PADMA PURANA |
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‘Shrimad Bhagavat Gita ‘Mahatmya’ Vasudeva of Yadu Vamsa was married to Devaki, the daughter of King Ugrasena, who was dethroned by his son Kamsa who was vicious, inhuman and sadistic. Even at the time of the wedding of Vasudeva and Devaki, there was an ‘Akashavani’ (Voice from the Sky) addressing Kamsa that Devaki’s eighth son would kill him. While trying to kill Devaki at once, Vasudeva advised that she was after all she was his sister and could be imprisoned along with him and that the eighth son could be killed. |
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As Bhagavan Vishnu was in ‘Yoga Nidra’(Yogic Slumber) on Sesha Nag in the midst of Ksheera Sagara (Ocean of Milk) stating that he was meditating Bhagavan Maheswara, Devi Maha Lakshmi wondered as to why did Vishnu assert that he was Paramatma himself and none else! Did he not ask Arjuna in no uncertain terms that he should fight without hesitation and dedicate all actions and results to Him, since He was the Cause, the Causation and the Causer! Fully endorsing what Devi Lakshmi said, Bhagavan defined that out of the Eighteen ‘Adhyayas’ (Chapters) of Bhagavad Gita, five Adhyayas constituted five of his Faces, ten Adhyayas were his ten hands, one Adhyaya was his belly and two were his two feet. He further gave the illustration of Susharma and said that intelligent people like him who read an Adhyaya of Gita a day or half of it or a quarter, or atleast a stanza, would certainly secure Mukti. Susharma was no doubt a Brahmana by birth but was a chronic sinner; he did neither dhyana nor japa, neither homa nor ‘Atithi Satkar’ or Puja of Guests; on the contrary he was a drunkard, meat eater and a regular womanizer. One day he died of a snake bite. After experiencing retribution in various ‘Narakas’, he was born as a bull and served under an oil-extractor for seven to eight years and died out of hard work and exhaustion. A few persons contributed prayers for the animal’s salvation and among them was a ‘veshya’ (prostitute) who donated some ‘Punya’ on her account. In the rebirth the bull became a pious Brahmana in the same village as a ‘Jyatismara’ with the gift of memory of the past birth. He met the Veshya and enquired as to which Punya that she donated at the death of the bull. She said that she bought a parrot which used to mutter some lines of a stanza always although she did not guess what was it but surely that muttering had highly soothing effect. The Brahmana asked the Parrot and the latter said that she was earlier in an Ashram in a cage where a Rishi was teaching something to his desciples and it learnt it but a hunter stole the bird and sold to the Veshya. The Rishi conveyed that he taught the First Chapter of Gita! That was the Punya which the Veshya acquired from the parrot’s muttering that was learnt at the Ashram. Such was the Mahtmya of the First Chapter. Bhagavan Vishnu then explained to Devi Lakshmi the significance of the Second Chapter of Gita. A Veda Pandit Deva Sharma of Purandarapura in Dakshina Bharat was anxious to learn and attain ‘Tatwa Gyan’ and came across a visiting Mahatma about his desire. The Mahatma directed Deva Sharma to a Goat Keeper called Mitravan at Sowpur in a forest seated on a rock on the banks of a river bed nearby. Mitravan narrated one of his experiences about a tiger approaching a helpless goat; all other goats fled away but this one waited as though it welcomed the tiger to eat him up. The tiger hesitated and asked the goat as to why he had the courage to stand firmly but did not run. The goat questioned as to why the tiger did not pounce on her! The tiger replied that her hunger subsided suddenly. Both the tiger and the goat met a Mahatma in the forest and he asked them to approach a Vanara Raja (Monkey). The Vanara Raja replied that there was a highly religious Brahmana named Sukarma who meditated in a Shiva Temple not far off for long time. When Sukarma was asked, he said that one Maha Purush appeared in the Temple and Sukarma requested him to teach him Tatwa Gyan. The Maha Purush asked Sukarma to read an inscription on a rock nearby the Temple from the Second Chapter of Gita emphasizing the importance of ‘Abhyasa’or Practice. Having said this, the Maha Purush disappeared. The Second Chapter states: Karmaneyvaadhi kaarastey maa phaleshu kadaachana, (Partha! You have freedom only to perform your duty. The rest is not relevant to you. But You should perform the ‘Karma’without expecting the fruits).Bhagavan defined a Tatva Gyani as follows: Duhkheshvanu dvignamanaah Sukheshu vigataspruhah, (A Stitha-Pragna or a Tatwa Gyani is he who is least disturbed when there is unhappiness and difficulty and gets elated when there are reasons to be delighted; if one could practise equanimity without desire, fear or anger, that only is the feature of Tatwa Gyan (Sthita Pragnyatwa). Thus the chain of Deva Sharma-the Mahatma-Mitravan the Goat Keeper-the Tiger and the Goat-the Vanara Raja-Sukarma and the Maha Purush revealed the Message of Tatwa Gyan which simply stated that one should practice one’s own duty and Tatwa Gyan would unfold itself! Shreyan swadharmo vigunah pardharmatswanushthaat, (Even if one feels that the ‘Dharma’or duty of somebody else’s is attractive, one must observe one’s own Dharma since ‘Para Dharma’ Mayi sarvaani karmaani sanyasyadhyatma chetasa, (Partha! I create all actions and hence perform your duty targetting me and leaving results to me and fight). Yadaa yadaahi Dharmasya glaanir bhavat Bharata! (Arjuna! As and when Dharma is affected adversely and Adharma prevails, I shall take the ‘Avataras’ (incarnation) to vindicate the cause of the Virtuous and destroy the Forces of the Evil!) Underlining the magnitude of the Fifth Chapter of Bhagavad Gita, Lord Vishnu told Lakshmi example of a Brahmana named Pingala of Madra Desha, ignoring his responsibilities as a Brahmana but built up expertise in music and dance and eventually achieved reputation in the profession as also proximity to the King as his favourite. He married a woman of low caste called Pingali alias Aruna. One night, being jealous of Pinala, Aruna killed him in his sleep. He suffered in Narakas and was born eventually as a vulture and afer her death due to pox, Aruna was reborn as a parrot. Being aware of the memory of previous life, the vulture saw the parrot and tore it apart as the latter was dropped in a pond. A hunter spread a net and the vulture was entangled and died as he threw the vulture’s body too fell in the same water body as the parrot fell. Suprisingly, both the birds achieved salvation! They asked Yama Dharma Raja as to what was the reason for both the sinners of equal guilt to head for Swarga since Pingala left the duties of a Brahmana and had loose morals while Aruna killed Pingala! Dharma Raja explained that their dead bodies fell in the same water body leading to a River on the banks of which was a pious Brahmana always reciting the Fifth Chapter of Karma Sanyasa Yoga in Gita! Yadaa hi nendriyaartheshu na karmaswanu- shajjetey/ (A Saadhaka or Yogi would become ripe only ‘Indiras’-body parts of external and internal nature- and their desires are left out, Karmas or duties are too avoided subduing the feelings of the giver or the taker and the totality of the ‘You’ or ‘I’ is avoided then only one becomes a Yogi). Somewhat on the lines of the Brahmana Jada in the Third Chapter earlier, Shankhakarna too followed the Vaishya profession, became extremely rich and desired to marry for the fourth time and proceeded to a neighbouring village.But on way, he was bitten by a serpent and died and was born again as a serpent. He came in the dreams of his sons as a serpent and conveyed that he hid crores of cash and jewellery at such and such a shrub in the backyard of their home. Next morning, the brothers dug up at the location as per the dream, but a serpent appeared, desired to ascertain their identity and said that they should recite the Seventh Chapter of Gita titled Vigyan Yoga at once. To their utter surprise, the serpent took the form of their father, handed over huge reserve of gold and jewellery to the sons and boarded a Viman destined to Vishnu Loka. The sons were all virtuous, performed Yagnas, charities and such other noble tasks as digging up wells, water bodies and construction of choultries, rest houses etc. for public benefit. Most importantly however was the recitation of the Seventh Chapter of Gita and attained Vishnu Loka! The essence of this Chapter was stated by Bhagavan to Arjuna as follows: Beejam mam Sarva bhutaanaam viddhih Parthah Sanatanam, (Partha! Do realize that the timeless seed responsible for germinating the entire Creaion is me; I am the Intelligence to the intelligent; Radiance to the radiant, Physical Power to the powerful etc. I am also the desire and hatred; virtue to the virtuous, vice to the vicious and so on!). About the ‘Mahatyma’ of the ‘Ashtama Adhyaya’, Lord Vishnu gave the example to Devi Lakshmi of Bhava Sharma who lived in Amardakapura in Dakshina Bharat. Being a Brahmana by birth, he married a ‘Veshya’ and was a meat-eater, wine drinker and a debauche. Once he and his wife were drunk dead and became huge ‘Tada Vrikshas’ Adhi Bhutam cha kim proktam Adhi Daivam ki muchyatey/ (What is Adhi Bhutam? What is Adhi Daivam?) To this question of Arjuna, Bhagavan Krishna’s reply was: Aksharam Brahma Param Swabhaavodhyaatma muchyatey, The significance of the Ninth Chapter of Gita was explained by the instance of a goat being given as a sacrifice at a Yagnya by a Brahmana named Madhava who resided at Mahismati Nagar on the banks of River Narmada. The goat talked suddenly in raised human voice to the surprise of the ‘Ritviks’ performing the Yagna as also the audience and said that the Yagna was of no avail since it was certain that human beings would have to be born again, their old age and death were inevitable; the goat also said:’Look at my fate; you are going to kill me now!’ Then the onlookers enquired of the goat as to who was it in its earlier birth? The goat replied that he was a Brahmana who desired to perform a sacrifice of a goat kid to appease Devi Chandika, as his son was extremely ill; but Devi Chandika was furious to kill a goat kid to save a child and cursed the Brahmana to become a goat; thus said the goat to the Ritviks and others at the Yagna. It further narrated that in Kurukshetra, a King named Chandra Sharma gave a Kala Purusha Pratima as a ‘daan’ in connection with a Solar Eclipse and from the Pratima a Chandala couple surfaced about to devour both the King and the Brahmana but the Brahmana was quick in reciting the Ninth Chapter of Gita titled ‘Raja Vidya Raja Guhya Yoga’of Gita and the Chandala couple named ‘Paapa’ (Sin) and ‘Ninda’ (Blame) disappeared. Bhagavan in this Chapter says: Ananyaschintanaamto maam ye janaah paryupaasatey, (Those who always think and meditate of me always, I look after them and assure them of their welfare)! Eversince then, the King always recited and reflected of the contents of the Adhyaya and eventually The goat which narrated the incident of Chandra Sharma was released to freedom. There would be thousands of instances that would signify the Eleventh Chapter of Gita regarding ‘Vishva Sandarshana Yoga’ and Bhagavan Shiva described only one to Devi Parvati. In Meghankara Nagar on the banks of River Pranita, there was a Parama Bhakta of Vasudeva called Sunandana Muni who undertook a Kshetra Yatra and on way had to halt over a night in a village. The Village head noboubt welcomed the Muni but said that there was a Rakshasa in the village with whom there was an understanding not to kill any villager but might eat up any stranger who did not specify by the Village head; but the Rakshasa ate up the Village head’s son himself by mistake. Sunandana Muni asked the Village head as to how this Rakshasa came to this Village. The background was that there was a Brahmana in the village engaged in farming and used to look after his own farm inthe nights. A huge vulture chased a traveller staying overnight in the village near the Brahmana farmer’s farm; as the traveller shouted for help since he fell in a ditch and could not pull up by himself, the Brahmana Farmer though could give a helping hand to save the traveller but did not bother. An infuriated Tapasvi cursed the Brahmana Farmer to become a Rakshasa in the village. When the latter begged for mercy, he diluted the cusre saying that if any Buddhiman recited the Eleventh Chapter of Gita and also explain its meaning to the Rakshasa then the latter could be liberated from the Rakshasatva. On knowing the background, Sunandana Muni recited and explained the contents of the Adhyaya to the Rakshasa and latter was liberated. Not only that, all the men and women who were killed by the Rakshasa including Village head boy son were lifted up by a Viman to Vishnu loka. The Chapter stated: Anaadi madhyantamananta veeryam, (I am enabling you the Vision of the Supreme Form who has no beginning or end; whose might is unlimited; who has innumerable hands; who possesses Surya and Chandra as his eyes; who has a fiery and radiant face like Agni and who has a One of the major highlights of Bhagavad Gita was the Bhakti Yoga (Twelfth Chapter) explained by Shri Krishna to Arjuna as was narrated by Bhagavan Shiva to Devi Parvati. In Kolhapuri of south-west of Bharata Varsha, the most reputed Maha Lakshmi Temple had been fulfilling the desires of Bhaktas for centuries. A young Prince came into the Temple and prayed to her very earnestly as follows: ‘Mother! You are the Icchaa Shakti, Jnaana Shakti, and Kriya Shakti all rolled into One Swarupa; You are the Nishkala, Nirmoha, Nitya, Niraakaara, Niranjana, Antarahita, Antahkarana, and Niramaya; You are the Shatchakra Bhedini, Anahata Dhwani, Bindu, Naada and Kalaa; You are Para, Pashyanti, Madhya and Vaikhari; Brahmi, Vaishnavi, and Maaheswari, Vaaraahi, Naarasimhi, Iaindri, Kaumari, Chandika, Savitri and so on. Maha Lakshmi was pleased with the euologies and asked the Prince of his desire. He told her that his father King Brihadhratha had half-done an Ashwamedha Yagna and died, that although the horse returned successfully after Vijaya Yatra (Victory Travel) it had suddenly disappeared and that his prayer was to secure the missing horse and bless him to complete the Yagna. Bhagavati Lakshmi directed the Prince to approach Siddha Samadhi Muni at the entrance of the Temple and the needful would be done. Siddha Samadhi was approached and the Prince was astonished to vision a few Devatas responsible for the theft of the Yagnashwa at the behest of Indra! He pulled them up and commanded that the horse should be in its original position at once. The Prince was so impressed that he was emboldened to request the Siddha Samadhi to revive his dead father since his body was still in oil at the Yagnashala. The Muni smiled and and asked the Prince to take him to the Yagnashaala. Having reached there, the Muni sprinkled ‘Mantrajal’ and the King emerged afresh from the oil and completed the Yagna successfully. When asked as to how the Muni could miracles to reprimand Devatas to secure the missing horse and also revive the King to life, the Muni’s cool reply was that the powers attained was due to the constant recitation and dedication to the Bhakti Yoga (Twelfth Chapter) of Bhagavad Gita alone and nothing else! Yo na hrushyati na dveshti na shochati na kaamkshati, (A devotee who is free from likings and dislikings as also from happiness and unhappiness, and who dedicates all my deeds to me totally is my favourite); Etu Dharmyamritamidam yathoktam paryupaasatey, (Those devotees who keep unreserved faith in me and observe Dharma as I prescribe are my most beloved ones). Idam Shareeram Kounteyah Kshetramityabhi dheeyatey, (Kounteya! This body is known as the Kshetra; by inference, those who realize this truth that if one does honest effort, the Kshetra could lead to ‘Ishvara Praapti’). Kshetrajnam chaapi mam viddhi Sarva kshetreshu Bharata! (Arjuna! Do realize that I am the Kshetrajna; the real Jnaana is the awareness of the Kshetra and Kshetrajna)! The Fourteenth Chapter of Gita-Gunatraya Yoga-highlighted the ‘Bhava bandhana Vimochana’ (Relief from the shackles of Samsara) and gave the illustration of the King of Simhala Dwipa viz. Vikrama Betala, who went on a hunting spree on horses showing the way in a forest chasing a few hares.The hares crossed a breach which the dogs could not cross easily and there was a peaceful Ashram of Muni Vatsa who along with his disciples always recited the ‘Gunatraya Vibhaga Yoga’of Gita. One of the disciples of the Muni cleaned up his feet with water before entering the Prayer Hall of the Ashram where the recitation was practiced. The sand and water mix became muddy and the hares fell in the slush; as soon as the hares fell in the slush, they were lifted by a Vimana bound for Vishnuloka thanks to the Mahatmya of the recitation of the Adhyaya. Meanwhile the chasing dogs arrived and having fallen in the slush they too were airlifted in the form of Gandharvas. The King Vikrama reached the Ashram and the Prayer Hall and asked the Muni for the reason that the hares and horses went to higher lokas. The Muni explained that there was a Brahmana called Keshava and his wife Vilobhana were both vily; the Brahmana killed the wife and was turned as dogs and the wife was born as hares. Both of these thus were beneficiaries of the Recitation of the Fourteenth Chapter of Gita. The message of the Adhyaya was given by Krishna as follows: Gunaanetaanateetya treen dehi deha samudbhavaan, (Once the three gunas of Satva, Rajasa and Tamasa which are responsible for the ration of old age and death, then the Beings break away from the chains of Samsara and attain Salvation.). Maam cha yopyabhichaarena Bhakti yogena sevatey, (He who worships me with unreserved devotion would cross the barriers of the three Gunaas of Satva, Rajas and Tamas and would become eligble to step int the ‘Parama Brahma Sthiti’or Highest Salvation!) Dambho darpohi maanascha krodhatparaarushya meyvacha, (Partha! Ignorance, arrogance, pretentiousness, egotism, anger and self-image are all natural phenomena of Asuras). Trividham narakasyedam dwaaram naasana maatmanah, (The three enemies of human beings viz. Kama (desire), Krodha (fury) and Lobha (avarice) are the destroyers of one’s own Soul and are the Entry Points of Naraka; that is why the intelligent persons avoid these).The ignorance of the elephant misdirected him and taming was accomplished by affection, peacefulness, humility and character. The Seventeenth Chapter of Bhagavad Gita viz. Shraddhatraya Vaibhava Yoga was illustrated by the Story of King Khangabahu of Simhala Dwipa, his servant Dussahana and their elephant. Once Dussahana drove the elephant in a race, made it run too fast by poking it by an ‘Ankusha’and out of annoyance the animal dropped Dussahana dead. The servant in his next birth was born as an elephant and was born in the same Royal Court. The new elephant (Dusshahana) was gifted by the King to a Poet who in turn sold it to the King of Malwa for a good price. But on reaching Malwa, the elephant took suddenly ill and lied down without food and water. Many experts treated the elephant but to no avail. Medicines, charities and prayers did not help but finally a Brahmana recited the Senventeenth Chapter of Gita and the elephant got recovered and slowly stood up only to collapse and die. The Brahmana who recited the Chapter explained that the dead elephant in his earlier birth he was servant Dusshana and as a result of the holy recitation he attaned Moksha. King of Malwa continued the reading of the Seventeenth Chapter and attained Sayujya there after. Satvaanu rupa sarvaswa shraddhaa bhavati Bharata, (Arjuna! The features and ways of life are normally shaped in every human being by his own ‘swabhhava’ or personal traits). Sarva Karmanyapi sadaa kurvaano madvyapaashrayah, (Do accomplish the everlasting and indestructible ‘Parama pada’ by performing the needful ‘Karmas’ and keeping complete faith in me). |
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