one perishes by the loss of religious merit. Therefore, O you of a beautiful face, give up the grief being of the nature of an obstacle. Due to the power of their own faults the demons died. The gods were (just) an apparent cause; they (i.e. the demons) were destroyed by their own deeds. Realising this, O you glorious one, be happy”.

32b-33. Having thus spoken to his dear wife who was unhappy, the very intelligent, great contemplative saint, withdrew through dejection and stopped (speaking).

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