Thursday, May 16, 2024
Contents
Introduction
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In this skanda there are nineteen chapters. In these chapters meditation, upasana and singing praises of the Lord were discussed.
Meditation was mentioned in fourteen chapters. As per the scripture, jiva's ignorance exists at fourteen levels: five senses, five organs of karma, mind, intellect, ego and the rest. Another significance of the number fourteen is Lord Rama did penance in the forest for fourteen years before destroying Ravana.
The upasana was discussed in two chapters. One is subtle upasana and the other is gross upasana.
The third is singing praises. This is practiced in all three lokas. By singing praises of Sri Hari's not only sin is removed, but intellect also will be cleansed.
Kali's influence is inexorable. As we will be continuing our spiritual efforts, the dangers of Kali have been lurking to make us sinners. With Lord Hari's chant sin will be removed. This has been highlighted in the story of Ajaamila.
Vrutrasara's history, Dadheechi's sacrifice besides Ajaamila's story were covered in this skanda. This skanda helps in removing obstacles in life.
Preventing Hell
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Towards the end of fifth skanda, Suka Brahma described several types of hell. Hearing about hell, Pareekshit was perturbed.
A noble person is afraid of sin. Only the wretched commit sin without hesitation. Some of them don't know anything other than sinful acts which reflect their immoral character. Sin makes one unpopular besides paving the way to hell. Those performing sin for the sake of ephemeral pleasures, will experience sorrow permanently after life or in the final stages of life.
Veda said,"Sin destroys wealth and the lack of it enhances wealth."
Pareekshit was frightened about his sins in the past. He asked Suka Brahma about ways to avoid fiery hell.
Suka Brahma said,"O King, men commit sins with their speech, mind and actions. To cleanse these sins the scripture dealing with dharma mentioned several ways. By practicing them, hell can be avoided. Those who don't mitigate their sins are sure to suffer in hell".
Karma exists because of ignorance. It is finite by having a beginning and an end. It gives rise to sin. There are two kinds of sins from performing karma.
A farmer tills the soil and puts seed in it. The seeds sprout after some time. If they are not nourished and tended to, they won't grow into plants. This way the crop is lost because of unforeseen circumstances. In the second case, a doctor gives medication to a patient. Upon ingesting the medicine, the patient suffers from side-effects.
When karma gives an unanticipated negative outcome, it is possible to mitigate it with atonement. Suppose a doctor gives a penicillin injection to a patient who can't tolerate it. The patient's body adversely reacts to penicillin. Then the doctor administers avil injection to neutralize the penicillin. This is what is meant by atonement.
One who commits sin must atone them. When we step on mud, we clean our feet with water. Similarly our sins can be cleansed by atoning for them. Sin is accumulated when one doesn't follow dharma. This can be countered by following dharma. Taittareey Upanishad said"With dharma alone sin is mitigated".
The noble king Pareekshit by placing a dead serpent around the neck of a maharshi invited trouble because of which he died. Such is the power of sin. Hence Pareekshit was extremely frightened about committing sin and the resulting hell. One who is afraid of sin will be felicitated by others. One who is ashamed of his sin and repents over it is worshiped.
In Vyasa Bharatha it was stated"When one commits sin inadvertently, feels ashamed and repents, he will be a guru to the world. He will shine like the sun with a great mind and aura".
"O King, one should atone his sin before one's body weakens with old age or when one is faced with imminent death. Like a doctor who monitors the progression of disease in a patient, one has to introspect his sin and look for ways to atone them."
"O King, sin is terrible. Because of sin one can be convicted and sent to prison besides facing the rebuke from people. Everyone knows sin won't engender positive results in the long run. When one's nature is to commit sin, then Veda described atonements. After atoning for sins, one will be free. The atonement won't help if one commits sin again. It is like an elephant that bathes and then sprays dust on its body with its trunk" said Suka Brahma.
It is imperative that one must atone for his sin. It is not enough. He should not commit sin again. Some people pray on Sunday to atone their sin, and from Monday onwards go about their natural way to commit sin. In their case, there is no escape from hell. If one is indebted, will it help to take loans to pay the interest on existing debt? One who is cured of a disease should take precautions to not catch it again.
These days the fear of sin is not found. People commit sin to regale themselves. After being born as a man, the supreme among life forms, some cheat, commit treachery, lead immoral life and in general, live a life of a demon. The sin is piling like a mountain. People are using illegal and unjust means to achieve their ends. Goodness and honesty are rarely seen. Whereas hypocrisy has become rampant. Very few who inherit divine qualities, feel sad about such sinful lives.
"The men and women we see in ourselves do not bear the impression of men and women; we are dragged through the world, we are harried, wrinkled, anxious, we all seem but the hacks of some invisible riders. How seldom do we behold tranquility" said Emerson.
Karma is limited, giving rise to limited positive outcomes. Hence it can't give permanent relief. One can't cleanse karma with karma just as a pot holding toddy can't be washed with toddy to make it clean. Just because one atoned for sin doesn't mean his sinful ways have ended. The ones doing atonements are often habitual sinners. In their case, the lesson taught by atonement was not learnt because of ignorance. Their minds are occupied with sinful schemes and their actions reflect the mind.
The real atonement is acquiring knowledge that will remove ignorance. That is the only way to stay away from sin. One who is earnest to receive knowledge, will stay away from sin and is qualified to receive enlightenment.
By carefully choosing what to eat, one avoids disease. With a healthy diet, after a respite, not only the current illness will be removed but also any earlier disease that has been lingering. Similarly the knowledge acquired will cleanse the old sins and inculcate virtues to prevent committing sins in future.
The atonements to wash away the sins from speech, mind and action are: penance, celibacy, patience, control of senses, sacrifice, not lying, purity of mind and body, austerities and so on. People practicing them will burn their sins like a bamboo forest is burnt by the fire that is caused by the friction between bamboo shoots.
One should attain purity with penance. Like fire that purifies gold, penance will cleanse one's heart, mind and intellect. It is imperative that one doing penance practice celibacy. It means not only staying celibate physically, but also in mind by shunning impure thoughts. One should take control of mind and senses. One should perform karma leaving the fruit to the Eswara. The person speaking the truth will stay honest. One should be pure both within and without.
Pareekshit was not satisfied with the discourse on sin by the son of Vyasa. He harbored several doubts. The bamboo forest of sin might burn, but some young shoots could survive and grow into a forest. In other words, after atoning for sins, the impressions of sin in the past could grow and abet committing new sin.
Suka was moved by Pareekshit's desire to stay away from sin. Suka said"Like sun melting away snow, worshiping Vasudeva will remove all sin".
The sun-snow illustration relieved Pareekshit who was concerned about the remnants of a burnt out bamboo forest. Suka Brahma said to destroy sin, meeting other devotees and participating in group activities is better than penance.
Suka said the mind fixated on Lord Krishna and singing praises of Sri Krishna's gunas, would transcend death.
Ajamila's History
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In Kanyakubja there lived a brahmin called Ajamila. He gave up brahminical rites and married a sudra woman. He was addicted to gambling. To feed his habit he would do theft and cheat others. He lived a debauched life and attained eighty years of age.
Ajamila had ten sons, the youngest of which was called Narayana. The parents doted on Narayana. Ajamila was feeding and playing with the child. He didn't pay attention to the passage of time as he grew old.
Without food and water the body will wither. But one should not spend all the time on acquiring food and objects of the material world. The body is the means to attain salvation as well as pleasures. The man of desires uses the body to acquire things and fulfill his wishes, unaware that one day death will end all materialistic pursuit.
As Ajamila waited in the throes of death, he was worried about his youngest son whom he loved dearly. One day three soldiers of Yama, the god of death, appeared before him.
The significance of three soldiers is that jiva has subtle, causal and gross bodies. Similarly the karma that has been garnered from the past, the karma to be burnt and the karma passed on to the next life. And the three states--wakeful, dreaming and deep-sleep--are signified by the three soldiers of Yama.
On seeing Yama's soldiers, Ajamila understood that his life was about to end. That made him worry about his youngest child. He shouted"Narayana!Narayana!". The cries of Ajamila were heard by the messengers of Vishnu. They too arrived near Ajamila.
The recitation of God's name takes one closer to devotees and then to the Lord himself. Lord Rama's devotee Vibheeshana always chanted Lord's name. That enabled him to meet Lord's ardent devotee Hanuman. Vibheeshana was optimistic that he would meet the Lord one day. One who can move the heart of the Lord will meet his devotees first. That's what happened to Ajamila who was accosted by the Lord Vishnu's messengers.
The soldiers of Yama tried to release the prana from Ajamila. But the Lord's messengers prevented it. The soldiers asked the messengers who were they to disobey Lord Yama's orders.
"Yama's soldiers, you tell us what is dharma and what is not. Based on what criteria are you taking jivas to hell for punishment? There has to be a reason to punish. Is everyone who does karma eligible for punishment or a selected few only?" asked Lord Vishnu's messengers.
"Lord Vishnu's messengers, the karma done with dharma is decided by vedas. Going against vedas means sinful conduct. We heard that veda is not the work of any mortal but of the Lord Vishnu himself" answered Yama's soldiers.
Jiva can't escape the fruit of karma. There are witnesses for every action a jiva performs. They are: sun, fire, sky, air, Devas, moon, junction between day and night, day, night, directions, water, earth and dharma.
The people performing karma are destined for punishment. Jivas can't spend a minute without performing karma. The unfulfilled desires in them prompt them towards karma. As the jiva performs karma on earth, he will reap them in the nether world after death. The karma of the past is being reaped by us in the present moment.
Why do good people experience sorrow? They could be good in this life. Does that mean the past karma has been burnt? And can the adverse results of past karma be avoided? All karma has consequences. Suppose a plant is seen. How did the plant come? Because of a seed sown earlier. Some think the reason for illness is the food eaten that day. In fact, it could be because of food eaten yesterday or the day before. Life is like a chain with bad karma done at one place appearing as an obstacle at another.
Yama's soldiers said"A man asleep thinks the body in the dreams is real. He will be unable to perceive his body in sleep. Similarly a jiva without knowing the past, thinks his self is the body in this life."
Like a spider that is trapped in its own threads, jiva is unable to come out of the karmic cycle and attain salvation. Because of past karma, jiva lives in the present caught in the whirlpool of life. The prakruti creates the family to which a jiva is bound. Devotion to the Lord will break the bonds and grant liberation to the jiva.
"Vishnu's messengers, let us tell you the past history of Ajamila who is now being taken to hell by us" said Yama's soldiers.
Ajamila was a brahmin following dharma and with good conduct. He studied scripture and was in peace. He learnt all vedas and served his guru. He respected elders and treated guests well. He loved all life and was without jealousy.
One day following his father's orders, he went to the garden to fetch flowers and fruits. As he was returning he saw a debauched man with a drunk woman. They were attracted to each other, laughing, singing and hugging.
Ajamila saw the woman naked and was transformed. Cupid's arrow struck him.
Ajamila became confused. He tried to control himself. He recalled all the scriptural knowledge he studied. He tried to reason with his intellect. He tried very hard to forget the incident in the garden. But he was unable to overcome his lust. When the tsunami of senses arrives everything in its path will be destroyed.
Lord Krishna said in Sankhya yoga:"Arjuna, a learned person, despite trying hard, is flattened by the senses. His mind will be blown away by them."
Ajamila arrived at his home and gave the fruits and flowers to his fathers. He tried to go back to his daily routine. But he couldn't because the naked woman's image kept interfering with his tasks. He was being tormented by the thoughts of her. He made his move and went to the woman's home. It was a pity, the feet meant to go to the abode of Lord Vishnu took him to the lecherous woman's house. Destiny is all too powerful. It can degrade us at any moment.
"It is one-thing to be tempted, another thing to fall" said Shakespeare.
Ajamila saw a pornographic image once and embraced sin. Everyday people watch uncountable pornographic images. We are being bombarded by movies, TV, and the internet with pornographic images. As we are progressing technologically, our minds are being polluted by the pornography.
Ajamila ran into the disturbing scene without trying. These days people consciously seek pornography.
Ajamila went to the lecherous woman's house. Seeking her comfort he became her slave. He was satisfying her by stealing his father's earnings. He would bring whatever she wished to make her happy, despite being married to a chaste wife. As he tried to please the woman, sometimes he ran out of money. Then he would violate dharma and earn money. Thus because of his sin, his entire life was ruined.
Yama's soldiers said"Ajamila committed sin. But he didn't atone it. Hence he is due for punishment. So we will take him to our master Yama who will decide what punishment should be given to him."
Suka Brahma said"O King, being the followers of dharma, Lord Vishnu's messengers spoke as follows".
"What a pity, the soldiers who are meant to enforce dharma are violating dharma. They want to punish a sinless soul. Instead of teaching a lesson with affection, like a father to son, they are using brutal tactics. So whom should people turn to? Ajamila has atoned his sins committed not only in this but also in previous lives by uttering Lord Hari's name" said Lord Vishnu's messengers.
Ajamila said aloud"Narayana!Narayana!" when the Yama's soldiers arrived. Because of that all of his sin got wiped out. Lord Hari's names will remove the accumulated sin by mere utterance at the time of death.
With atonement sins will be mitigated but heart and mind are not purified. After atonement jiva could partake in sins again. But Sri Hari's names purify the mind and intellect as well as the atonement.
"Yama's soldiers, Ajamila chanted Lord Hari's name when he saw you. That act has wiped out all of his sin. So it is not proper to take him to hell. No matter how Lord Hari's name is chanted, it will give good fruit" said the messengers of Lord Vishnu.
"Maharshis said one whose sins are serious would get severe punishment. Thus based on the degree of sin the severity of punishment was decided. That is not applicable to chanting Lord Hari's name. There are no degrees of sin. The name atones all sins."
"Through penance, giving alms, worship and the rest one atones for the sins. But the source of sin will still be there. Sri Hari's name will destroy the source" said messengers of Vishnu.
Like fire that burns cotton, Sri Hari's name destroys sins. Without having the complex knowledge about how a medicine works in the body, a patient taking the medicine will be cured of illness. Similarly for whatever reason one chants Sri Hari's name it will destroy the sin and its root cause.
When taking a fall from a high rise, falling on slippery surface, hurt in battle, bitten by snakes, suffering from disease, injured one who merely says"Hari" will not be subject to sorrow.
Faced with an insurmountable task, one should utter"Hari". Because of past karma jiva suffers. By revealing the cause for sorrow, like Kunti Devi's pleas to Lord Krishna, to the unmanifest paramatma, one will find a resolution to it. One should develop the good habit of conversing with the Lord. What is the lingua franca to make the conversation? The answer is Lord's names. The all pervading Lord knows all of our problems. There is no need to rehash them for the Lord. Thus Lord's messengers rescued Ajamila from Yama's soldiers.
Lying on his deathbed, Ajamila heard the conversation between Lord's messengers and Yama's soldiers. They all disappeared. So did the sinful thoughts of Ajamila. In their place, repentance took root. Repentant hearts lighten the load of the sin. Repentance is the best cure. It can dispel any kind of sin. However, there is no salvation for those who commit sin after repentance.
Ajamila thought"I committed grave sins. I left a chaste wife. I didn't take care of my old parents. I gave children to a lecherous woman. By committing grave sin, I earned hell. Because of God's grace I was able to witness the conversation of the Lord's messengers and Yama's soldiers. Where can I find them? Where did they go?"
"I am a grave sinner. In spite of that my heart is lightened because of the appearance of Lord Vishnu's messengers. After saying Lord's name inadvertently, I had the privilege to witness them. How can a sinner like me be saved by the mere utterance of the Lord's name. It is mystifying" thought Ajamila.
"I am an imposter. A sinner. I gave bad name to brahmins. I have no shame. How can I be saved by Lord Vishnu? It is puzzling" thought Ajamila.
Those reciting Lord's name are fortunate. Some people participate in bhajans and are easily distracted. With bhajan as we utter the Lord's name he will destroy the sin. That's why one should keep the mind away from extraneous thoughts and focus on the Lord. There is no reason to continue bhajan without concentrating on the Lord.
There is no reason to fear sin. When there is the sacred Lord's name, there is no need to dwell on thoughts about the sin committed. Ajamila, even though a grave sinner, by chanting Lord's name was saved. Sri Hari cleanses sins. Because there are sinners, the Lord is able to demonstrate his kindness.
Tulaseedas sang"I heard Lord saves the sinners. I am a sinner. My Lord saves me. What a made-for-each-other relationship. Scripture says the elephant king, Ajamila and many others were saved by the Lord. It seems uncountable sinners received the kind grace of the Lord."
The repentant Ajamila decided to give up desires by taking charge of the body, senses, mind and intellect. He resolved to always chant the Lord's name.
"Worldly distractions are dangerous. The attachment with the body is causing desires. The desires in turn are making me do karma. This traps the jiva in the birth-death cycle. I will come out of this vicious cycle. The maya in the form of the lecherous drunkard enveloped me. Being weak minded, I submitted to maya and became a slave of a low life woman. I resolve not to fall prey to maya. I will renounce desires. I will love all and be kind to all life forms. I will conduct myself with compassion. I will meditate on the Lord. I will not tell lies and refrain from unjust acts. I will follow dharma. I will renounce egotism and attachments. I will frolic in the Lord's prayer" thought Ajamila.
"Because of exposure for a few minutes to the soldiers of Yama and messengers of Lord Vishnu, Ajamila was able to renounce all worldly attachments and attain the Lord" said Suka Brahma.
Ajamila made hard decisions. For those performing rituals, without firm faith, there will not be a positive outcome. Without implementing the decisions taken about the spiritual way of life, there will be no progress. Everyone should make firm resolutions in life and act accordingly without fail. Then only the grace of the Lord will be felt.
Ajamila went to a temple and started meditating. One should not neglect temple visits. Those who led a life as atheists, should stand before the Lord's idol with repentance and cleanse their hearts. One could say god is omnipresent. Despite that, a sinner should visit a temple.
Ajamila's mind was controlled. The senses were restrained. Mind was always focused on the Lord. Detaching from the body, he concentrated his mind on the self. His past memories retreated. As a result desires perished. He saw the Lord in everything.
One day the messengers of Vishnu approached Ajamila. He recognized them and bowed his head in respect. Immediately he shed his body. He acquired a divine body. He boarded a golden flying craft and was taken to Lord Hari's abode through space. Because of his association with mahatmas, a sinner like Ajamila could enter Lord Vishnu's abode. Words are not enough to describe the association with mahatmas.
"aja" means birthless. That is maya. There is no permanence to maya. One who is interlaced with maya is Ajamaila. One under the influence of maya will perform acts such as Ajamila's who was outcast for indulging in gambling, theft and illicit relationships.
Ajamila, the sinner, surrendered to the Lord, thereby cleansing his mind and intellect. He prayed to the Lord with ardent devotion. Even though"aja" was said to mean maya, it also applies to the Lord who is birthless.
"Self is birthless, ever present, permanent, legendary. Even as the body falls, self will be there for ever" said Lord Krishna in Sankhya yoga of Bhagavad Gita.
Ajamila's relationship with Brahman could happen because he sang praises of the Lord. For as long as he was haunted by desires he lived under the influence of maya. Once the mind and intellect were purified by the chanting of the Lord's name, he became an ardent devotee.
"People aspiring for salvation should chant the Lord's name and sing his praises. By atonement alone it is not possible to attain an unwavering mind subject to gunas. No impurity can enter the mind that is purified by chanting Lord's names. Hence there is no better way than chanting Lord's name for those desirous of salvation," said Sri Suka.
Yama's Principle
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"O eminent rishi, soldiers of Yama couldn't bring Ajamila to Yama loka. Didn't Yama feel angry? Since his order has been flouted by the messengers of Lord Vishnu, didn't he lose his composure? What did the soldiers tell Yama? What did Yama tell them?" asked Pareekshit.
The soldiers approached Yama and told him about the messengers of Lord Vishnu. They said"O Deva! How many punishers are there in this universe? How many legislators of punishment exist? How many lords give the fruit of karma? If there are many lords, there could be differences among them. Then the fruit jivas get will be non-deterministic. One lord may reward the jiva and another may punish the same jiva. How to reconcile the differences? One lord while giving punishment of some degree, another lord may give punishment of higher degree. Whom to follow and obey? There has to be one who decides all these things".
"Lord, until now we thought you are the ultimate legislator to make decisions. But now, the world has undergone change. Your orders are being contradicted. As per your order we were about to bring a sinner to our loka. Then came messengers who disrupted our job and set the jiva free. When we caught hold of the sinner he shouted"Narayana! Narayana!" Upon hearing those cries the messengers set him free. Who are these messengers?" said the soldiers of Yama.
Yama on hearing"Narayana", became devotional and felt at peace. He recalled in memory Lord Hari and prayed to his feet.
"Soldiers, I am not the only person to decide on punishment ultimately. There is one above me who is more powerful than me. He is superior to all Devas, including triumvirate. Everything is under his control. He is Vasudeva. Praising him is the utmost superior dharma in this world. Those chanting his name are not subject to my domain. Sin can't touch them. Bring to me those who don't chant Lord's name or worship Lord's feet" said Yama. He prayed to Lord Vishnu, seeking forgiveness.
"O king Pareekshit, singing the praises of Lord Vishnu is the most auspicious devotional act. People partaking in it will have unshakeable faith. After hearing the words of their master, the soldiers of Yama are not harvesting the souls of Lord Vishnu's devotees any more. This story has been shared with me by Agastya maharshi atop Malayagiri" said Suka.
Narada Cursed By Daksha Prajapati
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"Suka Deva, you told me about the creation consisting of Deva, Asura, human, serpentine, animal, avion under the aegis of Svayabhuva Manu (in third skanda). Please tell me more about it" said Pareekshit.
Suka Brahma continued his discourse. Pracheena Barhi had ten sons going by the name of Prachetasu. Listening to sage Narada, Pracheena Barhi renounced everything and went to forests to do penance. When Prajapati retreated from his activities, the world was topsy turvy. No one did farming and cultivating plants. As a result the earth was filled with weeds. On seeing this calamity, Prachetasus got enraged and started scorching the earth. All the plant life on earth was disappearing. The god of the moon came to them and begged"It is not just to destroy plant life. Being rulers you should not destroy life. God created the plant life for the jivas".
"The unmoving flowers are the food of flying bees; immobile plants and grass are the food for the cattle; weak animals are the food of strong animals like lions; the four-legged creatures are the food of two-legged humans."
"O noble ones, you have to abet the creation and not leave jivas without food in hunger. Please renounce the rage and be kind like your forefathers. It is the rulers' duty to protect the subjects just as children have to be raised by the parents. Eyes are protected by eyelids and husbands have to protect their wives. Beggars have to be given alms by the householders. Pandits have to stand with ignorants. To the people, the king should be the best relative."
"Hence destroying the plant life that supports people is unjust. Prachetasus, rage is common among men. Whoever controls the rage with reason will be called mahatma. They will cross the ocean of life easily".
"Please believe in me. Don't destroy the plants. I will give you the beautiful"Marisha", raised by the plants, in marriage to you. Please accept her and remain in peace" said the god of moon. The Prachetasus conceded and married Marisha.
Marisha stands for non-violence. The Prachetasus intent on destroying the plant life married Marisha. That means they adopted non-violence.
We do non-violent things with the senses. Eyes watch pornographic images. Harsh words are spoken and listened to. With hands we perform unspeakable acts. The nose smells bad odour. The skin touches the dirt. The feet take us to places we should not be visiting. Alcohol and non-vegetarian diet are relished by the tongue. In this manner with the ten senses men are used to violence. The ten senses are the ten Prachetasus who were married to Marisha. Those who renounce violence with their senses are noble.
Narada Parivrajaka Upanishad said"By controlling senses, destroying love and hate, adopting non-violence, man is able to attain liberation".
Marisha had a child called Daksha. The progeny of Daksha filled the world.
The progeny of Daksha, however, could not thrive. No one knew the reason. Once Daksha did a great penance. He praised Sri Hari with a mantra called"Hamsa Guhya". Sri Hari answered his prayer after being impressed by Daksha's intent to ensure his progeny survived.
Whoever works for the societal good and future well being of the world is a favorite devotee of Sri Hari. Sri Hari blessed Daksha and assured that all life would thrive under his watch.
As per the Lord's order Daksha married Asikni and had ten thousand sons called Haryasvu. Daksha recruited them to multiply. They arrived at a lake called Narayana. They were purified by its water. But their minds were concentrated on paramatma rather than on the creation of progeny. Unable to decide they performed penance.
One day sage Narada approached them. He said,"Haryasvus, you didn't see the entire earth. There is a country with one man. There is a cave there that has no exit. There is a woman who razzles and dazzles. She is married to the man. There is a river that flows in both directions. There is a house there that was built with twenty five materials. There is a swan there that sounds in mysterious ways. A wheel studded with diamonds and knives keeps rotating there. Have you ever seen them? Without worldly knowledge how can you multiply in this world? How can you follow your father's instructions?"
The Haryasvus debated over what Narada said and grasped its inner meaning.
The strange country Narada mentioned is the world. The supreme lord is the man. Ignorance is the cave that is hard to come out of. The woman is maya that razzles and dazzles. The man is subservient to maya. The river that flows both ways is the mind that looks inwards and outwards. The swan is the inner voice. The wheel is the time that can end the lives of jivas at any time.
Thus getting clarified, Haryasvus paid their obeisance to Narada. Their minds turned inwards, rejecting the external distractions, and were intent on attaining liberation.
Daksha's wish was not fulfilled. They failed to obey their father. Narada informed Daksha about the conversation he had with them. Daksha was in sorrow. Brahma Deva consoled him. Daksha procreated thousand more sons called Sabalasvus.
Daksha assembled his sons and ordered them to multiply. The Sabalasvus like their brothers went to the lake Narayana and got purified by it.
They did penance for months ingesting only water. Subsequently they even gave up water and did penance just by breathing.
They chanted the mantra:"Salutation to the one who is the refuge of pious people, the most exalted, and the most noble."
Like in the case of their brothers, Narada approached them and said"I will tell you a noble way. Listen to my advice. You love your dear brothers. Hence follow their path."
"One who knows dharma, follows the path of his elders" said Narada. Sabalasvus decided to follow the path of the Haryasvus. They became devotees of Lord Vishnu and sacrificed material world. They received the Lord's grace but could not fulfill their father's wish.
Daksha was perturbed. He realized that Narada detracted his sons away from his desired path. He was angry at Narada and cursed him.
"Narada, you are a sinner. You do treacherous acts in the guise of an ascetic. You made my sons seek sanyasa and broke my heart. Brahmins accrue three kinds of debt: one for rishis, the second for Devas and the third for forefathers. With celibacy the debt to rishis has to be repaid. By performing yagna, the debt to Devas is cleared. By having progeny the debt of the forefathers is repaid. My sons could not clear the three kinds of debt. You are the sole reason for it. You made them impotent."
"With these kinds of bad actions, you are defaming your master Lord Narayana. My sons are adolescents. You turned their hearts into stone with your talk about renunciation. Kindness was taken away from them. You taught them to be heartless. You are unkind and lack empathy. You don't know dharma. You don't understand law. Yet you shamelessly walk among the devotees who are kind towards you. You alone create altercations and break the familial and friendly bonds."
"You think knowledge can only be gained by renunciation. If that is true, why are you wearing this fake garb? Why don't you do penance all the time? It is true that worldly matters create sorrow in the long run. But it is essential to experience by all jivas. One has to renounce the world with self realization rather than by the fake advice you dole out".
"We are householders. We look outwards with our minds and perform karma. You interfered in our way of life and detracted my sons. I put up with you once in the past. You repeated the inauspiciousness toward my sons. You are a child killer. Here is my curse."
"You fool, you will be a vagabond. You can't stay still in any one place". Thus Daksha cursed Narada.
Narada accepted Daksha's curse and said"So be it". He blessed Daksha. Even though he was capable of cursing Daksha, he showed tolerance. Thus said Sri Suka.
Vengeance is for the ignorant. Tolerance is the attribute of ascetics. To seek vengeance anger is enough. But to love a hater one needs to be cultured and an open heart. Only a mahatma can bless one who cursed him.
Narada means one who gives knowledge. Ascetics are naturally vagabonds. They move around to bring auspiciousness to wherever they go. Narada accepted Daksha's curse in stride. Even when they are tormented by those unaware of the asceticism, ascetics show patience and tolerance. They think it is because of their past karma. They remain steadfast. So they won't be pompous from praise or depressed by censure.
Maha Bharata said"Happiness and sorrow, auspiciousness and calamity, profit and loss, life and death affect everyone. A steadfast individual will neither bloat nor shrink because of these unavoidable dualities".
Later, Daksha gave birth to sixty daughters. Ten of them were married to Dharma. Thirteen of them married Kasyapa and twenty seven daughters married the god of Moon. Bhoota, Angirasa, Kasaswu each were married with two daughters. The remaining four daughters were given to Tarjuna. Their progeny spread all over the world.
Stars like Kruttika were Moon god's wives. Moon god showed more love towards Rohini and rejected the rest who went to Daksha and bemoaned their condition. The enraged Daksha cursed Moon god to suffer from tuberculosis. Hence the Moon god had no children. When Moon god repented and prayed to Daksha, he pacified and gave Moon various phases but not children.
Discrimination is inauspicious. Like leprosy to the body, mind with discrimination is diseased. People who discriminate suffer from degradation. People who don't discriminate live happily.
Viswaroopa as Guru for Devas
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One day Indra, the leader of Devas, was in court surrounded by various Devas. His guru, worshiped by all, the foremost among rishis, the guru to Devas, Bruhaspati, entered the court. Indra didn't get up from his throne, nor invite the guru, thus insulting Bruhaspati who was admired by one and all. Hurt by Indra's lack of respect for him, Bruhaspati left the court. Even though he could have put a curse on Indra, he desisted and left without a word.
The arrogance resulting from wealth is most treacherous. Some wealthy people, blinded by their riches, don't hesitate to insult their gurus. True gurus are equanimous to praise or rebuke. It is hard to acquire knowledge when one is wealthy. Those who insult their gurus due to arrogance from wealth, will meet with fall. The attitude will change when the uber rich become common men.
Bruhaspati left. Indra realized his mistake. He tried to seek forgiveness from the guru. But the situation was out of hand. Bruhaspati didn't accede to Indra. Arrogance and forgetfulness make one lose a worthy guru. The guru is practically dead for them. Indra was in sorrow.
The asuras took this opportunity to invade. They obtained the blessing of their guru Sukracharya and launched an invasion on Devas.
Devas could not fight against asuras without the help of their guru. One without a worthy guru won't be able to fight his inner doubts. The asuras attacked the Devas with vicious arrows. Unable to fight back, Devas took refuge in Brahma Deva. When our strength isn't enough, we need to pray to the Lord for help.
Brahma Deva said"Suras, even though you are valorous, this time you were defeated by asuras. The reason for your decrepitness is the insult meted out to your guru. Your arrogance made you weak and powerless. Culture always trumps wealth".
Those who lived a cultured life are reborn as rich. They forget that culture enabled them to be wealthy and leave it aside. They don't understand that when culture is absent, wealth will evaporate.
Man can climb to the highest summits but he cannot dwell there long.
Brahma Deva said"Suras, your self-inflicted behavior lacking dharma gave you defeat. After insulting your guru Bruhaspati you met with defeat. By respecting their guru Sukra, the suras enjoyed victory. Go and seek refuge in Viswaroopa who knows all about Brahman. He alone can rescue you." Thus even Brahma Deva could not help those insulting the guru. Viswaroopa was the son of Daksha's grandson.
Devas approached Viswaroopa."Viswaroopa, may auspiciousness come to you. We came as your guests. We were defeated by our enemies. Please rescue us with your wisdom gained from penance", said the Devas. By being covetous Devas brought sorrow upon themselves. They realized the wisdom from penance is superior to all the wealth in the world.
Because of their leader's misbehavior, all the suras lost their eminent positions. Befriending a sinner will only spread the sin around. Even when revered people make small mistakes, the repercussions will be felt by one and all. This is the crux of the wisdom of Vidura in Maha Bharata.
"Because of their association with a sinner, the chaste will be punished. The wet firewood burns along with the dry wood. Hence befriending the unchaste can't give an auspicious outcome" said Vidra.
Viswaroopa, satisfied with the attitude of the Devas, took up the job to rescue them. He gave them"Narayana Kavacha" with which the Devas gained strength, defeated the asuras and regained their lost glory.
The Narayana Kvacha said"Let Sri Hari's name, form, vehicles, arrows, messengers protect our minds, intellect, senses from all dangers". Suras chanted it several times and regained their strength. Sri Suka told Pareekshit whoever recites Narayana Kavacha will be worshiped by all and overcome all fears.
Murder of Viswaroopa
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Viswaroopa was conducting Devas' yagnas. One who views the universe equanimously as Narayana is Viswaroopa. Hence he didn't show any discrimination and offered the fruit of yagna to his paternal relations, Devas, and maternal relations, asuras equally.
Indra noticed that the yagna was adding strength to the asuras. He was enraged and killed Viswaroopa.
Rage is dangerous. The enraged person loses balance and won't know the difference between proper conduct and improper conduct. Indra acquired great sin by killing Viswaroopa. Realizing it, Indra was in deep sorrow. For one year he suffered with the sin all by himself. Later the balance of the sin was distributed to earth, trees, women and water.
The pits on earth were self healing and fertile. But now that one fourth of Indra's sin was given to earth, the barren earth came into being.
Plants with broken stems were able to spring back into existence before. Because they received one fourth of Indra's sin, sticky substance flowed out of the stem where earlier there was rebirth.
Women were able to enjoy bedroom happiness without abortions even when they were pregnant. Because of Indra's sin, the monthly menstrual cycle came into existence and engaging pregnant or menstruating women in bedroom happiness became a sin.
Because of Indra's sin, water acquired surf. No one drinks water with surf on the top. This implies that when we accept help from a sinner, we inherit his sin. So serving sinners is not wise. But how to know what is sin and who is the sinner? When we don't know about the person we are seeking help from, it is better to think that the Lord manifested as the helpful person. If we come to know later on that the person who helped us is a sinner, chanting Lord's names will work as the antidote.
Viswaroopa died. His father Twashta Prajapati came to know about his son's death and decided to take revenge on Indra.
Twashta Prajapati conducted a yagna where he wanted an enemy of Indra to emerge. But because of phonetic mistakes in uttering the mantras, a person meant to be killed by Indra emerged.
Thus Vrutrasura emerged from the yagna. His body grew every minute. It was dark like a mountain. Like the silver lining on the clouds his body parts glowed. His hair was like copper. As he stepped, the earth trembled. Everyone who saw him ran for cover.
His form occupied all lokas. That's why he was called Vrutrasura. Indra and Devas set out to kill him but failed. Devas, unable to counter him, prayed to Lord Narayana. Answering their prayer, Lord appeared with conch, disc, mace and lotus. The elated Devas praised him as follows.
"O Lord! O sinless one! Be Pleased to cure the fever within our heart by your kind glances, accompanied with a gracious, artless and charming and refreshing smile, as well as by drops of nectar in the form of sweet and flowery words, oozing from your holy mouth, since we, who were already yours, have now been accepted by you as your own by revealing your Divine form before us, and are bent low before you. O divine father! nay, grand father, our heart being bound by the chain of love to thy lotus feet through contemplation on them."
The Lord propitiated by the Devas agreed to help them.
"Suras, I am satisfied with your prayer that reflects knowledge. Such knowledge ends nescience and imparts devotion toward me. Whoever propitiates me will fulfill all of his wishes. But my devotees don't expect anything other than me".
"One who wants liberation won't suggest a karmic cycle to others. A patient may want to break fast. Will that be acceptable to the doctor who prescribed fasting? Suras, without wasting any more time, go to the ascetic Dadheechi. With knowledge, rituals and penance his body is extremely strong. He received knowledge about Brahman. Because of that his body has mystical powers. Pray for his body. That mahatma, impressed by your prayers, will sacrifice his body for your cause. Viswakarma can make a mighty weapon called Vajra out of the bones in his sacrificial body. Then Indra, you can kill Vrutrasura with the weapon Vajra. Let auspiciousness come to you" said the Lord.
Sacrificing Dadheechi
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Lord disappeared. Suras approached Dadheechi, the son of Adharva, who was a great ascetic. He was also kind. Suras saluted him and requested his body.
Dadheechi smiled and said"Devas, I am happy to hear your request. Don't you know what awaits when a jiva approaches the end of life? In this world the body is the dearest thing for jivas. The body is the means to enjoy comforts. So everyone protects their body. Even if the Lord himself asked for the body, no jiva likes to accede to his request. Is it reasonable for you to ask for my body?"
Devas said"Mahatma, great ascetics like you know that helping others is the kindest act par none. Being kind, generous, free from sin, ascetics will come forth with a helping hand. You are the greatest among them."
"Mahatma, selfish people don't understand others' needs. If a mendicant understands the difficulties of the donor, then he won't ask for alms. Conversely if a donor can grasp the sorrow of the mendicant, he won't criticize him" said Devas. A mendicant seeks as per the capacity of the donor. A donor gives a mendicant within his means.
Dadheechi was content and said"Devas, after hearing your pious request, I criticized you to elicit your response. Your adherence to dharma filled my heart with joy. As per your wish, I will renounce my body to your worthy cause."
"Suras, however one loves his body, at one time he should give it up. It will be preyed upon by carnivores after it turns into a corpse. Wealth and body are ephemeral. One's life could be worthless without helping others in the time of their need, even if it means renouncing one's body" said Dadheechi.
"Can one be called human if he doesn't have empathy for other jivas? What is the difference between such people and hard stones? One should attain Dharma with the impermanent body and receive fame. Otherwise he will be as inert as trees. You take my body as you wish. It gives me great pleasure to give you my body" said Dadheechi. He, with yogic power, renounced his body and attained salvation.
Devas' Battle With Vrutrasura
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Using Dadheechi's body Viswakarma made the weapon Vajra. The body used for auspicious acts will be blessed. The corpses of mahatmas will last several days without withering away. Yogi Aravinda's, Yogananda's corpses didn't lose their aura for several days.
The beings who do bhajan constantly will be pious even after losing their vitality. When one writes crores of Lord Rama's names, the pen used to write will attain mystical powers. The devotion of ardent devotees makes the idols shine with vitality. For the blind whether the sun is bright is immaterial. One with vitality only recognizes the vital force in a being.
Indra was given the weapon Vajra. He shone as never before. He along with Devas rode on his vehicle Airavata towards Vrutrasura. The Devas and asuras fought near the banks of river Narmada. The asuras fought bravely with Devas. They were torturing the Devas. Like the stars that are invisible due to thick cloud cover, countless arrows released by the asuras made the Devas inconspicuous. Some Devas intercepted the asura arrows from the sky and destroyed them. On seeing that their arrows were ineffective, the asuras threw mountains, trees and huge boulders at them. Devas were able to neutralize them too. The asuras were frightened by the renewed powers of Devas. The asuras had no devotion for Lord Hari. Whereas Devas launched the battle with faith on Lord Hari. Every power is ineffective before faith on the Lord. Unable to fight with Devas, the asuras prepared to retreat. Even the most valorous among asuras left Vrutrasura alone and ran away.
On seeing the asuras run away Vrutrasura said"Asuras, everything born will have to die. No one can conquer death. With time everything that has arrived will perish. Everyone has to face death. If death results in attaining heaven and fame, will one reject it? All people will consider such death as auspicious".
"Asuras, there are two kinds of death that are auspicious. Think about it. One kind is to regulate senses and prana, restrain mind and intellect by meditation. The other kind is death in a battle while fighting the enemy. I think these two forms of death are the most auspicious. Not everyone is fortunate to attain them. The fortunate ones attain death from the first kind. Those seeking a more superior rebirth prefer the second kind. We should not skip this great opportunity. Valorous fighters don't quit the battlefield. It will result in infamy and prevent the attainment of heaven" said Vrutrasura. But it fell in deaf ears. Like tasty food won't please a sick person, Vrutrasura's words didn't impress the asuras who were fickle minded, afraid and incompetent.
The Devas tortured the retreating asuras. They released an avalanche of arrows at them. Asuras ran a helter skelter. Watching them made Vrutrasura grieve. On seeing the incompetence of asuras he was enraged.
"Vile Devas, the asuras retreating are like worms born from the womb. They are low lives, incompetent and weak. They don't matter to me. What do you gain by killing such pusillanimous fighters? Do the valorous kill the retreating enemies? Devas, if you are brave, then fight with me. Make me lose and experience defeat with your valor" said Vrutrasura. He then appeared with his mountainous form in front of Devas. Some Devas fell unconscious upon seeing his form. With a trident Vrutrasura attacked the Devas. The earth shook from his weight. Some Devas closed their eyes, unable to comprehend his might. Like an elephant that tramples on trees, Vrutrasura crushed Devas with his powerful feet.
Indra, watching the frightening sight, threw his mace at Vrutrasura who caught it with his left hand effortlessly. He then used the mace to hit the Airavata on its head. The head of Airavata was shattered. It started retreating with pain and letting out blood. Unable to move it collapsed in pain.
On seeing his Airavata collapse, Indra felt grief. He resuscitated it with his mystical powers by placing his hand on it. At that time Vrutrasura could throw his mace at Indra and kill him. But being a follower of dharma, he didn't attack Indra. Indra mounted the recuperated Airavata and got ready to fight with Vrutrasura.
"Indra, the sinner, you killed a brahmin and your guru. You murdered my brother. You are fortunate to face me, your enemy. I will shatter your stone hard heart with my trident and avenge the death of my brother. After I am done, even fire can't burn your body to ashes--only the eagles can consume your corpse" said Vrutrasura.
"Low life, if I die in this battle, my corpse will become food for the disembodied. I will attain heaven" said Vrutrasura. Even though Vrutrasura was a demon, he was a devotee of Lord Hari. Because of that he was able to follow dharma and give advice to Indra.
Menacing Indra with his trident Vrutrasura approached him. He threw the trident at Indra saying"Sinner, today you will be killed by my hands". Indra stood fearless. He neutralized the trident with the weapon Vajra. He then lunged with Vajra towards Vrutrasura.
Vrutrasura saw Narayana in the Vajra that was made with the great Dadheechi's bones. But Indra only saw a weapon in it. Whereas Vrutrasura saw Vasudeva in it.
Vrutrasura with folded hands saluted the Lord visible to him through the Vajra."Indra, why are you hesitating? Launch the Vajra on me. You will be the winner. In your Vajra, Lord Hari is resident. Dadheechi's yogic power is embedded in the weapon. Such a pious weapon, if used to kill me, there is no one more fortunate than me. Those receiving the Lord's benevolence will be the victors."
"Indra, use the Vajra. I will be released from the material bonds and attain Sri Hari's lotus feet for ever. King of suras, Lord Hari, is generous. He won't entice his devotees with luxuries, wealth or fulfillment of their desires. To the contrary, he takes them away. So in this battle you will attain kingdom and I will attain liberation" said Vrutrasura.
One should not pray to the Lord for material comforts. When material comforts are not offered a true devotee will be satisfied. He will surmise Lord withheld material comforts to grant unlimited bliss. So Lord doesn't shower on the devotees the things they desire.
The victorious Indra will regain the lost kingdom. Vrutrasura, defeated by Indra, will attain salvation. Vrutrasura's life would not be in vain. He thought Lord had more affection for him than Indra. Even in dire circumstances devotees of Lord Hari will see the invisible powers of the Lord. Thus Vrutrasura thought and recited four mantras that elevate him to the status of mahatmas.
"O Hari! My Lord! May I be born as again a servant of those devotees who have solely taken refuge at your lotus-feet. Let my mind ponder and tongue celebrate the excellence of the Lord of my life and let my body do your service alone."
"O Bhagawan ! O store-house of all blessedness and grace ! Without you I neither crave the place of Dhruva nor even the abode of Brahma nor the sovereignty of the entire globe nor the Lordship of the subterranean regions nor the yogic powers nor even liberation".
"O Hari ! O Lotus-eyed one ! Even as unfledged birds are eager to see the mother bird, young calves tormented with hunger seek the milk, and a beloved wife depressed in spirits longs to see her beloved husband absent from home, my mind is keen to behold thee!"
"O Lord! Let there be my friendship with the devotees of the Lord of Excellent renown, revolving as I do in the whirligig of transmigration due to my own deeds. And let him whose mind is attached through Maya to his body, offspring, wife and home have no friendship with me."
Vrutrasura's prayer shook the world. Would he be called a demon? He stands for the demons who can, despite being an asura, attain salvation with devotion to the Lord.
In the first stanza Vrutrasura's humility can be seen. He was aspiring for devotion. He was rejecting extraneous attachments in the mind and praying to the Lord wholeheartedly. He was dying to sing praises of the Lord. He was grieving to serve the Lord with his body as the tool. He was shining like one who offered senses as fuel in a yagna.
Being cognizant that there was no difference between the Lord and his devotees, he was enthusiastic to join the auspicious company of devotees.
After offering body, senses, mind and intellect to the lotus feet of Lord Hari, Vrutrasura completely surrendered to the Lord. Sri Hari responded to Vrutrasura's devotion. Achyuta will recognize the true devotion but not the frills. It is alright to offer flowers and fruits to the Lord, but it is better to have devotion in the heart. Even higher devotion is to sing praises of the Lord. These attributes reflect the degree of surrender to the Lord.
Sant Turkara Maharaj sang"Decorate Lord's neck with a garland of names and the mind to discern permanent among impermanent."
Tukaram Maharaj said"Singing praises of the Lord's gunas will please him and make him content". Similarly Vrutrasura was anxious to concentrate his mind on singing praises of the Lord.
In the second stanza Vrutrasura's dispassion was apparent. Without dispassion, devotion is incomplete. It is like fertilizing the plant. As long as one has passion for the ephemeral things, the devotion for the Lord won't sprout. The passionate mind leads to illness rather than yoga. Body will be tired without peace of mind.
In the third stanza devotional love was apparent. Dispassion alone can't give the complete fruit. One should have love in addition to dispassion. Love-less devotion is like sugarcane without juice. Like a wingless bird Vrutrasura was seeking refuge in the Lord. Like calves that are hungry for milk, he is praying for immediate release from the materialistic bonds.
Here the devotion of Vrutrasura reached dizzying heights. His devotion was complete and without conditions. The individuality of devotee was merging with the cosmic vitality.
Sant Eknath Maharaj sang"A rich man sought a weak and poor man's daughter in marriage. At that very moment his poverty was wiped out. Similarly when a devotee merges with the Self of the Lord, all of his sorrow will be erased. Like burning camphor leaves no trace, the devotee will totally merge with the Lord".
In the fourth stanza Vrutrasura was seeking the company of devotees. First a devotee should surrender to the Lord. Then dispassion would release the self from distracting worldly matters. Later the love for the Lord would sprout. Then only the seeker's efforts yield fruits. In that state the devotee should not lose the grip. That would be the case, when he joins the company of similar minded. Like mother's milk, the group of devotees will nurture the devotees.
Adi Sankara said in Bhaja Govinda said"In all lokas the boat of friendship with devotees only enables one to cross the ocean of life".
One gets knowledge from books. But devotion can't sprout from books. Nor from gurus. Only God's grace can provide it. Vrutrasura had the full grace of the Lord."
Suka Brahma said"O King Pareekshit, Vrutrasura went after Indra with a trident thinking it is better to face death with Vajra than be victorious in the battle".
Death of Vrutrasura
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Indra neutralized Vrutrasura's trident. He cut one shoulder with Vajra. Vrutrasura got enraged. He hit Indra with a trident. He hit Airavata too. The Vajra fell on the ground. Even though Devas were elated when Vrutrasura got hurt, they felt grief while watching Indra lose the Vajra.
Indra didn't pick up the Vajra that fell on the ground. He was too ashamed to stoop so low at the mercy of the enemy.
"Indra don't grieve. Pick up the Vajra. Being your enemy, come and kill me. Only the Lord has free will. We all follow his will. Those thirsting for battle may not always win. Defeat is also possible. Like birds trapped in a net we are under the control of the Lord. Fools unaware of this think they are responsible for win or loss. Indra, while gambling, can you tell who will win or lose? Battle is like gambling" said Vrutrasura.
"Leader of suras, battle is like gambling where lives are bet, arrows are dice, chariots are the mat on which the game is played. In war it is not possible to decide winners and losers, just as in gambling" said Vrutrasura.
Seeing the lack of hypocrisy in Vrutrasura, Indra was amazed. He couldn't help but praise him.
"Asura, you are in danger. Even then you didn't lose valor. Nor your wisdom. Nor did you lose devotion. Your mind is non-materialistic. You are noble. You are praying to paramatma with ardent devotion."
"Asura, You overcame the maya. You disavowed asura qualities. You adorned your mind with knowledge and dispassion. Even though you are a demon, you have deep faith in Sri Hari. This will be known as the singular event. Lord Hari's devotees never perish. What is the use of heaven for them? Because of your devotion to Lord Hari, you don't have a desire for heaven. You are forever lasting" said Indra.
Being ashamed Indra didn't pick up the Vajra that fell on the ground. Vrutrasura wanted him to pick it up. Vajra is devotion. Like Indra dropping Vajra, we too give up devotion in critical period of life. Losing wealth, not being able to perform daughters' marriages, living with an unemployed son, falling ill and the rest, we give up devotion to the Lord. That will be a mistake. Indra was in a quandary over picking up the Vajra. The devotion that was given up can't be recalled. Vrutrasura convinced Indra to pick up the Vajra. Similarly guru makes devotion sprout in the devotees who lost their devotion for one reason or another.
Such conversation in the middle of a battle between mutual enemies was first in the history of battles.
Vrutrasura relaunched his trident at Indra who neutralized it with Vajra. He cut Vrutrasura's other shoulder at the same time. With both shoulders cut asunder, Vrutrasura fells on the ground like a mountain.
Vrutrasura opened his frightening mouth. While the upper jaw was in heaven, the lower java was on the ground. His tongued looked like a great serpent. His fall shook the mountains. As he hit the ground with his feet, dust rose from the earth. He swallowed Indra and Airawata in one swoop. Devas fell into sorrow.
As Indra entered Vrutrasura's stomach, he chanted Lord Hari's name and remained alive. He then cut the asura's chest with Vajra and came out. Taking the opportunity he decapitated Vrutrasura. It took one year to cut away Vrutrasura's head. Vrutrasura was dead. He attained transcendental, inconceivable Sankarshana Bhagavan's abode.
Except for Indra, everyone felt relieved after the death of Vrutrasura. Devas didn't congratulate Indra and left him alone. He was in grief.
Before the battle ensued, rishis and Devas requested Indra to kill Vrutrasura. Indra didn't agree to it fearing reprisals for killing a brahmin. Earlier when he killed Viswaroopa, a brahmin, he had to distribute the sin to earth, plants, water and women."If I kill Vrutrasura, to whom do I pass on the sin?" he thought.
Rishis reassured Indra saying he could perform horse sacrifice and atone the sin. They glorified the horse sacrifice. Encouraged by all these, Indra killed Vrutrasura. Rishis, Devas felt elated at the demise of Vrutrasura. Only Indra was grieving. Even though he was technically the winner, he experienced dejection. One should not do acts that are embarrassing.
Sri Suka told Pareekshit"A person performing an abominable act can't experience happiness when it shames him".
One who acts based on prompting by others can never experience joy. By listening to rishis, Indra accrued the sin from killing a brahmin. After Vrutrasura's death the Devas abandoned Indra. Everyone but Indra was celebrating.
The sin from killing a brahmin haunted Indra like a woman suffering from tuberculosis, wearing blood soaked clothes, having white unkempt hair, smelling like rotten fish.
Indra ran into the sky. The woman haunted him there too. No matter in which direction he ran, the woman pursued him. Unable to escape the wrath, he entered into the lake Manasa.
The sinners should introspect and repent. That is the significance of Indra entering the lake Manasa. Indra spent a thousand years in the lake. It doesn't take much time to commit a sin. But it takes a lot more time to atone for it. By doing penance for long, one has to be free from sin.
Agni Deva used to bring Indra's share of the fruit of yagna. As Indra was surrounded by water, Agni Deva couldn't give him the fruit. Thus, Indra lived without comfort. When a sinner is conducting introspection he should not do it in the comfort of luxuries. He has to fast. Usually the sin is committed for the sake of luxuries. Not living luxuriously atones the sin sooner than later.
Later on Indra worshiped Sri Hari and overcame the sin. Chanting Lord's name will cleanse all sin. All the wrath will be neutralized. When Indra returned to heaven, all the Devas welcomed him. Rishis performed the horse sacrifice. Like sunlight melts the snow, all of Indra's remaining sin was removed.
Vrutrasura's History
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When compared to countless life forms, the total number of humans is insignificant. Birds and animals have instinct. Whereas humans have intellect with which they can understand dharma. But the number of people applying their intellect to its full capacity is very little. Like a machine in disuse that rusts, the intellect that is not applied goes waste.
To understand dharma intellect is necessary. Among the people who know dharma, the actual number of people who follow it is very few. Even though one knows dharma, because of his attitude he often flouts it.
Among the followers of dharma the ones seeking salvation are far less. While following dharma, the worldly affairs are tangible and are carried out. Whereas those seeking liberation have to struggle with intangible and abstract concepts.
The seekers of liberation must be free from householder duties and the related bonds, chanting Lord's name always and meditating on Lord's form. Such people will be one in a billion.
Sri Krishna said in Gita"One among thousands tries for liberation. Among them one in a thousand knows my real Self". Devotion can't be obtained easily. The mind burdened with desires from multiple lives will be impure. This means the concentration on the Lord won't be there. To annihilate all of the past karma, one has to try very hard. Sometimes it takes multiple births to destroy all of the residual karma. Those who overcome the desires eventually will gain devotion for Vasudeva and attain liberation. Such mahatmas are very rare.
Sri Krishna said in Gita"From multiple births one gets self-realization, comes to the firm belief that everything is Vasudeva, and serves me with complete faith. Such people are extremely rare."
How did a demon like Vrutrasura get such devotion? How could a great sinner like him impress Indra with his pure devotion? Even the ascetics find it hard to keep the devotion for Narayana immutable. How did a demon like him acquire dispassionate devotion? These questions arose in Pareekshit.
"The pious Devas, pure-at-heart rishis find it hard to persevere for unbroken devotion toward the Lord. How could a great sinner like Vrutrasura acquire it?" asked Pareekshit.
Soota told Sounaka and other rishis:"When the diligent Pareekshit asked about Vrutrasura's devotion, Suka Brahma told him as follows".
Once upon a time there was a king called Chitraketu. In his rule, the subjects were very happy. Dharma walked on all four feet. Even though he had several wives, he didn't have children.
Chitraketu was handsome, youthful, educated, and wealthy. And very much in grief because he was child-less.
Chitraketu stands for mind that acts in strange ways. The mind imagines wonderful and strange things. One seated in a beautiful garden could be thinking about unnatural things. A person standing in filth can imagine beautiful scenery. This is the wonder about the mind. Chitraketu had everything a man could hope for except children. This was the root cause for his melancholy.
One day the sage Angirasa came to Chitraketu's palace. He was well received. After ablutions as the sage sat, Chitraketu approached him respectfully.
"O King, are you healthy? Are your wives, subjects, ministers, servants doing well? When the heart is unburdened life will be pleasant. It seems you are unhappy. You look like one tormented. Your face is grievous. I surmise your face reflects your mind" said the sage Angirasa.
Chitraketu said"Mahatma, you are pious and knowledgeable. There is nothing you don't know. I have everything a man can hope for except children. That is what is bothering me. When one is hungry, anything given that is not edible will make him unhappy. Similarly without children, I am unable to enjoy the royal life. Please tell me how I can beget a son".
Unrestrained desires and actions fill one with sorrow. Not having children is not sorrow. But the thought that one doesn't have children is. Many people without children are in sorrow. The couples with several children are envious of childless couples for being free to pursue meditation and spirituality.
Not everyone can give birth to a son. The childless couples need not worry. It is the god's will that they should spend the time in devotional activities. It is an illusion to think that happiness is only possible with children. In reality, children cause strife.
From the moment a child is born, the parents think about its welfare. They worry about the child getting sick, its education and future in general. If the child is not a bright student, he will fail in studies and bring ignominy to the family. If the child is a genius then the parents worry about being looked down upon. There is struggle in raising the child, educating the child, getting the child married and the rest. Despite all these, the child may neglect them in old age.
There is no reason to think children are a burden. If one has no children there is no reason to worry. What one has won't leave, and what one is destined to not have will not materialize. With this attitude one can be happy with or without children.
The sage Angirasa advised Chitraketu to perform a yagna. After the yagna, Angirasa gave the fruit to Chitraketu's eldest and virtuous wife Krutadyuti. He blessed her and told her she would conceive a son with whom she had to experience happiness and sadness.
Children are considered auspicious. But Angirasa was saying with children, life is an ad-mixture of happiness and sadness. Very few people realize this. Krutadyuti delivered a child on an auspicious day. Chitraketu was ecstatic. He gave alms to all subjects and performed all the rites of a new born child. He satisfied everyone with gifts like a rainy cloud.
The child was growing and making the parents happy. The mother was always pleased to have the child. Chitraketu felt his life was on the right path. They took extreme care in raising the child.
Like a pauper getting attached to his hard earned wealth, Chitraketu was deeply in love with the child born after a long wait.
Because of her motherhood, Chitraketu loved Krutadyuti and neglected the other wives. This caused jealousy among them.
The wives were unhappy with the motherhood of Krutdyuti and the king's partiality for her. Their hatred for the queen knew no bounds. They poisoned the child secretly.
The child was placed in a swing. He didn't wake up as usual. Krutadyuti asked the maid to take a look at the child. The maid noticed that the child's eyeballs were protruding. She started crying and banging her head in sorrow. Krutadyuti on finding that her child was dead swooned. All the palace was in gloom. The wives of Chitraketu were also pretending to be crying.
On hearing the sudden death of his child, Chitraketu was tormented. He lost composure, strength and vigor. He held his boy's corpse and started crying.
"Brahma, why does it have to be like this? Why did you do this injustice? When the father is still alive, if the son dies, isn't that a black mark on your dharma? Which couple will love their child, if they come to know my situation?" cried Chitraketu.
"O son, you left me alone and abandoned me. Is it reasonable to make me and your mother suffer in grief? Son, look at me who is crying miserably at your feet. Don't go with the heartless god of death, leaving us alone" lamented Chitraketu.
"Son, get up. It is not healthy to sleep for long. Your friends have arrived to play with you. They are calling your name. How long ago were you fed? If you don't suckle my milk, where is the need for it?" cried the queen in delusion.
Enlightenment
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No one in the palace had the strength or will to console the king and the queen. Then two men came.
"O king, for whom are you crying? Who is this dead child? What is his relationship with you? When were you born? When was the child born? Were you there from the beginning? Will you be there in the future?" asked the men.
"O king, under the influence of flowing water, sand grains sometimes meet. In the flowing time there are that many meetings and departures among strangers. If that is the fact, for whom should we cry? If we cry, will that prevent one from dying? Without realizing Lord Vishnu's maya jivas are attached to their relatives".
"Like a seed born out of a seed, children are born to couples. These are ephemeral bonds. In the past there was no such bond before the birth of the child. In the future those bonds don't exist. We are immaterial in this creation. We follow the will of the Lord. The Eswara in the garb of a parent creates jivas. He raises them in the form of a king. Then he annihilates them in the form of a snake and such. All of these done without one's will is causing sorrow".
Chitraketu replied wiping out his tears"Mahatma, who are you? Listening to you made me think of you as great sages. But you look like mad men. I heard that learned people look strange when they appear to enlighten ignorant people like me. I think you belong to such a category of ascetics. I am an ignorant man caught in the delusion of life. Please show me a way to overcome this grief".
One of the two men replied"O king, I am Angirasa who helped you conceive this child. Here is the son of Brahma, the sage Narada. We felt, you being a devotee is in deep sorrow and wanted to help you. Please don't feel the grief"
"King, when I visited your palace last time, I made you do a yagna for a son because you were in sorrow for not having a son".
"Chitraketu, now you have experienced the sorrow from children. Wife and children, relationships, royal comforts are all temporary. Please think well. Don't be worried that bonds are being broken. Think about yourself that has developed all these bonds" said Angirasa.
Narada felt great sympathy for the king who was crying his heart out.
"If you return to normalcy, I will tell you a mantra. It will definitely help you. Maheswara and other Devas, when they wanted to get rid of duality, took refuge at the feet of Sankarshana by chanting this mantra. You will get his blessing in a week by chanting the mantra" said Narada and approached the dead child.
"O jiva, may auspiciousness come to you. Get up. Your parents are grieving enormously. Your dear ones are in sorrow. Your relations are in grief. Look at them. Talk to them. Make their minds peaceful. Reenter into this body. Since you were dead as a child, you are free to enter into this body and live again. Enjoy the kingdom your father will bequeath" said Narada.
The jiva entered the dead body. The body moved with vitality. Chitraketu was happy in disbelief. Krutadyuti's happiness knew no bounds. Everyone was elated. The jiva started talking.
"I am bound to karma. I was born thousands of time in different wombs for different parents. How many can I remember? In which birth were you my relatives? Like a golden ornament that changes hands, in this flow of life, jivas' relationships are ephemeral."
"Not only that, within the life span the relationships are not permanent. Bonds are being made and broken. Children are walking out on their parents. Wives are divorcing their husbands. Friendships are lost. Relationships are going sour."
"O sage Narada, it is hilarious to know that these people are crying for me. The relationships made with the body end when the body dies. There is no need to cry over it. Unless one realizes the grace of the god, jivas will be in perennial grief. Paramatma has no birth. He is ever present. He is the source of all light. He doesn't have happiness or sorrow."
"Mahatma, the self has no relationship with anyone. The body falls at death. The jiva who doesn't know his birth, doesn't know his death either. He has no affection. There is no ego in him. Jiva obeying karma will be affectionate with parents for as long as he is alive. After death all affection is gone. There is no point in dwelling on such temporary affection. O sage, who are children? Who are husbands? Who are wives? They are only relations until death. In reality likes and dislikes are impermanent. Self has no happiness or sadness. Self doesn't have coldness or hotness. Those who know this truth will not be passionate" said the jiva and left.
Everyone there including Chiraketu were amazed. They renounced bondage. They burnt the corpse on river Yamuna's bank.
The wives who poisoned the child realized their mistake and felt sorry. From Angirasa's discourse they realized that children cause grief. They atoned for their sin by going to the banks of river Yamuna. They gave up their desire for a son. With the discourse of Angirasa and Narada, the king broke all attachments. Taking a dip in river Yamuna, the king saluted the maharshis. Narada initiated him on how to pray for the Lord with eight mantras.
Following maharshi's advice, Chitraketu performed penance for seven days by drinking only water. Chitraketu was immersed in meditation. As a result he learnt the truth. He realized that even royalty was temporary. The intensity of his meditation increased. After seven nights Sankarshana appeared.
"O Lord, primeval God, no one but your ardent devotees can see you. You are undefeated but defeated by your devotees. You have no beginning or end. You are infinite and all pervading. People who worship you are not caught in the birth-death cycle. Your blessing will remove all sin. Chanting your name will remove all fears. Because of your appearance my sins are wiped out. My love and hatred have ended. Salutation to you" said Chitraketu.
The Advice from the Infinity
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"O king, by the initiation of Angirasa and Narada, and by my appearance, you have succeeded. You are the example of how the initiation by mahatmas will lead up to my appearance. Your life is worth emulating. I dwell in everything. I am all pervading".
"Jiva is a witness to the wakeful, dreaming, deep-sleep states. Parmatma is a seer but not the seen. All the scenes are imaginary. They are meant to disappear in the vitality of the seer. The essence of the self is knowledge. It is there to receive knowledge from various sources."
Paramatma should be seen within oneself. Since he is in the thought that wants to see him, one should restrict all desires. Only Brahman is forever.
One who ignores the forever Brahman, confuses the self with the body. This is the cause for relationships that eventually cause sorrow. Because of that the I-mine feeling is generated that is egotism and bonds.
Human birth is hard to obtain. Human body is ideal for pursuing scripture and gain experiential knowledge. Having the body and not realizing the self means a wasted life. The karma done to fulfill desires can't produce lasting happiness. The karma done without desires will grant a state of fearlessness. Knowing this one should disassociate from desires.
When we filter the muddy water, we can see clear water. Removing the worldly affairs from the mind will engender experience of the Brahman. When one can separate truth out of the rest, the knowledge about Brahman will dawn. We are content after eating fruits. But not so with their seeds. We separate the skin and seed of the fruit and extract the rest in the form of juice. Like the mythical swan that can separate milk from water, one has to be wise to extract the truth and reject the rest as falsity. One should pursue non-duality.
"King, if you meditate on my preaching with devotion and discipline, you will attain me" said Lord Sankarshana before disappearing.
Parvati Devi Cursing Chitraketu
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Chitraketu became a great yogi. Admired by gandharvas and others he roamed around the world for thousands of years initiating one and all to the meditation of Lord Hari.
One day as he was flying in an aircraft, he saw Parvati Devi and Parameswara hugging in front of several rishis. This made Chitraketu laugh.
"What an extraordinary sight. Maheswara is the guru for all, best of all and follower of dharma. He is with his wife before the congregation of rishis. Being a sanyasi he is shamelessly hugging his wife. Even ordinary men don't openly romance with their wives. Despite being a yogi, he is indulging this way with his wife in front of all the rishis" said Chitraketu about Eswara. This had turned into a great sin.
Chitraketu's mind strangely reacted to the sight."ketuh" means sign or existence. Chitraketu means a mind inundated with strange thoughts. Mind is filled with desires. It sees what it desires. On seeing things, it creates more desires. The sight of paramatma will prevent further desires. Narada Bhakti Sootra said "Devotion stops the desires from occurring".
A seeker of liberation should see the self. Instead of seeing Eswara in jivas, Chitraketu saw jiva in Eswara. As a result a desire sprang up, mind became impure and speech turned disastrous.
When the mind is impure meditation won't go well. All the alterations one sees in the world are in fact the modifications in the mind. Chitraketu saw alterations with Parvati-Parameswara who are beyond any mental alterations.
Alteration is not in the seen but in the seer. So is beauty. When one's mind is uncultured it will see faults everywhere. Some will blame their close relatives unnecessarily. The blame and fact don't have a relationship. The blame won't touch those who are not altered. Chitraketu blamed Lord Siva. The Lord heard him. But he didn't react. Will the one wearing the Ganga on his head, react to the words spoken by the ignorant? A knowledgeable person won't react to censure. He only introspects if the words attributed to him are actually true descriptions of himself.
Will Parameswara entertain romance in front of rishis? He is the one who burnt the cupid to ashes. Chitraketu was blinded when he blamed Parameswara who ignored him. But Paravati Devi could not keep quiet.
Parvati Devi said"What a transgression! This menial royal saw a fault in my husband and made fun of him. How can he blame my husband for being shameless? Didn't the rishis congregated here see the fault in Parameswara if there is one? This esteemed individual covered by ignorance saw the fault in Siva? Is he the bearer of bows and arrows to torment the Siva wearing a trident? He is not eligible for a pardon. Because of your sin, you will be born as a demon. Realize that blaming the ascetics will have negative consequences".
Chitraketu got down from his aircraft and saluted Paravati Devi. He humbly folded his hands and said"Mother of the world, I accept your curse. For jivas happiness and sorrow are normal. Devas will give happiness or sorrow based on karma. In my view there is nothing to worry about in this case".
In this universe made of three gunas, what is cursed? What is a boon? What is heaven? What is hell? What is happiness? What is sorrow? All of these are fictional.
Chitraketu said"Lord loves all, equanimous and has no favorites. So he has no anger. Mother, without fault in me, you ascribed faults and cursed me. I take it as your auspicious blessing. Please forgive me". He then boarded his aircraft and left.
Isn't Chitraketu's humor misplaced? In reality Chitraketu didn't make fun of Lord Siva. That's why Maheswara was not offended. Knowing Chitraketu's thinking, he merely smiled.
Who can hug his wife in the congregation of ascetics? Who is capable of such behavior? As he transcends all bonds, Parameswara was able to do it.
Chitraketu's comment was that being a yogi, without the sensory pleasure, he made his wife sit on his thigh. Paravati Devi misunderstood.
Haste is waste. Parvati Devi hastily took a decision to curse without ascertaining the truth.
It is not enough to cleanse the mind. One has to express his thoughts in a proper way. Otherwise others will misunderstand him, causing inconvenience. Hence those who meld their thoughts with words properly will not be subject to misunderstanding and censure.
In Maha Bharatha Vidura said to Dhrutarashtra"O King, it is not easy to use speech wisely. It is not possible to speak for long with meaningful sense or with adroitness". Hence talking too much will bring criticism. Small talk, without too much of anything including sarcasm and humor, is worth emulating.
Chitraketu left on his aircraft. Parvati Devi was surprised that Chitraketu didn't show antagonism despite being cursed by her. Even the rishis were amazed.
"O Devi, did you see the grace of Sri Hari? Chitraketu being a follower of Narada, who is the follower of Lord Vishnu, didn't have any desire for the worldly pleasures. Long live devotees of Hari" said Lord Siva.
"The devotees of Lord Hari find no difference between heaven and hell. They see non-duality everywhere".
"Parvati, maya is the reason for jivas' sorrow. Like one sees a serpent in a garland, the ones influenced by maya perceive the world in Brahman. Maya can't affect the devotees of Vasudeva. There is nothing in the world that they desire"
"Chitraketu is the favorite follower of Sri Hari who loves one and all. Even I am his follower. So there is no reason to be surprised by the acts of followers of Sri Hari."
Thus Lord Siva pacified Parvati Devi. Sri Suka said"O King Pareekshit, even though Chitraketu was capable of cursing back Parvati Devi, he used discretion and accepted Parvati Devi's curse. Mahatma's ways are indescribable. Because of Parvati Devi's curse Chitraketu emerged as Vrutrasura in the yagna conducted by Twashta Prajapati".
Pumsavana Ritual
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Lord Vishnu destroyed Hiranyaksha and Hiranyakasipu to make Indra's life happy. The mother of asuras, Diti, felt like watching the death of the stone-hearted Indra. To achieve her goal she performed services to her husband Kasyapa and won his heart.
Impressed by his wife, Kasyapa wanted her to seek a boon from him. She wanted a son who could kill Indra. On hearing Diti, Kasyapa was flabbergasted.
Kasyapa thought"What a travesty. I am faced with the sin of killing Indra the ruler of Devas. I couldn't see through the maya of the Lord in the form of Diti. A woman follows her real nature. Being a male, I became a fool and yielded to her. Being guileless I was cheated. Who can understand women's nature?"
"The faces of women will be like lotuses during autumn. Their words are sweet as elixir. Their hearts will be sharp as swords. Who can guess a woman's mind?"
Kasyapa said if Diti performed Pumsavana ritual without faults then she would conceive a son who can vanquish Indra. If she committed faults in the ritual, then she would conceive a son who is friendly to Indra. Upon getting her consent, he told her about the ritual.
Pumsavana ritual would be helpful in focusing the mind on Paramatma.
"While performing this ritual, you should not do violence; nor curse anyone. You should not tell lies" said Kasyapa among other details. Diti agreed to all of them. Soon she was pregnant.
Indra came to know about this. He pretended to be doing service to his mother by bringing flowers and fruits for the ritual.
One day Diti broke the conditions imposed by Kasyapa. As a result she delivered forty nine Marut Ganas who were friendly to Indra. Diti came to know the truth and realized her mistake.
Ritual is holy. Even when initiated with bad intention, a ritual will transform the mind towards good. Hence the seekers of liberation can't live without persistance like one can't live without breathing.
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