Sri Hari Wakes Up from Sleep

एवं स्तुता तदा देवी तामसी तत्र वेधसा विष्णोः प्रबोधनार्थाय निहन्तुं मधुकैटभौ नेत्रास्यनासिकाबाहुहृदयेभ्यस्तथोरसः निर्गम्य दर्शने तस्थौ ब्रह्मणोऽव्यक्तजन्मनः।

So, Devi was praised by Brahma. Why did he praise Devi? Because Vishnu was asleep under her influence.

Madhu and Kaitabha were chasing Brahma. They wanted to kill Brahma. Vishnu is the one who should protect him because palana is Vishnu's function; protection is Vishnu's function.

She is Tamasee Devi. Why is she called Tamasee? Because she has caused Sri Hari to sleep. Sleeping is a tamasic function. Sleep, lethargy—they are all tamasik. Since she caused Vishnu to sleep, she is called Tamasee Devi. This aspect of Mahamaya is tamasik.

When she was praised thus by Brahma—Brahma here is called Avyakta Janma. His origin, his birth is from Avyakta, from Parabrahma—when she was praised by Avyakta Janma Brahma, Devi came out of the eyes, face, hands, shoulders, and the chest of Sri Hari, and she stood there to be seen by Brahma.

अव्यक्तजन्मनः ब्रह्मणः दर्शने तस्थौ।

Then what happened?

उत्तस्थौ च जगन्नाथः तया मुक्तो जनार्दनः।

The Jagannatha also stood up. He leads the world; he shows the path to the world. A leader shows the path, others follow him. As Sri Rama, as Sri Krishna—he shows the path which we follow. Hence he is Jagannatha.

समुद्रान्तवासिनो जन-नाम्नोऽसुरान् अर्दितवान् जनार्दनः।

There is a group of asuras called Jana, living under the ocean. He is their tormentor. Hence he is called Janardana.

जनं जननम् अर्दयति हिनस्ति—he eliminates birth, rebirth; hence he is Janardana.

जनैरर्द्यते याच्यते पुरुषार्थलाभाय।

People pray to him for attaining purushartha, the goals of life—Dharma, Artha, Kama, and Moksha. This is the beauty of Sanskrit. One word can convey so many meanings.

As Devi left his body, Sri Hari woke up and stood up.

एकार्णवे अहिशयनात्ततः स ददृशे च तौ।

Ekarnavaha—the single ocean. Now we have seven seas. Once the creation happens, we have the seven oceans filled with water. There are also the other oceans, like the one filled with milk, one filled with sugarcane juice. But before creation, there is only one ocean; that is Ekarnava, on which is Sri Hari’s bed, the ahi, the serpent. He stood up from that bed and saw the two asuras standing in front of him.

What you have to understand here is that Brahma has not even started creation. He is just sitting there on the lotus coming out of the nabhi of Sri Hari. Sri Hari is fast asleep. Then itself evil is born—evil in the form of the two asuras, Madhu and Kaitabha. Where are they born from? From the dirt in the ears of Sri Hari, from his own body. Is it that he consciously gave birth to the two asuras? No. They were just born naturally. And he himself destroyed them later.

Birth of evil is natural. Evil thoughts coming to your mind is natural, but then we have to destroy them. Evil elements coming into society is natural, but then we have to weed them out. This is what it is showing.

Sri Hari is Shuddha Satwa Swaroopee, but then he also came under the influence of Tamasee Devi and went off to sleep, became inactive. He did not know what was happening. At that time, evil was born out of his body itself.

मधुकैटभौ दुरात्मानौ अतिवीर्य पराक्रमौ।

They are duratmas; their basic nature itself is evil. Otherwise, why should they try to kill Brahma, who had not done any harm?

समुत्थाय ततः ताभ्यां युयुधे भगवान् हरिः।
पञ्चवर्षसहस्राणि बाहुप्रहरणो विभुः।

They are duratmas; their basic nature itself is evil. Otherwise, why should they try to kill Brahma, who had not done anything?

Then, getting up, Lord Hari fought with them. He fought them for five thousand years with his bare hands. Vibhu means सर्वगतः—the Lord who is everywhere. He fought them with his bare hands for five thousand years.

See what all Mahamaya is doing. She first made Vishnu sleep. She first made Vishnu sleep, then she caused the two asuras to be born. Later, when Brahma became a victim of their cruelty and brute force, she released Sri Hari from her tamasik influence.

She does more. We will see that.

Ramaswamy Sastry and Vighnesh Ghanapaathi