Essence Of Devi Bhagavatha Purana

Personality clashes of Sages and Kshatriyas

King Nimi Vs. Vasishtha

King Nimi of Ikshvasu dynasty was highly righteous and sought to perform in the name of Devi Bhagavati; Sage Vasishtha who was the dynasty’s Raja Guru agreed to be the Head Priest. At the arrived time when all the preparations were through, the Sage informed that Indra had called him too for a Sacrifice and sent word that King Nimi’s Yagna be rescheduled. King Nimi went ahead with his function as per schedule. Vasishtha returned and cursed Nimi that his mortal body would fall off.

The King gave a return curse likewise. But since Nimi’s Yagna was not complete, he performed it as ‘Videha’ or without body as Lord Yama  was pleased with the Sacrifice and gave him the option of another nice birth or enter the first  Jiva body of Brihaspati but the King chose the Videha option. Vasishtha had to pray to his father Brahma who arranged that he be reborn as MitraVaruna.  In the past, Apsara Urvasi was infatuated by Mitra-Varuna and two issues were born, one was Agasti who beame an ascetic and the other was Ikshvaku who became a King. Mitra Varuna’s Jiva -body was still intact even before Brahma created original Vasishtha;  the Jiva of the present Vasishtha now dropped as a return curse of King Nimi entered the duplicate body of Mitra Varuna without any loss of original Vasishtha’s wisdom and Radiance!

King Yayati Vs. Sukracharya

In an another incident Sage Sukracharya cursed King Yayati. The Sage’s daughter Devayani married the King but objected to live with his another wife Sarmishtha  but still the King did not comply. The father of Devayani Sukracharya cursed that Yayati would become old and impotent. As the King entreated for forgiveness, the Sage’s curse was diluted that  if any of his sons could take the position of Yayati’s old form instead, then he could regain his youth. The youngest son of Sarmishtha, Puru who bore his father’s curse and after Yayati, he became a youthful King, the ancestor of Panadavas and Kauravas.  Veda Vyasa  affirmed that being an upright King, Yayati was also in a position to reverse the curse of the Danava Guru but restrained from doing so and quietly conceded to assume the old age as after all he did not commit a great sin in asking his  another wife Sarmishtha to bed; equally wonderful was the preparedness of Puru to take on the curse of the Sage and sacrificed his own youth for thousand years!    

Haihayas Vs. Bhargava

Conflicts of ego bewteen Kshatriyas and Brahmanas assumed snow-ball effect gradually. The Haihayas
 and Bhargavas had open disagreements to this extent that even pregnant women of Bhargavas were not spared of violence. Over a period of time, greed, jealousy and power proved to be the factors causing quarrels which finally climaxed into the era of Haihaya King Kartavirya of thousand hands and an ardent devotee of Avadhuti Dattatreya as also of Devi Maha Bhagavati.  As the violence by Haihayas on Bhargavas became acute, the latter assembled and prayed to Devi Girija intensely in an ‘Amarana Diksha’ ( Devotion till death). The  Devi appeared and assured that a boy would be born from Her thighs and would save them. But the Haihayas sought to blind the Brahmana lady who secured the boy- named Aurva or born of thighs, by the grace of Bhagavati. Ayurva was so radiant that all the Haihayas were all blinded. When the entire Haihaya clan prayed to the Brahmana lady to restore their eyesight, Aurva forgave them and their eyesight was restored. Haihayas got a lesson, as they all knew that Aurva was a gift of Devi Herself and they reverted back to their original position of reverence to Bhargavas in particular and Brahmanas in general. [ Parasurama, in Lord Vishnu’s incarnation, killed Kshatriyas in twenty one battles and also ended the mighty King  Kartaviryarjuna]

The origin of Haihayas was interesting. Once, Lord Surya’s  son, Revanta rode on the Celestial Horse‘Uucchaiswara’ and called on Maha Vishnu; Laxmi recognised the co-born Horse at the time of churning the Ocean and was lost in thoughts, despite Vishnu’s noting Her indifference. Vishnu became angry and cursed Her to become a mare as She was much captivated with the horse. Lakshmi Devi prayed to Maha Deva and Girija who sent the latter’s emissary to Vishnu with the request that He too be born as a horse. Lakshmi Devi confirmed to Devi Girija that her husband had great reverence for Mahadeva as Vishnu was praying to Maha Deva Himself. Hence Vishnu obliged and took the form of a Horse. The Animal Forms of Vishnu and Lakshmi gave birth to a male human child who was left in the forest but was ordained to be picked up by King Yayati’s son Turvasu ( Hari Varma) who was meditating for a son for hundred years.But meanwhile a Vidyadhara named Champaka and his spouse Madanashala were flying around and found a child of profound sparkle and desired to own him, but Indra warned them that the child who gave birth to Hari and Laxmi was actually meant  for Yayati’s son Hari Verma who was performing severe Tapasya for a male child who was subsequently named as ‘Eka Vira’ ( The One Only Warrior). As Ekavira grew into an ideal Youth with considerable learning and valour, King Turvasu and coronated Ekavira and retired to forests. Ekavira was popular as a worthy King. As he was roaming once on the banks of Ganges, he found a pretty girl crying. When cajoled, she ( Yasovati) said she was the companion of the Princess Ekavali, the daughter of King Rabhya and Queen Rukmarekha. The couple performed a Sacrifice and were blessed as Ekavali emerged from the Homa Kunda  ( Firepit). When the Princess and Yasovati were bathing in a Pond in their territory, Demon Kalaketu appeared, killed King Rabhya’s soldiers and made amorous advances to Ekavali. She entreated the Danava King from ‘Patala’ that her father desired her to be wedded to King Eka Vira of Haihayas and thus requested her to leave her. But the Danava King heeded little and forcibly took Ekavali away to Patala. On hearing about the incident, Eka Vira revealed his identity and wondered how to reach Patala to fight Kalaketu. Yasovati was distressed heavily and  prayed to Devi Bhagavati who in her dream informed that by the dint of a ‘Bija’ (Seed) Mantra which she learnt earlier by Lord Dattatreya be  meditated for a month with pure heart and on the banks of Ganges, she would meet King Eka Vira and help her to kill Kalaketu. As she knew the Triloka Thilaka Yogeswari Mantra, King Eka Vira was initiated in  it as follows:Hrim Gauri Rudrayathey yogeswari hum phut swaha. He was thus able to reach Patala, destroyed Kalaketu, rescued Ekavali back and married her under the care of her parents who prayed to Bhagavati with extreme gratitude . It was in the union of Eka Vira and Ekavali  that the famed Kartavirya was born in the Haihayas clan.