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A CRITICAL STUDY
At last I escaped through the spout of the gourd-kettle; but when the elephant also followed me, its tail-hair was caught in the spout-hole. I approached, however, the ocean-like river Gangā, crossed the rushing stream, and reached the abode of Iśvara. Standing hunger and thirst, I received the stream of Gangā on my head for six months. Thence I came to Ujjaini and met you all here. If you accept all this as true, confirm it by evidence; if you think this to be a lie, well, give us a feast." Kandarika observed that one who has read Bhārata, Purāņas and Rāmāyaṇa would not call this a lie (I. 17–34).
Kandarika continued: “What we hear in the Bhārata and Puräņa is reliable, therefore your experience also is true. 1) It is said that the Vipras are born from the mouth, the Kşatriyas from the arms, Vaiśyas from the thighs and Sūdras from the feet of Brahman: that means the entire population could be accommodated in Brahman's body. 2). Umā could lead a married life with Isvara whose male organ could not be measured even by Brahman and Viņņu. 3) The saint Vyāsa has narrated thus in the Bhārata : "The chief queen of Virāta king had no progeny. She propitiated a certain saint who asked her to go to the bamboo-bower and eat the dish whereby she would have one hundred children. She did so and went home. After some time there arrived the saint Gāgali' and sat practising austerities under the bamboo-grove. He glanced passionately at the nude nymphs bathing in the lake; and out of his first drop of semen there was born Kicaka, as mighty as elephant. Thus were generated one hundred Kicakas who were all first accommodated in bamboos and who were later received by the queen' 4) Gangā was deluded by Hara in his matted hair for one thousand years. 5) Vişņu, the creator of the world, was practising penance on the bed of ocean; the lotus-seated Brahman, with staff and gourd in hand, came out of the navel of Vişņu, but the lotus was caught stuck there. 6) It is narrated in the Bhārata that Brahman began practising penance for thousand years; and the jealous gods wanted to frustrate his efforts. Indra counselled thus: "Woman has been a mighty temptress, and none except Mahāvīra could stand the arrows of Madana. Seeing the limbs of Umā, Pasupati became passionate even at the sacred hour of marriage; and Droņācārya was generated from the semen-drop fallen in a pot. Similarly eminent personalities like Gautama, Vasiştha," Pārāśara, Jamadagni, Kāśyapa, Agastya, Indra, Hara, Hari, etc, are all victims of cupid. So Tilottamā should be sent to tempt Brahman; and thus his penance would be destroyed." Accordingly Tilottamā approached Brahman in a beautiful dress and began to dance before him like a Campaka flower. When Brahman began to gaze at her, she stood dancing, by his right side. With a passionate craze for her Brahman developed four faces, as she shifted herself in different directions. When she jumped up, he had on his head a fifth face; but it was plucked by Rudra Brahman was very much irritated and infuriated. Erom the drop
1. Gagali perhaps stands for Garga. 2 I have normalised these names according: to the popular tager
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