Chapter 17: The Supreme Lord Agrees to Become Aditi's Son

(1) S'rî S'uka said: 'Aditi, thus being advised by her husband Kas'yapa oh King, faithful to his words unrelentingly executed this vow for twelve days. (2-3) With undivided attention and fortitude being conscientious unto the Controller, the Supreme Personality, in full control of the senses that are as strong as horses, with the mind as the charioteer of intelligence and with the intelligence one-pointed unto the Supreme Lord [see also B.G. 3: 42], the Soul of the Complete, she thus fully concentrated on Vâsudeva performed [the ceremony] according to the payo-vrata vow of fasting. (4) My best one, the Supreme Lord, the Original Person, then appeared before her, dressed in yellow and with His four arms, carrying the conch, the cakra, the club [and the lotus flower]. (5) When she saw Him she got up immediately and offered, with an enraptured mind, with the greatest respect her obeisances prostrating herself before Him. (6) Rising to her feet and prepared to worship with her hands folded, she because of her blissful enrapture could not proceed. Overwhelmed with her hair standing on end and the entire frame of her body trembling because of the utter pleasure of enjoying His vision [darshan], she remained silent with the tears that filled her eyes. (7) With a voice that constantly faltered because of the love she felt oh best of the Kurus, it was as if Aditi Devî, as she was staring at the Lord, through her eyes was drinking the Husband of Ramâ [see 8.8: 8], the Enjoyer of all Sacrifices and the Master of the Universe. (8) S'rî Aditi said: 'Oh Lord of the Sacrifices, Personality of all Offers, oh Infallible One to whose feet we are pilgriming, You are known as the ultimate shelter, as the One about whom to hear and sing is so auspicious. You are the original One who has appeared to diminish the dangers of the material existence of the souls of surrender. Oh Controller, oh Supreme Lord, be so good and grant us the [divine] happiness, You are the refuge of the downtrodden.  (9) I offer You my obeisances who are the all-pervading Soul of the universe, the fully independent One, the Greatest One who by the power of the modes accepts the full responsibility for the creation, maintenance and annihilation of the universe. My respects for You,  the Lord who from His original position eternally promotes the knowledge of the complete whole by which the darkness of the self is dispersed completely.  (10) With You being satisfied, oh Complete and Unlimited One, all things become possible: a life as long as that of Brahmâ, a certain body, a lover, unlimited material opulences in the higher, the lower and the intermediate worlds, all the [eight] yogic qualities, the three goals of kâma, artha and dharma [the purushârthas] and exclusive spiritual knowledge, not to mention benedictions like the defeat of human competitors and such!' 

(11) S'rî S'uka said: 'Thus hailed by Aditi oh King, the Supreme Lord with the lotus eyes, the knower of the field [B.G. 13: 1-4] of all living entities, gave the following reply, oh son of Bharata. (12) The Supreme Lord said: 'Oh mother of gods, I have understanding for your long standing desire in relation to your homeless sons who were vanquished by their rivals. (13)  What you desire is to defeat in battle those mad Asura leaders who are so proud of their strength, regain the victory of your opulence and reunite with your sons in devotional service. (14) You would like to see the tears of the grieving wives of the enemies when they find them killed in battle by your sons under the lead of Indra. (15) The restoration of the full glory, reputation and opulence of your offspring, the joy of their lives and a place for them in heaven is what you want to see. (16) At present all those Asura masters of war are as good as invincible oh Devî [goddess]. It is My opinion that no form of using force will bring you the happiness, for they are all protected by the brahmins who enjoy My favor. (17) Nevertheless I must think of something to help you out, for I am very pleased with the vow you have observed. Someone who worships Me never deserves it that his belief and devotion would lead to another result. (18) Because you in faithful austerity with the son of Marîci [Kas'yapa Muni] for the sake of your sons have worshiped Me with the payo-vrata vow and to the best of your ability have prayed as should, I will become your son with a plenary portion of Myself and thus protect your other sons. (19) Oh sweet woman, thinking of Me as also being present within the form of your husband, lay with him, the spotless Prajâpati [see also B.G. 9: 29]. (20) Do not disclose this to outsiders, not to anyone, not even when asked oh lady. It will all be successful if that what is confidential with the gods is carefully concealed [see B.G. 18: 67-68].'

(21) S'rî S'uka said: 'The Supreme Lord this way having addressed her disappeared from the spot. Aditi, with the very rare accomplishment of having achieved that the Lord would be born from her, considered herself a success and went full of devotion straight to her husband. (22) Kas'yapa in the trance of his yoga with his infallible vision could understand that the Lord had entered him with a part of Himself. (23) Like the wind kindling fire in firewood oh King, Kas'yapa then managed with his mind in trance to deposit in Aditi the semen that he in his penance had restrained for so long [see also B.G. 7: 11]. (24) Hiranyagarbha [Lord Brahmâ] understanding that the Supreme Lord was now situated in the womb of Aditi, offered prayers in the form of His mystical names. (25) Lord Brahmâ prayed: 'All glories unto Him, the Supreme Lord of the Glorious Deeds. I offer You, the Lord of the Transcendentalists my obeisances. You the Controller of the Modes of Nature I worship again and again. (26) My allegiance to You who, previously born from Pris'ni [a previous life of Aditi, compare 6.18: 1, the sons of Aditi], are always found in the Vedas, You who are full of knowledge, You From Whose Navel the Three Worlds Rose You are transcendental to and You as the All-pervading One present within the hearts of all living beings. (27) You as the original cause, the dissolution and the maintenance of the universe, are the reservoir of endless potencies that one calls the Original Person. You are the Lordship, the Controller who is the Time that holds the entire universe in its grip, the way waves drag someone along who fell into them. (28) You indeed are of all living beings, whether they move about or not, the one who gave them that life. From You all the founding fathers originated, You are the Supreme Shelter of all who live the higher life oh Godhead. For all the godly ones who fell down, You are the lifeboat that saves them from drowning.'