Chapter 9: The Lord Appears as a Beautiful Woman to Distribute the Nectar

(1) S'rî S'uka said: 'When the Asuras were snatching the nectar away from each other, they, tossing it to and fro, thus behaving like thieves grew very inimical. Then they saw [the Lord in the form of] a woman [called Mohinî-mûrti] coming their way. (2) 'What a figure, what a grace and youthfulness!' so they said hasting to get Her attention while their hearts were aching to sleep with Her. (3) 'Who are You with Your lotus petal eyes? Where do You come from and why did You come here? To whom do You belong, oh You who with Your beautiful thighs upset our minds, please tell us! (4) Neither we, nor any immortal one, demon, perfected soul, creature of heaven, venerable one or any ruler of the universe has ever laid hands on You and known You, not to mention any normal human being. (5) Oh may providence be praised for sending You with Your beautiful eyebrows! Is Your mercy not there to bring that what pleases the senses and mind of all who are of flesh and blood? (6) Oh smashing lady, are You maybe there as our fortune to settle the mounting differences between us family members who are increasingly inimical with each other over this one issue [of the nectar] oh You slim beauty? (7) Can You please see to it that [the nectar] justly, without any partiality, is divided among us, the able and competent brothers who are the descendants of Kas'yapa?'

(8) Looking at them with a smile and enchanting glances, the illusion of feminine beauty that was an incarnation of the Lord, thus being requested spoke the following words to the Daityas. (9) The Supreme Lord said: 'How can it be that all of you descendants of Kas'yapa, put faith in associating with a woman who runs after men as I do, for to be enamored with women is something one never finds with men of wisdom! (10) Oh enemies of the Suras, the wise agree that jackals and unchaste women who are fickle in their relationships, [always] look for a new, fresh mate.'

(11) S'rî S'uka said: 'Thus joking with them all the Asuras laughing felt comforted by Her and with a serious expression on their face handed over the jar of nectar. (12) When the Lord took hold of the amrit container He with an alluring, teasi ng smile spoke the words: 'If you promise to accept Me whether I act honestly or not, I will divide this nectar.' (13) Having heard what She said the chiefs of the Asuras without giving it further thought, assented to it and said: 'So be it!' (14-15) They observed a fast, bathed, offered oblations of ghee into the fire, were of charity for the cows, the brahmins and many others, performed ceremonies according to the brahminical precepts, dressed up to their taste in new clothes, put on jewelry and next together sat down on seats of kus'a grass laid down in the eastern direction. (16-17) When the Suras and Daityas, all with their faces [also] turned eastward, dressed up with garlands sat down with lamps in an arena full of incense smoke, She entered there holding the container oh ruler of man. With Her youthful, restless eyes, the sounds of Her tinkling ankle bells and Her jug-like breasts striding slowly, She wore a beautiful sari around Her wide hips and elephant trunk-like thighs. (18) Looking at Her, the Lord Supreme who with golden earrings, charming ears, nose, cheeks and face posed as a girlfriend of the Goddess, they were all enchanted by the way she with a smile glanced at them while Her sari was slightly waving over Her breasts. (19) Considering it a miscalculation to give the nectar to the demons who are as cruel as snakes, the Infallible One did not divide it. (20) Arranging a different line for every group separately, the Master of the Universe let each of them orderly occupy a position at his own side. (21) Carrying the container the Lord deceived the Daityas with sweet words and made the ones sitting at a distance [opposite of them - the Suras] drink from the nectar that would free them from old age, death and disability. (22) The Asuras considering it an abomination to fight with a woman, out of their feelings for Her according to their promise kept themselves in check oh King and remained silent. (23) Out of fear to break the bond of friendship with Her they, moved by the greatest respect, all felt obliged and said not the slightest thing that would displease Her. (24) He who darkens the luminaries [Râhu] dressed himself up like one of the demigods and sat among them to drink from the nectar but he was, by sun and moon [the divinity of the ego and feeling he eclipses], quickly detected. (25) The moment Râhu drank from the nectar his head was cut off by the razor sharp cakra of the Lord. The decapitated body that was not touched by the nectar, fell dead to the ground. (26) But the head thus attained immortality and was by Lord Brahmâ recognized as a planet. It is that very Râhu that at times [e.g. during the changes of the moon] inimically represses the [light of the] sun and the moon [see also 5.24: 1-3, 6.6: 37 and 6.18: 12-14].

(27) When the godly ones were almost done drinking from the nectar, the Supreme Lord Hari, the well-wisher of all the worlds, revealed His original form [once more] in the presence of all the Asuras and their leaders. (28) Although the Suras and Asuras were thus unified in respect of the same place, time, objective, cause, activities and ambition, they did not achieve the same result. The God-minded ones easily achieved the nectar with it because the benediction of the saffron dust of the lotus feet was theirs, but that was not the case with the Daityas [compare B.G. 4: 11]. (29) Whatever that is done for the sake of one's own life and welfare, are human activities, ideas and words in relation to one's body and family that are all transient [asat, 'untrue']. They together constitute one's separateness. But the same truly becomes something factual and permanent when it is not done in separation [when it is not without devotion unto Him], for then they result in what one calls the 'watering of the root', those actions that are beneficial to everyone [see 8.5: 49 and B.G. 3: 10].'