Skandha 3 (contd.)
Story of Merchant
Among those who received special benefits from the Navratri vrata, the story of a merchant named Sushila is very interesting. Sushila was extremely poor. He had many children. He never violated Dharma; his conduct was virtuous. Due to lack of means, he sent his son away to a brahmana; his daughter was over 10 years old and of marriageable age. He told a brahmana about his unbearable hardship and asked for a remedy. The brahmana said: “Shri Rama himself gained the power to kill Ravana only by observing the Navratri vrata. You too, during the ensuing Sharad (autumn) Navaratri, perform Vedic recitation, japa, homam, puja, and feeding of brahmanas.” He also gave him Bijakshara Upadesha of ‘Hrim’. Sushila, though extremely poor, followed the advice and celebrated Navratri according to Vidhana. He did it, not for one or two years, but for 9 years, and that too without any letup, with enthusiasm. On the eighth (Ashtami) day of the 9th year, Devi appeared before him at midnight and bestowed her supreme grace. Sushila’s life changed overnight from poverty to supreme prosperity.
The bijakshara called ‘Hreem’ is considered the best of all the bijaksharas of Devi. It is praised as Maya bijam, Bhuvaneswari bijam etc. ‘Hreem’ is a mantra that can be used in all stages of life by the human being: ‘Ha’ stands for the physical body, ‘Ra’ the subtle body, ‘E’ the causal body, and Bindu is the turiya stage. It is the supreme source of knowledge. It can also confer Moksha, the turiya destination.
Shrimad Ramayana
The Ramayana is narrated in all the Puranas. Here too it is covered briefly. During the exile of Rama, after separating from Sita, performing Jatayu Samskara and accepting friendship of Sugriva, he was spending time with Lakshmana during the rainy season. Rama’s grief was unbearable. He lamented that no one in the race of Manu had experienced grief like him. Lakshmana spoke consolingly: “The coming together and separation of human beings is subject to the will of God. It is not right to be sad about this. Those who remain steadfast in times of danger and happiness are the brave ones,” and he told many stories to encourage Rama. Then Narada came, chanting Samaganam and said: “Sita, who was a tapaswini (anchorite) in her previous birth, cursed Ravana and said that she would come as Ayonija (not born of beings) in her next birth and destroy Ravana. Devendra sent her the milk of Kama Dhenu, and because of that, Sita is now free from hunger and thirst. During the coming Sharad Navratri, you observe the vrata and worship the Devi. In the past, Brahma, Vishnu, Shiva, Indra, Vasishta, Vishwamitra, Bhrigu, Kashyapa, and Brihaspati all observed the fast and received Devi’s grace.” Rama too, taking Narada as his guru, observed with devotion the vrata, the fast, performed puja, homam, and recitation of the Devi Bhagavatam during the Aasvina Navratri. At the midnight of Ashtami, the Devi appeared before Rama and blessed him: राम राम महाबाहो तुष्टाऽस्म्यद्य व्रतेन ते
“O valiant Rama, I am happy today because of your vrata,” she blessed, “You are aspect of Narayana. In all the incarnations – Matsya, Kurma, Varaha, Narasimha, Vamana, Parashurama – you were victorious with the power I granted. Even now, with my power, the monkey army will help you. Perform the Ravana vadham (killing) after the Vasantha Navratri puja. The Rama Rajya will last 11,000 years.”
Skandha 4
Janamejaya asked: “Why did the Pandavas and Draupadi, who did not deviate from Dharma, undergo so many hardships? The hardships suffered by the mother and father of Krishna Himself are also stupendous.” Vyasa said:
अवश्यमेव भोक्तव्यं कृतं कर्म शुभाऽशुभम् – Whether it is the merit or demerit of one’s past deeds committed, one must necessarily experience the results of that karma. This line occurs frequently in Devi Bhagavatam; it teaches an important lesson in life. Vyasa added: कर्मणो गहना गतिः – The course of karma is deep; karma does not yield immediate results. In Skanda Purana, when Devaguru Brihaspati answered the question of why the Devas were tortured by Surapadma for a very long time, he said, कर्मणा कुटिला गतिः – The course of karma is contorted. Although the Devas were punished on the spot by Veerabhadra for the insult they inflicted on Shiva in the Dakshayagna, they later experienced the remaining karmic fruits during the time of Surapadma. Such is the course of karma; it cannot be perceived by anyone. Vyasa said, “When the Devas, who are the preeminent ones of Satvaguna, descend into unrighteousness, what is surprising in the fact that humans, who are heavily endowed with Rajoguna, indulge in unrighteousness, succumbing to lust and anger?”
Story of Nara and Narayana
Dharma once emerged from the heart of Brahma. Of his four sons, Nara and Narayana were two. They went to the forest in Badarikashrama and performed severe penance for the sake of wellbeing of the world. As usual, Indra, fearing that he would lose his position, came in person and tried to grant them a boon. When it did not work, even though Indra sent illusory lions, tigers, rain, wind, and fire, the ascetics did not move. They were absorbed in the continuous chanting of वाग्बीजं कामबीजं च मायाबीजं तथैव च “vaagbeejam kaamabeejam and mayabeejam”-“ऐम् क्लीम् ह्रीम्“. Indra sent all the Apsaras, Manmatha, Rathi and Vasantham (spring season) to disrupt the austerities. When the attempt failed, the disruptors were afraid that the sages would curse them. Then, when Narayana Rishi gently patted his thigh, a new Apsara named Urvashi and other attendants appeared from there. Everyone was surprised. Sage Narayana asked the disruptors to return to Swarga, taking with them the new Apsaras along with the 16050 women who had come. Those heavenly women wanted to marry Sage Narayana. Sage Nara sent them away, saying that sage Narayana, who was now in a vow of celibacy, would marry those 16050 women in his next incarnation, Krishna. Coming to know of this, Indra sighed in relief.
Prahlada’s Battle
That was the time when Prahlada was the king of the Patalaloka. Sage Chyavana (son of Sage Bhrigu) was bathing in the Narmada river when he was bitten by a snake and prayed to Lord Vishnu for protection. The snake became venomfree and he was dragged to Patala. He was taken to the court of Prahlada, who suspected that he was a spy of Indra. Chyavana introduced himself as a devotee of Lord Vishnu and son of sage Bhrigu. Prahlada duly honoured the visitor. When the two were in discussion, Chyavana mentioned in respect of pilgrimage that three purifications were necessary for the fruit of the pilgrimage to accrue: purification of the mind, purification of the materials and purification of the food. He said that among the tirthas on earth, Naimisha, Chakratirtha, Pushkara etc. are the best. Prahlada immediately wanted to go to Naimisha and set out with the Daityas. He went there and took a bath in the Saraswati river. Then he saw two sages – Nara and Narayana – performing penance under a fig tree. But he was surprised that the sages were armed. Seeing the two bows Pinaka and Sarnga in front of them, Prahlada became very angry as he felt that if they were true ascetics, there was no need for the weapons. When he rebuked them, they warned: “O foolish one, we are skilled in both penance and war.
ब्रह्मतेजो दुराराध्यं न त्वं वेद विमोहितः। विप्रचर्चा न कर्तव्या प्राणिभिः सुखमीप्सुभिः ॥
“Owing to delusion, you failed to understand that Brahmic brilliance is unconquerable. The jivas who love pleasure will not trouble the virtuous brahmanas.” What they said was similar to what Vishwamitra saw when he fought with Vasishta, vide Srimad Ramayana. He said:
धिग्बलं क्षत्रियबलं ब्रह्मतेजो बलं बलम् । एकॆन ब्रह्मदण्डॆन सर्वास्त्राणि हतानि मे ॥
“The strength of a mere Kshatriya’s weapon is nothing compared to the power of Brahmic brilliance. All my weapons were swallowed by a single Brahmadanda.”
Prahlada did not listen to the advice of the sages and started to fight with them. A fierce battle ensued; it lasted for 1000 divine years. Finally, Vishnu came from Vaikuntha and said to Prahlada, “These sages are my own aspects. Do not be hostile to them; return to Patala.” Prahlada duly worshipped him and returned. Vyasa beautifully explains through this story that ego is the root cause of all suffering.
Shukracharya
Once, Shukracharya performed severe penance for 1000 years with face downwards on burning husk, facing Parameswara, and obtained the Sanjivani mantra. At that time, the Asuras, who were chased away by the Devas, surrendered to Shukracharya’s mother, the wife of Bhrigu Maharishi. She put the Devas to sleep. Later Indra entered the body of Vishnu, who asked Bhrigu’s wife to release the Asuras. She asserted with the power of her penance that she would swallow Vishnu along with Indra and was then beheaded with Vishnu’s chakra. Bhrigu Rishi came, revived his wife, and cursed Vishnu to suffer through many births on earth. This curse enabled Vishnu to undertake many incarnations for the welfare of the world.
Krishna Charitra
Vyasa now retold the main stages of the important incarnation of Vishnu, i.e. Krishna. When Janamejaya asked Narada whether it was not a great injustice that the six sons of Vasudeva and Devaki were killed by Kamsa at the instance of Narada, Vyasa explained: “Those six had been cursed by Brahma and Hiranyakashipu. Narada enabled the fulfilment of the curse for the sake of fruition of divine purpose. There is no action without a cause.”
Vyasa mentioned that Krishna married eight queens.
अहरद्रुक्मिणीं कामं शिशुपालस्वयंवरात् । ततो जांबवतीं सत्यां मित्रविंदां च भामिनीम् ॥
कालिंदीं लक्ष्मणां भद्रां तथा नाग्नजितीं शुभम् । पृथक्पृथक्समानीयाप्युपयेमे जनार्दनः ॥
Krishna kidnapped Rukmini from the swayamvaram of Shishupala. Then he brought Jambavati, Satya, the beautiful Mithravinda, Kalindi, Lakshmana, Bhadra, and Nagnajit separately and married them. Rukmini gave birth to Pradyumna. As soon as he was born, the child was kidnapped by Sambarasura. Unable to bear the grief, Krishna cried and complained to Devi: “Everything is your Maya. Otherwise, how could the child disappear from the delivery room in the palace? Earlier as Narayana Rishi I worshipped you for many years chanting your Bijaksharas. You are the refuge of all those afflicted by samsara; show mercy.” Devi gave him Darshan and blessed him that Krishna’s child would return at the age of 16 after killing Sambarasura.
Later, when Krishna’s wife Jambavati desired to have a son, Krishna received Shiva Deeksha and the upadesha of Shiva Sahasranama from the great Shiva devotee Upamanyu Maharishi and performed severe penance to please Shiva, standing on the big toe. In the first month he took only fruits, in the second month, only water, and from the third month, his food was only air. In the 6th month, Shiva and Parvati gave darshan. Krishna said in his hymn of prayer: “Is he not a fool, who worships and has your Darshan and asks for a lowly reward, when you can grant salvation; yet in my present situation I have to ask for the blessing of a son.” Shiva smiled and blessed him, saying that 16050 more wives were going to join him; each of them would beget ten sons; Shiva granted Krishna all auspiciousness. Janamejaya asked Vyasa why Krishna, being the Lord of the universe, performed penance and received a boon from Shiva. Vyasa said, “That is Bhagavan’s human lila; he himself showed how humans should practice devotion.”
(to be continued)
