Garuda Purana
LORD VISHNU’S INCARNATIONS
Sutji once reached Naimisharanya in course of his pilgrimage. There he found numerous sages engaged in austerities and penance. All of them were delighted to find Sutji in their midst and considered it as a God sent opportunity to get their doubts related with religious topics cleared. Sage Shaunak was also present there and he asked Sutji –’ O revered sage! Who is the creator of this world? Who nurtures it and who annihilates it in the end? How can one realize the supreme Almighty? How many incarnations the Almighty has taken till now? Please enlighten us on all these things, which are shrouded in mystery.’
Sutji replied–’ I am going to reveal to you
the contents of Garuda Puran, which contains the divine tales of Lord Vishnu.
This particular Puran is named after Garuda because he was the one who first
narrated these tales to sage Kashyap. Kashyap subsequently narrated them to
sage Vyas. I came to know about these divine tales from sage Vyas. Lord Vishnu
is the supreme almighty and the source of all creations. He is the nurturer of
this world and the annihilator as well. Though he is beyond the bondage of
birth and death yet he takes incarnations to protect the world from the tyranny
of sinners. His first incarnation was in the form of the eternal adolescent
Sanat kumar and others who were all celibates and extremely virtuous.’
‘Lord Vishnu took his second incarnation in
the form of a boar (Varah) to protect the Earth from the mighty demon named
Hiranyaksha, who had abducted her to Patal loka (Nether world). In his third
incarnation as Narad, he propagated the virtues of ‘nishkaam karma’ (performing
one’s duties without bothering about the results). In his fourth incarnation as
Nar-Narayan, he performed arduous austerities for the protection and
propagation of Dharma or religiousness.
Lord Vishnu’s fifth incarnation was as Kapil,
which he took to protect the Saankhya shashtra, which was on the verge of
becoming extinct. He took his sixth incarnation in the house of Atri and
Anusuya as Dattatreya with the specific objective of propagating the most
secret Brahma vidya to worthy people. His disciples included virtuous souls
like Prahalad and others. Lord Vishnu took his seventh incarnation as the son
of Ruchi Prajapati and Aakuti and was known as Yagya deva. His eighth
incarnation was as Rishabh deva- the son of sage Naabhi and Merudevi.
In this incarnation he established the norms
for Grihashtha ashram, which later on became the guidelines for every
householders. Lord Vishnu took his ninth incarnation as Prithu and
‘milked’(extracted) various nutrients (cereals, pulses etc.) from the Earth who
had disguised herself as a cow and thus protected the populace from getting
starved to death.
In his tenth incarnation as Matsya (fish), he
protected the life of Vaivaswat Manu, who would not have survived otherwise.
Lord Vishnu took his eleventh incarnation in the form of a tortoise (kurma) and
held the Mandarachal mountain on his back at the time when the ocean was being
churned. His twelfth incarnation was as Dhanvantari and thirteenth as the most
enchanting beauty- Mohini to retrieve the ambrosia pot from the possession of
the demons. He subsequently distributed it among the deities as the result of
which they became immortal.
In his fourteenth incarnation, Lord Vishnu
manifested himself as ‘Nrisimha’ (partly human and partly lion) and to protect
his devotee- Prahlad killed the wicked demon Hiranyakashipu by tearing apart
his abdomen with his sharp claws. His fifteenth incarnation was as Vaman
(dwarf) in which he demanded all the three worlds from Bali-the
most benevolent demon king and then sent him to Patal loka. In his sixteenth
incarnation as Parshuram, he wiped out the whole caste of kshatriyas from the
face of the earth for twenty-one times, as they had all become immoral.
In his seventeenth incarnation he was born as
Vyas to Parashar and Satyavati and accomplished his mission of propagating the
knowledge of Vedas by categorizing them into four parts. In his eighteenth
incarnation he manifested himself as Sri Ram. His nineteenth incarnation was as
Krishna and his twentieth incarnation as
Balram. He will take his twenty-first incarnation as Buddha to bring the
mankind back to virtuous path by preaching against the rituals and proving that
it is not proper for a seeker to get bound by them. Lord Vishnu would take
incarnation as Kalki and will be born to a Brahmin named Vishnuyasha to
liberate the earth from the sinners.’
HOW GARUDA PURAN WAS PROPAGATED
HOW GARUDA PURAN WAS PROPAGATED
On being asked by the sages as to how did he
come to know about the contents of Garuda Puran, Sutji told them–’ Once, I had
gone to Badrikashram, where I met sage Vyas. I requested him to enlighten me on
various spiritual matters to which he agreed saying that he was going to
narrate the tales of Garuda Purana which was first told by Lord Brahma to
Narad, Daksha Prajapati and myself. Sage Vyas then told Sutji how once he along
with Narad, Daksha and Bhrigu had gone to Brahmaloka to see Lord Brahma. After
reaching there, all three of them requested Lord Brahma to shed light on the
essence of the real knowledge.
Lord Brahma revealed to them that Garuda
Puran contained the essence of all the scriptures and Lord Vishnu himself had
narrated its divine tales to him (Brahma). Describing the incident when Lord
Vishnu had told the divine tales of Garuda Puran to him as well as Shiva, Lord
Brahma said– ‘ I once went to Kailash mountain accompanied by Indra and other
deities. We found Shiva engrossed in his meditation. We were amazed and asked
him as to who was he meditating upon.
Lord Shiva told us that he was meditating upon
the omnipresent, omniscient and the omnipotent Vishnu- in whom the entire
universe exists. Lord Shiva also revealed to us that this was all he knew of
Vishnu’s power and also that if we wanted to know more about him then we will
have to ask Lord Vishnu himself. So, all of us including Shiva went to Vishnu
loka and requested Lord Vishnu to clear our doubts on various topics which
confused us. Lord Vishnu gave a long discourse covering all the major religious
topics.
LORD VISHNU REVEALS HIS OMNIPOTENT NATURE
LORD VISHNU REVEALS HIS OMNIPOTENT NATURE
Dwelling on length about his power, Lord
Vishnu told Shiva– ‘ O Rudra! I am the lord of all the deities. I am the one
who controls each and every event that occurs in the Universe. I am the one
whom mortals worship with the desire of attaining salvation. The universe would
have ceased to exist but for me. I am the creator, the nurturer as well as the
supreme annihilator. I manifest myself in the sacred mantras as well as their
meanings. People meditate on me. Matter is nothing but a medium through which I
manifest myself.’
LORD VISHNU BLESSES GARUDA
LORD VISHNU BLESSES GARUDA
Describing how Garuda pleased him with his
deep devotion, Lord Vishnu said– ‘During ancient times Garuda once did an
austere penance to please me. I appeared before him and expressed my
willingness to fulfil anything that he wished for. Garuda wanted to liberate
his mother, Vinta from the slavery of Kadru-the mother of serpents. He also
wanted to avenge his mother’s humiliation at their hands. He also expressed his
desire of becoming immortal by having a Purana credited to his name and finally
he requested me to give him the privilege of becoming my mount. I blessed
Garuda as the result of which all his wishes were fulfilled. Once, on being
requested by sage Kashyap, Garuda narrated the divine tales of Garuda Puran to
him. Sage Kashyap had once brought back a dead tree back to life with the help
of Garudi Vidya- a sacred mantra found in Garuda Puran. Similarly, Garuda too
had brought numerous dead creatures back to life with the help of same mantra.’
THE BEGINNING OF CREATION
Lord Shiva requested Vishnu to shed light on
different topics like Sarga (world), Pratisarga, Vansh (dynasties), Manvantar
(fourteenth part of Brahma’s day) and Vanshanucharit (genealogy). Lord Vishnu
replied–’ O Rudra! Lord Vasudeva in his incarnation of Nara-Narayan performs
his responsibilities of the creator, protector as well as the annihilator. Each
particle that is found in this universe whether perceptible or imperceptible is
nothing but the medium through which the Almighty makes his presence felt. In
the beginning of the creation, on account of HIS will subtle matter of nature
(imperceptible) came into being. HE is the one to whom ‘Atma’ or ‘Purush’ owe
its existence. Subsequently, intelligence or ‘Buddhi’ manifested itself from
the subtle matter of nature, mind or ‘Mun’ from intelligence, space or ‘Aakash’
from mind, air or ‘Vayu’ from Space, Fire or ‘Teja’ from air, water from ‘Teja’
and finally the earth manifested itself from water.’
‘ O Rudra! Then came into existence an
enormous sized egg. I dwell within that egg and so do all the other deities. In
fact, the whole universe is situated within that egg. The almighty Vishnu
creates in the form of Brahma, nurtures in the form of Vishnu and annihilates
in the form of Shiva at the end of each kalpa. The creations of the almighty
are known as ‘Sargas’. First of all, the almighty creates the Mahat tatva,
which symbolizes his gross quality.
Since it was his first creation therefore it
was called the first Sarga. The second Sarga consisted of the creation of the
Panch-Tanmatras or the five basic elements- Earth (Prithvi), Water(Jala),
Fire(Teja), Air(Vayu) and Sound(Shabda). These five basic elements are the
stuffs from which matter is made. The third Sarga namely Vaikarik sarga
comprising the creation of all the sense organs and the organs of the actions,
is basically intelligence oriented, because the sense organs can not function
without intelligence. All these above mentioned three sargas come under the
category of Prakrit sarga or natural creation.’ ‘ The fourth sarga is known as
Mukhya sarga or the main creation and consisted of immovable things like
mountains, trees, etc. The fifth Sarga is known as Tiryak sarga and consisted
of animals and birds. The sixth sarga comprised the creation of the deities and
other celestial beings and hence it is also known as Deva sarga. The seventh
sarga comprised the creation of human beings and hence it was called Maanush
sarga. The eighth sarga, which is also called Anugrah sarga, consisted of
creations that are both ‘satvik’ (pure) and ‘tamasik’(dark) in nature. The
ninth sarga is called Kaumar sarga.’
‘ Lord Brahma commenced his creation of
supreme entities by expressing his will resulting into the manifestation of all
the ten Manasputras. Subsequently, Lord Brahma created different other entities
like deities (deva), demons (danav), ancestors (pitra) and human-beings
(manushya). He then created the Ashuras from his thighs and subsequently
abandoned his body. The dark qualities emanating from the body resulted into
the creation of night, a creation that immensely pleased the demons.’
‘ Lord Brahma then attained a new physical
form, which was pure (satvik) in nature. He created the deities from his mouth
and once again abandoned his body resulting into the creation of day this time.
All the deities became extremely pleased by this particular creation of Brahma.
Once again Lord Brahma attained another form and created the ‘pitras’ and when
he abandoned that body, ‘sandhya’ (evening) manifested from it.’
‘Lord Brahma then attained a form that was
‘Rajomaya’ in nature and created human beings. His abandoning that particular
form resulted into the creation of ‘Pratahkaal’(dawn). Subsequently, Lord
Brahma created the different species like ‘yaksha’, ‘sarpa’, ‘Gandharva’ and
‘Apsaras’ and many more creatures from the different parts of his body. All the
four Vedas namely Rigveda, Yajurveda, Samveda and Atharvaveda manifested
themselves from each of Brahma’s four mouths. Similarly, all the four castes
such as Brahmin, Kshatriya, Vaishya and Shudra manifested from Brahma’s mouth,
arms, thighs and feet respectively.’
THE BEGINNING OF COPULATIVE CREATION
THE BEGINNING OF COPULATIVE CREATION
‘Having created Daksha Prajapati and his wife
Prasuti from his right and left thumb respectively, Lord Brahma instructed both
of them to make their contribution in increasing the population with the help
of copulative creation. In course of time, Daksha Prajapati begot numerous
daughters all of whom were given in marriage to ten Manasputras.’
‘Once, Daksha Prajapati had organized a grand
Ashwamedha Yagya to which he had invited all his daughters and son-in-laws
except Sati and Rudra. Sati eventually reached her father’s place much against
the advise of Shiva, who was strictly against going to a place uninvited.
Shiva’s apprehensions were not unfounded supposition, as Sati was indeed
humiliated by Daksha in front of all the esteemed guests. Sati was so deeply
hurt by her father’s rude behaviour and the manner in which he made fun of her
husband that she gave up her life by jumping into the sacrificial fire. When
Rudra learnt about Sati’s death he cursed Daksha by saying that he would loose
his divine status and would be born as a human being in the lineage of Dhruva.
In her next birth, Sati was born as the daughter of Himalaya and Mainak. She
was once again successful in getting Shiva as her husband by virtue of her deep
devotion towards Shiva.’
THE DHRUVA DYNASTY
THE DHRUVA DYNASTY
Lord Vishnu, continuing with the tales of
Garuda Puran told Shiva-’ Uttanpad had two wives-Suruchi and Suniti. From his
former wife he begot a son named Uttam, while Suniti gave birth to Dhruva, who
became immortal because of his unflinching devotion in me. Dhruva had a mighty
son named ‘Shlishta’. Prachinvarhi was Shlishta’s son and Dhruva’s grandson.
Few other prominent personalities coming from the lineage of Dhruva were-
Udardhi, Divanjaya, Ripu, Chakshush, Ruru, Anga, Ven etc. Ven was an atheist
and was eventually killed by sages for his immoral deeds. Since Ven had no
progeny, his death put a question mark on his successor. Sages tried to solve
this problem by churning his thighs, which resulted into the emergence of
Nishad. But, Nishad went to Vindhyachal to do penance. Seeing their whole
effort go in vain, all the sages once again churned Ven’s hands. This time Lord
Vishnu himself incarnated as Prithu.’
‘ Prithu was an extremely kind hearted king
and cared for his subjects. Once, when his kingdom was experiencing an acute
famine, he successfully extracted the essential nutrients from the earth and
thus saved his subjects from starvation. Prithu had ten sons prominent among
whom were Antardhan, Havirdhan, Prachinvarhi and Praachetas. In course of time
Praachetas married Marisha.’
‘ Just according to the curse of Shiva,
Daksha Prajapati was reborn in the clan of Dhruva. His father’s name was
Praachetas and his mother was Marisha. In the beginning, Daksha Prajapati tried
to do creation by merely expressing his will but his efforts went futile
because of Shiva’s curse. So, he had no option but to take the help of
copulative creation and to meet his objective he married Asikni- the daughter
of Viran.
In course of time he became the father of one
thousand sons, all of whom perished while on their impossible mission of
finding out the circumference of the earth. Actually sage Narad had incited all
of them to undertake this impossible mission. Daksha though angry did not loose
heart and in course of time he once again fathered one thousand sons. Once
again, Narad was successful in convincing them to emulate the deeds of their
elder brothers. All of them set out on an impossible mission never to return.
Now, Daksha’s anger crossed all limits and he cursed Narad by saying that he
would take birth as a human for inciting his sons’ to death. This is the reason
why Narad was born as Kashyap’s son.’
‘ In the years to follow, Daksha Prajapati
begot sixty beautiful daughters from Asikni among whom he gave away two
daughters in marriage to sage Angira, two to sage Krishashva, ten to Dharma,
fourteen to sage Kashyap and twenty-eight daughters to Chandrama. The names of
Krishashva’s wives were Supragya and Jaya while Dharma’s wives were Arundhati,
Vasu, Yami, Lamba, Bhanumati, Marutvati, Sankalpa, Muhurta, Saadhya and Vishva.
The names of Kashyap’s wives were Aditi, Diti, Danu, Kala, Anayu, Sinhika,
Muni, Kadru, Saadhya, Ira, Krodha, Vinta, Surabhi and Khaga.’
Dharma’s wives Vishva and Saadhya gave birth
to the Vishvedevas and Saadhyaganas respectively. Similarly, Marutvati gave
birth to Marutvaans and Vasu to Vasuganas. Dharma’s wife named Bhanu gave birth
to twelve Bhanus while Muhurta gave birth to Muhurtaganas. Lamba gave birth to
Ghosh while Yami gave birth to Naagvithi. Sankalpa gave birth to Sankalpa.
Kashyap’s wife Aditi gave birth to twelve
Aadityas while Diti gave birth to two sons (demons)- Hiranyakashipu and
Hiranyaksha. Diti also had a daughter named Sinhika, who was married to
Viprachiti. Hiranyakashipu had four sons- Anuhlad, Hlad, Prahlad and Sanhlad.
Aayushman, Shibi and Bashkal were the sons of Sanhlad. Prahlad had a mighty son
named Virochan who himself had a son named Bali. Bali had one hundred sons in
all and Baan was the eldest among them. Hiranyaksha had six sons all of whom
were very brave and valiant. Their names were Utkur, Shakuni, Bhutsantapan,
Mahanam, Mahabahu and Kaalnaam.
Danu had numerous sons who were all very
brave-Dwimurdha, Shankar, Ayomukh, Shankushira, Kapil, Shambar, Ekachakra,
Mahabahu, Tarak, Mahabal, Swarbhanu, Vrishaparva, Puloma, Mahasur and the
mightiest among them-Viprachiti. Puloma and Kalka, both daughters of Vaishwanar
were married to sage Kashyap. Kashyap had sixty thousand sons (demons) from
both of them. Demons such as Nighat Kavach came from the lineage of Prahlad.
Tamra had six daughters and their names were Shuki, Shyeni, Masi, Sugrivi,
Shuchi and Gridhika. Shuki gave birth to numerous species of birds like Shuka
(Parrot), Uluka (owls) and Kaak(crows). Similarly Shyeni gave birth to Shyen
(hawks) and Gridhika to Gridh (vultures). Shuchi was the mother of aquatic
birds while Sugrivi gave birth to various animals like, horses, camels,
donkeys, etc.’ Arun and Garuda were born to Vinta while Sursa and Kadru gave
birth to serpents. Krodha gave birth to powerful Pishachas, Surabhi to cows and
buffaloes, Era to various vegetation like, creepers and grass, Khaga to Yakshas
and Rakshas, Muni to Apsaras and Arishta gave birth to Gandharvas. Diti gave
birth to fourty-nine Marutganas, all of whom are in fact the incarnations of
Lord Vishnu.
POWERFUL MANTRAS
NAVGRAH MANTRA
Describing the significance of worshipping Navgraha (nine planets), Lord Vishnu told Rudra –’ One who worships the Navgraha with appropriate rituals attains all the four ‘purusharth’(objectives of man’s life)-dharma(religion), artha(money), kaam(sex) and moksha(salvation).’ He then went on to give various mantras related with the Navgrahas, which a devotee should chant while worshipping them —
Describing the significance of worshipping Navgraha (nine planets), Lord Vishnu told Rudra –’ One who worships the Navgraha with appropriate rituals attains all the four ‘purusharth’(objectives of man’s life)-dharma(religion), artha(money), kaam(sex) and moksha(salvation).’ He then went on to give various mantras related with the Navgrahas, which a devotee should chant while worshipping them —
SURYA(SUN) — OM SURYA MURTAYE NAMAH.
OM HRAM HRIM SAH SURYAY NAMAH.
OM HRAM HRIM SAH SURYAY NAMAH.
CHANDRAMA(MOON)– OM SOMAY NAMAH.
BHAUM(MARS)–OM BHAUMAY NAMAH.
BUDDH(MERCURY)–OM BUDDHAY NAMAH.
VRIHASPATI(JUPITER)–OM VRIHASPATAYE NAMAH.
SHUKRA(VENUS)–OM SHUKRAY NAMAH.
SHANI(SATURN)–OM SHANAISHCHARAY NAMAH.
RAHU(DRAGON’S HEAD)–OM RAHAVE NAMAH.
KETU(DRAGON’S TAIL)– OM KETAVE NAMAH.
SHIVA MANTRA
SHIVA MANTRA
There are various mantras used in the rituals
of Shiva worship. A devotee should begin by worshipping the ‘Aasan’ (the
pedestal) on which the deity is seated. There is a specific mantra for this
particular ritual- OM HRAM SHIVAY NAMAH. Subsequently, a salutation to lord
Shiva is made by chanting – OM SHIVA MURTAYE NAMAH. A special ritual named
‘Shadanganyas’ is then performed by chanting different mantras associated with
the specific parts of the deities’ body such as –
OM HRAM HRIDAYAY NAMAH,
OM HRIM SHIRSE SWAHA,
OM HOOM SHIKHAYAI VASHAT,
OM HRAIM KAVACHAY HOOM,
OM HRAUM NETRA TRAYAY VAUSHAT,
OM HRAH ASTRAY PHAT.
OM HRIM SHIRSE SWAHA,
OM HOOM SHIKHAYAI VASHAT,
OM HRAIM KAVACHAY HOOM,
OM HRAUM NETRA TRAYAY VAUSHAT,
OM HRAH ASTRAY PHAT.
Having accomplished the above mentioned
rituals, a devotee should then worship each of the five faces of Shiva by
chanting the following mantras –
OM HRAM SADDYOJATAY NAMAH
OM HRIM VAAMDEVAY NAMAH,
OM HOOM AGHORAY NAMAH,
OM HRAIM TATPURUSHAY NAMAH,
OM HRAUM ISHANAY NAMAH.
VISHNU MANTRA
OM HRIM VAAMDEVAY NAMAH,
OM HOOM AGHORAY NAMAH,
OM HRAIM TATPURUSHAY NAMAH,
OM HRAUM ISHANAY NAMAH.
VISHNU MANTRA
While worshipping Lord Vishnu, first of all a
devotee should worship the ‘Aasan’ of the deity by chanting
- OM VASUDEVA AASANAY NAMAH.
- OM VASUDEVA AASANAY NAMAH.
He should then make salutations to Lord
Vishnu by chanting the following mantras–
OM VASUDEVAY MURTAYE NAMAH,
OM AIM OM NAMO BHAGAVATE VASUDEVAY NAMAH,
OM AAM OM NAMO BHAGAVATE SANKARSHANAY NAMAH,
OM AIM OM NAMO BHAGAVATE PRADYUMNAY NAMAH,
OM AH OM NAMO BHAGAVATE ANIRUDDHAY NAMAH.
OM VASUDEVAY MURTAYE NAMAH,
OM AIM OM NAMO BHAGAVATE VASUDEVAY NAMAH,
OM AAM OM NAMO BHAGAVATE SANKARSHANAY NAMAH,
OM AIM OM NAMO BHAGAVATE PRADYUMNAY NAMAH,
OM AH OM NAMO BHAGAVATE ANIRUDDHAY NAMAH.
Subsequently, a devotee should worship the
various incarnations of Lord Vishnu, his weapons as well as his different
mounts by incorporating the rituals of ‘Shodashopachar’ and by chanting the
following mantras–
OM NARAYANAY NAMAH,
OM TATSAD BRAHMANE NAMAH,
OM HOOM VISHNAVE NAMAH,
OM HRAUM NAMO BHAGAVATE NRISINHAY NAMAH,
OM BHUH OM NAMO BHAGAVATE VARAHAY NAMAH, ETC.
SARASWATI MANTRA
OM TATSAD BRAHMANE NAMAH,
OM HOOM VISHNAVE NAMAH,
OM HRAUM NAMO BHAGAVATE NRISINHAY NAMAH,
OM BHUH OM NAMO BHAGAVATE VARAHAY NAMAH, ETC.
SARASWATI MANTRA
A devotee should begin his worship by making
salutations to goddess Sarswati by chanting– OM HRIM SARSWATYAI NAMAH.
He should then perform the rituals of
‘Shadangnyas’ by chanting the following mantras– OM HRAM HRIDAYAY NAMAH,
OM HRIM SHIRSE SWAHA,
OM HOOM SHIKHAYAI VASHAT,
OM HRAIM KAVACHAY HOOM,
OM HRAUM NETRA TRAYAY VAUSHAT,
OM HRAH ASTRAY PHAT.
LAXMI MANTRA
OM HRIM SHIRSE SWAHA,
OM HOOM SHIKHAYAI VASHAT,
OM HRAIM KAVACHAY HOOM,
OM HRAUM NETRA TRAYAY VAUSHAT,
OM HRAH ASTRAY PHAT.
LAXMI MANTRA
A devotee desirous of acquiring wealth and
prosperity must worship Goddess Laxmi with appropriate rituals. He should begin
by making salutations to the goddess by chanting the following mantra –
OM SRIM HRIM MAHALAKSHMYAI NAMAH.
Then follows the rituals of ‘Shadangnyas’
that is performed by chanting the specific mantras meant for them.
ASTROLOGY IN GARUDA PURAN
THE CHARIOTS OF NAVGRAHAS
ASTROLOGY IN GARUDA PURAN
THE CHARIOTS OF NAVGRAHAS
While describing the chariots of all the nine
planets, Lord Vishnu told Rudra–’ The chariot of Surya deva(sun) has an
unbelievable expanse stretching up to nine thousand yojans. The axle of the
chariot is one crore and fifty seven lakh yojans long and wheels are fixed at
both its ends. The wheels have six circumferences symbolizing the six main
seasons and five spokes symbolizing the five different units of time
measurement in them. The chariot of Surya(sun) is pulled by seven horses. These
horses symbolize the seven ‘chhands’ (stanzas used in poetry)- gayatri,
vrihati, ushnik, jagati, trishtup, anushtup and pankti.
The chariot of chandrama(moon) has three
wheels in it. It is pulled by ten white horses. The color of Mangal’s(mars)
chariot is golden and is pulled by horses of dark red color. Buddh’s(mercury)
chariot is of brown color and is pulled by eight horses of the same color. The
chariot of Vrihaspati(jupiter) is made of gold and is pulled by eight horses of
yellowish complexion. Jupiter remains in each of the twelve zodiacs for a year.
Shukra’s (venus) chariot is well escorted by
his army. The chariot has a mast on it’s top and is pulled by horses that are
found on earth.
Horses pulling the chariot of Shani(saturn)
are of varicolored.
The chariot of Rahu is pulled by eight horses, which are of the color of smoke.
The chariot of Ketu is pulled by eight horses, which are red in color.
DESCRIPTION OF YOGAS AND MUHURTAS
The chariot of Rahu is pulled by eight horses, which are of the color of smoke.
The chariot of Ketu is pulled by eight horses, which are red in color.
DESCRIPTION OF YOGAS AND MUHURTAS
Giving elaborate description of inauspicious
days on which one should not undertake travels or journeys, Lord Vishnu told
Shiva– ‘Various Yoginis (goddesses) dwell in different directions on specific
days and one should never set out on journeys on those days. A yogini named
Brahmani dwells in the East on Pratipada(first) and navami(ninth) of both the
fortnights of each month and nobody should travel on both these dates towards
east. Maheshwari dwells in the north on second and ninth of both the fortnights
of each month and hence nobody should travel towards north on both these dates.
Varahi dwells in the south on the fifth and thirteenth of both the fortnights
of each month and hence it is unadvisable to travel towards south on the above
mentioned dates. In the same manner, Indrani dwells in the west on sixth and
fourteenth of both the fortnights of each month and therefore nobody should
travel in this direction on both the above mentioned dates.’
While giving names of some auspicious
Nakshatras suitable for undertaking journeys, lord Vishnu said–’ Constellations
like Ashvini, Anuradha, Revati, Mrigashira, Mool, Punarvasu, Pushya, Hast and
Jyeshtha are auspicious for undertaking journeys.’
Lord Vishnu, giving some specific
combinations of days and tithis considered to be inauspicious said-’ One should
never travel on the following inauspicious days: Dwadashi falling on Sunday or
Ekadashi falling on Monday or Navami falling on Wednesday or Ashtami falling on
Thursday or Saptami falling on Friday and Shashthi falling on Saturday.
AMRIT YOGA — It is the most
auspicious yoga for commencing any work. The conjunction of a particular day
and specific nakshatra constitute this yoga. Few examples of Amrit yoga are
Mool nakshatra falling on Sunday, Shravan nakshatra on Monday, Uttara bhadrapad
on Tuesday, Kritika on Wednesday, Punarvasu on Thursday, Purvafalguni on Friday
and Swati nakshatra falling on Saturday.
VISHA YOGA –It is considered
to be an inauspicious yoga and unsuitable for commencing any important work.
Few examples of this particular yoga are Bharni nakshatra falling on Friday,
Chitra nakshatra on Monday, Uttarashadha on Tuesday, Dhanishtha on Wednesday,
Shatabhisha on Thursday, Rohini on Friday and Revati nakshatra falling on
Saturday.
GRAHA DASHA
GRAHA DASHA
Describing the period for which a particular
planet is supposed to have its influence on the native, Lord Vishnu told Shiva–
‘ Surya’s dasha continues for six years and brings turbulence, turmoil and
agony to the concerned person. Moon’s dasha continues for fifteen years and is
considered very auspicious as it brings happiness and prosperity. Mangal’s
dasha is considered inauspicious and lasts for eight years. It brings sorrow
and misfortune. Buddh’s dasha is auspicious and lasts for seventeen years. It
brings all kinds of favorable results and is extremely rewarding in every
respect. Shani’s dasha lasts for ten years and brings all kinds of inauspicious
results to a man. Vrihaspati’s dasha continues for nineteen years and is
extremely auspicious. Rahu’s dasha continues for twelve years and is inauspicious.
Shukra’s dasha lasts for twenty years and is auspicious.’
NOTE — The period of years stated in the
above mentioned Graha- dashas are at variance from those mentioned by sage
Parashar, which is in practice nowadays.
PREDICTIONS BASED ON PHYSICAL TRAITS
Dwelling on length about the importance of
physical traits and symptoms apparent in an individual, Lord Vishnu told
Shiva-’ If one sees the following physical traits in a man, he should
immediately understand that he is seeing a prospective King : Hands and feet as
soft as a Lotus flower, pink nails and no space left between the fingers when
kept straight. There is no sign of bulging veins on his hands and palms and
they do not sweat excessively. On the contrary, a person having rough feet that
appears pale, with prominent veins on them indicates that the concerned person
would be poor and miserable.’
PREDICTING AGE WITH THE HELP OF FOREHEAD LINE
PREDICTING AGE WITH THE HELP OF FOREHEAD LINE
Lord Vishnu said-’ Anybody having three
parallel lines on his forehead lives happily for sixty years whereas two
parallel lines indicates that he would live till the age of forty years. Only
one line on the forehead indicates that he would have a short life but if the
line stretches up to both the ears then he lives for a century. If two parallel
lines on the forehead stretches up to both the years then the concerned person
lives for seventy years while a triple parallel lines reaching both the years
indicates that he would live till the age of sixty years. A forehead devoid of
any line on it means that the concerned person would live for only forty years
while a cobweb of intersecting lines on the forehead indicates that the
concerned person is definite to die a premature death. A forehead with a
Trident or an Axe mark on it indicates that the concerned person would be
prosperous and live for a century.
PREDICTING AGE BY PALMISTRY
PREDICTING AGE BY PALMISTRY
Lord Vishnu, continuing with his narration
told Shiva that the age of a person could be predicted by the lines found on
his palms- ‘ If the life line reaches the base between index and middle fingers
then the concerned person lives for a century. If the life line is long, clear
and without intersections from other lines then the concerned person lives for
a hundred years.
PREDICTION BASED ON PHYSICAL TRAITS OF WOMEN
PREDICTION BASED ON PHYSICAL TRAITS OF WOMEN
Lord Vishnu said-’A woman having a round
face, curly hair and lower portion of her navel slightly slanted towards right,
is extremely fortunate not only for herself but also for her whole clan.
Similarly, a woman with golden complexion and hands as beautiful and soft as
red lotus flower is exceptionally chaste and faithful towards her husband. A
woman having dry and unruly hair and also round eyes becomes a widow.
A woman whose face is round like a full moon
and which radiates like a rising Sun and whose lips are juicy like a ‘Bael’
fruit (Wood apple), enjoys a happy and contented life. A woman having a cobweb
of lines on her palms is sure to lead a torturous and painful life whereas a
palm with few lines indicates that she would be poor. If the lines are pink,
then they indicate happiness, prosperity and good health whereas blackish lines
indicate that she would live a life of slavery. Any woman having either a
‘Chakra’, a hook or a ear ring mark on her hand indicates that she would beget
worthy sons and rule like a queen. A woman having hair around her breasts as
well as a protruding lower lip spells doom for her husband. Any woman having a
festoon mark on her palms indicates that she would get married in a family
superior to her in status.
A woman having a round navel with brown hair
around it leads a life of slavery despite being born in a royal family. A woman
whose little toes as well as big toes of both the legs do not touch the ground
while walking spells doom for her husband. In the same manner beautiful eyes
indicate good fortune while soft and tender skin indicate a happy married life.
VARIOUS NAMES OF ‘SHALIGRAM’
VARIOUS NAMES OF ‘SHALIGRAM’
Describing how a Shaligram is named on the
basis of number of Chakra present on it, Lord Vishnu said-’ If there is only
one Chakra on the Shaligram idol then it is called ‘Sudarshan’. In the same
way, Shaligram with two Chakras is known as ‘Laxmi Narayan’ while that having
three Chakras on it is called ‘Achyut’. Shaligram with four Chakra on it is
known as ‘Chaturbhuj’, that with five Chakras ‘Vasudev’. Similarly, Shaligram
with six, seven, eight, ninth, tenth, eleven and twelve Chakras are called
‘Pradyumana’, ‘Sankarshan’, ‘Purushottam’, ‘Navavyuha’, ‘Dashatmak’,
‘Aniruddha’ and Dwi-Dashatmak respectively. Shaligrams with more than twelve
Chakras are called infinite.
HOW JEWELS ORIGINATED
HOW JEWELS ORIGINATED
Sutji, once narrated the following tale to
the assembled sages which sheds light on the origin of jewels and other
precious stones -
‘ During ancient times there lived a mighty
demon named Bala. Although he had defeated the deities and driven them out from
the heaven, yet he had assured them that he would extend fullest cooperation
and support in any yagya performed by deities in future. All the deities
planned to perform a ‘Yagya’ in order to regain their lost kingdom. They made
all the necessary preparations for the Yagya but were unable to find a person
who could offer himself as a ‘sacrificial being’- a ritual without which any
yagya is incomplete.’
‘Seeing no other option, the worried deities
took refuge of ‘Balasur’ and requested him to offer himself for sacrifice so
that the yagya could be accomplished without any hitch. Balasur was bound by
his promise so he agreed. This way, the deities were able to accomplish their
yagya. But, a strange event coincided with the death of Balasur, which
surprised even the deities. The virtuous deed of offering himself as a
sacrificial being in the yagya ceremony had amazingly transformed Balasur’s
corpse into jewels. Deities tried to carry the ‘Jewel-body’ through the aerial
route towards a safer place, but it was fragmented into countless pieces due to
the impact of ferocious speed of the wind it had to negotiate. These pieces
scattered all over the places- ocean, rivers, Mountains, Forests, etc. In
course of time these places got transformed into countless mines of jewels and
precious stones such as Vajra (diamond), Muktamani, Indraneel, Sphatik, Prawal,
Pushparag and many more.
PROMINENT PLACES OF PILGRIMAGE
PROMINENT PLACES OF PILGRIMAGE
Sutji, while giving the names of some
prominent places of pilgrimage told the assembled sages-’The banks of Ganga are
considered to be the holiest among all the places of pilgrimage. The holy
Ganga, which originates from the Himalayas in the north, ultimately gets merged
with the ocean in the east. During her entire course of flow, she passes
through numerous holy places, which owe their holiness mainly to her. Although,
any place situated on the banks of Ganga is considered holy, yet Prayag,
Haridwar, Varanasi and Ganga sangam (The place where she meets the ocean) have
special significance and there is no other place as holy as each of them.
Prayag is believed to fulfil both the wishes, which a man aspires for- worldly
enjoyments as well as salvation.
Performing the rituals of pinda daan here not
only helps the ancestors to liberate but also himself. Varanasi is the same
place where lord Shiva and Keshav have their respective abodes. Donating at
Kurukshetra brings incomparable virtues and gives both worldly enjoyments as
well as salvation. Kedar teerth is capable of liberating even a heinous sinner
from all his sins. Few other places considered very holy are- Shwetdweepa,
Naimisharanya, Pushkar, Ayodhya, Chitrakut, Gomti, Kanchipuri, Sri Shail, Kaam-
teerth, Amarkantak, Ujjain, Mathura, Govardhan, etc. All these places have
great religious significance and each of them is capable of liberating a man
from all his sins.
THE SIGNIFICANCE OF GAYA TEERTH
THE SIGNIFICANCE OF GAYA TEERTH
Once, while narrating how Gaya, a prominent
place of pilgrimage in eastern part of India got its name, Lord Brahma told
sage Vyas-’ During ancient times there lived a mighty demon named Gaya. He used
to torment the deities, who ultimately went to seek the help of Lord Vishnu.
Lord Vishnu successfully killed Gayasur after a fierce mace-duel. The place
where Gaya died became famous by his name. There is a grand Vishnu temple
situated at Gaya where there is a magnificent idol of Lord ‘Gadhadhar’ (Lord
Vishnu holding a mace in his hand).
Gaya is considered to be the most ideal place
of pilgrimage for performing the shraddh rituals. It is believed that a person
goes to hell if he dies in the following circumstances- if he dies without his
consecrations being performed, or if a wild animal kills him, or if he meets an
accidental death no matter what the reasons are. But, if ‘Shraddh rituals’ are
performed at ‘Gaya’ then the soul of such a man gets rid of the tortures of the
hell and goes to heaven.
The importance of performing ‘Shraddh
rituals’ over there can be gauged by the fact that a person becomes liberated
from ‘pitra rina’ (debts towards one’s father) once he touches the sacrosanct
soil of ‘Gaya’. The reason being that Lord Vishnu himself dwells there in the
form of ‘Pitra devata’ and by having his divine glimpse a man is freed of all
his three debts. The entire area stretching from the foothills of Vishnu
mountain to ‘Uttar Manas’ is considered extremely holy and this is the same
area where river Falgu flows. Offering ‘Pinda daan’ to ancestors at this place
helps them to attain salvation. While performing the rituals of ‘Pinda daan’ he
should chant the following matra-
‘ESHA PINDO MAYA DASTRATAV HASTE JANARDANAH;
PARLOKAM GATE MOKSHAM KSHAYMU PATISHTHATAAM’
PARLOKAM GATE MOKSHAM KSHAYMU PATISHTHATAAM’
There are many other places as holy as the
banks of Falgu and performance of ‘Shraddh rituals’ over there give
undiminished virtues to the ancestors – Dharma-Prishtha, Brahmasar,
Gayashirsha, Akshay-Teerth, Dhenukaranya are few such places capable of
liberating twenty generations of a man. The entire city of ‘Gaya’ is considered
sacrosanct and performing the rituals of ‘Shraddh’ or offering Pinda daan to
ancestors at any place within ‘Gaya’ helps the soul of the ancestors to attain
to Brahmaloka.
THE RITUALS OF PINDADAAN
THE RITUALS OF PINDADAAN
Before setting out for Gaya to offer Pinda
daan, a man should appropriately perform ‘Shraddh rituals’ in the village or
town he lives. Each step taken towards Gaya acts as a stepping stone to the
heaven for the ancestors. Getting one’s head tonsured or observing fast is
prohibited in some places of pilgrimage like Badrinath, Kurukshetra,
Jagannathpuri and Gaya. There is no time restriction on the performance of
Shraddh rituals at Gaya and they can be performed anytime.
After reaching Gaya, a man should first of
all invoke his ancestors while taking bath in the holy Falgu and offer pinda
daan to them. He should then visit the temple of Lord Gadadhar(Vishnu) and
worship the deity. The next day, he should once again perform the Shraddh
rituals at Dharmaranya and Matangwapi, two sacrosanct places having great
religious significance. On the third day, he should perform the rituals of
‘Tarpan’ on the banks of ‘Brahmasada teerth’ and then go to ‘Koop-teerth’ and
‘Yoop-teerth’ to repeat the performance of Shraddh rituals.
He should then feed the Brahmins at
‘Goprachar teerth’, an act considered to help ancestors attain salvation. On
the fourth day he should take a holy dip in river Falgu and once again perform
‘Shraddh rituals’ at a place called ‘Gayashirsh’. There are many more holy
places in the vicinity where he is required to perform Shraddh rituals’- Vyas,
Dehimukh, Panchagni, Surya- teerth, Som-teerth and Kartikeya-teerth are few of
them. Finally, on the fifth day, he should take a holy dip in ‘Gada-lolak’
teerth and offer ‘Pinda-daan’ under the Banyan tree called ‘Akshay vat’- an act
believed to liberate all his predecessors as well as coming generations from
the bondage of Earth. After that Brahmins are fed. Feeding one Brahmin at Gaya
brings the same virtues what one would get by feeding one crore Brahmins
elsewhere.’
TALE OF KING VISHAL-
Lord Brahma then narrated a tale glorifying
the significance of performing ‘Shraddh rituals’ at Gaya- ‘ O Vyas! Once upon a
time there lived a trader who was sonless. One day, while he was on his
pilgrimage, he met a restless ghost, who requested him to perform the rituals
of Pinda daan at Gaya so that not only he became liberated from the pains and
tortures of being a spirit but also he (Trader) went to heaven. The trader went
to Gaya accompanied by his younger brother, as per the request of the Ghost and
not only performed the rituals of ‘Pinda-daan’ for the ghost but also for his
own ancestors.
As a result not only the ghost but all his
ancestors became liberated. On account of his virtuous deeds, the trader was
blessed with a son. He enjoyed a long life full of joy and contentment. After
his death he was reborn as Vishal, in the princely state of Vishala. After
growing up he got married but even after a long time he did not beget a son and
this made him very sad. One day he asked the royal priests about the reason he
did not beget a son. All the priests advised him to offer Pinda daan at Gaya as
they felt that by doing so the king would definitely get blessed with a son and
they were not wrong, as Vishal indeed was blessed with a son after he had
offered Pinda daan at Gaya.’
One day while Vishal was having a walk in the
royal garden he was amazed to see three entities descending down from the sky.
After all three of them had landed on the ground, Vishal had a close look at
them. One of them was fair while the second one’s complexion was reddish. The
third and the most ferocious among them was of dark complexion. For a moment
Vishal was dumbstruck by this mysterious sight but it did not take him long to
gather his composure. He asked them as to who they were and was stunned by the
answers he got.
Actually, these three entities were none
other than the souls of his Father, Grand Father and Great Grand Father, all of
whom had died long ago. They had come to thank Vishal, who by performing the
rituals of Shraddh had helped them in getting liberated from all their sins.
The entity appearing fair, who in fact was Vishal’s father said- Thank you for
helping me attain to Indra loka. If it were not for you, I would have still
been languishing in hell. The entity with reddish complexion is your Grand Father,
who had committed grave sins while he was alive and as the consequences he went
to the most ferocious hell named Avichi after his death. Even he has been
liberated because of you. The third entity among us and having dark complexion
is your Great Grand Father. He had committed heinous of sins while he was alive
but even he has become liberated because of you. We have come to express our
gratitude and to thank you for having liberated us from our miserable
conditions. All three of us are now departing for heaven.’
Having said this all three of them
disappeared in a moment. Vishal was extremely satisfied that he had been
successful in fulfilling one of the major obligations towards his ancestors
(pitra-rina) by helping them attain to heaven. He enjoyed a long life and after
his death he too went to heaven.
PRAJAPATI RUCHI’S DISENCHANTMENT
PRAJAPATI RUCHI’S DISENCHANTMENT
Once, Sutji recounted the following tale to
the assembled sages, which had been originally told by sage Markandeya to
Kraunchki long ago- ‘Once, sage Ruchi became so disenchanted with the world
that he decided to remain a bachelor, a decision which made his
‘Pitras’(ancestors) extremely worried. They tried to change his mind by citing
numerous benefits of householder’s life and the yeomen service he does to the
society.
They said- O Ruchi! The decision you have
taken is most unfortunate. Perhaps you are not aware of the importance a
‘Grihasta’ holds in the society. But for his cooperation, not a single
religious activity can take place. It’s your misconception that a ‘Grihasta’
can not attain salvation. On the contrary, he has numerous opportunities in his
life to attain salvation. Different rituals and consecrations enable him to
achieve this important goal of a man’s life.’ Pitras’ advises had great impact
on Prajapati Ruchi and he agreed to get married.’
Thereafter a search for an ideal match began
but even after best of his efforts he did not get any. Prajapati Ruchi then
decided to please Lord Brahma by his austere penance. He commenced his penance,
which continued for a very long period. Finally, Lord Brahma appeared and
advised him to please his ‘Pitras’. Acting on the advice of Lord Brahma,
Prajapati Ruchi eulogized his ancestors and performed the rituals of ‘Tarpan’
to pacify their souls. All his ‘Pitras’ appeared and blessed him.
PRAJAPATI RUCHI MARRIES MANINI
PRAJAPATI RUCHI MARRIES MANINI
The blessings given by ‘Pitras’ fructified
instantaneously as a beautiful ‘Apsara’ manifested herself from the river
flowing nearby and said-’ O great sage! I am Pramlocha. I would consider it as
my good fortune if you give your consent to marry my daughter- Manini. Pushkar-
son of Varun is her father. In course of time a son named ‘Rauchya’ will be
born to you.’
This was the day Prajapati Ruchi was eagerly
waiting for. He decided to get married then and there so he invited all the
prominent sages and the marriage ceremony was solemnized in their presence. In
course of time, a son named ‘Rauchya’ was born to them. He was a great sage
after whom a Manvantar was named.
DESCRIPTION OF VARIOUS CONSECRATIONS
While describing the significance of various consecrations, Lord Vishnu told Shiva that the union of man’s sperm and woman’s ovum results into the birth of a child. This union along with the whole process of foetus getting transformed into a baby is a lengthy affair during which it imbibes numerous impurities. Consecrations purify a man from all these impurities. Lord Vishnu said -’ The mankind has been categorized into four prominent castes- Brahmin, Kshatriya, Vaishya and Shudra. The former three castes are also known as ‘Dwijas’ (Twice born. The solemnization of a consecration named Yagyopavit is believed to be their second birth.) because only they are entitled to get consecrated into this particular ceremony. Right from his birth till he takes his last breath, a ‘Dwija’ has to undergo various consecrations.’
DESCRIPTION OF VARIOUS CONSECRATIONS
While describing the significance of various consecrations, Lord Vishnu told Shiva that the union of man’s sperm and woman’s ovum results into the birth of a child. This union along with the whole process of foetus getting transformed into a baby is a lengthy affair during which it imbibes numerous impurities. Consecrations purify a man from all these impurities. Lord Vishnu said -’ The mankind has been categorized into four prominent castes- Brahmin, Kshatriya, Vaishya and Shudra. The former three castes are also known as ‘Dwijas’ (Twice born. The solemnization of a consecration named Yagyopavit is believed to be their second birth.) because only they are entitled to get consecrated into this particular ceremony. Right from his birth till he takes his last breath, a ‘Dwija’ has to undergo various consecrations.’
Giving the names of some prominent
consecration ceremonies that a Dwija has to go through, Lord Vishnu said-
‘ Garbhadhan Sanskar is performed at the time
of conception. The scriptures have clearly stated about the best time for a
woman to conceive- twelve days after her menstruation has started, beginning
from the fifth day as the first four days are not considered auspicious for
this purpose. ‘Punsavan sanskar’ is performed in the third month after conception
while ‘Seemantonayan sanskar’ is performed in the sixth or eighth month after
conception. After the birth of a child the consecration named ‘Jaat karma’ is
performed while ‘Naam karan sanskar’ is performed on the eleventh day after his
birth whereby the new born baby is given a name. ‘Nishkraman sanskar’ is
performed in the fourth month and ‘Annaprashan sanskar’ in the sixth month. The
consecration named ‘Chudamani sanskar’ can be performed either in the first,
third or fifth year of the child.’
UPANAYAN SANSKAR
UPANAYAN SANSKAR
Dwelling on length about the appropriate way
of performing ‘Upanayan sanskar’ (Sacred thread ceremony) rituals, Lord Vishnu
said-’ A Brahmin child should get consecrated with the sacred thread in his
eighth year while a Kshatriya child’s consecration should be performed when he
has attained the age of eleven. ‘Upanayan sanskar’ of a Vaishya child should be
performed in his twelfth year.’
A dwija, whose ‘Upanayan sanskar’ has been
performed, must face southwards while relieving himself in the night whereas
during daytime he should face northward. Subsequently, he should purify himself
by properly washing his urinary organ with mud (soap) and water. He should also
wash his hands and feet. The purification is believed to be incomplete until
and unless the rituals of ‘Aachman’ (ritualistic rinsing of the mouth) have
been performed. Next morning, after having a bath, he should do ‘Pranayam’ and
chant the sacred Gayatri mantra facing east. In the evening he should chant Gayatri
mantra facing south. After this the ritual of ‘Bhikshatan’ is performed whereby
he seeks alms and donates everything that he gets to his Guru as a mark of
respect to him.
This particular ritual is symbolic and
emphasizes the absolute necessity of subduing one’s ego before acquiring
knowledge from his Guru. A celibate is supposed to wear nothing but a Deer skin
and a waist band made of long reeds on his person with a sacred thread hanging
across his shoulder and carry a stick in his hand. The celibate whose Upanayan
sanskar has been performed should stay at his Guru’s hermitage till he
completes his education. It is also his duty to collect food grains from the
neighbourhood to meet the food requirement of all the people living in the
hermitage. A Brahmin celibate should chant ‘Bhavati bhiksham dehi’ while
seeking alms whereas a Kshatriya celibate should chant the same mantra with a
slight modification ‘ Bhiksham bhavati dehi’. Similarly, a Vaishya celibate
should chant ‘Bhiksham dehi bhavati’ while seeking alms.’
KESHANT SANSKAR –
KESHANT SANSKAR –
After finishing his education the celibate
should shave his beards and moustaches for the first time. Strict guidelines
have been laid down for each caste with respect to this particular
consecration. A Brahmin should get consecrated with this ritual in his
sixteenth year while a Kshatriya should get it performed in his twenty- second
year. Similarly, a Vaishya should get consecrated with this ritual in his
twenty-fourth year. The above mentioned age limits are also the maximum before
which respective castes are supposed to get consecrated with the sacred thread
ceremony failing which he becomes a religious outcaste.
GRIHASTA ASHRAM
His education being complete now it is the
time for him to enter the life of a householder. But, before leaving the
hermitage he should pay ‘Dakshina’ as a mark of gratitude to his Guru for all
the knowledge he has imparted to him. With the permission of his Guru, he
should then marry a girl who is beautiful, younger to him and belonging to
different ‘Gotra’. Although the best option for him is to marry a woman
belonging to his own caste, but he is allowed to marry outside his caste,
provided the woman hails from a caste inferior to him but under no
circumstances he should marry a woman belonging to superior caste.
COPULATION PROHIBITED ON CERTAIN DAYS
COPULATION PROHIBITED ON CERTAIN DAYS
An ideal wife is one who obeys the commands
of her husband without any inhibition. According to the scriptures the best
time for a married couple to copulate is after the woman has had her
menstruation, especially till sixteen days after her periods have commenced are
considered best for this purpose. But, there are also certain days on which
making sexual contacts is prohibited- the first four days after her periods
have started, Ashtami, Chaturdashi, Amavasya and Purnima are few such days. If
the above given rules are followed then a couple can beget worthy sons
possessing good qualities. Considering the fact that a woman has sexual urge
eight times more than a man, scriptures have also advised a man not to overlook
the sexual urge of his wife and to satisfy her without bothering about the
prohibited days.
PURIFICATION OF DIFFERENT ARTICLES
PURIFICATION OF DIFFERENT ARTICLES
Describing the methods of purifying different
articles, Lord Vishnu reflected on the instructions which sage Yagyavalkya had
once given to other sages in this regard-’ Substances like gold, silver, conch,
vegetables, rope, leather articles, etc. become pure once they are washed with
water. In the same way, utensils made of wood or animal’s horn become pure
after they have been chiseled. Utensils used in yagya become pure after they
have been rubbed with mud and then washed with water. Washing woolen and silken
clothes with tepid water or cow-urine make them pure.
Land is purified if it is coated with
cow-dung. Copper vessels, articles made of lead and Tin vessels become pure if
cleaned with a solution of alkali, acid and then washed with water. Iron and
Bronze vessels become pure if cleaned with ash and water. The followings are
believed to be pure- sun-light, fire, cow, horse, earth, air, dew-drops,
food-grains up for sale in the market, etc. A man should perform Aachaman in
the following circumstances- after his bath, after drinking water, after
sneezing, after waking up from sleep, after having food, after having a walk on
dusty path, after changing clothes, etc.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF SHRADDH RITUALS
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF SHRADDH RITUALS
Describing the proper way of performing
Shraddh rituals, sage Yagyavalkya told the assembled sages-’ A performer of
Shraddh rituals should invite able Brahmins and offer them seats of Kusha
grass. First of all an invocation is made to ‘Vishvedeva’ by chanting a mantra
in his praise, an action which is followed by scattering grains of barley in
the vessels kept in front of the Deity’s idol. Subsequently, some water and a
small quantity of barley is taken in a small vessel, which is then handed over
to the Brahmins along with other articles such as ghee lamp, garland, incense,
etc. There are specific mantras for this particular ritual. After that he
should offer seats of Kusha grass to all his ancestors one by one beginning
from the left hand side and subsequently moving on to the right hand side. All
the ancestors are then invoked with specific mantras.
The scriptures allow the use of sesame seeds
in place of barley if latter is unavailable due to some reason. These sesame
seeds should be kept in a ‘Ardhya patra’ and placed to the left side of each
‘Pitras’ (ancestors) in an inverted position. While performing ‘havan’ he
should make offerings of ‘ghee’ and other articles in the ‘havan kunda’.
Finally, Brahmins are fed after which the performer of Shraddh rituals offers
Pindadaan in the name of his ancestors. After that he helps all the Brahmins
perform ‘Aachaman’ and gives donations to them. The idol of Vishvedeva is
immersed in a nearby river or pond and the inverted pots are kept back in the
normal position. Finally, all the Brahmins are seen off with respect. Shraddh
rituals performed in the above mentioned way immensely satisfy the ancestors
and help them attain to heaven.
‘KARMA’ AND ITS CONSEQUENCE- KARMA VIPAK
Continuing with his discourses, sage Yagvalkya told the assembled sages that an enlightened soul is aware of the fact that the mortal world being impermanent in nature has its beginning as well as its end. He is also aware that a man reaps the fruits of his evil deeds in the form of ‘Adhidaivik’(heavenly wrath), ‘Adhyatmik’(obstacles in spiritual development) and ‘Adhibhautik’ (worldly problems like diseases, poverty, etc.) That is why he endeavours to follow the path of virtuosity so that he can attain salvation-the ultimate objective of man’s life.
‘KARMA’ AND ITS CONSEQUENCE- KARMA VIPAK
Continuing with his discourses, sage Yagvalkya told the assembled sages that an enlightened soul is aware of the fact that the mortal world being impermanent in nature has its beginning as well as its end. He is also aware that a man reaps the fruits of his evil deeds in the form of ‘Adhidaivik’(heavenly wrath), ‘Adhyatmik’(obstacles in spiritual development) and ‘Adhibhautik’ (worldly problems like diseases, poverty, etc.) That is why he endeavours to follow the path of virtuosity so that he can attain salvation-the ultimate objective of man’s life.
Anybody engaged in sinful deeds is definite
to go to hell whereas virtuous deeds help a man to attain to heaven. After
tasting the fruits of his actions he once again has to take birth to realize
the unfulfilled wishes of his previous birth. This cycle of transmigration is
an endless process, leading to countless births and deaths of a man. He
experiences unbearable pains in his mother’s wombs lying in an inverted
position for nine months.
Once again he has to go through the same
dreadful experiences of youth, old age, diseases and death. A sinner, after
tasting the fruits of his actions in the heaven or hell, depending on his
virtuous or sinful deeds takes re-birth on the basis of the gravity of sins
committed. Killing a Brahmin is believed to be the most heinous of sin and the
person who has committed such a sin after having suffered the tortures of hell
takes re-birth as a donkey or a dog.
In the same way a person who has stolen gold
takes re-birth as lowly creatures such as worms or insects. A drunkard takes
re-birth as a frog and a person developing illicit relationship with his
teacher’s wife takes re-birth as grass or hay. One who shows disrespect to his
parents is reborn as a tortoise whereas anybody who wishes ill of his friends
is reborn as a donkey.
ATONING FOR SINS
ATONING FOR SINS
While describing various means by which a
sinner can atone for his sins, sage Yagyavalkya said-’ A man is certain to meet
downfall and degradation in the following three conditions- if he goes against
the instructions given in the scriptures, indulges in prohibited activities and
runs after sensual pleasures. Atoning for one’s sin is the best means of
getting liberated from his sin as well as guilt. A sinner who does not atone
for his sin goes through unbearable tortures and pains in hells more horrible than
in ‘Maharaurav’ (name of a hell).
Very severe punishment has been recommended
for a person, who has breached the modesty of a woman especially if she happens
to be his friend’s wife, teacher’s wife, his own daughter or sister-in-law,
etc. Scriptures are of the opinion that such a sinner should be killed without
showing any mercy. If the woman is a willing partner in this ghastly crime then
even she should be meted out the same punishment.
A person who has killed a Brahmin should
atone for his sin by seeking alms for twelve years carrying a skull as his
begging bowl. He should sustain himself on whatever he receives as alms.
Protecting a cow’s life also helps a man from getting liberated from the sin of
‘Brahma-hatya’. A drunkard should atone for his sin by consuming any of the
following- boiling liquor, ghee, cow-milk or cow-urine. A person accused of
stealing gold can become liberated from his sin by donating gold equivalent to
his own weight. A person who has killed a cow can become liberated from his sin
by consuming ‘Panchgavya’( a mixture of cow-milk, cow-dung, cow-urine, ghee and
curd) and leading the rest of his life in the servitude of cows.
DIFFERENT KIND OF AUSTERITIES
Describing the various types of austerities, Lord Vishnu named few of them-
Describing the various types of austerities, Lord Vishnu named few of them-
YAMA (RESTRAINING PASSION)-
This particular austerity comprises of ten virtues- Celibacy, Forgiveness,
Meditation, Truthfulness, Honesty, Non-violence, Not stealing, Gentleness and
Self control.
NIYAMA (DAILY ROUTINE)- This
austerity stresses the importance of purity: both of the body as well as of the
mind. It comprises of the following activities: bathing daily, contemplation,
observing fast, performing oblations, self study, abstinence, penance, avoiding
anger, being respectful towards teacher and purity.
MAHASANTAPAN VRATA- This
particular austerity comprises of specific rituals related with the usage of
‘Panchagavya’(a mixture of cow milk, curd, ghee, cow urine and cow dung). On
the first day of the austerity a devotee should have only milk, on the second
day curd, on the third day ‘ghee’, on the fourth day ‘gomutra’(cow urine), on
the fifth day ‘gomaya’ (cow dung), on the sixth day he should live only on
‘kushodak’( drinking water from a vessel in which ‘kusha’ grass have been kept)
and on the last day of the austerity he should observe complete fast.
PARNA KRICHCHHA VRATA-
Separate solutions of ‘Palash’(Butea frondosa), ‘Gular’(Ficus glomerata),
‘Kamal’( lotus) and ‘Bael’ tree (wood apple) are prepared after boiling the
leaves of respective vegetation mentioned above. On the first day of the
austerity a devotee should have only ‘Palash’ solution while on the second day
he should have ‘Gular’ solution. On the third day he should have ‘Kamal’
solution while on the fourth day he should live only on ‘Bael’ solution. On the
fifth day of the austerity he should live only on ‘Kusha’ grass solution and
nothing else. This is the manner in which the austerity of ‘Parnakrichchha
vrata’ is observed.
TAPTA KRICHCHHA VRATA- A
person observing this austerity should begin by having hot milk on the first
day followed by tepid ghee and lukewarm water on the second and third day
respectively. He should observe a complete fast on the fourth day.
PAAD KRICHCHHA VRATA- This
particular austerity lasts for four days. On the first day a devotee should
observe ‘Ekabhakta vrata’(having food only once a day in the noon). On the
second day he should observe ‘Nakta’ vrata(having food only once a day in the
night). On the third day he should break his fast by having whatever is
available with him because anything that has been provided by others is
strictly prohibited. He should observe a total fast on the fourth day. When a
devotee observes these cycles of austerity for three times then it is called
‘Prajapatya krichchhra vrata’.
ATI KRICHCHHA VRATA- Rituals
of this austerity is more or less similar to that of Prajapatya krichchhra
vrata with a slight difference- here fast is broken with a handful of cooked
food. When this particular ritual is observed for four days then it is called
Atikrichchha vrata.
KRICHCHHA ATIKRICHHA VRATA-
Observing the rituals of Atikrichchha vrata for twenty-one days living only on
milk and water is called Krichchhakrichha vrata.
PARAK VRATA- Observing
complete fast for twelve continuous days is called Parak vrata.
CHANDRAYAN VRATA- It’s an important austerity lasting for a month which commences on First day of the bright half of a month by observing fast for the whole day and breaking it in the night with one morsel of food. On the next day, i.e. ‘dwitiya’ one morsel of food is increased which means that instead of one morsel of food now two morsels are taken. This way one morsel of food is increased on each of the following days till the fourteenth day (chaturdashi) when the fast is broken by having fourteen morsels of food. A total fast is observed on ‘Amavasya’ (dark moon). On the next day i.e. first day of the dark half of the month one morsel is decreased which means that the devotee should break his fast with thirteen morsels of food. This way one morsel is decreased on each successive day till ‘chaturdashi’ when a devotee breaks his fast by having only one morsel of food. This is the way, how a Chandrayan vrata should be observed.
CHANDRAYAN VRATA- It’s an important austerity lasting for a month which commences on First day of the bright half of a month by observing fast for the whole day and breaking it in the night with one morsel of food. On the next day, i.e. ‘dwitiya’ one morsel of food is increased which means that instead of one morsel of food now two morsels are taken. This way one morsel of food is increased on each of the following days till the fourteenth day (chaturdashi) when the fast is broken by having fourteen morsels of food. A total fast is observed on ‘Amavasya’ (dark moon). On the next day i.e. first day of the dark half of the month one morsel is decreased which means that the devotee should break his fast with thirteen morsels of food. This way one morsel is decreased on each successive day till ‘chaturdashi’ when a devotee breaks his fast by having only one morsel of food. This is the way, how a Chandrayan vrata should be observed.
ANANG TRAYODASHI VRATA- This
austerity is related with the worship of Lord Shiva and commences on the
thirteenth day of the bright half of the Hindu month Margashirsh and lasts for
a year. It concludes exactly after a year when ‘Rati’ and ‘Anang’ are worshipped
with appropriate rituals. Ten thousand offerings are made in the sacrificial
fire. Brahmins are fed and donations made to them. One who observes this
austerity is blessed with health, wealth and good fortune.
AKHAND DWADASHI VRATA- This
austerity is related with the worship of Lord Vishnu. It commences on the
twelfth day of the bright half of the Hindu month Margashirsh and lasts for a
year consisting of three phases. One important characteristic of this austerity
is that after four months, which is the first phase of the austerity, five
vessels filled with food-grains are donated to Brahmins. In the second phase of
the austerity consisting of four months and commencing from the Hindu month
Chaitra, pots filled with parched grams are donated to Brahmins. Similarly, in
the third and final phase of the austerity pots filled with ghee are donated to
Brahmins.
SHIVA RATRI VRATA- This
austerity is related with the worship of Lord Shiva and a fast is observed on
the fourteenth day of the dark half of the Hindu month Falgun. A devotee should
observe fast in the night and worship Lord Shiva by chanting ‘Om Namah Shivay’.
He should perform ‘havan’ with black sesame seeds and worship Lord Shiva at
midnight, in the third and the fourth ‘prahar’(one prahar equals three hour)
with appropriate rituals. One who observes fast on this day gets all his wishes
fulfilled and attains salvation as well. A devotee who observes Shiva Ratri
fast for twelve successive years acquires knowledge, wealth, success and
happiness. Such a man also attains to Shiva loka after his death.
VIRTUES OF OBSERVING FAST ON SHIVA RATRI
NIGHT- During ancient times there lived a hunter named Sundarsen in
the province of Arbuda. One day, he went deep into the forest in search of his
prey but unfortunately he found none. He wandered all over the place but in
vain. When evening came, he climbed up a wood apple (Bael) tree to protect
himself from the wild animals. Sundarsen was worried that his family would have
nothing to eat that night. Engrossed in his contemplative mood, he kept on
plucking leaves from the ‘Bael’ tree and throwing them down. There was a Shiva
linga just under the tree and the leaves, which Sundarsen threw, fell down on
it.
Next morning while Sundarsen was climbing
down the tree, his arrow fell down. While picking up his arrow, he touched the
Shiva linga. Sundarsen was unaware of the fact that it was Shivaratri night and
he had worshiped Lord Shiva with appropriate rituals albeit inadvertently-he
had offered Bilva patra to Lord Shiva and had touched the Shiva linga. He
attained to Shiva loka on account of the virtues attained by his inadvertent
worship of Lord Shiva.
THE POWER OF CHASTITY- Once,
sage Vyas went to Brahmaloka to get his doubts cleared on certain spiritual
matters from Lord Brahma. While dwelling on a wide range of religious topics
such as importance of austerities and various incarnations Lord Vishnu took to
protect righteousness, Lord Brahma narrated a tale of a Brahmin woman who
possessed divine powers on account of her chastity. Lord Brahma said-
‘ During ancient times there lived a Brahmin
named Kaushik in Pratishthanpur Nagar. He was inflicted with leprosy but still
his wife was very chaste and faithful towards him. His wife used to be on her
toes attending to all his demands and looking after all his requirements. But
still, he used to scold and abuse his wife at the first given opportunity
without any rhyme or reason. However, his wife did not mind his behaviour
understanding quite well the frustrations of a man suffering from dreaded
disease like Leprosy.’
One day, something happened which made
Kaushik extremely angry and in a fit of rage he made an impossible demand
thinking that his wife would never comply by it giving him an opportunity to
curse her to the satisfaction of his heart. Shouting angrily at his wife,
Kaushik said- Age has started showing effect on you. You don’t look beautiful
as before. You have also started neglecting me. Take me to a beautiful
prostitute so that I can satisfy my sexual urge.
Kaushik’s wife was deeply hurt by his rude
and unfair remarks but she remained cool and calm. Being a chaste and faithful
wife she had no option but to obey her husband’s command. So, she left for a
prostitute’s house carrying Kaushik on her shoulders.
The prostitute’s house was far and it became
dark while they were still on the way. Because of darkness, Kaushik’s wife
could not see sage Mandavya, who in spite of his innocence was given a severe
punishment by the king- he had been made to sit on a pointed cone which after
having penetrated through his body had pierced even his skull. But, being a
great sage, Mandavya was engrossed in his meditation even in such a painful
physical condition. Unfortunately, Kaushik’s feet, which were hanging down the
shoulders of his wife, touched Mandavya’s body. Mandavya’s meditation was
disturbed and he came out from his meditative level. As a result he became
conscious of his unbearable physical pain and cursed that whoever had disturbed
his meditation would not live to see the next day.’
Kaushik died the next day but his wife, who
had full confidence in her power of chastity, knew that her husband would be
alive once again. She cursed angrily – ‘ Mandavya has a misconception about his
power. He thinks that only he can control the natural phenomena but perhaps he
does not know what feats a chaste woman is capable of performing. Its my
command to the Sun not to rise from tomorrow onwards.’
And indeed, the Sun stopped rising from the
next morning leading to catastrophic fallout. Everything went haywire in the
world, which made the deities extremely worried. They came to me (Lord Brahma)
with a request to reveal why Sun had stopped rising. I told them that it was
all due to the curse of a chaste woman and then I narrated the whole story. I revealed
to them that nobody except Sati Anusuya was capable of bringing back order in
the world. I advised them to seek the help of Sati Anusuya who was famous for
her exceptional chastity. So, all the deities went to Sati Anusuya and
requested her to make the Sun rise so that everything became orderly in the
world once again. Sati Anusuya agreed to lend her help in bringing back
normalcy in the world. She, by the virtue of her chastity not only made the Sun
rise daily but also made dead Kaushik alive once again. Such is the power
commanded by a woman practicing the austerity of chastity. There are numerous
examples of such women famous for their chastity and Sita was one of them.
THE TALE OF RAMAYANA
Lord Brahma then went on to describe the
famous tale of Ramayana the mere listening to which absolves a man from all his
sins. He began by giving the details of Sri Ram’s lineage and said-’ I (Lord
Brahma) manifested from the Lotus originating from the navel of Lord Vishnu.
Sage Marich manifested from me while Kashyap was Marich’s son. Surya manifested
from Kashyap, Vaivaswat-Manu from Surya and Ikshavaku was born to
Vaivaswat-Manu. The great King Raghu was also the descendant of Ikshavaku.
Raghu’s son was Aja, whose son was Dasharath.
Dasharath had three queens-Kaushalya, Kaikeyi
and Sumitra. Kaushalya gave birth to Sri Ram while Kaikeyi was the mother of
Bharat. Sumitra had two sons-Laxman and Shatrughan.
Sri Ram had great devotion towards his
parents. Sage Vishwamitra, who was tormented by the demons, took Sri Ram and
Laxman along with him so that he could do his penance peacefully. He assured
Dashrath that he would make both his sons proficient in all the scriptures as
well as in the usage of various weapons. With great reluctance, Dasharath
allowed Sri Ram and Laxman to go along with Vishwamitra.
Once in the forest Sri Ram assured his Guru
to do his penance without bothering about the demons. Vishwamitra commenced his
penance and Sri Ram killed all the demons trying to disturb him. The names of
few demons killed by Sri Ram were Tadaka, Subahu, etc.
Janak, the father of Sita had organized a
grand ‘Swayamvar’ ceremony to which he had invited all the prominent kings of
that time. He had also sent invitation to Vishwamitra. Vishwamitra set out for
Janakpur accompanied by Sri Ram and Laxman.
Janak had a huge bow gifted to him by Lord
Shiva and which he worshipped daily with appropriate ritual. Once during the
process of cleaning the area where Shiva’s bow was kept, Sita lifted the bow
and kept it a distance. Later on she forgot to keep it back at the original
place. When Janak came to worship the bow he was surprised to find it to be
kept at a different place. He made an inquiry and Sita confessed that she had
kept it while cleaning the place of worship. Janak just could not believe that
his tender looking daughter possessed such strength and power. No wonder he
decided to give Sita’s hand in marriage to such a man who could break Shiva’s
bow. So, he made a declaration that anybody capable of breaking Shiva’s bow
could have Sita as his wife.
There were many mighty warriors present at
the ‘Swayamvar’ ceremony but none had the strength to even lift the bow what to
say about breaking it. Finally, as the destiny would have liked it, Sri Ram
broke the bow into three pieces and thus married Sita. Laxman married Urmila-
another daughter of Dasharath while Bharat and Shatrughan married Mandavi and
Keertimayi respectively, both daughters of King Kushadhwaja.
Later on, when Dasharath decided to crown Sri
Ram as the King of Ayodhya, Kaikeyi played a spoilsport and demanded her
son-Bharat to be made the King of Ayodhya and Sri Ram to be sent into exile for
fourteen years. Actually, Kaikeyi had taken undue advantage of Dasharath’s
helpless condition to serve her own interest. Once, Dasharath was busy fighting
a battle oblivious of the fact that one of the wheels of the chariot was about
to eject from its axle as the nail supporting it had fallen off. Kaikeyi, who
was also accompanying him, saved his life by preventing the wheel from falling
off and thus maintaining the balance of the chariot. When Dasharath learnt how
Kaikeyi had saved his life he promised to grant her two boons. At that time
Kaikeyi did not ask for any thing and merely said that she would demand at the
appropriate time. So, when the time for Ram’s coronation came she thought it
was the best opportunity for her to remind Dasharath about the two boons he had
promised to grant her.
Dasharath, bound by his deep love for Sri Ram
on the one hand and by his vow on the other, agreed to Kaikeyi’s demand with a
heavy heart. Sri Ram without any hesitation followed his father’s order and
left for the forest. How could have Sita and Laxman lived without him? So, they
too accompanied him to the forest. In course of his journey, Sri Ram passed by
many holy places and finally after reaching Chitrakoot he made a ‘Parna kuti’
(hermitage made of leaves) and started living there.
The shock caused by Sri Ram’s separation
proved to be fatal for Dasharath, who died with an unfulfilled desire of having
a glimpse of his dearest son. Bharat, who at that time was at his maternal
uncle’s place, returned to Ayodhya after hearing the news of his father’s
demise and performed his last rites. He then went to Chitrakoot and tried his
level best to convince Sri Ram into returning back to Ayodhya. But, Sri Ram did
not agree, as it was against his principle to disobey the commands of his
father. Sri Ram gave his pair of wooden sandals to Bharat as a token of love
and requested him to return to Ayodhya. Bharat returned to Ayodhya and kept Sri
Ram’s sandals on the throne. He then stationed himself at Nandigram- a city
situated at the outskirts of Ayodhya and started ruling from there on behalf of
his elder brother. He had vowed not to return to Ayodhya till the completion of
Sri Ram’s period of exile.
From Chitrakoot, Sri Ram reached Dandakaranya
accompanied by Sita and Laxman and started living in a hermitage made of
leaves. There they also met prominent sages like Atri and Agastya. Once an
ogress named ‘Surpanakha’ (Ravan’s sister) attacked Sri Ram but Laxman
retaliated by severing both her ears as well as her nose. Surpanakha, badly
injured and bleeding profusely, went to Khardushan and narrated her woeful
tale. Khardushan attacked Sri Ram with a huge army consisting of fourteen
thousand soldiers but lost all his men in the battle.
The revengeful Ravan went to the hermitage
disguised as a hermit and abducted Sita while Sri Ram was away in pursuit of
Marich-the golden deer. Actually, Marich was a demon, who had disguised himself
as a golden deer on the instruction of Ravan so that Sita could be abducted
successfully. Ravan knew quite well that it was impossible for him to abduct Sita
in the presence of Sri Ram. So, he hatched a plan according to which Marich was
to disguise himself as a golden deer and enchant Sita. Ravan was sure that Sita
after being enchanted by the beauty of the golden Deer would ask her husband to
get it at any cost. Everything happened as per the plan of Ravan and he was
successful in abducting Sita.
When Sri Ram did not find Sita in the
hermitage he became worried and started searching for her frantically. On the
way he met old Jatayu, who had got injured while trying to resist Ravan from
taking away Sita. Jatayu informed him that Ravan had taken Sita towards south.
Jatayu was so badly injured that he died soon after giving Sita’s information
to Sri Ram. Sri Ram performed his last rites and continued with his search. He
proceeded towards south as per the instructions of Jatayu and reached
‘Rishyamook’ mountain where he met Sugreeva, whom he befriended. He killed
Bali, who harboured enemity against his brother- Sugreeva. He then made
Sugreeva the King of ‘Kishkindha’ and himself went to live at ‘Rishyamook’
mountain.
Sugreeva sent monkeys in all directions to
find out Sita’s whereabouts. Hanuman went towards south and with the help of
Sampati managed to find out the exact location where Ravan had kept Sita.
Hanuman took a giant leap and the next moment he found himself on the other
side of the ocean. He went to ‘Ashok- Vatika’ where Ravan had kept Sita in
captivity. He presented the ring to her, which Sri Ram had given him. Sita, in
turn gave her ‘Chudamani’(ornament) and requested him to give it to Sri Ram.
Jumping from one branch to another, hungry Hanuman ate all the fruits and in
the process destroyed the beautiful garden. When Ravan came to know about the
destruction caused in the beautiful garden of ‘Ashok Vatika’, he sent many
demons to capture Hanuman. But, all of them were killed including Akshay Kumar,
Ravan’s son. Ultimately, Hanuman was made captive by Meghanad and produced
before Ravan, who ordered his tail to be set ablaze as a punishment. Hanuman,
with his tail ablaze, jumped from one palace to another and burnt the golden
city of Lanka within no time. He then returned to his master Sri Ram and
described everything in detail.
Finally, Sri Ram attacked Lanka with a huge
army comprising of mighty warriors like Hanuman, Sugreeva, Angad and many
others. A fierce battle took place in which all the demons including Ravan were
killed. The victorious Sri Ram returned to Ayodhya along with his consort Sita.
The residents of Ayodhya danced in joy at the return of their prodigious son.
Sri Ram ruled over Ayodhya for eleven thousand years. Finally he ascended to
the heaven taking along all the people of Ayodhya with him but before doing
that he appointed Lav and Kush-his Sons, as his successors.
SHRI KRISHNA
SHRI KRISHNA
Making a revelation to Vyas that the Almighty
God manifests himself whenever the civilization is endangered by the dominance
of sinners, Lord Brahma said- ‘In Dwapar yuga, Lord Vishnu incarnated as Sri
Krishna to protect Dharma from being subjugated by ‘Adharma’, which had become
all pervasive at that time. He was born to Vasudev and Devaki. Both his parents
had been kept under captivity by Kansa, who was aware of the prophesy that he
would be killed by Devaki’s eighth son. In due course of time Devaki gave birth
to seven sons all of whom were mercilessly killed by Kansa one by one. In order
to protect the life of Sri Krishna- the eighth child born to Devaki, Vasudev
exchanged him with the baby girl born to Yashoda and Nand. Vasudev had no
problem in moving out of the prison as Krishna by his divine power induced all
the guards to sleep.
Sri Krishna, being an incarnation of Lord
Vishnu performed great feats right from his childhood. Once, Kansa sent an
ogress named Putna, who tried to kill Sri Krishna by breast-feeding him. But,
Krishna sucked her breasts with such ferocity that Putna met an instant death.
In due course of time Sri Krishna killed many more ferocious demons like
Shakatasur, Kaliya Nag, Dhenukasur and mesmerized the residents of Gokul by his
divine bravery. He also performed many other divine feats like lifting
Govardhan mountain and performing Raas-Lila with the Gopis. Seeing all his
plans of killing Sri Krishna go in vain, Kansa sent him a message challenging
for a ‘duel- bought’ with his court-wrestlers named ‘Mushtik’ and ‘Chanur’. Sri
Krishna killed both the dreaded demons without much difficulty. Ultimately, Sri
Krishna climbed up the throne sitting on which Ravan had been watching the
wrestling bout and pulled him down by his hair. He then punched Kansa on his
chest so hard that he died an instantaneous death.
Having accomplished his most important
mission of killing the demon king-Kansa and liberating the earth from his
tyranny, Sri Krishna went on to complete his education under the tutelage of
Sage Sandipani. During ancient times it was customary for a disciple to offer
Dakshina to his teacher, as a mark of respect after his education was complete.
Sri Krishna following this tradition gave an invaluable Dakshina to his Guru by
bringing all his dead sons alive to earth from ‘Yamloka’.
Sri Krishna was subsequently crowned as the
king of Mathura but on account of the relentless attack by Jarasandha he had to
abandon his dear city and shift his base to Dwarka. He had eight queens among
whom Rukmini and Satyabhama were prominent. Later on he rescued sixteen
thousand and one hundred women from the captivity of Narakasur and married all
of them. From Rukmini he had a son named Pradyumna, who killed Shambarasur.
Aniruddha was Pradyumna’s son and he married Usha- daughter of Banasur. Banasur
was a great devotee of Lord Shiva and was blessed with one thousand hands.
Lord Shiva came to his rescue at the time
when he was battling against the might of Sri Krishna. A fierce battle was
fought between both the deities, which remained inconclusive even after a long
time. Lord Shiva then requested Sri Krishna to spare Banasur’s life to which he
agreed albeit partially. Sri Krishna severed all the hands of Banasur barring
two. Finally, after accomplishing his mission of liberating the earth from the
darkness of sin Sri Krishna left for heavenly abode.
THE TALE OF MAHABHARAT
Giving the reasons that lead to the great
battle of Mahabharat, Lord Brahma told sage Vyas that Sri Krishna had planned
this great battle and executed it to perfection to relieve the earth from the
burden of tyrants. While giving the names of lineal ascendants of Kauravas and
Pandavas, he said-’ I (Lord Brahma) manifested from the lotus which itself had
its origin in the navel of Vishnu. Atri manifested from me while Chandra from
Atri. Buddh was born to Chandra while he himself was the father of Pururava.
Aayu was Pururava’s son while he himself was the son of Yayati.
The names of few famous descendants of Yayati
were Bharat, Kuru and Shantanu. Shantanu had two wives- Ganga and Satyavati.
The former was the mother of Bhishma, the indomitable warrior, who had vowed to
remain a bachelor throughout his life. The latter i.e. Satyavati gave birth to
two sons- Chitrangad and Vichitraveerya. A Gandharva killed Chitrangad while
Vichitraveerya died issue-less despite having two wives- Ambika and
Ambalika(both daughters of the king of Kashi). In order to expand their clan
both Ambika and Ambalika begot one son each from sage Vyas. Ambika gave birth
to Dhritrashtra while Ambalika to Pandu. The same Vyas also had a son from a
maid servant who became famous as Vidur and who was famous for his
statesmanship and tactfulness.
Dhritrashtra married Gandhari and begot one
hundred sons from her among whom Duryodhan was most notorious. These one
hundred sons of Dhritrashtra became famous as Kauravas. Pandu had two wives
Kunti and Madri from whom he begot five sons-Yudhishthir, Bhima, Arjun, Nakul
and Sahdev, who all grew up to be very powerful and mighty. All five of them
became famous as Pandavas. Pandu, their father had died while they were still
young and Madri, unable to bear the sorrow had given up her life by jumping
into the burning pyre of her dead husband. So, the Pandavas were brought up
under the guardianship of Kunti.
Kauravas and Pandavas were bitter rivals
right from their childhood. Duryodhan never missed a chance to torment the
Pandavas- his cousins. Both Kauravas and Pandavas were brought up under the
tutelage of Kripacharya and Dronacharya, both prominent scholars of their
times. Once, Duryodhan tried to kill Bhima by poisoning him but fortunately
Bhima not only came out unscathed but also with renewed strength and vigour.
Duryodhan tried his luck for the second time to eliminate his enemies by
setting ablaze the house of wax in which Pandavas were living but once again
they came out unharmed. Pandavas then went to ‘Ekchakra Nagar’ and took refuge
in the house of a Brahmin family. A demon named ‘Baka’ used to torment the
people of Ekchakra Nagar. Bhima killed that demon and the people were relieved at
the news of their tormentor’s death. Thereafter Pandavas went to attend the
Swayamvar ceremony of Draupadi. Arjun won Draupadi as his wife by piercing the
eye of the fish hanged above his head by looking at its image in the water-pot
kept below.
At the insistence of Dronacharya and Bhishma,
Yudhishthir reluctantly agreed to share half of his Kingdom with the Pandavas.
Thus Pandavas started living at Indraprashth, the capital of their newly
acquired Kingdom.
Arjuna married Subhadra, his second wife and
the sister of Sri Krishna. He pleased Agni Dev by his austere penance and
received divine weapons like- a divine chariot, Gandiv (bow), imperishable
arrows and an impenetrable shield. After being armed with these divine weapons
he successfully defeated many powerful monarchies and gave the whole acquired
wealth to Yudhishthir, his elder brother.
Dhrithrashtra invited Yudhishthir for a game
of ‘Dyuta’ (gamble) but Duryodhan defeated him by employing unfair and
deceitful tactics with the active connivance of Shakuni- his cunning maternal
uncle. Yudhishthir lost everything in the gamble- his whole wealth, his kingdom
and even Draupadi. Pandavas had to go into exile for twelve years with an
additional year of ‘Agyatwas’(they were not supposed to be recognized during
this period) as per the terms and conditions laid down for the game.
After completing their total period of exile,
Pandavas reached Virat Nagar to spend their year of ‘Agyatwas’, which posed
more dangers and challenges because if they were recognized during this period
it would have meant another twelve years of exile for them.
Having successfully completed their period of
exile, Pandavas demanded back their Kingdom but Duryodhan was not even willing
to part away with five villages. Thus Pandavas were left with no option but to
fight for their legitimate rights. Both the rival armies boasted of mighty and
brave warriors on their sides.
Duryodhan appointed Bhishma as the chief
commander of his army whereas Shikhandi was leading Pandava’s army. The first
ten days of the battle saw a fierce fight between both the rival armies during
which period many warriors from each side achieved martyrdom. Finally, while
Bhishma lay down injured, his whole body pierced with Arjuna’s arrows, but
still alive because he had received a boon of ‘Iccha Mrityu’(death by his
choice) prominent warriors from both sides stood around him. It was only after
the Sun came north of equinox (Uttarayan), the auspicious time Bhishma had
chosen to leave his mortal body that he died after preaching the Pandavas on
wide range of subjects.
After Bhishma’s death Dronacharya led the
Kaurava’s army. This was the most crucial phase of the battle. Dronacharya had
become so demoralized after his son’s death, that he had just no motivation
left in him to fight the battle. Finding an opportune moment, Dhrishtadyumna
severed his head and Kauravas thus lost their most able and experienced
commander.
Duryodhan appointed Karna as the next
commander of Kaurava’s army. The most decisive phase of the battle began and
after a fierce battle of two days Arjuna managed to kill his brave rival.
Subsequently, Yudhishthir killed Shalya.
After loosing all his mighty warriors,
Duryodhana, in a fit of rage challenged Bhima for a duel of mace. Bhima killed
him after a fierce fight. The revengeful Ashwatthama, son of Dronacharya,
attacked the Pandava’s camp at night, much against the norms of battle and
killed all the five sons of Draupadi and thousand of other Pandava soldiers.
Arjuna avenged the death of his sons by defeating Ashwatthama and extracting
the diamond set in his forehead.
After the battle ended, Yudhishthir performed
the rituals of Shraddh in the name of all the dead warriors and ascended the
throne. He ruled in a just manner just according to the instructions given by
Bhishma. After Sri Krishna left this mortal world, Yudhishthir appointed
Parikshit as his successor and left for Himalaya accompanied by his brothers as
well as Draupadi.
THE ETERNAL TRUTH
THE ETERNAL TRUTH
Lord Brahma, while shedding light on various
aspects of religion told sage Vyas that a man should look at his sorrows
(shoka) with a sense of aloofness and detachment, considering it as a passing
phase. He also revealed to Vyas that the ‘Fire of sorrow’ consumed everything
that came into its fold and nothing remained untouched by it. A sorrowful man
becomes bereft of all his possessions-knowledge, religion, physical strength,
patience, happiness and all such qualities.
Lord Brahma also told him that virtuous deeds
never went without being rewarded, as all good things enjoyed by a man in his
life are nothing but the result of his virtuous past ‘Karmas’. On the contrary
sinful deeds committed by a man makes his present as well as his future births
miserable. Further, glorifying the virtues of some other good deeds, Lord
Brahma said-’ Protecting the life of a person, whose life is endangered and who
has sought one’s refuge is the greatest virtue and no other deed can be
compared with it. One who sheds his life to protect his religion attains to
heaven.
A contented man enjoys even his adversities
and remains unperturbed by them. A man should never miss a chance to get
benefited by the company of enlightened souls because it gives him an
opportunity to understand religion in a better way. Donating food begets incomparable
virtues and no other virtuous deed stands anywhere near it.’
Lord Brahma concluded by describing Sanatan
Dharma in a nutshell and said-’ Anybody observing the following austerities
should be considered an ardent follower of ‘Sanatan Dharma’- truth, penance,
self-control, purity, forgiveness, compassion, knowledge and donation.
THE SUPREME YOGA
Once, sage Shaunak asked Sutji about the
reasons behind man’s sorrow. Sutji told him that man’s ego and his attachments
to this mortal world were the two most important causes for his sorrow and
until he gets rid of them he will continue to suffer. Sutji said-’ The ‘Tree of
ignorance’ sprouts from the seed of ‘Egotism’ and it receives its nutrition
from sensual pleasures. Only those who possess the ‘Axe of knowledge’ are
successful in felling this ‘Tree of ignorance’ and experience the ecstasy of
Divine bliss. Once a man has experienced this divine bliss he not only becomes
free from all kinds of sorrow but is also freed from the cycles of birth, death
and rebirth. This divine link which a man establishes with the Almighty is
called ‘Mahayoga’ (The supreme Yoga). But, those unfortunate people who have
not experienced this divine bliss continue to get trapped by the worldly
illusions leading to their countless births and deaths.’
Sutji then went on to describe the means by
which a man can have a pure heart and said-’ Austerities like meditation,
worship, fasts, oblations, charity, etc., certainly helps a man in getting rid
of all kinds of impurities.’
DEVOTION-THE PATH LEADING TO ALMIGHTY
DEVOTION-THE PATH LEADING TO ALMIGHTY
Glorifying devotion as the simplest means to
reach God, Sutji told Shaunak that there was nothing else that pleased God more
than the unflinching devotion of his devotee in him. Sutji said- ‘A devotee who
chants the holy name of God acquires imperishable virtues and attains salvation
even if he were a lowly sinner. One who has surrendered himself to the will of
God is absolved of all his sins. Even ‘Yamaraj’- The lord of death has strictly
instructed his escorts to spare those who are devotees of Lord Vishnu. Lord
Vishnu himself has declared that anybody having total devotion in him should be
considered as the most virtuous soul even if he had committed the most heinous
of sins.’
Further hailing the glory of chanting Lord
Vishnu’s name Sutji said-’ The mere chanting of Lord Vishnu’s name in
‘Kaliyuga’ brings the same virtue what the combined virtues of meditating on
him during ‘Satyayuga’, chanting his sacred mantras during ‘Tretayuga’ and
worshipping him during ‘Dwaparyuga’ brought. A devotee who has nothing but the
sacred name of Lord Vishnu on his lips is certain to attain to Vishnuloka after
becoming free from the bondage of this world. Chanting the divine name of
Vishnu even in dreams is believed to absolve a man of all his sins then what to
say about people who consciously chant his holy name while they are awake.’
Thus Sutji told sage Shaunak that anybody
could attain salvation by simply having total devotion in Lord Vishnu as it was
the most simplest path leading to the Almighty.
THE DIVINE STROTRAS
THE DIVINE STROTRAS
NRISINHA STOTRA
Telling about the origin of this ‘stotra’,
Sutji said-
‘Lord Shiva had created this ‘stotra’ praising the glory of Lord Nrisinha and invoking him to protect the world from the wrath of Matrikas. The ‘stotra’ goes as follows –
‘Lord Shiva had created this ‘stotra’ praising the glory of Lord Nrisinha and invoking him to protect the world from the wrath of Matrikas. The ‘stotra’ goes as follows –
NAMASTESTU JAGANNATH NARSINHA VAPURDHAR;
DAITESHWAR ENDRA SANHARINAKHA BHUKTI VIRAJIT.
DAITESHWAR ENDRA SANHARINAKHA BHUKTI VIRAJIT.
NAKH MANDAL SAMBHINNA HEMPINGAL VIGRAH;
NAMOSTU PADMANABHAY SHOBAHANAY JAGADGURO.
NAMOSTU PADMANABHAY SHOBAHANAY JAGADGURO.
KALP ANTAMBHO DANIGHOSH SURYAKOTI SAMPRABHA;
SAHASTRA YAM SANTRAS SAHASTRENDRA PARAKRAM.
SAHASTRA YAM SANTRAS SAHASTRENDRA PARAKRAM.
SAHASTRA DHANDASFEET SAHASTRA CHARANATMAKA;
SAHASTRA CHANDRA PRATIM SAHASTRANSU HARIKRAM.
SAHASTRA CHANDRA PRATIM SAHASTRANSU HARIKRAM.
SAHASTRA RUDRA TEJASKA SAHASTRA BRAHMA
SANSTUT;
SAHASTRA RUDRA SANJAAT SAHASTRA AKSHA NIRIKSHANA.
SAHASTRA RUDRA SANJAAT SAHASTRA AKSHA NIRIKSHANA.
SAHASTRA JANMA MATHANA SAHASTRA BANDH MOCHAN;
SAHASTRA VAYU VEGASA SAHASTRA ANGA KRIPAKAR.
KULAMRIT STOTRA
SAHASTRA VAYU VEGASA SAHASTRA ANGA KRIPAKAR.
KULAMRIT STOTRA
Sage Narad once asked Lord Shiva about the
means by which a man could become free from the delusions of the world. Lord
Shiva revealed to him the contents of ‘Kulamrit stotra’, eulogizing the majesty
of Lord Vishnu. By chanting this ‘stotra’, Narad successfully attained to that
supreme status, which even the most enlightened souls can only dream of. One
who eulogizes Lord Vishnu by chanting this ‘stotra’, becomes liberated from all
the bondage of the world. The ‘stotra’ goes as follows -
YASTU VISHWAMANA DYANTA MAJAMAATMANI
SANSTHITAM;
SARVAGYA MACHALAM VISHNUM SADA DHYAYET SA MUCHYET.
SARVAGYA MACHALAM VISHNUM SADA DHYAYET SA MUCHYET.
DEVAM GARBHO CHITAM VISHNUM SADA DHYAYAN
VIMUCHYET;
ASHARIRAM VIDHATARAM SARVAGYAN MANORATIM.
ASHARIRAM VIDHATARAM SARVAGYAN MANORATIM.
ACHALAM SARVAGAM VISHNUM SADA DHYAYEN
VIMUCHYET;
NIRVIKALPAM NIRABHASAM NISHPRAPANCHAM NIRAMAYAM.
NIRVIKALPAM NIRABHASAM NISHPRAPANCHAM NIRAMAYAM.
VASUDEVAM GURUM VISHNUM SADA DHYAYEN
VIMUCHYET;
SARVATKAM CHA VAI YAVADATMA CHAITANYA RUPAKAM.
SARVATKAM CHA VAI YAVADATMA CHAITANYA RUPAKAM.
SHUBHAM EKAKSHARAM VISHNUM SADA DHYAYEN
VIMUCHYET;
VAMYATITAM TRIKALAGYAM VISHVESHAM LOKSAKSHINAM.
VAMYATITAM TRIKALAGYAM VISHVESHAM LOKSAKSHINAM.
SARVA SMADYUTAM VISHNU SADA DHYAYEN
VIMUCHYET;
BRAHMADI DEVA GANDHARVAI MUNIBHIH SIDDHA CHARANAIH.
BRAHMADI DEVA GANDHARVAI MUNIBHIH SIDDHA CHARANAIH.
YOGIBHIH SEVITAM VISHNUM SADA DHYAYEN
VIMUCHYET;
SANSAR BANDHANAN MUKTI MICHHAMLEKO DHYA SHESHATAH.
SANSAR BANDHANAN MUKTI MICHHAMLEKO DHYA SHESHATAH.
STUTVAIVAM VARADAM VISHNUM SADA DHYAYAN
VIMUCHYET;
SANSAR BANDHANAAT KOPI MUKTI MICHCHHAN SAMAHITAH.
SANSAR BANDHANAAT KOPI MUKTI MICHCHHAN SAMAHITAH.
ANANT MATYAYAM DEVAM VISHNUM VISHVA
PRATISHTHITIM;
VISHVESHWAR MASARAM VISHNUM SADA DHYAYAN VIMUCHYET.
MRITYU ASHTAK STOTRA
VISHVESHWAR MASARAM VISHNUM SADA DHYAYAN VIMUCHYET.
MRITYU ASHTAK STOTRA
Describing the origin of this ‘stotra’, Sutji
said- ‘Lord Vishnu himself had taught this powerful ‘stotra’ to sage
Markandeya. The daily chanting of this powerful mantra had enabled Markandeya
to conquer death. One who daily chants this ‘stotra’ thrice a day enjoys a long
life and never dies a premature death. The ‘stotra’ goes as follows -
DAMODARAM PRASANNOSMI KINNO MRITYUH
KARISHYATI;
SHANKH CHAKRA DHARAM DEVAM VYAKTA RUPIN MATYAYAM.
SHANKH CHAKRA DHARAM DEVAM VYAKTA RUPIN MATYAYAM.
ADHOKSHAJAM PRAPANNOSMI KINNO MRITYUH
KARISHYATI;
VARAHAM VAMANAM VISHNUM NAARSIHAM JANARDANAM.
VARAHAM VAMANAM VISHNUM NAARSIHAM JANARDANAM.
MADHAVAM CHA PRAPANNOSMI KINNO MRITYUH
KARISHYATI;
PURUSHAM PUSHKAR KSHETRABIJAM PUNYAM JAGATPATIM.
PURUSHAM PUSHKAR KSHETRABIJAM PUNYAM JAGATPATIM.
LOKNATHAM PRAPANNOSMI KINNO MRITYUH
KARISHYATI;
SAHASTRA SHIRASAM DEVAM VYAKTA TYAKTAM SANATANAM.
SAHASTRA SHIRASAM DEVAM VYAKTA TYAKTAM SANATANAM.
MAHAYOGAM PRAPANNOSMI KINNO MRITYUH
KARISHYATI;
BHUTATMANAM MAHATMANAM YAGYAYONI MAYOJINAM.
BHUTATMANAM MAHATMANAM YAGYAYONI MAYOJINAM.
VISHVARUPAM PRAPANNOSMI KINNO MRITYUH
KARISHYATI;
ITYUDI RITMARKANDYAM STOTRAM TASYA MAHATMANAH.
ITYUDI RITMARKANDYAM STOTRAM TASYA MAHATMANAH.
ITI TENA JITO MRITYU MARKANDE YEN DHIMTA;
PRASANNE PUNDARIKAKSHE NRISINHE NASTI DURLABHAM.
PRASANNE PUNDARIKAKSHE NRISINHE NASTI DURLABHAM.
SALVATION THROUGH YOGA
Sutji told sage Shaunak that the ultimate aim
of a man’s life was to attain salvation. A man can not attain salvation until
and unless he has seen through the trappings of the worldly illusions. Sutji
said-’Practice of Yoga helps a man to live in this world with a sense of
detachment and to successfully avoid the allurements of this mortal world. Yoga
comprises of six organs
Pranayam ( Breathing exercises),
Japa ( chanting),
Pratyahar( restraining sense organs),
Dharana (resolution),
Dhyan (meditation) and
Samadhi (deep meditation).
Japa ( chanting),
Pratyahar( restraining sense organs),
Dharana (resolution),
Dhyan (meditation) and
Samadhi (deep meditation).
Not running after sensual pleasures by having
self control helps a man in diminishing his sins and diminishment of sins
pleases the deities who give blessings. Blessings of deities help a man to
attain salvation. Pranayam, an important part of Yoga is of two types-’Garbha’
and ‘Agarbha’. Pranayam, done with simultaneous chanting of a mantra is called
‘Garbha’ whereas in ‘Agarbha’ Pranayam mantras are not chanted.
It is natural for a man to get attracted by
worldly pleasures and checking this tendency of the mind is called ‘Pratyahar’.
It is not easy to control the mind and concentrate on anything for a long time
but ‘Dharana’ helps a man to do that. When a man has successfully controlled
his sensual desires, then it becomes very easy for him to concentrate his mind.
A concentrated mind finds it easy to meditate. When he has mastered meditation
it is not much difficult for him to enter into the deep state of meditation
i.e. ‘Samadhi’. In the state of ‘Samadhi’, all sense of dualism cease to exist
as one establishes divine link with the Almighty, which helps him in
experiencing indescribable divine bliss.
SELF REALIZATION
SELF REALIZATION
Once, on being asked by sage Narad about the
means that helped a man in attaining self realization, Lord Vishnu told him
that only those privileged few who have understood the impermanent nature of
this world and have successfully controlled their sensual desires can attain
self realization. All the mysteries of this Universe are unraveled to a man of
self realization and he attains salvation. Lord Vishnu said-’ It should be the
prime objective of a man to make incessant efforts so that he can experience
this divine knowledge of self realization-the real knowledge, for every other
kind of knowledge is superficial and of least significance.’
Lord Vishnu went on to describe how self
realization could be attained-
‘YADASARVE VIMUCHYANTE KAMA YESHYA HRIDI
STHITAH;
TADAMRIT TWA MAPNOPATI JIVANNEVA NA SANSHAYAH.
TADAMRIT TWA MAPNOPATI JIVANNEVA NA SANSHAYAH.
Meaning- When there is no
desire left in the heart then a man is certain to experience the divine taste
of this nectar (self realization) in his life time– and there is no doubt about
it.
Unraveling the mystery of Universe to sage
Narad, Lord Vishnu said-’ ‘Brahm’ is the cause behind this universe and one who
has understood this fact can be rightly called a man of self realization. A man
being under the influence of his sensual perceptions falsely believes this
world to be real and is unable to understand the real cause behind the existence
of this world, which is not the case with a man of self realization. Instead of
searching ‘without’ a man should seek ‘within’ because within him exists the
Universe just like our sense organs perceive them externally. The whole mystery
of Universe is unraveled to a man who makes incessant efforts to undertake this
inner journey for if his efforts are made with a pure heart and a firm
determination then he is sure to reach his goal of self realization one day or
the other. The soul (Atma) is ‘Brahm’ but this fact becomes apparent only to
those privileged few, who have attained self realization. Self realization
illuminates the soul in the same way just as a lightning illuminates the dark
sky at night.’
Lord Vishnu went on to describe himself in
the following words-’ I am Pure and beyond the limits of human intelligence. I
am beyond the confinement of three basic qualities (Satva guna, Rajas guna and
Tamas guna). Only he can experience ME who possesses an enlightened soul
because I manifest MYSELF in the heart of every individual as a divine
effulgence in order to drive away the darkness which engulfs it.’
BRAHM-GITA
BRAHM-GITA
Anybody who studies the sacred texts of
‘Brahm-Gita’ is certain to attain salvation for it brilliantly propounds the
theory of divinity of man by proclaiming that in each individual dwells
‘Brahm’-the supreme Almighty. Eulogizing the glory of ‘Brahm Gita’ Lord Vishnu
said-’ Brahm-Gita declares that in each individual dwells ‘Brahm’ and one who
has understood this fact becomes free from the bondage of the world i.e.
attains salvation. Nobody can deny the fact that God exists because the
Almighty manifests himself all around us in various forms both perceptible and
imperceptible. All the five elements (space, air, water, fire and earth) are
nothing but the manifestations of Almighty God.’
‘ Unfortunately, most of the people are
unaware of the presence of divinity in them- the existence of ‘Brahm’ in each
of them. The reason for this is not much difficult to comprehend because this
fact is so subtle that only enlightened souls can experience it. HE lies
dormant and cannot be experienced until and unless HE is awakened by means of
austerities and penance. ‘Brahm’ is ever present in a man and does not abandon
him in any of the three states of his consciousness- while he is awake, while
he is dreaming or even while he is asleep.
Despite being present in every individual he
still remains unaffected by his deeds because by nature HE is eternally pure.
One more reason why man is unable to feel the presence of ‘Brahm’ in himself is
his own ego, with which he falsely develops deep association. So, a person who
is desirous of realizing God must first subdue his ego so that ‘Brahm’
manifests himself in all his glory. Without subduing his ‘ego’ a man can never
realize God because the sense of dualism is the greatest impediment in the path
of God realization and ‘egotism’ only strengthen this sense of dualism.’
‘Once man has successfully subdued his ego,
the dawning of God realization becomes imminent because ‘Brahm’ now has no
problem in manifesting himself in the changed scenario. ‘Brahm’ who is absolute
truth, eternally pure and the supreme Almighty. HE is the eternal bliss
dwelling in each individual- the realization which made the Vedas to proclaim
‘Tatvam Asi’(Thou is me) and who is beyond the confinement of time and space.’
Ultimately, Lord Vishnu revealed to sage
Narad that ‘Brahm’ whose glory he had praised was none other than himself.
GARUDA QUERIES
Sutji once reached the forest of
‘Naimisharanya’ in course of his journey. Naimisharanya was a holy place where
sages and hermits went to do penance. After reaching there Sutji met many
prominent sages who were pleased at his arrival. They took it as a God sent
opportunity to get their doubts cleared on the mystery called death and what
exactly happened after a man died.
Sage Shaunak, one of those sages, asked
Sutji-’ O Revered Sage! We were just awaiting your arrival. It seems God has listened
to our prayer. We are confused by so many diverse and contradictory opinions
expressed on the mystery of ‘death’ and what happens after death. Some people
are of the belief that a man takes rebirth soon after his death whereas there
are some who believe that a man after his death first goes to ‘Yamloka’ to
taste the fruits of his ‘Karmas’ and only then he takes rebirth. We request you
to clear our doubts and enlighten us on the mystery called death.’
Sutji recounted the tale of Garuda, who had
once posed the same query to Lord Krishna. While narrating the tale, Sutji
said- ‘Garuda-son of Vinta, once decided to get a first hand experience of all
the three ‘Lokas’(worlds). After visiting all the three worlds he returned to
‘Vaikunth loka’ and narrated his experiences to Lord Krishna.
Garuda said- ‘ After visiting all the three
‘Lokas’ I found the Earth (Prithvi) little overcrowded as compared to other
‘Lokas’. I also found that it provided better opportunities to a man both for
materialistic enjoyments as well as his spiritual advancement. So, I have come
to the conclusion that ‘Prithviloka’ was the best of all the ‘Lokas’ in every
respect. But, all round prevalence of sorrow and misery in ‘Prithviloka’ made
me sad.
I was really perplexed to see people
performing complex rituals after the death of their relative. All these rituals
appeared so absurd to me. I was really amazed to see people laying down their
dead relatives on the ground. I could also not understand why a dead body is
laid on the bed of ‘kusha’ grass and sesame seeds. I witnessed so many rituals
that surprised me, for instance I could not understand the reason why donations
are made after a man dies. I am puzzled by the mystery called death or, what
becomes of him after he dies.
The sight of sons lifting the dead body of
their father on their shoulders is still fresh in my memory. I could not
understand the reason why ‘ghee’(clarified butter) is applied on a dead body or
why the relatives of the deceased chant ‘Yama sukta’ facing north. I was also
surprised to see the son of the deceased being debarred from having meal along
with his other relatives. O Lord! Please reveal to me the significance of
making ‘pinda- daans’ or, the significance of ‘tarpan’ rituals? Please tell me
the proper method of offering ‘pinda daan’ and invoking ancestors? I find it
hard to believe that all the deeds virtuous or evil committed by a man follows
him after his death.’
This way Garuda flooded Lord Krishna with a
barrage of questions and sought clarifications on them.
SALVATION THROUGH RITUALS
SALVATION THROUGH RITUALS
Lord Krishna replied–” I am so delighted that
you have asked such important questions for the benefit of mankind. I am
revealing to you the secrets, which were hitherto unknown even to the deities
and yogis. O Garuda! A man should try to beget a son with the help of means as
mentioned in the scriptures because there is no salvation for a person bereft
of son.”
Lord Krishna then went on to describe the
proper rituals which are performed after the death of a man and said-” First of
all, the area should be purified by coating it with a layer of cow-dung. This
purified area is called ‘mandal’ and it is graced by the presence of the
‘Trinity’– Brahma, Shiva and Myself. Sesame seeds are then sprinkled on the
purified area and kusha grass is spread. A person whose death is imminent is
then laid down on the bed of kusha grass. Scriptures say that a person who does
not leave his mortal body in the above mentioned way, wanders hither and
thither in the form of a restless spirit. No amount of rituals can put such a
soul to rest. O Garuda! Sesame seed has manifested from my sweat and hence is
extremely pure. All kind of evil forces like, ghosts, spirits, demons, etc.
keep away from the place where it is used.
Similarly, Kusha grass has manifested from my
body hair and is graced by the presence of ‘Trinity’– Brahma, Shiva and Vishnu.
Deities are satisfied if kusha grass is offered to them while ancestors are
satisfied by the offerings of sesame seeds. Scriptures say that if dying man is
laid down on the bed of kusha grass spread on the land purified by cow-dung, he
becomes absolved of all his sins. There is a great significance of donating
salt after the death of a person. Salt owes its origin to Me and donating it
helps ancestors in attaining heaven. Donating salt also helps in reducing the
pain and sufferings of a dying man and this is why it is donated along with
other articles after a death of a person. The relatives of the deceased should
chant the sacred ‘Yama sukta’ facing north because it helps him to attain
liberation.” Lord Krishna then explained to Garuda the appropriate way of
carrying the corpse to the cremation ground–” The dead body should be carried
to the cremation ground by the sons an other relatives of the deceased. In the
cremation ground the dead body should be kept in such a way that it’s head
should be either towards east or north. The pyre should be made either of
sandal or ‘palash’ wood.”
Describing the experiences of the soul when
it leaves the body, Lord Krishna said–” The soul leaves the mortal body with
great reluctance because the attachment with the mortal world exists even after
his death. Yamdoots, descend down to earth to take the soul of the dying man to
Yamloka. Those who have committed grave sins are tied with ropes and taken to
Yamloka with great humiliation but virtuous souls are taken with honour and due
respect. Yamraj- the lord of death receives the virtuous soul with all the
honour and respect and metes out punishment to those who had committed sins during
their lives.
In his dark complexion and with a buffalo as
his mount and with a noose and iron stick in his hands, Yamraj appears
terrifying. On the other hand, the sight of lifeless body appears disgusting
and people try to dispose it off as quickly as possible because it is worthless
without a soul. So, one must try to make the best use of this mortal body by
indulging in good deeds before the day of his final journey arrives otherwise
he would be left with nothing but regrets at the time of his death.
DEATH AND AFTER
DEATH AND AFTER
Continuing with his narration, Lord Krishna said–” O Garuda! Death comes at the predetermined
time, which remains fixed and unaltered under all circumstances. A man’s sense
organs become weak and his body feeble, which gets inflicted with numerous
diseases in his old age. At the time of his death, man experiences unbearable
pain and he begins to loose his consciousness. Yamdoots arrive and begin to
retrieve the soul from the body and this aggravates the pain. Ultimately, the
soul, which is not more than the size of a thumb, reluctantly comes out from
the body as the attachment with the world exists even after his death. But, a
virtuous person does not go through all these painful experiences at the time
of his death. The soul has to take birth in different species as well as go
through cycles of countless births, deaths and rebirths in order to taste the
fruits of his Karmas.
Describing the significance of ‘Pinda daan’
rituals, Lord Vishnu told Garuda that they are performed so that manes are
satiated. He also revealed to him that six pinda daans are offered to the manes
while performing the rituals of last rites– ” The first ‘pinda-daan’ is made at
the place where person has breathed his last while the second, third, fourth,
fifth and sixth ‘Pinda daans’ are made at the main entrance of the house, the
nearest cross-roads, the cremation ground, on the pyre itself and at the time
of collecting last remains (Asthi) respectively.
After reaching the cremation ground the dead
body should be laid down with its head towards south. The mortal body then
should be consigned to flames and after some time sesame seeds and ghee should
be poured into the burning pyre so that it continues to burn without any
problem. For the next ten days the relatives coming from the same gotra of the
deceased should observe a period of ‘Ashaucha’- a period during which he
observes strict austerities and avoids social contacts. The son of the deceased
is prohibited from having food along with his relatives simply because he is
believed to be impure during this period.”
This way, being satisfied by Lord Krishna’s
answers, Garuda thanked him for clearing whatever doubts he had in his mind.
Lord Krishna blessed him.
END OF GARUDA PURAN
(My humble salutations to the lotus feet of Swamyjis, Philosophic Scholars, Knowledge seekers for the collection)
1 comments:
Can anybody tell me what is Andhakupam in Garuda puranam??
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