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The Final Assault by Sangamdeva
Yoga Shastra, First Light, 3: He was not disturbed by attachment. Therefore, the wicked god set up his army camp near the Lord, where he was meditating. When the cooks could not find stones to build a hearth, they used the Lord's two feet as a hearth and placed a pot on it. They lit a fire below. It seemed as if a wildfire had erupted at the foot of a mountain. Even though the intense flames burned fiercely, the Lord's body did not lose its radiance, but instead, it grew brighter, like glowing gold. Then, the wicked god created a settlement of wild Bhils, where the Bhils shouted loudly. The Bhils hung cages of small birds around the Lord's neck, ears, arms, and thighs. The birds pecked and clawed at the Lord's body, making it full of holes. It looked like a cage with many holes. This experiment also proved futile for the god, like a dry leaf. Then, he unleashed a great storm called Samvartak, which made huge trees appear to fly in the sky like straws and then fall down. Pebbles and stones flew like dust in every direction. He blew air like a bellows, tossing the Lord up and down in the sky and throwing him down on the earth. But even this great wind did not fulfill the god's desire. Then, the disgrace of the gods unleashed a whirlwind called Vayu-vartul. This whirlwind, which could shake large mountains, spun the Lord like a lump of clay on a potter's wheel. But even when this whirlwind, like water in the ocean, spun the Lord, he did not budge from his meditation. Then, the god thought, "Oh! This man with a mind of iron has not been disturbed at all by the many kinds of tortures I have inflicted on him. So, how can I go to the assembly of gods without fulfilling my vow and disturbing his meditation? Therefore, it would be best to find a way to end his life. Only then will his meditation be broken, otherwise not." Thinking this, the wicked god created a solid, vajra-like Kalchakra (wheel of time) weighing a thousand palas of iron. He lifted it up like Ravana had lifted Mount Kailash. It was as if he had prepared another garment to wrap around the earth. He lifted this Kalchakra up and threw it at the Lord. It fell on the Lord like a wildfire in the ocean, making all directions terrifying with its flames. The Lord sank into the ground up to his knees under the impact of this wheel, which could pulverize large mountains. Even in this situation, the Lord thought, "Even though I am eager to save all the creatures of the world, I have become the cause of this poor fellow's wandering in the world." Sangamdeva thought, "Oh! I have tried the final measure of using the Kalchakra, but he is still alive. Therefore, I should try something else besides weapons. Perhaps he will be disturbed by this assault in some way." With this intention, he came before the Lord, sitting in his chariot, and said, "O great sage! I am satisfied with you because of your virtue and the effect of the penance you have begun by risking your life. Therefore, give up this penance that torments your body. What is the benefit of such penance? Ask for whatever you want. Tell me, what can I give you? Do not doubt this in the least; your desire will be fulfilled. Shall I give you heaven through this body? Or shall I free you from the karmas of countless births and give you liberation, which is the state of eternal bliss? Or shall I give you an inexhaustible kingdom where all kings will obey your commands?" When the Lord's mind did not waver even at these tempting words of the god and he did not receive any reply from the Lord, the sinful god thought again, "He has made all my experiments and powers unsuccessful. Now, only one infallible measure remains, and that is the science of love. I will try that too. Because, like the weapon of love, the sight of beautiful women breaks even the masculinity of great yogis." With this determination in his mind, he created celestial nymphs and the six seasons that help in their enjoyment. Along with this, Vasant-Lakshmi, like the main dancer in the play of Kamadeva, adorned the place with the sweet sounds of the mad cuckoo. The summer season, like a maid who has learned art from her companions, shone brightly, spreading the fragrance of her face with the pollen of blooming Kadamba flowers. The season of spring, excited by the fragrant Kevada flowers, which were like auspicious tilak marks at the coronation of Kamadeva, was adorned with...