A battle between Lord Brahma and Lord Vishnu

 

Sham S. Misri

An anecdote

Nandikeshwar ji narrates:

"Once while travelling lord Brahma reached the abode of Lord Vishnu. He saw lord Vishnu resting on Shesh-Nag and being attended by Garuda and other attendants. When Brahmaji saw that Vishnu did not get up to receive him, he became very angry. A verbal dual erupted between them. It became so severe that a battle was fought between them, which continued for very long time. All the deities arrived from the heaven to watch the battle. They became very worried when they saw no sign of battle coming to an end. They decided to go to lord Shiva, to seek his help.

Anaal-Stambh (The Pillar of Fire)

"Though Lord Shiva knew everything, but still pretending ignorance, he asked about the well beings of the world. The deities told him about the battle, fought between Brahmaji and Vishnuji."

"Lord Shiva then sent his one hundred Ganas to pacify both of them. He too went there accompanied by mother Parvati, boarded on a chariot. When Lord Shiva reached there, he saw that Brahmaji and Vishnuji were about to use their deadly weapons. Fearing the destruction, which these deadly weapons might have caused, Lord Shiva manifested himself in the form of pillar of fire between them. Brahmaji and Vishnuji had already released their weapons. Both the weapons fell into that pillar of fire and got destroyed. 

"Brahmaji and Vishnuji were very surprised to see the pillar of fire, which was so enormous in size that it reached the sky and penetrated down the earth. Vishnuji transformed himself into a boar and went to the 'Patal' (nether world) to find the base of that 'Pillar of fire'. But he was unsuccessful in his attempt and came back.

Similarly Brahmaji transformed himself into a swan and flew up in the sky to find its limit. While going through the aerial route he met withered ‘Ketaki’ flowers, which had still some freshness and fragrance left in it."Lord Shiva smiled at the futile attempts of Shrí Brahmaji and Vishnuji.