Aghasura (अघासुरः)

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Aghasura (Samskrit: अघासुरः) was the brother of Bakasura and Putana and a follower of Kamsa. Following Kamsa’s instructions, he once went to Gokula to kill Sri Krshna. At that time, Sri Krshna was playing on the banks of the river Kalindi with other gopalas. Aghasura watched the games of the children from the sky above. And in due course, transformed himself into a huge serpent and lay with his mouth wide open. His open mouth looked like an immense cave. The gopalas walked into the cave-like mouth of Agha in the course of their games. Aghasura also immediately closed his mouth as soon as Sri Krshna entered his body. Realizing the situation, Sri Krshna now enlarged his body. His body grew larger and larger until at last it burst open the body of the serpent (Agha). And thus, Aghasura was killed. Sri Krshna then restored life of the boys by his divine look (kataksha). This story is taken from the Bhagavata Purana, Skandha 10, Chapter 12.

भागवते अघासुरवधः ॥ Aghasura Vadha

One day, intending to have his first meal in the forest, Sri Hari got up early in the morning and woke up his fellow cowherd boys by the charming sound of his horn, and then proceeded from Vraja driving their groups of calves in front of them.(1) Immediately, at Krshna's call, thousands of affectionate young boys simultaneously rushed forth joyfully equipping themselves with their slings, sticks, horns and flutes, each driving his own herd of thousands of calves.(2) Making their own calves join the herd of innumerable calves of Krishna and grazing them, they diverted themselves in children's games at various places.(3)

क्वचिद्वनाशाय मनो दधद् व्रजात् प्रातः समुत्थाय वयस्यवत्सपान् । प्रबोधयन् श्रृंगरवेण चारुणा विनिर्गतो वत्सपुरःसरो हरिः ॥ १ ॥

तेनैव साकं पृथुकाः सहस्रशः स्निग्धाः सुशिग्वेत्रविषाणवेणवः । स्वान् स्वान् सहस्रो परिसङ्‌ख्ययान्वितान् वत्सान् पुरस्कृत्य विनिर्ययुर्मुदा ॥ २ ॥

कृष्णवत्सैः असङ्‌ख्यातैः यूथीकृत्य स्ववत्सकान् । चारयन्तोऽर्भलीलाभिः विजह्रुः तत्र तत्र ह ॥ ३ ॥

(13) And then a powerful demon named Agha who could not tolerate the sight of their happy pastimes appeared there. His life's end was awaited by all the immortals despite of their drinking the nectar.

अथ अघनामाभ्यपतन् महासुरः

    तेषां सुखक्रीडनवीक्षणाक्षमः ।

नित्यं यदन्तर्निजजीवितेप्सुभिः

     पीतामृतैः अप्यमरैः प्रतीक्ष्यते ॥ १३ ॥

(14) Seeing the Gopas children of whom Krshna was the leader, the demon Agha, younger brother of Baki (Putana) and Baka, who was deputed by Kamsa (to kill Krshna) said to himself, 'This must be the killer of my brother and sister. To avenge them both I shall now kill Krshna along with his army of cowherd boys.

दृष्ट्वार्भकान् कृष्णमुखान् अघासुरः ।

    कंसानुशिष्टः स बकीबकानुजः ।

अयं तु मे सोदरनाशकृत्तयोरः

    द्वयोर्ममैनं सबलं हनिष्ये ॥ १४ ॥

(15) When these boys have become the sesame and water for the funeral rites of my brother and sister, when the strength of the life of the inhabitants of Vraja [their children] has disappeared, when these living beings whom they consider the very embodiment of their love and breath have left them, they all will be as good as dead.'

एते यदा मत्सुहृदोस्तिलापः

    कृतास्तदा नष्टसमा व्रजौकसः ।

प्राणे गते वर्ष्मसु का नु चिन्ता

    प्रजासवः प्राणभृतो हि ये ते ॥ १५ ॥

(16) Thus having decided he assumed the wondrous form of a very, very large python that extended for miles. Therewith he occupied, as high as a mountain and with a mouth spread wide open like a mountain cave, that moment most wickedly the road in order to swallow the picnickers.

इति व्यवस्याजगरं बृहद् वपुः

    स योजनायाम महाद्रिपीवरम् ।

धृत्वाद्‍भुतं व्यात्तगुहाननं तदा

    पथि व्यशेत ग्रसनाशया खलः ॥ १६ ॥

(17) Keeping his mouth wide open, his lower lip rested on the earth and his upper lip touched the sky. His teeth were like mountain peaks, the inside was pitch dark, his tongue resembled a broad road, his breath was like a warm wind and his fiery look was like a fire.

धराधरोष्ठो जलदोत्तरोष्ठो

    दर्याननान्तो गिरिशृङ्‌गदंष्ट्रः ।

ध्वान्तान्तरास्यो वितताध्वजिह्वः

    परुषानिलश्वासदवेक्षणोष्णः ॥ १७ ॥

(18) Seeing him in that position they all considered it Vrindâvana at its best. It was for them a known game [to act] as if they were looking at the form of a python's mouth:

दृष्ट्वा तं तादृशं सर्वे मत्वा वृन्दावनश्रियम् ।

व्यात्ताजगरतुण्डेन ह्युत्प्रेक्षन्ते स्म लीलया ॥ १८ ॥

(19) 'Look dear friends! A dead python there before us, ready to swallow us all with its snake mouth spread open, is it not?

अहो मित्राणि गदत सत्त्वकूटं पुरः स्थितम् ।

अस्मत्सङ्‌ग्रसनव्यात्त व्यालतुण्डायते न वा ॥ १९ ॥

(20) It is obvious, really, that cloud up there is the upper lip and below, that big sand bank with that reddish glow, is his lower lip...

सत्यमर्ककरारक्तं उत्तराहनुवद्‍घनम् ।

अधराहनुवद् रोधः तत् प्रतिच्छाययारुणम् ॥ २० ॥

(21) On the left and right, those caves, look just like the corners of the mouth and those peaks there, are exactly like the animal's teeth.

प्रतिस्पर्धेते सृक्किभ्यां सव्यासव्ये नगोदरे ।

तुंगशृंगालयोऽप्येताः तद् दंष्ट्राभिश्च पश्यत ॥ २१ ॥

(22) The length and breadth of the broad path, is like the tongue and the darkness, in between the mountains, looks like the inside of its mouth.

आस्तृतायाम मार्गोऽयं रसनां प्रतिगर्जति ।

एषां अन्तर्गतं ध्वान्तं एतदप्यन्तः आननम् ॥ २२ ॥

(23) Just notice how that hot wind blowing from a forest fire is like its breath, and the bad smell of the flesh of the burned corpses, stinks like the flesh within its belly.

दावोष्णखरवातोऽयं श्वासवद्‍भाति पश्यत ।

तद् दग्धसत्त्वदुर्गन्धोऽपि अन्तरामिषगन्धवत् ॥ २३ ॥

(24) Would this animal be here to devour all who dare to enter? With that being so, he will, just like the heron, be immediately vanquished by Krishna!' so they said, looking at the gleaming face of Him, Baka's enemy, while they loudly laughing and clapping their hands entered its mouth.

अस्मान्किमत्र ग्रसिता निविष्टा-

    नयं तथा चेद् बकवद् विनङ्‌क्ष्यति ।

क्षणादनेनेति बकार्युशन्मुखं

    वीक्ष्योद्धसन्तः करताडनैर्ययुः ॥ २४ ॥

(25) Krishna heard them talking this and that way besides the truth. They did not realize what they were dealing with. He knew that the Rakshasa was very real and was deceiving them and so He arrived at the conclusion that He, the Supreme Lord, the Complete Whole of All Living Beings who is situated in the heart, should stop His comrades.

इत्थं मिथोऽतथ्यं अतज्ज्ञभाषितं

    श्रुत्वा विचिन्त्येत्यमृषा मृषायते ।

रक्षो विदित्वाखिल-भूतहृत्स्थितः

     स्वानां निरोद्धुं भगवान् मनो दधे ॥ २५ ॥

(26) Meanwhile, all the boys and their calves had entered the belly of the demon, but they were not devoured. The Rakshasa who was thinking of his dead relatives, waited for Baka's enemy to enter.

तावत् प्रविष्टास्तु असुरोदरान्तरं

    परं न गीर्णाः शिशवः सवत्साः ।

प्रतीक्षमाणेन बकारिवेशनं

    हतस्वकान्तस्मरणेन रक्षसा ॥ २६ ॥

(27) Krishna, who for each and everyone is the source of fearlessness, was amazed to witness that and compassionately felt sorry about this twist of fate. They who had no one but Him now helplessly had moved away from His control to burn as straws in the fire of the belly of Aghâsura, death personified.

तान् वीक्ष्य कृष्णः सकलाभयप्रदो

    ह्यनन्यनाथान् स्वकरादवच्युतान् ।

दीनांश्च मृत्योर्जठराग्निघासान्

     घृणार्दितो दिष्टकृतेन विस्मितः ॥ २७ ॥

(28) What to do now? This rogue should not exist, nor should the innocent and faithful ones find their end. How could He achieve both ends at the same time? Gathering His thoughts the Lord, the Unlimited Seer, knew what to do and entered the mouth.

कृत्यं किमत्रास्य खलस्य जीवनं

    न वा अमीषां च सतां विहिंसनम् ।

द्वयं कथं स्यादिति संविचिन्त्य तत्

    ज्ञात्वाविशत् तुण्डमशेषदृग्घरिः ॥ २८ ॥

(29) That very moment all the gods exclaimed from behind the clouds in fear 'Alas, alas!' and Kamsa and the other bloodthirsty friends of Aghâsura rejoiced.

तदा घनच्छदा देवा भयाद् हाहेति चुक्रुशुः ।

जहृषुर्ये च कंसाद्याः कौणपास्त्वघबान्धवाः ॥ २९ ॥

(30) When He heard that, Krishna, the Supreme Lord who is never vanquished, immediately expanded Himself [see siddhi] within the throat of the demon who tried to crush the boys and the calves in his belly.

तच्छ्रुत्वा भगवान् कृष्णस्तु अव्ययः सार्भवत्सकम् ।

चूर्णीचिकीर्षोरात्मानं तरसा ववृधे गले ॥ ३० ॥

(31) With that action the airways were blocked and the eyes of the squirming and wrestling giant popped out. The life air was arrested within the internally completely obstructed body and then broke out through the top of the skull.

ततोऽतिकायस्य निरुद्धमार्गिणो

    ह्युद्‍गीर्णदृष्टेः भ्रमतस्त्वितस्ततः ।

पूर्णोऽन्तरंगे पवनो निरुद्धो

    मूर्धन् विनिष्पाट्य विनिर्गतो बहिः ॥ ३१ ॥

(32) After all life air had left the body and Krishna saw that the boys and calves lay dead, He, Mukunda, the Supreme Lord, brought them back to life whereupon He reappeared from the mouth in their company.

तेनैव सर्वेषु बहिर्गतेषु

    प्राणेषु वत्सान् सुहृदः परेतान् ।

दृष्ट्या स्वयोत्थाप्य तदन्वितः पुनः

    वक्त्रान् मुकुन्दो भगवान् विनिर्ययौ ॥ ३२ ॥

(33) From the body a most wonderful bright light issued that all by itself illumined the ten directions. It remained in the sky waiting until the Supreme Personality appeared and then, before the eyes of the demigods, it entered His body [sâyujya-mukti].

पीनाहिभोगोत्थितमद्‍भुतं महत्

    ज्योतिः स्वधाम्ना ज्वलयद् दिशो दश ।

प्रतीक्ष्य खेऽवस्थितमीशनिर्गमं

    विवेश तस्मिन् मिषतां दिवौकसाम् ॥ ३३ ॥

(34) Everyone most pleased thereupon performed his specific service of worship [see also 1.2: 13]: flowers were showered, the singers of heaven sang, the heavenly girls danced, the demigods played their specific instruments and the brahmins offered prayers.

ततोऽतिहृष्टाः स्वकृतोऽकृतार्हणं

    पुष्पैः सुगा अप्सरसश्च नर्तनैः ।

गीतैः सुरा वाद्यधराश्च वाद्यकैः

    स्तवैश्च विप्रा जयनिःस्वनैर्गणाः ॥ ३४ ॥

(35) The Unborn One [Lord Brahmâ] who nearby in his abode heard the wondrous sounds of those for everyone so very auspicious prayers, sweet sounds, songs and different celebrations, came immediately and stood amazed to see the glory of the Supreme Master.

तदद्‍भुतस्तोत्रसुवाद्यगीतिका

    जयादिनैकोत्सव मङ्‌गलस्वनान् ।

श्रुत्वा स्वधाम्नोऽन्त्यज आगतोऽचिराद्

    दृष्ट्वा महीशस्य जगाम विस्मयम् ॥ ३५ ॥

(36) Oh King, after the skin of the python had dried, it became a place of interest for the inhabitants of Vrindâvana that for a long, long time afterwards was used as a cave.

राजन् आजगरं चर्म शुष्कं वृन्दावनेऽद्‍भुतम् ।

व्रजौकसां बहुतिथं बभूवाक्रीडगह्वरम् ॥ ३६ ॥

(37) This incident - of the snake's death and deliverance and the liberation of Him and His associates - that took place when the Lord was five years old [kaumâra], was by the boys in Vraja disclosed one year later [pauganda] as if it had happened that very day.

एतत्कौमारजं कर्म हरेरात्माहिमोक्षणम् ।

मृत्योः पौगण्डके बाला दृष्ट्वोचुर्विस्मिता व्रजे ॥ ३७ ॥

(38) However unthinkable it might be for an impure soul, it is not that astonishing that even Aghâsura was liberated from all contamination and [with the light of his soul] could merge with the Supersoul. All he had to do was to associate but for a moment with the Supreme Creator of a higher and lower existence, when He assumed the form of a human child.

नैतद् विचित्रं मनुजार्भमायिनः

    परावराणां परमस्य वेधसः ।

अघोऽपि यत्स्पर्शनधौतपातकः

    प्रापात्मसाम्यं त्वसतां सुदुर्लभम् ॥ ३८ ॥

(39) This destination He even grants those who [like Aghâsura] but once got innerly connected to His form because of a certain state of mind in relation to His divinity [thus even being connected in hatred]. What then would that mean for those in whom He is ever present as the remover of illusion, as the One who always grants each and every soul the realization of transcendental happiness?' "

सकृद्यदङ्‌गप्रतिमान्तराहिता

    मनोमयी भागवतीं ददौ गतिम् ।

स एव नित्यात्मसुखानुभूत्यभि

    व्युदस्तमायोऽन्तर्गतो हि किं पुनः ॥ ३९ ॥