Matsya Avatara

 

5    Amavasya’s importance for Pitru Devas & Its link with the mother of Veda Vyas
The Pitrugana of Maharshi Maricha Vamsa resided at Somapatha loka and Devatas meditate to them.These Pitruganas were constantly engaged in Yagnas and were called ‘Agnisvatthas’. There was a River / Sarovar named ‘Aaccheda’ [presently called as Aachhavana in Kashmir] and she was the ‘Manasi Kanya’ or the Virgin of Pitras’ Conscience. The Mansi Kanya performed severe Tapasya for thousand Divya Years, the Pitru ganas were satisfied with it and shifted nearby the Sarovar.The Pitruganas were of Celestial Forms who had radiant bodies full of ‘Sugandha’ wearing garlands of scented flowers; they were all youthful and charming like Kamadeva. Among the Pitrus, there was an attractive youth named ‘Amaavasu’ whom Aachheda Kanya fell in love and begged him to wed her. Due to this aberration of her mind, she fell down from the Celestial Region to ‘Bhutala’.The day that Aachheda proposed to Amavasu Pitra and fell down to Earth was since known as ‘Amavasya’; but for the momentary indiscretion that she had, the Agnisvatthaa Pitrus were indeed fond of her as though she was their own daughter, especially in the background of her Tapasya. Aachheda felt sad and shy that all the Tapasya that she performed was wasted and kept on crying as she came down to Earth. The Pitrus gave her solace and said that in the Upper Lokas, whatever ‘Karmaphal’ (fruits of good or bad deeds) was achieved would be experienced in the same life, where as the fruits were experienced post-life that is after death in Bhuloka. Hence the fruits of her meditation would certainly be rewarded but after her life.They visioned into her future and assured her that in the twenty eighth Dwapara Yuga, she would be born as a fish but thereafter she would be born as the daughter of Fishermen’s Chief as Satyavati alias Matsya Gandhi; that she would be attracted by Maharshi Parashara as she transferred him once by her boat ; that the Maharshi would give her the boons of transforming her body odour of fish to that of the fragrance of sandal wood to spread by yojanas thus changing her name as ‘Yojana Gandhi’, wedded her once but retaining her as a Kanya (virgin) to enable her to remarry to a King later and would secure an illustrious son from the Maharshi as Veda Vyasa or Badarayana born at Badari Vriksha Vana or the forest of badari trees. Devi Achheda was thus pacifed her that a son of Narayana’s ‘Amsa’ would be born to her with the unique distinction of dividing a single Veda into Four and she herself would marry a Puru Vamsa King Shantanu who would beget Vichitraveerya and Chitrangada; Vichitraveerya would beget Dhritarashtra and Pandu whose progeny viz. Kauravas and Pandavas would be responsible to script the immortal Epic Maha Bharata! As Shantanu’s wife, Devi Achheda would finally be born as Ashtaka in the Pitruloka and thus Satyavati in Bhuloka and Ashtaka in Pitru loka would bestow excellent health to their devotees!


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