The Dispute Between Shiva and Vishnu

Verse 1 (skanda.1.123.1)

नंदिकेश्वर उवाच । अहमेव प्रभुरिति प्ररूढाधिकगर्वयोः । विरंच्यप्युतयोरासीद्विवादो मोहसंभवः

naṁdikeśvara uvāca ahameva prabhuriti prarūḍhādhikagarvayoḥ viraṁcyapyutayorāsīdvivādo mohasaṁbhavaḥ

Nandikeshvara said: Between Brahma and Vishnu, each swollen with the overweening pride "I alone am the Lord," a dispute arose, born of delusion.

Verse 2 (skanda.1.123.2)

रजोविकाराभ्यधिको बाह्ये नील इवोत्थितः । विश्वसृष्टिकरो विष्णुं विरंच्योऽब्रूत गर्वतः

rajovikārābhyadhiko bāhye nīla ivotthitaḥ viśvasṛṣṭikaro viṣṇuṁ viraṁcyo'brūta garvataḥ

Brahma, the creator of the universe, inflamed by an excess of the quality of rajas and seeming to blaze forth outwardly like a dark flame, spoke to Vishnu in pride...

Verse 3 (skanda.1.123.3)

ब्रह्मोवाच । कथं त्वमधिकश्चासि विष्णो जनयितुर्मम । पितामहस्य लोकानां किमेवमतिमोहितः

brahmovāca kathaṁ tvamadhikaścāsi viṣṇo janayiturmama pitāmahasya lokānāṁ kimevamatimohitaḥ

Brahma said: How, O Vishnu, can you be greater than me, your begetter and the grandsire of all the worlds? Have you become so utterly deluded?

Verse 4 (skanda.1.123.4)

त्वत्त एवोदितौ दैत्यौ निहत्य मधुकैटभौ । दैत्यारिरिति मुग्ध त्वं गर्वं वहसि केशव

tvatta evoditau daityau nihatya madhukaiṭabhau daityāririti mugdha tvaṁ garvaṁ vahasi keśava

Having slain the demons Madhu and Kaitabha, who themselves sprang from you, you foolishly bear the pride, O Keshava, of calling yourself "the foe of demons"!

Verse 5 (skanda.1.123.5)

त्वामेव सृजतो नित्यं बहुधा मम वेधसः । अद्याप्यायासजां पीडां न परित्यजतः करौ

tvāmeva sṛjato nityaṁ bahudhā mama vedhasaḥ adyāpyāyāsajāṁ pīḍāṁ na parityajataḥ karau

Even now the pain born of the labour has not left the two hands of me, the Creator, who have again and again brought you forth in manifold forms.

Verse 6 (skanda.1.123.6)

मम श्रमांभसोद्भूते महांभोधौ निमज्जतः । नैयग्रोधं न चोत्पन्नं कुतस्तेऽस्त्ववलंबनम्

mama śramāṁbhasodbhūte mahāṁbhodhau nimajjataḥ naiyagrodhaṁ na cotpannaṁ kutaste'stvavalaṁbanam

Sunk in the great ocean formed from the sweat of my own labour, no banyan leaf has yet appeared for you — from where, then, could you find any support?

Verse 7 (skanda.1.123.7)

मदुपज्ञे महांभोधौ स्रवते कोऽपि पन्नगः । तदाश्रयस्त्वमूर्ध्वं ते पद्मं तच्चासनं मम

madupajñe mahāṁbhodhau sravate ko'pi pannagaḥ tadāśrayastvamūrdhvaṁ te padmaṁ taccāsanaṁ mama

In that great ocean set forth by my own doing, some serpent floats; upon that you rest, and the lotus above you is none other than my own seat.

Verse 8 (skanda.1.123.8)

कुतस्तमोमये ब्रूहि त्वयि सत्त्वगुणोदयः । स वेत्सि किं त्वं प्रकृतिं निद्राजडिमनिर्भरः

kutastamomaye brūhi tvayi sattvaguṇodayaḥ sa vetsi kiṁ tvaṁ prakṛtiṁ nidrājaḍimanirbharaḥ

Tell me, how could the rising of sattva ever occur in one so filled with tamas as you? Weighed down as you are by the dullness of sleep, do you truly know the nature of things?

Verse 9 (skanda.1.123.9)

जलाशये प्रस्वपता दैत्यभीत्या जनार्दन । कथं त्वया रक्षितासौ मदधीना जगत्त्रयी

jalāśaye prasvapatā daityabhītyā janārdana kathaṁ tvayā rakṣitāsau madadhīnā jagattrayī

O Janardana, sleeping in the waters out of fear of demons, how could you have protected these three worlds, which are subject to me?

Verse 10 (skanda.1.123.10)

चतुर्भ्यो मम वक्त्रेभ्यो वेदाः समुदयं गताः । चैतन्यरूपिणी शक्तिः कलत्रं मे सरस्वती

caturbhyo mama vaktrebhyo vedāḥ samudayaṁ gatāḥ caitanyarūpiṇī śaktiḥ kalatraṁ me sarasvatī

From my four mouths the Vedas came forth; and Sarasvati, the power of pure consciousness itself, is my consort.

Verse 11 (skanda.1.123.11)

मया हि सृज्यते विश्वमिदं स्थावरजंगमम् । रक्ष्यते च तदिन्द्राद्यैर्मामकैःपुत्रपौत्रकैः

mayā hi sṛjyate viśvamidaṁ sthāvarajaṁgamam rakṣyate ca tadindrādyairmāmakaiḥputrapautrakaiḥ

By me alone is this entire universe of moving and unmoving beings created, and it is protected by Indra and the other gods, who are but my own sons and grandsons.

Verse 12 (skanda.1.123.12)

ततः कथय वैकुंठ मन्नियोज्येषु कश्चन । जगतामीश्वरान्मत्तः कथं नामातिरिच्यसे

tataḥ kathaya vaikuṁṭha manniyojyeṣu kaścana jagatāmīśvarānmattaḥ kathaṁ nāmātiricyase

Tell me then, O Vaikuntha: you are but one among those subject to my command; how then can you claim to surpass me, the lord of all the worlds?

Verse 13 (skanda.1.123.13)

नंदिकेश्वर उवाच । इत्थं सरोषसंरंभे विधौ पौरुषभाषिणि । नारायणोऽपि सासूयं स्मित्वैवं समभाषत

naṁdikeśvara uvāca itthaṁ saroṣasaṁraṁbhe vidhau pauruṣabhāṣiṇi nārāyaṇo'pi sāsūyaṁ smitvaivaṁ samabhāṣata

Nandikeshvara said: While Brahma, thus filled with anger and agitation, spoke such proud words, Narayana too, tinged with resentment, smiled and answered him thus.

Verse 14 (skanda.1.123.14)

विष्णुरुवाच । विरंचे मुंच संरंभं वृथा खलु विकत्थसे । नाभीसरोजसंजातो मम त्वमवधारय

viṣṇuruvāca viraṁce muṁca saṁraṁbhaṁ vṛthā khalu vikatthase nābhīsarojasaṁjāto mama tvamavadhāraya

Vishnu said: Give up your agitation, Virinchi — you are boasting in vain. Know well that it is you who were born from the lotus of my own navel.

Verse 15 (skanda.1.123.15)

योगनिद्रां मयोन्मुच्य पुरा ह मधुकैटभौ । न चेद्यन्मथितौ ताभ्यां तथैव स्याः प्रणाशितः

yoganidrāṁ mayonmucya purā ha madhukaiṭabhau na cedyanmathitau tābhyāṁ tathaiva syāḥ praṇāśitaḥ

Had I not once awakened from my yoga-sleep and destroyed those demons Madhu and Kaitabha, you too would surely have been annihilated by them.

Verse 16 (skanda.1.123.16)

सोमकप्रमुखान्दैत्यान्हंतुमात्मेच्छया मम । धृतमत्स्यादिरूपस्य को वान्यः सृष्टिकारणम्

somakapramukhāndaityānhaṁtumātmecchayā mama dhṛtamatsyādirūpasya ko vānyaḥ sṛṣṭikāraṇam

It was I who, by my own will, assumed the forms of the Fish and others in order to slay Somaka and the other demons; who else, then, could be the cause of creation for one such as me?

Verse 17 (skanda.1.123.17)

न किंचिदपि पश्यंति रजसारूढदृष्टयः । रजोमयेन भवता किं निरूपयितुं क्षमम्

na kiṁcidapi paśyaṁti rajasārūḍhadṛṣṭayaḥ rajomayena bhavatā kiṁ nirūpayituṁ kṣamam

Those whose vision is overcast by rajas see nothing truly at all; how, then, could you, who are yourself made of rajas, be capable of discerning anything rightly?

Verse 18 (skanda.1.123.18)

अविनाभाविनी शक्तिर्ननु मे पद्मवासिनी । यस्याः कटाक्षमात्रेण जगवितयमेधते

avinābhāvinī śaktirnanu me padmavāsinī yasyāḥ kaṭākṣamātreṇa jagavitayamedhate

Lakshmi, who dwells upon the lotus, is my inseparable power, by whose mere glance this entire world flourishes and prospers.

Verse 19 (skanda.1.123.19)

भूतान्यमूनि कालोऽयमात्मनोप्यहमेव हि । मया विरहितं कि वा त्रिषु लोकेषु विद्यते

bhūtānyamūni kālo'yamātmanopyahameva hi mayā virahitaṁ ki vā triṣu lokeṣu vidyate

These beings, this time itself, and even the self of all — I alone am all of these. What indeed exists in the three worlds that is bereft of me?

Verse 20 (skanda.1.123.20)

प्र आदित्या वसवो रुद्रा दिक्पाला मनवोऽप्यहम् । भूर्भुवःस्वस्त्रयीमेनां मदधीनां विचिंतय

pra ādityā vasavo rudrā dikpālā manavo'pyaham bhūrbhuvaḥsvastrayīmenāṁ madadhīnāṁ viciṁtaya

I am the Adityas, the Vasus, the Rudras, the guardians of the quarters, and the Manus too; know that this triad of worlds — Bhuh, Bhuvah, Svah — is subject to me alone.

Verse 21 (skanda.1.123.21)

ममैव विनियोगेन सृष्टिशक्तिः स्वयं स्थिता । तन्मे त्रैलोक्यनाथस्यकि त्वंज्येष्ठः समोऽथवा

mamaiva viniyogena sṛṣṭiśaktiḥ svayaṁ sthitā tanme trailokyanāthasyaki tvaṁjyeṣṭhaḥ samo'thavā

The power of creation stands of itself only by my own ordinance. Are you, then, either older or equal to me, the lord of the three worlds?

Verse 22 (skanda.1.123.22)

नंदिकेश्वर उवाच । एवं मोहांधमनसोरन्योन्यं प्रतिगर्जतोः । ययावनल्पसमयःसवर्तसदृशस्तयो.

naṁdikeśvara uvāca evaṁ mohāṁdhamanasoranyonyaṁ pratigarjatoḥ yayāvanalpasamayaḥsavartasadṛśastayo.

Nandikeshvara said: Thus, their minds blinded by delusion, the two roared against each other, and a long span of time passed, resembling the very hour of cosmic dissolution.

Verse 23 (skanda.1.123.23)

उदयास्तमयौ स्यातां न तदा चंद्रसूर्ययोः । नक्षत्राणि च ताराश्च ग्रहाश्च क्षीणतां ययुः

udayāstamayau syātāṁ na tadā caṁdrasūryayoḥ nakṣatrāṇi ca tārāśca grahāśca kṣīṇatāṁ yayuḥ

At that time the sun and moon ceased to rise and set; the constellations, stars, and planets all began to wane.

Verse 24 (skanda.1.123.24)

नाववुर्मरुतो वा न जज्वलुर्जातवेदसः । नांतरिक्षं न च क्षोणी न दिशोऽपि चकाशिरे

nāvavurmaruto vā na jajvalurjātavedasaḥ nāṁtarikṣaṁ na ca kṣoṇī na diśo'pi cakāśire

The winds ceased to blow, the fires ceased to burn; neither the sky, nor the earth, nor even the directions retained their light.

Verse 25 (skanda.1.123.25)

समुद्राश्चुक्षुभुस्सर्वे पर्वताश्च चकंपिरे । औषध्यः शोषमासेदुरवसेदुश्च जंतवः

samudrāścukṣubhussarve parvatāśca cakaṁpire auṣadhyaḥ śoṣamāseduravaseduśca jaṁtavaḥ

All the oceans grew turbulent, the mountains trembled; the herbs began to wither, and living creatures fell into distress.

Verse 26 (skanda.1.123.26)

पक्षमासर्तुवर्षादिकालस्य नियमो गतः । अहोरात्रव्यवस्थापि प्रणाश समुपाययौ

pakṣamāsartuvarṣādikālasya niyamo gataḥ ahorātravyavasthāpi praṇāśa samupāyayau

The regular order of fortnight, month, season, and year broke down; even the ordinance of day and night approached destruction.

Verse 27 (skanda.1.123.27)

इन्द्रादयो लोकपाला मरीच्याद्या महर्षयः । सर्वेप्यकाले संप्राप्तं कल्पांतं मेनिरे तदा

indrādayo lokapālā marīcyādyā maharṣayaḥ sarvepyakāle saṁprāptaṁ kalpāṁtaṁ menire tadā

Indra and the other guardians of the worlds, and the great sages beginning with Marichi — all of them then believed that the dissolution of the cosmos had come untimely upon them.

Verse 28 (skanda.1.123.28)

एवं जाते महाक्षोभे भूताक्रन्दप्रचोदितः । भूतनाथो जगज्जातमविद्यायामबुध्यत

evaṁ jāte mahākṣobhe bhūtākrandapracoditaḥ bhūtanātho jagajjātamavidyāyāmabudhyata

When this great tumult had thus arisen, moved by the anguished cries of all beings, Bhutanatha understood that the whole creation had fallen into ignorance.

Verse 29 (skanda.1.123.29)

व्यचिंतयच्च विश्वात्मा विश्वसंरक्षणोद्यतः । अवाह्यया दृशाऽपश्यदनयोमोहकारणम्

vyaciṁtayacca viśvātmā viśvasaṁrakṣaṇodyataḥ avāhyayā dṛśā'paśyadanayomohakāraṇam

The Soul of the universe, intent upon protecting all creation, reflected upon this, and with his inward eye beheld the very cause of their delusion.

Verse 30 (skanda.1.123.30)

स्वामिनं सकलैश्वर्यदातारं मां मदोद्धतौ । विस्मृत्य स्वं स्वमेवैतावमंसेतां जगत्प्रभू

svāminaṁ sakalaiśvaryadātāraṁ māṁ madoddhatau vismṛtya svaṁ svamevaitāvamaṁsetāṁ jagatprabhū

Those two lords of the world, intoxicated with pride, had forgotten me — their master, the bestower of all lordship — and had each come to regard only himself as supreme.

Verse 31 (skanda.1.123.31)

अहो मोहस्य माहात्म्यं वदिमौ द्रुहिणाच्युतौ । जानानावपि मां सम्यगभूतामेवमुद्धतौ

aho mohasya māhātmyaṁ vadimau druhiṇācyutau jānānāvapi māṁ samyagabhūtāmevamuddhatau

Ah, such is the power of delusion! Even Brahma and Vishnu, who know me well, have thus become swollen with pride.

Verse 32 (skanda.1.123.32)

अज्ञानतिमिरोद्भूति दूषिताशयलोचनः । जनः प्राप्तं स्तुतमपि प्रायो वस्तु न पश्यति

ajñānatimirodbhūti dūṣitāśayalocanaḥ janaḥ prāptaṁ stutamapi prāyo vastu na paśyati

A man whose mind and vision are corrupted by the darkness of ignorance generally fails to perceive even that which lies right before him and is universally praised.

Verse 33 (skanda.1.123.33)

कृतापराधावप्येतौ निमग्नौ मोहसागरे । मया नोपेक्षणीयौ हि लोकानां हितकाम्यया

kṛtāparādhāvapyetau nimagnau mohasāgare mayā nopekṣaṇīyau hi lokānāṁ hitakāmyayā

Though they have committed a fault, these two, sunk as they are in the ocean of delusion, are not to be disregarded by me, who desires only the welfare of all the worlds.

Verse 34 (skanda.1.123.34)

इति निश्चित्य मनसा माया वैवश्यमेतयोः । देवो दयामहांभोधिर्व्यपोहयितुमैहत

iti niścitya manasā māyā vaivaśyametayoḥ devo dayāmahāṁbhodhirvyapohayitumaihata

Having thus resolved in his mind, the Lord, an ocean of compassion, set about dispelling the bondage of illusion that held both of them in its grip.

Verse 35 (skanda.1.123.35)

अहोऽनुकम्पा तरुणेंदुमौलेः स्वभावसिद्धा भुवनत्रयेऽस्मिन् । असौ प्रमोहांबुधिमध्यतोभूदाविर्निरस्तावपि धातृविष्णू

aho'nukampā taruṇeṁdumauleḥ svabhāvasiddhā bhuvanatraye'smin asau pramohāṁbudhimadhyatobhūdāvirnirastāvapi dhātṛviṣṇū

Ah, how natural to the crescent-crowned Lord is his compassion throughout these three worlds! Though spurned by both Brahma and Vishnu, he yet arose from the very midst of the ocean of their delusion to save them.