मोक्षधर्म पर्व — मृत्यु र ब्रह्माको संवाद

Narada said The lady having large eyes, controlling her grief by self-exertion, addressed the Grandfather, with joined hands and bending low like a creeper.

And she said, How, O foremost of speakers, shall a lady like me who has sprung from you proceed to perform such a terrible feat-a feat, which is sure to terrorize all living creatures.

I fear to do any thing that is iniquitious! Do you find out a holy work for me. You see that I am frightened. Oh, look upon me mercifully.

I shall not be able to cut off living creatures,-infants, youths, and elderly ones,-who have done me no injury! O lord of all creatures, I bow to you, be pleased with me.

I shall not be able to cut off dear sons, loved friends and brothers and mothers and fathers! If these perish their surviving relatives will surely curse me. Thinking of this I am filled with fear.

The tears of the sorrow-stricken survivors will burn me for good. I am very much afraid of them. I seek your protection.

All sinful creatures will have to sink into hell. I seek to please you, O boon-giving god! Extend to me your favour, O powerful lord.

I seek the satisfaction of this wish, O Grandfather, of all the worlds. O foremost of all the gods, I seek, through your grace, permission to practise austere penances.

The Grandfather said O Death, I have selected you for the destruction of all creatures! Go, and begin the task of killing all. Do not think thus.

This must surely take place. It cannot be otherwise. O sinless one, O fair lady do you satisfy the order I have given.

Thus addressed, O you of mighty arms, the lady called Death, O conqueror of hostile cities, did not utter a word, but humbly stood there with her eyes turned towards the powerful Lord of all creatures.

Brahma addressed her again and again, but the lady appeared to be herself deprived of life. Seeing her thus, the god of gods, that lords of lords, became silent.

Indeed, the Self-create by an effort of his will, became pleased. Smiling the lord of all the worlds then looked at the universe.

We have heard that when that unconquered and illustrious lord controlled his anger, the lady (called Death) went away from his side.

Leaving Brahma's side without having promised to bring about the destruction of living creatures, Death speedily went, O king, 10 the sacred spot known by the name of Dhenuka.

There the goddess performed austere penances for fifteen billions of years, standing upon one foot.

After she had practised such highly severe austerities in that place, the highly energetic Brahma once more said to her,-Do you satisfy iny command, O Death! Disregarding this order, the lady once more practised austerities standing upon one foot for twenty billions of years, O giver of honours! And once more, O son, she lived in the forest with the deer for another long period of ten thousand billions of years.

And once more, O foremost of men, she passed twenty thousand years living upon air only. Once again, O king she observed the excellent vow of silence for eight thousand years passing the whole period in water. Then that maiden, O best of kings, went to river Kaushiki.

There she began to pass her days observing another vow, living upon only water and air. After this, O king, the blessed maiden proceeded to the Ganges and thence to the mount Meru.

Actuated by the desire of doing good to all living creatures, she stood perfectly motionless there like a piece of wood. Going thence to the summit of Himavat where the gods had celebrated their great sacrifice, she stood there for another hundred billions of years, standing upon only the toes of her feet, with the object of pleasing the Grandfather with such an act of austerity.

Going there the Creator and Destroyer of the universe again addressed her saying,-What are you doing, O daughter! Satisfy those words of mine!

Addressing the divine Grandfather, the maiden once more said, I am unable to destroy living creatures, O god! I seek to please you.

Frightened at doing the prospect of iniquity as she then was and employed in soliciting the Grandfather to excuse her for disobedience the Grandsire silenced her, and once more said to her',-

No sin shall visit you, O Death,! Do you, O auspicious maiden, begin the task of destroying living creatures! What I have said, O amiable girl, cannot be falsified.

Eternal virtue shall now live in you. Myself and all the gods shall always be busy with secking your well-being.

I grant you this other wish that is in your heart! Living creatures shall be possessed by disease, and shall not censure you.

You will become a male in all male beings, a female in all female beings, and a eunuch in all those who are so.

Thus addressed by Brahma, O king, the maiden at last said, with joined hands to that great and undecaying lord of all the gods-I am unable to satisfy your order. The great God again said to her, O Death, do you kill men!

I shall so ordain that you will not commit any sin by doing this, O auspicious lady. The tears that I see fall from your eyes, and which you still hold in joined hands, shall take the form of terrible diseases and even they shall destroy men when their time comes.

When the end of living creatures arrives you will send Desire and Anger together against them. You shall reap immeasurable merit. You will not commit sin, being yourself perfectly equal in your conduct.

By doing this you will only observe righteousness instead of committing sin. Do you, therefore, mind the work in hand, and addressing Desire and Anger begin to kill all living creatures.

Thus addressed, that lady, Death, became afraid of Brahma's curse and answered him, saying,-Yes! Thence-forward she began to send Desire and Anger at the last hours of living creatures, and through their agency to kill them.

Those tears that Death had shed are the diseases by which the bodies of men are possessed. At the destruction, therefore, of living creatures, one should not, understanding with the help of the intelligence, give way to grief.

As the senses of all creatures disappear when they are in dreamless slumber and return once more when they awake, similarly, upon the dissolution of their bodies, all human beings have to go into the other world and return thence to this, O foremost of kings.

The element called wind, which has terrible energy and mighty prowess and dealening roars, acts as the life in all living creatures. When the bodies of living creatures are destroyed, that wind, passing from the old performs various functions in various new bodies. Therefore the wind is called the lord of senses and is superior to all other elements forming the gross body.

The gods, without any exception, have to take birth as mortal creatures on Earth. Likewise, all mortal creatures also, succeed in acquiring the dignity to gods. Therefore, O foremost of kings, do not grieve for you son. Your son has gone to heaven, and is enjoying great happiness there.

It was thus, O king, that Death was created by the Self-Create and it is in this way that she kills duly all living creatures when their time comes. the tears she had shed became diseases, which when their last hours come, snatch away all beings gifted with life.