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This Purana
contains 14 Chapters – each with many sub-sections.
This chapter
contains xx sections as follows:
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.'
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.
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.'
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.'
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.'
'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.'
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.
This chapter
contains 4 sections as follows:
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.
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.
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.
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
While worshipping Lord Vishnu, first of all a devotee should worship the
'Aasan' of the deity by chanting
- 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.
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.
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.
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.
This chapter
contains 11 sections as follows:
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.'
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
This chapter
contains 5 sections as follows:
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.
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.
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.
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.'
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.
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.
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.
This chapter
contains 6 sections as follows:
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.'
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.'
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
This chapter
contains 1 section as follows:
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.
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.
This chapter
contains 15 sections as follows:
Describing the
various types of austerities, Lord Vishnu named few of them-
This particular
austerity comprises of ten virtues- Celibacy, Forgiveness, Meditation,
Truthfulness, Honesty, Non-violence, Not stealing, Gentleness and Self
control.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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'.
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.
Observing the
rituals of Atikrichchha vrata for twenty-one days living only on milk
and water is called Krichchhakrichha vrata.
Observing complete
fast for twelve continuous days is called Parak 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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
This chapter
contains 2 sections as follows:
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.
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.'
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.
This chapter
contains 3 sections as follows:
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 -
NAMASTESTU JAGANNATH NARSINHA VAPURDHAR;
DAITESHWAR ENDRA SANHARINAKHA BHUKTI VIRAJIT.
NAKH MANDAL SAMBHINNA HEMPINGAL VIGRAH;
NAMOSTU PADMANABHAY SHOBAHANAY JAGADGURO.
KALP ANTAMBHO DANIGHOSH SURYAKOTI SAMPRABHA;
SAHASTRA YAM SANTRAS SAHASTRENDRA PARAKRAM.
SAHASTRA DHANDASFEET SAHASTRA CHARANATMAKA;
SAHASTRA CHANDRA PRATIM SAHASTRANSU HARIKRAM.
SAHASTRA RUDRA TEJASKA SAHASTRA BRAHMA SANSTUT;
SAHASTRA RUDRA SANJAAT SAHASTRA AKSHA NIRIKSHANA.
SAHASTRA JANMA MATHANA SAHASTRA BANDH MOCHAN;
SAHASTRA VAYU VEGASA SAHASTRA ANGA KRIPAKAR.
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.
DEVAM GARBHO CHITAM VISHNUM SADA DHYAYAN VIMUCHYET;
ASHARIRAM VIDHATARAM SARVAGYAN MANORATIM.
ACHALAM SARVAGAM VISHNUM SADA DHYAYEN VIMUCHYET;
NIRVIKALPAM NIRABHASAM NISHPRAPANCHAM NIRAMAYAM.
VASUDEVAM GURUM VISHNUM SADA DHYAYEN VIMUCHYET;
SARVATKAM CHA VAI YAVADATMA CHAITANYA RUPAKAM.
SHUBHAM EKAKSHARAM VISHNUM SADA DHYAYEN VIMUCHYET;
VAMYATITAM TRIKALAGYAM VISHVESHAM LOKSAKSHINAM.
SARVA SMADYUTAM VISHNU SADA DHYAYEN VIMUCHYET;
BRAHMADI DEVA GANDHARVAI MUNIBHIH SIDDHA CHARANAIH.
YOGIBHIH SEVITAM VISHNUM SADA DHYAYEN VIMUCHYET;
SANSAR BANDHANAN MUKTI MICHHAMLEKO DHYA SHESHATAH.
STUTVAIVAM VARADAM VISHNUM SADA DHYAYAN VIMUCHYET;
SANSAR BANDHANAAT KOPI MUKTI MICHCHHAN SAMAHITAH.
ANANT MATYAYAM DEVAM VISHNUM VISHVA PRATISHTHITIM;
VISHVESHWAR MASARAM VISHNUM SADA DHYAYAN VIMUCHYET.
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.
ADHOKSHAJAM PRAPANNOSMI KINNO MRITYUH KARISHYATI;
VARAHAM VAMANAM VISHNUM NAARSIHAM JANARDANAM.
MADHAVAM CHA PRAPANNOSMI KINNO MRITYUH KARISHYATI;
PURUSHAM PUSHKAR KSHETRABIJAM PUNYAM JAGATPATIM.
LOKNATHAM PRAPANNOSMI KINNO MRITYUH KARISHYATI;
SAHASTRA SHIRASAM DEVAM VYAKTA TYAKTAM SANATANAM.
MAHAYOGAM PRAPANNOSMI KINNO MRITYUH KARISHYATI;
BHUTATMANAM MAHATMANAM YAGYAYONI MAYOJINAM.
VISHVARUPAM PRAPANNOSMI KINNO MRITYUH KARISHYATI;
ITYUDI RITMARKANDYAM STOTRAM TASYA MAHATMANAH.
ITI TENA JITO MRITYU MARKANDE YEN DHIMTA;
PRASANNE PUNDARIKAKSHE NRISINHE NASTI DURLABHAM.
This chapter
contains 2 sections as follows:
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).
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.
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.
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.'
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.
This chapter contains 2 sections
as follows:
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.
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.
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
|
Garuda Purana (Original Sanskrit Text)