Shreemad Bhagavat Mahapuran- Canto: 6, Chapters: 6-9
After Naradji renounced all 20,000 of Daksh’s sons as sannyasis, Daksh, enraged, cursed Naradji to wander across different realms without ever finding a place to stay, Naradji accepted this curse without any resentment.
Thereafter, upon much pleading by Brahmaji, Daksh Prajapati had 60 daughters from his wife Asikni. These daughters were deeply devoted to their father. Of them, ten were married to Dharm, seventeen to Kashyap, twenty-seven to Chandrama, two to Bhoot, two to Angira, and two to Krishashva were given to him as well. Shukdevji narrates to Parikshit the detailed lineage of these daughters and their offspring, whose descendants spread across the three worlds.
Among them, Aditi was married to Kashyap, and they had twelve Adityas, one of whom was Twashta. Kashyap’s second wife, Diti, gave birth to the Daityas (demons). The Daityas’ younger sister, Rachana, was married to Twashta. Rachana bore two sons—Sannivesh and the mighty Vishwaroop. Although Vishwaroop was the nephew of the enemies of the Devas, when the guru of the Devas, Brihaspatiji, abandoned them due to being insulted by Indra, the Devas appointed Vishwaroop as their priest.
Parikshit asked, "Why did Brihaspati abandon his beloved disciples, the Devas?"
Shukadevji replied, "When Indra attained the sovereignty of the three worlds, he became arrogant. Due to his pride, he began to disregard Dharma and ethical conduct. One day, he was seated on his throne in his court, with his wife Shachi beside him. The forty-nine Marutgan, eight Vasus, eleven Rudras, the Adityas, the Ribhus, the Vishwedevs, the Sadhyaganas, and the Ashwini Kumaras were present in his service. The Siddhas, Charanas, Gandharvas, self-realised sages, Vidyadharas, Apsaras, Kinnaras, birds, and serpents were singing his praises. His fame was being extolled in all directions, a white umbrella adorned his throne, and royal fans and fly-whisks were waving as Indra sat in great splendour.
Just then, the guru of the Devas, Brihaspati, arrived—one whom both the Devas and the asuras respect and greet with reverence. Indra saw that he had entered the assembly, but, being immersed in his pride, he neither rose to greet him nor welcomed him nor offered him a seat of honour. The all-knowing Brihaspati immediately understood that this was the result of Indra's arrogance. Without saying a word, he silently departed and disappeared through his yogic powers.
A little later, Indra realised his mistake and began to chastise himself in the assembly. He searched for Brihaspati everywhere but could not find him. Now, he understood that without his guru, he was not secure. Along with the Devas, he pondered ways to protect heaven but found no solution. His mind remained restless.
Meanwhile, the asuras learned about the discord between Indra and Brihaspati. Following the orders of their guru, Shukracharya, they launched an attack on the Devas. Their arrows rained down so fiercely that the bodies of the Devas were torn apart and fell to the ground. Terrified, Indra and the other Devas sought refuge in Brahmaji.
Seeing their pitiful state, Brahmaji said, 'Devas! You have made a grave mistake. Earlier, even the asuras had become weak because they disrespected their guru, Shukracharya. But when they served him with devotion, they regained their strength. Now, they have become so powerful that they could soon conquer even my Brahmalok. Their guru has imparted secret strategies and economic knowledge to them, which is why you remain unaware of their plans. They are capable of conquering not just heaven but any realm.'
Brahmaji then advised the Devas, 'Go immediately to Tvashta's son, the austere and learned Vishvaroop, and serve him. If you can overlook his affection for the asuras and honour him, he will surely help you.'
Following Brahmaji's advice, the Devas approached the sage Vishvaroop and humbly sought his assistance. They said, 'O noble son! We are like fathers to you. We are suffering due to our defeat by our enemies. Please protect us with your spiritual power. As a Brahman devoted to the divine, you are naturally our guru by birth.'
Initially, Vishvaroop hesitated to accept the role of a priest, as it was believed to diminish one's spiritual power. However, upon the Devas' earnest request, he agreed to serve them with full dedication.
Though Shukracharya had safeguarded the wealth of the asuras through his strategic knowledge, the powerful Vishvaroop, using the divine Vaishnavi Vidya, deprived them of it and restored it to Indra. It was the benevolent Vishvaroop who imparted to Indra the knowledge of this supreme Vidya, enabling him to defeat the asura army."
Narayan Kavach Given by Vishvaroop to Indra
King Parikshit asked, "O revered sage, please narrate to me the Narayan Kavach, through which Indra remained protected, easily vanquished the mighty armies of his enemies, and enjoyed the sovereignty of the three worlds. Also, tell me how he, being shielded by this Kavach, attained victory over the invading foes on the battlefield."
Shree Shukadevji replied, "O Parikshit! When the Devas appointed Vishvaroop as their priest, Indra sought his guidance, and Vishvaroop imparted to him the knowledge of the Narayan Kavach. Listen attentively to its details—
Vishvaroop instructed Indra that in times of fear, one should recite the Narayan Kavach to safeguard the body. First, one must purify oneself and perform Anganyas (body sanctification) and Karanyas (hand sanctification) while chanting the sacred mantras 'Om Namo Narayanaya' and 'Om Namo Bhagavate Vasudevaya'. He explained in detail how to establish the letters of these mantras on various body parts, transforming the practitioner into the very embodiment of the mantra. Then, by placing the syllables of 'Om Vishnave Namah' on the heart, head, eyes, etc., one must create a protective shield around oneself.
Finally, while meditating on Bhagwan Narayan, one should perceive oneself as His very form. By reciting this divine Kavach, one gains knowledge, brilliance, and spiritual strength.
The essence of the Narayan Kavach is that Bhagwan Shree Hari, seated on Garudji, is served by the Siddhis (mystical perfections) like Anima, and He wields divine weapons in His eight hands. May He protect us from all directions. May His avatars—Matsya, Kurma, Varah, Narsingh, Vaman, Parshuram, Ram, Krishna, Buddha, and Kalki—shield us from dangers in water, on land, in the sky, on battlefields, in mountains, forests, and all calamities.
May the Sudarshan Chakra, Kaumodaki Gada, Panchajanya Shankh, Nandaka Sword, and divine shield safeguard us and annihilate all enemies and evil forces. May Bhagwan's names, forms, vehicles, weapons, and associates protect our intellect, senses, and life from all adversities. May Bhagwan Narsingh's mighty roar dispel all fears, and may Bhagwan Shree Hari's divine manifestations and weapons ensure our protection everywhere.
Vishvaroop further narrated to Indra an ancient event: A Brahman from the Kaushik lineage once embraced this knowledge and, through yogic discipline, renounced his body in the desert. Later, Gandharvaraj Chitrarath was passing through that place in his celestial aircraft with his consorts. The moment he flew over the Brahman's remains, his aircraft, along with him and his attendants, plummeted to the ground. Astonished, he sought an explanation. The Valakhilya sages revealed that this was due to the divine protection of the Narayan Kavach. Realising its potency, Chitrarath respectfully gathered the Brahman's bones and immersed them in the eastward-flowing Saraswati River. After purifying himself with a holy bath, he returned to his realm.
Shree Shukadevji said, "O Parikshit! Whoever listens to this Narayan Kavach at the right time and reverently adopts it finds all beings bowing before him in respect and is freed from all fears. Indra, having acquired this Vaishnavi Vidya from Vishvaroop, emerged victorious against the asuras on the battlefield and enjoyed the prosperity of the three worlds."
Vishvaroop had three heads—one for drinking Soma rasa, another for consuming Sura (wine), and the third for eating food. His father, Twashta, was one of the twelve Adityas. During sacrifices, Vishvaroop openly and devoutly offered oblations to the Devas. However, due to his maternal lineage from the Asuras, he secretly made offerings to the Asuras as well, driven by motherly affection.
When Indra realised that Vishvaroop was deceitfully favouring the Asuras while maintaining a facade of Dharma, he grew wary. Overcome with anger, he swiftly severed all three of Vishvaroop's heads. The head that drank Soma rasa transformed into a Papiha (hawk-cuckoo), the one that drank wine became a Gauraiya (sparrow), and the one that consumed food turned into a Teetar (partridge).
Though Indra had the power to absolve himself of the sin of killing Vishvaroop, he chose instead to accept the consequences and performed atonement for a year. Later, in a public act of purification, he distributed his Brahmahatya (sin of killing a Brahman) into four parts, assigning them to the Earth, Water, Trees, and Women."
The burden of Indra's sin of Brahmahatya was divided into four parts:
- Earth accepted one-fourth of the sin, and, as a result, deserts and barren lands exist. In return, Indra granted the boon that any ditch or excavation on the earth would naturally refill itself.
- Trees took one-fourth of the sin, which manifests as the oozing of sap. As a blessing, they received the ability to regenerate even after being cut.
- Women accepted one-fourth of the sin, which appears as menstruation. In exchange, Indra blessed them with the ability to unite with men.
- Water absorbs one-fourth of the sin, which is seen in the presence of foam and bubbles, so people remove them before consuming water. As a boon, Indra granted it the power to increase the volume of substances it mixes with.
The Birth of Indra's Enemy, Vritrasur, by Twashta
After the death of Vishwaroop, his father, Twashta, performed a sacrificial ritual to create an enemy for Indra. He chanted the mantra, "O enemy of Indra, may you grow in strength and swiftly destroy your foe." Upon the completion of the yajna, a terrifying asura emerged from the fire. He appeared like the very embodiment of cosmic destruction, ready to annihilate the worlds.
His body was dark like a charred mountain, and he grew larger every day. His hair and beard were red like molten copper, and his eyes blazed like the scorching midday sun. When he danced and roared while wielding his trident, the earth trembled. As he breathed, his enormous mouth opened like a cavern, as if he would swallow the entire sky and the stars. Seeing his terrifying form, all beings fled in fear. This asura, born of Twashta's tamasic nature, surrounded the entire cosmos, and thus, this sinful and extremely cruel being came to be known as Vritrasur.
The Devas attacked Vritrasur with all their might, but he swallowed their weapons effortlessly. Seeing this, the Devas were left shocked and disheartened. Realising that they could not defeat him on their own, they sought refuge in Shree Narayan. They prayed to Bhagwan, acknowledging that even Kaal (death) fears Him and that only He could protect them. They glorified Bhagwan's past divine interventions—how He had saved Manu in His Matsya form and protected Brahmaji during the cosmic dissolution. Surrendering completely, they declared Bhagwan as the ultimate refuge and saviour of the universe.
Moved by their devotion, Bhagwan Vishnu, adorned with His conch, discus, mace, and lotus, manifested before them. Overwhelmed with joy, the Devas fell to the ground, offering their prostrations, and then rose slowly to offer heartfelt praises.
Pleased with their devotion, Bhagwan Vishnu said, "You have glorified Me with true wisdom, which helps the soul realise its real identity and attain My bhakti. The one who desires only Me from Me is the true knower of tattva. Worldly possessions are temporary, and those who remain attached to them are ignorant. A wise person does not encourage the ignorant to get further entangled in material desires—just as a good physician does not allow a patient to consume harmful substances."
Then, Bhagwan Vishnu instructed the Devas to approach Rishi Dadhichi and request his body, which had been strengthened through intense tapasya and devotion. Bhagwan assured them that Rishi Dadhichi, being a wise and selfless saint, would willingly give up his body for their cause. From his bones, Vishwakarma would craft a divine weapon, which Indra could then use to slay Vritrasur.
Bhagwan Vishnu further assured the Devas that after Vritrasur's death, they would regain their divine radiance, celestial weapons, and lost treasures, as He always protects those who surrender to Him.
Summary: JKYog India Online Class- Shreemad Bhagavat Katha [Hindi]- 18.03.2025
