The Vishnu Purana: Book IV: Chapter XV | Internet Sacred Text Archive

CHAP. XV.

Explanation of the reason why Śiśupála in his previous births as Hirańyakaśipu and Rávańa was not identified with Vishńu on being slain by him, and was so identified when killed as Śiśupála. The wives of Vasudeva: his children: Balaráma and Krishńa his sons by Devakí: born apparently of Rohińí and Yasodá. The wives and children of Krishńa. Multitude of the descendants of Yadu.

MAITREYA.--Most eminent of all who cultivate piety, I am curious to hear from you, and you are able to explain to me, how it happened that the same being who when killed by Vishńu as Hirańyakaśipu and Rávańa obtained enjoyments which, though scarcely attainable by the immortals, were but temporary, should have been absorbed into the eternal Hari when slain by him in the person of Śiśupála.

PARÁŚARA.--When the divine author of the creation, preservation, and destruction of the universe accomplished the death of Hirańyakaśipu, he assumed a body composed of the figures of a lion and a man, so that Hirańyakaśipu was not aware that his destroyer was Vishńu: although therefore the quality of purity, derived from exceeding merit, had been attained, yet his mind was perplexed by the predominance of the property of passion; and the consequence of that intermixture was, that he reaped, as the result of his death by the hands of Vishńu, only unlimited power and enjoyment upon earth, as Daśánana, the sovereign of the three spheres; he did not obtain absorption into the supreme spirit, that is without beginning or end, because his mind was not wholly dedicated to that sole object. So also Daśánana being entirely subject to the passion of love, and engrossed completely by the thoughts of Jánakí, could not comprehend that the son of Daśaratha whom he beheld was in reality the divine Achyuta. At the moment of his death he was impressed with the notion that his adversary was a mortal, and therefore the fruit he derived from being slain by Vishńu was confined to his birth in the illustrious family of the kings of Chedi, and the exercise of extensive dominion. In this situation many circumstances brought the names of Vishńu to his notice, and on all these occasions the enmity that had accumulated through successive births influenced his