Indian Antiquary Vol 25

Author(s): Richard Carnac Temple
Publisher: Swati Publications

Page 21

JANUARY, 1896.)
NARSINH MEHTANUN MAMERUN.
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370 While these reciters of the Veda speak unmannerly things, the Mêhêtâ remains absorbed
in Madhava. “O, see! Everything is placed in the basket : don't you see the rows of bodices?"
(remark the people). But the Mêhêtå minds not a word; he is lost in praise of Madhava. “Hail Dâm ôdar, Bal-mukand, thou Lord that savest from hell, thou son of Nand,
Master of the universe, Moon of the garden of Vaidrâvan, son of Dêvakî, thou source of joy, 375 Lord of the Gôpis, Govind, Protector of kine, victorious and yet kind and merciful!
Be mindful of me, thy servant, and prepare for the bestowal of the mosálún. As I sing praises with my mouth, and the ta! in hand, the Nagar community reproach me. It is difficult to have to do with this people. Lord, keep my honour this time.
If thou, Nandkumar, art my master, what (harm) can this wicked world do me? 380 As I know thee to be the protector of thy servants, I have every confidence in thee. Yoa sent timely help to Amarisa95 when he was in trouble. You have lived in the womb,
too, (for the sake of mortals). To kill Sankhâsur6 you took the shape of a fish; And, to bring out the fourteen jewels from the depths of the sea, you transformed yourself
into a tortoise.97 You destroyed the great sinner Hirņaksha,os and placed the earth in its proper position
once more. 385 And even a man like Ajîmê!,99 who was a great sinner, you raised to yourself, on bis
uttering the name of his son at his death). When Prahlada100 was in difficulties you, great god, manifested yourself at once. You absolved Dhruval from all fear of death and second birth, and made him immortal
like your own self. * Son of Nand.
95 Narsinh now enumerates all the services done to his devotees by Krisha. Amarisa (P Ambarisha) was an ardent worshipper and was subjected to persecution by certain Rishis, to test his devotion.
Sankhisur was a 898-monster. He lived at the bottom of the sea in a conch-shell. The wife of Sandipan, & worshipper of Vishnu, once complained to him that this sea-nonster had stolen her son from her, whereupon Vishnn took the Rhaps of a fish and fought the monster and brought back the son. [But the legend is well-known in another form..- ED.)
97 It has been said that the gods churned the sea in search of fourteen gems or imcomparable things, when Krishna in the shape of a tortoise bore them all on his back.
95 Hirpaksha = HirapyAksha, the twin brother of Hiranyakasipe, had carried off the earth into the regions of PÅtAla, whence Vishņu brought it baek and placed it in its proper position.
# Ajame! (= ? Ajámila) was at first a follower of Vishnu. But he fell into evil ways through the influence of a wicked woman, and lived a life of unrighteousness. At his death the messengers of YAma went and stood by his bed. Ajåmel was frightened by their cruel, ugly faces, and in his fright called his youngest and best-loved son, Narayan, by name. But as he uttered this word, & synonym of Vishnu, the latter's messengers took the place of those of Yama, and lifted AjAmel up into the presence of Vishnu, where the god forgave him all his trespasses and gavo him salvation.
100 Prahlada, the son of Hiranyakabipu and father of Bali. He became an ardent worsbipper of Krishna while yet a boy, which so enraged his father, who was a sworn enemy of Vishậu, that he ordered him to be killed but all attempts to destroy his life proved fruitless through the intercession of Vishậu. Thus baffled, Hiranyakasipu declared he would believe in Prahlada, if by his prayers he produced Vishau before his eyes. Prahlada uttered his prayers and Vishnu became visible in the form of half-man, half-lion and in a fierce fight there and then killed Hiranyakazipu.
1 Dhruva was a son of Uttanapada, and grandson of the first Manu. His mother was the second wife of Uttanapåda and bad no respect for her lord. Consequently Dhruva was no favourite with his father. Once, as he saw his half-brother, the son of the elder and more devoted queen, sitting in his father's lap, Dhruva tried to do the same, but his step-mother forbade him saying, "Thou hast no right to sit in thy father's lap since thy mother loves him not. If thou wishest to be a favourite, too, go and shake off this avatir and bo bora onoe more unto me." Dhruva was stung and went to the wooda to engage himself in tap (devotion). Vishnu bofriondod him, and said to him," Go back to thy parents, they are longing to meet thee. Reign with them for thirty-six thousand years, at the end of which time I shall send thee a vaiman, in which thou shalt come up to me with thy parents." So Dhruva wont back, reigned for thirty-six thousand years, and mounted up to Vaikunth at last in a vain in (the sërial car of the gods). [This is an interesting variant of the accepted legend. -ED.]