Srimad Bhagavatam – day 471
Some human beings who accepted to be vehicles for demons are now born with demonic tendencies. They are extremely lustful, filled with violence and exhibit demonic behaviour. This is because he had spent time in the company of demons and have imbibed their qualities. Perhaps if their horoscope is analyzed it will be evident that such person belongs to demonic clan. Man and woman who have contrasting natures should never get married because they will argue a lot. Either both should be filled with divine qualities or both should have demonic tendencies.
Maharishi Śuka continued, “Some soldiers mounted camels, some sat on donkeys, and some on bears, monkeys, elephants, lions and tigers and fought. Some soldiers made eagles, vultures, cranes, hawks, hens, falcons, whales, rhinoceros, bulls, buffaloes, aruna-mṛga, and such other animals as their vehicles for war. Some soldiers used jackals, rats, mongoose, rabbits, goats, human beings, black deer, swans, boars as their vehicles for war. Some others used water birds, flying birds, other varieties of birds and other distorted types of living beings as their vehicles. Sitting on their vehicles, soldiers from both the camps rushed forward for war”.
Perhaps gigantic dinosaurs existed in that era to help these demons and Devatas in the war.
“The chariots and other vehicles of the soldiers were decorated with many colourful flags, pure white umbrellas, fans made of many precious colourful gems, fans made of peacock feathers and vinjamara fans. The upper garments of the soldiers were beautifully flying in the breeze. They were decked in the best ornaments. Their razor-sharp weapons gleamed due to the Sun-rays falling upon them. The Devata and demon armies appeared like the massive oceans that are filled with aquatic animals. It was impossible to describe the might and the grandeur of these two armies. The battle itself falls short of words.
Emperor Bali, the son of Virocana, who was the leader of the demon army, was surrounded by many eminent army commanders. With a beautiful white umbrella over his head, and the vinjamara fans that fanned him from both sides, Bali looked radiant. He glowed like the Moon stationed over the eastern mountains. He was seated in the Vaihāyasa airplane built by conjurer-demon Maya, which could wander independently and which could be remote-controlled through the mind. With just a thought in the mind this plane would move in that direction. It was equipped with every weapon essential for war. Within it were many exquisite objects . This airplane is beyond mind’s imagination and beyond the scope of words”.
Swamiji says: If Maharishi Śuka said to Emperor Parikshit that this plane is beyond imagination and beyond description, then how can I ever successfully describe to you all about the plane?
“At certain times the airplane would be visible while at other times it would become invisible. Demons such as Namuci, Vipracitti, Ayomukha, Dvimūdha, Kālanābha, Prahēti, Heti, Ilvala, Śakuni, Bhūtasantāpa, Vajradamṣṭra, Virocana, Hayagriva, Śankaṣira, Kapila, Meghadundhubhi, Tāraka, Cakradṛk, Śumbha, Niśumbha, Jambha, Utkala, Ariṣṭa, Ariṣṭanemi, Maya, Tripurādhipa and many other demons known as Poulomās, Kāleyās, and Nivātakavacas mounted their respective vehicles and surrounded Emperor Bali. All of them had participated in the churning of the ocean and were now filled with vengeance at being deprived of nectar”.
Swamiji explains: They thought, ‘We worked equally hard to obtain that nectar. That Lord, who is a cheat, put us completely under illusion by dressing as a seductive female. He then stealthily distributed the nectar to the Devatas and disappeared. He is a conjurer who deceived us. We were foolish to get trapped by his illusion. How foolishly we drank the water he supplied to us! How stupidly we were allured by her charming words! How disgustedly we behaved! We were so naïve that we got enchanted by the tinkling of the anklets as she delicately walked past us. We could not suppress the love that surged in our hearts. In our foolishness we failed to obtain even a drop of nectar. These Devatas cheated us’.
Each of them accused the other for lustily eyeing the divine damsel. They blamed the others for their loss. They were mighty warriors who had easily defeated the Devatas in the past. Previously whenever the demons were about to attack them, the Devatas would flee in fright. These mighty warriors, the famous unsurpassed leaders, now roared like lions and blew loud conches making frightening noises.
Madhavaya namah