6_Glorious_Epochs_of_Indian_History

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SIX GLORIOUS EPOCHS OF INDIAN HISTORY
from the days of Gautam Buddha himSelf, it was this incar­
nation of Nursinh which could inspire in spineless Hindus
of the day instinctive and effective reaction to retaliate
every wrong done them, and also violent valour which could
strike terror in the hearts of the enemy.
874. ^srftr ^ ^sfsnr: TTT^IT I ^m\fk% ^ ^ Trfe: ii
(Those dull-witted who do not behave knavishly with base
and crafty rogues invariably court failure ! A polite person
should be treated politely while a crafty scoundrel should
be destroyed by super-craft.)
THE SELF-SAME STORY OF NURSIJSIH
ITSELF TELLS
that not with the perverted virtues of Pralhad but Avith the
cruel, crafty measures alone could that demon, Hiranya-
kashipu, be killed.
875. Shree Shankar had blessed Hiranyakashipu with
a boon that he would not be killed by any man or beast,
with any weapon or missile, ordinary or charmed with magic
power, on the earth or in the skies, neither by day nor by
night, neither in nor out ! But mysteriously enough an
effective expedient was found for every one of these thought­
less terms of the equally thoughtless boon and the enemy
of the Gods, the invincible demon, Hiranyakashipu, was
killed by an incarnation which was neither purely human
nor purely beasty, but a mixture of both, at twilight, on
the threshold, taking him on the lap and by cutting open his
stomach with his sharp talons !
875-A. It is this firightfnl incarnation of God, whose
whole body has been besmeared with the spouts of blood
emanating from the dying body of the wicked demon, rending
the whole universe v.'ith his horrible war-cries, and at whose
furious visage, made ten-times more terrible by his beard
standing erect, even the Gods themselves were alarmed and
began to request him to calm down, that a Nation wishing
to keep itself alive in this diabolic warring world should
worship as the emblem of the high peak of national valour !