lding the rod of Chastisement, is
said to be the embodiment of righteousness.'--These words that I have
said were, O king, first uttered in days of old by Manu. They represent
the high words of Brahman. And because these words were spoken first,
therefore, they are known as the first words. And since it is by
Chastisement that the misappropriation of other people's possessions is
stopped, therefore Chastisement has come to be called by the name of
Vyavahara. The aggregate of three always rests on well applied
Chastisement. Chastisement is a great god. In form he looks like a
blazing fire. His complexion is dark like that of the petals of the blue
lotus. He is equipt with four teeth, has four arms and eight legs and
many eyes. His ears are pointed like shafts and his hair stands upright.
He has matted locks and two tongues. His face has the hue of copper, and
he is clad in a lion's skin.[363] That irresistible deity assumes such a
fierce shape. Assuming again the form of the sword, the bow, the mace,
the dart, the trident, the mallet, the arrow, the thick and short club,
the battle-axe, the discus, the noose, the heavy bludgeon, the rapier,
the lance, and in fact of every kind of weapon that exists on earth,
Chastisement moves in the world. Indeed, Chastisement moves on earth,
piercing and cutting and afflicting and lopping off and dividing and
striking and slaying and rushing against its victims. These, O
Yudhishthira, are some of the names which Chastisement bears, viz.,
Sword, Sabre, Righteousness, Fury, the Irresistible, the Parent of
prosperity, Victory, Punisher, Checker, the Eternal, the Scriptures,
Brahmana, Mantra, Avenger, the Foremost of first Legislators, Judge, the
Undecaying, God, the individual whose course is irresistible, the
Ever-agoing, the First born, the individual without affections, the Soul
of Rudra, the eldest Manu and the great Benefactor. Chastisement is the
holy Vishnu. He is the puissant Narayana. And because he always assumes a
terrible form, therefore he is called Mahapurusha. His wife Morality is
also known by the names of Brahmana's Daughter, Lakshmi, Vriti,
Saraswati, and Mother of the universe. Chastisement thus has many forms.
Blessings and curse, pleasure and pain, righteousness and
unrighteousness, strength and weakness, fortune and misfortune, merit and
demerit, virtue and vice, desire and aversion, season and month, night
and day, and hour, heedfulness and heedlessness, joy and anger