Pratisarga Parva
of Bhavishya Purana
By Ved Vyas
English Translation By HinduMonastery.com
[Public Domain]
[Translated with the help of Ai. Not verified with the Source after translation. It may contain errors]
HinduMonastery@outlook.com
Chapter 1
Description of the Royal
Dynasties of the Satya Yuga
Having offered salutations to
Narayana, and to Nara, the best of men, and to the Goddess Saraswati and Vyasa,
one should then recite the Jaya (texts of victory).
The great sage Acharya Shaunaka
asked—"O Muni! In the latter half of Brahma's lifespan, during the
Mahakalpa named 'Bhavishya,' on the third` ++ day of the first year, in the
Vaivasvata Manvantara, during the twenty-eighth Satya Yuga, which kings ruled? Please
describe their characters and the duration of their reigns".
Sutaji spoke—In the Shvetavaraha
Kalpa, on the third day of Brahma's year, at the beginning of the seventh
muhurta, Maharaja Vaivasvata Manu was born. He performed austerities on the
banks of the Saryu river for one hundred divine years, and from his sneeze,
King Ikshvaku was born as his son. By the boon of Brahma, he attained divine
knowledge. King Ikshvaku was a supreme devotee of Lord Vishnu. By His grace, he
ruled for thirty-six thousand years. His son was Vikukshi; he ruled for one
hundred years less than his father Ikshvaku, that is, for thirty-five thousand
nine hundred years, and then departed to heaven. His son was Ripunjaya, and he
also ruled for one hundred years less than his father Vikukshi, that is, for
thirty-five thousand eight hundred years. His son was Kakutstha. He ruled for
thirty-five thousand seven hundred years. His son was Anena, who ruled for
thirty-five thousand six hundred years. Anena's son became famous by the name
Prithu. He ruled for thirty-five thousand five hundred years, and his son was
Vishvagashva, who ruled for thirty-five thousand four hundred years. His son
was Adri, who ruled for thirty-five thousand three hundred years. His son was
Bhadrashva, who ruled for thirty-five thousand two hundred years. King
Bhadrashva's son was Yuvanashva, who ruled for thirty-five thousand one hundred
years. His son was Shravasta. (He had founded the city of Shravasti) . At that
time in the Satya Yuga, dharma was present throughout Bharatavarsha with all
its four feet: austerity, purity, compassion, and truth. All these kings of the
Ikshvaku dynasty ruled the entire earth from the eastern to the western
mountains with justice and righteousness. Maharaja Shravasta ruled for
thirty-five thousand years. His son was Brihadashva, who ruled for thirty-four
thousand nine hundred years. His son was Kuvalayashva, who ruled for
thirty-four thousand eight hundred years.
Maharaja Kuvalayashva's son was
Dridhashva, who ruled for one thousand years less than his father, that is, for
thirty-three thousand eight hundred years. His son was Nikumbhaka, who ruled
for one thousand years less than his father, that is, for thirty-two thousand
eight hundred years. His son was Sankatashva, who ruled for one thousand years
less, that is, for thirty-one thousand eight hundred years. His son was
Prasenajit, who ruled for thirty thousand eight hundred years. After him was
Ravansashva, who ruled for twenty-nine thousand eight hundred years. His son
was Mandhata, who ruled for one hundred years less than his father, that is,
for twenty-nine thousand seven hundred years. Maharaja Mandhata's son was
Purukutsa, who ruled for twenty-nine thousand six hundred years. His son was
Trinshadashva; thirty excellent horses were yoked to his chariot, which is why
he was known as Trinshadashva. King Trinshadashva’s son was Anaranya, who ruled
for twenty-eight thousand years.
Anaranya's son was Prishadashva;
he ruled for six thousand years and finally went to the abode of the ancestors.
Thereafter, a king named Haryashva came to power; he ruled for one thousand
years less than King Prishadashva, that is, for five thousand years. His son
was Vasuman, who ruled for one thousand years less than him, that is, for four
thousand years. Subsequently, he had a son named Tridhanva, who ruled for one
thousand years less than his father, that is, for three thousand years. By
then, the second phase of the Satya Yuga had ended in Bharat.
Maharaja Tridhanva's son was
Trayyaruni; he ruled for one thousand years less than his father, that is, for
two thousand years, before going to heaven. His son was Trishanku, and he ruled
for only one thousand years. Due to deceit, King Trishanku fell into a state of
degradation. His son was Harishchandra, who ruled for twenty thousand years. His
son was Rohita, who ruled just like his father. His son's name was Harita. King
Harita also ruled for a long period, just like his father. His son was
Chanchubhupa. He ruled for the same number of years as his father. His son was
Vijaya. He also ruled for the same number of years as his father. His son was
Ruruka, who also ruled for the same number of years as his father. All these
kings were devotees of Vishnu and had very large armies. In their kingdom, the
prosperity of gems and gold and abundant wealth were easily available to all. At
that time, the full dharma of the Satya Yuga was present.
In the middle of the third phase
of the Satya Yuga, King Ruruka’s son, Maharaja Sagara, was born. He was a
devotee of Shiva and of righteous conduct. His (sixty thousand sons born from
one queen) became famous by the name Sagara. The sages have considered his
reign to be thirty thousand years. The sons of Sagara were destroyed (by the
curse of Kapila Muni). From another queen, a son named Asamanjasa was born. His
son was Anshuman. His son was Dilipa, and Dilipa's son was Bhagiratha, by whom
the Ganga was brought to the earth and became famous as the Bhagirathi. Bhagiratha's
son was Shrutasena. All the kings from Maharaja Sagara to Shrutasena were
Shaivas. Shrutasena's son was Nabhaga, and Nabhaga's son, King Ambarisha,
became an extremely famous devotee of Vishnu, for whose protection the
Sudarshan Chakra was employed day and night. By then, the third phase of the
Satya Yuga in Bharat had ended.
In the fourth phase of the Satya
Yuga, Maharaja Ambarisha's son was Sindhudvipa, his son was Ayutashva,
Ayutashva's son was Rituparna, his son was Sarvakama, and his son was
Kalmashapada. Kalmashapada's son, born to Madayanti through the blessings of
Vasishtha, was named Ashmaka (Saudasa). These seven kings up to Saudasa have
been called Vaishnavas. Due to a guru's curse, Saudasa dedicated his entire
kingdom, along with his own body, to his guru. Gokarna is called a
Linga-worshipping Shaiva. King Ashmaka's son Harivarma was a worshipper of
saints. His son was Dasharatha (the first), his son was Dilipa (the first), and
his son was Vishvasaha, who ruled for ten thousand years. Due to his
unrighteous conduct, there was a terrible drought for one hundred years, which
destroyed his kingdom. At the queen's insistence, Maharishi Vasishtha, through
great effort, produced a son named Khatvanga by means of a yajna. King
Khatvanga, taking up arms, ruled for thirty thousand years with Indra's help. Thereafter,
having received a boon from the gods, he attained liberation. His son was
Dirghabahu, who ruled for twenty thousand years. His son was Sudarshana. The
great sage Sudarshana married the daughter of the King of Kashi and, by the
grace of the Goddess, conquered the kings and righteously ruled over the entire
land of Bharata for five thousand years.
One day, in a dream, Mahakali
said to King Sudarshana, "Son, go and reside in the Himalayas with your
wife and with Maharishi Vasishtha and others ; because soon, due to the effect
of a severe storm, the land of Bharata will be nearly destroyed. Many
sub-continents in the east, west, and other directions have been submerged into
the depths of the ocean due to storms. In Bharatavarsha too, on the seventh day
from today, a severe storm will arrive". Receiving the instruction of the
deluge in his dream from the Goddess, Maharaja Sudarshana went to the Himalayas
with the principal kings, Vaishyas, Brahmins, and his retinue. A large part of
Bharat was destroyed by the impact of sea storms and other calamities. All
creatures were destroyed, and the entire earth was submerged in water. After
some time, the land began to appear again as a terrestrial surface.
Chapter 2
Description of the Solar and
Lunar Royal Dynasties of the Treta Yuga
Sutaji spoke—Great sage! On the
third day of the bright half of the month of Vaishakha, on a Thursday, Maharaja
Sudarshana, along with his retinue, returned from the Himalayan mountains to
Ayodhya. By the power of Goddess Maya, the city of Ayodhya once again became
full of various grains and wealth and prosperous. Maharaja Sudarshana ruled for
ten thousand years and attained the eternal realm. His son was Dilipa (the
second), who, by the boon of the Nandini cow, had an excellent son named Raghu.
King Dilipa ruled proficiently for ten thousand years. After Dilipa, Maharaja
Raghu also ruled just like his father. O son of Bhrigu, in the Treta Yuga,
these Suryavanshi Kshatriyas became famous by the name Raghuvanshi. By a
Brahmin's boon, he had a son named Aja, who also ruled just like his father. His
son was Maharaja Dasharatha (the second). As Dasharatha's son, Rama himself (an
incarnation of Lord Vishnu) was born. He ruled for eleven thousand years. Sri
Rama's son, Kusha, ruled for ten thousand years.
Kusha's son was Atithi, Atithi's
son was Nishadha, and Nishadha's son was Nala, who was a great worshipper of
Shakti. Nala's son was Nabha, Nabha's son was Pundarika, his son was
Kshemadhanva, Kshemadhanva's son was Devanika, Devanika's son was Ahinaga, and
Ahinaga's son was Kuru. In the Treta Yuga, he established Kurukshetra, which
spanned one hundred yojanas. Kuru's son was Pariyatra, his son was Balasthala,
Balasthala's son was Uktha, his son was Vajranabhi, Vajranabhi's son was
Shankhanabhi, and his son was Vyutthanabhi. Vyutthanabhi's son was Vishvapala,
his son was Svarnanabhi, and Svarnanabhi's son was Pushpasena. Pushpasena's son
was Dhruvasandhi, and Dhruvasandhi's son was Apavarma. Apavarma's son was
Shighraganta, Shighraganta's son was Marupala, and his son was Prasushruta. Prasushruta's
son was Susandhi. He ruled from one end of the earth to the other. His son was
Amarshana. He ruled like his father. His son was Mahashva, Mahashva's son was
Brihadbala, and his son was Brihadaishana. Brihadaishana's son was Murukshepa,
his son was Vatsapala, and his son was Vatsavyuha. Vatsavyuha's son was King
Prativyoma. His son was Devakara, and his son was Sahadeva. Sahadeva's son was
Brihadashva, his son was Bhanuratna, and Bhanuratna's son was Supratika. His
son was Marudevare, and Marudeva's son was Sunakshatra. Sunakshatra's son was
Keshinara, his son was Antariksha, and Antariksha's son was Suvarnanga. Suvarnanga's
son was Amitrajit, his son was Brihadraja, and Brihadraja's son was Dharmaraja.
Dharmaraja's son was Kritanjaya, and his son was Rananjaya. Rananjaya's son was
Sanjaya, his son was Shakyavardhana, and Shakyavardhana's son was Krodhadana. Krodhadana's
son was Atulavikrama, his son was Prasenajit, and Prasenajit's son was Shudraka.
Shudraka's son was Suratha. All these were descendants of Maharaja Raghu and
were devoted to the worship of the Goddess. Being dedicated to yajnas and other
rituals, all these kings eventually attained heaven. Those who were descendants
of Buddha were not entirely pure Kshatriyas.
A new era began from the start of
the third phase of the Treta Yuga. Indra, the king of the gods, sent Chandra,
the husband of Rohini, to the earth. Chandra made Tirtharaja Prayaga his
capital. He remained devoted to the worship of Lord Vishnu and Lord Shiva. To
please the Goddess Mahamaya, he performed one hundred yajnas and, after ruling
for eighteen thousand years, returned to heaven.
Chandra's son was Budha. Budha
was duly married to Ila, from whom Pururava was born. King Pururava ruled the
earth for fourteen thousand years. He had a righteous son named Ayu, who was
devoted to the worship of Lord Vishnu. Maharaja Ayu ruled for thirty-six
thousand years and, after reaching Gandharvaloka, is now enjoying bliss in
heaven like a god. Ayu's son was Nahusha, who ruled the earth righteously, just
like his father. Subsequently, he attained the status of Indra and brought the
three worlds under his control. Later, due to the curse of Maharishi Durvasa,
King Nahusha became a python. His son was Yayati.
Yayati had five sons, of whom
three became rulers of the Mleccha countries. The remaining two sons attained
Aryan status. Among them, Yadu was the eldest and Puru was the youngest. Through
the power of his austerities and the grace of Lord Vishnu, he ruled for one
hundred thousand years and then went to Vaikuntha.
Yadu's son Kroshtu ruled for
sixty thousand years. Kroshtu's son was Vrijinaghna, who ruled the earth for
twenty thousand years. He had a son named Svaharchana. His son was Chitraratha,
and his son was Aravinda. Aravinda had a son named Shravas, who was devoted to
Vishnu. His son was Tamasa, and Tamasa had a son named Ushana. His son was
Shitanshuka, and Shitanshuka's son was Kamalanshu. His son was Paravata, who
had a son named Jyamagha. Jyamagha's son was Vidarbha. He had a son named
Kratha. His son was Kuntibhoja. Kuntibhoja married the daughter of the demon
Puru, who lived in Patala, from whom a son named Vrishaparvan was born. His son
was Mayavidya, who was a devotee of the Goddess. He ruled in Pratishthanpur
(Ghunsi) of Prayaga for ten thousand years and then departed to heaven. Mayavidya's
son was Janamejaya (the first), and his son was Prachinvan. Prachinvan's son
was Pravira. His son was Nabhasya, Nabhasya's son was Bhavada, and he had a son
named Sudyumna. Sudyumna's son was Bahugara, his son was Sanyati, and Sanyati's
son was Dhanayati. Dhanayati's son was Aindrashva, his son was Rantinara, and
Rantinara's son was Sutapa. Sutapa's son was Samvarana, who desired to perform
austerities on the Himalaya mountain. After he had performed austerities for
one hundred years, the Sun God married his daughter named Tapati to him. Being
pleased, King Samvarana went to Suryaloka.
Thereafter, due to the influence
of time, the end of the Treta Yuga arrived, causing the four oceans to swell
and creating a scene of deluge. For two years, the earth, along with its
mountains, remained submerged in the ocean. Due to the effect of storms, the
ocean dried up; then, by the power of Maharishi Agastya, the land became
visible as a terrestrial surface, and within five years, the earth was filled
with trees, durva grass, and more. By the command of the Sun God, Maharaja
Samvarana, along with Maharani Tapati, Maharishi Vasishtha, and people of the
three varnas, returned to the earth.
Chapter 3
Account of the Chandravanshi
(Lunar Dynasty) Kings of Dvapara Yuga
Maharishi Shaunaka asked—"O
Lomaharshanji! Please tell us at what time Maharaja Samvarana came to the
earth, for how long he ruled, and which kings reigned in the Dvapara Yuga.
Please tell us all of this".
Sutaji spoke—O Maharishi!
Maharaja Samvarana arrived in Pratishthanpur (Jhusi) with the sages on the
thirteenth day of the dark half of the month of Bhadrapada, on a Friday.
Vishvakarma constructed a massive palace there, which was approximately half a
kos, or one and a half kilometers, in height. Maharaja Samvarana established
Pratishthanpur within an area of five yojanas, or twenty kos, with great beauty
and cleanliness. At the same time, Prasena, born in the lineage of Budha (son
of Chandra), and the Yaduvanshi king Satvata Shurasena became the rulers of
Madhura (Mathura). The Mleccha-vanshi Shmashrupala (the one with a beard)
became the ruler of Marudesha (Arabia, Iran, and Iraq). Gradually, the number
of kings and their subjects increased.
King Samvarana ruled for ten
thousand years. After him, his son Archajna ruled for ten thousand years as
well. His son Suryajapi ruled for half the duration of his father's reign. His
son was Suryayajna, who was devoted to solar sacrifices. His son was Adityavardhana,
Adityavardhana's son was Dvadashatma, and his son was Divakara. He also ruled
for a period slightly less than his father. Divakara's son was Prabhakara, and
Prabhakara's son was Bhasvadatma. Bhasvadatma's son was Vivasvajjna, his son
was Haridashvarchana, and his son was Vaikartana. Vaikartana's son was
Arkeshtiman, his son was Martandavatsala, and Martandavatsala's son was
Mihirartha, and his son was Arunaposhana. Arunaposhana's son was Dyumani,
Dyumani's son was Taraniyajna, and his son was Maitreshtivardhana.
Maitreshtivardhana's son was Chitrabhanurjaka, his son was Vairochana, and
Vairochana's son was Hansanyayi. His son was Vedapravardhana, Vedapravardhana's
son was Savitra, and his son was Dhanapala. Dhanapala's son was Mlecchahanta, Mlecchahanta's
son was Anandavardhana, his son was Dharmapala, and Dharmapala's son was
Brahmabhakta. His son was Brahmeshtivardhana, his son was Atmaprapujaka, and he
had a son named Parameshthi. Parameshthi's son was Hairanyavardhana, his son
was Dhatriyaji, his son was Vidhatriprapujaka, and his son was Druhinakratu.
Druhinakratu's son was Vairanchya, his son was Kamalasan, and Kamalasan's son
was Shamavarti. Shamavarti's son was Shraddhadeva, his son was Pitrivardhana,
his son was Somadatta, and Somadatta's son was Saumadatti. Saumadatti's son was
Somavardhana, his son was Avatansa, Avatansa's son was Pratansa, and Pratansa's
son was Paratansa. Paratansa's son was Ayatansa, his son was Samatansa, his son
was Anutansa, and Anutansa's son was Adhitansa. Adhitansa's son was Abhitansa,
his son was Samuttansa, his son was Tansa, and Tansa's son was Dushyanta.
From his wife Shakuntala,
Maharaja Dushyanta had a son named Bharata, who was always engrossed in the
worship of the Sun God. Maharaja Bharata, by the grace of the Goddess Mahamaya,
ruled over the entire earth as a Chakravarti Samrat (universal emperor) for
thirty-six thousand years, and his son was Mahabala. Mahabala's son was
Bharadvaja. Bharadvaja's son was Manyuman, who ruled the earth for eighteen
thousand years. His son was Brihatkshetra, his son was Suhotra, and Suhotra's
son was Vitihotra, who ruled for ten thousand years. Vitihotra's son was
Yajnahotra, and Yajnahotra's son was Shakrahotra. The god Indra, being pleased,
granted him heaven. At that time in Ayodhya, there was a mighty king named
Pratapendra; he ruled over Bharat for ten thousand years. His son was
Mandalika. Mandalika's son was Vijayendra, and Vijayendra's son was
Dhanurdipta. By the command of Indra, Maharaja Shakrahotra returned to the
mortal world with Ghritachi and, after defeating King Dhanurdipta, ruled the
earth. From Ghritachi, Shakrahotra had a son named Hasti. Hasti, riding on a
young Airavata elephant, built a city named Hastina after himself in the west.
It spans ten yojanas and is situated on the banks of the celestial Ganga. He
resided there and ruled for ten thousand years.
Maharaja Hasti's son was
Ajamidha, Ajamidha's son was Rakshapala, Rakshapala's son was Sushamyarna, and
his son was Kuru. By the boon of Indra, he went to heaven in his physical body.
At that time in Mathura, in the Satvata dynasty, there was a very mighty king
named Vrishni. By the boon of Lord Vishnu, he kept the entire kingdom under his
control for five thousand years. King Vrishni's son was Niravritti,
Niravritti's son was Dashari, Dashari's son was Viyamuna, Viyamuna's son was
Jimuta, and his son was Vikriti. Vikriti's son was Bhimaratha, his son was
Navaratha, and Navaratha's son was Dasharatha. His son was Shakuni, his son was
Kushumbha, and Kushumbha's son was Devaratha. Devaratha's son was Devakshetra,
his son was Madhu, Madhu's son was Navaratha, and his son was Kuruvatsa. All
these men ruled for a period equal to their fathers. Kuruvatsa's son was
Anuratha, his son was Puruhotra, and Puruhotra's son was Vichitrangada; his son
was Satvatvan, and his son was Bhajamana. His son was Viduratha, his son was
Surabhakta, and Surabhakta's son was Sumana. All of these ruled for a period
equal to their fathers. Sumana's son was Tatikshetra, his son was Svayambhuva,
his son was Haridipaka, and Haridipaka's son was Devamedha. All of these ruled
for a period equal to their fathers. Devamedha's son was Surapala.
At the end of the third phase of
the Dvapara Yuga, King Kuru became the husband of an Apsara named Sukeshi, who
came by the order of Indra, king of the gods. He constructed Kurukshetra, which
spans twenty yojanas. The learned have called it a holy land. Maharaja Kuru
ruled for twelve thousand years. His son was Jahnu, Jahnu's son was Suratha,
and Suratha's son was Viduratha. Viduratha's son was Sarvabhauma, his son was
Jayasena, and his son was Arnava. Maharaja Arnava's dominion extended to the
four oceans, and he ruled for a period equal to his father. Arnava's son was
Ayutayu, who ruled for ten thousand years. Ayutayu's son was Akrodhana, his son
was Riksha, his son was Bhimasena, and Bhimasena's son was Dilipa. All these
kings ruled for a period equal to their fathers. Dilipa's son was Pratipa; he
ruled for five thousand years. Pratipa's son was Shantanu, and he ruled for one
thousand years. He had a son named Vichitravirya, who ruled for two hundred
years. His son was Pandu; he ruled for five hundred years. His son was
Yudhishthira; he ruled for fifty years. Suyodhana (Duryodhana) ruled for sixty
years and was killed in Kurukshetra by (Yudhishthira's brother, Bhimasena).
In ancient times, the gods had
caused a great slaughter of the demons. All those same demons were born again
on the earth during the reign of Shantanu. The earth, burdened by the weight of
Duryodhana's vast army, took refuge with Indra. Then, the incarnation of Lord
Sri Hari occurred. He took avatar from the womb of Devaki through Saurī
Vasudeva. He remained on the earth for one hundred and thirty-five years and
thereafter went to Goloka. The incarnation of Lord Sri Krishna occurred at the
end of the fourth phase of the Dvapara Yuga.
After this, Parikshit, the son of
Abhimanyu, ruled in Hastinapura. After Parikshit's reign, his son Janamejaya
ruled. Subsequently, his son Maharaja Shatanika became the ruler of the earth.
His son was Yajnadatta (Sahasranika). His son was Nishchakra (Nichaknu). His
son was Ushtrapala (Ushnapala). His son was Chitraratha and Chitraratha's son
was Dhritiman, and his son was Sushena. Sushena's son was Sunitha, his son was
Makhapala, his son was Chakshu, and Chakshu's son was Sukhavanta (Sukhavala).
Sukhavanta's son was Pariplava. Pariplava's son was Sunaya, Sunaya's son was
Medhavi, his son was Nripanjaya, and his son was Mridu. Mridu's son was
Tigjyoti, his son was Brihadratha, and his son was Vasudana. His son was
Shatanika, his son was Udayana, Udayana's son was Ahinara, Ahinara's son was
Niramitra, and Niramitra's son was Kshemaka. Maharaja Kshemaka, leaving his
kingdom, went to Kalapagrama. He was killed by the Mlecchas. Through the
teachings and noble efforts of Naradaji, he had a son whose name was Pradyota.
King Pradyota performed a Mleccha-yajna, in which the Mlecchas were destroyed.
Chapters 4-5
Description of the
Mleccha-Vanshi Kings and a Brief Introduction to the Mleccha Language etc.
Shaunaka asked—"O
all-knowing Mahamuni! How did that Pradyota perform the Mleccha-yajna? Please
tell me all of this".
Sri Sutaji said—O Mahamuni! At
one time, Pradyota, the son of Kshemaka, was present in Hastinapura. At that
time, Naradaji arrived there. Seeing him, King Pradyota, being pleased,
worshipped him according to the rites. The Muni, seated comfortably, said to
King Pradyota, "Your father, killed by the Mlecchas, has gone to the realm
of Yama. Through the effect of a Mleccha-yajna, he will be freed from hell and
will attain a heavenly state. Therefore, you should perform a
Mleccha-yajna". Hearing this, King Pradyota's eyes turned red with anger.
He then summoned the Brahmins learned in the Vedas and immediately commenced
the Mleccha-yajna in Kurukshetra. Constructing a square sacrificial pit
spanning sixteen yojanas and invoking the gods, that king annihilated the
Mlecchas. He had himself consecrated after giving dakshina to the Brahmins. By
the effect of this yajna, his father Kshemaka went to heaven. From then on,
King Pradyota became famous throughout the earth as the Mlecchahanta (Slayer of
Mlecchas). His son became famous by the name Vedavan.
Kali himself had ruled in the
form of a Mleccha. Thereafter, Kali, along with his wife, worshipped Narayana
and offered divine praises. Pleased by the praise, Narayana manifested. Kali
said to him, "O Lord! Vedavan's father, Pradyota, has destroyed my domain
and has destroyed my beloved Mlecchas". The Lord said, "O Kali! For
several reasons, you are superior to the other yugas. Assuming many forms, I
will fulfill your wish. A man named Adama and a wife named Havyavati (Hauva)
will be born, who will increase the Mleccha lineages". Saying this, Sri
Hari vanished, and Kali Yuga was very pleased by this. He came to the Nilachala
mountain and resided there for some days.
King Vedavan had a son named
Sunanda, who died without progeny. After this, the country of Aryavarta became
weakened in all respects, and slowly the power of the Mlecchas began to grow.
Then, the eighty-eight thousand sages and munis residing in Naimisharanya went
to the Himalayas, and coming to the region of Badari, they became engrossed in
discussions and stories of Lord Vishnu.
Sutaji spoke again—O Muni! For
the remaining sixteen thousand years of the Dvapara Yuga, the land of the
Arya-desha was endowed with many glories, but during this time, some Shudra and
some Varnasankara kings also ruled. When eight thousand two hundred and two
years of the Dvapara Yuga remained, this land started coming under the
influence of the kings of the Mleccha country. The progenitor of the Mlecchas,
Adama, and his wife, Havyavati (Hauva), both practiced control of the senses
and were devoted to meditation. In the eastern part of the city of Pradan,
Ishvara created a delightful great forest spanning four kos. Kali Yuga, taking
the form of a serpent, came to Hauva under the tree of sin. That deceitful Kali
deceived Hauva and fed her a fruit containing defiled air, wrapped in the
leaves of a fig tree, which violated Vishnu's command. From this, many sons
were born, all of whom were called Mlecchas. Adama went to heaven with his
wife. He had an excellent son, famous by the name Shveta, whose lifespan is said
to have been one hundred and twelve years. His son was Anuha, who ruled for a
few years less than his father. His son was Kinasha, who ruled like his
grandfather. He had a son named Mahalla, and his son was Managara. He had a son
named Virada, who founded a city in his own name. His son was Hanuka, who was
devoted to Vishnu. Offering fruits in the sacrificial fire, he attained
knowledge of the spiritual truth. Devoted to the Mleccha dharma, he went to
heaven in his physical body. He followed the customs and practices of the
twice-born and also performed deva-puja, yet he was still called a Mleccha by
the learned. Vishnu-bhakti, fire-worship, non-violence, austerity, and control
of the senses—these have been declared by the munis as the dharma of the Mlecchas.
Hanuka's son was Matoshila. His son was Lomaka; in the end, he attained heaven.
Thereafter, he had a son named Nyuha. Nyuha had three sons: Sima, Shama, and
Bhava.
Nyuha was devoted to
self-meditation and was a devotee of Vishnu. Once, he had a vision of Vishnu in
a dream, and He said to Nyuha, "Son, listen, on the seventh day from
today, there will be a deluge. O best of devotees! You, along with all the people,
should board a boat and save your life. Then you will become a very famous
person". Obeying the Lord's words, he constructed a strong boat, which was
three hundred hands long, fifty hands wide, and thirty hands high, and was
filled with all living beings. Devoted to the meditation of Vishnu, he boarded
that boat with his descendants. Meanwhile, the god Indra caused a continuous
downpour from the clouds for forty days. The entire land of Bharat was flooded
with the waters of the oceans. The four oceans merged, the earth was submerged,
but the Badari region of the Himalaya mountain remained above the water; it did
not sink. Eighty-eight thousand Brahmavadi munis, along with their disciples,
remained there, stable and safe. Nyuha, too, along with his boat, came there
and was saved. All other creatures of the world were destroyed. At that time,
the munis praised the Vishnu-maya. The munis said, "Salutations to
Mahakali, salutations to mother Devaki, to Mahalakshmi the wife of Vishnu, to
Radha-devi, and to Revati, Pushpavati, and Svarnavati, salutations. Salutations
to Kamakshi, Maya, and the Mother. Due to the effect of the great wind, the
terrifying sound of the clouds, and the fierce streams of water, a terrible
fear has arisen. O Bhairavi! Protect us, your servants, from this fear".
The Goddess, being pleased, immediately calmed the rising waters. The land
named Shishina, on the slopes of the Himalayas, became visible as a terrestrial
surface after the water receded in one year. Nyuha, along with his descendants,
came and began to reside on that land.
Shaunaka said—O great sage! After
the deluge, whatever is present now, please tell me by knowing it through your
divine vision.
Sutaji spoke—O Shaunaka! The
aforementioned Mleccha king named Nyuha became absorbed in the devotion of Lord
Vishnu, due to which Lord Vishnu, being pleased, increased his lineage. He
expanded the Mleccha language, which was outside the Vedic scriptures and
Sanskrit, and to increase the influence of Kali, he made the Brahmi language an
impure one. And he renamed his three sons—Sima, Shama, and Bhava—as Sim, Ham,
and Yakut, respectively. Yakut had seven sons: Jumra, Majuja, Madi, Yunaan,
Tuvalom, Saka, and Tiras. Separate countries became famous by their names.
Jumra had ten sons. Countries also became famous by their names. The different
offspring of Yunaan became famous by these four names: Ilisha, Tarlisha, Kitti,
and Huda, and separate countries were also founded in their names. Nyuha's
second son, Ham (Shama), is said to have had four sons: Kusha, Mishra, Kuja,
and Kananau. Countries are also famous by their names. Kusha had six sons:
Sava, Habila, Sarvata, Uragama, Savatika, and the mighty Nimruha. Their
descendants were also Kalana, Sina, Roraka, Akvada, Bavuna, and Rasnadeshaka,
among others. After narrating these things to the sages, Sutaji entered a state
of samadhi. His samadhi broke after many years, and he began to say, "O
Sages! Now I will describe the lineage of King Sim, the eldest son of Nyuha.
The Mleccha King Sim ruled proficiently for five hundred years. Arkansad was
his son, who ruled for four hundred and thirty-four years. His son was
Singhala; he too ruled for four hundred and sixty years. His son was Ibra; he
ruled just like his father. His son was Phalaja, who ruled for two hundred and
forty years. His son was Rau, who ruled for two hundred and thirty-seven years.
He had a son named Juja; he ruled just like his father. His son was Nahura; he
ruled for one hundred and sixty years. O king, he also destroyed many enemies.
Nahura's son was Tahara; he ruled just like his father. He had three sons:
Avirama, Nahura, and Harana. O Muni! Thus, I have described the lineages of the
Mleccha kings by name only. Due to the curse of Saraswati, these kings became
speakers of the Mleccha language and proved to be of inferior conduct. In the
Kali Yuga, their numbers greatly increased, but I have described these lineages
only in brief.
The Sanskrit language somehow
survived only in Bharatavarsha. In other parts, the Mleccha language became the
source of pleasure.
Sutaji spoke again—O Mahamuni
Shaunaka, son of Bhargava! When three thousand years of the Kali Yuga had
passed, a king named Shankha ruled in the city of Avanti, and the king of the
Shakas was ruling in the Mleccha country. Listen to the reason for their
growth. When two thousand years of the Kali Yuga had passed, the Mleccha
lineage grew excessively, and the land of most of the world became filled with
Mlecchas, and various kinds of doctrines began to circulate. Only the region of
Brahmavarta on the banks of the Saraswati remained pure. A person named Musha
was the teacher and forefather of the Mlecchas. He spread his doctrine
throughout the entire world. With the advent of the Kali Yuga, deva-puja and
the Vedic language were almost destroyed in Bharat. In Bharat too, the
propagation of Prakrit and Mleccha languages gradually began. Vrajabhasha and
Maharashtri are the main forms of Prakrit. Yavani and Gurundika (English) are
the main forms of the Mleccha language. There are also four hundred thousand
subtle variations of these languages. In Prakrit, 'paniya' is called 'pani' and
'bubhuksha' is called 'bhukh'. Similarly, in the Mleccha language, 'pitri' is
called 'paitar-father' and 'bhratri' is called 'badar-brother'. Similarly,
'ahuti' is called 'aju', 'janu' is called 'jainu', 'ravivara' is called
'Sunday', 'phalguna' is called 'February', and 'shashti' is called 'sixty'. In
Bharat, there are seven sacred cities like Ayodhya, Mathura, Kashi, etc.; now,
violence has begun to occur even in them. Dacoits, Shabaras, Bhils, and
ignorant people have also filled the Arya-desha, Bharatavarsha. In the Mleccha
country, those who follow the Mleccha dharma live happily. This is the
specialty of the Kali Yuga. The Mlecchas will have their kingdom in Bharat and
its islands; understanding this, O best of Munis, you all should worship Hari.
Chapter 6
Mention of Kashyapa's ten sons
like Upadhyaya, Dikshit etc., the dynasty of Magadha and the description of
Buddhist kings and Chauhan and Parmar etc. dynasties
Shaunakaji asked—"Maharaja!
Why could the Mlecchas not enter Brahmavarta? Please explain the reason".
Sutaji spoke—O Muni! They could
not enter there due to the power of Saraswati. A Brahmin named Kashyapa lived
there. After a thousand years of the Kali Yuga had passed, he came to
Brahmavarta from heaven by the order of the gods. His virtuous wife's name was
Aryavati. From her, Kashyapa had ten sons, whose names are as follows:
Upadhyaya, Dikshita, Pathaka, Shukla, Mishra, Agnihotri, Dvivedi, Trivedi,
Pandya, and Chaturvedi. They possessed qualities that matched their names.
Their father, Kashyapa, who was endowed with all knowledge and was a knower of
all the Vedas, lived among them and imparted knowledge to them. Kashyapa went
to Kashmir and pleased the mother of the universe, Saraswati, with offerings of
red flowers, akshata, incense, lamps, naivedya, and pushpanjali.
Praising the goddess, Kashyapa
said—"O Mother! O beloved of Shankara! Why do you not show compassion to
me? O Devi! You are the mother of the entire world, then why do you consider me
outside the world? O Devi! Why do you not slay the enemies of dharma for the
sake of the gods? Please delude the Mlecchas and expand the excellent Sanskrit
language. O Amba! You are the one who assumes many forms, you are of the form
of 'Hunkar,' you have slain Dhumralochana. In the form of Durga, you have slain
terrible demons and brought happiness to the world. O Mother! Please destroy
conceit, delusion, and terrible pride and grant happiness, and slay the wicked
and bestow knowledge upon the world". Pleased by this praise, the Goddess
Saraswati resided in the mind of that Kashyapa Muni and granted him knowledge.
That muni went to the country of Mishra and there he deluded the Mlecchas and
made them twice-born. By the grace of Saraswati, along with those people, the
great sage Kashyapa, ever devoted to the life of a sage, resided in the
Arya-desha. By the boon of that goddess of the Aryans, they grew greatly in
number. The reign of Kashyapa Muni lasted for one hundred and twenty years. In
the country named Rajyaputra, there were eight thousand Shudras. Their king was
Arya Prithu. From him, Magadha was born. After consecrating his son named
Magadha, Prithu departed. Hearing this, the best of the Bhrigus, Shaunaka, and
other sages became pleased. Then, saluting the Puranic Suta, they became
engrossed in the meditation of Vishnu. After remaining in meditation for four
years, they arose and, after completing their daily and occasional duties, went
to Sutaji again and said—"O Lomaharshanji! Now describe the Magadha kings.
Which Magadhas ruled in the Kali Yuga, O disciple of Vyasa! Please tell
us".
Sutaji said—O Muni! In the region
of Magadha, Kashyapa's son Magadha bore the responsibility of the kingdom
received from his father. He separated the Arya-desha. The country to the east
of Panchala (Punjab) is called the Magadha country. In the southeast of Magadha
is Kalinga (Orissa), in the south is the country of Avanti, in the southwest is
Anarta (Gujarat), in the west is the Sindhudesha, in the northwest is the
Kaikayadesha, in the north is the Madradesha, and in the northeast is the
Kulindadesha. Thus, he divided the Arya-desha. This country was named by the
son of the great Magadha. Later, the king pleased Balaramaji through a yajna,
and as a result, Shishunaga was born from a part of Balabhadra; he ruled for
one hundred years. He had a son named Kakavarma, who ruled for ninety years. He
had a son named Kshemadharma, who ruled for eighty years. His son was
Kshetrauja, who ruled for seventy years. He had a son named Vedamishra, who
ruled for sixty years. He had a son named Ajataripu (Ajatashatru), who ruled
for fifty years. His son was Darbhaka, who ruled for forty years. He had a son
named Udayashva, who ruled for thirty years. His son was Nandavardhana, who
ruled for twenty years. Nandavardhana's son was Nanda; he ruled for a period
equal to his father. Nanda had Prananda, who ruled for ten years. From him was
born Parananda; he ruled for a period equal to his father. From him was born
Samananda; he ruled for twenty years. From him was born Priyananda; he also
ruled for a period equal to his father. His son was Devananda; he also ruled
like his father. Devananda's son was Yajnabhanga; he ruled for half the period
of his father (ten years). His son was Mauryananda, and his son was Mahananda.
Both ruled for a period equal to their fathers.
At this time, Kali remembered
Hari. Subsequently, the famous deity named Gautama was born from Kashyapa. He
reformed the Buddhist dharma and propagated it in the city of Pattana
(Kapilavastu) and ruled for ten years. From him, Shakyamuni was born; he too
ruled for twenty years. From him, a son named Shuddhodana was born; he ruled
for thirty years. From him, Shakyasimha was born. After two thousand years of
the Kali Yuga had passed, he ruled in Shatadri. In the first phase of Kali, he
destroyed the Vedic path and ruled for sixty years. At that time, almost
everyone became a Buddhist. When he, the form of Vishnu, became king, the
subjects became like the king, because the practice of dharma in the world
follows the power of Vishnu. Those who take refuge in Hari, the lord of Maya,
become worthy of liberation by the effect of His grace. Shakyasimha's son was
Buddhasimha; he ruled for thirty years. His son (disciple) was Chandragupta,
who married the daughter of Suluba (Seleucus), the king of the Parsi country,
and propagated the Yavana-related Buddhist dharma. He ruled for sixty years.
Chandragupta's son was Bindusara (Bimbisara). He also ruled like his father.
His son was Ashoka.
At that same time, a Brahmin from
the Kanyakubja country went to the Abu mountain and there, he duly performed
the Brahmhotra. From the power of the Vedic mantras, four Kshatriyas emerged
from the sacrificial pit: Pramara - Paramara (of the Samaveda), Chaphani -
Chauhan (of the Krishna Yajurveda), Trivedi - Gaharwar (of the Shukla
Yajurveda), and Pariharaka (of the Atharvaveda). They were all Kshatriyas of
the Airavata lineage and rode on elephants born from it. They brought the
descendants of Ashoka under their control and destroyed the Buddhists
throughout Bharatavarsha. The Pramara-Paramara king ruled in Avanti. Residing
in the four-yojana-wide city named Ambavati, he lived a life of happiness.
Chapter 7
The beginning of the character
of Maharaja Vikramaditya
Shaunakaji said—"O great
soul! Now, please describe the Agnivanshi kings".
Sutaji spoke—O Brahmins! At this
moment, I am overcome by yogic sleep. Now you too should meditate on the Lord.
I will rest for a while. Hearing this, the sages became absorbed in the
meditation of Lord Vishnu. After a long interval, rising from their meditation,
Sutaji spoke again—O great sage! When thirty-seven hundred and ten years of the
Kali Yuga had passed, the king named Pramara began to rule. He had a son named
Mahamada (Muhammad), who ruled for half the duration of his father's reign. He
had a son named Devapi. He had a son named Devaduta; he had a son named
Gandharvasena, who ruled for fifty years. He consecrated his son Shankha and
went to the forest. Shankha managed the burden of the kingdom for thirty years.
At that time, Indra, the king of
the gods, sent a celestial damsel named Viramati to the earth. From Viramati,
Shankha obtained a jewel of a son named Gandharvasena. At the time of the son's
birth, flowers rained from the sky, and the gods beat their drums. A pleasant,
cool, and gentle breeze began to blow. At this time, a Brahmin named
Shivadrishti, along with his disciples, went to the forest for austerities and,
through the worship of Shiva, became one with Shiva himself. When three
thousand years were complete and the Kali Yuga had arrived, for the destruction
of the Shakas and the growth of the Arya dharma, that same Shivadrishti,
receiving the command of Lord Shankara from Kailasa, the abode of the Guhyakas,
became famous on earth by the name Vikramaditya. He was a source of joy to his
mother and father. From his childhood, he was highly intelligent. The wise
Vikramaditya, at the young age of five, went to the forest to perform penance.
After diligently performing austerities for twelve years, he became endowed
with divine powers. Coming to the divine city named Ambavati, he adorned the
beautiful and divine throne, which was integrated with thirty-two statues and
protected by Lord Shiva. A Vetala, sent by the Goddess Parvati, was always
ready for his protection. That brave king went to Mahakaleshwar and worshipped
the God of gods, Mahadeva, and constructed a Dharma-sabha (assembly of justice)
filled with various formations, in which there were pillars of many metals,
adorned with various gems. O Shaunakaji! He established his divine throne in a
place full of many creepers and flowers. He summoned the chief Brahmins, who
were experts in the Vedas and Vedangas, duly worshipped them, and heard many
tales of dharma from them. At this time, a deity named Vetala, assuming the
form of a Brahmin, arrived there, saying, "May you be victorious,"
and after greeting him, sat on a seat. That Vetala said to the king—"O
King! If you wish to listen, I will narrate to you an interesting tale full of
history. Please listen to it".
॥
End of the First Khanda of the Pratisarga Parva ॥
Pratisarga Parva: Second
Khanda (Section Two)
The Ideal of Mutual Devotion
between Master and Servant (The Story of King Rupasena and Viravara)
Sutaji spoke—O great sage! Once,
the Rudra-servant Vetala first meditated on Lord Shankara and then began to
speak to Maharaja Vikramaditya in this manner.
Vetala began to speak—O King! Now
listen to a delightful story. In ancient times, in a city named Vardhamana,
full of all prosperity, there lived a righteous king named Rupasena. His chaste
queen's name was Vidvanmala. One day, a virtuous Kshatriya named Viravara,
along with his wife, daughter, and son, appeared in the king's court seeking a
livelihood. The king, hearing his humble words, appointed him as a guard at the
palace's main gate, fixing his salary at one thousand gold coins per day. Some
days later, when the king inquired about his financial situation through his
spies, it was revealed that he distributed most of his wealth in yajnas,
pilgrimages, worship in the temples of Shiva and Vishnu, and among saints,
Brahmins, and orphans, and maintained his family with the very little that
remained. Pleased by this, the king made his appointment permanent.
One day, at midnight, when the
horror of the night was crossing its limits with torrential rain, the roar of
clouds, flashes of lightning, and storms, at that very moment, the sound of a
woman's sorrowful cry from the cremation ground reached the king's ears. The
king ordered Viravara, who was present at the main gate, to find out the cause
of this weeping sound. When Viravara left with a sword, the king, fearing for
his safety and to assist him, also took a sword and secretly followed him.
Viravara reached the cremation ground, saw a woman crying there, and when he
asked her the reason, she said, "I am the Lakshmi of this kingdom—the
Rashtralakshmi. At the end of this month, King Rupasena will die. When the king
dies, where will I go as an orphan?"—it is this worry that makes me weep.
The loyal Viravara asked her for
a way to ensure the king's long life. At this, the goddess said, "If you
can offer your son as a sacrifice before the Goddess Chandika, the king's life
can be saved". What then? Viravara returned home, woke up his wife, son,
and daughter, and with their consent, went with them to the temple of Chandika.
The king also secretly followed him everywhere. Viravara, praying to the
goddess, offered his son as a sacrifice to extend the life of his master.
Seeing her brother's severed head, his sister's heart broke with grief—she
died, and in this sorrow, her mother also passed away. Viravara, after
cremating all three, also offered himself as a sacrifice for the extension of
the king's life.
The king was watching all this in
hiding. Praying to the goddess and declaring his own life worthless, just as he
drew his sword to cut off his own head, the goddess appeared, caught his hand,
and said, "O King! I am very pleased with you. Your life is already
secure; now ask for a boon according to your wish". The king prayed to the
goddess to revive Viravara along with his family. Saying "Tathastu"
(So be it), the goddess vanished. The king, pleased, quietly walked from there,
returned to his palace, and lay down. Meanwhile, Viravara, amazed and
acknowledging the goddess's grace, left his revived family at home and came and
stood at the main gate of the royal palace. Later, the king summoned Viravara
and asked the reason for the woman crying at night. Viravara said, "O
King! She was some witch; she disappeared as soon as she saw me. There is
nothing to worry about". Seeing Viravara's loyalty and fortitude, King
Rupasena was extremely pleased. He married his daughter to Viravara's son and
made him his friend.
After narrating this much of the
story, the Vetala fell silent. The Vetala then asked King Vikram—"O King!
In this story, everyone sacrificed their lives for one another out of
affection, but whose affection and sacrifice was the greatest? Please tell me
this". The king replied—"Although everyone presented a wonderful
ideal of their respective duties, the king's affection seems the most worthy.
Because Viravara was a royal servant, he received gold coins in return for his
service. Therefore, he made his sacrifice with the prospect of receiving gold.
Viravara's wife was a chaste woman, a lover of dharma, so she sacrificed her
life. The sister had love for her brother, the son had affection for his
father; this happens naturally. But King Rupasena presented a great ideal of
affection, in that he was ready to sacrifice his own life even for a common
servant. Therefore, his loving sacrifice is the great sacrifice".
The Story of the Brahmin's
Daughter, Mahadevi
The Vetala said—"O King! In
the city named Ujjayini, there lived a very wise king named Mahabala, born in
the lunar dynasty. He had a loyal messenger named Haridasa. Haridasa's wife,
Bhaktimala, was devoted to the service of saintly men. Bhaktimala gave birth to
an extremely beautiful daughter, skilled in all arts and with eyes like a
lotus; her name was Mahadevi. One day, Mahadevi said to her father Haridasa,
'Father, please give me in marriage to a man who is more intelligent than me in
virtues and is a knower of the Vedas and other scriptures, and to no one else.'
Hearing his daughter's words, Haridasa was very pleased, and saying, 'So it
shall be,' he came to the royal court and greeted the king. The king then said,
'Haridasa, go to my father-in-law, King Harishchandra of the Tailanga country,
and after inquiring about his well-being, quickly inform me.' Receiving the
order, Haridasa went to King Harishchandra and conveyed the news of his master
Mahabala's well-being. Knowing all was well, King Harishchandra was very
pleased and asked Haridasa, 'O Lord! You are a learned man. Please tell me, how
will it be known that the Kali Yuga has arrived?' Haridasa said, 'O King! When
the sanctity of the Vedas is destroyed and the dharma prescribed in the Vedas
appears to be inverted, then one should understand that the Kali Yuga has
arrived. Also, the Mlecchas are said to be dear to Kali. When all the gods have
been dishonored by Kali, whose friend is adharma, then one should understand
that the Kali Yuga has arrived. O King! The wife of sin is named Mrisha
(falsehood), and her son is called Duhkha (sorrow). The wife of sorrow is
Durgati (misery), who will pervade every household in the Kali Yuga. All kings
will be overcome by anger, and all Brahmins will become slaves to desire. The
wealthy will be overcome by greed, and the Shudras will attain prominence.
Women will be without shame, and servants will be the takers of their own
master's life. The earth will become fruitless (devoid of essence). In such a
state, one should understand that the Kali Yuga has arrived. However, in the
Kali Yuga, only those who take refuge in Lord Sri Hari will be able to live in
happiness, and no one else.'
Haridasa's son was Mukunda. He
had gone to his guru's place for studies. When he had finished learning the
sciences from his guru, he began to request to offer the guru-dakshina. The
guru said to him, 'O Mukunda! Listen, as guru-dakshina, you should offer your
sister Mahadevi to my astrologer son, Dhiman.' Saying, 'Very well,' Mukunda
returned to his home. Meanwhile, Haridasa's wife, Bhaktimala, was impressed by
the skill of a Brahmin named Vamana, a disciple of Drona, who was skilled in
shooting sound-targeting arrows and was a master of weaponry. For her daughter,
she honored him with dakshina, betel leaves, etc., and chose him. At the same
time, a wise Brahmin named Buddhikovid arrived there and demonstrated his
special skills before Haridasa. That Brahmin, by chanting a mantra, worshipped
the goddess and manifested a great, astonishing, and swift aircraft, showing it
to Haridasa. Mesmerized by his skills, Haridasa, considering him worthy of his
daughter, chose him.
When the time came, the three
virtuous Brahmins chosen by the father, son, and mother, respectively, arrived
at Haridasa's house to win the hand of the girl named Mahadevi. Meanwhile, a
Rakshasa, through his Maya, abducted the girl Mahadevi and took her to the
Vindhya mountains. Learning this news, these three suitors for the girl's hand
became distressed and began to weep. When the astrologer Brahmin named Dhiman,
the guru's son, was asked about the girl's whereabouts, he revealed that the
girl had been abducted by a Rakshasa and taken to the Vindhya mountains. Then,
to retrieve the girl, the second Brahmin named Buddhikovid, on the sky-faring
aircraft created by him, seated the other two Brahmins and reached the Vindhya
mountains. Then the third Brahmin named Vamana, an expert in shooting
sound-targeting arrows, fixed an arrow to his bow and killed the Rakshasa with
it. The three of them, having rescued the girl Mahadevi, returned to Ujjayini,
sitting in the same aircraft. Upon arriving there, the three Brahmins, each
proclaiming the importance of their own deed, began to dispute among themselves
to be the rightful claimant of the girl. It could not be decided with whom the
girl should be married.
The Vetala asked King
Vikram—"O King! Tell me, among these three, who is the rightful claimant
for marriage, that is, to receive the girl?" King Vikramaditya
said—"The learned astrologer Brahmin, the guru's son, who discovered the
girl's whereabouts, that she was stolen by a Rakshasa and taken to the Vindhya
mountains, is like a father to the girl. And the second Brahmin, Buddhikovid,
who brought the girl named Mahadevi here by means of the aircraft created
through his mantra-power, is like a brother. But the Brahmin youth named
Vamana, who fought with the Rakshasa with his sound-targeting arrows and struck
him down, that brave Brahmin is the one who is the worthy claimant to receive
this girl."
The Propriety of Marriage
within the Same Varna (The Story of Trilokasundari)
The Vetala spoke again—"O
King! Now I will tell you another story. There was a famous city named
Champapuri (Bhagalpur), where a strong and skilled archer king named
Champakesha used to live. His queen's name was Sulochana. A daughter named
Trilokasundari was born to her. Her face was like the moon, her eyebrows like a
bowstring, her eyes like a deer's, and her voice like a cuckoo's. O King! Even
the gods wanted to marry that maiden, let alone other men. In her swayamvara,
all the world-renowned kings and even the gods like Indra, Varuna, Kubera,
Dharmaraja, and Yama came, having assumed human bodies. Among them, Indradatta
said to the girl's father, King Champaka, 'O King! I am skilled in all the
shastras, handsome, and charming. Therefore, please give your daughter to me.'
The second, Dharmadatta, said, 'O King! I am skilled in archery and charming.
Please give your daughter to me.' The third said, 'O King! My name is
Dhanapala. I know the language of all creatures. I am also virtuous and
handsome. Please be happy by giving your daughter to me.' The fourth said, 'O
King! I am a master of all arts. Every day, through my efforts, I acquire five
gems. Of these, I spend the first gem for merit, the second for oblations, the
third for myself, the fourth for my wife, and the last remaining gem for food.
Therefore, please grant your daughter to me, the master of all arts.' Hearing
this, the king was perplexed as to whom he should give his daughter. He could
not make a decision. Finally, he told everything to the girl and asked her
which groom she desired, but the girl Trilokasundari, out of modesty, gave no
reply."
The Vetala asked—"O King!
Now you tell me, among these, who was the worthy groom for that girl?" The
king replied—"O servant of Rudra! That beautiful girl Trilokasundari is
worthy of Dharmadatta. Because Indradatta is a knower of the Vedas and other
shastras, he would be called a Dvija by varna. Dhanapala, who knows languages
and increases wealth and grains, would be called a Vanik. The third, who is an
expert in arts and trades in gems, would be called a Shudra. O Vetala! A girl
is worthy only for someone of the same varna. Therefore, Dharmadatta, who is
proficient in the science of archery, would be called a Kshatriya by varna.
Hence, the marriage of that Kshatriya girl should be performed with Dharmadatta
only."
A Licentious King becomes the
Cause of the Kingdom's Destruction (The Story of King Dharmavallabha and
Minister Satyaprakasha)
The Vetala again said to the
king—"O King! In ancient times, in the beautiful city of Punyapur (Pune),
there ruled a king named Dharmavallabha. His minister was Satyaprakasha. The
minister's wife's name was Lakshmi. Once, King Dharmavallabha said to the
minister, 'O best of ministers! How many types of pleasure are there? Tell me.'
He said, 'Maharaja! There are four types of pleasure: (1) The bliss of the
Brahmacharya ashram, which is Brahmananda, is the highest. (2) The worldly
pleasure of the Grihastha ashram is medium. (3) The pleasure of dharma in
Vanaprastha is ordinary, and (4) the attainment of Shivananda in Sannyasa is
the best of all pleasures. O King! Among these, the worldly pleasure of the
Grihastha ashram is woman-centric, because in the Grihastha ashram, there is no
happiness without a wife.' Hearing this, the king went to another country to
find a virtuous wife who suited him, but he did not find a wife to his liking.
Then he said to his minister, 'Find a woman suitable for me.' Hearing this, the
minister went to various countries. But when he did not find a suitable woman
for the king anywhere, he came to the country of Sindhu and approached the
ocean. Seeing the Sindhu, the best of all tirthas, he was pleased. The minister
Satyaprakasha prayed to the ocean thus: 'O abode of all gems, O lord of the
Sindhu country! Salutations to you. O one who is compassionate to those who
seek refuge, O lord of the waters! Salutations to you. Please grant a jewel of
a woman for my king. If you do not do so, I will give up my life right here.'
The ocean lord, hearing this praise, was pleased and showed him a tree in the
water with leaves of coral and fruits of pearls, upon which sat a beautiful,
delicate, and charming maiden. But in a few moments, as he watched, the maiden,
along with the tree, was submerged back into the water.
Seeing this, the greatly
astonished minister Satyaprakasha returned to the king and narrated the entire
account to him. Then, both of them came to the seashore. The king also saw the
maiden sitting on the tree, just as the minister had, and as the king watched,
the maiden entered the water as before. Seeing this wondrous sight, the king
also entered the ocean and reached Patala with that same maiden, and the
minister returned. The king said, 'O beautiful one! I have come here for you.
Accept me through Gandharva marriage.' She laughed and said, 'O best of kings!
When the Chaturdashi tithi of the dark fortnight comes, I will come to the
temple of the goddess and meet you.' The king returned and again, on the
Krishna Chaturdashi, he went to the temple of the goddess with a sword in his
hand. The maiden had already reached the temple before the king. At that very
moment, a Rakshasa named Bakavahana came and touched the maiden. Seeing this,
the king became blind with rage. He cut off the Rakshasa's head with his sword.
Then he said to the maiden, 'O charming one! Tell me the truth, who was this,
and how did he come here?' She said, 'O King! I am the daughter of a
Vidyadhara. My name is Madavati. I am my father's beloved daughter. Once, I had
gone into the forest at some time and could not reach home to my parents at
mealtime. My father, through his meditation, learned the whole story and cursed
me, saying, 'Madavati! On Krishna Chaturdashi, a Rakshasa will seize you.' When
I learned of the curse, I asked my father, weeping, 'Deva! When will I be free
from this curse?' He said, 'Daughter! When a king chooses you on Krishna
Chaturdashi, your curse will be lifted.' Madavati said, 'O King! By your grace,
I have been freed from the curse today. With your permission, I now wish to go
to my father's house.' Hearing this, the king said, 'Come with me to my home.
After that, I will take you to your father.' She agreed to the king's words and
came to the king's palace, and her marriage to the king took place. A great
festival was held in the king's city. The minister saw that a divine maiden had
also come with the king. A few days later, the minister suddenly died."
The Vetala asked—"O King!
Tell me, what is the reason for that minister's death? What is the
mystery?" King Vikram said—"Minister Satyaprakasha was the king's
friend and a great well-wisher of the people. It was through his great efforts
that the king obtained the excellent Vidyadhara-maiden named Madavati as his
queen. But after the marriage with Madavati, minister Satyaprakasha saw that
the king, having obtained Madavati, was becoming a voluptuary and had started
neglecting the kingdom and the subjects. He began to remain engrossed in
worldly pleasures day and night. Seeing this, he understood that the
destruction of this kingdom was imminent; because when a king becomes
licentious and selfish, the destruction of the kingdom is certain. In such a
situation, my counsel will also prove futile. Therefore, so that I may not see
the destruction of the kingdom with my own eyes, I shall first sacrifice my own
life. O Vetala! Understanding this, Minister Satyaprakasha gave up his
life."
One Must Certainly Suffer the
Consequences of One's Actions (The Story of Hariswami)
The Vetala again said—"O
King! In a beautiful city named Chudapur, there ruled a king named Chudamani.
He had a chaste wife named Vishalaksi. The queen, desiring a son, worshipped
Lord Shankara. By his grace, she was blessed with a handsome son, like
Kamadeva, who was born from a divine part. His name was kept as Hariswami.
Endowed with all prosperities, that Hariswami began to enjoy happiness on earth
like a god. Due to the curse of Devala Muni, a celestial damsel was born in
human form as Rupalavanyika and became the wife of Prince Hariswami. One time,
that beautiful lady was sleeping peacefully on her bed in her palace. At that
time, a Gandharva named Sukala came and abducted the queen, who was in a deep
slumber. When Hariswami awoke and did not see his wife, he began to search for
her. Not finding her, he became distraught, left the city, and went into the
forest. Renouncing all worldly pleasures, he became absorbed in the meditation
of Lord Sri Hari alone and, taking up the life of a mendicant, became a Sannyasi.
One day, that Sannyasi (King
Hariswami) came to a Brahmin's house to beg for alms, and the Brahmin, with
pleasure, prepared kheer and gave it to him. Taking the bowl of kheer, he went
from there to bathe. He placed the bowl of kheer on a banyan tree and began to
bathe in the river himself. At that moment, a serpent came from somewhere and
spat its venom into that kheer. When the Sannyasi Hariswami came from his bath
and began to eat the kheer, he fainted due to the effect of the poison and,
approaching the Brahmin, began to say, 'O wicked Brahmin! After eating the
poisonous kheer given by you, I am now dying. Therefore, you will incur the sin
of Brahmahatya (killing a Brahmin).' Saying this, that Sannyasi died and, by
the power of his austerities, attained the abode of Shiva."
The Vetala asked the king—"O
King! Who among them will incur the sin of Brahmahatya? Tell me this." The
king said—"The venomous serpent, out of ignorance and by its nature, made
the payasa poisonous; therefore, the sin of Brahmahatya will not fall upon it.
Since the Sannyasi was hungry and had come to the Brahmin's house begging for
alms, for the Brahmin, he was a guest in the form of God. Therefore, observing
the dharma of a guest was in accordance with his family tradition. He prepared the
kheer with devotion and offered it to the Sannyasi; in such a case, how can he
be a party to Brahmahatya? If he had given food mixed with poison, only then
would Brahmahatya have befallen him, because disrespecting a guest is also like
Brahmahatya. Therefore, the Brahmin will not incur Brahmahatya. What remains is
the Sannyasi. Because one must certainly suffer the fruit of one's own good and
bad deeds. Therefore, that Sannyasi, due to some deed from a previous life and
by the inspiration of time, died of his own accord; his death was natural. In
this, there is no one's fault. Eating the payasa was merely an incidental cause
in his death. Therefore, he too will not incur Brahmahatya. Thus, among these
three, no one will incur the sin of Brahmahatya."
The Ideal of Giving Life (The
Story of Jimutavahana and Shankhachuda)
The Rudra-servant Vetala said to
King Vikramaditya—"Maharaja! In Kanyakubja (Kannauj), there lived a
charitable, truthful Brahmin who was devoted to the worship of the Goddess. He
used to donate the wealth he received as alms. Once, the vow of the Sharadiya
Navadurga arrived. He could not obtain any wealth in alms, so he became very
worried, thinking, 'What measure should I take to obtain wealth? I have invited
the maidens for the Durga-puja; now how will I feed them?' As he was engrossed
in this worry, by the grace of the Goddess, he unexpectedly received five
coins, and with that, he completed his vow. He had fasted for nine days. By the
power of that vow, after death, he attained a divine form. Consequently, he
became Jimutaketu, the lord of the Vidyadharas. He lived in a beautiful place
in the Himalaya mountains. There, he also worshipped the Kalpavriksha
(wish-fulfilling tree) with devotion. By the power of that tree, he was blessed
with a son named Jimutavahana, who was skilled in all arts.
In a previous birth, that
Jimutavahana was a king of the middle country named Shurasena. Once, that King
Shurasena came to the forest named Utpalavarta, the abode of Maharishi Valmiki,
for hunting. There, on Chaitra Shukla Navami, he duly celebrated the festival
of Sri Rama's birth, Sri Ramanavami. He also kept a night vigil at the
hermitage of Maharishi Valmiki. By the merit born from hearing the Rama-centric
stories, that King Shurasena himself became the Vidyadhara named Jimutavahana
in the form of Jimutaketu's son. That Mahatma Jimutavahana also worshipped the
Kalpavriksha with devotion. Within a year, the pleased tree asked him to ask
for a boon. At this, Jimutavahana said, 'O great tree! May my city become
prosperous with wealth and grain by your grace.' The Kalpavriksha made the city
the best on earth. There was no one there who did not become like a king by the
power of the Kalpavriksha. Thereafter, both father and son went to the forest
for austerities and began to perform severe penance on the extremely beautiful
Malayachala mountain.
O King! One day, Kamalakshi, the
daughter of King Malayadhvaja, came to the Shiva temple with her friends to
worship Shiva. At the same time, Jimutavahana also arrived at the temple for
worship. Seeing the divine princess adorned with all ornaments, the desire to
obtain her arose in Jimutavahana, and for this, he also prayed. In the end, the
girl's father, Malayadhvaja, had her married to Jimutavahana. One day, King
Malayadhvaja's son, Vishvavasu, went to the Gandhamadana mountain with his
brother-in-law, Jimutavahana. There, he paid obeisance to Nara-Narayana. On
that same peak, Garuda, the vehicle of Lord Vishnu, arrived. At that time, the
mother of the Naga Shankhachuda was lamenting where Jimutavahana was. Hearing
the sorrowful cry of the woman, the compassionate Jimutavahana, distressed,
quickly went there. Assuring the old woman, he asked, 'Why are you crying? What
is your trouble?' She said, 'Deva! Today my son will become food for Garuda; I
am weeping, distraught with sorrow due to his separation.' Hearing this, King
Jimutavahana went to the Garuda peak. Garuda, thinking him to be his prey,
caught him and took him into the sky. Jimutavahana's wife, Kamalakshi, seeing
her husband being eaten by Garuda in the sky, began to weep with sorrow. But
Garuda, seeing that Jimutavahana was being eaten without distress and in human
form, became frightened and said to Jimutavahana, 'Why did you become my prey?'
At this, he said, 'The mother of the Naga Shankhachuda was very distressed; I
came to you to protect her son.'
When the Naga Shankhachuda came
to know of this incident, he, being distressed, quickly came to Garuda and
said, 'O ocean of mercy! I am present for your meal. O great-minded one!
Leaving this divine human, make me your food.' Seeing the greatness and spirit
of benevolence of Jimutavahana, Garuda was extremely pleased and gave the
Vidyadhara Jimutavahana three boons. 'From now on, I will never eat the
descendants of Shankhachuda. O excellent Jimutavahana! You will obtain a great
kingdom in the city of the Vidyadharas and, after enjoying bliss for one
hundred thousand years, you will attain Vaikuntha.' Saying this, Garuda
vanished, and Jimutavahana received the kingdom from his father and, after
enjoying the pleasures of the kingdom with his wife Kamalakshi, he finally went
to Vaikunthaloka."
The Vetala asked the king—"O
ruler of the earth! Now you tell me, between Shankhachuda and Jimutavahana, who
obtained the greater fruit, and who among the two was more courageous?"
The king replied—"O Vetala! Shankhachuda alone received the great fruit;
because to do good is the very nature of kings. Although King Jimutavahana
performed a great sacrifice and good deed for Shankhachuda by giving his own
life, and as a result, the pleased Garuda granted him the boon of a kingdom and
attainment of Vaikuntha, yet, being a king, Jimutavahana's giving of his life
(protecting the Naga) falls within the category of duty. Therefore, his
sacrifice does not seem as significant before the sacrifice and courage of
Shankhachuda. But Shankhachuda, fearlessly offering his own body to his enemy
Garuda, had saved the life of a great, righteous king. Therefore, Shankhachuda
alone appears to be the claimant of the greatest fruit." The Vetala was
satisfied with this answer from the king.
The Importance of Mental Focus
in Spiritual Practice (The Story of Gunakara)
The Vetala again said—"O
King! In Ujjayini, there was a king named Mahasena. In his kingdom lived a
Brahmin named Devasharma. Devasharma had a son named Gunakara, who was addicted
to gambling, liquor, and other vices. That wicked Gunakara destroyed all his
father's wealth in gambling and other activities. His relatives abandoned him.
He began to wander here and there on the earth. By chance, Gunakara came to the
ashram of a Siddha; there, a yogi named Kapardi gave him something to eat. But,
though afflicted by hunger, he did not accept that food, thinking it to be
contaminated by pishachas and others. At this, the yogi summoned a Yakshini for
his hospitality. The Yakshini came and extended hospitality to Gunakara.
Thereafter, she went to the peak of Kailasa. Distraught by her separation,
Gunakara again came to the yogi. The yogi bestowed upon Gunakara the vidya
(knowledge/mantra) that attracts a Yakshini and said, 'Son! You should remain
in water for forty days and chant this auspicious mantra at midnight. If you
succeed in the mantra by doing so, then by the power of the mantra, that
Yakshini will be attained by you.' Gunakara did just that, but he could not
attain the Yakshini. Finally, helpless, he returned to his home with the yogi's
permission. He spent that night after paying respects to his parents. The next
morning, that Gunakara went to a monastery of Sannyasis and began to live there
as a disciple. Seated amidst the five fires, he became purified and, to attain
the Yakshini, he again began to chant the mantra told by Kapardi, but the
Yakshini still did not come, which caused him great distress."
The Vetala asked the king, who
was wise in knowledge—"O great soul! Why could Gunakara not attain his
beloved Yakshini?" The king replied—"O servant of Rudra! For a
seeker's success, three essential qualities are required—the unity of mind,
speech, and body. An act performed with the unity of mind and speech is
blissful in the next world. An act performed with speech and body is beautiful.
It gives partial fruit in this life and is more fruitful in the next world. An
act performed by the mind and body grants success in the next birth. But a deed
accomplished with the absorption of all three—mind, speech, and body—yields
fruit quickly in this very life and, in the end, also grants liberation.
Therefore, a seeker should perform any act with extreme mental focus. Although
Gunakara chanted the mantra twice with great hardship, in both instances of his
practice, there was a lack of mental focus. While inside the water and
practicing amidst the five fires, there was the engagement of the body, and the
chanting from the speech also continued, but Gunakara's mind was not fixed on
the mantra but was fixed on the Yakshini. For this reason, he could not even
have faith in the power of the mantra. Despite the engagement of the body and
speech, due to the lack of engagement of the mind, Gunakara could not attain
the Yakshini. But he did indeed perform the act; consequently, in the next
world, he became a Yaksha and, as a Yaksha, he obtained the Yakshini. From
this, it is proven that for the complete success of any task, the engagement of
all three—mind, speech, and body—is necessary. Among these, the engagement of
the mind is paramount."
Maintain Equal Feelings for
Children (The Story of the Middle Son)
The Vetala again said—"O
King! In Chitrakoot, there lived a renowned king named Rupadatta. One day,
while chasing a deer, he entered a forest. At noon, he reached a lake and there
he saw a beautiful sage's daughter, along with her friend, picking lotus
flowers. Seeing her excellent form, the king decided to make her his queen. The
girl, too, was pleased to see the king. They both began to look at each other
with affection. When the king inquired about the girl from her friend, she said
that she was the adopted daughter of a sage. At that very moment, the girl's
father arrived there. Seeing the sage, the king humbly asked him, 'O Sage! What
is the highest dharma?' At this, the wise sage replied, 'O King! To nurture the
helpless, to protect those who seek refuge, and to show compassion is the main
dharma. There is no charity equal to giving the gift of fearlessness to the
frightened. The unruly should be punished. The venerable should be worshipped.
One should always maintain a reverent attitude towards cows and Brahmins. One
should maintain impartiality in punishment and not show favoritism. In the
worship of a deity, one should abandon deceit and fraud and take refuge in
truth in the form of faith and devotion. In the worship of gurus and elders,
special attention should be paid to sense-control and a composed mind. While
giving charity, one should adopt a gentle demeanor. One should consider even
the smallest blameworthy act as a great offense and should completely refrain
from it.'
Saying so, that sage married his
daughter to the prince. The king, taking her, set off towards his capital. On
the way, he rested under a banyan tree. At that moment, a Rakshasa came there
to eat his wife and began to say, 'You two have desecrated my place, so I will
eat you.' When the king asked for forgiveness, he said again, 'If you present a
seven-year-old Brahmin boy for me to eat, I will let you go.' The king, giving
his word to the Rakshasa, went to his palace with his wife.
The next day, the king narrated
all the news to his ministers. On the advice of the ministers, the king gave
one lakh gold coins to a Brahmin and persuaded him to offer his middle son to
the Rakshasa. That Brahmin's son also agreed to sacrifice himself for his
father. At the appointed time, everyone took him to the Rakshasa. Just as the
time for the sacrifice came, that Brahmin boy first laughed and then began to
weep in a loud voice."
The Vetala asked—"O King!
Tell me, why did that Brahmin boy first laugh and then cry at the time of his
death?" The king said—"O Vetala! The eldest son is dear to the
father, and the youngest son is dear to the mother. Therefore, finding himself
neglected by his parents and seeing no other refuge, the middle son, with great
hope, took refuge with the king. But seeing the death-like sword in the hands
of that merciless king Rupadatta, who wished to please his wife, the Brahmin
boy first burst into laughter. And then, thinking that this excellent body of
mine will be received by a lowly Rakshasa, he became sad and, weeping in a loud
voice, began to repent." The Vetala was very pleased with this answer from
the king.
Read Less, Understand More
(The Story of the Four Fools)
The Vetala said to the king
again—"O King! In the beautiful city of Jaipur, there was a king named
Vardhamana. In his village lived a Brahmin named Vishnuswami, who was an expert
in the Vedas and Vedangas. He was a devotee of Radha-Krishna. He had four sons,
who were engaged in various vices. Their names became as reviled as the
reprehensible deeds they performed. The first son was Dhyutakarma, the second
was Vyabhichari, the third was Vishayi, and the fourth was Nastika. By a turn
of misfortune, they all became poor. Once, they all went to their father,
Vishnusharma. They respectfully saluted him and said, 'Father! How did our
wealth get destroyed?' The father said, 'O Dhyutakarman! The act of gambling
destroys wealth. It is the root of sin. From gambling arise adultery, theft,
cruelty, and so on. It has greatly calamitous results. Your wealth has been
destroyed because of your gambling.' Hearing this, he said, 'O respected
father! Please tell me the right way to obtain wealth.' The father said, 'By
the power of pilgrimage and vows, your sins will be destroyed. Pay heed to the
words of your parents; obey them.' Then the father said to the second son,
'Son! You are an adulterer. The company of a prostitute is very inauspicious.
Renounce this inauspicious act and become devoted to Brahma with celibacy. Take
the vow of celibacy.' He said to the third son, Vishayi, 'Meat and wine are
always the cause of the increase of sin; through them, you will commit theft
and go to hell. Therefore, offer the wealth you have to the best of all, Lord
Vishnu, and eat in silence.' And to his atheist son, he said, 'Abandoning
god-slandering and other atheistic attitudes, follow the pure path of theism.
The Atman is pure, conscious, and eternal, and Mahadevi Chandika is the great power.
The deities residing in the heart-cave of all beings are parts of the
Paramatman. Attain their knowledge and worship them for the pacification of
sin.'
Hearing this, all four sons
engaged themselves in the paths specified by their father and, to obtain
beautiful knowledge, also began to worship Sarveshvara Shiva. In one year, Lord
Shankara granted them the Sanjivani Vidya (science of reviving the dead).
Having obtained the Sanjivani Vidya, they came to a forest and began to test
the vidya on the scattered bones of a tiger. The first son collected the bones
of the dead tiger and sprinkled mantra-infused water on them. By the power of
that mantra, the bones formed a skeleton. The second son, the adulterer,
sprinkled mantra-infused water on it, by the power of which the skeleton became
endowed with flesh and blood. The sensualist son sprinkled consecrated water on
it. As a result, skin and life came into it. The atheist son sprinkled water to
bring the sleeping tiger to life. Upon being revived by the power of the
mantra, that tiger devoured all of them."
The Vetala asked the king—"O
King! Now you tell me, who was the biggest fool among those four?" The
king replied—"He who brought the dead tiger to life is the biggest
fool." The Vetala was extremely pleased with this answer.
The Vetala said to the king
again—"O King Vikramaditya! It was by the command of Lord Shankara that I
came to you. Through various questions and answers, I have tested you, and you
have given wise answers to all of them. I am very pleased with this. My abode
shall be in your arms, by which you will conquer all the enemies on earth. All
the cities, various regions, towns, etc., have been destroyed by plunderers.
Therefore, have them reconstructed based on the measures told in the shastras
and rule the earth with justice. In your kingdom, dharma will be established
again." Saying this, the Vetala, after giving instructions for the worship
of the Goddess, vanished right there. King Vikramaditya, by the order of the
sages, performed the Ashvamedha-yajna and became a Chakravarti king. Ruling
righteously, in the end, King Vikramaditya attained heaven. Knowing of King
Vikramaditya's departure to heaven, Shaunaka and other Maharishis again heard
the meritorious tales of history and the Puranas from the Maharaja Lomaharshana
Sutaji and then, being delighted, they all went towards their respective
places.
॥
End of the Second Khanda of the Pratisarga Parva ॥
The Story of the Satyanarayana
Vrat
Beginning of the Story
Vyasaji spoke—Once upon a time,
in Naimisharanya, Shaunaka and other sages respectfully asked the Puranic Sri
Sutaji—"O Lord! For the welfare of the world, please be kind enough to
tell us, in all four yugas, who is worthy of worship and who is worthy of
service, and who is the fulfiller of everyone's desired wishes? By whose
worship can a person effortlessly attain his auspicious desires? O Brahman!
Please tell us such a true measure that enhances the fame of men." Being
asked thus by Shaunaka and other sages, Sri Sutaji began to pray to Lord
Satyanarayana—"I praise that God, Satyanarayana, whose eyes are like fresh
lotuses, who is the vessel for Rama's (Lakshmi's) play, who has four arms of
golden hue and a charming body, who is the cause of the world's protection, and
a comet of smoke to his enemies. I bow to Raghava, Sri Rama, who is with
Lakshmana, compassionate, accompanied by Sita, and of sattvic nature; who is a
bee captivated by the lotus-face of Vaidehi, and the destroyer of Paulastya
(Ravana). I bow to him whose lotus feet are worthy of veneration, the best
among gods, who shows compassion to his devotees, and is served by Shatrughna,
Hanuman, and Bharata."
Sutaji said—"O Sages! Now I
will narrate to you a history connected with the characters of great kings;
please listen to it. This sacred narrative is the destroyer of all the sins of
the Kali Yuga, the fulfiller of desires, revealed by the gods, brought to light
by the Brahmins, a delight to the learned, and especially a form of discussion
in satsang."
"O Sages! Once, the yogi
Devarishi Naradaji, desiring the welfare of all, was roaming through various
worlds and came to this mortal realm. Here he saw that, according to their own
past deeds, the creatures of the world were afflicted with various kinds of
troubles and sorrows, and were suffering from diverse physical and mental
ailments. Seeing this, he thought, 'What is the measure by which the sorrow of
these creatures can be destroyed?' Thinking thus, he went to Vishnuloka. There,
he had the darshan of Lord Narayana, adorned with the conch, discus, mace,
lotus, and a forest garland, with a pleasant face, serene, and praised by
Sanaka, Sanandana, Sanatkumara, and others. Seeing that God of gods, Naradaji
began to praise him in this manner: 'My salutations to you, the Paramatman,
whose form is beyond speech and mind, who is endowed with infinite power, who
is without beginning, middle, or end, and who is of a form without attributes.
My repeated salutations to you, the primordial being of all, dedicated to the
welfare of the world, all-pervading, and of the form of austerity.' Hearing the
praise of Devarishi Narada, Lord Vishnu spoke—'O Devarishi! For what reason
have you come here? What anxiety is in your mind? O great soul, tell me
everything. I will speak of the proper remedy.' Naradaji said—'O Lord! While
roaming the worlds, I had gone to the mortal realm. There I saw that all the
creatures of the world are afflicted by many kinds of sorrows and pains. They
are suffering from many diseases. Seeing their pitiable condition, great
distress arose in my mind, and I began to think, by what means will these
sorrowful creatures be delivered? O Lord! For their welfare, please be kind
enough to tell me a great and easy remedy.' Hearing these words of Naradaji, Lord
Narayana commended him with the words 'Sadhu, sadhu' and said—'O Naradaji!
Regarding the subject you are asking about, I will tell you an eternal vrat
(vow).'
Lord Narayana gives fruit in the
form of Vishnu in the Satya Yuga and Treta Yuga, and in the Dvapara Yuga, he
gives fruit by assuming many forms, but in the Kali Yuga, the all-pervading
Lord Satyanarayana gives immediate fruit. Because there are four feet of
dharma—truth, purity, austerity, and charity. Among these, truth is the primary
dharma. The conduct of the world rests on truth, and in truth, Brahma is
established. Therefore, the vrat of Lord Satyanarayana, who is the embodiment
of truth, is said to be the most excellent.
Naradaji asked again—"O
Lord! What is the fruit of the worship of Satyanarayana, and what is its
procedure? O Deva! O ocean of mercy! Please graciously tell me
everything."
Sri Bhagavan spoke—"O
Narada! Even the four-faced Brahma is not capable of telling the fruit and
procedure of the worship of Satyanarayana. But, in brief, I am telling its
fruit and procedure, please listen. By the vrat and worship of Satyanarayana, a
poor person becomes wealthy, and a childless person obtains a son. A dethroned
person regains his kingdom, a sightless person gains sight, a captive is freed
from bondage, and a fearful person becomes fearless. What more? Whatever object
a person desires, he obtains it all. Therefore, O Muni! In this human birth,
one must certainly worship Satyanarayana with devotion. By this, he will
undoubtedly and quickly obtain his desired object.
The observer of this
Satyanarayana vrat should be such that he becomes pure by brushing his teeth
and bathing in the morning. Taking a tulsi-manjari in his hand, he should
meditate on Lord Sri Hari, who is established in truth, in this manner: 'I
constantly contemplate Lord Narayana, who is pure like a dense cloud,
four-armed, wearing a most excellent yellow garment, with a pleasant face, eyes
like a fresh lotus, and served by Sanandana and others. O Deva! I undertake
your vrat; in the evening will be your worship. After hearing your story, I
will partake of your prasad.' Having made such a resolve in the mind, one
should worship Lord Satyanarayana in the evening according to the prescribed
rites. Five kalashas should be placed in the worship. Pillars of banana stalks
and festoons should be put up. The gold-adorned Lord Shaligrama should be well
bathed with panchamrita and other substances through the Purusha Sukta (Yaju.
31.1-16) and worshipped with devotion with sandalwood and many other offerings.
Thereafter, one should offer obeisance to the Lord while reciting the following
mantra: 'Salutations to the eternal Lord, the God of Truth, we meditate upon
Him. To the bestower of the four objectives of life, salutations to you, again
and again.' After chanting this mantra according to one's ability, one should
perform homa 108 times. With one-tenth of that, one should perform tarpana, and
with one-tenth of that, marjana, and then one should listen to the Lord's
katha, which is composed in six chapters. In this katha of the Lord, the
prominence is of Satya-dharma (the dharma of truth). After listening to the
katha, one should divide the Lord's prasad into four parts and distribute it
well. The first part should be given to the Acharya, the second part to one's
family, the third part to the listeners, and the fourth part should be kept for
oneself. Thereafter, one should feed the Brahmins and should also eat oneself
in silence.
O Devarishi! He who worships
Satyanarayana with this procedure and with faith and devotion attains all his
desired wishes in this very life. The fruit of merit performed in this life is
enjoyed in the next birth, and the fruit of deeds performed in the next birth,
a person has to endure here. The vrat of Satyanarayana, performed with
devotion, is the fulfiller of all desires."
Naradaji said—"O Lord! Today
itself, by your command, I will establish this Satya-deva-vrat on the
earth." Saying this, Naradaji went to propagate the vrat on the earth, and
Lord Narayanadeva, becoming invisible, came to the city of Kashi.
[First Chapter of the
Satyanarayana Vrat Katha] The Story of the Brahmin Shatananda in the
Satyanarayana Vrat Katha
Sutaji spoke—"O Sages! The
way in which Lord Narayana himself graciously propagated this vrat through
Devarishi Naradaji, I now narrate that story, please listen. In the famous city
of Kashi, there lived an excellent and learned Brahmin, who was devoted to the
vows of Vishnu. He was a householder, poor, and had a wife and son. He
sustained his life through the practice of begging for alms. His name was
Shatananda. One time, he was going to beg for alms. On the way, he saw an old
Brahmin, who was Hari himself in person, who was humble and extremely serene.
The Sri Hari, disguised as an old Brahmin, asked the Brahmin Shatananda, 'O
best of Dvijas! For what purpose and where are you going?' Shatananda replied,
'O gentle sir! I am going to the wealthy to ask for money for the maintenance
of my son, wife, and others.' Narayana said, 'O Dvija! Due to poverty, you have
long adopted the practice of begging. To remedy this, the Satyanarayana vrat is
the best measure in the Kali Yuga. Therefore, according to my statement, take
refuge at the feet of Lord Satyanarayana, the lotus-eyed one. By this, poverty,
sorrow, and all afflictions are destroyed, and liberation is also attained.'
Hearing these words of the
compassionate Lord, the Brahmin Shatananda asked, 'Who is this Satyanarayana?'
The God, disguised as a Brahmin, replied, 'He who assumes various forms, is of
truthful vow, is all-pervading, and is the untainted Deva, has now come before
you in the form of a Vipra. The feet of the Lord are like a boat to ferry the
creatures drowning in the great ocean of sorrow of this world. The wise ones
take refuge in the Lord, but those with a worldly intellect, engrossed in sense
objects, do not take refuge in the Lord and remain in this ocean of the world.
Therefore, O Dvija! For the welfare of the world, you bring this vrat to light
by worshipping, adoring, and meditating on the God Satyanarayana with various
offerings.'
As the Lord disguised as a Vipra
said this, that Brahmin Shatananda had a direct vision of the supreme being,
Lord Narayana, who was of a hue as blue as the clouds, with four beautiful arms
holding the conch, discus, mace, and lotus, wearing a yellow garment, with eyes
like a newly blossomed lotus, a gentle and sweet smile, adorned with a forest
garland, and whose lotus feet were kissed by bees. Upon hearing the Lord's
voice and having His direct vision, all the limbs of that Vipra tingled with
joy, and his eyes filled with tears of love. He fell to the ground and offered
a full prostration to the Lord and, in a voice choked with emotion, began to
praise Him thus: 'I prostrate to Lord Satyanarayana, the Lord of the world, the
cause of the cause of the universe, the Lord of the destitute, the bestower of
welfare and auspiciousness, the giver of refuge, the embodiment of merit, the
pure one, who is both unmanifest and manifest, and the remover of the three
kinds of afflictions. Salutations to Satyanarayanadeva, the creator of this
world. Salutations to the one of pure sattva, the sustainer of the universe.
Salutations to the terrible one, to time, the destroyer of the universe.
Salutations to you, O Lord, who are the auspiciousness of the world and the
form of the Atman. Today I have become blessed, I have become meritorious,
today my birth has become successful, for you, who are beyond mind and speech,
have appeared directly before me. What praise can I offer for my fortune? I do
not know of which meritorious deed this is the fruit, that I have had your
darshan. O Lord! You have made the body of this action-less and slow-witted one
fruitful. O Lord of the world! O husband of Rama! By what method should Lord
Satyanarayana be worshipped? O Lord! Please be kind enough to tell me that as
well.'
The Lord Narayana, who captivates
the world, spoke in a sweet voice—'O best of Vipras! My worship does not
require much wealth. One should worship me with devotion with whatever wealth
is obtained effortlessly. Just as the elephant king Gajendra, caught by the
crocodile, and Ajamila were freed from their predicaments by my praise and
remembrance, in the same way, by taking refuge in this vrat, a person is
immediately freed from afflictions.'
Listen to the procedure of this
vrat—'For the fulfillment of a desired wish, one should collect the materials
for the puja and worship Lord Satyanarayana according to the prescribed rites.
One should mix about a seer and a quarter of wheat flour with milk and sugar,
and that flour, combined with ghee, should be offered to Hari; this is
extremely dear to the Lord. After bathing Lord Shaligrama with panchamrita, one
should worship him with mantras and offerings like sandalwood, flowers,
incense, a lamp, naivedya, and betel leaves. One should worship with devotion
with many sweets and edible items, and with various fruits and flowers of the
season. Then, along with Brahmins and relatives, one should respectfully listen
to my katha, the history of the king (Tungadhvaja), the story of the Bhils, and
the story of the merchant (Sadhu). After the katha, one should bow to Satyadeva
with devotion and distribute the prasad. Thereafter, one should eat. My
pleasure is not from wealth and the like, but only from faith and devotion. O
best of Vipras! Those who worship in this prescribed manner become endowed with
sons, grandsons, and wealth and property, and after enjoying excellent
pleasures, in the end, they attain my proximity and live joyfully with me.
Whatever the observer of the vrat desires, he certainly obtains it.'
Saying this, the Lord vanished,
and the Brahmin too became extremely pleased. Saluting him in his mind, he went
towards the city for alms and made this resolve in his mind: 'Today, with
whatever money I receive in alms, I will perform the worship of Lord
Satyanarayana.' That day, effortlessly and without asking, he received abundant
wealth. Astonished, he came to his home. He narrated the entire account to his
virtuous wife. She too approved of the vrat and worship of Satyanarayana. By
her husband's command, she devoutly brought all the materials for the worship
from the market and invited her relatives and neighbors to participate in the
worship of Lord Satyanarayana. Thereafter, Shatananda worshipped the Lord with
devotion. At the conclusion of the katha, the Lord Satyanarayanadeva, who is
affectionate to his devotees, manifested with the aim of fulfilling their
wishes. Seeing his darshan, the Brahmin Shatananda asked the Lord for happiness
and supreme devotion in this world and the next, and said, 'O Lord! Please make
me your servant.' The Lord too, saying 'Tathastu' (So be it), vanished. Seeing
this, all the people who had come for the katha were extremely astonished, and
the Brahmin too felt his life was fulfilled. They all, offering a full
prostration to the Lord and respectfully accepting the prasad, went to their
respective homes, saying, 'This Brahmin is blessed, blessed indeed.' From then
on, it became propagated in the world that the vrat of Lord Satyanarayana is
the bestower of desired wishes, the destroyer of afflictions, and the granter
of worldly enjoyment and liberation.
[Second Chapter of the
Satyanarayana Vrat Katha] The Story of King Chandrachuda in the
Satyanarayana Vrat Katha
Sutaji spoke—"O Sages! In
ancient times, in a city named Manipuraka in the region of Kedarkhanda, there
lived a religious and benevolent king named Chandrachuda. He was of an
extremely calm nature, soft-spoken, of a patient disposition, and a devotee of
Lord Narayana. The Mlecchas of the Vindhya country became his enemies. That
king had a terrible war with those Mlecchas with arms and weapons. In that war,
the large four-fold army of King Chandrachuda was greatly destroyed, but the
army of the Mlecchas, who were skilled in deceptive warfare, suffered very
little damage. Defeated in the war by the arrogant Mlecchas, King Chandrachuda,
leaving his nation, went alone into the forest. Wandering here and there on the
pretext of pilgrimage, he reached the city of Kashi. There he saw that the
worship of Satyanarayana was being performed in every house, and this city of
Kashi had become as magnificent and prosperous as Dvaraka. Seeing the
prosperity there, Chandrachuda was astonished and also heard of the fame of the
Satyanarayana puja performed by the Brahmin Sadananda (Shatananda), by
following which everyone had become prosperous with virtue and dharma.
King Chandrachuda went to the
Brahmin Sadananda (Shatananda), who performed the worship of Satyanarayana, and
falling at his feet, he asked him the procedure for the Satyanarayana puja and
also narrated the story of his dethronement, and said, 'O Brahman! The vrat by
which Lord Janardana, the husband of Lakshmi, is pleased, by telling me that
sin-destroying vrat, please deliver me.' Sadananda (Shatananda) said, 'O King!
There is an excellent vrat named Satyanarayana, which is pleasing to Sripati,
which is the pacifier of all sorrow, grief, etc., the promoter of wealth and
grain, the bestower of good fortune and progeny, and the giver of victory
everywhere. O King! The worship and other arrangements for him should be
organized on any day during the Pradosha period. A mandapa, adorned with
pillars of banana stalks and decorated with toranas, should be constructed, and
five kalashas should be established in it, and five flags should also be
raised. The observer of the vrat should have a beautiful altar constructed in
the middle of that mandapa by Brahmins. Upon it, the stone form of Lord
Narayana (Shaligrama), adorned with gold, should be established, and he should
be worshipped with love and devotion with offerings like sandalwood, flowers,
etc. Meditating on the Lord, one should spend seven nights sleeping on the
ground.'
Hearing this, King Chandrachuda
promptly worshipped Lord Satyanarayana right there in Kashi. Pleased, the Lord
granted the king an excellent sword at night. Having obtained the
enemy-destroying sword, the king bowed to the excellent Brahmin Sadananda and
came to his city. After killing six thousand Mleccha plunderers, he obtained
immense wealth from them and again worshipped Lord Sri Hari on the beautiful
banks of the Narmada. That king began to worship Lord Satyadeva every full moon
day with love and devotion according to the rites and regulations. By the power
of that vrat, he became the lord of lakhs of villages and, after ruling for
sixty years, in the end, he attained Vishnuloka.
[Third Chapter of the
Satyanarayana Vrat Katha] The Story of the Woodcutters in the context of
the Satyanarayana Vrat
Sutaji spoke—"O Sages! Now
in this context, listen to the story of the Bhils who became fulfilled by
observing the Satyanarayana vrat. Once upon a time, some Nishadas used to cut
wood from the forest and sell it in the city. Among them, some Nishadas came to
the city of Kashi to sell wood. One of them, a very thirsty woodcutter, went to
the ashram of Vishnudasa (Shatananda). There he drank water and saw that the
Brahmins were worshipping the Lord. Seeing the wealth of the mendicant
Shatananda, he was astonished and began to think, 'From where did this immense
wealth come to such a poor Brahmin? Until today, I had only seen him as a
pauper. How did he become so wealthy today?' At this, he asked, 'Maharaja! How
did you obtain this prosperity, and how did you get freedom from poverty?
Please take the trouble to tell me; I wish to listen.' Shatananda said,
'Brother! This is all the fruit of the worship of Satyanarayana. What cannot be
achieved by his worship? Without the compassion of Lord Satyanarayana, not even
a little happiness can be obtained.' The Nishada asked him, 'Maharaja! What is
the glory of Lord Satyanarayana? What is the procedure of this vrat? Please
describe all the offerings of his worship, because benevolent saintly great
souls hold an equal sentiment for everyone in their hearts; they do not hide
any welfare-bestowing matter from anyone.'
Shatananda spoke—'Once upon a
time, King Chandrachuda, who lived in the city of Manipuraka in the
Kedarakshetra, came to my ashram and asked me for the procedure of the
Satyanarayana Vrat Katha. O son of a Nishada! Whatever I told him then, you
listen to it—One should resolve in one's mind to worship the Lord in any way,
with a desire-driven or a desireless motive. About a seer and a quarter of
wheat flour should be prepared with honey and fragrant ghee and offered to the
Lord as naivedya. Lord Satyanarayana (Shaligrama) should be bathed with
panchamrita, and he should be worshipped with offerings like sandalwood, etc.
The Lord should be worshipped with devotion with payasa, apupa, samyava, curd,
milk, seasonal fruits, flowers, incense, a lamp, and naivedya. If one has
wealth, the worship should be performed with even more enthusiasm and ceremony.
The Lord is not as pleased with abundant materials as he is with devotion. The
Lord is the master of the entire universe and is self-fulfilled. He does not
need any object; he only accepts the object offered with devotion by his
devotees. This is why the Lord, leaving the royal worship offered by
Duryodhana, came to the ashram of Viduraji and accepted his hospitality and
simple food of greens. Accepting the grains of rice from Sudama, the Lord
bestowed upon him prosperities that are utterly rare for humans. The Lord only
expects devotion offered with love. Gopa, Gridhra, Vanik, Vyadha, Hanuman,
Vibhishana, besides other demonic beings like Vritrasura, etc., having attained
the proximity of Narayana, are, by his grace, still living joyfully today. O
son of a Nishada! Hearing my words, that King Chandrachuda collected the
materials for the worship and worshipped the Lord with reverence; as a result,
he regained his lost wealth and is still rejoicing today. Therefore, you too
should worship Satyanarayana with devotion. By this, you will attain happiness
in this world and, in the end, will attain the proximity of Lord Vishnu.'
Hearing this, that Nishada felt
his life was fulfilled. Bowing to the excellent Vipra Shatananda, he went to
his home and told his companions also about the glory of Hari's service. All of
them, with a pleased mind and with devotion, took this pledge: 'Today, with
whatever money we get from selling wood, we, along with all our kinsmen, will
worship Satyanarayana with devotion and according to the prescribed rites.'
That day, from selling wood, they received four times more money than before.
Coming home, all of them told the entire matter to their wives, and then
everyone together worshipped Lord Satyanarayana with reverence and listened to
the katha. After distributing the Lord's prasad to everyone with devotion, they
also partook of it. By the power of the worship, the Nishadas, along with their
sons, wives, etc., obtained wealth and excellent knowledge-vision on earth. O
best of Dvijas! All of them enjoyed their desired pleasures and, in the end,
attained the abode of Vishnu, which is rare even for yogis.
[Fourth Chapter of the
Satyanarayana Vrat Katha] The Story of Sadhu the Merchant and his
Son-in-law in the context of the Satyanarayana Vrat
Sutaji spoke—"O Sages! Now I
will narrate the story of a Sadhu Vanik (virtuous merchant). Once, the lord of
the city of Manipuraka, the great and glorious King Chandrachuda, a devotee of
Lord Satyanarayana, was worshipping Lord Satyanarayanadeva with his subjects
according to the vrat. At that same time, a very wealthy Sadhu Vanik from
Ratnapur (Ratnasarapur), having filled his boat with wealth, was traveling
along the riverbank and arrived there. There he saw the worship mandapa,
constructed with gems and pearls and adorned with excellent canopies, etc.,
along with many villagers. The sound of singing, musical instruments, and the
chanting of the Vedas also reached his ears there. Seeing that beautiful place,
the Sadhu Vanik ordered his sailor to stop the boat right there. 'I want to see
the arrangements here,' he said. At this, the sailor did so. Alighting from the
boat, that merchant obtained information from the people and went to the
katha-mandapa of Lord Satyanarayana. There he asked all of them, 'Sirs! What is
this meritorious act that you are performing?' At this, those people said, 'We,
along with our honorable king, are organizing the puja and katha of Lord
Satyanarayana. It is by the performance of this very vrat that he has obtained
an undisputed kingdom. By the worship of Lord Satyanarayana, one who desires
wealth obtains wealth, one who desires a son obtains an excellent son, and one
who desires knowledge obtains the vision of knowledge, and a frightened person
becomes completely fearless. By his worship, a person attains all his desires.'
Hearing this, he wrapped his
garment around his neck several times and offered a full prostration to Lord
Satyanarayana, and also respectfully bowed to the members of the assembly, and
said, 'O Lord! I am without progeny, therefore all my wealth and all my
endeavors are in vain. O ocean of mercy! If, by your grace, I obtain a son or a
daughter, I will make a golden flag and worship you.' At this, the members of
the assembly said, 'May your wish be fulfilled.' Thereafter, he again bowed to
Lord Satyanarayana and the assembly members, accepted the prasad, and,
contemplating the Lord in his heart, that Sadhu Vanik went to his home with
everyone. Upon arriving home, the women welcomed him appropriately with
auspicious items. The Sadhu Vanik, with great wonder, went into the auspicious
inner quarters. His chaste wife, Lilavati, also served him in a manner
befitting a wife. By the grace of Lord Satyanarayana, in due time, a daughter
was born to him, who delighted her relatives and had eyes like a lotus. The Sadhu
Vanik was extremely delighted by this, and at that time, he donated a
considerable amount of wealth. Summoning Brahmins learned in the Vedas, he
performed the auspicious rites for the daughter, such as the Jatakarma. After
having the girl's birth chart made, her name was kept as Kalavati. Like a phase
of the moon, the lord of arts, that Kalavati began to grow daily. An
eight-year-old girl is a Gauri, a nine-year-old is a Rohini, a ten-year-old is
a Kanya, and after that (that is) a twelve-year-old girl is called a Praudha or
Rajasvala. In due course, Kalavati also grew and became of marriageable age.
Her father, seeing Kalavati as ready for marriage, began to worry about her
match. In the city of Kanchanpur, there lived a merchant named Shankhapati. He
was of a good family, handsome, wealthy, and endowed with virtues like good
conduct and generosity. Seeing that groom as worthy for his daughter, the Sadhu
Vanik chose Shankhapati and, at an auspicious time, with many auspicious
ceremonies, in the presence of fire, amidst the sounds of Vedas, musical
instruments, etc., he duly gave his daughter to him. At the same time, that
Sadhu Vanik, for auspiciousness, also gave gems, pearls, corals, clothes,
jewelry, etc., to his daughter and son-in-law. The Sadhu Vanik kept his
son-in-law in his own home, treating him like a son, and he too respected the
Sadhu Vanik like a father.
In this manner, much time passed.
The Sadhu Vanik had previously made a resolve to worship Lord Satyanarayana,
saying, 'Upon obtaining a child, I will worship Lord Satyanarayana,' but he had
forgotten this matter. He did not perform the worship.
A few days later, he, along with
his son-in-law, went to the far south bank of the Narmada for the purpose of
trade and, being engaged in business there, stayed for a long time. But even
there, he did not worship Lord Satyadeva in any way, and as a result, becoming
a recipient of the Lord's wrath, he was afflicted with many troubles. Once,
some thieves stole a great deal of wealth and a pearl necklace from the royal
palace in the dead of night. Upon learning of the theft, the king summoned his
royal officers, scolded them severely, and said, 'If you do not find the
thieves and present all the wealth here within two days, you will be given the
death penalty for your negligence.' At this, the royal officers conducted an
extensive search everywhere, but despite much effort, they could not find the
thieves. Then they all gathered and began to deliberate, 'Alas! It is a matter
of great distress. The thief was not found, nor was the wealth. Now the king
will kill us along with our families. Even after death, we will obtain the form
of a ghost. Therefore, it is now best that we drown ourselves and die in the
sacred Narmada river. Because, by the power of the Narmada, we will attain the
abode of Shiva.' All those royal officers, having made such a decision among
themselves, went to the bank of the Narmada river. There they saw that Sadhu
Vanik and also saw the pearl necklace around his neck. They mistook the Sadhu
Vanik for the thief, and all of them, being pleased, captured both of them (the
Sadhu Vanik and his son-in-law) along with their wealth and brought them before
the king. Lord Satyanarayana had also turned against the merchant for taking
recourse to falsehood in performing the worship. For this reason, the king
also, without any consideration, ordered his servants to confiscate all their
property and deposit it in the treasury, and to put them in jail in handcuffs.
The servants obeyed the king's order. No one paid any attention to the
merchant's words. That merchant, along with his son-in-law, became extremely sad
and began to lament, 'O son! Where has my wealth gone now? Where are my
daughter and wife? Look at the adversity of fate. We have sunk into an ocean of
sorrow. Who will now ferry us across this crisis? I have acted against dharma
and the Lord. This is the effect of those very deeds.' Lamenting in this
manner, that father-in-law and son-in-law continued to experience severe
affliction in jail for many days."
[Fifth Chapter of the
Satyanarayana Vrat Katha] The Deliverance of All Through Recourse to
Satya-Dharma (The Story of Lilavati and Kalavati)
Sutaji said—"O Sages! Those
who listen to the auspicious character of Lord Vishnu, the remover of the three
afflictions—adhyatmika, adhidaivika, and adhibhautika—always reside in the
abode of Hari. But those who do not take refuge in the Lord—who forget Him—they
obtain a painful hell. The name of Lord Vishnu's wife is Kamala (Lakshmi). She
has four sons: Dharma, Yajna, Raja, and Chora (Thief). All of these are dear to
Lakshmi, meaning they desire Lakshmi. That which is given in charity to
Brahmins and guests is called dharma; for that, wealth is required. The
deva-yajna and pitri-yajna which are performed through svaha and svadha are
called yajna; in that too, there is a need for wealth. The one who protects
dharma and yajna is called a king; therefore, the king also needs
Lakshmi—wealth. The one who destroys dharma and yajna is called a thief; he too
steals with the desire for wealth. Therefore, these four, in one form or
another, are servants of Lakshmi. But where there is truth, there alone is
dharma, and there alone Lakshmi also resides in a stable form.
That merchant had deviated from
satya-dharma (he had broken his vow by not performing the Satyanarayana vrat).
That is why the king had all the wealth from the merchant's house seized, and a
theft also occurred in the house. His poor wife, Lilavati, along with her
daughter, Kalavati, began to sustain themselves somehow by selling their
clothes, jewelry, and house. One day, her daughter Kalavati, distraught with
hunger, went to a Brahmin's house and there she saw the Brahmin performing the
worship of Lord Satyanarayana. Seeing him praying to Jagannath Satyadeva, she
also prayed to the Lord, 'O Satyanarayanadeva! If my father and husband come
home, I too will perform your worship.' Hearing her words, the Brahmins said,
'So it shall be.' Having received such an assuring blessing from the Brahmins,
she returned to her home. Due to her late return at night, her mother, scolding
her, asked, 'Daughter! Where were you until so late at night?' At this, giving
her the prasad, she narrated the account of the Satyanarayana puja and said,
'Mother! I heard there that Lord Satyanarayana gives immediate fruit in the
Kali Yuga; people always worship him. Mother! I also want to worship him;
please grant me permission. My only wish is that my father and husband come
home.' Having resolved this in her mind at night, in the morning that Kalavati
went to the house of a merchant named Shilapala with the desire to obtain money
and said, 'Brother! Please give me a little money so that I can perform the
worship of Lord Satyanarayana.' Hearing this, Shilapala gave five ashrafis and
said, 'Kalavati! Your father had some remaining debt; I am returning it to him.
By giving this, I am free from debt today.' Saying this, Shilapala went to
Gaya-tirtha to perform shraddha. The daughter, with her mother Lilavati,
performed the welfare-bestowing Satyanarayana vrat with that money, with
devotion, faith, and according to the prescribed rites. Lord Satyanarayana was
pleased by this.
Meanwhile, the king residing on
the banks of the Narmada was sleeping in his royal palace. In the last watch of
the night, Lord Satyanarayana, in the guise of a Brahmin, said to him in a
dream, 'O King! Rise quickly and release those innocent merchants from bondage.
They have both been imprisoned without any offense. If you do not do so, you
will not have welfare.' Saying this, he vanished. The king suddenly awoke from
his sleep. He began to remember the Paramatman. In the morning, the king came
to his court and asked his minister for the interpretation of the dream he had
seen. The great minister also said to the king, 'O King! It is a matter of
great wonder; I too saw a similar dream today. Therefore, the merchant and his
son-in-law should be summoned and properly questioned.' The king had them both
brought from the prison and asked, 'Where do you both live, and who are you?'
At this, the Sadhu Vanik said, 'O King! I am a merchant residing in Ratnapur. I
had come here to trade, but by a turn of fate, your servants caught us,
thinking we were thieves. Along with me is my son-in-law. We have been accused
of stealing gems and pearls without any offense. O King of Kings! We are both
not thieves. Please consider this carefully.' Hearing his words, the king felt
great remorse. He released them from bondage. He adorned them in many ways, fed
them, and honored them by giving them clothes, jewelry, etc. The Sadhu Vanik
said, 'O King! I have endured many hardships in prison. Now I wish to go to my
city; please give me permission.' At this, the king, through his treasurer, had
the Sadhu Vanik's boat filled to the brim with gems and other things. Then that
Sadhu Vanik, along with his son-in-law, honored by the king, set off towards
Ratnapur with twice the wealth.
The Sadhu Vanik departed for his
city, but he forgot the worship of Lord Satyanarayana at that time as well.
Lord Satyadeva, who gives immediate fruit in the Kali Yuga, again assumed the
form of an ascetic, came there, and asked him, 'O Sadhu! What is in this boat
of yours?' At this, the Sadhu Vanik replied, 'I do not have any wealth to give
you. The boat is only filled with some leaves of creepers.' Upon the Sadhu
Vanik saying this, the ascetic said, 'So it shall be.' Saying this, the ascetic
vanished. As he said this, only leaves became visible in the boat instead of
wealth. Seeing all this, the Sadhu became extremely astonished and worried; he
nearly fainted. He began to lament in many ways. As if struck by lightning, he
stood stunned, thinking, 'What shall I do now? Where shall I go? Where has my
wealth gone?' On the advice of his son-in-law, considering it to be the
ascetic's curse, he again went in search of that same ascetic and, wrapping a
cloth around his neck, he bowed to the ascetic and said, 'O great soul! Who are
you? Are you a Gandharva, or a god, or the Paramatman himself? O Lord! I do not
know your glory in the slightest. Please forgive my offenses and restore the
wealth in my boat.' At this, the ascetic-formed Lord Satyanarayana said that you,
in the mandapa of King Chandrachuda's Satyanarayana puja, had taken a vow—'Upon
obtaining a child, I will worship Lord Satyadeva.' You were blessed with a
daughter, you also had her married, you also obtained wealth from trade, you
were also freed from prison, but you never worshipped Lord Satyanarayana. Due
to this, many faults like false speech, breaking of a vow, and disrespect to a
deity have occurred; you do not even remember the Lord. For this reason, O
fool, you are suffering. Lord Satyanarayana is all-pervading; he is the
bestower of all fruits. How can you obtain happiness by disrespecting him?
Remember the Lord, remember him.' At this, the Sadhu Vanik remembered Lord
Satyanarayana and began to repent. Before his very eyes, that ascetic transformed
into the form of Lord Satyanarayana, and then he began to praise him in this
manner: 'Salutations to Lord Hari, who is the form of truth, of truthful
promise, Satyanarayana. By whose truth the world is established, to that
truth-formed you, I bow again and again. O Lord! Those whose souls are deluded
by your maya do not see their own welfare and, always submerged in the ocean of
sorrow, consider sorrow as happiness. I am a fool, my eyes blinded by the
darkness of arrogance from the pride of wealth. I do not know my own welfare;
how can a fool like me see it? Forgive my wickedness. O abode of austerity!
Salutations to Hari. O treasure of penance! Salutations to you. O ocean of
mercy! Please make me a servant of your feet, so that I may constantly remember
your lotus feet.'
Praising in this manner, that
Sadhu Vanik vowed to perform the worship of Satyanarayana upon returning home,
through a priest, with one lakh mudras. At this, the Lord, being pleased, said,
'Son! Your wish will be fulfilled. You, endowed with sons and grandsons, will
enjoy excellent pleasures and attain my Satyaloka and will obtain bliss with
me.' Saying this, Lord Satyanarayana vanished, and the Sadhu resumed his
journey.
The Sadhu Vanik, protected by
Lord Satyadeva, reached the vicinity of his city in one week and sent a
messenger to his home to announce his arrival. The messenger, coming to the
house, said to the Sadhu Vanik's wife, Lilavati, 'The Sadhu Vanik, with his purpose
fulfilled, is arriving with his son-in-law.' That virtuous Lilavati, along with
her daughter, was performing the worship of Lord Satyanarayana. Hearing of her
husband's arrival, she left the worship right there and, entrusting the
remaining responsibility of the worship to her daughter, she quickly came to
the boat. Meanwhile, Kalavati also, along with her friends, somehow finished
the worship of Satyanarayana and, without taking the prasad, hurriedly went
towards the boat to see her husband. Due to the disrespect of the prasad of
Lord Satyanarayana, the boat of the Sadhu Vanik, along with his son-in-law,
became unseen in the middle of the water. Seeing this, everyone was submerged
in sorrow. The Sadhu Vanik also fainted and fell to the ground on the earth.
Kalavati also, seeing this, fainted and fell to the ground, and her entire body
was drenched with tears. She began to tremble like a banana leaf shaken by the
force of the wind. Crying out, 'O lord! O beloved!' she began to lament and
said, 'O creator! You have broken my hope by separating me from my husband.
Without a husband, a woman's life is incomplete and fruitless.' Kalavati, in a
distressed voice, said to Lord Satyanarayana, 'O ocean of truth! O Lord
Satyanarayana! I am about to drown in the water due to separation from my
husband. Please forgive my offenses. Reveal my husband and protect my life.'
(Thus, when she was about to enter the water taking her husband's sandals), at
that time an aerial voice was heard—'O Sadhu! Your daughter has disrespected my
prasad. If she goes home again and partakes of the prasad with devotion, her
husband, along with the boat, will surely be seen here. Do not worry.' At this,
the astonished Kalavati did just that, and her husband again became visible to
her, along with his boat. What then? All met each other with joy, and upon
coming home, the Sadhu Vanik performed the worship of Lord Satyadeva with great
ceremony with one lakh mudras and began to live in happiness. He never again
neglected Lord Satyadeva. By the power of that vrat, endowed with sons and
grandsons and enjoying many pleasures, all of them went to heaven. The person
who listens to this history with devotion also becomes very dear to Vishnu. He
attains the fulfillment of his heart's desire.
Sutaji spoke—"O Sages! I
have told you this Satyanarayana vrat, which is the best among all vratas. This
vrat, coming from the mouth of a Brahmin, is extremely meritorious in the Kali
Yuga."
[Sixth Chapter of the Shri
Satyanarayana Vrat Katha] (Satyanarayana Vrat Katha Complete) The
story of Pitrisharma and his descendants - Vyadi, Panini, and Vararuchi, etc.
The sages said—"O Lord! We
have heard the Satyanarayana vrat, the best among all vows that destroy the
three sorrows. Now we wish to hear from you the importance of
Brahmacharya."
Sutaji spoke—"O Sages! In
the Kali Yuga, there was an excellent Brahmin named Pitrisharma. He was a
knower of the essence of the Vedas and Vedangas and was fearful of sinful acts.
Seeing the terrible times of the Kali Yuga, he became very worried. He thought
about which ashrama (stage of life) would lead to his welfare, because in the
Kali age, the path of Sannyasa has been fragmented by hypocrisy and pretense,
Vanaprastha has almost ended, and only Brahmacharya remains here and there; but
the karma of the Grihastha (householder) life is considered the best among all
karmas. Therefore, in this dire Kali Yuga, I should marry to follow the
householder's dharma. If, by fortune, I get a wife who acts according to my own
disposition, then my life will become successful and blessed."
Thinking thus, Pitrisharma, to
obtain an excellent wife, worshipped the Universal Mother, Goddess
Vishveshvari, with sandalwood etc. and began to praise her. Hearing
Pitrisharma's praise, the Goddess was pleased and said, "O best of Dvijas!
I have designated the daughter of the Brahmin Vishnuyasha to be your
wife." Thereafter, Pitrisharma married that Devi Brahmacharini and,
residing in Mathura, began to live his life according to the householder's
dharma. Four sons, who were knowers of the four Vedas, were born to him. Their
names were—Rik, Yajush, Sama, and Atharva. The son of Rik was Vyadi, who was an
expert in the science of logic. The son of Yajush was the world-renowned
Mimamsa. The son of Sama was Panini, who was an expert in the science of
grammar, and the son of Atharva was Vararuchi.
One time, the four of them, along
with Pitrisharma, went to the court of King Chandragupta, the ruler of the
Magadha country. The king, after worshipping them with great respect, asked,
"O Dvijas! Which vow of Brahmacharya is the best?" At this, Vyadi
said, "Maharaja! The person who is devoted to the worship of that Supreme
Being with justice is the best Brahmachari." Mimamsa said, "O King!
The excellent person who worships Brahma and other gods in a yajna, and who
worships them with rochana etc. and performs tarpana etc., and accepts the
prasad of the Lord, he is a Brahmachari." Hearing this, Panini said,
"O King! The one who worships the Shabda-Brahman (the word as the
Absolute) with udatta, anudatta, and svarita tones, or with Para, Pashyanti,
and Madhyama speech, and who worships the Shabda-Brahman with sutra-pathas endowed
with linga, dhatu, and ganas, is a true Brahmachari, and he alone attains
Brahma." Hearing this, Vararuchi said, "O lord of Magadha! The person
who, after being initiated, resides in a Gurukula, holding a staff, with matted
hair and nails, begging for alms, and who is devoted to the study of the Vedas
and resides in the guru's house according to the guru's command, is called a
Brahmachari."
Hearing their words, Pitrisharma
said that "he who, while living in the householder's dharma, honors the
ancestors, gods, and guests, and who approaches his wife only during the
prescribed time with sense-control, he is the foremost Brahmachari." Hearing
this, the king said, "O Master! For the Kali age, your statement is the
proper, easy, and best dharma; this is my opinion as well." Saying this,
that king became a disciple of Pitrisharma and, in the end, attained heaven. Pitrisharma
also, meditating on Lord Sri Hari, went to the Himalaya mountain and became
devoted to yoga and meditation.
The History of Maharishi
Panini
The sages asked—"O Lord!
Among all pilgrimages, charities, and other means of dharma, what is the best
means, by taking refuge in which a person can cross the ocean of afflictions
and attain liberation?"
Sutaji spoke—"In ancient
times, Sama had an excellent son whose name was Panini. Defeated and
embarrassed by the excellent scholarly disciples of Kanada, he went on a
pilgrimage. Bathing in almost all the holy places and offering libations to the
gods and ancestors, he drank the water of the Kedara region and became
engrossed in the meditation of Lord Shiva. Living on a diet of leaves, he would
take water at the end of a week. Then for ten days, he consumed only water. After
that, for ten days, he remained on a diet of only air and continued to meditate
on Lord Shiva. In this way, when twenty-eight days had passed, Lord Shiva
appeared and asked him to ask for a boon. Hearing this nectar-like voice, he,
in a voice choked with emotion, praised Hara, the lord of all, the lord of all
lingas, the beloved of Girija, in this manner: 'Salutations to the great Rudra.
Salutations to Lord Shiva, the lord of all, the benefactor of all. Salutations
to the God who rides Nandi, the bestower of fearlessness and knowledge. Salutations
to Shankara, the destroyer of sin, the lord of all worlds, the remover of all
illusory sorrows, the form of effulgence, the one of infinite forms. O Lord of
gods! If you are pleased, please be kind enough to grant me the root knowledge
and the supreme scriptural knowledge.'"
Sutaji spoke—"Hearing this,
Mahadevaji, being pleased, bestowed upon him the auspicious,
all-syllable-formed sutras beginning with 'a i u ṇ'.
One who attains the 'Manasatirtha' (pilgrimage of the mind)—which destroys the
impurity of attachment and aversion with the water of truth from the lake of
knowledge—that is, by bathing in that Manasatirtha, one obtains the fruit of
all pilgrimages. This great mental pilgrimage of knowledge is capable of making
one realize Brahma. O Panini! I have bestowed this highest tirtha upon you; by
this, you will become fulfilled." Saying this, Lord Rudra vanished, and
Panini returned to his home. Panini, after composing the science of grammar in
the form of the Sutrapatha, Dhatupatha, Ganapatha, and Lingasutra, attained the
supreme nirvana. Therefore, O best of the Bhargavas, take refuge in the mental
pilgrimage of knowledge. From them, the welfare-bestowing, most excellent,
tirtha-formed Ganga manifested. There has been no better tirtha than the Ganga,
nor will there be.
The Glory of Srimad Bhagavatam
in the Context of Bopadeva's Character
Sutaji spoke—"O great sage
Shaunaka! In Totadri, there lived a Brahmin named Bopadeva. He was a devotee of
Krishna and an expert in the Vedas and Vedangas. He went to the
Vrindavan-tirtha, which is graced by the Gopis and Gopas, and worshipped the
God of gods, Janardana. After one year, Lord Sri Hari, being pleased, bestowed
upon him most excellent knowledge. Through that very knowledge, the story of
the Bhagavata arose in his heart. The story which Sri Shukadevaji had narrated
to the wise King Parikshit, that eternal, liberation-formed story, Bopadeva
narrated again under the name 'Hari-lilamrita'. At the conclusion of the story,
Lord Janardana Vishnu appeared and said, 'O great-minded one! Ask for a boon.' Bopadeva,
in an extremely affectionate voice, said, 'O Lord! Salutations to you. You are
the bestower of grace upon the entire world. From you, gods, humans, animals,
and birds have all been created. Even creatures suffering in hell become
fulfilled in this Kali Yuga by your name alone. You have granted me the
knowledge of the Srimad Bhagavatam composed by Maharishi Vedavyasa; if you
still wish to grant a boon, then please tell me the glory of that
Bhagavatam.'"
Sri Bhagavan spoke—"O
Bopadeva! Once, Lord Shankara, along with Parvati, upon seeing the kingdom of
the hypocritical and pretentious Buddhists established, found a suitable place
in Kashi and settled there. Lord Shankara, bowing with joy, said, 'O
Satchidananda! O Lord! O one who gives joy to the world! Victory to you.' Hearing
such words, Parvati asked Lord Shankara, 'O Lord! Who is the other deity, equal
to you, to whom you have bowed?' At this, Lord Shiva said, 'O Mahadevi! This
Kashi is a most sacred place; it is itself the eternal form of Brahma. It is
worthy of being bowed to. Here I will perform a Saptaha-yajna (a week-long
Bhagavata sacrifice).' To protect that sacrificial site, Lord Shankara
established Chandisha, Ganesha, Nandi, and the Guhyakas and, remaining in
meditation himself, he narrated the Bhagavata katha to Mother Parvati for seven
days. On the eighth day, seeing Parvati asleep, he asked, 'How much of the
story did you hear?' She said, 'Deva! I have heard the character of Vishnu up
to the churning of the nectar.' The parrot-formed Shukadeva, situated in the
hollow of a tree there, was listening to this very story. By hearing the
nectar-story, he became immortal. By this command of mine, that Shuka is
situated directly in your heart. O Bopadeva! You have obtained this rare glory
of the Bhagavata through me. Now you go and narrate it to Gandharvasena, the
father of King Vikram, on the banks of the Narmada. The charity of Hari's glory
is the best among all charities. It should be narrated only to a devotee of
Vishnu, a wise and worthy recipient. Even the charity of food to the hungry is
not equal to this charity." Saying this, Lord Sri Hari vanished, and
Bopadeva became very pleased.
Chapter 33
The Glory of the Adi-Charitra
(First Episode) of Sri Durga Saptashati (The Story of Vyadhakarma)
The sages asked—"O Sutaji
Maharaj! Please be kind enough to tell us, by reciting which stotra (hymn) does
one obtain the fruit of reciting the Vedas and sins are destroyed."
Sutaji spoke—"O Sages! In
this regard, listen to a story. In the kingdom of King Vikramaditya, there
lived a Brahmin. His wife's name was Kamini. Once, that Brahmin had gone
elsewhere to recite the Sri Durga Saptashati. Meanwhile, his wife Kamini, who
acted in accordance with her name, engaged in reprehensible acts in her
husband's absence. As a result, a contemptible son was born to her, who became
famous by the name Vyadhakarma. He too acted in accordance with his name; he
was deceitful and devoid of Vedic recitation. That Brahmin, seeing the
reprehensible acts and sinful conduct of his wife and son, threw them both out
of the house and, remaining devoted to dharma himself, began to recite the
Chandi-path daily on the Vindhyachal mountain. By the grace of Jagadamba, in
the end, he became liberated while still alive.
Meanwhile, both mother and son
(Kamini and Vyadhakarma) went to a previously known Nishada and began to reside
there. Even there, the two of them could not abandon their reprehensible
conduct and began to accumulate wealth through these evil deeds. Vyadhakarma
became engaged in the act of theft. Wandering thus, by a turn of fate, one day
that Vyadhakarma reached a temple of the Goddess. There, an excellent Brahmin
was reciting the Sri Durga Saptashati. Just by hearing a small part of the
Adi-Charitra (First Episode) of the Durga-path, his wicked intellect turned
towards dharma. As a result, that Vyadhakarma, endowed with a righteous
intellect, accepted the discipleship of that excellent Vipra and gave all his
wealth to him. By the command of his guru, he chanted the mantra of the
Goddess. By the power of the bija-mantra, the multitude of his sins came out of
his body in the form of worms. Chanting in this manner for three years, he
became a sinless and excellent Dvija. In this way, twelve years passed for him
while chanting the mantra and reciting the Adi-Charitra. Thereafter, that Dvija
came to Kashi. He worshipped Mahadevi Annapurna, who is worshipped by sages and
gods, with offerings of rochana and other items, and praised her in this
manner: 'O Kashi-pura-adhishvari (Queen of the city of Kashi), Annapurneshvari!
You are the bestower of eternal bliss, the bestower of supreme fearlessness,
the mine of the jewels of beauty, the one who purifies by removing all
accumulated sins. You are the creator of many worlds, the remover of great
fear, the sustainer of the universe, the beautiful one. O Mother
Annapurneshvari, who provides support through your grace, please grant me
knowledge.' After chanting this praise one hundred and eight times, he closed
his eyes in meditation and fell asleep right there. In a dream, Annapurna Shiva
appeared before him and, after granting him the knowledge of the Rigveda,
vanished. Later, that intelligent Brahmin, having obtained excellent knowledge,
became the acharya of King Vikramaditya's yajna. After the yajna, embracing
yoga, he went to the Himalayas. O Vipras! I have told you the glory of the
sacred Adi-Charitra of the Goddess, by the power of which that Vyadhakarma,
having attained the state of a Brahmin, achieved the highest and best
siddhi."
Chapter 34
The Glory of the
Madhyama-Charitra (Middle Episode) of Sri Durga Saptashati (The Story of
Katyayana and King Mahananda of Magadha)
Sutaji spoke—"O Shaunaka! In
the city of Ujjayini, there lived a Kshatriya named Bhimavarma, who was given
to violence and consumed liquor and meat. Due to extreme violence and
unrighteous conduct, he was afflicted with terrible diseases and died in his
youth. By chance, he had once sponsored a Chandi-path. Due to the merit of
which, even such a vile sinner did not go to hell. In his next birth, he became
the famous, politics-savvy King Mahananda of Magadha, and he had the complete
memory of his previous life. He became the disciple of the extremely capable
and intelligent Katyayana (Vararuchi). Katyayana, after instructing King
Mahananda on the Madhyama-Charitra along with the bija-mantra of Goddess
Mahalakshmi, himself went to the Vindhya mountains for Shakti-upasana. Meanwhile,
the king, worshipping Mahalakshmi daily with musk, sandalwood, etc., began to
recite the Madhyama-Charitra of the Sri Durga Saptashati. After twelve years
had passed, Katyayana, the worshipper of Shakti, returned to his disciple Mahananda
and had the king duly perform the Laksha-Chandi-path. As a result, the eternal
Goddess Mahalakshmi manifested and granted the king dharma, artha, kama, and
moksha as well. In this way, the great soul Mahananda, after enjoying his
desired fruits like the gods, in the end, being venerated by the gods, attained
the supreme realm."
Chapter 35
The Glory of the
Uttara-Charitra (Final Episode) of Sri Durga Saptashati in the context of the
character of Yogacharya Maharishi Patanjali
Sutaji spoke—"On the
beautiful Chitrakoot mountain, adorned by many minerals, lived the great
scholar, the sage Patanjali. He was a knower of the essence of the Veda and
Vedangas and was devoted to the science of the Gita. He was a devotee of
Vishnu, a speaker of truth, and is also considered the author of the
Vyakarana-Mahabhashya. Once, that pure-souled one went to other holy places. In
Kashi, he had a scriptural debate with the Devi-bhakta Katyayana. The debate
continued for one year, and in the end, Patanjali was defeated. Ashamed by
this, he worshipped Saraswati in this manner: 'Salutations to the Devi, of
great form; salutations to the one who is the form of all. To Shivani, the
auspiciousness of all, and to you, the maya of Vishnu, salutations. You alone
are faith, you are intelligence, intellect, knowledge, and the bestower of
welfare. You are peace, you are speech; O Narayani, salutations to you, again
and again.' Pleased by this praise, the Goddess Saraswati said in an aerial
voice, 'O best of Vipras! With a concentrated mind, chant my Uttara-Charitra. By
its power, you will surely attain knowledge. O Patanjali! Katyayana will be
defeated by you.' Hearing these words of the Goddess, Patanjali went to the
temple of Vindhyavasini Devi and worshipped Saraswati, and she was pleased. Due
to this, he again defeated Katyayana in the scriptural debate. Later, he also
enhanced the importance of the Tulsi-mala and other things in the propagation
of the Krishna-mantra and devotion. By the grace of the Goddess Vishnumaya,
that Yogacharya became extremely long-lived. O Munis! Thus the glory of the
Uttara-Charitra of the Durga Saptashati has been described. Now what more do
you wish to hear? Please tell. May all be well; may no one experience sorrow. Lord
Vishnu, the one with the Garuda banner, the lotus-eyed one, is auspicious. Lord
Vishnu is the embodiment of auspiciousness. The person who, being pure, listens
to this collection of histories daily, attains the supreme state."
॥
End of the Second Khanda of the Pratisarga Parva ॥
Pratisarga Parva: Third Khanda
(Section Three)
Beginning of the Alha-Khanda
(The Story of Alha and Udal)
The sages asked—"O Sutaji
Maharaj! You have described the history of Maharaja Vikramaditya. Knowing the
dire state of time, his rule was as just and righteous as that of the Dvapara
Yuga and it remained on this earth for a long time. O great soul! At that time,
Lord Sri Krishna performed many leelas. Please describe those leelas to us, for
you are omniscient."
Sri Sutaji, with an auspicious
remembrance, said—"Having offered salutations to Narayana, and to Nara,
the best of men, and to the Goddess Saraswati and Vyasa, one should then recite
the Jaya (texts of victory). O Munis! At the end of the twenty-eighth Dvapara
Yuga of the Vaivasvata Manvantara in the Mahakalpa named Bhavishya, the famous
great war of Kurukshetra took place. In it, after fighting, the Pandavas
achieved complete victory over all the arrogant Kauravas on the eighteenth day.
On the final day, Lord Sri Krishna mentally praised Lord Shivaji in this
manner: 'O Rudra of serene form, lord of all beings, Kapardi, creator of time,
sustainer of the world, destroyer of sin! I bow to you again and again. O Lord!
Please protect my devotees, the Pandavas.' Hearing this praise, Lord Shankara,
mounted on Nandi and holding a trident in his hand, came to protect the Pandava
camp. At that time, by the order of Maharaja Yudhishthira, Lord Sri Krishna had
gone to Hastinapura, and the Pandavas were living on the bank of the Saraswati.
In the middle of the night, Ashwatthama, Bhoja (Kritavarma), and
Kripacharya—these three—came near the Pandava camp and, after mentally praising
Lord Rudra, pleased him. At this, Lord Shankara gave them permission to enter
the Pandava camp. The powerful Ashwatthama, with the sword obtained from Lord
Shankara, killed Dhrishtadyumna and other warriors, then he returned with
Kripacharya and Kritavarma. Only the attendant charioteer remained there; he
gave the news of this massacre to the Pandavas. Bhima and the other Pandavas
considered this to be the act of Shivaji himself; they seethed with anger and
began to fight with the God of gods, Pinaki, with their weapons. The weapons
and arms used by Bhima and others were absorbed into Shivaji's body. At this,
Lord Shiva said that because you are worshippers of Sri Krishna, you are
protected by us; otherwise, you were worthy of being slain. You will have to
suffer the fruit of this offense by taking birth in the Kali Yuga. Saying this,
he disappeared, and the Pandavas became very sad.
To be freed from the offense,
they came to the refuge of Lord Sri Krishna. The unarmed Pandavas, along with
Sri Krishna, praised Lord Shankara with a concentrated mind. At this, Lord
Shankara appeared in person and asked them to ask for a boon. Lord Sri Krishna
said—"Deva! The weapons and arms of the Pandavas which have been absorbed
into your body, please return them to the Pandavas and also free them from the
curse." Sri Shivaji said—"O Sri Krishnachandra! I bow to you. At that
time, I was deluded by your maya. Under the influence of that maya, I gave this
curse. Although my word will not be false, yet these Pandavas and Kauravas will
be born from their parts in the Kali Yuga and, after partially suffering the
fruit of their sins, will be liberated. Yudhishthira will be the son of
Vatsaraja; his name will be Balakhani (Malakhan); he will be the ruler of the
city of Shirisha. Bhima's name will be Virana, and he will be the king of
Vanarasa. He who will be born from the part of Arjuna will be highly
intelligent and my devotee. He will be born at the house of Parimala, and his
name will be Brahmananda. The mighty Nakula will be born in Kanyakubja as the
son of Ratnabhanu, and his name will be Lakshana. Sahadeva will be the son of
Bhimasimha, and his name will be Devasimha. Prithviraj will be born from the
part of Dhritarashtra in Ajmer, and Draupadi will be famous as Prithviraj's
daughter by the name of Vela. The great donor Karna will be born as Taraka. At
that time, my incarnation will also be on earth in the form of Raktabija. The
Kauravas will be skilled in illusory warfare, and the warriors on the Pandu
side will be righteous and powerful."
Sutaji spoke—"O Sages!
Hearing all these things, Sri Krishna smiled and said, 'I too will take an
incarnation through my special power and help the Pandavas. In the city named
Mahavati, created by Mayadevi, my part will be born as the son of Desharaja,
who will be called Udaysimha (Udal); he will be born from the womb of Devaki. A
part of my Vaikuntha abode will be born by the name of Ahlada; he will be my
guru. After destroying the kings born of the Agnivansha, I (Sri
Krishna-Udaysimha) will establish dharma.' Hearing these words of Sri Krishna,
Shivaji vanished."
The Story of King Shalivahana
and Isha Masiha (Jesus Christ)
Sutaji said—"O Sages! In the
morning, all the Pandavas, afflicted with grief for their sons, after
performing the funeral rites, came to their grandfather Bhishma. From him, they
thoroughly understood the nature of Rajadharma (the duty of kings),
Mokshadharma (the path to liberation), and Danadharma (the duty of charity) in
their distinct forms. Thereafter, with their excellent conduct, they performed
three Ashvamedha yajnas. The Pandavas ruled for thirty-six years and in the
end, they went to heaven. When the dharma of Kali increases, they too will be
born from their parts. Now, all you munis, please depart to your respective
places. I am being overcome by yogic sleep; now I will enter a state of samadhi
and meditate on the attributeless Parabrahman." Hearing this, the munis of
Naimisharanya, taking recourse to yogic siddhi, became situated in the
proximity of the Self. After a long time had passed, Shaunaka and other munis,
rising from their meditation, again approached Sutaji.
The munis asked—"O Sutaji
Maharaj! Please narrate the Vikramakhyana and the story of the kings who will
be born by the command of Shiva in the Dvapara Yuga."
Sutaji spoke—"O Munis! After
Vikramaditya had gone to heaven, many kings ruled. At that time, in
Bharatavarsha, which was bounded from the place of Kapila in the east to the
Sindhu river in the west, and from the Badari region in the north to Setubandha
in the south, there were eighteen kingdoms or provinces. Their names are as
follows: Indraprastha, Panchala, Kurukshetra, Kampila, Antarvedi, Vraja, Ajmer,
Marudhanva (Marwar), Gurjara (Gujarat), Maharashtra, Dravida (Tamil Nadu),
Kalinga (Orissa), Avanti (Ujjain), Udupa (Andhra), Banga, Gauda, Magadha, and
Koshalya. Different kings ruled over these kingdoms. The languages there were
different, and from time to time, various religious preachers also emerged. After
one hundred years had passed, hearing of the decay of dharma, foreign kings
like the Shakas, along with many people, crossed the Sindhu river and came into
the Arya-desha, and some people came here through the snowy path of the
Himalayas. They conquered the Aryas, plundered their wealth, and returned to
their own country.
At this time, Vikramaditya's
grandson, King Shalivahana, ascended his father's throne. He achieved victory
over the armies of the Shaka, China, and other countries. He captured the
wicked men born in Bahlika, Kamarupa, Rome, and Khura, gave them harsh
punishment, and seized all their treasuries. He established a separate
territorial boundary for the Mlecchas and the Aryas. He designated the region
of Sindhu as the excellent place for the Aryas and fixed the region beyond the
Sindhu for the Mlecchas.
Once upon a time, that lord of
the Shakas, Shalivahana, went to the snowy peaks. On a mountain situated in the
middle of the Huna country, he saw a beautiful man. His body was fair, and he
was wearing white clothes. Seeing that person, the Shaka king asked with
pleasure, 'Who are you?' He said, 'I am Ishaputra (a son of God), and I am born
from the womb of a virgin. I am a preacher of the Mleccha-dharma and am
situated in the vow of truth.' The king asked, 'What is your dharma?' Ishaputra
said, 'Maharaja! When truth was destroyed, I, as Masiha (the Messiah), came to
the lawless Mleccha region, and among the plunderers, a formidable girl named
Isha-Masi was born. Having received her from the Mlecchas, I attained the state
of Masihatva (Messiahship). The dharma which I have established among the
Mlecchas, listen to it— First, by removing mental and physical impurities, the
body should be made completely pure. Then, one should chant the name of the
chosen deity. One should speak the true word, walk with justice, and with a
concentrated mind, one should worship the Paramatma situated in the solar orb,
because there is equality between Ishvara and the sun. The Paramatma is also
immovable, and the sun is also immovable. The sun attracts the essence of the
transient elements from all around. O lord of the land! Through such acts, that
Masiha dissolved, but in my heart, the ever-pure, welfare-bestowing form of
Isha has been attained. Therefore, my name has been established as
Isha-Masiha.' Hearing this, King Shalivahana bowed to that one who is
worshipped by the Mlecchas and established him in the harsh land of the
Mlecchas. Returning to his own kingdom, that king performed an Ashvamedha yajna
and, after ruling for sixty years, went to heaven."
The Story of King Bhoja and
Mahamada (Muhammad)
Sutaji said—"O Sages! In the
dynasty of Shalivahana, there were ten kings. They ruled for five hundred years
and became dwellers of heaven. Thereafter, the moral order on the earth began
to disappear. In the dynasty of Shalivahana, the tenth and final king was
Bhojaraja. Seeing the country's moral boundary weakening, he set out for a
world conquest. His army was ten thousand strong, and with him were Kalidasa
and other learned Brahmins. He crossed the Sindhu river and defeated the
deceitful kings of Gandhara, the Mlecchas, and Kashmir, and seizing their
treasury, he punished them. In that context, a Mleccha named Mahamada, along
with his teachers and disciples, appeared. King Bhoja had a darshan of
Mahadevaji, who was present in the desert. He bathed Mahadevaji with Gangajal
mixed with the five products of the cow and, with devotion, worshipped him with
sandalwood and other offerings and praised him. Bhojaraja said—'O Lord of
Girija, who resides in the desert and are of the pure form of Satchidananda,
hidden from the Mlecchas! You are the destroyer of Tripurasura and the promoter
of various kinds of illusory powers. I have come to your refuge; consider me
your servant. I bow to you.' Hearing this praise, Lord Shiva said to the
king—'O Bhojaraj! You should go to the Mahakaleshwar-tirtha. This land is named
Vahlika, but now it has been contaminated by the Mlecchas. In this terrible
region, the Arya-dharma does not exist. The great illusionist Tripurasura has
been sent here by the demon king Bali. Having received a boon from me, he is
increasing the demon community. He is not born of a womb. His name is Mahamada.
O King! You should not come to this un-Aryan country. By my grace, you are
pure.' Hearing these words of Lord Shiva, King Bhoja, along with his army,
returned to his country.
King Bhoja propagated the
Sanskrit language for the Dvijas and started the Prakrit language for the
Shudras. He ruled for fifty years and in the end, attained heaven. He
established the moral boundaries of the country. The sacred land of Aryavarta
lies between the Vindhya and Himalaya mountains; there the Aryas live.
The Rise of Kings Desharaja,
Vatsaraja, etc.
Sutaji said—"After the
ascension of Bhojaraja to heaven, in his dynasty, there were seven kings, but
they were all short-lived, of dull intellect, and of little prowess, and died
within three hundred years. In the dynasty of the seventh king named Virasimha,
there were three kings who died within two hundred years. The tenth king, named
Gangasimha, ruled his kingdom righteously in the Kalpakshetra. In Antarvedi,
King Jayachandra ruled over Kanyakubja. Anangapala, born in the Tomara dynasty,
was the king of Indraprastha. In this way, many kings emerged in villages and
nations (janapadas). The Agnivansha expanded greatly, and in it were many
powerful kings. From Kapilashthana (Gangasagar) in the east to Bahlika in the
west, and from the country of China in the north to Setubandha in the
south—between these, there were sixty lakh rulers of lands and villages, who
were very powerful. In their kingdom, the subjects performed the Agnihotra,
wished for the welfare of cows and Brahmins, and were as skilled in performing
religious duties as in the Dvapara Yuga. It seemed like the Dvapara Yuga
everywhere. There was abundant wealth in every house and dharma in every
person. In every village, there were temples of the gods. Yajnas were performed
in every country. The Mlecchas also followed the Arya-dharma in all ways. Seeing
such righteous conduct, like that of the Dvapara Yuga, Kali, becoming
frightened, along with the Mlecchas, went to the Nilachala mountain and took
refuge in Hari. There, he performed austerities for twelve years. Through this
meditative penance, he had a vision of Lord Sri Krishnachandra. Seeing the
darshan of Lord Sri Krishna with Radha, he praised them mentally.
Kali said—'O Lord! Please accept
my full prostration. Protect me. O ocean of mercy! I have come to your refuge. You
destroy all sins. You alone are the creator of all times. In the Satya Yuga,
you were of fair complexion, in the Treta, red, in the Dvapara, yellow. In my
time (Kali Yuga), you are of dark form. My sons, despite being Mlecchas, have
now accepted the Arya-dharma. In my kingdom, there should be gambling, liquor,
gold, women, laughter, etc. in every house. But the Kshatriyas born in the
Agnivansha have destroyed them. O Janardana! I am at the refuge of your lotus
feet.' Hearing this praise of Kali Yuga, Lord Sri Krishna, smiling, began to
say—'O Kali-raj! To protect you, I will incarnate as a part of myself in
Mahavati. That part of mine, coming to the earth, will destroy those mighty
Agnivanshi peoples and will establish the Mleccha-vanshi kings.' Saying this,
the Lord disappeared, and that Kali, along with the Mlecchas, became extremely
pleased.
Later on, all events transpired
in this very manner. The Kaurava-anshas were defeated, and the Pandava-anshas
were victorious. In the end, Prithviraj Chauhan attained a heroic death, and
Sahoddina (Shahabuddin Ghori), entrusting the rule here to his slave
Kutukoddina, and after plundering much wealth from here, went to his own
country.
॥
End of the Third Khanda of the Pratisarga Parva ॥
Pratisarga Parva: Fourth
Khanda (Section Four)
Description of the Lineage
Tree of the Andhra-Vanshi Kings Born in the Kali Yuga
Salutations to Sri Ganesha,
victory to Sri Radhavallabha.
The sages of Naimisharanya
said—"O Sutaji Maharaj! We have heard the character of the Krishnansha
(Udaysimha) as told by you. Now please describe the royal dynasties of the
kings born in the Agnivansha (Pramara, Chayahani, and Parihara, etc.). When
Lord Hari is called Triyugi, how did he incarnate in the Kali Yuga? Please tell
us this as well."
Sutaji spoke—"O best of
Munis! You have asked a very excellent question. I am narrating the character
of the Agnivansha kings, please listen. In the southern direction, in the
divine city of Ambavati created by Amba, there was a king named Pramara. That
king was a follower of the Samaveda. That mighty king ruled in Ambavati for six
years. Pramara's son was Mahamara (Mahamada); he ruled for three years, and his
son was Devapi. He too ruled like his father, and his son was Devaduta. Devaduta
also ruled just like his father. Devaduta had a mighty son named Gandharvasena.
Gandharvasena, after ruling for fifty years, went to the forest to perform
austerities. Some time later, by the blessing of Shiva, he had a son named
Vikram. Maharaja Vikram ruled for one hundred years, and his son was
Devabhakta. Devabhakta ruled for ten years and was killed by the wicked Shakas.
Devabhakta's son was Shalivahana. He conquered the Shakas and ruled for sixty
years. Thereafter, he passed away. His son was Shalihotra, and Shalihotra ruled
for fifty years. His son, Shalivardhana, became king; he ruled like his father.
He had a son named Shakahanta; his son was Suhotra, and his son was Havirhotra.
He too ruled for fifty years like his father, and his son was Indrapala.
Indrapala built a city named
Indravati (Indore) and ruled therein. Indrapala also ruled just like his
father, Havirhotra, and his son was Malyavan. Malyavan also built a city named
Malyavati and ruled like his father. Due to a drought in his kingdom for four
years, a severe famine occurred. Even the sight of a grain of food became rare.
Along with the subjects, the king also became distressed with hunger and
thirst. To avert the drought, the king took refuge in Lord Shaligrama. The king
had nothing to offer as naivedya. The king picked up some grains of food lying
in one place and, washing them somehow to purify them, performed the worship
with them. Pleased with his faith and devotion, the Lord said in an aerial
voice, "O King! From today, in the excellent kingdom of your descendants,
there will never be a fear of drought on earth."
Malyavan's son was the
Shankara-devotee Shambhudatta, and his son was Bhaumaraja. Bhaumaraja's son was
Vatsaraja. His son was Bhojaraja. Bhojaraja's son was Shambhudatta. He ruled
for forty years. Shambhudatta's son was Bindupala. Bindupala created a nation
named Bindukhanda and ruled happily. Bindupala ruled just like his father.
Bindupala's son was Rajapala, and he had a son named Mahinara. Mahinara's son
was Somavarma, and his son was Kamavarma. Kamavarma's son was Bhumipala. He had
a pond dug and constructed a beautiful city on its bank. Bhumipala's son was
Rangapala. Having obtained the position of king, Bhumipala achieved victory
over many kings, and on this earth, he became renowned by the name Virasimha.
Consecrating his son Rangapala on his throne, he went to the forest to perform
austerities. The best among kings, Rangapala, had a son named Kalpasimha.
Kalpasimha had no children. Once, he went to the bank of the Ganga to bathe;
there, being pleased, he gave charity to the Dvijas. Seeing the sacred and
uninhabited land of Kalpakshetra, he, with a pleased mind, constructed a city
there. That city became famous on this earth by the name 'Kalapa'. He ruled in
Kalapa and, by the grace of the Ganga, he had a son named Gangasimha. He ruled
for ninety years, but he had no children. In the end, while fighting in
Kurukshetra, he gave up his life and attained heaven.
Sutaji said again—"O Munis!
Thus, the sacred Pramara dynasty came to an end. After Gangasimha, the
Kshatriyas who remained in his lineage, from their wives, many Varnasankaras
(mixed castes) were born later on. All of them had the profession of Vaishyas.
They all began to live on the earth like Mlecchas. Thus, I have described the
lineage of the kings of the south."
Chapter 2
History of the Royal Dynasties
of Rajputana and the City of Delhi
Sutaji spoke—"O Munis! The
king named Vayahani (Chaphani) established his dominion in the middle country
and founded the city named Ajmer, created by Brahma. In the etymology of the
word 'Ajmer,' it is said that 'Aja' means Brahma, and 'Ma' means Lakshmi.
Lakshmi came there and constructed a beautiful city for Brahmaji. Hence, it was
called Ajmer. Vayahani ruled for ten years, and his son was Tomara. For one
year, he performed the earthen worship of Lord Shiva with devotion. As a
result, Lord Shiva, being pleased, granted Tomara the city named Indraprastha.
The lineage originating from Tomara is called the Tomara Kshatriya dynasty.
Tomara's younger son was Chayahani (Chauhan). That Chayahani became famous on
this earth by the name Samaldeva. He ruled for seven years, and his son was
Mahadeva. Mahadeva ruled like his father, and his son was Ajaya. Ajaya's son
was Virasimha. Virasimha ruled for fifty years, and his son was Bindusur.
Bindusur ruled in the middle country for twenty-five years, and he had a daughter
named Vira and a son named Viravihattaka. Bindusur, according to the scriptural
rites, married his daughter Vira to Vikram and happily gave his kingdom in the
middle country to his son. Viravihattaka's son was Manikya. Manikya ruled for
fifty years, just like his father, and his son was Mahasimha. He too ruled like
his father, and his son was Chandragupta. Chandragupta ruled for twenty-five
years, and his son was Pratapavan. Pratapavan's son was Mohan. Mohan ruled for
thirty years, and his son was Shvetaraya. Shvetaraya's son was Nagavaha, and
his son was Lohadhara. Lohadhara's son was Virasimha; his son was Vibudha.
Vibudha ruled for fifty years, and his son was Chandraraya. Chandraraya's son
was Harihara. His son was Vasanta, Vasanta's son was Balanga, and Balanga's son
was Pramatha. Pramatha's son was Angaraya, and his son was Vishala. Vishala's
son was Sharngadeva, and his son was Mantradeva. Mantradeva's son was
Jayasimha. All these kings ruled for fifty years each. Jayasimha, after
conquering the entire Arya-desha, performed a very large yajna with the wealth
from there, from which he obtained an excellent fruit. (He founded the city of
Jaipur, which is considered a very beautiful city in India today.) A son named
Anandadeva was born to Jayasimha. The wise Jayasimha ruled for fifty years. His
son Anandadeva also ruled this earth just like his father. Anandadeva's son was
the great warrior Someshvara. He married Kirtimalini, the eldest daughter of
Anangapala, and from her, three sons were born. The eldest son, Dhundhukara,
became the king of Mathura. The middle son, Krishnakumara, obtained his
father's position. The third, the powerful Mahiraja-Prithviraj, became the lord
of Delhi. Prithviraj was defeated and killed through deceit by a king named
Sahoddina, and he attained heaven."
Chapter 3
In the context of the origin
of Brahmins, the description of the Shukla dynasty and the various Kshatriya
dynasties that followed it
Sutaji spoke—"O excellent
Vipra! Now I will describe the Shukla dynasty. When Lord Sri Krishna, after
finishing his leelas of Dvaraka, Vrindavan, etc., departed to his supreme
abode, a few days after that, the Kali Yuga arrived. When four thousand four
hundred years of the Kali Yuga had passed, the land of Bharat was invaded by
the Mlecchas. A Yavana named Nyuha had filled the entire world with Mlecchas.
When a thousand years of the Kali Yuga had initially passed, Mahendra, the king
of the gods, sent a Brahmin named Kashyapa to the excellent Brahmavarta. The
divine power Aryavati joyfully accepted his hand in marriage. From her, ten
sons were born. Later, Kashyapa came to the country of Misra. He subdued ten
thousand Mlecchas born in Misra and, returning to his own place, made them his
disciples. And after the destruction of the seven cities, they began to reside
in the excellent Brahmavarta, between the Saraswati and Drishadvati rivers.
King Kashyapa, a follower of the Manu-dharma, summoned his son, the ascetic and
excellent Dvija Shukla, instructed him in the Manu-dharma, and ordered him to
perform austerities on the Raivata (Girnar) peak. He also instructed his nine
sons and disciples in the eternal Manu-dharma. Shukla, too, on the Raivata
peak, pleased Jagannath Vasudeva, the form of Satchidananda, through his
austerities. Lord Dvarakanath, being pleased, took that Vipra's hand, brought
him to the seashore, and showed him his divine and splendid city of Dvaraka.
After about two thousand years had passed, through the fire-gate, that Shukla
went to the Arbuda (Abu) mountain, and there, he, along with his three brothers
and other Dvijas, defeated the Buddhists and, by the grace of Hari,
re-established Dvaraka. Residing in Dvaraka, engrossed in the meditation of
Krishna, Shukla lived with pleasure. He ruled in western Bharatavarsha for ten
years.
By the grace of Narayana, Shukla
had a son named Vishvaksena; he ruled for twenty years. And he had a son named
Jayasena; he ruled for thirty years, and he had a son named Visena. He ruled
for fifty years and had two children named Promoda and Modasimha. Visena
married his daughter Promoda to Vikram and dedicated his excellent kingdom to
his son Modasimha. Modasimha's son was Sindhuvarma. He left his ancestral place
and ruled on the bank of the Sindhu river. On the earth, that place became
famous by the name of Sindhudesha. Sindhuvarma's son was Sindhudvipa, and
Sindhudvipa's son was Sripati. Sripati married Kachchhapi, who was born in the
Gautama dynasty and lived in the Kachchha country, and after conquering the
Pulindas and Yavanas, he established a country there. On the bank of the
Sindhu, that country became famous by the name of Sripati. Sripati's son was
Bhujavarma. Bhujavarma conquered the Shabaras and Bhils and established a
country, which became famous on this earth as 'Bhujadesha'. Bhujavarma's son
was Ranavarma, and his son was Chitravarma. Chitravarma built a city named
'Chitra' in the middle of the forest, and he had a son named Dharmavarma. He
had a son named Krishnavarma. Krishnavarma had a son named Udaya. Udaya built a
beautiful city named 'Udaipur' in the middle of the forest. His son was
Vapyakarma. Vapyakarma had many step-wells, wells, ponds, beautiful palaces,
etc., constructed. That righteous one was always engaged in religious work. At
that time, a king named Birbalada, a follower of Mahamada, with an army of one
lakh, attacked Vapyakarma. But Vapyakarma, after conquering the Paishachas and
Mlecchas, celebrated the Krishnotsava of Lord Krishna. Vapyakarma had a son
named Guhila, and his son was Kalabhoja. Kalabhoja's son was Rashtrapala.
Rashtrapala, abandoning his ancestral place, worshipped the all-auspicious
Goddess Sharada. Rashtrapala obtained Vaishnavi Shakti. Pleased with his
penance, Goddess Sharada granted him a very beautiful city named 'Mahavati',
protected by Manideva. That intelligent King Rashtrapala ruled in that city for
ten years. King Rashtrapala had two sons named Vijaya and Prajaya. Prajaya,
renouncing his parents, went to the bank of the Ganga and performed severe
austerities to Goddess Sharada for twelve years. Goddess Sharada, in the form
of a maiden playing a flute and riding a horse, appeared before the king and,
smiling, said, 'O Prince! Why are you worshipping Shiva? The fruit of your
penance will soon be obtained by you through me.' Hearing this, Prajaya said,
'O Devi! Salutations to you. Please grant me a new city.' Hearing this, the
Goddess gave Prajaya a beautiful horse and, playing her flute, she went towards
the south. That king also, mounted on that horse, followed her with his eyes
closed towards the west. After this, he went to a place where there was a king
of birds named Markana. Seeing it, he became frightened. Then that king opened
both his eyes and saw a beautiful city created by the maiden. In the northern
part of that city was the Ganga, in the south the Pandura, in the west the
Ishasarita, and in the east was the place of the Markana bird. This place was
somewhat crooked (kubja). Being created by a maiden (kanya) and being somewhat
crooked (kubja), this place became famous by the name Kanyakubja.
Rashtrapala's son, Jayapala,
ruled for ten years. Because he played the flute (venu), he had a son named
Venuka. King Venuka married a charming girl named Kanyamati, bestowed by the
Goddess. From Kanyamati, seven daughters were born to him. They were born from
the auspicious parts of the Matrikas. Their names are as follows: Shitala,
Parvati, Kanya, Pushpavati, Govardhani, Sindura, and Kali. These are the same
who became famous by the names Brahmi, Maheshvari, Kaumari, Vaishnavi, Varahi,
Indrani, and Chamunda, respectively. Later, a son named Yashovigraha was born
to that queen. He was very powerful, righteous, and the master of the
Arya-desha. Yashovigraha ruled this earth for twenty years. His son was
Mahichandra. Mahichandra also ruled just like his father. His son was
Chandradeva; Chandradeva's son was King Mandapala. He ruled for ten years. His
son was Kumbhapala. The ruler of the city named Mahamoda, a follower of the
Mleccha and Paishacha dharma, had collected wealth by plundering many
countries. He went to Kumbhapala. He gave much wealth to Kumbhapala. The wise
Kumbhapala ruled for twenty years. His son was Devapala. Devapala duly married
Chandrakanti, the daughter of a king named Anangapala. Devapala, having
obtained Kanyakubja and conquering many kings, ruled like his father. He had
two sons named Jayachandra and Ratnabhanu. Jayachandra in the east and
Ratnabhanu in the north, after conquering the Arya-desha, obtained the
Vaishnava kingdom. Ratnabhanu's son, known for his political skills, was famous
by the name Lakshana. He passed away while fighting in Kurukshetra. The wise
Vaishyapala, Kumbhapala, and the Shukla dynasty came to an end. The kings born
in the lineage of Vishvaksena were called Vishvaksenavanshi; those born in the
lineage of Visena were Visenavanshi Kshatriyas; those born in the lineage of
Guhila were Gauhila Kshatriyas; and those born in the lineage of Rashtrapala
were called Rashtrapalavanshi Kshatriyas. After the death of Lakshana, a
stalwart of the Shukla dynasty, all the prominent Kshatriya kings were finished
in Kurukshetra. The remaining smaller kings, becoming Varnasankara and
contaminated by the Mlecchas, became situated in the terrible Mleccha kingdom.
Chapter 4
Description of the Parihara
Dynasty and the Shura Dynasty of Bengal, etc.
Sutaji spoke—"O best of the
Bhrigus, Shaunaka! Now listen to the description of the kings of the Parihara
dynasty. Parihara, a knower of the Atharvaveda, after conquering all the
Buddhists, worshipped the all-powerful Goddess with devotion. The all-powerful
Goddess, being pleased, constructed a city spanning one and a half yojanas on
the Chitrakoot mountain. In this city, dear to the gods, Kali was imprisoned,
and Kali never enters here; therefore, this city became famous on earth by the
name 'Kalinjar'. Parihara ruled in that city named Kalinjar for twelve years.
His son was Gauravarma. Gauravarma ruled just like his father. He happily
handed over the kingdom of Kalinjar to his younger brother, Ghoravarma.
Thereafter, he came to the Gauda country and began to rule there. Gauravarma's
son, Suparna, became the king there after his father. His son was Rupana, and
Rupana's son was Karavarma (Kamavarma).
Meanwhile, a king named Shaka
worshipped the eternal Goddess Mahalakshmi. At the end of three years, that
Goddess assumed the form of Kamakshi and resided there to protect her devotee.
Kamavarma ruled for fifty years. To Kamavarma, a son named Bhogavarma and a
daughter named Bhogavati were born. That king gave his daughter named Bhogavati
in marriage to Vikram and gave his kingdom to his son, Bhogavarma. Bhogavarma's
son was Kalivarma. Kalivarma worshipped Mahakali with devotion. Pleased with
him, the Goddess Kali herself appeared to grant him a boon. The Goddess Kali,
being pleased, showered the buds of many flowers, from which a beautiful city
was born, which became famous on this earth by the name Kalikatapuri (Kolkata).
Kalivarma's son was Kaushik, his son was Katyayana, his son was Hemavat,
Hemavat's son was Shivavarma, Shivavarma's son was Bhavavarma, and Bhavavarma's
son was Rudravarma. They also ruled like their respective fathers. Rudravarma's
son was Bhojavarma. Bhojavarma, renouncing his father's kingdom, constructed
the Bhojarashtra in a forest region. Bhojavarma's son was Gavavarma, and his
son was King Vindhyavarma. Vindhyavarma, handing over the kingdom to his
younger brother, went to the Vanga (Bengal) country. Vindhyavarma's son was
Sukhasena; his son was Balaka. Balaka ruled for ten years, and his son was
Lakshmana (Sena), his son was Madhava, his son was Keshava, and Keshava's son
was Surasena. Surasena's son was Narayana, and Narayana's son was Shantivarma.
Shantivarma founded a city named Shantipura on the bank of the Ganga, and he
began to live there. Shantivarma's son was Nadivarma, and his son was the
mighty Gangadatta. He founded a beautiful city named Nadiya in the direction
leading to the Gauda (Dhaka) nation. Gangadatta summoned an expert Vidyadhara.
This Veda-devout city of Nadiya was protected by him. King Gangadatta ruled
there for twenty years. From then on, those born in his lineage became famous
on this earth as Gangavanshi. Gangadatta had a mighty and Vishnu-devotee son
named Sharngadeva. That Sharngadeva, going to the Gauda country, became
engrossed in the meditation of Sri Hari. Sharngadeva ruled for ten years, and
his son was Gangadeva. He ruled for twenty years. Gangadeva's son was King
Ananga. The powerful Ananga became the sovereign of the Gauda country. He too
ruled like his father. Ananga's son was Rajeshvara, his son was Nrisimha, and
his son was Kalivarma. The powerful Kalivarma, going to the Rashtra country,
conquered the king there and ruled happily in the middle of the beautiful city
of Mahavati. Kalivarma's son was Dhritivarma. Dhritivarma's son was Mahipati.
By the order of Jayachandra, King Mahipati constructed a famous city by the
name of Urvimaya (Urviya) and began to reside there. In Kurukshetra, all the
Chandravanshi Kshatriya kings were killed. Then Mahipati became the king of
Mahavati. Mahipati ruled for twenty years. Later, by Sahoddina, the kings who
were born from the part of Suyodhana were all killed in Kurukshetra. Parihara's
son, Ghoravarma, ruled in Kalinjar. His son was Shardula. The kings who were
born in his lineage became famous by the name Sharduliya. By the grace of
Mahamaya, the kings born in the Shardula dynasty spread over the entire land. O
Shaunaka! Thus I have described the lineage of the Agnivanshi kings. Just as
sins are destroyed by remembering the Chandra and Surya dynasties, in the same
way, this Agnivansha is also purifying. Now I am describing another dynasty, in
which Hari himself was born."
Chapter 5
The Origin of the Four Varnas
from the Lord, the Incarnations of the Lord in the Four Yugas, and the Lifespan
of Humans in the Four Yugas
Sutaji spoke—"O Shaunaka! At
the advent of noon in the life of the unmanifest-born Brahma, during the
Chakshusha-antara (Manvantara), a great storm arose. So much so that due to its
effect, even the Himalaya mountain began to tremble. Due to this, most of the
creatures of creation were destroyed. The earth with its seven islands and the
ocean became submerged in water. Only the Lokāloka mountain situated in the
northern direction remained. O Muni! When the Manvantara dissolved, the entire
land dissolved. For one thousand years, the earth remained in the midst of
water. Then Lord Vishnu, along with Shankara and Brahma, established the
Shishumara-chakra in the sky and placed all the constellations and planets back
in their original positions as before. By those celestial bodies, the water of
the earth dried up, and the earth also became stable. After ten thousand years
had passed, the earth became visible as a terrestrial land.
Then Lord Brahma created the
Dvija-king Soma, who was a great sage and an expert in all knowledge, from his
mouth. From both his arms, he created the mighty, expert in politics,
Kshatriya-king Surya. From his thighs, he created the lord of the rivers, the
ocean of gems, the Vaishya-king Samudra. And from his feet, he created the
expert in arts, performer of scripturally ordained duties, the excellent
creator of the universe, the Shudra-king Daksha. From Soma originated the
Brahmins, from Surya the Kshatriyas, from Samudra all the Vaishyas, and from
Daksha the Shudras. From the solar orb, Vaivasvata Manu himself was born. He
ruled over all creatures. The universal form Lord Vishnu was born from the
first half, and Vamana was born from the latter half. In the Satya Yuga, when
Lord Sanatana Vishnu takes the avatar in the form of Vishvarupa, he remains in
a child-like form. At that time, the maximum age of humans was four hundred
years. In the Treta Yuga, Sri Hari, having attained youth, incarnated from the
first half. In this yuga, the maximum age of man was three hundred years. In
the Dvapara Yuga, the Deva Sri Hari had attained a state of old age. At this
time, the age of man was two hundred years. In the Kali Yuga, the universal
form Lord was in a mortal form, and the maximum age of virtuous persons became
one hundred years.
In the latter half of Brahma's
life, when the avatar of Vamana occurred, then that Lord Vishnu became Vamana,
the younger brother of Mahendra (Indra). He was four-armed, of dark complexion,
and seated upon Garuda. For the benefit of Vishvarupa, he became Triyugi. In
the Satya Yuga, from the half part of Vamana, the Triyugi-Narayana himself was
born as the white-formed Hari, by the name of 'Hansa'. In the Treta Yuga, the
Lord Yajna was born, assuming a red form. In the Dvapara Yuga, the
golden-wombed Hari was born in a yellow-hued form. In the twilight of the
Dvapara Yuga, upon the arrival of the Kali Yuga, when all the parts of Vishnu
and Vamana became unified, Vishnu himself was born in the house of Vasudeva in
Mathura from the womb of Devaki. Brahma and others praised the eternal Brahman.
At that time, the Lord, being pleased, said this to the gods, 'O Devas! For the
benefit of the gods and the destruction of the demons, I will be born in the
Kali Yuga and, in the Kali Yuga, I will perform mysterious and solitary sports
in the subtle, beautiful, and divine Vrindavan situated on the earth. In the
dire Kali Yuga, all the Shrutis, in the form of Gopis, will come and perform
the Rasa-lila with me in the Rasa-mandala. At the end of the Kali Yuga, being
requested by Radha, I will conclude this mysterious sport and will be
incarnated in the form of Kalki.' Only a devotee of Vishnu knows this secret.
According to Vishnu's will, the eternal Vishnumaya, creating various worlds,
will become Mahakali and, after consuming the entire movable and immovable
universe, will become the form of Mahagauri. At the end of the Kali Yuga, after
the deluge, I will again be established in the form of Satya-dharma in the
Satya Yuga.' Hearing this, the devas merged right there. O Muni! Thus, in every
yuga, the sports of Lord Sri Hari take place. The all-pervading Lord's will
become Mahagauri."
Chapter 6
The Rule of the Pathans over
the City of Delhi and the Mayhem of Timur Lang
Maharishi Shaunaka asked—"O
Sutaji Maharaj! After Prithviraj, which kings were born? Please tell us
this."
Sutaji said—"O Muni! The
Paishacha (Pathan) king Kutukoddina (Qutubuddin) was the ruler of Delhi, and
the very beautiful Valigadh was protected by the Yadavas. Kutukoddina went
there to fight with ten thousand soldiers and, after conquering the excellent
Bhupasena, the grandson of Virasena, began to rule in the city of Delhi. At
this time, kings of many countries came there. Those people conquered
Kutukoddina and drove him out of the country. Hearing this news, Sahoddina
(Shahabuddin) again reached Delhi (from Ghor). That demon-king conquered the
kings and broke many idols and temples. After this, many Mlecchas came and
began to live there. After ruling for five, six, or seven years, they passed
away. O Munis! All these Mleccha kings have broken many temples; they have
defiled all the holy places and ashrams. Therefore, you all should proceed with
me towards the Badari forest above the Himalayas." Hearing this, all the
sages of Naimisharanya, becoming sad, left Naimisha with Sutaji and went to the
Badari region. There, all of them, becoming situated in samadhi, became
absorbed in the meditation of the all-encompassing Sri Hari.
Some time later, upon awakening
from samadhi, the sages again inquired from Sutaji Maharaj about the history of
the Kalpa.
Sutaji said again—"O
excellent Munis! I am narrating the account of the Kalpa which I have seen in
yogic sleep. Please listen to it. Later, a Mukula (Mughal) Mleccha became king.
That Mleccha-king, Timirlinga (Timur Lang), came to the middle country. That
death-like Mleccha king, after conquering all the Arya and Mleccha kings,
caused much disturbance in the city of Dehli (Delhi). And he summoned the Aryas
and said, 'You are all idol-worshippers. Shaligrama is but a stone; how is its
worship proper? You all consider it to be Vishnu, but it is not Vishnu.
Therefore, all your Vedas and shastras have been created by the munis to
deceive the world.' Saying this, Timur Lang forcibly snatched the idol of
Shaligrama and threw it into a burning fire. And loading all the worshipped
Shaligrama-shilas onto camels, he went to his own country. He came to the
Taittira (Tatar) country and had a strong fort of his own built. To ascend his
throne, he had a footstool made of Shaligrama-shila. Seeing this, all the gods,
becoming sad, went to Indra, the king of the gods, and lamenting, they said to
Indra, 'O Lord! Our existence is in the Shaligrama-shila, but the Mleccha-king
Timur Lang has had a footstool made of Shaligrama.' Hearing the words of the
gods, the enraged king of the gods, Indra, took up the vajra in his hand and
threw it with great velocity towards the Taittira country. By the terrible
sound of that vajra, his entire country was shattered into pieces, and that
Mleccha, along with all his courtiers, met his death. Thereafter, the pleased
gods took all those Shaligrama-shilas and released them into the Gandaki river.
Then they all came to heaven. Indra, along with the gods, said to the
deva-worshipped Brihaspati, 'O Lord! With the advent of the Kali Yuga, many
demons have been born. They, transgressing the Vedic dharma, have become ready
for our destruction. Therefore, please protect us.' What glory of the Sun God
situated in the solar orb did Brihaspati narrate to the gods? Please be kind
enough to tell us that."
Sutaji said—"O Sages! In
Prayag, when Devaguru Brihaspati was seated on his asana, at that time, Indra,
along with the gods, for the immediate pleasure of the Sun God, narrated the
glory which was told; please listen to it. Brihaspati spoke—'O Mahendra! Your
excellent wife named Shachi has been given a boon by Lord Vishnu that "In
the Kali Yuga, I will be incarnated as your son." By your order, that
Goddess Shachi, in the form of a Brahmani in the Gauda country on the bank of
the Ganga, and you yourself, in the form of a Brahmin, incarnate and accomplish
the work of the gods.' Hearing this, the king of the gods, Indra, along with
the eleven Rudras, the eight Vasus, and the Ashvini Kumaras, came to Prayag,
the most beloved tirtha of the Sun, and there, in the month of Magha, when the
sun was in Capricorn, they worshipped the Sun God. Brihaspati came and narrated
the glory of the Sun God to them."
Chapter 7
The Appearance of Acharya
Ishvarapuri, Acharya Ramananda, and Nimbarkacharya from the Effulgence of the
Sun God
The sages asked—"O Sutaji
Maharaj! Devaguru Brihaspati, what glory of the Sun God situated in the solar
orb did he narrate to Indra? Please be kind enough to tell us."
Sutaji said—"O Sages! In
Prayag, when Devaguru Brihaspati was seated on his asana, the glory which he
narrated to Indra and the other gods for the immediate pleasure of the Sun God,
please listen to it. Brihaspati spoke—'O Mahendra! Lord Vishnu has given a boon
to your excellent wife named Shachi, that "In the Kali Yuga, I will be
incarnated as your son." By your order, that Goddess Shachi, in the form
of a Brahmani in the Gauda country on the bank of the Ganga, and you yourself,
in the form of a Brahmin, incarnate and accomplish the work of the gods.'
Hearing this, the king of the gods, Indra, along with the eleven Rudras, the
eight Vasus, and the Ashvini Kumaras, came to Prayag, the most beloved tirtha
of the Sun, and there, in the month of Magha, when the sun was in Capricorn,
they worshipped the Sun God. Brihaspati came and narrated the glory of the Sun
God to them."
Brihaspati said to the
gods—"O Devas! In the city of Barhishmati (Bithoor), a Brahmin named
Dhatrisharma, desiring a son, performed austerities and pleased the Prajapati
Brahma. In five years, Lord Prajapati was satisfied and granted him a boon to obtain
three children: a son, a daughter, and then another son. To Dhatrisharma, the
three children were born at an interval of one year. Dhatrisharma was very
delighted by the upbringing of his sons. Gradually, they began to grow.
Dhatrisharma became worried about their marriage. Then, for their excellent
marriage, he pleased the Gandharva king, Tumburu, with oblations and other
rites. Tumburu came and gave him a boon for the fulfillment of his wish.
Dhatrisharma was very pleased to see the bride and groom, but he became worried
about obtaining various ornaments, wealth, clothes, etc., for them. He reached
the age of sixty. He again worshipped Kubera, the lord of wealth, according to
the prescribed rites. Being pleased, Lord Kubera gave him much wealth and also
bestowed upon him the vidya (mantra) that grants gold. As time passed, he fell
ill and was on the verge of death. Seeing his condition, he pleased Lord
Shankara with hymns of praise. Lord Shankara granted him knowledge within a
month. The humble-minded Dhatrisharma, through the vow of Sunday, worshipped
Bhaskara, the destroyer of delusion. In five years, being satisfied with his
devotion, Lord Surya said, 'Son! What boon do you desire? Say.' At this,
Dhatrisharma said, 'O Lord! Repeated salutations to you. Please be kind enough
to grant me liberation.' Lord Surya said to the wise Dvija Dhatrisharma, 'O
Vipra! There are four types of liberation: Salokya, born of austerity; Samipya,
born of devotion; Sarupya, born of meditation; and Sayujya, born of knowledge. The
presiding deity of these four types of liberation is the supreme Parameshvara.
Upon attaining that supreme state of Lord Vishnu, there is no return. O best of
Vipras! You will attain Sayujya-moksha, and that liberation of yours will last
for a Manvantara.' Saying this, Lord Bhaskara vanished, and the Vipra received
the boon of attaining liberation."
Sutaji said—"O Muni! Thus,
in the month of Chaitra, the God of gods, Divakara, showed them his form and
said, 'In the Vanga country, being born from my part, I will accomplish the
work of the gods.' Saying this, Divakara produced an effulgence from his mouth
and, for the welfare of his devotee Sukanya, who was the wife of a Dvija, he
granted it to her. The Brahmin Dhatrisharma, who had attained liberation by
worshipping the Sun, endowed with that effulgence, was born in the house of a
poet by the name of Ishvarapuri. He gained great fame by defeating Vedic Vipras
in scriptural debates."
"O Sages! As Brihaspati had
told me, so have I told you. Listen to another beautiful story told by
Brihaspati. In the city of Mayavati (Haridwar), there lived a Brahmin named
Mitrasharma. He was fond of poetry, devoted to knowledge, and a connoisseur. At
Haridwar, during the festival when Jupiter entered the sign of Kumbha, many
kings came to that place. In that festival, Mitrasharma, adorned with many
ornaments, and countless men and women came. There, the daughter of the
southern king Kamasena, named Chitrinee, also came. She was twelve years old.
Mitrasharma looked at her with great attention. Seeing the excellent
Mitrasharma, a feeling of affection arose in Chitrinee's heart as well. Coming
home, she, to obtain him, began to worship Lord Bhaskara daily with devotion.
Meanwhile, Mitrasharma also, in the month of Vaishakha, bathing in the Ganga
and standing in the middle of the water, began to recite the 'Aditya Hridaya
Stotra' daily, meditating on the Sun God. After one month, the Sun God, being
pleased, granted him a boon for the fulfillment of his wish. Having received
the boon, he returned to his home. Chitrinee also obtained her heart's desired
boon from Lord Bhaskara. The Sun God also said to King Kamasena in a dream,
'Marry your daughter to Mitrasharma.' Then the king did so. After the marriage,
both of them would keep the vow of the Sun God daily and, writing the
Surya-yantra on a copper plate, would worship him daily with devotion with red
flowers. Their age reached nearly one hundred years, but they remained free
from disease; their life became divine. After death, they attained proximity to
the Sun God. The Sun God was incarnated as their son in the house of the
Brahmin Devala in Kanyakubja. He became famous in Kashi by the name of
Ramananda. From childhood, he was wise, devoted to the chanting of Rama's name,
and engrossed in devotion to Rama. Renouncing his parents, he came to the
refuge of the yati Raghvananda. At that time, Lord Sitarama, the husband of
Sita, suddenly took a place in his heart. Thus, from the part of Lord Mitradeva
(the Sun God), the powerful Hari-bhakta Ramananda appeared."
Brihaspati said again—"O
Deven-dra! Listen to the beautiful story of the sun of the month of Jyeshtha.
In ancient times, in the Satya Yuga, a Vipra named Aryama was born. He was
devoted to the dharma-shastras and a knower of the essence of the Vedas and
Vedangas. The daughter of King Shraddhayajna, named Pitrimati, was his wife.
She was extremely virtuous. She gave birth to seven sons who were devoted to
the dharma-shastras. Once, that intelligent Brahmin Aryama, after careful
consideration in his heart and with a desire for wealth, pleased Lord Bhaskara
through various kinds of worship. In the month of Jyeshtha, the Sun God granted
him a divine gem. By its power, one prastha of gold was produced daily. With
that wealth, he constructed step-wells, wells, ponds, beautiful buildings,
etc., for religious purposes. In the end, by the grace of the Sun God, he lived
a life free from obstacles and aging for one thousand years and attained the
beautiful Suryaloka. There, he resided in the form of the sun for one lakh
years. O Deven-dra! Thus I have told you the glory of Bhaskara. Therefore, you
too, along with the gods, should worship the Sun God situated in the solar
orb."
In the month of Jyeshtha, the
gods, filled with devotion, pleased the Sun God with hymns of praise. Being
pleased, the Sun God appeared and said, "O Devas! At the end of the
Dvapara Yuga, by the order of Sri Krishna, Sudarshana will be born. He will be
famous by the name of Nimbaditya (Nimbarkacharya) and will protect the
weakening dharma."
Sutaji said—"O Sages! Now
listen to the character of the great soul Nimbarka, which Lord Sri Krishna had
spoken of. Lord Sri Krishna had said to Sudarshana that you should accomplish
the work of the gods by my command. In the southern direction of Meru, on the
bank of the Narmada, there is a country named Tailanga, served by gods and
sages. There you will be incarnated and, after receiving instruction from
Devarishi Narada, you will attain perfection and establish dharma in Mathura,
Naimisharanya, Dvaravati, and Sudarshanashram." Accepting this command
with an 'Om,' Lord Sri Sudarshana, the fulfiller of the desires of devotees,
incarnated on the earth. In the sacred Sudarshanashram, there lived a great and
wise Dvija-shreshtha muni named Aruna, born in the Bhrigu dynasty, who was an
expert in the Vedas and Vedangas. His wife's name was Jayanti. The sage Aruna,
through meditation, held the effulgence of Lord Vishnu's Sudarshana-chakra, and
the husband-devout Jayanti-devi held that effulgence in her mind. By the power
of that effulgence, Devi Jayanti began to shine like the moon. A most
auspicious time arrived. The directions became clear. In the month of Kartika,
on the full moon of the bright fortnight, when the moon was in the sign of
Taurus, in the Krittika nakshatra, when five planets were in their exalted
positions, at that time, in the evening, in the Aries lagna, from the
victory-formed Jayanti-devi, the lord of the universe, Nimbaditya, appeared,
who directed this universe in the Vedic dharma.
Once, Lord Virinchi came to
Nimbarka's ashram. He said, "I have come to you, afflicted by hunger.
Please feed me only as long as Lord Surya is in the sky." Hearing these
words of Virinchi, Nimbarka gave him food. But Lord Surya had reached the western
mountain. Then the sage Nimbarka, with his own effulgence, established the
effulgence of Lord Sudarshana on a nearby Nimba tree. Brahma, seeing that
effulgence like the sun, was astonished and, bowing to that boy-sage who was
like a second sun, pleased him and, repeatedly giving him praise, said, 'From
today, you will be famous all over the earth by the name Nimbaditya.'"
Chapter 8
The Story of the Appearance of
Acharya Madhva, Shridharaswami, Vishnuswami, Vanibhushana, Bhattoji Dikshita,
and Varahamihira, etc.
The Devaguru Brihaspati
said—"O Deven-dra! In the Treta Yuga, in the city of Ayodhya, there lived
a Deva-worshipping Brahmin named Shakrasharma. He would duly worship the
Ashvini Kumaras, Rudras, Vasus, Surya, etc., with separate mantras, oblations,
and other rites. Pleased by the worship performed with his faith and devotion,
all thirty-three gods, along with their attendants, would make even his rarest
desires easily attainable. He, free from obstacles and aging, continued to
worship the gods for ten thousand years. After the end of his bodily life, he
attained Surya-sayujya (oneness with the Sun). Seeing his auspicious state, the
king of the gods, Indra (you), along with the other gods, also worshipped the
Sun God. On the full moon of Ashadha, Lord Bhaskara came to the earth in a
manifest form and said to the gods, 'In the Kali Yuga, I will take birth in the
form of a Dvija in the most beautiful Vrindavan, and in that solar form, I will
accomplish the work of the gods. And that same Dvija, as the Veda-path-devout
son of the Brahmin Madhava, will become famous by the name Madhu
(Madhvacharya).' Saying this, the Sun God became ready for the work of the
gods. He produced an effulgence from his body and sent it to Vrindavan. The son
of Madhava became famous on earth by the name of Madhvacharya. He subdued those
who were averse to the Vedic path in all ways with his sweet words and also
bestowed upon them the Vaishnavi Shakti, which grants both worldly enjoyment
and liberation.
O Deven-dra! In the Dvapara Yuga,
there was a Brahmin named Meghasharma, who sustained himself through
agriculture. He was knowledgeable, intelligent, religious, and devoted to the
Vedic path. Every day, with one-tenth of his wealth, he would worship all the
gods with devotion. Once, during the reign of King Shantanu, there was a
drought for five years. Only a drοna of grain could be bought for one mudra.
Only that Brahmin named Meghasharma, by the grace of the Sun, was prosperous
with wealth and grain. The other afflicted subjects went to the king for
refuge. The distressed king summoned Meghasharma and, bowing, said, 'O best of
Dvijas! You are my guru. Please find a way by which there will be good rain in
my kingdom.' At this, Meghasharma said, 'O King! In the month of Shravana, by
having twelve Brahmins worship the Sun with the chanting of the Surya-mantra,
homa, tarpana, feeding of Brahmins, etc., according to the prescribed rites,
there will be good rain in your kingdom.' The king did just that. By the grace
of the Sun God, there was abundant rain, and King Shantanu, devoted to the
Surya-vrata, became a most meritorious and excellent king through that vow.
Whichever old man he would touch with his hand would become young and free from
disease. By the power of the Sun God, Meghasharma also became a youth. He, free
from old age and all obstacles, lived for five hundred years. In the end,
giving up his life, he attained Suryaloka. Thereafter, he went to Brahmaloka.
Then the Sun God, coming to Prayag, gave his darshan in the form of Parjanya
and, with a pleased mind, said to the gods, 'O Devas! In the dire Kali Yuga,
there will be a Mleccha kingdom; at that time, I will come to Vrindavan and
accomplish the work of the gods.' Saying this, the Sun God went to Vrindavan
and, as the son of Vedasharma, became renowned by the name 'Shridhara'. He
wrote the devotion-filled Bhavartha-dipika commentary on the Srimad
Bhagavatam and explained the immense glory of the Bhagavatam.
Brihaspati said again—'O
Deven-dra! In the Kali Yuga, there was a Brahmin named Pranshusharma. He was
always devoted to the Veda-shastras, a worshipper of gods and guests, a speaker
of truth, extremely virtuous, and free from theft and violence. He would
protect his son and wife through the practice of begging for alms. One day,
while going on the path to beg, he saw the illusory Kali. Kali created a
charming garden, took the guise of a Brahmin, and said to Pranshusharma,
'Pranshusharma! Listen to my words. This is my beautiful garden. Go into it and
live your life happily.' Hearing these words of the Vipra, Pranshusharma came
inside the garden. The wicked Kali, coming into the garden, picked beautiful
fruits and gave them to him to eat. And, with folded hands, bowing, he said to
Pranshusharma, 'O Vipra! Eat the beautiful Kalindaka fruit with me.' Hearing
this, he, smiling, said in a sweet voice, 'The learned have said that Kali
resides in the Baheda tree and in the Kalindaka fruit; therefore, I will not eat
it. If you, with extreme faith and devotion, are giving me this fruit to eat
for the purpose of serving a Brahmin, then I can accept this fruit only after
offering it to Lord Shaligrama, because Shaligrama is the embodiment of
Satchidananda, Brahma himself. It is a certain fact that anything upon which
the Lord's gaze falls, even if it is inedible, becomes edible.' Hearing this,
Kali became ashamed and disappointed. The Brahmin, taking that fruit, went to
the village of Bhumi. Then, Kali Yuga, in the guise of a king, came to
Pranshusharma and, being pleased, said, 'O Brahmin-deva! Have you accepted the
fruit? Show it to me quickly.' Hearing this, Pranshusharma brought that fruit,
which was like the head of a calf, and showed it to him. At this, the enraged
Kali, after beating the Brahmin with canes, locked him in an iron prison. In
the morning, at sunrise, the distressed Pranshusharma pleased Lord Bhaskara
with the suktas of the Rigveda. Pleased, the eternal Ravi himself spoke this
sentence into the Vipra's ear through an aerial voice: 'O great-souled Vipra!
Time-formed Hari himself has created the four yugas for the sustenance of the
universe. He himself has created Kali for the death of the world's multitude.
Therefore, upon the arrival of the dire Kali Yuga, go to the city of Kalinjar,
created by Vishnumaya, and live your life joyfully.' Lord Surya, saying so,
sent that Brahmin to Kalinjar for his protection. The Brahmin Pranshusharma,
residing there for one hundred and twenty-five years and worshipping the Sun
God, went to Suryaloka with his son and wife. That same Pranshusharma, in the
twenty-eighth Kali Yuga, on the full moon of the month of Bhadrapada, was born
as the son of Shivadatta in Kalinjar and became famous by the name of
Vishnusharma - Vishnuswami. He was a knower of the Veda-shastras and arts, a
worshipper of the gods, and a supreme Vaishnava.
O Deven-dra! In former times, in
the place named Chaitraratha, a son named Bhagasharma was born to Medhavi Muni
from the Apsara Manjughosha. When his parents abandoned him right after birth,
he, by some good fortune, became devoted to the worship of the Sun God and,
through penance, continuously worshipped him for one hundred years. In the end,
the presiding deity of the solar orb, Goddess Savitri, being pleased with him,
appeared. In the month of Ashvina, she made that Brahmin the king of the solar
orb, and he, in the month of Ashvina, began to shine in the form of the sun.
The whole world began to worship him; therefore, O Indra! you too should
worship that same Sun. He will also bring about your supreme welfare."
Following the words of their guru, Brihaspati, Deven-dra also worshipped the
Sun in the month of Ashvina. Lord Surya appeared and said to Indra, 'O King of
Gods! In Kanyakubja, in the house of the Brahmin Satyadeva, I will take an
incarnation as their son by the name of 'Vanibhushana'.' Later, he did just
that, and in the course of time, Vanibhushana composed a text on the science of
prosody in his own name and defeated the heretics. He had obtained Vaishnavi
Shakti through the worship of Lord Vishnu.
Brihaspati spoke again—"O
King of Gods, Indra! Once upon a time, on the bank of the Saryu river, there
lived a Brahmin named Devayaji. He was a worshipper of all the gods and a daily
reciter of the Vedas. A son was born to him, but he died as soon as he was
born. Knowing this, the distressed Devayaji worshipped the Sun God. By the
grace of the Sun God, that dead child came back to life, and his name was kept
as Vivasvan. At the age of sixteen, he became a profound scholar of all the
shastras. He was devoted to dharma and to the vows of the Sun. His marriage was
also performed. One day was the sacred festival of Shivaratri. Vivasvan had
taken a vow. On that day, due to physical contact with his wife Sushila out of
desire, he was afflicted with a terrible leprosy. He became very sad. Then,
receiving instruction on the twelve-Sunday-vows from someone, he worshipped the
Sun God, remaining without food and with controlled senses. With this devotion
and by the grace of the Sun God, his leprosy was cured, and all his suffering
ended. Due to this, an extreme faith in the Sun God arose in him, and he began
to recite the 'Aditya Hridaya Stotra'. By its power, he became as handsome as
Kamadeva. That Vivasvan, who was previously scorned by women, now became their
beloved. But Vivasvan, taking the vow of unbroken celibacy, became devoted to
the meditation of Brahman. For one hundred years, he remained free from disease
and wise. In the end, giving up his life, he became one with the sun and, from
the middle of the solar orb, in the month of Kartika, he continued to shine for
one lakh years. O Mahendra! You too, along with the gods, should worship that
Sun God."
Sutaji said—"O Muni! The
king of the gods, Indra, hearing the words of Brihaspati, worshipped the Sun
God with devotion for one month in the month of Kartika according to the
prescribed rites. On the Kartika Purnima, the Sun God appeared and said to
Indra, 'Indra! I will take an incarnation and accomplish the work of the gods.
The knowledge-arrogant Bhattas have misinterpreted the Sutrapatha and
Dhatupatha, have distorted the meaning, and have corrupted the meaning of the
accent and syllable. I will rescue the Veda by conquering those heretics.'
Saying so, that Sun God was born in the Dikshita-vansha in the house of
Vedasharma in Kashi. He was as his name, so his qualities. At the age of
twelve, he became an expert in all the shastras. He worshipped Lord Vishvanatha,
the beloved of Goddess Parvati and the lord of the world. After three years,
Lord Shankara granted him great knowledge. By the power of that divine
knowledge, all knowledge of the manifest and unmanifest became clear to him,
and he composed the grammar text named Siddhanta Kaumudi. He had
defeated and conquered the heretic Bhattas, which is why his name 'Bhattoji
Dikshita' became famous in the world."
Devaguru Brihaspati spoke—"O
King of Gods, Indra! In former times, in the city of Kanchipuri, there lived an
astrologer Brahmin. He was the priest of King Satyadata, a follower of the
Vedic path. Once, that astrologer said to King Satyadata, 'O King! This is the
muhurta named Abhijit, conjoined with the Pushya nakshatra. At this time, you
should have a market set up; by buying and selling in it, you will gain immense
profit.' Then the king had it announced by the beat of a drum—'Whoever's goods
are not sold in the market, the king will buy them—this is our true
declaration.' Hearing such a declaration, many goods came to the market for
sale, but other merchants bought them all. At that time, a blacksmith made an
'iron pauper' and brought it to the market, asking a price of one hundred
rupees for it. But no one in the market bought it. The king, even though
understanding it to be an image of a pauper, bought it for one hundred rupees
according to his declaration and had it placed in the treasury. By the power of
that statue, at night, meritorious deeds, dharma, and Lakshmi began to leave
the kingdom before the king's very eyes. Truth, in a human form, said to the
king, 'O King! Where poverty resides, no one is devoted to action; without
action, dharma cannot be stable on earth; without dharma, there is no beauty of
Lakshmi; and without Lakshmi, I cannot remain.' Saying this, as Truth desired
to leave, the king caught him and said in a humble voice, 'O Lord! I have not
abandoned you; I have only upheld the truth. Therefore, why are you leaving my
house?' Hearing this, Satyadeva re-entered the king's house, and behind him,
Lakshmi also began to enter the house. The king said to Lakshmi, 'O Devi! You
are fickle. If you can remain steadfast, then come into my house.' Hearing
this, granting the boon of steadfastness, Lakshmi also entered the king's
house. King Satyadata again summoned his priest-astrologer and, granting him
one lakh mudras, told him everything. That priest had received this wealth at
the time of his son's birth; therefore, that excellent astrologer spent the
entire wealth on the upbringing of the boy and named him 'Pusha'. Pusha
worshipped the Sun in the month of Margashirsha. By his grace, he became an
expert in the science of astrology and merged into the sun. Therefore, O
Deven-dra, you too should worship the Sun God in Margashirsha."
Sutaji spoke—"O Muni!
According to the instructions of Brihaspati, Indra also worshipped the Sun in
the month of Margashirsha and, being pleased, the Sun God, in the form of
Pusha, gave him a direct vision and said, 'O Devas! In Ujjayini, in the house
of Rudrapashu, I will be born by the name of Mihiracharya (Varahamihira). I
will be the propagator of the science of astrology.' Later, at the conjunction
of Mulagandanta and Abhijit, a boy was born in the house of the Brahmin
Rudrapashu. The father, placing the born son in a wooden box, floated him in
the river at night. He, floating, went into the ocean, but there he was
protected by Rakshasis. Then, coming to Lanka, he studied astrology. After
studying all the branches of astrology like Jataka, Phalita, Muka-prashna,
etc., thoroughly, he came to Vibhishana and, bowing to the king of devotees,
Vibhishana, he said, 'The Rakshasis have brought me here; I am in your refuge.'
Vibhishana, considering him an excellent Vaishnava, sent him to his birthplace.
He again revived the science of astrology, which had been destroyed by the
Mlecchas."
Chapter 9
The Character of Vaidyaraj
Dhanvantari, Sushruta, and the Devotee Poet Jayadevaji
Sutaji spoke—"O Muni! The
Devaguru Brihaspati, in Prayag, again spoke thus to Indra and the other gods
about the supreme glory of the Sun God. O Deven-dra! In ancient times, at the
end of the Treta Yuga, the way in which the Sun God, by the command of Lord
Shankara, appeared in the beautiful city of Pratishthanpur, please listen to
that.
At the end of the Treta Yuga, in
the island of Simhala, there was a king named Parikshit. He was devoted to the
Vedic dharma and was a worshipper of the gods and guests. He had a daughter
whose name was Bhanumati. She was devoted to the vows of the Sun. In the royal
palace, she would worship the Sun God daily, offer him bhoga, and, pleased with
her devotion, the Sun God would come there at every noon and accept that
naivedya. Once upon a time, on a Sunday, that Bhanumati went to the
Nalini-sagar to bathe and, entering the water, began to bathe. At that same
time, Narada Muni reached that deserted region and expressed his desire to
marry that maiden. But the maiden declared it improper. Due to this, Devarishi
Narada became ashamed and also fell ill. Devarishi Narada went to Lord Shankara
and narrated the entire incident to him. Then Shankara, to cure his disease,
pleased Lord Bhaskara through worship. Lord Surya appeared, made the
Devarishi's body disease-free and beautiful, and said to Lord Shankara, 'O Lord!
Please command me, what dear task of yours shall I perform?' Lord Shankara
said, 'O Lord! You, becoming a Brahmin by the name of Savita, should go to the
mortal world and marry Bhanumati, the daughter of King Parikshit.' The Sun God
did just that. That Savita, along with Bhanumati, began to worship the Sun God,
attained Suryaloka, and began to shine in the sky in the month of Pausha. O
Mahendra! You too should worship the Sun God and accomplish the work of the
gods."
Sutaji said—"O Muni! Hearing
the words of Brihaspati, the king of the gods, Indra, along with the other
gods, worshipped the Sun God in the month of Pausha. Being pleased, the Sun
appeared and said, 'O Devas! I will be born in Kashi by the name of Dhanvantari
and will free the creatures of the world, afflicted with diseases created by
Kali, from their ailments, and residing there, I will accomplish the work of
the gods.' Saying this, the Sun God came to Kashi and was born in the house of
the Brahmin Kalpadatta in the form of a son named Dhanvantari. He made the
prince Sushruta his disciple, along with other mature scholars, and composed
the Kalpa-veda (Ayurveda - the science of medicine). The learned have called
the body, which is wasted away by diseases, 'Kalpa'; the knowledge of this is
contained in this tantra, which is why it has been called the Kalpa-veda. In
the Kali Yuga, that Sun himself became famous in the form of Lord Dhanvantari,
by whose mere sight all diseases are instantly destroyed. Acharya Sushruta,
after studying the Kalpa-veda composed by Dhanvantari, created the
'Sushruta-tantra' with one hundred chapters."
Brihaspati said again—"O
King of Gods! In former times, in the beautiful city of Pampapur, there lived a
Brahmin named Heli. He was a knower of the sixty-four arts and was devoted to
the worship of the Sun God. He, renouncing the practice of accepting gifts,
adopted the profession of creating objects with his hands. He made a beautiful
statue of iron metal, painted it with many artistic designs, and sold it for
five thousand mudras. With the wealth he obtained from the sale, he worshipped
the Sun God through yajnas in the month of Magha. Heli constructed an excellent
pillar of light in the beautiful Pampa lake. The Sun God, pleased with his
devotion, would come there every noon and partake of the naivedya offered by
Heli. By the grace of the Sun God, after enjoying a lifespan of a thousand
years, he gave up his life, became one with the sun, and, situated in the
middle of the solar orb, began to shine in the month of Magha. O Deven-dra! You
too should worship the Sun God, Vishvakarma, who is situated in the solar orb.
He will accomplish all your tasks." Hearing this statement of the
Devaguru, Indra, along with the gods, worshipped the Sun God. Being pleased by
this, the Sun God said to the gods, 'O Devas! I will be born in the form of a
Niruktakara (etymologist) in Bilvagrama in the Vanga country and will be
renowned by the name of the crest-jewel of poets, Jayadeva.' Saying this, the
Sun God came to the Vanga country and was born in the house of the Brahmin
Kanduki as a son. From the age of five, he began to be particularly devoted to
the service of his parents. He served his parents greatly for twelve years. At
the age of twelve, after the death of his parents, he duly performed their
shraddha rites, and in Gaya, they appeared before Jayadeva in the form of ancestors
and were then established in heaven in divine form. In the end, a sense of
detachment arose in Jayadevaji, and he began to perform bhajans living in the
forest. His age reached twenty-three years.
At this time, a Brahmin named
Satyavrata dedicated his auspicious daughter to Lord Jagannatha. At the end of
the worship, the eternal Lord, in his form of Daru-Brahma (wood-Brahman),
appeared in person and said to him, 'O Satyavrata! Jayadeva is my very form. By
my command, give your daughter Padmavati to him.' Hearing this, that Brahmin
Satyavrata, with great pleasure, dedicated his daughter Padmavati to the
ascetic Jayadeva. Then that Satyavrata returned to his home. Padmavati served
her husband Jayadeva with joy for many years. In a state of samadhi, Jayadeva
composed the Vedanga-Nirukta. In the Kali Yuga, the Shudras of the Naga dynasty
had corrupted the Vedic procedures. He conquered the foolish composers, who
were dear to Kali and authors of the Prakrit language, and revived the Paninian
shastra. The thieves, inspired by Kali Yuga, after looting all the wealth of
Jayadeva received from the king, cut off his hands and feet and threw him into
a pit. Padmavati, seeing this condition of her husband, became very sad and,
crying, she took her husband out of the pit and, caressing him with her hands,
removed his pain. One day, King Dharmapala came there in the course of a hunt.
He saw the devotee Jayadeva and asked who had caused this condition of yours,
being without hands and feet. Jayadeva said, 'Maharaja! I have attained this
state as a result of my own deeds. No one has committed any wickedness.' At
this, King Dharmapala, placing Jayadeva along with his wife in a palanquin,
brought them to his palace. The king, taking initiation from him, had a
dharamshala constructed for them.
Once, those same thieves,
inspired by Kali, came to King Dharmapala's palace in the guise of Vaishnavas
and said to the king, 'O Lord! We are Brahmins skilled in the shastras and have
come to your house. O King! Lord Vishnu (Shaligrama) situated on the stone slab
partakes of the food items prepared by us daily. O best of kings! Please see
it.' Saying so, those devotees of Kali, by their maya, showed the king the
four-armed form of Vishnu eating. Astonished, Dharmapala said to Jayadeva, 'O
Gurudeva! Vishnu-devout Vaishnavas have come to my house. By their power, I
have had the darshan of Hari himself. Therefore, you too should come quickly.'
Hearing this, Jayadeva, also astonished, came to the royal court. At that time,
those hypocrites, smiling, said to the king, 'O King! This Brahmin used to work
preparing food etc. in the house of the king of Gauda country. This one, out of
greed for wealth, deceitfully mixed poison in the food and fed it to the king.
Therefore, this is a wicked person.' Knowing this, that king had this Brahmin
impaled on a stake. In the meantime, we arrived there. Considering the Dvija to
be a sinner, we gave much instruction. We also explained a great deal to that
king. Then the king, taking him down from the stake, had his hands and feet cut
off. That king also became our disciple.'
As those thieves were saying this
(speaking falsehood), the earth, becoming distressed, split open, and those
thieves sank into the earth. The merciful Jayadeva, seeing this state of the
thieves, began to weep. As he wept, his severed hands and feet became as they
were naturally. Seeing this, King Dharmapala was greatly astonished. He asked
Jayadevaji about this. Then Jayadevaji told him the entire incident truthfully.
Hearing this, the king was extremely pleased. That king attained liberation by
reading the 'Gita Govinda' composed by Jayadeva.
Chapter 10
The Story of the Appearance of
Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, Valmiki, and Shankaracharya
Devaguru Brihaspati said—"O
Deven-dra! In ancient times, there was a Brahmin named Vishnusharma who was an
expert in the Vedas. With a pleased mind, he used to worship the all-god-formed
Vishnu; therefore, the gods also held him in high esteem. He used to sustain
his livelihood by begging for alms. He had a wife but no son. Once, a guest
came to his house. The compassionate great soul, seeing the financial condition
and humility of Vishnusharma's wife, gave her a philosopher's stone for three
days and said that by its touch, even iron turns into gold. 'In this time, I
will return to you after bathing in the Saryu.' After he left, the Brahmani
prepared a sufficient amount of gold from that stone. By then, Vishnusharma
also arrived. Seeing his wife endowed with an immense amount of gold, he said,
'Wherever the owner of that philosopher's stone has gone, you too go there. I
am a pauper, a devotee of Vishnu. For fear of thieves and dacoits, I do not
accumulate wealth.' At this, his chaste wife became frightened and, dedicating
the philosopher's stone to him, became devoted to his service again. The
Brahmin Vishnusharma threw all that wealth and the philosopher's stone into the
Ghaghara-Saryu river. After three days, that guest came and asked the Brahmani
if she had not made gold from the philosopher's stone. She said, 'My husband
angrily took it and threw it into the Ghaghara. Since that day, I am somehow
preparing food in the fire itself, in the absence of iron utensils.' Hearing
this, that yati was astonished. He stayed there for the whole day. In the
evening, upon the Brahmin's arrival, he said in a harsh voice, 'O Brahmin! You
seem to be deluded by fate; because you are poor and yet you do not wish to
accumulate wealth. Therefore, return my philosopher's stone quickly, otherwise
I will give up my life.' Upon the yati saying this, Vishnusharma said, 'Go to
the bank of the Ghaghara; your philosopher's stone will be found there.' Saying
this, going there with the yati, he showed him many philosopher's stones covered
with many thorns. That yati, bowing to the Brahmin, humbly said, 'I worshipped
Shiva well for twelve years, then I obtained this auspicious gem. O best of
Vipras! Just by your sight, I, a greedy soul, have obtained many philosopher's
stones today.' Saying this, after obtaining auspicious knowledge from him, he
attained liberation. Meanwhile, Vishnusharma, after living on the earth for one
thousand years and worshipping the sun, attained Vishnuloka. That same
Vishnusharma, holding the Vaishnava effulgence, is shining in the month of
Phalguna in the three worlds and is accomplishing the work of the gods. O
Deven-dra! In the month of Phalguna, by worshipping that sun, you too should
obtain happiness." He did the same, along with the gods. The pleased Sun
God, appearing from the solar orb, entered the body of Indra before the very
eyes of all the gods. With that effulgence, Indra assumed the form of a
non-womb-born Vipra, and Shachi Devi also incarnated on the earth in the form
of a Brahmani. After one year, from the womb of Shachi Devi, in the month of
Bhadrapada, on the twelfth day of the bright fortnight, on a Thursday, at the
Brahma-vela, a divine child was born, who was in reality an incarnation of Lord
Vishnu's part. The gods like Rudra, Vasu, Vishvedeva, Marudgana, Sadhya,
Siddha, and Bhaskara praised that eternal Hari-formed child with divine hymns
and prayed for the deliverance of the gods, who were afflicted by the sons of
Diti in the Kali Yuga, and of the earth, which was distressed by adharma. This
same child later became famous by the name of Sri Krishna Chaitanya.
Sutaji spoke—"O Muni! After
the praise, all the devas, coming to Brihaspati, began to say, 'O great soul!
In which part-forms will all of us Rudraganas, these Vasuganas, and the Ashvini
Kumaras incarnate on the earth? Please be kind enough to tell us this.'
Brihaspati said, 'O Devas! In this regard, I am telling you another matter—in
ancient times, there was a lowly Brahmin named Mrigavyadha. He always, holding
a bow and arrow on the path, used to commit violence against Vipras. That great
fool, after killing Brahmins, would take their sacred threads and joyfully
create a clamor. That wicked, lowest of Dvijas would kill the three varnas,
especially the Brahmins. At that time, seeing the destruction of the Brahmins,
the devas, becoming frightened, came to Brahma and told him everything. Hearing
this, the distressed Brahma said to the Saptarishis, who travel in all the
worlds, 'O best of Dvijas! All of you go there and counsel Mrigavyadha.'
Hearing this, Marichi, along with Vashishtha and other sages, went to the
forest of Mrigavyadha. The mighty Mrigavyadha, holding a bow and arrow, seeing
them, spoke a terrible word: 'Today I will kill you.' Marichi and others,
smiling, said, 'Why will you kill us? Will you kill for your family or for
yourself? Tell us quickly.' Hearing this, that Mrigavyadha said, 'I will kill
(you) for my family and for my own welfare.' Hearing this, they said, 'O
archer! Go home and quickly ask this: who will bear the sins committed by
killing a Vipra? Consider this.' Hearing this, that terrible soul asked his
family members, 'The sin which I have acquired till today, you too should
accept it in the same way as you have accepted the wealth.' Hearing this word
of that lowly Brahmin, his family members said, 'We will not accept the sin
committed by you, because this earth and this sun are witnesses; we have not
committed any sin.' Hearing this, that Mrigavyadha went to the munis and, with
folded hands, said, 'O great souls! The way in which my sins may be destroyed,
please tell me such a remedy.' Upon Mrigavyadha saying this, the sages said,
'There is an excellent mantra, listen to it—it is the 'name of Rama.' It is the
remover of all kinds of sins. Now we are going; until we return to you, you
should chant this great mantra, that is, the name of Rama.' Saying this, the
munis went to wander in other holy places, and that foolish Vyadha Vipra
chanted 'mara-mara' continuously for a thousand years. By the power of his
chanting, that forest became filled with lotuses, and from then on, that place on
earth became famous by the name of Utpalaranya. Then the Saptarishis came to
that Mrigavyadha, who had become an anthill, and removing the earth from him
and seeing him in the form of a pure Vipra, they, being astonished, began to
say, 'Because you have emerged from an anthill (valmika), you will be called
Valmiki. O Vipra, O great-minded one who knows the three times! You will become
famous by this name.' Saying this, those Saptarishis went to their respective
places. The sage Valmiki composed the pure, lyrical Ramayana, which is endowed
with eighteen kalpas, extends to one hundred crore verses, and is the destroyer
of all sins. Thereafter, becoming Shiva, he began to reside there. O Devas!
Please listen to the character of that Mrigavyadha Shiva, who is dear to Hara.
In the first Satya Yuga of the
Vaivasvata Manvantara, Brahma came to Utpalaranya and performed a yajna. At
that time, the Goddess Saraswati came there in the form of a river. Then Brahma
created auspicious Brahmins from his mouth, Kshatriyas from his arms, excellent
Vaishyas from his thighs, and Shudras endowed with good conduct from his feet.
The Dvija-king Soma (Chandra), Surya, Kashyapa who protects the power of
virility, Marichi, Ratnakara meaning the ocean, and the Prajapatis were also
created. Many daughters were born from the mind of Daksha. By the power of
Vishnumaya, they became situated on the earth in the form of arts. Lord Brahma
gave the twenty-seven nakshatras like Ashvini to Soma for the growth of the
world, and the thirteen daughters like Aditi to Kashyapa, and the daughters
like Kirti to Dharma. He created many creations in the Vaivasvata Manvantara.
According to the command of Brahma, Daksha became the Prajapati of those people
on earth. Daksha Prajapati, devoted to yajna, resided there himself. All the
devas, bowing to Daksha, would wander there, but Bhutnath Mahadeva never bowed
to him. Enraged by this, Daksha did not give him a share in the yajna.
Mrigavyadha Shiva, becoming enraged, appeared in the form of Virabhadra. Along
with him, the Shiva-ganas with three heads, three eyes, and three feet also
came there. The devas, munis, and pitris began to be afflicted by Virabhadra
and others. At that time, the Yajna-purusha, becoming frightened, took the form
of a deer and began to flee quickly. Then Shiva assumed the form of a hunter.
That deer, by the hunter-formed Rudra, had its limbs shattered. Then Lord
Brahma pleased the hunter-Rudra with sweet praises. The pleased Mrigavyadha had
the yajna of Daksha completed. When the sun entered the sign of Libra,
establishing that Rudra in the lunar mansion with twenty-seven nakshatras,
Brahma himself went to Satyaloka, and Rudra became as beautiful as the moon.
Hearing this, Virabhadra Rudra, with a pleased mind, produced an effulgence
from his body and sent it to the house of a Vipra named Bhairavadatta. In the
dire Kali Yuga, that same Shiva was incarnated as his son by the name of
Shankara (Shankaracharya). That child was virtuous, a knower of all shastras,
and a Brahmachari. He composed the Shankara-bhashya and established the Shaiva
doctrine, and bestowed the tripundra, aksha (rudraksha) beads, and the
five-syllable mantra."
Chapter 11
The Account of the Appearance
of Girisharma, Vanasharma, and Purisharma
Devaguru Brihaspati spoke—"O
Deven-dra! In ancient times, in Naimisharanya, there was a Brahmin named
Ajagara. He was a scholar of Vedanta-shastra, knowledgeable, and a worshipper
of Lord Shankara. In twelve years, through earthen worship, he pleased Lord
Rudra. Lord Shiva granted him knowledge and bestowed upon him liberation while
living. Then that best of Dvijas, worshipping Samkarshana, pleased him with
many hymns of praise. Lord Samkarshana granted him sayujya (oneness), and in
the end, he became the Lord's ornament, the serpent. He was of a fair form,
endowed with a thousand hoods. His abode was in the ocean of milk. Brahmaji
himself came and, when the sun was in the sign of Cancer, established that
Rudra in the nakshatra-mandala of the moon, and he became like the moon."
Following the words spoken by the guru, the Sheshanaga Rudra, with a pleased
mind, produced an effulgence from his mouth and established it in the house of
the Brahmin Devadatta in the Vindhyadri, and he was born in the form of the Vipra
Girisharma. After conquering the learned, he came to the city of Kashi and
became a disciple of Shankara.
Sutaji spoke—"O Muni! Now
listen to another story told to the gods by the Devaguru Brihaspati. Brihaspati
had said, 'O Deven-dra! In former times, in Prayag, there was a famous Brahmin
named Nairrita. He was afflicted by poverty and was unfortunate. After begging
with great difficulty throughout the day, he would receive alms. After his son
and wife, that Nairrita was constantly afflicted by poverty. Once, the
Devarishi Narada, dear to the Vaishnavas, came to him and began to say, "O
best of Vipras! This entire universe is pervaded by the gods, and the lord of
all is Bhava (Shankara). Therefore, you too should quickly worship Bhava. He
will accomplish your task." Receiving this instruction from Devarishi
Narada, Nairrita, with supreme devotion, pleased Lord Shiva for a year through
earthen worship. Lord Maheshvara, being pleased, granted him divine and
abundant wealth, like that of Kubera. He accomplished religious works with that
wealth. For this reason, he became famous among the meritorious. By the power of
his devotion to Shiva, he obtained unhindered wealth and, after living for a
thousand years, in the end, he gave up his life and went to heaven. And when
the sun was in the sign of Taurus, he shone like the moon and became renowned
by the name of Nairrita Rudra.'"
Sutaji said—"O Shaunaka!
That same Nairrita, coming to the earth from his part, was born in the forest
of the Girinalagiri mountain as the son of a forest-dwelling Siddha, a Samkhya
yogi, and became renowned by the name Vanasharma, who was devoted to the
Veda-shastras. At the age of twelve, he conquered many learned men. Then, with
the desire to attain the knowledge of the truth, he came to Kashi and, bowing
to the excellent Shankaracharya, became his disciple."
Brihaspati said again—"O
Deven-dra! In Mahishmati, there lived a Shiva-devotee Brahmin named Vasusharma.
Desiring a son, he was particularly devoted to earthen worship. After many
efforts, Lord Shankara appeared and asked him to ask for a boon. Then that
Vipra said, 'O one who is compassionate to those who seek refuge! Please grant
me a son.' At this, Shankara said, 'Son! A son is not written in your destiny,
yet I am giving you a brilliant son from my own part.' Saying this, he
manifested an effulgence, and from that effulgence, a beautiful son was born.
That son's one foot was like a human's, and the other foot was like a goat's.
Therefore, on the earth, he became renowned by the name Ajaikapada. After four
solar years had passed, the god of death, along with his attendants, came
there. He had a terrible battle with Ajaikapada. In the end, Ajaikapada, being
victorious in the battle, became famous on earth by the name Mrityunjaya.
Defeated and distressed by him, the god of death narrated his plight to Brahmaji.
Then Lord Brahma, along with all the devas, when the sun was in the sign of
Aquarius, made that Brahmin the lord of the lunar mansion in the form of the
fear-removing Rudra."
Sutaji spoke—"O Muni! Later,
that same Ajaikapada, coming to the city of Mahishmatipuri, became renowned by
the name Purisharma, in the form of the Lord who grants purity to Kali. And he
was again incarnated as the son of Yatidatta. In sixteen years, after
conquering the scholars expert in the Vedas, he came to Shankaracharya and
accepted his discipleship."
Chapter 12
The Story of the Origin of
Bharati, Nathasharma, Kshetrasharma, and Dhundhiraja
Brihaspati spoke—"O
Deven-dra! In former times, there was a demon named Hirbu, who was a thorn for
the world. He was born in the lineage of Nikumbha and was as valiant as Indra.
When, after performing austerities for a thousand years, he defeated the gods,
then the lord of the world, Brahma, ready for the protection of the world,
asked him to ask for a boon. He bowed to him and asked for the boon, 'May I not
be killed by any living being in the universe.' Saying, 'So it shall be,'
Brahma went to Brahmaloka. Having received the boon, that terrible demon, after
conquering the gods, drove them out of heaven and settled the demons there.
Thus, the gods endured terrible suffering. Seeing their plight, Naradaji said,
'O Devas! You should worship Shankara. Lord Shankara is the lord of the
universe and the destroyer of calamities.' Hearing this, the gods began the
earthen worship of the God of gods, Lord Umapati. After eleven years of worship
had passed, the world-welfare-bestowing Lord Shiva was pleased and, in the form
of a Jyotirlinga, began to burn all the asuras except for the devotees of the
gods. Pleased by this, Brahma, along with Vishnu, joyfully pleased the
Maharudra with Sama-suktas. When the sun was in the sign of Gemini, the
Maharudra who destroyed the demon Hirbu was made the king of the lunar mansion
for the welfare of the gods. This Maharudra became ready for the work of the
gods. Later, this same Maharudra was born as the son of Sadyakarma on the
beautiful Himalaya mountain and later became famous by the name of Bharati, a
knower of the arts. After conquering the community of the learned, he then came
to the city of Kashi and became a disciple of Shankaracharya.
Brihaspati said again—"O
Deven-dra! Maya had a son named Mayi. Standing on one leg, he performed severe
austerities for a thousand years. He afflicted all the creatures of the world
with his penance. Then Lord Parameshthi Pitamaha, being pleased, constructed
three villages (three cities - Tripura) for his enjoyment. A golden city,
sixteen yojanas wide, like heaven; below it, a silver city, one yojana wide,
like the Bhuvarloka; and below that, an iron city, one yojana wide, like the
Bhurloka, were built. Thus, in that Tripura, one hundred crore demons and
demonesses began to live. They, accepting the sacrificial share of the gods,
became like the gods. Not receiving their share of the sacrifice, the weakened
devas, afflicted by hunger, went to Lord Vishnu and, praising him, began to
say, 'O Lord! O Prabhu! A very long time has passed for us enduring the sorrows
given by Mayi, the son of Maya. We are all living without authority. In heaven,
it is the kingdom of the demon Mayi.' Hearing the words of the gods, Lord
Madhusudana, seeing the dharma-devout demons situated in Tripura who spoke
Sanskrit, became a Buddhist in the terrible Kali Yuga as the son of the Dvija
Ajina, and deluded the Vipras who were devout to the Vedic dharma. In the
Tamasa Manvantara, the three varnas became devoid of the Vedas, actionless, and
endowed with detachment. Upon the arrival of the sixteenth Kali, they all
became without yajna. For this reason, the inhabitants of Tripura stopped
receiving their share of the yajna. Therefore, all the demon inhabitants of
Tripura, becoming enraged, began to afflict those humans who were without Vedas
and without yajna. At the end of the kalpa, being consumed by the demons, all
the humans were destroyed. Then, upon the arrival of Satyaloka, the gods, in
Kailasa, worshipped Lord Shambhu, who desires the welfare of all people. Lord
Shankara, assuming the form of a Jyotirlinga, became situated there. For this
reason, the gods were pleased. They, taking the essence of the earth, duly
constructed a chariot. From the essence of the moon and the sun, they made the
two wheels of the chariot. Similarly, from the essence of Sumeru, they made the
flag of the chariot and gave that chariot-like vehicle to Lord Shiva. Lord
Brahma himself came there and became the charioteer of the chariot. The horses
of that God of gods' chariot were the four Vedas. His bow, the essence of the
Lokaloka mountain, became famous by the name Ajagava. It made a terrible sound.
When Lord Shankara, making the bowstring, began to string the bow, then due to
the anger of the God of gods, that bow broke. Seeing this, Lord Vishnu was
astonished. Then, he, taking the essence of heaven, constructed a divine bow
named Pinaka. Rudra again strung the bowstring of that bow. That bow was
strong, so it did not break. For this reason, Brahma and the other gods, with a
pleased mind, praised him, and from then on, Lord Maheshvara became famous by
the name 'Pinaki'. Sheshanaga was the string of that bow, and Indra became the
form of the arrow. Agni and Vayu were on the feathers of the arrow, and the
eternal Vishnu was situated on the arrowhead. With that bow and arrow, crores
of demons were killed in the sky. Lord Shiva burnt that Tripura, which was
protected by Mayi. The lord of the world, Brahma, when the Ravi was in the sign
of Pisces, made the Pinaki Maharudra the king of the lunar mansion, and in the
Tamasa Manvantara, the gods regained their respective authorities."
Sutaji said—"O Muni! Later,
Pinaki, from his mouth, produced his own excellent part and, in Haridwar, made
his effulgence enter the mouth of a yogi named Machhanda. That Machhanda was a
worshipper of Lord Shambhu and the guru of Gorakha. From that effulgence, a
great scholar, an excellent and beautiful son named Nathasharma was born. He,
after conquering all the scholars of the earth, came to the city of Kashi and
became a disciple of Shankaracharya.
O Deven-dra! In the twelfth
Dvapara of the Chakshusha Manvantara, the Brahmins born in the Bhrigu dynasty
were destroyed in Kurukshetra by the Kshatriyas born in the Talajangha dynasty,
and taking their abundant wealth, those Kshatriyas became partisans of the
demons. At that time, the pregnant wife of a certain Brahmin, out of fear,
retained her fetus for one hundred years by the power of her penance. Unable to
bear this, the fetus-child, tearing its mother's thigh, came onto the earth. By
its effulgence, the entire world began to be consumed by fire. Then all the
devas, with the Prajapati at their head, came to him, agitated with fear. That
child, by the command of the ancestors and the gods, threw that
world-destroying effulgence into the middle of the water. The goddess of water,
assuming the form of a mare, drank that excellent effulgence, but afflicted by
the fierce effulgence, she vomited it out. Brahmaji, coming to the Trikuta
mountain, established that effulgence in the deep ocean below it. Then the Parameshthi
Pitamaha, when the sun was in the sign of Aries, established that fierce
effulgence in the form of Rudra as the lord of the lunar mansion. Being born
from the thigh (uru), he was called Aurva; for burning the world, Dahana; and
for being born from the mouth of the mare (vadava), Vadav."
Sutaji spoke—"O Muni! That
Dahana produced an effulgence from his mouth, and that same one became renowned
in the house of a Sarasvata Brahmin in Kurukshetra by the name of
Kshetrasharma. He became the best among the learned. Defeated by Shankaracharya,
he became his disciple and, taking the vow of celibacy, he began to worship
Lord Shankara and became situated in Kashi."
Brihaspati said again—"O
Deven-dra! In former times, when the entire world had become a single ocean and
all the movable and immovable had been destroyed, and when one hundred years of
the unmanifest-born Brahma had passed, the maya-formed Prakriti joyfully drank
that water. Then the tamo-mayi Mahakali was born alone in that terrible
Prakrita world. Later, the ever-pure, eternal Prakriti, of her own will,
transformed into the form of Mahagauri. She had five faces, ten arms, and three
eyes. She was named Shiva. Through the eye on her forehead, that mother saw a
subtle effulgence. That effulgence was eternal, unchanging, untainted, and
pervaded all directions. Prakriti desired to grasp that Brahman but was not
able. Astonished, that Prakriti, from her five mouths, with devotion, pleased
the supreme, complete Brahman with prayers. That omniscient Brahman entered the
five mouths of Prakriti. That Brahman, attaining manhood, became famous by the
name of Svayambhu, and being born from the unmanifest Prakriti, he was called
the unmanifest-born. For his sake, the boon-giving, world-formed Goddess
Mahalakshmi, with eighteen arms, was born. She began to protect the world.
Seeing her wonderful form, Svayambhu was astonished. Even after entering many
forms, Svayambhu could not find her end. Being great (brihat) and of many forms
(bahu-rupa), he became renowned by the name Brahma. Tired, Lord Brahma came to
Satyaloka. From the Vedas that emerged from his mouth, he praised Shankara for
a long time. From his limbs, rivers and streams were born. Again, when it
became a watery ocean, the Lord himself lay down there. The unmanifest
Svayambhu, after residing there for a thousand yugas, came to Satyaloka and
began creation again. Innumerable creations in the form of ganas were born
separately. From that, the manifest world, pervaded by Mahalakshmi, came into
being. The great eternal Mahalakshmi Devi, seeing the multiplicity of creation,
was astonished and came to the Lord of all. Bowing to the unmanifest,
auspicious Vishnu, she began to say, 'O Lord! You are eternal and the pure
soul. Many creatures have come into being in the world. How can I count these
people?' Hearing this word of Mahalakshmi, that Brahman divided into two forms.
From the first half, a red-limbed form, and from the latter half, a fair-limbed
form. Both the red-limbed and the fair-limbed forms were four-armed. The
red-limbed one, the lord of all the creative multitudes, became Ganesha; he is
called Ishvara. The fair-complexioned, four-armed one who was born from the
latter half is meditated upon by yogis; he is untainted. Once, Lord Shiva, the
beloved of Parvati, worshipped Ganesha with effort for a thousand years. Then
the Sharva-worshipping Lord Ganesha, being pleased, along with Parvati, asked
Hara to ask for a boon. At this, Lord Shankara praised him with devotion in
this manner: 'Salutations to Ganesha, the form of Vishnu, the supreme soul. To
the four-armed, red-complexioned, fulfiller of yajnas. To the remover of
obstacles, the sustainer of the world, the bestower of all bliss. To you, the
lord of siddhis, salutations to the lord of treasures. Be pleased, O Lord of
gods, become my dear son.' At this, Ganeshaji was born from the effulgent body
of Parvatiji. Indra, along with all the devas, came to the peak of Kailasa for
his auspicious darshan. A festival bringing all happiness was taking place
there. At this time, the cruel-eyed son of the sun, Shani Deva, of the nature
of dark time, came into the mandapa. By his mere sight, that child became
headless. Then, in that Kailasa, the abode of the Guhyakas, a great cry of
'alas, alas' arose. That severed head, when the sun was in the sign of Libra,
became situated in the lunar world and shines on the earth for twenty-seven
days. The terrible Shani Deva, being condemned by all the gods, cut off the
colored head of a one-tusked elephant and joined it to the shoulder of that
child. And Brahma, upon being praised by his mother, placed the head of a crab
on the elephant, making it of the elephant species, and made the crab headless.
Thus, the elephant-faced Ganesha, the very form of Ishvara, was born."
Sutaji said—"Hearing this
from Brihaspati, Lord Ganesha produced a skandha from his mouth, and that same
Ishvara-formed skandha was born in Kashi as the son of a Daivajna Dvija and
became famous on the earth by the name Dhundhiraja. After composing the text of
Phalita-jyotisha, the 'Jatakabharana', he came to Shankaracharya for the
protection of the Veda. That pleased soul, becoming his disciple, became
devoted to the service of his guru."
Chapter 13
The Character of Ravana and
Hanumanji in the Story of the Origin of the Aghorapanthi Bhairava and
Balasharma
Sutaji spoke—"O Shaunaka!
Lord Kapali Shiva was born from his own part in Kashi in a non-womb form.
Coming onto the earth from the Kapalamochanakunda, he became renowned in the
form of a yati by the name Vedanidhi Bhairava and propagated the difficult
Aghora path among his disciples. Then, coming to Shankaracharya, he became his
disciple. He propagated the mantra-based Damara-tantra and revealed the path of
utkilana (unsealing) for sealed mantras.
Brihaspati said—'O Deven-dra!
Mandodari, the daughter of the demon Maya, was the sister of Mayi, the lord of
Tripura. After the destruction of Tripura, that Devi Mandodari would
continuously please the eternal Mahavishnu in secret. By having a devotional
feeling towards Lord Vishnu, Mandodari attained an excellent yoga and merged
into a cave of the formidable Vindhyadri. In her samadhi, the four yugas passed
two hundred times. In the twelfth Satya Yuga of the Vaivasvata Manvantara,
Pulastya, the son of Brahmaji, was born, from whom a son named Vishrava was
born. For one hundred years, the sage Vishrava performed austerities and
married Kaikasi, the daughter of the demon Sumali, and from her, two Rakshasa
sons, Ravana and Kumbhakarna, were born. Ravana was devoted to his mother, and
his brother Kumbhakarna was devoted to his father. Desiring a boon, both of
them performed severe austerities for a thousand years. Lord Parameshthi
Pitamaha, being pleased, gave both of them a boon of being invincible by gods and
danavas. Having received the boon, both of them, becoming enraged, fought with
the excellent gods and seized the Pushpaka-yana. Defeated by both of them, the
gods, leaving the pleasure-giving heaven, worshipped Lord Shiva, who was
situated in Kailasa, for eleven years through earthen worship and, receiving a
boon from him, they all became fearless.
Meanwhile, Lord Shankara also
took an avatar from his own part in the form of Hanuman, from the womb of
Anjana, the wife of Kesari, who was born from the body of the sage Gautama, and
seeing the red sun rising in the sky and thinking it to be a fruit, he
swallowed it. Seeing the darkness, Indra struck his chin (hanu) with his vajra.
In the meantime, Ravana also, holding his tail, hung from it, yet he did not
release the sun. A fistfight with Ravana continued for one year. In the end,
the tired Ravana, frightened by the Rudra-formed Hanuman, fled here and there.
At this time, the sage Vishrava came there and pleased Hanuman with Vedic hymns
through the Para-vani. Being pleased, the Rudra-formed Hanuman released Ravana,
who made the world weep. Then the powerful son of Kesari began to reside on the
bank of Pampapur and, due to being situated in an immovable form, became famous
by the name Sthanu. For slaying with his fists Ravana, who made the world weep
and killed the gods, his name became Hanuman. Pleased with Hanumanji's penance,
Lord Brahma said, 'O Rudra, treasure of penance! Listen to my words. In the
first phase of the twenty-eighth Treta Yuga of the Vaivasvata Manvantara, Lord
Rama himself will be incarnated. Attaining his devotion, you will become fulfilled.'
O Deven-dra! Saying so, Brahmaji established him as the light-form of the moon
of the month of Bhadrapada, and meanwhile, he had Maya's daughter Mandodari
married to Ravana. That Ravana became the Dikpala (guardian of the direction)
of the Nairrita direction. Lord Hari, incarnating in the form of Rama, killed
Ravana."
Sutaji spoke—"O Muni! Later,
that same Hanuman, again assuming a human body, came to the earth in the
Kadalivana and became famous by the name of Balasharma. He began to live at
Manikarnika in the city of Kashi. Becoming a disciple of the yati Shankaracharya,
he became devoted to the service of his guru and composed the
Tantra-mantra-shastra."
Chapter 14
The Glory of Rudra, the
Appearance of Ramanujacharya from the Part of Bhava
Devaguru Brihaspati said—"O
Deven-dra! In the beginning of creation, a vast lotus emerged from the navel of
the Virat Purusha, from which the lotus-seated Brahma was born. He had two
arms, four faces, and two feet. He became worried, 'Who am I, from where have I
come, and who is my creator?' As he was worrying thus, the deity residing in
his heart said, 'Perform penance.' Hearing this, Brahmaji performed great
penance. For a thousand years, the lotus-seated Brahma, in a state of samadhi,
meditated on the four-armed, eternal Vishnu, who is attainable through yoga. At
this time, Lord Vishnu, dark like a new cloud, four-armed, adorned with weapons
and divine ornaments, appeared before Brahma in the form of a child. Awakening
from samadhi, Brahma was astonished to see him. Lord Vishnu, smiling, said,
'Son! I am your father.' Brahma considered himself to be his father. Thus, a
dispute began between the two. At that same time, the tamo-mayi Rudra appeared
in the form of a Jyotirlinga. Brahma in the form of a swan and Hari in the form
of a boar continued to go up and down respectively for one hundred years, but
not finding its end, they, being unsuccessful, returned and praised Lord Shiva.
Being pleased, Lord Bhava, after giving his darshan, went to Kailasa, and there,
in samadhi, five divine yugas of the yogi Rudra passed. In the meantime, a
terrible demon named Tarakasura performed penance for a thousand years and
obtained a boon from Brahma that 'your death will occur only from a son born of
Bhava.' Having received the boon, Tarakasura conquered the gods and took the
position of Mahendra. The distressed devas went to Kailasa and praised Rudra.
Shiva said, 'Ask for a boon.' They, with bowed heads, said after saluting, 'O
Lord! Lord Brahma has granted this boon to Taraka that a son born of
Shiva-Shakti will kill you. Therefore, O Lord! Protect us and get married. In
the Svayambhuva Manvantara, sixty daughters were born to Daksha Prajapati.
Among them was a daughter named Sati. She performed your earthen worship for
one year. You granted a boon to that Sati, and she became your beloved. Her
father, Daksha, insulted you, and Sati dedicated the body born of Daksha in the
yajna. The divine effulgence of that Sati entered the Himalayas. Now, leaving
her body, she has been born as the daughter of Himalaya and Mena in the form of
Parvati. That Gauri, upon being born, became nine years old. To obtain you, she
performed penance, living in water for one hundred years, enduring the five
fires for one hundred years, consuming only air for one hundred years, and
without breath for one hundred years, in the sky-mandala, moon-mandala, etc.
Therefore, O Lord! Now you should marry Shiva-Parvati.' Shiva said, 'O Devas!
Your proposal seems improper because the ten Rudras born from the Jyoti, who
are my elders, are still unmarried. I am the youngest Rudra named Bhava; how
can I marry before their marriage? The second point is that she is the supreme
Amba herself in unmanifest form; the entire movable and immovable universe is
pervaded by her. O Lord of Yogis! How can I marry the mother-formed Goddess?
Therefore, for your welfare, I give you my power; she will fulfill your
desire.' Then Lord Shankara, dedicating his power to Agni, again became
absorbed in samadhi. Indra and the other devas, along with Agni, came to
Satyaloka and informed Brahma of the entire account. Then, by the joint efforts
of the gods and the penance of Girija, Lord Shankara was pleased. He granted
Parvati the boon of accepting her hand in marriage. At this, Goddess Parvati,
bowing, said, 'Deva! I act only according to the command of my parents;
therefore, their permission is required for the marriage.' Lord Shankara,
summoning the Saptarishis, sent a message to Himavan with everyone's consent,
and the marriage was also duly performed. To serve the wedding guests in that
marriage, Parvati, by her ascetic accomplishment, created Riddhi-Siddhi and, by
serving and honoring them according to the rites, satisfied everyone. Seeing
this, Brahma and the other devas were astonished and praised her in many ways
and also prayed for protection from the demons. Goddess Parvati, being pleased,
granted them the gift of fearlessness. After the marriage, Lord Shiva, along
with Parvati, came to Kailasa and remained immersed in bliss for a thousand
years. Seeing the audacity of Kama-Pradyumna, Lord Shankara burnt him to ashes
and made him formless. At the prayer of his wife, Rati, the Lord said, 'You
will reside in the hearts of creatures. This is the Svarochisha Manvantara. In
the twenty-eighth Dvapara of the Vaivasvata Manvantara, you will obtain
Pradyumna, the son of Lord Sri Krishna, as your husband.' Saying this, Lord
Shankara vanished." (Later, Kumaraswami Skanda was born, who, by killing
Tarakasura, pacified and pleased the gods and stabilized heaven along with the
entire world.)
Sutaji said—"O Muni! The
Devaguru Brihaspati, hearing this, Lord Bhava produced his own excellent part
from his mouth and took birth as the son of Acharyasharma on the bank of the
Godavari. He became renowned by the name of Acharya Ramanuja and was the
younger brother of Ramasharma."
Chapter 15
The Origin of Kubera and
Others from the Part of the Vasu Deities, the Brief Story of the Ramayana, and
the Account of the Devotee Trilochan
Sutaji spoke—"O best of the
Bhrigus, Shaunaka! Brihaspati, the glory of the Vasu deities which he told to
the king of the gods, Indra, I narrate that, please listen. In the first Satya
Yuga of the Vaivasvata Manvantara, the sage Vishrava's wife was named Ilvala.
That chaste woman would worship Shiva through earthen worship. At this time, a
Dvija named Yakshasharma, born in the Dikshita lineage, was devoted to the
worship of a Yakshini. That deceitful one, due to maintaining an illicit
relationship with his friend's daughter-in-law, was afflicted with leprosy. The
Yakshini Devi, who was fond of mantras, abandoning that leprous Dvija, went to
the abode of Shiva in Kailasa. The hungry Yakshasharma, on the excellent day of
Shivaratri, was satisfied by the darshan, worship, and instruction of Shiva. In
the morning, that Dvija took his meal, and that leper died in that very Shiva
temple. By the power of that merit, he became a king in the Karnataka country.
Famous by the name Rajaraja, he became a Mandalika king. That mighty king had
the auspicious act of Shiva-worship performed daily by Brahmins and ruled the
earth for one hundred years. The king, giving the authority of the kingdom to
his excellent son, came to Kashi and pleased Lord Shiva. After three years had
passed, Mahadeva appeared from the Jyotirlinga. That Shiva became famous by the
name of Rajarajeshvara. That king, purified by Lord Shiva, gave up his life
and, coming into the womb of Ilvala, was born as a son in the terrible darkness
of night at an inauspicious time. Therefore, he became famous by the name
Kubera. He was endowed with auspicious signs. That child pleased Parameshthi
(Brahma) through penance. Lord Brahma constructed a beautiful, golden city of
Lanka and gave it to him. Kubera became famous as the Yaksharat, the lord of
three crore Yakshas. The Kinnaras, of various forms, lived under his command.
The lord of the Guhyakas was Lord Kubera himself. When Ravana came to know that
Lanka had been the city of the Rakshasas from the beginning and that Kubera had
forcibly taken possession of it and settled his servant Yakshas there, he
killed them and drove them away from there and, making it his own capital,
became the king there. Distressed by this, Kubera took refuge in Shankara, the
destroyer of sorrow. Lord Hara formed a beautiful friendship with Kubera, and
Vishvakarma created the city of Alaka. Kubera, the bestower of auspiciousness
to the good, joyfully received it.
Hearing this, the king of
Rakshasas, Ravana, who made the world weep, came to the Kailasa mountain and
began to perform the penance of Lord Shankara. Then the deity of ego, Lord
Rudra, being pleased, just as he was the friend of Kubera, so he also became
the friend of Ravana and gave him the boon of creating crores of heads from
each head. By the grace of the God of gods, his body became like a diamond.
Thus, that Ravana, due to the boon, became terribly powerful and arrogant. The
entire world was afflicted with sorrow by that Rakshasa. Due to the absence of
yajna, all the gods and creatures began to starve. With Brahma at their head,
all the distressed devas, going to the ocean of milk, gathered and pleased the
Parameshvara with hymns of praise. Then the saguna-nirguna Hari, being pleased,
said to the gods, 'O Devas! By my command, taking refuge in the eternal
Vishnumaya, pray for the welfare of the world.' Hearing this, the gods pleased
the primordial Prakriti with hymns of praise. The Brahma-jyotirmayi Shiva-devi,
being pleased, divided her body into two forms and came to the earth in the
forms of Sita-Rama. The primordial Prakriti, Sita, became the bestower of
auspiciousness. That Sita, the cause of the universe, was born from the earth;
though not born of a womb, she is the mother of all. The fruit of one utterance
of Sita's name should be known to be equal to the chanting of a thousand 'Rama'
names. The supreme Lord Rama killed Ravana and other Rakshasas and, after
establishing his sacred fame in the world, dedicated the Pushpaka Vimana to
Kubera. After ruling for eleven thousand years, he went to his supreme
abode."
Sutaji said—"O Shaunaka!
Hearing this, the first Vasu deity, Kubera, from his part, was born on earth as
the son of the Vaishya Dharadatta in Mathura, by the name of Trilochan. After
joyfully spending all his wealth on pilgrimages, he came to the city of Kashi
and, bowing to the Vaishnava Ramananda, became his disciple. By the command of
his guru, he returned to his home and, being devoted to Rama-bhakti, became
engrossed in the service of saints. Lord Rama, in his house, remained for
thirteen months in the form of a servant who bestows all desired fruits. He
would provide gems, jewels, various clothes, and various dishes in his house,
which the devotee Trilochan himself would also provide to Brahmins, Vaishnavas,
and yatis, all desired things. Lord Sri Rama said to Trilochan, 'Son! I am
Rama, not a servant. Pleased with your devotion, I have resided in your house
in the form of a servant. O Vaishya! From today, I will reside in your heart.'
Saying this, he vanished. Hearing this, that Vaishya was very pleased. He
renounced his wife, son, and everything, and with supreme detachment, being
devoted to the meditation of Sri Rama, began to reside on the bank of the
Saryu."
Chapter 16
The Character of Ramanandaji's
disciple Namdev, the devotees Rankana (Ranka) and Yankana (Banka), the glory of
the god Varuna and Paramba
Devaguru Brihaspati said—"O
Deven-dra! He who transports water from one place to another in the world is
called Apava. His other name is Varuna. He is the lord of the waters and the
oceans. To bind the demons, Brahma granted him the pasha (noose). Upon
receiving the pasha, the great soul Varuna's name became Pashi. That Varuna was
formerly a Brahmin, a worshipper of Shakti, and his name was Apava. He was a
dear devotee of Bhadrakali, ever devoted to her worship. He would make garlands
of various red flowers and, combining them with red sandalwood, would offer
them to Bhadrakali with mantras. Engrossed in the chanting of the Navarna
mantra, he would worship the eternal Mahalakshmi Bhadrakali with incense,
lamps, naivedya, betel leaves, seasonal fruits, etc. He would also perform homa
with sesame seeds and sugar mixed with honey. He remained engaged in worship
for three years, reciting the Madhyama-Charitra of the Durga Saptashati and
being devoted to the chanting of the Navarna mantra. Thereafter, the all-auspicious
Goddess Devi was pleased and said, 'O best of Dvijas! Ask for a boon.' Hearing
this dear word of the Goddess, the humble-minded Dvija Apava offered her a full
prostration and praised that eternal Goddess Bhadrakali in many ways. Then the
Goddess Bhadrakali, being pleased, said to Apava, 'O Dvija! Upon the arrival of
the deluge and the destruction of the movable and immovable, you will be happy
by my grace.' Saying this, that Goddess vanished, and that Brahmin became
specially revered in the form of the god Varuna."
Sutaji spoke—"O Muni!
Hearing these words of the Devaguru, the second Vasu, Lord Varuna, produced an
effulgence from his mouth on the earth. That effulgence was born in the house
of Dharmabhakta in Dehli (Delhi). His widowed daughter conceived that effulgence
of Hari. Knowing this, Dharmabhakta was extremely pleased with the birth of the
son. His name became Namdev. He was devoted to Samkhya-yoga. Knowing and seeing
that the entire movable and immovable universe is pervaded by Vishnu, he came
to the Hari-priya Ramananda in Kashi and, accepting his discipleship, resided
there. At that time, the Mleccha-pati Sikandar ruled in Dehli. He summoned
Namdev and, after thoroughly testing him, was pleased and gave him fifty lakh
mudras. Namdev, with that wealth, had an excellent, brilliant, stone-built ghat
constructed in Kashi and, by his yogic power, he revived ten dead Brahmins,
five kings, five Vaishyas, and one hundred cows."
Devaguru Brihaspati said—"O
Deven-dra! In former times, there was a Brahmin named Vishvanara. He had no
son. To obtain a son, he pleased Brahma through worship. In just one year, Lord
Parameshthi Pitamaha was satisfied and asked him to ask for a boon. At this, he
said, 'O Lord! Salutations to you. May he who is beyond even Prakriti (nature)
be my son.' Hearing this, the astonished Brahma said to that Brahmin, 'O
Brahmin! He is the eternal, sanatana Purusha; how can he be your son?
Therefore, O sage Vishvanara! By my boon, Maya-bhuta Hari Janardana himself
will come as your son.' Saying this, Brahma vanished, and a son named Pavaka
was born to Vishvanara. That Pavaka became the lord of the eight Vasus and was
famous by the name of Vaishvanara, and he became the husband of Svahadevi. This
Vaishvanara was Anala in a previous kalpa and was a wise Brahmin of
Nishadha."
Sutaji spoke—"O Muni!
Hearing these words of Brihaspati, Lord Pavaka produced his own part from his
mouth. That same Pavakansha Vasu was born as the son of Lakshmidatta and became
famous by the name Rankana (Ranka). He was born in a Vaishya family in the city
of Kanchanpur. His chaste wife was Yankana (Banka). Both of them, after
spending all their wealth on religious works, would sustain their lives with
the Lord's prasad, from the money earned by selling wood. The guru of the great
soul Rankana was Ramananda."
Chapter 17
The Story of the Previous
Births of Sant Kabir, the devotee Narsi Mehta, Pipa, Nanak, and Sadhu
Nityanandaji
Devaguru Brihaspati spoke—"O
Deven-dra! In former times, the sons of Diti, Hiranyakashipu and Hiranyaksha,
were slain by Lord Vishnu, who had assumed the forms of Nrisimha and Varaha,
respectively. Distressed, Diti worshipped Maharishi Kashyapa. After twelve
years, Kashyapaji said to her, 'O beautiful one! Ask for a boon.' The delighted
Diti said, 'O Lord! My co-wife Aditi is endowed with twelve sons. I had only
two sons. They too have been destroyed by the god-protector Vishnu. For this
reason, I am very sad. Therefore, grant me a son who will be the destroyer of
the twelve Adityas.' Hearing this terrible speech, Kashyapa said, 'Brahma has
created two paths in the world—the path of dharma and the path of adharma,
which have also been called the higher path and the lower path. Men who take
the side of dharma are dear to Brahma, and those who take the side of adharma
are the enemies of that wise one. Therefore, due to being partisans of adharma,
your sons met their death. Therefore, O lover of dharma, purify your thoughts.
You will have a mighty, long-lived, and intelligent son.' Hearing this,
Diti-devi, having conceived an excellent fetus by Kashyapa, began to live her
life observing vows and rituals. Due to her conceiving the fetus, the
frightened king of the gods, Indra, by the command of the Devaguru, engaged
himself in the service of Diti's vow. After seven months of the pregnancy had
passed, that Diti-devi, deluded by the maya of Shakra, fell asleep in her house
in an impure state. At that same time, Lord Mahendra, taking a thumb-sized form
along with his vajra, entered Diti's womb and first made seven pieces of that
fetus, and then seven pieces of each one. Seeing them humbled, Mahendra, along
with them, came out of the womb and bowed to Diti. Diti, being pleased, gave
those gods to Mahendra. Thus, those forty-nine Marudganas became the servants
of Shakra. Those Maruts, in a previous existence, were a Veda-knowing Brahmin,
world-renowned by the name of Anila. That Vipra had pleased Pavaka with hymns
of praise. He would cut off his own head and offer it to the fire, and his head
would be generated again. Being worshipped in this manner, Dhananjayadeva was
pleased and said that you will become the forty-nine Marudganas, and then I,
becoming your friend, will fulfill your desire. Just as Lord Kubera is dear to
the twenty-six Varunadevas, in the same way, I will be your friend, you of
forty-nine forms. Thus, in the womb of Diti, he was born by the name of Vayu,
as a dear friend of Pavaka."
Sutaji said—"O Muni! After
hearing this much of the story from the Devaguru Brihaspati, that same Vayu was
born in the house of the Vaishya-jati Dhanyapala, during the Mula-gandanta. The
father and mother abandoned him in the Vindhya forest of Kashi. There, a
childless weaver named Alika came and, taking that child, came to his house.
That beautiful-faced child became famous by the name 'Kabir'. That child, who
drank cow's milk, at the age of seven, accepted Ramananda as his guru and
became devoted to the meditation of Lord Sri Rama. He would prepare food with
his own hands and offer it to Lord Vishnu. To please him, the Lord himself
began to fulfill his wishes in person."
Devaguru Brihaspati spoke—"O
Deven-dra! In former times, there was a Kshatriya king named Uttanapada. His
son was renowned by the name of Dhruva. Abandoned by his parents, that
five-year-old boy, on the advice of Devarishi Naradaji, came to the Govardhana
mountain and, taking a great vow, meditated on the Lord for six months. Lord
Vishnu, being pleased, gave him a celestial place in the sky-mandala. This
Dhruva, in a previous existence, was a Brahmin named Madhava; for sixty years,
he had bathed in the holy places in the morning. By the merit and power of
visiting the holy places, he became a dear recipient of Lord Madhava's grace.
That Madhava, by the fruit of his devotion and penance to the Lord, was born
from the womb of Suniti in the form of Dhruva in the next birth. After ruling
for thirty-six years, Dhruva became situated in the celestial sphere."
Sutaji said—"O Muni! Hearing
the words of Brihaspati, the fifth Vasu, that Dhruva, was born from his part in
the province of Gujarat in the form of the devotee Narashri (Narsi Mehta). By
the grace of Lord Shankara, he had the darshan of the Lord's divine Rasa-lilas
in Vrindavan. At the time of his granddaughter's wedding, the Lord Sri Krishna,
who is affectionate to his devotees, came with the Yadavas and fulfilled his
wishes. The supreme Vaishnava, the king of devotees, Narashri, coming to the
city of Kashi, became a disciple of Ramananda."
Brihaspati spoke—"O
Deven-dra! Once upon a time, on the bank of the Ganga, Lord Atri, along with
his chaste wife Anasuya, came and became absorbed in meditative samadhi. There,
Brahma, Vishnu, and Mahesh came and said, 'Ask for a boon.' Atri Muni was
absorbed in the meditation of the Paramatman, so he said nothing. The three of
them, understanding his sentiment, went to his wife, Anasuya-devi. The chaste
woman, understanding the improper sentiment of the gods, cursed them to be born
as her sons. As a result, in the form of Atri's sons, Brahma became Chandra,
Shankara became Durvasa, and Vishnu became Dattatreya, in the form of children.
Later, they respectively became—that is, Chandra became the sixth Vasu named
Soma, the Rudra-part Durvasa became the seventh Vasu named Pratyusha, and the
Vishnu-part Dattatreya became the eighth Vasu named Prabhasa."
Sutaji said—"O Muni! Hearing
this from Brihaspati, the three Vasus, to purify Kali, were incarnated on the
earth from their parts. The sixth Vasu, that is, Lord Atriputra Soma, was born
as a son named Pipa in the house of King Sudeva, in a Vaishya dynasty in the
south. Just as the king had ruled in that city, so did he rule, and becoming a
disciple of Ramananda, he came to Dvaraka. Having received the golden seal of
Hari, which destroys the essence of ghosts, from Lord Krishna, he gave it to
the Vaishnavas. The seventh Vasu from the part of Atriputra Rudra, that is,
Pratyusha, was born as the son of Margapala in the Vaishya caste in the
Panchala country and became famous by the name of Nanak. Coming to Ramananda,
Nanak became his disciple. He subdued the Mlecchas and showed them the subtle
path. The eighth Vasu, Prabhasa, was born in the Brahmin caste in Shantipura.
He became famous by the name of Nityananda, the son of Shukladatta. O Shaunaka!
Thus I have told you the glory of the Vasu deities."
Chapter 18
The Story of the Origin of
Sadhana (Sadan Kasai) and Raidas from the part of the Ashvini Kumaras
Sutaji spoke—"O Muni! The
Devaguru Brihaspati, in Prayag, narrated the glory of the twelve Adityas, the
Rudras, and the eight Vasu deities to the assembled Mahendra and other gods,
and then, looking towards the Ashvini Kumaras, he described their tale in this
manner.
Lord Vivasvan had three children
from Sanjna: the divinely brilliant Vaivasvata Manu, Yama, and Yamuna. Sanjna,
knowing her husband to be of fiery form, created her own shadow, and went to
perform austerities. Savarni Manu, Shani, and Tapati were born from the shadow.
Lord Surya, seeing the unequal behavior of the shadow towards the children, and
considering her to be an illusory woman, became angry and consumed her with
fire. Vivasvan, understanding her to be angry, Savarni Manu and Shani became
enraged with Surya and began to fight. At that time, they began to be consumed
by the fire of the Sun. Then both of them, coming to the Himalaya mountain,
began to perform supreme penance. After three years of penance, the
affectionate Mahakali, being pleased, gave them a boon. Having received the
boon, both of them again came to fight with Lord Surya. The powerful Surya,
frightened by them, went away from there. In the beautiful Kurukhanda, his
beloved Sanjna, having assumed the form of a mare (ashva), was engaged in
penance to obtain Surya. Lord Surya, searching for her, reached there. Seeing
Sanjna in the form of an Ashvini, he himself also took the form of a horse. For
five years, Surya, in the form of a horse, remained with the mare (Sanjna).
Thereafter, from the mare, two valiant and divine-formed sons (the Ashvini
Kumaras) were born. They, seeing their father's sorrow, became situated in the
solar orb. The mare's sons, the Ashvini Kumaras, after conquering Savarni and
Shani and binding them, brought them to their father. Lord Surya, seeing the
shackled enemies arrive, struck them with an iron rod, due to which they became
lame. Lord Surya, with pleasure, said to the mare's sons, the Ashvini Kumaras,
'Just as Jiva and Isha, and Nara and Narayana, though having two names, are one
and are mutual friends, in the same way, you will be famous by the single name
Nasatya. The power of Soma, Idadevi, will be your elder wife, and the power of
Surya, Pingala, will be your younger wife. Of you two, one will be the husband
of Ida, and the other will be the husband of Pingala. If the cruel gaze of
Shanaishchara falls on the twelfth house from a person's rashi, then for its
pacification, the worship of the husband of Ida will be beneficial. And
Savarni, situated in the second house from the rashi, will be भ्रमकारक (causing delusion);
for this, the worship of the husband of Pingala will be peace-giving. The
goddess Tapanti (Tapati), situated in the birth-rashi, will be heat-causing;
then Ida and Pingala will be peace-giving.' Hearing these words, the Ashvini
Kumaras became the physicians of the gods. Savarni and Shani, from other parts,
became Rahu and Ketu. Surya had fled from them in fear; even now, they afflict
him in the form of eclipses. Therefore, for the removal and pacification of all
these, the Ashvini Kumaras had appeared. By the worship of the Ashvini Kumaras,
their pacification occurs."
Sutaji spoke—"O Shaunaka!
The excellent gods, the Ashvini Kumaras, hearing this story from the Devaguru
Brihaspati, were pleased and were born from their parts on the earth in the
shudra-yoni. Idapati was born in the house of a Chandala who slays goats. He
became renowned by the name of Sadhana (Sadan Kasai) and was devoted to his
father and mother. He used to sell meat, weighing it with a Shaligrama-shila.
Then, coming near Kabir, he became his disciple and began to reside there. In a
previous birth, that Sadhana was a Brahmin named Satyanidhi, but he had shown a
frightened cow to a Chandala. As a result, in the king's court, Sadhana's hands
were cut off. Pingalapati was born in the house of a shoemaker. He became
famous by the name of Raidas, the son of Manadasa. He went to the city of Kashi
and, after conquering the Sri-Rama-devout Kabir in debate, came to
Shankaracharya and, being defeated by him, Raidas came to Ramananda and
accepted his discipleship."
Chapter 19
The Character of the Yajnansha
Chaitanya Mahaprabhu and the Influence of His Devotion on Other Acharyas
Sutaji said—"O Muni! Thus,
the Devaguru Brihaspati, after narrating the excellent glory of the gods,
produced his own part from his mouth and appeared in the brahma-yoni. In the
city of Ishtika, he was born as the son of Gurudatta; his name was Ropana. He
was a guide on the path of Brahma. He propagated among the people the wearing
of a mala strung with thread, applying a tilak made of water, and chanting the
mantra of Vasudeva. He came to Krishna Chaitanya and, by his command, taking
his blanket, came to his own city and became engrossed in the meditation of
Krishna.
O Muni! Now listen to the
character of Lord Vishnu, by hearing which there is no fear even in the dire
Kali Yuga. When the Yajnansha Krishna Chaitanya reached the age of five, in
those days, the great soul Ishvarapuri had a special influence in the province
of Bengal. He had obtained special siddhi through the worship of Sharada, due
to which arrogance had entered his mind. Once, while wandering, he came to
Shantipura and, on the bank of the Ganga, composing a beautiful and divine
hymn, began to recite it. At that same time, Chaitanya Mahaprabhu came by that
way and, while praising, said to the great soul Ishvarapuri, 'O great soul!
Your composition seems to have some flaws.' Hearing this, that scholar
Ishvarapuri was astonished. The all-auspicious Sharada, seeing her kinsman
Ishvarapuri embarrassed, smilingly said, 'This is the Yajnansha Hari, Krishna
Chaitanya, himself.' Hearing this, Ishvarapuri, becoming his disciple, became a
worshipper of the Krishna-mantra. He became the best among the Vaishnavas and a
servant of Krishna Chaitanya.
O Muni! There was a
Shiva-worshipping Brahmin named Shridhara. The king of the city of Pattana
heard the story of the Srimad Bhagavata Saptaha from him and gave him much
wealth. Shridhara, taking the wealth, left the king's place and came to his
in-laws' house. After residing there for one month, he set off for his home
again with his wife. Along with them, seven thieves, taking an oath on Lord
Rama for the sake of friendship (but with evil intentions), began to walk.
Those thieves, upon finding a forest on the way, killed Shridhara at its
farthest end and, taking his wife and the bullock cart along with the wealth,
began to flee. His wife repeatedly looked back. The thieves said, 'What are you
looking at over there now? Your husband is dead.' At this, the Vipra's wife
said, 'I am looking at that Lord Rama, on whom you had taken an oath.' At this,
Lord Sri Rama, the embodiment of Satchidananda, appeared and killed those seven
thieves, and reviving that Brahmin, sent him to Vrindavan. From that day, the
Brahmin Shridhara became a Vaishnava. In the seventh year of the Yajnansha Sri
Krishna Chaitanya, he went to Chaitanyadeva in Shantipuri, attained the
knowledge of Brahma, and became his disciple. He then wrote a commentary on the
Srimad Bhagavatam.
Sutaji said again—"O
Shaunaka! In Kashi, there lived a learned Brahmin named Ramasharma, who was
devoted to the worship of Shankara. At the time of Shivaratri, in the place of
Avimukteshvara, staying awake alone, he meditated and chanted the Shiva-panchakshara
mantra. Lord Shankara, the benefactor of the world, being pleased, asked that
best of Dvijas to ask for a boon. Ramasharma, bowing to Lord Shiva, said, 'O
Lord! May that deity, in whose meditation you remain in samadhi, reside in my
heart.' Upon this being said, Lord Maheshvara, smiling, said, 'I always
meditate upon and worship Lord Rama-Lakshmana and Balabhadraji. Attaining them,
you too will be happy.' Saying this, Lord Shiva vanished. Thereafter,
Ramasharma became a worshipper of Lord Rama, and when Krishna Chaitanya became
twelve years old, he came to him, became his disciple, and became his
worshipper. By the command of Krishna Chaitanya, he composed the Adhyatma
Ramayana.
O Muni! Jivananda, along with
Rupananda, hearing the character of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, came to Shantipura.
Both of them bowed to the sixteen-year-old Krishna Chaitanya and accepted his
discipleship. Jivananda (Jiva Goswami) composed the Shatsandarbha
grantha. Due to their great devotion to the path of bhakti, both of them became
revered by all. By his command, worshipping Krishna Chaitanya, they resided
there. The great sage Rupananda (Rupa Goswami), obeying the command of his
guru, Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, composed the Krishnakhanda, a part of the
Puranas, in ten thousand shlokas. Devoted to the service of his guru and as a
worshipper of Radha-Krishna, he too resided there.
Some time later, Vishnuswami also
came to the beautiful Shantipura. Bowing to the nineteen-year-old Krishna
Chaitanya, that Brahmin said, 'In this universe, which deity is worthy of
worship by all the gods?' Hearing this, the Mahaprabhu said, 'The Mahadeva who
bestows grace upon his devotees is worthy of worship by all. Vishnu, Rudra,
Brahma, and other gods also always worship him. The Vaishnavas who are devoted
to the worship of Shankara attain the supreme Vaishnavi bhakti by the grace of
Shiva. The Vaishnava who does not worship the world-benefactor Shankara is not
a true Vaishnava.' Hearing this, Vishnuswami also, attracted by his virtues,
became his disciple and, while worshipping with the Krishna-mantra, became
devoted to the worship of Shiva, and by his command, he described the Vaishnavi
Samhita.
Sutaji said again—"O Muni!
The Krishna-devout Madhvacharya also, knowing the special qualities of the
Mahaprabhu, came to the beautiful Shantipura and, bowing to him, became his
disciple and became devoted to his worship."
Chapter 20
Chaitanya Mahaprabhu's Journey
to Jagannath Puri with his Devotees and his Conversation with the Lord Himself
Sutaji spoke—"O Shaunaka!
The pure-souled Bhattoji Dikshita, devoted to Shiva-bhakti, came to Sri
Mahaprabhu Krishna Chaitanya, bowed to him, and accepted his discipleship. And
he explained the procedural interpretation of the third limb of the Veda,
grammar, which had been composed by Panini. And then, by his command, after
composing the Siddhanta Kaumudi, he resided there. The learned
Varahamihira, devoted to the Sun, at the age of twenty-two of Mahaprabhu
Chaitanya, came near him and became his disciple. By his command, he composed
many astrological texts. The Shiva-devout author of the Chhanda-shastra,
Vanibhushana, at the age of twenty-three of Krishna Chaitanya, came and,
becoming his disciple, resided there and composed the Chhanda-shastra in his
own name. And he lived a blissful life, chanting the names of the supreme
Radha-Krishna.
Sutaji spoke again—"O Muni!
There was a Brahmin named Dhanvantari, devoted to Brahma-bhakti. He came to
Krishna Chaitanya, accepted his discipleship, and residing there, he composed
the Vedanga in the form of the Kalpa-veda. Besides Sushruta, he had many other
disciples. Similarly, a Brahmin named Jayadeva, a follower of the Buddhist
path, came near the twenty-five-year-old Krishna Chaitanya. Krishna Chaitanya
said to him, 'Your supreme worshipful guru is Jagannatha, a resident of the
Udra country (Orissa). Therefore, I too must go there with my disciples.'
Hearing this, the devotees of Krishna Chaitanya, summoning their respective
disciples, journeyed towards the Jagannatha kshetra (Orissa), following him.
The treasures and all the siddhis also appeared for their service. Ten thousand
Vaishnavas, along with Shaivas and Shaktas, placing Mahaprabhu Krishna
Chaitanya at their head, set out towards Jagannath Puri. Seeing their arrival,
Lord Jagannatha, in the guise of a sage, assumed the form of a Brahmin and came
to where Mahaprabhu and the others were. Krishna Chaitanya, seeing him, bowed
and said, 'In this terrible Kali Yuga, which doctrine do you consider proper?
Please graciously tell me. I wish to hear it in its essence.' Hearing this,
Lord Jagannatha himself, for the welfare of the world, spoke in this manner:
'The Mlecchas, born in the Misra country ruled by Kashyapa, have become refined
and have attained the Brahmin varna. They, wearing the shikha and sutra, have
studied the excellent Veda and have worshipped the God of gods, Shachipati,
through yajnas. Distressed by this, Lord Indra came to my refuge in Shvetadvipa
and, for the welfare of the gods, awakened me through praise. Then I granted a
boon to incarnate in the Kali Yuga for the welfare of the world and also told
Indra and others to incarnate on earth in the form of the twelve Adityas. I
have incarnated on the shore of the Sindhu for the welfare of the world in the
form of wood and stone. I will be consecrated in a temple built by a king named
Indradyumna, who has come from Svargaloka. Mahaprabhu Chaitanya will explain
the glory of the prasad here. This place is the bestower of all desired fruits
and is liberation-giving. Here, the glory of bhakti is greater. The distinction
between varnas is not seen in the flow of bhakti. Up to one yojana, there is no
rule for any vrat, etc., here. I am the destroyer of all sins, and in the Kali
age, a person will become pure by having my darshan.'"
Chapter 21
The Origin of the Ten Sons of
the Sage Kanva—Upadhyaya, Dikshit, and Pathak, etc., and the Expansion of the
Vaishnava Dharma with Purity by Chaitanya Mahaprabhu and Other Acharyas
Sutaji said—"O Deven-dra!
Hearing these words of Lord Jagannatha, Krishna Chaitanya also said with
pleasure, 'O Lord! For the welfare of the creatures, please speak this katha in
some more detail.' Jagannathaji spoke—'O great soul! In ancient times, the son
of Maharishi Kashyapa, Kanva, had a wife named Aryavati, a daughter of the
gods. By the command of Indra, both of them went to the bank of the
Kurukshetra-flowing Saraswati river, and Kanva began to praise the Goddess
Saraswati with suktas composed of the four Vedas. After one year had passed,
that goddess was pleased, came there, and gave them a boon for the prosperity
of the Aryas. By the power of the boon, ten sons with Aryan intellect were born
to Kanva: Upadhyaya, Dikshita, Pathaka, Shukla, Mishra, Agnihotri, Dvivedi,
Trivedi, Pandya, and Chaturvedi. Their qualities were as their names. They,
with bowed heads, pleased the Goddess Saraswati. To them, who were twelve years
old, the affectionate Sharada Devi gave her own daughters in marriage. They were
called Upadhyayi, Dikshita, Pathaki, Shuklika, Mishrani, Agnihotrini,
Dvivedini, Trivedini, Pandyayani, and Chaturvedini, respectively. Then, to
those daughters also, sixteen sons each were born from their respective
husbands. They all became the progenitors of gotras. Their names are as
follows: Kashyapa, Bharadvaja, Vishvamitra, Gotama, Jamadagni, Vashishtha,
Vatsa, Gautama, Parashara, Garga, Atri, Bhrigu, Angira, Shringi, Katyayana, and
Yajnavalkya. Sixteen sons are known by these names.
By the command of Saraswati,
Maharishi Kanva came to the country of Misra and, after teaching Sanskrit to
ten thousand Mlecchas, brought them under his control and himself came to the
excellent Brahmavarta. Those people pleased the Goddess Saraswati with penance.
After five years, Goddess Saraswati appeared and made those Mlecchas, along
with their wives, of the Shudra varna. All of them became artisans and were
endowed with many sons. Among them were two thousand Vaishyas. Among them was a
servant of Kashyapa named Acharya Prithu. He pleased the great sage for twelve
years through penance. Maharishi Kanva, being pleased, by the boon of the gods,
made them Kshatriya kings and gave them Rajaputrapura. His wife, named Rajanya,
gave birth to a son named Magadha. Kanva gave him the Magadha country in the
eastern direction. Thereafter, Kashyapaputra Kashyapa went to heaven. After he
had gone to heaven, those Mlecchas of the Shudra varna worshipped the God of
gods, Shachipati Indra, through yajnas. Distressed by this, Indra, with his
kinsman, was again born on earth in the brahma-yoni from his own part. There
was a Vipra named Jina, and his wife's name was Jayani. Both of them were born
in the Kikata country to Aditi from Kashyapa. By them, for the welfare of the world,
the Adityas were born. On the bank of the Karmanasha river, there is a city
named Bodhgaya. There, endowed with the Bauddha-shastra, they held a scriptural
debate and, taking the Veda from the Shudras, they went to the city of Vishala
(Badarikshetra) and, awakening the sages who were in samadhi there, gave them
the Veda. From then on, all the devas, leaving the earth, went to heaven. The
Mlecchas became Buddhists, and all the rest became devoted to the Veda. By the
grace of Saraswati, the number of those Aryas grew greatly. They offered havya
and kavya to the gods and ancestors. In this way, all the people began to
satisfy the gods through deva-worship. When twenty-seven hundred years of the
Kali Yuga had passed, a great asura named Maya, sent by Bali, came to the
earth. He, the promoter of many illusions, became famous by the name of
Shakyasimha Guru and, by the name of Gautamacharya, became the augmenter of the
demon-party. He established illusory devices at all the holy places. Whoever
went under them would become a Buddhist. As a result, Buddhists spread
everywhere. Nearly ten crore Aryas became followers of the Buddhist dharma. The
remaining five lakh went to the mountain peaks. The kings born in the
Agnivansha, by the power of the four Vedas, defeated the Buddhists and, after
refining the Aryas, established them in the south of the Vindhya mountain. And
in the sacred land of Aryavarta, north of the Vindhya, five lakh people were
situated.
Sutaji said again—"O
Shaunaka! Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, hearing the words of Lord Jagannatha, became
his disciple and became devoted to the Vedic path. He, finding Swami
Nityananda, the son of Shukladatta, was extremely pleased. He too, bowing to
the feet of Jagannatha, became his disciple. Ushapati Lord Aniruddha, being
pleased, consecrated both of them and established them in the Mahattattva. From
that day, their rank on the earth became 'Mahattva'. The two guru-brothers
(Mahaprabhu and Nityananda), being pleased, said to their disciples, 'Whoever
has the darshan of Lord Jagannathaji Ushapati Padmanabha here in Jagannathaji
will attain heaven. Whoever respectfully accepts the prasad here will be a
Veda-knowing and wealthy Dvija for a crore births. He who, after having the
darshan of Krishna near the Markandeya-vata, bathes in the great
Indradyumna-sara, is not reborn. He who listens to this katha with faith and
devotion will also obtain the fruit of going to Jagannath Puri.' Thus,
Chaitanya Mahaprabhu explained the glory of Lord Jagannatha. Lord Jagannatha
also said, 'The words of the Yajnansha-Mahaprabhu are correct,' and he vanished
right there.
In the meantime, Kali prayed to
Bali. Then the distressed Bali, summoning the demon Maya, said, 'O Lord of
demons! The Mleccha-pati named Sukandara is always ready for our advancement.
According to my command, you should help him.' Hearing the words of Bali, that
danava Maya, an expert in the science of astrology, came to the land of karma
with one hundred demons and taught the wicked Mleccha caste the science of
geometry with jyotirganita, in twenty-one chapters. Then, becoming experts in
the science of astrology, those Mlecchas constructed devices in the seven
cities. By the power of those devices, the people who were there all attained
the state of Mlecchas. Seeing this example, all the Aryas became very sad. A
great clamor and cry of 'alas, alas' arose everywhere. Hearing that sorrowful
cry, all the Vaishnava servants of Krishna Chaitanya, taking the divine mantra
of their guru, went towards different cities and other places to render the
Mlecchas powerless. Ramananda, with his disciples, came to Ayodhya and, after
reversing the Mleccha-yantra, made everyone there a Vaishnava. On their
foreheads, a Sri-chihna like a trident was made, which was of white and red
color. A Tulsi-mala was on their necks, and their tongues became filled with
Rama. Thus, all those Mlecchas, by the power of Ramananda, became Vaishnavas.
They were called Samyogi Vaishnavas. The remaining Aryas became situated in
Ayodhya in the form of the main Vaishnavas. The wise Nimbaditya, with his
disciples, went to the city of Kanchikapuri. There he saw the Mleccha-yantra
situated on the main road. Reversing the mantra of his guru, he began to live
there, due to which the Mleccha-yantra became powerless. They were adorned with
a vertical line on their foreheads like a bamboo leaf, a mala around their
necks, and the mantra of Gopivallabha in their mouths. All the Mlecchas present
with them became Vaishnavas, and they were called Samyogi Vaishnavas; all the
remaining Aryas became followers of the Vaishnava path. Vishnuswami, with his
attendants, went to Haridwar. There he reversed the great yantra of the
Mlecchas who were situated there, and all those who came in his service became
Vaishnavas. They began to live, adorned with an urdhvapundra on their
foreheads, composed of two lines with a dot in the middle, a Tulsi-golaka
around their necks, and the welfare-bestowing mantra of Madhava in their
mouths. The Vishnu-bhakta Madhvacharya came to Mathura and, seeing the
Mleccha-yantras situated on the main road, reversed them. The people who came
near him became Vaishnavas of his party. On their foreheads was a beautiful
tilak like a Karavira leaf, extending to half the nose bridge, a Tulsi-mala on
their necks, and the auspicious name of Radha-Krishna on their tongues. The
Shaiva-marga-devout Shankaracharya also, by the order of Ramanuja, came to the
city of Kashi with his attendants. Reversing the Mleccha-yantra, all those who
came under him became Shaivas. On their brows was the tripundra, on their necks
was the rudraksha-mala, and in their mouths was the Govinda-mantra. Ramanuja,
going to Totadri, became happy. At that time, on his forehead was a subtle line
of yellow color between two vertical lines, and on his neck was a Tulsi-mala.
The virtuous Varahamihira came to Ujjayini and, after rendering the Mleccha-yantras
there powerless, made all the people Shaivas. On their foreheads was the ash of
the funeral pyre, on their necks was the rudraksha-mala, and in their mouths
was the auspicious name 'Shiva'. Vanibhushana came to Kanyakubja. A
crescent-shaped pundra, a red sandalwood mala, and the pure name of the Goddess
were in his mouth. Dhanvantari came to Prayag and reversed the Mleccha-yantra.
Those who came near him became his followers, wearing a half-pundra and a red
dot on their foreheads. Garlands of red sandalwood adorned their necks. The
wise Bhattoji went to the excellent Utpalaranya. He always began to chant the
name of Vishvanatha, wearing a red tripundra on his head and a rudraksha-mala
on his neck. Ropana also came to Ishtika (Eta). There he rendered the
Mleccha-yantra ineffective and demonstrated the path of Brahma to the people.
Similarly, the Vishnu-bhakta Jayadeva came to Dvaraka; due to this, the yantra
of those Mlecchas there became ineffective. His followers had a red line on
their foreheads, a padmaksha-kamalagatta mala on their necks, and the name
'Govinda' on their tongues.
Thus, Vaishnavas, Shaivas, and
Shaktas became numerous. The Shaktas were nirguna (attributeless), and the
Vaishnavas were saguna (with attributes). Those who were nirguna and saguna
were called Shaivas. Nityananda in Shantipura, Hari in Nadiyapattana-Nadiya,
Kabir in Magadha (Magahar country), Raidas in Kalinjar, and Sadhana (Sadan) in
Naimisharanya went into samadhi. Even today, a great community of Vaishnavas is
present here. In this way, Maya and other demons, being unsuccessful, went to
Bali."
Chapters 22-23
The Character of Akbar and
other final Mughal rulers; the account of the previous births of Tulsidas,
Surdas, Mirabai, Tansen, and Birbal, etc.; the expansion of the Gurunda, Mauna,
and Mleccha kingdoms everywhere
Sutaji spoke—"O Shaunaka!
Thus the demons, going to Bali, narrated the account of their defeat. The demon
king Bali, hearing of the great victory of the gods, summoned the demon lord
named Roshana and said, 'You, being born as the son of Timirlinga (Timur Lang),
will be famous by the name of Sarusha. Therefore, go there and accomplish the
excellent work of the demons.' At this, he, becoming enraged, came to Dehli
(Delhi) and began to destroy the men who followed the Vedic path. He ruled for
five years. His son was Babur; he ruled for twenty years. (Some years in
Samarkand and some days in Bharat.) His son was Homayu (Humayun). The arrogant
Homayu disrespected the gods. Then the gods praised Krishna Chaitanya, who was
situated in the grove of Nadiya. Hearing the praise, Hari became enraged and
created obstacles in his kingdom with his effulgence. Homayu was defeated by
his armies. At that time, Sheshashaka (Sher Shah), coming to the beautiful city
of Dehli, ruled with great skill for five years.
It is a matter of those same days
that an excellent Brahmin named Mukunda, born in the gotra of Shankaracharya,
was performing penance in Prayag with his twenty disciples. Knowing that 'the
idols of the gods, etc., have been destroyed by the Mleccha-raj Babur,' the
Brahmin Mukunda, being distressed, offered his life as an oblation in the fire.
His twenty disciples also followed the path of their guru. Once, the Brahmin
Mukunda had also consumed a cow's hair along with cow's milk; due to this
fault, he was born in a Mleccha-yoni in his next birth. When Humayun was
residing in Kashmir (at his brother Makran's place on the Kabul-Kashmir
border), a son was born to him, and at that same time, this aerial voice was
heard: 'Your son will be very mighty and fortunate. He has been born from a
boon received unexpectedly (akasmāt), therefore his name will be 'Akbar', and
he will not follow the path of the Mlecchas or pishachas. He whose twenty
disciples are Shridhara, Shripati, Shambhu, Varenya, Madhuvrati, Vimala, Devavan,
Soma, Vardhana, Vartaka, Ruchi, Mandhata, Manakari, Keshava, Madhava, Madhu,
Devapi, Somapa, Shura, and Madana—that same Mukunda Brahmin of a previous birth
has, by fate, come to your house in this form.' Hearing such an aerial voice,
the pleased Humayun gave charity to those afflicted by hunger and lovingly
raised his son. When the son was ten years old, he came to Dehli and, after
defeating Sheshashaka, became the king there. He ruled for one year, and later
his son Akbar became king.
After Akbar (the Mukunda Brahmin)
obtained the kingdom, his seven dear disciples from his previous birth
(Keshava, Madhava, Madhu, Devapi, Somapa, Shura, and Madana) were born again in
this birth and came to Akbar's court. Mukunda Brahmin's disciple Keshava was
born in Akbar's time by the name of Ganasena (Tansen). The Madhava of the
previous birth became famous in Akbar's time by the name of Vaijavak (Baiju
Bawra). The Madhu of the previous birth became renowned in Akbar's time as
'Haridasagayaka', a knower of all ragas. He was a famous Vaishnava, a follower
of the Madhvacharya doctrine. The Devapi of the previous birth became famous in
Akbar's time by the name 'Birbal'. He was a western Brahmin and had the pride
of the Goddess of speech, Saraswati. The Somapa of the previous birth, born in
the Gautama dynasty, was born in Akbar's time by the name 'Man Singh', and he,
the crest-jewel of Arya kings, became Akbar's general. The Shura of the
previous birth was born in a Brahmin family in the southern country; he was a
pandit, and his name was 'Bilvamangala'. He became Akbar's friend. The Brahmin
Madana of the eastern country from the previous birth became famous in Akbar's
time by the name 'Chandala'. He was a dancer and an expert in secret sports.
These seven kings were situated in Akbar's court, and the thirteen disciples
like Shridhara, etc., from the previous birth were established in other places.
In Akbar's time, the son of Anapa, Shridhara, became famous by the name of
Tulashisharma (Tulsidas), who was an expert in the Puranas. He, after receiving
instruction from a woman, became an extremely detached Vaishnava poet in Kashi
in the tradition of Sri Ramananda, a disciple of Raghvananda. The Shripati of
the previous birth was born in Akbar's time in the form of the great blind
devotee poet 'Surdas'; he was one who remained in the doctrine of Madhvacharya.
He described the leela of Krishna. The Shambhu of the previous birth was born
in Akbar's time in the family of Chandrabhatta by the name of Haripriya; he was
a Vishnu-bhakta and was situated in the doctrine of Ramananda. The Varenya of
the previous birth was a famous saint in Akbar's time by the name of Agrabhuk
(Agradāsa), who was situated in the doctrine of Ramananda. The poet Madhuvrati
of the previous birth, devoted to knowledge and meditation and a composer of
vernacular poetry, became renowned in Akbar's time by the name 'Kilaka'. The
wise Kilaka composed the Rama-leela and became a follower of the Ramananda
doctrine. The Vimala of the previous birth became famous in Akbar's time by the
name 'Divakara' and sang of the sacred character of the Goddess Sita, and he
was situated in the doctrine of Ramananda. Similarly, the Devavan of the
previous birth was incarnated in Akbar's time by the name 'Keshava'; he became
a follower of Vishnuswami. After composing the Kavipriya, etc., he
attained the state of a ghost and, after composing the text named Rama-jyotsna,
attained heaven. The Soma of the previous birth was born by the name
'Vyasadasa'. He became a follower of the Nimbaditya doctrine. He attained
heaven after composing the Raha-krida text. The Vardhana of the previous
birth became renowned by the name 'Charandas'. He composed the text named Jnan-mala
and became a follower of the Raidas path. The Vartaka of the previous birth was
born by the name 'Ratnabhanu'; he was the author of the Jaimini-bhasha
and was a follower of the Ropana doctrine. The Ruchi of the previous birth was
born by the name 'Rochana'. He was a follower of the Madhvacharya doctrine. He
attained heaven after performing many song-filled leelas. The Mandhata of the
previous birth became a Kayastha by the name 'Bhupati'. According to the
doctrine of Madhvacharya, he made a beautiful translation of the Bhagavata in
the Hindi language. The Manakara of the previous birth, with a female
sentiment, obtained a female body and became the daughter of a king, renowned
by the name 'Mira'. That Mira, a follower of the Madhvacharya doctrine, became
extremely famous. Her compositions will be auspicious for the terrible Kali
age.
Akbar ruled without opposition
for fifty years and, in the end, died and went to heaven. His son was Saloma -
Salim (Jahangir). He also ruled like his father. His son was Khurdaka
(Khusrau/Shah Jahan); he ruled for ten years. He had four sons. His middle son
was Navaranga (Aurangzeb). He conquered his father and brother and ruled. In a
previous birth, he was the famous demon named Andhaka. He had come to this land
of karma from the part of Andhaka by the order of the demon king. He demolished
many idols in all directions. Seeing this, the gods came and said to Krishna
Chaitanya, 'O Lord! The king (Aurangzeb), born from the part of the demon king,
has been born. He is increasing the demon party by destroying the gods and the
Vedas.' The Yajnansha, situated in the forest of Nadiya, hearing this, cursed
the lineage of that evil-doer to be destroyed. That evil soul ruled for
forty-nine years. At that time, a king named Sevajaya (Chhatrapati Shivaji),
who increased the divine party, was born, who was born in Maharashtra and was
an expert in the art of warfare. He killed that evil-doer and gave that place
to his son. Then he went to the southern country. His son, named Aloma, ruled
for five years and he too passed away. In the lineage of Talana, a powerful
Mleccha, 'Phalarusha', was born. He destroyed the Mukala (Mughal) lineage,
ruled for ten years, and in the end, was killed by enemies. His son was
Mahamada; he ruled for twenty years. At that time, a great plunderer named
Nadara (the Persian Nadir Shah Durrani) came to the country and, after killing
the Aryas and conquering the gods, he went to the country of Khuraja (Iran).
Mahamada's son was Mahamatsya. He took his father's place and ruled for five
years. The wicked Mahamatsya, born in the Talanavansha, was killed by the
Maharashtrians. Madhava ruled in the city of Dehli for ten years. He obtained
the kingdom of the Mleccha Aloma. In that nation, many kings born in their own
country arose. In country after country, in village after village, many kings
came into being. There was almost no Chakravarti Samrat (universal emperor).
The country was divided everywhere under the authority of small Mandalikas
(taluqdars). Some people were the masters of only individual villages. Thus,
thirty years passed.
After this, all the devas came to
Krishna Chaitanya. He, knowing their sorrow on the earth, became absorbed in
meditation for a muhurta and said to the gods, 'In former times, the wise
Raghava, after conquering the Rakshasa Ravana, had revived the monkeys through
a rain of nectar. The small monkeys named Vikata, Vrijila, Jala, Barlina,
Sinhala, Java, and Sumatra said to Lord Ramachandra that you should give us our
heart's desired boon. Dasharathi Rama, knowing their wishes, gave the daughters
born from the celestial damsels by Ravana to the monkeys and, with a pleased
mind, said to the monkeys, "The islands which will be in your names,
created by Jalandhara, you will be the kings of those islands, and these will
be your queens. The Mlecchas who will be born from the trunk of the Nandini cow
will be called Gurundas. Conquering them, you will obtain an excellent
kingdom." Hearing this, bowing to Hari, they all joyfully went to the
islands. O Devas! The monkey-faced Gurunda-people, born in the lineage of
Vikata and inspired by him, came here for the purpose of trade, and their
hearts were followers of the doctrine of Isha-putra (Christ, Ishu or Isa
Masiha). They are of truthful vow, have conquered desire, are free from anger,
and are devoted to the sun. You should reside there and do their work.' Hearing
this, the gods, respectfully worshipping the sun, came to Kalikata. In the
western island, there was a king named Vikata; his wife, Vikatavati (Victoria),
ruled through the Ashta Kaushala Marga (the path of eight skills/Parliament).
The seven Gurunda kings in his lineage, who ruled for sixty-four years, were
destroyed. Until the eighth Gurunda king, after ruling justly, the Kali-party
demon Bali sent a great asura named Mura to the Deva-desha. That Mura, subduing
King Wardil, became ready for the destruction of the Arya-dharma. The devas
situated in the idols, going to the Mahaprabhu Chaitanya Yajnansha and bowing,
told him about the arrival of the demon named Mura. Knowing this, the
Krishnansha cursed the Bauddha-panthi Gurunda, saying, 'Those who are in the
doctrine of Mura will be destroyed.' Upon this being said, all the wicked
Gurundas, inspired by time, along with their armies, were destroyed within one
year. That King Wardil also met his destruction. Thereafter, the ninth valiant
(educationist) Gurunda named Mekala (Lord Macaulay) came. He ruled justly for
twelve years. The tenth, the renowned Gurunda named Lardala (Lord Wavell),
ruled righteously for thirty-two years. After Lardala went to heaven, the Aryas
born in the Makaranda lineage ruled. Thereafter, the Maunas, residents of
Himatunga, obtained the kingdom. They were of a tawny color, with subtle and
round noses and long heads, followers of the Buddhist path, and they came to
Dehli in lakhs. Their king was Arjika. His son, Devakarna, performed severe
austerities for twelve years on the peak of the Gangotragiri for the growth of
the kingdom. By the penance of that wise one, the Goddess Ganga gave him her
darshan, and Kubera granted him the rank of a Mandalika of the Aryas.
Thereafter, the Mandalika Devakarna became a king who protected his subjects.
He ruled the earth for sixty years. In his lineage, there were eight
deva-worshipping kings. After ruling for two hundred years, they went to
heaven. The eleventh Mauna king was Pannagari. After ruling for forty years, he
met his death by serpents. In this manner, the kingdom of the Mauna-jatis came
into being on the earth.
After this, the Nagavanshi,
Andhravanshi, Kosaladeshiya, Naishadhadeshiya, Saurashtradeshiya, and
Gurjaradeshiya kings ruled for many years. In the Gurjara country, Kali was
born from the womb of an Abhiri by the name 'Rahu', in the form of Simhika's
son. Just as Simhika's son Rahu is situated in the celestial sphere, afflicting
the moon, in the same way, the son of the Abhiri, named Rahu, born from the
part of Kali, was born to afflict the gods. As soon as he was born, a terrible
earthquake began on the earth. All the adverse planets began to cause terrible
sorrow. Out of his fear, the devas, abandoning their divine parts from their
respective idols, went to the peak of the Sumeru mountain and took refuge in
Mahendra. For their welfare, Lord Shakra praised the Jagadambika. Then that
welfare-bestowing Goddess, in the form of a maiden, said to the gods, 'O Devas!
By my darshan, you will become free from hunger and thirst.' Hearing this, the
devas were pleased. The Abhiri's son, Rahu, after ruling for one hundred years,
gave up his life and merged into Kali. In his lineage, there were one hundred
and fifty kings, who ruled for ten thousand years. They again propagated the
destroyed doctrine of Mahamada. All of them became Mlecchas. At that time in
the Kali Yuga, there was no study of the Vedas, no varna-vyavastha, and no
gods. There was no moral order. The remaining Brahmins began to live on the
Arbuda peak and, for twelve years, they worshipped the gods with effort. As a
result, a Kshatriya, holding a sword and a shield, emerged from the Arbuda
peak. His name was Arvabali. He conquered the terrible Mlecchas and constructed
the city of Arvapuri on five yojanas of land. Gradually, the Aryas came and
began to settle there, and then the Arya lineage grew. Arvabali ruled for fifty
years. In his lineage, there were one hundred and fifty kings. After ten
thousand years, the Varnasankaras, who were friends of the Mlecchas, married
Mleccha-maidens. Only a nominal number of followers of the Aryan path remained.
At that time, a terrible war took place between one lakh Mlecchas from the
Malaya country and the Arbudiyan Aryas. In it, the mighty Mlecchas achieved
victory. The entire land became filled with Mlecchas, and the abode of Alakshmi
was everywhere.
Chapter 24
The Account of the Second,
Third, and Fourth Phases of Kali and the Avatar of Lord Kalki
Sutaji said—"O Shaunaka!
Upon the victory of the Mlecchas, Kali honored them. Thereafter, all the demon
lords, constructing numerous water vessels, came to Harikhanda. At that time,
in Harikhanda, the humans were as mighty as the gods. They fought a terrible
war with the demons with arms and weapons, but after ten years, they were all
defeated by the demons' illusory warfare. Then those residents of Harikhanda
went to Mahendra for refuge. Lord Shakra said to Vishvakarma, 'O Sire! In the
seven oceans, the device named Bhrami, created by you, is situated. By the
power of that device, humans cannot go from one continent to another; but the
illusionist Maya has corrupted it. As a result, my enemies, the Mlecchas, have
begun to go everywhere in the seven islands. Therefore, please protect us with
the boundary that you have established.' Hearing this, Vishvakarma constructed
a divine Bhrami device. By the power of that device, they were all confounded.
From the Bhrami-device, a Mleccha-destroying great wind was born. From that
great wind, a son was born who was called Vatya. That knowledge-formed Vatya,
after conquering the demons, yakshas, and pishachas, honored the twice-born of
the three varnas. The mighty Vatya established the Mlecchas in their own varna
and adorned the rank of 'Mandalika' on the earth for fifty years. In his
lineage in the Kali Yuga, thousands of kings arose, who ruled for sixteen
thousand years and were all worshippers of Vayu.
Distressed, Kali again went to
the demon king Bali and narrated the entire account of the Vatya dynasty. Then
Bali, along with his friend Kali, came to Lord Vamana, bowed, and said, 'O best
of Suras! Being pleased with me, you created Kali for my sake, but that Kali
has been scorned by the Vatya-Dvijas. O Lord! Only a little time remains for
one phase of the Kali Yuga to pass. In this time, the gods have had more
dominion than I. I have given up the authority of the earth because of the maya
of Deven-dra. Therefore, please protect this friend of mine, Kali.' Then Lord
Vamana Hari, from his first-half part, was born in the house of a Brahmin named
Kamasharma, a resident of the Yamuna's bank, from his wife Devahuti, in the
form of two divine sons. One's name was Bhogasimha, and the other's name was
Kelisimha. They, after conquering the kings born of Vatya, came to the
Kalpakshetra. Residing in the city named Raha-kridavati, built by Maya, those
two powerful ones held the axis of Kali. In the course of time, in the Kali
Yuga, a vast number of Varnasankaras were created. Like birds on a tree, their
numbers grew profusely. After two thousand years, they finished off the
preceding humans. At that time, the second phase of Kali arrived on earth. At
this time, the talk of the Kinnaras is present on the earth. Those demon-like
men became only two and a half hands tall, and their age was forty years, and
they became actionless like birds. At the end of the second phase of Kali,
there will be no marriage, no kings will remain, no one will be industrious,
and no one will be a performer of deeds. The descendants of Bhogasimha and
Kelisimha will remain on the earth for one hundred and twenty-five thousand
years. Therefore, O Munis! You all should come with me to Krishna Chaitanya."
Vyasaji spoke—"O King! Those
sages, residents of Vishalapur, with a pleased mind, will go to the Yajnansha
and, bowing to him, will ask for permission to go to Indraloka. Then the
Yajnansha Chaitanya, Ahlada, the yogi Gorakha, Shankara and other Rudra-parts,
and King Bhartrihari and all his other disciples, and other yogis, and the
sages of Vishalapur, mounting a celestial vehicle, will go to Devaloka. Then,
in the second phase of Kali, Bhogasimha and Kelisimha, born from the
Vamana-part, taking recourse to the path of yoga, will be situated in the
Kalpakshetra and will increase the demon party.
Upon the arrival of the third
phase of Kali, the Kinnaras will gradually be destroyed on the earth. When
twenty-six thousand years of the third phase of the Kali Yuga have passed, by
the order of Rudra, the Bhrigu-rishi, from his wife named Saurabhi, will
produce mighty humans named Kaulakalpa, who will be the consumers of all the
Kinnaras. At that time in Kali, their age will be twenty-six years. The
frightened Kinnaras will go to the refuge of the Vamana-part, and then a fierce
war will take place between Bhogasimha and the others and the Kaulakalpas.
After fighting for ten years, Bhogasimha and all the others will be defeated
and will go to Patala. The demons, along with the Vamana-part (Bhogasimha,
Kelisimha), will also go to Patala. In the dire Kali Yuga, there will be a
terrible creation of the Bhrigu rishi. Those humans will behave like animals
with their mothers, sisters, daughters, etc. Blinded by lust, they will produce
many sons. In the third phase of Kali, those creations too, after attaining a
terrible animal birth, will be destroyed.
In the fourth phase of Kali, the
age of man will be twenty years, and after dying, they will go to hell. At that
time, like aquatic and wild creatures, they will become eaters of roots and
fruits. The terrible hells like Tamisra, etc., which are famous, will all be
filled with the humans born on the land of karma. In the fourth phase of the
Kali Yuga, the twenty-one hells will suffer from indigestion from the humans
born—the hells will be filled with humans. Then Hell will go to Dharmaraja and
say that our places are filled with sinners. O best of Suras! The way in which
we may return to our natural state, please arrange for such a remedy. Hearing
this, Dharmaraja, along with Chitragupta, will go to Brahma in the twilight of
the Kali Yuga, and Parameshthi Pitamaha, along with them, will go to the ocean
of milk and there, worshipping the God of gods, Jagannatha Vrishakapi, will
praise him with hymns based on Samkhya-shastra and will pray for protection. At
this, he will say, 'O Devas! For the welfare of the world, this Kashyapa will
take birth in the village of Sambhala, and there his name will be Vishnuyasha.
His wife's name will be Vishnukirti. Vishnuyasha will narrate the texts of
Krishna-leela to the humans, but those great, deceitful, hellish creatures will
bind him in terrible, strong bonds and throw him in prison. Then, from
Vishnukirti, the complete Lord Narayana, the benefactor of the world, on the
eighth day of the dark fortnight of the month of Margashirsha, will be born in
the form of Kalki, in a form causing darkness. Lord Brahma, for the welfare of
the devotees, will hold all the scriptures. All those gods will be influenced
by his light, and those gods will also take avatars. Lord Bhargava will be born
there as several Kalkis, Manvantaras, avatars, Kashyapas, sanatana Krishnas,
and Brahma. Then those Brahmins will explain my karma and that of all other
gods and the situation of the Brahmins in the Kali Yuga. Then, being pleased, I
will appear there. Bowing to me, they will all go to their respective places
with me.
The Great Lord Kalki, the
Story of His Birth, the Prophecy of the Ashvamedha Yajna, the Worship of the
Avimuktas, and the Conclusion of the Pratisarga Parva
Vyasaji spoke—"Then, the
great lord Kalki, holding a sword and a shield, will mount a horse and destroy
the Mlecchas. Taking up the path of yoga, he will go to the solar orb. The
great fire from his yogic power will burn the sinful Mlecchas; their bodies
will be destroyed. Then the Mlecchas will be frightened and will go to the
country of China. In the Kali Yuga, Kalki will be born there and will return.
He, performing his duties as per his varna, will destroy the established order
of the Mlecchas. At that time, the fire will burn for twelve yojanas. By its
heat, the Mlecchas will be destroyed and will increase in number. At that time,
all the people will be childless and will go to the city of China. After the
Kali Yuga, he will return again. He will re-establish the dharma as per the
varnas. The Mlecchas will be like ashes. Because of the yajna. Then Lord Brahma
will show the path of dharma. He will take refuge in Vaivasvata Manu. Then
Kalki, along with the Brahmins, Bahus, Vaishyas, and Shudras, will show their
forms. Brahmapada will grant strength. From him, many sons will be born. They
will perform yajnas of the human dharma. All the gods. In the city of Ayodhya,
a kingdom will be established. His son will be named Ikshvaku. King Ikshvaku
will take his father, Vaivasvata Manu, and rule for a hundred divine years.
Then my karma and that of all other gods will be established. And the Brahmins
will explain my situation. Then, being pleased, I will appear there. Bowing,
they will go with me. Then, the month of Kartika will bring a pure period of
time. Lord Brahma will have the Vedas recited. On the twelfth day of the bright
fortnight, a Thursday, the constellation will be Uttara Phalguni. At that time,
Satya Yuga will be established. The name of that Satya Yuga will be Namaha.
That Devayan Navami. At that time, a beautiful kanya. The twelfth tithi will be
chosen for the birth. On this tithi, the gods. The son of Jina will be born. On
that day, Pooja will be performed. That Navami, Avantika and Navami. Her name will
be Yashah. And Mahalakshmidaya, a form of auspiciousness. The fruit of the Amla
tree. Those who perform shraddha under the Amla tree, and those who eat a meal
there, will become wealthy. And those who offer a hundred thousand bilva leaves
and tulsi leaves, and worship the Shaligrama stone, and perform shraddha under
the Tulsi and Amalaka tree, and those who cook a meal and feed a hundred
thousand people. The fruit obtained by doing that, they will attain hundreds of
crores of celestial abodes. The one who performs the Kalpavidhi.
Saying to the gods, 'So it shall
be,' Lord Bhagavan Kalki, while the gods were watching, disappeared right there
and fell asleep. After Lord Kalki is born, the sorrowful Bhavati will destroy
the bija of karma by her grace. At that time, the residents of the city, the
great lord Prahlad, mounted on his vahana, taking his weapons, will go past the
gods. Then Indra, on his thirty-three divine weapons, will fight a terrible war
with them. A terrible battle of one divine year will take place. Then I will be
defeated by the gods. The defeated gods will go to Shvetasarovar, where the
great Lord Hari resides. The gods will praise him. For the welfare of the gods,
their praises will create me in my previous part. That form will be
Sahasraksha. The mighty Surya will be of the form of Kanti. Influential.
Prahlad and the other devaganas and Shukracharya, they, by their own
effulgence, will make the sun dim. Then the gods, leaving the city of
Prajapati, will go to the sorrowful one. Mahadeva will protect them all. The
gods will be fearless and will go to their own abodes. And they will establish
the son of Vaivasvata. They will live for a hundred divine years. At that time,
the lifespan of humans will be a hundred years. The four feet of dharma—jnana,
dhyana, sham, and dama. Atma-jnana is called jnana, and meditation on the
adhyatma is called dhyana. Control of the mind is called sham, and control of
the senses is called dama. It is said that there is one foot of dharma for
every forty thousand four hundred years. The age of dharma increases with the
increase of these virtues."
॥
End of the Fourth Khanda of the Pratisarga Parva ॥
॥
Here ends the Pratisarga Parva within the Bhavishya Purana ॥
