Puranas

Dharmo rakshati rakshitah (Dharma protects those who protect it)
The Puranas
A compact, English-only version of the Major 18 Puranas in one document
(overview of 18 pa-Puranas, and !8 additional Puranas - "#$%
Issue 1, Draft 1
Compiled by the Dharmic Scriptures Team October 3, 2002
Ano Bhadraha Kritavayo Yantu Vishwataha (Let noble thoughts come rom every side) ! "g Veda
Vishva Dharma ki #ay$ (Victory to %niversal Dharma$)
Inde !
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Introduction
At present& there is no single place where Dharmins ('(indus)) can go to download and read ALL their scriptures *+ ,(-*" -+,*"-,Y. +umerous sites e/ist that provide portions o scriptures and0or commentary on scriptures& but no single website has thus ar undertaken the immense task o posting all scriptures o 1anatana Dharma (2(indu3ism4). ,here are three goals o this e ort5 6) ,he short3term goal (738 years) o this pro9ect is to collect& organi:e& publish (online and in hardcopy) and disseminate knowledge o all Dharmic scriptures throughout the world. ;) ,he intermediate3term goal (83< years) o this pro9ect is to glean the best knowledge and wisdom rom all these scriptures and rom other sources (modern e/perience& ideas) into a single& uni ied holy book or Dharmins ! ,he Dharma Veda. ,his book will act as a guide or Dharmins and as an inde/ into all the supporting scriptures. %nlike the Bible and =uran o >hristianity and *slam respectively& the Dharma Veda will +?, be a closed canon 3 ro:en in time based upon mindless dogmas. *t will be updated on a regular basis with the input o the Dharmasya (global Dharmic community). ,he essence o Dharma is ,ruth and %niversal Law ! it is +?, dogma or blind belie (as is the case with @atas such as >hristianity and *slam). ,he term AmataA means a belie & view or opinion and (A1 +?,(*+B ,? D? C*,( D(A"@A. ,here ore& it is important to e/plain to non3Dharmins that 1anatana Dharma is based on the ,ruth and is there ore a much higher concept than a 'religion). Dor the purposes o conversation& we can re er to Dharma as a religion& but it is then necessary or the Dharmin to educate the non3Dharmin as to the higher meaning and greater ,ruth o Dharma.
7) ,he long3term goal (< years and beyond) o this pro9ect is to leverage the Dharma Veda to bring about a Blobal Dharmic "enaissance that will leave no nation untouched. ,he world needs a more robust& more sophisticated 'religion) to practice and the time or 1anatana Dharma has come. ,he ;6st century may become the Dharmic >entury a ter all$
,hank you& Dharmic 1criptures ,eam
Sources!
6) Cebsite5 www.urday.com
1 )rahma Purana
,his Eurana contains F >hapters as ollows.
1&1
'ord #rahma
,his chapter contains G sections5
6.6.6 A Ero ile o Brahma9i

APPEARANCE OF BRAHMAJI According to the scriptures& Brahma9i was born on the lotus that had arisen rom the navel o eternal ommipresent Lord +arayan Vishnu. During the period o deluge (Eralaya) all the creations was destroyed and the creatures that had gone into @aharloka (the ourth o the upper worlds according to the Euranas)& take birth again on the earth as per their deeds. Bod who keeps an account o the innumerable deeds o those inumerable creatures and arrange or their incarnations is called Brahma.
6.6.; 1criptural Appearance o Brahma9i

Scriptures describe the appearance of Brahmaji thus: CHATURMUKHD VEDADHARAH SAKSHASUTRA KAMANDALUH | HANSARUDHO RAKTAVASA BRAHMALOKA PITAMAH || Meaning: He has four heads, holds Vedas, Rosary, Yagyopavita (Sacred thread and !amandalu (bo"l # "ears red cothes and rides a s"an$ He is none other than Brahmaji, grandfather of all of us$
6.6.7 Dour (eads o Brahma9i

Brahmaji is sho"n "ith four heads, Besides being the creator of the universe, Brahmaji is a deponent of the deeds of all the creatures as "ell, alloting the creatures various incarnations as per their deed is duty of Brahmaji$ Hence the full %no"ledge of a creatures deed is an indispensable precondition before deciding an incarnation for it$ &nly then full justice could be assured for a creature$ Hence to loo% around in all the directions, Brahmaji is sho"n "ith the four heads$
6.6.F Chite Beard o Brahma9i

Brahma9i is the great grand ather o all o us. (ence his appearance must match his status. 1ince antiHuity& in a single day o Brahma9i no one knows how many members o creatures take birth and die. ,he period since antiHuity can be calculated according to astrology. 1ince Brahma9i has such an eternal e/istance& his appearance must correspondend to his eternity as well& so that eeling o respect could naturally arise among the people or him. (ence& Lord Brahma is shown with a white beard.
6.6.8 1wan as a Vehicle

1wan is a white bird. Bod has bestowed it with uniHue virtues. Virtues that are not to be ound in any creature o the eighty3 our lakh incarnations& their virtue is +--"A3K1(--"A V*V-KA& that is& i milk is mi/ed with water& a swan is capable o separating milk rom water and taking it re9ecting the water. *t is an indication o Brahma9i that every creature deserves a ull 9ustice regarding his deeds & no matter how much entangled it might be. ,here should not be any ado in the 9ustice. Eeople must also learn rom it that they should imbibe only the valuable part o a thing and discard the worthless. ?nly then they could be regarded as a doer o good deeds and thus receive honour in the society.
6.6.I Eurpose o (olding Vedas

Brahmaji is also sho"n as holding Vedas is one of his hands "hy' (t is natural to be curious about it$ Vedas are undoubtedly the most ancient scriptures in the "ord$ )ven the great deluge (*ralaya could not destroy Vedas for almighty Brahma himself had ta%en incarnation to save Vedas during deluge$ Hence Vedas have no beginning and no end$ Besides Vedas also remind Brahmaji of the previous !alpa (the grand period that includes all the four Yugas $ Vedas also teach us that everything is destructible, only the truth can not be destroyed$ Hence in the carnation of destructible body, never forget the indestructible, eternal, almighty *aramatma because every other thing in the "orld is bound to be destroyed one day$
6.6.< "osary in 1econd (and

+he great grandfather of all the creatures ,ord Brahma teaches by his appearance that the human incarnation is not just for the mundane jobs$ (nstead among the mundane jobs, human being must %eep on remembering the almighty *aramatma$ Because "ithout reciting the name of almighty -od "elfare of any human being is simply not possible$ Hence, by the rosary in second hand Brahmaji teaches that, al"ays %eep on telling the name of almighty -od, for your "elfare$ (t is therefore "ritten also . JAPATA SIDDHIH JAPATASIDDHIH JAPATASIDHIH NASANSHAYAH Meaning : &ne gets perfection only in the name of almighty -od, there is no doubt in it$ Hence, comprehensing these things human being must %eep on reciting and telling the name of omnipresent -od "hether he is moving, or sitting, eating or drin%ing and sleeping or a"a%ening$
6.6.J Kamandalu (>oconut 1hell Bowl)

JALAMEV JEEVANAM ,hat is water is li e. Cater is the basic physical element that caused the whole creation to e/ist. ,he coconut shell bowl (Kamandalu) held by Brahma9iK also holds water& thus depicting the hassle ree e/istence and continuence o the whole creation.
6.6.G 1eat o the Lotus

Lotus is the seat or Lord Brahma Lotus also adorns the hand o Lord Vishnu and is an essential item to worship Lord 1hiva. -very one knows that the lotus grows rom the muck. ,hus& it teaches that inspite o being born o the muck be as pure as possible. *ncluding humans& all creatures are born out o the muck called passion and illusion. ,hey are unable to ree themselves rom these two. ,hus the lotus seat o Brahma9i teaches that regardless o origin one must strive to be as ree and pure as possible rom the in luences o oneAs origin. *n another words& humans must obtain themselves rom the passion and illusion o the world despite being surrounded by them.
1&!
(oddess )arasvati
,his chapter contains 7 sections5
6.;.6 Appearance o 1arasvati

Literally& 1araswati means 1A"A( 3 Knowledge& 1,(A+A@YA1YA( A1,*,*. ,hus& 1araswati is the goddess who rules all kinds o knowledge without worshipping her no one can be a learned person. (ence ollowers o other religious also worship 1araswati& though the name and appearance may di er slightly. Appearance o 1araswati is thus described in the scriptures 5 SHUKLAM BRAMHAVICHARASA RA PARMADYAM JAGADVYAPINEEM VEENAPUSTAK DHARINIMABHAYADAM JADYANDHAKARA PAHAM | HASTE SPHATIKA MALIIKAM VIDADHI PADMASANE SAMSTHITAM | VANDE TAM PARAME SHVAREEM BHAGWATEEM BUDDHI PRADAY SHARDAM || ,eanin9 ! Cearer o the white clothes giver o the power to re lect the essence o Brahma& supreme power& holder o veena (Lyre)& book& beaded rosarry& the benevolent Boddess is seated on a lotus. * respect ully pray the Boddess who gives us knowledge.
6.;.; 1igni icance o Book and Veena (Lyre)

+oted sage Bhartrihari writes that without literature and music& a man is not more than an animal. (ence the book and veena in the hands o 1araswati teach that i the humans wish to do away with their bruteness& knowledge o literature and music is must or them. (ence& Boddess 1araswati is shown with a book and Veena the symbols o literature and music respectively.
6.;.7 Beaded "osary

,he ultimate goal o knowledge is salvation. 1alvation is possible only with uni ication with Bod. And rosary is a means or uni ication with Bod. But why a rosary o white beads onlyL *t is so because white beads depict
spotless purity. ,hus it teaches us to rise above the blemishes o passion& anger& greed& ego& lust& envy& enimity etc. and make our mind as spotless as the beads. 1imilar teaching are given by the the lotus seat and swan vehicle o the Boddess 1araswati.
1&*
'ord +ishnu
6.7.6 Appearance o Lord Vishnu

Corship o Lord Vishnu is e/tremely essential or those who wish to receive the supreme salvation. A common rule o worship is that the worshipper must essentially have the virtues o the worshipped. (ence& Lord Vishnu gives his virtues through physical appearance.
6.7.; "e lection o 1criptural Appearance

SHANTAKARAM BHUJANGASHAYANAM PADMANABHAM SURESHAM VISHWADHARAM GAGAN SADRISHAM MEGHAVARNAM SHUBHANGAM| LAKSHMIKANTAN KAMALNAYANAM YOGIMIRDHYANA GAMYAM VANDE VISHNUM BHAVA BHAYAHARAM SARVA LOKAIKNATHAM || ,eanin9! * worship that Lord Vishnu who has a peace ul body (postures)K who rests on 1heshanaga (the mighty serpant 3 cobra)K who has a lotus in his navel& who is the base o the world& who is like the skyK who has a colour like cloud& who is the lord o Lakshmi (wealth)K who has eyes like lotusK who is seen by yogis in their meditationK who is the remover o all the di erences and who is the only Lord o all the three Lokas (Corlds)& * worship such Lord Vishnu.
6.7.7 1cienti ic Depiction o Vishnu)s Appearance

*t is a common principle the worshipper should be a Deva (Bod) irst and worship the Bod then& Let us re lect the appearance o Lord Vishnu in light o this principle. ,he irst virtue o Lord Vishnu is his peace ul appearance. (ence his worshipper must also acHuire peace ul appearance. ,his is also the need o the hour in the world that is presently ull o con licts& disputes& tensions and all that could pose a potential danger to the earth itsel . Despite having all kinds o wealth and lu/uries people are devoid o peace. (ence& all the worshippers who want peace& must irst re lect the peace ul appearance o Lord Vishnu.
6.7.F Chy does Lord Vishnu rest on 1heshanagaL

,he second virtue (resting on the 1heshanaga) must be considered as the sub3virtue o the peace ul appearance. 1criptures describe 1heshanaga as Kala also. 1heshanaga is supposed to be a highly poisonous snake. But Lord Vishnu is resting on him without ear or worries. *t teaches us not to lose patience even while acing the kala itsel K instead one must strive to ride on it& only then can one remain in peace ul appearance. * the ear overpowers you& it may shatter your peace. ,he worshippers who want salvation are being indicated to be peace ul in every circumstances.
6.7.8 Chy is Lotus in the +avelL

,he third virtue o Lord Vishnu is that he bears a lotus on his navel&hence he is also known as Eadmanabham. Drom the lotus rises Lord Brahma. Brahma has only royal virtues ("a9oguna). ,hus to remain in peace ul orm Lord Vishnu has discarded all the royal virtues through his navel. 1imilarily he has made the snake& which has ,amoguna (virtue o darkness)& his seat& ,hus only 1atoguna (Virtue o the truth) remains with him& and Bod became 1hantakaram (acHuired a peace ul orm). (ence& i a worshipper wishes to be in peace ul orm& he must irst discard the virtues o royality and darkness.
6.7.I Chy does Vishnu stay in the 1ea o @ilkL

Be ore attempting to solve the problems& let us irst give a thought to the oceans also. All the oceans& as we know are huge bodies o 1aline water. (ow is then the sea o milkL A couplet o >hanakyaneeti e/plains it thus 5 KA CHINTA MAM JIVANE YADI HARIIVISHVAMMBHARO GEEYATE NO CHEDARBHAKA JIVANAY JANANISTANYAM KATHM NIRMYET | ITYALOCHYMUHURMUHURYADUPATE LAKSHMIPATE KEWAL TVATPADAMSHUJASEVANEN SATATAM KALOMAYA NEEYATE ||
,eanin9! * Bod (ari Vishnu is known as V*1(VA@B(A" ( eeder o the world) * need not worry or anything in the world. * he were not there& where the milk would come rom in the breast o a mother be ore childAs birth. 1o Bod illed the breast o a new mother with complete ood that is milk. *t is clear rom the above e/ample that Lord Vishnu assumes di erent orms 9ust to eed all the creatures in the world& o these di erent orms o the Bod& the milk is one. Acording to another principle o scriptures& Bod is present in every grain. (ence he is also present in the milk also. *t is also the supreme duty o the humankind to maintain the original pure orm o the milk& because the milk is prone to damage Huickly. 1imilarily& all these desirious o 1alvation& must ollow Vaishnava religion& otherwise any deviation in it may damage all o their penance.
6.7.< "eason or holding the Cheel

,he amous 1udarshana >hakra (wheel) is whirling on the inger o Lord Vishnu. ,hrough this wheel& Bod teaches the human kind that the cycle o the universe is whirling at his will. * anybody tries to go against his will (i.e. wheel) or gives up religion and begins to behave irreligiously& * will whirl him like the wheel or punish him with the wheel.
6.7.J "eason or holding the >onch

Chite colour and sound are the main virtues o the conch. ,hrough the colour o the conch& Bod Vishnu teaches us to ollow the path o the truth. ,he sound is like a warning call that is i path o truth is not ollowed& the violater will be challenged and punished. ,hus. -ither by ear o by any other thing& ome must ollow the path o truth.
6.7.G Eurpose o Kaustubhamani

Kaustubha is the best 9ewel among all the gems. ?ne who bears it& must be gentle& knowledgable& virtuous etc. ,hus& bearing Kaustubha @ani& Bod preaches the common people that i they wish to develop all these virtues in them& they will have to move towards this gem once advanced& they will eel the eternal light in li e and desired uni ication with Bod and ultimate salvation.
6.7.6M Chy does Lord Vishnu hold a @aceL

@ace is a weapon that shows and dares or the physical strength. *t was used by the ighters to demonstrate their strength. Among all the ancient weapons& mace was the main. *t application is pro usely seen in the epics like "amayana& @ahabharata by physically power ul and strong characters like (anumana N Bheema. ,hus with the mace& Bod warns anti social elements that i they try to violate the sanctity o religion and torment his devotees& (e will punish them. ,ulsidas too writes about the reasons or incarnation o Bod. JAB!JAB HOHI DHARAMA KI HANI" HARHINATH SAJJANA KAI PEERA | Bod takes various incarnations to protect his devotees.
6.7.66 Chy is Baruda (-agle) the Vehicle o VishnuL

Baruda (eagle) is said to be the king o the birds. *t is the earest o bird. ,hus Bod is assuring his devotees to be earless& because i any calamity be ell them& he will reach them in no time.
1&,
(oddess 'a-mi
6.F.6 Chy Boddess La/mi presses the eet o BodL

Boddess Lakshmi presents an e/ample o an ideal spouse be ore the world.,he supreme duty o a woman is described in the service o her husband. 1econd aspect o the message is or the people who want to get rich& that i they want the wealth& they must develop a devotion or the eet o +arayana& or Lakshmi (Boddess o wealth) is to be ound there and no where else.
6.F.; "eason or LiHuidity o La/mi

,he better hal o Lord Vishnu can never be reakish& because 1atoguna is the main virtue o Lord Vishnu. *n the pro/mity o Bod whose main virtue is 1atoguna& no one can remain reakish. But the material wealth& that is Bold& and silver& have mobility as their main virtue. ,hus the rich people who have these wealths may be reakish& but not Lakshmi the beloved o Bod Vishnu.
6.F.7 Chy is the owl the vehicle o La/miL

?wl is the vehicle o goddess Lakshmi. An owl canAt see in the day& (ence& Lakshmi visits the house o those devotees who only worship her& on her vehicle owl. And she visits the home o those devotees who worship Lord Vishnu irst and then her& with Vishnu riding his vehicle Baruda. *t also implies that at places where black3money is main& Lakshmi rides an owl. 1uch a wealth canAt be put in the service o nation& people religion etc& or in any worthy task& instead it is sHuandered in abhorant deeds. 1ince owl is a bird that sees in the darkness alone& and darkness sumboli:es ignorance. Because o ignorance& money is generated in wrong ways and spent in wrong deeds. ,hus owl is a symbol o black money and misdeeds.
2 Padma Purana
,his Eurana contains 8 >hapters as ollows5
1econd among the eighteen Euranas& Eadma Eurana contains ive parts3 1rishtikhand& Bhumikhand& 1wargkhand& Eatalkhand and %ttarkhand. 6) Srishti:hand contains an e/planation o metaphysical knowledge in a dialogue style between Bheeshma and the sage Eulastya. *t contains a description o Eushkar ,irth. 1urprisingly& this part ridicules the worship o the planets (Brahas). ;) )humi:hand has a description o the earth& besides the tales o the kings like Erithu& +ahush& Yayati& Erabhriti and the sages like 1hiva Varma& suvrata and >hyvan. Dor its description o the earth and archaic matter& this part is o ten regarded as the geography and the history o a period. 7) S;ar9a:hand describes the seHuence o creation irst and then the glory o the holy places as well as the geographical e/pansion o *ndia along with her mountains& rivers and the people. F) Patal:hand 3 1uta9i narrates the tales related to the li e and plays o Lord "ama in an assembly o the sages. ,his part also contains a description about the li e and plays o Lord Krishna. 8) $ttar:hand contains a discussion about the metaphysical knowledge o religion presented in a dialogue style between Lord 1hiva and Earvati. ,his part also contains thousand names o Lord Vishnu and one hundred names o Lord "ama.
!&1
)hrishti.hand
,his chapter contains 6I sections. (aving revealed the contents o all the Euranas to his son %grashrava& 1age Lomaharshan instructed him to go to A+aimisharanyaA and spread it among the sages doing penance over there. ,here is an interesting tale how this sacrosanct orest o +aimish derived itAs name 33 ?nce& the sages sought Lord VishnuAs help in inding a suitable place& where they could per orm their religious activities unhindered. Lord Vishnu released his chakra and instructed them to ollow it. A,his chakra had many circum erences (+emi) and all o you can commence your penance at the place where one o them gets detached rom the chakraA 333said Lord Vishnu. ,he 1ages ollowed the chakra as per the instruction o Lord Vishnu. ?nce o the circum erences o chakra got detached and ell at a place called Bangavarta. *n course o time this particular place was amous as A+aimishA because the term A+emiA in 1anskrit means circum erence. Chen %grashrava who was popularly known as A1ut9iA reached A+aimisharnyaA all the sages received him with enlighten all the sages on the divine tales o Eadma Euran. 1ut9i replied333 Eadma Euran consists o ive sections and i ty3 ive thousand shlokas. ,he names o these sections are 1hrishti3Khand& Bhumi3Khand& 1warg Khand& Eatal Khand and %ttam3Khand. ,he tales o Eadma3 Euran praise the glory o Lord Vishnu. ,hese tales were narrated to Lord Brahma by Lord Vishnu himsel & who in turn propagated them in this world through various sages.
;.6.6 ,he Beginning o >reation

,he 1ages reHuested 1ut9i to narrate about the incident when sage Eulastya had met Bhishma. 1ut9i replied3333 Bhishma was doing penance at a place called Bangadwar. Being pleased by his austere penance& Lord Brahma instructed Eulastya to go to Bangadwar and bless Bhishma. A ter reaching there& Eulastya told Bhishma that Lord Brahma was pleased by his penance. AAsk any boon you wish orA said Eulastya. Bhishma thanked his good ortune o getting a chance to meet 1age Eulastya. (e reHuested Eulastya to reveal how Lord Brahma had created the world. Eulastya replied333 During the initial phase o his creation& Lord Brahma created the @ahattatva irst o all. A ter
that he created the three types o -go rom the @ahattatva3331atva& "a9as and ,amas. ,hese three types o -go are the origins o all the ive sense3organs& organs o action and all the ive basic elements33space& water& ire& air N earth. An enormous egg came into e/istence with the permutation and combination o these ive basic elements. Cithin this egg e/ists the whole universe including the mountains& islands& oceans& planets& deities& demons and the human beings. ,he layers o water& ire& air& space and darkness envelop this enormous egg. ,hese elements are once again covered by the A@ahattatvaA& which in turn is enveloped by the AErakritiA (nature). Lord Vishnu himsel does creation in the orm o Lord Brahma and also takes various incarnations to protect the mankind. At the end o the Kalpa& it is only (e& who annihilates in the orm o "udra. A ter the end o Kalpa& he takes rest on the back o 1heshnag or the ull period o deluge.
;.6.; Lord Brahma)s Li e31pan and the >hronological ?rder o the '-ras)
Eulastya says333Lord Brahma& the embodiment o Lord Vishnu has a li e3span o one hundred years. (is li e3span is also called AEarA& and hal o its period is known as AEarardhaA. ?ne AKashthaA consists o 68 +imesha while a Kala consists o 7M AKashthasA. A muhurta consists o 7M Kalas. ,he periods o 7M muhurtas are eHual to one day and +ight o the human beings. A month o this world is eHuivalent to 7M days and nights. 1i/ months make an AAyanA and a year consists o two AAyansA. ,hese two AAyansA are also known by two other names333Dakshinayan and %ttarayan. Dakshinayan is the night o the deities where as %ttarayan is their day. Dour yugas are eHuivalent to twelve thousand years o the deities& which occur in a cyclic order3331atya& ,reta& Dwapar and Kaliyuga. ,he periods o these yugas are as ollows333 1atya Yuga O FMMM years ,reta Yuga O 7MMM years Dwapar Yuga O ;MMM years Kali Yuga O 6MMM years ,otal O 6M&MMM years -ach yuga is ollowed by the hibernation periods o A1andhyaA and 1andhyansh& which are as ollows33 1andhya 1andhyansh 1atya Yuga FMM FMM ,reta Yuga 7MM 7MM Dwapar Yuga ;MM ;MM Kali Yuga 6MM 6MM ,otal 6MMM years 6MMM years
Dour Yuga are collectively known as A>haturyugaA. A BrahmaAs day consists o one3thousand such A>haturyugasA. Altogether& ourteen @anu appear during this whole period o 6MMM >haturgas or in other words a day o Lord Brahma. -ach A@anvantarA is named a ter a @anu and is eHuivalent to little more than <6 >haturyugas. *t also has its own *ndra& 1aptarishis and other deities. ,his way& a manvantar is also eHuivalent to J&8;&MMM years o the deities or divine years. Boing by the standard o the years o this world a manvantar is eHuivalent to 7M&I<&;M&MMM years. ?n the basis o the years o this world& a BrahmaAs day is eHuivalent to 7M&I<&;M&MMM / 6F O F&;G&FM&JM&MMM yrs. ,his is the period a ter which a BrahmaAs day is over and a deluge takes place when all the three worlds becomes devoid o li e due to unbearable heat. Lord Brahma then takes rest or the same period (F&;G&FM&JM&MMM yrs) which is his night. A ter the night is over& Lord Brahma again commences his creation. 1o& this process continues or the whole period o BrahmaAs li e span& i.e. 6MM yrs.P Bheeshma reHuested 1age Eulastya to describe how Lord Brahma created li e in the beginning o the present Kalpa. Eulastya replied333 At the end o the previous kalpa when Lord Brahma awakened rom his sleep& he ound the whole earth submerged in water. (e meditated on Lord Vishnu& who took the incarnation o AVarahA and retrieved the earth and established it in its original position. Lord Brahma then created all the our worlds33Bhurloka& Bhuvarloka& 1wargloka and @aharloka and divided the earth into seven islands. Dirst o all& Lord Brahma created the A@ahattatvaA. A ter that he created the A,anmatrasA& *ndriyas (sense3organs)& the immovable things like mountains& rivers& animals& deities& demons& human beings etc.
;.6.7 ,he Dour Erominent >astes

?n being asked by Bhishma about the origin o the our prominent castes& 1age Eulastya said333 Lord Brahma created the Brahmins and the Kshatriyas rom his mouth and chest respectively. 1imilarly& Vaishyas and 1hudras mani ested rom Lord BrahmaAs thigh and eet respectively.Lord Brahma had created his AmanasputrasA with the ob9ective o increasing the population and their names were Bhrigu& Eulah& Kratu& Angira& @arichi& Daksha& Atri and Vashishth. But all o them were ree rom worldly desires and e/tremely virtuous. 1eeing his e ort go in vain& Lord Brahma became urious& as a result o which "udra mani ested rom his orehead. (al o "udraAs body resembled like a male while the remaining hal appeared like a emale.Lord Brahma instructed "udra to detach the emale orm rom his body and commence copulative creation. Dollowing his advice& "udra detached the emale part o his body and created eleven male entities. 1imilarly he created various emale entities rom the emale part o his body. ,his way& the irst human pair3@anu and 1hatarupa came into e/istence. *n course o time our children were born to them333Eriyavrata& %ttanpad& Erasuti and Aakuti. Erasuti was married to Daksha Era9pati& while Aakuti became the wi e o "uchi3Era9apati. Erasuti gave birth to ;F daughters33 1hraddha& La/mi& Dhriti& Eushti& ,ushti& @edha& Kriya& Buddhi& La99a& Vapu& 1hanti& Keerti& Khyati& 1ati& 1ambhuti& 1mriti& Ereeti& Kshama& 1antati& Ansuya&%r9a& 1waha and 1wadha. ?ut o them& the ormer thirteen were the wives o Dharma and the rest were married to various sages like Bhrigu& 1hiv& @arichi& Angira& mysel (Eulastya)& Eulaha& Kratu& Atri& Vashishth Agni& etc.1hraddha gave birth to AKaamA& La/mi to ADaarpa& Dhriti to +iyam& ,ushti to 1antosh& Eushti to Lobha& @edha to 1hrut& Kriya to Dand& +ay and Vinay& Buddhi to Bodh& La99a to Vinay& Vapu to Vyavasay& 1hanti to Kshama& 1iddhi to 1ukh and Keerti gave birth to Yash. All o them were the sons o Dharma. Kaam had a son named (arsh rom his wi e +andi& BhriguAs wi e Khyati gave birth to a daughter named La/mi33 the consort o Lord Vishnu. Lord "udra accepted 1ati33the daughter o Daksha Era9apati as his wi e. (insa was the wi e o Adharm and gave birth to Anrit and +ikriti. Anrit had two sons333@aya and +arak& while +ikriti had two daughters33@aaya and Vedana. @aaya married @aya while Vedana became the wi e o +arak. @aaya had a son named @rityu33the lord o death and Vedana gave birth to Dukh. Dive children were born to @rityu33Vyadhi& #ara& 1hok& ,rishna and Krodha. All o them were celibates and had no progeny.
;.6.F ,he @ani estations o Boddess La/mi

Bheeshma e/pressed his desire to know about the mani estation o goddess La/mi. Eulastya replied33 ?nce& a ter being de eated by the demons& the deities went to Lord Vishnu and sought his help. Lord Vishnu instructed them to collect all the medicinal herbs& and put them in the Ksheersagar& so that a ter the churning o the ocean ambrosia could be retrieved.Lord Vishnu also advised them to use the @andar mountain as a >hurner and the serpent331heshnag as a rope or churning the ocean.,he deities then reached an agreement with the demons according to which both the groups were supposed to unitedly churn the ocean. ,he great @andar mountain was uprooted and placed on the back o the tortoise33the embodiment o Lord Vishnu. 1heshnag coiled around that mountain and both the ends were held by the demons and the deities respectively. ,he deities intelligently chose the tail3end& while the demons in their oolishness chose the mouth3end. ,he vemon spilled by 1heshnag destroyed the power and strength o the demons. Chen the process o >hurning began& the irst thing to emerge rom the sea3bed was Kaamdhenu33the holy cow. ,he deities claimed the ownership o this divine cow. 1ubseHuently& Vaaruni (into/icating drink) emerged rom the sea3bed& which was claimed by the ignorant demons. During the process o ocean3churning& various kinds o things emerged out rom the ocean33 Eari9at& si/ty crore apsaras& the moon and the Kaalkut (poison)& which were distributed among the demons and the deities. Lord @ahadev drank the Kaalkut when he saw that there was no taker or it. ,he churning o ocean also resulted into the mani estation o ambrosia3pot& %chchaishrava (horse) and -ravat (elephant). %ltimately& goddess La/mi mani ested hersel & seated on a lotus. ,he deities eulogised her by chanting the mantras o 1ri 1ukta. ,he deities were desirous o having goddess La/mi on their side& so were the demons& but Lord Brahma instructed Vishnu to accept her as his consort. ,he demons became urious and snatched the ambrosia3pot rom the hands o 1age Dhanvantari. Lord Vishnu then disguised himsel as the most enchanting woman and ooled the demons into giving back the ambrosia3pot. Lord Vishnu gave the pot to the deities who became immortal a ter drinking ambrosia. A tremendous battle was ought between the demons and the deities. But& the demons were de eated in this battle and led to the netherworld to protect their lives. ,he deities eulogised Lord Vishnu and returned to heaven.
;.6.8 1ati gives up her Li e

?n being enHuired by Bheeshma about the reason why 1ati gave up her li e& 1age Eulastya narrated the ollowing tale 3333 ?nce& Daksha Era9apati had organised a grand yagya in which he had invited everybody e/cept Lord 1hiva. ,his Yagya was presided over by our prominent sages333Vashishth& Angika& Vrihaspati and +arad. 1ati went to attend the yagya despite Lord 1hivaAs reluctance to send her. A ter reaching there she asked Daksha about the reason why he had not invited Lord 1hiva. Daksha said333PYour husband is unworthy o being in the company o other deities& because o his abhorrent appearance. (e smears ashes on his body and wanders through the cremation grounds. *n the name o clothes& your husband puts on tigerAs skin. A garland o skulls keep on hanging down his neck. All species o serpents coil around his body. Do you think he is eligible to sit in the company o the deitiesL Your husband had brought great shame on me and this is the reason why * did not invite him.P 1ati could no more listen to her husbandAs criticism and gave up her li e by 9umping into the oblation3 ire.Chen the news o 1atiAs death reached Lord 1hiva& he became e/tremely urious and sent his ganas to avenge her death. ,he Banas went and created havoc at the oblation3site.A ter the death o 1ati& Lord 1hiva became a recluse and lost all interest in his li e. (is mind was preoccupied by nothing else but the thoughts o her beloved.?ne day& 1age +arad in ormed Lord 1hiva about 1atiAs rebirth as the daughter o (imvan and @ena. Lord 1hiva became e/tremely pleased by this good news. -ventually& he reunited with her eternal consort Earvati.
;.6.I ,he ?rigin o Deities& Demons and 1erpents

Bheeshma reHuested 1age Eulastya to e/plain how di erent entities like the deities& demons and serpents came into being. Eulastya replied333(aving ailed in his repeated attempts o increasing population by the means o AsankalpaA Daksha Era9apati was le t with no option but to take the help o copulative creation. (e begot si/ty daughters rom his wi e named Virini. *n course o time ten o them were married to Dharma whose names were333Arundhati& Vasu& #ami& Lamba& Bhanu& @arutvati& 1ankalpa& @uhurta& 1aadhya and Vishwa.Vishwa gave birth to Vishwadeva& while 1aadhyaa was the mother o 1addhya. @arutvati gave birth to @arutvan. Vasu had eight sons who became amous as the Vasus333yoursel (Bheeshma)& Dhruv& 1oma& Dhar& Anil& Anal& Eratyush and Erabhas. Bhanu had a son by the same name i.e. Bhanu. @ahurta begot deities& who were the lords o auspicious moments. Lamba gave birth to Bhosh while #ami had a daughter named +agvithi. Arundhati became the mother o all the creatures o this world. As ar as the o spring o eight Vasus are concerned& AyouA (Bheeshma) have our sons331hant& Vaitand& 1amb and @unibabhru. Dhruv had a son named Kaal. Chile 1oma was the ather o Varcha. Dhar had two sons33Dravin and (avyavaah. Anil had three sons333 Eran& "aman and 1hishir. Anal also had three sons3331hakh& %pshakh and +aigameya. Eratyush had a son named Deval& who later on became a amous sage. Erabhas was the ather o Era9apati Vishwakarma33the architect o the deities. ,he names o the eleven "udras are333A9aikpad& Ahirbudhnya& Virupaksh& "aivat& (ar& Bahuroop& ,rayambak& 1avitra& #ayant& Einaki and Apara9it. All o them are said to be the lords o the Banas and have all together JF crore progenies known as the "udraganas. 1age Kashyap had thirteen wives333Aditi& Diti& Danu& Arishta& 1ursa& 1urabhi& Vinta& ,amra& Krodhvasha& *ra& Kadru& Khasa and @uni. Kashyap had two sons rom Diti333(iranyakashipu and (iranyaksha. (iranyakashipu had our sons333Erahlad& Anuhlad& 1anhlad and (lad. Erahlad also had our sons333?ne o them was Virochan. Virochan was the ather o Bali. Vanasur& who had one thousand arms& was the eldest son o Bali.(iranyaksha had our sons& who themselves had ;< crore sons and grandsons in all. Kashyap had begotten one hundred sons rom Danu& among whom Viprachitti was the most power ul.Viprachitti had ourteen sons rom 1inhika333 1ainhikeya ("ahu)& Kansa& 1hankh& +ala& Vatapi& *lwal& +amuchi& Khasrima& An9an& +arak& Kaalnaabh& Earmanu& Kalpavirya and Dhanuvanshavivardhan. Kashyap also had si/ daughters rom ,amra331huki& 1hyeni& Bhasi& Bridhi& 1ugridhi and 1huchi. All si/ o them gave birth to various species o birds. 1huki was the mother o Earrots and ?wls. 1hyeni gave birth to hawks while Bhasi was the mother o ospreys (a large ish eating birds.) Bridhi gave birth to Vultures and 1ugridhi was the mother o pigeons. 1huchi was the mother o cranes& 1wans and other similar aHuatic birds. Vinita was the mother o Baruda and Arun3331upreme among birds. Arun was the ather o 1ampati and #atayu.1ursa was the mother o the serpents and had given birth to one thousand snakes. 1imilarly& Kadru gave birth to one thousand cobras.1urabhi& one o the thirteen wives o Kashyap had given birth to cows& bu aloes as well as beauti ul women. @uni was the mother o the celestial damsels 33apsaras. Arishta gave birth to Kinnars and Bandharvas.
*ra was the mother o various vegetation like grass& trees& creepers and bushes. Khasa gave birth to crore o "akshashas (monsters) and Yakshas.Kashyap had also begotten orty3nine @arudganas rom Diti.
;.6.< ,he ?rigin o @arudganas

Bheeshma reHuested 1age Eulastya to describe how all the @arudganas came into e/istence. Eulastya replied333 All the sons and grandsons o Diti had perished in the battle ought between the deities and demons. Diti333the mother o daityas (demons) wanted to take revenge& so she started doing a penance at the bank o river 1araswati& which lasted or 6MM years.Being pleased by her austere penance 1age Kashyap arrived and e/pressed his desire to bless her with a boon. Diti wanted a mighty son who could kill *ndra. 1age Kashyap then implanted his sperms in DitiAs womb and instructed her to remain there (where she had been doing penance) or 6MM years. (e also instructed her on various doAs and donAts which a pregnant woman is e/pected to observe. Diti agreed to ollow his instructions.@ean while& *ndra got wind o her pregnancy and became scared. (e wanted to destroy the oetus at any cost& so he arrived at the place where Diti was staying. (e had disguised himsel to avoid being recogni:ed by Diti. (e engaged himsel in her servitude& waiting or an opportune moment to destroy the oetus. ,his way& ninety3nine years had passed and only three days were remaining a ter which Diti was e/pected to give birth to a son. As the inevitable day approached nearer& *ndra started becoming restless.?ne day& Diti was very tired and ell down asleep. (er hair was untied and her head had stooped down while she was sleeping& 9ust opposite to the instructions Kashyap had given to her. Dinding the moment opportune& *ndra entered into DitiAs womb and cut the oetus into seven pieces with his Va9ra. ,he seven ragments o oetus instantaneously got trans ormed into seven in ants and started wailing. *ndra became urious and once again he attacked them with his va9ra and severed them into seven pieces each. But to *ndraAs sheer ama:ement& there were FG in ants& all wailing loudly. (e tried to stop them rom crying by shouting A@arudA (donAt cry)& but to no avail. *ndra reali:ed that the in ants had attained immortality on account o the AEournamasi VrataA& which Diti had devoutly observed during the course o her penance. *ndra named the in ants as @arudganas and blessed them. (e then begged or DitiAs orgiveness and took her along with the @arudganas to heaven. ,he @arudganas& despite being born in the clans o demons& never associated with them and hence were revered even by the deities.Bheeshma e/pressed his curiosity to know about the detailed description o all the ourteen manvantars. Eulastya said33,he irst manvantar was called 1wayambhuva& named a ter 1wayambhuva3 @anu. Yamya was the prominent deity o this manvantar. @arichi and other si/ prominent sages were the 1aptarishis o this manvantar. 1wayambhuva3 @anu had ten sons333Aaghnigha& Agnibahu& Vibhu& 1avan& #yotishman& Dyutiman& (avya& @edha& @edhatithi and Vasu. ,he second manvantar was named a ter 1warochish33@anu. 1warochish33@anu had our sons33+abh& +abhasya& Erasriti and Bhavan. ,ushit was the prominent deity o this second manvantar. Dattatreya& Atri& >hyavan& 1tanba& Eran& Kashyap and Vrihaspati were the saptarishis o this manvantar. ,he third manvantar was called Autam and derived its name rom Autami @anu& who had ten sons33*sha& %r9& ,anu9& 1huchi& 1hukra& @adhu& @adhav& +abhasya& +abh and 1aha& Bhanusangyak was the prominent deity o this manvantar. 1age %r9 and other si/ sages were the saptarishis then. ,he ourth manvantar was called ,aamas33named a ter ,aamas3manu& who also had ten sons like his predecessor. ,he names o his sons were33Akalmash& ,apodhanva& ,apomool& ,apodhan& ,aporashi& ,apasya& 1utapasya& Earantap& ,apobhagi and ,apoyogi. Kavi& Erithu& Agni& Akapi& Kapi& #anya and Dhama were the 1aptarishis o this manvantar& while 1aadhyagana was the prominent deity. ,he i th manvantar was called "aivat33named a ter "aivat @anu& who had ten sons as well33Varun& ,atvadarshi& chitiman& (avyap& Kavi& @ukt& +irutsuk& 1atva& Vimoh and Erakashak& Bhutra9aa and Erakriti were the two prominent deities o this manvantar and the names o the saptarishis were33Devabahu& 1ubahu& Ear9anya& 1omap& @uni& (iranyaroma and 1aptashva. +e/t arrived the si/th manvantar333>hakshush. ,his @anvantar derived its name rom >hakshush33@anu& who had ten sons and among whom "uru was the most prominent one. Lekh& "ibhu& Erithagbhoot& Varimool and Divau were the prominent deities o this manvantar. ,he names o 1aptarishis were33Bhrigu& 1udhama& Vira9& Vishnu& +arad& Vivaswan and Abhimani.
,he present manvantar& which is the seventh in order& is called Vaivaswat. ,he 1aptarishis o this manvantar are333Atri& Vashishth& Kashyap& Bautam33yogi& Bhardwa9& Vishwamitra and #amdagni. ,he eighth manvantar will be called 1avarnya and will be named a ter 1avarni @anu& 1avarni @anu will have ten sons333Dhriti& Variyan& Yavasu& 1uvarna& Dhrishti& >harishnu& Aadya& 1umati& Vasu and 1hukra. ,he 1aptarishis o this manvantar will be33Ashwatthama& "ishyashringa& Kaushikya& Balav& 1hatanand& Kaashyap and Earashuram. ,he nineth manvantar will be named a ter "uchi33@anu and will be called "auchya manvantar. "uchi33manu will have a son named "auchya. ,he tenth manvantar will be called Bhautya and will derive its name rom Bhautya @anu331on o Bhuti. ,he eleventh& twel th& thirteenth and ourteenth manvantars will be named a ter @erusavarni& "ibhu& Veetdhama and Vishkvasen @anus respectively. All these ourteen @anus successively rule this world or the total period o 6MMM >haturyugas. At the end o Kalpa each o them unite with Lord Brahma.
;.6.J King Erithu and the 1urya Dynasty

Bheeshma enHuired 1age Eulastya about the mighty King Erithu upon whom the earth was named as Erithvi. 1age Eulastya replied333Anga3Era9apati was the descendant o 1wayambhuva @anu and 1unitha was his wi e. *n course o time& 1unitha gave birth to a son& who was named Ven. A ter growing up& Ven turned out to be an e/tremely irreligious person and used to spend his time committing all sorts o immoral deeds. ,he sages tried to bring him to the virtuous path but to no avail. ,hey became urious and cursed Ven as the result o which he died. ,he sages then churned his dead body& which resulted into the mani estation o a mean caste called @lechchha. ,hey kept on churning his body and in the process& an e/tremely virtuous entity mani ested rom the right hand o Ven. (e held various weapons like mace& bow and arrows in his hands. (e was none other than Erithu33the embodiment o Lord Vishnu. A ter being crowned as a king& Erithu was saddened to see the prevalence o immorality throughout the length and breadth o earth. ,he lack o virtuosity and religiousness among the inhabitants o earth made him e/tremely urious. (e decided to destroy the earth. ,he earth became scared and led in the guise o a cow. Erithu chased her wherever she went. At last& the cow halted at a place as she had got tired. ,o save her li e& the cow agreed to ul ill all the desires o Erithu. Erithu then milked the cow& which later on got trans ormed into cereals. 1imilarly all the deities& ancestors and other human3beings milked the cow and received numerous invaluable things. Erithu was a 9ust king. Eeace and prosperity prevailed during his reign. Eeople were religious and ree rom any kind o sorrow. ,he earth is named a ter him as Erithvi.1age Eulastya then went on to give a detailed description o 1urya dynasty333Vivaswan (1urya) had three Hueens3331angya& "agyi and Erabha. "agyi had a son named "aivat while 1omgya was the mother o Vaivaswat33@anu& Yama and Yamuna. ?nce& 1angya being unable to bear the e/treme radiance o 1urya created a super icial entity rom her body and instructed her to act as 1uryaAs wi e in her absence. ,he name o this super icial woman was chhaya& who had two sons and two daughters rom 1urya. ,he names o her sons were 1aavarna33@anu and 1hanaishchar& while the names o her daughters were ,apti and Vishti. 1hanaishchar became immortal as a planet while Yamuna and ,apti became rivers. Vaivaswat @anu had ten sons among whom A*laA was the eldest. A ter appointing *la as his successor& Vaivaswat& manu went to do penance.?nce& *la trans ormed into a woman a ter tresspassing a orest where Lord 1hiva and Earvati were en9oying privacy. *t was Lord 1hivaAs curse that any male who ventured in to that orbidden orest would become a woman. Later on& Buddh became enchanted by *laAs beauty and married her. @eanwhile& when *la did not return to his kingdom& his brother *kshvaku went in search o him. *kshvaku reached the outskirts o the same orest but did not enter it. (e managed to please 1hiva by his devotion. Chen Lord 1hiva appeared& *kshvaku reHuested him to make *la a man once again. 1hiva told him that it was impossible but assured him by saying P* you per orm an Ashwamedha yagya and donate all the virtue thus acHuired to me& then your brother will be able to live as a man or one month. But& a ter one month he will again become a woman. ,hus& his orm will keep on changing every alternate months.P
@eanwhile *la gave birth to our sons among whom %tkal& Baya and (aritashwa were prominent. ,his way& *la became the source rom which the lineage o chandra sprouted.*kshvaku ruled over @adhya3desh. (e had one hundred sons& all o whom ruled the territories situated north o @eru @ountain. *kshvaku also had one hundred and ourteen more sons& who ruled over the areas situated south o @eru.Kakusttha was *kshvakuAs grand3son. Kakusttha had a son named 1uyodhan. 1ome other prominent kings coming rom this lineage were33Erithu& Vrihadashwa& Kuwalashva& Eurukutsu& Dharmasetu& @uchukund& ,ridhanva& ,raidharun& 1atyavrat and 1atyarath. ,he most truth ul king (arishchandra was 1atyarathAs son and "ohit was his son. Damous kings like "aghu& Dilip A9a& Dirghabahu and Era9apati3Dasharath were the descendants o *kshvaku. Dasharath had our sons among whom 1ri "am was the eldest and who had killed the demon king "avana. "am had two sons33Lav and Kush.
;.6.G Bashkali& the Demon king

Bheeshma reHuested 1age Eulastya to reveal Chy Lord Vishnu had to take incarnation as Vaman. 1age Eulastya replied333 ?nce& during 1atyayuga& the demons had de eated the deities and driven them out rom their abode33 heaven. ,he mighty demon& Bashkali was their leader. (e had become immortal an account o a boon received rom Lord Brahma. *ndra went to Lord Brahma and narrated the awe ul tale o the deities. Lord Brahma assured him that Lord Vishnu would certainly help in this matter. Lord Brahma contemplated on Lord Vishnu who appeared in a very short time. Chen& Lord Vishnu came to know about the deitiesAs pitiable condition& he promised them that very soon BashkaliAs wings would be clipped. Lord Vishnu said333PVery soon& * will take incarnation as Vaman. *ndra will have to come along with me and demand a piece o land measured by my three steps. * shall then reveal my giant orm and send him to the patalloka a ter making him bere t o his kingdom. *n course o time Lord Vishnu mani ested as Vaman rom AditiAs womb. (is mani estation was simultaneously marked by various auspicious signs33the air became ull o ragrance& the deities started re9oicing& the trees started shedding lowers on their own and all the desires o living beings were ul illed. Lord Vaman then went to BashkaliAs palace accompanied by *ndra. Both o them marvelled at the grandness o BashkaliAs city& which was surrounded by a high boundary3wall.Bashkali was a very virtuous and benevolent king. (e was truth ul and well versed in all the scripture. (is sub9ect lived in prosperity and en9oyed a long li e.Chen the demons saw *ndra coming with a dwar they in ormed Bashkali. Bashkali instructed the demons to bring both the guests with due respect. Bashkali treated his guests with all honour and asked *ndra about the reason or his sudden arrival. *ndra praised BashkaliAs benevolence and said333P,he short brahmin accompanying me is desirous o a piece o land measured by his three steps.P Bashkali was amused at this ridiculous demand and reHuested Vaman to ask or anything he wished. But& Vaman wanted nothing more than a small piece o land measured by his three steps. 1hukracharya3BashkaliAs guru smelled something ishy and warned him& but he was not to listen. Bashkali then reHuested Vaman to go ahead and measure the land by his three steps.1uddenly& Lord Vaman trans ormed his physiHue into a giant si:e. (is irst step reached the 1urya3loka and his second step touched the dhruva3loka. (e hit the top o the universe with his third step as a result o which water poured down. ,he water got collected and came to be known as Vaishnavi river. But& the land had still not been measured and hence Lord Vaman reminded Bashkali o his vow and ultimately the helpless Bashkali surrendered to the will o Lord Vaman and sought his re uge. Lord Vaman blessed him and sent him to Eatalloka.
;.6.6M 1ri "am kills 1hambuk

A ter killing the demons king "avan& 1ri "am returned to Ayodhya. @any sages had arrived there to bless him on the occasion o his crowning ceremony. 1age Vashishth was one o them.As 1ri "am was conversing with the sages a brahmin arrived there with the corpse o his son and wailed333P? son$ Your death is certainly due to some law o 1ri "am. +ow& your mother and * have decided to give up our lives as there is no point in living.P 1ri "amAs heart was illed with grie and he asked 1age Vashishth as to how the brahmin could be helped. 1age Vashishth revealed to 1ri "am that the brahminAs son had died a premature death because o 1hambuk. Vashishth said33P1hambuk is a 1hudra by birth& but he is doing an austere penance. 1hudras are not entitled to do penance in all the three yugas& e/cept the Kaliyug. 1o& only his death can bring back the brahminAs son alive.P 1ri "am instructed both his younger brothers33La/man and Bharat& to look a ter the stateAs a airs in his absence
and went in search o 1hambuk boarded on his Eushpak Viman.1ri "am saw a man doing penance at the shore o a reservoir. (e landed his Eushpak Viman and went near that man. (e introduced himsel and enHuired about the manAs identity331ri "am asked33Chy are you doing such an austere penance. Cho are youL Cithout moving the man replied that he was a shudra named 1hambuk. (e said3333 * am desirous o attaining to devaloka and hence * am doing this penance.1ri "am took out his sword and severed 1hambukAs head. All the deities hailed 1ri "am and the brahminAs child became alive once again.
;.6.66 @ani estation o Banesh N Kartikeya

?nce& be ore taking her bath& goddess Earvati anointed unguent on her body and while removing it created a human orm rom the accumulated dross. ,he head o this human orm resembled an elephant. Earvati then play ully immersed the human3 orm into river Banga. But& to her sheer ama:ement the human orm became alive and o enormous si:e. 1he accepted him as her son and he was none other than elephant3headed deity3Banesh. ?nce& Lord 1hiva became so deeply ascinated by her consort. Earvati hat he did not come out rom his palace or 6MMM years. ,he deities became worried and sent Agni to ind out the reason. Agni disguised himsel as a parrot and entered the palace where 1hiva was en9oying privacy with Earvati. @eanwhile& Earvati went at the bank o a reservoir to Huench her thirst. A ter reaching there she saw si/ divine women (matrikas) carrying water in the leaves o lotus lowers. As Earvati was thirsty& she reHuested them to give some water. ,he matrikas agreed on the condition that a son born to her (Earvati) should also have to be accepted as their son. Earvati gave her conscent. ,he matrikas gave Earvati water to drink. (ardly had Earvati inished drinking water than a divine child emerged out rom her womb. ,he child possessed various weapons like& trident& shakti and a noose in his hands. (e was none other than Kartikeya.,he deities appointed Kartikeya as the commander o their army. During that time& a mighty demon named ,arakasur used to torment the deities. Kartikeya killed that demon on the reHuest o deities.
;.6.6; An *deal Brahmin and the 1igni icance o the Bayatri @antra
Describing about the Hualities o an ideal brahmin& 1age Eulastya said333 ?nce& +arad had asked Lord Brahma as to who was worthy o receiving VishnuAs blessings. Lord Brahma had told +arad that Lord Vishnu showered his blessings on those who engaged themselves in the service o brahmins. A brahmin should be virtuous and well versed in all the scriptures. A brahmin who does not observe the rituals as mentioned in the Vedas& brings disgrace to his ancestors. An ideal brahmin is respect ul towards his parents& teachers and treats his guests with due honour. (e never aspires or women other than his wi e and chants the sacred Bayatri mantra everyday. Boddess Bayatri is said to have mani ested in the lineage o 1ankhyayan. 1he is o air comple/ion and ire is the symbolical e/pression o her mouth. Lord Brahma dwells on her orehead& Lord Vishnu in her heart and Lord "udra has his abode in her braided hair. ,he Bayatri mantra consists o ;F letters and each o them is related with a speci ic deity. ,here is a mention o Bayatri mantra& which consists o 6J letters. *t begins with the word AagniA and ends with AswahaA. The mantra is as follo;s111O, *5"'#.*/P$"SI 3*<$#D'DI" <$S+T* SO,*, PI)* S=*+*% A person& who chants the mantra or 6MM times& becomes liberated rom gravest o sin. ,he various deities related with the twenty3 our letters o Bayatri @antra are as under3 Deity 6st letter 3333 Agni ;nd letter 3333 Vayu 7rd letter 3333 1urya Fth letter 3333 Aakash 8th letter 3333 Yamra9
Ith letter 3333 Varun <th letter 3333 Vrihaspati Jth letter 3333 Ear9anya Gth letter 3333 *ndra 6Mth letter 3333 Bandharva 66th letter 3333 Eoosha 6;th letter 3333 @itra 67th letter 3333 ,washta 6Fth letter 3333 Vasu 68th letter 3333 @arudganas 6Ith letter 3333 1oma 6<th letter 3333 Angira 6Jth letter 3333 Vishwadeva 6Gth letter 3333 Ashwini kumar ;Mth letter 3333 Era9apati ;6st letter 3333 All the deities ;;nd letter 3333 "udra ;7rd letter 3333 Brahma ;Fth letter 3333 Vishnu
A devotee should then per orm the ritual o AnyasA by mentally establishing di erent words o the Bayatri mantra in the various parts o his body as given below 33 ?@ B(%( 333 in the heart& ?@ B(%VA( 333 in the head& ?@ 1CA( 333 in the top3knot (1hikha)& ?@ ,A,1AV*,%"VA"-+YA@ 333 in the whole body& ?@ B(A"B?D-VA1YA D(*@A(* 333 in both the eyes ?@ D(*Y? Y? +A( E"A>(?DAYA, 333 in both the hands.
"egular chanting o Bayatri mantra bestowes similar virtues attained by the study o all the our vedas. A brahmin who does not know Bayatri mantra is considered to be worse than a shudra. Anybody who chants Bayatri mantra attains salvation. body as given below 33
;.6.67 A Brahmin)s Livelihood

Describing how a brahmin should earn his livelihood& Lord Brahma said to +arad33Alms& which a brahmin gets without making any demand or it& is called Vritta. A%nchhavrittiA is even better than Vritti and it means collecting oodgrain which are scattered in places like ields& granary& market3place etc. A brahmin should accept the
dakshina that his host gives him a ter the completion o yagya3ceremony. (e should engage himsel in educational activities. (e can also earn his livelihood by engaging himsel in other auspicious activities. * the circumstances do not permit a brahmin to earn his livelihood by any o the above mentioned means& then he may opt or the occupation o a kshatriya. *n such a case& he should endeavor to have mastery both over the vedas as well as di erent weaponary. Battle should be his last option. Chen the very e/istence o religiousness is at stake& he should wage a war against irreligious people and to protect the religion. *n an emergency situation& a brahmin can also choose the occupation o aVaishya and earn his livelihood by doing business or agriculture. But& while earning his livelihood by doing agriculture& he should in no circumstances abandon his own duties (duties o a brahmin). (e should be honest while doing business and never try to e/ploit the customers.
;.6.6F +arottam ! ,he Brahmin

Describing about the importance o ive virtuous deeds& Eulastya said to Bheeshma333P,he ive supreme virtuous deeds are33obedience to parents& aith ulness towards husband& eHuanimity& not having enmity towards riends and devotion towards Lord Vishnu. By pleasing his ather& one pleases all the deities. @other is superior even to all the places o pilgrimage combined together. Eulastya then narrated the same tale to Bheeshma& which lord Brahma had once told some prominent sages 333 ?nce& there lived a amous Brahmin called +arottam. (e had acHuired divine powers on account o his austere penance but un ortunately he never treated his parents with respect.A ter taking his daily bath& +arottam hanged his wet clothes in the open sky without any support and they used to dry without alling down on the earth. ,his special power had made him very arrogant.?ne day& a crane lying in the sky passed dung on his ace& which made him very urious. +arottam cursed the crane as the result o which it was burnt to death. (is special power vanished due to the sin acHuired by killing an innocent bird. +ow& no longer his clothes remained in suspended position in the sky. +arottam became very sad. 1uddenly he heard a heavenly voice instructing him to see a AchandalaA named @ook. P(is discourses would be bene icial or you.P3 1aid the heavenly voice. +arottam went in search o @ook33the chandal and ound him in the servitude o his parents. @ook was a great devotee o his parents and his total devotion towards his parents had blessed him with an e/traordinary power3his house used to hang in the air without any support.+arottam was deeply ama:ed at this wonder ul sight. (e wanted to know how @ook had acHuired such divine powers. But& @ook reHuested him to wait& which made +arottam very angry. @ook then told +arottam333P* can talk to you only a ter attending to my parents. * am not that crane which was charred to death by your curse. * you donAt have time then go and meet that A aith ul3wi e. 1he will answer your Huestions.P +arottam did not know where that aith ul wi e lived& so he stood there wondering what to do ne/t. 1uddenly Lord Vishnu emerged rom @ookAs house disguised as a brahmin. (e took +arottam to the A aith ul3wi eAs house. All along the way Lord Vishnu preached +arottam on the Hualities o a chaste woman. As both o them were about to reach that chaste womanAs house& lord Vishnu disappeared& leaving +arottam all alone. +arottam reHuested the woman to enlighten him on the iner points o virtuosity. But& the woman was busy attending her husband and reHuested him to wait. +arottam threatened to curse her& to which the woman replied333* am not that crane whom you had cursed. * you are in a hurry then you can go and meet ADharm33 ,ulaadharA. (e is an honest businessman and is capable o answering your Hueries.P Lord Vishnu once again appeared rom that womanAs house disguised as a brahmin. +arottam asked him as to how were both @ook and aith ul3wi e aware o the incident in which the crane was charred to death. Lord Vishnu told him that both o them had acHuired this special power by the virtue o their respective religiousness. Lord Vishnu and +arottam proceeded towards the place where Dharmtuladhar did his business transactions. As they were about to reach the place& Lord Vishnu disappeared once again& leaving +arottam all alone.+arottam saw Dharmtuladhar busy in his dealings with total honesty. (e reHuested him to reveal as to what made the wet clothes to hang in the air without any support. Dharmtuladhar reHuested him to wait but +arottam was in a hurry to get answer to his Huestions. Dharmtuladhar told +arottam33Elease wait or sometime& as * am busy doing my business transactions. * you donAt have time then you can go and meet Adrohak& who is ully capable o giving answer to your Huestions. Lord Vishnu once again accompanied him disguised as a brahmin. Chen both o them were about to reach the place where Adrohak used to live& lord Vishnu disappeared and
+arottam was le t all by himsel & once again. +arottam reHuested Adrohak to preach on the essence o religiousness. Adrohak was a man o impeccable conduct and had ull control over the sensual urges. (e advised +arottam to meet the supreme devotee o Lord Vishnu& who lived nearby. Adrohak said33 You would get answers to all your Huestions. (e will reveal to you the reason that made wet clothes to hang in air without any support.+arottam then proceeded towards the place where the supreme devotee o Lord Vishnu lived. Lord Vishnu once again accompanied him in the guise o a brahmin.A ter reaching there& +arottam e/pressed his desire o seeing Lord Vishnu. ,he supreme devotee took him to a temple situated inside the house3premise. +arottam was ama:ed to see the same brahmin& who had been accompanying him all along the way& siting on a lotus lower. (e reali:ed that the brahmin was lord Vishnu himsel . Lord Vishnu blessed him and said333Be respect ul towards your parents& i you want to attain to my abode. * dwell in the houses o people who are virtuous& truth ul& possessed eHuanimity and who have ull control over their passion. ,his is why you ound me present at the homes o chandal& ,uladhar N Adrohak. +arottam reali:ed his mistake and decided to be in the servitude o his parents or the rest o his li e.
;.6.68 ,he 1igni icance o "udraksha& Amla N ,ulsi

?nce& while describing about the importance o "udraksha to the sages& Vyas said333 ?ne who wears a "udraksha rosary is supreme among all human beings. ,he mere sight o such a holy man absolves people o their sin. A "udraksha bead bears eatures o a Linga and yoni on itAs sur ace. ?ne should not wear a rudraksha on which above mentioned eatures are absent. 1imilarly two 9oint beads should never be worn. All the mantras become doubly power ul when chanted with the help o rudraksha3rosary.During 1atya3yuga& there lived a mighty demon named ,ripurasur. (e had conHuered the deities and was capable o moving in the space. ,he deities sought help o Lord 1hiva& who killed ,ripurasur by the sight o his third3eye. *n the process& ew drops o sweat& emanating rom 1hivaAs body ell down on the earth. ,hese sweat drops got trans ormed into a large "udraksha3 tree. Amla is a very nutritious ruit and great religious signi icance has been attached to it. Amla ruit is very dear to Lord Vishnu and its use on the auspicious day o -kadashi brings unmatched virtue. A person who regularly eats amla en9oys a long li e.,he ollowing tale adeHuately describes the religious importance o amla 33 ?nce upon a time& a chandala went into the orest or hunting. (e hunted many deer and birds. Deeling hungry& he saw an amla tree and climbed up the tree. ,his way he satiated his hunger by eating sweet amla ruits. %n ortumately while he was climbing down the tree& he ell down and died.Chen the attendants o Yamara9 arrived to take back his soul& they could not do so even a ter repeated attempts. ,he attendants o Yamara9 became very surprised and went to the sages or clari ication. ,he sages revealed to the attendants that they could not go near the chandalaAs dead body& because he had eaten amla 9ust be ore his death. 1uch is the glory o amla$ ?nce Kartikeya asked Lord 1hiva about the holiest tree& which was capable o giving salvation. Lord shiva replied333,he ,ulsi plant is supreme among all the vegetations. 1he is very dear to lord Vishnu and ul illAs all the desires o a man. Lord Krishna dwells near the place where there is a ,ulsi plant. 1pirits and ghosts never dare to venture near the ,ulsi plant. * a man attaches a ,ulsi lea to his 1hikha at the time o his death& he is liberated rom all his sins. ?ne who worships Lord Vishnu by o ering ,ulsi3leaves attains salvation.
;.6.6I ,he *mportance o 1urya)s Corship

?nce& while describing about the importance o 1uryaAs worship to Vaishampayan& 1age Vyas narrated the ollowing tale 333 ,here lived a king named Bhadreshwar. (e ruled over @adhyadesh. ?nce his le t hand was in ected with leprosy. Bhadreshwar& earing the prospect o dread ul leprosy spreading to his whole body& decided to end his li e. (e e/pressed his desire to the head3priest. ,he head3priest cautioned Bhadreshwar that i he went ahead with his decision& then the whole kingdom would be destroyed. (e said 333 AYou will be cured o leprosy& i you worship Lord 1urya.A ,he head3priest then told the king about the appropriate rituals o 1urya33worship. King Bhadreshwar began his austerities and worshipped Lord 1urya by chanting mantras and o ering articles like +aivedya& ruits& Ardhya& Akshat etc to the deity.King Bhadreshwar was cured o his leprosy within a year by the virtue o his deep devotion towards Lord 1urya.
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#humi.hand
,his chapter contains I sections.
;.;.6 Di erent ,ypes o 1in and Virtue

?nce& Yayati reHuested @atali to describe the various sin ul and virtuous deeds& which a man normally commits in his li e. @atali replied3333A?ne who critici:es the vedas and ollows the religion o otherAs a ter abandoning his own or torments virtuous people is a grave sinner. 1imilarly& not respecting oneAs parents& not giving AdakshinaA to a brahmin a ter the completion o a shraddh ceremony& studying the scriptures in an impure physical state are some other sin ul deeds. A?ne who obstructs a hungry man rom having his ood or thirsty person rom Huenching his thirst commits a sin similar to that o killing a brahmin. @atali described some other types o sins 333 Back biting& seeing aults with others and demeaning their e orts& acHuiring otherAs land by un air means& killing innocent animals& having illicit relationship with women other than oneAs wi e& telling lies& showing disrespect to the guests etc& are considered to be sin ul deeds. Describing about the various types o virtuous deeds& @atali said 333 +on3violence& orgiveness& truth ulness& devotion towards god& benevolence& abstinence& oblation N meditation are some o the virtuous deeds. Donating ood3grains& domesticated animals like horse& cow etc. giving water to a thirsty person are some other types o virtuous deeds.A person who donates wooden sandals a needy brahmin attains to the heaven. Corshipping Lord 1hiva or Lord Vishnu enables a man to attain to the 1hivaloka or Vishnuloka respectively.
;.;.; King Yayati propagates Vaishnava3Dharma

King Yayati was the son o +ahush and a descendant o 1oma33dynasty. (e was a great devotee o Lord Vishnu and had contributed a lot in the propagation o Vaishnava33dharma. Yayati had sent many emissaries in all directions to propagate Vaishnava33dharma. During YayatiAs reign his sub9ect were prosperous and were ree rom any kind o sorrow. Eeace prevailed everywhere and people did not e/perience any natural calamity like draught or amine. King Yayati en9oyed an unbelievably long li e o one lakh years. (e was blessed with eternal youth and his appearance was enough to give an in eriority comple/ to a young man. All this& he had attained by the virtue o his supreme devotion towards Lord Vishnu. *ndra was very scared o YayatiAs increasing popularity and eared that i his virtuosity remained intact& he would very soon become the ruler o heaven. *ndra instructed Kamadeva and "ati to ind some means so that king Yayati could be enticed by human weaknesses like lust N in atuation. Kamadeva& accompanied by other Bandharvas went to YayatiAs palace and sought his permission to stage a play. Yayati gave his permission and the play commenced. "ati appeared on the stage as a beauti ul woman and was success ul in corrupting the thoughts o Yayati. Yayati became so enchanted by "atiAs beauty that he lost his senses and ell down unconscious. Dinding the time opportune AVriddhavasthaA (deity o old age) and AKamadevaA entered YayatiAs body.,his way the deities were success ul in their designs and now the signs o old3age started to become evident in Yayati.
;.;.7 Yayati marries Ashrubindumati

?nce& king Yayati went into a orest or hunting. (e saw a stag& which had our horns and chased it. ,he deer led him deep into the orest and then disappeared. Yayati was tired and thirsty. (e saw a lake and decided to Huench his thirst. Dirst o all he took his bath and then drank sweet water rom the lake.As Yayati was rela/ing at the bank o that lake& he heard a sweet voice singing a song. Yayati proceeded towards the direction rom which the sound was coming. (e saw a beauti ul woman singing a song. (er companion accompanied the beauti ul woman.Yayati became enchanted by the divine beauty o that woman and wanted to marry her. ,he beauti ul womanAs companion told Yayati that her riend could marry him only a ter he shed the signs o his old age. ,he beauti ul woman was Ashrubindumati33the daughter o "ati.Vishala3her companion was the daughter o
Varun. Yayati returned to his palace and reHuested his two sons33,aru and Yadu to e/change their youth in lieu o his old age& but both o them re used to oblige him. Yayati cursed both o them. Yayati had a son333Euru rom his wi e named 1harmishtha. Chen he made the same reHuest to Euru& he agreed without any hesitation. Yayati became pleased with Euru and appointed him as his successor. +ow& Yayati became young once again and went to meet Ashrubindumati. But& AshrubindumatiAs riend Vishala was still not convinced and e/pressed apprehension that her riend would never play second iddle to his two wives331harmishtha and Devayani.King Yayati& being blinded by his lust& assured Vishala that Ashrubindumati would en9oy the supreme authority and she had nothing to ear. (e said33P* promise that you will be my only wi e and * will have nothing to do with my wives.P ,his way Yayati married Ashrubindumati and en9oyed a bliss ul married li e or twenty3thousand years. ?nce& Ashrubindumati e/pressed her desire o visiting all the divine places33*ndraloka& Brahmaloka& 1hivaloka and Vishnuloka. Yayati took back his old age rom Euru and returned his youth. (e appointed Euru as his successor and instructed his sub9ect to live peace ully. But& the people wanted to be with Yayati& so all o them accompanied him to the heaven. Yayati visited all the divine places and ultimately attained to Vishnuloka.
;.;.F Kun9al ! ,he -nlightened Earrot

?nce& while describing about the importance o a teacher& Lord Vishnu had narrated the ollowing tale to king Ven333 1age >hyavan came rom the lineage o Bhargav. ?nce& he arrived at ?mkareshwar with the ob9ective o acHuiring knowledge. 1ince he was tired& he decided to take rest under the shade o a Banyan tree. A parrot named Kun9al lived on that tree. ,he parrot had our young ones33%99awal& 1amu99wal& Vi99wal and Kapin9al. Kun9al was a very learned parrot and had mastery over all the scriptures. ?nce& %99awal reHuested Kun9al to give discourse on various aspects o religiousness. Kun9al said333,he whole world is ull o sorrow. A man can be liberated rom his sorrow by the means o salvation because salvation is ree rom sorrow. 1alvation can be attained with the help o abstinence& sel 3control and having deep devotion in lord Vishnu. ,he soul being enlightened is also called AEaramatmaA. But& covered by the darkness o ignorance it becomes di icult or the soul to attain salvation. A devotee can meditate on both the orms o Lord Vishnu331akar (with orm) N +irakar ( ormless). But& meditating on the 1akar orm is easy or anybody. ?n the other hand only an enlightened soul can meditate on the AnirakarA orm o Lord Vishnu. ,here are various austerities related with Lord Vishnu and which i observed by a devotee& pleases him33#aya& Vi9aya& #ayanti& Van9uli& ,ilgandha& ,rihsprisha& Akshanda and @anoraksha. All these austerities are similar to di erent types o -kadashi or Dwadashi Vrata. 1imilarly& two other austerities namely Ashunyashayan and #anmashtami are capable o reeing a man rom all his sin. A devotee who chants 1hatnaam stotra attains salvation.
;.;.8 Kun9al Ereaches Vi99wal

Describing the virtue o benevolence to Vi99wal. Kun9al33the learned parrot narrated the ollowing tale 333 ?nce& there lived a king named 1ubahu who ruled over chola desha. A learned brahmin named #aimini used to counsel him on religious and spiritual matters.?ne day& while #aimini was giving a discourse on the virtue o benevolence& 1ubahu reHuested him to describe about those deeds that enables a man either to attain to the heaven or to hell. #aimini replied333 ?ne who earns his livelihood by improper means de initely goes to hell. 1imilarly& atheists& licentious people& proudy& backbiters and ungrate ul people go to hell too. ?ne who gobbles up otherAs wealth by illegal means or shows disrespect to his guest goes to hell.?ne who is a habitual liar or one who kills innocent animals or one who has abandoned the religious path is certain to go to hell.?ne who is truth ul and engages himsel in various virtuous deeds like penance& meditation& study o the scriptures& goes to the heaven. ?ne who is respect ul towards his elders and leads a virtuous li e goes to the heaven. *n the same manner& he who is benevolent and ree rom vices like 9ealousy hatred etc. goes to the heaven. 1imilarly& one who leads his li e as per the instructions given in the scriptures or has ull control over his sensual desires goes to the heaven. King 1ubahu was so impressed by #aiminiAs preaching that he decided to spend rest o his li e in the service o lord @adhusudan. (e per ormed countless oblations as long as he was alive and attained to Vishnuloka a ter his death.
;.;.I Kun9al +arrates about his Erevious Birth

1age >hyavan& who had been listening to the narration o Kun9al& was ama:ed by his pro ound knowledge. (e asked Kun9al333? great soul$ Cho are youL Drom where did you acHuire such divine knowledge.A Kun9al& who remembered everything about his previous birth said33 *n my previous birth& * was the youngest son o a brahmin named Vidyadhar. @y name was Dharma 1harma. 1eeing my dislike or study& my ather became worried about my uture. * used to waste my time loitering here and there. Eeople used to make un o my stupidity& which made me e/tremely sad. * decided to acHuire knowledge but did not ind anybody willing to teach me. *n due course o time * became old but was still an idiot. ?ne day& * was sitting in a temple cursing my ate. 1uddenly& a sage arrived there and asked me as to what made me so sad. * narrated my woe ul tale. ,he sage elt pity on my condition and blessed me with divine knowledge that made me capable o having advance knowledge o all the uture incidents o the world. 1age >hyavan was curious to know about the reason that made Dharma 1harma to be born as a parrot. Kun9al replied333 ? Brahmin$ A man is in luenced by the company he keeps. ,he reason why * took birth as a parrot is related with an incident& which occurred in my previous birth. ?nce& a wicked owler sold a parrot to a brahmin who in turn presented it to me. Cith the passage o time * became very attached with the parrot and gradually deviated rom my virtuous path. As a result all my divine knowledge vanished and * became an idiot once again. ?ne day&a cat arrived and killed that parrot in my absence. * became very sad and used to spend my time crying over the dead parrot. %ltimately * died but even at the time o death& my mind was preoccupied with the thoughts o my beloved parrot. As a result& * was born as a parrot but ortunately * remembered my previous birth even while * was still in my motherAs womb. * was ull o remorse and used to curse mysel or having wasted my li e.1age >hyavan was ama:ed by the narration o Kun9al33the learned parrot.
!&*
)warga.hand
,his chapter contains 8 sections.
;.7.6 1ome Erominent (oly Elaces in Bharat3Varsha

?nce& sages reHuested 1ut9i to describe about the most prominent places o pilgrimage situated in Bharatvarsha. 1ut9i commenced his narration by describing the origin o creation and then switched over to the geographical characteristics o Bharatvarsha. 1ut9i said333A,here are seven prominent mountain ranges in Bharatvarsha33 @ahendra& @alay& 1ahya& 1haktiman& "ikshavan& Vindhya and Eariyatra. 1ome prominent rivers supplying potable water to the inhabitants o Bharatvarsha are333Banga& 1indhu& 1araswati& Bodwari& +armada& 1hatadru& Yamuna& Vipasha& @ahanadi& Vidisham& Varuna etc. ,he names o the main #anapadas situated in the northern part o Bharatvarsha are Kuru& Eanchal& 1halva& @atreya& #aangal& 1hoorsen& Eulind& Baudh& >hedi& @atsya& Bho9& 1indhu& %tkal& Koshal& @adra& Kalinga& Kashi& @alav& @agadh& Videh& Anga& Banga& 1urashtra& Kekay& Kashmir N Bandhar. 1imilarly& #anpadas like Dravid& Keral. Erachya& karnatak& Kuntal& chol& 1auhrid& Kona& Korak& Kalad& @ushal and 1utap are situated in the southern part o Bharatvarsha. 1ut9i then described about the greatness o Eushkar teerth by recounting an incident related with the Eandavas333 P?ne day& 1age +arad visited the Eandavas who were living in e/ile. ,he Eandavas had visited many places during the course o their e/ile period and wanted to know about the ruits they had acHuired due to their pilgrimage. P1age +arad then recounted an incident when king Dilip had once posed the same Huestion to 1age Vashishth. 1age Vashishth while describing about the greatness o Eushkar said333Eushkar teerth is the holiest place where lord Brahma has his abode. Deities consider themselves ortunate to be at Eushkar. A person who takes a holy dip at Eushkar and worships lord Brahma acHuires virtues eHuivalent to the accomplishment o the Ashwamedha yagya.P 1age Vashishth continued with the description o some other prominent places o pilgrimage like #ambumarg& +armada Amarkantak etc.
;.7.; #ambubarg& "iver +armada& Amarkantak

>ontinuing with his narration& 1age Vashishth said333 A man desirous o going on a pilgrimage should irst o all visit #ambumarg& because it is revered even by the deities and the sages. By visiting this holy place a man acHuires virtue eHuivalent to the accomplishment o an Ashwamedha yagya and attains to Vishnuloka. A man should then visit ,undulikashram& Agastya Ashram N Kanya Ashram& which are situated near #ambumarg. ,aking a dip in the holy water o Kotiteerth& situated near @ahakal temple is believed to bestow undiminished virtue. Bhadravat is a amous place o pilgrimage related with Lord 1hiva and paying a visit here gives virtue eHuivalent to donation o 6MMM cows. A man who takes holy dip in river +armada and per orms AtarpanA in the name o manes acHuires ruits similar to the accomplishment o Agnishtom yagya. +armada is the holiest o all the river. A man becomes liberated rom his sins by taking bath or three weeks in river 1araswati. 1imilarly it takes one week o regular bath in river yamuna or a man to become absolved o all his sins. ,he mere touch o Banga water liberates a man rom all his sins& but mere sight o river +armada is enough to liberate a man rom all his sins. Kotirudras are believed to dwell in the vicinity o Amarkantak mountain. All together si/ty crores and si/ty thousand places o pilgrimage are situated all around this holy mountain. Anybody present in the vicinity o this mountain must re rain rom any kind o sin ul deeds. Visiting Amarkantak mountain during solar and Lunar eclipses is considered to be e/tremely auspicious. 1imilarly the con luence site o +armada and Kaveri is considered to be sacrosanct. Anybody who takes a holy dip in the con luence o +armada and Kaveri becomes liberated rom his sins.
;.7.7 'Dharma3,eertha) N Yamuna31nan

1age +arad continued with the description o various holy places and said333 PA pilgrim must visit Dharma ,eerth& which is named a ter the lord o death33Dharma. ?nce upon a time Dharmara9 had per ormed an austere penance at that place this is the reason why it became amous as Dharma ,eerth. By visiting Dharma ,eerth& a man liberated all his ancestors up to seventh generation. A ter that a pilgrim should go to Kalap3 orest& 1augandhik3 orest& 1uvarna3Dhumavanti respectively. All the above mentioned holy places are capable o giving salvation.P Describing about the virtues o taking a holy dip in river Kalini (Yamuna) sage +arad said 33 A person who takes a holy dip in Yamuna becomes liberated rom all his sorrows. ,he virtue acHuired by taking a bath in Yamuna is greater than paying visits to various holy places like Eushkar& Kurukshetra& Brahmavarta and Kashi.,aking a dip in Yamuna also helps in the ul illment o all the desires o a man. Although& di erent rituals have been attributed to various yugas like 1aytayuga33penance& ,reta33Knowledge& Dwapar33yagya and Kaliyug33 Donation& yet virtue o taking a holy dip in Yamuna transcends even time.P PAlthough the whole stretch o river Yamuna is believed to be holy& yet Yamuna lowing near @athura holds special importance because o her deep association with lord Krishna.P+arad narrated a tale to prove the signi icance o taking a bath in Yamuna. PDuring 1atyayuga there lived a Vaishya named (emakundal. (e had earned lot o wealth by dint o hard work. Although he was very rich yet happiness deluded him& as he had no progeny. (e was worried as to who would inherit his property a ter his death. P*n course o time& (emakundal attained old age and a ter reali:ing about the impermanence o the world indulged himsel in virtuous deeds. (e was blessed with two sons331hrikundal N Vikundal. Chen both his sons grew up& (emakundal went into the orest to do penance.P P1hri Kundal and (emakundal sHuandered the whole wealth which their ather had earned so painstakingly. Both o them were o loose moral character and had illicit relationship with many prostitutes. *n a very short time they became poor and both o them starved to death. Chen the yamdoots reached yamloka a ter taking their souls& Yamra9 ordered33AEut 1hri Kundal in "aurav hell but send Vikundal to the heaven.A Chile Vikundal was being taken to the heaven he asked one o the yamdoots33A,he sins committed by my brother and me were almost identitical then why is my brother being sent to hell while * am being sent to heaven.A ,he yamdoot replied3You are being metted out this special treatment on account o your virtues acHuired by bathing twice in river Yamuna.,here was a brahmin riend o yourAs named 1wamitra.You had accompanied him to @athura and twice taken bath in the holy Yamuna. By the virtue o the irst bath you became liberated rom all your sins& while the second bath helped you in attaining to the heaven.Vikundal reHuested the yamdoot to allow his brother to accompany him to heaven. Yamdoot replied that his brother could accompany him to the heaven
provided he donated all his virtues to him. Vikundal agreed to donate his virtues to his elder brother or the sake o his liberation. ,his way& both 1hrikundal and Vikundal attained to the heaven.
;.7.F Kashipuri& Kapardishwar N Baya

?n being asked by Yudhishthir about the grandeur o holy places like Kashipuri& Kapardishwar N Baya. +arad said 333 #ust as Lord @ahadev is supreme among all the deities& in the same manner Kashipuri holds a signi icant status among all the places o pilgrimage. (ence an individual should make it a point to visit Kashi once in his li e time. ,he amous 1hiva linga Kopardishwar is installed at Kashi and is said to ul ill all the desires o a man. Eer ormance o various rituals at Kashi liberates a man rom all his sins3all his laws are eliminated automatically 9ust by residing in Kashi. A devotee who regularly practices meditation in the temple o Lord Kapordishwar attains Yogasiddhi within si/ months. Corshipping Lord Kapardishwar a ter taking a holy dip in Eishach3mochan kunda liberates a man rom gravest o sin like ABrahmahatyaA& etc. Baya is considered to be a sacrosanct place o pilgrimage and various rituals or the paci ication o the souls o dead ancestors are per ormed here. Anybody who o ers Eindadaan and tarpan at Baya not only liberates his ancestors but also himsel . ,here is a very amous Banyan tree named Akshayvat at Baya. Baya is situated at the bank o river Dalgu.
;.7.8 Euranas ! ,he -mbodiment o 1ri (ari

According to 1ut9i& all the Euranas are nothing but the mediums through which 1ri (ari mani ests himsel 333 Brahma Euran is said to be the Dorhead o 1rihari& Eadma Euran is said to be the AheartA o 1rihari& Vishnu Euran is said to be the Aright armA o 1rihari. 1hiva Euran is said to be the Ale t armA o 1rihari. 1hrimad Bhagawat is said to be (is AthighA& +arad Euran is said to be (is AnavelA& @arkendeya Euran is said to be (is Aright3 ootA. Agni Euran is said to be (is Ale t ootA& Bhavish Euran is said to be (is Aright3kneeA& Brahma Vaivratapuran is said to be (is Ale t3kneeA. Linga Euran is said to be (is Aright ankleA& Varaha Euran is said to be (is Ale t ankleA 1kanda Euran is said to be the hair on the body o A1ri (ari. Vaman Euran is said to be (is 1kin Kurma Euran is said to be (is Back @atsya Euran is said to be (is 1tomach Baruda Euran is said to be (is Bone3narrow Brahmanda Euran is said to be (is Bone. 1o& all the Euranas being mani estation o di erent parts o 1ri (ariAs body are very sacred and capable o bestowing salvation.
!&,
Patal.hand
,his chapter contains 6M sections.
;.F.6 1heshnag narrates the ,ales o 1ri "ama)s "eturn rom Lanka
?nce& 1ages reHuested 1ut9i to describe about 1ri "amAs return rom Lanka. 1ut9i narrated the same tale& which 1heshnag had once told Vatsyayan.1heshnag said33A ter the killing o demon king "avan& 1ri "am appointed Vibhishan as the king o Lanka. (e then decided to return to Ayodhya on Eushpak3Viman& which Vibhishan had presented to him. (e along with 1ita& La/man& 1ugreev and (anuman boarded the aircra t and lew towards Ayodhya.,he earth looked beauti ul rom such a high altitude and 1ri "am was continuously describing about the importance o various places over which the aircra t lew. As the aircra t was about to enter the airspace o Ayodhya& 1ri "am recogni:ed Bharat& who was living at +andigram at that time. Bharat had vowed not to enter Ayodhya till the return o 1ri "am& hence he stayed at +andigram situated at the outskirts o Ayodhya awaiting 1ri "amAs return. (e led an austere li e as the result o which he had become weak and eeble. ?n seeing Bharat& 1ri "am instructed (anuman to in orm him about his ("amAs) arrival. (anuman went to the hermitage o Bharat and in ormed him about 1ri "amAs arrival. BharatAs 9oy knew no bound and he e/pressed his desire to reward (anuman or bringing such auspicious news. Bharat then accompanied (anuman and went to meet 1ri "am.1ri "amAs heart was illed with grie when he saw Bharat& who looked like a hermit in his AValkalA and AKaupinA. ?n the other hand Bharat cursed himsel or being the cause o 1ri "amAs miseries. Bharat asked or 1ri "amAs orgiveness and said333A? Lord$ You had to go into e/ile only because o me. * can never be absolved o my sin.A
1ri "am consoled him and a ter taking Bharat into his embrace enHuired about his wel are. (e told Bharat that he had to undergo the su erings o e/ile because o his own destiny.AYou are not at ault. DonAt curse yoursel or my misery.A said 1ri "am. At last all o them including Bharat boarded Eushpak Viman and the aircra t took3 o or Ayodhya.>ontinuing with 1ri "amAs tale& 1heshnag said33Chen 1umanth brought the news o 1ri "amAs arrival at Ayodhya& people danced in 9oy& Ereparations started being made or 1ri "amAs grand reception. ,he whole city o Ayodhya was decorated with rows o lighted lamps. 1ri "am and 1ita alighted rom the Eushpak Viman and both o them were carried in a palanHuin to the palace. Eeople stood in Hueues on both sides o the road with olded hands. 1ri "am blessed them by raising his hand.Dirst o all "am went to meet Kaikayi who was ull o remorse and guilt. 1ri "am consoled her and then went to meet 1umitra to pay his obeisance to her. At last& he went to meet his own mother33Kaushalya& who was dying to see him. Kaushalya blessed 1ri "am& 1ita and La/man. Bharat then instructed the royal astrologers to decide upon an auspicious moment or 1ri "amAs coronation. ,hus 1ri "am became the king o Ayodhya. During his reign peace and prosperity prevailed everywhere. Eeople were virtuous and there was no sign o sin.
;.F.; "avana ! ,he @ighty Demon

Eeople o Ayodhya lived peace ully during 1ri "amAs reign until one ate ul day when they were struck by a bad news331ri "am had abandoned 1ita a ter a Casherman leveled an un air charge against her character. 1uch was the greatness o 1ri "am that opinion o each and every individual was given due respect irrespective o his position and status. ?ne day& 1age Agastya arrived in the royal court o 1ri "am. A ter the ormal 1alutations were over. 1age Agastya complimented 1ri "am or killing "avana. 1ri "am asked Agastya33ACho was "avana33 the tormentor o deitiesL * am an/ious to know about the origin o his whole clan.P 1age Agastya replied33Vishrava was the grandson o Lord Brahma. (is ather was sage Eulastya. Vishrava had two wives33@andakini and Kaikasi. @andakaniAs son was Kubera while Kaikasi was the mother o "avana& Kumbhakarna and Vibhishan. Kubera ruled over Lanka. ?ne day& Kubera& came to see his parents boarded on his aircra t33Eushpak Viman. A ter he returned to Lanka& "avana& who was very much impressed by KuberaAs royal appearances asked Kaikasi33PCho was this ellowL Drom where did he acHuire such an ama:ing aircra t.P Kaikasi revealed to "avana that the guest was none other than his step3brother Kubera. 1he said33PKubera is the son o your step mother33@andakini. (e has made his mother proud by his conduct but * am ashamed o you& because o your inconseHuential e/istence. You are no better than a worm.P "avan decided to prove his mother wrong by acHuiring insurmountable power and authority. "avana went to the orest and per ormed an austere penance or ten thousand years by standing on one oot. (e i/ed his ga:e at the sun and never or a moment did he remove his ga:e rom it. Kumbhakarna and Vibhishan also engaged themselves in austere penance. At last& Lord Brahma became pleased and blessed "avana with a vast kingdom. "avan then started tormenting his step3brother Kumbhakarna. (e snatched KuberaAs Eushpak Viman and drove him out o Lanka. "avan then turned his attention towards the deities and drove them out o heaven. ,he deities went to seek the help o Lord Brahma who in turn took them to Lord 1hiva. -ven Lord 1hiva was clueless about the means by which the indomitable "avana could be subdued. %ltimately all o them including Lord 1hiva went to Lord Vishnu and sought his help. Lord Vishnu assured them by saying 333 P* shall take incarnation as "am at a place called Ayodhya. Eresently& Ayodhya is being ruled by Dashrath& who inspite o having three Hueens& does not have any son. * shall mani est mysel as "am. DonAt worry$ * shall eliminate the menace called "avana.P 1age Agastya also told 1ri "am that "avana belonged to the caste called ABrahmrakshasA. ,his way& 1age Agastya a ter having inished his narration looked at 1ri "am anticipating urther Hueries.
;.F.7 Agastya Advises 1ri "ama to Eer orm Ashvamedhya Yagya

1ri "am reHuested sage Agastya to tell about the means by which he could become liberated rom the sins o killing brahmins. 1age Agastya advised him to per orm Ashwamedha3yagya. (e also described the rituals o per orming Ashwamedha Yagya333 PBet a horse o white colour and a ter worshipping it on Vaishakh Eurnima leave it to wander reely. ,ie a piece o paper on its orehead on which your name and other details are mentioned. 1oldiers should ollow that horse wherever it goes. You should ight a battle against any king who dares to stop the horse. You should lead a celibate li e till the horse returns back to the same place rom where it
had been let loose. *t is customary or the per ormer o Ashwamedha yagya to indulge himsel in benevolent deeds till the completion o Ashwamedha yagya.P 1ri "am agreed to per orm Ashwamedha yagya. (e went to the seashore accompanied by numerous sages. (e then cultivated a vast e/panse o land with the help o a golden plough. A large oblation site was constructed and thus began Ashwamedha yagya under the supervision o Vashishth.
;.F.F ,he (orse is Let Loose

As per the advice o 1age Vashishth& 1ri "am instructed his soldiers to bring a white3horse. A white parasol was i/ed on its back and the horse was decorated with colour ul clothes. ,he horse was then let loose and the aith ul soldiers o 1ri "am ollowed it wherever the horse went.A gold3sheet was hanged in the horseAs neck and upon which was inscribed33,his horse belongs to 1ri "am33the son o Dasharath. Anybody who dares to stop this horse will meet ruthless punishment. 1hatrughan ollowed the horse as per the instruction o his elder brother 33 1ri "am. Bharat and Eushkal also accompanied him. A huge army led by Kalnemi was marching behind the horse.
;.F.8 Lav Dastens the (orse

1ome o the kings tried to stop the horse& but were de eated by 1hatrughan. ,his way the horse continued to move ahead without any problem till it reached the bank o river Banga.*t was early morning and Lav a ter noticing the presence o horse become curious. (e went near the horse and tried to read the inscription hanging down itAs neck. (e made un o the might o 1ri "am and astened the horse.,he soldiers tried to release the horse but Lav severed their arms. ,hey returned to 1hatrughan and narrated the whole incident to him.
;.F.I Lav VanHuishes the Chole Army

1hatrughan became e/tremely urious a ter seeing the condition o his in9ured soldiers. (e instructed Kalnemi to teach Lav a lesson. Kalnemi con ronted Lav with a huge army and a erocious battle took place. Lav managed to kill Kalnemi& which created havoc in the rivalAs army. ,he surviving soldiers tried to hold their ground but were orced to lee on account o a ierce assault rom Lav. 1hatrughan then ordered Eushkal to ight Lav but he became unconscious a ter being hit by LavAs arrow. +ow& 1hatrughanAs anger crossed all limits and he ordered (anuman to kill Lav.(anuman uprooted a large tree and tried to hit Lav& but Lav cut that tree into hundred pieces with a volley o arrows. Lav then released many arrows in the direction o (anuman. (anuman ought valiantly but ultimately he ell down unconscious.
;.F.< Lav Becomes %nconscious

Chen 1hatrughan learnt about (anumanAs ate he was in uriated and went to ight Lav. But when he saw a tender looking child in ront o him he was surprised. 1hatrughan asked 33 A? brave child$ Cho are you$ Cho is your atherLA But Lav was not interested in his irrelevant Hueries and challenged him or a duel. 1hatrughan was le t with no other option but to ight. A tremendous battle was ought between them. 1hatrughan released volleys o arrow towards Lav but all o them were neutrali:ed by him. Dor a brie time 1hatrughan lost his consciousness. A ter regaining his consciousness& he aimed his most lethal weapon towards Lav. ,he arrow hit Lav and he ell down unconscious. LavAs companions went and in ormed 1ita about the whole incident. Kush came orward to ight against 1ri "amAs army. Chen he reached the battle ield he saw Lav who was held captive by the enemyAs armyAs. By that time& Lav had regained his consciousness and a ter seeing Kush he somehow managed to ree himsel rom the clutches o his captors. +ow& both the brothers launched a ierce attack on the enemy. ,he whole army o 1ri "am started running helter and shelter. *t did not take much time or Lav and Kush to vanHuish the whole army. All the great warriors like (anuman& 1ugreeva& Eushkal& Angad Veermani and even 1hatrughan were either held captive or in9ured in the battle.Both the brothers astened (anuman and 1ugreeva with ropes and took them to 1ita. 1ita immediately recogni:ed (anuman and 1ugreeva. 1he instructed both her sons to set them ree as well as the horse. Lav and Kush ollowed the instruction o 1ita and released everybody rom their captivity. 1ita then whispered333A@ay all the dead soldiers become alive.A (er words came true and all the dead soldiers became alive once again. 1hatrughan regained his consciousness too.
;.F.J ,he Army "eturns to Ayodhya

1hatrughan decided to return to Ayodhya. (e instructed 1umati to make all the necessary arrangements or the sa e return o the >aravan& which comprised not only o 1ri "amAs army but also o all the de eated kings and their vanHuished armies. Chen 1ri "am came to know about their arrival& he sent La/man to receive them. La/man received the victorious army with all the honour and the all o them came to the palace. 1ri "am curiously asked 1umati about everything that had happened. 1umati paraded all the vanHuished kings who had made the mistake o stopping the horse33 1umad& 1abahu& Daman& 1atyavan& 1urath& etc. (e then narrated the brave deed o Lav and Kush.(e also revealed how mighty warriors like (anuman& 1ugreeva 1hatrughan etc had been de eated by both o them.
;.F.G 1ri "ama sends La/man to bring 1ita

1age Valmiki was present in Ayodhya to attend the Ashwamedha yagya. 1ri "am asked him about the identity o the two children33Lav and Kush& Valmiki said 333 1ita was pregnant at the time you had abandoned her. * gave her re uge in my hermitage where she gave birth to twins33Lav and Kush. Both the children were brought up in my hermitage with love and care. * taught them all the sacred te/ts and scriptures and made them masters o various weaponries. 1o& Lav and Kush are your sons. You must bring 1ita back to Ayodhya with due honour& because she is pure and chaste. @oreover your whole army owe its li e to her.P 1ri "amAs heart was illed with grie . (e instructed La/man to bring 1ita along with Lav and Kush. La/man went to ValmikiAs hermitage and reHuested 1ita to return to Ayodhya. 1ita re used to return but sent Lav and Kush along with La/man. Chen 1ri "am ound that only Lav and Kush had come& he once again sent La/man to bring 1ita. La/man ollowed his instruction and went to ValmikiAs hermitage or the second time.@eanwhile& Valmiki instructed Lav and Kush to sing the praise o 1ri "am in their melodious voice. -verybody was moved by their soul ul rendition. 1ri "am took Lav and Kush in his embrace.
;.F.6M 1ita "eturns to Ayodhya

1ri "am eulogised all the revered sages who had arrived to attend the Ashwamedha yagya. ,he holy water o 1aryu was brought and sprinkled in the yagya kund where Ashwamedha yagya was being per ormed& amidst the chanting o vedic mantras.(ardly had 1ri "am touched the horse with his hands then it trans ormed into a human being. -verybody was ama:ed by this incident. 1ri "am asked that man as to how he had attained the orm o a horse. ,he man revealed to the assembled people that he had become a horse due to DurvasaAs curse. ALater on 1age Durvasa had mercy on me and assured that * would regain my human orm by the divine touch o 1ri "am.A (aving said this the man attained to the heaven. *n course o time 1ri "am organised two more Ashwamedha yagyas and his glory reverberated through all the three worlds.
!&/
ttar.hand
,his chapter contains ;7 sections.
;.8.6 Badrik3Ashram
?nce& on being asked by the sages about the greatness o Badrikasharam& 1ut9i narrated the same tale& which Lord 1hiva had once told sage +arad 333 Lord @ahadeva had told +arad that altogether there were one lakh and twenty3 ive thousand mountains and Badrikashram was supreme among them. Lord @ahadeva said333Badrikasharam is the abode o Lord +ara3 +arayan. +arayan33the origin o all creations has our arms and his comple/ion is dark. +arayan mani ests himsel in both orms331akar as well as +irakar. (e is the eternal Eurusha and is worshipped by people during the ull period o %ttarayan. 1ince Badrikashram is covered with snow during the period o Dakshinayan& +arayan is not worshipper during these si/ months. All the deities dwell at Badrikasharam. ,he sages live in their hermitages at Badrikasharam. "iver Alaknanda lows at Badrikasharam. Anybody taking a dip in the holy water o Alaknanda becomes liberated rom his sins.
;.8.; ,he Descent o "iver Banga

Describing about the reason why river Banga was brought down on the earth& Lord @ahadeva told +arad333 King Bhagirath was the architect o BangaAs arrival on the earth. (e wanted to liberate his dead ancestorss rom the curse o 1age Kapil.King 1agar came rom the lineage o the amous king33(arishchandra. 1agar had two Hueens. ,he elder Hueen had si/ty thousand sons while the younger Hueen had 9ust one33Eancha9an. Eancha9anAs
son was Anshuman& who himsel was the ather o Dilip. Dilip was the ather o Bhagirath. Bhagirath did an austere penance on the (imalayas or ten thousand years. As a result& river Banga descended on the earth. * (1hiva) held her in the locks o my hair and she remained there or ten thousand more years. Bhagirath reHuested me to release Banga so that his ancestors could be liberated. * agreed to release Banga and Bhagirath took her to the Eatalloka where his ancestorAs had been charred to death due to KapilAs curse. Bhagirath sprinkled the water o Banga on the ashes o his ancestors and each o them attained salvation as a result.-ventually& Banga resur aced at (aridwar33the most sacred place o pilgrimage.
;.8.7 Dasharatha Eaci ies 1hani

1age +arad curiously asked Lord @ahadeva as to what made 1hani such a volatile planet.Lord @ahadeva replied333 1hani is e/tremely violent by nature and everybody is scarred o this planet. ?nce& the royal astrologer o Dasharath was petri ied at the prospect o 1hani entering the constellation o "ohini and warned him o its dire conseHuences. A* the 1hani is not prevented rom entering "ohini& then amine would occur lasting or more than twelve years.A said the royal astrologers. Dasharath went above the sky to subdue the might o 1hani well armed with divine weapons. 1hani became terri ied on seeing Dasharath in such a menacing mood and e/pressed his willingness to ul ill his desires.
;.8.F =ualities o a Vaishnava

Biving a detailed description o the Hualities o a Vaishnava& Lord @ahadeva told +arad 333 A person who has total devotion in Lord Vishnu is called a Vaishnava. (e is truth ul& kind and orgiving by nature. (e engages himsel in austere penance and re rains rom any kind o violence. (e wears a ,ulsi bead in his neck and puts on tilak. (e is well versed in sacred te/t like the vedas& Eurans etc.,he mere sight o a Vaishnava is enough to liberate a sinner rom all his sins. Deeding a Vaishnava bestowes virtue eHuivalent to eeding thousand o ordinary Brahmins.
;.8.8 *ndraprastha
,he sages enHuired rom 1ut9i about the holiest city situated on the banks o river yamuna. 1ut9i narrated the tale which 1age 1aubhari had once told Yudhishthir333?nce& +arad and Earvat were travelling through an aerial route& while they were lying over Khandav orest& they were lured by the beauti ul sight o river Yamuna. ,hey decided to take rest or a while. Both o them descended down and entered river yamuna to take their bath.@eanwhile& King 1hibi who ruled over %shinar saw them. (e eagerly waited at the bank o Yamuna. Chen +arad and Earvat emerged out o the yamuna& they ound king 1hibi eagerly waiting or them. @eanwhile king 1hibi had noticed the remains o numerous Ahavan3kundasA (oblation3altars) spread in a large area. A ter the ormal e/changes o pleasantaries were over& King 1hibi asked +arad about those havan3 kundas. +arad replied33During ancient times *ndra had per ormed numerous Yagyas at this place to e/press his gratitude to Lord Vishnu& with whose blessings he had regained the heaven rom the clutches o (iranyakashipu. *n course o time& this place became amous as *ndraprastha. ,his sacrosanct place is holier than all the holy places combined together. *ndraprastha is spread in the area o one yo9an rom east to west and our yo9ans rom north to south.
;.8.I Vaikunth ! ,he Abode o Lord Vishnu

Describing about the grandeur o Vaikunth& Lord @ahadeva told Earvati33A person who has total devotion in Lord Vishnu attains to Vaikunth a ter his death. Vaikuntha is the abode o Vishnu and constitutes o numerous #anapadas. ,he magni icence o Vaikunth is beyond description and it houses many grand palaces ully decorated with 9ewels and diamonds.,he central part o Vaikuntha is called Ayodhya and is well protected by dwarpals named >handa& Erachanda& Bhadra& 1ubhadra& #aya& Vi9ay& Dhata and Vidhata.Vaikunth is inhabited by countless divine people who live in well illuminated houses. *n the central part o Ayodhya is situated the AantahpuriA o Lord Vishnu. *t is inhabited by celestial beauties33 apsaras. ,here is a divine >anopy situated 9ust at the centre o antahpuri& where Lord Vishnu has his divine throne. ,he divine throne is surrounded by deities as well as by the embodiments o all the our Vedas333 "igveda& Ya9urveda& 1amaveda and Atharvaveda. ,he deities333Agni& 1urya and >handrama have their dwellings at the centre o VishnuAs throne.,here is a grand pedestal called yogapeeth established on the throne. A beauti ul lotus
lower is established on the yogapeeth on which is seated Lord Vishnu along with his consort3 La/mi. Lord Vishnu appears divine in his comple/ion o a blue lotus& whose radiance is enough to subdue crores o sun. (e has radiant ear3rings hangings down his earlobes. (is orehead is covered with curly hair. (e has the amous AKaustubh maniA in his neck. (e holds a conch and a chakra in each o his two hands and the remaining two hands are in the posture o giving blessings.
;.8.< ,he *ncarnations o @atsya and Kurma

?nce& goddess Earvati e/pressed her desire to know about all the incarnations o Lord Vishnu.Lord @ahadeva replied33 Lord Brahma had created numerous Era9apatis like Bhrigu& @arichi& Atri& Daksha& Kardam& Eulastya& Eulaha& Angira and Kratu. @arichi was the ather o Kashyap. 1age Kashyap had our wives33Aditi& Diti& Kadru and Vinta.Aditi was the mother o Deities while Diti gave birth to demons like33@akar& (ayagreeva& @ahabali& (iranyaksha& (iranyakashipu #ambha& @aya etc. @akar was a mighty demon& Cho a ter deceit ully acHuiring the Vedas rom Lord Brahma had hidden himsel inside an ocean. Lord Brahma reHuested Vishnu to liberate the sacred Vedas rom the possession o @akar. Lord Vishnu then took the incarnation o @atsya and a ter killing @akar gave back the vedas to Lord Brahma. Durvasa was the son o 1age Atri. ?nce& he went to *ndraloka to see *ndra. At that time& *ndra was planning to go out somewhere. Durvasa presented a garland o Eari9at lowers to *ndra. *ndra& a ter receiving the garland rom Durvasa kept it carelessly on the orehead o his elephant3-ravat. ,his garland was trampled under its eet by the elephant& which in uriated 1age Durvasa. (e cursed *ndra by saying333*mmense prosperity has made you arrogant. But you will become a pauper within a very short time. DurvasaAs words came to be true and *ndra ound that not only the heaven but all the three worlds had become bere t o goddess La/mi. Erosperity vanished and poverty prevailed everywhere.,he deities became worried and went to take the help o Lord Brahma. Lord Brahma took the deities to Lord Vishnu. Lord Vishnu became pleased with their eulogy and said 33 * will take incarnation as Kurma. * the ocean were churned with the help o @andarachal mountain and Vasuki& then goddess La/mi would mani est hersel . * shall hold the @andarachal mountain on my back.,his way the churning o ocean commenced. ,he @andarachal mountain was uprooted and placed inside the AKsheer31agarA and which rested on the back o Lord Kurma. ,he serpent33Vasuki& was held by deities and demons on both the ends. Dirst o all the most venomous poison33Kalkut emerged rom the ocean. 1eeing both the deities and demons unwilling to accept it. (Lord 1hiva) drank it. A ter the emergence o Kalkut& goddess Daridra and Varuni mani ested themselves. 1imilarly& -ravat3 elephant& %chchaishrava3horse& Dhanvantaari& 1urabhi33cow and Eari9at3 tree emerged rom the ocean.%ltimately& goddess La/mi mani ested hersel . ,he deities reHuested her to dwell in the heart o Lord Vishnu and bless all the three worlds by her presence. Boddess La/mi agreed and blessed them.
;.8.J +ri1imha *ncarnation

>ontinuing with the various incarnations o Lord Vishnu& Lord @ahadeva told Earvati 333 1age Kashyap had two mighty sons rom Diti33(iranyakashipu and (iranyaksha. (iranyaksha had once carried the earth to "asatala. ,he deities reHuested Lord Vishnu to rescue the earth. Lord Vishnu took the incarnation o a boar and killed (iranyaksha with his sharp horn.Chen (iranyakshipu learnt about his brotherAs death he went to @erugiri mountain and started doing penance to please me (Lord 1hiva). * blessed him with immortality& Later on& (iranyakashipu married %ttanpadAs daughter33Kalyani and had a son named Erahlad rom her.*nspite o being born in the clan o a demon& Erahlad proved to be an e/tremely religious child and was a supreme devotee o Lord Vishnu. Chen (iranyakshipu came to know about ErahladAs religious tendency& he tried his best to stop him rom worshipping Vishnu. But& all his e orts went in vain and Erahlad continued to worship Lord Vishnu.(iranyakashipu instructed his subordinates to kill Erahlad but each time he came out unharmed. ?ne day& (iranyakashipu pulled out his sword and said333AYou say that Vishnu is omnipresent. *s he present in this pillarLA (aving said like this he assaulted the pillar with his sword. 1uddenly to his 1heer ama:ement& Lord Vishnu mani ested himsel rom that pillar in the orm o +risimha. (iranyakashipu had been blessed by Lord 1hiva that he could be killed neither by a man nor a beast. +o weapon could harm him. (e could be killed neither during the day nor during the night. (iranyakashiu had taken into consideration all the possible threat perceptions to his li e and tried to become immortal.But& Lord Vishnu takes
incarnation to protect the humanity whenever religiousness is under threat. ,his time& Lord Vishnu took incarnation as +risimha (partly lion and partly human) and tore apart his belly with his sharp nails.A ter the death o (iranyakashipu& Erahlad was coronated as his successor. Erahlad ruled 9ustly and his sub9ect were happy and satis ied.
;.8.G Vaman *ncarnation

>ontinuing with the various incarnations o Lord Vishnu& Lord @ahadeva told Earvati 333 Erahlad had a son named Virochan.,he most benevolent king33A@ahabahu3BaliA was VirochanAs son. Bali had de eated the deities and ruled over all the three worlds. 1age Kashyap commenced the most austere penance33 Eayovrata to help the deities regain their lost kingdom (heaven) once again. (e was accompanied by his wi e33 Aditi in his penance which lasted or one thousand years. At last& Lord Vishnu became pleased by their penance and appeared be ore them. 1age Kashyap narrated the woe ul tales o the deities and reHuested him to make *ndra the Lord o all the three worlds. Lord Vishnu promised that he would take incarnation as Vaman.*n course o time& Aditi became pregnant and ultimately gave birth to Lord Vaman. Lord Vaman appeared in the orm o a ABrahmchariA. (e wore a deer331kin and carried a stick and a AmekhalaA in both his hands. Lord Vishnu enHuired the deities about the uture course o action. ,he deities in ormed him that Bali was busy per orming a yagya and he would not turn down any demand made to him because i he did so there was a ear o loosing all his virtues attained by the per ormance o the yagya. Lord Vaman went to the oblation site where Bali was per orming a yagya and demanded a small piece o land measured by his three steps. Bali agreed to meet the demand o his guest inspite o 1hukracharyaAs warning.Bali resolved to donate land by holding holy water in his palm. +ow& Lord Vaman abandoned his dwar ish orm and appeared in a giant orm. (e measured the whole earth by his irst step. Lord Vishnu then measured the whole sky by his second step. ,he helpless Bali agreed to donate all the three worlds to protect his vow.%ltimately& Lord Vishnu sent Bali to the "asatala and thus *ndra became the ruler o heaven once again.
;.8.6M 1ri "ama)s Birth

Describing about 1ri "amAs incarnation Lord @ahadeva told Earvati33A?nce& 1wayambhuva @anu had e/pressed his desire o having Lord Vishnu as his son to which Lord Vishnu had agreed. During tretayuga @anu mani ested himsel as Dasharath and Vishnu kept his promise by taking birth as his son331ri "am. 1imilarly& during dwaparyuga @anu was born as Vasudev and Lord Vishnu kept his word by taking birth as his son33Krishna. A ter the completion o one thousand divine years& @anu will be born in the village o 1ambhal as (arigupta and lord Vishnu will take birth as his son33AKalkiA. Lord 1hiva then continued with the incarnation o 1ri "am and said33A1age Vishrava was the son o Eulasya and was married to Kekashi. "avan and Kumbhakarna were born to the couple. 1age Vishrava also had a daughter named 1hurpanakha and a virtuous son named Vibhishan."avan and Kumbhakarna did austere penance to please me (Lord 1hiva). Chen * appeared be ore "avan he reHuested the boon o immortality rom me. A ter receiving the boon& "avan became very arrogant and started tormenting the inhabitants o all the three worlds. ,he deities became scarred and took the re uge o Lord Vishnu. Lord Vishnu assured them that he would solve their problem by taking incarnation as 1ri "am. Dasharath came rom the lineage o 1urya. (e had three Hueens333Kaushalya& 1umitra and Kaikeyi. ?nce& Dasharath per ormed a Vaishnav Yagya with the ob9ective o acHuiring a son. Lord Vishnu appeared and assured him that he would take incarnation as 1ri "am in a short time. Lord Vishnu gave a bowl o divine kheer to Dasharath& which he distributed amongst his three Hueens. *n course o time& Kaushalya gave birth to 1ri "am on the auspicious day o >haitra3+avami. ,he deities and the sages re9oiced at his birth.
;.8.66 1ri "ama Brows %p

>ontinuing with the tale o 1ri "am& Lord @ahadeva told Earvati33Dasharath reHuested Vashishth to per orm the #aatkarm 1anskar o 1ri "am. *n course o time Kaikeyi gave birth to Bharat33an incarnation o Eancha9anya conch. 1imilarly& 1umitra gave birth to two sons33La/man and 1hatrughan. La/man was the incarnation o 1heshnag while 1hatrughan was the incarnation o 1udershan chakra. 1ri "am and his brothers received education under the guidance o 1age Vashishth. *n a very short time they became pro icient in all the scriptures and mastered various weaponaries. Although all the our brothers were very close to each other& yet La/man could not bear to live in "amAs separation even or a moment and was specially close to him. 1ita mani ested hersel rom the ield while #anak was ploughing it. King #anak brought up 1ita with great love and
care. At that time& Vishwamitra was busy per orming a grand yagya at 1iddhashram. But the demons created numerous problems and made it impossible or him to accomplish the yagya. Vishwamitra went to Ayodhya and reHuested Dasharath to send 1ri "am and La/man along with him so that the yagya could be accomplished without any problems. Dasharath agreed to send 1ri "am and La/man along with Vishwamitra.,his way& Vishwamitra returned to his hermitage acompanied by both the brothers. Baruda presented a pair o bow and imperishable set o arrows to both the brothers. Chile staying at the hermitage 1ri "am and La/man killed many demons like ,araka and 1ubahu. Chen @arich tried to disrupt the yagya& 1ri "am attacked him with Eavan3astra& which sent @arich lying across the sea3 shore.@eanwhile& on learning that #anak was per orming Va9apeya yagya at #anakpur& Vishwamitra took 1ri3"am and La/man to attend it. ?n the way 1ri "am liberated Ahalya who had turned into a rock a ter being cursed by her husband.A ter reaching #anakpur& 1ri "am broke Lord 1hivaAs bow and married 1ita. La/man married %rmila. Dasharath had come to attend the marriage ceremony accompanied by Bharat and 1hatrughan. Bharat was married to @andavi while 1hatrughan married 1hrutkeerti. @eanwhile& on learning that 1ri "am had broken 1hivaAs bow& Earshuram arrived there and challenged him& but ultimately Earashuram reali:ed about the divinity o 1ri "am and accepted his superiority.At last& 1ri "am& La/man& Bharat and 1hatrughan returned to Ayodhya alongwith their respective consorts.
;.8.6; 1ri "ama)s -/ile

Lord @ahadeva continued with the tale o 1ri "am and told Earvati 33Dasharath wanted to appoint 1ri "am as his successor but Kaikeyi did not like this idea. 1he wanted Bharat to be made the king o Ayodhya and 1ri "am to be sent into e/ile or 6F years. ?nce& Kaikeyi had saved DasharathAs li e while he was ighting a battle against the demons. ,o show his gratitude& Dasharath had promised two boons to her. At that time& Kaikeyi had told Dasharath that she would make her demand at the appropriate time. ,his way& Dasharath was compelled by Kaikeyi to accept the two demands. As a result& 1ri "am was sent into e/ile. Bharat re used to become the king o Ayodhya and vowed to wait till 1ri "am returned. Dasharath could not bear the sorrow o "amAs separation and died in his sorrow. Bharat tried his best to convince 1ri "am to change his mind and accept the throne& but 1ri "am did not listen to his reHuest. Bharat then brought 1ri "amAs wooden3 sandal and kept it on the throne. (e vowed to spend rest o his li e in austerities till 1ri "am returned. Chile 1ri "am was still in e/ile& he went to the hermitage o 1age Atri and received his blessings. AtriAs wi e3 Anasuya preached 1ita on the virtues o chastity. 1ri "am also visited hermitages o some other prominent sages like 1harbhanga& 1uteeksha& Agastya etc. ?nce& while 1ri "am was living in Eanchavati& 1hurpanakha arrived there. 1hurpanakha was "avanaAs sister and wanted to marry 1ri "am& But La/man severed her nose and ears. 1he went to a mighty demon named Khar and narrated her woe ul tale. Khar attacked "am with a huge army& which comprised o brave warriors like ,rishira Dushan etc. 1ri "am was Victorious in this battle and Khar& ,rishira and Dushan were killed. 1hurpanakha went to "avan and in ormed him about the misdeeds o "am. "avan was in uriated and wanted to take revenge. (e abducted 1ita with the help o @arich.Chen #atayu saw "avan carrying 1ita to Lanka& he ought with valiance but was in9ured in the ensuing battle.1ri "am went in search o 1ita and met #atayu& who was in9ured and who in ormed "am that 1ita had been abducted by the demon king "avan.1ri "am met (anuman at the "ishyamook mountain. Later on he be riended 1ugreeva on the advice o (anuman. 1ugreeva had enemity with his brother3Bali. 1ri "am killed Bali and made 1ugreeva the king. 1ri "am reHuested (anuman to ind out the whereabouts o 1ita. (anuman went to Lanka and ound 1ita at Ashoka Vatika. (e destroyed the garden and killed many demons including "avanaAs son33Akshay Kumar. %ltimately& he was captured by @eghnath and taken to "avanaAs court. "avan ordered (anumanAs tail to be ignited. (anuman then burnt the city o Lanka and returned to 1ri "am. Chen 1ri "an came to know about the e/act location o 1ita& he decided to attack Lanka with a huge army& which comprised o monkeys. ,he army camped at the sea3shore where Vibhishan came to meet him. A bridge was built across the ocean and the army reached Lanka. A ierce battle took place in which many demons were killed. At last& "avan came orward to ight against 1ri "am but was killed.1ri "am appointed Vibhishan as the king o Lanka and blessed him. Vibhishan presented his pushpak Viman to 1ri "am. All o them boarded the Eushpak Viman and lew towards Ayodhya. ?n the way 1ri "am met Bharat who was still awaiting his arrival at +andigram. 1ri "am was very pleased to meet Bharat. %ltimately all o them returned to Ayodhya.
;.8.67 1ri "ama)s >oronation

Describing the coronation o 1ri "am Lord @ahadeva told Earvati33Eeople o Ayodhya re9oiced at the return o 1ri "am. An auspicious day was chosen or his coronation and 1ri "am became the king o Ayodhya amidst the chantings o Vedic mantras. 1ri "am ruled over Ayodhya or one thousand years without any problem. @eanwhile& some ignorant people started pointing out ingers at the character o 1ita.1ri "am decided to abandon 1ita in the orest to Huell the rumour. 1ita was pregnant at that time. Deeling pity on her condition& Valmiki took her to his hermitage where 1ita gave birth to Lav and Kush. @eanwhile 1ri "am decided to per orm Ashwamedha yagya at the bank o river Bomati. But& since the yagya could not have been accomplished without 1ita& there ore he per ormed the rituals seated beside a golden idol o 1ita& *n the mean time Valmiki arrived there& accompanied by 1ita. (e reHuested 1ri "am to accept 1ita& vouching or her chastity.1ri "am told Valmiki33A* am con ident o 1itaAs chastity but she will have to prove her chastity or the satis action o common people.A 1ita was deeply hurt by 1ri "amAs unkind remarks. 1he said33A@ay mother earth swallow me i * ever had thought about any man other than my lord 1ri "am.A (ardly had 1ita inished her lines than the earth cracked and 1ita vanished into that crevice. 1ri "amAs heart was illed with remorse but thinking that it was perhaps in his destiny to live in separation with 1ita& returned to Ayodhya accompanied by Lav and Kush. *n course o time& Kaushalya& 1umitra and Kaikeyi le t or heavenly abode. 1ri "am continued to rule Ayodhya or 6M&MMM more years. ?ne day& Kala (death) arrived and reminded 1ri "am that the time had arrived or him to leave his mortal body. @eanwhile La/man became aware o 1ri "amAs decision o leaving his mortal body. (e gave up his li e by taking samadhi in river 1aryu. 1ri "am could not bear the sorrow caused by La/manAs bereavment. (e appointed Lav and Kush as the kings o Dwarawati and Kushawati respectively and decided to leave or heavenly abode. 1ri "am entered the water o river 1aryu& lowing at the distance o three yo9ans rom Ayodhya.
;.8.6F 1ri Krshna

Earvati reHuested Lord @ahadeva to narrate the divine tales o Vasudeva Krishna. Lord @ahadeva replied33 Vasudev was the descendant o yadu. (is ather was Devameedha. (e was married to Devaki33the daughter o %grasena.%grasena also had a mighty son named Kansa. Kansa was e/tremely a ectionate towards his sister Devaki. A ter her marriage& while Devaki was going to her husbandAs house on a chariot being driven by Kansa& suddenly a heavenly voice was heard. AKansa& you would meet death at the hands o DevakiAs eighth son.A Kansa became very scarred and wanted to kill his sister then and there. But& Vasudev reHuested Kansa to spare DevakiAs li e and promised to hand over any child that she gave birth to. ,hus Kansa imprisoned both Vasudev and Devaki.*n course o time& Devaki gave birth to seven sons and Kansa killed each o them. Lord 1ri (ari mani ested himsel when Devaki conceived or the eighth time. *t was the month o 1hravan and the day was AKrishna3ashtamiA when 1ri (ari took his incarnation at midnight. 1oon a ter taking his incarnation he gave a glimpse o his divine orm to Vasudev and Devaki. ?n the instruction o 1ri (ari& Vasudeva carried the in ant to +andAs house. (e had no problem in moving out o the prison as all the guards had allen asleep due to the illusion o 1ri (ari. ?n seeing the swi t currents o over looded yamuna& Vasudev became worried. But the level o river Yamuna receded as soon as 1ri Krishna touched the river with his eet. 1heshnag protected 1ri Krishna rom heavy rain with his thousand hoods. Chen Vasudev reached +andAs house he ound that +andAs wi e33 Yashoda had given birth to a baby girl. Yashoda was sleeping at that time and Vasudev had no problem in e/changing 1ri Krishna with that baby girl. Vasudev then returned to the prison and laid down the baby girl beside Devaki. ,he baby3girl started crying and the guards immediately woke up. ,hey in ormed Kansa about the birth o DevakiAs eighth child. Kansa tried to kill that baby girl by smashing her head& but she escaped rom his hands and lew up in the sky. 1he thundered333AYour death is certain as your assasin has already taken birth.A Kansa was terri ied at the prospect o his death. (e instructed his soldiers to kill all the in antsA whereever they were to be ound in his kingdom. (e also ordered the release o Vasudev and Devaki& as there was no point keeping them in captivity.@eanwhile& 1ri Krishna grew up under the guardianship o +and and Yashoda. ?ne day Kansa sent a wicked ogress named Eutna to kill 1ri Krishna. Eutma had applied poison on her breasts and tried to kill Krishna by breast3 eeding him. 1ri Krishna sucked her breast with such erocity that she died.
,hus& 1ri Krishna gave the irst glimpse o his divinity to the inhabitants o Va9ra.1ri Krishna accomplished many such divine deeds during his childhood. (e grew up to be a mischieveous child and used to play numerous pranks on the ellow Bopis. (e used to steal their butter and curd. ?ne day& all the Bopis complained to Yashoda about 1ri KrishnaAs misdeeds. Yashoda became angry and tied him with a wooden3mortar in order to prevent him rom troubling the Bopis. 1he then placed that mortar between two trees so that Krishna could not move. But& 1ri Krishna toddled away uprooting both the huge trees. ?nce& a demon named Bakasur disguised himsel as a huge heron and tried to kill 1ri Krishna. But& 1ri Krishna hit him with a stone with such orce that he met an instant death.,his way 1ri Krishna had killed many erocious demons while he was still a small child. 1ome o them well Kaliya33the serpent etc& Dhenukasur& Arisht& Keshi etc. A signi icant incident had occurred during KrishnaAs childhood. Eeople o Vra9a were devotees o *ndra and used to worship him. 1ri Krishna stopped this tradition and encouraged people to worship Bovardhan mountain. *ndra became e/tremely urious and caused incessant rain or one week. 1ri Krishna protected the people by li ting Bovardhan mountain and shielding them rom the continuous downpour.At last& *ndra accepted de eat and eulogi:ed 1ri Krishna.
;.8.68 Killing o Kansa

>ontinuing with the divine tales o 1ri Krishna& Lord @ahadeva told Earvati33Chen Kansa ailed in his repeated attempts to kill 1ri Krishna& he instructed AAkruraA to invite both Krishna and Balaram to @athura on the prete/t o attending a ceremony called Dhanush3yagya. Kansa had planned to kill 1ri Krishna by deceit ul means.Akrura was a great devotee o 1ri Krishna and was aware o KansaAs evil intentions. But& he had no other option but to ollow the command o his master3Kansa. 1o& Akrura went to Vra9a where 1ri Krishna and Balaram used to live. 1ri Krishna and Balaram were delighted to meet Akrura. A ter the ormal e/change o pleasantaries& Krishna took Akrura to his home. Akrura conveyed the instructions o Kansa to +anda and reHuested him to send both 1ri Krishna and Balaram to @athura. Akrura said33A1ri Krishna is the incarnation o Lord Vishnu and Kansa will be killed by him.A+anda and Yashoda were reluctant to send 1ri Krishna to @athura but 1ri Krishna convinced them& %ltimately. Akrura returned to @athura accompanied by Krishna and Balaram. ,he people o Vra9a became sad when the time or KrishnaAs departure to @athura arrived. Chen Akrura reached @athura accompanied by 1ri Krishna and Balaram it was already evening. 1ri Krishna saw a dyer with colour ul apparels going towards KansaAs palace. 1ri Krishna play ully demanded some set o clothes rom that dyer which he re used to give. 1ri Krishna was in uriated and slapped him so hard that he started vomiting blood. *n a short time the dyer was dead. 1ri Krishna and Balaram chose some beauti ul set o clothes or themselves and proceeded towards the palace o Kansa. A ter sometime they met a crooked woman carrying Asandal3wood3pasteA. 1ri Krishna demanded some sandal wood paste rom her& which she gave without any hesitation. 1ri Krishna blessed that crooked woman as a result o which she was cured o her physical33de ormity. At last& both 1ri Krishna and Balaram reached the oblation33site where ADhanush3yagyaA was suppossed to be per ormed. 1ri Krishna li ted the divine bow kept there and broke it into two pieces.Chen Kansa learnt that the divine bow had been broken& he ordered >haanur to kill Krishna in a wrestling3bout. Kansa also orti ied his palace by positioning wild elephants and mighty warriors at all the entrance3points.1ri Krishna and Balaram spent the night at the oblation3site. *n the morning both o them proceeded towards the palace. 1ri Krishna ound an elephant named Kuvalyapeeda standing at the main entrance o the palace. (e killed that erocious elephant without much di iculty. 1ri Krishna and Balaram then entered the gymnasium where wrestling3bouts were supposed to take place. All the demons those who had witnessed 1ri Krishna killing that huge elephant without any problem& became terri ied and led away rom the gymnasium. 1ri Krishna and Balaram entered the chamber o Kansa. Kansa became terri ied and ordered his trusted lientenants33>hanur and @ushtik to kill Krishna.>hanur con ronted 1ri Krishna while @ushtik ought a duel with Balaram. %ltimately& both the demons were killed a ter a ierce duel. +ow& Kansa was le t all alone& 1ri Krishna pulled Kansa rom the throne where he was sitting and slapped him so hard that he ell down on the ground. ,he in9ury proved to be atal and as a result Kansa died. Balaram also killed KansaAs younger brother whose named was 1unama. A ter killing Kansa& Krishna and Balaram went to meet their parents33Vasudev and Devaki. ,hey also reed their maternal grand ather3 %grasena who had been imprisioned by Kansa. At last they appointed %grasena as the king o @athura.
;.8.6I #arasandh
#arasandh was the ather3in3law o Kansa. Chen he learnt about KansaA death he surrounded @athura with a huge army. 1ri Krishna was well aware o #arasandhAs might and bravery. (e was also convinced that it would not be easy to de eat #arasandh. 1o& he remembered Daruk33his eternal charioteer and sought his help. Daruk appeared with a divine chariot named 1ugreeva33pushpak. ,he chariot was well armed with all the divine weapons o lord Vishnu. 1ri Krishna and Balaram then entered the battle ied mounted on that divine chariot. A ierce battle was ought between 1ri Krishna and #arasandhAs army. #arasandh covered Krishna chariot with his various weapons but 1ri Krishna destroyed them with his A>hakraA. 1ri Krishna then destroyed #arasandhAs army by showering volley o arrows rom his amous bow331harang. 1eeing the death and destruction in his army& #arasandh came orward to ight Balaram. Balaram attacked #arasandh with his dangerous weapon33(ala (plough) and destroyed his chariot. #arasandh ell down on the ground and as Balaram was about to kill him 1ri Krishna reHuested Balaram not to kill #arasandh. A ter being de eated& #arasandh sought the help o Kaalyan& who had a large army. Kaalyavan agreed to help #arasandh and surrounded @athura with his army. "eali:ing that @athura was no longer a sa e place to live& 1ri Krishna shi ted the whole population o @athura to Dwarka and went to ight Kaalyavan. ,he battle continued or a long period and a ter reali:ing that it was not easy to de eat his enemy& 1ri Krishna& ran towards the cave where A@uchkundA had been sleeping since many past eras. @uchkund was blessed with a boon according to which any person upon whom he put his glance a ter woking rom his sleep would die. Krishna hid himsel behind @uchkund. Kaalyavan& who was chasing Krishna& entered the cave and kicked @uchkund. @uchkund opened his eyes and saw Kaalyavan. Kaalyavan was burnt to ashes. ,his way& 1ri Krishna was able to de eat his power ul enemy by his cleverness.
;.8.6< Abduction o "ukmini

Lord @ahadeva told Earvati333 Chen #arasandh learnt about KaalyavanAs death& he attacked Balaram to avenge his riendAs death. But& very soon he reali:ed that it was beyond his capacity to de eat Balaram& so he retreated alongwith his army. 1ri Krishna and Balaram returned to Dwarka.*n course o time& Balaram married "evati33the daugher o "aivat. At that time& there ruled a king named Bheeshmak. (e ruled over Vidarbha. (e had a beauti ul daughter named "ukmini. (e also had many sons among whom "ukmi was prominent. "ukmi wanted "umini to get married to 1hishupal much against her wishes. "ukmini being an incarnation o goddess la/mi rightly wanted o have 1ri Krishna as her husband."ukmini sent a message to 1ri Krishna about her brotherAs intention. 1ri Krishna went to help her& accompanied by Balaram.1ri Krishna reached Vidarbha on the same day& "ukmini was supposed to marry 1hishupal and abducted her to Dwarka. #arasandh and "ukmi chased KrishnaAs chariot but Balaram de eated #arasandh while 1ri Krishna astened "ukmi with the chariot. 1ri Krishna also shaved o "ukmiAs hair& which illed him with so much o shame that he decided not to return to Vidarbha.A ter reaching Dwarka& 1ri Krishna married "ukmini on an auspicious day.
;.8.6J 1ri Krshna)s =ueens

>ontinuing with the divine tales o 1ri Krishna& Lord @ahadeva told Earvati331ri Krishna had 6I thousand Hueens among whom 1atyabhama& Kalindi& @itravinda& etc. were prominent.King 1atta9it had a priceless diamond named331yamantak& which he had presented to his younger brother33Erasena. 1ri Krishna was ascinated by that diamond and demanded it rom Erasena& which he re used to part with. ?ne day& 1ri Krishna alongwith Erasena and other yadavas went into the orest or hunting. Chile chasing a deer& Erasena seceded rom his group and was killed by a lion. ,he lion took the diamond and started playing with it. *ncidentally& #ambavan33who had once ought along with 1ri "am against "avana& saw the lion playing with the diamond. (e killed that lion and took the diamond in his possession. Chen 1ri Krishna returned to Dwarka& he was surprised by a strange rumour& which pervaded the whole city. 1ome people suspected that 1ri Krishna had killed Erasena or the diamond.1ri Krishna was very much distributed by this baseless rumour. ,o clear the doubts& he went into the orest accompanied by all the residents o Dwarka and showed the dead body o Erasena& which was still lying there. Chen people saw the mutilated corpse o Erasena& which bore marks o the lionAs claws and canines& they became convinced o 1ri KrishnaAs innocense.
Chile returning back to Dwarka& 1ri Krishna saw an e ulgent cave. 1ri Krishna was very surprised and wanted to ind out the source o light. (e entered the cave and saw ErasenaAs diamond hanging on top o a cradle& in which a child was lying. A woman was singing a lulaby so that the child alls asleep333A,he lion killed Erasena while #ambavan killed the lion and acHuired this diamond rom its possession. ? child$ DonAt cry as this priceless diamond belongs to your ather.A1ri Krishna uriously blew his conch. #ambavan came out rom the cave a ter listening to the sound o the conch. A ierce duel took place between them& which continued or ten days. At last& #ambavan reali:ed that the person against whom he was ighting was none other than 1ri "am himsel . #ambhavan then gave his daughter33#ambavati to Krishna in marriage and gave lot o wealth as dowry including that A1yamantakA diamond. Bhadrara9 had three daughters331ulakshamana& +agna9iti and 1usheela. 1ri Krishna had married all three o them in a A1wayamwaraA. ,his way& 1ri Krishna had altogether eight prominent Hueen consorts33"ukmini& 1atyabhama& Kalindi& @itravinda& #ambavati& +agna9iti& 1ulakshamana and 1usheela. ,here lived a mighty demon named +arakasur. (e had de eated the deities and snatched the divine earrings o Aditi33the mother o deities. (e had created an aerial city in which he lived alongwith other demons. ,he deities went to 1ri Krishna and sought his help. 1ri Krishna lew up in the sky mounted on the back o Baruda. 1atyabhama was also accompanying him. 1ri Krishna was ama:ed to see the well orti ied palace o +arakasur. Chen the demons saw 1rikrishna& they attacked him but 1ri Krishna challenged them by blowin his conch. +arakasur came orward to ight 1ri Krishna. A ierce battle took place in which 1ri Krishna broke +arakasurAs bow with his arrows. %ltimately& 1ri Krishna was success ul in killing +arakasur. 1ri Krishna then returned the whole wealth to the deities& which +arakasur had looted rom them. (e also liberated si/teen thousand women whom +arakasur had imprisoned. A ter being liberated all the women accepted 1ri Krishna as their husband.
;.8.6G Anirudha @arries %sha

Lord @ahadeva continued with the divine tales o 1ri Krishna33? Earvati$ 1ri Krishna had a son rom "ukmini whose name was AAniruddhaA. Aniruddha was very brave and had killed a demon named 1hambasur. ,here is an interesting tale how Aniruddha married %sha. ?nce& %sha33the daughter o Bangur& saw a very handsome young man in her dreams. 1he was so in atuated by his handsome personality that she developed a deep desire o marrying him. Chen she woke up ne/t morning& she e/pressed her desire to her companion33>hitralekha.>hitralekha was an accomplished painter. 1he drew a sketch o a handsome man as per the descriptions o %sha. Chen the painting was ready& >hitralekha revealed to %sha that the preson who she had seen in her dream was none other than Aniruddha. >hitralekha had divine powers. 1he went to Dwarka and abducted Aniruddha while he was asleep. 1he then carried the sleeping Aniruddha and laid him on the bed o %sha.Chen %sha woke up& 1he was thrilled to see the man o her dreams. Aniruddha remained there or many days without Banasur being aware o his presence.?ne day& Banasur came to know about AniruddhasA presence. (e became urious and imprisoned Aniruddha.1age +arad in ormed 1ri Krishna about AniruddhaAs imprisonment. 1ri Krishna went to ight a battle against Banasur and release Aniruddha rom his imprisonment. Although 1ri Krishna was leading a large army and was accompanied by mighty warriors like Baldeva and Eradyumna yet he was aware that it was not easy to ight Banasur who had one thousand arms and whom Lord 1hiva had vowed to protect. A ierce battle commenced between the armies o 1ri Krishna and Lord 1hiva. But the battle remained indecisive or a long time. @eanwhile& Banasur came orward to ight against 1ri Krishna.Very soon 1ri Krishna severed all the thousand hands o Banasur with his AchakraA. Lord 1hiva then reHuested 1ri Krishna to spare BanasurAs li e and said 3ABanasur has received the boon o immortality rom me. +ow& only you can protect the dignity o my boon given to him.A 1ri Krishna spared BanasurAs li e. Banasur then agreed to marry his daughter to Aniruddha. ,his way Aniruddha married %sha with great an are.
;.8.;M ,he Decline o the Yadu Dynasty

Earvati was listening to the divine tales o 1ri Krishna with rapt attention. Lord @ahadeva told Earvati33 AEaundrak was the king o Kashi. (e did an austere penance or twelve years to please me. Chen * appeared be ore him& he reHuested me to make his appearance look like 1ri Krishna. * blessed him with an appearance similar to that o 1ri Krishna. Eeople became con used as to who the real Krishna was. ?ne day& +arad arrived at Kashi and castigated Eaundrak by saying that his intention o be ooling people would not meet success as long as real Krishna was alive. Eaundrak went to Dwarka with a large army and challenged 1ri Krishna or a duel. 1ri Krishna severed the impersonatorAs head with his chakra. @eanwhile& #arasandh
continued to torment the yadavas. 1ri Krishna decided to settle the matter or once and all. (e advised Bheema to challenge #arasandh or a wrestling3bout. #arasandh and Bheema ought valiantly or ;< days. Chile both o them were ighting& 1ri Krishna signalled Bheema to tear apart #arasandhAs thighs. A ter the killing o #arasandh& 1ri Krishna released all the kings who had been imprisoned by him. A ter the great war o @ahabharat had ended& Yudhishthir decided to per orm a "a9asuya3yagya at *ndraprashth. 1ri Krishna also went there to bless the Eandavas. 1hishupal was also present at the ceremony. (e had an old grudge against 1ri Krishna and started abusing him. *nitially Krishna tried to overlook his abuses but when situation went beyond repair 1ri Krishna severed his head with his chakra. Dantavaktra attacked @athura to avenge the death o 1hishupal. A long battle was ought at the bank o river yamuna& which continued or many days. %ltimately& 1ri Krishna was success ul in killing Dantavaktra with his mace. ,here was a childhood riend o 1ri Krishna whose name was 1udama. (e was a poor brahmin. ?nce& he went to meet 1ri Krishna. 1ri Krishna& being an incarnation o the almighty immediately understood the precarious situation his poor riend was living in. (e blessed 1udama as a result o which he got rid o his poverty and became prosperous. 1ri Krishna had one crore sons rom his si/teen thousand Hueens. Eradyumna was his eldest son. ,he yadavas dominated the whole earth and had become arrogant a ter being into/icated by their power. ,here is an interesting tale how this power ul yadava dynasty met their down all 33 ?nce& some young yadavas played a prank with 1age Kanva& which caused the down all o the Yadavas. ?ne day& some Yadva children went at the bank o river +armada where sage Kanva was doing penance. 1amba was one o those Yadava children. (e disguised himsel as a pregnant woman by keeping a pestle under his clothes. All the yadava children then went near 1age Kanva and asked him as to when was the pregnant woman supposed to deliver a child.1age Kanva uriously cursed them that the whole clan o yadavas would be liHuidated because o that very pestle. All the children were scarred and told 1ri Krishna about the mistake they had made. 1ri Krishna ordered that the iron pestle be crushed to powder and be thrown into a pond. But& that was not the end o the matter& as long reeds grew all around the pond. ,he reeds had very sharp edges. A ish swallowed a small part o that iron pestle and was subseHuently caught by a owler& who retrieved that iron3piece rom the ish and i/ed it on the top o his arrow. *n course o time all the Yadavas developed enemity among themselves and killed each other with those sharp3 edged reeds. ?nce& 1ri Krishna was taking rest under the shade o AKalpaA tree. ,he owler mistook his pink oot to be that o a deer and pierced it with his arrow. Chen the owler arrived at the spot he ound 1ri Krishna in an in9ured condition. ,he owler regretted his action and begged or 1ri KrishnaAs pardon. 1ri Krishna consoled the owler by saying that he had committed no crime. @eanwhile& Daruk arrived there on his chariot. 1ri Krishna instructed Daruk to call Ar9una as soon as possible. Ar9una arrived at the site within a short time. 1ri Krishna told Ar9una33A,he time or my inal departure has arrived. Elease call all my eight Hueen consorts.A Ar9una rushed towards Dwarka to summon the Hueens but 1ri Krishna had already le t or his heavenly abode be ore he could come back with the Hueens. Ar9una in ormed the Hueens about 1ri KrishnaAs in9ury. *n a short time the news spread like a wild ire and all the residents o Dwarka rushed towards the site o incident. A ter reaching there& the eight Hueen consorts o Krishna ound that their beloved husband had already departed. All o them gave up their lives and united with 1ri Krishna. ,he great Yadavas like Vasudev& %grasena and Akrur ollowed suit. Balaram could not bear the sorrow caused by 1ri KrishnaAs separation and he gave up his li e. (is wi e33 "evati entered the burning pyre with her husbandAs body in her lap. 1imilarly all the rest o 1ri KrishnaAs amily members like "ukmiAs daughter& Eradyumna& %sha and Aniruddha le t or heavenly abode. Ar9una per ormed the last rite o all the dead Yadavas.-ventually& Dwaraka got submerged into the ocean. ,hus& 1ri Krishna a ter having liberated the earth rom all the sinners le t his mortal body. A ter completing his story Lord @ahadeva told Earvati that 1ri Krishna takes incarnation whenever there is predominance o sin or sinners. (e also revealed to her that 1ri Krishna would incarnate as Kalki at the ag end o Kalkiyuga to liHuidate the AmlechchhasA.
;.8.;6 "ituals o Vishnu Corship

Describing about the rituals connected with the worship o lord Vishnu& lord @ahaddeva told Earvati33 A devotee can worship Lord Vishnu by making his idol. ,his mode o worship is known as A1thapitaA (installation o an idol). ,here are also some sacred places related with lord Vishnu which are called A1wayam3VyakataA (sel mani ested) like *ndradyumna 1arovar& (Kurma sthan)& Kashi& Erayag& Dwarka& +aimisharanya& @athura etc. *n all these holy places& Lord Vishnu had mani ested himsel . A devotee should get up early in the morning and per orm AaachamanA. (e should then chant the holy name o Lord Vishnu. (e should take his bath and sit down to worship Lord Vishnu.
A devotee should install idols o La/mi3+arayana on a beauti ul pedestal and adorn it with lowers. (e should then make o erings o various articles like akshat& ruits& lowers& etc. to the deity. Chile worshipping& it is most necessary that a devotee ollowes the rituals as mentioned in the ancient scriptures like 1hruti& 1mriti& Vedas etc. (e should chant the shlokas o Eurush31ukta as well as the cryptic mantra or the accomplishment o A1hodashopacharA. (e should light a ghee lamp and make o erings o articles like camphor and betel leaves to Lord Vishnu. Chile making o erings in the sacri icial3 ire& chanting o a shloka either rom Eurushsukta or 1hrisukta is madatory. ,here are some speci ic days which are considered to be specially auspicious or the worship o lord Vishnu33 Amavasya& 1aturday& 1olar eclipse& lunar eclipse etc.
;.8.;; Lord Vishnu ! ,he Almighty Bod

Describing about the superiority o Lord Vishnu among the trinity BodsA 1age Vashishth narrated the ollowing tale33During ancient times& 1wayambhuva manu had once gone to @andarachal mountain to per orm a yagya. @any scholars and learned men had come to attend that yagya. Very soon& they got into a debate as to who was the supreme among all the deities. 1ome o them eulogised the greatness o Brahma& while some said that lord 1hiva was the greatest o all the deities. Dailing to come to any conclusion all o them reHuested 1age Bhrigu to ind out as to who was the greatest among the trinity Bods. 1age Bhrigu went to meet Lord 1hiva at Kailash mountain. (e saw +andi standing guard at the main entrance. 1age Bhrigu arrogantly ordered +andi to in orm Lord 1hiva o his arrival. +andi re used to comply with BhriguAs command. 1age Bhrigu cursed Lord 1hiva by saying33Your master3 1hiva& would bear the conseHuences o showing disrespect to me. Drom today onwards people would make o erings o orbidden articles to him.A 1age Bhrigu then went to meet Lord Brahma. A ter reaching Brahmaloka& he made salutations to lord Brahma.Lord Brahma also did not give any respect to 1age Bhrigu and neglected him. 1age Bhrigu became urious and cursed Lord Brahma333ABeing into/icated by your "a9oguna& you have shown disrespect to me. Drom today onwards people will not worhsip you.A 1age Bhrigu then went to meet Lord Vishnu at his abode3 Ksheersagar. (e did not have any problem in reaching the place where Lord Vishnu was taking rest on 1heshnag& engrossed in his yoganidra. Boddess La/mi was pressing VishnuAs legs with total devotion. 1age Bhrigu kicked Lord Vishnu on his chest. Lord Vishnu woke up and seeing sage Bhrigu said333A? Breat Brahmin$ Your tender oot must have got hurt because o my chest& which is as hard as Va9ra. (ow blessed * am to have been touched by a brahminAs oot.A Lord Vishnu got up and eulogised 1age Bhrigu. ,his gesture o Lord Vishnu made 1age Bhrigu cry in 9oy. +ow& he was convinced as to who was the supreme among all the three deities.1age Bhrigu returned to @andarachal mountain where all the sages were an/iously waiting or him. (e declared33 ALord Brahma is the possesser o "a9oguna& while Lord 1hiva possesses tamoguna. ?nly Lord Vishnu is the proud possessor o 1atvaguna and hence (e is the supreme among all three o them.A A ter inishing his tale& 1age Vashishth told the sages that anybody who worships Lord Vishnu with complete aith and total devotion become liberated rom all his sins. A devotee o Lord Vishnu attains to Vishnu Loka a ter his death.
;.8.;7 Earashuram
Describing Lord VishnuAs incarnation as Earshuram& Lord @ahadeva told Earvati331age #amadagni came rom the lineage o Bhrigu. (e had pleased *ndra by his tremendous penance and received 1urabhi cow in return. *n course o time he married the daughter o king "enuk whose name was "enuka. A child was born to them& who was named A"amA by 1age Bhrigu. ,he child was also known as A#amadganyaA because o #amdagni. A ter growing up& "am became pro icient in all the scriptures. (e also mastered various weaponaries. ?ne day& the king o (aihaya named Ar9un arrived at the hermitage o #amadagni. 1age #amdagni treated the king with due honour and respect. (e presented numerous gi ts to the king. Ar9un wanted nothing else but the 1urabhi33cow rom 1age #amdagni which he was unwilling to part away with. %ltimately& Ar9un orcibly took away the divine cow. ,he cow was unwilling to go alongwith Ar9un and she attacked his army with her sharp horns. As a result& Ar9unAs whole army was liHuidated within no time.,he revenge ul Ar9un killed #amadagni. At the time o this incident. "am was not present in the hermitage. "am wanted to avenge his atherAs death and did a tremendous penance to please Lord Vishnu. Lord Vishnu became pleased by his devotion and presented many divine weapons to him. ,he weapons included the amous
a/e33Earshu and Vaishnav3bow. A ter acHuiring Earshu rom Lord Vishnu& "am became amous as Earshuram. (e had vowed to kill all the Kshatriyas& which he did only& the clan o *kshavaku was spared by him as he had promised his mother that he would not harm *kshavaku and his clan. A ter reeing the earth rom the terror o Kshatriyas& Earshuram per ormed an Ashwamedha yagya and donated his whole kingdom& to the brahmins. (e then went to do penance at the hermitage o +ar3+arayan. '"D O> P*D,* P$#*"
3 .ishnu Purana
,his Eurana has I >hapters (I Earts) as ollows5 Part 1! Describes the creation o the universe& birth o the gods and the demons& Eralaya& churning o the sea& tales o the devotee DhruvaK killing o (iranyakashipu etc. Part 2! >ontains the description o Eriyavrata)s sons and Bharat dynasty. *t also has a geographical description o #ambu dweep& Bharat varsh& 1hatdweep& Eatal (the hades)& the sun and the planets& chariot o the sun& origin o the Banges etc. Part 3! >ontains a detailed description o @anavantaras& Kalpa& Veda Vyasa& religion and the caste system etc. *t also has a description o the origin o Buddhism. Part &! ?rigin o Brahmanand Daksha etc. Birth o Eururava& marriage o Balarama with "evati. Birth o *kshavaku. Kukutstha dynasty. ,ale o Yuvanashva and 1aubhari. 1arpvinasha mantra. A +arayana dynasty& Birth o 1agar. Ashwamedha by 1agar. Descendence o the Banges through the penance o Bhagirath. Birth o Lord "ama. Yagya o Vishwamitra& birth o 1ita& tales o >handra dynasty. Abduction o ,ara& ?rigin o Agnitrayo& birth o Dhanvantri and his clan. Cars with the demons& clan o +ahush& tale o Yayati& Yadu dynasty. Birth o Kartveerya Ar9un. ,ales o Krishna)s birth& marriage o Krishna with #ambvanti and 1atyabhama. 1alvation o 1hishupaal. ?ver population o Yaduvanshis. Birth o Karna and his ind him by Adhirath. #aname9aya dynasty and origin o Bharat. >lans o #ahnu and Eandu. >lan o Earikshit and royal dynasties o the uture. Duture generation o *kshvaku dynasty. Duture generation o Brihad dynasty. Duture generations o Eradyot dynasty. Kingdom o +and. Advent o Kali Yuga and description o royal dynasties o Kali Yuga. Part (! @arriage o Vasudev and Devaki. *ncarnation o Lord Vishnu to kill Kansa. Arrival o Yagmaya in Yashoda womb and o the Lord in Devaki)s womb. Birth o Lord Krishna& carrying o Krishna to Bokul& Dialogue o @ahamaya with Kansa& acHuiring o de ensive stance by Kansa. "eleasing o Vasudeva and Devaki. Killing o Eutana. Killing o 1hakat. +aming o Krishna and Balarama. (umiliation o Kaliya. Killing o Dhenukasura& killing o Eralamb& description o estival devoted to *ndra& worshipping o Bovardhana& arrival o *ndra& killing o Arishtakasura. Arrival o +arad in Kansa)s court. Killing o Keshi& Arrival o Akrur in Vrindavana. Arrival o Lord Krishna in @athura. Lord Krishna)s mercy on Kub9a. Arrival o Lord Krishna in amphi3theatre and killing o Kansa. >oronation o %grasena& bringing o 1udharma in @athura& de eat o #arasandha& birth o Kalayavan& killing o Kalayavan. Vrindavan tour by Balarama& getting o Varuni by Balarama. Abduction o "ukmani& abduction o Eradyumna& getting o Eradyumna by @ayavati& killing o 1hambar by Eradyumna& killing o "ukmi by Balarama& getting o si/teen thousand Hueens by Lord Krishna. Abduction o Eari9at. Dight with *ndra. Begging or pardon by *ndra. @igration to Dwarka& bow battle. ,elling o dream by %sha& abduction o Aniruddha& ight with Lord 1hiva& amputation o Bana by Lord Krishna& killing o Kashira9 Eaundraka. Eutting o Varanasi on lames. Abduction o Lakshmana. Eresentation o 1amb be ore the sages as an e/pecting mother. ?rigin o pestle. Destruction o Yadu vansha. Ascendence o Lord Krishna to heaven& beginning o Kali Yuga& preaching o Ar9un by Vyasa. >oronation o Earikshit. Part -! Description o religion in Kali Yuga. Description o the importance o Kali Yuga& 1hudra and women olk by Vyasa. Description o Kalpa. Description o a day o Brahma. Eosition o Brahma in Eralaya. +atural disasters. Di erent kinds o sorrows. ,orturing in hell. Awakening o Brahma& Ereaching o Yoga. ,ale o Keshidhwa9a. Killing o the religion and the cow. (olding o counsel by Khandikya. 1el knoweldge. "idicules o body3 spiritualism. =uerries o Yoga. Brahmagyana (Vedas). >oncepts o tangible3intangible appearances o Bod. 1alvation o Khandikya and Keshidhwa9a. -/cellence o Vishnu Eurana. Virtues o Lord Vishnu)s names. "esults o hearing Lord)s name.
*&1
0hapter 1 (Part 1%
NAARAAYANAM NAMASKRUTAM NARAM CHAIV NAROTTAMAM | DEVEEM SARASWATEEM VYAASAM TATO JAYMUDEERYET ||
,his chapter contains 6I sections.
7.6.6 *ntroduction and ?rigin o the %niverse rom Basic -lements

1age Earashar& the e/ponent o Vishnu Euraan had narrated this grand treatise to @aitreya. 1age 1uta inherited it rom @aitreya. ,he te/t presented here is a narration by 1uta. 1uta says3 ?ne day& @aitreya greeted sage Earashar and said3 PBurudev& you have studied all the scriptures. * wish to hear the tale o universe)s origin rom you. (ow will be the ages that are about to comeL Chat is the reason or this whole creationL Cho created itL Chere did it e/istL Chom did it mingle withL And with whom it will annihilate eventuallyL Apart rom these& * also wish to hear about the e/pansion o athomless sky& origin o ocean and mountains& origin o earth& e/pansion o the 1un& division o time in our ages& Eralay& religion& sages& kings& creation o Vedas by Vedavyasa& origin o our classes in our society and system o our Ashrams in one)s li e.P Earashar says5 P@aitreya& you have reminded me today o the description once made by my grand ather Vashishta. Chen * learnt that the monster& which was created by Vishwamitra& had devoured my ather& * grew Huite angry and started a Yagya to destroy all the monsters. ,he Yagya destroyed such a large number o monsters that the whole race began to ace the ear o e/tinction. @y grand ather consoled me that too much anger was not good and that all the monsters could not be blamed or my ather)s death. According to my grand ather my ather was sure to ace such a ate ultimately. ?nly the ools get angry. A human being bears the ruit o his deeds himsel . ? son$ Anger destroys all the virtues o penance. (ence& ascetics always shun anger. (ence& stop this Yagya or orgiving has always been the virtue o ascetics.P ,hus& convinced by my grand ather& * stopped the Yagya. At the same time& Brahma)s son& Eulastya& arrived there and said3 PDespite your anger& you orgave the monsters when convinced by your grand ather Vashishta. You will learn all the scriptures and give commentaries on Euraans. You will also learn the real appearance o the godsP. Vashishta also endorsed these words o Eulastya. P? @aitreya$ +ow * narrate to you& the whole contents o Euraan. ,his whole universe has originated rom Lord Vishnu. *t is e/isting within (im and will annihilate in (im eventually.P Earashar says5 P,he trinity o Brahma& Vishnu and @ahesh is also known as the creator& the preserver and the destroyer. All o them salve the devotees. All o them have eHual importance. 1till& preserver who osters and protects all the living beings is ar more signi icant. * salute to (im and narrate the tale that was once narrated by Brahma to all the Dakshas. Dakshas had narrated this tale to the King Eurukutsa at the bank o the river +armada. *n turn& Eurukutsa narrated this tale to 1araswat who narrated it to me.P P? Brahmin$ Lord is eternal and endless. (ence& origin o universe& its e/istence and annihilation are also unending processes. During the period o Eralay& the nature e/ists in a state o eHuilibrium. *t is during this period that Eurush (masculine orces o creation) separates rom Erakriti ( eminine orces o creation) and Kaalroop o Vishnu (eternal& unending orm o the Lord) is mani ested. Lord Vishnu is beyond all the bonding o li e like birth& growth& intelligence& senses& decay and death. Eurush is the irst appearance o Lord Vishnu. Erakriti is the mani estation o (is action while Kaalroop is (is supreme appearance.P During the Eralay& there was neither day nor night& neither earth nor sky and neither darkness nor light. At the subsidence o Eralay& with (is desire& the Lord entered the Eurush who is beyond all bonding. (is entry stimulated the process o creation. Dirst o all& a single great element originated encompassing all the other lesser elements. Drom this great element originated three egos3 1attvic& "a9as and ,aamas. ,aamas created sky with sound as the main virtue. ,he sky then created the sense o touch. ,ouch produced air. (ence& touch is the main eature o airK no one can see air but only have an e/perience o it through touch. Air created "oop& which gave birth to ire with "oop as its main virtue. Dire gave birth to taste. ,aste produced water with taste as its main property. Drom water originated scent& which produced earth with scent as the main eature. ,hese senses have no special e/pression. ,he ego "a9as produced ten sense organs whereas the ruling deities o these organs were produced by 1attvic ego. ,hus& the ten deities who rule ten sense organs and the eleventh entity mind are 1attvic in nature. 1kin& eyes& ears& nose and tongue3 these ive organs aid the mind in its unction. ? @aitreya$ Anus& se/ organs& hands& legs and speech organs are the ive organs that help in action. Corks like e/cretion& reproduction& movement and speech are carried out with the help o these ive organs. All the ive elements like sky& air& ire& water and earth are ull o emotions. (ence& they are also known to have a special signi icance. All these elements have di erent and distinct powers. Cithout their combination& creation o the universe was impossible. *n the beginning& all these elements were present in the great ball or egg& which came into e/istence
because o the inspiration o the Lord. As this ball increased in si:e& it ormed the base as Erakriti in which& Lord Vishnu (imsel entered as (iranyagarbh. Chen the universe comes into e/istence& Lord Vishnu osters it till the end o Kalpa. At the end o Kalpa& Lord Vishnu (imsel devours the entire physical elements in "udra appearance. During that time& (e inundates the entire universe and (imsel sleeps on 1hesha in Ksheersagar. Chen he awakes once again& (e begins the process o creation in the appearance o Brahma.
7.6.; Birth o Brahma and 1alvation o -arth by Varaha

At the end o the previous Kalpa& when Brahma awakened rom his long slumber& he saw all the worlds devoid o everything. Cith a desire to salve the earth rom the depth o un athomable inundation& (e took the appearance o Varaha. -ntering the water& (e reached Eaataaloka. 1eeing (im& the earth prayed (im with respect. (earing her prayers& the Lord roared with rightening sound. ,hen& (e supported the earth on (is great incisors and came out rom the abysmal depth. Chen (e was rising& (is breath produced big sprays o water& which drenched sinless sages while the orce o (is breath rightened common creatures. Chen the Lord emerged rom the water& all the sages prayed (im with reverence and respect. Very soon& the Lord installed the earth at a position ar above the unending stretches o water. ,hen& Lord carved out the topographical eatures on earth and divided it into many divisions and created all the our worlds. ,hen Lord Vishnu in the guise o Brahma carried out the process o creation. As soon as Brahma thought o creation& ,amoguni ( ull o darkness) creatures were the irst to appear. Absence o knowledge and presence o evils like attachment& anger etc. were the main virtues o these creatures. ,hese creatures include lower organisms& trees& shrubs& creepers& plants and grasses. ,hese together constitute the primitive world. ,heir creation was ollowed by the appearance o animals and birds& which are devoid o wisdom and are ull o ego. ,hey are also unaware o the nature o another organism o their status. 1till unsatis ied with (is creation& Lord created the ne/t world& which has a somewhat elevated position. ,he living beings that were produced in this world had internal and e/ternal knowledge& power o re lection and loved physical com orts. ,hough this creation pleased the Lord& (e was still unsatis ied. 1o (e created the ne/t world& which was situated at a somewhat lower position. ,his new world had e/cess o all the three virtues. (uman beings populate this world and because o e/cess o vices& they are ull o sorrow but at the same time& highly active& have internal and e/ternal knowledge and are able to attain their goals. ,he irst ew creations had resulted rom the thoughts o the Lord. Dor the creation o the gods& the demons& Eitraganas& human beings and water& the Lord decided to use (is body. ,hus& the demons were the irst to emerge rom (is thighs. ,he Lord then shed (is dark body& which ormed the night. ,hen rom (is mouth& the Lord produced the gods who had 1attvic virtues. ,he Lord then shed (is 1attvic body as well rom which the day came into being. *t is also the reason why the gods acHuire more strength in day and the demons are stronger during nights. ,hen the Lord acHuired yet another body and behaved like Eitraganas to produce Eitraganas be ore shedding that body too& which gave rise to the dusk3 the twilight between the day and the night. ,herea ter& the Lord acHuired a new body with "a9as virtue rom which the human beings were produced. Chen the Lord shed that "a9as body it ormed dawn3 the twilight between the night and the day. *t also e/plains why the human beings are stronger at dawn and Eitraganas at dusk. ,hen the Lord assumed yet another body with "a9as virtues and produced desire rom it. ,he desire gave birth to lust. 1taying in the darkness then& the Lord created the world& which is ull o desire and lust. *n that world& many ugly looking human beings& who had long beard and moustache appeared and ran towards (im. Among those who said& 'Erotect him) came to be known as "aakshas (demons) and those who said& 'Ce will eat him) came to be known as Yakshas. ,hen the angry Lord produced aggressive carnivores. ,herea ter& the singing Lord produced Bandharvas. ,hus& by turns& the Lord produced birds& sheep& goat& cow& horse& elephant& donkey& deer& camel& pony rom (is age& chest& mouth& belly and eet respectively. Drom the innumerable body hair o the Lord& ruits& lowers and herbs were produced. Drom (is east3 acing head& Lord produced Bayatri mantra& "igveda& and Yagyas. Drom (is south3 acing head& (e produced Ya9urveda. Drom west3 acing head& (e produced 1amaveda and rom (is north3 acing head& (e produced Atharvaveda.
7.6.7 Divisions o -arth and ?rigin o >ereals

Cith the desire o creating the world& Brahma produced di erent kinds o human beings rom his di erent organs. ,hus& rom his mouth& Brahmins appeared. Kshatriyas appeared rom his chest& Vaishyas rom his thighs and rom his eet& 1hudras appeared. ,hus& physical body is the greatest means or human beings in order to achieve
his goals. Cith time& the human beings lost their divine virtues and per ections. #ealousy& sorrow& decay and in ighting began to rise among the people. *n order to earn their livelihood and run their li e peace ully& the human beings developed agriculture and other handicra ts. P? sage$ Eaddy& barley& wheat& lesser cereals& sesame& millet& rice& peas& pulses& beans& rye& gram and hemp are common agricultural produce that have edible as well as medicinal values in the villages. ,hese and other produce are also used as oblations in the Yagyas because all o them have produced as a result o Yagyas. Eer orming Yagyas daily is the most virtuous e/ercise that every human being should undertake. ,his destroys the sins committed by common people.P
7.6.F Birth o Era9apatis and their Erogeny

At one point& the process o creation got saturated and no increase took place in the number o living beings. ,hen& with a desire o continuing the creation& Lord created nine sages rom (is thought. ,hen he produced nine daughters and handed them over as the wives to those nine sages. Chen initially produced sons o Brahma took to asceticism& (e got very much in uriated. (is anger was enough to burn all the three worlds. Drom this anger& "udra originated who was shining like the 1un. "udra had appeared in hal 3masculine and hal 3 eminine orm. *mmediately a ter (is appearance& "udra separated (is body into eleven male parts and eleven emale parts. ,hen 1wayambhu @anu appeared rom the body o Brahma. (e agreed to ollow Brahma)s dictate o continuing creation. (e got a woman 1hatrupa who had also appeared along with him. ,ogether they begot two sons& Eriyavrata and %taanpaad and two daughters& Erasooti and Aakooti. ,hese two daughters were married to Daksha and Era9apati respectively. Era9apati and Aakooti gave birth to twins& Yagya and Dakshina. Yagya and Dakshina got married and produced twelve sons who later on came to be known as Yaam& the gods. Daksha and Erasooti produced twenty3 our daughters& thirteen o which were married to Dharma. ,he remaining eleven daughters were married to Bhrigu& 1hiva& @arichi& Angira& Eulastya& Eulaha& Kratu& Atri& Vashishta& Agni and Eitars. Drom his thirteen wives& Dharma produced Kama& Darpa& +iyam& 1antosh& Lobha& 1hrut& Dand& +aya& Vinay& Bodh& Vyavasaay& Kshema& 1ukh and Yash. Kama got married to "ati and produced (arsh. Darpa married (insa and produced a son Anrit and a daughter +ikriti. Anrit and +ikriti got married and produced Bhaya and +arak and their wives @aya and Vedana. @aya produced @rityu& the destroyer o all the creatures in the world. Vedana produced a son& Dukh. @rityu produced Vyadhi& #ara& 1hok& ,rishna and Krodh. ,hese are all the ierce appearances o Lord Vishnu and cause Eralay. ,he omnipresent eternal Bod creates this world in the orm o @anus& protects it and ultimately destroys it. ,here are our kinds o Eralay3 +aimittik& Erakritik& Aatyantik and +itya. Among them& +aimittik is Brahma Eralay during which Bod takes a nap. During Erakritik Eralay& the universe annihilates in nature. Annihilation o Yogi in the 1upreme Being is Aatyantik Eralay and a decay o physical elements that continues day and night is +itya Eralay.
7.6.8 >reation o "udra and ?mnipresence o La/mi

*n the beginning o Kalpa when Brahma was thinking about a son& who would be like him in virtues& a boy with reddish3blue body appeared in his lap. Brahma addressed the boy with names like "udra& Bhava& 1hiv& *bhaan& Eashupati& Bheema& %gra and @ahadev. Brahma also i/ed 1urya& water& earth& air& ire& sky& Dikshit (graduate scholar) Brahmin and the @oon (is abode. 1ince then& all these things idolise 1hiv. ,hese eleven idols o 1hiv have wives like 1uvarchala& %sha& Vikeshi& Apara& 1hiva& 1waha& Disha and "ohini. 1hanaishchar& 1hukra& Lohitaang& @ano9av& 1kand& 1arg& 1antaan and Buddh are the sons o these idols respectively. "udra (imsel got 1ati& the daughter o Daksha Era9apati as (is wi e. 1ati had committed sel 3immolation because o the disrespect that her ather had shown or her husband. *n her ne/t birth& she had appeared as Earvati& the daughter o (imalaya and @aina. Earvati too got married to 1hiv. Khyaati got married to Bhrigu and gave birth to two sons Dhata and Vidhaata and a daughter Lakshmi. Lakshmi then married Lord Vishnu. @aitreya says 3 P? sage$ *t is heard that Lakshmi was produced rom Ksheersagar during the churning o the sea but you say that Lakshmi was the daughter o Bhrigu and Khyaati. (ow is it possibleLP Earashar says3 P? great Brahmin$ Lakshmi who never separates rom the Lord is (ersel eternal like (im. But
still& as you have e/pressed your doubt& * will narrate you the real story.P ,he amous short3tempered sage Durvaasa is a partial incarnation o 1hankar. ?ne day& he was wandering on the earth when all o a sudden& he happened to see an e/tremely divine beauty. 1he was wearing a garland o beauti ul lowers. ,he sage reHuested the beauty to give him that garland. 1he presented the garland respect ully to the sage. ,he sage adorned the garland on his head and began to wander again. "ight at that moment& he saw *ndra riding on Airaavat and going somewhere in the procession o the gods. *nstinctively& sage Durvaasa put that garland around the neck o *ndra but *ndra removed it and put it on Airaavat)s head. Airaavat pulled the garland with his trunk and smashed it on the ground. ,his whole seHuence o events in uriated Durvaasa who cursed *ndra. P? *ndra$ You are so inebriated with your lu/uries that you dared to insult my humble gi t. (ence& all your splendour shall be destroyed. You will lose all your wealth.P *ndra at once descended rom the elephant and began to reHuest sage Durvaasa. Durvaasa said3 P*ndra$ Dorgiveness has no place in my personality. 1o& all your repenting is meaningless.P 1aying this& sage Durvaasa departed rom the scene and *ndra to le t or Amravati. Very soon& the curse began to show its in luence. Cith the loss o *ndra)s lu/uries& all the verdancy on the earth too began to wane. (ermits too began to give up Yagyas. All the human beings began to be guided by greed and gave up pious virtues. And at a place where pious virtues have no room& Lakshmi too doesn)t stay there. 1he made her abode in the abysmal depth o the sea. Very soon& the demons launched an attack on the gods and drove them out o heaven. *ndra along with other gods approached Brahma and told him the whole thing. Brahma suggested them to take re uge at Lord Vishnu. (e assured them also that Lord Vishnu would de initely protect them. Brahma even accompanied the gods to Lord Vishnu. ,here& they together prayed Lord Vishnu and intimated (im about their ordeal. Eleased by their prayers& Lord Vishnu appeared be ore them and said3 P* will de initely help you regain your splendour. Eresently& do what * say. You reconcile with the demons and convince them to carry out the churning o the sea. ,hen bring all kinds o herbs and put them in the sea. Cith the help o the demons and using @andaraachal as churner and Vaasuki& the +aag as the rope to carry out the churning o the sea. ,hus& you will recover ambrosia drinking which& all o you will become immortal and regain your strength.P Dollowing the advice o Lord Vishnu& the gods reconciled with the demons and convinced them to carry out the churning o the sea. ,hey together procured all kinds o herbs and put them in the sea. ,hen they began the churning using @andaraachal @ountain. As soon as the churning began& @andaraachal began to sink. Lord Vishnu took incarnation o Kachchhap (the great tortoise) and bore the weight o the mighty mountain on (is back. During the churning& Kamadhenu& the wish ul cow was the irst to emerge. *t was presented to the sages as an aid or their Yagyas. *t was ollowed by the damsel& Vaaruni& Kalpavriksha (the wish ul tree) a ter which& beauti ul elves appeared. ,he @oon ollowed the elves and was taken up by 1hiva on (is orehead. During the churning& huge Huantity o poison had also emerged. *t was drunk by Lord 1hiva and some parts o it were taken up by the serpents. *n the end& Dhanvantari himsel emerged rom the sea carrying the urn o ambrosia. *t was during the churning itsel that Lakshmi appeared once again rom the sea holding lotuses in her hands. All the sages prayed her. ,hen taking bath with divine water& goddess Lakshmi took her seat in the heart o Lord Vishnu. Chen the demons saw that Lakshmi had chosen Lord Vishnu)s heart as her abode& they got perple/ed. ,hey at once snatched the urn rom Dhanvantari and ran away. ,hen a row broke out among them over the drinking o ambrosia. -ach o the demons wanted to drink ambrosia in ma/imum Huantity. @eanwhile& Lord Vishnu also arrived there in the guise o an e/tremely pretty woman @ohini and took possession o the urn. @ohini had pleased the demons with her sweet smile while distributing ambrosia among the gods. ,hus& the gods came to drink ambrosia. Chen at last& the demons realised that they had been cheated they immediately attacked the gods. But since the gods had regained their strength& they soon de eated the demons without much ado. A terwards& the gods prayed Lord Vishnu and returned to heaven to rule it. ,he world also regained its verdancy. A ter regaining his splendour& com orts and lu/uries o the heaven& *ndra prayed goddess Lakshmi with devotion and respect. Eleased by the prayers o *ndra& Lakshmi asked him to seek a boon. *ndra said3 P? goddess$ * you are pleased with me& kindly bless me with a boon that irst you will never desert this world and also that you will never desert those who worship you with this prayer.P Lakshmi granted these boons.
,hus& Lakshmi had appeared as the daughter o Bhrigu and his wi e Khyaati. ,hen second time& she emerged rom beneath the sea during its churning. ,hus& whenever Lord Vishnu takes an incarnation& Lakshmi accompanies (im. Chen Bod appears in divine orm& she too takes a divine appearance. Chen Bod appears in human orm& Lakshmi appears in human orm also.
7.6.I Dhruv)s @igration to the Dorest

1wayambhu @anu had two sons3 Eriyavrata and %taanpaad. %taanpaad had two wives3 1uruchi and 1uniti. 1uruchi had a son3 %ttam while 1uniti had also a son3 Dhruv. King %taanpaad loved 1uruchi more than he loved 1uniti. ?ne day the king was sitting on the throne. Erince %ttam was playing in his lap. @eanwhile Dhruv also arrived there and insisted to play in the lap o his ather. At his insistence& Hueen 1uruchi ridiculed that as he was not born to her he had no right to the king)s love& Q Pso your insistence is useless. ,hough you are also a son o this king but this throne belongs to my son. Don)t you know that you have been born to 1uniti.P Betting angry over his stepmother)s ridicules& Dhruv went to his mother. 1uniti consoled her son and enHuired about the reason or his anger. Dhruv narrated the whole thing to his mother. 1uniti too got perple/ed and said5 P? son$ 1uniti speaks the truth but you don)t worry or no one can do away the virtues o your deeds that you per ormed in your previous birth. (ence you should not eel sorry over such petty things. * you eel really sorry by the words o your stepmother why don)t you try to gather virtuesL Chy don)t you try to be a gentle and altruistic personLP ,hus consoled by mother Dhruv said3 P@other$ 1ince now onwards& * will do every such thing so that * may attain the most respected position in the world. * am no longer desirous o getting a position granted by others. * will achieve the same position as my ather has.P 1aying this Dhruv le t the palace and the town and reached a dense orest. 1even @unishwars (mendicants) were already present in the orest. Dhruv greeted them all and said very politely3 P? great sages$ * am the prince Dhruv. King %taanpaad is my ather and his younger Hueen 1uniti is my mother. * have arrived here out o desperation.P ,he sages said3 P? prince$ You are 9ust a small boy. You have no reason to be worried because your ather is still alive and neither you have any disease. Chat then caused you such a severe desperationLP Dhruv narrated the whole events and also that how his stepmother 1uruchi ridiculed about his in erior position in the palace. ,he sages said3 P? prince$ Kindly tell us whatever you have decided to do to change your destiny and also tell us i we can help you in any way.P Dhruv said3P? sages$ * neither long or wealth or or the kingdom. * simply long to en9oy such a position that nobody have ever en9oyed earlier. Kindly help me and guide me what * should do to attain such a position.P @arichi said3P? prince$ +obody can attain such an unparalleled position without the worship o Bovind (an epithet o Lord Vishnu)& so you also worship that eternal 1upreme Being.P Atri said3 P(e who is ar above the tangible can only satis y (im and bring you that supreme position.P Angira said3PBo and worship Bovind who holds the entire universe within (im.P Eulastya said3P-ven the wretched people attain the rare salvation worshipping (ari.P Eulaha said3PBo and worship that Vishnu worshipping whom even *ndra attained the position o the gods) king.P Kratu said3 PBo and worship #anardana who is supreme& who is deity o the Yagyas and Yagya (imsel .P Vashishta said3P? son$ You will attain whatever you wish by worshipping Lord Vishnu.P Dhruv said 3 P? sages$ At my prayers all o you told me about whom * should worship. +ow kindly tell me what should * do to please the Lord.P ,he sages said3 P*t is imperative or a person& who wishes to worship Lord Vishnu that irst o all& he should e/pel all other menial thoughts rom his mind and replace them with the contemplation Lord alone. ? prince$ ,hus
concentrate on that omnipotent eternal Lord with the mantra 1 ?O, "*,O )+*5=*T' .**S$D'.**3@ . Your grand ather 1wayambhu @anu had himsel recited this mantra during the previous age and had received the per ection o his desire rom the Lord. 1o you too go and recite the same mantra in order to please Lord Vishnu.P
7.6.< Dhruv Eleases Bod with his Eenance

,he prince Dhruv greeted the sages and continued on his 9ourney. At last& he reached a beauti ul orest @adhuvan on the bank o the river Yamuna. *t was the same orest& which was later occupied by a demon @adhu. 1hatrughana& the youngest brother o Lord "ama had killed the demon Lavan& the son o @adhu in the same orest and ounded the township o @athura. *n the same orest& prince Dhruv decided to carry out his penance. As per the dictate o the sages& he began to recite the mantra continuously. Very soon& the earth began to move because o Dhruv)s severe penance. -ven the seat o *ndra could not remain stable. A stampede resulted among the gods. ,he gods then hatched a conspiracy to disturb the penance. According to the plan an illusionary image o 1uniti& Dhruv)s mother appeared be ore him and pleaded 3 P? son$ Elease stop this severe penance that is bound to decay your body. * got you a ter great desires and worship. *t is not proper or you to take your stepmother)s words so seriously and desert your real mother. You are my only support. You are only our or ive years old. Eresently you should pay more attention to your plays and studies. Chy are you observing such a severe penance thenL ? son$ * you don)t give up your penance right now * will give my li e.P But Dhruv was so much sunk in the contemplation o Lord Vishnu that he did not hear the wailing o his mother.P (is mother then said3 P"un& ? son$ "un away to save your li e. Look$ Dormidable demons are approaching. ,hey are carrying lethal weapons.P 1uddenly that illusionary image blew out intense ire rom her mouth. ,hat ire took appearance o many dread ul monsters& who were shouting loudly like 'kill him)& 'eat him). ,hose monsters bore the heads o lion& camel& crocodile etc. and appeared e/tremely ormidable. ,he monsters were roaring loudly. But Dhruv)s mind was deeply in contemplation. (e neither saw the monsters or heard the noises made by them. ,hus& seeing their all attempts ailed. ,he gods decided to take re uge at Lord Vishnu. ,here they said3 P? Lord$ Ce have come to you perple/ed by the severe penance o Dhruv the son o %taanpaad. (is penance is increasing like a wa/ing @oon. Ce are not sure i he desires or the position o *ndra& 1urya& Kuber& Varun or any other deity. But kindly remove our ears.P Assuring the gods& the Lord said3 P,hat boy has no desire or attaining the position o any deity. But * will de initely grant him whatever he desires. But all o you need not worry.P ,he gods greeted the Lord and returned. %ltimately pleased by the severe penance o Dhruv& Lord Vishnu appeared be ore him in his ormal our3armed orm and said3 PDhruv$ @ay it all be well or you. * am very much pleased with you.P (earing these words Dhruv opened his eyes and to his ama:ement ound Lord Vishnu standing be ore him. Dor a moment he did not believe his eyes. 1tanding be ore him was the same Lord Vishnu whom he used to see in contemplation. Dor a moment& Dhruv orgot how to pray Bod. (e then took re uge o Bod and said3 P? Lord$ * you are pleased with me& kindly bless me with power to pray you. @y mind is e/hilarated with devotion or you. *t wishes to pray you.P (earing these words the Lord touched Dhruv with (is conch and as soon as it happened& an unbinding stream o devotional prayer sprang rom Dhruv)s mouth. At the completion o the prayer Lord Vishnu said3 P? son$ Your penance succeeds with my sight but my presenting a sight should also not go waste. 1o seek a boon o your desire.P Dhruv said3 P? Lord$ +othing is hidden rom your divine sight. * started this severe penance out o desperation caused by the harsh words o my stepmother. 1he had ridiculed my insistence o playing in my ather)s lap saying that as * was not born to her& * had no right to the king)s love. (ence& ? Lord$ * wish to attain such a position that could be the base o the entire universe.P Lord said3 P? son$ You were born in a Brahmin amily in your previous birth. ,hen you had pleased me by your abidance to the religion. You were also a riend o a prince and wished to en9oy the same royal lu/uries that your riend was en9oying. You had in act wished to be a prince. (ence ? son$ You are born as a prince in this birth. *t is rare to get a place in the lineage o 1wayambhu @anu. But this honour has no value or a devotee like you. ? son$ * will de initely accord you the position that is e/cellent among all the three worlds. *n uture you will be the base o all the planets and all the constellations. * grant you a i/ed position that is ar above the 1un& the @oon& the planets& constellations& 1aptarishis and all the gods who ly about in divine aircra t. Besides it& you will stay there or a complete Kalpa whereas even the gods do not stay in their position more than a single @anvantara.
Your mother 1uniti too will come to stay with you as a bright star or the same period o time. ,here she will stay on an aircra t. Eeople will see you with aith or you will show them the right direction.P ,hus receiving a boon rom Lord Vishnu& Dhruv occupied a i/ed position in the northern sky. -ven the sage like 1hukracharya praises Dhruv that how ortunate he is.... that even 1aptarishis go around himL ,hat pivotal position o Dhruv would continue even in the ages to come.
7.6.J ,ale o King Ven and Erithu

Earashar says3 P Cith the help o Dhruv& his wi e gave birth to two sons3 1ishti and Bhavya. 1ishti had ive sons3 "ipu& "ipun9ay& Vipra& Vikal and Vrikte9a. "ipu had a brilliant son >haakshush. >haakshush had a son @anu. @anu had sons3 Euru& Kuru& 1hatadyumna& ,apasvi& 1atyavaan& 1uchi& Agnishtome& Atiraatra& 1udyumna and Abhimanyu. Kuru had sons3 Anga& 1uman& Khyaati& Kratu& Angira and 1hivi. Anga had a son named Ven. ,he sages had churned the right hand o Ven to produce a son named Vainya. (e later on became renowned as Erithu. (e had even milked the earth or the bene it o his sub9ects.P @aitreya says3 PChy did the sages churn Ven)s handL Chat was their purpose o getting ErithuLP Earashar says3 P@rityu had his irst child as a daughter named 1unitha who was married to Anga. 1unitha had given birth to Ven. Ven had all the aults o his maternal grand ather @rityu and hence was devil3like in nature.P At the time o his coronation& Ven had declared3 P* am the Bod and the Yagyapurush. (ence& in uture& no one shall per orm Yagyas and donate Dakshina.P ,he sages praised him and said3 P? king$ Ce speak about the bene it o you and your sub9ects. ,hrough grand Yagyas& we shall worship omnipotent Lord (ari. ,hus pleased& he will grant all your desires. ? king$ *n the kingdom o which kings& Lord (ari is worshipped as the presiding deity o Yagyas& (e ul ils all their desires.P Ven said3 PCho is greater than me and even venerable& whom you regard as the presiding deity o the YagyasL All the deities like BrahmaK Vishnu& @ahesh& *ndra& Vayu etc. are present in the body o the king. (ence& the king has all the virtues o these deities. ,here ore& do what * say. 1uch as a woman)s duty is to serve her husband& similarly it is your duty o all o you to obey my dictate.P ,he sages tried to convince Ven repeatedly but in vain. At last& when he did not agree to their proposal& the sages killed him. *mmediately a ter killing the king& the sages saw the clouds o dust rising all around. *t was revealed to them upon enHuiry that the sub9ects o a king3less kingdom have resorted to plundering and looting each other and it was because o that stampede that clouds o dust were rising. ,he sages then churned the thighs o issue3less king and produced an ugly black man. (e was eeling e/cited and asked the sages what he should doL ,he sages asked him to +ishid (sit down)K hence he came to be known as +ishaad. (is progeny came to be known as +ishaadgana. Appearance o +ishaad did away with all the sins o Ven. ,he sages then churned Ven)s right hand and produced prowessive Erithu whose body was radiating like ire. As soon as he appeared& bow and arrow and shield o Lord 1hiva descended rom heaven and all the sub9ects elt e/treme 9oy. Cith the birth o such a pious son& Ven attained a position in the heaven. Dor the coronation o Erithu& Brahma himsel had appeared there with the water rom all the rivers and oceans& all kinds o gems and along with all the deities. Eresence o chakra in right hand o Erithu pleased Brahma. ,his chakra o Lord Vishnu is present in the hands o e/tremely dominating kings. 1uch a king remains una ected even by the gods. ,hus occupying the royal throne& King Erithu was a boon or his sub9ects. (e was so religious that the seas and mountains paved way or him. (is lag always remained resh and new. -ven there was no need to sow the seedsK the earth hersel provided all the cereals. >ows gave milk spontaneously and every lea o all the trees in the kingdom was ull o honey. *mmediately a ter his appearance& King Erithu organised a grand Yagya. At the time o 1omabhishek (bathing with grape3wine) during the Yagya& a man and a woman appeared rom the earth. ,he sages advised them to pray King Erithu. Cith olded hands they asked that the king had arrived moments be ore them. (is reputation had not spread ar and wide. Chy should then they pray such a kingL ,he sage said that they should pray the king or the great achievements he would attain in uture. King Erithu thought that it was because o merits that a man becomes praiseworthy. '(ence * will do e/actly the same things that this couple would recite during the prayers) thought the king. ,hus during the later course& king Erithu planted those virtues irmly in his conscience and ruled the earth. During his rule& he per ormed many great Yagyas.
During the anarchy o his ather)s regime& all the vegetation had been destroyed rom all over the earth. ,here was nothing or the sub9ects to satis y their hunger with. 1o& they approached him and said3 P? great king$ Due to the anarchy o your ather)s regime& the earth had annihilated all the cereals within her. Your sub9ects have no choice but to starve. Kindly protect us rom this condition.P Eitiable condition o the sub9ects in uriated king Erithu. ,aking the divine weapons o Lord 1hiva& he ran a ter the earth. *n guise o the cow& the earth ran in all the three worlds but wherever she went she ound Erithu still chasing her. ,hus shivering with ear& she ultimately appeared be ore him and said3 P? king$ Don)t you see the sin in killing a helpless woman.P Erithu said3 P* killing a wretched person bene its scores o other people& there is no sin doing so.P ,he earth said3 PYou want to kill me in the interest o your sub9ects but think what will be the base o the sub9ect thenLP Erithu said3 PYou need not worry about that. * will mysel support my sub9ects.P ,hese words rightened the earth. 1he greeted the king and said3 P? king$ All the tasks started with a distinct purpose reach their completion success ully& so * am telling you a way out o the present condition. Do then& as you desire. * can give out all the herbs and cereals that * have annihilated in the orm o milk. 1o& or the bene it o the sub9ects& kindly produce such a cal or which * can give milk spontaneously with motherly eelings. You then provide me with a plain sur ace everywhere so that * can produce milk that is the seed o all the cereals and herbs.P King Erithu then uprooted many great mountains with his bow and arrow and stowed them at a single place. Be ore that there was no distinct demarcation o village& towns& cities etc. because o the plain sur ace o the earth and there was no distinct seHuence o cereals& cows& agriculture and trade. All this systems started rom the time o Erithu. 1ince then people began to populate those parts o the earth that were plain. Dor the bene it o his sub9ects& King Eritu himsel milked all the cereals rom earth making 1wayambhu @anu a cal . *t is the cereals that still sustain the entire population o the world. 1ince then King Erithu came to be known as the ather o earth because he had spared her li e.
7.6.G Birth o Erachin Barhi Corship o Bod by Erachetas

King Erithu had two sons3 Antardhaan and Vaadi who were very religious minded themselves. Antardhaan)s wi e 1hikhandi gave birth to *virdhaan. Erachin Barhi was the son o *virdhaan and his wi e& Bhishna. 1hukra& Baya& Krishna& Vri9 and A9in were their other sons. Erachin Barhi was a great osterer o his sub9ects. ,hrough continuous oblations& he increased his sub9ects to great limits. King Erachin Barhi married again with 1avarnaK the daughter o 1amudra and they together produced ten sons. All o them were known as Erachetas who were e/pert in the art o archery. All o them observed serious penance under the sea or 6M&MMM years. @aitreya says3 ? great sage$ Kindly narrate to us the reason or which Erachetas observed severe penance under the sea. Earashar says3 ?nce by the inspiration o Brahma& King Erachin Barhi asked his sons Erachetas to continue the progeny in an honoured way. Erachetas agreed to obey the dictate o their ather but they asked3 ? ather$ Kindly narrate to us& what should we do to enable ourselves so that we could carry out the process o reproduction. King Erachin Barhi said that worship o Lord Vishnu was the only thing that enabled a person to achieve his desired ob9ectives. (e dictated his sons to worship Lord Vishnu. *t was by the dictate o the ather that all the ten Erachetas observed severe penance or ten thousand years under the sea. At the end o their penance& 1hri (ari appeared be ore them radiating with blue light like a reshly bloomed blue lotus. Accepting the greetings o the Erachetas& Lord Vishnu asked them to seek a boon. Erachetas then told the dictate o their ather. Lord granted their boon. ,herea ter all the Erachetas re3emerged rom the waters.
7.6.6M @arriage o Erachetas and Birth o Era9apatis

Earashar says3 During the time when Erachetas were engaged in penance& the earth was unprotected. (ence& huge trees came to cover her everywhere on land. ,heir oliage was so dense they that cut o entire sky and the sun could not reach the sur ace o the earth. A ter their emergence rom the sea& Erachetas got very angry when they saw the trees. *n anger& they let out ormidable lames mi/ed with ghastly winds and uprooted all the trees be ore reducing them to ashes. A massive destruction o the trees ollowed. 1eeing that 1oma& the king o the trees approached Erachetas and reHuested3 A? kings$ Kindly relinHuish your anger and listen to what * say.A
* will mediate a pact between the trees and you. ,he trees have produced an e/tremely pretty girl named @arisha. (er creation has been meant only or the continuation o your progeny. 1he will produce Daksha Era9apati who will be as radiant as the ire and cause much increase in your progeny urther. *n the ancient times& a great savant o Vedas& sage Kandu was observing penance at the bank o river Bomti. Drightened by his penance *ndra sent an el Erabhalocha to create a disturbance. ,hat el success ully created a disturbance in the penance o Kandu who then began to live with her in a cave. Kandu passed one hundred years en9oying sensual pleasures with the el . ?ne day& the el e/pressed her desire to leave or her heavenly abode. ,his came as a shock or the sage Kandu. (e reHuested her to stay or some more time with him. ,he el agreed to his reHuest and stayed with him or another hundred years. ,hen once again she e/pressed her desire to leave or her heavenly abode. ?nce again& blinded by lust& the sage reHuested her to stay or some more time. ?nce again the el stayed or another hundred years with Kandu. ,hus& every time& when the el got ready to leave& sage stopped her. ,he el knew about the agony o separation that a person e/periences who is blinded by lust. 1he also eared the curse that such a person might pour down out o agony. ,hus she hersel did not desert the sage and their love kept on increasing like a new moon. ?ne day& towards the evening& the sage hurriedly le t his hut. Ama:ingly Erabhalocha enHuired about the reasons why he was going out in such a hurry. ,he sage replied that as it was dusk& he should o er his evening prayers. ,he sageAs reply ama:ed the el urther. Laughingly& she said3 P? knower o religion& your day has ended a ter hundreds o years$ Cho will not be surprised to learn that your day ends a ter hundreds o years.P ,he sage said3 PYou had arrived at the river bank right in the morning today. You passed the whole day with me and now its evening. Chy do you laugh at me thenL Erabhalocha said3 P? Brahmin$ (undreds o years have passed since * had arrived at your hut.P Eerple/ed sage asked her3 P,ell me e/actly how much time has passed in our present communionL Erabhalocha told the sage that they had together passed nine hundred and seven years si/ months and three days. (earing this& the sage began to curse himsel that he was so sunk in the carnal pleasure with the el that he even orgot the time. (e also began to ret that his whole penance had been brought to nought. ,hus cursing himsel & the sage also scolded the el and asked her to leave his hut at once. P,he el was shivering in ear while her whole body was drenched in sweat. Chen she le t the hermitage& she wiped her sweat with the leaves o the trees. Chile having carnal pleasure with the sage& Erabhalocha had conceived. (er oetus also oo:ed out in the orm o sweat and was collected on the leaves. ,he wind brought the di erent parts o the oetus together while * nourished it with my rays. ,hus the oetus grew sa ely and ultimately took birth as a girl child& @arisha. ,he trees will present you that same girl as your wi eP& said 1oma. ?n the other hand a ter his penance was disturbed sage Kandu migrated to Eurushottam region (modern #agannath3Euri) and began his penance a resh to please Lord Vishnu. Tale of ,arishaAs preBious birth @arisha& daughter o sage Kandu and Erabhalocha was a Hueen in her previous birth. 1he had lost her husband without having any child. 1he had then pleased Lord Vishnu with her devotion. ,he Lord had then asked her to seek a boon. 1he said3 P? Lord$ (aving been widowed at a young age& * eel that my li e has gone utile. * am very un ortunate. (ence ? Lord$ @ay * have by your grace& a virtuous husband like you and sons like Era9apati in my ne/t birth. @ay * take birth not rom the body o my mother. Lord Vishnu said3 PAll your wishes shall come true in your ne/t birth. You will have ten prowessive and popular husbands. Cith their help& you will give birth to Era9apati whose progeny will populate all the three worlds. You will take birth not rom your motherAs body still you will be unmatched in beauty.P ,hus& coerced by 1oma& Erachetas dropped their angry stance and accepted @arisha as their wi e. Drom the parts o Erachetas& @arisha gave birth to Daksha Era9apati who had emerged rom Brahma earlier. Dollowing the dictate o Brahma& Daksha Era9apati produced di erent kinds o living beings as his children. Dirst o all& he created women olk rom his mind. (e got ten o those women married to Dharma. ,hirteen women were married to Kashyap while twenty3seven were married to >handrama. All the gods& demons& +agas& cows& birds& Bandharvas& Apsaras& giants etc. are the progeny o those i ty women. @aitreya says3 P? great sage$ * want to hear the tale o origin o the gods& the demons and all other creatures in detail.P Earashar says3 PDaksha created the sages& Bandharvas& demons& and serpents rom his mind irst. But none o
those creatures could continue the progeny. 1o& with an intention o producing his progeny through carnal union& Daksha married Asikni& the daughter o another Era9apati. Daksha and Asikni together produced ive thousand sons. All o those sons were eager to continue the process o reproduction when Devarshi +arad approached them and said3 P? children$ *t appears rom your action that all o you are eager to begin the process o reproduction right now. But be ore you do anything& kindly listen to what * say. All o you are so ignorant that you do not know anything about the earth. (ow then will you carry out the reproductionL Look$ You can move anywhere in the universe& so why donAt you go and see the end o the earthLP ,hus motivated by +arad& all the ive thousand sons o Daksha dived into the sea and never returned therea ter like a river annihilates in the ocean. Daksha then married Vairuni and produced one thousand sons. ,hey also intended to carry out reproduction but were misguided by +arad. ,hey too ollowed the ootsteps o their elder brothers. Learning about the ate o his sons& Daksha cursed +arad. ,hen Daksha and Vairuni gave birth to si/ty daughters. ,en o them were married to Dharma& thirteen to Kashyap& twenty3seven to 1oma& our to Arishtnemi and two to Angira and Krishasva each. Arundhati& Vasu& Yaami& Lambaa& Bhaanu& @arutvati& 1ankalpa& @uhurta& 1aadhya and Vishwa were the wives o Dharma. Vishwa gave birth to Vishwadeva& 1aadhya to 1aadhyaganaK @arutvaan was the son o @arutvati. Vasu gave birth to eight Vasus. Lambaa gave birth to Bhosha& Yaami to +aagveethi whereas Arundhati gave birth to all other creatures that dwell on earth. 1ankalpa produced 1ankalp that is omnipresent resolution. +ames o the eight Vasus were Aap& Dhruv& 1oma& Dharma& Anil& Anal& Eratyush and Erabhas. Vaitand& 1hram& 1hant and Dhvani were the sons o Aap. All annihilating Kaal was the son o Dhruv. Varcha was the son o 1oma. Dravin& (uta& *tyavar& 1hishir& Eran and Varun were the sons o Dharma. @ano9av and Avigyaatgati were the sons o Anil. 1harastamb& 1haakh& Vishaakh and +aigmeya were the sons o Anal. Eratyush had a son Deval. Vatstree the sister o Brihaspati was the wi e o Erabhas. ,hey had Vishwakarma as their son. Vishwakarma himsel had our sons3 A9aikpad& Ahirbudhanya& ,washta& and "udra. ,he great penancer Vishwaroop was the son o ,wasta. ? great sage$ (ar& Bahuroop& ,reyambak& Apara9it& Vrishakapi& 1hambhu& Kapardi& "aivat& @rigvyadh& 1harpa and Kapaali are the eleven "udras. 1age Kashyap had thirteen wives3 Aditi& Diti& Danu& Arishta& 1urasa& Khasaa& 1urabhi& Vinata& ,aamra& Krodhavasha& *ra& Kadru and @uni. +ow listen to the description o their progenies. During the previous @anavantar& there were twelve gods named ,ushit. At the end o the @anavantar& they met together and said3 P? brothers$ Let us now enter the womb o Aditi and take birth as the gods again in Vaivasvat @anavantar.P ,hus& Vishnu& *ndra& Aryama& Dhataa& ,washta& Eushaa& Vivasvaan& 1avita& @aitra& Varun& Anshu and Bhaga& these twelve sons o Aditi came to be known as Aditya. ,he twenty3seven wives o 1oma gave birth to many talented sons. Cives o Arishtnemi gave birth to si/teen sons. ,hus in all thirty3three gods including eight Vasus& eleven "udra& twelve Aditya& Era9apati and Vashatkar have been described in the Vedas. All o them are capable o taking birth at will. #ust as the 1un rises and sets& similarly these gods also appear in di erent Yugas. Drom the part o Kashyap& Diti gave birth to two invincible sons& (iranyakashipu and (iranyaaksh and a daughter 1inhika who was married to Viprachiti. (iranyakashipu had our sons3 Anuhlad& Aahlad& 1ahlad and Erahlad.
7.6.66 ,ale o Erahlad and +arasimha *ncarnation

Earashar says3 By the boon o Brahma& (iranyakashipu had acHuired tremendous power and came to control all the three worlds. (e had driven the gods out o heaven and used to receive the oblations o ered to 1urya& Vayu& Agni& Varun& >handrama& Kuber& Yamaraa9 etc. Because o his ear& all those gods roamed on earth. All the creatures began to worship (iranyakashipu. Beauti ul and amorous elves danced in his palace while Bandharvas accompanied them on instruments. Erahlad was the youngest son o (iranyakashipu. Like other children& he too was sent to Burukula to be educated. ?ne day& his teachers took Erahlad to (iranyakashipu who was engaged in drinking o wine at that moment. Lovingly he took his son into his lap and asked3 P? son& tell me& what you have learnt so ar in the auspices o your teachersLP Erahlad said3 P? ather$ * salute to that 1hri (ari who has no beginning& no end and no mid3part& who doesn)t take birth and who is ree rom growth and decay.P (earing this& (iranyakashipu looked at the teachers with bloodshot eyes and shouted at them3 P? wretched Brahmins$ *n sheer violation o my orders& you have taught my son to praise my enemy.P ,he teachers tried to e/press their apology saying that what Erahlad was saying was not taught by them. (iranyakashipu asked then Erahlad who had taught him like that. Erahlad said3 P? ather$ Lord Vishnu who resides in the heart o us all is the supreme creature. Cho can teach anybody anything apart rom
(imLP (iranyakashipu said3 P? ool$ Cho is that Vishnu about whom you are describing be ore me& the Lord o entire worldLP Erahlad replied3 PLord Vishnu is he who is contemplated about by the Yogis. (e is the originator o the entire universe. (is virtues cannot be described in words. ,hat Earmeshwar is Vishnu.P (iranyakashipu said3 PDool$ Cho can be Earmeshwar other than meL Do you want to die that you are babbling like thatLP Erahlad said3 P? ather$ Your anger is baseless. Lord Vishnu is the creator o all o us including you and me. (e controls our breaths.P *n uriated (iranyakashipu then ordered the teachers to take Erahlad away at once and wash his brain thoroughly. ,he teachers took Erahlad with them to their Burukula. Erahlad began to concentrate in his studies. A ter many months& (iranyakashipu once again called Erahlad to his palace and asked about his learning. ?nce again& Erahlad began to praise Lord Vishnu. ,his time& (iranyakashipu ordered his assassination. (e began to see his son as a threat to his throne. By the orders o (iranyakashipu& many ormidable demons attacked Erahlad with their weapons but Erahlad stood un a:ed. (e said3 P? ools$ Lord Vishnu is present in you& in me and even in your weapons. @ay your weapons have no e ect on me.P *ndeed& the weapons o the demons could not even touch Erahlad. (iranyakashipu said3 P* can still pardon your li e provided that you stop praising my opponent.P Erahlad said3 P? ather$ * ear nothing. By the Bod)s grace& * am ree rom the ear o birth and death.P (iranyakashipu then got Erahlad thrown amidst venomous snakes. But& biting by the snakes had no e ect on Erahlad because his mind was contemplating in Lord Vishnu. (iranyakashipu then got Erahlad trampled by big bull elephants. But even elephants could not harm Erahlad. *nstead their tusks were broken as soon as they touched Erahlad. -ven then Erahlad tried to paci y his ather that it was Lord)s strength that protected him every time. Erahlad)s teachers who were the sons o 1hukracharya then assured (iranyakashipu that Erahlad was having a ickle mind because o his tender age. ,hey also assured the demon king o trans orming Erahlad and took him to their hermitage once again. Prahlad@s Preachin9 But in the hermitage& Erahlad assembled other demon children and said3 P Driends& listen to my preaching care ully and don)t take it or granted because * have no personal interest in it. -very living being takes birth and su ers a lot while passing his li e through childhood& youth and old age. ,he end result o li e is nothing but death. *t is one)s Karma that accompany him birth a ter birth. But in every birth& this soul mistakes hunger& thirst& cold or hot or the pleasures. @ore o the lu/uries one collects& more the sorrow increases. Attachment and passion are the greatest cause o sorrow. -ven a ter passing a li e that is ull o sorrow& one su ers the agony o death and rebirth again. ,his whole cycle continues again and again. Lord Vishnu is the ultimate re uge or the soul& which eels drowned in the ocean o sorrow.P Don)t be con used with my young age. * am a boy like you. But the soul that stays within me is eternal. ,he soul has no distinct stages in li e. But a human being is in licted with lot o misconceptions. *n the childhood& he pre ers to play than contemplating on Bod. *n the youth& lust and carnal pleasures attract the mind. 1till a human being doesn)t get serious about his bene it. (e keeps on postponing his spiritual matters or his old age. But in old age& a human being has no option but to see his trembling ingers and repent about his past. ,hus a human being spoils his whole li e. A wise person hence must ignore the di erent stages o his body)s stay on earth and make e orts or his bene it right in his childhood. Chat * have told you is unchangeable act. 1tart reciting Lord Vishnu)s name or my pleasure atleast. (is remembrance is enough to destroy all the sins. @ay your mind always contemplate on (im day and night. ,hus all your miseries shall come to an end.
7.6.6; Attempts to Kill Erahlad

Chen the demons saw that their all e orts ailed to a:e Erahlad and that he was preaching the demon children they in ormed (iranyakashipu about all these happenings. (iranyakashipu at once called his cook and ordered him to poison Erahlad through ood. But the poisonous ood also could not hurt Erahlad. *n act& its poison was rendered ine ective by the recitation o Lord)s name. ,his rightened the cook. (e in ormed (iranyakashipu about that miraculous event. (iranyakashipu then ordered the priests who were Erahlad)s teachers to invoke the ogress Kritya in order to kill Erahlad. ,he teachers tried to convince Erahlad be ore invoking KrityaP? prince& you are the son o great (iranyakashipu and have taken birth in Brahma)s lineage. Chat have you to do with matters like Bod and all thatL ,he whole world is dependent on your ather. You should also take re uge o your ather and stop praising his
opponent. Dather is revered and even greater than the teachers.P Erahlad said3P? ortunate ones$ * know the prowess o my ather. * also do not doubt regarding my ather)s reverence and greatness. * will not commit any crime against him but kindly listen to me what * mean by the endless Bod.P P? teachers$ ,here are our attainable goals in one)s li e. You ask me what have * to do with (e& who helps all the human beings to attain these our goals3 Dharma& Arth& Kama and @oksha. You are my teachers. You are ree to say anything to me. But within me stays (e who is the creator o all& who is the preserver o all and who is the destroyer o all o us. Kindly orgive me i * have committed any thing wrong in your honour.P ,he teachers said3P? oolish boy& we saved you rom imminent death thinking that you are our disciple and that you will not balderdash in uture. But still you speak nonsense. Listen& i you don)t drop your stubbornness we)ll have to invoke Kritya the ogress in order to get you slain.P %n a:ed Erahlad said that li e and death were immaterial or the soul that protects or destroys itsel through auspicious and inauspicious deeds. (ence one should always strive to behave in an auspicious way. But Erahlad)s words urther enraged his teachers. ,hey invoked the ogress Kritya to get Erahlad slain. Kritya hit Erahlad)s chest hard with her trident. But as soon as the trident touched his chest it broke into pieces without harming Erahlad. 1eeing her attempt ailed& Kritya killed the teachers and disappeared. (is teachers) death caused immense pain or Erahlad. @ourning or their death& he prayed Lord Vishnu to resurrect them. (earing his prayers& Lord Vishnu once again granted li e to his teachers. ,he teachers got up as i rom a deep slumber. ,hey realised their mistake and blessed Erahlad and resolved never to have hostility against him. ,hen they went to the palace and in ormed (iranyakashipu about all the happenings.
7.6.67 Description o Lord)s Virtues by Erahlad and Erotection o Erahlad by 1udarshan >hakra
(earing the news o Kritya)s ailure to kill Erahlad& killing o teachers and their subseHuent revival as e ected by Erahlad& (iranyakashipu called his son and asked i all those miracles were natural or he knew some magical tricks. Erahlad said3 P? ather& neither * know any magic nor is the miracle a part o my nature. All these are ordinary things or he who has eternal Bod in his heart. +o one can harm those who never wish ill or the others. All the living beings are eHual or (im. *n every creature& * see the same Lord Vishnu who is present within meK hence * never try to harm him or her. * cannot even think o harming anybody. *t is this eeling that protects me rom every physical& mental or divinely discom ort.P But these words ailed to please (iranyakashipu. (e ordered his men to throw Erahlad rom a very high ort. -ven this attempt& however ailed to cause any harm to Erahlad or the mother earth took him in her lap tenderly in the midway. 1uspecting some illusionary powers helping Erahlad& (iranyakashipu ordered 1hambarasur to kill him using his illusionary powers. 1hambarasur created many illusions to kill Erahlad. But right then Lord Vishnu sent (is 1udarshan >hakra to counter those demonic illusions and protect Erahlad. 1udarshan >hakra destroyed all the demonic illusions one by one. ,hen (iranyakashipu ordered Vayu to dry up Erahlad to death. Chen Vayu entered Erahlad)s body and began to dry him up& the Lord came to stay in his heart where Bod absorbed all the drying e ects o the air thus rendering it weak. A ter all those attempts ailed& Erahlad returned to his teachers) hermitage and resumed his education once again. ,he teachers trained him all the relevant sub9ects. ,hen they once again took Erahlad to his ather and told him that now his education was over. (iranyakashipu asked3 P? son$ (ow should one behave with the othersL ,ell me what have learned so ar. * am eager to know your opinions.P Erahlad said3P? ather& indeed my teachers have taught me in di erent sub9ects. * have too learned them with heart. ,hey taught me that diplomatic policies should be applied in order to train riendship. But e/cuse me ather& * see no riend or no enemy& so in my opinion these policies are totally irrelevant. ,ell me ? ather what is the use o means when there is nobody to be trained. Lord Vishnu is present everywhere. *n you& in me and in all other creatures. (ence instead o using in sinisterly actions& one should use his wits or good and bene it o all.P P? ortunate one& everybody longs or the throne and a big kingdom. But only those attain these things who really deserve and have them in their destiny. -ven the most inert and imprudent people who are weak and know nothing about the policies get these things because o destiny. (ence all those who wish or splendour must strive
to accumulate pious actions. ,hose who long or salvation must strive to acHuire impartial view or all. 1uch actions please Bod and when (e is pleased all the miseries are attenuated.P (earing these words& (iranyakashipu kicked Erahlad hard and ordered his demons to tie him in +aagpaash and throw into the sea. ,he demons obeyed their master and threw Erahlad into the sea a ter tying him in +aagpaash. Cith Erahlad)s motion great disturbances occurred in the sea& seeing that (iranyakashipu ordered the demons to cover the sea with huge mountains so that Erahlad could not get a passage to escape. Chen the demons uprooted huge mountains and put them into the sea& Erahlad began to pray Bod with concentrated mind.
7.6.6F Appearance o the Lord

As soon as Erahlad began to pray the Lord& his +aagpaash broke and the mountains that the demons had thrown into the sea also lightened up causing great relie or Erahlad. Lord Vishnu appeared be ore him and said3 P? Erahlad$ * am pleased with your devotion. You may seek any boon o your wish.P Erahlad said3 P@ay * always have an unconditional devotion or you. @ay your remembrance never be away rom my heart.P Bod said 3 P Your devotion or me shall always remain the same. +ow& seek anything you wish.P Erahlad said3 P? Lord$ @y ather has always cultivated hostility or you because o my devotion. @ay my ather be ree rom the sin o his action.P Lord said3 P? Erahlad$ All your wishes shall come true but still seek any boon o your choice.P Erahlad said3 P? Lord$ * don)t want anything other than devotion or you.P Lord said 3P ? Erahlad$ You have nothing in your mind but devotion or me& so with my grace& you will attain supreme abode.P 1aying this& the Lord disappeared. *n later course& ultimately (iranyakashipu decided to kill Erahlad himsel . (e tied Erahlad to a pillar and shouting abusively or Bod& he hit the pillar. As soon as he hit the pillar& it broke and Lord appeared rom it in +arsimha incarnation. (is appearance was e/tremely ormidable with hal human and hal lion orm. Dragging (iranyakashipu to the threshold& (e killed him with his power ul talons. A ter the killing o his ather& Erahlad took over the throne and ruled his sub9ects religiously.
7.6.68 Lineage o Kashyap)s ?ther Cives and ?rigin o @arudgana

A ter the death o (iranyakashipu& Erahlad continued his lineage. Erahlad had a son& Virochan. Virochan in his turn had Bali as his son. ,he prowessive Bali was sent to the nether world by Vaaman incarnation o Lord. Bali had one hundred sons among whom Baanasur was the eldest. Kashyap)s second wi e Danu had sons like Dwimurdha& 1hambar& Ayomuk& 1hankushira& Kapil& 1hankar& -kchakra& @ahabaahu& ,aarak& @ahabal& 1warbhanu& Vrishparva& Eulom and Viprachiti. 1warbhanu had a daughter3 Erabha whereas 1armishtha& %pdan& and (aishira were the daughters o Vrishparva. Vaishwanar had two daughters3 Euloma and Kaalka who were married to Kashyap. Drom the part o Kashyap& they gave birth to si/ty thousand giants known as Eaulom and Kaalkeya. Kashyap)s another wi e& ,aamra gave birth to si/ daughters3 1huki& 1hyeni& Bhaasi& 1ugreevi& 1uchi and Briddhrika. 1huki gave birth to the birds like parrots& owls and crows. 1hyeni gave birth to sleep while Bhaasi produced light. Briddhrika gave birth to vultures whereas 1uchi produced aHuatic birds. 1ugreevi gave birth to eHuine animals like horse& camels and asses. Vinata& one o the wives o Kashyap gave birth to Barud and Arun. Barud became the vehicle o Lord Vishnu while Arun became the charioteer o the 1un. 1urasa gave birth to millions o the snakes. Kadru also had great snakes like 1hesha& Vaasuki& ,akshak& 1hankhshwet& @ahapadm& Kambal& Ashwatar& *laputra& +aag& Karkotak& Dhanan9ay etc. as her sons. Krodhavasha gave birth to anger and devils. 1urabhi gave birth to cows and bu aloes. *ra gave birth to the trees& creepers& and scores o grasses. Khaasa gave birth to Yaksha and monsters. @uni produced elves whereas Arishta gave birth to Bandharvas. A ter the annihilation o her sons& Diti once again pleased Kashyap and sought a son who could destroy even *ndra. Kashyap granted her boon but stipulated that she would have such a son only when she observes complete sanctity during one hundred years o gestation period. Diti agreed to abide by the stipulation. ,hen they copulated as a result o which Diti conceived. Chen *ndra came to know that Diti had conceived a son who would be able to destroy even him he arrived at Kashyap)s hermitage and began to serve Diti with ull devotion. (e had in act arrived there to see i by chance Diti ever violated the stipulation or then he would easily destroy the unborn child without incurring any sin. 1ometime be ore the completion o gestation period& one day& Diti did violate the stipulation. 1he orgot to wash
her eet a ter attending nature)s call and retired on the bed. *ndra was waiting or the moment. (e at once entered Diti)s womb carrying his mace in hand. ,here he broke the oetus into seven pieces but still the oetus survived and began to cry loudly. *ndra then broke each o those seven pieces into seven pieces more and consoled them not to cry. ,hose orty3nine pieces o Diti)s oetus later on came to be known as @arudgana the assistants o *ndra.
7.6.6I ,he Description o %niversal ?rder

Chen the great sages crowned Erithu as the king o the entire earth& Brahma had also divided the kingdoms. ,hus& Brahma appointed >handrama as the ruler o all the +akshatras& planets& Brahmins& vegetation& Yagya& penance etc. (e also appointed Kuber as the ruler o the kings& Varun as the ruler o the water bodies& Vishnu as the ruler o Adityas and Agni as the ruler o Vasus. 1imilarly& Daksha was appointed as the ruler o all the Era9apatis& *ndra as the ruler o @arudgana and Erahlad was appointed as the ruler o the demons. Dharmaraa9 Yama became the ruler o Eitragana and Airavat became the ruler o all the elephants. Barud came to rule the birds. *ndra was appointed as king o the gods& %chchaisharva as the king o the horses& Vrishabh as the king o the cows. Lion became the king o the beasts& 1heshnaag o the snakes& (imalaya became the king o all the landmasses& Kapil became the king o the sages and tiger became the king o those animals that have nails and long teeth. ,herea ter& Brahma appointed Dikpals (guardians o the directions) on all corners o the earth. ,hese Dikpals still guard the earth& which has seven continents and scores o big and small cities. All the gods& demons& human beings& animals& birds& reptiles& in act every living being have originated rom the parts o omnipotent Lord Vishnu. (ence nobody but Lord Vishnu has the capacity to oster all the living beings on earth. ,hat eternal Bod creates the world osters it and ultimately destroys it. ,hus& the Lord has our parts in the orm o this entire creation. ?ne o (is parts remains unmani ested as Brahma. 1econd part appears like Era9apatis. ,ime is (is third part whereas all the living beings constitute (is ourth part. 1ince the beginning& during the e/istence and till the ultimate annihilation o the universe& the process o creation continued through Brahma& Era9apatis and all other living beings. *n the beginning& Brahma creates the primitive living beings. ,hen the process o creation is taken over by Era9apatis. Chen their progenies populate the world& the process o creation continues spontaneously. Cithout Kaal& no one including Brahma& Era9apatis and all the living beings can carry out the process o creation. 1hri (ari is in the base o every new creation that takes place through a pre3e/isting creation. ,he supreme abode o Lord Vishnu remains intangible. 1hri (ari bears the intangible& pure and all pervasive spirit o the universe as Kaustubh @ani. (e bears the intelligence as his mace. (e bears the two kinds o ego in his conch and 1haarang bow. ,hird kind o ego is present as the wheel in (is hand. Vay9ayanti garland that adorns (is neck represents ive senses and ive physical elements. (e bears the sense and motor organs as the arrows and the sword that (e holds is knowledge. ,hus& everything is dependent on 1hri (ari. (e is (imsel intangible but or the bene it o human being& he bears all these things as ornaments. -ven the counting o time is present in (im. Bod is present in all the seven worlds. (e is the base o all the knowledge& our ancestor and the ancestors o our ancestors. (e is present in the gods& human beings& animals& all the Vedas& Ayurveda& Euraan and other religious scriptures. All the visible and invisible things in the world have Lord Vishnu in them. +othing is di erent rom (im. 1uch a eeling in the mind keeps all the miseries and physical ailments away.
*&!
0hapter ! (Part !%
7.;.6 Description o Eriyavrat)s Lineage

@aitreya says3 P? sage$ +ow * wish to hear the description o the lineage o Eriyavrata who was the son o 1wayambhu @anu.P Earashar says3 Eriyavrata was married to the daughter o sage Kardam. ,hey had two daughters and ten sons. ,hree o his sons3 @edha& Agnibaahu and Eutra knew everything about their previous births. (ence& they did not take any interest in royal lu/uries. ,he remaining seven sons received the domain o seven parts o the earth rom their ather Eriyavrata who then had taken to penance at a greatly sacred place named 1haalgraam.
Among the eight Vasus& one was (ima. @erudevi was his wi e. ,hey had a son "ishabh. "ishabh had one hundred sons among which Bharat was the eldest. Chen he grew old& "ishabh trans erred the onus o his kingdom on his eldest son Bharat and himsel took to penance in the orest. 1ince then& this landmass that stretches rom the snowy peaks o (imalayas to the splashing *ndian ?cean is known as Bharatvarsha. Bharat had a religious minded son 1umati. *ndradyumna was the son o 1umati. *ndradyumna)s son was Earmeshthi. A ter him& the lineage o Eriyavrata continued as ollows3 Eratihaar3 Eratiharta3 Bhava3 %dgeeth3 Erastav3 Erithu3 +aka3 Baya3 +ar3 Virat3 @ahavirya3 Dheemaan3 @ahaant3 @anasyu3 ,wasta3 Vira93 "a93 1hata9it. 1hata9it had one hundred sons whose descendants populated the earth. ,hey divided Bharatvarsha into nine parts.
7.;.; Beographical Description

,he earth has seven great islands3 #ambu& Elaksha& 1haalmali& Kusha& Kronch& 1haakh and Eushkar. ,hese are surrounded by oceans having saline water& sugarcane 9uice& wine& ghee& curd& milk and sweet water respectively. #ambudweep is situated at the centre. 1ituated at the centre o #ambudweep is golden 1umeru @ountain ((imalayas)& which is eighty3 our thousand Yo9ans high. ,owards the south o 1umeru are (imavaan& (emkut and +ishad @ountains. ,owards its north are +eel and 1hringi @ountains. All these mountains are two thousand Yo9ans high with similar e/pansion. ,owards the south o 1umeru @ountain& Bharatvarsha is the irst landmass ollowed by Kimpurushvarsha and (arivarsha. *n the north o 1umeru @ountain& "amyak is the irst landmass ollowed by (iranyamay and %ttarkuruvarsha. All these landmasses have e/pansion o nine thousand Yo9ans. At the centre o these landmasses is *laavritvarsha that bears 1umeru @ountain. ?n the our sides o 1umeru @ountain are our smaller mountains that seem to support the massive 1umeru. Among these our mountains& @andrachal @ountain is in the east and in the south is Bandhmaadan. Vipul is in the west and 1upaarsh is in the north. All these our mountains are ten thousand Yo9ans high and have lo ty trees o >adamba& #ambu& Eipal and Banyan. Because o abundance o #ambu trees& this island came to be known as #ambudweep. *t bears big ruits& which scatter all around upon alling on the earth. ,heir 9uice gives rise to the river #ambu. *t is said that its water is capable o keeping demerits like sweat& oul smell& old age and loss o senses away rom the drinker. Chen the 9uice o this ruit dries& it leaves the soil golden in colour. ,owards the east o 1umeru @ountain is Bhadrashvavarsha and towards the west is Ketumaalvarsha. @idway between the two is *laavritvarsha. ?n the eastern side o @eru @ountain is the orest o >haitrarath. *n the south is Bandhmaadan and in the west is Vaibhraa9 and towards the north is the orest named +andan. @ount 1umeru also holds our holy lakes named Arunodaya& @ahabhadra& Asitoda and @aanas. 1hitambh& Kumund& Kukri& @aalyavaan& Vaikank are some o the peaks situated towards the eastern side o 1umeru. ,owards the southern side are the peaks o ,rikut& 1hishir& Eatang& "uchak and +ishaad. *n the west are situated peaks o 1hikhivaasa& Vaidurya& Kapil& Bandhmaadan and #aarudhi and in the north are situated the peaks o 1hankhkoot& "ishabh& (ans& +aag and Kaalan9. Above the mount @eru is situated Brahmapuri o Brahma which has an e/pansion o 6F&MMM Yo9ans. ,he Banges that rises rom the eet o Lord Vishnu circles the lunar sphere be ore alling in Brahmapuri. ,hence it divides into our rivers3 1ita& >hakshu& Alaknanda and Bhadra that low into our directions. ,he landmasses o Bharat& Ketumaal& Bhadraashva and Kuru appear like lotus lea in shape. Among all the peaks that surround @ount @eru are present beauti ul caves. ,here also e/ist beauti ul towns and gardens. *n these towns are situated beauti ul temples o Lakshmi& Vishnu& Agni and 1urya. "avines o these mountains are populated by Bandharvas& "akshasa& Yaksha and Daanavas. Besides them& scores o religious people also live there. Lord Vishnu stays as (ayagreev (human igure with horse head) orm in Bhadrashvavarsha. *n Ketumaalvarsha& (e is in boar orm and in BharatvarshaK (e stays in turtle orm. *n Kuruvarsha& Lord Vishnu stays as ish. ,hus Lord Vishnu is present everywhere. Eeople o these eight landmasses are ree rom all kinds o sorrow& pain& emotions& hunger etc. and lead a healthy and rich li e that e/tends up to ten or twelve thousand years. All these landmasses have seven indigenous mountains each rom which hundreds o rivers rise.
7.;.7 Division o Bharat and ?ther Landmasses

,he landmass that is present between (imalayas and the ocean is known as Bharat. *t has an e/pansion o G&MMM Yo9ans. *t is populated by the descendants o Bharat. *t has seven native mountains3 @ahendra& @alay& 1ahaya& 1huktimaan& "iksha& Vindhya and Eaariyaatra. Bharatvarsha has nine divisions named *ndradweep& Kaseru& ,aamraparn& Bamastimaan& +aagdweep& 1oumya& Bandharva& Vaarun and Yahadweep which is surrounded by the sea and has an e/pansion o 6MMM Yo9ans. *n the eastern part o Bharat& live Kiraat whereas in the western part live Yavans. *n the mid part o Bharat& live population o Brahmins& Kshatriyas& Vaishyas and 1hudras who pass their lives engage in works ascribed to their respective class. "ivers in *ndia3 Drom the (imalayas rise 1hatudri (1utle9) and >handrabhaaga rivers. Drom Eaariyaatra @ountain rise Veda and 1mriti rivers. +armada and 1urasa rivers rise rom Vindyachal. ,aapi& Eayoshani and +irvindhya rivers rise rom "iksha @ountain. Bodavari& Bheemrati and Krishnaveli rivers rise rom 1ahaya @ountains. Kritmaala and ,amraparni rivers rise rom @alayaachal. ,risaama and Aryakulyaa rivers rise rom @ahendragiri. "ishikulya and Kumaari rivers rise rom 1huktimaan @ountain. All these rivers have scores o other branches and tributaries. Dour Yugas namely 1atayug& ,retayug& Dwaparyug and Kaliyug descend on Bharatvarsha. *n Bharatvarsha& sages observe penance to attain better li e in another world& people organise Yagyas and o er donations to the Brahmins respect ully. *n #ambudweep& Lord Vishnu is worshipped in Yagyas. Bharatvarsha is the land par e/cellence in #ambudweep or it is a land o action. 1oul passes through millions o births& only then it inds a chance to take birth in Bharatvarsha when its pious deeds accumulate to a certain e/tent. -ven the gods envy those people who take birth in Bharatvarsha. Eeople in Bharatvarsha act without a desire to get ruits rom their action. ,hey dedicate their whole action to Lord Vishnu and ultimately mingle with (im.
7.;.F Description o ?ther Dvipas

Elakshdweep3 Elakshdweep has an e/pansion o ;&MM&MMM Yo9ans. *ts ruler @eghatithi had seven sons3 1haanthaya& 1hishir& 1ukhodaya& Anand& 1hiva& Kshemak and Dhruv. ,hose seven princes later on came to rule Elakshdweep. (ence& Elakshdweep had seven divisions named a ter these seven princes. 1even mountains mark the boundaries o Elakshdweep. ,hese are Bomed& >handra& +aarad& Dundubhi& 1obhak& 1umana and Vaibhraa9. Eeople o Elakshdweep live long and pleasant li e. 1even rivers namely Anutapta& 1hikhi& Vipaasha& ,ridiva& Aklamaa& Amrita and 1ukrita low in Elakshdweep. *n all the islands rom Elakshdweep to 1haakhdweep& only ,retayug stays. Elaksh tree (Eaakad) abound in Elakshdweep. Lord Vishnu is worshipped there as 1oma. 1haalmaldweep3 Vayushmaan was the ruler o 1haalmaldweep. (e too had seven sons3 1hwet& (arit& #ibhoot& "ohit& Vaidyut& @aanas and 1uprabh. (ence 1haalmaldweep was also divided into seven divisions named a ter these princes. A sea o sugarcane 9uice surrounds this island. 1haalmaldweep has seven mountains which are the source o all the gemstones. 1even rivers low in 1haalmaldweep. ,hese rivers contain innumerable kinds o medicinal herbs. Lord Vishnu is worshipped there in Vayu orm. Because o the abundance o 1emul (silk cotton) trees& this island came to be known as 1haalmaldweep. A sea o wine surrounds this island. Kushdweep3 ,he ruler o Kushdweep& #yotishmaan had seven sons. ,heir names were Venumaan& Vairath& Lamban& Bhriti& Erabhakar and Kapil. ,he divisions o this island were named a ter them. ,his island too has seven mountains and seven rivers. Lord Vishnu is worshipped here in #anardan orm. Because o abundance o Kusha grass& this island is known as Kushdweep. A sea o ghee surrounds this island. Kraunchdweep3 ,he ruler o Kraunchdweep& Dyutimaan had seven sons named Kushal& @andak& %shna& Eeevar& Andhkaarak& @uni and Dudhumbi. (ence the seven divisions o this island were named a ter these princes. ,his island too has seven mountains and seven main rivers with hundreds o small rivers and tributaries. Lord Vishnu is worshipped here in "udra orm through Yagyas. A sea o whey surrounds this island. 1haakhdweep3 ,he ruler o 1haakhdweep Bhavya& also had seven sons named #alad& Kumar& 1ukumar& @arichak& Kutumod& @audaaki and @ahadrum. (ence the seven divisions o this island were named a ter these princesK this island too has seven mountains and seven holy rivers. Lord Vishnu is worshipped here in 1urya orm. Because o an abundance o 1haakh trees& this island got its name. A sea o milk surrounds this island.
Eushkardweep3 ,his is the largest among all the seven islands. *ts ruler 1avan had two sons3 @ahavir and Dhaataki. (ence& this island has two divisions3 @ahavirkhand and Dhaatakikhand. A huge mountain named @aansotra is situated at the centre o this great island. Brahma stays on a huge Banyan tree in this island. A sea o sweet water surrounds this island.
7.;.8 Description o the +ether Corlds

-arth)s total height is <M&MMM Yo9ans. *n her depth& are situated seven nether worlds with a depth o 6M&MMM Yo9ans each respectively. +ames o these seven nether worlds are Atal& Vital& +ital& Bamastimaan& @ahaatal& 1utal and Eaatal. ,hese nether worlds have beauti ul palaces& and have lands which are white& black& red and yellow in colour with gravel& rocky and golden soil. 1cores o races including Daanav& Daitya& Yaksha and +aagas live there. ?nce upon a time& +aarad visited these nether worlds. Chen he returned to heaven& he told the people there that the nether world was more beauti ul than heaven. (e told them that ornaments o the +aagas contained precious gemstones and the women olk o Daitya and Daanavas were an attraction even or the gods. ,he sun was illuminating in the nether worlds but not scorching. 1imilarly& the @oon only shone there but did not cause bitter cold. Beneath the nether worlds is situated an idolised orm o Lord Vishnu. *t is known as 1hesh. -ven the demons and giants cannot describe (is virtues. (e has thousands o hoods each carrying a bright gemstone that illuminates the a:imuths. *n (is presence& the demons lose their strength. (is eyes are red and (e wears an earring& crown& garland and blue length o cloth. Bearing the low o Banges& (e stays like the Kailash @ountain. At the end o the Kalp& poison emanates rom (is thousands o hoods and destroys all the three worlds taking the orm o "udra named 1ankarshan. +obody can ind the ends o (is virtuesK hence (e is known as Anant.
7.;.I Description o (ells

Beneath the earth and water are situated the hells into which& the sinners are thrown. "aurav& 1ukar& "odha& ,aal& Vishsan& @aha9waal& ,aptakumbh& Lavan& Vilohit& "udhirambh& Vaitarni& Krimish& Krimibho9an& Asipatravan& Krishna& Lalabhaksha& Daarun& Euyuvah& Eaap& Vahni9waal& Adhahshira& 1andansh& Kaalsutra& ,amas& Aavichi& 1wabho9an& Apratishthit and Aprachi are the main hells. ,hese are all under the domain o Yamaraa9. ,hose who give alse witness are thrown into "aurav hell. ,hose who kill unborn babies and cows or destroy the villages all into "odha hell. ,hose who drink wine& kill Brahmin or steal gold all into 1ukar hell. ,hose who kill Kshatriya or Vaishya all into ,aal hell. ,hose who copulate with teacher)s wi e or their own sister all in ,aptakumbh hell. ,hose who sell women and horses all in ,aptloha hell. ,hose who copulate with their daughter or daughter3in3law all into @aha9waal hell. ,hose who criticise the teachers and the Vedas or sell Vedas all into Lavan hell. ,hose who violate social norms all in Vilohit hell and those who envy the gods& the Brahmins and their parents all in Krimibhaksha hell. ,hose who dine irst even be ore the parents& the gods and the guests all into Lalabhaksha hell. ,hose who manu acture arrows all in Vedhak hell. ,hose who manu acture swords all in Vishsan hell. Backbiters& killers o riends and sellers o wine all in "udhiraandh hell. Destroyers o Yagya and villages all in Vaitarni hell. ,hus& the sinners have to su er scores o tortures in these and many other hells. ,hese sinners a ter passing their lives in the hell take birth as worms& aHuatic animals and birds& terrestrial animals& human beings& religious people etc. ?nly those sinners who do not e/piate or their sins all into the hell. ?ur sages have made provisions o e/piation or those sinners who eel guilty in their conscience a ter committing their sins. "emembrance o Lord)s name is in itsel the greatest e/piation. "emembrance o Lord)s name anytime in li e destroys all the previous sins instantaneously. (ence recitation o Vasudeva)s name is sure way o attaining salvation. ,hus those who recite and remember Lord Vishnu)s name never all in any hell because their sins have been destroyed. Anything where one eels pleasant is heaven and opposite o it is hell.
7.;.< Description o >elestial Corlds

@aitreya says3 P? Brahmin$ Kindly narrate now about the celestial worlds and the position o stars and planets there.P Earashar says3 At a height o 6&MM&MMM Yo9ans above the earth is the sphere o the 1un. 6&MM&MMM Yo9ans above it is the sphere o the @oon and 6&MM&MMM Yo9ans above it is the sphere o the stars.
At a height o ;&MM&MMM Yo9ans above& the sphere o stars is Buddh (@ercury) and ;&MM&MMM Yo9ans above it is 1hukra (Venus). Above Venus are @angal (@ars)& Brihaspati (#upiter)& and 1hani (1aturn) at respective heights o ;&MM&MMM Yo9ans each. 6&MM&MMM Yo9ans above the 1aturn is 1aptarishi and 6&MM&MMM Yo9ans above it is the sphere o Dhruv. *t appears as the centre o a bright ring. ?ne crore Yo9ans above Dhruv is @aharloka where sages like Bhrigu etc. live. ,wo crore Yo9ans above @aharloka is #analoka where Brahma)s sons 1anakaadi Kumars live. At a height o J&MM&MM&MMM Yo9ans above #analoka is ,apaloka live deities named Vairaa9 who are never consigned to lames. ,welve crore Yo9ans above ,apaloka is 1atyaloka which is also known as Brahmaloka. ?nly immortal beings live there.
7.;.J ?rder o the 1un& the 1tars and other >onstellations

,he 1un travels speedily across the sky like an arrow. (e determines the night and the day. Cith the rising and setting o the 1un& one can have knowledge o the directions. 1un lights up all the places in the entire world e/cept Brahmaloka. 1un)s rays that reach Brahmaloka return back rendered ine ective by the radiance o Brahma. 1ince @ount 1umeru is situated at the north o all the islands and Varsh& hence towards the northern side o it& one part o land e/periences the day while another part e/periences the night all the time. ,he radiant 1un setting merges with ire. (ence& ire also has the power o illuminating and warming its environment. At the beginning o %ttaraayan (northward motion o the 1un)& the 1un enters the :odiac o >apricorn. ,ravelling through AHuarius and Eisces& it reaches the eHuator which is at the centre o the earth. ,herea ter the nights begin to decrease in comparison o the days. ,hen travelling through Aries& ,aurus and Bemini& the 1un enters >ancer to begin its southward 9ourney. ,he period o time between the day and night is dusk twilight. At that time& ormidable demons try to swallow the 1un. ,hus they have ierce battle with the 1un. ,he recitation o hymns by learned Brahmins during dusk twilight helps the 1un regain his lost radiance. Cith his brilliance then the demons are destroyed. ,hus the 1un is a per ect orm o Lord Vishnu. *t shines with its inner radiance. ?mkar is a symbolisation o the 1un. *t is also mandatory or the Brahmins to per orm evening worship. ,hose who do not worship in the evening hurt the 1un. ,owards the north o 1aptarishi constellation& where polestar is situated& there is an abode o Lord Vishnu. ?nly those sages can reach there who are ree rom aults and whose sins and pious deeds have been attenuated. 1upremely brilliant Dhruv stays in the abode o Vishnu. -very other thing is dependent upon Dhruv. All the +akshatras also depend on Dhruv. ?n +akshatras depend the clouds and on the clouds depends the rain and on the rains depend the nourishment o entire world. ,hus& all the other things come to depend upon Dhruv. ,he sacred Banges which is the destroyer o every sin also rises rom the abode o Lord Vishnu. Dhruv bears the Banges on his head. Dlowing through the sphere o the @oon& the Banges alls on @ount @eru and lows in every direction to sancti y the entire world. Bathing in the water o the Banges destroys all the sins. ? ering o oblations in the waters o Banges satiates dead ancestors or one hundred years. 1tarry& chameleon3like appearance o Lord Vishnu can be seen in the night sky. A polestar is present in its tail. All the other stars& the 1un& the @oon and other planets are present on di erent parts o this chameleon and go round the polestar. %ttanpaad)s son Dhruv had pleased this chameleon3like appearance o Lord Vishnu with his penance and sought a i/ed position in (is tail. -ven the 1un is dependent on Dhruv. ,he 1un keeps on evaporating the water or eight months in a year. ,his evaporated water then rains or our months and nourishes the soil and produces di erent kinds o cereals or the nourishment o the entire world. ,he water that is evaporated by the 1un also nourishes the @oon. But the @oon itsel does not consume that water. *nstead it gives that water to the clouds. During winter season& this water released by the @oon alls on earth as snow and dew. ,he 1un draws water rom Akashganga (the @ilky Cay) also and causes it to rain on earth at once. ,hat water is so sacred that mere touch o it destroys all the sins. ,he rains that all during +akshatras like KritikaK "ohini& Addra etc. come rom the water o Akashganga.
7.;.G ,welve +ames o the 1un

*n the month o >haitra& the 1un rides his chariot as Dhaata. During that period& el Kratusthala& sage Eulastya& +aag Vaasuki& Yaksha "athmirith& demon (eti and the Bandharva ,umbaru are also present on the chariot as his assistants.
*n the month o Vaishaakh& the 1un rides his chariot as Aryamaa with sage Eulah& Yaksha "athau9a& el Eun9asthala& demon Eraheti& snake Kachchhveer and Bandharva +aarad as his assistants. *n the month o #yeshtha& the 1un is known as @itra with sage Atri& snake ,akshak& demon Eaurusheya& el @enaka& Bandharva (aha and Yaksha "athswan as his assistants. *n the month o Ashaad& the 1un rides his chariot as Varun with sage Vashishta& snake +aag& el 1aha9anya& Bandharva (uhu& demon "atha and Yaksha "athachitra as his assistants. *n the month o 1hraavan& the 1un is known as *ndra with Bandharva Vishwabasu& Yaksha 1trot& snake -laputra& sage Angira& el Erabhalocha and the demon 1arpi as his assistants. *n the month o Bhaadrapad& the 1un is known as Vivasvaan. Cith Bandharva %grasena& sage Bhrigu& Yaksha& Aapuran& el Anubhlocha& snake 1hankhpaal and the demon Vyaghra as his assistants. *n the month o Ashwin& the 1un is known as Eusha with Bandharva Vasuruchi& demon Vaat& sage Bautam& snake Dhanan9ay& Yaksha 1ushen and the el Bhritaachi as his assistants. *n the month o Kartik& the 1un is known as Ear9anya and is assisted by the Bandharva Vishwabasu& sage Bharadwa9& snake Airavat& el Vishwashree& Yaksha 1en9it and the demon Aap. *n the month o @aargsheersh& the 1un is known as Ansh and is assisted by sage Kashyap& Yaksha ,arkshya& snake @ahapadma& el %rvashi& Bandharva >hitrasen and the demon Vidyut. *n the month o Eaush& the 1un is known as Bhaga and is assisted by sage Kratu& Bandharva %rnaayu& demon 1 ur9a& snake Karkotak& Yaksha Arishtnemi and el Eurvachitti. *n the month o @aagh& the 1un is known as ,wasta with sage #amadagni& snake >ambal& el ,ilottama& demon Brahmopet& Yaksha "itaa9it and Bandharva Dhritarashtra. *n the month o Ehagun& the 1un is known as Vishnu and is assisted by snake Ashwatar& el "ambha& Bandharva 1uryavacha& Yaksha 1hata9it& sage Vishwamitra and the demon Yagyopet. ,hus having some parts o Lord Vishnu)s radiance& these seven ganas stay in the sphere o the 1un or one month alternatively. ,hey are also the cause o seasons like summer& winter and rain.
7.;.6M Description o 1urya 1hakti and Vaishnava 1hakti

@aitreya says3 PLord& i only the seven Banas are entrusted with the 9ob o causing cold and summer& drought and rain& what is the purpose then o the 1un)s e/istenceL P Earashar says3 *t is true that 1urya is one o the seven Banas. Yet being the chie among them& it has special signi icance. ?mnipotent para3power o Lord Vishnu is nothing but the three Vedas. ,hese together stay within the 1un and provide it with energy necessary to sustain the world. ,heir presence within the 1un remains constant irrespective o the 1un)s changing names every month. *n the morning& "igveda prays the 1un with its 1hrutis. *n the noontime& Ya9urveda prays the 1un whereas in the evening& 1hrutis o 1amaveda pray the 1un. ,hus& Lord Vishnu always energises the 1un. Brahma& Vishnu and @ahesh are also present in trinity orm. ,heir trinity too represents the three Vedas. At the beginning o creation& Brahma was in the orm o "igveda. During the sustenance o the universe& Lord Vishnu stays in Ya9urveda orm whereas at the end o the creation when Eralay occurs& "udra takes 1amaveda orm. (ence the recitation o 1amaveda is considered inauspicious. -nergies o the trinity stays within the 1un in synergetic orm. (ence the 1un glows brilliantly and destroys the darkness. Lord Vishnu& who represents energy o this trinity& never rises nor sets. (is Vaishnavi 1hakti never parts with the 1un)s chariot and stays there irrespective o the changing names o the 1un with months. ,hus& the 1un& which causes the ormation o day and night always satiates Eitragana& Devgana and human beings. ?ne o the 1un)s rays named 1ushumna nourishes the @oon during its brighter phase. ,hen during the darker phase& the gods drink the phases o the @oon& which are in act& ambrosia accumulated during the brighter phase. Chen two days are le t or the completion o darker phase& Eitragana drink the remaining two phases o the @oon. ,hus& the 1un satiates the gods and the deceased ancestors. ,he water that the 1un draws rom earth is returned to the earth in the orm o rains. ,his rain all produces cereals& which nourish the entire population on earth.
7.;.66 Description o the +ine Elanets

,he @oon rides a chariot with three wheels. ,his chariot is hauled by ten horses. During its entire 9ourney& the @oon passes through all the twenty3seven +akshatras. ,hese horses haul the @oon)s chariot or a complete Kalpa. Cith his rays& the 1un nourishes the @oon& which loses its strength because o drinking o its ambrosia by the gods. Chen the gods brought even the last drop o nectar rom the @oon& it enters the 1un)s sphere. ,hat day is known as Amavasya (moonless night). ,hat day& the @oon irst enters the water then the oliage o the trees& creepers etc. and ultimately enters the 1un)s sphere. ,hat is why& anybody who cuts trees or even plucks a lea commits crime eHual to killing o Brahmin. ?n the day o Amavasya& Eitragana drink the nectar rom the @oon and eel sated. ,hus& @oon sates the gods during the brighter phase and the Eitragana during darker phase. ,he @oon also showers its nectar on the trees& creepers and other vegetation. *t also causes e/hilaration or the human beings& animals& birds and creatures like insects etc. Buddha (@ercury) is the son o the @oon. (is chariot is made o ire and air and is hauled by eight horses o deep yellow colour. ,he chariot o 1hukra (Venus) is also very splendid and is adorned by beauti ul lags. @angal (@ars) rides a golden chariot& which is born rom the ire. (is chariot is hauled by eight red horses. Brihaspati rides a golden chariot hauled by eight yellow horses. 1hani (1aturn) is amous or slow motion. (e rides a chariot which was born rom the sky. ,he colour o his chariot)s horses is also very peculiar. "ahu)s chariot is brown in colour and is hauled by eight black horses. Ketu)s chariot is also drawn by eight horses& which are red in colour. >hariots o all the nine planets are tied to Dhruv. ,hus& all o them traverse the same path again and again year a ter year. 1ighting o 1hishumaar chakra (constellation path) in the night destroys all the sins that a human being commits during the daytime. Cater is a tangible orm o Lord Vishnu. -ven the earth was born out o water. 1tars& all the three worlds& orests& vegetation& mountains& directions& rivers& sea and entire nature is the orm o Lord Vishnu. ,his vivid nature thus shows omnipresence character o Lord Vishnu.
7.;.6; Li e 1ketch o Bharat

@aitreya says3 PLord$ +ow * wish to hear various tales rom the li e o King Bharat. (e was born in a pious land and always contemplated on Bod. -ven then why he ailed to attain salvationL Chat did he do in his ne/t birth as a BrahminLP Earashar says3 King Bharat always contemplated on Bod. (e stayed at 1haalgraam or a long time. ,here he used to recite the names o Bod and collect various materials or (is worship. ?ther than that& he did not do anything. ?ne day while he was taking bath in the river& a doe arrived at the opposite bank. 1he was in the inal stage o pregnancy. Chile she was drinking water& a lion roared somewhere in the orest behind her. ,hat roar rightened the doe so much that she 9umped across the river to save her li e. -/ertion o 9umping resulted in premature littering o her awn& which ell in the river. ?n the other hand& the doe also could not bear the pain and died. King Bharat rescued the 9ust born awn and brought it to his hermitage. 1ince then he began to oster the awn with love and care. Cith time& Bharat)s attachment grew or the awn and whenever it went out o sight& he would eel perple/ed. 1oon King Bharat deserted everything or the love o the awn. (e even le t his routine worship and meditation or it would be hard to concentrate whenever the awn was near and at times when the awn was out o sight& it worried Bharat and hence he could not concentrate. But the awn could not give up its natural instincts. Chen it grew up& one day& it happened to sight a herd o deer and mingled with it to ind a mate o its own choice and since that day& it never returned to the hermitage. 1eparation rom the deer proved atal or the King Bharat. Chile dying his mind was ully concentrating on the thoughts o the deer which he had ostered with love and care. Because o it& Bharat took his ne/t birth as a deer. But still he remembered his past li e. 1o he deserted his herd and ound a place in 1haalgraam where he passed his time eating dry grass and oliage. *n his ne/t birth& Bharat was born in a cultured Brahmin amily. *n this birth also& he remembered his past lives. 1ince birth& Bharat knew all the rituals and scriptures and saw his soul in a transcendental way. (ence& even a ter his thread ceremony& he did not take up his education. -ven the teachers ailed to incite his interest in education. Bharat roamed here and there& clad in rags and was hence insulted by ellow Brahmins and village olk.
,hus Bharat remained indi erent to the others) treatment and sustained himsel on whatever little he got to eat. A ter the demise o his ather& his brothers made him work hard in the ields but gave little to eat. Because o his inertness& he was known as #adabharat. ?ne night& when #adabharat was guarding his ields& the king)s commander3in3chie & Vrishatraa9 caught him and took him away. ,he king wanted to sacri ice him be ore goddess @ahakali. But seeing the supreme Yogi being brought as a votive animal& goddess @ahakali e/pressed her wrath by decapitating the king and drank his blood. *n another incident later on& the king o 1auveer was travelling in a palanHuin to visit sage Kapil or religious preaching. *ncidentally& one man ell short to carry his palanHuin& so the other carriers saw and caught #adabharat to orcibly engage him in the work o carrying the palanHuin. Chile walking& #adabharat was taking care not to put his eet on any creature. 1o he was moving very slowly whereas other carriers were walking briskly. As a result o it& the palanHuin was moving 9erkily causing irritation to the king. ,he king enHuired the carriers about the reasons o that 9erky motion. ,he carriers in ormed him that it was because o the new recruit who is moving very slowly. ,he king shouted at #adabharat3 PYou appear to be Huite burly. Don)t you have enough strengthL Does a little work tire youLP #adabharat said3 P? king$ +either * am burly nor carrying your palanHuin. * am neither tired nor there is any need or me to labour.P ,he king said3 PApparently you are burly and my palanHuin is also resting on your shoulder. >arrying a load always tires anybody. (ow are you di erent then rom the othersLP #adabharat said3 P? king$ Dirst o all& tell me& what do you see directlyL Your saying that * am carrying your palanHuin is also meaningless. +ow listen to what * say. Both my eet are resting on the earth. ?n the eet are thighs& and on the thighs is belly& on the belly are chest& shoulders and arms. Your palanHuin is resting on the shoulders. Chat load am * carrying thenL You are in the palanHuin and * am on the earth are meaningless words. All the creatures& you and me are all carried by the ive basic elements. -ven our virtues are controlled by our action. ?nly action is born out o ignorance. ,he soul is pure& non3degradable& calm& intangible and beyond all nature. ,his same soul pervades all the creatures. *t neither grows nor decays. Chy did you say then that * am burlyL * this palanHuin that is resting on my shoulders3chest3belly3thighs and eet& could be a burden or me& it could also be a burden or you. Like this& all the living beings are carrying not only this palanHuin but all the mountains& trees& houses and even the earth.P 1aying this& #adabharat became silent& still carrying the palanHuin. ,he king at once got down rom the palanHuin and ell at #adabharat)s eet and said3 P? Brahmin$ Leave this palanHuin and tell me why have you taken this guise. Cho are youL Chat is the reason o your coming hereL * am eager to know about you.P #adabharat said3 P* cannot tell what * am and or the reason why * came here& * can say only that coming and going are all done so that one can e/perience their result. ,he soul takes an incarnation only to e/perience the 9oy and sorrow as per its deeds. Chy are you then enHuiring speci ically about the reason or my coming hereLP ,he king said3 P,he soul transmigrates rom one body to another only because o its action. * want to hear rom you preaching regarding 'who am * cannot be told). ? Brahmin$ ,he soul that is eternal and e/periences the results o its action is *. ,his mark o ego is not a cause o demerit in the soul.P #adabharat said3 PYou are right that words do not cause any demerit in the soul. But the ego e/pressed in the orm o words is the reason or demerit in soul. Chen the same and single soul stays in everybody& possessive words are then meaningless. You are the king. ,his is the palanHuin. ,hey are the carriers and those are the sub9ects. ? king$ +one o these words has any meaning. ,his palanHuin is made o the wood received rom some tree. 1o tell me what it should be called as3 a palanHuin or wood. +obody says that the king is sitting on a tree. *t is because o speci ic construction that a heap o wood has assumed the shape o a palanHuin. Dor the purpose o action& the same soul is identi ied physically as a man& a woman& a cow& a goat& a horse& an elephant& a bird or a tree. But in act& the soul is none o them. ,hings like wealth& king& kingdom& king)s army and all other things that you possess are not act. ,hey are imaginations. Dor the sub9ects& you are king. Dor the son& you are ather. Dor the wi e& you are husband& and the ather o her children. ? king$ ,ell me& what should * address you asL Are you di erent rom any o these nounsL (ence& always be care ul while considering who am *L ? king$ ,he soul is so arranged in di erent roles that it is very di icult to tell speci ically its real identity.P
7.;.67 #adabharat Ereaches the King

,he king said3P? Brahmin. * was going to see sage Kapil and have the preaching regarding e/cellent human virtues. But now& hearing your words& * eel that * need not go any urther. You are an ocean o knowledge. Kindly preach me about human virtues.P #adabharat said3 P? king$ Dor those who worship the Lord with a desire to receive wealth and kingdom& these things are a supreme goal. Dor those who want to attain heaven& action in the orm o orming Yagya is the goal. But the supreme virtue is to act in a sel less way without having a desire or results. A Yogi must contemplate on that transcendental soul because it is the only means to merge with that supreme soul.P * the wealth is the goal while it is spent in religious activities. * the son is the goal& the ather too might have been a goal or someone. ,hus& there is no supreme goal because everything e/ists or a time then ceases to e/ist. (ence the assumption o any physical thing as a supreme goal is meaningless. And consideration o soul separate rom supreme soul is also utile. ,he soul is one& all pervasive& impartial& pure& intangible and transcendental. *t is ree rom the cycles o birth and death. *t can neither be created nor be destroyed. *t is supremely omniscient. *ts mani estation in di erent li e orms is temporary and identi ication o soul with living beings is baseless. 1oul which is present in scores o living beings is basically single and same. ?nce one comes to know this& he doesn)t remain in darkness. Veil o ignorance then parts with him.
7.;.6F ,ale o "ibhu and +idaagh

(earing #adabharat)s words& the king ell in deep thoughts. #adabharat then narrated the tale o "ibhu and +idaagh. ?nce upon a time& in the beauti ul town o Veernagar at the bank o the river Devika& there lived +idaagh& the son o Eulastya. (e was a disciple o "ibhu& the son o Brahma. ?nce& a ter a gap o one thousand years& "ibhu decided to see his disciple +idaagh. 1o he arrived at Veernagar. +idaagh welcomed and treated him warmly. *n the night a ter dinner& they both sat together and +idaagh asked him i he relished the ood. "ibhu said3 P? Brahmin$ ?nly those who eel hungry are sated. * have never e/perienced hunger or thirst. (ow then can * tell you about my satis actionL (unger and thirst are the virtues o the physical body. (ealth and satis action are the states o mind. ? Brahmin$ Ask this Huestion only to those who have these virtues& not me. -ven the Hualities o ood like deliciousness and insipidness are meaningless because a delicious edible item loses its taste a ter sometime and causes irritation instead o satis action. (ence you should strive to develop a sense o impartiality towards delicious and insipid ood items. Also sense o impartiality is essential to attain salvation.P
7.;.68 "ibhu Ereaches +idaagh

?ne thousand years a ter this incident& "ibhu once again decided to see his disciple +idaagh. 1o he once again arrived in Veernagar. At that time& king o that town was leading a procession o his army. 1o there was a great crowd on the main road o the town. +idaagh was carrying some worship materials rom the orest but seeing a huge crowd on the road& he stood aside waiting or its dispersion. @eanwhile& "ibhu also arrived there. 1eeing +idaagh standing alone away rom the crowd& "ibhu approached him and asked why he was standing there. +idaagh said3 P? Brahmin$ ,oday& the king o our town had taken out a procession. 1o * am standing here waiting or the dispersion o crowd so that * can reach home and o er my worship.P "ibhu asked3 P *t appears rom your words that you know everything about your town. Kindly tell me who is the king and who are the sub9ectsLP +idaagh said3 P,he one who is riding an elephant is the king and those who are ollowing him on the ground are his sub9ects.P "ibhu said3 P? +idaagh$ You have shown me the king and the elephant together but did not show their distinguishing symptoms separately. Cho is the king among them and who is the elephantLP +idaagh said3 P,he one who is above is the king and the one who is beneath is the elephant.P "ibhu said3 PKindly elaborate what is above and what is beneathLP As soon as "ibhu inished his words& +idaagh climbed on his shoulders and said3 PLook& like the king& * am above you and like the elephant& you are beneath me.P "ibhu said3 P* you are like the king and * am like the elephant& kindly e/plain to me& who are you and who am *LP +idaagh at once climbed down and ell at "ibhu)s eet and said3 P>ertainly& you are the great sage "ibhu.P "ibhu said3 PYes& * am "ibhu and * have come to preach you out o a ection.P ,herea ter "ibhu preached +idaagh on
the universality o soul and development o impartial view and le t. By his preaching& +idaagh)s ignorance dispersed and he began to see all the creatures eHual to impartially. ? king$ Like the Brahmin who attains salvation because o impartial view& you also develop an impartial view regarding soul. ,hen you will not see anyone separate rom you. -verything in this world is a mani estation o soul. Earashar says3 P,hus preached by #adabharat& the king o 1auveer le t his partial attitude. #adabharat too received salvation when he realised the true knowledge.P
*&*
0hapter * (Part *%
,his chapter contains 6< sections.
7.7.6 Description o @anvataras

@aitreya says3 P? Burudev$ +ow * wish to hear the description o all the @anvantaras and the @anus who ruled those @anvantaras.P Earashar says3 PDirst @anu was sel 3begotten. A ter him ive more @anus occurred namely 1warochish& %ttam& ,aamas& "aivat and >haakshush. All these @anus had occurred during the previous ages. ,he present @anu& Vaivasvat is the son o the 1un and this @anvantara is seventh.P *n the 1warochish @anvantara& Eaaraavat and ,ushitgana were the gods. Vipaschit was *ndra. %r99a& 1tambh& Eraan& Vaat& Vrishabh& +itya and Earivaan were the 1aptarishis. >haitra and Kimpurush etc. were the sons o @anu. %ttam was the @anu in %ttam @anvantara. 1ushaanti was *ndra with 1udhaam& 1atya& #apa& Eratardan and Vashvarti were his Banas. 1even sons o Vashishta were 1aptarishis. *n ,aamas @anvantara& there were our categories o the gods namely 1upaar& (ari& 1atya and 1udhi. -ach o them had twenty3seven gods each. King 1hibi was *ndra during that @anvantara. #yotirdhama& Erithu& Kaatya& >haitra& Agni& Vanak and Eeevar were 1aptarishis. During "aivat @anvantara& Vibhu was *ndra. ,here were our categories o the gods namely Amitabh& Bhootrath& Vaikunth and 1umedha with ourteen gods each. (iranyaroma& Vedshri& %rdhvabaahu& Vedbaahu& 1udama& Ear9anya and @ahamuni were the 1aptarishis. Dour @anus 1warochish& %ttam& ,aamas and "aivat are said to be the direct descendant o King Eriyavrat. During >haakshush @anvantara& *ndra)s name was @ano9av. Aapya& Erasoot& Bhavya& Erithuk and Lekh were the categories o gods each with eight deities. 1umedha& Vira9a& (avishmaan& %ttam& @adhu& Atinaama and 1ahishnu were the 1aptarishis. During the present @anvantara& the 1un)s brilliant son 1hraaddhdev is @anu. Aditya& Vasu and "udra are the categories o the gods. *ndra)s name is Eurandar. Vashishta& Kashyap& Atri& #amadagni& Bautam& Vishwamitra and Bharadwa9 are the 1aptarishis. Eresent @anu has nine sons *kshvaaku& +rig& Drisht& 1harayaati& +arishyant& +aabhaag& Arisht& Karush and Erishadhra.
7.7.; Birth o 1avarni @anu and Description o the +e/t @anvataras

@aitreya says3 P? sage& now kindly narrate about the @anvantaras that are to come in uture.P Earashar says3 Vishwakarma)s daughter 1angya was the wi e o 1urya. ,hey had three children& @anu& Yama and Yamani. 1angya once elt unable to bear the radiance o 1urya. 1o& appointing >hhaya (her shadow) in the service o 1urya& she hersel migrated to the orest and began to observe a penance. 1urya mistook >hhaya or 1angya and copulated with her. ,his resulted in the birth o three children3 one more @anu& 1hani and ,apati. ?ne day& getting angry or some unknown reason& >hhaya who was in the guise o 1angya cursed Yama. ?nly then 1urya and Yama came to know about her real identity. ,hrough meditation& 1urya saw that the real 1angya was observing penance as a mare in the orest. 1urya also arrived in the orest and mated with 1angya in horse orm. ,heir mating resulted in the birth o two Ashwini kumars& "etahstrav and "evant. ,herea ter& 1urya brought
1angya to his abode where Vishwakarma dulled his radiance. >hhaya)s son& @anu was a sibling o @anuK hence he came to be known as 1aavarni. During the ne/t @anvantara& 1aavarni will rule as @anu. 1utap& Amitabh and @ukhya will be the categories o gods each with twenty deities. Ditimaan& Baalav& "ama& Krip& Ashwatthama& "ishishring and my son& Vedavyasa will be among the 1aptarishis. By the grace o Lord Vishnu& Virochan)s son Bali will occupy the throne o *ndra. Daksha 1aavarni will be the ninth @anu. During that @anvantara& Eaar& @aarichgarv and 1udharma will be the three categories o the gods with twelve deities each. Adbhut will be *ndra. 1avan& Dyutimaan& Bhavya& Vasu& @eghatithi& #yotishmaan and 1ata will be among the 1aptarishis. Brahma 1aavarni will be the tenth @anu. During that @anvantara& 1udhaama and Vishuddh will be the two categories o gods with hundred deities each. 1hanti will be *ndra. (avishmaan& 1ukrit& 1atya& ,apomurti& +aabhaag& Apratimau9a and 1atyaketu will be among the 1aptarishis. Dharmasaavarni will be the eleventh @anu. Vihangam& Kaamgam and +irvaangati will be the categories o gods each with thirty deities. *ndra)s name will be Vish. +ihsvar& Agnite9a& Vayushmaan& Bhrini& Aaruni& (avishmaan and Anagh will be among the 1aptarishis. "udraputra 1aavarni will be the twel th @anu. "itudhaama will be *ndra and (arit& "ohit& 1umna& 1ukarma and 1uraag will be the ive categories o the gods each with ten deities. ,apasvi& 1utapa& ,apomurti& ,aporati& ,apoghriti& ,apodyuti and ,apodhan will be among the 1aptarishis. "uchi will be the thirteenth @anu. 1utrama& 1ukarma and 1udharma will be the categories o the gods each with thirty3three deities. Devaspati will be *ndra. +irmoha& ,atvagarshi& +ishprakam& +irutsuk& Bhritimaan& Avyay and 1utapa will be among the 1aptarishis. Bhaum will be the ourteenth @anu. 1uchi will be *ndra. >haakshush& Eavitra& Kanishth& Bhraa9ik and Vaachaavriddh will be the ive categories o the gods. Agnibaahu& 1uchi& 1hukra& @aagadh& Agnidhra& Yukt and #it will be among the 1aptarishis. Cith the passing o these ourteen @anvantaras& a Kalpa that comprises o one thousand Yugas will come to an end. *n 1atayug& Lord Vishnu preaches about the metaphysical knowledge in Kapil)s incarnation. *n ,retayug& (e destroys the evil doers and protects the world. *n Dwaparyug& (e divides the Vedas into our divisions. At the end o Kaliyug& Lord takes Kali incarnation and inspires corrupt people to religious path. ,hus& Lord Vishnu maintains order in all the our Yugas and causes the creation& sustenance and ultimately destruction o the universe.
7.7.7 Description o Veda Vyasa and the 1igni icance o BrahmaByana

@aitreya says3 P? Lord$ (ow did Bod divide Vedas in the orm o Vedavyasa during di erent YugasLP Earashar says3 During each Dwaparyug& in every Kalpa& Lord Vishnu takes incarnation as Vedavyasa and e ects the division o Vedas or the bene it o human beings. During every Dwaparyug o the present Vaivasvat @anvantara& di erent Vyasas have divided the Vedas twenty3 eight times. During the irst Dwapar& Brahma himsel had divided the Vedas. During the second Dwapar& Era9apati was Vedavyasa. During the third Dwapar& 1hukracharya was Vedavyasa. During ourth Dwapar& Brihaspati acted as Vedavyasa. Description o other sages who acted as Vedavyasa during the subseHuent Dwapars is as ollows3 1urya3 i th VedavyasaK @rityu3 si/th Vedavyasa& *ndra3 seventh Vedavyasa& Vashishta3 eighth Vedavyasa& 1araswat3 ninth Vedavyasa& ,ridhama3 tenth Vedavyasa& ,rishikh3 eleventh Vedavyasa& Bharadwa93 twel th Vedavyasa& Antariksh3 thirteenth Vedavyasa& Varani3 ourteenth Vedavyasa. +ames o ne/t ourteen Vedavyasas are as ollows3 ,rayyarun& Dhanan9ay& Krutun9ay& #ay& Bharadwa9& Bautam& (aryatma& Vaa9shrava& ,rinbindhu& "iksh (Valmiki)& 1hakti& Earashar& #aatukarn and Krishnadwaipayan. A ter Krishnadwaipayan& Drona)s son& Ashwatthama will be the ne/t Vedavyasa.
7.7.F -/pansion o the Branches o the "g Veda

At the beginning o creation& "igveda contained all the our Vedas with hundred thousand mantras. ,hat "igveda helped a lot in the propagation o ten kinds o Yagyas. ,hen during the twenty3eighth Dwapar& my son& Krishnadwaipayan e ected the division o "igveda in our Vedas. At the same time& he also trained our o his
distinguished disciples in the study o Vedas. -ach one o them was interested with the study o one particular Veda or in inite period o time. Accordingly& sage Eail mastered in "igveda& Vaishampayan in Ya9urveda& #aimini in 1amaveda and 1umantu in Atharvaveda. Cith the our Vedas& practice o >haturhotra also came into being. >haturhotra is now the main guiding eature o all kinds o Yagyas. Vyasa also established the Karmas o Adhvarayu by Ya9urveda& o (ota by "igveda& o %dgaata by 1amaveda and o Brahma by Atharvaveda. 1age Eail divided "igveda into two divisions and taught them to two o his disciples3 *ndrapramiti and Vaashkal. *n his term& Vaashkal divided his branch into our sub3branches and taught them to his disciples. *ndrapramiti taught his branch o "igveda to his talented son& sage @aandukeya. ,hus branches and sub3branches o "igveda grew substantially. *n this tradition& 1haakalyavedamitra learnt a 1amhita and divided it into ive sub3branches. ?ne o his disciples named 1haakpurn created three 1amhitas whereas his another disciple created +irukta Brantha. Vaashkal created three 1amhitas and taught them to Kaalaayani& Baargya and ,athaa9a.
7.7.8 Description o the Branches o the Ya9ur Veda

A disciple o Vedavyasa named Vaishampayan created twenty3seven branches o Ya9urveda and taught them to his disciples. (e had a disciple Yagyavalkya who was the son o Brahmarat. At that time& all the sages together constituted a rule that whoever did not 9oin their group within seven days on @ahameru would be held as a sinner eHual to killing a Brahmin. ?nly Vaishampayan had violated that ruling. ,he curse o the sages did come true when Vaishampayan killed his sleeping nephew accidentally. ,hen he asked his disciples to do away with his sin. Yagyavalkya said3 PLord$ All these Brahmins are e/tremely dull. * will alone do away with your sin.P ,hese boast ul words in uriated Vaishampayan. (e said3 2You are insulting these Brahmins so at once& regurgitate whatever * have taught you.P Yagyavalkya said3 2Lord$ * uttered these words out o devotion or you. 1till you wish me to regurgitate what you have taught me. (ere it is$ 1aying this& Yagyavalkya vomited out all the 1hrutis o Ya9urveda. ?ther disciples o Vaishampayan pecked them in the orm o partridges. 1ince then& they came to be known as ,aitriya Brahmins. (olding his breath& Yagyavalkya then started the worship o the 1un with a desire to regain Ya9urveda. Eleased by his prayers& 1urya appeared be ore him in horse orm and asked him to seek a boon. Yagyavalkya reHuested 1urya to preach him those 1hrutis o Ya9urveda& which were not known even to his teacher& Vaishampayan. 1urya preached him those 1hrutis o Ya9urveda& which were known as Aayaatyaam. ,he Brahmins who read these 1hrutis came to be known as Vaa9i. +owadays& there are i teen sub3branches o these Vaa9i 1hrutis& which were initially e/pounded by sage Yagyavalkya.
7.7.I ,he Branches o the 1ama Veda and the 6J Euranas

1age #aimini& a disciple o Vedavyasa& e ected branches o 1amaveda. 1age #aimini had a son& 1umantu. 1umantu in turn had a son& 1ukarma. Both o them studied a branch o 1amaveda each. 1ukarma divided his branch o 1amaveda into sub3branches and taught them to his two disciples3 Kaushalya (iranyanaabh and Eaushpin9i. (iranyanaabh had ive hundred disciples. %pon receiving the knowledge o 1amaveda branch rom (iranyanaabh& these disciples came to be known as Erachya 1aamaag. Disciples o Eaushpin9i also e ected divisions in 1amaveda that they received rom their teacher. ?ne more disciple o (iranyanaabh named Kriti taught twenty3 our 1amhitas o 1amaveda to his disciples. 1age 1umant taught Atharvaveda to his disciple Kabandh. Kabandh divided it into two parts and taught them to Devdarsh and Eathya respectively. A disciple o Eathya named 1haunak divided his 1amhita into two parts and gave one o them to his disciple Vabhru and another to 1aindhav. 1aindhav)s disciple @un9ikesh divided his 1amhita into three parts. Eresently& ive 1amhitas o Atharvaveda namely +akshatrakalpa& Vedakalpa& 1amhitakalpa& Aangiraskalpa and 1hantikalpa are considered authentic. 1till unsatis ied by his achievement& sage Vedavyasa created Euraan 1amhita and taught them to his amous disciple "omaharshan 1uta. ,he 1amhita that was created by "omaharshan was the base o three 1amhitas3 Akritvrana& 1aavarni and 1haanspaayan created by Kashyapgotriya Brahmins. Vishnu Euraan is in a way a summation o these our 1amhitas. ,here are in all eighteen Euraans. *n chronological order& these are as ollows3 Brahma Euraan& Eadma Euraan& Vaishnav Euraan& 1haiv Euraan& Bhaagwat Euraan. +aarad Euraan& @arkandeya Euraan& Agneya Euraan& Bhavishya Euraan& Brahmavaivart Euraan& Linga Euraan& Varaha Euraan& 1kand Euraan& Vaaman Euraan& Kaurma Euraan& @atsya Euraan& Barud Euraan and Brahmaand Euraan.
7.7.< Yama Bita

@aitreya says3 PLord$ At the end o a li e span& all the people come to be controlled by Yamaraa9. Chen they are bound to undergo scores o su ering in di erent kinds o hells. Kindly narrate about such action by which a human being gets ree rom the noose o Yamaraa9.P Earashar says3 Youngest among the Eandavas& +akul had once put the same Huestion be ore Eitamaha Bheeshma. * am narrating what once Bheeshma had narrated to +akul. Be ore sending Yamaraa9 advises his agents to stay away rom the devotee o Lord Krishna. Yamaraa9 is lord o all the human beings e/cept Vaishnavas. ?nly Lord Vishnu is able to control Yamaraa9. About the devotee o Lord Vishnu& Yamaraa9 says 3 (e who does not deviate rom his duties even in severest o crisis& who does not steal the wealth o others and kill animals is undoubtedly a devotee o Lord Vishnu. (e who bears Lord Vishnu in his heart is a devotee o Lord Vishnu. (e who is ree rom all kinds o ego and illusions and always wishes well or the others with pure and peace ul heart is a devotee o Lord Vishnu. ,hus those who always contemplate on Lord Vishnu don)t even ear death. Yama& Yamadoot& Yamapaash& Yamagana and even tortures o Yama are unable to hurt them.
7.7.J Duties o Dour >lasses o 1ociety

@aitreya says 3 PLord$ (ow should one worship Lord VishnuL Kindly describe it to me. Earashar says3 King 1agar had asked the same thing rom sage Aurv. * am narrating what sage Aurv had preached him. ?nly those who ul il their responsibilities and discharge their duties as per their class can worship Lord Vishnu. ,hose who shun activities like criticising others& backbiting& womanising& stealing others) wealth and violenceK those who do not torture others and are always ready to serve the gods& Brahmins and teachers are able to please Lord Vishnu. 1imilarly& one should be always conscious regarding his duties as per his class. Accordingly& a Brahmin should carry out Yagyas& study scriptures and should not ever try to hurt anybody. A Kshatriya must organise Yagyas and study scriptures. (e should also make donations to Brahmins and take weapons in order to protect the earth. A Vaishya must earn his livelihood through cattle rearing& commerce and agriculture. Besides he should also organise Yagyas make donations and study scriptures. A 1hudra is e/pected to earn his livelihood through handicra ts. 1aluting learned people is eHual to organising Yagya or a 1hudra. A 1hudra may also make donations and oblations to appease his dead ancestors. *n the time o emergency& a Brahmin may shi t to the occupations meant or Kshatriya and Vaishya. A Kshatriya may take the occupation o a Vaishya during emergency but none o them should ever take to the occupation o 1hudra.
7.7.G Description o Di erent Ashrams

1ince birth till death& human li e passes through di erent stages. Dor the purpose o simplicity in ollowing these stages& our sages have made provisions or our stages or Ashrams in li e namely Brahmacharya& Brihastha& Vanprastha and 1anyaas. %panayana 1anskara (thread ceremony) marks the beginning o education or the children born in Brahmin& Kshatriya and Vaishya classes. Dor this purpose& a disciple must stay in his teacher)s hermitage and observe celibacy strictly. ,here& he must serve his teacher and worship 1urya and Agni. ,he disciple is e/pected never to disobey his teacher. Activities should be according to the teacher)s guidelines. (e should also make arrangements or the daily worship o his teacher in the way o collecting di erent materials like (avan saamagri& water& Kusha& lowers etc. A ter the completion o education and paying all the dues& the disciple is ready to start second stage o his li e that is Brihasthashram. Dor this he should irst ind a suitable girl rom his class and make merry. During this stage& he should earn his livelihood by occupations ascribed or his class. (e should please the gods by Yagyas& his ancestors by oblations& Era9apatis by producing children& spectres by o ering sacri ices o cereals and society by love. -ven the ascetic and celibates depend on married people or their daily bread. (ence married li e or Brihasthashram is stated to be e/cellent among all the Ashrams.
A Brihastha must welcome and warmly treat the guests who arrive une/pectedly. 1uch a household rom where a guest returns desperately never succeeds in religious matters. All the worship and Yagyas o ered in such a household go utile. (ence it is not proper or the householder to show ego and abuse a guest otherwise he will have to e/piate or it later. A person must always be on alert to recognise the time when it is apt to take Vanprastha. Chen the children grow and begin to hold the responsibility o the household& one enters the third stage i.e. Vanprasthashram. 1o& leaving his wi e in the shelter o his children or taking her with him& one should migrate to the orest and live a simple li e sustaining on whatever little is available rom the nature. ,his stage must be passed observing severe penance and restraining one)s senses. 1anyaasashram is the ourth stage o li e. ?ne should give up all activities related to Dharma& Artha and Kama in this stage. (e should keep an impartial view or all and cultivate a eeling o love or all the creatures. (e should not hurt anybody by his words& actions or even thoughts. (e should not stay in a village or town or more than ive days. (e should sustain his li e on alms.
7.7.6M >ustoms and >onsecrations

At the time o childbirth& it is the ather)s responsibility to carry out certain customs and consecrations or the child. Dirst o all& #atakarma 1anskara is carried out by which the newly born baby is included in the amily. During this custom& a Brahmin couple is ed. *t is also necessary or the couple that they should sit acing east while eeding. ,herea ter& the parents should o er oblations to appease the gods and dead ancestors. Lumps made o barley lour& curd and berries should be o ered as oblations. 1imilar consecrations are carried out at the time o children)s marriage. ?n the tenth day a ter the birth& the naming ceremony is carried out. Di erent castes and religion have di erent traditions regarding naming the newly born child. *t is commonly seen that most o the children are named a ter the deities and gods. 1till one should see that the name should not be meaningless& abusive or inauspicious. Eractice o selecting e/ceptionally long and di icult to pronounce names should also be avoided. ,he second stage in a child)s li e is when he or she begins education. *n ancient times& thread ceremony used to be carried out and the children were sent to their teacher)s hermitage or education. *n modern age& thread ceremony is ollowed more or less in similar way as it used to be in the past. But children are not sent to Burukul or education any more. A ter completing education& a person should get married and run his own li e. *n the past& there had been elaborate rituals or the selection o suitable bride. -lders o the house used to select a proper match or the boy. ,heir choice in most cases depended on many attributes and bodily eatures o the girl. But in modern age& with increased interaction among the people& it is not possible to ollow each and every custom related to selection o bride. 1till one should take care not to marry in his mother)s lineage or up to i th generation and in his ather)s lineage up to seventh generation.
7.7.66 Description o "ighteousness

A married man knows the importance o ollowing a righteous discourse. @arried li e is like a penance in which a couple gives birth and raises ne/t generation. A married man is e/pected to get up early in the morning and contemplate on religious things. *t helps him to ollow righteous discourse. (e is e/pected to attend nature)s call in natural environment away rom his house. 1oil is considered the best means to wash hands. *t should be ollowed by cleansing o the body. (e should then o er oblations wearing resh clothes to sages& deities and his dead ancestors. ? ering oblations to the 1un& worship o tutelary god and other deities ollows then. * the household is having some cattle& the head o the amily should himsel milk them and then wait or the guest. * and when a guest arrives& the head o the amily must o er him a seat respect ully and treat him well with delicious ood and pleasant talk. *n *ndian tradition& a guest is regarded eHual to a deity. (e should take ood only a ter eeding the guest. -vening time has also elaborate rituals or a married man. Dirst o all& a ter inishing daily chores& a married man must worship with peace ul mind. *t is also good or his health to take ood early in the evening and retire to a wooden bedstead. +ight time is considered suitable period or en9oying carnal pleasure. (ere too& a married man should en9oy intimacy with his wi e only.
7.7.6; 1ancti ication a ter Birth and Death

Li e on earth is like an in inite ocean in which birth appears like a bubble and death marks the bursting o that bubble a ter which it e/ists no more. Atmosphere o a household is said to be de iled when a birth or death occurs in it. ,here are di erent sancti ying customs to be carried out on both these occasions. A ter the birth o a son& the ather should o er oblations to please the gods and his ancestors a ter taking a bath. Chen a death occurs in a household& close relatives should take bath and carry the cadaver adorned with lowers and garlands outside the village or well3demarcated cremation ground or cremation. As per the religious tradition o the deceased& the body should either be consigned to the lames or buried. ,hen the relatives should again take bath in the pond or river acing south and o er watery oblations to the dead person. 1ince that day& Eindadaan (o ering sweet balls made o barley lour& sesame seeds& 9aggery and honey) should be done or ten days. ?n the ourth day o the cremation& ashes should be collected or immersion in holy places o pilgrimage. ,he person who had carried out the cremation must abstain rom intimacy or thirteen days. ?utsiders are also barred rom eating cereals rom such a household where a death has occurred. Dor the di erent classes o (indu society& this sancti ying period varies. Dor Brahmins& it is ten days& or Kshatriyas& it is twelve days& or Vaishyas& it is i teen days and or 1hudras& this period has been i/ed or one month. ?n the same day in every subseHuent month& oblations should be o ered to the dead or one year.
7.7.67 Days or @onthly ?blations

A 1hraadh carried out with devotion pleases the entire world including human beings& Brahma& *ndra& "udra& Ashwini Kumars& 1urya& Agni& Vasugana& @arudgana& Vishwadeva& Eitragana& birds& animals& reptiles& sages and o course the dead ancestors. @oonless and eighth day in the darker phase o every lunar month are considered the best days or o ering oblations to the dead ancestors. Apart rom these two& third day in the brighter phase o Vaishaakh& ninth day in brighter phase o Kartik& thirteenth day in the darker phase o Bhaadrapad and Amavasya o @aagh are also considered e/cellent. During lunar and solar eclipses also& oblations should be made with water and sesame seeds. * 1hatabhisha +akshatra occurs on Amavasya o @aagh& it is considered an e/cellent con9ugation or o ering oblations to dead ancestors. Bathing in rivers like Banga& 1utle9& Yamuna& Vipaasha& 1araswati& Bomti& Bodavari etc. while making oblations is also said to be e/tremely bene iting. *t is not necessary also to show great pomp and show while making oblations. * one doesn)t have enough money to o er oblations properly& he may simply pray the 1un saying that 'he is not ortunate enough to have wealth). ,hus& his ancestors would be pleased by his devotion alone.
7.7.6F @ethod or ?blations

Chile making oblations to the dead ancestors& one should eed his near and dear ones as well as learned Brahmins who respect their parents. *ntimacy with women is barred or those who have taken ood in an oblation. Any guest who happens to arrive une/pectedly and uninvited should be treated well. Be ore eeding& plain cereals should be o ered thrice to the ire reciting ollowing hymns. AGNAYE KAVYA VAAHAANAYE SWAHAA | SOMAAY PITRAMATE SWAHAA | VAIVASVATAAY SWAAHA || "emaining cereals then should be served with the ood to the Brahmins and some parts should also be cast on earth and water should be o ered on them. A ter the east& the Brahmins should be seen o with respect. ,he host should then take ood along with his amily. Anger over enthusiasm and walking on the street is orbidden or the host during oblation period.
7.7.68 Do)s and Don)t during ?blation

?blation with lesh o ish& rabbit& mongoose& hog& deer& ram and cereals cause e/treme satis action or the ancestors. But in modern Kaliyug& all types o lesh are orbidden in oblation rituals. ?nly cereals& milk& honey& etc. are allowed. ? ering o oblation in Baya (a place o pilgrimage in Bihar) is said to salve all the ancestors. Barley& wheat& rice& sesame seeds& peas& and mustard are the common cereals and grains used in oblations. ? ering o oblation is a sacred a air. During the procedure& care should be taken that an eunuch& >handaal& sinner& imposter& patient& cock& dog& a naked person& monkey& pigs& a woman in menses& and anybody in whose
house a death or birth has occurred don)t see the per ormer otherwise neither the deities nor the ancestors would accept the oblations. Cater used in oblation should also be ree rom odour and oam. @ilk o camel& sheep& doe and bu alo should not be used in oblations. Be ore beginning the ritual& drive out the evil spirits rom the selected piece o land. *t should be cut o rom outside in luences through enclosures.
7.7.6I ,he Battle o Bods and Demons

"ig& 1ama and Ya9urveda are like the clothes o (indu society. ,hose who give them up are in act naked. ,his statement is endorsed by the ollowing tale. ?nce upon a time& a battle occurred between the demons and the gods. *t lasted or one hundred years at the end o which period& the demons de eated the gods. ,he humiliated gods reached Ksheersagar and prayed Lord Vishnu. Eleased by their prayers& Lord Vishnu appeared be ore the gods. All the gods greeted (im and said3 P? Lord$ *n sheer violation o Brahma)s dictate& ormidable demons have kidnapped even our due shares o ered in the oblations. Erotect us rom the onslaught o the demons. Ce cannot ill them because they abide by their religion. Kindly show us a way to kill the demons.P (earing the pleas o the gods& Lord Vishnu produced @ayamoha rom (is body and giving them to the gods& said3 P@ayamoha will cause illusion in the minds o the demons. ,he illusion will in luence the demons to violate the path shown by the Vedas. You can kill them a ter thatP. 1aying this& the Lord disappeared. ,he gods took @ayamoha and reached the abode o the demons.
7.7.6< Dialogue o @ayamoha with Demons

@ayamoha was produced in a naked orm. *t reached the bank o +armada and saw the demons observing penance there. ,he naked @ayamoha then approached them and said in a sweet voice3 P ? demons$ Chat is the purpose o your penanceLP ,he demons said3 PCe are observing penance to achieve the metaphysical world.P @ayamoha said3 P* you long or salvation& do as * suggest. Dollow the religion which is like an open gate to salvation.P Cith such sweet talk& @ayamoha began to illumine the demons) mind. @ayamoha con used them urther saying3 P? demons& i you long or salvation or a place in the heaven& give up sacri icing animals and attain enlightenment. *t is wrong notion to say that violence is the religious path. ? ering o oblations in ire is also childish. -ven an animal which eats green grass is better than *ndra who is obliged to eat wood despite attaining that position a ter hundreds o great Yagyas. * an animal which is sacri iced in Yagya attains heaven& per ormer o Yagya would have killed his own ather.P ,hus with these witty talks& @ayamoha deviated the demons rom the righteous path because o which they lost interest in Vedas. ?nce it was achieved& the gods attacked the demons with ull preparations. %ltimately& many demons were killed whereas those who remained came to be known as naked because they no longer ollowed the teachings o Vedas. ,hus& anybody who does not practice the teachings o Vedas in his li e is known as naked. ,hose who do not take to Vanprastha or 1anyaas a ter the completion o Brihasthashram are naked. ,ale o 1hatadhanu3 *n the ancient times there was a king named 1hatadhanu. (is Hueen 1haivya was a righteous and religious woman. ,he king and the Hueen had worshipped Lord Vishnu observing severe penance. ?n the ull moon day in the month o Kartik when the king and Hueen came out o the Banges a ter taking bath& they happened to sight an imposter Brahmin who was coming rom the opposite direction. ,he Brahmin was a riend o the king)s teacher. 1o& the king treated the Brahmin with respect. But his chaste wi e did not show any respect or the imposter and kept silent all through the talk. 1he then had a sight o the 1un to e/piate or the meeting with an imposter. ?n their return to the palace the king and the Hueen worshipped Lord Vishnu with proper rituals. *n due course& the king died. ,he Hueen also committed 1ati. 1ince the king had committed the sin o talking to an imposter during his penance the king had committed the sin o talking to an imposter during his penance& he took birth in a dog orm whereas Hueen 1haivya took birth as the daughter o a Kashi king. 1he was e/tremely beauti ul and knew everything about her previous birth. Chen her ather decided to marry her o & she reHuest ully re used or she knew that her previous birth husband was roaming the streets and lanes o Vidisha in a dog orm. ,he princess o Kashi then reached Vidisha and ound out that dog was in act King 1hatadhanu. 1he ed the dog with delicious ood eating which the dog began to wag its tail and show humility be ore the princess. ,he princess saluted the dog and narrated the whole thing to it that it was because o his sin o talking to an imposter during penance that he had to take birth as a dog.
,hus& reminded by the princess& the dog contemplated or long on the events o his previous birth. (e grew so sad that he gave up the dog orm on the outskirts o the town. *n his ne/t birth however he was born as a 9ackal. Again the princess came to know that the 9ackal was King 1hatadhanu and asked him whether he continued to talk to the imposter a ter their conversation in the previous birthL ?nly then& King 1hatadhanu came to realise his mistake. (e then observed ast till death. But in his ne/t birth& he was born as a wol . Again the princess reminded him o his previous birth. ,he king)s became a vulture in his ne/t birth. A ter that& he took birth in crow orm and then as a peacock. During that time& King #anak was organising an Ashwamedha Yagya. *n the Yagya& the peacock was also given a ceremonial bath by the princess. During the bath& the princess reminded the peacock (King 1hatadhanu) o his previous birth& the peacock too died and took ne/t birth as the son o King #anak. *t was only a ter the birth o King #anak)s son that the princess told her ather to organise a 1wayamvara or her. *n the 1wayamvara& the prince also arrived. ,he princess accepted him respect ully as her husband.
*&,
0hapter , (Part ,%
,his chapter contains 6; sections.
7.F.6 Description o Vaivasvat @anu)s Lineage

Lineage o Vaivasvat @anu inds its origin at Brahma. Brahma was the irst to appear rom Lord Vishnu who is the primitive cause or the whole creation. Drom the right hand thumb o Brahma& Daksha Era9apati appeared. Daksha produced Aditi and Aditi produced Vivasvaan. @anu was the son o Vivasvaan. *kshvaaku& +rig& Brishth& 1harayaati& +arishyant& Eranshu& +aabhaag& Dishta& Karup and Erishadhra are the ten sons o @anu. Cith a desire or a son @anu organised a Yagya to please the deities @itra and Varun. But during the Yagya because o a wrong resolution o oblator& a daughter named *la was born to them. But by the grace o @itra3 Varun& she got masculine appearance and a name 1udyumna. *n later course by the wrath o Lord 1hiva& 1udyumna was converted into a woman. *n woman orm when 1udyumna was roaming near the hermitage o Buddha& the son o >handrama& her beauty in atuated Buddha. As a result o their union& a son Eururava was born. -ven a ter the birth o Eururava& 1udyumna could not give up his temptation to be a man again. (ence& learned sages organised a Yagya or 1udyumna and got him converted into a man again. *n masculine orm& 1udyumna produced three sons3 %tkal& Baya and Vinat. @anu had presented a town named Erathishtha to 1udyumna& which he later on presented to Eururava. Eururava)s progenies spread in all directions and acHuired Kshatriya caste. @anu)s son& Erishadhra became a 1hudra because o killing a cow o his teacher. @anu)s another son& Karush produced an e/ceptionally strong Kshatriya named Kaarush. Lineage o Dishta grew as ollows3 +aabhaag3 Balbandhan3 Kirtimaan3 Vatsapreeti3 Eraanshu3 Era9apati3 Khanitra3 >haakshush3 Vimbha3 Vivimbhak3 Khaninetra3 Ativibhuti3 Karandham3 Avikshit3 @arut. @arut had a son& +arishyant. Lineage o +arishyant grew as ollows3 Dama3 "a9vardhan3 1uvriddhi3 Keval3 1ughritti3 +ara3 >handra3 Keval3 Bandhumaan3 Veghvaan3 Buddha3 ,rinvindu. ,rinvindu had a daughter *lavila and a son Vishal. Vishal in later course ounded Vishaala. Lineage o Vishal grew as ollows3 (emchandra3 >handra3 Dhumraksh3 1rin9ay3 1ahadev3 Krishasva3 1omadutta3 #anme9aya3 1umati. @anu) son 1harayaati had a daughter 1ukanya who was married to sage >hyavan in peculiar circumstances. Aanart was the son o 1harayaati. Aanart had a son "aivat who ounded his capital at Kushasthali and ruled his kingdom on earth. "aivat had one hundred sons& the eldest among whom was Kakudmi. (e had a daughter "evati. "aivat took "evati with him and approached Brahma who asked about a suitable match or her. At that time& Bandharvas were singing near Brahma. "aivat listened to their songs intently and orgot about the passage o time. @any ages passed like that but "aivat elt as i only an hour had passed. Chen the Bandharvas stopped singing& "aivat once again asked Brahma about a suitable match or "evati. Brahma asked "aivat about his own choices irst. "aivat counted the names o many deserving princes and kings all o whom belonged to earth. Brahma said smiling3 P+o one even in the progeny o these people is alive on earth because here listening to the Bandharvas songs you have passed our ages. Eresently even the age o eighteenth @anu is about to end on earth and Kaliyug is about to start.P ,hese words rightened "aivat who greeted Brahma and asked3 P? Lord$ +ow tell me whom should * marry "evati toLP Brahma said3 P,hat unborn all pervasive Earmeshwar Lord Vishnu had taken an incarnation on earth. ? king$ Your capital at Kushasthali which was eHual to *ndra)s abode Amravati is now Dwarkapuri. *n that Dwarkapuri& stays Baldev who is a part o Lord Vishnu. @arry this daughter to him
because she is a 9ewel among the women olk and Baldev is praised all over the world by all. (ence only he deserves to be your son3in3law.P (earing the verdict o Brahma& Era9apati "aivat descended on the earth and saw that an ama:ing trans ormation had taken place in the appearance o people who were now smaller in stature& ugly& dull and devoid o strength. -ven his capital Kushasthali had acHuired a new appearance and was now known as Dwarkapuri. "aivat ound out Baldev and married his granddaughter "evati to him. But "evati appeared Huite large and taller in stature than Baldev because o age di erence. Baldev pressed her slightly with anterior part o his plough and she assumed a stature eHual to normal women. A ter marrying "evati to Baldev& "aivat migrated to the (imalayas to observe penance.
7.F.; Description o *kshvaku)s Lineage

*kshvaaku was born rom the nostril o @anu as a result o sudden snee:ing. *kshvaaku had hundred sons among whom Vikukshi& +imi and Danda were prominent. ?nce *kshvaaku organised a 1hraadh. Dor the purpose o eeding Brahmins& he ordered his son Vikukshi to bring resh meat o wild animals. ,aking his bow and arrows& Vikukshi set out or the orest and hunted many deer and rabbits. ,owards noon& he elt tired and hungry and hence ate one rabbit rom the stock. ,hen he reached the capital and handed over the remaining lesh to his ather. But the sage Vashishta who was conducting the 1hraadh revealed the truth to @anu. ,hus Vikukshi got the name o 1hashaad and was e/pelled by his ather. 1hashaad in later course had a son& Euran9ay. *n the past a ierce battle had taken place between the demons and the gods. ,he demons de eated the gods who approached Lord Vishnu or help. Lord Vishnu said3P* am aware o your desire. * will appear in he body o 1hashaad)s son Euran9ay to kill the demons. But it is your responsibility to convince him or the battle.P ,he gods approached Euran9ay and reHuested3P? great among the Kshatriyas$ Kindly help us to de eat our enemies.P Euran9ay said3P1hatkratu is *ndra. * * ight the battle riding his shoulder& * will be able to kill the demons.P ,he gods accepted his condition. *ndra took the guise o the bull riding which Euran9ay killed the demons because Lord Vishnu had partially arrived in his body. 1ince then Euran9ay got the name Kakutsth. (e had a son Aneyna. Lineage o Aneyna grew as ollows3 Aneyna3 Erithu3 Vishtrabhva3 >haandrayuvnashva3 1haavasta. 1haavasta ounded the town o 1haavasti (modern 1hraavasti). Lineage o 1haavasta continued as ollows3 1haavasta3 Vrihadashva3 Kuvalayaashva3 Dridaashva3 ,andraashva3 Kapilaashva. Dor a long time& Yuvanashva did not have a child. 1o& he organised a Eutreshti Yagya in the auspices o learned sages. ,he Yagya lasted or a whole day. At mid3night when the Yagya ended& sages ell asleep because o tiredness keeping the urn o Yagya water near the altar. ,he water had been empowered with sacred mantras. @eanwhile the thirsty king came there and drank that water rom the urn. Chen the sages awakened& they enHuired about the water in the urn. Yuvanashva told them that he had himsel drunk it. ,he sages told that as the water had been empowered with sacred mantras and was meant or the Hueen in order to make her conceive. (ence the king instead o the Hueen will conceive now. As a result Yuvanashva conceived and in due course gave birth to a child rom his right armpit. But the child)s birth did not kill the king. ,he baby was @andhaata. *n due course @andhaata ruled the entire earth& which was divided into seven islands. @andhaata married Bindumati& the daughter o 1hatabindu. ,hey had three sons3 Eurukutsa& Ambareesh& and @uchukunda. ,hey also had i ty daughters. Chen all the daughters grew young a sage 1aubhari arrived in the palace and reHuested @andhaata to marry one o his daughters to him. ,he sage appeared old and rail. 1o& @andhaata hesitated and tried to send him o making many e/cuses. ,he sage assured him about his physical abilities. But still the king elt hesitant and said32? sage& it is our tradition that we marry our daughter only to he whom our daughter chooses as her husband. Your reHuest is beyond our desires.P (earing @andhaata)s word sage considered or a moment and said3PAll right ? king$ Kindly instruct the eunuch who guards the Huarters o your daughters to escort me there.P Dearing a curse rom the sage& @andhaata instructed the eunuchs to escort him into the Huarters o his daughters. Chile entering the Huarters& the sage assumed the appearance o an e/tremely handsome Bandharva. 1o& when he arrived there& a row started among the girls as to who would choose him as her husband irst. -ach one o them claimed that she had irst chosen him. ,hus all the daughters o @andhaata chose sage 1aubhari as their husband.
Chen the eunuchs in ormed the king about this development& he ell in deep thoughts how it could happen. But still he was bound by his promise so he had no choice but to marry all his daughters to sage 1aubhari. @arrying all the i ty girls& sage 1aubhari brought them to his hermitage. >alling Vishwakarma& he instructed him to build separate castles or each o his wives. *n no time& Vishwakarma erected i ty beauti ul palaces in a row. -ach one o them had ample spacious and airy rooms& surrounded by beauti ul gardens. 1ince then& all the girls occupied those palaces and began to live there. -very kind o lu/ury and ood was available to them. ?ne day& drawn by the love or his daughters& King @andhaata decided to visit 1aubhari)s Ashram. But in place o Ashram& he ound a row o beauti ul palaces. ,here& he met his daughters and enHuired about their well being. ,he daughters in ormed him that they were happy to live with the sage and that their husband was capable enough to provide them with all the lu/uries. But still they remembered their native place. -ach o the girl also e/pressed one grie that her husband en9oyed intimacy with her at all times and did not share time with her other sisters. ,hese words o the girls surprised the king. %ltimately he met 1aubhari and worshipping him he said3P? lord$ *t is the result o your severe penance that you are able to keep all the i ty girls happy.P 1taying there or a ew days& the king returned. *n due course& the daughters o @andhaata gave birth to one hundred and i ty sons. ,hose sons grew up and produced their progeny. At that time sage 1aubhari thought3 '* have seen the birth o my sons. +ow they have their own sons. * * stay there& * will long to see my great3grandchildren. Desires do not end till death. AcHuiring a human body is in itsel a great sorrow. * have received enough in li e& en9oyed intimacy with i ty princesses. * * keep more desires& * will receive nothing but sorrow. (ence * should take to the penance o Lord Vishnu.) ,hinking that way& sage 1aubhari migrated to the orest along with his i ty wives. ,here they conducted Yagyas and passed their time worshipping Lord Vishnu.
7.F.7 Erogeny o @andhatr& Ascend o ,rishanku to (eaven and Birth o 1agar

?nce upon a time Bandharvas o collective name @auneya de eated the +agas and snatched all their wealth and powers. ,he +agas prayed Lord Vishnu to rescue them. Lord Vishnu told them that he would appear in @andhaata)s son Eurukutsa and kill the Bandharvas. A terwards +armada brought Eurukutsa to "asaatal where Lord Vishnu appeared in his body. ,hus having the strength o Lord Vishnu& Eurukutsa de eated and killed the Bandharvas. Eleased by the action o +armada& the +agas blessed her with a boon that whoever remembered her would have no ear o snake venom and Eurukutsa that he would have an immortal son. Eurukutsa and +armada had a son ,rasadasyu. Lineage o ,rasadasyu continued as ollows3 ,rasadasyu3 Anaranya3 Vrihadashva3 (aryashva3 (asta3 1umana3 ,ridhanva3 ,rayaruni and 1atyavrat. 1atyavrat became amous as ,rishanku in later course. By the curse o a sage& ,rishanku had become a >handaal. ?nce a drought occurred or twelve long years. During that drought& to get rid rom this condition o >handaal and eed sage Vishwamitra& ,rishanku used to tie a whole skinned deer to a Banyan tree on the bank o the river Banges. Eleased by his sel less service& sage Vishwamitra sent ,rishanku to the heaven with his ephemeral body. Lineage o ,rishanku grew as ollows3 ,rishanku3 (arishchandra3 "ohitashva3 (arit3 >hanchu3 Vi9ay and Vasudev. Vi9ay had a son "uruk. "uruk)s son was Vrik who had a son Baahu. Baahu had two Hueens. A ter a long time o their marriage& Baahu)s Hueen consort conceived a son. But the circumstances took a strange turn. Baahu)s enemies together attacked his kingdom and de eated him. ,he de eated king migrated to the orest along with his Hueens and began to live at the hermitage o sage Aurv. Very soon& King Baahu died o old age. (is Hueen consort also wanted to commit 1ati but sage Aurv prevented her rom doing so. A ter sometime getting envious o her ortune& the other Hueen deceit ully ed her with poison. But the poison could not harm the oetus& which stayed unborn or a period o seven years because o poison)s e ect. 1taying at the hermitage o sage Aurv& the Hueen consort gave birth to a son. 1ince the child was born with the e ect o the poison& 1age Aurv named him as 1agar. 1agar began to grow in he hermitage in natural surrounding. ?ne day he asked his mother about his ather. ,he Hueen narrated the whole incident to him. 1agar then and there took an oath to e/terminate the Kshatriyas who had been the cause o his ather)s death. Acting as per his oath& 1agar destroyed (aihaya Kshatriyas whereas 1hak Kshatriyas got their heads shaven out o ear. 1ince those Kshatriyas had given up their religion& hence Brahmins boycotted them. As a result they became @alechchha. ,herea ter King 1agar returned to his capital and ruled the earth.
7.F.F Description o 1uryavansh

King 1agar had two Hueens& 1umati& the daughter o Kashyap and Keshini& the daughter o Vidarbha)s king. Keshini had a son Asman9as whereas 1umati had si/ty thousand sons. Anshuman was the son o Asman9as.
Asman9as was very whimsical since his childhood. -ven in his youth& he did not change his behaviour. (ence King 1agar had abandoned Asman9as. But the things did not improve or 1agar because even his si/ty thousand sons ollowed the ootsteps o Asman9as. ,he gods one3day approached sage Kapil who was a partial incarnation o Lord Vishnu. Breeting him& they said3 2* the si/ty thousand sons o 1agar continued on their whimsical way& the earth would not remain suitable or living.4 1age Kapil assured the gods that the si/ty thousand sons o 1agar would meet their ate very soon. By the instigation o sage Kapil& King 1agar organised an Ashwamedha Yagya. ,he si/ty thousand princes also ollowed the horse guarding it. But somehow *ndra managed to kidnap the horse and tethered it at the hermitage o sage Kapil. ,he si/ty thousand princes searched or the horse and ollowing the ootprints& they also reached the hermitage. ,here they ound the horse and also a sage in deep meditation. ,hinking that the sage might have been responsible or abduction o the horse they began to abuse him. As soon as sage Kapil disturbed by the abuses opened his eyes& a lame appeared and incinerated all the si/ty thousand princes. Chen King 1agar came to know about this incident& he sent Anshuman to bring back that horse. Anshuman also reached the hermitage and greeted sage Kapil with respect. Eleased by his politeness& sage Kapil blessed Anshuman and instructed him to take the horse away with him. (e also asked him to seek a boon. As the boon& Anshuman only sought the salvation or his si/ty thousand dead uncles. 1age Kapil assured Anshuman that his ancestors would certainly attain to the heaven but only a ter a long wait and that his grandson Bhagirath would bring the Banges onto the earth and that the Banges) waters would wash the ashes o his ancestors to the ocean and cause their salvation. ,hus blessed by the sae Kapil& Anshuman returned to the capital with the horse in order to help his grand ather inish the Yagya. Anshuman had a son Dileep. Dileep)s son was Bhagirath who observed severe penance and pleased Banga to descend on the earth. 1ince the Banges had descended on earth because o Bhagirath)s penance& she also got a name Bhagirathi. ,he lineage o Bhagirath grew as ollows3 Bhagirath3 1uhotra3 1hruti3 +aabhaag3 Ambareesh3 1indhudweep3 Ayutayu3 "ituparn3 1arvakaam3 1udas and 1audas. ?ne day& King 1audas went hunting in the orests. ,here he spotted a pair o the tigers. ,hey were actually a tiger and a tigress in mating. 1audas killed one o them by his arrow& while the other turned into a demon and threatening o an avenge disappeared rom the scene. *n due course& King 1audas organised a Yagya in the auspices o sage Vashishta. ,owards the end o Yagya& sage Vashishta went away to take bath. @eanwhile the same demon arrived there in the guise o Vashishta and e/pressed his desire to eat non3vegetarian ood. ,hen the demon arrived be ore the king in the guise o the cook. ,he king ordered him to cook meat or the sage. ,he cook cooked human lesh and served it be ore the sage. 1age Vashishta knew that the ood contained human lesh. (e cursed the king in anger to be a demon. Cithin three days& King 1audas became a demon and began to roam in the orests. 1ince then he ate the humans only. ?ne day& 1audas in demon orm saw @uni who was in the process o mating his wi e. ,he demon caught and ate the @uni neglecting all the cries and wailing o his wi e. ,he Brahmani angrily cursed the demon that as her husband had been killed while he was about to sate his carnal lust similarly he would also die right in the same process. King 1audas remained in the demon)s orm or twelve more years. A ter that he recovered rom the curse and began to rule like a pious king. ?ne day& King 1audas saw the Hueen in an amorous condition and an impulse o carnal pleasure ran within his body. (e made advances to satis y his lust but the Hueen who knew everything about the curse stopped him reminding him o the curse. 1ince then the king stuck to celibacy. 1ince the king had no son& he allowed his Hueen @adayanti to conceive a child with the help o sage Vashishta. ,he Hueen did conceive but the oetus remained unborn or seven years at length. At last the irritated Hueen hit her oetus with a stone. ,his resulted in the birth o child at once. ,he child was named Ashmak. ,he lineage o Ashmak grew as ollows5 Ashmak3 @oolak3 Dasharath3 *livil3 Vishvasah and Khatwang. Khatwang had killed many ormidable demons ighting by the side o the gods. Eleased by his gallantry& the gods wanted to grant him a boon. Khatwang wanted to know how long would live more. ,he gods told him that he would live or one @uhurta more. (earing this& Khatwang came back on earth and prayed Lord Vishnu to take him in (is re uge. At last he did annihilated with Lord Vishnu. Lineage o Khatwang grew as ollows3Khatwang3 Deerghbahu3 "aghu3 A9a and Dasharath. King Dasharath had three Hueens who gave birth to our sons3"ama& Lakshmana& Bharat and 1hatrughana.
"ama was an incarnation o Lord Vishnu. (is li e too had lot o ups and downs. A ter being trained in archery& (e and Lakshmana spent most o their boyhood time in the hermitage o sage Vishwamitra guarding his Yagyas rom the demons. A ter that when Vishwamitra was taking them to @ithila Lord "ama salved Ahilya who had been converted into a stone by the curse o her husband sage Bautam. *n @ithila& Lord "ama broke the bow o Lord 1hiva and won 1ita as (is wi e. Chen they returned to Ayodhya& King Dasharath decided to crown "ama as the new king. But misguided by @anthara& Hueen Kaikeyee stubbornly sought that her son Bharat should be crowned as the new king whereas "ama should be sent on an e/ile or ourteen years. Bounded by his promises that he had made to Kaikeyee earlier& King Dasharath had no choice but to accept her demands. ,hus to keep (is ather)s words& Lord "ama accepted the e/ile. 1ita and Lakshmana also ollowed (is steps. *n the orests& the demon king "avan deceit ully abducted 1ita. *t was ollowed by meeting o "ama with (anumana and 1ugreev& killing o Baali3 1ugreev)s brother& inding o 1ita by (anumana in Lanka& bridging o the sea that separated Lanka& ierce battle with the demons and ultimately killing o "avan by Lord "ama. A ter the completion o e/ile period Lord "ama returned to Ayodhya and ruled there or twelve years. Lord "ama had two sons3 Lava and Kusha. Lineage o Kusha grew as ollows3 Kusha3 Atithi3 +ishadh3 Anal3 +abh3 Eundareek3 Kshemdhanwa3 Devaneek3 Ahinaka3 "uru3 Eariyatrak3 Deval3 Vanchal3 %lka3 Va9ranabha3 1hankhan3 Yushhitashva3 Vishvasaha3 (iranyanaam3 Eushya3 Dhruvsandhi3 1udarshan3 Agnivarn3 1highrag3 @aru3 Erasushrut3 1usandhi3 Amarsh3 1ahaswan and Vishvabhav. Vishvabhav had a son Brihdal who was killed by Abhimanyu in the battle o @ahabharat.
7.F.8 ,ale o +imi and Description o his Lineage

*kshvaku)s son +imi once decided to organise a Yagya that was to last or one thousand years. (e also wanted the sage Vashishta to guide the Yagya. But *ndra had already booked Vashishta or a period o ive hundred years. 1o sage Vashishta e/pressed his inability to conduct any other Yagya till the completion o that period and reHuested the king to wait till he was ree rom *ndra)s obligations. +imi kept Huite at that time. ,aking his silence as an approval& the sage began the Yagya or *ndra. But the king meanwhile started Yagya in the auspices o other sages like Bautam etc. At the completion o Yagya or *ndra& sage Vashishta hurried back to the earth to conduct Yagya or King +imi. But here he ound that a Yagya was already in progression. ,his in uriated the sage to the e/tent that he poured down curse on +imi& who was sleeping at that time& to lose his body at once. Chen the king learned about the curse and that he was cursed in sleep& he cursed the sage in retaliation to lose his body at once be ore giving up his own body. By the curse o +imi& Vashishta)s body was destroyed but he himsel entered the semen o @itravarun. ,herea ter& one day @itravarun happened to sea the el %rvashi. (er amorous beauty caused the e9aculation o his semen spontaneously. Cith e9aculated semen& sage Vashishta also came out and acHuired a new body. ?n the other hand& at end o Yagya when the gods appeared to accept their due share rom the o erings& the sages prayed them to grant +imi some boon. +imi however sought nothing in boon but e/pressed his desire to stay in eyes o the people orever. ,he gods granted that desire. Be ore that nobody had ever blinked his eyes. Blinking o eyes came into practice because +imi stays there. *n order to save the kingdom rom anarchy& the sages churned the dead body o +imi with a stick o Bomba/ tree and produced a son. ,hat son came to known as #anak. 1ince he was born rom the dead body o his ather& the boy also came to be known as Vaideha. Lineage o #anak continued as ollows5 #anak3 %davasu3 +andivardhan3 1uketu3 Devrat3 Brihadukth3 @ahaveerya3 1udhriti3 Dhrishtketu3 (aryashva3 @anu3 Erateet3 Kritrath3 Devbheed3 Vibudh3 @ahadhriti3 Kritra93 @aharoma3 1uvarnaroma3 (rasyaroma and 1eerdhva9. Cith a desire o a son& 1eerdhva9 was once ploughing the earth when he stumbled upon a pitcher. *n the pitcher& he ound a beauti ul baby whom he named as 1ita.
7.F.I Description o 1omavansh and the ,ale o Eururava

,he creator o the world& Brahma had a son named Atri. >handrama was the son o Atri. ?nce >handrama organised a "a9suya Yagya and received great powers. A terwards blinded by his powers& >handrama kidnapped ,ara& the wi e o Brihaspati. -ven his grand ather Brahma tried to dissuade him rom committing such a grave crime but >handrama was not to listen to anybody. Because his hostility with Brihaspati& the teacher o the demons 1hukra was also assisting >handrama. At that moment o need& only "udra came orward to help Brihaspati. A ierce battle ollowed between >handrama and "udra. ,he gods were helping Brihaspati while because o 1hukra& the demons ought rom the side o >handrama. 1oon the battle assumed the proportion o a war that perple/ed the entire world. At last& Lord Vishnu mediated to end the battle and helped Brihaspati to get his wi e back. By that time ,ara had conceived a child. 1eeing her condition Brihaspati instigated ,ara to abort the
baby. ,ara aborted the baby amidst some shrubs but it did not die. *nstead& his brilliance dulled even the radiance o the gods. ,he baby was so beauti ul that both Brihaspati and >handrama were eager to accept him. ,o settle the matter& Brahma asked ,ara about the paternity o the child. Deeling shy& ,ara revealed that >handrama was the ather o the child. ,hen Brahma himsel adopted the child and named him as Buddha. Chen he grew young& Buddha produced Eururava rom *lla. Eururava was very magnanimous and handsome. ?nce an el %rvashi happened to see him and at once ell in love. 1he then approached Eururava. (er beauty enchanted Eururava also. (e reHuested the el to stay with him. But %rvashi stipulated that she might stay with him i he agreed to ollow her two conditions that he would never drive the two sheep& which were like her children away rom her bed and that he would never undress be ore her in visible light. Eururava accepted both the conditions. 1ince then Eururava began to live with %rvashi. ,ogether they en9oyed their physical intimacy or si/ty thousand years. ,heir love grew so much that even %rvashi orgot those heavenly com orts that she used to en9oy once. But because o her absence& even the heaven appeared more dreaded than hell. At last& one Vishvavasu who knew about the conditions stole one sheep rom their bedroom and lew away. (earing the cries o the sheep& %rvashi got up in an/iety and shouted who was stealing her son. But Eururava pretended as i asleep or the ear o being seen naked. As the uss grew urther& he could no more contain himsel and ran a ter the thie . "ight at that moment& the Bandharvas produced intense lightning illuminating the whole scene. As a result& %rvashi saw Eururava in a naked state and at once le t his palace to her heavenly abode or now both o her conditions had been violated. Eururava could not tolerate the separation o %rvashi. (e began to roam here and there in that bare condition like a mad. ,hus roaming he reached at Kamal 1arovar in Kurukshetra where he saw %rvashi with our other elves. 1eeing %rvashi Eururava began to behave madly. *t was impossible or him to control his sensual desires even in the presence o other elves. But %rvashi stopped him saying that she was e/pecting an issue and a ter a year& she will give birth to his child. 1he also promised at that time she will stay with him or a night. A ter a year King Eururava once again reached that place where %rvashi handed over his son Aayu. As per her promise she also stayed with Eururava or a night and conseHuently in later course gave birth to ive more sons. %rvashi in ormed Eururava that because o their love Bandharvas wished to bless him with a boon. Eururava sought a li e3long union with %rvashi. Bandharvas presented him with an altar and instructed to conduct regular Yagyas properly. ,hen all o his desires would come true& the Bandharvas assured Eururava. But King Eururava le t that altar in the orest and returned to his capital. At mid3night& he awakened suddenly as i rom a trance and hurried to the orest to recover his altar. But the altar was no more thereK it had trans ormed into a peepal tree. Eururava got that tree elled and brought it to his capital where the carpenters made Arani (a wooden implement used in ancient *ndia to produce ire) rom its wood. 1ince then Eururava conducted regular Yagyas with the help o that Arani and attained to the Bandharvaloka where he was never separated rom %rvashi again.
7.F.< Birth o #amadagni and Vishwamitra

Eururava had si/ sons3 Aayu& Amavasu& Vishwavasu& 1hrutaayu& 1hataayu and Ayutayu. Amavasu had a son Bheema and Bheema in turn had a son Kanchan. #ahnu was the son o Kanchan)s son& 1uhotra. At the time o Banga)s descend on earth& when #ahnu saw his hermitage inundated& he drank all her water. (e released the Banges only when the Devrishis prayed him. 1ince then Banges also came to be known as #ahnavi& the daughter o #ahnu. Lineage o #ahnu grew as ollows3 #ahnu3 1umant3 A9ak3 Balaakashva and Kusha. Kusha had our sons3 Kushaamb& Kushnaam3 Adhurtra9a and Vasu. Kushaamb observed severe penance with a desire to have a son like *ndra. Eleased by his penance& *ndra himsel took birth as his son. (e came to be known as Kaushik. Kaushik had a daughter named 1atyavati who got married to "icheek. 1age "icheek prepared kheer in two parts3 one or his wi e 1atyavati and another or 1atyavati)s mother. *nstructing 1atyavati& he went to the orest. Chen 1atyavati and her mother were about to eat the kheer& her mother e/changed her part o kheer with that o her daughter saying that her son had to oster the world while the son o the sage had nothing to do with wealth and all that. 1atyavati agreed to that and ate that part o kheer& which was reserved or her mother whereas her mother ate 1atyavati)s part. Chen "icheek returned rom the orest& he noticed ormidable changes in the body o his wi e. (e understood that she had eaten her mother)s part o the kheer. Angrily the sage predicted that she would have a son who would be Kshatriya3like in virtues whereas her mother would have Brahmin3like son.
1atyavati begged pardon and reHuested the sage to change his prediction saying that the crime was committed by mistake and that she would be happy to have a Kshatriya3like grandson but not a son. At her reHuest the sage changed his prediction. As per the prediction& 1atyavati gave birth to #amadagni whereas her mother gave birth to Vishwamitra. A ter giving birth to #amadagni turned into a river named Kaushiki. *n later course& as a partial incarnation o Lord Vishnu& Earashuram took birth as the son o sage #amadagni.
7.F.J Description o Kashyavansh

Eururava)s son Aayu had been married to "ahu)s daughter. ,hey had ive sons3 +ahush& Kshatravriddh& "ambh& Vra9i and Aneyna. 1uhotra was the son o Kshatravriddh. (e had three sons3 Kaashya& Kaash and Britsamad. 1haunak was the son o Britsamad whereas Kaasheya was the son o Kaashya. Lineage o Kaasheya grew as3 Kaasheya3 "aashtra3 Dirdhakapa and Dhanvantari. Dhanvantari)s body was ree rom all the physical aults like ageing and diseases. Dhanvantari)s lineage grew as3 Dhanvantari3 Ketumaan3 Bheemrath3 Dibodas and Eratardan. Eratardan was also known as 1hatru9it because o his conHuering his enemies. 1ince he had acHuired a horse named Kulavay hence he also came to be known as Kulvayaashva. Eratardan had a son named Alarka who en9oyed his rule on earth or si/ty3si/ thousand years. Lineage o Alarka continued as ollows3 1annati3 1unith3 1uketu3 Dharmaketu3 1atyaketu3 Vibhu3 1uvibhu3 1ukumar3 Dhristhaketu3 Vitihotra3 Bhaarga and Bhaargbhumi. *t was progeny o Bhaargbhumi who gave rise to our classes o people.
7.F.G Description o King "a9i and his 1ons

King "a9i had ive hundred prowessive sons. ?nce at the beginning o battle between the demons and the gods& they appeared be ore Brahma and enHuired as to which part would win. Brahma said that only that part would win which would be aided by King "a9i. Dirst the demons approached "a9i and reHuested him to ight rom their side. King "a9i stipulated that he would ight only when the demons agreed to appoint him as their *ndra. ,he demons told him that Erahlad was their *ndra and returned. ,hen the gods also approached King "a9i and reHuested him to take their side. "a9i put the same condition be ore them also to which the gods agreed. *n a ierce battle and aided by King "a9i& the gods de eated the demons. A ter their victory& *ndra bowed be ore King "a9i and e/pressed his desire to present him with the kingdom o heaven. ,hus King "a9i became *ndra. A ter the demise o "a9i& +arad instigated his sons to acHuire the rule o heaven. All the ive hundred sons o "a9i approached *ndra and reHuested him to give them the rule o heaven but *ndra re used plainly. At that "a9i)s sons dethroned *ndra orcibly and themselves became *ndra. A ter much time had passed& *ndra approached Brihaspati and prayed him to help him regain the rule o heaven. Brihaspati assured him that he would soon establish him at the throne. A terwards Brihaspati created illusions in the minds o "a9i)s sons. (e also conducted many Yagyas to increase the radiance o *ndra. Buided by the illusions& "a9i)s sons began to behave in anti3religious ways. ,hen *ndra easily killed them all and regained his designation.
7.F.6M ,ale o Yayati

+ahush had si/ sons3 Yati& Yayati& 1anyati& Aayati& Viyati and Kriti. Yayati had two wives& Devyani& the daughter o 1hukracharya and 1harmishtha& the daughter o Vrishparva. Devyani gave birth to Yadu and ,urvasu whereas 1harmishtha gave birth to Druhayu& Anu and Euru. Because o a curse o 1hukracharya old age had descended on Yayati prematurely. Yayati then reHuested his eldest son Yadu to e/change his youth with his old age but Yadu re used. ,hen Yayati reHuested each o his sons one by one but all o them re used plainly or the ear o getting old prematurely. At last Yayati)s youngest son Euru gladly accepted his reHuest and gave him his youth. "egaining the youth& Yayati once again indulged in carnal pleasures with both his Hueens. But everyday his desire or pleasures increased like a ire lared up by ghee. A ter one thousand years Yayati realised his mistake and decided to e/piate or his sin. ,hus& Yayati returned Euru his youth and acHuired his old age once again. ,hen crowning Euru as the king& he took an e/ile to the orest.
7.F.66 Description o Yaduvansh and the ,ale o 1ahastrAr9una

Yayati)s eldest son Yadu had our sons3 1ahastra9it& Kroshtu& +ala and +ahush. 1ahastra9it had a son 1hata9it who had three sons (aihaya& (ehaya and Venuhaya. Lineage o (aihaya grew as3 Dharma3 Dharmanetra3 Kunti3 1aha9it3 @ahishmaan3 Bhadrashrenya3 Durdabh and Dhanak. Dhanak had our sons3 Kritveerya& Kritaagni& Kritdharma and Kritau9a. Kritveerya had a prowessive son Ar9un. Ar9un had worshipped Dattatreya and by his blessings acHuired one thousand arms. 1ince then he came to be known as 1ahastrar9un. Dattatreya had blessed him with many other boons like rule o entire earth& ostering o his sub9ects in religious ways and killing by some human being amous in all the three worlds. At that time& there was no other king eHual to 1ahastrar9un in virtues. (e ruled the entire earth or eighty3 ive thousand years. ?nce 1ahastrar9un was en9oying his past time on the waters o +armada when he happened to have an encounter with "avan& the king o Lanka. 1ahastrar9un captured "avan easily and imprisoned him at an isolated place in his kingdom. Cith time ego o 1ahastrar9un had crossed all limits. (e began to terrorise the sages and other religious people. Chen his atrocities increased beyond tolerance level& Lord Vishnu took a partial incarnation as Earashuram& the son o sage #amadagni and "enuka. As per the prediction o sage "icheek& Earashuram grew with Kshatriya 3 like virtues. (e had in act taken incarnation to relieve the earth rom the atrocities o egoist kings. Earashuram had received arms training rom none other than Lord 1hiva. (e was very obedient to his ather and had beheaded his own mother by the Earashu (a/e) that he had received rom Lord 1hiva at the dictate o his ather. *n due course Earashuram not only got "avan released rom captivity but also killed 1ahastrar9un. 1ahastrar9un had one hundred sons among whom 1hur& 1hursena& Vrishasena& @adhu and #ayadhwa9 were prominent. #ayadhwa9 had a son ,aal9unga. ,aal9unga had one hundred sons among whom Vitihotra and Bharat were prominent. Bharat again had one hundred sons whereas @adhu also had hundred sons among whom Vrishni was prominent. A ter the name o their ore ather Yadu& this clan came to be known as Yaduvansha.
7.F.6; Description o Kroshtuvansh

Lineage o Kroshtu grew as ollows3 Kroshtu3 Dhwa9nivan3 1wati3 "ushanku3 >hitrarath3 "ashibindu. "ashibindu had one lakh Hueens and ten lakh sons among whom Erithusharva& Erithukarma& Erithukirti& Erithuyasha& Erithu9ay and Erithushan were prominent. *n their lineage later on occurred a king named #yamadh. (e was so dedicated to his wi e 1haivya that despite being childless& he did not dare to marry other women because o her ear. ?nce& #yamadh took part in a ierce battle in which he de eated all his enemies. Chile he was about to return& he heard pitiable cries o a woman. (e saw a beauti ul young lady who was crying or her protection. #yamadh was so in atuated by her beauty that he took her to his kingdom. Chen they reached at the gate o the palace& the king saw that the Hueen 1haivya was waiting or him along with a big crowd. Chen 1haivya saw a beauti ul young lady sitting beside the king on the chariot& she began to shout at him. ,he horri ied king tried to e/plain that the young lady was his daughter3in3law. ,he Hueen shouted even louder that when they did not have a son& whence the daughter3in3law came. But the king e/plained that he had selected a wi e or her would3be son. As the e ect o their conversation Hueen 1haivya soon conceived and gave birth to a son inspite o her advancing age. ,hey named the son as Vidarbh. *n due course o time& Vidarbh got married to that lady whom his ather had brought home earlier. ,hey had three sons3 Krath& Kaushik and "omapad. "omapad had received preaching rom +arad. Lineage o Krath grew as ollows3 Krath3 Kunti3 Bhrishti3 +ighriti3 Dashaard3 Vyoma3 #imoot3 Vikriti3 Bheemrath3 +avrath3 Dasharath3 1hakuni3 Karambhi3 Devraat3 Devakshatra3 @adhu3 Kumarvansh3 Anu3 Kurumitra3 Anshu3 1atvak. 1atvak was the ore ather o a clan that was named a ter him.
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0hapter / (Part /%
7.8.6 Euruvansh
,he lineage o Euru grew as Euru3 #anme9aya3 Erachinvaan3 Eraveer3 @anasyu3 Abhayad3 1udayu3 Bahugat3 1anyati3 Ahamyaati3 "audraashva. "audraashva had ten sons among whom "iteshu was the most prominent. "iteshu had three sons among whom Apratirath was most prominent. Lineage o Apratirath is as ollows3
Apratirath3 Aileen3 Dushyant and Bharat. King Dushyant had allen in love with 1hakuntala& the daughter o sage Vishwamitra and el @enaka. ,hey got married secretly in the orest and a ter a ew days& King Dushyant returned to his kingdom promising 1hakuntala that he would call her as soon as he reached his palace. (e had given 1hakuntala his ring as a memento. But while 1hakuntala was crossing the river on her way to the palace& the ring slipped rom her inger and was swallowed by a ish. *n the absence o the ring& King Dushyant re used to identi y 1hakuntala. 1o& she returned to the hermitage o sage Vishwamitra and gave birth to a child who later on became amous as Bharat. Bharat had been very prowessive since his childhood. (is irst meeting with King Dushyant was also very dramatical. *t is said that once King Dushyant was hunting in the orest and he saw a boy who was counting the teeth o a lion. *mpressed by the bravery o the boy& the king enHuired about his parentage and reached the hermitage where sage Vishwamitra narrated him the whole story. @eanwhile a isherman had also recovered the ring rom the ish and handed it to the king who had thus recalled the whole story. *n the hermitage& King Dushyant came to see 1hakuntala and he candidly accepted her and his son Bharat. Bharat had three Hueens and nine children. 1ince none o the children resembled him in eatures& he e/pressed his doubts about their paternity. Dearing the wrath o Bharat& his Hueens killed all the children. ,hen with a desire to have a son& Bharat organised a @arutsoma Yagya. As a result he got Bharadwa9 as his son. Bharadwa9)s second name was Vitath. (is lineage grew as ollows3 Vitath3 @anyu. @anyu had many sons like Brihatkshatra& @ahaveer& +ara& Barg etc. ,heir lineage grew as ollows +ara3 1anskriti3 Burupreeti and "antidev. Barg had a son 1hini who became amous as Baargya and 1hainya also. @ahaveer lineage is as ollows3 Durukshay3 ,rayyaruni3 Eushkarinya and Kapi. *n the lineage o Brihatkshatra occurred a king (asti who ounded the city o (astinapur. (asti had three sons3 A9mirh3 Dwi9mirh and Eurumirh. Among the sons o A9mirh were included Eanchals and a daughter Ahilya. Ahilya was married to sage Bautam. ,hey had a son 1hatanand. 1atyaghriti was the son o 1hatanand. ?nce 1atyaghriti happened to sight the e/tremely amorous and beauti ul el %rvashi. (er mere sight was enough to cause the e9aculation o his semen& which ell on a reed and divided into two parts. Drom these two parts were born a boy Krip and a girl Kripi. King 1hantanu discovered Krip and Kripi in the orest and brought them to his palace. *n later course& Kripi was married to Dronacharya& the teacher o Kauravas and Eandavas. Ashwatthama was the son o Dronacharya. ?ne o the king named Kuru in the lineage o A9mirh established the sacred region o Kurukshetra.
7.8.; Description o Kuruvansh

*n the lineage o Kuru& there occurred a King Erateep. (e had three sons3 Devapi& 1hantanu and Vaahlik. Devapi had taken an abode in the orest in his childhood. (ence 1hantanu came to become a king a ter their ather Erateep. ?nce in the kingdom o King 1hantanu& there was no rain all or twelve years at length. Eerple/ed by the continuous drought3like situation& 1hantanu consulted learned Brahmins. Brahmins in ormed him that he had no genuine right on the kingdom& which in act belonged to his brother Devapi. ,hey also told him that as long as Devapi was not allen rom his supreme position& the drought would continue. Alternatively& handing over the kingdom to Devapi might also result in the end o the drought. ,hen 1hantanu)s minister Ashmasari appointed certain Brahmins who always spoke in anti3Vedas ways. ,heir continuous preaching disinclined Devapi)s mind rom Vedas. ?n the other hand one day& King 1hantanu proceeded towards the orest along with Brahmins and his courtiers to hand over the kingdom to Devapi. ,here the Brahmins tried to convince Devapi to accept the onus o the kingdom. ,hey were sighting anecdotes rom the Vedas to corroborate their argument. But Devapi criticised Vedas and spoke in anti3religious ways. At that Brahmins instructed the king to return to the kingdom& as there was no use to convince Devapi. ,hey also assured 1hantanu that since Devapi had been disinclined rom Vedas& he had lost his right to the kingdom and the amine would also come to an end. 1hantanu)s younger brother Vaahlik had a son 1omadutta. Bhuri& Bhurishrava and 1halya were the sons o 1omadutta. *n later course 1hantanu got married to Banga and had a son Bheeshma. Drom his second wi e 1atyavati& 1hantanu had two sons3 >hitrangad and Vichitraveerya. >hitrangad was killed by a Bandharva whereas younger Vichitraveerya was married to the princesses o Kashi& Ambika and Ambalika. (e was so busy in carnal pleasures with his two wives that soon he contracted tuberculosis and died because o it. Despite their indulgence in carnal pleasures& Ambika and Ambalika could not bear a child rom Vichitraveerya. (ence in order to continue their lineage& 1atyavati inspired Ambika and Ambalika to appear naked be ore Vedavyasa and beget
a child. 1ince Ambika closed her eyes while she appeared naked be ore Vedavyasa& she begot a blind son& Dhritarashtra. 1imilarly& Ambalika grew pale when she appeared naked be ore Vedavyasa. (ence she begot a son Eandu who was congenitally a licted with 9aundice. +ot satis ied by the outcome& 1atyavati once again persuaded Ambika and Ambalika to appear naked be ore Vedavyasa. But the Hueens sent a maidservant Vinita be ore Vedavyasa. Vinita appeared naked be ore Vedavyasa without any ear or shyness. (ence she begot an e/tremely wise son Vidur. *n later course Dhritarashtra got married to Bandhaari& the princess o Kandahar whereas Eandu received two wives Kunti& the daughter o 1hoorsen and @adri& the princess o @adra. Dhritarashtra had one hundred sons and a daughter Dushala. Duryodhan was the eldest among the one hundred sons o Dhritarashtra. Eandu on the other hand had ive sons among whom Yudhishthir was the eldest. All the ive sons o Eandu were born with the help o ive gods3 Dharma& Vaayu& *ndra and Ashwini kumars because Eandu was carrying a curse that he would die i he ever tried to copulate. Eandu)s ive sons3 Yudhishthir& Bheema& Ar9un& +akul and 1ahadev came to be known as Eandavas. Dive Eandavas were married to Draupadi& the daughter o Eanchal King Drupad. Drom Draupadi each o the Eandavas had a son. ,heir names were Erativindya rom Yudhishthir& 1hrutsen rom Bheema& 1hrutkirti rom Ar9un& 1hrutaneek rom +akul and 1hrutkarma rom 1ahadev. Besides them Yudhishthir had a son Devak rom Yaudheyi. Drom (idimba& Bheema had a son Bhatotkachch and rom Kashi a son 1arvak. Drom Vi9aya& 1ahadev had a son 1uhotra whereas rom "enumati& +akul had a son +irmitra. Ar9un was the most prowessive among the Eandavas. Apart rom Draupadi he had three more wives3 %lupi who belonged to the +agas& >hitrangada& the princess o @anipur and 1ubhadra& the sister o Lord Krishna. Drom these three wives Ar9un had three sons3*ravaan rom %lupi& Vabhruvaahan rom >hitrangada and Abhimanyu rom 1ubhadra. *n the battle o @ahabharat all these sons o the Eandavas ought valiantly and sacri iced their lives. *t was Abhimanyu)s son Earikshit who continued the lineage o Eandavas and ruled the earth till right now.
7.8.7 *ncarnation o Lord Krshna

Vasudev& the son o 1hoorsen was married to Devaki& the daughter o Devak. ?n that occasion o their marriage& Devaki)s cousin Kansa was driving their chariot. At that time& a celestial voice declared that the eighth son o Devaki would kill Kansa. Kansa in the e/citement was ready to kill Devaki ten and there but Vasudev convinced him saying that he would himsel hand over all his children to him. ,hus assured by Vasudev& Kansa dropped the idea o killing Devaki. Chen the marriage o Vasudev and Devaki was taking place& Erithvi approached Brahma in the guise o a cow. 1he complained to Brahma that population o mean3minded people was increasing and that she was not more able to bear the burden o their anti3religious deeds. Erithvi said3 P? Lord$ ,he same demon Kaalnemi whom Lord Vishnu had killed in his previous birth has taken incarnation o Kansa& the son o %grasena. @any other earsome demons Arishth& Dhenuk& Keshi& Eralamb& 1unda& Banasura and many more have taken over the rule and tormenting the religious people in many ways. ,hey keep million strong orces. * am unable to bear their burden. 1o kindly do something to get me rid o this burden.P (earing the words o Erithvi& Brahma said to the gods3 PErithvi speaks the truth. *ndeed she is carrying too much burden. Let us all go to the shore o Ksheersagar and pray Lord Vishnu and intimate (im about all this matter.P ,hen accompanied by the gods& Brahma arrived at the coast o Ksheersagar and prayed Lord Vishnu. Eleased by their prayer& Lord Vishnu appeared be ore them in (is universal orm and said3 PBrahma9i$ Believe my words and be assured that whatever you and these gods desire shall realise.P ,hus assured by the Lord all the gods and Brahma prayed once again. Eleased by their prayer& Lord Vishnu plucked a black and a white hair rom his head and said3PBoth these hair o mine shall take incarnation on earth and remove the miseries that the people ace there. All o you take partial incarnation on earth to attenuate the strength o the demons. ,his black hair o mine shall take birth as the eighth son o Devaki and kill Kansa who is an re3incarnation o Kaalnemi.P Chile this conversation was on& Devarshi +arad appeared be ore Kansa and in ormed him that Lord Vishnu would take birth as the eighth son o Devaki. (earing the words o +arad& Kansa angrily put Vasudev and Devaki behind the bars. ,here in his abode& Lord Vishnu instructed @ahamaaya (personi ied illusion) to implant the si/ oetuses who were in Eataal in the womb o Devaki& one by one. (e knew that all o them would be killed by Kansa. ,hen he instructing @ahamaaya to implant his part 1hesha who would appear as the seventh issue o Devaki& in the womb o "ohini& the second wi e o Vasudev so that he could appear as her son instead o Devaki)s. Lord instructed @ahamaaya to appear in the womb o Yashoda in Bokul while (e (imsel would appear as the eighth issue o Devaki. (e also told @ahamaaya that (e would take birth on the eighth day o the darker phase in the month o Bhaadrapad while she would take birth on the ninth day and that immediately a ter (is
birth& Vasudev would himsel carry (im to Bokul and leaving me beside Yashoda& he would carry her back to @athura.
7.8.F Appearance o Lord in Devaki)s Comb

As per the dictate o Lord Vishnu& Yogamaaya implanted si/ oetuses in the womb o Devaki. All the si/ children were killed by Kansa immediately a ter their birth. Yogamaaya transplanted the seventh issue o Devaki into the womb o "ohini who was residing at that time in Bokul. ,hen Lord (imsel appeared as the eighth issue o Devaki. 1ince the time o (is arrival& radiance o Devaki increased mani old. At the same time& Yogamaaya also appeared as an issue o Yashoda in Bokul. 1eeing the arrival o Lord (imsel as the eighth issue o Devaki& the gods prayed (im with devotion. ,hen on the eighth day in the darker phase o Bhaadrapad& Lord took birth. At the time o (is birth& the wind suspended its motion. ,he reverse attained e/tremely puri ied state whereas dense clouds gathered in the sky and caused dri::ling. 1eeing the child born with auspicious 1wastik mark on his chest& Vasudev recognised (im and prayed (im. At the same time& he and Devaki also eared that Kansa would kill their eighth son also. 1o& they prayed the Lord to hide (is divine appearance. Lord assured them that their ordeals would end soon. ,hen Vasudev put the child in a winnower and started his 9ourney on oot to Bokul carrying the winnower on his head. Because o the in luence o Yogamaaya& all the guards ell asleep while the gates o the prison opened automatically. *t was raining heavily at that time. 1o when Vasudev reached in the open& 1heshnag spread its hood over him to shade the Lord rom rain. *n Bokul& +and)s wi e Yashoda too gave birth to a girl child but because o Yogamaaya)s in luence she did not know anything about the birth. Vasudev arrived there and putting Lord beside the sleeping Yashoda& he took her baby and returned to his prison in @athura. As soon as the baby reached in the prison& she began to cry loudly. (er cries awakened the guards who ran to in orm Kansa about the child)s birth. Kansa at once arrived there and snatching the baby rom Devaki)s lap& he dashed her on the wall. But be ore he could throw the baby& she slipped rom his grip and taking eight armed #agdamba)s appearance& established in the air. Laughing loudly then& mother #agdamba said3 P? Kansa$ You cannot kill me. Your killer has taken birth. Lord (ari had been your death in your previous births. *n this birth also (e will kill you. 1o rom now on& make e orts or your bene it only. 1aying this #agdamba vanished. Corried by the words o Yogamaaya& Kansa called a meeting o his prominent demons and said 3P,hese evil gods have hatched a conspiracy to kill me. But being a brave man& * do not take these gods into account. You have yoursel witnessed how *ndra led be ore the shower o my arrows. You would also remember how the clouds rained heavily in my kingdom when *ndra had orbidden them rom raining on a kingdom and * had pierced them with my arrows. All the things on earth e/cept my ather3in3law #arasandh bow be ore me in ear. * don)t care or the gods. -ven their e orts to kill me make me laugh. But still * must not take the word o #agdamba lightly that my killer had taken birth. Ce should there ore kill all the children who have taken birth within the past ew days.P *nstructing the demons Kansa approached Vasudev and Devaki in the prison and released them apologising his cruel action in the way o killing their innocent children.
7.8.8 Killing o Eutana and 1alvation o other Demons

Chen Vasudev was released rom the prison& +and visited @athura on some o icial trip. (e also came to see Vasudev. Vasudev greeted him or the birth o a son and instructed him to return to Bokul as soon as possible. (e also reHuested +and to look a ter the son o "ohini as his own son. A ter meeting Vasudev when +and was returning& many kinds o thoughts were disturbing him. *n the Bokul while +and was away& an ogress Eutana had stolen the little Krishna in the night and was breast3 eeding him with her poisoned milk. But little Krishna sucked even her li e through her breast. @aking a loud noise and assuming a huge body& Eutana ell on earth and died. ?nly then the village olk came to know about the incident. ,hey also saw little Krishna sitting in the lap o Eutana. ,he rightened Yashoda swept little Krishna with the tail o a cow to do away with all the bad omens. ,he other cowherds also prayed Lord Vishnu to protect the child rom all calamities. K*LL*+B ?D 1(AKA Chen Lord Krishna was twenty3seven days old& a estival was organised in Bokul. @ata Yashoda bathed the baby while the Brahmins recited hymns. Yashoda saw that baby was eeling sleepy& so putting him in a cradle& she le t it under a cart. ,he cart was loaded with pitchers o milk& curd and butter. A ter sometime& lord Krishna awoke and began to cry or a eed. But amidst estivities& Yashoda could not hear his cries.
@eanwhile a demon 1hakatasur rode the cart wishing to press the cart and thereby kill the Lord. But be ore he could act& the Lord touched the cart with (is eet and lo and behold$ ,he cart turned over and all the utensils kept on it came crashing down. -ven the demon was crushed to death under the cart. ?ther boys& who were playing nearby& in ormed the Bopis (ladies olk) that the little Kanhaiya had turned over the loaded cart& but they did not believe the kids. Yashoda ran in horror and li ted the baby in her lap. ,he Brahmins recited paci ying hymns then. ,herea ter the baby was bathed again with sancti ied water. A east o Brahmins ollowed then. %ltimately they were seen o with many gi ts. 1ALVA,*?+ ?D ,"*+AVA", ?nce @ata Yashoda was playing with the baby lord in her home. All o a sudden she elt as i the baby was getting disproportionately heavy. 1oon& she elt hersel unable to bear the child anymore. 1o she le t the child on the ground and began to pray Eurushottam Lord "ama. 1oon a terwards she orgot about the event& but all was not over yet. ,rinavart& a demon minister o Kansa& had arrived in Bokul as a ierce cyclone. (e covered entire Bokul with dust and blinded the people temporarily. Dor a moment people could not see anything and during that moment ,rinavart blew the baby in air with him. Chen the dust settled& Yashoda did not ind the baby Krishna where she had le t him. 1he elt e/tremely sorry and ell on ground in depression. ?ther women olk also gathered round her. ,hey too began to cry not seeing baby Krishna there. *n the orm o cyclone& the demon ,rinavart had blown baby Krishna with himK but he too could not bear his heavy burden. 1o he began to lose his velocity. Lord Krishna caught him by neck. ,he demon died in a ew moments and his dead body ell in Vra9. And Yashoda got a new lease o li e when she saw baby Krishna sa e and sound. +and and other Bopas too were over9oyed. +A@*+B ?D L?"D K"*1(+A ?nce& the supreme ascetic Bargacharya arrived in Bokul. (e was the ancestral teacher o Yaduvanshis. +and 9oy ully welcomed and treated the hermit. ,hen he reHuested him to carry out the ritual o naming and suggest suitable named or both o his sons. Acharya Barg said& P? +and& everyone knows that * am the ancestral teacher o the Yadavas. * * carry out the naming ritual or these boys& people will understand that they are DevakiAs sons.P 1o +and reHuested Bargacharya to name his sons secretly. Bargacharya accepted his reHuest and carried out the naming rituals secretly in +andAs cattle shed. Barg said5 P,his son o "ohini will cause by his virtue& great pleasures or his near and dear ones. 1o his second name will be "ama. And because o e/cessive strength& people will call him as Bala also. 1ince he will unite the people also& so one o his names would be 1ankarshan.P ,herea ter& Barg said pointing to Yashodanandan. (e has taken incarnation in every age. *n the past ages& he had taken white& red and yellow comple/ions respectively. ,his time he has taken dark comple/ion& so he will be known as Krishna. ?nce he has been the son o Vasudev& so people will call him as Vasudev also. (e will cause salvation o all o you& and great 9oy or the ellow Bopas and cows. Cith his help& you will overcome even the severe crises. ? +and& ,his boy will be eHual to +arayana in virtues& wealth& beauty& ame and in luence. Doster this child with care and earnestness.P ,hus naming the boys as per their virtues& Barg returned to his hermitage. >(*LD(??D ?D L?"D K"*1(+A ,he time passed in Bokul as usual. Balrama and Krishna too grew normally. 1oon they began to walk on knees and palms. Cith their childish plays they both amused men and women olk o Bokul. -veryone took special care o them and looked a ter them to save them rom any possible danger. Ladies olk were especially care ul about them. 1oon a terwards& both the kids began to walk trottingly. +ow their movement no longer con ined within the boundary o their home. Because o his special virtues& Krishna began to lead other kids o his age group whereas his elder brother Balaram was somewhat serious in nature. Krishna specially en9oyed teasing the girls and milkmaids o Bokul. ? ten he would eat stealing their milk& curd and butter. At other times& (e did not hesitate even to break their pitchers. *n such situations the ladies olk used to gather in +andAs home to complain against Krishna. And every time Yashoda promised them to punish Krishna. But every time& when she proceeded to punish him& she orgot everything be ore his sweet& innocent smile.
?ne day& Balaram complained against Krishna& P@a& the little Kanhaiya has eaten mud. Corried about KrishnaAs health& Yashoda scolded at him5 P,ell me& ? mischievous Krishna& why did you eat mudP. At that moment& little KrishnaAs eyes were moving with ear. (e made an e/cuse5 P+o @a& * have not eaten any mud. ,hey are telling you a lie. * you donAt believe& me see yoursel .P 1aying this& Krishna opened his little mouth. Yashoda peeped into his mouth and what she saw there ama:ed her. 1he could not believe it. ,he entire universe was visible in his little mouth. Yashoda saw strange places& entire Vra9 and even hersel in the little mouth o Krishna. 1he elt di::y. Cith his illusionary powers& Lord wiped out the memory o this incidence rom the mind o Yashoda& and she again immersed in love with her child. %K(AL BA+D(A+ A+D 1ALVA,*?+ ?D YA@ALA"#%+ ?nce& wishing to eed Krishna with butter& Yashoda began to churn milk in the morning. Very soon& Krishna too awakened and not inding the mother on her bed& (e set out to search her. 1oon (e ound her in the courtyard where she was churning the milk. (e began to insist or breast eeding at once. 1o Yashoda stopped churning and began to breast eed Krishna. A ection played on her ace. 1uddenly the milk kept on the ire pot began to boil. Yashoda le t Krishna in order to attend the boiling milk. But the unstiated Krishna illed with anger and broke the pitcher o curd. ,hen he went inside and began to eat butter& when Yashoda came backK she understood the matter and began to search him with a stick in her hand. A ter eating butter himsel & Krishna was now eeding the monkeys with it. 1eeing the mother come in hot pursuit& Krishna 9umped over the mortar and ran away. Yashoda chased him& but soon elt tired because o her bulky body. ,herea ter& Yashoda proceeded to tie Krishna as a punishment. 1he got a rope and tried to tie Krishna. But the rope ell short by two ingers. 1he 9oined many ropes together but the result was same. -very time the ropes ell short by two ingers. 1oon& Yashoda was bathing in sweat. Chen Krishna saw his mother in depression& he himsel tied in the ropes. ,ethering little Krishna to a heavy mortar& Yashoda engaged in usual household tasks. ,ethered to the mortar& Krishna glanced at the two Ar9un trees& which were standing on the gate like two sentries. (e resolved to salve them. @aitreya asked Earashar about the trees. Earashar said5 P,he lord o wealth Kuber had two sons +alkubar and @anigreev. ?ne day they were en9oying the sweet company o pretty women on the bank o @andakini "iver. #ust by coincidence& Devarshi +arad arrived there. ?ut o 1hyness& the women olk at once covered themselves& but both the sons o Kuber stood boldly without eeling any shame. *ndignant +arad cursed them to become trees and stay in that orm or one hundred years. +arad showed kindness as well that despite being in tree orms& they would have the memory o Bod alive and would be salved by Lord 1hri Krishna. ,hus& to keep the words o his supreme devotee +arad& Lord dragged the mortar to the two Ar9un trees. (e walked in such a way that the mortar got stuck between the trees. Krishna then pulled the mortar and in no time the trees were uprooted. ,wo divine men appeared rom the uprooted trees and bowed at the eet o Krishna and prayed him with pure hearts. ,hen they departed to their heavenly abode. @*B"A,*?+ ,? V"*+DAVA+A ,he uprooted Ar9un trees ell with thundering sound. All the people shivered with ear and elt as i lightning had struck somewhere. All the elders including +and met together and discussed the matter. %nanimously they concluded that& o late disturbance had increased in Bokul and the circumstances were no longer conducive to raise the kids like Balaram and Krishna there. 1o they unanimously decided to leave Bokul and migrate to a verdant place named Vrindavana. *n their opinion& Vrindavana had ample vegetation and ertility to support them and their cattle. ,hus& on an auspicious day& the entire population o Bokul set out or Vrindavana. ,hey packed their households on bullock carts and drove their cattle in herds and started in convoy. *n Vrindavana they built their houses and started their li e once again. Earashar says5 P,he verdant environment o Vrindavana& Bovardhan mountain and crystal clear waters and sandy banks o Yamuna river together illed the hearts o Balaram and Krishna with 9oy. Along with the ellow cowherds& they began diverse kinds o plays there. 1ALVA,*?+ ?D VA,1A1%" ?ne day& Balaram and Krishna were gra:ing their cattle on the bank o Yamuna "iver. A demon& meanwhile& took the guise o a cal and mi/ed with the herd. ?bviously& he had malicious intentions. Lord Krishna had already
seen the demon taking cal As guise and mi/ing up with the herd. (e signalled Balaram and they together reached near the cal . ,he cal appeared particularly healthy& so Krishna and Balaram mockingly saw it with admiring eyes. 1uddenly they held the cal with its hind legs and tail twirling it in air they threw it in the sky. Chen the demon died& they threw him on a Kath (wood3apple) tree. 1ALVA,*?+ ?D BAKA1%" ?ne day& all the cowherds took their cattle to a large pond to let them drink water. ,here they say a huge creature sitting like a hillock on the bank. ,hey were rightened by its appearance. ,he creature was in act a demon named Bakasur who had arrived there in the guise o a storke. (e was himsel very strong and had a long pointed bill. As soon as the cowherds drew near him& ,he storke hastily picked up Krishna and swallowed him. ?ther cowherds including Balaram were stupe ied. ,hey could not believe their eyes. But inside the beak& Lord Krishna made him e/tremely hot and caused severe burning in demonAs throat. 1o the demon could not swallow Krishna and regurgitated him& and began to hit him with his strong beak. But Lord held his beak with both his hands and tore the demonAs mouth apart. And as son as the demon died& a ripple o 9oy surged among the cowherds. 1ALVA,*?+ ?D AB(A1%" ?ne day& Krishna planned a picnic near +andanvan. 1o rising early in the morning& (e awakened his ellow cowherds sounding a horn. ,ogether& all the cowherds& and their cattle went to the orest. ,here& on the bank o Yamuna "iver they began to play 9oy ully. +andanvan was in act an abode o the demon Aghasur. Kansa had sent him there. 1eeing the boys playing& he elt e/tremely 9ealous. Knowing that Krishna had killed his brother Bakasur and sister Eootana& it seemed an ideal moment or the demon to avenge the death o his siblings. ,hinking thus& the demon took guise o python and lay in the way and opening his mouth like an opening o a cave. ,he cowherds too ell in his trap. ,hus driven by curiosity& all the cowherds entered the demon mouth one by one. Chen Lord Krishna saw that his riends had entered demonAs mouth. (e too entered it to protect them. Aghasur wanted to masticate the cowherds including lord KrishnaK but the lord increased his body and choked demon throat. +ow the breath o demon stopped. (is eyes rolled over and at last his li e le t his body through Brahmrandhra (cosmic pore). Cith his ambrosial eye& Lord resurrected these dead ellows and their cattle and together they came out o the demonAs mouth. As soon as the demon died& a divine lame emerged rom the pythonAs mouth. *t waited there sometime or Bod. And when lord Krishna came out& the lame mingled with him. A,,A>(@-+, ?D B"A(@A& 1,-AL*+B ?D >A,,L- A+D >?C(-"D1 Earashar says5 ,he cowherds told the tale o AghasurAs salvation to their parents only a ter a year o the incidence. During that period o one year& Lord Krishna multiplied himsel and took the guise o his ellow cowherd and their stock o cattle to remove the illusion o Brahma& who was the cause o the ollowing incidence. A ter AghasurAs li e mingled with Bod& Lord Krishna came with (is ellow cowherd on the bank o Yamuna. ,hey le t their cattle to gra:e reely and they sat together to take their lunch. All o the cowherds tasted one3anotherAs ood& as they wanted to eed Krishna with the tasty ood. @eanwhile surprised by AghasurAs salvation& Brahma too had arrived there and saw Krishna eating ood de iled by the cowherds. Cith that sight& Brahma grew suspicious i Krishna was indeed an incarnation o lord. ,hus driven by the illusion and to test the authenticity o lordAs incarnation& Brahma kidnapped all the cattle irst and when Krishna went out to search the cattle Brahma kidnapped and concealed the cowherds also. 1oon lord Krishna understood the cra tiness o Brahma& so he multiplied himsel into his ellow cowherds and cattle. "eplicas resembled truly to the cowherds in appearance& comple/ion& nature& activities& voice& sticks and even in costumes. ,he replicas remain in e/istence or complete one year. Back there& when Brahma returned a ter hiding the cowherds and the cattle& he was stunned to see the cowherds and cattle as usual. Brahma was eeling di::y when lord bestowed his grace on him. Brahma saw +arayana in every dust particle. Brahma there ore bowed his head at the eet o lord and said5 P? lord& * submit be ore you. You can be won only with devotion and not by ego. +o one can know your omnipresent appearance. ,hus praying and worshipping lord +arayana& Brahma returned to his abode. ,he cowherds remained separated rom Bod or one year. But they elt as i only hal a second had passed because o the illusionary in luence o Bod. ,hat is why they related the incidence o Aghasur)s killing to their parents only a ter a year it took place. 1ALVA,*?+ ?D D(-+%KA1%"
Chen Krishna and Balaram entered si/th year o their ages& they got the permission to take the cattle out or gra:ing. Along with their ellow cowherds the two brothers too began to take their cattle to Vrindavana. ,hus they sancti ied the earth o Vrindavana with their pious eet. 1eeing the beauty o Vrindavana& with beauti ul& colour ul lowers and sweet ruits& Lord Krishna elt over9oyed. (e then used to gra:e his cattle at the oothills o Bovardhan and on the banks o Yamuna "iver. Elaying lute was his avourite pass time. ?ne day KrishnaAs beloved riend 1udama said5 PKanhaiya& there is a beauti ul orest name ,alvana. *t has uncountable numbers o trees laden with ripe ruits. But a ormidable demon Dhenukasur guards that orest. (e is very strong. 1o no one goes thereK even animals and birds shun that place. But we are tempted to eat those sweet delicious ruits. * you and Daau (Balaram) wish& we may go there and eat those delicious ruits.P ,hus hearing this& Krishna and Balaram guided all o them to ,alvana. ,here they shook the trees and in no time a heap o ripe& delicious ruits gathered under the trees. All the cowherds began to eat ruits. Chile eating& they were also making lot o noises. Disturbed by the sound o ruits alling and noise o the cowherds& the demon Dhenukasur arrived there as a donkey. (e was braying loudly and tried to hit Balaram& but Balrama caught him by his hind legs and threw him in the air. ,he demon died in an instance. 1ince that day& everyone visited ,alvana earlessly and the cattle gra:ed there reely. B"A>- ?+ KAL*Y ,(- +ABA ?ne day& Bala3Krishna arrived on the banks o Yamuna with their riends. Balaram was not with them that day. ,he water o the river Yamuna was into/icated by the poison o Kaliy3 the +aga. *t was e/ceptionally hot that day and all the cowherds and cattle were very thirsty. 1o without giving any thought& they all drank the water rom Yamuna and died. But Lord Krishna resurrected them by his ambrosial sight. ,hen Lord Krishna decided to puri y the waters o Yamuna. ,hus tying a cloth round his waist& Krishna climbed a >adamba tree and 9umped into the river. *n the water the lord started playing and splashing water. 1oon the waves began to rise high. Chen Kaliy3 the +aga heard the noise. (e got e/tremely angry and appeared be ore Krishna. (e saw a beauti ul& tender& dark comple/ioned boy playing 9oy ully in the waters. (e stung him and tied him in his spirals. ,ied in the spirals o Kaliy& lord became absolutely motionless. 1eeing Krishna in death like situation& all the cowherds and even the cows elt very sorry. #ust then lord reed himsel rom the hold o Kaliy. ,hen a game o hide and seek began between them. Lord dodged the +aga or a long time. ,herea ter he rode on KaliyAs hood and began to dance there. ,he ollowers o Bod& like Bandharvas etc. began to play @ridang& Dhol etc. to give him a company. ,ired rom the blows o lordAs eet& Kaliy soon began to vomit blood. +agaAs wives began to pray Bod& P? lord& your incarnation is to punish the evil ones or their sins. You have shown your grace on us also. Ce are ortunate to have a sight and touch o your eet. Eity ? lord. ,his +aga can no longer bear your momentum. (e will die. Ce are all your slaves. Kaliy is our lord. Kindly orgive him.P Cith kindness& lord released Kaliy& who prayed thus5 ? lord in your creation we snakes represent ,amoguna (dark virtues). Ce are con used by your illusions.P Lord dictated Kaliy to migrate with his amily to "amanakdweep. 1ince then water o Yamuna became pure or humans and animals. D"*+K*+B ?D DAVA+AL (D?"-1, D*"-) A ter de eating Kaliy& Lord Krishna and all other people o Vra9 elt e/tremely tired. ,hey were very hungry and thirsty also. 1o they did not go back to Vrindavana& but stayed on the bank o Yamuna in the night. Because o intense heat o summer& surrounding orests had been shrivelled. At midnight those shrivelled orests caught ire and the sleeping people were engul ed by it. ,hey awakened startled and took shelter at Krishna. 1eeing their horri ied appearance& Lord Krishna drank the in ernal orest ire and thus saved the lives o innocent people who had rested their lives at him with aith. 1ALVA,*?+ ?D E"ALA@BA1%" ?ne day& Balaram and Krishna were play ully gra:ing their cattle along with other cowherds in the orests. Chen a demon Eralamb arrived there with an intention o kidnapping Krishna and Balaram. ,he demon had come in the guise o a cowherd& but the Bod easily recognised him. ,hey accepted his proposal o riendship& but were thinking about the way or his salvation. Bod therea ter summoned all his riends and said5 PEals& today we shall divide ourselves in to two teams and play 9oy ully. ,hus the teams were divided and each team chose Krishna and Balaram as its captain respectively. *t was stipulated that the members o de eated team would carry the
members o winner team on their back up to the place pointed by them. ,hus the game began and soon both the teams reached a secluded place. At one time& the team headed by Balaram won. 1o the members o KrishnaAs team were to carry them on their back. Demon Eralambasur o ered Balaram a ride on his back. Balaram agreed to ride on the demonAs backK but as soon as he rode on the demonAs back& the demon galloped. But he could not go ar or not being able to bear BalaramAs weight. ,hem the demon regained his huge ormidable si:e and tried to escape by lying. Dirst Balaram elt terrorised but soon he realised his real powers and hit on the demonAs head with a power ul ist. ,he blow shattered demonAs head and he ell on earth dead like a huge mountain. Earashar says5 P@ost o the time o Lord KrishnaAs boyhood passed in Vrindavana. ,here (e gra:ed cattle and played lute. (is lute had a divine& enchanting sound. ,he Bopis used to gather around (im drawn by the enchanting tunes.P ,hey also heard the enchanting Venugeet that ills one hearts with the memory o Bhagwat. ?ne o the girls said to her riend5 P? dear riend& having the privilege o seeing Lords beauty and receiving (is kindness is the real salvation. Another girl said5 P? riend& what penance this lute had observed that it has got a closer contact with lips o +andnandan (an epithet or Krishna). -ven the siblings o this lute& trees and other vegetationAs are pleased with its ortune and are hence showering their leaves and lowers on him.P ?ne more said5 P? riend& look& even Bhagwati Lakshmi has le t her lu/urious abode in Vaikunth and arrived in Vrindavana to have a look o lord Devakinandan.P A Bopi e/pressed her 9ealousy5 P-ven this doe is better than us& ? riends& look how engrossed is she looking at Bod that her eyes are not blinking.P (earing the sweet enchanting tunes o lute even the heavenly elves gather in the sky over Vrindavana. ,hey also see the beauty o lord Krishna and showered the lowers o their braids on him. -ven the cows orgot gra:ing when then heard the enchanting music o lute. ,he calves too orgot drinking milk and began to look at lord Krishna with 9oy. ,his is the real devotion or lord Krishna. You have to orget yoursel in order to ind him. >ondition o girls o Vrindavana was e/actly the same. A ter having the sight o lord Krishna they remembered nothingK not even the way back to home. ,hey stood in the orests in a trance& completely tired& unaware o their sel . A girl said pointing to the auna5 PLook ? riends& look at these birds. Do you know that these birds were the saints and sages in their previous births. *n this birth also they are sitting in a state o trance. Look they have orgotten their knowledge hearing the sweet enchanting music o the lute. And look at Yamuna. 1he is also unable to contain her e/hilaration. 1he is eagerly splashing her waves to wash Lord)s eet. Yet another girl said5 PLook riends the clouds cannot see their lord scorching in the sun. 1o they have covered the sun and shaded Lord Krishna. +ow they are dri::ling as i showering petals.P A girl said5 PDriends& look& these Bheelanis are better than us. ,hey have such a strong urge o KrishnaAs sight that when Bovind returns home& they smear their body with dusts o his eet. Blessed is this mountain which has dedicated its entire sel in the eet o Bra9nandan and eels over9oyed. *t is his supreme devotee. Kanhaiya has in used even non3living things with li e by his sweet tunes o lute. 1,-AL*+B ?D >L?,(-1 ,he unmarried girls o Vrindavana elt as i their lives were dedicated to Lord Krishna. -ach o them wished heartily to have lord Krishna as her husband. 1o in order to get their desire ul illed& all o the spinster girls o Vra9 began to take bath in Yamuna early in morning o (emant season and worshipped goddess Katyayani. Chen @adan@ohan learned that the unmarried girls wished to marry him. (e went to see them at dawn. ,he girls were bathing naked in the riverK their clothes were kept on the bank. Lord Krishna stealthy took those clothes and climbed on a >adamba tree. Lord had not stolen their clothes with malicious intentions. (e had stolen them to remove their laws and make them realise their real appearance that they were not mere girls& but pure souls. Cithout realisation o the real sel & one can not e/perience the Bod. ,he girls were& in act& the hymns o Vedas& 1adhana& 1iddhis& 1ages and Brahmvidyas (Vedas) themselves that took the guise o girls to en9oy the vicinity o Bod. Bod removed their clothes that symbolised lust. Because o the lords grace they all were able to en9oy BodAs company. Earashar says5 P? @aitreya& ,hus Lord Krishna removed the shyness o the girls o Vra9 through (is sweet talks. (e derided at them& made them dance like puppets and even stole their clothes when they were bathing naked& but they did not deter his actions. *nstead they elt over9oyed by the close presence o their beloved Kanha.P
L*D,*+B ?D B?VA"D(A+ Earashar says5 ?ne day& Balaram and Krishna saw that many delicious kind o sweetmeats were being cooked at home. Cith curiosity and politeness& they asked +and and other elders5 PDather& which estival are you preparing orL Chich god will be worshippedL Chat purpose will such worship serveL +and Baba e/plained5 P1ons Devra9 *ndra is the god o clouds. *t is because o *ndraAs grace that we get rain. 1o these materials are being prepared to worship *ndra. Krishna said5 Dather every creature in the world en9oys com orts or su ers as per his ate. +one o the gods can change the results. Action is primary in the world. ?ne gets the results as per his actions. -ven *ndra is Bod as a result o his action. Anyone& who per orms one hundred Ashvamegh Yagyas& becomes *ndra. But even a ter per orming crores o Ashvamegh Yagyas one can not stay in Vra9. *t is the duty o *ndra to cause rain. 1o it will rain even i you donAt worship *ndra. But to eed the poors and satis y them with clothes and other gi ts is real worship. By their blessing& we shall be happier. * desire that with all these materials we should worship Birira9 Bovardhan and distribute the Erasad among the poors. Cith which their souls will be sated and will have the grace o Bod. ,hus Lord Krishna told his ather that all the people should worship unitedly and unitedly they should receive Erasad. * you are ready to do as per my desire& its all right& otherwise * will not worship your haughty god& nor receive his Erasad. C?"1(*E ?D B?VA"D(A+ A+D *+D*B+A,*?+ ?D *+D"A ,hus convinced by KanhaiyaAs wise reasoning& all the Bopas agreed to him. +and Baba said& P? Krishna& we are making all these preparation or you only and we will do as you say. Ce will worship Bovardhan. Dor us Bovardhan is also like a god. *t gives us grass& water& and uel etc.& which are necessary or our lives. ,hus with lord)s consent& they dropped their plan to worship *ndra and resolved to worship Bovardhan aith ully. ?n the Eurnima ( ull moon) day in the month o Kartik (+ovember) all the Bopas (people o Vra9 region) gathered near mount Bovardhan. During the night all o them circumambulated the mountain. Lord invoked the Banges by his wish and bathed Bovardhan with her water. ,hen they put vermilion on it& o ered basil3leaves& lowers etc and worshipped it. Brahmins recited hymns in its praise. ,o make the people believe in their rituals& Lord Krishna himsel appeared on the mountain in huge orm and e/claimed5 P* am Birira9 (the king o the mountain) and began to eat the o erings. But as a child& (e was still among the villagers who aith ully bowed be ore the mountain. Among them& the child Krishna said5 Plook& what a surprise Birira9 has appeared himsel and bestowed his grace on us. (e has accepted our worship.P ,here a ter all the Bopas distributed Erasad among themselves and elt supremely satis ied. Chen *ndra learned that the Bopas had stopped worshipping him& he grew outrageous. *n anger& he ordered the clouds to rain torrentially over Vra9 and cause heavy lood in Vra9 region. *n no time dense clouds gathered over Vra9. 1oon there was lightning& thunder& darkness and storm all around. ,hen it began to rain torrentially. All the people took re uge at Lord Krishna and prayed him to save them rom the anger o *ndra. Lord Krishna said5 P,hose who regard me as their& are mine and * am theirs& 1o there is no need to worry or you.P 1aying this& Lord li ted Birira9 on his little inger and called all the people o Vra9 along with their cattle under the lee o Bovardhan. ,hen he ordered his wheel 1udarshan to absorb the water o the clouds so that not even a single drop could all on earth. ,hus or seven days continuously Lord balanced Bovardhan on the little inger. ,hus Lord Krishna also came to be known as Biridhari. Eeople who had gathered around him& 9ust kept on seeing Lords moon3like ace and hence did not eel thirsty or hungry. *n act the com orts those people got during those seven days are beyond verbal description. Lord held Bovardhan on one hand& and conch in the other& while with the remaining two hands (e began to play this lute. (earing the tunes o his lute& all the people o Vra9 began to dance with 9oy. A ter the rains stopped& all o them returned to their homes. >-"-@?+*AL BA,( ?D 1("* K"*1(+A Chen *ndra learned about the happenings in Vra9& he soon realised his mistake. *ndra himsel reached Vra9 and begged lord or (is pardon. ,hen he gave lord a ceremonial bath with the milk o 1urabhi. Dor protecting the cows& the Lord also got one more name PBovindP. "A11 L--LA
Earashar related to @aitreya the tale o KamadevAs humiliation. ,he purpose o describing this tale is 9ust that common people should re lect on the sel less love o Bopis or Lord Krishna and e/perience the love o Bod or them as well. A ter conHuering Brahma and other gods& ego o Kamadev had surged to great heights. (e& there ore& reHuested Bod to Huench his thirst or war. Bod invited Kamadev to visit Vrindavana on the night o 1harad Eurnima (Dull moon night) in the season that precedes winter& and told him that on that divine night (e would en9oy the company o crores o Bopis. P* * have slightest passion or any o them& you will win& otherwise you will lose.P ,hat night Lord Krishna added more divinity& more brilliance to it with a resolution o "aas with the help o Yogmaya (personi ied illusion). *t was a per ect night or the purpose 3 lowers bloomed in Vrindavana& ull moon shone& and gentle& cool bree:e blew rom the banks o river Yamuna. Amidst this stimulating ambience Lord Krishna began to play an enchanting tune on his lute. ,he tune attracted Bopis& their passion surged to its :enith and under the in luence o love or lord Krishna and as i in trance& all o them ran to meet their beloved Kanhaiya leaving all their ear& bondage& patience and shyness behind. 1ome o them were intercepted by their husbands and dragged back to home. But only their physical bodies stayed put& their souls reached Vrindavana. *n Vrindavana on the bank o Yamuna& Bopis saw Vrindavana Vihari (epithet or Krishna) near their amiliar >adamba tree. Yogmaya adorned all the Bopis rom tip to toe. *n act those Bopis were not ordinary women. @aitreya asks5 PBopis had not regarded Krishna as EaraBrahma. Chat was the basis or their passion thenLP Earashar says5 Chen a wretched person like 1hishupal& who always abused lord Krishna could ind supreme position& there should be no doubt or Bopis who had such a pro ound passion or Lord.P 1o Bopis arrived and gathered around Lord Krishna. ,o test their devotion and to enhance the honour o Kamadev& Krishna said to them5 P? Bopis& the pure ones& it is not it or you to stay here at this hour o night. Bo and serve your husbands. Your duties must be irst to your husbandAs children and cows. ,hey will be waiting or you eagerly. Bo and console them. You can gain me by hearing& reciting& seeing etc. You need not sit here. Bo to your homes.P Bopis& however said5 PBovind& we have come to you leaving all the mundane lusts behind. +ow going back is like ruining our lives. *t is the greatest mis ortune i someone returns to mundane a airs even a ter being at your eet.P ,hese words that re lected divine eelings o Bopis pleased Lord. (e began to en9oy their company. But a eeling o ego began to creep in the minds o Bopis because o lordAs closeness. ,hey began to assume themselves as highly ortunate. ,o remove their ego& Lord disappeared right among them. E*,*ABL- >?+D*,*?+ ?D B?E*1 *+ B?DA1 AB1-+>A ter the disappearance o Bod& Bopis were perple/ed. ,heir hearts burned with desire. ,hey had dedicated their entire selves in the eet o Lord. ,hey were entirely merged in the love o Krishna. ,hus driven by passion& Bopis began to search Lord Krishna. ,hey asked trees& creepers and vegetation or the whereabouts o their beloved. ,hey then spotted (is ootprints at one place. Dootprints o "adha were also there. A*ndeed (e would have carried her& that great ortunate one& on (is shoulders.A ,hey thought. Lord had indeed& a ter disappearing rom amidst Bopis& taken "adha to an isolated place. 1he had then began to think hersel superior to other Bopis. 1o at one place& she said5 P? Lord& * canAt walk now. @y tender eet are tired. Kindly carry me on your shoulders to wherever you wish.P At her reHuest& Lord Krishna agreed to carry her on his shoulder. But as soon as she proceeded to ride& Lord disappeared rom there also. +ow& "adha began to cry and wail and ainted. At the same time& other Bopis also reached there and ound "adha lying unconscious on the ground. All o them including "adha then returned to the bank o Yamuna and began to wait or KrishnaAs appearance. "-3AEE-A"A+>- ?D L?"D A@?+B B?E*1 Chen the beloved Bopis burst into tears& KrishnaAs patience gave away. (is heart melted at their condition and (e appeared amidst them. A sweet smile played on his beauti ul ace. (e wore a garland o resh Vai9ayanti lowers and yellow clothes. (is beauty could have moved even Kamadev. 1eeing their beloved Kanha once again amidst them& Bopis got a new lease o li e. All o them began to embrace Lord and thus Huench the ire o separation that was burning their bodies. ,herea ter& along with the beauties o Vra9& Lord came to the bank o Yamuna. Bopis put their Hueries be ore him or solution. Lord said5 P? beloved Bopis& * do not reciprocate to the desire o my beloved ones or physical love.
Because o it their conscience remains always engrossed in me. (ence& * take to hiding even a ter meeting so that you could eel complete imbibement in me. @A(A"AA1 Drom the words o the Lord& Bopis orgot the pains o separation. Drom the closeness o their beloved& their lives were success ul now. Cith those Bopis& Lord Krishna started @aharaas on the pious banks o river Yamuna. All the gods gathered in sky to witness that divine estival. Bopis were even more ortunate than Lakshmi. But even amidst crores o Bopis& who were eager to devote their everything to (im& Lord completely re rained rom desires& eelings and even actions. ,hus Lord de eated even Kamadev and removed his ego. 1ALVA,*?+ ?D 1%DA"1(A+ A+D 1(A+K(>%" Earashar says5 ?nce on the occasion o 1hivaratri& +and Baba and all other Bopas drove their carts with amilies and reached Ambikavana on a pilgrimage tour. ,here they took bath in the river 1araswati and with devotion worshiped lord 1hiva and Earvati. ,hey also observed day long ast and decided to pass their night on the bank o 1araswati. But a huge python inhabited that place. During the night the python emerged and caught hold o +andAs leg. +andbaba cried loudly. All the Bopas gathered around him. (e cried again5 PKanhaiya& ,his snake is all set to strangulate me. 1ave me.P Lord touched the python with his eet and instantaneously the python vanished. *n its place appeared a divine3 looking human being. (e said5 P? Lord& * was a Vidyadhar named 1udarshan. * was so much obsessed with my beauty& youth& lu/ury and com orts that * used to insult others. ?ne day * had derided at the ugly appearance o the sage Angira. 1o indignantly he cursed me to become a python. But& pleased by my realisation o mistake& he had told that when Bod himsel would touch me& * would regain my original appearance.P ,herea ter& 1udarshan went round the Bod& worshiped (im and with his permission& departed to his abode. ?n another occasion& Lord arrived in Vrindavana during Vasant "itu (spring 1eason). ,here (e took part in Vasantik "aas ("aas o spring season) with the Bopis. During "aas itsel & a demon 1hankhchur tried to escape away kidnapping some o the Bopis. A stampede resulted among Bopis. (earing their noise& Lord ran a ter the demon& carrying a huge 1al (1horea) tree in his hands. *n no time (e overtook the demon and killed him by 9ust one blow. (e picked up the gem rom demonAs head and handed it to Balaram. 1ALVA,*?+ ?D A"*1(,A1%" ?nce& Kansa sent a demon Arishtasur to Vrindavana. ,he demon arrived there in a bullAs guise. ,hat huge bull came to Vrindavana and began to terrorise the people with his loud sound. 1eeing the bull& Balaram said to Krishna5 PKanhaiya& * have never seen such a huge bull be ore.P All the people began to cry or help. Lord consoled them and challenged the bull demon5 2? ool& why are you terrorising these cows and cowherdsL * am going to shatter your ego.P ,he challenge rom Bod pinched the demon. ,apping his hooves angrily& the demon attacked Bod. (e wished to gore (im& but Bod held his horns and pushed him back. ,hen kicking the demon Bod killed him in no time. KA+1A 1-+D1 AK"%" A ter the killing o Arishtasur& Devarshi +arad visited Kansa and asked5 P? Kansa& the girl who had slipped orm your hand was in act the daughter o Yashoda. Krishna and Balaram& who are staying in Vrindavana& are in act the sons o Devaki and "ohini respectively. Because o your ear& Vasudev has kept them under the supervision o his riend +and. ,hose two boys have killed the demons sent by you.P (earing these words& Kansa shook with anger and put Vasudev and Devaki in prison again. ,herea ter he called his minister Akrur and asked him to set out at once or Bokul. (e said to Akrur5 PAkrur9i& you are an old riend and well3wisher o mine& Bo to Bokul and bring the sons o Vasudev& who are staying at +andAs home. *nvite them to visit @athura& to witness the estivities o Dhanush3Yagya.P Akrur understood KansaAs intentions& but eared that i he re used& that demon would kill him. 1o he decided to visit Bokul& and also have the opportunity o seeing Bod. (e was eeling overwhelmed by the mere thought o it. +e/t day& he set out on a grand chariot to meet his supreme Lord in Bokul. @editating in the eet o Lord& Akrur was heading towards Vrindavana. (e was eeling himsel as the most ortunate one or he was sure to have a sight o Lord. ,hus obsessed with many kinds o devotional eelings& Akrur alighted rom the chariot at the border o Vrindavana and started walking. (e ound it un9ust to ride a chariot on the land o Vrindavana where lord Krishna treaded. By the time& he reached Vrindavana& Lord Krishna and
Balaram had returned home a ter gra:ing their cattle. 1eeing them& Akrur ell at their eet. Both the brothers raised Akrur and addressed him as P>hachaP (uncle)& and escorted him into the house. Akrur was given a warm welcome and treatment there. A ter the dinner& they assembled in +andAs drawing room. +and inHuired about the reason o his sudden arrival. Akrur said5 PKansa is organising a wrestling competition in @athura. (e has invited all the big and small kings to the competitions. (e has invited you with Krishna and Balaram as well. Beauti ul @athura is worth seeing. Bullible +and elt pleased by AkrurAs talking and said5 PKing Kansa has shown a great honour to me. (e has sent invitation only to other kings& but has sent his minister to call me and a golden chariot or my kids.P 1o it was announced in Bokul that all the people would go to @athura the ne/t day and witness the estivities there. D-EA",%"- ?D K"*1(+A3BALA"A@ D?" @A,(%"A Chen the Bopis heard about Krishna leaving Bokul to visit @athura& they began to wail and cry. ,hey were getting so much restless by the news that& they elt& their lives would end be ore the sunrise. ,hey started imprecating ate that it had no kindness. Dirst it provided them with a closer contact with their beloved Kanha& now it was causing a long separation rom him. 1ome o Bopis even begged or death& they elt it better than living without Kanha. All the Bopis kept on crying and wailing nightlong. @other Yashoda awoke early in the morning ne/t day. 1he churned out butter and adding @ishri (sugar candies)& she took it to Krishna to eed him. But there she ound that both Krishna and Balaram were getting ready to set out or @athura. ,hey held motherAs eet and said5 PEardon us& ? mother& we are going to @athura.P ,hese words disturbed Yashoda. 1he ran and ell at AkrurAs eet and said5 P* am your slave. ? Akrur& please do not take my beloved sons to @athura. ,hey are inseparable rom my heart. Chy Kansa has summoned them to @athuraL ? Akrur& go and tell him to take everything rom us& but spare our sons. Ce are also ready to live in 9ail& but canAt lose our beloved sons.P Akrur consoled Yashoda. PBhabhi (sister3in3law)& donAt worry. ,hese two brothers are going to @athura to witness the estivities there and will return soon to com ort your heart.P Yashoda said5 PAkrur9i& @athura is a town o gold and both o my sons are too young yet to be needed there or any reason.P ,ouching the eet o +and and Yashoda& both the brothers said5 PDather& mother& we will de initely return. Eresently we wish to see the grandeur o @athura.P @eanwhile all the Bopis and Bopas had gathered there. >rying and wailing& the Bopis said5 PYou are very >ruel& ? Akrur& who named you as Akrur. You have come here to lacerate our hearts.P 1econd Bopi said5 P+o riend& it is not a ault o Akrur. ?ur complaints are with 1hyamsundar. Ce le t everything& our husbands& children& our homes and dedicated our entire selves in your service. And now you are deserting us so ruthlessly. Ce have no support or our li e e/cept you& ? @adhusadan.P 1aying this& all the Bopis burst into tears again. All the Bopas& including 1hridama surrounded the chariot and said5 P? Krishna we had not even dreamt that you would desert us so ruthlessly. ? Kanhaiya we have seen with our eyes that even *ndra& Varun& 1anakadi and Brahma bow be ore you. But we have never regarded you as Bod. Ce regarded you as our riend. Are you angry with usL ? my childhood riend Kanhaiya& we reHuest you& we will never abuse you in uture. * you were intending to go& why did you& then save us rom the in ernal orest ire. Chy did you save rom the deluging rainsL Ce cannot live without you. ,ell us ? benevolent riend& Chen will you return.P Lord Krishna consoled them all and took many o them with (im. ,he chariot began to move. As long as the lag o the chariot remained visible& people kept on crying and wailing. -ven the eyes o Akrur illed with tears. Lord asked him5 PKaka& why are you weepingLP Akrur replied5 P? Lord& Kansa is the great sinner. * eel he will try to torment you by all means. 1o& my heart says& that * should take you back to Vrindavana& because i Kansa did any harm to you& their spirits will curse me or ever.P AK"%" (A1 A 1*B(, ?D L?"D *+ D?%"3A"@-D D?"@ (earing AkrurAs words& Lord understood that when he had arrived in Vra9& he was a licted with a eeling o ma9esty. But now& it has been replaced by a ection now. (e there ore decided to remove his dilemma. ,hus& Lord said to him5 PKaka& @athura is still some distance away. 1o you take a bath in Yamuna. Ce brothers are waiting or you in the chariot.P As soon as Akrur took a dip in Yamuna& Lord showed him a sight o (is abode Vaikunth and his +arayanaAs appearance in which& he was holding conch& wheel& mace and lotus in each o his our hands and was lying on
the bed o 1heshnaga. Cith olded hands& Akrur prayed to lord5 P? lord& you are the reason or the e/istence o Brahma and the %niverse. ? Lord& * pray at your eet again and again. +ow * recognise you. You are the one who took the incarnations o @atsya& Kachchap& Varah& +arsinh& Vamana& "ama etc. ,hus a ter bath and worship& Akrur returned to the chariot. Lord Krishna understood that now a devotional eeling had arisen in the mind o Akrur or +arayana. Lord asked5 PYour condition seems miserable. Did you see anything e/tra3ordinary under waterLP Akrur said5 P? Lord& now bestow your grace on me. Kindly come to my home and accept my hospitality.P A""*VAL *+ @A,(%"A A ter the departure o Akrur& +andbaba too set out or @athura along with the Bopas. ?n the way itsel & they caught up with Krishna and Balaram. All o them then reached @athura together. ,here they stayed in a garden. A ter sometime& with +andAs permission& both the brothers set out to see the city o @athura. @athura was indeed a beauti ul town. All the residents o @athura thronged on roads& roo s and attices to have a sight o Krishna and Balaram. B"A>- ?+ K%B#A ?n the way& they met a pretty but hunched woman. 1he introduced hersel as Kub9a& the maid o Kansa. (er duty was to smear the members o the royal amily with sandalwood paste. Bod asked her i she would smear him with sandal paste. Kub9a said5 P? @anmohan& * see no one more itting than you or the sandal paste.P ,hus she smeared LordAs orehead with sa ron. ?n DauAs orehead she smeared musk containing sandal paste& other Bopas smeared all the remaining sandal paste on their heads. Lord then& put (is eet on Kub9aAs and holding her chin gave her head a slight 9erk. And in no time& Kub9aAs hunch was gone and she turned into a pretty woman. 1he begged lord or (is love. ,he Lord promised her a meeting in uture& and proceeded ahead. B"-AK*+B ?D ,(- B?C A ter salving Kub9a& Lord Krishna and other Bopas moved ahead. At a place they saw a huge bow kept on a high stage. @any strong men were guarding it. Lord entered the canopy and easily li ted the bow and broke it into pieces. ,here was a big applause rom all around. Dau said5 PKrishna& now the crowd will increase here& so let us escape in time. ,hus& both the brothers and their riends beat a retreat to their camp. ,here they rested or night. ,here in @athura& breaking o the bow had rightened Kansa. (e could not sleep during the night. -ven in his dreams& he saw nothing& but Krishna everywhere around him. K*LL*+B ?D -L-E(A+, -arly in the morning& Kansa summoned his minister and ordered him to make Kuvalayapeed& the elephant to stand in the centre o the main gate. (e thought that the elephant would kill both the boys i they dared to enter the ort through main gate. Back there in the garden& Krishna and Balarama set out in wrestlers guise or the ort. At the gate& seein an elephant blocking the passage& they asked mahout loudly5 P? @ahout& why have you made the elephant stand in the centre o the gate. @ove it either ahead or back.P But instead o moving the elephant out o the passage& the mahout steered it right on them. But be ore elephant could attack them& Balarama caught its trunk& while Krishna caught its tail. Both the brothers then dragged the elephant out o the gate and lo ted it in the air. ,he elephant ell on the ground with a loud thud and died on the spot. 1ALVA,*?+ ?D C"-1,L-"1 Kansa elt very nervous by the news o elephantAs killing. Be ore he could take stock o the situation& Lord Krishna and Balaram arrived in the amphi3 theatre. ,he spectators present in the amphitheatre saw Lord as per their eelings. ,he men olk saw Lord as a #ewel among the men. Comen olk saw him as an incarnation o Kamadev. >owherds saw their natural riend in Lord& while to Kansa (e appeared as his death. But to his mother and ather& Devaki and Vasudev and to +and& Krishna and Balarama appeared as small kids. 1ages and ascetics saw nothing but metaphysical coming in boysA guise. Learned ones sighted (is cosmic orm while to Yadavas (e appeared as their tutelary Bod. As soon as the Lord and Balaram arrived in the ring& the wrestlers& who were already present there& stood up like springs. A wrestler >hanur dragged Krishna and one named @ushtik dragged Balarama into the ring. ,hey said to them5 PBoth o you and we are the sub9ects o the great king Kansa. *t is our duty to please our king with our art and skill. @ore over we will receive many rewards also.P
Krishna said5 P? wrestlers& you please ight among yourselves. Ce are boys yet& so we shall witness your ight rom a distance.P >hanur said5 P+o you are neither boy nor teenagers. You are stronger than the strongest. You have 9ust killed an elephant which was stronger than thousand elephants.P ,hus& both the brothers were compelled to wrestle with the royal wrestlers. Balaram beat @ushtik on the ground so hard that he died at once on the spot. Krishna similarly killed second wrestler >hanur. All the remaining wrestlers met similar ate one by one. ,he massive crowd present there applauded them 9oy ully. 1ALVA,*?+ ?D KA+1A 1eeing the shame ul de eat o his wrestlers& Kansa in uriated with anger and proclaimed5 P,ie all the opponentsK tie %grasen& Devaki& Vasudev and +and in ropes and bring them be ore me.P Lord Krishna could not tolerate this and in a single 9ump& (e reached on the stage where Kansa was present. Lord Krishna caught him by hair and said5 P? Kansa& once you have caught a helpless woman by hair& * have avenged that insult. +ow you will receive the ruits or your atrocities.P 1aying this& Lord began to twirl Kansa catching him by hair& and threw him down rom the stage. ,hen Lord 9umped once again and landed on the chest o Kansa. Kansa died instantaneously. ,hus& Kansa who was an incarnation o the demon Kaalnemi received salvation. Lord Krishna then& released his parents rom the prison and crowned his maternal grand ather %grasen as the king o @athura. YABY?EAV*, ?D K"*1(+A3BALA"A@A A ter the success ul completion o all the royal ceremonies& the consecration o Krishna and Balaram was carried out. ,herea ter& they came to stay at the hermitage o sage 1andipani or ormal education. -/traordinarily brilliant Krishna success ully learned all the knowledge in short period o time. ,hen& as Burudakshina (paying respect to the teacher) Krishna brought back his dead sons rom the abode o Yamaraa9. ,aking convocation bath& therea ter& Lord Krishna returned to @athura. ,here& though living among royal lu/uries and grandeur Lord Krishna remained indi erent. @emory o his sentimental& beloved devotees riend and other people o Vra9 kept on pricking him. 1-+D*+B %DD(AV A1 @-11A+B-" 1avant %ddhav& the son o YadavaAs minister Brihaspati was an intimate riend o Lord Krishna. ?nly he had the permission to enter LordAs sanctum. 1eeing his riend Krishna in remorse& %ddhav asked5 P@athuranath& you seem to be upset. Chat is troubling youLP Lord Krishna replied5 P%ddhav& * eel perple/ed. * remember my days in Vrindavana. Elease go to Vrindavana and get the news regarding Bopis there. Also give them my message.P ,hus Lord Krishna donned %ddhav in his attire and sent him to Vra9 in his chariot. ,here he stayed at +andAs home. At night& %ddhav enHuired about +and and YashodaAs well being and about Vra9 in general. ,hat whole might passed in chatting. B("A@A" B--, +e/t day& when the Bopis got the news o %ddhavAs arrival& they thronged in and around +andAs residence. ,hey recognised the chariot parked in ront o the gate. *t was the same chariot on which Krishna and Balaram had departed or @athura. Dirst they thought that their beloved Krishna had returned. But someone in ormed that it was %ddhav& KrishnaAs 1avant riend& who had come to preach them about metaphysical knowledge. 1oon a terwards& %ddhav came out and spoke out loud5 P? Bopis& listen to the preaching o %ddhav.P But instead o listening to him& Bopis covered their ears. Deeling insulted& %ddhav e/pressed his dissatis action over their behaviour. Bopis said to him5 2? gentleman& irstly we are not amiliar with you& secondly we have no capacity to hear your preaching. Yes i you wish to give us a message o our most belovedK thousand o ears are eager to hear that.P %ddhav then introduced himsel as the intimate riend o Lord Krishna. Knowing his identity Bopis welcome and treated %ddhav warmly. %ddhav then began to say again5 P? Bopis& the person& whom you are declaring as your beloved riend& in act recognises no mother& no ather and no other relation. (e has no orm& no colour and no body. (e is above all& non3e/isting all pervasive and the giver o 9oy. (e is never separate rom his devotee and beloved ones. All o you& too& eel the presence o that 1upreme Being and be happy orever.P Bopis said5 P%ddhav& as long as Bhanashyam stayed with us& we saw endless virtues in him. But only within si/ months o his stay in @athura& you wiped out all o his virtues and turned him virtueless.
,ell us with which mouth did he eat butter& with which hand did he break our pitchers& with which eet did he pasture cows in the orests and with which eet did he dance on the hood o Kaliy. Cas he another KrishnaLP (arsh reaction o the Bopis startled %ddhav. (e began to think where he had been caught. (is knowledge o Vedanta was proving ine ective on the Bopis who were sunk in so much love. ?n the other hand& Bopis too were eeling embarrassed or treating the guest bitterly. But they were also not prepared to listen to such preaching that condemned love. @oreover& they had let out their long accumulating eeling. @eanwhile a bumblebee perched at "adhaAs eet mistaking them or lotus. Eointing to it& all the Bopis said5 PBeware ? bumblebee& beware i you dare to touch the eet o our "adha. *t appears that you are a disciple o Krishna. ,here is now no secret regarding the virtues and actions o your riend. But it is good that he and you tied in riendship. You are black and your riend has a black heart. Virtues o both o you are same. Dirst (e imbibed us in (is loveK then le t us ruthlessly orever. (e is not sorry or us. But why does Lakshmi serve in those eetL 1he must be care ul& lest she should be deceived like us. ? bumblebee you also appear to be a polymath who has come here to preach us. But you wonAt get an audience in Bra9. You should better go to @athura. ,here is one Kub9a go and relate your tale to her. You will receive ample donations rom her. Chat will you get rom the Bopis hereL ,hey have already lost their mental balance& because o separation rom the beloved Krishna. * you have come to ask& why we loved Krishna. ? bumblebee& we have no knowledge. But we know that our love or Krishna was not a mistake. -ven the goddess Lakshmi does not leave (is eet or a moment. Chy should we leave his eet thenL But ? bumblebee& have you really come to convince us. Chen (e could not come out o shame& (e sent you to console us 3 the dea and dumb Bopis& But be care ul i you put your head at the eet o "adha. Bet away& we have already seen enough o lattery and lirtation o your riend. Deserting our a ection or ephemeral things& we loved that eternal one. But (e too abandoned us. >an you guess about our conditionL ,ell us& ? %ddhav& shall we ever get the sight o 1hri Krishna againL (earing the tragic tale o the Bopis& %ddhav too elt very sorry or them. (e elt as i @athuranath& lord Krishna was indeed neglecting those Bopis. %ddhav stayed in Vrindavana or si/ months. ,here he saw every place& every spot where lord Krishna had played once. Chen he was returning to @athura& mother Yashoda presented him with butter& "adha gave him the lute. ,hus immersed in the love and overwhelmed by its eelings& %ddhav reached @athura. (e said to Krishna5 PLord& the real appearance o love& that * saw in Vrindavana is the only truth.P 1hri Krishna said5 P%ddhav& You are weeping. #ust look at me.P %ddhav looked at him with wide& opened eyes. *n every single hair o Lord& there e/isted Bopis. %ddhav was indeed a 1avant. But Lord had sent him to Bra9 only to be taught a lesson o love. A ter the death o Kansa his widowed Hueens Asti and Erapti returned to their ather #arasandhAs home and in ormed him that Krishna and Balaram had killed their husband Kansa. *n uriated by the news& #arasandh at once launched a massive attack on @athura. ,he people o @athura were rightened by the strength o #arasandhAs army. Lord Krishna too ell in deep thought. #ust then& divine weapons and chariots appeared rom the heaven. Both the brothers took the weapons and boarded their chariots. ,hen they ought a ierce battle and slayed all the army o #arasandh. Balaram uriously caught #arasandh and was about to kill him. But Lord Krishna stopped him. ,hey then released #arasandh and let him go unhurt. #arasandh elt ashamed that Krishna released him because o his helpless condition. Earashar says5 Despite his shame ul de eat& #arasandh attacked @athura seventeen times with huge armies. But every time& the Lord de eated him and released him in kindness. And every time #arasandh elt more humiliated.P At last& instead o attacking @athura himsel & #arasandh sent Kalyavan to de eat 1hri Krishna. Kalyavan launched an attack on @athura with one crore strong @alechchh army. ,his time Lord Krishna decided to vacate @athura instead o countering the attack. (e got Dwarkapuri constructed by Vishwakarma and settled all the people o @athura there. ,hen& unarmed& Lord Krishna walked past Kalyavan. Eointed by +arad& Kalyavan at once recognised Krishna and gave (im a chase. (e also challenged (im& but the Lord did not listen to his challenges and kept moving with ace turned away. Kalyavan chased (im or long& but could not catch up.
%ltimately the Lord entered a cave. Kalyavan too ollowed (im into the cave. *n the cave the Lord saw that someone was sleeping there. 1o (e covered the man with his yellow length o cloth and himsel hid inside the cave. Kalyavan too arrived there and saw the sleeping man. (e mistook him or Bod and said5 PKrishna& you might have thought that braves do not attack on sleeping people. 1o * will irst wake you up and then kill you.P 1aying thus Kalyavan kicked the sleeping man hard. (owever& as soon as the man awakened and glanced at Kalyavan& Kalyavan got incinerated at once. ,AL- ?D @%>(K%+D @aitreya asked5 PBurudev& who was that sleeping manLP Earashar says5 P? king& that sleeping man was @uchkund& the son o the king @andhaata. ,he gods had sought his assistance in their war against the demon during the 1atayug. Cith @uchkundAs help& the gods had de eated the demons and thus pleased had asked him to seek a boon. @uchkund then had sought a boon o seeing Bod in tangible orm. ,he gods had assured him that he would have a sight o Bod in Dwapar Yuga. 1ince Dwapar Yuga was still ar away& so @uchkund had asked5 PChat should * do till thenLP ,he gods asked him to sleep somewhere and blessed him with a boon that whoever waked him up would be incinerated at once& by his glance. ,hus& in order to get Kalyavan incinerated and show @uchkund with his Divine orm& Lord had gone to that spot where @uchkund was sleeping. @uchkund got the sight o Bod in >haturbhu9 ormK and sought a boon o continuous devotion or three births. ,hus& Lord de eated @alechchh army and captured all their wealth. (e also de eated #arasandh and caused great 9oy or the people o Dwarka. @A""*AB- ?D BALA"A@A ,he king o Anart& "aivat got his daughter "evati married to Balaram with the blessing o Brahma. @-11AB- ?D "%K@A+* D?" L?"D Earashar says5 PBheeshmak was the king o Vidarbh. (e had ive sons and a daughter "ukmani. "ukmi& the eldest son o Bheeshmak& had i/ed his sisterAs engagement with 1hishupal& the prince o >haidi. +arad did not like this development. (e went to Kundanpur& the capital o Vidarbh and said in the court o Bheeshmak5 ? King& * am coming rom Dwarka.P Bheeshmak said$ P? great 1age& * have never heard about any city named DwarkaP. ,hus& in the court o Bheeshmak& +arad narrated about the li e o Lord Krishna and the grandeur o Dwarka. Bheeshmak heard the tale with ull attention. (is daughter "ukmani too en9oyed the tale. But "ukmi had a strong opposition against lord Krishna. *gnoring the wish o his ather& he was not ready to get his sister married to Lord Krishna. ?n the appointed day& 1hishupal appeared there& in a procession& to get married with "ukmani. But "ukmani was determined to marry Lord Krishna. 1he sent a love letter to Krishna through a loyal Brahmin and declared a ast unto death. Lord Krishna read her letter& which said5 P? ,rilokinath& since the moment& these ears have heard about your virtues& actions& character and plays& my soul e/periences divine peace. ? Achyut& my mind is dedicated in your eet. ? great among the men& this "ukmani has dedicated hersel in your eet. +ow it is up to you to see that no 9ackal could take away the lionAs share.P ,he Brahmin& the carrier o the letter& returned to Kundanpur with an assurance rom the Lord. Lord too called the charioteer and set out at once or Kundanpur. ,here in Kundanpur& "ukmani a ter getting the assurance rom the Brahmin was thus waiting or LordAs arrival. Ereparations or "ukmaniAs marriage with 1hishupal were on with ull swing in Kundanpur. All the houses& streets and lanes were cleaned and sprinkled with scented water. All the men and women olk donned new clothes and ornaments. King Bheeshmak worshipped his ancestors and gods and welcomed the Brahmins liberally. -/tremely beauti ul princess "ukmani was given ceremonial bath and donned with auspicious clothes and bracelets. ,he king o >hedi& Damaghosh got the auspicious rites or the marriage o his son 1hishupal& per ormed by Brahmins. All the Baratis (people in marriage procession) were given grand reception. @any great kings like 1halv& #arasandh& Dantvaktra& Vidurath and Eaundrak were present in the marriage procession. ,hey had come with their armies with an intention o ighting Krishna and Balaram. A ter KrishnaAs departure& Balaram too set out or Kundanpur with chaturangini (with our wings) army& or he had known about their opponentsA preparedness.
"ukmani was eagerly awaiting LordAs arrival. 1he had received the news that Dwarakanath (Krishna) had resolved to take her away. 1he was eeling overwhelmed in her heart. 1eeing Lord Krishna arrived intently in the marriage ceremonies o his daughter& king Bheeshmak welcomed him. 1eeing him& even the common people o Vidarbh prayed P@ay our princess "ukmani get 1hri Krishna as her husband. At the same time& "ukmani emerged rom her palace to go to the temple o Ambikadevi& soldiers were guarding her. *n the temple& "ukmani prayed peace ully5 P? @other Ambika * greet you and Banapati& who is sitting in your lap. * seek your blessing that may my wish be ul illed and may * receive 1hri Krishna as my husband.P ?n her way back& "ukmani was walking very slowly or she was awaiting LordAs arrival& which was due in any moment. #ust then& Lord Krishna appeared be ore her. Be ore she could ride her chariot Lord li ted her rom amidst the crowd. And in the presence o hundreds o kings& Krishna and Balaram eloped away with "ukmani. D-D-A, ?D "%K@* A+D 1(*1(%EAL (earing the news that Krishna has eloped with "ukmani& "ukmi and all other kings present there boiled with anger. Accompanied by their huge armies& they decided to give them a chase. ,hus chased my them& Yadnvanishis stopped and encountered the kings boldly. Cith a true ambition to win& brave Yadav soldiers de eated the enemies. All the kings like #arasandh led or their lives. "ukmi had resolved that without getting "ukmani released rom KrishnaAs captivity& he would not show his ace in Kundanpur. (e chased Lord Krishna or long. But Dwarakanath de eated him and got his head shaved. @A""*AB- ?D "%K@A+* A+D K"*1(+A ,hus de eating all the kings& Lord Krishna brought "ukmani to Dwarka. ,here they got married ormally. All the people o Dwarka celebrated estivities or many days. Eeople presented them with lot o precious gi ts. All the people were in great 9oy to see Lakshmi as "ukmani with her husband Lord Krishna. B*",( ?D E"ADY%@+& K*LL*+B ?D 1(ABA"A1%" Kamadev was a part o lord himsel . A ter getting incinerated by "udra& Kamadev took re uge in the supreme lord to get an incarnation once more. ,hus& Kamadev was born as "ukmani)s irst son Eradyumn. But 9ust a ter his birth& Eradyumn was kidnapped by a demon 1hambarasur. ,he demon dropped the baby into the sea& where a huge ish swallowed him in whole. >oincidentally the ish was caught by the ishers and presented to the kitchen o 1hambarasur. Chen the cooks cut the ish open& an e/tremely beauti ul baby emerged. @ayawati& the governess o the kitchen& elt over9oyed to see the baby. 1he began to rear the baby with love and a ection. ?nce +arad arrived in the kitchen and said5 P@ayawati& do you know who is in your lapL P P+o& ? Devarshi& * ound him rom the belly o a ish&P said @ayawati. Devarshi +arad said5 P(e is your husband Kamadev and you are his wi e "ati. *n this birth& he has appeared as Eradyumn the son o Krishna. (earing this& @ayawati saluted +arad with respect. 1ince then she regarded Eradyumn as her husband and served him accordingly. Chen Eradyumn matured. @ayawati reminded him about his real appearance. Eradyumn& therea ter& killed 1hambarasur and got married with @ayawati. ,hen the couple arrived in Dwarka. ,AL- ?D 1YA@A+,AK ,(- B-@ A person named 1atra9it was a great devotee o Lord 1uryanarayana. Eleased by his devotion& 1uryadev presented him a gem called 1yamantak. ,he gem had radiance eHual to the 1un. Bearing that gem& 1atra9it arrived in LordAs court. By the radiance o his gem& all the people and the courtiers mistook him or 1uryadev and stood in his regard. But the Lord recognised him and asked his courtiers to be calm. ,hen to 1atra9it& Lord 1aid5 P1atra9it& your gem is really very beauti ul. +ana (maternal grand ather) %grasen is the king o this region. * you present this gem to him& it will be very good. But 1atra9it re used to present that gem. ?ne day& later on& 1atra9itAs brother Erasen9it went hunting& wearing the gem in his neck. *n the orest a lion killed him and snatched the gem. ,he lion was in turn killed by the ursine king #ambvant. #ambvant took the gem to his cave and gave it to his children to play with. Chen Erasen9it did not return rom hunting& 1atra9it elt sorry and accused Krishna that (e had killed his brother or the gem. Chen lord Krishna heard that he was being blamed or the mishap& (e himsel went to the orests. ,here he ound the dead body o Erasen9it& but there was no sign o gem around the cadaver. (e ound only ootprints o a lion
leaving rom there. Dollowing the ootprints& (e discovered the dead lion and the ootprints o a great bear. Dollowing the ootprints& (e reached in the cave where #ambvantAs daughter #ambvati was playing with the gem. As soon as lord Krishna proceeded to take the gem& #ambvant arrived. A ierce duel resulted between them. ,hey continued to ight or twenty3si/ days without truce. ?n the twenty3seventh day #ambvant reHuested Lord$ PElease wait ? Lord.P Lord said5 PDo you want to take restLP P+oP& said #ambvant& P* have recognised you. You are none other than Lord +arayana (imsel . +obody else has the power to de eat me.P Lord appeared be ore #ambvant as 1hri "ama. #ambvant prayed and worshipped (im. (e was eeling guilty that he dared to ight Lord. Lord said that (e had arrived there or the gem only. #ambvant gave him the gem and also his daughter #ambvati. Lord returned the gem to 1atra9it and married #ambvati ormally. @A""*AB- ?D 1A,YAB(A@A A+D K"*1(+A Lord summoned 1atra9it to (is court and in the presence o the king %grasen& related the seHuence o incidents that took place in the 9ungle. 1atra9it elt ashamed. Cith a eeling o repentance he took the gem. (e was getting a raid also that he made enemity with lord Krishna without reason. (ence to e/piate his crime& 1atra9it thought o presenting the gem 1yamantak and his daughter 1atyabhama to Lord Krishna. Lord Krishna accepted 1atyabhama as his wi e but returned the gem to 1atra9it saying5 P*t is a gi t o lord 1uryadev. Keep it with you. You are reHuired to deposit the gold that you get rom it& in the royal treasure.P ,(-D, ?D 1YA@A+,AK Akrur and Kritvarma were not pleased with the marriage o 1atyabhama. 1o they got 1atra9it killed by 1hatadhanva. 1hatadhanva killed 1atra9it in his sleep and absconded with the gem. Lord Krishna was then away in (astinapur. 1atyabhama too reached there and in ormed Krishna about her atherAs assassination. Cith Balaram& Lord Krishna chased 1hatadhanva. But even a ter killing him& they could not trace the gem. 1hatadhanva had given the gem to Akrur to keep till his return. But a ter the death o 1hatadhanva& rightened Akrur came to stay in Kashi. Drom the e ect o the gem Akrur per ormed many grand Yagyas there. Lord summoned Akrur rom Kashi. A ter welcoming and treating him in the court& Lord asked him about the gem. Akrur showed the gem in the court. But Lord returned the gem to Akrur. @A""*AB- ?D L?"D K"*1(+A C*,( KAL*+D* ?nce Lord Krishna visited *ndraprasth to see Eandavas. ,here riding a chariot with Ar9una& (e came to the orests. ?n the bank o river Yamuna a pretty woman was observing penance. By the instinct o Bod& Ar9un drew near her and asked or her identity. 1he said5 P* am Kalindi& the daughter o 1uryadev. * am penancing here in order to get married with Lord Krishna.P Lord got Kalindi boarded on the chariot and got married to her ormally. L?"DA1 @A""*AB- C*,( @*,"V*+DA @itrvinda was the sister o Vind Anuvind the king o %99ain. 1he had a desire to get Lord as her husband. But her brother& Vind Anuvind was a ollower o Duryodhan. 1o he stopped his sister @itrvinda rom getting married to Krishna. But Krishna eloped with @itrvinda rom the court and got married to her ormally later on. L?"DA1 @A""*AB- C*,( 1A,YA 1atya was the daughter o +agn9it& the king o Kaushal. 1he was e/tremely beauti ul lady. ,he king had resolved that he would marry his daughter only to him who would de eat his seven most ormidable o/en. @any princes has tried their luck since then but ailed. Chen Lord Krishna heard about that& (e reached Kaushal with his army. ,he king o Kaushal welcomed and treated him well& and told him about his resolution. Lord then took seven guises and in no time de eated his seven ormidable o/en. Bladly the king married his daughter 1atya to Lord Krishna. L?"DA1 @A""*AB- C*,( B(AD"A Earashar says5 PEarikshit& LordAs aunt ( atherAs sister) 1hrutkirti was married in the kingdom o Kaikau9a. Bhadra was the daughter o 1hrutkirti. BhadraAs brothers like 1antardan etc. themselves had got their sister married to Lord Krishna. L?"DA1 @A""*AB- C*,( LAK1(@A+A
Lakshmana was the daughter o the king o @adra. 1he was very beauti ul and meritorious. Lord abducted her all alone rom the 1wayamvara organised or her marriage. Later& Lord married to her ormally. 1ALVA,*?+ ?D B(A%@A1%" Erag9yotishpur was the capital o the demon Bhaumasur. (e was very strong and power ul. (e had snatched the canopy o Varun& earrings o Aditi the mother o the gods& and @aniparvat o the gods on @eru. Apart rom these& he had also captured si/teen thousand and one hundred princesses as well. Devra9 *ndra himsel visited Dwarka and Erayed Lord to get them rid o BhaumasurAs atrocities. Cith the dear wi e 1atyabhama and riding his vehicle Barud. Lord Krishna arrived in the capital o Bhaumasur. But to enter Erag9yotishpur was an impossible task. But with the blows o his mace and arrows& Lord easily broke the hills& destroyed strategic positions and cut the snares with sword. By his wheel he destroyed the walls o ire& water and air. Cith the loud sound o conch& Lord rendered the machines& installed there& useless. %ltimately& Bod destroyed the rampart o the citadel. Disturbed by the noise& the ive3headed demon @ur ran with a trident to kill Bod. But with a single shot o his arrow& Lord broke his trident and cut his head with his wheel. 1oldiers and commanders o Bhaumasur were also killed. Bhaumasur then came himsel to ight. (e had donned a shinning crown and was wearing big earrings. Cith his wheel& Lord cut the demonAs head. As soon as (e beheaded the demon& the gods showered lowers on the Lord and worshipped (im. -ven the mother earth came and put a garland o ive colours around lord)s neck. 1he also presented to him the earrings o Aditi& canopy o Varun& and a great gem. At the reHuest o earth& Lord assured BhaumasurAs son Bhagdatt reedom rom his ears. L?"DA1 @A""*AB- C*,( >AE,*V- E"*+>-11-1 A ter slaying Bhaumasur& Lord entered his palace. ,here (e released the si/teen thousand one hundred captive princesses. ,he princesses were very much impressed by the Lord. ,hey had all accepted in their mind& Lord Krishna as their husband. Lord too bowed be ore their love and accepted them as his wives and arranged to send them to Dwarka. E"ADY%@+A1 @A""*AB- C*,( "%K@VA,* "ukmvati was the daughter o "ukmi& the brother o "ukmani. Chen a 1wayamvara was organised or her& she saw Eradyumn. 1he was so impressed by him that she chose him as her husband. But it was not acceptable to other princes. ,hey tried to stop their marriage. But de eating them all& Eradyumn abducted "ukmvati and married her ormally. ,hen to please his sister "ukmani& "ukmi got his granddaughter "ochana married to "ukmaniAs grandsons Anirudh. @A""*AB- ?D %1(A3A+*"%D( ,he son o the demon king Bali& Baanasur was a great devotee o Lord 1hiva. Baanasur ruled over the kingdom 1honitpur. By the grace o Lord 1hiva& he had received thousand arms. -ven all the gods including *ndra used to serve him. ,hus blinded by his physical strength& Baanasur sought a boon rom Lord to meet a match or his strength. Lord 1hiva said5 P? ool& your thirst or war shall be Huenched when your lag is broken.P Baanasur had a daughter named %sha. ?nce she had a dream in which Anirudh was making love with her. 1he was very much perple/ed by the dream. A ter a ew days with the help o her riend >hitralekha& Anirudh sneaked into her palace. (e stayed there and en9oyed the company o %sha or long. But AnirudhAs clandestine stay could not remain hidden rom the eyes o Banasura. 1o he put Anirudh in prison. ,here in Dwarka& everyone was worried by AnirudhAs long absence. *t was +arad& who ultimately revealed the act that Anirudh was in the prison o Baanasur. (earing the news& Lord Krishna launched an attack on Baanasur. (is armies surrounded 1honitpur. During Bhurabandi the lag o BaanasurAs palace ell. Lord 1hankar arrived to assist Baanasur. Lord Krishna cut all the arms o Baanasur. At the reHuest o 1hiva& he le t only our o his arms intact. Baanasur bowed his head be ore Lord Krishna and brought Anirudh and %sha respect ully be ore (im. Cith them Lord Krishna returned to Dwarka where ormal marriage o %sha and Anirudh took place. ,AL- ?D ,(- K*+B +"*B
?nce& Lord KrishnaAs sons visited the orests. ,here they saw a huge >hameleon allen in a large& deep well. ,hey tried to pull it out but in vain. ,he princes& there ore& returned to the palace and related this strange episode to Lord Krishna. Lord too came to the well and with (is le t hand& easily pulled the >hameleon out. As soon as the chameleon came out& it turned into a divine god and began to worship Bod. (e said5 P? Lord& * am +rig. ,he king *kshvaaku was my ather. *n my li e& * had donated uncountable numbers o cows to the Brahmins. But once a cow& donated by me& returned to my cowshed. By mistake * made a resolution to donate it to another Brahmin. @y action led to a dispute between the two Brahmins& and my wisdom ailed to settle their dispute. Both the Brahmins went away unsatis ied& but * met this ate a ter death. 1ince then& * had been in this well in the orm o a chameleon. +ow& by the grace ul touch o your hands& ? Lord& * have received salvation.P King +rig then went around the Lord and returned to his heavenly abode.P 1ALVA,*?+ ?D EA%+D"AK ?nce Balaram and Krishna had gone to Bra9 to see +andbaba there. @eanwhile the king Eaundrak o Karush sent an envoy to lord Krishna with a message that said5 A* am Lord Vasudev.A EandrakAs envoy arrived in the court and read out the message5 P,o bestow my grace on the people& * have taken an incarnation. You have alsely named yoursel as Vasudev and bore my insignia. ,ake my re uge or ace the battle.P (earing the message o Eaundrak& %grasen and other courtiers began to laugh. Lord asked the envoy to in orm Eaundrak that (e would launch (is wheel on him and his army. "eceiving the message Eaundrak launched an attack on Dwarka with two Akshauhini armies. ,he king o Kashi was a riend o Eaundrak. (e too came to his assistance with three Akshauhini armies. Eaundrak had disguised as Vasudev and was bearing arti icial conch& wheel& mace and lotus and. (e had also adorned 1wastika& Kaustubh etc. All the people began to laugh at EaundrakAs clown like attire. *n no time& the Lord stripped him o all his adornments. (is wheel cut his head. ,hen with an arrow the Lord cut the head o the king o Kashi. (is head ell in ront o his palaceAs gate. 1udakshin& the son o the Kashi king& organised a grand Yagya to avenge his atherAs killing. An ogress& Kritya emerged rom the Yagya and began to burn Dwarka. All the people prayed Krishna to protect them. Lord assured them to be earless and ordered (is wheel 1udarshan to kill Kritya. 1udarshan e/tinguished the ire& killed Kritya and destroyed Kashi. ,hen it returned to the LordAs inger. 1ALVA,*?+ ?D DC*V*D ,here was once a monkey named Dwivid. (e was the riend o Bhaumasur. Chen Dwivid heard about BhaumasurAs killing by 1hri Krishna& he began to cause large3scale destruction in the kingdom. (is disruptive activities in the country began to terrorise the sub9ects o Lord Krishna. ?nce hearing sweet music& the monkey was drawn towards the "aivtak @ountain. ,here he saw Balaram amidst beauti ul young women. ,he monkey began to behave indecently. Angered by his indecency& Balaram hit him with his pestle& named 1unand& and killed the monkey. @A""*AB- ?D 1A@B 1amb was the son o lord Krishna and born to #ambvati. (e had Kidnapped Lakshmana& the daughter o Duryodhan rom her 1wayamvara. *n uriated Kauravas chased them and& with di iculty& they caught 1amb and tied him. Chen the Yaduvanshis got the news& they began preparations to launch an attack on Kauravas. Balaram paci ied them and reached (astinapur alone. ,here he received a warm welcome rom the Kauravas. Balaram said to them5 P*t is an order o the king %grasen that you should see 1amb o with his newly wedded wi e.P (earing BalaramAs words Kauravas got angry and began to deride Yaduvanshis. *n uriated by Kauravas derision& Balaram trained his pestle and plough. (e intended to turn over the town o (astinapur into the river Yamuna. Chen the city began to shake& Kauravas elt perple/ed and begged Balaram or his pardon. Balaram assured them to be earless and returned to Dwarka with 1amb and his newly wedded wi e Lakshmana. ,(- K*+B1 *+ >AE,*V*,Y 1--K L?"DA1 (-LE ?nce Lord Krishna was holding (is court when an emissary arrived in the court. ,he kings who were held captive orcibly by #arasandh had sent him. ,he emissary related the miseries o those kings to Lord Krishna. ,hrough the emissary& the kings had reHuested5 P? Lord o the world& Kindly get us ree rom our miseries. Ce are in your re uge. Ce desire your sight. Kindly bestow us with your grace.P Lord Krishna sent the emissary o with
assurance o timely action. @eanwhile& Devarshi +arad arrived in the court and in ormed the Lord o YudhisthirAs intention to organise a grand "a9suy Yagya and his cordial invitation or the Lord to attend the ceremony. Lord asked his riend %ddhav or an advice as to where (e ought to go irst 3 to *ndraprasth in "a9suy Yagya or to liberate the king rom the captivity o #arasandh. %ddhav advised Lord to go to *ndraprasth irst. ,here (e would be able to serve both the purposes. L?"DA1 D-EA",%"- D?" *+D"AE"A1,(A %ddhavAs advice was in the interest o all. -veryone supported it. ,aking permission rom (is priest and teachers& Lord set out on a chariot with the whole amily to reach *ndraprasth. *n *ndraprasth& Eandavas accorded the Lord with warm3hearted elicitations. By the dictate o Lord& @ayasur built a divine looking court or Yudhishthir. ,he courtroom was a marvellous piece o architecture. ,he shinning& smooth& loor o it appeared like water& while water bodies presented a look like marble loors. K*LL*+B ?D #A"A1A+D( During Yudhisthir)s "a9suy Yagya& all the Eandavas set out in all the directions to conHuer the kings and e/pand the boundaries o their kingdom. Carriors like Bheema& Ar9un de eated great kings all around and e/tended the boundaries o YudhisthirAs empire. But to de eat #arasandh& 3 Bheema& Ar9una and Lord Krishna went in the guise Brahmins. ,hey reached #arasandh capital Birivra9 and prayed him or donations. #arasandh promised to give them the things o their desires. Lord Krishna then introduced them and begged #arasandh or a duel with any o them. #arasandh accepted to ight a duel with Bheema. (e gave Bheema a mace and both o them came out to the outskirts o the town& where they began their duel. Both o them were eHually strong and eHually brave and well pitted. ,wenty3seven days passed& but their duel remained inconclusive. ?n the twenty3eighth day& during the ight& Lord signalled Bheema a way to kill #arasandh. (e took a small twig in his hands and tore it apart into two. Bheema understood the signal and beating #arasandh on ground& he tore him apart in two pieces and threw them in opposite directions. ,hus came the end o evil #arasandh. Lord Krishna and Ar9una heartily greeted Bheema or his success. ,hey then enthroned #arasandhAs son 1ahadev and also got the captive kings released. 1ALVA,*?+ ?D 1(*1(%EAL King Yudhishthir had invited great Vedic Brahmins and Acharayas on the occasion. Eersons rom Kauravas side like Drona& Bheeshma& Kripacharya& Dhritarashtra& Vidur and Duryodhan etc. were too invited to witness the celebrations. -ven Brahma& 1hiv& *ndra& Bandharvas& Vidyadhar had too arrived. But be ore the Yagya could start a dispute cropped up among the great sages as to who ought to be worshipped irst in the Yagya. *n the opinion o 1ahadev (youngest o the Eandava brothers& not the son o #arasandh)& Lord Krishna deserved the irst worship. -very one supported him. ?nly 1hishupal could not tolerate the decision. (e stood up and said5 P*n the presence o such great ascetics& savants& polymaths and sages& how can this cowherd deserve the irst worship.P Despite 1hishupal bitter remarks Lord Krishna kept Huiet. But 1hishupal did not. -ncouraged by LordAs silence he began to attack the kings& who stood by LordAs side& with sword. (e was simultaneously abusing Lord Krishna also. Lord had assured 1hishupal o this orgiveness or up to one hundred sins. But now 1hishupalAs sins have crossed that permitted number. 1o& Huieting all& Lord cut his head with (is wheel. As soon as the dead body o 1hishupal ell on the ground& a lame emerged rom it and merged with Lord Krishna. 1hukdev says5 P? Earikshit& eelings o hostility had been accumulating in the heart o 1hishupal or his past three births against Lord Krishna. *t was because o these intense hostile eelings that 1hishupal met salvation eventually. A ter the salvation o 1hishupal& ceremonies and rituals o Yagya proceeded unabated. At the end king Yudhishthir presented all those present there with itting gi ts and took ceremonial bath. At the reHuest o Eandavas& lord Krishna stayed in *ndraprasth or many months. 1ALVA,*?+ ?D 1(ALV 1hukdev says5 PEarikshit& now listen to the tale o how Lord caused salvation or 1halv. 1halv was the childhood riend o 1hishupal and had attended the marriage o "ukmani as a member o 1hishupalAs wedding party. At that time& Yaduvanshis had de eated them all including #arasandh and 1halv. "ight at that moment& 1halv had resolved to destroy Yaduvanshis and began worshipping Bods o the gods Eashupati (1hiv). Lord Ashutosh 1hiva
was pleased with him. As a boon& 1halv had got an aeroplane that was invincible even or the gods& demons& humans& +agas& etc and was particularly ormidable or Yaduvanshis. By the dictate o Lord 1hiva& the demon @aya constructed such an aeroplane o iron. ,he aeroplane named 1aubh was as big as a city and was di icult to be spotted or caught. *t could move as ast as oneAs wishes. 1oon a ter getting the aeroplane& 1halv launched an attack o Dwarka. 1urrounding Dwarka& 1halv began to destroy buildings and houses there. 1eeing the people terrorised& Eradyumn consoled them to be earless and he set out on a chariot to counter 1halv. (e pierced 1halv with arrows. But 1halvaAs minister Dyumana attacked Eradyumna with a mace. By the blow o the mace& Eradyumn lost his consciousness. But soon he came around and began to slay 1halvAs orces. ,he ierce battle continued or twenty3seven days. Lord was away then in *ndraprasth Yagya. But (e was sure that in his absence Kshatriya kings o 1hishupal side would be attacking on Dwarka. Lord reached Dwarka and saw a ierce battle between Eradyumn and 1halv. 1eeing Lord arrive& 1halv began to attack (im with sharp arrows. Lord hit 1halv with a power ul blow o mace and he began to spit blood rom his mouth. (e then tried to show many illusions and showered Lord with weapons. But Lord wounded 1halv with his arrows& broke his aeroplane with his mace. Very soon therea ter the aeroplane plunged in to the sea. 1halv then attacked Lord with mace but Lord cut his head with 1udarshan wheel. 1eeing his end& all the gods showered lowers on Lord. 1ALVA,*?+ ?D DA+,VAK,"A A+D V*D%"A,( A ter the killing o 1hishupal& 1halv etc. Dantvaktra arrived in the battle ield carrying a mace. Chen Lord saw him coming& (e too 9umped down rom the chariot and balked his movement with a mace. Dantvaktra tried to humiliate Bod with his abuses and hit him on head with his mace. Lord easily bore the blow o mace and hit DantvaktraAs chest with his mace named Kaumodaki. DantvaktraAs heart tore apart by the blow and he ell dead. Vidurath was the brother o Dantvaktra. (e came in the ield with sword and shield to avenge his brotherAs death. 1eeing him ready to launch an attack& Lord cut VidurathAs head with his wheel. ,hus& Lord Krishna entered Dwarka only a ter killing 1halv& Dantvaktra and Vidurath. All the gods and other inhabitants o heaven showered lowers on (im. 1%DA@A5 ,(- L?"DA1 D"*-+D During his stay as a disciple at the hermitage o sage 1andipani& Lord Krishna had a Brahmin riend named 1udama. (e was very indi erent in nature with no desires or the material things. A ter their education& Lord Krishna came to Dwarka while 1udama& who had no any inclination or accumulating material wealth& got married and began to pass his li e with his wi e 1usheela in ab9ect poverty. ?ne day his wi e 1usheela said5 P? lord& your riend Krishna is the king o Dwarka. (e is very benevolent to Brahmins and his devotees. * you go to see him& he will understand your miseries and grant you a lot o wealth.P But 1udama plainly re used saying5 PDevi& * have chosen the path o devotion or sel upli tment and not or the wealth.P 1usheela& however& kept o insisting5 PAll right& donAt go or the wealth. But at least you can go to see your old riend. 1udama accepted this proposition& thinking that only the sight o Lord yields supreme bene it to the devotee. But he wanted something as a gi t to present to his old riend. At this& his wi e tied our hand uls o raw rice in a bundle. Cith that humble gi t& 1udama set out or Dwarka. (is poverty was at its helm. But he kept on reciting LordAs name all along the way. A ter walking or some distance& 1udama elt thirsty. (e drank water& Huenched his thirst and thanked Bod that (e at least does give water to drink. 1udama kept on walking the whole day. *n the evening& he kept the bundle o rice under his head as a pillow and slept. +ow it was BodAs turn to show (is gratitude or the devotee. Chen 1udama awoke in the morning& he ound himsel right in ront o Lord KrishnaAs palace. At irst he could not believe his eyesK but the people told him that he was in Dwarka and standing right be ore the lordAs palace. 1udama reHuested the gatekeeper to in orm Lord Krishna that his childhood riend 1udama had come. Lord Krishna was sitting in the company o "ukmani when the gatekeeper delivered the message. As soon as Lord Krishna learned about 1udamaAs arrival& (e stood up and ran helter3skelter to welcome his childhood riend. At the gate (e cordially embraced 1udama and escorted him into his private chamber and made him sit on the throne. Krishna and Hueen "ukmani both washed 1udamaAs eet one by one. By the mere touch o his riend& Krishna was eeling over9oyed. (is eyes illed with tears. (e and 1udama were holding each otherAs hands. ,heir hearts were beating with the memories o their period as disciples at the hermitage o 1andipani. Dor long& none o them
could utter a word. At last 1udama said5 P? #agadguru Krishna& * have the ortune o being your riend. Chat remains or me to doLP Lord Krishna said5 PBrother& have you brought or me something sent by my sister3in3lawL * love to accept even the pettiest thing presented with a ection.P At the LordAs words& 1udama elt ashamed and he did not reveal the our hand uls o raw rice that he had brought as gi t. Cith shame& 1udama began to look at the ground. Lord knew everything that his dear riend 1udama had never remembered him with a desire or wealth. ,his time too he has come at the insistence o his wi e. A(ence& * will give him the wealth that is rare even or the gods&A thought Lord Krishna and snatched the bundle o raw rice and opened it with great respect. (e put one hand ul o it in his mouth. Chen Lord proceeded to take ne/t hand ul& Hueen "ukmani held his hand and prayed5 P? Vishvambhar ( osterer o the world) or the prosperity o entire world this one hand ul is su icient.P 1udama stayed that night in the palace o 1hri Krishna. ,here he e/perienced the com ort o Vaikunth (abode o Bod). 1taying there or many days& 1udama at last& took leave o 1hri Krishna and set out or his home. Lord did not give 1udama anything apparently nor did 1udama asked or (is avour. (e was travelling overwhelmed by a divine sense o devotion and elt that Krishna might have not given him wealth lest he should orget (im. ,hus& sunk in myriad kinds o thoughts& 1udama reached his home. But at the place& where his dilapidated hut stood once there was now a divine palace surrounded by verdant gardens. ,he loors o the palace were embedded with precious gems and stones. 1tanding at the gate& 1udama elt con used& when his wi e 1usheela came out with scented water to welcome him. ,ears were rolling on her cheeks. Cith love she greeted 1udama and escorted him inside the palace. 1udama was still re lecting over the BodAs grace and praying5 P@ay * have the riendship o lord in every birth& may my a ection increase or LordAs eet. * donAt want wealth.4 1ince then& 1udama en9oyed the com orts o the palace as the bounty o Lord bestowed upon him by none other than the Lord Krishna himsel . (is devotion increased day by day. @--,*+B ?D L?"D C*,( B?E*1 1hukdev says5 P? Earikshit& Lord Krishna was passing his time with pleasure in Dwarka. A total solar eclipse happened to all during that period. Eeople rom all over *ndia thronged in Kurukshetra to take a dip in sacred Banges on that great occasion. All the Yaduvanshis too arrived there. Chen Vra9vasis (*nhabitants o Vra9) learned about Krishna and BalaramAs arrival in Kurukshetra& they too assembled there. During the estival& Lord Krishna met (is oster3 ather +and and other cowherds who were his childhood riends. Lord Krishna met the Bopis also who had been pining or his sight since long. ,hey en9oyed the meeting and kept on chatting or long. ?verwhelmed by love and 9oy& Vasudev embraced +and. Lord Krishna and Balaram respect ully greeted mother Yashoda and ather +and. ,hey too embraced Krishna3Balaram cordially. Bopis were specially overwhelmed by LordAs sight. ,hey had no other desire but to have a sight o Lord. ,hat day their long cherished dream had come true. Bopis imbued the captivating appearance o Lord and e/perienced the 9oy o embracing (im. Lord met all the Bopis and embraced them. *nHuired about their well being and preached them with spiritual knowledge. By the virtue o that knowledge& eeling o living disappeared among the Bopis and they merged with Bod orever. ?"BA+*1A,*?+ ?D YABYA BY VA1%D-V Devarshi +arad& Vyasa and many other great sages arrived in Kurukshetra to have a sight o Lord. Lord welcomed them all. ,hen Vasudev greeted them and enHuired about way or his sel 3upli tment. Laughingly& +arad said5 PVasudev& a person& already living at the bank o the Banges& discards her holy water and goes to other places o pilgrimage or his puri ication. *n the presence o Krishna3Balaram& the sages said5 PYou regard the indescribable& eternal& 1achchidanand 1hri Krishna as your son& and seek the way o your sel upli tment rom us. ? Vasudev& recognise (im. ,ake to (is re uge& only (e can salve you.P Vasudev got the meaning o sageAs words and began to develop eelings o devotion or his son. -very human being has obligation or the gods& sages and his ancestors. ,he sages got a Yagya per ormed in Kurukshetra by Vasudev to ree him rom the obligation or gods. "-V*1,*+B ?D D-VAK*A1 1*R 1?+1 *n Dwarka& Krishna and Balaram used to greet their parentAs irst daily in the morning. +ow Vasudev had recognised (is identity. 1o a ter their return rom Kurukshetra& when Krishna3Balaram went as usual to greet their
parents& Vasudev greeted them irst. Lord Krishna then preached his ather about the metaphysical knowledge. Cith that knowledge& Vasudev began to see Krishna everywhere. @other Devaki was also present there. @emory o her si/ children& who were killed by Kansa& was still a resh in her mind. 1he had heard that Krishna had etched the dead son o 1andipani rom Yamloka. 1o she prayed to them P You both are venerable even to the gods. Kindly grant me my desire. 1how me my si/ sons who were killed by Kansa. By their motherAs dictate and helped by Yogmaya& both the brothers reached 1utal Loka. ,he demon king Bali welcomed them there and o ered them a seat& and washed their eet. King Bali then asked Bod what could he do or (im. Lord said5 ? demon king& in 1wayambhu @anvantara& si/ sons were born to %rna the wi e o Era9apati @arichi. ,hey were all gods. ,hey had once seen Brahma trying to copulate with his own daughter and hence derided at him. *ndignant Brahma had then cursed them to take birth in demon incarnation. ,hey there ore were born as the sons o (iranyakashipu. *n the present era& Yogmaya had made them born as DevakiAs sons who were killed by Kansa. ,hey are all now in your Loka. @other Devaki is mourning or them& so we shall take them with us. ,hey will thus be reed rom the curse and go to their heavenly abode.P ,hus Lord Krishna and Balaram brought those si/ babies to Dwarka and handed them to mother Devaki. 1eeing her babies again& DevakiAs heart illed with love or her sons. @ilk began to lood her breasts. 1he breast3 ed them. Drinking the milk& all the babies received salvation. ,hey then departed to their heavenly abode. L?V- A+D @A""*AB- ?D 1%B(AD"A A+D A"#%+ King Earikshit asked5 PBurudev& how did my grand ather Ar9un and grandmother 1ubhadra got marriedL * want to hear this tale. Kindly narrate it to me.P 1hukdev said5 Earikshit once travelling on a pilgrimage tour& Ar9un reached in Erabhas region. ,here he learned that Balaram was desirous o marrying his sister 1ubhadra to Duryodhan. But Vasudev and Krishna were not in the avour o this marriage. 1o& a strong urge took hold in his mind to get 1ubhadra as his wi e. Acting as per the urge& Ar9un reached Dwarka in the guise o Vaishnav sage. *t was rainy season then& so with an e/cuse o >haturmasya Vrata ( our months long ast)& Ar9un stayed in Dwarka. During his stay& Balaram served and looked a ter him very well. But neither Balaram nor any other inmates o the palace could recognise Ar9un. ?nce Balaram invited Ar9un to his home. ,here he o ered good& delicious ood to Ar9un. 1ubhadra too served him well. ,here& they ell in love with each other. Later on& boarding a chariot& 1ubhadra went out o the palace or a 9oy ride. At the outskirts o the town& Ar9un was awaiting or her. (e had already taken permission o Devaki3 Vasudev and Krishna. 1ubhadra too had silently nodded her acceptance. 1o that evening Ar9un and 1ubhadra eloped rom Dwarka. ,he news o 1ubhadra eloping with Ar9un irst outraged Balaram. But Lord Krishna and other near and dear ones convinced and paci ied him. "-L-A1- ?D 1(*VA D"?@ >"*1*1 @aitreya asked5 PBurudev& those among the gods& human beings and the demons& who worship Lord 1hiva& get wealth very soon. But those& who worship Lord +arayana& remain a licted with scarcity. Chat is the reason or thatLP *n reply& Lord Krishna had said5 P? Yudhishthir& * take away all the wealth rom those whom * bestow my grace. Chen they are poor& their relatives desert them. * even render their e orts useless when they try to earn money. ,hus being unsuccess ul repeatedly& the people develop an attitude o indi erence or wealth. ,hen they begin to take shelter as my devotee and mingle with me. ?nly then& * bestow my ull grace on them and they receive me as 1achchidanand EaraBrahma. ,hus& pleasing me through my worship is e/tremely di icult. (ence& ordinary people give me up and worship other deities& which are in act di erent orms o me. Lord 1hiva is Ashutosh and bestows his devotees Huickly with grace. (e gives wealth and other riches to his devotees. But once they get wealth& the devotees become despotic and even orget the Bod who had blessed them.P ?nce upon a time& there was a demon Vrikasur. (e had pleased Lord 1hiva and sought a boon that the person& upon whose head the demon put his hand& should be incinerated at once. Lord 1hiva granted the boon without considering the conseHuences. But as soon as the demon got this supernatural power& he ran to incinerate Lord 1hiva irst. ,he demon was eyeing Bauri Earvati& so he was determined to eliminate Lord 1hiva. +ow a raid o his own boon& Lord 1hiva ran or his li e& with the demon ollowing him in hot pursuit. At last 1hiva reached in
Vaikunth and told Lord Vishnu about his crisis. Lord at once illumined the demon and made him put his hand& on his own head. By the virtue o the boon& the demon was incinerated in no time and thus Lord 1hiva could be saved. ,-1,*+B ?D ,"*+*,Y ?nce upon a time& all the sages assembled on the bank o 1araswati "iver. A dispute erupted among them as to who among the trinity was the greatest. By consensus they appointed sage Bhrigu to test the trinity o Brahma& Vishnu and @ahesh. Bhrigu reached to Brahma& but did not greet him. Brahma got in uriated but since the sage Bhrigu was his son& (e did not curse him. ,hen Bhrigu visited 1hiva. Lord 1hiva proceeded to embrace the sage. But instead o accepting 1hivaAs welcome& the sage began to abuse (im& saying5 PYou violate the dignity o Vedas& so * will not meet with you.P Angry 1hiva raised his trident to kill him& but Bhagwati stopped (im. At last Bhrigu reached Vaikunth to see Lord Vishnu. Lord was lying with head in the lap o Lakshmi. Bhrigu kicked hard at (is chest. But instead o getting angry& Lord got up& bowed his head be ore the sage and begged pardon5 P? 1age& pardon me& * could not welcome you at once& at your arrival. Your eet are so t& * hope they are not hurt. All my sins have been washed by the touch o your eet.P Bhrigu elt very pleased by the serious talks o Lord. (is heart elt overwhelmed with e/cess o devotion. (e returned to the assembly o the sages and narrated his e/perience. 1ince then Lord Vishnu is regarded as the 1upreme and giver o peace and earlessness. "-V*VAL ?D B"A(@+A1 D-AD >(*LD"-+ ,here in Dwarka lived a Brahmin. Chen the irst son was born to his wi e& it died immediately a ter birth. ,he Brahmin took his dead son to the royal court and complained5 P@y 1on has died because o anti3Brahmin and licentious actions o the king.P ?ne by one& thus& eight sons were born to the Brahmin coupleK but they all died immediately a ter birth. And the Brahmin kept on dumping his dead sons at the gate o the royal palace. Chen his ninth son was born& and died& Ar9un was also there in Dwarka. (e made a promise to the Brahmins5 * shall guard your son or commit sel 3immolation. At the time o ne/t delivery& the agitated Brahmin came to Ar9un. ,raining his bow and arrows& Ar9un made all arrangements to protect BrahminAs tenth son. 1ancti ied by many mantras& Ar9unAs arrows constructed a ence around the labour room. A child took birthK but it too died a ter some time. Brahmin& then& cursed Ar9un. Ar9un scouted through all the three worlds and even the netherworlds in search o the BrahminAs dead son& but he could not ind him anywhere. %ltimately accepting his ailure and as per his promise& Ar9un proceeded to immolate himsel . @eanwhile& Lord Krishna too learned about Ar9unAs vow and stopped him rom sel 3immolation. ,herea ter& riding a divine chariot& Lord set out with Ar9un& towards west. Beyond the limits o cosmos. ,hey reached the abode o Lord Vasudev in ,ripadvibhuti. ,here Ar9un saw that Lord was present in Eurushottam)s appearance. 1hri Krishna and Ar9un greeted (im. Lord Eurushottam said in a serious voice5 P? Krishna and Ar9una& only to have a sight o both o you& * brought the BrahminAs sons to me. Both o you had taken incarnation on earth rom my part to protect the religion. All the demons have been slain by now. +ow you too return to me. 1hri Krishna and Ar9un again greeted Lord and returned on earth with all the sons o the Brahmin. Ar9un was greatly surprised to see the supreme abode o Lord. (e elt that whatever strength a living being had& it been all by 1hri KrishnaAs grace. Like common& ordinary people& the Lord stayed on earth en9oying mundane com orts& per ormed Yagyas like kings& behaved like idealistic peopleK deterred (is sub9ects and slayed evil kings to re3 establish religion on earth.
7.8.I ,he 1ages >urse Yaduvanshis

Earashar said5 PAs the time passed& Yaduvanshis grew stronger and more in luential. +ow no longer did they like the welcoming and treating o the great sages by the Lord. Lord Krishna knew about their disliking& but secretly (e was pleased by this change in YaduvanshiAs behaviour& or (e knew that by disregarding the saints and the scriptures& they would meet their end sooner.
?nce the Yaduvanshis clothed #ambvatiAs son 1amb in a womanAs attire and& showing him to the sages asked mockingly5 P@ahara9a& this is our sister3in3law. 1he is an e/pecting mother. 1he eels shy to ask but tell us what will be born to herL ,hrough their un ailing vision& the 1ages knew the reality and said5 PDools& a pestle shall be born to her and that pestle shall e/terminate the entire Yaduvansha. +ow all the Yaduvanshis were perple/ed by sagesA prediction& and approached their king %grasen. But& even the king was helpless now because he could not change the words the pious sages. *n due course& a pestle was born to 1amb. Drightened o an imminent ate& Yaduvanshis crushed the pestle into a ine powder and threw it into the sea. ?nly a nail remained& that also was thrown into the sea where a ish swallowed it. A isher caught the ish and cut it open and ound the nail. (e gave it to a hunter. ,he hunter i/ed the nail in the head o his arrow. ?n the other hand& the sea waves washed the powder o the pestle ashore where it germinated and grew as lu/uriant grasses. Later on& once all the Yaduvanshis assembled at the seashore or a picnic where they drank wine and began to ight with one another under into/ication. 1oon their Huarrel grew so high that they pulled out the grasses& which were growing there& to use as the arms. Cith the grasses the Yaduvanshis beat one another to death. +A"AD E"-A>(-1 VA1%D-V AB?%, B(ABACA, ?nce +arad arrived in Dwarka. Vasudev prayed him and reHuested to provide him with pious company o Bhagwat Dharma. +arad said5 P? king& once upon a time& nine great sages arrived in the court o the king #anak. King #anak had put the same curiosity be ore them also. * will narrate the conversation that ollowed there between the sages and the king.P Dirst o all& the irst Yogishwar Kavi said5 P? king #anak& dedication is the irst duty (Dharma) o a Vaishnav. (e should devote everything 3 his actions& ruits o actions and even himsel & at the eet o Lord. (e ought to hear about LordAs virtues. 1uch a devotee shall be indi erent to the worldly a airs and shall laugh& dance or sing occasionally and sancti ied all the three worlds.P ,he king then asked about the characteristics o the LordAs devotees. Another Yogeshwara (ari said5 PA true devotee o the Lord remains una ected by eelings like hunger& thirst& li e& death& labour& pain& ear and desire. 1uch a devotee is the e/cellent kind o Bhagwat. -ven the wealth o all the three worlds cannot shake the aith o such a devotee& because Lord 1hri (ari himsel stays in his heart.P PChat is illusionLP A Yogeshwara Antariksh replied5 PKing& an illusion is also BodAs play. (aving a possessive eeling about mundane is illusion. ,hinking in terms o A*A& A@eA& A@ineA& A@yA& AYouA& AYourA is also illusion. * one can have such an a ection or Bod as he has or worldly things& one can easily surmount the illusion.P King #anak then asked about the method o worshipping Lord. A Yogeshwara& Karbha9an said5 P ? king& the Lord had a air comple/ion in 1atayug. Eeople used to receive (im through methods like meditation& reconciliation& etc. *n ,retayug& the Lord had reddish comple/ion and Yagyas were the main means to achieve (im. *n Dwaparyug& the Lord had yellowish comple/ion and (e could be pleased through worships. *n the present Kaliyuga& Lord has dark comple/ion and one can receive (im through means like recitation& narration and hearing o (is name and plays. ,hus& +arad preached Vasudev about Bhagwat Dharma. +ow the heart and mind o Vasudev were thoroughly clean and pure. L?"D D-EA",1 ,? (*1 AB?D- A+D D-1,"%>,*?+ ?D YAD%VA+1(*1 ,o remind the Lord about the moment o (is departure& Brahma arrived in Dwarka accompanied by all the gods. (e prayed to (im5 P? Lord& you have completed your duty o what we had once reHuested you. +ow& You please return to your abode. Lord said5 P?n the seventh day rom now& Dwarka shall submerge in the sea and Yadavas shall ight among themselves to death. * too shall depart then. ,he arrow o a hunter shall be the cause o my departure.P Chen %ddhav learned that Lord was about to wind up (is plays& he approached (im and said5 P* understand& ? Lord& that this all is happening by your wish. But * cannot part or a moment rom your eet. (ence& take me also with you to your abode.P Lord said5 P%ddhav& * will not go anywhere. @y entire brilliance will be present in 1hrimad Bhagwat. You stay here preaching Bhagwat Dharma.P 1aying thus& lord preached %ddhav about the Beeta Byana through the tale o Avadhoot. Lord narrated thus5 P%ddhav& ?nce& our ancestor Yadu happened to see Lord Dattatreya in a orest. Lord was indulged in the supreme 9oy in the guise o Avadhoot. Yadu asked him about the reasons or his whimsical state.P
Avadhoot had said5 P? king& making the various animals& birds& insects etc as my teacher& * have learned about spirituality rom them. ,hat is why * am ree rom mourning and attachment. -arth& air& sky& water& ire& the moon the sun& pigeon& python& sea& grasshopper& bumblebee& honey bee& elephant& e/tractor o honey& deer& ish& prostitute& osprey& boy& girls& arrow3maker& snake& spider and wasp are all my teachers. * took re uge at these twenty3 our teachers and learned rom their behaviour. * learned orgiveness rom earth& purity rom the sky& holiness and cleanliness rom the water& innocence and renunciation rom the ireK indi erentness rom the air& to remain una ected by circumstances rom moon& abdication rom the 1un& incoherence rom the pigeon& dependence upon ate and remain e ortless rom the python& to remain always happy and serious rom the sea& to be under the control o sense organs and hence meet total destruction rom the grasshopper& acHuiring o virtues rom bumblebee& ault in cumulating rom honey bee& to abstain sensuous talks rom the Deer& to eliminate greed rom the ish& sorrow in hope and happiness in desperation rom the prostitute& to eel happy in uncertainty rom osprey& dispute among many rom the girls& concentration rom the arrow3maker& to roam alone and detachment rom a particular place rom the snake& virtues o the creator Lord rom the spider& and * learned similarity rom the wasp.P *n the guise o Avadhoot& Lord Dattatreya says5 P? king& * learned wisdom and apathy rom my body also& because li e& death& li e and death again are inseparably intertwined with it. (ence the net result o loving this body is nothing but sorrow. ,hus our own body also helps us to learn about metaphysical knowledge. Lord Krishna also e/plained %ddhav regarding utility o physical and heavenly lu/uries. ,his human body is like a tree& on which two birds 3 #eevatma and Earamatma (microcosm and supreme soul) 3 have taken shelter. ,wo ruits 3 happiness and sorrow 3 appear on it. #eevatma (microcosm) eats these ruits while Earamatma (supreme soul) stays as an indi erent onlooker. ,here are three kinds o #eev 3 Baddh (Bound)& Bhakt (devotee) and @ukt (liberated). Baddh #eevas (bound souls) are those who indulge in sensual pleasures and those who dislike pious company. @ukt #eev (liberated souls) are those who are ree rom attachment and bindings. Bhakt (devotees) are those who meditate on me and dedicate their everything in my eet and have love or my virtues. @y devotee is kind& ree rom laws& tolerant& has eeling o raternity or all and controls his desires. B(*K1(% B--, Lord said5 P%ddhav& in the world& there is indeed a dearth o such tolerant people who can tolerate bitter remarks o evil ones. *n this conte/t there is a tale o a greedy Brahmin who lived in %99ain. ,hat Brahmin had been badly tormented by the evil people a ter he had lost his wealth. But still the Brahmin did not lose his patience and regarding his present state as a result o his previous birthAs deeds& he e/pressed his eelings thus5 ,hese people are not the cause o my miseriesK neither the gods& nor body& even planets and time& can be blamed or my miseries. 1criptures and learned ones held the mind itsel guilty o oneAs miseries. *t is the mind that runs the cycle o the world and makes every kind o e orts. *n the absence o mind& even the soul is rendered motionless. Chen one accepts the dictates o the mind and indulges in sensual pleasures& soul too comes to be bound with them. ,he ultimate outcome o all the spiritual e orts like celibacy& study o Vedas etc. and abidance to pious actions is the concentration o mind. >oncentration o mind and is abstaintation rom sensual pleasures are the primary conditions or attainment o Earamyoga (supreme meditation). ,hus Lord preached %ddhav about Byana Beeta. %ddhav too took Bhagwat (which is a orm o the Lord) with honour and departed or Badrikashrama.
*&1
0hapter 1 (Part 1%
,his chapter contains 6 section.
7.I.6 Descriptions o Dynasties in Kali3Yuga

Earashar describes about the dynasties that would occur in Kaliyug. "ipun9ay or Euran9ay would be the last king o Brihdrath dynasty. ,he kings o +and dynasty would succeed this dynasty. ,hen a diplomat Brahmin& named >hanakya& would e/terminate this dynasty and enthrone >handragupta @aurya. *n @aurya dynasty& a great king would occur by the name o Ashokvardhan. A ter him& Yavans would rule then or si/ hundred and orty years. ,heir rule would be succeeded by the governance o the air3comple/ioned oreigners& who would rule or one hundred and si/ty years. ,herea ter& there would be no king and no sub9ects because people rom all the classes would come orward to rule. ,he ruler would be selected by the ma9ority votes. ,here would be no any thing like holiness. >ows would grow
thin like nannies. Eeople would not marry& as per their castes. Breed& sel ishness and se/ would be the base o marriage li e. *n adverse conditions& spouses would desert each other. ,here would be nothing like duty& responsibility and conduct. (air would be the main item o adornment or the women. Eeople would not have the knowledge o religious scriptures in Kaliyug. ,alkativeness would be identi ied with knowledge. ?nly those would be regarded as clever& who could pick othersA pockets. >hildren would not regard or pay due respect to their parents. >hildren would maintain relations with parents till their marriage only& not a ter that. Boys would not touch the eet o their own parents& but would pay ull respect to their ather and mother3in3 law& Brother3in3law would be dearer to them than their own brother. Earashar says5 Kaliyug is the mine o aults& but it has only one great virtue 3 that the people will acHuire divine position only by reciting LordAs name. "ecitation o LordAs name& regardless o intention and motivation33 whether it is love& derision& la:iness or maliceness3 would destroy oneAs sins. But the sinister people would do even the most di icult tasks in Kaliyug& but they would not recite LordAs name. ,hey would not have an interest in the Lord. ,heir interests would be more in sensuous things like sound& touch& beauty& scent etc. ,he Earamgati (supreme salvation) that people could receive by ten thousand years o meditation in 1atayugK by per orming Yagya or hundred years in ,retayug and by worshipping Lord)s idol or ten years in Dwapar& that supreme salvation is easily available or people in Kaliyug simply by reciting LordAs name or one day and one night continuously. But still& in Kaliyug people would not have aith in LordAs name. *t is their mis ortune.
& S:anda Purana

Largest o all the Euranas. >ontains eighty eight thousand and one hundred 1hlokas (stan:as). (as seven parts3 @aheshwar& Vaishnava& Brahma& Kashi& Avanti& +agar and Erabhasa. Eurana got its name rom 1kand (Kartikeya) the son o Lord 1hiva. Birth o 1kandK its reason and e ects constitute the main theme. Kartikeya was the commander o the gods) army and had killed the demon ,arkasura. ,his Eurana contains < chapters.
,&1
Maheshwar 2hand
,his >hapter contains ;M sections.
F.6.6 Daksha)s Animosity towards Lord 1hiva

1kanda Euran begins with the eulogy o Lord 1hiva33 3*S3*53* <*5*T S#IS+T* .I#*"C+I+ P*6/O +*#I+C S*"+*#T* /**6#$D#*/+3O "*,*ST*S,*I PI"*/I"'% (@eaning)333 1alutations to Lord 1hankar who has entrusted the 9ob o creation to Lord Brahma33Cho has instructed Lord Vishnu to nurture the world and who himsel acts as the supreme annihilator.During ancient times& once& 1age 1haunak had per ormed a grand AyagyaA at his hermitage in +aimisharanya orest. @any sages had thronged +aimisharanya to attend it. ?ne o them was 1age Lomesh.A ter the yagya was over& all the assembled 1ages reHuested 1age Lomesh to narrate the divine tales o Lord 1hiva. 1age Lomesh said33Daksha3Era9apati had got his daughter& 1ati married to Lord 1hiva. ?nce& he had per ormed a grand yagya in which he had invited everybody e/cept his own son3in3law.Chen 1ati learnt about the yagya& she sought Lord 1hivaAs permission to attend that yagya. Lord 1hiva tried to convince her that it was not proper to attend a ceremony in which one had not been invited. But 1ati did not pay any heed and was bent upon attending that yagya. %ltimately& Lord 1hiva had no option but to give his conscent. But he did not orget to send his A"udraganasA with her or her protection.
F.6.; 1ati 9umps into the 1acri icial Dire

Chen 1ati reached her atherAs place& she saw a grand yagya being per ormed. A large number o people had been invited33the deities& the sages and the hermits. 1ati became sad because Daksha had invited everybody e/cept her husband. 1he knew Huite well that it was a deliberate decision on part o her ather& not to invite Lord 1hiva. But& she got in uriated when she ound that Daksha had not even kept 1hivaAs share in the yagya while the AsharesA o other deities had been kept. Chen Daksha saw 1ati& he was enraged333(ow dare you come hereL Your husband is an embodiment o inauspiciousness. (e is the Lord o the spirits& ghosts and all types o mean powers. ,his was the reason why * did not invite him.A ,he insult heaped on her husband in ront o everybody devastated 1ati. 1he elt so humiliated that she decided to give up her li e. Be ore any one could understand& she 9umped into the sacri icial ire and was charred to death. All the deities present there were stunned by this sudden development. All the A"udraganasA mourned 1atiAs death with deep sorrow.@eanwhile& Lord 1hiva got the sad news rom +arad. (e got mad with anger and uprooted some hair rom his scalp. (e then dashed the hair against a mountain. ,here was a thundering sound and Veerbhadra mani ested within a split second. Lord 1hiva ordered him to punish Daksha or his evil deed& which caused the death o 1ati.Veerbhadra proceeded with a huge army o spirits& ghosts and marudganas to punish Daksha. Chen he reached the oblation site& Daksha and all the other deities became scarred. But& 1age Bhrigu came at the deitiesA rescue and told them not to worry. (e then chanted ew mantras& which helped the deities to win the irst round o the battle. ,he de eat o his army enraged Veerbhadra to such an e/tent that he created havoc in the ranks o deitiesA army. (e showered volleys o arrow on them& which orced the deities to make a hasty retreat rom there. Veerbhadra dashed 1age Bhrigu against the ground and uprooted his beard. (e then severed the head o Daksha and threw it in lames o sacri icial ire.Lord Brahma took the re uge o Lord 1hiva and reHuested him to stop Veerbhadra rom causing urther death and destruction. Lord 1hiva told Brahma33A+obody else but Daksha himsel was responsible or his death.But& Lord Brahma reHuested Lord 1hiva to make Daksha alive once again. Lord 1hiva
then went to DakshaAs place and i/ed a goatAs head on the trunk o DakshaAs body. ,his way Daksha became alive once again albeit with a goats body. (e was very ashamed o his behaviour and reHuested Lord 1hiva to orgive him. Lord 1hiva blessed him and said33 P1alvation can not be attained merely by per orming the rituals. * you are desirous o salvation then engage yoursel in virtuous deeds with.P
F.6.7 Virtues o Corshipping Lord 1hiva

1age Lomesh told the assembled sages333 ?ne who brooms the courtyard o 1hiva temple attains to 1hiva loka. ,hose who make o erings o incense to lord 1hiva not only liberate himsel rom the bondage o this world but also both his AKulasA. ?ne who gets constructed a 1hiva temple or renovates it& attains incomparable virtue. ?ne who chants the holy mantra A?@ +A@A( 1(*VAYA daily and begins his day by visiting 1hiva temple in the morning becomes absolved o all his sins.
F.6.F >hurning o the ?cean

1age Lomesh narrated the tale& which described how *ndra lost heaven a ter he showed disrespect to Vrihaspati33 ?nce& *ndra was en9oying the songs sung by Bandharvas when sage Vashishth arrived. But& *ndra was so engrossed in music& that he orgot to welcome his distinguished guest. 1age Vashishth was enraged by his behaviour and went away uming with anger.Chen the demon King Bali33the lord o Eatalloka& learnt about this incident he attacked *ndraloka with a large army. A ierce battle took place in which all the deities were de eated. Bali and his army brought all the wealth to Eatalloka. But the demons were not destined to be the owner o this plundered wealth or too long as the whole wealth got submerged into the ocean. Bali was surprised and asked 1hukracharya about the reason. 1age 1hukracharya revealed to Bali that he could not en9oy the splendours o deitiesA wealth because he had not per ormed 6MM Ashwamedha yagyas. ,he deities& a ter being de eated went to seek Lord VishnuAs help. Lord Brahma was also present with them. A ter giving a deep thought to the whole issue& Lord Vishnu advised them to patch up with the demons so that all the wealth could be retrieved rom the ocean bed.,he deities went to Eatal3loka and convinced the demons to participate in the churning o the ocean. Chen the process o churning o the ocean began& @andarachal mountain was used as a churner and the serpent 3Vasuki as the rope.Both the parties immersed the @andarachal mountain into the ocean but it sank down& as there was no base upon which it could be placed. 1o& Lord Vishnu took the orm o a tortoise and held the mountain on his back. >hurning o the ocean resulted into the emergence o many things like >handrama& 1urabhi (cow)& Kalpa tree& Kaustubh& %chchaihshrava ((orse)& -ravat (elephant)& goddess La/mi& poison& ambrosia& into/ication etc.Chen poison emerged rom the sea bed& neither the deities nor the demons made any claim or it. ,he poison was so venomous that the whole world started getting in lamed by it. Lord 1hiva then drank the (alahal poison and thus the world was saved.Lord Vishnu accepted goddess La/mi as his consort.
F.6.8 ,he -mergence o Ambrosia

Chen Dhanvantri appeared with a pot o ambrosia in his hands& a demon named Vrishparva snatched it rom him. All the demons then led to Eatal loka with the pot o ambrosia.Lord Vishnu disguised himsel as an enchanting beauty and went to Eatalloka. ,here& he ound all the demons Huarrelling among themselves. -ach o them wanted to have his own share o ambrosia.,he demons were stunned by @ohiniAs beauty the moment they saw Lord Vishnu in the orm o a beauti ul lady. @ohini took control o the ambrosia pot and summoned the deities to Eatal loka. All the deities and demons were made to sit in separate rows. @ohini then started distributing ambrosia to the deities. A demon named "ahu& who had disguised himsel as a deity was also sitting among the deities. (ardly had "ahu gulped down some ambrosia then @ohini severed his head on the in ormation given by chandrama (@oon).,he severed head o "ahu tried to take revenge by swallowing chandrama& who took the re uge o Lord 1hiva. 1hiva kept chandrama within the lock o his hair. @eanwhile& "ahu too came chasing chandrama and Lord 1hiva wore his head as a garland in his neck.
F.6.I Lord Brahma)s Boon to ,arakasur

A ter the death o 1ati& Lord 1hiva became aloo and engaged himsel in an austere penance. (is lack o interest in per orming his duties resulted into the predominance o sin in the world.A demon named ,arakasur had
received a boon o invincibility rom lord Brahma. ?nly a child and nobody else could kill him. ,arakasur& being drunk with power started to torment the deities. All the deities eulogi:ed Lord Brahma and they heard a heavenly voice saying333 A+obody can kill ,arakasur e/cept 1hivaAs son. 1o you must put all your e orts to help 1hiva get married.A ,he deities were aware that a ter the death o 1ati& 1hiva had lost all interest in li e and was living like a recluse. +evertheless& they wanted to give a try. 1o they went to (imalaya& who had no progeny at that time and reHuested him to beget a girl. (imalaya agreed& as he was aware o the misdeeds o ,arakasur.*n course o time& (imalayaAs wi e& @ena gave birth to a girl child who was in act the reincarnation o 1ati. ,he girl child was named Biri9a.Biri9a was brought up with great love and care. Chen she attained the age o eight& (imalaya once took her to the cave where Lord 1hiva was doing penance. *nitially& 1hiva was little hesitant to meet (imalaya because Biri9a was accompanying her ather and he had vowed never to put his glance on any woman a ter the death o 1ati. But& Later on he relented and allowed both o them to meet him whenever they liked. +ow& Biri9a made it her habit to visit Lord 1hiva regularly. 1he used to look a ter all the needs o 1hiva while he was engrossed in his penance. -ven a ter the passage o a long time the deitiesA wishes did not look like getting ul illed& as 1hiva remained as nonchalant as ever. 1o& the deities reHuested KamadevaAs help in sowing the seeds o love and passion in 1hivaAs heart.Kamadeva went to the place where Lord 1hiva was doing his penance. (e tried to sow seeds o compassion in 1hivaAs heart only to receive his wrath. Lord 1hiva was in uriated by the e orts o Kamadeva. (e opened his third eye as the result o which Kamadeva was charred to death."ati started wailing inconsolably at the death o her husband but Biri9a assured her that she would try to bring Kamadeva back to li e.Biri9a commenced her penance to please Lord 1hiva. ,here was a great turmoil in the world on account o her penance. Lord Vishnu led the deities to 1hiva and reHuested him to marry Biri9a so that the world could be protected rom the torments o ,arakasur. Dinally& 1hiva gave his conscent and went to the place where Biri9a was doing penance.
F.6.< 1hiva tests Earvati)s Devotion

A ter reaching there& Lord 1hiva ound Earvati engrossed in her penance. Earvati was surrounded by her ew trusted companions.Lord 1hiva decided to test EarvatiAs devotion towards him. 1o he disguised himsel as a hermit and asked her companions about the reason why Earvati was doing such a severe Eenance. #aya& one o EarvatiAs companions in ormed him that her riend was doing penance in order to get Lord 1hiva as her husband. #aya also in ormed Lord 1hiva that her riend Biri9a was the daughter o (imalaya. Lord 1hiva& who was in the guise o a hermit said333AChy is this tender girl so eager to marry 1hiva who is an embodiment o inauspiciousness33who carries a skull in his hand and who lives in a crematorium. (ow can your riend think o marrying one who has been e/pelled by Daksha rom the yagya ceremonyL Does your riend know that 1hiva wears a snake around his neck and is surrounded by numerous spirits and ghostsLA Earvati& who had been listening to all those nonsensical utterances& told #aya333A,his ellow seems to abhor 1hiva. Ce should not talk to this evil person. ,ell him to leave at once.ALord 1hiva was e/tremely pleased by EarvatiAs unwavering devotion towards him. (e appeared in his original orm and said33AYou can ask or anything you wish.A But Earvati replied333 A? 1upreme Lord$ * am the same 1ati or the sake o whom you had destroyed DakshaAs yagya. DonAt you recogni:e meL ,here is a great purpose behind my reincarnation. A son born to us would kill ,arakasur. 1o go to my ather and reHuest or my hand in marriage.ABut Lord 1hiva re used to make a reHuest to (imalaya considering it as an undigni ied act. (e then returned to the place where he had been meditating.A ter a while& (imalaya and @ena arrived there and asked Earvati how her penance had been progressing. Earvati narrated the whole incident how Lord 1hiva had inally given his conscent to marry her.(imalaya and @ena were e/tremely pleased by this good news.
F.6.J ,he Arrival o the 1apta3"ishis

Later on Lord 1hiva sent the 1aptarishis with the proposal o marriage to (imalaya. (imalaya received his distinguished guests with respect and enHuired about the purpose o their visit. ,he 1aptarishis replied33ACe have come to reHuest you to give your daughterAs hand in marriage to 1hiva.AA ter consulting his wi e& @ena and other mountains& (imalaya agreed to accept 1hiva as his son3in3law. ,he 1aptarishis then returned and conveyed the good news to 1hiva.,he preparation or marriage ceremony started being made. Dinally the marriage procession
proceeded towards the brideAs home. ,he marriage procession consisted o all the deities& apsaras& gandharvas even spirits and ghosts. 1age Barg 1upervised the rituals o marriage ceremony. Vishwakarma constructed the canopy& where marriage ceremony was supposed to take place.A ter the marriage was over& (imalaya per ormed the ritual o Kanyadan and this way 1hiva returned with his consort.
F.6.G Birth o Kartikeya

Lord 1hiva and Earvati lived happily at Bandhamadan @ountain en9oying every bit o their con9ugal li e. ?nce it so happened that a small Huantity o 1hivaAs sperm ell on the ground while he was en9oying intimate moments with Earvati. As a result& tremendous amount o heat was generated and the whole world started burning.Lord Brahma and Lord Vishnu instructed Agni to employ some means so that the destruction caused by 1hivaAs over lowing sperms could come to an end.Agni went to Bandhamadan mountain in the guise o a hermit. (e reHuested Earvati by saying333A? @other$ Elease give me something as alms. * have nothing but my hands as a begging bowlA Earvati kept 1hivaAs sperms on his palm& which was eaten up by Agni. Earvati was enraged to see this and cursed Agni33PYou have shown disrespect to me. Drom today onwards you would become omnivorous. ,he sperms which you have devoured would cause unbearable in lammation in your body.P As the result o EarvatiAs curse& Agni really started e/periencing unbearable in lammation in his body. (e reHuested Lord 1hiva to reveal the means by which his pain would come to an end. Lord 1hiva instructed Agni to implant those sperms in any womanAs womb to get rid o the unbearable in lammation.,hus& Agni& who was su ering rom e/treme heat that generated in his body& sat at a lonely place waiting eagerly or a woman to arrive there.(e did not have to wait or too long& as si/ Kritikas& shivering with cold arrived there to warm themselves. ,he sperms o 1hiva entered into their bodies through the pores. ,hese si/ Kritikas became pregnant. Chen their respective husbands learnt about their pregnancy they cursed them. As a result they got trans ormed into A+akshatrasA and established themselves in the sky. But& they aborted their respective oetus at (imalaya mountain be ore getting trans ormed into si/ constellations. ,he holy Banges carried that oetus to a secluded place& which was covered with dense bushes o reeds.*n course o time& Lord Kartikeya mani ested rom those reed bushes. (e had si/ heads. ,he deities were delighted at the birth o Kartikeya. Lord 1hiva along with Earvati went to the place where Kartikeya had incarnated. Earvati took young Kartikeya in her embrace.
F.6.6M Kartikeya Kills ,arakasur

Lord 1hiva assured the deities& who were also present there that ,arakasurAs days were numbered. ,he deitiesAs army then proceeded towards the battle ield.?n their way& the deities heard a heavenly voice33AYou can de eat the demons only i you ight under the leadership o Kartikeya.A +ow all the deities reHuested Kartikeya to become their leader. @enawhile& Devasena33the daughter o @rityu arrived there and reHuested Kartikeya to become her husband. Kartikeya accepted Devasena as his wi e. ,his is the reason why he is also known as Deva senapati.Karitkeya was leading the deitiesA army& mounted on an elephant. ,he army had all the deities in its rank3 *ndra& Varun& Vayu& Kuber& Dharma "a9& etc.Both the rival armies met at an island situated between Banga and Yamuna. ,arakasur had come with a large army& which boasted o many brave and mighty warriors. ,he battle commenced and the irst phase was dominated by the demons. ,he deities could not stand up to the might o demons. -ven *ndra was severely wounded when ,arakasur attacked him with his deadly weapon3 A1haktiA. ?n seeing the level o destruction caused in the deitiesA army& King @uchkunda& who was on the side o the deitiesA attacked ,arakasur. *n the ensuing battle @uchkunda got in9ured and ell down on the ground. (e got up uriously and tried to kill ,arakasur with his Brahmashtra. 1age +arad told him that Brahmashtra would be o no use as ,arakasur had been blessed with invincibility against mortals. +arad said33A?nly Kartikeya is capable o killing ,arakasur. 1o& you all need to have patience till Kartikeya accomplishes his mission.A @eanwhile Veerabhadra was ighting a dual bought against ,arakasur. (e had already caused indescribable losses to the demons. Chile the ight was going on& ,arakasur reali:ed that it was not easy to de eat him. 1o& he decided to use his illusionary powers& which helped him in acHuiring ten thousand hands. ,he deities ran away rom the battle ield& when they saw erocious ,arakasur approaching them.Lord Vishnu instructed Kartikeya to kill ,arakasur be ore it was too late. Kartikeya chased ,arakasur with his deadly weapon3 1hakti in his hand. A ierce
ight took place between both o them. Kartikeya attacked ,arakasur with his 1hakti. ,arakasur retaliated by hitting him with his own 1hakti. ,he assault was so severe that Karikeya lost his consciousness or ew moments. Chen Kartikeya regained his consciousness& he got up Huickly to ight against ,arakasur. ?nce again a ierce battle commenced. Kartikeya remembered his parents in reverence and released his 1hakti in the direction o ,arakasur.,arakasur died instantly. ,he deities were delighted at the death o their tormentor.
F.6.66 Virtues o ?bserving a Dast on 1hiva3"atri

1age Lomesh eulogi:es the virtues o 1hivaratri in the ollowing words33A,he ourteenth day o the dark hal o a month is dedicated to the worship o Lord 1hiva and is amously known as A1hivaratriA. *t destroys all the sins committed by a man.1age Lomesh then narrated a tale& which emphasi:ed the greatness o 1hivaratri33 ?nce upon a time a brahmin widow developed an illicit relationship with a A>handalA (a low caste man). Later on she gave birth to a son who was named Dussah. (er son had all the bad Hualities one can think o 33 a gambler& a drunker& a thie & a murderer& etc. ?ne day& Dussah went to a 1hiva temple with the intention o committing robbery. *t was the estive night o 1hivaratri and people had thronged the temple in a large number. 1o& he did not get an opportunity to steal temple property. (e remained awakened or the whole night waiting or an opportune moment but his wishes remained un ul illed. (e spent his time listening to the divine tales o Lord 1hiva that was being narrated by the temple priest. ,hough he was a sinner yet he took his ne/t birth in a royal amily on account o his two virtuous deeds33he had remained awakened or the whole night o 1hivaratri and he had listened to the tales o 1hiva. *n his ne/t birth& he was born to a king named >hitrangad and he himsel was named Vichitraveerya.Vichitraveerya was a great devotee o Lord 1hiva. (e ultimately united with lord 1hiva and mani ested as Veerabhadra at the time when Lord 1hiva had shaken his head violently a ter hearing the sad news o 1atiAs demise.,here are numerous instances o people attaining salvation by observing a ast on 1hivaratri. ,he names o some great devotees to do so are King Bharat& @andhata& Dhundhumar& (arishchandra etc.
F.6.6; Kartikeya)s 1orrow

Chile the deities hailed the glory o Kartikeya or having killed ,arakasur& Kartikeya himsel was saddened by his act. (e told the deities33A* regret or having killed ,arakasur because he was a great devotee o Lord 1hiva. *s there any way to atone or my sinLA Lord Vishnu consoled him333AKilling a wicked person& who nourishes himsel on the blood o innocent people& is not a sin ul deed. But& still& i you eel guilty then there is no better way to atone or your sin than worshipping Lord 1hiva. *nstall 1hivalingas and worship them with deep devotion.AKartikeya instructed Vishnukarma to make three divine 1hivalingas. Later on Kartikeya installed these 1hivalingas at three di erent places and worshipped them with appropriate rituals. *n course o time these three holy places came to be known as Eratigyeshwar& Kapaleshwar and Kumareshwar. Kartikeya& while worshipping at Kapaleshwar sprinkled holy water on the 1hivalinga and prayed so that ,arakasurAs soul rested in peace. (e also o ered sesame seeds to lord Kapaleshwar and prayed 33 A@ay my o erings made in the orm o sesame seeds reach ,arak33the descendant o 1age Kashyap.A ,his way& Kartikeya was absolved o his sins.
F.6.67 Killing o Eralamb

A demon named Eralamb had escaped unharmed in the battle ought between the deities and demons. As the deities were busy installing 1hivalingas at di erent places& Eralamb started to torment their amilies in their absence. ,he deities got this in ormation rom Kumud who appeared at the time when the deities were digging up a reservoir near A1iddheshwarA temple.All the deities reHuested Kartikeya to do something. Kartikeya released his iery weapon& 1hakti in the direction o Eralamb. 1hakti pierced the heart o earth and went right up to Eatal loka where Eralamb lived with the surviving demons. All the demons were killed within ew moments. A long tunnel had been created as the impact o 1haktiAs penetration o the earth. ,his tunnel was later on illed up with the water o Eatal Banga and became amous as A1iddha3koopa.A
F.6.6F Kaalbhiti)s Austere Eenance

,here is an ama:ing tale related with the birth o Kaalbhiti. During ancient times there lived a sonless brahmin named @anti in Kashi. (e did an austere penance to get a son. At last& lord 1hiva became pleased by his devotion and appeared. Lord 1hiva said33AYou will be blessed with an enlightened son who would liberate your whole clan.A *n course o time @antiAs wi e became pregnant but ama:ingly did not deliver a baby even a ter a long time. Dour years passed like this but @antiAs wi e did not deliver the child. @anti was perple/ed by this unusual event so he asked the baby& who was still in his motherAs womb as to why he was hesitant to come out.,he child replied that he eared AKaalA and this was the reason why he was not taking birth. ,he child said33A* you can assure me o protection rom AKaalA then * shall certainly take birth.A (ow could have @anti given such an assurance. 1o he took re uge in Lord 1hiva.Lord 1hiva ordered our o his ganas to go and convince the baby. ,he names o these ive ganas were Dharma& Byan& Vairagya Aishwarya and Adharma. ,hey assured the baby by saying33ABet rid o your ear. Ce assure you that each our o us (Dharma& Byan& Vairagya and Aishwarya) will never abandon you.P ,he i th gana named Adharma on the contrary promised not to caste his evil 1hadow on the baby. ,hese assurances were enough or the baby to come out rom the womb. But& even a ter taking birth the child was trembling and wailing in ear.,he ganas said33@anti$ Your child is still ear ul o the Kaal. (e is trembling and crying inspite o the best o our e orts to drive away is ears. 1o he will become amous as Kaalbhiti (one who is ear ul o Kaal). Kaalbhiti grew up to be a virtuous person. (e used to engage himsel in various kinds o austerities. (e was a great devotee o Lord 1hiva.?ne day& as Kaalbhiti was meditating under a AbaelA tree (wood apple)& he went into his trance. ,he 9oy e/perienced during trance period was something& which he had never e/perienced be ore. (e decided to regularly meditate under that tree. (e did penance or one hundred years standing on his toe.Lord 1hiva became pleased by his devotion and appeared in the guise o a human being. Lord 1hiva said33A? Breat soul Elease discontinue with your penance. * have brought some water or you$ Elease Huench your thirst$A But Kaalbhiti re used to take water rom an unknown person. (e reHuested Lord 1hiva to reveal his identity. Kaalbhiti also inHuired Lord 1hiva about his religion and conduct. Lord 1hiva told him that he was beyond any religion or conduct.Chen Kaalbhiti re used to have water& Lord 1hiva dug up a large pit and emptied the pot into it. A ter that he disappeared.Kaalbheeti stood i/ed at that place& being stunned by the disappearance o Lord 1hiva. 1uddenly& an e ulgent 1hivalinga appeared under that bael (wood apple) tree. Kaalbheeti worshipped that shiva3linga which was radiating light in all directions.+ow& lord 1hiva appeared and blessed Kaalbheeti to become ree rom the ear o Kaal(Death). Drom that day onwards the 1hivalinga situated there became amous as @ahakaal. Be ore disappearing once again& Lord 1hiva instructed Kaalbheeti to preach 1age Karandham who was e/pected to visit him shortly. Kaalbheeti himsel became renowned as @ahakaal because he had been success ul in conHuering death.
F.6.68 Karandham)s =ueries

As predicted by Lord 1hiva& king Karandham arrived at the place where @ahakaal (Kaalbheeti) was staying. Dirst o all he worshipped Lord @ahakaal and subseHuently went to meet sage @ahakaal (previously Kaalbheeti).King Karandham had numerous doubts regarding the rituals o 1hraddh so he asked @ahakaal33A(ow does the rituals related to AtarpanA satis y the dead ancestorsLA @ahakaal replied33,he souls o dead ancestors are capable o accepting whatever is o ered to them. ,ime and distance does not matter to them. ,hey accept only the essence o whatever is o ered to them and not the gross materials as such.Karandham posed his second Huery33A* think a soul& a ter it has abandoned the mortal body is bound by its own karma. ,hen& how& can the dead ancestors be e/pected o giving us blessings and changing our ortunes.A @ahakaal replied333+ot all Eitras (dead ancestors) are bound by their karma. Eitras belonging to di erent classes like deities& AasurasA and AyakshaA are unembodied and ormless (amurta). 1imilarly& the dead ancestors o all the our castes are called Amurta EitrasA (with orm). ,hese seven types o Eitras are considered to be eternal and power ul. ,hey also transcend the law o Karma. A total number o 76 ganas are subordinate to them. ,he rituals o 1hraddh are per ormed or the paci ication o these seven eternal Eitras. ,hese seven Eitras are the ones who shower blessings on the per ormers o 1hraddh rituals.AKarandhamAs ne/t Huestion was33A1ome people are o the view that one can attain salvation only by taking re uge in Lord Vishnu. Chile some think that only Lord Brahma is capable o giving salvation. ,here are many people who consider Lord 1hiva as the supreme liberator. Chat do you have to say on thisLA @ahakaal replied33ABod is one. ,he three deities you have named even they eulogi:e each other. *t is nothing but oolishness to grade them as superior& average or in erior. ,he thing& which matters most in the path o salvation&
is individualAs un linching aith and devotion. Any deity in whom he has total devotion is capable o giving salvation.Karandham then reHuested @ahakaal to describe the appropriate rituals related with the worship o Lord 1hiva. @ahakaal replied333A devotee who puts on AtripundA mark on his orehead& chest and both the shoulders while worshipping Lord 1hiva is blessed to see the divine appearance o Lord 1hiva. (e should enter the temple premise with a pure heart. A ter entering the temple he should puri y the 1hiva linga by removing all the unnecessary articles which may be lying there. (e should then ill up our ABaruasA (drinking pot with a curved spout) with water. Articles like milk& curd clari ied butter& honey and 1ugarcane 9uice are kept to the le t side o 1hiva linga.,he devotee should then come out o the temple and worship the AdwarpalasA. A ter that& deities like Kuldevta& +andi& @ahakaal Dhata and Vidhata are worshipped. ?nce again he should enter the temple and sit in ront o the 1hivalinga and meditate on Lord 1hiva. Chile per orming AardhyaA he should make o erings o articles like water& akshat& Kusha grass& sandalwood& lowers& mustard seeds& milk& curd and honey.(aving o ered ardhya& a devotee should per orm the ritual o ablution with water& milk& curd& honey& clari ied butter& and sugarcane 9uice in the given order. Chile per orming this ritual the devotee should also o er dhupa (incense) and chant AO, +OO, .IS+.*,$#T*3' "*,*+A% 1ome other deities whom a devotee must worship along with the worship o Lord 1hiva are *shan& ,atpurush& 1adryo9at etc. A devotee must also not orget to worship 1hivaAs trident. Chile doing this he should chant T#IS+$6 D+*"$+ /+*D5* /*P*6 /$T+*#')+3O "*,*+% A devotee should conclude his worship by begging or Lord 1hivaAs orgiveness or any mistake that he might have committed while per orming the rituals.
F.6.6I Arunachal 1hiva Linga

?nce& 1ut9i had gone to +aimisharanya. All the sages residing there asked him about the mani estation o Arunachal 1hivalinga.1ut9i recounted a tale when 1age 1anak had posed the same Huery to Lord Brahma 33 ALord Brahma had told 1anak31on& once Lord Vishnu and * witnessed an e ulgent Eillar. *t had mani ested rom nowhere and was limitless in si:e. *tAs radiance put the whole world abla:e. Both o us worshipped that marvelous pillar by chanting vedic mantras.AActually& that e ulgent pillar was a 1hivalinga. Lord 1hiva mani ested rom it a ter being pleased by our devotion. Ce reHuested him to minimi:e his si:e and establish himsel in the orm o Arunachal 1hivalinga.A ALord 1hiva agreed to minimi:e his si:e as well as his e ulgence by establishing himsel in the orm o AArunachaleshwarA.,he holy place o Arunachaleshwar remains untouched while the whole world gets submerged in water at the time o deluge.
F.6.6< Lord 1hiva ! ,he 1overeign >reator

,he sages then asked 1ut9i how Lord 1hiva had created the universe. 1ut9i replied333Lord 1hiva commenced creation by his own will. Vishnu mani ested rom the le t side o his body while Brahma rom the right side. (e then attributed the Hualities o A"a9asA and A1atvaA to Brahma and Vishnu respectively. Drom then onwards Lord Brahma took the responsibility o urther creation and Lord Vishnu became the preserver o the world.Later on Lord Brahma created his ten @anasputra (@arichi etc&) by his will and Daksha Era9apati rom his right thumb. (e also created the brahmins rom his mouth& Kshatriyas rom both his arms& Vaishyas rom both his thighs and 1hudras rom both his eet respectively.Both& the deities and demons came rom the lineage o 1age Kashyap& who himsel was @arichiAs son. +ot only that Kashyap also athered di erent species like @arut& +ag& Yaksha& Bandharva and apsaras. 1imilarly& Lord Brahma had also created @anu who is believed to be the person rom whom human race originated. All the sages as well as the Kshatriyas are the descendants o 1age Atri. Yakshas originated rom Eulastya whereas "akshashas were the descendants o Eulah. Agni as well as 1ages like >hyavan was the descendant o Bhrigu. @any amous sages came rom the lineage o Vasishth. ,hese are the names o ew prominent sages& whose descendants have populated the earth.,hus& Lord 1hiva is the 1overeign creator because he created Brahma33the creator.
F.6.6J -/ecution o 1humbh& +ishumbh and @ahishasur

,he demons named 1humbh and +ishumbh had received boons rom Brahma according to which no deity& demon or @an could kill him. 1humbh and +ishumbh became e/cessively arrogant and started tormenting the deities. All the deities including Lord Vishnu went to Lord 1hiva and reHuested or his help. Lord 1hiva assured them that both the demons would be killed at the opportune time. ,he deities were satis ied and returned back to their respective abodes.Earvati was o dark comple/ion. 1he thought that 1hiva would be more a ectionate towards her i she somehow discarded her dark skin. 1he eventually discarded her dark skin at a place and it instantly got trans ormed into AKali KaushikiA. 1he then did an austere penance at Vindhyachal mountain. At that time& 1humbh and +ishumbh lived there. Chen both the demons saw goddess Kali Kaushiki her divine beauty in atuated them. But Boddess Kali Kaushiki ultimately killed both o them. (aving accomplished her mission& Kali Kaushiki did a tremendous penance at ABauri3peakA and regained her air comple/ion. *n course o time she became the mother o Banesh and Kartikeya. ?nce& goddess Earvati went to Arunachal mountain where 1age Bautam was doing penance. 1he was so enchanted by the scenery over there that she decided to do penance. 1he instructed goddess Durga to stand guard till she accomplished her penance. 1he also ordered the two goddesses 1ubhaga and Dhundhukumari to keep a watch in all directions. @ahishasur33the demon sent a emale messenger to convince Earvati into marrying him. ,he emale messenger disguised hersel as a emale hermit and tried to impress all the three goddess who were keeping surveillance by praising the glory o @ahishasur33 A? beauti ul ladies$ Chy is your mistress living in such a secluded placeL 1he is worthy o living in a royal palace. ,here is nobody among the deities who is it enough to marry her. But& @ahishasur33the lord o all the three worlds is certainly it to become her husband.ABut all the three goddesses drove the emale messenger away. %ltimately& @ahishasur came accompanied by a large army to orcibly abduct goddess Earvati. ,he commotion caused by the demons disturbed EarvatiAs meditation. 1he instructed Durga to kill all the demons.Boddess Durga trans ormed her appearance. +ow she looked erocious in her new appearance. 1he was well eHuipped with all sort o lethal weapons and was mounted on a lion. 1he thundered loudly and challenged @ahishasur. >ountless AyoginisA mani ested rom her body. ,hese yoginis attacked @ahishasurAs army and killed many demons. ,he whole battle ield was splashed with blood. Boddess >hamunda (Durga) severed the heads o A>handA and A@undA with her chakra. @ahishasur was enraged and he attacked goddess Durga. 1ome other demons like Erachanda& >hamar& @ahamauli& @ahahanu& %gravaktra& Vikataksha and Dahan also came orward to help him but each one o them was killed by goddess Durga.+ow& @ahishasurAs anger crossed all limits and he menacingly ran towards goddess Durga. A severe battle was ought between both o them. Chen @ahishasur reali:ed that the goddess was dominating the battle& he started changing his guises reHuently. (e tried to dodge goddess Durga by trans orming his appearance into that o a boar. But& goddess Durga kept on chasing him. ,hen& @ahishasur became a lion. ,his way he kept on changing his appearances reHuently to avoid getting killed by goddess Durga. ?nce he trans ormed himsel into a bu alo but goddess Durga attacked him. ,his way& @ahishasur was orced to change his appearance reHuently on account o relentless attack by goddess Durga. %ltimately Durga killed him. Boddess Durga picked up his severed head and danced in 9oy. ,he deities were relieved at the death o @ahishasur.
F.6.6G Earvati "eceives Arunchaleshwar)s Brace

Boddess Durga then went to the place where goddess Earvati was still doing penance. 1he held @ahishasurAs head in one hand and a sword in the other.Boddess Earvati said333A? Vindhyavasini$ You have accomplished an impossible act. * it were not or you * would not have been able to accomplish my own penance. +ow& you should get rid o this skull and create a holy spring bathing in which would destroy your sin acHuired by killing @ahishasur.A Boddess Durga hit erociously at a huge rock breaking it into pieces. A large pit was created which was soon illed up with underground water. 1he then took her bath in it by chanting "*,*+ S+O"*D#I"*T+*3. *n the meantime& an ama:ing incident took place. Chile goddess Durga was taking her bath with @ahishasurAs skull in her hand& a 1hivalinga& which was struck in @ahishasurAs throat ell down. ,his 1hivalinga later on became amous as AEapanashan 1hivalingaA. 1he then released the skull and came out rom the pond.Arunachaleshwar (Lord 1hiva) became pleased by EarvatiAs devotion and appeared be ore her. Lord Arunachaleshwar then made Earvati to sit by his le t side. ,he ne/t moment EarvatiAs identity mingled with that o
Lord Arunachaleshwar. ,he place where this incident took place& there is situated a grand temple o goddess Apitastani and Lord Arunachaleshwar.
,&!
+aishnav 2hand
,his >hapter contains ; sections each with 6F and 6; sub3sections respectively. *n order to simpli y the presentation o in ormation here& the ; sections will be combined into one with all ;I sub3sections listed as sections.
F.;.6 Lord Varah satis ies Erithvi)s >uriosity

1ut9i then narrated the tale o Lord Varah to the sages& which he had heard rom 1age Vyas333 ?nce& while +arad was wandering about& he reached @eru mountain where he saw the abode o Lord Brahma. (e also saw a giant si:ed entity& 9ust ne/t to BrahmaAs abode. ,he person possessed our arms and his ace resembled a boar. ,he person held a conch and a chakra in his two hands33,he remaining two hands were in the postures o giving blessings. +arad was very surprised to see that divine person being surrounded by 1ages like Vashishth& Atri& @arkandeya and Bhrigu. A ter paying his eulogy to him& he stood in a corner.*n the meantime& Erithvi (earth) arrived there with her two companions33*la and Eingla. 1he was curious to know about the identities o various mountains& which Lord Varah had established on her.Lord Varah told Erithvi about the prominent mountains333@ountains like 1umeru& (imavan& @andarachal& Vindhyachal& Eariyatrak& @ahendra& @alay& 1inhachal and Bandhamadan are situated to the north o (imalaya. ,he mountain ranges situated to the south o (imalaya are Arunachal& (asti& Bridhachal and Bhatikachal. 1ages believe that in 1atyayuga Lord Vishnu had his abode at An9an @ountain& while in tretayuga& dwaparyuga and Kaliyuga he has his abode at +arayangiri& 1inhachal and 1hrivenketachal respectively.Lord Varah and Erithvi lew away towards Venkatachalgiri mounted on Baruda.
F.;.; Lord Varah @antra

?n their way& Erithvi reHuested Lord Varah to reveal the sacred mantra& chanting o which makes him pleased. Lord Varah said33A,he secret mantra that pleases me to no limits is 333 O, "*+*, S+#I.*#*+*3 D+*#*"3$ $DD+*#"*3 S=*+*. ,his mantra is capable o liberating a man and also brings all sort o worldly accomplishments to him.*n the irst Krita yuga& a @anu named Dharma had reali:ed me by continuously chanting this mantra. -ven *ndra regained the control o heaven by chanting it. Anant33the lord o all serpents& chanted Varaha mantra and as a result became capable o holding the earth on itAs hood.A
F.;.7 @ani estation o Eadmavati

Lord Varah then narrated the tale o EadmavatiAs mani estation to Erithvi. (e also revealed to her that Eadmavati was the reincarnation o Vedavati and had mani ested so that she could become his (Vishnu) consort.Lord Varah said333?nce upon a time there lived an emperor named Akash. ?ne day he ordered his men to get the land situated at the bank o Arani ploughed so that a grand yagya could be organi:ed there.As the land was being cultivated& the plough suddenly struck against something. Eeople ploughing the ield dug up that place and were surprised to ind an in ant girl& crying loudly.,he news o girlsA mani estation spread like a wild ire. ,he emperor became e/tremely happy since he had no progeny. (e brought up that child as his own daughter. ,his way the baby girl was brought up like a princess. 1he was named Eadmavati. Eadmavati proved very lucky or the emperor& as the emperor& who was still sonless till then was blessed with a son. ,his male child was named Vasudan. ?ne day& +arad visited the palace and met both the children. (e was impressed by VasudanAs intelligence but Eadmavati appeared to be shy and absorbed in her own thoughts. +arad lovingly called her and instructed her to spread her le t palm. +arad was ama:ed to ind signs& which predicted EadmavatiAs marriage to Lord Vishnu. -verybody living in the palace became happy a ter getting this news. +arad then went away.
F.;.F Eadmavati becomes Lord (ari)s >onsort

>ontinuing with the tale& Lord Varah said33 ?ne day& while Eadmavati and her companions were playing in the garden& they saw an eHuestrian approaching them. (e held a bow and arrows in both his hands.,he stranger asked all the girls whether they had seen a wol . Apparently the stranger was on his hunting spree. Eadmavati angrily reminded the stranger that hunting was strictly prohibited in that area and hence he should go back
home.,he stranger was stunned by EadmavatiAs beauty and said33A* am Ananta rom Venketachal mountain. Eeople also call me Veerpati. >an * have this beauti ul lady as my wi e.A EadmavatiAs companions angrily rebu ed Anant who then galloped back on his horse. ,hese un ortunate girls were unable to recogni:e Lord Vishnu who had come disguised as Anant.A ter reaching his palace& Anant ound it very di icult to concentrate on his work. (is mind was occupied by the thoughts o Eadmavati. ?ne day& while he was sitting in a thought ul mood& Vakulmalika (a maid servant) arrived there and reHuested him to come down or lunch. But& 1ri (ari (Anant) was lost in the thoughts o Eadmavati. ?n being asked by Vakulmalika& 1ri (ari narrated the ollowing tale to her 333 *n treta yuga& when * had incarnated as "am& "avan had deceit3 ully abducted my consort331ita. But ortunately she was not 1ita but AgniAs consort 1waha. Be ore this incident could occur&Agni had already taken 1ita to Eatalloka and kept his own wi e A1wahaA in her place. *ndraAs act had special purpose behind it33to avenge 1wahaAs death&who was Vedavati in her previous birth and who had committed suicide a ter being touched by the same demon.Actually& AgniAs consort A1wahaA was AVedavatiA in her previous birth. 1o& in reality "avan had abducted Vedavati instead o 1ita. Later on& * thanked Agni and promised him that * would make Vedavati my consort in Kaliyuga. ,he same vedavati has taken birth as Eadmavati. You must go and convince Eadmavati to become my consort.Vakulmalika went to +arayanpur and in ormed the king about 1ri (ariAs desire. -mperor Akash was e/tremely delighted at the prospect o having 1ri (ari as his son3in3law. An auspicious day was chosen or the marriage and thus& Lord 1ri (ari got Eadmavati as his consort.
F.;.8 King Earikshit

?nce& 1ut9i narrated the tale o king Eareekshit to all the assembled sages333 Eareekshit ruled over (astinapur. ?ne day he went into a orest on a hunting spree. (e saw a deer and managed to in9ure it with his arrow. But the in9ured deer disappeared rom his sight. Eareekshit chased the in9ured deer in the direction it had disappeared.(e reached a place where sage 1hamik was engrossed in his meditation. Eareekshit enHuired sage 1hamik i he had seen that in9ured deer. Bur sage 1hamik being in deep meditation did not respond to Eareekshit Huery. ,his made Eareekshit e/tremely angry and he wrapped a dead snake around 1hamikAs neck as a punishment or not having answered his Huestion. But& it made no di erence to 1age 1hamik and he continued with his meditation. Eareekshit went back uming in anger. 1hringi was the son o 1age 1hamik. Chen he saw a dead snake coiling around his atherAs neck& he cursed33AChoever has tried to insult my ather will not live to see the seventh day because a takshak nag would bite him to death.A Chen sage 1hamik learnt about his sonAs curse& he reproached his son and sent a disciple named ADaurmukhA to in orm Eareekshit so that he (Eareekshit) could take some preventive measures. Daurmukh went and narrated the whole incident to king Eareekshit.Eareekshit became very scarred and he started living on a canopy that had been constructed in the middle o river Banges on his instructions. +ow he elt secured and sa e.@eanwhile a poor brahmin named Kashyap came to know about the curse that poor Eareekshit had received. (e knew how to cure a person bitten by snake. 1o he thought that it was an e/cellent opportunity or him to receive monetary awards rom the king. 1o& he proceeded towards the place where Eareekshit was staying. ?n his way& Kashyap met a brahmin who in reality was takshak in disguise. ,akshak was on his way to kill Eareekshit. (e asked Kashyap about the reason he was going to meet Eareekshit. Kashyap revealed to ,akshak that he could neutrali:e the in luence o poison in any person bitten by a snake. ,akshak wanted to e/amine the authenticity o KashyapAs statement& so he inserted his poisonous angs into the trunk o a huge tree. A man was sitting on the branches o that tree. ,he tree as well as the man was charred to death within no time. Kashyap& really brought the tree and that man back to li e. ,akshak was stunned by this unbelievable act. (e asked Kashyap how much he e/pected as reward rom the king. Kashyap revealed the amount& which he e/pected rom Eareekshit in lieu o giving him a resh lease o li e. ,akshak gave lot o wealth to him as a bribe and Kashyap went back home satis ied.,akshak then summoned all his companions and instructed them to go to the place where Eareekshit lived& disguising themselves as hermits. All the serpents went to meet Eareekshit impersonating as hermits and o ered ruits to him. According to his plan&,akshak had hidden himsel within a plum ruit. (e bit Eareekshit as soon as he got a chance. Eareekshit died instantly.#anme9aya was crowned as the ne/t king. @eanwhile& people started critici:ing the treacherous conduct o Kashyap& which had resulted in the death o king Eareekshit. (e decided to make a pilgrimage to Venketachaleshwar so that he became liberated rom his sin.
F.;.I Krshna ,eertha

1ut9i narrated a tale to all the assembled sages33During ancient times& a brahmin named "amkrishna did an austere penance at Venketachal mountain. (e remained immobile during the entire course o his penance resulting into the development o mole hills all over his body.*ndra was scarred by "amkrishnaAs penance and caused a heavy downpour or a week. All the mole hills were washed away rom "amkrishnaAs body.Lord 1rinivas became pleased and appeared be ore him. (e blessed "amkrishna by saying33A,his holy place& where you have per ormed a great penance will be named a ter you as Krishna teerth. Anybody who makes a pilgrimage to this place will be liberated rom all the sins.A -ulogi:ing Lord Venketashwar& 1ut9i says333 AA man& who has the good ortune o seeing the divine appearance o Lord 1rinivas even or a moment& attains salvation.
F.;.< 1ome ?ther Elaces o Eilgrimage on Venketachal @ountain

All the sages then reHuested 1ut9i to tell about some other places o pilgrimage situated on Venketachal mountain. 1ut9i replied333,here are about one hundred and eight holy places situated on Venketachal mountain. Among all these holy places& si/ are considered to be capable o bestowing salvation3331wami pushkarini& Akash ganga& Eapvinashan& Eanduteerth& Kumar dharika teerth and ,umbu teerth.
F.;.J An9ana)s Eenance at Akash3Banga ,eertha

Describing how Vayudeva had once assured An9ana that he would take birth as her son& 1ut9i told the sages333 An9ana& being issue less even a ter a long married li e& decided to do penance in order to beget a son. 1age @atang advised her to go to Akashganga teerth where her wishes would get ul illed. 1age @atang also described the geographical location33 AAt a distance o ten yo9ans towards south is situated Dhanachal mountain& which is believed to be the abode o Lord +risimha. Brahma teerth lies in its vicinity. At a distance o ten yo9ans south o Brahma teerth& lows river A1uvarnamukhariA. Venkentachal mountain is situated to the north o this river and the holiest place called 1wamipushkarni is situated among its numerous peaks. You should visit that place and take a holy dip in its water. A ter that you should seek the blessings o Lord Varahaswami and Lord Venketeshwar. You should then go towards north o 1wami teerth and you would reach Akashganga.A Acting as per @atangAs instructions& An9ana went to Akashganga teerth and did her penance. Dinally Lord Vayudeva appeared be ore her and promised to incarnate as (anuman.
F.;.G Lord Vishnu Advises Lord Brahma to go to Eurushottam Kshetra

,he 1ages asked333A? revered sage$ Ce would like to know more about Eurushottam Kshetra& where there is a ma9estic wooden idol o Lord Vishnu.A 1age #aimini replied33,he sacrosanct place o Eurushottam Kshetra is graced by the presence o Lord #agannath. During ancient times& Lord Varah had rescued Erithvi rom the clutches o (iranyaksha33the mighty demon who had abducted her to "asatala. A ter Erithvi had been established in its original position& Lord Brahma commenced his creations. Lord Brahma wondered about the means by which human beings could get liberated rom three ma9or types o sorrow333Adhyatmic (spiritual)& Adhidaivik (deities wrath)& Adhibhantik (related with this world). (e sought the help o Lord Vishnu who eulogi:ed the greatness o Eurushottam Kshetra and advised him to go there. Lord Vishnu said33 AEurushottam Kshetra is situated at the sea3shore& to the south o river @ahanadi. ,his sacroscant place o mine does not get a ected by deluge. * dwell at this holiest place as ALord EurushottamA. ,here is a holy pond called "ohin in the vicinity. Anybody who takes a holy dip in that pond gets absolved o all his sins. ? Brahma$ You must pay a visit to Eurushottam kshetra where spending a day bestows virtues greater than all the austerities combined together.A ,his way&Lord Brahma went to Eurushottam kshetra as per the instructions o Lord Vishnu.
F.;.6M @arkandeya -ulogi:es Vishnu

Lord Brahma soon a ter reaching Eurushottam kshetra sat down and started meditating. (e was so engrossed in his meditation that he remained in that state or a very long time. ,his resulted into total chaos as Yamara9 ound that his power o causing death had no e ect on people living in Eurushottam kshetra. Corried as he was& Yamara9 rushed towards +eelachal mountain and sought Lord VishnuAs intervention in the matter.
Lord Vishnu smiled and signaled goddess La/mi to say something. Boddess La/mi said33A? 1uryanandan$ Anybody residing at this holy place is reed rom the vicious cycles o birth and death a ter becoming absolved o all his sins. ,his is the reason why you are e/periencing this unusual problem. ,he whole world e/cept this holy place will come into your 9urisdiction.A Yamara9 was ama:ed by this revelation so he asked La/mi33A* would like to know why such a privilege is being given to this placeLA La/mi replied33A? "avinandan$ At the time o deluge when the whole world was submerged in the water sage @arkandeya was struggling to ind a secure place or his survival. Although he was blessed with an unusually long li e o seven kalpas but still he needed a place to live in. (e started swimming and inally managed to reach Eurushottam kshetra& which had remained unscathed by the turbulence o the deluge. ,here he saw a divine tree called AAkshay VatA. @arkandeya continued to swim along the coast wondering how that place had managed to remain una ected by deluge when the whole world had been submerged. 1uddenly he heard a voice& which appeared to be coming rom the direction o the Akshay Vat33A? @arkandeya$ DonAt worry$ ,ake my re uge and you shall be protected.A @arkandeya was very surprised and looked all around. (e kept on swimming and saw Lord Vishnu& who was engrossed in his yoga nidra in ksheer sagar. * (La/mi) was also present there. @arkandeya eulogi:ed Vishnu in the ollowing way33A1alutations to the supreme lord3 the source o all creations$ ? #agannath$ Erotect me rom getting drowned.A Lord Vishnu opened his eyes and ound @arkandeya gasping or breath. ?n reali:ing the gravity o the situation he said33A"aise your head and look at the top o this Kalpa Vat. You would ind an in ant sleeping on a lea o the Kalpa Vat. ,he in ant is none other than Kaal himsel . You should enter inside his (KaalAs) body through his opened mouth and live peace ully as there is no other place or you to live in.A @arkandeya entered into KaalAs body as per the instructions given by Lord Vishnu and was ama:ed by the e/panse o his belly& which appeared like a bottomless pit. (e also saw all the ourteen Bhuvans e/isting within KaalAs belly including all the creatures3deities& sages& siddhas& gandharvas& etc. @arkandeya wandered all over the place and a ter getting tired came out through KaalAs opened mouth. (e ound Lord Vishnu was still present there accompanied by his consort3La/mi. @arkandeya made salutations to both o them and narrated his e/periences he had inside KaalAs belly.Lord Vishnu blessed him and made a revelation33A ,he place you had visited ew moments ago is beyond the limits o creation or deluge. ,he name o this holiest place is Eurushottam kshetra and it is my permanent abode or * do not leave it even or a moment.A@arkandeya was very impressed and reHuested Lord Vishnu to allow him to live there. Lord Vishnu replied33A ? Brahmarishi$ * shall remain at Eurushottam3kshetra till the end o this kalpa. * shall also create a sacrosanct place& which would enable you to become immortal.A 1age @arkandeya then dug up a reservoir with the help o VishnuAs chakra. (e did an austere penance to please lord @aheshwar as the result o which he was indeed blessed with immortality. *n course o time& this reservoir became amous as A@arkandeya kundA.
F.;.66 (oly Elaces in the vicinity o Eurushottam3Kshetra

Dwelling in length upon the ma9esty o Eurushottam kshetra& goddess La/mi said33Eurushottam kshetra resembles a conch in shape and is graced by the presence o lord 1hiva. ,owards its north is situated a temple o lord +eelkanth. A amous shiva linga named Kapal mochan is also situated in the vicinity. ?ne who makes a pilgrimage to Kapalmochan becomes liberated rom gravest o sins. A temple o goddess Vimla devi is also situated nearby. Eurushottam kshetra is considered to be supreme among all the places o pilgrimage and or this very reason it is aptly named A,eerth "a9A. A divine pond called "ohin kund is also situated nearby. Anybody who takes a holy dip there is reed rom the vicious cycles o birth and death. *t is believed that the increased level o water at the time o deluge ultimately recedes and disappears into this pond. Boddess La/mi said33A ? Dhanra9$ ,his holy place is beyond your 9urisdiction because people living there never e/perience death. *t is well protected by eight goddesses rom all the eight directions. ,he names o these eight goddesses are @angla& Lamba& Kaalratri& @arichika& Vimla& 1arvamangla& Ardhashini and >handrupa. (ow can lord "udra be absent when "udrani has mani ested hersel in eight orms& so& he has mani ested himsel in eight di erent orms as well3 Kapalmochan& Kshetrapal& Yameshwar& @arkandeyeshwar& *shan& Bilveshwar& +eelkanth&
and Vateshwar.Chile describing the ma9esty o Eurushottam kshetra& goddess La/mi revealed to lord Brahma33A *n the coming satya yuga there would be a king named *ndradyumna and would be amous or his un linching devotion in lord Vishnu. Being pleased by the kingAs devotion& lord Vishnu would ultimately mani est himsel rom a wooden structure to bless him. Vishwakarma would then carve out our idols (#agannath& Balbhadra& 1ubhadra and 1udarshan chakra) rom the wooden block all o which would be installed by none other than you (Brahma).A ?nce& while sage #aimini was describing the greatness o Eurushottam kshetra to the assembled sages& all o them curiously asked him33 A Chere is Eurushottam kshetra situated L #aimini replied 33A %tkal is situated at the eastern coast o Bharatvarsha. At the time o deluge& when everything gets submerged in water %tkal remains una ected and it is the very place rom where the knowledge o the Vedas spread in all directions. ,he residents o %tkal are not only learned but also very prosperous. ,here is not a single person in this land who is not a devotee o lord Vishnu. All the people belonging to the our prominent castes (Brahmin& Kshatriya& Vaishya and 1hudra) diligently ollow their respective dharma. ,his holy place never e/periences natural calamities o any kind.A 1age #aimini then went on to narrate the tale o king *ndradyumna to all the assembled sages 33 A*n satya yuga there lived a noble and virtuous king named *ndradyumna& who ruled over the province o @alva. (e was a great devotee o lord Vishnu. ?ne day& while worshipping in a temple& he asked the priest3* have a wish& which still remains un ul illed. * have a deep desire o seeing lord #agannath with my mortal eyes. *s there any means with the help o which * can get my wish ul illedL ,he royal priest had no answer to the kingAs Huery so he kept Huiet.1uddenly& he saw a group o pilgrims coming towards the temple. (e thought that perhaps one o them might be having an answer to the kingAs Huery. Chen the pilgrims arrived at the temple& the royal priest posed the same Huestion to them. ?ne o the pilgrims answered33A ,here is a place called ?dhra& where is situated a grand temple o lord #agannath. ,his sacrosanct place is also amously known as Eurushottam kshetra and is situated at the oothills o the +eelachal mountain. ,here is a holy pond called "ohin situated nearby. At the eastern bank o this pond is situated a ma9estic temple o lord Vasudev. ,he idol o lord Vasudev is made o A*ndraneelA diamond. ,o the west o this temple lies A1habardeepA hermitage& rom where starts a path leading to #agannath temple.A (aving said this& the pilgrim disappeared rom everybodyAs sight. +ot only *ndradyumna but all the pilgrims were eHually ama:ed by his sudden disappearance. *ndradyumna was convinced that lord #agannath had himsel come there in the guise o a pilgrim. +ow& his desire o visiting Eurushottam kshetra became even more intense. *ndradyumna instructed his priest to ind out the e/act location o Eurushottam kshetra by sending somebody over there. Later on& the priest went home and sought the help o Vidyapati3his younger brother in this regard. Vidyapati readily agreed to help his brother and one ine day he proceeded on his 9ourney with a select group o his trusted riends. A ter a long and arduous 9ourney all o them reached A-kamravanA orest& situated at the oothills o +eelachal mountain. ,he thought o being so near their destination made everybody e/tremely e/cited. But& despite their best o e orts they could not ind 1habardeep ashram. Being tired& all o them decided to take rest or a while and then recommence their e orts to ind out the location o 1habardeep hermitage. Dinding a huge tree& all o them took rest under the shade o that tree. 1uddenly& they heard a heavenly voice& which appeared to be coming rom the western direction. ,hey ollowed the voice and reached 1habardeep ashram in a short time. ,here they saw a large gathering o devotees. ?ne o the devotees& whose name was Vishvavasu& curiously asked Vidyapati33A*t is not easy to reach this place. Drom where are you coming and where do you intend to goL You must be tired33wait& till * return with some re reshment or all o you.A Vidyapati was not in a mood to waste his time& as he was aware that *ndradyumna was eagerly waiting or him to return. (e told Vishvavasu33 * have a di icult mission to accomplish so& * am not in a position to waste my time. * am the younger brother o the royal priest o king *ndradyumna. ,he king has vowed not to have a single morsel o ood till he makes a pilgrimage to Eurushottam kshetra. (e has sent me with a speci ic purpose o inding the e/act location o Eurushottam kshetra and the easiest route leading to it. 1o& help me reach the temple o lord #agannath as soon as possible.A
F.;.6; Vidyapati -ulogi:es Lord +eel@adhava

Vishvavasu told Vidyapati33A * have heard this prophesy o *ndradyumnaAs possible arrival at Eurushottam kshetra in the near uture. +ot only that& * have also heard that *ndradyumna would become so impressed with Eurushottam kshetra that he would settle down there or good a ter renouncing everything.A Vishvavasu then reHuested Vidyapati to ollow him and started negotiating the steep heights o +eelachal mountain. Vidyapati ollowed him through the curvy and arduous paths o the mountain. (aving walked or sometime& Vishvavasu pointed towards a pond and said33,his pond is amously known as "ohin kund. ,he kalpa vat that you see towards the east o this pond is considered to be so sacrosanct that a sinner becomes liberated o all his sins once he comes under its shade. Lord #agannathAs temple is situated between "ohin kund and the kalpa vat. Bo ahead and have a darshan o lord #agannath or whom you have undertaken such an arduous travel. VidyapatiAs 9oys knew no bounds as he had been waiting or this moment or a long time. Dirst he puri ied himsel by taking a holy dip in "ohin kund and then went inside the temple to worship lord #agannath. (e worshipped lord #agannath by chanting the sacred pranav mantra.A ter the worship was over& Vishvavasu reHuested Vidyapatito visit his place which was nearby. Vidyapati agreed and accompanied Vishvavasu to his place. Vidyapati was given a royal treat by his host& which made him wonder as to how could Vishvavasu arrange all the lu/urious things at such a remote place. (e could not control himsel and asked Vishvavasu33 -ven a king would have ound it di icult to treat his guest as lavishly like you$ * am ama:ed how you could make arrangements or all these things at a remote and secluded place like this$ (ow do you manage thisL Vishvavasu replied33 *t is not as di icult as you believe. 1ince Eurushottam kshetra is a sacrosanct place and it is reHuently visited by the deities who make divine o erings to lord #agannath. * collect the residuals o whatever is o ered to #agannath rom the temple and bring it home. 1o& * really donAt have to make any special e orts to accumulate divine ood stu s. ?n account o eating these divine ood stu s& not only we have been blessed by eternal youth but also we are never troubled by old age.Vidyapati was very impressed and reHuested Vishvavasu to become his riend. (e also reminded Vishvavasu that he wanted to return as soon as possible so that the king could go on a pilgrimage to Eurushottam kshetra. But& Vishvavasu made a shocking disclosure to Vidyapati and said33 King *ndradyumna will never be able to have a divine glimpse o lord #agannath as the lord is soon going to disappear. But& donAt disclose this act to the king otherwise he would get disheartened and abandon his plan o making a pilgrimage to Eurushottam kshetra. Dinally& when the king in his utter rustration would try to end his li e a ter not being able to have a divine glimpse o +eelmadhav& the most gracious lord will appear in his dream and instruct him to get constructed our wooden idols o #agannath& Balbhadra& 1ubhadra and 1udarshan chakra. (aving accomplished his mission& Vidyapati proceeded on his return 9ourney and once again he visited Eurushottam kshetra& which ell on the way. (e picked up a garland& which had been o ered to +eelmadhav by some deity.Dinally& when he reached @alwa he ound king *ndradyumna eagerly waiting or him. A ter presenting the garland to the king& he narrated his e/periences he had at Eurushottam kshetra33A ? king$ Lord #agannathAs idol is made o +eelmani diamond and is very ancient. -ven the deities have deep regards and undiluted reverence or lord #agannath and are reHuent visitors to Eurushottam Kshetra. ,he garland& which * have given you& was in act had been o ered to Lord #agannath by the deities3 these lowers do not wither and have ragrance lasting or eternity. Eurushottam kshetra remains untouched by old age& sorrow or disease and gives salvation to anybody& who goes on a pilgrimage over there.A
F.;.67 *ndrayumna Leaves or Eurushottam3Kshetra

*ndradyumna had been waiting or this moment or a long time3 the moment when he would get a chance to go on a pilgrimage to Eurushottam kshetra. "evealing his great plan to Vidyapati& he said33A +ow& the time has inally come or me to go on a pilgrimage to Eurushottam kshetra. * also intend to develop that holy place as a prominent place o pilgrimage. * would shi t my sub9ect to that holy place and per orm one hundred Ashwamedha yagyas once * reach there. * also intend to devote rest o my li e in the worship o Lord #agannath.A Chile the conversation was going on& the ever wandering sage3+arad& arrived there and in ormed *ndradyumna how pleased were the deities a ter learning o his holy intention o developing Eurushottam kshetra into a ma9or place o pilgrimage. +arad also dwelt on length on the virtues o #agannathAs worship. *ndradyumna& thinking that +arad might prove to be o great help during the course o pilgrimage because o his vast travelling e/perience& reHuested him to accompany him to Eurushottam kshetra. +arad readily agreed to accompany the king and said33A ? king$ * shall reveal to you the importance o all the holy places that we come across in the course o our pilgrimage.A
Dinally& king *ndradyumna le t or Eurushottam kshetra ollowed by a large procession& that consisted o his sub9ect& all the ministers and army o icers. ,he entourage touched the bank o river @ahanadi by evening. Deciding to take rest and spend the night there& king *ndradyumna irst took his bath and then worshipped Lord #agannath. A ter the king had taken his bath& all the rest o the people also took their bath and then everybody sat down to have their dinner. A ter the meal was over& while *ndradyumna was busy discussing with his ministers on the uture course o action& somebody came with the news that the king o %tkal had arrived. *ndradyumna ordered the messenger to bring the esteemed guest with all the honour and respect. ,he king o %tkal arrived and broke a disturbing news33 A *ndradyumna& * am a raid your intention o having a divine glimpse o Lord #agannath is not going to ructi y as lord +eelmadhav has presently concealed himsel beneath a huge heap o sand caused by a erocious sandstorm. ,he allout o this inauspicious incident has been e/tremely adverse on my kingdom33 as my people are e/periencing acute amine. *ndradyumna was shocked& especially the thought o not getting a chance to have a divine glimpse o lord +eelmadhav made him de9ected3 he saw all his e orts going in vain. But& +arad consoled him by saying 33A DonAt worry$ Lord +eelmadhav is e/tremely merci ul and he will certainly give you an opportunity to have his divine glimpse.A
F.;.6F *ndrayumna "eaches -kamrachhetra

>ontinuing with the tale o *ndradyumna& sage #aimini told all the sages33A +e/t morning& *ndradyumna and his entourage crossed @ahanadi on boats and reached -kamrachhetra where they worshipped lord Eurushottam. A ter that they worshipped on their onwards 9ourney and reached Kotishwar @ahalaya where they worshipped lord ,ribhuneshwar with appropriate rituals. Lord ,ribhuneshwar appeared a ter becoming pleased and blessed *ndradyumna that his wish o seeing lord #agannath was soon going to be ul illed. Lord ,ribhuneshwar then instructed +arad33A ? great soul$ A ter reaching Eurushottam kshetra& help *ndradyumna per orm one hundred yagyas as per the instructions given by lord Brahma. * along with goddess Durga& dwell at the entrance o conch shaped Eurushottam kshetra. Although& presently lord #agannath has concealed himsel beneath a heap o sand yet very soon he is going to mani est himsel . *ndradyumna should get constructed a magni icent temple o lord #agannath at the same place& where once e/isted his idol and presently which is hidden beneath the heap o sand. Later on& Vishwakarma would then carve out our idols rom a single piece o wood& which would subseHuently be installed by Lord Brahma himsel . Dinally& *ndradyumnaAs wish o seeing lord #agannath would get ul illed. +arad assured lord ,ribhuneshwar that all his instructions would be ollowed in letter and spirit. ,he procession then le t or the place indicated by Lord ,ribhuneshwar.
F.;.68 *ndrayumna -ulogi:es Lord +eel@adhava

A ter reaching the temple o +eelkanth3@ahadev& all o them worshipped @ahadev and Durga. ,hey then visited the temple o lord +risimha& situated under a sandalwood tree at the oothills o +eelachal mountain.King *ndradyumna was an/iously waiting or the moment he would have a divine glimpse o lord #agannath. (e reHuested +arad to take him to the place where #agannath had hidden himsel beneath the heap o sand. +arad took him near a Banyan tree and said33A Look at this huge Banyan tree that is two yo9ans in height and whose trunk is spread in the area o one yo9an. ,o the north o this Banyan tree and to the north o +risimha temple lies the place where lord +eelmadhav used to have his dwelling sometime ago but who has presently concealed himsel . +ow& the time is not very ar when you would see lord #agannath with your mortal eyes.A *ndradyumna bowed in reverence to the place where lord #agannath was supposed to re3mani est himsel in the near uture. (e eulogi:ed the lord as i he were already present there and this was true as #agannathAs idol was indeed present there albeit hidden beneath heaps o sand. (e prayed33A ? lord$ You are the one in whom every living creature ultimately takes re uge. @y only wish is to be able to see your idol& which is presently hidden beneath heaps o sand.A(ardly had *ndradyumna inished his prayer when he heard a heavenly voice33A? king$ Do not worry$ ,he day is not ar when you would see me with your mortal eyes. You 9ust need to ollow +aradAs instructions and your wish will be ul illed.
F.;.6I +arad *nstalls the *dol o +ri1imha

+arad told *ndradyumna33A +ow& we should install an idol o lord +risimha near +eelkanthAs temple or this is the very place where you will be per orming one thousand Ashwamedh Yagyas in the days to come. 1o& your irst priority should be to get constructed a magni icent temple o lord +risimha. * plan to stay here or ive more days as Vishwakarma will be needing my help in carving out the idol o lord +risihma.A
Leaving +arad alone near the +eelkanth temple& *ndradyumna went near the sandalwood tree& which was at a little distance rom the temple& and was surprised to ind 1ughat3 VishwakarmaAs son waiting or him. (e reHuested 1ughat to construct a grand temple with its main entrance acing west. 1ughat constructed the temple within our days. ?n the i th day& +arad arrived there with an idol o lord +risimha& which had been carved out by Vishwakarma. An auspicious day was chosen or installing the idol. A ter the idol had been installed& every body including king *ndradyumna& +arad as well as the people accompanying the procession worshipped Lord +arsimha.
F.;.6< *ndrayumna Eer orms Ashvamedhya Yagyas

1ages& who had been listening to the tale narrated by #aimini with rapt attention till then asked33A Chat did *ndradyumna ne/t do a ter the idol o Lord +risimha had been installedLA 1age #aimini replied33A A ter the idol o Lord +risimha had been installed& *ndradyumna began making preparations or Ashwamedha yagya. (e sent invitations to all the deities& learned brahmins and sages. Chen everybody arrived& he made a special reHuest to *ndra to remain present at the oblation site till the completion o one thousand Ashwamedha yagyas.*ndra assured *ndradyumna o his ull cooperation and advised him to go ahead with his plan o accomplishing one thousand Ashwamedha yagyas. Dinally& *ndradyumna per ormed the irst yagya under the supervision o learned priests. ,his way& he was able to success ully accomplish nine hundred and ninety nine yagyas without any problem. Dinally& when the last Ashwamedha yagya was being per ormed& *ndradyumna had a divine glimpse o Lord Vishnu while he was engrossed in his meditation. *ndradyumna narrated his e/perience to +arad to which he got a reply that it was a good omen& which proved that the king was going to see Lord #agannath with his mortal eyes.
F.;.6J #aganath *dol is >arved ?ut

A ter the rituals o inal yagya ended& +arad advised *ndradyumna to per orm the rituals o AEurnahutiA to mark the end o Yagya ceremony. +arad then went on to say33A A tree is considered to be the partial incarnation (Ansha avatar) o Lord Vishnu or each o his hair that alls on the earth gets trans ormed into a tree.A +arad& then pointing towards a tree told *ndradyumna33 A ,he almighty Lord has mani ested himsel in the orm o this tree. +ow& you should make preparations to get this tree installed on the great altar inside the temple.A ,he tree to which +arad had pointed was uniHue in the sense that it had only our branches on it. *ndradyumna& ollowing the instructions ordered his men to uproot the said tree and then install it on the A@ahavediA inside the temple. But& at the same time he was wondering as to who would carve out the our idols o #agannath& Balbhadra& 1ubhadra and 1udarshan chakra. 1uddenly& a heavenly voice was heard33A Lord Vishnu would mani est himsel on the sacred altar on his own. An old carpenter& who is standing among you& should be sent inside the temple premise. ,he main door o the temple should then be shut and nobody should try to enter the temple till the idols are ready. ?ne more thing to be kept in mind is that all o you should keep on beating drums so that nobody hears the sound emanating rom the carving o the idols. Anybody& who hears this sound& is doomed to become dea . 1imilarly& anybody who tries to see the act o idols being made shall loose his power o sight.A *ndradyumna made elaborate arrangements as per the instructions given by the heavenly voice. ,he old carpenter was sent inside and the main door o the temple shut. ?n the i teenth day& Lord #agannath mani ested himsel along with Balbhadra& 1ubhadra and 1udarshan chakra. ?nce again heavenly voice was heard which said33A ? king$ Bet all the our idols coloured on the basis o the comple/ion o the respective deities. ,he colour o #agannathAs idol should be dark blue similar to that o dark clouds. 1imilarly& the idol o Balbhadra should be coloured in white 9ust like his air comple/ion. ,he colour o goddess 1ubhadraAs idol should be reddish 9ust like the rising 1un. 1udarshan chakra should be painted deep red. -ither the descendants o Vishvavasu or your royal priest are entitled to participate in the consecration ceremony o the idols in uture events.A *ndradyumna& once again ollowing the instructions& got the idols coloured in the way speci ied by the heavenly voice. A ter that& all the our idols were adorned with beauti ul apparels and ornaments. +ow& they really looked divine in their new looks. Looking at the divine idols o #agannath& *ndradyumna went into trance. 1eeing his condition& +arad advised not to waste time and seek any boon rom lord #agannath because the sole purpose or which #agannath had mani ested himsel was to bless him and to ul ill his wish. *ndradyumna immediately reali:ed what +arad meant to say. (e eulogi:ed lord #agannath in the ollowing way33A ? #agannath$ (elp me out rom the sorrows o this world. * donAt aspire or anything else.A 1ubseHuently& +arad and the whole entourage& which had come along with king *ndradyumna worshipped lord #agannath& Balbhadra& 1ubhadra and 1udarshan chakra. Lord #agannath was worshipped amidst the chanting o
dwadashakshar mantra while #agannath was worshipped with Eurush sukta. 1imilarly& 1ubhadra and 1udarshan chakra were worshipped amidst the chanting o Devisutra and vedic verses respectively. Dinally& donations were made to the brahmins and everybody was sent o with respect.
F.;.6G >onsecration o the *dols

King *ndradyumna was an/ious to get per ormed the rituals o consecration as soon as possible& so he asked +arad33A * am not aware o the proper rituals that are employed in the consecration o an idol. * need your help in this regard.A+arad then made a list o articles reHuired or the consecration o idols and instructed *ndradyumna to make arrangements or all those items. (e also instructed the king to get constructed a grand palace or Lord Brahma& who was supposed to arrive shortly to per orm the consecration ceremony. +arad said33A Bet constructed three chariots or all the three deities. ,he chariot meant or lord #agannath should have a mast on its top with the igure o Baruda on it. 1imilarly& BalbhadraAs chariot should have a mast with a plough drawn on it whereas 1ubhadraAs chariot should have a mast with a beauti ul lotus drawn on it. ,he number o horses pulling the chariots o #agannath& Balbhadra and 1ubhadra should be 1i/teen& ourteen and twelve respectively.A *t did not take much time to construct the three chariots as per the instructions given by +arad. Very soon lord Brahma arrived there& accompanied by all the deities& to per orm the consecration o the our idols. ?n seeing Lord Brahma& *ndradyumnaAs 9oys knew no bounds and he paid his obeisance to the creator. Lord Brahma said33A 1ee how ortunate you are. All the deities and sages have come here to help you in your cause.A Lord Brahma then per ormed the rituals o consecration on the auspicious day o ashtami o the bright hal o the hindu month Vaishakh. ,he day was ,hursday and the +akshatra was Eushya.
F.;.;M "ath Yatra

Dwelling on length about the auspicious days on which "ath Yatra should be taken out& sage #aimini told the assembled sages33A ,he combination o A,ee9A alling in the month o Vaishakh (bright hal ) and "ohini nakshatra& is considered to be e/tremely auspicious. A king should get constructed three chariots on the above mentioned day. ,he entire path along which the chariots as well as the procession is supposed to pass should be decorated with beauti ul lowers and banners. ?n the second day o the bright hal o the hindu month3Ashadh& all the three deities are worshipped and subseHuently installed on their respective chariots& which are then pulled by the devotees. ,he procession then passes through the ma9or routes o the city so that people can pay their obeisance. A ter reaching Bundicha +agar& the procession should stay there or seven days on the bank o Bindu teerth. ?n the eighth day& all the chariots should begin their return 9ourney. ,his amous "ath yatra lasts or nine days.
F.;.;6 1ome Erominent Elaces o Eilgrimage

?nce& sage 1haunak asked 1ut9i about the means& which enabled human beings to attain salvation in Kaliyuga. 1ut9i recounted a tale 33 ?nce& Kartikeya had posed the same Huestion to kartikeya. -mphasi:ing on the importance o pilgrimages& Lord 1hiva had told him that in kaliyuga anybody could attain salvation by going on pilgrimage to holy places. Biving names o some prominent holy places and rivers& Lord 1hiva had told Kartikeya that some o them were capable o ul illing any wish o a man& while some gave salvation. ,he names o some prominent rivers Lord 1hiva had given were Banga& Bodavari& +armada& ,apti& Yamuna& Kshipra& Bautami& Kaushiki& Kaveri& ,amraparni& >handrabhaga& 1indhu& Bandaki& 1arswati& etc. According to 1hiva all these rivers were not only capable o ul illing any wish o a man but also giving salvation. +aming some prominent holy places& Lord 1hiva had told Kartikeya that Ayodhya& Dwarka& Kashi& @athura& Avanti& Kurukshetra& "amteerth& Kanchi& Eurushottam kshetra& Eushkar kshetra& Varah kshetra and Badrikashram were capable o liberating a man rom the sorrows o this world.A Lord 1hiva had told Kartikeya33 AAnybody who goes on a pilgrimage to Ayodhya becomes absolved o all his sins. Lord (ari dwells at Dwarka and does not abandon it even or a moment. A devotee& who takes a holy dip in river Bomti and then pays obeisance to lord Krishna& attains salvation even i he is ignorant. *n the same manner& one who takes a bath in the holy Eanchganga at Varanasi& becomes ree rom the cycles o birth and death. Anybody& who goes on a pilgrimage to Kashi and pays obeisance to lord Vishwanath& is reed rom all the bondage o this world. Breat importance has been attached to the per ormance o AtarpanA at Vishramteerth and anybody who per orms the rituals o tarpan with sesame seeds and water& his ancestors are reed rom the tortures o the hell. ,aking a holy dip in Kotiteerth at Avantipuri& in the hindu month o Vaishakh and worshipping lord @ahakaleshwar too absolves a man o all his sins. Donating gold either at Kurukshetra or "amteerth& on a solar eclipse day& helps a man in attaining salvation. Boing on a pilgrimage to Eurushottam kshetra and worshipping lord #agannath a ter taking a holy dip in @arkandeya sarovar& bestows incomparable virtues. Badrinath& the dwelling place o lord
Vishnu& is considered to be the supreme place o pilgrimage and even its remembrance is capable o giving salvation. Virtues attained by the per ormance o various deeds (tapa& yoga& samadhi)& appear to be insigni icant as compared to virtues attained by going on a pilgrimage to Badrikashram.
F.;.;; ,he @a9esty o Badri3Kshetra

Kartikeya asked lord 1hiva33A (ow did this sacrosanct place originateL Cho is the presiding deity o this placeLA Lord 1hiva replied33A Badrikashram is an eternal city and lord +arayan is its presiding deity. A mere sight o Badrikashram is enough to ree a man rom all the bondage o li e. ,here are numerous other holy places situated in the vicinity& Kedarnath being one o them.A ,o emphasi:e the signi icance o Badrikashram& lord 1hiva narrated the ollowing tale to Kartikeya33A *n 1atyayuga& lord Vishnu e/isted in his physical orm at Badrikashram or the benediction o human beings. But& in ,retayuga& only sages had the privilege o perceiving him with the help o yoga. At the advent o Dwapar things changed drastically and lord Vishnu 9ust disappeared rom Badrikashram. Deities became worried and asked lord Brahma about the reason that made lord Vishnu disappear. -ven lord Brahma had no answer to this Huestion. ,hinking that lord Vishnu must have gone to Ksheer sagar3his eternal abode& all the deities led by Brahma went there. ,hey eulogi:ed Vishnu& who emerged rom the Ksheer sagar. But& none o the deities e/cept lord Brahma could see him. Lord Vishnu told Brahma that the main reason why he disappeared rom Badrikashram was the lawed intelligence and arrogance o the deities. Brahma in ormed the deities whatever Vishnu had told him. All the deities were ashamed o themselves and returned to heaven with long aces. Deeling pity on the deities& * (1hiva) disguised mysel as a sanyasi and carried lord VishnuAs idol rom +aradteerth to Badrikashram and installed it over there to upli t the sagging morale o the deities. ,his is how lord Vishnu once again graced Badrikashram with his presence. -ven a grain o AprasadA had at Badrikashram is enough to liberate a man rom all his sins.
F.;.;7 ,he *mportance o (indu @onth& Kartik

?nce& on being asked by some sages about the signi icance o the hindu month3 Kartik& 1ut9i narrated the ollowing tale33 A?nce& +arad had asked lord Brahma the same Huestion. At that time Lord Brahma had revealed to +arad that AKartikA was supreme among all the months 9ust as lord Vishnu is supreme among all the deities and Badrikashram is the crown o all the places o pilgrimage. According to Brahma all these three would have greater signi icance in Kaliyuga as compared to any other yuga. Kartik is very dear to Lord Vishnu and any virtuous deed done during this month never goes without being rewarded. ?ne important characteristic o this month is that all the deities live in the pro/imity o human beings or the entire period o the month and accept everything that is o ered to them. Eenance done in this month or donations made during this month is believed to give *mperishable virtues. ,here is a special signi icance o donating ood grains during this month. 1imilarly& worshipping 1haligram during this month also has great signi icance. ?bserving austerities during this month or worshipping lord Vishnu with appropriate rituals liberates oneAs ancestors rom the tortures o the hell. Corshipping lord Vishnu with petals o Lotus helps him to become absolved o all the sins committed in his previous many births. Corshipping lord Vishnu with tulsi leaves helps one in getting cured o incurable diseases.
F.;.;F ,he *mportance o (oly Dips in @argashirsh

>ontinuing with the description o the signi icance o various months& 1ut9i said33 A?nce& while lord Vishnu was engrossed in his AyoganidraA at 1hwetdweepa& lord Brahma arrived there and reHuested him to describe the importance o @argashirsh. Lord Vishnu had told him that a devotee aspiring or uni ication with him& must observes austerities during this month. Describing the proper method o observing austerities lord Vishnu had said that one should get up early in the morning and a ter per orming the ritualistic AachamanA& he should remember me by chanting my one thousand names. +e/t& he should take his bath according to the rituals mentioned in the scriptures& as ollows33 (e should remove some soil rom near the roots o tulsi plant and pluck ew tulsi leaves. (olding both the things in his hand& he should chant either Bayatri mantra or the mantra& Aom namo narayanayA& so that they become sancti ied. Chile taking his bath& it is a must to eulogi:e Banga in the ollowing way3 A ? Banga$ ,hough have mani ested rom VishnuAs eet and hence called Vaishnavi. @ysel being a devotee o lord Vishnu& you should protect me rom all the possible sins * am likely to commit in my whole li e.A A devotee should say this prayer or seven times and take the same number o holy dips in the river. (e should then put on tidy clothes and per orm AtarpanA in the names o all the deities sages as well as ancestors.
F.;.;8 ,he 1igni icance o >harity made in Vaishakh

>ontinuing with his tales& 1ut9i said33A ?nce& king Ambarish asked +arad about the reason why lord Vishnu had special liking or the hindu month3Vaishakh. +aradAs answer was that Vaishakh had been given special privilege by lord Brahma himsel and is believed to ul ill all the wishes o a man. +o other month is as dear to Lord Vishnu
as Vaishakh. ,he sin raises its ugly head only till a devotee has bathed be ore sunrise in the month o Vaishakh but once he has taken his bath all his sins 9ust disappears. ,his is also the period when all the deities are believed to dwell in all the rivers& ponds& lakes& apart rom the holy rivers. Breat signi icance has been attached to doing charitable deeds in this month& especially providing water to thirsty. 1imilarly& donating certain articles like umbrella& ans& shoes& all have their own importance. ?ne who gets constructed an inn or the com ort o the travelers and provides water to them attains imperishable virtues. +o charitable deed can ever match the virtue o donating ood grains and one who accomplishes this great act can be aptly called a AEitaA (Dather).
F.;.;I Ayodhyapuri
?nce& on being asked by sage Bhardwa9 and ew others about the grandeur o Ayodhya& 1ut9i replied33A Ayodhya& a sacrosanct city is based on the bank o river 1aryu. *t is the very city where the amous king *kshavaku ruled once upon a time. ,he term Ayodhya means unconHuerable and consists o three root letters5 a3 symboli:ing Brahma& y3symboli:ing Vishnu and dh3symboli:ing "udra. *t is a place where lord Vishnu has his abode or eternity and does not leave it even or a moment. According to the scriptures Ayodhya is based on 1udarshan chakra. *t is well e/panded in the radius o one yo9an. *ts eastern boundary stretches up to one yo9an rom a place called A1ahastradhanA. 1imilarly& the western ront stretches up to one yo9an rom a place called A1amaA& the southern up to one yo9an rom the bank o 1aryu and its northern boundary up to one yo9an starting rom the bank o river ,amsa. *n ancient times& a brahmin named Vishnu 1harma had per ormed an austere penance at Ayodhya. Lord Vishnu had appeared a ter becoming pleased by him and had created a holy place by digging up the earth with his 1udarshan chakra. Anybody& who takes a holy dip in >hakrateerth becomes absolved o all his sins.
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#rahm 2and
,his >hapter contains J sections.
F.7.6 "ameshwar Kshetra

?nce& 1haunak and ew other sages asked 1ut9i as to how could a man become ree rom the bondage o the world. ,hey also inHuired whether there was an e/istence o any such holy place capable o liberating a man rom heinous o sin. 1ut9i replied33A "amteerth is supreme among all the places o pilgrimage. A mere sight o this holy place is enough to ree a man rom the bondage o this mortal world. Boing on a pilgrimage to "ameshwar gives virtues similar to what is attained by per orming all the yagyas. ?ne& who takes a holy dip at 1etu "ameshwar& attains to Vishnuloka. @erely by sleeping at the sea shore o "ameshwar a man gets absolved o heinous o sins like brahmhatya& etc. A man is blessed i his remains are consigned to the holy waters at "ameshwar a ter his death. 1criptures say that ive types o sins are as grave as the sin o brahmahatya33 ?ne& who critici:es sages A sel ish person who cooks ood only or himsel & ?ne who destroys well laid path making it di icult or people to tread upon& ?ne who accepts ood rom a AchandalA and ?ne who sells ood grains to a chandal. But& all these 9ust disappears once the sinner reaches "ameshwar.
F.7.; 1etu Bandh

All the sages were curious to know about the holy places in the vicinity o "ameshwar. 1ut9i replied331ri "am replied went into e/ile accompanied by 1ita& his consort and his younger brother& La/man. "avan& the demon king who ruled over Lanka deceit ully abducted 1ita. 1ubseHuently& 1ri "am be riended 1ugreev and killed Bali& who harboured enemity against him. 1ugreev sent monkeys in all directions to ind out where 1ita had been kept by "avan. Later on 1ri "am reached @ahendra Earvat accompanied by La/man& (anuman& 1ugreeva& #ambavan& +al and may more brave warriors. ,hey stayed or a brie period at >hakrateerth& where Vibhishan came to see 1ri "am. -ventually Vibhishan was nominated the king o all the demons by 1ri "am to the great displeasure o his brother "avan. 1ri "am and his army aced an uphill task o reaching Lanka or they had to cross the ocean& which lay as a great barrier between them and their destination. 1amudra (ocean) revealed to 1ri "am that +ala had divine powers and whatever he would throw in the ?cean would not sink down but keep on loating. +ala tried to check the authenticity o 1amudraAs statement by throwing a huge rock into the ocean& as he himsel was not aware o his powers. ,o the sheer ama:ement o everybody present there the rock started loating on the sur ace o the ocean instead o sinking down. All the rest o the monkeys tried to emulate +alaAs eat by throwing huge rocks into the
ocean and to their own surprise ound that the rocks did not sink. ,his was how a bridge was built and across the ocean which made it possible or 1ri "am and his army to cross the ocean. ,hen length o 1etu "ameshwar Bandh is hundred yo9an and it is ten yo9an broad. ,here are many holy places situated on the bridge prominent among which are >hakra3teerth& Eaap3vinashan teerth& 1ita 3sarovar& @angal3 teerth& Amrit3watika& Brahma3kund& (anumat3 kund& Agastya3teerth& "am3teerth& La/man3teerth& #aya3teerth& La/mi3teerth& Agni3teerth& 1hiv3teerth& 1hankh3teerth& Yamuna3teerth& Banga3teerth& Koti3teerth& @anas3teerth and Dhanushkoti teerth.
F.7.7 "ameshwar Linga

Describing how 1ri "am had installed "ameshwar linga& 1ut9i said33A A ter killing "avan& 1ri "am enthroned Vibhishan as the king o Lanka. Chile returning to Ayodhya he made a brie stop at Bandhamadan mountain. 1ince the thought o having killed a brahmin ("avan) kept on tormenting him& he decided to atone or his sins. 1o& he installed the idol o "ameshwar linga at "ameshwar setu. "ameshwar linga is so sacrosanct that all the holy places& sages and ancestors are believed to e/ist within the temple premise o @aheshwar linga. Being installed by 1ri "am himsel & this particular linga has special signi icance attached to it. ?ne who goes on a pilgrimage to this holy place is certain to attain salvation even i he were a A@lechhaA (born in a low caste).
F.7.F Dharma"anya Kshetra

?nce& sage Vyas went to meet Yudhisthira& who reHuested him to describe the signi icance o Dharmaranya kshetra. 1age Vyas replied33 A ? king$ ?nce& Dharmara93Yudhisthira did an austere penance to please lord 1hiva. As usual& *ndra became scarred because he thought that Dharmara9 was doing penance with the intention o acHuiring *ndraloka. (e and other deities went to seek the help o lord Brahma& who did not have any clue. 1o& all o them went to Kailash mountain to seek Lord 1hivaAs help. 1ince 1hiva was aware o DharmaAs motive& he e/plained to the deities that there was nothing to worry about. But& *ndra was not satis ied and the thought o loosing his kingdom continued to torment him. *ndra then instructed a beauti ul Apsara named Vardhini to go to the place where Dharma was doing penance and disturb him by corrupting his thoughts. Vardhini went to the place where Dharma was engrossed in his penance and was success ul in disturbing him. Chen Dharma opened his eyes he ound a beauti ul Apsara in ront o him. Vardhini asked Dharma33A ? Lord$ Chat is the ob9ective with which you are doing such an austere penanceL Being an embodiment o virtuosity yoursel & you prevail in the whole world. 1o& in a sense you already the lord o the world 3 what else do you needLA Dharma told Vardhini that he was doing penance with the ob9ective o having a divine glimpse o lord 1hiva. Vardhini in ormed him that *ndra was scarred o losing his kingdom and hence had sent her to disturb his penance. Dharma was pleased by her truth ulness and wanted to reward her or that. Vardhini e/pressed her desire o having her abode in *ndraloka or eternity and also o having a place o pilgrimage named on her. Dharma blessed her a ter which she returned to *ndraloka. Dharma once again engrossed himsel in penance. %ltimately& Lord 1hiva became pleased and appeared be ore him. A Ask or any boon and it shall be bestowed to youA& said Lord 1hiva. Dharmara9 replied 3A ? lord$ * want this place to be named a ter me. * also reHuest you to grace this place by your presence.A Lord 1hiva blessed him and ul illed both his wishes. ,his was how Dharmakshetra got its name. 1ubseHuently& lord 1hiva appeared in the orm o Dharmeshwar linga in accordance with the second wish o Dharmara9. A ter his penance was over& Dharma also had created a holy reservoir over there which is believed to absolve a man o all his sins.
F.7.8 Loss o @oral Values in Kaliyuga

?n being asked by Yudhisthira about the li e3style o people in Kaliyuga& sage Vyas replied33 A,here will be a widespread prevalence o sin ul deeds and lack o moral values in Kaliyuga. Eeople would become untruth ul and would become critical o revered sages. @oral values would decline to such an e/tent their minds would be preoccupied by nothing else but the thought o se/. *n Kaliyuga women will eel most insecure and even her near and dear ones would become untrustworthy 3 men belonging to their own gotras would try to e/ploit her. Brahmins would be critici:ed because o their inappropriate conduct3 ,hey would become arrogant& would start trading their knowledge and would not ollow the teachings o the Vedas. 1imilarly& Kshatriyas would become cowards and a mere re erence o battle would be enough to scare them. @a9ority o people would indulge in immoral deeds like gambling and consume variety o into/ication. ,hey would always look out or an opportunity to grab otherAs wealth by deceit ul means. @arried women would not ul ill their
obligation towards their husbands. >ows would give lesser milk and trees would bear ewer ruits. Young girls would become pregnant at the raw age o eleven years. Brahmins& by their conduct would undermine the importance o holy places and would indulge in e/cessive eating and drinking. *n Kaliyuga& people would not give any importance to caste system. Kings would loose their kingdoms and @lechhas would become the rulers. ,reachery& enemity and disrespect towards elders would become the norms o the day.
F.7.I ,he 1igni icance o >hatur@asya Vrata

?nce& on being asked by +arad about the importance o >haturmasya& lord Brahma said33A >haturmasya is the period o our months during which lord Vishnu is believed to take rest in ksheer3sagar. 1o Huite naturally& all the oceans& rivers and ponds are believed to attain divinity due to the presence o Lord Vishnu in ksheer3sagar during this period. ,his is the reason why great importance has been attached to taking holy bath during this period. A devotee& who observes austerities related with Lord Vishnu during these our months& becomes absolved o all his sins. All the deities are believed to dwell within Lord Vishnu during this period. Boing on pilgrimage to holy places and taking holy dips in rivers bestow indescribable virtues. A devotee must not orget to per orm the rituals o A,arpanA a ter taking his daily bath. (e should also observe abstinence and avoid indulging in sensual pleasures during this period o our months. ,here is special signi icance o making donations during this period& especially donating ood3grains.
F.7.< *mportance o Abstinence during >haturmas

>ontinuing with the importance o austerities observed during >haturmas& Lord Brahma said33A (uman3beings are bundle o desires and long or worldly things. 1o& there is a great importance o abstinence and orsaking things& which one is very ond o . ?ne who relinHuishes his most avourite thing during this period gets the same thing in abundance in the ne/t world. A householder& who renounces his amily li e or the sake o his devotion during this period& becomes ree rom the tortures o recurring births and deaths. 1imilarly& relinHuishing the use o chilly in oneAs ood during this period helps him to acHuire great ortune. "enouncing silk cloths during this period gives imperishable 9oy. ?ne should avoid wearing black cloths during this period. >ombing and shaving are prohibited during this period. A devotee should worship Lord Vishnu on the auspicious day o Kark sankranti. +ormally black plums are o ered to Lord Vishnu while worshipping. >elibacy is believed to be the best austerity and anybody who observes it during the period o chaturmas& never e/periences sorrow in his li e.
F.7.J "ituals Eertaining to 1hodash %pachar

?nce& on being asked by +arad about the proper methods o per orming 1hodash upachar rituals& lord Brahma said 33A*n normal circumstances& when lord Vishnu is worshipped by employing the rituals o 1hodashopachar it is considered as A,apaA. But& when the same rituals o shodashopachar are employed to worship lord Vishnu during chaturmas& it is considered as A@ahatapaA. *n the same manner& all the austerities that are observed during >haturmas attain greater importance. Lord Brahma then went on to elucidate the proper method o per orming the rituals o A1hodashopacharA33A PA particular AmahasuktaA o Ya9urveda consisting o si/teen A richas are chanted while worshipping Lord Vishnu. 1imilarly richas like Asahastra3sheersha purushahA and i teen others are considered to be most appropriate or the worship o almighty Vishnu. Dirst o all& a devotee should per orm the ritual o AnyasA by mentally associating all the si/teen richas with di erent organs o the body as per the instructions given in the smritis. ,he same rituals o AnyasA are then per ormed on the idol o lord Vishnu or 1haligram. A ter that an invocation is made to Lord Vishnu by chanting the irst richa o Eurush sukta33A1ahashtra sheersha EurushahA with a slight modi ication i.e. by adding AomA in the beginning o the mantra. 1imilarly& Lord Vishnu and other AEarshadsA should be installed at the place o worship by chanting the second richa3 AEurush evedamA. Cith the chanting o third richa& Lord VishnuAs lotus eet are washed a ter which AardhyaA is o ered with the holy water collected rom all the seven seas and other holy rivers. 1ubseHuently& the ritual o AachamanA is per ormed amidst the chanting o i th richa. ,he ritual o ablution is then per ormed in which the idol o Lord Vishnu is bathed amidst the chanting o the si/th richa. ,he idol is adorned with beauti ul apparels amidst the chanting o seventh richa. 1imilarly& a sacred thread is o ered to Lord Vishnu amidst the chanting o eighth richa while sandalwood paste is smeared on the idol amidst the chanting o ninth richa. 1ubseHuently& amidst the chanting o tenth& eleventh& twel th and thirteen richas& lowers& incense& lighted lamp and naivedya are o ered to the deity respectively. +aivedya should consist o cereals. Chile per orming AaartiA the ourteenth richa should be chanted. A devotee
should then circumambulate around the idol amidst the chanting o i teenth richa. *magining himsel as an inseparable part o lord Vishnu& he should meditate amidst the chanting o the si/teenth richa.P
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2ashi 2hand
,his >hapter contains 8 sections.
F.F.6 Vidhyachal ?bstructs the Eath o 1urya

?nce& sage Vyas narrated the ollowing tale to all the assembled sages33 A ?nce& while wandering about& sage +arad arrived at Vindhyachal mountain. (e was received with great honour and respect by Vindhyachal mountain. But& when the time arrived or +arad to take his leave& he took a deep sigh& which made Vindhyachal e/tremely perple/ed and he asked +arad i anything was wrong. +arad replied33A Your rival3@eru mountain is superior to you in every respect and this is the act * am lamenting about. @y deep sigh is 9ust the indication o my worried state o mind.A Vindhyachal mountain was illed with in eriority comple/ and started waiting or an opportunity when he could prove his superiority to @eru mountain. (e thought33A Eerhaps +arad was right or even Lord 1urya has great respect or @eruAs might and this is the reason why he circumambulates my adversary. * * am able to beat @eru in height then may be Lord 1urya would start circumambulating me and this way * shall prove my superiority to @eru.A +ow& Vindhyachal started increasing his height and in a short time its peaks became invisible. ,he allout o this ama:ing incident proved to be Huite catastrophic or the world because even Lord 1urya was le t stranded at a particular point in the hori:on. As a result& one part o the earth became too hot or any li e to e/ist. 1imilarly& the other hal o the earth became unbearably cold. ,he time became still and everything went haywire in the world. All the deities became e/tremely worried and went to Lord Brahma to seek his help. Lord Brahma advised them to go to Kashi and seek help rom sage Agastya. Deities were pleased at their good ortune o getting a chance to visit Kashi. Deities& a ter reaching Kashi paid a visit to A@anikarnika teerthA and took their bath. 1ubseHuently& they went to Vishwanath temple and worshipped Lord Vishwanath. At last& they reached the hermitage o Agastya where he was busy worshipping a sel made 1hivalinga. ,he entire hermitage was crowded with young pupils o Agastya. A ter the pleasantries having been e/changed& sage Agastaya asked the deities about the purpose o their visit.
F.F.; Agastya orders the Vindhya @ountains to diminish their si:e

Chen Agastya learnt o the problem created by Vindhyachal& he agreed to help the deities despite ully aware o the act that once he le t Kashi it would not be possible or him to see his dearest Kashi once again at least in his present birth. Be ore leaving or Vindhyachal& he sought permission rom Lord Bhairav. (e then reached the place where Vindhyachal had obstructed the path o 1urya. Lopamudra& his wi e accompanied him. Chen Vindhyachal ound Agastya starring angrily at him he became scarred and immediately minimi:ed his si:e. 1age Agastya was pleased that his ob9ective had been achieved without making any e ort but he knew Huite well that once he le t the place Vindhyachal would regain his mammoth si:e. 1o he decided to do something so that Vindhyachal could not obstruct the path o 1urya. (e worked out a plan according to which he instructed Vindhyachal to wait or him until he returned a ter accomplishing his pilgrimage. Vindhyachal agreed assuming that Agastya would return in a short time. Vindhyachal thanked his good ortune o escaping AgastyaAs wrath& which could otherwise have threatened his very e/istence. 1age Agastya then went away never to return and Vindhyachal kept on waiting or his arrival. ,his way& the path being cleared& 1urya was once again able to move reely on its orbit without any problem and as a result normalcy returned to the world. ?n the other hand& Agastya who was not at all happy leaving his dearest Kashi was desperate to get there back as soon as possible. But& he knew that his wish was going to remain un ul illed. Chile wandering about& he reached Kolapur where he worshipped goddess @ahala/mi. Chen goddess @ahala/mi appeared& he asked her whether he would ever be able to reach Kashi in his present li e. Boddess @ahala/mi replied33A Your wishes will be ul illed in the coming nineteenth dwapar& when you would incarnate as Vyas and would contribute a great deal in the propagation o the Vedas and Euranas. ,here is a sacrosanct place o Kartikeya not very ar rom here. Bo there and pay your obeisance to Lord Kartikeya and he would unravel the mysterious aspects o Kashi to you.A
1age Agastya and his wi e Lopamudra then went to the mountain called 1ri 1hail& where Kartikeya lived at that time.
F.F.7 Kashi ! ,he 1acrosanct Elace o Eilgrimage

A ter travelling or sometime& both o them arrived near 1ri 1hail mountain. Eointing his inger towards the mountain& Agastya told his wi e33A?ne& who has a good ortune o seeing the peaks o this mountain& never takes a second birth.A Lopamudra replied in ama:ement33A * the sight o this mountain was capable o giving salvation then why do you long or KashiLA 1age Agastya then went on to clari y that there were many other holy places capable o giving salvation. Erayag is one such place. *t is capable o bestowing all the our AEurusharthA to man3Dharma& Arth& Kaam and @oksha. Apart rom Erayag& there are many more holy places like +aimisharanya& Kurukshetra& Bangadwar& Avanti& Ayodhya& @athura& Dwarka& Badrikashram& Eurushottam kshetra which are capable o giving salvation to a man. But none o these places can match Kashi because Kashi is incomparable.
F.F.F Lord Kartikeya Describes the @a9esty o Kashi

1age Agastya and his wi e Lopamudra circumambulated 1ri 1hail @ountain and climbed up Lohit mountain where they ound Lord Kartikeya. Both o them eulogi:ed kartikeya by singing vedic hymns in his praise. Lord kartikeya was e/tremely pleased by their devotion and said3 ? revered sage$ You can understand KashiAs importance by the act that& though * am capable o reaching any place according to my wish but still& here * am doing this austere penance or the attainment o Kashi. * must con ess that * have not been success ul in my e orts till date. * any body thinks that he can attain to kashi 9ust by per orming austerities than he is totally wrong. Kashi can never be attained to until and unless one has the blessing o Lord mahadeva. And one who is ortunate enough to have reached Kashi must under no circumstances leave it till he is alive. ? Agastya$ You are blessed because you had the good ortune o residing at Kashi. Elease allow me to touch your body& which has acHuired holiness due to its pro/imity to Kashi.A (aving said this& Kartikeya touched di erent parts o agastyaAs body as i he were touching the sacred soil o Kashi.
F.F.8 ,he ?rigin o Kashi

1age Agastya asked Lord Kartikeya how the sacrosanct place& Kashi came into being. (e also asked how Kashi became amous as a place capable o giving salvation to a man. Lord Kartikeya revealed to Agastya that once Earvati had asked Lord 1hiva the same Huestion. Lord 1hiva had told her33A At the time o deluge when every thing had submerged in the ocean and darkness prevailed everywhere& only B"A(@3the embodiment o truth e/isted at that time and nothing else. B"A(@& the absolute truth is indescribable and ine/pressible. +o name can be attributed to (*@. (- is the absolute truth& the ultimate knowledge& the in inite& the omnipresent and the eternal bliss. ,hough basically ormless (- attained a orm on account o (*1 own wish. ,hat orm is none other than me. Later on * created Erakriti rom my body. All three o us (1hiva& Earvati and Kashi) mani ested simultaneously by the grace o AAadi purushA (,he Almighty Bod).A >ontinuing with the tale o KashiAs greatness& Kartikeya told Agastya3A ,here is no holy place as dear to Lord 1hiva as Kashi& which is not abandoned by him as well as his consort3Earvati even at the time o deluge. Lord 1hiva named this holy place3 Ananda van& because it gave immense 9oy to him. 1ubseHuently& Lord 1hiva and goddess #agdamba put a glance on the le t portion o their respective bodies as the result o which a divine entity mani ested himsel who was none other than Lord Vishnu and who was named Eurushottam by Lord 1hiva. Lord 1hiva a ter blessing Eurushottam went away. Later on& Lord Vishnu created a divine reservoir with his sudarshan chakra and illed it up with his sweat. (e then engaged himsel in an austere penance. Lord 1hiva once again appeared along with Earvati and blessed Vishnu by saying3A ,his holy place will become amously known as @anikarnika because this is the very place where * had once lost my diamond ear3ring.A Lord Vishnu made a reHuest to 1hiva 33A @ay this place ul ill the wishes o those who seek salvation. 1ince it is blessed with your eternal presence hence its another name would be Kashi.A Lord 1hiva assured Vishnu by saying3 A ,his sacrosanct place is very dear to me and no event takes place here against my wish. -ven i a person living here happens to be a sinner he has nothing to ear because * protect him. ?ne who lives ar rom Kashi but remembers it with reverence becomes absolved o all his sins.A
,here is a magni icent 1hiva3linga at Kashi amously known as Kashi Vishwanath. (ere is situated one o the twelve #yotirlingas. #ust as the 1un is visible in the whole world despite its presence at a particular point in the hori:on& in the same manner Kashi has its in luence throughout the length and breadth o the world.
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Avanti 2shetra 2hand
,his >hapter contains G sections.
F.8.6 1anat Kumar Blori ies @ahakaal ,eertha

?nce& goddess Earvati reHuested 1hiva to describe the signi icance o @ahakaal teerth. Lord 1hiva replied3P ?nce& 1anatkumar3 one o the manasputras o Lord Brahma had gone to his atherAs abode& situated at a place near @eru mountain. 1age Vyas arrived there and asked him the same Huestion. 1anatkumar had revealed to him that all kinds o sins loosed their evil in luence at @ahakaal teerth. (e had also told him that it was called AEeethaA because @atrikas had their abode over there. Anybody& who is ortunate o leaving his mortal body at this holy3place& is reed rom the vicious cycles o birth and death. ,his place is very dear to Lord 1hiva and is also called by various other names like -kamrak3van& @ahakaal3van and Vimukti3kshetra.
F.8.; Kapal @ochan

?nce& lord 1hiva arrived at @ahakal orest with a skull in his hand. All the trees and vegetation were delighted to ind him in their midst. ,hey reHuested lord 1hiva to remain their orever. Lord 1hiva told them that it was not possible or him to stay there orever but on being reHuested once again agreed to stay there or at least a year. A ter one year& when the time or departure came he released the skull rom his hand as a memorial. Chen lord Brahma came to know o this incident& he instructed all the deities to reach @ahakal orest without wasting any time so that a grand yagya could be per ormed at the place where 1hiva had le t the skull. All the deities went to the said place and worshipped Lord 1hiva by employing the rituals o Eashupat vrata& which Lord Brahma had taught them. Lord 1hiva became pleased by their devotion and said33A Eerhaps you all are not aware that there was a speci ic ob9ective behind my act o releasing the skull rom my hand. ,his act o mine was done to protect your lives but it seems you are unaware o its signi icance. *n a way& all o you have already received my blessings in advance or your deep devotion. Chat else do you wish or LA Deities were ama:ed by 1hivaAs statements and were wondering what 1hiva was trying to convey. 1o& they reHuested 1hiva to unravel the mystery so that they could understand what he meant to say. Lord 1hiva told them3A ,he ollowers o @aya were planning to kill you while you were busy doing penance but no one o you was aware o their evil motive. * came to know about this in my deep state o meditation and dropped the skull rom my hand. As soon as the skull touched the ground a thunderous sound was made as the result o which all the demons were killed instantaneously.A All the deities thanked Lord 1hiva or protecting their lives. *n course o time this particular place became amous as Kapal mochan temple and is presently situated in %99ain.
F.8.7 Various +ames o %99ainipuri

?nce& sage Vyas reHuested 1anatkumar to reveal why %99ainipuri was known by various names like Kanakshringa& Kushasthali Avanti and Eadmavati. 1anatkumar replied3A ?nce& Lord Brahma and Lord 1hiva arrived at %99ainipuri in search o Lord Vishnu& who had disappeared rom his abode. ,o their pleasant surprise they ound Lord Vishnu staying there. Both o them reHuested Vishnu to allow them to stay at %99ainipuri and said3A ? Lord$ Chen did you create such a magni icent place with golden mountain peaksL Allow us to live in this beauti ul city or we can not live in your separation.A Lord Vishnu reHuested Brahma to make his abode in the northern part o the city while 1hiva was told to make southern part as his abode. Lord Vishnu then told them3A 1ince you have re erred to this place as a city o golden mountain peaks there ore rom now onwards it would become amous as AKanchan 1hringaA (golden peaks)A. 1anat kumar then went on to e/plain why %99ainipuri was also called Kusha sthali3A (aving created the world& Lord Brahma reHuested Lord Vishnu to nurture it. Lord Vishnu agreed on the condition that Lord Brahma provided him a pious place on the earth rom where he could per orm his duty. Brahma then picked up a hand ul o kusha grass
and threw down on the earth. ,his way Lord Vishnu per ormed his duty as the nurturer o the world sitting on the seat o Kusha grass. ,his is the reason why this place came to be known as Kusha sthali.A 1anat kumar then described how %99ainipuri also came to be known as Avanti puri3A ?nce& a ter being de eated by the demons& deities led to @eru mountain. Later on they went to Lord Brahma and sought his help. Lord Brahma took all the deities to Lord Vishnu. (ardly had they reached the abode o Vishnu and o ered their obeisance& then they heard a heavenly voice3 A,here is a sacrosanct place called Kushasthali in the orest o @ahakal van. ,his holy place is graced by the presence o Lord @ahadeva. Bo there and engage yoursel in austerities and you will certainly become the master o the heaven once again.A 1ubseHuently& all the deities went to a place called Eaishachmochan situated in Kushasthali and engaged themselves in various austerities. As prophesi:ed by Vishnu& the deities indeed de eated the demons and became the ruler o heaven. ,he term AAvanA means Athe protectorA and since it had protected the deities hence it became amous as Avanti. 1anat kumar also described how Kushasthali also came to be known as %99aini3A ?nce& a demon named ,ripur did an austere penance to please Lord Brahma. Chen Brahma appeared he e/pressed his wish o becoming immortal. Lord Brahma ul illed his wish as the result o which ,ripur became arrogant and started tormenting the deities. ,he deities sought the help o Lord 1hiva& who assured them that he would kill the demon. 1ubseHuently& Lord 1hiva did kill ,ripur with his most lethal weapon Apashupat ashtraA a ter a ierce battle. ,he place where this incident took place became amous as %99aini because o the ierce battle ought between 1hiva and ,ripur. >ontinuing with the tale which described the reason why %99ainipuri also came to be known as Eadmavati& 1anatkumar told Vyas3A During the time o ocean churning ambrosia had also emerged rom the ocean bed along with many other valuable things. ,he demons wanted to drink ambrosia so that they could become immortal but the deities were against this idea. Very soon& the arguments turned into a ma9or dispute and both the sides started Huarrelling. +arad reHuested Lord Vishnu to do something in this regard. Lord Vishnu disguised himsel as a beauti ul lady and was success ul in in atuating the demons. Dinally& he started giving ambrosia to the deities who a ter drinking it became immortal. A demon named "ahu was sitting in the rows o the deities a ter changing his guise. Lord Vishnu was unable to recogni:e "ahu and gave some ambrosia to him mistaking him to be a deity. But& hardly had "ahu gulped down Ambrosia and be ore it could reach down his throat& Vishnu severed his head. "ahuAs head became immortal as the result o ambrosiaAs in luence. ,his incident had taken place at @ahakal orest. Later on all the deities distributed the whole wealth& which had emerged rom the ocean among themselves. ,his is the reason why %99ainipuri came to be known as Eadmavati because Eadma is another name o Boddess La/mi.
F.8.F ,he Brandeur o Avantipuri

1anatkumar says3A ?nce& Earvati reHuested Lord 1hiva to e/plain why Avantipuri was considered so holy by the devotees. Lord 1hiva told her that it was so because there were numerous holy places situated over there. Lord 1hiva had told her3A ,here are our holy rivers lowing through the di erent regions o Avantipuri3 Kshipra& Divya3 nav& +eelganga and Bandhavati. ,here are temples belonging to eighty our shiva lingas& eight Bhairavas& eleven "udras& ,welve Aadityas& si/ Baneshas and twenty our goddesses. +ot only this there are also temples o Lord Vishnu and Brahma. Avantipuri is spread in the radius o one yo9an. ,here are temples belonging to ten di erent incarnations o Lord Vishnu3 Vasudev& Anant& Balaram& #anardan& +arayan& (rishikesh& Varah& Dharnidhar& Vaman and Lord Vishnu himsel taking rest on 1heshnag. Apart rom these there are many other holy places situated at Avantipuri& which enhances its sanctity and holiness.
F.8.8 ,he Descent o +armada

-/plaining the reason why +armada had to descend down to earth& 1ut9i narrated a tale to the assembled sages3A ?nce& sage markandeya was taking rest at the bank o river +armada where Yudhisthira accompanied by Draupadi arrived there. Yudhishthira curiously asked @arkandeya about the reason he had chosen the bank o +armada as his resting place when there were so many other holy places o greater signi icance. 1age @arkandeya recounted a tale& which said how some sages had reHuested king Eururva to bring down river +armada to the earth so that the whole world becomes liberated rom its sins. Describing the holiness o +armada& sages had told Eururava3 A ,he holy +armada is capable o liberating the whole world rom its sin. 1o& you should ind means so that +armada descends down to earth.A Later on& Eururva did an austere penance to please 1hiva. Chen Lord 1hiva appeared be ore him& Eururva e/pressed his wish. 1hiva instructed +armada to descend down to earth but she told him that she needed a base or that to happen. Lord 1hiva then instructed Earyank3 the son o Vindhyachal mountain to hold +armada while she descended down to earth. Erayank agreed to do that and this was how +armada came down on earth. *nitially& the whole world was looded with the waters
o +armada but at the reHuest o the deities she minimi:ed her si:e. +armada blessed Eururva and instructed him to per orm the rituals o tarpan in the name o his ancestors so that they became liberated rom their sins. Eururva complied and thus by per orming tarpan liberated all his ancestors.A (aving inished his tale& @arkandeya told Yudhishthira that one who takes a holy dip in +armada attains virtues similar to that o per orming Ashwamedh yagya.
F.8.I +armada @arries Eurukutsu

@arkandeya says3A ? Yudhishthir$ King Eurutkutsu was 1amudra in his previous birth and had been cursed by Brahma. ,he descent o +armada on earth made the deities e/tremely delighted and they reHuested +armada to give them the privilege o e/periencing her divine touch. But& +armada re used to give them that privilege on the prete/t that she was still unmarried and it would not be proper or her to do so. All the deities then reHuested her to become the consort o Eurukutsu to which she agreed. ,his way& +armada married Eurutkusu. A ter getting married& Eurutkutsu reHuested her to liberate his ancestors so that they could attain to heaven. +armada readily obliged and this way Eurutkutsu contributed in his ancestorsA departure to heaven.
F.8.< @anu "eceives a Boon rom +armada

@arkandeya says3A @anu ruled over Ayodhya during 1wayambhuva manvantar. ?ne day& while he was going to sleep& he heard a peculiar sound& as i numerous small bells were ringing. (e was perple/ed and could not ascertain the cause o that sound so he asked sage Vashishth about this. 1age Vashishth made a revelation by which @anu was startled. 1age Vashishth told him3 ,here is a holy place called ,ripuri situated at the bank o river +armada. ,he sound that you heard last night emanated rom the small bells attached to number o aircra t kept on the roo s o the residences o such people who are virtuous. ? king$ ?nly +armada is capable o giving salvation to lowly o sinners.A @anu was highly impressed and decided to go to ,ripuri along with his whole clan. All o them took holy dips in the +armada and became liberated rom all their sins. @anu per ormed a grand yagya at the bank o +armada to which all the sages and hermits were invited. +armada became pleased by his devotion and e/pressed her willingness to ul ill any wish that @anu desired. @anu reHuested her help in bringing down Banga and other holy rivers to earth. +armada blessed him and said3 *n the irst hal o tretayuga& one o your descendants named Bhagirath would accomplish this great eat o bringing down holy Banga to earth. *n the second hal o the same era other holy rivers like Kalindi& 1araswati& 1arayu& and @ahabhaga would also mani est themselves.
F.8.J #amadagni receives Kaamdhenu

@arkandeya told Yudhishthir3A 1age #amdagni was a great devotee o 1hiva and he lived in +armadapur. (e spent his day chanting mantras in the praise o Lord 1hiva. ?nce& he per ormed an austere penance& which lasted or a month. %ltimately& 1hiva mani ested himsel rom the 1iddheshwar Linga and appeared be ore him. Lord 1hiva asked #amdagni to ask or any thing he wished or. #amdagni e/pressed his desire to have Kaamdhenu so that he could per orm his rituals and other religious obligations without any problem. Lord 1hiva blessed #amdagni and disappeared. ,he ne/t moment& #amdagni ound Kaamdhenu standing in ront o his hermitage. +ow& #amdagni got everything that he wished or. ,his way& he was a happy and contented li e until one ate ul day when he was killed by a greedy king named Kartaveerya& who subseHuently took Kaamdhenu along with him. Chile the greedy king was still on his way& Kaamdhenu cursed him that very soon not only he but the whole caste o Kshatriya would be liHuidated by Earshuram3 #amdagniAs son& as punishment or having committed such a ghastly sin o killing an innocent sage. A ter cursing Kartaveerya& Kaamdhenu went to her original abode3the heaven. Later on& when Earshuram learnt o his atherAs slaying& he liHuidated Kartaveerya and the whole caste o Kshatriya as had been prophesi:ed by Kaamdhenu.
F.8.G Description o (ell

Yudhishthira reHuested @arkandeya to describe what a sinner had to go through in Yamaloka and also that what kind o a person should be considered as the most ghastly sinner. @arkandeya replied3 A Donating ood to needy people is an e/tremely virtuous deed and there is no virtuous deed greater than this. A person who donates cereals can be aptly called AAnnadataA3 one who provides ood. ?ne who has never donated cereals in his li etime is de inite to go to hell and has to tread an arduous path leading to it that is ridden with prickly thorns& pointed nails and other sharp ob9ects. ,he entire path leading to hell is e/tremely dark and covered with large pits. ,he path is also covered with unbearably hot sand spilled all over the place. ,he
sinner is orcibly taken by the Yamdoots despite their reluctance. ,he sinners repent or the sins they have committed but it is o no use to them& as they will have to reap the ruits o their evil deeds. ,hey have to undergo all sorts o pain ul e/perience3 they are orced to pass through ire and pits ull o ilth. ,hose sinners who have atoned or their sins are not treated so harshly by the Yamdoots. A ter they appear be ore Yamra9& >hitragupta reminds them o all the sins they had committed. ,herea ter& Yamra9 orders his attendants to puri y the sinners by putting them into the ocean o the (ell. ,here are ,wenty3eight types o hells3 Atighora& "audra& Bhortama& Dukh9anani& Bhorrupa& ,arantara& Bhayanaka& Kaalratri& Bhatotkata& >handa& @ahachanda& >hndakolahala& Erachanda& Varagnika& #aghanya& Avaraloma& Bhishni& +ayika& Karala& Vikarala& Va9ravinshti& Asta& Eanchkona& 1udirgha& Earivartula& 1aptabhauma& Ashtabhauma and Deerghamaya. -ach o the latter hell is more horri ic than the ormer.1inners have to undergo unbearable pain and su erings in the hell. ,hey are tied up by very hot iron chains and hanged down rom trees. Yamdoots attach hot and heavy iron balls to their eet and thrash them with hot iron rods. ,hey are then put into wells o ilth. ,he tongue o a liar is rooted out with brute orce and a person& who shows disrespect to his elders and teachers& his mouth is illed with hot sands and boiling oil. 1imilarly immoral women& who do not ul ill their obligation towards their husbands& are thrown into a horri ic hell named Lohakumbh. ? Yudhishthir$ A manAs li e is too short and uncertain. ?ne is not sure when his inal call would come. 1o& one should try to lead a virtuous li e to the best o his ability.A
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3agar 2hand
,his >hapter contains ; sections.
F.I.6 ,rishanku cursed by Vashishth)s 1ons

1ut9i once narrated the ollowing tale to the assembled sages3 *n ancient times there lived a mighty king named ,rishanku. (e belonged to 1uryavanshi dynasty. ?ne day& he asked sage Vashishth whether there was any such Yagya by per orming which& he would be entitled to go to heaven with his physical orm. 1age Vashishth laughed at his naive Huery and told him that there was no such Yagya by per orming which a man could go to the heaven with his mortal body. But& ,rishanku was not satis ied by VashishthAs answer and so he went to ask the same Huestion to VashishthAs sons who were one hundred in number. But even they corroborated their atherAs statement. ,rishanku got in uriated and threatened them that he would appoint somebody else as his royal priest to get the same yagya per ormed as they all lacked the reHuired knowledge and competence. VashishthAs sons also got angry and cursed him to become a AchandalA (a low caste person). ,he ne/t moment ,rishanku indeed became a AchandalA and was so much ashamed o himsel that he decided to go to the orest a ter relinHuishing his throne. (e called his son 3(arishchandra and narrated the whole tale o his misery. Be ore going to the orest he appointed (arishchandra as his successor. ?ne day& while wandering in the orest& ,rishanku met sage Vishwamitra and narrated his miserable tale to him. 1ince Vishwamitra was a competitor o Vashishth& he took it as a golden opportunity to prove his superiority to his adversary. 1o& he assured ,rishanku that he had the reHuisite power to send anybody to heaven and said3 A * shall help you per orm a grand yagya& which would allow you to attain to the heaven with your mortal body. But be ore that you will have to go on a pilgrimage so that you become pure once again.A Both Vishwamitra and ,rishanku set out on a pilgrimage and reached AArbudachalA where they met sage @arkandeya. A ter the pleasantries were over& @arkandeya asked Vishwamitra about ,rishanku& who was standing Huietly. Vishwamitra revealed everything to @arkandeya and said 3 * had taken a vow not to take rest until ,rishanku got absolved o the evil in luence o the curse given by VashishthAs sonsA. * have not achieved success in my ob9ective till date& so * have decided to renounce the world. 1eeing Vishwamitra in such desperation& @arkandeya consoled him and instructed him to go to (aatkeshwar where taking a holy dip in Eatal Banga would puri y ,rishanku and solve all his problems.Both Vishwamitra and ,rishanku reached A(aatkeshwarA and bathed in the holy Eatal Banga. ,o his pleasant surprise& ,rishanku ound that he had indeed become puri ied and all the lowly Hualities had vanished within no time. Vishwamitra was delighted as the irst condition or ,rishankuAs departure to (eaven had been met. (e decided to go to Brahma loka to reHuest Lord Brahma to be present at the Yagya which was to be per ormed or the success o ,rishankuAs departure to heaven. But be ore leaving& he instructed ,rishanku to make all the necessary preparations be ore his return. A ter reaching Brahma loka& Vishwamitra narrated the whole story to Lord Brahma and reHuested him to grace the Yagya by his presence. Lord Brahma told him that it was 9ust impossible or any mortal to attain to heaven in his physical orm but he added that i ,rishanku per ormed the rituals diligently then he would certainly attain to heaven a ter his death. Vishwamitra did not like BrahmaAs words and challenged him that no power on earth could stop him rom sending ,rishanku to (eaven.
F.I.; Vishwamitra >ommences +ew >reation

Vishwamitra then instructed ,rishanku to make preparation or the Yagya. A ter everything was ready& Vishwamitra initiated ,rishanku into the rituals o Yagya. ,rishanku made o erings in the sacri icial ire at the instruction o Vishwamitra. ,he deities readily accepted all the o erings that were made to them. ,his way& the yagya continued or twelve long years but still there was no sign o VishwamitraAs desire o sending ,rishanku to heaven getting ul illed. ,rishanku became de9ected and told him about his decision to renounce everything and spend rest o his li e doing penance as chances o attaining to heaven appeared impossible. (e was also sure that VashishthAs sons would make un o him i he went back to his kingdom without achieving his ob9ective. But& Vishwamitra consoled him and said33A +o power on earth can stop you rom going to heaven with your physical orm. You 9ust need to have some patience and your desire will be certainly ul illed.A Vishwamitra decided to please Lord 1hiva as he was convinced that 1hiva was the only deity who could help him achieve his goal. (e eulogi:ed 1hiva by singing hymns o praise in his name. At last& 1hiva appeared be ore him and e/pressed his desire o ul illing any wish o Vishwamitra. Vishwamitra reHuested 1hiva to bestow on him the power o creation 9ust like Brahma had. Lord 1hiva blessed him and disappeared.+ow& Vishwamitra was eager to test his powers so he began creating di erent things. (e created 1un& @oon& 1tars& oceans& "ivers& so on and so orth. *n a short time the whole world was illed by his creations resulting into chaos all over. As the result o his creations& every natural thing became double in number3 one that had already been created by Brahma and the second created by Vishwamitra. +ow there e/isted two suns& two moons& so on and so orth. VishwamitraAs ama:ing deeds had catastrophic allout on the natural course o events. Deities were scarred and rushed to seek the help o lord Brahma. ,hey told Brahma that i Vishwamitra was not stopped the whole world was doomed to destruction. Lord Brahma appeared be ore Vishwamitra and ordered to stop doing creations. Vishwamitra told him that he was ready to do that i Brahma helped ,rishanku attain to heaven with his mortal body. 1eeing no other option& Brahma accepted VishwamitraAs condition. ,his way& Vishwamitra was able to send ,rishanku physically to heaven with the help o Lord Brahma.
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Pra5has 2hand
,his >hapter contains 66 sections.
F.<.6 Description o Euranas and %p3puranas

?nce& while describing the origin o puranas& 1ut9i told the sages who had assembled at +aimisharanya3A Lord 1hiva had irst revealed the contents o 1kanda puran to Earvati at Kailash @ountain. Lord Brahma and ew other deities were also present there at the time when 1hiva was narrating the tale. 1ubseHuently& Earvati narrated this tale to 1kanda& 1kanda to +andi and +andi to sages like 1anak& etc. and inally 1anak narrated it to Vyas. +ow * am going to tell you the same tale which Vyas had narrated to me.A 1ut9i began by saying3A During ancient times& Lord Brahma once did a very austere penance resulting into the mani estation o all the our Vedas. Later on& all the eighteen Euranas too appeared rom his mouth. ,hese eighteen Euranas were3 Brahma Euran& Vishnu Euran& 1hiva Euran& Bhagawat Euran& Bhavishya Euran& +arad Euran& @arkandeya Euran& Agni Euran& Brahma vaivarta Euran& Linga Euran& Eadma Euran& Varah Euran& 1kanda Euran& Vaman Euran& Kurma Euran& @atsya Euran& Baruda Euran and Vayu Euran.Apart rom these eighteen main Euranas& there are also similar number o secondary Euranas known as %p3 Euranas. ,hese %p3 Euranas are 3 1anat kumar& +arsimha& 1kand& 1hiva Dharma& Durvasa& +arad& Kapil& @anu& %shana& Brahmand& Varun& Kalika& @aheshwar& 1aamb& 1aura& Earashar& @aarich and Bhargava.A 1ut9i then went on to describe the other eatures o each Eurana3A Brahma Euran contains ten thousand shlokas in it whereas Eadma Euran contains i ty3 ive thousand shlokas. 1imilarly& there are twenty3three thousand shlokas in Vishnu Euran. Vayu Euran contains the tales related with Lord 1hiva and it contains twenty3 our thousand shlokas in it. 1imilarly the remaining Euranas like Bhagawat& +arad& @arkandeya& Agni& Bhavishya& Brhmavaivarta& Linga& Varah& 1kanda& Vaman& Kurma& @atsya& Baruda and Brahmanda Euran contain 6J&MMM& ;8&MMM& G&MMM& 6I&MMM& 6F&8MM& 6J&MMM& 66&MMM& ;F&MMM& J6&6MM& 6M&MMM& 6<&MMM& 6F&MMM& 6J&MMM and 6;&;MM shlokas respectively.A 1ut9i told the sages that all the %p3 Euranas owe their origin to the main Euranas which are eighteen in number. (e also revealed to them that they could be categori:ed into three main types3 1atvik& "a9as and ,amas. 1atvik Euranas contain the tales o Lord Vishnu while "a9as Euranas contain the tales o Brahma and ,amas Eurans contain the tales o Agni and "udra. ?ne o the chie characteristics o Euranas is that each o them is divided into
ive sections3 A1argA (Description o how creation began)& AEratisargaA& AVanshA (Description o prominent dynasties)& A@anvantarA and AVanshanucharitA (,ales related with the descendants o the amous sages).
F.<.; Erabhas ,eertha

?n being asked by the sages about the prominent places o pilgrimage& 1ut9i named many holy places but according to him Erabhas ,eerth was the crown o all the places o pilgrimage and was incomparable. "ecounting a tale when Earvati had once asked Lord 1hiva the same Huestion& 1ut9i said3A At that time 1hiva had told Earvati that Erabhas Kshetra was supreme among all the holy places and capable o liberating a man rom all his sins. (e had also told her that due to prevalence o sins in Kaliyuga people would not attain virtues despite going on pilgrimages. 1hiva had also told her that this was the reason why he had created numerous holy places and kept them secret so the holiness o these places remained intact. * have mani ested mysel in the orm o a divine 1hiva linga at Erabhas kshetra. ,he whole universe has originated rom it and merges into it ultimately at the time o deluge. ,he 1hiva linga is called 1omanath and very ew people are aware o itAs e/istence. ,his 1hivalinga continue to e/ist since itAs mani estation in a particular kalpa named Bhairav long ago. %n ortunately& people o kaliyaga under the in luence o all pervading ignorance would ail to recogni:e the importance o holy places. 1uch people would try to demean the value o holy places and make un o those people who go on pilgrimages. Being blinded by their super icial intelligence they would try to ind aults with rituals and religion. 1uch would be the condition o the mortals in kaliyuga that they would critici:e everything that is religious and spiritual in nature. (ow can one e/pect rom these un ortunate people o kaliyuga to understand the signi icance o Erabhas kshetra and which is revered even by me LA Earvati& who had been listening to the tale with rapt attention& became even more curious to know about Erabhas kshetra. 1o she reHuested Lord 1hiva to shed more light on the other important aspects o this sacrosanct place. Lord 1hiva& continuing with his description o Erabhas kshetra& said3 A ,his sacrosanct place has temples o three deities on itAs three sides. ,o its east is situated a grand temple o 1urya +arayan while there is a magni icent temple o @adhav to itAs west. *n the same way there is a beauti ul temple o goddess Bhavani to the north o Erabhas kshetra and towards itAs south lies the ocean. ,his holy place is spread in the area o ive yo9ans and is divided in three ma9or areas3 @aheshwar& Vaishnav and Brahma. ,here are about one crore temples related with di erent deities in Vaishnav and Brahma kshetras while @aheshwar kshetra contains one and hal crore temples. As the name implies& each area has been named a ter one Bod orming the ,rinity. Anybody who has the good ortune o living in the central part o Erabhas kshetra becomes absolved o all his sins even i he has committed most abhorrent sins. ,he signi icance o this holy place can be understood by the act that a man born there does not take a second birth and attains salvation. ?ne whom scholars o the Vedas call AKaalagni "udraA is amously known as Bhairav in Erabhas kshetra.
F.<.7 1omnath Linga

-mphasi:ing on the signi icance o 1omeshwar linga and its deep association with the Vedas& Lord 1hiva told Earvati3A ,he divine 1omeshwar linga e/ists since time immemorial and will remain or eternity. ,his revelation descended on me while * was engrossed in a deep state o meditation. 1omeshwar Linga has deep association with the Vedas and it enhances their sanctity by establishing itsel in each o them at di erent periods o time during the day. During morning time 1omeshwar linga establishes itsel in the "igveda& during noon in the Ya9urveda& during a ternoon in the 1ama veda and during evening time it establishes itsel in Atharva veda.
F.<.F Di erent +ames o 1omnath

Earvati curiously asked Lord 1hiva about the reason why 1omnath was known by so many di erent names. Lord 1hiva said3 A 1ince the time this divine linga irst mani ested itsel very ew blessed souls had the knowledge o itAs e/istence. Brahma has a li e span o one kalpa at the end o which even he ceases to e/ist giving way to his successor3 a new Brahma. *n the same manner this divine Linga acHuires a new name at the end o each kalpa. ,he present kalpa is seventh in order as si/ kalpas have already passed. ,he name o the present Brahma is 1hatanand and this divine Linga is presently amous by the name o 1omnath. 1imilarly it was amous as @rityun9ay during the time o Brahma named Virinchi. During second kalpa this Linga was amous as Kalagnirudra and the name o Brahma was Eadmabhu. ,he third kalpa had 1wayambhu as Brahma and the Linga was amous as Amritesh. ,he name o the ourth Brahma was Earmeshthi in ourth kalpa and the linga was amous as Annamay. *n the same way the names o the i th and si/th Brahma were 1ura9yeshtha and (emagarbha respectively and the names o the Linga during their periods were Kritiwas and Bhairav +ath respectively.A Lord 1hiva also revealed to Earvati that the ne/t kalpa3 eighth in order would have >haturmukh as Brahma and the divine Linga would be known as Eran +ath.Boddess Earvati then asked 1hiva about the e/act location o the Linga in Erabhas Kshetra. Lord 1hiva told her that the sacrosanct place o Erabhas Kshetra was situated between
the plains o two rivers Va9rini and +yankumati. (e also told her that the eternal Linga was not very ar rom the sea coast. Dwelling at length about the good ortunes o those living in Erabhas kshetra& Lord 1hiva told her3A Anybody who does not abandon this holy place despite his hardships and troubles is certain to attain to my abode. ?ne who has the good ortune o dying at Erabhas kshetra attains salvation. ,here will be prevalence o sins in Kaliyuga. As a result o this people would e/perience all sorts o hurdles and problems in their lives. ,o minimi:e their sorrows and to lessen their miseries& * have personally instructed Banesh not to abandon this place even or a moment. ? all the Lingas present on the earth& 1omnath is specially dear to me.A
F.<.8 1iddheshwar Linga and 1iddha Linga

Describing the reason why this sacrosanct place was named Erabhas& Lord 1hiva told Earvati3 A * dwell in the entire area stretching between the ocean in the south and river Kaureshwari. Being situated at the western coast& this entire area is radiated by 1uryaAs light or a relatively longer period o time and hence it has been named AErabhasA meaning luster. ,his is the reason why there is situated a grand temple o Lord 1urya in Erabhas Kshetra. +ot ar rom this 1urya temple is situated a magni icent temple o Lord 1iddheshwar& which was amously known as #aigishavyeshwar in ancient times.A Lord 1hiva then went on to describe why 1iddheshwar was called #aigishavyeshwar during ancient times3A ,here lived a sage named #aigishavya in previous kalpa. (e used to daily worship a 1hiva linga named @ahoday& which had mani ested on its own. Keeping in view 1hivaAs ondness or ashes& he used to smear it on his body hoping to please his deity. +ot only this he even slept on ashes. (e thus led an e/tremely austere li e. At last he was able to please Lord @ahoday by his devotion. Chen Lord @ahoday appeared be ore him and e/pressed his willingness to ul ill anything he wished but #aigishavya wanted nothing but total devotion in his deity (@ahoday). Lord @ahoday blessed him with immortality and said3A ,here would be nobody as power ul as you. Your eats achieved in spiritual things will be unmatched and you would become amous as AYogacharyaA or teacher o Yoga. ?ne who regularly worships this particular Linga which you have been worshipping with such deep devotion till now is certain to get absolved o all his sins.A (aving blessed Yaigishavya thus& Lord @ahoday disappeared rom his sight. A ter this incident& @ahoday linga also came to be known as Yaigishavyeshwar. *n course o time& when the Kaliyuga o that Kalpa arrived& some sages named ABalkhilyasA had gone to the same place and worshipped Lord @ahoday. 1imilarly& many more sages went there and attained AsiddhiA or accomplishment. ,his is how this Linga came to be known as A1iddheshwarA (the lord o all accomplishments). ,here are many holy places in the vicinity like 1iddha linga& which was installed by lord 1urya. Anybody who worships this linga on the auspicious day o trayodashi o the bright hal o the hindu month >haitra attains virtues similar to the accomplishment o AEundareek YagyaA.
F.<.I >handra Deva -ulogi:es 1hiva

Earvati asked Lord 1hiva about the reason >handra deva had to install a 1hiva linga at Erabhas Kshetra. Lord 1hiva replied that Daksha had got married twenty seven o his daughters to >handra Deva. >handra Deva was very attached to "ohini& who was one o them and neglected others. Chen Daksha came to know about this he cursed >handra Deva as the result o which he lost his luster and started waning day by day. ,he worried >handra Deva did an austere penance or thousand o years to please Lord 1hiva. At last Lord 1hiva became pleased and appeared be ore him. 1ubseHuently& >handra Deva got a divine 1hiva linga installed by Brahma and worshipped it or thousand o years. Lord 1hiva appeared once again and e/pressed his willingness to ul ill any wish >handra Deva e/pressed. >handra Deva reHuested Lord 1hiva to dwell in the very 1hiva Linga he had been worshipping till then. Lord 1hiva revealed to him that there was no Huestion o dwelling in the 1hiva Linga as he had never abandoned it in the irst place. >handra Deva had regained his luster on account o his arduous penance. Lord 1hiva blessed him and said3 A 1ince you have regained your luster (Erabha) by dint o your austere penance& this holy place will become amous as AErabhas KshetraA. ,his Linga would be named upon you and become amous as 1omnath Linga.A (aving blessed >handra Deva thus& Lord 1hiva disappeared. Later on >handra Deva instructed Vishwakarma to build a magni icent temple at the sight. (e also built a city nearby so that all the priests who were supposed to supervise the rituals o worship could live there.
F.<.< ,he 1igni icance o Betting ?ne)s (ead ,onsured

Dwelling on length about the signi icance o getting oneAs head tonsured at holy places& Lord 1hiva told Earvati3A A man should get his head tonsured whenever he gets an opportunity to visit a holy place because hair are believed to contain all the sins he has committed. ,here is a holy place called Eadma teerth& not ar rom 1omnath temple. A devotee should irst get his hair removed at 1omnath teerth and then immerse them at Eadma teerth. ,his way he becomes absolved o all his sins. Comen should have a symbolical cut o their hair. *t is necessary to per orm
the rituals o tarpan in the names o ancestors a ter the head tonsuring ceremony. According to the scriptures& an ocean is considered holy and nobody should its holy water in an impure state. Chile bathing a devotee should chant the ollowing mantra3 AOm namo .ishnu 9uptaaya .ishnu rupaaya namahC Saannidhye bhaBa deBesh saa9are laBanaambhasi%A ,here are about ive crore 1hivalingas submerged in the ocean near 1omnath. ,here are also other holy places situated nearby like Agnikunda& Eadma sarovar etc.
F.<.J ,he -mergence o 1arasvati in Erabhas Kshetra

?n being asked by Earvati about the emergence o river 1araswati at Erabhas Kshetra& Lord 1hiva narrated the ollowing tale to her3A ,he holy 1arswati lowing in Erabhas kshetra constitutes o ive di erent streams3 (arini& Va9rini& +yanku& Kapila and 1araswati. Lord Vishnu once instructed 1araswati to carry ABadwanalA (1ubmarine ire) and dump it in the ocean near Erabhas kshetra. A ter taking permission rom Lord Brahma& her ather 1araswati lew towards her destination. Banga became sad at her departure so she asked her as to how could she have a glimpse o her now that she was going to such a distant place. 1araswati consoled Banga by saying that she would be able to see her whenever she looked eastwards. ,he swi t currents o 1araswati penetrated the earth and reached Eatal Loka carrying Badwanal along with her.1he continued to move beneath the ground towards her destination. As she reached Erabhas Kashetra& our learned sages& who were well versed in Vedas arrived there and invoked 1araswati to give them the privilege o separate bath by dividing hersel in our di erent streams. ,he names o these sages were (iranya& Va9ra& +yanku and Kapil. Chile 1araswati was about to comply with their reHuest& suddenly 1amudra arrived there and he too e/pressed the same wish. ,hus 1araswati divided hersel into ive di erent streams3 (arini& Va9rini& +yanku& Kapila and 1araswati. -ventually& when 1araswati reached near the ocean& Badwanal whom she was carrying was surprised to see the high tides rising in the ocean. (e thought that the 1amudra was rightened o his ury so he asked 1araswati3 Chy is the ocean scarred o meL 1araswati in lated his ego by saying that who would not be scarred o him. Badwanal was pleased and wanted to grant her a boon. 1araswati remembered Lord Vishnu& who instantly gave his divine appearance in her heart. 1he narrated the whole story and sought his advise. Lord Vishnu advised her to ask Badwanal to make his appearance small like the eye o a needle. 1araswati& ollowing the advise o Lord Vishnu asked Badwanal to become small like a needle and keep sucking the ocean. 1ubseHuently& 1araswati summoned 1amudra and told him to accept Badwanal to which he agreed. ,his way 1amudra devoured Badwanal& who continues to suck the water o the ocean even today as per the instructions given by 1araswati. *t is believed that tides are nothing but the mani estation o BadwanalAs e/halations. ,his was how 1araswati emerged in Erabhas kshetra.
F.<.G Erabhas ! ,he Abode o ,rinity Boddesses

Lord 1hiva revealed to goddesses Earvati that Erabhas kshetra boasted o possessing many more 1hiva lingas apart rom the amous 1omnath 1hiva linga. (e also gave names o some o the prominent 1hiva lingas situated over there and said3 A ,o the +orth3-ast o 1omnath temple is situated a grand temple o lord 1arveshvar Deva& who is also amously known as 1iddheshwar. ,he reason behind this is that 1hiva linga over there had been installed by the AsiddhasA (accomplished ones) in ancient times. Eeople who are desirous o acHuiring siddhis throng this holy place and engage themselves in austere penance. ,o the east o 1iddheshwar temple is situated one more temple called Kapileshwar. *t has been named a ter sage Kapil& who had installed the 1hiva linga over there. A 1hiva linga named Bandharveshwar is also situated nearby. ,his particular 1hiva linga had been installed by a gandharva named Dhanvahan. ,o the east o Bandharveshwar temple is situated Vimaleshwar temple. *t is believed that anybody su ering rom tuberculosis gets cured a ter he worships in that temple. Dhandeshwar linga was installed by Kuber& who was bestowed with the lordship o wealth on account o his austere penance.A Lord 1hiva told Earvati that there were also temples o three goddesses in Erabhas Kshetra apart rom 1hiva temples. ,hese three goddesses were @angla& Vishalakshi and >hatwar representing the three types o power3 will power& power o action and power o knowledge. Lord 1hiva said3A ,he pilgrimage to Erabhas kshetra is believed to be incomplete until and unless these three goddesses have been worshipped. Boddess @angla represents the power o lord Brahma (Brahma shakti) while goddess Vishalakshi that o lord Vishnu. Boddess >hatwar represents my power. Boddess @angla holds the privilege o getting worshipped irst. During ancient times >handrama did an austere penance or thousand o years and all the deities including Lord Brahma had gone there to witness his ama:ing eat. At that time goddess @angla had blessed them and this was how she got her name.A
Lord 1hiva then went on to describe how goddess Vishalakshi got her name3A A ierce battle had taken place between the deities and demons during >hakshus manvantar. Lord Vishnu ought along with the deities and helped them in de eating the demons. Demons led towards the south but were chased by the deities. "eali:ing that it was not easy to annihilate the demons& Lord Vishnu remembered goddess @ahamaya and sought her help. @ahamaya appeared instantly and looked at Lord Vishnu with her large eyes. ,his is how she got her name. *n the present kalpa she is also known as Lalitoma. ,o the south o Vishalakshi temple is situated the temple o goddess >hatwarpriya. Boddess >hatwarpriya is the saviour o people living in that area. Anybody who worships her on the auspicious day o @ahanavami with appropriate rituals is blessed.
F.<.6M Dvarka @ahatmya ! 1ages =ueries to Erahlad

?nce& ew sages asked 1ut9i about the means by which Lord Vishnu could be reali:ed in kaliyuga3 the era dominated by sin and decaying moral values. 1ut9i started by describing how Lord Vishnu on seeing the prevalence o sin in Dwapar yuga had to take incarnation as Krishna to liberate the world rom the sinners. (e also described in detail all the incidents culminating into the killings o many cruel demons 3Kaaliya serpent& >hanur& 1hishupaal and ogress like Eutna. (e gave in depth description o the events leading to the war o @ahabharat and how the in ighting among the mighty Yadavas led to their destruction. (e told them how a owler mistook KrishnaAs eet to be a deer and killed him. 1ut9i also told the assembled sages how the magni icent city o Dwarka had been submerged in the ocean ultimately. (e revealed to them that the passing away o Krishna marked the advent o Kaliyuga and the situation became even worse. ?n inding how di icult it was to reali:e lord Vishnu in the Kaliyuga3 the era dominated by sin& some prominent sages decided to seek Lord BrahmaAs help in this regard. A ter reaching Brahma loka& they eulogi:ed Brahma and received his blessings. Lord Brahma told them to go to Eatal loka and meet Erahlad& the supreme devotee o Lord Vishnu who according to Lord Brahma was in a better position to help them. All the sages went to Eatal loka as per the instructions given by Lord Brahma. ,here they not only ound Erahlad but also the most charitable king3Bali. A ter the pleasantries were e/changed& they came to the real issue and said3A Ce are very much distressed by the prevailing situation where it appears that the evil orces have overshadowed the virtuous ones. ,he ways shown by the Vedas are no longer in practice and the Brahmins are being tormented by the 1hudras& who have become the rulers. Ce have come with a reHuest and a desire to know whether there was any possibility o reali:ing Lord Vishnu in this dark era o AKaliA. * yes then where can we ind Lord VishnuLA
F.<.66 ,he 1anctity o Dvarkapuri

Erahlad& being an ardent devotee o Vishnu himsel & understood Huite well& the desperation with which a devotee seeks his Lord. 1o he told them3A By the grace o Almighty Vishnu& * am revealing to you the name o that sacred place which has remained a secret till now. Kushasthal Euri is a divine city situated on the western coast. +earby is the place where river Bomti meets the ocean and at this convergent point is situated the sacrosanct city called Dwarawati Euri& where you can ind Lord Vishnu in all his glory o si/teen kalas. Blessed be the Dwarka Euri& which ,he almighty Vishnu has chosen as his abode and where he dwells in his glorious >haturbhu9 orm. ,his is the very place& which even liberates the most allen sinner rom all his sins. ,here is a amous temple o Lord ,rivikram at the bank o river Bomti and not ar rom this temple is a divine pond. Anybody desirous o salvation must bathe in this pond or the ul illment o his wish. *t is believed that be ore leaving or heaven& Lord Krishna had trans erred all his divine powers into the ,rivikram idol. 1o& there is no place as holy as Dwarka and i you are desirous o having a divine glimpse o Lord Krishna then you must visit Dwarka.A All the sages thanked Erahlad or sharing his secrets with them because nobody else e/cept Erahlad was aware o the act that Lord Vishnu had given Dwarka the privilege o being his abode. ,hese revelations made them more curious about Dwarka& so they reHuested Erahlad to disclose how the holy Bomti descended down to Dwarka. Erahlad began by describing the virtues o going on a pilgrimage to Dwarka3A ,he mere resolution o going on a pilgrimage to Dwarka is enough to liberate oneAs ancestors rom the tortures o the hells. -ach step that a devotee takes towards Dwarka gives virtues similar to what is attained by per orming Ashwamedh Yagya. ?ne who encourages others to go on a pilgrimage to Dwarka certainly goes to Vishnu Dhaam.A
Erahlad then switched over to the second part o the sagesA Huestion and said3A ,here is an interesting tale describing how sage Vashishth had brought down Bomti rom the heaven to earth. At the time o deluge when the whole world had submerged in water& a lotus lower mani ested rom Lord VishnuAs navel on which was seated Brahma. Lord Vishnu instructed him to per orm his duty as a creator to which Brahma agreed. Dirst o all Brahma created his ten manasputras (1anak& 1anandan&etc.) and sought their help in increasing the population o the world by becoming householders. But& all o them were e/tremely virtuous and did not show any inclination towards getting married. %ltimately all o them went to the western coast and engaged themselves in austere penance. ,heir penance continued or a number o years a ter which A1udarshan chakraA appeared be ore them. As all o them looked up in bewilderment& they heard a heavenly voice 3A ? sons o Brahma$ Very soon the almighty Vishnu is going to mani est himsel . ,he A>hakraA you are seeing is his. You all must per orm the rituals o AardhyaA in the name o Lord Vishnu to show your reverence towards him.A All the @anasputras eulogi:ed 1udarshan3>hakra with deep devotion. All o them wished that there were a holy river& with whose water they could per orm the rituals o ardhya. But to their utter dismay there was no such holy river nearby. ,hey then remembered Lord Brahma& who immediately understood what they desired. Lord Brahma instructed Banga by saying3A Banga$ Bo to the earth& where you would be known as Bomti. 1age Vashishth will lead you to your destination. #ust ollow him like a daughter ollows her ather.A Dinally& when sage Vashishth ollowed by Bomti reached their destination& all the @anasputras were delighted. ,hey eulogi:ed Banga and e/pressed their gratitude to Vashishth or bringing Banga on earth. All o them thanked Vashishth by saying3A 1ince you have brought Bomti on earth& you would be considered as her ather.A ,hey o ered AardhyaA to Bomti and subseHuently eulogi:ed Lord Vishnu. Lord Vishnu appeared a ter being pleased and blessed them3A Your un linching devotion in me has pleased me no bound. 1ince you did this penance with the ob9ective o @oksha (salvation)& this place would become amous as @oksha Dayak (giver o salvation). ,his sacrosanct place would also be called >hakra teerth because o 1udarshan chakra& who in ormed you all o my mani estation at Dwarka Euri. * assure you that * wonAt abandon this sacrosanct place even or a moment.A ,his way& all the @anasputras were inally success ul in their ob9ective o o ering ardhya to Lord Vishnu with the holy water o Bomti. At last& Bomti having ul illed her mission or which she had descended down to -arth merged with the ocean. Lord Vishnu disappeared rom there and @anasputras continued to live there.
( ShiBa ,aha1Purana
Dirst o all& 1age 1haunak e/pressed his desire to 1ut9i about knowing the means& which could help a man in this era o Kali to attainment lord 1hiva& by cleansing all the impurities o his mind and recti ying his inherent demonic tendencies. 1ut9i then described about 1hiv @ahapuran 3 the supreme o all the puranas& which was narrated by Lord 1hiva himsel and which was later on retold by 1age Vyas with the permission o @aharshi 1anatkumar& or the benediction o common man. 1ut9i said& PBy understanding the mysteries o 1hivmahapuran and singing its praises& a man attains greater virtues than that which could be attained by being charitable or by the per ormance o all the SyagyasA. >ontemplating on the sub9ect matters o 1hivmahapuran give auspicious ruits 9ust like a AKalpa3taruA (A mythological tree which ul ills all the wishes). 1hiv @ahapuran contains twenty3 our thousand shlokas and seven. 1hivmahapuran is the best means or manAs liberation. E"?E-" @-,(?D ?D L*1,-+*+B ,? 1(*VE%"A+ 1age 1haunak reHuested 1ut9i to tell about the proper method o listening to 1hivpuran& so that the man kind gets complete bene it. 1ut9i replied3 PDirst o all& an auspicious moment should be determined by an Astrologer. A ter that& riends and relatives should be invited& especially those who have the tendency o being away rom such occasions. ,he sages and the virtuous people should be invited too. ,he AKathaA must be help in scared places like 1hiva temple& any place o pilgrimage or in oneAs home a ter doing a Bhumi Eu9an o the land Chere one intends to held the Katha o 1hiv Euran. ,he canopy should be well decorated.P PA ter making a resolution and doing worship o Banapati 3 the destroyer o all hurdles and obstacles the Katha should be commenced. ,he person who is telling the AKathaA should be acing north and all the listeners should sit acing east. ,he person who is telling the AKathaA should be a scholar and should be capable o clearing all the doubts rom the listenerAs mind. ,here should be no kind o distraction during the AKathaA period. A devotee& who listens to the Katha leaving behind all o his worldlys worries get complete bene its. A devotee should also make donations and o erings according to his capacity and capability otherwise he would become a wretched man. ,he @antra A?@ +A@A( 1(*VAYA should be chanted through out the period o Katha. "*B(, ?D L*1,-+*+B ,? 1(*V@A(AE%"A+53 An uninitiated person does not have the right to listen to the Katha o 1hivmahapuran. 1o a man desirous o listening to 1hivmahapuran should irst get initiated. A%1,-"*,*-1 ,? B- D?LL?C-D5 A devotee who has taken the vow o listening to the Katha o 1hivmahapuran& should ollow a celibate li e. (e should sleep on the loor and should have only ruits in the diet. (e can have his normal dinner only a ter the completion o the Katha. ,he diet should be resh and pure. (e should also try to avoid sin ul tendencies like lust& anger& greed& attachment and condemning other& etc. @aking donations o even meager things give undiminishing virtues. "*,-1 E-"D?"@-D ?+ >?@EL-,*?+ ?D ?B1-"VA+>-53 A ter the methodical completion o the Katha& a devotee should per orm %DDYAEA+ (>onclusion o the Katha)& which is similar to the >(A,%"DA1(* %DDYAEA+. ,he devotee should also >haritably make donations to all the brahmins who have helped in the per ormance o Katha. ?n the ne/t day the AEathA o 1(*V B*,A should be per ormed. * the devotee (listener o the Katha) is a householders& then he should per orm A(avanA with the ghee prepared rom >owAs milk& or the paci ication o the unhindered completion o the Katha. ,he (avan should be per ormed& either with the help o A"udra 1amhita mantrasA or ABayatri @antraA or with the shlokas o Euran. ,his Eurana consists o the ollowing < >hapters5
/&1
+idyeshwar )amhita
,his >hapter contains ;F sections.

8.6.6 1ages -nHuire

Viddyeshwar 1amhita which is classi ied into twenty ive chapters& has a narration in its irst chapter which goes as ollows3 ?nce upon a time& the sages were per orming a yagya at Erayag kshetra. 1age 1ut9i came to know about this and arrived there. All the sages were very pleased to see him. ,hey reHuested53 PLord$ ,hough we have heard many tales rom you regarding the manAs benediction& but today we want to listen to something special. Because in this present era o Kali& when all the castes have orgotten about their respective duties we want to know is there any way to prevent the deterioration in the human valuesLP 1ut9i replied53 P? Breat men$ Your enHuiry has great relevance in this era o Kali. * will certainly tell you about the way by the help o which a man can achieve benediction. 1hivmahapuran contains the essence o Vedantic philosophy& which gives worldly pleasures as well as 1alvation. @ere remembrance o it destroys all the sins o a man. ?ne who studies the "udra31amhita attentively& his gravest o sins are destroyed instantaneously. ?ne who studies "udra31amhitaA silently& sitting in ront o Bhairav3idol& all o his aspirations are ul illed. A man gets liberated rom the sin o killing a brahmin& i he studies "udra 1amhita while circulbulating around a Banyan tree.P PKailash 1amhita is even 1uperior than "udra 1amhita& as it elaborates upon the meaning o ?mkar. 1hivmahapuran is created by lord 1hiva (imsel . *t contains twelve 1amhitas which are 3 Viddyeshwar& "udra& Vinayak& %ma& @atri& -kadash3rudra& Kailash& 1hat3rudra& Koti3rudra& 1ahastra Koti& Vayaviya and Dharma.P P*nitially it contained one lac shlokas but it was precised to twenty3 our thousand shlokas by sage Vyas. ,he present 1hivEuran is the ourth one which consists o seven 1amhitas. ,he earlier three 1hivpuranas are unavailable. ,he scienti ic analysis o the Vedantic mysteries are the main sub9ect o this divine 1hivpuran. ,he study o 1hivpuran helps a man to attain Dharma& Artha& Kaam and @oksha.
8.6.; Eroposition and @eans

1ut9i continued with his narration53 PDuring the initial period o A1vet Varah KalpA. 1i/ prominent sages collected near ,riveni and started debating as to who was the greatest deity& among Brahma Vishnu and @ahesh. ,heir debate remained inconclusive& so they went to lord Brahma to seek the answer. Lord Brahma told them53 P? revered 1ages$ ,he source o Vishnu& "udra all the deities including mysel and all the other creations is none other @ahadeo. %nion with the 1hiva should be the ob9ective o a man to attain that ob9ective. Listening to the Hualities o Lord 1hiva& singing devotional songs in his praise and contemplating on him are the greatest means& which help to unite with 1hiva.P
8.6.7 Listening& Kirtan& >ontemplation

1("AVA+ K*",A+ @A+A+ Euri ication o the mind by the help o doing worship and chanting the name o Bod is called contemplation. 1inging devotional songs in the orm o stotra& or hymns o the vedas or even in oneAs own language is called Kirtan. ,he above mentioned three activities are the supreme means to attain liberation.
8.6.F Breatness o 1hiva Linga

According to 1ut9i& i a person is incapable o ollowing the above mentioned three activities i.e. 1hravan& Kirtan and @anan then he should worship the 1hivalinga. -ven by doing this he can attain liberation rom all the bondages o the world. Describing about the ma9esty o 1hivalinga& 1ut9i says5 PLord 1hiva is the mani estation o Almighty Bod (Brahma) himsel and or this very reason he is known as +*1(KAL. Because o his divine beauty& 1hiva is called 1AB%+A
(Bod with orm). ,he term 1AB%+A is also e/pressed in another way& that is 1AKAL. 1hivalinga is worshipped since it symboli:es the orm o 1hiva. Lord 1hiva is also considered to be +*"B%+A (without any Hualities.)P P*n the irst Kalpa o 1wetvarah& a battle was ought between Lord Brahma and Lord Vishnu to prove their superiority. Lord 1hiva mani ested be ore arrogance. A ter that he also showed them his orm in the shape o 1hivalinga. Drom that day onwards the 1hivalinga became amous.P
8.6.8 ,he Deities go to Kailash @ountain

+andikeshwar9i narrates the tale o battle between Lord Brahma and Lord Vishnu. P?nce while travelling lord Brahma reached the abode o Lord Vishnu. (e saw Lord Vishnu. (e saw lord Vishnu resting on 1hesh3+ag and being attended by Baruda and other attendants. Chen Brahma9i saw that Vishnu did not get up to receive him& he became very angry. Very soon& Verbal dual erupted between them. *t became so severe that a battle was ought between them& which continued or very long time. All the deities arrived rom the heaven to watch the battle. ,hey became very worried when they saw no sign o battle coming to an end. ,hey decided to go to lord 1hiva& to seek his help.
8.6.I Anaal31tambh (,he Eillar o Dire)

P,hough Lord 1hiva knew everything& but still eigning ignorance& he asked about the well beings o the world. ,he deities told him about the battle& ought between Brahma9i and Vishnu9i.P PLord 1hiva then sent his one hundred Banas to paci y both o them. (e too went there accompanied by mother Earvati& boarded on a chariot. Chen Lord 1hiva reached there& he saw that Brahma9i and Vishnu9i were about to use their deadly weapons3 @aheshwar and Eashupat respectively. Dearing the destruction& which these deadly weapons might have caused& Lord 1hiva mani ested himsel in the orm o AAnalstambaA (pillar o ire) between them. Brahma9i and Vishnu9i had already released their weapons3 @aheshwar and Eashupat. Both the weapons ell into that pillar o ire and got destroyed. PBrahma9i and Vishnu9i were very surprised to see the pillar o ire& which was so enormous in si:e that it reached the sky and penetrated down the earth. Vishnu9i trans ormed himsel into a boar and went to the AEatalA (nether world) to ind the base o that AEillar o ireA. But he was unsuccess ul in his attempt and came back. 1imilarly Brahma9i trans ormed himsel into a swan and lew up in the sky to ind its limit. Chile going through the aerial route he met a withered AKetakiA lowers& which had still some reshness and ragrance le t in it.P PLord 1hiva smiled at the utile attempts o 1hri Brahma9i and Vishnu9i. As a result o his smile the Ketaki lower ell down rom the branch. Ketaki lower told Brahma9i that he had been present there since the beginning o the creation& but was unable to know about the origin o that AEillar o ineA. ,he lower also advised Brahma9i against making any e ort in that direction& as it would be o no use.P PBrahma9i then sought the help o Ketaki lower to give a alse witness be ore lord Vishnu& that he (Brahma9i) had been success ul in seeing the limit o that pillar o ire. Ketaki lower agreed. Both o them went to Vishnu9i and Brahma9i told him that he had seen the limit o that Eillar o ire. Ketaki lower gave a witness. Vishnu9i accepted the superiority o Brahma9i.P PLord 1hiva became very angry with Brahma9i. (e proceeded to punish Brahma9i or his alsehood. Lord Vishnu reHuested Lord 1hiva to spare the li e o Brahma9i. Lord 1hiva became pleased with Vishnu9i and accorded him the same status as (at o his own.P
8.6.< 1hiva ?bliges Brahma

+andikeshwar continuing with the tale said5 PA ter according same status to Vishnu9i as that o his own& Lord 1hiva opened his third eye rom it mani ested ABhairavA. (e ordered Bhairav to kill Brahma9i. Bhairav severed the i th head o Lord Brahma with his sword. Brahma9i became very terri ied. (e was trembling in ear. Lord Vishnu elt pity on his condition and reHuested Lord 1hiva to orgive him. Lord 1hiva then stopped Bhairav& but told Brahma.
PYou spoke untruth with a desire to become worshippable. *t is my curse that& you will not be worshipped by anybody. You will posses only our heads.P Brahma9i begged his orgiveness. Lord 1hiva eeling pity on Brahma9i gave him a boon o being the presiding deity o all the yagya. 1imilarly the Ketaki lower also prohibited rom being used during worship. But when Ketaki lower tendered his apology 1hiva gave blessing that it would be ortunate to be o ered to lord Vishnu during the worship.
8.6.J >onsecration o @aheshwar

Lord Vishnu and Brahma made salutations to lord 1hiva and o ered him a seat. ,hey then worshipped him. ,his was the irst time& Brahma and Vishnu had worshipped lord 1hiva. 1hiva was very pleased. 1hiva3ratri has been continued to be celebrated since that day. ,his particular day is considered to be the most auspicious day or the worship o Lord 1hiva. A devotee who asts on 1hiv ratri remaining only on ruits& attain virtues eHuivalent to the worship done or the whole year. ,he idol o 1hiva is consecrated on this day. Lord 1hiva has himsel told the deities that he had mani ested in the orm o Eillar o DireA in the month o Agahan and during the constellation o Ardra. (e also said3 P?ne who has my darshan on this day (1hivratri) or worships me in my orm o linga is dearer to me than Kartikeya. ,he place where& * mani ested in the orm o Eillar o ire will become amous as Lingasthan. Because o its resemblance with the A@ountain o DireA& it will also be known Arunachal.P Later on 1hiva brought back to li e all the people who had died in the battle& ought between Brahma9i and Vishnu9i.
8.6.G ?mkar
Lord 1hiva then preached Brahma9i and Vishnu9i on the ive duties (Eanchakritya) saying that A1hrishtiA (creation)& A1thithiA (position)& 1amhar (Annihilation)& ,irobhav (>oncealment) and AAnugrahA (obligation or kindness) are the ive duties by which this world unctions. ,he source o this world in A1argaA or +ature. ,he establishment o this world is A1tithiA or position. ,he tendency o this world to destroy is 1amhar or destruction. ,he eeling o absence o this world is ,irobhav or >oncealment and @oksha or 1alvation is obligation or Anugrah. Lord 1hiva then goes on to e/plain that the irst our duties like 1arga (+ature) etc help in the nurturement o the world and the i th duty Anugrah is a giver o 1alvation. Lord 1hiva also told them (Brahma9i N Vishnu9i) that he (1hiva) had blessed both o them to look a ter the two duties i.e. 1hrishti and 1thiti. "udra and @ahesh have been entrusted with the 9ob o 1anhar N ,iribhav. P,he i th duty AAnugrahA has been kept by me.P 1aid 1hiva. A ter describing about the allocation o the various duties& Lord 1hiva described the meaning o A?@KA"A to them. (e said that ?@KA" signi ied the world and contained the power o both 1hiva and 1hakti. ,his power ul mantra gives all kinds o worldly accomplishment as well as salvation. A ter that Lord 1hiva initiated both Brahma9i and Vishnu9i with the ?@KA"A mantra. (e also preached them on the importance o the worship o 1hivalinga.
8.6.6M "ituals o 1hiva Corship

?n the reHuest o the sages& 1ut9i describes about the methods o worshipping 1hiva Linga. (e says P?ne should construct a 1hivalinga either o mud& rock or metal and establish it in such a place where it can be worshipped daily without any hindrance.P
P,he A>harA (mobile) Linga should be small in si:e and the 1thira (Di/ed) linga should be large. ,he Linga should be constructed along with the pedestal. ,he rule or constructing a 1hiva Linga has been speci ically described. ,he breadth o thickness o the Linga should be twelve times the thickness o the devotees (one who is constructing the linga) inger& while the length should be twenty3 ive times. A ter establishing the linga in the above mentioned way& it should be worshipped a ter per orming the 1hodasopachar. ,he thumb also symbolise a 1hiva linga and its worship can be done. Chile worshipping the 1hiva Linga& the mantra ?@ +A@A( 1(*VAY should be continuously chanted. >hanting this mantra or ive crore times& helps a man in attaining to the abode o 1hiva. Corship o 1hiva done during the mid night is considered to be especially ructi ying.
8.6.66 1acred Eilgrimages o 1hiva

,here are numerous places o pilgrimages connected with 1hiva at the banks o river Banges and river *ndus. "iver 1araswati is considered to be a sacrosanct river and having an opportunity o living at its banks& helps in attaining to the abode o Brahma. 1imilarly& there are amous temples o Lord 1hiva at Kashi& +aimisharanya& Badrikasharam and Kedar etc. ,here are many temples o 1hiva at the banks o holy river like Banges& Yamuna& 1araswati& Bodavari& +armada& Kaveri& 1arayu& ,ungabhadra etc. Corshipping 1hiva at these places bestows undiminishing virtues and liberates a man rom all o his sins.
8.6.6; >onduct o the respective >astes

?n the reHuest o the sages& 1ut9i described about the virtuous and invirtuous activities o a man according to the respective castes be belong. (e said5 PA brahmin who per orms the rituals& as described in the Vedas& only is entitled to be called a Dwi9a. A brahmin who is not that pro icient in the Vedas is called a AKshatriya brahminA. A brahmin engaged in agricultural activities and business is called a Vaishya3brahminA. A brahmin who is in the habit o condemning and critici:ing others& is called a A1hudra3BrahminA. PA Kshatriya who looks a ter the wel are o his sub9ects is called a king& while the rest o them are known as simply Kshatriya. A Kshatriya who indulges in business is called a Vaishya Kshatriya. 1imilarly a Kshatriya who engages himsel in the service o the three superior castes 3 Brahmin Kshatriya and Vaishya is called a 1hudra Kshatriya.
8.6.67 ,ypes o Dharma

Dharma is considered to be o two types3 6) Dharma per ormed by matter and @aterials. ;) Dharma per ormed by indulging in physical activities. ,he per ormance o Yagya etc comes in the irst category. @aking pilgrimages o holy places comes in the second category. During the 1atya3Yuga& meditation was the way to attain sel knowledge. During ,reta3Yuga& it was attained by penance& during Dwapar Yuga it was attained by per orming AYagyaA while in the present era o Kali Yuga& idol worship is considered to be the means to achieve sel 3reali:ation. *nvirtuosity invites sorrow while virtuosity bestows 9oy and happiness. A,(- *@E?",A+>- ?D AB+*3YABYAA ,he sages then asked 1ut9i about the Agniyagya Brahma yagya and Buru Eu9a in order o importance. 1ut9i said3 PEer orming AhavanA by o ering matter and materials into the sacred ire& is called Agni yagya. ,his ritual is especially meant or the brahmachari (>elibates). Eer orming havana during the evening time brings prosperity& while per ormance o havana during the morning times gives long li e. @aking sacri ices to the deities during the day time is called ADeva YagyaA. A brahmin should per orm ABrahma yagya with the help o the study o the Vedas.P
PDirst o all lord 1hiva adopted an auspicious day or himsel and named it 1unday. A ter that he named the 1i/ remaining days o the week and attributed them to the ollowing deities respectively 3 @onday (Durga)& ,uesday (1kand)& Cednesday (Vishnu)& ,hursday (Yama)& Driday (Brahma)& and 1aturday (*ndra). Corshipping the deities on their respective days give peace properity and all kinds o accomplishments.
8.6.6F Appropriate Elace and ,ime or Corshipping 1hiva

*@E?",A+>- ?D ELA>-5 *n the Viddyeshwar 1amhita o 1hivapuran& describing about the importance o place and time or worship o 1hiva says3 PCorshipping 1hiva at a pure place in a house gives appropriate ruits& while worship done in a cowshed gives virtue& which are ten3times more than the ormer one. Corshipping 1hiva at the banks o a river gives& ten times more virtues than the second one. Corship o 1hiva done either in temple& under the basil plant etc. or at the banks o 1apt Banga& gives ten times more virtue than the third one. * 1hiva is worshipped at the seashore than the ourth one& while worshipping 1hiva on the peak o a mountain& gives ten times more virtue than the i th one. But worship done with a ully concentrates mind& gives the best ruits. *@E?",A+>- ?D ,*@-5 During the 1atya3yuga per ormance o Yagya and donations gave complete results. During the ,reta3yuga it gave hal & while in the present Kaliyuga it gives one3 ourth results. Virtuosity per ormed with a pure heart does not go in vain. ,he other auspicious days in order o their increasing importance are A1urya31ankrantiA& ,ula 1ankranti and @esh31ankranti& Lunar eclipse and 1olar eclipse respectively.
8.6.68 Corshipping the *dol o 1hiva

*t has been mentioned in the si/teenth chapter o Viddyeshwar 1amhita that all the desires o a man are completely ul illed& i he worship even in earthen idol o 1hiva. Dor making an idol o 1hiva. Day should be acHuired rom the base o river & pond& well or any such other place. *n this clay ragrant powder and milk should be added to make it into a paste. A ter the constructing o idol is complete& it should be worshipped by all the si/teen types o rituals 1hodasopachar. * the 1hiva Linga is constructed by somebody else& then three AseraA o +aivedya should be o ered to the deity& whereas i one himsel has constructed the 1hiva3Linga then the one3 ourth o a A1eraA should be o ered. * such an idol s worshipped or one thousand times& then it helps a devotee in attaining to the 1atyaloka. Eer orming AabhishekA o such an idol helps in sel 3puri ication& o ering ragrance gives virtues& +aivedya increases the li e span and worshipping it with ADhoopA gives wealth and prosperity respectively. Corshipping the idol with a burning lamp gives knowledge to the devotee& whereas o ering beetel leaves gives splendours. A devotee who worships Lord 1hiva in the hindu month o @agh and on Krishna >haturdashi achieves longevity o li e. Both& worldly pleasures and salvation are achieved by worshipping 1hiva. Corshipping 1hiva in the hindu month o Kartik by going #apa& penance etc gives special ruits and the devotee becomes ree rom all kinds o diseases. * a devotee worships lord 1hiva on 1unday he becomes ree rom rebirth.
8.6.6I ,he @a9esty o Eranav Eanchakshar

,he root sounds Akaar& %kaar& @akaar& Bindu and +aad& which are ree rom the delusions and which originates rom the mother +ature are called Eranav. *t is o two types53 a) Bross& b) 1ubtle. (Eranav @antra ?@ A+D ?@ +A@A( 1(*VAY$ *t symboli:ess the uni ied power o 1hiva and 1hakti and destroyes all the sins o a man. A man desirous o worldly pleasures must chant the mantra A(rishva EranavA containing the three root sounds A& %& N @a& which
symboli:es Brahma& Vishnu and @ahesh respectively. ?n the other hand a man aspiring or the salvation& must chant the mantra ADeergha EranavA containing A& %& @a& +aad and Bindu. Be ore commencing the study o Vedas pronouncing ?@KA" is a must. By chanting AEranavA or nine crore times man becomes pure. By chanting it or urther nine crore times a man develops a control over natural orces like wind& smell and earth etc. ,his Eranav mantra is considered to be most power ul and helps a man to attain the abode o 1hiva.
8.6.6< Corldly Bondage and 1alvation

*n the eighteen chapter& all the sages reHuested 1ut9i to e/plain the meaning o bondages o li e and 1alvation 1ut9i replied3 PBecause o the eight types o bondages which a man eels on this earth& the soul is also known as P#eevaP. ,he #eeva becomes liberated only a ter becoming ree rom these eight bondages. ,hese eight bondages are 3 +ature& *ntelligence Hualitative3 ego and the Eanchatanmatras i.e. 1ound& touch& appearance& taste and smell. P-ach soul is binded by these eight aspects o the +ature. ,he actions per ormed as the result o these bondages is called Karma. A man reaps the ruits o his actions3 Chether good or evil. (e either en9oys pleasures or su ers because o sorrow& due to this Karma.P ,he soul takes rebirth in a cyclic was binded by the e ects o his Karmas. ,he eight >hakraA are nothing but the eight orms o the nature. 1hiva is beyond the reach o these eight chakras& on the contrary he has ull control these eight chakras. 1o a man can become ree rom the bondages o this world& only by worshipping 1hiva Linga. ,he linga is both gross as well as subtle. ,here are ive types o Linga on this earth.3 1CAYA@B(% L*+BA& B*+D% L*+BA& E"A,*1,(*, L*+BA& >(A" L*+BA& B%"% L*+BA. A person desirous o worldly pleasures should worship the cross 1hivalinga& where as one who is desirous o attaining salvation must worship the subtle 1hiva linga.P
8.6.6J ,he Corship o Earthiva Linga

1ut9i then e/plains the greatness o worshipping a Earthiva Linga35 PEarthiva Linga is the most supreme among all the 1hiva3Lingas. All the aspirtions o he deities as well as men are ul illed by the worship o Earthiv linga. During the era o 1atya& 9ewel was considered to be o prime importance& where as during ,retayuga and Dwaparyuga& gold and mercury had the prime importance respectively. *n the present era o Kali& a Earthiva Linga hold this place o honour. ,he worship o Earthiva Linga begets more virtues than even penance. #ust as Banga among the rivers& Kashi among the sacred places o pilgrimages& ?mkar among all the mantras are considered to be superior& *n the same way Earthivalinga is considered to the supreme among all the Linga. Corshipping& a Earthiva linga with a A+ishkam bhavaA helps a man to attain liberation.P
8.6.6G @ethods o Corshipping Earthiva Linga

-laborately describes about the methods o doing worship o Earthiva Linga53 PA ter becoming resh in the morning& a man should wear a rudraksha garland in his neck and apply bhasma (Ash) on his orehead. (e should then worship the Earthiva Linga. (e should chant the various names o 1hiva& while worshipping the Earthiva Linga& like (ar& @aheshwar& 1hambhu& 1hoolpani& @ahadev& etc. A ter worshipping the Earthiva Linga& it should be immersed in the river& ,hen the mantra 3 O, "*,*+ S+I.*3 should be canted with complete devotion. ,his is the method which has been described in the Vedas or the worship o Earthiva Linga.P
8.6.;M +umber o Earthiva 1hivalingas

,he numbers o Earthiva Linga di er according to oneAs desires. Dor e/ample a man who is desirous o learning and knowledge must worship one thousand Earthiva Linga. A man who is desirous o wealth must worship. ?ne thousand ive hundred Earthiva Lingas. A man who is desirous o attaining salvation must worship one crore Earthiva Lingas. Earthiva linga& which is eHuivalent to the height measured by the our ingers and which has been established on a beauti ul pedestal& is considered to be the best. Earthiva Linga which is the hal o the above mentioned height is considered to be A@ediumK and still hal than the second category is considered to be in erior Earthiva Linga. *t
is better and advisable to worship a single Earthiva Linga daily& because it is eHuivalent to the worship o the whole world. +obody is barred rom worshipping 1hiva& e/cept the people whose ancestors had been cursed by the sages like Dadhichi& Bautam. 1uch people should also worship the eight idols (earth& water& ire& air& sky& sun& moon and the host) alongwith the Earthiva linga. A brahmin should worship Earthiva linga as per the methods described in the vedas. Corship should be done& acing north.
8.6.;6 *mportance o +aivedya and Bilva Leaves

1ut9i then described about the important o +aivedya o ered to Lord 1hiva. PA devotee gets liberated rom all o his sins merely at the sight o the +aivedya& which have been o ered to lord 1hiva. (e attains great virtues by having the Erasada.P A man must not accept the Erasada i the worship have been done under supervision o a A>handalaA& but some o the 1hivalingas like Baanlinga& 1iddhalinga and 1wayambhu Linga are e/ceptions to this rule. ,he prasada which has been o ered to the 1hivalinga and remains lying on it& is prohibited rom having& but the prasad which is not touching the 1hivalinga should be accepted. B*LVA (C??D AEEL-)35 Bilva ruit is considered to be a orm o lord 1hiva *tAs greatness has been eulogi:ed even by the deities himsel . *t is believed that all the places o pilgrimages& dwell in the Bilva3lea . Lord 1hiva is believed to have his abode in the roots o the Bilva tree. A devotee who waters the roots o the Bilva tree attain greater virtues than o ering water to the deities o all the places o pilgrimages. 1imilarly a devotee who worships the roots o the Bilva tree attains to the abode o lord 1hiva.
8.6.;; ,he @a9esty o 1hiva)s +ame

1ut9i then goes on he e/plain the greatness o 1hivaAs name and the importance o Bhasm (Ash) and rudraksha beads in his worship. ,he name o 1hiva is as sacred as BangesK 1imilarly ABhasmA and A"udrakshaA are as holy as river Yamuna and 1araswati respectively. ,here ore a devotee who possesses the name o lord 1hiva on his lips& Cho applies Bhasm on his person and who wears a rudraksha in his neck attain the virtues similar to that o taking a bath in the sangam. *n the ancient time& a king by the name o *ndrayumna got liberated rom the bondages o the world& 9ust by chanting the name o 1hiva.
8.6.;7 ,he *mportance o Bhasma in 1hiva)s Corship

Bhasma are o two types53 6) @ahabhasma and ;) 1walpabhasma. A1hrotaA (listener)& A1martK (rites according to the smritis) and Laukik (worldly) are considered to be the @ahabhasma. ,here are many types o 1walpabhasma A1hrotaA and A1martA are meant only or the brahmins. Dor the rest o the castes& ALaukik bhasmaA is appropriate. A brahmin must apply bhasma& only a ter initiating it with the mantras. ,he ashes which remains a ter burning dry cowdung is called Aagneya Bhasma. Applying A,ripundaA on the orehead with the ashes a ter the completion o Yagya& is to the upanishad rituals like 1andhya and #apa should only be per ormed a ter applying tripunda on the orehead.
8.6.;F *mportance o "udraksha

"udraksha is very dear to lord 1hiva and hence all the sins o a man get destroyed i he chants the name o Lord 1hiva using a "udraksha beads. (e also attain salvation a ter his death. *t is believed that the origin o "udraksha is connected with 1hiva penance. ?nce while 1adashiv was per orming his penance& his eyes opened due to some disturbances. (e was so remorse ul that tears rolled down rom his eyes. ,hese tear3drops are believed to be the origin o the "udraksha trees.
"udraksha o speci ic colours have been prescribed or di erent castes. Dor e/ample a Brahmin& a Kshatriya& a Vaishya and a 1hudra have been instructed to put on "udraksha o white colour& red colour& yellow colour and black colour respectively. A person who wears eleven hundred "udraksha on his body& he unites with 1hiva. "udrakshas are o various types i.e. -K@%K(A "%D"AK1(A (one opening) to rudraksha with ourteen openings. -ach type o rudraksha has speci ic mantra and speci ic deity connected with it.
/&!
6udra )amhita
,his >hapter contains 6FG sections.
8.;.6 1hrishti3Khand
,he sages e/press their desire o knowing about the mani estation o 1hiva and %ma& their marriage and their li e as a householder and the other aspects o 1hivaAs divinity 1ut9i narrated the story o +aradAs attachment and lust 3 how they were ultimately destroyed. (e also narrated o +aradAs deep desire to know about 1hiva.
8.;.; Victory o +arada over 'Kama)

?nce upon a time a +arad was per orming a penance in the cave o (imalaya mountain. *ndra becoming ear ul sent Kamadev to obstruct his penance. But Kamadeva was unsuccess ul in his attempt as the place where +arada was doing penance was the same place where Lord 1hiva did penance. A ter the completion o his penance& +arada became arrogant that he had de eated Kamadeva. (e went to Kailash mountain and narrated about his eat to Lord 1hiva. +arada was naTve not to reali:e the act hat is happened only because o the divine power o 1hiva. Lord 1hiva listened to his arrogant statement. (e advised +arada not to reveal this secret to anybody. But +arada went to Brahmaloka and boasted about his eet to Lord Brahma. Lord Brahma listened to his boisterous statements and advised him not to reveal this to anybody. But +arada was not satis ied. (e wanted to give the news o his achievement to Lord Vishnu. 1o& he went to Lord VishnuAs abode and boasted about his eat o de eating Kamdeva. Lord Vishnu with a desire to subdue his in lated ego& mani ested his illusionary power with the blessings o Lord 1hiva.
8.;.7 +arada)s -go 1ubdued5

Chile +arada was returning rom Vaikuntha Loka& he saw a beauti ul city. ,his city was ruled by a king named 1heel+idhi. ,he king had a daughter and her 1wayamvar was being organised. +umerous kings had arrived to take part in that 1wayamvar. +arada& curiously entered the place were 1wayamvar was being held. ,he king reHuested +arada to study the lines o the palm o the princess. +arada was in atuated by the princess beauty. (e returned back to Lord Vishnu and e/pressed his desire o marrying that princess. (e also reHuested Vishnu9i to make him as handsome as himsel (Vishnu). Lord Vishnu made +aradaAs whole body very beauti ul e/cept his ace. Chich he made like a monkey. +arada being unaware o this happily went back to 1wayamvar site. +arada sat among the kings 3 his ace resembling like a monkey Lord Vishnu too was present there. ,he princess saw +arad& whose ace was looking like a monkey. 1he was amused. %ltimately she put the garland around the neck o Lord Vishnu and went to Vaikuntha Loka alongwith him. 1ome o the 1hivaAs gana too were present there in the guise o a brahmin. ,heir names were @arud ganas. Chen they saw +arada to see the re lection o his ace in the water. Chen +arada saw his ace in the water& he saw that he was looking like a monkey. (e became very urious and cursed the @arudganas to be the born as demons& even though being brahmins by birth. Durious +arada then went to Lord Vishnu and cursed him3 PYou too would su er due to separation rom your wi e& during your incarnation o "am and the monkey would come to your help.
8.;.F Vishnu Ereaches +arad5

Lord Vishnu accepted +aradaAs curse without any hesitation. (e then removed the illusionary powers by which +aradasA mind was in luenced +ow& +arada regretted his actions. Lord Vishnu told +arada that everything happened because o 1hivaAs divine illusions. PYou did not pay heed to his advice and hence 1hiva by his illusions& has taught you a lesson. 1hiva is beyond the reach o the three basic Hualities31atva& "a9o and ,amas. ,here ore you must worship and contemplate on the name o 1hiva. All o your sins will be destroyed. A ter preaching +arada&& Lord Vishnu vanished rom his sight. +arada then descended down to earth and while having darshan o numerous 1hivalingas& he saw two o the @arudganas& whom he had cursed. (e told both o them that they would take birth rom a giantessAs womb& but their ather would be sages. (e also told them that they would become very amous due to their devotion& +arad went to lord Brahma and reHuested him to tell about the divinity o 1hiva.
8.;.8 Brahma9i Ereaches +arad5

?n +aradAs reHuest Brahma9i said3 PDuring the period o @ahapralaya (Dinal annihilation) nothing e/ist& e/cept 1hiva. ,he power which 1hiva mani ested rom his own sel came to be known as Ambika. ,his Ambika is understood to be the cause o the whole world as well as the +ature. Lord 1hiva then created a 1hivaloka& which is known as Kashi. *t is the abode o 1hiva and Earvati. A man who makes a pilgrimages o Kashi attains salvation.
8.;.I ,he ?rigin o Vishnu

Lord 1hiva& elt the need o somebody& who could look a ter the creation in his absence& as he wanted to retire along with Ambika at Kashi. ,he uni ied energy o 1hiva and Ambika& resulted into a radiant physical orm o a child. ,he child asked 1hiva about his name and purpose o his being. Lord 1hiva named the child as Vishnu and advised him to do a penance which would help him to attain all kinds o accomplishment. (e then o ered him the knowledge o Vedas& through his breath. Dor this reason it has been said3 D3*S3* "IS+.*SIT*, .'D*+ D @eaning5 Chose e/haled air is Veda. Vishnu ollowed the instruction o 1hiva and did a tremendous penance or twelve years& but still he was not success ul in having a darshan o lord 1hiva or the second time. (e became worried. (e heard a heavenly voice& instructing him to do urther penance. Vishnu then recommenced his penance. *t continued or many days. By the blessings o 1hiva& numerous ountain o streams errupted rom his body& which spread in all directions in the orm o Brahma. Vishnu9i was very pleased to see that stream. (e went to sleep in that streams due to which he also came to be known as A+arayanA. ?ne who has his abode in the water. A ter that& all the ive elements mani ested rom his sel . ,he three Hualities3 1alva& "a9os and ,amas as well as the ego mani ested rom his body. 1imilarly& ive ,anmantras (1ubtle orm o matter)& Eanchabhuta (1ky water& air& ire and earth) and ultimately ive sense organs and ive organs o action also mani ested rom. Altogether twenty3 our types o element mani ested rom the body o 1hri Vishnu.
8.;.< ?rigin o Brahma9i

Brahma9i told +arad3 PChile Vishnu9i was sleeping in the water& a lotus lower mani ested rom the navel o Vishnu according to the wish o 1hiva. ?n that lotus was seated with our heads. * did not see anything e/cept that lotus lower. * had a desire to know about my identity. 1o * entered into the hollow tubular stalk o that lotus lower& but * was not able to ind the source. * returned back to the same place. 1uddenly * heard a voice which instructed me to do penance. * did a tremendous penance or twelve years with a desire to know about my creator. Being pleased with me& lord Vishnu mani ested be ore me with in his >haturbhu9 orm& but * could not identi y him& being in luenced by the illusionary power o 1hiva. * Huarreled with him.P
8.;.J Dispute Between Brahma9i N Vishnu9i

P* asked him as to who he was. Vishnu9i replied that he was the ul iller o all o his desires. But * replied to him that * only was the creator& nurturer and the supreme soul o this world. Vishnu9i became angry and said that undoubtedly * (Brahma) was the creator o this world& but he (Vishnu) was the one& who had created me (Brahma) and the whole world. Vishnu9i also ordered me to take his re uge and promised to protect me. But being an ignorant * did not believe him. A ierce battle was ought between both o us. A 1hiva linga mani ested between us to end the battle. Ce reHuested that 1hivalinga to show its real identity. ,hat 1hivalinga had destroyed our pride.P
8.;.G 1habda3Brahma
Ce heard a sound ?@. Ce became curious to know the origin o that sound. Vishnu9i saw a letter AAA towards the south o that 1hivalinga. (e also saw the letters A%A and A@A centre towards the north o the 1hivalinga and in its centre respectively. (e also saw the mantra A?@A& which was da::ling like a 1un. ,here was no beginning and end to this mantra ?@. As we were making e orts to know about its origin& suddenly 1hiva appeared in the orm o a sage. (e gave us the knowledge regarding ?@. (e also revealed to us that * originated rom the letter AAA& Vishnu9i originated rom letter A%A and 1hiva himsel originated rom letter @. ,he letter A signi ies creation& % 1igni ies nurturement and @ signi ies salvation. ,he three letters A& V N @ also symboli:es the basic causes o creation. A or brahma also symboli:es the semen& % or Vishnu symboli:es the Vagina and the sound o ?@ is @aheshwar3 the combined sound o A& % and @. All the three united rom which mani ested a golden egg. ,his golden egg remained submerged in the water or one thousand years. ,he almighty then cut that egg into two halves& rom which appeared heaven and -arth. Ce also saw the divine beauty o @aheshwar.P
8.;.6M 1habda3Brahma ,anu

,hen we saw all the vowels and consonants emanating rom the physiHue o @ahadeva. Vishnu9i saw the orty eight letters within O,/*#& which in act were the two ollowing mantras3 DT*TP$#$S+*3 .IDD3*,*+' ,*+*D'.*3 D+I,*+I, T*""O #$D#*+ P#*C+OD*3*T%D And DT*TS*.IT$#.*#'"3*, )+*#5O D'.*S3* D+I,*+I D+I3O 3O"*+ P#*C+OD*3*T%D PA ter that we also received the @ahamrityun9ay mantras like AO, <OO, S*+D& D+#*$, +#I, <OO, S*+D and DT#*3*,)*/*, 3*<*,*+'D. A ter that we received the ive lettered mantra DO, "*,*+ S+I.*3D& the chintamani mantra A/S+*,3*$,A& the dakshinamurti mantra 3 DO, "*,O )+*5*=*T' D*/S+I"*,$#T*3' ,*+3*, ,'5+*, P#*3*C+C++* S=*+*. At last we received the great mantra T*T.*,*SI. Vishnu9i was so enchanted by this mantra that he started chanting this mantra. Ce then prayed to 1hiva3the creator& the nurturer and the destroyer.
8.;.66 1hiva -nlightens Brahma N Vishnu

P1hiva became very pleased with both o us. (e preached us the contents o Veda. 1hiva told Vishnu9i about the methods by which his (1hivaAs) worship could be done. (e revealed to us that Vishnu9i actually had mani ested rom the le t portion o his 1hivaAs body and mysel rom the right portion o his body. (e also blessed us that he would mani est his incarnation o "udra rom our body and also that the purpose o this incarnation would be to do annihilation. Lord 1hiva revealed to us that his consort %ma& was in act mother +ature and her power in the incarnation o 1araswati would be my consort. La/mi& who would also mani est rom the nature would be the consort o Vishnu.P
8.;.6; Age o Brahma& Vishnu N "udra

Bramha9i told +arada5 PLord 1hiva in ormed us that my day consists o our thousand eras and similarly my night too consists o our thousand eras. 1ince a month consists o thirty days and a year consists o twelve months. *n this way my age was i/ed to be o one hundred years. ?ne day o Vishnu is eHuivalent to one year o Brahma. VishnuAs age too was i/ed to be o one hundred years. ,he day o "udra is eHuivalent to one year o Vishnu and his age also was i/ed to be o one hundred years.
8.;.67 ,he @ethods o Corshipping 1hiva

?n the reHuest o the sages& 1ut9i retold the preaching which had been narrated by Brahma9i to +arad. Describing the method o 1hiva worship he says3
PA devotee should get up early in the morning and contemplate on 1hiva& who gives benediction. A ter that& he should inish his daily routing work and per orm rituals like A1andhyaA and Vandana etc. A ter that& he should worship 1hivalinga according to vedic rites like Eanchopachar& 1odashopachar etc. (e should also per orm AAbhisekaA with various o erings. At last& the should beg pardon or his sins.P
8.;.6F AcHuiring o 1hiva Lingas by the Deity

?nce& Brahma9i went to AKshirsagarA (the abode o Vishnu) accompanied by the deities and asked lord Vishnu how a man could be liberated rom his sorrows. Lord Vishnu told them that this ob9ective could be met b worshipping 1hiva3Linga. All the deities& then prayed to lord 1hiva& who a ter becoming pleased instructed AVishwakarmaA to construct a 1hivalinga or them. Vishwakarma then made a 1hivalinga or Kuber& a 1hivalinga o yellow diamond or Dharmara9& a 1hivalinga o dark coloured diamond or Varun& a 1hivalinga o *ndraned diamond or Vishnu and a goldden 1hivalinga or Brahma9i. 1imilarly Vishwadeva was given a 1hivalinga made up o silver& the Ashwini Kumars were given 1hivalinga made up o bron:e& La/mi was given a 1hivalinga made up o >rystal (1phatik)& 1un3god was given a 1hivalinga made o copper and the moon was given a 1hivalinga made o pearl.
8.;.68 @ethods o Corshipping 1hiva Linga

Brahma9i has described the ollowing methods or the worship o 1hivalinga3 PA ter per orming the rituals like AAachamanA and Eranayam a devotee should apply a tripunda on his orehead and wear a rudraksha on his body. A ter the study o 1hanti3path and the per ormance o Devata3+amaskar& he should make a resolution i he has any wish to be ul illed. ,hen the worship o 1hivalinga should be done& with the help o @ahima31tavan and o ering lowers to the 1hivalinga. ,he purity o the mantras should be maintained while chanting them.
8.;.6I ,he Virtues o Corshipping 1hiva @ethodically

*t has been mentioned in the 1hivapuran that making o erings in the orm o lotus& 1hatapatra& & 1hankhapushpi& the leaves o wood apple tree& helps a man in attaining wealth and prosperity. Dor becoming ree rom disease& i ty lotus lowers should be o ered to the 1hivalinga. @rityun9ay3#ap should be chanted or ive lac times& or all types o accomplishment. ?ne lac dhatura3 ruits should be o ered or long li e& worldly3pleasure& as well as or attaining salvation.
8.;.6< ,he ?rigin o Kailash N Vaikunth

Brahma9i revealed to +arad how the process o creation commenced3 PA ter Lord 1hiva vanished rom our sight& * trans ormed mysel into the appearance o a swan and Vishnu9i trans ormed his appearance into that o a boar with the purpose o commencing the process o creation. Dirst o all& * created the water. * poured a palm ul o water into it and an egg mani ested which consisted o all the twenty our elements. ,his egg was very enormous in si:e which made me con used. * did penance or twelve years. Vishnu9i appeared be ore me. * reHuested him to bring that egg to consciousness. Vishnu9i entered into that egg. As a result o this& Kailash mountain& and all the seven worlds came into e/istence. A ter that the static living things were created& which symboli:ed the dark Huality (,amogun). A ter that * created our ooted animals like cows and ?/ etc. inspite o these creations& * was not satis ied& so * again went into meditation. As a result the deities were created which symboli:ed the virtuous Huality (1atoguna). ?nce again * meditated and the human species came into e/istence& which symboli:ed the medium Huality ("a9oguna). Cith the permission o Lord 1hiva& * then created spirits like ghosts etc. A ter that * created my ive @anasputras3 1anak& 1anadan etc. But they were so ascetic and detached rom the world that they showed their disinclination in contributing in the process o creation. ,his made me angry& tears rolled down rom my eyes. Cith the permission o Vishnu9i& * did a tremendous penance to have a darshan o lord 1hiva.
8.;.6J ,he -mergence o "udra3Avatar

Brahma9i said to +arad5 PChen * accomplished my penance& Lord 1hiva mani ested in his incarnation o "udra rom in between the eyebrows. (al o his body resembled like that o a woman (Ardhanarishwar). * reHuested him help me in my creational activities. "udra created his hosts ("udragana) who resembled like him. * reHuested him to create the
mortals& to which he laughed and said& that he liberated mortals rom their sorrow& so how could he asten them with bondages. "udra reHuested me to create the mortals and then he vanished.
8.;.6G >reation
Ereaching +arad on the essence o 1hivatattva& Brahma9i said3 PCith the permission o 1hiva& * created the ive basic elements rom which the matter is made and also all types o arts. * also created the time. Despite all these creations& * was not satis ied. * created sage @arichi rom my eyes& 1age Bhrigu rom my heart& 1age Angira rom my head& 1age Eulaha rom my Vyan Vayu& 1age Eulatsya rom my %dan Vaya& 1age Vashishth rom my 1aman Vayu& 1age Kratu rom my Apan Vayu& 1age Atri rom my ear& Daksha Era9apati rom my vital air You (+arad ) mani ested rom my lap. 1age Kardam and Dharma mani ested rom my 1hadow. ,hen * divided my body into two parts& and rom each o the two parts. @anu and 1hatarupa mani ested respectively. Both o them got married and in this way commenced the con9ugal creation. Eriyavrata and %ttanpad were the two sons born to them. 1hatarupa also gave birth to three daughters whose names were Aakuti Devahuti and Erasuti. 1age "uchi was married to Aakuti& 1age Kardam was married to Devahuti and Daksha Era9apati was married to Erasuti. 1age Yagya and Dakshina were born to sage "uchi and Aakuti.P P+umerous daughters were born to sage Kardam and Devahuti. 1imilarly twenty3 our daughters were born to Daksha and Erasuti. Daksha married thirteen o his dhauthers to Dharma. ,he rest o his daughters were married to sages like Eulastya etc. All the three worlds are inhabited by the progenies o these sages. ,he same Daksha Era9apati had si/ty daughters in another Kalpa& who were married to sages like Kashyap. -tc. *n this Kalpa& A1ati was one o his daughters who was married to Lord 1hiva. A1atiA being distressed by the disrespect sown by her ather3Daksha& to her husband31hiva& had given up her li e& by 9umping into the sacri icial ire. *n her ne/t birth she was born as Earvati and was again married to 1hiva. ,his way& * created this world with the permission o 1hiva.P
8.;.;M Bunanidhi& ,he Brahmin)s 1on

+arad9i asked lord Brahma& when did lord 1hiva make Kailash as his abode and what was the reason o riendship between 1hiva9i and Kubera. Brahma9i narrated the ollowing story3 v ,here used to live a brahmin by the name Yagyadutt in Kampilyanagar& who was pro icient in the per ormance o 1omyagya. (e had a son named Bunanidhi. ,hough he was a scholar but at the same time he was irreligious and kept bad company. (e used to indulge in evil activities like gambling. (is ather 3 Yagyadutt was unaware o his evil activities. Chenever he asked his wi e about Bunanidhi habits and conduct& his wi e used to tell lies and praised the conduct o Bunamidhi. ,hus BunamidhiAs condition became worst day by days. Yagyadutt married Bunanidhi with a girl belonging to a well to do amily. But his habits had not changed. (is mother tried her best to make him understand& but it was o no avail. ?ne day Yagyadutt saw& a gambler wearing his ring. (e asked him about that ring. ,he gambler told him that his son 3 Bunanidhu had lost it to him& in the gamble. (e also in ormed him that he had also lost numerous ornaments and other properties in the gamble. Yagyadutt became very angry. (e married with another woman a ter abandoning his wi e and son.
8.;.;6 Bunanidhi)s 1alvation

Chen Bunadhi came to know about his atherAs second marriage& he moved to another place& cursing his ate. (e kept on walking till he became tired. (e sat under a tree and started thinking about his urther course o action. (e heart was ull o remorse and he repented or his past actions. As his mind was engrossed in such kind o thoughts. (e saw somw villages going towards temple. ,hey were carrying prasad in their hands. P1ince Bunanidhi was hungry& he ollowed them and a ter reaching the temple he sat at the main gate o the temple. *+ the night& a ter the accomplishment o the Eu9an& the devotees went to sleep. Bunanidhi entered the premise went to sleep. Bunanidhi entered the premise o the temple. ,he lame o the lamp was gradually becoming dim as the result o which he could not see properly. (e tore some pieces o cloth& he was wearing and
made a thick wick and put it in the lamp. +ow the light was su icient to enable him to see whatever had been o ered to the deity.P P(e carried as much ruits and other eatables as possible and tried to sneak out rom the temple. %n ortunately& he dashed against a devotee woke up and chased him shouting thie 3thie .P P(earing his cries all the other devotees woke up and caught Bunanidhi. (e was given such a nice thrashing that proved to be atal and as a result Bunanidhi died.P ,he YamadutAs arrived to take his soul to yamloka. But right then& the 1hivaganas arrived and prevented the Yamadutas rom carrying his soul. ,hey in ormed the Yamdutas that Bunanidhi was entitled or 1hivaloka as he had devoutly observed the 1hivaratri ast& had listened to the tales o 1hiva and lighted up the lamp which was about to go o . ,he 1hivaganas also in ormed the Yamadutas that& in his ne/t birth Bunamidhi would become the king o Kalinga.P P*n this way Bunanidhi attained to 1hivaloka. *n his ne/t birth he was born as a son o king Arindam3 the king o Kalinga. (e was named as Dama.P PChen he was still young& his atherArindam dies. 1o Dama succeeded him as the king o Kalinga. (e renovated all the 1hiva3temple& which came under his 9urisdiction and passed a stricture which made the worship o lord 1hiva compulsory or all the sub9ects. By the blessings o lord 1hiva& he became the king o Alkapuri and was known as Kubera.P
8.;.;; 1hiva Blesses Bunanidhi

PDuring the Eadma kalpa& 1age Vishrawa was born to sage Eulastya3 the manasputra o lord Brahma. VishrawaAs son 3 Vishrawan ruled over Alkapuri or a long time. ,his city was constructed by the deity Vishwakarma. Vishrawan was a great devotee o Lord 1hiva.P PDuring the kalpa named @eghawahan& Bunanidhi did a tremendous penance or ten lac years. As a result o this penance his body was reduced to skelton.P PLord 1hiva became very pleased with him and appeared be ore him& accompanied by his consort Earvati. (e told Bunanidhi to ask or any boon& which will be ul illed.P PChen Bunanidhi heard 1hivaAs Voice he opened his eyes& but his eyes were da::led by the sheer radiance o lord 1hiva. (e reHuested 1hiva to restore the power o sight in his eyes. 1hiva blessed him& as a result o which he was now able to see the divine sight o lord 1hiva. But he became 9ealous o %ma& who was present by the side o 1hiva. (e was wondering as to who was this lady& dearer to 1hiva than him. (e glanced cruelly towards her. As a result o this his le t eye lost the power o sight.P PEarvati asked lord 1hiva as to why was this sage (Bunanidhi) looking cruelly towards her. 1hiva replied3 P(e is none other than your son. (e is looking at you in astonishment as he his bewildered at the eats achieved your penance.P PLord 1hiva then blessed Bunanidhi to become the king o the kings. (e also assured him that he will always be present in the vicinity o Alkapuri. A ter being blessed by 1hiva& Bunanidhi also made salutations to Earvati. Earvati said3 P1ince you have looked at me angrily your hatred and enemity (Bair) towards me was clearly visible. Dor this reason you will be known as Kubers.P A ter blessings& Bunanidhi both 1hiva and Earvati to a place called Vaishveshwar. Kailash mountain was situated near Alka+agri.
8.;.;7 1hiva goes to Kailash

Chen "udra 3 the Ansha o the Almighty brahma& heard about the tremendous penance& Kubera was doing he started to play his AdamaruA (drum)& the sound o which reached all the three worlds. "udra then reached the place where Kubera was doing penance.P P(earing the sound o his damaru& all the deities including Brahma& Vishnu and 1adashia appeared be ore him.P PChen Kubera saw lord "udra be ore himsel & he o ered his seat to him and worshipped him. (e also worshipped the other deities. "udra was so pleased with Kubera that he decided to stay near him. (e called Vishwakarma and ordered him to conduct his abode at Kailash mountain& so that he could live in could live in the vicinity o his great devotee3Kubera. Kubera constructed a beauti ul city as per his instruction. An auspicious moment was chosen and 1hiva went to live at Kailash mountain. (e was coronated by the deities.P Brahama9i in this way told +arada about 1hivaAs departure to Kailash mountain.
1A,* K(A+D *n the 1ati Khand o "udra31amhita& +arada enHuires lord Brahma about the reason& why lord 1hiva married 1ati& inspite o being a AyogiA. (e also reHuested Brahma9i to tell& how 1ati became the daughter o Daksha Era9apati and in her ne/t birth as %ma the daughter o (imalaya. (ow did %ma get lord 1hiva as her husbandL3 asked +arada Lord Brahma narrated the ollowing tale3 PA girl by the name o 1andhya mani ested rom my being. * was ama:ed by her heavenly beauty. "ight then a divine entity appeared be ore me& whose beauty could not have been matched even by the deities. (e was Kamadeva3 the god o love. (e in luenced me to such an e/tent that * orgot that 1nadhya was my daughter and got in atuated by her.P PChen "udra came to know about my lust or 1andhya& he admonished me and ridiculed about my character. * elt ashamed. But * also became 9ealous o "udra. * decided to in luence him with the power o in atuation& but * was unsuccess ul in my attempts. * remembered lord Vishnu and he tried to make me understand about the utility o my attempts& as according to him (Vishnu)& "udra was beyond the reach o any human emotions.P PBut * instructed my son 3 Daksha to help in the procreation o a girl child rom the womb o Ashwinivirini. ,hus 1ati was born. 1ati later on became amous o %ma and got "udra as her husband on account o her tremendous penance.P P,hough "udra was ree rom all kinds o attachment& but still he became so in luenced by the desire or procreation that he married with 1ati. (e en9oyed a bliss ul married li e or a very long time.P P"udra ather in law& Daksha in his arrogance started condemning his son in law 3"udra. ?nce& Daksha organised a grand yagya ceremony. (e gave invitation to everybody e/cept "udra and %ma. Despite o "udraAs disinclination to allow 1ati to go to her atherAs yagya& 1he insisted and ultimately she was success ul in convincing "udra& to allow her to go.P PChen 1ati reached there& she was not given respect by her ather3Daksha. +ot only this& Daksha made un o "udra. Deeling dishonoured& 1ati gave up her li e by 9umping into the sacri icial ire.P PChen "udra got the news o 1atiAs death he became e/tremely urious. ,o take revenge& he created Veerbhadra rom his locks o hair. Veerbhadra went to Daksha place and destroyed his oblation site. (e severed DakshaAs head. All the deities became a raid and prayed to "udra& to have mercy. "udra then brought back Daksha to li e and helped him the accomplished o the still incomplete Yagya. ,he site where 1ati had died later on became amous as #walamukhi devi.P P,he same 1ati in her ne/t birth was born as Earvati to (imalaya. By her tremendous penance she again got lord 1hiva as her husband. A ter that lord Brahma told +arada about the mani estation o Kama 3 the god o love.
8.;.;F ,he @ani estation o 'Kama)

PChen * became in atuated by the divine beauty o 1andhya& my in atuation resulted into the mani estation o my another @anas3putra named Kamadeva. (is beauty and Hualities were incomparable. (is mani estation not only in licted me with lust& but also my other @anasputras became illed up with lust. Kamadeva made salutations to me and asked as to what was his name and purpose o being. * gave him the name AEushpavanA and instructed him to help in the process o procreation. * also blessed him that nobody would remain una ected by his in luence including mysel and Vishnu9i.P
8.;.;8 Brahma >urses Kamadeva

A ter being named by lord Brahma as AEushpavanA& Kamadeva was also given various names as @anmath& Kama& @adan etc by sages like @areech& etc. ,hey also said to him that he would be married to A"atiA the daughter o Daksha. Kamadeva himsel was in atuated with the beauty o 1andhya. ,o test the authenticity o BrahmaAs boon& Kamadeva took out his ive arrows and wanted to e/amine their power. ,he names o their arrows were (arshan& "ochan& @ohan& 1hoshan and @aran.
,hese arrows had e ect on all the people present there including lord Brahma and 1andhya. Betting a ected by those arrows& ourty nine types o thoughts emerged in BrahmaAs mind. 1imilarly& laws were clearly visible in 1andhyaAs behaviour. Kamdeva became convinced o his powers and capabilities. But Dharma 3 the manasputra o Brahma was saddened by this event. (e prayed to lord 1hiva. Chen Lord 1hiva saw the condition o Brahma9i& he became amused and made un o him and his @anasputras. -verybody was ashamed. Due to his shame& Brahma9i perspired pro usely. Drom his perspiration were created the Eitraganas. 1imilarly rom the perspiration o Daksha Era9apati was created the most beauti ul woman3"ati. Brahma9i was very angry with Kamadeva because o whom he was ridiculed by 1hiva. (e cursed him and said3 PYou would be charred to death by the arrow o 1hiva.P Kamadeva became very scarred and said that he was only testing the authenticity o his boon and he had no other evil intention. (e also reHuested Brahma9i& not to curse him. Deeling Eity on him& Brahma9i consoled him that& although he would de initely get killed by the arrow o 1hivaAs sight& yet he would regain his physical body as soon as 1hiva getAs married. Lord Brahma then went to Brahmaloka.
8.;.;I Kama @arried "ati

Daksha reHuested Kamadeva to get married with his daughter 3 "ati. Kamadeva was very pleased at this proposal. Both Kamadeva and "ati got married.
8.;.;< 1andhya does Eenance

1andhya was very ashamed o hersel . Dor the atonement o her sin she decided to do penance. 1he went to >handrabhaga mountain and commenced her tremendous penance. Lord Brahma then instructed Vashishtha to go to her in disguise and help in getting her initiated. (e went to >handrabhaga mountain in the guise o a brahmin and gave the mantra 3 ?@ +A@A( 1(A+KA"AYA ?@ to her and also told her the methods o doing worship& then he returned back.
8.;.;J 1andhya "eceives a Boon rom 1hiva

A ter sage Vashishtha who was disguised as brahmin went away. 1andhayd did penance as per his instructions. A ter the passing o one >haturyuga& she had a darshan o lord 1hiva. 1hiva being pleased by her devotion asked her to demand anything. 1andhya said3 P+obody should have lust towards the member o his own clan. ,here should e no virtuous and chaste woman greater then me in this whole world. Anybody other than my husband who looks at me with evil intentions become an impotent man.P Lord 1hiva blessed her by saying3 A'.*,*ST$EA Lord 1hiva then categorised the li e3span o a man into our parts 3 >hildhood& adolescence& youth and old age. (e than told her that it was written in her destiny to die by burning. (e also advised her to go and surrender her body in the sacri icial ire o the yagya& per ormed by @edhatithi. PBe ore 9umping into the sacri icial ire& 9ust remember anybody& whom you want as your husband& and your wish would be ul illed in your ne/t birth& Chen you would take birth as a daughter o Daksha Era9apati. Your ather3Daksha Era9apati would marry his ;< twenty daughter to @oon& but the moon would have a ection only towards "ohini and rest o his wives would be neglected by him. Dor this reason he would be cursed by Daksha. All the deities would take your re uge.P A ter blessing 1andhya in the way lord 1hiva went back to Kailash mountain.
8.;.;G 1andhya)s Birth N her @arriage with 1age Vashistha

Chen lord 1hiva went away. 1andhya got up and went to the place where @edhatithi was per orming his yagya. 1he made a mental resolution to have that brahmin as her husband& who in reality was vashishtha and then entered into the sacri icial ire. ,he ire o the yagya burnt her body and carried it ti the solar3system& where it was divided by the sun3god into three parts and established in his chariot. ,he names o these three parts were Eratah31andhya& @adhyanha31andhya and 1ayam 1andhya. 1andhya Vital orce was absorbed by lord 1hiva. Chen the yagya ended& the sages were surprised to see the presence o a girl& who was radiating like gold in the sacri icial ire. ,hey took out that girl child rom that yagya3kunda. ,he sages then brought up that girl with love and a ection. 1he was named Arundhati. Chen she attained the age o ive& Brahma Vishnu and @ahesg arrived and married her with Vashishth. Arundhati en9oyed a happy li e and became amous or her chastity.
8.;.7M Appearance o 1pring 1eason (Vasant "itu)

Brahma9i told +arada that since the day he was hermiliated by 1hiva& he had grudges against him and wanted to take revenge. P* wanted to subdue the arrogance o 1hiva by proving it to him that even he could be binded by attachment. * asked Daksha and sages like @areech as to how this eat could be achieved. As a result A"atiA and AKamaA mani ested. * instructed Kama to in luence 1hiva by his powers. Kama agreed but reHuested me to create a suitably divine women or 1hiva. @ysel and Daksha became worried and during that time we e/haled ragrant air through our nostrils& which resulted into the creation o spring season. ,he spring season was looking divinely beauti ul in her physical orm. * handed over her to Kama and thus all the three o them (spring season& Kama and "ati) went to in luence lord 1hiva who was in his deep state o meditation.
8.;.76 ,he >reation o @arganas and Kama)s Dutile Attempts

Kama tried his best to bring lord 1hiva under his in luence. All the living creatures were spell bound by his powers e/cept lord 1hiva and Banesha. Kama returned back to Brahma9i ad told him about his unsuccess ul attempts. Brahma9i sighed heavily. Drom his sighes were created the erocious ganas. ,hese ganas were shouting AAaray3@arayAA(Kill3Kill). ,hey eve tried to attack lord Brahma& Kama then paci ied the anger o these ganas. ,hese ganas were named as @aar. Lord Brahma then sent these ganas to 1hiva along with Kama and "ati to give it a second try. ?nce again their attempts went utile. All o them returned to lord Brahma and e/pressed their inability in in luencing 1hiva.
8.;.7; Dailogue Between Brahma N Vishnu

Lord Brahma then remembered Vishnu9i& who appeared instantaneously. Brahma9i revealed about his intentions to him. LordVishnu told him that it was oolishness on his part to have enemity towards 1hiva. But when lord Brahma kept on insisting& he revealed to him that this could be only achieved by the blessings o Boddess Earvati. Lord Vishnu said3 P* she becomes pleased with you& then she could help you in achieving your goal by taking birth in a human orm and having 1hiva as her husband. *nstruct Daksha to do penance so that Earvati takes birth in his house.P
8.;.77 Boddess Durga

A ter lord Vishnu went away& Lord Brahma started meditating on the orm o goddess Durga. 1he appeared be ore him. Lord Brahma said3 P* need your help in binding 1hiva with your maya.P Boddess Durga told Brahma9i that Lord 1hiva in his incarnation o "udra was beyond the reached o any kind o @aya. But when Brahma9i kept in insisting then goddess Durga agreed to help him in his e ort. 1he said3 P* will take birth as the daughter o Daksha Era9apati and try to please him by my penance.P A ter assuring Lord Brahma she vanished. Lord Brahma too went to his abode.
8.;.7F Daksha Corships Devi

Cith the permission o lord Brahma& Daksha did penance or three thousand years. As a result goddess #agdamba appeared be ore him. 1he blessed him by saying that she would take birth as his daughter and by her tremendous penance would attain "udra as her husband. But she warned Daksha that i he showed any kind o disrespect to her& she would end her li e.
8.;.78 Daksha >urses +arad

Cith the permission o lord Brahma& Daksha Era9apati created many thing 9ust by his mental resolution. But inding the absence o any kind o evolution and development in them& he went to Brahma9i to take his advice. Brahma9i instructed him to create by the help o copulation. Daksha Era9apati then married Asikti 3 the daughter o Eancha9an. ,en thousand sons& including (aryasya were born to them& but all o them were directed by +arada to ollow the path o salvation. A ter that& Daksha married Eancha9ani rom whom were born thousand o son& but all o them ollowed the path o salvation and were not interested in creation. +arada was instructed in changing their mind. Daksha Era9apati became very urious with +arada and cursed him to become an eternal wandered. (e said3 PYou will never remain at a place or long.P
8.;.7I Birth o 1ati

Chen lord Brahma came to know about Daksha Era9apatiAs anger towards +arad he went to him and cooled him down. 1ubseHuently si/ty daughters were born to Daksha. (e married his ten daughters with Dharma& thirteen daughters with Kasyap. ,wentyseven daughters with @oon& two daughters with Bhutangiras& two daughters with Krishashva and the remaining si/ daughters with Baruda. Daksha mediated on the orm o Bhagawati& and was instructed by her to do penance. Daksha did a tremendous penance and thus was born %ma to Daksha and Virani. %ma was brought up with great love and a ection. %ma used to worship lord 1hiva by singing devotional songs in his praise.
8.;.7< 1ati does Eenance

Chen 1ati attained marriageable age& Daksha started worrying. 1ati understood the reason behind her atherAs worried. 1he went to her @other Virani and e/pressed her desire o marrying lord 1hiva. (er mother made all the arrangements so that 1ati could worship 1hiva without any problem. 1ati commenced her austerity named +andavrata which continued or a year. Being impressed by her austerities& all the deities descended down rom heaven to see her.
8.;.7J Brahma9i makes a reHuest to Lord 1hiva

All the deities and the sages reHuested lord 1hiva to get married& but 1hiva did not want to curtail his reedom by getting married. Chen the deities insisted he told them to ind a suitable match or him. Brahma and Vishnu told 1hiva about the tremendous penance %ma was doing to him (1hiva) as her husband. ,hey also reHuested him have to go to her (uma) and ul ill her desire. Lord 1hiva agreed.
8.;.7G 1hiva Blesses %ma with a Boon

A ter %ma had accomplished her penance named +andavrat& lord 1hiva appeared be ore her and asked her to demand anything. %ma because o her shyness could not say anything. Lord 1hiva knew about her desire so he said3 PYou will have me as your husband.P %maAs ace beamed with 9oy& but she shyly reHuested lord 1hiva to keep this proposal be ore Daksha. 1hiva agreed and said3 A,athastuA. (e then went back to his abode3 Kailash. 1ati narrated the whole story to her parents. Both o them became very happy with this news. Lord 1hiva then instructed Brahma9i to put a ormal proposal to Daksha regarding his marriage with 1ati. Lord Brahma went and
in ormed Daksha about lord 1hivaAs proposal. Daksha was very happy at the proposal. Brahma then came back to lord 1hiva.
8.;.FM 1hiva @arried 1ati

Lord 1hiva was an/iously waiting or his arrival. Chen Lord Brahma arrived he curiously asked about DakshaAs response. Chen lord Brahma told him about DakshaAs approval o the marriage. 1hiva was very pleased at this. Lord 1hiva proceeded towards DakshaAs abode on the auspicious moment o Ehalgun& Krishnapaksha and on the thirteenth day o Ehalguni +akshatra. 1itting on the back o +andi and accompanied by all the deities including lord Brahma& Vishnu9i he reached DakshaAs residence. ,he marriage3procession was received by Daksha with great respect. 1hiva narrated 1ati in an auspicious lagna. Being pleased& all the deities eulogised 1hiva and danced in 9oy.
8.;.F6 Lord Brahma Daces the Crath o 1hiva

Daksha presented invaluable things to his daughter3 1ati as dowry. 1imilarly the brahmins were presented with large Huantities o wealth. Lord Brahma was enchanted by the divine beauty o 1ati. Cith a desire to see her ace& he put logs o wood which were wet& into the yagni kunda and poured ghee on them. As a result the atmosphere was illed up with smoke. +ow Brahma removed the piece o cloth which covered her ace. (e became in atuated by her beauty. Chen lord 1hiva discovered about his evil intentions he ran towards him menacingly. Lord 1hiva wanted to kill him& but the deities prayed to spare his li e. Lord Vishnu eulogised and worshipped him and only then his anger was subdued. ,hus lord Brahma was orgiver by 1hiva.
8.;.F; De ormed Dace o Brahma

,hough lord 1hiva had orgiven Brahma9i& yet he instructed him to apologi:e by bowing down his head. Brahma did as he was instructed Lord 1hiva then established on his head. Brahma9i became ashamed and asked as to how could he atone or his sins. Lord 1hiva instructed Brahma9i that by worshipping him he could appropriately atone or his sins. (e than instructed Brahma to go to the earth where he would be worshipped as A"udra 1hirA. 1hiv said3 PYour worship would help the brahmin in accomplishing every kinds o work. ,aking lessons rom you people would not dare to have e/tramarital a airs.
8.;.F7 1hiva31hakti as (usband N Ci e

A ter reaching Kailash mountain& lord 1hiva instructed all his ganas (attendants)& not to disturb them (1hiva and 1hakti). Chen all the ganas went away 1hiva and 1hakti en9oyed a bliss ul union or twenty ive Deva3years.
8.;.FF 1hiva31hakti Depart or (imalya

Chen the rainy season arrived& 1hakti reHuested 1hiva to make a residence in such a place to that they could not be disturbed by rain etc. Lord 1hiva smiled and said3 PDear 1ati$ ,he clouds and rain will not dare to disturb i you are present by my side& no matter whereever we live 3 even i we live on the peaks o (imalayas. 1ati reHuested him to make (imalaya as his abode. Lord 1hiva agreed and both i them shi ted to their new abode at (imalaya& where they lived or ten thousand ADeva3yearsA.
8.;.F8 ,he *mportance o Devotion in Kaliyuga

1ati reHuested lord 1hiva to enlighten her mind by giving discourses. 1hiva revealed to her the importance o devotion in the Kaliyug. (e said that the value o knowledge (gyan) and asceticism (vairagya) would diminish to the e/tent o e/tinction in the era o Kali and only devotion would help a man in attaining liberation. Lord 1hiva said3
P* had burnt the time (Kala) or the bene it o the devotees& with my third eye. Dor the sake o my devotees& * even abandoned "avana without any partiality. Dor the wel are o my devotees& * even instructed +andi to punish sages Vyas& who was e/iled out o Kashi.P 1hiva preached on may topics like devotion types o devotion& yantra& mantra& scriptures etc.
8.;.FI 1ati)s Doubt

Devarshi +arad who was listening to the divine tales o 1hiva& narrated by lord Brahma with rapt attention& reHuested him to describe about other characteristics o 1hiva. Brahma9i said3 P?nce& lord 1hiva accompanies by 1ati& arrived at Dandak aranya& where 1ri "am was wandering in search o 1ita& who had been abducted by "avana. A ter walking or some time Lord 1hiva saw 1ri "am and La/man. Lord 1hiva made salutations to 1ri "am. 1ati was surprised at 1hivaAs behaviours. 1he asked lord 1hiva about the reason he made salutations to 1ri "am. 1hiva told 1ati that he (1ri "am) was his deity and an incarnation o lord Vishnu. But 1ati was not satis ied by this reply. 1he wanted to test& whether 1ri "am was really an incarnation o lord Vishnu or not. 1he disguised hersel as 1ita and went to 1ri "am. But 1ri "am recognised her real identity and addressed her as @other. 1ati was ashamed but asked 1ri "am as to why did 1hiva made salutations to her.P 1ri "am narrated the ollowing story3
8.;.F< 1hiva does not see 1ati as his consort

?nce& lord 1hiva reHuested Vishwakarma to construct a grand palace and a magni icent throne or him. Chen everything was ready& 1hiva invited all the deities or the crowning ceremony o lord Vishnu. Lord Vishnu was reHuested to be seated on the throne and was worshipped by all the deities including 1hiva himsel . (e assured lord Vishnu that all o his (VishnuAs) incarnations would be shown respected by his (1hivaAs) devotees ( "am) am the incarnation o Vishnu.P 1ati was now completely satis ied. 1he was also ashamed o hersel that she had doubted 1hivaAs words. 1he went to lord 1hiva. Lord 1hiva stopped looking at 1ati& as her consort& because she had personi ied hersel as mother 1ita. ,his act was even corroborated by a heavenly voice. +ow 1atiAs heart was illed up with sorrows. 1he ollowed disenchanted 1hiva to the Kailash mountain& where he commenced his meditation and went into 1amadhi. 1he sat down without saying a word. Chen lord 1hiva came out rom his 1amadhi& he saw her stire sitting their. (e elt pity on her and drove away her guilt and sorrows& by giving discourses.
8.;.FJ Daksha)s Animosity towards 1hiva

?nce& the sages organised a yagya at Erayaga& which was attended by all the deities. Lord 1hiva too had come& accompanies by 1ati. (e was eulogi:ed and worshipped by all the deities and the sages. Daksha arrived there and a ter making salutations to lord Brahma sat down without showing any kind o respect to 1hiva. A ter that& all the deities and the sages came and made salutations to Daksha& but 1hiva sat where he was sitting. ,he ignorant Daksha cursed 1hiva that rom now onwards his (1hivaAs) share would not be kept in the yagya. At this +andi3 the vehicle o 1hiva became very angry and cursed Daksha that rom today onwards the brahmins would ail to understand the essence o Vedas. Lord 1hiva then paci ied +andiAs anger and both o them went back to their abode. Daksha too went back to his place and started having hatred towards 1hiva.
8.;.FG Daksha Eer orms Yagya

Daksha organised a yagya at AKanakhalA in which everybody e/cept 1hiva and 1ati were invited. 1age Dadhichi arrived and not inding the seat or 1hiva went back& saying that it was impossible to accomplish a yagya without 1hiva.
,hen Daksha commenced the yagya with the assistance o other sages who were present there.
8.;.8M 1ati)s Arrival at the ?blation 1ite

Chen 1ati saw all the deities going happily& she became curious to know where they were going. 1he reHuested her companion to ask the moon as to where he was going in such a cheer ul mood. ,he moon told her companion that they were going to attend the yagya ceremony& being organised by Daksha. 1ati was very surprised at this in ormation. 1he went to lord 1hiva and sought his permission to go there. Lord 1hiva then told 1ati that her ather did not invite them because o the animosity he was having towards him (1hiva). 1ati became very urious and decided to go there to know about the reason why Daksha was per orming the yagya without inviting her husband31hiva. 1hiva sent +andi and other rudraganas as her escorts.
8.;.86 1ati)s Dishonor

Chen 1ati reached& where Daksha was per orming his yagya& she met her mother and sisters. ,hey met her with all the respect and honour. But Daksha did not even caste a glance at her. *mitating him many other people did the same. But 1ati not bothering about the disrespect shown to her made salutations to both her parents. Chen she reached near the yagya3mandap she saw that shares o all the deities was there e/cept that o 1hiva. 1he became urious and asked her ather as to why was 1hiva not invited to the yagya. Daksha then made un o 1hiva and cursed him. ,his made her more angry and she declared that she would give up her li e in everybodyAs presence. A ter the declaration her mind was engrossed by the thoughts o 1hiva.
8.;.8; 1ati Bives %p (er Li e

1ati then sat in padmasan and closed her yes. By her yogic powers she united with 1hiva and her li eless body ell into the yagya3kunda. ,his incident shocked everybody and the rudraganas uriously picked up their weapons. "ight then a heavenly voice was heard. P? mean Daksha$ 1hare on you$ you are a sinner and a ool. +ow you are certain to ace the wrath o 1hiva. Because o your act& the deities too will have to su er.P Daksha became scarred. (e immediately eulogising lord Vishnu.
8.;.87 @ani estation o Veerbharda N @ahakali

Chen +andi in ormed 1hiva about 1atiAs death& he became very urious. (e angrily pulled out a locks o hair and dashed it against the mountain& which got divided into two parts. Drom one part mani ested the valiant Veerbharda and rom the other part @ahakali. Veerbhadra and @ahakali were instructed by 1hiva to destroy the yagya o Daksha and to kill all the people who were present during the time o 1atiAs death& including the deities and the sages.
8.;.8F Veerbhadra N Kali Assemble their Army

A ter getting the instructions rom lord 1hiva& Veerbhardra marched with a huge army which included the mighty 1hivaganas like Dakini& Bhairav and Kapalish etc. Boddess Kali to 9oined him with her army which consisted o all her nine incarnations like Katyayani etc. As the army marched on numerous auspicious signs were visible.
8.;.88 Daksha -/periences *nauspicious 1igns

?n the other hand Daksha e/perienced many inauspicious signs. (is le t eye& le t army and le t thigh started throbbing. (e saw the vultures lying over his head. (e heard the sounds o 9ackals howling.
8.;.8I Lord Vishnu Ereaches Daksha

Daksha then prayed to lord Vishnu to rescue him rom the imminent wrath o lord 1hiva. Lord Vishnu preached Daksha and said3 PDaksha$ 1ince you have committed the greatest sin by dishonouring 1hiva and 1ati. -ven * can not prevent the calamities which you are certain to ace.P As lord Vishnu was preaching Daksha suddenly there was a loud commotion. ,he army o Veerbhadra had arrived. Daksha was rightened and again prayed to Vishnu to save his li e. Lord Vishnu again e/pressed his helplessness and told him that because o him all the deities too would have to su er.
8.;.8< Daksha Bets his (ead 1evered

A terrible battle was ought between the armies o Veerbhadra and the deities. ,he deities got de eated and led away. ,hey went to lord Vishnu and sought his help. Lord Vishnu decided to ight on the side o the deities. ,he battle recommenced or the second time. Lord Vishnu having a dual ight with Veerbhadra and the deities were ighting against his army. 1uddenly everybody heard a heavenly voice which said that Veerbhadra was invincible. (earing this& Lord Vishnu and Brahma9i went to their respective abodes. Daksha ran or his li e and hid himsel behind the attar where the yagya was being per ormed. But Veerbhadra pulled him out rom there and severed his head. (e then threw his head in the agni3kunda. A ter this he returned back to Kailash accompanies by his army.
8.;.8J >ontention between Kshuva N Dadhichi

+arad& who was listening to the divine tales o 1hiva with rapt attention& was very curious to know about the reasons why lord Vishnu attended a yagya where 1hiva was not invited and why did he ight a battle against veerbhadra despite knowing about his invincibility. Lord Brahma told him that all this happened due to the curse o 1age Dadhichi3 *n the ancient times& there used to live a king named Kshuva& who was a great riend o 1age Dadhichi. Due to some reasons both o their developed animosity towards each other. Dadhichi considered himsel superior because o being a brahmin& on the other hand Kshuva considered himsel superior on account o his wealth. ,he dispute took a worst turn and Dadhichi punched him on his head. As a result Kshuva elt down unconscious. Chen he regained his consciousness he attained sage Da dhichi with his weapon named Va9ra& which in9ured Dadhichi. Dadhichi sought the help o 1hukracharya. 1hukracharya healed his wounds by his mantras. (e also taught Dadhichi the mahamrityun9ay mantra. Dadhichi then did a tremendous penance to please lord 1hiva. Lord 1hiva appeared be ore him and blessed him with three boons& they were 6) his bones& would become as hard as lightning (Va9ra)& ii) he would not be killed& iii) he would never be humiliated. Armed with these three boons& 1age Dadhichi again went to ight Kshuva. (e kicked him& in return Kshuva too attacked him with his weapon named Va9ra& but it did not have any e ect on Dadhichi as his bones had become as hard as lighting. King Kshuva did a tremendous penance to please lord Vishnu. Vishnu revealed to him that Dadhichi had become immortal because o the blessings o lord 1hiva& but assured him that he would certainly help him in de eating Dadhichi.
8.;.8G Battle between Vishnu N Dadhichi

Lord Vishnu then visited the hermitage o 1age Dadhichi& disguised as a brahmin. ?n being asked by Dadhichi about the purpose o his arrival& he said that he had come with a desire o a boon on his heart.
1age Dadhichi& by his yogic power came to know about the real identity o a ABrahminA. (e told that he had been caught. Lord Vishnu was ashamed. Lord Vishnu then went back to Kshuva and instructed him to go to sage Dadhichi and act as i he had accepted his superiority. PKshuva went to sage Dadhichi and did as he was instructed to do& but Dadhichi did not believe his words. +ow lord Vishnu became angry and tried to kill him by his sudarshan chakra& but he was not success ul& as the chakra& which was given to him by lord 1hiva himsel & was not willing to harm a devotee o 1hiva. PLord Vishnu then tried to kill Dadhichi by shooting volley o arrows. ,he deities too attacked with their weapon. 1age Dadhichi threw a hand ul o Kusha grass& initiated with mantras towards them& which destroyed all the weapons o the deities.P P*n the meantime lord Brahma arrived on the scene accompanies by Kshuva. (e told the deities that it was utile to ight with Dadhichi as he was invincible& due to the boon given by lord 1hiva&P P%ltimately King Kshuva begged his orgiveness or his o ence. Dahichi orgave him but cursed Vishnu including all the deities that they would be burnt to ashes by the wrath o "udra.P P,his was the reason why all the deities and lord Vishnu attended the yagya& organised by Daksha and got de eated by Veerbhadra.P
8.;.IM ,he Deities go to Lord 1hiva

,he deities a ter being de eated by Veerdbharda went to Brahmaloka and narrated everything about the destruction o DakshaAs yagya and also how his head was severed by Veerbharda. Brahma9i became very sad. ,o bring Daksha back to li e and to accomplish the still un inished yagya& he went to lord Vishnu to take his help. All the deities accompanies him. Lord Vishnu told them that it was wrong on the part o Daksha to have shown disrespect to 1hiva. ,he deities were wrong to support him. Lord Vishnu then went to Kailash mountain& accompanied by Lord Brahma and all the other deities. All o them eulogi:ed and worshipped 1hiva. ,hey also reHuested him to bring Daksha back to li e.
8.;.I6 Daksha becomes Alive

Lord 1hiva became very pleased and agreed to make Daksha alive. All o them went to Kanakhal3the place where Daksha had organised the yagya ceremony. Veerbhadra too accompanied them. Chen they reached the site& Lord 1hiva could not hold his laughter a ter seeing the destruction o the site. Anyway& he 9oined the head o a goat to the torso o DakshaAs body and made him alive. (e also compensated or all the losses which had been caused by the destruction. All the deities became very pleased and they eulogised 1hiva.
8.;.I; Daksha ?rgani:es Yagya once again

Becoming pleased by the invocation and eulogy o the deities& Lord 1hiva preached Daksha in the ollowing way3 P,he person who has the right knowledge (gyani) is the supreme among all human beings. An action which is per ormed in oneAs ignorance and 9ealousy does not liberate a man rom his world bondages. ? Daksha then accomplished his yagya singing the praise o lord 1hiva. (e also give lots o donation to the brahmins. ,hey everybody returned to their respective houses being ully satis ied. 1ati 3 the daughter o Daksha was reborn as Bauri3 the daughter o (imalaya and @aina. By her tremendous penance she again had lord 1hiva as her husband.
8.;.I7 Earvat Khand5 (imalya @arries @aina

+arada reHuests lord Brahma to shed light on the birth o @aina and also too she was married with (imalaya. Brahma9i 1aid3
PA ter relinHuishing her body& 1ati 3 the daughter o Daksha attained to the abode o 1hiva. *n her ne/t birth she was born to @aina 3 the wi e o (imalaya and was known as Earvati. @aina had done great service to 1ati in her previous li e considering as her own daughter. Dor this reason she was blessed and got Earvati as her daughter. Earvati did tremendous penance and got lord 1hiva as her husband.P >ontinuing with his story Brahma9i said3 P?nce (imalaya 3 the king o the mountains& decided to marry with the desire o e/panding his lineage. ,he deities came to know about his desires and so they went to the Eitras and reHuested them to give their daughter 3 @aina& so that (imalaya could marry her. ,he Eitras agreed at this proposal. ,hus @aina got married wih (imalaya. A ter the marriage ceremony the deities returned back to their respective abodes.
8.;.IF @aina gets Liberated rom the >urse

Daksha had 1i/ty daughters& A1wadhaA was one o them and was married to the Eitras. *n due course o time three daughters were born to them 3 @aina& Dhanya and Kalawati. ?nce all the three o them went to 1wetadweepa to have a darshan o lord Vishnu. "ight then& sages like 1anak& 1anadan etc arrived there. -verybody present there stood up in reverence& but @aina& Dhanya and Kalawati could not identi y who they were and hence they remained sitting. +ot only that& they did not even make any salutations to them. ,he sages became angry and cursed them to be born as humans in their ne/t birth. @aina& Dhanya and Kalawati became very a raid and reHuested to be pardoned. 1ages 1anak eeling pity on them told that @aina would become the wi e o (imalaya& in her ne/t birth and give birth to Earvati& 1imilarly Dhanya would be married to king #anak and 1ita would be born to them& similarly Kalawati would be married to Vrishbhan and "adha would be born to them. 1age 1anak also told them& that in this way all three o them would attain to the heaven.
8.;.I8 *nvocation o %a
Brahma9i told +arad that a ter getting married with @aina& (imalaya en9oyed a happy married li e or a long time. ?nce& lord Vishnu paid a visit to his place& accompanied by all the deities. (imalaya was very pleased by his arrival. A ter making salutations& he asked or the purpose o their visit. ,he deities revealed to them that very soon the incarnation o 1ati 3 Earvati is going to take birth. P,here ore& ? (imalaya$ be prepared or that glorious occasion.P 1aid the deities. (imalaya was very pleased at this news. ,he deities started invocating %ma.
8.;.II Boddess %ma >onsoles the Deities

Being pleased by the invocation made by the deities Boddess %ma assured the deities about her arrival in this world. 1he told that her incarnation would take place in the house o (imalaya and by the virtues o her tremendous penance she would get lord 1hiva as her husband. 1he also told the deities that she was satis ied by the service o @aina& done to her in the previous li e. A ter being assured the deities went back satis ied.
8.;.I< @aina and (imalya >ommence Eenance

(imalaya and @aina commenced their penance with the ob9ective o getting %ma as their daughter. @aina did a tremendous penance which lasted or twenty3seven years. Boddess uma became very pleased by her penance. 1he appeared be ore her and asked her to demand anything she wished or. @aina e/pressed her desire o having one hundred valiant sons and a daughter& who would be worshipped by the people in all the three world. Boddess %ma blessed her by saying ,athastu. @aina narrated this incident to her husband (imalaya. (e became very pleased. *n due course o time one hundred sons were born t o @aina. ?ne o the sons was @ainak who possessed supreme Hualities. Due to some reasons& *ndra had severed the wings o @ainakAs ninety3nine brothers& but by taking the re uge o ocean @ainak was able to survive the assault o *ndraAs Va9ra.
8.;.IJ Birth o Earvati

(imalaya and @aina engaged themselves in the worship o 1hiva and 1hakti& day and night. A ter some days Earvati mani ested hersel by taking birth. A ter her birth the whole mountaneous region o (imalaya became illuminated by her radiance.
8.;.IG Divine >hildhood Elays o Earvati

A ter taking her birth& Earvati gradually started growing up. Varioua names given to her like Bir9a& %ma& and #agdamba. (imalaya and @aina elt proud o their ate& which had made them the parents o an incarnation. 1eeing the childhood plays o %ma& their hearts knew no bounds. ?ne day sage +arad arrived there (imalaya reHuested him to study the palm o Earvati& as he was curious to know about her uture. A ter studying the lines o the palm& +arada predicted that Earvati was destined to be the wi e o an entity& who would be beyond the reach o all the three Hualities. (e also revealed to them& that her husband would be devoid o any laws and would be sel born3"udra. +arad told (imalaya that to have "udra as her husband& Earvati will have to accomplish great austerities and penance. +arad then went away.
8.;.<M ,he Dreams o Earvati and (imalya

Chen %ma had attained the marriagable age& @aina reHuested her husband a suitable bridegroom or her. (imalya told her that the words o +arada would never go in vain hence %ma should be asked to do penance& so that she could have "udra as her husband. But @aina was disinclined in orcing her tender daughter 3 Earvati in to such hardhsips like penance. Earvati then told @aina about her dream& in which she had seen a brahmin instructing her to do penance in order to have "udra as her husband. @aina told (imalaya about EarvatiAs dream. (imalaya then revealed to @aina about his own dream& in which he had seen lord 1hiva doing penance at Kailash mountain. (e had tried to give Earvati to him (1hiva) was unwillingly to have her service. But 1hiva ultimately changed his mind a ter being satis ied by EarvatiAs replies0 (imalaya said3 P* saw in my dream that Earvati had pleased 1hiva by her tremendous penance and ultimately both o hem got married. @aina was satis ied and waited eagerly or that auspicious moment.
8.;.<6 ,he Birth o 'Bhaum)3@ars

?nce& when the ganas o 1hiva praised the glory o mother 1ati& lord 1hiva became over9oyed 9ust like an ordinary human being. *n his 9oy& he travelled all around the three world without any clothes on his body. (e returned back to Kailash and went into meditation. Chile he was engrossed in his 1amadhi& three drops o perspiration originated rom his orehead ell down on the earth. Drom those drops mani ested a very beauti ul in ant& who was o reddish comple/ion and who had our arms. 1eeing the child lord 1hiva became concerned about his upbringing. "ight then& mother earth mani ested and lord 1hiva entrusted the 9ob o childAs upbringing. ,he child was brought up by mother earth with great love and care. ,he child was named ABhaumA as he was nurtured and brought up by ABhumiA (earth). Chen the child grew up& he went to Kashi and did a tremendous penance to please lord 1hiva Lord 1hiva became pleased with him and blessed him by granting him A@angallokaA& which was superior even to the A1hukralokaA. ,he same ABhaumaA is established in the solar system by the name o A@ars.A
8.;.<; 1hiva Arrives at (imalya

?ne day lord 1hiva accompanied by his ganas like Bhringi& +andi& etc& arrived at (imalaya& with the purpose o doing penance. Chen Earvati ather (imalaya came to know about his arrival& he went to receive him. A ter he had made his salutations to 1hiva& he was instructed by 1hiva to see that he is not disturbed while doing his penance.
(imalaya made all the necessary arrangements so that Lord 1hiva could per orm his penance without being disturbed. ?ne day (imalaya arrived at the place where lord 1hiva was doing his penance. Earvati too came along with him. (imalaya reHuested him to keep Earvati& so that she could be at his service. Lord 1hiva declined to keep her with him& earing her presence might cause hindrance in the path o his penance. +ow& (imalaya became very concerned about his daughterAs uture and wandered whether Earvati would remain unmarried.
8.;.<7 >onversation between Earvati N 1hiva

Chen Earvati saw her ather becoming worried by 1hivaAs response she decided to intervene. 1he said to lord 1hiva3 P* am AErakritiA (+ature) and you are the AEurushaA (almighty). You e/ist in the A1agunA orm (with orm) because o me. *n my absence& you will ind it impossible even to e/ist.P Lord 1hiva was impressed by her knowledge. (e allowed her to be present near her. (imalaya and Earvati became very pleased. Earvati used to come daily at the place where lord 1hiva was doing his penance. (er companions too used to come along. 1he used to engaged hersel in the worship o lord 1hiva with great devotion. ,hough lord 1hiva was very much impressed by her devotion& but he decided that he wonAt marry her until she has proved her mettle by her tremendous penance. ,he deities were tormented by a demon named. ,arakasur. ,hey went to lord Brahma to seek his help. Lord Brahma sends AKamadevaA to disturb the 1amadhi o 1hiva& so that being in luenced by him 1hiva married Earvati and ultimately kills ,arakasur. ,his attempt o Brahma was unsuccess ul. 1hiva AburntA Kamadeva with the help o his third eye. Earvati& then redoubled her e ort to attract the attention o 1hiva by engaging hersel in a tremendous penance.
8.;.<F ,he Birth o Va9rang

+arada was curious to know about ,arakasur. (e asked Brahma9i to narrate his tale. Brahma9i said3 PKashyap3the son o @arichi& had thirteen wives Diti was the eldest among them. 1he was the mother o (iranyakashipu and (iranyaksha. Both her sons were killed by lord Vishnu in his incarnations o +risimha and Varaha respectively. Diti became very sad by the death o her sons. A ter somtime she again became pregnant but the oetus was destroyed by *ndraAs weapon3 Va9ra in the womb itsel . (owever *ndra was not able to destroy the oetus completely& but was only success ul in dividing the oetus into orty3nine parts. ,hese orty3nine parts& later on became amous as A@araudganasA. Again Diti gave birth o Va9rang& who was very valiant and brave. Chen he grew up& Diti ordered him to de eat the deities. Cith his motherAs permission and blessings& Va9rang de eated the deities and held them captive. (e astened all the deities. Cith strings and himsel became the king o heaven. 1eeing the pitable state o the deities * (brahma) went to Va9rang accompanied by Kashyap and reHuested him to ree the deities. Va9rang agreed to ree them but said he did not have any aspiration o becoming the king o heaven& he only wanted to teach a lesson to *ndra. Va9rang returned the heaven to the deities. Later on the married Varan9i who had been created by me (Brahma). Chile Va9rang was o virtuous nature& Varangi was met.P
8.;.<8 Birth o ,arakasur and his Eenance

Varangi gave birth to ,arakasur3 the valiant and brave demon. During the time o his birth & the world was a ected by inauspicious events like earthHuakes& cyclones etc& (is name ,arakasur was given by Kashyap. A ter he grew up& ,arakasur went to @adhuvan to do penance. (is tremendous penance scarred the deities. Becoming pleased by his penance& lord Brahma appeared be ore him and asked him to demand anything.
,arakasur demanded two boons 3 there should be no man as power ul as him and e/cept 1hivaAs son nobody should be able to kill him. Lord Brahma blessed him by saying A,athastuA. A ter receiving the boons& ,arakasur returned back to "onitpur and was crowned as the king by 1hukracharya. (e then de eated the deities and drove them out rom the heaven. +ow it came under the rule o the demons.
8.;.<I ,arakasur "elinHuishes (eaven on the Advice o Lord Brahma

A ter being driven away rom the heaven& the deities went to lord Brahma to seek his help. ,hey asked him as to how they could get rid o this menace called ,arakasur. Brahma9i revealed to the deities that ,arakasur could be killed only by such a person& whose parents are 1hiva and Earvati. (e also advised them to make e orts& so that 1hiva agrees to marry Earvati. Lord Brahma them went to A,arakasurA who had now become the king o heaven& and tried to convince him to return it back to the deities. ,arakasur agreed to relinHuish the heaven and give it back to the deities. ,he deities went back to the heaven.
8.;.<< Kamadeva 1ent to Lord 1hiva

Lord Brahma told +arada that the deities decided to send Kamadeva to in luence lord 1hiva so that the marriage between him and Earvati is elicitated. *ndra called Kamadeva and told him that the demon king ,arakasur could be killed only by such a person who was the son o 1hiva and Earvati. *ndra instructed Kamadeva to arouse passion in lord 1hiva& so that he agrees to marry Earvati. Kamadeva& accompanied by his wi e "ati went to lord 1hiva to accomplish his mission.
8.;.<J - orts o Kamadeva

A ter reaching the place where lord 1hiva was engrossed in his meditation& Kamadeva made repeated attempts to arouse passion in the heart o lord 1hiva& but his actions were no avail. "ight then& Kamadeva saw Earvati arriving accompanied by her companions. 1he was looking divine in her beauty. #ust at that moment lord 1hiva too had come out o his meditational trance. Kamadeva thought that it was the most appropriate moment to have a go. Kamadeva struck lord 1hiva with his AKamabanaA which did have a deep impact on him. Lord 1hiva was struck by the awesome beauty o Earvati and his heart became ull o passion or her. But at the same time he was surprised at the sudden change in his behaviour. (e reali:ed that it was an act o Kamadeva.
8.;.<G Kamadeva "educes to Ashes

Lord 1hiva looked all around him. (e saw kamadeva standing towards his le t side& with a bow and arrows in his hands. +ow he was ully convinceed that it was indeed an act o Kamadeva. Kamadeva becameterri ied& he started remembering god& but be ore the deities could come at his rescue the third eye o lord 1hiva got opened and Kamadeva was reduced to ashes. Earvati got scarred a ter seeing Lord 1hiva in such a destruction anger. 1he went to her house along with her companions. "ati3 the wi e o Kamadeva wept unconsolably. ,he deities arrived and consoled her by saying that by the grace o lord 1hiva& her husband would be alive once again. A ter that the deities went near lord 1hiva and did his worship. ,hey told him that it was not the ault o Kamadeva& as he had acted in accordance with the aspirations o the deities. ,hey also told him the mystery o ,arakasurAs death. ,he deities then reHuested him to make Kamadeva alive once again. Lord 1hiva told the deities that Kamadeva would take birth as the son o Krishna and "ukmini in the era o dwapar. A demon by the name o 1hambar would throw him o in the sea. (e would kill that demon and marry "ati& who too would be living in a city near the sea.
But the deities were not satis ied. ,hey reHuested lord 1hiva to help "ati to unite with her husband. Lord 1hiva then told them that Kamadeva would become his gana& but he also warned them against revealing this act to anybody. "ati then went to the city where the demon 1hambar was e/pected to appear in the era o dwapar. ,he deities too went back to the heaven.
8.;.JM ,he Anger o 1hiva 1ubsides

Lord 1hivaAs anger did not subside a ter the death o Kamadeva and the whole world started to eel the wrath o lord 1hivaAs ury. All the living creatures became terri ied. ,hey went to lord Brahma and prayed to him& to save them rom 1hivaAs wrath. Lord Brahma went to lord 1hiva and conveyed their reHuest to him. Lord 1hiva agreed to relinHuish his anger. Lord Brahma then carried 1hivaAs A uryA to the sea and went to the sea. (e reHuested the sea to posses it until the inal annihilation. ,he sea agreed to do this. ,his way Lord 1hivaAs ury entered into the sea and all the living creatures elt a sign o relie .
8.;.J6 +arada Ereaches Earvati

Chen Earvati reached her home& she became very sad as she was unable to bear the sorrow o 1hivaAs separation. 1age +arada arrived there. (er ather (imalaya narrated the whole story to him 1age +arada then gave the ive lettered mantra 3 DO, "*,*+ S+I.*<A to her and he also instructed her to do penance. Earvati heart was illed up with new enthusiasm.
8.;.J; Earvati does Eenance

A ter taking the permission o her parents and relinHuishing all o her ornaments and royal apparels& Earvati went to the same place where Lord 1hiva himsel had done penance. ,his sacred place was situated at the (imalayas& rom where the holy Banges originated. Earvati companions too had accompanied her. Earvati commenced her penance which gradually became severer day by day. 1he did penance or three thousand years by chanting the ive lettered mantra3 O, "*,*+ S+I.*3 and per orming other kinds o austerities. Becoming impressed by her tremendous penance even the deities locked to see her. Earvati did her penance& surrounded by ire on all her sides during summer. *n rainy season she did her penance without any shelter and during winter she used to do penance by immersing hersel in neck deep water.
8.;.J7 ,he Deities go to Lord 1hiva

EarvatiAs power created such heat in the atmosphere that the whole world started to burn. All the deities N sages went to lord Brahma and told him about the e ects& EarvatiAs penance was having on all the three worlds. Lord Brahma accompanied by all o them went to Vishnu9i. ,hey visited the place where Earvati was doing her penance. ,hey reali:ed that lord 1hiva was the only remedy and hence all o them went to lord 1hiva and made salutations to him.
8.;.JF 1alutations Bives (is Approval

Lord 1hiva enHuired about the purpose o their arrival. Lord Vishnu then revealed to him that how distressed and tormented were the deities by the activities o the demon 3 ,arakasur. (e also told 1hiva that he could be killed by such a person& who is born out o the parentage o 1hiva and Earvati. Lord Vishnu then told 1hiva about EarvatiAs penance. *nitially lord 1hiva re used to comply with their reHuest but when the deities continued with their insistence& he ultimately gave his conscent. ,he deities became very pleased.
8.;.J8 Earvati)s Love or 1hiva ,ested by the 1apta3"ishis

A ter the deities went back& lord 1hiva summoned the 1aptarishis (Vashishth etc) and instructed them to test EarvatiAs love or him. ,he 1aptarishis went to Earvati and tested her resolve to marry lord 1hiva. ,hey tried to deter her by all means& but Earvati was irm in her resolve. ,hey went back to lord 1hiva and narrated the whole story.
8.;.JI Lord 1hiva ,ests Earvati

Lord 1hiva then himsel went to Earvati in the guise o a brahmin. Earvati on seeing a brahmin welcomed her with ull honour. 1hiva asked Earvati as to why was she doing penance. Earvati told him that she wanted to have 1hiva as her husband. Lord 1hiva& who was in the guise o a brahmin started cursing 1hiva to see how Earvati reacted to it. Earvati replied that inspite o her penance 1hiva did not appear& so she has decided to give up her li e in burning pyre. A ter saying like this Earvati reHuested the Brahmin to go back and she hersel entered into the burning pyre but remained unharmed Lord 1hiva was very pleased to see her irm resolve and devotion. (e again asked her as to what was the purpose behind doing such a tremendous penance.
8.;.J< Earvati)s "eply

Earvati told the brahminK who in reality was 1hiva himsel that& she wanted to have 1hiva as her husband at any cost. 1he said3 PYou say that lord 1hiva does not possess anything 3 not even wealth. (e does not put on clothes on his body. You also say that he is not it to be a bridegroom o me. But all o your utterances prove your mean intelligence.P
8.;.JJ 1hiva "eveals his ,rue *dentity

Earvati continuing with her statements said that 1hiva was the most capable deity in all the three world. P,here is no sin greater than condemning 1hiva.P 1aid Earvati. As 1hiva& who was in the guise o Brahmin was about to say something Earvati said to one o her companion3 P,his condemner should be killed& i this is not possible then we must leave this place at once.P As she was about to leave that place& lord 1hiva revealed his true identity and by holding her hand said3 PYou have been my wi e since time immemorial where are you goingLP Earvati became very pleased and her heart was illed up with e/treme 9oy. 1he reHuested him to take to her ather regarding their marriage. Lord 1hiva agreed. (e went back to Kailash mountain and narrated the whole story to his Banas 3 +andi& Bhairav etc. -veryone became very happy and awaited eagerly or the day 1hiva would marry Earvati.
8.;.JG 1hiva Demands Earvati as his >onsort

Earvati& a ter success ully accomplishing her penance came back to her home. -verybody was happy at her arrival. A ter sometime (imalaya went out to take his bath in the river Banges. @eanwhile lord 1hiva arrived in his appearance o +atara9 and started dancing in ront o EarvatiAs mother 3 @aina. 1he was so pleased by his dance that she wanted to present 9ewels to him in appreciation& but 1hiva re used to take them. (e e/pressed his desire to marry Earvati& which made @aina urious. *n the meantime& (imalaya arrived and she in ormed him what 1hiva had said. (e became angry too and ordered his attendants to drive away +atara9 (1hiva) rom that place. 1hiva then showed his divine appearance due to which (imalaya had the vision o Lord Vishnu and Earvati sitting by the side o lord 1hiva in him. (imalaya was very surprised. Lord 1hiva again demanded Earvati to be made as his consort& but (imalaya in his ignorance again re used it. +atara9 then returned back to his abode. A ter 1hiva went back& (imalaya had a eeling that perhaps it was lord 1hiva himsel & who had arrived in the appearance o +arara9. (e reali:ed what a grave blunder had been committed. Because o their guilt consciousness& both @aina and (imalaya elt the germination o devotion in their heart.
8.;.GM 1hiva)s Delusionary Eower

*ndra and the other deities became a raid when they saw both (imalaya and @aina having deep devotion towards lord 1hiva. ,hey apprehended that i (imalaya happily agrees to marry Earvati with 1hiva& then he would no longer live on the earth3 (e would attain salvation. (is departure would make the earth devoid o 9ewels and other kinds o wealth. ,o prevent this rom happening& they went to Vrihaspati and reHuested him to in luence (imalayas mind by condemning 1hiva. But Vrihaspati re used to comply. ,he deities then went to lord Brahma and made the same reHuest. Brahma re used to meet their demand. +ow the deities went to lord 1hiva and reHuested him not to marry Earvati as it would make the earth devoid o all kinds o wealth. Lord 1hiva eeling pity agreed to help them. Lord 1hiva went to (imalaya in the guise o a hermit and started cursing himsel (1hiva). @aina was deeply in luenced by the hermits word and decided not to marry Earvati with 1hiva. 1he also threatened to give up her li e along with Earvati. * Earvati was married with 1hiva against her wish.
8.;.G6 1hiva *nstructs 1apta3"ishis to >onvince @aina N (imalya

Lord 1hiva summoned the 1aptarishis and instructed them to convince @aina and (imalaya to marry Earvati with him& so that ,arakasur could be killed. (e eared that his actions would have created many misconceptions in their minds. ,he 1aptarishis went to (imalaya and tried to make him& so that ,arakasur could be killed. (e eared that his actions would have created many misconceptions in their minds. ,he 1aptarishis went to (imalaya and tried to make him understand that there was not any other way out than marrying Earvati with 1hiva. ,hey also warned both (imalaya and @aina i they did not give their conscent to marry Earvati with 1hiva& then she would be orcibly abducted by him (1hiva)& causing death and destruction to their whole clan. ,he 1aptarishis then narrated the ollowing story3
8.;.G; Anaranya& ,he King

,here was a king named Anaranya& who belonged to the lineage o ourteenth @anu3*ndrasavarni. (e was a great devotee o lord 1hiva. (e had ive Hueens rom whom one hundred sons and a very beauti ul daughter named Eadma were born. Chen Eadma grew up& the king started looking or a suitable match. ?ne day while Eadma was taking her bath in the Bhadra river& sage Eippalada arrived there. (e became enchanted by EadmaAs beauty. A ter gathering in ormations about her rom the people& he went to king Anaranya and e/pressed his wish to marry Eadma. (e threatened him o dire conseHuences i she was not married to her. Anaranya became rightened and gave his daughter to him. 1age pippalada happily went away accompanied by Eadma. But both the king and the Hueen went to the orest because o the sorrow o giving their young daughter to an old sage. ,he Hueen died because o her grie . ,he king& because o his deep devotion towards 1hiva attained to the abode o 1hiva.
8.;.G7 Eadma and Eippalad

?n the reHuest o (imalayas& 1age Vashishth who was one o the 1aptarishis narrated the story o Eadma the princess and sage Eippalad3 PAt the time o his marriage sage Eippalad was old and weak& but still Eadma devotely per ormed the duties o a aith ul wi e. ,o test her aith ulness towards her husband& Dharmara9 arrived at the bank o that river where Eadma was taking her bath. (e was in the guise o a young and handsome prince. (e coa/ed Eadma to leave behind her Aold husbandA and come along with him. Eadma became urious and cursed him. Dharmara9 became very pleased and revealed his true identity. (e also asked as to how the e ects o her curse could be nulli ied.
Eadma told her that his sins would result in having our legs during the era o 1atya& but they reduced to three during the era o treta& which would again reduced to two legs during the era o Dwapar and ultimately he would have only one leg during the era o Kali. Eadma also told her that even his single leg would disappear during the ending phase o Kali. P,his would apropriately act as an atonement or your sins.P 3 said Eadma. Dharmara9 blessed her by saying that she would have ten sons and also that her husband would possess youth and long li e or eternity. A ter listening to this story. (imalaya agreed to marry Earvati with 1hiva. ,he 1aptarishis then went back to lord 1hiva and gave the good news to him.
8.;.GF (imalya 1ends Lagna3Eatrika

(imalaya then reHuested sage Barga to prepare a beauti ul Lagna3Eatrikas which were then sent to his near and dear ones. (e then reHuested Vishwakarma to construct a beauti ul AmandapA or the marriage& which was constructed by him in a very short time.
8.;.G8 Lord 1hiva *nvites the Deities

Lord 1hiva invited all o his Banas to the marriage ceremony. (e also instructed sage +arada to intimate all the deities& sages and the celestial entities. A ter getting the invitation rom 1hiva everybody started making preparations to be a part o 1hivaAs marriage3 procession. ,he seven mothers3 Brahmi& @aheshwari& Kaumari& Vaishnavi& Varahi& Aindri and >hamunda dressed him up beauti ully 1hiva then per ormed all the necessary Karmas to paci y the planet. At last this wonder ul marriage3procession o 1hiva proceeded towards the in3laws house.
8.;.GI Lord 1hiva)s @arriage Erocession

1hiva proceeded with his marriage procession which considered o crores o his ABanasA and deities like Vishnu who were boarded on their vehicles. -ven +arad and Lord Brahma were present in his (1hivaAs) marriage procession. Dirst o all& 1hiva sent +arada to (imalayaAs house to in orm him about their (marriage procession) arrival. (imalaya sent his son3@ainak to receive them.
8.;.G< 1hiva Divine Elays

Chen @aina saw that the marriage procession was coming she curiously told +arad about her desire to see her son in law. 1hiva understood the arrongance which her desire contained. (e wanted to teach her a lesson. (e sent all the deities one by one. @aina mistook each one o them to be 1hiva& but was later in ormed by +arada that in act they were not 1hiva but the attendants o 1hiva. @aina was very delighted and wondered how handsome the master (1hiva) must be& i the attendants were so handsome. "ight then 1hiva arrived with his Banas 3 (is body coated with ashes on it. (is Banas too were looking erocious. @aina could not bear this horrible sight and lost her consciousness.
8.;.GJ @aina)s Cail

,he maid servants arrived instantaneously and helped @aina to regain her consciousness. 1he started crying and cursing everybody. 1he thought was responsible or her daughterAs marriage with 1hiva. +obody was spared3 +arad& the 1aptarishis and even her own sons. 1he even admonished Earvati by saying. PDid you do severe penance to get such a horrible husband like this (1hiva)LP Lord Brahma and +arad tried to console and convince her& but it was o no avail. Chen (imalaya tried to intervene& he was soundly rebuked. @aina threatened him that i this marriage took place then it would be the last day o her li e.
At last lord Vishnu arrived and tried to paci y her anger by saying that her anger was baseless as she had not seen the real appearance o 1hiva& which bestows benediction. Lord Vishnu and +arad then eulogised 1hiva who on being pleased showed his most enchanting beauty. @aina now became ully satis ied. (imalaya too elt proud o her daughterAs good ortune. At last 1hiva entered the @andap (canopy) where marriage ceremony was going to be organised. (e saw Earvati sitting there. Both o them were very delighted to see each other.
8.;.GG (imalya Bestows Earvati to 1hiva

A ter the marriage ceremony was over& 1age Barg helped (imalaya in per orming the rite o Kanyadan& amidst the chantings o vedic mantras. ,he womenAs were singing auspicious songs. (imalaya presented large Huantities o dowry to 1hiva. EarvatiAs companions were engaged with 1hiva in 9ocular and humorous conversation.
8.;.6MM
1hiva Brings Back Kamadeva Alive
"ati3 the wi e o Kamadeva& seeing the moment opportune& arrived and reHuested 1hiva to bring back her dead husband back to li e. (er wailings made the other goddesses very sympathetic towards her. ,hey too reHuested 1hiva to make her dead husband back to li e. Deeling pity on her condition. 1hiva brought back Kamadeva back to li e rom the ashes which "ati had given to him. ?n seeing her husband alive& "atiAs heart was illed up with e/treme 9oy. Both o them eulogised lord 1hiva and e/pressed their gratitude. A ter the marriage ceremony was over the marriage3processionist sought the permission o (imalaya to make a move& but he reHuested them to remain there or some more days.
8.;.6M6
1hiva)s Departure
1hiva remained at his in3laws house or many days. ?ne day he sought the permission o (imalaya to go back. -verybody became sad at the prospect o 1hivaAs departure. -specially @aina who was very saddened by this news. At last it was time or 1hiva to depart or Kailash& accompanied by Earvati. Lord 1hiva and Earvati were bliss ully en9oying their martial status& unaware o the eagerness with which the deities were awaiting the arrival o their progeny. ,arakasur 3 the demon continued tormenting the deities. Chen their miseries became unbearable they went to lord Brahma to seek their help. All o them then went to lord Vishnu. ,hey told him that even a ter passing o such a long duration o time& Earvati and 1hiva had not yet become parents. ,hey reHuested lord Vishnu to remind 1hiva about the purpose behind his marriage. *nitially lord Vishnu showed his disinclination to disturb 1hivaAs martial bliss& but when the deities insisted he went to 1hiva accompanied by all o them. All o them eulogised 1hiva and Earvati. ,he deities then reHuested 1hiva to make his contribution in the destruction o ,arakasur. 1hiva understood everything. 1ome drops o his semen ell down on the ground. ?ne being insisted by the deities. Agni trans ormed his appeared in the orm o a pigeon and pecked up those drops o semen. "ight then Earvati arrived there and became e/tremely urious on seeing the semen going waste. 1he cursed the deities that their respective wives would remain issue less as the conseHuences o their mindless acts. Agni was having in lammation in his stomach because o the 1hivaAs semen. Lord 1hiva advised him to trans er it into the womb o any noble woman. Agni ollowed the instruction and in9ected the semen into the body o si/ women through the pores o the hair on their body. ,hose women could not bear the e/treme luster o the 1hivaAs semen. ,hey went to (imachal and evacuated it. -ven (imachal could not bear its e/treme e ulgence and immersed it into the lowing Banga. "iver Banga carried it with her current and established it amidst bushes o reed (1arkanda). *nstantaneously a beauti ul child mani ested rom it. (is birth made all the deities e/tremely 9oyous including 1hiva and Earvati. *t was the si/th day (bright hal o the lunar month) o the hindu month o @argashirsha. (e was Kartikeya.
8.;.6M;
Kartikeya
1age Vishwamitra arrived at the spot where the child had mani ested. ?n the repeated insistence o the child& Vishwamitra per ormed his puri ication rites and named him ABuhaA. ,he divine child blessed Vishwamitra and bestowed divine knowledge to him. (e also blessed him to become amous as ABrahmarshiA. Agnideva arrived there and gave a divine weapon named A1haktiA to that child. Buha went to the Kroncha mountain and banged his weapon on it. ,he mountain could not bear the e ect o the blow and started crumbling down. *nnumerable demons living on that mountain came to kill him. But the child killed all o them by his weapon. Chen *ndra heard about his bravery& he came along with other deities to ight him *ndra assaulted Buha with his Va9ra on the right side o his body& which resulted into the mani estation o a very power ul entity named A1hakhA. *ndra again assaulted him on the le t side o his body& rom which mani ested an e/tremely power ul entity named AVishakhA. *ndra assaulted Buha or the third time3 this time his chest was the target. Drom this third blow o *ndra mani ested A+aigamA. Buha accompanied by all the three power ul entities3 1hakh& Vishakh and +aigam attacked *ndra and his army& but they led away. 1i/ goddesses arrived on the scene. All o them tried to eed that small child out o a ection. ,hey started Huarelling among themselves. "ight then they were surprised to see the child appearing with si/ head. +ow their problems were solved. -ach o the goddesses ed their breast milk to the child. ,hey took Buha with them and brought him up with great love and care. Buha later on became amous as Kartikeya.
8.;.6M7
1earch or Kartikeya
?ne day& Earvati curiously asked 1hiva about his semen which had allen on the ground. Lord 1hiva summoned the deities and asked them about it. ,he deities narrated the whole story. Both 1hiva and Earvati were very pleased to know about Kartikeya. Lord 1hiva then ordered his Banas to bring Kartikeya rom the possession o Kritika. ,he Banas reached Badrikasharam where Kritika lived. Chen Kritika saw the Banas she became very rightened but Kartikeya gave him solace. ,he Banas reHuested Kartikeya to come along with him. Kartikeya happily took permission rom his mothers and proceeded to meet 1hiva and Earvati.
8.;.6MF
Kartikeya)s >oronation
At the time or KartikeyaAs departure& the mothers had become very emotional. Kartikeya consoled them. (e then boarded the beauti ul chariot which had been sent by Earvati and proceeded towards Kailash mountain. All the deities including 1hiva were eagerly awaiting his arrival. Chen Kartikeya reached Kailash mountain& he was given a royal reception. ,he whole atmosphere was illed up with 9oy. -verybody was celebrating. -ach o the deities presented him their respective weapons to him. Lord 1hiva coronated him as the king with the help o the brahmin. ,his way he had now become the lord o Kailashpuri.
8.;.6M8
Kartikeya)s Ama:ing >haracter
Kartikeya narrated a story connected with himsel 53 P?ne day a brahmin& whose name was +arad came to me and reHuested me to help him ind his he3goat which had got lost. (e told me that the goat was supposed to be o ered as the sacri ice. P* the goat was not ound& my vow would remain un ul illed.P 1aid +arad * went in search o that goat. * ound it in the Vishnuloka where it was creating nuisance . Chen the goat saw me& it tried to attack me with its sharp horns. * climbed on its back. A ter travelling through all the three worlds& the goat returned back to his original place. * climbed down rom its back.
+arada arrived and demanded his goat. * told him that his Yagya had been accomplished by my blessings and there was no need to sacri ice the poor goat. +arada 3 the brahmin went back satis ied.
8.;.6MI
,he Battle
,he deities were very encouraged by the presence o Kartikeya amidst themselves. ,hey were beaming with con idence and enthusiasm. ,he deities assembled at the seashore. ,arakasur arrived their with his huge army. ,he battle began. ,arakasur appeared to be invincible. (is blow was so severe that *ndra ell down unconscious. All the ALokpalasA met the same ate. A ter that ,arakasur ought with Veerbharda and made him unconscious. -ven Lord Vishnu could not sustain or long and was ultimately de eated. Lord Brahma reHuested Kartikeya to ight with ,arakasur as nobody e/cept him would be able to kill him.
8.;.6M<
Killing o ,arakasur
?n being instructed by lord Brahma Kartikeya came orward to ight with ,arakasur. ,arakasur ridiculed the deities or taking the shield o a small child. P* he gets killed by me& the responsibility should lie on you.P ,hundered ,arakasur. A ierce battle started between both o them in which both o them got in9ured. At last seeing an opportune moment& Kartikeya hit ,arakasur on his chest with his weapon3 1hakti. ,he blow proved to be atal and as a result ,arakasur died. Kartikeya eat was hailed by all the deities. A ter killing ,arakasur& Kartikeya went to mother Earvati& who a ectionately took him into her lap. (e was eulogi:ed by all the deities.
8.;.6MJ
Killings o Eralamb N Banasur
,he mountain 3 Kraunch& who was tormented by the activities o the demon named Banasur& went to Kartikeya and narrated his woe ul tales. Kartikeya threw his weapon 3 1hakti in the direction which Banasur lived. ,he weapon banged right on target and returned back to him. Bamnasur was burnt to ashes. Kraunch went back being very pleased. ,he mountain 3 Kraunch established three 1hivalingas to please lord 1hiva. ,he names o these three 1hivalingas were 3 Kumareshwar& Eratigyeshwar and Kapaleshwar. ?nce upon a time& the deities were trying to reach the abode o Lord 1hiva3 Kailash mountain. ,heir preceptor Vrihaspati was walking ahead o all o them. @eanwhile a demon by the name o Eralamb started creating turbulence. A ter being tormented by his activities& Kumud 3 son o 1heshnag took KartikeyaAs re uge. Kartikeya killed the demon with his divine weapon 3 1hakti.
8.;.6MG
Banesh
?nce +arada had a desire to listen to the tales o Banesha. Brahma9i replied3 P,here were various Baneshas in di erent Kalpas. During the period o A1hweta3KalpA& Banesha was born to 1hiva and Earvati& when they went to Kailash mountain shortly a ter their marriage. P?nce while going to take her bath& Earvati instructed +andi& to stand guard at the entrance and not to allow anybody to enter the premise without her permission. Lord 1hiva arrived there by chance. Despite o +andiAs re usal to allow him& in he went inside. Earvati did not like this. ?ne day it happened so that ?nce again& Earvati wanted to take her bath. 1he made an idol rom the dirt o her body. 1he made the idol alive and instructed him not to allow anybody without her permission. 1he also gave him a stick or his protection. *ncidentally lord 1hiva arrived once again. (e tried to enter inside but Banesha re used to let him go inside. But when 1hiva tried to go inside orcibly& Banesha hit him with his stick. Lord 1hiva became urious and ordered his ganas to kill him.
8.;.66M
Banesha De eats ,he 1hivaganas N ,he Deities
,he ganas o 1hiva attacked Banesha but all o them were no match or him. A ter being de eated by Banesha& the 1hivaganas went to 1hiva and narrated everything. Chile the 1hivaganas were narrating their stories& Lord Brahma& Lord Vishnu and some other deities arrived there. Lord Brahma then went to Banesha to convince him& but as soon as Banesha saw him he tried to attack lord Brahma. Brahma9i came back without achieving anything. A ter this lord 1hiva himsel came to ight Banesha.
8.;.666
1hiva 1everes Banesh)s (ead
A ierce battle was ought between 1hiva and Banesha. Chen Lord 1hiva reali:ed that Banesha was dominating the ight& he severed his head with his trishul.
8.;.66;
Banesh Becomes Alive
Earvati became e/tremely urious at the death o Banesha. (er anger resulted into the mani estation o innumerable goddesses& who started creating havoc on the deities. ,he deities became rightened and they were orced to take the re uge o Earvati. ,hey eulogi:ed her and reHuested to be pardoned. Earvati told them that they could be saved only when Banesha becomes alive and becomes worshippable 9ust like thee (Deities). ,he deities went to lord 1hiva and reHuested him to make Banesha alive once again. Lord 1hiva instructed them to go in the northern direction and bring the head o any creature they might ind and 9oin it with the trunk o Banesha. ,he deities ollowed the instruction and went in the northern direction. ,hey ound an elephant which had only one tusk. ,hey severed the elephantAs head and 9oined it with the trunk o Banesha. By the blessings o 1hiva& Banesha became alive once again. ,he deities worshipped Banesha and returned back to their respective abodes.
8.;.667
Banesha)s @arriage
Both Kartikeya and Banesha grew up to become handsome youths in due course o time. 1hiva and Earvati started to think about their marriage. Chen Banesha and Kartikeya came to know about the plan o their marriage both o them started Huarreling among themselves as to who should get married irst. Lord 1hiva and Earvati devised a plan to sort out this problem. ,hey told them that whoever between them return a ter circumambulating the earth& will get married irst o all. Kartikeya and Banesha agreed. Kartikeya proceeded on his 9ourney to circumambulate the earth. Banesha was very intelligent. (e reHuested his parents 3 Lord 1hiva and EarvatiK to sit at a place together and circumambulated them or seven times and said3 PAccording to Veda& >ircumambulating oneAs parents give virtues eHuivalent to that o circumambulating the whole earth. 1o now you must get me married irst.P Lord 1hiva and Earvati were very impressed by his intelligence. ,hey decided to get him married with 1iddhi and "iddhi3the daughter o Vishwaroop Era9apati. *n due course o time two sons were born to them Kshem and Labh. Chile Kartikeya was returning a ter circumambulating the whole earth& he met sage +arad on the way. (e told Kartikeya about BaneshaAs marriage. Kartikeya became very sad and elt like having been cheated by their parents. Chen Kartikeya reached Kailash mountain he made salutations to lord 1hiva and Earvati and without saying anything& went to Kraunch mountain to do his penance. Earvati was very sad. 1he went to Kraunch mountain to meet Kartikeya accompanied by 1hiva. Chen Kartikeya saw them coming he moved to another place. Lord 1hiva and Earvati ollowed him and ultimately met him. Both these places have religious signi icance. (aving a darshan o Kartikeya on the ull moon day o Kritika nakashatra is considered to bestows immense auspicious and destroyes all the sins o a man.
8.;.66F
Yudh3Khand5 ,ripurasur3 ,he ,hree Demon
+arada reHuested lord Brahma to narrate how lord 1hiva annihilated the demons. Lord Brahma narrated the tale o ,ripurasur. PA ter the killing o ,arakasur& three o his sons started doing their penance. ,he eldest among them was ,arkasha& younger to him was Viddyunmali and Kamalaksha was the youngest. * (Brahma) became very pleased by their tremendous penance.P P,hey reHuested me to create three invincible orts or them& which should be ull o all kinds o wealth and splendour and which nobody could be able to break.P PA golden ort was constructed or ,arakshaK or Kamlaksha a ort o silver was constructed and or Viddyunmali iron3 ort was constructed. * had ordered the demon named @aya to construct these orts. ?ne o these orts was constructed in the sky& the other was constructed on the earth and the third was constructed in the nether world.P PA ter constructing the orts or them @aya took the responsibility o protecting them. * (Brahma) warned the three demons that they would be killed by lord 1hiva. A ter this * came back.P
8.;.668
,he Deities -ulogi:e 1hiva N Vishnu
,he three demon3brothers started tormenting the deities. ,he deities went to lord Brahma and narrated about their miseries. Lord Brahma instructed them to seek the help o 1hiva. ,hey went to lord 1hiva and e/plained about their woes. ,hey also reHuested 1hiva to eliminate those three demons. Lord 1hiva instructed them to go to lord Vishnu and said3 P,he ,ripurasurs are very virtuous so they could not be killed. You all must go to lord Vishnu and try to seek his help.P ,he deities then went to lord Vishnu and made the same reHuest. Lord Vishnu per ormed an oblation. ,housands o armed spirit appeared rom the yagya3kunda. Lord Vishnu sent these spirits to kill the three demon3brothers. But these spirits were no match or the ,ripurasurs might and they had to run or their lives. ,hey came to lord Vishnu and narrated the whole story. Lord Vishnu became very worried. (e sent back all the deities and started thinking about the means& ,ripurasurs could be killed.
8.;.66I
-mergence o Atheism
Lord Vishnu came to the conclusion that the ,ripurasurs could not be killed till they remain Virtuous and religious. (e then created an illusionary entity rom his body who had no hairs on his head. (e had worn dirty clothes and a bag was hanging down his shoulder. (e also had a broom in his head. ,he entity asked lord Vishnu about the purpose o his e/istence and his name. Lord Vishnu told him that his name was Arihan. (e also instructed him to create a scripture which stresses upon the importance o action (KarmavadM and which is di erent rom the rituals e/plained in the Vedas. Lord Vishnu speci ically instructed him to keep the language o that scripture as simple and degenerated as possible. Lord Vishnu then preached Arihan on the science o illusion which stressed that the heaven or the hell does not e/ist anywhere else& but on this earth itsel . Lord Vishnu instructed Arihan to get ,ripurasurs initiated into with this philosophy so that the demon3brothers become irreligious. Vishnu ordered Arihan to make his residence in a desert with his disciples. PYou should propagate your philosophy when Kaliyuga arrivesP 3 said Lord Vishnu. A ter giving his instruction lord Vishnu disappeared. Arihan then created our illusionary entities rom his bein who were supposed to act as his ollowers. ,heir names were "ishi& Yati& Keerya and %padhyay. +ow the time had arrived to enter the orts o ,ripurasurs. All o them entered the orts and in a gradual manner started increasing their in luence. As a result the ,ripurasurs became irreligious. +ot only that their sub9ects too became irreligious in a very short time.
8.;.66<
,he Deities -ulogi:e Lord 1hiva
Chen the deities saw that the ,ripurasurs had become irreligious completely& they went to lord 1hiva and reHuested him to kill ,ripurasurs. "ight then mother Earvati arrived there accompanied by Kartik and Banesha. 1he reHuested 1hiva to come along with her into the palace. All the deities ollowed them and kept on reHuesting. ,he deities were angry that Earvati had caused obstacles in the ul illment o their ob9ective. ,hey could not conceal their anger and e/pressed it. ?ne o the ganas o 1hiva& whose name was Kumbhodar angrily attacked the deities. All o them got in9ured and went to lord Vishnu. Lord Vishnu advised them to chant the ive lettered mantra 3 O, "*,*+ S+I.*3 or one crore times. ,he deities ollowed the instruction. Lord 1hiva became pleased and appeared be ore them. (e assured the deities that their wishes would be ul illed.
8.;.66J
Killings o ,ripurasurs
Chen 1hiva agreed to kill the demon 3 brothers ,ripurasur the deities became e/tremely 9oyous. ,hey gave their respective weapons to 1hiva& so that he did not have any di iculty in killing the demons. Vishwakarma gave his beauti ul chariot to him. Lord 1hiva proceeded towards the orts o ,ripurasur ollowed by a huge army o the deities. (is army entered the orts o his bow but he was not able to release it. (e remained in this position or one thousand years but still he was not success ul in releasing his arrow. Lord 1hiva then worshipped Banesha and heard a heavenly voice instructing him to use his weapon 3 Eashupat. Lord 1hiva released it in the direction o the orts o ,ripurasur. All the three orts were destroyed by the assault o Eashupat and it created havoc among the demons. 1eeing death and destruction all around them 3 ,ripurasurs prayed to lord 1hiva to have mercy on them. Lord 1hiva assured them that a ter their death they would be born as his ganas. At last ,ripurasurs were burnt to death. @aya was the only demon who survived. A ter their death the ,ripurasurs were privileged to be reborn as the ganas o 1hiva.
8.;.66G
,he Deities "eceive a Boon rom 1hiva
A ter the killings o three demons3 ,ripurasur& lord 1hivaAs anger had still not subdivided. ,he anger was paci ied only a ter the deities and the sages prayed to him. (e blessed the deities by saying that he would always be present on their side to protect them. @aya 3 Cho had survived the 1hivaAs attack& arrived there and he too was blessed by lord 1hiva. A ter that Arihan arrived with his ollowers and worshipped 1hiva. Lord 1hiva blessed him and his ollowers. A ter taking permission rom lord Vishnu& Arihan proceeded towards a desert region accompanied by his ollowers. A ter receiving the boon the deities too received to their respective abode.
8.;.6;M
Lord 1hiva 1pares ,he Li e o *ndra
1ut9i narrates the ollowing story to the sages3 P?nce upon a time& *ndra was going towards Kailash mountain to have a AdarshanA o lord 1hiva. 1age Vrihaspati was accompanying him. Lord 1hiva came to know about his arrival. (e wanted to test his devotion towards him. Chile both *ndra and Vrihaspati were still on their way. Lord 1hiva met them on their in the guise o a hermit. *ndra did not recogni:e 1hiva& who was sitting on the way disguised as a hermit. *ndra inHuired as to who he was and where he live. Lord 1hiva sat Huietly without saying a word. *ndra repeatedly asked the same Huestion& but each time 1hiva remained Huiet. *ndra became urious and tried to attack lord 1hiva with his Va9ra. Lord 1hiva paraly:ed the raised hands o *ndra by his divine power. 1hivaAs eyes had reddened due to anger which made *ndra very rightened sage Vrihaspati was able to recogni:e the real identity o the hermit as to who he was. (e made salutations to lord 1hiva and reHuested him to pardon *ndra. Lord 1hiva became pleased and diverted the power o his radiant eyes to the ocean. ,his way *ndraAs li e was spared by 1hiva. Lord 1hiva then returned to Kailash mountain. *ndra and 1age Vrihaspati to Kailash mountain. *ndra and sage Vrihaspati too returned to their respective abodes.
8.;.6;6
@ani estation o #aladhar
,he e ulgence& which had been divided by lord 1hiva into the ?cean resulted into the mani estation o a small child. ,his incident happened at the place where river Banges submerged into the ocean and which is also known as Bangasagar now a days. ,he child was crying so erociously that an environment o ear was created everywhere. ,he deities and the sages went to lord Brahma to satis y their curiously. Lord Brahma assured then to ind out the reason. (e went to the seashore. ,he sea put the child in his lap and enHuired about the name o that child and also about his uture. @eanwhile the child pressed lord BrahmaAs neck with such power that tears rolled down rom his eyes. Dor this reason he named the child as #alandhar. Lord Brahma told the sea that the child will become the mighty ruler o the demons. +o deity would be able to kill him e/cept 1hiva. ,he sea was very pleased by lord BrahmaAs predictions. A ter Lord Brahma returned to his abode& the sea brought that child to his home and brought up that child with great love and care. Chen #alandhar grew up he married Vrinda& who was the daughter o Kalnemi. Later on he became the ruler o the demons.
8.;.6;;
Battle Between #alandhar N ,he Deities
?ne day 1age Bhrigu came to meet #alandhar. A ter receiving him with due respect #alandhar asked him as to who severed the head o "ahu. 1age Bhrigu then told him about (iranyakashipu who was the maternal uncle o "ahu. 1age Bhrigu also told him about Virochana 3 the son o the e/tremely charitable king Bali. ,hen sage Bhrigu narrated the tale connected with the churning o ocean and how ambrosia emerged rom the churning o the ocean. 1age Bhrigu told #alandhar how "ahuAs head was severed by lord Vishnu& while he was sitting among the deities and at the time when ambrosia was being distributed to all the deities. #alandhar became very urious a ter hearing this story. (e summoned one o his messengers whose name was Bhasmar and instructed him to go and ask *ndra& as to why had he misappropriated all the wealth o his ather (1ea) which emerged during the churning o 1ea. (e also instructed Bhasmar to warn *ndra about the dire conseHuences unless he takes his (*ndraAs) re uge. But *ndra sent back Bhasmar without any speci ic assurance. ,his action o *ndra made #alandhar more angry than be ore. (e collected his army and attacked *ndra. A ierce battle was ought between his army and the army o the deities. @any warriors got killed rom both the sides. 1hukracharya the guru o the deities brought back the dead warriors rom the demon side back to li e by his mritasan9ivani vidya. 1imilarly 1age Vrihaspati brought back the dead warriors rom the deities side back to li e with the help o medicinal herbs. Chen 1hukracharya saw that& sage Vrihaspati too was success ully making the dead deities alive& he instructed #alandhar to submerge the Drongiri mountain into the sea& so that it becomes impossible or Vrihaspati to get the medicinal herbs by the help o which he made the dead deities alive. #alandhar obeyed the command o 1hukracharya and by li ting the Drongiri mountain submerged it into the sea. ,he deities became demorali:ed and led rom the battle ield #alandhar captured *ndrapuri.
8.;.6;7
Battle Between Lord Vishnu N #alandhar
,he terri ied deities took the re uge o lord Vishnu and sought his help. Lord Vishnu gave a patient hearing and agreed to help them& but there was a hitch. (is consort goddess La/mi considered #alandhar as her brother because both o them originated rom the sea. 1he instructed Lord Vishnu against killing #alandhar. Lord Vishnu promised to her that he wonAt kill #alandhar. A ter giving his word to goddess La/mi& he went to ight a battle with #alandhar.
A ierce battle was ought between both o them which remained indecisive till the end. Lord Vishnu became very much impressed by the valiance o #alandhar and asked him to demand any boon he liked. #alandhar reHuested him to make his dwelling in the Ksheersagar3the abode o #alandhar& alongwith his sister (La/mi). Lord Vishnu agreed to ul ill his wish and started living in the Ksheersagar along with his consort La/mi. Being unde eated by Lord Vishnu himsel & #alandhar became the ruler o all the three world. All his sub9ects were satis ied by his 9ust and virtuous rule& e/cept the deities. ,he deities now eulogi:ed lord 1hiva to seek his help in de eating #alandhar.
8.;.6;F
+arad)s 1tratagem
According to the wish o lord 1hiva& 1age +arad came to meet the deities. ,he deities narrated their woe ul tales to him. Deeling pity on their condition& he went accorded a grand reception by #alandhar which pleased him very much. +arad praised the splendours and prosperity o #alandhar but added that it was nothing in comparison to 1hivaAs splendours +arad told him that inspite o all his authority and splendours& his prosperity was still incomplete& as he did not have a consort. #alandhar asked curiously as to where could he ind his consort. According to his strategy& +arada advised #alandhar to make Earvati as his consort #alandhar ell into +aradAs trap. (e sent A"ahuA to lord 1hiva with a proposal to part with Earvati. "ahu went to lord 1hiva and demanded Earvati& which made lord 1hiva e/tremely urious. (is anger resulted into the mani estation o a erocious creature& which ran towards A"ahuA to devour him. "ahu had no option but to take the re uge o Lord 1hiva. Lord 1hiva protected the li e o A"ahuA. ,he hungry creature& asked 1hiva as to what should he eat to satis y his hunger. Lord 1hiva instructed him to devour his own limbs. ,he creative ollowed his instructions and devoured his limbs. Lord 1hiva was very pleased by his sense o obedience. (e named that creature o his palace. (e also blessed him saying that he too would be worshipped along with him (1hiva).
8.;.6;8
Battle Between Lord 1hiva N #alandhar
"ahu went back to #alandhar and narrated the whole story to him. #alandhar then attacked Kailash mountain with his huge army. A ierce battle was ought between the 1hiva3ganas and the demons. Chen #alandhar reali:ed that lord 1hiva had begun to dominate the battle he created beauti ul AApsarasA and ABandharvasA by his illusionary powers to divert the attention o lord 1hiva and his ganas. (e was success ul in his attempt. Lord 1hiva and his ganas became enchanted by the heavenly beauty o the apsaras. ,hey stopped ighting and started watching their dance and music. @eanwhile #alandhar went to Earvati in the guise o lord 1hiva but was recogni:ed by her. Being enchanted by the beauty o goddess Earvati& he looked at her with his evil intentions& but was immobili:ed by her wrath. @other Earvati then went to lord Vishnu and narrated the whole story. 1he wanted to teach #alandhar a lesson. 1he reHuested lord Vishnu to go to #alandharAs wi e in the guise o #alandhar and act in the same way. #alandhar had dared to do.
8.;.6;I
Vrinda Bets Dishonored
Cith the help o his divine powers& Lord Vishnu created many inauspicious dreams while Vrinda was asleep. Vrinda became very restless and when the an/ieties become unbearable she proceeded towards the orest. Vrinda saw a hermit in the orest who was preaching his disciples. ,he hermit was none other than lord Vishnu. 1he went to that hermit and prayed to save her husbandAs li e. Lord Vishnu disappeared rom the scene and reappeared 3 this time in the guise o #alandhar. But Vrinda was unable to recogni:e the real identity o her husband. 1he was very pleased a ter inding her husband. Both o them stayed in that very orest as husband and wi e or a very long time.
?ne day& came to know about the real identity o the person& who was impersonating as her husband. "eali:ing that her chastity has been breached& she cursed lord Vishnu by saying that 9ust as he had played a deceit ul trick with her in the same way somebody would deceit ully abduct his wi e and he too would wander in her search. A ter cursing lord Vishnu& Vrinda embraced death by entering into the ire.
8.;.6;<
Killing o #alandhar
?n the other side& a ter the departure o Earvati rom Kailash @ountain and a ter the illusionary powers created by #alandhar had ended all the apsaras and gandharvas vanished. 1hiva reali:ed that whatever he was watching& was nothing more than illusion. Lord 1hiva recommenced his battle. ,he demons31humbh and +ishumbh& came orward to ight with him& but ultimately they had to lee rom the battle ield. Lord 1hiva warned both o them that though they had escaped death at that moment& but they would be killed by Earvati. +ow #alandhar again arrived to ight with lord 1hiva. A ierce battle commenced between them. Dinding an opportune time& 1hiva severed the head o #alandhar by his A>hakraA which had been created rom his toe. A ter his death& #alandharAs soul united with 1hiva.
8.;.6;J
,he Deities -/press Bratitude
Chen the deities came to know about the killing o #alandhar& they became over9oyed. ,hey came to Lord 1hiva and eulogi:ed him. ,hy also hailed his great achievement. A ter e/pressing their gratitude they returned to their respective abodes.
8.;.6;G
@ani estation o Amla (@yrobalan)& ,ulsi (UBasil) and @alti
Lord Vishnu was very much saddened by the death o Vrinda. (e took the ashes rom the pyre and a ter applying them on his body started wondering here and there. ,he deities became very worried to see the condition o lord Vishnu. ,hey went to lord 1hiva and reHuested him to eliminate the alse attachment with which 1ri Vishnu was su ering. Lord 1hiva sent the deities to goddess Earvati& saying that she would ceratainly help in this regard. ,he deities went to goddess Earvati and prayed to her. 1he became very pleased and with the assistance o La/mi and 1araswati& gave some seeds to then. ,he deities sprayed those seeds on the pyre& on which Vrinda had given up her li e. ,hree holy plants mani ested rom that pyre3Amla& ,ulsi and @alti. Later on ,ulsi and @alti attained to the Vishnuloka& by the virtue o their respective penance.
8.;.67M
Birth o 1hankhachuda
1ut9i narrated the tale o the birth o 1hankhachuda and how 1hiva killed him with his ,rishula. (e told the sages that 1hankhachuda was born to the demon king ADambhaA. 1hankhachuda was in act& 1udama& in his previous li e. (e was born in the amily o demons due to the curse o "adha.
8.;.676
1hankhachuda)s @arriage
Chen 1hankhachuda gre up& he went to Eushkar (A9mer& "a9asthan) and did a tremendous penance to please lord Brahma. Lord Brahma blessed him and said that he would remain invincible. (e also instructed 1hankhachuda to go to ABadrikashramA where he would ind his would be wi e ,ulsi3 the daughter o Dharmadhwa9a. 1hankhachuda went to Badrikasharam and married ,ulsi as per the instructions o lord Brahma. (e then returned back to his capital accompanied by his wi e3 ,ulsi.
8.;.67;
1hankhachuda Becomes the "uler o All ,hree Corlds
Chen 1hankhachuda reached his capital a ter marrying ,ulsi& he was crowned as the king o the demons by 1hukracharya. A ter his coronation& 1hankhachuda attacked *ndrapuri supported by his huge army and de eated the deities. *n a very short time all the three worlds were under his control.
A ter being de eated by 1hankhachuda& the deities went to lord Brahma and sought his help in eliminating the menance called 1hankhachuda. Lord Brahma then took them to lord Vishnu. All o them were taken to lord 1hiva by Vishnu9i. ,hey e/pressed their reHuest to liberate them rom the troubles created by 1hankhachuda.
8.;.677
1hiva Assures the Deities
Lord 1hiva assured the deities that he will certainly kill 1hankhachuda and hence they should not worry about him. ,he deities then happily returned to their respective abodes.
8.;.67F
>onversation Between Eushpadant N 1hankhachuda
Lord 1hiva sent his messenger named Eushpadant& to 1hankhachuda to ask him to return back the kingdom o the deities to them. 1hankhachuda re used to oblige this demand& on the contrary he e/pressed his willingness and readiness to ight lord 1hiva. Eushpadant returned back and narrated the whole story to lord 1hiva.
8.;.678
1hiva Eroceeds with his Army
Lord 1hiva was now ully convinced about the inevitability o the battle. (e irst sent all his ganas under the leadership o Kartekiye and Banesha. Later on Bhadrakali proceeded towards the battle ield with a huge army as per the own wish o lord 1hiva himsel . At last lord 1hiva proceeded towards the battle ield accompanied by the deities. All the troops collected at the bank o river >handrabhaga and rested under the shade o a Banyan tree.
8.;.67I
1hankhachuda Eroceeds with his Army
1hankhachuda handed over the kingdom to his son and went to his wi e to take her permission be ore going to the battle ield. (is wi e was reluctant to allow him to go& but he somehow managed to convince her. (e then proceeded towards the banks o >handrabhaga with a huge army.
8.;.67<
Battle Between the Deities and the Demons
A ierce battle started between the deities and the demons. Both o them attacked each other with the most destructive weapons. But when the army o >handrachuda began to dominate the ight& the deities led away and took the re uge o lord 1hiva. ,hey told 1hiva o the number o deities who had been killed while ighting.
8.;.67J
,he Battle Between 1hiva)s Damily N 1hankhachuda
A ter the de eat o the deities and the ganas Kartikeya and Banesha went to ight 1hankhachuda. A spectacular battle was ought between 1hankhachuda and both o them. Later on they were 9oined by Bhadrakali. Bhadrakali would have devoured 1hankhachuda without any problem& but she spared his li e because o the boon& given to him by Lord Brahma. +ow it was the turn o Lord 1hiva to 9oin the battle& but even he could not cause any harm to him because o lord BrahmaAs boon.
8.;.67G
1trategy -mployed to Kill 1hankhachuda
Chile a tremendous battle was being ought between lord 1hiva and 1hankhachuda. Lord Vishnu appeared and demanded the armour rom 1hankhachuda& which he had put on& his body in the guise o a brahmin. 1hankhachuda gave his armour to him without any kind o suspicion. Lord Vishnu then went to 1hankhachudaAs wi e in the guise o her husband i.e. 1hankhachuda. (e destroyed the chastity o ,ulsi 3 1hankhachudaAs wi e. 1hankhachuda derived his power rom the chastity o his wi e and it vanished the moment& her chastity was destroyed.
8.;.6FM
Lord 1hiva Kills 1hankhachuda
Bhadrakali was creating havoc in the army o 1hankhachuda. 1hankhachuda became very urious and attacked 1hiva. 1hiva repulsed his assault and attacked him with his ,rishul. 1hankhachuda who had became powerless was killed instantaneously. ,he deities were very pleased at the death o 1hankhachuda. A ter worshipping lord 1hiva they went back to their respective abodes.
8.;.6F6
,ulsi >urses Lord Vishnu
A ter being instructed by goddess Earvati& Lord Vishnu had gone to ,ulsi in the guise o her husband3 1hankhachuda& so that the breach o ,ulsi chastity could help lord 1hiva to kill 1hankhachuda& who derived his power rom ,ulsiAs chastity and virtuosity.
*nitially ,ulsi could not recogni:e lord Vishnu. 1he was e/tremely 9oyous at his arrival. But very soon she was able to reali:e the real identity o lord Vishnu& who had disguised himsel as her husband. 1he became very angry and cursed lord Vishnu to become a stone. 1he was crying unconsolably. Lord Vishnu contemplated on 1hiva as a result o which he appeared. Lord 1hiva blessed ,ulsi that she would become the beloved o Lord Vishnu. Due to ,ulsiAs curse& Lord Vishnu attained the orm o 1haligram which is a stone and because o lord 1hivaAs blessings. ,ulsi leaves started being o ered to the 1haligram& in the process o its worship.
8.;.6F;
Killing o (iranyaksha
(iranyakashipu was illed with grie when he heard the news o his brothersA death. ,o avenge (iranyakshaAs death& he started to torment the deities. Becoming homeless& the deities started wandering here and there. (iranyakashipu was still unsatis ied. (e wanted to acHuire more power and authority. (e went to the @andarachal mountain and started doing a tremendous penance to please Lord Brahma. Lord Brahma appeared be ore him and asked him demand anything he wished to be ul illed. (iranyakashipu said3 P? Lord$ Bless me so that * do neither die during the day nor during the nightK neither on the earth nor in the skyK neither by the deities nor by the demonsK neither by a human being nor by an animal. Bless me ? Lord$ ? that * do not get killed by any type o weapon.P Lord Brahma blessed (iranyakshipu and said Aso be itA. +ow& (iranyakashipu became more ruthless and arrogant. (e declared himsel the almighty Bod and ordered his sub9ects to worship him and his idol. (is son3 Erahlad was a very great devotee o lord Vishnu. (e did not pay heed to his atherAs command and continued to worship Lord Vishnu. (iranyakashipu tried to kill Erahalada many times& but each time he survived by the blessings o lord Vishnu. Chen (iranyakashipuAs atrocities crosses all its limits& the deities went to lord Vishnu and reHuested him to kill (iranyakashipu. Lord Vishnu appeared in his incarnation o +risimha (hal lion and hal man) and killed (iranyakashipu with his sharp nails& during the dusk. A ter giving his kingdom to his son 3 Erahalad Lord Vishnu went back to his abode.
8.;.6F7
Lord 1hiva ,eaches ,he 1ecrets o @rita31an9ivani Vidya to 1hukracharya
1hukracharya did a severe penance or ive thousand years to please 1hiva and acHuire the secrets o @ritasan9ivani Viddya (bringing back dead person alive) rom him. Chen Lord 1hiva did not appear even a ter such a tremendous penance& then he indulges himsel in severest orm o penance& by Huitting having ood and water. (e now started living only on air. ,his continued or thousands o year. Lord 1hiva became very pleased with his penance. (e mani ested rom the very 1hivalinga& 1hukracharya had been worshipping till now. (e taught the secrets o A@ritasan9ivaniA viddya to him and told him that by the help o this viddya he would become capable o making alive the dead persons. Lord 1hiva also blessed 1hukracharya to become a star and attain respectability among all the planets. A ter blessing 1hukracharya like this& Lord 1hiva disappeared into the same 1hivalinga rom which he had appeared.
8.;.6FF
Andhak)s 1plendors
?nce& Andhak brothers 9okingly told him that& since his real parents were somebody else (1hiva and Earvati) there ore he was not it to rule them. ,hough they had told this in good humour& yet Andhak was very much saddened by their remark. (e relinHuished his throne and went to a deserted place in the orest and started to do a severe penance. Lord Brahma became very pleased by his penance and appeared be ore him. (e asked him to demand anything he wished to be ul illed. Andhak said3 P* only long or the love and a ection o my brothers. ? Lord$ Bless me so that nobody should be able to kill one e/cept lord 1hiva.P
Lord Brahma blessed him and said3 Aso be itA. Andhak returned to his kingdom and with the co3operation o his brothers like Erahalad etc he brought even the deities under his control. But drunk with power he became very arrogant and started tormenting all the creatures. (e did not show any respect to the Vedas& brahmin and the deities.
8.;.6F8
Battle Between Lord 1hiva and Andhak
Andhak had become so arrogant that once& he even dared to dishonour his own mother3Earvati& who at that time was living at the @andarachal mountain. 1hiva became very urious with him. Andhak attacked 1hiva with his huge army. Lord 1hiva sent his numerous ganas to ight him& but all o them were killed by Andhak. Chen lord 1hiva got the news o the arrival o Andhak with his army& he sent Lord Vishnu and his remaining ganas to ight him. (e himsel went to per orm his austerity named AEashupatA. ,he deities ought with Andhak or one thousand years. @eanwhile Lord 1hiva returned a ter completing his AEashupat VrataA and 9oined them. 1eeing Lord 1hiva in ront o him& Andhak became urious and attacked him erociously. (is companion& whose name was AVidhasA& devoured all the deities. ,he demons who had been killed in the battle& were brought back to li e by 1hukracharya. Lord 1hiva became very angry and swallowed 1hukracharya. (e also e/tracted the deities rom the stomach o Vidhas who had been swallowed by him earlier. A ter that& lord 1hiva attacked Andhak with his trident& which in9ured him. But rom each drop o his blood which ell on the ground& mani ested thousands o demons who resembled Andhak. Lord 1hiva then instructed goddess A>handikaA to drink the blood& while he killed all the demons. Boddess >handika ollowed the instructions o 1hiva and drank each drop o blood& which oo:ed out rom the wounds o the demons and did not let single drop o blood to all on the ground. A ter killing all the demons& lord 1hiva li ted Andhak with his trident and hanged him between the earth and sky. Andhak remained there or a very long period o time& bearing the heat o the sun and the showers o rain. But he remained alive. %ltimately he had to take the re uge o Lord 1hiva& to save his li e. Lord 1hiva became pleased by his eulogy and made him his ABanadheesA (leader o all the Banas).
8.;.6FI
"eemergence o 1hukracharya
Chen lord 1hiva swallowed up 1hukracharya& he became very restless and started to ind out a way through which he could come out rom 1hivaAs stomach. But all o his e orts went in vain. Dinding no other option& he started to chant the name o lord 1hiva. (is chantings continued or one hundred years. By the blessings o 1hiva& he came out rom 1hivaAs stomach through the e9aculated semen. A ter coming out& 1hukraharya eulogi:ed Lord 1hiva. 1hiva became pleased with him and showered him with a ection 9ust like his own son. A ter being blessed 1hukracharya went and re9oined the army o the demons.
8.;.6F<
Killing o Ba9asur
Boddess Durga had killed the demon 3 @ahishasur& who used to torment the deities. Ba9asur was the son o @ahishasur. ,o avenge his atherAs death& Ba9asur did a tremendous penance to please lord Brahma. Lord Brahma appeared be ore him and asked him to demand any boon. Ba9asur said3 P? Lord$ -ven a A#eetendriyaA (one who has ull control over his senses) should not be able to kill me&P Lord Brahma blessed him by saying 3 A1o be itA. Bradually& Ba9asur atrocities crossed all limits. (e became the lord o all the three worlds. (e orced even the deities to worship him. (e used to torment the brahmins and the other religious people. ?ne day Ba9asur arrived at Kashi and started tormenting the people living over there. ,he deities came to lord 1hiva and reHuested him to rescue Kashi by killing Ba9asur.
Lord 1hiva came to Kashi and ought a battle with Ba9asur. (e killed Ba9asur with this trident. At the time o his death& Ba9asur eulogi:ed Lord 1hiva and reHuested him to put his (Ba9asurAs) skin on his (1hivaAs) body. Lord 1hiva agreed to ul ill his wish. At the spot where& Ba9asur was killed a amous 1hivalinga by the name o Krittivaseshwar was constructed as per the own wish o lord 1hiva.
8.;.6FJ
Killing o +irhaddaitya
Diti was illed with grie when she came to known about her sonAs ((iranyaksha) death& who was killed by lord Vishnu. +irhad daitya& who was the maternal uncle o Erahlad consoled her an promised to avenge the death o (iranyaksha. (e thought to destroy the vedic religion. According to him the deities derived their strength and power rom this very vedic religion. (e planned to eliminate the priestly class3brahmins& so that the chances o AYagyasA being per ormed becomes e/tinct and the deities were starved to such an e/tent that they became weak and powerless. ,hinking that then it would not be very di icult to kill the AweakA deities. +irhaddaitya arrived at Kashi to e/ecute his plan& which during those time was the chie centre o the brahmins. (e attained the orm o a tiger and stationed himsel in a nearby orest. (e used to kill any brahmin who used to come over there to collect AKushaA grass and uel. Cith the help o his illusionary powers he used to attain the orm o a hermit during the day time and lived among them. But during the night& he used to enter into the houses o the brahmins in the orm o a tiger and used to devour them. ?n one night o 1hivaratri& when a brahmin was busy worshipping Lord 1hiva& +iraddaitya who was in the orm o a tiger entered the temple. But& since the brahmin was engaged in the worship o Lord 1hiva& he could not harm the brahmin. Lord 1hiva emerged rom the very 1hivalinga& which the brahmin was worshipping and punched the demon with his clenched ist& so hard that he died.
8.;.6FG
Killing o Vidal and %tpal
Long long ago there used to live two demons by the names o Vidul and %tpal. Both o them did a tremendous penance to please lord Brahma. A ter being blessed by lord Brahma& they became very arrogant and started tormenting the deities and the brahmins. ,he deities went to lord Brahma and sought his help. Lord Brahma told them that both the demons would be killed by goddess Earvati very soon. (e also instructed the deities to eulogi:e 1hiva and Earvati to seek their blessings. ,he deities went back and started eulogi:ing 1hiva and Earvati. ?ne ate ul day& Vidal and %tpal arrived at the place where goddess Eaarvati was having amusements with her companions. Vidal and %tpal had disguised themselves as the ganas o 1hiva. Lord 1hiva recogni:ed the real identity o the demons. (e signaled towards Earvati pointing towards the demons. Earvati who was playing with a ball with her companions& understood what lord 1hiva meant to say. 1he hit both o them with the ball& with such orce that both the demons died on the spot. ,he ball then ell down on the ground and trans ormed into a 1hivalinga which became as AKandukeshwarA. ,he deities became very pleased at the death o Vidal and %tpal.
/&*
)hatrudra )amhita
,he sages reHuested 1ut9i to describe about the di erent incarnations o Lord 1hiva. 1ut9i told them that& although Lord 1hiva took many incarnations but ive o his incarnations were very important3 1adho9at +amadeva& ,atpurush& Aghoresh and *shan. ,his >hapter contains 7; sections.
8.7.6 1adho9at (6)

Lord 1hiva took his irst incarnation rom the physiHue incarnation rom the physiHue o Lord Brahma& who was engrossed in his deep state o meditation& during the nineteenth Kalpa named 1hweta Lohit. Lord Brahma gave him the name 1AD(?#A, and eulogi:ed him.
Later on& rom the physiHue o 1adho9at our o his disciple mani ested& whose names were 1unand& +andan& Vishwanandan and %panandan. All the our disciples were o air comple/ion. Lord 1hiva blessed Brahma and empowered him to do creation.
8.7.; +aamdeva (;)

During the twentieth Kalpa named A"aktaA the comple/ion o lord Brahma turned red& while he was engrossed in his meditative state. Drom his body mani ested an entity who also was o red comple/ion. Lord Brahma named him +amadeva considering him to be the incarnation o lord 1hiva and eulogi:ed him. Later on our sons were born to +amadeva& whose names were Vira9& Viwah& Vishok and Vishwabhawan. All o them were o red comple/ion 9ust like their ather +amadeva. +aamdeva 1hiva alongwith his virtuous progenies blessed lord Brahma with the power o creation.
8.7.7 ,atpurush (7)

,he twenty3 irst Kalpa on the earth was known as AEeetavasaA. *t was named so because o the apparel o lord Brahma which were o yellow colours. Lord BrahmaAs prayer resulted into the mani estation o a e ulgent entity. >onsidering this entity as Lord 1hiva& Lord Brahma started chanting the mantras o 1hiva Bayatri. A ter the chantings o the mantras& numerous entities mani ested who had put on apparels o yellow colour on their body. ,his way the third incarnation o 1hiva popularly known as ,atpurush mani ested.
8.7.F Bhoresh (F)

A ter the Eeetavasa Kalp came the 1hiva Kalpa. A black comple/ioned mani ested while Lord Brahma was engrossed in his deep meditative state. Lord Brahma considering this entity as Aghor 1hiva started eulogi:ing him. Lord BrahmaAs eulogi:ation resulted into the mani estation o our more entities who had the same black comple/ion as that o AAghor 1hivaA. ,heir names were Krishna& Krishnashikha& Krishnamukha and Krishnakanthdhari. Bhor 1hiva along with those our entities blessed lord Brahma with the power o creation.
8.7.8 *shan (8)

During the Kalpa named Vishwaroop& mani estations o 1araswati and *shan 1hiva took place. Lord Brahma eulogi:ed *shan 1hiva a ter which our divine entities named #ati& @undi& 1hikhandi and Ardhamundi mani ested rom *shan 1hiva. All o them blessed lord Brahma with the power o creation.
8.7.I -ight *dols o 1hiva

A ter describing about the ive chie incarnations o lord 1hiva& 1ut9i e/plained about the eight amous idols o lord 1hiva3 1harva& Bhava& "udra& %gra& Bheema& Eashupati& *shan and @ahadeva. ,hese eight idols o 1hiva symboli:es the eight natural elements which help in the process o creation& nurturement and annihilation. ,hese eight natural elements are Land& water& ire& air& sky& supreme soul (Kshetragya)& 1un and the moon. Being established in these eight idols& 1hiva controls the whole world.
8.7.< 1hiva as Ardhanarishwar

?nce upon a time Lord Brahma& not seeing an e/pansion in his creation became very worried. A heavenly voice instructed him to commence creation with the help o copulative activities. But since all the incarnation o 1hiva had been males till then& there ore lord Brahma was inding it impossible. Lord Brahma contemplated on the orm o 1hiva and 1hakti. Lord 1hiva became very pleased with him and appeared in his orm o AArdhanarishwar (hal male hal emale). Le t side o his body resembled like a woman while the right side appeared like a man. Lord Brahma worshipped this orm o 1hiva. Lord 1hiva then separated the eminine part o his body and thus mani ested mother 1hakti. Lord Brahma worshipped her and reHuested to bestow such power by which he could create a woman. Boddess 1hakti blessed him by saying ! A1o be itA and vanished. ,his way Lord Brahma became capable o commencing copulative creation.
8.7.J Various *ncarnations o Vyasa and Lord 1hiva

During the AVarahA Kalpa o the 1eventh A@anvantarA lord Vishnu illuminated all the three world by his divine presence. ,his seventh @anvantara consisted o our yugas which repeated themselves in a cyclic way or twelve times. ,he irst dwapar o this seventh manvantar saw the mani estation o lord 1hiva or the wel are o the brahmins. Chen Kaliyuga arrived Lord 1hiva again mani ested himsel along with goddess 1hakti and was known as @ahamuni 1hweta. Lord Brahma had the priviledge o becoming his disciple. During the second dwapar& sage Vyas e/isted as 1atya& Era9apati and Lord 1hiva became amous as A1utarA. Lord 1hiva in his incarnation o 1utra had many disciples among whom ADundubhiA was very amous. During the third dwapar sage Vyas took his incarnation as Bhargava and lord 1hiva became amous as Daman. Lord 1hiva in his incarnation as Daman had our disciples among whom Vishoka was very amous. Chen Kaliyuga arrived a ter this third dwapar. Lord 1hiva along with his Disciples helped 1age Vyas. During the ourth Dwapar 1age Vyas took his incarnation as Angira and Lord 1hiva as A1uhotraA. -ven in this incarnation Lord 1hiva had our disciples among whom 1umukh was very amous. Lord 1hiva along with his disciples helped Angira. During the i th dwapar sage Vyas took incarnation as 1avita and Lord 1hiva as AKankaA who was very amous or his tremendous austerities. Kanka had our disciples among whom 1anak was very amous. During the si/th dwapar sage Vyas took incarnation as @rityu and Lord 1hiva as ALokakshiA. Lokakshi had our disciples among whom 1udhama was very prominent. During the seventh dwapar sage Vyas mani ested himsel as *ndra and Lord 1hiva as #aigisatya. #aigisatya had our disciples among whom 1araswat was very prominent. During the eighth dwapar sage Vyas took incarnation as Vashishth and Lord 1hiva as Dadhivahan. Dadhivahan had our disciples among whom Kapil was very amous. During the nineth dwapar sage Vyas took incarnation as 1araswat and Lord 1hiva as A"ishabhA. Lord 1hiva in his incarnation as "ishabhdeva had our disciples among whom Earashar was very amous.
8.7.G +andikeshwar
Chile describing about the incarnation o +andikeshwar 1ut9i says3 1age 1hilad did a tremendous penance to please lord 1hiva with an aspiration to have a son. Lord 1hiva appeared be ore him and asked him to demand any boon he wished. 1age 1hilad e/pressed his desire o having a son who is not born rom a physical body and who is pro icient in all the sriptural knowledges. Lord 1hiva blessed him by saying ! A1o be itA. 1age 1hilad then returned to his hermitage and per ormed a AYagyaA. Drom the yagya3kunda appeared a child who possessed our arms and three eyes. 1age 1hilad was very pleased to see that child. ,he birth o the child was celebrated with great an are. Lord 1hiva and Earvati arrived to bless the child. ,he child was named +andi as his birth had given immense 9oy (anand) to sage 1hilad. Later on +andi lived with his ather like any other normal child and was brought up with great love and care. (e became pro icient in all the scriptures within seven years. Being inspired by lord 1hiva& two brahmins came to sage 1hilad and in ormed him that a ter one year +andi would be no more. 1age 1hilad became e/tremely sad. 1eeing his ather in his sorrow ul mood& +andi consoled him and later on went to do penance. (is tremendous penance pleased Lord 1hiva and Earvati and both o them appeared be ore him. Lord 1hiva blessed him and said3 2You are 9ust like me& so you will never die4.
Lord 1hiva also gave one o his garlands to him. As soon as +andi wore that garland he imbibed all the Hualities o lord 1hiva. A ter that Lord 1hiva took out some water rom his locks o hair and sprinkled on him& as a result o which ive rivers came into e/istence. ,hese ive rivers were later on came to be known as Eanchanad. Lord 1hiva then made him the leader o all his ganas. Later on goddess Earvati took +andi under her guidance and considered him 9ust like her own son. +andi was married to 1uyasha3 the daughter o @arut. %ltimately all o them accompanied lord 1hiva to his abode.
8.7.6M Bhairav Bets Liberated rom his 1in

Bhairav who was created by lord 1hiva rom his third eye& had severed one o the ive heads o Lord Brahma on the instruction o lord 1hiva. +ow Brahma9i was le t with only our heads. >arrying the skull o Brahma in his hand& Bhairava started wandering in all the three worlds. ,o atone his sin o severing the head o lord Brahma& he was begging alms. Bhairav reached Vishnuloka where he was welcomed warm heartedly by lord Vishnu and La/mi. Boddess La/mi dropped the learning (Vidya) named @anorath (by which all the wishes could be ul illed) in the begging bowl (1kull) o Bhariav. Bhairav became e/tremely happy by this gi t. Lord 1hiva had created a oegrass named ABrahmahatyaA and had instructed Bhairav to reach Kashi& be ore her. According to lord 1hiva this way the sin committed by Bhairav could success ully atoned. A ter being blessed by goddess La/mi& Bhairav took the permission o Lord Vishnu and proceeded towards Kashi. A ter his departure asked Brahmahatya to stop chasing Bhairav. But she re used saying that she was 9ust ollowing the instruction o Lord 1hiva. Chen Bhairav reached Kashi& Brahmahatya too came near the outskirts o the city& but could not enter it because o Lord 1hivaAs power instead she entered in to the netherworld (Eatal loka). As soon as Bhairav had entered Kashi. ,he begging3bowl (skull) ell on the ground and thus Bhairav got liberated rom his sins. Bhairav was e/tremely relieved. ,he place where the skull o Brahma had allen& later on became as Kapal mochan3 the most sacred place o pilgrimage.
8.7.66 1hiva ,akes an *ncarnation as 1harabh

Chile describing about the incarnation o 1harabh 1ut9i told sages3 2Chen Vishnu9i took his incarnation o +risimha to kill the demon king !(iranyakashipu& his anger could not be subdued even a ter the killing o (iranyakashipu. (is anger had rightened all the three worlds. Lord Brahma sent Erahalada to +risimha so that his anger gets cool down. Erahalada prayed to +risimha. +risimha took him in his embrace but still his anger was not subdued.4 2All the deities went to lord 1hiva and reHuested to him to cool down VishnuAs anger. Lord 1hiva then sent Bhairav and Veerbhadra to +risimha. Chen Veerbhadra politely reHuested +risimha to cool down& he (+risimha) tried to pounce on him (Veerbhadra). "ight then Lord 1hiva appeared in his most devastating orm. (e was looking rightening in his giant orm and with thousands o hand. (is appearance was resembling a huge cannibal bird. Lord 1hiva in9ured +risimha with his giant wings and a ter carrying Lord Vishnu in his giant wings and a ter carrying lord Vishnu in his arms he lew in the sky. Lord Vishnu was so rightened that he became unconscious.4 2A ter regarding his consciousness Lord +risimha appeared in his orm o Lord Vishnu and eulogi:ed 1hiva& which made lord 1hiva very pleased. Lord 1hiva wore the head o +risimha with the garland o skull in his neck. ,he remaining body was carried by Veerbhadra and abandoned at a mountain.4
8.7.6; Vishwanar "eceives a Boon rom 1hiva

?nce upon a time& there used to live a brahmin named Vishwanar who was a great devotee o lord 1hiva. 1huchismati was his wi e who was a devout wi e. Being pleased by her sense o duti ulness& Vishwanar tried to reward his wi e. 1huchismati e/pressed her desire o having a son 9ust like lord 1hiva. Vishwanar went to Kashi to please Lord 1hiva by his penance. (e worshipped Vishveshwar linga with supreme devotion.
Lord 1hiva became very pleased by his devotion and he appeared be ore Vishwanar rom the 1hivalinga. Chen Vishwanar e/pressed his desire& lord 1hiva agreed to take birth as his 1on. Vishwanar came back to his house happily.
8.7.67 1hiva)s *ncarnation as Brihapati

*n due course o time& 1huchismati became pregnant and gave birth to a beauti ul child. ,he whole amily celebrated the birth o the child. ,he whole amily celebrated the birth o the child. ,he name giving ceremony o that child was attended by all the deities and sages including lord 1hiva and Earvati. Lord Brahma named the child as Brihapati. Chen Brihapati attained the age o ive& his sacred thread ceremony was per ormed. Cithin a year he became pro icient in all the Vedas and other sacred te/ts. Chen Brihapati attained the age o nine& +arada came and in ormed Vishwanar that death o Brihapati was imminent because o the evil e ects o the planetary combinations. Vishwanar and 1huchismati were saddened and started crying. Brihapati then consoled his parents and proceeded towards Kashi to do penance so that the AdeathA could be conHured.
8.7.6F Brihapati)s Eenance

Brihapati commenced his penance at Kashi. ,he deity *ndra arrived there and reHuested him to demand anything he wished but Brihapati re used. *ndra became urious and tried to attack him with his weapon3Va9ra. Brihapati was very terri ied. "ight then Lord 1hiva appeared and *ndra had to retreat rom the scene. Lord 1hiva blessed Brihapati by saying ! 2Chat to say about this lightning ! Va9ra& even Kaalva9ra would not be able to kill you.4 Brihapati became very pleased. ,he 1hivalinga which he worshipped& later on became amous as AAgnishwar linga. Lord 1hiva made Brihapati the lord o all the directions.
8.7.68 Lord 1hiva)s *ncarnation as Yaksheshwar

During the time when ocean was being churned irst o all poison appeared rom it. ,he deities were very terri ied to see the tremendous heat it generated. ,hey went to lord 1hiva and reHuested to protect them rom the heat o that poison. Lord 1hiva drank all the poison but did not let it pass down his throat. A ter the poison& +ectar appeared rom the ocean& which was drunk by the deities. ,he demons too wanted to drink the nectar& so a tremendous battle ensued between them and the deities. ,he deities became victorious in this battle because they had become immortal due to the e ect o the +ectar. ,his victory made the deities very arrogant. Lord 1hiva was very concerned about their arrogant nature. (e went to them in the guise o a Yaksha. (e asked as to what was it that had made them so arrogant. ,he deities replied that their arrogance stemmed rom victory over the demons. Lord 1hiva who was disguised as Yaksha replied3 2Your pride is based on alse notion& because you did not achieve victory due to somebodyAs grace and blessing.4 ,he deities disagreed with him. Lord 1hiva then asked them to cut the grass i they considered themselves so mighty. (e then kept a grass lea in ront o them. -ach o the deities tried to cut that grass with their respective weapons but remained unsuccess ul in their attempts. ,hey were all ama:ed. 1uddenly a heavenly voice was heard which said that the Yaksha was none other than Lord 1hiva himsel . ,he deities reali:ed their mistakes. ,he apologi:ed to lord 1hiva. A ter vanHuishing the alse pride o the deities lord 1hiva disappeared.
8.7.6I Dash Avatar (6M *ncarnations o 1hiva)

Describing about the ten incarnations and their corresponding power (1hakti)& 1ut9i said3 ,he irst incarnation o lord 1hiva was as @ahakal and his 1hakti was called @ahakali. Lord 1hiva took his second incarnation as ,ar and his 1hakti was called A,araA. ,he third incarnation o Lord 1hiva was as Bhuvaneshwar and his 1hakti was called ABhuvaneshwariA. Lord 1hiva took his ourth incarnation as A1hodashA who was also known as A1rividdyeshA and his 1hakti was called A1hodashiA or A1hriA.
Lord 1hiva took his i th incarnation as Bhairav and his 1hakti was called ABhairaviA. ,he si/th incarnation o Lord 1hiva is amous as A>hhinamastakA and his 1hakti by the name o A>hhinamasta. Lord 1hiva took his seventh incarnation as ADhoomvanA and his 1hakti was known as ADhoomvati. ,he eighth incarnation was as Baglamukh and his 1hakti as Baglamukhi. ,he nineth incarnation o lord 1hiva became amous as @atang and his 1hakti as A@atangiA. Lord 1hiva took his tenth incarnation as AKamalA and his 1hakti as Kamala. * these ten incarnation o 1hiva are worshipped along with his ten @ahavidyas then a man attains salvation.
8.7.6< ,he ?rigin o -leven "udras

?nce& the deities went to sage Kashyap a ter being tormented by the demons. ,hey complained to him about the misdeeds o the demons& who also happened to be their step brothers. 1age Kashyap became e/tremely urious& when he heard about the misdeeds o his sons ! the demons. ,o protect the deities rom his sons& he commenced a penance to please lord 1hiva. Lord 1hiva became very pleased by his penance and appeared be ore him. (e asked Kashyap to demand anything he wished. Kashyap then reHuested Lord 1hiva to take birth as his son and destroy the demons. Lord 1hiva blessed him and said ! A1o be itA. Lord 1hiva& later on took birth as eleven "udras rom the womb o his wi e 1urabhi. ,he name o these eleven rudras were as ollows53 6) Kapali& ;) Eingal& 7) Bheem& F) Virupaksha& 8) Vilohit& I) 1hastra& <) A9apaad& J) Ahirbudhnya& G) 1hambhu& 6M) >hand and 66) Bhav. ,hese eleven "udras ought battles with the demons and killed them. ,he deities were relieved a ter the death o the demons. ,hey worshipped these eleven rudras to e/press their gratitude and indebtedness.
8.7.6J 1hiva)s *ncarnation as Durvasa

Describing about the Lord 1hivaAs incarnation as Durvasa& 1ut9i told the deities53 2once Atri ! the manasputra o lord Brahma went to do penance at the bank o the river +ivindhya which lew by the oothills o ,rayakshakul mountain as per the instructions o Lord Brahma himsel . (e commenced doing a tremendous penance. ,he e ects o his penance was such that devastating lames o ire mani ested rom his head. ,he ire spread in all the three world in no time. ,he deities were terri ied by the death and destruction caused by the ire in all the three worlds. ,hey went to lord Brahma to seek his help. Lord Brahma took them to lord Vishnu and revealed to him about the destruction caused by the ire. All o them went to lord 1hiva and told him everything. Lord Brahma& Lord Vishnu and Lord 1hiva went to Atri and blessed him. Atri recogni:ed them. (e eulogi:ed them. Later on AtriAs wi e3 Anusuya gave birth to three sons& who in act were the incarnations o Lord Brahma& Lord Vishnu and Lord 1hiva. Lord Brahma incarnation as the @oon& Lord Vishnu as Dutt and 1hiva took incarnation as Durvasa. Durvasa had tested the religiousness and virtuosity o numerous people. (e had also tested the religiousness o king Ambareesh& who ruled over A1aptadweepaA. ?nce king Ambareesh had observed a ast on A-kadashiA. +e/t day& when he was about to break his ast sage Durvasa arrived accompanied by his large number o disciples. Durvasa was very urious with king Ambareesh. (e said3 2You had invited me or this particular& but you have also insulted me by breaking the ast by drinking water in my absence.4 1age Durvasa would have burnt king Ambareesh to ashes by his curse& had not 1udarshan3the weapon o Vishnu came to his rescue. 1udarshan then tried to burn sage Durvasa when suddenly a heavenly voice was heard rom the sky which said3 2Durvasa is no one but the incarnation o lord 1hiva himsel .4 (earing this 1udarshanAs anger was paci ied. King Ambareesh then begged his orgiveness rom sage Durvasa.
8.7.6G *ncarnation o (anuman

Lord 1hiva was so in atuated by the appearance o lord Vishnu in his orm o @ohini roopa that his semen was released on the ground. ,his semen was established by the 1aptarishis in the womb o An9ani& with the permission o lord 1hiva himsel . *n this way was born the mighty (anuman. ?nce& during his childhood (anuman had swallowed the 1un& which he released only a ter the deities prayed to him. ,he sun accepted him as his disciple and made him pro icient in all the learningAs. (e started living with 1ugreeva as per the instructions o his teacher ! the 1un. During the time o 1ri "amAs e/ile& 1ugreeva developed riendship with him with the help o (anuman. (anuman helped 1ri "am in inding the whereabouts o 1ita& who had been abducted by the demon king3"avana. (e took a giant leap and 9umped across the ocean. (e went to Ashok3Vatika where "avana had kept 1ita. (e gave 1ri "amAs ring to her and consoled her by saying that very soon 1ri "am was going to arrive and release her rom "avanaAs captivity. (e also burnt the whole Lanka by his burning tail and returned to 1ri "am to give him 1itaAs news while the battle was ought between 1ri "am and "avana La/mana got seriously in9ured and became unconscious. (anuman saves his li e by bringing the whole o mountain& upon which the herb 1an9ivani grew. Being present at the service o 1ri "am& (anuman per ormed his duties marvelously. Corship o (anuman helps a man to become ree rom all kinds o problems& diseases and hurdles etc.
8.7.;M 1hiva)s *ncarnation as @ahesh

?nce& Bhairav who was entrusted with the 9ob o a doorkeeper became so in atuated with EarvatiAs beauty that he tried to prevent her rom going outside. Earvati became urious and cursed him to be born as a mortal man on the earth. Bhairav became very sad but now the damage had been already done. Bhairav later on appeared in the orm o a man named AVetalA. Vetal prayed to lord 1hiva who took his incarnation as @ahesh and goddess Earvati as Biri9a.
8.7.;6 Lord Vishnu >reates ,urbulences

A ter the churning o the ocean had been accomplished& numerous things had emerged out rom the ocean. #ewels& @oon& La/mi& Eoison& %chchaishrava horse& -ravat elephant& Vessel containing +ectar were some o the things which emerged out rom the ocean a ter the churning. A tremendous battle was ought between the deities and the demons to have control over the vessel containing +ectar. ,he demons had snatched that vessel rom the deities. By the divine inspiration o lord 1hiva& Vishnu appeared in the orm o @ohini ! the enchanting beauty. (e success ully recovered that vessel rom the control o the demons. ,o distract the attention o the demons rom the nectar& lord Vishnu created numerous enchanting beauties. Chen the demons saw them& they orcibly carried these enchanting beauties to their abode !the +ether world. A ter that they again returned to take control o the +ectar. By that time& Vishnu had made the deities drink all the nectar. Chen the demons came to know about this& they became very urious and attacked the deities. A tremendous battle ensured between both the sides. %ltimately the demons got de eated. ,o save their lives the demon ran towards their abode. Lord Vishnu chased the demons and entered the +etherland. (e killed all the demons. Lord Vishnu then saw those enchanting beauties who had been abducted by the demons. *ronically& lord Vishnu got in atuated by their beauty3 who were his own creation. Lord Vishnu remained there or a long time.
8.7.;; 1hiva)s *ncarnation as Vrishabh

During his stay in the +etherland& many sons were born to Lord Vishnu& who were very wicked and cruel. ,hese sons o lord Vishnu started tormenting the inhabitants o all the three world. All the deities and the sages went to lord 1hiva to take his help. ,hey reHuested him to kill the cruel sons o Vishnu and reestablish him (lord Vishnu) in his own abode& which he had abandoned or the +ether world.
Lord 1hiva went to the +etherworld in the orm o a ?/ (Vrishabh). (e killed all the sons o lord Vishnu with his sharp horns. 1eeing the death o his sons& lord Vishnu came orward to ight him. (e attacked lord 1hiva with his various weapons& but lord 1hiva remained harmless. %ltimately lord Vishnu was able to recognise him. (e eulogi:ed lord 1hiva. Lord 1hiva then reHuested him to return back to Vishnuloka& he accepted. Lord Vishnu le t his A1udarshan chakraA in the +etherworld and went to his own abode& where lord 1hiva presented him a new 1udarshan chakra.
8.7.;7 Killing o Vrittrasur

?nce& when the deities were de eated by vrittrasur& they went to lord Brahma a ter hiding their weapons in the hermitage o sage Dadhichi. ,hey reHuested lord Brahma to reveal about the means& how vrittrasur could be killed. Lord Brahma advised the deities to male a weapon named Va9ra rom the bones o sages Dadhichi& as DadhichiAs bones were even harder than the Va9ra o *ndra by the blessings o lord 1hiva. All the deities then went to the hermitage o Dadhichi in the leadership o Vrihaspati. ?n being enHuired about the purpose o their visit& *ndra said that he wanted his bones so that a weapon could be made out o it. Dadhichi Bave up his li e by his yogic power. *ndra then instructed Kamdhenu to e/tract the bones rom the dead body o Dadhichi. ,he bones were on given to A,washtaA to construct the weapon3Va9ra. ,washta took the weapons to Vishwakarma who at last constructed the Va9ra. *ndra killed Vrittrasur with this weapon. Chen 1uvarcha ! the wi e o Dadhichi came to know about the cunning deeds o the deities& she cursed them to became animals.
8.7.;F 1hiva)s *ncarnation as Yatinath

,here used to live a bheel named Aahuk o the Arbudachal mountain. (is wi e was Aahuka. Both o them were supreme devotee o lord 1hiva. ?nce& lord 1hiva wanting to test their devotion& appeared be ore them disguised a hermit. Aahuk honoured his guest and treated him very well. Lord 1hiva then reHuested him to give shelter or the whole night. Aahuk e/pressed his inability as he had a very small hut& in which only two people could be accommodate at a time. But his wi e intervened and reHuested Aahuk to sleep outside the hut with his arms& as it would be inappropriate on their part to miss this chance o proving their hospitality. ,he hermit& who in reality was lord 1hiva slept with AahukAs wi e inside the hut& while Aahuk himsel slept outside the hut. %n ortunately Aahuk was killed by a wild animal while he was asleep. *n the morning when lord 1hiva ound that Aahuk had died& his heart was illed with grie . But Aahuka consoled him by saying that she was proud o her husband as he had given up his li e or a noble cause. +aturally she was very much saddened by her husbandAs death so she decided to give up her li e by 9umping into the burning pyre. "ight then lord 1hiva appeared in his real orm and blessed her by saying3 2*n his ne/t birth your husband would take birth in a royal amily. (e would become amous as +ala and you would be born as Damayanti to king Bheema o Vidarbha. * would mysel appear in the orm o a swan and help both o you to unite. A ter en9oying all the pleasures o this world both o you would attain to may abode. A ter saying thus& lord 1hiva established himsel as immovable 1hivalinga& which later on became amous as Achaleshwar linga.
8.7.;8 1hiva)s *ncarnation as Krshna Darshan

King +abhag was born in the nineth geneology o 1hraddhdeva who himsel was a descendant o *kshavaku. +abhag was the grand ather o Ambareesh. During his childhood +abhag le t his home or Agurukula to get education. *n his absence his brothers got the wealth o the kingdom distributed among themselves.
Chen +abhag returned home a ter the completion o his education& he demanded his share o wealth rom his brothers. (is brothers told him that they had orgotten to i/ his share as he was absent at the time when wealth was being distributed. ,hey advised him to go and meet their ather. +abhag went to his ather and made the same reHuest. (is ather advised him to go to sage Angiras who was trying to accomplish a yagya& but was not being able to accomplish it because o his attachment. 2Bo and try to eliminate his attachment by your discourses. ,his way sage Angiras on being pleased with you would give all the wealth which remains a ter the completion o the yagya.4 1aid his ather. +abhag did the same. (e went to the place where sage Angiras was per orming his yagya. (e preached sage Angiras on the virtues o "eligiousness. As a result he became ree rom all sorts o attachments and the yagya was success ully accomplished. 1age Angiras was very pleased by +abhagAs knowledge o religion. (e gave all the remaining wealth o the yagya to +abhag. #ust then lord 1hiva arrived there in his incarnation o Krishna darshan and tried to prevent sage Angiras rom donating the wealth to +abhag& instead he staked his own claim. +abhag told lord 1hiva that& since the wealth was given to him by sage Angiras himsel & it naturally belonged to him. Lord 1hiva then sent +abhag to his ather31hraddhdev to know about his opinion. +abhag went to 1hraddh deva who revealed to him that the person who was staking his claims on the wealth was none other then lord 1hiva. (e also told him that whatever remained a ter the accomplishment o the yagya belongs to lord 1hiva only. +abhag was now satis ied. (e went back to lord 1hiva and narrated everything what his ather had said. (e then eulogi:ed and worshipped lord 1hiva. Lord 1hiva blessed him which helped +abhag to attain salvation.
8.7.;I Lord 1hiva Appears as a Beggar

,here was a king named 1atyarath who ruled over Vidarbha. ?nce he was attacked by a neighbouring king. 1atyarath was killed in that battle. (is wi e somehow managed to save her li e by hiding in a orest. ,he Hueen was pregnant at that time. At the shore o a pond she gave birth to a child. 1he was eeling thirsty& so she went into the pond to Huench her thirst. %n ortunately she was killed by a crocodile who used to live in that pond. ,he hungry child started crying3 A beggar woman arrived there with her one year old child. ,hough her heart was illed with compassion seeing the hungry child cry but still she was hesitating to take him in her lap. "ight then lord 1hiva appeared as a beggar and advised her to bring up the orphan child. ,he beggar woman asked about the origin o the child. Lord 1hiva told her that the ather o this child 1atyarath in his previous li e had le t the pradoshavrata incomplete. (e had also ordered his men to severe the head o his enemy. A ter this& he had broken his ast in his impure state& without taking a bath. As a result& 1atyarath met a premature3death in his ne/t li e. ,he mother o this orphan child too committed a sin by deceit ully getting the co3wi e o her husband killed. As a result she was devoured by a crocodile in her ne/t li e. Describing about the child lord 1hiva said3 2,his child was brahmin by birth in his previous li e& but still he never engaged himsel in any religious or virtuous deeds. 1o in his ne/t li e& though he was born in a royal amily& buts still he remained poor. You must take this child under your control and a ter his sacred3thread ceremony gets accomplished& you must engage him in my (1hivaAs) devotion. * you donAt obey my command then it would not be good or the wel are o your own child.4 A ter saying like this lord 1hiva disappeared. ,he beggar woman took that child to her house and brought him up with great love and care. Chen he grew up his sacred3thread ceremony was per ormed and then he was initiated into the worship o lord 1hiva. By the blessing o lord 1hiva& 1atyarathAs son ormed a pot ull o gold while he was taking both in a pond. +ow the beggar amily became very rich. ?nce again when he had gone to a orest he met a AgandharvaA princess to whom he ultimately got married. ,his way he became a king. (e lived happily with his mother and his brother.
8.7.;< Lord 1hiva Appears in the Buise o *ndra (1ureshwar)

%pamanyu !the son o sage Vyaghrapaad& was brought up in his maternal uncleAs home since his childhood. ?ne day %panyu was very hungry. (is mother gave him milk to drink which was not enough to satis y his hunger. (e demanded more and started crying. (is mother mined some wheat lour in the water and gave him to drink as there was no milk le t in the house. %pamanyu inding the taste di erent told his mother that it was not milk but something else. (e again started crying. (is mother told him that i he wanted milk then he should worship lord 1hiva as he only was capable o making the milk available. %pamanyu proceeded towards the (imalaya and started doing penance to please lord 1hiva3 continuously chanting the mantra ?m +amah 1hivay. (is penance generated so much o heat that all the three worlds started burning. ,o test his devotion& Lord 1hiva and goddess Earvati appeared be ore him disguised as *ndra and *ndrani respectively. Both o them told %pamanyu to stop doing penance. ,hey said3 2Ce *ndra and *ndrani are e/tremely pleased by your devotion. 1top worshipping 1hiva. Ce will ul ill all your desires.4 Lord 1hiva and goddess Earvati did not stop at this. ,hey even cursed 1hiva. %pamanyu became very urious and got up to attack the abuser ! *ndra. 1hiva and Earvati were satis ied by his total dedication and devotion. ,hey revealed their real identity and blessed him. 1hiva promised %pamanyu that he would be present in the vicinity o his hermitage along with Earvati orever. %pamanyu returned back to his home and narrated the whole story to his mother who was very pleased. Lord 1hiva got the name A1ureshwarA because he appeared in the guise o *ndra.
8.7.;J 1age Vyasa Advises the Eandavas to Corship 1hiva

A ter loosing their whole kingdom to Duryodhan in the gamble& Eandavas went to the dwait orest accompanied by Draupadi. ,hey started living in a place which was donated by Velotra 1un. Duryodhan instigated sage Durvasa to torment the Eandavas. 1age Durvasa went to the place where Eandavas were staying& accompanied by thousands o his disciples. (e demanded ood rom the Eandavas. (ow could have the Eandavas satiated rom the hunger o thousands o people. Lord Krishna came to their rescue and saved them rom being disagraced. As a result Durvasa and his disciples went back satis ied. Lord Krishna advised the Eandavas to worship lord 1hiva& but they neglected that advice. As a result their su erings increased in magnitude. ?ne day sage Vyas arrived there. ,he Eandavas gave a rousing reception. >onsidering Ar9una to be the most capable among the Eandavas& Vyas taught him the method o doing AEarthivaA worship. Later on Ar9una went to the *ndrakeel mountain to please *ndra by his penance. 1age Vyas preached Yudhisthir to remain irm on his virtuously and religiousness.
8.7.;G *ndra Appears be ore Ar9un

Ar9unaAs penance generated so much o heat that all the living creature o the three worlds were unable to bear its scorching heat. All the living creatures o the three worlds went to *ndra to seek his help. *ndra went to Ar9una in the guise o a celibate and asked about the purpose or which he was doing penance. Ar9una told him that he wanted to de eat the Kauravas. *ndra then told Ar9una that it was not in his capacity to help him achieve victory over the Kauravas& because o Aswatthama who was a partial incarnation o lord 1hiva. *ndra advised Ar9una to please lord 1hiva by his penance so that his wishes could be ul illed. *ndra then entrusted some o his men& the 9ob o Ar9unaAs security and went back to his abode. Ar9una commenced his penance to please lord 1hiva.
8.7.7M Lord 1hiva Appears in the Buise o Kirat

Ar9una did a tremendous penance by standing only on one leg and concentrating his ga:e upon the bla:ing sun&. ,he deities became very impressed by Ar9unaAs penance. ,hey went to lord 1hiva and reHuested him to bless Ar9una. Lord 1hiva accepted their reHuest.
Duryodhan had sent a demon named @ooka to kill Ar9una. @ooka had disguised himsel as a boar. Ar9una was engrossed in his meditation& when suddenly his concentration got disturbed by a loud noise. (e opened his eyes and saw @ooka being chased by a band o Kirats. *n act it was none other than 1hiva who had appeared in the guise o Kirat. Both Ar9una and Lord 1hiva struck the boar with their respective arrows at the same time. As a result the boar was killed.
8.7.76 Kirat Blesses Ar9un

Lord 1hiva sent his ganas to bring back the arrow. 1imilarly Ar9una too went near the dead boar to bring his arrow. Ar9una ound his arrow lying on the ground. (e picked it up in his hand. "ight then the ganas arrived there and asked Ar9una to return that arrow as it belonged to their master (1hiva). But Ar9una re used to part with his arrow. *nstead he asked the ganas& to convey his challenge to their master to have a dual with him. ,he ganas went back to lord 1hiva and narrated the whole story to him. Lord 1hiva accepted Ar9unaAs challenge and went to ight him. (is ganas accompanied him. Ar9una de eated all the ganas o 1hiva. *n the end Lord 1hiva came orward to have a dual ight with him. 1hiva was very much impressed by his valour. (e revealed his real identity. Ar9una was very ashamed that he ought with 1hiva. Lord 1hiva consoled him and gave his weapon Eashupat to Ar9una.
8.7.7; ,he ,welve #yotirlingas

Describing about the twelve #yotirlingas& 1ut9i told the sages53 P,here are twelve #yotirlingas which are as Dollows 5 6) 1omnath in 1aurashtra& ;) @allikar9una in 1ri1hail& 7) @ahakal in %99ain& F) Amareshwar in ?mkar& 8) Kedar in the (imalaya& I) Bheemashankar at the bank o Bheema river. <) Vishwanath in Varanasi. J) ,rayambakeshwar ar the bank o Bautami river& G) Baidyanath at >hitabhumi& 6M) +agesh which is situated between Darukvan dwarika and Bhet dwarika 66) "ameshwar at Betubandh and 6;) Dhushmesh in 1hivalaya. ,hese above mentioned twelve #yotirlingas are considered to the very sacred. A devotee who pays a visit to any o these places and worship& gets all o his wished ul illed. ?ut o these twelve #yotirlingas& 1omnath #yotirlinga is belived to destroy the sorrows o @oon. A devotee who worships this #yotirlinga gets cured rom incurable diseases like leprosy etc. en9oys all kinds o worldly pleasures and attains salvation. 1imilarly having a darshan o @allikar9una helps a devotee to ul ill all o his desires. (aving a darshan o @ahakaal at %99ain helps a devotee to ul ill all kinds o desire and achieve salvation. 1imilarly i a devotee merely touches the idol o ?mkar linga then he achieves the desired ruits. Kedarlinga is situated in the (imalayas and is considered to be very sacred. Lord 1hiva took his si/th incarnation as Bheema 1hankar to kill the demon Bheema. ,his incarnation o 1hiva tool place at a place called Kamarupa in Assam. ,he seventh incarnation o lord 1hiva was as Vishwanath at Kashi. ,his #yotirlinga is considered to be very sacred and ul iller o all the desires o a man. Lord 1hiva took his eighth incarnation at the bank o river Bautami at the reHuest o sage Bautam. ,his #yotirlinga too is considered to be very sacred and a ul iller o all the desires o a man. ,he ninth incarnation o 1hiva was as Baidyanath at Deoghar in Bihar. ,his #yotirlinga was established by the demon King "avana. A devotee who worships this #yotirlinga gets all o his wishes ul illed. Because o this& it ia also known as Kamanalinga. Devotees carry the holy water o the Banges rom 1ultangan9 and both the idol o Baidyanath in the months o 1hravan and Bhadrapaksha according to the (indu calendar. Lord 1hiva took his tenth incarnation to kill the demon Daruk who used to live in Daruk orest. A devotee who worships +agesh& never aces any calamity. ,he eleventh incarnation o lord 1hiva was as "ameshwar linga& this
linga was established by 1ri "am while the construction o a bridge over the sea was going on. (aving a darshan o this #yotirlinga bestowes both worldly pleasures and salvation. Lord 1hiva took his twel th incarnation as Dhumeshwar a ter being pleased by Dhushma 3 the wi e o 1umedha. (aving a darshan o this #yotirlinga helps a devotee to ul ill all o his desires. All the above mentioned twelve #yotirlingas are very sacred and give total accomplishment to the devotees.
/&,
2oti 6udra )amhita
,his >hapter contains ;J sections.
8.F.6 ,he Breatness o %palingas

A ter describing about the twelve #yotirlinga& 1ut9i mentioned about the various %palingas originating rom them. ,he %palinga named 1omeshwar is situated at a place where the earth meets the ocean. ,his %palinga is also known as AAntakeshA. ,he %palinga originating rom @allikar9una is amous by the name o A"udreshwarA. 1imilarly the %palinga originating rom @ahakal #yotirlinga is known as ADughdheshA. ,he %palinga mani esting rom ?mkar 9yotirlinga is amous as AKardameshwarA. ,he %palinga mani esting rom Kedareshwar 9yotirlinga is known as Bhuteshwar and is situated at the bank o Yamuna "iver. ,he %palinga mani esting rom Bheema 1hankar #yotirlinga is amously known as ABheemeshwarA. ,he %palingas mani esting rom +ageshwar& "ameshwar and Dhushmeshwar #yotirlingas are known as Bhuteshwar& Bupteshwar and Vyagreshwar respectively. All these upalingas are considered to be very sacred. A devotee who has darshan o these %palingas gets liberated rom all o his sins. Apart rom these twelve #yotirlingas and upalingas& there are numerous other lingas& which have great religious importance. ,hey are Kritikavaseshwar& ,ilmandeshwar& Bhuteshwar& Batukeshwar& Eureshwar& 1iddhanateshwar& 1hringeshwar& Bopeshwar& "angeshwar& "ameshwar& Atrishwar& @ahabal linga Kameshwar& Baneshwar& 1hukreshwar& >handrashekhar& "ishishwar Laliteshwar& Eashupatishwar& (Eashupatinath)& Kumtinath and Andhakeshwar etc.
8.F.; Atri and Anusuya do Eenance

1age Atri and his wi e Anusuya were doing penance in the orest called Kamad& situated near the >hitrakut mountain. ?nce it did not rain or many days. As a result people living in that area aced a severe drought. Anusuya reHuested her husband to help out the people rom their hardships. 1age Atri sat down to meditate. ?ne by one& his disciples deserted him. ?nly Anusuya remained with him. 1he spent her days worshipping the Earthiva lingas and circumambulating sage Atri who was engrossed in his meditation. 1he had vowed not to have a single morsel o ood till it rained. All the deities became very pleased with their penance. ,hey arrived at the place where both o them were doing penance and a ter giving blessings went back to their respective abodes. Lord 1hiva and river Banges stayed there. *t did not rain or i ty our years. Both sage Atri and Anusuya continued with their respective penance.
8.F.7 ,he Breatness o Atri

Chile doing penance& sage Atri elt thirsty. (e reHuested Anusuya to etch some water. Anusuya went with a Kamandal& in search o water but did not ind it anywhere. Banga appeared be ore her and said3 P* am very pleased with you. You can demand anything rom me you like.P Anusuya demanded only a Kamandal ull o water or her husband. Banga instructed her to dig up a pit and when it was done she entered into that pit. Anusuya illed her Kamandal with the water rom that pit and went back to her thirsty husband.
A ter Huenching his thirst& Atri enHuired orm Anusuya as to where did she ind water. Anusuya narrated the whole story. Both o them then went back to the place where Anusuya had met Banga. Both o them reHuested Banga to stay at that very place. Banga agreed to remain there on the condition that Anusuya donates all the virtues attained by her husband by worshipping Lord 1hiva or one year. Anusuya donated all the virtues& without any hesitation. Lord 1hiva became very much pleased by their charitable tendencies. (e appeared be ore them. A ter eulogi:ing& Atri reHuested lord 1hiva to remain in his hermitage accompanied by Earvati. Lord 1hiva agreed to do so. Banga also stayed with them. Later on Atri per ormed a grand Yagya a ter the completion o which it rained heavily. ,hus Atri ended the phase o drought by his tremendous penance. "iver @andakani lows rom that same AEitA which Anusuya had dugged up. ,he 1hivalinga& which was worshipped by Anusuya during that time later on& came to be known as Atrishwar Linga.
8.F.F ,he Brahmin Coman Attains to (eaven

?nce upon a time& there lived a brahmin at a place called AKarniA situated at the bank o river A"evaA. Chen the brahmin became old& he went to Kashi a ter leaving behind his wi e to live with his sons. A ter sometime the brahmin died. Chen the brahmins sons came to know about his death& they went to Kashi and per ormed his last rites. A ter some days the brahmins woman died too. ,he BrahminAs son 3 1uvas again went to Kashi carrying the ashes o their dead mother as per her own wish. ?n his way& 1uvad became a guest o another brahmin. 1uvad witnessed an ama:ing even in the night& in which he saw his host trying to milk the cow. At irst he allowed the cal to drink the cowAs milk or sometime. (is host then moved away the cal rom the cow. ,he cal was still hungry and was not willing to move away rom the cow. ,he brahmins trashed the cal very badly. ,his made the cow very sad and vowed to teach that wicked brahmin a lesson. ,he cal tried his best to convince his mother against doing this as her action might make her commit the gravest o sins 3 the brahmahatya. But the cow was not worried& as she knew the method o nulli ying that sin. 1uvad was surprised that the cow knew the method o nulli ying the sin o brahmahatya. +e/t morning& the brahmin entrusted the 9ob o milking the cow& the brahminsA son gave a severe trashing to the cal who was unwilling to move away rom his mother. ,he angry cow li ted the BrahminAs son with her horns and dashed him against the ground. ,he BrahminAs son died on the spot. Chen the brahmin returned to his home he became very urious on seeing his son dead. (e drove both the cow and the cal out o his house& a ter beating them very badly. ,he colour o the cow had turned blue due to the trashing she got rom her brahmin. ,he cow went to the temple o +andikeshwar& situated at the bank o river +armada. ,o neutrali:e the sin o Brahmahatya she took dip in the water o river +armada or three times. As a result she regained her original colour. 1uvad had ollowed the cow all along the way. (e was ama:ed to see the cow regaining her original colour. (e proceeded on his urther 9ourney towards Kashi. (e met a beauti ul lady on the way who enHuired as to where was he going. 1uvad told her that he was going to immense the ashes o her mother in the holy water o the river Banges. ,he lady advised him to immerse the ashes in the water o +armada itsel & as the holy Banga hersel comes to meet +armada on the seventh day o Vaishakh every year. P,oday is the same auspicious day when the holy Banga will be coming to meet +armada.P 1aid the beauti ul woman. 1he also told him that immersing the ashes in the waters o +armada would help his mother to attain to the divine abode. ,his beauti ul lady was none other than Banga hersel . A ter advising 1uvad she disappeared. 1uvad ollowed the instruction o that beauti ul lady. (e immersed the ashes in the waters o +armada. (e saw his mother attaining a divine body. (is mother blessed 1uvad and then attained to the abode o Lord 1hiva.
8.F.8 @ahabal 1hiva Linga

Describing about @ahabal 1hiva Linga& 1ut9i said to the sages3 P@ahabal 1hivalinga is situated at Bokarna area. A devotee who has a darshan o @ahabal 1hivalinga on the eighth or ourteenth day o AArdranakshatra alling on @onday& becomes ree rom all o his sins and attains to the 1hivaloka.P (aving a darshan o this 1hivalinga on any other day too helps a man to attain to the abode o Almighty. All the deities& ancestors& holy rivers like Banga and the +agas stand guard on all the our entrances o @ahabal templeP P-ven the most degraded sinner attains salvation i he worships @ahabal 1hivalinga on the ourteenth day o @agha (dark lunar phase). ?n this day people come rom all over *ndia to see the grand estival.P
8.F.I ,he "eason Behind Ehallic Corship

,he sages curiously asked 1ut9i about the purpose with which Earvati had decided to appear in the orm o a Vagina. 1ut9i narrated the ollowing tale5 PLong long ago& some sages used to do penance in a 1hiva temple situated near Daruk orest. ?ne day they went to collect woods needed or the Yagya. Lord 1hiva wanted to test their devotion& so he arrived be ore the sagesA wives in naked position holding his own phallus in his hand. ,he wives o the sages became rightened by 1hivaAs appearance. PChen the sages returned a ter collecting woods& they became very urious to see a naked person luring their wives. ,hey asked 1hiva to reveal his identity. Chen 1hiva did not give any reply& they cursed him to become a phallus.P P,he Ehallus ell down rom the hand o Lord 1hiva and generated so much o heat that all the three worlds started to burn. ,he sages became very nervous and went to seek the help o lord Brahma. Lord Brahma revealed to then that the person who they cursed was none other than Lord 1hiva himsel . (e also instructed them to please goddess Earvati& as she only could have them rom 1hivaAs wrath by appearing in the orm o Vagina and holding the Ehallus.P P,he sages ollowed the instruction o Lord Brahma. Boddess Earvati appeared in the orm o Vagina and held 1hivaAs phallus in hersel . ,he sages then worshipped the 1hivalinga. ,his 9yotirlinga became amous by the name o (aatkeshwar.P
8.F.< ,he ?rigin o Batuknath

Long long ago there lived a brahmin by the name o Dadhichi. (is wi e to a low caste& though his son 3 1udarshan was very learned. ,he name o his wi e was ,ukula. 1he had her husband under total control and in luence. 1udarshan had our sons. ?ne day Dadhichi planned to go out due to some work. (e entrusted the 9ob o 1hivaAs worship to 1udarshan. 1udarshan worshipped the idol o 1hiva daily without any ail. ?n the 1hivaratri day& 1udarshan too had observed a ast like rest o his amily members. (e worshipped 1hivaAs idol in the morning as usual and then went to his home. During the night time& he had a se/ual relationship with his wi e. A ter that& he sat down to worship without puri ying himsel . Lord 1hiva became very urious by his action. (e immobili:ed him by his curse. Dadhichi was very sad to see the condition o his son. (e commenced a tremendous penance to please goddess Earvati. A ter being pleased by his penance& Earvati reHuested Lord 1hiva to liberate 1udarshan rom his curse. Lord 1hiva became pleased and blessed 1udarshan by saying that he would become amous as Batuknath and also that the worship o Batuknath would amount to the worship o lord 1hiva.
8.F.J ,he ?rigin o 1omnath

,he moon had twenty seven wives& one o whom was "ohini. ,he moon loved "ohini very much& which made the rest o his wives very 9ealous and angry. ,hey went to their ather 3 Daksha and complained about @oonAs behaviour. Daksha went to @oon and advised him to give proper attention to all o his wives. But it did not have any e ect on him and he continued giving special treatment to "ohini.
Chen Daksha came to know about this& he became very curious. (e cursed @oon to become weak and devoid o radiance. ,he moon then sent the deities to lord Brahma to seek his help. At irst& lord Brahma became very angry with @oon& but later on he cooled down and told the deities& that @oon can get liberated rom the curse& i he chants A@ahamrityun9aya mantraA by going to Erabhus area. @oon went to Erabhas area and chanted @ahamrityun9aya mantra or ten crore time a ter sitting in one posture. Lord 1hiva appeared be ore him and asked him to demand anything he wished. @oon reHuested lord 1hiva to liberate him rom the curse given by Daksha. Lord 1hiva told moon that the words o Daksha can never became untrue. (owever he blessed moon by saying that he would wane during the dark lunar phase due to the curse& but wa/ during the dark lunar phase due to his (1hivaAs) blessings. Lord 1hiva also provided moon that he would be present along with Earvati near him (moon). ,hus Lord 1hiva established himsel as 1omanath. ,he deities constructed a AKundaA named >handrakunda. *t is believed that the @oon because liberated rom the curse by taking a bath in this Eunda.
8.F.G ,he ?rigin o @allikar9una

?nce& under the in luence o 1age +arad& Kartikeya had gone to the Kraunch @ountain to do penance. 1hiva and Earvati could not bear the pain o his separation or long. Both o them went to the Kraunch mountain to see him. Chen Kartikeya saw them coming he moved to some other place. Chen lord 1hiva saw this he established himsel in the orm o #yotirlinga& which later on became amous as @allikar9una 9yotirlinga.
8.F.6M ,he ?rigin o @ahakaleshwar

,here used to live a brahmin at Avantikapuri. (e was a great devotee o lord 1hiva and used to worship dialy. ,his brahmin had our sons whose names were Devapriya& @edhapriya& 1ukrit and Dharmabahu. By the blessings o lord 1hiva the brahmin en9oyed a very happy and contented li e. A ter his death& the brahminAs son continued the tradition o 1hivaAs worship. ,here was a mountain named "atanak on which a demon named Dushan used to live. Being into/icated by the boons received rom Lord Brahma& he used to torment all the people. (e had all the surrounding area under his control e/cept the house in which the brahmin amily lived. Dushan ordered his ellow demons to bring the brahmin a ter capturing them. All the demons went to Avantikapuri and created havoc. ,hey went to the brahmins and told them about DushanAs order. ,he brahmins were busy doing worship at that time so they did not give ear to their words. ,he brahmins continued with their worship. ,he demon became very angry and tried to attack them. 1uddenly the earth cracked with a tremendous sound and lord 1hiva mani ested rom within the cracks. (e killed all the demons. (e then went to the "atnamala mountain and killed Dushan. (e again returned to the brahmins and e/pressed his desire o ul illing their wishes. ,he brahmins e/pressed their desire o getting liberated rom the bondageAs o this world. ,hey also reHuested him to remain at that place. Lord 1hiva accepted their reHuest and established himsel in the orm o @ahakal.
8.F.66 ,he ?rigin o ?mkareshwar

?nce& +arad had gone to meet Vindhya mountain. Vindhya was very arrogant in his behaviour. +arad told him that 1umeru mountain was even greater than him and so his alse pride had no basis. Vindhya became very de9ected and disheartened. (e went to Amgreshwar and started worshipping 1hiva a ter making a Earthiv linga. Lord 1hiva became very pleased by his penance. (e appeared be ore Vindhya and blessed him. A ter sometime the sages too arrived there and worshipped 1hiva. ,hey reHuested lord 1hiva to remain at that place orever. Lord 1hiva established himsel as Earemeshwar Linga. ?ne 1hivalinga already e/isted at Amareshwar& which became amous as ?mkareshwar.
8.F.6; ,he ?rigin o Kedareshwar

,wo incarnations o Lord Vishnu by the names o +ara and Vishnu did penance at Badrikasharam. Both o them used to worship the idol o 1hiva daily. Lord 1hiva used to arrive in his subtle orm and accept their o erings without being noticed by them. ?ne day Lord 1hiva appeared be ore them. +ara and +arayana eulogi:ed him and reHuested to remain at that place orever. Lord 1hiva accepted their reHuest and established himsel as AKedareshwar 9yotirlingaA.
8.F.67 ,he ?rigin o Bheema 1hankar

Bheema 3 the demon& was the son o Kumbhakarna and Karkati. A ter Kumbhakarna was killed by 1ri "am. Karkati and Bheema went to live at 1ahya mountain. Chen Bheema grew up he asked Karkati about his ather. Karkati told him that his ather had been killed by "am. Bheema swore to avenge his atherAs death. (e did a tremendous penance to please lord Brahma. Brahma appeared be ore him and blessed him with insurmountable power and strength. Bheema then drove out the deities rom heaven. (e went to Kamarupa and de eated the king. (e captured the king and put him in prison. ,he helpless king used to pass his time by chanting the mantra3 ?m +amah 1hivay. (is wi e worshipped the Earthiva linga o 1hiva or the release o the king. All the deities went at the bank o river @ahakeshi and worshipped the Earthiva linga o lord 1hiva. Lord 1hiva appeared be ore them and assured them that the end o Bheema was near. Lord 1hiva went to the king who had been held captive by Bheema. (is ganas too accompanied him. All o them waited or the opportune time to kill Bheema. @eanwhile somebody in ormed Bheema that the king was doing worship o 1hiva in the prison& with the ob9ective o getting Bheema killed. Bheema arrived at the spot in the prison where the king was worshipping the Earthiva linga o Lord 1hiva. (e made un o 1hiva and struck the 1hiva linga with his sword. "ight then& Lord 1hiva appeared. A tremendous battle was ought between both o them. ,he battle continued or a long period. 1age +arad reHuested lord 1hiva to kill Bheema as soon as it was possible. Lord 1hiva produced ire by his loud roar. *n a very short time the ire spread in the whole orest. All the demons including Bheema were burnt to death. ,he deities and the sages arrived there. ,hey reHuested Lord 1hiva to remain there. Lord 1hiva accepted their reHuest and established himsel in the orm o Bheema 1hankar #yotirlinga.
8.F.6F ,he ?rigin o Vishveshwar

Cith the desire o giving liberation to the living creatures o this world& lord 1hiva had kept some portion o land on his ,rishul a ter separating it rom the rest o BrahmaAs creation. ,he name o this sacred place is @anikarnika. ,he 1hiva linga by the name o Avinukta was established by lord 1hiva himsel 0 Later on this sacred place was brought down rom the ,rishul and established on the land o 1hiva. ,his sacred place o pilgrimage later on became amous as Kashi and the 1hivalinga as Avimukta Visheshwar.
8.F.68 ,he ?rigin o ,rayambakeshwar

During the ancient time there lived a amous sage named Bautami. ,he name o his wi e was Ahilya. ?nce it did not rain or one hundred years as the result o which the whole area was a ected by drought. 1age Bautami did a tremendous penance to please Varun appeared be ore Bautam& he was reHuested to cause rain. But Varun e/pressed his inability in causing rain. (e told Bautam to please lord 1hiva so that his wish could be ul illed. Later on Varun instructed Bautam to dig a up a pit& which he (Varun) illed with water. Varun blessed Bautam by saying that this pond would never dry up. ,he sages who had abandoned that place returned there. -verybody became happy and satis ied. ?ne day& sage Bautam instructed his disciples to etch some water rom that pond. Chen the disciples reached there& they ound the wives o numerous sages present at the bank o the pond. ,he sagesA wives did not allow
them to take water and instead they rebuked them. ,he disciples returned back to the hermitage and narrated the whole story to sage Bautam. Ahilya paci ied the angry disciples and went to the pond to etch water. Drom that day onwards this became very daily routine. ?ne day Ahilya met the wives o the sages. ,hey tried to prevent her rom etching water. +ot only that they went back to his respective hermitages and illed the ears o their husbands. All the sages became very angry. ,he sages worshipped lord Banesha to please him. Chen Banesha appeared& they reHuested him to drive Bautam out rom that place. At irst Banesha was reluctant to accept their demand but when they kept a persisting he agreed at last. Banesha entered the ield o Bautam in which barley was being cultivated. Banesha had disguised himsel as a cow. (e started gra:ing the barley crops. Chen Bautam saw the cow gra:ing crops& he tried to drive her out rom the ield by hitting a grass on her back. ,he arti icial cow died instantly. Bautam was very sorry or his act. @eanwhile all the sages rom the surrounding area arrived there. ,hey orced Bautam to abandon that place at once. Bautam le t that place and made his hermitage at a little distance rom there. ?ne day he came to the sages and asked them as to how could he atone or his sins. ,he sages told him that his sins could be atoned only when he circumambulates the whole earth thrice& all the while saying& A* have killed a cowA. ,hey also told him that a ter that he would have to per orm austerities or one month. * this is not possible then you will have to help Banga mani est hersel and take bath in her water. ?therwise you will have to worship three crores Earthiva lingas. ?nly then& you can get liberated rom the sin o killing a cow&P said the sages. Bautam made the Earthiva lingas and started worshipping them. Lord 1hiva became very pleased by his devotion and appeared be ore him. 1age Bautam reHuested lord 1hiva to liberate him rom the sins o killing a cow. (e also reHuested lord 1hiva to mani est the stream o river Banga that place. Lord 1hiva tried his best to make him understand that he was innocent and the real culprits that he was innocent and the real culprits were those wicked sages. But& Bautam was unconvinced. At last lord 1hiva instructed Banga to appear in the orm o a woman. Bautam eulogi:ed Banga. By the blessings o lord 1hiva Bautam was liberated rom his sins o killing a cow. A ter that Banga e/pressed her desire to go back but lord 1hiva asked her to remain on the earth till the twenty3eighth nanvantar. Banga accepted to do that& on the condition that Lord 1hiva along with Earvati too would remain present on the earth. Lord 1hiva established himsel as ,rayambakeshwar #yotirlinga and Banga became amous as Bautami Banga.
8.F.6I ,he ?rigin o Baidyanath

,he demon king3 "avana did a tremendous penance to please lord 1hiva and to get a boon rom him. -ven a ter his severe penance when lord 1hiva did still not appear& he started o ering his heads one by one to lord 1hiva. ,his way he already severed his nine heads and o ered them to 1hiva. Chen he was about to severe his last remaining head& 9ust the lord 1hiva appeared be ore him. (e blessed "avana with unparalleled power and strength. Lord 1hiva also made him a ten headed demon once again. But "avana was not satis ied. (e reHuested lord 1hiva to come along with him to Lanka. Lord 1hiva gave "avana s 1hivalinga and warned him against keeping it on the earth& as then no power on the earth could li t that 1hivalinga rom there. "avana proceeded with the 1hivalinga. ?n the way he elt the urge o urinate. "avana gave that 1hivalinga to a cowherd boy and went to urinate. ,he cowherd boy held the 1hivalinga or sometime. (e elt that the 1hivalinga was becoming heavier and heavier. (e could not bear the weight o the 1hivalinga or too long. (e kept it on the ground. Chen "avana returned he became very sad a ter seeing the 1hivalinga on the ground. (e knew that& now it was impossible to li t it rom that place. "avana established the 1hivalinga there& which became amous as ABaidyanath 9yotirlingaA.
8.F.6< ,he ?rigin o +ageshwar #yotirlinga

During ancient times& there lived a demon named Daruk. ,he name o his wi e was Daruka. ,hey used to torment the people living in that area. ,he residents o that area went to sage AAurshA and narrated about their miseries and reHuested him to end this menace. AAurshA assured them that very soon their hardships would come to an end. (e then went to do his penance. ,he deities appeared be ore him a ter being pleased by his tremendous penance. 1age AAurshA reHuested the deities to kill the demons. ,he deities went to ight with the demons. ,he demons got scarred and started thinking about the means by which their lives could be saved. Daruka the wi e o Daruk had received a boon rom goddess Earvati due to which she had gained unparalleled power. 1he carried the whole orest and placed it in the middle o the sea. ,his way the demons again lived without being perturbed by the threat o the deitiesA attack. ?ne day the demons saw many boats sailing in the sea& on which were many people on board. ,he demons made all the people captive. ,here was a man named 1upriya who was great devotee o Lord 1hiva. (e used to worship lord 1hiva daily& even though he saw held under captivity. "est o the people too got in luenced by his devotion and everybody started worshipping lord 1hiva.,his way& si/ months had passed. ?ne day a demon saw 1upriya worshipping the idol o lord 1hiva. (e went to Daruk and in ormed him. Daruk became e/tremely urious. (e asked 1upriya as to whom was he worshipping. 1upriya still engrossed in his worship did not give any reply. ,his made Daruk even more angry. (e tried to kill 1upriya. Lord 1hiva appeared and killed all the demons. DarukaAs heart became ull o grie at the news o her husbandAs death. 1he went to Earvati and told her how lord 1hiva had killed Daruka. Earvati met lord 1hiva and both o them decided to protect there respective devotees by establishing themselves at that place. ,hus& +ageshwar 9yotirlinga came into e/istence.
8.F.6J -stablishment o "ameshwar

A ter (anuman brought the new that 1ita had been held captive by "avana at Lanka& 1ri "am proceeded towards Lanka with a huge army. A ter receiving the seashore he aced the problems o crossing over the sea. 1ri "am made a Earthiva linga o 1hiva and worshipped it. Lord 1hiva became very please with him and appeared. (e blessed 1ri "am to be victorious. 1ri "am on the other hand& reHuested him to establish himsel in that Earthiva linga& to which lord 1hiva agreed. ,his way A"ameshwar 9yotirlingaA came into e/istence.
8.F.6G ,he ?rigin o Dhushmesh #yotirlinga

,here used to live a brahmin by the name o 1udharma& who belonged to the lineage o sage Bhardwa9. (e was a great devotee o lord 1hiva. 1udeha was his wi e. 1udharma had no son. 1udeha desires or a son. 1he e/pressed her desire to 1udharma but he did not listen to her pleas. ?ne day 1udeha had gone or an outing accompanied by her companions. *ncidentally a Huarrel ensured among them and her companions made un o her issue less status. 1udeha became very sad. A ter returning to her hermitage& she narrated the whole incident to 1udharma. 1udharma meditated on the orm o 1hiva and threw two lowers& towards his wi e. (e thought that i 1udeha picks up the lower& which he had thrown with his right hand& then certainly a son would be born. But i she picks up the another lower then there is no chance o her giving birth to a son. %n ortunately 1udeha picked up the lower which 1udharma had thrown with his le t hand. 1udharma told his wi e that she was never going to become a mother. (e advised her to dedicate her li e in the devotion o lord 1hiva. Chen 1udeha learnt that there was no chance o her becoming a mother& she insisted her husband to marry or a second time& so that he could become a ather. But 1udharma re used to marry or the second. 1udeha brought her younger sister3Dhushma to the hermitage and married her with reluctant 1udharma. Dhushma proved to be a very aith ul wi e. 1he engaged hersel in the service o 1udharma and 1udeha. 1he also used to worship the Earthiva3linga o 1hiva daily.
A ter her worship she used to immerse the Earthiva lingas in a pond. ,his way& when she had accomplished the worship o one lakh Earthiva lingas& lord 1hiva blessed her with a son. 1udharma was e/tremely pleased but 1udeha became 9ealous o her own sister. Chen the child grew up& he was married to a beauti ul brahmin girl. Dhushma instructed the bride to take a special care o 1udeha. 1o the bride engaged hersel in the service o everybody. 1he took special care o looking into the needs o 1udeha. But still& 1udehaAs 9ealousy did not diminish. ?ne day engripped by e/cessive 9ealousy and anger& she killed DhushmaAs son while he was asleep. 1he cut his body into many pieces and threw those pieces into the same pond& in which Dhushma used to immerse the Earthiva lingas. Chen the daughter in law noticed a piece o lesh on the bed she started crying. 1he went to Dhushma and narrated the whole story. (earing the news o her sonAs killing& Dhushma too started crying 1udeha also wept arti icially. 1udharma arrived there. ,hough he himsel was very sad yet he instructed Dhushma to do the daily worship o Earthiva linga as usual. Dhushma obeyed the command o her husband& 1he worshipped the Earthiva lingas and went to the pond o immense. By the blessings o lord 1hiva& her son was standing at the bank o the pond alive. (e came towards his mother and said3 P@other$ * have become alive even a ter my death.P Dhushma was still engrossed in her thoughts o lord 1hiva& so she could not listen to her son. Lord 1hiva appeared and blessed Dhushma. (e also e/pressed his desire to punish her wicked sister 3 1udeha or her evil deed& but Dhushma reHuested him to orgive her. 1he also reHuested lord 1hiva to stay there orever. Lord 1hiva accepted her demand and established himsel in the orm o Dhushmeshwar #yotirlinga. 1udharma and 1udeha arrived at that place and worshipped 1hiva. At last everybody returned home happily.
8.F.;M Lord Vishnu "eceives 1udarshan >hakra

,he deities went to lord Vishnu& a ter being tormented by the demons. ,hey reHuested him to annihilate the demons. A ter assuring them& Lord Vishnu went to Kailash mountain to do his penance. But even his tremendous penance was not enough to please Lord 1hiva. Lord Vishnu then worshipped lord 1hiva by chanting the mantras o 1hiva 1ahastranamavali. (e also o ered one thousand lotus lowers to lord 1hiva in course o his worship. ?ne day 1hiva wanted to test the devotion o lord Vishnu. (e stole one lotus lower rom among the one thousand lowers. Chen lord Vishnu began his worship he ound that there was one lower less. ,o make up or this de iciency& he o ered his one eye to lord 1hiva 3 his eye which has been compared with a lotus lower. Lord 1hiva was very mush impressed by his e/ceptional devotion. (e appeared be ore Vishnu and asked him to demand any boon he wished. Lord Vishnu demanded a divine weapon to annihilate the demons. Lord 1hiva gave him a sparkling 1udharshan >hakra. ?n the reHuest o Lord Vishnu he established himsel in the orm o (arishwar 1hivalinga. At last lord Vishnu killed the demon with his 1udarshan >hakra.
8.F.;6 1hiva 1ahastranaam

1ut9i told the sages that lord Vishnu had worshipped lord 1hiva with the help o his one thousand names. 1ome o the chie names o 1hiva are 1hiva& (ar& @rid& "udra& Eushkar& Eushpalochan& Arthigamya& 1adachar& 1harv& 1hambhu& @aheshwar& etc.
8.F.;; ,he Breatness o 1ahastranaam

A devotee who chants these one thousand names o lord 1hiva attains all the accomplishments. >hanting it during distress helps a man to become ree rom all kings o mis ortune. Lord Vishnu could kill the demons only because o the power he derived rom the chanting o 1ahastranaam.
8.F.;7 ,he Devotees o 1hiva

Describing about the numerous devotees o 1hiva who were amous or their devotion towards lord 1hiva& 1ut9i named a ew o them like Durvasa& Vishwamitra& Dadhichi& Bautam& Kanad& Bhargav& Vrihaspati& Vaishampayam& Earashar& Vyas& %pamanyu& Yagyavalkya& #aimini and Barg etc. (e also narrated a tale connected with King 1udyumna. ?nce 1udyumna had gone into that orest which was gi ted to Earvati by lord 1hiva& with the warning that any man who dares to enter it would become a woman. As soon as 1udyumna entered that orest he got trans ormed into a woman. (e became very sad. (e worshipped lord 1hiva to regain his masculinity. Lord 1hiva pleased by his devotion& he blessed him to be as a man or one month and again as a woman or the same period o time alternately.
8.F.;F Austerities N Dastings >onnected with 1hiva)s Corship

?nce Earvati asked lord 1hiva as to which were the austerities when on being per ormed by a devotee& helps him to attain both worldly accomplishments as well as liberation. Lord 1hiva told her about ten austerities connected with his worship and their methods. (e said3 P?n the eighty day o every month a devotee should worship me by observing a ast or the whole day and breaking it in the night. But on Kalashtami a devotee must observe the ast or the whole day and night. (e must not have ood on that day. ?n the eleventh day o the dark3lunar month& a devotee must worship me and observe ast during the day. (e should break the ast in the night. But on the eleventh day o the bright lunar month& a devotee should observe a ast or the whole period o day and night. ?n the thirteenth day o dark3lunar month a devotee must observe ast or the whole period o day and night& whereas on the thirteenth day o a bright lunar phase he should observe a ast during the day and break it in the night. A ast observed on @onday should be broken only in the night.P
8.F.;8 @ahashivaratri
Lord 1hiva continued with his statements3 PAmong all the austerities and astings @ahashivaratri holds a supreme place. *t alls on the ourteenth day o the dark lunar month o Ehalgun. ?n this day the devotee should take a vow to observe a ast a ter awakening in the morning and inishing his daily choirs. (e must observe a ast or the whole day and night. *n the night he should worship me either in the temple or in his own home according to his convenience. (e should worship me with the help o si/teen modes o worship (1hodasopachar). (e should either chant the mantras o Laghurudra or per orm AabhishekA during the course o worship. Chile doing worship he should eulogi:e me and per orm AartisA in my praise. (e can per orm AabhishekA with either o the ollowings 3 @ilk& water& sacred water o belonging to a place o pilgrimage& sprinkling water with Kusha& 1ugarcane 9uice& (oney and Bhee etc. ,he devotee should engage himsel in my devotion or the whole day. *n the end he should eed the brahmins and make donation to them. A ast observed in this way gives in inite virtues to the devotee.P
8.F.;I Accomplishment o 1hivratri (%ddyapan)

A ter observing asts or ourteen consecutive years on each o the 1hivaratri days& a devotee should per orm A%ddyapanA (religious rites per ormed on the accomplishment o an observance). ?n the day preceding the %ddyapan ceremony& a devotee must have ood or one time. ,he ne/t day a devotee should per orm %ddyapan a ter making a religious vow and according to the appropriate methods. A devotee who per orms %ddyapan in the above mentioned way attains to the 1hivaloka.
8.F.;< ,he Breatness o 1hivaratri

,here used to live a poor bheel named Burudruha. (e was very poor. ?ne day inding no ood available in his house& he went to the orest to hunt an animal. %n ortunately he did not ind any animal which he could hunt. Being hungry& he sat down on the bank o a pond and pondered as to what would happen to his amily members who were hungry too. (e thought that i he waited there& then he might get a chance to kill a thirsty animal& which arrives there to drink water.
Burudruha climbed up a bael tree and waited or his prey. A 1hivalinga was established 9ust under that tree and co incidentally it was a 1hivaratri day. Chen the irst three hours o the night had passed& he saw a emale deer arriving with her young ones. (e got ready with his bow and arrow and aimed his arrow towards the emale deer. By coincidence some leaves rom that bael tree ell on the 1hivalinga along with some drops o water rom the vessel in which he was carrying water. Burudruha had accomplished the worship o 1hiva during the irst AEraharA o the night unawaringly. A ter hearing the noise made by alling drops o water& the emale deer looked up. 1he saw Burudruha sitting with his bow and arrows. 1he asked him about his desire. Burudruha told her that he wanted to kill her& so that he could eed his amily members. ,he emale deer reHuested him to allow her to go so that she could leave her young ones in the sa e custody o her husband. 1he promised to come back. At irst Burudruha was reluctant but when the emale deer started giving illustrations rom the scriptures& he allowed her to go. @ean while the sister o emale deer arrived there with her young ones. Chen Burudruha sow her& he got ready to kill her. 1uddenly his movements on the tree& made some leaves o bael and ew drops o water to all on the 1hivalings. *t was the second Erahara o the night and Burudruha had again per ormed the worshiped o 1hiva unawaringly. Chen the emale deer (1econd) heard the noise made by alling drop o water 1he looked up towards Burudruha. 1he asked him about his desire. Chen Burudruha told about his desire& she reHuested him to allow her to go so that she could hand over her young ones in the sa e custody o her husband. *nitially& Burudruha was reluctant to allow her to go& but when she promised to return back& he allowed her to go. Burudruha sat on the branches o the bael tree waiting or his prey. ,he second prahar o the night was coming to an end and the third prahar about to begin. ,he deer arrived there searching his wi e and children. Burudruha again made himsel ready to kill that dear. Again some leaves and ew drops o water ell on the 1hivalinga. ,he worship o 1hiva during the third Erahara had been accomplished by Burudruha& though unawaringly. ?n hearing the noise made by the alling drops o water& the dear looked up and asked Burudruha about his desire. Burudruha told him about his desire. ,he deer reHuested Burudruha to allow him to meet his wi e and children or once. ,he deer promised to return back. A ter becoming satis ied by his intentions& Burudruha allowed him to go to meet his amily. Burudruha sat on the bael tree waiting or the deers an/iously. ,he third prahar o the night was approaching its end and the ourth prahar was about to begin. 1uddenly Burudruha saw all the three deerAs coming towards the pond. (e became e/tremely pleased at the prospect o getting lesh o three animals. (e got read with his bow and arrows. (is movements on the bael tree again made some leaves and ew drops o water to all on the 1hivaling. Burudruha had success ully accomplished the worship o 1hiva even during the ourth Erahar. +ot only this he had also remained awake or the whole night o 1hivaratri. ,he ast observed by Burudruha on 1hivaratri along with the worship o 1hiva though unawaringly had made him on enlightened person. ,he thought o killing the deers remained no longer in his heart. (e thanked all the deers or their help in his attainment o enlightenment. Lord 1hiva became e/tremely pleased and appeared be ore him. (e blessed Burudruha that in his ne/t birth he would get an opportunity to serve 1ri "am and would become amous as +ishad. Lord 1hiva also told Burudruha that by the blessings o 1ri "am he would attain salvation by the blessings o 1ri "am he would attain salvation. 1ut9i while describing about the virtues o observing ast on 1hivaratri told the sages that i a ast observed unwaringly on 1hivaratri gives such virtues then what could be said about a ast which is observed deliberately. According to 1ut9i such a ast would bestow both worldly pleasures and salvation.
8.F.;J Di erent 1tages o Liberation

"egarding the di erent stages o liberation& 1ut9i told the sages that there were ive stages o liberation capable o reeing a man rom the sorrows o this world. 6) 1arupya (1imilitude with the Almighty)& ;) 1alokya& 7) 1annidhya (living in the pro/imity o the almighty)& F) 1ayu9ya (getting united with the almight)& 8) Kalvalya (Devotion towards Bod) ?nly lord 1hiva is capable o bestowing liberation. ?ne can attain dharm (virtuosity)& Artha (Cealth) and Kaam (desires and wishes) by the worship o other deities& but lord 1hiva bestowes all the our o them. Lord Brahma is believed to be the master o the three elementary Hualities i.e. 1at& "a9a and ,ama. 1hiva is beyond these Hualities and even the nature itsel . (e is ormless. Lord 1hiva is a mystery which remains unsolved even though many sages and even lord Brahma have tried to solve this mystery called 1hiva. ,he i th stage o liberation is called Kaivalya which is attained by having complete devotion towards lord 1hiva. *n the present era o Kali& where the attainment o sel knowledge is very di icult& devotion is relatively an easier path. -ven devotion has been categorised into two types5 a) 1agun (Cith orm) b) +irguna (Dormless) * man worships lord 1hiva with total devotion he attains sel knowledge. -ach and every ob9ects o this world is nothing but the mani estation o 1hivaAs power. ,he creation achieves e/pansion only when he desires. 1hiva is omniscient but himsel invisible. #ust as the ire& which already e/ists in the wood but is visible only a ter it is rubbed& similarly only the AByanisA can e/perience lord 1hiva even though he is omnipresent. #ust as there is no di erence between cause and e ect& but is appears so due to our ignorance& similarly an ignorant man can never e/perience the omnipresent 1hiva by his sense organs. ,he living things possess ego but lord 1hiva is egoless. A man can success ully sub9ugates his ego by becoming knowledgeable and attains liberation a ter uniting with lord 1hiva. ,his knowledge was received by lord Vishnu rom 1hiva. Lord Vishnu later on revealed it to lord Brahma and Brahma in turn revealed it to his manasputra 3 1anak& etcK ,he manasputra revealed this knowledge to +arad and +arad revealed it to Vyas.
/&/
ma )amhita
,his >hapter contains ;M sections.
8.8.6 >onversation Between Krshna N %pamanyu

?nce& Lord Krishna went to Kailash mountain to do penance with the desire o having a son. (e ound @aharishi %pamanyu engrossed in his meditation. (e told %pamanyu about his desire and reHuested him to describe about the greatness o lord 1hiva. %pamanu described about his own e/perience when he had divine glimpses o lord 1hiva who was meditating P?nce * saw 1hiva who was surrounded by all the deities. Lord 1hiva was engrossed in his deep meditation. 1hiva had in his possession all the divine weapons like 3 ,rident& A/e& +oose& 1udarshan etc. Lord Vishnu and Brahma9i were also present there. * eulogi:ed lord 1hiva who became pleased with me. Lord 1hiva wanted to bless me with a boon. * reHuested lord 1hiva to bless me with three things3 6) * should always remain his devotee b) to be able to know about the past& present and uture events& c) @y amily should never eel the scarcity o rice and milk.P PLord 1hiva not only blessed me with all these three things& but also to be able to see the Vaivasvat kalpa.P A ter completing his story& sage %pamanyu told Krishna he must worship lord 1hiva i he was desirous o a son& because Lord 1hiva can be pleased Huite easily.
8.8.; 1ri Krshna Does Eenance

1ri Krishna then proceeded to do his penance a ter getting initiated by %pamanyu with the mantra 3 ?m +amah 1hivay. (e did a tremendous penance or i teen months by standing on his toe. *n the si/teenth month lord 1hiva and Earvati appeared be ore him a ter being pleased by his penance. Lord 1hiva e/pressed his desire to bless Krishna. Krishna demanded eight boon. 6) @ay his intelligence always remain inclined towards religiousness. ;)
@ay he attain immortal ame& 7) @ay he has his abode in 1hivaAs pro/imity& F) @ay his aith and devotion in 1hiva be unswerving& 8) @ay he have ten valiant sons& I) @ay he be victorious against his enemies& <) @ay all his enemies be destroyed and J) @ay be dear to all the yogis. A ter receiving eight boons rom Lord 1hiva& Krishna demanded one boon rom goddess Earvati @ay he always be in the service o his parents and the brahmins. 1ri Krishna then went back to %pamanyu and narrated the whole story. At last he returned to Dwarka.
8.8.7 >lassi ication o Brave 1ins

Describing about the sins& 1ut9i told the sages that altogether there were twelve types o sins committed by a man by his actions& thought speech. ?ut o them having a desire or another personAs wi e& being desirous o anotherAs wealth& having evil designs against other people and dri ting towards sin ul path are considered to be sins committed by oneAs thoughts. ,he ollowing sins are supposed to be committed by speech 3 >onversating with a woman who is having periods& telling lies& %npleasing talks and back biting. ,he ollowing sins are committed by oneAs actions eating things& which are not worth eatingAs& indulging in violence and uncivili:ed activities and taking otherAs wealth by improper means. -ven among all these sins some are considered to be graver& like critici:ing teacher& hermit and parents etc& stealing the property o temple or a brahmin. A person commits @ahapap (grave sin) i he indulges in any o the ollowing5 not having devotion towards oneAs preceptor abandoning oneAs preceptor& sleeping on the preceptorAs bed& drinking into/icating drinks& having illicit relationship with oneAs teacherAs wi e& taking back the wealth which has already been donated& earning wealth by employing improper means. A man who commits the ollowing sins are considered to be the grave sinners 3 burning a cowshed& a orest or a city& not marrying a girl with a suitable man& having illicit relationship with daughter in law& and sister in law.
8.8.F ,he Description o (ell

-ach living being has to taste the ruits o his AKarmasA& when his soul reaches the abode o Yama a ter his death. ,he soul o a virtuous man enters the hell rom the +orthern side& where as that o sin ul man enters rom the southern side. Yamanagri 3 ,he abode o Yama is situated at a distance o eighty si/ thousand yo9ans (?ne Yo9ans 3 -ight miles) rom the sur ace o the earth. ,he virtuous soul reaches there without any problem because o his virtuous deeds. ?n the contrary& the soul o a sinner reaches Yamanagri tasting the ruits o his sins all along the way. @oreover& when the soul o a sinner reaches Yamanagri& it gets punished by the AYamadutasA. ,he lord o death then gives the inal 9udgement on the basis o each individualAs sins. Drom the hell the virtuous soul leaves or the heaven. ,here are many categories o hells all illed up with ilth.
8.8.8 >harity and its *mportance

1ut9i while warning the sages told3 PEeople who engages themselves in virtuous deeds through out their lives and who have been kind o others& cross the terri ying path o the hell Huite easily. A person& who donates shoes or wooden sandals to brahmins& reaches the hell riding on the horse. 1imilarly& a person who donates an umbrella to brahmins reaches the hell under the shade o an umbrella. @aking donations o bed or chairs to brahmins& help a man to reach the hell a ter taking adeHuate rest on the way. @aking donations o Bold or silver to brahmin helps a man to attain to heaven.P A man who donated ood grains en9oys all the pleasures o li e& because ood grains sustain li e. -ven& making donation o water is considered to be o supreme value because li e can not e/ist without it. A man& who digs up wells and ponds or the bene it o people& acHuires great virtues. Elanting trees& especially which gives ruits or lowers are considered to give immeasurable virtues. @aking donations o cow& land& knowledge and such ob9ects that can be weighed are considered.
@aking donations o Bold& 1esame& elephant& girl& maid& servant& house& chariot& diamond& cow whose colour is pure white and ood grains are considered to be @ahadan (great donation). ,he donations should be made only to worthy brahmins.
8.8.I ,he Description o the +etherworld (Eatal Loka)

,he earth is balanced on the hood o 1heshnag. Lord Vishnu is the nurturer o this world. ,here are seven more worlds beneath the earth& which are Atala& Vitala& 1utala& "asatala& ,ala& ,alatala and Eatal. -ach o these worlds is ten thousand yo9ans in length and twenty thousand yo9ans deep. All these worlds are ull o invaluable and priceless diamonds. ,he residents o each o these worlds en9oy all the lu/uries and pleasures o li e. ,he demons and the +agas reside in these worlds.
8.8.< Liberation Drom (ell

-ven arther than these seven worlds is situated the hell& Chere the soul o the sinner goes to a ter the death. 1ome o the main names o hell are 3 "aurav& 1hukar& "odh& ,aal& Vivasan and @aha9wala etc. ,he soul o a sinner goes to each o these hells according to the magnitude o his sins. A man should worship lord 1hiva and sing hymns in his praise to get liberated rom his sins.
8.8.J ,he Description o 1even *slands

,he whole earth is divided into seven islands or dweepas. ,he name o these islands is #ambu& Elaksha& 1halmali& Kraunch& 1haaka and Eushkar. All these islands are surrounded by such oceans on all sides. ,he content o each o these oceans is salt. 1ugarcane 9uice& ghee& milk& curds and honey respectively. #ambudweepa is also known as *ndia. *t stretches rom south o (imalaya to the north o ocean. ,he total area is about nine thousand yo9ans. *t is urther subdivided into nine land segments& seven mountains& and seven sacred rivers near the seven places o pilgrimage and many other rivers. 1imilarly the AElakshaA island is surrounded by ocean o salt on all sides and spread up in the area o one thousand yo9ans. ,he area o 1halmali island is twice as that o Elaksha island. *t is surrounded by the ocean o honey. ,he are o Kusha island is twice as that o 1halmali island and is surrounded by the ocean o ghee. 1imilarly the Krauncha is surrounded by the ocean o curd and its area is thrice as that o Kusha island. ,he area o 1haka island is twice as that o Kraucha island and is surrounded by the ocean o milk. ,he ocean o sweet water surrounds the Eushkar island. *ts total length is ive thousand yo9ans and ive lakh yo9ans respectively. ,he mountain @anas is situated in this island. ,he residents o these islands never attain old age. Lord Brahma resides in @ahaveet section o this island. ,he people living in this island get ood without making any e ort.
8.8.G ,he Description o Elanets

As ar as the light o 1un and @oon reaches the earth& it is called ABhoo lokaA. 1urya loka is situated one lakh yo9an above the Bhooloka. ,he >handra loka is situated one lakh yo9an above 1urya loka. All the constellations as well as the planets are spread in the area o the ten thousand yo9ans above the @oon. @ercury is situated above the moon Venus above the @ercury and @ars is situated above the Venus. #upiter is situated above @ars and 1aturn above #upiter. ,he 1aptarshi mandals are situated at a distance o one lakh yo9an above 1aturn. ,he ADhruvaA is situated at a distance o one lakh yo9an above the 1aptarshi @andals. All the planets are situated between the earth and Dhruva star in the orm o three lokas 3 Bhooloka& Bhuvar loka and 1warga loka (heaven). @ahar looka is situated even beyond the Dhruvaloka. ,his is the world where the manasputras (1anak sanandan etc) o lord Brahma reside. #ana loka is situated above @ahaloka where as the ,apaloka is situated at a distance o twenty si/ lakh yo9ans above @ahaloka. 1atyaloka is situated si/ times the distance between @ahaloka and ,apaloka. 1atyaloka is also
known as Brahmaloka. Beyond Brahmaloka is situated the Vaikuntha loka. 1imilarly the world o Kartikeya Kumar loka is situated beyond Vaikunth loka. A ter Kumar loka comes the %ma loka and then comes the 1hiva loka& which is the arthest loka. Boloka is situated near 1hivaloka where lord Krishna lives with the cow names 1ushila& with the permission o lord 1hiva.
8.8.6M >ategories o Austerity (,apa)

,ruth or 1atya is the best among all the types o austerity. A truth ul man is the supreme devotee and a great accomplisher. Austerity helps a man to attain all the worldly pleasures o li e and ultimately salvation. Austerities have been classi ied into three types on the basis o three basic Hualities or gunas i.e. 1atvik tapa& "a9assi tapa and ,amassi tapa. Austerities observed by the deitiesA hermits and celibates come under the category o 1atvik ,apa. Austerities maintained by the Adaitya/A and man come under the category o "a9asi3,apa. Austerities maintained by the demons and those people who indulge in evil and cruel deeds come under the category o ,amasi ,apa.
8.8.66 ,he ?rigin o Body

,he ood intaken by a man gets trans ormed into AsemenA in the body. ,he semen is trans ormed to the womanAs womb during the time o intercourse where it gets mi/ed with the blood. *t then develops into an egg. Bradually all the organs start to mani est themselves. ,he body then attains the vital orce and ultimately comes out rom the motherAs womb a ter su ering great pains. But a ter taking birth he orgets all about those pains. (e then lives his li e by reaping the ruits o his past Karmas.
8.8.6; Euri ication o the Body

Be ore taking birth& the body lives a very ilthy environment in motherAs womb. *t becomes so dirty that even Eanchagavya can not make it pure. "emembrance o 1hiva is the only means to make it pure.
8.8.67 >ontrol over Death (*chchha @rityu)

1ut9i told the sages that a person who wants to control death should irst be seated on a pure seat. (e should then per orm Eranayama by holding his breath. Chile doing this e/ercise care should be taken that lamp is not burning. Both the ears should be shut by the inde/ ingers or the period o one hour. A ter doing this he would be able to hear the sounds emerging rom within. (e should try to concentrate his mind on that sound. * this e/ercise is practiced daily or two hours& then he will have ull control over his death. ,his particular e/ercise helps a man to attain great accomplishments& sel 3knowledge and salvation.
8.8.6F ,he Descent o Banga

?nce& emperor 1agar per ormed an Ashwamedha Yagya. *ndra abducted the horse used in this Yagya and kept it in the hermitage o 1age Kapil. All the si/ty thousand sons o 1agar went to search the horse and ound it in KapilAs hermitage. (earing the commotion and noise& sage Kapil who was engrossed in his meditation opened his eyes and came out to see what was happening. (e was very angry. (e looked angrily towards the sons o 1agar. All o them were burnt to death e/cept our. *n due course o time& 1age Bhagirath became success ul in bringing river Banga to earth with the blessings o lord 1hiva. Bhagirath was the descendants o 1agar. Bhagirath made all o his ancestors alive who had met an untimely death by sprinkling the water o Banga on their bones. "iver Banga is also known as Bhagirathi because o Bhagirath.
8.8.68 ,he Austerities o Ved Vyasa

+arrating about the li e o 1age Ved Vyas& 1ut9i said to the sages3
P?nce while sage Earashar was on his pilgrimage& he arrived at the bank o Yamuna. 1atyavati& who emitted the smell o ish& helped him cross the river. 1age Earashar was very pleased with her. (e trans ormed the bad smell emitting rom her body into ragrance. (e also told her that she would be ortunate to give birth to a son as mighty as lord Vishnu. *n due course o time 1atyavati gave birth to a child. ,he child was given the name Krishnadwaipayan by 1atyavatiAs ather. 1oon a ter his birth the child told his mother that he was going to do penance and he would come back to see her the moment she desired. ,he child did tremendous penance and became amous as Ved Vyas. Cith this deep knowledge and insight he categori:ed the di erent sections o Veda. A ter the accomplishment o his penance. Ved Vyas went on a pilgrimage. (e came to Kashi with a desire to write the Euranas. ,o get the blessings o Lord 1hiva he worshipped the @adhyeshwar linga. Lord 1hiva became pleased by his devotion and blessed him. Ved Vyas created numerous puranas like 3 Brahma Eurana& Eadma3Eurana& Vishnu Eurana& 1hiva Eurana& Bhagawat Eurana& Bhavishya Eurana& +arad Eurana& @arkandeya Euran& Agni Euran& Brahma Vaivarta Euran& Linga Euran& Varah Euran& Kurma Euran& @atsya Euran& Baruda Euran& Vaman Euran& 1kanda Euran and Brahmanda Euran.
8.8.6I *ncarnation o @ahakali

?nce upon a time king 1urath a ter loosing his kingdom to his enemy led to the orest. A ter wandering or some time he reached the hermitage o sage @edha. (e started living there& as he had no place to go. ,he de9ected king used to pass his time wondering about his uture. ?ne day& 1urath met a man named 1amadhi& who was driven out rom his house by his own sons. (is sons had captured all the wealth. Both o them went to sage @edha and narrated about their woe ul tales. 1age @edha advised both o them to contemplate on the orm o @ahamaya Bhagawati 1urath and 1amadhi were curious to know about Bhagawati 1age @edha said3 P,he demons& @adhu and Kailash were produced rom the ilth which came out rom the ears o lord Vishnu& while he was resting on the back o 1heshnag during the time o total annihilation.P P?n seeing lord Brahma sitting on the lotus lower& which emerged rom the navel o lord Vishnu& both the demons tried to kill him. Lord Brahma eulogi:ed yoga nidra. 1o that lord Vishnu could be awakened rom the sleep. Boddess Bhagawati became pleased and told Brahma that in a short while rom now she would be mani esting hersel to kill the demons.P PBhagawati mani ested hersel in the orm o Kali rom the mouth and eyes o lord Vishnu. @eanwhile lord Vishnu awakened rom his sleep. (e ought with the demons or one thousand years but could not de eat them. At last the demons told lord Vishnu that they wanted to bless him with a boon. Lord Vishnu demanded their death. 1eeing water on all sides the demons told him that he could kill them where no water was ound. Lord Vishnu then severed their heads a ter laying them on his thighs.P
8.8.6< *ncarnation o @ahala/mi

@ahishasur 3 the son o "ambhasur had captured the heaven a ter de eating the deities. ,he sorrow ul deities came to seek the help o lord Vishnu and Lord 1hiva. Lord 1hiva and Lord Vishnu became e/tremely urious a ter hearing about the misdeeds o @ahishasur. "adiant lights appeared rom the bodies o Vishnu& 1hiva and other deities and collectively mani ested into a single orm o @ahala/mi. All the deities presented their respective weapons to her. @ahala/mi went to ight @ahishasur& who ought valiantly by changing his appearance& but ultimately got killed by her. ,he deities became very pleased by the death o @ahishasur. ,hey eulogi:ed and worshipped her.
8.8.6J *ncarnation o @ahasarasvati

A ter being tormented by the demons 1humbha and +ishumbha& the deities went to goddess Earvati and reHuested her to protect them. Kaushiki mani ested rom the body o goddess Earvati. Boddess Kaushiki assured the deities and disappeared. By coincidence the attendants o the demons 3 1humbha and +ishumbha& happened to see Kaushiki and became enchanted by her divine beauty. ,hey went to 1humbha and +ishumbha and praised about her beauty.
Both the demons sent a messenger to 1ummon her. Kaushiki asked the messenger to convey the message to the demons that only such a person can become her lord& who de eats her in a battle. ,he messenger returned and gave the message to 1humbha and +ishumbha. Both the demons were enraged. ,hey sent a huge army to bring Kaushiki orcible& under the commandership o Dhumralochan. Chen Dhumralochan reached there& he told her about his masterAs command. Kaushiki gave the some reply that only such a person can become her master& who de eats her in a battle. Dhumralochan then tried to abduct her orcibly. Kaushiki gave a loud roar in her anger as a result o which Dhumralochan was burnt to death. ,he whole army was annihilated by her vehicle3lion. Chen 1humbha and +ishumbha learnt about the death o Dhumralochan and the destruction o his army& they sent many mighty demons like >handa& @unda& "aktabee9a etc to ight her. But each o them got killed by goddess Kaushiki. %ltimately 1humbha and +ishumba themselves came orward to ight. Both o them attacked Kaushiki with volley o arrows. Kaushiki destroyed their whole army. ,he whole battle ield became looded with blood. A ter that Kaushiki killed +ishumbha with special types o arrows& which did not allow single drop o blood to all on the ground. Angered by his brotherAs death& 1humbha attacked Kaushiks with his Various weapons& but she neutrali:ed all o them. At last& she killed 1humbha with her trident.
8.8.6G %ma Carns the Deities

?nce& a ter having de eated the demons the deities had become very arrogant and proud. ,hey started indulging in sel praise. 1uddenly they were started by the emergence o radiant light be ore them. All the deities became scarred and went to *ndra. *ndra sent Vayu to test the power o that radiant light. As soon as Vayu reached there& he ound that he had become powerless. ?ne by one all the deities came but returned a ter being de eated. At last *ndra himsel went there. As soon as *ndra reached there& he ound that he had become bere t o all his powers. 1uddenly goddess %ma mani ested hersel and warned *ndra against becoming arrogant. *ndra reali:ed his mistake.
8.8.;M ,he *ncarnation o 1hakambari

,he most valiant demon Durgam had acHuired all the our Vedas rom lord Brahma a ter pleasing him. Lord Brahma had also given a boon o invincibility to him. Durgam became very arrogant and started tormenting the whole world. As the conseHuence it did not rain or one hundred years and the whole world was hit by drought. ,he deities went to goddess @aheshwari (Earvati) and narrated about their woe ul tales. Boddess @aheshwari was so moved by their plights that tears rolled down rom her eyes or nine continuous days and nights. ,he tear tool the orm o a river as the result o which the phase o drought came to an end. ,he deities then reHuested her to recover the Vedas& which were in possession o Durgam. ,hey then went back to their abode. Chen Durgam saw that people were living happily& he attacked with a large army. At that very moment goddess mani ested hersel and ought a tremendous battle with Durgam. Drom her body mani ested the ten @ahavidyas and many other goddesses. At last goddess @aheshwari killed Durgam with her trident and recovered the Vedas rom his possession. 1he then handed over the Vedas to the deities. @aheshwari is also known as 1hakambhari as she had created river by her tears and saved the lives o Eeople. 6) * should always remain his devotee b) to be able to know about the past& present and uture events& c) @y amily should never eel the scarcity o rice and milk.P PLord 1hiva not only blessed me with all these three things& but also to be able to see the Vaivasvat kalpa.P A ter completing his story& sage %pamanyu told Krishna he must worship lord 1hiva i he was desirous o a son& because Lord 1hiva can be pleased Huite easily.
/&1
2ailash )amhita
,his >hapter contains I sections.
8.I.6 >lassi ications o Yoga

Describing about the various types o Yoga& 1ut9i told the sages that there were three types o Yoga 3 Byan Yoga& Kriya Yoga and Bhakti Yoga. P-ach o them is capable o giving salvation to a man. Chen the mind or intellect unites with the soul it is called Byan Yoga. Chen the soul gets attached with e/ternal ob9ects& it is called Kriya yoga. ,he uni ication o oneAs whole being with goddess Bhagawati is called Bhakti Yoga. All these three yogas combinedly are capable o giving salvation to a man. A man becomes a devotee by his actions or Karmas. Devotion or Bhakti helps a man to attain Byan or knowledge. Byan or Knowledge gives salvation. Yoga is the path through which a man can attain liberation whereas Kriya3yoga is the chie means to attain it.
8.I.; >onduct o a 1anyasi

A 1anyasi should wake up early in the morning. A ter getting up he should remember his preceptor or Buru and then he should pray to e/press his gratitude towards his Buru. A ter that he should practice Eranayama and try to concentrate his mind on the si/ chakras present in his bodies. A ter the completion o Eranayama and concentration on the si/ chakras he should inish his daily routines. A ter applying AashesA on his body he should chant the sacred mantras and per orm AtarpanaA. 1ubseHuently he should per orm Aachaman and then practice Eranayama or three times. A ter that he should remember the sages or rishis. Chile going to do worship& he should maintain silence all along the way. (e should do worship only a ter washing his eet and per orming Aachaman.
8.I.7 @ethods o 1hiva Corship

A 1anyasi should paste the ground with cow dung and construct a Huadrangular A@andapA. (e should then keep a broad lea o Ealm tree at its centre. (e should then ence the area with coloured threads rom all the our directions. A ter that he should draw a eight petalled lower in the centre o the @andap& upon which he should draw a 1hiva Yantra. At last he can commence his worship o the 1un god.
8.I.F ,he Breatness o Eranay @antra

1age Vamadev was a great devotee o lord 1hiva rom his birth. (e never used to remain at a place or long. ?ne day he had gone to a mountain peak named Kumar& which was situated towards the south o 1umeru @ountain. (e met Kartikeya who revealed to him that Eranam @antra directly signi ies the almighty Bod. Kartikeya also told him that with the help o that mantra a person can attain lord 1hiva 3 who liberates rom all the bondage o li e. ,hough& Vamadeva himsel knew about the power o Eranav mantra yet he reHuested Kartikeya to shed some more light on it. Kartikeya told him that any one could have the pro/imity o lord 1hiva& by the help o the means prescribed in the 1hrutis and the 1amritis. "egarding the methods o 1hivaAs worship& Kartikeya told Vamadeva that though 1adashiva was one& yet he was known by various names like @aheshwar& "udra& Brahma and Vishnu. @ahesh was created rom the thousandth part o 1adashiva. ,he goddess o all illusions 3 Bhagawati dwells in the le t side o 1adashiva& there ore he is the lord o all the actions o the universe. 1adashiva plays his desire acts by indulging in creation& nurturement and annihilation o this world.
8.I.8 *nitiation o a 1anyasi

Vamadeva reHuested Kartikeya to enlighten his mind with that knowledge& without which a 1anyasi can never attain liberation. Kartikeya then told him about the methods how a 1anyasi should get initiation rom his guru. A disciple should worship his guru in any o the ollowing months 3 1hravan& Ashwin& Kartik& Agahan and @agh. (e should then establish a Kalash and worship it. (e should again worship his guru considering him as the orm o 1hiva. ,he guru should then initiate him with the 1hiva mantra. A ter getting the @antra& the disciple should chant it considering himsel as 1hiva31hivoaham. A ter this the disciple should get his head tonsured. ,he barber who is supposed to shave o the hairs should be given pure clothes to wear. ,he barber should also wash his hands
with mud and water. ,he instruments and apparatus& which he is supposed to use& should be made pure by the AAstraA mantras. Dirst o all the ront portion o the head should be shaved o a ter that the back portion o the head should be shaved o . ,he disciple should then get his beards and moustache shaved o . A ter this the disciple should massage his body with mud and take bath by taking twelve dips in a pond. A ter taking his bath he should worship his Buru and meditate on lord 1hiva.
8.I.I Last "ites o an Ascetic (1anyasi)

Kartikey told 1age Vamadev that an ascetic does not die but takes a 1amadhi& there ore instead o being cremated he is buried. ,here ore an ascetic must practice the art o 1amadhi to per ection. * he has not yet per ected the art o 1amadhi& then he should keep on practicing yoga till he attains mastery over the art o 1amadhi. (e should try to concentrate his mind on the ?mkar mantra& which is eternal. * his body has become weak and eeble and incapable o doing physical e/ercises like Eranayama then he should indulge himsel in 1hiva remembrance. ,his way an ascetic can attain to heaven. A ter his death the rest o the ascetics should per orm the rituals at his place o death or ten days. An alter should be constructed on the eleventh day. Dive Huadrangular mandals should be made acing towards the northern direction. *n each o these mandas& deities like Deveshwari& Atiwahak etc. should be established irst and then worshipped. ,he worship should be done as per the instruction o Buru by o ering AErasadaA. ,his Erasada should be& given to a virgin girl or cow& later on. ,he articles used in the process o worship should be immersed in the river or pond. *n this way& the Earvan shraddh ceremony o the deceased ascetic is accomplished. *t is worth nothing that A-kodishtaA 1hraddh is not per ormed a ter an ascetic death. A ter the completion o AEarvan 1hraddhA the ascetic should per orm the -kadashah 1hraddh as per the instructions o their Buru. ?n the twel th day& the ascetics should invite the brahmins& a ter getting up in the morning and taking their bath. ,hese brahmins should be eeded. ,he ascetics should then take a vow to worship their Buru by holding a AKushaA grass in their hands. A ter that& they should wash the lotus eets o their Buru and worship him. -ven the worship o BuruAs teacher should be done. A ter the worship is over& the Buru should get up by saying A1hubhamastuA3 benediction to all. (e should then sprinkle the puri ied rice by chanting mantras. At last donations should be made to the invited brahmins.
/&4
+ayviya )amhita
,his >hapter contains // sections.
8.<.6 ,he ?rigin o Vidya (Knowledge)

,here are ourteen types o learning or Vidyas 3 our Vedas& 1i/ Vedangs& @eemansa& +yay& Euranas and other religious scriptures. ,hese ourteen learning along with Ayurveda& Dhanurveda& Bandharvaveda and Arthashastra becomes eighteen. All these eighteen learningAs originate rom lord 1hiva. Lord 1hiva created lord Brahma to elicitate the process o creation and bestowed him with all these eighteen learningAs. (e also empowered lord Vishnu to protect the creation. ,he our Vedas emerged rom the mouth o Lord Brahma& on the basis o which were created the numerous scriptures like Vedangs etc. 1ince these Vedas were di icult to understand& there ore lord Vishnu took incarnation o Vyas and created the Euranas& so that they could be understood easily. ,he Euranas contain our lakh shlokas and they help us to understand the essence o the Vedas.
8.<.; ,he ,ale o +aimisharanya

?nce& lord Brahma released his @anomaya chakra and instructed the sages to ollow it. (e also told them that the place at which the @anomaya chakra broke down would be very auspicious or doing penance. ,he sages ollowed the @anomaya chakra& which a ter travelling or a long time ell down on a large segment o land and its circum erence (+emi) broke down as predicted by lord Brahma. ,his segment o land became amous as +aimisharanya.
,he sages decided to per orm a Yagya at that sacred place. ,his way the very place& sitting where lord Brahma did creations. All the sages commenced their Yagya& which continued or ten thousand years. ?n the completion o Yagya& the deity arrived there and blessed them as per the instruction o lord Brahma.
8.<.7 ,ime ! ,he "adiance o 1hiva

Describing about the time (Kala)& Vayudeva told the sages that AKalaA or time is the radiance o lord 1hiva. Kala or time is also known as AKalatmaA. ,he time lows smoothly without being disturbed. ,ime is under the control o lord 1hiva. 1ince the time contains the element o 1hiva (1hivattatva)& hence its momentum can not be checked by any other power& e/cept that o 1hiva. ?ne& who understands the meaning o Kala& has a darshan o lord 1hiva.
8.<.F ,ime ! >alculation

,he smallest unit or measuring the time is called A+imeshA. ,he time taken to drop oneAs eyelid is called one +imesh. A kala consists o i teen +imeshas and thirty Kalas make a A@uhurtaA. A day and a night consist o thirty A@uhurtasA. A month consists o thirty days& divided into two ortnights. ?ne ortnight is known as AKrishna Eaksha (dark lunar phase) and the other is known as 1hukla Eaksha (bright lunar phase). *n Eitarloka the day consists o one ortnight and night o the same number o days. 1hukla Eaksha is the day o the Eitraloka and Krishna Eaksha the night. ?ne AAyanaA consists o 1i/ months. A year consists o two AAyanasA. ?ne year o the earth is eHuivalent to a day and a night o the deities. ,he si/ months when 1un is in the southern hemisphere o the earth& is actually the time when the deities e/perience night. ?n the contrary& the si/ months when sun is in the northern hemisphere& is the day time o the deities. ?ne year o the deities is eHuivalent to three hundred and si/ty years o this world. ,he yugas are counted on the basis o the years o the deities. According to the scholars there are our yugas 3 1atyayuga& ,retayuga& Dwapar yuga and Kaliyuga. A satyayuga is eHuivalent to our thousand years o the deities. A ,reta yuga is eHuivalent to three thousand years o the deities. 1imilarly a dwapar yuga is eHuivalent to two thousand years o the deities and a Kaliyuga to that o one ,housand years o the deities. ,his way all the our yugas collectively are eHuivalent to twelve thousand years o the deities. A Kalpa consists o one thousand >haturyugas. A @anvantar consists o seventy one >haturyugas. ?ne Kalpa is inhibited by ourteen @anus one a ter another in succession. A BrahmaAs day is eHuivalent to one divine Kalpa. A BrahmaAs year is eHuivalent to one thousand Kalpas. A BrahmaAs yuga consists o eight thousand such years. A BrahmaAs A 1avanA consists o his one thousand yugas. BrahmaAs li e span is complete a ter three thousand such 1awanas. Dive lakh and orty thousand numbers o *ndras succeed one a ter another during the whole li e span o Brahma. A Vishnu day is eHuivalent to the whole li e span o Brahma. ,he whole li e span o Vishnu is eHuivalent to a day o A"udraA. ,he whole li e span o "udra is eHuivalent to a day o lord 1hiva. *n the whole li e o lord 1hiva ive lakh and our thousand numbers o "udras come and go. A 1hivaAs day commences with the creation and be ore the end o the night the whole creation gets annihilated. 1adashiva is eternal.
8.<.8 @editation
Describing about @editation Vayudeva told the sages that to concentrate oneAs restless mind during meditative state& a man needs some kind o orm (1warupa) or appearance. *dol worship is very help ul in this regard. * an idol o the deity is worshipped with ull devotion& then a time comes when a man can have its sight even in an empty space. *dol worship also helps a devotee to reach towards the almighty Bod& who is ormless. *t is easy or a devotee who believes in A1akarA (with orm) to change over to the +irakar ( ormless) worship o Bod. But it is very di icult or a devotee who believes in the ormless almighty to switch over to 1akar mode o worship. ,he knowledge o 1hivaAs essence is a must attain salvation in both the modes o devotion.
8.<.I "ituals >onnected with 1hiva)s Corship

?ne being asked by the sages about the rituals which gives salvation& Vayudeva told them that by having devotion towards lord 1hiva& a man can achieve all the pleasures o the world and even attain salvation. Vayudeva also told them about Eashupat Vrata and the bene its derived rom it. ,he whole Eashupat Vrata is divided into ive parts 3 Kriya& ,aipei& ,apa& Dhyana and Byan. ,he 1haiva3dharma is the supreme religion and the rituals pertaining to it are based on the 1hruits and the 1mritis. Eashupat Vrata has been mentioned in the Vedas as the bestower o 1upreme knowledge. *t also contains all the eight organs o yoga& which were created by lord 1hiva himsel . Lord 1hiva is easily pleased i worship is done by this method. ,he devotee attains supreme knowledge and becomes liberated rom all the bondageAs o this world.
8.<.< Eashupat Vrata and its "ituals

Eashupat Vrata has been mentioned even in the Atharvasheersha %panishad. *t begins on the ull moon day& in the month o >haitra. *t can be per ormed anywhere 3 a 1hiva temple& any sacred place o pilgrimage& orest or garden. A devotee should get up early in the morning& on the thirteenth day o bright lunar phase (two days preceding the ull moon day) and a ter inishing his daily duties he should make salutations to his Buru. Cith the permission o his guru& the devotee should then put on while coloured clothes and a sacred thread o the same colour. (e should also wear a white garland around his neck and apply sandal wood paste on his body. (e should then sit on the seat made o Kusha grass and take a vow by holding a Kusha grass in his hand. A ter this he should do (avana by o erings articles into the sacred ire. (e should observe a ast or the whole day and break it only in the night by having AErasadaA. ,his ritual should be repeated on the ollowing day but the ast should not be broken in the night. ?n the inal day& that is ull moon day he should repeat all the rituals and a ter putting o the ire o the (avana Kunda& he should smear his body with the ashes. (e should then take his bath and put on dearAs skin or bark o the tree. (e should also hold a stick and put on a waist band (@ekhala). A ter that he should again rinse (Achaman) his mouth and smear ashes on his body. (e should per orm the e/ercise o Ashtanga yoga. ,hree times in a day as per the instructions o his guru. ,his way a man is reed rom the beastly Hualities present in him. Eashupat Vrata can be per ormed by a devotee as long as he is alive or he can continue it or twelve years o three years or one year or si/ months or one month& or twelve days or three days or even one day. ?n the completion o Eashupat Vrata& a devotee should establish a 1hiva idol and worship it with all the si/teen modes o worship (1hodasopachar). At last he should per orm Awaran Eu9an and then worship his guru. ,hrough out the period o ast& a devotee should have ruits only and he should sleep on the bare land. Eashupat Vrata done in such a way helps a devotee to attain to the abode o lord 1hiva.
8.<.J *ntroduction o the %niverse

Vayudeva told the sages who had assembled at +aimisharanya that goddess Bauri was the mani estation o 1hivaAs power and 1hankar the omnipotent almighty. Both 1hiva and goddess 1hiva contain athomless splendours o which only a raction is visible in this world. ,his world is under the control o 1hiva and goddess 1hiva. Both o them are inseparable. #ust as the light o the sun can not e/ist without the 1un in the same way goddess 1hiva can not e/ist without lord 1hiva. #ust as a li eless body is o no use similarly the world can not e/ist without goddess 1hakti.
,his illusionary world is tied up with the delusionary ropes o 1hiva and 1hakti. ,he whole creation is the appearance o Almighty 1hiva. ,he ignorant sages describe it in di erent ways according to their own perceptions. But& the act is that 1hiva is one and this world is the creation o his illusions. A man can attain liberation rom this illusionary world only when he has the blessings o 1hiva. Lord 1hiva is beyond the reach o lust& attachment and pleasures. (is e/istence is separate rom the nature& delusion& intelligence and ego. (e is ree rom all the bondageAs.
8.<.G Duties o a Brahmin

An ideal brahmin is supposed to per orm the ollowing duties53 a) ,rikal 1andhya (worshipping thrice a day) b) (avan (o erings made to the sacred ire) c) Corship o 1hivalinga d) @aking donations A brahmin should also have the ollowing Hualities53 a) ,o see god in each soul b) >ompassion c) Virtuous conducts d) 1atis action e) Belie in Bod ) +on violence g) Devotion h) "egular study o the Vedas i) Eracticing Yoga 9) Ereaching the teachings o Vedas k) Biving lectures on the religious scriptures. l) Being a celibate m) Eenance n) (aving a 1hikha and a scared thread etc. A brahmin should never have ood during the night and should contently chant the A?m +amah 1hivayA mantra. Lord 1hiva is not pleased that much by rituals as by aith and devotion. A man who worships lord 1hiva while maintaining the rules o AVarnashram DharmaA& has the blessings o lord 1hiva and all o his desires are ul illed.
8.<.6M >hanting o @antras

A ter getting initiated with the 1hiva mantra& a devotee should chant it or once crore times or i ty lakh times& or twenty lakh times or ten lakh times& while worshipping 1hiva. A(avanaA should be per ormed or tenth part o the total chanting. A,arpanA should be per ormed or tenth part o the number o (avana. 1imilarly A@ar9anA should be per ormed or the tenth part o the numbers o ,arpan. ,he numbers o Brahmins selected or eeding should be eHuivalent to the tenth part o the numbers o @ar9an. At last the disciple should give donations to the brahmins and engage himsel in the wel are o society as per the instructions o his Buru.
8.<.66 -stablishing Deities in the orm o Alphabets within the Body

(@A,"*KA +YA1) Asceticism (+yas) are o three types 3 1thiti (posture) %tpatti (origin) and Laya ( usion). -stablishing and chanting the cryptic mantras (alphabets) rom the thumb to the little inger is called A1thiti nyasA. -stablishing and then chanting the cryptic mantras rom the right thumb to the le t thumb is called P%tpatti nyasA. -stablishing and then chanting the cryptic mantras rom the le t thumb to the right thumb is called ALaya +yasA. A1thitiA nyas should be practiced by the householders A%tpatti nyasA should be practiced by the celibates ALaya nyasA should be practiced by those people who have relinHuished the world (Vanprasth). A widow should practice 1thiti +yas. An unmarried girl should practice %tapatti +yas. ,hese modes o +yas should be practiced only a ter being taught by the Buru.
8.<.6; @ental Corship o 1hiva

Chile doing a mental worship o 1hiva& a devotee should worship lord Banesha by ollowing the A+yasA mode o worship. A ter that he should worship various deities related with lord 1hiva like +andi etc. ,hen he should bring the orm o lord 1hiva into his imagination and worship him mentally by making mental o erings. ,he devotee should then per orm (avana in the navel o lord 1hiva by o ering ghee. ,he worship should be accomplished by meditating on the orm o 1hiva.
8.<.67 @ethod o Doing @ental Corship

,he devotee should take his seat only a ter puri ying it. (e should take a vow a ter completing all the necessary rituals like AAchamanA. Eranayam& tying a knot in his 1hikha etc. A ter doing the ADeepa Eu9anA he should worship various deities like 1un god& @oon god& Varun& Banesha and Kartikeya etc. (e should then worship both 1hiva and 1hakti by employing all the si/teen modes o worship (1hodasopachar). ,he devotee should per orm AartiA in the end. *n the speciali:ed orm o 1hivaAs worship AAwaran Eu9anA o 1hiva is done along with the normal pu9an. Awaran Eu9an means worship o all the articles connected with lord 1hiva like his trident his drum etc. *n this speciali:ed worship the 1hivaAs idol should be bathed irst o all. ,hen the idol should be clothed. A sacred thread should be o ered to the 1hivaAs idol along with the other o erings like AtilakA& Akshat etc. A ter this the Aawaran pu9an o 1hiva should be done along with the worship o 1hivaAs amily. * the devotee eels that something was lacking in the worship& he should atone or that mistake by chanting the Eanchakshar mantra ?m +amah 1hivay.
8.<.6F @ethod o Eer orming (avan

Chile per orming a 1hiva Yagya a devotee should make o erings to the AhavanakundaA made o iron or mud. Dire should be ignited in the havankunda ollowing the methods as prescribed in the scriptures. (e can then commence the actual worship. ,he devotee should make o o erings o ghee with 1ruva (a wooden spoon) and other articles with his hands. ,he o erings should be irst made in the names o lord Brahma (Era9apati) then to the nine planets and other deities. A ter that o erings should be made in the name o the chie deity. ,he devotee should then make nine o erings to each o the deities like Agni& Vayu and 1urya etc. At last he should per orm the arti and atone or those mistakes& which he might have committed during the whole process o worship. (e should also give donations to the brahmins and eed them.
8.<.68 Auspicious Days or Eer orming 1hiva Corship

,he eighth day and the ourteenth day o both the ortnights o each (indu month are considered to be the most auspicious or the worship o lord 1hiva. 1imilarly the solstice day (1ankranti)& when the sun is positioned north o eHuator and eclipse day are considered to be very auspicious. ?n these days a special worship o lord 1hiva should be done by bathing the 1hiva idol with Eanchagavya and having it is prasadam. *t rees a man rom the gravest o sins. 1imilarly the day o AEushyaA +akshatra alling in the month o AEaushaA is considered as very auspicious and per orming arti o 1hiva on this day gives immense virtues. @aking donations o Bhee and blankets on A@agha +akshatraA alling in the month o @agh gives immense virtues. ,he ollowing days are considered to be the most auspicious or the worship o lord 1hiva. 3 %ttara Dalguni +akshatra on the same day as Eurnima& in the month o Dalgun. 3 >hitra +akshatra alling on the same day as Eurnima in the month o >haitra. 3 Vishakha +akshatra alling on the same day as Eurnima& in the month o Vaishakh. 3 @oola +akshatra alling in the month o #yeshtha. 3 %ttarashadha +akshatra alling in the month o AAshadhaA. 3 1hravana +akshatra alling in the month o 1hravana. 3 %ttara bhadra +akshatra alling in the month o ABhadraA. 3Eurnima in the month o Ashwin. 3 Kartika +akshatra alling on the same day as Eurnima in the month o Kartik.
3 Ardra +akshatra alling in the month o @argasheersha
8.<.6I Desirable "ituals (Kamya Karma)

"ituals can be categori:ed in to two types3 6) "ituals per ormed with the ob9ective o ul illing worldly desires. ;) "ituals pertaining to %ltra mundan desires. *n general& rituals can be classi ied into ive categories 3 rituals& penance& chanting o mantras& meditation& and all the our collectively. Dor per ormance o rituals a man needs power and strength and one can not achieve power unless and until 1hiva wishes it. *t is only with the blessings o 1hiva that a man can attain both worldly pleasures as well as liberation. ,hese rituals (Kamya Karma) are per ormed by making a mandal acing towards east and doing Aawaran pu9anA as well as worship o lord 1hiva. Corship o lord 1hiva done in this way ul ills all the desires o a man.
8.<.6< "ituals Eertaining to 1hiva Corship (1haiva Kamya Karma)

,he methods or the worship o ive AawaransA o 1hiva have been mentioned in 1hivamahastotra. -ach o the AawaransA have separate presiding deities& the worship o which should be done according to the methods as described in the 1hivapuran or as per the instruction o Buru.
8.<.6J *nstallation o 1hiva Linga

According to the scriptures& a 1hiva linga should be made in an auspicious moment. ,he land& where the 1hivalinga is supposed to be installed should be puri ied by per orming ABhoomi3Eu9anA. A ter bhoomi3Eu9an& worshipping lord Banesha should be done. A ter that& the 1hiva linga should be puri ied by washing it with panchgavya and a ter worshipping it& it should be immersed in the water. ,he 1hivalinga should be then taken out rom the water and a ter worshipping it& it should be laid down on the bed meant or him. *t should be then installed at the desired place and should be consecrated by chanting the mantras. All the rituals should be per ormed as per the instructions o Buru.
8.<.6G >lassi ication o Yoga

Yoga means such actions& which a ter paci ying all the human tendencies helps a man to unite with 1hiva. Dollowing are the ive divisions o yoga3 6) @antra Yoga& ;) 1parsh Yoga (union o touch)& 7) Bhava Yoga (union by devotion)& F) Abhava yoga (%nion without being emotionally attached)& 8) @ahayoga (,he great union). @antra yoga helps a man to understand the meaning o mantras and uniting with 1hiva by the concentration o mind. Chen @antra yoga is per ected by the practice o Eranayama it is called A1parshyogaA. Bhavayoga means meditating and chanting without uttering a word. Abhava yoga means such a union when the devotee contemplates on the inal annihilation& without being emotionally attached with the world. A man whose mind is preoccupied with the thoughts o 1hiva is supposed to have attained the state o @ahayoga. A yogi can unite with 1hiva a ter puri ying his body with the help o Eranayama etc.
8.<.;M (urdle in the Eath o Yoga

,here are possibilities o numerous hurdles being aced by a man who practices yoga like la:iness& disease& carelessness& lack o concentration& con usion and sorrow etc. Chile practicing yoga& one must try to keep himsel ree rom such demerits. A ter becoming liberated rom these laws a man can easily attain si/ types o
accomplishment 3 talent (Eratibha)& super power o hearing (1hravan)& e/cellent conversational power and power o speech (Vrata)& Divine sight (Darshan)& Divine power o taste (Aswad)& Divine power o touch (Vedana). ,he capability o seeing things situated at distant places is called AEratibhaA. ,he ability to listen without making any e ort is called A1hravanA. ,he ability to decipher the meaning o animalAs language is called AVrataA. Being able to see divine things without making any e ort is called ADarshanA. ,he power& which enables a man to know about the taste o a thing without actually tasting it& is called AAswadA. AVedanaA means the knowledge o all types o touch.
8.<.;6 1hiva Yoga

A devotee can attain all types o accomplishment merely by having devotion towards lord 1hiva and by meditating on him. *n the beginning& a yogi should try to meditate on the orm o 1hiva (1aguna)& but later on the switch over to 1hivaAs ormless (nirguna) Huality. @editating on nirguna orm o 1hiva is not easy. *t can be mastered only by constant and steady practice& Chen mastered it bestows all kinds o accomplishment. @editation combined with Eranayama gives our types o accomplishments peace (1hanti)& tranHuility (Erashanti)& luster (Dipti) and boon (Erasad). A devotee can have a darshan o lord 1hiva i he does meditation with non attachment.
8.<.;; 1anatKumar "eceive 1hiva3Byan rom +andi

,he sages thanked Vayudeva or giving the knowledge o Byan3Yoga. ,he ne/t day& they took bath in river 1araswati and per ormed their worship and rituals. A ter that they proceeded towards Kashi. At Kashi a ter taking their bath in river Banga they had a darshan o lord Vishwanath. ,hey saw very radiant e ulgence appearing in the sky& in which they saw thousand sages who had accomplished Eashupat Vrata getting merged. ,he radiant e ulgence vanished in no time. ,he sages were very curious to know about that radiant e ulgence& so they went to lord Brahma and asked him about it. Lord Brahma told them that the radiant e ulgence had actually instructed them to accomplish Eashupat Vrata and attain 1alvation. Lord Brahma then instructed them to go to the 1umeru mountain where +andi was supposed to come and teach the methods o doing Eashupat Vrata to 1anat Kumar. ?nce 1anat Kumar became very arrogant o his asceticism. ?ne day lord 1hiva arrived at his place but 1anat Kumar did not get up to greet him. At this +andi became urious and cursed him to become a camel. 1anat Kumar got trans ormed into a camel. Lord Brahma worshipped 1hiva to liberate his son 3 1anat Kumar rom the curse. Lord 1hiva became pleased and blessed 1anat Kumar& as the result o which he regained his human body. A ter regaining his human body 1anat Kumar commenced a tremendous penance. Lord 1hiva instructed +andi to go to 1umeru mountain and preach 1anat Kumar. ,he sages reached 1umeru mountain as per the instruction o lord Brahma. ,hey saw many sages meditating at the bank o a pond. ,hey also saw 1anat Kumar engrossed in his meditation at a little distance rom the other meditating sages. ,he sages went near 1anat Kumar and told him about their penances done or ten thousand years. ,hey also revealed to him about the purpose o their arrival. "ight then& +andi arrived there& accompanied by his ganas 1anat Kumar and all the sages welcomed him. 1anat Kumar introduced all the sages to +andi and told him about their tremendous penance done or ten thousand years. +andi became very pleased and blessed them. (e then preached 1anat Kumar and all the sages on the 1hiva3tattva. 1anat Kumar passed on that knowledge to 1age Vyas& who again passed it on to 1ut9i. 1ut9i then revealed this knowledge to those sages who had assembled at Erayag.
A ter receiving that knowledge rom 1ut9i all the sages went to Erayaga teertha and took their bath. As they saw the signs o approaching Kaliyuga& they went to Kashi and per ormed the Eashupat Vrata. All o them attained liberation with the blessings o Lord Vishnu. Listening to 1hivapuran or one time liberates a man rom all o his sins. Listening to it or two times helps him to develop devotion in lord 1hiva. Listening to 1hivapuran or three times& helps a man to attain to the abode o 1hiva.
- .amana Purana
,his Eurana consists o the ollowing ;I chapters5
1&1
7ntroduction
,his chapter contains only 6 section5 +arad asks sage Eulastya about Vaaman incarnation5 Vaaman Euraan is one o the eighteen Euraans written by sage Vyasa. *t contains tales pertaining to Lord Vishnu in his Vaaman (dwar ) incarnation. 1age Eulastya while giving answers to +aradAs enHuiry narrates the tale o Vaaman Euraan. All the Euraans give glimpses o *ndian civili:ation and culture and Vaaman Euraan is no e/ception. *t also teaches the virtue o righteousness and religiousness. Vaaman Euraan not only contains the divine tales o +ara3 +arayana and Boddess Durga but it also contains tales o amous devotees like Erahlad& the salvation o Ba9endra (elephant) etc. 1age +arad asks Eulastya3 P? revered sage$ Chy did 1hri (ari take the incarnation o VaamanL Chy did Erahlad ight a battle with the deities despite being a devotee o Lord VishnuL (ow did 1ati& Daksha Era9apatiAs daughter become @ahadevAs consort in her ne/t birthL * am eager to know the answers to all these Huestions.P Eulastya replied3 P? +arad$ ?nce& 1ati reHuested Lord 1hankar to make arrangements or a permanent abode. At that time& Lord 1hankar had his abode at @andaar @ountain. 1ummer season was approaching and 1ati Huite rightly had apprehensions o living in the open. Lord 1hankar told her that as he was a recluse& he never elt a need o a permanent dwelling. ,hough 1ati was not satis ied by his answers yet she kept Huiet. ,his way& both o them continued to live there. ,he summer season had passed and now it was the turn o rainy season to arrive. 1ati made the same reHuest to Lord 1hankar. ,his time& Lord 1hankar told her that it was impossible or him to construct a house& as he had no wealth. (e also told her that he had only a tiger skin as his clothing& the king cobra3 his sacred thread& Eadma and Eingal (snakes)3 his ear3rings and Keval and Dhanan9ay as his armlets. A ter hearing this& 1ati became worried as to how she would pass the rainy season without a home. Lord 1hankar then assured her that this problem would be easily solved i she lived above the clouds. ,his way& she would remain untouched by the showers. A ter this& both o them ascended towards the sky and started living above the clouds. Drom that day onwards& Lord 1hankar came to be known as #eebhootvaahan (one whose vehicle is the cloud).
1&!
"ales of 'ord )hiva
,his chapter contains F sections5
I.;.6 1hiva "eturns to @andaar @ountain

DAK1(A E-"D?"@1 A B"A+D YABYA Eulastya says3 P,his way& both 1hiva and 1ati lived above the clouds till the end o rainy season. Chen autumn season arrived& both decided on returning to @andaar @ountain. Daksha had organised a grand Yagya in which he had invited all the prominent deities and sages e/cept his own son3in3law& 1hankar and his daughter& 1ati.P +arad was surprised as to why @aheshwar3 the lord o all splendours was not invited by Daksha. (e was also curious to know why Lord 1hankar had become a Kapaali (a mendicant). Eulastya told him that during the period o inal annihilation& Lord Vishnu a ter waking up rom his sleep ound a divine entity& who possessed three eyes& who had a trident in his hands and who wore a "udraksha garland around his neck. Lord Vishnu then created ego& which had its evil e ects on both Brahma and 1hankar. Lord 1hiva in his arrogance asked Brahma& his identity and origin. Lord Brahma then arrogantly asked 1hankar& his identity. ,his way& a dispute ensued that later on turned into a ight in which& Brahma de eated 1hankar. Lord 1hiva severed two o the ive heads o Lord Brahma. But the second head ell and got stuck on Lord 1hivaAs le t palm. Angrily& Lord Brahma created a terri ic creature& which challenged 1hankar and ridiculed him by saying that as he (1hankar) was a sinner& there ore& he would not dirty his hands by killing him.
Lord 1hankar was ashamed o himsel . (e went to Badrikashrama and reHuested Lord Vishnu or some alms. Lord Vishnu asked 1hankar to hit on his (VishnuAs) le t arm. 1hankar hit VishnuAs le t arm with his trident and the impact resulted in the creation o three streams. ,he irst stream went up in the sky and established itsel as Akashganga. ,he second one was @andakini& which was received by sage Atri. ,he third stream ell on the skull& which was stuck in Lord 1hankarAs le t palm. ,his resulted in the mani estation o a divine child who was erocious and well armed with bow and arrows. 1hankar instructed him to kill that creature& which was created by Brahma. A tremendous duel was ought between them& which was inconclusive or thousands o divine years.
I.;.; Atonement o Lord 1hankar

Lord 1hiva had committed a grave sin o Brahmahatya. All his e orts o separating BrahmaAs skull rom his le t palm went in vain. *n the meantime& an entity named Brahmahatya appeared be ore him and entered into his body. Lord 1hankar decided to go to Badrikashrama to atone or his sins. A ter reaching there& he became worried when he did not ind Lord Vishnu. (e went to take a bath in river Yamuna but as soon as he entered the river& the water dried up. (e e/perienced this strange phenomenon at the 1araswati "iver as well. (e then made pilgrimages to numerous sacred and holy places but still did not become ree rom Brahmahatya. De9ected& he ultimately went to Kurukshetra where he ound 1hri +arayana and reHuested him to ree him (1hankar) rom the sins o Brahmahatya. Lord Vishnu advised him to go on a pilgrimage to Varanasi where he would be liberated rom his sins. Dollowing VishnuAs instructions& Lord 1hankar went to Varanasi and visited all the sacred sites like Dashashwamedh temple& Lolarka temple and Keshav temple. Chile he was worshipping Keshav& he said3 P,hough * have become liberated rom my sins& yet * ail to understand the reason why this skull still sticks in my hand.P Keshav told him that his problems would be solved i he takes a bath in the lake& which was near the temple. Lord 1hankar took a bath in that lake and ultimately the skull ell on the ground. ,he place where the skull had allen later on became amous as Kapaalmochan.
I.;.7 1ati Bives up her Li e

1age Eulastya says3 P? +arad$ ,his way& Lord 1hiva became amous as Kapaali. ,his was the reason why Daksha did not invite him. *n the meantime& #aya& sage BautamAs daughter went to see 1ati at @andaar @ountain. 1eeing her alone& 1ati asked about her two sisters& #ayanti and Apara9ita. #aya revealed to her that both o them had gone to their maternal3grand atherAs (Daksha) Yagya. #aya also told her that all the deities had been invited to the Yagya. Chen 1ati heard this& she was grieved and angry with her ather. *n a it o rage& she gave up her li e. 1eeing her li eless body& #aya started wailing. Lord 1hiva arrived there and upon hearing #ayaAs wails& asked her why 1ati was lying on the ground. #aya then narrated the whole story. Lord 1hankar became so in uriated that it resulted in the creation o numerous Banas among whom Veerbhadra was the most prominent one. Lord 1hiva accompanied by the Banas went to the site where Daksha was per orming the Yagya. A tremendous battle ensued between them and the deities and inally& the deities were overpowered and ran away rom the site. Veerbhadra& inding the time opportune& entered the oblation site. Chen the deities saw him entering the oblation site& they returned and tried to prevent him rom doing so. Again& an intense battle erupted between both the sides. ,he deities used all kinds o weapons but they could not control the onslaught o Veerbhadra and led. Veerbhadra then went near the sacri icial ire. ,he sages were terri ied and ran towards Lord Vishnu who attacked Veerbhadra with arrows but it did not hurt him at all. Vishnu then attacked him with other divine weapons. But still& Veerbhadra succeeded in neutralising those weapons. Vishnu was enraged and attacked him with his 1udarshan chakra that Veerbhadra swallowed. ,his angered Lord Vishnu urther. (e li ted Veerbhadra and dashing him to the ground& pressed VeerbhadraAs stomach as a result o which& the 1udarshan chakra came out rom his mouth. But Lord Vishnu spared VeerbhadraAs li e. Veerbhadra then went to Lord 1hiva and narrated his woe ul tale o de eat. Lord 1hiva instructed Veerbhadra to leave or a sa er haven and himsel went to the oblation site accompanied by Bhadrakali. ,he sages became scared on seeing his terri ying appearance.
I.;.F ,he Destruction o Daksha)s Yagya

Dearing Lord 1hivaAs wrath& Lord Vishnu went to (rishikesh and remained aloo or Huite some time. 1hivaAs anger generated so much heat that it was enough to melt the eight Vasus. As a result& a river named 1ita started lowing rom there. A ter being attacked by Lord 1hiva& the deities led rom the scene.
Lord 1hiva then opened his third eye and uriously looked at the lame burning in the (avan3kund. ,he ne/t moment& the ire went o . -ven Yagya was terri ied and he took the aerial route in the guise o a deer. Lord 1hiva chased him in the appearance o Kaal (Lord o death) with a bow and arrow named Eashupat. *n the end& Kaal (epithet o 1hiva) was success ul in killing the deer& which was Yagya in reality. A ter his death& YagyaAs body was established among the stars. A ter narrating the tale o destruction o DakshaAs Yagya& sage Eulastya then goes on to tell +arad that the names o the :odiacs had been given 9ust according to their appearances or e.g. Aries (@esh) appeared like a ram. 1imilarly& ,aurus (Vrishabh) appeared like an o/ and so on.
1&*
"ales of $emons
,his chapter contains I sections5
I.7.6 Andhak ! ,he Demon King

1age +arad was curious to know how the demon King Andhak behaved with the deities. (e asked Eulastya in this regard. Eulastya replied3 PA ter ascending the throne& Andhak did a severe penance to please Lord 1hiva and received a boon according to which he could neither be killed by the deities nor by any mortal. (e also received another boon according to which even ire could not burn him. Andhak appointed 1hukracharya as his chie priest. (e de eated the deities and had gained control over the whole earth. ?nce& Andhak had gone to see the beauti ul sight o 1umeru @ountain. *ndra a ter making adeHuate arrangements or the security o his capital Amravati came orward to ight him with a huge army. A ierce battle was ought between both the armies. ,he whole atmosphere was covered in darkness due to the dust. *t became di icult or the warriors o both the sides to distinguish between riend and an enemy. ,he whole battle ield was strewn with dead bodies and blood. *ndra unleashed a volley o arrows towards Andhak. *n reply& Andhak too retaliated by unleashing a volley o arrows towards *ndra. *n this duel& both o them got in9ured. *n uriated& *ndra attacked him with his Va9ra& which destroyed all o AndhakAs weapons. *ndraAs Va9ra then chased Andhak who 9umped down rom his chariot to save his li e. Andhak de ended himsel by attacking it with his ist. As a result& it ell on the ground. *ndra then attacked Andhak by unleashing a volley o arrows in his direction. Andhak dodged the assault and ran towards him menacingly. (e attacked Airavat3 the elephant and mount o *ndra with such orce that it became paralysed. 1eeing his elephant in such a pitiable condition& *ndra picked up his Va9ra and ran inside the ort to save himsel . Andhak then single3handedly destroyed *ndraAs whole army. Yamara9 was ighting rom the deitiesA side. (e attacked Erahlad who was ighting rom AndhakAs side. *t became impossible or Yamara9 to match ErahladAs valour and bravery. As a result& he was orced to lee rom the battle ield. *nspite o having mighty warriors like Varun and Agni in their ranks& the deities could not match the valour o the demonAs army& which comprised o valiant and brave ighters like Virochan& @aya and 1hambar. %ltimately& the deities were de eated in this battle. ,he victorious demon King Andhak returned to Eaatal loka with his army.
I.7.; 1ukeshi)s =ueries

1ukeshi was the son o demon King Vidyutkeshi. (e was a great devotee o Lord 1hiva. Being pleased by his devotion& Lord 1hiva had blessed him with invincibility and gi ted him a city& which was situated in the sky. 1ukeshi was a virtuous and 9ust king. ?nce& he had gone into the @agadh orest where he ound numerous sages engrossed in meditation. A ter introducing himsel to the sages& he e/pressed his desire to know about the path that led to benediction. (e also wanted to know how a man could achieve respectability and contentment in his li e. ,he sages told him that a man could achieve benediction only by ollowing the path o Dharma. PA religious man achieves both respectability and contentmentP& said the sages. 1ukeshi then asked them about the characteristics o Dharma. ,he sages revealed to him that the deities engage themselves in religious activities like Yagya& sel 3study& study o Vedas and worship o Lord Vishnu. 1o& all these activities are the Dharma o the deities. P,he Dharma o the demons consists o negative Hualities like 9ealousy etc. But they have pro ound knowledge in policy matters and have great devotion towards 1hivaP& said the sages. P,he 1iddhaAs Dharma is to engage himsel in activities like practice o Yoga& study o Vedas& sel 3realisation and devotion to both Lord Vishnu and 1hivaP& said the sages. *n this way& the sages enlightened 1ukeshi on the Dharma o di erent sections o divine entities.
At last& 1ukeshi reHuested the sages to tell something about the hell (+arak). ,he sages replied that altogether there were ;6 hells. ,he name o the irst hell is "aurav& which covers the area o ;MMM Yo9ans. ,he second hell @aharaurav is twice the area o "aurav. 1imilarly& the names o the remaining hells are ,aamistra& Andhataamistra& Kaalchakra& Aprathisth& Bhatiyantra& Asipatravan& ,aptakumbh& Kootshaalmali& Karpatra& 1wabho9an& 1andansh& Lohapind& Kalmasikta& Kshaarnadi& Krimibho9an& Vaitarninadi& 1honitpayabho9an& Kshuraagradhaar& +ishitachakra and 1anshoshan.
I.7.7 1in ul Deeds

1ukeshi asked the sages about the sin ul deeds& which leads to hell. ,he sages replied3 PEeople who condemn Veda& deities& Brahmins etc. go to hell. ,hose who donAt believe in religious te/ts like Euraan etc. or those who cause obstacles in the accomplishment o Yagya or those who prevent a charitable man rom giving donation also go to hell. Eeople who torment others& who steal sandals etc. go to the hell named Kalmsikta. Disobedient children who donAt obey their parents and elders go to the hell named Aprathisth. Eeople who touch their elders with their eet go to "aurav +arak. A sel ish person who nourishes himsel during drought without caring about his relatives go to the hell named 1wabho9an. A person who does not protect people who have taken his re uge goes to the hell named Yantrapeed. A man who misappropriates the deposited money o other people goes to Vrishchikashan +arak. ,he sinners who copulate on auspicious days or who have illicit relations with other women go to the hell named 1haalmali. ,his way& the sages told 1ukeshi about various types o sin ul deeds& which led sinners to di erent hells.
I.7.F #ambudweep and Bharatvarsh

1ukeshi e/pressed his desire to the sages to know about #ambudweep. ,he sages replied3 P#ambudweep is a very large island. *t is sub3divided into nine parts. *lavritvarsh is situated in its central part while Bhadraashvavarsh is situated towards its eastern side. 1ome prominent places situated around it are3 (iranyakvarsh towards north3 east& Kinnarvarsh towards south3east& Bharatvarsh towards south& (arivarsh towards south3west& Ketumaalvarsh towards west& "amyakvarsh towards north3west and Kuruvarsh towards north. All these nine Varshas are ull o natural beauty. ,he inhabitants o all the eight Varshas e/cept *ndia are never troubled by old age or death. ,he inhabitants are also religious and virtuous by nature. ,hey attain great accomplishment without making any real e ort. Bharatvarsh has nine sub3islands. All these islands are surrounded by oceans on all sides and it is di icult to go rom one island to another. ,hese sub3islands are *ndradweep& Kaserumaan& ,aamravarna& Babhastimaan& +aagdweep& Karaaha& 1inhal& Vaarun and Kumar. Kiraat live towards east o Bharatvarsh while Yavan live towards the west. Eeople living towards the south o Bharatvarsh are called Andhra and those living towards the north are called ,uruyak. Bharatvarsh is mainly inhabited by people belonging to all the ma9or our castes i.e. Brahmin& Kshatriya& Vaishya and 1hudra. ,he seven prominent mountains situated within Bharatvarsh are @ahendra& @alay& 1ahya& 1hukti& @aanriksh& Vindhya and Eaariyaatra though there are many more mountains. ,he ollowing rivers originate rom (imalaya @ountain3 1araswati& Yamuna& (iranvati& 1utle9& >handrika& +eela& Vitastaa& -ravati& Kuhu& Devika& %shira& Dhaataki& "asaa& Bomti& Bandki& Kaushiki& 1arayu etc. 1imilarly& many rivers originate rom the other mountains.
I.7.8 Dashaang Dharma

,he sages say3 PDharma consists o ten properties such as non3violence& truth& charity& not stealing the property o others& orgiveness& sel 3restraint& cleanliness etc. (ence it is known as Dashaang Dharma. ,hese properties are obligatory or people belonging to all castes and creeds. A BrahminAs li e is categorised into our Ashrams3 Brahmacharya& Brihastha& Vanprastha and 1anyaas. A Brahmachari is supposed to acHuire knowledge by living a celibate li e. A ter completing his studies& the Brahmachari graduates to the li e o a householder. (e gets married and per orms his duties towards his amily. A ter this& he enters into Vanprasthashram where he is reHuired to go to the orest a ter abandoning worldly pleasures. At last& he accepts 1anyaas& which is total renunciation. (e is supposed to pass the rest o his li e doing meditation and penance.P
I.7.I ,he "ise and Dall o 1ukeshi)s Kingdom

Eulastya says3 PA ter being enlightened by the sages on various sub9ects& 1ukeshi returned to his capital. (e taught the demons all that he had learnt. As a result& all the demons became very virtuous. ,he newly attained
virtuosity and religiousness made the demons invincible and power ul. 1ukeshiAs capital was situated in the sky. ,he whole city illumined brightly due to virtuosity attained by the demons. *ts illumination even subdued the radiance o 1urya (1un). +ow it became very di icult to determine when the 1un rose. ,he deity 1urya became worried at this development. (e started pondering on how the demons became so power ul and contemplated over the means to destroy the demons. Chile 1urya was meditating& the act regarding the demonsA power dawned on him. 1urya became urious and angrily glanced at 1ukeshi. ,he city started alling towards earth. 1ukeshi became worried and started praying to Lord 1hiva. 1eeing his devotee& 1ukeshi in trouble& Lord 1hiva looked angrily at 1urya as a result o which& he too started alling towards the earth. Chen the sages and hermits saw 1urya alling down& they advised him to take re uge in Lord Vishnu. 1urya curiously asked as to how could he take VishnuAs re uge as he had been punished by Lord 1hiva. ,he sages then advised him to direct his descent to Varanasi. 1urya accepted their advice and landed at Varanasi between two rivers3 Varuna and Asi. (e was eeling restless because o severe heat and so he decided to take a bath in the Asi "iver. A ter taking his bath& he started revolving around both the rivers. *n the meantime& all the sages& demons& Apsaras went to Brahma loka and reHuested Lord Brahma to re3establish 1urya in his original abode. Lord Brahma& accompanied by all the deities went to Lord 1hiva and reHuested him to orgive 1urya. 1hiva was pleased at their humbleness and orgave 1urya and re3established him on his chariot. (e also gave a new name to 1urya3 Lolaark. At last& 1urya was re3established in the sky.
1&,
"ales of 3ar-3arayana
I.F.6 @ani estation o +ar3+arayana

1age Eulastya says3 PDharma& the possessor o divine body and who mani ested rom the heart o Lord Brahma married @urti& the daughter o Daksha. Dour sons were born to them3 (ari& Krishna& +ara and +arayan. (ari and Krishna engaged themselves in the practice o Yoga while +ar and +arayan went to the (imalaya @ountain and started doing penance or the wel are o humans. *ndra became rightened by their arduous penance. (e eared that he might lose his authority and power. (e sent beauti ul Apsaras to disturb their penance. (e himsel went to that site accompanied by Kamadev and Vasant (spring).
I.F.; Erahlad meets +ar3+arayana

?ne +arayan saw all three o them coming and he treated all o them with respect. As he was aware o the reasons or their arrival& he decided to give them a surprise. (e made the igure o a beauti ul woman on his thigh with a lower. ,he ne/t moment& the igure trans ormed into a live woman& which surprised all o them. Dor Kamadev& the beauti ul woman resembled his wi e "ati. (e became so in atuated by her beauty that he orgot about the actual purpose o his visit. ,he same thing happened to Vasant and all the Apsaras. -verybody who had come with the desire o victory had actually become a victim. 1eeing all o them surprised and ama:ed& +arayan told them that the beauti ul woman was created by him rom his thigh. (e also instructed them to take away that beauti ul woman to heaven. Kamadev and Vasant were captivated by +arayanAs power. ,hey also became terri ied. ,hey went back to heaven accompanied by %rvashi and narrated the whole story to *ndra. -ven *ndra was ama:ed. *n a short time& the ama:ing deeds o +arayan spread in all the directions and the various lokas. ?nce& Erahlad3 the son o demon King (iranyakashipu asked sage >hyavan about the most revered and sacred place o pilgrimage in the whole world. 1age >hyavan told him about +aimisharanya3 the most sacred place o pilgrimage on the earth. Erahlad visited +aimisharanya accompanied by many other demons. A ter reaching there& all o them took bath in a river. Chile roaming about in the city& Erahlad saw the trunk o a tree pierced with numerous arrows. +ot ar rom the tree& he saw two hermits doing penance. ,wo divine bows and a pair o Huiver were lying by the side. Erahlad was ama:ed as to why the hermits would reHuire weapons. (e revealed his thoughts to the hermits. Both the hermits replied that a person who works according to his capabilities& earns respect. Erahlad became angry at their reply. (e asked them as to what were their capabilities. Actually& the hermits were none other than +ar and +arayan. Both o them told Erahlad that they were invincible and nobody could de eat them in battle. ErahladAs anger crossed all limits. A tremendous battle ensued between Erahlad and +ar3+arayan.
I.F.7 Erahlad blessed by +ar3+arayana

A erocious battle was ought between Erahlad and +ar3+arayan in which all types o lethal weapons were used. ,he battle continued or 6MMM divine years. %ltimately& Erahlad was de eated in this battle. (e went to Vaikunth and asked Lord Vishnu as to why +ar3+arayan was invincible. Lord Vishnu revealed to them that +arayan was his own incarnation. (e also told them that +arayan could be won only by devotion and not by power. Erahlad decided to relinHuish his throne and appointed Andhak as his successor. (e went to Badrikashrama and made salutations to +arayan in reverence. +arayan was surprised at the sudden change in his behaviour. (e asked Erahlad as to what the matter was. Erahlad then said3 PCho can de eat youL You are none other than Lord #anardan. You are the one who has taken incarnation o (rishikesh& >hakrapaani and (ayagreev.P +arayan was pleased by his devotion. (e told +arayan that though he was not able to de eat him in the battle but he was success ul in doing so by his devotion. +arayan also blessed Erahlad. Erahlad then returned to his capital. Andhak e/pressed his desire to make Erahlad the king once again but it was turned down by him. Erahlad spent the rest o his li e preaching on the virtues o religiousness and truth ulness.
1&/
Manifestation of +egetation from the $eities
Eulastya says3 PLotus lower mani ested rom VishnuAs navel in the month o Ashwin. 1imilarly& other vegetation also mani ested rom the di erent organs o the deities3 Kadamb tree rom the palm o Kamadev& Dhatura tree rom the heart o Lord 1hiva& Khair tree rom the middle portion o BrahmaAs body& Kataiya tree rom VishwakarmaAs body. Kundalata mani ested rom EarvatiAs palm& 1induar tree rom BaneshaAs belly& Ealaash tree and Bular tree rom the right and le t armpits o Yamara9. 1imilarly& 1arpat mani ested rom the body o 1heshnaag& black and white Durva grass rom the tail and back o Vaasuki +aag& (arichandan tree mani ested rom the heart o a devotee.
1&1
Mahishasura
I.I.6 @ahishasura)s Atrocities

During ancient times& there lived two demons3 "ambh and Karambh who would torment people. As both were sonless& they decided to do severe penance by keeping their bodies submerged in Eanchmad "iver with a desire o having sons. *ndra becoming ear ul& took the guise o a crocodile and killed Karambh while he was doing penance in the river. "ambh became so de9ected by his brotherAs death that he decided to give up his li e by severing his head and o ering it in the sacri icial ire. As he was about to turn his thoughts into reality& Agni appeared be ore him and prevented him rom doing so and said3 PKilling onesel is a grave sin. DonAt give up your li e. * am willing to ul il any o your wish.P "ambh was pleased and reHuested Agni to bless him with a mighty and power ul son. Agni blessed him by saying3 PYou will beget a son rom a woman o your own choice. But destiny had something else in store or him. ?nce& "ambh had gone to see Yaksha King3 @aalvat. (e was impressed by @aalvatAs prosperity and unlimited wealth. King @aalvat possessed lot o animal wealth like goats& lambs& o/en& elephant& horses& cows etc. "ambh saw a beauti ul bu alo in the cowshed. (e started caressing her body 9ust to appreciate her beauty. ,he bu alo got aroused and orced "ambh to copulate with her and this resulted in the bu aloAs pregnancy. "ambh returned to Eaatal loka accompanied by the bu alo. But the other demons came to know about this unusual incident and as a result& "ambh was e/communicated rom the demonsA tribe. Both o them decided to return to Yaksha King @aalvatAs palace. *n due course o time& the bu alo gave birth to a beauti ul cal & which could change its appearance according to its wishes. ?nce& seeing the bu alo alone& a bull tried to breach her modesty. ,he bu alo ran towards "ambh or her sa ety. "ambh attacked the bull with a sword and in9ured it. *n retaliation& the bull also dashed its horns against "ambhAs chest& which proved to be atal. 1eeing the dead "ambh& the bu alo became engul ed in sorrow. 1he had no
other option but to take re uge o the Yakshas who protected her li e. *n the meantime& the seriously in9ured bull ell into a divine lake and died. Ama:ingly& its body trans ormed into a demon. ,he Yakshas decided to cremate "ambhAs body. ,he bu alo too decided to embrace death by 9umping into the burning pyre. But as soon as the pyre was lit& a erocious demon emerged rom it with a sword. (e drove away all the Yakshas and killed the bu alo but spared her cal . ,his erocious demon later on became amous as "aktabee9. (e had de eated all the deities including *ndra& "udra& 1urya and @arut. But the cal & which became amous as @ahishasura was even mightier than "aktabee9. All the de eated demons had accepted him as their leader and he was crowned as their king. @ahishasura de eated all the deities and drove them out rom heaven. ,he de eated deities accompanied by Brahma went to Lord Vishnu and narrated their woes to him. Lord 1hiva too was present there. Both o them became urious a ter hearing the atrocities committed by @ahishasura. Divine e ulgence appeared rom the mouth o all the angry deities. ,hese e ulgence got collected at a place resulting in the mani estation o Boddess Katyayani. All the deities presented their weapons to her3 Lord 1hiva gave his trident& Lord Vishnu gave his chakra& Agni gave his 1hakti etc. A ter acHuiring all the weapons& Boddess Durga thundered loudly. ,he deities eulogised her a ter which she proceeded towards Vindhya @ountain mounted on her lion. Vindhya @ountain had been cursed by sage Agastya as a result o which& its enormous si:e turned into a hill. ,he tale behind this curse is as ollows3 *n the ancient times& Vindhya @ountain was so high that it became very di icult or the 1un to make its movement. ,he 1un went to sage Agastya and reHuested him to minimise the si:e o Vindhya @ountain. 1age Agastya went near the Vindhya @ountain and said3 P* am going on a pilgrimage but you are coming in my way. 1ince * am an old man& it is impossible or me to climb your steep slopes. * reHuest you to reduce your si:e and remain in the same position till * return rom my pilgrimage otherwise you will have to ace my wrath.P Vindhya @ountain accepted his reHuest and turned into a hill. 1age Agastya then proceeded on his pilgrimage towards south but did not return according to his promise. (e constructed a magni icent hermitage and asked Lopamudra3 the daughter o Vidarbha King to stay there and himsel returned to his hermitage. Vindhya @ountain remained in that position waiting or sage AgastyaAs arrival. ,his way& sage Agastya solved the problem o the 1un. Boddess Durga chose this very mountain to launch her assault. All the deities& 1iddhas& +agas& Apsaras etc. were present with her.
I.I.; ,he Demons ! >hand and @und

?nce& the demon brothers& >hand and @und were passing near the Vindhya @ountain when they saw Boddess >handika there. Both these demons were stunned by her divine beauty. ,hey had never seen such a beauti ul woman in their li e. ,hey went to @ahishasura and told him about her beauty. @ahishasura proceeded with a huge army& which comprised o valiant commanders like Vidaalnetra& Vishang& Vaayakal& Agraayudh& >hikshur& "aktabee9 etc. ,he army assembled at the oothills o Vindhya @ountain. ,here& @ahishasura instructed Dundubhi to go and bring Boddess Durga by any means. Dundubhi went to Boddess Durga and boasted about @ahishasuraAs might and power by saying3 P,he mighty @ahishasura has de eated all the deities who ran out rom heaven to save their lives. (e is lord o all the three worlds and is invincible but this victorious and mighty king has been enslaved by your beauty. You must not miss this chance o marrying him.P Boddess Durga replied3 P* am aware o @ahishasuraAs eats. * am most willing to marry him. But there is one problem. ,here is a tradition in our clan according to which an aspiring husband is reHuired to give a 1hulk (ta/) in lieu o getting married.P Dundubhi was happy thinking that it would not be di icult or @ahishasura to ul il her demand. (e said3 P@ahishasura can even give up his li e or your sake.P (earing this& Boddess Durga laughed loudly and said3 P? demon$ According to the tradition o our clan& only such a person can marry a woman who de eats her in the battle.P Dundubhi went back to @ahishasura and narrated the whole story. @ahishasura instructed >hikshur to go and bring Boddess Durga a ter enslaving her. >hikshur proceeded with a huge army. 1eeing him coming in the direction o Boddess Durga& Lord Brahma instructed her to use an armour to protect hersel . ,he Boddess re used by saying3 P+o demon can stand be ore me in a battle.P
All the deities then chanted Vishnupan9ar 1totra or her sa ety. Erotected by the 1totra& she was success ul in killing many demons. 1eeing his devastated army& @ahishasura himsel came to ight her.
I.I.7 Killing o @ahishasura

+arad asked sage Eulastya as to how Boddess Durga kill @ahishasura. 1age Eulastya replied3 PA ter the killing o >hikshur& @ahishasura sent +amar to ight Boddess Durga. +amar proceeded towards the Vindhya @ountain accompanied by a huge battalion. A ter reaching there& he shot a volley o arrows towards the Vindhya @ountain. As a result& the whole mountain was covered by innumerable arrows. ,his de iant act o +amar made Boddess Durga e/tremely urious. 1he attacked her enemies menacingly. 1he killed some o the demons by her sword& some with her mace and many more were killed by her arrows. -ven her mount3 1imha killed many demons. ,he demons were completely surprised by the erociousness o the attack and led rom the battle ield. 1eeing his whole army leeing rom the battle ield& +amar came orward& mounted on an elephant to ight Boddess Durga. (e unleashed his devastating weapon3 1hakti towards her. At the same time& he also attacked her mount3 1imha (lion) by releasing many arrows towards it. But Boddess Durga destroyed all the weapons. *n the meantime& the elephant held the 1imha with its trunk but the BoddessAs mount somehow released itsel rom the trap and attacked +amar. +amar ell rom the elephant and died. A ter +amarAs death& >hikshur came to ight the Boddess but both his hands and legs were severed by her. %ltimately& Boddess Durga severed his head as a result o which& >hikshur died. ,he news o >hikshurAs death spread like a wild ire. @any more valiant commanders o @ahishasuraAs army came orward to ight her but all o them were vanHuished. At last& @ahishasura came orward to ight Boddess Durga in the guise o a bu alo. Boddess Durga started playing her damru (small drum) and Veena& which resulted into the emergence o numerous ghosts. (e attacked the ghosts with his horns& our legs and by violently lashing his tail. (e then attacked DurgaAs mount3 1imha and his violent movements shook even the earth and the mountain. Boddess Durga grabbed his neck with the help o a noose. ,he ne/t moment& @ahishasura trans ormed his appearance into an elephant. Boddess Durga then severed his trunk. @ahishasura again changed his guise into a bu alo. Boddess Durga attacked him by unleashing various weapons but the demon escaped unhurt. Boddess Durga suddenly 9umped down rom her mount3 1imha and climbed upon @ahishasura& who was in the guise o a bu alo. @ahishasura started 9umping violently. Boddess Durga pressed @ahishasuraAs back with such orce that he su ocated. 1he then severed his head. 1uddenly& @ahishasura appeared in human orm with a sword. Boddess Durga kicked him on his chest and again severed his head. ,he news o his death created havoc in his army and the demons led rom the battle ield and hid themselves in Eaatal loka. ,he deities became pleased at @ahishasuraAs death and eulogised Boddess Durga. 1he became pleased and a ter assuring the deities o taking re3incarnation or their wel are& disappeared rom the scene.
I.I.F "eincarnation o Boddess Durga

"evealing the reasons or Boddess DurgaAs re3incarnation& sage Eulastya says3 PBoddess Durga is also known as Kaushiki as she had mani ested rom the cell (Koshika) o %maAs (EarvatiAs) body. A ter the mani estation& she went to Vindhya @ountain with the ob9ective o killing the demons3 1humbh and +ishumbh. 1he was accompanied by numerous Bhoot ganas (spirits). A ter 1atiAs death& "udra engaged himsel in penance and became a celibate. (e had even relinHuished his responsibility o leading the deitiesA army. Chen @ahishasura came to know that the deities were bere t o their commander& he attacked them as a result o which& the deities were de eated. ,he deities went to Lord Vishnu who was at that time living at 1hwetdweep. Chen they reached there& they were surprised to ind that Lord Vishnu was aware o their de eat. Lord Vishnu then advised them by saying3 PAll o you must go to @ena3 @aanasputri o Agnishwat and reHuest her to give consent to marry (imalaya. ,he same @ena would give birth to a beauti ul girl who in reality would be the re3incarnation o 1ati. All o you must go to Kurukshetra and eulogise her on the night o Amavasya.P ,he deities were curious to know about the origin o Kurukshetra. Lord Vishnu told them3 PDuring the initial phase o 1atya Yuga& there was a mighty king named "iksh& who was the descendant o 1oma. 1amvaran was the son o "iksh. (e succeeded his ather at a young age. 1amvaran was a great devotee o mine. Vashishth3 the son o Varun was his chie priest and had taught him all the Vedas. ?ne day& 1amvaran went to the orest or hunting a ter entrusting his responsibilities to Vashishth. A ter reaching the orest& he started wandering in search o his
game. (e saw a beauti ul lake ull o numerous lotus lowers. (e also saw many Apsaras and other divine beauties en9oying themselves by singing and dancing. 1amvaran was in atuated by the divine beauty o one o those Apsaras3 ,apti& who was the most beauti ul among them. >oincidentally& ,apti too saw 1amvaran staring at her. 1he was so in atuated by 1amvaranAs handsomeness that she ell unconscious. 1he was carried by her companions back home. A ter returning to his capital& Vashishth was surprised to ind change in 1amvaranAs behaviour. *t seemed as i his mind was pre3occupied by something. By his Yogic power& Vashishth came to know about the whole incident. (e decided to take the help o ,aptiAs ather3 1urya. (e went to 1urya and reHuested him to marry ,apti with 1amvaran. 1urya did not want to annoy his esteemed guest& so he gave his consent. Vashishth then returned to his hermitage accompanied by ,apti and ultimately ,apti and 1amvaran got married.
1&4
"ales of 2ing 2uru and 2uru.shetra
*n course o time& ,apti gave birth to a son& who possessed all the signs o royalty. A ter growing up& he mastered all the our Vedas and other scriptures within a very short period. At the raw age o ;F& he became a scholar. Chen he attained marriageable age& he was married to 1audamini3 the daughter o 1udama. Later on& he was appointed as the successor by his ather& 1amvaran. A ter becoming the king& Kuru ruled his sub9ects in a 9ust manner but very soon he got bored o his monotonous li e. (e knew that only those kings became immortal who accomplished ama:ing eats. (e decided to do something or which people would remember him. Cith the ob9ective o making his name immortal& he went to the most sacred place called 1amantpanchak and decided to cultivate the eight virtues 3 ,apa& 1atya& Kshama& Daya& 1hauch& Daan& Yuga and Brahmacharya on its barren land. (e started ploughing a piece o land with a golden plough& which was pulled by Lord 1hankarAs bull and Yamara9As bu alo named Eaundrak. Chile he was busy ploughing the ield& *ndra approached him and asked suspiciously as to what he was trying to cultivate. Chen Kuru revealed his intentions& *ndra made un o him and went back. But Kuru was not worried and continued to cultivate the land. *n a very short time& he had already cultivated the land measuring < kosas. ?ne day& Lord Vishnu arrived and asked the same Huestion& which *ndra had asked. Chen Kuru revealed his intentions& Lord Vishnu was surprised and wondered as to rom where he would get the seeds to grow these things. Kuru told him that all these eight virtues were present in his own body and it would not be a di icult task to cultivate these things. Lord Vishnu wanted to test his commitment and sincerity and said3 PBive the seeds to me. * would sow the seeds while you should plough the ield.P Kuru outstretched his right hand but Lord Vishnu cut it into thousands o pieces with his chakra. All the pieces were distributed among the deities but Kuru was un a:ed and again stretched his le t hand towards Lord Vishnu. But his le t hand too met the same ate. *n this way& the most generous and benevolent King Kuru o ered all his organs to Lord Vishnu. But all the organs were severed by Lord Vishnu. At last& Kuru o ered his head as he had nothing else to o er. Lord Vishnu was pleased by his generosity and asked him to demand anything. Kuru replied3 PAll the area cultivated by me should become amous as a sacred pilgrimage. All the devotees who visit or die at this sacred pilgrimage must attain salvation. ,his place should be known by my name.P ,his is how the most sacred place o pilgrimage3 Kurukshetra came into e/istence.
1&8
#ali 8 "he $emon 2ing
,his chapter contains < sections5 Lomaharshan told the sages3 PBali was the descendant o Virochan and the son o (iranyakashipu. A ter his atherAs death& he de eated the deities and drove them out rom their abodes. Very soon& all the three worlds were under his control. (e was a virtuous king and so were his sub9ects. During his reign& every corner in his kingdom would be abu:: with religious activities. As a result& the whole world became devoid o sin.P ?ne day& Boddess Lakshmi arrived and said3 P? brave king o the demons$ * am pleased by your valiance with which you ought and vanHuished the deities. ,his is the reason why * have come on my own will to bless you.P A ter saying this& Boddess Lakshmi merged with his body. ,his way& Bali acHuired all the splendours o the world.
I.J.6 Deities go to Brahma Loka

,he sages asked3 P(ow were the deities able to de eat Bali and why did Lord Vishnu take the incarnation o VaamanLP Lomaharshan replied3 PA ter being de eated by Bali& *ndra went to @eru @ountain where his mother
Aditi lived and narrated the woe ul tale o the deitiesA de eat. Aditi took her husbandAs (KashyapAs) advice in this regard. Kashyap thought that only Lord Brahma could solve their problem. 1o& he went to Brahma loka accompanied by the deities. Chen they reached there& they ound numerous Brahmins engaged in religious activities. Lord Brahma too was sitting among them. 1age Kashyap and all the deities made salutations to Lord Brahma and stood silently.
I.J.; ,he Deities do Eenance

Lord Brahma told the deities that he was aware o their plight. (e was o the opinion that the mighty Bali could be de eated only by the Almighty himsel and nobody else. Lord Brahma said3 PYou must go to a place called Amrit& which is situated towards the north o Ksheersagar. ,he Almighty Bod is engaged in an austere penance at that place. All o you must go there and try to please him by doing penance and a ter he is pleased& 9ust reHuest him to take his ne/t incarnation as AditiAs son.P 1age Kashyap and all the deities agreed to ollow BrahmaAs advice. All o them proceeded towards 1hwetdweep. Chen they reached there& they were ama:ed to ind the place devoid o any creature. *ts boundary seemed limitless and even the 1unAs rays could not reach it. 1age Kashyap initiated all the deities into the austerity named Kaamad3 ul iller o all the desires. A ter that& all o them commenced their severe penance.
I.J.7 Lord +arayana Blesses Kashyap

Lord +arayan became pleased by KashyapAs eulogies and austere penance. (e appeared be ore the deities and asked them to demand anything they wished or. Kashyap reHuested him to give Aditi& the privilege o becoming his mother. Lord Vishnu agreed to take birth as AditiAs son. ,he deities became pleased and all o them proceeded back towards KashyapAs hermitage. Chen they reached Kurukshetra& the place where Kashyap had his hermitage& they inspired Aditi to commence her penance to please Lord Vishnu. Aditi did a severe penance or 6M&MMM years. ,he place where she did her penance later on became amous as Aditivan. Lord Vishnu was e/tremely pleased by her devotion.
I.J.F Lord Vishnu Appears

Lomaharshan says3 Lord Vishnu appeared and told her that he was most willing to ul il her wish. Aditi reHuested him to make her son3 *ndra& the lord o all the three worlds once again. Lord Vishnu assured her that he would take birth as her son and kill all the demons. Aditi had apprehensions as to how she could bear the weight o Almighty Bod in her womb. But Lord Vishnu assured her by saying3 PDonAt worry. * will give you the strength to do that. *n course o time& Aditi became pregnant. But soon a ter her pregnancy& the earth shook violently because o the unbearable weight o the oetus. Cherever she went& that particular portion o earth tilted down because o the enormous weight. (er pregnancy had signi icantly eroded the radiance o the demons.
I.J.8 Bali)s =ueries to Erahlad

Lomaharshan says3 PChen Bali saw the demons becoming devoid o radiance and power& he enHuired about the reasons rom his grand ather& Erahlad. (e wondered whether it was a bad omen. Erahlad went into a deep trance and saw the whole earth shaking violently. (e also saw high tides rising in the ocean. (e was convinced that these signs went to prove the inevitable emergence o the deitiesA power. Erahlad then meditated upon Lord Vishnu and ound him mani esting in AditiAs womb as a Vaaman (dwar ). (e also saw the whole universe e/isting in his body. Erahlad was surprised but the ne/t moment he controlled himsel and told Bali3 P+ow * know the reason why the demons have become devoid o their radiance and power. Lord (ari is about to take incarnation as the son o Aditi and this is the reason why all the demons have become powerless.P Bali curiously asked Erahlad3 PCho is this (ari& the tormentor o the demonsL Chy should we be scared o him as we have many valiant demons who could de eat him easily.P Erahlad became urious at BaliAs utterances and cursed him by saying3 P(ow dare you say like this$ * am ashamed that you have taken birth as my grandson. * curse you to lose your kingdom and all rom grace because you have criticised Lord Vishnu3 the supreme saviour.P
I.J.I @ani estation o Lord Vaaman

Bali elt sorry or hurting ErahladAs eelings. (e said3 PDear grand ather$ @y intelligence has been overshadowed by my arrogant attitude. You have done the right thing by cursing me. * am not scared o losing all my prosperity and splendour but your anger is unbearable or me.P +ow even Erahlad realised that he had committed a mistake by cursing his own son. (e said3 P%nable to control my anger& * cursed you but now nothing can be done and my words will de initely come true. But donAt worry as my blessings would help you to become a supreme devotee o (ari and you would be protected by him.P Lomaharshan says3 P*n course o time& Lord Vishnu took birth as Vaaman. ,his incident o VishnuAs birth had liberated Aditi and all the deities rom their sorrow. Lord Brahma appeared and per ormed VaamanAs #aatkarm. (e also eulogised Vaaman and worshipped him. Lord Vishnu was pleased by his eulogy and revealed to him that he took the incarnation o Vaaman to make *ndra& the lord o all the three worlds.P Lord Brahma was pleased and presented a black coloured deer skin to him. 1imilarly& sages like @arichi& Vashishth& Brihaspati& Angira etc. presented Ealaash Danda& kamandalu& sacred thread and silken clothes respectively. Lord Vaaman then proceeded towards the place where King Bali was per orming his oblation. Lord Vaaman was in the appearance o a hermit. ,hough he was o diminutive si:e& yet each o his steps were enough to shake the earth.
I.J.< Lord Vaaman)s Demands

Lomaharshan says3 P,he shaking and trembling o earth surprised Bali and he enHuired about this strange happening to 1hukracharya. (e was also surprised by the act that Agni was not accepting the o erings. 1hukracharya& a ter contemplating or a while on this matter& came to know about VaamanAs incarnation. (e in ormed Bali that Vaaman was on his way to the oblation site and his each step was causing turbulence on the earth. Bali was pleased that he would get an opportunity to see the Almighty Bod whom the sages contemplate upon. (e was proud o his good ortune that the lord was paying him a visit. 1hukracharya aware o the reason or VaamanAs arrival warned Bali against making any promise to him. Bali replied3 P(ow can * re use i the Almighty Bod demands anything rom meL * am willing to ace any hardship to sa eguard my benevolent image. * donAt mind i the deities get bene ited by my actions. -ven i the lord is coming with the intention o killing me& * am not scared as that is how * would attain salvation. >ome what may& * am not going to abandon my charitable nature.P As the conversation between 1hukracharya and Bali continued& suddenly& Lord Vaaman arrived at the site. VaamanAs radiance subdued the power o all demons present there. Lord Vaaman being impressed by the grandeur o VaamanAs Yagya complimented him or organising such a magni icent Yagya. Bali eulogised and worshipped his esteemed guest. (e reHuested Vaaman to reveal the reason o his arrival and promised that his wishes would be ul illed. Lord Vaaman smiled and told him that he needed a small piece o land measured by three steps or the per ormance o Yagya. Bali was surprised by this demand and reHuested him to ask or more land but Lord Vaaman told him that he needed only that much land. Bali agreed and took a vow to donate a piece o land measured by three steps. (ardly had Bali taken his vow& when suddenly Lord Vaaman e/panded his si:e. (is irst step covered the whole earth. By his two successive steps& he covered the two worlds. ,his way& Bali was orced to donate all the three worlds according to his vow. Lord Vishnu then made *ndra& the king o all the three worlds and sent Bali to the nether world named 1utal. (e blessed Bali by saying3 PYou would en9oy a long li e till the end o this present Kalpa. You would hold the post o *ndra till the arrival o 1aavarni @anavantar. As long as you remain supportive o the Brahmins and the deities& you would en9oy all the pleasures o li e. But i you go against their wishes then you would be astened by VarunAs noose.P
1&9
)arasvati 6iver
,he sages reHuested Lomaharshan to reveal about river 1araswatiAs origin& which lowed in Kurukshetra. Lomaharshan said3 P1araswati originates rom Eaakad tree (*ndian ig tree). 1he enters Dwaitvan a ter passing through numerous mountains. Chile describing about her ma9esty& sage @arkandeya elt that 1araswati was the source rom& which everything originated3 all the three worlds& three Vedas& Vidya (learning)& heavenly bodies like 1un& @oon etc. ?nce& sage @arkandeya eulogised 1araswati by saying3 P? 1araswati$ You mani est in the orm o cryptic mantra3 P?@KA"P. You are the eternal orm through which the Almighty Bod (Brahma) mani ests himsel in di erent appearances.P
1araswati was pleased by his devotion and said3 P? Brahmin$ * am willing to go wherever you want to take me.P According to @arkandeya& river 1araswati was initially known as Brahmasar. Later on& she became amous as "amhalad. 1age @arkandeya reHuested 1araswati to low in the territory o Kurukshetra where sage Kuru was doing his penance. ,his way& 1araswati diverted her course towards Kurukshetra.
1&1: 2uru.shetra
,he sages reHuested Lomaharshan to describe about the geographical condition o Kurukshetra. Lomaharshan replied3 P,here are < di erent orest ranges in Kurukshetra. ,hey are3 PKamyakvan& Aditivan& Vyasavan& Ehalkivan& 1uryavan& @adhuvan and 1heetvan. +ine rivers low across Kurukshetra3 1araswati& Vaitarni& Aashga& @andakini Banga& @adhustrava& Vaasu& Kaushiki& Kaggar and (iranyavati. Kurukshetra is believed to be the most sacred place o pilgrimage. A pilgrim visiting Kurukshetra should begin his pilgrimage only a ter worshipping the Yaksha. (e should then pay a visit to the amous Aditivan where Aditi had accomplished a severe penance to get a son. By doing this& he is blessed with sons possessing all the good Hualities. A ter that& he should pay a visit to a place called 1avan where Lord (ari dwells. A devotee who pays a visit to Lord Vimaleshwar becomes liberated rom all his sins and goes to "udraloka a ter his death. 1ome other places o pilgrimage situated in Kurukshetra and which are considered to be very sacred are Earitlav& Kaushiki& Dharani& DakshaAs hermitage& 1haalukini& 1arpeedadhi& the temples at the bank o Eanchnad river& Vaaraha temple& 1omeshwar temple etc.P PA devotee should also pay a visit to "amkunda where Earashuram had constructed ive ponds and illed them up with the blood o the Kshatriyas& whom he had killed. (e had paci ied the soul o his ancestors by per orming ,arpan with the blood o the dead Kshatriyas. ,he dead ancestors were pleased with him and blessed him in becoming ree rom the sins& which he had acHuired because o killing Kshatriyas.P
1&11 )age Man.ana. Eulogi;es )hiva

1age @ankanak was the @anasputra o Kashyap. (e had seven sons& who were amously known as @arud Banas. ,hey are the one who hold all the movable and immovable ob9ects o this world. ?nce& sage @ankanak in9ured his inger by the sharp edge o Kusha grass while he was trying to pluck them or his religious rites. But he was Huite surprised when he ound vegetative 9uice (1haak "asa) oo:ing out rom the wound instead o blood. (e thought that perhaps his blood had trans ormed into vegetative 9uice by the virtue o his penance. ,his abnormal event made him arrogant and he started dancing in 9oy as a result o which the whole world started to swerve. Lord Brahma became pu::led by this sudden development. (e went to Lord 1hiva and reHuested him to stop @ankanak rom dancing so that the universe became steady. Lord 1hiva went to sage @ankanak and said3 P? supreme sage$ Being a hermit& you are supposed to have control over your emotions. @ay * know the reason o your e/treme 9oy& which makes you dance.P @ankanak told him that his penance had given him great power due to which vegetative 9uice was oo:ing out rom the wound instead o blood and this was the reason or his e/treme 9oy and happiness. P,hat is why * am dancingP& said @ankanak. But Lord 1hiva was not amused and wanted to teach him a lesson. (e hit the thumb with the nail o his inger as a result o which& ashes poured out rom the wound. @ankanak was surprised by this. Being ashamed& he said3 P* know& you are none other than Lord 1hiva because nobody else can per orm this ama:ing eat. * am your great devotee. You are the one on whom& deities like Brahma and Vishnu are dependent. * need your blessings so that the virtues o my penance remain intact.P Lord 1hiva blessed him and promised to dwell in his hermitage orever.
1&1! )ome )acred Places of Pilgrimage

I.6;.6 Aushanas ,irtha

Describing about the greatness o Aushanas& the most sacred place o pilgrimage& Lomaharshan narrates the ollowing tale3 PDuring ,reta Yug& Lord "ama had killed many demons while he was in e/ile. ?nce& while he was living in Dandak orest& he had severed the head o a wicked demon with his Kshura arrow. ,he severed head o the demon was carried by the arrow or Huite a distance and coincidentally it got stuck on the thigh o sage "ahodar. *t became very di icult or him to per orm his religious duties. Bad smell emanating rom the severed head was unbearable. 1ome sages advised him to pay a visit to Aushanas to become ree rom his problem. "ahodar went to Aushanas and as soon as he touched the holy water o the river& the severed head got detached and ell in the river. Delighted& he went back to his hermitage. Drom that day& Aushanas also came to be known as Kapaalmochan.
I.6;.; Vashishtha3pavah ,irtha

,he sages asked Lomaharshan about the origin o Vashishthapava ,irtha and about the reason why sage Vashishth was carried along by the power ul current o 1araswati river. Lomaharshan said3 P,here was great rivalry between sage Vashishth and sage Vishwamitra. *n course o time& it turned into a bitter enemity. Vashishth had his hermitage at a place called 1thanu ,irtha and VishwamitraAs hermitage was situated 9ust towards the west o it. Vishwamitra was 9ealous o VashishthAs accomplishment.P ?nce& Vishwamitra asked river 1araswati to bring Vashishth to his hermitage with the help o power ul currents so that he could kill him. "iver 1araswati became sad and re used to obey him& which made Vishwamitra angry. (e again repeated his commands. 1eeing no other option& she went to VashishthAs hermitage and narrated the whole story to him. Vashishth agreed to be carried away by her current. Chen Vishwamitra saw Vashishth& he uriously started looking or some weapon to kill him. 1araswati became scared and carried Vashishth to sa ety as she did not want to acHuire the sin o collaborating in the killing o a Brahmin. Vishwamitra angrily cursed her3 P@ay your water be mi/ed with blood and may the demons thrive on your banks.P ,his way& 1araswati lowed with her water mi/ed with blood or one year. All the sages& deities& Bandharvas and Apsaras were worried at this happening. But& this was not the case with the demons& who lived happily at the bank o river 1araswati thriving on the blood mi/ed in her water. ,hey used to live happily3 dancing and re9oicing& as i they had won the heaven rom the deities. ?ne day& some sages arrived at the bank o river 1araswati and became distressed a ter seeing her water mi/ed with blood. ,hey asked her about the reason. 1he revealed the whole story and the misdeeds o Vishwamitra. ,he sages then reHuested river Aruna3 the liberator o all sins to change her course and start lowing towards river 1araswati. As soon as river Aruna submerged into river 1araswati& she (1araswati) regained her purity once again.
I.6;.7 Kamyakvan ,irtha

,he sages asked Lomaharshan about the origin o Kamyakvan ,irtha. Lomaharshan replied3 P?nce upon a time& the sages o +aimisharanya came to Kurukshetra to take bath in river 1araswati. But& since they were large in number& the banks o river 1araswati could not accommodate all o them. *n their helplessness& they created an imaginary place o pilgrimage named Yagyopavitik ,irtha and took an imaginary dip in it. But many o the remaining sages were unable to do even this.P Chen 1araswati saw such a large gathering o Brahmins& desirous o having bath in her holy waters& she created a garden (Kun9) and started lowing towards west. ,his very garden later on developed into a dense orest and became amous as Kamyakvan.
I.6;.F 1thanu ,irtha

,he sages then asked Lomaharshan about the origin o 1thanu ,irtha and the importance o 1thanu Vata. ,hey also e/pressed their desire to know about the reservoir named 1aanihitya and how *ndra had illed it up with mud. 1age Lomaharshan replied3 P?nce& 1anat Kumar upon being asked by Baalkhilya and other sages the same Huestion& narrated the ollowing tale3 During the period o inal annihilation& when the whole earth was submerged in water& Lord Brahma mani ested inside an egg. (e slept there or thousands o Yugas. Chen he woke up rom his sleep& he ound the world devoid o any inhabitants. Being under the in luence o "a9o Buna& he planned to commence his creation. At the same time& Lord Vishnu awakened rom his sleep and broke that egg a ter seeing that the whole world had merged inside him. 1ubseHuently& Lord Brahma began his creation starting rom the word3 A?@KA"A. A ter that& the terms3 Bhur& Bhuvah and 1wah respectively came into e/istence. ,he brilliant e ulgence radiating rom the egg had dried up the water as a result o which& the remaining water had turned into the shape o an embryo. ,he reservoir3 1aanihitya is situated at the same place where the egg had mani ested itsel . @eru @ountain is nothing but the outer shell o that egg and all the other mountains are its membrane. ,he oceans and the rivers are the luid inside that egg. ,here is a great reservoir near the navel area o Lord Brahma. A big Banyan tree is situated 9ust in the middle o that reservoir. ,his tree appears like a pillar (1thanu). All the three ma9or castes (Brahmin& Kshatriya and Vaishya) originated rom that tree. Lord Brahma then created his @anasputras3 1anat& 1anandan etc. 1ubseHuently& he created the 1aptarishis and the Baalkhilyas. All the Baalkhilyas did a severe penance or thousands o years without having a morsel o ood. ,hey had become very weak but still Lord 1hiva was not pleased with them.P
?nce& Lord 1hiva and %ma were travelling by aerial route when suddenly %ma saw the weak Baalkhilyas engaged in penance. 1he was saddened to see their rail bodies and reHuested Lord 1hiva to end their miseries. Lord 1hiva told her that the Baalkhilyas had not attained a bit o virtuousness inspite o their severe penance. P,hey have still not become ree rom anger and desiresP& said Lord 1hiva. But %ma was reluctant to believe his words. Lord 1hiva then asked her to wait there and himsel went to show their real worth to her to prove his point. Lord 1hiva then shed his apparels and became naked. As a mendicant& he visited the hermitages o all the Baalkhilyas. At that time the Baalkhilyas were engaged in penance and hence only women olk were present at the hermitages. ,he women olk& in atuated by Lord 1hiva& started running a ter him. Chen the Baalkhilyas came to know about this& they uprooted his private organ (Linga) and threw it on the ground. (ardly had the Linga allen on the ground& the whole world got engul ed by the process o destruction. All the sages and learned saints became worried and went to seek Lord BrahmaAs help. Lord Brahma revealed to them that this destruction was due to 1hivaAs wrath. (e also told them about the utility o their penance as they were still under the in luence o anger and lust. PYou cannot attain per ection until your laws are removedP& said Lord Brahma.
1&1* )ages "a.e 'ord )hiva<s 6efuge

Ashamed& the sages reHuested Lord Brahma to tell them the way to paci y Lord 1hiva. Lord Brahma assured them that they would be orgiven i they took Lord 1hivaAs re uge. Lord Brahma went to Kailash Earvat accompanied by all the sages. A ter reaching there& he eulogised Lord 1hiva with deep devotion. ,he sages also worshipped Lord 1hiva. Lord 1hiva was satis ied by their eulogy and devotion. (e instructed the sages to establish the severed Linga at 1aanihitya 1arovar. PBy doing this& you would have all your desires ul illed. ,he Linga would become amous by the name o 1thanu3 the whole world. A devotee who pays a visit to this sacred place o pilgrimage would become liberated rom all his sinsP& said Lord 1hiva. ,he sages returned to the place o Lord 1hivaAs allen Linga. ,hey tried their best to li t it but were unsuccess ul in their attempt. ,hey became worried and went to Lord Brahma or help. Lord Brahma told them3 P1ince 1hivaAs Linga had allen on his own will& hence nobody e/cept him can li t that Linga.P All o them went back to Kailash Earvat but Lord 1hiva was nowhere to be ound. Lord Brahma went into a state o deep meditation and sighted Lord 1hiva in the guise o an elephant. Chen Brahma and the deities proceeded on their way& they ound a goddess with a kamandalu in hand and o ered them Amrit. A ter being re reshed& the sages asked whether she knew o Lord 1hivaAs whereabouts. 1he told them that Lord 1hiva was presently living in the middle o 1aanihitya 1arovar. A ter reaching the reservoir& they ound Lord 1hiva in the guise o an elephant. ,hey reHuested him to help them& establish his Linga at the desired place. Lord 1hiva agreed. All o them then went to the site o Lord 1hivaAs allen Linga. (e li ted it with his trunk and established it towards the west o 1aanihitya 1arovar. ,he sages were satis ied and e/pressed their gratitude to Lord 1hiva. Lord 1hiva& pleased by their eulogy and devotion& decided to make the Linga as his abode.
1&1, (reatness of )thanu "irtha

I.6F.6 ,he Breatness o 1aanihitya 1arovar and 1thanu ,irtha

1anat Kumar says3 Describing the greatness o 1aanihitya 1arovar& Lord 1hiva told the sages that a devotee cannot attain salvation unless he pays a visit to this sacred place o pilgrimage. ,here is no other ,irtha like this one. P* would be easily accessible to a devotee who worships me with total devotion.P A ter saying this& Lord 1hiva disappeared. *n course o time& the heaven became crowded with human beings due to virtues attained by going on pilgrimages to 1thanu ,irtha. ,he deities became worried at this development and went to seek Lord BrahmaAs help. *ndra said3 P* things continue like this then the heaven will be dominated by mortals and we will have no option but to move out rom there. +ow& its your duty to protect us.P Lord Brahma ordered *ndra to ill up 1aanihitya 1arovar with mud so that the 1thanu Linga gets concealed and devotees no longer visited that sacred place o pilgrimage. 1aanihitya 1arovar was illed up with mud as *ndra created a dust storm& which lasted or several days. But still *ndraAs ob9ective remained un ul illed as Lord 1hiva li ted 1thanu Linga and ,irtha Vata (Banyan tree) in his hands. ,here were some sages present on the bank o 1aanihitya 1arovar at the time o this incident. ,hey smeared their bodies with that mud and due to this& all o them went to Brahma loka.
I.6F.; ?ther Erominent Lingas

1anat Kumar says3 P,he sacred places o pilgrimage named 1hukra ,irtha and 1oma ,irtha are situated towards north and south o 1thanu Vata respectively. Daksha ,irtha is situated towards its south and 1kand ,irtha towards its west. ,he sacrosanct 1thanu ,irtha is situated 9ust in between all these our places o pilgrimage. +ear 1thanu ,irtha is a 1hiva Linga and Boddess %ma dwells there. ,here is a @aha Linga established by ,akshak towards the north o 1thanu Vata while the 1hiva Linga constructed by Vishwakarma is established towards the east. By the side o that Banyan tree (Vata ,irtha) is situated3 Bateshwar Linga& which was established by Lord Brahma. 1ome other prominent Lingas established in the vicinity o 1thanu Linga are3 Bokarna @aha Linga established by "avana& Kumareshwar& (astipadeshwar 1hiva& 1iddheshwar Linga& (ibhavateshwar Linga etc.
I.6F.7 King Ven& Birth o Erithu

1age @arkandeya then goes on to describe about the splendours o 1thanu ,irtha3 1urya was @anuAs ather. Ven was @anuAs grandson. (e was wicked and always criticised the Vedas. Being displeased by his irreligious son& VenAs ather le t or the orest to do penance where he attained salvation. *n course o time& VenAs tyranny spread across the length and breadth o the earth. *n a very short time& he became the lord o whole earth. (e had strictly warned his sub9ects against worshipping any other deity e/cept him. 1ages became urious by his irreligious stricture and tried to change his mind but their e orts went in vain. %ltimately& Ven was killed by the angry sages. A ter his death& the sages churned his le t hand& which resulted in the mani estation o a dwar . ,he sages considered him to be un it to become a ruler and churned VenAs right hand or the second time. ,his time& a divine entity mani ested& who had all the auspicious signs on his body. ,he deities crowned this divine entity as the king and named him Erithu. Erithu proved to be a 9ust king and his sub9ects were satis ied by his rule. ?ne day& sage +arad arrived at ErithuAs court. Canting to grab the opportunity& he asked +arad how his ather could be liberated rom his sins. +arad told him that his ather was presently living among the @lechchas and was su ering rom diseases like consumption and leprosy. P(e would be cured o his diseases i he is taken to 1thanu ,irtha and made to take a dip in the holy 1aanihitya 1arovarP& said +arad. (e went to the site and ound his ather living among the @lechchas. A ter taking the @lechchasA permission& he brought his ather to 1thanu ,irtha. (is e ort o helping his ather to take a bath was resisted by the deity3 Vaayu who said3 P,he waters o 1aanihitya 1arovar would get polluted i such a lowly sinner took a bath in it. Dirst o all& you must go on a pilgrimage and visit all the sacred places to make your ather pure. ?nly then he will be entitled to take bath hereP. Erithu accompanied by his ather went on a pilgrimage and visited all the sacred places. Chen both o them returned to 1thanu ,irtha& his ather had become pure by this time. Ven took his bath and became liberated rom his sins. (e worshipped Lord 1thanu and eulogised him with total devotion.
I.6F.F Ven Attains (eaven

1anat Kumar says3 PLord 1hiva became pleased by his devotion and blessed Ven that he would mani est rom his body as Andhak in his ne/t birth. Due to the sins acHuired by criticising the Vedas& he would be born in the amily o the notorious demon (iranyaaksh.P Lord 1hiva then asked Ven to demand any boon. Ven reHuested Lord 1hiva to bless his attendant who had trans ormed into a dog due to his sin acHuired by eating divine ood. Lord 1hiva blessed the attendant as a result o which& he regained his original orm. "ight then& Erithu arrived there. A ter seeing him& Ven e/pressed his gratitude or his tremendous e ort without which& he would not have been liberated rom his sins. A ter blessing Erithu& Ven departed or heaven. *n his atherAs absence& Erithu continued to rule 9ustly. (e per ormed many religious activities and gave unlimited donations to the Brahmins. A ter ruling or a long period& he went to Kurukshetra where he did a severe penance and attained the supreme abode a ter his death.
1&1/ "he =rigin of #rahmeshwar<s >our ?eads

A ter creating all the movable and immovable living things& Lord Brahma created a beauti ul lady. (e was so in atuated by her beauty that he e/pressed his desire to procreate with her help. As a result o this grave sin committed by Lord Brahma& one o his our heads got detached and ell on the ground. (e carried his severed head and went to 1aanihitya 1arovar to atone or his sins. A ter reaching that site& he established a our3headed
1hiva Linga and worshipped it daily. Eleased by his devotion& Lord 1hiva appeared be ore him. (e blessed Lord Brahma and said3 PYou have become ree rom the sin due to the virtue attained by establishing a our3headed 1hiva Linga at this sacred place.P A ter blessing him& Lord 1hiva disappeared. A ter getting liberated rom his sin& Lord Brahma worshipped the idol o our3headed @ahadev and established another 1hiva Linga in the middle o a nearby lake. (e also created a reservoir& which is named a ter him3 Brahmasar. (e established two other 1hiva Lingas3 one towards the east o his hermitage and another at the bank o river 1araswati. A devotee who goes on a pilgrimage to these sacred places created by Lord Brahma becomes liberated rom all his sins and attains salvation.
1&11 Prithuda. "irtha

Describing the ma9esty o Erithudak ,irtha& @ahadev told the deities3 PAll o you must pay a visit to this sacrosanct place o pilgrimage situated near 1aanihitya reservoir. ,he day on which @oon& 1un and #upiter unitedly come under @rigshira +akshatra is called Akshay ,ritiya. You must go to that sacred place and per orm 1hraadh o your ancestors.P All the deities led by *ndra went to Kurukshetra where Erithudak was situated. Vrihaspati was also present with them. A ter taking their bath& the deities reHuested Vrihaspati (#upiter) to enter into the @rigshira +akshatra as directed by @ahadev. Vrihaspati agreed to do that and entered into the @rigshira +akshatra along with the 1un and the @oon on Akshay ,ritiya. All the deities then worshipped their dead ancestors by o ering Eind comprising o sesame seeds and honey. ,he ancestors were pleased and presented @ena to the deities. ,he deities in turn presented @ena to (imalaya. (imalaya was pleased to have @ena as his wi e. *n course o time& three daughters were born to them.
1&14 #irth of ma and her Marriage to )hiva

,his chapter contains 6M sections5
I.6<.6 @ena gives birth to %ma

@ena gave birth to three daughters and a son. ,he eldest daughter3 "aagini was red comple/ioned and had red eyes. Kutila was air comple/ioned and had beauti ul eyes like that o lotus petals. ,he youngest daughter3 Kali was dark comple/ioned and had beauti ul eyes like the petals o blue lotus. @ena also had a son named 1unaam. Chen all three o them were o si/ years& they started to do penance. ,he deities saw these beauti ul girls and were enchanted by their beauty. Aditya and the Vasu Banas took Kutila to Brahma loka and asked Lord Brahma3 P? lord$ Cill this girl give birth to a son capable o killing @ahishasuraLP Lord Brahma told them that she was incapable o bearing the e ulgence o Lord 1hiva and hence she should be released. Kutila was de9ected by Lord BrahmaAs re9ection and challenged him that she would try every means so as to attain the capability o holding the e ulgence o Lord 1hiva. Lord Brahma became angry with her arrogant utterances and cursed her to become a river. *n a very short period& the urious current o Kutila over3 looded the whole Brahma loka but Lord Brahma managed to control her current. *n this way& Kutila remained in Brahma loka in the orm o a river. Chen the deities saw "aagini doing penance& they took her to Lord Brahma. -ven she was cursed by Lord Brahma in the same manner as her sister had been cursed. Due to Lord BrahmaAs curse& she became 1andhya (evening) and started or the auspicious yoga o Kritika. A ter losing her two daughters& @ena tried to dissuade Kali rom doing penance. But Kali was not to listen. "eacting to her motherAs advises& Kali pronounced A%A A@aA and as a result she was named %ma by her mother. %ma commenced her severe penance to please Lord 1hiva. Chen Lord Brahma came to know about this& he instructed the deities to bring her along to Brahma loka but the deities were unsuccess ul in their attempt as %maAs radiance was unbearable or them. ,hey returned to Brahma loka and narrated the whole story to Lord Brahma. Lord Brahma was convinced that %ma was worthy o being 1hivaAs consort. ?ne day& (imalaya& %maAs ather brought her back home. ?nce& Lord 1hiva went to (imalaya @ountain to do penance. Chen (imalaya came to know o his arrival& he was e/tremely happy. (e made all necessary arrangements or Lord 1hiva. ?ne day& while Lord 1hiva was engrossed in meditation& %ma arrived there. Lord 1hiva was pleased to know that 1ati had re3incarnated as %ma. But his 9oy
was momentary as he went back into deep meditation. %ma paid her obeisance by touching 1hivaAs eet. Lord 1hiva wanting to test %maAs devotion went into hiding. %ma sought her atherAs permission to do penance with the ob9ective o having 1hiva as her husband. (imalaya agreed and gave his permission. 1he started her penance a ter creating an earthen idol o Lord 1hiva. 1he worshipped that idol with total devotion. Lord 1hiva became pleased with her devotion and appeared be ore her in the guise o a mendicant. ?n being enHuired by %ma& Lord 1hiva told her that he was on his pilgrimage to Erithudak. P* am used to all these austerities as * have been practising it since my childhood. But why are you torturing yoursel in such a tender ageLP& asked Lord 1hiva. Lomaprabha& %maAs companion was also present there. 1he told the mendicant about the ob9ective with which %ma was doing her penance. P1he wants to have Lord 1hiva as her husbandP& said Lomaprabha. (earing this& the mendicant laughed loudly and made un o 1hiva. (e tried to dissuade %ma rom marrying Lord 1hiva. %ma became e/tremely angry and asked the mendicant to keep mum. But when the mendicant continued with his abuses& she got up and tried to move away rom the side. Lord 1hiva became pleased by her total devotion and appeared in his real orm. (e assured %ma to go back home and said3 P* will send the sages to your house with a marriage proposal. ,he idol which you have been worshipping with such deep devotion would become amous as Bhadreshwar. %ma returned home and 1hiva proceeded on his way to Erithudak.
I.6<.; Lord 1hiva sends @arriage Eroposal

A ter paying a visit to Erithudak ,irtha& Lord 1hiva returned to his abode. At that time& he was living at @andaar @ountain. A ter Lord 1hivaAs contemplation& the 1aptarishis arrived. A ter the ormal salutations& Lord 1hiva told the sages that his wi e3 1ati has re3incarnated as %ma. PAll o you must go to (imalaya and reHuest him to marry his daughter to meP& said Lord 1hiva. ,he 1aptarishis abided by his instructions. All o them went to (imalaya with 1hivaAs proposal. Chen %ma came to know about this& she was Huite pleased but did not reveal her emotions. (imalaya was in a dilemma. (e did not know whether to re use or accept the marriage proposal. ,he @eru @ountain advised him to go ahead with the marriage as it would not be proper to re use the 1aptarishis. @ena& (imalayaAs wi e said3 P? lord o the mountain$ ,he dead ancestors gave %ma to me on the condition that * would get her married with 1hiva. ,he son born to her would kill the demons3 @ahishasura and ,arakasura. At last (imalaya agreed. ,he 1aptarishis were pleased and chose an auspicious moment or the marriage ceremony. ,hey said3 P1hiva would marry your daughter on @aitra @uhurta3 the third day rom today when the @oon will enter the %ttar Ehalguni +akshatra.P A ter saying this& the 1aptarishis returned to @andaar @ountain and gave the good news to Lord 1hiva. Lord 1hiva became pleased and worshipped the 1aptarishis. ,he 1aptarishis then went to in orm all the deities about 1hivaAs marriage.
I.6<.7 %ma @arries Lord 1hiva

Lord Vishnu& Brahma& the deities and the Banas were pleased to hear about 1hivaAs marriage. Lord 1hiva went to his abode3 Kailash @ountain to make preparations or the marriage ceremony. Lord 1hivaAs marriage procession proceeded towards (imalaya @ountain. (is appearance was Huite terri ying with a tiger skin around his waist and Borochan ,ilak on his orehead. (e had a garland o skulls around his neck. 1nakes were coiling all around his body. (is mount3 Vrishabh (o/) was walking in a ma9estic way. ,he marriage procession comprised o the deities& Yakshas& demons and his Banas. Lord Vishnu had Boddess Lakshmi by his side and was mounted on Barud (eagle) while Lord Brahma was mounted on (ans (swan). Chen the marriage procession reached its destination& (imalaya received his esteemed guests with great honour and guided them to his palace. ,he women olk envied %ma as they glanced at the handsome appearance o Lord 1hiva. %ma was looking divinely beauti ul in her white coloured silken apparel. At last& both the bride and the bridegroom entered the canopy where the marriage ceremony was supposed to be per ormed. (imalaya placing %maAs hand in 1hivaAs& reHuested him to accept her as his wi e. Lord 1hiva said3 P? king o the mountains$ Despite being homeless& * agree to accept your daughter as my wi e.P A ter that& both 1hiva and %ma tied the nuptial knot and circumambulated the sacred ire or three times. Both o them made o erings to the sacred ire. As %ma touched 1hivaAs eet& Lord Brahma got a chance to have a glimpse o her beauti ul ace. (e was so in atuated by her divine beauty that he e9aculated. +obody e/cept Lord 1hiva was aware o this incident.
Lord Brahma tried to conceal his e9aculated sperms (Veerya) under the soil. But Lord 1hiva prohibited him rom doing so and said3 PDonAt destroy this Virya. Drom it would mani est JM&MMM Baalkhilyas.P Lord 1hivaAs prophesies came true and in a very short time& JM&MMM Baalkhilyas appeared there. Lord 1hiva then returned to @andaar Earvat accompanied by his consort& %ma.
I.6<.F Vishwakarma >onstructs a Ealace

A ter reaching @andaar @ountain& Lord 1hiva instructed Vishwakarma to construct a home. Vishwakarma constructed a spacious home or 1hiva& which was spread in the area o IF Yo9ans. ,he home was decorated with 1wastika symbols and its walls were made o gold. ?ne day& Lord 1hiva 9okingly re erred to %ma as Kali because o her dark comple/ion. But %ma did not take his comments lightly and told 1hiva that she was going to the (imalayas to do her penance so that he did not dare to call her by that name again. ,hus& %ma went to (imalaya @ountain and commenced her penance. 1tanding on one eet& she engaged hersel in severe penance. ?ne day& a lion arrived and seeing %ma standing on one eet& waited patiently or the moment when she would lose her balance and all into its clutches. %ma continued with her penance or one hundred years by continuously chanting the sacred Brahma mantra. Eleased by her devotion& Lord Brahma appeared be ore her and asked what she wished or. %ma irst o all reHuested him to bless the lion with immense power. 1he then reHuested him to bless her with a golden comple/ion. Lord Brahma blessed her and disappeared. 1he abandoned her dark comple/ioned skin rom which mani ested Kaushiki. +ow& her comple/ion turned golden due to Lord BrahmaAs blessings. *ndra appeared be ore her and sought her permission to take Kaushiki along with him. %ma gave her consent without any hesitation. *ndra took Kaushiki to Vindhya @ountain and reHuested her to stay there. (e said3 PYou would become amous as Vindhya Vaasini and would be revered even by the deities.P (e presented a lion to her and went back to his abode. ?n the other hand& %ma returned to @andaar @ountain and lived happily. Lord 1hiva became so deeply attached to her that he orgot about his duties and as a result o which& the whole world became disturbed. ,he deities became scared by this development and went to seek Lord BrahmaAs advice. Lord Brahma went to @andaar @ountain accompanied by all the deities. ,hey tried to enter 1hivaAs abode but +andi3 1hivaAs mount did not let them in. (elpless& all o them waited eagerly or the time 1hiva would come out. Agni seeing rows o swans coming out rom 1hivaAs abode disguised himsel as a swan and thus managed to get inside. (e went near Lord 1hiva and said3 P? lord$ ,he deities are an/iously waiting or you outside. (ow come& you are not aware o thisLP Lord 1hiva immediately got up and ran towards the deities. *ndra and other deities were scared at the prospect o losing heaven to Lord 1hivaAs progeny. 1o& they reHuested Lord 1hiva not to procreate any child rom %ma. Lord 1hiva agreed but asked them as to who was capable o holding his out3 lowing sperms. Agni came orward and swallowed each drop o 1hivaAs sperm. 1atis ied& the deities le t. Lord 1hiva went inside and told everything to %ma. 1he became urious and cursed the deities that they too would remain sonless 9ust like her. ?ne day be ore taking her bath& %ma applied %btan (mi/ture o sandalwood& turmeric etc.) on her body. 1he then peeled o the paste rom her body and made an elephant3headed image rom it. @aalini& her companion assisted her in taking bath. @aalini was smiling all the while as %ma was taking her bath. %ma became curious and wanted to know the reason o her strange smile. @aalini told %ma about her irm belie that one day& she (%ma) would de initely become a mother. %ma told her that this was impossible as the deities had prohibited her husband& 1hiva rom procreating a child. But @aalini continued to smile. A ter taking her bath& %ma went back home. A ter sometime& Lord 1hiva arrived and took his bath at the same place. ,he elephant3headed image created by %ma was lying there. 1uddenly it became alive and started making a hissing sound rom his trunk. Lord 1hiva delight ully took him to %ma and said3 PLook at your son.P %ma was surprised to see that elephant3headed image alive and a ectionately embraced him. Lord 1hiva again said3 PYour son will become amous as Vinayak and the whole world would worship him.P Lord 1hiva then entrusted the task o childAs security to Bhatodar. ,hus& both Lord 1hiva and %ma lived happily. ,he same %ma later on took incarnation as Boddess Katyayani and killed the demons3 1humbh and +ishumbh.
I.6<.8 Killing o +ishumbh and 1humbh

1humbh and +ishumbh were sons o Danu. ,hey wanted to avenge @ahishasuraAs death and sent many demons like to bring Boddess >handika a ter enslaving her. Dirst o all& 1ugreev was sent ollowed by Dhumralochan but
both o them were killed by the Boddess. Chen 1humbh and +ishumbh heard o their death& they were in uriated. +ishumbh attacked the goddess with a huge army. 1humbh attacked rom the other side. *n the ierce battle& Boddess >handika broke +ishumbhAs sword as well as his shield. +ishumbh then attacked Boddess >handika with his weapon3 1hakti. Boddess >handika broke it with her >hakra. At last& she attacked him with her arrows at him and as a result& +ishumbh got in9ured and ell. Chen 1humbh saw +ishumbh& in9ured and unconscious& he ran towards Boddess >handika to kill her. Boddess >handika blew her conch and made a thunderous noise by pulling the bowstring. 1humbh released the dangerous weapon3 %gradipti in the direction o Boddess >handika. But her weapon @aholkanaamni destroyed it. 1humbh thundered loudly and attacked Boddess >handika with a volley o arrows but none could cause any harm to her. Dinally& Boddess >handika attacked 1humbh with her trident. 1humbh ell down unconscious. A ter sometime& he regained his consciousness and attacked Boddess >handika with his arrows. But she destroyed all the arrows. *n the meantime& +ishumbh had regained his consciousness. (e got up and attacked Boddess >handika with his trident. *n the end& Boddess >handika killed +ishumbh by piercing her trident in his heart. As +ishumbh was dying& an another demon mani ested rom his body. -ven he was killed by her. (er mount 1imha devoured all the dead demons. 1humbh became angry at the death o his brother3 +ishumbh. (e uriously told the goddess3 P? wicked lady$ Do not be proud o your strength borrowed rom others.P Boddess >handika replied3 P? wicked demon$ * am the only power o this whole universe. * am the origin o cause and e ect. Look$ All the divinities are entering into my body. ,he ne/t moment& all the divine entities& which had earlier mani ested rom the bodies o the deities united with the goddess. +ow& the goddess was alone. A tremendous battle was ought between Boddess >handika and 1humbh. Ambika attacked him with numerous divine weapons. But& 1humbh neutralised her attack with his own weapons. 1humbh covered the whole body o Boddess >handika with his arrows. 1he broke his bow. A ter this& 1humbh attacked her with his weapon3 1hakti& which was broken into pieces by her chakra. +ow& 1humbh took out his sword and attacked her with it. 1he broke his shield and sword with her arrows. 1humbh then attacked her with his mace. -ven his mace was broken into pieces. 1humbh had no more weapons le t with him. (e hit the goddess on her breast with his clenched ist. 1he slapped him so hard on the ace that he ell down. ,he ne/t moment& he got up and mani ested himsel in the sky. +ow& a tremendous duel was ought between them in the sky. *n the end& she dashed him to the ground and pierced the trident in his heart. 1humbh was instantly killed. A ter the killing o 1humbh& Bandharvas& the deities and Apsaras were so pleased that they danced and re9oiced. ,he whole atmosphere echoed with the sound3 P1(A+,* 1(A+,*P (Let there be peace). A ter goddess >handika killed 1humbh& all the deities under the leadership o *ndra and Agni started eulogising her3 P? Boddess$ Be pleased upon us$ Erotect the whole world& as you are the goddess o this whole universe. You appear in the orm o this earth3 the base on which everything is situated. Your light illuminates all the living creatures. You are the only power through which creation& nurturing and annihilation takes place. You are the Brahmani& @aheshwari and the Kaumari. Ce salute you because you have protected us rom the terror o the demons. Ce need your protection rom all the calamities o this world.P Boddess >handika was very pleased by their eulogy. 1he asked them or any wish. ,he deities said3 P? Akhileshwari$ Ce need your protection. >lear all the obstacles rom our path. -liminate our enemies.P Boddess >handika replied3 PDuring Vaivasvat @anavantar& * will take incarnation rom YashodaAs womb3 the wi e o +and& to kill the demons 1humbh and +ishumbh. A ter that& * will kill the demon3 Vaiprachit in my most aggressive orm. ?ne hundred years later& * will mani est mysel and would be known as 1atakshi because o my hundred eyes. @y ne/t incarnation would be known as 1hakambhari because * would nurture the whole world during the period o drought. * will kill the demon Durgam during that drought period. * will kill the demon Arun3 the tormentor o all the three worlds by taking the orm o a bee. Due to this& * will be known as Bhramari. * will take incarnations every time the demons torment the world. Boddess >handika says3 P* will clear all the obstacles rom the path o such a man who worships me. * a devotee listens to the great tales o how * killed @ahishasura& 1humbh and +ishumbh& on the eighth& ninth and ourteenth days o any month then he would be liberated rom poverty and all his sins. (e would become ree rom ear. A devotee must listen to my divine tales during all the religious ceremonies like making sacri ice& worship and
per orming Yagya. By doing this& all his enemies will be eliminated. A man who remembers me when aced with dangerous situations remains protected by me.P A ter blessing the deities& Boddess >handika disappeared rom their sight. All the demons& who had survived a ter the killings o 1humbh and +ishumbh& went to the nether world to save their lives.
I.6<.I Birth o Kaartikeya

1wallowing o Lord 1hivaAs sperm had subdued AgniAs radiance. ,he deities advised him to take Lord BrahmaAs help. Chile he was on his way to Brahma loka& he came across a river named Kutila and reHuested her to hold 1hivaAs sperm. 1he agreed and reHuested him to release it in her waters. *n course o time& she became pregnant. ,he thought o giving birth to an illegitimate child tormented her& so she went to Lord Brahma to take his advice. Lord Brahma instructed her to abort her oetus at %dyachal @ountain& which was covered by the dense orest o reed. Lord Brahma elt that it was a very sa e place or her and nobody will be aware o this incident. Kutila ollowed his instructions. Kutila aborted her oetus 9ust according to Lord BrahmaAs instructions. ,he oetus remained there or 6M&MMM years a ter which a child was born& radiant like a rising 1un and eyes like the petals o lotus lower. ,he child being hungry started to cry. At that time& all the si/ Kritikas were passing through that orest. ,hey were so mesmerised by the childAs beauty that they started Huarrelling among themselves as to who should irst eed breast milk to the child. 1eeing their Huarrel& the child appeared with his si/ heads. ,his way& all the si/ Kritikas ed their breast milk to the child at a time. ,his is the reason why Kartikeya has si/ heads. A ter Agni came to know o KaartikeyaAs birth& he proceeded to bring him back home. But Kutila saw him on the way and enHuired about his 9ourney. Chen Agni revealed his intention& she started Huarrelling with him or KaartikeyaAs custody. @eanwhile& Lord Vishnu arrived there and enHuired regarding their Huarrelling. Lord Vishnu a ter being told the reason advised them to take Lord 1hivaAs help as he was the best 9udge on such matters. Both Kutila and Agni went to Lord 1hiva and tried to get his consent. %ma advised Lord 1hiva by saying3 PAll o us must go to that place where the child is living and try to know as to whom he would like to have as his guardian.P All o them went to that reed orest and ound Kaartikeya in the lap o one o the Kritikas. Kaartikeya knew about their desires. 1eeing them worried& he mani ested in our di erent appearances o Kumar& Vishaakh& 1haakh and @ahasen. Kumar went towards Lord 1hiva while Vishaakh went towards %ma. 1imilarly& 1haakh went towards Kutila while @ahasen went towards Agni. ,hus& everybody was satis ied. Lord 1hiva then blessed the Kritikas by saying that Kaartikeya would become amous deriving his name rom them. All the deities arrived there and decided to make Kaartikeya& the chie commander o their army.
I.6<.< Kaartikeya Kills ,araka and @ahishasura

A ter being appointed as the chie commander o the deities& Kaartikeya sought his guardiansA permission to kill the demons3 ,araka and @ahishasura. All the deities including Lord Vishnu blessed Kaartikeya and wished or his victory. Lord Vishnu eulogised Kaartikeya and praised his valiance. Kaartikeya then proceeded with a huge army comprising o Banas and Kritikas. Kaartikeya had taken an aerial route so that he could reach his enemiesA territory as soon as possible. ,he Banas disguised as birds& ollowed him. As they were about to reach their enemyAs place& Kaartikeya reHuested the Banas to descend to the earth. ,he Banas ollowed his instruction and descended to the earth making a thunderous noise. 1ome demons like @ahish& ,araka& Virochan& #ambh and Ku9ambh heard this noise and went to Andhak to in orm him about it. As the demons were trying to ind out the cause o the noise& a demon3 Eaatalketu arrived there in an in9ured condition. ,he demons were surprised and asked how he got in9ured. Eaatalketu& narrating the incident said3 P* had entered sage BaalavAs hermitage in the guise o a boar with the intention o killing him. 1uddenly& an arrow pierced my body. * ran towards the sea coast to save my li e where * ound large number o people who were planning to kill @ahishasura and ,araka. * have come here to in orm you about their plan. * am very scared and worried.P Andhak assured them that there was nothing to worry about as both @ahishasura and ,araka were mighty and it was not an easy task or anybody to kill them.
Chen @ahishasura and ,araka came to know about this& they immediately set out with a huge army towards the sea coast. An intense battle commenced in which both the sides ought valiantly. ,he Banas and the @atrikas launched a severe attack on the enemy with all the weapons they had at their disposal. But the demons remained una ected and their assault was too much or the Banas to bear. A ter de eating the Banas& @ahishasura menacingly ran towards Kaartikeya. 1uchakraksh who was ighting rom KaartikeyaAs side unleashed his chakra to stop @ahishasura. @ahishasura retaliated by attacking the chakra with his mace but his mace was cut into pieces by the chakra. A ter destroying the mace& 1uchakrakshAs chakra chased @ahishasura. Chen Banasura saw @ahishasuraAs li e in danger& he came orward to help him. (e attacked the chakra with his 8MM hands and grabbed 1uchakraksh with the remaining 8MM. 1eeing 1uchakraksh in danger& @akaraksh hit Banasura on his head with his mace. 1eething in pain& Banasura immediately released 1uchakraksh. 1eeing his army de eated& ,araka came orward to ight with a sword. (e ought valiantly and de eated the Banas and the @atrikas in a very short time. ,he de eated Banas took the re uge o Kaartikeya. Chen Kaartikeya saw ,araka chasing the Banas& he killed him with his weapon3 1hakti. ,arakaAs death scared @ahishasura and Banasura. ,o save his li e& @ahishasura ran away towards (imalaya @ountain while Banasura hid himsel in the ocean. Kaartikeya chased @ahishasura as a result o which& he was orced to abandon (imalaya. @ahishasura now took re uge in a cave o the Kraunch @ountain. 1eeing the demon being protected by his maternal cousin3 Buh (cave)& Kaartikeya was in a dilemma. (e knew that i he attacked @ahishasura inside the cave then his cousin3 Buh might get hurt. (e waited or @ahishasura to come out. Lord Brahma& Lord Vishnu and Lord @ahesh appeared and advised Kaartikeya to kill the demon. *ndra too advised him the same. But Kaartikeya did not pay heed and told them that he would kill @ahishasura only a ter he came out rom the cave. Durious& *ndra told Kaartikeya that a man did not become a sinner i he killed one person to sa eguard his communityAs interest. Biving his own instance& he narrated as to how he had killed his own brother3 +amuchi. But Kaartikeya was not convinced and re used to act according to *ndraAs instruction. Very soon& their arguments turned into a ma9or dispute when *ndra boasted o his strength. Kaartikeya challenged him or a duel. *ndra proposed a plan according to which& whoever circumambulated the Kraunch @ountain irst would be considered as the winner. Chen Kaartikeya returned a ter circumambulating Kraunch @ountain& he ound *ndra sitting there. Duriously& he asked *ndra why he was seated. *ndra replied that he was the winner as he had already inished circumambulating the Kraunch. Both o them Huarrelled but were not able to decide the winner. 1o& both o them went to Lord Brahma& Lord Vishnu and Brahma to take their help. Lord Vishnu advised them that only Kraunch @ountain could decide the winner. Both o them went to Kraunch @ountain and reHuested him to tell as to who the winner was. Kraunch @ountain said3 P*ndra is the winner since he was the irst to circumambulate me. Kaartikeya became urious and attacked Kraunch @ountain with his 1hakti as a result o which& the great mountain was ragmented into pieces. @ahishasura who was hiding in the cave o Kraunch @ountain was also crushed to death. Later on& Kaartikeya elt very sorry or having killed his maternal cousin3 Buh and a ter being advised by Lord Vishnu& he went to Erithudak ,irtha to atone or his sin.
I.6<.J "itudhwa9 *n9ures Eaatalketu

King "ipu9eet3 a descendant o "aghu lived with his valiant and brave son named "itudhwa9. "itudhwa9 being a virtuous prince thought it as his duty to protect all the sages and hermits. %nder his protection& the sages per ormed their religious duties without any problem. During "ipu9eetAs reign& a great sage3 Baalav lived in his hermitage doing penance. A demon named Eaatalketu used to torment him. Although Baalav was capable o burning Eaatalketu to death yet he hesitated to do so or the ear o losing his virtuosity. ?ne day& sage Baalav was contemplating on the means to get rid o EaatalketuAs terror tactics but was unable to ind any solution and let out a deep sigh in rustration. (e was ama:ed to see a horse alling rom the sky. As he was looking towards the sky& he heard a heavenly voice3 P,his horse can travel thousands o Yo9ans in a single day. Bive this horse to "itudhwa9 who will solve your problems.P As per the instructions o that heavenly voice& Baalav presented that horse to "itudhwa9 and engaged himsel in penance. ,his horse was sent by a Bandharva king named Vishwavasu with a special purpose. Vishwavasu had a beauti ul daughter named @adalasa. *n atuated by her beauty& the demon3 Eaatalketu had abducted her to Eaatal loka. (e wanted to marry her but @adalasa re9ected his advances. Vishwavasu knew that only "itudhwa9
was capable o killing Eaatalketu& so he presented that horse to sage Baalav with the instruction that it should be given to "itudhwa9. "itudhwa9 went to Eaatal loka on that horse and ought a ierce battle in which Eaatalketu was seriously in9ured. "itudhwa9 released @adalasa rom EaatalketuAs captivity and married her.
I.6<.G Lord 1hiva does Eenance

Lord 1hiva was so deeply attached to %ma that or 6MMM years& he was possessed by only her thoughts. (e orgot about his duties and as a result& there was anarchy all over the world. (is obsession with %ma had also decreased his radiance. (e decided to do penance with the ob9ective o regaining his radiance. Chen %ma came to know about his decision& she was unhappy but Lord 1hiva consoled her by relating the signi icance o his decision. Be ore leaving& he entrusted the responsibility o her security to +andi. (e started wandering in search o a suitable place or doing penance. 1ometimes& he did penance under the tree& sometimes on the mountain peaks and sometimes on the banks o a river. *nitially& he used to eat only kand and @oola but later on he stopped eating even that and lived only on air. ,his way& GMM years passed during which he travelled to all the three lokas. %ltimately& he even stopped breathing. (e inserted a small wooden block in his mouth to stop the air rom entering his body. ,his act o 1hiva resulted in the tremendous generation o energy inside his body as a result o which that wooden block blasted o through his skull and ell on the (imalaya @ountain with such orce that the wooden block levelled numerous peaks o (imalaya @ountain to the ground. ,he amous place o pilgrimage3 Kedarnath is situated at this very place. A ter that& Lord 1hiva did a severe penance by immersing his whole body in the waters o 1araswati river. (e remained immersed in the water or one complete year and did not come out. All the seven worlds including the oceans and the mountains started shaking violently. ,he stars and the +akshatras started alling down on the earth. >urious to know why this happened& the worried deities went to Lord Brahma. -ven Lord Brahma could not satis y their curiosity as he had no answer. All o them then went to Lord Vishnu but he too was not aware o the reason. All the deities including Lord Vishnu then went to @andaar Earvat to see Lord 1hiva. But they were surprised to ind out that neither Lord 1hiva nor %ma were present there. Lord Vishnu was aware o Lord 1hivaAs penance in the 1araswati river. Due to the sin o causing @ridaniAs oetus to abort& the deities could not know the act behind this strange event. ,he deities then per ormed the most austere ,aptakrichcha Vrata to atone or their sin. Lord Vishnu then gave them a glimpse o 1hiva Linga& which mani ested in his heart. All the deities again worshipped that 1hiva Linga and made o erings. Lord Vishnu then took them to Kurukshetra where Lord 1hiva was doing his penance in the waters o 1araswati. ,he deities eulogised Lord 1hiva by saying P1,(A+AV- +A@A(P and *ndra reHuested him to stop doing his penance as the whole world was in turbulence. Lord 1hiva accepted their reHuest with a smile and discontinued with his penance. -ven a ter Lord 1hiva had stopped doing his penance& the earth continued to shake violently. 1urprised& he started wandering here and there to know the truth behind this turbulence. (e ound sage 1hukracharya doing penance on the bank o river ?ghavati with the ob9ective o learning the most secret @ritsan9eevani Vidya. Lord 1hiva blessed him and his desire was ul illed but the earth still continued to shake violently. Lord 1hiva then proceeded towards 1aptasaraswat where he ound sage @ankanak was dancing in 9oy and his steps were causing the earth to shake. 1age @ankanak had acHuired tremendous virtues due to his severe penance and as a result instead o blood& vegetative 9uice secreted rom his wound. (e had become arrogant and thought that it happened only because o his penance. Lord 1hiva then subdued his arrogance by causing wound on his inger rom which ashes poured out. 1age @ankanak was ashamed o himsel and stopped dancing& and the earth became calm once again.
I.6<.6M
Lord Vishnu Kills @ura
@ura was the Aurasputra o sage Kashyap and Danu. Chen he saw the demons being vanHuished by the deities& he went to do penance with the ob9ective o getting boons rom Lord Brahma. Chen Lord Brahma appeared be ore him& he said3 P? lord$ Bless me with a boon& which enables me to kill anybody merely by the touch o my hand.P Lord Brahma blessed him and said3 P1o be it.P
Betting this boon made @ura very arrogant. (e challenged the deities& Yakshas and Kinnars to ight him but nobody accepted his challenge as they were scared o his power. (e then entered Amravati3 *ndraAs capital and challenged *ndra or a duel. *ndra became terri ied and abandoned his abode3 heaven. +ow& @ura became the lord o heaven and very soon& he invited the other demons to 9oin him in heaven. ?nce& @ura challenged a king named "aghu who was pro icient in rituals or a duel. At that time& "aghu was busy per orming his Yagya. (e admonished @ura by saying3 PChat is the great deal in ighting with the mortalsL * you are really that brave then you should de eat Yamara9.P ,he arrogant @ura then went to Yama loka and challenged Yama. Yama was aware o Lord BrahmaAs boon given to @ura. 1o& he went to take Lord VishnuAs help. Lord Vishnu advised him to send @ura to Vishnu loka by any means.
1&18 $escription of ?ells

Lord Brahma& on being enHuired by 1anat Kumar on the di erent hells said3 P,hose who have illicit relationship or are in the company o sinners go to the irst hell. Delling o trees and stealing the ruits o othersA tree lead to the second hell. Eeople who kill creatures unworthy o killing and those who Huarrel over property dispute go to third hell. ,errorising the living creatures and deviating rom oneAs own religion lead to the ourth hell. Behaving deceit ully with riends and taking alse oath lead to the i th hell. Keeping somebody in captivity and causing hurdles in the path o others would lead to the si/th hell. 1tealing o royal property or copulating with the Hueen leads to the seventh hell. Breed and misuse o hard earned money lead to the eighth hell. 1tealing o BrahminAs property and condemning others lead to the ninth hell. Eeople who lack courtesy or who steal sacred te/ts go to the tenth hell.P Altogether& Lord Brahma described about 6I hells.
1&19 2ing $anda and Araja

I.6G.6 Andhakasura ! ,he Demon

+arad asks sage Eulastya3 PChat did the demon Andhak do a ter entering Eaatal loka and how was Lord 1hivaAs li e at @andaar @ountainLP Eulastya says3 PAndhak was in atuated by Biri9aAs divine beauty and his lust only became stronger as the days passed by. Although Erahlad tried very hard to convince him and narrated the tale o his birth& which happened only because o Lord 1hivaAs blessing. ?nce Lord 1hiva was engrossed in meditation when %ma play ully shut all his three eyes and the whole atmosphere was covered in darkness. An entity mani ested rom that darkness who was presented to (iranyaaksh and who later on became amous as Andhak. Erahlad also told him that his lust or his own mother (Earvati) was licentious and most immoral.P *n order to dissuade Andhak rom going ahead with his immoral intention& Erahlad narrated a story& which described the destruction o an immoral king named Danda. P1age 1hukracharya was the royal priest o King Danda& who per ormed all the religious rites. (e had a daughter named Ara9a. ?nce 1hukracharya had gone to meet the demon Vrishparva and stayed there or some days. King Danda went to 1hukracharyaAs hermitage to ind out the reasons or his absence. (e saw Ara9a and became enchanted by her beauty. (e e/pressed his desires to Ara9a that he wanted her at any cost. Ara9a tried to dissuade him by saying that his immoral action would amount to committing treachery towards his Buru3 1hukracharya. 1he also tried to scare him by citing about her atherAs rage& which even the deities eared. King Danda then narrated this tale to orce her to accept his proposal3 PVishwakarma had a beauti ul daughter3 >hitrangada. ?nce& she had gone to take bath in the river with her companions. 1uddenly& King 1urath arrived there and being in atuated by her beauty became lovesick. 1eeing his pitiable condition& >hitrangada o ered hersel to him despite her companionsA ob9ection.P A ter narrating this story& King Danda asked Ara9a to ollow the e/ample o >hitrangada. But she said3 PYou have narrated only hal the story. * will tell you what happened a ter that.P 1he then told this story3 P,he immoral act o >hitrangada had angered her ather and he cursed her that her married li e would be unsuccess ul. ?ne day& King 1urath was drowned by the power ul current o the 1araswati. >hitrangada ainted as she could not bear the sorrow o her husbandAs separation. A ter regaining her consciousness& she looked all around but could not ind her husband. ?nce again& she became unconscious and ell in the 1araswati river. ,he power ul currents o 1araswati drowned her and she was ultimately thrown in Bomti river. BomtiAs current abandoned her near a orest inhabited by erocious lions.P
A ter narrating her story& Ara9a told King Danda that she would certainly not accept his proposal as she did not want to meet the same ate as that o >hitrangada. ,he king told her that the story was still incomplete and narrated the ollowing tale3 PChen >hitrangada regained her consciousness& she ound hersel in a dense orest. 1eeing her in a sorrow ul mood& An9an3 a Buhyak consoled her by saying that very soon& she would re3unite with her husband. (e also advised her to go on a pilgrimage to 1hrikanth. >hitrangada went to 1hrikanth situated towards the south o river Kalindi. A ter taking a bath in Kalindi river& she visited the 1hrikanth temple and worshipped Lord @aheshwar. @eanwhile& a sage arrived there and seeing >hitrangada Hueried about her staying in a deserted place. >hitrangada narrated the whole story as to how she was cursed by her own ather. ,he sage became e/tremely urious a ter hearing her woe ul tale and cursed Vishwakarma to become a monkey. (e also advised her to go to 1aptagodaavar and engage in the worship o Lord (aatkeshwar where one day she would meet Devavati3 the daughter o demon Kandarmaali. >hitrangada went to 1aptagodaavar and engaged hersel in the worship o Lord (aatkeshwar. ,he sage wrote the ollowing lines on the walls o 1hrikanth temple3 P*s there anybody who could liberate this beauti ul girl rom her sorrowLP A ter that& the sage proceeded on his pilgrimage to Eushkarnath.
I.6G.; Vishvakarma becomes a @onkey

>ontinuing with his story& King Danda says3 P>hitrangada stayed or a long period at 1aptagodaavar. 1he used to spend time by engaging in the worship o Lord (aatkeshwar waiting or the day she would meet her husband. Vishwakarma had become a monkey due to the curse o that sage and started living at 1haalveya @ountain. ?ne day& a demon named Kandarmaali arrived at the oothills o 1haalveya @ountain accompanied by his daughter3 Vedavati. ,he monkey (Vishwakarma) held Vedavati by her hand. Kandarmaali became urious and took out his sword to kill the monkey. 1ensing danger& the monkey ran away towards (imalaya @ountain carrying Vedavati in his lap. Kandarmaali chased him. ?n the way& the monkey abandoned Vedavati at the door o a secluded hermitage and hid himsel in the waters o river Kalindi but was drowned. Kandarmaali had seen the monkey drowning and con9ured that his daughter too might have drowned along with him. (e returned to his abode in a remorse ul mood. ,he erocious current o Kalindi river carried that monkey to a amous place called 1hivi. A ter regaining his consciousness& he returned to the place where he had le t Vedavati. A ter reaching that spot& he ound An9an accompanied by his daughter3 +andayanti treading along. (e mistook +andayanti or Vedavati and ran towards her. 1ensing danger& +andayanti 9umped into the (iranvati "iver and was carried by its erocious current to Kaushal. Chen she regained her consciousness& +andayanti ound hersel near a large Banyan tree. 1itting on the rock in a thought ul mood& she heard a heavenly voice3 A*s there anybody who could in orm sage "itdhwa9 about his sonAs captivity and who has been tied to this Banyan treeLA +andayanti was surprised to ind a 8 year old child being tied to the topmost branch o the Banyan tree. ?n being enHuired& the child told her3 P@y name is #abaali. 1age "itdhwa9 is my ather who has blessed me with 8MMM years o childhood birth& 6M&MMM years o adolescence and ;M years o adulthood respectively. But he had also warned me o being held captive or the period o 8MM years during my childhood. ?ne day& * had gone to take bath in the (iranvati "iver when suddenly& * came across a huge monkey who enslaved me. * am living here in captivity since then.P A ter narrating his story& #abaali enHuired about +andayantiAs identity. +andayanti told everything& which had happened to her. #abaali advised her to go to 1hrikanth temple situated on the bank o river Yamuna and said3 P,here& you would meet my ather "itdhwa9 who comes to the temple daily in the a ternoon to worship Lord 1hiva. You can seek his help.P +andayanti went to "itdhwa9As hermitage as per the instruction o #abaali. ?ne day while she was worshipping in the 1hrikanth temple& she saw those lines inscribed by the sage& who had once cursed her ather3 Vishwakarma. 1he added one more line to that inscription3 P1age @udgal had prophesised that * would become a Hueen. *nstead o becoming a Hueen& * am going through my most turbulent period. *s there anyone who could help me outLP A ter that& she went to the bank o river Yamuna where she ound a beauti ul hermitage. 1he entered inside the hermitage and ound Vedavati sitting there. Very soon& both o them became ast riends. *n the meantime& sage "itdhwa9 had gone to o er prayers in the 1hrikanth temple and saw those lines inscribed on its walls. (e went into deep contemplation and understood what those lines meant. A ter worshipping& he le t or Ayodhya where he met King *kshvaaku. (e reHuested *kshvaaku to instruct his son3 1hakuni to release #abaali rom the monkeyAs captivity. *kshvaaku instructed his son to ul il sage "itdhwa9As desire. All three o them including *kshvaaku went
to the site o #abaaliAs captivity. 1hakuni being a master archer& cut all the creepers that had grown around #abaali. 1age "itdhwa9 climbed up the tree and ound that #abaali was tied to the branch. (e tried to open the knot but was unsuccess ul and called 1hakuni or help. 1hakuni tried hard to open the knot but even he was unsuccess ul. (e then cut that branch into three pieces by unleashing a volley o arrows. ,hus #abaali became ree albeit partially as he was burdened with the three pieces o that branch.
I.6G.7 1earch or >hitrangada and Vedavati

*n the meantime& both daughters o Yaksha and the demon arrived at 1hrikanth @ahadev temple and engaged themselves in the worship o lord @ahadev. ?ne day& sage Baalav arrived at the temple and was astonished to ind two young ladies at such a deserted place. Chile taking bath& he heard the melodious songs o the two ladies. (e became convinced o their divinity as it was impossible or mortals to sing with such e/pertise. A ter the worship& sage Baalav asked them their identity who then narrated the whole story. ,he ne/t morning& as Baalav was about to leave& both o them reHuested him to take them along. All three o them then le t or Eushkar ,irtha. A ter reaching their destination& sage Baalav decided to take a dip in the holy river. Chile taking bath& he saw many emale ish trying to coa/ their male counterparts into making love by saying3P* sage Baalav is not a raid o being in the company o young women then what makes you so scared in copulating with usLP ,he male ish replied that he was a raid o getting ridiculed by the public. 1age Baalav was so ashamed o his conduct that he did not come out o the river. Both ladies waited an/iously or sage Baalav. 1uddenly& >hitrangada arrived and was surprised to see strangers standing there. All three o them were looking at each other with surprised e/pressions on their ace when Vedavati arrived there suddenly. 1he went near >hitrangada and enHuired about her identity. >hitrangada narrated the whole story and revealed how circumstances had orced her to reach this place. *n a very short time& all our o them became well acHuainted with one another. ,hey went to (aatkeshwar temple situated on the banks o 1aptagodaavar "iver and worshipped Lord (aatkeshwar. ,hey started living in the temple premises and spent their time in the daily worship o Lord (aatkeshwar. ?n the other side& 1hakuni& #abaali and "itdhwa9 were an/iously searching them. During the search& #abaali went to 1haakal #anpad accompanied by his ather3 "itdhwa9. At that time& 1haakal #anpad was ruled by *ndradyumna3 the son o @anu. A ter meeting him& "itdhwa9 sought his help in inding his lost daughter3 +andayanti. *ndradyumna told him3 P? Brahmin$ -ven * have lost my daughter and donAt know where she is at present. 1o& all three o us must go in search o our respective daughters.P A ter saying this& all three o them decided to proceed ahead in search o their daughter. Chen they reached Badrikashrama& they were ama:ed to ind a young man engaged in austere penance. A ter ormal introduction& it dawned on *ndradyumna that the young sage was his own nephew3 1urath. *ndradyumna reHuested his nephew to 9oin him in searching his daughter. "itdhwa9 told 1urath3 P,he girl or whom you are doing such austere penance had been taken by me to 1aptagodaavar. >ome with me and * will help you to re3 unite with her.P All o them then le t or 1aptagodaavar. *n the meantime& as Bhritaachi3 DevavatiAs mother arrived at %daygiri @ountain to where she came across a monkey and enHuired i he had seen her daughter. ,he monkey told the rail looking Bhritaachi that he had taken a young woman named Devavati to a hermitage near 1hrikanth temple. Bhritaachi revealed to the monkey that the girl whom he was re erring as Devavati was actually her daughter Vedavati. 1he reHuested the monkey to help her in locating her lost daughter. Bhritaachi proceeded towards river Kaushiki in search o Vedavati ollowed by the monkey. A ter reaching there& Bhritaachi took a holy dip in the waters o Kaushiki. *n the meantime& #abaali and "itdhwa9 too had reached the banks o river Kaushiki. Chen #abaali saw that monkey& he told his ather "itdhwa9 by pointing his inger towards that monkey3 P,his is the same monkey who had enslaved me and tied me up with creepers.P 1hakuni& the master archer became urious and sought "itdhwa9As permission to kill that monkey. "itdhwa9 paci ied him by saying3 PBondage is because o your past Karmas& so it is useless to kill this poor monkey.P (e then reHuested the monkey to ree his son3 #abaali rom the weight o the three branches& which were still tied to his body. ,he monkey opened the knots and #abaali was now absolutely ree. "itdhwa9 was pleased and wanting to bless the monkey& said3 PYou can demand anything rom me. * am willing to ul il any o your wishes.P ,he monkey replied by saying3 P? great sage$ DidnAt you recognise this un ortunate monkeyL * am >hitranagadaAs ather whom you had cursed to become a monkey. Bless me that * become liberated rom all my sins.P "itdhwa9 blessed the monkey and said3 PYou would be liberated rom all your sins& the day you procreate a child rom
Bhritaachi. You would also regain your human body on that day.P ,he monkey became pleased a ter receiving the blessings. *n course o time& Bhritaachi became aware o the monkeyAs real identity and developed physical intimacy with it. At irst& both o them stayed at Kolaahal @ountain but later on& they shi ted to Vindhya @ountain. @eanwhile the group o ive people3 "itdhwa9& #abaali& 1hakuni& *ndradyumna and 1urath reached 1aptagodaavar ,irtha. All o them got down rom the chariot and took bath in the holy river. ,he thirsty horses Huenched their thirst and satis ied their hunger by gra:ing on the green grass. A ter satis ying their hunger& the horses galloped towards (aatkeshwar temple. Chen >hitrangada& and her companions heard the galloping sound& they climbed on top o the temple and looked all around. >hitrangada saw "itdhwa9 and his companions taking bath and immediately recognised him. (er companion3 +andayanti too recognised #abaali. ,hey were e/tremely pleased and climbed down rom the roo top o the temple. ,hey worshipped and eulogised Lord (aatkeshwar to e/press their gratitude. A ter sometime& "itdhwa9 and his riends arrived at the temple to worship Lord (aatkeshwar. (e recognised >hitrangada and was pleased to meet her. *n the meantime& Bhritaachi and the monkey also arrived there. Bhritaachi was pleased to meet her daughter3 Vedavati and embraced her. "itdhwa9 instructed the monkey to summon Buhyak rom the An9an @ountain& Kandarmaali rom the Eaatal loka and the Bandharva King Ear9anya rom heaven respectively. Buhyak& Kandarmaali and Ear9anya arrived at the (aatkeshwar temple and all three o them were pleased to meet their respective daughters. >hitrangada accusing hersel or her atherAs turning into a monkey& tried to give up her li e. But "itdhwa9 consoled her by saying that her ather would regain his human body very soon. Bhritaachi too approved his statement and said3 PA ter ten months& * would give birth to a son and on that same day& your ather would be liberated rom sage BaalavAs curse and regain his human body.P A ter ten months& Bhritaachi gave birth to a son who later on became amous as +ala. Vishwakarma became liberated rom the curse and regained his human body. >hitrangada was delighted to meet her ather. A grand marriage ceremony was organised at 1aptagodaavar& which was witnessed by the deities& the Bandharvas and the demons. *n this marriage ceremony& sage Baalav per ormed the rituals a ter which& #abaali was married to KandamaaliAs daughter& *ndradyumna to Vedavati& 1hakuni to the YakshaAs daughter and 1urath was married to >hitrangada. A ter the marriage ceremony& everybody returned to their respective places. A ter completing this story& King Danda once again reHuested Ara9a to accept his proposal. But she was not convinced and said3 P1ay whatever you like but * will never surrender to your evil intentions.P
I.6G.F 1age 1hukracharya >urses Danda

Erahlad says3 PBlinded by lust& Danda orcibly breached the modesty o unrelenting Ara9a and returned to his palace. Ara9a was saddened by the inability to protect her chastity and started wailing. Chen 1hukracharya returned to his hermitage& he ound Ara9a lying down at the entrance. (e asked her about what transpired with her. Ara9a narrated the whole story& which made 1hukracharya e/tremely urious and his eyes were reddened due to his anger. (e thundered3 P,he wicked Danda would become a pauper a ter losing his wealth and kingdom within a week.P A ter cursing Danda& he instructed his daughter Ara9a to do penance so that she could become liberated rom her sin and himsel went to Eaatal loka accompanied by his disciples. 1hukracharyaAs curse came true and as a result& Danda lost his whole kingdom within a week. A ter narrating this story& Erahlad told Andhak3 P?n account o the immoral deeds o King Danda& the deities abandoned Dandakaarnya and it was now inhabited by the demons. +ow it must be clear to you that a person who breaches a chaste womanAs modesty against her will is doomed to destruction. Andhak& you must not go ahead with your evil intention o marrying Earvati because she is Lord 1hivaAs consort whose might is unmatched.P Andhak replied angrily3 P* have driven out the deities rom heaven. Chy should * get scared o 1hiva who is ascinated by his wi eAs beautyLP Erahlad tried his best to convince Andhak against going ahead with his evil plan but it had no e ect on him. Andhak ordered his lieutenant 1hambar to go to @andaar @ountain and in orm Lord 1hiva that Earvati should be given to him (Andhak) i he (Lord 1hiva) wanted to remain alive. 1hambar went to @andaar @ountain with narrated AndhakAs desire to Lord 1hiva. (earing this& Boddess Earvati who was sitting besides Lord 1hiva told 1hambar that she would agree to marry Andhak on the condition that he de eats Lord
1hiva in a battle. 1hambar returned and narrated everything to Andhak. +ow& AndhakAs anger crossed all limits and he ordered Duryodhan to prepare or the war. AndhakAs huge army was instructed to assemble. ,he whole atmosphere reverberated with the sound o bugles and war cries. Andhak proceeded towards @andaar @ountain with a huge army& which consisted o mighty warriors like #ambh& Ku9ambh& 1hambar& Virochan& Duryodhan and Vrishparva. Destiny led Andhak towards his own death trap.
1&!: 'ord )hiva Prepares for the #attle

,his chapter contains < sections5
I.;M.6 Banas ,hrong @andar @ountain

Eulastya says3 PChen Lord 1hiva became aware o AndhakAs imminent attack& he reHuested +andi to summon all the Banas who were more than <MM crores in number. 1ome o the prominent Banas like Eashupat& Kaalmukh& @ahavrati& Digambar& @aini& @ahapashupat and Vrishabhdhwa9 arrived at @andaar @ountain to help Lord 1hiva at the reHuest o +andi. ?n seeing the valiant Bana3 Eashupat& Lord 1hiva embraced him& which surprised all the other Banas. ,hey were ama:ed at the special honour given to him. Lord 1hiva realised their astonishment and said3 PAlthough all o you have great devotion towards me but in your ignorance& you have shown disrespect towards Lord Vishnu. All o you e/cept Eashupat donAt realise that both o us (Lord 1hiva and Vishnu) are inseparable and there is no di erence between us. Eashupat is aware o this and hence he has been accorded the highest honour.P (aving said this& Lord 1hiva revealed his ma9estic orm o 1adashiva to the Banas. ,he Banas were bewildered on seeing the whole universe e/isting within 1adashiva. Lord 1adashiva then trans ormed his appearance into that o Lord Vishnu. ,he Banas also viewed the orms o deities like *ndra& 1urya and Lord Brahma etc. in him. ,hey were now convinced that both Lord 1hiva and Lord Vishnu were the same. ,he dawning o this realisation liberated them rom their ignorance. Lord 1hiva blessed the Banas and embraced them. All the Banas then took their position all around @andaar @ountain and readied themselves or the orthcoming attack.
I.;M.; ,he Battle >ommences

Eulastya says3 PChen the Banas saw AndhakAs army approaching the @andaar @ountain& they made a loud roar& which reverberated through the land and sky. (earing this roar& Lord Banesha became apprehensive and went to @andaar @ountain to ask Lord 1hiva about the origin o that tremendous roar. Lord 1hiva told him3 P* am going to ight a battle with Andhak.P Lord Banesha also e/pressed his willingness to accompany him. Lord 1hiva then entrusted the 9ob o EarvatiAs security to prominent @atrikas like @aalini& #aya& Vi9aya& Apara9ita and #ayanti. (e then went to ight Andhak holding his weapon3 trident in his hand and mounted on a bull. ,he Banas made a protective ring and surrounded him rom all sides. *n a very short time& both armies con ronted each other and a tremendous battle began in which the Banas crushed many demons to death. ,he demons retaliated by attacking them with mace and swords. All the deities assembled in the sky to witness this battle. @ahapashupat attacked the demons with such orce that it caused great losses to the enemy. ?n seeing death and destruction caused in the demonAs camp& ,uhunda3 the mighty demon attacked the Banas with his most destructive weapon3 Earidhi& which scared the Banas and they led. ,hen Lord Banesha came orward to ight ,uhunda. ,uhunda assaulted him with his weapon3 Earidhi but it ragmented into hundreds o pieces a ter dashing against BaneshaAs belly. ?n seeing the destruction o his maternal uncleAs most destructive weapon& "ahu came running towards Lord Banesha and held him tightly. Lord Banesha& Bhatodar and 1ukeshi assaulted him simultaneously with their respective weapons. Crithing in pain& "ahu immediately released Banesha. 1eeing the time opportune& Lord Banesha severed ,uhundaAs head with his a/e. A ter killing ,uhunda& Lord Banesha attacked the demons but the attack was repulsed by the mighty Bali. *n this battle& the Banas were inally able to annihilate the demons. 1hambar protected himsel by taking 1hukracharyaAs re uge and all the surviving demons including Andhak ollowed suit.
I.;M.7 1hukracharya %ses 1an9eevani Vidya

Andhak went to 1hukracharya and narrated the woe ul tale o demonsA de eat. (e also reHuested 1hukracharya to help the demons win the battle. 1hukracharya was de9ected but he assured the demons that he would make alive& all the dead demons with the help o 1an9eevani Vidya and really all the mighty demons like #ambh& Ku9ambh etc. became alive once again. Chen +andi came to know about this unbelievable incident& he went to Lord 1hiva and in ormed him. Lord 1hiva instructed him to bring 1hukracharya by any means. P* shall control him by my Yogic powerP& said Lord 1hiva. +andi in iltrated into the demonAs army but (ayakandhar spotted him and tried to resist his orward march. +andi
attacked (ayakandhar with his Va9ra as a result o which& he ell down unconscious. A ter this& Ku9ambh& #ambh and some other demons ran menacingly towards +andi. ,hey surrounded him rom all sides and started assaulting him ruthlessly. ?n seeing +andi in danger& Lord Brahma became very worried and instructed the deities to help him. *ndra and all the other deities 9oined Lord 1hivaAs army and ought bravely against the demons. ,he sudden entry o the deities in the battle ield had distracted the attention o the demons and as a result& +andi got an opportunity to penetrate through the rank and iles o demons army. %ltimately& he success ully accomplished his mission and brought 1hukracharya to Lord 1hiva a ter abducting him. Lord 1hiva wasted no time and swallowed 1hukracharya immediately. ,he ne/t moment& 1hukracharya ound himsel in Lord 1hivaAs stomach. 1hukracharya made rantic e orts to come out o the stomach but was unsuccess ul. Being helpless& he started eulogising Lord 1hiva. A ter becoming pleased by 1hukracharyaAs e/treme devotion& Lord 1hiva e/pressed his desire to bless him with a boon. 1hukracharya reHuested Lord 1hiva to give him a way so that he can come out rom his stomach. Lord 1hiva agreed and asked him to come out immediately. 1hukracharya started searching or an e/it point but was ama:ed by the vastness o 1hivaAs stomach in which he saw the e/istence o the whole universe. (e made ceaseless e ort or one divine year but was unsuccess ul in his attempts to come out rom 1hivaAs stomach. At last& he surrendered to the will o Lord 1hiva. Lord 1hiva told 1hukracharya3 PBy entering into my stomach& you have become my son. +ow& i you want to become ree then you should come out through the pore o my Linga.P A ter saying this& Lord 1hiva liberated 1hukracharya through his Linga who a ter being released made salutations to him and 9oined the demonsA army once again. ,he demons were e/tremely pleased at his arrival. ?nce again& a ierce battle took place& which continued or eight divine years. Chen the demons realised about the deitiesA supremacy in the battle& they started employing illusionary tactics and swallowed all the Banas and the deities. ,he scene o the battle ield& @andaar @ountain became devoid o Banas and the deities& which made Lord 1hiva e/tremely urious. (is e/treme anger resulted into the mani estation o #rimbhayika3 a erocious entity. ,he mere touch o #rimbhayika made the demons to yawn. All the deities and the Banas came out rom the opened mouths o the demons. ?nce again& the battle commenced& which continued or <MM years. Chen Andhak realised that Lord 1hiva was invincible then he decided to acHuire Earvati by deceit ul means. (e sought the help o one o his most trusted commander3 1unda by saying3 P? brave 1unda$ You are like my brother. * need your help. ,he battle has continued or such a long period but has still remained indecisive. * have decided to approach Earvati in the guise o her husband3 1hiva and * want you to disguise yoursel as +andi.P 1unda agreed to disguise himsel in the orm o +andi to help his master. Andhak went to @andaar @ountain in the guise o Lord 1hiva mounted on 1undaAs back who had disguised himsel as +andi. Chen Earvati saw the in9ury marks on 1hivaAs (AndhakAs) body& she told her companions3 PLook& how grievously the demons have in9ured my husband$ Elease bring the medicinal herbs Huickly so that * can dress his wounds.P (er companions rushed to bring the medicinal herbs and in the meantime& Earvati started observing the wounds o 1hiva (Andhak) minutely. 1he was surprised to see the absence o both the shoulders on his body. 1he immediately realised that somebody else had come in the guise o her husband3 1hiva. 1ensing danger& she ran away to protect hersel . (er companions ran behind her and Andhak chased all o them. Earvati and her companions hid behind bushes. Being unable to locate Earvati& Andhak returned to the battle ield and the battle continued. ,he deities were ighting valiantly. Lord Vishnu created havoc among the enemy ranks and Lord Brahma sprinkled holy water rom his kamandalu& which had increased the strength and power o the deities. *ndra attacked the demon3 Bala on his head with his Va9ra but it was broken into pieces. ?n seeing the destruction o his weapon& *ndra became scared and wanted to lee rom the battle ield. #ambh& the demon made un o him and challenged him or a duel. *ndra then reHuested Lord Vishnu to provide him with a weapon so that he could ight #ambh but Lord Vishnu sent him to Agni. Agni made a replica o his weapon3 1hakti and gave it to *ndra. (olding his new weapon& *ndra then proceeded on his way to ight #ambh mounted on his elephant3 Airavat. #ambh assaulted Airavat with such orce that *ndra started alling down towards the ground. Chen the 1iddhas and >haranas saw *ndra alling down& they provided a magni icent chariot to him so that he could ight with the demons. @eanwhile *ndra dashed against the ground with a great thud as a result o which& the earth shook violently. 1age 1hamikAs wi e thought that the earth was shaking violently due to the impact o earthHuake. 1he reHuested her husband to carry their son outside the hermitage so that he remains unharmed and said3 P,he astrologers say that whatever is kept outside home during an earthHuake becomes stable.P 1age 1hamik was very surprised but
still ollowed her instructions. A ter the shaking o the earth had subsided& 1hamikAs wi e reHuested him to bring back the child. 1age 1hamik went outside and was surprised to ind two children instead o one. (e came back carrying both the children in his lap and asked his wi e as to what made the second child to mani est. 1he told him that the second child will become the charioteer o *ndra and assist him in the battle. ,his second child was none other than @aatali who acted as the charioteer o *ndra during the battle. +ow& *ndra had both the chariot and the charioteer in his possession. (e went to the battle ield mounted on his new chariot. ?n the way& he saw a multicoloured bow and arrows lying on the ground. (e picked up the weapons and ought valiantly with the demons. (e killed many mighty demon warriors. #ambh and Ku9ambh ran menacingly towards him but Lord Vishnu severed the head o Ku9ambh with his 1udarshan chakra. #ambh assaulted *ndra with his mace but *ndra retaliated by attacking with his 1hakti as a result o which #ambh was killed. ,he rest o the demons led rom the battle ield.
I.;M.F Lord 1hiva Kills Andhak

*nspite o death and destruction caused to his army& Andhak still wanted to continue ighting against Lord 1hivaAs army. (e even dismissed the advises o 1hukracharya who wanted a momentary retreat and rebu ed him by saying3 PAll the deities including @aheshwar and *ndra cannot save themselves rom my wrath. Very soon& * am going to vanHuish them.P (e then instructed his charioteer to move the chariot towards enemyAs position. (e shot a volley o arrows& which entirely covered the deities. Lord Vishnu advised the deities to kill Andhak along with his charioteer and destroy the chariot so that Lord 1hiva could kill Andhak without any di iculty. All the deities then attacked the demons with renewed vigour. Lord Vishnu killed thousands o enemyAs horses with his mace. 1kand killed the charioteer and Vinayak accompanied by the Banas destroyed AndhakAs chariot. A ter being bere t o his chariot& Andhak attacked the deities with his mace. 1eeing the deities in danger& Lord 1hiva concealed them within his body and challenged Andhak or a duel. Andhak tried to attack Lord 1hiva who was mounted on +andi. Lord 1hiva immediately 9umped down rom +andiAs back and attacked Andhak with his trident& which pierced his chest. -ven a ter being seriously in9ured& Andhak did not die instead he pulled Lord 1hiva or one mile holding him tightly in his clutch. Lord 1hiva tried to resist by attacking or the second time. But Andhak retaliated by hitting 1hiva with his mace causing serious in9ury on his head. A stream o blood oo:ed out rom the wound& which poured down towards all the our directions. ,he blood stream which poured down towards east resulted into the mani estation o Bhairav named Kaalra9. 1imilarly& Kamara9& >hakramala& 1omara9& 1wachchara9& Lalitra9 and Vighnara9 mani ested rom the other three directions. Lord 1hiva then li ted Andhak above his head with the help o his trident& which was still pierced in AndhakAs chest. (is body had become red due to the blood oo:ing out rom AndhakAs wound. Lord 1hiva had toiled hard to kill Andhak and as a result& he was perspiring pro usely. ,he sweat drops originating rom 1hivaAs orehead resulted into the mani estation o a divine girl while the sweat drops that ell on the ground rom 1hivaAs ace resulted into the mani estation o a divine boy. Both the children started gulping down the blood emanating rom AndhakAs wound. Lord 1hiva named the girl child as >harchika while the boy child was named @angal and blessed both o them. Lord 1hiva held Andhak above his head or 6MMM divine years& which reduced his body to a skeleton. At last& Andhak realised his mistake and begged or orgiveness. (e eulogised Lord 1hiva and hailed his greatness. Lord 1hiva told him that he would orgive him only when he accepts Earvati as his mother. Andhak agreed not only to accept Earvati as his mother but also 1hiva as his ather. 1hiva became pleased and lowered down his trident. (e healed AndhakAs wound by his divine touch. ,he deities became pleased at AndhakAs change o heart and blessed him. Lord 1hiva then took Andhak to @andaar @ountain. Earvati was still hiding behind the bushes. Chen she saw Lord 1hiva approaching& she recognised him and called her companions to come out rom their hiding. Lord 1hiva glee ully told Earvati that Andhak had now become her slave. PLook at him. (e is making salutations to you. Accept him as your son. Andhak then eulogised Earvati with complete devotion. Earvati became pleased and e/pressed her desire to bless him with a boon. Andhak said3 P* donAt want anything. * 9ust want to become liberated rom all my sins and remain in the pro/imity o Lord 1hiva.P Earvati blessed him and made him the Bana o 1hiva who became amous as Bhringi.
I.;M.8 ,he ?rigin o @arut Banas

+arad asked Eulastya about the battle which *ndra ought with the demon at @alay @ountain. Eulastya replied3 PAndhakAs ollowers3 @aya and ,aar tried to enter Eataal loka a ter being de eated by the deities. Chile they were passing close to the @alay @ountain& they decided to live there being enchanted by its natural beauty. ,he caves o @alay @ountain were inhabited by sages who were Lord 1hivaAs devotees. ,he demons started causing
obstacles in the rituals per ormed by the sages. Chen Lord 1hiva came to know about this& he instructed *ndra to go to @alay @ountain and help the sages. *ndra went to @alay @ountain and success ully drove out the demons rom there. +arad again asked Eulastya as to why *ndra was also known as Botrabhit. Eulastya narrated the ollowing tale3 PA ter her sonAs death& Diti reHuested her husband& Kashyap to bless her with another son so that *ndra could be killed. 1age Kashyap advised her that she would get her desire ul illed a ter the success ul accomplishment o her penance lasting or 6MM divine years. *n course o time& Diti became pregnant. ?ne day& sage Kashyap le t or %daygiri @ountain to do his penance and Diti was le t all alone. ?ne day& *ndra arrived at the hermitage and e/pressed his desire to be at DitiAs service i she permitted. Diti gave permission and *ndra engaged himsel in serving her. (e used to keep the oblation site clean and bring dry wood necessary or the per ormance o Yagya. ,his continued or 6MMM divine years. ?ne day& Diti was taking rest a ter her bath. 1he had postponed her penance or sometime because o her impurity. As she was tired& very soon& she ell asleep. 1eeing the moment opportune& *ndra entered into her womb through her nostrils and cut the oetus into seven parts. A ter waking up& Diti realised about her oetusA destruction. *ndra was very scared on the prospect o being cursed by Diti and said3 P* am not the cause o your oetusA destruction. *t has been destroyed due to your own impurity. 1o please donAt curse me.P Diti replied3 PYou are certainly not responsible or my oetusA destruction. *t was all in my destiny. Drom the pieces o the oetus mani ested the @arut Banas and since *ndra had tried to harm his own uterine brothers there ore he became amous as Botrabhit.
I.;M.I @arut Banas o Di erent @anvataras

1age Eulastya says3 P? +arad$ +ow& * am going to describe about the origin o @arut Banas o various @anvantaras. 1avan was 1wayambhu @anuAs son. (e had no sons and when he died& the sorrow ul Hueen3 1udeva heard a heavenly voice& which instructed her to give up her li e by 9umping into the burning pyre.P PYou would become a proud mother o seven sonsP& said the heavenly voice. ,he Hueen acted accordingly and died a ter 9umping into the burning pyre.P P,he souls o the dead king and Hueen ascended towards the sky. ,he prophesies made by the heavenly voice came true and 1udeva ound hersel in her periods. ,he king en9oyed a physical relationship with the Hueen or ive days. *ncidentally& ew drops o sperms ell towards earth. A ter this both the souls departed towards Brahma loka. ,hese alling drops o sperms were gathered by the wives o some sages and stored in a lotus lower. ,hose women were 1amana& +alini& Vayushmati& >hitra& Vishakha& (arita and Alini. ,hey mistook the sperms or ambrosia and drank it a ter getting permission rom their husbands. But a ter drinking it& they became devoid o their e ulgence and were abandoned by their respective husbands. *n course o time& they gave birth to seven sons who became amous as Aadya @aruts during 1wayambhu @anvantara.P A ter having described about the @arut Banas& sage Eulastya went on to describe about 1warochish @anvantara3 PKratudhwa9 was the son o 1warochish @anu. (e had seven sons. All o them went to @eru @ountain to do penance as they were desirous o *ndraAs kingdom. *ndra being scared instructed Eutna to create hurdles in their penance so that Kratudhwa9As sons wishes remained un ul illed.P PEutna went to the place where Kratudhwa9As sons were doing penance. ,here was a river nearby where Kratudhwa9As sons arrived one day to bathe. Acting according to her plan& Eutna too entered into the river to take bath. Kratudhwa9As sons were in atuated by her divine beauty. ,hey could not control themselves and as a result& they had an e9aculation. Eutna was success ul in accomplishing her mission o corrupting the thoughts o Kratudhwa9As sons& who a ter realising that their penance had gone in vain returned to their atherAs kingdom. ,he released sperms o Kratudhwa9As sons was swallowed by a ish named 1hankhini. ?ne day& she was caught by a isherman and presented to Kratudhwa9As sons& who again released her into a nearby pond. *n course o time& 1hankhini died a ter giving birth to seven young ish. ,he seven young ish started crying at their motherAs death. Lord Brahma appeared and advised them not to cry and or this reason& they were called @arut. Lord Brahma blessed them by saying3 PAll o you would attain the status o deities and would be capable o lying in the air.P A ter inishing his story& sage Eulastya told +arad that this was how @arut Banas originated during 1warochish @anvantara. 1age Eulastya says3 P+ow& * am going to describe about the @arut Banas o %ttam @anvantara. #yotishmaan was the son o Vayushmaan and his wi e was the daughter o sage Vrihaspati. As they were sonless& both o them decided to do penance to beget a son. ,he 1aptarishis arrived there and enHuired as to why they were doing such a severe penance. #yotishmaanAs wi e told the 1aptarishis that they were desirous o a son. ,he 1aptarishis blessed her by saying that she would become a mother o seven sons. *n course o time&
#yotishmaanAs wi e became pregnant. ?ne ate ul day& #yotishmaan passed away. (is sorrow ul wi e wanted to commit 1ati. Chile he was sitting on the burning pyre& suddenly& a piece o burning lesh ell into the nearby river and got ragmented into seven pieces. 1even @arut Banas mani ested rom these seven pieces o lesh.P 1age Eulastya says3 PDuring ,aamas @anvantara& "itdhwa9& the son o ,aamas @anu did a severe penance with the desire o getting a son. (e made o erings o his own lesh& blood and sperms to the oblation ire. 1uddenly& he heard a heavenly voice instructing him not to make o erings o his sperms. But the king continued with his o ering and as a result& he died. A ter sometime& seven in ants mani ested rom the oblation ire who later on became amous as the @arut Banas o ,aamas @anvantara.P King "ipu9eet was the descendant o "aivat. (e was sonless and a ter being pleased by his e/treme devotion& the deity3 1un had blessed him with a daughter named 1urati. *n course o time& she grew into a beauti ul woman. ?ne day& "ipu9eet passed away and a grieved 1urati decided to give up her li e. ,he 1aptarishis arrived there and they were so in atuated by her beauty that they tried to prevent her rom doing so. But unrelenting 1urati did not listen and gave up her li e by 9umping into the burning pyre. ,he sorrow ul 1aptarishis went away a ter casting lusty glances on her. 1even in ants mani ested rom the burning pyre& who became amous as @arut Banas o "aivat @anvantara. During >haakshush @anvantara& a sage named @anki did a tremendous penance at the banks o 1aptasaraswat. But he ell down rom grace a ter being in atuated by the beauty o an Apsara named Vapu. (is sperms e9aculated and ell into the 1aptasaraswat river rom which mani ested the seven @arut Banas.
I.;M.< Lord Vishnu Kills Kaalnemi

A ter hearing the news o BaliAs coronation& @aya and some other demons went and advised Bali to avenge the killings o his ather3 Virochan and other relatives by *ndra. Bali became urious and marched with a huge army to ight the deities. Chen *ndra heard this news& he started making preparations or the battle and very soon& the deitiesA army assembled at the oothills o %dyachal @ountain. A ierce battle was ought between both the armies. ,he movement o the troops covered the whole sky with dust which subsided only a ter the tremendous bloodbath wetted the earth with blood. Kartikeya ought valiantly in this battle and killed many demons. ,he demons too retaliated by vigorously attacking the deities. Lord Vishnu created havoc in the demonsA army by killing many demons in a very short time. Chen Kaalnemi3 the demon saw that his comrades were scared o ighting Lord Vishnu& he attacked the deities with renewed vigour and swallowed many o the Yakshas& Kinnars and the deities. ,he deities became scared and started running away rom the battle ield. ,he demons became delighted considering it as their victory and the de eat o Lord Vishnu. Lord Vishnu became urious and covered the %dyachal @ountain with a volley o arrows named +aarach. Bali and @aya became terri ied and instigated Kaalnemi to ight against Lord Vishnu. Kaalnemi con ronted Lord Vishnu with a mace but it was destroyed by VishnuAs chakra. A ter destroying KaalnemiAs weapon& Lord Vishnu irst severed both his hands and then his head. ,he news o KaalnemiAs death spread like a wild ire in the demons army and they led rom the battle ield.
1&!1 2ing #ali

,his chapter contains ; sections5
I.;6.6 Bali "ules (eaven

,he mighty Banasura saw the demons running away rom the battle ield and came to their rescue. ,he arrival o Banasura boosted the morale o the de eated demons and they returned to ight the deities. Lord Vishnu advised the deities to ight gallantly and disappeared rom the battle ield. 1hukracharya assured the demons o their victory because he thought that the deities would be no match or the demons might in the absence o Lord Vishnu. ?nce again& a ierce battle commenced. Bali attacked the deities erociously with his mace. Banasura devastated the deitiesA army with his thousand hands. %ltimately& the deities were de eated in this battle and the heaven came under the control o demons. ,he de eated deities took re uge in Brahma loka a ter abandoning the heaven. Bali ruled the heaven with the help o his relatives.
?ne day& Bali called his ather3 Erahlad to heaven and reHuested him to become the ruler o heaven but Erahlad re used by saying3 PAs * have chosen the path o Yoga a ter relinHuishing everything& it would not be proper or me to get attached to worldly matters once again. 1ince you have snatched heaven rom the deities on account o your valiance& hence the heaven belongs to you.P Bali reHuested Erahlad to enlighten him on the duties o a king and on the virtuous deeds which would enable him in attaining Dharma& Arth& Kama and @oksha. Erahlad advised Bali to rule in a 9ust manner and or the benediction o the world. (e also advised Bali to engage himsel in the service o all the three castes so that they remain loyal to him. Erahlad said3 PVirtuosity increases when people unwaveringly ollow their Dharma. *ncrease in virtuosity helps a king to rule without any problem.P Bali agreed to rule in a 9ust manner as per the advice o Erahlad.
I.;6.; ,he 1plendors o Bali

Eulastya says3 P,he 9ust rule o Bali had trans ormed the Kaliyuga into 1atayuga. -ven his sub9ects engaged themselves in virtuous activities like penance and Yagyas. ,hey practised non3violence and always spoke the truth. ?ne day& Boddess ,railokya Lakshmi went to Bali and said3 P* have come to bless you because you are a victorious king. You have even de eated *ndra and have control over all the three worlds.P A ter saying this& Boddess Lakshmi entered into the body o Bali. During the reign o Bali& his sub9ects were happy and prosperous. +obody e/perienced the pangs o hunger and everybodyAs desire was ul illed. ,he prominence o virtuosity and religiousness during BaliAs rule was incomparable and prosperity prevailed throughout his kingdom.
1&!! Mythological "ales

,his chapter contains < sections5
I.;;.6 Dhundhu Eer orms Ashvamedhya Yagya

Eulastya says3 PDuring his pilgrimage& Erahlad visited many sacred places like @anas ,irtha& Kaushiki& Devahnad and (astinapur etc. At last he reached the bank o river Yamuna where he worshipped Lord ,rivikram (Vaaman).P +arad was surprised at the mention o VaamanAs name and asked Eulastya3 PLord Vishnu is still to take Vaaman incarnation then how come Erahlad visited his templeL Eulastya says3P1age Kashyap had an Aurasputra named Dhundhu. Lord Brahma had blessed Dhundhu o immortality. *n course o time& Dhundhu de eated the deities and drove them out rom heaven as a result o which& they had to take re uge in Brahma loka. Chen Dhundhu came to know that the deities were living in Brahma loka& he decided to attack Brahma loka. (e consulted the demons but they told him that it was impossible or them to reach Brahma loka. 1age 1hukracharya said3 P*ndra had accomplished 6MM Ashwamedha Yagyas by the virtue o which& he could go to Brahma loka. * you are desirous o reaching Brahma loka then you too will have to per orm Ashwamedha Yagya.P Dhundhu e/pressed his willingness to per orm Ashwamedha Yagya. 1hukracharya started making preparations or Ashwamedha Yagya at the bank o river Devika. (e appointed his disciples and some other sages belonging to BhargavaAs clan to supervise the Yagya ceremony. ,he Ashwamedha Yagya commenced and a horse was let loose according to the tradition. Chen the deities came to know about this Ashwamedha Yagya being per ormed by Dhundhu& they were scared and reHuested Lord Vishnu to disrupt the Yagya so that Dhundhu could not reach Brahma loka. Lord Vishnu assured the deities and went to the site where Dhundhu was per orming Ashwamedha Yagya in a dwar appearance. (e entered into the Devika "iver and started drowning according to his plan. Chen the demons saw the dwar (Lord Vishnu) drowning& they rushed to save him. A ter taking him out rom the river& they asked him about his identity. ,he dwar said3 P* am the youngest son o Erabhas. @y name is Batibhaas and my elder brother is +etrabhaas. A ter our atherAs death& my elder brother did not give me my due share in the property. Chen * insisted& he lung me into this river.P ,he Brahmins who were per orming the Yagya reHuested Dhundhu to donate wealth to Batibhaas. Dhundhu agreed and said3 P* am willing to ul il all your wishes. Demand anything you like. Batibhaas demanded a small piece o land measured by three steps. Lord Vishnu then revealed his giant appearance and covered the whole earth with his irst step. (is second step covered the heaven and there was no place le t or his third step. Lord Vishnu became urious and put his third step on the back o Dhundhu as a result o which he was crushed to
death. A large pit measuring 6MMM Yo9ans was created due to the impact o his weight and Lord Vishnu threw DhundhuAs dead body in that pit.P A ter completing his story& Eulastya told +arad3 P,his is how Lord Vishnu became ,rivikram or the irst time to de eat the evil designs o Dhundhu. Erahlad paid a visit to the temple o Vaaman situated at the place where Dhundhu was killed.
I.;;.; Eururava "egains his Bood Looks

Eulastya says3 PA ter worshipping Lord ,rivikram& Erahlad went to Lingabhedak @ountain and worshipped Lord 1hankar. (e also visited many more sacred places like Kedar ,irtha& Badrikashrama& Bhadrakarna and Vipaasha. At last& he reached *rawati and worshipped that Almighty Lord with whose blessings& Eururava was able to regain his good looks.P +arad was curious to know this story. Eulastya says3 P?nce upon a time& there lived a rich trader named 1udharma. ?nce& while passing through the 1urashtra desert& he was attacked by bandits and robbed o all his possessions. De9ected& he started wandering in the desert like a lunatic. (e saw a 1hami tree and decided to take rest under its shade. ?n this tree lived numerous ghosts. ?n seeing 1udharma& the leader o the ghosts asked him as to where he was going. 1udharma narrated his woe ul tale which made the ghosts very sad. ,he leader o the ghosts said3 You must not lose heart. * you are destined to possess wealth then you would become wealthy once again but worrying about your lost wealth will only have ill e ects on your health and you would become weak. ?n being instructed by their leader& the ghosts o ered ood to the hungry 1udharma. A ter satiating his hunger& 1udharma asked the leader o the ghosts3 Cho are youL (ow could you provide me such a delicious dish in this deserted orestL ,he leader o the ghosts said3 P*n my previous birth& * was a Brahmin and my name was 1omasharma. * was very poor but my neighbour 1omashrava was a rich and prosperous trader. Being a poor Brahmin& * was not able to per orm my religious duties. ?nce& people o all castes thronged *rawati and +advala to take a holy dip on the auspicious occasion o 1hravan Dwadashi. * ollowed them and a ter taking my bath& per ormed all the necessary rituals. As * was poor& * could donate things o little importance like umbrella& shoes& sweets& curds etc. ,his was the irst and the last time& * had donated anything in my li e. A ter my death& * became a ghost. @y companions also never donated anything in their previous li e. ,he delicious ood which you had relished 9ust now was due to the virtue o ood items donated in my previous li e. ,his 1hami tree is due to the virtue o donating umbrella.P 1omasharma was surprised and asked the leader o the ghosts whether he could be o any help to him to which the leader reHuested him to o er Eind Daan at Baya so that he became liberated rom Ereta Yoni. 1omasharma went to Baya and per ormed the necessary rituals o Eind Daan as a result o which& the ghosts went to Brahma loka a ter being liberated. 1omasharma continued to observe the ast o 1hravan Dwadashi every year. ?ne ate ul day& he passed away and was reborn in a royal amily. A ter reaching youth age& he became the king o 1haakal Euri and indulged in en9oyments and sensual pleasures. A ter his death& he was born in a Brahmin amily. ,hough ugly& he was well versed in all the scriptures. A ter a ew years& he got married. (is wi e would make un o his ugly looks which annoyed him. (e went to *rawati and worshipped Lord #agannath with ull devotion. Lord #agannath blessed him and his ugly looks turned into a handsome appearance. (e en9oyed a very satis ied married li e and a ter his death was reborn as King Eururava.
I.;;.7 ,he Description o +akshatra Eurusha

1age +arad asks Eulastya about the austerity named +akshatra Eurusha which King Eururava had accomplished to please Lord Vishnu. Eulastya says3 PAll the constellations dwell in di erent parts o Lord VishnuAs body. ,he @ula +akshatra dwells in his eet& "ohini +akshatra in his thighs& Ashwini in his knees& Eurvashadha and %ttarashadha in his chest etc. A devotee who worships Lord Vishnu3 the possessor o all the constellations methodically and according to the rituals attains liberation. Corshipping Lord VishnuAs di erent organs helps in attaining good health and a disease ree li e. Being pleased by this austerity& Lord Vishnu bestows radiance and sweet voice to the devotee. Arundhati had achieved great acclamation due to the success ul accomplishment o this austerity. Aditya with a desire o a son had his wish ul illed in the orm o "evant& his amous son. ,he Apsaras3 "ambha and @enaka had acHuired unparalleled beauty and sweet voice respectively a ter success ul accomplishment o this austerity. 1imilarly& >handra had attained supreme radiance and Eururava regained his kingdom. ,his way& whoever per ormed this austerity& his desire was ul illed.
I.;;.F Erahlad)s Eilgrimage

Eulastya says3 PErahlad went to the sacred place called "ishikanya and took a holy dip in the *rawati "iver. A ter that& he worshipped Lord #anardan in the temple situated nearby and then proceeded on his 9ourney towards Kurukshetra. A ter reaching there& he worshipped Lord Kurudhwa9 and paid a visit Lord +arsimha temple. A ter taking a holy dip in the river Devika& he proceeded on towards Bokarna ,irtha where he took bath in river Erachi and worshipped Lord Vishwakarma. %ltimately a ter visiting numerous sacred places& he reached @adhunandini where he worshipped Lord 1hiva who had a chakra in his hands and Lord Vishnu possessing a trident.P +arad was surprised and asked Eulastya why Lord 1hiva and Lord Vishnu had held 1udarshan chakra and trident respectively. Eulastya e/plained3 PDuring ancient times& there was a mighty demon king named #alodbhav. (e had pleased Lord Brahma by his severe penance and was blessed by him to become immortal. A ter receiving the boon& #alodbhav became arrogant and started tormenting the deities and the sages. ,he deities sought the re uge o Lord Vishnu. ,hey accompanied Lord Vishnu to (imalaya @ountain to meet Lord 1hiva. Lord Vishnu and Lord 1hiva e/changed their weapons. Both o them went to kill the demon who on seeing them got scared and hid in a nearby river. Lord Vishnu and Lord 1hiva waited eagerly or him on the opposite banks o the river.P PA ter sometime& #alodbhav came out o the river thinking that both o them must have departed by now. (e climbed up the (imalaya @ountain and both the deities chased him. Lord 1hiva attacked him with his chakra while Lord Vishnu pierced his trident in his chest. #alodbhav died and ell down rom the (imalaya @ountain.P A ter inishing his story& Eulastya says3 P,his was the reason why both Lord Vishnu and Lord 1hankar had e/changed their weapons. ,he spot where Lord 1hankar had kept his oot resulted into the mani estation o river Vitastaa. Erahlad a ter worshipping Lord Vishnu and Lord 1hiva at @adhunandini went to Bhrigutung ,irtha situated on the (imalaya @ountain.P
I.;;.8 ,ales o %pamanyu and 1hridama

1age +arad was still not satis ied by EulastyaAs e/planation and asked Eulastya as to what compelled Lord Vishnu to give his chakra to Lord 1hiva. Eulastya says3 P,here used to live a learned Brahmin named Veetmanyu. (e was well versed in all the Vedas and other scriptures. (is wi eAs name was Atreyi and %pamanyu was his son. *nspite o his knowledge& Veetmanyu lived in absolute poverty and ound it di icult to make arrangements or daily necessities. ?ne day& young %pamanyu on being hungry started crying. (is helpless mother consoled him by saying that i he worshipped Lord 1hiva then he would even get nectar and would get liberated rom the pangs o hunger or ever. Veetmanyu was surprised and asked as to who this Lord Virupaaksh was. Atreyi narrated the ollowing story3 During ancient times& there was a demon king named 1hridama. (e ruled over the whole earth. ?nce& he decided to snatch the 1rivatsa3 Lord VishnuAs dearest ornament rom him. Chen Lord Vishnu came to know about his intention& he became urious but since he had no weapon at his disposal he went to take Lord 1hivaAs help in this regard. Lord 1hiva gave 1udarshan chakra to him and said that with the help o that in allible weapon& he could kill anybody. But Lord Vishnu was not convinced about the weaponAs destructive power and e/pressed his desire to test it on Lord 1hiva himsel . Lord 1hiva agreed and Vishnu released the 1udarshan chakra towards him. As a result& Lord 1hivaAs body was severed into three parts3 Vishvesh& Yagyesh and Yagyaya9ak. +ow& Lord Vishnu became satis ied and made salutations to Lord 1hiva to e/press his gratitude.P PLord Vishnu went to the mountain where the demon 1hridama lived and severed his head with the 1udarshan chakra. A ter killing the demon& Lord Vishnu returned to his abode3 Ksheersagar.P A ter inishing her story& Atreyi told %pamanyu that such was the greatness o Lord Virupaaksh. %pamanyu did a severe penance to please Lord Virupaaksh and was blessed by him as a result o which& he never elt hungry in his li e.
I.;;.I Ba9endra and the >rocodile

1age +arad reHuests Eulastya to describe how Ba9endra managed to release itsel rom the 9aws o the crocodile. Eulastya says3 P,here lived a crocodile in a reservoir near ,rikut @ountain. ?ne day& a thirsty elephant arrived there to Huench its thirst. ,he wicked crocodile caught hold o the elephantAs leg and dragged it towards the middle o the reservoir. ,he elephant tried its best to release itsel rom the crocodileAs 9aws but was unsuccess ul. Being helpless& it started remembering Lord 1hri (ari as it was his great devotee. *t picked up a lotus lower and chanted the ollowing stotra3 A1alutations to that Lord Vishnu who is the originator o this universe. 1alutations to the omnipresent Lord Vishnu who is revered by the sages. * take the re uge o Lord Vishnu who is also known by the names o Vishveshvar& 1hri (ari and 1anatan Eurush.A ,his way& the elephant eulogised Lord Vishnu with great devotion. Eleased by his devotion& Lord Vishnu killed the wicked crocodile with his 1udarshan chakra and liberated the elephant. Actually& this crocodile was none other than Bandharva (uhu who had attained the orm o a crocodile
a ter being cursed by sage Deval. (e was liberated rom the curse and went to heaven. Lord Vishnu touched the elephant and it got trans ormed into a divine human being. ,his way& with the blessings o Lord Vishnu& both o them were liberated.
I.;;.< ,he Breatness o 1arasvat 1totra

1age Eulastya says3 P,here lived a Kshatriya who kept enemity towards Brahmins. A ter his death& he was reborn as a demon and spent his li e indulging in ne arious activities. ?nce he saw a hermit doing penance. (e wanted to devour him but was unsuccess ul in his attempt as the hermit had protected himsel by chanting Vishnupan9ar stotra. 1o& he waited or the hermit or our months to come out rom his meditative trance. A ter the completion o his meditation& the hermit was surprised to see a weak and rail demon waiting or him. (e asked the demon about his identity and the purpose or which he was waiting there. ,he demon told him that although he had come with the intention o devouring him& he was unsuccess ul in his attempt as he (hermit) was well protected by Vishnupan9ar stotra. P* am very impressed by your spiritual eats and * am desirous o learning the same rom you. * have committed many sins in my li e& so tell me how to become liberated rom themP& asked the demon. But the hermit was not convinced and told the demon that he would never preach a demon. (e advised the demon to take help o some other Brahmin. ,he demon went in search o another Brahmin. ?ne day& he saw a Brahmin doing penance and caught hold o him. ,he Brahmin was rightened and reHuested the demon3 PCait until * return a ter giving this ruit to my teacher.P But the demon thought that the Brahmin was trying to escape hence he did not allow the Brahmin to leave. ,he worried Brahmin went near a burning ire and pleaded or help. 1uddenly& Boddess 1araswati mani ested hersel and told the Brahmins3 PDonAt be a raid. Cith my blessings& you would be able to narrate the means or the demonAs benediction.P A ter blessing the Brahmin& Boddess 1araswati disappeared. ,he Brahmin narrated the 1araswat stotra to the demon3 You must chant the ollowing stotra thrice in a day3 A* make salutations to Lord (ari who is also known as Krishna& (rishikesh& Vasudev& #anardan and #agannath. @ay he liberate me rom my sins. * make salutations to Lord Vishnu who rests on 1heshnaag and who hails 1hankchakra Bada and chakra in his hands& may he liberate me rom my sins. Lord Vishnu who mani ests himsel in each individual soul 9ust like the element o ire mani ests itsel in a piece o wood. @ay he liberate me rom my sins.A ,he Brahmin told the demon that the daily chanting o 1araswat Vishnu stotra would enable him to get liberated rom his sins. ,he demon was pleased and a ter releasing the Brahmin went to a place called 1haalgraam. (e engaged himsel in severe penance and started chanting the stotra taught by the Brahmin. %ltimately& he was success ul in becoming liberated rom his sins and went to Vishnu loka.
1&!* #ali Performs Ashvamedhya @agya

,his chapter contains I sections5
I.;7.6 Bali)s Arrival at Kurukshetra

Eulastya says3 PA ter the departure o Erahlad on his pilgrimage& Bali desirous o per orming a Yagya went to Kurukshetra. 1hukracharya had invited the descendants o sage Bhargava to supervise the proceedings o Ashwamedha Yagya but his decision was not approved by the descendants o some other sages like Atri& Bautam& Kaushik and Angira. As a result& all o them le t Kurukshetra. A ter their departure& 1hukracharya started making preparations or the Yagya and initiated both Bali and his wi e3 Vindhyavali into the rituals. A ter that& a horse was let loose according to the tradition. ,he demon ,arkaaksh ollowed that horse. ,he Ashwamedha Yagya continued or three months a ter which& Aditi gave birth to a child who was dwar ish in si:e at a time when the 1un had 9uts entered the :odiac o Bemini. All the deities and sages including Lord Brahma were e/tremely pleased by Lord VaamanAs birth. ,hey went to AditiAs hermitage and eulogised Lord Vaaman. Lord Vaaman became pleased by their eulogy and reHuested Lord Brahma to help per orm his consecrations. ?n being instructed by Lord Brahma& sage Bharadwa9 per ormed VaamanAs #aat karma and Yagyopavit. A ter that& sage Bharadwa9 taught him Vedas and other scriptures which was mastered by Vaaman in less than one month. A ter inishing his studies& Lord Vaaman sought his BuruAs permission to go to Kurukshetra. 1age Bharadwa9 e/pressed his inability by saying3 P(ow can a mortal like me give permission to the supreme lordL * you want to go to Kurukshetra then how can * stop you rom going thereL * have some Hueries regarding your various abodes and would you be gracious enough to enlighten me on thatLP Lord Vaaman said3 P,he whole universe including the sky& earth& ocean& mountains& clouds are pervaded by my e/istence. All the deities& sages& living and non3living things have mani ested rom me. Chen * took my irst
incarnation o @atsya * had my abode in the holy waters o @anas 1arovar. As my second incarnation o tortoise& * had my abode in the holy waters o Kaushiki "iver. * had my abode at (astinapur when * took my incarnation as Bovind. As +arayan& * had my abode at Badrikashrama& as #ayesh& * had my abode at Bhadrakarna.P ,his way& Lord Vaaman described about his di erent abodes in great detail.
I.;7.; Arrival o Lord Vaaman at Kurukshetra

Eulastya says3 PA ter satis ying Bharadwa9As curiosity about his di erent abodes& Lord Vaaman le t or Kurukshetra where Bali was busy per orming his Yagya. As soon as Lord Vaaman reached Kurukshetra& the whole earth started shaking violently and high tides rose in the ocean. Being rightened o Lord Vishnu& Agni did not accept the o erings made by Bali. Bali was very surprised by all these sudden developments. (e asked 1hukracharya about the reason or all these strange happenings.P 1hukracharya replied3 P? king o the demons$ De initely& all these strange happenings signi ies the arrival o Lord Vasudev.P Bali then asked 1hukracharya as to what was the most appropriate way o honouring his eminent guest. PChat donations should * make to him so that he is pleased and satis iedLP& asked Bali. 1hukracharya warned him by saying3 PDorget about donating anything otherwise you will get into serious trouble.P Bali told him that he would not disgrace himsel by re using to meet the demands made by Vasudev. P,he way a man behaves in his speech& action and thoughts is the result o his past karmas. Are you not aware o the incident related with Koshkar which happened at @alay @ountainL Koshkar was the son o sage @udgal. (e was amous or his austerities and his wi e too was very virtuous. *n course o time& a son was born to them but alas he was blind and dea . KoshkarAs wi e abandoned that child in ront o her house. *ncidentally& an ogress named 1urpaakshi happened to arrive there and a ter seeing the abandoned child& e/changed him with her own child. 1he carried KoshkarAs child to 1haalodar @ountain with the intention o devouring him. Chen her husband came to know about the incident& he reprimanded 1urpaakshi or her misdeed. ,he demon warned the ogress that both o them would be cursed by the Brahmin and advised her to keep the child at the same place rom where she had brought him.P *n the meantime& Koshkar came out rom his hermitage a ter hearing the cries o 1urpaakshiAs child. (e was surprised to ind some other child instead o his own and told his wi e3 P*t seems that this child is under the in luence o a ghost.P A ter saying this& he protected the child by demarcating a round circle initiated with mantra around him. "ight then& the ogress arrived and a ter keeping the BrahminAs child on the ground wanted to take back her own child. But she could not enter inside that circle. Koshkar took his child in his lap and went inside the hermitage. ,his way& the ogress returned to the mountain without her child. Koshkar brought up both the children with great care. (e named the ogressAs child as Diwakar while his own son was named +isachar. As destiny would have liked it& Diwakar turned out to be a very studious child and became well versed in Vedas within a very short time whereas +isachar was not interested in studies and had a bad habit o criticising everybody. Koshkar became urious and threw +isachar in a well. ,here was a Amla tree inside that well and the child survived living on its ruits. ,his way& ten years passed and one day& KoshkarAs wi e arrived at the well to etch water. ?n seeing his mother& +isachar tried to convince her that he was her son but she was not convinced. (e then accompanied his mother back home and narrated the reason why he had taken birth as a dea and blind child. P*n my previous birth& * was the son o Vrishakapi and was very amous or my scholarly traits. *n due course o time& * became very arrogant and started indulging in all sorts o evil deeds. A ter my death& * went to "aurav +arak and su ered all the tortures over there. * was reborn as a tiger and a ter being enslaved by a king& * was kept inside a cage. ?nce& the king had gone out and the beauti ul Hueen arrived near the cage. * was in atuated by her beauty and e/pressed my lusty desires to her. 1he was taken aback by my proposal and said3 P(ow can physical relationship be possible between usLP But * reHuested her to release me by opening the cage door. ,he Hueen opened the door and * became ree. * caught hold o her and tried to satiate my lust but right then the guards arrived there and killed me. ?nce again * went to the hell and a ter su ering the pains * was reborn as an ass. @y master was Agniveshya& a Brahmin. ?nce& his wi e3 1umati wanted to go to her atherAs house. Agniveshya advised her to go riding on my back and instructed his servant to escort us. Chile on our 9ourney& we reached a river and 1umati e/pressed her desire to take bath. 1he went to take bath and * waited or her to return. Chile she was taking her bath& * became in atuated by her beauty and caught hold o her. ,he servant who was escorting us saw this and became angry. (e killed me by hitting with his stick. ?nce again& * went to hell and was reborn as a parrot. A wicked owler trapped and sold me to a traderAs son. Although * lived a lu/urious li e& yet * was not happy because o my slavery. ?nce& his daughter arrived near my cage and play ully kept me on her breasts. * became in atuated and tried to have physical relations with her. But * was su ocated to death a ter getting entangled in her necklace. ?nce again& * went to hell and a ter su ering the tortures& was reborn as a bull. @y master was a >handaal and * used to pull his cart. ?nce& his wi e was sitting in the cart * was pulling. %nmind ul o her surroundings& she was singing songs in a beauti ul voice. A ter listening to her melodious
voice& * became in atuated and tried to have physical relations with her. * turned back but the noose around my neck became tight and * was su ocated to death. ?nce again * went to hell and a ter su ering the pains& was reborn as a blind and dea son to you. * remember all my previous lives and * am aware that my physical disabilities are only because o my past sins. * have decided to atone or all my sins by doing penance and indulging in virtuous deeds. A ter saying this& he went to Badrikashrama to do penance. A ter inishing his story& Bali told 1hukracharya that a man inherits his Hualities rom his past li e and it is impossible or him to change them. P*t is applicable to both good and bad Hualities. @y penance& virtuosity& benevolence and generosity have been inherited rom my past li e and come what may& * have decided not to shun them.P Eulastya says3 P,his way& Bali remained irm in his resolve to meet any demand made by his esteemed guest and started waiting eagerly or his arrival.P
I.;7.7 Lord Vaaman)s Demands

Bali was pleased that he would get an opportunity to see the Almighty Bod whom the sages contemplate upon. (e was proud o his good ortune that the lord was paying him a visit. 1hukracharya aware o the reason or VaamanAs arrival warned Bali against making any promise to him. Bali replied3 P(ow can * re use i the Almighty Bod demands anything rom meL * am willing to ace any hardship to sa eguard my benevolent image. * donAt mind i the deities get bene ited by my actions. -ven i the lord is coming with the intention o killing me& * am not scared as that is how * would attain salvation. >ome what may& * am not going to abandon my charitable nature.P As the conversation between 1hukracharya and Bali continued& suddenly& Lord Vaaman arrived at the site. VaamanAs radiance subdued the power o all demons present there. Lord Vaaman being impressed by the grandeur o VaamanAs Yagya complimented him or organising such a magni icent Yagya. Bali eulogised and worshipped his esteemed guest. (e reHuested Vaaman to reveal the reason o his arrival and promised that his wishes would be ul illed. Lord Vaaman smiled and told him that he needed a small piece o land measured by three steps or the per ormance o Yagya. Bali was surprised by this demand and reHuested him to ask or more land but Lord Vaaman told him that he needed only that much land. Bali agreed and took a vow to donate a piece o land measured by three steps. (ardly had Bali taken his vow& when suddenly Lord Vaaman e/panded his si:e. (is irst step covered the whole earth. By his two successive steps& he covered the two worlds. ,his way& Bali was orced to donate all the three worlds according to his vow. Lord Vishnu then made *ndra& the king o all the three worlds and sent Bali to the nether world named 1utal. (e blessed Bali by saying3 PYou would en9oy a long li e till the end o this present Kalpa. You would hold the post o *ndra till the arrival o 1aavarni @anavantar. As long as you remain supportive o the Brahmins and the deities& you would en9oy all the pleasures o li e. But i you go against their wishes then you would be astened by VarunAs noose.P A ter saying this& Lord Vishnu disappeared.
I.;7.F Lord Brahma Corships Lord Vaaman

+arad asked sage Eulastya as to where did Lord Vaaman go a ter disappearing rom the oblation site. Eulastya replied3 PLord Vaaman went to Brahma loka mounted on his Barud. ?n seeing him& Lord Brahma gave a warm reception and a ter worshipping him asked about the reason or his sudden arrival. Lord Vaaman told him that he had sent Bali to 1utal loka or the wel are o the deities and so that they could get their share o the Yagya. Lord Brahma e/pressed his desire to see the giant orm o Vishnu which he had taken while measuring all the three worlds. Lord Vishnu obliged him and showed his giant appearance. Lord Brahma was impressed and eulogised him. (e reHuested Lord Vishnu to remain in Brahma loka in his appearance o Vaaman. Lord Vishnu had agreed to do this and remained there.
I.;7.8 Bali Lives in Eaatal Loka

Eulastya says3 A ter reaching the nether world& Bali got constructed a beauti ul city made o diamonds and other precious stones. Vishwakarma had constructed an enormous si:ed altar in the central part o the city. ,he windows o BaliAs palace were well decorated with pearls. Bali lived there in lu/ury and by en9oying all the pleasures o li e. ?ne day& while the demons were engaged in their sensual pleasures& suddenly the earsome 1udarshan chakra entered BaliAs palace and a ter making the demons bere t o their radiance went back to Lord Vishnu. Bali was very worried and thought that only his grand ather Erahlad could help him out rom this situation. ?n being remembered by Bali& Erahlad appeared be ore him. Bali reHuested him to describe the means which would be
benedictory to him. Erahlad was pleasantly surprised by his change o heart and said3 PAt last& you have realised your mistake. Listen Bali$ A man who takes re uge in Lord Vishnu and surrenders himsel to his will becomes liberated rom all the miseries and sorrows o li e. A man who has accepted Lord Vishnu as his master need not ear rom anything not even death. All the things which are visible in this universe are the various mani estations o Lord Vishnu himsel . A devotee o Lord Vishnu does not have to go to hell and he becomes liberated rom the cycles o birth and death.P ,his way& Erahlad described about the greatness o Lord Vishnu and his worship in great detail.
I.;7.I Bali)s =ueries to Erahlad

Bali enHuired about the virtues which a man attains by the worship o Lord Vishnu. (e also asked Erahlad about the worship and its rituals by which Lord Vishnu is pleased. Erahlad says3 P1ages believe that the donations which are made with total devotion and in the name o Lord Vishnu e/ist orever. Lord Vishnu is e/tremely pleased i @alati& 1hataavari& >hampa& #uhi and +aagar lowers are o ered to him. (e is also pleased when the o erings o Bilva patra& 1hami patra& ,amaal and Amaali patra are made to him. (e is pleased when sesame seeds are donated during the (indu month o @aagh. A person who gets a Vishnu temple constructed liberates his ancestors rom their sins. Bali& you must get the Vishnu temple constructed and worship with complete devotion. You must try to please Lord Vishnu by making donations o cow& 9ewels& gold and land. * you engage yoursel in such virtuous activities then you will certainly attain benediction.P A ter saying this& Erahlad disappeared. A ter ErahladAs departure& Bali ollowed his instructions aith ully and engaged himsel in the worship o Lord Vishnu. (e instructed Vishwakarma to construct a magni icent temple o Lord Vishnu and started worshipping Lord Vishnu accompanied by his wi e. (e used to clean the temple premises and o er the articles which were dear to Lord Vishnu. ,his way& Bali and his wi e Vindhyavali engaged themselves in the worship o Lord Vishnu with complete devotion.
1&!, #enefits of )tudying +amana Purana

1tudy o Vaaman Euraan helps a man to enhance his knowledge and makes him ree rom all kinds o worldly attachments. *t also increases his love and devotion towards the lotus eet o Lord Vishnu. ,here are ten characteristics evident in all the Euraans3 6) 1arg. ;) Visarg. 7) 1thaan. F) Eoshan. 8) %ti. I) Vritti. <) "aksha. J) @anvantara. G) Vansh. 6M) %paashraya. 1arg deals with the descriptions o the origin o this universe. Visarg enlightens us as to how a living thing trans orms itsel rom one species to another. 1thaan& Eoshan& %ti and Vritti deal with the descriptions o various means which are employed by a man or his survival. "aksha describes about the various incarnations o Lord Vishnu which he takes or the protection o the humankind. @anvantara deals with the complete description o the history o the whole @anvantara period. Vansh describe about the lineage o all the kings including Lord Brahma. %paashraya enlightens us on the real meaning o Brahma. Eulastya says3 PA man who listens to the divine tales o Vaaman Euraan attains to Vishnu loka a ter becoming ree rom all his sins. (e attains the same virtues which a per ormer o Ashwamedha Yagya does. -ven listening to one part o Vaaman Euraan bestows great virtues and eHuivalent to making pilgrimage o numerous sacred places. +arad& Vaaman Euraan is the 6Fth among all the 6J Euraans which describes about the ma9esty o Lord Vishnu.P Dive names o Lord Vishnu has been mentioned in Vaaman Euraan3 Kaaran Vaaman& +arayan& Amitvikram& 1haargang chakra and Eurushottam. A devotee who chants any o these sacred names o Lord Vishnu and makes salutation either by speech& thought or deed attains to Vishnu loka.
1&!/ +aaman 7ncarnation

,his chapter contains ; sections5
I.;8.6 *ndra does Eenance to Atone or his 1ins

Eulastya says a ter being de eated by the demons *ndra went to Brahma loka and narrated his woe ul tale to him. 1age Kashyap3 his ather was also present there. Lord Brahma told *ndra that he was reaping the ruits o his evil deeds. 1age Kashyap told him that his miseries were due to the sin acHuired by the destruction o DitiAs oetus. *ndra asked both o them& how his sins could be atoned. Lord Brahma advised him to take 1hri (ariAs help.
*ndra then went to the north o Kalin9ar @ountain and started living in a hermitage situated on the bank o river @ahanadi. (e did penance or one year. Eleased by his devotion& Lord Vishnu appeared and blessed him saying3 PYour austere penance has liberated you rom the sin o destroying DitiAs oetus and very soon& you will regain your kingdom.P A ter receiving the blessing& *ndra went to AditiAs hermitage and narrated the tale o his de eat at the hands o demons. Aditi knew that *ndra would not have been de eated had Lord Vishnu been on his side during the battle. 1o& she went to Lord Vishnu and worshipped him with devotion. Lord Vishnu assured her that very soon& he would incarnate as her son and destroy the demons. (aving said this& a part o Lord VishnuAs e ulgence entered into AditiAs womb.
I.;8.; Bali Abuses Lord Vishnu

A ter Lord Vishnu had established himsel inside AditiAs womb& the demons became devoid o their radiance. Bali was surprised by this sudden development and asked Erahlad about it. Erahlad went into deep meditation and saw Lord Vishnu mani esting in AditiAs womb. A ter coming out rom his meditative trance& he told Bali that the demons had lost their radiance due to 1hri (ari who is about to take incarnation at the reHuest o the deities. ,he arrogant Bali made un o 1hri (ari by saying3 PCho is this 1hri (ariL Ce have many mighty warriors in our ranks who are more power ul than Vasudev.P Erahlad was a devotee o 1hri (ari and he did not like the arrogant utterances o Bali. (e cursed him by saying that very soon he would meet his down all and lose his kingdom. A ter being cursed& Bali realised his mistake and begged or orgiveness. Erahlad too had calmed down by that time and said3 P-ven though Lord Vishnu is omnipresent& * cursed you being under the in luence o my ignorance. @y words will certainly become true but donAt lose heart. Bo and take re uge in 1hri (ari3 the supreme protector. (e will liberate you rom all your sorrows.P A ter saying this& Erahlad went on his pilgrimage.
1&!1 "he $eities 6esting $ays

Lord Vishnu takes rest on 1heshnaag during the whole period o %ttaraayan& which begins 9ust a ter the last day o the bright lunar phase in the (indu month o Ashaadh is over. A ter he goes to sleep& all the deities& Bandharva& Devamaata etc. ollow suit. +arad reHuested 1age Eulastya to shed light on the days when the deities take rest. 1age Eulastya replied3 PA devotee should consider the eleventh day o the (indu month o Ashaadh 1hukla Eaksha& when the 1un enters the :odiac o Bemini as the day when Lord Vishnu goes to rest. A devotee should make a replica o 1heshnaag and a ter worshipping the idol o Lord Vishnu& lay him down to rest on the twel th day. Kamadev is said to take rest on the thirteenth day on his bed made o Kadamb lowers. ,he Yakshaganas take rest on the ourteenth day o the (indu month o Ashaadh 1hukla Eaksha. ,heir beds are made o yellow lotus. Lord 1hiva is believed to take rest on Eurnima. (is bed is made o tiger skin.
0 ,ar:andeya Purana
,his Eurana consists o 6I chapters5
4&1
7ntroduction
?nce #aimini& a disciple o sage Vedavyasa e/pressed his curiosity be ore @arkandeya3 A? Lord$ *n the great epic @ahabharat& which was created by Vedavyasa& description o Dharma& Arth& Kama and @oksha appears to be intertwined at times and at other times& it appears to be separate rom one another. Vedavyasa had described the norms& the stages and the means to per orm the duties in all the our stages. ,his epic contains cryptic knowledge o Vedas. (ence ? great sage$ * have approached you in order to grasp the ull knowledge contained in @ahabharat with your help. Chy did Lord take human incarnation even though (e is the cause o the origin& perpetuation and destruction o the universeL (ow did Draupadi become the wi e o ive EandavasL (ow did Balaram e/piate or the sin o killing a BrahminL (ow did DraupadiAs sons give up their livesL Kindly narrate all these things in detail. A @arkandeya says3 A? @uni $ Eresently * am engaged in evening worship. (ence * do not have time to narrate these things in detail. But * am telling you about the birds which will narrate you the entire content o @ahabharat. ,hose birds will also remove all your doubts. 1ons o the great bird Drona3 Eingaksha& Vibodha& 1uputra& 1umuk etc. stay in the caves among the hills o Vindhyachal. ,hey are pro icient in Vedas. Bo and ask them& they will remove all your doubts.A @arkandeyaAs words surprised #aimini. ,o con irm& he asked again3 A*t is surprising that the birds could narrate the content o @ahabharat 9ust like human beings. *t is even more surprising that they are pro icient in Vedas knowledge& which is even rare to ind among humans. Kindly tell me how did they come to acHuire such pro ound knowledge despite having being born in the orm o birds. Chy do you call them as the sons o DronaLA @arkandeya says3 ALong ago& a strange event took place in +andanvan involving *ndra& Devrishi +arad and some o the elves. ?ne day& *ndra was en9oying his time in the +andanvan orest along with his elves. At the same time +arad also arrived there. *ndra welcomed and o ered him a seat. ,he elves also greeted +arad. *ndra then said3 A@univar$ ,ell me what you desire nowL * you desire to listen to a song& should * order the Bandharvas or i you wish to watch the dance& should * order one o my elves& @enka& "ambha& @ishrakeshi or %rvashiL Any o these our can per orm a seducing dance be ore you.A +arad e/pressed his desire to watch the dance o an el & who was superior in beauty to the other elves. ,his led to a row among the elves. -ach one o them was proud o her beauty and talent. +arad then advised them to test their beauty by breaking sage DurvaasaAs penance who was at that time staying on a hilltop. All the elves e/pressed their inability to per orm this task success ully. ?nly an el named Vapu& driven by her haughtiness accepted to break the penance o sage Durvaasa. Accordingly she reached the hill where Durvaasa was staying and began to sing an in atuating song in her sweet voice. Very soon& the song began to show its e ect on Durvaasa. Attracted by the sweet voice& Durvaasa went in search o the origin o the voice and ound Vapu singing at a distance. Durvaasa understood that the el had come to break his penance. Angrily& he cursed the el that she would take birth in the lineage o the birds or si/teen years& she would not bear a child and ultimately would be killed by a weapon to regain her heavenly abode. A ter saying this& sage Durvaasa migrated to Akashganga.
4&!
+arious 0reations and >amous Mythological 0haracters
,his chapter contains G sections.
<.;.6 Birth o Dour Birds

@arkandeya says 3 A*n the lineage o the avian King Barud& there were two brothers3 Kank and Kandhar. ?ne day& Kank visited Kailash Earbat where a demon Vidrayudrup& who was a slave o Kuber& was en9oying privacy with his wi e and drinking wine. 1eeing Kank& the demon showed his displeasure at his arrival at an improper time. But Kank boldly asserted his right on the mountain as according to him& it belonged to all. ,he in uriated demon decapitated Kank with his sword. (earing the news o his brotherAs killing& Kandhar resolved to kill the demon. A ter per orming the last rites o his brother& he also arrived on the mountain where the demon Vidrayudrup was still drinking wine with his wi e. ,he
demon lost his temper again. Kandhar then challenged the demon to have a ight with him. A ierce battle ensued between them. %ltimately& Kandhar killed the demon. ,he demonAs wi e3 @adanika inding hersel in a helpless situation accepted Kandhar as her husband. ,hus& Kandhar returned to his palace with a newly ound wi e. @adanika was in act the daughter o @enka& the el and could change her guise at will. A ter marrying Kandhar& she took the guise o the bird. ,he bird @adanika was born as el 3 Vapu in her ne/t birth due to the curse o sage Durvaasa. Kandhar named her ,aarkshi. A Brahmin named @andapal had our sons. Drona was the youngest among them and pro icient in scriptures& Vedas etc. Kandhar married his daughter& ,aarkshi to Drona. A ter their marriage& Drona and ,aarkshi were spending their time happily. ,aarkshi conceived during the same time when the battle o @ahabharat was going on. As destiny would have it& ,aarkshi lew over the battle ield where she saw Ar9una and Bhagdatt& the king o Erag9yotishpur& ighting valiantly against each other. Accidentally an arrow aimed at Bhagdatt went in the direction o ,aarkshi and struck her in the abdomen and tore it apart. As a result o this& our eggs ell on the ground. At the same time& a huge bell ell rom 1upratikAs neck& the elephant o Bhagdatt& and covered the eggs sa ely. A ter the battle o @ahabharat was over& a sage 1hami visited the battle ield. ,here he happened to spot the bell and heard aint chirping coming rom underneath the bell. ,he sage removed the bell and discovered our wingless chicks beneath it. 1urprisingly he said to his disciples3 ALook$ Dalling o these eggs and getting sa ely covered by the bell simultaneously shows that these chicks are no ordinary birds.A ,hen he instructed his disciples to carry the eggs to the hermitage and keep it securely at a place sa e rom predators. ,he disciples did as told.
<.;.; Birds @igrate to Vindhyachal

1age 1hami therea ter began to oster the chicks in his hermitage. Cith time& the chicks grew eathers and began to ly here and there. But every time the birds went out& they returned to the hermitage by evening. ,he birds also gained Vedic knowledge by hearing the discourses& which sage 1hami used to give daily to his disciples. ?ne day& when sage 1hami was preaching his disciples& the birds arrived there and said3 A? great sage$ You are like our ather because you have protected us. You are our teacher also because we have gained knowledge rom you. +ow we have grown up& kindly tell us what should we doLA. ,he birds speaking like learned people ama:ed the sage as well as his disciple. (e asked the birds3 A,ell us& how did you speak so clearly and is there any curse behind your present conditionLA. ,he birds replied3 A? sage$ Long ago& there used to live a sage& Vipulasvan. (e had two sons3 1ukrish and ,umbaru. *n our previous birth& we were the sons o 1ukrish. Chen our ather and uncle per ormed Yagya& we brought them all the reHuired materials. ?ne day& *ndra arrived at our hermitage disguised as an aged bird. ,he aged bird was starving& hence we reHuested our ather to provide him with some ood. %pon enHuiring by our ather& the bird e/pressed his desire to eat human lesh. ?ur ather tried to dissuade the bird but it did not give up its insistence. ,hen our ather called us and said that he had promised the bird to eed it with human lesh. 1o& we were asked to donate our body in order to satis y the birdAs hunger. But being rightened& we e/pressed our inability to meet the demand o the starving bird. ,his in uriated our ather or we were violating his promise that he had made to the bird. (e then cursed us to take birth as birds in our ne/t li e and himsel got ready to donate his body. As our ather was breathing his last& *ndra resumed his real sel and said3 A? great sage$ * took this guise only to test your character. Kindly orgive me and tell me what you desire nowLA *ndra blessed our ather to have divine knowledge and penance ree rom all obstacles. ,herea ter we also ell at our atherAs eet and begged or his pardon. Ce reHuested him to take back his words but he said that his words would not go utile. But still he blessed us to have supreme knowledge even in the orm o birds.A >oncluding their talk& the birds said3 A? lord$ ,hus controlled by destiny& our ather cursed us. A ter sometime& we took birth in bird orm in the battle ield where you ound us and ostered us in your hermitage. +ow we are strong enough to ly long distances. 1o kindly ree us rom your obligation.A (earing the words o the birds& sage 1hami said to his disciples3 ALook$ * had already told you that these birds were no ordinary creatures. ,hey even survived the battle o @ahabharat. *t shows their greatness.A ,hen sage 1hami granted them permission to migrate to the Vindhyachal. ,he birds decided to pass their time by studying the Vedas and doing penance as long as they stayed there.
<.;.7 Divine Elays o Bod

1age #aimini reached Vindhyachal and arrived be ore the birds as per @arkandeyaAs instructions. (e said3 A? birds$ * am #aimini& the disciple o Vedavyasa. * have come here with a desire to have your glimpse.A ,he birds welcomed him saying3 A*t is our great ortune that you have arrived here. Your arrival has made us eel as i Bod
himsel has arrived.A #aimini said3 A? learned birds$ Kindly listen to the purpose o my visit. 1age @arkandeya instructed me to come here and see you. You kindly answer my Huestions that * have in the conte/t o @ahabharat.A ,he birds assured him o every possible e/planation as per their knowledge. 1age #aimini proceeded3 AChy did Lord take human incarnation even though (e is the cause o the origin& perpetuation and destruction o the universeL (ow did Draupadi come to be the Hueen o ive EandavasL (ow did Balaram e/piate or the sin o killing a BrahminL (ow were DraupadiAs sons attain martyrdomL Kindly narrate all these things in detail.A ,he birds say3 A,he omnipotent& omniscient and the omnipresent Almighty Bod is worshipped even by the deities. Ce salute that Lord Vishnu who is the originator o this universe and who pervades everywhere. Ce salute Brahma rom whose our mouths& the Vedas appeared and sancti ied all the three worlds. Ce bow down at the eet o @ahadev. ,hose sages who have metaphysical knowledge assert that +arayan e/ists in our orms& which are both tangible and intangible. (is irst orm is Vasudev& appearance o who is more imaginative in nature. ,his orm e/ists everywhere and in every ages. ,he second orm o +arayan is the one that bears the earth on his head. ,his orm o god is known as 1hesh. Being ,aamasi in nature& this orm has taken a serpent incarnation. ,he third orm o Bod e/hibits his divine power and plays. *t osters all the creatures& protects religion& and is known as Eradyumna. Yet another orm o Bod known as Aniruddh rests on the serpentAs bed in the abysmal depth o water. *t carries out the task o creation. ,he third orm o Bod destroys the irreligious demons. *n the past& this same orm rescued the earth rom the abyss in the incarnation o a boar (Varaha avatar) and killed the demon King (iranyakashipu in the orm o +arsimha (lion ace with human body). ,his same orm o Bod has appeared now in Lord KrishnaAs incarnation.
<.;.F Draupadi)s Dive (usbands

,he birds say3 ADrightened by the severe penance o ,rishira& *ndra killed him to protect his authority and power. But the sin o killing a Brahmin took away *ndraAs radiance. ,rishira was the son o ,washta. ,washta became urious at his sonAs death. (e plucked one strand o hair rom his hair3lock and o ered it in the sacri icial ire. ,his resulted into the creation o a ormidable and strong demon named Vritrasur. ,his demon was created with the ob9ective o killing *ndra. Learning about the birth o Vritrasur& *ndra sent 1aptarishis as emissaries to work out a pact with the demon. ,he 1aptarishis e ected a riendship between *ndra and Vritrasur. But *ndra had other ideas. (e took Vritrasur by surprise and killed him. ,his deceit ul action o *ndra urther enraged the clans o the demons. 1oon the atrocities o the demons increased to unbearable limits. -ven Erithvi elt unable to bear the burden o their atrocities. 1he approached the deities and reHuested them to get her rid o the burden. ,hus& to relieve Erithvi o her burden& the deities began to take incarnation on earth. Dharma and Vayu implanted *ndraAs radiance in the womb o Kunti. ,his resulted in the birth o Yudhishthir and Bheema. ,hen *ndra himsel produced Ar9una rom Kunti. +akul and 1ahadev were born because o *ndraAs radiance implanted by Ashwini kumars in the womb o @adri. ,hus all the ive Eandavas originated rom the same source even though they appeared as distinct entities& whereas Draupadi was none other than 1huchi& the wi e o *ndra& produced rom the altar in DrupadAs palace. *n human incarnation& Draupadi got ive Eandavas as her husband.
<.;.8 -/piation o Balaram

1hri KrishnaAs brother Balaram had remained impartial in the battle o @ahabharat. *nstead o championing the cause either or the Eandavas or or the Kauravas& he had pre erred to go on a pilgrimage. (is wi e "evati also accompanied him on this pilgrimage. ?nce while travelling& Balaram drank toddy and entered a beauti ul garden known as "aivat. ,aking a stroll& Balaram and "evati then reached a hut. *n the hut& many Brahmins were sitting and listening to 1uta9iAs oration. Chen the Brahmins saw Balaram& they stood up and elicitated him. ?nly 1uta9i did not stand up. Balaram elt insulted and at once killed him. Chen Balaram regained his composure a ter the into/ication receded& he elt guilty or his deed. (is belie that killing o 1uta would enable him to attain a place in Brahma loka proved to be based on alse notion as the Brahmins had shunned him or his deed. A ter Balaram realised his olly& he began to curse himsel and resolved to observe a twelve3year long ast in order to e/piate or his sin. ,herea ter& Balaram migrated to a place o pilgrimage known as Eratiloma 1araswati to carry out his e/piation.
<.;.I Killing o Draupadi)s 1ons

*n ,reta Yug& there was a king named (arishchandra. ?nce he was hunting in the @ahabaahu orest when suddenly& he heard loud cries o a woman3 A1ave me$ 1ave me$A *t was ollowed by the cries o many women. (earing those cries& King (arishchandra shouted loudly3 ADonAt be a raidA and dashed in the direction o the cries. ,he cries however were an illusion created by Vighnara9& the lord o the obstacles. At that time when King (arishchandra heard those cries& sage Vishwamitra was observing severe penance in the orest. *n order to test (arishchandraAs virtuosity& Vighnara9 entered his body. As soon as Vighnara9 entered (arishchandraAs body& (arishchandra lost his temper and began to abuse Vishwamitra& which enraged him. (is anger destroyed all the knowledge& he had acHuired due to his severe penance. 1eeing the angry Vishwamitra& King (arishchandra began to shiver. Cith olded hands& he begged VishwamitraAs pardon. (e said3 A? great sage$ *t is my duty to protect the sub9ects. Kindly orgive me. Your wrath could greatly a ect the per ormance o my duties as a king. Vishwamitra said3 A? king$ * you are a true ollower o religion& tell me& who should be given a donationL Cho should be protected and who should be ought withLA (arishchandra answered3 A? great penancer$ Donations should be made only to such a Brahmin who indulges in ast and religious actions. Erotection should be e/tended to those who are a raid and battle should be ought with enemies.A Vishwamitra said3 A* you are a religious king& give me Dakshina (donation) as * am a Brahmin seeking salvation.A (arishchandra said3 A,ell me your desire. * am ready to grant it. Vishwamitra said3 A? king$ #ust presume that * have received whatever you would donate me. +ow& give me Dakshina or the "a9suya Yagya.A (arishchandra said3 AAsk me whatever you wish to have as the Dakshina o "a9suya Yagya.A Vishwamitra said3 A? king$ Bive me all you have e/cept your own body& your wi e and child.A Deeling pleased& King (arishchandra granted what Vishwamitra desired. Vishwamitra said3 A? king$ ,ell me& who is the lord o your kingdomLA (arishchandra said3 A1ince the moment * have presented this kingdom to you& you are its master.A Vishwamitra said3 A* * am the master o this kingdom& what are you doing hereL Leave at once$ But be ore leaving& remove all your clothes& ornaments and other royal insignia and go out wearing treeAs bark only.A ,hus a ter losing his kingdom& King (arishchandra got ready to leave with his wi e 1haivya and son "ohit. Vishwamitra then intercepted him and said3 AChere are you going without paying a Dakshina or "a9suya Yagya. (arishchandra said3 A? lord$ * have donated my whole kingdom. +ow only our bodies remain with us. Chat can * give you nowLA Vishwamitra said3 AYou cannot leave without paying a Dakshina because you have promised me.A (arishchandra said3 ADonAt be angry& ? Brahmin$ * have nothing at present in my position but * will de initely pay you your Dakshina in due time.A Vishwamitra said angrily3 A1peci y the time period within which you will give me my Dakshina or else be ready to get cursed by me.A (arishchandra said3 A* will pay the Dakshina within a month.A ,herea ter& (arishchandra started to live in seclusion with his wi e and children. 1eeing the kingAs pitiable condition& his entire sub9ects began to ollow him. 1eeing their condition& (arishchandra halted and took a look on his sub9ects. At the same time& sage Vishwamitra also arrived there and began to curse (arishchandra or having attachment towards his sub9ects. (earing the harsh words o Vishwamitra& (arishchandra le t the kingdom with his wi e 1haivya and son "ohit. ,o drive the king away as soon as possible& Vishwamitra began to beat the HueenAs back with a stick. VishwamitraAs abhorrent action enraged the ive guardian deities o the directions and they condemned him. -nraged Vishwamitra cursed them3 A? sinners$ Bo and take birth as human beings.A ,his curse o Vishwamitra rightened the deities. ,hey begged his pardon. Eleased by their prayers& Vishwamitra said3 A@y words cannot be undone. But despite having incarnation o human beings& you will remain bachelors throughout your li e. You will never eel attachment and allurement or anybody.A ,hus due to VishwamitraAs curse& those ive guardian deities took birth as the ive sons o Draupadi. DronacharyaAs son& Ashwatthama& ultimately killed them.
<.;.< King (arishchandra

A ter being thrown out rom his kingdom by Vishwamitra& (arishchandra reached the holy town o Varanasi& which was an abode o Lord @ahadev. ,here (arishchandra saw Vishwamitra standing be ore him. Vishwamitra said3 AA month has been completed now. +ow& give me my Dakshina.A (arishchandra said3 A,here is still hal an hour in the completion o this month. Elease wait. * will give your Dakshina.A Vishwamitra said3 A* will come a ter hal an hour.A 1aying this& Vishwamitra departed. Chen Vishwamitra le t& (arishchandra started to worry as to what would happen to him in his ne/t birth i he did not keep his promise made to a Brahmin. 1eeing him perple/ed& Hueen 1haivya tried to console him. 1he said3 A@an reHuires a wi e only to produce a child. +ow we already have a child3 "ohit. (ence * am no longer use ul or you. You sell me and pay the acHuired wealth as Dakshina to the Brahmin.A (arishchandra ainted a ter hearing his wi eAs words. ,he Hueen began to wail at her husbandAs condition. ,hus wailing& the Hueen also ell
unconscious. ,he little "ohit also elt perple/ed by his parentAs condition. (e began to cry3 A? ather$ ? mother$ * am hungry. Bive me ood.A At the same time& Vishwamitra arrived there in the guise o Kaal. A ter sprinkling water on (arishchandraAs ace& he made him conscious and said3 A? king$ Bet up and pay my Dakshina. Your sorrows will increase i you do not ul il your promise.A (arishchandra was regaining his consciousness slowly but seeing Vishwamitra he ainted once again. ,his urther enraged Vishwamitra. (e said3 A? king$ * you have even slightest o respect or Dharma& give my Dakshina at once. * will wait till evening and curse you i you ail to pay my Dakshina.A 1aying this Vishwamitra departed. ,he ear o the curse began to terrorise (arishchandra. @eanwhile the Hueen also regained consciousness. 1he once again insisted to sell her in order to pay the Dakshina. ,his time& (arishchandra accepted her proposal and took the Hueen to the township. ,here addressing the crowd& he said3 A? dear citi:ens& kindly listen to me. * am selling my wi e who is dearer to me than my own li e. Anybody interested in buying her& please do so be ore evening.A An old Brahmin stepped orward rom the crowd and said3 A* will buy her.A (earing his words& (arishchandra became e/tremely sad that he could not even utter a word. ,he Brahmin then stu ed the money in the bark clothes o (arishchandra and began to drag the Hueen by her hair. ,he boy "ohit began to cry holding the hem o her mother. 1eeing the condition o her son& the Hueen reHuested the Brahmin3 A? Arya$ Kindly let me see the ace o my child or once.A ,hen the Hueen turned towards "ohit and said3 A? son$ Your mother is no longer ree now. 1he has become a slave. Do not touch me because * have become an untouchable.A ,hen the old Brahmin began to orcibly drag the Hueen with him. "ohit also ollowed them crying loudly or his mother. ,he old Brahmin angrily kicked him. But still the boy did not give up ollowing them. At last& the Hueen reHuested the Brahmin3 A? lord$ * will not be able to serve you without my son. 1o kindly buy him also.A (earing the words o the Hueen& the Brahmin once again stu ed some more money in the clothes o (arishchandra and tied the boy with the Hueen and began to drag both o them. @eanwhile Vishwamitra also appeared there and demanded the Dakshina. (arishchandra gave him all the money he had got rom selling his wi e and son. 1eeing that amount o money& Vishwamitra boiled with anger and said3 A? wretched among the Kshatriyas$ You call this small amount o money as Dakshina$ +ow look at the powers o my penance.A (arishchandra trembled with ear and said3 A? lord$ Elease wait a little more.A Vishwamitra said3 A+ow only& a Huarter o the day remains. * will wait only or this period and not more.A 1aying this& Vishwamitra went away. Cith stooped ace& (arishchandra once again said addressing the crowd3 A+ow * am available or sale. Choever wishes to buy me& please come orward be ore sunset.A Dharma in the guise o a >handaal stepped orward rom the crowd. (e had a huge stinking body. (e said3 A* will buy you.A (arishchandra asked3 ACho are youLA ,he >handaal said3 A* am a >handaal. @y name is Eraveer and * am the resident o this very town.A (arishchandra thought3 A*t is better to accept the curse than accepting the slavery o a >handaal.A At the same time& Vishwamitra also arrived there and said angrily3 A,his >handaal is ready to pay you a lot o money. Chy donAt you then pay my DakshinaLA (arishchandra said3 A? lord$ * am born in 1uryavansh. Accepting the slavery o a >handaal causes great pain or me. * have no money now. 1ince now onwards& * will be your slave and do whatever you will ask me to do.A Vishwamitra said3 A* you are my slave and ready to obey me& then * sell you to this >handaal or 6MMM gold coins. Bo and become his slave.A ,he >handaal then presented many villages that were spread over an area o 6MM Yo9ans to Vishwamitra and tying (arishchandra with a rope dragged him to his town. *n the >handaalAs house& (arishchandra contemplated3 A,he Hueen must be thinking that * would soon get her reed rom the slavery o the old Brahmin a ter paying his dues. But she does not know that * mysel have become the slave o a >handaal.A A ter a ew days& the >handaal appointed (arishchandra as the supervisor o the cremation place and instructed him to be there present all the time and to cremate each dead body only a ter thorough investigation. (e also instructed him to collect the toll or cremating every dead body and divide it in such a way that one si/th part o the toll goes to the king and rom the remaining ive parts& three parts should be reserved or him he should take only the remaining two parts as his remuneration. 1ince that day& (arishchandra began to live in the cremation ground. (e always remembered the glorious days o his kingdom& his Hueen and his son. (e had great regret that 9ust because o the anger o Vishwamitra& he lost everything. Very soon& his new ound occupation began to show on his appearance. (is hair grew long and was unkempt& his body dry and stinking. *n this guise& he began to roam in the cremation ground always carrying a stick in his hand. (is whole day passed in the assessment o the cremation toll and its division among the various claimants. (e had lost his mental stature as he even orgot the count o the days and could not distinguish between the day and night. ?ne day& a snake bit "ohit as a result o which& he died. 1haivya brought "ohit& crying and wailing to the cremation ground. -ven in the unkempt guise& she recognised (arishchandra. (earing her wailing& (arishchandra went near her e/pecting to get the clothes o the deceased. ,here he saw a woman carrying a dead boy wrapped in a black cloth. (e could not recognise Hueen 1haivya but the royal appearance o the boy orced him to think3 A,o which royal amily did this un ortunate boy belong toL (ow pitiable& the cruel Kaal did not
even spare this boy. @y son "ohit would have attained the same age by now.A (is silence urther hurt the Hueen who said3 A? lord$ ? king$ (ow come& you have been living here without caring or your wi e and sonL Ce have already lost our kingdom. +ow& we have lost our son also. ? destiny$ Did you not destroy everything o (arishchandraLA (arishchandra began to think who that woman could be and who that dead boy wasL A*snAt she my wi eLA ,hus recognising his wi e and dead son& (arishchandra began to cry loudly and ainted. ,he Hueen a ter seeing her husbandAs condition ainted too. A ter sometime both o them regained their consciousness. ,hen the king took the dead boy in his lap and once again ainted. =ueen 1haivya began to wonder why (arishchandra was staying in the cremation ground. Dor a moment& she orgot her sorrow and began to look at her ainted husband. ,hen she noticed the stick in (arishchandraAs hand. %sually >handaals used to carry that kind o stick. 1he became de9ected with the thought that she had become the wi e o a >handaal. 1he then began to curse the destiny and began to wail embracing King (arishchandra and said3 A? king$ * donAt know whether * am dreaming or it is a reality. * have lost the power o thinking.A (earing the words o the Hueen& the king opened his eyes and narrated the whole events that led to his becoming a >handaal. ,hen the Hueen narrated her e/periences and how their son "ohit died because o snakebite. (arishchandra ell on the ground and began to hug his dead son. (e was wailing3 A(ow un ortunate * am that even my wishes are not under my control. Cithout the permission o the >handaal& * cannot even commit sel 3 immolation. But now& * will not di erentiate between the sin and virtuosity. * will destroy my body in the pyre o my son.A ,he Hueen said3 A? king$ * am also unable to bear the burden o sorrows. * will also commit immolation with you. ,hen all three o us will stay unitedly in the heaven. *t wonAt matter to us even i we su er the tortures o hell.A ,hen the king arranged a huge pyre and put his dead son on it. Cith the Hueen& he began to pray to Bod. #ust then all the deities arrived there led by Dharma. 1age Vishwamitra also accompanied them. ,hey praised (arishchandra. ,hen Dharma& *ndra and Vishwamitra came closer to the king. Dharma said3 A? king$ You have satis ied me with your merits like patience& endurance& truth ulness etc.A *ndra said3 A(arishchandra& you are very ortunate. You have won our hearts along with your wi e and son. You have even won the heaven with your action. * invite you to stay in heaven along with your wi e and son.A ,hen *ndra sprinkled ambrosia on the dead "ohit. "ohit got up and sat up in no time. (arishchandra& his wi e and son "ohit were clad in divine clothes and garlands. *ndra invited them to stay in the heaven orever but (arishchandra said3 A? king o the deities$ Cithout the permission o this >handaal& * cannot go anywhere. A Dharma said3 A? king$ * had learnt in advance about the miseries you would su er in uture. ,hatAs why * took the guise o a >handaal and showed you all the grotesHue action.A *ndra once again invited them to heaven but once again& (arishchandra re used saying that in Koshal& people must have been living mourn ully in his absence. A* cannot leave them in that pitiable condition to en9oy the com orts o the heavenA& said (arishchandra. ,hen& *ndra& Dharma and Vishwamitra led (arishchandra to Ayodhya& the capital o Koshal. ,here they carried out the coronation o "ohit. ,herea ter& they took (arishchandra and his Hueen 1haivya to the heaven.
<.;.J ,he 1tork and the Eartridge

,he birds say3 ? great sage #aimini$ Chen& King (arishchandra attained his heavenly abode& their amily priest& sage Vashishta re3emerged rom water. (e came to know about the entire development. (e was angry at VishwamitraAs stubbornness. (e at once cursed Vishwamitra to become a stork. ?n the other hand Vishwamitra cursed Vashishta to become a partridge. ,hus both o them turned into birds and began to ight. ,heir ight caused great panic all around. At last accompanied by the deities& Brahma himsel arrived at the scene and dissuaded the birds rom ighting. But Brahma could not convince them and they continued to ight. Brahma then destroyed their avian appearances and both the sages regained their original orm. ,heir enemity too ended at the same time. Brahma e/plained to them that Vishwamitra had not done any harm to (arishchandra. *n act he had elicitated (arishchandraAs ascend to the heaven. Both the sages elt ashamed and they embraced each other be ore leaving or their respective hermitages.
<.;.G Birth o Living >reatures

#aimini says3 ? great birds& how does a living being take birthL (ow does it grow in the womb bearing all the painL (ow does it grow a ter taking birthL Chat happens to the soul a ter deathL (ow does it e/perience the ruits o his KarmasL ,he greatest surprise is how does a little oetus survive in the womb. Kindly clear all these doubts. Birds say3 ?nce upon a time& a Brahmin lived along with his son3 1umati. ?ne day& the Brahmin instructed 1umati to study Vedas under the tutelage o a teacher and himsel went to the orest to attain Brahmagyan3 the
knowledge which rees the soul rom transmigration. But due to his la:iness& 1umati did not pay heed to his ather. Chen his ather repeated his instruction& he simply laughed and said3 A? ather$ * know everything. * have studied all the Vedas in my various births. * have e/perienced the darkness o motherAs belly or many times. * have su ered thousand kinds o diseases in my previous lives. * have e/perienced the authority as well as slavery in my previous births. * had killed as well as got killed by others. (ence& * eel& * have all the knowledge and * am sure that * will de initely attain Brahmapad.A 1umatiAs ather was pleased at his sonAs claims and asked him how he attained such virtuosity. 1umati said3 A? ather$ * was a Brahmin in my previous birth. * had attained the designation o Acharya. A ter sometime& * became a recluse. * was blessed with an e/traordinary memory& which * retained even a ter my death. ,his is the reason why * remember the sel knowledge attained in my previous birth. Cith the support o this knowledge and religious virtues& * will attempt to attain salvation. ,ell me what you e/pect rom me. * will try to ul il your e/pectations.A ,he Brahmin then asked many Huestions related to li e and death. 1umati e/plained those Hueries thus5 ,hose who never tell a lie& who have aith and devotion& only such people die peace ully. ChoeverAs mind is ree rom the evils like Kama& Krodh& @oha& Dwesh etc. (lust& anger& a ection& 9ealousy etc.) and who are altruistic in nature and make donations liberally die in peace. ,hose who lack these virtues su er great pain at the time o death. As soon as such people sight Yamadoot they begin to cry and call their relatives. But their relatives do not understand their calls. ,hen the dying person turns away his eyes and grasps or breath. (e eels great pain when his soul leaves his body. -ven a ter death& su erings o such people do not end. ,hey have to undergo scores o tortures in hell. ,hose who donate umbrella& shoes& clothes and cereals attain heaven. ,he sinners on the other hand pass through di erent hells and take birth as in erior creature in their ne/t lives. A ter continuous transmigration through lower li e orms& these sinners once again take birth as human beings but are imper ect. ,hey remain dwar & hunched or have any other de ormity. ,hen they pass through all the our castes3 1hudra& Vaishya& Kshatriya and Brahmin classes. As their action improves& they might even attain the position o *ndra.A
4&*
$escription of $ifferent ?ells
,his chapter contains F sections.
<.7.6 *ntroduction
,he Brahmin says3 ? son$ Describe in detail about hell. 1umati says3 ? ather$ Yamadoots carry and lynch those people who eat inedible things& who deceive and dishonour their riends& who indulge in illicit relationships& who desert their wi e& and who destroy public properties like garden& water sources etc. Yamadoots tie hands and legs o such people and throw them into the ire. ?n their way to hell& such people are bitten by crows& storks& wolves& vultures etc. ,hey stay in the in erno or thousand years. ,hen they are shi ted to another hell named ,ama& which is always shrouded in darkness. 1inners who kill the cows and their brothers are thrown into this hell. ,hey panic due to darkness and e/treme cold. ,hey get nothing to eat and drink. @oreover& chilling winds aggravates their miseries by making their bones sti . ,hese sinners then drink their own blood and eat their own lesh. ,hey stay there until all their sins have been attenuated completely. ,hen they are thrown into yet another hell named +ikrintan& which revolves like the wheel o a potter. (oisting the sinners on the wheel& Yamadoots cut their organs but still their su erings do not end because the cut organs re9oin and get cut repeatedly. ,his continues or thousand o years. ,hen the sinners are put in Aprathisth hell where they e/perience unbearable sorrow and miseries. ,he sinners are then put in >hakrasankar hell where they are tormented with wheels and huge bells. ,hey are disembowelled and their eyes are also pricked. ,he sinners have to pass through di erent hells namely Asipatra& ,aptakumbha and Lohakumbha.
<.7.; Yamadoot and the King o Videha

1umati says3 * was born in a Vaishya amily& seven births be ore this present one. *n that birth& * once prevented cows rom drinking water. As a result o this sin& * was thrown in the hell named Daarun where * spent one hundred years without a drop o water. 1uddenly one day& cool pleasant wind began to blow& its cool touch gave some relie to me. * saw that a Yamadoot was guiding a gentle looking man. Besides me& all the inmates o the hell elt e/treme 9oy by the sight
o that gentleman. ,he gentleman was asking that Yamadoot as to why he was being taken to the hell. Drom the words o that gentleman& it appeared that he was a renowned scholar. ,hat man was in act the ruler o a kingdom named Videha and was popular as the osterer o his sub9ects.
<.7.7 Description o ,ortures in (ell

,hus asked by the gentleman& Yamadoots replied politely3 A? king$ You once deliberately prevented your wi e Eivari rom conceiving because you were more attracted to your second wi e3 1ushobhana. *t is because o that action that you have been brought here to undergo severe torture.A ,he religious minded king said3 A * am willing to go where ever you want to take me& but be ore doing that * would like to have answers to my Huestions. * see many people undergoing severe tortures in this hell. Big and rightening crows prick their eyes. ,ell me& or what sin they are acing such tortures.A Yamadoot said3 A? king$ (umans su er or en9oy according to their Karmas. ,he e ect o their Karmas diminishes in proportion to their su erings. ,hese crows are pricking the eyes o such people who had seduced other women and deceit ully acHuired othersA wealth. ,hese people will su er or the same number o years as their eyes blinked during the leering. ,hese crows prick the tongues o those people who had criticised Vedas& deities& Brahmins and teachers. ,hose who caused di erences between riends& husband3wives& ather and sons and relatives& or killed the per ormer o the Yagyas are su ering under the saw. ,hose who insulted their parents and teachers have been thrown in the pit o pus& aeces and other e/cretions with their head down. ,hose who had ood be ore o ering it to the deities& guests& servants& ather and elders& ire and birds& stay in a pit o pus. *ron nails are hammered into the ears o those people who glee ully heard the criticism o creatures& deities& Brahmins and Vedas. ,hose who remarried their daughters to another person despite her ormer husband being alive are cut into pieces and thrown into saline river. ,hose who betrayed their riends are tied tightly with a rope. Corms& scorpion& crows and owls then bite their bodies. ,hose who en9oyed carnal intimacy during daytime or had illicit relations with women are hammered with nails to a prickly Bomba/ tree. ,hose who insulted Vedas and ire are thrown rom the lo ty peaks o mountain. ? king$ ,hose who steal gold& those who kill Brahmin& those who drink wine and those who rape the wi e o their teacher are burnt in ire.A
<.7.F Attenuation o 1ins

Yamadoot says3 As a result o accepting money rom a degraded person& a Brahmin takes birth as an ass. A Brahmin who carries out Yagya or a degraded person takes birth as worm a ter undergoing severe su erings in di erent types o hell. A person takes birth as an ass or an in erior bird as a result o abusing his parents. A person who does not worship his tutelary god be ore eating takes birth as a monkey. ,raitors take birth as ish. ,hose who steal cereals take birth as mice. A 1hudra& who manages to establish intimacy with a Brahmin woman& takes birth as a worm. 1imilarly& killers o woman and children also take birth as worms. %ngrate ul people take birth as worm& insects& grasshoppers& scorpion& crows etc. -ncroacher o land takes birth as grass shrubs& creepers and in erior trees. Butchers who kill bulls take birth as eunuchs. ,hus a person has to ace the result o his Karma according to the gravity o his sins. 1umati says3 As Yamadoot began to push the king ahead& all the creatures in hell gave a loud cry3 A? king$ Elease stay here or ew more moments. ,he wind that blows towards us a ter touching your body gives us immense 9oy. ,his wind has ended our su erings and pains. (ave pity on us.A ,he king asked the Yamadoot3 AChy are these people so 9oyous by my presenceL Yamadoot said3 A? king$ *nitially& you used to sustain your body by the le tovers o the deities& ancestors& guests and ascetics. ,his is the reason why the wind that blows touching your body causing such pleasure to these people. A ,he king said3 A* * can eliminate the su erings o these sinners merely by standing here& * will de initely stay here.A Yamadoot said3 A+o& you cannot stay here. *t is a place or the sinners only. >ome with us. You will have to en9oy the pleasure o your pious action.A ,he king said3 A+o& * will not go anywhere leaving these poor people in this pitiable condition.A Yamadoot said3 A? king$ Look& Dharma and *ndra have themselves arrived to escort you to the heaven. A Dharma said3 A? king$ You have worshipped me. (ence ollow me to the heaven.A ,he king replied3 A+o& * will not go anywhere leaving these thousands o people in the hell.A *ndra said3 A-veryone has to taste the ruits o his Karmas. You cannot help them.A ,he king said3 A? *ndra$ ,ell me& how virtuous was * in my previous li eLA Dharma said3 A ,hough your pious actions are athomless& be sure that their signi icance are not much than drops o water in an ocean& the stars in the sky. ,he kindness you have shown towards these sinners has urther enhanced your virtuosity.A ,he king said3 A* it is so& may all these people be released rom their su erings by the virtue o my good
Karmas.A *ndra said3 A? king$ By your words& your pious action has increased like the height o the mountain and these sinners have also been released rom their su erings.A
4&,
>amous Mythological 0haracters
<.F.6 Breatness o Being >haste (and birth o Durvasa& Dattatreya& >handrama)

Brahmin says3 ? son$ ,ell me& what should * do nowL 1umati says3 +ow& you should become a Vanprasthi and lead a li e o a Bhikshu by having control over your senses. You will attain that rare Yoga& which helps a man to unite with the almighty a ter reeing him rom the cycles o birth& death and re3birth. Brahmin says3 ? son$ +ow e/plain to me about this Yoga& which bestows liberation to a man. 1umati says3 * am now describing to you& the same te/t related with Yoga that was once narrated by Dattatreya to Alark. ,he Brahmin asked 1umati3 Cho was DattatreyaAs atherL (ow did he acHuire the knowledge o YogaL Cho was AlarkL 1umati says3 *n ancient Eratisthanpur (modern Eaithan) there lived a Brahmin. (e was in licted by leprosy because o the sins he had committed in his previous birth. ,he Brahmin was very short3tempered and used to sco at his wi e reHuently. But his wi e was very chaste in character and worshipped him like a deity. ?ne day& the Brahmin ordered his wi e to carry him to the prostituteAs house& as he had become too weak and eeble. Being chaste& the wi e collected some money and began to carry the Brahmin on her shoulders to the home o the prostitute. ?n their way& they reached a place where sage @aandavya was hanged but still was alive. *n the darkness& the woman could not see the things clearly and the Brahmin who was riding her shoulders happened to touch the sage. ,he sage cursed angrily that whoever had touched him would die be ore sunrise. (earing the words o the sage& the BrahminAs wi e thundered that there would be no sunrise tomorrow. Cords o the woman came to be true as ne/t morning& the 1un did not rise. ,hus the whole world was shrouded in darkness as a result o which& the deities became worried. ,he deities apprehended that without the occurrence o sunrise& the whole universe might be destroyed. ,hey were also worried that without the di erentiation o day and night& how could the months be calculated and the seasons known. -ven the calculation o year would be impossible. ,he chastity o Brahmins wi e had orced even the mighty sun to eschew its daily routine. As a result o this& religious activities like (avan& Yagya etc. also came to a halt. 1eeing them perple/ed& Brahma advised the deities to eulogise Ansuya& the wi e o sage Atri. All the deities then pleased Ansuya who assured them to convince the wi e o the Brahmin to retract her words. A ter that& Ansuya reached the BrahminAs hut and said to his wi e3 A? ortunate one$ @ay you always serve your husband with ull dedication. A chaste woman en9oys hal the virtues o her husband& which he earns by his religious activities.A Brahmini said3 A* am blessed today that the deities have at last glanced at me. +ow& tell me& what should * doLA Ansuya said3 A? 1aadhvi$ *n the absence o the day& all the religious activities have ceased to e/ist. ,he world is on the verge o e/tinction. ?nly your wish can protect the world rom imminent calamity. (ence& be pleased now and allow the 1un to rise as usual.A Brahmini said3 A? ortunate one$ 1age @aandavya had cursed that my husband would die with sunrise. * cannot a ord to lose my husband.A Ansuya said3 ADonAt worry& ? chaste woman$ * will resurrect your husband. 1o& kindly allow the 1un to rise now.A ,hen& Ansuya invoked the 1un by o ering water as an oblation. (owever& the leper3in licted Brahmin died as soon as the 1un rose. ,hen by the powers o her penance& Ansuya resurrected the Brahmin and trans ormed him into a disease3 ree handsome young man. 1he also blessed the couple to live or hundred years. ,he deities were pleased with Ansuya and asked her to seek a boon. Ansuya e/pressed her desire to give birth to the trinity o Brahma& Vishnu and @ahesh as her sons. ,he trinity blessed her with this boon. *n due course o time& Brahma& Vishnu and @ahesh took birth as >handrama& Dattatreya and Durvaasa rom Ansuya.
<.F.; Dattatreya Ereaches Kartaveerya Ar9una

1umati says3 ? ather$ A ter the demise o Kaartaveerya& his ministers and priests decided to crown his son Ar9un as their new king. But Ar9un re used saying that he would not become the king unless and until he had attained the status o a Yogi. 1age Barg then advised Ar9un to worship Dattatreya who had helped the deities to reunite a ter the de eat o the demons. A terwards& Ar9un migrated to DattatreyaAs hermitage and began to worship and serve him. Eleased by his penance and service& Dattatreya asked Ar9un to seek a boon. Ar9un said3 A? lord$ Kindly bless me with such a power& which enables me to per orm my duties as a king in a 9ust manner. @ay nobody match me in war and may * have one thousand arms. * wish to get killed only by such a person who is more virtuous than me and may * guide the people towards the right path. @ay nobody in my kingdom remain poor and may my devotion or your lotus eet be eternal.A Dattatreya said3 A? son$ All o your wishes shall come true. Cith my blessings& you shall rule over all the our directions.A ,hen& Dattatreya crowned Ar9un as the king. Large number o people witnessed his crowning ceremony. 1oon a ter becoming the king& Kaar taveerya Ar9un ordered that nobody in his kingdom should wield a weapon e/cept him.
<.F.7 Kuvalayashva and the (orse Kuvalaya

1umati says3 ? ather$ +ow listen to the tale o a Brahmin named Alark. Long ago& there lived a king named 1hatru9it who had a meritorious son& "itudhwa9. Erince "itudhwa9 had many riends with whom he used to play with. *n course o time& two sons o Ashwatar& the king o +agas became his riends in the guise o Brahmin boys. Both o them were young and good3looking. Both o them used to pass the entire day in the company o "itudhwa9. ,hey would return to their abode in Eaatal loka only at night. ?n being enHuired by their ather& they revealed the reason about their late arrival at home. ,hey said3 A? ather$ %p there on the land& there is a prince named "itudhwa9. (e is the son o King 1hatru9it. (e is very handsome& gentle& brave& truth ul& knowledgeous and meritorious. Ce en9oy his company.A Ashwatar said3 AErince "itudhwa9 is really blessed or even the meritorious people like you praise him. But have you done anything to make him happyLA (is sons asked3 AChat can we do or his pleasureL Ce ind ourselves incapable o pleasing such a person whose riches are even rare or Eaatal loka.A Ashwatar said3 A-ven then& * wish to hear about the characteristics o your new riend.A ,he sons said3 ? ather$ ?nce the prince narrated us a tale& we are going to relate it now. A Brahmin named Baalav lived in King 1hatru9itAs kingdom. ?ne day& he arrived in the court o the king riding on a horse and said3 A? king$ Dor the past many months& a wretched demon has been tormenting me and causing severe disturbances in my daily rituals. (e is capable o taking any guise at will. Disguising as an elephant& lion& tiger& wol and many other wild animals& he terrorises me. *t has become very di icult or me to do my meditation. ?ne day in my rustration& * let out a deep sigh. As soon as * did so& this divine horse descended rom the sky. * heard a heavenly voice& which said3 A? Brahmin$ ,his horse is capable o circumambulating the entire earth without getting tired. *t can climb lo ty mountains e ortlessly and can also run in all the three worlds with the same speed. (ence& this horse shall be renowned as Kuvalaya. "iding it& the son o King 1hatru9it will kill the demon that torments you day and night. A? king$ ,hat is the reason that * have arrived in your court with this horse. Kindly accept it and instruct your son to ride it and kill the demon.A King 1hatru9it saw his son "itudhwa9 o with the Brahmin riding that divine horse.
<.F.F Kuvalaya goes to Eatal Loka& Killing o Demon Eatal Ketu and @arriage with @adalasa
Erince "itudhwa9 stayed in the hermitage o sage Baalav and helped him to per orm his Yagyas without any problem by clearing all the minor obstacles. ,he demons were not aware o his arrival in the hermitage. ?ne day& a demon arrived in the hermitage disguised as a wild boar and began to rub his bushy head against the body o sage Baalav. 1eeing this& his disciples began to scream. Erince "itudhwa9 at once rode the horse and wielding a weapon dashed a ter the boar. ,he prince in9ured the boar with an arrow& which was sickle3shaped. ,he demons led rom the scene. Erince "itudhwa9 ollowed the boar everywhere it went on the mountains& in the orests and on the riverbank. (e was determined to slay the demon that had been disturbing the sage or long. %ltimately& the boar 9umped into a pit. "itudhwa9 also ollowed it but could not see the boar anywhere in the pit. *nstead he saw a beauti ul town which could have matched even the abode o *ndra. (e entered the town where he saw an e/tremely pretty girl who was walking briskly. "itudhwa9 tried to know about her destination but she ignored him and climbed the stairs o a palace. "itudhwa9 also ollowed her and in the palace& he saw a beauti ul girl sitting on a bedstead. As soon as the girl saw him& she ainted. (er beauty attracted even "itudhwa9. (e assured her that there was nothing to be a raid about. ,hen the same girl whom "itudhwa9 had sighted earlier came there and began to an the ainted lady. ,he prince enHuired about the reason o her unconsciousness. But the girl did not say anything. *nstead she whispered something in the ears o her riend who then said3 A? stranger$ ,his is the daughter o Vishwavasu& the king o Bandharvas. (er name is @adalasa. ?ne day& while she was playing in her
garden& a demon Eaatalketu abducted her. 1ince then she stays here in his captivity. ?n the coming thirteenth day o this month that demon will marry her. But he doesnAt deserve to be her husband. Yesterday& she was ready to commit suicide but the cow 1urabhi& assured her that a man rom the earth would come and kill the demon. ?nly he would be suitable or my riend. * am her riend. @y name is Kundala. * am the daughter o Vindhyavan and wi e o Eushkarmali. @y husband had been killed by the demon 1humbh. 1ince then * have been touring various places o pilgrimage in order to receive salvation. ,hat wretched Eaatalketu had taken the guise o a boar but a brave man has in9ured him with his arrow. * have arrived here only to investigate who is that man. Do not worry about my riendAs unconsciousness. 1he has ainted because o your in atuating handsomeness. 1he has begun to love you but her problem is that only that man can marry her who has in9ured the boar. ,his thought has caused her to lose her consciousness. +ow reveal your identity.A "itudhwa9 said3 A* am the son o King 1hatru9it. * have been staying in the hermitage o sage Baalav to protect the sages. #ust a ew days back& a boar arrived in the hermitage and began to torment the sages. * have in9ured that boar with my arrow. +ow * have arrived here ollowing that boar and happened to see you.A (earing the words o "itudhwa9& @adalasa elt shy as well as e/treme 9oy. Kundala then said to her riend3 A,he prince speaks the truth. Cords o 1urabhi cannot go wrong.A 1he then said to "itudhwa93 A? brave man$ Doubtlessly you have killed the demon& Eaatalketu. @y riend @adalasa is blessed now. +ow its your duty to marry my riend and take her home as your bride.A "itudhwa9 said3 A(ow can * marry your riend without the permission o my ather. * am still not ully independent.A Kundala said3 AElease do not say this. @y riend is a divine beauty. @arry her right now.A Erince "itudhwa9 then agreed to marry @adalasa then and there. @adalasa happily remembered their amily priest ,umbaru who arrived there instantaneously. *n the presence o sacred ire& ,umbaru carried out the rituals o marriage and tied them in nuptial knot. ,herea ter blessing the newly wed couple& ,umbaru and Kundala took to their respective paths. ?n the other hand& when "itudhwa9 and @adalasa started o riding the horse& Kuvalaya& demonsA army surrounded them. A ierce battle ollowed. *n no time& prince "itudhwa9 slayed the entire army and reached his kingdom. ,here he narrated the whole incident to his ather 1hatru9it. King 1hatru9it elt very much pleased by the prowess o his son and blessed them heartily. ,herea ter& "itudhwa9 came to his palace with his wi e @adalasa. ,hey then began to live happily.
<.F.8 1eparation o @adalasa

,he newly3wed couple had hardly spent ew months together when King 1hatru9it once again instructed "itudhwa9 to travel across the entire earth and see whether the Brahmins were per orming their religious duties without any obstacles. "itudhwa9 obeyed the dictates o his ather. (e used to scale vast distances or the whole day and returned to his wi e only at night. ?ne day he noticed that a sage was staying at the bank o river Yamuna. (e was in act ,aalketu& the younger brother o Eaatalketu. But the prince could not recognise him. ,hat sage approached "itudhwa9 and reHuested him to e/tend his protection over his hermitage& as he was about to start Yagyas. (e also begged or the precious necklace o the prince on the prete/t that he had nothing to pay as Dakshina. ,he gullible prince gave his necklace to the sage. ,hen instructing the prince to guard the hermitage and promising to return soon& the sage le t. *n act& the sage who was actually a demon arrived in the court o King 1hatru9it. @adalasa was also present in the court. (e said3 AErince "itudhwa9 sacri iced his li e ighting with the demon while protecting my hermitage. Be ore his death& he gave me his necklace. (is horse has been captured by the demon. * have brought this necklace to you to in orm you about that sad incident.A A ter giving the necklace to @adalasa& the demon returned to the hermitage. (earing the news o her husbandAs death& @adalasa also gave up her li e. @ourning soon enveloped the entire palace. 1eeing the death o his daughter3in3law& @adalasa& King 1hatru9it was in a dilemma as or whose death should he mourn. A little contemplation led him to the conclusion that it would be utile to mourn his son3 "itudhwa9As death because he had died or a noble cause. But his daughter3in3law had ollowed the steps o her husband& so her death should be mourned or. ,he Hueen also supported the king. ,herea ter the king per ormed the last rites o both o them. Chen ,aalketu returned to his hermitage& he ound "itudhwa9 still standing alert. *n a sweet tone& ,aalketu said3 A* am obliged by you& ? prince$ 1taying here with unwavering mind& you have e/ecuted my desired task. * have met my ob9ective& so you may go now.A Erince "itudhwa9 then returned to his palace riding his horse.
<.F.I @adalasa is "eborn

Chen prince "itudhwa9 reached the capital& everyone e/pressed his pleasure with surprise. "itudhwa9 met everyone happily and went to the palace o his parents. ,hough the king and the Hueen blessed him but sad e/pression on their ace surprised the prince. %pon enHuiry& the king related the entire incident and also how his wi e @adalasa had died. ,he news o @adalsaAs death shocked "itudhwa9. ,hen consoled by his parents and riends& prince "itudhwa9 carried out the necessary consecrations to paci y the soul o his dead wi e. (e had decided never to marry again. ,he sons o the +aag said3 A? ather$ +ow prince "itudhwa9 lives like an ascetic. (e never casts his eyes on women and only indulges in playing with people o his age. (ence all we can do or him is to keep him happy.A (earing the entire tale& +aagra9 ell in deep thought. A ter sometime he said to his sons with a laughter3 A? sons$ +ow * will do such a thing that will bring back the smile o "itudhwa9.A 1aying this& +aagra9 Ashwatar reached Elakshaavataran& a place o pilgrimage at the oothills o (imalayas along with his brother Kambal. ,here they began to do severe penance to please Boddess 1araswati. At last& 1araswati appeared be ore them and asked them to seek a boon. Ashwatar reHuested her to bless both o them with a sweet and melodious voice. A ter granting them this boon& Boddess 1araswati disappeared. By her blessings& Ashwatar and his brother& Kambal became amous singers. ,hen they began worshipping Lord 1hiva singing sweet and melodious hymns. Eleased by their prayers& Lord 1hankar also asked them to seek a boon. At that Ashwatar said3 A? lord$ * wish that "itudhwa9As wi e @adalasa takes birth as my daughter.A Lord 1hankar said3 ACith my blessings& your wish shall come true. During the 1hraadh period& you yoursel take the middle portion o the Eind ( ood o ered to dead ancestors) and contemplating on me& o er oblations to your ancestors. @adalasa will emerge rom your Amiddle3 hoodA. Bowing be ore Lord 1hiva therea ter& both the brothers returned to their kingdom in Eaatal loka. Ashwatar organised a 1hraadh in the same way as told by the Lord and consumed the middle portion o the ood o ered to the ancestors. ,hen contemplating on the desired ob9ect& he let out a deep sigh. *nstantaneously& @adalasa emerged rom his Amiddle3hoodA. Ashwatar did not reveal this act to anybody and made adeHuate arrangements so that she could live in secrecy. ,herea ter one day& he instructed his sons to bring their riend "itudhwa9 to the palace. Both the sons once again 9oined the company o "itudhwa9. ?ne day while playing& they insisted him to visit their palace. ,he prince gladly accompanied them. *n Eaatal loka& he was ama:ed to see his Brahmin riends getting trans ormed into serpents. ,hey took "itudhwa9 through the streets and lanes o their kingdom. %ltimately they reached the palace o Ashwatar. *ntroducing "itudhwa9& the serpent princes said3 A? ather$ ,his is our brave riend& "itudhwa9.A "itudhwa9 greeted Ashwatar respect ully and received his blessings. Ashwatar said to him3 ALong live ? prince$ @y sons always sing praise o your divine virtues. * reHuest you to stay with us or a ew months and en9oy the pleasures o Eaatal loka.A
<.F.< "itudhwa9 "eunites with @adalasa

"itudhwa9 stayed in the palace o Ashwatar. +aagra9 did his best to keep "itudhwa9 happy and orget the sorrow o his wi eAs separation. During his stay& Ashwatar tried many times to coa/ "itudhwa9 into revealing his heartiest desire. But every time "itudhwa9 intelligently avoided the topic. ?nce& King Ashwatar& in "itudhwa9As presence& asked his sons what should be done to please him. ,hey in ormed the king that nothing less than @adalasa would please the prince most and that the prince was eager to see his deceased wi e once more. Erince "itudhwa9 also said shyly that he would be greatly obliged i +aagra9 could help him to have a sight o his deceased wi e. Ashwatar said3 A? son$ * you wish to see the illusion& come on& have a sight o your deceased wi e.A 1aying this& +aagra9 called @adalasa who was staying secretly in his palace and asked "itudhwa93 A,ake a good look& ? son& i she is your wi e.A 1eeing his wi e be ore him& the prince ainted. Chen he regained his consciousness& he stepped orward to touch her but Ashwatar stopped him cautioning that she was not real but illusionary and would vanish as soon as he touched her. (earing this& "itudhwa9 once again lost his consciousness. Chen he regained his consciousness& he uttered nothing but A1heAs mine$ 1heAs mine$A 1eeing the pitiable condition o the prince& +aagra9 revealed the whole story o @adalsaAs resurrection. "itudhwa9 became e/tremely 9oyous a ter re3uniting with his wi e. ,hen he contemplated on his divine horse as a result o which& it appeared within a moment. "iding the horse& prince "itudhwa9 returned to his kingdom with his wi e @adalasa.
<.F.J Birth o @adalasa)s 1ons

A ter returning to his atherAs kingdom& "itudhwa9 narrated the whole incident to his parents o how he regained @adalasa. ,hen they began to live happily. A ter many years& King 1hatru9it crowned "itudhwa9 as the king. A ter King "itudhwa9As accession to the throne& @adalasa gave birth to her irst son. "itudhwa9 named the child as Vikrant. A ter sometime& @adalasa gave birth to her second son whom "itudhwa9 named as 1ubahu. 1ubseHuently& their third son was born and named 1hatrumardan. A ter the naming ceremony o the third son& @adalasa could not help laughing& as she was very amused by such a name given to her son. ,he metaphysical knowledge& which @adalasa gave to her three sons& had helped them to become ascetics. Chen their ourth son was born& the king sought her approval on the name being given to him. ,his made the Hueen laugh. ,he king asked her to name the child. @adalasa named this child as Alark. (earing the name& the king ridiculed its relevance. @adalasa said that the names have signi icance only or worldly matters. 1he also reminded the king about the utility o the names given to their previous children. As @adalasa began to preach her ourth son about the metaphysics& the king stopped her by saying that she had already preached all the three sons on the path o renunciation. (e reHuested her to spare the ourth child so that he could grow up and become the king one3day. @adalasa then blessed her son3 AYou are blessed my son because you will rule the earth without obstacles. +ow cultivate in your heart the desire to do well to others. +ever caste your eyes on women other than your wi e. Always contemplate on @urari to destroy the evil thoughts in your heart.A
<.F.G Ereachings o @adalasa

@adalasa used to preach the little prince while played. Chen Alark attained boyhood& he asked3 A? mother$ Chat should * do in order to mastery over physical and metaphysical mattersL (ow can * serve my sub9ects in the best possible wayLA @adalasa said3 ALooking a ter the wel are o the sub9ects religiously is the supreme duty o a king. (e should always be alert against the activities o his enemies. Cith the help o spies& the king should keep a watch on the activities o his minister so that he could not make riends with the enemies. *t is unwise or the king to trust everybody but under certain circumstances& he may trust even his enemies. A king must control his lust but at the same time& he should make e orts to increase the boundaries o his kingdom. 1urrendering to sensual com ort is like death or a king. A king should appear as all pervasive and omnipresent. Dostering the sub9ects with total righteousness enhances the wisdom o the king.A
4&/
$uties of People #elonging to +arious Ashrams
,his chapter contains ; sections.
<.8.6 Varnashram Dharma

Alark says3 A,ell me about the duties o the di erent classes and stages o li e.A @adalasa says3 ADonation& study and Yagya& these three are the religion o a Brahmin. Eer orming Yagya or others& teaching and accepting donation are the three vocations o Brahmin. Donation& study and Yagya are also the religious duties o Kshatriyas. Erotection o land and using weapons are vocation or Kshatriyas. "eligious duties o a Vaishya are also same like that o the Brahmins such as donation& study and Yagya. Dor a living& Vaishya may take up animal rearing& agriculture and trade as pro ession. 1erving all these three above mentioned castes as well as making donations and per orming Yagya are the religious duties o a 1hudra. ,illing the earth& serving Brahmins& eeding animals& selling and purchasing items are pro essions o a 1hudra. A person belonging to Dwi9 class may relatively en9oy reedom until his sacred thread ceremony has not been per ormed. A ter the sacred thread ceremony& he should come to stay at the home o his teacher and observe celibacy strictly while studying scriptures. ,here he is e/pected to serve the Buru sincerely. At the completion o education& he should pay Dakshina to his Buru. (e may get married and start the second stage o his li e that is Brihasthashram. (e should then subseHuently opt or Vanprastha and 1anyaas respectively. A ter the completion o education and paying all the dues& the disciple is ready to start second stage o his li e that is Brihasthashram. Dor this he should irst ind a suitable girl rom his caste and get married. Brihasthashram is considered as the best stage o li e. *t is in itsel a complete Yagya. As a householder& he is e/pected to oster those who are dependent on him. During this stage o his li e& he should earn his livelihood by occupations ascribed or his caste. (e should please the deities by per orming Yagyas& his ancestors by making oblations& Era9apatis by producing children& spectres by o ering sacri ices o cereals and society by showering love. -ven
the ascetic and celibates depend on married people or their daily bread. (ence married li e or Brihasthashram is stated to be superior among all the Ashrams. A Brihastha must welcome and treat even his une/pected guests with great warmth. A householder who ails to satis y his guest never succeeds in religious matters. ,he Yagyas that are o ered in such households go utile. (ence it is not proper or the householder to show ego and abuse a guest otherwise he will have to e/piate or it later. Chen the children o the householder grow up and his body becomes senile& he should go to the orest a ter relinHuishing the world. ,here& he should pass his time by indulging himsel in austerities and religious activities. ,his stage is known as Vanprasthashram and is most necessary or the sancti ication o his soul. ,his stage is ollowed by 1anyaasashram3 the stage& which reHuires complete renunciation& celibacy& control o senses and anger etc. ,he virtues like truth ulness& sanctity& non3violence& tolerance& orgiveness& kindness& generosity and contentment are the religious merits applicable to all the Ashrams eHually. ,hose who abide by their religion stay in the abode o Brahma9i till the reign o ourteen *ndras. ,he king punishes those who violate this religious code. * the king doesnAt punish them& he is himsel destroyed. (ence a king must irst o all abide by the duties as prescribed or di erent Ashrams in his li e and only then he has the right to punish those people who violate these dictates. A
<.8.; Duties o a Brihastha ((ouseholder)

Alark says3 Chat are the duties o a married man by discharging which he becomes ree rom all kinds o bondage and attains salvation. Kindly tell me about these things. @adalasa says3 ? son$ ,hose people who discharge their duties as a householder by ostering all the living beings attain to the heaven automatically. All the living creatures o the world including the deities and the dead ancestors are dependent on their nurturing on the householder. ,hey always look at the ace o the married man or their living. *n act& Brihasthashram can be compared to a cow that osters others with her milk. All the our Vedas are present in this AcowA that is Brihasthashram. -ntire universe is re lected in this Ashram. Daily a ter the bath in the morning& a Brihastha must per orm oblations to the deities& to the sages& Era9apati and ancestors by o ering water to them. ,hen he should per orm a Yagya and o er cereals in the sacri icial ire. ,here are certain places in the house& which are reserved or speci ic deities and where o erings are made to them. 1acri ice to Brahma9i should be o ered in the central part o the home& to Vishwadeva in the eastern side o the home& to Dhanvantari in the northern side& to *ndra again in the eastern side& to Yama in the southern side& to Varun in the western side and to 1oma in the northern side o the home. At the threshold o the house& sacri ice should be o ered to Dhaata and Vidhaata. ?ne must sit acing the south while o ering sacri ice to his dead ancestors. Dor the dogs and birds& sacri ices should be given on the ground in the morning and evening. At the arrival o a guest& a Brihastha must worship him by o ering water& cereals& lowers etc. as per his inancial condition. * possible& a Brihastha should eed one or more Brahmins in order to paci y his ancestors. (e should give alms to a beggar and a celibate. Cithout giving alms& a Brihastha must not proceed to dine. (e should also eed starving and diseased people irst. 1uch kind o living de initely bene its a Brihastha.
4&1
)hradha and its 6ituals
,his chapter contains F sections.
<.I.6 "egular and >ausal Duties

@adalasa says3 ? son$ A Brihastha has three kinds o duties3 regular& causal and a combination o both. "ituals& which are connected with oblations and carried out daily& are called regular duties. "ituals and consecrations per ormed at the birth o a child are called causal duties. Yearly per ormance o 1hraadh or the dead ancestors is a combination o regular and causal duties. +ow listen about the causal duties. At the time o a childAs birth& di erent kinds o rituals and consecrations are carried out in the household. During the time o marriage ceremony also& many more rituals are carried out. At the time o marriage however& per ormance o the 1hraadh named +aandimukh is a must. During the 1hraadh& the host should sit acing the north or the east and o er a loa made o barley lour and yoghurt. ,hen he should circumambulate around two Brahmins and worship them. "ituals and 1hraadh carried out in the household a ter the occurrence o any death in the household comes under the category o causal duties. During the 1hraadh period& all kinds o sacred activities are orbidden. ?nly the use
o Kusha grass is permitted. Donation o AEindA comprising o barley lour& yoghurt& honey etc. is made or only one time to paci y the soul o the dead person. ,hen oblation o water with sesame seeds should be o ered in the name o the dead person. ,his ritual should continue or a year3 once every month. A ter a year& 1hraadh is organised in which one& three or ive Brahmins are ed. ,herea ter& every year& during the darker phase o Ashwin month& a 1hraadh should be carried out or the dead ancestors. ,his ritual is a combination o regular and causal duties. 1ages have made provision or appeasement o dead ancestors up to the last seven generations. >ereals& which the people o er in the name o their dead ancestors& paci y those souls who stay in Eishaach Yoni. Cater alling on the earth at the time o wringing the clothes a ter oneAs bath paci ies those souls& who have taken the orm o vegetation a ter their death. Cater alling during the bath satis ies those souls who have attained the status o deities. >ereals that all during the li ting o Eind satis y those souls who are in lower li e orms. ,he cereals that scatter here and there and swept aside satis y souls o those people& who had died in their childhood be ore the accomplishment o any consecration. ,he waste water alling down while Brahmin washes his hands a ter dining and paci ies all the other souls. -very month& during the waning phase o the @oon or on the day o Amavasya& 1hraadh should be carried out. Besides it& eighth day o darker phase in the month o Eaush is also good or carrying out 1hraadh. * a virtuous Brahmin is available& time o solar and lunar eclipses is also good or 1hraadh. ,he time when the 1un crosses the eHuator during its northward and southward 9ourney is also good or 1hraadh. Apart rom these above mentioned situations& one can also organise 1hraadh in the ollowing circumstances3 at the time o great calamity& availability o items suitable or 1hraadh& a ter a nightmare& during the period o birth +akshatra and during the period o un avourable stars etc. ?n the irst day o the 1hraadh& a virtuous Brahmin should be invited while the host must observe total restraint. *t is said that such a man& who indulges in se/ual intercourse on the same day a ter carrying out 1hraadh or eating ood o 1hraadh& causes his dead ancestors to sleep in semen or one month. Ancestors o such a man& who per orms 1hraadh immediately a ter having a se/ual intercourse& drink urine and semen or one month. (ence a virtuous Brahmin& whom the host is intending to eed& should be in ormed about the 1hraadh one day earlier in advance. * a Brahmin is not available& a true celibate can be ed on the day o 1hraadh. A ter the Brahmin has carried out all the necessary rituals& (avan& oblation etc.& he must be ormally insisted to dine. All kinds o edible items that a Brahmin may wish to eat should be o ered. Chile reciting the "akshodhn mantra& grains o sesame and mustard should be scattered on the ground. A ter the Brahmin has dined& he should be o ered with water to wash his hands and some cereals that should be scattered on the ground with his permission. ,hen sitting on the seat o Kusha grass& the host should o er a Eind made o sesame seeds& barley lour& sugar& ghee etc. An oblation o water should ollow it. At the end& the Brahmin should be seen o with proper Dakshina. ?nly then the host is ree to dine himsel along with other invited guests and amily members.
<.I.; Dos and Don)t During a 1hraadha

@adalasa says3 ? son$ * am now narrating about the doAs and donAts to be ollowed during 1hraadh. @any kinds o edible items can be o ered in the 1hraadh. ,hese include cereals like barley& wheat& rice& millet& corn& etc.& ish& lesh o deer& rabbit& bird& wild boar& goat and +eelgai (antelope). All these kinds o items are capable o paci ying the soul o dead ancestors or di erent period o time depending on the nature o o erings being made. Likewise cereals o ered in sacred ire cause satis action or one month. Dish causes satis action or two months. Dlesh o deer causes satis action or three months. Dlesh o rabbit causes satis action or our months. Dlesh o bird causes satis action or ive months. Dlesh o wild boar causes satis action or si/ months. Dlesh o goat causes satis action or seven months. Dlesh o di erent types o deer and antelope causes satis action or eight& nine and ten months respectively. Dood items made o cowAs milk and ghee and kheer cause satis action to the dead ancestors or one year. Di erent varieties o rice& barley& millet& wheat& sesame& moong dal& mustard etc. are e/tremely satis ying ood or the ancestors. Di erent types o pulses and corn can also be o ered. %se o garlic& carrot& onion& radish& re ined salt& red gum& gourd etc. is prohibited. Cater that is stinking& rothy& stale or otherwise incapable o Huenching a cowAs thirst should also be discarded. @ilk o doe& camel& goat& bu alo and other one3hoo animals& yak and such a cow that was milked or the past ten days is also orbidden or use in 1hraadh. 1oil that is in ested with insects& dry& baked with ire& stinking or collected rom an unholy place should not be used. 1imilarly& such people who are violent& wretched& killers o Brahmins& impotent or have iendish characters should not be involved in the 1hraadh. >ocks and pigs should also be kept away rom the place o 1hraadh. ,his is the reason why sesame seeds are scattered at the site o 1hraadh secretly. ,he host must not see a woman in menses. *t is also not necessary to eed a host o Brahmins. *nstead it is su icient to eed only one meritorious Brahmin with complete devotion and
respect. *t is enough to appease the dead ancestors. Appeasement o ancestors automatically lead to appeasement o the deities& planets& +akshatras and all whose blessings can trans orm the living condition o the person.
<.I.7 Auspicious Days and @onths

@adalasa says3 1hraadh can be per ormed on any day during the dark lunar phase in the (indu month o Ashwin i.e. rom the irst day to the Amavasya. Eer orming o 1hraadh on any o these days brings the ollowing bene its3 Eer orming 1hraadh on the irst day or Eratipada brings monetary gain. 1hraadh per ormed on the second day brings prosperity& 1hraadh per ormed on the third day blesses the per ormer with a boon. Eer orming 1hraadh on the ourth day leads to the destruction o enemies. Eer orming 1hraadh on the i th day gives bene it rom a womanK 1hraadh per ormed on the si/th day helps a man to acHuire respect in the society. 1hraadh per ormed on the seventh day makes the per ormer an able leaderK 1hraadh per ormed on the eighth day enhances the intelligence. 1hraadh per ormed on the ninth day brings the company o the attractive women. 1hraadh per ormed on the tenth day leads to the ul ilment o all the desires. Eer orming 1hraadh on the eleventh day helps him to attain the knowledge o Vedas. 1hraadh per ormed on the twel th day makes the per ormer victorious. 1hraadh per ormed on the thirteenth day leads to long li e and lu/uries. 1hraadh per ormed on the ourteenth day and Amavasya lead to the ul ilment o all the desires. Druits o 1hraadh per ormed during di erent +akshatras5 +AK1(A,"A "-1%L,5 K"*,*KA Abode in heaven "?(*+* *ncrease in progeny @"*B1(*"A "adiance A"D"A Bravery E%+A"VA1% *ncrease in land property E%1(YA *mprovement in health A1(L-1(A 1ons @AB(A (elp rom relatives E%"VAE(ALB%+* Bood ortune %,,A"AE(ALB%+* *ncrease in the virtues (A1,A *ncrease in greatness >(*,"A Beauty and handsome personality 1CA,* *ncrease in trade V*1(AAK(A *ncrease in progeny and ul ilment o desires A+%"AD(A "espect #Y-1(,(A Dominance @??LA Disease3 ree li e E%"VAA1A"(A Eopularity %,,A"A1A"(A Dreedom rom sorrows 1("AVA+ Attainment o auspicious abode D(A+*1(,(A *mmense wealth AB(*#*, Knowledge o Vedas AB(*#*, Knowledge o medical science 1(A,AB(*1(A *ncrease in animal wealth E%"VAB(AD"AEAD *ncrease in knowledge and cattle %,,A"AB(AD"AEAD "eceiving o precious metals like gold and silver "-VA,* "eceiving o horses A1(C*+* *ncrease in average li e B(A"A+* Erosperity and increase in com orts
<.I.F Dorbidden and Eermitted *tems

@adalasa says3 ? son$ +ow& * will tell you the doAs and donAts or healthy living. 1tale cereals& oil and ats stored over a prolonged period o time& items prepared rom wheat and barley and ood items which is not prepared rom pure ghee or milk should not be consumed. Dlesh o turtle& porcupine etc. is worth eating whereas lesh o village pigs and cocks should not be consumed. Brahmin can eat lesh o ered to him in a 1hraadh. ,hings like conch& stone& gold& pearl etc. are puri ied simply by washing in water. >ereals either touched or washed by unwarranted people is not it or any purpose. Dlesh o animals killed by >handaal or killed or the purpose o oblation in 1hraadh is also considered pure. 1eat& bed& vehicle& boat& grass& rays o the 1un and @oon and air are naturally
pure things. ,ouch by a woman who is in her menses& dog& 9ackal& a mother who has recently given birth to a child& a >handaal& carriers o the brier etc. is de iling in nature. A person however can become pure once again by taking bath i touched by any o these people and animals. ?ne should not neglect the appearance o blood and cough. -/cretions and water collected a ter washing the eet should be thrown out o the home at once. Betting touched by the people who critici:e deities& ancestors& Yagya& mantra etc. is also de iling. 1ighting o the 1un however puri ies the de iled person. Duties o the woman5 Di erent male and emale deities dwell at the threshold o the home. (ence this portion o the home should be worshipped properly everyday. At dawn& the threshold should not be le t vacant or it may have adverse e ect on oneAs lineage. ,he whole area inside the home should be plastered with cow dung daily or washed with pure water. All these activities should be carried out by the better hal o the householder. ,hose women& who prepare ood during the last Huarter o the night& su er rom in ertility in uture births. ,hose women& who do not sweep their home in the evening& remain unmarried and are bere t o wealth in uture births. 1uch women also lose their wealth& li e3span and reputation. Kicking the ollowing things like broom& hearth and mortar etc. or touching them with eet also leads to the loss o progeny and wealth. ,he householder should not use broken seat& board and black blanket or sitting purpose. (e should not comb his hair while acing south. ,hose who do not dine& per orm (avan or make donations at the appropriate time are no better than eunuchs. ,hose who shun these activities despite having wealth are worse than mice. ,hose who do not respect the deities& teachers& wi e o the teacher& cow& Brahmin etc. are boycotted by the society. +aked are those who are devoid o Vedas& other religious scriptures and rituals. 1uch a house is really contemptible& which is boycotted by the Brahmins and where daily routines are not ollowed regularly. A ter birth or death in the amily& a Brahmin becomes puri ied in ten days. During this period o ten days& he should avoid all the religious activities. *n similar conditions& a Kshatriya gets puri ied in twelve days a ter a birth or death in his amily& a Vaishya in i teen days and a 1hudra in one month. Dead body o a person should be cremated outside the boundaries o the village. (is amily members should o er oblation o water to paci y his soul on the irst& ourth& seventh and ninth days a ter the cremation. Ashes should be collected rom the ourth day. *n case o deaths caused by a snake bite or poisoning amily members may get puri ied a ter a day. ,here is no impurity in case o the death o a child& an immigrant and the one who has renounced everything. -ven their cremation is not carried out nor oblation o water is made. * one more death occurs in the amily while the mourning period o the earlier death is still continuing& impurity o the second death lasts as long as that o the irst one. 1imilar rules are applied to the impurity caused by the birth. ,hus abiding by these norms& the householder can easily attain the our ob9ectives o li e that is Dharma& Arth& Kama and @oksha.
4&4
2ing Alar. and his Aueries a5out @oga
<.<.6 King Alark "eceives a "ing

A ter reaching youth3hood& Erince Alark got married. By that time& his ather King "itudhwa9 had also grown old. (ence be ore Brihastha& he crowned his son as the new king. At the time o crowning& Hueen @adalasa presented him a ring and said 3 A? son$ ,his ring contains a note which will teach you on how a king should administer the kingdom.A 1aying this& @adalasa blessed Alark and le t the palace with her husband "itudhwa9 to spend their lives in the orest.
<.<.; Cisdom o Alark

A ter his accession to the throne& King Alark ruled 9ustly. *n due course o time& he got many sons. (e ollowed the dictates o Dharma& Arth and Kama while ruling his kingdom. *nspite o en9oying all the lu/uries& Alark still could not e/perience bliss and elt as i he was missing something in his li e. Very soon& 1ubahu came to learn about the royal lu/uries o his brother Alark and got tempted to en9oy the same lu/uries. ,o attain his ob9ective& 1ubahu took the help o the king o Kashi. ,he king o Kashi sent an envoy to Alark with a message to give the kingdom to 1ubahu& which Alark re used. *nstead& he sent a reply that the reHuest must be made by 1ubahu himsel . A* will not give him my kingdom out o ear o war&A said Alark. But 1ubahu did not pay heed and with the help o the king o Kashi& launched a massive attack on his kingdom and conHuered it. +ow AlarkAs days o sorrow had begun.
(e then remembered the ring presented by his mother @adalasa. (e opened the ring and ound a letter in it. ,he letter said3 AChen you lose your everything& give up the company o your present advisors and 9oin the company o learned sages.A ,his message made Alark to pine or the company o the learned sages. Very soon& he went to the re uge o Dattatreya and reHuested him to remove his miseries. Dattatreya assured him o removing his miseries at once but be ore doing that& he wanted to know the reasons or his miseries. Alark said3 A* do not long or pleasures but my elder brother wants to grab my kingdom.A
<.<.7 Dattatreya Ereaches Alark

Alark says3 A? lord$ Cith the arising o disenchantment in my heart& * have no miseries now. ?nly those people eel drowned in the ocean o miseries who are attached to worldly things. A man eels all kinds o sorrows due to his attachments towards the lu/uries in which his mind indulges. +ow neither sorrow nor 9oy can a ect me.A Dattatreya says3 A? king$ Chatever you said is correct. Attachment is the cause o both sorrow and happiness. *t is because o the knowledge * gave to you that the Amist o attachmentA has disappeared rom your heart. A small sprout o ego ultimately develops into a huge tree o ignorance. A ection is the trunk o this tree. (ome and amily are the branches and wi e and children are the leaves o this tree. Cealth and cereals are the lowers and happiness and sorrow are the ruits o this tree. "elation that emerges out o a ection is the canopy o this tree. ,his tree grows day by day and obscures the path o liberation. ,his tree is ull o desires and those who sit under the lee o this tree can never attain salvation. (ence elling o this tree is o oremost importance or a person desirous o attaining ABrahma9itva.A
<.<.F Yogadhyay
Dattatreya says3 ? king$ Cith the attainment o knowledge& people come to con9ugate with the 1upreme Almighty and which results into dispersion o their ignorance. ,o attain @oksha& it is necessary or a man to shun attachment irst o all. ?nly a ter that& he will become ree rom sorrows. Chen he becomes ree rom sorrow& he unites with the supreme almighty. ,his phenomenon is known as Yoga. %ni ication with the supreme almighty enables a man to attain knowledge and inally @oksha (salvation). *t is there ore essential or the all those seeking salvation that irst o all they should renounce a ection and attachment or the worldly ob9ects including their near and dear ones. Knowledge and renunciation are nothing but two sides o the same coin and one is necessary to give rise to the other. (ome is nothing but the place or staying& ood is nothing but the energy reHuired sustaining our body and knowledge is nothing but an aid to attain salvation. Anything that caused obstacles in the way o salvation is ignorance. A living being is bound to receive the ruits o action no matter whether they are good or bad. (ence one should carry out his duties without bothering or the results. Cith the attenuation o the results o the action per ormed in the previous births& a living being becomes ree rom the cycles o li e and death. Cith the attainment o Yoga& Yogis take re uge in none other than Brahma. But the path o attaining Yoga is indeed di icult& i not impossible. ?ne has to conHuer his soul irst o all because the soul itsel is regarded as invincible. >ontrol o physical impurities with the help o Eranayam& sins by determination& lust by sel 3restrains and contemplation on Bod are the ways to conHuer the soul.
<.<.8 Eer ection in Yoga

Dattatreya says3During the process o conHuering the soul& di erent kinds o allurements begins to divert the mind o the Yogis. *t is imperative or the Yogi to keep his mind busy by observing ast& worshipping and contemplating in Bod. *t is the duty o the Yogi to always contemplate on Bod& only then he can seek solace in (im. ,hus& a ter controlling his senses& a Yogi ought to eat and sleep less& attain uni ication with the 1upreme Being. ? king$ A Yogi uni ies with Brahma once his physical and mental aults are removed. ,hen& he never separates rom the 1upreme Being.
<.<.I Daily "outine o a Yogi

Alark says3 ? lord& now kindly narrate about the daily routine& a Yogi should abide by in order to preserve his piousness. Dattatreya says3 ? king$ "espect and insult are the two reasons or love and hatred. Yogis attain per ection by understanding insult as respect and vice versa. A Yogi should there ore never attend social unctions like 1hraadh& marriage ceremonies or other estivities. (e should not accept the hospitality o others and should shun unnecessary 9ourneys. A Yogi should seek alms only a ter the householder and his amily has dined. A Yogi should accept alms only rom those households whose inmates are gentle& religious and ree rom blemishes and
should accept things like whey& milk& ruits& edible roots& gram lour etc. Be ore going to dine& a Yogi should o er his ood to the deities reciting he ollowing mantras3 E"A+A+YAY 1CA(A AAEA+AY 1CA(A 1A@A+AY 1CA(A %DA+AY 1CA(A VYA+AY 1CA(A A ter reciting these mantras one by one and o ering ood to the deities who are present in his body as di erent orms o air& the Yogi may now proceed to dine. >ontrol o senses and greed& celibacy& renunciation and non3violence are the ive resolutions o a Yogi. >ontrol o anger& service to the Buru& sanctity& eating less and studying Vedas regularly are the ive norms or a Yogi. A Yogi must practice meditation at a desolate place& orest& cave or peak o a mountain. A true celibate has ull control over his speech& mind and action. *ron and gold have eHual worth in his eyeK he loves no one and hates no one.
<.<.< Description o ?mkar

Dattatreya says3 ,hose Yogis who abide by their resolution are never degraded rom their supreme position. 1uch Yogis always recite ?m while contemplating on the eternal Bod. AAA& A%A and A@A& these three syllables constitute the body ?@ or A%@. ,hese three syllables represent the virtues (gunas) o 1ata& ,ama and "a9a respectively. ,hus& by contemplating on Bod and reciting ?m& a Yogi ultimately achieves uni ication with that eternal spirit. But there are still some disastrous traps that a Yogi should guard himsel against& otherwise his entire penance might turn utile at the time o death. (ence every Yogi must be aware o these disastrous traps.
<.<.J Description o Disastrous ,raps

Dattatreya says3 A person who is unable to see the path o the deities& or the heavenly bodies like3 Dhruv& 1hukra (Venus)& 1oma (@oon)& or his own shadow or Boddess Arundhati& must understand that his death is near. Dor those people to whom& the 1un appears without radiance but ire appears as the 1un& die within eleven months. 1ighting o gold and silver in urine or stools signi ies death within ten months. ,hose who see ghosts& Bandharvas and gold tree in the dreams live or nine months only. ,hose who become at or thin suddenly live or eight months more. ,hose Yogis whose heels appear cracked while walking on sand or mud die within seven months. Betting perched on the body by volatile birds like vulture& pigeon& owl& crow etc. indicates that the concerned person will live or only si/ months. ,hose who see their shadow in opposite direction live or our or ive months more only. ,hose who sight lightning without clouds or rainbow during the night time& in their dream live or two or three months more. ,hose who cannot see their re lection in ghee& oil& water and mirror die within a month. A person whose body smells like a cadaver die within i teen days. ,hose whose hands and eet remain dry even a ter taking bath and dry even a ter taking light re reshments live only or ten days. ,hose who sight hair& cinders& ash& snakes and dried rivers in the dream& die on the eleventh day. ,hose who eel hungry even a ter eating to their ill also die soon. ? king$ ,here are many more disastrous symptoms that indicate death. A Yogi must always be alert regarding these signs. Chenever a Yogi perceives the appearance o all or some o these disastrous symptoms& he must at once take to Yoga to minimise the e ects. Brahmagyan3 A Yogi e/periences e/treme 9oy when he meditates while doing Yoga. ?nly then can he e/perience Brahma. Ehysical body is ephemeralK hence a true Yogi does not mourn over the loss o physical body. (ence& a Yogi must train his mind in Yoga ignoring sorrow or a ection. ,his is indeed a di icult task to achieve. Alark says3 ? Brahmin$ By your blessings& my ignorance has ended. +ow * will do everything so that ignorance does not grip me once again. ,hen taking DattatreyaAs permission& Alark went back to the king o Kashi and said3 A? king$ You have a desire or the kingdom& so take this kingdom and en9oy its lu/uries yoursel or give it to 1ubahu.A ,he king o Kashi asked Alark as to why he was renouncing the kingdom without ighting a war. (e also tried to instigate Alark by saying that his conduct did not suit the Kshatriyas. Alark said3 A?nly Brahma is truth& all the other things are alse. +ow controlling my senses& * will attain per ection in Yoga.A
<.<.G Alark @asters Yoga and Eenance o #ada and his Dather
Cords o Alark pleased the king o Kashi. -ven& 1ubahu got up gladly and a ter embracing Alark said to the king o Kashi3 P? king& * had taken your re uge to win the kingdom. +ow& * have got it without ighting a war and without a drop o blood being shed. But& * am leaving now& renouncing everything.P ,he king o Kashi said3 P1ubahu& why had you taken re uge in meL Chat have you received nowLP 1ubahu said3 P? king$ @y younger brother Alark had been so ar indulging in lu/uries despite having metaphysical knowledge. (e was in act e/periencing miseries in his household. Chen the miseries cross all limits& only then renunciation arises in the mind& as is the case with Alark. ,hat was why * had taken your re uge. @y 9ob is inished now. 1o * am leaving to attain per ection in Yoga. ? king& * regard those people who ignore their near and dear ones in their miseries as heartless. 1uch people are degraded rom their position o Dharma& Arth& Kama and @oksha and are criticised everywhere.P ,he king o Kashi said3 P? 1ubahu& You have salved your brother Alark. +ow kindly salve me also.P 1ubahu said3 PAttainment o Dharma& Arth& Kama and @oksha are the our ma9or ob9ectives or the attainment o which humans have been created. You have already attained Dharma& Artha and Kama. ?nly @oksha remains to be attained now. A*t is mineA& A*t is meA etc. are e/pressions o ego. Buarding the sel rom these thoughts is the true knowledge. A man must know AChat is to be knownL ACho is to knowLA and ACho is heLA A knowledge o these automatically leads to the knowledge o all.P 1aying these words& 1ubahu le t the palace. ,he king o Kashi too returned to his kingdom. Alark crowned his elder son as the new king and he began to practice Yoga in a orest. A ter many years o rigorous practice& Alark attained salvation and his abode in Brahma loka. ,he BrahminAs son said3 P? ather$ +ow you too must take re uge in Yoga in order to attain Brahma. * too will try to attain salvation.P ,he birds say3 P? Brahmin$ ,hus the ather and son began their penance and attained salvation.
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"he
niverse and 'ord #rahma<s Manifestation
,his chapter contains J sections.
<.J.6 ,he ?rigin o the %niverse

#aimini thanked the birds or enlightening him with sel 3knowledge. But he was still not satis ied. ,here were many Huestions to which he had no answers. (e asked the birds3 A(ow did this universe come into beingL Chat will happen to it during the time o inal annihilationL (ow did the deities& the sages& the ancestors and the living creatures originateL (ow did the @anvantaras arriveL * am an/ious to know about all these things.A ,he birds replied3 A? #aimini$ Ce salute the same #agannath who creates in the orm o lord Brahma& nurtures the world as Lord Vishnu and ultimately annihilates the world as Lord 1hiva in his most terri ying orm. Ce will now reveal the knowledge which was once narrated by sage @arkandeya.A ,he birds then narrated the ollowing tale as was originally told by sage @arkandeya. A*n the beginning o creation& as soon as lord Brahma mani ested himsel & all the our Vedas and eighteen Euranas came out rom his our mouths. Lord Brahma then created the 1aptarishis merely by wishing& who took all the Vedas and Euranas in their possession.A ALater on& sage >hyavan got the Euranas rom one o the 1aptarishis3 sage Bhrigu and read out its contents to the assembled sages. ,he sages then retold the Euranas to Daksha. Daksha narrated the contents o the Euranas to me (@arkandeya). ,he virtues o listening to Euranas are capable o destroying all sins o a man. +ow * am going to reveal to you that secret knowledge o Eurana as was told to me by Daksha.A ABrahma3 the cause and e ect o everything pervades the universe even a ter the inal annihilation. All the three gunas are present in him. Chen the time is appropriate or commencing the process o creation& the whole
atmosphere is covered by the great element (@ahatatva)& which itsel comprises o the three basic gunas3 1atva (pure)& "a9as (semi3pure) and ,aamas (dark).A A-go mani ests itsel rom the great element (@ahatatva). -ven the ego remains covered by the great element. ,he ego then creates A1habda tanmatraA (subtle orms o matter related with sound). ,he sky which symboli:es the 1habda (sound) is created rom this very 1habda tanmatra.A A,he ego then covers the whole sky. A ter that 1parsh tanmatra (subtle orms o matter related with touch) comes into being. Air& which signi ies the Huality o touch& then comes into being. A ter the creation o air& light is created without which the orms and appearance cannot be perceived.A A,he de ormity o li e results into the creation o "asa matra. Drom this very "asa matra& water comes into being. ,he water is enveloped by the "oop matra (subtle orms o appearance). ,he water then gets de ormed and as a result Bandha matra comes into being& rom which the earth is created. All the worlds are established in this earth.A ADirst o all& the gunas enter into the atoms and create the seven basic elements which are a must or procreation. ,he seven basic elements then establish themselves in Eurusha and Erakriti. ,he union o Eurusha and Erakriti results into the creation o egg. ,his egg keeps e/panding in its si:e while being in water.A ALord Brahma who is also known as Kshetragya and who is also the creator o all the souls dwells in that egg.A ,he same Brahma pervades all the three worlds. All the creatures o the world including the deities& demons and human beings along with islands& mountains& oceans& air and sky etc. are present inside the egg.A A,he @other +ature along with the great element covers this egg. ,his way& the seven natural coverings envelop the egg. Beyond the Erakriti (nature) is established the Eurusha (Almighty).A A+ow * am going to reveal the identity o Brahma to you. #ust as drops o water all down rom the body o a wet man immersed in water& in the same way& Lord Brahma too discards o the egg in the end. ,he nature is nothing else but Kshetra (space& area) and Brahma is also known as Kshetragya. ,his way& the whole creation came into being 9ust like lightning.
<.J.; Lord Brahma)s Li e 1pan

Kraustuki said3 A,ell me$ ? lord$ (ow were the living beings created as the period o inal annihilation was approaching its end.A @arkandeya replied3 AChen the nature establishes hersel in the soul o the Eurusha (supreme Almighty)& all the created matter gets annihilated. Erakriti and Eurusha are established in the mode o parallelism. During that period& 1atva and ,ama become neutrally balanced. -ven the Huality o "a9as establishes itsel within the Hualities o 1atva and ,ama.A A,he li e span o Brahma consists o Dwiparardha. ,he day and night o Brahma are o eHual duration. Brahma is the origin o this universe. (e is the inconceivable soul3 the supreme lord and the cause o all the events. (e is beyond the reach o activities. (e enters into Erakriti and Eurusha3 e/cites both o them to get uni ied. Chen Erakriti gets e/cited& the 1upreme Lord mani ests (imsel in the egg as Brahma. (e then commences his creation. ,he same Brahma attains the orm o Vishnu due to the e ect o his 1atva guna and nurtures the whole creation. %nder the in luence o ,amo guna& (e attains the orm o "udra and inally annihilates the whole creation. (e then goes into hibernation.A A,his way& the same Almighty Bod in his three di erent orms o Brahma& Vishnu and @ahesh per orms his duties o creation& nurturing and annihilation respectively. ,he li e span o Brahma consists o one hundred years. ,he division o time is as ollows3 ?ne Kashtha consists o i teen +imeshas. ?ne Kala consists o thirty Kashthas whereas thirty Kalas make one @uhurta. ?ne day and night o this material world consists o thirty @uhurtas. ,hirty days and nights are eHuivalent to one month or two ortnights (Eakshas).A A1i/ months make one Ayan. ,wo Ayans make a year. A day and night o the deities are eHuivalent to one year o this material world. 1imilarly twelve thousand years o the deities make the our Yugas. 1atya Yuga consists o the our thousand years o the deities. ,reta Yuga consists o three thousand years o the deities. Dwapar Yuga consists o two thousand years o the deities whereas Kali Yuga consists o one thousand years o the deities. 1imilarly 1andhya (evening) period o 1atya Yuga consists o our hundred years and 1andhyansh (part o
evening) consists o the same period that is our hundred years. ,hus the total number o years that 1atya Yuga has come up to FMMMVFMMVFMMO FJMM years. *n the same way& the 1andhya and 1andhyansh o ,reta Yuga consist o 7MM years each. ,hus& the total number o years in ,reta Yuga comes up to 7MMMV7MMV7MMO 7IMM years. 1andhya and 1andhyansh period o Dwapar Yuga is o ;MM years each. ,hus the total number o years in Dwapar Yuga comes up to ;MMMV;MMV;MMO ;FMM years. 1andhya and 1andhyansh period o Kali Yuga are o 6MM years each. ,hus the total number o years in Kali Yuga comes up to 6MMMV6MMV6MMO 6;MM years. A day o Brahma consists o thousand times o the twelve thousand years o the deities. Dourteen @anus appear in succession during the whole day o Brahma. -ach @anavantar comprises o a @anu and his progenies& *ndra and the other deities& 1aptarishis ganas and +ripati ganas etc. A @anavantar consists o seventy3one >hatur Yugas. ?n the basis o the years o this material world& a @anavantar consists o 7M&I<&;M&MMM years or J&8;&MMM years o the deities. A BrahmaAs day consists o F&;G&FM&MM&MMM years o this world or 6&6G&;J&MMM years o the deities. ,he dissolution& which occurs at the end o the day o Brahma& is also known as causal dissolution (+aimittik Eralay). During the time o causal dissolution& all the residents o Bhur& Bhuva and 1warga lokas temporarily go to @ahar loka. ,he residents o @ahar loka shi t their base to #ana loka. ,he entire universe is submerged in the ocean during the time o causal dissolution and this is the time or Brahma to take rest i.e. at night. Brahma starts his creation at the end o the night. ,his way& a ter the completion o three hundred and si/ty years o Brahma& his one3year is complete. ?ne hundred such years o Brahma make one Eara and ive hundred such years make one Earardha. ?ne Earardha o Brahma has already passed at the end o which Eadrama @ahakalpa occurred. ,he present period& which alls under the second Earardha& is also known as Varaha Kalpa.
<.J.7 +atural and Dlawed >reations

Kraustuki asked curiously3 A,ell me how Brahma did his creationsLA @arkandeya replied3 AChen Brahma got up rom his sleep a ter the end o dissolution (Eralay) named Eadrama& he ound a void all around himsel . (e remembered +arayana who is also known by the name o +astanu i.e. one who dwells in water. +arayana was engrossed in his eternal sleep. A ter waking up& he rescued the earth& submerged in the ocean 9ust like he had done in the previous Kalpas by taking the orms o a boar& a ish and tortoise etc. But even a ter the earth was brought up rom the seabed and was established above the ocean& it was still swinging like a boat. +arayana then created the mountains to stop the earth rom swinging. But the mountains were burnt down by Agni ( ire) named 1amvartak. ,he mountains submerged into the ocean. ,he mountains a ter having displaced the water had become i/ed at their respective places. ,here ore& +arayana divided the whole earth into seven islands and created the our lokas 9ust like be ore. A ter that& ive Avidyas came into being. ,his way& the whole creation established themselves in ive ways. ,he whole creation was hidden in darkness till this period. A ter this& +arayana created the ignorant animals& which symbolised the ,amo guna. A ter the animals the deities who symbolised the 1atva guna were created.A ABrahma was e/tremely satis ied by the creations o +arayana. But he was desirous o creating even more superior creatures. As a result a group o 1adhakas named Arvaksrota came into being. ,hese 1adhakas were humans who possessed "a9o guna. ,he i th creation o Anugraha was itsel sub3divided into our parts3 Viparyaya& 1iddhi& 1hanti and 1hrishti. ,he si/th creation was o those special people who had the knowledge o past and present events. ,hese people had wives& en9oyed li e in a balanced way but were o evil nature. ,hese people were known as Bhutadik.A A,he irst creation was related with the mani estation o lord Brahma himsel . ,his great creation was known as the @aha 1hrishti. ,he second creation related with the part o Brahma is called Bhutsarga. ,he third creation is called Erakrit and which consists o creatures possessing intelligence and lawed sensual perceptions. ,he ourth creation consists o the 1thawars who are unable to move (e.g. Vegetation). ,he i th creation consists o our3 ooted animals. ,he si/th creation consists o the deities whereas the seventh creation that o human beings which originates rom Arvaksrota. ,he eighth creation is known as Anugraha. ,he ninth creation o Brahma9i is known as Erakrit (natural) and Vikari ( lawed). ,hese are the nine types o creation o Brahma. ,he root causes o this universe are Erakrit and Vikari.A
<.J.F >reation o the Deities

Kraustuki then asked @arkandeya about the origin o the deities. @arkandeya replied3 ACith the ob9ective o creating the deities& demons& ancestors and human beings& Brahma abandoned the part o his physical body in the ocean. ,he demons originated rom the thighs o his abandoned body. Lord Brahma blessed the demons with physical bodies& which were ,aamasik in nature. ,his part o BrahmaAs body became amous as "atri (night).
A ter that Brahma created the deities rom his mouth with the help o 1atva guna. ,he deities were given pure bodies. ,his part o BrahmaAs body which was 1aatvik (pure) in nature became amous as day.A AA ter this& Brahma acHuired another physical body and created the ancestors. A ter creating the ancestors& he abandoned his body& which trans ormed itsel in the evening. Brahma9i then acHuired another body& which was a luent o "a9as Hualities and thus was created human being. (e again abandoned his body and rom it was created #yotsna3 the transition period o day and night.A A#yotsna& evening and day contain the Huality o 1atva in themselves. +ight has the Huality o ,aamas in itsel . ,he deities& demons and human beings are most power ul during the day& night and #yotsna period respectively. ,he ancestors are most power ul and invincible during the evening time.A ABrahma then created creatures who had moustaches and beard on their ace. 1ome creatures among them started attacking the others. ,hose who were being attacked and pleaded Asave usA were called the "akshasas (demons). ,he attackers who thundered Awe would devour you upA were known as Yakshas (celestial beings). ABrahma was very displeased by their tantrums. 1ome o his hair ell down on earth and thus were created the snakes. ,he lesh3eating Banas were ne/t to be created. ,hese Banas were e/tremely volatile in nature. A ter that& Brahma created the Bandharvas.A A,his way a ter having created these eight types o divine creation& Brahma created all the animals and birds rom his body. (e created the goat rom his mouth& lamb rom his heart& cow rom his stomach and back& animals like horse& elephant& donkey& rabbit& deer& camel and mule were created by Brahma rom both his legs. Variety o vegetation and medicinal plants were created rom the hair o his body.A ABrahma then created the ollowing things rom the irst o his our mouths3 Bayatri& ,ri3 rik& tri3 vrit& 1aam& "athantar and Agnishtom. Drom his mouth acing south& he created Ya9uh& ,raishtumchhand& Eanchadasha3stom& Vrihatsaam and %ktha. Drom his mouth acing west& he created 1haam& #agatichhand& Eanchadasha3stom& Vairoop and Atiraatra. Drom his mouth acing north& he created twenty3one Atharva& Aaptoryaam& Aanushtubha and Vairaa9.A A*n the beginning o Kalpa& Brahma created the natural things like lightning& Va9ra& cloud& rainbow and birds. A ter that he created the deities etc. (e then created stable things like mountains& living creatures that could move& demons& birds& animals and snakes etc. All these living creatures take birth and re3births& reap the ruits o the past Karmas done in their previous li e. ,his is the way Brahma had done creation at the end o the dissolution period.A
<.J.8 >opulative >reations

@arkandeya says3 Brahma created one thousand couples rom his mouth in the beginning o creation. ,hese couples were radiant and possessed virtuous Hualities (1aatvik). ?nce again& Brahma9i created one thousand couples rom his chest but this time they possessed the Huality o "a9as. ,his phenomenon was repeated or the second time and once again one thousand couples mani ested themselves rom his chest. ,hese couples were both "a9as as well as ,aamasik by nature. At last Brahma created one thousand more couples rom both his legs. ,hese couples were completely ,aamasik by nature. ,he couples started copulating and this process has been continuing since then.A ABrahma now became worried as to how to accommodate such a large number o people. *nitially& these people used to roam about every where& as there were no permanent residences to accomodate them. At the arrival o ,reta Yuga& they developed attachment and started living in houses. 1ubseHuently they started living in various types o abodes3 Eura& village& Dronimukha& 1hakhanagar& Kharvatak& Drami& Bram and 1anghosh etc.A
<.J.I Daksha)s Lineage

@arkandeya says3 ABrahma on seeing that inspite o all his creations the population was not increasing& he decided to create his @anasputras. ,hese @anasputras were created merely by his wish. ,heir names were Bhrigu& Eulastya& Eulaha& Kratu& Angira& @arichi& Daksha& Atri and Vashishta. A ter this& he irst created the erocious "udra and then 1ankalpa and Dharma. But all these people were very virtuous& knowledgeable and una ected by worldly desires. ,hey showed their disinclination towards the purpose or which they have been created by Brahma i.e. increasing the population. Brahma became very urious in his anger and created an entity whose hal portion resembled a manAs body while the remaining hal resembled that o a woman. Brahma instructed that entity to bisect his body into two distinct orms o a man and a woman. ,he entity ollowed BrahmaAs instruction and this way 1wayambhu @anu and 1hatrupa came into being. @anu accepted 1hatrupa as his wi e. ,wo sons were born to them3 Eriyavrata and %ttanpada. Apart rom these two sons& two daughters were
also born to them3 Akuti and Erasuti. Erasuti was married to Daksha while Akuti was married to "uchi. ,wenty3 our daughters were born to Daksha and Erasuti out o which thirteen o them were married to Dharma. ,he remaining eleven daughters were married to sages like Bhrigu& @ahadev& @arichi& Angira& Atri etc.A ADharma athered Kama rom 1hraddha. 1hri gave birth to Darpa& Dhriti and +iyama. ,ushti gave birth to 1antosh& Eushti to Lobha& @edha to 1hrut& Kriya to Dand& Buddhi to Bodh& La99a to Vinay& Vapra to Vyavasaay& 1hanti to Kshema& 1iddhi to 1ukh and Kirti gave birth to Yash. Kama& the son o Dharma was the ather o Atihrishta.A A(imsa3 the wi e o Adharma gave birth to Anrita. Anrita was married to +irriti. ,wo sons named +arak and Bhaya and two daughters named @aya and Vedana were born to them.A A@aya gave birth to @rityu& whereas Dukha was born as a result o +arakAs marriage with Vedana. Dive children were born to @rityu3 Vyadhi& #ara& 1hoka& ,rishna and Krodha. All o them were very irreligious by nature and they never got an opportunity get married and have progenies.A A@rityuAs wi e3 +irriti is also known by the name o Alakshmi. Altogether ourteen sons were born to them. All these ourteen sons o @rityu dwell in the organs o human beings& during the time o destruction. ?ut o these ourteen sons& ten dwell in the sense organs o human beings and the eleventh son dwells in the mind. ,hey in luence the sense organs and the mind o a man in a negative way by means o attachment and anger. ,he twel th son e/ists in the orm o arrogance. ,he thirteenth son3 Apar adversely a ects the intelligence o a man. ,he ourteenth son3 Duhsah resides in the house o males. Duhsah is naked& always hungry& his mouth acing downwards and caws like the crow.
<.J.< Descendants o Duhsah

@arkandeya says3 A+irmashti& the wi e o Duhsah was the daughter o Yama. Altogether si/teen children were born to Duhsah and +irmashti. ?ut o them eight were sons and the remaining eight were daughters. ,he name o the sons were3 Dantakrishti& ,athokti& Earivarta& Angadhruka& 1hakuni& Banda& Eranrati& Barbhaha and 1asyaha while the names o the daughters were +iyo9ika& Virodhini& 1wayamaharini& Bhramani& "ituharika& 1mritihara& Bee9hara and Vidveshini. Dantakrishti causes the teeth o the child to make a grinding sound. ,athokti is commonly used while men are conversing by saying& A1o be itA (,A,(A1,%). Earivarta becomes happy by establishing an alien oetus in the womb o women. Angadhruka causes the organs o human beings to throb and enables him to e/press the emotions o 9oy and sorrow. 1hakuni resides in the bodies o birds like crow and animals like dog or o/.A ABanda destroys all the virtues. Barbhaha destroys the oetus in the womb o a woman while 1asyaha destroys all kinds o wealth.A AAmong the daughters& +iyo9ika encourages a man to have illicit relationship and also to steal the wealth o others. Virodhini causes di erences between husband and wi e and also among the amily members. 1wayamaharini destroys the prosperity o a man. Bhramani causes restlessness and anger in the heart o a man living at one place or a long time. "ituharika destroys the menstrual cycle o women. 1mritiharika causes loss o memory. Bee9hara destroys the se/ual powers o a man and woman. Dweshini causes 9ealousy in the heart o a man and woman. Altogether 7J children were born to all the 6I children o Duhsah and +irmashti. All o them were wicked and caused miseries to people.A
<.J.J ,he >reation o "udras

@arkandeya says3 A+ow * am going to tell you about "udrasarga. ?ne o the eight sons o Brahma started wailing a ter being created rom his (Brahma) body. Brahma asked him as to why he was crying. ,he crying child reHuested Brahma to give him a name. Brahma named him as "udra since he was wailing at the time o his birth. But even a ter getting his name& the childAs wailing did not stop. (e wailed or seven times and as a result seven more children were mani ested rom his cries. Brahma named these seven children as Bhava& 1harva& *shaan& Eashupati& Bheem& %gra and @ahadev. (e also gave them abodes so that they could live. ,he ollowing eight things respectively symboli:e the orms o all these eight rudras3 1un& water& earth& ire& air& sky& Dikshit Brahmin and 1oma. All these eight rudras were also given their respective wives who were 1uvarchala& %ma& Vikeshi& 1wadha& 1waha& Dik& Diksha and "ohini.A A,he eight sons o all the eight rudras are 1hanaishwar& 1hukra& Lohitaang& @ano9av& 1kand& 1arg& 1antaan and Buddh respectively.A
A"udra had accepted 1ati as his wi e. 1ati gave up her li e because her ather Daksha had shown disrespect to her husband3 "udra. 1ati took her second birth as Earvati& the daughter o (imavaan. @ainak was her brother. Bhava married Earvati. Khyaati was BhriguAs wi e. ,hey had two children3 Dhata and Vidhaata. Lakshmi was the consort o +arayana. @eru had two daughters3 Aayati and +iyati. Both o them were married to Dhata and Vidhaata respectively. -ach one o them had two sons. Aayati had named her son as Eran while +iyati named her son as @rikandu. ,he same @rikandu is my (@arkandeya) ather. @y motherAs name is @anaswini and my sonAs name is Vedashira.A A1ambhuti3 the wi e o @arichi gave birth to Eaurnmaas. 1mriti3 the wi e o @arichi gave birth to our daughters3 1iniwali& Kuhu& "aka and Anumati.A AAnsuya& the wi e o sage Atri gave birth to three sons3 1oma& Durvaasa and Dattatreya. Dutt and Dambholi were born to Ereeti& the wi e o Eulastya. (e became amous as Agastya during the time o 1wayambhuva @anavantar.A A,hree sons3 Kardam& Arvaveera and 1ahishnu were born to Kshama& the wi e o Eulaha. 1annati& the wi e o "itu gave birth to IM&MMM Balkhilyaganas. %r9a3 the wi e o Vashishta gave birth to seven sons3 "a9a& Batra& %rdhwabahu& 1abal& Anagh& 1utapa and 1hukra. ,hese seven are amous as the 1aptarishis.A AAgni was married to 1waha. ,hree sons were born to them3 Eaavak& Eavaman and 1huchi.A
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"he +arious Manavantars
<.G.6 1wayambhuva @anavantar

,his 1ection contains I sub3sections. @arkandeya says3 A1wayambhuva @anu had ten sons. (e had divided the whole earth into seven continents. *n the beginning o ,reta Yuga& the sons o Eriyavrata had done the same. Era9avati3 the daughter o Kardam Era9apati had ten sons and two daughters rom Eriyavrata. +ames o these ten sons were3 Agnighna& @edhatithi& Vayushmaan& #yotishmaan& Dyutimaan& Bhatya& 1avan& @edha& Agnibaahu and @itra. Among all these ten sons& the last three never ruled any kingdom. ,he remaining seven sons were made the rulers o all the seven continents by Eriyavrata. Agnighna was made the ruler o #ambudweep& @edhatithi that o Elakshdweep. Vayushmaan was given 1haalmalidweep whereas #yotishmaan was made the ruler o Kushdweep. 1imilarly& Dyutimaan was given Kraunchdweep to rule while Bhatya was given 1haakdweep. ,he seventh son& 1avan was made the ruler o Eushkardweep. 1avan had two sons3 @edhaavi and Dhaataki. 1avan sub3divided the Eushkardweep into two parts and each part was given to each o the sons. Bhatya had seven sons3 #alad& Kumar& 1ukumar& @arnaavak& Kushottar& @edhaavi and @ahadrum. Bhatya too sub3divided the 1haakdweep into seven parts and distributed them among all his sons. 1imilarly& Dyutimaan too had seven sons to whom were distributed his kingdom Kraunchdweep a ter sub3dividing it into seven parts. #yotishmaan& Vayushmaan and @edhatithi made their respective sons the rulers a ter giving them kingdoms. Agnighna was the ruler o #ambudweep. (e had nine sons. (is kingdom was eHually distributed among all o them. +aabhi3 the son o Agnighna was the ather o "ishabh. Bharat was the son o "ishabh. Bharat was given the southern part o "ishabhAs kingdom. ?ur country is named a ter Bharat.A
/$0$1$1 2ambudveep
@arkandeya says that the total area o #ambudweep comprises o one lakh Yo9an while the area o Elakshdweep is twice the area o #ambudweep i.e. two lakh Yo9ans. 1imilarly& 1haalmali is twice the area o Elaksh while Kusha is twice the area o 1haalmali. ,he area o Kraunchdweep is twice the area o Kushdweep whereas the area o 1haakdweep is twice the area o Kraunchdweep. ,he island o Eushkar is twice the area o 1haak. 1even mountains are situated in all these seven islands. ,hey are (imavaan& (emkut& "ishabh& @eru& +eel& 1hwet and 1hringi. *lavrit is situated in the middle o si/ mountains& which themselves are situated in the middle o the ocean surrounding all the seven islands named earlier. 1umeru @ountain is situated in the central part o *lavrit. Eeople belonging to all the our castes3 Brahmin& Kshatriya& Vaishya and 1hudra reside in *lavrit. #ust above *lavrit are the dwelling places o Lokpals like *ndra etc. Lord BrahmaAs assembly is situated at the center. Beneath *lavrit are situated the our mountains3 @andaar& Bandhmaadan& Vipul and 1upaarshva. ,hese our mountains are situated in each o the our directions. ,he Breat @ountain +ishadh is situated towards the west o @eru& while the Breat @ountain Eariyatra is situated 9ust behind it. ,owards the south o @eru are situated
the great mountains& Kailash and (imavaan. ,he mountains 1hringvaan and #aarudhi are situated towards the north o @eru @ountain. "iver #ambu lows all around the @eru @ountain in a circular path.
/$0$1$3 +he &rigin of the -anga

@arkandeya says3 A"iver Banga originates rom a place named Dhruvaadhar. ,his particular place is related with +arayana. "iver Banga& then alls on the 1umeru @ountain and gets distributed into our main streams. ?ne o these streams lows towards >haitrartha orest. ,he name o this particular stream is 1ita. ,he same 1ita Banga enters into the Varunoda reservoir and rom there& it moves towards the ocean and again changes its course to get submerge into that stream o Banga& which has allen on the Bandhmaadan @ountain and which is known as Alaknanda. Alaknanda a ter submerging into @ansarovar subseHuently entered the @ahadri (imalaya where Lord 1hankar held her in (is locks o hair. (e released river Banga only at the reHuest o sage Bhagirath. A ter being released& river Banga got sub3divided into seven streams and ultimately& all those seven streams submerged into the ocean. ,he stream o Banga which originates rom the west o 1umeru @ountain is known as 1uchakshu. ,his stream gets submerged in the ocean towards the south& a ter passing through many mountains. ,he ourth stream reaches 1avita orest a ter passing through two mountains3 1uparshu and @eru. ,his particular stream is amously known as Bhadrasoma. Bhadrasoma Banga ultimately get submerged into the ocean a ter passing through mountains like 1hankhkoot and Vrishabh etc.
/$0$1$4 5 6escription of Bharat.Varsha

Kraustuki asked @arkandeya3 A? lord$ Elease describe about Bharatvarsha.A @arkandeya replied3 ABharatvarsha is surrounded by oceans on all its three sides. Eeople living towards the east o Bharatvarsha are known as Kiraat while people living towards the west are called Yavan. ,he central part o Bharatvarsha is inhabited by all the our castes3 Brahmin& Kshatriya& Vaishya and 1hudra. ,he seven mountains are situated in the central part o Bharatvarsha. ,hey are @ahendra& @alaya& 1ahaya& 1haktimaan& "iksh& Vindhya and Eariyatra. ,here are thousands o hills situated in the vicinity o these seven mountains. ,he central part o Bharatvarsha is sub3 divided into #anpadas. ,he residents o these #anpadas are known as @lechha and Arya. All the ma9or rivers o Bharatvarsha like Banga& 1araswati& 1indhu& >handrabhaaga& Yamuna& 1hatadru& Vitastaa& *rawati& Bomti& Vipaasha and Bandki etc. originate rom the mountains situated in the central parts. ,he names o the prominent #anpadas situated in the central part o Bharatvarsha are @atsya& Ashwakoot& Kulya& Kuntal& Kashi& Koshal& Arbuda& Kalinga& @alak& Vrik etc. "iver Bodavari lows towards the north o 1ahya @ountain. A city named Bovardhan is situated near this mountain. 1ome other prominent places situated in the vicinity o this mountain are Bahalik& Vaataghaan& Aamir and Kaaltoyak. Kshatriya& Vaishya and 1hudras live in the ollowing states3 1hudra& Eahalav& >harmakhandika& Bandhaar& Yavan& 1indhu& 1auveer& Bhadrak& 1hatadru9& Eaarad and Kekaya. ,he ollowing states are situated in the north o Bharatvarsha3 ,aamas& (ansmarg& Kashmir& 1hulik& Kuhak& %rna& Darva etc. 1tates like Abhrarak& @udgarak& Antagiri& Elawang& @al& Daamal& Vartik& %ttarbrahma& Eraag9yotish& @adra& Videha& ,amraliptak& @alla and @agadh are situated in the east o Bharatvarsha. 1tates situated in the south o Bharatvarsha are Eaandya& Kerala& >hola& @aharashtra& @aahishik& Kalinga and Aamir. ,hese are the #anpadas where 1habar live.A A#anpadas situated in the west o Bharatvarsha are 1uryarak& Kaalibala& Durg& Kaha& Eulind& ,oshal and Koshal etc. Bharatvarsha is the only country in the whole world where all the our Yugas3 1atya& ,reta& Dwapar& and Kali occur in a cyclic way. Bharatvarsha is the root o all orms o divinity where deities reside and almighty Bod takes incarnation.A
/$0$1$7 +ortoise (ncarnation

Kraustuki asked @arkandeya3 A? lord$ (ow does 1hri (ari live in the orm o a tortoiseLA @arkandeya replied3 A1hri (ari in the orm o a tortoise sits acing east. 1tates situated in the central portion o his body are Vedi& @adra& @aandavya& 1haalva& Khaasa& 1araswat& @atsya etc. 1tates which are situated in the mouth o the tortoise are Vrishadhwa9& An9an& Kasha& @agadh& Eraag9yotish& @ithila& Koshal etc. *n the right oot o the tortoise are situated states like Kalinga& Banga etc. Vindhya @ountain is also situated in the right oot. 1tates which are situated in the tail o the tortoise are @animegha& Kshuradri& Khan9& Konkan& Eanchmad& Vaman& 1harkar& >hulik& Ashwakesha etc. @andakya& >handarwar& Ashwa& Kaland& Bhor& Bhuratwadi are the states that are situated in the le t oot o the tortoise. #anpadas like Kailash& (imalaya& Kraunch& Kaikaya& ,akshashila& Bandhar& Kharas& Yaudheya and "a9anya etc. are situated in the le t side o the tortoiseAs abdomen.A +arayana in the orm o tortoise is that inconceivable soul in which reside all the lords o deities and constellations.
/$0$1$8 +he 6escriptions of Bhadrashva

@arkandeya says3 ABhadraashva Varsh is situated towards the east o the great mountain Devakut. Dive more mountains are situated within its area3 Kauran9& 1hwetaparna& +eela& 1haiwaal and Earnashaalagra. Bhadraashva consists o thousands o #anpadas. +umerous rivers like 1ita& 1hankhavali& Bhadra and >hakravarta lows there. Eeople living in Bhadraashva Varsh are ull o radiance and they live or 6MMM years. +arayana dwells in Bhadraashva in his incarnation o (ayagreev.A A+ow * am going to tell about Ketumaal Varsh which has seven mountains within its area3 Vishaal& Kambal& Krishna& #ayant& (ariparvat& Vishoka& and Vardhamaan. ,here are thousands o smaller hills apart rom these seven ma9or mountains where people live. ,he names o the rivers lowing at Ketumaal Varsh are Vankshuyama& 1wakambha& Amogha& Kamini& 1hyama etc. +arayana dwells in Ketumaal Varsh in his incarnation o a boar (Varaha).A A+ow listen about %ttarkurudesha. ,here are thousands o trees& which are ruit laden in all the seasons. Apparels are made rom the bark o the trees and ornaments rom its ruits. A ter being degraded& the residents o Devaloka take birth here. %ttarkuru has two mountains3 >handrakant and 1uryakant. ,he river3 Bhadrasoma lows between these two mountains. +arayana in his incarnation o @atsya ( ish) lives at %ttarkuru. >handradweep and Bhadradweep are the two amous islands situated at %ttarkuru.A
/$0$1$9 +he 6escription of !impurush.Varsha

@arkandeya says3 A,he people residing in Kimpurush Varsh en9oy a long li e. ,hey live or 6M&MMM years. ,hey are never bothered by any kind o disease or sorrow. #ust behind Kimpurush Varsh is situated (ari Varsh. ,he residents o (ari Varsh en9oy an eternally youth ul li e because o the sugarcane 9uice they intake. @eru Varsh& which is situated near (ari Varsh& is also known as *lavrit. *t is devoid o the light o the 1un but gets su icient light rom the radiant 1umeru @ountain. *t is so bright that even the 1un gets overshadowed. Eeople living in @eru Varsh en9oy a very long li e or 7M&MMM years. 1imilarly people living in "amyak Varsh sustain themselves by drinking ruit 9uice. ,hey live or 6M&MMM years. (iranyamay Varsh is situated towards the north o "amyak Varsh where the river (iranvati lows. ,he residents o (iranyamay are power ul& rich and handsome in appearance.
<.G.; ,he Beginning o 1warochish @anavantar

,his 1ection contains I sub3sections. >onversation between the Brahmin and Varudhini5 Kraustuki asked @arkandeya3 A? great sage$ +ow tell me something about 1warochish @anavantarLA @arkandeya replied3 A?nce upon a time& there lived a Brahmin at the bank o river Varuna. ?ne day& a guest arrived at his place. ,he Brahmin treated his guest with due respect. A ter ormal introduction& the Brahmin became aware that his guest was not an ordinary person. (e had travelled around the world with the help o some special mantras he knew and medicinal herbs& which he had in his possession. ,he Brahmin was Huite impressed. (e too wanted to see the whole earth. (e reHuested his guest to give the mantra and the medicinal herb so that he could travel around the world 9ust like him. ,he guest applied some medicinal solution on his legs. A ter this the Brahmin went to see the (imalaya @ountain. Chile wandering there& the solution& which had been applied on his legs& got washed away. As a result& he now became immobile. (e started looking all around himsel . (e ound numerous Apsaras entertaining the Kinnars& Bandharvas and deities. ,he Brahmin was very much pleased to see the happy atmosphere prevailing all around (imalaya. (e thought o going back to his place but was unsuccess ul& as the medicinal solution had been washed. (e became very sad. An Apsara by the name o Varudhini saw him in a miserable condition. 1he became in atuated by him. Chen she went near him& he asked3 ACho are youL Cho is your husbandL Chat are you doing hereLA A ter this& he narrated his own story and said3 A* had come rom Aruna nagar to see the (imalaya. But * am unable to return home as the medicinal solution& which was applied on my legs has been washed. Varudhini told the Brahmin that she was an Apsara. 1he also e/pressed her deep love towards the Brahmin. 1he reHuested the Brahmin to stay there and not to go back home. 1he assured him i he did& as per her instructions then he would en9oy an eternal youth. (e would never become old. Varudhini orcibly tried to embrace the Brahmin. ,his made the Brahmin very angry. (e said3 AVarudhini$ ,he sacred scriptures prohibit a Brahmin rom indulging in sensual pleasures because it gives sorrow not only in this world but also a ter his death.A But Varudhini was not satis ied by his answers. 1he
threatened to give up her li e i the Brahmin did not marry her. ,he Brahmin did not agree. ,he Brahmin puri ied himsel by per orming Aachaman and began worshipping Agni. (e said3 A? Agni$ You are the root cause o all Karmas. ,he deities bless us with rain only a ter you are pleased. ? Agni$ * need your blessings. * want to go back home.A
/$0$3$1 Varudhini:s ;odesty Breached

@arkandeya says3 AAgni became pleased by the BrahminAs devotion. Agni entered into his body. ,he BrahminAs body illuminated due to AgniAs radiance. Chen Varudhini saw this& she was ascinated by the BrahminAs appearance. ,he Brahmin proceeded towards his home. Deeling helpless& Varudhini cursed her ate.A Varudhini had once insulted a Bandharva named Kali sometime in the past. >hancing upon the opportunity& Kali went to Varudhini take his revenge. (e had disguised himsel as a Brahmin. Chen she saw him& she said3 A* need your protection i you heed to my reHuest then you will certainly attain virtuosity. Kali did not want her to know about his real identity& so he replied3 A* you really want my protection& then you must have your eyes closed while having copulation.A Varudhini agreed.
/$0$3$3 His ;arriage "ith ;anorama

*n due course o time& Varudhini became pregnant. 1he gave birth to a child who was named 1warochi. ,he child was e/tra3ordinary. *n a very short time& he became pro icient in all the scriptures. ?ne day& young 1warochi saw a terri ied girl near the @andaar @ountain. Chen the girl saw 1warochi& she pleaded or help. 1warochi assured her and asked about her identity. 1he said3 A@y name is @anorama. ?nce * had made un o a sage who was doing penance near the Kailash @ountain. At that time& two o my companions3 Vibhaavari and Kalavati were also present with me. ,he sage cursed all three o us. Vibhaavari and Kalavati got in licted with leprosy and tuberculosis due to his curse. -ven * was not spared. * am being chased by a erocious demon since then. * need your protection rom that demon. * am giving you this very power ul weapon with which you can success ully kill the demon.A 1warochi took the weapon. During the conversation between 1warochi and @anorama& a demon arrived 9ust then. ,he demon wanted to devour @anorama. 1warochi was con used& as he did not want the sageAs curse to go utile. (e allowed the demon to get hold o @anorama& who then started wailing. (earing her wail& 1warochi thought o killing the demon. Becoming a raid& the demon released @anorama rom his clutches and pleaded 1warochi to spare his li e. (e then narrated his own story. (e said3 AYou have rescued me rom sage BrahmamitraAs curse. Actually& my name is *ndivaraaksha. * had reHuested Brahmamitra to teach him the nuances o Ayurveda& which he re used. * decided to learn Ayurveda while sage Brahmamitra taught his disciples by hiding mysel . ?ne day& the sage came to know o this. (e cursed me to become a demon. * begged or his orgiveness. (e said3 AChatever * have said will de initely come true. You will certainly become a demon. A ter becoming a demon& you will try to devour your own daughter but would regain your original orm o Bandharva due to the touch o Astraanal weapon with which you would be attacked. ? great soul$ 1ince you have liberated me rom the curse& there ore& * hand over this girl to you. Accept her as your wi e. * will also bestow the knowledge o Ayurveda& which * had learnt rom sage Brahmamitra.A @anorama reHuested 1warochi to cure her companions rom the diseases they were su ering rom. 1warochi assured @anorama that he would certainly cure her companions with the help o Ayurveda& which the demon had taught him. Both 1warochi and @anorama got married. 1warochi then went to her companions and cured them rom their diseases.
/$0$3$4 S"arochi:s &ther ;arriages

@arkandeya says3 AA ter getting cured rom their respective diseases& both the companions o @anorama e/pressed their gratitude to 1warochi. 1warochi married both Vibhaavari as well as Kalavati. ,o show her gratitude& Vibhaavari taught 1warochi& a special art that helped him to understand the language o all the living creatures. Kalavati on the other hand while narrating her tale& said3 AA demon named Ali had asked my hand in marriage rom my ather but my ather re used. ,he demon got angry and killed my ather. * wanted to commit suicide but 1atiK the wi e o 1hambhu prevented me rom doing so by saying3 A You would be ortunate to become a wi e o great soul 1warochi.A
/$0$3$7 S"arochi:s Reproachment

@arkandeya says3 A ter getting married& 1warochi started living happily along with all his three wives at @alaya @ountain. ?ne day& impressed by the mutual love& 1warochi and his wives had or each other& a emale ruddy goose told another one3 AVery rarely are ound such couples who have love or each other.A But the other emale ruddy goose did not agree. 1he replied3 AYou are wrong. 1warochi is not a blessed man. Actually& he deceives all
o his three wives. -ven his love or all the three wives is varied. Chen one wi e is desirous o his love& he embraces the other wi e. 1o where is the Huestion o having mutual love or one anotherL *n comparison& my husband and * are blessed because we have mutual love and respect or each other.A 1warochi& who was listening to their conversation& realised how true the ruddy goose was. But still& he did not change his ways and continued to live with his wives or 6MM years. ?ne day while wandering& 1warochi saw a deer surrounded by a herd o doe. ?ne o the doe on having a desire to copulate with the deer started sni ing him in anticipation. But the deer became angry and said3 ADo you think * am as shameless as 1warochiL A man& who is sought by numerous beauties& his condition becomes laughable. +ot only does the daily routine o such a man gets disturbed& but also his behaviour is never air towards his wives.A
/$0$3$8 +he &rigin of S"arochish ;anu

@arkandeya says3 A1warochi became very sad a ter hearing the deerAs utterances. (e realised how lowly and mean he had become. (e decided to renounce li e a ter abandoning his wives. But this did not happen because as soon as he met them& he orgot everything about renunciation. (e continued to live with his wives. *n due course o time& 1warochi begot three sons3 Vi9ay& @erunand and Erabhaav. 1warochi ordered the construction o three cities or his sons& which he donated to each o them. ,he city situated towards the east was given to Vi9ay while the city situated towards the north named +andvati was given to @erunand. ,he city named ,aal& which was situated in the south& was given to Erabhaav. 1warochi then lived happily with his wives. ?ne day& 1warochi had gone or hunting. (e saw a wild boar and ad9usted his arrow on the bowstring to kill it. #ust then& a doe arrived and reHuested him to kill her instead o killing that boar. 1he said3 AKill me with your arrow so that * get liberated rom my sorrows. * donAt want to live because * have become in atuated with such a ApersonA whose heart lies somewhere else. @y aspirations remain un ul illed. 1o death is my only re uge.A 1warochi was very much ama:ed. (e asked3 ACho is that ellowLA ,he doe replied3 A*t is nobody than you.A 1warochi was pu::led& A(ow can this beL * am a man whereas you are an animal.A ,he doe then reHuested 1warochi to embrace her& which 1warochi agreed to do. As soon as 1warochi embraced that doe& she got trans ormed into a beauti ul lady. 1warochi was very much astonished but the doe said that3 ADonAt get pu::led. * am the presiding deity o this orest. * have come to seek your help on the reHuest o the deities. *t is your duty to help me in giving birth to a son named @anu. 1warochi married her and in course o time& she gave birth to a son. ,he whole atmosphere became 9oyous and happy at the birth o that child. Bandharvas started singing songs and the Apsaras danced. ,he deities showered lowers rom heaven. ,he child was so radiant that all the our directions became illuminated by his brilliance. 1warochi named this child as Dyutimaan. ,his child was later on also known as 1warochish& the son o 1warochi. ?ne day& while wandering& 1warochi saw a swan who was telling his wi e3 A+ow& we have become old& so what is the use o remaining attached to each other. *ts time& we must seriously start thinking o renouncing li e.A But his wi e said3 A,his world is meant or en9oying sensual pleasures. -ven the Brahmins per orm Yagyas with that purpose in their mind. All the virtuous people indulge in virtuous activities with the sole desire o e/periencing the pleasures o li e. (ow come the idea o renunciation has entered your mindLA ,he swan replied3 A?ne who is not attracted towards sensual pleasures is totally devoted to Bod. ?ne who is attached by worldly matters can never reach Bod. (ave you not seen the state o 1warochiL (ow can he be liberated rom the sorrows o the world i he is not even willing to shun the attachmentsL * am not like 1warochi. * know that a ter en9oying a ully satis ied li e& this is the time to renounce everything.A A ter hearing this& 1warochi was very much ashamed o himsel . (e decided to do penance. (is wives also accompanied him. All o them ultimately went to heaven by the virtue o their penance.
/$0$3$9 S"arochish ;anavantar

@arkandeya says3 ADuring this 1warochish @anavantar& *ndra was amously known as Vipaschit. ,he other deities were known as Eaaraavat and ,ushit. ,he names o the 1aptarishis who lived during this @anavantar were %r9a& 1tamb& Eran& Dutt& Ali& "ishabh& +ischar and Arvaveera. 1warochish @anu had seven sons who were very mighty and brave. >haitra and Kimpurush were two o them. ,he descendants o 1warochish ruled the earth till the end o this @anavantar. Kraustuki asked3 A? lord$ ,ell me about the treasures o this world.A
@arkandeya replied3 ABoddess Lakshmi is the presiding deity o learning (Vidya) called Eadmini. A ter getting per ection in this Vidya& a man becomes the master o eight types o treasures3 Eadma& @ahapadma& @akar& Kacchupp& @ukunda& +andak& +eel and 1hankh. ,he treasure called Eadma is pure in nature. A man who becomes the master o this treasure mainly deals in things like gold and silver etc. +ot only he& but also his descendants derive bene its rom this particular treasure. A person who is the master o @ahapadma deals in things like pearls& corals etc. ,his particular treasure does not abandon a man till his seventh generation. ,he treasure called @akar is ,aamasik in nature. A man who is the master o this particular treasure is basically ,aamasik by nature. 1uch a man has mastery in handling over various weapons like swords& bows and arrows etc. ,his particular wealth remains with a man only or one generation. ,he treasure called Kacchupp is also ,aamasik in nature. A master o this particular treasure en9oys all the pleasure o this world and he does not trust any person easily. ,his treasure also remains with a man only or one generation. ,he treasure called @ukunda comprises o "a9as Huality. A master o this treasure becomes pro icient in our types o musical instruments like Veena& Venu& @ridang etc. 1uch a man earns lot o money by e/hibiting his art. ,he treasure called +andak is a combination o "a9as and ,aamas Hualities. A man who gets in luences by this treasure becomes immobile. 1uch a man deals in things like metals& 9ewels& cereals etc. ,he master o this treasure is very benevolent and kind hearted. ,his particular treasure remains with a man till the seventh generation. ,he treasure called +eel is also a combination o "a9as and 1atva Hualities. A master o this treasure deals in things like clothes& cotton& pearls& ruits& lowers and things made rom wood. ,his particular treasure remains with a man till three generations. A possessor o this treasure is a great social worker and constructs bridge& ponds etc. ,he treasure called 1hankh comprises o "a9as and ,aamas Hualities. ?nly one person can master this particular treasure. 1uch a man en9oys good ood and is ond o wearing e/pensive clothes. +ormally& this type o man does not give shelter to other people and is constantly thinking o his own betterment. A
<.G.7 Auttam @anavantar Begins

,his 1ection contains 8 sub3sections5
/$0$4$1 !ing <ttam 5bandons his =ife

Kraustuki says3 A? lord$ +ow tell me about the Auttam @anavantar.A @arkandeya replied3 A%ttanpada and 1uruchi had a son named %ttam. %ttam was married to Bahula. Bahula did not love %ttam and always showed disrespect towards him. ?ne day& while both o them were sitting in the court& watching the proceedings& %ttam o ered a betel lea to Bahula which she re used& King %ttam elt dishonoured. (e ordered his attendant to abandon the Hueen in the orest. Bahula too was very happy& thinking that now she will not have to be in the company o %ttam. ,his way& Bahula was taken to the orest. ?ne day& a sad Brahmin came to %ttam and said3 A? king$ 1omebody has abducted my wi e. * need your help in inding out my lost wi e. %ttam asked the Brahmin about the nature& physical construction and about the age o his wi e. ,he Brahmin revealed all the acts related with his wi e. ,he king was not impressed. ,he acts& which the Brahmin had urnished& went to prove that his wi e was not a chaste lady. ,he king e/pressed his view about his wi e in so many words. (e said3 AChat is the use o having such a wicked wi eL Dorget about her. * will give you another one with all the good Hualities.A ,he Brahmin replied3 A? king$ *t is oneAs duty to protect oneAs wi e no matter how wicked she may be. By protecting your wi e& your children also get protected. A man who does not protect his wi e& has a son o hybrid class. (is ancestors are degraded rom the heaven because o such type o sons. * am not able to per orm my religious obligations because o the absence o my wi e. ? king$ Elease help me.A Chile searching the BrahminAs wi e& King %ttam saw a sage at a secluded place. Chen the sage saw King %ttam& he wanted to o er some Ardhya (some type o o ering) to him& which his disciples prohibited him rom doing. ,hen& the sage changed his mind and o ered his seat to the king. ,he king asked about the reason why he changed his mind o o ering the Ardhya. ,he sage replied3 A,hough you are the descendant o 1wayambhu @anu& but since you have committed a grave sin by abandoning your wi e& * decided that you are not it to be o ered the Ardhya. +o matter how mean your wi e is& it is your duty to protect her at all costs.A King %ttam was very ashamed o himsel . (e asked the sage about the whereabouts o the BrahminAs wi e. ,he sage replied3 A(is wi e has been abducted by the demon& Balaak3 the son o Adri. (e has kept her in the orest called %tpalaavat. Bo and help the Brahmin to meet his wi e so that he doesnAt commit a grave sin like you.
/$0$4$3 Brahmin:s =ife Returns Home

@arkandeya says3 AChen King %ttam reached %tpalaavat orest& he saw a woman eating a 1hriphal ruit. ,he king asked that woman whether she was the wi e o that Brahmin3 1usharma. ,he woman replied in the a irmative and said3 A,he demon abducted me while * was sleeping. 1ince that day& he has kept me here. * am very a raid o
that demon.A ,he king then asked the woman about the demonAs whereabouts. ,he woman pointed towards the direction o the demonAs path. ,he king went in that direction. Chen the demon saw the king approaching him& he bowed down in reverence and said3 A? king$ Chat can * do or youLA ,he king asked3 AChy have you abducted the wi e o this Brahmin.A ,he demon replied3 A* am not the demon who devours human beings. * devour their A lawsA. * have many beauti ul wives. 1o where is the need o aspiring or another womanL Actually& the Brahmin is a very learned man and has mastered the mantras. By chanting "akshodna mantras during oblations& he has increased my hunger by making incantations. ,here ore& * have abducted his wi e to prevent him rom accomplishing any Yagya.A ,he king became very sad. (e thought3 AChat a grave sin * have committed by abandoning my wi e$ -arlier& that sage too did not ind me it or giving Ardhya. +ow& this demon is also aware o the importance o oneAs wi e in religious ceremonies. (ow cruel * have been to my wi e.A ,he demon told the king3 A? king$ Chat should * do or youLA ,he king replied3 ADevour the laws o this woman so that she becomes humble. A ter that& carry her back home. ,he demon acted as per the instructions o King %ttam. As a result& the BrahminAs wi e became very humble. 1he said to the king3 A*t seems& there is no ault o this demon. Eerhaps& * must have caused separation between a husband and wi e& in my previous li e and or that very reason& * was orced to su er this separation with my husband in this present li e. ,he demon said3 A? king$ Chat else do you want rom meL ,he king said3 AYou must be present be ore me whenever * remember you.A ,he demon agreed. (e carried the BrahminAs wi e to her home.
/$0$4$4 +he Sage and !ing <ttam

@arkandeya says3 AKing %ttam wondered as to what should he do to get liberated rom the sins o abandoning his wi e. (e reHuested the sage to help him in this regard. ,he sage in ormed the king that his wi e was living at "anatal. ,he king o the serpents3 Kapotak is looking a ter her. Kapotak has a daughter named +anda. Being concerned about her motherAs uture& +anda had hidden your wi e. ,he sage became very urious and cursed her. As a result& she became dumb. %ttam& your wi e was always a chaste woman. *t was only due to evil in luences o the planets that she was not paying adeHuate attention to you. +ow& you should go and take her back to your home. %ttam returned back to his palace.A
/$0$4$7 +he Birth of 5uttam ;anu

@arkandeya says3 A%ttam met the Brahmin and told him that now as he had reunited with his wi e& it was now his turn to help him (king) to re3unite with his wi e. ,he Brahmin assured %ttam that he would per orm a Yagya named @itravinda& which would help him to achieve his goal. (e reHuested %ttam to bring his wi e so that the Yagya could be per ormed. %ttam remembered +isachar& a demon and reHuested him to bring his wi e. +isachar went to Eataal loka and brought his wi e. ,he Hueen was very happy to see her husband once again. 1he reHuested him to cure +anda who had become dumb or no ault o hers. 1araswat #apa was chanted to cure +anda. Chen +anda regained her voice& she came to the oblation site and a ter embracing the Hueen& blessed her by saying that she would become a proud mother o a very amous son named @anu. A ter that& she went back to Eataal loka. *n due course o time& the Hueen gave birth to a son who was named Auttam by the sages. A
/$0$4$8 5uttam ;anavantar

@arkandeya says3 A? sage$ ,he ollowing Banas who reigned during Auttam @anavantar are very amous. ,hey are the irst Bana3 1wadhama. ,he second Bana3 1atya was related with the deities. ,he third Bana was 1hiva& the ourth was named Eratardan and the i th Bana was Vashvarti. -ach o the Banas are the master o twelve deities. *ndra by the name o 1ushaanti rules all the three worlds by the virtue o accomplishing one hundred Ashwamedha Yagyas. (e along with 1hiva and 1atya etc. bestows peace to the world. ,he descendants o Auttam ruled the whole earth or the ull period o Auttam @anavantar. ,he 1aptarishis during this Auttam @anavantar were the sons o sage @ahatapa. ,he description o this third @anavantar is now complete. +ow * am going to tell you about the ourth @anavantar& which is also known as ,aamas @anavantar. A
<.G.F ,amas @anavantar

@arkandeya says3 A,here used to live a king named 1warashtra. ,he deity 1urya had blessed him with a long li e. ,he king had one hundred wives& but they were not as lucky as he was as ar as en9oying a long li e was concerned. ?ne by one& all o them died. A king rom the neighbouring state named Vimard de eated him in a battle. A ter being de eated& 1warashtra went at the bank o river Vitastaa and started doing penance. ?ne day& it rained heavily and the king was swept by the erocious current. ,he drowning king saw a doe and held her tail to save his li e. ,he doe told the king that she was aware about the lust o the king. 1he also told her that her pregnancy was causing hindrance in making love. ,he king was ama:ed. (e asked as to how she could
speak like a human being despite o being an animal. ,he doe replied that she was his most beloved Hueen @ahishi in her previous li e. 1he had killed a pair o deer while they were making love. ,he doe had died but the deer survived. (e had cursed her to become a doe in her ne/t li e. ,he deer also revealed to the Hueen that she would give birth to the mighty Lola. ,he same Lola would later on become amous as @anu a ter de eating his atherAs enemies. ,he king was very pleased at this. *n due course o time& the doe gave birth to a son a ter which she went to the heaven. ,he sages named the son ,aamas. Chen ,aamas became young& he did penance to please 1urya. 1urya gave him many weapons by the help o which ,aamas was able to de eat all his enemies. (e brought all the enemies in ront o his ather but 1warashtra orgave everybody. (e gave his kingdom to ,aamas. @arkandeya says3 A,aamas ruled over the whole earth. Dour types o deities were amous during this @anavantar3 1atya Bana& 1udhi Bana& 1urup Bana and (ari Bana. *ndra was known as 1hikhi during this @anavantar. ,he names o these 1aptarishis who lived during this @anavantar were #yotirdharma& Erithu& Kaavya& >haitra& Agni& Balak and Eeevar. ,he sons o ,aamas @anu were very mighty. ,heir names were +ar& Kshanti& 1hant& Daant& #ahnu and #angha etc.
<.G.8 "aivat @anavantar

@arkandeya says3 A+ow * am going to tell you about "aivat @anu. (is ather was "itvaak. "aivat was born in "evati +akshatra. Later on& he became in amous or his loose character. (is ather was very worried about him. "itvaak asked sage Barg as to how such a mean child had been born to him. 1age Barg replied3 A,he negative Hualities o your son is due to his birth in "evati +akshatra. "itvaak became very urious with "evati +akshatra and cursed it as a result o which& "evati +akshatra ell down on Kumud @ountain. All the our directions became illuminated and a reservoir was created. A girl mani ested rom that reservoir. A sage named Eramuchi brought that girl to his hermitage and named her as "evati. Chen the girl became young& the sage was very worried about her marriage. ?ne day& (utaashan revealed to him that she would get married to Durgam& the eldest son o 1wayambhu @anu. ?ne day Durgam arrived at EramuchiAs hermitage. (e saw "evati and asked her3 A? beauti ul lady$ >an you tell me where sage Eramuchi isL * have come here to pay my obeisance to him. At that time& sage Eramuchi was busy per orming his Yagya. (earing his voice& he came out. 1eeing Durgam at his hermitage& he instructed his disciple& Bautam to bring Ardhya or him. ,he sage said3 ADurgam is not only a king but also my son3in3law.A Durgam was very surprised at what sage Eramuchi had said. (e asked sage Eramuchi as to how could he be his son3in3law and who was his wi eL ,he sage replied3 AYour wi e is none other than the girl whom you met sometime earlier. (er name is "evati. ,hen the sage narrated the whole story how sage Barg had prophesised about "evatiAs marriage with Durgam.A Durgam started contemplating on this peculiar situation. 1age Eramuchi started to make arrangements or the marriage. Chen "evati saw the arrangements being made or her marriage& she reHuested him to get her married in "evati +akshatra. 1age Eramuchi revealed to her that this particular +akshatra did not e/ist in the sky any more. "evati then reHuested him to establish this +akshatra in the sky. 1age Eramuchi re3established "evati +akshatra in the sky by the help o his divine powers. ,hus& "evati and Durgam got married. A ter getting married& Durgam reHuested the sage to bless him with a mighty son. 1age Eramuchi blessed him. A ter sometime& "evati gave birth to "aivat @anu. "aivat @anu was pro icient in all the scriptures. ,he chie Banas o "aivat @anavantar were 1umedha& Bhupati& Vaikunth and Amitabhaichar. ,here were ourteen deities present in each o the Banas. ,he presiding deity o these deities was *ndra by the name o Vibhu. ,he 1aptarishis present during this @anavantar were (iranyaroma& Vedshri& %rdhvabaahu& Vedbaahu& 1udhaama& @ahamuni& Earyanya and Vashishta. "aivat @anu had our sons3 Balabandhu& @ahaveerya& 1uyastanya and 1atyak.
<.G.I >hakshush @anavantar

>haakshush had mani ested rom the eye (>hakshu) o Lord Brahma in his previous birth. Dor this reason& he was known as >haakshush. >haakshush was born to Anmitra and Biribhadra. A ter taking birth& he was abducted by #aathaarini and e/changed with the son o King Vikrant who was sleeping besides his mother. Being unaware o this event& Vikrant considered him as his own son and named him as Anand. Chen Anand grew up& once& his Buru instructed him to make salutations to his mother. Anand replied3 P,o whom should * make salutationsL ,he one who has given birth to me or to the one who has brought me up and nurtured meL ,he Buru was surprised by his reply. (e said3 P? son$ (aimini& the wi e o Vikrant has given birth to you and so& she is your mother. But Anand replied back3 P,his woman is not my mother. * have taken birth rom somebody elseAs womb. ,his woman is the mother o >haitra. * am the son o Anmitra and Biribhadra. #aathaarini had abducted me and brought me here. 1he had also carried >haitra to EunarvaAs place and kept him over there. #aathaarini had devoured the son o Eunarva. +ow tell me& who is my mother and to whom should * make salutationsLP ,he Buru became
con used& so were the king and the Hueen. Anand went to the orest and started doing penance. Era9apati became pleased by his tremendous penance and appeared be ore him. (e said3 P? son$ Chat makes you undertake such a severe penanceL Anand replied3 P? lord$ * am doing this penance with the purpose o becoming ree rom all the bondage o my Karma and to puri y mysel . Brahma9i said3 P?nly the mortal men are it to become liberated because they are bound by their Karmas but you being a virtuous person are not bound by your Karmas. Cith my blessings& you would become the si/th @anu. ,here is no need or you to do penance. Lord Brahma named him as >haakshush. Later on& he became amous as >haakshush @anu. Chen >haakshush @anu attained marriageable age& he married Vidarbha& the daughter o %gra. @arkandeya says3 PAapya was the most prominent Bana o >haakshush @anavantar. (e was the master o eight deities. ,he second Bana was called Erasoot. (e too was the master o eight deities. 1imilarly& there were two more Banas3 Bhatyakhya and %thaga. -ach o them was the master o eight deities. ,he presiding deity o these deities was *ndra by the name o @ano9av. ,he 1aptarishis present during this @anavantar were 1umedha& Vira9a& (avishmaan& %nnat& @adhu& Ati and 1ahishnu. >haakshush had many mighty sons like %ru& Kuru& 1hatadryumna etc. +ow * am going to tell you about the seventh @anu who was called Vaivasvat.P
<.G.< Vaivasvat @anavantar

,he Birth o Ashwini Kumars and "evant5 @arkandeya says3 A,he @anu o Vaivasvat @anavantar was amously known as Vaivasvat as he was the son o Vivasvaan (1urya). 1urya was married to 1angya3 the daughter o Vishwakarma. Although& she had borne two sons (Vaivasvat and Yama) and a daughter (Yami) rom 1urya& yet the radiance o 1urya was too much or her to bear. 1o& one day& she created a shadow identity o hersel and reHuested it to act as i she was the real 1angya. 1he said to the shadow3 AAs long as your identity remains unknown& * would not reveal mysel .A A ter this 1angya went back to her atherAs home and ultimately to %ttarkuru where she started doing penance in the guise o a mare. 1urya on the other hand was not aware o 1angyaAs doings. *n due course o time& the shadow o 1angya gave birth to many children. ,hough she loved her own children& she never had the same attitude towards the three sons o 1angya. 1eeing her discriminatory attitude& Yama tried to kick her with his leg. ,he shadow o 1angya became urious. 1he cursed YamaAs leg to get severed rom his body. Yama became very scared. (e went to his ather 1urya accompanied by Vaivasvat and Yami. (e told 1urya3 AA mother can never curse her own child. 1o& this woman is certainly not our mother because she has cursed me.A 1urya called the shadow o 1angya and asked about her true identity but 1angyaAs shadow kept mum. 1eeing her Huiet& 1urya became very angry and he held her by her hair and was 9ust about to curse her when& out o ear& she revealed the whole story. 1urya went to the place o his ather3in3law& Vishwakarma and asked about 1angya. Vishwakarma eigned ignorance. (e said3 A1he did come but she had returned to your place a ter staying here or a while.A Vishwakarma knew the reason why 1angya had abandoned her husband. 1o& he subdued the radiance o 1urya.
<.G.J ,he 1ages o 1aavarnik @anavantar

,his 1ection contains 67 sub3sections. Kraustuki says3 A? revered sage$ You have already enlightened me by revealing the names o seven di erent @anus o each @anavantar. You have also told me about the deities& the kings and the sages who e/isted during each @anavantar. +ow& * am curious to know about the seven @anus& the deities and the sages o this Kalpa.A @arkandeya says3 A1aavarni& the son o 1angyaAs shadow would be the eighth @anu. ,he 1aptarishis o 1aavarni @anavantar would be "ama& Vyasa& Baalav& Diptimaan& Krip& "ishyashring and Drauni (Ashwatthama). ,he three main categories o deities e/isting during this @anavantar would be 1utapa& Amitabh and @ukhya. -ach o them is the master o ;M Banas. Among these& the Banas3 Erabhakar& Erabhas& Dathita& Dharma& ,e9ah& "ashmi and Vakratu come under the authority o the deity& 1utapa. 1imilarly& the deity Amitabh is the master o the Banas like Erabhu& Vibhu and Vibhaas etc. ,he deity @ukhya is the lord o Banas like Dama& Daant& "it& 1oma and Vint. All o them are the o spring o sage Kashyap. ,hey will become amous as the deities o 1aavarni @anavantar. Bali& the son o Virochan would hold the post o *ndra during this @anavantar. Vir9a& Arvaveera& +irmoha& 1atyavaak& Kriti and Vishnu will be the sons o 1aavarni @anu.A
/$0$>$1 !illing of ;adhu !aitabha

@arkandeya says3 AKing 1urath was the descendant o >haitra. (e was de eated in the battle against King Kolvidhvansi. All his wealth was deceit ully taken over by his cunning ministers. King 1urath led to the orest to
save his li e where he met a sage named @edha. (e stayed with him at his hermitage but a ter a while& the thought o his lost kingdom began to torment him. ?ne day& while he was roaming near the hermitage& he met a Vaishya named 1amadhi. 1amadhi narrated his woe ul story as to how his sons had driven him out o his home a ter taking all his wealth. But inspite o this& his love or them remained intact. Both 1urath and 1amadhi went to sage @edha and told him that3 A*nspite o our miserable condition& we are unable to understand why we still have a ection and love or our near and dear ones even though they have cheated us.A 1age @edha replied3 A? king$ Due to the illusions o this world& human beings are deeply in luenced by attachments. 1o& there is nothing to be ama:ed. Boddess @ahamaaya in luences the mind o each human being. 1he does not spare even the most learned one. Chen she becomes pleased& she bestows liberation.A ,he king asked3 ACho is this @ahamaayaL Elease tell us about her.A 1age @edha then told them about @ahamaaya3 A? king$ Boddess @ahamaaya is beyond the reach o origin and destruction. Chen the whole earth was submerged in water at the end o the Kalpa& Lord Vishnu took re uge o Yoganidra. Chile (e was sleeping& two demons& @adhu and Kaitabh mani ested rom the wa/ o his ears. ,he demons wanted to attack Brahma. Lord Brahma got scared and sought help rom Boddess +idra. 1he mani ested rom the body o Lord Vishnu and appeared be ore Lord Brahma. Lord Vishnu woke up rom his sleep. (e saw that the demons were trying to kill Lord Brahma. (e ought with both the demons or 8&MMM years. Boddess @ahamaaya in luenced the demonsA minds as a result o which& they asked some boons rom Lord Vishnu. Lord Vishnu granted the boons to them and said3 ABoth o you will get killed by me.A ,he demons said3 ACe are ready to get killed on the condition that you kill us only in such a place where there is no water.A As the whole earth was submerged in water& so the demons thought that Lord Vishnu would not be able to get a base to kill them. But Lord Vishnu severed their heads a ter making them sit on (is thighs.
/$0$>$3 +he 6estruction of ;ahishasura:s 5rmy

@arkandeya says3 ADuring ancient times& the deities and the demons ought a ierce battle which lasted or a hundred years. ,he deities were de eated in this battle. @ahishasura drove out the deities rom heaven and ascended the throne o *ndra. ,he de eated deities went to seek the help o Lord Brahma& Vishnu and @ahadev. ,hey narrated their woe ul tale to all the three deities. Brahma& Vishnu and @ahadev became urious at the demonsA cruelty. A power ul e ulgence appeared rom the mouth o Brahma& Vishnu and @ahadev. 1imilar e ulgence appeared rom the bodies o all the deities. ,he super e ulgence was created rom the unison o all these e ulgence and a Boddess mani ested rom it. ,he deities were very pleased. All the deities presented their weapons to the Boddess. A ter this& they hailed her name in a loud voice by chanting3 AVictory be to her.A ,he Boddess laughed loudly. (er laughter shook the whole earth violently. Chen @ahishasura heard her laughter& he proceeded towards her accompanied by a huge army. Chen he reached there& he was ama:ed at the appearance o the goddess. (e attacked her with his army& which boasted o mighty warriors like >haamar& >hikshur& %dagra& Asilom& @ahaahanu& Vaashkal& Earivaarit& Vidaal and Kaal. ,hese demons had dangerous weapons like ,omar& 1hakti& a/e& mace etc. ?ne by one& the Boddess destroyed all the demonsA weapons and launched an attack on them. ,he deep e/halations made during the battle resulted into the creation o numerous Banas. ,hese Banas 9oined the Boddess in the battle. %ltimately& the Boddess succeeded in killing all the demons. ,he battle ield was covered by demonsA corpses as well as carcasses o elephants and horses. ,he deities were pleased by the outcome o this battle.
/$0$>$4 +he 6eities )ulogi?e -oddess Bhag"ati

@arkandeya says3 AA ter the killing o @ahishasura& all the deities including *ndra eulogised Boddess Bhagwati and said3 ACe make salutations to her who has mani ested hersel as a result o the unison o the powers o all the deities& one who is revered by all the deities and the sages. @ay she bless us. Ce make salutations to that Boddess whose powers are indescribable even by Lord Brahma& Vishnu and @ahesh. ? goddess$ Elease nurture the whole world with your love and care. Ce ind ourselves incapable o describing your grandeur and magni icence.A Boddess Bhagwati became very pleased with their devotion and asked them to demand any boon. But the deities replied3 A? goddess$ By killing @ahishasura& you have already ul illed our aspirations. * you really want to bless us& then please appear be ore us at the time o our need. ,he goddess blessed them by saying3 A1o be itA. @arkandeya says3 A+ow& * am going to tell you how Boddess Bhagwati protected the deities by killing the demons3 1humbh and +ishumbh.A
/$0$>$7 -oddess *arvati and Shumbh:s ;essenger

@arkandeya says3 ADuring ancient times& the demons3 1humbh and +ishumbh had captured all the three worlds a ter de eating the deities. ,he deities went to Boddess Earvati and eulogised her by saying3 A? goddess$ You had promised us that you would come to our help at the time o our need. ,he time has arrived.A As the deities were busy eulogising Boddess Earvati& she was preparing to go or her bath. 1he came near the deities and asked them as to who were they eulogising. 1uddenly& a divine entity mani ested rom her body and answered on behal o the deities3 A,hese deities are eulogising me.A ,his divine entity was none other than Boddess 1hivaa. As 1hivaa had mani ested rom the cell (Koshika) o EarvatiAs body& she was also known as Kaushiki. Kaushiki possessed divine beauty. ,he demons& >hand and @und happened to see her. Both o them went to 1humbh and described to him about KaushikiAs beauty. 1humbh wanted to marry her. (e sent a messenger named 1ugreev to Kaushiki to in orm her about his intentions. 1ugreev went to Kaushiki and said3 AYou are so beauti ul. You are it to marry a mighty demon king like 1humbh who rules over all the three worlds.A ,he goddess laughed and said3 A? messenger$ * am ready to marry 1humbh or +ishumbh because * know they are very power ul but there is one problem. As * have taken a vow that * would marry only such a person who de eats me in a battle.A ,he messenger replied3 A? beauti ul lady$ (ow can you ight the mighty 1humbh who has de eated even the deities and who is the master o all the three worldsLA 1ugreev made persistent reHuests but the goddess re used to go along with him. 1he instructed him to in orm 1humbh and +ishumbh about her vow.
/$0$>$8 !illing of 6humralochan

@arkandeya says3 A1ugreev went back to 1humbh and narrated the whole story. 1humbh became very urious and instructed Dhumralochan to bring her by orce. Dhumralochan went to Boddess Bhagwati accompanied by IM&MMM demons. *nitially& he reHuested her to come along with him. (e also threatened to take her orcibly i she did not accept her proposal. Boddess Bhagwati re used to go along with him. Dhumralochan angrily ran towards her. ,he Boddess made a loud roar as a result o which& DhumralochanAs body was reduced to ashes. A ter his death& DhumralochanAs army attacked Boddess Bhagwati. ,he mount o the Boddess3 1imha killed all the demons. Chen 1humbh got the news o DhumralochanAs death& his anger knew no bounds. (e instructed >hand and @und to go and bring Boddess Bhagwati a ter capturing her.
/$0$>$9 !illing of @hand and ;und

>hand and @und proceeded with a huge army. At that time& Boddess Bhagwati had positioned hersel at the peak o (imachal @ountain. 1he was mounted on the back o 1imha and was smiling sweetly. >hand and @und tried to enslave her but suddenly& Boddess Kali appeared rom her mouth and erociously attacked the demons. 1he devoured some o them and killed the rest. A ter seeing his huge army vanHuished& >hand angrily ran towards Boddess Kali. @und attacked her with a range o arrows& which in uriated Boddess Kali and she pulled >hand by his hair and severed his head by a sword. 1eeing him all to the ground& @und ran towards Boddess Kali but even he was killed. ,he rest o the army retreated. A ter killing >hand and @und& Boddess Kali told Boddess Bhagwati3 A* have done my duty. * have killed >hand and @und. +ow you should do the same by killing 1humbh and +ishumbh.A Boddess Bhagwati replied3 A1ince you have killed the demons& >hand and @und rom now onwards& you will also become amous as >handika.A
/$0$>$/ !illing of Ra%tabeej

@arkandeya says3 AChen 1humbh got the news o >hand and @undA s death& he became very urious. (e proceeded to ight Boddess Bhagwati accompanied by numerous mighty warriors like %dayudh& Kambu& Kotiveerya& Dhumravansha9aat& Kaalak& Kaalkeya etc. Chen Boddess >handika saw them coming& she made a loud sound by pulling the bowstring. ,he demons came near and surrounded Boddess >handika and Boddess Bhagwati rom all the sides. Lord Brahma& Lord 1hiva and Lord Vishnu became an/ious. ,hey created divine entities with the help o e ulgence emanating rom their bodies. ,hese divine entities resembled Boddess >handika. ,hey instructed these divine entities to kill all the demons. Boddess >handika reHuested Lord 1hiva to approach 1humbh and +ishumbh as her messenger and in orm him that they should either take re uge in the Eaatal loka or be ready to die. Lord @ahadev went to the place where Katyayani was ighting the demons. ,he demons attacked her with di erent weapons but >handika gave them a be itting reply. %nable to ace the assault o the goddesses& the demons started leeing. 1eeing this& "aktabee9 came orward to ight. "aktabee9 was blessed with a boon that was i a single drop o his blood ell on the ground& this drop would create another orm o his. ,his way& in a very short time& thousands o "aktabee9as covered the battle ield. ,he deities became a raid.
1eeing the rightened deities& Bhagwati said to Kali3 A? >hamunda$ ?pen your mouth and drink each drop o blood coming out rom the in9uries o "aktabee9.A A ter saying this& Boddess Bhagwati attacked "aktabee9 with her trident. Boddess Kali drank all the blood coming out rom his wound. At last& "aktabee9 was killed. ,he deities were pleased. Boddess Kali started to dance with erocity due to the into/ication caused by drinking o the blood.
/$0$>$> !illing of Aishumbh

@arkandeya says3 AChen 1humbh and +ishumbh heard about "aktabee9As death& they were in uriated. +ishumbh attacked the goddess with a huge army. 1humbh attacked rom the other side. *n the ierce battle& Boddess Bhagwati broke the sword as well as the shield o +ishumbh. +ishumbh then attacked Boddess Bhagwati with his weapon3 1hakti. Boddess Bhagwati broke it with her >hakra. At last& she attacked him with her arrows at him and as a result& +ishumbh got in9ured and ell. A Chen 1humbh saw +ishumbh& in9ured and unconscious& he ran towards Boddess Bhagwati to kill her. Boddess Bhagwati blew her conch and made a thunderous noise by pulling the bowstring. 1humbh released the dangerous weapon3 %gradipti in the direction o Boddess Bhagwati. But her weapon @aholkanaamni destroyed it. 1humbh thundered loudly and attacked Boddess Bhagwati with a volley o arrows but none could cause any harm to her. Dinally& Boddess Bhagwati attacked 1humbh with her trident. 1humbh ell down unconscious. A ter sometime& he regained his consciousness and attacked Boddess Bhagwati with his arrows. But she destroyed all the arrows. *n the meantime& +ishumbh had regained his consciousness. (e got up and attacked Boddess Bhagwati with his trident. *n the end& Boddess Bhagwati killed +ishumbh by piercing her trident in his heart. As +ishumbh was dying& an another demon mani ested rom his body. -ven he was killed by her. (er mount 1imha devoured all the dead demons.
/$0$>$0 !illing of Shumbh

@arkandeya says3 A1humbh became angry at the death o his brother3 +ishumbh. (e uriously told the goddess3 A? wicked lady$ Do not be proud o your strength borrowed rom others.A Boddess Bhagwati replied3 A? wicked demon$ * am the only power o this whole universe. * am the origin o cause and e ect. Look$ All the divinities are entering into my body.A ,he ne/t moment& all the divine entities& which had earlier mani ested rom the bodies o the deities united with the goddess. +ow& the goddess was alone. A tremendous battle was ought between Boddess Bhagwati and 1humbh. Ambika attacked him with numerous divine weapons. But& 1humbh neutralised her attack with his own weapons. 1humbh covered the whole body o Boddess Bhagwati with his arrows. 1he broke his bow. A ter this& 1humbh attacked her with his weapon named 1hakti& which was broken into pieces by her >hakra. +ow& 1humbh took out his sword and attacked her with it. 1he broke his shield and sword with her arrows. 1humbh then attacked her with his mace. -ven his mace was broken into pieces. 1humbh had no more weapons le t with him. (e attacked the goddess on her breast with his clenched ist. 1he slapped him on his ace because o which he ell down. ,he ne/t moment& he got up and mani ested himsel in the sky. +ow& a tremendous duel was ought between them in the sky. *n the end& she dashed him on the ground and pierced the trident in his heart. 1humbh was instantly killed. A ter the killing o 1humbh& all the deities became pleased. ,he Bandharvas and the deities re9oiced. ,he Apsaras danced. ,he whole atmosphere echoed with the sound3 A1(A+,* 1(A+,*A (Let there be peace).
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6evi Stotra
@arkandeya says3 A ter goddess Bhagwati had killed 1humbh& all the deities under the leadership o *ndra and Agni started eulogising her3 A? Boddess$ Be pleased up on us$ Erotect the whole world& as you are the goddess o this whole universe. You appear in the orm o this earth3 the base on which everything is situated. Your light illuminates all the living creatures. You are the only power through which creation& nurturing and annihilation takes place. You are the Brahmani& @aheshwari and the Kaumari. Ce salute you because you have protected us rom the terror o the demons. Ce need your protection rom all the calamities o this world.A Boddess Bhagwati was e/tremely pleased by their eulogy. 1he asked them or any wish. ,he deities said3 A? Akhileshwari$ Ce need your protection. >lear all the obstacles rom our path. -liminate our enemies.A Boddess Bhagwati replied3 ADuring Vaivasvat @anavantar& * will take incarnation rom YashodaAs womb3 the wi e o +and& to kill the demons 1humbh and +ishumbh. A ter that& * will kill the demon3 Vaiprachit in my most
aggressive orm. ?ne hundred years later& * will mani est mysel and would be known as 1atakshi because o my hundred eyes. @y ne/t incarnation would be known as 1hakambhari because * would nurture the whole world during the period o drought. * will kill the demon Durgam during that drought period. * will kill the demon Arun3 the tormentor o all the three worlds by appearing in the orm o a bee. Due to this& * will be known as Bhramari. * will take incarnations every time the demons torment the world.
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-oddess Bhag"ati Blesses the 6eities
Boddess Bhagwati says3 * will clear all the obstacles rom the path o such a man who worships me. A devotee who listens to the great tales o how * killed @ahishasura& 1humbh and +ishumbh& on the eighth& ninth and ourteenth days o any month& would be liberated rom all sins and poverty. (e would become ree rom ear. A devotee must listen to my divine tales during all the religious ceremonies like making sacri ice& worship and per orming Yagya. By doing this& all his enemies will be eliminated. A man who remembers me when aced with dangerous situation remains protected by me.A A ter blessing the deities& Boddess Bhagwati disappeared rom their sight. All the demons& which had survived a ter the killings o 1humbh and +ishumbh& went to the nether world to save their lives.
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-oddess Bhag"ati Blesses Surath and the Vaishya
,he sage says3 A? king$ * have described in detail about the greatness o Boddess Bhagwati who is the creator o this universe. 1he is the one who bestows the knowledge o sel to us. 1he is the @aya (illusion) by whom the whole world is in luenced. You must take her re uge. You can achieve all the pleasures o this world& heaven& as well as liberation.A King 1urath and the Vaishya went to do their penance. Chile doing their penance& they chanted the mantras o Devi 1ukta. ,hey made an earthen idol o Bhagwati and worshipped it by o ering lowers& Dhup etc. ,hey did an austere penance or three years implying various modes o worship. 1ometimes& they observed ast& the other time& they o ered their own blood to please Boddess Bhagwati. At last& the goddess was pleased and appeared be ore them. 1he said3 A* am pleased with both o you. * will ul il whatever you wish.A King 1urath sought her blessings in regaining his kingdom rom the clutches o his enemies. (e also reHuested her to bless him with an undivided kingdom in his ne/t li e. ,he Vaishya reHuested her to make him ree rom all kinds o attachments. Boddess Bhagwati said3 A? king$ Very soon& you will be able to regain your whole kingdom rom your enemies. *n your ne/t birth& you would be born as 1aavarni @anu& the son o 1urya. You will also attain sel 3knowledge and become ree rom all kinds o attachments.A A ter blessing both o them& Boddess Bhagwati disappeared.
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Savarna ;anavantar
@arkandeya says3 A? great sage$ +ow * am going to tell you about the @anavantar o 1aavarn& which will be the ninth @anavantar. 1aavarn was the son o Daksha. During this @anavantar& there will be three prominent groups (Banas) o deities. -ach group would comprise o twelve deities. During this @anavantar& *ndra would be known as Adbhut. ,he names o the 1aptarishis o this @anavantar would be @edhatithi& Vasu& 1atya& #yotishmaan& Dyutimaan& 1abal and (atyavaahan. 1aavarn will have eight sons3 Dhrishtketu& Barhaketu& Eanchahasta& +iraamay& Erithushravah& Achishmaan& Bhuridruymna and Bhrihadmay.A ,he tenth @anavantar will be named a ter the tenth @anasputra o Lord Brahma. During this @anavantar& the names o two prominent groups o deities will be 1ukhasin and +iruddha. ,he total population during this @anavantar will be hundred people. ,he total number o deities during this @anavantar will also be o the same number. ,he name o *ndra during this tenth @anavantar would be 1hanti and the names o the 1aptarishis during this tenth @anavantar would be Aapomurti& (avishmaan& 1ukrit& 1atya& +aabhaag& Apratim and Vashishta. ,he tenth @anu would have ten sons3 1ukshetra& %ttamo9a& Bhurishen& Veeryavaan& 1hataanik& Vrishabh& Anmitra& #ayadrath& Bhuridruymna and 1uparva. ,he eleventh @anavantar will be named a ter 1aavarn& the son o Dharma. During this @anavantar& there will be three prominent groups o deities3 Vihangam& Kaamag and +irmaanpati. -ach group would comprise o 7M deities. *ndra would be known by the name o Vrishakhya. ,he name o the 1aptarishis o this @anavantar would be (avishmaan& Varishtha& +ischar& Anagh& Vishti& Agnidev etc. ,he eleventh @anu would have si/ sons3 1arvatrag& 1usharma& Devaneek& Eurudwaha& (emdhanva and Dhridhayu. ,he twel th @anavantar will be named a ter 1aavarn& the son o "udra. ,he names o the ive prominent groups o deities o this @anavantar will be 1udharma& 1umana& (arit& "ohit and 1uvarn. -ach group will comprise o ten
deities. During this @anavantar& *ndra would be known by the name o Kratadhaama. ,he names o the 1aptarishis during this @anavantar would be Dyuti& ,apasvi& 1utava& ,apomurti& ,aponidhi& ,aporati and ,apodhiti. ,he @anu o this @anavantar would have si/ sons3 Devavaan& %padev& Devashrestha& Vidurath& @itravaan and @itravinda. "auchya would be the @anu during the thirteen @anavantar. ,hree prominent groups o deities would be 1udharma& 1ukarma and 1usharma. During this @anavantar& *ndra would be known by the name o Divaspati. ,he name o the 1aptarishis o this @anavantar will be Dhritimaan& Avyay& ,atvadarshi& +irutsuk& +irmoha& 1utapa and +ishkamp. During this @anavantar& @anu would have eight sons3 >hitrasen& Vichitra& +iyati& +irbhay& Dhridh& 1unetra& Kshatrabuddhi and 1uvrat.
<.G.G "auchya @anavantar

,his 1ection contains F sub3sections.
/$0$0$1 Birth of Rauchya ;anu

@arkandeya says3 AAs soon as the ancestors departed& a beauti ul Apsara came near "uchi. (er name was Eramlocha. 1he said to him3 A? great sage$ * have a daughter named @aalini. ,he name o my husband is Eushkar. * want to get her betrothed to you. Elease accept her as your wi e. *n course o time& she would give birth to @anu. "uchi accepted her proposal. "uchi married @aalini in the presence o sages. *n course o time& @aalini gave birth to a son who was named "auchya. "auchya @anavantar was named a ter him.
/$0$0$3 Ruchi 5dvised to get ;arried

@arkandeya says3 ADuring ancient times& the ancestors o "uchi were not pleased by his unmarried status. (e was a sage o high degree and used to have ood once a day. ,he ancestors asked him3 A? son$ Chy didnAt you get marriedL Brihasthashram holds a very important place in the li e o a man. *t is only a ter paying his three debts (rina) that a man is entitled to become a householder. All your e orts in paying o your debts towards the deities and ancestors are useless unless you are married. Your aspirations o attaining the supreme abode would go in vain unless you have become a ather.A "uchi replied3 ABetting married is the root cause o all sorrows. *t also obstructs the upward spiritual movement o a man. ,hat is why * am not having any interest in getting married. (aving sel control helps a man to attain salvation.A ,he ancestors said3 A,he path you have chosen would never lead you towards salvation. A man reaps the ruits o his Karmas committed in his previous lives in the orm o happiness and sorrow. An intelligent man must act in such a manner that his soul remains aloo rom his Karmas.A "uchi replied3 A,he path o actions (Karma) has been described as an Avidya in the Vedas. Chy are you pushing me towards that pathLA ,he ancestors replied3 A*t is true what you have said. But at the same time& it can be proved wrong by oneAs Karmas because Karmas are the means by which a man attains sel 3knowledge. Your belie that your actions are puri ying your soul is based on alse notions. Actually& by not doing your Karma& you are only torturing your soul. Karma is very bene icial or a manAs upli tment. 1o& you must get married to en9oy a bliss ul li e.A "uchi replied3 A? great ancestors$ Cho will give his daughter to a poor and an old man like meLA ,he ancestors warned "uchi that i he went against their wishes& he would ace degradation in every sphere o his li e. A ter saying this& the ancestors disappeared.
/$0$0$4 Ruchi )ulogi?es his 5ncestors

@arkandeya says3 AA ter the departure o his ancestors& "uchi started wandering here and there in his restlessness. A ter sometime& when he regained his composure& he decided to do penance to please Lord Brahma. (is penance continued or one hundred years. A ter the accomplishment o his penance& Lord Brahma appeared be ore him and asked what he desired. "uchi e/pressed his desire o getting married as per the aspirations o his ancestors. Lord Brahma blessed him and also instructed "uchi to eulogise his ancestors so that his wishes could be ul illed.A "uchi eulogised his ancestors by chanting 1totras3 A* make salutations to my ancestors who preside over the ceremony o 1hraadh& who are paci ied even by the deities& by the chanting o 1waha& made during the ceremony
o 1hraadh. * make salutations to my ancestors who dwell in the space and in the heaven. @ay my ancestors accept the o erings& which * am making in the orm o lowers& cereals& water& Dhup etc.A
/$0$0$7 5ncestors Bless Ruchi

@arkandeya says3 A(ardly had "uchi accomplished his eulogy o the ancestors& a very bright e ulgence appeared in ront o him& who were in act his ancestors. ,hey said3 ADemand any boon.A "uchi replied3 ALord Brahma has instructed me to enhance the process o creation. 1o * need a wi e or that purpose. ,he ancestors said3 A(ere at this very place& you will ind a very beauti ul wi e. 1he would give birth to "auchya. You too would become very amous as Era9apati because o your numerous sons and you will attain salvation in the end.A A ter blessing "uchi& the ancestors departed or heaven.
<.G.6M ,he Beginning o Bhautya @anavantar

,his 1ection contains 6 sub3section. @arkandeya says3 A+ow * am going to tell you about the origin o Bhautya @anavantar. 1age Angira had a disciple named Bhuti. (e was short tempered in nature and used to curse anybody at the earliest opportunity. -verybody including the deities like *ndra& Vayu& 1urya etc. were scared o him. +obody went against his wishes and ollowed his commands.A Bhuti had no children and commenced a rigorous penance to achieve one. But still& his aspiration remained un ul illed. (e decided to Huit doing penance. (is brother named 1uvarcha invited him to the Yagya he was per orming. Bhuti le t the hermitage a ter entrusting his disciple3 1hanti to look a ter its a airs. 1hanti tried his best to per orm his duties according to the instructions o his teacher3 Bhuti. Yet& one day& the sacri icial ire got e/tinguished somehow. 1hanti became scared at the prospect o acing his preceptorAs wrath. (e was certain o being cursed by Bhuti. Dinding no other option& he went to Agni named #aativeda and sought his help. (e tried to please him by chanting Agni 1totra. (e eulogised Agni in many ways. (e said3 A? Agni$ ,he irst o all creations& * need your blessings. Cithout you& the Yagya cannot be per ormed. All the Vedas are ull o praise or you. ,he deities as well as the demons try to paci y you by making o erings to you.A ,he deity Agni became e/tremely pleased by 1hantiAs eulogy and appeared be ore him. (e asked 1hanti to e/press his desire. 1hanti reHuested Agni to re3ignite the sacri icial ire& which had gone o & so that he does not have to ace the wrath o his Buru. (e then reHuested Agni to bless his Buru with a son having all the good Hualities. Agni was very much pleased by 1hantiAs devotion towards his Buru. (e said3 AYour Buru Bhuti would have a son named Bhautya a ter whom the @anavantar would be named.A A ter blessing him& Agni disappeared. 1hanti returned to his hermitage and was very pleased to see the sacri icial ire burning. *n the meantime& his Buru Bhuti arrived. (is Buru was very pleased with the sincerity o 1hanti with which he per ormed his duties in his absence. Bhuti said3 A? son$ * donAt understand the reason why my heart is overwhelmed with love. Love is alien to my nature. * you are cognisant o the reason& please tell me.A ,hen 1hanti narrated the whole story. Bhuti was very pleased by his devotion. (e taught all the Vedas to 1hanti. *n course o time& Bhautya was born to him. (e was the @anu o the Bhautya @anavantar. During this @anavantar& there would be ive prominent groups o deities3 >haakshush& Kanishth& Eavitra& Bhra9ir and Dharavrit. During this @anavantar& *ndra would be known as 1huchi. ,he names o the 1aptarishis would be Agnigh& Agnibaahu& 1uchi& @ukt& @aadhav& 1hukra and A9it. Bhautya @anu would have ten sons3 Buh& Bambhir& Brahna& Bharat& Anugraha& 1hrimaani& Erateer& Vishnu& 1ankraman and 1ubal. A man who listens to the tales o all the ourteen @anvantaras is not only blessed but becomes liberated rom all his sins.
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Birth of ;artandadev
Lord Brahma had created Daksha rom the thumb o his right hand. DakshaAs wi e was created rom the thumb o BrahmaAs le t hand. Daksha had a daughter named Aditi. @aartandadev was the son o Aditi and his ather was Kashyap. Kraustuki asked3 A? lord$ ,ell me the reason why Vivasvaan 1urya took birth as the son o Kashyap.A @arkandeya says3 ADuring the initial phase o creation& when nothing e/isted& e/cept a large egg. Lord Brahma mani ested inside that egg. 1ubseHuently& he came out rom that egg. At that time& a loud sound o ?@ came out rom his mouth. Drom this sound o ?mkar& were created Bhur& Bhuvah and in the end 1wah. ,hese three mystic
words are the orms o 1urya. A ter that& three more mystic words were created3 @ahah& #an and ,apah& each o the ormer word being grosser than the latter one. *n the end& the word 1atya was created& which was the grossest o all. ,hese seven mystic words related with the ?mkar illustrate the gross and the subtle orms o Vivasvaan.
4&1: Manifestation of the )un (od (Aditya% and the +edas

,his chapter contains I sections. @arkandeya says3 AA ter Brahma came out rom that egg& "igveda mani ested rom his irst mouth. Drom the mouth acing south& mani ested the Ya9urveda. A ter that& 1amaveda mani ested rom his mouth acing west. *n the end& Atharvaveda came out rom the mouth acing north. ,he "igveda symbolises the "a9o Buna while the Ya9urveda symbolises the 1atva Buna. 1amaveda comprises o ,amo Buna whereas Atharvaveda is the mi/ture o 1atva and ,amo Buna. ,he mani estation o the Vedas had illuminated the whole atmosphere. But the mani estation o ?mkar overlapped their radiance and covered all the Vedas. At last& the radiance o the Vedas got united with that o the ?mkar. ,he "igveda symbolises the orm o Brahma during the period o creation while Ya9urveda symbolises Lord Vishnu during the whole period o nurturing. 1amaveda is symbolical o "udra at the time o annihilation.
<.6M.6 Lord Brahma -ulogi:es 1urya

@arkandeya says3 A*n the beginning o the creation& 1urya shed unbearable amount o heat. ,his made the process o creation very di icult. Lord Brahma became worried. (e thought3 ADue to the e/treme heat o the 1un& all the water on this earth is getting evaporated. * this continues to happen then how would the creatures surviveLA Lord Brahma eulogised 1urya to please him. (e said3 A* make salutations to 1urya who is the ob9ect o contemplation o great sages& who is the source o all energy. ? 1urya$ *t is only because o you that * can create& nurture and annihilate. You are the protector o this universe created rom the Eanchatatvas. Elease subdue your radiance so that * can commence my creation.A Vivasvaan 1urya became very pleased by BrahmaAs eulogy and subdued his radiance. ,hus& it became possible or Lord Brahma to begin his creation. (e created the deities& demons& human beings& animals& vegetation etc. in the same way as he had done in earlier Kalpas.
<.6M.; Erogeny o Kashyap Era9apati and Aditi)s -ulogy o Divakar

@arkandeya says3 ALord Brahma& a ter having created the universe divided the earth into various islands. (e also created the oceans and the mountains. @arichi& the son o Brahma was the ather o Kashyap. Kashyap was married to the ten daughters o Daksha. (e had numerous sons rom them like the deities& the demons and many creatures like reptiles. Aditi was the mother o the deities& Diti o the demons& Danu o the Daanavas (monsters). Vinata gave birth to Barud and Arun. "avasa was the mother o Yakshas and the "akshasas& Kadru o the +agas. @uni was the mother o Bandharvas. Krodha was the mother o Kulyaava Banas& "ishta o Apsaras. *ra was the mother o the elephants and ,aamra was the mother o 1hyeni. *la gave birth to all the vegetation while Eradha gave birth to the insects. ,he earth was inhabited with the progenies o AditiAs sons. Lord Brahma had made the deities masters o all the three worlds. ,his decision o Brahma had made the Daityas& Daanavas and "akshasas very angry. ,hey got united and started causing obstacles in the path o the deities. A great battle was ought between the deities and the demons in which the deities were de eated. Aditi& the mother o the deities became very sad. 1he did a rigorous penance to please the 1un god. 1he observed asts and eulogised the 1un god or most o her time. At last& the 1un god appeared be ore her but she could not bear his radiance which was so power ul that she could not even open her eyes. 1he reHuested him to subdue his power so that she could see him.
<.6M.7 Aditi gives birth to Aditya

@arkandeya says3 AA ter being pleased by the eulogy o Aditi& the 1un shed its radiance and became sombre. +ow& Aditi could see him. 1he said3 A? lord$ Be pleased upon me. ,he Daityas and the Daanavas have captured all the three worlds rom my sons. * reHuest you to take birth as my son and de eat the demons.A ,he 1un god agreed to take birth as her son. *n course o time& Aditi became pregnant. 1he engaged hersel in religious activities so that she could become a mother o a virtuous child. 1eeing his pregnant wi e observing
asts& Kashyap became very angry. (e said3 A*t is not proper or a pregnant woman to observe ast as it may prove to be harm ul to the oetus. Chy are you trying to destroy itLA Aditi replied3 A* am not trying to destroy my oetus. A ter taking birth& our child will destroy our enemies.A *n her anger& Aditi released her oetus. Kashyap started chanting the mantras o "igveda. *n a very short time& her child came out rom that oetus. A heavenly voice was heard which said3 A? sage$ 1ince you have called this oetus& @aarit& there ore your son would be amously known as @aartand.A A ter the birth o @aartand& the morale o the deities was boosted up. *ndra challenged the demons. A tremendous battle ensued between both the sides. @aartand glanced towards the demons as a result o which they were charred to death. ,he deities were pleased and eulogised @aartand. At last& the deities regained their territories they had lost to the demons.
<.6M.F Vishwakarma -ulogi:es Aditya

@arkandeya says3 AVishwakarma had married his daughter 1angya to the 1un3god. But being unable to ace the unbearable radiance o the 1un& she went to do penance a ter instructing her shadow to per orm the duties o an ideal wi e on her behal . %ltimately& she returned back to her husband only a ter Vishwakarma had subdued the radiance o the 1un god. Vishwakarma then eulogised the 1un god by saying3 * make salutations to the 1un god whose e/istence is bene icial or the whole universe. * make salutations to one whose own origin remains a mystery and who enables our eyes to see. * make salutations to the 1un god who destroys the darkness and who lightens up the whole world.A
<.6M.8 "a9yavardan)s 1ub9ects -ulogi:e Aditya or their King)s Long Li e

Kraustuki says3 A? lord$ -nlighten us on the greatness o Bhaskar.A @arkandeya replied3 A,here was a king named "a9yavardhan. (is sub9ects were very happy and satis ied under his rule. ,hey were ree rom all the diseases. "a9yavardhan ruled or <&MMM long years. (is wi e was @aanini. ?ne day& while @aanini was applying oil on his head& she saw a grey hair. 1he became very sad and started crying. A drop o tear ell on the king. (e asked the Hueen as to why she was crying. ,he Hueen told him about the reason. ,he king laughingly said3 A* am ully satis ied by my rule o <&MMM years. ,he grey hair on my head is an indication that * must now abandon my worldly li e and become a recluse. ,his would be more appropriate or me.A Chen his sub9ects came to know about his decision& they became sad. But nothing could make the king change his mind. (e decided to become a recluse a ter appointing his son as his successor. ,he king called the astrologers or consultation. ,he astrologers advised the king to change his mind. But "a9yavardhan did not listen to them. At last& his sub9ects decided to eulogise the 1un god and demand a long li e or their king. All o them started worshipping the 1un god. A Bandharva whose name was 1udama appeared be ore them and instructed them to go to a orest named BuhaVishaal and continue their penance. All o them went to the orest as per the instruction o the Bandharva. ,here was a beauti ul temple o Lord Bhaskar in the orest. ,hey worshipped 1urya and eulogised him. ,heir worship continued or three months a ter which the 1un god became pleased and appeared be ore them. Lord Bhaskar asked them to demand any boon. (e said3 A? Brahmin$ Demand anything you wish.A All o them said3 A? lord$ * you are really pleased with us& then bless our King "a9yavardhan with a long li e. Elease bless him with an eternal youth and a li e ree rom all the deities. Ce want our king to live or 6M&MMM years. ,he 1un god blessed them by saying3 A1o be itA. A ter receiving the boons& all o them came to the kingAs palace and narrated the whole story. ,he Hueen was very pleased but the king was worried. ,he Hueen was surprised at the kingAs sadness even a ter getting such good news. ,he king replied3 AChat is the use o remaining alive or 6M&MMM yearsL You wonAt be alive then. Cill * be able to en9oy my li e in your absenceL Cill not the deaths o my sons& my grandsons and my near and dear ones make me sadL ,he boon o mysel en9oying li e or 6M&MMM years will actually prove to be a curse.A ,he Hueen sadly said3 AChatever you have said is true. * could not understand this act because o my ignorance. +ow& you must do your duty& as the boon o the 1un god is not going to go in vain. ,he king decided to go to the @ountain3 Erabhriti and do penance. (e wanted to receive a boon rom 1un god& which enabled all his sub9ects and his relatives to remain alive as long as he lived. ,he Hueen also decided to move along with the king. Both o them did an austere penance. ,he 1un god appeared be ore them and blessed them. ,hus& "a9yavardhan lived or 6M&MMM years along with his sub9ects.
<.6M.I @artandadev and his Descendants

@arkandeya says3 A@aartandadev had a son named @anu. ,he seventh @anavantar in which we are living is named a ter him. @anu had many sons among whom +arishyant& +aabhaag& Erishadhna and Drisht were the rulers o di erent kingdoms. @anu had per ormed a special Yagya named @itravarun with the desire o having more sons. But a ter the Yagya& a daughter was born to him and who was named *la. @anu then reHuested @itravarun to trans orm that girl into a boy& i he was really pleased with him. Both the deities blessed @anu and instantly that girl was trans ormed into a boy. (e was named 1udryumna. ?ne day& 1udryumna had gone to the orest or hunting. *ncidentally& because o the wrath o Boddess Earvati& he again got trans ormed into a lady. At that time& he was married to Buddh and a son named Eururava was born to them. Later on& he regained his body o the male. ,his time& he became the ather o %tkal& Vinay and Baya. All these three sons were very 9ust rulers. Eururava was made the king o Eratisthanpur.
4&11 >amous Mythological "ales

<.66.6 King Erishadhna

King Erishadhna was the son o @anu. ?ne day& he had gone to the orest on a hunting spree. (e killed a cow by mistake. ,his cow belonged to an Agnihotri Brahmin who was per orming a Yagya. ,he Brahmin became very urious and cursed Erishadhna to become a 1hudra. King Erishadhna too became angry and he wanted to retaliate. (e took some water in his hand and was 9ust about to curse the Brahmin& 9ust then the BrahminAs ather @auli arrived. (e warned both o them against cursing each other. (e said3 AAnger decreases the li e span o a man. *t also destroys the knowledge and makes a man& a destitute. An angry person can neither be virtuous nor he can accumulate wealth. -ven i the king had killed the cow deliberately& he is worthy o being shown compassion. But i he has committed this sin out o his ignorance& then certainly& he is not it to be cursed. ,here ore& ? son$ DonAt curse the king. ,he cow must have died because o her own past Karmas.A King Erishadhna made salutations to the Agnihotri Brahmin and said in a loud voice3 ABe pleased on me. * did not kill the cow deliberately. *t only happened by mistake. ,he Brahmin replied3 A? king$ * have never spoken a lie in my li e. -ven my curse which * have given to you will not go in vain.A 1age @auli took his son to his hermitage. *n course o time& Erishadhna became a 1hudra due to the curse.
<.66.; Erince +abhag

@arkandeya says3 A+aabhaag was the son o King Dishta. ?ne day& he saw a beauti ul woman who was the daughter o a Vaishya. (e was very enchanted by her beauty and wanted to marry her. (e went to the Vaishya and e/pressed his desire. ,he Vaishya was terri ied at the prospect o acing the wrath o the king. (e said3 AYou belong to a royal amily whereas * am a poor man. ,here is no match between both o us. Chy do you insist on marrying my daughterLA +aabhaag was not amused at the VaishyaAs reply. (e threatened to give up his li e i he was not married. ,he Vaishya went to the king and narrated the whole story. ,he king consulted his ministers and the Brahmins. ,he Brahmin said3 AErince +aabhaag should irst marry a woman within his own caste& only then he can marry the VaishyaAs daughter otherwise he would be committing a grave sin. +aabhaag was not satis ied by the BrahminsA decision. (e decided to orcibly abduct the VaishyaAs daughter. ,he Vaishya went to the king and sought his help. ,he king gave death punishment to +aabhaag. (earing o this punishment& +aabhaag went into hiding. ,he royal army went in search o him and inally ound him. ,hen a tough battle was ought and ultimately& +aabhaag was victorious. ,he king himsel came orward to ight with +aabhaag. As the battle was going on& sage +aarad appeared and reHuested the king to stop ighting. (e said3 A? king$ Elease stop this battle. Being a Kshatriya& it is not proper or you to ight a battle with a Vaishya& which your son has become a ter abducting a Vaishya girl. (e is not entitled to ight with you.A
<.66.7 >urse o 1age Eramati

@arkandeya says3 A,he king stopped ighting at the reHuest o +aarad. +aabhaag married the Vaishya girl. A ter the marriage& the king ordered +aabhaag to ollow a VaishyaAs occupation. +aabhaag got engaged in activities like animal husbandry and agriculture. Cith the passage o time& a son was born and who was named Bhalandan. Chen he grew up& his mother entrusted him the 9ob o looking a ter the cows. Bhalandan knew nothing about the 9ob he was entrusted with. (e went to sage +eep and told his problem. 1age +eep understood everything and
taught him the nuances o handling various weapons as a result o which& he became a master in this art. A ter this& Bhalandan went to Vasuraat& the son o Eitravya and demanded his share in the kingdom o his great3 grand ather. Vasuraat re used to give anything by saying3 ABeing the son o a Vaishya& you are not entitled to become a king.A Bhalandan became very angry and attacked Vasuraat with a huge army. *n this battle& Vasuraat was de eated. +ow& Bhalandan had control over the entire earth. (e returned to his ather& +aabhaag in order to hand over the reign o the kingdom& he had won in the battle. But +aabhaag re used to take anything by saying 3 A* have been cursed by my ather to become a Vaishya. * cannot go against his wishes by taking over the responsibility o a king as this would disturb the peace o my ancestors who are in heaven and even * would not attain liberation. ,he second thing is that you have won this kingdom by your power and strength. *t will not be proper or me to rule over this kingdom.A 1uprabha& the wi e o +aabhaag was listening to their conversation. 1he could not stop laughing. 1he said3 AYou are not a Vaishya& because * too belong to a Kshatriya amily. During ancient times& a king named 1udev had a riend3 +ala. ?ne day both o them went to the orest to hunt. *n the orest& +ala saw sage EramatiAs wi e and became enchanted by her immense beauty. (e wanted to marry he and tried to orcibly abduct her. Being a chaste woman& EramatiAs wi e started shouting or help. 1age Eramati heard her screams and arrived at the site. (e became enraged when he saw +ala trying to abduct his wi e and King 1udev doing nothing to protect her. Eramati reHuested King 1udev to protect his wi e rom +ala. King 1udev lied to sage Eramati about his caste& to help his riend3 +ala. (e said3 A* cannot help you because * am a Vaishya. You must go to any Kshatriya to take help. 1age Eramati was e/asperated. (e umed3 AYou will certainly become a Vaishya as you have lied to me about your caste.A
<.66.F Agastya)s Brother >urses Kripavati

@arkandeya says3 A,he king stopped ighting at the reHuest o +aarad. +aabhaag married the Vaishya girl. A ter the marriage& the king ordered +aabhaag to ollow a VaishyaAs occupation. +aabhaag got engaged in activities like animal husbandry and agriculture. Cith the passage o time& a son was born and who was named Bhalandan. Chen he grew up& his mother entrusted him the 9ob o looking a ter the cows. Bhalandan knew nothing about the 9ob he was entrusted with. (e went to sage +eep and told his problem. 1age +eep understood everything and taught him the nuances o handling various weapons as a result o which& he became a master in this art. A ter this& Bhalandan went to Vasuraat& the son o Eitravya and demanded his share in the kingdom o his great3 grand ather. Vasuraat re used to give anything by saying3 ABeing the son o a Vaishya& you are not entitled to become a king.A Bhalandan became very angry and attacked Vasuraat with a huge army. *n this battle& Vasuraat was de eated. +ow& Bhalandan had control over the entire earth. (e returned to his ather& +aabhaag in order to hand over the reign o the kingdom& he had won in the battle. But +aabhaag re used to take anything by saying 3 A* have been cursed by my ather to become a Vaishya. * cannot go against his wishes by taking over the responsibility o a king as this would disturb the peace o my ancestors who are in heaven and even * would not attain liberation. ,he second thing is that you have won this kingdom by your power and strength. *t will not be proper or me to rule over this kingdom.A 1uprabha& the wi e o +aabhaag was listening to their conversation. 1he could not stop laughing. 1he said3 AYou are not a Vaishya& because * too belong to a Kshatriya amily. During ancient times& a king named 1udev had a riend3 +ala. ?ne day both o them went to the orest to hunt. *n the orest& +ala saw sage EramatiAs wi e and became enchanted by her immense beauty. (e wanted to marry he and tried to orcibly abduct her. Being a chaste woman& EramatiAs wi e started shouting or help. 1age Eramati heard her screams and arrived at the site. (e became enraged when he saw +ala trying to abduct his wi e and King 1udev doing nothing to protect her. Eramati reHuested King 1udev to protect his wi e rom +ala. King 1udev lied to sage Eramati about his caste& to help his riend3 +ala. (e said3 A* cannot help you because * am a Vaishya. You must go to any Kshatriya to take help. 1age Eramati was e/asperated. (e umed3 AYou will certainly become a Vaishya as you have lied to me about your caste.A
<.66.8 Bhalandan and Vatsapri

+aabhaag told his wi e3 A* would never accept the kingdom or the second time& which * had relinHuished at the instruction o my ather. (e then instructed his son to rule over the kingdom he had won. Dollowing his atherAs instructions& Bhalandan started ruling over his kingdom. Later on& he got married and begot a son named Vatsapri. Vatsapri was married to 1aunanda when he attained youth3hood. Vatsapri married her a ter killing the demon Ku9rimbha. ,here was a king named Vidurath. (e had two sons whose names were 1uniti and 1umati. ?ne day& while Vidurath was having his usual walk& he saw a large pit. (e became very curious. #ust then& a sage arrived at the
scene whose name was 1uvrat. Eointing his inger towards the pit& the king asked 1uvrat as to what it was. ,he sage said3 AA demon by the name o Ku9rimbha lives inside this pit. (e controls all the events& which occur on this earth and in heaven. (e possesses a mace called 1unand and which was made by Vishwakarma. ,his large pit which you see is the result o the assault& he made with his mace. ,his demon is very cruel and wicked. (e torments the deities and destroys the oblation sites o the sages. ,here is one very peculiar characteristic related with his mace. ,he mace would become powerless i touched by a woman. But this is only a temporary change because it regains its power the ne/t day. But this act is unknown to the demon. A ter saying this& sage 1uvrat went on his way. King Vidurath returned to his palace and consulted his ministers. (is daughter& @udaavati was listening to their conversation. ?ne day& the demon abducted @udaavati. ,he king sent both his sons accompanied by a huge army to bring her back but the demon de eated them. ,he king made a declaration that he will marry his daughter to anybody who brings back his daughter and sons rom the clutches o the demon. (earing his declaration& Vatsapri came to Vidurath and said3 ABive me your permission. * will bring back your daughter and your sons a ter releasing them rom the clutches o the demon.A Vidurath gave the permission. Vatsapri entered into the nether land through that large pit. A tremendous battle ensued between him and the demon. ,his battle continued or three days. ?n the inal day o the battle& the demon tried to take the help o his mace and went to grab hold o it. But sensing that the demon was going to pick up the mace& she immediately touched the mace as a result o which it became powerless. Being unaware o this happening& the demon attacked Vatsapri with that powerless mace. But he could not harm Vatsapri. %ltimately& Vatsapri was success ul in killing the demon. Vatsapri released all three o them3 1uniti& 1umati and @udaavati rom the demonAs captivity and brought them back to the kingAs palace. A ter the death o the demon& 1heshnaag acHuired the mace. @udaavatiAs name was later changed to 1unanda& a ter that mace. King Vidurath became very pleased and married @udaavati to Vatsapri.
<.66.I ,he Kingdoms o Eranshu& Era9aati and Khanitra

@arkandeya says3 A1unanda gave birth to 6; sons. ,heir names were Eranshu& Eraveer& 1hoor& 1uchakra& Vikram& Krama& Bala& Balaak& >hand& Erachand& 1uvikram and 1warup. A ter growing up& Eranshu became the king. Eranshu had a son named Era9aati. Era9aati had ive sons among whom Khanitra was one o them. Khanitra became a mighty king and was very amous or his religiousness and virtuosity. (e distributed the kingdoms among his brothers. 1hauri was made the king o the eastern region& %davasu o the southern region& @uni o the western region while @ahaarathi was made the king o northern region. ?ne day& a minister o 1hauri& Vishwavedi instigated him against his brother Khanitra by saying3 A? king$ You must try to capture your brotherAs kingdom as your kingdom is too small or your descendants to rule over. A time may come when your descendants would be orced to choose agriculture as their occupation because the continuous distribution o your kingdom among your progenies would leave almost nothing or them.A 1hauri said3 A@y brother is so kind to me. Chy should * cheat him like thatLA ,he minister said3 A,he duty o the king is only to look a ter the kingdomAs interest. ,he relation should not come in the way.A At last& the minister was success ul in convincing him. A ter sometime& the wicked minister also in luenced the rest o his brothers. %ltimately& King Khanitra was le t all alone as all o his ministers and even his sons were misguided by Vishwavedi. Vishwavedi appointed our priests o Khanitra as the supervisor o Yagyas. ?ne day& while the priests were per orming Yagya& our ogresses appeared rom the sacri icial ire and tried to attack King Khanitra. But they could not harm him because o his virtuous character. ,hey then turned towards Vishwavedi and the priests and killed all o them. ,hus& Vishwavedi bore the ruits o evil deeds.
<.66.< King Khanitra

@arkandeya says3 AEeople present at the oblation site were shocked to see the dead bodies o Vishwavedi and the our priests. Chen Khanitra got this news& he too was shocked. Khanitra went to Vashishta and asked him the reason about the deaths o his brotherAs minister and the our priests. Vashishta revealed the conspiracy hatched by Vishwavedi to kill him (Khanitra). Khanitra in a sad tone& said3 A1hame on me as * have been the cause o the death o the Brahmins. (ad * not taken birth as a human being& my brotherAs priests wonAt have died. * am the real culprit. Chat should * do nowL Chere should * goL ,he remorse ul Khanitra decided to relinHuish his kingdom and go to the orest to do penance so that& he could get liberated rom the grave sins o causing death to the Brahmins. (e went to the orest
accompanied by his three Hueens a ter appointing his son Kshup as the king. (e did a severe penance or 78M years. A ter that& he died because o his bad health. All the three Hueens died too and went to heaven along with him.
<.66.J King Vivinsha

@arkandeya says3 AKing Kshup ruled 9ustly in the same way as his ather Khanitra did. KshupAs wi e was Eramatha. ,hey had a son who was handsome and mighty. (e had de eated all the kings and anne/ed their kingdom. (e was married to +andini& the princess o Vidarbha. +andini gave birth to a son who was named Vivinsha. Vivinsha was a very mighty king. During his reign& the earth had become very populated. ,he enemies o King Vivinsha were very a raid o him but his sub9ects were satis ied by his 9ust rule. King Vivinsha had per ormed numerous Yagyas and a ter ruling or a long time& he attained martyrdom while ighting a battle.
<.66.G King Khaninetra

@arkandeya says3 AKhaninetra was the son o King Vivinsha. (e was very brave and valiant. ,he Bandharvas had proclaimed that no one could match KhaninetraAs benevolence& who had donated the whole earth a ter accomplishing 6M&MMM Yagyas. Khaninetra had given so much wealth as donations to the Brahmins that there was no need or them to take donations or the rest o their lives. Khaninetra was sonless. ?ne day& he went to the orest to hunt an animal or sacri icial purpose needed during Eitra Yagya. ,he per ormance o this Yagya was supposed to bless him with a son. *n the orest& he saw a deer that was cognisant o his desire. ,he deer reHuested him by saying3 A? king$ You can get my lesh by killing me.A ,he king was very ama:ed. (e asked the deer as to why it was willing to get sacri iced. ,he deer replied3 A? king$ * donAt have any o spring. Dor this reason& * consider my li e as useless.A Chile the conversation was going on between the king and the deer& another deer came near them and e/pressed his desire to get sacri iced by saying3 A? king$ Elease kill me and get the lesh because the lesh o this sonless deer would be o no help to you.A ,he king was astonished. (e asked the second deer as to why he was willing to die. ,he second deer replied3 A? king$ * have numerous sons and daughters and this worries me a lot. Chenever my children go out in search o ood& * become very an/ious till they have returned to me sa ely. ,his way& * pass the whole day and night in an/iety. ,he king was very con used. (e said3 A* donAt know who is superior between a sonless person and a person who doesnAt have any son. Although * needed the lesh or the accomplishment o Eitra Yagya but now a ter meeting both o you& * have become con used. *t is true that a man has to ace all kinds o sorrows because o their children but yet& a sonless man is not complete and remains indebted. 1o& * have decided to get a son by doing a penance 9ust like my predecessors did in the past.A
<.66.6M
Karandham
@arkandeya says3 AKing Khaninetra went at the bank o the river Bomti and started doing a severe penance to please *ndra. A ter being pleased by his devotion and eulogy& *ndra appeared be ore him. (e said to Khaninetra3 A? king$ * am very much pleased by your devotion. Demand anything you wish.A ,he king replied3 A? lord$ * you are really pleased with me& then bless me with a religious and virtuous son because * am a sonless person.A *ndra blessed him by saying3 A1o be itA and then disappeared. Khaninetra returned to his palace. *n course o time& a son was born to him. (e named the child Balaashva. Chen Balaashva grew up& he became the king a ter the death o his ather. (e anne/ed many kingdoms a ter de eating his enemies and imposed ta/es on them. A ter sometime& his enemies not only stopped paying him the ta/es but also regrouped themselves and recaptured their lost territories. Balaashva had become weak due to the constant battles. (e had only the capital city in his possession and had lost the other territories. ?ne day& his enemies surrounded his capital. Balaashva became restless as he would be no match or his enemies. *n a sorrow ul mood& he heaved deeply covering his ace by both his hands. ,he e/haled air resulted into the mani estation o numerous valiant ighters& chariots& elephants and horses. Very soon& this huge army covered the whole area. ,his army battled under the leadership o Balaashva. %ltimately& the enemies were de eated. Later on& King Balaashva became amous as Karandham because o the huge army& which had mani ested rom between both the trembling hands o Balaashva.
4&1! 2ing Avee.shit

<.6;.6 Birth o Aveekshit and Abduction o Vaishaalini

@arkandeya says3 A1hubhvrata3 the daughter o Veeryachandra had decided to marry Karandham. A son was born to them who was named as Aveekshit. ,he astrologers had predicted a very bright uture or him. Aveekshit learnt lessons in handling all kinds o weapons rom the son o Kanva. *n a very short time& he attained mastery in the art o weaponry. Vara& Bauri& 1ubhadra& +ibha& Lilavati& @anyavati and Kumridwati had chosen Aveekshit as their husband in a 1wayamvara. Aveekshit had also orcibly married numerous other women. ?nce& a 1wayamvara was conducted in the palace o the king o Vishaal or his daughter3 1udati Vaishaalini. Aveekshit was present in the 1wayamvara. But 1udati due to her arrogant nature did not choose Aveekshit as her husband. (ence& he orcibly abducted her by de eating the other kings. ,he act that a single man had de eated all o them had made the other kings ashamed o themselves. All o them decided to ight Aveekshit unitedly. ,hey picked up their arms and marched towards Aveekshit with a huge army.
<.6;.; Aveekshit gets de eated in Battle

@arkandeya says3 AA erocious battle ensued between AveekshitAs army and the other kings. Both sides ought bravely and Aveekshit managed to kill many o the kings but was outnumbered and got severely wounded. Aveekshit was inally made captive. Aveekshit and 1udati Vaishaalini were brought to the king o Vishaal. ,he king instructed 1udati Vaishaalini to choose any king as her husband but she re used this o er. ,he king then reHuested his astrologer to choose an auspicious day or her marriage. ,he astrologer said to the king3 A? king$ ,he present time is not auspicious or marriage but donAt worry& very soon& the princess would get married at the advent o the most auspicious moment.A
<.6;.7 Liberation o Aveekshit and his Disenchantment

Chen king Karandham came to know about his sonAs de eat and captivity& he consulted his riends. All o them decided to attack the kingdom o Vishaal and release Aveekshit rom captivity. Karandham marched towards the kingdom o Vishaal ollowed by a huge army. A tremendous battle was ought which continued or three days. Karandham became victorious in this battle. At last& Aveekshit was rescued rom his captivity. King Vishaal decided to marry his daughter with Aveekshit but Aveekshit was disillusioned with li e. (e said to Vishaal3 A* can never accept such a woman as my wi e who has witnessed my de eat. * have decided to renounce li e. 1o& it would be better i you marry your daughter with somebody else.A King Vishaal asked his daughter to choose any other king as her husband as Aveekshit was not willing to marry her. But the princess wanted to marry Aveekshit and believed that he still remained an unde eated king because he had ought single3handedly with all the kings. (e was de eated only because o un air means adopted by his 9ealous rivals in the battle. A* shall accept only Aveekshit as my husband otherwise * shall remain unmarriedA& said the princess. King Karandham reHuested his son to marry the princess but Aveekshit turned down even his atherAs reHuest. 1eeing the utility o his advice& Karandham returned to his kingdom. Aveekshit too went along with him. 1udati Vaishaalini went in the orest to do penance. 1he observed a ast or three months. 1he became very weak but still continued with her penance. ,he deities elt sorry at her condition. ,hey sent an envoy to persuade her to discontinue with her penance. ,he envoy reHuested her to stop torturing hersel . AYou would be a mother o a >hakravarti king who would be mighty and power ulA& said the envoy. 1udati Vaishaalini said3 A(ow can * become a mother without a husbandL * have decided that nobody e/cept Aveekshit will be my husband. But he has turned down my proposal. 1o& * have vowed to remain unmarried in this li e.A ,he envoy said3 A? great soul$ * have been asked not to reveal much. You must take care o your health. Due to the virtues o your penance& you will certainly become a mother.A 1udati ollowing her instructions and broke her ast.
<.6;.F Aveekshit Eromises his Dather to get @arried

@arkandeya says3 A?nce& Veera3 the wi e o King Karandham and mother o Aveekshit had taken a vow to accomplish a very arduous penance. But this could only be accomplished with KarandhamAs and AveekshitAs assistance. Karandham had assured her that he would provide all the wealth reHuired or the accomplishment o that austerity while Aveekshit had assured her o physical help. Veera commenced her arduous austerity named AKimichhak VrataA. ,his particular Vrata had a peculiar characteristic and that was3 any demand made during the course o the Vrata& ought to be ul illed at any cost ailing which meant or eiting all the virtues o this arduous austerity. King Karandham was consulting his minister about the means that would change AveekshitAs decision regarding his marriage. ,he ministers said that as Karandham had become old& there was an urgent need or his successor. ,he Huestion was that who would become king a ter Aveekshit as he had decided to remain unmarried. ,his thought was tormenting all o them. 1uddenly& King Karandham heard the priest who was assisting Hueen Veera in the accomplishment o the Kimichhak Vrata& telling somebody3 A,he Hueen is busy per orming the Kimichhak Vrata. Chat is your demandL * promise& it will be ul illed by the Hueen no matter how e/traordinary it may be.A Aveekshit too arrived at the scene. (e promised that their demands would be met without delay as it was obligatory or the success o Kimichhak Vrata& which his mother was per orming. 1eeing the time as opportune& King Karandham said be ore the people could say anything3 A? son$ * have a demand. Eromise me that you will ul il it.A Aveekshit gave his word. ,he king said that he aspired or a grandson but this was impossible unless he (Aveekshit) got married. *nitially& Aveekshit tried to convince Karandham that it was an impossible task as he had vowed to remain a celibate but ultimately he had to change his mind to honour his words.
<.6;.8 Aveekshit "escues Vaishalini

@arkandeya says3 A?nce& Aveekshit had gone or a hunt in the orest when suddenly& he heard a emale voice shouting or help. (e proceeded in the direction o the voice. A ter reaching there& he saw DanuAs (a demon) son Dhridhakesha& holding a lady by her hair. ,he woman was crying3 A* am the wi e o Aveekshit. ,his wicked demon is trying to abduct me.A Aveekshit was surprised as to how could the lady claim that she was his wi e. (e apprehended that it must be the illusionary tactics o the demon to trap him. But despite his apprehensions& he went near the wailing woman to release her rom the clutches o that demon. (e warned the demon o dire conseHuences i he did not release her. ,he demon le t the woman and attacked Aveekshit. A tremendous duel was ought. *n the end& Aveekshit severed the head o that demon. ,he deities were very pleased at DhridhakeshaAs death. ,hey praised Aveekshit or his bravery. ,hey asked him to demand any boon. Aveekshit demanded a valiant son or himsel as per the aspirations o his ather3 Karandham. ,he deities said3 AYou would get your son rom this very woman& you have rescued. ,he child would become a very mighty king a ter growing up.A Being unaware o the real identity o Vaishaalini& he told the deities3 A* had vowed to remain a bachelor but changed my decision only due to the word * had given to my ather. But * cannot marry this woman because by doing so& * would be breaching the trust o that woman who wanted to marry me and who had re9ected everybody or my sake.A ,he deities then revealed to him that this lady was none other than Vaishaalini whom he was talking about. A1he had done a severe penance to be your wi e.A A ter saying this& the deities disappeared. Vaishaalini reHuested him to accept her as his wi e. AYou have rescued me rom this demon. * o er mysel to youA& said Vaishaalini.
<.6;.I Aveekshit @arries Vaishalini

@arkandeya says3 AA ter Vaishaalini had inished her lines& Aveekshit told her that he was orced to abandon her in the past a ter getting de eated but once again& he had regained her a ter de eating the demon. Both o them decided to get married in the orest itsel .A A"ight then& a Bandharva3 ,anaya arrived there accompanied by many Apsaras and revealed to Aveekshit that Vaishaalini was his daughter in her previous birth. ABecause o the curse given to her by sage Agastya& she was born to the king o Vishaal. +ow you must accept her as your wi e.A Aveekshit married Vaishaalini under the supervision o ,umbaru3 the priest o the Bandharvas. Both o them then accompanied the Bandharvas to the Bandharva loka. ,here& Vaishaalini gave birth to a son. Knowing about the eats& the child would accomplish in uture& the Bandharvas celebrated his birth ceremony with great an are. A ter the birth ceremony& while ,umbaru was eulogising the child& everybody heard a heavenly voice& which said3 A,his child will become amous as @arutK he will become the ruler o all the @ahipals.A -verybody was e/tremely satis ied by this orecast.
4&1* 2ing Marut

<.67.6 Birth o @arut

@arkandeya says3 AA ter Vaishaalini had inished her lines& Aveekshit told her that he was orced to abandon her in the past a ter getting de eated but once again& he had regained her a ter de eating the demon. Both o them decided to get married in the orest itsel .A A"ight then& a Bandharva3 ,anaya arrived there accompanied by many Apsaras and revealed to Aveekshit that Vaishaalini was his daughter in her previous birth. ABecause o the curse given to her by sage Agastya& she was born to the king o Vishaal. +ow you must accept her as your wi e.A Aveekshit married Vaishaalini under the supervision o ,umbaru3 the priest o the Bandharvas. Both o them then accompanied the Bandharvas to the Bandharva loka. ,here& Vaishaalini gave birth to a son. Knowing about the eats& the child would accomplish in uture& the Bandharvas celebrated his birth ceremony with great an are. A ter the birth ceremony& while ,umbaru was eulogising the child& everybody heard a heavenly voice& which said3 A,his child will become amous as @arutK he will become the ruler o all the @ahipals.A -verybody was e/tremely satis ied by this orecast.
<.67.; @arut Ascends the ,hrone

@arkandeya says3 AA ter the birth o @arut& Aveekshit accompanied by Vaishaalini returned to his atherAs palace. A ter making salutations to his ather& he kept the new born baby in his lap and told him that he had kept his word. Karandham became very pleased a ter seeing his grandson.A A*n course o time& @arut grew up. (e had mastered all the scriptures. (e was also pro icient in handling all kinds o weapons. ,here was nobody like him.A AKarandham had become old. (e decided to go to the orest a ter making Aveekshit the king but Aveekshit was not interested in becoming a king. (e too wanted to go to the orest. (e said3 A,he shame o the de eat still remains there. (ow can a person& who was not able to protect himsel & protect his sub9ects.A Karandham tried his best to convince him to become his successor but Aveekshit was irm in his resolve Dinding no other option& @arut was made the king. @arut went to the orest and did penance or 6&MMM years. (is wi e did the same and went to live in sage BhargavaAs hermitage.
<.67.7 A (ermit Advises @arut on behal o Veera

Kraustuki asks @arkandeya3 A? lord$ Ce want to know more about @arut.A
@arkandeya says3 AA ter becoming the king& @arut started ruling in a 9ust manner. (e per ormed many Yagyas under the supervision o numerous AYagyikasA and esteemed priests. AngiraAs son31amvart and BrihaspatiAs brother were his chie priests under whose supervision& the Yagyas used to be per ormed. 1amvart had brought the peak o @un9avaan @ountain a ter uprooting it& or @arut. King @arutAs palace and the sacred oblation site were constructed on this very mountain peak.A ?ne day& a hermit said to @arut3 AYour grandmother Veera is very tormented by the nuisance& the serpents are creating around the sacred oblation site. 1he is very displeased by your negligence. ,he serpents have bitten seven sons o a sage and have also polluted the water o the sacred pond. ,he sages have started making o erings to the serpents to please them& instead o paying attention on the per ormance o the Yagyas. Although the sages are capable o destroying the serpents& yet they have decided against doing so as this is not their 9ob. ,his is the 9ob o a king. A king should be aware o each and every event taking place in his kingdom. You are not aware o the misdeeds o the serpents because you donAt have any detective to keep you in ormed o such events. Being a king& it is your duty to protect your sub9ects by punishing the wrong doers. * you donAt do this then you will become a sinner. ? king$ Your grandmother is very much concerned about your negligent attitude and wants you to act in a way be itting a king.A
<.67.F ,he 1erpents take the "e uge o Bhamini (Vaishalini)

@arkandeya says3 A@arut was ashamed a ter hearing the sageAs words. (e cursed himsel or his negligence. (e picked up his bow and arrows in anger and went to the oblation site. Chen he reached there& he saw the dead bodies o seven hermits lying on the ground. Being enraged& he picked up his most devastating weapon named 1amvartak. ,he serpents became terri ied as the tremendous amount o heat generated by this weapon had started to burn them. %nable to bear the tremendous heat caused by the weapon& the serpents took the re uge o Bhamini (Vaishaalini)3 the mother o @arut.A A1ometime in the past& Vaishaalini had promised to protect the serpents when in danger. Vaishaalini reHuested her husband3 Aveekshit to persuade @arut against killing the serpents. Aveekshit told her that the intensity o @arutAs anger was a result o the grave sins committed by the serpents. ABut or your sake& * will reHuest him to pardon the serpents3 * he still does not agree to stop killing the serpents then * will have no option but to destroy his weapon3 1amvartak.A A ter saying this& Aveekshit picked up his bow and arrows and went to the oblation site accompanied by his wi e.
<.67.8 ,he (ermit)s 1ons >ome to Li e Again

@arkandeya says3 AChen Aveekshit reached the oblation site& he ound that the whole atmosphere was abla:e by the tremendous heat generated by @arutAs weapon& 1amvartak. (e reHuested @arut to drop his weapon but @arut re used by saying3 A? ather$ ,hese serpents are the culprits. ,hey have killed the hermitAs sons. ,hey have also polluted the reservoir and caused obstacles in the accomplishment o oblation3rituals. * am never going to orgive them. Aveekshit told @arut that the serpents had taken his re uge and hence he should orgive them to protect the honour o his atherAs promise. Chen @arut did not listen& Aveekshit picked up his weapon AKaalA to kill him. @arut enHuired rom him as to why he was trying to kill his own son& who was 9ust per orming his duty o protecting the oblation site rom the serpents. Aveekshit replied that he too was duty bound to protect the serpents that had taken his re uge. Chen the sages saw both ather and son were bent on killing each other& they intervened and advised them against killing each other. "ight then& a sage came with the news that the serpents had agreed to make all the dead sons o the hermit& alive. ,hus& all the dead sons o the hermits became alive and once again& the ather and son were prevented rom killing each other. Drom then onwards& @arut took proper care while ruling his kingdom. Later on& he married 1ukesha3 the daughter o Kekaya& 1aindhavi3 the daughter o 1indhuraa9& Vayushmati3 the daughter o >hediraa9 etc. (e had eighteen sons rom his wives among whom& +arishyant was the eldest.
4&1, 2ing 3arishyant

@arkandeya says3 AAmong the eighteen sons o @arut& +arishyant was the eldest. @arut ruled over his kingdom or <M&M68 years a ter which +arishyant succeeded him as the king. @arut went to the orest to do penance. A ter becoming the king& +arishyant decided to per orm a grand Yagya& the like o which had never been accomplished by his ancestors. +arishyant made such huge donations to the Brahmins that it was more than enough or their uture generations to come. ?nce& +arishyant decided to organise another Yagya grander than the earlier one. But no priest was ound to supervise it. At his repeated reHuests& some Brahmins agreed to supervise the Yagya. But this particular Yagya was uniHue o its kind because the Brahmins played the part o host as well as that o priests. ,he Brahmins made donations to the Brahmins who were acting as priests. *n this grand Yagya& crores o Yagyas were per ormed in all the directions o the earth at one time. ,his grand Yagya was possible only because o the wealth donated to the Brahmins by King +arishyant. +arishyant was such a religious and virtuous king. +arishyant elt 9oyous that due to his donations& the Brahmins had become wealthy and at the same time& he was also sad that his desire o per orming a grand Yagya was not going to be accomplished as the Brahmins no longer needed donations.
<.6F.6 1umana >hooses Dama as her (usband

@arkandeya says3 Dama was the son o +arishyant. (is mother was *ndrasena3 the daughter o Babhru. (e became the master in archery under the tutelage o Vrishparva. (e also learnt the nuances o handling other kinds o weapons under the guidance o Dundubhi. (e learnt the scriptures rom sage 1hakti and the art o yoga rom Aashartishen. 1umana& the daughter o King >harusharma had chosen Dama as her husband in a 1wayamvara. But @ahanand& Vayushmaan and @ahadhanu did not like her decision& as they too wanted to marry her. All three o them decided to abduct her by orce and marry who ever among them she decided to marry with. ,heir evil intentions were corroborated by the riends o Dama. ,hus& all three o them abducted 1umana. Dama became angry. (e asked all the kings who were present in the 1wayamvara3 A,ell me whether 1wayamvara is religious or irreligiousLA ?ne o the kings said that certainly a 1wayamvara is religious and only Dama has the right to marry 1umana as she had hersel chosen him. But some other kings supported DamaAs opponents. ,hey said3 A"aakshas Vivaaha is the norm prevalent among people possessing arms. ?nly such a person has a right to marry 1umana who has de eated his rivals.A Dama became urious with them. (e knew that they were saying such things out o 9ealousy. But still he decided to accept their proposal. (e threw an open challenge by saying3 AAnybody who wants to die may abduct my wi e in ront o my eyes.A A tremendous battle was ought between Dama and his opponents. At irst& @ahanand came orward to ight him with a sword in his hand. Dama showered a volley o arrows at him. All the arrows were neutralised by @ahanand. A ter that& @ahanand 9umped and climbed on the chariot o Dama. Dama severed his head. A ter the killing o @ahanand& Vayushmaan came orward to ight Dama but his sword was broken into two pieces by the assault o Dama. Dama then killed his charioteer. A ter that& Vayushmaan picked up his spiked mace but Dama destroyed even this mace. *n the battle& Vayushmaan got in9ured and ell on the ground. Vayushmaan Huit the idea o ighting. 1eeing him reluctant to ight& Dama spared his li e. At last& >harusharma married his daughter 1umana with Dama. A ter staying or some days at his ather3in3lawAs place& Dama returned home accompanied by his wi e3 1umana.
<.6F.; Killing o +arishyant

@arkandeya says3 AChen the newly married couple3 Dama and 1umana returned to the capital& King +arishyant was e/tremely pleased. King +arishyant a ter knowing about the brave deeds o his son was very proud o him. As he had become old& he appointed Dama as his successor and he went in the orest to do penance accompanied by his wi e3 *ndrasena. ?nce& Vayushmaan came in the same orest where King +arishyant was doing his penance. A ter seeing +arishyant and his wi e& he enHuired as to& who they were. But King +arishyant did not give any reply as he was observing a @auna Vrata. 1omehow& Vayushmaan came to know about his identity that he was none other than
the ather o his bitter enemy3 Dama. (e elt that this was the most opportune moment or him to take his revenge and killed +arishyant. *ndrasena on seeing her dead husband& started to wail. All the sages and hermits who were doing penance in that orest arrived there and started cursing Vayushmaan or the grave sin he had committed. *ndrasena reHuested one o the sages to go and in orm Dama about his atherAs death. 1he said3 ABo and tell him that his ather +arishyant has been killed by Vayushmaan while he was doing penance. +ow& it was his duty to avenge his atherAs death.A A ter saying this& *ndrasena committed 1ati by 9umping into the burning pyre o her husband.
4&1/ 2ing $ama and his Marriage with )umana

<.68.6 Dama Vows to Kill Vayushmaan

@arkandeya says3 AChen Dama came to know about his atherAs death& he became e/tremely urious. Although he was very patient by nature but still the news o his atherAs death made him restless. (e thought3 A1hame on me. *nspite o mysel being alive& the wicked Vayushmaan had killed my ather. * have ailed in my duty. Being a king& it is my duty to punish the wicked people and protect the virtuous ones. But my enemy is still alive a ter committing a heinous crime. +ow& * will per orm my atherAs ,arpan only with the blood o Vayushmaan. * * ail in doing this& then * would give up my li e by 9umping into the ire. * will not only kill Vayushmaan but also his whole amily. Choever tries to help him will be put to death. -ven i the deities& Yama or Kuber try to help him& they will get destroyed.A
<.68.; Killing o Vayushmaan

@arkandeya says3 AChen Dama came to know about his atherAs death& he became e/tremely urious. Although he was very patient by nature but still the news o his atherAs death made him restless. (e thought3 A1hame on me. *nspite o mysel being alive& the wicked Vayushmaan had killed my ather. * have ailed in my duty. Being a king& it is my duty to punish the wicked people and protect the virtuous ones. But my enemy is still alive a ter committing a heinous crime. +ow& * will per orm my atherAs ,arpan only with the blood o Vayushmaan. * * ail in doing this& then * would give up my li e by 9umping into the ire. * will not only kill Vayushmaan but also his whole amily. Choever tries to help him will be put to death. -ven i the deities& Yama or Kuber try to help him& they will get destroyed.A
4&11 "he #enefits of 'istening to the Mar.andaya Purana

,he birds said3 A? #aimini$ ,his was the way& sage @arkandeya had narrated the divine tales to Kraustuki. A person who either studies this Euraan or listens to it achieves great accomplishment. All his desires are ul illed and he en9oys a long li e. (e becomes ree rom all his sins. @arkandeya Euraan is the seventh among all the eighteen Euraans. Listening to it helps a man to atone or all the sins committed during the period o one hundred crore Kalpas. ,he virtues attained by listening to @arkandeya Euraan are eHuivalent to the virtues attained by making donations at Eushkar or by studying all the Vedas.A #aimini replied3 A? birds$ You have enlightened my mind by narrating the tales o @arkandeya Euraan and have made it ree rom all sorts o con usion. @ay the almighty Bod bless you& may you en9oy a long li e ree rom all the diseases.A 1aying like this& #aimini went back to his hermitage.
4 .araha Purana
,his Eurana consists o the ollowing 66 sections5 +arrates the tale o rescuing o the earth rom "asatal by Varaha incarnation o Lord Vishnu. *ts contents in brie are as ollows53 @angala charan5 Eraying o +arayana by Erithvi (earth). ,ale o the creation. ?rigin o "udra& 1anatkumar& @arich etc. ,ale o Eriyavrata. ,ale o Dashavatar (ten incarnations). ,ale o Dharma3Vyadha. ,ale o 1uprateek and sighting o Viratroop (colossal appearance). ,ale o Baurmukha. Karma related to 1hraddha. ,ale o Era9agana. ?rigin o Agni ( ire). ,ale relating greatness o the days. Bauri. Destruction o Daksha Yagya. Cedding o (arEarvati& Banesha& +aga& Kartikeya& Aditya& killing o Andhakasura. @atrigana& Katyayani. Kumer& Dharma& "udra etc. and their origin. ,ale o Aruni. ,ales o the days alling in di erent months. Agastya Beeta. ,ale o 1hubhvrata. ,ale o Dhanyavrat. Dialogue between +arad and Vishnu. @ethods or e/piation. ,ale o Agastya. Beographical description o #ambhudweep& Kushadweep& Kraunchdweep etc. ,ale o Andhakasura)s vrata etc. ?rigin o Vaishnava etc.Killing o @ahishasura. "itual o Kapalik vrata. Dialogue between Erithvi and 1anatkumar. Dialogue between +arayana and Erithvi. *n this section * will introduce some terminology that will be used in most o this paper. @any o these terms may be un amiliar to the reader& but they are based on sound reasoning (versus historical miscommunications). ,ale di erentiating between sorrow and happiness. ,ale describing twelve kinds o crime. -/piation to destroy the sins. @ethods o Vishnu worship in the evening. Description o 1anatan Dharma. Description o illusion. Description o the karma or salvation. (istory o Bridhra and 1hringali. Dialogue between >handal and Brahmarakshasas. Breatness o Kokamukh. Breatness o Badrikashrama. Breatness o @athurakshetra. Breatness o 1halgram. ,ale o 1halankayank. Breatness o 1tutswamitirth. Breatness o Lohargalam& Eanchar kslutra& Vishran tirth and Devavana. Corship o Lord Vishnu at the con luence o Yamuna31araswati. Breatness o Krishna3Banga. ,ale o 1amb. Breatness o Dwadashi vrat in "ama ,irth. "ituals o installing di erent kinds o idols. Description o the origin o 1hraddh. @ethods o removing impurities. @edhatithi Eitrasambad. Kinds o Eindsankalpa. "itual o @adhupark. Kinds o @adhupark donation. Description o the appearance o Yama. Description o the court o Yama. Description o the ate met by sinners. Description o hell. Description o the appearance o Yamadoot. Description o >hitragupt)s e ect. Directions by >hitragupt or e/piation. *ndications by >hitragupt o the ruits o auspicious3inauspicious karmas. Description o Eativrat. Dialogue between Yama and +arad. Breatness o Erabodhini. Description o the greatness o Bokarneshwar. Branting o boon by +andikeshwar. Description o greatness o #aleshwar. Description o the greatness o 1hringeshwar.
8&1
'ord +arah Enlightens Prithvi
,his section contains I sections as ollows5
J.6.6 Erithvi)s =ueries

Lord Vishnu& in his incarnation o Varah( a boar)&had liberated Erithvi(@other -arth) rom the clutches o (iranyaksha3 the mighty demon who had abducted her to rasatal.A ter being rescued&Erithvi heaved a sigh o relie and looked at her saviour&who was smiling.1he curiously asked lord Varah3 P(ow does the process o creation begin in the beginning o each KalpaL Chat is dissolutionL (ow do you nurture the whole creationL *n what order do all the our Yugas occur and how are they calculatedLChy do you take incarnation in each yugaL All these things pu::le me a lot and * reHuest you to enlighten me on all these sub9ects.P Lord Vishnu burst into laughter and the whole universe&including the deities became visible to Erithvi through his opened mouth.Erithvi became so rightened by this ama:ing sight that she started to tremble in ear.Lord Vishnu then trans ormed his appearance and revealed his divine orm to Erithvi so that she could become ree rom her right.Chen Erithvi saw the divine orm o lord Vishnu&who was in his meditative sleep taking rest on 1heshnag&all her ear vanished.1he was e/tremely pleased to see the divine appearance o lord Vishnu and thanked her good ortune.Erithvi& illed with e/treme devotion eulogi:ed lord Vishnu. Lord Vishnu was e/tremely pleased by her eulogy and said3P,he answers to the Huestions you have asked are not easy to understand&but still * 1hall try to satis y your curiosity.,he supreme Almighty is eternal.*n the biginning o creation&-go(ahamkar) as well as the ive basic elements3 space&water&earth&air and ire mani est themselves rom the supreme Almighty.1ubseHuently&the great element3mahattatva&nature and collective conciousness
mani est themselves.,he collective conciousness then combines with each o the three basic Hualities3 satva(pure)&ra9as and tamas(dark) and e/its in three di erent states.*tAs combination with the dark Huality results into the mani estation o @ahadbrahm which is also called prakriti or nature by the enlightened ones.Kshetragya(soul) is considered to be more superior than the Erakriti.,his way the di erent permutations and combinations o all the three gunas with collective intelligence result into the creation o di erent PtanmatrasP(subtle orm o matters).Drom the tanmatras are created the P*ndriasP or sense organs.,his is the way how the %niverse comes into e/istence.* then create all the living creatures with the help o ive basic elements.P P*n the beginning there was nothing but empty space.1ubseHuently&various natural elements like PshabdaP(sound)&PakashP(ether)&PvayuP(air)&Pte9aP(light) and 9al(water) came into being respectively 3 each o the latter mani esting rom the ormer.,hen&* >reated you(earth)to provide base to all the living creatures.,he combination o earth and water resulted into an P-ggP(anda).As the egg grew in si:e&* mani ested mysel as +arayan within it.During each kalpa a lotus mani ests itsel rom my navel upon which is seated lord Brahma.* then reHuest lord Brahma to commence creation.*nspite o all his e orts& lord Brahma does not succeed in commencing his creation.As a result he becomes urious and rom his ury mani ests a divine child who starts to wail incessantly.,he divine child is none other than "udra who is reHuested by lord Brahma to begin creation but the child being incapable o doing that decides to acHuire power by doing penance and enters into deep water.P PLord Brahma then created Era9apati rom his great toe o his right oot and Era9apatiAs consort rom the great toe o his le t oot.,he mani estation o Era9apati and his consort marks the beginning o copulative creation and thus 1wayambhuva @anu is born.*n course o time population increases.,his is the way how creation takes place in each kalpa.P @other -arth reHuested lord Varah to shade some more light on the creational process as her curiosity had still not been totally satis ied.Lord Varaha replied3 PAt the end o the last kalpa&when the whole universe was engul ed in darkness&+arayan went into his yogic3sleep.A ter waking up he ound the world devoid o any creature.+arayan&being the supreme Almighty3the creator&the nurturer as well as the annihilator&decided to commence creation.,he term +arayan means one who has his abode in the water3 naar means water and ayan means abode.Dirst o all ive types o PavidyaP( alse knoledge) mani ested rom +arayan3 tamas(darkness)& moha(attachment)&mahamoha(absolute attachment)&tamisra(9ealousy) and andhatamisra(anger).A ter the mani estation o these ive PavidyasP&came into e/istence immovable things like mountains&trees etc.,hese being the primary creations came to be known as Pmukhya sargaP(main creation).>ontinuing with his creations&lord Brahma created species that were superior to the earlier creation3animals.,his particular creation was called P,iryaksrotaP(Huadruped).,his way Brahma did his creation.BrahmaAs si/th creation was called 1atvik sarga which consisted o the deities who were all virtuous by nature.,he creation o human beings was seventh in order and was known asPArvaaksrota sarga.-ven human beings were o three types 3those who were predominantly virtuous possessed satva guna had radiant personality and never e/perienced sorrow but those who possessed ra9as and tamas gunas e/perienced sorrows.P PBrahmaAs eighth creation was called PAnugrah sargP in which he created the sages and the hermits or the benediction o the world.,he nineth creation o Lord Brahma was called PKaumar sargP(creation o adolescent beings).1o&these are the nine main types o creation through which Brahma creates.Dirst o all "udra and other deities mani ested themselves and then came into being eternal adlescents like 1anak&1anandan& etc.1ubseHuently&all the ten manasputras o Brahma mani ested themselves3@arichi&Angira& Atri&Eulah&Kratu&Eulasya&Eracheta&Bhrigu&+arad and Vashishth.P PLord BrahmaAs irst creation3"udra had mani ested himsel as Ardha narishwar(hal male and hal emale). At the reHuest o Brahma&"udra dismembered his emale part resulting into the creation o two distinct orms3 one male and the other emale.Later on&ten more "udras mani ested rom the male orm and all o them collectively came to be known as A-leven "udrasA.P
J.6.; Eriyavrata Attains to (eavenly Abode

Describing the incident which enabled King Eriyavrata to attain to heavenly abode Lord Varah told Erithvi3 P1wayambhuva @anu lived during the irst kalpa.(e had two sons3Eriyavrata and %ttanpad.Eriyavrata was e/tremely virtuous by nature.*n course o time&he relinHuished his throne and a ter distributing his kingdom among his sons went to Badrikashram to do penance.?nce sage +arad paid a visit to his hermitage. Eriyavrata received his esteemed guest with all the respect which made +arad e/tremely pleased.Eriyavrata then reHuested +arad to narrate about some interesting incident which had occured in his li e.
+arad narrated about an interesting incident which had happened while he was on his way to meet Eriyavrata3 P* e/perienced an ama:ing incident yesterday while * was passing by a lake in 1hwetdweepa.* saw a divinely beauti ul woman who was standing alone at the bank o that lake.* was surprised to ind such a beauti ul woman at such a lonely place.Dor a moment * became so in atuated by her beauty that * lost all control over my senses.@y lust had made me devoid o all my knowledge and learning.+ow&* became very worried and ashamed o my conduct3but the damage had already been made.* immediately reali:ed that she was not an ordinary woman.,o my surprise&* saw a orm o a divine person visible clearly within her body.Cithin ne/t ew moments two other male orms revealed themselves.1uddenly&all three o them disappeared leaving behind 9ust that divine lady.* was dumbstruck by this ama:ing incident.* asked her as to who she was.,he divine lady disclosed to me that she was none other than goddess 1avitri 3 the mother o all the Vedas and since * was unable to recogni:e her there ore all the knowledge had vanished rom my memory.1he also revealed to me that the three divine men which had mani ested themselves within her body were in act the three Vedas3 "igveda&1amveda and Ya9urveda.A ter revealing these ama:ing acts to me goddess 1avitri assured me that by taking a bath in that lake * would not only regain my memory o the Vedas but also o all my previous births.* eulogi:ed goddess 1avitri and thanked her or the blessings showered on me.* then bathed in that lake and to my pleasant surprise * now remembered everything o my past births as had been prophesised by goddess 1avitri.P Eriyavrat was very surprised and reHuested +arad to describe some interesting incident related with his past birth.+arad narrated the ollowing incident to him3 P*n satyayuga&* was born in a brahmin amily and was named 1araswat by my parents.* was very studious and grew up to become a renowned scholar.,he almighty Bod had blessed me with immense riches and * never e/perienced scarcity o any kind in my li e.But&very soon * got bored o my monotonous and routined li e. *t had become clear to me that there was more to li e than 9ust worrying about the gains and losses.1o&* decided to do penance to attain salvation.* distributed all my wealth among my sons and went to the bank o river 1araswati&where * irst per ormed the rituals o shraddh in the name o my ancestors and then per ormed yagyas.* also donated lot o wealth to poor people.Being satis ied&* then went to Eushkar teerth and did penance at the bank o river 1araswat by continuously chanting the sacred mantraPom namo narayanP and brahm paar stotra.%ltimately&lord +arayan became pleased and appeared be ore me.Lord 1ri (ari asked me o my wish and * e/press my desire to get united with his divine orm.But&lord +arayan told me that the world needed me and so this desire o mine could not be ul illed.(e blessed me and gave me my name3 +arad because * had AdonatedA water(naar) to my ancestors during the course o per orming shraddh rituals.Although my wish o uniting with the divine orm o 1ri (ari had remain un ul illed but still there was a consolation as * had been ortunate enough to see his divine orm with my mortal eyes. ,herea ter&* devoted my li e to the worship o 1ri (ari.A ter my death&* attained to brahmaloka3 * had been adeHuately rewarded or my devotion toward lord 1ri (ari.Later on&* mani ested as one o the ten manasputras o lord Brahma when he commenced his creation.*t was only because o the blessings o 1ri (arithat * came to be regarded as Alok guruA by the masses.1o Eriyavrat&i you are desire o attaining salvation then you should ollow my e/ample and devote your li e in the name o Lord 1rihari.P Erithvi&who was listening to the tales narrated by Lord Varah with rapt attention asked him whether it was possible or anybody to see Lord +arayan with his0her mortal eyes.Lord Varah replied 3PLord +arayan has taken ten incarnations in various orms such as matsya( ish)&kachchap(tortoise)&varah(boar)&narsimh(hal human and hal lion)&vaman(dwar )&parshuram&"am&Krishna&Buddha and kalki.,he last incarnation3Kalki is yet to take place.A man can reali:e Lord +arayan by having total devotion in any one o the ten incarnations. -ven the deities are incapable o this divine e/perience3what to say about humans.Lord Brahma is the mani estation o all the three Hualities o 1ri (ari and actually it is (e(1ri (ari) who creates in the orm o Lord Brahma3it is (e who mani ests himsel in various natural orms like earth&water& ire&air and sky3it is (e who mani ests himsel in various abstract Hualities like consciousness3 (e is omnipresent and the whole universe is pervaded by him.P Erithvi was an/ious to know whether +aradAs sermons had any e ect on Eriyavrat and asked Lord Varah regarding this.Lord Varah replied3 Eriyavrat was so impressed by +aradAs discourses that he relinHuished his throne and went to do penance a ter eHually distributing his kingdom among his sons.%ltimately&he did manage to attain to the abode o lord 1ri (ari by the virtue o his total devotion.
J.6.7 Ashvashira)s %ni ication with Lord +arayana

Erithvi asked lord Varah about the amous incident which described AshvashiraAs uni ication with lord +arayan.Lord Varah then narrated the ollowing tale3 PDuring ancient times&there used to live a virtuous king named Ashvashira.(e had per ormed an ashwamedh yagya in which he had donated large amount o wealth.?nce&sage Kapil arrived at his palace acoompanied by sage #aigishavya.King Ashvashira received both his distinguished guests with due honour.A ter the ormalities were over&he asked both his guests about the means by which lord +arayan could be pleased and also about the rituals pertaining to the worship o lord
+arayan.P Both the sages being enlightened souls reali:ed that Ashvashira was asking this Huestion out o his ignorance so&they decided to enlighten him on the omnipresent nature o +arayan and said3AChat do you mean by pleasing +arayanL >anAt you see two +arayans standing in ront o youLA But&Ashvashira was unamused and unconvinced so he replied3A* donAt deny that both o you possess supernatural powers and also that all your sins have destroyed on account o the virtues attained by doing penance.But&* donAt believe your claim to be +arayan.Lord +arayan is the almighty Bod and the supreme deity.(e holds a conch&a chakra and a mace in his hands.(e wears pitambar and has Baruda as his mount.(is glory is indescribable and incomparable.A As Asvashira had raised valid points&sage Kapil trans ormed his appearance with the help o his divine powers.1imilarly&sage #aigishavya trans ormed his appearance and became Baruda.But&Ashvashira still remained unconvinced and said3A(ow can * accept you to be +arayan as there is no sign o lotus mani esting rom your navel in which lord Brahma has his abode.A 1age Kapil then slightly trans ormed his appearance and created an illusion whereby a lotus lower emanating rom his navel became visible to Ashvashira.1age #aigishavya sat on that lotus lower in the guise o lord Brahma.+ot only that&they also created an illusion due to which all types o living creatures inside the palace premise. +ow&Ashvashira was really con used and reHuested both the sages to break the magic spell.Both the sages decided not to test the limit o AshvashiraAs patience and so&they tras ormed their respective guises into their original appearances.Both o them said3 A+arayan is one but can mani est himsel in countless orms.,he whole universe is (*1 creation and (- is present in every single creature.*t is impossible or a mortal being to bear the radiance o almighty +arayan and it is only when (- appears in his more gentle orm that the enlightened person is able to see him.,here ore&you should engage yoursel in the service o mankind&considering each human being to be the medium through which lord +arayan mani ests himsel . Ashvashira was satis ied by the e/planation given by both the sages but there was still one Huestion bothering him a lot so& he asked3 ACho is most likely to attain salvation3a knowledgeable person or a person who indulges in right ul deedsLA 1age Kapil narrated the ollowing tale3A?nce&sage "aimya and king Vasu had asked the same Huestion to sage Vrihaspati.At that time Vrihaspati had replied that anybody who per ormed his duties with a sense o detachment is sure to attain salvation and to prove his point he had narrated the ollowing tale3ADuring ancient times&there lived a brahmin named 1anyaman.(e was the descendant o sage Atri.?ne day&while he was going to take his bath he met +ishthoor3a owler&who used to catch birds and animals or his livings.A 1anyaman reprimanded +ishthoor or his evil deeds and said3 Chy do you trap innocent birds and animalsL +ishthoor replied3A,he almighty Bod is present in each living creature.?ne who is desirous o attaining salvation must under no circumstances allow his ego to dominate him.,he AdoerA is not the man but the supreme Almighty present in him.Keeping this act in his mind a man should per orm his duties with nonchallance and a sense o detachment.* * earn my livelyhood by catching birds and animals then it is the will o almighty.A ,o prove his point&the owler spread his iron3net and kept dry blocks o wood underneath it and then reHuested 1anyaman to ignite those blocks.1anyaman was surprised but burnt the wodden3logs as per the owlerAs instruction.*n a short time all the wodden3blocks became abla:e and the lames startes coming out rom the thousand o small holes o the iron3net.,he owler then told 1anyaman that although the lames coming rom each hole appeared to have distinct sources&yet the act was that the lames mani ested rom the single source3wodden blocks that were burning beneath the iron3net. ,he owler said3P*t was impossible to e/tinguish the ire untill and unless the source o the ire was e/tinguished.-ach hole o the iron3net can be compared with an individual and the almighty Bod with the source o ire.A man does what Bod wills and he can never e/perience sorrow provided he constantly remembers the Almighty even while he is per orming his daily chores.P 1anyaman was very much impressed by the owlerAs wisdom. (aving inished his tale&sage Vrihaspati told "amya3P+ow it must be evident to you that salvation is within the reach o any individual.*t does not make much di erence whether the seeker o salvation is a householder or a hermit aspiring or knowledge.P >ontinuing with the story o Ashvashira&lord Varah told Erithvi3PKing Ashvashira was so impressed by KapilAs preachings that he went to +aimisharanya and spent his rest o his li e in the service o lord +arayan.?nce&while he was per orming yagya&suddenly lord Vishnu mani ested himsel rom the altar in the orm o a brilliant e ulgence and the identity o Ashvashira merged with it.,his way&Ashvashira got united with lord Vishnu by the virtue o his deep devotion.
J.6.F King Vasu and 1age "aimya %nite with 1ri (ari
Erithvi was an/ious to know about the e ect sage VrihaspatiAs discources had on King Vasu as well as sage "aimya.1he asked lord Varah3PChat did both king Vasu and sage "aimya do a ter listening to the preachings o sage VrihaspatiLP Lord Varah replied3PKing Vasu was so impressed by VrihaspatiAs discources that he decided to spend the rest o his li e in the service o lord +arayan.(e appointed Viwasman3his eldest son as his successor and le t or Eushkar teerth.(e engaged himsel in austere penance by chanting pundarikaksha stotra.?ne day&while Vasu was chanting pundarikaksha stotra&he e/perienced an ama:ing incident3an entity whose comple/ion was blue& mani ested rom his body and stood with olded hands.*n his bewilderment&king Vasu reHuested the stranger to introduce himsel . ,he entity narrated the ollowing tale to him 3 P? King&you were the ruler o #anasthan in your second previous birth.?nce&while you had gone deep into the orest on a hunting spree&you were delighted to ind a deer which in act was none other but mysel .*n act&* had disguised mysel as a deer and was wandering in the orest.Being oblivious o this act you had killed that dear.Later on&when you reali:ed your mistake&you cursed yoursel or having killed an innocent brahmin.,o get absolved o this sin&you had observed a ast on -kadashi and had donated a cow to please lord +arayan.But&inspite o all these austerities you did not attain liberation because at the time o your death you had chanted your wi eAs name whose name was +arayani instead o +arayan.,his blunder o yourAs had stopped you rom attaining to Vishnu loka or one complete kalpa.But&my revenge ul soul continued to torture your soul till it was driven out by lord +arayanAs escorts.*t was only then that you were able to attain to Vishnu loka.P P*n your ne/t birth you were born as the king o Kashmir.* did not spare you even in that birth and possessed your body.You per ormed numerous yagyas to get rid o me but all your e orts went in vain as you had not chanted the holy name o lord Vishnu in any o the rituals that you had per ormed.But&now * was orced to abandon your body since you have been constantly chanting the sacrosanct pundarikaksha stotra.* have also become absolved o all my sin by the virtue o listening to the pundarikaksha stotra.P King Vasu e/pressed his gratitude to the entity or shedding light on his previous births.1uddenly&a divine aircra t descended rom the heaven and king Vasu le t or Vishnuloka mounted on it.@eanwhile&sage "aimya got the news o VasuAs ascension to heaven to Vishnuloka&he wanted to emulate the eat o his riend.(e reached Baya and per ormed shraddh in the name o his ancestors.(e then engaged himsel in an austere penance.1anat kumar3one o the manasputras became very pleased by "aimyaAs penance and appeared be ore him.(e complimented "aimya or liberating his ancestors by per orming shraddh at Baya.(e then described the virtues o per orming shraddh at Baya and narrated the ollowing tale ! P,here lived a king named Vishal who had no son.?ne day&he invited ew brahmins to his palace and asked them how he could beget a son.All the brahmins revealed to him that he did not have son because o the curse o his ancestors.PYou have not per ormed their shraddh so& they are angry with you and you can never beget a son unless you per ormed shraddh rituals at Baya.Vishal went to Baya as per the instruction o the brahmins.(e per ormed the shraddh rituals and o ered pinda3daan in the name o his ancestors.Chile he was still per orming the rituals&he was ama:ed to see three men descending rom the sky3one o them was o air comple/ion while the remaining two were o wheatish and dark comple/ion respectively.Vishal curiously asked them as to who they were.,he air3comple/ioned person replied3 A* am your ather3AsitA.,he person with wheatish comple/ion is my ather and the third person amongst us is my grand ather.@y ather had committed grave sins while he was alive and killing a brahmin was one the gravest sin he had committed.@y grand ather was even worst than my ather and his dark comple/ion is nothing as compared to his grave sins.(e had killed numerous innocent sages or no ault o theirs.All three o us have come to e/press our gratitude as we have become liberated rom our sins by the virtue o the shraddh rituals you have per ormed.,he water which you had o ered to us while per orming the rituals have given us the ability to communicate with you&even though we are spirits.A A ter inishing his tale& 1anat kumar told sage "aimya that Baya was supreme among all the places o pilgrimage and the virtues o per orming shraddh overthere is incomparable.1age "aimya dedicated rest o his li e to the worship o lord Badadhar.At last&lord Badadhar appeared be ore him.1age "aimya reHuested the lord to give him a place in his abode which was dwelled by sages like 1anak and 1anandan.Lord Badadhar blessed him by saying3A1o be it.A,his way&sage "aimya attained enlightenment with the blessings o the merci ul lord Badadhar and ultimately attained to the divine abode o lord Vishnu.
J.6.8 @atsya Avatar

?nce& when lord Vishnu awakened rom his yoga nidra& he ound that the Vedas had submerged in the ocean as the result o pralaya (deluge).(e incarnated as matsya( ish) to retrieve the Vedas rom the ocean3bed.As soon as lord @atsya entered into the ocean&(- attained such an enormous si:e that the deities became rightened. All the deities then eulogi:ed lord @atsya and reHuested him to regain his original orm3 P? +arayan3the imperceivable lord. You mani est yoursel in each and every particle o this %niverse.You are omnipresent and e/ist even during the time o deluge when nothing else e/ist. ? Lord$ we are scared o your present orm.P ?n seeing the deities rightened& lord @atsya retrieved the Vedas rom the seabed and trans ormed his appearance rom the huge ish to that o lord Vishnu.,he deities were illed with 9oy to see the divine appearance o lord Vishnu.
J.6.I King Dur9ay

During satya yuga&there lived a king named 1uprateek.Although he had two Hueens&yet none o them bore any son to him.?ne day&1uprateek went to meet sage Durvasa&who had his hermitage at the oothills o chitrakut mountain and engaged himsel in the sevice o Durvasa.,he sage blessed the king and prophesised that he would become a proud ather o a mighty son named Dur9ay.DurvasaAs prophesy came true and 1uprateekAs eldest Hueen3Vidyutprabha gave birth to a son.,he child was named Dur9ay.*n course o time Dur9ay grew up to become a worthy successor o 1uprateek.1uprateek decided to spend rest o his li e in the service o Bod&so he went to >hitrakut mountain to do penance. @ean while&Dur9ay being an ambitious king e/panded his kingdom by sub9ugating all the neighbouring states.(e conHuered numerous mighty kingdoms and vanHuished almost all the prominent warrior castes like3 gandharvas&kinnars&demons and even the deities.*ndra3the lord o the deities was de eated by Dur9ay and was orced to retreat towards east o 1umeru mountain alongwith the lokpals3various lords protecting di erent regions o the %niverse.,he whole world went into turmoil as the allout o lokpalAs power being snatched by Dur9ay.Chile Dur9ay was returning to his capital along with his victorious army&he met two asuras3Vidyut and 1uvidyut& who had diguised themselves as sages.Both the impersonators reHuested Dur9ay to make some alternative arrangements so that the world could unction smoothly.*n reality&both o them harboured wishes o having the powers o lokpalAs so they o ered their services in this regard.Dur9ay&being unaware o their real identity agreed to appoint them as lokpalAs and then proceeded towards his capital.Chile he was passing by the mandarachal mountain&he saw two beauti ul women.Dur9ay was surprised to ind them at such a deserted place.As he stood their wondering about their identity&he saw two hermits approaching him.Both the hermits asked Dur9ay3PCho are youL Chat is the purpose o your arrivalL Dur9ay introduced himsel and told them that he was on his way to conHuer the whole world.+ow it was the turn o both the sages to introduce themselves3PCe are the sons o 1wayambhuva @anu3(etu and Erachetu.Ce had success ully de eated the deities and driven them out rom their abode31umeru mountain.All the deities went to seek the help o lord Vishnu and were success ul in getting his assurance.Lord Vishnu then attacked us and vanHuished our army but he spared our lives.,hen onwards we became ardent devotees o the merci ul lord Vishnu. (etu&then pointing towards one o the women said3P1he is my daughter31ukeshi.,he other woman you see is my brother3 ErachetuAs daughter and her name is @ishrakeshi.Elease accept both these beauti ul as your wives.PDur9ay readily agreed to marry both o them as they were really very beauti ul.(e then returned to his capital. -verything was going Huite smoothly or Dur9ay&when on one ate ul day he met his down all because o his e/treme greed.,he incident happened as ollows3?nce&Dur9ay had gone into the orest on a hunting spree&where he met a sage named Baurmukh.Baurmukh had been blessed by lord Vishnu with a divine diamond named >hintamani which was capable o ul illing all desires.Baurmukh gave a royal treatment to Dur9ay with the help o wish3 ul illing diamond.(e created an illusionary palace and o ered variety delicacies to him as well as his whole army. Dur9ay wanted to have chintamani diamond at any cost and there ore sent his minister3Virochan to persuade Baurmukh to part with that diamond.Baurmukh became urious a ter coming to know about the evil intention o Dur9ay and told Virochan to ask Dur9ay to leave at once.But&Baurmukh knew Huite well that the greedy Dur9ay would not give up so easily and would de initely try to acHuire chintamani by orce.1o& he reHuested chintamani diamond to create a huge army.
@eanwhile&Dur9ay ordered his chie 3commander&named +eel to bring chintamani at any cost.+eel proceeded with a large number o soldiers.A ierce battle took place between both the armies in which +eel was killed and his army got vanHuished.Dinally&Dur9ay himsel came orward to ight but even he was de eated. *n the meantime&(etu and Erachetu got the news that their son3in3law was in trouble.Both o them proceeded with a huge army to help their so3in3law.But&they were no match or the might o their adversary and both o them eventually dieed in the ensuing battle. @eanwhile&sage Baurmukh ound Dur9ay standing at the entrance o his hermitage with a small number o surviving soldiers.(e sought the help o lord Vishnu&who appeared within no time.Baurmukh reHuested him to punish Dur9ay or his evil intention.Lord Vishnu severed Dur9ayAs head with his sudarshan chakra.,he place where Dur9ay was killed later on became amous as +aimisharanya.1age Baurmukh continued to live at +aimisharanya without any problem.
8&!
)hraddh 6ituals
,his section contains G sections as ollows5
J.;.6 Eitras and the 1igni icance o '1hraddh

?nce&sage @arkandeya arrived at +aimisharanya to see sage Baurmukh.1age Baurmukh was delighted to ind such an enlightened soul at his hermitage.A ter the ormalities were over& Baurmukh reHuested him to shed light on the venerability o ancestors and the signi icance o shraddh rituals. 1age @arkandeya replied3PLord Brahma&a ter having created the sapta rishis instructed them to worship him(Lord Brahma) but they became so arrogant that they started to worship themselves.Lord Brahma elt insulted and so he cursed them o becoming bere t o all the knowledge.*n course o time&the sapta rishis had numerous sons.A ter the death o the sapta rishis&all the sons per ormed shraddh so that their souls could rest in peace.,he sapta rishis were also amously known as AVaimanikAbecause they had mani ested rom the mind o Brahma.P 1age Baurmukh was listening to @arkandeyaAs utterances with rapt attention.(e asked about the most appropriate time or per orming shraddh and also about the number o AganasA each o the pitras were supposed to have.1age @arkandeya replied3PEitras living in the heaven are known as Asomap pitrasA are believed to be the most privileged ones among all the pitras.,hey en9oy the most delicious beverage3somaras.,heir li e3span e/tends or the ull period o kalpa and they worship AmarutasA.1age @arich belongs to this category o pitras.P Eitras belonging to the category o Avaira9A are revered even by the marutganas.1anak comes under this categoty o pitras.-ach o these pitras have seven ganas.1imilarly&pitras known as AbhaswarA have their abode in the world called AsantanakA.,hese pitras are revered even by the deities as all o them are Abrahma vadisA(one who has reali:ed Brahma).,hey remani est themselves a ter every hundred yugas. Eeople belonging to any caste can worship the revered ApitrasA with an appropriately modi ied rituals and obviously with the permission o the brahmin.1ome o the prominent pitras are AVasuA&AKashyapA&A@arichiA A1anakA etc.
J.;.; ,he Appropriate ,ime or Eer orming 1hraddh

Describing the auspicious time or per orming the rituals o shraddh&@arkandeya told Burumukh3PA person desirous o per orming the rituals o Akamya shraddhA can do so on any o the ollowing days3a) at the commencement o uttarayan or dakshinayan. b)at the time when vyatipat yoga takes place. c) at the time when vishu yoga occurs. d) during both solar and lunar eclipses. e) i troubled by the evil in luences o a constellation or a planet. ) i troubled by nightmares. g)at the time when the 1un changes itAs position rom one :odiac to another. ,he various nakshatras like Anuradha&Vishakha and 1hwati are considered to be very auspicious or per orming shraddh3 especially& i the day happens to be amavasya.1hraddh per ormed on such a day paci ies the ancestorAs soul or eight years.1imilarly the combination o amavasya with either Apushya nakshatraA or Apunarvasu nakshatraA is believed to paci y the ancstorAs soul or twelve years.1ome other days which are considered to be very auspicious or per orming shraddh are3the third day o the bright hal o the hindu month Vaishakh&the nineth day o the bright hal o the hindu month Kartik&the thirteenth day o the dark hal o the hindu month Bhadrapad and amavasya alling in the hindu month o @agh.A man desirous o per orming shraddh can do so on any o the above mentioned days.(e should take bath in a holy river and o er AtarpanA(libation) to his ancestors.
J.;.7 1hraddh Kalpa

Describing the types o brahmin&considered to be elligible to preside over the rituals o shraddh& @arkandeya told sage Baurmukh3P,he ollowing types o brahmin are elligible to per orm shraddh3AtrinachiketA AtrimadhuA AtrisuparnaA and the brahmins who are well versed in all the Vedas.,he shraddh rituals can be per ormed by any o the ollowing relatives o the deceased& apart rom his son3maternal nephew& grandson(daughterAs son)& ather3in3 law&son3in3law&maternal uncle&etc. 1imilarly&the ollowing types o brahmin should never be invited at the shraddh at the shraddh ceremony3a deceit ul or a wicked brahmin&a brahmin who is a habitual backbiter or who is accused o the t&a brahmin who has married a shudra woman and a brahmin who earns his livelihood by working as a priest.
J.;.F (ow to *nvite Brahmins to a 1hraddh >eremony

*nvitation should be given to the all the brahmins one day in advance.* uivited brahmins arrive to attend the shraddh ceremonythey should be treated with due respect.,he brahmin who is supposed to per orm the rituals should wash the eet o other brahmins to show his respect towards them.(e should then help them per orm AachamanA(rinsing o mouth).Dinally&the invited brahmins should be ed a ter the rituals have been completed.
J.;.8 +umber o Brahmins

As ar as the number o invited brahmins to the shraddh ceremony o the ancestors is concerned&the scriptures have strictly put it to odd numbers3one&three& ive&etc.1imilarly&the number o invited brahmins or the shraddh o the deities is concerned the number has been put to even number3two& our&etc. But&i the person inds it di icult to invite the above number o brahmins then he can invite only one brahmin or both the types o shraddh.Chile per orming the shraddh o maternal grand ather it is mandatory to per orm the shraddh o Vaishyadeva simultaneously.*n the shraddh ceremony related with the deities the brahmins should always have their ood acing east.?n the contrary&in the shraddh ceremony o the ancestors the brahmins should have their ood acing north.
J.;.I ,ypes o 1hraddh

A person per orming the shraddh rituals should have his seat made o AkushaA grass.A ter taking his seat&he should invoke the deities and make o erings o AardhyaA to them.Chile o ering AardhyaA to the deities water and barley are commonly used alongwith other articles like sandalwood&incense&etc.During the entire course o shraddh rituals AyagyopavitA(sacred thread) should be worn in an inverse position3across the right shoulder and not across the le t shoulder as it is normally worn.Chile per orming the shraddh o ancestors o erings o articles like sesame seeds&water and kusha grass are normally made.
J.;.< 1hraddh @antra

*t is customary to scatter sesame seeds near the place where brahmins are having ood in the shraddh ceremony.,he per ormer o the shraddh rituals should imagine that the ood partaken by them are actually satiating the ancestors.,he chanting o A"akshodhna mantraA is a must.
J.;.J ,he "ituals o Einda Daan

?ne important characteristic o the rituals connected with pinda daan is the o erings made to manes in the orm o sesame seeds and water.Another important aspect is that ApindaA is o ered on the AkushaA grass which are kept acing south3 irst in the name o oneAs dead ather and then in the name o oneAs grand ather and other ancestors.
J.;.G Balivaishva Deva

,he per ormance o Balivaishva deva rituals mark the end o shraddh ceremony a ter which the person should sit down along with all the invited guests to have his ood.Ancestors become satis ied i shraddh is per ormed in their names and all the desires o such a man are ul illed.,hree things have great importance in shraddh rituals3black sesame seeds&the auspicious muhurta named AKutupA and grandson(daughterAs son).Donating silver is considered to be e/tremely auspicious.A person per orming the shraddh rituals should not venture out o his house till the completion o the entire ceremony.
8&*
"he Manifestation of +arious $eities
,his section contains 6I sections as ollows5
During tretayuga&there lived a king named Era9apal.?nce&while he was on his hunting spree&he entered into a dense orest.(e was delighted to see a dear who started running or itAs li e a ter hearing the noise. Era9apal let his horse loose in the direction o the running dear.1age @ahatapa had his hermitage in that orest.Chile chasing that dear&Era9apal arrived at the hermitage o @ahatapa.Being curious&he entered the hermitage and saw sage @ahatapa.,he sage treated his guest with all the respect and o ered him ruits to eat.A ter the ormalities were over&Era9apal reHuested @ahatapa to describe the appropriate way o contemplating on the various orms o lord +arayan which gave salvation to a man. 1age @ahatapa replied3P,he Vedas proclaim that all the deities owe their e/istence to lord Vishnu3Agni&Ashwini kumar&Bauri&Ba9anan&1heshnag&Kartikeya&Aditya Banas&Durga&all the IF matrikas&Kuber& Vayu& Yama& "udra&>handrama&Eitra Banas&etc.have originated rom lord 1ri (ari.All the deities&although appearing to to have distinct identity&are in act inseparable rom lord Vishnu.P
J.7.6 Agni
PChen Agni mani ested himsel rom BrahmaAs anger&he reHuested him(Brahma) to assign an auspicious day to him or his worship.Lord Brahma said3A1ince you have mani ested irst o all the deities&there ore the irst day(pratipada) will be reserved or your worship.?ne who per orms havan on pratipada would be blessed.P
J.7.; Ashwini Kumars

King Era9apal reHuested @ahatapa to describe how both the Ashwini kumars mani ested themselves.1age @ahatapa narrated the ollowing tale3A@arichi was Lord BrahmaAs son while Kashyap was @arichiAs son.All the twelve Adityas are the sons o sage Kashyap.?ne o the Adityas3@artand&was marrird to VishwakarmaAs daughter whose name was 1angya.@artand had two children rom her and their names were3Yama and Yami.Being unable to bear the e/treme radiance o @artand&1angya created her shadow identity and a ter instructing her to serve her husband(@artand) in best possible ways&she hersel went to live at %ttarkuru.Later on&when @artand came to know about the reality&he went to %ttarkuru and ound 1angya in the orm o a mare.(e then changed his own orm and became a horse.Both o them stayed there or a long time.*n course o time&1angya gave birth to two sons who became amous as Ashwini kumars.A @artand instructed both his sons to please lord Brahma with their devotion.Both o them engaged themselves in austere penance.Dinally&lord Brahma appeared and blessed both o them by saying3AYour good3looks and knowledge o ayurveda will be unmatched in the world.A*t was AdwitiyaA(second day) when lord Brahma had blessed both the Ashwini kumars.,his is the reason why this particular day is the reason why this particular day is deeply attached with the worship o Ashwini kumars.A
J.7.7 Boddess Earvati

King Era9apal asked @ahatapa about the reason why goddess Bauri3the epithet o power&had to take incaranation.1age @ahatapa replied 3PBoddess Bauri mani ested rom lord +arayan and was o ered to "udra as his consort by lord Brahma.Lord Brahma then instructed Brahma to begin creation but "udra being ree rom all kinds o worldly attachment re used to oblige lord Brahma and engaged himsel in austere penance.Boddess Bauri then merged her identity with Brahma&who later on created his seven Amanas3putrasA. *n course o time&Bauri was born as the daughter o Daksha Era9apati and hence came to be known as ADakshayaniA. ?nce& Daksha Era9apati organised a grand yagya in which all the seven manasputras were assigned speci ic responsibilities.@eanwhile&"udra came out rom his meditation and was e/tremely urious to see the earth occupied by countless creatures.(e thought3ABrahma had reHuested me to create then who is responsible or all these creationL Cho has dared to transgress my authority LA As "udra stood wondering&suddenly he heard the sound o the mantras being chanted at the yagya per ormed by Daksha.+ow& "udraAs ury crossed all limits resulting into the emergence o numerous spirits and ghosts rom his ears.(e then went to the oblation3site accompanied by the ghosts and started destroying it.Lord Vishnu tried to protest as a result o which a ierce battle was ought between both o them.*t was only on lord BrahmaAs intervention that both o them stopped ighting.Lord Brahma said3ADrom now onwards "udra would become amous as A(arA while Vishnu would be known as A(ariA.(e then directed the deities to eulogi:e "udra and give his due share o the yagya being per ormed by Daksha Era9apati.A "udra became pleased by deitiesAs eulogy and blessed them.,his way&Daksha Era9apati was able to accomplish his yagya with the blessings o "udra.*n course o time&"udra married Bauri3the daughter o Daksha Era9apati.?nce&Bauri went to her atherAs place to attend a yagya ceremony against the wish o her husband.?n seeing her&Daksha Era9apati started cursing "udra.Bauri was so enraged by her atherAs attitude that she gave up her li e by 9umping into the sacri icial ire meant or the yagya.Later on&she took rebirth as Earvati3the daughter o
(imalaya.Earvati did an austere penance to get 1hiva as her husband.%ltimately her desire was ul illed and she became the consort o lord 1hiva. ,he tithi o tritiya is very deeply attached with the worship o goddess Earvati because all the important events o her li e(birth&marriage&etc.)took place on this day.,his is the reason why tritiya is attributed to the worship o goddess Earvati.A woman who observe a ast on this day en9oys a bliss ul married li e.?ne important ritual related with the austerity o tritiya is avoiding the usage o salt on this day.
J.7.F Lord Banapati

King Era9apal then asked sage @ahatapa about the mani estation o lord Banapati and about the signi icance o chaturthi in terms o BanapatiAs worship.@ahatapa narrated the ollowing tale3 P?nce&all the deities went to seek 1hivaAs help in sorting out a peculiar problem they were aced with3 while they e/perienced all sorts o hurdles and problems in their work resulting into repeated ailures in their work&the demons on the contrary accomplished all their work success ully without any problem. Chen lord 1hiva learnt about their problem&he burst into laughter.(ardly had he stopped laughing than a radiant adolescent mani ested himsel rom his opened mouth.,he child was so divinely charming that Earvati&who was sitting beside 1hiva looked at him without dropping her eyelids.Chen 1hiva ound her staring at the child he became 9ealous.#ealousy trans ormed into anger and 1hiva cursed the child3ADrom now onwards your ace will resemble an elephant and your belly will become large as a pot.*n the name o yagyopavit you would have nothing but a snake hanging across your shoulder.A ,he child was none other than Banesh.Lord 1hivaAs anger did not subside even a ter having cursed Banesh. (e was still trembling in anger and was sweating pro usely.+umerous Baneshas mani ested themselves rom those sweat3drops and each o them had a head o an elephant as well as a large belly.1uddenly& lord Brahma appeared and reHuested lord 1hiva by saying3AYou should make this divine child&who has mani ested rom your mouth&the lord o all these Vinayakas.,hus&lord 1hiva made Banesh the lord o all the Vinayakas and blessed him3AYou will be the irst deity to get worshipped in any ritual.A >haturthi has deep association with the worship o lord Banesh&as it was on this very day that he had mani ested himsel .(aving prasad&prepared rom sesame seeds and worshipping lord Banesh on this day is believed to bring great auspiciousness.A devotee who worships lord Banesh on chaturthi never e/periences any kind o obstacle in his work.
J.7.8 +ag Devta

King Era9apal then reHuested @ahatapa to shed light on the origin o the serpents and the signi icance o ApanchamiA.1age @ahatapa replied3,he serpents came rom the lineage o Kadru3KashyapAs wi e.1age Kashyap had numerous progeny rom Kadru3Vasuki&Anant&Kambal&Karkotak&Eadma&@ahapadma&1hankh&Kulik&etc. Chen all these serpents started tormenting human3beings&lord Brahma cursed them that they would be annihilated during swayambhuva manvantar due to the curse o their own mother. ,he serpents became terri ied and promised to mend their ways.,hey then reHuested lord Brahma to give them a place to live in.Lord Brahma instructed them to go to three di erent netherworlds31utal&Vital and Eatal.(e also warned them that during Vaivaswat manvantar #anme9ay would per orm a grand yagya with the ob9ective o destroying the wicked serpents but the virtuous among them would manage to survive.,his particular incident had occured on panchami and hence it became the destroyer o all sins.A devotee who worships A+agA(serpent) on this day and o ers milk will never be troubled by them.
J.7.I Kartikeya
Describing KartikeyaAs mani estation and how his worship got associated with the auspicious day o shashthi&sage @ahatapa told king Era9apal3?nce&a ierce battle was between the deities and demons in which the deities got de eated.,he reason behind their de eat was the absence was the absence o an able commander who could lead them.,he deities went to seek the help o lord Brahma.Being unable to solve their problem&lord Brahma took the deities to lord 1hiva. Lord 1hiva invoked A1haktiA present within his body and thus mani ested lord Kartikeya.(e was named a ter the si/ AKritikasA who had nurtured him by eeding their breast milk.Lord shiva then made Kartikeya the commander o the deities on the auspicious day o shashthi.%nder his able leadership&the deities inally managed to de eat the demons.
A devotee who worships lord Kartikeya on shashthi en9oys prosperity and gets all his desire ul illed. A childless couple must worship on this auspicious day to get blessed with a son.
J.7.< Lord Aditya

King Era9apal asked @ahatapa3P,he thought o divine radiance taking the orm o human radiance bewilders me.Elease clear my doubts.P 1age @ahatapa replied 3PChen the almighty Bod willed to mani est himsel in other tangible orms&an e ulgence emanated rom his being resulting into the creation o A1uryaA(,he 1un).,he whole world became illumined with 1uryaAs radiance and all the deities dwelling within the body o Almighty Bod e/pressed their gratitude.*nitially&unbearable heat emanated rom A1uryaA&causing great uncom ort to the deities but later on Almighty Bod reduced it to bearable limit at the reHuest o the deities.1urya had mani ested himsel on the auspicious day o AsaptamiA hence this particular day became deeply associated with the worship o 1urya.
J.7.J Ashta @atrikas

>ontinuing with his narration&sage @ahatapa said 3PDuring ancient times&there lived a mighty demon named AAndhakasurA.Andhakasur had become arrogant because o a boon o immortality received rom lord Brahma. Being tormented by Andhakasur&all the deities went to seek lord BrahmaAs help.Lord Brahma took the deities to lord 1hiva who agreed to kill the wicked demon3Andhakasur. ,he battle commenced and a ierce dual ight broke out between Lord 1hiva and Andhakasur.1hiva attacked Andhakasur with his trident.1tream o blood oo:ed out rom the wound&but to 1hivaAs utter ama:ement each drop o blood alling on the ground resulted in into the creation o numerous Andhakasuras.*n a short time the battle ield was overcrowded with countless Andhakasuras.+ow&1hivaAs anger crossed all limits and he thundered loudly.Dlames emanated rom the mouth o enraged 1hiva resulting into the mani estation o goddess AYogishwariA.1imilarly&seven more goddesses mani ested themselves rom di erent deities3 Vaishnavi rom lord Vishnu&Brahmi rom lord Brahma&Kaumari rom Kartikeya&@ahendri rom *ndra&Yami rom Yama&Varahi rom lord Varah and @aheshwari rom lord +arayan.All these eight goddesses came to be known as A@atrikasA and lord assigned them the auspicious day or their worship.A devotee who worships these eight matrikas on ashtami are blessed.,he use o AbaelA(wood3apple) ruit on this day has great signi icance.
J.7.G Boddess Durga

King Era9apal reHuested sage @ahatapa to narrate about the mani estation o goddess Durga and the signi icance o her worship on navami.1age @ahatapa replied3,he mighty demon3Vetrasur had driven out deities rom the heaven.All the deities went to lord Brahma and sought his help.As lord Brahma was wondering about his urther course o action&suddenly goddess Durga appeared rom nowhere.1he held various weapons in each o her eight arms and was mounted on a erocious lion.Lord Brahma was relieved as he was con ident that Boddess Durga would certainly kill Vretasur.Dinally&goddess Durga indeed killed the dreaded demon without much di iculty.Later on&all the deities reHuested her to make himalaya mountain as her abode to which she agreed.,his particular place&in course o time became amous as +andadevi.?ne who worships goddess Durga on the auspicious day o navami gets her blessings.
J.7.6M Dash Dishas

(aving inished the tale o goddess Durga&sage @ahatapa revealed how all the si/ directions came into e/istence3P1i/ divine women mani ested themselves rom both the ears o lord Brahma during the initial phase o creation.,he name o these si/ divine women were Eurva(east)&Dakshina(south)&Easchima(west)&%ttara(north)& %rdhva(upwards) and Adhara(downwards).*n course o time all o them got married to si/ di erent Lokpals. Lord Brahma assigned the auspicious day o dashami or their worship.?ne who worships all these si/ goddesses on the auspicious day o dashami is blessed and one who observes ast on this day gets absolved o all his sins .
J.7.66 Kuber
>ontinuing with the tales o the mani estation o various deities&sage @ahatapa said3P*n the process o doing his creation&lord Brahma bellowed as a result o which Kubera mani ested himsel .Lord Brahma assigned kubera the lordship o all the wealth and prosperity.*t was AekadashiA when Kubera had mani ested himsel &so this particular day has deep association with his worship.?ne who observes a ast on the auspicious day o ekadashi never lives in poverty.P
J.7.6; Lord Vishnu

Describing how lord Vishnu mani ested&sage @ahatapa told Era9apal 3P+arayan 3the almighty Bod incarnated as lord Vishnu to nurture all the living creatures inhabiting the world.-ventually&lord Vishnu entrusted the 9ob o worldAs wel are to goddess Yoganidra and himsel went into his meditative sleep.Chile he was still in his meditative sleep&a lotus lower emanated rom his navel.Lord Brahma was seated on that lotus lower. ,he almighty Bod was delighted to see himsel in the incarnation o Vishnu.(e blessed Vishnu by saying3 A@ay you destroy all kind o ignorance with the help o your sword.(old this chakra * am giving you&to sever the evil in luences o Akaal3chakraA(wheel o time).@ay all the sins be destroyed by your mace.@ay the deity3Vayu adorn your hand in the orm o a conch and vai9yanti mala in your neck.@ay the 1un and @oon adorn your person in the orm o shrivatsa and kaustubh diamonds.@ay Baruda be your mount and goddess La/mi your consort.@ay people desirous o salvation worship you on the auspicious day o dwadashi.?ne who worship you on this day will de initely attain to the heaven.A
J.7.67 Dharma
1age @ahatapa then told king @ahapal about the mani estation o Dharma and the signi icance o trayodashi3ADharma mani ested himsel rom the right part o almighty Bod and appeared like a bullock. ,he almighty Bod instructed him to protect the mankind rom all evils and sins.All the our eet o Dharma signi ied our various virtues3truth&purity&penance and charity.*n satyayuga&Dharma was our ooted3all the our virtues were prevalent during that era.*n treta yuga&the eet reduced to three.,he subseHuent eras o dwapar and kaliyuga saw the urther decline in virtuosity in which Dharma had two eet and one oot respectively.A A?nce&a ierce battle was ought between the deities and demons.,he bone o contention was a woman or whom both the side made claims.Dharma intervened and solved the contentious issue to the satis action o both the warring sides.Lord Brahma was very impressed by the de tness with which Dharma had handled such a tough situation and blessed him by saying3* am assigning the auspicious day o tryodashi to you.?ne who observes a ast and worship you on this day will be liberated rom all his sins.A
J.7.6F Lord "udra

1age @ahatapa then went on to describe the incident that led to the mani estation o lord "udra and the signi icance o chaturdashi3A*n the beginning o creation&when lord Brahma ailed in his repeated attempts to create&he became rustrated.Drustration turned into ury and rom his ury mani ested a divine entity who cried incessantly.Lord Brahma tried to stop him rom crying and said3tvam ma rud(donAt cry).,his is how lord "udra got his name.Lord Brahma then reHuested "udra to commence creation but since "udra lacked the power needed or doing creation there ore he re used and went to do penance.Later on& lord Brahma created his manasputras and other living creatures.Daksha Era9apati was one o these manasputras.?nce&he had organised a grand yagya in which all the deities and even the demons had been invited.A @eanwhile&"udraAs penance was disturbed by the constant chanting o the mantras at the yagya per ormed by Daksha Era9apati."udra was in uriated resulting into the emanation o lames rom his mouth.-ventually these ire3balls got trans ormed into erocious spirits and ghosts."udra then reached the place where the yagya was being per ormed and with the help o all the spirits and ghosts started destoying the oblation site.*t was only a ter lord BrahmaAs intervention that "udra calmed down.All the deities then eulogi:ed "udra and sought his blessings. ?ne who worships lord "udra on the auspicious day o chaturdashi becomes absolved o all his sins.
J.7.68 ,anmatras
Describing the importance o amavasya&sage @ahatapa told Era9apal3P?nce&while lord Brahma was 9ust about to commence the process o creation&suddenly AtanmatrasA(subtle orms o matter) revealed themselves rom his mind.All o them being e/tremely virtuous were eager to go up in the sky to do penance byt lord Brahma reHuested them to become the ApitrasA(ancestors)o the human beings.All the tanmatras then reHuested Brahma to make arrangement or their sustenance.Lord Brahma blessed them by saying3A* assign to you the auspicious day o amavasya.Anybody who per orms the rituals o AtarpanA(libation) on this day would become absolved o his sins.You would sustain yourselves on various things like water&sesame seeds& and kusha grass which are o ered by human beings to their ancestors on this day.)
J.7.6I >handra3@a
Describing the importance o purnima sage @ahatapa said3PDaksha Era9apati had cursed >handrama&his son3in3 law or maltreating his daughters.As the allout o that curse >handrama started waning day by day and eventually
became invisible on amavasya.All the deities became worried and went to seek lord VishnuAs help.Lord Vishnu advised them to get the ocean churned.Chile the ocean was being churned&>handrama once again mani ested himsel rom the ocean.Lord Brahma then assigned the auspicious day o purnima to him and blessed him.A devotee should observe a ast on purnima and worship >handrama or the attainment o kowledge&prosperity aswell as salvation.
8&,
Austerities 6elated with 'ord +ishnu<s 7ncarnations
,his section contains 6M sections as ollows5
J.F.6 @atsya3Dvadashi Vrata

@atsya3dwadashi is celebrated on the twel th day o hindu month3@argashirsh.?n this auspicious day a devotee should worship lord @atsya 3the incarnation o lord Vishnu with appropriate rituals and give charity to brahmins.Erithvi was the irst one to observe this particular austerity while she was being abducted to rasatala by a mighty demon named (iranyaksha.A devotee who observes a ast on this day and worships lord @atsya with appropriate rituals attains to Brahma loka and remains their or eternity. 1uch a person attainAs a divine body when creation recommences a ter the period o deluge.An issue3less woman is blessed with a virtuous son i she observes a ast on this day.@atsya3dwadashi is capable o absolving a man even o the gravest o his sin.
J.F.; Kurma3Dvadashi Vrata

,his particular austerity is dedicated to the worship o lord Kurma3the incarnation o lord Vishnu.*t is celebrated on the twel th day o the bright hal o the hindu month ApaushaA.,he austerity which commences on the tenth day itsel when a devotee is supposed to puri y himsel by taking a holy bath.?n the ollowing day he observes a ast and worships lord Kurma with appropriate rituals.(e breaks his ast on dwadashi which marks the conclusion o the austerity.A devotee who observes a ast on this auspicious day becomes absolved o all his sins and attains salvation.
J.F.7 Varah3Dvadashi Vrata

Varah dwadashi is celebrated on the twel th day o the bright hal o the hindu month3magh.,his was the day on which Erithvi had been rescued by lord Varah3the incarnation o lord Vishnu.An idol o lord Varah is installed on a pot illed with water and worshipped with appropriate rituals amidst the continuous chanting o the mantra3Aom varahay namahA.? erings o various articles are made while worshipping lord Varah3sandal3 wood&incense& naivedya&etc.A ter the accomplishment o the rituals brahmins are ed and charity given to them.?ne who observes a ast on this day en9oys a good health and prosperity.1uch a man becomes absolved o all his sins and attains to heaven a ter his death.
J.F.F +ri1imha3Dvadashi Vrata

,his austerity is observed on the twel th day o the bright hal o the hindu month3phalgun.A devotee should observe ast on this day and worship lord +risimha with appropriate rituals.,his particular austerity is capable o absolving a man rom all his sins.
J.F.8 Vaman3Dvadashi Vrata

Vaman dwadashi is celebrated on the twel th day o the bright hal o the hindu month3chaitra.A devotee should observe a ast and worship lord Vaman by saying the ollowing prayer3? Lord$Vaman3the dwar ish incarnation o the almighty Vishnu&who took incarnation on the auspicious day o dwadashi in the month o chaitra3* seek your blessings.P?ne who observes a ast on this day is blessed and protected rom all kinds o danger.
J.F.I #amadagnya3Dvadashi Vrata

,his austerity is related with the worship o lord Earshuram who is also amous as #amdagnya.*t is cele3 brated on the twel th day o the bright hal o the hindu month3vaishakh.Be ore commencing the rituals& a devotee should puri y himsel by taking a bath and then worship an idol o lord Earshuram kept on a pot illed with water.Chile worshipping he should make o erings o various articles tothe deity3 lowers& sandalwood&ardhya&etc.*t is mandatory to remain awake or the whole night.?n the ollowing day&he should donate the idol to a brahmin.A devotee who observes a ast on this day gets all his wishes ul illed and attains to Brahma loka.
J.F.< Kalki3Dvadashi Vrata

A devotee should commence this austerity by observing a ast on the eleventh day o the bright hal o the hindu month3bhadrapad and break it on the ollowing day3dwadashi.(e should worship lord Kalki with appropriate
rituals.As per the norms o the rituals&the idol o lord Kalki is placed on a pot which is illed with water.,his idol is donated to a learned brahmin on the ollowing day3trayodashi.
J.F.J Eadmanabh3Dvadashi Vrata

,his austerity is related with the worship o lord Eadmanabh3an epithet o lord Vishnu and is observed on the twel th day o the bright hal o the hindu month3ashwin.?ne important charecteristic o the ritual is that all the organs o lord Eadmanabh is worshipped.,he idol is placed on a pot illed with water and while worshipping o erings o various articles are made3 lowers& ruits&sandalwood&etc.?n the ollowing day the idol is donated to a brahmin.?ne who observes a ast on this day en9oys a prosperous li e and attains to the abode o lord Eadmanabh.
J.F.G Dharni3Vrata
,his particular austerity is observed in the hindu month o Kartik.,he rituals commence by worshipping various organs o lord +arayan amidst the chanting o di erent mantras which are as ollows3 om sahastra shirse namah 3 head om purushay namah 3 arms om vishwa rupine namah 3 throat om gyanastray namah 3 weapons om shri vatsaaya namah 3 chest om 9agad grasishnave namah 3 abdomen om divya murtaye namah 3 waist om sahastra paday namah 3 eet.
1imilarly&srikrishna dwadashi is celebrated in the hindu month o Ashadh&shukla3 paksha.A devotee should worship lord Krishna on this day and observe a ast.
J.F.6M Buddha3Dvadashi Vrata

Lord Buddha is believed to be the incarnation o Lord Vishnu.,he austerity begins on the eleventh day o the bright hal o the hindu month3shravan.?n this day lord Vishnu is worshipped with appropriate rituals and by making o erings o various articles like lowers& ruits&incense&etc.,he ollowing mantras should be chanted while worshipping the various organs o lord Vishnu 3 om damodaray namah 3 eet om hrishikeshay namah 3 waist om sanatanay namah 3 abdomen om shri vatsadharine namah 3 chest om chakrapanaye namah 3 arms om haraye namah 3 throat om man9u keshay namah 3 head om bhadray namah 3 top3knot(shikha).
A ter the accomplishment o the rituals& the idol should be donated to a brahmin.
8&/
)ome =ther Austerities
,his section contains 6M sections as ollows5
J.8.6 1hubh3Vrata
,his particular austerity on the irst day o the hindu month3margashirsh.*t is related with the worship o lord Vishnu and the rituals have some special characteristics3having one meal on the eleventh day o the month(ekadashi)&donating barley to brahmins&worshipping the idol o goddess Erithvi on AekadashiA& etc.,he austerity concludes on dwadashi. ?n ekadashi&goddess Erithvi is also worshipped alongwith lord Vishnu.Both the idols are installed side by side and covered with white clothes.A ter that some rice grains are scattered in ront o both the idols. As per the norms o the rituals&a devotee is reHuired to remain awake or the whole night.+e/t morning&he should invite twenty3 our brahmins and eed them.(e should also donate a cow&apparels&ornaments&an umbrella&woodden sandle and similar articles to them.A devotee who observes a ast on this auspicious day en9oys prosperity.
J.8.; Dhanya3Vrata
,his particular austerity is a orm o Anakta3vrataA&which means observing ast or the whole day and breaking it in the night.,he austerity commences on the irst day o the bright hal o the hindu month3aghan and lasts or a year."ituals include worshipping Agnideva3an embodiment o lord Vishnu&chanting o certain mantras praising the glory o the deity and per orming AhavanA.,here are speci ic instructions on the type o ood a devotee should have during the course o this austerity3 or our months(chaitra to ashadh) he should have delicacies like AkheerA seasoned in pure ghee.Drom shravan to kartik he should have ood3items prepared rom gram3 lour. ,his way&the austerity lasts or one year whereby a devotee observes ast on the irst day o every month that ollows.,he austerity concludes by worshipping an idol o lord Agni made o gold.,he idol is adorned with a piece o red3cloth and red3 lowers are o ered to the deity while worshipping.A ter the rituals are accomplished&the idol should be donated to a brahmin.,he observance o this particular austerity brings good ortune to a man and makes him prosperous.
J.8.7 Kanti3Vrata
,his austerity is related with the worship o sri Krishna and Balaram.*t commences on the second day o the bright hal o the hindu month3kartik and lasts or a year whereby a devotee observes ast on the second day(bright hal ) o every month that ollows.Chile worshipping Balarama&a devotee should chant3Aom baldevay namahAand while worshipping sri Krishna he should chant3Aom keshavay namahA. 1ubseHuently&AardhyaAis o ered to both the deities.A devotee should have ood prepared rom barley3 lour in the night but those devotees who have resolved to observe this austerity or our months beginning rom A algunA should live only on AkheerA.? erings o rice and sesame seeds are made in the sacri icial3 ire during the months o AaghanA and AkartikA respectively. ,he rituals conclude by worshipping the deity A>handramaAat the end o the year.Dinally all the three idols (sri Krishna&Balram and >handrama) should be donated to brahmins.A devotee who observes this austerity is bestowed with a charming personality.
J.8.F 1aubhagya3Vrata
,his austerity commences on the third day o the bright hal o the hindu month3 algun and lasts or a year whereby a devotee observes ast on the third day(bright hal ) o every month that ollows.According to the tradition a devotee can either worship A1hiva3EarvatiA or A1ri (ari3La/mi on this auspicious day. Chile worshipping&the devotee should chant the ollowing mantras3om gambhiray namah& om saubhagyay namah&om devdevay namah&om trinetray namah&om vachaspataye namah&om rudray namah&etc.?ne important eature o the rituals is making o erings o honey and ghee to the sacri icial ire.During the course o the rituals&a devotee should have ood prepared rom pure cereals pre erably wheat. A ter the rituals are accomplished at the end o the year&the idols should be donated to brahmins.?ne who observes this austerity is blessed with good ortune in his successive seven births.
J.8.8 Avighna3Vrata
As the name implies&this austerity clears all the obstacles aced by a man.*t commences on the ourth day o the bright hal o the hindu month3 algun and lasts or our months whereby a devotee observes ast on the ourth day(bright hal ) o every month that ollows.?ne important characteristic o this austerity is the importance and use o sesame seeds in itAs rituals.*t is not only the chie constituent o the diet but it is also o ered in the sacri icial ire and donated to the brahmins as well.A ter observing this austerity or our months&a devotee should conclude it by worshipping lord Banesh in the i th month and donating the Banesh3idol to a brahmin alongwith ive pots illed with sesame seeds.Chile worshipping lord Banesh&he should chant the ollowing mantras3om shooray namah& om dhiray namah&om ga9ananay namah&om lambodaray namah&om ekdanshtray namah&etc.A devotee thus becomes ree rom all kind o obstacles and all his wishes are ul illed.
J.8.I 1hanti3Vrata
,his austerity commences on the i th day o the bright hal o the hindu month3kartik and lasts or a year whereby a devotee observes ast on the i th day(bright hal ) o the every month that ollows.*t is related with the worship o lord Vishnu and 1heshnag.A devotee should abstain rom hot and spicy ood during the course o this austerity.Lord VishnuAs idol is puri ied by chanting mantras and by per orming ablution with milk.? erings o sesame seeds and milk are made in the sacri icial ire.A ter the accomplishment o the rituals at the year end&brahmins are invited and ed.Dinally&the idol o 1heshnag is donated to one o them.A devotee who per orms this austerity becomes ree rom all kinds o turbulence in his li e and e/periences peace and tranHuility.
J.8.< Kaam3Vrata
,his austerity is related with the worship o lord Kartikeya and is observed in the bright hal o the hindu month3 pausha.?n the si/th day o this month&a devotee is e/pected to live on nothing else but ruits.Lord Kartikeya is also known by several other names31hadanan&1enani&Kritikasut&Kumar&1kand&etc. ,he austerity concludes by eeding the brahmins at the year end and making donations to them.A devotee who observes this austerity gets all his wishes ul illed.
J.8.J Aarogya3Vrata
,his austerity is related with the worship o lord 1urya +arayan who is also known by several other names like Aaditya&Bhaskar&"avi&Bhanu&Diwakar&Erabhakar&etc.A devotee should observe a ast on the seventh day o any month and worship lord 1uryanarayan.,he ast should be broken on the ne/t day3ashtami.A devotee can continue this ritual or one year ollowing the above mentioned rituals. A devotee who observes the rituals o this austerity becomes ree rom all kind o diseases and en9oys a healthy li e.
J.8.G Eutra3Erapti Vrata

,his austerity commences on the eighth day o the bright hal o the hindu month3bhadrapad.,he rituals consist o taking a AsankalpA on the preceding day(saptami)and worshipping lord sri (ari on the ne/t day with appropriate rituals.? erings are made to the sacri icial ire&which usually consist o articles like barley&sesame seeds&ghee&etc.,he austerity concludes by eeding the invited brahmins and making donations to them.,his way&the austerity continues or a year whereby a devotee observes ast on AashtamiA o every month.A sonless person is blessed with a son i he observes this austerity with total devotion .,his austerity&which is popularly known as AKrishna ashtamiAalso helps a devotee to become absolved o gravest o sin.
J.8.6M 1haurya and 1arva Bhaum Vrata

1haurya and 1arva Bhaum vrata is related with the worship o goddess Durga and is observed on the nineth day o the bright hal o the hindu month3ashvin.,he rituals commence by taking a AsankalpA as well as observing a ast on the preceding day(saptami).,he ast is broken on the ne/t day(ashtami) by having ruits.>ereals are e/cluded rom the diet.?ne important aspect o this austerity is the worship o virgin girls along with goddess Durga.?ne who observes the rituals o this austerity attains power valour and strength. 1arva bhaum vrata is related with the worship o all the ten directions&considered as goddesses.A ast is observed on the tenth day o the bright hal o the hindu month3kartik and lasts or a year whereby a devotee observes ast on the tenth day(bright hal ) o every month that ollows.?ne important charecteristic o this ast is that it is broken at the end o the day by having rice and curd.@aking sacri ices in the name o all the ten directions are the inseparable part o this austerity.A devotee&who observes this austerity lasting or a year remains invincible in whatever he does.
8&1
"he )ignificance of $henu-$aan
,his section contains 8 sections as ollows5
J.I.6 ,il Dhenu3Daan

As the name implies&an idol o a cow made rom powdered sesame seeds is donated to a brahmin.,he idol should weigh not less than si/teen AprasthasA(one prasthaO our kudav&ancient units o weight measurment) 1imilarly&a cal As idol made rom powdered sesame seeds and weighing our AprasthasAis donated to a brahmin.Apart rom these idols o cow and cal a devotee should also donateAdeer3skinA. Chile donating these things&he should pray in the ollowing way3A? ,il dhenu$Bless me so that * en9oy prosperity and never e/perience scarcity o any kind in my li e.A,he brahmin receiving the donation should e/press his gratitude in the ollowing way3? goddess$ * am receiving you in all humility.Bless and nurture my whole amily.AA person who donates A,il DhenuAgetAs all his wishes ul illed and attains to Vishnu loka a ter his death.
J.I.; #al Dhenu3Daan

,he method o donating A#al DhenuA is as ollows3 irst o all small area o land is puri ied by coating it with cow dung and place two small pots are placed at the centre.,hese pots are illed with di erent things like water&camphor&sandalwood&etc.,he devotee should then imagine goddess #al Dhenu and her cal to be dwelling in those pots respectively.Both the pots are adeHuately adorned with various articles like sandalwood& lowers and then worshipped.A ter the completion o the rituals both the idols are donated to brahmins.A person who donates #al Dhenu or a brahmin who accepts it attains to Vishnu loka a ter being absolved o all his sins.
J.I.7 "asa Dhenu Daan

Dirst o all&the area is puri ied by coating it with cow3dung a ter which a black deer3skin is spread on it alongwith Akusha grassA.,wo pots3one large and the other a small one are placed side by side.,hese pots are illed with sugarcane 9uice and symboli:e A"asa3DhenuA and the cal .Dour sugarcanes symboli:ing the our legs o A"asa3 DhenuA are i/ed at our corners.A ter that&one small silver piece is placed at the base o each o the sugarcanes symboli:ing hoo s."asa3Dhenu is then adorned with colour ul cloths and lowers.Again& our small pots illed with sesame seeds are kept at the our corners near "asa3Dhenu.A ter the worship is accomplished&"asa3Dhenu is donated to a brahmin.A person who donates "asa3Dhenu is liberated rom all his sins and all his ancestors as well as the generations to come attain to the (eaven.
J.I.F Bud3Dhenu Daan

As it is amply clear by the name&in this ritual some 9aggery is taken and given the shape o a cow and a cal .,he land is puri ied by coating it with cow3dung.A ter that&a black deer3skin is spread on that puri ied area.1ome kusha grass are then spread on the dear3skin and covered with a piece o cloth.+ow&both the idols o cow and itAs cal are worshipped with appropriate rituals a ter which they are donated to brahmins.A devotee should also should also donate shoes&umbrella and i possible&a gold ring to brahmins.Donating a Bud3Dhenu enables a man to attain to such divine world where sages and hermits dwell.By doing thus&he also liberates his ancestors and the uture generations.
J.I.8 1harkara3Dhenu Daan

*n this ritual&idols o a cow and a cal are made rom sugar.A ter being worshipped they should be donated to a brahmin.A devotee should live only on sugar or a day.Donating a 1harkara3Dhenu liberates a man rom all his sins. 1imilarly&donating @adhu3Dhenu(made rom honey)&Kheer3Dhenu(made rom rice and milk)&Dadhi3 Dhenu(curd)&+avneet3Dhenu(made rom butter)&Lavan3Dhenu(salt) and Karpas3Dhenu(cotton) are all believed to bestow incomparable virtues to a devotee.
8&4
)acred Places of Pilgrimage
,his section contains 6J sections as ollows5
J.<.6 Kokamukh ,eertha

Describing the holiness o Kokamukh3teerth&lord Varah narrated a tale to Erithvi3P?nce&a isherman was trying to catch a large ish in a lake situated at Kokamukh.1uddenly&a hawk which was lying in the sky& descended down and a ter picking the ish in itAs beak tried to ly away.But&as the ish was a large one& the hawk could not hold it or too long.As a result&the hawk ell on the ground being unable to bear the weight o the ish.But ama:ingly&the hawk turned into a handsome prince as soon as it touched the ground.P P*n the meantime&the ishermanAs wi e arrived there carrying some meat3pieces in her hand.A kite&which was lying in the sky tried to snatch those meat3pieces.1eeing this&the isherman killed that kite with one shot o his arrow.*n course o time&the kite took rebirth as a princess o >handrapur.1he was e/tremely beauti ul but hated men.1imilarly&the ish was reborn as a prince.As the destiny would have liked it&both o them got married.,here was a dramatic change in the attitude o the princess a ter the marriage as she no longer hated men.?n the contrary&she loved her husband so much that she dreaded the thought o separation or even a moment.P P?ne day&the prince had a severe headache which showed no sign o subsiding.,he princess became very worried and summoned the royal physician.,he physician le t no stone unturned to cure his royal physician but without any success.1omehow&the prince remembered everything about his previous birth and had a irm belie that he would be cured o his illness once he reached Kokamukh3the sacrosanct place o pilgrimage. 1o he decided to go there accompanied by the princess.P PBoth o them reached a place at Kokamukh where they saw the remains(skeleton)o a ish lying on the ground.,he prince revealed to his wi e that he was a ish in his previous birth and that the skeleton was his.,hen he went on to describe the cause o his headache which according to him was due to the in9ury sustained in his past birth when he had been badly mauled by a hawk.,he princess was aware o her past birth as a kite&so she revealed how she had been killed by a isherman in her previous birth.1he also told her husband 3ADying at Kokamukh in my previous birth prove to be a blessing to me as * was reborn as a princess.(ad it not been so&* would certainly have not born as a princess.P PBoth o them worshipped lord vishnu and as a result the prince was cured o his severe headache.1uch is the greatness o Kokamukh3the reliever o all pains and miseries.P
J.<.; @ayapuri ((aridvara) ,eertha

+arrating about the sanctity o @ayapuri&lord Varah told Erithvi3 P,here lived a brahmin named 1omsharma at @ayapuri.(e was a great devotee o mine(lord sri (ari)and had an impossible desire o witnessing my divine powers by his mortal eyes.* tried to make him understand about the utility o his desire but to no avail. Dinally * was le t with no option but to ul il his wish.?ne day 1omsharma had gone to take his bath in the holy Banges.(ardly had he taken a dip than he ound himsel e/periencing the pangs o birth in the womb o a nishad woman.-vidently&lord sri (ari had began giving a glimpse o his divine powers to 1omsharma.*t was a terrible e/perience or him and he vowed to lead a chaste li e as soon as he came out o the womb.P P%n ortunately&he orgot everything about his vow once he took rebirth as a girl.*n course o time&the girl grew up and married a young nishad.1he had many children rom him.?ne day&the nishad girl who in reality was 1omsharma&went to take a bath in the holy Banges.As soon as she entered into the river&she got trans ormed into a hermit.1he was illed with e/treme bewilderment but this was not the end&as there were more surprises to come.P P,he hermit(previously nishad and originally 1omsharma)came out o thr river and looked all around in ama:ement.(e then sat down to meditate and very soon he was engrossed in his meditation.*n the evening&some sages arrived and said3A1ir$ how come you are sitting hereLYou had gone to take a bath.Ce became an/ious and started searching or you when you did not return till evening.P P,he hermit was bewildered by the turn o events as he was aware o every incident that had occured.(e was also well aware that he had spent i ty years as nishad3woman but according to the statements o hermits he had been absent only or ew hours.,he hermit was totally con used about his real identity.*(lord Varah) elt pity on his miserable condition and decided to li t my magic spell.* asked him whether his wish o witnessing my divine powers had been ul illed or not.,he hermit eulogi:ed me and agreed that it was impossible or any mortal to understand the ways o Aimighty.* then blessed him and trans ormed him into 1omsharma once again.P 1uch is the grandeur o @ayapuri3the sacrosanct place where lord sri (ari has mani ested his divine powers.A devotee who goes on a pilgrimage to @ayapuri never gets entangeled in the worldly illusions.
J.<.7 Kub9aamrak ((rishikesh) ,eertha

Describing how Kub9aamrak teerth derived itAs name&lord Varah told Erithvi3P*n satyayuga&at the time when the earth was still submerged in water&* had killed two mighty demons named @adhu and Kaitabh.A ter killing both the demons * looked all around and ound sage "aimya engrossed in his penance.1age "aimya was a great devotee o mine. * was e/tremely impressed and watched him hiding mysel behind a mango tree.,he mango tree could not bear the weight o my hands and became curved.,his is how Kub9aamrak teerth derived itAs name.Very soon&sage "aimya ound out that * was hiding behind that mango tree.(e eulogi:ed me and reHuested me to to grant a special status to Kub9aamrak teerth among all the holy places.* blessed him and thus Kub9aamrak teerth became one o the holiest places.,here are several other holy places situated in the vicinity o Kub9aamrak teerth3@anas3 teerth&@aya3teerth&1arvakamik3 teerth&Eurnamukh teerth&Agni3teerth&1hukra3terth&@anasar teerth&1apta samudrak3teerth&etc.All these holy places including Kub9aamrak teerth are capable o giving salvation to a man.P
J.<.F Badrikashram
>ontinuing with his tale&lord Varah told Erithvi3P,here is a sacred place in the (imalayas which is very inaccessible.*t is amously known as Badrikashram and holds an important place among all the holy places.?ne who makes a pilgrimage to that place gets all his wishes ul illed.,here is a reservoir at the mountain top called Brahma kund.?ne who observes ast or three consecutive nights and takes a holy dip in that reservoir attains virtues similar to PAgnishtom yagyaP.?ne who takes his last birth in itAs vicinity certainly attains to my abode.,here are several other holy places in the vicinity o Badrikashram like Agnisatya pad& *ndra loka&1atya loka&>hatuhsrota&Ved dhar&etc.Ved dhar is the same place where the vedas had mani ested rom lord BrahmaAs mouth.
J.<.8 @andar ,eertha

@andar teerth is named a ter a celestial tree called @andar.,his sacred place o pilgrimage is situated at the oothills o vindhya mountain.,here is a large mandar tree overthere which has some uniHue Hualities.,his tree is visible only on auspicious days o dwadashi and chaturdashi and becomes invisible on the rest o the days.1ome other holy places situated in the vicinity o mandar teerth are Erapan&@odan&Baikunthkaran&etc.
,here is another holy place called mandar but it is situated on the @eru mountain.,his holy place is also known asA1yamantpanchakA?ne important characteristic o this holy place is that there are huge rocks resembling a mace&a wheel&a plough and a conch.
J.<.I 1omeshwar Linga

>handra deva had once per ormed an austere penance to get absolved rom the curse o his Daksha Era9apati his ather3in3law.During the course o his penance >handra deva made a shiva linga and worshipped it.Dinally lord 1hiva appeared and agreed to dwell in that particular shiva linga as per the reHuest o >handra deva. ,here is a reservoir situated to the south o 1omeshwar temple which is believed to liberate a man rom all his sins.*n course o time this place became amous as 1omeshwar linga.
J.<.< 1halgram Kshetra

Erithvi reHuested lord Varah to shed light on the amous penance which sage 1halankayan had per ormed.Lord Varah narrated the ollowing tale3PLong long ago sage 1halankayan did an austere penance to please me(lord Vishnu).,here was a AsalA tree nearby and the sage was ignorant o the act that * dwell in that sacred tree.Chen * appeared&he reHuested me to bless him with a divine son who had Hualities like lord 1hiva.* revealed to him that his son(+andikeshwar)had already mani ested and was presently staying at AVra9aA(@athura).* also revealed to him that although * was present in the AsalA tree but he was unware o this act because o his ignorance.*n course o time&this very place became amous as A1halgram teerthA.A devotee who makes a pilgrimage to this holy place is liberated rom all kinds o worldly bondages.P
J.<.J "uru Kshetra

Lord Varah told Erithvi3P,his holy place is named a ter "uru3the daughter o Devadutt and an apsara named Eramlocha.Devadutt came rom the lineage o sage Bhrigu.?nce&Devadutt did an austere penance to please lord 1hiva.(is penance continued or ten thousand years.*ndra became worried and sent a beauti ul apsara named Eramlocha to disturb his penance.%n ortunately&Devadutt ell into the trap laid by *ndra.(e was in atuated by EramlochaAs divine beauty and en9oyed an intimate li e with her or a long time.Dinally&he reali:ed his mistake and regretted his oolishness.(e decided to abandon Eramlocha and recommence his penance.%ltimately&he was success ul in pleasing lord 1hiva and attaining to shiva loka.P P@eanwhile&Eramlocha who was pregnant& gave birth to a girl child and died.,he baby girl was nurtured and brought up by a deer named "uru a ter whom she got her own name.*n course o time "uru a ter "uru grew up and decided to please lord Vishnu by her penance.1he did an austere penance or one hundred years by remaining still at a place.At last *(lord Vishnu)became pleased by her total devotion and appeared be ore her.1he reHuested me to name that place on her.* blessed her and thus that place became amous as "uru kshetra.P
J.<.G Bonishkraman ,eertha

Lord 1hiva told Erithvi3PBonishkraman teerth is situated in the himalayas.1age Aurva had his hermitage at this sacred place which was incidentally burnt to ashes by lord 1hiva.Aurva cursed 1hiva as the result o which 1hiva started wandering throughout the world in a restless manner.P P?nce&lord 1hiva visited the hermitage o sage Aurvanam accompanied by his consort3%ma.,he purpose o the visit was to seek AurvanamAs help in curing his restlessness.1age Aurvanam advised him to have a bath with the milk o surabhi cow.*(lord Vishnu) then brought down seventy3seven surabhi cows rom the heaven and thus helped 1hiva take bath with their milk.At last&1hivaAs reastlessness came to an end and this holy place became amous as ABonishkramanA teerth.P
J.<.6M 1tootswami ,eertha

Lord Varah then went on to describe the greatness o 1tootswami teerth and told Erithvi3P* shall incarnate as Krishna at this place in the era o dwapar.* shall take birth in the house o Vasudeva and Devaki.,here is a pond situated at about 8 kosas rom 1tootswami teerth.Anybody who take holy dips in itAs holy water or ive days becomes absolved o all his sins.
J.<.66 Dvaraka
Lord Varah told Erithvi3P,here is a holy place called AEanchsarA in Dwarka.Anybody who stays there or si/ days and takes holy dips in AEanchasarA en9oys all the pleasures o li e.Dwarka is situated at the sea3shore and the crocodiles living there never trouble people taking their bath.,hese crocodiles also have one uniHue characteristic3they never eat anything that is o ered to them by a sinner but unhesitatingly accept anything rom a
virtuous person.,here are several other holy places in and around Dwarka3 Eanchpind&(anskunda&(ansteerth&>hakrateerth&"aivatak& Vishnu3sankaram&etc.Vishnu sankaram is the very place where *&in my incarnation as Krishna would be killed by a hunter named #ara.
J.<.6; 1anandoor ,eertha

,his holy place is situated between @alay mountain and the ocean. +earby&there is another holy place called 1angaman where sri "am while on his way to lanka had con ronted the ocean.,here are also many other sacred places in the vicinity like 1hakrasar& 1hurparak&etc.,here are hermitages o sri "am and Earshuram at 1hurparak.
J.<.67 Lohargal ,eertha

Lord Varaha told Erithvi3P,here is a region inhabited by mlecchas&situated at the distance o some 7M yo9ans.,his region is surrounded by (imalaya mountain in itAs central as well as southern parts.Lohargal teerth is situated near this region and is well protected by nature which makes it very inaccessible. ?nce&demons tried to invade this holy place but all o them were killed by me(sri (ari).* also protected Brahma and "udra rom the wrath o the demons and named that place Lohargal.Lohargal is the most sacred place o pilgrimage and spread in the area o ;8 yo9ans.*t is a sel mani ested place and has immense religious signi icance.
J.<.6F @athura
Describing the ma9esty o @athura&lord Varaha told Erithvi3 P@athura is very dear to me because this is the very place where * shall be taking incarnation as Krishna.@athura is the most sacro3sanct place and no other holy place can be compared to it. ,here are many other holy places in and around @athura3Vishranti& 1urya teerth&Koti teerth&Vayu teerth&etc.-ach one o them has itAs own religious signi icance.A holy pond named AVatsa3krindanA lies in @athura region.Anybody taking a holy dip in that holy pond is certain to attain to the abode o AVayuA.*n the vicinity lies Vrindavan&the holiest place which would be witness to many o my divine plays.P
J.<.68 >hakra ,eertha

*t is situated to the north o @athura and lord Bhadreshwar has his dwelling place overthere.A person who makes a pilgrimage to >hakra teerth and observes a ast or a day becomes absolved o heinous o sins.
J.<.6I Kapil ,eertha

Describing the origin o AKapil VarahA(an idol o lord Varah made by sage Kapil)lord Varah told Erithvi3P1age Kapil was a great devotee o mine.(e had made my idol and worshipped it regularly. Later on&*ndra acHuired it and started worshipping it.,he demon king "avan took it to lanka a ter de eating *ndra in a battle.*n treta yuga *(sri "am)de eated him and made Vibhishan&his brother the king o Lanka.,his way&the idol came under the possession o Vibhishan but he agreed to part with it at my reHuest.,his was how * brought that idol to Ayodhya.A ter reaching Ayodhya&* presented it to 1hatrughan as a reward or killing Lavanasur. Later on&while 1hatrughan was going to @athura he carried that idol along with him.P
J.<.6< Bovardhan ,eertha

Lord Varah&continuing with the description o various holy places told Erithvi about the magni icence o Bovardhan parvat3 PBovardhan parvat is situated near @athura.*t will have great religious importance because it will witness a great eat o mine in dwapar yuga.* shall li t this mountain to protect people rom the incessant rain caused by *ndra.,here are numerous holy places o great religious signi icance in the vicinity o Bovardhan mountain like *ndra teerth&Yama teerth&Varun teerth and Kuber teerth.,here is also a amous resh3water lake called AKadamb khandAwhere people per orm tarpan o their ancestors.P
J.<.6J Bokarn ,eertha

Lord Varah told Erithvi about the greatness o Bokarna teerth3 PLong long ago there lived a vaishya named Vasukarn at @athura. 1ushila&his wi e was deeply religious but inspite o that she was issueless.?ne day&she had gone to take her bath in river 1araswati where she ound many women taking their bath.,he children o these women were playing nearby.1ushila became very sad and being unable to control her emotions started crying.P PA sage saw her crying and asked her as to what made her so sad. 1ushila narrated her woe ul tale to him.,he sage took pity on her and advised her to worship lord Bokarna.,he sage said3AYou will de initely be blessed with a son.A 1ushila went home and narrated the whole incident to her husband.Both o them started worshipping lord Bokarna @ahadev with total devotion.A ter ten years&a son was born to them. Vasukarn named that child a ter lord Bokarna to e/press his gratitude to the deity.P
P*n course o time&Bokarna grew up and got married but even a ter a long time he did not have a progeny.1o&his ather married him to three more women&one a ter another& but even this did not prove to be o any help to Bokarna because he remained a sonless person.,his made Bokarna very sad and he engaged himsel in various charitable activities thinking that the virtues thus attained might bless him in begetting a son.(e got constructed many temples and ordered wells to be dug up or the beni it o the travellers.Very soon&all his money was spent and he became worried about the uture o his amily.1o&he decided to go to distant places to earn wealth.P P?nce&while on his 9ourney he met a divine parrot who possessed tremendous knowledge.Bokarna was very much impressed by the parrotAs knowledge.(e asked the parrot rom where had it imbibed such divine knowledge.,he parrot revealed to him that he was 1hukodar in itAs previous birth and was a learned man.(e had attained the orm o parrot due to the curse o sage 1hukdev. But&sage 1hukdev had been kind enough to allow him to retain all the knowledge in his ne/t birth.,he parrot also told Bokarna how it had been kept inside a cage by a owler and reHuested him to help it out rom the captivity.P PBokarna reHuested the owler to give the learned parrot to him. ,he owler agreed but asked or all the virtues attained by Bokarna in return.Bokarna happily agreed to donate all his virtues and proceeded with that parrot.+ow& Bokarna had become bere t o all his virtues he had attained so ar.?nce&while he was on a voyage in connection with his trade the ship was caught in a severe cyclone and the chances o survival looked very bleak.All his ellow travellers had a misconception that they had been struck by the mis ortune only because o BokarnaAs sins.,he parrot was saddened a ter hearing what people said about his master.*t decided to help him and lew away towards north.Chile lying it ound a vishnu temple where many divine women and other creatures had gathered to worship.,he descendants o #atayu were also among them.,he parrot narrated the woe ul tale o his master to all o them.All the divine birds decided to help Bokarna.P P,he divine birds instructed the parrot to ollow them and then lew towards the place where BokarnaAs ship was stranded.Dinally& they were success ul in rescuing Bokarna and bringing him back to the same temple.Bokarna worshipped lord Keshav and per ormed the rituals o tarpan in the name o his ancestors.*n the meantime&all the divine women also arrived there to worship.,hey were pleased to meet Bokarna and gave him divine ood to eat.,hey also allowed him to stay there or as long as he wished.P P@eanwhile the ship managed to reach the sea shore.BokarnaAs companions met his parents and narrated the whole incident to him. BokarnaAs parents were illed with sorrow at the ate o their son.?n the other hand&Bokarna continued to live in that temple or a long period.(e was worried about his ather as it had been a long time since he saw him.(e sent the parrot to bring his news.,he parrot lew away to @athura and met his ather3Vasukarn. Vasukarn thanked the parrot or saving his sonAs li e.,he parrot then lew back on his return 9ourney and gave the good news to Bokarna.P P?ne day Bokarna ound the divine ladies e/tremely sad.Chen asked&they told him that the king o Ayodhya had destroyed the beauti ul gardens o @athura and this was the reason or their sadness. Bokarna assured them that he would convince the king to abandon his evil plan i he got a chance to meet him.,he divine women then provided Bokarna with a divine aircra t boarded on which he reached @athura.Bokarna met the king and managed to convince him against destroying beauti ul gardens.,he king was e/trtemely impressed by his knowledge and presented great amount o wealth to him.,his way all the divine women became happy once again.P PBokarna then went home and met his amily members.(is parents and his wives were very pleased to see him.Bokarna then got constructed a shukdev temple to honour his saviour3the learned parrot.*t was only because o that parrot that he could acHuire such wisdom and knowledge.,o e/press his gratitude to the owler he donated all the virtues he had acHuired by taking bath in the holy con luence(triveni) because had it not been or the owler he would never have got the knowledgeable parrot.Bokarna lived happily or a long time.P
8&8
7nstallation of 7dols
,his section contains 8 sections as ollows5
J.J.6 *dol @ade o Cood

Erithvi reHuested lord Varah to describe the proper methods o installing various types o idols. Lord Varah replied that a devotee desirous o making a wooden idol must select the wood o ABassia lati oliaA or his purpose.,he wood should be puri ied and then given shape as per the appearance o the deity.,he idol is then installed in a temple amidst the per ormance o appropriate .During installation ceremony various articles like camphor&vermillion& sandalwood&incense&etc.are o ered to the deity.,he swastika mark is a sign o
auspiciousness so the devotee must keep this in mind while giving shape to the idol. ,his swastika mark must be carved out on the idol.1imilarly&other signs o lord Vishnu like AsrivatsaA andAkaushtubhA should also be carved out on the idol.Lord Vishnu is then invoked and reHuested to dwell within that idol by chanting mantras.A ter the deity has been invoked& the AwoodA no longer remains a li eless structure but it becomes the embodiment o the deity.,he idol is then considered to be it or worship.Chile worshipping& a devotee should o er a bhoga o kheer to the deity.Burning a ghee or sesame3oil lamp in ront o the deity is considered good.,he devotee should then circumambulate around the temple premise.Chile circumambulating& he should keep on chanting the sacred mantra Aom namo narayanayA.,he idol thus installed should be worshipped daily without ailure.P
J.J.; 1tone *dol

PA pro icient sculptor should be chosen to carve out the deityAs shape rom a pure and spotless stone.Dirst o all the sculptor should clearly draw the outline o deityAs appearance on the stone with a marker and then care ully carve it out rom the stone.,he idol is then puri ied by sprinkling AakshatA on the deityAs idol.Chile worshipping a devotee should burn a ghee lamp and invoke lord Vishnu to dwell in that idol by chanting the sacred mantra3om namo narayanay.,he installation o idol being complete&he should observe a ast or the whole night.+e/t morning&a ter inishing his daily chores he should put on white clothes and change his old AyagyopavitA with a new one.,he idol thus made is considered it to be worshipped.Eurva3bhadrapad is considered to be the best time or the installation o a stone3idol.During the course o installation ceremony&a devotee should live either on milk or cereal like barley.,he rituals o worship consist o numerous activities like lighting our lamps in ront o the deity&keeping our small pots each illed up with articles like ApanchagavyaA&water&sandalwood and milk.,he rituals o worship are considered to be incomplete without the chantings o vedic mantras.P
J.J.7 -arthen and >opper *dols

PA devotee should care ully make a beauti ul earthen idol without any sign o crack.,he most auspicious time or the installation o an earthen idol is said to be during Ashravan nakshatraA.An invocation is made to the deity to dwell within the idol a ter which ablution o the idol is per ormed with the help o various articles like holy water&panchagavya&sandalwood&etc.,he rituals o worship are similar to that o woodden or stone3idol.P P,he best time or the installation o copper idol is said to be during AchitraA nakshatra.,he idol should be installed acing north and should be puri ied with the help o holy water& panchagavya&etc.,hen the deity is invoked to dwell within the idol.,he invocation is made by chanting sacred mantras.+ow&the idol is it to be worshipped.,he rituals are same as mentioned earlier.P
J.J.F Bron:e *dol

P,he most auspicious time or the installation o bron:e3idol is said to be during 9yeshtha nakshatra.,he idol should be installed acing north.At the time o installation the devotee must not orget to keep our small pots in ront o the deity&each illed with articles likeApanchgavyaAAwater&sandalwood and honey.,he rituals o invocation as well as worship are same as mentioned earlier.P
J.J.8 1ilver and Bold *dols

P,he rituals or the installation o silver or gold idols are similar to that o copper or bron:e idol. Erithvi reHuested lord Varah to reveal the name o deities whom a devotee can worship at home.Lord Vishnu replied3PA devotee can worship any deity at hom e but worship o two shiva lingas is prohibited.1imilarly&a devotee should never worship three shaligrams or three durga idols or two surya idols.A devotee should also never worship shaligrams adding up to odd numbers3 7&8&<&etc.But&there is no harm in worshipping one shaligram.A devotee must never worship broken or cracked idol because it does not bode well or the worshipper.A AchakraA mark on the shaligram is considered as very auspicious and it can be worshipped even i the idol is broken or cracked.,he virtues attained by worshipping twelve shaligrams are similar to that o worshipping twelve crore shiva lingas.Eartaking o AcharnamritA that has been o ered to shaligram absolves a man rom all his sins.But&a devotee should never partake any AprasadA that has been o ered to shiva linga. Anybody who either buys or sells a shaligram is certain to go to hell.P
8&9
6ituals Pertaining to 'ast 6ites
,his section contains F sections as ollows5
J.G.6 Last "ites5 Eitra Yagya

Erithvi reHuested lord Varaha to de ine the meaning o AEitraA yagya(rituals pertaining to last rite) and itAs signi icance. Lord Varaha replied3P1age +imi was the irst person to per orm the the rituals o pitra3yagya a ter the death o his son Aatreya.1age Aatreya is amous or his penance which he did or ten thousand years.Chen Aatreya died&his ather3+imi was illed with grie .+imi tried his best to overcome his sorrow but to no avail.(e mourned his sonAs death or three consecutive nights.(e thought that perhaps the per ormance o AshraddhA rituals would be the best means to get rid o his sorrow.1o&he decided to per orm the AshraddhA rituals on the twel th day o AmaghA.?n that day&he invited many brahmins and ed them with the same delicacies which Aatreya would have liked to eat.(e per ormed all the rituals well within a day which would otherwise have taken a week to per orm.(e also per ormed the rituals o Apinda daanA by donating cereals&vegetables and ruits.Chile per orming the rituals o pinda3daan&he took some kusha grass in his hands and a ter pointing it towards south chanted AatreyaAs name and gotra.*n the night&+imi sat on the seat o deer skin underneath which kusha grass had been spread.(e then tried to concentrate on the tip o the nose.But&inspite o all his e orts there was no sign o mental peace he was so desperately seeking and thought o his dead son continued to torment him.P P+imi was troubled by a guilt that perhaps he had set a bad precedent by per orming the rituals o pinda daan because nobody in the past had ever per ormed the rituals.(e was worried as to what would the coming generation think o him.(e was so much troubled by the thought that he could not sleep or the whole night.+e/t morning he got up&still worried.(e remained in a disturbed state o mind or many days.At last&when it became too much or him to handle&he decided to end his li e.*n the meantime&sage +arad arrived there and assured him that there was nothing to be worried about as whatever he had done was most appropriate.+arad also convinced him that even his(+imiAs)dead ather would vouch or this act.P P+imi remembered his ather who had died long ago.(is ather revealed to him that the rituals which he had per ormed were in act the rituals o Apitra3yagyaA.Describing the importance o pitra3yagya +emiAs ather told him3 A,he name pitra3yagyaA was given by none other than lord Brahma himsel who was the irst one to per orm the rituals.Later on&lord Brahma had described the rituals to +arad and this is why +arad was convinced that you had committed no wrong.+emiAs ather then described as to what should be done with regard to the person who lay dying3 AChen the death approaches a person looses his consciousness and becomes e/tremely ear ul.At that time&a brahmin should constantly study the scriptures so that he could die in peace.Donating a cow helps to paci y the soul o a dead person.* sacred mantras are whishpered in the ears o a dying person he dies peace ully.Chen the death seems imminent&a morsel o A@adhuparkA(mi/ture o curd&water&honey and clari ied butter) should be kept in the mouth o the dying person.Chile doing this one should pray to the almighty to liberate the dead manAs soul.A A,he dead body should then be carried and kept under a tree where it is puri ied by smearing ghee&oil&per umes&etc.*t is then carried to creamation ground and kept at the bank o a river3 eet pointing towards south.A ter this&the dead body should be bathed by remembering all the sacred places o pilgrimage.*t should then be kept on the pyre3 eet pointing south.,he pyre should be lit and the ollowing prayer should be said3 ? Agnideva$* pray to you to burn all the sins committed by this person so that he attains to heaven.+ow&circumambulation around the pyre is made and the pyre is lit towards the head side.A AA ter consigning the dead body to lames&the rituals o AtarpanA and Apinda3daanA are per ormed.All the people assembled there should puri y themselves be ore returning home.,he period starting rom the time the dead body is consigned to lames till the ne/t ten days is called AAshauchaA.*t is applicable to all the relatives coming rom the same gotra o the deceased.A
J.G.; Last "ites5 Ashaucha and Einda Kalp

AAshauchaA means impurity&so it is the period during which the son o the deceased is considered to be impure.,he period begins rom the day on which the death has occured and continues or the ollowing ten days.AEinda3daanA means o ering certain kind o ood to the deceased in the belie that it would satiate his soul. Lord Varah&while describing about the rituals which are supposed to be per ormed during the period o ashaucha and also the rituals o making pinda daan&told Erithvi3P,he observer o shraddh rituals should take his bath in a river on the third day rom the day on which death has occured.A ter taking his bath&he should o er three ApindasA(consisting o cereal lour) as well as three palm ul o water into the river in the name o the deceased.?n the ourth& i th&si/th and seventh days&he should make o erings o one pinda and one palm ul o water in the name o the deceased. (e should never make o erings o the Eindas at the same place on the contrary he should select di erent spots or this purpose.P P?n the tenth day he should get his hair tonsured and change his clothes. (is relatives (same3gotra) should take their bath a ter applying an ointment prepared rom sesame seeds& amla and oil on their bodies. A-kodishta
1hraddhA is per ormed on the eleventh day. Dor this ritual to be per ormed& the concerned person should irst puri y himsel and then o er Einda to the deceased person as well as other manes. ,he rituals o -kodishta 1hraddh are same or all the our castes. ,he brahmins should be invited and ed on the thirteenth day. Chile eeding the brahmins a religious vow (1ankalpa) is taken in the name o the deceased person.P PDor the purpose o o ering ApindaA& an AaltarA should be made at river3bank or any other suitable place. ,he rituals can be per ormed either acing south or east. ? ering IF (Eindas) is considered to be ideal. Einda daan can also be made under a peepal tree but the place should be well protected rom the reach o animals like dogs& cock& pigs& etc. *t is believed that i these animals visit the place where AEinda daanA is being made then it becomes di icult or the soul to attain liberation. ,he rituals o Einda daan should be per ormed at a pure place otherwise there is a ear o soul going to hell. ,he name and the gotra o the deceased person should be pronounced while per orming the rituals. A ter the rituals are complete all the assembled persons may sit down to have their meal.P Donating things like an umbrella& clothes& cereals& ornaments to the brahmins are believed to be auspicious.
J.G.7 Last "ites5 ,he Dlawed 1hraddh and its Erevention

Erithvi reHuested Lord Varaha to describe about the mistakes committed during shraddh rituals and how they could be prevented33 Lord Varah replied333*t is a grave sin to partake o a meal meant or the soul o the deceased person. Anybody who has committed this sin should atone or his sin by observing a ast or ull day and a night. (e also has to per orm many other rituals like taking bath in a river lowing eastward& per orming tarpan& making o erings o sesame seeds into the ire& 1hanti path& @angal path etc. Eartaking o AEancha3gavyaA (a mi/ture o cowAs milk& cowAs urine&cow3dung& curd and chari ied butter) or A@adhuparkA is also believed to puri y such a person.P P1imilarly& showing disrespect to the invited brahmins is also considered to be a grave sin. Donating articles to unworthy brahmins is also considered to be an inappropriate act. ,he per ormer o 1hraddh should re rain rom all these acts.P
J.G.F Last "ites5 Ereparation o '@adhupark)

Chile describing the method o preparing @adhupark& Lord Varaha told Erithvi33P@adhuparkP mani ested rom the right hal o my body at the time when the process o creation began. ,his is the reason why it is so pure. Anybody who makes o ering o @adhupark in the course o my worship&attains to my abode. Dor the preparation o @adhupark honey& curd and ghee are mi/ed in eHual proportion. Chile preparing it sacred mantras in my praise should be constantly chanted. Biving some @adhupark to a dying man liberates his soul.P
8&1: $escription of ?ell

,his section contains F sections as ollows5
J.6M.6 +achiketa)s -/perience

?nce& #anme9ay asked 1age Vaishampayan about Yamra9puri and itAs location. (e also wanted to know as to what should a man do so that he does not have to go there. 1age Vaishampayan narrated the tale o +achiketa& one o the ew blessed persons to have visited yamara9puri with his mortal body33PLong Long ago& there lived a 1age named %ddyalak. (e had a son named +achiketa. ?ne day& while %ddyalak was per orming aAYagyaA& +achiketa arrived there and disturbed him by repeatedly asking3A,o whom will you give meLA 1age %ddyalak& in a it o rage cursed +achiketa to go to hell. But a ter he cooled down& he regretted or having cursed his dear son. +achiketa being an obedient son was ready to go to hell. (is ather tried his best to convince him against doing this but to no avail. +achiketa assured his ather that he would return sa ely a ter visiting Yampuri.P P,hus& +achiketa went to Yampuri and met Yamara9333the lord o death. (e stayed there or some days and witnessed all the events taking place over there. %ltimately he sought yamara9As permission to return. Chen he returned home& his ather was e/tremely delighted to ind his son alive. Very soon& the place was thronged by many people and everybody was curious to know about his e/periences during his stay in the hell. +achiketa replied331inners like liars& greedy people& 9ealous people& caluminators& treacherers etc& go to hell. 1imilarly& one who kills a child or a woman& or kills a brahmin& or one who critici:es the Vedas& or lends money on interest& or one who abandons his parents or aith ul wi e& or one who ciriti:es his guru& or one who sells liHuor& or a brahmin who sells Vedas& goes to hell and tastes the ruits o his sinul actions.P
PYamapuri is made o gold and spread in the area o one thousand yo9an. *t is well orti ied and it is impossible or anybody to tresspass its territory. * saw sinners e/periencing unbearable torture over there. * also saw couple o rivers lowing there33Eushpodaka& at the bank o which there are trees in abundance and Vaivaswati& which lows through the central part o Yamapuri. Vaivaswati contains divine water which never dries up. Yamapuri has two entrances333one through which only virtuous souls like sages and hermits are allowed to enter and the second through which sinners enter Yamapuri. ,he ormer entrance is such that even heat loses its Huality in its vicinity. ,he latter entrance is situated in the south and has a large iron gate. * also saw three large ditches called AAudoombarA& AAvirchimanA and A%chchavachA which are meant or the sinners. 1inners are also orced to pass through the lames that continuously keep on errupting to the west o Yamapuri. P* saw a grand assembly hall where truth ul and virtuous people live. *t is graced by the presence o sages like @anu& Vyas& Atri& Bautam& Angira& Bhrigu and others. ,here& * saw a goddess who is worshipped by Yamara9. ,he goddess controls all the unctions o the world. * also saw the erocious Kala. (e possesses e/treme anger and is very power ul. ,ime does not have any in luence on him as the result o which he en9oys eternal youth. * also saw various types o demons and giants in the hell.P * saw many messengers o Yamara9 punishing the sinners. 1ome were beating the sinners with sticks in their hands while some sinners were being orced to enter ire. * saw all the sinner wailing and repenting or their sin ul deeds. @any sinners were kept at a very dark place where there was no light. ,hose who had committed graver sins were put in boiling oil. * saw many sinners being given all sorts o severe punishment. * saw a place where iron nails were spread all around. ,his was the place where people who breached the modesty o women were given punishment.P P* saw ten di erent hells33,apta& @ahatapt& "aurav& etcK -ach o the latter is more erocious than the ormer. ,he sinners are sent to all these hells on the basis o the gravity o their sins. Yamara9 himsel instructs chitragupta on the punishment to be given to these sinners.P
J.6M.; Karma Vipak

Karma Vipak means the ruits one reaps according to his or her Karma. Chile continuing with the description o various aspects o hell& +achiketa told the assembled sages33At yamapuri& >hitragupta goes through the record o all the deeds& committed by a man when he was alive and brings into the notice o Yamara9. Yamara9 then decides upon the punishment to be given to the concerned soul. ,he punishment can be varied like i the soul was virtuous then it would be sent to heaven& or the soul may even be made to take birth as a tree& or an animal or any other creature. 1inners like those who had remained disinclined towards any kind o virtuous deed& or those who had abandoned there aith ul wives& were sent to the hell named "aurav. ,he souls o virtuous people were sent to the heaven. ,hose who had e/treme attachment to women took rebirth as human beings. Eeople who had attained martyrdom while ighting a battle were sent to *ndrapuri. ,hose who had engaged themselves in virtuous deeds throughout their lives were rewarded or their good deeds.P
J.6M.7 Virtues o >hastity

Dirst o all&the area is puri ied by coating it with cow3dung a ter which a black deer3skin is spread on it alongwith Akusha grassA.,wo pots3one large and the other a small one are placed side by side.,hese pots are illed with sugarcane 9uice and symboli:e A"asa3DhenuA and the cal .Dour sugarcanes symboli:ing the our legs o A"asa3 DhenuA are i/ed at our corners.A ter that&one small silver piece is placed at the base o each o the sugarcanes symboli:ing hoo s."asa3Dhenu is then adorned with colour ul cloths and lowers.Again& our small pots illed with sesame seeds are kept at the our corners near "asa3Dhenu.A ter the worship is accomplished&"asa3Dhenu is donated to a brahmin.A person who donates "asa3Dhenu is liberated rom all his sins and all his ancestors as well as the generations to come attain to the (eaven.
J.6M.F Liberation rom 1ins

+arad asked Yamara9 about the reason why 9oy was so elusive to human beings. (e also wanted to know about the reasons or manAs sorrows. Yamara9 replied333@anAs destiny is de ined by his own actions. (e has to taste the ruits o his actions. (e has to taste the ruits o his each and every actions. 1o when a man inds himsel amidst sorrows he must reali:e that he is reaping the ruits o his past actions. * a man commits virtuous deeds then 9oy is e/perienced but sin ul deeds invite sorrows and miseries. Desires orce a man to take countless birth. A man takes birth on the basis o his past
Karmas. Bod does not inter ere in this matter. 1o& only oolish people curse Bod or their miseries.,hey orget that their sorrows are o their own making. A man can liberate himsel rom sins by engaging in virtuous deeds and abstaining rom sin ul deeds. A man should per orm his duties with a sense o detachment&because attachment results into the transmigration o the soul. Lord Brahma has declared that A1hishumar chakraA is the symbolic e/pression o his own sel . Anybody desirous o getting liberated rom his sins must make an image o this chakra and worship it. ?ne who visualises this chakra within his body& too& becomes liberated rom his sins. @ental worship o various planets (#upiter& Venus& @ercury& 1aturn& @ars etc) Visuali:ed at the various points o this chakra helps a man to become liberated rom all the sins. 1imilarly& practising Eranayam or hundred times helps a man to become liberated rom all the sins.,he most easiest way to become liberated rom sins is by engaging onesel in the servitude o a cow. ,his deed is as virtuous as making pilgrimages to all the sacred places together. ?bserving ast on -kadashi also helps a man to become liberated rom his sins.P (aving inished his narrations& +achiketa& looked at the sages& who were listening with rapt attention. ,he sages thanked +achiketa or enlightening them on the sacred place called Yamapuri.
8&11 Miscellaneous
,his section contains 6; sections as ollows5
J.66.6 Bokarneshwar
,he amous battle o A,arakamayaA had ended. ,he deities a ter having de eated the demons had once again regained the control o heaven. Lord Brahma being satis ied with the postive outcome o the war was engrossed in his meditation when 1anat Kumar arrived and asked33P? Lord$ * am an/ious to know about the origin o three amous 1hiva lingas33%ttar3Bokarn& Dakshin3Bokarn and 1hringeshwar. Chat made Lord 1hiva to take the orm o a deer (Bokarn)L Elease enlighten me on all these sub9ects.P Lord Brahma replied33,he northern peak o @andarachal mountain is amously known as @un9awan. ,his place is divinely beauti ul and the stones and rocks over there glitter like diamonds. *t has many rivers& lakes and springs. ,he atmosphere overthere is so serene that even the deities are tempted to have their abodes at that place. ,his sacred place is graced by the presence o A1thanu @aheshwarA. +andi33 the lord o all the Banas o 1hiva& was a virtuous brahmin in treta yuga. ?nce& he did an austere penance to reali:e lord 1hiva. ,he penance lasted or one thousand years. At last Lord 1hiva became pleased and appeared be ore him. Lord 1hiva blessed +andi with an appearance similar to him(1hiva). Lord 1hiva said33 Drom today onwards you will be blessed with three eyes 9ust like me. You will be worshipped by the deities and demons alike. You will be immortal and time and age will have no e ect upon you. You are being granted with the lordship o all my Banas. *t will be your duty to stand guard at the entrance o my dwelling place. Lord 1hiva then in ormed +andi that in a short time the deities would be visiting him(+andi). Due to some reason Lord 1hiva had pledged not to give deities an opportunity to see his physical orm. 1o& a ter blessing +andi& 1hiva disappeared and went to live in 1leshmatak orest in the orm o a deer. +andi was unaware o this act. @eanwhile& a ter being blessed by 1hiva& +andi had attained a divinely radiant orm. Chen the deities saw +andi possessing three eyes instead o two& they immediately understood that this could not have happened without the blessing o Lord 1hiva. All the deities arrived at @un9awan peak and reHuested +andi to reveal 1hivaAs whereabouts. +andi e/pressed his helplessness and told them that he was not aware where 1hiva went a ter blessing him. (e reHuested the deities to ind out 1hiva on their own. ,he deities searched or 1hiva in all the three worlds but could not ind him. * (Lord Brahma) was also present in the search3team o the deities.* sat down to meditate. *n the deep state o meditation& * came to know that 1hiva was living in the orm o a deer in sleshmatak orest. * revealed this act to the deities. All the deities then went into the sleshmatak orest and recognised 1hiva living in the orm o a deer. ,he deer (1hiva) had one horn on its head. All the deities ran towards the deer with the desire o catching hold o it. *ndra held the topmost part o the horn with a irm grip while * (Lord Brahma) held its middle portion. 1imilarly& Lord Vishnu held the lower part. Very soon& the horn got uprooted because o the orce which was being applied on it. Lord 1hiva vanished out o our sight. Ce were le t behind with three pieces o horn in our hands. Ce cursed ourselves or our bad luck. 1uddenly& we heard 1hivaAs voice instructing us to install those pieces o horns at that very place and worship them. ,he upper part o the horn become amous as %ttar Bokarn& while itAs middle portion became amous as Dakshin Bokarn. ,he part o the horn& which Vishnu installed became amous as
A1hringeshwarA. All these three places have incomparable religious signi icance and are situated in +epal. 1leshmatak orest is situated at the distance o ; miles rom the amous Eashupatinath temple.P 1anatkumar thanked Lord Brahma or enlightening him on these secret topics.
J.66.; ,he @eans o Vishnu "eali:ation

?nce& 1age Agastya narrated the ollowing tale to King Bhadrashva333 ?ne day& +arad went to Lord Vishnu and asked about the means by which a devotee could reali:e him. Lord Vishnu replied33,hose who worship me by chanting the mantras o either AEurushsuktaA or AVaidik 1amhitaA can certainly reali:e me. ,hose who per orm oblation according to the rituals o AEancharatraA can also have my divine glimpse. But& the rituals o Eancharatra yagya can be per ormed only by the brahmins. All the rest o the castes can reali:e me by devotion& chanting my name and making pilgrimage to holy places.P1age Agastya while giving discourse to king Bhadrashwa also predicted that sinners would outnumber the virtuous ones in Kaliyuga and said33PEeople would abandon their respective AdharmasA and the caste system would become e/tinct.P
J.66.7 Lord Vishnu ! ,he Almighty Bod

?nce& 1age Agastya had organised a grand yagya in which he had invited all the deities and sages. Lord Vishnu& Lord Brahma and Lord 1hiva also went there. Agastya was pu::led as to who was the most superior among all three o them. (e asked Lord 1hiva in this regard. Lord 1hiva replied33?ne who is worshipped by per orming oblation3 ?ne who is the source o this universe and into whom it ultimately mergesK is none other than Lord #anardhan. 1o he should be worshipped irst o all. (e is the only one who e/presses himsel in three orms33Brahma& Vishnu& @ahesh."a9oguna is predominant in lord Brahma along with some Huantities o 1atvaguna and ,amoguna.Lord Brahma has mani ested rom the naval o Lord Vishnu.,amoguna is the dominant Huality in me("udra)with little bit o satva and ra9o gunas.+arayan is the embodiment o pure satva guna.*n satya yuga&(e is worshipped by the means o meditation.During ,eta yuga& (is worshipped by the means o oblation.During Dwapar yuga& (- is pleased by nothing but the rituals o Eancharatra. During Kali yuga& people will worship (*@ by various means. Lord 1hivaAs revelations had completely satis ied 1age Agastya.
J.66.F 1age Bautam curses the Brahmins

,here were many sages present at the yagya organised by Agastya. 1ome o them asked Lord 1hiva as to why he had created some scriptures which appeared so con using to human beings. Lord 1hiva revealed to them that he had done so to protect the brahmins rom the curse o 1age Bautam. ,hen he narrated the incident as it had happened 333 During ancient times& 1age Bautam did an austere penance in Dandakaranya orest. Lord Brahma became pleased and gave him some divine seeds capable o producing eternal crops. Bautam then went to 1aptashring mountain and made his hermitage there. (e sowed the seeds and became pleasantly surprised when he saw rice grains sprouting up withiin ew moments. (e lived there happily with his disciples. *n course o time& the whole country was struck by amine e/cept the place where Bautam had his hermitage. ?ne day& ew sages arrived at BautamAs hermitage. Bautam treated them with all the respect. ,hese sages en9oyed the hospitality o Bautam and stayed at his hermitage till the amine phase was over. ,hen they decided to go back to their respective native places. Chen they sought BautamAs permission&he reHuested him to stay or ew more days. ,he sages then decided to use deceit ul means or taking BautamAs permission. ,hey created a super icial cow with the help o their illussionary powers and le t it near the hermitage o Bautam. Bautam was very pleased to see that cow. (e eulogised it by sprinkling water on it. (ardly had he inished his act than the cow died. All those wicked sages arrived there and cursed Bautam or killing an innocent cow. ,hey told him that they could never live along with a person who had killed a cow. Bautam then reHuested those impostors to tell about the means by which he could become absolved rom the heinous sin he had committed. ,he sages told him that the cow would become alive once Banga water was sprinkled on its body. Bautam once again did a tremendous penance to please Lord 1hiva. Chen lord 1hiva appeared& he reHuested him to give a lock o his hair. Lord 1hiva agreed to give a lock o his hair to Bautam. Bautam then went to the spot where the cowAs body was lying. (e sprinkled some water emanating rom the hair. ,he illussionary cow disappeared within a moment and in its place was created a river. "ight then& the sapta rishis arrived there and blessed Bautam. @eanwhile& Bautam reali:ed that a wicked prank had been played on him by those wicked sages. (e cursed those wicked sages that they would become bere t o the knowledge o Vedas and also that
they would no longer be entitled to per orm the vedic rituals. ,he 1apta rishis reHuested Bautam to have mercy on those un ortunate brahmins. Bautam then declared that his curse will come true only in Kaliyuga and those brahmins will not be a ected by his curse in all the remaining three yugas. ,he 1apta rishis came to me and in ormed me about whatever had happened to those un ortunate brahmins. * created A1hiva 1anhitaA rom my breath which is similar to Vedas as ar as the importance o rituals are concerned. * did this or the benediction o the brahmins. * know that brahmins would all rom grace during Kaliyuga. Eeople would give little respect to the Vedas and create their own scriptures. >on usion would be prevalent and people would discover alse religions.
J.66.8 Erakriti and Eurush

?nce& Lord 1hiva while describing about the incident when he had a divine glimpse o Lord +arayan& told 1age Agastya 33 AEurushaA is none other than Lord +arayan himsel and Erakriti is the medium through which he mani ests his powers. * have been ortunate to have a divine glimpse o this Eurush. Lord Brahma a ter having created me& instructed me to create. But& * did not know how to create. 1o& * decided to do penance and went into the ocean. *n the ocean& * saw an entity who was no more than the si:e o a thumb. (e was purush himsel and * immediately recogni:ed him. * started meditating on the orm o that almighty33Eurush. 1uddenly& eleven more entities emerged be ore me. ,hey were all very radiant and the water had become hot on account o the heat emanating rom their bodies. * asked them as to who they were but they did not give any reply and went out o my sight. ,he ne/t moment& * saw an e/tremely handsome man. * asked him about his identity and also about the eleven entities whom * had seen ew moments ago. ,hose entities were the eleven Aadityas and had gone to help Lord Brahma in the process o creation. ,hen he said33* am +arayana33the omnipresent lord. * am blessing you with Adivine visionA so that you can see my divine appearance.A Chen * i/ed my glance at +arayan * was ama:ed to see the same thumb3si:ed +arayana standing be ore me. But& now (e was no longer having the si:e o a thumb. ?n the contrary he had e/panded his body to such an e/tent that (e appeared like a giant. * also saw Lord Brahma sitting on a lotus lower emanating rom his navel. * eulogi:ed (*@ with complete devotion. (- blessed me and said33AYou are eternal and nothing is beyond your knowledge. You will be worshipped by the deities. * shall take twelve incarnations in the coming eras and shall worship you in each o my incarnation.A (aving said this& Lord +arayana disappeared. ,his was how * saw the divine orm o the AEurushA33Lord +arayan.
J.66.I Bhuvan3Kosh and the *slands

All the sages listened with rapt attention to the description Lord 1hiva made o the Almighty +arayan. But& they had ew more Hueries in store& so they asked Lord 1hiva33 P? Lord o %ma$ please tell us about the e/panse o the -arth3 the situation o mountains and the prominent islands.P Lord 1hiva replied33PBhuloka is situated on the sur ace o the -arth& while the earth itsel is based on AlmightyAs chest. Cith the desire o creating the three basic gunas3331at& ra9 and ,ama& the Almighty +arayan created water irst o all and went into AyoganidraA. ,hen a lotus lower mani ested rom (*1 navel on which was seated Lord Brahma. Lord Brahma then created his manasputras331anak& 1anandan& 1anatan and 1anatkumar all o whom were enlightened souls. ,hen Lord Brahma created sages like Daksha etc. DakshaAs daughter 1hatarupa was married to @anu rom whom she had two sons33Eriyavrata and %ttanpad. Eriyavrat had ten sons33Aaghnighna& Agnibahu& @edh& @edhatithi& Dhruva& #yotishman& Dyutiman& (avya& Vayushman and 1avan. (e had divided the earth into seven islands and presented them to each o his seven sons. Aaghnighna became the king o #ambudweepa whereas @edhatithi& #yotishman& Dyutiman& (avya& Vayushman and 1avan became the rulers o 1hakadweepa& Kraunch dweepa& 1halmalidweepa& Bomeddweepa& Elakshdweepa and Eushkar dweepa respectively.P P1avan had two sons33Dhat and @ahaveeti& who were the rulers o ADhatkiA and AKaumud provinces respectively. 1imilarly Dyutiman had three sons33Kush& Vaidyut and #eemutvahan. #yotishman had seven sons33Kushal& @anugavya& Eeevar& Andhra& Andhakarak& @uni and Dundubhi. Kush had seven sons33%dbhid& Venuman& "athapal& @anu& Dhriti& Erabhakar and Eapil.P P@edhatithi too had seven sons33+abhi& 1hantmaya& 1hishir& @ukhodam& +andshiva& Kshemak and Dhruv. +abhiAs wi e was @erudevi& who had given birth to "ishabh. "ishabh was the ather o Bharat upon whom the area lying south o (imalaya mountain is named.P
P1umati was the son o Bharat. Bharat& a ter appointing 1umati as his successor went into the orest to do penance. ,he names o some prominent kings coming rom the lineage o 1umati were ,e9& 1atsut& *ndradyumna& Earmeshthi& Eratiharta& +ikhat& %nmeta& Abhav3%dgata& Erastota& Vibhu& Erithu& Anant& Baya& +aya& Virat& @ahavirya and 1udhiman.P P1udhiman had one hundred sons. ,his way the population continued to grow. ,he our yugas331atya yuga& ,reta& dwapar and Kali occur in a cyclic order. -ach o the latter ollows the ormer. A manvantar comprises o <6 chaturyugas.P
J.66.< #ambudveepa
Dwelling upon the prominent islands& Lord 1hiva told the assembled sages333P#ambudweepa is spread in the area o one lakh yo9an and it consists o numerous #anapadads. *t is inhabited by AsiddhasA and AcharanasA and is blessed with incomparable natural beauty.P AA total number o nine AVarshasA lie within the territory o #ambudweepa which itsel is surrounded by various oceans on all sides. ,owards its east and west lie salt water oceans. 1ome prominent mountains o #ambudweepa are the (imalaya& the sumeru& the (emakut and the +ishadh. ,erritory situated towards east o 1umeru mountain is inhabited by the air comple/ioned brahmins. ,owards its south live Vaishyas. 1hudras live towards the south o 1umeru and the area lying towards its north is inhabited by Kshatriyas.P
J.66.J 1hak Dweepa

*tAs area is appro/imately twice as compared to #ambudweepa. *t is inhabited by virtuous people who are prosperous and who en9oy a long li e. ,hey are ree rom the tortures o old age. ,his island is covered by oceans on its two sides331alt water ocean on one side and AKsheer 1agarA (?cean o @ilk) on the other. ,he mountain ranges lying in the northern part o this island is known as %dayachal while A>handragiri is situated in the western part. ,here are some other mountain ranges like "a9atgiri& Aambikey& etc situated on this island. Altogether these mountain ranges total seven in number and are known as AKula3EarvatasA. 1ome primonent rivers lowing through this island are 1ukumari& Kumari& +anda& Venika& Dhenu& *kshumati and Babhasti. ,here is a large tree named 1hak in the central part o this island. ,his is how this island derived itAs name.
J.66.G Kusha Dweepa

,his island is twice the area o 1hak dweepa. ,here are seven prominent mountain ranges in this island which are known as AKula EarvatasA333 Kumud& %nnat& Drona& Kank& *sha& @ahish and @andar. ,here are seven prominent rivers lowing through the various parts o this island33Eratoya& 1hiva& >hitra& >handra& Vidyullta& Varna and @ahati. ,his island has got its name rom Kusha grass which are ound in abundance in its central part.
J.66.6M
Krauncha Dweepa
*t is twice the area o Kusha dweepa. *t has seven prominent mountain ranges33Kraunch& Eaavan& Devavrit& Devishtha& Devaanand& Bovind and Eundareek. ,here are also si/ prominent rivers lowing in this island33Bauri& Kumudwati& "atri& @ano9ava& Khyati and Eundarika. Kraunch dweepa is surrounded by an ocean o chari ied butter (ghee) on all its side.
J.66.66
1halmali Dweepa
P*t is double the area o Kraunch dweepa and covers the Aclari ied3butterA ocean rom all sides. ,here are seven prominent mountains as well as seven rivers in this island.P ,his way Lord 1hiva disappeared a ter having inished the narration o all the prominent islands.
J.66.6;
,rishakti
Describing the reason behind the mani estation o A,ri1haktiA (,hree goddesses mani esting rom the bodies o Brahma Vishnu and 1hiva)& Lord Varah told Erithvi333 ,here lived a mighty demon named AAndhakA who used to torment the deities. A ter being driven out o the heaven all the deities sought lord BrahmaAs help. Lord Brahma took them to Lord 1hiva and reHuested him to ind some solution to the miseries o the deities. Lord Brahma then meditated on the orm o Vishnu who appeared instantly. ,he powers emanating rom the eyes o all the three deities got combined and resulted into the mani estation o goddess Earmeshwari.?n the reHuest o the deities&goddess Earmeshwari created three more goddesses rom
her body3Brahmi&Vishnupriya and "udrani.Boddess Brahmi was o air comple/ion while VishnupriyaAs comple/ion was wheatish.Boddess "udrani appeared e/tremely erocious in her dark comple/ion. Lord Brahma advised goddess Brahmi to do penance at 1hwetgiri mountain.1imilarly&Vishnupriya went to @andarachal mountain to do her penance while Lord 1hiva advised goddess "udrani to go to +ilgiri mountain. Chile Vishnupriya was doing her penance at @andarachal mountain& crores o goddesses mani ested rom her body prominent among whom were Vidyutprabha&>handrakanti&1uryakanti&Bambhira&Vi9aya&#aya& #ayanti&Apara9ita&etc.All these goddesses acted as the escorts o goddess Vishnupriya who is also called Vaishnavi. ?ne day&sage +arad visited goddess Vaishnavi and was dumbstruck by her divine beauty.(e had never seen such a beauti ul woman in his li e.?n his return 9ourney&+arad met @ahishasur3the mighty demon&who had been blessed by Brahma.@ahishasur had conHuered all the three worlds.+arad praised the glory o @ahishasur but went on to add that his ma9esty was incomplete untill he married Vaishnavi. +arad said3P* have never seen such a beauti ul woman in my li e. 1he is worshipped by all the sages&gandharvas&deities as well as other celestial beings.Although&you are worthy o becoming her husband yet the act is that you can not have her as your wi e untill you have conHuered the deities and the gandharvas.P A ter sowing a seed o lust in @ahishasurAs mind&+arad went away. @ahishasur vowed to marry Vaishnavi at any cost. Lord Varah continued with the tale and said3PA ter +arad went away&@ahishasur summoned his ministers3 Eraghas&Vighas&1hanku3 karna&Vibhavasu&Vidyunmali&1umali&Ear9anya and Krura.Chen all the ministers arrived&he reHuested them to ind out means so that he could marry Vaishnavi. Eraghas3one o the ministers& was very intelligent.(e warned @ahishasur against going ahead with his evil designs and said3 A,his illegal abduction could become the cause or your destruction.AVighas corroborated the statements o Eraghas. Dinally&everyone agreed that it would be better i Vaishnavi was persuaded to accept @ahishasur as her husband instead o orce ully abducting her. P1o all o them& inally came upon two conclusions3 irst was to send a messenger to persuade Vaishnavi into marrying @ahishasur and the second was to de eat the deities in a battle.A demon named Vidutprabha was sent to meet goddess Vaishnavi. @ahishasur then launched a ierce attack on the deities and de eated them.,he deities were orced to lee the battle3 ield and seek re uge in brahma loka.P P@eanwhile&Vidutprabha had already reached @andarachal mountain. Cithout showing any rspect to goddess Vaishnavi&he tried to impress her by narrating the ama:ing tale o @ahishasurAs birth3 ADuring ancient times&there lived a sage named 1uparshva.?nce&he was doing penance and an ogress named @ahishmati alongwith her companions& arrived at his hermitage.@ahishmati was very much impressed by the grandeur o his hermitage and decided to occupy it.1he changed her appearance and became a bu alo.1he then started tormenting 1uparshva&who was initially terri ied but inally came to know about her real identity.1uparshva cursed her3AYou deserve to remain as a bu alo or the rest o your li e.A P+ow&@ahishmati became e/tremely terri ied and begged or being pardoned.Dinally&1uparshva took pity on her and said3AYou will get liberated rom my curse only a ter you give birth to a cal .A ,hus&@ahishmati started wandering all over the places in the orm o a bu alo.?nce&while wandering& she reached the bank o river +armada&where sage 1indhudweep was doing his penance. A signi icant incident had taken place 9ust ew minutes be ore her arrival31age 1indhudweep&being unable to control himsel &had e9aculated sperms a ter in atuated by a beauti ul ogress taking bath in river +armada&which was lowing nearby.,he sperms ell on a rock and was eventually washed o by the swi t currents o +armada.P PAs @ahishmati was thirsty&she drank water rom river +armada. Chile Huenching her thirst&she also consumed the sperms as the result o which she became pregnant.*n course o time&she gave birth to @ahishasur&who grew up to be a mighty demon king.,he same @ahishasur wants to marry you.P A ter inishing his story& Vidutprabha waited or VaishnaviAs response. Boddess Vaishnavi burst into a loud laughter and all the the three worlds became visible to the messenger&through her opened mouth.Vidutprabha was scarred to the hilt as he reali:ed that the woman was e/traordinary and divine. #aya3a dwarpalika o Vaishnavi&told him3A?ur goddess has taken a vow o celibacy&hence your masterAs wish will remain un ul illed.A At last&Vidutprabha went back empty handed.*n the meantime&+arad arrived there and in ormed goddess Vaishnavi about the deitiesAs de eat at the hands o @ahishasur and reHuested her to kill the demon.
Boddess Vaishnavi ordered her escorts to get prepared or the battle. 1he then proceeded with a huge army to ight against the demons.*n the ensuing battle&@ahishasurAs army was severely humiliated.@ost o the demons were killed and the survivors led rom the battle ield. A demon named Virupaksha in ormed @ahishasur o the death and destruction caused by goddess Vaishnavi.@ahishasur was in uriated and came orward to ight the goddess.Boddess Vaishnavi was aware o his might&so she mani ested her divine orm in all her glory. +ow&she possessed ten arms and held lethal weapons like a sword& a bow&a shield&a mace&a trident&a chakra&etc.in each o them.1he then remembered lord 1hiva&who appeared within a moment.Boddess Vaishnavi reHuested him to be witness to the ierce battle&which was going to take place. A ierce battle commenced&which lasted or ten thousand divine years.@ahishasur ran helter and skelter&changing his disguise reHuently&in order to protect his li e but goddess Vaishnavi chased him wherever he went.%ltimately&she killed him at A1hata3 shringA mountain by severing his head.All the deities heaved a sigh o relie and praised the glory o goddess Vaishnavi. 1imilarly&goddess "udrani&who had mani ested rom lord 1hiva and had gone to +ilgiri mountain to do her penance had killed a mighty demon named A"uruA. "uru was a very power ul demon king.(e ruled over "atnapuri& which was situated in the middle o the ocean.(e had become invincible on account o a boon received rom lord Brahma.A ter being de eated by him&all the deities went to seek the help o goddess "udrani. Boddess "udrani&who is also known as A>hamundaA inally killed "uru3the dreaded demon.P (aving completed the tale&lord Varah blessed Erithvi and went back to his abode.
'"D O> .*#*+ P$#*"
2 )rahma .aiBart Purana

*t)s the twel th Eurana. *t contains our parts3 Brahma khand& Erakriti khand& Banesh khand and 1hri Krishna #anma khand. *n +aimisharanya ,irth& addressing a gathering o great sages like 1haunak etc.& 1uta9i has described this Eurana as the marvelous creation. ,his Eurana describes the plays o the Lord Krishna and "adha in considerable detail. ,hus& it is a basic source o inspiration or all the subseHuent treatises that depict the li e o "adha. *t is only Eurana that e/clusively describes the episodes rom the li e o "adha& the most beloved lady o Lord 1hri Krishna. )rahma :hand5 >reation o the universe. ?rigin o +arayana rom the body o 1hri Krishna. ?rigin o "adha in "asamandal. ?rigin o Bopas& Bopis and cows rom the bodies o "adha and Krishna. >reation o all other animate3inanimate world. Pra:riti :hand5 Breatness o Durga& "adha& Lakshmi& 1araswati and 1avitri in the creation o the world. ,ales o 1avitri31atyavaan& 1urabhi& 1waha and 1wadha. Description o the clan o 1urath. ,ale o Banga. ,ales rom "amayana. >urse o Durvasa on *ndra. Corship o Lakshmi. 5anesh :hand5 @ainly discusses about the greatness o Lord Banesh. Also contains tales o #amadagni& Karteveerya& Earashurama etc. Shri /rishna :hand5 Describes the li e and plays o Lord 1hri Krishna& under the heads o Bra9 leela& @athura leela& reunion o "adha and Krishna. @igration o the residents o Bokul to Bokula. *n the opinion o this Eurana& there are ten eatures o @aha Eurana. ,hese are5 creation& preservation& Eralaya (destruction)& ostering& karma& description o lust& description o each o the ourteen @anus and their dynasties. Description o salvation& recitation o the virtues o 1hri (ari and description o the glory o the gods. But Euranas with ive eatures and %pa Euranas has ollowing common eatures5 creation& destruction& description o >handra and 1urya dynasties and their kings and description o the ourteen @anus. ,his Eurana consists o 7; chapters5
9&1
Preliminaries
,here was a orest known as naimisharanya. ,he sages (maharshis) arranged or a sacri ice (ya9na) in this orest and the ceremony went on or twelve years. +aimisharanya orest was a wonder ul place to arrange sacri ices in. ,he climate was pleasant. ,here were trees ull o climate was pleasant. ,here were trees ull o lowers and ruit. ,here was no shortage o ood in the orest& and animals& birds and sages lived thee happily. @any sages came to attend the sacri ice that had been arranged in naimisharanya. Cith them was "omaharshana (alternatively Lomaharshana). VedavyasaAs disciple. Vedavyasa had instructed this disciple o his in the knowledge o the Euranas. ,he assembled sages worshipped the learned "omaharshana and said& PElease tell us the stories o the Euranas. Cho created the universe& who is its preserver and who will destroy itL Elease instruct us in all these mysteriesP. "omaharshana replied& P@any years ago& Daksha and the other sages had asked Brahma these very Huestions. * have learnt about BrahmaAs replies rom my guru) teacher) Vedavyasa. * will relate to you what * knowP. *n the beginning& there was water everywhere and the Brahman (the divine essence) slept on this water in the orm o Vishnu. 1ince water is called nara and since ayana means a bed& Vishnu is known as +arayana. *n the water there emerged a golden egg (anda). Brahma was born inside this egg. 1ince he created himsel & he is called 1vayambhu& born (bhu) by himsel (svayam). Dor one whole year& Brahma lived inside the egg. (e then split the egg into two and created neaven (svarga) and the earth (prithivi) rom the two parts o the egg. 1kies& directions& time& language and senses were created in both heaven and earth. Drom the powers o his mind& Brahma gave birth to seven great sages. ,heir names were @arichi& Atri& Angira& Eulastya& Eulaha& Kratu and Vashishtha. Brahma also created the god "udra and the sage 1anatkumara.
9&!
More 0reation
,o continue with the process o creation& Brahma gave birth to a man and a woman rom his own body. ,he man was named 1vayambhuva @anu and the woman was named 1hatarupa. (umans are descended rom @anu. ,hat is the reason they are known as manava. @anu and 1hatarupa had three sons named Vira. Eriyavrata and %ttanapada. %ttanapadaAs son was the great Dhruva. Dhruva per ormed very di icult meditation (tapasya) or three thousand divine years. Brahma was so pleased at this that he granted Dhruva an eternal place in the sky& near the constellation that is known as saptarshi or the seven sages. ,his is the constellation %rsa @a9oris and Dhruva is the pole 1tar. *n DhruvaAs line there was a king named Erachinavarhi. Erachinavarhi had ten sons& known as the Erachetas. ,hese Erachetas were supposed to look a ter the world and rule over it& but they were not interested in such mundane matters. ,hey went o instead to per orm tapasya under the ocean. ,he tapasya went on or ten thousand years. ,he upshot was that the earth had no ruler and began to su er. Eeople started to die and thick orests sprouted everywhere. 1o thick were the orests that even the winds could not blow. +ews o this catastrophe reached the Erachetas. ,hey were urious with the trees and created wind (vayu) and ire (agni) rom their mouths. ,he wind dried up the trees and the ire burnt them& so that& very soon& there were very ew trees le t on earth. -veryone was alarmed at the e ects o the Erachetas anger. ,he moon3god 1oma (or >handra) came to the Erachetas with a beauti ul woman and said& PErachetas& please control your anger. You need someone to rule over the world so that you can concentrate on your tapasya. ,his beauti ul woman is named Daksha. (e will rule over the worldP. ,he Erachetas agreed to this proposal and Daksha was born. ,he word pra9a means sub9ect and the word pati means master. 1ince Daksha ruled over the world and its sub9ects& Daksha came to be known as Era9apati. ,he sages interrupted "omaharshana. ,hey said& P1age& we are completely con used. Ce have heard that Daksha was born rom BrahmaAs toe. And yet you have told us that Daksha was the son o the Erachetas. (ow is this possibleLP "omaharshana replied& P,here is no reason or bewilderment. @any Dakshas have been born to rule over the world. ?ne was born rom BrahmaAs toe& yet another was the son o the Erachetas.P
9&*
$a.sha<s =ffspring
DakshaAs wi e was named Asikli and Asikli gave birth to ive thousand sons. ,hey were known as the (aryashvas. ,he (aryashvas were destined to rule over the world. But the sage +arada went to the (aryashvas and said& P(ow can you rule over the world i you donAt even know what the world looks likeL Are you amiliar with its geography and its limitsL Dirst ind out about these things& be ore you contemplate ruling over the world.P ,he (aryashvas went o to e/plore the world and never returned. Daksha and Asikli then had another thousand sons who were named the 1havalashvas. +arada told them what he had told the (aryashvas and the 1havalashvas also went o to e/plore the world and never returned. Daksha and Asikli were distressed that their children should disappear in this manner. Daksha blamed +arada or the instigation and proposed to kill him. But Brahma intervened and persuaded Daksha to control his anger. ,his Daksha agreed to do& provided that his conditions were met. PBrahma must marry my daughter Eriya&P he said. PAnd +arada must be born as EriyaAs son.P ,hese conditions were accepted. *n act& Daksha and Asikli had si/ty daughters. (-lsewhere& the Brahma Eurana mentions i ty daughters.) ,en o these daughters were married to the god Dharma and thirteen to the sage Kashyapa. ,wenty3seven daughters were married to 1oma or >handra. ,he remaining daughters were married to the sages Arishtanemi& Vahuputra& Angirasa and Krishashva.
,he ten daughters who were married to the god Dharma were named Arundhati& Vasu& Yami& Lamba& Bhanu& @arutvati& 1ankalpa& @uhurta. 1adhya and Vishva. ArundhatiAs children were the ob9ects (vishaya) o the world. VasuAs children were the eight gods known as the Vasus. ,heir names were Apa& Dhruva& 1oma& Dhara& 1alila& Anala& Eratyusha and Erabhasa. AnalaAs son was Kumara. Because Kumara was brought up by goddesses known as the Krittikas& he came to be called Kartikeya. ErabhasaAs son was Vishvakarma. Vishvakarma was skilled in architecture and the making o 9ewelry. (e became the architect o the gods. 1adhyaAs children were the gods known as 1adhyadevas and VishvaAs children were the gods known as Vishvadervas. ,he twenty3seven daughters o Daksha who ere married to 1oma are known as the nakshatras (stars). As you have already been told& Kashyapa married thirteen o DakshaAs daughters. ,heir names were Aditi& Diti& Danu& Arishta& 1urasa& Khasa& 1urabhi& Vinata. ,amra& Krodhavasha& *la& Kadru and @uni. AditiAs sons were the twelve gods known as the adityas. ,heir names were Vishnu& 1hakra. Aryama& Dhata& Vidhata& ,vashta& Eusha& Vivasvana& 1avita& @itravaruna& Amsha and Bhaga. DitiAs sons were the daityas (demons). ,hey were named (iranyaksha and (iranyakashipu& and amongst their descendants were several other power ul daityas liked Vali and Vanasura. Diti also had a daughter named 1imhika who was married to a danava (demon) named Viprachitti. ,heir o spring)s were terrible demons like Vatapi& +amuchi& *lvala& @aricha and the nivatakavachas. ,he hundred sons o Danu came to be known as danavas. ,he danavas were thus cousins to the daityas and also to the adityas. *n the danava line were born demons like the poulamas and kalakeyas. ArishtaAs sons were the gandharvas (singers o heaven). 1urasa gave birth to the snakes (sarpa). KhasaAs children were the yakshas (demi3gods who were the companions o Kubera& the god o wealth) and the rakshasas (demons). 1urabhiAs descendants were cows and bu aloes. Vinata had two sons named Aruna and Baruda. Baruda became the king o the birds. ,amra has si/ daughters. Drom these daughters were born owls& eagles& vultures& crows& water3 owl& horses& camels and donkeys. Krodhavasha had ourteen thousand children known as nagas (snakes). *la gave birth to trees& creepers& shrubs and bushes. KadruAs sons were also known as nagas or snakes. Among the more important o KadruAs sons were Ananta& Vasuki& ,akshaka and +ahusha. @uni gave birth to the apsaras (dancers o heaven). DitiAs children (daityas) and AuditiAs children (adityas) continually ought amongst themselves. ?n one particular occasion& the gods succeed in killing many o the demons. ,hirsting or revenge& Diti began to pray to her husband& Kashyapa that she might given birth to a son who would kill *ndra& the king o the gods. Kashyapa ound it di icult to re use his wi e outright. PAll rightP& he said. PYou have to bear the son in your womb or a hundred years. And throughout this period& you will have indeed kill *ndira. But i you do not observe these instructions to the letter& your desire will not be satis ied.P Diti resolved to do as her husband had bidden her. But *ndra had got to know about DitiAs resolve and was waiting or an opportunity to save himsel . ,here was an occasion when& tired a ter her prayers. Diti went to sleep without irst washing her eet. ,his was an unclean act and it gave *ndra the reHuired opportunity. (e adopted a miniscule
orm and entered DitiAs womb. Cith his weapon va9ra& he sliced up the baby inside the womb into seven parts. ,he baby naturally began to cry at the pain. *ndra kept on saying& Pma ruda&P that is& PdonAt cry.P But the bay& or rather its seven parts& would not listen. *ndra thereupon sliced up each o the seven parts into seven more sections& so that there were orty3nine sections in all. Chen these orty3nine sections were born& they came to known as the @aruts& rom the words that *ndra had addressed them. 1ince Diti had not been able to adhere to the conditions her husband had set& the @aruts did not kill *ndra. ,hey instead became *ndraAs ollowers or companions& and were treated as gods.
9&,
Prithu
*n DhruvaAs line there was a king named Anga& Anga was religious and ollowed the righteous path. But un ortunately& AngaAs son Vena inherited none o the good Hualities o his ather. VenaAs mother was 1unitha and she happened to be the daughter o @rityu. @rityu was notorious or his evil ways and deeds. Vena spent a lot o time with his maternal grand ather and picked up these evil characteristics. Vena gave up the religion that was laid down in the Vedas and stopped all ya9nas. (e instructed his sub9ects that he alone was to be worshiped. ,he sages led by @arichi came to Vena to try and persuade him to mend his ways. But Vena was in no mood to listen. (e insisted that there was no one eHual to him in the whole universe. ,he sages reali:ed that Vena was a lost cause. ,hey physically caught hold o Vena and began to knead his right thigh. Drom this kneading thee emerged a horrible looking creature. *t was a dwar and its comple/ion& was e/tremely dark. ,he sage Atri was so aghast at the dwar As appearance that he blurted out& PnishidaP& which means PsitP. Drom this& the dwar came to be known as nishada. ,he race o nishadas became hunters and ishermen& and lived in the Vindhya mountains. Drom them were also descended uncivili:ed races like tusharas and tunduras. ,he evil that was in VenaAs body and mind came out with the emergence o the nishada. Chen the sages began to knead VenaAs right arm& Erithu emerged. (e shone like a laming ire and his energy lit up the our directions. (e held a bow in his hand and he was clad in beauti ul armour. As soon as Erithu was born& Vena died. All the rivers and the oceans arrived with their waters and their 9ewels to anoint Erithu as the king. ,he gods and the sages also came or the coronation. Brahma himsel crowned Erithu the king o the earth. (e also took the opportunity to apportion out the lordships o other parts o the universe. 1oma was appointed lord over creepers& herbs& starts (nakshatras)& planets (grahas)& sacri ices& meditation (tapasya) and over the irst o the our classes (brahmanas). Varuna became lord o the oceans& Kubera o all the kings& Vishnu o the adityas& Agni o vasus& Daksha o all Erahlada o daityas and danavas& Yama o the pritris (ancestors)& 1hiva o yakshas& rakshasas and pishachas (ghosts)& and (imalaya o the mountains. ,he ocean (samudra) was made the lord o all rivers. >hitraratha o gandharvas& Vasuki o nagas& ,akshaka o sarpas& Baruda o birds& the tiger o deer& Airavata o elephants& %cchaihshrava o horses& the bull o cows and the ashvattha tree (a banyan) o all trees. Brahma also appointed our overlords (dikapalas) or the our directions. ,o the east there was 1udhanva& to the south 1hankhapada& to the west Ketumana and to the north (iranyaroma. Erithu was a king who ruled the earth well. During his reign& the earth was laden with oodgrains. ,he cows were ull o milk and the sub9ects were happy. ,o glori y King Erithu& the sages per ormed a sacri ice and rom this sacri ice there emerged two races known as the sutas and the magadhas should sing praises in honour o Erithu. PBut what praise will we singLP asked the sutas and the magadhas. PErithu is still young. (e has not done much that can be praisedP. P,hat may be true&P replied the sages. PBut he will do wonderous deeds in the uture. 1ing praises o those wonder ul deeds. Ce will tell you about them.P (aving learnt o these uture deeds rom the sages& the sutas and the magadhas began to compose songs and chant praises in honour o Erithu. ,hese stories were related throughout the earth. 1ome o ErithuAs sub9ects heard these stories and came to see Erithu. PKing&P they said. PCe have heard o your great deeds. But we ind it
di icult to make a living. Elease indicate to us our habitations on earth. And tell us where we may be able to get the ood we need or subsistence.P King Erithu picked up his bow and arrow. (e decided to kill the earth& since the earth was not yielding oodgrains to his sub9ects. ,he earth adopted the orm o a cow and began to lee. But wherever the earth went& Erithu ollowed with his bow and arrow. (e ollowed the earth to the heaven and to the underworld. Dinally& in desperation& the earth started to pray to Erithu. PKing&P she said& Pplease control your anger. * am a woman. Killing me will only mean a sin or you. Besides& what purpose will killing me serveL Your sub9ects will then be without a place to live in. ,here must be some other way o ensuring that your sub9ects can make a living. ,he earth then hersel o ered a solution and King Erithu did her bidding& Cith his bow& he leveled out the earth. ,he plains could now be used or villages and cities and or agriculture and animal husbandry. ,he plains could now be used or villages and cities and or agriculture and animal husbandry. ,he mountains were gathered together in select places& instead o being littered over whole earth. -arlier& ErithuAs sub9ects had lived o ruits and roots. +ow Erithu milked the earth (in her orm o a cow) and obtained the seeds o oodgrains on which people could live. Because o ErithuAs deeds& the earth came to be known as prithivi.
9&/
Manvataras
A manvantara is an era. ,here are our smaller eras (yugas) and their names are satya or krita yuga& treta yuga& dvapara yuga and kali yuga. -ach cycle o satya yuga& treat yuga& dvapara yuga and kali yuga is called a mahayuga. A mahayuga comprises o 6;&MMM years o the gods& or eHuivalently& F7;M&MMM years or human. <6 mahayugas constitute a manvantara and 6F manvantaras constitute a cycle (kalpa). ?ne kalpa is one o BrahmaAs days and the universe is destroyed at the end o a Kalpa. -ach manvantara is ruled over by a @anu. *n the present kalpa& si/ manvantaras have already passed and the names o the si/ @anus who ruled were 1vayambhuva& 1varochisha& %ttama& ,amasa& "aivata and >hakshusha. ,he name o the seventh @anu& who rules over the seventh manvantara o the present kalpa& is Vaivasvata. ,he titles o the seven great sages (saptarshi) as well as the tile o *ndra change rom manvantara to manvantara. ,he gods also change. *n the present vaivasvata manvantara& the seven great sages are Atri& Vashishtha& Kashyapa& Boutama& Bharadva9a& Vishvamitra and #amadagni. ,he gods now are the sadhyas& the rudras& the vishwadevas& the vasus& the maruts& the adityas and the two ashvinis. ,here will be seven @anus in the uture be ore the universe is destroyed. Dive o these @anus will be known as 1avarni @anus. ,he remaining two will be called Bhoutya and "ouchya.
9&1
"he )un and the )olar $ynasty
You have probably orgotten by now that Kashyapa and Aditi had a son named Vivasvana. ,his was the sun god& also known as 1urya or @artanda. 1urya was married to 1am9na& VishvakarmaAs daughter. ,hey had two sons. ,he ist son was Vaivasvata @anu and the second son was Yama or 1hraddhadeva& the god o death. Yama had a twin sister named Yamuna. ,he sunAs energy was so strong that 1am9na could not bear to look at her husband. ,hrough her powers& she created an image rom her own body that looked e/actly like her. ,his image was called >hhaya (shadow). 1am9na told >hhaya& P* cannot bear the energy o my husband& * am going o to my atherAs house. 1tay here& pretend to be 1am9na and look a ter my children. %nder no circumstances tell anyone& certainly not my husband& that your are not 1am9na.P P* will do as you have asked me to&P replied >hhaya. PBut the moment someone curses me or pulls me by the hair& * shall be orced to reveal the truth.P 1am9na went to her ather Vishvakarma kept asking her to return to her husband. But this 1am9na re used to do. *nstead& she went to the land known as %ttara Kuru and started to live there as a mare.
@eanwhile& 1urya& who had not reali:ed that 1am9na had been replaced by >hhaya& had two sons through >hhaya. ,hey were named 1avarni @anu and 1hani (1aturn). As soon as her own children were born& >hhaya no longer displayed as much o love or 1am9naAs children as she used to do. Vaivasvata @anu was a Huiet sort o person and he ignored the implied neglect. But Yama was not the tolerant. Besides& he was also younger. (e raised his leg to kick >hhaya. At this& >hhaya cursed Yama that his legs would all o . Yama went and complained to 1urya. P * have not really kicked her&P he said. P* only threatened to. And does a mother ever curse her childrenLP P* canAt undo the curse& P replied 1urya. PAt best& * can reduce its severity. Your legs will not actually all o . 1ome o the lesh rom your legs will all o onto the earth and create worms. ,hereby& you will be reed o your curse.P But nevertheless& 1urya elt that there was some truth in YamaAs asking whether a mother would ever curse her children. (e ta/ed >hhaya with the truth& but >hhaya would not reveal anything 1urya then grasped her by the hair and threatened to curse her. 1ince her conditions were now violated& >hhaya blurted out the truth. *n an e/tremely angry mood& 1urya dashed o to VishvakarmaAs house. Vishvakarma tried to cool him down. Pit is all because o your e/ercises energy that this has happened&K e/claimed Vishvakarma. P* you permit& * will shave o some o the e/tra energy. ,hen 1am9na will be able to look at you.P 1urya agreed to this proposition. Cith the shaved o energy& Vishvakarma manu actured VishnuAs chakra (a weapon like a bladed discus). 1urya ound out that 1am9na was in %ttara Kuru in the orm o a mare. (e 9oined her there in the orm o a horse. As horse& they had two sons named +asatya and Dasra. 1ince ashva means horse& the sons were also known as the two Ashvinish and became the physicians o the gods. 1urya and 1am9na then gave up their eHuine orms and lived happily ever a ter.
9&4
+aivasvata Manu<s 0hildren
Vaivasvata @anu has no children and he arranged or a sacri ice so that he might have a son. +ine sons were born as a result o this sacri ice. ,heir names were *kshvaku& +abhaga& Dhrishta& 1haryati& +arishyanta& Eramshu& "ishta& Karusha and Erishadhra. @anu also made an o ering to the two gods @itra and Varuna. As a result o this o ering& a daughter named *la was born. Budha was the son o >handra& and Budha and *la had a son named Eururva. 1ubseHuently& thanks to a boon con erred on her by @itra and Varuna. *la became a man named 1udyumna. 1udyumnaAs sons were %tkala& Baya and Vinatashva. %tkala ruled in ?rissa& Baya in the region that is also called Baya& and Vinatashva in the west. 1udyumna was not entitled to rule since he had earlier been a woman. (e lived in the city known as Eratishthana. Eururava inherited this later on. Chen Vaivasvata @anu died& his ten sons divided up the earth amongst themselves& *kshvaku ruled in the central regions. (e had a hundred sons& the eldest o whom was named Vikukshi. Vikukshi came to be known as 1hashada. ,hereby hangs a tale. *kshvaku wanted to organi:e a sacri ice and he sent his son Vikukshi to the orest to etch some meat or the sacri ice. Chile hunting or game& Vikukshi elt very hungry and ate up some o the meat. ,his was a sacrilege and the sage Vashishtha advised *kshvaku to banish Vikukshi rom his kingdom. Because the meat that he had eaten had been the meat o a rabbit (shashaka)& Vikukshi came to be known as 1hashada. But a ter *kshvaku died& Vikukshi returned to his atherAs kingdom and began to rule there. ,his was the kingdom o Ayodhya. ?ne o VikukshiAs sons was Kakutshta& and "ama o "amayana ame was born in this line.
9&8
2u5alashva
Kubalashva was one o the kings descended rom Kakutstha. KubalashvaAs ather was named Vrihadashva.
A ter Vrihadashva had ruled or many years& he desired to retire to the orest. (e there ore prepared to hand over the kingdom to his son Kubalashva. But learning o King VrihadashvaAs resolve& a sage named %tanka came to meet the king. PDonAt go to the orest right nowP& %tanka told the king. @y hermitage (ashrama) is on the shores o the ocean and is surrounded by sand in all directions. A strong rakshasa named Dhundhu lives under the sand. (e is so strong that even the gods have been unable to kill him. ?nce every year& Dhundhu e/hales his breath and this raises a tremendous cloud o sand and dust. Dor an entire week the sun remains shrouded in dust and or the whole week& there are earthHuakes as a result o DhundhuAs e/halation. ,his is disturbing my mediation (tapasya) and you canAt very well go away to the orest without irst doing something about Dhundhu. ?nly you are capable o killing him. * have accumulated a lot o power as a result o my tapasya and * will give this to you i you kill Dhundhu.P Vrihadashva told %tanka that there was no need or Vrihadashva himsel to kill Dhundhu. (e would go to the orest as he had decided. (is son Kubalashva was per ectly capable o killing Dhundhu and would accompany %tanka. Kubalashva and his hundred sons went to the shores o the ocean where all the sand was. Kubalashva asked his sons to start digging so that they might ind Dhundhu. Dhundhu attacked KubalashvaAs sons and killed all o them but three. ,he three who escaped were named Dridashva& >handrashva and Kapilashva. But Dhundhu himsel was killed by Kubalashva. As a result o this great eat& Kubalashva came to be known as Dhundhumara. ,he sage %tanka blessed Kubalashva and by the sageAs blessings& KubalashvaAs dead sons went straight to heaven.
9&9
"rishan.u
Drom Dridashva was descended a king named ,rayaruni. ,rayaruni was a righteous king and ollowed all the religious dictates. But ,rayarunAs son 1atyavrata was Huite the opposite and re used to ollow the righteous path. King ,rayaruniAs chie priest was the great sage Vashishtha. Vashishtha advised the king that his evil son should be banished rom the kingdom. ,rayaruni accepted the sageAs advice. >onseHuently& 1atyavrata started to live with outcasts (chandalas) outside the kingdom. A ter some time& ,rayaruni relinHuished his kingship and went away to the orest. ,he kingdom had no king and degenerated into anarchy. ,he absence o a king is also rowned upon by the gods and or twelve years there was a terrible drought. Vishvamitra was another great sage. Chile all this was going on& Vishvamitra was not present in the kingdom. (e had gone away to per orm tapasya on the shores o the ocean& having le t his wi e and children in a hermitage (ashrama) that was in the kingdom. But because there was such a long spell o drought& there was also amine in the kingdom. Eeople started to starve. VishvamitraAs wi e decided to sell her son so that she might have some ood to eat. 1he tied a rope round the sonAs neck and took him to the market3place. ,here& she sold him in e/change or a thousand cows. 1ince a rope had been tied around the sonAs neck (gala)& he came to be known as Balava. But 1atyavrata discovered what terrible straits VishvamitraAs amily was in. (e reed Balava and started to take care o VishvamitraAs wi e and children. 1atyavrata had not been terribly ond o Vashishtha. (e blamed the sage or his banishment. Chen thee was amine everywhere& 1atyavrata stole VashishthaAs cow. (e killed the cow and served the meat to VishvamitraAs sons& apart rom eating it himsel . Vashishtha was in a terrible rage when he got to know about this incident. (e cursed 1atyavrata. PYou have committed three sins (shanku)&P Vashishtha told 1atyavrata. PDirstly& you have angered your ather ,rayaruni. 1econdly& you have stolen and killed a cow. ,hirdly& you have eaten bee & a orbidden meat. Because o these three sins& you will hence orth be known as ,rishanku and be eternally cursed.P (,he word tri means three.) 1atyavrata had however taken care o VishvamitraAs amily when the sage was away on his meditation. A ter Vishvamitra returned& he was very happy to learn about what ,rishanku had done and o ered to grant him a boon. ,rishanku desired the boon that he might be allowed to go to heaven in his own physical body. ,hanks to Vishvamitra)s immense powers& even this virtually impossible task was accomplished. ,rishanku became king in ,rayaruniAs kingdom and Vishvamitra acted as his chie priest.
9&1: )agara
,rishankuAs son was (arishchandra and rom (arishchandra was descended a king named Bahu. Bahu devoted too much time to pleasurable pursuits. ,he upshot o this was that the de ence o the kingdom was not properly taken care o . -nemy kings sei:ed this opportunity to attack BahuAs kingdom. ,hey drove Bahu out and Bahu went o to the orest with his wi e Yadavi& ,he enemy kings who dislodged Bahu were led by the (aihaya and ,ala9angha kings. ,hey were aided by the 1hakas& Yavanas& Earadas& Kambo9as and Eahlavas. King Bahu died in the orest. (is wi e Yadavi desired to die on her husbandAs uneral pyre. But since Yadavi was pregnant at the time& the sage ?urva persuaded her that such an act would be a sin. (e brought Yadavi to his own hermitage and began to take care o her. Bahu had also a second wi e and she had once tried to poison Yadavi. ,he poison (gara) had however done Yadavi no harm and emerged when the baby was born. 1ince the baby was born together with poison& he came to known as 1agara. ,he sage ?urva took care o 1agaraAs education. (e imparted to 1agara the knowledge o all the shastras and also the usage o weapons. Amongst other things& 1agara acHuired the skill o using a divine weapon known as agneyastra. Chen he grew up& 1agara attacked the (aihaya kings and de eated them through the use o agneyastra. (e then de eated the 1hakas& Yavanas& Earadas& Kambo9as and Eahlavas and was about to kill them all. But these enemy kings led to the sage Vashishtha or re uge and Vashishtha persuaded 1agara not to kill his enemies. *nstead& the heads o the 1hakas were hal shaven o . ,he Yavanas and Kambo9as had their heads completely shaven. ,he Eahlavas were instructed that they would have to keep beards. ,hese enemy kings also lost all right to ollow the religion laid down in the Vedas. Amongst the other kings who 1agara de eated were the Konasarpas& the @ahishakas& the Darvas& the >holas and the Keralas. King 1agara had two wives. ,he irst was named Keshini and she was the daughter o the king o Vidarbha. ,he Brahma Eurana does not tell us the name o the second wi e but rom the @ahabharata we know that it was 1umati. Keshini and 1umati had no sons. ,hey there ore began to pray to ?urva so that they might have sons. ?urva was pleased at these prayers and said& P Both o you will have sons. But one o you will have a single son and the other will have si/ty thousand sons. ,ell me& who wants what.P Keshini asked or a single son and 1umati asked or si/ty thousand sons. *n due course& Keshini gave birth to a son named Eancha9ana. 1umati gave birth to a gourd. *nside the gourd there was a lump o meat. ,he gourd was placed inside a pot ull o clari ied butter (ghrita). And rom the lump o meat were born si/ty thousand sons. King 1agara proceeded to conHuer the entire earth. As a recognition o this conHuest& he initiated an ashvamedha ya9na (horse sacri ice). *n this ceremony& the sacri icial horse is le t ree to wander all over the earth. ,he si/ty thousand sons accompanied the horse as its guards. ,he horse eventually reached the shores o the ocean that lies towards the south3east. Chile 1agaraAs sons were resting& the horse was stolen. ,he sons started to look or the horse and began to dig up the sands in their search. *n this process& they came upon the sage Kapila. Kapila had been meditating and his meditation was disturbed by the terrible din that 1agaraAs sons made. (e ga:ed at them in ury and all but our o the sons were burnt to ashes. ,he our sons who were saved were named Varhiketu& 1uketu& Dharmaketu and Eancha9ana. ,he Brahma Eurana is slightly con used here. Cas Eancha9ana KeshiniAs son or 1umatiAs sonL ,here is some inconsistency with the account given in the @ahabharata. *n the @ahabharata& it is Keshini who gave birth to si/ty thousand sons and it is 1umati who had a single son named Asaman9a. Also in the @ahabharata& all si/ty thousand sons were burnt to ashes. ,he Brahma Eurana also tells us that the sacri icial horse was obtained by 1agara rom the ocean. ,his is the reason why the ocean is re erred to as sagara. ,o come back to the account given in the Brahma Eurana. Eancha9anaAs son was Amshumana and AmshumanaAs son was Dilipa. Dilipa had a son named Bhagiratha. Bhagiratha brought down the river Banga rom heaven to
earth and thus redeemed his ancestors who had been burnt to ashes by Kapila. *t was because o this that the river Banga came to be known as Bhagirathi. Drom Bhagiratha was descended "aghu. "aghuAs son was A9a& A9aAs son Dasharatha and DasharathaAs son "ama.
9&11 "he Moon and the 'unar $ynasty

,here was a sage named Atri. Atri per ormed very di icult tapasya. 1o di icult was the tapasya that AtriAs energy was thrown up into the sky. ,he sky could not bear this energy and hurled it down onto the earth. ,his energy then gave birth to 1oma or >handra& the moon god. Brahma took >handra up into his chariot and drove the chariot around the earth twenty3one times. Drom whatever energy was le t a ter >handra has been created& the herbs were born. >handra also per ormed very di icult tapasya. ?ne padma year consists o 6M&MMM&MMM&MMM&MMM normal years. Dor one hundred such padma years& >handra mediated. A ter the meditation was over& Brahma appointed >handra lord over seeds& herbs& brahmanas and the oceans. >handra also per ormed a ra9asuya ya9na (royal sacri ice) as a celebration o his lordship. ,his gave him a lot pomp& glory& wealth and respect. But all this merely served to turn >handraAs head. ,he guru (teacher) o the gods was the sage Brihaspati. Brihaspati had a wi e named ,ara and >handra abducted ,ara. Despite the gods and the sages asking >handra to return ,ara& the moon god would not listen. A terrible war then raged over ,ara& the gods ighting or >handra. 1hukracharya& the guru o the demons& ought on >handraAs side and 1hiva ought on BrihaspatiAs side. ,his war (1amgrama) came to be known as tarakamaya samgrama& since it was ought over ,ara. Dinally Brahma intervened and a truce was called. But >handra and ,ara had by then had a son& and Brihaspati re used to accept this son as his own. ,his son was Budha. As you already known& Budha married *la and they had a son named Eururava. ,he Brahma Eurana now describes several kings belonging to the lunar dynasty.
9&1! @ayati
*n the lunar dynasty& there was born a power ul king named +ahusha. (e married Vira9a and they had si/ sons named Yati& Ya9ati& 1amyati& Ayati& Yati& and 1uyati. Yati became a hermit. 1o although Yayati was not the eldest& he was crowned king a ter +ahusha. Yayati had two wives. ,he irst was Devayani& daughter o 1hukracharya. And the second was 1harmishtha& daughter o Vrishaparva& the king o the danavas. Devayani had two sons named Yadu and ,urvasu and 1harmishtha had three sons named Druhya& Anu and Euru. Yayati conHuered the whole earth and ruled over it. Chen he became old& he divided the earth amongst his ive sons. Yadu was given the lands to the east& Euru the lands in the center& ,urvasu the lands to the south and south3east& Druhya those to the north and Anu those to the west. Yayati gave up his weapons and decided to travel throughout the world. (e called Yadu to him and said& P* wish to e/plore the world and my old age is a hindrance. Elease accept my old age and give me your youth in return.P Yadu re used. P* will not&P he said. P?ne cannot eat well when one is old& nor can one pleasure the com orts o the world. ?ld age is not pleasant. Ask one o my brothers instead.P YaduAs re usal angered Yayati. (e cursed Yadu that he or his descendants would never be kings. Yayati ne/t reHuested Druhya& ,urvasu and Anu& but they too re used and were similarly cursed by their ather. But Euru agreed to his atherAs reHuest and gladly accepted the old age. (e was blessed by his ather. A ter many years had passed& Yayati got tired o the world and returned EuruAs youth to him. (e accepted back his old age and retired to the orest to mediate. Drom Euru was descended King Bharata a ter whom the land came to be known as Bharatavarsha. Also in this line was King Kuru& a ter whom all the descendants came to be known as Kauravas. ,he sacred place named Kurukshetra owes its name to King Kuru. Drom ,urvasu were descended the kings o Eandya& Kerala& Kola and >hola.
Drom Druhya were descended the kings o Bandhara. ,he horses o the Bandhara kingdom are amous. Yadu had ive sons& 1ahasrada& Eayoda& Kroshtu& +ila and An9ika. 1ahasradaAs descendants were the (aihayas& amongst whom the most amous was Kartyavirya Ar9una. Ar9una pleased the sage Dattatreya and became invincible. (e also had a thousand arms. Ar9unaAs greatest deeds were his de eat and imprisonment o "avana& king o Lanks. KroshtuAs descendants were Vrishni and Andhaka and in the Vrishni line was born Krishna.
9&1* (eography
(aving heard accounts o the solar and lunar dynasties& the sages reHuested "omaharshana. P,ell us a little about the geography o the world. Chat does the earth look likeL Chat are its limitsLP "omaharshana obliged. ,he earth is divided into seven regions (dvipas). ,heir names are #ambudvipa& Elakshadvipa& 1halmaladvipa& Kushadvipa& Krounchadvipa& 1hakadvipa and Eushkaradvipa. ,hese regions are surrounded by seven oceans and their names are Lavana& *kshu& 1ura& 1arpi& Dadhi& Dugdha and #ala. #ambudvipa is in the center and right in the middle o #ambudvipa is @ount 1umeru. ,o the south o 1umeru are the mountains (imavana& (emakuta and +ishadha and to the north o 1umeru are the mountains +ila& 1hveta and 1hringi.#ambudvipa itsel is divided into several regions (varshas). Dor e/ample& 1umeru is in the middle o *lavritavarsha. Braratavarsha is to the south o 1umeru. ,o the east o 1umeru is Bhadrashvarsha and to the west is Ketumalavarsha. (arivarsha lies to the south and "amyakavarsha to the north. 1till urther north is (iranmayavarsha and beyond that& %ttara Kuruvarsha. BrahmaAs city is on the peak o 1umeru. *t is there that the river Banga descends rom heaven and gets divided into our tributaries. 1ita lows eastwards& >hakshu westwards& Bhadra +orthwards and Alakananda southwards into Bharatavarsha. ,here are seven ma9or mountain range sin Bharatavarsha and their names are @ahendra& @alya& 1ahya& 1huktimana& "iksha& Vindhya and Eariyatra. Bharatavarsha itsel is divided into nine regions (dvipas). ,he names o eight o these regions are *ndradvipa& 1oumya& Bandharva and Varuna. ,he ninth region is completely surrounded by the ocean in all directions. ,o the east o Bharatavarsha live the Kiratas and to the west the Yavanas. Below the earth lie the seven regions o the underworld (Eatala). ,heir names are Atala& Vitala& +itala& 1utala& ,alatala& "asatala and Eatala. ,he daityas& danavas and the snakes (sarpa) live there. ,he underworld is a wonder ul place& more beauti ul than heaven itsel . ,he sage +arada once went on a trip to the underworld and was bowled over by its beauty. *t is ull o palaces and 9ewels. ,he sun rises there& but does not radiate too much o heat. ,he moon also rises& but its beams are not at all chilly. ,he orests are populated by beauti ul trees and the ponds are thick with lotus lowers& the songs o cuckoo birds are heard everywhere. Below the underworld sleeps a great snake& known as 1hesha or Ananta. *t has a thousand hoods& all covered with 9ewels. *n act& this snake is really Vishnu in one o this various orms. Also part o the world are hells (naraka)& presided over by Yama& the god o death. ,hose are ull o weapons& ire and poisons and sinners are sent there to be punished. 1ins that are punished by dispatch to one o the several hells are lying& murder& killing cows& destroying cities& drinking& killing brahmanas& the t& selling wines or hair& critici:ing the Vedas& insulting elders& making weapons& selling salt& destroying orests needlessly& killing sheep or deer& cheating and studying under oneAs own son. -ach sinner receives a punishment that is in proportion to the severity o his sin. ? course& i one per orms penance (prayashchitta) or oneAs sins& one need not go to naraka. ,he best orm o penance is praying to Krishna. ,he earth (Erithivi or bhuloka) e/tends upto those arts o the sky that can be lit up by the rays o the sun and the moon. ,he e/panse rom there to the solar circle is known as bhuvarloka and holy sages live there. Above the solar circle is the lunar circle and beyond it& in succession& come the regions o @ercury (Budha)& Venus (1hukra)& @ars (@angala)& #upiter (Brihaspati)& 1aturn (1hani)& the Breat Bear constellation (saptarshi) and the Eole 1tar (Dhruva). ,he region rom the solar circle to Dhruvaloka is known as heaven (1varloka or svarga). Beyond Dhruvaloka is @aharloka and urther away& #analoka are ,apaloka and 1atyaloka. At the end o a kalpa& all the three lokas (regions) o bhuloka& bhuvarloka and svarloka are destroyed. But the our lokas o @aharloka& #analoka& ,apaloka and 1atyaloka are not destroyed.
9&1, 2onara.a
,here is an ocean to the south o Bharatavarsha. ?ne the shores o this great ocean there is a land named ?ndra or %tkala (present ?rissa). %tkala is populated by religious people and the brahmanas who live there are learned in the Vedas. ,hey are very good priests& learned in the Euranas and the shastras and skilled in the art o sacri ices. *n the land o %tkala& there is an image o the sun (1urya) known as Konaditya. ,he word aditya also means the sun& as does the word arka. ,hus& Konaditya is the same as Konarka& a corruption o the latter word being Konaraka. ,he image o Konaditys is so wonder ul that even i one ga:es at the image& all oneAs sins are orgiven. All around the temple there is sand. But nevertheless& many trees grow around the temple. ,he best time to worship the sun there is at the time o sunrise. ?ne has to ace the east and draw a lotus lower on the ground with red sandalwood. ,he lotus lower must have e/actly eight petals. A copper vessel has to be placed at the center o the lower and illed with paddy& sesamum water& red sandalwood& red lowers and sacred grass. ?ne prays to 1urya to descend on the lotus lower that has thus been drawn. * one worships Konaditya according to these prescribed rites& the sins o seven preceding generations are orgiven. ,he twelve adityas are nothing but di erent orms o 1urya. ,heir names are *ndra. Dhata& Ear9anya& ,vashta& Eusha Aryama& Bhaga Vivasvana& Vishnu& Amshumana& Varuna& and @itra. As *ndra& 1urya destroys the enemies o the gods. As Dhata& he creates living beings. As Ear9anya& he showers down rain. As ,vashta& he lives in the trees and herbs. As Eusha& he makes oodgrains grow. As Aryama& he is in the wind. As Bhaga& he is in the body o all living beings. As Vivasvana& he is in ire and helps to cook ood. As Vishnu& he destroys the enemies o the gods. As Amshumana& he is again in the wind. As Varuna& 1urya is in the waters and as @itra& he is in the moon and in the oceans. *n each month o the year& it is a di erent aditya who shines. *ndra shines in the month o Ashvina& Dhata in Kartika& Ear9anya in 1hravana& ,vashta in Dalguna& Eusha in Eousha& Aryama in Vaishakha& Bhaga in @agha& Vivasvana in #yaishtha& Vishnu in >haitra& Amshumana in Ashada& Varuna& in Bhadra and @itra in Agrahayana. Vishnu has twelve hundred rays& Aryama one thousand and three hundred. Vivasvana seventy3two& Amshumana i teen& Ear9anya seventy3two& Varuna one thousand and three hundred& ,vashta one thousand and one hundred& *ndra two thousand and two hundred& Dhata eleven hundred& @itra one thousand and Eusha nine hundred. Apart rom the names o the twelve adityas& 1urya has twelve other names as well. ,hese are Aditya& 1avita& 1urya& @ihira& Arka& Erabhakara& @artanda& Bhaskara& Bhanu& >hitrabhanu& Divakara and "avi. Brahma once recounted to the sages the one hundred and eight sacred names o 1urya. ,he Brahma Eurana lists these names and we reproduce them in nine groups o twelve names each. (6) 1urya& Archana& Bhagavana& ,vashta& Eusha& Arka& 1avita& "avi& Babhastimana& A9a& Kala& @rityu. (;) Dhata& Erabhakara& Erithivi& #ala& ,e9a& Akasha& Vayu& Earayana& 1oma& Brihaspati& 1hukra& Budha. (7) Angaraka& *ndra& Vivasvana& Diptamshu& 1huchi& 1houri& 1hanaishvara& Brahma& Vishnu& "udra& 1kanda& Vaishravana. (F) Yama& Vaidyutam 9athara& Agni& Aindhana& ,e9ohpati& Dharmadhva9a& Vedakarta& Vedanga& Vedavahana& Krita& ,reta. (8) Dvapara& Kali& 1arvasurashraya& Kala& Kashtha& @uhurta& Kshapa& Yama& Kshana& 1amvatsara& Ashvattha& Kalachakra. (I) Vibhavasu& 1hashvata& Eurusha& Yogi& Vyaktavyakta& 1anatana& Kaladhyaksha& Era9adhyaksha& Vishvakaram& ,amonuda& Varuna& 1agara. (<) Amsha& #imuta& #ivana& Ariha& Bhutashraya& Bhutapati& 1arvalokanamaskrita& 1hrashta& 1amvartaka& Vahni& 1arvadi& Alolupa. (J) Ananta& Kapila& Bhanu& Kamada& 1arvotamukha& #aya& Vishala& Varada& 1arvabhutasevita& @ana& 1uparna& Bhutadi. (G) 1highraga& Eranadharana& Dhanvantari& Dhumakety& Adideva& Aditinandana& Dvadashatma& "avi& Daksha& Eita& @ata& Eitamaha.
9&1/ 7ndradyumna and Purushottama 2shetra

*n satya yuga there was a king named *ndradyumna. (e was a very power ul king as *ndra himsel . (e was handsome& honest and truth ul& learned in the shastras and the Vedas& and skilled in the use o weapons. (is radiance put the sun to shame. *ndradyumna was devoted to Vishnu. (e once decided that he would worship Vishnu. A tirtha is a sacred place o pilgrimage. *ndradyumna scanned all the e/isting tirthas and cities. But none o them satis ied him. +one o them& he elt& was appropriate as a place or worshipping Vishnu. *ndradyumnaAs own capital was the city o Avanti& in the kingdom o @alva. Avanti was a beauti ul and wealthy city& surrounded on all sides by moats and other orti ications. ,raders rom many countries came there with all sorts or commodities or trading. ,he roads o the city were lined with shopes. ,he houses were painted white. ,he kingAs stables were ull o horses and elephants. All citi:ens o Avanti were pleasant o appearance and happy. 1acri ices were held airly o ten. @any were the temples& groves and ponds in Avanti. Any tree that grew on earth could be ound there. ,here was a temple to 1hiva in the city. ,his was known as the temple o @ahakala. ,he image there was so sacred that worshipping 1hiva in the temple o @ahakala was tantamount to per orming one thousand ashvamedha ya9nas. ,he river 1hipra lowed past Avanti. ?n the banks o the river there was a temple o Vishnu known as Bovindasvami. Another temple to Vishnu was named Vikramasvami& But *ndradyumna was not satis ied with these temples. (e wanted to build another temple to Vishnu. (e le t Avanti to look or a proper place. (is soldiers and sub9ects accompanied their king& so that it looked as i the entire city o Avanti was on the march. A ter traveling or many days& they arrived on the shores o the southern ocean& the ocean that is known as lavana samudra. ,here were so many waves in the ocean that the ocean itsel seemed to be dancing. @arine animals lived in the ocean and the waters were also the source o all sorts o 9ewels. *ndradyumna began to live on the shores o the ocean. (e discovered a place near the ocean that was thick with lower and ruit trees. @any types o birds gathered there to eat the ruit. ,his was the place known as Eurushottama kshetra (place)& the city o Euri o modern times. Eurshottama kshetra was a very important tirtha. But all knowledge o this tirtha had been hidden until *ndradyumna arrived on the scene. ,here was a reason or this. @any years ago& there used to be an image o Vishnu there& where people used to pray. 1o sacred was the image that all the sins o the worshippers were immediately orgiven. ,he result was that Yama could not punish any o the sinners. ,hey simply prayed to Vishnu)s image and escaped. Yama there ore prayed to Vishnu or a solution. Vishnu hid the image under the sand so that no one knew that it e/isted. *ndradyumna liked Eurushottama Kshetra. ,he river @ahanadi or >hitropala lowed not very ar away. ,he people who lived around the place were religious. (e decided that this was the right place or building a temple to Vishnu. ?n an auspicious day& the oundation stone was laid. *ndradyumna then got in touch with the kings o Kalkinga& %takala and Koshala. (e reHuested their help in etching stones or the building o the temple. ,he kings sent their architects to the Vindhya mountains. ,he stones were gathered rom these mountains and brought to Eurushottama Kshetra in boats and chariots. @essengers were also sent to several other kings or aid. ,hey came with their armies and with a lot o wealth. *ndradyumna told the assembled kings& 2* wish to accomplish two di icult tasks. ,he irst is to per orm an ashvamedha ya9na here. And the second is to build a temple to Vishnu. Both o these are di icult 9obs& particularly the second. But i you help me& * am con ident that both 9obs can be done.4 ,he kings agreed to help. ,hey o ered 9ewels& wealth& gold& clothes& ood grains and other ob9ects. ,he place where the ya9na was to be held was made entirely out o gold. *n act& all the ob9ects used in the ya9na were made out o gold. Brahmanas rom all over #ambudvipa came to witness the sacri ice. ,hey were donated elephants& horses and cows as alms. +ever has there been any other sacri ice to rival the one that *ndradyumna per ormed. A ter the sacri ice was over and the temple built& there remained the more important Huestion o the image. (ow was this to be madeL *ndradyumna began to pray to Vishnu or guidance.
Vishnu appeared be ore *ndradyumna in a dream and said& 2Chy are you so miserableL Chen the sun rises& go to the shores o the ocean. ,here you will ind a tree. (al o the tree is in the water and the remaining hal in the sand. >hop down this tree. *t s wood will give you the material or the image. *n the morning& *ndradyumna went to the seashore and ound the tree. *t was 9ust as Vishnu had described it to be. Cith an a/e& he chopped down the tree. As he was about to slice the trunk in two& two brahmanas appeared be ore him. Although *ndradyumna did not know it& these two brahmanas were Vishnu and Vishvakarma in disguise. 2King. Chat have you doneL4 e/claimed the brahmanas. 2You have cut down the only tree that was on the shores o the ocean.4 2Dorgive me&4 replied *ndradyumna. 2* wished to make an image o Vishnu. Vishnu has instructed me in a dream that this is the tree rom which the image should be made.4 2,hat is an e/cellent idea&4 said the brahmana who was Vishnu in disguise. 2,here is nothing so holy as praying to Vishnu. @eet my companion. (e is as skilled as the great Vishvakarma himsel . * you want& he will build the image or you.P King *ndradyumna agreed. And instructed by Vishnu& Vishvakarma started to build the image. ?r& to be more accurate& there were three di erent images. ,he irst one was that o Baladeva or Balarama. ,his was completely white in colour& e/cept or the eyes& which were red. ,he image was dressed in blue and a snake held its hood over Balarama)s head. A club and a mace were in Balarama)s hands. ,he second image was Krishna)s. ,his was blue in colour& with eyes like lotus lowers. ,he image was dressed in yellow and had a chakra in its hand. ,he third image was that o Krishna)s sister 1ubhadra. ,his image was golden in colour and was dressed in wonder ul clothes. Chen *ndradyumna discovered that the images were made in a matter o minutes& he was thunderstruck. (e realised that the two brahmanas cold not be mere mortals. (e ell at their eet and said& 2Elease tell me who you are. You cannot be humans.4 Vishnu and Vishvakarma then revealed their true selves and *ndradyumna was thrilled. Vishnu blessed the king and told him that he would rule or ten thousand and nine hundred years. And even a ter *ndradyumna died& a place would be reserved or him in heaven. ?n an auspicious day& the three images were instated in the temple.
9&11 Mar.andeya
@any years ago& a great destruction (pralaya) took place. ,he earth was shrouded in darkness and nothing could be seen. ,here was neither sun nor moon. Lightning and thunder crushed mountains and trees. ,here were showers o meteors. Lakes and rivers dried up. ,he entire earth burnt with ire and the lames o the ire reached down to the underworld. All living beings perished in this ire& including the gods and the demons. ,here was a sage named @arkandeya. Chile all this was going on& @arkandeya was busy meditating. 1uch was the power o @arkandeya)s tapasya that the ire dared not touch him. But it is also true that @arkandeya was scared o the ire that raged all around him. (e su ered rom hunger and thirst and orgot all about his tapasya. (is lips and throat dried up rom ear. @arkandeya discovered that there was a banyan tree that was untouched by all these ravages. (e retired to the shade o the banyan tree and started to pray to Vishnu. >louds gathered in the sky. ,hey were thick and dark clouds and they spread all over the earth. *t started to rain and it poured and poured. Cater was everywhere and the earth was looded. ,he water put out the ire. *t rained continuously or twelve years. ,he oceans looded the shores and the mountains were pulverised. Vishnu slept on the water. @arkandeya did not know what to do. ,here was water everywhere and he loated on it. But he continued to pray to Vishnu. Vishnu spoke to @arkandeya. 2Do not be rightened& @arkandeya&4 he said. 2You are devoted to me and * shall protect you.4
@arkandeya did not realise that it was Vishnu who was speaking. 2Cho dares to address me thusL4 he demanded. 2Am * a child that * should be so addressedL * am the great @arkandeya& blessed by Brahma himsel .4 But try as he might& @arkandeya cold not see anyone anywhere. Chere had the voice come rom thenL (ad it all been an illusionL +ot knowing what to do& he started to pray again to Vishnu. 1uddenly he saw the banyan tree loating on the water. A golden bed was spread on the branches o the tree and on the bed there slept a small boy. @arkandeya was e/ceedingly surprised to see the small boy loating in the middle o this deluge. (e was so con used by his illusions that he did not realise that this boy was none other than Vishnu. ,he boy spoke to @arkandeya. 2You are tired&4 said the boy. 2You are looking or a re uge. -nter my body and rest or some time.4 @arkandeya was so con used that& be ore he could react& he entered the boy)s body through the mouth. *nside the boy)s stomach @arkandeya discovered all the worlds& the seven regions and the seven oceans. ,he mountains and the kingdoms were all there. 1o were all living beings. @arkandeya did not know what to make o all this. (e started to pray to Vishnu. +o sooner than he had started& he came out o the boy)s mouth. Vishnu now appeared be ore him and blessed him. ,he sage spent a thousand years with Vishnu. Vishnu then asked& 2* wish to grant you a boon. Chat is your desireL4 2* want to build a temple to 1hiva in Eurushottama Kshetra&4 replied @arkandeya. 2,his will prove to everyone that Vishnu and 1hiva are really one and the same.4 Vishnu granted the boon and @arkandeya built a temple to 1hiva known as Bhuvaneshvara (Lord o the Corld).
9&14 2ing )hveta

*n satya yuga there used to be a king named 1hveta. (e was such a good king that during his reign people lived or ten thousand years. +o one dies as a child. Longevity was high and there was no in ant mortality. But there was a sage named Kapalagoutama. %n ortunately& the sage)s son died as an in ant. ,he sage brought the dead body to 1hveta and the king resolved that i he could not bring the sage)s son back to li e within a week& he would immolate himsel in a ire. (aving thus taken an oath& king 1hveta worshipped 1hiva with one thousand and one hundred blue lotus lowers. 1hiva appeared be ore the king and granted the boon that the in ant son might be brought back to li e. King 1hveta ruled or a thousand years. (e also built a temple to Vishnu in Eurushottama kshetra. ,he temple that had been built by *ndradyumna was known as the temple o #agannatha. 1hveta)s temple was not very ar rom this and was known as the temple o 1hvetamadhava. ,he image in this temple was as white as the moon.
9&18 +ali
,here was a king o the daityas named Vali. (e was power ul and invincible. (e was also righteous and truth ul. ,he gods cold not bear to see Vali)s prosperity and began to plot how Vali might be oiled. 1o well did Vali rule that disease& drought and evil disappeared throughout the three worlds. *n desperation& the gods approached Vishnu. 2Elease do something about Vali4& they reHuested. 2You always help us out when we are in trouble.4 2,here is no di erence between Vali and the gods so ar as * am concerned&4 replied Vishnu 2Vali is devoted to me. * cannot there ore ight with him. But * will think o a way so that his kingdom might be taken away rom him and given to you.4 Vishnu decided to be born as Aditi)s son. ,he son was a dwar . ,his was the vamana avatara (dwar incarnation) o Vishnu. Vali proposed to organise a horse sacri ice. @any sages came to the sacri ice and 1hukracharya was the chie priest. ,he dwar also arrived to witness the ya9na. 1hukracharya realised that the dwar was none other than Vishnu. (e told Vali& 2* suspect that this dwar is Vishnu in disguise. (e must have come here to ask you or something. Elease do not grant him anything without irst consulting me.4
2>ertainly not&4 replied Vali. 2*t is good ortune indeed that the great Vishnu has come to my house. Chat is there to consult aboutL * shall grant Vishnu whatever he wants.4 Vali went to the dwar to ascertain what the dwar wanted. Vishnu e/pressed the wish that he might be given as much o land as might be covered in three o the dwar )s steps. ,his boon Vali readily granted. But no sooner than the boon had been granted& the dwar adopted a gigantic orm. (e placed one oot on Vali)s ya9na and the second on Brahmaloka. 2Chere will * place my third stepL4 demanded Vishnu. 2,here is no more space le t in the entire universe. Dind me a place or my third step.4 Vali smiled and said& 2Elace it on my back.4 Vishnu was charmed at Vali)s generosity. (e granted Vali the boon that Vali would hold the title o *ndra in a uture manvantara. (e then appointed Vali king o the underworld. But *ndra)s kingdom o heaven& which Vali had conHuered& was returned to *ndra. Brahma had all this while been in Brahmaloka. Chen Vishnu placed his second oot on Brahmaloka& Brahma elt that he should welcome his water3pot (kamandalu) to wash the oot. ,he water spilled over rom the oot and ell on the mountains. ,here the water divided into our. Vishnu accepted the low that went northwards. ,he low that went westwards returned to Brahma)s kamandalu. ,he low that went eastwards was gathered up by the gods and the sages. But the low that went southwards got entangled in 1hiva)s matted hair. ,his water was the river Banga.
9&19 (autama
Eart o the water o the Banga that got stuck in 1hiva)s hair was brought down to earth by Bhagiratha. ,he remaining part was brought down by the sage Bautama. Earvati was married to 1hiva& but 1hiva seemed to be onder o Banga than o Earvati. Earvati resolved that a way had to be ound to remove Banga rom 1hiva)s hair. 1he tried persuasion& but 1hiva re used to listen. At this time& there was a terrible drought on earth which went on or ourteen years. ,he only place that was not a ected by the drought was the sage Bouthama)s hermitage. ?ther people also gathered in the hermitage to save themselves rom the drought and Boutama welcomed them all. Banesha thought that he might be able to devise a way to ree his mother o the Banga problem. (e went and began to live in Bouthama)s hermitage. Banesha cultivated the acHuaintance o the other sages and become Huite riendly with them. ?ne o Earvati)s companions was #aya. Banesha told #aya that she was to adopt the orm o a cow and eat up the grain in Boutama)s ields. And the moment she was struck& she was to lie down on the ground and pretend to be dead. Boutama noticed that a cow was eating up his grain. (e tried to drive away the cow by striking it with a blade o grass. As soon as he did this& the cow uttered a shrill bellow and ell down on the ground. Banesha and the other sages came running to see what had happened. ,hey discovered that& to all intents and purposes& a cow had been struck down dead by sage Boutama. ,hey there ore re used to stay in an ashrama where such a sin had been committed. Boutama tried to restrain them. 2Elease do not go away and orsake me&4 he said. 2,ell me how * may per ormed penance.4 2You will have to bring down Banga rom 1hiva)s hair&4 replied Banesh. 2Chen that water touches the dead body o the cow& your sin will be orgiven.4 2You will have to bring down Banga rom 1hiva)s hair&4 replied Banesha. 2Chen that water touches the dead body o the cow& your sin will be orgiven.4 Banesha was so riendly with the other sages that they all accepted his solution. Boutama also agreed to do the need ul.
Accordingly& Boutama went to @ount Kailasa and began to pray to 1hiva. 1hiva was pleased at Boutama)s tapasya and o ered to grant a boon. Boutama naturally wanted the boon that Banga might be brought down to earth. 1hiva agreed. *t was thus that Banga was brought down to earth by the sage Boutama. Banga has our tributaries in heaven& seven on earth and our in the underworld. 1ince it was Boutama who brought Banga down to earth& the river is also known as Boutami Banga.
9&!: "he $oves

*n a mountain known as Brahmagiri there used to live a hunter who was very cruel. (e not only killed birds and animals& but brahmanas and sages as well. ,he hunter once went on a hunt. (e killed many animals and birds and some he put in his cages. (e had penetrated so ar inside the orest that he was ar rom home. *t became night and also started to rain. (ungry and thirsty& the hunter lost his way. (e climbed up a tree and decided to spend the night there. But his mind kept going back to his wi e and children at home. Dor many years a dove and its amily had lived happily on that tree. Both the male and emale had gone out to look or ood. But although the make dove had returned to the nest& the emale dove had not. *n act& the emale had been captured by the hunter and was now inside a cage. ,he male did not know this. (e mourned or his wi e. ,hese words o mourning were heard by the emale dove inside the cage and she made her presence elt. ,he male dove came down and discovered his wi e inside the cage. 2,he hunter is sleeping now&4 he said. 2+ow is the time or me to ree you.4 2+o&4 replied the emale dove. 2You know how it is with living beings. ?ne living being lives on another. * can ind not ault with the hunter& he is merely collecting his ood. (e is like a guest to us. And it is our duty to o er up our bodies or the sake o a guest.4 2You are Huite right&4 said the male dove. 2* lost my sense o propriety. Ce have to serve our guest. But how do we serve our guestL Ce have nothing that we can call our own.4 2At the moment the hunter is su ering most rom the cold&4 replied the emale dove. 2Ce have to light a ire to warm him up. Bo and ind a ire and bring plenty o dead leaves and branches so that the ire may burn.4 ,he male dove ound a laming branch. (e also brought many dry leaves and branches so that the ire could burn. ,he rain had stopped and the ire warmed up the hunter. 2+ow&4 said the emale dove& 2 ree me so that * may immolate mysel in the ire. @y roasted lesh will serve as ood or the hunter.4 2+ever&4 replied the male dove. 2*t is my right to serve the guest irst.4 1aying this& the male dove hurled himsel into the ire. ,he hunter had heard the entire conversation and marveled that two doves could be so altruistic. ,he emale dove now reHuested the hunter to ree her rom the cage. And as soon as he did this& the emale dove also hurled hersel into the ire. ,his sel less deed o the two doves was so wonder ul that a space vehicle (vimana) came down to take the two doves straight to heaven. ,he cruel hunter was also impressed and repented his past misdeeds. (e told the doves& 2You are indeed blessed. Be ore you go to heaven& please tell me how * may per orm penance or my sins.4 2Bo to Boutami Banga and bathe there or i teen days&4 replied the doves. 2Your sins will also be orgiven.4 ,he hunter did as he had been asked to. ,he place where the doves immolated themselves became a holy tirtha known as kapotatirtha& since the word kapota means dove.
9&!1 (aruda and Maninaga

You have already been told about the great snake (naga) Ananta. Ananta had a son named @aninaga. Baruda was the enemy o the snakes and the snakes were all a raid o Baruda. @aninaga began to pray to 1hiva. (aving pleased 1hiva& he obtained the boon that Baruda would be able to do him no harm. Armed with this boon& @aninaga started to wander around reely and did not run away even when aced with Baruda. Baruda ound this to be e/ceedingly strange. Although he could not kill @aninaga& he captured him and kept him imprisoned in his own house. 1hiva had a companion named +andi. +andi told 1hiva& 2Lord& what has happened to @aninagaL Ce have not seen him or some time. * hope that Baruda has not done him some harm.4 1hiva o curse knew what had happened. (e advised +andi to pray to Vishnu. +andi was to please Vishnu and then ask or the boon that @aninaga might be reed rom Baruda)s imprisonment. +andi did this and Vishnu asked Baruda to release @aninaga. 2Lord&4 Baruda told Vishnu&4 this is very un air. ?ther masters treat their servants really well. ,hey give their servants gi ts. 1ee how 1hiva has sent +andi himsel to rescue 1hiva)s devotee @aninaga. You never give me any gi ts. @oreover& when * obtain something on my own& you ask me to relinHuish it. *s this proper on your partL *t is on me that you ride when you go out to ight the demons. ,hey get de eated because o my prowess. And yet it tickles your ego no end to think that you have de eated them yoursel .4 Vishnu smiled and replied& 2Baruda& you are Huite right. You have become thin and learn rom bearing my weight. *t is Huite true that * can de eat the demons only because o your prowess. You have a lot o strength. Chy don)t you bear the weight o my little inger and demonstrate your strengthL4 Vishnu placed his little inger on Baruda)s head. 1o heavy was the inger that Baruda was crushed against the ground. 2Elease orgive me&4 said Baruda. 2* have been very stupid. * am an ignorant ass and you are the lord o everything. * have been completely lattened by the weight o your little inger. Elease tell me how * may regain my old sel .4 Vishnu asked +andi to take Baruda to 1hiva. 1hiva would ind a way o restoring Brauda)s old appearance. @aninaga was releases and +andi took Baruda to 1hiva. 1hiva asked Baruda to bathe in Boutami Banga. ,his would make his appearance normal again. Baruda did this. +ot only was his old appearance restored& he became stronger and swi ter than he used to be. ,he place where Baruda bathed is a tirtha known as Barudatirtha.
9&!! +ishvamitra and 7ndra

@any years ago& there was a terrible drought. ,here was no ood to be had. ,he sage Vishvamitra had come to the banks o the river Boutami Banga with his disciples. Vishvamitra)s wi e& children and disciples were all hungry. ,he sage there ore sent his disciples out to look or ood. ,hey searched everywhere& but could ind no ood. ,he only ob9ect that they could ind was the body o a dead dog. ,hey brought this to Vishvamitra. 2Ce have no choice&4 Vishvamitra told his disciples. 2>lean the meat care ully with water. ,hen o er it to the gods& the sages and the ancestors. ,his is what we have to live on.4 ? ering the meat o a dog to the gods was unheard o . *ndra adopted the orm o a hawk and stole the vessel in which the meat was kept. But Vishvamitra got to know about this and got ready to curse *ndra. *ndra was naturally scared o Vishvamitra)s curse. (e changed the dog3meat into amrita (a heavenly drink) and brought the vessel back. 2* don)t want amrita&4 Vishvamitra told *ndra. 2Bring the dog3meat back. * don)t want to have amrita when the whole world is starving or ood. ,here is no ood available and * do not see any sin in eating dog3meat. +or should there be a sin in o ering it to the gods.4
*ndra was the god o rains. (e realised that the only way to persuade Vishvamitra against eating the dog3meat was to make it rain so that there would be an end to the drought. *nstructed by *ndra& the clouds poured down rain. Vishvamitra and his disciples now consented to partake o the amrita. ,he place where all this happened has come to be known as Vishvamitratirtha.
9&!* )hveta
,here used to be a brahmana named 1hveta. (e was a riend o the sage Boutama and had a hermitage on the banks o the Boutami Banga. 1hveta was also devoted to 1hiva. *n due course& 1hiveta died and Yama)s messengers arrived to take 1hveta to Yama. But they could not even enter 1hveta)s house. Dinding that Yama)s messengers are not returning& Yama)s companion >hitraka told Yama& 2Chat do you think has happenedL Chy aren)t the messengers returningL Yama now sent his companion @rityu (literally death) to ind out what was going on. @rityu went to 1hveta)s house and ound Yama)s messengers standing outside the house. ,hey e/plained that they were unable to enter the house because 1hiva himsel was guarding 1hveta)s body. ?ne o 1hiva)s companions asked @rityu. 2Chat are you doing hereL Chat do you wantL4 2* have come to take 1hveta to Yama&4 replied @rityu. 2(is time on earth is up.4 @rityu lung a noose to grasp 1hveta)s body. But 1hiva)s companion struck @rityu with a rod and killed him. Chen the news o this was taken to Yama& he was urious. Cith all his companions he attacked 1hveta)s house. +andi& Banesha& Kartikeya and several o 1hiva)s companions came to ight on 1hiva)s side& and a battle royal raged. All the gods arrived to mediate and end the stri e. ,hings had a got a bit out o hand and Yama himsel had been killed by Kartikeya. ,he problem seemed to de y solution. Yama was& a ter all& per orming his duty. But 1hiva insisted that his devotees would never be taken to Yama& but would instead go straight to heaven. 1hiva)s condition was inally agreed to. +andi brought water rom the Boutami Banga and sprinkled it on Yama and the others who had died in the ighting. ,hey were all immediately brought back to li e.
9&!, 2u5era
Kubera was the eldest son o the sage Vishrava. Vishrava had two wives. ,he ist wi e give birth to Kubera. ,he second wi e was a rakshasa (demon) woman and gave birth to "avana& Kumbhakarna and Vibhishana. Kubera used to rule in Lanka and his relations with his cousins were e/tremely good. But "avana)s mother did not like idea o her sons mi/ing so much with Kubera. 1he called her sons and said& 2Chat are you up toL Chy do you cause me so much o painL You are demons and Kubera is a god. *s it proper that you should be so riendly with himL ,he relation between gods and demons is one o enmity. >onsider Kubera)s pomp and glory. (ave you got anything like that to show or yourselvesL Do something so as to improve your own statures.4 ,hus instructed by their mother& "avana& Kumbhakarna and Vibhishana went o to the orest to per orm tapasya. ,hey pleased Brahma with their prayers and desired the boon that they might win over the kingdom o Lanka. "avana also obtained the boon that he would become very strong. ,hus orti ied with the boons& the demons attacked Kubera and de eated him. ,hey drove Kubera out o Lanka. Kubera possessed a beauti ul vimana named pushpaka. ,his was also appropriated by "avana. "avana also made it known that whoever gave Kubera re uge would be killed by him. ,his meant that no one dared give re uge to Kubera. Kubera sought the advice o his grand ather Eulastya. Eulastya told him to go to the banks o the Boutami Banga and pray to 1hiva there. 1hiva appeared be ore Kubera and blessed him. (e granted Kubera the boon that Kubera would become the god o all wealth.
9&!/ ?arishchandra
*n the *kshvaku dynasty there ruled a king named (arishchandra. (arishchandra had no son. ?ne day two sages named +arada and Earvata came to visit (arishchandra and told him that he would go to hell i he did not have a son. 2(ow can * obtain a sonL4 asked (arishchandra. 2Bo to the banks o the Boutami Banga&4 advised the sages. 2Eray to the god Varuna there. Ce are sure that Varuna will grant you a son.4 (arishchandra pleased Varuna with his prayers and asked or a son. 2You will have a son&4 said Varuna. 2But there is a condition attached. You will have to subseHuently organise a ya9na in my honour and you will have to sacri ice your son at this ya9na. ,ell me i this condition is acceptable to you.4 2Yes indeed&4 replied (arishchandra. *n due course& (arishchandra had a son who was named "ohita. Varuna came to (arishchandra and asked& 2Chat about the ya9na in my honourL4 2@y son is still too young&4 replied (arishchandra. 2Let him at least attain ten days o age. ,ill then& the baby is in any case impure and is not it to be sacri iced.4 A ter ten days Varuna came again and asked& 2Chat about the ya9na in my honourL 2Elease let him grow his teeth&4 replied (arishchandra. 2Animals are sacri iced at ya9nas. And no one becomes an animal until he actually has teeth.4 Varuna waited till the teeth grew and returned when "ohita was seven years o age. 2Chat about the ya9na in my honourL4 he asked. 2,hese are only milk teeth&4 replied (arishchandra. 2,hese do not characterise an animal. Elease wait until his proper teeth have grown.4 Varuna returned when the proper teeth grew and asked& 2Chat about the ya9na in my honourL4 2(e is the son o kshatriya (the second o the our classes& a warrior class)&4 replied (arishchandra. 2But his training in the art o ighting has not even begun. (e cannot be called a kshatriya until he knows how to ight. ,ill that day he is an incomplete man. Do you really want such an incomplete man as a sacri iceL4 A ter some years had passed& "ohita became skilled in the art o ighting and was appointed the heir3apparent (yuvara9a) to the kingdom. (e was then si/teen years o age. Varuna appeared again and asked& 2Chat about the ya9na in my honourL4 ,his time the entire conversation took place in ront o the prince and "ohita intervened be ore (arishchandra could say anything. 2Dather&4 he said& 2* have already resolved to per orm a ya9na in Vishnu)s honour. Brant me the permission to complete that irst. A ter that& do what you will.4 "ohita went o to the orest. @eanwhile& Varuna had had enough and he a licted (arishchandra with a pain ul stomach ailment. +ews o his ather)s illness was taken to "ohita in the orest. *n the orest& "ohita met a sage named A9igarta. ,he sage was very poor and& together with his wi e and three sons& was starving. 2Cill you sell one o your three sons to meL4 asked "ohita. 2,he boy is needed or a sacri ice.4 2* shall not sell my eldest son&4 said the sage. 2@y wi e will not permit the youngest one to be sold. You can have the one in the middle. (is name is 1hunahshe a. ,he price will be one thousand cows& one thousand golden coins& one thousand pieces o clothing and a lot o wealth.4
"ohita paid the price and brought 1hunahshe a home to (arishchandra. 2Ce can)t do this&4 said (arishchandra. 2*t is the duty o kings to protect the brahmanas. (ow can we sacri ice the son o a brahmanaL *t is better to die instead. Bo and return 1hunahshe a to his ather.4 #ust then a divine voice was heard rom heaven. ,he voice said& 2,here is no need or anyone to die. ,ake 1hunahshe a to the banks o the Boutami Banga and per orm the ya9na to Varuna there. Boutami Banga is such a sacred river that no human sacri ices are needed i a ya9na is per ormed there. ,his is what (arishchandra did not Varuna was satis ied. As or 1hunahshe a& he was adopted by the sage Vishvamitra as a son.
9&!1 +riddhagoutama
,he sage Boutama had a son named Vriddhagoutama. Vriddhagoutama was also a sage. But he was very ugly. Besides& he had no noseK had never had one since he had been born. (e was so ashamed o this de ormity that he could not bear to 9oin the other children o the sages in studying the Vedas and 1hastras under a teacher. But Vriddhagoutama knew some incantations (mantras) which he always chanted. (e also worshipped the god Agni. Chen he grew a bit older& Vriddhagoutama went out to tour the world. (e traveled to many places and met many people. 1ince he was de ormed& he never got married. Cho would want to marry a person so ugly as heL *n the course o his travels& Vriddhagoutama arrived at a mountain named 1hitagiri. (e discovered a beauti ul cave in the mountain and thought that this might be a good place to live in. 1o he entered the cave and was very surprised to ind an old woman inside. ,he old woman had obviously been living inside the cave or many years. (er body was thin and wasted rom the rigours o severe tapasya. Vriddhagoutama was about to touch the eet o such a venerable old woman& but the woman restrained him. 2Elease don)t touch my eet&4 said the woman. 2You are my guru. Does a guru ever bow be ore his discipleL4 Vriddagoutama was surprised at these words. ,his was the irst time in his li e that he had met the old woman. 2(ow can * be your guruL4& he asked. 2You are much older than me. Besides& * have never learnt anything and you are clearly a respected ascetic. Your words are a complete mystery to me.4 2Let me tell you my story&4 said the old woman. 2?therwise& you will not understand.4 ,here used to be a handsome and brave prince named "itadhva9a. (e was the son o King Arshtishena. "itadhva9a went on a hunt to the orest and arrived at that very cave. ,here he happened to meet an apsara named 1ushyama. ,he two ell in love with each other and got married. But eventually& "itadhva9a had to return home and 1ushyama gave birth to a daughter there. 1ushyama le t her daughter in the cave itsel with the instruction that she was not to leave the cave. ,he irst man to enter the cave would become her husband. *t was this daughter who had now become the old woman. "itadhva9a had reigned or eighty thousand years. A ter that& ritadhva9a)s son had reigned or ten thousand years. All this while& 1ushyama)s daughter had lived in the cave& that is& or ninety thousand years all together. 2+ow you see that you are to be my husband&4 said the old woman. 2*s a husband not a guruL4 2Chat you say is Huite impossible&4 replied Vriddhagoutama. 2You are much older than me. * am only a thousand years old and you more than ninety thousand. (ow can we marryL * am like a child ne/t to you.4 2* you do not marry me& * will kill mysel &4 said the old woman. 2But * am ugly&4 protested Vriddhagoutama. 2* will promise you this much. * * every become handsome and learned& * will indeed marry you.4 2* have pleased the goddess 1arasvati& who presides over all learning& through my tapasya&4 said the old woman. 21he will make you learned. * have also pleased the god Varuna and he will make you handsome.4 Vriddhagoutama became handsome and learned and married the old woman. ,hey lived happily in the cave.
?ne day& various sages came to visit the couple. Amongst them there were sages like Vashishtha and Vamadeva. But there were also young sages who ere not all that sensible. ,he younger sages started to laugh at the sight o the young and handsome Vriddhagoutama and his aged wi e. 2Cho is this manL4 they asked the old woman. 2*s he your son or your grandsonL4 ,he sages went away& but the couple elt ashamed. ,hey asked the sage Agastya what they might do. Agastya told them to go and bathe in the river Boutami Banga. ,he river is so sacred that all one)s heart)s desires are thereby granted. ,he couple did this and prayed to Vishnu and 1hiva. Conder o wonders& the old woman became young and pretty. ,he place on the banks o the river where these wonder ul things happened is a tirtha named vriddhasangama.
9&!4 Pippalada
@any years ago& there used to be a sage named Dadhici. (is wi e was Lopamudra. Dadhichi)s hermitage was right ne/t to the holy river Banga. Lopamudra)s sister Babhastini also used to live in the hermitage. 1uch was the sage Dadhichi)s powers that daityas and danavas dared not set oot inside the hermitage. ,he gods once ought with the demons and managed to de eat them. A ter the war was over& they came to pay their respects to Dadhichi. Dadhichi welcomed his guests and wanted to know how they were aring. 2,hanks to your blessings& we are ine&4 replied the gods. 2Ce have 9ust de eated the demons in a war. *n act& we have a slight problem. Ce no longer need our weapons now that the demons have run away. Ce don)t know o a sa e place where we can store all these weapons. Ce were wondering i we might keep the weapons in your ashrama. ,his is one o the sa est places that can be ound.4 Dadhichi consented to this proposal. ,he gods le t their weapons in the hermitage and went back to heaven. Chen Lopamudra heard what Dadhichi had done& she was not at all pleased. 2You have done something that is mot improper&4 she told her husband. 2?ne should never accept responsibility or someone else)s property& especially i one is an ascetic and has not material possessions o one)s own. @oreover& you have agreed to store the weapons o the gods. Dose this not mean that those who are the god)s enemies will look upon you too as an enemyL And what are you going to do i something should happen to the weaponsL Cill the gods not blame you thenL4 2Your points are well taken&4 said Dadhichi. 2But * had not thought o them and * have given the gods my word. * can)t very well go back on my word now.4 A hundred years passed. ,he gods did not return to collect their weapons. ,he weapons began to lose their luster& Dadhichi did not know how the energy o the weapons might be preserved. (e washed them with holy water and the energy o the weapons got dissolve in the water. Dadhichi then drank up the water. As or the weapons themselves& they aded away once their energy was gone. Dinally the gods came to claim their weapons. 2>an we have our weapons backL ,hey asked. 2?ur enemies have become power ul again. Ce need our weapons.4 2,hat may be&4 said Dadhichi. 2But the weapons are no longer there. * have swallowed up their energy. Let me tell you what can be done. * will use the powers o meditation (yoga) to give up my li e. ,hen e/cellent weapons can be made out o my bones. ,he gods were reluctant& but thee was no other solution. Dadhichi died and the gods reHuested Vishvakarma to make weapons or them out o Dadhichi)s bones. Vishvakarma complied and the weapon name va9ra that he made was truly remarkable. Lopamudra was away when this incident took place. 1he returned and ound that her husband had died. 1he was a licted with sorrow and wished to immolate hersel in a ire. But she happened to be pregnant at the time& so that this could not immediately be done. ?nce the baby was born& she killed hersel a ter having handed over the baby to a pippala ( ig) tree or rearing.
1ince the pippala tree brought up the boy& he came to be known as Eippalada. >handra was the lord over all trees. ,he trees asked >handra or some amrita or Eippalada and >handra obliged. ,he amrita gave Eippalada a lot o strength. Chen Eippalada grew up& he wanted to know who his parents were and the trees told him the story. Eippalada blamed the gods or his parents death and decided to seek revenge. ,he trees brought Eippalada to >handra. 2You are still too young&4 said >handra. 2Dirst you must become learned and well3versed in the use o weapons. Bo to the orest o dandakaranya. ,he river Boutami Banga lows through that orest. Eray to 1hiva there and * am sure that your wishes will be ul illed.4 Eippalada pleased 1hiva through his prayers. 2Chat boon do you desireL4 asked 1hiva. * want the boon that * may be able to destroy the gods&4 replied Eippalada. 2* have a third eye in the middle o my orehead&4 said 1hiva. 2,he day you can see my third eye& your wish will be granted.4 ,ry as he might& Eippalada could not see 1hiva)s third eye. Eippalada there ore per ormed even more di icult tapasya or even more years. -ventually he managed to see 1hiva)s third eye. Drom 1hiva)s third eye was born a demon that looked like a mare. 2Chat is your desireL4 asked the demon o Eippalada. 2Kill my enemies& the gods&4 was the reply. ,he demon immediately attacked Eippalada. 2Chat are you doingL4 asked Eippalada. 2Chy are you trying to kill meL * asked you to kill the gods.4 2But your body has bee created by the gods&4 replied the demon. 2* will there ore kill you also.4 Eippalada ran to 1hiva or deliverance. 1hiva earmarked a region inside the orest or Eippalada. ,here the demon was not permitted to enter. Eippalada lived there& protected rom the ravages o the demon. @eanwhile& the gods reHuested 1hiva to save them as well. 1hiva persuaded Eippalada to control his anger. (e convinced Eippalada that nothing was to be gained by killing the gods. ,hat would not bring his parents back. Eippalada agreed. But he wished to see his parents once. Accordingly& vimana descended rom heaven on which Dadhichi and Lopamudra were seated. ,hey blessed Eippalada and asked him to marry and have children. As or the demon& it became a river and merged with the holy Banga.
9&!8 3ageshvara
,here was a city named Eratishthana. A king named 1hurasena ruled in that city. 1hurasena did not have any sons. A ter a lot o e ort& a son was born to him. But the son happened to be a snake. ,he king and the Hueen were morti ied at this turn o events. But they brought up their son in great secrecy. +ot even the king)s ministers and priests knew that the prince was a snake. Chen the prince grew slightly& he began to talk like a human& even though he was a snake. King 1hurasena arranged or the prince)s education. A ter the snake had become learned in the knowledge o the Vedas& he told his ather& 2Dather& it is time or me to get married. * * do not have a son& * am certain to go to naraka.4 King 1hurasena was very surprised to hear this. 2(ow is that possibleL4 he asked. 2Chich princess will consent to marry a snakeL4 2* don)t know&4 replied the prince. 2But * do know that * have to get married. ?ther wise& * will commit suicide. ,here are many orms o marriage that are permissible. Eerhaps a princess can be kidnapped and married to me.4
1hurasena called his ministers and told them& 2@y son +ageshvara has now come o age. (e has also been made the heir3apparent to the kingdom. ,here is no one eHual to him in bravery on earth& in heaven or in the underworld. * am getting old. Elease arrange or +ageshvara to get married. * shall then relinHuish my kingdom and retire to the orest.4 ,he king did not o course tell his ministers that +ageshvara was a snake. 1hurasena had an aged minister. ,his minister reported that there was a king named Vi9aya who ruled in the eastern part o the country. King Vi9aya had eight sons and one daughter. ,he daughter)s name was Bhogavati and she was very beauti ul. 1he would be the right match or +ageshvara. ,he aged minister was sent as a messenger to Vi9aya and the king agreed to the match. ,here was a custom amongst kshatriyas that the bride did not always have to be married to the bridegroom in person. 1he could also be married to the bridegroom)s sword or some other weapon. ,he minister e/plained to King Vi9aya that there were some private reasons which made it impossible or +ageshvara to come in person or the marriage. Bhogavati should be married o to +ageshvara)s sword. Vi9aya consented to this and the marriage ceremony was per ormed. ,he entire retinue then returned to the city o Eratishthana. But what was to be done now that the marriage was overL +ageshvara)s mother sent a made to Bhogavati. ,he maid was to tell Bhogavati that her husband was actually a snake and then observe her reaction. ,he maid told Bhogavati& 2Your husband is a god& but he has the orm o a snake.4 2,hat is my good ortune&4 replied Bhoavati. 2+ormally& women are married to men. * must have per ormed many good deeds in my earlier li e to have been married to a god.4 Bhogavati was then brought to +ageshvara and at the sight o Bhogavati& +ageshvara remembered his earlier li e. (e used to be a snake (naga) in his earlier li e and was a companion o 1hiva)s. (is wi e in the earlier li e was Bhogavati. ,here had bee an occasion when 1hiva had laughed at a 9oke o parvati)s and +ageshvara had also laughed. ,his had annoyed 1hiva and he had cursed +ageshvara that he would be born on earth as the son o a human& but in the orm o a snake. Chen he went and bathed in Boutami Banga& the period o the curse would be over. Chen +ageshvara recounted these incidents to Bhogavati& she also remembered her earlier li e. ,he two went and bathed in the scared river and +ageshvara obtained a handsome and divine orm. +ageshavara ruled a ter 1hurasena)s death. And when +ageshvara and Bhogavati died& they went back to Kailasa to live with 1hiva. ?n the banks o the Boutami Banga& +ageshvara and Bhogavati built a temple to 1hiva. ,his is a amous tirtha known as nagatirtha.
9&!9 #rahma<s ?ead

Years ago& there was a war between the gods and the demons and the gods lost. ,he gods came to Brahma or advice and Brahma asked them to pray to 1hiva. Chen 1hiva appeared be ore them& the gods said& 2,he demons have de eated us. Elease kill them and save us.4 1hiva went to ight with the demons. (e drove the demons o rom @ount 1umeru and out o heaven. (e pursued them to the ends o the earth. All this e/ertion made 1hiva sweat. And wherever the drops o sweat ell down on the ground& terrible ogresses named matris were created. ,he matris also started to kill the demons and pursued them down to the underworld. Chile the matris were killing the demons in the underworld& Brahma and the other dos waited on the banks o the river Boutami Banga. ,his place came to be known as Eratishthana. Chen the matris had killed all the demons& they returned to earth and began to live on the banks o the Boutami Banga. ,his tirtha has come to be known as matritirtha.
Brahma used to have ive heads. ,he i th head was in the shape o a donkey)s head. Chen the demons were running away to the underworld& this donkey)s head addressed the demons and said& 2Chy are you running awayL >ome back and ight with the gods. * shall aid you in your ight.4 ,he gods were alarmed at this parado/ical situation. Brahma was helping them in their light with the demons and Brahma)s i th head was trying to help the demons. ,hey went to Vishnu and said& 2Elease cut o Brahma)s i th head. *t is causing too much o con usion.4 2* can do what you want&4 replied Vishnu& 2but there is a problem. Chen the cut3o head alls on earth& it will destroy the earth. * think you should pray to 1hiva to ind a way out.4 ,he gods prayed to 1hiva and 1hiva agreed to cut o the head. But what was to be done with the severed headL ,he earth re used to bear it and so did the ocean. Dinally it was decided that 1hiva himsel would bear the head. ,he place where 1hiva cut o Brahma)s i th head is known as rudratirtha. -ver since that day& Brahma has had our heads and is known as >haturmukha (chatur connotes our and mukha connotes ace). ,here is a temple to Brahma on the banks o the Boutami Banga. ,his is a holy place known as brahmatirtha. A killer o brahmanas is pardoned his sin i he visits this temple.
9&*: "he =wl and the $ove

A dove used to live on the banks o the Boutami Banga. ,he dove)s name was Anuhrada and its wi e)s name was (eti. Anuhrada was Yama)s grandson. +ot very ar away& there lived an owl named %luka. ,he owl)s wi e was called %luki. ,he owls were descended rom the god Agni. ,he doves and the owls were enemies. ,hey ought amongst themselves continually. ,he doves had received all sorts o weapons rom Yama and the owls had received all sorts o weapons rom Agni. ,hese divine weapons threatened to burn up everything. But Yama and Agni intervened. ,hey persuaded the owls and the doves to orget their enmity and live together as riends. ,he place where the doves lived came to be known as a tirtha named yamyatirtha. And the place where the owls lived came to be known as agnitirtha.
9&*1 "he ?unter

,here was a sage named Veda. (e used to pray to 1hiva every day. ,he prayers lasted till the a ternoon and a ter the prayers were over& Veda used to go to the nearby villages to beg alms. A hunter named Bhilla used to come to the orest every a ternoon to hunt. A ter the hunt was over& he used to come to 1hiva)s linga (image) and o er to 1hiva whatever it was that he had hunted. *n the process o doing this& he o ten moved Veda)s o erings out o the way. 1trange though it might seem& 1hiva was stirred by Bhilla)s o erings and eagerly used to wait or it every day. Bhilla and Veda never met. But Veda noticed that every day his o erings lay scattered and a little bit o meat lay by the side. 1ince this always happened when Veda had gone out to beg or alms& Veda did not know who was responsible. But one day& he decided to wait in hiding so as to catch the culprit red3handed. Chile Veda waited& Bhilla arrived and o ered what he had brought to 1hiva. Veda was ama:ed to discover that 1hiva himsel appeared be ore Bhilla and asked& 2Chy are you late todayL * have been waiting or you. Did you get very tiredL4 Bhilla went away a ter making his o erings. But Veda came up to 1hiva and said& 2Chat is all thisL ,his is a cruel and evil hunter& and yet& you appear be ore him. * have been per orming tapasya or so many years and you never appear be ore me. * am disgusted at this partiality. * will break your linga with this stone.4 2Do it i you must&4 replied 1hiva. 2But please wait till tomorrow.4 +e/t day& when Veda came to present his o erings& he ound traces o blood on top o the linga. (e care ully washed away the traces o blood and completed his prayers.
A ter some time& Bhilla also came to present his o erings and discovered traces o blood on top o the linga. (e thought that he was in some way responsible or this and blamed himsel or some unknown transgression. (e picked up a sharp arrow and began to pierce his body repeatedly with this arrow as punishment. 1hiva appeared be ore both o them and said& 2+ow you see the di erence between Veda and Bhilla. Veda has given me his o erings& but Bhilla has given me his whole soul. ,hat is the di erence between ritual and true devotion.4 ,he place where Bhilla used to pray to 1hiva is a amous tirtha known as bhillatirtha.
9&*! (outama and Mani.undala

,here was a city named Bhouvana. *n that city there lived a brahmana named Boutama. ,he brahmana had a vaishya riend named @anikundala. (A vaishya belongs to the third o the three classes and his primary duties are trade and agriculture). Boutama)s mother gave him a lot o ill advice. As a result o this& Boutama told @anikundala& 2Let us go to other countries to trade and make pro its.4 2But my ather has a lot o wealth&4 replied @anikundala. 2Chat is the need to obtain more wealthL4 2You don)t have the proper perspective&4 said Boutama. 2A success ul person is one who does not thrive on what is le t to him by his ather. (e makes his own ortune.4 @anikundala was convinced by Bountama)s logic. (e did not realise that his so3called riend was out to de raud him. ,he two riends set out on their 9ourney& @anikundala providing all the capital. *n the course o their travels Boutama remarked& 2(ave you noticed how those who ollow the path o dharma (righteousness) always su erL ,hey are neither wealthy nor happy. ,here seems to be no point in being righteous.4 2Elease don)t say that&4 protested manikundala. 2(appiness lies in ollowing the path o dharma. Eoverty and misery are inevitable& they are o no account at all.4 ,he two riends argued over this& but could not decide who was right. ,hey resolved to have a bet. ,hey would ask the opinions o others. And whoever lost the bet would surrender all his wealth to the winner. ,hey asked many people or their opinions. +aturally most people said that it was the evil who thrived and prospered. And it was the righteous who su ered. ,he upshot o this was that @anikundala surrendered all his wealth to Boutama. But @anikundala continued to praise dharma. 2You are an utter ass&4 said Boutama. 2(aven)t you lost all your wealth to meL Yet you continue to praise dharma.4 2,he wealth is o no account at all&4 replied @anikundala. 2Dharma is on my side and your apparent victory is only an illusion. Dharma will triumph in the end.4 ,he two riends decided to have another bet. ,his time it was agreed that whoever lost the bet would have his two arms chopped o . ,hey again asked several people and most people said that is was adharma (evil) which triumphed. 1o @anikundala lost his two arms. 2(ow does it eel nowL4 asked Boutama. 2,he same as ever&4 replied @anikundala. 2Chat is important is dharma. And dharma is on my side.4 Boutama lost his temper at this. (e threatened to cut o @anikundala)s head i @anikundala persisted in his praise o dharma. But @anikundala was unperturbed. ,he riends decided to have another bet. ,his time it was agreed that whoever lost would or eit his li e. @anikundala lost yet again. And Boutama gouged out @anikundala)s eyes and le t him or dead.
@anikundala lay on the banks o the Boutami Banga and pondered about the ate that had be allen him. *t became night. ,here was an image o Vishnu on the banks o the river and the rakshasa Vibhishana used to come there every night to pray to Vishnu. Vibhishana)s son discovered @anikundala lying there and ound out rom him the entire story. (e recounted the story to his ather. 2@any years ago& * had 9oined "ama in his ight with "avana&4 Vibhishana told his son. 2"agvana)s son @eghanada shot a venomous arrow at "ama)s brother Lakshmana. Lakshmana ell unconscious. ,he monkey (anumana then went to the (imalayas and brought a mountain named Brandhamadana to Lanka. ?n that mountain there was a wonder ul herb named vishalyakarani which cures all illnesses. Chen (anumana returned the mountain to the (imalayas& a bit o the vishalyakarani ell down at this spot. +ear Vishnu)s image. Let us try and ind it. Ce should be able to cure @anikundala.4 Dather and son hunted or the herb. ,he vishalyakarani had become a huge tree. ,hey lopped o a branch and placed it on @anikundala)s chest. @anikundala immediately regained his eyes and arms. A ter curing @anikundala& Vibhishana and his retinue returned to Lanka. @anikundala began to travel. (e eventually came to a city named @ahapura where a king named @ahara9a ruled. @ahara9a had no sons& only a daughter. ,he daughter was blind. @ahara9a had announced that whoever cured his daughter would become his son3in3law and rule a ter him. @anikundala cured the princess with his knowledge o the vishalyakarani. (e then married the princess and became king o @ahapura a ter @ahara9a. @any years later& Boutama was brought be ore @anikundala by the soldiers. (e had been arrested on the charge o committing a crime. Boutama had lost all his wealth by then and was no more than a beggar. @anikundala pardoned his riend and shared with him whatever he had. 1uch are the virtues o ollowing the path o dharma. ,here are many tirthas along the banks o the Boutami Banga where these wonder ul incidents took place.
9&** 2andu
,here was a sage named Kandu. (e had a hermitage on the banks o the Boutami Banga. ,he ashrama was a beauti ul place and Kandu per ormed very di icult tapasya there. *n the summer Kandu meditated in the hot sun& in the monsoon he meditated on the wet ground& and in the winter he meditated dressed in wet clothing. *ndra got sacred as a result o all this tapasya. (e thought that the sage Kandu might want to become *ndra the king o the gods. (e there ore called an apsara named disturb Kandu)s tapasya. Eramlocha went to the hermitage and began to sing there in a beauti ul voice. ,his disturbed Kandu and he discovered a beauti ul woman wandering around in his ashrama. 2Cho are youL4 Kandu asked the woman. 2* have come here to pluck lowers&4 replied Eramlocha. 2* am your servant. * will do whatever you wish me to.4 Kandu had allen in love with Eramlocha and he married her. (e orgot all about his tapasya and *ndra heaved a sigh o relie . Years passed. Eramlocha wished to return to heaven& but Kandu would not let her. A ter years and years had passed& Kandu came out o his hut& looking rather distracted. *t was then evening and Kandu was obviously going somewhere. 2Chere are you goingL4 Eramlocha asked. 2Chat a stupid Huestion$4 e/claimed Kandu. 2>an)t you see that it is now eveningL * have got to go and observe the evening rites. ,he day has passed.4 2Chat dayL4 asked Eramlocha. 21everal days have passed and several evenings have come and gone.4 2+o& you came here this morning&4 said Kandu. 2* brought you to my hut and it is now evening& * don)t understand what you are trying to say. -/plain yoursel .4
2*t is true that * came here in the morning&4 answered Eramlocha. 2But that was a morning which dawned many years ago. (undreds o years have passed since that day.4 2(ow many yearsL4 asked Kandu. 2Chen did you come hereL4 21i/teen hundred years& si/ months and three days ago&4 replied Eramlocha. 2Are you sureL4 asked Kandu. 2*t seems like a single day to me.4 2* am sure&4 said Eramlocha. 2* dare not lie to you.4 2You have dislodged me rom my tapasya&4 responded Kandu. 2But * will not curse you& since you have been my wi e. Bo back to heaven. * have to atone or my sins.4 ,he sage Kandu went to Eurshottama kshetra and per ormed penance or his sins. (e was blessed by Vishnu. Kandu and Eramlocha had a daughter named @arisha. ,he Brahma Eurana also describes several other tirthas. @ost o these are on the banks o the river Boutami Banga. ,his is now identi ied as the river Bodavari. A ter describing these several tirthas& the te/t describes incidents in Krishna)s li e. ,hese we will skip& since they are described in much greater detail in the other Euranas.
9&*, +arnashrama
,here are our varnas (classes). ,heir names are brahmana& kshatriya& vaishya and shudra. ,he duties o a brahmana are to donate alms& per orm tapasya& worship the gods& per orm ya9nas and study the Vedas. ,o earn a living& brahmanas are authori:ed to teach and act as priests at sacri ices. ,he duties o kshatriya are to beat arms and protect the earth& donate alms and per orm sacri ices. A kshatriya is also permitted to study the shastras. ,he duties o a vaishya are agriculture& animal husbandry and trade. ,hat apart& vaishyas should donate alms& per orm sacri ices and study the shastras. ,he duties o a shudra are to serve brahmanas. 1hudras can also be shopkeepers and artisans. *n times o emergency& a brahmana is allowed to adopt the livelihoods o kshatriyas or vaishyas to earn a living. *n similar ashion& a kshatriya is permitted to adopt the livelihoods o vaishyas or shudras and a vaishya is permitted to adopt the livelihoods o shudras. ,here are our ashramas (stages o li e) as well. ,he irst o these is known as brahmacharya (celibate studenthood). During this period& the individual spends his days with his guru and studies the Vedas well. (e has to serve his guru in proper ashion and live on alms. ,he ne/t ashrama is that o garhasthya (householder stage). ,he individual now gets married and has children. (e serves the gods& the sages& the ancestors and guests. *t is householders who provide alms or sages and hermits. ,hat is the reason why the householder stage is so very important. ,he third ashrama is known as vanaprastha ( orest3dwelling stage). ,he individual now retires to the orest and withdraws his mind rom the earthly li e. (e can leave his wi e in the care o his sons or take her with him. (e lives on roots& ruits and leaves and makes a bed or himsel under the trees. (e is not permitted to shave or cut his hair and his clothes have to be made out o bark or skins. ,he inal ashrama is that o sannyasa (hermithood). A hermit gives up all association with the world and lives alone. (e grows completely detached. (e lives alone. (e gets his ood through begging. (e is not permitted to spend more than one night in a village& or more than ive nights at a time in a city.
9&*/ "he 0handala and the #rahma-6a.shasa

A chandala is an outcast. ?n the outskirts o the city named Avanti lived a chandala. ,here was a temple o Vishnu in Avanti and the chandala was devoted to Vishnu. (e was also a good singer. -kadashi tithi is the eleventh lunar day. -very month& on ekadashi tithi& the chandala would ast during the day. At night he would go to Vishnu)s temple and sing praises o Vishnu. (e never ailed to observe this ritual. ,he river Kshipra (1hipra) lowed by the city o Avanti. ?n one particular night& on ekadashi tithi& the chandala went to the banks o the river to collect some lowers or worshipping Vishnu. ?n the banks o the river there was
a tree and on that tree there lived a brahmarakshasa (demon). As soon as the demon saw the chandala& it wished to devour him. 2Elease not tonight&4 said the chandala. 2* have to worship Vishnu throughout the night. Let me go now.4 2+ot on you li e&4 replied the demon. 2* have not eaten or ten days and * am amished. * can)t let you go.4 2Elease&4 said the chandala& 2let me go. * promise that * will come back once the prayers are over. You will then be ree to do with me as you will.4 ,he demon let the chandala go. ,he chandala went to the temple. (e worshipped Vishnu and spent the night in singing Vishnu)s praises. +e/t day& he returned to the demon. 2* am indeed surprised&4 said the demon. 2You are very truth ul. You can)t be a chandala. You must be a brahmana. Answer my Huestions. Chat did you do all nightL4 2* stood outside Vishnu)s temple and sang his praise&4 replied the chandala. 2Dor how long have you been doing thisL4 asked the demon. 2Dor twenty years&4 was the chandala)s reply. 2You have acHuired a lot o punya (store o merit) through this&4 said the demon. 2Elease grant me one night)s punya& * am sinner.4 2+o&4 replied the chandala. 2* will not part with my punya. * have given you my body& eat me i you will. But the punya is mine own.4 2Very well then&4 said the demon. 2Bive me two hours4 worth o punya. * am a sinner.4 2* have told you * will not give you any o my punya&4 replied the chandala. 2But what is your sinL4 ,he brahmarakshasa related his story. (is name was 1omasharma and he was the son o Devasharma. Devasharma was a righteous brahmana. But 1omasharma ell into evil ways. A brahmana is not authorised to act as a priest in a sacri ice be ore he has had his sacred3thread ceremony (upanayana). But 1omasharma became a priest at a ya9na even though his upanayana had not been held. As a result o this sin& when he died& he became a demon. ,he chandala was stirred to pity at this sad story and parted with some o his punya. ,he demon was delighted and e/pressed his gratitude. (e went to a tirtha and per ormed penance. ,hus it was that the demon was reed. Chat about the chandalaL (e returned home and then le t or a tour o all the sacred places o pilgrimage. At one such tirtha. (e remembered the story o his earlier li e. (e used to be a hermit well3versed in the Vedas and the shastras. (e used to beg alms or a living. ?nce he had obtained some alms. But some thieves were then in the process o stealing cows& and the hooves o the cows raised a cloud o dust. ,he dust ell onto the ood and the hermit threw away the alms in disgust. 1ince he had thrown away alms& he was born as a chandala. A ter per orming penance or this sin& the chandala was pardoned.
10 *9ni Purana
,his Eurana is basically a preaching to the sage Vashishth by Agni. *n his turn& Vashishth narrated it to Vyasa9i& who related it to 1ut9i. %ltimately& 1ut9i narrated Agni Eurana to an assembly o the sages in +aimisharanya. 1tarting chapters o the Eurana describe about various incarnations o Lord& including "ama and Krishna. ?ther chapters describe about religious rituals especially those related to the worship o Lord 1hiva. @any chapters have description about the earth& stars and constellations as well as the duties o the kings. ,his Eurana consists o G chapters5
1:&1 "he Avatars

*n the orest that is known as +aimisharanya& 1hounaka and the other rishis (sages) were per orming a ya9na (sacri ice) dedicated to the Lord Vishnu. 1uta had also come there& on his way to a pilgrimage. ,he sages told 1uta& 2Ce have welcomed you. +ow describe to us that which makes men all3knowing. Describe to us that which is the most sacred in the whole world4. 1uta replied& 2Vishnu is the essence o everything. * went to a hermitage named Vadrika with 1huka& Eaila and other sages and met Vyasadeva there. Vyasadeva described to me that which he had learnt rom the great sage Vashishtha& Vashishtha having learnt it rom the god Agni himsel . ,he Agni Eurana is sacred because it tells us about the essence o the brahman (the divine essence). * learnt all this rom Vyasadeva and * will now tell you all that * have learnt.4 Avataras (Avatars) Do you know what an avatara isL An avatara is an incarnation and means that a god adopts a human orm to be born on earth. Chy do gods do this. ,he purpose is to destroy evil on earth and establish righteousness. Vishnu is regarded as the preserver o the universe and it is there ore Vishnu)s incarnations that one encounters most o ten. Vishnu has already had nine such incarnations and the tenth and inal incarnation is due in the uture. ,hese ten incarnations o Vishnu are as ollows. (6) @atsya avatara or ish incarnation (;) Kurma avatara or turtle incarnation (7) Varaha avatara or boar incarnation (F) +arasimha avatara 3 an incarnation in the orm o a being who was hal 3man and hal 3lion. (8) Vamana avatara or dwar incarnation (I) Earashurama (<) "ama (J) Krishna (G) Buddha (6M) Kalki 3 this is the incarnation that is yet to come. ,he Agni Eurana now describes these ten incarnations. ,his >hapter contains < 1ections.
6M.6.6 @atsya
Agni told Vashishtha the story o the ish incarnation. @any years ago& the whole world was destroyed. ,he destruction in act e/tended to all the three lokas (Corlds) o bhuloka& bhuvarloka and svarloka. Bhuloka is the earth& svarloka or svarga is heaven and bhuvarloka is a region between the earth and heaven. All there worlds were looded with water. Vaivasvata @anu was the son o the sun3god. (e had spent ten thousand years in prayers and tapasya (meditation) in the hermitage vadrika. ,his hermitage was on the banks o the river Kritamala.
?nce @anu came to the river to per orm his ablutions. (e immersed his hands in the water to get some water or his ablutions. Chen he raised them& he ound that there was a small ish swimming in the water in the cup o his hands. @anu was about to throw the ish back into the water when the ish said& 2Don)t throw me back. * am scared o alligators and crocodiles and big ishes. 1ave me.4 @anu ound an earthen pot in which he could keep the ish. But soon the ish became too big or the pot and @anu had to ind a larger vessel in which the ish might be kept. But the ish became too big or this vessel as well and @anu had to trans er the ish to a take. But the ish grew and grew and became too large or the lake. 1o @anu trans erred the ish to the ocean. *n the ocean& the ish grew until it became gigantic. By now& @anu)s wonder knew no bounds. (e said& 2Cho are youL You must be the Lord Vishnu& * bow down be ore you. ,ell me& why are you tantalising me in the orm o a ishL4 ,he ish replied& 2* have to punish the evil and protect the good. 1even days rom now& the ocean will lood the entire world and all beings will be destroyed. But since you have saved me& * will save you. Chen the world is looded& a boat will arrive here. ,ake the saptarshis (seven sages) with that boat. Don)t orget to take the seeds o oodgrains with you. * will arrive and you will then asten the boat to my horn with a huge snake.4 1aying this& the ish disappeared. -verything happened as the ish had promised it would. ,he ocean became turbulent and @anu climbed into the boat. (e tied the boat to the huge horn that the ish had. (e prayed to the ish and the ish related the @atsya Eurana to him. -ventually& when the water receded& the boat was anchored to the topmost peak o the (imalayas. And living beings were created once again. A danava (demon) named (ayagriva had stolen the sacred te/ts o the Vedas and the knowledge o the brahman. *n his orm o a ish& Vishnu also killed (ayagriva and recovered the Vedas.
6M.6.; Kurma
@any years ago there was a war between the devas (gods) and the daityas (demons) and the gods lost this war. ,hey prayed to Vishnu to rescue them rom the oppression o the demons. Vishnu told Brahma and the other gods that they should have a temporary truce with the demons. ,he two sides should get together to churn the ocean. Vishnu would ensure that the devas bene ited more rom this churning o the ocean than the daityas did. ,he truce was agreed upon and the two sides got ready to churn the ocean. ,he mountain @andara was used as a churning rod and great sake Vasuki as the rope or churning. ,he devas grasped Vasuki)s tail and the daityas grasped Vasuki)s head. But as the churning began& the mountain @andara which had no base& started to get immersed in the ocean. Chat was to be doneL Lord Vishnu came to the rescue. (e adopted the orm o a turtle and the peak was balanced on the turtle)s back. As the churning continued& terrible poison named kalkuta emerged rom the depths o the ocean and was swallowed by 1hiva. 1hiva)s throat became blue rom this poison and he is there ore known as +ilakantha& blue o throat. ,he goddess Varuni& the goddess o wine (sura)& came out ne/t. ,he gods readily accepted her and thus they came to be known as suras. But the demons re9ected Varuni and were there ore known as asuras. 1he was ollowed by the Eari9ata tree& a beauti ul tree that came to occupy the pride o place in *ndra)s garden. A 9ewel named koustubha emerged and was accepted by Vishnu as his adornment. ,hree wonder ul animals came out ne/t 3 the cow Kapila& the horse %cchaishrava and the elephant Airavata. ,hey were ollowed by the apsaras& beauti ul women who became the dancers o heaven. ,hey were known as apsaras because they emerged rom ap (water). ,he goddess Lakshmi or 1hri came out ne/t and was united with Vishnu. Dinally& Dhanvantari emerged with a pot o amrita (the li e 3 giving drink) in his hands. Dhanvantari was the originator o medicine (ayurveda). ,he daityas led by #ambha gave hal o the amrita to the devas and departed with the remaining hal . But Vishnu Huickly adopted the orm o a beauti ul woman. 1o beauti ul was the woman that the demons were charmed. 2Eretty lady&4 they said. 2 take the amrita and serve it to us. @arry us.4 Vishnu accepted the amrita& but he had no intention o giving it to the demons. (e served it to the gods instead. ,here was only one demon who was somewhat clever. (is name was "ahu. (e adopted the orm o >handra& the moon3god& and succeeded in
drinking some o the amrita. ,he sun3god and the moon3god noticed what was happening and reported it to Vishnu. Vishnu thereupon cut o "ahu)s head with a sword. But "ahu had drunk the amrita& so he could not die. (e prayed to Vishnu and Vishnu granted him a boon. ,he boon was that occasionally "ahu would be permitted to swallow up the sun and the complained about him. You can see this happening at the time o the solar and the lunar eclipses. Eeople who give alms during such eclipses are blessed. ,he gods obtained the amrita and the demons did not. ,hus& the gods became more power ul than the demons. ,hey de eated the demons and regained heaven.
6M.6.7 Varaha
Vishnu)s ne/t incarnation was in the orm o a boar. ,he sage Kashyapa and his wi e Diti had a son named (iranyaksha. became the king o the asuras. (iranyaksha)s meditation pleased Brahma and Brahma granted him the boon that he would be invincible in battle. ,hus armed. (iranyaksha went out to ight with the devas. (e comprehensively de eated the gods and conHuered heaven. (e also de eated Varuna& the god o the ocean. ,hus& (iranyaksha became the king o the heaven& the earth and the underworld. But the asura was not particularly ond o the earth. (e himsel had begun to live in Varuna)s palace under the ocean. 1o he hurled the earth into the depths o the ocean. ,he gods went to Vishnu and prayed that something might be done about (iranyaksha. ,hey wished to be restored to heaven and they wished that the earth might be brought back rom the depths o the ocean. *n response to these prayers& Vishnu adopted the orm o a boar and entered the ocean. Cho should he meet there but (iranyaksha himsel L (iranyaksha o course did not know that this boar was none other than Vishnu. (e thought that it was an ordinary boar and attacked it. ,he two ought or many years. But inally& (iranyaksha was gored to death by the boar)s tusks. ,he boar raised the earth up once again with its tusks. Vishnu thus saved the gods and the principles o righteousness or dharma.
6M.6.F +arasimha
(iranyaksha had a brother named (iranyakashipu. (iranyakashipu was urious to learn that his brother had been killed and the resolved to kill Vishnu. But this could not be done unless h e himsel became power ul land invincible. (iranyakashipu& there ore& began to pray to Brahma through di icult meditation. Brahma was pleased at these prayers and o ered to grant a boon. 2* want to be invincible&4 said (iranyakashipu. 2Elease grant me the boon that * may not be killed by night or dayK that * may not be killed by man or beastK and that * may not be killed in the sky& the water or the earth.4 Brahma granted the desired boon. And (iranyakashipu was happy. (e thought that he had taken care o all possible eventualities. And since he had become so power ul& he conHuered all the three worlds and kicked the gods out to heaven. (iranyakashipu had a son named Erahlada. You no doubt remember that (iranyakashipu had resolved to kill Vishnu. But strangely enough& Erahlada became devoted to Vishnu. (iranyakashipu tried to persuade his son. ,hat did not work. (e tried to kill his son. ,hat too did not work since each time& Vishnu intervened to save Erahlada. @eanwhile& the gods had been driven o rom heaven. ,hey had also been deprived o their shares in ya9anas by (iranyakashipu. ,hese shares now went only to the asura king. *n desperation& they went and prayed to Vishnu and Vishnu promised them that he would ind a solution. ?ne day& (iranyakashipu called Erahlada to him. 2(ow is it that you escaped each time * tried to kill youL4& he asked. 2Because Vishnu saved me&4 replied Erahlada. 2Vishnu is everywhere.4
2Chat do you mean everywhereL4& retorted (iranyakashipu. (e pointed to a crystal pillar inside the palace and asked& 2*s Vishnu inside this pillar as wellL4 2Yes&4 replied Erahlada. 2Very well then. * am going to kick the pillar&4 said (iranyakashipu. Chen (iranyakashipu kicked the pillar& it broke into two. And rom inside the pillar& Vishnu emerged in his orm o hal 3man and hal 3lion. (e caught hold o (iranyakashipu and placed the demon across his thighs. And with his claws& he tore apart the demon)s chest and so killed him. Brahma)s boon had been that (iranyakashipu would not be killed by man or beast. But then narasimha was neither man nor beast it was hal 3man and hal 3beast. ,he boon had said that the asura would not be killed in the sky& the water or the earth. But (iranyakashipu was killed on Vishnu)s thighs& which were not the sky. ,he water or the earth. And inally& the noon had promised that (iranyakashipu would not be killed by night or day. 1ince the incident took place in the evening& it was not night or day. A ter (iranyakashipu died& the gods were restored to their right ul places. VishnuAs made Erahlada the king o the asuras.
6M.6.8 Vamana
Erahlada)s grandson was Vali and Vali became very power ul. Chen he was the king o the asuras& there was a war between the devas and the asuras. ,he gods were de eated and were driven o rom svarga. As always& the gods led to Vishnu and began to pray to him to save them. Vishnu assured the gods that he would do something about Vali. Accordingly& Vishnu was born as the son o Aditi and Kashyapa. ,he son was a dwar . King Vali had arranged or a huge sacri ice and had announced that& on the occasion o the sacri ice& he would not re use anyone a boon. ,he dwar arrived at this sacri ice and began to recite the Veda)s. Vali was so pleased at this that he o ered the dwar a bon. Vali)s guru(teacher) was 1hukracharya and 1hukracharya thought that there was something ishy about the way the dwar had arrived. 1o he tried to restrain Vali. 2+o&4 said Vali. 2* have o ered a boon and * shall stick to my word.4 Chat boon do you desireL * will give whatever you want.4 Be ore a boon was actually granted& a small rite had to be per ormed with holy water. 1hukracharya was still trying to do his best to prevent the boon rom being given. 1o he entered the vessel in which the holy water was kept to seal the mouth o the vessel and prevent the water rom being taken out. ,o get at the holy water& the vessel was pierced with a straw. ,his straw also pierced one o 1hukracharya)s eyes. -ver since that day& the preceptor o the demons has been one eyed. 2Bive me as much o land as may be covered in three o my steps&4 said the dwar . 2* need this as dakshina ( ee) or my guru.4 Vali agreed. But the dwar adopted a gigantic orm. Cith one step he covered bhuloka. Cith another step he covered bhuvarloka. And with the last step he covered svarloka. ,he three worlds were thus lost to Vali and Vishnu returned them to *ndra. Vali had no option but to go down to the underworld (patala). But so pleased was Vishnu at Vali)s generosity that he granted the asura the boon that he would bear the title o *ndra in the uture.
6M.6.I Earashurama
,he kshatriyas were the second o the our classes. *t was their 9ob to wear arms and protect the world. And rule. ,he brahmanas were the irst o the our classes. *t was their 9ob to pray& study the sacred te/ts and per orm religious rites. But the kshatriyas became very insolent and began to oppress the world and the brahmanas. Vishnu was then born as the son o the sage #amadagni and his wi e "enuka. 1ince this was the line o the sage Bhrigu& Earashurama was also called Bhargava. Earashurama)s mission was to protect the brahmanas and teach a lesson to the kshatriyas. ,here was a king named Kartavirya who had received all sorts o boons rom the sage Dattatreya. ,hanks to these boons& Kartavirya had a thousand arms and conHuered and ruled over the entire world.
?ne day& Kartavirya went on a hunt to the orest. (e was very tired a ter the hunt and was invited by the sage #amadagni had a kamadhenu cow. ,his meant that the cow produced whatever its owner desired. #amadagni used the kamadhenu to treat Kartavirya and all his soldiers to a sumptuous east. Kartavirya was so enamoured o the kamadhenu that he asked the sage to give it to him. But #amadagni re used. Kartavirya then abducted the cow by orce and a war started between Kartavirya and Earashurama. *n this war& Earashurama cut o Kartavirya)s head with his a/e (parashu) and brought the kamadhenu back to the hermitage. A ter some time& Earashurama was away when Kartavirya)s sons arrived at the ashrama and killed #amadagni. ?n the death o his ather& Earashurama)s anger was aroused. (e killed all he kshatriyas in the world twenty3one times. ?n the plains o Kurukshetra& he built ive wells which were illed with the blood o kshatriyas. -ventually& Earashurama handed over the world to Kashyapa and went and lived on @ount @ahendra.
6M.6.< "ama
Brahma came out o Vishnu)s navel. Brahma)s son was @arichi)s son Kashyapa& Kashyapa)s son 1urya& 1urya)s son Vaivasvata @anu& @anu)s son *kshvaku& *kskhvakku)s son Kakutstha& Kakutstha)s son "aghu& "aghu)s son A9a& A9a)s son Dasharatha& Dasharatha)s sons were "ama& Bharata& Lakshmana and 1hatrughna. 1ince "ama was descended rom Kakutstha and "aghu& he was also called Kakutstha and "aghava. 1ince his ather)s name was Dasharatha& he was also called Dasharathi. "ama)s story belongs to the solar line (surya vansha)& since one o his ancestors was 1urya. Vishnu himsel wished to destroy "avana and the other rakshasas (demons). (e there ore divided himsel into our parts and was born as "ams& Bharata& Lakshmana and 1hatrughna. "ama was Koushalya)s son& Bharata Kaikeyi)s. Lakshmana and 1hartrughna were the sons o 1umitra. ,he sage Vishvamitra came to Dasharatha and pleaded or "ama)s help in de eating the rakshasas who were disturbing his ya9anas. "ama killed these demons and Vishvamitra was so pleased that he taught "ama the use o all divine weapons. "ama broke a bow o 1hiv)s that had been in the possession o the king o @ithila& #anaka. ,his was the task that had been appointed or marrying 1ita& #anaka)s daughter. "ama married 1ita& Lakshmana married urmila& Bharata married @andavi and 1hatrughna married 1hrutakirti. ?n the way back to Ayodhya& "ama also beat Earashurama in a duel. Dasharatha resolved that "ama should be made yuvara9a& that is& the heir apparent to the kingdom. But Kaikeyi had a servant named @anthara who plotted otherwise. Chen he was young& "ama had pulled at @anthara)s eet and ever since that day& @anthara had not been kindly towards "ama. 1he reminded Kaikeyi o the twoK boons that had been promised to her by King Dasharatha. Years ago& the gods had been ighting with the demon 1hambara and had asked Dasharatha or his help. *n ighting with 1hambara& Dasharatha had been in9ured. (e had been nursed back to health by Kaikeyi. Dasharatha had promised two boons to Kaikeyi as a reward and @anthara)s suggestion was that Kaikeyi should now ask or these two boons. By the irst boon "ama would be banished to the orest or ourteen years and by the second boon Bharata would become yuvara9a. Kaikeyi listened to @anthara. At @anthara)s instance& she asked or these two boons. Dasharatha was very angry& but "ama insisted that he would indeed go to the orest or ourteen years. "ama& Lakshmana and 1ita irst went to the banks o the river ,amasa. Drom there they went to the kingdom o Buha& the king o the hunters (nishadas). ,hey crossed the river #ahnavi and arrived in Erayaga& where the sage Bharadva9a had his hermitage. ,heir inal destination was the mountain range o >hitrakuta& on the banks o the river @andakini. @eanwhile& back home in Ayodhaya& King Dasharatha who could not bear to be parted rom "ama& died. Bharata and 1hatrughna had gone on a visit to their uncle)s house and were recalled. But Bharatha re used to be king. (e went to the orest to try and persuade "ama to return& but "ama insisted that he would not return be ore the ourteen years were over. 1o Bharata brought back "ama)s sandals. (e placed these sandals on the throne as a token o "ama)s kingship. And he began to rule the kingdom in "ama)s name rom +andigrama& rather than rom Ayodhya. "ama& Lakshmana and 1ita then went to the orest that is known as the Dandaka orest& dandakaranya. ,his orest was on the banks o the river Bodavari and there was a beauti ul lgrove inside the orest known as Eanchavati. ,hey built a hut there and resolved to live there.
,here was a rakshasa woman named 1hurpanakha. 1he happened to come to the place where "ama Lakshmana and 1ita had built their hut. 1hurpanakha liked "ama so much that she wanted to marry "ama and eat up Lakshmana and 1ita. But Lakshmana cut o 1hurpanakha)s nose and ears with his sword. 1hurpanakha led to brother Khara and demanded revenge. Khara and ourteen thousand other demons (rakshasas) attacked "ama& but they were all killed by "ama. 1hurpanakha then went to her other brother "avana& the king o Lanka. "avana asked the rakshasa @aricha to adopt the orm o a golden deer and roam around in ront o "ama)s hut. 1ita was so charmed by the deer that she asked "ama to capture it or her. "ama was long in returning and Lakshmana went to look or him. ,aking advantage o "ama and Lakshmana)s absence& "avana kidnapped 1ita. #atayu& the king o the birds& did try to stop "avana& but he met his death at "avana)s hands. "ama and Lakshmana were greatly distressed to ind 1ita missing and they looked or her everywhere. "ama made riends with the monkey 1ugriva. (e killed 1ugriva)s brother Bali and made 1ugriva the king o monkeys. ,he monkeys were sent o in all the our directions to look or 1ita. ,he monkeys who had gone towards the south learnt that 1ita was in Lanka& across the ocean. ?ne o these monkeys was (anumana. (anumana leapt over the ocean and arrived in Lanka. (e discovered the lonesome 1ita in a grove o ashoka trees& the ashokavana. (anumana introduced himsel and assured 1ita that he would soon be back with "ama. (anumana caused some general havoc in Lanka and was captured by @eghnada or *ndra9it& "avana)s son. "avana ordered that (anumana)s tail should be set on ire. But (anumana used his burning tail to set ire to all the houses o Lanka. (e then returned to "ama with the news that 1ita had been ound. "ama& Lakshmana and the army o monkeys arrived at the shores o the ocean. ,here they built a bridge over the ocean so that they could cross over into Lanka. ,here was a terrible war in which "ama killed the giant Kumbhakarna& "avana)s brother. Lakshmana killed *ndra9it. "ama killed "avana with a power ul divine weapon& the brahmastra. ,he ourteen years were by now over and "ama& Lakshmana and 1ita returned to Ayodhya. ,here "ama was crowned king and he treated his sub9ects as his own sons. (e punished the wicked and ollowed the path o dharma. During "ama)s rule there was no shortage o oodgrains anywhere and the people were righteous. +o one died an untimely death. ?n "ama)s instructions& 1hatrughna killed the asura Lavana and built the city o @athura in the place where Lavana)s kingdom had been. Bharata was sent by "ama to kill a wicked gandharva& a singer o heaven named 1hailusha& who lived on the banks o the river *ndus with his sons. Bharata killed them and built two cities there& ,akshashila and Eushkaravati. *n ,akshashila Bharata established his son Ataksha as king and in Eushkaravati he made his son pushkara the king. "ama and 1ita had two sons named Kusha and Lava. "ama ruled or eleven thousand years be ore he died. ,his is the story o the "amayana as recounted in the Agni Eurana. *t was written by the sage Valmiki a ter he had heard the story rom the sage +arada. "ama was the seventh avatara o Vishnu& Krishna was the eighth.
1:&! ?arivamsha and Maha5harat

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6M.;.6 ,he (arivamsha

As you have already been told& Brahma emerged rom Vishnu)s navel. Brahma)s son was Atri& Atri)s son 1oma& 1oma)s son Eururava& Eururava)s son Ayu& Ayu)s son +ahusha and +ahush9a)s son Yayati. Yayati had two wives& Devayani and 1harmishtha. Devayani had two sons& Yadu and ,urvusu. And 1harmishtha had three sons& Druhya& Anu and Euru. ,he descendants o Yadu were known as the Yadavas. Vasudeva was a Yadava. (is wi e was Devaki. Vishnu was born as sthe son o Vasudeva and Devaki in order to remove the wicked rom the world. ,he seventh son o Vasudeva and Devaki was Baladeva. And the eight son was Krishna himsel . Krishna was born in the month o Bhadra in the thick o the night. 1cared that the wicked Kakmsa might kill the newly born child& Vasudeva le t him with Yashoda& the wi e o +anda.
+anda was the king o the cowherds and he brought up Baladeva and Krishna. Kamsa sent a rakshasa woman named Eutana to kill Krishna but Krishna killed her instead. *n Vrindavana& Krishna subdued the terrible snake known as Kaliya. (e killed several other rakshasas named Arishta& Vrishabha& Keshi& Dhenuka and Bardhabha and made the country sa e rom the attackso these demons. (e also stopped the worship o *ndra. ,his led to a ight between *ndra and Krishna& *ndra tried to destroy the inhabitants o Bokula by sending down torrents o rain. But Krishna held alo t the mountain Bovardhana and saved the inhabitants o Bokula. Kamsa)s capital was in @athura& Baladeva and Krishna went there. Kamsa let loose a mad elephant named Kuvalayapida on Krishna. But Krishna killed Kuvalayapida. Baladeva and Krishna also killed two strong wrestlers& >hanura and @ushtika& whom Kamsa had instructed to kill Baladeva and Krishna. Dinally& Krishna killed Kamsa and made %grasena the king.
Kamsa was #arasandha)s son3in3law and #arasandha became urious when he learnt o Kamsa)s death. (e attacked the Yadavas and laid siege to the city o @athura. A ter a prolonged war& Krishna managed to de eat #arasandha. Krishna also de eated another evil king named Eoundraka. ?n Krishna)s instructions& the Yadavas built the beauti ul city o Dvaraka or Dvaravati. ,he Yadavas began to live in Dvaraka. ,here was an asura named +araka who was killed by Krishna. +araka had imprisoned si/teen thousand daughters o the devas& gandharvas and yakshas (guards o (eaven)s treasury). ,hese women were reed by Krishna and Krishna married all o them. Amongst Krishna)s other e/ploits were de eating the daitya Eancha9ana& killing Kalayavna& sei:ing the pari9ata tree rom *ndra and bringing back to li e the sage 1andipani)s dead son. Krishna had several sons. 1hamba was born o Krishna)s wi e #ambavati and Eradyumna was born o Krishna)s wi e "ukmini. As soon as Eradyumna was born& he was abducted by the asura 1hambara. 1hambara threw the baby into the sea& but a ish swallowed the baby. A isherman caught the ish and brought it to 1hambara)s house. Chen the ish)s stomach was cut open& the baby came out. ,here was a woman named @ayavati who lived in 1hambara)s house and 1hambara handed over baby Eradyumna to @ayavati so that he might be brought up well. Chen he grew up& Eradyumna killed 1hambara and married @ayavati. ,hey returned to dvaraka and Krishna was very happy to see his lost son. Eradyumma and @ayavati had a son named Aniruddha. Aniruddha secretly married %sha& the daughter o King Vana& Vana himsel being the son o Vali. Vana)s capital was in a city named 1honitapura. Vana had pleased 1hiva through hard and di icult tapasya& so that sometimes he was called the son o 1hiva. Vana loved to ight and he had wanted a boon rom 1hiva that he might get the chance to ight with someone who was his eHual in battle. A lag with a peacock on it used to ly rom the ramparts o Vana)s palace. 1hiva told him the day this lag ell down. Vana)s desire or with an eHual would be satis ied. Cith the help o a riend o %sha)s& Anuruddha and %sha used to meet secretly in Vana)s palace. Vana)s guards in ormed him about this and there was a ierce battle between Vana and Aniruddha At the same time& the lag with the peacock on it ell down. Krishna got to know rom +arada about the ight between Vana and Aniruddha and he& Baladeva and Eradyumna arrived in Vana)s capital. 1hiva came to ight on Vana)s side& accompanied by +andi and 1kanda or Kartikeya. But a ter a duel that lasted or a long time& Krishna triumphed over these enemies. Krishna)s arrows also cut o the thousand arms that Vana had. But at 1hiva)s reHuest& Krishna spared Vana)s li e and gave two arms with which to make do. All o these stories about Krishna are related in detail in the (arivamsha. ,he Agni Eurana merely gives a brie summary o the (arivamsha. But stories about Krishna& the eight avatara o Vishnu& also crop up in the @ahabharata. ,he Agni Eurana& there ore& ne/t summarises the @ahabharata.
6M.;.; ,he @ahabharat

,he Eandavas were merely a prete/t. Krishna used the Eandavas to rid the world o evil men. You have already learnt that one o Yayati)s sons was Euru. *n Euru)s line were born Bharata and Kuru. ?ne o Kuru)s descendants was the king 1hantanu. 1hantanu married Banga and Bhishma was born rom this marriage. But 1hantanu also married 1atyavati and had two more sons& >hitrangada and Vichitravirya. Bhishma never married. >hitrangada died young. Chen Vichitravirya grew up& Bhishma de eated the king o Kashi and brought
two o the king)s daughters& Ambika and Ambalika& as brides or Vichitravirya. Vichitravirya as also Huite young when he died o tuberculosis. 1ince Vichitravirya had le t no children& Vyasadeva was brought to (astinapura. Vyasadeva and Ambalika had a son named Dhritarashtra and Vyasadeva and Ambalika had a son named Eandu. Dhritarashtra married Bandhari and they had a hundred sons& o whom the most important was Duryodhana. Eandu had two wives& Kunti and @adri. Kunti)s sons were Yudhishthira& Bhima and Ar9una and @adri)s sons were +akula and 1ahadeva. But Yudhishthira was really the son o the god Dharma and not Eandu)s son. 1imilarly& Bhima was the son o the god Eavana& Ar9una the son o *ndra and +akula and 1ahadeva the sons o the two Ashvinis. -arlier& Kunti had a son named Karna rom the sun3god. ,his was be ore she had god married to Eandu. Karna became a riend o Duryodhana)s. Because o a curse imposed on him by a sage& Eandu died in the orest. Duryodhana tried his best to kill the Eandavas. (e set ire to a house o lac (9atugriha) in which Kunti and the ive Eandavas were staying. But the Eandavas were saved and led to a city named -kachakra. ,here they lived& disguised as brahmanas. *n -kachakra& they destroyed a rakshasa named Vaka. ,hey then won the hand o the daughter o the king o Eanchala. (er name was Droupadi and all ive Eandava brothers married her. Chen Duryodhana learnt that the Eandavas were alive& he handed over hal the kingdom to them. @eanwhile& the orest Khandava had to be burnt and Krishna and Ar9una did this together. Krishna had be riended Ar9una. Chen Ar9una success ully de eated the god Agni at the burning o the Khandava orest& Agni gave him several divine weapons. Ar9una had also obtained divine weapons rom his guru Dronacharya. ?n the Eandava side& Yudhishthira had become king. ,he Eandavas organised a ra9asuya ya9na (royal sacri ice) in which they conHuered several kingdoms and accumulated lot o wealth. ,his made Duryodhana envious. (e arranged a game o dice (aksha) between Yudhishthira and Duryodhana)s uncle 1hakuni. 1hakuni did not play airly and Yudhishthira lost the game. As penalty or the loss& the Eandavas were to spend twelve years in the orest and one additional year without being detected. Droupadi went with them to the orest& as did the Eandava)s priest& Dhoumya. A ter the twelve years were over& the Eandavas came to the kingdom o King Virata where they proposed to spend the additional year that had to be spent in disguises. Yudhishthira pretended to be a brahmana& Bhima a cook& Ar9una a dancer& +akula and 1ahadeva stable3hands. Droupadi became the Hueen)s maid. ,he Hueen)s brother Kichaka tried to molest Droupadi& but was killed by Bhima. Chen the year was over& the Kauravas attacked King Virata to rob him o his cattle. But Ar9una de eated all the Kauravas and saved Virata)s cattle A ter this success& the identity o the Eandavas could no longer be kept a secret. But thank ully& the one year during which identities had to be kept a secret& was over. King Virata)s daughter %ttara was married to Abhimanyu& Ar9una)s son. Abhimanyu)s mother was 1ubhadra& whom Ar9una had married. 1ubhadra also happened to be Krishna)s sister. ,he Eandavas now demanded their right ul share o the kingdom& but Duryodhana re used. A war was imminent. A huge battalion o soldiers was known as an akshouhini. Duryodhana collected eleven akshouhinis or the war and Yudhishthira collected seven. Krishna was sent as a messenger to Duryodhana to try and preserve the peace. Krishna told Duryodhana that the Eandavas would be satis ied with a mere ive villages. Duryodhana re used to give them even this without a ight. 1o the armies gathered or a war on the plains o Kurukshetra. +oticing that elders and relatives like Bhishma and Dronacharya were ighting on the side o the Kaurvas& Ar9una was reluctant to ight. But Krishna gave Ar9una lessons which have come down to us as the Bita. (e taught there was no reason or sorrow i Bhishma or Dronacharya died& that was only a death o their physical bodies. ,he true identity o a person was his atman (soul) which never died& but passed rom one body to another. ,rue bliss was obtained when the atman united with the brahman (divine essence) or paramatman (supreme soul). ,his was always the goal o a yogi& that is& a person who sought union with god. ,hus instructed by Krishna& Ar9una started to ight. Cith the help o 1hikhandi& he de eated Bhishma. ,his happened on the tenth day o the ighting. Bhishma did not however die. (e had earlier received the boon that he would only die when he actually wished to do so. Dor many days& he lay there in the battle ield on a bed o arrows. A ter Bhishma)s de eat& Dronacharya became the general on the Eandava side. Dronaharya killed Virata&
Drupada and several other kings and soldiers on the Eandava side. Dhrishtadyumna also killed many Kaurava soldiers. ?n the i teenth day o the ighting& a rumour gained currency that Ashvatthama& Dronacharya)s son& had been killed. Dronacharya abandoned his weapons on hearing this bad news and Dhrishtadyumna aced no problems in killing him. Karna now became the Kaurava general and lasted or two and a hal days be ore he was killed by Ar9una. 1halya was the last Kaurava general. (e ought or only hal a day and was killed by Yudhishthira. Bhima and Duryodhana ought the last duel o the war with maces. Bhima broke Duryodhana)s thighs and killed him. Ashvatthama had been uming ever since his ather Dronacharya had been killed by un air means. *n the dead o the night& he entered the Eandava camp where he killed Dhrishtadyumna and the ive sons o Droupadi. Droupadi was disconsolate and demanded revenge. Ar9una and Ashvatthama let loose divine weapons at each other. 1ince this might destroy the world& they were asked to withdraw these weapons. Ar9una could withdraw his weapon& but Ashvatthama could not. Ashvatthama)s weapon killed the baby that was in %ttara)s womb& but when the dead baby was born& Krishna brought it back to li e. ,his baby was Earikshita. @any kings and soldiers died in the course o the Kurukshetra war. ,he only ones le t alive were Kritvarma& Kripacharya and Ashvatthama on the Kaurava side and Eandava side. A ter the war was over& Bhishma taught Yudhishthira the duties o king. *t was only a ter this that he died. As a king& Yudhishthira per ormed many ya9nas and gave a lot o to brahmanas. Chen Yudhishthira learnt that the Yadvas had been destroyed& he no longer wished to rule. (e handed over the kingdom to Earikshita and the Eandavas le t on a pilgrimage& in the course o which they died. *t was Krishna who had used the Eandavas as a tool to rid the world o evil kings and establish the good ones. "ealising that the Yadavas were also evil& Krishna also ensured that the Yadavas would be destroyed. (e then gave up his li e at the place o pilgrimage that is known as Erabhasa. A ter Krishna died& the city o Dvarka was swallowed up by the sea. ,his was the story o the eighth avatara o Vishnu.
1:&* #uddhaB2al.i and 0reation

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6M.7.6 Buddha and Kalki

,he ninth avatara o Vishnu was Buddha and the tenth will be Kalki. @any years ago& there was a war between the devas and the asuras in which the demons managed to de eat the gods. ,he gods went running to Vishnu or protection and Vishnu told them that @ayamoha would be born as Buddha& the son o 1huddhodana. 1uch were the illusions that Buddha created& that the asuras le t the path indicated by the Vedas and became Buddhists. ,hese dastardly creatures per ormed ceremonies that were a sure ticket to naraka. ,owards the end o the Kali era& all people will be dastardly. ,hey will oppose the Vedas& become robbers and will be concerned only with wealth. ,he disbelievers will then become kings and these kings will also be cannibals. @uch later& Kalki will be born on earth as the son o Vishnuyasha. (e will take up arms to destroy these disbelievers. Kalki)s priest will be the sage Ya9navalkya. ,he norms o he our classes (varna) and the our stages o li e (ashrama) will be established yet again. Eeople will honour the sacred te/ts and become righteous. *t will then be time or the dawn o a new satya yuga& a resh period o righteousness. *n every cycle (kalpa) and in every era (manvantara) Vishnu is thus born in various orms. *t is a sacred duty to listen to the stories o the ten avataras. ,he listener attains his desires and goes to heaven.
6M.7.; >reation
Agni ne/t told Vashishtha the history o creation. Vishnu is the Lord o creation& preservation and destruction. Be ore creation& it was only the brahman that was everywhere. ,here was no day& night or sky.
Dirst Vishnu created the waters. And in the waters he sowed the seeds o brahmanda. the great egg. Drom this seed there developed a golden egg which began to loat on the waters. Drom the egg Brahma created himsel . 1ince he created himsel (svayam sambhuta)& Brahma is also known as 1vayambhu. (aving created himsel & Brahma stayed inside the egg or an entire year. And at the end o the year& he split the egg into two. ?ne part o the egg ormed the heaven& the other the earth. And in between the two parts o the egg& Brahma created the sky. Brahma ne/t established the earth on the waters and made the ten directions. (e created time& lightning& thunder& clouds& rain bows& words and anger. ,o ensure that ya9nas could be per ormed& te/ts o the "ig Veda& the Ya9ur Veda and the 1ama Veda emerged rom his body. (oly people use the Vedas to per orm >eremonies meant or the gods. Drom the powers o his mind& Brahma created seven sons. ,heir names were @arichi& Atri& Angira& Eulastya& Eulaha Kratu and Vashishtha. Erithu is recognised as the irst king Erithu was descended rom Dhruva. And Erithu)s ather Vena was also a king. But Vena was an evil kingK he was simply not interested in protecting his sub9ects. ,he sages there ore killed Vena with a straw and a ter Vena had died& they began to knead the dead body)s right hand and it was thus that Erithu emerged. (e wore armour and carried bow and arrows when he was born. (e ruled well& as per the dictates o dharma. (e looked upon all his sub9ects as his own sons. Drom Erithu the earth came to be known as prithivi.
1:&, "emples, ?oly Places and Astrology

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6M.F.6 (ow to Eray& (ow to Build ,emples and Deities

,he Agni purana ne/t has several chapters on how to pray and on how to build temples and idols. ,he ,echniHues o praying to Vishnu & 1hiva& 1urya and the other gods and goddesses are described& including the special mantras (incantations)that must be used so as to please speci ic gods and there are prescribed orms or such bathing as well. A Eerson who builds temples is blessed. -ven i one merely thinks o building temples& the sins o a hundred lives are orgiven. A builder o a single temple goes to heaven (svarga). A builder o ive to shivaloka& a builder o eight vishnuloka and a builder o si/teen temples is reed rom the shackles o being born again and again. Chat is the point o earning money i one does not build templesL @oney is also meant to be donated as alms to brahmanas& but the punya or merit earned rom building a temple is greater than the punya earned rom donating alms. ,he merit earned by builder o temples is greatest or a golden temple& lesser or a stone temple& still lesser or a wooden temple and least rom earthen ,emple. @ore punya is acHuired rom building an idol than rom building a temple. *dols o gods and goddesses should always be set up so that they ace the cityK they should not ace away rom the city. ,he easy is or Brahma)s. Vishnu idol can be setup anywhere at all. Di erent idols o Vishnu must have di erent orms. >onsider& or e/ample& idols or images o the ten incarnations o Vishnu. ,he matsya ( ish) avatara must naturally look like a ish and the kurma (turtle) avatara must look like a turtle. But the varaha (boar) avatara will our arms like a man and will hold a gada (mace)& a padma (lotus lower)& a shankha (conch shell) and a chakra (bladed discuss) in these our arms. ,he narasimha avatara should have two arms holding a chakra and a gada and should wear a garland. ,he vamana (dwar ) avatara should hold an umbrella and a stick in his two hands. Earashurama will have our hands with a bow. arrows& a sword and an a/e in these hands. "ama)s image can have either two arms or our. * there are our arms& the our hands will hold a bow& arrows& a conch shell and a chakra. Balarama)s image may also have either our arms or two. * there are two arms& the our arms the hands will hold a plough& a conch shell& a club and a chakra. Buddha)s image should have a calm appearance. *t should be seated on a lotus. ,he ears should be elongated Kalka)s image is that o a brahmana& seated on a horse and holding a bow and arrows& a conch shell& a sword and a chakra. Krishna)s image may be either two3armed or our3armed. ,hree o the our arms will hold a gada& a chakra and a shankha. ,he ourth palm will be opened out in the act o granting a boon. ?n either side o Krishna)s image& there will be images o Brahma and 1hiva. Brahma has our aces and our arms and the image should have a pronounced rides a swan . ?n either side o Brahma)s image& there will be images o 1arasvati and 1avitri.
Vishnu)s image has eight arms. 1even o the arms hold a sword& a mace& arrow& a bow& a shield& a chakra and a conch shell. ,he eighth palm is spread out as i Vishnu is granting a boon. Vishnu should be shown riding on Baruda. Baruda will also have eight arms. ,o the right o Vishnu)s image& there should be images o Lakshmi and 1arasvati& Lakshmi holding a lotus and 1arasvati holding a veena (a musical instrument). ,here has also got to be and image o Vishnu e/hibiting his universal orm (vishvarupa). ,he Vishavrupa image has our heads and twenty arms. >handi)s image has twenty arms. ,he ten arms on the right hold a spear& a sword& a shakti (a small spear)& a chakra& a pasha (noose)& a shield& a drum and any two other weapons. ,he ten arms on the le t hold snakes a rod& an a/e& an amkusha (used or driving elephants)& a bow& a bell& a lag& a mace a mirror and a cub. *n ront o >handi)s image there will be the image o a bu alo with its head cut o . ,he image o an asura will be shown emerging rom the body o the bu alo. ,he demon)s hair& eyes and garland will be red in colour. *t will be shown to be vomiting blood and it will hold weapons in its hand& ,he demon)s neck will be on the lion and her le t leg will be on the demon)s back *mages o >handi may sometimes also have ten si/teen or eighteen arms. 1hiva)s image (linga) may be made out o earth& wood& iron& 9ewels& gold& silver& copper& bron:e or mercury.
6M.F.; Elaces o Eilgrimage

A visit to a place o pilgrimage (tirtha) brings the same punya that is obtained rom per orming a ya9na. *t is because people had not gone on pilgrimages or donated gold and cows in their earlier lives that they were born poor in their ne/t lives. ,he best place o pilgrimage is Eushkara& Brahma& other gods and sages who wish to go to heaven live there. ,he best time to go to Eushkara is in the month o Kartika. *n Eushkara itsel there are two other places o pilgrimage known as #ambumarga and ,andulikashrama. *t is di icult to go to Eushkara. But there are several other tirthas as well. ?ne such is Kurukshetra& where Vishnu and the other gods keep on coming. ,he river 1arasvati lows near Kurukshetra. * one bathes in the 1arasvati& one attains brahmaloka. Any region through which the river Banga lows also becomes a tirtha. -ven i one sees the Banga& the punya o per orming ya9nas is attained. A person who bears earth rom the bed o the Banga on his head is reed o all sins. Erayaga is another amous place o pilgrimage. Brahma& Vishnu& *ndra and the other gods& gandharvas& apsaras and the sages are always there in Erayaga. ,his is because the two holy rivers& Banga and Yamuna& come together in Erayaga. ,here are many tirthas inside Erayaga itsel . ,he sages have said that& in the month o @agha& i one bathes or three days in Erayaga& that is better than donating crores and crores o cows. * one donates alms in Erayaga& one goes to svarga and is born as a king in one)s ne/t li e. * one dies in Erayaga& one goes straight to vishnuloka. 1hiva himsel had told Earvati that Varanasi was a very holy tirtha and that 1hiva never le t the city. Varanasi is so named because it is located at the 9unction o two rivers& Varana and Asi. Varanasi is also known as Kashi. ,he river +armada is also sacred. ,here may be several holy tirthas& but Baya is the holiest o them all. A demon named Bayasura once started to per orm and such were the powers o his tapasya that the gods began to su er. ,hey went to Vishnu and asked him to save them Vishnu agreed and appeared be ore Bayasura. 2Accept a boon&4 said Vishnu. 2Brant me the boon that * may become the most sacred o all tirthas&4 replied the daitya. ,he boon was granted and Bayasura disappeared. ,he gods returned to svarga& but elt that the earth seemed to be deserted now that Bayasura had disappeared. Vishnu then instructed Brahma and the other gods to per orm a sacri ice. (e also asked them to go to Bayasura and ask or his body so that the sacri ice might be per ormed on it. Bayasura readily agreed& and as soon as he agreed& his head ell o rom the body& Brahma then proceeded to per orm the sacri ice on Bayasura)s headless body. But as soon as the sacri ice started& the body began to shake. ,his meant that the sacri ice could not be properly per ormed and a solution had to be ound. ,he solution was that the gods should all enter a stone which would be placed on Bayasura)s body so that the body would not
shake. ,he sacri ice could then be per ormed. Vishnu himsel also entered the stone. *t is because the gods and Vishnu are always there in Baya that Baya is sacred. *n act& there is a story behind this stones as well. ,he sage @arichi was Brahma)s son and had married Dharmavrata. ?ne day& @arichi went to the orest to collect wood and lowers and returned e/tremely tired. (e called Dharmavrata and said& 2* am very tired. ,oday you must wash my eet or me.4 Dharmavrata began to wash @arichi)s eet when Brahma suddenly arrived. Dharmavrata did not know what to do. 1hould she inish washing her husband)s eetL ?r should she irst attend to Brahma& since Brahma3was @arichi)s atherL 1he decided to attend to Brahma irst. At this @arichi became very angry and cursed Dharmavrata that she would turn into a stone. Dharmavrata was greatly distressed at being cursed or what she thought had not been a ault at all. 1o she per ormed tapasya or many years. Chen Vishnu and the other gods were pleased at Dharmavrata)s meditation& they appeared and o ered to grant her a boon. Dharmavrata wished that the curse imposed on her by @arichi might be waived. ,he gods e/plained that this was impossible& since @arichi was a very power ul sage. Chat they would however& do was to make Dharmavrata a very holy stone desired even by the gods. ,he gods promised to be always inside this stone. *t was this stone that was placed on Bayasura)s body. ?nce the sacri ice was over& Bayasura himsel desired a boon rom the gods and the gods granted him that Baya would become the most sacred o all tirthas. *t was in Baya that the Eandavas had prayed to Vishnu.
6M.F.7 Beography
,he world is divided into seven regions (dvipas). ,heir names are #ambu& Elaksha& 1halmali& Kusha& Krouncha& 1haka& and Eushkara. ,he seven dvipas are surrounded by seven oceans and the names o these oceans are Lavana& *kshu& 1ura& 1arpih& Dadhi& Dugdha and #ala. "ight in the centre o #ambudvipa is @ount @eru. @ountains named (imavana& (emakuta and +ishada are to the south o @eru and mountains named +ila& shveta and 1hringi are to the north o @eru. #ambudvipa is known by that name as there are a large number o 9ambu (9amun) trees in this area. ?n the top @ount @eru is Brahma)s amous city. %nder the earth is the underworld. ,his too& consists o seven regions and their names are Atala& Vitala& 1utala& ,alatala& @ahatala& "asatsala and Eatala. ,he daityas and the danavas live in the underworld. Vishnu is also there in the underworld& in his orm o the great snake 1hesha. ,he snake 1hesha holds up the earth on its hood. ,hat part o the sky which is lit up by sun3rays is known as +abha. Above the earth is the sun& above the sun the moon& above the moon the stars& above the stars @ercury& above @ercury Venus& above Venus #upiter and above #upiter the constellation o the Breat Bear (saptarshimandala). Beyond this constellation is the world o Dhruva.
6M.F.F Astrology
,he Agni Eurana ne/t gives a lot o in ormation on astrology. *t states when marriages should take place and when they should not. Dor e/ample& marriages are never to be held in the months o >haitra and Eousha or under the signs o Libra or Bemini. * one is going on a trip& then Driday is the best day to start on. @edicine should not be taken i one o the nakshatras (stars) Eushya& (asta& #yeshtha& 1hravana or Ashvini is not in the sky. * one wishes to have a bath a ter recovering rom an illness& then 1aturday is the best day or such a bath. ,he irst time a child)s head is shaved should never be on ,uesday or a 1aturday. -ars should be pierced on Cednesday or ,hursday. +ew clothes should not irst be worn on Cednesday& ,hursday or Driday. A new house should not be entered into the months o >haitra& #yeshtha& Bhadra& Ashvina& Eousha or @agha. *t is best to reap grain on a Cednesday.
1:&/ Manvataras, +arnashrama and +ratas

6M.8.6 @anvataras
-ach manvantara (era) is rule over by a @anu. ,he irst @anu was 1vayambhuva. 1hatakratu held the title o *ndra during this manvantara. ,he second @anu was 1varochisha. Vipashchita held the title o *ndra during this manvantara. ,hird @anu was %ttama and 1ushanti was *ndra then. ,he ourth @anu was tapasa and 1hikhi held the title o *ndra then. ,he i th @anu was "aivata and Vitatha was *ndra then. ,he title o *ndra was held by @ano9ava during the si/th manvantara& the @anu being >hakhusha. +e/t came 1hraddhadeva& the seventh @anu Eurandara being the *ndra. ,he eighth @anu)s name is 1avarni and the eighth *ndra)s Vali. ,he eighth manvantara has not yet come. ,he ninth @anu will be Dakshasavarni and the ninth *ndra wil be Adbhuta. During the tenth manvantara& the @anu will be Brahmasavarni and the title o *ndra will be held by 1hanti. During the rule o the eleventh @anu Dharmasavarni& the *ndra will be Bana. ,he twel th @anu will be "udrasavarni and the twel th *ndra will be "itadhama. "ouchya will be the thirteenth @anu and Divaspati will be the thirteenth *ndra. ,he ourteenth @anu will be Bhoutya and the title o *ndra will then be held by 1huchi. During each o Brahma)s days& there are ourteen such manvantaras. A ter that comes Brahma)s night& when all these living beings are destroyed.
6M.8.; Varnashrama Dharma

All the @anus practised the precepts o dharma (righteousness). ,his meant non3violence& truth ulness& piety& going on pilgrimages donating alms& serving devas and brahmanas& tolerance o all religions and the ollowing o the sacred te/ts. *t also meant the practice o the system o the our classes (varna) and the our stages in li e (ashrama). ,he our varnas are brahmanas& kshatriyas& vaishyas and shudras. Eer orming sacri ices& donating alms and studying the Vedas are duties that brahmanas& kshatriyas and vaishyas must per orm. *n addition& the kshatriyas must protect the good and punish the evil. ,he vaishyas must take care o trade& agriculture and animal husbandry. ,he duties o shudras are to serve the brahmanas and artisanship. Chen brahmanas take up the upavita& the sacred thread that is the mark o the irst three classes& it is like a second birth or them. 1o brahmanas are known as dvi9as(born twice). An anuloma marriage is a marriage where the husband is rom a higher class than the wi e. ,he o spring o such a marriage belong to the mothers class. A pratiloma marriage is a marriage where the wi e is rom a higher class than the husband. >handalas were born this way rom brahmana women& 1utas rom kshatriya women& Devalas rom vaishya women& Eukkashas rom kshatriya women and @agadhas rom vaishya women. >handalas are e/ecutioneers& 1utas charioteers& Devalas guards& Eukkashas hunters and @agadhas bards. >handalas should live outside the villages and should not touch those belonging to any other class. ,he best name or a brahmana is that which ends in 1harma. 1imilarly& the best name or a kshatriya ends in Varma& or a vaishya in Bupta and or a shudra in Dasa. ,he sacred thread ceremony is to be held at the age o eight years or brahmanas& eleven years or kshatriyas and twelve years or vaishyas. +o sacred a thread ceremony should be held beyond si/teen years o age.
,he irst stage in li e is that o brahmacharya (studenthood). A student should never eat honey or meat and should never indulge in singing or dancing. (e should completely give up violence and speaking to women. (is duties are to discuss the shastras (holy te/ts) and associate with learned men. Apart rom that& he will meditate in solitude on the true nature o the brahman. ,he ne/t stage o li e is that o garhasthya (household stage). A brahmana may have our wives& a kshatriya three& a vaishya two and a shudra only one. ,he husband and the wi e should be rom the same varna. @arriage across varna is to be avoided. A woman can marry again provided that her husband has disappeared& is dead. has become a hermit or is such a sinner that he is e/pelled rom his own varna. * her husband dies& a widow is permitted to marry her late husband)s younger brother. A householder should get up at dawn and pray to the gods. (e should always bathe in the morning. (e should not talk impolitely. (e should not bite his nails. (e should not laugh at those who are in erior. And he should never reside in a place where there is no king& no doctor or no river. (e must not insult his elders. (e should never criticise the Vedas& the shastras& the devas& the sages and the king. And he must never travel without a light at night. ,he third ashrama is vanaprastha ( orest 3 dwelling stage). 1uch a person should always sleep on the ground and wear skins as clothes. (e should wear his hair matted and give up the company o other people. (e has to serve gods and guests and live on ruit and roots. *n the inal stage o li e (sannyasa) a person becomes a hermit. *n this ashrama& a person attains true knowledge and is completely reed. But he should become a hermit only when he is convinced that he has completely lost all interest in material pursuits. 1uch a person is not a ected by birth or death. (e realises that the physical body is transient& that it is o no concern at all. *t is the knowledge o the atman (soul) that is the best orm o knowledge. Chen one gains this knowledge& one realises the identi ication o the atman with the brahman& one understands that the brahman is everywhere.
6M.8.7 1ins and their Attonement

* one commits a sin& one has to atone or it. ,his is known as prayashchitta. * one does not atone or the sins that one has committed& it is the king)s duty to punish the sinner. * one drinks rom a well where the dead body o an animal has been loating& one has to ast or three days. ,he worst possible sins are the killing o brahmana& the drinking o wine and the t. ?ther sins are criticising the Vedas& the bearing o alse witness& killing a riend& killing a cow& orsaking one)s parents or sons& the selling o ponds& murder& lying& killing animals and the cutting down o green trees or odder. A killer o a brahmana has to build a hut in the orest and live there or twelve years. (e has to beg or a living and give up all that he possesses to another brahmana. A killer o cows has to live on 9ust coarse grain or a month. (e has to live with cattle and ollow them around during the day. All his possessions have to be given up to a brahmana and he has to bathe in cow)s urine or two months. * a brahmana steals gold& he should go and report his crime to the king. ,he king will then hit him with a club and this will be the brahmana)s prayashchitta. ,he sin o killing kshatriya is one3 ourth the sin o killing a brahmana. * one kills a vaishya& the sin is one3eighth the sin o killing a brahmana. And i one kills a shudra& the sin is one3si/teenth o the sin o killing a brahmana. Killing a cat& a mongoose& a rog& a dog& a li:ard or a crow is as sin ul as killing a shudra.
6M.8.F Vratas
Depending on the tithi (lunar day)& the day o the week& the nakshatras (stars)& the month& the season and the position o the sun& certain speci ic religious rites and ceremonies have to be per ormed. ,hese are known as vratas. ,he irst day o the lunar ortnight is known as pratipada. ,he day o pratipada in the months o Kartika& Ashvina and >haitra are Brahma)s tithis. *t is then that the worship o Brahma must be done. ?n the second day o the lunar ortnight (dvitiya)& one should eat only lowers and pray to the two Ashvinis. this makes the supplicant handsome and lucky. 1huklapaksha is that lunar ortnight in which the moon wa/es and
1huklapaksha dvitiya in the month o Kartika is earmarked or the worship o Yama. * one per orms this vrata& one does not have to go to naraka (hell). ,his is also the day or praying to Balarama and Krishna. *t was on the third day o the lunar ortnight (tritiya)& in shuklapaksha and in the month o >haitra& that 1hiva married Earvati or Bouri. "ites per ormed on this day are thus known as gourivrata. 1hiva and Earvati have to be given o erings o ruit. ,he eight names o Earvati have to be recited. ,hese are Lalita& Vi9aya& Bhadra Bhavani& Kumuda& 1hiva& Vasudevi and Bouri. >haturthi vrata is per ormed on the ourth day o the lunar ortnight& is shuklapaksha and in the month o @agha. ,his is the day or worshipping the common gods (gana devata). ,he o erings on this occasion are to be wine and ragrant per umes. ?n the i th day o the lunar ortnight& one per orms panchami vrata. ,his grants good health and takes care o bad omens. Earticularly auspicious or panchami vrata are the shuklapakshas in the months o 1hravana& Bhadra& Ashvina and Kartika. ?n the si/th day o the lunar ortnight one per orms shashthi vrata. ?ne has to live only on ruit and i one per orms this vrata& the ruits o any action that one per orms live orever. 1hashthi vrata should be observed especially in the months o Kartika and Bhadra. 1urya is to be worshipped on the seventh (saptami) day o the lunar ortnight. * saptami vrata is observed in shuklapaksha& all sorrow disappears. 1ins are stoned or and all one)s desires are attained. Comen who have no children can have sons i they observe these rites. ,he eight day o the lunar ortnight (ashtami) is very signi icant. Krishna was born on this tithi in the month o Bhadra when the nakshatra "ohini was in the sky. Ashtami is there ore auspicious in the month o Bhadra. * one asts on that day and prays to Krishna& the sins o one)s earlier seven lives are atoned or. But this vrata is to be observed in krishnapaksha and not in shuklapaksha& since Krishna was born in Krishnapaksha. ,ogether with Krishna& "ohini and the moon& Devaki& Vasudeva& Yashoda& +anda and Balarama are also to be worshipped on the occasion. 1ince Krishna took birth (9anma) on this ashtami tithi& this particular day is known as 9anmashtami. ,he eighth day o the lunar ortnight can be important even i it is not the month o Bhadra. Dor e/ample& the eighth day o the lunar ortnight might be a Cednesday (budha vara) in both shuklapaksha and krishnapaksha. *rrespective o the month& such an ashtami is important and is known as budhashtami. ?n that day one has to live only on molasses and rice and per orm the vrata. ,here used to be a brahamana named Dhira whose wi e was named "ambha. Dhira)s son was Koushika& his daughter was Vi9aya and Dhira)s bull was named Dhanada. Koushika would go with the other cowherds to gra:e the bull. ?nce when Koushika was having a bath in the river Bhagirathi and the bull was gra:ing& some thieves came and stole the bull. Koushika and his sister Vi9aya looked everywhere or it& but could not ind it. *n searching or the bull& they came to a lake where some women were bathing in the course o per orming a vrata. Brother and sister were tired and hungry and they craved or some ood. ,he women agreed to give them ood& but only a ter Koushika and Vi9aya had also per ormed the budhashtami vrata. And as soon as Koushika per omed the ritual& the bull was miraculously returned to him. 1uch were the powers o the vrata that Koushika could get his sister Vi9aya married o to Yama and himsel became the king o Ayodhya. A ter their parents Dhira and "ambha had died& Vi9aya discovered that her ather and mother were in naraka. Chen she asked Yama as to how her parents might be delivered rom naraka& Yama told her that Koushika and Vi9aya should per orm budhashtami vrata again. And immediately a ter they did so& the parents attained svarga. ,he ninth day o the lunar ortnight is navami and navami in shuklapaksha& especially in the month o Ashvina& is earmarked or the worship o Bouri. An animal has to be sacri iced and o ered to the goddess on this occasion. ,he brahmanas become all power ul i they observe dashami vrata on the tenth day o the lunar ortnight and donate ten cows. ,he eleventh day o the lunar ortnight (ekadashi) is or asting. *t is also the tithi or praying to Vishnu. ,he observance o ekadashi vrata grants sons and wealth and atones or one)s sins. ,he twel th day o the lunar ortnight is dvadashi. Any dvadashi in shuklapaksha is auspicious or worshipping Vishnu. Duadashi in the month o Bhadra is or praying to cows and calves and in the month o >haitra it is or praying to the god o love (@adana). * one observes dvadashi or an entire year& one never has to go to naraka. An especially good con9unction is dvadashi in shuklapaksha in the month o Bhadra when the nakshatra
1hravana is in the sky. i one asts and observes a vrata then& one earns greater punya than rom bathing in the con luence o sacred rivers. * Budha (@ercury) is also in the sky& the punya is multiplied several old. ,rayodashi vrata is on the thirteenth day o the lunar ortnight and this ritual was irst per ormed by the god o lover when he wanted to please 1hiva. ,his is the tithi on which 1hiva is worshipped. *n the month o Ashvina& *ndra is also revered on this tithi. And in the month o >haitra& the god o love is worshipped in shuklapaksha on the same tithi. ,he ourteenth day o the lunar ortnight (chaturdashi) is also earmarked or 1hiva& particularly in the month o Kartika. ?ne asts and donates to brahmanas and thereby attains svarga. ,he chaturdashi in krishnapaksha that comes between the months o @agha and Dalguna is known as 1hivaratri. ,hen one has to ast and stay awake the whole night. -arlier& there used to be an evil hunter named 1undarasena. But because he per ormed a vrata on 1hivaratri& all his sins were orgiven.
1:&1 ?ellish Planets, 0harity and (ayatri

6M.I.6 (ellish Elanets ! +arakas ((ells)

* one worships Vishnu with lowers& one never goes to hell. ,here are several such hells. Although people do not wish to die& they are bound to die once their predestined time span on earth has been e/hausted. ?ne then has to pay or whatever sins one might have committed. ,he sinners su er and those who have per ormed good deeds are naturally rewarded. ,here are in act two gates that lead into Yama)s abode. ,he good are brought by yamadutas (Yama)s servants) through the western gate and are then taken to svarga. Yama)s servants bring the evil to him through the southern gate and Yama then despatches them to the various hells. * one kills a cow& one has to spend one lakh years in a naraka known as mahavicha. * one kills a brahmana or steals land& there is a burning naraka named Amakumbha that one goes to. ,here one su ers till the day when the world is destroyed. A killer o women& children or old men stays in "ourava naraka or the span o ourteen manavantaras. An arsonist is sent to @aharourava and burnt there or an entire kalpa. A thie goes to ,amisra& were he is continuously pierced with spears by Yama)s servants or several kalpas. A ter that& a thie is taken to @ahatamisra to be bitten by snakes and insects. * you kill you ather or mother& you will be sent to the hell Asipatravana. ,here you will be continuously sliced into pieces with swords. * you burn someone to death& you will go to Karambhavaluka where you will be placed on burning sands. A person who eats sweets alone goes to Kakola and is ed only worms. A person who does not per orm ya9nas goes to Kuttala and is ed blood. An oppressor is sent to ,ailapaka and is crushed like an oilseed there. A liar is sent to the naraka named @ahapata. ,here are several other narakas or those who encourage inter3class marriages& those who kill animals& those who cut trees& those who eat too much meat& those who criticise the Vedas& those who bear also witness and those who criticise their teachers.
6M.I.; Biving >harity

Biving alms is e/tremely important as means or achieving punya. Alms always have to be donated when one goes to visit a temple or a place o pilgrimage. ,he giver must always ace the east and the receiver must always ace the north when alms are being given. 1uch donations have to be made a ter one has had a bath. ,he best ob9ects or donations are gold& horses& oilseeds& snakes& maids& chariots& trees& houses& daughters and cows. * one promises to give something but later goes back on one)s promise& one is sure to be destroyed. *t should be remembered that the entire ob9ect o donation alms is lost i one e/pects gratitude or riendship in return. *t is better to give something to a brother than to a daughter& it is better to give to a ather than to a mother. ,he entire concept o donation alms is di erent in the our di erent eras. *n satya yuga& the giver went out in search o recipient to whom he could give something. *n treta yuga& the recipient had to come to the giver)s house be ore he would be given anything. *n dvapara yuga& the giver never gave anything without being asked or it by the recipient. And in kali yuga& the giver gives only to those who are servile to him.
6M.I.7 Bayatri @antra

Bayatri mantra is a very power ul incantation. ,he human body has many veins. ?ut o these& ten veins are important and their names are *da& Eingala& 1ushumna& Bandhari& (asti9ihva& Eritha& Yasha& Alambusha& (uha and 1hankhini. ,hese veins bear the breath o li e. ,he breath o li e is called prana vayu. Apart rom prana vayu& nine other ma9or breaths course through the human body. ,heir names are Apana& 1amana& %dana& Vyana& +aga& Kurma& Krikara& Devadatta and Dhanan9aya. Bayatri is a goddess worshipped even by Vishnu and 1hiva. ,his goddess is there everywhere& even in every individual)s heart in the orm o a swan. Bayatri mantra is an incantation to the goddess. * one chants the mantra seven times& one)s sins are orgiven. >hanting it then times means that one attains svarga. ,o attain worlds (lokas) which are even more desirable than svarga& one has to chant gayatri mantra twenty times. * one chants the mantra a hundred and eight times& one does not have to be born again. ,he severest o sins& like killing cows& brahmanas or parents& are orgiven i one chants the mantra a thousand times. Bayatri mantra has always to be preceded by the chanting o the sacred syllable ?m.
6M.I.F ,he King

,he king)s duties are many. (e has to punish his enemies& ensure the prosperity o his sub9ects and arrange that his kingdom is ruled well. (e has to protect the sages who per orm tapasya inside the boundaries o his kingdom. A king should appoint a wise brahmana as his priest. (is ministers should also be wise and his Hueen should be a woman who ollows the path o dharma. Chen a king dies& time must not be wasted. ,he priest must immediately ind an auspicious occasion so that a new king can be appointed and crowned. A kingdom can never be without a king. Be ore the coronation& a prospective king has to puri y himsel by rubbing his body with mud. @ud rom a mountain peak is used or the ears& orm a Krishna temple or the ace& rom an *ndra temple or the back& orm a palace or the chest& mud raised by an elephant)s tusks or the right hand& mud raised by a bull)s horns or the le t hand& mud rom a ya9na or the things and rom a cowshed or the eet. A ter the king has thus rubbed himsel with di erent orms o mud and puri ied himsel & he is ready to be anointed. Dour types o ministers will appoint him. Brahmana ministers with golden vessels ull o clari ied butter will stand o the eastern side. Kshatriya ministers with silver vessels ull o sweet and thickened milk will stand on the eastern side. Vaishya ministers with copper vessels ull o curds will stand on the western side. And shudra ministers with earthen vessels ull o water will stand on the northern side. ,he priests will then use material rom all our directions to anoint the king. Cater rom all the places o pilgrimage will be poured on the king)s head and throat. ,here must be songs and musical instruments must be played. ,he king will ne/t pray to Brahma& Vishnu& *ndra and the other gods. (e will look at a mirror& some clari ied butter and the various signs o good omen that have been placed all around. ,he king will then be crowned and introduced to his ministers& advisers and guards. ,he priest will be given cows& goats& bu aloes and houses by the king. (e will also bow be ore the brahmanas. A ter all these ceremonies have been completed& he truly becomes the king. (e circles the ire& touches his guru)s eet and with all his soldiers& goes out on a procession through the streets so that his sub9ects can see him. At that time& the king must be seated either on an elephant or a horse. A ter the procession is over& the king may return to his palace. ,he king has to appoint many o icials. ,he general has got to be a brahmana or a kshatriya. ,he charioteer must know about horses and elephants& and treasurer must be amiliar with di erent 9ewels. ,here has to be a doctor& a keeper o elephants& a keeper o horses& a captain or the palace and another captain or looking a ter the women o the royal household. -ach person must be appointed to the 9ob which suits his e/pertise and temperament best. Anyone thus appointed by a king has to stick to certain rules. (e must always obey the king)s orders and must never do anything that is contrary to the king)s commands. *n public he must always say pleasant things to the king. * there are any unpleasant utterances to be made& they have to be made in a private audience with the king. ,hose who serve the king must not be thieves& nor must they ever insult the king. ,hey will not dress like the king& nor will they become too intimate with the king. ,hey must not divulge royal secrets. Dor a ort& the king should choose a place that cannot readily be attacked by enemies. ,he king must ensure that the gods are worshipped& the sub9ects are protected and the evil are punished. (e should never steal orm the
temples& instead he should build temples and set up idols o the gods there. ,he brahmanas must also be protected and the king has to make sure that no brahmanas are killed in his kingdom. Dor a Hueen& he has to choose a woman who subscribes to these belie s. ,he king will appoint an o icial to look a ter every ten villages and another o icial to look a ter every hundred villages. 1pies must be appointed to ind out all that is going no in the kingdom. ,he king is entitled to one3si/th o all the punya that accrues in his kingdom through his sub9ects. But he is also credited with one3si/th o all the sins that are committed in his kingdom. ,he ta/es will be levied as per the dictates o the sacred te/ts. Drom whatever is received as ta/es& hal will go into the royal treasury and the remaining hal will be distributed amongst the brahmanas. * there is a liar& the king will impose a penalty on him to the e/tent o one3eighth o the liar)s total wealth. * the owner o any property is not known& the king will keep the property is not known& the king will keep the property is sa e custody or a period o three years. ?nce the owner is identi ied within a period o three years& he can claim the property. But beyond three years& the becomes entitled to the property. ,he property rights o any minor orphan are to be protected by the king. * there is a the t in the kingdom& the king must immediately replace what has been stolen with wealth taken rom his own royal treasury. * the thie is caught and the stolen goods recovered& they are used to replenish the treasury. ?ne3twentieth o pro its made orm trade are to be paid to the king as ta/es. ?ne3 i th or one3si/th o oodgrains are to be paid as ta/es. ?ne day every month& cra tsmen will work ree o charge or the king. ,hey will only be gives ood rom the royal kitchen. ,he king has to pay proper attention to the princes. ,hey have to be taught our types o shastras. ,he irst is dharma shastra& which teaches what is right and what is wrong. ,he second is artha shastra& economics. ,he third is dhanurveda& the art o ighting. And the last sub9ect that has to be taught to princes is shilpa& arts and cra ts. ,he king has to assign bodyguards to take care o the princes. (e must ensure that the princes associate with honourable and learned people and not with undesirable characters. *n instances where the princes do not grow up properly despite the king)s best e orts& the king is ree to keep them imprisoned. But they should be com ortable in the prison and should not be made to su er there. ,he king should give up hunting& drinking and the playing o dice. (e must not unnecessarily waste time in travelling around. (e must irst win over his servants through his behaviour and then do the same or his sub9ects. *t is only a ter this has been achieved that he attains a position to conHuer his enemies through the use o arms. Anyone who brings harm to the kingdom must immediately be killed. * the king delays in doing that which has to be done& the purpose o the action is completely lost. +or must the king in orm others in advance about what is going to be done. +o one must get to know about the king)s intended actions. ?nce the actions have been completed& the ruits o the actions per ormed are in ormation enough or everyone to see. ,his does not mean that the king will not consult his ministers. ? course he will& that is why they are ministers. Be ore sleeping or eating& the king must check whether the bed or the ood is sa e. ,here were seven techniHues that kings were supposed to use in ruling their kingdoms. ,hese were known as sama& dana& danda& bheda& maya& upeksha and indra9ala. ? these& the irst our are the most amous. 1ama means the art o gentle persuasion. Dana means the usage o donations or money to achieve one)s purpose. Danda is punishment. And bheda is the art o aggravating dissension amongst parties opposed to each other. @aya means to use illusions or deceit and upeksha is to deliberately ignore people so as to achieve one)s purpose. *ndra9ala literally means 9ugglery. *n this conte/t& it would mean to per orm a balancing act amongst opposing pulls and opposing parties. Chat sort o punishment the king should mete out is also laid down. * anyone lies and says that his possessions have been stolen& he is to be ined an amount eHual in value to that o the possessions which have supposedly been stolen. A brahmana who bears alse witness is to be banished rom the kingdom. A person who kills cows& elephants& horses or camels will have a leg or a hand cut o . A thie who steals gold or silver or an abductor o women will be e/ecuted. -/ecution is also prescribed in cases o arson and poisoning. A wi e who does not obey her husband shall be torn to death by dogs. A woman who does not obey her husband or brahmanas may also have her nose& ears or arms chopped o . 1he will when be set astride a cow and banished rom the kingdom.
1:&4 $reams, =mens and )ri 6ama

6M.<.6 Dreams
1ome dreams are bad omens. *n act& they are nightmares. -/amples are5 dreams about grass or trees growing on one)s body& dreams in which the dreamer is shaven3headed or is wearing shabby clothes or dreams in which one is alling orm above. *t is also bad to dream o marriages& singing& the killing o snakes and the killing o chandalas or animals. * you dream that you are drinking oil or eating bird meat& that is also a bad omen. ?ther e/amples are5 where the dreamer dreams that he is playing with monkeys or chandalas& when he dreams that devas& brahmanas& the king or the guru is angry or when he dreams that his house had collapsed. "emedies have to be ound i one dreams such evil dreams. Brahmanas have to be worshipped& a ya9na has to be per ormed and the dreamer has to pray to Vishnu& 1hiva& Brahma& Banesha or 1urya. Dreams dreamt in the irst Huarter o one)s sleep normally come true over the ne/t one year. Dreams rom the second Huarter come true over the ne/t si/ months and dreams rom the third Huarter over the ne/t three months. Dreams rom the last Huarter come true over the ne/t ortnight and dreams dreamt right at dawn come true within the ne/t ten days. * one irst dreams a good dream and then an evil one& it is the evil dream the will come true. ,here ore& i one dreams a good dream& one should not sleep anymore. ?ne should immediately arise. ,here are many dreams that are good dreams. Dor e/ample& dreams that involve mountains& palaces or snakes. ?r the dreamer might dream that he is riding on a horse or a bull. *t is also good to dream o white lowers in the sky or to see trees in a dream. -specially good dreams are those o the dreamer)s possessing many arms or many heads or o grass and bushes sprouting orm his navel. Chat i you dream o wearing white garlands or clothesL ,hat too is good. * you dream o eclipses o the sun& the moon or the stars& by all means re9oice. And i in a dream you see that you have caught hold o the enemy)s lag& that surely means that you will triumph over the enemy. And i you actually dream o de eating the enemy& the interpretation is clear enough. 1trangely enough& a dream where the dreamer sees that he is eating rice pudding is a good dream. As is the case with dreams o drinking wine or blood. ?r even o eating wet meat. A clear sky in a dream is good. Dreaming o milking a cow or a bu alo with one)s own mouth is also good. ,he dream continues to be a good one i one dreams o milking a lioness or a she3elephant thus. ?ther dreams which have good interpretations are& or e/ample& dreams o the dreamer)s receiving blessings orm devas or brahmanas or o being anointed with water. ,he dreamer who dreams o his coronation is blessed. And he is doubly blessed i he dreams that his head has been cut o or that he has died or even that his house has been burnt down. ,he relatives o such a dreamer increase in number and he also prospers. *t is good to dream o musical instruments being played. ?r o riding a bull or climbing a tree. Cet clothes& trees laden with ruit and clear blue skies in dreams are especially good.
6M.<.; ?mens and 1igns

* one is about to go out o the house& one should take care o any bad omens that there might be. 1uch bad omens are cotton& dried grass& cowdung& coal& molasses& leather& hair& a lunatic& a chandala& a widow& a dead body& ashes& bones and a broken vessel. * one comes across these as one is about to leave& one should not start without paci ying the elements through prayers to Vishnu. ,he sound o musical instruments is not an auspicious sound at the beginning o a 9ourney. * the means o transport by which one is travelling breaks down& that too& is a bad omen. * weapons break& perhaps you should postpone the 9ourney. ,he same is the case i an umbrella held over one)s head happens to all. * one hits one)s head against the lintel o the door as one is about too cross the threshold& prayers are again indicated. And never call back someone who has 9ust le t. ,hat is a bad omen and bodes ill or the success o the 9ourney. ,here are good omens or a departure and i one sees these good omens& the 9ourney is bound to be success ul. Bood omens are white lowers& ull vessels& meat& distant noises& an old goat& a cow& a horse& an elephant& ire& gold silver& a sword& an umbrella& ruit& clari ied butter& curds& a conch shell& sugarcane& the sound o thunder& lightning and a dead body with no one crying over it. ?mens are important even i one is not going on a 9ourney. A peacock crying on the le t means that something is going to be stolen. * a donkey brays with a broken voice& that is good omen and something good will happen. * a boar or a bu alo crosses over rom the le t to the right& that is a good omen. But i they cross over rom the right to the le t& that is a bad omen. ?ne)s desires will be attained i horses& tigers& lions& cats or donkeys cross over rom the right to the le t. 9ackals& moles& li:ards& pigs and cuckoos are good omens or the le t and monkeys are good omens on the right. * a 9ackal calls once& twice& thrice or our times& that is a good omen. *t is a bad omen i a 9ackal calls ive or si/ times. *t is a very good omen i a 9ackal calls seven times.
* crows caw on the le t o an army& the soldiers will not be able to win. * a crow can be seen near the door a house& this means that there will soon be a guest. A crow looking at the sum with one eye signi ies great danger. A crow covered with mud means the attainment o one)s desires. A dog barking inside the house leads to the death o the householders. A person whose le t limbs are sni ed by a dog& will attain riches. * the right limbs are sni ed& there will be danger. A dog blocking one)s path signi ies the t. A dog with a bone or a rope in its mouth means the loss o property. But it is a good omen to see a dog with meat in its mouth. >ows mooing irregularly mean threats to the master o the house. * this happens at night& there will be a the t or a death in the house. * the cows have horns that are wet or daubed with mud& that is a good sign or the householders. A cow that plays with cranes or doves is bound to die. A cow that licks its eet is also destined to die. * an elephant strikes its right oot with its le t& that is a good sign. Erosperity comes i an elephant rubs its right tusk with its oot. ,here is great danger i an umbrella alls 9ust as one is about to leave on a trip. #ourneys are to be avoided i the stars are not avourable.
6M.<.7 Battle
?nce a king decides to go out to battle& seven days are needed or preliminaries. ?n the irst day& Vishnu& 1hiva and Banesha have to be worshipped. ?n the second day the dikpalas (guardians o all the directions) are worshipped& the "udras on the third day& the planets and the stars on the ourth day and the two Ashvinis and the rivers on the i th day. ?n the si/th day& the king has ceremonial bath in honour o the victory that is to come. And on the seventh day& the king leaves to do battle. Erior to the marching& the army must always assemble to the east o the capital city. ,he start o the march must be accompanied with the playing o musical instruments. ?nce the army has begun to march& it must never look back. A ter having travelled or a couple o miles& it must stop to rest any pray to the gods and the brahmanas. ,he king must never directly ight. Because i the king is killed& the battle is lost. ,he king must be right behind his army& not too ar away rom it. An elephant will be guarded by our chariots& a chariot by our horses and a horse by our in antrymen. ,he in antry will also be at the ront o army& ollowed by archers and then by the horses. ,he chariots and the elephants come last o all. ,he cowards in the army must not be in the ront& they must be at the back. ,he ront is or the brave soldiers. ,o the e/tent possible& one should ight with the sun behind one)s army. * a soldier dies in the course o battle& he goes straight to heaven. ,he blood o brave men wash away all sins. ,o be struck with a weapon is better than to per orm many sacri ices. A person who lees orm the ield o battle per orms a sin that is worse than that o killing a brahmana. ,he ight should be between eHuals. ,hose who are running away should not be killed. +or should spectators and those who are unarmed be killed. An enemy captured in battle should not be kept imprisoned. (e should be released and treated like a son.
6M.<.F 1ri "ama)s ,eachings

"ama had once taught Lakshmana about the duties o a king. ,he Agni Eurana now relates these precepts o "ama)s. ,he duties o king are our old. Dirstly& he has to earn wealth. 1econdly& he has to increase it. ,hirdly& he has to protect it. And ourthly and inally& he has to donate it. ,he king must also be polite and politeness comes through the conHuering o the senses. ,he king must be humble. ,he senses are like mad elephants. * the senses are pampered& like mad elephants& they trample politeness and humility under oot. ,he king must also be non3violent& truth ul& clean and orgiving. (e should take care to observe all the rituals. (e should give ood to those who are poor& he should protect those who seek royal protection. (e should always use words that are pleasant to hear. ,he body is here today and gone tomorrow. 1tupid is the king who deviates orm the path o righteousness to give pleasure to a body that is transient. ,he curses o unhappy people are enough to bring down a king. ,here is only one di erence between gods and animals. Bods use pleasant word& while animals use rough words. ,he king must use pleasant words like a god. And he must use pleasant words not only or those who are his riends or are good& but also or those who are his enemies or are evil. Cith obeisance the king pleases his guru&
with good behaviour the righteous& with duties the gods& with live the servants and with alms those who are in erior. ,he kingdom has seven components. ,hese are the king& the ministers& the riends& the treasury& the army& the orts and the state itsel . ? these& the most important is the state and it has to be preserved at all costs. ,he king must be e/tremely care ul in the choice o the ministers and the royal priest. ,he king must not choose or consult ministers who are stupid. ,he king)s signs are his golden rod or sceptre and an umbrella that is held over his head. ,he umbrella should be made o the eathers o swans& peacocks or cranes& but the eathers o di erent types o birds should not be mi/ed in the same umbrella. ,he throne should be made o wood and should be embellished with gold. A bow can be made o iron& horn or wood. ,he best bow is one that e/tends over our armlengths. ,he king can spend upto one year)s ta/ revenue on armaments and lags.
1:&8 $hanurveda, $ynasties and 'iterature

,his >hapter contains I 1ections.
6M.J.6 Dhanurveda
,he section on Dhanurveda is on arms and weapons. ,here are ive types o weapons that are used in war. ,he irst category is that o yantramukta weapons& released rom a machine (yantra). ,his machine may be a launcher or even a bow. ,he second category is that o panimukta weapons& weapons that are lung by the hand (pani). -/amples are spears and stones. ,he third category is known as muktasandharita. ,hese are weapons that can be lung and also withdrawn. ,he ourth category consists o weapons like swords that are never released rom the hand during battle. ,hese are known as amukta weapons. And the last category o weapons consists o brute orce and strength. ,his is o use in bouts o wrestling. ,he best orm o ighting is that with bows and arrows. +e/t comes ighting with spears& ollowed by ighting with swords. Crestling is the worst orm o ighting. Be ore aiming& the bow (dhanusha) should be held with the arch pointing down towards the earth. ,he arrow (vana) should be placed against the bow with the head pointing down. ,he bow should now be raised and the lower end o the bow should be in line with the archer)s navel. ,he Huiver should be at the back. Be ore releasing the arrow& the bow should be held irm with the le t hand and the arrow with the ingers o the right hand. ,he string o the bow should be pulled back such that the tassel o the arrow is between the archer)s ear and right eye. ,he body should not be bent when one is releasing an arrow. +or should on get e/cited. ,he archer has to be still as a pillar. ,he target has to be in line with the le t ist and the archer)s posture has to be like that o a triangle. *t is best to pull back the string o the bow upto the right ear. A noose (pasha) is ten arms in length& with both ends o the weapon being circular. ,he main body o the weapon is made o rope. ,here are eleven di erent ways in which a noose may be held. A noose must always be lung with the right hand. A sword (asi) must hang to the le t o the waist. Chen a sword is to be taken out& the scabbard should be grasped in the le t hand and the sword should be taken out with the right hand. ,here are thirty3two di erent way in which a sword and a shield may be held.
6M.J.; Eroperty
Chat happens to a person)s debts when he diesL * he does not have any sons& the person who inherits the property also inherits the debts and had to pay them o . * there is a son& the son pays the debts o . But a woman is not to be held responsible or debts contracted by her husband or her son. +or is a man responsible or debts contracted by his wi e or son. -/ceptions are instances where a husband and a wi e contract a debt 9ointly. * there are no witnesses to a contracted debt but the king eels that the debt was indeed contracted& the king must arrange or the debt to be repaid within a period o si/ty3 our days. *n cases o a dispute& the person who brings a alse suit will be punished by the king. And a alse witness will be given twice the punishment that is meted out to the one who brings a alse suit. A brahmana who bears alse witness will be banished rom the
kingdom. A person who agrees to be a witness& but later withdraws& will be punished eight times as much as the bringer o the alse suit. A brahmana who does this will be banished rom the kingdom. *t is better that the details o a debt contracted be written down& with the names o the two parties and the witnesses clearly indicated. * the debtor pays in instalments& the details o all such payments must be recorded on the written document. Debts made in the presence o witnesses should also be repaid in the presence o witnesses. * a witness has to take an oath& the oath should be administered a ter cotton& ire& water or poison has been placed on the head o the witness. Dire or water can be used to ind out i a person is lying or not. * ire is used& seven banyan leaves are placed on the accused)s hand. A red hop lump o iron is then placed on the hand and the accused had to go around a ire seven times. * it is ound that the hand has not been burnt& the person has been telling the truth. And i the hand has been burnt& he had been lying. 1imilarly& an accused person can be immersed in the water and i he does not drown& he has been telling the truth. Alternatively& the accused can be made to drink poison. * the poison does him no harm& he is truth ul. * the ather makes a will& the property will be divided amongst the sons in accordance with the provisions o the will. But i all the sons get an eHual share o the property& the wi e should also be given an eHual share& otherwise& the ather can leave all his property to the eldest son. ,he sons and the ather obtain eHual shares to any property or debt that has been le t by the grand ather. But the sons are not necessarily entitled to any property that has not been le t by the grand ather& but been earned by ather. * a son is born a ter the property has been divided& he too will be entitled to an eHual share o any property le t by the grand ather. Daughters are not entitled to property. But sons who have go married will use one3 ourth o their inherited property to get their sisters married.
6M.J.7 Donating the Euranas

,he Agni Eurana now describes the bene its o giving alms along with the purans. ,he puranas are to be donated together with cows. And in talking o the mahapuranas& the Agni Eurana also mentions most o their length& in terms o the number o shlokas (couplets) that each has. ,his is worth stating. ,he Brahma Eurana 3 twenty3 ive thousand ,he Eadma Eurana 3 twelve thousand ,he Vishnu Eurana 3 thirteen thousand ,he Vayu Eurana 3 ourteen thousand ,he Bhagavata Eurana 3 eighteen thousand ,he +arada Eurana 3 twenty3 ive thousand ,he @arkandeya Eurana 3 nine thousand ,he Agni Eurana 3 twelve thousand ,he Brahmavaivarta Eurana 3 eighteen thousand ,he Linga Eurana 3 eleven thousand ,he Varaha Eurana 3 ourteen thousand ,he 1kanda Eurana 3 eighty3 our thousand ,he Vamana Eurana 3 ten thousand ,he Kurma purana 3 eight thousand ,he @atsya Eurana 3 thirteen thousand ,he Baruda Eurana 3 eight thousand ,he Brahmanda Eurana 3 twelve thousand ,he only mahapurana which is missing rom the above list is the Bhavishya Eurana. You now have a pretty good idea o how long the Euranas are. ,he 1kaknda Eurana is the longest and the Kurma and Baruda Euranas the shortest. But un ortunately& the numbers in the Agni Eurana are not terribly accurate. ,he Eadma Eurana has i ty3 ive thousand couplets and not twelve as stated. ,he Varaha Eurana has twenty3 our thousands couplets and not ourteen thousand. ,he Agni Eurana itsel has slightly over i teen thousand couplets land not twelve thousand. But at least you have some appro/imate idea about the lengths o the various Euranas. ,he Brahama Eurana is to be given in the month o Vaishakha. ,he Eadma Eurana is to be donated in the month o #yaishtha. ,he Vishnu Eurana is to be donated in the month o Ashada and the Vayu Eurana in the month o 1hravana. ,he Bhagavata Eurana is to be given in the month o Bhadra& the +arada Eurana in the month o Ashvina& the @arkandeya Eurana in the month o Kartika& the Agni Eurana in the month o @argashirsha and the Bhavishya Eurana in the month o Eousha. ,he Brahmavaivarta Eurana in the month o Eousha. ,he
Brahmavaivarta Eurana is or the month o @agha& the Linga Eurana or the month o Dalguna and the Varaha Eurana or the month o >haitra. ,he 1kanda Eurana is to be given to brahmanas. ,he Vamana Eurana is to be given in the autumn. ,he Kurma Eurana is to be given together with a golden urn. ,he @atsya Eurana is to be donated together with a golden swan. ,he Brahmanda Eurana is to be given to brahmanas. Breat bene its are also to be derived rom hearing the Euranas recited. ,he reciter has to be given alms and the brahmanas must be given cows& rice and land at the time o the recitation. * one arranges or a recitation o the Euranas& one lives long& stays healthy and attains heaven.
6M.J.F Vamsha (Dynasties)

Brahma was born rom Vishnu)s navel. Brahma)s son was @arichi& @arichi)s son Kashyapa and Kakshyapa)s son Vivasvana. Drom this line was descended Eururava and Eururava)s descendants were the kings o the surya (solar) dynasty. Brahma also had a son named Atri and Atri had a son named 1oma. 1oma per ormed a ra9asuya ya9na (royal sacri ice). (aving per ormed the sacri ice& 1oma became the ruler o all the worlds. ,his made him very arrogant and he abducted the sage Brihaspati)s wi e ,ara. ,his led to a terrible war between the devas and the asuras. ,ara was eventually restored to Brihaspati& but 1oma and ,ara had a son named Budha. Drom Budha were descended the kings o the chandra (lunar) dynasty. ,here were twelve ma9or wars between the devas and the asuras. ,he irst o these was known as the +arasimha Car. ,his took place when (iranyakashipu was the king o the asuras. Vishnu adopted the orm o +arsismha and killed (iranyakashipu. (e then made Erahlada the king o the demons. ,he second war was the Vamana war and it took place when Vali was the king o the demons. Vishnu adopted the orm o a dwar (vamana) to sub9ugate the demons. ,he third war was the Varaha war and this took place when (iranyaksha was the king o the demons. Vishnu adopted the orm o a wild boar (varaha) and killed (iranyaksha. ,he ourth war was the Amritamanthana war and this took place over the manthana (churning) o the ocean or amrita (nectar). ,he i th war between the devas and the asuras took place over the abduction o ,ara and this came to be known as the ,arakamaya war. ,he si/th war was known as the A9ivaka Car. ,he seventh war took place when ,ripura led the asuras and this was known as the ,ripuraghatana war. *t was 1hiva who killed the demon ,ripura in this war. ,he eighth war& the Andhaka war& took place when Andhaka led the asuras. *t was Vishnu who engineered that Andhaka be killed when Andhaka e/pressed a desire to abduct 1hiva)s wi e. ,he ninth war was known as Vritrasamhara and took place when Vritra led the demons. ,he tenth war was simply known as #ita. *n this war& Vishnu killed 1halva and the other demons& and Earashurama killed the evil kshatriyas. ,he eleventh war was known as (alahala. An asura named (alahala (poison) had invaded 1hiva)s body and looded it with poison. But Vishnu managed to destroy the demon. *n the twel th war& known as Kolahala& Vishnu destroyed an asura named Kolahala (tumult).
6M.J.8 @edicine
Dhanvantari was the physician o the gods and he taught 1ushruta the art o ayurveda (medicine). ,he Agni Eurana now describes what the sage 1sushruta had learnt& that is& the treatment or various diseases. ,his does not simply mean the treatment o human illnesses. ,here is a section known as vriksha ayurveda& which describes what trees are to be planted where. *t describes how a garden is to be constructed and maintained. ,he chapters on medicine also describe the treatment o elephants& horses and cattle. ,he mantras (incantations) which are the remedy or snake poison are also related.
6M.J.I Literature and Brammar

,herea ter& the Agni Eurana has many chapters on literature and grammar. *t describes the di erent types o chhanda (metres) that are used in poetry. +e/t it discusses the alphabet. ,here are si/ty3 our letters (varna) in the alphabet& o which twenty3one are vowels (svara varna). ,here are three tones (svara) in which the letters o the alphabet may be uttered. ,heir names are udatta& anudatta and svarita. ,here are eight places rom which the letters may be pronounced. ,hese are the
chest& the throat& the head& the back o the tongue& the teeth& the nose& the lips and the palate. Eronunciations should be clear and audible. ,hey should not be nasal and mumbled. ,he Agni Eurana then discusses the alamkaras (rhetoric) that are used in poetry and plays. Eoetry is entirely di erent rom the shastras (sacred te/ts) and itihasa (history). ,he sacred te/ts are ull o words and historical te/ts are ull o narrations o incidents that took place. But that does not constitute poetry. "eal men are di icult to ind on this earth. Amongst these real men& it is di icult to ind men who are learned. Amongst the learned men& it is not easy to ind some who have a poetic sense. And amongst those who have poetic sense& it is di icult to ind a ew who can compose poetry. Eoetry is impossible without a knowledge o the rules o poetry and even more important& without a sense o eeling. 1anskrit is the language o the gods. ,he language o humans is Erakrita. Eoetry can be either in 1anskrit or in Erakrita. ,here are three types o poetry. ,hese are gadya (prose)& padya (poetry) or mishra (a mi/ture o the two). Benuine poetry is& however& only padya Badya can be o three types3churnaka& utkalika and vrittagandhi. >hurnaka prose is easy on the ears& it has very ew compouond words. %tkalika prose is hard on the ears& it is ull o compound words. Vrittagandhi prose is some where between churnaka and utkalika. An epic must always be split up into sections (sarga). *t has to be written in 1anskrit& although some mi/ture o 1anskrit words with Erakrita ones is permissible. ,he theme o an epic must always be good and historical elements may be introduced i the author so desires. Literature is useless without the lavour o sentiments (rasa). ,here are nine sentiments that are used. ,he irst is hasya (humour). ,he second is karuna rasa (pathos). ,he third is roudra rasa (that which is wrath ul and awe3 inspiring). ,he ourth is vira rasa (heroic themes). ,he i th is bhayanaka rasa (horror). ,he si/th is bibhatsa rasa (vulgar and obscene themes). ,he seventh is adbhuta rasa (that which is strange). ,he eighth is shanta rasa (placidity). And the ninth is shringara rasa (amorous themes). But the sentiments must be used with eeling. Cithout eeling& all literature becomes mediocre. Earticularly in a play& sentiments can be supplemented with skills (kalal). ,hese skills are normally associated with women and there are si/ty3 our o them. ,he more important ones are singing& playing musical instruments& dancing& acting& drawing& making garlands& sewing& hairdressing and using magic. Brammatical rules o sandhi and samasa (rules or orming compound words) are ne/t described. ,he di erence between the two is that in sandhi& the two words that are being 9oined retain their original senses in the compound word. ,he case o samasa is di erent. 1andhi occurs when two varnas (letters) met. 1amasa is a condensation or conversion o two or more words into one. 1andhi does not create any new word. 1amasa leads to the ormation o a third word which re ers to something related to but distinct rom either or any o the words combined. Eita (yellow) and ambara (cloth) combined by way o sandhi are pronounced pitambara and mean cloth that is yellow. ,he same two words combined by way o samasa result in the third word pitambara which means 2the one dressed in yellow4& that is& Krishna. ,here are several possible declensions o words& depending on the vachana and the vibhakti. ,he vachana re ers to the number. -ka3vachana is when there is only one (phalam& a ruit) dvi3vachana when there are two (phale& two ruits) and vahu3vachana when there are more than two (phalani& more than two ruits). ,here are three genders& pumlinga (masculine)& strilinga ( eminine) and klivalinga (neuter). Deva& asura& Vishnu are& or e/ample& masculine in gender. Devi& Kalika or maya are eminine. Eushpa ( lower) or phala ( ruit) are neuter. ,here are si/ karakas (cases) and seven vibhaktis (case3endings). ,he agent who per orms the action indicated by the kriya (verb)& is the kartri or doer. ,o the kartri karaka or +ominative >ase& the prathama vibhakti or irst case3ending is attached. ,he ob9ect o the action is karma and to the karma karaka or ob9ective >ase& the second (dvitiya) case3ending is attached. ,he means or instruments by which the action is per ormed takes on the karana karaka or *nstrumental >ases and the third (tritiya) case3ending. Chen a gi t is given irrevocably& the recipient takes on the sampradana karaka or Dative >ase and the case3ending in Huestion is the ourth (chaturthi). ,hat which is the source o something takes on the apadana karaka or Ablative >ase and the i th (panchami) case3 ending. Chen there is a relation o possessions& the possessor takes on the shashthi vibhakti (si/th case3ending). ,here is no counterpart o the possessive >ase o -nglish grammar because the relation o possession is not directly related to the verb (kriya) and there ore to the doer (karaka). *n case o the location in which the action takes place& the karaka is adhikarana (Locative >ase) and the case3ending the seventh (saptami).
1:&9 $estruction, Pralaya and @ama

,his >hapter contains 8 1ections.
6M.G.6 Eralaya (Destruction)

Eeriodically pralayas (destructions) take place. A destruction comes at the end o our thousand yugas on earth. Dor a hundred years there are no rains and there is widespread drought. ,herea ter& Vishnu uses the rays o the sun to drink and dry up all the waters that there are on earth. 1even di erent suns appear in the sky and they burn up the three worlds o heaven& the earth and the underworld. ,he earth becomes as lat as the back o a turtle. ,he breath o the great snake (1hesha) also serves to burn up the three worlds. A ter the three worlds have been burnt up& dark clouds ull o thunder and lightning appear in the sky. Dor a hundred years it continue to rain. ,he rain puts out the ires that have been raging. Drom Vishnu)s breath are created tremendous winds and these drive away the clouds. But there is water everywhere. And Vishnu sleeps on these waters. Dor an entire kalpa he sleeps. ,he sages then pray to Vishnu or the three worlds to be created yet again.
6M.G.; Yama and (ell

Chen human beings die& their physical bodies are given up. But they acHuire new bodies that are known as ativahika bodies. *n these bodies& they are brought to Yama)s abode by Yama)s servants. Living beings other than human are not brought to Yama. Yama then decides whether the dead person should go to heaven or to hell. A ter he has served his time in heaven or in hell& he is born again. Yama urther decides what living being the person should be born as& depending on the actions in his past li e. And so the cycle o birth death and rebirth goes on and on. 1ince he keeps tally o all good deeds and all sins& Yama is also known as the god Dharma. ,hose who have done good deeds are rewaraded by Yama and those who have committed sins are punished. >hitragupta is Yama)s accountant& he keeps the account o all punya and papa. ,here are twenty3eight circles o hells with many hells located in each circle. A sinner may have to go to more than one hell depending on the sins that he has committed. 1ome sinners are boiled in oil& others are pierced with spears and still others are whipped. 1ome sinners are ed heated iron balls& others are ed blood and rubbish. ,here are also machines or torturing sinners. ,errible birds eat up some sinners. ?ther sinners have their heads cut o . Chen it is time to be reborn& the killer o a brahamana is born as a deer& dog& pig or camel. A drunkard is born as a donkey. A stealer o gold is born as a worm or an insect. A killer o a brahmana may also su er rom tuberculosis. a drunkard will have teeth like a dog and a stealer o gold will mal ormed nails. A stealer o ood is born dumb. A person who has stolen the property o brahmanas is born as a rakshasa and lives alone in the orest. A stealer o ragrant scents is born as a mole. ?ne who steals oodgrains is born as a rat. ?ne who steals animals is born as a goat& one who steals milk as cow& one who steals ruit as monkey and one who steals meat as a vulture. A stealer o clothes is born as a crane and a stealer o salt as a cricket.
6M.G.7 Yoga
Yoga is the way to circumvent the miseries o li e. ,rue knowledge is that which in orms one about the true nature o brahman or paramatman. ,he atman or 9ivatman is that which characterises an individual. Yoga means union& it is the union o the 9ivatman with the paramatman. Yoga concentrates one)s mind on the paramatman. ,he irst prereHuisites o yoga is non3violence. A non3violent person is always righteous. ,he second reHuirement o yoga is truth ulness. ,he third prereHuisite is celibacy. ,he ourth is controlling one)s senses and the last is the worship o god. ?ne who practices yoga should not go around collecting material possessions. A piece o cloth& a covering against the cold& and a pair o sandals are possessions enough or him. Be ore meditating on the true nature o the paramatman& one has to seat onesel in a proper asana (posture). ,he piece o cloth on which one is to sit should be placed in a clean place. ?ne sits on such a seat and tries to puri y one)s atman by controlling one)s mind and senses through yoga. ,he head and the neck should be held straight up& motionless. ,he point o vision should be directed towards the tip o one)s nose. ?ne should not look in any direction. ,he arms should lightly rest on the olded thighs and the right hand should be placed& palm upwards& on the le t palm. Eadmasana (lotus position) is one such recommended posture.
,he breath o li e (prana vayu) has to be controlled. ,his process o control is known as pranayama. A inger is placed on the nose when the breath is being e/haled. ,he entire breath should be e/haled rom the body. 1ince rechana means e/halation& this process o control is known as rechaka. Chen the breath is inhaled& the inhalation should be such that it ills the entire body. 1ince puraka literally means 'that which ills)& this process o control is known as puraka. Chen the breath is neither being e/haled nor inhaled& one sits completely still like a kumbha (pot) and this is known as kumbhaka. Eranayama makes one healthy& swi t& enthusiastic& strong and collected. 1ince the senses are controlled& one goes to heaven and avoids going to hell. @aterial pursuits are like the strong current o a river. ,he atman drowns in it. Eranayama alone is not enough. *t has to be supplemented with dhyana o 9apa (meditation and contemplation). ?ne contemplates the true nature o the paramatman. ,he body is like a chariot. ,he senses are its horses& the mind is the charioteer and pranayama is the bridle. An individual who dies while per orming dhyana is immediately assimilated with Vishnu. Dhyana involve our di erent things& all o which must be in complete harmony. ,he irst is the meditator& the second is the act o meditating& the third is the ob9ect that one is meditating upon and the ourth is the reason why one is per orming the mediation. ?ne does not have toK sit in a rigid posture or dhyana to be possible. *t can be done while one is walking& sitting or even sleeping. ,he important aspect is to establish the ob9ect o one)s meditation in one)s heart. ,here are di erent ways o establishing one)s concentration. As an ob9ect o meditation& one can meditate on three concentric circles which are black& red and white. *n the centre o the circles is a divine lotus. ,he lotus has eight petals. ?ne thinks that detachment is the stem o the lotus and praying to Vishnu its stamen. "ight in the centre o the lotus is a pure spark o ire and that is the paramatman. Alternatively& one can visualise the paramatman in a bla:e o light& in the centre o the lotus. Dhyana is ar ar superior to any ya9na that one might per orm. ?ne particular orm o deep and intense meditation is known as samadhi. ,he meditator is then completely still& as calm as the ocean. (e loses all track o the outside world. (e does not hear& smell& see or touch. (is mind has no wishes and eels nothing. (e is completely united with god. 1uch a meditator automatically gets to know all the knowledge that can be gleaned rom the Vedas or the shastras. (e can obtain all the material possessions that he wants& but he regards them all as no more important than a blade o grass. 1uch a meditator attains supreme knowledge. * you look at various pots ull o water& you will ind that the same sky is re lected in them all. 1upreme knowledge tells one that& e/actly similarly& it is the same atman that is everywhere. *t is the atman which is the same as the paramatman& it is this atman that is in the water& in energy& in water& in the earth and in metals. ,he atman is everywhere.
6M.G.F ,he Knowledge o Brahman

Brahma 9nana is the knowledge o brahman. ,his knowledge& which gives the ultimate bliss& is nothing but the sense that the individual atman is identical with the universal brahman or paramtman. ,he physical body is not the atman. +or are the senses the atman. ,he mind or intelligence is not the atman. Li e itsel is not the atman. ,he atman is di erent rom all the ob9ects that have been mentioned above. ,he atman is in an individual)s heart. *t sees everything and senses everything& but is di erent rom the physical body. *t is this that sages contemplate when they meditate. ,he sky was created rom the brahman& rom the sky came wind& rom wind ire& rom ire water& rom water the earth and rom the earth the ive elements. ?ne has to meditate on the physical body gradually disappearing and merging into the brahman. ,he brahman is neither true nor untrue. *t has neither orm nor is it without orm. ,he brahman has several parts& but at the same time it is an integral whole. ,he brahman cannot be described. *t cannot be achieved through the power o action. ,he brahman is always pure. *t has no ties and it is the true orm o happiness. Chat is reHuired is the sense that it is *& the individual& who am the brahman. * am nothing but the atman and the atman is nothing but the brahman. ,his sense is true knowledge. ,he brahman is the Lord who is the origin o everything and the individual is part o the brahman. *t is this knowledge that rees one rom the ties o the world and this is what brahman 9nana is all about. ,he brahman is not the earthK it is beyond the earth. ,he brahman is not the wind& nor is it the sky. ,he brahman has no beginningK it is independent o all action. ,he brahman is hugeK it is everywhere. ,he brahman not only
has no orm& it is beyond all orm. ,he brahman cannot be heard. *t cannot be touched. ,he brahman has neither intelligence nor mind. *t has no sense o ego or vanity. *t does not have li e& birth& old age or death. ,he brahman is neither happy nor unhappy. *t does not eel hungry or thirsty. *t cannot be measured. At the same time& it is both nothing and everything. Li e has ive possible ends. By per orming ya9nas one can attain heaven. By per orming tapasya one can become an ascetic. By per orming actions one can attain brahmaloka. By detachment rom material pursuits (vairagya) one can merge onesel into nature. And by true knowledge the individual gets absorbed into the divine essence. ,his is known as kaivalya. Detachment means to withdraw onesel rom the e ects o all actions. And knowledge means the knowledge that the atman is no di erent rom the brahman. ,his is known as 9nana yoga (the yoga o knowledge). ,here are ew people who attain this knowledge. ?ne o those was Bharata. Bharata had done a lot he became very attached to a deer and when he died& he died thinking o the deer. ,he result was that in his ne/t li e& Bharata was born as a deer. But the deer happened to be a 9atismara& that is& it remembered its earlier li e. ,he deer eventually died and Bharata was again born as 9atismara human. ,he king o 1oubira was once travelling on a palanHuin and he wanted someone who would bear his palanHuin ree o charge. ,he king)s servants caught hold o Bharata to bear the palanHuin. But Bharata moved slowly and could not keep up with the other bearers. ,he palanHuin did not progress and the king asked Bharata. 2Chy are you so tiredL You have not been bearing my palanHuin or long. >an)t you some toilL You look airly strong to me.4 Bharata replied& 2* am not strong. +or am * bearing your palanHuin. * am not tired. nor am * la:y. * am my atman and eet are and my body is balanced on my thighs. @y shoulders are on my body and your palanHuin rests on my shoulders. But * am not my eet& thighs& body or shoulders. * am the atman. ,he atman is not carrying you. 1o why do you say that * am beating youL4 Bharata then instructed the king on the mysteries o true knowledge. ,he atman was pure& ever3lasting& calm& without traits and beyond natural characteristics. 1ince the atman had no traits and since an individual was the atman and not the body& it was meaningless to say that an individual was strong or weak. ,he physical body was made o the elements and so was the palanHuin. Chat was the point there ore in saying that the physical body was bearing the palanHuinL (eating these words o wisdom& the king ell at Bharata)s eet. 2Dorgive me&4 he said& 2and let go o the palanHuin& Cho are youL4 2Cho am *L4& asked Bharata. 2,hat is not a Huestion that can easily be answered.4 ,he king answered& 2* ail to understand. 1urely the orm in which you are now e/isting is who you are.4 2+o&4 said Bharata. 2* am the atman and the atman is the same as the paramatman. ,he paramatman is everywhere and there ore& the atman is also everywhere. * am everywhere. * am in all physical bodies. *t is meaningless to ask who you are and who * am. Ce are all one and the same. Cood has come rom the trees and this palanHuin is made o wood. But is the palanHuin wood or treeL Chen you ride on the palanHuin& does anyone say that you are riding on a treeL @en& women& cows& horses& elephants& birds and trees& these are all meaningless names. ,hey are all illusions. -verything is one and the same. * am everywhere. * there had been a place or an ob9ect where * do not e/ist& * could have everywhere& * do not know how to answer your Huestion. ,ell me king& are you your head or your stomachL ?r is all o it& youL But then& what will you call that which is distinct rom your physical bodyL ,hink about what * have said.4 Bharata)s words were so pro ound that the king immediately accepted Bharata as a teacher. And Bharata told the king the story o "ibhu and +idagha. ,he sage "ibhu was Brahma)s son. (e was also e/tremely learned. +idagha was "ibu)s disciple. A ter "ibhu had taught +idagha what there was to be taught& +idagha went to the city to see how +idagha was getting on. +idagha worshiped his teacher and gave him all sorts o things to eat. A ter "ibhu had eaten& +idagha asked him& 2Are you satis iedL4
2Chat do you meanL4& asked "ibhu. 2,he Huestion o satis action would have arisen had * been hungry or thirsty. * am my atman and the atman is always satis ied. 1o what is the brahman that is omnipresent and so are you. You are not distinct rom me& we are both part o the same whole. * came to teach you this knowledge. +ow that you have learnt that the brahman is everywhere& let me leave.4 A ter another thousand years had passed& "ibhu came to the city again and discovered that +idagha no longer lived in the city. (e had begun to live on the outskirts o the city. 2Chy have you given up living in the cityL4& "ibhu asked +idagha. 2Because * do not like to live in the city& where there is a king& 2 replied +idagha. 2Cho is the king L4. asked "ibhu. 2Eoint him out to me in this procession that is passing. And point out to me the sub9ects.4 +idagha said& 2,he king is the one who is as tall as a mountain peak. (e is the one who is riding the elephant. ,he ones who are walking are the sub9ects.4 2Chat do you meanL4& asked "ibhu. 2,he brahman is in the king and the brahman is in the elephant. (ow do you distinguish one rom the other& how do you say that one is riding the otherL *s the king the physical body or the atman and is the elephant the physical body or the atmanL Cho is riding on whomL * do not understand.4 ,his knowledge& that the atman is the same as the brahman& is known as advaita (uni ied) brahma39nana. "ibhu taught this to the king o 1oubira. ,his is the knowledge that all elements are one and the same. *t is only those who su er rom illusions who think that di erent elements and di erent beings have di erent identities.
6M.G.8 ,he Bita

Krishna had taught Ar9una the lessons o the Bita on the plains o Kurukshetra. ,he Agni Eurana now relates the essence o the Bita . * physical body is alive& that is no reason or re9oicing. #ust as& i the physical body is dead& that is no reason or mourning. ,he atman does not die. *t does not decay& it cannot be destroyed and it is immortal. ,he atman does not warrant any tears that might be shed over it. people who are addicted to sensual pleasures cannot realise this. ,he person who is addicted to the atman alone has no desire or anything else. (e had no action to per orm. (e had neither gains nor losses. ,he knowledge o this is like a ra t that rescues one rom the lood o illusions.
11 )haBishya Purana
-leventh among the Euranas& contains ive parts. ,he irst part contains a description o the genesis& greatness o the dates and worship o Lord Vishnu& 1hiva and 1urya. 1econd& third and ourth parts describe about the greatness o 1hiva& Vishnu and 1urya respectively. ,he i th part contains a description o the heaven. Like other Euranas& Bhavishya Eurana also contains a description o the ancient kings and >handra and 1urya dynasties. *nterestingly& Bhavishya Eurana contains a description o a game that resembles modern chess to a great e/tent. *n all& the sub9ect matter o Bhavishya Eurana seems to be an attempt to prove and establish the supremacy o Brahma. ,he Bhavishya Eurana is an ancient te/t authored by 1ri Vyasa @uni& the compiler o the Vedic te/ts. *t is listed among the eighteen ma9or Euranas. Bhavishya means P utureP and Eurana means PhistoryP& so the te/tAs name would translate literally as P,he (istory o the DutureP. ,hough the te/t was written many thousands o years be ore the recorded events took place& by the power o his mystic vision& 1ri Vyasa was able to accurately predict the happenings o the modern times. ?ne o the te/tAs poetic styles is to present the events as though they have already happened. ,his is a common practice in 1anskrit poetry& and does not indicate that the book was written in modern times. @odern scholars re9ect the contents o Bhavishya Eurana mostly on the grounds that its in ormation is too accurate. But we should ask ourselves5 * there was an empowered saint& who knew past& present and uture& and i he chose to write a book named Pthe (istory o the DutureP& shouldnAt it contain accurate in ormation about the modern times& as the title suggestsL Ce cannot disHuali y it simply because it speaks accurately o the British controlling *ndia& (itler ighting the world& and @a/ @ueller misrepresenting the Vedic teachings. PVedaP means knowledge& and the Vedic te/ts contain knowledge o everything 3 past& present and uture. ,his Eurana consists o < chapters5
11&1 #i5lical and Modern ?istory

WDrom the Eratisarga Earva& >hapters Dour to 1even.X 1uta Boswami said5 ?nce upon a time in (astinapura& Eradyota the son o Kshemaka was leading an assembly and meanwhile the great sage +arada arrived there. King Eradyota happily honored him. (aving him seated on the seat the sage told king Eradyota& PYour ather was killed by the mlecchas& there ore he attained Yamaloka or the hellish planet. * you per orm a 'mleccha3ya9na)& then by the e ect o this sacri ice your ather will attain the heavenly planets.P (earing this king Eradyota immediately called the best o the learned Brahmanas and started 'mleccha3ya9na) in Kuruksetra. ,hey built a ya9na3kunda which was 6I yo9anas in sHuare (6;J miles). ,hey meditated on the demigods and o ered oblations o mlecchas. ,here are haras& hunas& barvaras& gurundas& sakas& khasas& yavanas& pallavas& roma9as and those who are situated in di erent dvipas and in kamaru& china and the middle o the oceanK all o them were called with the mantra and burnt to ashes. ,hen he (the king) gave dakshina (donation) to the brahmanas and per ormed abhiseka. As a result his ather Kshemaka went to the heavenly planets. A ter that he became amous everywhere as a mleccha3hanta or destroyer o mlecchas. (e ruled the earth or ten thousand years and went to heaven. (e had a son named Vedavan who ruled or two thousand years. At that time the Kali purusha prayed to Lord +arayana along with his wi e. A ter sometime the Lord apperared to him and said& P,his age will be a good time or you. * will ul il your desire having various kinds o orms. ,here is a couple named Adama and his wi e (avyavati. ,hey are born rom Vishnu3kardama and will increase the generations o mlecchas. 1aying this& the Lord disappeared. (aving great 9oy the Kali purusha went to +ilacha Vyasa said5 P+ow you hear the uture story narrated by 1uta Boswami. ,his is the ull story o o Kali3yuga& hearing this you will become satis ied.P *n the eastern side o Eradan city where there is a a big Bod3given orest& which is 6I sHuare yo9anas in si:e. ,he man named Adama was staying there under a Eapa3Vriksha or a sin ul tree and was eager to see his wi e (avyavati. ,he Kali purusha Huickly came there assuming the orm o a serpent. (e cheated them and they disobeyed Lord Vishnu. ,he husband ate the orbidden ruit o the sin ul tree. ,hey lived by eating air with the leaves called udumbara. A ter they had sons and all o them became mlecchas. AdamaAs duration o li e was
nine3hundred and thirty years. (e o ered oblations with ruits and went to heaven with his wi e. (is son was named 1veta3nama& and he lived nine3hundred and twelve years. 1veta3namaAs son was Anuta& who rulled one3 hundred years less than his ather. (is son Kinasa rulled as much as his grand ather. (is son @alahalla ruled eight3hundred ninety ive years. (is son Virada rulled 6IM years. (is son (amuka was devoted to Lord Vishnu& and o ering oblations o ruits he achieved salvation. (e ruled 7I8 years and went to heaven with the same body being engaged in mleccha3dharma. having good behavior& wisdom& Hualities like a brahmana and worship o Bod& these things are called mleccha3 dharma. ,he great souls have declared that the dharma o the mleccha is devotion to Bod& worship o ire& nonviolence& austerity and control o the senses. ,he son o (amuka was @atocchila. (e ruled or G<M years. (is son Lomaka ruled <<< years and went to heaven. (is son +yuha (+oah) ruled or 8MM years. (e had three sons named 1ima& 1ama and Bhava. +yuha was a devotee o Lord Vishnu. ?nce the Lord appeared in his dream and said5 2@y dear +yuha& please listen& there will be devastation on the seventh day. ,here ore& you have to be very Huick that you make a big boat and ride in it. ? chie o the devotees& you will be celebrated as a great king4. ,hen he made a strong boat which was 7MM eet long& 8M eet wide and 7M eet high. *t was beauti ul and all the living entities could take shelter in it. (e then himsel rode in it& engaged in meditating on Lord Vishnu. Lord *ndra called the devastating cloud named 1ambartaka and poured heavy rain continuously or FM days. ,he whole earth& Bharat3varsa& had merged in the water and our oceans came up together. ?nly Visala or Badarikasrama was not submerged. ,here were JM&MMM great transcendentalists in Visala who 9oined with king +yuha and his amily. All o them were saved and everything else was destroyed. At that time all the sages praised the eternal energy o Lord Vishnu. Being pleased by the prayers o the sages& the Vishnu3maya reduced the waters o devastation. A ter one year gradually the earth become visible. %nder the hill there is a place named 1isina and the king was situated in that place with his other people. Chen the water completely dried up& king +yuha came back to his place. 1uta Boswami continued5 ,he mleccha& king +yuha became attached to Lord Vishnu and as a result Lord Vishnu increased his generation. ,hen he created a language it or the mlecchas& un avorable to the Vedas. (e named it as brahmi3bhasha& or brahmi language& ull o bad words& or increasing the degradation o Kali3yuga. ,he Lord who is (imsel the master o intelligence gave this language to +yuha. +yuha named his tree sons opposite. ,hey were known as 1ima& (ama& Yakuta and also Yakuta& 1apta putra& #umara and @a9uya. ,he name o their countries were known as @adi& Yunana& 1tuvaloma& ,asa and ,irasa. (ama who was the second son o his ather& had our sons know as Kusa& @isra& Ku9a and Kanaam. Kusa had si/ sons 3 (avila& 1arva& ,oragama& 1avatika& +imaruha* and @ahavala. ,heir sons were known as Kamala& 1inara and %raka. And their countries names are Akvada& Bavuna and "asana. A ter telling this story 1uta Boswami in luenced by Yoga3nidra entered mystic slumber. (e woke up a ter two thousand years and thereupon he said5 2+ow *)m going to say about the generation o 1ima. Because he was the irst son o his ather he became the king. ,his mleccha king ruled over the country or 8MM years. (is son Arkansoda ruled or F7F years. (is son 1ihla ruled or FIM years. (is son *ratasya ruled the same length as his ather. (is son Ehata9a ruled or ;FM years. (is son "au ruled or ;7< years. (is son #u9a ruled the same length as his ather. (is son +ahura ruled or 6IM years& and he destroyed his many inimical kings. (is son ,ahara ruled the same length as his ather. (e had three sons5 Avirama& +ahura and (arana. ,hus * have e/plained the generation o mlecchas with the indication o their names only. ,he mleccha language is considered the lowest language because it bears the curse o goddess 1arasvati. ,hus * have summarily narrated the rise o the mlecchas in Kali3yuga. 1anskrt is the language by which the whole Bharata3Varsa is being praised and glori ied. ,he same language& a ter going to another country became the mleccha language and mlecchas took advantage o it. A ter hearing all this& the sages situated in Badarikashrama& worshipped Lord +ara3+arayana and meditated upon them or ;MM years. Chen they woke up rom their meditation& they inHuired rom their teacher 1uta Boswami5 2? disciple o 1ri Vyasa& you are so ortunate and greatly intelligent& may you live long. +ow please tell us who is the king at the present timeLP
1uta Boswami said5 2At the present time& the Kali3yuga has already passed its 7MMM years. +ow the king 1ankha is ruling the earth and in the mleccha countries the king named 1akapat is ruling. Elease hear about how they came up.P Chen the Kali3yuga passed ;MMM years& the dynasty o mlecchas increased. ,hey created many paths to grow and gradually the whole earth become ull o mlecchas. ,he spiritual master and teacher o the mlecchas was named @usa. (e was residing on the bank o the river 1arasvati& and he spread his doctrince throughout the whole world. As soon as Kali3yuga started& the devotion to the Lord and the language o the Vedas were destroyed. ,here are our kinds o mleccha languages5 Vra9a3bhasa& @aharastri& Yavani and Barundika. *n this way there are our million kinds o other languages. Dor e/ample5 paniyam (water) is called pani& bubhuksa3hunger is called bhukh. Eaniyam3drinking is called papadi and bho9anam3eating si called kakkanam. *sti is called suddharava& istini is called masapavani& ahuti is called a9u and dadati is called dadhati. ,he word pitri is called paitara and bhrata is bather and also pati. ,his is the yavani lanugage in which the asva is called aspa& #anu is 9ainu and sapta3sindhu is called sapta3hindu. +ow you hear about Burundika language. "avi3vara (the irst day o the week) is called sunday& phalguna and chaitra months are called pharvari (Debruary). 1asti is called si/ty& these kinds o e/amples are there. >rime is becoming prominent in the holy place o 1apta3puri. Bradually the people o Aryavata are becoming theives& hunters& bhillas and ools. ,he ollowers o mleccha3dharma in oreign countries are intelligent and having good Hualities& whereas the people o Aryavarta are bere t o good Hualities. ,hus the ruling o mlecchas is also in Bharata (*ndia) and its islands. Knowing all this& ? great and intelligent sage& you should 9ust per orm the devotional service to Lord (ari. ,he great sage 1aunaka inHuired5 2Elease tell us& what was the reason that the mlecchas did not arrive in Brahmavarta. 1uta Boswami said5 ,hat was by the in luence o goddess 1arasvati that they could not enter that place. By the order o the demigods& when the Kali3yuga pursued his 6&MMM years& a brahmana named Kasyapa come down to earth rom the heavenly planets with his wi e Aryavatil. ,hey had ten spotless sons who are known by the names5 %padhayaya& Diksita& Eathaka& 1ukla& @isra& Agnihotri& Dvi3vedi& ,ri3vedi& >atur3vedi and Eandey. Among them was the learned one ull o knowledge. (e went to Kashmir and worshipped goddess 1arasvati with red lowers& red akshata (rice)& incense& lamps& naivedya ( ood o erings) and puspan9ali ( lower o erings). ,o please her he praised her with some prayers& asking her or better knowledge o 1ankrt to put mlecchas into illusion. Being pleased by his prayers she remainded situated in his mind and blessed him with knowledge. ,hen the sage went to the country known as @isra and put all the mlecchas into illusion by the greace o goddess 1arasvati. ,hen he made 6M&MMM people as dvi9as or twice born brahmanasK he made ;&MMM people into vaishyasK and the rest o them as shudras. (e came back with them and staying in Arya3desha (*ndia) he engaged in the activites o the sages. ,hey were known as Aryans and by the grace o goddess 1arasvati their generation gradually increased upto F million& both the men and women with their sons and grandsons. ,heir king& Kasyapa muni& ruled the earth or 6;M years. ,here were J&MMM sudras in the county known as "a9putra ("a9put) and their king was Arya3prithu. (is son was @agadha. ,he sage made him a king and le t. 1aunaka inHuired5 P? disciple o Vyasa& ? Lomaharsana& please tell us who were the kings to rule the earth in Kali3yuga& a ter @agadhaLP 1uta Boswami said5 Chen king @agadha& the son o Kasyapa was ruling the earth& he remembered his atherAs administration and he separated the Arya3desha (*ndia) into many states. ,he state which is on the eastern side o Eancala is known as @agadha& the state o Kalinga is on the east3south side& the state o Avanta is in the south& Amarta3desha is to the south3west& 1indhu3desha is on the western side& Kaikaya is to the north3west& @adra3desha is in the north& and Koninda3desha is to the north3east. ,hese states are named according to his sonsA names. A ter per orming a sacri ice he gave the states to his sons. Lord Balabhadra became pleased with his sacri ice& and 1isunaga appeared rom the sacri ice as his son. (e ruled or 6MM years and his son Kakavarma ruled or GM years. (is son Kshemadharma ruled or JM years and his son ruled or <M years. (is son Vedamisra ruled or IM years. (is son A9ata3nipu ruled or 8M years. (is son Darbhaka ruled or FM years& his son %dayasva ruled or 7M years& his son +anda3Vardhana ruled or ;M years& his son +anda3suta& who was born rom the womb o a sudri or a low class lady& also ruled or ;M years. (is son Eranancala ruled or 6M years. (is son Earananda
also ruled 6M years. (is son 1amananda ruled or ;M years. (is son Eriyananta ruled or ;M years& his son Devananda also ruled or ;M years. his son Ya9na3bhanga ruled or 6M years. (is son @auryananda ruled or 6M years. And his son @ahananda uled or 6M years. At this time Lord (ari was remembered by Kali. At that time the great and amous Bautama& the son o Kasyapa introduced the Buddhist religion& and attained Lord (ari in Eattana. Bautama ruled over 6M years. Drom him 1hakya muni was born& who ruled ;M years. (is son 1huddhodana ruled 7M years. (is son 1hakyasimha became the king on 1atadri a ter ;MMM years and he ruled or IM years& by which time all the people were Buddhists. ,his was the irst position o Kali3yuga and the Vedic religion was destroyed. * Lord Vishnu becomes a king then all the people would ollow (im. ,he activities o the world are carried out by the prowess o Lord Vishnu. (e is the master o maya or the illusory energy and whoever takes shelter o that Lord (ari& though he may be a sin ul and abominable person& will become liberated. Buddha3simha was born rom 1hakyasimha and he ruled or only 7M years. Buddha3simha)s son was >handra3 gupta& who married with a daughter o 1uluva& the Yavana king o Eausasa. ,hus he mi/ed the Buddhists and yavanas. (e ruled or IM years. Drom him Vindusara was born and ruled or the same number o years as his ather. (is son was Ashoka. At this time the best o the brahmanas& Kanyakub9a& per ormed sacri ice on the top o a mountain named Arbuda. By the in luence o Vedic mantras& our Kshatriyas appeared orm the ya9na. Among these our Eramara was samavedi& >hapahani was ya9urvedi& 1hukla was trivedi and Eariharaka was the Atharvavedi. ,hey were accustomed to ride on elephants. ,hey kept Ashoka under their control and annihilated all the Buddhists. *t is said there were F million Buddhists and all o them were killed by uncommon weapons. A ter that Eramara became king in Avanta and he constructed a large city called Ambavati or his happiness. *t was as big as F yo9anas or about 7; miles. ,hen 1uta Boswami said5 P@y dear brahmanas *)m being in luenced by yoga3nidra& there ore& please go to your respective ashramas and meditate on Lord Vishnu.P A ter the completion o ;&MMM years& 1uta Boswami said5 Chen the kali3yuga had passed his 7&<6M years& at that time the king was Eramara who rulled I years& rom him @ahamada was born. (e ruled 7 years and his son Devapi did the same. (is son Devaduta also did the same. Drom him Bandharva3sena was born& who went to the orest a ter ruling or over 8M years and having given his kingdom to his son 1hankha. 1hankha ruled or over 7M years. Lord *ndra sent a heavenly girl to Bandharva3sena named Viramati. A 9ewel like son was born orm her womb. At the time o his birth& there were lowers raining rom the sky& many auspicious instruments were played and the wind was blowing pleasingly. ,he name o the baby was 1iva3drishti& who later le t or the 9ungle with his disciples. A ter ;M years he became per ect in Karma3yoga. Chen kali3yuga copmleted 7&MMM years& the terrible symptoms o kali had appeared. ,hat baby took birth in the secret place o Kailasa& by the benediction o Lord 1hiva& to destroy the shakas and to increase the Arya3dharma or the Vedic reigion. (is ather Bandharva3sena named his son as Vikramaditya and become happy. ,his child was very intelligent and very pleasing to his parents. Chen he was 8 years old& he le t or the orest to per orm austerities and he continued it upto 6; years. A ter 6; years he went to the holy city named Ambavati with all the opulence and accepted the transcendental throne sent by Lord 1hiva. Dor his security goddess Earvati created a Vetala (a king o ghosts) and sent it to king Vikramaditya)s palace. ?nce the power ul king went to the temple o Lord 1hiva named as @ahakaleshvara& who is the chie o the devas& and who has a bow named Einaka. ,here he worshipped Lord 1hiva. *n that place he built a religious council hall with the pillars made o various metals and decorated with many kinds o 9ewels and covered with so many plants and creepers and lowers. *n that hall he kept a celestial throne. (e invited the oremost brahmanas who are well3versed in Vedic knowledge& worshipped them with proper hospitality and heard many religious histories rom them. A ter that one demigod named Vitala come there having a orm o a brahmana. Blori ying and blessing the king& he sat down on the seat and said5 ? master o this earthly planet& king Vikramaditya& i you are very eager to hear them * will describe the stories and histories to you. ,hus ends the seventh chapter o the Eratisarga Earva o the Bhavishya Eurana.
11&! "he Prediction of 7slam

WDrom the third part o the Eratisarga Earva.X 1hri 1uta Bosvami said5 *n the dynasty o king 1halivahana& there were ten kings who went to the heavenly planets a ter ruling or over 8MM years. ,hen gradually the morality declined on the earth. At that time Bho9ara9a was the tenth o the kings on the earth. Chen he saw that the moral law o conduct was declining he went to
conHuer all the directions o his country with ten3thousand soldiers commanded by Kalidasa. (e crossed the river 1indhu and conHuered over the gandharas& mlecchas& shakas& kasmiris& naravas and sathas. (e punished them and collected a large ammount o wealth. ,hen the king went along with @ahamada (@ohammad)& the preceptor o mleccha3dharma& and his ollowers to the great god& Lord 1hiva& situated in the desert. (e bathed Lord 1hiva with Banges water and worshipped him in his mind with pancagavya (milk& ghee& yoghurt& cow dung& and cow urine) and sandalwood paste& etc. A ter he o ered some prayers and pleased him. 1uta Boswami said5 A ter hearing the king)s prayers& Lord 1hiva said5 ? king Bho9ara9a& you should go to the place called @ahakakshvara& that land is called Vahika and now is being contaminated by the mlecchas. *n that terrible country there no longer e/ists dharma. ,here was a mystic demon named ,ripura& whom * have already burnt to ashes& he has come again by the order o Bali. (e has no origin but he achieved a benediction rom me. (is name is @ahaoda and his deeds are like that o a ghost. ,here ore& ? king& you should not go to this land o the evil ghost. By my mercy your intelligence will be puri ied. (earing this the king came back to his country and @ahamada came with them to the bank o the river 1indhu. (e was e/pert in e/panding illusion& so he said to the king very pleasingly5 ? great king& your god has become my servant. #ust see& as he eats my remnants& so * will show you. ,he king became surprised when he saw this 9ust be ore them. ,hen in anger Kalidasa rebuked @ahamada& 2? rascal& you have created an illusion to bewilder the king& * will kill you& you are the lowest...P W...X ,hat city is known as their site o pilgrimage& a place which was @adina or ree rom into/ication. (aving a orm o a ghost (Bhuta)& the e/pert illusionist @ahamada appeared at night in ront o king Bho9ara9a and said5 ? king& your religion is o course known as the best religion among all. 1till * am going to establish a terrible and demoniac religion by the order o the Lord. ,he symptoms o my ollowers will be that they irst o all will cut their genitals& have no shikha& but having beard& be wicked& make noise loudly and eat everything. ,hey should eat animals without per orming any rituals. ,his is my opinion. ,hey will per orm puri icatory act with the musala or a pestle as you puri y your things with kusha. ,here ore& they will be known as musalman& the corrupters o religion. ,hus the demoniac religion will be ounded by me. A ter having heard all this the king came back to his palace and that ghost went back to his place. ,he intelligent king& Bho9ara9 established the language o 1anskrit in three varnas 3 the brahmanas& kshatriyas and vaisyas 3 and or the shudras he established prakrita3bhasha& the ordinary language spoken by common men. A ter ruling his kingdom or 8M years& he went to the heavenly planet. ,he moral laws established by him were honored even by the demigods. ,he arya3varta& the pious land is situated between Vindhyacala and (imacala or the mountains known as Vindhya and (imalaya. ,he Aryans reside there& but varna3sankaras reside on the lower part o Vindhya. ,he musalman people were kept on the other side o the river 1indhu. ?n the island o Barbara& ,usha and many others also the ollowers o *samsiha were also situated as they were managed by a king or demigods.
11&* "he Prediction of #uddhism

WDrom the ;Gth chapter o the Eratisarga Earva.X Long ago in the country known as >itrartha& the inhabitants o the heavenly planets used to come to play during the time o autumn. ?ne day a heavenly apsara know as @an9ughosha came to that place where the sage 1huka was residing. 1eeing this beauti ul boy& she tried to attract him while singing and dancing& being overwhelmed by lusty desires. 1he praised him with a beauti ul prayer holding her hands and bowing down. 1omehow& she pleased the muni. ,hen the glorious 1huka& hearing this auspicious prayer asked her to reHuest a benediction. @an9ughosha humbly said5 4? lord& you are the protector o those who came to your shelter& there ore *)m at your shelter& please become my husband4. ,he sage accepted her and a ter some time they produced a son named '@uni) who per ormed austerity very strictly upto 6; years. (e married the daughter o 1varnadeva& the god o gold. ,hey gave birth to a daughter named Kinnari. 1he was very young and beauti ul. 1he per ormed austerity to please Lord 1hiva& and as a benediction lord 1hiva intrusted her to a sober sage @akaranda. ,hen her ather& @uni& asked lord 1hiva to bless her& so that they will success ully make progress in this world. Lord 1hiva said5 %pto 7M years you will en9oy your country in the middle o the earth& then it will be destroyed. A ter hearing this @uni went to his place with @akaranda and resided there. As soon as the ;Gth year started the battle took place among those kings who took birth as the incarnations o the associates o Krishna. Bauddha& the lord o nyuhas (the lessened people) attacked the beauti ul city o +etrapala& thinking that this city is wonder ully
decorated with various kinds o 9ewels. ,he power ul king Bauddha3simha who had seven3million soldiers& ought with those kings who had only three million soldiers. ,he ight went on terribly between the armies or seven days and nights. ,he great power ul kings& who killed all the inimical armies protected by Baudha3simha& were Yoga3 simha& Bhoga3simha and Vi9aya. A ter that more Buddhists came rom the countries known as 1hyama and #apaka& and all o them were magicians. Again they had a large battle which lasted or one month. ,hen +etrasimha arrived with seven million soldiers protected by eight generals& or the destruction o the Buddhists. Being a raid& all the Buddhists le t *ndia completely and went to >hina to continue the war rom there. ,he opposite army also continued ollowing them. Chen they arrived on the bank o the (uha river& it was the month o @agh& the second hal part o the month o #anuary& the ight took place again. ,here were one million soldiers each rom the countries o 1yama and #apaka& and ten million soldiers rom >hina assembled or a ight. ?n the other side& Krishnamsa& Deva& +etrapala& @andalika& Dhanyapada& Lallasimha& ,alana and #ana nayaka were the generals& each o them having one million soldiers. ,here was a terrible battle between the Buddhists and the Aryans. *n that war seven million Buddhists& and two million Aryans were killed. Being a raid the Buddhists ran away rom the battle and went to their home to produce a wooden army with the help o a machinery arrangement. ,hey made ten3thousand elephants (made out o wood) along with warriors& one million horses& one thousand bu aloes& one thousand hogs& one thousand tigers& one thousand swans& and seven thousand camels. All these creatures had wooden warriors on their back. ,hus with the wooden army which was 6;8&MMM in number& they killed two million soldiers protected by Krishnamsas. 1eeing this wonder #ayanta& the e/pert ighter shot ire arrows toward the wooden armies& so that they were immediately destroyed& being burnt to ashes. ?nly three million kshatriyas (warriors) were le t& and they glori ied the pro icient warrior #ayanta again and again. ,hen the Buddhists rom >hina& made a twenty thousand strong iron horse calvary and sent them to ight. ,he power ul warrior Yogasimha& riding on an elephant held the bow and arrows in his hands and shot to the neck o the iron warriors. Being a licted by the arrows o Yogasimha ive thousand soldiers were killed. 1eeing this& Bauddhasimha made an iron tiger and sent it to Yogasimha. By the attack o that iron tiger the brave Yogasimha was inally killed& and then Bhogasimha riding on a horse& went to ight with the tiger. (e killed the tiger by throwing a missile& and roared loudly. ,hen a lion was sent to him by Bauddhasimha and thus he (Bhogasimha) was killed by a lion. Chen the son o 1warna3vati (#ayanta) saw that his maternal uncles were already dead& he rode on a power ul horse and went to Bauddhasimha. (e took illusory arrows and put the opposite army into delusion along with Bauddhasimha. (e captured ten3thousand kings including Bauddhasimha& and returned to Krishnamsas having destroyed the mechanical armies. ,hen all o them happily went to the city and orcibly 2looted4 the wealth rom the palace& which was very opulent& and came back the ort o the king. #ayanta came and released Bauddhasimha. A ter being released he o ered his daughter Eadma9a to #ayanta and also o ered 6MM&MMM&MMM golden coins or the pleasure o his in law. A ter that all the Buddhists made their vows there itsel saying 2Ce will never go to Arya3desa to invade the country.4 ,hen they o ered their homage and le t. ,hey went to +etrapala with their three million remaining soldiers.
11&, "he Prediction of 7ndia<s 2ings

WDrom the 76st chapter o the Eratisarga Earva.X 1uta Boswami said5 ,he great power ul king o @adrakesa worshipped the mendicants o the heavenly planets (the Asvini kumaras) or ive years and a ter having received a benediction rom them he produced ten sons and one beauti ul young daughter named Kantinati. King @adraka invited @ahara9 1uryavarna (the present king o (astinapura)& and gave his daughter to him with proper conduct. (aving accepted the new wi e& 1uryavarna Huickly returned to his home with his army. ,here was a mystic demon named Karbura& the son o Bigbhisana& when he saw Kantimati the daughter o king @adrakesa& he came there and kidnapped her in their presence and went to a mountain called 1ahyadri. 1eeing this incident @ahira9a became very upset and lamented again and again. @ahira9a came to (astinapura and sent a message to Krishnamsa. (e e/plained everything to him and immediately with ive hundred warriors Krishnamsa went to 1ahyadri mountain and said earlessly5 2? best o the demons& please listen. Your ather Bibhishana is a great devotoee& and you are the dear son o him& there ore& you should not act in this manner (sin ully) which is the cause o the destruction o amily. Do you remember& long ago mother 1ita was kidnapped by "avana and what happened to himL4 ,he rakshasa said& PEreviously she was the daughter o a Bandharva and my beloved wi e& but because o a curse by a sage she took birth on the earthly planet. ,here ore& eeling her separation * went to @adrakesa. Although * stayed there so many days& being a raid o the king * could not kidnap her. +ow she is in my control&
but i you de eat me in battle you can take her back. ,hen Krishnamsa started ighting with him with a sword and it went on or seven nights. Dinally he de eated the rakshasa& and with Kantimati came back to Delhi to see @ahira9a. ,he king (@ahira9a) o ered 6M&MMM&MMM golden coins to the great Krishnamsa. ,hen he came to Eramdavana& or the orest called Eramoda& with his riends. 1uta Boswami said5 ,here was a power ul king named Eurnamala in Eattana. (e worshipped the Vasus or ive years and received a benediction rom them. By their blessings he had ten sons and a daughter named Vidyun mala. Dor the marriage o his daughter he invited king @ahira9a and with seven million soldiers he gave his daughter to the son o @ahira9a (Bhima). Bhima came back happily to his home ((astinapura) with his beauti ul wi e. ,hen the king o paisaca3dasa& 1ahoda& came with ten3thousand mlecchas to get Vidyunmala. ,hey came to Kurukshetra by the order o Bali& the grandson o Erahlada @ahara9a. ,hey broke the deities o gods& killed so many cows and in the places o sacred water they put cow3blood. 1ahoda& the mleccha king& wrote a letter and sent it to @ahira9a. King @ahira9a answered5 P? mleccha king& you are the master o the mlecchasi& why are you worried about VidyunmalaL You should know that *)m the one who can shoot arrows 9ust by hearing a sound and *)m the central point o the country o the thieves.P ,hen the king went to Kurukshetra with three million soldiers. ,here was a large& terrible ight between them. At night in the month o #esta (#uly)& Bali @ahara9a came rom Eatala& the lowest region with ten3thousand demons and killed the soldiers o the king very Huickly& eating them again and again. ,he king& being a raid took shelter o goddess 1arasvati. A ter that immediately Krishnamsas arrived and killed the ten3thousand demons. ,hey came to Bali& the lord o the demons& and pleased him with their words. ,hen Balira9a said5 *)m very pleased with you& now you can ask or any benediction. ,hey said5 ,hese demons should never come to Aryadesha (*ndia) with you& all o you should stay always in mleccha3desha and eat the ollowers o mleccha3dharma. Balira9a became upset hearing these ear ul& terrible words. ,hen Krishnamsa said5 as long as *)m in this world you should simply stay in your home& a ter that you come here and do whatever you like4. (earing this the mleccha king 1ahoda went back to "asatala& the si/th lowest region o demons. WDrom Eratisarga Earva& Fth Eart& >hapter I.X ,he sage (1aunka) said5 2? great ortunate one& you know everything please tell us about the kings who came a ter @ahira9a. 1uta Boswami said5 ,he ghostly Kutukoddina& with human nature& was situated in the kingdom o Delhi. ,he best king Bhapasena& the grandson o Virasena was situated in the beauti ul city o Aligarh. ,his city was protected by yadavas. Kutukaddin with ten3thousand warriors went there and de eated him and returned to Delhi. ,hen so many kings orm other countries came there and de eated him and re9ected him rom their countries. Chen 1hahoddina heard this& he came to Delhi& conHuered the kings and broke all the deities. A ter that so many mlecchas came rom all sides and ruled the kingdom or 8& I or < years. ,hey had destroyed the places o pilgrimage and the temples& there ore as a reaction they become short3lived. Drom today& the mleccha kings will continue or a hundred years& there ore ? sages& you should Huickly go to Vishala (Badarikashrama) with me. ,hen all the sages sadly le t this place (+aimisaranya) and went to Vishala& the best o the (imalayas and meditated upon Lord (ari& being in samadhi (trance). And a ter a hundred years all o them attained the kingdom o Bod.
11&/ "he Prediction of 3im5ar.a Acharya

WDrom the <th chapter o the Eratisarga Earva.X ,he sun god& being pleased by the praise o the demigods& said5 By the order o the Lord Krishna& 1udarshana will take birth in the Dvapara3yuga& and will be known as +imbaditya (+imbarka). (e will be able to remove the declination o religious principles.
1uta Boswami said5 +ow you hear about the pastimes o the great +imbarka. Lord Krishna personally ordered him to appear on the auspicious bank o +armada river& which lows to the southern side o mountain @eru. ,hat state is known as ,ailanga& the place used by the devarsis& the godly sages. Lord Krishna said5 PYou receive knowledge rom devarsi +arada and establish the true principles o religion. You should remain in @athura& +aimisaranya and Dvaraka.P Lord 1udarshana accepted the order o Lord Krishna sarying& PYes&P and appeared on the earth to ul ill the desires o the devotees. ,here was a broad3minded holy brahmana living in the auspicious state o ,ailanga. (is name was Aruna and was well versed in the Vedas and Vedangas. (is wi e was known as #ayanti. ,hey were living an austere li e like the sages. ,he brilliant luster o 1udarshana suddenly entered in the heart o #ayanti& and by that luster she looked brilliant like the moon. Chen the time arrived with all auspiciousness and good Hualities& in Baura paksha purnima o Kartika month& Vrisha rasi& the moon in Krittika& the ive grahas (planets) situated in higher places& in the evening at the time o sunset& in @asa3lagna& the Lord o the universe (1udarshana)& who engaged the whole universe in Vedic religion& appeared rom mother #ayanti (as +imbarka). ?ne day Lord Brahma went to +imbarka)s ashrama 9ust be ore the sunset and said5 ? brahmana& *)m very hungry& as long as the sun is in the sky& please give me something to eat. (* will not eat a ter the sun sets). ,he brahmana (+imbarka) gave him ood and while he was eating the sun went down. ,hen the brahmana by his power kept a sudarshana on a nimbe tree. Lord Brahma wondered seeing that sunlike shine and paid his obeisances to the brahmana by lying lat on the ground. Eleased with his austerity Lord Brahma said5 -/cellent. You will become amous on this earth& and you will be known as +imbaditya (+imbarka 3 ?ne who made the sun appear rom a +eem tree).
11&1 "he Prediction of Madhva and )ridhara

WDrom the <th chapter o the Eratisarga Earva.X Brihaspati said5 Long ago& during the age o treta& ? *ndra& there was a brahmana named 1hakrasharma& in Ayodhya. (e worshipped demigods such as the Asvini Kumaras& "udras& Vasus& and 1urya with the mantras mentioned in the Ya9ur3veda. A ter worshipping& he satis ied them by o ering oblations every day. ,hus being pleased with his worship all the 77M million demigods awarded him all desired ob9ects and even the rarest things. By the benediction o the demigods the brahmana lived on this earth or ten3thousand years without getting old and having no disturbance. A ter leaving his body he become the 1un3god and predominated the sun planet or one hundred thousand years& be ore going to Brahmaloka. (e spent eight thousand celestial years or visiting the higher planets and then returned to the sun planet. (earing this& Lord *ndra with his sober intelligence began to worship the sun3god along with other demigods in the month o #une3#uly. ?n the purnima& the ull moon day& the sun3god came down to the earth and said to demigods5 * will take birth in Kali3yuga in Vrindavana and this brahmana will e/ecute avorable acts or the demigods. (e will be born as a son o @adhava& named @adhu and ollow the Vedic path. 1uta Bosvami said5 1aying this the sun3god created a light rom his body and sent it to Vrindavana. Attracting all the irreligious people with pleasing speech he gave them Vaishnavi3shakti or the spiritual energy o Lord Vishnu& the bestower o en9oyment and liberation. ,hus he become amous& known as @adhvacarya. #iva said5 *n the age o Dvapara& there was a brahmana named @egha 1harma. (e was very much religious& intelligent& learned and a ollower o the Vedic path. (e was engaged in arming& and with the ten percent pro it rom arming he was worshipping the demigods every day with devotion. ?nce there was no rain during the administration o @ahara9a 1hantanu or ive years& but the arm o @egha sharma was about our miles wider and was watered by rain. +aturally the grain3rate increased and @egha sharma became rich by taking advantage o the scarcity. ?ther people being so distressed took shelter o the king. ,he king called @egha sharma and said5 ? great brahmana& * o er my obeisances unto you& please became my Buru and guide us& so that we can be ree rom the scarcity. @egha sharma said5 when the month o 1hravana (#uly3August) starts& you should call twelve Vedic brahmanas to chant one3hundred thousand times the mantra o the sun3god with the proper mind. ,hen on the ull moon day (purnima) o er one tenth the number o oblations in the sacri icial ire& through the brahmanas. * you could do this as mentioned& you will become ree rom an/iety. 1o the king per ormed accordingly and ed all the brahmanas& then the sun3god being pleased by this poured heavy rain on the earth rom all sides. A ter this king 1hantanu&
engaged in per orming 1urya3vrata and become a greatly pious person. Choever he touched with his hand immediately turned to a young man. By the mercy o the sun3god& @eghasarma lived or ive3hundred years& being reed rom old age& and then went to sun3planet. A ter 6MM&MMM years he will attain Brahmaloka. Chile he was speaking thus& sun3god revealed his identity to #iva and went to Erayaga (Allahabad) and being in a happy mood he said to the demigods5 2*n kali3yuga& when the mlecchas will be ruling the kingdom& * will come to Vrindavana and preach or the mission o the Devas.P 1uta said5 ,hen the sun3god descended in Vrindavana as a son o Deva3sharma& named 1ridhara. (e studied 1rimad Bhagavatam very deeply and a great commentary on it which is known as 1ridhar3bhasya& the commentary o 1ridhara.
11&4 "he Prediction of Cayadeva (osvami

Brihaspati said5 Long ago there was a brahmana named (eli& in the beauti ul city Eampapura. (e was a worshipper o the sun3god and he knew the IF arts. (e avoided the mood o accepting dakshina (donations) and he became an artist& having established a workshop or clothes& paintings& pictures& metal statues etc. (e spent ive thousand coins to establish it. Chatever pro it he made he used or worshipping the sun3god in the month o @agha (#anuary3Debruary) by per orming sacri ices. ,hus the sun3god Vishvakarma (the architect o the gods) became pleased with this sacri ice and descended on the top o a big pillar in Eampasarovara& the lake named Eampa& having a brilliant shining orm. At the noon time& (eli o ered ood to the sun3god according to his desire. *n this way he satis ied the three worlds. A ter leaving his body he entered into the sun3planet. ,here ore ? king o devas you may worship the sun3god& he will help you. 1uta said5 Lord *ndra hearing this rom his guru& began to worship the sun3god Visvakarma along with other demigods. ,hus being pleased with their worship ,vashta (Visvakarma) said5 ? gods& please listen to my words& * will appear in a village named Bilvagram in Bengal& and * will be the poet known as #ayadeva& the compiler o +irukti. 1aying this the sun3god went to Bengal and took birth in the house o a brahmana named Kanduke. Chen he was 9ust ive years old& he was engaged in the service o his parents and continued or twelve years. A ter sometime his parents le t their body and #ayadeva did all the inal ceremonies (1hraddha) in Baya. Being satis ied they went to heaven. ,hen #ayadeva lived in a 9ungle as a detached brahmana. At the age o twenty three& a brahmana (someone) o ered his beauti ul daughter to Lord #agannatha. At the end o his worship the eternal Lord Aniruddha& having the orm o Darubrahma& directly spoke thus5 2? 1atyavrata& please listen to @e& it is my order that you o er your daughter Eadmavati to #ayadeva because he is the body o @ine& or he is as good as @e.4 ,hen he ound the detached brahmana (#ayadeva) and leaving his daughter in ront o him& he went to his home. Eadmavati served her husband or so many years accepting him as a beauti ul and learned one. #ayadeva compiled a book known as +irukta& the Vedic vocabulary& one o the si/ Vedangas. ,here were ive kinds o +iruktas& but in Kali3yuga they were destroyed by the evil people and Erakrit3bhasha or the illiterate language was established. Dor the sake o the demigods& Eanini the author o Ashtadhyayi grammar& overtook them and established the pure 1anskrit languagae. ?nce the evil minded Kali situated in the hearts o thieves& plundered all the money o the brahmana #ayadeva which was given to him by the king. Dollowing this they cut both his hands and legs and went home leaving Eadmavati aside. #aydeva was thrown into a ditch. Eadmavati took him out cried and lamented again and again seeing the situation o her husband. ?ne day& when the king Dharmapala was out hunting. (e saw the sage #ayadeva without hands and eet and asked5 2Cho put you in such a conditionL4 #ayadeva answered5 2+o one put me in this condition& ? king. *t is due to my previous activities that * am su ering now in this abominable condition.P (aving heard this statement& the religious king put the brahmana on a palanHuin along with his wi e and brought them to his palace. ,he king built a dharma3shala& religious institution& a ter receiving instructions rom #ayadeva. ?ne day those same thieves& dressed as Vaishnavas came to the king and said5 2Ce are very much e/pert in the scriptures and there ore we have come to you. ? best o the kings& Lord Vishnu& while being in the stone (1halagrama) eats ood cooked by us everyday with love. * you don)t believe us& you can see this right here.4 1aying thus the slaves o kali by their power showed the king a our handed orm o Lord Vishnu eating. Being struck with wonder& king Dharmapala said to #ayadeva5 2? my gurudeva& some vaishnavas& the devotees o Lord
Vishnu have come to my palace& and they have shown me the Lord be ore my very eyes& there ore please come Huickly.P ,he theives saw #ayadeva and became struck with wonder. ,hey said to the king in a 9oking mood5 2? king& this brahmana was a cook in the palace o the king o Baudadesa (Bengal). ?nce he became very much greedy or money and he mi/ed some poison in the ood and o ered it to a king. Chen the king come to know about it he ordered him to be cruci ied. ,hen we came to him (#ayadeva)& and knowing him to be an o ender& we instructed him in the Vedic knowledge. ,hen the king re used to cruci y him& but he cut o his hands and legs. At that time the king became our disciple& having been enlightened by us.4 Chile they were speaking thus& the earth broke in two and those thieves ell within the earth& being sent to the lowest hell known as patala3loka. #ayadeva began to cry to the thieves and while he was crying his hands and legs appeared to be as they were. ,hen he e/plained to the bewildered king what had happened. ,he king became very happy a ter hearing everything rom him. #ayadeva wrote a song called Bita3Bovinda& the song sung or the pleasure o Lord Bovinda. ,he king read the song and attained liberation. 2? brahmanas& thus * have narrated the birth story o #ayadeva& now you listen about how the 1upreme Lord appeared as 1ri Krishna >haitanya .P
WDrom Eratisarga Earva& Fth Eart& >hapter I.X ,he sage (1aunka) said5 2? great ortunate one& you know everything please tell us about the kings who came a ter @ahira9a. 1uta Boswami said5 ,he ghostly Kutukoddina& with human nature& was situated in the kingdom o Delhi. ,he best king Bhapasena& the grandson o Virasena was situated in the beauti ul city o Aligarh. ,his city was protected by yadavas. Kutukaddin with ten3thousand warriors went there and de eated him and returned to Delhi. ,hen so many kings orm other countries came there and de eated him and re9ected him rom their countries. Chen 1hahoddina heard this& he came to Delhi& conHuered the kings and broke all the deities. A ter that so many mlecchas came rom all sides and ruled the kingdom or 8& I or < years. ,hey had destroyed the places o pilgrimage and the temples& there ore as a reaction they become short3lived. Drom today& the mleccha kings will continue or a hundred years& there ore ? sages& you should Huickly go to Vishala (Badarikashrama) with me. ,hen all the sages sadly le t this place (+aimisaranya) and went to Vishala& the best o the (imalayas and meditated upon Lord (ari& being in samadhi (trance). And a ter a hundred years all o them attained the kingdom o Bod.
12 /urma Purana
Lord Vishnu& in Kurm Avatar (tortoise incarnation)& had irst preached this Eurana to +arad. *n his turn& +arad narrated it to 1ut9i who later narrated this Eurana to an assembly o the great sages. *nitially& this Eurana had our parts namely Bramhi 1amhita& Bhagawati 1amhita& Bauri 1amhita and Vaishnavi 1amhita. Eresently& however& none o these 1amhitas is available e/cept Brahm 1amhita. Eresent version too contains two parts3Eurv and %ttar Earts. PurB Part! ,ale o *ndradyumna. Description o Kurm Eurana. Description o Varnashram. Description o the seHuence o these ashramas. ?rigin o the geo3sphere. Description o various incarnations. Ereaching o the gods. Description o the sel 3begotten @anu. Destruction o Daksh)s yagya. Killing o (iranyakashipu. Vamana avatar (dwar incarnation). Description o *kshvaku clan. Description o Eururava clan. Description o "ama and Krishna incarnations. Description o 1atya3& ,reta3& Dwapar3 and Kali yugas. Breatness o Varanasi. Breatness o Lingas. Breatness o Erayag and Yamuna etc. $ttar Part! Yoga o une/pressed knowledge. Appearance o Devadidev ("udra) during ,andava. Description o metaphysical knowledge. Ereaching o metaphysical knowledge by the Bod. Description o Ashtang Yoga. Duties o a celibate. Duties o a graduate. Description o edible and non3edible things. "ituals to be per ormed regularly. "ituals o dining. Description o the duties o a Vanaprasthi. Duties o an ascetic. Description o e/piation. -/piation or drinking o wine. Breatness o di erent places o pilgrimage. ,his Eurana consists o 78 chapters5
1!&1 7ntroduction
(,he samudra manthana story is given in great detail in the "amayana and the @ahabharata. As or Lakshmi& some o the Euranas state that she was born as the daughter o Khyati and the sage Bhrigu. 1he was then married to Vishnu. But the demons de eated the gods and *ndra. ,he sage Durvasa there ore cursed Lakshmi that she would have to live in the ocean. And when the ocean was churned& Lakshmi emerged yet again.) *ndra& the other gods& and the sages were charmed at Lakshmi)s beauty when she appeared. 2Cho is this wonder ul goddessL4 they asked Vishnu. 2,his is Lakshmi&4 replied Vishnu. 21he is also known as 1hakti. *t is with her help that * delude the universe and its inhabitants with my illusions (maya). *t is Lakshmi who gives me all my powers& although she is no di erent rom me in essence.4 Vishnu then proceeded to tell the gods and the sages the story o *ndradyumna.
1!&! 7ndradyumna
@any years ago& there was a king named *ndradyumna. (e ruled the world well and& when he died& was reborn as a brahmana& (,he brahmanas constitute the irst o the our classes& their primary duties are to study the Vedas and per orm sacri ices.) As a brahmana& *ndradyumna observed religious rites and meditated. (e also stared to pray to the goddess Lakshmi. Chen Lakshmi appeared& *ndradyumna begged o her& 2Elease tell me about yoursel . Elease give me insight into what constitutes true knowledge.4 2-ven the gods and the sages are unable to comprehend my true nature&4 replied Lakshmi. 2* an Vishnu)s illusions and there is no di erence between him and me. As or knowledge& it is beyond my powers to grant you that. You will have to pray to the great Vishnu himsel .4 (aving said this& Lakshmi disappeared& and *ndradyumna started to pray to Vishnu. 1everal years passed& but *ndradyumna continued to meditate. Dinally& Vishnu appeared and instructed *ndradyumna on the path to true knowledge. 2Chat did you tell *ndradyumnaL4 asked the gods and the sages. 2Chat was this wonder ul knowledgeL4 2* will repeat it or your bene it&4 replied Vishnu.
1ince Vishnu repeated his teachings while in the orm o a turtle o Kurma& these sacred words are known as the Kurma Eurana. ,here are many sub9ects that Vishnu)s instructions covered& but let us irst start with the concept o varnashrama dharma& Dharma means righteousness and these precepts lay down the undamental principles o righteous conduct. ,his is typi ied in the system o our varnas (classes) and our ashramas (stages o li e).
1!&* +arnashrama $harma

Vishnu said that be ore creation began& there was only water in the universe and Vishnu slept on these waters. Chen it was time or creation to begin& Brahma emerged rom Vishnu)s body. And 1hiva emerged rom Vishnu)s anger. Lakshmi too was created rom Vishnu)s body and took her place by Vishnu)s side. Brahma told Vishnu& 2Elease use this goddess to delude the beings whom * will create. ,ell her to sow the seeds o illusions in their minds. Elease tell her to make the righteous prosper.4 Vishnu complied. (e reHuested Lakshmi& 2Elease delude and destroy gods& demons and humans who are about to be created. But please leave the righteous alone and make them prosper. * will tell you how to know the righteous. ,hey are those that ollow the precepts o varnashrama dharma.4 ,he brahmanas constitute the irst o the our classes. Brahma created nine sons rom his mental powers. ,heir names were @arichi& Bhrigu& Angira& Eulastya& Eulaha& Kratu& Daksha& Atri and Vashishtha. ,hese sons became sages and they were the irst brahmanas. ,hey were created rom Brahma)s mouth ,here are si/ types o action that are recommended or brahmanas. ,hese are ya9ana (per orming sacri ices)& ya9ana (acting as priests at sacri ices)& dana (donation o alms)& pratigraha (receiving gi ts)& adhyapana (teaching and adhyayana (studying). A brahmana who per orms these tasks well& attains the wonder ul place known as pra9apatya. (,his would seem to be synonymous with Brahma)s residence o Brahmaloka). ,he kshatriyas constitute the second o the our classes. ,hey were created rom Brahma)s arms. ,he duties o kshatriyas include dana (donation o alms)& adhyayana (studying) and per orming ya9nas (sacri ices). But their primary duties are to take up arms and ight& *t is their 9ob to punish the evil and protect the good. A kshatriya who per orms these tasks well& attains *ndra)s residence o *ndraloka. ,he vaishyas constitute the third o the our classes. ,hey were created rom Brahma)s thighs. Like the kshatriyas& the vaishyas can also donate alms& study and per orm sacri ices& But their primary duty is agriculture& (*n many other Euranas& trade and animal husbandry are mentioned in addition to agriculture). A vaishya who per orms these tasks well& gets to live with Vayu& the god o the wind. ,he shudras constitute the last o the our classes. ,hey were created rom Brahma)s eet. ,heir primary duty is to serve the other three classes. *n addition& a shudra can adopt artisanship as an occupation& A shudra who per orms these tasks well& will live with the gandharvas (singers o heaven). Benerally speaking& all our classes have to observe the religion that is prescribed in the vedas. ,here are various other shastras (religious te/ts) that circulate on earth. But many o them are against the Vedas. ,he religion that is prescribed in such anti3Vedic te/ts must not be ollowed. ?nly sinners ollow such religions& and they are doomed to eternal damnation. ,here are our ashramas (stages o li e). ,he irst one is brahmacharya (celibate studenthood). ,he primary duties o a person who is in this stage o li e are studying the Vedas and serving one)s guru (teacher) well. (e has to live on alms that are obtained through begging. Chen this stage o li e i over& there are two options that are available to the individual. *n rare instances& he may desire to devote the rest o his li e to studying and meditation. 1uch a person is known as naishthika. @ore commonly& individuals wish to step into the ne/t stage o li e& An individual who does so is known as an upakurvana. ,he second stage o li e is garhasthya (householder stage). A householder)s primary duties are serving guests& per orming sacri ices& donating alms& worshipping the gods and keeping the sacred ire burning in the house at all times. *n cases where the householder is absent rom the house& these unctions are to be per ormed by his wi e or sons& or even by his priest. A householder must not also orget to study a little bit o the Vedas every day. ,he householder stage is superior to the other three stages o li e. ,he reason is that the alms provided by a householder are the means o sustenance or individuals who are in the other three stages o li e. A householder may be one o two types. (e may be a sadhaka& in which case his chie obsession is that o satis ying his riends and relatives. Alternatively& there may be a householder who is udasina. ,his means that he is not really
interested in his wi e& his sons or in the acHuisition o material wealth. (is chie obsession is that o being reed rom the bonds o the world. ,he third stage o li e is vanaprastha ( orest dwelling stage). 1uch a person retires to the orest and lives on ruits and roots. (e studies the Vedas& per orms tapasya (meditation) and observes religious rites. ?ne should never embark on a orest3dwelling stage unless one)s mind is ready or it. ,his also means that one must have had sons. Cithout sons to carry on the line& it is not recommended that a householder venture out on the orest3 dwelling stage. ,here are two types o orest3dwellers. ,he irst type consists o individuals who primarily devote themselves to worshipping the gods and per orming religious ceremonies. 1uch an individual is known as a tapasya& because he does do some tapasya. But there are individuals who devote themselves entirely to meditation. 1uch a person is known as a sannyasika& since there is very little o di erence between him and a sannyasi (hermit). ,he ourth and inal stage o li e is sannyasa (hermithood). 1uch individuals spend all their time in meditating. ,hey beg ood or a living. *t is not proper to become a hermit unless one)s mind has achieved detachment rom the world. ,here are two types o hermits. ,he irst type consists o those who are trying to realise the true nature o the atman (human soul). 1uch a person treats all other individuals as he would treat himsel and is known as a yogi& but there are also hermits who go through intense meditation so as to attain the supreme wisdom. 1uch a person is known as a parameshthika. ,here are various other traits that are demanded by the righteous way o li e. ?ne must orgive and display pity& one must not be 9ealous and must be ready to sacri ice one)s own sel ish interests. ?ne must be truth ul& practice non3violence and learn to control the senses. ?ne must also visit tirthas (places o pilgrimage). *t is also important to realise that one does not per orm actions or the sake o the ruits o the actions. ,he ruits o all actions vest with the brahman (the divine essence). *n act& it is a gross misconception to think that la speci ic action is being per ormed by an individual. All actions are per ormed by the brahman& the ordinary human being is merely an instrument. As long as this realisation is missing& an individual is ignorant and is doomed to the shackles o worldly bonds.
1!&, 0reation
Vishnu ne/t narrated to the gods and the sages the history o creation. *n the beginning& the brahman was everywhere. ,he brahman had no orm& but nor was it without orm. *t had no beginning and no end. *t had no traits& but nor was it without traits. ,he brahman is impossible to describe& sense or see. Brahma& Vishnu and 1hiva are derived rom the brahman& Brahma per orms the unction o a creator& Vishnu that o a preserver and 1hiva that o destroyer. Chen it was time or creation to begin& the brahman created water throughout the universe. Be ore that& there was nothing. *n the water& there appeared a golden (hiranya) egg (anda). ,he egg grew in si:e and Brahma& the creator& appeared inside the egg. -verything that there is in the universe& was already there& in in embryonic orm& inside the egg. ,here were gods& the demons humans& the sun& the moon& the stars& the planets and the wind. ,he word garbha means womb and since Brahma originated rom inside a golden (hiranya) egg& he is known as (iranyagarbha. Brahma was the irst being to be created. (e had our aces. (e had no birth (9anana) in the real sense o the term. (e is there ore also re erred to as A9a (without birth). *t is also true that he created (bhuva) himsel (svayam). *t is because o this that Brahma is known as 1vayambhu. Brahma was to be the lord (pati) o all the sub9ects who were going to be born (pra9a). ,hus& Brahma acHuired the name o Era9apati. ,o appreciate how creation took place& it is irst necessary to have some conception about the nature o time.
1!&/ A $igression on "ime

,he smallest unit o time is a nimesha. Di teen nimeshas make one kashtha& thirty kashthas are one kala and thirty kalas constitute one muhurta. ,here are thirty muhurtas in a span o day and night (ahoratra). ,hirty such ahoratras make up a month. ,here are two pakshas ( ortnight) in every month. 1i/ months constitute an ayana and two ayanas a year. ,here are thus twelve months in every year. ,he names o the two ayanas are uttarayana and dakshinayana& Chile humans pass through uttarayana& the gods pass through only one day. 1imilarly& when humans pass through dakshinayana& the gods pass through merely one night. ?ne year or humans is eHuivalent to a time span o one day and one night or the gods.
,welve thousand years o the gods make up one mahayuga. ,his is subdivided into our yugas (eras). ,he names o these eras are satya yuga or krita yuga& treta yuga& dvapara yuga and kali yuga. 1atya yuga has our thousand years& treta yuga three thousand& dvapara yuga two thousand and kali yuga one thousand. ,his adds up to ten thousand years. But there are also periods that 9oin two yugas5 (sandhyamsha). 1atya yuga has a sandhyamsha o our hundred years& treta yuga o three hundred& dvapara yuga o two hundred and kali yuga o one hundred& ,here will there ore be seven hundred additional years between satya yuga and treta yuga& ive hundred between treta yuga and dvapara yuga o two hundred and kali yuga o one hundred. ,here will there ore be seven hundred additional years between satya yuga and treta yuga& ive hundred between treta yuga and dvapara yuga& three hundred between dvapara yuga and kali yuga and ive hundred between kali yuga and the ne/t satya yuga. ,hese are two thousand additional years& and when added up to the earlier igure o ten thousand. make up twelve thousand years. ,here are a little over seventy3one manvantaras (eras) in each mahayuga. -ach manvantara is a time period that is ruled over by a @anu. ,he irst @anu in the present kalpa (cycle) was 1vayambhuva @anu and there were several other @anus a ter him. -ach kalpa in act passes during one o brahma)s days and there are ourteen manvantaras in a kalpa. 1tated di erently& there are one thousand mahayugas in every kalpa. ,hree hundred and si/ty kalpas constitute one o brahma)s years. ?ne hundred times this time period is known as a parardha. At the end o this period& the whole universe is destroyed and Brahma& Vishnu and 1hiva are also destroyed. At the end o the destruction& creation starts a resh and this creation is known as sarga. ,here is a smaller process o destruction that takes place at the end o every kalpa. Brahma Vishnu and 1hiva are not destroyed& but everything else is. ,he creation that comes at the end o this minor destruction is known as pratisarga. ,he present kalpa is known as varaha kalpa. ,he one that preceded it was known as padma kalpa. 2Chy is the present kalpa called varaha kalpaL4 the gods and the sages asked Vishnu. Vishnu told them the story o his boar incarnation.
1!&1 "he #oar 7ncarnation

A varaha is a boar and the boar incarnation is usually catalogued as the third o Vishnu)s ten incarnations. Chen the universe was submerged in water a ter the destruction that came at the end o padma kalpa& Vishnu slept on the waters. ,hus he slept or a thousand mahayugas. 1ince the word nara means water and ayana means resting3place& Vishnu is also re erred to as +arayana. Brahma decided to start creation a resh& but discovered that the earth was submerged in water. (ow would his creations survive i there was no earthL (e there ore reHuested Vishnu to bring the earth up rom under the water. Vishnu adopted the orm o a boar and went to the underworld. (e discovered the earth there and raised her up on the tusks o the boar. ,he boar care ully raised the earth and laid her to rest on top o the water. ,he earth began to loat like a gigantic boat. 1ince Vishnu raised the earth in the orm o a boar at the beginning o the kalpa& the present cycle is known as varaha kalpa. (,he story o the boar incarnation is rather summarily disposed o in the Kurma Eurana. ,he other Euranas describe it at great length. Apart rom the Huestion o raising up the earth rom under the water& the story revolves around the demon (iranyaksha. this demon was the son o the sage Kashyapa and his wi e Diti. (e de eated the gods and drove them out o heaven. *n desperation& the gods started to pray to Vishnu. (iranyaksha used to live under the water and Vishnu entered the water in his orm o a boar and killed (iranyaksha. (e also recovered the Vedas which had been stolen by (iranyaksha.)
1!&4 0reation 0ontinued

Brahma irst created ive sons through his mental powers. ,heir names were 1anaka& 1anatana& 1anandana& Kratu and 1anatakumara ,hese ive sons became sages and did not have any o spring. Brahma there ore had to create some more beings so that the population o the universe might increase. But prior to that& he decided to
per orm tapasya. (owever& the meditation did not yield him any results and Brahma became very angry and disheartened. (e started to weep and a teardrop ell on the ground. Drom this drop& there emerged 1hiva. Brahma bowed be ore 1hiva and said& 2Elease create some living beings.4 ,his 1hiva proceeded to do. But all the beings that 1hiva created were mirror images o himsel . ,hat is& they were all immortal. 2* beg your pardon&4 retorted 1hiva. 2,hat * re use to do. ?ld age and disease are not ob9ects that should be sought a ter. *n act& they are evil. * latly re use to create such evil.4 2All right then.4 said Brahma. 2* will take care o creation mysel . Elease stop creating.4 ,he irst ob9ects that Brahma created were water& ire& the sky& heaven (svarga)& wind& rivers& mountains& oceans& trees& herbs and time. Brahma ne/t created eleven sons rom his mental powers. ,heir names were @arichi& Bhrigu& Angira& Eulastya& Eulaha& Kratu& Daksha& Atri Vashishtha& Dharma and 1ankalpa. (*n the earlier section on varnashrama dharma& only nine sons were mentioned. Dharma and 1ankalpa did not igure in that list.) ,herea ter& Brahma created our classes o beings. ,hese were gods& demons& ancestors (pitris) and humans. ,he demons were born rom Brahma)s thighs& the gods rom his mouth. ,he snakes (sarpa)& the yakshas (demi3 gods)& the ghosts (bhuta) and the gandharvas were born ne/t. >ows were born rom Brahma)s stomach& and horses& elephants& donkeys& deer& camels and mules rom his eet. (erbs and trees emerged rom Brahma)s body3hair. (,his account contradicts a more common account given in some o the other Euranas& such as the Bhagavata Eurana. *n the more usual account& all beings are descended rom the sage Kashyapa. Kashyapa married thirteen o Daksha)s daughters. ,hese daughters were named Aditi& Diti& Danu& Kashtha& Arishtha& 1urasa& *la& @uni& Krodhavasha& ,amra& 1urabhi& 1arama and ,imi. Aditi)s o spring were the gods (adityas)& Diti)s the demons (daityas). Danu)s o spring were other demons (danavas)& Kashtha)s children horses& Arishtha)s gandharvas& 1urasa)s demons (rakshasas)& *la)s o spring trees and herbs& @uni)s the apsaras (dancers o heaven)& Krodhavasha)s ghosts (pishachas)& ,amra)s birds& 1urabhi)s cattle& 1arama)s wild animals and ,imi)s marine creatures. ,he Kurma Eurana itsel re ers to this alternative account subseHuently). ,o return to the present account o the Kurma Eurana& Brahma therea ter divided his body into two. ?ne hal was male and was called 1vayambhuva @anu. ,he remaining hal was emale and was called 1hatarupa. @anu and 1hatarupa married and had two sons and two daughters. ,he sons were named Eriyavrata and %ttanapada and the daughters were named Erasuti and Akuti. 1ince all humans are @anu)s descendants& they are known as manava. Erasuti married Daksha and they had twenty3 our daughters. (,he Euranas are not at all consistent about the number o daughters Erasuti and Daksha had. ,he number is sometimes twenty3 our& sometimes i ty and sometimes si/ty). ,hirteen o the twenty3 our daughters were married to Brahma)s son Dharma. ? the remaining eleven& Khyati was married to Bhrigu& 1ati to 1hiva& 1ambhuti to @arichi& 1mriti to Angira& Eriti to Eulastya& Kshama to Eulaha& 1annati to Kratu& Anasuya to Atri& %r99a to Vashishtha& 1vaha to the ire3god Agni and 1vadha to the ancestors (pitris).
1!&8 #rahma, +ishnu and )hiva

,he gods and the sages told Vishnu& 2Ce are getting a bit con used. You have told us that Brahma emerged rom Vishnu)s body And yet you have also told us how Brahma was born inside a golden egg. Chich o these is the correct accountL ,hen again& you have told us that 1hiva was born rom one o Brahma)s tears. But we have sometimes heard otherwise. Chich is rightL Elease remove this con usion.4 2,here is no con usion&4 replied Vishnu. 2Let me e/plain it or you.4
Brahma was born rom the golden egg right at the beginning& at the time o the original creation. But at the end o every kalpa there is a minor destruction when all living beings other than Brahma& Vishnu and 1hiva die. Chen the destruction is over& creation has to start a resh. At the end o the last kalpa& there was water everywhere in the universe. ,he heaven& the earth and the underworld& were all looded with water. ,here were no gods and no sages. ?nly the great Vishnu slept on the water. (e had a thousand hoods& a thousand eyes& a thousand arms and a thousand eet. ,his was his orm o Ananta& the snake (naga). (,he Kurma Eurana completely identi ies Vishnu with Ananta. @ore commonly& the Euranas state that the snake Ananta was the son o Kadru and the sage Kashyapa. (e pleased Brahma through his prayers and obtained rom Brahma the boon that he would be permitted to hold up the earth on his hoods. ,he Kalika Eurana speci ically states that& at the time o destruction& Vishnu and Lakshmi rest on Ananta)s central hood. ,he Vishnu Eurana adds the in ormation that Ananta was one o Balarama)s avataras. ,he names 1hesha Vasuki and Bonasa are o ten used synonymously with Ananta.) Chile Vishnu thus slept on the water& a wonder ul lotus sprouted rom his navel. the lotus was gigantic and shone like the sun. *ts ragrance spread in all directions. Brahma appeared inside the lotus. 1ince padma means lotus and yoni means place o Birth& Brahma is also known as Eadmayoni. Brahma saw Vishnu sleeping on the water and woke him up. 2Cho are youL4 asked Brahma. 2* am Vishnu.4 replied Vishnu. 2* am the origin o everything. ,hat will be there in the universe is inside my body.4 2*s that really soL4 asked Vishnu. 2Let me see.4 Vishnu thereupon entered Brahma)s body. (e really ound the three worlds& the gods& the demons and the humans inside Brahma)s stomach and was greatly surprise. (e emerged rom Brahma)s mouth and told Brahma& 2Chat * have seen inside your body is truly wonder ul. But * too can show you many worlds inside my body. Elease enter and see or yoursel .4 *t was now Brahma)s turn to enter Vishnu)s body. But when Brahma did this& he could ind no end to Vishnu)s stomach. *t was true that there were many worlds inside Vishnu)s body. (owever& Brahma could ind no way o coming out rom Vishnu)s stomach. (e inally 9ab to emerge through Vishnu)s navel& through the stalk o the lotus that was there. 2(ow dare you try to con ine me inside your bodyL4 demanded Brahma& as soon as he managed to get out. 2Elease do not get angry.4 replied Vishnu. 2* merely thought that * would play with you or a while. ?therwise& it is inconceivable that anyone should dare to con ine the great Brahma. Elease pardon me. And as a token o your pardon& please grant me the boon that hence orth& you will be known as my son. A ter all& you did emerge rom a lotus that grew out o my navel.4 2Agreed.4 said Brahma. 2Let us make peace. A ter allK there is no one else. Ce are the lords o everything& we are parts o the brahman.4 2Elease do not orget 1hiva&4 responded Vishnu. 2Your words will anger him and bring about your undoing.4 Chile the two were thus conversing& 1hiva appeared on the scene. (e had a third eye in the middle o his orehead and his hair was matted. A trident could be seen in his hand. 2Cho is this ellowL4 asked Brahma. 2(e looks like an upstart.4 Vishnu calmed Brahma down. (e also gave Brahma divine eyes so that Brahma could comprehend the true nature o 1hiva. Brahma then started to pray to 1hiva. Eleased with Brahma)s prayers& 1hiva agreed to grant Brahma a boon. 2Elease grant me the boon that you will be born as my son&4 said Brahma. 1hiva agreed to do so and went away.
1!&9 6udra
Brahma returned to his seat on the lotus lower. 1uddenly& two demons named @adhu and Kaitabha appeared& ,hey were e/ceedingly strong and threatened to destroy everything that Brahma would create. Brahma there ore reHuested Vishnu to kill these two demons. Vishnu created two beings rom his own body and these two beings killed the demons. (,he @adhu and Kaitabha story is given in greater detail in other Euranas& such as the Kalika Eurana. Chile Vishnu was sleeping& the two demons were born rom his ears. ?ne o them desired to have some honey as soon as he was born& 1ince the word or honey is madhu& he came to be known as @adhu. ,he other one looked like an insect. 1ince the word or insect is kita& he came to be known as Kaitabha. these brothers attacked Brahma and Vishnu had to ight with them so as to rescue Brahma. ,he ight went on or ive thousand years be ore Vishnu could kill them. a ter the demons were killed& the at (meda) rom their bodies ormed the earth. ,hat is the reason why the earth is known as medini.) A ter @adhu and Kaitabha had been killed& Brahma could start to create. (e irst created& through his mental powers& the sons whose names have earlier been mentioned. since 1hiva had promised that he would be born as Brahma)s son& Brahma decided to per orm tapasya so as to accomplish this. (e prayed or many years& but nothing happened. *n utter rustration& Brahma began to cry. the ghosts (bhuta and preta) were born rom these tears. Brahma was so disgusted at having created these aw ul creatures& that he committed suicide. *t was then that 1hiva was born rom Brahma)s mouth and Brahma revived. (You will have noticed the contradiction. -arlier& it had been stated that 1hiva was born rom a teardrop and there had been no mention o Brahma)s suicide& ,he suicide is not mentioned in other Euranas either& nor is there any mention o 1hiva or "udra being born rom a teardrop. *n the Vishnu Eurana& he suddenly appeared in Brahma)s lap. *n the Eadma Eurana& he was born rom Brahma)s urrowed brows). ,he baby started to cry as soon as he was born. 2Don)t cry&4 said Brahma. 41ince you cried when you were born& you will be known as "udra.4 (,he Kurma Eurana is not speci ic on why the baby cried. ,he other Euranas state that the baby cried or the want o a name. Brahma there ore gave the boy the name o "udra& as the word rub means to cry. ,he boy continued to cry and Brahma gave him several other names as well. ,he Euranas however disagree about what these various names were). *n addition to "udra& Brahma gave the boy the names Bhuva& 1arva& *shana& Eashupati& Bhima& %gra and @ahadeva. *n these eight di erent orms& 1hiva was to live in the sun& the water& the sky& the ire& the wind& the trees& the bodies o brahmanas and the moon.
1!&1:Parvati<s "housand 3ames

1hiva was married to Daksha)s daughter 1ati. 1ati died and was reborn as Earvati& the daughter o (imalaya and his wi e @ena (alternatively& @enaka). Earvati was married to 1hiva. *n act& (imalaya and @ena prayed so that they might have the goddess as their daughter. Eleased with their prayers& the goddess arrived be ore (imalaya and @ena and showed them her divine orm. 1he also promised them that she would be born as their daughter. ,here were a thousand names o the goddess that (imalaya recited in the course o his prayers (one thousand and eight to be precise). ,hese names are as ollows. Dor convenience& we have reproduced them in groups o ten names each. (6) 1hiva& %ma& Earamashakti& Ananta& +ishkala& Amala& 1hanta& @aheshvari& +itya& 1hashvati. (;) Earamakshara& Achintya& Kevala& 1hivatma& Earamatma& Anadi& Avyaya& 1huddha& Devatma& 1arvaga& (7) Achala& -ka& Anekavibhagastha& @ayatita& 1unirmala& @ahamaheshvari& 1atya& @ahadevi& +iran9ana& Kashtha. (F) 1arvantarastha& >hitshakti& Atilalasa& +anda& 1arvvatmika& Vidya& #yotirupa Amrita& Akshara& 1hanti.
(8) 1arvvapratishtha& +ivritti& Amritaprada. Vyomamurti& Vyomalaya& Vyomadhara& Achyuta& Amara& Andinidhana& Amogha. (I) Karanatma& Kalakula& 1vatahprathama9a& Amritanabhi& Atmasamshraya& Eraneshvarapriya& @ata& @ahamahishaghatini& Eranarupa& Eradhana3Eurusheshvari. (<) 1arvvashakti& Kalakara& #yotsna& 1arvvakaryaniyantri& 1arvvabhuteshvari& 1amsarayoni& 1akala& 1arvvashaktisamudbhava& 1amsarapota& Durvara. (J) Durnirikshya& Durasada& Eranashakti& Eranavidya& Yogini& Earamakala& @ahavibhuti& Durddharsha& @ulaprakritidsambhava. (G) Anadyanantavitava& Earamaghapakarshini& 1vargasthityan ,arakarani& 1udurvvachya& Duratyaya& 1habdayoni& 1habdamayi& +adakhya& +advigraha& Anadi. (6M) Avyaktaguna& @ahanada& 1anatani& Akashayoni& Yogastha& @ahayogeshvareshvari& @ahamaya& 1udushpara& @ulaprakriti& *shvari. (66) Eradhanapurushatita& Eradhanapurushatmika& Eurana& >hinmayi& Adipurusharupini& Bhutantavastha& Kutastha& @ahapurushasam9nita& #anmamrityu9aratita& 1arvvashaktisamanvita. (6;) Vyapini& Anavachhinna& Eradhananu3Eraveshinin& Kshetra9nashakti& Avyaktalakshana& @alavar99ita& Anadimayasambinna& Erakritigraha& @ahamayasamutpanna& ,amasi. (67) Eourushi& Dheuva& Vyaktatmika& Krishna& Avyaktatmika& "rakta& 1hukla& Erasutika& Akarya& Karya9anani. (6F) +ityaprasavadharmini& 1argapralayanirmukta& 1rishtisthityantadharmini& Brahmagarbha& >haturvimsha& Eadmanabha& Achyutatmika& Vaidyuti& 1hashvati& Youni. (68) #aganmata& *shvarapriya& 1arvvadhara& @aharupa& 1arvvaisharyasamannita& Vishvarupa& @ahagarbha& Vishveshechhanuvartini& @ahlyasi& Brahmayoni. (6I) @ahalakshmisamudbhava& @ahavimana3@adhyastha& @ahanidra& Atmahetuka& 1arvva31adharani& 1ukshma& Avidya& Earamarthiki& Anantarupa& Anantastha. (6<) Eurushamohini& Devi& Anekakarasamsthana& Kalatrayavivar9ita& Brahma9anma& (arimurti& Brahmakhya& Brahmavishnu31hivatmika& Brahmeshavishnu9anani& Brahmasamshraya. (6J) Vyakta& Erathama9a& Brahmi& @ahati& Brahmarupini. Vairagyaishvaryadharmatma. Brahmamurti& (ridisthita& Apamyoni& 1vayambhuti. (6G) @anasi& ,attvasambhava& *shvarani& 1arvvani& 1hankararddhasharirini& Bhavani& "udrani& @ahalakshmi& Ambika& @aheshvara31amutpanna. (;M) Bhuktimukti alaprada& 1arvveshvari& 1arvvavandya& +itamuditamanasa& Brahmendro3Eendranmita& 1hankarechhanuvartini& *shvararddhasanagata& @aheshvarapativrata& 1akridvibhata& 1arvvartisamudraparishoshini. (;6) Earvati& (imavatputri& Earamanadadyini& Bunadhya& Yoga9a& Yogya& #nanamurti& Vikashini& 1avitri& Kamala. (;;) Lakshmi& 1hri& Anantavakshahsthalasthita& 1aro9anilaya& Banga& Yoganidra& Asurardini 1arasvati& 1arvvavidya& #aga99veyashtha. (;7) 1umangala& Vagdevi Varada& Avachya Kirti& 1arvvarthasadhika& Yogishvari& Brahmavidya& @ahavidya& 1ushobhana. (;F) Buhyavidya& Atmavidya& Dharmavidya&Atmabhavita& 1vaha& Vishvambhara& 1iddhi& 1vadha& @edha& Dhriti. (;8) 1hruti& +iti& 1uniti& 1ukriti& @adhavi& +aravahini& Eu9ya& Vibhavati& 1oumya& Bhogini.
(;I) Bhogashayini& 1hobha& Vamshakari& Lola& @anini& Earameshthini& ,railokyasundari& "amya& 1undari& Kamacharini. (;<) @ahanubhava& 1attvastha& @ahamahisha3@ardini& Eadmamala& Eapahara& Vichitramukutangada& Kanta& >hitrambaradhara& Divyabharana3Bhushita. (;J) (amsakhya& Vyomanilaya& #agasrishtivivarddhini& +iyantri& Yantramadhyastha& +andini& Bhadrakalika& Adityavarna& Koumari. (;G) @ayuravaravahana& Vrishasanagata& Bouri& @ahakali& 1urarchita& Aditi& +iyata& "oudri& Eadmagarbhavivahana. (7M) Virupakshi& Lelihana& @ahasuravinashini& @aha ala& Anavadyangi& Kamarupa& Vibhavari& Koushiki& Vichitraratnamukuta& Eranatarti3Erabhan9ani. (76) Karshani& "atri& ,ridashartivinashini& Vahurupa& Virupa& 1urupa& "upavar9ita& Bhaktartishamani& Bhavya& Bhavatapavinashini. (7;) +irguna& +ityavibhava& +ihsara& +irapatrapa& ,apasvini& 1amagiti& Bhavankanilayalaya& Diksha& Vidyadhari& Dipta. (77) @anendrarinipatini& 1arvvatishayini& Vidya& 1arvvasiddhipradyini& 1arvveshvarapriya& ,arkshi& 1amudrantaravasini& Akalanka& +iradhara. (7F) +ityashiddha& +iramaya& Kamadhenu& Vrihadgarbha& Dhimati& @ohanashini& +ihsankalpa& +iratanka& Vinaya. (78) Vinayapriya& #valamalasahasradhya& Devadevi& @anomayi& @ahabhagavati& Bhaga& Vasudevasamudbhava& @ahendrapendrabhagini. (7I) Bhaktigamya& Earavara& #nana9neya&#aratita& Vedantavishaya& Bati& Dakshina& Dahana& Danta& 1arvvabhutanamaskrita. (7<) Yoganmaya& Vibhaga9na& @ahamoha& Bariyasi& 1andhya& Brahmavidyashraya& Vi9ankurasamudhbuti& @ahashakti& @ahamati& Kshanti. (7J) Era9na& >hiti& 1amvit& @ahabhogindra31hayini& Vikriti& 1hankari& 1hanti& Banagandharvasevita& Vaishvanari& @ahashala. (7G) Devasena& Buhapriya& @aharatri& 1hivananda& 1hachi& Duhsvapnanashini& *9ya& Eu9ya& #agaddhatri& Durvineya. (FM) 1urpini& Buhalvika& Bunotpatti& @ahapitha& @arutsuta& (avyavahantaragadi& (avyavahasa3@udhbhava& #agadyoni& #aganmata& #anmamrityu9aratiga. (F6) Vuddhi& @ahavuddhimati& Eurushantaravasini& ,arasvini& 1amadhistha& ,rinetra& Divisamsthita& 1arvvendriyamanomata& 1arvvabhutahridisthita& 1amsaratarini. (F;) 1attvashuddhikari& 1huddhi& @alatrayavinashini& #agatpriya& #aganmurti& ,rimurti& Amritashraya& +irashraya& +irahara& +irankushapododbhava. (F7) 1urupa& Bhavini& (arini& Erabha& %nmilani& 1arvasaha& 1arvvapratyayasakshini& 1usoumya& >handravadana& ,andavasaktamanasa. (FF) 1ativashuddhikari& 1huddhi& @alatrayavinashini& #agatpriya& #aganmurti& ,rimurti& Amritashya& +irashraya& +irahara& +irankushapadodbhava. (F8) >hakrahasta& Viochitrangi& 1ragvini& Eadmadharini& Earavaravidhana9na& @ahapuushapurva9a& Vishveshvarapriya& Vidyut& Vidyu99ihva& #itashrama. (FI) Vidyamayi& 1ahaasrakshi& 1ahasravadanatma9a& 1ahasrarashmi& 1attvastha& @aheshvarapadashraya& Kshalini& @rinmayi& Vyapta& Eadmavodhika.
(F<) ,ai9asi& @ahamayashraya& @anya& @ahadevamanorama& Vyomalakshmi& 1imharatha& >hekitana& Amitaprabha& Vireshvari& Vimanastha. (F<) ,ai9asi& @ahamayashraya& @anya& @ahadevamanorama& Vyomalakshmi& 1imharatha& >hekitana& Amitaprabha& Vireshvari& Vimanastha. (FJ) Vishoka& 1hokanashini& Anahata& Kundalini& +alini& Eadmabhasini& 1adananda& 1adakriti& Vagdevata& 1arvvabhutashrayasthita. (FG) Brahmakala& Vishnushivagra9a& Earagati& Kshobhika& Bandhika& Bhedya& Bhedabhedavivar9ita& Kalalita& Kalarani. (8M) Brahmashri& Brahmahridaya& Vyomashakti& Kriyashakti& #amashakti& Abhinna& Bhinnasamsthana& Vashini& Vamshakarini& Buhyashakti. (86) Bunatita& 1arvada& 1arvatomukhi& Bhagini& Bhagavatpatni& 1akala& Kalakarini& 1arvvavit& 1arvvatobhadra. (8;) Buhyatita& Buharani& Erakriya& Yogamata& Banga& Vishveshareshvari& Kapila& Akapila& Kanta& Kamalabha. (87) Kalantara& Eunya& Eushkarini& Bhoktri& Euranadarapurahsara& Eoshani& Earamaishvaryabhutida& Bhutibhushana& Eanchabrahmasamutpatti. (8F) Earamarthavigraha& Dharmodaya& Bhanumati& Yogi9neya& @ano9ava& @anorama& @anoraska& ,apasi& Vadarupini& Vedashakti. (88) Vedamata& Vedavidyaprakashini& Yogeshvareshvari& @ata& @ahashakti& @anomayi& & Viyanmurti& Vidyunmala& Vihayasi. (8I) Kinnari& 1urabhi& Vidya& +andini& +andivallabha& Bharati& Earamananda& Earaparavibhedika& 1arvvapraharanopeta& Kamya. (8<) Kameshvareshvari& Achintya& Anantavibhava& Bhulekha& Kanakaprabha& Kushmandi& Dhanaratnadhya& 1ugandha& Bandhadayini& ,rivikramapadodbhuta. (8J) Dhanushpani& 1hivodaya& 1udurlabla& Dhanadhyaksha& Dhanya& Eingalalochana& 1hanti& Erabhavati& Dipti& Eanka9ayatalochana. (8G) Adya& (ritamalodbhuta& Bomata& "anapriya& 1atkriya& Birisha& 1huddhi& +ityapushta& +irantara& Durga. (IM) Katyayani& >handi& >harichitanga& 1uvigraha& (iranyavarna& #agati& #agadyantrapravartika& 1arada& @andaradrinivasa& 1varnamalini. (I6) "atnamala& "atnagarbha& Eushti& Vishvapramathini& Eadmanana& Eadmanibha& +ityatushta& Amritodbhava& Dhunvati& Dushprakampa. (I;) 1uryamata& Drishadvati& @ahendrabhagini& 1oumya& Varenya& Varadayika& Kalyani& Kamalavasa& Eanchachuda& Varaprada. (I7) Vachya& Amareshvari& Vandhya& Dur99aya& Duratikrama& Kalaratri& @ahabega& Virabhadrapriya& (ita& Bhadrakali. (IF) #aganmata& Bhaktamangaladayini& Karala& Eingalakara& Kamabheda& @ahasvana& Yashasvini& Yashoda& 1hadadhvaparivartika& 1hankhini. (I8) Eadmini& 1ankhya& 1amkhyayogapravartika& >haitra& 1amvatsararuda& #agatsampurani& *ndra9a& 1humbhari& Khechari& Khastha. (II) Kamburgriva& Kalipriya& Khagadhva9a& Khagaruda& Varahi& Eugamalini& Aishvaryapadmanilaya& Virakta& Barudasana& #ayanti.
(I<) (ridguhagamya& 1hankareshtaganagrani& 1amyastha& 1ankalpasiddha& 1arvvavi9nandayini& Kalikalkavihantrui& Buhyanpanishaduttama& +ishtha& Drishti. (IJ) 1mriti& Vyapi& Eushti& ,ushti& Kriyavati& Vishvamareshvasreshana& Bhukti& @ukti& 1hiva& Amrita. (IG) Lohitasarpamala& Bhisani& +aramalini& Anantashayana& Ananta& +aranarayanodbhava& +risimhi& Daityamathini& 1hankachakragadadhara& Ambika. (<M) 1ankarshanasamutpatti& Eadasamshrava& @aha9vala& @ahabhuti& 1umurti& 1arvvakamadhuka& 1uprabha& 1ustani& 1ouri& Dharmakamarthamokshada. (<6) Bhrumadhyanilaya& Eurva& Euranapurusharani& @ahavibhutida& @adhya& 1aro9anayana& 1ama& Anadya& +ilotpaladalaprabha& Asthadashabhu9a. (<;) 1arvvashaktyasanaruda& Dharmadharmavivar9ita& Vairagya9nananirata& +iraloka& +irindriya& Vichitragahanadhara& 1hvashvatasthanavasini& 1thaneshvari& +irananda& ,rishulavaradharini. (<7) Asheshadevatamurti& Devatavaradevata& Banambika& Biriputri& +ishumbhavinipatini& Avarna& Varnarahita& ,rivarna& #ivasambhava& Anantavarna. (<F) Ananyastha& 1hankari& 1hantamanasa& Agotra& Bomati& Boptri& Buhyarupa& Bunottara& Bo& Bih. (<8) Bovyapriya& Bouni& Baneshvaranamaskrita& 1atyabhama& 1atyasandha& ,risandhya& 1andhivar9ita& 1arvvavadashraya& 1amkhya& 1amkhyayogasamudbhava. (<I) Asamkhyeya& Aprameyakhya& 1hunya& 1uddakulodbhava& Vindunadasamutpatti& 1hambhuvasa& 1hashiprabha& Eishanga& Bhedarahita& @ano9na. (<<) @adhusudani& @ahashri& 1hrisamutapatti& ,amohparepratishthita& ,ritattvamata& ,rividha& 1usukshmapadasamshraya& 1hantyatita& @alatita& +irvikara. (<J) +irashraya& 1hivakhya& >hittanilaya& Kashyapi& 1hiva9nanasvarupini& Daityadanavanirmukhi& Kalakarnika& 1hastrayoni& Kriyamurti& >hatruvargapradarshika. (<G) +arayani& +arodbhuti& Koumudi& Lingadharini& Karmuki& Kalita& Bhava& Earavaravibhutida& Vadava& Eararddha9atamahima. (JM) Vamalochana& 1ubhadra& Devaki& 1ita& @anasvini& Vedavedangaparaga& @anyumata& @ahamanyusamundbhava& Amanyu& Amritasvada. (J6) Euruhuta& Eurushtuta& Ashouchya& Bhinnavishaya& (iranyara9atapriya& (iranyara9ani& (aimi& (emabharanabhushita& Vibhra9amana& Dur9neya. (J;) #yotishtoma alaprada& @ahnidrasamudbhyuti& Anidra& 1atyadevata& Dirgha& Kakudmini& (ridya& 1hantida& 1hantivarddhini& Lakshyadishakti9anani. (J7) 1haktichakrapravartika& ,rishakti9anani& #anya& 1hadurmiparivar9ita& 1udhama& Karmakarani& Yugantadahanatmika& 1ankarshini& #agaddhatri& Kamayoni. (JF) Kiritini& Aindri& ,railokyanamita& Vaishnavi& Earameshvari& Eradyumnadayita& Datri& Yugmadrishti& ,rilochana& @adotkata. (J8) (amsagati& Erachanda& >handavikrama& Vrishavesha& Vishyanmatra& Vindhyaparvatavasini& (imavanmerunilaya& Kailasagirivasini& >hanurahantritanaya& +iti9na. (JI) Kamarupini& Vedavedya& Vratasnata& Brahmashailanivasini& Virabhadrapra9a& Vira& 1iddha& @ahakamasamudbhava& Vidyanadharanirakriti. (J<) Apyayani& (aranti& Eavani& Eoshani& Kala& @atrika& @anmathodbhuta& Vari9a& Vahanapriya& 1udha. (JJ) Karishini& Vani& Vinavadanatatpara& 1evita& 1evika& 1evya& Barudatmati& Arundhati& (iranyakshi.
(JG) @rigakshi& @anadayini& Vasuprada& Vasumati& Vasudhara& Vasundhara& Dharadhara& Vararoha& >haracharasahsrada& 1hri ala. (GM) 1hrimati& 1hrisha& 1hrinivasa& 1hivapriya& 1hridhari& 1hrikari& Kalya& 1hridhararddhasharirini& Anantadrishti& Akshudra. (G6) Dhatrisha& Dhanadapriya& Daityasamuhaniyantri& 1imhika& 1imhavahana& 1uvarchala& 1ushroni& 1ukirti& >hhinnasamshaya& "asa9na. (G;) "asada& "ama& Lelihana& Amritasrava& +ityodita& 1vayam9yotih& %tsuka& @rita9ivani& Va9ratunda& Va9ra9ihva. (G7) @angalya& @angala& @ala& +irmala& @alaharini& Bandharvi& Barudi& >handri& Kambalashvatarapriya& 1oudamini. (GF) #anananda& Bhrikutikutilanana& Karnikarakara& Kakshya& Kamsapranapaharini& Yugandhara& Yugavarta& ,risandhya& (arshavardhini& Eratyakshadevata. (G8) Divya& Divyagandhathivasana& 1hakrasanagata& 1hakri& 1adhya& >harusharasana& *shta& Vishishta& 1hishteshta& 1hishtashishtaprapu9ita. (GI) 1hatarupa& 1hatavarta& Vinata& 1urabhi& 1ura& 1urendramata& 1udyumna& 1ushumna& 1uryasamsthita& 1amiksha. (G<) 1atpratishtha& +ivritti& #nanaparaga& Dharmashastrarthakushala& Dharma9na& Dharmavahana& Dharmadharmavinirmatri& Dharmikamangalaprada& Dharmamayi& Dharmashakti. (GJ) Vidharma& Vishvadharmini& Dharmantara& Dharmamayi& Dharmapurva& Dhanavaha& Dharmopadeshtri& Dharmaksha& Dharmagamya& Dharadhara. (6MM) @ahadevaikasakshini& 1adashiva& Vishaynmurti& Vedamurti& Amurtika& Earameshvari& 1hobha& Vishala& Erasannavadana& (rishtatma. ,his completes the list o the one thousand names given to the goddess. Although (imalaya had used on thousand and eight names in the course o his prayers& ten o these names are missing in the list. You will also have noticed that a ew o the names occur more than once.
1!&11"he 'ine of ttanapada

*t is hoped that you have not orgotten that 1vayambhuva @anu and his wi e 1hatarupa had a son named %ttanapada. %ttanapada)s brother was Eriyavarta. Dhruva was %ttanapada)s son. Dhruva was so devoted to Vishnu that Vishnu earmarked or him a place in the heaven known as Dhruvaloka. (Dhruva became the Eole 1tar. ,he complete story o Dhruva and his tapasya in given in the Vishnu Eurana). Also in %ttanapada)s line was born >hakshusha. (e became a manu. (>hakshusha was the si/th @anu o the present kalpa). *n >hakshusha @anu)s line was born Vena& and Vena)s son was Erithu. Erithu milked the earth and obtained oodgrains on which people can survive. ,hat is the reason why the earth is known as prithivi. (Erithu)s story is given in several Euranas& in addition to the @ahabharata and the (arivamsha). Erithu)s son was 1hikhandi and 1hikhandi)s son was 1ushila. 1ushila was a very religious person. (e aith ully studied the Vedas and visited several places o pilgrimage. (is travels eventually brought him to the (imalayas& through which the sacred river @andakini lowed. +ear the banks o the river was a beauti ul hermitage. *t was there that 1ushila began to pray to 1hiva. Chile 1ushila was thus praying& a sage named 1hvetashvatara arrived. ,he sage)s body was lean with tapasya and he was smeared with ashes. 1ushila inished praying to 1hiva and worshipped the sage. 4* am indeed ortunate that * have met you&4 he told 1hvetashvatara. 2Elease make me your disciple and teach me all that there is to know.4 ,he sage agreed. (e taught 1ushila and several other disciples the knowledge o the shastras (sacred te/ts).
1hikhandi had a brother named (avirddhana. (avirddhana)s son was Erachinavarhi. (e married 1avarna& the daughter o the ocean& and had ten sons. ,hese sons were known as the Erachetas. ,he Erachetas were devoted to Vishnu and prayed to Vishnu or several years. (,he Vishnu Eurana states that they meditated or ten thousand years under the ocean.) All ten Erachetas married @arisha and Daksha was born as a result o this marriage. (@arisha)s story is given in the Vishnu Eurana.) *t was this Daksha who had earlier been born as Brahma)s son. Because he Huarrelled with 1hiva& 1hiva cursed Daksha that he would be born as the son o the Erachetas. 2,ell us the story o Daksha&4 the sages reHuested Lomaharshana. (,he Erachetas are not to be con used with a sage named Eracheta. ,he sage Eracheta was Brahma)s son& as per the Brahmavaivarta Eurana.)
1!&1!$a.sha<s )tory
Daksha was Brahma)s son and had a daughter named 1ati. 1ati was married to 1hiva. Daksha was thus 1hiva)s ather3in3law. ?nce Daksha came to visit his son3in3law. But although 1hiva worshipped him with all due respect. Daksha elt that he had been slighted. 1ubseHuently& when 1ati went to visit her ather& Daksha severely reprimanded her. 2Your husband is worse than useless&4 he told his daughter. 2@y other sons3in3law are ar superior to him. You are not welcome in my house. "eturn to your worthless husband.4 1ati could not bear to hear this abuse o her husband and immolated hersel . 1he was later born as Earvati& the daughter o (imavana (the (imalayas) and married 1hiva again. 1hiva was urious to learn that 1ati had died. (e visited Daksha and cursed him that he would be born on earth as the son o a kshatriya. *t was thus that Daksha had been born as the son o the Erachetas. (Dakhsa)s story is ull o inconsistencies in the Euranas. ,here is an account o a ya9na that Daksha per ormed. 1hiva either destroyed this ya9na himsel & or had it destroyed by Virabhadra. But which Daksha per ormed this ya9na& the one who was the son o Brahma or the one who was the son o ErachetasL ,he Kurma Eurana suggests that it was the son o the Erachetas who per ormed this ceremony. ,he more customary account& such as that in the Bhagavata Eurana& is that it was Brahma)s son who per ormed the sacri ice. Daksha was angered at 1hiva because& on one particular occasion& 1hiva did not stand up to show him respect& although Daksha happened to be 1hiva)s ather3in3law. Daksha there ore organised a ya9na to which he did not invite 1hiva. 1ati went to the ceremony uninvited& and immolated hersel when her ather started criticise her husband. (earing o 1ati)s death& 1hiva destroyed the ya9na. (e also cursed Daksha that Daksha would have to be born as the son o the Erachetas.) ,o return to the account o the Kurma Eurana& the Daksha& who was the son o the Erachetas& organised a ya9na. All the gods and sages were invited to this ceremony. But as a result o Daksha)s earlier enmity with his son3in3 law& 1hiva was not invited. ,here was a sage named Dadhichi who protested at this slight to 1hiva. 2(ow can you have a religious ceremony without inviting 1hivaL4 he told Daksha. 21hiva is a worthless ellow&4 replied Daksha. 2(e is not it to be worshipped together with the other gods. he wears skulls and destroys all that is created. (ow can he be treated as an eHual o the great Vishnu& the preserver o all that one can seeL @y ya9na is dedicated to Vishnu. *t is not meant or the likes o 1hiva.4 Dadhichi tried to persuade Daksha that 1hiva should not be ignored& but Daksha was in no mood to listen. Dadhichi re used to take part in such a ya9na and assured Daksha that his ceremony would not be success ully completed. (e also cursed the other sages& who had sided with Daksha& that they would go to hell and would deviate rom the path laid down in the Vedas. (,he @ahabharata also records Dadhichi)s protest. According to the @ahabharata& Dadhichi was devoted to 1hiva.) Daksha went ahead with his ya9na. ,he other gods& including Vishnu& came to attend the ceremony.
@eanwhile& Earvati got to know about the ya9na and told 1hiva& 2(ow can there be a ceremony at which you are not invitedL Although Daksha used to be my ather in my earlier li e& this evil act o his should not be condoned. Elease destroy the ceremony.4 (* one goes by the more customary account& the Huestion o Earvati)s asking 1hiva to destroy the ya9na does not arise. 1ati died on the occasion o the ceremony and it was the grie o 1ati)s death that led 1hiva to e/act vengeance. ,his happened much be ore Earvati was born as the daughter o (imavana.) Because o Earvati)s bidding& 1hiva created a demon named Virabhadra. Virabhadra had a thousand heads& a thousand eet& a thousand eyes and a thousand arms. (is body shone with radiance like the sun at the time o destruction. ,he thousand arms held all sorts o weapons in them. 2Chat are my ordersL4 Virabhadra asked 1hiva. 2Bo and destroy Daksha)s ya9na&4 was the reply. Virabhadra ascended a bull and set out or Daksha)s house. (e created thousands and thousands o demons who would aid him in the task o destruction. ,hese demons were armed with spears& tridents& maces& clubs and stones. Earvati also created a goddess named Bhadrakali who would help Virabhadra. ,his strange army arrived at the place where the ya9na was being held and said& 2Ce are 1hiva)s ollowers. Ce have come to receive 1hiva)s share o the o erings.4 2+o o erings have been earmarked or 1hiva&4 replied the gods and the sages. 2(e has not even been invited to the sacri ice. ,hese words angered Virabhadra and he began his task o destruction. (is companions uprooted the sca oldings that had been erected on the occasion o the sacri ice. ,he sacri icial horse was lung into the waters o the river Banga. (,his was an ashvamedha ya9na (horse sacri ice) that was being per ormed on the banks o the river Banga. Virabhadra caught hold o Bhaga (identi ied as the sun3god 1urya) and tore out his eyes. (e smashed the teeth o the god Eusha (also identi ied as another mani estation o the sun3god 1urya). As or the moon3god >handra& Virabhadra gave him a resounding kick and sent him reeling. ,he ire3god Agni had his arms and tongue sliced o by Virabhadra)s companions. ,he sages were kicked and bo/ed. Vishnu himsel came to intervene and Virabhadra began to ight with Vishnu. Vishnu has a wonder ul weapon named sudarshana chakra (a bladed3discuss) and he hurled this at Virabhadra. But Virabhadra easily repelled this weapon with his arrows. Vishnu is carried by Baruda& king o the birds. Baruda attacked Virabhadra& but so ierce was Virabhadra& that Baruda had to lee. ,he entire universe marvelled to see that Virabhadra could thus vanHuish Vishnu and Baruda. Brahma now arrived and sought to put an end to the ighting. (e started to pray to 1hiva and 1hiva and Earvati arrived on the scene. ,he assembled gods and sages also began to pray to 1hiva and Earvati. Earvati was moved to pity by these prayers. 2,hese gods and sages have now sought re uge with you&4 she told 1hiva. 2Elease pardon them their sins.4 2Agreed&4 replied 1hiva. 2You have my blessing snow. But please remember that one cannot have a religious ceremony without * being worshipped.4 ,he gods and the sages realised that 1hiva was no di erent rom Vishnu. ,hey were really one and the same& di erent mani estations o the same universal orce. Chen Daksha had earlier been born as the son o Brahma& he had married Asikli& the daughter o Virana. (,here is a minor contradiction here as well. -arlier& the Kurma Eurana has stated that Daksha)s wi e was Erasuti. *t is o course possible that Erasuti and Asikli were di erent names or the same individual.) Daksha and Asikli had one thousand sons. But the sage +arada had persuaded these sons to become hermits& disinterested in worldly pursuits. (,he Vishnu Eurana given a more complete account. Dirst& ive thousand sons
named the (aryashvas had been born and +arada had persuaded these sons to become hermits. +e/t& one thousand sons named the 1havalashvas had been born and these had also become hermits at +arada)s instigation. ,herea ter& si/ty daughters had been born.) ,o return to the account o Kurma Eurana& Daksha and Asikli had had si/ty daughters had been married to Dharma& Brahma)s son. (,here is again a contradiction. *n the section on creation& the Kurma Eurana had stated that thirteen daughters had been married to Dharma.) ,he ten daughters who had been married to Dharma were @arutvati& Vasu& Yami& Lamba& Bhanu& Arundhati& 1ankalpa& @uhurta& 1adhya and Vishva. Vishva)s sons were the gods known as the vishvadevas& 1adhya)s sons the gods known as the sadhyas& @arutvati)s sons the gods known as the bhanus. (@ore usually& the Euranas have a completely di erent account o the birth o the maruts. ,hey were born as the sons o Diti& Kashyapa)s wi e.) @uhurta gave birth to time& Lamba to cattle (ghosha)& Yami to snakes (nagas)& Arundhati to all the ob9ects (vishaya) on earth and 1ankalpa to resolution (sankalpa). ,hirteen o Daksha)s daughters had been married to the sage Kashyapa. ,heir names were Aditi& Diti& Arishta& Danu& 1urasa& Khasa& 1urabhi& Vinata& ,amra& Krodhavasha& *ra& Kadru and @uni. ,he twelve gods& known as the adityas& were born as the sons o Aditi. ,heir names were Amsha& Dhata& Bhaga& ,vashta& @itra& Varuna& Aryama& Vivasvana& 1avita& Eusha& Amshumana and Vishnu. Danu)s sons were demons (danavas). >hie among them were ,ara& 1hambara& Kapila& 1hankara& 1varbhanu and Vrishaparva. (1ome Euranas mention orty such sons.) 1urasa gave birth to the gandharvas. (@ore usually& it is stated that 1urasa was the mother o the snakes (nagas).) Aristha)s sons were thousands and thousands o snakes (sarpas). Kadru)s sons were also snakes (nagas). ,amra)s daughters were the ancestors o the birds. 1urabhi gave birth to cows and bu aloes and *ra to trees and herbs. Khasa was the mother o yakshas (demi3gods)& @uni o apsaras and Krodhavasha o rakshasas. Vinata had two sons named Baruda and Aruna. ,hese two sons per ormed very di icult tapasya. Baruda pleased Vishnu and obtained the boon that he would carry Vishnu around. Aruna pleased 1hiva and obtained the boon that he would become the sun)s charioteer. (,he story o the rivalry between Vinata and Kadru and their respective o spring is given in the Bhagavata and @atsya Euranas.) ,his leaves Diti. 1he had two sons named (iranyakashipu and (iranyaksha. ,here two sons were demons and their children came to be known as the daityas. (iranyakashipu was elder to (iranyaksha. (,he Euranas do not agree on this. *n some Euranas& (iranyaksha is re erred to as the elder brother.)
1!&1*?iranya.shipu
(iranyakashipu pleased Brahma through his prayers. As a result o the boon that he received rom Brahma& he became invisible and started to oppress the world. (e drove the gods out o heaven. ,he gods and the sages went to Brahma to persuade him to do something about (iranyakashipu. 2* cannot really help you&4 said Brahma. 2Bo to the northern shores o the great ocean and pray to Vishnu there. * will accompany you. *t is Vishnu alone who can ind a solution.4 Brahma led the gods and the sages to the shores o the great ocean and started to pray to Vishnu there. Vishnu appeared be ore them. 2Chy have all o you come hereL4 he asked. 2Chat do you wantL4 2*t is (iranyakashipu&4 replied the gods and the sages. 2(e is oppressing the world thanks to a boon received rom Brahma. Because o the boon& he can only be killed by you. Elease kill him and save the universe.4 Vishnu created a being out o his body. ,his being was as gigantic as @ount 1umeru and held a lotus (padma)& a conch3shell (shankha) and a mace (gada) in his hands. 2Bo and kill (iranyakashipu&4 Vishnu instructed the being.
,he being thereupon ascended Baruda and le t or (iranyakashipu)s capital. (is roars made the ramparts o the city Huake. (iranyakashipu had our sons named Erahlada& Anuhrada& 1amhrada and (rada. (,he more usual names are Erahlada& Anuhlada& 1amhlada and (lada.) Accompanied by (irayakashipu)s demon soldiers& these our sons came out to ight with the being easily repelled all o these. ,he our princes then unleashed divine weapons on the being. Erahlada used brahmastra& Anuhrada vaishnavastra& 1amhrada koumarastra and (rada agneyastra. But these divine weapons could do the wonder ul being no harm. (e merely picked up the princes and lung them ar away. ?n seeing that his sons had thus been disposed o & (iranyakashipu came to ight. (e gave the being a resounding kick on his chest and the creature led in pain to Vishnu. Vishnu now realised that he would have to take care o (iranyakashipu himsel . (e adopted the orm o a being who was a hal 3man and hal 3lion. 1ince nara means man and simha means lion& this came to be known as the narasimha incarnation (avatara) o Vishnu. 2Bo and kill this peculiar creature&4 (iranyakashipu instructed Erahrada. Erahrada and his brothers tried to ight with Vishnu& but were de eated easily. (iranyakashipu now sent his brother (iranyakasha to ight. (iranyakasha used several weapons on Vishnu& including the diving weapon known as pashupata. But these weapons could do Vishnu no harm. @eanwhile& Erahrada had realised that this being could be none other than Vishnu. (e started to pray to Vishnu. (e reHuested his brothers& uncle and ather not to ight with Vishnu. But (iranyakashipu)s chest with his claws and thereby killed him. (e also killed Anuhrada& 1amhrada and (rada. (A airly common story in the Euranas& such as the Vishnu Eurana& is the story o Erahlada. Despite being (iranyakashipu)s son& Erahlada was devoted to Vishnu rom his childhood. (iranyakashipu had no desire to have a son who was devoted to Vishnu and did his level best to kill Erahlada. But Erahlada was protected by Vishnu and survived all these attempts. *n the inal incident& narasimha appeared while (iranyakashipu was arguing with Erahlada and killed the demon3king. Vishnu then crowned Erahlada king in (iranyakashipu)s place. ,here was no Huestion o (iranyaksha becoming king a ter (iranyakashipu. *n the more common account& (iranyaksha was the elder brother and had already been killed by Vishnu in his boar (varaha) incarnation. *t was (iranyakasha)s death that led to (iranyakashipu)s hatred o Vishnu. ,here is thus some variance between this more common account and that related by the Kurma Eurana.)
1!&1,?iranya.sha
A ter (iranyakashipu died& (iranyaksha became the king o the demons. (iranyaksha promptly began to oppress the world. (e de eated the gods and drove them out o heaven. (e also took the earth down to the underworld. ,he gods again went to Brahma in search o a solution and Brahma took them to Vishnu. ,hey prayed to Vishnu so that (iranyaksha might be killed. Vishnu adopted the orm o a boar and killed (iranyaksha. (e also raised the earth up to its right ul place. (,his was the story that was alluded to when the Kurma Eurana mentioned Vishnu)s boar incarnation.) Chen (iranyaksha was killed& Erahlada became the king o demons. *nitially& he ruled well. (e worshipped Vishnu and per ormed ya9nas. ,he kingdom thrived and prospered. But on one occasion& Erahrada orgot to worship a brahmana through inadvertence. ,he brahmana was urious as he thought that Erahrada had done this knowingly. 2You have dared to ignore me because you thank that you are blessed by Vishnu&4 said the brahmana. 2* curse you that you will orget all about Vishnu. Your delusions will make you ight with Vishnu and you will lose all your powers.4 As a result o the brahmana)s curse& Erahrada deviated rom the righteous path. (e ignored the brahmanas and the Vedas. (e desired to have revenge on Vishnu or having killed his ather and uncle. Erahlada ought a long and bitter war with Vishnu. Chen he was eventually de eated by Vishnu& he realised the olly o his evil ways and sought re uge with Vishnu.
A ter Erahrada)s death& (iranyaksha)s son Andhaka became the king o the demons.
1!&1/A $igression on (outama

@any years ago& there was a terrible drought on earth. ,here was no ood to be had and amine prevailed. ,here were several sages who lived in the orest& and they too& su ered rom a lack o ood. Boutama was a very power ul sage and he had a hermitage in the orest. 1uch were the powers that Boutama had that it never stopped raining in his hermitage. ,here was no amine there and plenty o ood was to be had. ,he other sages there ore went to Boutama)s hermitage and begged him to provide them with ood and shelter. ,his reHuest Boutama readily agreed to& and the sages lived there happily. A ter twelve years had passed& it began to rain again. ,he drought had passed and oodgrains started to grow. ,he sages no begged their leave o Boutama. 21tay or a ew more days&4 said Boutama. 2Be my guests and bless my household.4 ,he sages tarried& but they were 9ealous o Boutama and his powers. ,hey there ore plotted to bring about Boutama)s down all. Cith their own powers& they created a black cal . ,his cal was nothing but an illusion. But having created it& the sages sent it to Boutama. Boutama ound the cal wandering around and decided to take it to his cowshed. But as soon as he touched the cal & the cal seemed to die. All this was because o the illusion& but Boutama did not know this. (e was thunderstruck at having killed a cow. 2You are evil& you have killed a cow&4 the sages told Boutama. 2*t would be a sin to remain as your guest. Ce are leaving.4 By then& Boutama had got to know that the cal had been an illusion. (e was e/tremely angry with the sages and cursed them& 2because you have been evil& you have deviate rom the path laid down by the Vedas. You will rot in hell and will have to be born several times to be reed o your sins.4 ,he sages started to pray to Vishnu and 1hiva. ,hey wished that their sins might be cleansed. 2Chat shall we do with these sagesL4 1hiva asked Vishnu. 21hall we pardon themL ,hey are praying or deliverance.4 2+ever&4 replied Vishnu. 2,hose who do not ollow what is laid down in the Vedas will surely rot in hell. But since they are not permitted to ollow the sacred shastras& let us compose some other shastras or them. ,hey will ollow those evil shastras& rot in hell and be born on earth several times. ,hat is their penance.4 ,o delude the sages& 1hiva himsel pretended to be a great religious teacher. (e preached evil ways and the stupid brahmanas began to ollow what he preached.
1!&11Andha.a
Chile 1hiva was gone& he le t his companion +andi to look a ter his household. (e also gave Vishnu the overall responsibility o ensuring that all was well with Earvati and the gods and the sages. "ealising that 1hiva was away& Andhaka thought that this was the opportune moment or abducting Earvati. (e ound that +andi stood guard at the entrance to 1hiva)s house and began to ight with +andi. +andi struck Andhaka on the chest with a trident. ,his angered Andhaka and he created a thousand other demons who were 9ust like him in appearance. ,his army o demons de eated +andi and the gods. +andi did not know what to do and started to pray to Vishnu. Vishnu created some goddesses rom his body and these goddesses killed the demon soldiers. Andhaka also led. A ter twelve years had passed& 1hiva returned and learnt what had transpired. By then& Andhaka had recovered and he returned& determined in his bid to abduct Earvati. Both 1hiva and Vishnu started to ight with Andhaka)s army.
Vishnu told 1hiva& 2Kill this demon. +o one but you can kill Andhaka. Elease kill the demon and deliver the universe.4 1hiva pierced Andhaka)s chest with a trident. (e held the trident alo t& with Andhaka trans i/ed to one o its prongs. And with his trident held alo t& 1hiva began to dance. But all the evil had deserted Andhaka)s body and mind as soon as he had been pierced by 1hiva)s trident. (e started to pray to 1hiva. ,hese prayers pleased 1hiva. (e lowered the trident and told Andhaka& 2* am pleased with your prayers. @y companions are known as the ganas. 1tay by my side and be a ganapati& that is& a lord over the ganas. You will be +andi)s companion.4
1!&14+ali
Cith Andhaka thus taken care o & Erahrada)s son Virochana became the king o the demons. (e ruled his kingdom well. ,here was a sage named 1anatakumara who once went to visit Virochana. Virochana was delighted to see the sage and 1anatakumara instructed Virochana on the true nature o the universe. ,hese teachings so impressed Virochana that he no longer had any desire to be a king. (e went o to meditate& a ter having crowned his son& Vali& as the king o the demons. Vali was a good and righteous king. (e ruled well and observed religious rites aith ully. But he de eated *ndra and the other gods and won over heaven rom them. *ndra and the other gods started to pray to Vishnu or deliverance. ,he mother o all the gods was Aditi and she was despondent at seeing her children su er thus. 1he too& started to pray to Vishnu. 1tirred by these prayers& Vishnu appeared be ore Aditi. 2Chat boon do you desireL4 he asked. 2Elease grant me the boon that you will be born as my son.4 replied Aditi. 2And as my son& you will take care o Vali.4 Vishnu granted the boon and was born as Aditi)s son. As Aditi)s son& Vishnu studied the Vedas under the sage Bharadva9a. @eanwhile& Vali arranged a ya9na and Vishnu came to attend the ceremony in the orm o a dwar (vamana). (*n more usual accounts& such as the Bhagavata Eurana& Vishnu was born as a dwar .) Vali was not going to re use anything to anyone on the occasion o the sacri ice. As soon as he saw the dwar & he worshipped him and said& 2* am ortunate that you have come to attend my ceremony. Elease tell me what * can do or you.4 2Brant me as much o land as can be covered in three o my ootsteps&4 replied the dwar . ,his boon Vali granted. ,he dwar immediately assumed a gigantic orm. Cith one ootstep& Vishnu covered the entire earth. Cith a second& he covered the sky. And with the third and inal ootstep& he covered heaven. ,he entire universe is inside and egg (anda) and outside the egg there is water. Vishnu)s oot cracked the shell o the egg and some o the water that was outside& poured in. ,his water began to low through the sky and became the heavenly Banga. (,he story o the heavenly Banga (identi ied as the @ilky Cay) descending to earth is a separate story. ,he story o Banga being born rom Vishnu)s body is given in the Brahmavaivarta Eurana.) (aving traversed all the land that was available& Vishnu resumed his orm o a dwar . 2You have now donated to me all the three worlds&4 he told Vali. 2Chere will you stayL4 2* seek re uge with you&4 was Vali)s answer. Vishnu then instructed Vali to go and live in the underworld. As or heaven& it was restored to *ndra.
,his is the story o Vishnu)s dwar (vamana) incarnation.
1!&18+ana
Vali had a hundred sons& the eldest among whom was Vana. Vana was devoted to 1hiva. (e was also e/tremely power ul. (e de eated *ndra and conHuered the three worlds. *ndra and the other gods went to 1hiva. 2Your devotee& Vana is oppressing us&4 they told 1hiva. 2Elease take care o him.4 1hiva took up a single arrow and with this& he completely burnt up Vana)s city. (,his is deviation rom the usual account o the Euranas& such as the Vishnu Eurana or the Bhagavata Eurana. *n those accounts& Krishna ought with Vana and de eated him& although 1hiva ought on Vana)s side. *t was because o Krishna)s blessings that Vana became 1hiva)s companion. Vana)s capital was named 1honitapura.) Chen Vana)s city was being burnt up& Vana emerged and started to pray to 1hiva)s linga (image o 1hiva). Eleased at Vana)s prayers& 1hiva made Vana a ganapati. ,hus& Vana came to be 1hiva)s constant companion.
1!&19"he )olar $ynasty

,he sun3god& Vivasvana& was the son o Kashyapa and Aditi. (e had our wives& 1am9na& "a9ni& Erabha and >hhaya. 1am9na)s son was Vaivasvata @anu. "a9ni)s children were Yama& yamuna and "evanta. 1avarni& 1hani& ,apati and Vishti were >hhaya)s children and Erabha)s son was Erabhata. (,he names do not tally across the Euranas. Dor e/ample& in the @arkandeya Eurana& the sun had only two wives& 1am9na and >hhaya. Yama and Yamuna were also the children o 1am9na.) Vaivasvata @anu had nine sons. ,heir names were *kshvaku& +abhaga& Arishta& Karusha and Erishadhra. @anu also had a daughter named *la& rom whom the lunar dynasty originated. *kshvaku)s son was Vikukshi and this was the line o Kakutstha. *n this line was born "ama& o "amayana ame. ,he names o several kings o the solar dynasty are given. But these we will not reproduce& as they are merely a catalog o names.
1!&!:"he 'unar $ynasty

Budha was the son o the moon3god >handra. Budha married *la and they had a son named Eururava. Eururava married the apsara %rvashi and they had si/ sons. ?ne o these sons was Ayu and amongst Ayu)s descendants was a king named Yayati. Yayati had two wives. ,he irst was Devayani& daughter o 1hukracharya& the preceptor o the demons. ,he second wi e was named 1harmishtha and she was the daughter o Vrishaparva& the king o the danavas. Yayati and Devayani had two sons& Yadu and ,ursavu. Yayati and 1harmishtha had three sons& Druhya& Anu and Euru. Chen it became time or Yayati to retire to the orest& he gave puru the bulk o the kingdom and Euru)s descendants came to be known as the Eauravas. Yadu was given some land towards the south3west and his descendants were the Yadavas. ,urvasu ruled to the south3east& Druhya to the west and Anu to the north. ?ne o Yadu)s descendants was the king Kritavirya and Kritavirya)s son became amous as Kartavirya Ar9una. he had a thousand arms and was the most skilled o ighters. (e eventually met his death at the hands o Earashurama. Kartavirya Ar9una had several hundred sons. But the ive most important ones were 1hura& 1hurasena& Krishna& Dhrishna and #ayadva9a. #ayadva9a was devoted to Vishnu& but his brothers were more inclined towards the worship o 1hiva. ,he our brothers told #ayadhva9a. 21top worshipping Vishnu. ?ur ather was a devotee o 1hiva)s and it is our duty to ollow the e/ample set by our ather. Let us worship 1hiva.4
2*t is my duty to worship Vishnu&4 replied #ayadhva9a. 2Vishnu is the lord o everything& he is the preserver. (ow can * do otherwiseL4 ,he brothers debated about the virtues o worshipping 1hiva vis3a3vis Vishnu& but could arrive at no consensus. ,hey there ore decided to seek the advice o the seven great sages (saptarshi)& chie amongst whom was Vashistha. Vashishtha told the brothers& 2?ne worships the god that one chooses& there are no rules in this regard. All gods yield the desired ruit& i properly worshipped. ,o the e/tent that there are rules& there are as ollows. Kings worship Vishnu and *ndraK brahmanas worship Agni& Aditya& Brahma and 1hivaK the gods worship VishnuK the demons worship 1hivaK the yakshas and gandharvas worship >handraK the sages worship Brahma and 1hivaK and women worship Earvati. But or humans& the best way is to realise that 1hiva is no di erent rom Vishnu and that 1hiva and Vishnu should there ore be worshipped simultaneously.4 ,he Kurma Eurana also gives the names o several kings belongings to the lunar dynasty. But these we will gloss over& as they are merely only a catalogue o names.
1!&!1$urjaya and rvashi

,here used to be a king named Dur9aya. (e was learned in the shastras and a good king. (is wi e was a beauti ul and good woman. ?ne day& King Dur9aya went to the banks o the river Kalindi. ,here he met the apsara %rvashi and ell in love with her. (e married %rvashi and lived with her or many years. A ter several years had passed& Dur9aya remembered his kingdom and wi e. (e told %rvashi& 2Elease let me return to my home now.4 2+ot yet& king&4 replied %rvashi. 2Elease stay with me or one more year.4 2* will return as soon as * have visited my kingdom&4 said Dur9aya. 2* promise you that * will not tarry there. ,here ore& let me return.4 2* will let you go on condition that you do not live as the husband o any other woman&4 replied %rvashi. Dur9aya agreed to this condition and returned home. But because o the word that he had given %rvashi& he stayed away rom his wi e and did not venture near her. (is wi e tried to ind out what the matter was& but Dur9aya would not reply. Dinally& the Hueen got to know what Dur9aya had done and realised that her husband had committed a sin. (e should not have married %rvashi while his wi e was still alive. ,he Hueen there ore told Dur9aya& 2You have sinned. You must per orm penance. ,hat is the sort o action that be its a king& not this despondency that you have become addicted to.4 King Dur9aya went and met the sage Kanva to ascertain what sort o penance should be per ormed or the sin that he had committed. Kanva advised him to go to the (imalayas and meditate. Chile Dur9aya was going to the (imalayas& he met a gandharva king. ,he gandharva king wore a divine garland& Dur9aya remembered %rvashi. (e thought that the garland was a itting adornment or no one but %rvashi. (e began to ight with the gandharva over the possession o the garland. Dur9aya managed to de eat the gandharva king and obtain the garland. (e immediately hastened to banks o the river Kalindi& because he thought that he might ind %rvashi there. But %rvashi was not to be ound& and Dur9aya roamed the world in search o her. Dinally& Dur9aya arrived in the region o @ount 1umeru. ,he lake @anasa is located there. And by the shores o the lake& Dur9aya ound %rvashi. (e gave the apsara the garland and lived happily with her or some time. A ter a ew days had passed& %rvashi asked Dur9aya& 2King please tell me what transpired when you went home.4 Dur9aya thereupon told %rvashi about the conversation that he had with his wi e and about what the sage Kanva had asked him to do.
%rvashi was alarmed when she heard the king)s account. 2Chat have you doneL4 she e/claimed. 2(asten back& otherwise Kanva and your wi e will curse the two o us.4 But Dur9aya was so smitten with love or %rvashi that he re used to listen to %rvashi)s entreaties. %rvashi there ore made hersel very ugly. ,his repelled Dur9aya& and he gave %rvashi up. Dor twelve years Dur9aya per ormed di icult tapasya& living only on ruits and roots. Dor another twelve years& he lived only on air. A ter having thus meditated or twenty3 our years& Dur9aya went to Kanva)s hermitage and told the sage all that he had done. 2* am pleased that you have realised the olly o your ways and have per ormed tapasya&4 said Kanva. 2But that alone is not enough. Your sin has been too severe. Bo to the city o Varanasi and live there. 1hiva is ever3present in that city and he will pardon all your sins.4 Dur9aya did this and was pardoned all his sins. 1uch are the bene its o praying to 1hiva and such are the virtues o the wonder ul city o Varanasi.
1!&!!2rshna<s "apasya
Krishna was the eight incarnation o Vishnu and he was born as the son o Devaki and Vasudeva. *nitially& Krishna did not have any sons Desirous o obtaining a son& Krishna went to visit the sage %pamanyu. ,he sage)s hermitage was beauti ul. Conderous were the trees and lowers and grew there. ,he constant chanting o the Vedas could be heard. Cild animals lost their erocity as soon as they entered the hermitage. Lotus lowers bloomed in the ponds. 1ages came rom all over the country to meditate in the hermitage. ,he sacred river Banga lowed past the hermitage. Krishna greeted the sages and they worshipped him in return. %pamanyu welcomed Krishna with various o erings and said& 2?ur meditation has been amply rewarded by your visit. ,he great Vishnu has himsel come to grace us by your presence. But is there any particular reason as to why you have come to the hermitageL4 2* wish to meet 1hiva&4 replied Krishna. 2(ow does one get to met himL4 21hiva appears i a devotee per orms di icult tapasya&4 said %pamanyu. 2*t helps i the meditation is accompanied by great aith.4 (earing these words& Krishna began a di icult religious rite known as pashupata vrata. (e donned clothes made out o the barks o trees& smeared ashes on his body and continuously chanted 1hiva)s name. A ter many years had passed& 1hiva and Earvati appeared be ore Krishna. 2Krishna& why are you per orming tapasyaL4 asked 1hiva. 2You are the great Vishnu himsel . Any ob9ect that you desire is immediately attained. Chy are you then engaged in this task o meditationL4 2* wish to have a son who is 9ust like you&4 said Krishna. 2Elease let him also be devoted to you.4 1hiva gladly granted the boon and the son who was born was 1hamba (alternatively& 1amba). (e was the son o Krishna and #ambavati. (1tories about 1hamba are to be ound in the Vishnu Eurana& and also in @ahabharata.)
1!&!*"he @ugas (Eras%

You probably remember that there are our yugas or eras 3 satya yuga or krita yuga& treta yuga& dvapara yuga and kali yuga. Lomaharshana ne/t told the sages about the characteristics o these our eras.
Kali yuga is the worst o the our eras. Eeople are sin ul and orget the dharma o the our varnas and the our ashramas. *n act& men are so sin ul that no prescribed penance atones or their sins. ,he only place which is ree rom such sins is the sacred city o Varanasi. *n satya yuga& the best course to be pursued is meditationK in treta yuga it is the pursuit o knowledge (9nana)K in dvapara yuga it is the per ormance o ya9nasK and in kali yuga it is the donation o alms. Brahma is the primary god in satya yuga& 1urya in treta yuga& Vishnu in dvapara yuga and 1hiva in kali yuga. -nvy and 9ealousy were unknown in satya yuga and everyone was happy. ,here was no superiors and in eriors and all individuals were eHually healthy and eHually handsome. ,here were no i/ed places or people to live in& no cities and no villages. men lived in the mountains and on the shores o the oceans. *n satya yuga& water was always reely available. ,his was no longer the case in treta yuga. Cater only became available when it rained. "ain was unknown earlier. And as it rained& trees began to grow. Eeople lived on these trees. ,he ruit rom these trees provided the sustenance reHuired to make a living. But gradually& anger and 9ealousy came to be known and many o the wonder ul trees disappeared as mankind picked up evils ways. (owever& enough trees were le t to ensure that people did not die o starvation. ,hey lived on honey gathered rom the trees. Although men looked on satya yuga with nostalgia& ill3health and disease continued to be unknown even in treta yuga. But towards the end o treta yuga& people became really sin ul. All the trees disappeared. ,o make a living& mankind had to resort to agriculture and animal husbandry. ,he weather became inclement and seasons like summer& monsoon and winter led to hardship. +otions o property were also introduced. *ndividuals appropriated mountains& rivers& land& trees and herbs as their own. ,o instil righteousness in the minds o people& the principles o varnashrama dharma were set out towards the end o treta yuga. *n dvapara yuga& hatred& anger and 9ealousy became much more common. Dighting started. *t was then that Vedavyasa spread amongst ordinary people& the knowledge that was in the Vedas& by dividing them. Drought& death and disease came to be known in dvapara yuga. *n kali yuga& raudulence is the norm. ,here are severe droughts and amines& revolutions take place. Eeople are liars and sinners. ,hey are easily angered. ,hey d not respect the brahmanas. ,he brahmanas& on their part& orget all about the Vedas and ya9nas. 1hudras become kings and oppress the brahmanas. 1ome 1hudras shave o their heads and wear sa ron clothes. ,hey pretend to be religious teachers. And horror o horrors& people start to believe in these raudulent teachers. Comen wear hairpins in their hair. As i this alone were not enough& they re use to obey their husbands. ,hieves are everywhere. ,he only redeeming eature o kali yuga is the act that even i one worships 1hiva 9ust a little bit in kali yuga& one attains undying punya (store o merit).
1!&!,'ingas
A linga is an image o 1hiva. ,here are several wonder ul lingas in the wonder ul city o Varanasi. ,here is a gigantic linga named ?mkara. Amongst other amous lingas located in the city are Krittivaseshvara& @adhyadeshvara& Vishveshvara and Kaparddishvara. ,he Kurma Eurana recites the glories o these lingas. *t also enumerates the various tirthas (places o pilgrimage) that are to be ound in the city o Varanasi. *t goes on to list the virtues o the Banga& the Yamuna and the city o Erayaga (modern Allahabad).
1!&!/(eography and Astronomy

*t is hoped that you have not orgotten that 1vayambhuva @anu had a son named Eriyavrata. Eriyavrata had ten sons. ,heir names were Agnidhra& Agnivahu& Vapushmana& Dyutimana& @edha& @edhatithi& Bhavya& 1avana& Eutra and #yotishmana. @edha& Agnivahu and Eutra had no desire to rule. ,hey were not interested in material pursuits and became hermits. Eriyavrata divided the earth amongst the remaining seven sons. ,hus it was that the earth came to be divided into seven regions or dvipas. ,he names o these regions are #ambudvipa& Elakshadvipa& 1halmalidvipa& Kushadvipa& Krounch9dvipa& 1hakadvipa and Eushkaradvipa. Agnidhra ruled over #ambudvipa& @edhatithi over Elakshadvipa& Vapushmana over 1halmalidvipa& #yotishmana over Kushadvipa& Dyutimana over Krounchadvipa& Bhavya over 1hakadvipa and 1avan over Eushkaradvipa.
Agnidhra& the ruler o #ambudvipa& had nine sons. ,heir names were +abhi Kimpurusha& (ari& *lavrita& "amya& (iranyavana& Kuru& Bhadrashva and Ketumala. Agnidhra divided #ambudvipa into nine regions (varshas) and gave each o his sons a region to rule over. A king named Bharata was one o +abhi)s descendants. A ter the name o Bharata& the region that +abhi ruled over has come to be known as Bharatavarsha. ,here are ourteen regions (lokas) in the universe. 1even o them orm the upper regions. ,heir names are bhuloka& bhuvarloka& svarloka& maharloka& 9analoka& tapolaka and satyaloka. Bhuloka is the earth and its limits e/tend upto the points that can be lit up the rays o the sun and the moon. ,ake the distance rom bhuloka to the solar circle. An eHual distance beyond the solar circle constitutes bhuvarloka. ,he region rom the limits o bhuvarloka to the region o Dhruva (the Eole 1tar) is svarloka or svarga (heaven). Above the solar circle is the lunar circle and above that come& successively& the regions o the stars (nakshatras)& Budha (@ercury)& 1hukra (Venus)& @angala (@ars)& Brihaspati (#upiter)& the saptarshis) (the constellation %rsa @a9oris or the Breat Bear) and Dhruva. 1hani (1aturn)& Brihaspati and @angala move slowly. ,he sun& the moon& Budha and 1hukra move relatively ast. ,he sun)s chariot is drawn by seven horses named Bayatri& Vrihati& %shnika& #agati& Eamki& Anushtupa and ,rishtupa. *n each month& the sun adopts a speci ic orm known as an aditya. ,here are thus twelve adityas 3 Dhatta& Aryama& @itra& Varuna& 1hakru& Vivasvana& Eusha& Ear9anya& Amshu& Bhaga& ,vashta and Vishnu. @aharloka is above the world o Dhruva (dhruvaloka). *t is reserved or those who have been reed rom the bonds o the world. #analoka is still urther away. Brahma)s sons live there. ,apaloka is beyond 9analoka and satyaloka is beyond tapaloka. Another word or satyaloka is brahmaloka& since Brahma lives there. Vishnu lives there as well. (,he Kurma Eurana does not mention the seven lokas that constitute the lower regions o the universe. ,his is the underworld (patala).) ,here are seven seas that surround the seven dvipas on earth. ,he names o the seas are Kshara& *kshu& 1ura& Bhrita& Dadhi& Kshira and 1vadu. (,he names o the seven oceans o ten di er rom Eurana to Eurana.) "ight in the centre o #ambudvipa is @ount 1umeru. ,o its south lie the mountains (imavana& (emakuta and +ishadhaK and to its north the mountains +ila& 1hveta and 1hringi. Bharatavarsha is to the south o @ount 1umeru. Brahma)s assembly is located on the peak o @ount 1umeru.
1!&!1Manvataras
You already know what a manvantara is. ,he titles o the seven great sages (saptarshi)& the names o the gods and the title o *ndra change rom the manvantara to another. *n the present kalpa (cycle)& si/ manvantaras have passed. ,he irst @anu was 1vayambhuva. ,he second @anu was 1varochisha. ,he gods then were the paravatas and tushitas and the title o *ndra was held by Vipashchita. ,he seven great sages were %r99a& 1tamba& prana& Dambholi& Vrishabha& ,imira and Arvarivana. %ttama was the third @anu. ,he gods o this manvantara were the sudhamas& stayas& shivas& pratardanas and vashavartis and the name o the *ndra was 1ushanti. "a9ah& Botra& %rddhavahu& 1avana& Anagha& 1utapa and 1hukra were the seven great sages. ,he ourth @anu was ,amasa. ,he gods o this era were the suravas& haris& satyas and sudhas and the title o *ndra was held by 1hibi. ,he seven great sages were #yotirdhama& Erithu& Kavya& >haitra& Agni& Varuna and Eivara. *n the i th manvantara& the @anu was "aivata and the title o *ndra was held by Vibhu. ,he gods were the bhutis and the vaikunthas and the seven great sages were (iranyaroma& Vedashri& %rddhavahu& Vedavahu& 1uvahu and 1upar9anya. (,he name o the seventh great sage is missing.) ,he @anus 1varochisha& %ttama& ,amasa and "aivata were all descended rom 1vayambhuva @anu.
,he si/th @anu was >hakshusha and the *ndra then was @ano9ava. ,he gods were known as the adyas& prasutas& bhavyas& prithukas and lekhas. 1umedha& Vri9a& (avishmana& %ttama& @adhu& Abhimana and 1ahishnu were the seven great sages. ,he seventh manvantara is the one that is now current and the *ndra now is Eurundara. ,he @anu is 1hraddhadeva& the gods are the adityas& the vasus& the rudras and the maruts. ,he names o the seven great sages are Vashishtha& Kashyapa& Atri& #amadagni& Boutama& Vishvamitra and Bharadva9a. *n the present kalpa& there will be seven more manvantaras in the uture. ,herea ter& the world will be destroyed. (*t should be mentioned that the names given in this section do not necessarily tally with the names given in the other Euranas. +ot only do the names o the gods& the sages and the *ndras di er& the names o the uture manvantaras also sometimes di er rom Eurana to Eurana.)
1!&!4+edavyasa
*n every dvapara yuga& a Vedavyasa is born so as to divide the Vedas and disseminate their knowledge. *n the present era& there have been twenty3eight dvapara yugas and there have there ore been twenty3eight individuals who have held the title o Vedavyasa. ,he Kurma Eurana gives their names as ollows. (6) 1vayambhuva @anu. (;) Era9apati. (7) %shana. (F) Brihaspati. (8) 1avita. (I) @rityu. (<) *ndra. (J) Vashishtha. (G) 1arasvata. (6M) ,ridhama. (66) "ishabha. (6;) 1ute9a. (67) Dharma. (6F) 1achakshu. (68) ,rayaruni. (6I) Dhanan9aya. (6<) Kritan9aya. (6J) "itan9aya. (6G) Bharadva9a. (;M) Boutama. (;6) Vachashrava. (;;) +arayana. (;7) ,rinavindu. (;F) Valmiki. (;8) 1haktri. (;I) Earashara. (;<) #atukarna. (;J) Krishna Dvaipayana Vedavyasa divided the Vedas into our parts and taught them to our o his disciples. (e taught Eaila the "ig Veda. Vaishampayana the Ya9ur Veda& #aimini the 1ama Veda and 1umantu the Atharva Veda. As or the Euranas& they were taught to Lomaharshana.
1!&!8)hiva<s 7ncarnations
@ost Euranas only mention Vishnu)s incarnations (avataras). ,he Kurma Eurana is one o the rate ones which mentions 1hiva)s incarnations. *n each kali yuga& 1hiva has had an incarnation. ,he names o these incarnations are as ollows. (6) 1hveta.
(;) 1utara. (7) @adana. (F) 1uhotra. (8) Kankana. (I) Lokakshi. (<) #aigishavya. (J) Dadhivaha. (G) "ishabha. (6M) Bhrigu. (66) %gra. (6;) Atri. (67) Vali. (6F) Boutama. (68) Vedashirsha. (6I) Bokarna. (6<) 1hikhandaka. (6J) #atamali. (6G) Attahasa. (;M) Daruka. (;6) Langali. (;;) @ahavama. (;7) @uni. (;F) 1huli. (;8) Eindamunishvara. (;I) 1ahishnu. (;<) 1omasharma. (;J) +akulishvara.
1!&!9"he 7shvara (ita

Chile Lomaharshana was reciting the Kurma Eurana to the assembled sages& Krishna Dvaipayana Vedavyasa arrived on the scene. Lomaharshana and the other sages reHuested Vedavyasa to instruct them about the path to true knowledge. ,his is what Vedavyasa told them. ,he paramatman (the divine soul) is the only truth. *t is ever pure and ever present. *t is rom the paramatman that the universe is created and it is into the paramatman that the universe merges at the time o its destruction. ,he paramatman is not the earth. *t is not water& energy& wind or sky. *t cannot be touched& nor can it be sensed. ,he paramatman is always present in the 9ivatman (human soul). Any sense o distinction between the paramatman and the 9ivatman is due to illusions and the presence o the ego. ,he truly learned rise above such illusions. ,here ore& a wise person does not see any distinction between his own sel and other ob9ects. ,he same paramatman pervades everything. #ust as all rivers unite with the ocean& a learned person realises that all individuals 9ivatmans unite with the paramatman. Yoga (literally& union) is a techniHue o meditation that helps to bring about this sense o identity between the 9ivatman and the paramatman. Yoga has eight components. ,he irst is pranayama. ,his means the control o one)s breath. ,he breath o li e is known as prana and ayama means control. ,here are three parts to any pranayama e/ercise. Chen the breath is being e/haled& that is known as rechakaK and the process o inhalation is known as puraka. Chen the breath is neither being inhaled nor e/haled& that is kumbhaka. ,he second component o yoga is pratyahara. ,his connotes the control o oneAs senses. Yoga must always be per ormed in a proper posture and this is the third component o asana. ,he ourth component is called yama. ,his means the practice o non3violence& truth ulness and pity. ,he i th component is known as niyama. ,his encompasses worship& studying the Vedas& cleanliness and meditation. Yoga has a si/th component named dhyana. *n this process& one con9ures up an image o the paramatman and meditates continuously on it. ,he process o i/ing this image in oneAs heart is the seventh component& dharana. And the inal component& samadhi& is a situation where the individual realises the complete identity between the 9ivatman and the paramatman.
1!&*:6ituals
,he sacred thread (upavita) ceremony is very important and must always be per ormed at eight year o age. Brahma had created the cotton tree so that sacred threads might be made out o cotton. But on occasions it is permissible to make sacred threads out o grass. A guru (teacher) is always to be respected and worshipped. *n principle& a guru is anyone rom whom knowledge might be gained. But apart rom usual teachers& a ather3in3law& a grand ather and an individual belonging to a superior varna are also recognised as gurus. A mother& a grandmother& a guruAs wi e& an aunt& a mother3in3law and the wi e o an elder brother are recognised as being eHuivalent to a guru. ?ne must a guru ever be show disrespect or argued with. A person who hates his guru is certain to go to hell. Amongst gurus or those who are eHuivalent to gurus& the most important are a ather& a mother& a teacher& an elder brother and a husband. ,hese have to be respect ully served at all costs. A brahmana must always wash his mouth a ter eating& drinking& sleeping& bathing& spitting or changing clothes. ,he mouth must also be washed be ore sitting down to study. *t is also recommended that the mouth be washed a ter talking to those who do not believe in the Vedas& shudras& outcasts and women. * a mouthwash is not possible& one can cleanse onesel by touching a piece o clothing is touched inadvertently& the act o puri ication reHuires the touching o water& wet grass or the earth. ?ne o the most sacred mantras (incantations) that one can chant is the gayatri. Be ore chanting& thirty3two3cells must be drawn& as shown& and the letters o the mantra must be written down in the cells& as indicated. ,o recite the gayatri& one now reads the letters as they occur in the numbered cells. ,hat is& one starts with cell number one& moves to cell number two and so on and so orth. 8 67 ;6 ;G ;J ;M 6; F vvr sya pra se 9a nah va tu I 6F ;; 7M ;< 6G 66 7 re dhi cho sa ra yo de vi < 68 ;7 76 ;I 6J 6M ; ni ma da va ro yo rgo tsa J 6I ;F 7; ;8 6< G 6 yam hi yat dom pa dhi bha ta A person who kills a brahmana& drinks wine& or steals gold rom a brahmana& has to per orm penance by killing himsel . A person who kills a brahmana may also build a hut in the orest and live there or a period o twelve years. But throughout the period& he has to bear a mark signi ying the dead brahmana)s head on his palm. (e is also not permitted to visit another brahmana or a temple as long as the penance is going on. *t needs to be mentioned that the sin o killing a brahmana can be thus pardoned only i the killing was done inadvertently. * the killing was conscious& no penance will su ice. %nder such circumstances& the sinner had best immolate himsel in a ire& drown himsel & or ast to death. Dor other sins& the observance o a religious rite (vrata) is o ten indicated. ,he ma9or vratas are as ollows. (i) 1antapana5 ,his involves living or one whole day on cow)s urine& cowdung& cow)s milk& curds made rom cow)s milk and clari ied butter made rom cow)s milk. ,he ne/t day is a day o asting. (ii) @ahasantapana5 ,his is a more severe version o the earlier vrata. *n the case o santapana vrata& ive items were listed as permissible ood. @ahasantapana vrata lasts or a period o si/ days& and on each o these days& only one o the ive items mentioned may be partaken o . ,he seventh day is day o asting. (iii) Era9apatya or krichha5 * this vrata is to be observed& one can eat only during the day. Dor the irst three days& one is only permitted to eat twenty3si/ hand uls o ood& each hand ul being as large as a hen)s egg. Dor the ne/t three days& twenty3two hand uls are permitted& but only in the evenings. And or the inal three days& twenty3 our hand ul are permitted.
(iv) Atikrichha5 ,his is a more severe version o the earlier vrata. Dor the irst three days& a single hand ul o ood is permitted during the day. Dor the ne/t three days& one hand ul is permitted in the evenings. ?ne hand uls o ood& each hand ul being as large as a hen)s egg. Dor the ne/t three days& twenty3two hand uls are permitted& but only in the evenings. And or the inal three days& three3 our hand uls are permitted. (v) Earaka5 ,welve continuous days o asting are reHuired or this. (vi) ,aptakrichha5 ,his vrata lasts or a period o twelve days& during which time one is permitted to bathe only once a day. Dor the irst three days one drinks only waterK or the ne/t three days one lives on milkK one has to live on clari ied butter or the ensuing three days are days o asting. (vii) Krichhatikrichha5 * one is to observe this vrata& one has to live only on milk or the space o twenty3one days. (viii) Eadakrichha5 ,his vrata lasts or our days. Dor the irst day one eats only one mealK the second day is a day o astingK on the third day one can eat as much as one wantsK and on the ourth and inal day& one asts. (i/) >handrayana5 ,his vrata lasts or an entire month and begins on the day o the ull moon (purnima). ?n the irst day& i teen hand uls are to be eaten. ,herea ter& one hand uls less is eaten on successive days& until on the day o new moon (amavasya)& one asts completely. ?n each day that ollows& the amount o ood eaten is increased by one hand ul. Dinally& on the day o the ne/t ull moon& i teen hand uls o ood are eaten and the vrata is completed. As mentioned earlier& those who kill brahmanas& steal their gold& or drink wine& are sinners. Also sinners are those who associate with these a orementioned sinners or more than one year. ,hose who associate with outcasts or more than a year are also sinners. A brahmana who drinks wine should drink boiling wine as a penance. *t is also permitted to drink cow)s urine as atonement. A person who steals gold rom brahmanas will go to the king and con ess his guilt. (is penance will be completed when the king beats him to death with a club. ,he only e/ception is a case where the thie himsel happens to be a brahmana. (e can then per orm penance by meditating. *t is always a king)s duty to punish sinners. * the king ails in this task& the sins vest with the king. A person who associates with sinners has to observe taptakrichha vrata or one year. A man who takes on outcast or a wi e has to observe taptakrichha or santapana. A brahmana who kills a kshatriya is reHuired to observe pra9apatya& santapana or taptakrichha or one year. *n case the victim is a vaishya& krichhatikrichha or chandrayana are indicated. * a shudra is killed& ive hundred cows have to be donated. * an elephant is killed& taptakrichha vrata has to be observed. >handrayana will su ice i a cow is killed inadvertently. But i a cow is consciously killed& there is no penance that is adeHuate. Dor minor the ts& the stolen goods have to be returned to the right ul owner and santapana observed. But i a brahmana steals oodgrains& he has to observe pra9apatya or an entire year. A cannibal can purity himsel through chandrayana vrata. A person who eats the meat o a crow& dog or elephant& has to observe taptakrichha. 1antapana is or those who happen to eat mongooses& owls or cats. An eater o camels or donkeys observes taptakrichha. A brahmana who becomes an atheist can cleanse himsel through pra9apatya. * he revolts against the gods or against his guru& the act o puri ication involves taptakrichha. A brahmana who recites the Euranas to outcasts has to observe chandrayana. ,here are several other orms o penance that are catalogued by the Kurma Eurana.
1!&*1"he )ita who was an 7llusion

*t is certain that you know the story o the "amayana and you there ore also known that "avana& the king o lanka& abducted 1ita& "ama)s wi e. But you certainly do not know the story o the 1ita who was an illusion (maya sita). ,his story clearly illustrates that no harm can come to a person who is righteous.
"avana disguised himsel as a hermit and came to abduct 1ita. But 1ita got to know o "avana)s plan and was determined to oil it. 1he there ore began to pray to Agni& the god o ire. ,hus stirred by 1ita)s prayers& Agni appeared and produced a 1ita who was really an illusion. ,his maya sita he le t in the real 1ita)s place. As or the real 1ita& she was absorbed into the ire. Cithout realising the substitutions& "avana abducted the illusory 1ita and the entire war was ought over a 1ita who was not even real. Chen "ama triumphed over "avana and recovered 1ita& a test by ire (agni pariksha) was held. *n the process& the sita who was an illusion was returned to the ire and the real 1ita emerged once again. ,hus the real 1ita was never tainted by "avana)s touch. (,he story o the 1ita who was an illusion is also given in the Brahmavaivarta Eurana).
1!&*!)hiva and #rahma

@any years ago& Brahma lost his head slightly. (e began to imagine that he was superior to 1hiva and Vishnu. (e told all the sages& 2* am the supreme godhead. ,here is no one else but me.4 Chile Brahma was thus instructing the sages& Vishnu arrived and was enraged at Brahma)s behaviour. 2You are indeed ignorant&4 he told Brahma. 2* am the supreme godhead. You are only the creator. But * am& a ter all& the preserver.4 Chile Vishnu and Brahma were thus arguing the our Vedas adopted animate orms and appeared be ore them. -ach o the Vedas tried to persuade Brahma and Vishnu that 1hiva was superior to both o them. Vishnu was persuaded by this reasoning& but Brahma was not. (e told the Vedas& 2You must be 9oking. (ow can 1hiva be superior to the two o usL (e is always wandering around with ghosts and demons or companions.4 Chile all this was going on& who should arrive but 1hivaL Brahma promptly proceeded to insult 1hiva. 1hiva then created a being named Kalabhairava rom his own body and Kalabhairava started to ight with Brahma. *n those days& Brahma used to have ive heads. *n course o the ighting& Kalabhairava chopped o one o Brahma)s heads. -ver since that day& Brahma has had our heads and our aces. (*n many other Euranas& there is no mention o Kalabhairava. shiva per ormed the chopping o himsel ). Brahma died as soon as his head had been cut o . 1hiva did manage to revive him. But the mere act that 1hiva had killed Brahma& meant that 1hiva and committed the sin o killing Brahma& a brahmana. As a result o this sin& Brahma)s severed head got stuck to Kalabhairava)s palm and would not be dislodged. (*n accounts where 1hiva was himsel responsible or the Killing& the severed head adhered to 1hiva)s palm). Kalabhairava roamed around the world and the head accompanied him on his travels. or a thousand years o the gods& Kalabhairava continued to travel. -ventually& Vishnu advised Kalabhairava to go to the sacred city o Varanasi. As soon as Kalabhairava arrived at the city o Varanasi& the head (kapala) got dislodged (mochana). A tirtha is a place o pilgrimage. ,he e/act spot where this wonder ul happening took place is accordingly known as Kapalamochana tirtha. ,here are many other tirthas that the Kurma Eurana describes& Among these are Erayaga& Kurukshetra& Baya and @adhuvana (@athura)& ,he glories o the river +armada are also described. ,he waters o the river 1arasvati puri y a sinner a ter three days o bathing& while the waters o the river Yamuna takes an entire week. ,he mere touch o a drop o water rom the river Banga puri ies a sinner. But as or the river +armada& the sight o the waters alone is enough.
1!&**3andi
,here used to be a sage named 1hilada. (e was righteous and learned in the shastras. ,o obtain a son& 1hilada began to pray to shiva. ,he tapasya went on or a thousand years and shiva appeared be ore 1hilada.
2* am pleased with your meditation.4 said shiva& 2what boon do you desireL4 2Elease grant me the boon that * may obtain a son who will not be born rom a mother. 2 replied 1hilada& 2And my son should be immortal.4 1hiva granted the desired boon. Chen shilada was ploughing the land& a handsome boy suddenly appeared on the top o his plough. ,he our directions shone with the boy)s radiance and the boy began to address shilada as 2 ather4. ,he son studied the shastras and became learned. (e was given the name o +andi. +andi wished to see shiva and he also wished to become immortal. (e there ore went to the shores o the ocean and started to pray to shiva. (e chanted the reHuired mantra one crore times. Chen 1hiva appeared and wished to grant a boon. +andi said. 2Elease grant me enough o li e so that * can chant the mantra one crore times more.4 1hiva appeared once again& and +andi desired the same boon. Chen this had happened three times. 1hiva said& 2-nough is enough. ,here is no need or any more chanting o incantations. * make you immortal& * also make you a ganapati& lord over the ganas. You will be my constant companion.4 ,he place where +andi chanted the incantation has become amous as 9apyeshvara tirtha. ,he maruts had a daughter named 1uyasha. 1hiva himsel arranged that +andi should be married to 1uyasha.
1!&*,Epilogue
Vishnu completed his recital o the Kurma Eurana and the sages saluted him. ,hey sung his praise. ,he Kurma Eurana is most sacred. a person who reads it attains Brahmaloka. A person who reads only one chapter o the te/t is orgiven all his sins. %ndying punya is attained by an individual who donates this Eurana to brahmanas in the months o Vaishakha or Kartika. Earticularly sacred is the part that is known as the brahmi samhita. But the te/t should never be read or recited in the presence o shudras. A person who ignores this in9unction will surely go to hell. ,here is also a similar in9unction about reciting the te/t to those who are disbelievers (that is& those who do not believe in the Vedas)& a person who violates this in9unction will be born as a dog in his ne/t li e. You will almost certainly not be interested in donating the Kurma Eurana to brahmanas in the months o Vaishakha or Kartika. But * hope you have ound the stories interesting enough or you to which to read the te/t in the original.
13 ,atsya Purana
*t)s the si/teenth Eurana. During the period o @ahapralaya& Lord Vishnu had taken @atsya avatar ( ish incarnation) to save the seeds o all lives and @anu. @atsya Eurana contains a comprehensive description o @anu and @atsya avatar. Beneral contents o this Eurana are Description o the greatness o +arsimh incarnation. Description o all the ten incarnations o Lord Vishnu. Breatness o asting like Anant ,ritiya and the places o pilgrimage like Erayag. ,ales o >handra vansh& 1urya vansh and Kuru vansh and the kings like Yayati& Kartveerya etc. Description o the Kalpa and Yugas. Appearance o idols. Appearance and construction o Deva3mandapa (canopy or the deities). ,ale o 1avitri and 1atyavan. "esults o auspicious and inauspicious motion o the planets. Birth o Earvati. *mmolation o @adan (Kamadeva) Cedding o Lord 1hiva with Earvati. Birth o Kartikeya. Duties o a king. Description o the uture kings. ,his Eurana is said to be narrated by @atsya avatar o Lord Vishnu to @anu& who was awaiting Lord)s arrival during @ahapralaya in his boat anchored on a very high mountain. YC?"K *+ E"?B"-11QZ According to the @atsya Eurana (F<.7;)& PChen the end o an Age rolls around and time has lost its strength& then Lord Vishnu is born among men. Chen the gods and demons go to war& then (ari WVishnuX is born.P ,he @atsya Eurana (F<.7;38;)& or instance& enumerates twelve avatars. @atsya Eurana (;;6.;)& Erosperity orsakes those who always dream o ate and avors those who persevere. ?ne should there ore always be active and alert. @atsya Eurana (6JM.83<)& -ven the worst problems have solutions i one only perseveres. @atsya Eurana (87.I8&IJ&IG)5 A Eurana has ive characteristics as opposed to an Akhyana. (,he scriptures are divided into three classes 3 sattvika& ra9asika& and tamasika.) ,he glory o Lord (ari is greater in the sattvika EuranasK the glory o Lord Brahma is more in the ra9asika EuranasK the glory o Lord 1iva and Agni is more in the tamasika Euranas. *n the mi/ed scriptures the glory o 1arasvati and the Eitrs is e/plained.P ,he verse cited rom the @atsya Eurana re ers to the ive characteristics o a Eurana. ,hese characteristics are given in another verse o the @atsya Eurana& 87.I85 sargasca pratisargasca vamso manvantarani ca vamsyanucaritancaiva puranam pancalaksanam P>reation& dissolution& genealogy& manvantaras and descriptions o the activities o amous kings& these are the ive characteristics o a Eurana.P ,he characteristics o 1rimad Bhagavatam are given in the @atsya Eurana (87.;M3;;)& P,hat which e/plains the topmost principles o religion& basing it on Bayatri& and which has the incident o the killing o Vrtrasura is to be known as the 1rimad Bhagavatam. ,his Eurana has eighteen thousand verses. Choever makes a copy o the 1rimad Bhagavatam and& placing it on a golden lion throne& donates it on the ull moon day in the month o Bhadra (August31eptember)& will attain the supreme goalP. According to @atsya Eurana (>hapter 87) the (ayagriva avatara o Visnu preceded @atsyaK when the worlds were burnt down& Visnu in the orm o a horse re3compiled the our Vedas& Vedangas& etc. ,he Devi Bhagavata and the 1kanda Eurana in its Dharnmranya Khanda& however& allude to two di erent accounts on the origin o the (ayagriva orm o Visnu. ,his Eurana consists o // chapters5
1*&1 0hapter
te/t
67.6.6 1ection
te/t
1& 5aruda Purana

,his Eurana contains 6F >hapters ! each with many sub3sections.
1,&1 7ntroduction
,his chapter contains // sections as ollows5
6F.6.6 Lord Vishnu)s *ncarnations

1ut9i once reached +aimisharanya in course o his pilgrimage. ,here he ound numerous sages engaged in austerities and penance. All o them were delighted to ind 1ut9i in their midst and considered it as a Bod sent opportunity to get their doubts related with religious topics cleared. 1age 1haunak was also present there and he asked 1ut9i 33A ? revered sage$ Cho is the creator o this worldL Cho nurtures it and who annihilates it in the endL (ow can one reali:e the supreme AlmightyL (ow many incarnations the Almighty has taken till nowL Elease enlighten us on all these things& which are shrouded in mystery.A 1ut9i replied33A * am going to reveal to you the contents o Baruda Euran& which contains the divine tales o Lord Vishnu. ,his particular Euran is named a ter Baruda because he was the one who irst narrated these tales to sage Kashyap. Kashyap subseHuently narrated them to sage Vyas. * came to know about these divine tales rom sage Vyas. Lord Vishnu is the supreme almighty and the source o all creations. (e is the nurturer o this world and the annihilator as well. ,hough he is beyond the bondage o birth and death yet he takes incarnations to protect the world rom the tyranny o sinners. (is irst incarnation was in the orm o the eternal adolescent 1anat kumar and others who were all celibates and e/tremely virtuous.A ALord Vishnu took his second incarnation in the orm o a boar (Varah) to protect the -arth rom the mighty demon named (iranyaksha& who had abducted her to Eatal loka (+ether world). *n his third incarnation as +arad& he propagated the virtues o Anishkaam karmaA (per orming oneAs duties without bothering about the results). *n his ourth incarnation as +ar3+arayan& he per ormed arduous austerities or the protection and propagation o Dharma or religiousness. Lord VishnuAs i th incarnation was as Kapil& which he took to protect the 1aankhya shashtra& which was on the verge o becoming e/tinct. (e took his si/th incarnation in the house o Atri and Anusuya as Dattatreya with the speci ic ob9ective o propagating the most secret Brahma vidya to worthy people. (is disciples included virtuous souls like Erahalad and others. Lord Vishnu took his seventh incarnation as the son o "uchi Era9apati and Aakuti and was known as Yagya deva. (is eighth incarnation was as "ishabh deva3 the son o sage +aabhi and @erudevi. *n this incarnation he established the norms or Brihashtha ashram& which later on became the guidelines or every householders. Lord Vishnu took his ninth incarnation as Erithu and AmilkedA(e/tracted) various nutrients (cereals& pulses etc.) rom the -arth who had disguised hersel as a cow and thus protected the populace rom getting starved to death. *n his tenth incarnation as @atsya ( ish)& he protected the li e o Vaivaswat @anu& who would not have survived otherwise. Lord Vishnu took his eleventh incarnation in the orm o a tortoise (kurma) and held the @andarachal mountain on his back at the time when the ocean was being churned. (is twel th incarnation was as Dhanvantari and thirteenth as the most enchanting beauty3 @ohini to retrieve the ambrosia pot rom the possession o the demons. (e subseHuently distributed it among the deities as the result o which they became immortal. *n his ourteenth incarnation& Lord Vishnu mani ested himsel as A+risimhaA (partly human and partly lion) and to protect his devotee3 Erahlad killed the wicked demon (iranyakashipu by tearing apart his abdomen with his sharp claws. (is i teenth incarnation was as Vaman (dwar ) in which he demanded all the three worlds rom Bali3the most benevolent demon king and then sent him to Eatal loka. *n his si/teenth incarnation as Earshuram& he wiped out the whole caste o kshatriyas rom the ace o the earth or twenty3one times& as they had all become immoral. *n his seventeenth incarnation he was born as Vyas to Earashar and 1atyavati and accomplished his mission o propagating the knowledge o Vedas by categori:ing them into our parts. *n his eighteenth incarnation he mani ested himsel as 1ri "am. (is nineteenth incarnation was as Krishna and his twentieth incarnation as Balram. (e will take his twenty3 irst incarnation as Buddha to bring the mankind back to virtuous path by preaching against the rituals and proving that it is not proper or 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 rom the sinners.A
6F.6.; (ow Baruda Eurana was propagated

?n being asked by the sages as to how did he come to know about the contents o Baruda Euran& 1ut9i told them33A ?nce& * had gone to Badrikashram& where * met sage Vyas. * reHuested him to enlighten me on various spiritual matters to which he agreed saying that he was going to narrate the tales o Baruda Eurana which was irst told by Lord Brahma to +arad& Daksha Era9apati and mysel . 1age Vyas then told 1ut9i how once he along with +arad& Daksha and Bhrigu had gone to Brahmaloka to see Lord Brahma. A ter reaching there& all three o them reHuested Lord Brahma to shed light on the essence o the real knowledge. Lord Brahma revealed to them that Baruda Euran contained the essence o all the scriptures and Lord Vishnu himsel had narrated its divine tales to him (Brahma). Describing the incident when Lord Vishnu had told the divine tales o Baruda Euran to him as well as 1hiva& Lord Brahma said33 A * once went to Kailash mountain accompanied by *ndra and other deities. Ce ound 1hiva engrossed in his meditation. Ce were ama:ed and asked him as to who was he meditating upon. Lord 1hiva told us that he was meditating upon the omnipresent& omniscient and the omnipotent Vishnu3 in whom the entire universe e/ists. Lord 1hiva also revealed to us that this was all he knew o VishnuAs power and also that i we wanted to know more about him then we will have to ask Lord Vishnu himsel . 1o& all o us including 1hiva went to Vishnu loka and reHuested Lord Vishnu to clear our doubts on various topics which con used us. Lord Vishnu gave a long discourse covering all the ma9or religious topics.
6F.6.7 Lord Vishnu reveals his omnipotent nature

Dwelling on length about his power& Lord Vishnu told 1hiva33 A ? "udra$ * am the lord o all the deities. * am the one who controls each and every event that occurs in the %niverse. * am the one whom mortals worship with the desire o attaining salvation. ,he universe would have ceased to e/ist but or me. * am the creator& the nurturer as well as the supreme annihilator. * mani est mysel in the sacred mantras as well as their meanings. Eeople meditate on me. @atter is nothing but a medium through which * mani est mysel .A
6F.6.F Lord Vishnu Blesses Baruda

Describing how Baruda pleased him with his deep devotion& Lord Vishnu said33 ADuring ancient times Baruda once did an austere penance to please me. * appeared be ore him and e/pressed my willingness to ul il anything that he wished or. Baruda wanted to liberate his mother& Vinta rom the slavery o Kadru3the mother o serpents. (e also wanted to avenge his motherAs humiliation at their hands. (e also e/pressed his desire o becoming immortal by having a Eurana credited to his name and inally he reHuested me to give him the privilege o becoming my mount. * blessed Baruda as the result o which all his wishes were ul illed. ?nce& on being reHuested by sage Kashyap& Baruda narrated the divine tales o Baruda Euran to him. 1age Kashyap had once brought back a dead tree back to li e with the help o Barudi Vidya3 a sacred mantra ound in Baruda Euran. 1imilarly& Baruda too had brought numerous dead creatures back to li e with the help o same mantra.A
6F.6.8 ,he Beginning o >reation

Lord 1hiva reHuested Vishnu to shed light on di erent topics like 1arga (world)& Eratisarga& Vansh (dynasties)& @anvantar ( ourteenth part o BrahmaAs day) and Vanshanucharit (genealogy). Lord Vishnu replied33A ? "udra$ Lord Vasudeva in his incarnation o +ara3+arayan per orms his responsibilities o the creator& protector as well as the annihilator. -ach particle that is ound in this universe whether perceptible or imperceptible is nothing but the medium through which the Almighty makes his presence elt. *n the beginning o the creation& on account o (*1 will subtle matter o nature (imperceptible) came into being. (- is the one to whom AAtmaA or AEurushA owe its e/istence. 1ubseHuently& intelligence or ABuddhiA mani ested itsel rom the subtle matter o nature& mind or A@unA rom intelligence& space or AAakashA rom mind& air or AVayuA rom 1pace& Dire or A,e9aA rom air& water rom A,e9aA and inally the earth mani ested itsel rom water.A A ? "udra$ ,hen came into e/istence an enormous si:ed egg. * dwell within that egg and so do all the other deities. *n act& the whole universe is situated within that egg. ,he almighty Vishnu creates in the orm o Brahma& nurtures in the orm o Vishnu and annihilates in the orm o 1hiva at the end o each kalpa. ,he creations o the almighty are known as A1argasA. Dirst o all& the almighty creates the @ahat tatva& which symboli:es his gross Huality. 1ince it was his irst creation there ore it was called the irst 1arga. ,he second 1arga consisted o the creation o
the Eanch3,anmatras or the ive basic elements3 -arth (Erithvi)& Cater(#ala)& Dire(,e9a)& Air(Vayu) and 1ound(1habda). ,hese ive basic elements are the stu s rom which matter is made. ,he third 1arga namely Vaikarik sarga comprising the creation o all the sense organs and the organs o the actions& is basically intelligence oriented& because the sense organs can not unction without intelligence. All these above mentioned three sargas come under the category o Erakrit sarga or natural creation.A A ,he ourth sarga is known as @ukhya sarga or the main creation and consisted o immovable things like mountains& trees& etc. ,he i th 1arga is known as ,iryak sarga and consisted o animals and birds. ,he si/th sarga comprised the creation o the deities and other celestial beings and hence it is also known as Deva sarga. ,he seventh sarga comprised the creation o human beings and hence it was called @aanush sarga. ,he eighth sarga& which is also called Anugrah sarga& consisted o creations that are both AsatvikA (pure) and AtamasikA(dark) in nature. ,he ninth sarga is called Kaumar sarga.A A Lord Brahma commenced his creation o supreme entities by e/pressing his will resulting into the mani estation o all the ten @anasputras. 1ubseHuently& Lord Brahma created di erent other entities like deities (deva)& demons (danav)& ancestors (pitra) and human3beings (manushya). (e then created the Ashuras rom his thighs and subseHuently abandoned his body. ,he dark Hualities emanating rom the body resulted into the creation o night& a creation that immensely pleased the demons.A A Lord Brahma then attained a new physical orm& which was pure (satvik) in nature. (e created the deities rom his mouth and once again abandoned his body resulting into the creation o day this time. All the deities became e/tremely pleased by this particular creation o Brahma. ?nce again Lord Brahma attained another orm and created the ApitrasA and when he abandoned that body& AsandhyaA (evening) mani ested rom it.A ALord Brahma then attained a orm that was A"a9omayaA in nature and created human beings. (is abandoning that particular orm resulted into the creation o AEratahkaalA(dawn). 1ubseHuently& Lord Brahma created the di erent species like AyakshaA& AsarpaA& ABandharvaA and AApsarasA and many more creatures rom the di erent parts o his body. All the our Vedas namely "igveda& Ya9urveda& 1amveda and Atharvaveda mani ested themselves rom each o BrahmaAs our mouths. 1imilarly& all the our castes such as Brahmin& Kshatriya& Vaishya and 1hudra mani ested rom BrahmaAs mouth& arms& thighs and eet respectively.A
6F.6.I ,he Beginning o >opulative >reation

A(aving created Daksha Era9apati and his wi e Erasuti rom his right and le t thumb respectively& Lord Brahma instructed both o them to make their contribution in increasing the population with the help o copulative creation. *n course o time& Daksha Era9apati begot numerous daughters all o whom were given in marriage to ten @anasputras.A A?nce& Daksha Era9apati had organi:ed a grand Ashwamedha Yagya to which he had invited all his daughters and son3in3laws e/cept 1ati and "udra. 1ati eventually reached her atherAs place much against the advise o 1hiva& who was strictly against going to a place uninvited. 1hivaAs apprehensions were not un ounded supposition& as 1ati was indeed humiliated by Daksha in ront o all the esteemed guests. 1ati was so deeply hurt by her atherAs rude behaviour and the manner in which he made un o her husband that she gave up her li e by 9umping into the sacri icial ire. Chen "udra learnt about 1atiAs death he cursed Daksha by saying that he would loose his divine status and would be born as a human being in the lineage o Dhruva. *n her ne/t birth& 1ati was born as the daughter o (imalaya and @ainak. 1he was once again success ul in getting 1hiva as her husband by virtue o her deep devotion towards 1hiva.A
6F.6.< ,he Dhruva Dynasty

Lord Vishnu& continuing with the tales o Baruda Euran told 1hiva3A %ttanpad had two wives31uruchi and 1uniti. Drom his ormer wi e he begot a son named %ttam& while 1uniti gave birth to Dhruva& who became immortal because o his un linching devotion in me. Dhruva had a mighty son named A1hlishtaA. Erachinvarhi was 1hlishtaAs son and DhruvaAs grandson. Dew other prominent personalities coming rom the lineage o Dhruva were3 %dardhi& Divan9aya& "ipu& >hakshush& "uru& Anga& Ven etc. Ven was an atheist and was eventually killed by sages or his immoral deeds. 1ince Ven had no progeny& his death put a Huestion mark on his successor. 1ages tried to solve this problem by churning his thighs& which resulted into the emergence o +ishad. But& +ishad went to Vindhyachal to do penance. 1eeing their whole e ort go in vain& all the sages once again churned VenAs hands. ,his time Lord Vishnu himsel incarnated as Erithu.A A Erithu was an e/tremely kind hearted king and cared or his sub9ects. ?nce& when his kingdom was e/periencing an acute amine& he success ully e/tracted the essential nutrients rom the earth and thus saved his sub9ects rom starvation. Erithu had ten sons prominent among whom were Antardhan& (avirdhan& Erachinvarhi and
Eraachetas. *n course o time Eraachetas married @arisha.A A #ust according to the curse o 1hiva& Daksha Era9apati was reborn in the clan o Dhruva. (is atherAs name was Eraachetas and his mother was @arisha. *n the beginning& Daksha Era9apati tried to do creation by merely e/pressing his will but his e orts went utile because o 1hivaAs curse. 1o& he had no option but to take the help o copulative creation and to meet his ob9ective he married Asikni3 the daughter o Viran. *n course o time he became the ather o one thousand sons& all o whom perished while on their impossible mission o inding out the circum erence o the earth. Actually sage +arad had incited all o them to undertake this impossible mission. Daksha though angry did not loose heart and in course o time he once again athered one thousand sons. ?nce again& +arad was success ul in convincing them to emulate the deeds o their elder brothers. All o them set out on an impossible mission never to return. +ow& DakshaAs anger crossed all limits and he cursed +arad by saying that he would take birth as a human or inciting his sonsA to death. ,his is the reason why +arad was born as KashyapAs son.A A *n the years to ollow& Daksha Era9apati begot si/ty beauti ul daughters rom Asikni among whom he gave away two daughters in marriage to sage Angira& two to sage Krishashva& ten to Dharma& ourteen to sage Kashyap and twenty3eight daughters to >handrama. ,he names o KrishashvaAs wives were 1upragya and #aya while DharmaAs wives were Arundhati& Vasu& Yami& Lamba& Bhanumati& @arutvati& 1ankalpa& @uhurta& 1aadhya and Vishva. ,he names o KashyapAs wives were Aditi& Diti& Danu& Kala& Anayu& 1inhika& @uni& Kadru& 1aadhya& *ra& Krodha& Vinta& 1urabhi and Khaga.A DharmaAs wives Vishva and 1aadhya gave birth to the Vishvedevas and 1aadhyaganas respectively. 1imilarly& @arutvati gave birth to @arutvaans and Vasu to Vasuganas. DharmaAs wi e named Bhanu gave birth to twelve Bhanus while @uhurta gave birth to @uhurtaganas. Lamba gave birth to Bhosh while Yami gave birth to +aagvithi. 1ankalpa gave birth to 1ankalpa. KashyapAs wi e Aditi gave birth to twelve Aadityas while Diti gave birth to two sons (demons)3 (iranyakashipu and (iranyaksha. Diti also had a daughter named 1inhika& who was married to Viprachiti. (iranyakashipu had our sons3 Anuhlad& (lad& Erahlad and 1anhlad. Aayushman& 1hibi and Bashkal were the sons o 1anhlad. Erahlad had a mighty son named Virochan who himsel had a son named Bali. Bali had one hundred sons in all and Baan was the eldest among them. (iranyaksha had si/ sons all o whom were very brave and valiant. ,heir names were %tkur& 1hakuni& Bhutsantapan& @ahanam& @ahabahu and Kaalnaam. Danu had numerous sons who were all very brave3Dwimurdha& 1hankar& Ayomukh& 1hankushira& Kapil& 1hambar& -kachakra& @ahabahu& ,arak& @ahabal& 1warbhanu& Vrishaparva& Euloma& @ahasur and the mightiest among them3Viprachiti. Euloma and Kalka& both daughters o Vaishwanar were married to sage Kashyap. Kashyap had si/ty thousand sons (demons) rom both o them. Demons such as +ighat Kavach came rom the lineage o Erahlad. ,amra had si/ daughters and their names were 1huki& 1hyeni& @asi& 1ugrivi& 1huchi and Bridhika. 1huki gave birth to numerous species o birds like 1huka (Earrot)& %luka (owls) and Kaak(crows). 1imilarly 1hyeni gave birth to 1hyen (hawks) and Bridhika to Bridh (vultures). 1huchi was the mother o aHuatic birds while 1ugrivi gave birth to various animals like& horses& camels& donkeys& etc.A Arun and Baruda were born to Vinta while 1ursa and Kadru gave birth to serpents. Krodha gave birth to power ul Eishachas& 1urabhi to cows and bu aloes& -ra to various vegetation like& creepers and grass& Khaga to Yakshas and "akshas& @uni to Apsaras and Arishta gave birth to Bandharvas. Diti gave birth to ourty3nine @arutganas& all o whom are in act the incarnations o Lord Vishnu.
1,&! Powerful Mantras

,his chapter contains F sections as ollows5
6F.;.6 +avgrah @antra

Describing the signi icance o worshipping +avgraha (nine planets)& Lord Vishnu told "udra 33A ?ne who worships the +avgraha with appropriate rituals attains all the our ApurusharthA(ob9ectives o manAs li e)3dharma(religion)& artha(money)& kaam(se/) and moksha(salvation).A (e then went on to give various mantras related with the +avgrahas& which a devotee should chant while worshipping them 33 S$#3*7S$"8 33 ?@ 1%"YA @%",AY- +A@A(. ?@ ("A@ ("*@ 1A( 1%"YAY +A@A(. C+*"D#*,*7,OO"833 ?@ 1?@AY +A@A(.
)+*$,7,*#S833?@ B(A%@AY +A@A(. )$DD+7,'#C$#3)33?@ B%DD(AY +A@A(. .#I+*SP*TI7<$PIT'#833?@ V"*(A1EA,AY- +A@A(. S+$/#*7.'"$S)33?@ 1(%K"AY +A@A(. S+*"I7S*T$#")33?@ 1(A+A*1(>(A"AY +A@A(. #*+$7D#*5O"AS +'*D833?@ "A(AV- +A@A(. /'T$7D#*5O"AS T*I6833 ?@ K-,AV- +A@A(.
6F.;.; 1hiva @antra

,here are various mantras used in the rituals o 1hiva worship. A devotee should begin by worshipping the AAasanA (the pedestal) on which the deity is seated. ,here is a speci ic mantra or this particular ritual3 ?@ ("A@ 1(*VAY +A@A(. 1ubseHuently& a salutation to lord 1hiva is made by chanting 3 ?@ 1(*VA @%",AY- +A@A(. A special ritual named A1hadanganyasA is then per ormed by chanting di erent mantras associated with the speci ic parts o the deitiesA body such as 3 ?@ ("A@ ("*DAYAY +A@A(& ?@ ("*@ 1(*"1- 1CA(A& ?@ (??@ 1(*K(AYA* VA1(A,& ?@ ("A*@ KAVA>(AY (??@& ?@ ("A%@ +-,"A ,"AYAY VA%1(A,& ?@ ("A( A1,"AY E(A,. (aving accomplished the above mentioned rituals& a devotee should then worship each o the ive aces o 1hiva by chanting the ollowing mantras 3 ?@ ("A@ 1ADDY?#A,AY +A@A( ?@ ("*@ VAA@D-VAY +A@A(& ?@ (??@ AB(?"AY +A@A(& ?@ ("A*@ ,A,E%"%1(AY +A@A(& ?@ ("A%@ *1(A+AY +A@A(. V*1(+% @A+,"A Chile worshipping Lord Vishnu& irst o all a devotee should worship the AAasanA o the deity by chanting 3 ?@ VA1%D-VA AA1A+AY +A@A(. (e should then make salutations to Lord Vishnu by chanting the ollowing mantras33 ?@ VA1%D-VAY @%",AY- +A@A(& ?@ A*@ ?@ +A@? B(ABAVA,- VA1%D-VAY +A@A(& ?@ AA@ ?@ +A@? B(ABAVA,- 1A+KA"1(A+AY +A@A(& ?@ A*@ ?@ +A@? B(ABAVA,- E"ADY%@+AY +A@A(& ?@ A( ?@ +A@? B(ABAVA,- A+*"%DD(AY +A@A(. 1ubseHuently& a devotee should worship the various incarnations o Lord Vishnu& his weapons as well as his di erent mounts by incorporating the rituals o A1hodashopacharA and by chanting the ollowing mantras33 ?@ +A"AYA+AY +A@A(& ?@ ,A,1AD B"A(@A+- +A@A(& ?@ (??@ V*1(+AV- +A@A(& ?@ ("A%@ +A@? B(ABAVA,- +"*1*+(AY +A@A(& ?@ B(%( ?@ +A@? B(ABAVA,- VA"A(AY +A@A(& -,>.
6F.;.7 1arasvati @antra

A devotee should begin his worship by making salutations to goddess 1arswati by chanting33 ?@ ("*@ 1A"1CA,YA* +A@A(. (e should then per orm the rituals o A1hadangnyasA by chanting the ollowing mantras33 ?@ ("A@ ("*DAYAY +A@A(& ?@ ("*@ 1(*"1- 1CA(A& ?@ (??@ 1(*K(AYA* VA1(A,& ?@ ("A*@ KAVA>(AY (??@& ?@ ("A%@ +-,"A ,"AYAY VA%1(A,& ?@ ("A( A1,"AY E(A,.
6F.;.F La/mi @antra

A devotee desirous o acHuiring wealth and prosperity must worship Boddess La/mi with appropriate rituals. (e should begin by making salutations to the goddess by chanting the ollowing mantra 33 ?@ 1"*@ ("*@ @A(ALAK1(@YA* +A@A(. ,hen ollows the rituals o A1hadangnyasA that is per ormed by chanting the speci ic mantras meant or them.
1,&* Astrology in (aruda Purana

,his chapter contains 66 sections as ollows5
6F.7.6 ,he >hariots o +avgrahas

Chile describing the chariots o all the nine planets& Lord Vishnu told "udra33A ,he chariot o 1urya deva(sun) has an unbelievable e/panse stretching up to nine thousand yo9ans. ,he a/le o the chariot is one crore and i ty seven lakh yo9ans long and wheels are i/ed at both its ends. ,he wheels have si/ circum erences symboli:ing the si/ main seasons and ive spokes symboli:ing the ive di erent units o time measurement in them. ,he chariot o 1urya(sun) is pulled by seven horses. ,hese horses symboli:e the seven AchhandsA (stan:as used in poetry)3 gayatri& vrihati& ushnik& 9agati& trishtup& anushtup and pankti. ,he chariot o chandrama(moon) has three wheels in it. *t is pulled by ten white horses. ,he color o @angalAs(mars) chariot is golden and is pulled by horses o dark red color. BuddhAs(mercury) chariot is o brown color and is pulled by eight horses o the same color. ,he chariot o Vrihaspati(9upiter) is made o gold and is pulled by eight horses o yellowish comple/ion. #upiter remains in each o the twelve :odiacs or a year. 1hukraAs (venus) chariot is well escorted by his army. ,he chariot has a mast on itAs top and is pulled by horses that are ound on earth. (orses pulling the chariot o 1hani(saturn) are o varicolored. ,he chariot o "ahu is pulled by eight horses& which are o the color o smoke. ,he chariot o Ketu is pulled by eight horses& which are red in color.
6F.7.; Description o Yogas and @uhurtas

Biving elaborate description o inauspicious days on which one should not undertake travels or 9ourneys& Lord Vishnu told 1hiva33 AVarious Yoginis (goddesses) dwell in di erent directions on speci ic days and one should never set out on 9ourneys on those days. A yogini named Brahmani dwells in the -ast on Eratipada( irst) and navami(ninth) o both the ortnights o each month and nobody should travel on both these dates towards east. @aheshwari dwells in the north on second and ninth o both the ortnights o each month and hence nobody should travel towards north on both these dates. Varahi dwells in the south on the i th and thirteenth o both the ortnights o each month and hence it is unadvisable to travel towards south on the above mentioned dates. *n the same manner& *ndrani dwells in the west on si/th and ourteenth o both the ortnights o each month and there ore nobody should travel in this direction on both the above mentioned dates.A Chile giving names o some auspicious +akshatras suitable or undertaking 9ourneys& lord Vishnu said33A >onstellations like Ashvini& Anuradha& "evati& @rigashira& @ool& Eunarvasu& Eushya& (ast and #yeshtha are auspicious or undertaking 9ourneys.A
Lord Vishnu& giving some speci ic combinations o days and tithis considered to be inauspicious said3A ?ne should never travel on the ollowing inauspicious days5 Dwadashi alling on 1unday or -kadashi alling on @onday or +avami alling on Cednesday or Ashtami alling on ,hursday or 1aptami alling on Driday and 1hashthi alling on 1aturday.
6F.7.7 Amrit Yoga

*t is the most auspicious yoga or commencing any work. ,he con9unction o a particular day and speci ic nakshatra constitute this yoga. Dew e/amples o Amrit yoga are @ool nakshatra alling on 1unday& 1hravan nakshatra on @onday& %ttara bhadrapad on ,uesday& Kritika on Cednesday& Eunarvasu on ,hursday& Eurva alguni on Driday and 1wati nakshatra alling on 1aturday.
6F.7.F Visha Yoga

*t is considered to be an inauspicious yoga and unsuitable or commencing any important work. Dew e/amples o this particular yoga are Bharni nakshatra alling on Driday& >hitra nakshatra on @onday& %ttarashadha on ,uesday& Dhanishtha on Cednesday& 1hatabhisha on ,hursday& "ohini on Driday and "evati nakshatra alling on 1aturday.
6F.7.8 Braha Dasha

Describing the period or which a particular planet is supposed to have its in luence on the native& Lord Vishnu told 1hiva33 A 1uryaAs dasha continues or si/ years and brings turbulence& turmoil and agony to the concerned person. @oonAs dasha continues or i teen years and is considered very auspicious as it brings happiness and prosperity. @angalAs dasha is considered inauspicious and lasts or eight years. *t brings sorrow and mis ortune. BuddhAs dasha is auspicious and lasts or seventeen years. *t brings all kinds o avorable results and is e/tremely rewarding in every respect. 1haniAs dasha lasts or ten years and brings all kinds o inauspicious results to a man. VrihaspatiAs dasha continues or nineteen years and is e/tremely auspicious. "ahuAs dasha continues or twelve years and is inauspicious. 1hukraAs dasha lasts or twenty years and is auspicious.A "OT' 11 ,he period o years stated in the above mentioned Braha3 dashas are at variance rom those mentioned by sage Earashar& which is in practice nowadays.
6F.7.I Eredictions based on Ehysical ,raits

Dwelling on length about the importance o physical traits and symptoms apparent in an individual& Lord Vishnu told 1hiva3A * one sees the ollowing physical traits in a man& he should immediately understand that he is seeing a prospective King 5 (ands and eet as so t as a Lotus lower& pink nails and no space le t between the ingers when kept straight. ,here is no sign o bulging veins on his hands and palms and they do not sweat e/cessively. ?n the contrary& a person having rough eet that appears pale& with prominent veins on them indicates that the concerned person would be poor and miserable.A
6F.7.< Eredicting Age with the help o Dorehead Line

Lord Vishnu said3A Anybody having three parallel lines on his orehead lives happily or si/ty years whereas two parallel lines indicates that he would live till the age o orty years. ?nly one line on the orehead indicates that he would have a short li e but i the line stretches up to both the ears then he lives or a century. * two parallel lines on the orehead stretches up to both the years then the concerned person lives or seventy years while a triple parallel lines reaching both the years indicates that he would live till the age o si/ty years. A orehead devoid o any line on it means that the concerned person would live or only orty years while a cobweb o intersecting lines on the orehead indicates that the concerned person is de inite to die a premature death. A orehead with a ,rident or an A/e mark on it indicates that the concerned person would be prosperous and live or a century.
6F.7.J Eredicting Age by Ealmistry

Lord Vishnu& continuing with his narration told 1hiva that the age o a person could be predicted by the lines ound on his palms3 A * the li e line reaches the base between inde/ and middle ingers then the concerned person lives or a century. * the li e line is long& clear and without intersections rom other lines then the concerned person lives or a hundred years.
6F.7.G Erediction based on physical traits o women

Lord Vishnu said3AA woman having a round ace& curly hair and lower portion o her navel slightly slanted towards right& is e/tremely ortunate not only or hersel but also or her whole clan. 1imilarly& a woman with golden
comple/ion and hands as beauti ul and so t as red lotus lower is e/ceptionally chaste and aith ul towards her husband. A woman having dry and unruly hair and also round eyes becomes a widow. A woman whose ace is round like a ull moon and which radiates like a rising 1un and whose lips are 9uicy like a ABaelA ruit (Cood apple)& en9oys a happy and contented li e. A woman having a cobweb o lines on her palms is sure to lead a torturous and pain ul li e whereas a palm with ew lines indicates that she would be poor. * the lines are pink& then they indicate happiness& prosperity and good health whereas blackish lines indicate that she would live a li e o slavery. Any woman having either a A>hakraA& a hook or a ear ring mark on her hand indicates that she would beget worthy sons and rule like a Hueen. A woman having hair around her breasts as well as a protruding lower lip spells doom or her husband. Any woman having a estoon mark on her palms indicates that she would get married in a amily superior to her in status. A woman having a round navel with brown hair around it leads a li e o slavery despite being born in a royal amily. A woman whose little toes as well as big toes o both the legs do not touch the ground while walking spells doom or her husband. *n the same manner beauti ul eyes indicate good ortune while so t and tender skin indicate a happy married li e.
6F.7.6M
Various +ames o '1haligram)
Describing how a 1haligram is named on the basis o number o >hakra present on it& Lord Vishnu said3A * there is only one >hakra on the 1haligram idol then it is called A1udarshanA. *n the same way& 1haligram with two >hakras is known as ALa/mi +arayanA while that having three >hakras on it is called AAchyutA. 1haligram with our >hakra on it is known as A>haturbhu9A& that with ive >hakras AVasudevA. 1imilarly& 1haligram with si/& seven& eight& ninth& tenth& eleven and twelve >hakras are called AEradyumanaA& A1ankarshanA& AEurushottamA& A+avavyuhaA& ADashatmakA& AAniruddhaA and Dwi3Dashatmak respectively. 1haligrams with more than twelve >hakras are called in inite.
6F.7.66
(ow #ewels ?riginated
1ut9i& once narrated the ollowing tale to the assembled sages which sheds light on the origin o 9ewels and other precious stones 3 A During ancient times there lived a mighty demon named Bala. Although he had de eated the deities and driven them out rom the heaven& yet he had assured them that he would e/tend ullest cooperation and support in any yagya per ormed by deities in uture. All the deities planned to per orm a AYagyaA in order to regain their lost kingdom. ,hey made all the necessary preparations or the Yagya but were unable to ind a person who could o er himsel as a Asacri icial beingA3 a ritual without which any yagya is incomplete.A A1eeing no other option& the worried deities took re uge o ABalasurA and reHuested him to o er himsel or sacri ice so that the yagya could be accomplished without any hitch. Balasur was bound by his promise so he agreed. ,his way& the deities were able to accomplish their yagya. But& a strange event coincided with the death o Balasur& which surprised even the deities. ,he virtuous deed o o ering himsel as a sacri icial being in the yagya ceremony had ama:ingly trans ormed BalasurAs corpse into 9ewels. Deities tried to carry the A#ewel3bodyA through the aerial route towards a sa er place& but it was ragmented into countless pieces due to the impact o erocious speed o the wind it had to negotiate. ,hese pieces scattered all over the places3 ocean& rivers& @ountains& Dorests& etc. *n course o time these places got trans ormed into countless mines o 9ewels and precious stones such as Va9ra (diamond)& @uktamani& *ndraneel& 1phatik& Erawal& Eushparag and many more.
1,&, Prominent Places of Pilgrimage

1ut9i& while giving the names o some prominent places o pilgrimage told the assembled sages3A,he banks o Banga are considered to be the holiest among all the places o pilgrimage. ,he holy Banga& which originates rom the (imalayas in the north& ultimately gets merged with the ocean in the east. During her entire course o low& she passes through numerous holy places& which owe their holiness mainly to her. Although& any place situated on the banks o Banga is considered holy& yet Erayag& (aridwar& Varanasi and Banga sangam (,he place where she meets the ocean) have special signi icance and there is no other place as holy as each o them. Erayag is believed to ul il both the wishes& which a man aspires or3 worldly en9oyments as well as salvation. Eer orming the rituals o pinda daan here not only helps the ancestors to liberate but also himsel . Varanasi is the same place where lord 1hiva and Keshav have their respective abodes. Donating at Kurukshetra brings
incomparable virtues and gives both worldly en9oyments as well as salvation. Kedar teerth is capable o liberating even a heinous sinner rom all his sins. Dew other places considered very holy are3 1hwetdweepa& +aimisharanya& Eushkar& Ayodhya& >hitrakut& Bomti& Kanchipuri& 1ri 1hail& Kaam3 teerth& Amarkantak& %99ain& @athura& Bovardhan& etc. All these places have great religious signi icance and each o them is capable o liberating a man rom all his sins.
6F.F.6 ,he 1igni icance o Baya ,eertha

?nce& while narrating how Baya& a prominent place o pilgrimage in eastern part o *ndia got its name& Lord Brahma told sage Vyas3A During ancient times there lived a mighty demon named Baya. (e used to torment the deities& who ultimately went to seek the help o Lord Vishnu. Lord Vishnu success ully killed Bayasur a ter a ierce mace3duel. ,he place where Baya died became amous by his name. ,here is a grand Vishnu temple situated at Baya where there is a magni icent idol o Lord ABadhadharA (Lord Vishnu holding a mace in his hand). Baya is considered to be the most ideal place o pilgrimage or per orming the shraddh rituals. *t is believed that a person goes to hell i he dies in the ollowing circumstances3 i he dies without his consecrations being per ormed& or i a wild animal kills him& or i he meets an accidental death no matter what the reasons are. But& i A1hraddh ritualsA are per ormed at ABayaA then the soul o such a man gets rid o the tortures o the hell and goes to heaven. ,he importance o per orming A1hraddh ritualsA over there can be gauged by the act that a person becomes liberated rom Apitra rinaA (debts towards oneAs ather) once he touches the sacrosanct soil o ABayaA. ,he reason being that Lord Vishnu himsel dwells there in the orm o AEitra devataA and by having his divine glimpse a man is reed o all his three debts. ,he entire area stretching rom the oothills o Vishnu mountain to A%ttar @anasA is considered e/tremely holy and this is the same area where river Dalgu lows. ? ering AEinda daanA to ancestors at this place helps them to attain salvation. Chile per orming the rituals o AEinda daanA he should chant the ollowing matra3 A-1(A E*+D? @AYA DA1,"A,AV (A1,- #A+A"DA+A(K EA"L?KA@ BA,- @?K1(A@ K1(AY@% EA,*1(,(A,AA@. ,here are many other places as holy as the banks o Dalgu and per ormance o A1hraddh ritualsA over there give undiminished virtues to the ancestors 3 Dharma3Erishtha& Brahmasar& Bayashirsha& Akshay3,eerth& Dhenukaranya are ew such places capable o liberating twenty generations o a man. ,he entire city o ABayaA is considered sacrosanct and per orming the rituals o A1hraddhA or o ering Einda daan to ancestors at any place within ABayaA helps the soul o the ancestors to attain to Brahmaloka.
6F.F.; ,he "ituals o Eindadaan

Be ore setting out or Baya to o er Einda daan& a man should appropriately per orm A1hraddh ritualsA in the village or town he lives. -ach step taken towards Baya acts as a stepping stone to the heaven or the ancestors. Betting oneAs head tonsured or observing ast is prohibited in some places o pilgrimage like Badrinath& Kurukshetra& #agannathpuri and Baya. ,here is no time restriction on the per ormance o 1hraddh rituals at Baya and they can be per ormed anytime. A ter reaching Baya& a man should irst o all invoke his ancestors while taking bath in the holy Dalgu and o er pinda daan to them. (e should then visit the temple o Lord Badadhar(Vishnu) and worship the deity. ,he ne/t day& he should once again per orm the 1hraddh rituals at Dharmaranya and @atangwapi& two sacrosanct places having great religious signi icance. ?n the third day& he should per orm the rituals o A,arpanA on the banks o ABrahmasada teerthA and then go to AKoop3teerthA and AYoop3teerthA to repeat the per ormance o 1hraddh rituals. (e should then eed the Brahmins at ABoprachar teerthA& an act considered to help ancestors attain salvation. ?n the ourth day he should take a holy dip in river Dalgu and once again per orm A1hraddh ritualsA at a place called ABayashirshA. ,here are many more holy places in the vicinity where he is reHuired to per orm 1hraddh ritualsA3 Vyas& Dehimukh& Eanchagni& 1urya3 teerth& 1om3teerth and Kartikeya3teerth are ew o them. Dinally& on the i th day& he should take a holy dip in ABada3lolakA teerth and o er AEinda3daanA under the Banyan tree called AAkshay vatA3 an act believed to liberate all his predecessors as well as coming generations rom the bondage o -arth. A ter that Brahmins are ed. Deeding one Brahmin at Baya brings the same virtues what one would get by eeding one crore Brahmins elsewhere.A
6F.F.7 ,ale o King Vishal

Lord Brahma then narrated a tale glori ying the signi icance o per orming A1hraddh ritualsA at Baya3 A ? Vyas$ ?nce upon a time there lived a trader who was sonless. ?ne day& while he was on his pilgrimage& he met a restless ghost& who reHuested him to per orm the rituals o Einda daan at Baya so that not only he became liberated rom the pains and tortures o being a spirit but also he (,rader) went to heaven. ,he trader went to Baya accompanied by his younger brother& as per the reHuest o the Bhost and not only per ormed the rituals o AEinda3daanA or the ghost but also or his own ancestors. As a result not only the ghost but all his ancestors became liberated. ?n account o his virtuous deeds& the trader was blessed with a son. (e en9oyed a long li e ull o 9oy and contentment. A ter his death he was reborn as Vishal& in the princely state o Vishala. A ter growing up he got married but even a ter a long time he did not beget a son and this made him very sad. ?ne day he asked the royal priests about the reason he did not beget a son. All the priests advised him to o er Einda daan at Baya as they elt that by doing so the king would de initely get blessed with a son and they were not wrong& as Vishal indeed was blessed with a son a ter he had o ered Einda daan at Baya.A ?ne day while Vishal was having a walk in the royal garden he was ama:ed to see three entities descending down rom the sky. A ter all three o them had landed on the ground& Vishal had a close look at them. ?ne o them was air while the second oneAs comple/ion was reddish. ,he third and the most erocious among them was o dark comple/ion. Dor a moment Vishal was dumbstruck by this mysterious sight but it did not take him long to gather his composure. (e 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 o his Dather& Brand Dather and Breat Brand Dather& all o whom had died long ago. ,hey had come to thank Vishal& who by per orming the rituals o 1hraddh had helped them in getting liberated rom all their sins. ,he entity appearing air& who in act was VishalAs ather said3 ,hank you or helping me attain to *ndra loka. * it were not or you& * would have still been languishing in hell. ,he entity with reddish comple/ion is your Brand Dather& who had committed grave sins while he was alive and as the conseHuences he went to the most erocious hell named Avichi a ter his death. -ven he has been liberated because o you. ,he third entity among us and having dark comple/ion is your Breat Brand Dather. (e had committed heinous o sins while he was alive but even he has become liberated because o you. Ce have come to e/press our gratitude and to thank you or having liberated us rom our miserable conditions. All three o us are now departing or heaven.A (aving said this all three o them disappeared in a moment. Vishal was e/tremely satis ied that he had been success ul in ul illing one o the ma9or obligations towards his ancestors (pitra3rina) by helping them attain to heaven. (e en9oyed a long li e and a ter his death he too went to heaven.
6F.F.F Era9apati "uchi)s Disenchantment

?nce& 1ut9i recounted the ollowing tale to the assembled sages& which had been originally told by sage @arkandeya to Kraunchki long ago3 A?nce& sage "uchi became so disenchanted with the world that he decided to remain a bachelor& a decision which made his AEitrasA(ancestors) e/tremely worried. ,hey tried to change his mind by citing numerous bene its o householderAs li e and the yeomen service he does to the society. ,hey said3 ? "uchi$ ,he decision you have taken is most un ortunate. Eerhaps you are not aware o the importance a ABrihastaA holds in the society. But or his cooperation& not a single religious activity can take place. *tAs your misconception that a ABrihastaA can not attain salvation. ?n the contrary& he has numerous opportunities in his li e to attain salvation. Di erent rituals and consecrations enable him to achieve this important goal o a manAs li e.A EitrasA advises had great impact on Era9apati "uchi and he agreed to get married.A ,herea ter a search or an ideal match began but even a ter best o his e orts he did not get any. Era9apati "uchi then decided to please Lord Brahma by his austere penance. (e commenced his penance& which continued or a very long period. Dinally& Lord Brahma appeared and advised him to please his AEitrasA. Acting on the advice o Lord Brahma& Era9apati "uchi eulogi:ed his ancestors and per ormed the rituals o A,arpanA to paci y their souls. All his AEitrasA appeared and blessed him.
6F.F.8 Era9apati "uchi marries @anini

,he blessings given by AEitrasA ructi ied instantaneously as a beauti ul AApsaraA mani ested hersel rom the river lowing nearby and said3A ? great sage$ * am Eramlocha. * would consider it as my good ortune i you give your consent to marry my daughter3 @anini. Eushkar3 son o Varun is her ather. *n course o time a son named
A"auchyaA will be born to you.A ,his was the day Era9apati "uchi was eagerly waiting or. (e decided to get married then and there so he invited all the prominent sages and the marriage ceremony was solemni:ed in their presence. *n course o time& a son named A"auchyaA was born to them. (e was a great sage a ter whom a @anvantar was named.
1,&/ $escription of +arious 0onsecrations

,his chapter contains I sections as ollows5
Chile describing the signi icance o various consecrations& Lord Vishnu told 1hiva that the union o manAs sperm and womanAs ovum results into the birth o a child. ,his union along with the whole process o oetus getting trans ormed into a baby is a lengthy a air during which it imbibes numerous impurities. >onsecrations puri y a man rom all these impurities. Lord Vishnu said 3A ,he mankind has been categori:ed into our prominent castes3 Brahmin& Kshatriya& Vaishya and 1hudra. ,he ormer three castes are also known as ADwi9asA (,wice born. ,he solemni:ation o a consecration named Yagyopavit is believed to be their second birth.) because only they are entitled to get consecrated into this particular ceremony. "ight rom his birth till he takes his last breath& a ADwi9aA has to undergo various consecrations.A Biving the names o some prominent consecration ceremonies that a Dwi9a has to go through& Lord Vishnu said3 A Barbhadhan 1anskar is per ormed at the time o conception. ,he scriptures have clearly stated about the best time or a woman to conceive3 twelve days a ter her menstruation has started& beginning rom the i th day as the irst our days are not considered auspicious or this purpose. AEunsavan sanskarA is per ormed in the third month a ter conception while A1eemantonayan sanskarA is per ormed in the si/th or eighth month a ter conception. A ter the birth o a child the consecration named A#aat karmaA is per ormed while A+aam karan sanskarA is per ormed on the eleventh day a ter his birth whereby the new born baby is given a name. A+ishkraman sanskarA is per ormed in the ourth month and AAnnaprashan sanskarA in the si/th month. ,he consecration named A>hudamani sanskarA can be per ormed either in the irst& third or i th year o the child.A
6F.8.6 %panayana 1anskara

Dwelling on length about the appropriate way o per orming A%panayan sanskarA (1acred thread ceremony) rituals& Lord Vishnu said3A A Brahmin child should get consecrated with the sacred thread in his eighth year while a Kshatriya childAs consecration should be per ormed when he has attained the age o eleven. A%panayan sanskarA o a Vaishya child should be per ormed in his twel th year.A A dwi9a& whose A%panayan sanskarA has been per ormed& must ace southwards while relieving himsel in the night whereas during daytime he should ace northward. 1ubseHuently& he should puri y himsel by properly washing his urinary organ with mud (soap) and water. (e should also wash his hands and eet. ,he puri ication is believed to be incomplete until and unless the rituals o AAachmanA (ritualistic rinsing o the mouth) have been per ormed. +e/t morning& a ter having a bath& he should do AEranayamA and chant the sacred Bayatri mantra acing east. *n the evening he should chant Bayatri mantra acing south. A ter this the ritual o ABhikshatanA is per ormed whereby he seeks alms and donates everything that he gets to his Buru as a mark o respect to him. ,his particular ritual is symbolic and emphasi:es the absolute necessity o subduing oneAs ego be ore acHuiring knowledge rom his Buru. A celibate is supposed to wear nothing but a Deer skin and a waist band made o long reeds on his person with a sacred thread hanging across his shoulder and carry a stick in his hand. ,he celibate whose %panayan sanskar has been per ormed should stay at his BuruAs hermitage till he completes his education. *t is also his duty to collect ood grains rom the neighbourhood to meet the ood reHuirement o all the people living in the hermitage. A Brahmin celibate should chant ABhavati bhiksham dehiA while seeking alms whereas a Kshatriya celibate should chant the same mantra with a slight modi ication A Bhiksham bhavati dehiA. 1imilarly& a Vaishya celibate should chant ABhiksham dehi bhavatiA while seeking alms.A
6F.8.; Keshant 1anskara

A ter inishing his education the celibate should shave his beards and moustaches or the irst time. 1trict guidelines have been laid down or each caste with respect to this particular consecration. A Brahmin should get consecrated with this ritual in his si/teenth year while a Kshatriya should get it per ormed in his twenty3 second year. 1imilarly& a Vaishya should get consecrated with this ritual in his twenty3 ourth year. ,he above mentioned age limits are also the ma/imum be ore which respective castes are supposed to get consecrated with the sacred thread ceremony ailing which he becomes a religious outcaste.
6F.8.7 Brihasta Ashrama

(is education being complete now it is the time or him to enter the li e o a householder. But& be ore leaving the hermitage he should pay ADakshinaA as a mark o gratitude to his Buru or all the knowledge he has imparted to him. Cith the permission o his Buru& he should then marry a girl who is beauti ul& younger to him and belonging to di erent ABotraA. Although the best option or him is to marry a woman belonging to his own caste& but he is allowed to marry outside his caste& provided the woman hails rom a caste in erior to him but under no circumstances he should marry a woman belonging to superior caste.
6F.8.F >opulation Erohibited on >ertain Days

An ideal wi e is one who obeys the commands o her husband without any inhibition. According to the scriptures the best time or a married couple to copulate is a ter the woman has had her menstruation& especially till si/teen days a ter her periods have commenced are considered best or this purpose. But& there are also certain days on which making se/ual contacts is prohibited3 the irst our days a ter her periods have started& Ashtami& >haturdashi& Amavasya and Eurnima are ew such days. * the above given rules are ollowed then a couple can beget worthy sons possessing good Hualities. >onsidering the act that a woman has se/ual urge eight times more than a man& scriptures have also advised a man not to overlook the se/ual urge o his wi e and to satis y her without bothering about the prohibited days.
6F.8.8 Euri ication o Di erent Articles

Describing the methods o puri ying di erent articles& Lord Vishnu re lected on the instructions which sage Yagyavalkya had once given to other sages in this regard3A 1ubstances like gold& silver& conch& vegetables& rope& leather articles& etc. become pure once they are washed with water. *n the same way& utensils made o wood or animalAs horn become pure a ter they have been chiseled. %tensils used in yagya become pure a ter they have been rubbed with mud and then washed with water. Cashing woolen and silken clothes with tepid water or cow3 urine make them pure. Land is puri ied i it is coated with cow3dung. >opper vessels& articles made o lead and ,in vessels become pure i cleaned with a solution o alkali& acid and then washed with water. *ron and Bron:e vessels become pure i cleaned with ash and water. ,he ollowings are believed to be pure3 sun3light& ire& cow& horse& earth& air& dew3 drops& ood3grains up or sale in the market& etc. A man should per orm Aachaman in the ollowing circumstances3 a ter his bath& a ter drinking water& a ter snee:ing& a ter waking up rom sleep& a ter having ood& a ter having a walk on dusty path& a ter changing clothes& etc.
6F.8.I Brie Description o 1hraadh "ituals

Describing the proper way o per orming 1hraddh rituals& sage Yagyavalkya told the assembled sages3A A per ormer o 1hraddh rituals should invite able Brahmins and o er them seats o Kusha grass. Dirst o all an invocation is made to AVishvedevaA by chanting a mantra in his praise& an action which is ollowed by scattering grains o barley in the vessels kept in ront o the DeityAs idol. 1ubseHuently& some water and a small Huantity o 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. ,here are speci ic mantras or this particular ritual. A ter that he should o er seats o Kusha grass to all his ancestors one by one beginning rom the le t hand side and subseHuently moving on to the right hand side. All the ancestors are then invoked with speci ic mantras. ,he scriptures allow the use o sesame seeds in place o barley i latter is unavailable due to some reason. ,hese sesame seeds should be kept in a AArdhya patraA and placed to the le t side o each AEitrasA (ancestors) in an inverted position. Chile per orming AhavanA he should make o erings o AgheeA and other articles in the Ahavan kundaA. Dinally& Brahmins are ed a ter which the per ormer o 1hraddh rituals o ers Eindadaan in the name o his ancestors. A ter that he helps all the Brahmins per orm AAachamanA and gives donations to them. ,he idol o Vishvedeva is immersed in a nearby river or pond and the inverted pots are kept back in the normal position. Dinally& all the Brahmins are seen o with respect. 1hraddh rituals per ormed in the above mentioned way immensely satis y the ancestors and help them attain to heaven.
1,&1 2arma and its conseAuences 8 2arma +ipa.

,his chapter contains 6 section as ollows5 >ontinuing with his discourses& sage Yagvalkya told the assembled sages that an enlightened soul is aware o the act that the mortal world being impermanent in nature has its beginning as well as its end. (e is also aware that a man reaps the ruits o his evil deeds in the orm o AAdhidaivikA(heavenly wrath)& AAdhyatmikA(obstacles in spiritual development) and AAdhibhautikA (worldly problems like diseases& poverty& etc.) ,hat is why he endeavours to
ollow the path o virtuosity so that he can attain salvation3the ultimate ob9ective o manAs li e. Anybody engaged in sin ul deeds is de inite to go to hell whereas virtuous deeds help a man to attain to heaven. A ter tasting the ruits o his actions he once again has to take birth to reali:e the un ul illed wishes o his previous birth. ,his cycle o transmigration is an endless process& leading to countless births and deaths o a man. (e e/periences unbearable pains in his motherAs wombs lying in an inverted position or nine months. ?nce again he has to go through the same dread ul e/periences o youth& old age& diseases and death. A sinner& a ter tasting the ruits o his actions in the heaven or hell& depending on his virtuous or sin ul deeds takes re3birth on the basis o the gravity o sins committed. Killing a Brahmin is believed to be the most heinous o sin and the person who has committed such a sin a ter having su ered the tortures o hell takes re3birth as a donkey or a dog. *n the same way a person who has stolen gold takes re3birth as lowly creatures such as worms or insects. A drunkard takes re3birth as a rog and a person developing illicit relationship with his teacherAs wi e takes re3birth as grass or hay. ?ne who shows disrespect to his parents is reborn as a tortoise whereas anybody who wishes ill o his riends is reborn as a donkey.
6F.I.6 Atoning or 1ins

Chile describing various means by which a sinner can atone or his sins& sage Yagyavalkya said3A A man is certain to meet down all and degradation in the ollowing three conditions3 i he goes against the instructions given in the scriptures& indulges in prohibited activities and runs a ter sensual pleasures. Atoning or oneAs sin is the best means o getting liberated rom his sin as well as guilt. A sinner who does not atone or his sin goes through unbearable tortures and pains in hells more horrible than in A@aharauravA (name o a hell). Very severe punishment has been recommended or a person& who has breached the modesty o a woman especially i she happens to be his riendAs wi e& teacherAs wi e& his own daughter or sister3in3law& etc. 1criptures are o the opinion that such a sinner should be killed without showing any mercy. * 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 or his sin by seeking alms or twelve years carrying a skull as his begging bowl. (e should sustain himsel on whatever he receives as alms. Erotecting a cowAs li e also helps a man rom getting liberated rom the sin o ABrahma3hatyaA. A drunkard should atone or his sin by consuming any o the ollowing3 boiling liHuor& ghee& cow3milk or cow3urine. A person accused o stealing gold can become liberated rom his sin by donating gold eHuivalent to his own weight. A person who has killed a cow can become liberated rom his sin by consuming AEanchgavyaA( a mi/ture o cow3milk& cow3dung& cow3urine& ghee and curd) and leading the rest o his li e in the servitude o cows.
1,&4 $ifferent 2ind of Austerities

Describing the various types o austerities& Lord Vishnu named ew o them3
6F.<.6 Yama ("estraining Eassion)

,his particular austerity comprises o ten virtues3 >elibacy& Dorgiveness& @editation& ,ruth ulness& (onesty& +on3 violence& +ot stealing& Bentleness and 1el control.
6F.<.; +iyama (Daily "outine)

,his austerity stresses the importance o purity5 both o the body as well as o the mind. *t comprises o the ollowing activities5 bathing daily& contemplation& observing ast& per orming oblations& sel study& abstinence& penance& avoiding anger& being respect ul towards teacher and purity.
6F.<.7 @ahasantapana Vrata

,his particular austerity comprises o speci ic rituals related with the usage o AEanchagavyaA(a mi/ture o cow milk& curd& ghee& cow urine and cow dung). ?n the irst day o the austerity a devotee should have only milk& on the second day curd& on the third day AgheeA& on the ourth day AgomutraA(cow urine)& on the i th day AgomayaA (cow dung)& on the si/th day he should live only on AkushodakA( drinking water rom a vessel in which AkushaA grass have been kept) and on the last day o the austerity he should observe complete ast.
6F.<.F Earna Krichchha Vrata

1eparate solutions o AEalashA(Butea rondosa)& ABularA(Dicus glomerata)& AKamalA( lotus) and ABaelA tree (wood apple) are prepared a ter boiling the leaves o respective vegetation mentioned above. ?n the irst day o the austerity a devotee should have only AEalashA solution while on the second day he should have ABularA solution. ?n the third day he should have AKamalA solution while on the ourth day he should live only on ABaelA solution. ?n the i th day o the austerity he should live only on AKushaA grass solution and nothing else. ,his is the manner in which the austerity o AEarnakrichchha vrataA is observed.
6F.<.8 ,apta Krichchha Vrata

A person observing this austerity should begin by having hot milk on the irst day ollowed by tepid ghee and lukewarm water on the second and third day respectively. (e should observe a complete ast on the ourth day.
6F.<.I Eaad Krichchha Vrata

,his particular austerity lasts or our days. ?n the irst day a devotee should observe A-kabhakta vrataA(having ood only once a day in the noon). ?n the second day he should observe A+aktaA vrata(having ood only once a day in the night). ?n the third day he should break his ast by having whatever is available with him because anything that has been provided by others is strictly prohibited. (e should observe a total ast on the ourth day. Chen a devotee observes these cycles o austerity or three times then it is called AEra9apatya krichchhra vrataA.
6F.<.< Ati Krichchha Vrata

"ituals o this austerity is more or less similar to that o Era9apatya krichchhra vrata with a slight di erence3 here ast is broken with a hand ul o cooked ood. Chen this particular ritual is observed or our days then it is called Atikrichchha vrata.
6F.<.J Krichchha Atikrichha Vrata

?bserving the rituals o Atikrichchha vrata or twenty3one days living only on milk and water is called Krichchhakrichha vrata.
6F.<.G Earak Vrata

?bserving complete ast or twelve continuous days is called Earak vrata.
6F.<.6M
>handrayana Vrata
*tAs an important austerity lasting or a month which commences on Dirst day o the bright hal o a month by observing ast or the whole day and breaking it in the night with one morsel o ood. ?n the ne/t day& i.e. AdwitiyaA one morsel o ood is increased which means that instead o one morsel o ood now two morsels are taken. ,his way one morsel o ood is increased on each o the ollowing days till the ourteenth day (chaturdashi) when the ast is broken by having ourteen morsels o ood. A total ast is observed on AAmavasyaA (dark moon). ?n the ne/t day i.e. irst day o the dark hal o the month one morsel is decreased which means that the devotee should break his ast with thirteen morsels o ood. ,his way one morsel is decreased on each successive day till AchaturdashiA when a devotee breaks his ast by having only one morsel o ood. ,his is the way& how a >handrayan vrata should be observed.
6F.<.66
Anang ,rayodashi Vrata
,his austerity is related with the worship o Lord 1hiva and commences on the thirteenth day o the bright hal o the (indu month @argashirsh and lasts or a year. *t concludes e/actly a ter a year when A"atiA and AAnangA are worshipped with appropriate rituals. ,en thousand o erings are made in the sacri icial ire. Brahmins are ed and donations made to them. ?ne who observes this austerity is blessed with health& wealth and good ortune.
6F.<.6;
Akhand Dvadashi Vrata
,his austerity is related with the worship o Lord Vishnu. *t commences on the twel th day o the bright hal o the (indu month @argashirsh and lasts or a year consisting o three phases. ?ne important characteristic o this austerity is that a ter our months& which is the irst phase o the austerity& ive vessels illed with ood3grains are donated to Brahmins. *n the second phase o the austerity consisting o our months and commencing rom the (indu month >haitra& pots illed with parched grams are donated to Brahmins. 1imilarly& in the third and inal phase o the austerity pots illed with ghee are donated to Brahmins.
6F.<.67
1hiva "atri Vrata
,his austerity is related with the worship o Lord 1hiva and a ast is observed on the ourteenth day o the dark hal o the (indu month Dalgun. A devotee should observe ast in the night and worship Lord 1hiva by chanting A?m +amah 1hivayA. (e should per orm AhavanA with black sesame seeds and worship Lord 1hiva at midnight& in the third and the ourth ApraharA(one prahar eHuals three hour) with appropriate rituals. ?ne who observes ast on this day gets all his wishes ul illed and attains salvation as well. A devotee who observes 1hiva "atri ast or twelve successive years acHuires knowledge& wealth& success and happiness. 1uch a man also attains to 1hiva loka a ter his death.
6F.<.6F
Virtues o ?bserving Dast on 1hiva "atri +ight
During ancient times there lived a hunter named 1undarsen in the province o Arbuda. ?ne day& he went deep into the orest in search o his prey but un ortunately he ound none. (e wandered all over the place but in vain. Chen evening came& he climbed up a wood apple (Bael) tree to protect himsel rom the wild animals. 1undarsen was worried that his amily would have nothing to eat that night. -ngrossed in his contemplative mood& he kept on plucking leaves rom the ABaelA tree and throwing them down. ,here was a 1hiva linga 9ust under the tree and the leaves& which 1undarsen threw& ell down on it. +e/t morning while 1undarsen was climbing down the tree& his arrow ell down. Chile picking up his arrow& he touched the 1hiva linga. 1undarsen was unaware o the act that it was 1hivaratri night and he had worshiped Lord 1hiva with appropriate rituals albeit inadvertently3he had o ered Bilva patra to Lord 1hiva and had touched the 1hiva linga. (e attained to 1hiva loka on account o the virtues attained by his inadvertent worship o Lord 1hiva.
6F.<.68
,he Eower o >hastity
?nce& sage Vyas went to Brahmaloka to get his doubts cleared on certain spiritual matters rom Lord Brahma. Chile dwelling on a wide range o religious topics such as importance o austerities and various incarnations Lord Vishnu took to protect righteousness& Lord Brahma narrated a tale o a Brahmin woman who possessed divine powers on account o her chastity. Lord Brahma said3 A During ancient times there lived a Brahmin named Kaushik in Eratishthanpur +agar. (e was in licted with leprosy but still his wi e was very chaste and aith ul towards him. (is wi e used to be on her toes attending to all his demands and looking a ter all his reHuirements. But still& he used to scold and abuse his wi e at the irst given opportunity without any rhyme or reason. (owever& his wi e did not mind his behaviour understanding Huite well the rustrations o a man su ering rom dreaded disease like Leprosy.A ?ne day& something happened which made Kaushik e/tremely angry and in a it o rage he made an impossible demand thinking that his wi e would never comply by it giving him an opportunity to curse her to the satis action o his heart. 1houting angrily at his wi e& Kaushik said3 Age has started showing e ect on you. You donAt look beauti ul as be ore. You have also started neglecting me. ,ake me to a beauti ul prostitute so that * can satis y my se/ual urge. KaushikAs wi e was deeply hurt by his rude and un air remarks but she remained cool and calm. Being a chaste and aith ul wi e she had no option but to obey her husbandAs command. 1o& she le t or a prostituteAs house carrying Kaushik on her shoulders. ,he prostituteAs house was ar and it became dark while they were still on the way. Because o darkness& KaushikAs wi e could not see sage @andavya& who in spite o his innocence was given a severe punishment by the king3 he had been made to sit on a pointed cone which a ter having penetrated through his body had pierced even his skull. But& being a great sage& @andavya was engrossed in his meditation even in such a pain ul physical condition. %n ortunately& KaushikAs eet& which were hanging down the shoulders o his wi e& touched @andavyaAs body. @andavyaAs meditation was disturbed and he came out rom his meditative level. As a result he became conscious o his unbearable physical pain and cursed that whoever had disturbed his meditation would not live to see the ne/t day.A Kaushik died the ne/t day but his wi e& who had ull con idence in her power o chastity& knew that her husband would be alive once again. 1he cursed angrily 3 A @andavya has a misconception about his power. (e thinks that only he can control the natural phenomena but perhaps he does not know what eats a chaste woman is capable o per orming. *ts my command to the 1un not to rise rom tomorrow onwards.A
And indeed& the 1un stopped rising rom the ne/t morning leading to catastrophic allout. -verything went haywire in the world& which made the deities e/tremely worried. ,hey came to me (Lord Brahma) with a reHuest to reveal why 1un had stopped rising. * told them that it was all due to the curse o a chaste woman and then * narrated the whole story. * revealed to them that nobody e/cept 1ati Anusuya was capable o bringing back order in the world. * advised them to seek the help o 1ati Anusuya who was amous or her e/ceptional chastity. 1o& all the deities went to 1ati Anusuya and reHuested her to make the 1un rise so that everything became orderly in the world once again. 1ati Anusuya agreed to lend her help in bringing back normalcy in the world. 1he& by the virtue o her chastity not only made the 1un rise daily but also made dead Kaushik alive once again. 1uch is the power commanded by a woman practicing the austerity o chastity. ,here are numerous e/amples o such women amous or their chastity and 1ita was one o them.
1,&8 "he "ale of 6amayana

Lord Brahma then went on to describe the amous tale o "amayana the mere listening to which absolves a man rom all his sins. (e began by giving the details o 1ri "amAs lineage and said3A * (Lord Brahma) mani ested rom the Lotus originating rom the navel o Lord Vishnu. 1age @arich mani ested rom me while Kashyap was @arichAs son. 1urya mani ested rom Kashyap& Vaivaswat3@anu rom 1urya and *kshavaku was born to Vaivaswat3@anu. ,he great King "aghu was also the descendant o *kshavaku. "aghuAs son was A9a& whose son was Dasharath. Dasharath had three Hueens3Kaushalya& Kaikeyi and 1umitra. Kaushalya gave birth to 1ri "am while Kaikeyi was the mother o Bharat. 1umitra had two sons3La/man and 1hatrughan. 1ri "am had great devotion towards his parents. 1age Vishwamitra& who was tormented by the demons& took 1ri "am and La/man along with him so that he could do his penance peace ully. (e assured Dashrath that he would make both his sons pro icient in all the scriptures as well as in the usage o various weapons. Cith great reluctance& Dasharath allowed 1ri "am and La/man to go along with Vishwamitra. ?nce in the orest 1ri "am assured his Buru to do his penance without bothering about the demons. Vishwamitra commenced his penance and 1ri "am killed all the demons trying to disturb him. ,he names o ew demons killed by 1ri "am were ,adaka& 1ubahu& etc. #anak& the ather o 1ita had organi:ed a grand A1wayamvarA ceremony to which he had invited all the prominent kings o that time. (e had also sent invitation to Vishwamitra. Vishwamitra set out or #anakpur accompanied by 1ri "am and La/man. #anak had a huge bow gi ted to him by Lord 1hiva and which he worshipped daily with appropriate ritual. ?nce during the process o cleaning the area where 1hivaAs bow was kept& 1ita li ted the bow and kept it a distance. Later on she orgot to keep it back at the original place. Chen #anak came to worship the bow he was surprised to ind it to be kept at a di erent place. (e made an inHuiry and 1ita con essed that she had kept it while cleaning the place o worship. #anak 9ust could not believe that his tender looking daughter possessed such strength and power. +o wonder he decided to give 1itaAs hand in marriage to such a man who could break 1hivaAs bow. 1o& he made a declaration that anybody capable o breaking 1hivaAs bow could have 1ita as his wi e. ,here were many mighty warriors present at the A1wayamvarA ceremony but none had the strength to even li t the bow what to say about breaking it. Dinally& as the destiny would have liked it& 1ri "am broke the bow into three pieces and thus married 1ita. La/man married %rmila3 another daughter o Dasharath while Bharat and 1hatrughan married @andavi and Keertimayi respectively& both daughters o King Kushadhwa9a. Later on& when Dasharath decided to crown 1ri "am as the King o Ayodhya& Kaikeyi played a spoilsport and demanded her son3Bharat to be made the King o Ayodhya and 1ri "am to be sent into e/ile or ourteen years. Actually& Kaikeyi had taken undue advantage o DasharathAs helpless condition to serve her own interest. ?nce& Dasharath was busy ighting a battle oblivious o the act that one o the wheels o the chariot was about to e9ect rom its a/le as the nail supporting it had allen o . Kaikeyi& who was also accompanying him& saved his li e by preventing the wheel rom alling o and thus maintaining the balance o the chariot. Chen Dasharath learnt how Kaikeyi had saved his li e he promised to grant her two boons. At that time Kaikeyi did not ask or any thing and merely said that she would demand at the appropriate time. 1o& when the time or "amAs coronation came she thought it was the best opportunity or her to remind Dasharath about the two boons he had promised to grant her. Dasharath& bound by his deep love or 1ri "am on the one hand and by his vow on the other& agreed to KaikeyiAs demand with a heavy heart. 1ri "am without any hesitation ollowed his atherAs order and le t or the orest. (ow could have 1ita and La/man lived without himL 1o& they too accompanied him to the orest. *n course o his
9ourney& 1ri "am passed by many holy places and inally a ter reaching >hitrakoot he made a AEarna kutiA (hermitage made o leaves) and started living there. ,he shock caused by 1ri "amAs separation proved to be atal or Dasharath& who died with an un ul illed desire o having a glimpse o his dearest son. Bharat& who at that time was at his maternal uncleAs place& returned to Ayodhya a ter hearing the news o his atherAs demise and per ormed his last rites. (e then went to >hitrakoot and tried his level best to convince 1ri "am into returning back to Ayodhya. But& 1ri "am did not agree& as it was against his principle to disobey the commands o his ather. 1ri "am gave his pair o wooden sandals to Bharat as a token o love and reHuested him to return to Ayodhya. Bharat returned to Ayodhya and kept 1ri "amAs sandals on the throne. (e then stationed himsel at +andigram3 a city situated at the outskirts o Ayodhya and started ruling rom there on behal o his elder brother. (e had vowed not to return to Ayodhya till the completion o 1ri "amAs period o e/ile. Drom >hitrakoot& 1ri "am reached Dandakaranya accompanied by 1ita and La/man and started living in a hermitage made o leaves. ,here they also met prominent sages like Atri and Agastya. ?nce an ogress named A1urpanakhaA ("avanAs sister) attacked 1ri "am but La/man retaliated by severing both her ears as well as her nose. 1urpanakha& badly in9ured and bleeding pro usely& went to Khardushan and narrated her woe ul tale. Khardushan attacked 1ri "am with a huge army consisting o ourteen thousand soldiers but lost all his men in the battle. ,he revenge ul "avan went to the hermitage disguised as a hermit and abducted 1ita while 1ri "am was away in pursuit o @arich3the golden deer. Actually& @arich was a demon& who had disguised himsel as a golden deer on the instruction o "avan so that 1ita could be abducted success ully. "avan knew Huite well that it was impossible or him to abduct 1ita in the presence o 1ri "am. 1o& he hatched a plan according to which @arich was to disguise himsel as a golden deer and enchant 1ita. "avan was sure that 1ita a ter being enchanted by the beauty o the golden Deer would ask her husband to get it at any cost. -verything happened as per the plan o "avan and he was success ul in abducting 1ita. Chen 1ri "am did not ind 1ita in the hermitage he became worried and started searching or her rantically. ?n the way he met old #atayu& who had got in9ured while trying to resist "avan rom taking away 1ita. #atayu in ormed him that "avan had taken 1ita towards south. #atayu was so badly in9ured that he died soon a ter giving 1itaAs in ormation to 1ri "am. 1ri "am per ormed his last rites and continued with his search. (e proceeded towards south as per the instructions o #atayu and reached A"ishyamookA mountain where he met 1ugreeva& whom he be riended. (e killed Bali& who harboured enemity against his brother3 1ugreeva. (e then made 1ugreeva the King o AKishkindhaA and himsel went to live at A"ishyamookA mountain. 1ugreeva sent monkeys in all directions to ind out 1itaAs whereabouts. (anuman went towards south and with the help o 1ampati managed to ind out the e/act location where "avan had kept 1ita. (anuman took a giant leap and the ne/t moment he ound himsel on the other side o the ocean. (e went to AAshok3 VatikaA where "avan had kept 1ita in captivity. (e presented the ring to her& which 1ri "am had given him. 1ita& in turn gave her A>hudamaniA(ornament) and reHuested him to give it to 1ri "am. #umping rom one branch to another& hungry (anuman ate all the ruits and in the process destroyed the beauti ul garden. Chen "avan came to know about the destruction caused in the beauti ul garden o AAshok VatikaA& he sent many demons to capture (anuman. But& all o them were killed including Akshay Kumar& "avanAs son. %ltimately& (anuman was made captive by @eghanad and produced be ore "avan& who ordered his tail to be set abla:e as a punishment. (anuman& with his tail abla:e& 9umped rom one palace to another and burnt the golden city o Lanka within no time. (e then returned to his master 1ri "am and described everything in detail. Dinally& 1ri "am attacked Lanka with a huge army comprising o mighty warriors like (anuman& 1ugreeva& Angad and many others. A ierce battle took place in which all the demons including "avan were killed. ,he victorious 1ri "am returned to Ayodhya along with his consort 1ita. ,he residents o Ayodhya danced in 9oy at the return o their prodigious son. 1ri "am ruled over Ayodhya or eleven thousand years. Dinally he ascended to the heaven taking along all the people o Ayodhya with him but be ore doing that he appointed Lav and Kush3his 1ons& as his successors.
1,&9 )ri 2rshna

@aking a revelation to Vyas that the Almighty Bod mani ests himsel whenever the civili:ation is endangered by the dominance o sinners& Lord Brahma said3 A*n Dwapar yuga& Lord Vishnu incarnated as 1ri Krishna to protect Dharma rom being sub9ugated by AAdharmaA& which had become all pervasive at that time. (e was born to Vasudev and Devaki. Both his parents had been kept under captivity by Kansa& who was aware o the prophesy
that he would be killed by DevakiAs eighth son. *n due course o time Devaki gave birth to seven sons all o whom were mercilessly killed by Kansa one by one. *n order to protect the li e o 1ri Krishna3 the eighth child born to Devaki& Vasudev e/changed him with the baby girl born to Yashoda and +and. Vasudev had no problem in moving out o the prison as Krishna by his divine power induced all the guards to sleep. 1ri Krishna& being an incarnation o Lord Vishnu per ormed great eats right rom his childhood. ?nce& Kansa sent an ogress named Eutna& who tried to kill 1ri Krishna by breast3 eeding him. But& Krishna sucked her breasts with such erocity that Eutna met an instant death. *n due course o time 1ri Krishna killed many more erocious demons like 1hakatasur& Kaliya +ag& Dhenukasur and mesmeri:ed the residents o Bokul by his divine bravery. (e also per ormed many other divine eats like li ting Bovardhan mountain and per orming "aas3Lila with the Bopis. 1eeing all his plans o killing 1ri Krishna go in vain& Kansa sent him a message challenging or a Aduel3 boughtA with his court3wrestlers named A@ushtikA and A>hanurA. 1ri Krishna killed both the dreaded demons without much di iculty. %ltimately& 1ri Krishna climbed up the throne sitting on which "avan had been watching the wrestling bout and pulled him down by his hair. (e then punched Kansa on his chest so hard that he died an instantaneous death. (aving accomplished his most important mission o killing the demon king3Kansa and liberating the earth rom his tyranny& 1ri Krishna went on to complete his education under the tutelage o 1age 1andipani. During ancient times it was customary or a disciple to o er Dakshina to his teacher& as a mark o respect a ter his education was complete. 1ri Krishna ollowing this tradition gave an invaluable Dakshina to his Buru by bringing all his dead sons alive to earth rom AYamlokaA. 1ri Krishna was subseHuently crowned as the king o @athura but on account o the relentless attack by #arasandha he had to abandon his dear city and shi t his base to Dwarka. (e had eight Hueens among whom "ukmini and 1atyabhama were prominent. Later on he rescued si/teen thousand and one hundred women rom the captivity o +arakasur and married all o them. Drom "ukmini he had a son named Eradyumna& who killed 1hambarasur. Aniruddha was EradyumnaAs son and he married %sha3 daughter o Banasur. Banasur was a great devotee o Lord 1hiva and was blessed with one thousand hands. Lord 1hiva came to his rescue at the time when he was battling against the might o 1ri Krishna. A ierce battle was ought between both the deities& which remained inconclusive even a ter a long time. Lord 1hiva then reHuested 1ri Krishna to spare BanasurAs li e to which he agreed albeit partially. 1ri Krishna severed all the hands o Banasur barring two. Dinally& a ter accomplishing his mission o liberating the earth rom the darkness o sin 1ri Krishna le t or heavenly abode.
1,&1:"he "ale of Maha5harat

Biving the reasons that lead to the great battle o @ahabharat& Lord Brahma told sage Vyas that 1ri Krishna had planned this great battle and e/ecuted it to per ection to relieve the earth rom the burden o tyrants. Chile giving the names o lineal ascendants o Kauravas and Eandavas& he said3A * (Lord Brahma) mani ested rom the lotus which itsel had its origin in the navel o Vishnu. Atri mani ested rom me while >handra rom Atri. Buddh was born to >handra while he himsel was the ather o Eururava. Aayu was EururavaAs son while he himsel was the son o Yayati. ,he names o ew amous descendants o Yayati were Bharat& Kuru and 1hantanu. 1hantanu had two wives3 Banga and 1atyavati. ,he ormer was the mother o Bhishma& the indomitable warrior& who had vowed to remain a bachelor throughout his li e. ,he latter i.e. 1atyavati gave birth to two sons3 >hitrangad and Vichitraveerya. A Bandharva killed >hitrangad while Vichitraveerya died issue3less despite having two wives3 Ambika and Ambalika(both daughters o the king o Kashi). *n order to e/pand their clan both Ambika and Ambalika begot one son each rom sage Vyas. Ambika gave birth to Dhritrashtra while Ambalika to Eandu. ,he same Vyas also had a son rom a maid servant who became amous as Vidur and who was amous or his statesmanship and tact ulness. Dhritrashtra married Bandhari and begot one hundred sons rom her among whom Duryodhan was most notorious. ,hese one hundred sons o Dhritrashtra became amous as Kauravas. Eandu had two wives Kunti and @adri rom whom he begot ive sons3Yudhishthir& Bhima& Ar9un& +akul and 1ahdev& who all grew up to be very power ul and mighty. All ive o them became amous as Eandavas. Eandu& their ather had died while they were still young and @adri& unable to bear the sorrow had given up her li e by 9umping into the burning pyre o her dead husband. 1o& the Eandavas were brought up under the guardianship o Kunti.
Kauravas and Eandavas were bitter rivals right rom their childhood. Duryodhan never missed a chance to torment the Eandavas3 his cousins. Both Kauravas and Eandavas were brought up under the tutelage o Kripacharya and Dronacharya& both prominent scholars o their times. ?nce& Duryodhan tried to kill Bhima by poisoning him but ortunately Bhima not only came out unscathed but also with renewed strength and vigour. Duryodhan tried his luck or the second time to eliminate his enemies by setting abla:e the house o wa/ in which Eandavas were living but once again they came out unharmed. Eandavas then went to A-kchakra +agarA and took re uge in the house o a Brahmin amily. A demon named ABakaA used to torment the people o -kchakra +agar. Bhima killed that demon and the people were relieved at the news o their tormentorAs death. ,herea ter Eandavas went to attend the 1wayamvar ceremony o Draupadi. Ar9un won Draupadi as his wi e by piercing the eye o the ish hanged above his head by looking at its image in the water3pot kept below. At the insistence o Dronacharya and Bhishma& Yudhishthir reluctantly agreed to share hal o his Kingdom with the Eandavas. ,hus Eandavas started living at *ndraprashth& the capital o their newly acHuired Kingdom. Ar9una married 1ubhadra& his second wi e and the sister o 1ri Krishna. (e pleased Agni Dev by his austere penance and received divine weapons like3 a divine chariot& Bandiv (bow)& imperishable arrows and an impenetrable shield. A ter being armed with these divine weapons he success ully de eated many power ul monarchies and gave the whole acHuired wealth to Yudhishthir& his elder brother. Dhrithrashtra invited Yudhishthir or a game o ADyutaA (gamble) but Duryodhan de eated him by employing un air and deceit ul tactics with the active connivance o 1hakuni3 his cunning maternal uncle. Yudhishthir lost everything in the gamble3 his whole wealth& his kingdom and even Draupadi. Eandavas had to go into e/ile or twelve years with an additional year o AAgyatwasA(they were not supposed to be recogni:ed during this period) as per the terms and conditions laid down or the game. A ter completing their total period o e/ile& Eandavas reached Virat +agar to spend their year o AAgyatwasA& which posed more dangers and challenges because i they were recogni:ed during this period it would have meant another twelve years o e/ile or them. (aving success ully completed their period o e/ile& Eandavas demanded back their Kingdom but Duryodhan was not even willing to part away with ive villages. ,hus Eandavas were le t with no option but to ight or their legitimate rights. Both the rival armies boasted o mighty and brave warriors on their sides. Duryodhan appointed Bhishma as the chie commander o his army whereas 1hikhandi was leading EandavaAs army. ,he irst ten days o the battle saw a ierce ight between both the rival armies during which period many warriors rom each side achieved martyrdom. Dinally& while Bhishma lay down in9ured& his whole body pierced with Ar9unaAs arrows& but still alive because he had received a boon o A*ccha @rityuA(death by his choice) prominent warriors rom both sides stood around him. *t was only a ter the 1un came north o eHuino/ (%ttarayan)& the auspicious time Bhishma had chosen to leave his mortal body that he died a ter preaching the Eandavas on wide range o sub9ects. A ter BhishmaAs death Dronacharya led the KauravaAs army. ,his was the most crucial phase o the battle. Dronacharya had become so demorali:ed a ter his sonAs death& that he had 9ust no motivation le t in him to ight the battle. Dinding an opportune moment& Dhrishtadyumna severed his head and Kauravas thus lost their most able and e/perienced commander. Duryodhan appointed Karna as the ne/t commander o KauravaAs army. ,he most decisive phase o the battle began and a ter a ierce battle o two days Ar9una managed to kill his brave rival. 1ubseHuently& Yudhishthir killed 1halya. A ter loosing all his mighty warriors& Duryodhana& in a it o rage challenged Bhima or a duel o mace. Bhima killed him a ter a ierce ight. ,he revenge ul Ashwatthama& son o Dronacharya& attacked the EandavaAs camp at night& much against the norms o battle and killed all the ive sons o Draupadi and thousand o other Eandava soldiers. Ar9una avenged the death o his sons by de eating Ashwatthama and e/tracting the diamond set in his orehead. A ter the battle ended& Yudhishthir per ormed the rituals o 1hraddh in the name o all the dead warriors and ascended the throne. (e ruled in a 9ust manner 9ust according to the instructions given by Bhishma. A ter 1ri Krishna le t this mortal world& Yudhishthir appointed Earikshit as his successor and le t or (imalaya accompanied by his brothers as well as Draupadi.
1,&11"he Eternal "ruth

,his chapter contains ; sections as ollows5 Lord Brahma& while shedding light on various aspects o religion told sage Vyas that a man should look at his sorrows (shoka) with a sense o aloo ness and detachment& considering it as a passing phase. (e also revealed to Vyas that the ADire o sorrowA consumed everything that came into its old and nothing remained untouched by it. A sorrow ul man becomes bere t o all his possessions3knowledge& religion& physical strength& patience& happiness and all such Hualities. Lord Brahma also told him that virtuous deeds never went without being rewarded& as all good things en9oyed by a man in his li e are nothing but the result o his virtuous past AKarmasA. ?n the contrary sin ul deeds committed by a man makes his present as well as his uture births miserable. Durther& glori ying the virtues o some other good deeds& Lord Brahma said3A Erotecting the li e o a person& whose li e is endangered and who has sought oneAs re uge is the greatest virtue and no other deed can be compared with it. ?ne who sheds his li e to protect his religion attains to heaven. A contented man en9oys even his adversities and remains unperturbed by them. A man should never miss a chance to get bene ited by the company o enlightened souls because it gives him an opportunity to understand religion in a better way. Donating ood begets incomparable virtues and no other virtuous deed stands anywhere near it.A Lord Brahma concluded by describing 1anatan Dharma in a nutshell and said3A Anybody observing the ollowing austerities should be considered an ardent ollower o A1anatan DharmaA3 truth& penance& sel 3control& purity& orgiveness& compassion& knowledge and donation.
6F.66.6
,he 1upreme Yoga
?nce& sage 1haunak asked 1ut9i about the reasons behind manAs sorrow. 1ut9i told him that manAs ego and his attachments to this mortal world were the two most important causes or his sorrow and until he gets rid o them he will continue to su er. 1ut9i said3A ,he A,ree o ignoranceA sprouts rom the seed o A-gotismA and it receives its nutrition rom sensual pleasures. ?nly those who possess the AA/e o knowledgeA are success ul in elling this A,ree o ignoranceA and e/perience the ecstasy o Divine bliss. ?nce a man has e/perienced this divine bliss he not only becomes ree rom all kinds o sorrow but is also reed rom the cycles o birth& death and rebirth. ,his divine link which a man establishes with the Almighty is called A@ahayogaA (,he supreme Yoga). But& those un ortunate people who have not e/perienced this divine bliss continue to get trapped by the worldly illusions leading to their countless births and deaths.A 1ut9i then went on to describe the means by which a man can have a pure heart and said3A Austerities like meditation& worship& asts& oblations& charity& etc.& certainly helps a man in getting rid o all kinds o impurities.A
6F.66.;
Devotion ! ,he Eath Leading to the Almighty
Blori ying devotion as the simplest means to reach Bod& 1ut9i told 1haunak that there was nothing else that pleased Bod more than the un linching devotion o his devotee in him. 1ut9i said3 AA devotee who chants the holy name o Bod acHuires imperishable virtues and attains salvation even i he were a lowly sinner. ?ne who has surrendered himsel to the will o Bod is absolved o all his sins. -ven AYamara9A3 ,he lord o death has strictly instructed his escorts to spare those who are devotees o Lord Vishnu. Lord Vishnu himsel has declared that anybody having total devotion in him should be considered as the most virtuous soul even i he had committed the most heinous o sins.A Durther hailing the glory o chanting Lord VishnuAs name 1ut9i said3A ,he mere chanting o Lord VishnuAs name in AKaliyugaA brings the same virtue what the combined virtues o meditating on him during A1atyayugaA& chanting his sacred mantras during A,retayugaA and worshipping him during ADwaparyugaA brought. A devotee who has nothing but the sacred name o Lord Vishnu on his lips is certain to attain to Vishnuloka a ter becoming ree rom the bondage o this world. >hanting the divine name o Vishnu even in dreams is believed to absolve a man o all his sins then what to say about people who consciously chant his holy name while they are awake.A ,hus 1ut9i told sage 1haunak that anybody could attain salvation by simply having total devotion in Lord Vishnu as it was the most simplest path leading to the Almighty.
1,&1!$ivine )totras
6F.6;.6
+ri1inha 1totra
,elling about the origin o this AstotraA& 1ut9i said3 ALord 1hiva had created this AstotraA praising the glory o Lord +risinha and invoking him to protect the world rom the wrath o @atrikas. ,he AstotraA goes as ollows 3 +A@A1,-1,% #ABA++A,( +A"1*+(A VAE%"D(A"K DA*,-1(CA" -+D"A 1A+(A"*+AK(A B(%K,* V*"A#*,. +AK( @A+DAL 1A@B(*++A (-@E*+BAL V*B"A(K +A@?1,% EAD@A+AB(AY 1(?BA(A+AY #ABADB%"?. KALE A+,A@B(? DA+*B(?1( 1%"YAK?,* 1A@E"AB(AK 1A(A1,"A YA@ 1A+,"A1 1A(A1,"-+D"A EA"AK"A@. 1A(A1,"A D(A+DA1D--, 1A(A1,"A >(A"A+A,@AKAK 1A(A1,"A >(A+D"A E"A,*@ 1A(A1,"A+1% (A"*K"A@. 1A(A1,"A "%D"A ,-#A1KA 1A(A1,"A B"A(@A 1A+1,%,K 1A(A1,"A "%D"A 1A+#AA, 1A(A1,"A AK1(A +*"*K1(A+A. 1A(A1,"A #A+@A @A,(A+A 1A(A1,"A BA+D( @?>(A+K 1A(A1,"A VAY% V-BA1A 1A(A1,"A A+BA K"*EAKA".
6F.6;.;
Kulamrit 1totra
1age +arad once asked Lord 1hiva about the means by which a man could become ree rom the delusions o the world. Lord 1hiva revealed to him the contents o AKulamrit stotraA& eulogi:ing the ma9esty o Lord Vishnu. By chanting this AstotraA& +arad success ully attained to that supreme status& which even the most enlightened souls can only dream o . ?ne who eulogi:es Lord Vishnu by chanting this AstotraA& becomes liberated rom all the bondage o the world. ,he AstotraA goes as ollows 3 YA1,% V*1(CA@A+A DYA+,A @A#A@AA,@A+* 1A+1,(*,A@K 1A"VABYA @A>(ALA@ V*1(+%@ 1ADA D(YAY-, 1A @%>(Y-,. D-VA@ BA"B(? >(*,A@ V*1(+%@ 1ADA D(YAYA+ V*@%>(Y-,K A1(A"*"A@ V*D(A,A"A@ 1A"VABYA+ @A+?"A,*@. A>(ALA@ 1A"VABA@ V*1(+%@ 1ADA D(YAY-+ V*@%>(Y-,K +*"V*KALEA@ +*"AB(A1A@ +*1(E"AEA+>(A@ +*"A@AYA@. VA1%D-VA@ B%"%@ V*1(+%@ 1ADA D(YAY-+ V*@%>(Y-,K 1A"VA,KA@ >(A VA* YAVADA,@A >(A*,A+YA "%EAKA@. 1(%B(A@ -KAK1(A"A@ V*1(+%@ 1ADA D(YAY-+ V*@%>(Y-,K VA@YA,*,A@ ,"*KALABYA@ V*1(V-1(A@ L?K1AK1(*+A@. 1A"VA 1@ADY%,A@ V*1(+% 1ADA D(YAY-+ V*@%>(Y-,K B"A(@AD* D-VA BA+D(A"VA* @%+*B(*( 1*DD(A >(A"A+A*(. Y?B*B(*( 1-V*,A@ V*1(+%@ 1ADA D(YAY-+ V*@%>(Y-,K 1A+1A" BA+D(A+A+ @%K,* @*>((A@L-K? D(YA 1(-1(A,A(. 1,%,VA*VA@ VA"ADA@ V*1(+%@ 1ADA D(YAYA+ V*@%>(Y-,K 1A+1A" BA+D(A+AA, K?E* @%K,* @*>(>((A+ 1A@A(*,A(. A+A+, @A,YAYA@ D-VA@ V*1(+%@ V*1(VA E"A,*1(,(*,*@K V*1(V-1(CA" @A1A"A@ V*1(+%@ 1ADA D(YAYA+ V*@%>(Y-,.
6F.6;.7
@rityu Ashtak 1totra
Describing the origin o this AstotraA& 1ut9i said3 ALord Vishnu himsel had taught this power ul AstotraA to sage @arkandeya. ,he daily chanting o this power ul mantra had enabled @arkandeya to conHuer death. ?ne who daily chants this AstotraA thrice a day en9oys a long li e and never dies a premature death. ,he AstotraA goes as ollows 3 DA@?DA"A@ E"A1A++?1@* K*++? @"*,Y%( KA"*1(YA,*K 1(A+K( >(AK"A D(A"A@ D-VA@ VYAK,A "%E*+ @A,YAYA@. AD(?K1(A#A@ E"AEA++?1@* K*++? @"*,Y%( KA"*1(YA,*K VA"A(A@ VA@A+A@ V*1(+%@ +AA"1*(A@ #A+A"DA+A@. @AD(AVA@ >(A E"AEA++?1@* K*++? @"*,Y%( KA"*1(YA,*K E%"%1(A@ E%1(KA" K1(-,"AB*#A@ E%+YA@ #ABA,EA,*@. L?K+A,(A@ E"AEA++?1@* K*++? @"*,Y%( KA"*1(YA,*K 1A(A1,"A 1(*"A1A@ D-VA@ VYAK,A ,YAK,A@ 1A+A,A+A@. @A(AY?BA@ E"AEA++?1@* K*++? @"*,Y%( KA"*1(YA,*K B(%,A,@A+A@ @A(A,@A+A@ YABYAY?+* @AY?#*+A@. V*1(VA"%EA@ E"AEA++?1@* K*++? @"*,Y%( KA"*1(YA,*K *,Y%D* "*,@A"KA+DYA@ 1,?,"A@ ,A1YA @A(A,@A+A(. *,* ,-+A #*,? @"*,Y% @A"KA+D- Y-+ D(*@,AK E"A1A++- E%+DA"*KAK1(- +"*1*+(- +A1,* D%"LAB(A@.
1,&1*)alvation "hrough @oga

,his chapter contains ; sections as ollows5 1ut9i told sage 1haunak that the ultimate aim o a manAs li e was to attain salvation. A man can not attain salvation until and unless he has seen through the trappings o the worldly illusions. 1ut9i said3AEractice o Yoga helps a man to live in this world with a sense o detachment and to success ully avoid the allurements o this mortal world. Yoga comprises o si/ organs5 Eranayam ( Breathing e/ercises)& #apa ( chanting)& Eratyahar( restraining sense organs)& Dharana (resolution)& Dhyan (meditation) and 1amadhi (deep meditation). +ot running a ter sensual pleasures by having sel 3control helps a man in diminishing his sins and diminishment o sins pleases the deities who give blessings. Blessings o deities help a man to attain salvation. Eranayam& an important part o Yoga is o two types3ABarbhaA and AAgarbhaA. Eranayam& done with simultaneous chanting o a mantra is called ABarbhaA whereas in AAgarbhaA Eranayam mantras are not chanted. *t is natural or a man to get attracted by worldly pleasures and checking this tendency o the mind is called AEratyaharA. *t is not easy to control the mind and concentrate on anything or a long time but ADharanaA helps a man to do that. Chen a man has success ully controlled his sensual desires& then it becomes very easy or him to concentrate his mind. A concentrated mind inds it easy to meditate. Chen he has mastered meditation it is not much di icult or him to enter into the deep state o meditation i.e. A1amadhiA. *n the state o A1amadhiA& all sense o dualism cease to e/ist as one establishes divine link with the Almighty& which helps him in e/periencing indescribable divine bliss.
6F.67.6
1el "eali:ation
?nce& on being asked by sage +arad about the means that helped a man in attaining sel reali:ation& Lord Vishnu told him that only those privileged ew who have understood the impermanent nature o this world and have success ully controlled their sensual desires can attain sel reali:ation. All the mysteries o this %niverse are unraveled to a man o sel 3reali:ation and he attains salvation. Lord Vishnu said3A *t should be the prime ob9ective
o a man to make incessant e orts so that he can e/perience this divine knowledge o sel reali:ation3the real knowledge& or every other kind o knowledge is super icial and o least signi icance.A Lord Vishnu went on to describe how sel 3reali:ation could be attained3 AYADA1A"V- V*@%>(YA+,- KA@A Y-1(YA ("*D* 1,(*,A(K ,ADA@"*, ,CA @AE+?EA,* #*VA++-VA +A 1A+1(AYA(. @eaning3 Chen there is no desire le t in the heart then a man is certain to e/perience the divine taste o this nectar (sel reali:ation) in his li e time33 and there is no doubt about it. %nraveling the mystery o %niverse to sage +arad& Lord Vishnu said3A ABrahmA is the cause behind this universe and one who has understood this act can be rightly called a man o sel reali:ation. A man being under the in luence o his sensual perceptions alsely believes this world to be real and is unable to understand the real cause behind the e/istence o this world& which is not the case with a man o sel 3reali:ation. *nstead o searching AwithoutA a man should seek AwithinA because within him e/ists the %niverse 9ust like our sense organs perceive them e/ternally. ,he whole mystery o %niverse is unraveled to a man who makes incessant e orts to undertake this inner 9ourney or i his e orts are made with a pure heart and a irm determination then he is sure to reach his goal o sel reali:ation one day or the other. ,he soul (Atma) is ABrahmA but this act becomes apparent only to those privileged ew& who have attained sel 3reali:ation. 1el reali:ation illuminates the soul in the same way 9ust as a lightning illuminates the dark sky at night.A Lord Vishnu went on to describe himsel in the ollowing words3A * am Eure and beyond the limits o human intelligence. * am beyond the con inement o three basic Hualities (1atva guna& "a9as guna and ,amas guna). ?nly he can e/perience @- who possesses an enlightened soul because * mani est @Y1-LD in the heart o every individual as a divine e ulgence in order to drive away the darkness which engul s it.A
6F.67.;
Brahm3Bita
Anybody who studies the sacred te/ts o ABrahm3BitaA is certain to attain salvation or it brilliantly propounds the theory o divinity o man by proclaiming that in each individual dwells ABrahmA3the supreme Almighty. -ulogi:ing the glory o ABrahm BitaA Lord Vishnu said3A Brahm3Bita declares that in each individual dwells ABrahmA and one who has understood this act becomes ree rom the bondage o the world i.e. attains salvation. +obody can deny the act that Bod e/ists because the Almighty mani ests himsel all around us in various orms both perceptible and imperceptible. All the ive elements (space& air& water& ire and earth) are nothing but the mani estations o Almighty Bod.A A %n ortunately& most o the people are unaware o the presence o divinity in them3 the e/istence o ABrahmA in each o them. ,he reason or this is not much di icult to comprehend because this act is so subtle that only enlightened souls can e/perience it. (- lies dormant and cannot be e/perienced until and unless (- is awakened by means o austerities and penance. ABrahmA is ever present in a man and does not abandon him in any o the three states o his consciousness3 while he is awake& while he is dreaming or even while he is asleep. Despite being present in every individual he still remains una ected by his deeds because by nature (- is eternally pure. ?ne more reason why man is unable to eel the presence o ABrahmA in himsel is his own ego& with which he alsely develops deep association. 1o& a person who is desirous o reali:ing Bod must irst subdue his ego so that ABrahmA mani ests himsel in all his glory. Cithout subduing his AegoA a man can never reali:e Bod because the sense o dualism is the greatest impediment in the path o Bod reali:ation and AegotismA only strengthen this sense o dualism.A A?nce man has success ully subdued his ego& the dawning o Bod reali:ation becomes imminent because ABrahmA now has no problem in mani esting himsel in the changed scenario. ABrahmA who is absolute truth& eternally pure and the supreme Almighty. (- is the eternal bliss dwelling in each individual3 the reali:ation which made the Vedas to proclaim A,atvam AsiA(,hou is me) and who is beyond the con inement o time and space.A %ltimately& Lord Vishnu revealed to sage +arad that ABrahmA whose glory he had praised was none other than himsel .
1,&1,(aruda<s Dueries
,his chapter contains ; sections as ollows5
1ut9i once reached the orest o A+aimisharanyaA in course o his 9ourney. +aimisharanya was a holy place where sages and hermits went to do penance. A ter reaching there 1ut9i met many prominent sages who were pleased at his arrival. ,hey took it as a Bod sent opportunity to get their doubts cleared on the mystery called death and what e/actly happened a ter a man died. 1age 1haunak& one o those sages& asked 1ut9i3A ? "evered 1age$ Ce were 9ust awaiting your arrival. *t seems Bod has listened to our prayer. Ce are con used by so many diverse and contradictory opinions e/pressed on the mystery o AdeathA and what happens a ter death. 1ome people are o the belie that a man takes rebirth soon a ter his death whereas there are some who believe that a man a ter his death irst goes to AYamlokaA to taste the ruits o his AKarmasA and only then he takes rebirth. Ce reHuest you to clear our doubts and enlighten us on the mystery called death.A 1ut9i recounted the tale o Baruda& who had once posed the same Huery to Lord Krishna. Chile narrating the tale& 1ut9i said3 ABaruda3son o Vinta& once decided to get a irst hand e/perience o all the three ALokasA(worlds). A ter visiting all the three worlds he returned to AVaikunth lokaA and narrated his e/periences to Lord Krishna. Baruda said3 A A ter visiting all the three ALokasA * ound the -arth (Erithvi) little overcrowded as compared to other ALokasA. * also ound that it provided better opportunities to a man both or materialistic en9oyments as well as his spiritual advancement. 1o& * have come to the conclusion that AErithvilokaA was the best o all the ALokasA in every respect. But& all round prevalence o sorrow and misery in AErithvilokaA made me sad. * was really perple/ed to see people per orming comple/ rituals a ter the death o their relative. All these rituals appeared so absurd to me. * was really ama:ed to see people laying down their dead relatives on the ground. * could also not understand why a dead body is laid on the bed o AkushaA grass and sesame seeds. * witnessed so many rituals that surprised me& or instance * could not understand the reason why donations are made a ter a man dies. * am pu::led by the mystery called death or& what becomes o him a ter he dies. ,he sight o sons li ting the dead body o their ather on their shoulders is still resh in my memory. * could not understand the reason why AgheeA(clari ied butter) is applied on a dead body or why the relatives o the deceased chant AYama suktaA acing north. * was also surprised to see the son o the deceased being debarred rom having meal along with his other relatives. ? Lord$ Elease reveal to me the signi icance o making Apinda3 daansA or& the signi icance o AtarpanA ritualsL Elease tell me the proper method o o ering Apinda daanA and invoking ancestorsL * ind it hard to believe that all the deeds virtuous or evil committed by a man ollows him a ter his death.A ,his way Baruda looded Lord Krishna with a barrage o Huestions and sought clari ications on them.
6F.6F.6
1alvation through "ituals
Lord Krishna replied33P * am so delighted that you have asked such important Huestions or the bene it o mankind. * am revealing to you the secrets& which were hitherto unknown even to the deities and yogis. ? Baruda$ A man should try to beget a son with the help o means as mentioned in the scriptures because there is no salvation or a person bere t o son.P Lord Krishna then went on to describe the proper rituals which are per ormed a ter the death o a man and said3P Dirst o all& the area should be puri ied by coating it with a layer o cow3dung. ,his puri ied area is called AmandalA and it is graced by the presence o the A,rinityA33 Brahma& 1hiva and @ysel . 1esame seeds are then sprinkled on the puri ied area and kusha grass is spread. A person whose death is imminent is then laid down on the bed o kusha grass. 1criptures say that a person who does not leave his mortal body in the above mentioned way& wanders hither and thither in the orm o a restless spirit. +o amount o rituals can put such a soul to rest. ? Baruda$ 1esame seed has mani ested rom my sweat and hence is e/tremely pure. All kind o evil orces like& ghosts& spirits& demons& etc. keep away rom the place where it is used. 1imilarly& Kusha grass has mani ested rom my body hair and is graced by the presence o A,rinityA33 Brahma& 1hiva and Vishnu. Deities are satis ied i kusha grass is o ered to them while ancestors are satis ied by the o erings o sesame seeds. 1criptures say that i dying man is laid down on the bed o kusha grass spread on the land puri ied by cow3dung& he becomes absolved o all his sins. ,here is a great signi icance o donating salt a ter the death o a person. 1alt owes its origin to @e and donating it helps ancestors in attaining heaven. Donating salt also helps in reducing the pain and su erings o a dying man and this is why it is donated along with other articles a ter a death o a person. ,he relatives o the deceased should chant the sacred AYama suktaA acing north because it helps him to attain liberation.P Lord Krishna then e/plained to Baruda the appropriate way o carrying the corpse to the cremation ground33P ,he dead body should be carried to the cremation ground by the sons an
other relatives o the deceased. *n the cremation ground the dead body should be kept in such a way that itAs head should be either towards east or north. ,he pyre should be made either o sandal or ApalashA wood.P Describing the e/periences o the soul when it leaves the body& Lord Krishna said33P ,he soul leaves the mortal body with great reluctance because the attachment with the mortal world e/ists even a ter his death. Yamdoots& descend down to earth to take the soul o the dying man to Yamloka. ,hose 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. Yamra93 the lord o death receives the virtuous soul with all the honour and respect and metes out punishment to those who had committed sins during their lives. *n his dark comple/ion and with a bu alo as his mount and with a noose and iron stick in his hands& Yamra9 appears terri ying. ?n the other hand& the sight o li eless body appears disgusting and people try to dispose it o as Huickly as possible because it is worthless without a soul. 1o& one must try to make the best use o this mortal body by indulging in good deeds be ore the day o his inal 9ourney arrives otherwise he would be le t with nothing but regrets at the time o his death.
6F.6F.;
Death and A ter
>ontinuing with his narration& Lord Krishna said33P ? Baruda$ Death comes at the predetermined time& which remains i/ed and unaltered under all circumstances. A manAs sense organs become weak and his body eeble& which gets in licted with numerous diseases in his old age. At the time o his death& man e/periences unbearable pain and he begins to loose his consciousness. Yamdoots arrive and begin to retrieve the soul rom the body and this aggravates the pain. %ltimately& the soul& which is not more than the si:e o a thumb& reluctantly comes out rom the body as the attachment with the world e/ists even a ter his death. But& a virtuous person does not go through all these pain ul e/periences at the time o his death. ,he soul has to take birth in di erent species as well as go through cycles o countless births& deaths and rebirths in order to taste the ruits o his Karmas. Describing the signi icance o AEinda daanA rituals& Lord Vishnu told Baruda that they are per ormed so that manes are satiated. (e also revealed to him that si/ pinda daans are o ered to the manes while per orming the rituals o last rites33 P ,he irst Apinda3daanA is made at the place where person has breathed his last while the second& third& ourth& i th and si/th AEinda daansA are made at the main entrance o the house& the nearest cross3roads& the cremation ground& on the pyre itsel and at the time o collecting last remains (Asthi) respectively. A ter reaching the cremation ground the dead body should be laid down with its head towards south. ,he mortal body then should be consigned to lames and a ter some time sesame seeds and ghee should be poured into the burning pyre so that it continues to burn without any problem. Dor the ne/t ten days the relatives coming rom the same gotra o the deceased should observe a period o AAshauchaA3 a period during which he observes strict austerities and avoids social contacts. ,he son o the deceased is prohibited rom having ood along with his relatives simply because he is believed to be impure during this period.P ,his way& being satis ied by Lord KrishnaAs answers& Baruda thanked him or clearing whatever doubts he had in his mind. Lord Krishna blessed him. '"D O> 5*#$D* P$#*"
1( )rahmananda Purana
*t is the eighteenth Eurana. Eresently available in separate pieces& Adhyatma "amayana is also included in this Eurana& but the present versions o Brahmand Eurana do not contain Adhyatma "amayan. *t has our parts3 Erakriya& Anushanga& %potaghat and %pasamhar. ,his Eurana is said to be narrated by 1uta9i on the bank o the river Drishdvati in Yaksh kshetra (identi ied with 1utle9 in modern (imachal Eradesh). Drom his narration& it is clear that 1uta9i had heard the Eurana rom Veda Vyasa who& in his turn& received it rom Vayudev. >reation o the universe& determination o Kalpa& di erentiation o Yugas& description o @anvantaras& description o #ambudweep and Bharatvarsh& description o Kimpurush. Anudweep& Ketumaal varsh etc. and description o Bharat vansha& Erithu vansha& Dev vansh& "ishi vansh& Agni vansh and preceptors are the main topics o Brahmand Eurana. Described in the Eurana& Adhyatma "amayana has seven parts. Dirst part describes the Brahmaswarup (cosmic appearance) o 1hri "ama. *ncarnation o Lord "ama to relieve the earth rom the atrocities o the demons. Baal3 leela (childhood plays). -mancipation o Ahilya. "emoval o BhargavaLs (EarashuramLs) ego. 1econd part contains5 Lord "amaLs going into e/ile. Demise o Dashrath. Aranyakand describes killing o the illusionary deer and abduction o 1ita. Kishkindha khand describes the killing o Baali. 1earch o 1ita. 1undar Khand has the tales o (anumanLs entry into Lanka. Lanka khand contains the description o killing o "avana and coronation o Lord "ama upon his return to Ayodhya. *n %ttar Khand reasons or "avanaLs birth have been described. *t also contains the description o 1itaLs desertion by "ama. Desertion o Lakshmana. >oronation o Luv and Kush and departure o "ama to his original Vaikunth loka. ,his Eurana consists o // chapters5
1/&1 0hapter
te/t
68.6.6 1ection
te/t
1- Shrimad )ha9aBata Purana

,his Eurana contains 6; >hapters ! each with many sub3sections.
Introduction
Shrimad Bhag"ad is regarded as a delicious fruit of Veda.!alpa the period of four Yugas during "hich Vedas are supposed to be "ritten$ +here is nothing abdicable in Shrimad Bhag"ad$ +he Bhag"ad%ar (the orator of Shrimad Bhag"ad invites all the devotees in the "orld to relish this great scripture$ Shrimad Bhag"ad is a contemporary of Vedas# there is a profuse mention of !arm (action , <pasana ("orship and -yan (%no"ledge in Vedas, but Bha%ti (devotion could not find a place in Vedas$ Shrimad Bhag"ad compensates for this dra"bac%, for it has vivid and comprehensive description of Bha%ti (devotion $ Ao action, "orship and %no"ledge can eCist "ithout devotion$ *resentation style of Shrimad Bhag"ad is also remar%able# itDs every page is flo"ing in the stream of devotion$ 5ll the forms and appearances of -od have been described eChaustively$ (t is such a benevolent scripture that mere hearing of it even "ithout getting itDs meaning, is beneficial for the listener$ (f ho"ever one reflects on the meaning of the content, it "ould be a bonus$ +here are many eCamples in the past ("hen even the most dreaded sinister received salvation by mere hearing of Shrimad Bhag"ad$ Sinister 6hundhu%ari, "ho "as in ghost form, is one such eCample$ !ing *ari%shit too, had a sight of his o"n soul by listening to Shrimad Bhag"ad$ Such eCamples are getting scarcer no" days$ )ven then the devotees "ho really relish Bhag"ad get free from the fears of death$ Shrimad Bhag"ad ma%es a man fearless$ 6hruv rode the death itself for his heavenly departure$ *itamah Bheeshma turned a"ay the inevitable death many times$ Hence, those devotees "ho have ta%en a shelter at Shrimad Bhag"ad develop faith in themselves$ +hen they have no fear of death$ Shrimad Bhag"ad is an immortal scripture that generates devotion$ (t is a means to find -od "ithout Yoga and +apa$ Virtues li%e unconditional love, generosity, grace, %indness and protection of the refugee, that are the adornments of -od, have been described in simple, easy to grasp "ay in Shrimad Bhag"ad$ Virtues of -od li%e His playing and chatting "ith ordinary people and helping them in every circumstance sympathetically, naturally attract the people to"ards him$ Bhag"ad ma%es a man free from doubts$ (t is a supreme creation by Vyasaji$ Bhag"ad is in fact an appearance of Aarayana$ (t is a complete scripture$ Eiddles get guidance by listening to it, "hile the infidels become fiddle$ )ven the sage li%e Shu%devji, "ho deserted everything, couldnDt give up the temptation to hear Shrimad Bhag"ad$ (t is a life giver to all %ind of people$ (t has a beautiful balance bet"een the practice and altruism$ (t has a comprehensive content regarding the %no"ledge, action, social duties, "omenDs duties, religion and politics etc$ Having heard and reflected over Shrimad Bhag"ad, there remains nothing to %no" then$ (n the present era the society has neglected the %no"ledge, devotion and spirituality$ (t regards physical achievements as everything$ Bhag"ad does not forbid or deny the physical achievements, but it gives a message to acFuire a balanced vie" for them.neither too much indifference nor too much indulgence$ TATHANATE MADHAV TAVAKAH KVACHIT BHRASHYANTI MARGAT VADI BADDH SAHRIDAI# TVAYA BHIGUPTA VICHARANTI NIRBHAYA VINAYAKANIKAPAMURDHA SUPRABHO# TAVAD RAGA DAYAN STEMASTAVAD KARAGRIHAM GRIHAM TAVANMOHONDHRI NIGADO YAVAT KRISHNA NA TE JANAM#
Preface
@reated by ;aharshi Badrayan an epithet of Ved Vyas Shrimad Bhag"ad ;ahapuran is an immortal heritage of the "orldDs ancient literature$ (t is no less than ambrosia$ Shrimad Bhag"ad is eFually honored by the learned ones, devotees, sages and the metaphysical researchers$ +ales from the time of the beginning of creation to the *ralaya !aal (+he great deluge have been s%illfully inter"oven in Shrimad Bhag"ad$ Because of itDs uniFue, dialogue li%e presentation style, Shrimad Bhag"ad is an encyclopaedia in itself$
VADANTI TATTATTVAVIDAH TATTVAM YAOGYANAM DVAYAM | BRAHNETI PARA MATMETI BHAGAVA NITI SHABDYATE | =ord Bhag"ad literally means -od or a%in to -od$ 5ll the virtues of -od, therefore and even those of His devotees are eCpressed by this seemingly simple "ord, Bhag"ad "hich has been transformed into an immortal scripture by !rishna$ Vyasji: IDAM BHAGVATAM NAM PURANAM BRAHMA SAMBHITAM | UTTAM SHLOR CHARITAM CHAKAR BHAGWANARASHIH || 6uring the t"ilight of 6"apar Yuga, ;aharashi Veda.Vyas taught this scripture to his son Shu%dev$ &rigin of Shrimad Bhag"ad is even older$ (n the tradition of Shrimad Bhag"ad, -od Aarayan himself narrated its content to Brahma$ Brahma narrated it to 6evarshi Aarad "ho preached it to Badrayan Vyas$ Vyas brought it into scriptural form and handed it to his son Shu% 6ev$ Shu%dev, in his turn, preached Shrimad Bhag"ad to the %ing *ari%shit and S<+2($ !ing *ari%shit died soon after hearing it, "hile S<+2( narrated this scripture to the sages li%e Shauna% et al$ in Aemisharanya during his thousand years stay there$ PURAN SANHITAMETAMRISHIRNARAYANO AVYAYAM | NARADAY PURA PRAH KRISHNDVAI PAYNAY SAH || SAVAI MAHYM MAHARAJ BHAGVAN BADRAYANAH| IMAM B$ag%a&I PRITAH SANHITAM VED SAMMITM || ETAM VAKSHVYASAV SUT RISHTIBMYO NAIMISHALAYE| DIRGHSATARE KURUSHRESHTH SAMPUSHRAH SHUANAKADIBHIM|| +he greatest feature of Bhag"ad is that it illustrates the mutual but eternal relationship of the 2ivatma (microcosm and *ramatma (the supreme sprit$ (t also illustrates the selfless dedication of the devotees and unconditional love of -od for His devotees$ +hus it introduces one "ith oneself and hence leads him to salvation$ +he author has beautifully "oven the plays of -od into enticing tales "ith the help of the yarns of %no"ledge, devotion and action: VASUDEVE BHAGVATI BHAKTI YOGA PRAYOJITAH | JANYATYA SHUVAIRAGYAM GYANAM CHA YADHETUKAM || EVAM PRASANN MANASO BHAGWAD BHAKTIYOGATAM | BHAGVATTA TTVA VIGYANAM MUKT SANGASY JAYATE || +his story of -od attracts the learned ones li%e Shiv, Sana%, Shu% etc$ as much as it pleases the common people "ho are stric%en "ith many %inds of evils$ (t is indeed a "ealth for the lovers of Bhag"ad, devotees and other religious people$ TAV KATHAMRITAM TAPT JIVANAM KAVIBHIRIDITAM KALM SHAPAHAM | SHRAVAN MANGALAM SHRIMADATATAM BHUVIGANATITE BHURIDA JANAM || Hence, the eCcellent, easily available and simple means to %no" the self are reciting, remembering and singing in praise of ,ord !rishna$ *aramatma (,ord enters the heart of the devoted listener of Hari @haritra (virtues of -od in verbal form and destroys the blemishes present there$ SANKIRTYAMANO BHAGWANANTO SHRI TANUBHAVO VYASANAM HI PUNSHAM PRAVISHTH CHINTAM VIDHU NOTYSHESHAM YATHA TAMORKOABHRA MIVATIVATAH# (t is clear, therefore, that "ithout resorting to any other difficult and mysterious means, one can afford his "ell being simply by ta%ing refuge at Bhag"ad$ (nstead, dedicating himself to -od and
remembering Him, one gets the love of -od in his mundane life$ Such an achievement is rare even for great ascetics$ AHOATIDHANYA VRAJ GORAMANYAM STANYAMRITAM PITMTN TEE MUDA | AHOBHAGYAMAHOBHAGY NAND GOR VRAJAIKSAM | YANMICHAM PARMANANDAM PURNAM BRAMHA SANATANAM ||
11&1 0hapter 1
,his chapter contains 6; sub3sections.
VASUDEVSUTAM DEVAM KANS CHANUR MARDANAM | DEVAKI PARMANANDAM KRISHAM VANDE JAGAD GURUM || NARAYANAM NAMASKRITY NARAM CHAIV NAROTTAMAM | DEVI SARASWATIM CHAIV TATO JAY MUNDIRAYET || YAH SWANU BHAVAM!KHILK SHRUTI SARMEKAM DHYATM DIPMATI TITIRSHATAMTAMOADAM | SANSARINAM KARUNAAAH PURAN GUHYAM TAM VYAS SUNUMUPAYAMI GURUM MUNINAM ||
6I.6.6 ?beisance to the 1upreme Being

=e meditate to that *aramatma (Supreme Being "ho is the eternal truth# and "ho creates the universe, holds it and causes *ralaya$ He is the light independence and from of %no"ledge in himself$ He causes illusions even for the most %no"ledgeous ones$ Yet, He is far beyond all the illusions$ (n Shrimad Bhag"ad, created by the great sage Vyasaji, +here is a description of the supreme religion, "hich is free from desire$ +here is also a description of *aramatmatatva ( the metaphysical entity that every pious people "ith holy spirit must %no" about$ Shrimad Bhag"ad is a delicious and relishing fruit of Vedas$ Because of a touch of Shri Shu%acharyaDs lips, it is impregnated "ith blissful nectar$ So, as long as there is life in his body, a devotee %eeps on relishing this nectar of divine scripture$ (t is easily available right here on the earth itself$
6I.6.; Eer ormance o Byan Yagya

(n the beginning of the !alyug, sages li%e Shauna% et al organi?ed a vast -yan Yagga in the holy region of the Aaimisharanya$ +he purpose of the yagya "as the benefit of the common people and it "as to last for a millennium$ +o Fuench the spiritual curiosity of the sages, S<+2(, the orator of *uranas, also arrived there$ Eelicitating him, the sages as%ed S<+2(, G & great sage, by the grace of Vyasji, you have learned all the *urans, history, religion etc$ You also %no" about all the other subjects as "ell$ So %indly narrate the tale "hich could surely benefit the common people so that they too can eCperience the real spiritual joy$G
6I.6.7 1ut9i narrates Eurana

*leased by the curiosity of the sages, S<+2( said, G & great sages, it is eCtremely auspicious to tal% about ,ord !rishna$ &nly by discussing about the -od, can the mind of the people be freed from illusions$ ,ove then begins to emerge in it for -od and it begins to detach itself from physical comfort and eCperience the blissful joy$
6I.6.F Lord Vishnu ! ,he 1ource o All >reation

6riven by the desire, the 5dipurush (primitive being Aarayan too% the help of his *ra%riti (natureDs female creational force and generated himself in @haturbhuj (four.armed from$ 5nd from His navel appeared ,ord Brahma, the creator$ +hat form of -od "as full of pure truth and from the parts of His body, all the ,o%as ("orlds got eCtension$ ;etaphysicists sa" the -od "ith innumerable heads, eyes, arms and legs$ +hat endless, eternal Supreme Being "as the source of all the 5vatars (incarnations and from the parts of His body "ere created -ods, human beings, birds animals and all other creatures$
Erom the ages, t"enty.four incarnations of that Supreme being, li%e Sana%adi !umar, Varah, Aarad, Aar.Aarayana, !apil, 6attatreya, Rishabhdev, *rithu, ;atsya, !achchhap, 6hanvantari, ;ohini, Aarsinh, Vaman, *arshu Ram, Vyas Shri Rama, Balarama, !rishna and Buddha have appeared to guard the people and to remove the burden from the earth, and to salve their devotees and gentlemen$ S<+2( says, G blessed are those "ho have unconditional love for ,ord Vasudev, the lord of the universe$ Such people donDt fall again and again, in the cycles of life and death$ Bhag"ad ;ahapuran is such a scripture in "hich the great sage VedVyas describes the holy and pious tales of the -od$ Eor the benefit of the people, VedVyas compiled this great scripture ta%ing eCtracts of all the Vedas, and other ancient treatises$ Reading, hearing or reflecting on "hich, the human being inclines to devotion and finds salvation$ SHRIMADB$ag%a&AM PURANAMA MALAMYA DVATSHNAVANAM PRIYAM | YASMIN PARAM HANSYA MEKAMAMALAL GYANAM PARAM GIYATE || YATRA GYAN VIRAG BHAKTI SAHITAM NASH KAMRYAMA VISHHRITAM | TACHCHHRIVAN VIPATMAN VICHARAN PARO BHAKTYA VIMUCHYE NNARAH ||
6I.6.8 ,he >reation and >ompilation o the Eurana

Shaun%ji as%ed, G =hen that tale "as compiled in scriptural form, that "as later on related by Shu%devji$ =here "as it created' Eor "hat purpose and by "hose inspiration, that scripture "as compiled and ho" did Shu%devji, "ho "as congenital "andered, came to study this scripture, and ho" he came to see the %ing *ari%shit' =hat discussion too% place bet"een them'G =hat S<+2( narrated to the sages, forms the main body of the great scripture Shrimad Bhag"ad$.
6I.6.I Ved3Vyas ! ,he Eartial *ncarnation

Vedvyasji had appeared in 6"apar Yuga$ He "as the son of ;aharshi *arashar and Satya"ati then %no"n as ;atsyagandha$ Vyasji "as a partial incarnation of the -od$ Vedvyasji effected a division of Vedas, created *uranas conceptuali?ed history (;ahabharata."hich "as actually jotted do"n by none other than ,ord -anesha$ He also established different faculties for teaching his disciples$ Yet staying in his hermitage at the ban%s of the river Saras"ati, he "as not satisfied "ith his performance$ Something "as still "rithing "ithin his heart to come out$ So he "as feelling upset and "as unable to find a reason for his dejection$ 2ust then, 6evarshi Aarad arrived there, and sa" that ;ahatma Vyas "as upset$ 5s nothing "as concealed from Aaradji, he told him the reasons for his moroseness$
6I.6.< +arad9i)s Advice to Ved3Vyas

Aaradji told him that though he had created great epics, yet all of them lac% a devotional description of -od$ +hat "as "hy his soul "as still "rithing$ Aaradji also suggested him to describe the glory of Hari, or neither his voice, nor his creation "ould ever get pure$ 6evarshi Aarad then narrated the tale of -od and the glory of His devotees to Vyasji and said, G& great soul, loo% at the effect of devotion and company of the pious people that ( have become 6evarshi from an ordinary son of a maidG 5fter the departure of Aaradji, Vyasji sat in meditation and eCperienced the illusion that caught the life$ He also eCperienced devotion$ +hus, his fresh eCperience led Vedvyasaji to create this great scripture$ +he virtues of -od had such a strong attraction that,lured by them, even self.indulgent Shu%devi ran bac% from the jungles to his father and prayed to let him read that scripture$ HARERGUNA KSHIPTMATI BHAGWAN VAD RAYANIH | ADHYAGAN MHRIDAKHYANAM TITYAM VISHNU JAN PRIYAH || PARINISHTHITOAPI NAIRGUNY UTTAM SHLOK LEELAYA | GRIHEET YETA RAJARSHE AKHYANAM YAD DHITVAN ||
Because of their lin% "ith ,ord Shri !rishna, S<+2( narrates the stories of *amdavas, their heavenly departure, coronation of *ari%shit, his all round victories etc$ as per their seFuences in ;ahabharat$ He also narrates the episodes of 5sh"atthama the son of -uru 6rona, "orship of -od by !unti etc$ and migration of ,ord !rishna to 6"ara%a$
6I.6.J King Earikshit encounters Kali Yuga

6uring his regime, the %ing *ari%shit got unto"ard reports that !aliyug had entered "ithin the limits of his other"ise peaceful %ingdom$ =ith a huge army, *ari%shit at once setout to the spot "here !aliyug had arrived$ &n the "ay he sa" the religion and the earth in the guises of a bull and a co" respectively$ +he co" "as in death.li%e condition, "hile the bull "as someho" dragging himself on one leg only as its three legs "ere bro%en$ He also sa" that a %ing.li%e, but impolite man "as beating them ruthlessly "ith a stic%$ Erom a distance, the %ing *ari%shit shouted at the man, GYou scoundrel, "hy are you beating such helpless creatures in my %ingdom'G Saying this, the %ing *ari%shit dre" his s"ord to %ill the evil !ali$ But the clever !ali fell at the feet of the %ing$ Eor !ali "as no" in the %ingDs refuge, he did not %ill him, but ordered that being an assistant of irreligious, he should at once leave the %ingdom$ !ali then as%ed, G & %ing "herever ( go, ( find you ready to %ill me "ith you bo" and arro"$ You tell me "here should ( go and "here should ( live'G +he %ing allo"ed !ali to live in five things.. gambling, drin%ing of "ine, company of "omen, violence and the -old$ Since then, !ali i$e$ the dispute has had a continuos association "ith these five things$ Hence, anybody disirous of self.improvement must avoid these five things "hich are governed by !ali$
6I.6.G King Earikshit dishonors 1age 1hamik

&ne day, %ing *ari%shit "ent on a hunting eCcursion$ +ill noon, he could not find a game$ He "as feeling restless because of hunger, thirst and fatigue$ Searching "ater and shelter the %ing reached the hermitage of the sage Shami%$ Shami% "as in deep meditation so he did not "elcome the %ing$ Eor the first time the %ing *ari%shit gre" angry "ith a Brahmin$ 5s a revenge and to sho" his anger he hanged a dead sna%e around the sageDs nec%$ ;aharshi Shami%Ds son Shringi "as also an effluent person$ =hen he came to %no" about his fatherDs insult by the %ing *ari%shit, he cursed him that on the seventh day from that moment, +a%sha%, the Aaga "ould bite the %ing for his violation of %ingly glory$ +here in the capital, %ing *ari%shit reali?ed his mista%e and felt sorry for his deed$ But he "elcomed the curse$ +ransferring the %ingdom to his son 2anamejay, %ing *ari%shit reached the ban%s of the river -anges and sat there on a fast unto death$ Very soon all the great sages and %ings began to throng there$ !ing *ari%shit "elcomed them and begged them to recite the plays of -od for him$ He also as%ed "hat a creature ought to do al"ays, and "hat "ere the duties of those "ho face an imminent death$
6I.6.6M
1hukhdev9i)s Arrival
5t that moment the ever."andering, indifferent.natured sage Shu%devji also arrived there$ He "as self indulgent and free from the bondages of ashrams (phases of life $ He "as then only siCteen years old but appeared Fuite radiant and graceful$ TATRA BHAVAD BHAGVAN VIAS PUTRO YADRICHCHHAYA GAMARMANO ANOYESHAH | ALASKHYLINGO NIJLABHTUSHTO VRITASHCH BALAIRAVADHOOT VESHAH || SHYAMAM SADAYICHY VAYOANG LAKSHMYA STRINAM MANO GYAM RUCHIR SMITEN | PRATYATTHITASTE MANUYAH SWASNEMTAH TATLAKSHANAGYA API GURH VARCH SAM || Shu%devji "as an honorable figure even for the sages "ho had gathered there as gust themselves$ !ing *ari%shit formally "elcomed and "orshiped Shu%devji and offered him a comfortable seat$ !ing *ari%shit then prayed to him, G & sage, ,ord !rishna is definitely pleased "ith me$ +hatDs "hy He has sent a great sage li%e you to salve a "retched person li%e me$ So, & ;ahatma (the great soul , %indly remove my doubts and guide me regarding the duties of a human.being' =hat should one acFuire and "hat should one drop'G
11&! 0hapter !
,his chapter is very short ! containing only ; sub3sections.
6I.;.6 >ontents o this >hapter

Shri Shu%devji says D& !ing, ordinary people literally "aste their lives in petty matters li%e useless discussions, "orry, sleep and feeding themselves$ +hose "ho "ish to conFuer their fears, & *ari%shit, must listen to, recite and remember the tales that depict the plays of ,ord Shri !rishna$ +he human birth can be successful only if by any means one has a remembrance of -od in his last moments$ 5ll the scriptures also dictate the same doctrine: TASMAD BHARAT SARVATMA BHAGWANISHVASE HARIH || SHROTAVYAH KIRTI TAVYASHCH SMARTAV YASHCHE CHCHHA TAMAYAM | ETAVAN SHANKHY YOGABHYAM SWADHRM PARINISHTHAYA | JANM LABHAH PARAH PUNSAMANTE NARAYAN SMRITIH || ETANNNIRVI DYAMANA NAMICHCHH TAMKUTOBHAYAM | YOGINAM NRIPANIRNITAM HARER NA MANUKIRTANAM || &ne should remember the huge, macro as "ell as micro form of the omnipresent -od, and must not long for the physical objects$ Shu%devji then revealed the %inds of ;u%ti (salvation as told in Vedas and said: D& !ing, there is no other "ay as beneficial as the means to achieve the affectionate devotion of ,ord Vasudev$ Hence, every human being must in all circumstances, use his might in listening to, reciting and remembering the name of ,ord Shrihari$ TASMAT SARVATMANA RAJAN HARIH SARVATR SARVADA | SHROTAVYAH KIRTITAVYASHCH SMARTANYO BHAGWANNRINAM|| +hough as per the interest, nature, and the desires of different people, and pleased by their "orship, many gods oblige their devotees "ithin their po"ers$ But materiali?ation of mundane desires of the innocent people has disastrous conseFuences$ ,earned people, therefore, "hether they have or havenDt any desire, "orship *urushottam -od "ith fervent devotion$ AKAMAH SARUKAMO VA MOKSHKAM UDARDHIH | TIUREN BHAKTI YOGEN YAJET PURUSHAM PARAM ||
6I.;.; >reation o the Corld

+he %ing *ari%shit felt eCtreme pleasure "hen Shu%devji satisfied his Fueries$ He then began to feel submerged in the stream of Bhag"ad !atha (tale of the -od $ His selfish "orries regarding his o"n benefits eCisted no more$ He insisted again: & Brahmin, no" %indly eCplain ho" does the -od create the universe out of illusions$ Ho" does He preserve the universe' Ho" does He destroy it' 5t the instance of the %ing, Shu%devji contemplated on the -od and presented the dialogue of Brahma and Aarad that illustrates the ;aitreya nature of the creation$ Brahamaji had preached Aarad that because of *aramatmaDs (Supreme Being desire of creation, this universe into eCistence from the primitive elements$ ,ord Brahma also told that after creating the universe -od himself entered it$ Hence, the "hole universe is a manifestation of -odDs infinite appearance$ His virtues can not be counted$ But, to sho" his presence, Aarayan ta%es various incarnations and appears on earth time and again$ ;erely, by listening to various beautiful and enticing plays of -od, the mind, voice, thoughts and the soul of a human being become holy$ PRAVISHTHAH KARN RAN DHREN SWANAM BHAV SARORUHAM | DHUNOTI SHAMALAM KRISHN SALILASY YATHA SHARAT || *ari%shit again put forth many ne" Fueries regarding creation$ Shu%devji related the events li%e emergence of Brahamji on a lotus that cropped up from the navel of ,ord Vishnu, sighting of ,ord
VishnuDs abode by ,ord Brahma, preaching of Bhag"ad to ,ord Brahma by ,ord Vishnu and 6ashla%shan (ten indents of Bhag"ad etc$ ATH SARGOVISARGASHCH STHANAM POSHNAMUTAYAH | MANVANTARE SHANUKATHA NIRODHO MUKTIRASHRAYAH || DASHAMASY VISHUDDAYARTHAM NAVANAMIM LAKSHANAM |
11&* 0hapter *
,his chapter contains J sub3sections.
6I.7.6 >ontents o the third >hapter

VIDURODDHAV SANVADAH KSHATRMAITREY YOSTATHA | PURAN SANHITA PRASHNO MAHA PURUSH SANATHITIH || AVATARO B$ag%a&AH KAPILASY MAHATMANAH | DEVHUTYASHCH SANVADH KAPILEN CHA DHIMATA ||
6I.7.; Vidur warns Dhritarashtra

Shri Shu%devji says, G& *ari%shit, Vidurji deserted his homely comforts and luCuries because he had to protest against injustice$G =hen, after losing in the game of dice, the *andavas successfully passed the period of their eCile and stay in guise, and "ere denied even then of their rightful share in the %ingdom, Vidurji "as summoned for consultations$ Vidurji had then suggested 6hritrashtra thus G& %ing, if you "ish to save your family, you please abandon 6uryodhan "ho is an embodiment of all the evils$ He is jealous of none other than ,ord !rishna$ +hat is "hy you are getting dull day by day and loosing your radiance$G +hese "ords infuriated 6uryodhan so much so that he began to abusively insult Vidurji$ But, Vidurji didnDt mind his "ords even though he felt seriously hurt at heart$ 5ccepting his insult as a play of -od, Vidurji silently left Hastinapur and "ent on a pilgrimage$ GAM PARYATAN YEDHYAVIVIKTVRITIH | SADAPLUTOADHAH SHAYANOAVADHUTAH || ALAKSHITAH SVAIRAVDHUT VESHO | VRATANI CHERE HARITOSHANANI ||
6I.7.7 Vidur comes to know about Kaurava)s Destruction

+ravelling through various pilgrimage places, Vidurji reached *rabhas region "here he got the ne"s of total destruction of the !aurvas$ +he ne"s deeply moved him$ (n search of solace, he continued to "ander from one place of pilgrimage to another place$ 6uring his "andering, "hen he reached the ban%s of the river Yamuna, Vidurji met <ddhavji the selfless and calm server of -od$ +hey both met affectionately and enFuired about the "ellbeing of each other$ +hey "ere both reflecting on the plays of ,ord !rishna and feeling eCtreme joy$ Vidurji had also got the ne"s of departure of ,ord !rishna to his abode and destruction of Yadavas by fierce infightings$ So he "as eCtremely depressed also$ <ddhavji told him that ,ord !rishna himself had besto"ed His grace on him and preached Bhag"ad gyan, "hich He had once preached to ,ord Brahma$ By the dictate of ,ord, <ddhavji "as going to Badri%asharma$ So he suggested Vidurji to see ;aitreya for the metaphysical %no"ledge, for before departing to his abode, ,ord !rishna had dictated him (;aitreya to preach Bhag"ad to Vidurji$ 5s per the suggestion, Vidurji reached Harid"ar and sa" the sage ;aitrey on the ban%s of the river -anges$
6I.7.F Vidur meets @aitrey

+he pious Vidurji respectfully greeted the sage ;aitreya and said, G& lord, the people in this "orld perform various actions "ith a desire to have pleasure$ But neither do they get pleasure nor is their sorro" removed$ +heir sorro" increases instead$ =hat is good then, is this conteCt' SUKMAY KARMANI KAROTI LOKE | NA TAIH SUKMAM VANYADUPARAMAN VA ||
VINDETMUYAS TAT OEVAM DUKHAM | YADATR YUKTAM BHAGWAN VADENNAM || & great among the sages, %indly preach me the "ay to peace, follo"ing "hich, one meets the -od "ho then ta%es abode in the heart of his devotee and instills in him the Santan -yan (eternal %no"ledge that lets the devotee feel the direct presence of Him$ TAT SADHU VARYADISH VARTM SHAM NAH SAMRADHITO BHAGWAN YEN PUNSAM || HRIDSTHITO YACHCHHATI BHAKTI PUTE GYANAM SATA TVADHI GAMAM PURANAM || +hus as%ed "ith devotion by Vidurji, ;ahatma ;aitreya illuminated the glory of -od and other events li%e creation of universe by illusion and origin of colossus body, and said: Ao one can measure the eternal glory of -od and the illusions created by Him$ (n the beginning -od created the primitive elements and the fla"s associated "ith them$ +hen he created the colossus universe and entered it$
6I.7.8 Description o 6M Cays o >reation by @aitrey

1$ By the inspiration of -od and because of imbalance in pious virtues, creation of ;ahattatva (the soul "as the first (;ahattatva the soul $ 3$ Erom ;ahattatva (the soul originates 5han%aar (the ego "hich generates five primitive elements (the earth, the fire, the air, the "ater and the ether , sense organs and motor organs$ 4$ -roup of +anmatras (the subtle forms of matter that generate the five major elements, is the third creation$ 7$ @reation of organs that have the po"er of sensing and moving is the fourth creation$ 8$ @reation of the mind that governs the senses and "as appeared from ego, is the fifth creation$ 9$ 5ppearance of mind and the illusions that misguide it, is the siCth creation$ /$ +he above mentioned siC creations are %no"n as natural creations also$ @reatures other than these siC have no po"er of %no"ledge, they can eCperience the touch only$ +hese creatures li%e trees and other vegetables are %no"n as the seventh creation$ >$ )ighth creation is of the birds and animals$ 0$ Ainth creation is of those human beings "ho see% pleasure in action and luCuries "hich are infact the cause of sorro"$ 1B$ +enth creation is of the great sages li%e Sanat%umar etc$ +hus at the beginning of the !alp, -od the creator used Rajogunas (royal virtues to create himself in the form of the universe$ ;aitreyaji says, G +his "hole creation is a manifestation of the plays of -od$ +hat omnipotent -od created the universe just by His "ish and for the sa%e of His play$ Eor the eCtension of the creation, ,ord Brahma "ished and create four sons.Sana%, Sanandan, Sanatan and Sanat%umar$ +hereafter, "ith a desire to create "orld, ,ord Brahma ordered them to produce population$ But ,ord BrahmaDs sons had no interest in "ordily affairs$ ,ord Brahma therefore cursed them to remain in childrenDs form for ever$ +hen from ,ord BrahmaDs eyebro"s appeared a baby, blue.red in color$ +he baby appeared in eleven forms and began to cry immediately after his arrival$ ,ord Brahma consoled himH G6onDt cry my son, you "ill be named as Rundra$G So the eleven forms of the baby came to be %no"n as eleven Rundras$ Rundranis (female Rundra "ere also created$ Erom +amas *ra%riti (malignant nature Rundra created the ghosts, the spoo%s, the spectres, the devils, lamias etc$ 5fraid by their appearances, ,ord Brahma prayed Rudra, G & ;ahadev, please stop creating
such formidable organisms$ +hey are already enough in number$ Ao", you please underta%e penance to comfort all the creatures$G +hereafter, ,ord Brahma created ten more sons.;arichi, Bhrigu, !ratu, *ulah, *ulatsya, 5ngira, 5tri, Vashishtha, 6a%sh and Aarad$ Aine out of them too% permission for the creation of their offsprings, but Aarad accepted celibacy and resolved to preach Bhag"ad bha%ti (devotion for -od$ Eor the continuation of the creation, ,ord himself appeared as a female from the left hand and as a male from the right hand of ,ord Brahma$ +hose males and females forms "ere named ;anu and Shatarupa respectively$ +hey "ere the first in the "hole creation to copulate and bring about seCual reproduction$ +hey begot t"o sons. *riyvrat and <ttanapad, and three daughters. 6evhuti, 5%uti and *rasuti$ 5s the primitive %ing, ;anu "as the fosterer of the earth$ By then a demon named Hiranya%sh abducted the earth and hid it under the abyssimal depth of the ocean, causing "orries for ,ord Brahma$ (nstantly ,ord appeared himself in Varah (boar incarnation and to do a"ay "ith ,ord BrahmaDs "orries, He at once entered the depth of the ocean and rescued the earth on His long teeth$ &n the "ay the ,ord had an encounter "ith Hiranya%sh and %illed the demon "ith His "heel$ ;aitreya: says Hiranya%sh represented anger$ +hose "ho donDt "ant to discharge their duties, but still "ish to live "ith all the comforts are abductors of others "ealth$ Such people, "ho continuously interfere "ith eFual distribution of "ealth, must be condemned as the demons$ &n the origin of the demons, ;aitreya cryptic said, once 6iti, the "ife ;aharshi !ashyap, eCpressed her desire to conceive$ ;aharshi !ashyap tried to disuade her that time "as not suitable for an auspicious job li%e conception$ But 6iti %ept on insisting and forced her husband shamelessly to assist her in the process$ @onseFuently she conceived during the dus%$ !ashyapji cautioned her Gyou "ill give birth to the demons$G 5nd "ith the arrival of the demons in 6itiDs "omb, nature began to manifest herself adversely$ +here "as terror and famine all around, and dar%ness prevailed even during day, "ith stars appearing in the s%y$ Erightened by these manifestations, the gods as%ed ,ord Brahma about the reason of all those disturbances$ ,ord Brahma informed them that t"o dread demons "ere to ta%e birth from 6iti$ +hose t"o demons, told ,ord Brahma, "ere the t"o gate%eepers.. 2ay.Vijay, of the ,ordDs abode$ &nce, Sana%adi !umar had gone to Vai%unthdham (the abode of -od to see -od but those t"o gate%eepers didnDt let them in$ Sana%adi tried thrice, but only to be stymied every time by those t"o gate%eepers at the gates$ Hence, Sana%adi !umar cursed them to ta%e birth on earth as demons$ +hose t"o gate%eepers of the -odDs abode 2ay.Vijay appeared first as Hiranya%ashipu and Hiranya%sha, second time as Ravan and !umbh%uran and third time as 6untva%ra and Shishupal$
6I.7.I 1age Kardam

@ontinuing the process of creation, Brahma produced Sage !ardam from his shado" and as%ed him to observe penance first$ +hereafter, Brahma dictated !ardam to acFuire physical strength and the strength of his sense and underta%e the process of creating his offsprings$ 5s per his fatherDs dictate, !ardam observed severe penance$ *leased by his selfless penance, -od as%ed !ardam to see% a boon$ !aradam said, G,ord all the things in the "orld are ephemeral# only youDre eternal$ (t "ill be an abuse of the intelligence to beg for some ephemeral thing from an eternal -od$G &ver"helmed by !ardamDs plain "ords, -od said in benediction D&n the third day from no" you "ill be married to 6evhuti, the daughter of ;anu$ Aine daughters "ill ta%e birth in your home$ ( "ill myself appear as your sonD Saying this, -od disappeared$ 5s per the boon !ardam got married to 6evhuti, the daughter of ;anu$ +heir formal marriage "as the first of itDs %ind in the creation, adopted as a religiously accepted means for continuation of life$ 6onating their daughter 6evhuti to the sage !ardam, ;anu and Shatarupa returned to their abode$ 5s ;ata *arvati used to serve ,ord ,ord Shiva, similarly 6evhuti served !ardam "ith dedication$ &nce the sage !ardam noticed that 6evhuti has aged and shriveled by harsh living$ *leased by her dedication, !ardam as%ed her to see% a boon$ 6evhuti only begged that there should never be any lethargy in any service on her part to"ards him$ *leased again by her pure feelings !ardam
provided her "ith heavenly luCuries$ +ogether they enjoyed those luCuries for many years during "hich nine daughters "ere born to them$ 5ll those daughters symbolised the Aavadha Bha%ti (nine %inds of devotion and "ere married to nine *rajapatis li%e ;arichi etc$ +hus %ala "as married to ;arichi, 5nusuya to 5tri, Shraddha to 5ngira, Havirbhu to *ulatsya, -ati to *ulah, Shanti to 5tharva, !rita to !ratu, !hyati to Bhrigu and 5rundhati "as married to the sage Vashishtha$
6I.7.< Lord Kapil

;arried life of !ardam and 6evhuti is a lesson for all the civili?ed couples of the "orld$ 5biding to the limits of human behaviour in married life is a guarantee for the "ellbeing of the couple$ =ithout religion and morality, a man is not more than an animal$ !ardam and 6evhuti follo"ed strict rules to "elcome the arrival of eternal -od$ +hus, in due time, -od appeared as their son$ =ith His arrival the gods sho"ered flo"ers$ ,ord Brahma along"ith his sons "elcomed the -od and said D& pious daughter of ;anu, Shri Hari has arrived as your son$ He "ill destroy the lust, and illusion and "ill preach his o"n philosophy$ He "ill be %no"n in the "orld as !apil$ ESH MANVITE GARBH PRAVISHTAH KAIV MARDANAH | AVIDYA SANSHA YA GRANTHI CHHITVA GAMVICHARISHYATI || AYAM SIDDH GANADHISHAH SHANKHYACHARYOH SUSAMMATAH | LOKE KAPIL ITYA KHYAM GANTATE KIRTI VARDHANAH || =orshiping the lord !apil, sage !ardam said D& lord, by your grace, (Dm free no" from all the three obligations and all my desires are no" granted$D =ith these "ords, !ardam too% to asceticism$
6I.7.J Lord Kapil Ereaches @etaphysical Knowledge to Devhuti

;ata 6evhuti prayed lord !apil to preach the "ay for the benefaction of the soul, "hich is attached "ith ephimeral body$ ,ord said D& mother, 5dhayatma Yoga (spiritual conjugation is the main "ay of benefaction for the human beings$ =ith devotion for me, soul becomes self.%no"ing$ +otal devotion of the soul in my form and virtues and listening my tales, unmista%ably sho" devotion$ +his leads to an inseparable rapport bet"een my devotee and me$ +his is the greatest benefaction for the humans$ ETAVANEV LOKEASMIN PUNSAM NISHREY SODAYAH | TIVREN BHAKTI YOGEN MANOMARYARPITAM STHIRAM || +he "orld is li%e an ocean of death and ( cause salvation of those "ho give up all their lusts and recite my name "ith fervent devotion$ +his "hole nature has different forms, but it is ephimeral and constantly changing$ (t has t"enty.four divisions.five major elements (ether, air, fire, "ater and earth # five souls (sound, touch, appearance, fluid and smell # five sense organs (eyes, nose, ears, tongue and s%in # five motor organs (mouth, hands, legs, penis and bones and mind, intelligence, conscience and ego$ +hat omnipresent *urush (an epithet of -od voluntarily accepted *ra%riti (an epithet for female force $ Erom her various virtues, *ra%riti created various creatures that corresponded eCactly to the virtues that caused their creation$ (n the mess, the mantle that covered the %no"ledge also caused illusion for the 2ivatma (microcosm of omnipotent spirit "hich thus forgot his original appearance$ +he creature then began to assume the nature as a reflection of his o"n appearance.. though she is different from and opposite to him.. and himself as the doer$ Such an ego regarding ones duties leads to his entanglement in the cycles of life and death$ 6ifferentiating bet"een the *ra%riti and *urush and eCperiencing their real appearances respectively, introspecting sages have had a sight of the Supreme Being through their conscience and achieve the unparrlel Brahma *ada$ ,ord !apil says, G+hrough the union of the sperm and the ovum, the human body appears as a lump in the "omb$ His body forms completely "ithin siC months$ Sense organs develop thereafter$ +"enty fifth element, the soul, then enters the human body$ =ith that, the body begins to eCperience hunger and thirst$ +hen suffering "ith many %inds of desires, the microcosm prays me to save him from the tortures of staying in the "omb$ ( present him "ith a sight of me in his heart$
(t then ta%es birth because of my grace$ But as soon as it appears on the earh the human being begins to forget me$ Still, ( present him "ith my sight for t"o to three months more, "hen he begins to laugh$ But people arooound him thin% that he is laughing for his mother$ Aobody reminds him of me in his childhood$ Youth of a human being passes in futile activities$ (n old age, his organs begin to fail and a human being finds himself unable to recite my name$ +hus, the "hole life of a human being just passes in the illusion of D(D, DmeD and DmyD and he reaches his last stage, and begins to reali?e his mista%e$ But then it is usually too late for him to do anything for his benefaction$ (f he has done any good deed in life, he may meet fortune, but "ithout a devotion for me, no one can be happy$ &nly "hen the soul comes in my refuge, he gets free from the bondages of life and death$ ;aitre says, & Vidur, thereafter 6evhuti concentrated her mind in the divine appearance of Shri Hari, as presented by ,ord !apil$ 5t once, she got free from all the sufferings$ She got a sight of -od in her conscience and her body transformed into a holy river$ +he place "here ;ata 6evhuti received salvation is still %no"n as Siddhi *ada$ (t is a reno"ned place of pilgrimage$
11&, 0hapter ,
,his chapter contains 8 sub3sections.
6I.F.6 Description o the >lans o @anu)s Daughters

;aitrey then related the description of the ;anuDs daughters$ ;anu and Shatarupa had three daughters. 5%uti, 6evhuti and *rasuti$ 5%uti "as married to a *rajapati named Ruchi$ +hey begot t"o children.. a son and a daughter$ +he son later on came to be %no"n as Yagyavatar of ,ord Aarayana, "hile the daughter "as named 6a%shina$ (n due course, Yagya and 6a%shina begot t"elve sons. +osh , *ratosh, Santosh, Bhadra, Shanti, (ndrapati, (dhm, !avi, Vibhu, S"anh, Sudev and Rochan$ ;anuDs second daughter 6evhuti "as married to the sage !ardam$ +hey begot nine daughters "ho "ere married, in due course to nine *rajapatis$ &ne of them, named !ala, "as married to the sage ;arichi$ +hey begot !ashyap and *urnima$ +heir offsprings comprise todayDs population of the entire "orld$ -ati "as the "ife of *ulah$ +hey begot three sons !armshreshtha, Variyan and Sahishnu$ *leased by the penance of 5nsuya and 5tri, the +ridevas (trinity of Brahma, Vishnu and ,ord Shiva sent their parts as the sons to the hermit couple$ 5mong them @handrama appeared from BrahmaDs part, 6attatreya from Vishnus part and sage 6urvasa appeared from ,ord ShivaDs part$ +o Shardha and 5ngira "ere born four daughters. Simivali, !uhu, Ra%a and 5numati$ +hey begot t"o sons also. <tathya and Brihaspati$ Havirbhu "as married to *ulastya$ +hey begot t"o sons. 5gastya and Vishrava$ (n later course, sage Vishrava produced Ya%shraj !uber from (dvida, "hile his second "ife !eshini gave birth to Ravan, !umbh%aran and Vibhishan$ Vashishth and his "ife 5rundhati begot seven Bramarishis li%e @hitra%etu$ Sage 5tharva and his "ife @hitti begot a son +aponishth$ -eat sage Bhrigu and his "ife !hyati begot t"o sons. 6hata and Vidhata, and a daughter. Shri$ ;anuDs third daughter *rasuti "as married to 6a%sh, the son of ,ord Brahma$ She got siCteen daughters$ 6a%sh married thirteen of them to 6harm$ &f the remaining three daughters, one "as married to 5gni, one to *itrgana and one to ,ord ,ord Shiva$ Shraddha, ;aitri, 6aya, Shanti, +ushti, *ushti, !riya, <nnati, Buddhi, ;edha, +iti%sha, Hree and ;urti are the "ives of 6harma$ &f these ;urti begot the sages Aar.Aarayan$ S"aha the "ife of 5gni begot three sons. *ava%, *a"aman and Shuchi$ +"o daughters "ere born to S"adha the "ife of *itrganas$ +hey "ere named 6harini and Vayuna$ +hese both daughters "ere Brahma vadinis (eCpounders of vedas$ Sati, the youngest daughter of 6a%sh and "ife of ;ahadev, ho"ever could not begot any offspring because she had committed immolation in her youth as a protest against her fatherDs misbehaviour "ith her husband ;ahadev$
6I.F.; @isbehavior o Dakshapra9apati with Lord 1hiva

Vidur as%ed ;aitrey: D,ord Shiva is an idol of peace$ He has no enemity "ith anyone$ He is self indulgent =hy did then 6a%sh *rajapati misbehave "ith Him' ;aitrey said, G &nce a meeting of Brahmavadis (eCpounders of vedas "as organi?ed$ 5long"ith all the gods ,ord Shiva and Brahma "ere also present in the meeting$ Because of being a *rajapati, 6a%sh "as allo"ed a late entry in the meeting$ ;oreover, "hen 6a%sh did arrive, all the gods, eCcept Brahma and ,ord Shiva, stood up to pay him regards$ Honor by thousands of gods did not please 6a%sh as much as he felt insulted the by behaviour of ,ord Shiva$ Brahma "as the father of 6a%sh, so he didnDt mind his behaviour$ But seeing ,ord Shiva sitting there and not paying due respect to him, 6a%sh got angry$ He said, GHe is li%e my disciple$ (Dve married my daughter to him but he is uncourteous and irreligious$ ( committed a blunder by marrying my daughter to him$ He smears ashes of pyre and roams at the cremation sites$ &nly the ghosts are his companions$G +hus, 6a%sh cursed ,ord Shiva$ G;ay this ,ord Shiva not get his due share along"ith the -ods in oblations$G Aandi, the prominent among ,ord ShivaDs servers, cursed 6a%sh in retaliation: G;ay the un"ise 6a%sh lose his mind and be li%e an animal al"ays bound to a "oman$G +hereafter indignant ,ord Shiva at once left the meeting along"ith his follo"ers$ But still 6a%sh didnDt put the matter at rest$ +o behumble ,ord Shiva,he organised a grand yagya named Barhaspati$ 5ll the Brahmarishis, devarishis, pitars, gods etc$ attended the yagya along"ith their "ives$ Erom her abode on !ailash, Sati sa" all the gods going through air to the grand occasion$ She also learned about the grand yagya organised by her father 6a%sh$ &ut of curiosity, she insisted her husband ,ord ,ord Shiva, G& Vamdev, your father.in.la", 6a%sh *rajapati has organised a grand feast$ (f you "ish, should "e also go there to attend the feast$ ( desire to see my beloved mother, sisters, and other relatives$G ,ord Shiva repliedH G& beautiful, though one may go "ithout invitation to his parentsD home, may visit teachers and siblings$ But your father resents me$ So it is not good if "e go there uninvited$ ( "ill not tolerate if he humiliates you$ So, you should not go there, because a humiliation by a near one may cause immediate death$D (n fact, Sati had a logical mind, "hile ,ord Shiva gave more "eightage to faith than logic$ Sati even had a doubt regarding -odDs incarnation as ,ord Rama, that ho" could *arbrahma *armatma, "ho is the father of all, be a son of any human being$ ;oreover, ho" could the Supreme Being be in so much sorro" because of his "ifeDs separation$ ,ord Shiva and Sati, therefore, had a sight of ,ord Rama in eCile$ ,ord Shiva silently saluted ,ord RamaDs appearance, "hile Sati decided to give Rama a test$ So ta%ing a guise of Sita, Sati appeared before Rama$ ,ord Rama %ne" everything so he regarded her as Sati$ He also sho"ed her some of His glories$ Ao" Sati had firm belief in ,ord Rama$ She returned to ,ord Shiva and gave her verdict that ,ord Rama "as indeed an incarnation of supreme Being$ But ,ord Shiva "as much disturbed by Sati because of her ta%ing the guise of Sita$ ,ord Shiva had, therefore, acFuired an indifferent stance to"ards Sati$ +hus she "as feeling anguished by ,ord ShivaDs behaviour$ Hence she prayed silently: D& ,ord, may my body be destroyed soon, as this body is not able to serve ,ord ShivaD Hence, "hen she heard about the grand feast organised by her father, in abject violation of her husbandDs dictate, Sati got ready to attend the feast$ ,ord Shiva too sent her "ith a lot of gifts and servants$ +here at 6a%shDs palace Sati found that all "ere ignoring her because of her fatherDs fear$)ven her sisters laughed at her for coming alone$ (n all, Sati found nothing favourable in her fatherDs home$ &nly her mother "elcomed her that too in isolation$ (ndignant, Sati "ent straight to the Yagya ;andap (canopy for performing oblation and found that no seat had been allotted there for ,ord Shiva$ =ith anger she said# D)ven the mere name of ,ord Shiva is enough to destroy all the sins of the humans$ Ao one can violate His dictate$ 5nd you, & father, feel jealous of such an auspicious figure, holy, ,ord ,ord Shiva, "ho is soul of every living being$ ( am ashamed of having this body produced from an opponent of ,ord Shiva, li%e you$D Saying these "ords, Sati thre" herself in the flames of Yagyagni(the fire of the Yagya +hereafter, ,ord ShivaDs ganas (servers destroyed the Yagya$ +hey
beheaded 6a%sh and dropped his head in the altar$ &ther gods and the sages "ere also punished for sho"ing disrespect for ,ord Shiva$ <ltimately, ,ord Brahma, accompanied by the gods, "ent to !ailash and pacified ,ord ,ord Shiva$ 5shutosh ,ord Shiva granted them a boon to carry the Yagya to completion$ (n her neCt birth, Sati "as born in the home of Himalayas$ She "as named as *arvati$ Sober, cool, and an idol of faith, ;ata *arvati dedicated herself fully to ,ord ,ord Shiva$ Aarad gave her a talisman to get ,ord Shiva as her husband$ ,ord Aarayan himself reFuested ,ord Shiva to accept *arvati as his "ife$ ,ord Shiva accepted to get married "ith *arvati$ +hus, through hard penance, ;ata *arvati got ,ord Shiva as her husband$ (n due course the auspicious marriage of ;ata *arvati "ith ,ord Shiva too% place$
6I.F.7 ,ale o Dhruv

+he self.begotten ;anu had t"o sons. *riyvrat and <ttanpad$ !ing <ttanpad had t"o Fueens. Suniti and Suruchi$ <ttanpad loved Suruchi more than he loved Suniti$ So Suniti "as forced to live outside the royal palace "ith her son 6hruv, "hile Suruchi and her son <ttam enjoyed all the luCuries in the palace$ &nce the !ing "as playing "ith his soon <ttam "ho "as siting in his lap$ ;ean"hile, 6hruv too arrived there and began insisting to sit in his fatherDs lap$ But for the fear of Suruchi the %ing did not ta%e 6hruv in his lap$ 2ust then, Suruchi too arrived there$ Strutting at her fortune, she ridiculed 6hruv: D+hough you are also a son of the %ing, but you have no right to sit on the throne because you are not borne to me$ You are the son of Fueen Suniti "ho is neglected by the !ing, and no" lives li%e a mistress$ So your desire is hard to accomplish$ )ven then if you "ish to have the throne, you begin to "orship ,ord Aarayana, and ta%e birth through me by His grace and then "ait for your chance to sit in the !ingDs lap$D Hurt by his stepmotherDs harsh "ords, 6hruv came to his mother crying$ =hen Suniti heard about the incidence, she felt very sorry$ Still, "ith patience she consoled her son 6hruv, D& my son, donDt "ish ill for the others$ +hose "ho cause sorro" for others, have to face the outcome themselves one day$ Your stepmother is right$ You have been born to me$ )ven then, if you "ish to be enthroned li%e the prince <ttam, give up your jealousy and start "orshipping ,ord Aarayan$ )ven youDre grand father ;anu and great grand father ,ord Brahma "orshipped him$ &nly ,ord Aarayan can remove your sorro"$D ;otherDs "ords shoo% the conscience of 6hruv$ He at once set out "ith firm determination to please Shri Hari by penance$ ,eaving the to"n, "hile going in search of solitude he met devarshi Aarad in the "ay$ 6hruv respectfully greeted Aarad$ Aarad lovingly caressed his head and tried to test his determination$ Aarad tried everything to convince 6hruv to send him bac% to his home, but he failed to sha%e the firm determination of the boy$ +hen "ith %indness, Aarad preached 6hruv about ,ordDs appearance and gave him a mantra$ +hus, Aaradji performed his duty as -uru and blessing 6hruv, he disappeared$ 6hruv arrived in ;adhuvan and too% a seat under a !adamb (@adamba tree on the ban% of the river Yamuna$ +here he began to recite the mantra and meditation$ 6uring the first month he ate roots and tubers$ (n the second month he ate dried leaves$ 6uring the third month he managed "ith YamunaDs "ater$ 6uring the fourth month he sustained himself on the air only$ 6hruv even stopped breathing$ Ao", standing on one leg only, he "as fully concentrated in ,ord Vasudev$ 5t the moment "hen 6hruv stopped breathing and concentrated in *arbrahma, all the three "orlds shoo% "ith fear$ 5ll the gods ran to the refuge of ,ord$ Because of stopping of breath all the organisms stood still$5ssuring them not to be afraid, ,ord arrived in ;adhuvan to see His beloved devotee 6hruv$ Seeing the ,ord Himself arrived before him, 6hruvDs eyes filled "ith tears$ He said, G & ,ord, ( donDt %no" ho" to "orship you$G ,ord touched his chee% "ith His conch$ =ith that, 6hruv came to reali?e the glory of -od$ =ith complete devotion and folded hands, he "orshiped Shri Hari: G( salute to such an omnipotent, omnipresent and all %no"ing ,ord, "hose po"er is present in everybody, and "ho entering my heart revived my speech$G *leased by his prayer ,ord stro%ed 6hruvDs head and said, G Your desire shall materiali?e$ 5fter enjoying your %ingdom, you shall come to my abode "hich is far above the Saptrishis'
+hen by -odDs permission, 6hruv returned to his fatherDs palace$ +here he "as given a grand "elcome$ )veryone "ants to be %ind "ith the one "ho has -odDs grace, his father handed him the %ingdom of the entire earth$ His brother, <ttam had gone to the forest for hunting "here the Ya%shas %illed him$ (ndignant by his brotherDs death, 6hruv at once launched an attac% on the Ya%shas$ But his grandfather consoled him that the devotees of -od donDt long for revenge$ +hereafter 6hruv ruled the earth for a period of thirty.siC thousand years$ )ven death bo"ed before him$ (ndeed, the devotees of -od have no fear of death$ +he death fears them on the contrary$
6I.F.F ,ale o Erithu

(n the lineage of the %ing 6hruv, had occurred a %ing named 5nga$ 5ngaDs "ife "as Sumita, "ho "as the daughter of ;rityadev$ +hey had a son named Ven "ho "as evil in nature$ =hen he gre" up and occupied the throne, he became a very cruel ruler$ 6ay by day his atrocites increased$ +hen he began to openly insult the greatmen$ =hen his atrocities became uncontrollable, sages %illed him by their curse to salve the people$ +hereafter, the sages churned VenDs dead body and produced a couple. a man and a "oman$ +he man "as born by the "orld.preserving part of ,ord Vishnu$ He came to be %no"n as *rithu$ He got an eCtremely pretty "ife 5rchi$ *rithu "as the 5charya (master of ,ord 5rchan Bha%ti$ =ith his occupying the throne, the subjects became religious, happy and moral.abiding people$ )verything "as going "ell in his %ingdom, "hen one day the farmers approached him and complained, G& %ing, the earth has gro"n rude$ She does not give us cereals, even though "e so" a lot of seeds in every season$ She eats them all$G !ing *rithu set out at once to chastise the earth "ho ran in the form of a co" to save herself$ Scolding at her %ing *rithu said, G& Vasudhu (earth ( "ill %ill you$ You have violated my rule$G +he earth then came to his shelter and begged for pardon$ G & %ing it is not my fault my fertility has ended because of the sins of the %ing Ven$ Ao", (Dm present before you in the form of a co"$ Ao", you please eCploit me fully to ma%e everybody happy$G !ing *rithu resolved then and there to perform a hundred 5shvmedh Yagyas$ His ninety.nine Yagyas completed unabatedly$ But during the hundredth Yagya, (ndra %idnapped the horse deceitfully$ (ndra had himself performed one.hundred 5shvmedh Yagyas$ He could not tolerate anybody eFualing him, for then the performer "ould have eFual claim on (ndraasana (the seat of (ndra$ *rithuDs son "as Vijitashva$ He had seen (ndra stealing the horse deceitfully$ He even chased (ndra for some distance, but (ndra transformed himself into a hermit$ Someho", the oblation completed, and -od appeared and as%ed the %ing to see% a Boon$ !ing *rithu begged, G & ,ord, my soul remains unsatiated by your tales$ So if you are pleased "ith me, %indly give me a hearing eFual to the hearings of ten thousand ears$G Sana%adi%s preached %no"ledge to the %ing *rithu$ +hereafter, fostering his subjects religiously, %ing *rithu ruled the earth for thousand years$ 6uring the rule, %ingDs popularity spread in leaps and bounds$ 5t last he got the supreme position of god$G +hus narrating the tale of *rithu, ;aitrey says to Vidur: Dthose "ho listen to this tale of *rithu, that sho"s the glory of -od, get a strong affection for -od and receive salvation ultimately, li%e *rithu$D
6I.F.8 Dable o Euran9an

!ing *rithuDs son "as Vijitashu$ (n his lineage later on occurred a %ing named *rachin Barhi$ !ing *rachin Barhi had many sons$ 5ll of them "ere %no"n as *rachetas, they "ere all devotees of -od and had been sun% in devotion since their childhood$ *leased by their devotion once ,ord Shiva appeared before them$ =ith simplicity, *rachetas as%ed, G & ,ord of the lords, "e have been "orshipping Aarayana, ho" did you arrive before us'G ,ord Shiva said, G +hose "ho have devotion for Aarayan, are also dear to me$G +hereafter ,ord Shiva gave them Rudra -eet "hich the *rachetas continued to sing for years immersed in the "ater$ !ing *rachinbarhi had a great interest in oblations that involved sacrifice$ &ne.day devarshi Aarad as%ed him, G=hat are you doing, & %ing'G ;iseries donDt end by action alone, nor does one get supreme joy$ +he animals "hich you have sacrificed for your oblations also feel the pain given by
you$ +hey are all "aiting for you in the heaven$ =hen you go there after death they "ill ta%e revenge one by one$G Erightened by these "ords, !ing *rachinbarhi too% shelter at Aarad and said, G 6evarshi, my mind is caught in the actions$ You %indly sho" me the "ay to the supreme salvation$G 5t the reFuest of the %ing, Aarad narrated him the tale of Vigyat and 5vigyat$ 5t the behest of 5vigyat, Vigyat migrated to and settled in a beautiful city$ +here he met the Fueen *uranjani and got married to her$ He "as so much indulged in sensual pleasures "ith *uranjani that he became a "oman in the neCt birth$ 5s a "oman, Vigyat got married in due course, but "as "ido"ed soon$ She "anted to commit Sati (self.immolation but people prevented her$ &ne.day she "as travelling on an elephant, "hen she spotted some s"ans in the s%y$ She as%ed the mahout to loo% at them$ 5s soon as the mahoutDs attention diverted, the elephant got out of control and both of them fell on the ground and died$ 5s she "as loo%ing at the s"ans at her last time, she became a s"an in her neCt birth$ 5s a s"an she reached the la%e ;anasarovar, "here she met her old friend 5vigyat "ho consoled the s"an$ GYou are neither a man nor a "oman, =e are both s"ans no"$ You are same as me, no different from me$ (t means that there is no difference bet"een the living beings and the -od$ +here is only one soul$ (tDs because of non.%no"ledge that one sees the -od and the living beings differently$G +hus cautioned by his friend 5vigyat, Vigyat reali?ed and accepted his incarnation as a s"an$ But, the %ing *rachinbarhi didnDt get the meaning of the spiritual tale$ Aarad then revealed$ G-od is 5vigyat "hile microcosm is Vigyat$ 5vigyat has established eighty.four la%hs cities and as%ed Vigyat to select any one of them$ 5fter sorting la%hs of cities the microcosm selects a city li%e the human body$ +hat city has a la%e in the center.the belly from "here the "hole city is controlled$ 5gain it has nine gates.t"o eyes, t"o nostrils, one mouth, t"o ears, one reproductive organ and one anus$ (t is such a high"ay, treading "hich no one returns$ (t has t"o courtiers. mind and ego$ +he living being passes his life caught bet"een them$ Iueen *uranjani is the intellect in this body$ Because of this intellect or non.%no"ledge the living being or microcosm begins to feel in terms of D(D, D;yD and D;eD for his body and organs$ 5ll the ten organs are his friends, through "hich the living being eCperiences the sensation and performs action$ (nclinations of the organs are his friends$ 5ll the five *ranas (breaths are the five.hooded serpent that guards the body$ &ld age is !aal !anya "ho launches an attac% on the city (human body $ Sho%a and ;oha (sorro" and attachment are the t"o brothers of !aal !anya$ !aal !anya is married to @handveg "ho is also %no"n as Varsh (year $ (t has three hundered and siCty -andharvas (the days of the year $ +"elve months are his t"elve commanders and seven days are the ministers$ +hey all together plunder the human body li%e the city of *uranjan$ +hus, covered by 5gyan (non.%no"ledge , the living being, "hich has a great pride on his body, virtually "astes his life suffering different %inds of pains$ Erom this mystical preaching *rachinbarhis inclination for Vedic !arm%ands (action and temptation for mundane luCuries "ere removed$ By the grace of 6evarshi Aarad, the %ing got a perception of -od and living being$ He at once abdicated his attachment for the body and concentrated his mind in -od$
11&/ 0hapter /
6I.8.6 ,ale o Eriyvrata

Hearing the tale of *rachetasD devotion and receiving -odDs grace by them, a curiosity arose in the mind of the %ing *ari%shit about self.%no"ledge and -rihasth 6harm (duties of a married person $ He as%ed Shu%dev, G& Brahmin, *riyvrat "as a supreme devotee and self.indulgent$ =hy did he then live in -rihasthi (married life ' ;arried life is binding from all sides$ -reatmen never long for married life$ )ven then the %ing *riyurata lived a married life yet he regularly prayed to -od$ +his is an intriguing subject for me, %indly remove my doubts$ Seeing *ari%shitDs curiosity and doubts, Shri Shu%dev said, G& %ing you are right that once receiving -odDs grace one canDt leave it$ Ao attachment, no love remains in him for life$ +he prince *riyurata
"as a great devotee of -od (Bhag"ad Bha%t $ By the grace of Aarad he had instinctively become a"are of *armarth tatva (%no"ledge that leads to salvation $ He had dedicated all his actions into the feet of ,ord Vasudev$ +hus, an intense inclination for detachment developed in *riyvrata since his childhood$ So, ,ord Brahma tried to admonish him$ GSon, you are too young yet to be an ascetic$ Since the moment youDve acFuired the human body, enemies li%e !ama (seC , !rodh (anger ;oha (affection , ,obh (greed , ;ada (ego , ;atsar (jealousy etc$ have been continuously chasing it$ =eDre all bound to follo" the path laid do"n by -od$ =e should serve Him by our action, accepting our body, "hich the -od has given to us and the merits associated "ith it$ Hence, you first enjoy the luCuries given by -od, thereafter you "ill be free to do "hat you "ish$G +hus, as per the dictate of ,ord Brahma, the %ing *riyvrata accepted t"o "ives$ His first "ife "as *rajapati Vish"%armaDs daughter Barhismati$ She begot ten sons. 5gnidhra, (dhmjihv, Yagyabahu, ;ahavir, ;iranyreta, Savan, ;edhatithi, 6hriprishth, Vitihotra and !avi$ *riyvratDs second "ife begot three sons. <ttam, Rai"at and +amas$ &ut of these ten sons, three became celibate$ 5ll the three sons from the second "ife became the lords of different ;anvantaras$ 6espite leading married life, the %ing remained an ascetic$ (n his chariot, he travelled around the land and divided it into seven parts and appointed each of his seven sons as the lord of one island$ 5gnidhra, the eldest son "as given 2ambu 6"eep$ He "as married to an elf *urvchitti$ She had begotten nine sons "ho became the ruler of the nine parts of 2ambu 6"eep$ ;erudevi "as the "ife of 5gnidhraDs eldest son Aabhi$ 5s a gift of Yagya, ,ord had ta%en an incarnation in his home$ +hat incarnation of ,ord is %no"n as Rishabhdev$
6I.8.; ,ale o Bharat

Rishabhdev "as married to 2ayanti, the daughter of (ndra$ 2ayanti gave birth to one hundred sons$ Bharat "as the eldest among them$ +he youngest nine sons became Yogesh"ars$ )ighty.one sons accepted Brahaminism$ Remaining nine brothers follo"ed their elder brother Bharat$ &ne day Rishabhdev called a meeting of his sons and preached them about the "ell being of human beings$ GSonsG he said, GAever misuse this human body$ You have got this human life by great luc% and -odDs grace$ He does not deserve to be called as a friend, teacher or father "ho does not preach his friend, disciple or son about the "elfare of the self$G *reaching that Rishabhdev enthroned Bharat and himself departed for his supreme abode$ +he %ing Bharat "as a great devotee$ By his fatherDs permission he had married to *anchjam, the daughter of Vishurupa$ +hey begot five sons$ Bharat dedicated his religious actions to ,ord Vasudev$ +hus by the purification of his actions, his conscience "as also purified$ So he transferred the %ingdom to his son and himself too% an abode in *ulahashram (hermitage of *ulah on the ban%s of the river -anda%i$ +here he passed his time in the "orship of -od$ &ne fine morning, "hen he "as performing libations in the river, a pregnant 6oe arrived on the opposite ban% to drin% "ater$ 5t that time a lion roared some"here in the forest behind her$ Erightened by the roar, the doe jumped into the river to save her life$ But the doe lost her life in the action "hile her foetus fell in the river$ Eeeling pity for the fa"n, Rajarshi Bharat too% it and began to foster it$ 6ay by day BharatDs affection gre" for the fa"n$ Slo"ly he became irregular in his daily routine$ But Bharat loved the fa"n more than his routine$ =hen the fa"n gre" into a deer, by its natural instinct it joined its mates$ &n his return, Bharat did not find the deer and gre" so restless that he died out of depression$ 5s his mind "as fiCed on the deer at death, he "as born in his neCt birth as a deer$ Bharat "as a prudent man$ But affection did not spare even him$ =hat "ould be the fate of common people then' +hey are easy targets of the feelings and are more vulnerable to fall prey to attachment and affection$ =hen a derangement occurs in the intellect of man, he begins to conduct irreligiously, but thin%s that his behaviour is religious$ Reali?ing his mista%e, Bharat as a deer, came to his hermitage and once again began his penance before -od$ )ven in deer incarnation Bharat had a strong feeling of detachment$ =hen BharatDs deer incarnation ended, he too% his neCt birth in a BrahminDs home$ Sometime after the birth, his mother died$ By -odDs grace Bharat had remembrance of his previous birth$ So he al"ays remained immersed in reflection on Hari (-od$ $+o avoid attention he posed himself as an
insane stupid, blind and deaf person$ )ven his brothers neglected him seeing his inertia$ Ao" he "as free to "ander at "ill$ He "as satisfied "ith "hat he got and doing menial jobs$ 6uring that period, a thief, "ho had no son, "anted to offer a human.sacrifice to Bhadra%ali in desire of a son$ Searching a right person for the sacrifice, his men found and caught 2adabharat ((n Brahmin incarnation, Bharat "as %no"n by this name because of his inactivity , "ho "as guarding his farms then$ 2ada Bharat remained Fuite indifferent and did not even resist his %idnapping$ +he thieves too% him into the temple$ +here as soon as the chief of the thieves raised his s"ord to %ill 2ada Bharat, Bhadra%ali appeared from the idol and beheaded all the thieves$ (t sho"s that one has to bear the fruit himself of the crime committed$ But 2ada Bharat did not eCperience this and remained Fuite unmoved as before$ (n another incidence, the %ing Rahugana of Sindhu "as riding a palanFuin to the hermitage of the sage !apil$ &n the "ay, he fell short for one !ahar(carrier of the palanFuin $ His men found 2ada Bharat "ho "as "andering nearby and yo%ed him also in carrying the palanFuin$ 2ada Bharat "as "al%ing cautiously so as not to tread on even little creatures$ Hence, the %ing "as getting jer%s and a bumpy ride$ He scolded at the !ahars$ +he !ahars informed him that the ne" recruit "as causing him those jer%s$ +he %ing Rahungana then scolded at 2ada Bharat$ GHey, are you so frail that you canDt balance the palanFuin properly$ 6onDt you %no" that your master is riding in it' =ait, (Dll teach you a lesson$G 2ada Bharat stood fearlessly$ +he %ing "as stunned to see him$ (t "as then that 2ada Bharat opened his mouth to utter is first "ords$ He felt that he had carried the %ing on his shoulders, and though the %ing "as a haughty man, D$$$but my life "ill be a sheer "astage if ( donDt preach the %ing a "ay to salvation$$$D So "ith a desire of benefiting the %ing 2ada Bharat said, G & %ing, life and death, strength and "ea%ness are the virtues of the body$ But the soul is sinless$ ( have put all my burden on the shoulders of the -od$ You too have great burden on your head$ ,ord of everyone is one$ )ven your senses are not in your control ho" then "ill you control your subjects' & %ing only %no"ledge is the form of the soul$ By %no"ledge alone you can recogni?e the soul$ <nion "ith one homogenous and holy Supreme Being is the true introspection$ But as long as you donDt bear the dust of great menDs feet on your head, you "ill not recogni?e the -od$ Hearing these "ords, the %ing Rahungana fell at the feet of 2ada Bharat and begged his pardon$ 2ada Bharat then preached the %ing about the metaphysical %no"ledge$ G,istening to the tales of the -od continuously is the only "ay to concentrate oneDs mind in Shri Hari$ (n my previous birth$ ( "as the %ing of Bharatvarsh$ But because of my attachment for a deer, ( "as deviated from the path of supreme %no"ledge$ Hence, ( had to ta%e birth in deer form$ But by the grace of ,ord !rishna, memory of my previous birth persisted in a deer incarnation also$ So in my present birth ( prefer to stay a"ay from the people and "ander secretly$ So, from no" on drop your attachments and start reciting -odDs name$ By the virtues of His tale alone you "ill easily get Him$ & !ing, the body is li%e a merchant, "ho is roaming on the earth borro"ing this "ealth of age$ (t has lost its "ealth in useless "orldly affairs$ &ne.day arro" of the !aal "ill snatch everything from it$ So, the human being must utilise their invaluable moments in the training of the supreme %no"ledge$G
6I.8.7 Description o the -/tent o the Landmass

Hearing the tale of the %ing *riyvratDs lineage, *ari%shit as%ed Shu%dev: G& great sage, "hat is the eCpanse of the landmass' ( "ish to hear a description of it along"ith itDs islands, because this "orld is a tangible idol of -od along"ith his virtues$ Hence, %no"ing it intangible, infinitesimal form of -od can also be %no"n$D Shu%dev said: D& !ing, illusions created by -od are so vast that nobody can find their end$ +herefore, ( "ill describe main features of the "orld "ith the help of name, appearance, eCtent and symptoms$ !ing *riyvrata has divided the earth into seven islands$ +hese islands are: (1 2ambud"eep, (3 *lu%shd"eep, (4 Shalmalid"eep(7 !ushd"eep, (8 !ronchd"eep, (9 Sha%d"eep and (/ *ush%ard"eep$ 5ll these islands are surrounded by seven seas, "hich comprise of saline "ater, sugarcane juices, and "ine, ghee, mil%, "hay and s"eet "ater respectively$ )Ctent of each island is double than that of itDs preceding one$ 2ambud"eep: . Shu%dev says, DSituated in the centre of the "orld is 2ambud"eep$ (t has an eCtent
of one la%h Yojan$ (t has a round shape li%e a lotus leaf$ (t has nine ?ones each "ith an eCtent of nine thousand Yojan$ +hese ?ones are called Varsh$ )ight mountain ranges mar% the boundaries of these Varsh "hich are arranged in circular fashion$ 5t the centre of the Varsh, is the tenth Varsh named (llavrit$ (n the center of (llavrit is ;eru$ Aames of other nine Varsh are . !inpurush, Harivarsh, !amya%, Hiranmaya, !uru, Bhadrash"a, !etumal and Bharat$ Such as the mount ;eru is surrounded by 2amud"eep, similarly 2amud"eep is surrounded by a vast sea$ Because of a majority of 2amun (blac% berry trees, this island is named as 2ambud"eep$ P'()*$&%ee+: ! 5s there is a huge 2amun (blac% berry tree that is eleven hundred Yojan high in 2ambhud"eep, similarly there are innumerable *lu%sh (*a%ur.Eicus pinctoria trees in *lu%shd"eep hence itDs name$ 5gni (fire is the venerable -od in this island$ *riyvrataDs son, !ing (dhmjihv "as the ruler of this island$ He divided it into seven parts and made his seven sons the ruler of these divisions$ +hese seven divisions "ere named. Shiv, Yavas, Subhadra, Shant, !shem, 5mrit and 5bhay$ +hese divisions have seven mountains, and seven rivers$ *lu%shd"eep has an eCtent of t"o la%h Yojans$ (t is surrounded by an ocean of sugarcane juice$ S$a',a'i&%ee+: ! 2ust double in eCtent than *lu%shdd"eep, is Shalmalid"eep$ (t has a majority of Shalmali (sil% cotton trees, "hich comprise the abode of -arud, the !ing of the birds$ *riyvrataDs son Yagyabahu "as the ruler of this island$ He too made seven divisions in the island as per his sons. Surocham, 6evvarsh, *aribhadra, Ramana%, Saumanasya, 5pyayan and 5vigyat$ +his island too has seven mountains and seven rivers$ Eour classes of people inhabite this island$ +hey "orship Vedmay @handrama (the moon "ith vedas +his island is surrounded by a sea of "ine$ K(*$&%ee+: ! +his island is surrounded by a sea of the -hee$ (t has an eCtent of eight Yojans, and a majority of !ush shrubs$ Erom the light of their tips, !ush shrubs illuminate this island$ *riyvrataDs son Hiranyarata "as the ruler of this island$ 6ividing the island into seven divisions, he too appointed his seven sons as the ruler of each of these divisions$ +hese divisions are. Vasu, Vasuddana, 6rirhruchi, Aabhigupta, Stutyavrata, Vivi%t and Vamaddev$ *eople of !ushd"eep "orship the fire$ K-a(n.$&%ee+: ! =ith an eCtent of siCteen la%h Yojan, !raunchd"eep is surrounded by the sea of mil%$ +here is a gigantic mountain named !raunch on the d"eep$ 5fter this mountain the island is %no"n as !raunchd"eep$ *riyvrataDs son, !ing -hritprishtha "as the ruler of this island$ He too divided the island into seven divisions and distributed them bet"een his seven sons, one to each son$ +he names of these seven sons are. 5am, ;adhuruh, ;eghprishth, Sudhama, ;rajishth, ,ohitarn and Vanaspati$ (nhabitants of the island "orship Varundev (Aeptune the lord of "ater$ S$a)a&%ee+: ! Surrounded by the sea of "hey is Sha%ad"eep "ith an eCtent of thirty.t"o la%h Yojans$ (t has a huge tree of Sha%a, hence its name$ =ith a s"eet fragrance of this tree, the "hole island emits a pleasant scent$ +he ruler of this island, ;edhatithi "as also a son of *riyvrata$ He too had seven sons. *urojav, ;anojav, *a"amana, 6humrani%, @hitraref, Bahurup and Vish"dhar$ +hey "ere made the rulers of the seven divisions of the island$ *eople of the island use *ranayama to "ea%en their Rajoguna and +amoguna, and "orship Hari (Vishnu in Vayu(form through meditation$ P(*$)a-&%ee+: ! *ush%ard"eep has an eCtent of siCty.four Yojans$ (t is surrounded by a sea of s"eet "ater$ +here is present a huge lotus flo"er "ith a million, golden petals$ +his lotus is regarded as a seat of Brahma$ *riyvrataDs son Vitihotra "as the ruler of this island$ He divided the island into t"o divisions, and made his sons Ramana% and 6hata%i the rulers of these divisions$ (nhabitants of this island "orship Brahma appearance of Shrihari (Vishnu $
11&1 0hapter 1
,his chapter contains < sub3sections.
6I.I.6 ,ale o A9amil

+he %ing *ari%shit reFuested Shu%dev, G& preacher, so far you have related about the "ay ho" to overcome attachment for "ordily things$ (nadvertently, the lliving beings commit some %inds of sins or crimes$ & great soul, no" %indly tell me the "ay by "hich humans can get rid themselves of the tortures, they are supposed to be subjected to in the hells$G
Shu%dev said, G5 sinner is sure to be tortured in hell, unless and until he had observed penance for his sins in his present birth$ But even penance is no guarantee of his salvation if the person indulges again in sins thereafter$ (t is all because of ignorance, that desires to commit sin does not end$ Spiritual "ays are, thereafter necessary$ 5dopting spiritual "ays li%e penance, celibacy, tranFuility, self.restraint, abdication, truthfulness, holiness, restraint of passions and discipline, even the most serious sins are destroyed$ 5lternatively, ta%ing refuge at the -od or developing a devotion for Him, all the sins can be destroyed$ & *ari%shit, such a sanctification of the sinner as achieved by dedication to -od, is rare even by observing penance$G Shu%dev narrated the tale that "as once related by ;uni 5gastya$ (n the to"n of !annauj, lived a Brahmin named 5jamil$ He had married to his mistress$ Being "ith an unchaste "oman his Brahminical virtues had been destroyed$ Ao", 5jamil earned his living not by performing holy tas%s, but instead he restored to petty tric%s li%e plundering, deceiving and even %illing people to feed his family$ &nce, a group of ;ahatmas(ascetics came to the to"n$ *eople greeted and offered them "ith edible items$ But,the ascetics refused to accept anything$ +hey said that they "ould accept the food only from the household "here holy food is coo%ed for the ,ord$ (rritated people sho"ed the ascetics the "ay to 5jamilDs home$ Erom 5jamil, the ascetics accepted the alms and themselves coo%ed the food, and offered it to -od and ate themselves$ Ao" the heart of 5jamil and his "ife "ere filled "ith eCpiation$ +he ascetics "ished to cause some benefit for 5jamil$ +hey said to him, G(f you get a son no", please name him Aarayana$ 5scetics "ords did materiali?e and 5jamil got one more son, the tenth one$ 5s per ascetics advice, 5jamil named him Aarayana$ Being the youngest son, Aarayana "as very dear to 5jamil$ He used to remember Aarayana al"ays$ )verything "as passing as usual, "hen the time of 5jamilDs departure arrived suddenly one day$ Yamadutas (agents of Yama.the -od of death began to ta%e him for his last journey$ Aot seeing his youngest son Aarayana before him, 5jamil began to call out loudly: DAarayana.Aarayana$D Hearing the calls, servers of ,ord Vishnu too arrived their and challenged Yamadutas$ +he frightened Yamadutas said, G =e are the servants of 6harmraj$ =hy are you stopping us'G Servers of ,ord Vishnu said, G(f you are the servants of 6harmaraj define 6harma (religion then$G Yamadutas said, G5ctions dictated by Vedas are 6harma (religion in true sense, and the actions forbidden by Vedas are 5dharma (irreligious and Veda is Aarayana Himself$G +he servers said, GYouDre una"are of *aram 6harma (Supreme religion $ +his sinner has called out the name of -od, so his sins, from the past crores of births, have been "ashed a"ay$ Ao" he is no more a sinner$ =ise men say that recitation of -odDs name by any means. as a name of someone else, in derision or derogation. automatically does a"ay "ith all the sins$ +his is the bounty of -odDs name that a mere remembrance of it. "hether "ittingly or un"ittingly, does destroy all sins$G Hearing this dialogue, 5jamil a"a%ened, as if from a long slumber$ Yamdutas had returned to Yamalo%a by then$ But, the abject sinner 5jamil had recovered from the snare of death$ =ithout losing a moment, 5jamil "ent to the ban%s of the -anges$ +here, drin%ing the holy "ater of the -anges he left his body and "ent and found a place in Vai%unth ,o%a.the abode of ,ord Vishnu$
6I.I.; Dialogue o Yama and Yamaduts

Shu%dev says, G*ari%shit, "hen the servers of ,ord Vishnu failed the attempt of Yamadutas, they returned to Yamalo%a and complained Yama about the event$G G& Yamadev, "e had so far %no"n that you are the sole authority of punishing the people as per their deeds$ Ao body had dared so far to violate your rule$ But today those four servers of ,ord Vishnu openly caused violation of your dictate$G Yamaraja silently prayed ,ord Vishnu and said, G ,ord Aarayana is the ,ord of all living things$ He is the ,ord of me also, and ( myself %eep an account of the sins and pious deeds of the living beings by His order only$ 5ll the -odDs, 6igpals (guardian of the direction , Shiv and Brahma etc$ all of them follo" His dictates$+he greatest duty of all the living beings is that they should achieve a dedicated devotion for the ,ord$ Sons just loo% at the bounty of ,ord that even the sinner li%e 5jamil escaped the noose of death simply by calling out the names of the -od just once$ So,
from no" on you never go near those people "ho are reciting ,ordDs name or are his devotees$ Bring only the sinners to me$G
6I.I.7 Birth o Daksh rom Erachetas

Shu%dev says, G+en sons of the !ing *rachinbarhi "ere %no"n as *rachetas$ +hey observed severe penance under the sea$ =hen they re.emerged, @handra (the moon.the ruler of the vegetation calmed them and presented a beautiful daughter of the elf *rabhlocha, to them as their "ife$ Erom her, *rachetas begot prachetas 6a%sh$ (n due course the subject of 6a%sh spread all over the "orld and populated far off places$ 6a%sh created, first of all the gods, the demons and the human beings "ho inhabited the heaven, the earth and the "aters respectively$ But 6a%sh "as not still satisfied$ He therefore "ent to Vinddhyachal and started a severe penance there$ *leased by his penance -od appeared before him$ By the permission of -od, 6a%sh *rajapati married "ith 5shin%i the daughter of *anchama *rajapati$ Erom 5shin%i 6a%sh got ten thousand sons named Haryashva$ (n due course 6a%sh as%ed his sons to reproduce$ But instead of reproducing they all reached Aarayana Sarovar on the ban%s of the river Sindhu ((ndus to a place of *ilgrimage$ Besalved by the preaching of Aarad about Bhag"ad 6harma$ 6a%sh again produced one thousand sons named Shavlashva and as%ed them to reproduce$ But they too follo"ed the footsteps of their elder brothers, and too% no interest in "orldly affairs$ Aarad preached them also about Bhag"ad 6harma$ =hen 6a%sh came to reali?e that Aarad had converted his sons into ascetics by his preaching he angrily cursed Aarad to be a "anderer for ever "ith no"here a place to stay on$ Aarad accepted 6a%shaDs curse and blessed him "ith a boon to have siCty daughters for the continuation of his subject$ By the virtue of the boon, siCty daughters "ere born in the home of 6a%sh in due course$ =hen they gre" up, 6a%sh got ten of them married to 6harma$ +hen ten to !ashyap, t"enty.seven to @handrama, t"o to 5ngira and !rishashva each and remaining four daughters "ere married to a !ashyap named +ar%shya$ +he entire "orld came to be populated by the offsprings of these siCty daughters of 6a%sh$ Shu%dev says, G*ari%shit the names of 6harmaDs ten "ives "ere Bhanu, ,amba, !a%ubhi, 2ami, Vish"as, Sadhya, ;arutvati, Vasu, ;uhurta and San%alpa$ 6a%shDs daughters Sarupa and Bhoota "ere the "ives of Bhoot$ Sarupa begot uncountable Rudragans, eleven of them are prominent$ BhootDs second "ife Bhoota gave birth to formidable spoo%s and -anas li%e Vinaya% etc$ 5ngiraDs first "ife S"adha gave birth to pitragans "hile his second "ife Sati accepted a Ved. 5tharvanigra as her son$ !rishashvaDs "ife 5rchi begot 6humra%esh, "hile 6hishana. !rishashvaDs second "ife gave birth to four sons.Vedshira, 6eval, Vayun and ;anu$ !ashyap named +ar%shya had four "ives. Vinata, !adru, *atangi and Yamini$ Birds "ere born to *atangi, "hile Yamini gave birth to moths$ VinataDs son is -aruda "ho is the vehicle of ,ord Vishnu$ 5run "as her second son "ho became the charioteer of surya$ Aagas (sna%es "ere born to !adru$ +"enty.seven daughters of 6a%sh "ere married to @handrama (the moon $ +hese are the t"enty. seven Aa%shatras li%e !riti%a etc$ But @handrama had particular love for Rohini, so he got tuberculosis and hence could not produce a child$ Aames of !ashyapDs thirteen "ives are 5diti, 6iti, 6anu, !ashtha, 5riha, Surasa, (lla, ;uni, !rodh, Varsha, +amra, Surabhi, Sarama and +imi$ +hese are the mothers of the "hole "orld$ 5ll the gods, demons, animals, giants etc$ "ere born to them$
6I.I.F *nsult o Brhaspati by the Bods

Shu%dev says, G& *ari%shit, (ndra had become very haughty by the luCuries he received as the %ing of the gods$ &ne day, 6evraj (ndra "as sitting on his throne along"ith his Fueen Shachi$ His court "as full of courtiers$ Eorty.nine ;arudganas, eight Vasus, eleven Rudras, 5ditya, Ribhuganas Vishvedev, Shadhyaganas and both 5sh"ini !umaras "ere present in the court$ -roups of Siddhas, @haraus, -andhavas, Vidyadhars, elves, !innars, Aagas etc$ "ere singing in his praise and program of dance and music "as on$ 5charya Brihaspati, the revered teacher of the gods arrived there$ But, despite having seen him, (ndra did not sho" any respect for Brihaspati$ (ndignant Brihaspati he at once deserted 6evalo%a (the abode of the gods$ =hen 5charya Brihaspati had gone, (ndra reali?ed his mista%e$ He at once launched an eCtensive search for -uru Brihaspati$ But no one could locate Brihaspati$ Eeeling of insecurity in the absence
of their -uru, strongly agitated the gods$ &n the other hand, "hen the demons came to %no" about BrihaspatiDs missing, they began to intimidate the gods$ By the permission of their teacher Shu%racharya, the demons launched an attac% on the 6evlo%a$ Eeeling sad by the pitiable state of the gods$ (ndra "ent to the refuge of the Brahma "ho told the gods that they "ere suffering because of their "rong policies and disregarding their learned -uru$ Brahma also told the gods that the demons had strengthened their position because of their loyalty to their teacher Shu%archarya$ Brahma advised the gods to reFuest Vish"arup, the son of the sage +vashta, to become their teacher$ GHe is a sound scholar of Vedas, great ascetic and abstentious person$G GServing him,G Brahma said, GYou "ill be free from all the crisis$G Eollo"ing BrahmaDs advice, the gods made Vish"arup their teacher by reFuest$ 5scetic Vish"arup used his Vaishnavi Vidya to annihilate the "ealth and po"er of the demons and endo"ed (ndra, "ith those po"ers$ Vish"arup also preached (ndra about the infallible Vaishnavi Vidya$ +hus securing himself under the shield of this %no"ledge (ndra defeated all the demonic forces$
6I.I.8 Ereaching o +arayana Kavach (shield) to *ndra by Vishvarup

+he %ing *ari%shit as%ed, G & ,ord, %indly relate to me the %no"ledge (Vaishnavi Vidya by the po"er of "hich 6evraj (ndra easily defeated the demons$G Shu%dev says, G *ari%shit no" ( am telling you about the %no"ledge that "as once taught to (ndra by Vish"rup$ So listen to it carefully "ith concentration$ =henever you feel yourself haunted "ith fears, you must guard you body "ith this Aarayana !avach (shield $ But before that it is necessary to purify oneself by bath, meditation, libations, *ranayama (control of breaths and eight.lettered and t"elve.lettered mantras of -od$ +he Hymnal !avach (shield must be then recited facing north "hile reflecting on the divine appearances of -od$ ;ay the -od, "ho rides -uruda and holds conch, "heel, mace and lotus, protect me from all sides$ ;ay all the incarnations of -od protect me from all the lusts, affection and desires and in all the circumstances$ +hus may ( be protected in "ater by ;atsyavatar, on land by Vamanavatar, in s%y by +rivi%rama, from !amapida (seCual desire by Sana%adit, from !upathya (diseases by 6hanvantri, from ignorance from Vedvyas, from the hells by !achchhap avatar (tortoise incarnation , in the "ar by Aarsinha 5vatar, in the "ay by Varah, on the top of the hills by *arashurama, during eCile by ,ord Rama along "ith ,a%shmanaji, from ;aranmohan 5bhichar (death by ,ord Aarayana, from ego by Aara, from obstacles by 6attatreya, from the bondage of actions by !apila, from disregarding the -od by Haygreev ;utri, from the crimes by Aarad, from the imposters by Buddha and from the faults of !ali !aal may ( be protected by !al%idev$ ;ay ( be protected in the morning "ith mace by !eshav, "ith flute by govind in the day, by Aarayana Sha%ti before the noon and may ( be protected "ith Sudarshan cha%ra by ,ord Vishnu in the noon time$ ;ay the all %no"ing omnipotent ,ord protect me in every circumstances$ ;ay the name, appearance, vehicle, "eapons, and all the services of Shri Hari protect my mind, intellect, organs and life from all the calamities$ +his Aarayana !avach (shield saves one from all %ind of calamities and fears$
6I.I.I Killing o Vishvarup& De eat o the Bods and >onstruction o Va9ra with the bones o Dadhichi
Vishrupa became the second 5charya (teacher of the gods$ He also sa" over indulgence of (ndra in luscious objects$ Vish"arupDs mother belonged to demon clan, so he had some inclination for the demons also$ Stealthily, he supplied parts of offerings of the oblations to the demons$ Very soon, (ndra too came to learn that their teacher Vishvarup "as stealthy nurturing their enemies, the demons$ So, indignantly (ndra severed the head of Vishvarup and to get rid of the sin of Brahmahatya (%illing of Brahmin (ndra distributed his sin among the land, "ater, tree and the "oman fol%, and himself escaped the sin$ +o ta%e revenge of his sonDs murder, sage +vashta organi?ed a yagya "ith the purpose of having a son "ho could %ill (ndra$ +he Yagya finished successfully and as soon as the offeringDs ended, a formidable demon appeared from the altar$ +he demon "as named Vritrasur$ Very soon, Vritrasur defeated (ndra and other gods and conFuered all the three "orlds$ +errori?ed by his po"er and
gallantry, all the gods ran into the refuge of ,ord Aarayana$ *leased "ith their faith and prayers, ,ord Aarayana advised them to please the great sage 6adhichi and as% for his bones to build a Vajra (mace $ Erom that Vajra Vritrasur could be %illed, -od assured them$ +hus, all the gods, headed by (ndra, reached the hermitage of sage 6adhichi$ +here they very humbly and respectfully begged for his bones$ Eor the benefit of the "orld, sage 6adhichi gladly accepted to donate his bones$ =ith those bones, Vishva%arma built a massive Vajra "hich had thousand edges$ +hus by the po"er of the ,ord and aFuiring a divine Vajra, (ndra felt eCtremely strong$ He at once launched an attac% on the demonDs armies and drove them a"ay from the battlefield$
6I.I.< Killings o Vritrasur by *ndra

Shri Shu%dev says, G& *ari%shit, from the gallantry of the gods the demon army began to fled$ Seeing his army running a"ay in panic, Vritrasur got infuriated$ @harging ahead he stopped the godsD army from advancing$ He roared loudly$ ;any of the gods fainted from the frightening thunder of the roar$ 5dvancing Vritrasur routed the fallen fighters$ )ven the earth began to sha%e because of his momentum$ 6evaraj (ndra could not bear it$ He made a po"erful blo" on Vritrasur "ith his mace$ Vritrasur held his mace in the "ay and hit 5iravat, (ndraDs elephant, "ith it$ Eeeling the pain of the blo", 5iravat moved bac%$ +hen Vritrasur scolded (ndra "ho had %illed Vishvarupa the brother of Vritasur, G& (ndra, you have %illed my brother Vishvarup "ithout any reason$ Ao", ( "ill gore you "ith my po"erful trident$ &r you may behead me by your vajra$ Your vajra has the po"er of the sage 6adhichi and the glory of Shri Hari$ But, (ndra "ith you vajra, ( "ill get rid of the bondageDs of my body and get salvation at the feet of ,ord Vishnu$ So,%ill me "ith your vajra$G +hus, even in the battlefield, Vritrasur eCperienced direct eCistence of -od$ He prayed -odH G & ,ord, may my mind reflect constantly on your auspicious virtues, may my voice al"ays recite your virtues, may my body al"ays be in your service$ ( donDt "ant salvation "ithout serving you$ ;y mind is "rithing for your sight$G Shu%dev says, G +hus, & *ari%shit, Vritrasur had "ished to leave his body in the battlefield and get the -od$ He did not "ant to enjoy the luCuries of the heaven defeating (ndra$G @alling out these "ords, Vritrasar hit (ndra "ith trident$ But (ndra cut that hand of Vritrasur, "hich "as holding the trident, by his vajra$ ,osing his one hand Vritrasur "as very outrageous and hit (ndraDs chin and 5iravatDs forehead "ith his elbo"$ Because of the blo" (ndra dropped his vajra, "hich fell near vritrasurDs feet$ (ndra "as no" feeling too ashamed to pic% up the vajra$ Vritrasur said, G & (ndra, pic% up the vajra and %ill your enemy$ (t is not the time to be gloomy$ (ndra sho"ed his respect to Vritrasur for his truthfulness and undeceitful "ords, and said G & great demon you are really great$ Your patience, determination and devotion for -od are really remar%able$ You have surmounted the illusion of -od that confuses ordinary ones$ You are a great man born in demon family$ Vritrasur again raised his "heel to hit, but (ndra cut his second hand$ Ao", having lost both his hands, Vritasur shoo% the earth "ith his heavy steps and s"allo"ed (ndra along "ith his elephant$ )veryone "as beginning to feel sorry for (ndra but because of Aarayana !avach, (ndra remained unhurt even in the belly of Vritrasur$ +hereafter, (ndra lacerated the demonDs belly and came out$ +hen he cut VritrasurDs head also$ 5t that moment, soul of Vritrasur annihilated in the Supreme Being$ 5ll the gods then greeted (ndra for his victory$ Vritrasur "as a religious %ing @hitra%etu in his previous birth$ Because of the grace of Aarad and 5ngira, he had received detachment and supreme devotion and began to roam every"here as a Siddhapurush (one "ho achieves perfection $ &nce he "as travelling on the aircraft gifted to him by the gods, he sa" the 5rdhnarish"ar (half male.half female appearance of ,ord Shiva and said something in derogation$ (ndignant of his discourtesy, ;ata *arvati cursed @hitra%etu to ta%e birth in a demon clan$ Because of that curse, @hitra%etu appeared as demon$ But even in demon incarnation, his devotion for the ,ordDs feet persisted as before$
11&4 0hapter 4
6I.<.6 "emoval o Doubt about Bod)s Eartiality

+he %ing *ari%shit as%ed, G & fortunate one, -od is said to have an eFual vie" for everybody$ =hy then does He favor the gods alone$ =hy does He %ill the demons only' +hus ( have some doubts regarding -odDs impartiality$ !indly remove them$G Shu%dev says, G *ari%shit, -odDs s%etches are so vivid that even the great sages canDt comprehend them fully$ )ven then just by reciting these surprising s%etches of -od, one receives the supreme position$ 5ccepting the virtues of this illusion, -od acFuires the opposing forms of %iller and %illed occasionally$ Virtues li%e Satya (chastity , Rajas (royalty and +amas (dar%ness are of nature, and not of -od and hence %eep rising and falling "ith time$ =hen Satguna (chastity rises, -od adopts the gods and the Sages and causes a surge in their number$ 5 rise in Rajas (royal virtues sees a surge in demons number$ =hile a rise in +ama (dar%ness virtues leads to a surge in the population of the Ya%sh and Ra%shasas (ogres and other super natural beings $ But -od is infact impartial$ Shu%dev says, G & %ing once 6evarshi Aarad had related an incident to your grandfather Yudhishthir$ (Dm narrating it to you right no"$ Your doubts "ill be removed$G
6I.<.; Dialogue o +arad ! Yudhishthira (,ales o #ay3Vi9ay)

6uring the Rajsuya Yagya in YudhishthirDs court, ,ord !rishna had beheaded Shishupal "ith His "heel$ )veryone, including Yudhishthir sa" ShishupalDs soul annihilating in ,ord !rishna$ Surprised Yudhishthir had as%ed Aarad then, G & 6evarshi, isnDt it surprising that Shishupal "ho "as so jealous of ,ord !rishna, got merged in Him' Such fortune is even rare for the great Yogis (ascetics $ Ho" did then this rival of -od get such a supreme fortune'G Aarad said, G& %ing criticism, praise, serving or negligence are all confined to the body only$ =hen the soul is identified "ith the body, people suffer from the impact of scolding and abusing$ -od has no ego li%e ordinary beings, because He is the supreme soul and ultimate$ (f He punishes someone it is for oneDs benefit and not for any anger or jealousy$ +herefore one must concentrate his mind in -od no matter "hat his feelings are. enmity, devotion, fear, affection$ (n -odDs vie" these feelings donDt ma%e any difference$G Aarad said, G Yudhishthir, in my opinion it is certain that the concentration achieved through a feeling of enmity is rare to achiev other"ise, even "ith devotion$ +his is the reason "hy uncountable number of sinners, "ho had strong enmity for ,ord !rishna, merged "ith Him$ Your cousins. Shishupal and 6antav%ra "ere fortunate$ +hey both "ere the gate%eepers of the ,ord$ (t "as by curse of Brahmin, that they had to be relegated and ta%e birth as sinful demons$G Aarad said, G& %ing, BrahmaDs ;anasputras (sons begotten by thoughts Sana%adi%umars "ere freely roaming all over the universe$ &nce they reached Vai%unth (the abode of ,ord Vishnu $ But assuming them to be ordinary boys the gate%eepers 2ay.Vijay did not allo" them in$ (ndignant by the behaviour of the -ate%eepers, Sana%adi !umars cursed them: GEools both of you donDt deserve a presence near -od$ Both of you are endo"ed "ith Rajaguna and +amoguna (royal and dar% virtues , so go and ta%e birth as the demons$G =hen both the gate%eepers "ere falling from Vai%unth, the %ind Sana%adi !umars said, G &$!$ the effect of our curse shall long for your three births only, thereafter you shall return to Vai%unth again$G
6I.<.7 ,ale o (iranyaksh and (iranykashipu

By the curse of Brahmins, the gate%eepers of the -od, 2ay.Vijay too% their first birth as the demons. Hiranya%ashipu and Hiranya%sh$ 6iti "as their mother$ Hiranya%sh had stolen the earth and hidden it in Sutala ,o%a, causing "orries for Brahma$ +o remove the "orries of Brahma, ,ord appeared as Varahavatar (the boar incarnation and %illed Hiranya%sh$ 5fter the %illing of Hiranya%sh his elder brother Hiray%ashipu developed enmity "ith ,ord Vishnu$ He avo"ed to other demons: G( "ill %ill that tric%y Vishnu "ith my trident$ +hus no one "ill be able to protect the gods$ 5ll of you go out and bring havoc on them$G +hen Hirany%ashipu cremated his younger brother Hiranya%sh, condoled mother 5diti and "ife of his younger brother and himself "ent a"ay to observe penance in order to acFuire strength and gallantry$ (n the Valley of ;andarachal ;ountain, Hirany%ashipu stood on one toe only and raised his hands to"ards s%y$ He continued to stand in the same position$ <ltimately fire began to emerge from his
head$ +hat fire caused burning of all the three lo%as ("orlds$ *anic%ed by the fire the gods reached to Brahma and prayed to put the fire off$ Brahma at once appeared before Hirany%ashipu and said, GSon Hirany%ashipu, your penance is over no"$ Ao" see% a boon of your "ish$D =orshipping Brahma, Hirany%ashipu said: D;ay ( not be %illed by any living being created by you, may ( be %illed neither in day nor in night, neither by humans nor by animals, neither by "eapons nor by arms, neither on earth nor in s%y$ ;ay no one match me in "ar$ ;ay ( be an undisputed emperor of all the living beings$D *leased by his penance, Brahma granted Hirany%ashipu that rare boon$ By the virtue of BrahmaDs boon, Hirany%ashipu gre" eCtremely strong$ Ao" he had no fear of death, so his atrocities increased day by day$ He defeated all the gods, human beings, demons, demigods$ )veryone accepted his superiority$ Ao", Hirany%ashipu began to reside in heaven itself$ He also made an all round declaration: Dall the people "ho "orship or even remember Vishnu, shall be put to death in my %ingdom$ Aobody else is -od eCcept me$D +hus all the gods and demons began to "orship Hirany%ashipu and presented him "ith gifts to please him$ -andharv, Siddhas, sages, elves etc$ all began to sing in his praise$ Aarad says: D& Yudhisthir, Hirany%ashipu had such a brilliance that he began to receive the offerings himself of the Yagyas performed by Brahmins$ &n all the seven islands and upto the heaven, it "as his dominion$ Ao" he "as freely and lavishly enjoying all the luCuries$ ;addened by the luCuries, he even began to violate the rulings of the scriptures$ *erpleCed by his harsh rule, all the gods "ent into the refuge of the 5lmighty$ +hrough a celestial voice, -od comforted them: D6onDt be afraid & gods$ ( am a"are of havoc caused by this demon$ ( "ill destroy him, you "ait for some more time$ =hen he "ill begin to torment his calm and devotee son *rahlad, ( "ill definitely %ill him$D +he demon %ing Hirany%ashipu had four sons$ *rahlad "as youngest of them, *rahlad "as the greatest lover and devotee of -od$ Hirany%ashipu had declared such a pious son li%e *rahlad a criminal of the state$ +hus he tried his best to %ill *rahlad$
6I.<.F 1ketch o Erahlad& ,he Breat Devotee

Pi/(* 0i-1(e* /2 P-a$'a&: ! +he youngest son of the demon %ing Hirany%ashipu, *rahlad "as very virtuous$ He used to serve the sages "ith love$ He treated all the beings eFually and did never differentiate them as separate from him$ He had a respect for the elders$ 6espite having %no"ledge, "ealth, beauty, and nobility, *rahlad didnDt have any ego$ He never lost patience even in most adverse conditions$ He also regarded the "orld as false and "orthless$ He had no desire for anything, but had full restraint on his mind, organ, breath, and body$ 6espite having born in demon family, he didnDt have any demonic virtues$ Aarad says: D& Yudhisthir, as the virtues of the -od are endless, similarly the virtues of *rahlad had no limit$ But a natural and congenital love for ,ord Shri !rishna "as his greatest merit$ Since his childhood, *rahlad had no inclination for childish plays$ &ften he used to meditate silently$ 6uring his meditation, he used to become Fuite motionless$ ;ore than often he felt as if -od himself "as fondling him ta%ing him in His lap$ 5t times "hen he eCperienced an absence of -od, *rahlad "ould cry loudly, and at other times he "ould laugh "ith joy seeing -od before him$ He also used to sing, shout and even dance "henever he felt -od nearby$ &ccasionally, *rahlad used to mimic -od, or feeling the soft touch of -od, sit peacefully "ithout movement$ Such "as the trance li%e condition of *rahlad "ho had a complete submersion in devotion for -od$ E&(.a1i/n /2 P-a$'a&: Shu%racharya "as the teacher of the demons$ Su%hracharyaDs t"o sons had been appointed to teach the boys of the royal family$ Staying at a place closer to the royal palace, these t"o brothers taught the boys in politics, economics etc$ *rahlad too "as sent to them for formal education$ +here he used to listen to his teachers carefully and recite "hat he had been taught$ But *rahlad did not li%e the education, "hich "as based on falsehood$ &ne day Hirany%ashipu too% *rahlad in his lap and as%ed lovingly: D;y son, tell me, "hat you li%e the most$D *rahlad said: DEather, in my opinion, this "orld is nothing but full of sorro"$ Hence it is just for every being that they should give up this
blind.pit li%e "orld and go to the forests and ta%e shelter in -od, to be free of miseries$D 5larmed by these "ords, Hirany%ashipu "arned the teachers, the sons of Shu%racharya, to loo% after *rahlad "ell, and to remove that mean thoughts of devotion from his mind$ He also cautioned the teachers to guard *rahlad against any possible approach by a god, ascetic or Brahmin$ -uruputras (the teacher of *rahlad tried their best and trained *rahlad in policies of Sama, 6ama, 6and, Bhed (conviction, temptation, fear of punishment and partiality$ +hen they trained him in 5rth, 6harma and !ama (economic matters, religion and carnal %no"ledge$ =hen they felt satisfied "ith their efforts the -uruputras brought *rahald again to his father, the demon %ing ;irany%asipu$ Hirany%ashipu %issed *rahladDs head and too% him in his lap and as%ed, G;y son *rahlad, tell me in detail "hat you have learned from your teacher during your stay "ith them$G *rahlad said, GEather there are nine %inds of devotion for ,ord Vishnu$ (f one develops these nine %inds of devotion "ith dedication, ( understand, it "ould be the best education$G (nfuriated by these "ords, Hirany%ashipu thre" *rahlad on the floor and began to scoff at -uruputras$
6I.<.8 Attempts to Kill Erahlad

Hearing his father scoffing at -uruputras, *rahlad said, GEather it "as not taught to me by them, it is my natural inclination$G +hese "ords further infuriated Hirany%ashipu$ Blinded by anger he ordered his soldiers to %ill *rahlad at once$ Eormidable demons hit *rahlad "ith their arms$ 5t that time *rahladDs conscience "as focused in -od$ 5ll the blo"s of the demons yielded no result$ +hereafter, *rahlad "as trampled by intoCicated elephants, bitten by poisonous sna%es thro"n from the high cliffs into the sea and even in fire, buried under the mountain but all in vain$ Aone of the attempts could do any harm to the sinless *rahlad$ Ao", Hiran%ashipu began to feel "orried because of his inability$ Seeing him "orried the teacher assured him, GBe free of "orries, & %ing$ !eep your son tied in Varunpash (the noose of varun until our father Shu%racharya returns$G +hen they again too% *rahlad to their hermitage to teach him -rihasthdharm (duties of a married man $ &ne day the teachers "ere a"ay for some urgent "or%$ *rahlad called his classmates and began to preach them about ,ord Vishnu$ P-ea.$ing 1/ De,/n B/3* 43 P-a$'a&: *rahlad preached, GEriends, human incarnation is a rare thing in this "orld$ So ta%ing shelter at the feet of -od in this human incarnation is a success for life$ Brothers, -od is the friend, beloved and the soul of each and every being$ Sensual pleasures are easily available in every incarnation, so it is useless to ma%e physical efforts to achieve sensual pleasures$ But this human body is a means to get -od$ So, as long as the body is sound and healthy and it has strength one must "or% for his benefits$ Half of the life of a man is simply "asted in sleeping$ Eirst t"enty years pass in playing, Young age passes in satisfying the ego "hile during the t"enty years of old age human body becomes crippled$ So friends donDt "aste your life running after the physical pleasures, luCuries, "ealth and all that leads to a certain fall$ &ne needs not "or% hard to please the -od$ He is soul of every living being$ He is self.achieved$ &nly do good to every living being, be %ind to them unconditionally$ -od is pleased "ith these actions only$ (mpressed by the beautiful preaching of *rahlad about Bhag"ad 6harma, the demon boys as%ed, G& prince, you have never been a"ay from the hermitage$ Ho" then did you get such a %no"ledge at such a ra" age' *rahlad told his fello" disciples that "hen his father "as a"ay on ;andarachal for penance, (ndra had %idnapped his mother !ayadhu$ He "as ta%ing her to 6evlo%a "hen 6evarshi Aarad stopped him in the "ay and as%ed "hy he "as ta%ing such a helpless "oman so forcibly$ (ndra had told then that he "ould destroy her foetus "ho "as going to be a demon and thereafter "ould let her go$ Aarad had said, G6evaraj there is a great devotee of -od in this foetus, you cannot %ill him$ But you need not fear him$G +hus convinced by Aarad, (ndra had released !ayadhu "ho then came to stay at AaradDs hermitage to pass her time$ (n the pious company of Aarad "ho, "ith a desire to benefit my mother and me, had preached us about Bhag"ad dharma, and absolute %no"ledge (Vishuddha
-yana $G (t is that %no"ledge "hich ( have preached you just no"$ -od is pleased "ith unconditional love only$ So you too develop devotion for -od$G
11&8 0hapter 8
6I.J.6 Description o the @anvataras

567 S%a3a,4$( Man0an1-a! !ing *ari%shit said to Shu%dev, G-urudev, ( just heard that tale of self.begotten ;anuDs lineage$ Ao" %indly describe to me about the others ;anus$ 5lso describe the plays of -odDs different incarnations "hich occurred during different ;anvantaras$G Shu%dev said, G*ari%shit, during +amas ;anvantara, ,ord Aarayana "as born as Hari incarnation from Harini, the "ife of a sage$ (n that incarnation He saved an elephant from the ja"s of a crocodile$ 6uring the present !alpa (period comprising the sum of all the four Yugas , siC ;anvantaras have passed$ ( have described the first one$ Ao", listen to the description of the other ;anvantaras$G 587 S%a-/.$i*$ Man0an1a-a! S"arochi ;anu "as the son of 5gni$ He had sons named 6yumana, Sushena and Rochismana$ 6uring that ;anvantara, (ndraDs post "as occuppied by Rochan$ Scholars of Vedas li%e Vrajstambh etc$ "ere among the Saptarishi (seven great sages $ ,ord had ta%en incarnation as Vibhu, the son of a sage Vedshira and his "ife +ushita$ Vibhu remained a loyal celibate lifelong$ Eollo"ing His conduct, eighty.eight thousand more sages observed celibacy life long$ 597 U11a, Man0an1a-a! +hird ;anu <ttam "as the son of the %ing *riyvrata$ He had sons named *a"an, Sanjay, Yagyhotra, etc$ (n that ;anvantar, seven sons of the sage Vashisht "ere Saptarishi (the seven great sages $ (ndraDs name "as Satyajit$ Satya, Vedshrut and Bhadra "ere the main -anas (courtiers of the -od$ -od had appeared in the incarnation of Satyasen, the son of 6harma and Sunrita$ He "as accompanied by 6evganas named Satyvrata$ ,ord had destroyed during that period the evil Ya%shas, demon and poltergeists$ 5:7 Ta,a* Man0an1a-a! +amas, the fourth ;anu "as the real brother of <ttam, the third ;anu$ He had ten sons$ +rishi%h "as (ndra then, "ith Satya%, Hari, Veer etc$ as his main courtiers$ Sage li%e 2yotirdham etc$ "ere the Saptarishi$ 6uring that ;anvantara ,ord had saved -ajendra from the ja"s of the crocodile$ 5;7 Rai%a1 Man0an1a-a: Rai"as "as the fifth ;anu$ He "as also the real brother of +amas, the third ;anu$ He had many sons$ Vibhu "as the name of (ndra$ Sages li%e Hiranyroma, Vedshira, <rdhubahm "ere among Saptarishi$ -od had appeared in the incarnation of Vai%unth the son of the sage Shubh and his "ife Vi%untha$ 5t the reFuest of -oddess ,aCmi, ,ord Vai%unth created Vai%unth dham, the best among all other lo%as ("orlds $ 5<7 C$a)*$(*$ Man0an1a-a: @ha%shush "as the siCth ;anu$ He had sons named *uru, *urush, Sadyumn etc$ ;antrradruma "as (ndra then, "ith 5pya etc$ as main courtiers$ Sages li%e Havishmana and Veera%a etc$ "ere among the Saptarishi$ 6uring that ;anuantara, ,ord had appeared in partial incarnation as 5jit, the son of Vanraj and his "ife Sambhunti$ (t "as he "ho caused the churning of the sea and made the -odDs drin% nectar and supported ;andarachal ;ountain on his bac% in !achchhap (tortoise from during the churning$ 5=7 Vai0a*0a1a Man0an1a-a: Shri Shu%dev says, G *ari%shit in the present era, the seventh ;anu, Shardhdev is the son of Surya$ He has ten sons. (%shva%u, Aabhag, 6risht, Sharyati, Aarishyanta, Aabhag, 6isht, !arush, *rishadhra and Vasumana$ *urandar is the name of (ndra$ He has 5ditya, Vasu, Rudra, Vishvadev, ;arudgana, 5sh"ini, !umar and Rishi as his main courtiers$ !ashyapa, 5tri, Vashishtha, Vishvamitra, -autam, 2amadagni and Bhard"aj are the Saptarishi$ 6uring this ;anvantara, -od has arrived in Vamana incarnation as the son of !ashyapa and his "ife 5diti$ 5>7 Sa0a-ni Man0an1a-a: Savarni, the son of Surya and @hhaya "ould be the eighth ;anu$ +he %ing Surath, "ho had occurred in S"arachish ;anvantara, had "orshiped -oddess Bhag"adi intensely, and thus received a boon of having an unbro%en empire on earth$ (n later course he "ill be the son of Surya and become the eighth ;anu also$ He "ould have sons li%e Airma%a, Virajas% etc$ Vairochana Bali "ould be (ndra, 5mritprabha etc$ as his main courtiers$ -alava, 6iptimana, *arashurama, 5sh"atthama, !ripacharya, Rishyshring and Vyas. these great sages "ould be the Saptarishi during the eight ;anvantara$ -od "ould ta%e incarnation as Sarvbhaum, the sons of 6evguhya and his "ife Saras"ati$ -od as Sarvbhaum "ould snatch the %ingdom of S"arga (heaven from *urandara (ndra and give it to the %ing Bali$
5?7 Nin1$ Man0an1a-a: Shri Shu%dev says, VarunaDs son 6a%shasavarni "ould be the ninth ;anu$ He "ould have sons li%e Bhuta%etu, 6ipt%etu, 6yutimana etc$ -od "ould ta%e birth as the incarnation of Rishabh, the son of sage 5yushmana and his "ife 5mbudhara$ 5 person named 5dbhut "ould be (ndra and he "ould have *ara, ;arichigarbh etc$ as his main courtiers$ 56@7 T$e Ten1$ Man0an1a-a: <pshlo%saDs son Brahma Savarni "ould be the tenth ;anu$ He "ould be very pious in nature and have sons li%e Bhurishen etc$ Havishmana, Su%riti, Satya, 2ay, ;urti etc$ "ould be Saptarishi$ Shambhu "ould be (ndra, "ith Suvasana, Viruddh etc$ as his main courtiers$ -od "ould appear in the incarnation of Vish"asen as the son of Vish"asrij and his "ife Vishuchi$ He "ould be a friend of (ndra$ 5667 T$e E'e0en1$ Man0an1a-a: +he self.restraining 6harmasavarni "ould be the eleventh ;anu$ He "ould have ten sons$ Vaidhrita "ould be (ndra "ith Vihangama, !amagama, etc$ as main courtiers$ Vedic sages li%e 5run etc$ "ould be the Saptarishi$ -od "ould appear as 6harmasetu, the sons of 5rya% and Vaidhrita$ (n this incarnation he "ould protect +rilo%i (all the three "orlds $ 5687 T%e'0e1$ Man0an1-a: Rudrasavarni "ould be the t"elfth ;anu$ He "ould have sons named 6evavana, <pdev and 6evshreshth etc$ Ritdhama "ould be (ndra "ith Hari etc$ as his main courtiers$ 5s the son of Satyasahay and his "ife Sunrita, the -od "ould protect this ;anvantara in the form of S"adham$ 5697 T$i-1een1$ Man0an1a-a: 6evsavarni "ould be the thirteenth ;anvantara$ He "ould have sons named @hitrasen, Vichitra etc$ 6ivaspati "ould be (ndra of the gods li%e Su%arm, Sutram etc$ Sages li%e Airmo%a, +atvadarsh etc$ "ould be the Saptarishi$ -od "ould appear as Yogesh"ar, the sons of 6evhotra and his "ife Brihati$ He "ould besto" the designation of (ndra to 6ivaspati$ 56:7 F/(-1een1$ Man0an1a-a: (ndrasavarmi "ould be the fourteenth ;anu$ He "ould have sons li%e <ru, -ambhir Buddhi etc$ Shuchi "ould be (ndra and have *avitra @ha%shush etc$ as his main courtiers$ 5gni, Bahu, Shuchi, ;agadh etc$ "ould be the Saptarishi$ -od "ould appear in the incarnation of Brihadbhahu as the son of Satrayana and his "ife Vinata and cause the eCtension of !arma%and (actions $G Shu%dev says, G& *ari%shit, these fourteen ;anvantaras had continued in past, are continuing in the present and they "ould continue in the future also$ (t is by them, that a !alp (a period of thousand @haturyugas is completed$ @alculation of time is also done through these ;anvantaras$ *eriod of a ;anvantra is slightly more then seventy one @haturyugas (all the four Yugas passing seventy.one times $ 5 @haturyugya (period of all the four Yugas ta%en together lasts for about 4 million years, "hile a !alpa lasts for about four thousand three hundred and t"enty million years$ +his is eFual to a day of Brahma$ BrahmaDs night is ;ahapralaya (the great deluge $ =hen that night is over, Brahma again begins the "or% of ne" creation eCactly as per the previous !alpa$ @arrying out this responsibility continuously for a century, Brahma goes bac% to Bhag"ad dham (the abode of ,ord Vishnu $ His responsibilities are ta%en over by the neCt Brahma, "ho carries out the "or% of creation, by the inspiration of ,ord Aarayana$
6I.J.; ,ale o Ba9endra& the elephant and Brah& the crocodile

!ing *ari%shit as%ed, G;univar, -od had salve -ajendra, in His Hari incarnation$ ( "ish to hear this tale$G Shu%dev says, G & %ing, in +amas ;anvantara, -od had appeared as Hari and saved -ajendra from the ja"s of -rah the crocodile$ ( am narrating the tale to you listen to it carefully$ Surrounded by !shirsagar, there "as a high mountain named +ri%uta$ (n the dense forest on the mountain there lived -ajendra along "ith his harem of many co"s$ -ajendra "as the %ing of many big and strong elephants$ &ne day, -ajendra "as passing his time playfully "ith his family in the forests$ (t "as very hot that day$ So, perpleCed by the sun, -ajendra descended do"n the mountain "ith his family$ 5t the foothills, there "as a big la%e "ith deep, cold "ater and many lotuses blooming in it$ -ajendra entered the la%e and dran% "ater to his fill$ +hen he too% bath and started to play in the "ater$ His
activities in the "ater disturbed the crocodile "ho lived there$ =ith anger, the crocodile caught hold of -ajendraDs leg$ Startled by the sudden attac%, -ajendra put all his might to get free but in vain$ +hey only jostled against each other for long$ )very moment, crocodileDs strengths seemed to be gaining$ 5t last, because of constant pulling into "ater, -ajendraDs strength gave a"ay$ Ao", he "as very desperate and thought that -od has sent the crocodile as a noose of Yama (death for him$ +his thought horrified the elephant, so he decided to ta%e refuge at Shri Hari$ P-a3e- /2 G/& 43 GaAen&-a: -ajendra had the memory of his previous birth fresh$ So concentrating his mind in the beautiful appearance of -od, he began to pray, G( ta%e refuge at -od, "ho is the base of the entire "orld, "ho is the ultimate refuge for everyone$ (t is difficult to unfold the mysteries of His plays$ He ta%es many guises$ Aot even the sages and the gods %no" His appearance and glory$ ;ay such a ,ord protect me$ & ,ord, your po"ers are unending$ You are gracious to those "ho ta%e refuge in you$ (llusioned by you, this humble creature does not recogni?e you$ & ,ord, ( am in your refuge$G Shu%dev says, G*ari%shit, -ajendra had prayed -od impartially and unspecifically so other gods did not come to save him$ Being the soul of everyone, ,ord Shri Hari appeared Himself and sa" -ajendra in deep crisis$ =hen -ajendra sa" that ,ord Shri Hari had arrived on his vehicle -aruda from the s%y, he pic%ed a lotus from the la%e and raised it in his trun% and said, G& 2agadish"ar (-od of all "orld Aarayana, here is a salutation for you$G By then ,ord jumped do"n from the -aruda and dragged both of them out of "ater$ +hen He tore the ja"s of the crocodile by his "heel and saved -ajendra$ 5ll the gods, Brahma and ,ord Shivaa "orshiped -od and sho"ered flo"ers on Him$ P-e0i/(* Bi-1$* /2 GaAa B G-a$: !illed by the -od, the crocodile at once acFuired a divine appearance$ He "as a good.natured -andharva (demigod named Huhu, in his previous birth$ By the curse of ;ahatma 6eval, he had to ta%e birth in crocodile form$ But no", by the grace of -od he "as salved and "ent to his heavenly abode$ -ajendra too received salvation by mere touch of -od$ He too "ent to the heavenly abode of -od$ (n his previous birth, -ajendra "as a %ing of *andya dynasty$ His name "as (ndradyumna$ He "as a fervent devotee of -od$ So he had abandoned his %ingdom and ta%en to penance on ;alay ;ountain$ &ne day he "as engrossed in his "orship "hen sage 5gastya arrived there "ith his disciples$ Eor not getting due "elcome from the %ing, 5gastya cursed him, GYou "ith a dull mind, "ho neglect his guests "ill be born as an elephant$G But even in elephant incarnation, and by the virtues of his devotion, -ajendra retained the memory of his previous birth$ -od appointed him as his courtier and departed to his divine abode riding on -aruda$G
6I.J.7 >hurning o the 1ea

!ing *ari%shit as%ed, G& great sage, ho" did -od cause churning of the sea$ =hat "as the purpose behind it' !indly tell me'G Shu%dev says, G*ari%shit, in the siCth @ha%shush ;anvantara,the demons %ing Bali had defeated the gods$ (ndra had also lost his glory by insulting the garland "hich sage 6urvasa had presented to him as a -odDs gift$ (ndra had put the garland in elephantDs nec% and then got it crushed under its feet$ But no" having lost his %ingdom and struc% by misfortune, (ndra and other gods "ith Brahma prayed to the ,ord $ ;elted by their prayers, -od appeared before them$ 5ll the gods laid before Him and "orshiped$ +he omnipotent -od inspired the gods to churn the sea$ ,ord as%ed the gods to churn the sea and produce nectar$ He also advised them to ta%e the help of demons in that great tas%$ 6rin%ing the nectar one becomes immortal$ -od as%ed the gods to put various medicinal plants and vegetations in !shirsagar (sea of mil% and churn it by ;andarachal ;ountain moving it "ith the help of Vasu%i the naga$ -od promised them of all help from His part$ +hereafter, (ndra and other gods "ent unarmed to the demon %ing Bali and told him of their intention$ 6emons too li%ed the idea$ =ith a friendly attitude then the gods and the demons together uprooted the mount ;andarachal$ But they could not carry it to the sea$ ,ord appeared on
-aruda and carried the mountain to the sea$ +he gods and demons had promised Vasu%i, the Aaga his due share in the nectar$ So Vasu%i allo"ed them to use him as a rope, "ound around ;andarachal as a means to move it$ (n the incarnation of 5jit, ,ord told the gods to hold the head of Vasu%i$ But the demons suspecting some mischief said they "ould hold the head and as%ed the gods to hold the Aaga from the tail for churning$ +hus the gods held the tail "hile the demons too% hold of Vasu%iDs head$ +hus they began the churning$ But as soon as the churning began the mountain started sin%ing for not having a firm base$ ,ord then too% !achchhap (tortoise incarnation and supported ;andarachal on His bac%$ &n the mountain also ,ord appeared in Sahastrabahu form, and held it$ +he gods and the demons churned the sea for long but nothing emerged$ So, ,ord 5jit himself began to churn the sea$ Eirst of all, it "as Halahal, the deadly poison to emerg$ +he intensity of the poison began to torment every being$ +o save their subjects from it, *rajapatis prayed ,ord ,ord Shiva$ +he life. giver, ,ord Bholenath (an epithet of ,ord Shiva dran% all the poison$ By the impact of the poison, ,ord ,ord ShivaDs throat turned blue in color$ Hence ,ord Shiva got the name Aila%antha$ E,e-gen.e /2 Ge,* B Ne.1a-: 5fter ,ord Shiva dran% the poison, the gods and the demons began to churn the sea again "ith greater enthusiasm$ Ao", !amadhenu, the divine co" emerged$ She "as useful for Yagya etc$ so the sages received it$ +hen a horse named <chchaishrava, emerged and ta%en up by Bali the %ing of demons$ +he horse "as follo"ed by 5iravat the elephant$ (ndra too% it$ +he divine gem, !austubh ;ani, emerged then$ ,ord 5jit too% it on His chest$ +hen emerged the !alpvri%sha, the divine tree that reached the heavens$ +hen the elves emerged$ +hey all accepted to serve (ndra in Heaven$ -oddess ,a%shmi emerged after the elves$ 5ll the a?imuths "ere lighted because of her brilliance$ )veryone "as attracted to"ards her beauty, generosity, youthfulness, appearance and glory$ 6evaraj (ndra presented a throne for her to sit$ Rivers brought "ater for her ceremonial bath$ +he earth presented medicinal bath$ @o"s gave *anchganyas and Vasant (spring presented many %inds of fruits and flo"ers$ +he sages "elcomed ,a%shmi "ith Rigsu%tas (hymns of Rigveda $ -andharvas sang in her praise$ +hen ta%ing the lotus in her hand, ,a%shmi too% a seat on the throne$ Sea donned her "ith a beautiful sil% saree$ Varun presented a garland$ Saras"ati gifted her "ith a nec%lace of pearls$ Brahma presented lotus "hile Aagas presented t"o earrings$ 5fter the singing by Brahmins in her praise, ,a%shmi too% lotus garland in her hand and put it around ,ord VishnuDs nec% in a gesture of accepting Him as her husband$ 2agatpita, ,ord Vishnu too gave ,a%shmi a supreme position in His heart$ ,a%shmi "as follo"ed by Varuni "ho "as ta%en up by the demons$ +he gods and the demons began to churn the sea again$ 5t last lord 6hanvantari emerged "ith an urn of nectar$ (t "as 6hanvantari "ho developed 5yurved, the ancient (ndian system of medicine$ 5s soon as the demons sa" the urn, they snatched it and ran a"ay$ 5 ro" then began among the demons over the drin%ing of nectar$ @onsoling the gods, ,ord appeared among the demons in the guise of an eCtremely pretty "oman, ;ohini$ Di*1-i4(1i/n /2 Ne.1a- 43 L/-& a* M/$ini: +he demons "ho "ere fighting over the potions of nectar forgot everything "hen they sa" ;ohini, "ho "as actually a guise of ,ord Vishnu$ ,ured by her prettiness the demons came to ;ohini and reFuested her to solve the dispute for them$ (llusioned by -od, the demons even gave the nectar to ;ohini and sat peacefully sho"ing their confidence in her$ (n ;ohiniDs guise, ,ord thought that the demons "ere congenitally cruel and giving nectar to them "ould be a%in to feeding sa%es "ith mil%$ +heir evils "ould increase$ So, ;ohini offered the nectar to the gods only "hile offered "ine to the demons$ =hen the nectar "as being distributed, a demon named Rahu too% the guise of a god and sitting among them dran% the nectar$ Suurya and @handra spotted him and revealed his identity to -od, "ho at once beheaded him$ But, by then Rahu had drun% enough nectar$
6I.J.F >onHuering o (eaven by King Bali

Shu%dev says, G*ari%shit by the virtues of the ambrosia, the gods had become invincible$ +hey began to ta%e revenge and the demon %ing Bali met his death in the battle$ =hen Brahma sa" the imminent eCtermination of the demons, he sent 6evarshi Aarad in the battlefield to ma%e the gods abstain from the "ar$ +he survivng demons carried the dead Bali to"ards 5stachal$ +here, Shu%racharya, the teacher of the demons, resurrected all the demons "ith his Sanjivani Vidya (%no"ledge that resurrects the dead $ +hus obligated the demon.%ing Bali dedicated all his "ealth to Shu%racharya and began to serve him and other Brahmins of Bhirgu clan$ By the service of the 6emons Brahmin of Bhrigu clan got very much pleased$ !ing Bali had a long cherished desire of conFuering the heaven$ So the Brahmins organi?ed a Vishvjit Yagya for Bali$ 5t the completion of Yagya, first emerged a beautiful chariot, all covered "ith gold$ +hen green coloured horses, ineChaustible Fuiver and a divine shield emerged in seFuence from the altar$ BaliDs grandfather *rahlad presented him a garland "hile Shu%racharya gave a conch$ +hus receiving all the "eaponaries, %ing Bali too% oath and circumambulated Brahmins$ +hereafter, greeting them he boarded the chariot follo"ed by po"erful demons and their huge armies$ +hus fully prepared Bali launched a massive attac% on the heaven$ =hen (ndra sa" that Bali had come "ith full preparation and that his armies had surrounded 5maravati, he "ent to his teacher Brihaspati and as%ed about the reason for the demonsD sudden uprising$ 6evguru said, G(ndra, blessing of Bhrigu Brahmins is the main reason of the demons uprising$ You canDt face the demon armies yet, because !aal himself is in their favor$ So you all abandon the heaven and hide some"here$G 5fter the abdication of the heaven by the gods Bali captured it$ +hen he conFuered all the three "orlds$ =ith advice of his priests, Bali organi?ed one hundred 5shvmegh Yagyas$ +hus by the grace of Shu%racharya and other Brahmins of Bhrigu clan, %ing Bali got the domain of the heaven and began to rule it generously$ P-ea.$ing /2 Pa3/0-a1a 1/ A&i1i 43 Ka*$3a+: Shri Shu%dev says, G& *ari%shit, 5diti( mother of the gods felt very sorry for the gods and capture of the heaven by the demons$ =hen Sage !ashyap visited 5ditiDs hermitage, he sa" his "ife in desperate mood$ &n enFuiring about the reason, 5diti said, G ,ord by your grace my married life is running "ell$ But ( am sorry for the pitiable condition of my sons, the gods$ Strong demons have snatched their abode$ So %indly tell me the remedy$G 5t her reFuest !ashyap preached 5diti about a "orship named G*ayovratG to see% the blessing -od$ +his "orship, *ayovrat is carried out during the "aCing phase of the month *halgun (that correspond to Eebruary.;arch months in -regorian calendar for t"elve days continuously$ &ne must drin% mil% only during the "orship$ &ne.day before starting the Vrat, that is on the day of 5mavasya (moonless night one must smear his body "ith the earth dug out by the boars and ta%e bath in the river$ +hen, one must "orship -od "ith Shodushopchar (siCteen treatments "hile follo"ing the rules prescribed for daily routine$ He must recite 6"adasha%shari ;antra (hymn containing t"elve letters , perform Havan "ith !heer (rice coo%ed in mil% and distribute Aaivadya (remaining food from Havan among the devotees$ Reciting the t"elve.lettered hymn, one must tell the rosary.string at least once about the "ish$ +hus, the same "orship must be performed for t"elve days continuously$ (f one feeds a Brahmin daily during the Vrat, he can be sure of -odDs grace$ ;other of the gods, 5diti performed *ayovrat as per the advice of her husband !ashyap$ *leased by her Vrat, the ,ord appeared before her in @haturbhuj (four.armed form$ ;other 5diti laid flat on the ground to greet the -od$ She prayed, G& ,ord you are the -od of Yagya, and Yagya yourself$ +hose, "ho ta%e refuge at your feet are saved "hen you are pleased, nothing remains ungettable$G ,ord said, G & mother of the gods, ( %no" about your desire$ You have "orshipped me for your sons, But it is difficult yet to defeat the demons$ But because of your "orship, ( "ill protect your sons by becoming your child$G Va,an in.a-na1i/n /2 G/&: =hen the ,ord arrived in 5ditiDs "omb, Brahma prayed to Him$ By BrahmaDs prayers, the unborn -od appeared before 5diti$ Shu%dev says, G & *ari%shit, on the t"elfth day of the "aCing phase of Bhadrapada month (corresponding to September ,ord to% birth in 5bhijit ;uhurta$ )very"here, everybody celebrated the arrival of -od "ith joy$ +he gods
sho"ered flo"ers on Him$ +he -od had arrived in Vaman (d"arf form$ His continence appearance caused tremendous joy for the sages$ 6uring <pnayan consecration of ,ord, the ruling deity of the -ayatri mantra, Savitri (an epithet for Surya preached Him the hymn$ -uru gave him Yagyopavit, !ashyap gave nec%.%erchief, the earth gave blac% buc% s%in, @handra gave scepter, ;other gave loin cloth, the s%y gave umbrella, Brahma gave !amandalu (coconut shell bo"l Saptrishi gave %ush (sacred grass "hile -oddess Saras"ati presented -od "ith a string of Rosaries$ Ya%shraj (%ing of Ya%shas !uber gave him the alms bo"l and mother 5nnapurnna gave him alms$ +hus everyone payed due respect to -od in Vaman (d"arf incarnation "ho "as radiating "ith divine glory$ ,ord "as intimated that the %ing Bali "as performing many 5shvamegha Yagyas "ith Bhrigu Brahmans$ He at once left for the Yagya site, at a place named Bhrigu !achch on the ban%s of the river Aarmada$ 5s soon as ,ord Vaman reached the site, all the sages, hosts and others present there became dull before the radiance of -od$ +hey felt as if Surya himself had arisen there$ )veryone stood up to "elcome -od$ Host Bali offered Him the best seat and "ashed His feet "ith affection$ +hen Bali reFuested -od for his service$ De,an&ing 1$-ee *1e+* /2 Lan& 43 Va,an: !ing Bali reFuested, G& Brahmin , no" tell me ho" ( can serve you$ You are the tangible representation of the penance of Brahmarishis$ By your arrival, all my ancestors are salved, my clan is blessed, my Yagya has succeeded$ 5s% me "hatever you "ish$ ( am ready to give you your desired object$G Hearing the pious tal% of the %ing Bali, ,ord Vaman blessed him and said, G& %ing, no one have been impatient and frugal in your clan$ Reputation of your grandfather *rahlad is still alive$ You great grandfather Hirany%ashipu had chased the illusionary Vishnu "ho had hid in your great grandfatherDs heart itself$ =hen the infuriated Hirany%ashipu could not find Vishnu any"here in all the three "orlds, he presumed that Vishnu had died because of his fear alone$G G& %ingG continued ,ord Vaman, G You are eCcellent among the religious people$ & demon %ing, you can fulfill any great desire$ But ( demand only as much land as could be covered in three steps of mine$ ( need nothing else$G !ing Bali said, G & Batu, (d"arf Brahmin you tal% li%e aged persons but your mind is childish$ ( am the ruler of all the three "orlds, and you are as%ing for three steps of land only, you can still as% for anything else$ ,ord Vaman replied,G & %ing, greedy ones are not sated even if they get "hole of the earth$ But ( donDt "ant more than my reFuirement$G !ing Bali agreed to donate Vaman the ,and as per his demands and pic%ed up the "ater pot to ma%e resolution$ =hen -uru Shu%racharya, sa" that Bali had agreed to donate land, he tried to persuade him, G& Bali, this Vaman is none other than indestructible ,ord Vishnu$ He has ta%en incarnation of Vaman as a son of 5diti, !ashyapDs "ife, in the interest of the gods$ <n%no"ingly you have made a promise to fulfil His desire$ But He "ill snatch everything from you and hand it over to (ndra$ +his illusionary Batu "ill measure "hole of your empire in all the three "orlds "ith his t"o steps, so you "ill not be able to %eep your promise also$ Hence, sho" your inability to ma%e donation as per His demand, send Him bac%$G Mea*(-ing /2 Ea-1$C* $ea0en 43 Va,an: Shu%dev says, G*ari%shit "ith, politeness %ing Bali asserted to his teacher, G -urudev, your "ords are true$ But ( am the grandson of great *rahlad$ Ao" ( cannot reverse my promise$ Ao religion is greater than truth$ (Dm not afraid of any calamity eCcept of deceiving a Brahmin$G =hen, Shu%racharya sa" that his disciple Bali "as determined to violate his dictate, he cursed, G & %ing, soon you "ill be devoid of the "ealth you have been enjoying$G But despite having been cursed by his teacher, Bali stayed firm to his promise$ =orshipping Vaman formally, he too% some "ater on his palm and made the promise to donate land$ 5s soon as Bali made the promise, ,ord Vaman assumed a gigantic appearance and measured BaliDs entire empire in his steps$ (n first He measured the "hole of the earth$ (n the neCt He measured the heaven$ +he second step itself reached Satyalo%a, "here Brahma had once "ashed ,ordDs feet and %ept the "ater, in a !amandalu (a bo"l of coconut shell that came on earth later as the river -anges$ Ao" there "as no room for -od to put His third step$ ,ord ridiculed Bali for not %eeping his promise fully, GYour everything is mine no", but your promise is still incomplete$
Shu%dev says ,ord ridiculed Bali but he remained unmoved "ith patience$ He said: D& ,ord, ( %eep my promise fully, you put your third step on my head$ ( donDt "ant a blemish on my reputation$D ,ord said: D( snatch all the "ealth from people "ho are besto"ed "ith my grace$ +hey then become an inseparable devotee of me, free from every blemish$D +hus ,ord Vishnu gave Bali the empire of Sutal ,o%a (hades that "as even richer than the heaven and said: D( "ill protect you there from all the obstacles$D Your hundredth 5shvamudh Yagya shall be completed$ (n due course of time you shall be the %ing of the heaven$D +his "ay, "ithout fighting a battle, ,ord too% the empire of heaven from the demons and gave it to His brother (ndra$
6I.J.8 ,ale o @atysa3Avatar

!ing *ari%shit as%ed: D& -urudev, ,ord is omnipotent$ =hy did He then ta%e ;atsyavatar li%e an ordinary being bound by %arma' ( "ant to hear the tale of -odDs ;atsyavatar$D Shu%dev said: D& *ari%shit, -od is one$ Still for the preservation of His devotees, He ta%es various incarnations$ He also sho"s His plays by being present in all the creatures$ But He remains unaffected by the merits and demerits of those living beings$D D*ari%shit, at the end of last !alp, Brahma had fallen asleep, causing a *ralaya$ 5ll the "orlds had been inundated then$ =hen Brahma had fallen asleep, Vedas fell out from his open mouth$ 5 demon Hayagreeev abducted the Vedas by his illusionary po"ers$ &mnipotent -od had %no"n the action of the demon$ So he had to ta%e ;atsyavatar (fish.incarnation $D D+here "as a !ing named Satyavrat during that time$ He "as very generous and great devotee of -od$ Sustaining himself on "ater only, the !ing "as observing severe penance$ +he same !ing Satyavrat has come to be %no"n as Shraddhdev, the son of Surya (Vaivashvat in the present !alp$ &ne day, Satyavrat "as ta%ing a bath in the river, "hen a small fish came in his folded palms$ +he fish reFuested the !ing to save her$ So the !ing put the fish in !amandalu (coconut shell bo"l $ But in no time the fish gre" too big to be accommodated in the !amandalu$ So the !ing transferred the fish into another, bigger pot, but again it gre" too big to be accommodated in the pot$ +he seFuence continued till the fish outgre" even the big la%e$ So the !ing decided to put the fish in the sea$ +he fish, "hich "as actually an incarnation of -od, reFuested the !ing not to put it in a sea inhabited by fierce monsters$ !ing Satyavrat gre" suspicious$ So "ith folded hands, the !ing reFuested the fish to appear in its real form$ (nstantaneously, ,ord Aarayana appeared and told the !ing: D)Cactly on the seventh day from no", *ralaya "ill inundate all the three lo%as$ But ( "ill send a boat for you$ You "ill board the boat and tether it to my horns "ith Vasu%i, the Aaga$D Having received the information of deluge, the !ing began to "ait for its arrival "hile reflecting on -odDs virtues$ &n the seventh day, dense clouds gathered in the s%y and began to rain torrentially$ Soon "hole of the earth "as inundated$ +he !ing Satyavrat found the boat sent by ,ord$ Boarding the boat, Satyavrat began to pray to -od$ 5t his prayers, ,ord preached him the %no"ledge of metaphysical$ +hereafter, the -od %illed the demon Hayagreev and recovered the Vedas$ =hen Brahma a"o%e from his sleep, ,ord handed the Vedas to him$D
11&9 0hapter 9
6I.G.6 Description o the Vaivasvat @anu Dynasty

!ing *ari%shit reFuested Shu%dev to describe about the dynasty of his contemporary ;anu, Shraddhdev$ Shu%dev said: D*ari%shit, ( describe about the dynasty of ;anu in short because if ( go in detail, it "ill not be completed in hundreds of years$D ;anu Shraddhdev "as the son of Surya and Sandhya$ Aame of ;anuDs "ife "as Shraddha$ +hey did not have any child initially, so they organised a *utrayeshti Yagya under the auspices of their family teacher Vashishth$ But right amidst the proceedings, the Fueen Shraddha prayed the Brahmins to bless her for a female child$ +he Brahmins made offerings as per her "ish$ @onseFuently a girl, instead of a boy, "as born to them$ She "as named (la$ But the !ing reFuested Vashishth to transform her into a boy$ Vashishth did the same, and the boy thus obtained "as named as Sudyumn$ TALE OF SUDYUMN :! &ne day Sudyumn had gone on a hunting eCcursion$ Riding the horse "ith
his ministers, Sudyumn reached a forest at the foothills of ;eru ;ountain$ +he forest "as the nuptial abode of ,ord Shiva and ;ata *arvati$ 5s soon as Sudyumn and his companions entered the forests, they all, even horses, got converted into females$ Relating its reason Su%hdev said: D&nce, ;ata *arvati "as sitting na%ed in the lap of ,ord Shiva "hen suddenly some great sages arrived there to have a sight of ,ord$ ;ata *arvati san% "ith shyness and ran to don some cloth$ =hen the sages sa" that -auri.,ord Shiva "ere enjoying intimacy, they moved at once to the hermitage of Aar.Aarayana$ Right at that moment, in order to please ;ata *arvati, ,ord Shiv said: D)Ccept me, any man "ho enters here, shall become a "omen$D (t "as because of these "ords of ,ord ,ord Shiva, that Sudyumn and his companions "ere transformed into females$ =hile Sudyumn "as roaming as "oman, Budh, the son of @handra, fell in love "ith her and they agreed to get married$ Erom their marriage, a son, *urura"a "as born, "ho founded the to"n named *ratishthanpur$ Sudyumn, in female form, prayed ,ord Shiva to free him from "oman incarnation$ ,ord Shiva blessed Sudyumn that he "ould be a man for a month and a "oman for another$ +hus this cycle "ould continue life long$ +hereafter Sudyumn returned to the %ingdom and began to rule it religiously$ He got three sons in due course. <t%al, -aya and Vimal$ (n the t"ilight of his life, Sudyumn gave his %ingdom to *ururava and he too% eCile$ TALE OF PARISHADHRU :! 5fter the eCile of Sudyumn, ;anu too% to penance "ith a desire to have son$ *leased by his penance Shri Hari blessed him to have ten sons$ *arishadhru "as the eldest of them$ He "as appointed in the service of the co"s$ &ne night in dar%ness, a tiger bro%e into the co"shed causing a panic among the co"s$ Hearing the panic%y noise of the co"s, *rishadhru ran to the co"shed$ +here he sa" that the tiger had caught a co", and she "as bello"ing in pain and fear$ *rishadhru at once ran to help and "ith a po"erful blo" of the s"ord he beheaded the tiger$ (t "as pitch dar% in the cattleshed, so *rishadhru could not see "hom he had %illed$ (n the morning he reali?ed that he had %illed the co" and not the tiger$ He felt eCtremely sorry$ +heir family teacher cursed him to lead a life of a shudra$ *rishadhru, thereafter passed his life as a celibate and mingled "ith the supreme Soul at last$ TALE OF SHARYATI :! Sharyati "as the second son of Vaivasvat ;anu$ He "as a great scholar of Vedas$ He had an eCtremely beautiful daughter named Su%anya$ &ne day, %ing Sharyati "as in the forests "ith his family$ +hus roaming, they reached the hermitage of the sage @hyavan$ @hyavan "as immersed in deep meditation$ His "hole body "as covered "ith termiteDs nests# only eyes "ere shining li%e fireflies$ &ut of curiosity, the princess Su%anya pric%ed those shining eyes of the sage "ith thorns$ 5ll the %ingDs army fell in crises by this incidence$ =hen the %ing learned about the princessD crime, he begged pardon of the sage @hyavan and gave the princess in his service and himself returned to his palace$ (n the forest Su%anya served @hyavan "ith dedication$ @hyavan received youth and vigor by the grace of 5sh"ini !umar$ *leased by Shu%anyaDs dedication, sage @hyavan provided her "ith all Fueenly luCuries$ 5fter many days, %ing Sharyati again visited the forests$ +here he sa" Su%anya tal%ing to a beautiful young prince$ 5t first Sharyati scolded at Su%anya for violating the norms of a chast "oman$ But Su%anya told him about the transformation of the sage @hyavan by the grace of 5sh"ini !umar$ ,earning the reality the %ing felt overjoyed to see his son.in.la" @hyavan in youthful state$ TALE OF AMBRISH :! Shu%dev says, G *ari%shit, Sharyati "as the %ing Aabhag$ His son "as Aaabhaag$ He "as a great devotee of his parents$ 5s a result of his service for his parents, Aaabhaag "as very much comfortable$ He had a son 5mbarish "ho "as a great devotee of Vishnu$ )ven the great "ealth on earth had no value for 5mbarish$+he %ing 5mbarish served the -od "ith his o"n hands and remained immersed in His love$ &nce, 5mbarish follo"ed Airjala )%adashi Vrat ("aterless fast observed on the eleventh day of each phase of lunar month for a year$ 6uring one such fast, on the t"elfth day, %ing 5mbarish "as about to brea% his fast, "hen sage 6urvasa arrived there along "ith his ten thousands disciples$ =elcoming him, the %ing reFuested 6urvasa to accept food$ But the sage turned do"n the reFuest saying that it "as prayer time for him, so he "ould first go to ta%e bath, then "orship and ta%e alms (food ultimately$ But the sage 6urvasa did not return for long$ +hus by the dictate of Brahmins, %ing 5mbarish bro%e his fast "ith basil leaves and "ater$ 2ust then sage 6urvasa returned and sa" 5mbarish brea%ing his fast$ So ta%ing it as an insult, the
infuriated 6urvasa invo%ed !ritya in order to %ill the %ing$ !ing 5mbarish stood unmoved, and begged pardon "ith folded hands$ ,ord Aarayana sa" His devotee in trouble and inspired His Sudarshan @ha%ra ("heel to save the %ing$ Sudarshan @ha%ra first incinerated !ritya, then aimed at sage 6urvasa$ =hen 6urvasa sa" Sudarshan aimed at him, he ran for his life$ Eirst he reached Brahma$ But Brahma told him that he "as not able to protect the person "ho had done harm to a devotee of -od$ +hen 6urvasa reached to Rudra$ ,ord Shiva also said, G 6urvasa, by the "ish of ,ord, Rudras are engaged in the service of the universe$ +his @ha%ra is unstoppable by me$ So you go to His refuge, only He can save you$G Erom ,ord ShivaDs abode 6urvasa reached Vai%unthdham, the supreme abode of ,ord Vishnu$ He "as feeling intense heat of the "heel$ So, shivering "ith fear, he felt at the ,ordDs feet and said, G& endless, you are the only venerable of all the saints$ & ,ord, ( have committed a great crime against your devotee$ & ,ord please save meG$ Seeing sage 6urvasa in his refuge, ,ord Vishnu said, G 6urvasa$ ( am bound to my devotee$ ( am not independent$ 5s the devotees abdicate their everything to receive me$ Similarly ( am also devoted to my devotee$ So ( too canDt protect you$ -o to the person "ho you "anted to hurt, and pray him$ &nly he can save you from the @ha%ra$ +hus, by the dictate of -od, aggrieved 6urvasa returned to the %ing 5mbarish and fell at his feet$ 5shamed of the sage act, %ing 5mbarish prayed -od, G& ,ord if ( had done any pious deed, may it be enough to calm you and may the heat that torments this Brahmarishi Fuenched$G +hus by the prayers of %ing 5mbarish, Sudarshan "as Fuietened and returned to its position on ,ords finger and sage 6urvasa recovered from his sufferings$ He blessed the %ing and left$
6I.G.; Description o *kshvaku Dynasty

Shu%dev says, G &nce Shraddhdev ;anu snee?ed violently$ Erom his nostrils, a son "as born$ He "as named (%shva%u$ (%shva%u had one hundred sons$ Vi%u%shi, Aimi and 6anda% "ere the eldest three of them$ Vi)()*$i :! &nce, (%shva%u sent his eldest son Vi%u%shi to collect tubers for the offerings to be made to their ancestors$ Vi%u%shi collected sacred Shash tubers$ But, he himself "as feeling tired and hungry, so he ate one of them$ He gave the remaining tubers to his father$ !ing (%shva%u gave those tubers to -uru Vashishth for offering to the ancestors$ Vashishth informed the %ing that the tubers "ere defiled and not fit for offerings$ +hus told by Vashishth, (%shva%u learned the deed of his son and eCpelled him out of his %ingdom in anger$ Vi%u%shi passed his life in eCile and returned home only after the death of his father$ He became famous as Shashad$ P(-anAa3 :! *uranjay "as the son of Vi%u%shi$ He is also famous as D(ndravahD and D!a%utsth$D 5 fierce battle had ta%en place bet"een the gods and the demons$(n the battle, the gods had sought the help from *uranjay$ But *uranjay stipulated that he "ould fight only "hen (ndra agreed to become his vehicle$ Erom -odDs inspiration, (ndra too% the guise of a big and heavy oC and bore *uranjay on his bac%$ =hen *uranjay rode on the oC and trained his divine bo" and arro"s, all the gods prayed to him$ Since, *uranjay had ta%en seat near oCDs hump, he came to be %no"n as !a%utsth$ *uranjay fought a fierce battle "ith the demons$ +hus in no time *uranjay defeated the demons and captured their to"ns, "ealth, luCuries and every other thing and gave them to (ndra$ Since, (ndra had acted as his vehicle, hence *uranjay is also %no"n as (ndravah$ Y(0na*$0a :! (n the lineage of *uranjay, had occurred a %ing named Yuvnashva$ He had no son, so in desperation he gave up his %ingdom and, accompanied by his Fueens, came to stay in the forest$ +here he organi?ed a grand Yagya, (ndrayag "ith a desire of a son and in the auspices of the great sages$ +he Yagya lasted day and night$ But during the Yagya, Yuvnashva felt eCtremely thirsty and "ithout giving a thought he dran% some of the "ater from urn that had been sanctified "ith mantras$ Since, the "ater "as meant to produce a child, Yuvnashva begot a child "ith auspicious signs$ (mmediately after birth the child began to cry for mil%$ So to Fuiten him (ndra put his indeC finger in the childDs mouth$ Since then, the child got the name ;andhata$ ;andhata became a great emperor$ He "as also %no"n as +rasdasyu because big robbers li%e Ravan had an inherent fear of him$ ;andhata had deep self.learnings, still he organi?ed many grand Yagyas$ ;andhata had three sons. *ury%uts, 5mbarish (second and ;uch%und$ He had fifty daughters also$ 5ll of them "ere married to the sage Saurabhi$
T-i*$an)( :! (n this lineage of ;andhata there occurred a %ing named Satyvrat$ He "as renamed as +rishan%u$ +hough by the curse of his father and the teacher, he had become a @handal (an untouchable person yet by the po"er of his penance, sage Vishvmitra helped him reach heaven "ith the body$ But the jealous gods pushed do"n poor Satyvrat from the heaven$ He "as falling headlong "hile ;aharishi Vishumitra supported and fiCed him in mid s%y, hence he got the name +rishan%u$ Ha-i*$.$an&-a :! He "as the son of +rishan%u$ Eor him, t"o great sages Vishvmitra and Vashishth had cursed each other and acFuired bird forms and %ept on fighting for many years$ Harishchandra had no son$ =ith a desire to have a son, Harishchandra "orshiped Varundev$ By the grace of Varun, he got a son named Rohit$ @aught in the love for his son, Harishchandra forgot to organi?e Yagya to pay his than%s to Varun$ Rohit too had fled to the forest to save his life "hen he learned that his father "ished to sacrifice him$ He stayed there for long$ Bac% there in the %ingdom Harishchandra acFuired a deadly disease of 6ropsy as a result of VarunaDs anger$ Having learnt about his fatherDs illness, Rohit tried five times to return to the %ingdom, but every time (ndra forebode him$ +hus he stayed in the forest for siC years$ But in the seventh year he bought the middle son of 5jigart and too% him to the %ingdom to be used as a votive animal$ +here he handed the boy over to his father$ +hereafter, %ing Harishchandra organi?ed a grand Yagya and pleased Varun$ *leased by their unsha%able faith in truthfulness sage Vishvamitra blessed Harishchandra and his "ife and preached them about metaphysical %no"ledge$ SAGAR :! (n the lineage of Rohit later on, had occurred a !ing Bahu%$ <nfortunately, he met an untimely death$ &ne of his "ido"ed "ife got ready to be immolated "ith her husbandDs pyre$ She "as pregnant then, so the sage 5urv prevented her from getting Sati$ =hen her fello" Fueens learnt about her pregnancy, they fed her "ith poisoned food$ But the poison proved ineffective on the unborn baby$ +he baby "as born in due course "ith poison, so he came to be %no"n as Sagar$ Sagar had a great reputation as the !ing$ He had siCty thousand sons$ He had also resolved to organi?e one hundred 5shvmamegh Yagyas$ His ninety.nine Yagyas completed "ithout hassles, but during the hundredth Yagya, (ndra stole the horse and tethered it in the hermitage of the sage !apil$ SagarDs siCty thousand sons set out in search of the horse, but could not find it any"here on earth$ 5t last, they reached the hermitage of the sage !apil$ Before that, "ith their enormous po"er, they had dug out huge pits, "hich filled "ith "ater and formed the sea$ +he sea derived its Hindi Synonym Saagar from Sagar$ =hen those siCty thousand princes sa" that the Yagya horse "as +ethered in !apilDs hermitage, they began to abuse the sage$ 6isturbed by the noise, the sage !apil opened his eyes, and instantaneously all the siCty thousand princes got incinerated$ (t "as 5nshumana, the grandson of Sagar, "ho pacified sage !apil "ith his politeness and brought bac% the horse$ He also discovered the ashes of his ancestors$ Sage !apil told 5nshumana that the salvation of his ancestors "ould be possible only if touched by -angaji, (the sacred -anges $ Since then, all the %ings in SagarDs lineage observed severe penance to bring the -anges on earth for the salvation of their ancestors$ B$agi-a1$ :! Eirst of all, %ing 5nshumana observed hard penance$ But even after many years of penance he could not succeed in his efforts$ His son 6ileep also observed sever penance, but his efforts too, could not succeed$ Bhagirath "as the son of 6ileep$ 5fter 6ileep, Bhagirath started severe penance$ 5fter many years of penance, Bhagirath succeeded in pleasing the -anges$ She appeared before him and as%ed him to see% a boon$ Bhagiratha reFuested the -anges to arrive on earth$ +he -anges accepted his "ish, but put a Fuestion as to "ho "ould support her "hen she fell on earth from the heaven$ Bhagiratha then began his penance again to please ,ord Shiva so that He could support the -anges on earth$ ,ord Shiva accepted BhagirathDs prays and supported the -anges on his head$ +hereafter He moved on the path sho"n by Bhagirath "ith sacred -anges follo"ing$ +hus, the sacred -anges reached at the place "here ashes of BhagirathDs ancestors "ere lying$ +he holy "aters of the -anges "ashed the ashes to the confluence at -anga Sagar$ By the mere touch of -angesD holy "ater, Bhagirath ancestors received salvation$ 5fter Bhagirath many great %ings li%e ;ichsah, !hatvang, 6hirghbahu, Raghu etc$ occurred in the (%shva%u dynasty$ RaghuDs son "as 5ja and his son "as 6ashrath$ (t "as in the home of !ing 6ashrath, and by the prayer of the gods, that ,ord Shri Hari too% birth as four sons of 6ashrath$
De*.-i+1i/n /2 L/-& Ra,aC* P'a3* :! Shu%dev says, G *ari%shit, to %eep the "ords of his father, ,ord Rama abdicated the entire %ingdom and too% eCile in the forest$ Staying in the forest ,ord Rama protected many sages, and helped them complete their religious rituals successfully$ He slayed many formidable demons there$ But, for cutting the nose and ears of Shupana%ha, the sister of demon %ing Ravan, He had to bear the separation of his "ife sita$ Rama had "on Sita as his "ife in a s"ayamvar in 2ana%pur$ (n his teenage, sage Vishmatria had ta%en Rama and ,aCmana "ith him to his hermitage to guard his religious proceedings against the demons$ Rama and ,aCmana had %illed many demons then$ (t "as during this period that the s"ayamvar "as organi?ed in 2ana%pur$ ,a%shmi, the better half of ,ord Vishnu, had herself appeared as Sita in 2ana%pur$ Sage Vishvamitra himself ta%en Rama and ,aCmana to the s"ayamvar$ ;any more brave and strong %ings and princes had gathered there$ But no one could train the Bo" of ,ord Shiva as per the condition of the s"yamvar$ (t "as only Rama, "ho not only lifted the bo" but trained it also$ (n the process of training, the bo" bro%e "ith a loud noise$ +hus ,ord Rama "on Sita as His "ife$ But during the eCile the demon %ing Ravan deceitfully abducted Sita to avenge the insult of his sister Shurpana%ha$ +hereafter, the circumstances favored ,ord Rama and He soon found out the "hereabouts of Sita$ =ith a huge army of mon%eys and bears, ,ord Rama reached the seashore there He prayed to the sea to ma%e "ay for Him$ But the sea did not pay heed to his prayers, so angrily He got ready to evaporate the sea$ +hus frightened, the sea revealed to Him the "ay to ma%e a bridge over it$ ,ord Rama then built a bridge over the sea and landed in ,an%a$ 5 fierce battle follo"ed in "hich ,ord Rama and ,aCman together slayed the demon %ing Ravan, his brother !umbh%arn and ;egnaad, the son of Ravan$ +hus, they got Sita free from RavanDs captivity$ @ro"ning Vibhishan, the brother of Ravan as the !ing of ,an%a, they returned to 5yodha on *ushpa% Vimana$ Brahmrishis cro"ned Rama as the %ing of 5yodhya$ 5ll the three "orlds became happier, healthier and "ealthier$ Bharat, ,a%shmana, Shatrughn and Hanumanji stayed forever in the service of ,ord Rama al"ays follo"ing the moral dictates and put an eCample for the "orld of high morals$ 5s a %ing, ,ord Rama also organi?ed 5shvmegh Yagya$
6I.G.7 >handra Dynasty

Shu%dev says, G*ari%shit, no" ( narrate about @handra dynasty$ ;any great and pious %ings li%e *ururava had occurred in this dynasty$ @handrama "as the son of 5tri, the son of Brahma$ Budh "as the son of @handrama "hile *ururava "as the son of Budh$ (la "as the mother of *ururava$ He "as very virtuous$ 5ttracted by his virtues, elf <rvashi had approached *ururava "ith a sensual desire$ *ururava "elcomed <rvashi, and together they begot siC sons. 5yu, Shrutayu, Satyayu, Ray, Vijay and 2ay$ Gaa&$i :! (n the lineage of Vijay the son of *ururava, there had occurred a %ing -aadhi$ -aadhi had a daughter Satyvati$ Satyvati "as married to the sage Richi%$ Richi% and Satyvati begot 2amadagni "ho married Renu%a, the daughter of sage Renu$ 2amadagni and Renu%a begot *arashuram$ (n the same lineage, later on, occurred great %ings li%e Rantidev, Shibi, Yadu, !uru, *uru, 6ushyant and Bharat$ (n this lineage of !uru, %ing Shantanu had married -anga, "ho gave birth to Bheeshma$ Satyavati, the daughter of Aishad "as the second "ife of Shantanu$ She begot @hitrangad and Vichitravirya$ @hitrangad had died in an encounter "ith a demigod of his o"n name, "hile Vichitravirya "as married to 5mbi%a and 5mbali%a the princesses of !ashi$ But, having too much caenal indulgence "ith his "ives, Vichitravirya soon developed tuberculosis and died "ithout producing a child$ Since, Bheeshma had vo"ed to abide by celibacy till death, so Vyasji "as summoned to produce children from 5mbi%a and 5mbali%a$ Erom Vyasji the t"o Fueens and a maid gave birth to 6hritrashtra, *andu and Vidur respectively$ 6hritrashtra had one hundred sons$ +he !uaravas, "hile *anduDs "ife !unti begot !aran, Ydhishthir, Bheem and 5rjun$ *anduDs second "ife ;adri begot Aa%ul and Sahdev$ 5rjun had married Subhadra, the sister of ,ord !rishna also$ Subhadra had begot 5bhimanyu "ho "as married to <ttra, the daughter of Viratraja, and you "ere born to <ttara, & *ari%shit$
(n Yaduvansh, lineage of Yadu a %ing Shursen had occurred$ He had a son Vasudev$ Vasudev had eight "ives$ 6eva%i "as the prominent among them$ Aine children "ere born to them$ !ansa, the brother of 6ev%i, %illed siC of them$ Seventh "as Balrama, eighth !rishna, and at ninth place "as her daughter Subhadra$ Shu%dev says, G& *ari%shit, ,ord Himself had appeared as the son of Vasudev and 6eva%i$ =henever the religion and religious virtues fall in the "orld and sins rises, the omnipotent, ,ord Shri Hari ta%es incarnation to destroy the evils, and protect the pious ones and establish the religion again$ =hen the evil demons too% the guise of the %ings and began to route the earth, ,ord Vishnu then too% the incarnation as ,ord !rishna$ 5long "ith Him, Sheshnaga, His bed, also too% incarnation as Balarama, in Yadu Vansh$ +ogether they presented such divine plays that even the gods could not guess them$ 5t the same time, to benefit the devotees, "ho "ould be born in !aliyuga, ,ord !rishna eCpounded His pious life into uncountable incidents$ ;erely by reciting and hearing the tales of ,ordDs life, all the sorro"s, melancholis and ignorance of the devotees are removed$ +hrough the battle of ;ahabharata bet"een !auravas and *andavas, ,ord !rishna relieved the earth of most of her burdens$ He Himself slayed many demons, "hile got many slain by Balarana$ <ltimately, preaching <ddhav about metaphysical %no"ledge, ,ord !rishna departed to His divine abode$
11&1:0hapter 1:
,his chapter is very large 3 containing J8 sub3sections.
Hearing the tales of Royal dynasties from Shu%dev, %ing *ari%shit reFuested G-uruvar, you have just narrated the suprising tale of Suryvansh and @handravansh (dynasties $ Ao" ( "ish to hear the tales of ,ord !rishnaDs life in detail$ (t "as because of -odDs grace that my ancestors could successfully "in the ;ahabharata$ ( to had eCperienced ,ords grace "hile ( "as an unborne child and 5shvathama had triggered Brahmastra to destroy me$ (t "as the ,ord himself "ho saved me from the heat of Brahmastra "ith his "heel$ & sage, therefore, %indly narrate the tale of !rishnaDs life "ho is the soul of every living being$ ( do not feel thirsty or hungry "hile hearing the pious tale of -odDs life from you$G *leased by the pure devotion of *ari%shit for -od, Shu%dev Says, G=hen the atrocities of evil demons increased on earth beyond a certain limit, the perpleCed earth reached to Brahma in the guise of a co", and vented her sorro"s$ Brahma too% her and ,ord Shiva to ,ord Vishnu and prayed Him through *urushsu%ta$ ,ord heard their prayers and said, G( %no" about the sufferings of poor earth$ Very soon, (Dll ta%e incarnation in Yaduvansh to elevate her burden$ 5ll the gods, should ta%e birth in Yadu%ul to assist me during my human incarnation$ 5nd to serve my beloved Radha, all the elves should appear as the "omenfol% of Yudu community$G Brahma dictated the gods and said that even Yog ;aya (personification of illusions of ,ord Vishnu "ould ta%e a partial incarnation to assist the ,ord in His plays$ +hus consoling the earth Brahma returned to his abode$
6I.6M.6
@arriage o Vasudeva and Devaki
ShursenDs son Vasudev "as married to 6eva%i, the daughter of 6eva%$ 5fter the marriage ceremony, <grasenDs son and 6ev%iDs cousin !ansa "as driving the chariot of ne"ly "edded couple$ &n the "ay a celestial voice proclaimed G & Eool !ansa, the eighth son of your beloved sister, "hose chariot you are driving so affectionately, shall be the cause of your death$$G Hearing the voice !ansa dre" out his s"ord to %ill 6eva%i$ But Vasudev prayed to him politely, G*rince !ansa, you are the descendent of Bhoj dynasty, you are a brave man$ (t does not fit you bravery that you are yourself ready to %ill your sister$ She is a "oman and has just got married$ She has not done any harm to you, she deserves pity$ (f you fear her children, ( promise that ( "ill give all her children to you$G +hus assured by truth abiding VasudevDs "ords, !ansa dropped the idea of %illing 6eva%i$ 5s per his promise, Vasudev gave his first ne"born child to !ansa$ *leased by VasudevDs abidance to truth, !ansa said, GYou eighth son "ill be my enemy, so ( "ill %ill only your eighth son$ +a%e the
child bac%$G 5t the same time, singing in ,ordDs praise, 6evarishi Aarad appeared there and said, G& !ansa in vie" of rising atrocities of demons, ,ord Aarayana himself "ill ta%e birth in Yaduvansh$ Besides Him, all the co"boys and all others "ho belonged to Yadav clan are none other than the gods in Human guise$ +he gods are ma%ing massive preparations to eCterminate evil %ings and as a lotus has only eight petals and no one can mar% out its eighth petal, similarly, 6eva%i "ill have eight children and no one "ould be able to find out "ho is the eighth$G Saying this, 6evarishi Aarad disappeared, !ansa got firm belief that all the Yaduvanshis "ere gods and that ,ord Vishnu Himself "ould ta%e birth as Vasudev and 6eva%iDs son to %ill him$ He, therefore, put Vasudev and 6eva%i in the prison$ Since then !ansa %illed the children one by one soon after their birth, Shesh Aarayana Himself appeared as the seventh son$ =hile he "as still unborn, ,ord Vishnu through His Yogmaya (personified illusion , transfered the embryo in RohiniDs "omb$ ,ord dictated Yogamaa that she herself should ta%e birth from Yashoda, the "ife of Aand, in -o%ul$ He also blessed her that in future, people "ould "orship her as 6urga, @handi%a, Bhadra%ali, Aarayani, Vaishnavi etc$ =hen the seventh fetus "as transferred, !ansa got "orried ho" "as it destroyed$ His fears and melancholy increased since then$ 5 fear gripped him that his death "as very near no"$
6I.6M.;
Arrival o Bod in %nborn Baby
!ans had %no"n that during the battle bet"een the gods and demons he "as the demon !alnemi, and he "as %illed by ,ord Vishnu$ So fearing ,ord Vishnu rallying "ith Yaduvanshis, !ansa cultivated high degree of hostility to"ards them$ He captured even his father <grasen and put him in the prison$ Ao" the reign of the %ingdom "as entirely in his hands$ !ansa "as himself very strong and also had the assistance of his father.in.la", 2arasandh$ Eormidable demon li%e *ralamb, Ba%a, @hanur, +rinavart, 5ghasur, ;ushti%, 5risht, 6vivid, *ootana, !ashi and 6henu% "ere his courtiers$ 5s a result of !ansa atrocities en mass eCodus of Yaduvanshis from ;athura follo"ed$ +hese Yaduvanshis left ;athura and settled in regions li%e !uru, *anchal etc$ Still some of them accepted to serve !ansa, but only superficially$ =hen all pervasive ,ord sa" that Yaduvanshis "ere being tortured "ithout reason, He transferred his glory in Vasudev$ +hrough Vasudev, 6eva%i received that brilliant part of the lord$ &n the other hand, !ansa also came to %no" about 6eva%iDs eighth issue$ Since, then his hostility surged unprecidently and he began to "ait for the birth of 6eva%iDs eight son very anCiously$ 5ll it means to say that !ansa mind reflected on -od every moment day in and day out$
6I.6M.7
Birth o Lord Krshna
+he long a"aited day also arrived at last$ (t "as the eighth day in the "aning (dar%er phase of the lunar month of Bhadrapada (corresponding to 5ugustJSeptember $ Rohini, the brightest star "as rising "hile dense clouds had gathered in the s%y$ Before actual arrival, ,ord manifested Himself before Vasudev and 6eva%i$ +hey felt as if a full moon had risen in the east$ Vasudev sa" that an eCtraordinarily marvellous baby boy "as standing before them$ His eyes "ere as soft as lotus# He had four arms and held a conch, mace, "heel and lotus$ He bore !austubh ;ani in the nec% and "ore yello" clothes$ Valuable ornaments adorned all parts of his body$ +hus, seeing -od himself arrived as his son, Vasudev "as over"helmed$ 6eva%i too "as overjoyed but feared !ansa first$ +hen she joyfully prayed to -od$ -od said then, G6uring S"ayambhu ;anvantar, both of you had "orshipped me "ith a desire of son$ Vasudev "as a *rajapati Sutapa "hile you "ere his "ife *rishni$ You had "orshipped me "ith pure hearts$ *leased by your penance ( had as%ed you to see% a boon, so you had sought a son li%e me in virtues$ ( had arrived then as your son *rishnigarbh$ (n the neCt birth you "ere !ashyap and 5diti and ( "as <pendra$ Ao", in the third birth also$ ( have arrived as your son$G Saying this, the ,ord transformed Himself into an ordinary baby$ Erom the inspiration of -od, Vasudev "ished to move the baby out of the prison$ (nstantaneously, all the loc%s of the jail opened automatically and the guards fell asleep$ @arrying the baby in a "inno"er, Vasudev set out for -o%ul across the river Yamuna$
(t "as raining heavily, so Sheshnaga follo"ed them shading the baby "ith his hoods$ Vasudev entered the river Yamuna$ Yamuna too felt overjoyed that her most beloved lord has come to her$ Hence, she began to rise in order to touch His feet$ 6angling his feet behind Vasudev, -od let Yamuna touch them$ +ouching the feet, the s"elling river receded at once and gave Vasudev a safe passage$ @rossing the river, Vasudev reached -o%ul$ +here, he entered the home of Aand and %ept the baby beside Yashoda and too% her ne" born baby girl and brought her to the prison$ 5s soon as Vasudev %ept the baby girl in 6eva%iDs lap, the gates loc%ed up again and the guards a"a%ened$ +he baby "ho "as actually Yogmaya (personification of illusion began to cry$ +he guards at once ran to inform !ansa about the birth$ !ansa came running and snatched the baby from 6eva%i and proceeded to thro" her on the stone$ But before he could thro" her, the baby escaped from his hands and assumed 5shtbhuji (eight.armed 6urga appearance in the s%y and reprimanded him: G& fool, "hy are you trying to %ill me, "hen you canDt even harm me, the one "ho "ill %ill you, has already appearred$ Ao" stop %illing the innocent children$G !ansa stood stunned by the tal%s and appearance of the goddess$ -oddess Bhag"adi disappeared and became omnipresent$ She is no" venerable "ith different names in different locations$ 5fter the disappearance of -oddess (Yogmaya !ansa felt remorse$ He at once fell at the feet of his sister 6eva%i and brother.in.la" Vasudev and began to beg their pardon$ +hereafter, !ansa released both of them$ (n the morning, !ansa held a discussion "ith his ministers$ +he ministers, "ho "ere formidable demons themselves, assured !ans that they "ould %ill all the babies born "ithin ten days and destroy the Brahmins, co"s, gods, ascetics and all those "ho could pose potential danger to him$ Shu%dev says: G& *ari%shit, the demons "ere Rajoguni (having royal virtues and +amoguni (Virtues of dar%ness and hence "ere unable to differentiate good from evils$ +heir eCtermination "as imminent$ +hat "as "hy they cultivated hostility to"ards saints and saintly people$ & !ing, those, "ho disregard saintly people, loose their life, "ealth, reputation, religion and everything$
6I.6M.F
Destivities in Bokul or Lord)s Birth
6eva%iDs seventh baby "as transferred before birth into the "omb of Rohini$ +he baby "as born as Baldevji$ 5t his birth, Brahmins blessed Aand$ But laughingly Aand said: G& holy Brahmins, this baby is not mine$ (t is born to my friendDs "ife$G Brahmins said then: G&%ay Baba, "e "ill return only "hen your "ife bears a child$ +he Brahmins thereafter organised grand "orships$ By their blessings Yashoda conceived$ (t "as =ednesday, the eighth day in the dar%er phase of the lunar month Bhadrapada (5ugustJSeptember , "hen Yashoda said to her sister.in.la" Sunanda: GSister, %indly "a%e me up, "hen the baby ta%es birth,G Sunanda laughed at that$ (t "as in fact the influence of Yogmaya$ =hen Yogmaya too% birth, all the people around her "ere fast asleep and continued to sleep until Vasudev came there and replaced the baby girl "ith baby boy$ Soon after Vasudev left, Yashoda a"a%ened from slumber and sa" an eCtremely beautiful baby boy beside her$ Aand "as meditating then in the co"shed$ He "as informed at once$ His heart too filled "ith supernatural joy$ He too% his bath, and droned ne" clothes$ +hen he summoned the Brahmins and got necessary rituals performed$ Served the gods and his ancestors and donated co"s, clothes, ornaments and cereals to the Brahmins$ 5s Aand "as the chief of Vraj region, so all the people decided to celebrate babyDs birth$ 5ll the houses, streets and lanes "ere cleaned and sprin%led "ith scented "aters$ 5ll the gate"ays "ere embellished "ith flags, pylons and festoons$ 5ll the villagers began to gather in and around AandDs home$ ,adiesfol% also felt overjoyed by the ne"s of the birth of YashodaDs son$ )ven the co"s, oCen and calves also "ere adorned beautifully$ Brahma, Aarad, Sana%adi etc$ "ere all having the sight of lord from heaven$ )ven ,a%shmi appeared in -o%ul, illuminating all the a?imuths$ -opis (ladiesfol% decorated their palms "ith henna, anointed themselves "ith ubatan (a paste composed of gram floor and many herbs, supposed to enhance beauty and too% bath$ +hen they adorned themselves from tip to toes and set out for AandDs homes "ith various gifts$ 5t AandDs home they sprin%led the baby "ith "ater containing turmeric and oil and sang auspicious songs loudly$
+hus, "hen lord appeared in Braj, grand celebration "as organised in His "elcome, auspicious music "as played$ +he menfol% celebrated the joy spraying one another "ith mil%, curd, butter etc$ Aand presented the people generously "ith clothes, ornaments and co"s$ *risoners, ascetics and beggars "ere given alms$ 5t the reFuest of Aand, Rohini herself "elcomed the "omenfol%$ Since the arrival of lord, prosperity too came to stay in Vraj$
6I.6M.8
1alvation o Eootana
Shu%dev says: D*ari%shit, after many days, entrusting other -opals "ith the onus of guarding -o%ul, Aand "ent to ;athura to pay annual taCes in !ansaDs court$ Vasudev too learned about his arrival and "ent to see him$ Aand felt overjoyed to see Vasudev and embraced him affectionately$ Vasudev as%ed Aand: GYour age is declining no"$ (t is very fortunate no" that you have also got a son$ ;y Son Balarama and "ife Rohini are staying "ith you$ He "ould be regarding you as his parents$G Aand said: +he evil !ansa %illed many of your children$ He did not even spare your daughter, Ao doubt, happiness and sorro" are bound to ones fate$G Vasudev said: GBrother, no" your duties here are over$ You should not stay here for long, because ( fear some disturbances in -o%ul in your absence$ Hearing this, Aand at once set out for -o%ul$ (n the "ay, he reflected over the "ords of Vasudev and prayed -od: G;ay -od, everything thing be "ell in -o%ul$ +here in -o%ul ho"ever a curious incidence too% place$ 5fter his discussion "ith evil ministers, !ansa had sent a cruel ogress *ootana to %ill all the ne"ly born babies in his %ingdom$ (n the guise of an eCtremely pretty "oman, *ootana entered -o%ul$ She hypnoti?ed the menfol% "ith her s"eet smile and flirting glances$ She searched ne".born babies here and there and entered AandDs home eventually$ Baby ,ord !rishna "as sleeping in the cradle$ He had %no"n about her arrival# but posed as if He "ere asleep$ *ootana is a form of non.%no"ledge "ith an alluring out"ard appearance$ ,ord !rishna "as only siC days old then$ *ootanaDs breasts "ere filled "ith poison$ Such as someone lifts a sleeping sna%e mista%ing it for a rope$ Similarly *ootana lifted the baby "ho proved her death$ *ootana too% the baby to secluded place and began to breast feed him$ ,ord prayed to ,ord Shiva "ho came to stay in His throat and dran% all the poison from the mil%$ +hereafter the ,ord began to suc% *ootanaDs life$ *erpleCed *ootana began to cry loudly and "rithe nervously$ 5s her death approached she regained her real, ogress appearance$ 5ll the men and "omen "ere frightened "hen they sa" the huge, formidable body of *ootana$ But "hen they sa" !rishna playing nearby, their fear gone and "ith joy they lifted the baby and soothed him$ ;ean"hile, Aand and his fello" -opas too arrived from ;athura$ *ootanaDs body testified the truth of VasudevDs "ords$ -opas cut *ootanaDs body into many pieces and burnt them outside -o%ul$ =hen her body "as burning, a s"eet smell of 5gar (a %ind of scented "ood used in incense ma%ing spread all around$ Because ,ord himself had fed on her mil%, So all her sins "ere destroyed$ ,ord regarded her as his mother and hence salved her$
6I.6M.I
Killing o 1hakat
=hen lord !rishna "as t"enty.seven days old, a festival "as organised in -o%ul$ ;ata Yashoda bathed the baby "hile the Brahmins recited hymns$ Yashoda sa" that baby "as feeling sleepy, so putting him in a cradle, she left it under a cart$ +he cart "as loaded "ith pitchers of mil%, curd and butter$ 5fter sometime, lord !rishna a"o%e and began to cry for a feed$ But amidst festivities, Yashoda could not hear his cries$ ;ean"hile a demon Sha%atasur rode the cart "ishing to press the cart and thereby %ill the ,ord$ But before he could act, the ,ord touched the cart "ith His feet and lo and beholdH +he cart turned over and all the utensils %ept on it came crashing do"n$ )ven the demon "as crushed to death under the cart$ &ther boys, "ho "ere playing nearby, informed the -opis (ladiesfol% that the little !anhaiya had turned over the loaded cart, but they did not believe the %ids$ Yashoda ran in horror and lifted the baby in her lap$ +he Brahmins recited pacifying hymns then$ +hereafter the baby "as
bathed again "ith sanctified "ater$ 5 feast of Brahmins follo"ed then$ <ltimately they "ere seen off "ith many gifts$
6I.6M.<
1alvation o ,rinavart
&nce ;ata Yashoda "as playing "ith the baby lord in her home$ 5ll of a sudden she felt as if the baby "as getting disproportionately heavy$ Soon, she felt herself unable to bear the child anymore$ So she left the child on the ground and began to pray *urushottama ,ord Rama$ Soon after"ards she forgot about the event, but all "as not over yet$ +rinavart, a demon minister of !ansa, had arrived in -o%ul as a fierce cyclone$ He covered entire -o%ul "ith dust and blinded the people temporarily$ Eor a moment people could not see anything and during that moment +rinavart ble" the baby in air "ith him$ =hen the dust settled, Yashoda did not find the baby !rishna "here she had left him$ She felt eCtremely sorry and fell on ground in depression$ &ther "omenfol% also gathered round her$ +hey too began to cry not seeing baby !rishna there$ (n the form of cyclone, the demon +rinavart had blo"n baby !rishna "ith him# but he too could not bear his heavy burden$ So he began to lose his velocity$ ,ord !rishna caught him by nec%$ +he demon died in a fe" moments and his dead body fell in Vraj$ 5nd Yashoda got a ne" lease of life "hen she sa" baby !rishna safe and sound$ Aand and other -opas too "ere overjoyed$
6I.6M.J
+aming o Lord Krshna
&nce, the supreme ascetic -argacharya arrived in -o%ul$ He "as the ancestral teacher of Yaduvanshis$ Aand joyfully "elcomed and treated the hermit$ +hen he reFuested him to carry out the ritual of naming and suggest suitable named for both of his sons$ 5charya -arg said, G& Aand, everyone %no"s that ( am the ancestral teacher of the Yadavs$ (f ( carry out the naming ritual for these boys, people "ill understand that they are 6eva%iDs sons$G So Aand reFuested -argacharya to name his sons secretly$ -argacharya accepted his reFuest and carried out the naming rituals secretly in AandDs cattle shed$ -arg said: G+his son of Rohini "ill cause by his virtue, great pleasures for his near and dear ones$ So his second name "ill be Rama$ 5nd because of eCcessive strength, people "ill call him as Bala also$ Since he "ill unite the people also, so one of his names "ould be San%arshana$G +hereafter, -arg said pointing to Yashodanandan$ He has ta%en incarnation in every age$ (n the past ages, he had ta%en "hite, red and yello" compleCions respectively$ +his time he has ta%en dar% compleCion, so he "ill be %no"n as !rishna$ &nce he has been the son of Vasudev, so people "ill call him as Vasudev also$ He "ill cause salvation of all of you, and great joy for the fello" -opas and co"s$ =ith his help, you "ill overcome even the severe crises$ & Aand, +his boy "ill be eFual to Aarayana in virtues, "ealth, beauty, fame and influence$ Eoster this child "ith care and earnestness$G +hus naming the boys as per their virtues, -arg returned to his hermitage$
6I.6M.G
>hildhood o Lord Krshna
Shu%dev says: G& *ari%shit, time passed in -o%ul as usual$ Balrama and !rishna too gre" normally$ Soon they began to "al% on %nees and palms$ =ith their childish plays they both amused men and "omen fol% of -o%ul$ )veryone too% special care of them and loo%ed after them to save them from any possible danger$ ,adiesfol% "ere specially careful about them$ Soon after"ards, both the %ids began to "al% trottingly$ Ao" their movement no longer confined "ithin the boundary of their home$ Because of his special virtues, !rishna began to lead other %ids of his age group "hereas his elder brother Balarama "as some"hat serious in nature$ !rishna specially enjoyed teasing the girls and mil%maids of -o%ul$ &ften he "ould eat stealing their mil%, curd and butter$ 5t other times, He did not hesitate even to brea% their pitchers$ (n such situations the ladiesfol% used to gather in AandDs home to complain against !rishna$ 5nd every time Yashoda promised them to punish !rishna$ But every time, "hen she proceeded to punish him, she forgot everything before his s"eet, innocent smile$
&ne day, Balarama complained against !rishna, G;a, the little !anhaiya has eaten mud$ =orried about !rishnaDs health, Yashoda scolded at him: G+ell me, & mischievous !rishna, "hy did you eat mudG$ 5t that moment, little !rishnaDs eyes "ere moving "ith fear$ He made an eCcuse: GAo ;a, ( have not eaten any mud$ +hey are telling yoou a lie$ (f you donDt believe, me see yourself$G Saying this, !rishna opened his little mouth$ Yashoda peeped into his mouth and "hat she sa" there ama?ed her$ She could not believe it$ +he entire universe "as visible in his little mouth$ Yashoda sa" strange places, entire Vraj and even herself in the little mouth of !rishna$ She felt di??y$ =ith his illusionary po"ers, ,ord "iped out the memory of this incidence from the mind of Yashoda, and she again immersed in love "ith her child$
6I.6M.6M
%khal Bandan N 1alvation o Yamar9un
&nce, "ishing to feed !rishna "ith butter, Yashoda began to churn mil% in the morning $ Very soon, !rishna too a"a%ened and not finding the mother on her bed, He set out to search her$ Soon He found her in the courtyard "here she "as churning the mil%$ He began to insist for breast feeding at once$ So Yashoda stopped churning and began to breast feed !rishna$ 5ffection played on her face$ Suddenly the mil% %ept on the fire pot began to boil$ Yashoda left !rishna in order to attend the boiling mil%$ But the unstiated !rishna filled "ith anger and bro%e the pitcher of curd$ +hen he "ent inside and began to eat butter, "hen Yashoda came bac%, she understood the matter and began to search him "ith a stic% in her hand$ 5fter eating butter himself, !rishna "as no" feeding the mon%eys "ith it$ Seeing the mother come in hot pursuit, !rishna jumped over the mortar and ran a"ay$ Yashoda chased him, but soon felt tired because of her bul%y body$ +hereafter, Yashoda proceeded to tie !rishna as a punishment$ She got a rope and tried to tie !rishna$ But the rope fell short by t"o fingers$ She joined many ropes together but the result "as same$ )very time the ropes fell short by t"o fingers$ Soon, Yashoda "as bathing in s"eat$ =hen !rishna sa" his mother in depression, he himself tied in the ropes$ +ethering little !rishna to a heavy mortar, Yashoda engaged in usual household tas%s$ +ethered to the mortar, !rishna glanced at the t"o 5rjun trees, "hich "ere standing on the gate li%e t"o sentries$ He resolved to salve them$ !ing *ari%shit as%ed Shu%dev about the trees$ Shu%dev said: G*ari%shit, the lord of "ealth !uber had t"o sons Aal%ubar and ;anigreev$ &ne day they "ere enjoying the s"eet company of pretty "omen on the ban% of ;anda%ini river$ 2ust by coincidence, 6evarshi Aarad arrived there$ &ut of Shyness, the "omen fol% at once covered themselves, but both the sons of !uber stood boldly "ithout feeling any shame$ (ndignant Aarad cursed them to become trees and stay in that form for one hundred years$ Aarad sho"ed %indness as "ell that despite being in tree forms, they "ould have the memory of -od alive and "ould be salved by ,ord Shri !rishna$ +hus, to %eep the "ords of his supreme devotee Aarad, ,ord dragged the mortar to the t"o 5rjun trees$ He "al%ed in such a "ay that the mortar got stuc% bet"een the trees$ !rishna then pulled the mortar and in no time the trees "ere uprooted$ +"o divine men appeared from the uprooted trees and bo"ed at the feet of !rishna and prayed him "ith pure hearts$ +hen they departed to their heavenly abode$
6I.6M.66
@igration to Vrindavana
+he uprooted 5rjun trees fell "ith thundering sound$ 5ll the people shivered "ith fear and felt as if lightning had struc% some"here$ 5ll the elders including Aand met together and discussed the matter$ <nanimously they concluded that, of late disturbance had increased in -o%ul and the circumstances "ere no longer conducive to raise the %ids li%e Balarama and !rishna there$ So they unanimously decided to leave -o%ul and migrate to a verdant place named Vrindavana$ (n their opinion, Vrindavana had ample vegetation and fertility to support them and their cattles$ +hus, on an auspicious day, the entire population of -o%ul set out for Vrindavana$ +hey pac%ed their households on bulloc% carts and drove their cattles in herds and started in convoy$ (n Vrindavana they built their houses and started their life once again$ Shu%dev says: G& *ari%shit, verdant environment of Vrindavana, -ovardhan mountain and crystal clear "aters and sandy ban%s of Yamuna river together filled the hearts of Balarama and !rishna "ith joy$ 5long "ith the fello" co"herds, they began diverse %inds of plays there$
6I.6M.6;
1alvation o Vatsasur
&ne day, Balarama and !rishna "ere gra?ing their cattles on the ban% of Yamuna River$ 5 demon, mean"hile, too% the guise of a calf and miCed "ith the herd$ &bviously, he had malicious intentions$ ,ord !rishna had already seen the demon ta%ing calfDs guise and miCing up "ith the herd$ He signaled Balarama and they together reached near the calf$ +he calf appeared particularly healthy, so !rishna and Balarama moc%ingly sa" it "ith admiring eyes$ Suddenly they held the calf "ith its hind legs and tail t"irling it in air they thre" it in the s%y$ =hen the demon died, they thre" him on a !ath ("ood.apple tree$
6I.6M.67
1alvation o Bakasur
&ne day, all the co"herds too% their cattles to a large pond to let them drin% "ater$ +here they say a huge creature sitting li%e a hilloc% on the ban%$ +hey "ere frightened by its appearance$ +he creature "as in fact a demon named Ba%asur "ho had arrived there in the guise of a stor%e$ He "as himself very strong and had a long pointed bill$ 5s soon as the co"herds dre" near him, +he stor%e hastily pic%ed up !rishna and s"allo"ed him$ &ther co"herds including Balaram "ere stupefied$ +hey could not believe their eyes$ But inside the bea%, ,ord !rishna made himself eCtremely hot and caused severe burning in demonDs throat$ So the demon could not s"allo" !rishna and regurgitated him, and began to hit him "ith his strong bea%$ But ,ord held his bea% "ith both his hands and tore the demonDs mouth apart$ 5nd as son as the demon died, a ripple of joy surged among the co"herds$
6I.6M.6F
1alvation o Aghasur
&ne day, !rishna planned a picnic near Aandanvan$ So rising early in the morning, He a"a%ened his fello" co"herds sounding a horn$ +ogether, all the co"herds, and their cattles "ent to the forest$ +here, on the ban% of Yamuna river they began to play joyfully$ Aandanvana "as in fact an abode of the demon 5ghasur$ He "as sent there by !ansa$ Seeing the boys playing, he felt eCtremely jealous$ !no"ing that !rishna had %illed his brothers Ba%asur and sister *ootana$ (t seemed an ideal moment for the demon to avenge the death of his siblings$ +hin%ing thus, the demon too% guise of python and lay in the "ay and opening his mouth li%e an opening of a cave$ +he co"herds too fell in his trap$ +hus driven by curiosity, all the co"herds entered the demon mouth one by one$ =hen ,ord !rishna sa" that his friends had entered demonDs mouth$ He too entered it to protect them$ 5ghasur "anted to masticate the co"herds including lord !rishna# but the lord increased his body and cho%ed demon throat$ Ao" the breath of demon stopped$ His eyes rolled over and at last his life left his body through Brahmrandhra (cosmic pore $ =ith his ambrosial eye, ,ord resurrected these dead fello"s and their cattles and together they came out of the demonDs mouth$ 5s soon as the demon died, a divine flame emerged from the pythonDs mouth$ (t "aited there sometime for -od$ 5nd "hen lord !rishna came out, the flame mingled "ith him$
6I.6M.68
Attachment o Brahma9i
Shu%dev says: *ari%shit, the co"herds told the tale of 5ghasurDs salvation to their parents only after a year of the incidence$ 6uring that period of one year, ,ord !rishna multiplied himself and too% the guise of his fello" co"herd and their stoc% of cattles to remove the (llusion of Brahma,"ho "as the cause of the follo"ing incidence$ 5fter 5ghasurDs life mingled "ith -od, ,ord !rishna came "ith this fello" co"herd on the ban% of Yamuna$ +hey left their cattles to gra?e freely and they sat together to ta%e their lunch$ 5ll of the co"herds tasted one.anotherDs food, as they "anted to feed !rishna "ith the tasty food$ ;ean"hile surprised by 5ghasurDs salvation, Brahma too had arrived their and sa" !rishna eating food defiled by the co"herds$ =ith that sight, Brahma gre" suspicious if !rishna "as indeed an incarnation of lord$ +hus driven by the illusion and to test the authenticity of lordDs incarnation, Brahma %idnapped all the cattles first and "hen !rishna "ent out to search the cattles Brahma %idnapped and
concealed the co"herds also$ Soon lord !rishna understood the craftiness of Brahma, so he multiplicated himself into his fello" co"herds and cattles$ Replicas resembled truly to the co"herds in appearance, compleCion, nature, activities, voice, stic%s and even in costumes$ +he replicas remain in eCistence for complete one year$ Bac% there, "hen Brahma returned after hiding the co"herds and the cattles, he "as stunned to see the co"herds and cattles as usual$ Brahma "as feeling di??y "hen lord besto"ed his grace on him$ Brahma sa" Aarayana in every dust particle$ Brahma therefore bo"ed his head at the feet of lord and said: G& lord, ( submit before you$ You can be "on only "ith devotion and not by ego$ Ao one can %no" your omnipresent appearance$ +hus praying and "orshipping lord Aarayana, Brahma returned to his abode$ Shu%dev says: +he co"herds remained separated from -od for one year$ But they felt as if only half a second had passed because of the illusionary influence of -od$ +hat is "hy they related the incidence of 5ghasurs %illing to their parents only after a year it too% place$
6I.6M.6I
1alvation o Dhenukasur
=hen !rishna and Balarama entered siCth year of their ages, they got the permission to ta%e the cattles out for gra?ing$ 5long "ith their fello" co"herds the t"o brothers too began to ta%e their cattle to Vrindavana$ +hus they sanctified the earth of Vrindavana "ith their pious feet$ Seeing the beauty of Vrindavana, "ith beautiful, colourful flo"ers and s"eet fruits, ,ord !rishna felt overjoyed$ He then used to gra?e his cattles at the foothills of -ovardhan and on the ban%s of Yamuna River$ *laying flute "as his favourite pass time$ &ne day !rishnaDs beloved friend Sudama said: !anhaiya, there is a beautiful forest name +alvana$ (t has uncountable numbers of trees laden "ith ripe fruits$ But a formidable demon 6henu%asur guards that forest, He is very strong$ So no one, even animals and birds, doesnDt go there$ But "e are tempted to eat those s"eet delicious fruits$ (f you and 6aau (Balarama "ish, "e may go there and eat those delicious fruits$G +hus hearing this, !rishna and Balarama guided all of them to +alvana$ +here they shoo% the trees and in no time a heap of ripe, delicious fruits gathered under the trees$ 5ll the co"herds began to eat fruits$ =hile eating, they "ere also ma%ing lot of noises$ 6isturbed by the sound of fruits falling and noise of the co"herds, the demon 6henu%asur arrived there as a don%ey$ He "as braying loudly and tried to hit Balarama, but Balrama caught him by his hind legs and thre" him in the air$ +he demon died in an instance$ Since that day, everyone visited +alvana fearlessly and the cattles gra?ed there freely$
6I.6M.6<
Brace on Kalia& the +aga
&ne day, Bala.!rishna arrived on the ban%s of Yamuna "ith their friends$ Balarama "as not "ith them that day$ +he "ater of the river Yamuna "as toCicated by the poison of !aliy. +he Aaga$ (t "as eCceptionally hot that day and all the co"herds and cattles "ere very thirsty$ So "ithout giving any thought, they all dran% the "ater from Yamuna and died$ But ,ord !rishna resurrected them by his ambrosial sight$ +hen lord !rishna decided to purify the "aters of Yamuna$ +hus tying a cloth round his "aist, !rishna climbed a @adamb tree and jumped into the river$ (n the "ater the lord started playing and splashing "ater$ Soon the "aves began to rise high$ =hen !aliy. the Aaga heard the noise$ He got eCtremely angry and appeared before !rishna$ He sa" a beautiful, tender, dar% compleCioned boy playing joyfully in the "aters$ He stung him and tied him in his spirals$ +ied in the spirals of !aliy, lord became absolutely motionless$ Seeing !rishna in death li%e situation, all the co"herds and even the co"s felt very sorry$ 2ust then lord freed himself from the hold of !aliy$ +hen a game of hide and see% began bet"een them$ ,ord dodged the Aaga for a long time$ +hereafter he rode on !aliyDs hood and began to dance there$ +he follo"ers of -od, li%e -andharvas etc$ began to play ;ridang, 6hol etc$ to give him a company$ +ired from the blo"s of lordDs feet, !aliy soon began to vomit blood$ AagaDs "ives began to pray -od, G& lord, your incarnation is to punish the evil ones for their sins$ You have sho"n your grace on us also$ =e are fortunate to have a sight and touch of your feet$ *ity & lord$ +his Aaga can no longer bear your momentum$ He "ill die$ =e are all your slaves$ !aliy is our lord$ !indly forgive him$G =ith %indness, lord released !aliy, "ho prayed thus: & lord in your creation "e sna%es
represent +amoguna (dar% virtues $ =e are confused by your illusions$G ,ord dictated !aliy to migrate "ith his family to Ramana%d"eep$ Since then "ater of Yamuna became pure for humans and animals$
6I.6M.6J
Drinking o Davanal (Dorest Dire)
5fter defeating !aliy, ,ord !rishna and all other people of Vraj felt eCtremely tired$ +hey "ere very hungry and thirsty also$ So they did not go bac% to Vrindavana, but stayed on the ban% of Yamuna in the night$ Because of intense heat of summer, surrounding forests had been shrivelled$ 5t midnight those shrivelled forests caught fire and the sleeping people "ere engulfed by it$ +hey a"a%ened startled and too% shelter at !rishna$ Seeing their horrified appearance, ,ord !rishna dran% the infernal forest fire and thus saved the lives of innocent people "ho had rested their liveDs at him "ith faith$
6I.6M.6G
1alvation o Eralambasur
&ne day, Balarama and !rishna "ere playfully gra?ing their cattles along "ith other co"herds in the forests$ =hen a demon *ralamb arrived there "ith an intention of %idnapping !rishna and Balarama$ +he demon had come in the guise of a co"herd, but the -od easily recognised him$ +hey accepted his proposal of friendship, but "ere thin%ing about the "ay for his salvation$ -od thereafter summoned all his friends and said: G*als, today "e shall divide ourselves in to t"o teams and play joyfully$ +hus the teams "ere divided and each team chose !rishna and Balarama as its captain respectively$ (t "as stipulated that the members of defeated team "ould carry the members of "inner team on their bac% up to the place pointed by them$ +hus the game began and soon both the teams reached a secluded place$ 5t one time, the team headed by Balarama "on$ So the members of !rishnaDs team "ere to carry them on their bac%$ 6emon *ralambasur offered Balarama a ride on his bac%$ Balarama agreed to ride on the demonDs bac%# but as soon as he rode on the demonDs bac%, the demon galloped$ But he could not go far for not being able to bear BalaramaDs "eight$ +hem the demon regained his huge formidable si?e and tried to escape by flying$ Eirst Balarama felt terrori?ed but soon he realised his real po"ers and hit on the demonDs head "ith a po"erful fist$ +he blo" shattered demonDs head and he fell on earth dead li%e a huge mountain$
6I.6M.;M
Venugeet
Shri Shu%devji says: G& %ing, most of the time of ,ord !rishnaDs boyhood passed in Vrindavana$ +here he gra?ed cattles and played flute$ His flute had a divine, enchanting sound$+he -opis (girls gathered around him under the influence of enchanting tunes$G +hey also heard the enchanting Venu geet that fills one hearts "ith the memory of Bhag"ad$ &ne of the girl said to her friend: G& dear friend, Having the privilege of seeing ,ords beauty and receving his %indness is the real salvation$ 5nother girl said: G& friend, "hat penance this flute had observed that it has got a closer contact "ith lips of Aandnandan (an epithet for !rishna $ )ven the siblings of this flute, trees and other vegetationDs are pleased "ith its fortune and are hence sho"ering their leaves and flo"ers on him$G &ne more said: G& friend, loo%, even Bhag"adi ,a%shmi has left her luCurious abode in Vai%unth and arrived in Vrindavana to have a loo% of lord 6eva%inandan$G 5 -opi eCpressed her jealousy: G)ven this doe is better than us, & friends, loo% ho" engrossed is she loo%ing at -od, that her eyes are not blin%ing$G Hearing the s"eet enchanting tunes of flute even the heavenly elves gather in the s%y over Vrindavana$ +hey also see the beauty of lord !rishna and sho"ered the flo"ers of their braids on him$ )ven the co"s forgot gra?ing "hen then heard the enchanting music of flute$ +he calves too forgot drin%ing mil% and began to loo% at lord !rishna "ith joy$ +his is the real devotion for lord !rishna$ You have to forget yourself in order to find him$ @ondition of girls of Vrindavana "as eCactly the same$ 5fter having the sight of lord !rishna they remembered nothing# not even the "ay bac% to home$ +hey stood in the forests in a trance, completely tired, una"are of their self$ 5 girl said pointing to the fauna: G,oo% & friends, loo% at these birds$ 6o you %no" that these birds
"ere the saints and sages in their previous births$ (n this birth also they are sitting in a state of trance$ ,oo% they have forgotten their %no"ledge hearing the s"eet enchanting music of the flute$ 5nd loo% at Yamunaji$ She is also ale to contain her eChilaration$ She is eagerly spalshing her "aves to "ash lords feet$ Yet another girl said: G,oo% friends the clouds cannot see their lord scorching in the sun$ So they have covered the sun and shaded ,ord !rishna$ Ao" they are dri??ling as if sho"ering petals$G 5 girl said: GEriends, loo%, these Bheelanis are better than us$ +hey have such a strong urge of !rishnaDs sight that "hen -ovind returns home, they smear their body "ith dusts of his feet$ Blessed is this mountain "hich has dedicated its entire self in the feet of Brajnandan and feels overjoyed$ (t is his supreme devotee$ !anhaiya has infused even non.living things "ith life by his s"eet tunes of flute$
6I.6M.;6
1tealing o >lothes
+he unmarried girls of Vrindavana felt as if their lives "ere dedicated to ,ord !rishna$ )ach of them "ished heartly to have lord !rishna as her husband$ So in order to get their desire fulfilled, all of the spinster girls of Vraj began to ta%e bath in Yamuna early in morning of Hemant season and "orshipped goddess !atyayani$ =hen ;adan;ohan learned that the spinsters girls "ished to marry him$ He "ent to see them at da"n$ +he girls "ere bathing na%ed in the river# +heir clothes "ere %ept on the ban%$ ,ord !rishna stealthy too% those clothes and climbed on a @adamb tree$ ,ord had not stolen their clothes "ith malicious intentions$ He had stolen them to remove their fla"s and ma%e them reali?e their real appearance that they "ere not mere girls, but pure souls$ =ithout reali?ation of the real self, one can not eCperience the -od$ +he girl "ere in fact the hymns of Vedas, Sadhana, Siddhis, Sages and Brahmvidyas (Vedas themselves, that too% the guise of girls to enjoy the vicinity of -od$ -od removed their clothes that symboli?ed lust$ Because of the lords grace they all "ere able to enjoy -odDs company$ Shu%devji says: G& *ari%shit, +hus ,ord !rishna removed the shyness of the girls of Vraj through his s"eet tal%s$ He derided at them, made them dance li%e puppets and even stole their clothes "hen they "ere bathing na%ed, but they did not deter his actions$ (nstead they felt overjoyed by the close presence of their beloved !anha$
6I.6M.;;
Li ting o Bovardhan @ountain
Shu%hdevji says: G& *ari%shit one day, Balarama and !rishna sa" that many delicious %ind of s"eetmeats "ere being coo%ed at home$ =ith curiosity and politeness, they as%ed Aand and other elders: GEather, "hich festival are you preparing for' =hich god "ill be "orshipped' =hat purpose "ill such "orship serve' Aand Baba eCplained: GSons 6evaraj (ndra is the god of clouds$ (t is because of (ndraDs grace "e get rain$ So these materials are being prepared to "orship (ndra$G !rishna said: Eather every creature in the "orld enjoys comforts or suffers as per his fate$ Aone of the gods can change the results$ 5ction is prime in the "orld$ &ne gets the results as per his actions$ )ven (ndra is -od as a result of his action$ 5ny one "ho performs one hundred 5shvamegh Yagyas, becomes (ndra$ But even after performing crores of 5shvmegh Yagyas one can not get a stay in Vraj$ (t is the duty of (ndra to cause rain$ So it "ill rain even if you donDt "orship (ndra$ But to feed the poors and satisfy them "ith clothes and other gifts is real "orship$ By their blessing, "e shall be more happier$ ( desire that "ith all these materials "e should "orship -iriraj -ovardhan and distribute the prasad among the poors$ =ith "hich their souls "ill be sated and "ill have the grace of -od$ +hus ,ord !rishna told his father that all the people should "orship unitedly and unitedly they should receive prasad$ (f you are ready to do as per my desire, its all right, other"ise ( "ill not "orship your haughty god, nor receive his prasad$
6I.6M.;7
*ndignation o *ndra
+hus convinced by !anhaiyaDs "ise reasoning, all the gopas agreed to him$ Aand Baba said, G& !rishna, "e are ma%ing all these preparation for you only and "e "ill do as you say$ =e "ill "orship -ovardhan$ Eor us -ovardhan is also li%e a god$ (t gives us grass, "ater, and fuel etc$, "hich are
necessary for our lives$ +hus "ith lords, consent, they dropped their plan to "orship (ndra and resolved to "orship -ovardhan faithfully$
6I.6M.;F
Corship o Boverdhan
&n the *urnima (full moon day in the month of !arti% (Aovember all the -opas (people of Vraj region gathered near mount -ovardhan$ 6uring the night all of them circumambulated the mountain$ ,ord invo%ed the -anges by his "ish and bathed -ovardhan "ith her "ater$+hen they put vermilion on it, offered basil.leaves, flo"ers etc and "orshipped it$ Brahmins recited hymns in its praise$ +o ma%e the people believe in their rituals, ,ord !rishna himself appeared on the mountain in huge form and eCclaimed: G( am -iriraj (the %ing of the mountain and began to eat the offerings$ But he as a child "as still among the villagers "ho faithfully bo"ed before the mountain$ 5mong them, the child !rishna said: Gloo%, "hat a surprise -iriraj has appeared himself and besto"ed his grace on us$ He has accepted our "orship$G +here after all the -opas distributed *rasad among themselves and felt supremely satisfied$
6I.6M.;8
Angry "etaliation o *ndra
Shu%devji sayd: *ari%shit, "hen (ndra learned that the -opas had stopped "orshipping him, he gre" outrageous$ (n anger, he ordered the clouds to rain torrentially over Vraj and cause heavy flood in Vraj region$ (n no time dense clouds gathered over Vraj$ Soon there "as lighting thunder, dar%ness and storm all around$ +hen it rained torrentially$ 5ll the people too% refuge at ,ord !rishna and prayed him to save them from the anger of (ndra$ ,ord !rishna said: G+hose "ho regard me as there, are mine and ( am theirs, So there is no need to "orry for you$G Saying this, ,ord lifted -iriraj on his little finger and called all the people of Vraj along "ith their cattles under the lee of -ovardhan$ +hen he ordered his "heel Sudarshan to absorb the "ater of the clouds so that not even a single drop could fall on earth$ +hus for seven days continuously ,ord balanced -ovardhan on the little finger$+hus ,ord !rishna also came to be %no"n as -iridhari$ *eople "ho had gathered around him, just %ept on seeing ,ords moon.li%e face and hence did not feel thirsty or hungry$(n fact the comforts those people got during those seven days are beyond verbal description$ ,ord held -ovardhan on one hand, and conch in the other, "hile "ith the remaining t"o hands He began to play this flute$ Hearing the tunes of his flute, all the people of Vraj began to dance "ith joy$ 5fter the rains stopped, all of them returned to their homes$
6I.6M.;I
>eremonial Bath o Lord
=hen (ndra learned about the happenings in Vraj, he soon realised his mista%e$ (ndra himself reached Vraj and begged lord for his pardon$ +hen he gave lord a ceremonial bath "ith the mil% of Surabhi$ Eor protecting the co"s,+hus the ,ord also got one more name G-ovindG$
6I.6M.;<
"aas Leela
Shu%devji related to *ari%shit the tale of !amadevDs humiliation$ Shridhar S"ami calls Raasleela as !ama.vijay leela (defeating of !amadeva. Hindu eFuivalent of cupid $ 2agad guru Ballabhacharyaji decribes it as ,ords 6ivy Vihar (divine enjoyment $ +he purpose of describing this tale is just that common people should reflect on the selfless love of -opis for ,ord !rishna and eCperience the love of -od for them as "ell$ ,ord is an embodiment of Rasa (*leasure : DRASOVAISAH | RASAMHYEVAL ABDHVAANANDI BHAVATI |D 5fter conFuering Brahma and other gods, ego of !amadev had surged to great heights$ He, therefore, reFuested -od to Fuench his thirst for "ar$ -od invited !amadev to visit Vrindavana on the night of Sharad *urnima (Eull moon night in season preceding "inter , and told him that on that divine night$ He "ould enjoy the company of crores of -opis$ G(f ( have slightest passion for any of them, you "ill "in, other"ise you "ill lose$G
+hat night ,ord !rishna added more divinity, more brilliance to it "ith a resolution of Raas "ith the help of Yogmaya (personified illusion $ (t "as a perfect night for the purpose . flo"ers bloomed in Vrindavana, full moon shone, and gentle, cool bree?e ble" from the ban%s of river Yamuna$ 5midst this stimulating ambience ,ord !rishna began to play an enchanting tune on his flute$ +he tune attracted -opis,their passion surged to its ?enith and under the influence of love for lord !rishna and as if in trance, all of them ran to meet their beloved !anhaiya leaving all their fear, Bondages, patience and shyness behind$ Some of them "ere intercepted by their husbands and dragged bac% to home$ But only their physical bodies stayed put, their souls reached Vrindavana$ (n Vrindavana on the ban% of Yamuna, -opis sa" Vrindavana Vihari (epithet for !rishna near their familiar cadamb tree$ Yogmaya adorned all the -opis from tip to toe$ (n fact those -opis "ere not ordinary "omen$ *ari%shit as%ed: G-opis had not regarded !rishna as *arbrahma$ =hat "as the basis for their passion then' Shu%devji said: G=hen a "retched person li%e Shishupal, "ho al"ays abused lord !rishna could find supreme position, there should be no doubt for -opis "ho had such a profound passion for ,ord$G So -opis arrived and gathered around ,ord !rishna$ +o test their devotion and to enhance the honour of !amadev, !rishna said to them: G& -opis, the pure ones, it is not fit for you to stay here at this hour of night$ -o and serve your husbands$ Your duties must be first to your husbandDs children and co"s$ +hey "ill be "aiting for you eagerly$ -o and console them$ You can gain me by hearing, reciting, seeing etc$ You need not sit here$ -o to your homes$G -opis, ho"ever said: G-ovind, "e have come to you leaving all the mundane lusts behind$ Ao" going bac% is li%e ruining over lives$(t is the greatest misfortune if someone returns to mundane affairs even after being at your feet$G +hese "ords that reflected divine feelings of -opis pleased ,ord$ He began to enjoy their company$ But a feeling of ego began to creep in the minds of -opis because of lordDs closeness$ +hey began to assume themselves as highly fortunate$ +o remove their ego, ,ord disappeared right among them$
6I.6M.;J
Eitiable >onditions o Bopis in Lord)s Absence
5fter the disappearance of -od, -opis "ere perpleCed$ +heir hearts burned "ith desire$ +hey had dedicated their entire selves in the feet of ,ord$ +hey "ere entirely merged in the love of !rishna$ +hus driven by passion, -opis began to search ,ord !rishna$ +hey as%ed trees, creepers, vegetations for the "hereabouts of their beloved$ +hey then spotted His footprints at one place$ Eootprints of Radha "ere also there$ D(ndeed He "ould have carried her, that great fortunate one, on His shoulders$D +hey thought$ ,ord had indeed, after disappearing from amidst -opis, ta%en Radha to an isolated place$ She had then began to thin% herself superior to other -opis$ So at one place, she said: G& ,ord, ( canDt "al% no"$ ;y tender feet are tired$ !indly carry me on your shoulders to "herever you "ish$G 5t her reFuest, ,ord !rishna agreed to carry her on his shoulder$ But as soon as she proceeded to ride, ,ord disappeared from there also$ Ao", Radhaj began to cry and "ail and fainted$ 5t the same time, other -opis also reached there and found Radha lying unconscious on the ground$ 5ll of them including Radha then returned to the ban% of Yamuna and began to "ait for !rishnaDs appearance$
6I.6M.;G
Bopika Beet
& ,ord, your incarnation has increased the glory of Vrajbhumi$ )ven the glory of Vai%unth, goddess ,a%shmi herself came to stay in Vraj$ -ovind "e have dedicated our lives at your feet$ Ao" "e are searching you every"here$ & ;adan;ohan, %indly sho" your beautiful, face once$ *rananath, your eyes, that are even more beautiful than the lotus that bloom in ponds, is pric%ing our hearts$ =e are all your slaves$ (f you %ill us by your separation, "ill not you be criticised$ & *urushottam, you have protected us on many occasions$ You are the remover of miseries of Vraj people$ & ,ord, you are not the son of Yashoda only, but you are the soul of all the living beings$ 5t the reFuest of Brahma, you have arrived on earth to remove her burden$ =hy donDt you protect us, our lives are in danger because of your separation$
& ,ord, your tales are li%e ambrosia$ Your ambrosial tales pacify those "ho are inflicted "ith mundane obstacles, and sorro"s$ +hey are indeed great and fortunate "ho recite your tales$ & *urushottam, for the musics of your flute "e gave up everything . our husbands, children, social bindings everything$ =e even dedicated our lives for the sa%e of your love$ Ao" nothing amuses us eCcept you$ =e are living, only to have a sight of you# no" you are "andering from forest to forest "ith your tender feet, "hich even "e did not bear in our hearts for the fears of hurting them$ Ho" much "ould they be suffering' =e are fainting in your "orry$ & the dearest one, "e "ere yours, "e are yours and "e shall be yours forever$G Saying these "ords -opis burst into tears$
6I.6M.7M
"eappearance o the Lord Among the Bopis
Shu%dev says: *ari%shit, "hen the beloved -opis burst into tears, !rishnaDs patience gave a"ay$ His heart melted at their condition and He appeared amidst them$ 5 s"eet smile played on his beautiful face$ He "ore a garland of fresh Vaijayanti flo"ers and yello" clothes$ His beauty could have moved even !amadev$ Seeing their beloved !anha once again amidst them, -opis got a ne" lease of life$ 5ll of them began to embrace ,ord and thus Fuench the fire of separation that "as burning their bodies$ +hereafter, along "ith the beauties of Vraj, ,ord came to the ban% of Yamuna$ -opis put their Fueries before him for solution$ ,ord said: G& beloved -opis, ( do not reciprocate to the desire of my beloved ones for physical love$ Because of it their conscience remains al"ays engrossed in me$ Hence, ( ta%e to hiding even after meeting so that you could feel complete imbibement in me$
6I.6M.76
@aha3"aas
Erom the "ords of the ,ord, -opis forgot the pains of separation$ Erom the closeness of their beloved, their lives "ere successful no"$ =ith those -opis, ,ord !rishna started ;aharaas on the pious ban%s of river Yamuna$ 5ll the gods gathered in s%y to "itness that divine festival$ -opis "ere even more fortunate than ,a%shmi$ But even amidst crores of -opis, "ho "ere eager to devote their everything to Him, ,ord completely refrained from desires, feelings and even actions$ +hus ,ord defeated even !amadev and removed his ego$
6I.6M.7;
1alvation o 1udarshan N 1hankhchuda
Shu%dev says: & *ari%shit, once on the occasion of ,ord Shivaratri, Aand Baba and all other -opas drove their carts "ith families and reached 5mbi%avana on a pilgrimage tour$ +here they too% bath in the river Saras"ati and "ith devotion "orshiped lord ,ord Shiva and *arvati$ +hey also observed day long fast and decided to pass their night on the ban% of Saras"ati$ But that place "as inhabited by a huge python$ 6uring the night: the python emerged and caught hold of AandDs leg$ Aandbaba cried loudly$ 5ll the -opas gathered around him$ He cried again: G!anhaiya, +his sna%e is all set to strangulate me$ Save me$G ,ord touched the python "ith his feet and instaneously, the python vanished$ (n its place appeared a divine.loo%ing human$ He said: G& ,ord, ( "as a Vidyadhar named Sudarshan$ ( "as so much obsessed "ith my beauty, youth, luCury and comforts that ( used to insult others$ &ne day ( had derided at the ugly appearance of the sage 5ngira$ So indignantly he cursed me to become a python$ But, pleased by my reali?ation of mista%e, he had told that "hen -od himself "ould touch me, ( "ould regain my original appearance$G +hereafter, Sudarshan "ent round the -od, "orshiped Him and "ith his permission, departed to his abode$ &n another occasion, ,ord arrived in Vrindavana during Vasant Ritu (spring Season $ +here He too% part in Vasanti% Raas (Raas of spring season "ith the -opis$ 6uring Raas itself, a demon Shan%hchur tried to escape a"ay %idnapping some of the -opis$ 5 stampede resulted among -opis$ Hearing their noise, ,ord ran after the demon, carrying a huge Sal (shorea tree in his hands$ (n no time He overtoo% the demon and %illed him by just one blo"$ He pic%ed up the gem from demonDs head and handed it to Balarama$
6I.6M.77
1alvation o Arishtasur
&nce, !ansa sent a demon 5rishtasur to Vrindavana$ +he demon arrived there in a bullDs guise$ +hat huge bull came to Vrindavana and began to terrori?e the people "ith his loud sound$ Seeing the bull, Balaram said to !rishna: G!anhaiya, ( have never seen such a huge bull before$G 5ll the people began to cry for help$ ,ord consoled them and challenged the bull demon: & fool, "hy are you terrori?ing these co"s and co"herds' ( am going to shatter your ego$G +he challenge from -od pinched the demon$ +apping his hooves angrily, the demon attac%ed -od$ He "ished to gore Him, but -od held his horns and pushed him bac%$ +hen %ic%ing the demon -od %illed him in no time$
6I.6M.7F
Kans sends Akrur9i
5fter the %illing of 5rishthasur, 6evarishi Aarad visited !ansa and as%ed: G& !ansa, the girl "ho had slipped form your hand "as in fact the daughter of Yashoda$ !rishna and Balaram, "ho are staying in Vrindavana, are infact the sons of 6eva%i and Rohini respectively$ Because of your fear, Vasudev has %ept them under the supervision of his friend Aand$ +hose t"o boys have %illed the demons sent by you$G Hearing these "ords, !ansa shoo% "ith anger and put Vasudev and 6eva%i in prison again$ +hereafter he called his minister 5%rur and as%ed him to set out at once for -o%ul$ He said to 5%rur: G5%rurji, you are an old friend and "ell."isher of mine, -o to -o%ul and bring the sons of Vasudev, "ho are staying at AandDs home$ (nvite them to visit ;athura, to "itness the festivities of 6hannsh. yagya$G 5%rur understood !ansaDs intentions, but feared that if he refused, that demon "ould %ill him$ So he decided to visit -o%ul, and also have the oppurtunity of seeing -od$ He "as feeling over"helmed by the mere thought of it$ AeCt day, he set out on a grand chariot to meet his supreme ,ord in -o%ul$ ;editating in the feet of ,ord, 5%rur "as heading to"ards Vrindavana$ He "as feeling himself as the most fortunate one for he "as sure to have a sight of ,ord$ +hus obsessed "ith many %inds of devotional feelings, 5%rur alighted from the chariot at the border of Vrindavana and started "al%ing$ He found it unjust to ride a chariot on the land of Vrindavana "here lord !rishna treaded$ By the time, he reached Vrindavana, ,ord !rishna and Balarama had returned home after gra?ing their cattles$ Seeing them, 5%rur fell at their feet$ Both the brothers raised 5%rur and addressed him as G@hachaG (uncle ,and escorted him into the house$ 5%rur "as given a "arm "elcome and treatment there$ 5fter the dinner, they assembled in AandDs dra"ing room$ Aand inFuired about the reason of his sudden arrival$ 5%rur said: G!ansa is organi?ing a "restling competition in ;athura$ He has invited all the big and small %ings to the competitions$ He has invited you "ith !rishna and Balarama as "ell$ Beautiful ;athura is "orth seeing$ -ullible Aand felt pleased by 5%rurDs tal%ing and said: G!ing !ansa has sho"n a great honour to me$ He has sent invitation only to other %ings, but has sent his minister to call me and a golden chariot for my %ids$G So it "as announced in -o%ul that all the people "ould go to ;athura the neCt day and "itness the festivities there$
6I.6M.78
Departure o Krshna3Balarama or @athura
=hen the -opis heard about !rishna leaving -o%ul to visit ;athura, they began to "ail and cry$ +hey "ere getting so much restless by the ne"s that, they felt, their lives "ould end before the sunrise$ +hey started imprecating fate that it had no %indness$ Eirst it provided them "ith a closer contact "ith their beloved !anha, no" it "as causing a long separation from him$ Some of -opis even begged for death, they felt it better than living "ithout !anha$ 5ll the -opis %ept on crying and "ailing nightlong$ ;other Yashoda a"o%e early in the morning neCt day$ She churned out butter and adding ;ishri (sugar candies , she too% it to !rishna to feed him$ But there she found that both !rishna and Balarama "ere getting ready to set out for ;athura$ +hey held motherDs feet and said: G*ardon us, & mother, "e are going to ;athura$G +hese "ords disturbed Yashoda$ She ran and fell at 5%rurDs feet and said: G( am your slave$ & 5%rur, please do not ta%e my beloved sons to ;athura$ +hey are inseparable from my heart$ =hy !ansa has summoned them to ;athura$ & 5%rur, go and tell him to
ta%e everything from us, but spare our sons$ =e are also ready to live in jail, but canDt lose our beloved sons$G 5%rur consoled Yashoda$ GBhabhi (sister.in.la" , donDt "orry$ +hese t"o brothers are going to ;athura to "itness the festivities there and "ill return soon to comfort your heart$G Yashoda said: G5%rurji, ;athura is a to"n of gold and both of my sons are too young yet to be needed there for any reason$G +ouching the feet of Aand and Yashoda, both the brothers said: GEather, mother, "e "ill definitely return$ *resently "e "ish to see the grandeur of ;athura$G ;ean"hile all the -opis and -opas had gathered there$ @rying and "ailing, the -opis said: GYou are very @ruel, & 5%rur, "ho named you as 5%rur$ You have come here to lacerate our hearts$G Second -opi said: GAo friend, it is not a fault of 5%rur$ &ur complaints are "ith Shyamsundar$ =e left everything, our husbands, children, our homes and dedicated our entire selves in your service$ 5nd no" you are deserting us so ruthlessly$ =e have no support for our life eCcept you, & ;adhusadan$G Saying this, all the -opis burst into tears again$ 5ll the -opas, including Shridama surrounded the chariot and said: G& !rishna "e had not even dreamt that you "ould desert us so ruthlessly$ & !anhaiya "e have seen "ith our eyes that even (ndra, Varuna, Sana%adi and Brahma bo" before you$ But "e have never regarded you as -od$ =e regarded you as our friend$ 5re you angry "ith us' & my childhood friend !anhaiya, "e reFuest you, "e "ill never abuse you in future$ (f you "ere intending to go, "hy did you, then save us from the infernal forest fire$ =hy did you save from the deluging rains' =e cannot live "ithout you$ +ell us & benevolent friend, =hen "ill you return$G ,ord !rishna consoled them all and too% many of them "ith Him$ +he chariot began to move$ 5s long as the flag of the chariot remained visible, people %ept on crying and "ailing$ )ven the eyes of 5%rur filled "ith tears$ ,ord as%ed him: G!a%a, "hy are you "eeping'G 5%rur replied: G& ,ord, !ansa is the great sinner$ ( feel he "ill try to torment you by all means$ So, my heart says, that ( should ta%e you bac% to Vrindavana, because if !ansa did any harm to you, their spirits "ill curse me for ever$G
6I.6M.7I
Appearance o the Lord be ore Ar9un
Hearing 5%rurDs "ords, ,ord understood that "hen he had arrived in Vraj, he "as afflicted "ith a feeling of majesty$ But no", it has been replaced by affection no"$ He, therefore decided to remove his dilemma$ +hus, ,ord said to him: G!a%a, ;athura is still some distance a"ay$ So you ta%e a bath in Yamuna$ =e brothers are "aiting for you in the chariot$G 5s soon as 5%rur too% a dip in Yamuna, ,ord sho"ed him a sight of His abode Vai%unth and his AarayanaDs appearance in "hich, he "as holding conch, "heel, mace and lotus in each of his four hands and "as lying on the bed of Sheshnaga$ =ith folded hands, 5%rur prayed to lord: G& lord, you are the reason for the eCistence of Brahma and the <niverse$ & ,ord, ( pray at your feet again and again$ Ao" ( recognise you$ You are the one "ho too% the incarnations of ;atsya, !achchap, Varah, Aarsinh, Vamana, Rama etc$ +hus after bath and "orship, 5%rur returned to the chariot$ ,ord !rishna understood that no" a devotional feeling had arisen in the mind of 5%rur for Aarayana$ ,ord as%ed: GYour condition seems miserable$ 6id you see anything eCtra.ordinary under "ater'G 5%rur said: G& ,ord, no" besto" your grace on me$ !indly come to my home and accept my hospitality$G
6I.6M.7<
Arrival in @athura
5fter the departure of 5%rur, Aandbaba too set out for ;athura along "ith the -opas$ &n the "ay itself, they caught up "ith !rishna and Balaram$ 5ll of them then reached ;athura together$ +here they stayed in a garden$ 5fter sometime, "ith AandDs permission, both the brothers set out to see the city of ;athura$ ;athura "as indeed a beautiful to"n$ 5ll the residents of ;athura thronged on roads, roofs and attices to have a sight of !rishna and Balrama$
6I.6M.7J
Brace on Kub9a
&n the "ay, they met a pretty but hunched "omen$ She introduced herself as !ubja, the maid of !ansa$ Her duty "as to smear the members of the royal family "ith sandal."ood paste$ -od as%ed her if she "ould smear him "ith sandal paste$ !ubja said: G& ;an;ohan, ( see no one more fitting
than you for the sandal paste$G +hus she smeared ,ordDs forehead "ith saffron$ &n 6auDs forehead she smeared mus% containing sandal paste, other -opas smeared all the remaining sandal paste on their heads$ ,ord then, put His feet on !ubjaDs and holding her chin gave her head a slight jer%$ 5nd in no time, !ubjaDs hunch "as gone and she turned into a pretty "oman$ She begged lord for His love$ +he ,ord promised her a meeting in future, and proceeded ahead$
6I.6M.7G
Breaking o the Bow
5fter salving !ubja, ,ord !rishna and other -opas moved ahead$ 5t a place they sa" a huge bo" %ept on a high stage$ ;any strong men "ere guarding it$ ,ord entered the canopy and easily lifted the bo" and bro%e it into pieces$ +here "as a big applause from all around$ 6au said: G!rishna, no" the cro"d "ill increase here, so let us escape in time$ +hus, both the brothers and their friends beat a retreat to their camp$ +here they rested for night$ +here in ;athura, brea%ing of the bo" had frightened !ansa$ He could not sleep during the night$ )ven in his dreams, he sa" nothing, but !rishna every"here around him$
6I.6M.FM
Killing o the -lephant
)arly in the morning, !ansa summoned his minister and ordered him to ma%e !uvalayapeed, the elephant to stand in the centre of the main gate$ He thought that the elephant "ould %ill both the boys if they dared to enter the fort through main gate$ Bac% there in the garden, !rishna and Balarama set out in "restlers guise for the fort$ 5t the gate, seein an elephant bloc%ing the passage, they as%ed mahout loudly: G& ;ahout, "hy have you made the elephant stand in the centre of the gate$ ;ove it either ahead or bac%$G But instead of moving the elephant out of the passage, the mahout steered it right on them$ But before elephant could attac% them, Balarama caught its trun%, "hile !rishna caught its tail$ Both the brothers then dragged the elephant out of the gate and lofted it in the air$ +he elephant fell on the ground "ith a loud thud and died on the spot$
6I.6M.F6
1alvation o Crestlers
!ansa felt very nervous by the ne"s of elephantDs %illing$ Before he could ta%e stoc% of the situation, ,ord !rishna and Balaram arrived in the amphi. theatre$ +he spectators present in the amphitheatre sa" ,ord as per their feelings$ +he menfol% sa" ,ord as a 2e"el among the men$ =omenfol% sa" him as an incarnation of !amadev$ @o"herds sa" their natural friend in ,ord, "hile to !ansa He appeared as his death$ But to his mother and father, 6eva%i and Vasudev and to Aand, !rishna and Balarama appeared as small %ids$ Sages and ascetics sa" nothing but metaphysical coming in boysD guise$ ,earned ones sighted His cosmic form "hile to Yadavas He appeared as their tutelery -od$ 5s soon as the ,ord and Balarama arrived in the ring, the "restlers, "ho "ere already present there, stood up li%e springs$ 5 "restler @hanur dragged !rishna and one named ;ushti% dragged Balarama into the ring$ +hey said to them: GBoth of you and "e are the subjects of the great %ing !ansa$ (t is our duty to please our %ing "ith our art and s%ill$ ;ore over "e "ill receive many re"ards also$G !rishna said: G& "restlers, you please fight among yourselves$ =e are boys yet, so "e shall "itness your fight from a distance$G @hanur said: GAo you are neither boy nor teenagers$ You are stronger than the strongest$ You have just %illed an elephant "hich "as stronger than thousand elephants$G +hus, both the brothers "ere compelled to "restle "ith the royal "restlers$ ;ushti% "as beaten on the ground by Balarama so hard that he died at once on the spot$ !rishna similarly %illed second "restler @hanur$ 5ll the remaining "restlers met similar fate one by one$ +he massive cro"d present there applauded them joyfully$
6I.6M.F;
1alvation o Kansa
Seeing the shameful defeat of his "restlers, !ansa infuriated "ith anger and proclaimed: G+ie all the opponents# tie <garsen, 6eva%i, Vasudev, Aand in ropes and bring them before me$G ,ord !rishna could not tolerate this and in a single jump, He reached on the stage "here !ansa "as present$ ,ord !rishna caught him by hair and said: G& !ansa, once you have caught a helpless "oman by hair, ( have avenged that insult$ Ao" you "ill receive the fruits for your atrocities$G Saying this, ,ord began to t"irl !ansa catching him by hair, and thre" him do"n from the stage$ +hen ,ord jumped once again and landed on the chest of !ansa$ !ansa died instantaneously$ +hus, !ansa "ho "as an incarnation of the demon !alnemi received salvation$ ,ord !rishna then, released his parents from the prison and cro"ned his maternal grand father <grasen as the %ing of ;athura$
6I.6M.F7
Yagyopavit o Krshna3Balarama
5fter the successful completion of all the royal ceremonies, the consecration of !rishna and Balarama "as carried out$ +hereafter, they came to stay at the hermitage of sage Sandipani for formal education$ )Ctraordinarily brilliant !rishna successfully learned all the %no"ledge in short period of time$ +hen, as -uruda%shina (paying respect to the teacher !rishna brought bac% his dead sons from the abode of Yamaraj$ +a%ing his convocational bath, thereafter, ,ord !rishna returned to ;athura$ +here, though living among royal luCuries and grandeur ,ord !rishna remained indifferent$ ;emory of his sentimental, beloved devotees friend and other people of Vraj %ept on pric%ing him$
6I.6M.FF
1ending %dhav as @essenger
Savant <ddhav, the son of YadavaDs minister Brihaspati "as an intimate friend of ,ord !rishna$ &nly he had the permission to enter ,ordDs sanctum$ Seeing his friend !rishna in remorse, <ddhav as%ed: G;athuranath, you seem to be upset$ =hat is troubling you'G ,ord !rishna replied: G<ddhava, ( feel perpleCed$ ( remember my days in Vrindavana$ *lease go to Vrindavana and get the ne"s regarding -opis there$ 5lso give them my message$G +hus ,ord !rishna donned <ddhav in his attire and sent him to Vraj in his chariot$ +here he stayed at AandDs home$ 5t night, <ddhav enFuired about Aand and YashodaDs "ell being and about Vraj in general$ +hat "hole might passed in chatting$
6I.6M.F8
Bhramar Beet
AeCt day, "hen the -opis got the ne"s of <ddhavDs arrival, they thronged in and around AandDs residence$ +hey recogni?ed the chariot par%ed in front of the gate$ (t "as the same chariot on "hich !rishna and Balarama had departed for ;athura$ Eirst they thought that their beloved !rishna had returned$ But their belief did not last long$ Some of them opined that 5%rur might have come again$ But "hat for' But then someone informed that it "as <ddhav, !rishnaDs Savant friend, "ho had come to preach them about metaphysical %no"ledge$ Soon after"ards, <ddhav came out and spo%e out loud: G& -opis, listen to the preaching of <ddhav$G But instead of listening to him, -opis covered their ears$ Eeeling insulted, <ddhav eCpressed his dissatisfaction over their behaviour$ -opis said to him: & gentleman, firstly "e are not familiar "ith you, secondly "e have no capacity to hear your preaching$ Yes if you "ish to give us a message of our most beloved# thousand of ears are eager to hear that$G <ddhav then introduced himself as the intimate friend of ,ord !rishna$ !no"ing his identify -opis "elcome and treated <ddhav "armly$ <ddhav then began to say again: G& -opis, the person, "hom you are declaring as your beloved friend, in fact has no mother, no father$ He has no form, no colour and no body$ He is above all, non.eCisting all pervasive and the giver of joy$ He is never separate from his devotee and beloved ones$ 5ll of you, too, feel the presence of that Supreme Being and be happy forever$G -opis said: G<ddhav, as long as -hanashyam stayed "ith us, "e sa" endless virtues in him$ But only "ithin siC months of his stay in ;athura, you "iped out all of his virtues and turned him virtueless$ +ell us "ith "hich mouth did he eat butter, "ith "hich hand did he brea% our pitchers, "ith "hich feet did he pasture co"s in the forests and "ith "hich feet did he dance on the hood of !aliy$ =as he another !rishna'G
Harsh reaction of the -opis startled <ddhav$ He began to thin% "here he had been caught$ His %no"ledge of Vedant "as proving ineffective on the -opis$ =ho are sun% in so much love$ &n the other hand, -opis too "ere feeling embarassed for treating the guest bitterly$ But they "ere also not prepared to listen to such preaching that condemned love$ ;oreover, they had let out their long accumulating feeling$ ;ean"hile a bumblebee perched at RadhaDs feet mista%ing them for lotus$ *ointing to it, all the -opis said: GBe"are & bumblebee, be"are if you dare to touch the feet of our Radha$ (t appears that you are a disciple of !rishna$ +here is no" no secret regarding the virtues and actions of your friend$ But it is good that he and you tied in friendship$ You are blac% and your friend has a blac% heart$ Virtues of both of you are same$ Eirst He imbibed us in His love# then left us ruthlessly forever$ He is not sorry for us$ But "hy does ,a%shmi serves in those feet' She must be careful, lest she should be deceived li%e us$ & bumblebee you also appear to be a polymath "ho has come here to preach us$ But you "onDt get an audience in Braj$ You should better go to ;athura$ +here is one !ubja go and relate your tale to her$ You "ill receive ample donations from her$ =hat "ill you get from the -opis here' +hey have already lost their mental balance, because of their separation from the beloved !rishna$ (f you have come to as%, "hy "e loved !rishna$ & bumblebee, "e have no %no"ledge$ But "e %no" that our love for !rishna "as not a mista%e$ )ven the goddess ,a%shmi does not leave His feet for a moment$ =hy should "e leave his feet then' But & bumblebee, have you really come to convince us$ =hen He could not come out of shame, He sent you to console us . the deaf and dumb -opis, But be careful if you put your head at the feet of Radha$ -et a"ay, "e have already seen enough of flattery and flirtation of your friend$ 6eserting our affection for ephemeral things, "e loved that eternal one$ but He too abandoned us$ @an you guess about our condition' +ell us, & <ddhav, shall "e ever get the sight of Shri !rishna again' Hearing the tragic tale of the -opis, <ddhav too felt very sorry for them$ He felt as if ;athuranath, lord !rishna "as indeed neglecting those -opis$ <ddhav stayed in Vrindavana for siC months$ +here he sa" every place, every spot "here lord !rishna had played once$ =hen he "as returning to ;athura, mother Yashoda presented him "ith butter, Radha gave him the flute$ +hus immersed in the love and over"helmed by its feelings, <ddhav reached ;athura$ He said to !rishna: G,ord, the real appearance of love, that ( sa" in Vrindavana is the only truth$G Shri !rishna said: G<ddhav, You are "eeping$ 2ust loo% at me$G <ddhav loo%ed at him "ith "ide, opened eyes$ (n every single hair of ,ord, there eCisted -opis$ <ddhav "as indeed a Savant$ But ,ord had sent him to Braj only to be taught a lesson of love$
6I.6M.FI
Battles with #arasandh5 >onstruction o Dvarka3puri
5fter the death of !ansa his "ido"ed Fueens 5sti and *rapti returned to their father 2arasandhDs home and informed him that !rishna and Balarama had %illed their husband !ansa$ (nfuriated by the ne"s, 2arasandh at once launched a massive attac% on ;athura$ +he people of ;athura "ere frightened by the strength of 2arasandhDs army$ ,ord !rishna too fell in deep thought$ 2ust then, divine "eapons and chariots appeared from the heaven$ Both the brothers too% the "eapons and boarded their chariots$ +hen they fought a fierce battle and slayed all the army of 2arasandh$ Balarama furiously caught 2arasandh and "as about to %ill him$ But ,ord !rishna stopped him$ +hey then released 2arasandh and let him go unhurt$ 2arasandh felt ashamed that !rishna released him because of his helpless condition$ Shu%dev says: & *ari%shit, despite his shameful defeat, 2arasandh attac%ed ;athura seventeen times "ith huge armies$ But every time, the ,ord defeated him and released him in %indness$ 5nd every time 2arasandh felt more humiliated$G 5t last, instead of attac%ing ;athura himself, 2arasandh sent !alyavan to defeat Shri !rishna$ !alyavan launched an attac% on ;athura "ith one crore strong ;alechchh army$ +his time ,ord !rishna decided to vacate ;athura instead of countering the attac%$
He got 6"ari%apuri constructed by Vishva%arma and settled all the people of ;athura there$ +hen, unarmed, ,ord !rishna "al%ed past !alyavan$ *ointed by Aarad, !alyavan at once recognised !rishna and gave Him a chase$ He also challenged Him, but the ,ord did not listen to his challenges and %ept moving "ith face turned a"ay$ !alyavan chased Him for long, but could not catch up$ <ltimately the ,ord entered a cave$ !alyavan too follo"ed Him into the cave$ (n the cave the ,ord sa" that someone "as sleeping there$ So He covered the man "ith his yello" length of cloth and himself hid inside the cave$ !alyavan too arrived there and sa" the sleeping man$ He mistoo% him for -od and said: G!rishna, you might have thought that braves do not attac% on sleeping people$ So ( "ill first "a%e you up and then %ill you$G Saying thus !alyavan %ic%ed the sleeping man hard$ Ho"ever, as soon as the man a"a%ened and glanced at !alyavan, !alyavan got incinerated at once$
6I.6M.F<
,ale o @uchkund
*ari%shit as%ed: G-urudev, "ho "as that sleeping man'G Shu%dev says: G& %ing, that sleeping man "as ;uch%und, the son of the %ing ;andhata$ +he gods had sought his assistance in their "ar against the demon during the Satyayug$ =ith ;uch%undDs help,the gods had defeated the demons and thus pleased had as%ed him to see% a boon$ ;uch%und then had sought a boon of seeing -od in tangible form$ +he gods had assured him that he "ould have a sight of -od in 6"apar Yuga$ Since 6"apar Yuga "as still far a"ay, so ;uch%und had as%ed: G=hat should ( do till then'G +he gods as%ed him to sleep some"here and blessed him "ith a boon that "hoever "a%ed him up "ould be incinerated at once, by his glance$ +hus, in order to get !alyavan incinerated and sho" ;uch%und "ith his 6ivine form, ,ord had gone to that spot "here ;uch%und "as sleeping$ ;uch%und got the sight of -od in @haturbhuj form# and see%ed a boon of continuous devotion for three births$ +hus, ,ord defeated ;alechchh army and captured all their "ealth$ He also defeated 2arasandha and caused great joy for the people of 6"ara%a$
6I.6M.FJ 6I.6M.FG
@arriage o Balarama @essage o "ukmani or the Lord
+he %ing of 5nart, Rai"at got his daughter Re"ati married to Balarama "ith the blessing of Brahma$
Shu%dev said: G& *ari%shit, Bheeshma% "as the %ing of Vidarbh$ He had five sons and a daughter Ru%mani$ Ru%mi, the eldest son of Bheeshma%, had fiCed his sisterDs engagement "ith Shishupal, the prince of @haidi$ Aarada did not li%e this development$ He "ent to !undanpur, the capital of Vidarbh and said in the court of Bheeshma%: & !ing, ( am coming from 6"ara%a$G Bheeshma% saidH G& great Sage, ( have never heard about any city named 6"ara%aG$ +hus, in the court of Bheeshma%, Aarad narrated about the life of ,ord !rishna and the grandeur of 6"ara%a$ Bheeshma% heard the tale "ith full attention$ His daughter Ru%mani too enjoyed the tale$ But Ru%mi had a strong opposition against lord !rishna$ (gnoring the "ish of his father, he "as not ready to get his sister married to ,ord !rishna$ &n the appointed day, Shishupal appeared there, in a procession, to get married "ith Ru%mani$ But Ru%mani "as determined to marry ,ord !rishna$ She sent a love letter to !rishna through a loyal Brahmin and declared a fast unto death$ ,ord !rishna read her letter, "hich said: G& +rilo%%inath, since the moment, these ears have heard about your virtues, actions, character and plays, my soul eCperiences divine peace$ & 5chyut, my mind is dedicated in your feet$ & great among the men, this Ru%mani has dedicated herself in your feet$ Ao" it is upto you to see that no jac%al could ta%e a"ay the lionDs share$G +he Brahmin, the carrier of the letter, returned to !undanpur "ith an assurance from the ,ord$ ,ord too called the charioteer and set out at once for !undanpur$ +here in !undanpur, Ru%mani after getting the assurance from the Brahmin, "as thus "aiting for ,ordDs arrival$ *reparations for Ru%maniDs marriage "ith Shisupal "ere on "ith full s"ing in !undanpur$ 5ll the houses, streets and lanes "ere cleaned and sprin%led "ith scented "ater$ 5ll the men and "omen
fol% donned ne" clothes and ornaments$ !ing Bheeshma% "orshipped his ancestors and gods and "elcomed the Brahmins liberally$ )Ctremely beautiful princess Ru%mani "as given ceremonial bath and donned "ith auspicious clothes and bracelets$ +he %ing of @hedi, 6amaghosh got the auspicious rites for the marriage of his son Shishupal, performed by Brahmins$ 5ll the Baratis (people in marriage procession "ere given grand reception$ ;any great %ings li%e Shalv, 2arasandh, 6antva%tra, Vidurath and *aundru% "ere present in the marriage procession$ +hey had come "ith their armies "ith an intention of fighting !rishna and Balarama$ 5fter !rishnaDs departure, Balarama too set out for !undanpur "ith chaturangini ("ith four "ings army, for he had %no"n about their opponentsD preparedness$ Ru%mani "as eagerly a"aiting ,ordDs arrival$ She had received the ne"s that 6"ara%anath (!rishna had resolved to ta%e her a"ay$ She "as feeling over"helmed in her heart$ Seeing ,ord !rishna arrived intently in the marriage ceremonies of his daughter, %ing Bheeshma% "elcomed him$ Seeing him, even the common people of Vidarbh prayed G;ay our princess Ru%mani get Shri !rishna as her husband$ 5t the same time, Ru%mani emerged from her palace to go to the temple of 5mbi%adevi, soldiers "ere guarding her$ (n the temple, Ru%mani prayed peacefully: G& ;other 5mbi%a ( greet you and -anapati, "ho is sitting in your lap$ ( see% your blessing that may my "ish be fulfilled and may ( receive Shri !rishna as my husband$G &n her "ay bac%, Ru%mani "as "al%ing very slo"ly for she "as a"aiting ,ordDs arrival, "hich "as due in any moment$ 2ust then, ,ord !rishna appeared before her$ Before she could ride her chariot ,ord lifted her from amidst the cro"d$ 5nd in the presence of hundrerds of %ings, !rishna and Balarama eloped a"ay "ith Ru%mani$
6I.6M.8M
De eat o "ukmi N 1hishupal
Hearing the ne"s that !rishna has eloped "ith Ru%mani, Ru%mi and all other %ings present there boiled "ith anger$ 5ccompanied by their huge armies, they decided to give them a chase$ +hus chased my them, Yadnvanishis stopped and encountered the %ings boldly$ =ith a true ambition to "in, brave Yadav soldiers defeated the enemeies$ 5ll the %ings li%e 2arasandh fled for their lives$ Ru%mi had resolved that "ithout getting Ru%mani released from !rishnaDs captivity, he "ould not sho" his face in !undanpur$ He chased ,ord !rishna for long$ But 6"ara%anath defeated him and got his head shaved$
6I.6M.86
@arriage o "ukmini N Krshna
+hus defeating all the %ings, ,ord !rishna brought Ru%mani to 6"ara%a$ +here they got married formally$ 5ll the people of 6"ara%a celebrated festivities for many days$ *eople presented them "ith lot of precious gifts$ 5ll the people "ere in great joy to see ,a%shmi as Ru%mani "ith her husband ,ord !rishna$
6I.6M.8;
Birth o Eradyumna& Killing o 1hambarasur
Shu%dev says: & *ari%shit, !amadev "as a part of lord himself$ 5fter getting incinerated by Rudra, !amadev too% refuge in the supreme lord to get an incarnation once more$ +hus, !amadev "as born as Ru%mani,s first son *radyumn$ But just after his birth, *radyumn "as %idnapped by a demon Shambarasur$ +he demon dropped the baby into the sea, "here a huge fish s"allo"ed him in "hole$ @oincidently the fish "as caught by the fishers and presented to the %itchen of Shambarasur$ =hen the coo%s cut the fish open, an eCtremely beautiful baby emerged$ ;aya"ati, the governess of the %itchen, felt overjoyed to see the baby$ She began to rear the baby "ith love and affection$ &nce Aarad arrived in the %itchen and said: G;aya"ati, do you %no" "ho is in your lap' G GAo, & 6evarishi, ( found him from the belly of a fishG said ;aya"ati$ 6evarishi Aarad said: GHe is your husband !amadev and you are his "ife Rati$ (n this birth, he has appeared as *radyumn the son of !rishna$ Hearing this, ;aya"ati saluted Aarad "ith respect$ Since then she regarded *radyumn as her husband and served him accordingly$ =hen *radyumn matured$ ;aya"ati reminded him about his real appearance$ *radyumn, thereafter, %illed Shambarasur and got married "ith ;aya"ati$ +hen the couple arrived in 6"ara%a$
6I.6M.87
,ale o 1yamantak& the Bem
5 person named Satrajit "as a great devotee of ,ord Suryanarayana$ *leased by his devotion, Suryadev presented him a gem called Syamanta%$ +he gem had a radiance eFual to the sun$ Bearing that gem, Satrajit arrived in ,ordDs court$ By the radiance of his gem, all the people and the courtiers mistoo% him for Suryadeva and stood in his regard$ But the ,ord recognised him and as%ed his coutiers to be calm$ +hen to Satrajit, ,ord Said: GSatrajit, your gem is really very beautiful$ Aana (maternal grandfather <grasen is the %ing of this region$ (f you present this gem to him, it "ill be very good$ But Satrajit refused to present that gem$ &ne day, later on, SatrajitDs brother *rasenjit "ent hunting, "earing the gem in his nec%$ (n the forest a lion %illed him and snatched the gem$ +he lion "as in turn %illed by the <rsine %ing 2ambvan$ 2ambvan too% the gem to his cave and gave it to his children to play "ith$ =hen *rasenjit did not return from hunting, Satrajit felt sorry and accused !rishna that He had %illed his brother for the gem$ =hen lord !rishna heard that he "as being blamed for the mishap, He himself "ent to the forests$ +here he found the dead body of *rasenjit, but there "as no sign of gem around the cadaver$ He found only footprints of a lion leaving from there$ Eollo"ing the footprints, He discovered the dead lion and the foot prints of a great bear$ Eollo"ing the footprints, He reached in the cave "here 2ambvanDs daughter 2ambvati "as playing "ith the gem$ 5s soon as lord !rishna proceeded to ta%e the gem, 2ambvan arrived$ 5 fierce duel resulted bet"een them$ +hey continued to fight for t"enty.siC days "ithout truce$ &n the t"enty.seventh day 2ambvan reFuested ,ordH G*lease "ait & ,ord$G ,ord said: G6o you "ant to ta%e rest'G GAoG, said 2ambvan, G( have recognised you$ You are non other than ,ord Aarayana Himself$ Aobody else has the po"er to defeat me$G ,ord appeared before 2ambvan as Shri Rama$ 2ambvan prayed and "orshipped Him$ He "as feeling guilty that he dared to fight ,ord$ ,ord said that He had arrived there for the gem only$ 2ambvan gave him the gem and also his daughter 2ambvati$ ,ord returned the gem to Satrajit and married 2ambvati formally$
6I.6M.8F
@arriage o 1atyabhama N Krshna
,ord summoned Satrajit to his court and in the presence of the %ing <grasen, related the seFuence of incidents that too% place in the jungle$ Satrajit felt ashamed$ =ith a feeling of repentance he too% the gem$ He "as getting afraid also that he made enemity "ith lord !rishna "ithout reason$ Hence to eCpiate his crime, Satrajit thought of presenting the gem Syamanta% and his daughter Satyabhama to ,ord !rishna$ ,ord !rishna accepted Satybhama as his "ife but returned the gem to Satrajit saying: G(t is a gift of lord Suryadev$ !eep it "ith you$ You are reFuired to deposit the gold that you get from it, in the royal treasure$G
6I.6M.88
,he t o 1yamantak
5%rur and !ritvarma "ere not pleased "ith the marriage of Satyabhama$ So they got Satrajit %illed by Shatdanva$ Shatdanva %illed Satrajit in his sleep and absconded "ith the gem$ ,ord !rishna "as then a"ay in Hastinapur$ Satyabhama too reached there and informed !rishna about her fatherDs assassination$ =ith Balarama, ,ord !rishna chased Shatdhanva$ But even after %illing him, they could not trace the gem$ Shatdhanva had given the gem to 5%rur to %eep till his return$ But after the death of Shatdhanva, frightened 5%rur came to stay in !ashi$ Erom the effect of the gem 5%rur performed many grand Yagyas there$ ,ord summoned 5%rur from !ashi$ 5fter "elcoming and treating him in the court, ,ord as%ed him about the gem$ 5%rur sho"ed the gem in the court$ But ,ord returned the gem to 5%rur$
Other marria9es of 6ord /rshna!
6I.6M.8I
Lord)s @arriage with Kalindi
&nce ,ord !rishna visited (ndraprasth to see *andavas there$ +here riding a chariot "ith 5rjuna, He came to the forests$ &n the ban% of river Yamuna a pretty "oman "as observing penance$ By the instinct of -od, 5rjun dre" near her and as%ed for her identity$ She said: G( am !alindi, the daughter
of Suryadev$ ( am penancing here in order to get married "ith ,ord !rishna$G ,ord got !alindi boarded on the chariot and got married to her formally$
6I.6M.8<
Lord)s @arriage with @itrvinda
;itrvinda "as the sister of Vind 5nuvind the %ing of <jjain$ She had a desire to get ,ord as her husband$ But her brother, Vind 5nuvind "as a follo"er of 6uryodhan$ So he stopped his sister ;itrvinda from getting married to !rishna$ But !rishna eloped "ith ;itrvinda from the his court and got married to her formally later on$
6I.6M.8J
Cith 1atya
Satya "as the daughter of Aagnjit, the %ing of !aushal$ She "as eCtremely beautiful lady$ +he %ing had resolved that he "ould marry his daughter only to him "ho "ould defeat his seven most formidable oCen$ ;any princes has tried their luc% since then but failed$ =hen ,ord !rishna heard about that, He reached !aushal "ith his army$ +he %ing of !aushal "elcomed and treated him "ell, and told him about his resolution$ ,ord then too% seven guises and in no time defeated his seven formidable oCen$ -ladly the %ing married his daughter Satya to ,ord !rishna$
6I.6M.8G
Cith Bhadra
Shu%dev said: G*ari%shit, ,ordDs aunt (fatherDs sister Shrut%irti "as married in the %ingdom of !ai%auja$ Bhadra "as the daughter of Shrut%irti$ BhadraDs brothers li%e Santardan etc$ themselves had got their sister married to ,ord !rishna$
6I.6M.IM
Cith Lakshmana
,a%shmana "as the daughter of the %ing of ;adra$ She "as very beautiful and meritorius$ ,ord abducted her all alone from the S"ayamvar organised for her marriage$ ,ater, ,ord married to her formally$
6I.6M.I6
1alvation o Bhaumasur
Shu%dev said: *ari%shit, *rayjyotishpur "as the capital of the demon Bhaumasur$ He "as very strong and po"erful$ He had snatched the canopy of Varuna, ear.rings of 5diti the mother of the gods, and ;aniparvat of the gods on ;eru$ 5part from these, he had also captured siCteen thousand and one hundred princesses as "ell$ 6evraj (ndra himself visited 6"ara%a and *rayed ,ord to get them rid of BhaumasurDs atrocities$ =ith the dear "ife Satyabhama and riding his vehicle -aruda$ ,ord !rishna arrived in the capital of Bhaumasur$ But to enter *ragjyotishpur "as a impossible tas%$ But "ith the blo"s of his mace and arro"s, ,ord easily bro%e the hills, destroyed strategic positions and cut the snares "ith s"ord$ By his "heel he destroyed the "alls of fire, "ater and air$ =ith the loud sound of conch, lord renderered the machines, installed there, useless$ <ltimately, -od destroyed the rampart of the citadel$ 6isturbed by the noise, the five.headed demon ;ur ran "ith a trident to %ill -od$ But "ith a single shot of his arro", ,ord bro%e his trident and cut his head "ith his "heel$ Soldiers and commanders of Bhaumasur "ere also %illed$ Bhaumasur then came himself to fight$ He had donned a shinning cro"n and "as "earing big earrings$ =ith his "heel, ,ord cut the demonDs head$ 5s soon as He beheaded the demon, the gods sho"ered flo"ers on the ,ord and "orshipped Him$ )ven the mother earth came and put a garland of five colours around lords nec%$ She also presented to him the earrings of 5diti, canopy of Varuna, and a great gem$ 5t the reFuest of earth, ,ord assured BhaumasurDs son Bhagdatt freedom from his fears$
6I.6M.I;
Lord)s @arriage with >aptive Erincesses
5fter slaying Bhaumasur, ,ord entered his palace$ +here he released the siCteen.thousand one. hundred captive princesses$ +he princesses "ere very much impressed by the ,ord$ +hey had all accepted in their mind, ,ord !rishna as their husband$ ,ord too bo"ed before their love and accepted them as his "ives and arranged to send them to 6"ara%a$
6I.6M.I7
Eradyumna)s @arriage with "ukmvati
Shu%dev says: *ari%shit, Ru%mvati "as the daughter of Ru%mi, the brother of Ru%mani$ =hen a S"ayamvar "as organised for her, she sa" *radyumn$ She "as so impressed by him that she chose him as her husband$ But it "as not acceptable to other princes$ +hey tried to stop their marriage$ But defeating them all, *radyumn abducted Ru%mvati and married her formally$ +hen to please his sister Ru%mani, Ru%mi got his grand.daughter Rochana married to Ru%maniDs grandsons 5nirudh$
6I.6M.IF
@arriage o %sha3Anirudha
+he son of the demon %ing Bali, Banasur "as a great devotee of ,ord ,ord Shiva$ Banasur ruled over the %ingdom Shonitpur$ By the grace of ,ord ,ord Shiva, he had received thousand arms$ )ven all the gods including (ndra used to serve him$ +hus blinded by his physical strength, Banasur sought a boon from ,ord to meet a match for his strength$ ,ord Shiva said: G& fool, your thirst for "ar shall be Fuenched "hen your flag is bro%en$G Banasur had a daughter named <sha$ &nce she had a dream in "hich 5nirudh "as ma%ing love "ith her$ She "as very much perpleCed by the dream$ 5fter a fe" days "ith the help of her friend @hitrale%ha, 5nirudh snea%ed into her palace$ He stay there and enjoyed the company of <sha for long$ But 5nirudhDs clandestine stay could not remain hidden from the eyes of Banasura$ So he put 5nirudh in prison$ +here in 6"ara%a, everyone "as "orried by 5nirudhDs long absence$ (t "as Aarad, "ho ultimately revealed the fact that 5nirudh "as in the prison of Banasur$ Hearing the ne"s, ,ord !rishna launched an attac% on Banasur$ His armies surrounded Shonitpur$ 6uring -hurabandi the flag of BanasurDs palace fell$ ,ord Shan%er arrived to assist Banasur$ ,ord !rishna cut all the arms of Banasur$ 5t the reFuest of ,ord Shiva, he left only four of his arms intact$ Banasur bo"ed his head before ,ord !rishna and brought 5nirudh and <sha respectfully before Him$ =ith them ,ord !rishna returned to 6"ara%a "here formal marriage of <sha and 5nirudh too% place$
6I.6M.I8
,ale o King +rig
&nce, ,ord !rishnaDs sons visited the forests$ +here they sa" a huge @hameleon fallen in a large, deep "ell$ +hey tried to pull it out but in vain$ +he princes, therefore, returned to the palace and related this strange episode to ,ord !rishna$ ,ord too came to the "ell and "ith His left hand, easily pulled the @hamelon out$ 5s soon as the chameleon came out, it turned into a divine god and began to "orship -od$ He said: G& ,ord, ( am Arig$ +he %ing (%shva%u "as my father$ (n my life, ( had donated uncountable numbers of co"s to the Brahmins$ But once a co", donated by me, returned to my co"shed$ By mista%e ( made a resolution to donate it to another Brahmin$ ;y action led to a dispute bet"een the t"o Brahmins, and my "isdom failed to settle their dispute$ Both the Brahmins "ent a"ay unsatisfied, but ( met this fate after death$ Since then, ( had been in this "ell in the form of a chameleon$ Ao", by the graceful touch of your hands, & ,ord, ( have received salvation$G !ing Arig then "ent around the ,ord and returned to his heavenly abode$
6I.6M.II
1alvation o Eaundrak N Kashra9
&nce Balarama and !rishna had gone to Braj to see Aandbaba there$ ;ean"hile the %ing *aundra% of !arush sent an envoy to lord !rishna "ith a message that said: D( am ,ord Vasudev$D *andra%Ds envoy arrived in the court and read out the message: G+o besto" my grace on the people, ( have ta%en an incarnation$ You have falsely named yourself as Vasudev and bore my insignia$ +a%e my refuge or face the battle$G Shu%dev said: *ari%shit, hearing the message of *aundra%, <grasen and other courtiers began to laugh$ ,ord as%ed the envoy to inform *aundra% that He "ould launch His "heel on him and his army$ Receiving the message *aundra% launched an attac% on 6"ara%a "ith t"o 5%shauhini army$ +he %ing of !ashi "as a friend of *aundra%$ He too came to his assistance "ith three 5%shauhini armies$ *aundra% had disguised as Vasudev and "as bearing artifical conch, "heel, mace and lotus and$ He had also adorned S"asti%, !austubh etc$ 5ll the people began to laugh at *aundra%Ds clo"n li%e
attire$ (n no time, the ,ord stripped him of all his adornments$ His "heel cut his head$ +hen "ith an arro" the ,ord cut the head of the %ing of !ashi$ His head fell in front of his palaceDs gate$ Suda%shin, the son of the !ashi %ing, organised a grand Yagya to avenge his fatherDs %illing$ 5n ogress, !ritya emerged from the Yagya and began to burn 6"ara%a$ 5ll the people prayed !rishna to protect them$ ,ord assured them to be fearless and ordered His "heel Sudarshan to %ill !ritya$ Sudarshan eCtinguished the fire, %illed !ritya and destroyed !ashi$ +hen it returned to the ,ordDs finger$
6I.6M.I<
1alvation o Dvivid
+he %ing *ari%shit eCpressed his desire to hear about the life of Balarama$ Shu%dev said:, G& %ing, there "as once a mon%ey named 6"ivid$ He "as the friend of Bhaumasur$ =hen 6"ivid heard about BhaumasurDs %illing by Shri !rishna, he began to cause large scale destruction in the %ingdom$ His disruptive activities in the country began to terrori?e the subjects of ,ord !rishna$ &nce hearing s"eet music, the mon%ey "as dra"n to"ards the Raivta% mountain$ +here he sa" Balarama amidst beautiful young "omen$ +he mon%ey began to behave indecently$ 5ngered by his indecency, Balarama hit him "ith his pestel, named Sunand, and %illed the mon%ey$
6I.6M.IJ
@arriage o 1amb
Samb "as the son of lord !rishna and born to 2ambvati$ He had !idnapped ,a%shmana, the daughter of 6uryodhana from her S"ayamvar$ (nfuriated !auravas chased them and, "ith difficulty, they caught Samb and tied him$ =hen the Yaduvanshis got the ne"s, they began preparations to launch an attac% on !auravas$ Balarama pacified them and reached Hastinapur alone$ +here he received a "arm "elcome from the !auravas$ Balarama said to them: G(t is an order of the %ing <grasen that you should see Samb off "ith his ne"ly "edded "ife$G Hearing BalaramaDs "ords !auravas got angry and began to deride Yaduvanshis$ (nfuriated by !auravas derisions, Balarama trained his pestle and plough$ He intended to turn over the to"n of Hastinapur into the river Yamuna$ =hen the city began to sha%e, !auravas felt perpleCed and begged Balarama for his pardon$ Balarama assured them to be fearless and returned to 6"ara%a "ith Samb and his ne"ly "edded "ife ,a%shmana$
6I.6M.IG
1ending o -missary (Kings in captivity seek the Lord)s help)
Shu%dev says: G*ari%shit, once ,ord !rishna "as holding His court "hen an emissary arrived in the court$ +he %ings "ho "ere held captive forcibly by 2arasandh had sent him$ +he emissary related the miseries of those %ings to ,ord !rishna$ +hrough the emissary, the %ings had reFuested: G& ,ord of the "orld, !indly get us free from our miseries$ =e are in your refuge$ =e desire your sight$ !indly besto" us "ith your grace$G ,ord !rishna sent the emissary off "ith assurance of timely action$ ;ean"hile, 6evarishi Aarad arrived in the court and informed the ,ord of YudhisthirDs intention to organise a grand Rajsuy Yagya and his cordial invitation for the ,ord to attend the ceremony$ ,ord as%ed his friend <ddhav for an advice as to "here He ought to go first . to (ndraprastha in Rajsuy Yagya or to liberate the %ing from the captivity of 2arasandh$ <ddhav advised ,ord to go to (ndraprastha first$ +here He "ould be able to serve both the purposes$
6I.6M.<M
Lord)s Departure or *ndraprastha
<ddhavDs advise "as in the interest of all$ )veryone supported it$ +a%ing permission from His priest and teachers, ,ord set out on a chariot "ith the "hole family to reach (ndraprastha$ (n (ndraprastha, *andavas accorded the ,ord "ith "arm.hearted felicitations$ By the dictate of ,ord, ;ayasur built a divine loo%ing court for Yudhishthir$ +he courtroom "as a marvellous piece of architecture$ +he shinning, smooth, floor of it appeared li%e "ater, "hile "ater bodies presented a loo% li%e marble floors$
6I.6M.<6
Killing o #arasandh
6uring YudhishthirDs Rajsuy Yagya, all the *andavas set out in all the directions to conFuer the %ings and eCpand the boundaries of their %ingdom$ =arriors li%e Bheem, 5rjun defeated great %ings all around and eCtended the boundaries of YudhisthirDs empire$ But to defeat 2arasandh, . Bheema,
5rjuna and ,ord !rishna "ent in the guise Brahmins$ +hey reached 2arasandh capital -irivraj and prayed him for donations$ 2arasandh promised to give them the things of their desires$ ,ord !rishna then introduced themselves and begged 2arasandh for a duel "ith any of them$ 2arasandh accepted to fight a duel "ith Bheema$ He gave Bheema a mace and both of them came out to the outs%irts of the to"n, "here they began their duel$ Both of them "ere eFually strong and eFually brave and "ell pitted$ +"enty.seven days passed, but their duel remained inconclusive$ &n the t"enty.eighth day, during the fight, ,ord signaled Bheema a "ay to %ill 2arasandh$ He too% a small t"ig in his hands and tore it apart into t"o$ Bheema understood the signal and beating 2arasandh on ground, he tore him apart in t"o pieces and thre" them in opposite directions$ +hus came the end of evil 2arasandh$ ,ord !rishna and 5rjuna heartily greeted Bheema for his success$ +hey then enthroned 2arasandhDs son Sahdev and also got the captive %ings released$
6I.6M.<;
1alvation o 1hishupal
!ing Yudhishthir had invited great vedic Brahmins and 5charayas on the occasion$ +hose great Sages included Ved Vyas, Bhard"aj, Sumantu, -autam, 5sit, Vashishth, @hyvan, !anv, ;aitrey, !avash, @hit, Vishvamitra, Vamdev, Sumati, 2emini, !ratu, *ail, *arashurama, Shu%racharya, 5suri, Vitihotra, ;adhuchchanda, Veersen and 5%ritvarn etc$ *ersons from !auravas side li%e 6rona, Bheeshma, !ripacharya, 6hritrashtra, Vidhur and 6uryodhan etc$ "ere too invited to "itness the celebrations$ )ven Brahma, Shiv, (ndra, -andharvas, Vidyadhars had too arrived$ But before the Yagya could start a dispute cropped up among the great sages as to "ho ought to be "orshipped first in the Yagya$ (n the opinion of Sahdeva (youngest of the *andava brothers, not the son of 2arasandh , ,ord !rishna deserved the first "orship$ )very one supported him$ &nly Shishupal could not tolerate the decision$ He stood up and said: G(n the presence of such great ascetics, savants, polymaths and sages, ho" can this co"herd deserve the first "orship$G 6espite Shishupal bitter remar%s ,ord !rishna %ept Fuiet$ But Shishupal did not$ )ncouraged by ,ordDs silence he began to attac% the %ings, "ho stood by ,ordDs side, "ith s"ord$ He "as simultaneously abusing ,ord !rishna also$ ,ord had assured Shishupal of this forgiveness for up to one hundred sins$ But no" ShishupalDs sins have crossed that permitted number$ So, Fuieting all, ,ord cut his head "ith His "heel$ 5s soon as the dead body of Shishupal fell on the ground, a flame emerged from it and merged "ith ,ord !rishna$ Shu%dev says: G& *ari%shit, feelings of hostility had been accumulating in the heart of Shishupal for his past three births against ,ord !rishna$ (t "as because of these intense hostile feelings that Shishupal met salvation eventually$ 5fter the salvation of Shishupal, ceremonies and rituals of Yagya proceeded unabated$ 5t the end %ing Yudhishthir presented all those present there "ith fitting gifts and too% ceremonial bath$ 5t the reFuest of *andavas, lord !rishna stayed in (ndraprastha for many months$
6I.6M.<7
1alvation o 1halva
Shu%dev says: G*ari%shit, no" listen to the tale of ho" ,ord caused salvation for Shalv$ Shalv "as the childhood friend of Shishupal and had attended the marriage of Ru%mani as a member of ShishupalDs "edding party$ 5t that time, Yaduvanshis had defeated them all including 2arasandh and Shalv$ Right at that moment, Shalv had resolved to destroy Yaduvanshis and began "orshipping -ods of the gods *ashupati (Shiv $ ,ord 5shutosh ,ord Shiva "as pleased "ith him$ 5s a boon, Shalv had got an aeroplane that "as invincible even for the gods, demons, humans, nagas, etc and "as particularly formidable for Yaduvanshis$ By the dictate of ,ord ,ord Shiva, the demon ;aya constructed such an aeroplane of iron$ +he aeroplane named Saubh "as as big as a city and "as difficult to be spotted or caught$ (t could move as fast as oneDs "ishes$ Soon after getting the aeroplane, Shalv launched an attac% of 6"ara%a$ Surrounding 6"ara%a, Shalv began to destroy buildings and houses there$ Seeing the people terrori?ed, *radyumn consoled them to be fearless and himself set out on a chariot to counter Shalv$ He pierced Shalv "ith arro"s$ But ShalvDs minister 6yumana attac%ed *radyumn "ith a mace$ By the blo" of the mace, *radyumn lost his consciousness$ But soon he came around and began to slay ShalvDs forces$ +he fierce battle continued for t"enty.seven days$ ,ord "as a"ay then
in (ndraprastha Yagya$ But He "as sure that in his absence !shatriya %ings of Shishupal side "ould be attac%ing on 6"ara%a$ ,ord reached 6"ara%a and sa" a fierce battle bet"een *radyumn and Shalv$ Seeing ,ord arrive, Shalv began to attac% Him "ith sharp arro"s$ ,ord hit Shalv "ith a po"erful blo" of mace and he began to spit blood from his mouth$ He then tried to sho" many illusions and sho"ered ,ord "ith "eapons$ But ,ord "ounded Shalv "ith his arro"s, bro%e his aeroplane "ith his mace$ Very soon thereafter the aeroplane plunged in to the sea$ Shalv then attac%ed ,ord "ith mace but ,ord cut his head "ith Sudarshan "heel$ Seeing his end, all the gods sho"ered flo"ers on ,ord$
6I.6M.<F
1alvation o Dantvaktra N Vidurath
5fter the %illing of Shishupal, Shalv etc$ 6antva%tra arrived in the battlefield carrying a mace$ =hen ,ord sa" him coming, He too jumped do"n from the chariot and baul%ed his movement "ith a mace$ 6antva%tra tried to humiliate -od "ith his abuses and hit him on head "ith his mace$ ,ord easily bore the blo" of mace and hit 6antva%traDs chest "ith his mace named !aumoda%i$ 6antva%traDs heart tore apart by the blo" and he fell dead$ Vidurath "as the brother of 6antva%tra$ He came in the field "ith s"ord and shield to avenge his brotherDs death$ Seeing him ready to launch an attac%, ,ord cut VidurathDs head "ith his "heel$ +hus, ,ord !rishna entered 6"ara%a only after %illing Shalv, 6antva%tra and Vidurath$ 5ll the gods and other inhabitants of heaven sho"ered flo"ers on Him$
6I.6M.<8
1udama ! ,he Lord)s Driend
6uring his stay as a disciple at the hermitage of sage Sandipani, ,ord !rishna had a Brahmin friend named Sudama$ He "as very indifferent in nature "ith no desires for the material things$ 5fter their education, ,ord !rishna came to 6"ara%a "hile Sudama, "ho had no any inclination for accumulating material "ealth, got married and began to pass his life "ith his "ife Susheela abject poverty$ &ne day his "ife Susheela said: G& lord, your friend !rishna is the %ing of 6"ara%a$ He is very benevolent to Brahmins and his devotees$ (f you go to see him, he "ill understand your miseries and grant you a lot of "ealth$G But Sudama plainly refused saying: G6evi, ( have chosen the path of devotion for self upliftment and not for the "ealth$G Susheela, ho"ever, %ept of insisting: G5ll right, donDt go for the "ealth$ But at least you can go to see your old friend$ Sudama accepted this proposition, thin%ing that only the sight of ,ord yields supreme benefit to the devotee$ But he "anted something as a gift to present to his old friend$ 5t this, his "ife tied four handfuls of ra" rice in a bundle$ =ith that humble gift, Sudama set out for 6"ara%a$ His poverty "as at its helm$ But he %ept on reciting ,ordDs name all along the "ay$ 5fter "al%ing for some distance, Sudama felt thirsty$ He dran% "ater, Fuenched his thirst and than%ed -od that He at least does give "ater to drin%$ Sudama %ept on "al%ing the "hole day$ (n the evening, he %ept the bundle of rice under his head as a pillo" and slept$ Ao" it "as -odDs turn to sho" His gratitude for the devotee$ =hen Sudama a"o%e in the morning, he found himself right in front of ,ord !rishnaDs palace$ 5t first he could not believe his eyes# but the people told him that he "as in 6"ara%a and standing right before the lordDs palace$ Sudama reFuested the gate%eeper to inform ,ord !rishna that his childhood friend Sudama had come$ ,ord !rishna "as sitting in the company of Ru%mani "hen the gate%eeper delivered the message$ 5s soon as ,ord !rishna learned about SudamaDs arrival, He stood up and ran helter.s%elter to "elcome his childhood friend$ 5t the gate He cordially embraced Sudama and escorted him into his private chamber and made him sit on the throne$ !rishna and Fueen Ru%mani both "ashed SudamaDs feet one by one$ By the mere touch of his friend, !rishna "as feeling overjoyed$ His eyes filled "ith tears$ He and Sudama "ere holding each otherDs hands$ +heir hearts "ere beating "ith the memories of their period as disciples at the hermitage of Sandipani$ Eor long, none of them could uttered a "ord$ 5t last Sudama said: G& 2agadguru !rishna, ( have the fortune of being your friend$ =hat remains for me to do'G
,ord !rishna said: GBrother, have you brought for me something sent by my sister.in.la"' ( love to accept even the pettiest thing presented "ith affection$G Shu%dev says: D& *ari%shit, at the ,ordDs "ords, Sudama felt ashamed and he did not reveal the four handfuls of ra" rice that he had brought as gift$ =ith shame, Sudama began to loo% at the ground$ ,ord %ne" everything that his dear friend Sudama had never remembered him "ith a desire for "ealth$ +his time too he has come at the insistence of his "ife$ DHence, ( "ill give him the "ealth that is rare even for the gods$$$D thought ,ord !rishna and snatched the bundle of ra" rice and opened it "ith great respect$ He put one handful of it in his mouth$ =hen ,ord proceeded to ta%e neCt handful, Fueen Ru%mani held his hand and prayed: G& Vishvambhar (fosterer of the "orld for the prosperity of entire "orld this one handful is sufficient$G Sudama stayed that night in the palace of Shri !rishna$ +here he eCperienced the comfort of Vai%unth (abode of -od $ Staying there for many days, Sudama at last, too% leave of Shri !rishna and set out for his home$ ,ord did not give Sudama anything apparently nor did Sudama as%ed for His favour$ He "as travelling over"helmed by a divine sense of devotion and felt that !rishna might have not given him "ealth lest he should forget Him$ +hus, sun% in myriad %inds of thoughts, Sudama reached his home$ But at the place, "here his dilapidated hut stood once there "as no" a divine palace surrounded by verdant gardens$ +he floors of the palace "ere embedded "ith precious gems and stones$ Standing at the gate, Sudama felt confused, "hen his "ife Susheela came out "ith scented "ater to "elcome him$ +ears "ere rolling on her chee%s$ =ith love she greeted Sudama and escorted him inside the palace$ Sudama "as still reflecting over the -odDs grace and praying: G;ay ( have the friendship of lord in every birth, may my affection increase for ,ordDs feet$ ( donDt "ant "ealth$D Since then, Sudama enjoyed the comforts of the palace as the bounty of ,ord besto"ed upon him by non other than the ,ord !rishna himself$ His devotion increased day by day$
6I.6M.<I
@eeting o Lord with Bopas3Bopis
Shu%dev says: G& *ari%shit, ,ord !rishna "as passing his time "ith pleasure in 6"ara%a$ 5 total solar eclipse happened to fall during that period$ *eople from all over (ndia thronged in !uru%shetra to ta%e a dip in sacred -anges on that great occasion$ 5ll the Yaduvanshis too arrived there$ =hen Vrajvasis ((nhabitants of Vraj learned about !rishna and BalaramaDs arrival in !uru%shetra, they too assembled there$ 6uring the festival, ,ord !rishna met His foster.father Aand and other co"herds "ho "ere his childhood friends$ ,ord !rishna met the -opis also "ho had been pining for his sight since long$ +hey enjoyed the meeting and %ept on chatting for long$ &ver"helmed by love and joy, Vasudev embraced Aand$ ,ord !rishna and Balarama respectfully greeted mother Yashoda and father Aand$ +hey too embraced !rishna.Balarama cordially$ -opis "ere specially over"helmed by ,ordDs sight$ +hey had no other desire but to have a sight of ,ord$ +hat day their long cherished dream had come true$ -opis imbued the captivating appearance of ,ord and eCperienced the joy of embracing Him$ ,ord met all the -opis and embraced them$ (nFuired about their "ell being and preached them "ith spiritual %no"ledge$ By the virtue of that %no"ledge, feeling of living disappeared among the -opis and they merged "ith -od forever$
6I.6M.<<
?rgani:ation o Yagya by Vasudeva
6evarishi Aarad, Vyasa and many other great sages arrived in !uru%shetra to have a sight of ,ord$ ,ord "elcomed them all$ +hen Vasudev greeted them and enFuired about "ay for his self up liftment$ ,aughingly, Aarad said: GVasudev, a person, already living at the ban% of the -anges, discards her holy "ater and goes to other places of pilgrimage for his purification$ (n the presence of !rishna.Balarama, the sages said: GYou regard the indescrible, eternal, Sachchidanand Shri !rishna as your son, and see% the "ay of your self upliftment from us$ & Vasudev, recognise Him$ +a%e to His refuge, only He can salve you$G Vasudev got the meaning of sageDs "ords and began to develop feelings of devotion for his son$ )very human being has
obligation for the gods, sages and his ancestors$ +he sages got a Yagya performed in !uru%shetra by Vasudev to free him from the obligation for gods$
6I.6M.<J
"evisiting o Devaki)s 1i/ 1ons
(n 6"ara%a, !rishna and Balarama used to greet their parentDs first daily in the morning$ Ao" Vasudev had recognised His identity$ So after their return from !uru%shetra, "hen !rishna. Balarama "ent as usual to greet their parents, Vasudev greeted them first$ ,ord !rishna then preached his father about the metaphysical %no"ledge$ =ith that %no"ledge, Vasudev began to see !rishna every"here$ ;other 6eva%i "as also present there$ ;emory of her siC children, "ho "ere %illed by !ansa, "as still afresh in her mind$ She had heard that !rishna had fetched the dead son of Sandipani from Yamlo%a$ So she prayed to them G You both are venerable even to the gods$ !indly grant me my desire$ Sho" me my siC sons "ho "ere %illed by !ansa$ By their motherDs dictate and helped by Yogmaya, both the brothers reached Sutal ,o%a$ +he demon %ing Bali "elcomed them there and offered them a seat, and "ashed their feet$ !ing Bali then as%ed -od "hat could he do for Him$ ,ord said: & demon %ing, in S"ayambhuv ;anvantara, siC sons "ere born to <rna the "ife of *rajapati ;arichi$ +hey "ere all gods$ +hey had once seen Brahma trying to copulate "ith his o"n daughter and hence derided at him$ (ndignant Brahma had then curse them to ta%e birth in demon incarnation$ +hey therefore "ere born as the sons of Hirany%ashipu$ (n the present era, Yogmaya had made them born as 6eva%iDs sons "ho "ere %illed by !ansa$ +hey are all no" in your ,o%a$ ;other 6eva%i is mourning for them, so "e shall ta%e them "ith us$ +hey "ill thus be freed from the curse and go to their heavenly abode$G +hus ,ord !rishna and Balarama brought those siC babies to 6"ara%a and handed them to mother 6eva%i$ Seeing her babies again, 6eva%iDs heart filled "ith love for her sons$ ;il% began to flood her breast$ She breast.fed them$ 6rin%ing the mil%, all the babies received salvation$ +hey then departed to their heavenly abode$
6I.6M.<G
Love N @arriage o 1ubhadra3Ar9un
!ing *ari%shit as%ed: G-urudev, ho" did my grandfather 5rjun and grandmother Subhadra got married' ( "ant to hear this tale$ !indly narrate it to me$G Shu%dev said: *ari%shit once travelling on a pilgrimage tour, 5rjun reached in *rabhas region$ +here he learned that Balarama "as desirous of marrying his sister Subhadra to 6uryodhan$ But Vasudev and !rishna "ere not in the favour of this marriage$ So, a strong urge too% hold in his mind to get Subhadra as his "ife$ 5cting as per the urge, 5rjun reached 6"ara%a in the guise of Vaishnava sage$ (t "as rainy season then, so "ith an eCcuse of @haturmasya Vrat (four months long fast , 5rjun stayed in 6"ara%a$ 6uring his stay, Balarama served and loo%ed after him very "ell$ But neither Balarama nor any other inmates of the palace could recognise 5rjun$ &nce Balarama invited 5rjun to his home$ +here he offered good, delicious food to 5rjun$ Subhadra too served him "ell$ +here, they fell in love "ith each other$ ,ater on, boarding a chariot, Subhadra "ent out of the palace for a joy ride$ 5t the outs%irts of the to"n, 5rjun "as a"aiting for her$ He had already ta%en permission of 6eva%i.Vasudev and !rishna$ Subhadra too had silently nodded her acceptance$ So that evening 5rjun and Subhadra eloped from 6"ara%a$ +he ne"s of Subhadra eolping "ith 5rjun first outraged Balarama$ But ,ord !rishna and other near and dear ones convinced and pacified him$
6I.6M.JM
Erayers o Vedas
!ing *ari%shit as%ed: GBrahmin, Brahma is beyond the limit of doDs and "hyDs$ He is free from the virtues li%e Sat, Raja and +ama$ He cannot be seen by mind$ &n the other hand -una (Virtues is the subject of all the Shrutis (Vedas $ Ho" do Vedas then depict Brahma'G Shu%dev says: G*ari%shit, ,ord is omnipotent and a treasure of all the virtues$ Shrutis (Vedas do
depict Saguna ("ith virtues clearly$ But reflect on them deeply and you get virtuesless meaning from them$ &nce, ,ord Badrinarayana had arrived among the inhabitant sages of !alaygram$ 6evarishi Aarad had as%ed him the same Fuestion$ (n the assembly of the great sages, ,ord then narrated the same tale, "hich the inhabitants of 2anlo%a had as%ed$ +he supreme sages li%e Sana%adi and his brothers "ere eFual in %no"ledge, penance etc$ Yet they chose Sanandan as the narrator, and rest three became the audience$ Sanandan had said: GSuch as the savants and balladiers sing in praise their %ing to "a%e him up in the morning, similarly annihilating the entire universe in Him, *aramatma (supreme soul lies asleep "ith all His po"ers$ 5t the end of *ralaya, Vedas (Shurtis "a%e Him up through the "ords that demonstrate Him$G Shrutis (Vedas says: G& 5jit (invincible one , you are supreme, no one can conFuer you# may you "in every"here$ & ,ord, you are complete "ith all the luCuries, hence destroy the illusion that allures all the living beings$ =e are unable to describe your appearance$ But "hen your po"ers manifest in creation$ =e get some ability to describe you$ 6escription of Brahma, (ndra, 5gni, Surya and other gods, by us (Vedas appears as separate, +he complete universe is not different from you$ (t is a description of your various forms$ You are unborn, even in those idols$ You do not ta%e birth$ 5ll the Vedas describe your merits$ 5ll the savants love none but you through hearing and remembering of your auspicious, benevolent virtues$ &, endless, if anybody in human incarnations does not recite or remember your name he is breathing in vain$ 6harma(duty , 5rth (=ealth , !ama (Sensual pleasure and ;o%sha (Salvation have no meaning for those "ho remember you "ith pure heart$ & endless, glorious ,ord, common people are "andering in abject dar%ness of unnecessary disputes$ Your reali?ation is impossible$ =hen "ill that moment arrive in my life$ =hen ( shall recite your names li%e ;adhav, Vamana, +rilochan, -ovind etc$ "ith joy and get free from all the miseries$ & ,ord, this entire universe is false$ But still appears as real$ =e pray to that -od "ho is present as an illuminating truth in this false creation$ & ,ord of all, people can not sail across this ocean of death "ithout you, no matter "hat they do to achieve salvation$ +heir all efforts are futile$ & ,ord, all the living beings are "andering in your illusion$ But the learned ones donDt regard themselves separate from the cycle of life and death$ (n your shelter, they have nothing to fear$ Shu%dev says: G*ari%shit as per your Fuery, ( told you ho" Vedas describe *arabrahma *aramatma "ho is free from natural virtues and invisible$ & %ing, it is the lord "ho conceptuali?es the universe and is present in the beginning, mid and the end of it$ He is the ,ord of nature and creatures$ (t is He "ho created the universe and entered it "ith the creatures$ He created the bodies and controls them$ Such as a human being, "ho is immersed in deep sleep, is not a"are of his body$ Similarly, on receiving -od, the creature is freed from illusion$ So one must continuously reflect on the virtues of ,ord Shri !rishna$G
6I.6M.J6
"elease o Lord 1hiva rom >risis
*ari%shit as%ed: G-urudev, those among the gods, human beings and the demons, "ho "orship ,ord ,ord Shiva, get "ealth very soon$ But those, "ho "orship ,ord Aarayana, remain afflicated "ith scarcity$ =hat is the reason for that'G Shu%dev said : G*ari%shit, your grandfather Yudhishthir had put the same Fuestion before ,ord !rishna$G (n reply, ,ord !rishna had said: G& Yudhishthir, ( ta%e a"ay all the "ealth from those "hom ( besto"
my grace$ =hen they are poor, their relatives desert them$ ( even render their efforts useless "hen they try to earn money$ +hus being unsuccessful repeatedly, the people develop an attitude of indifference for "ealth$ +hen they begin to ta%e shelter as my devotee and mingle "ith me$ &nly then, ( besto" my full grace on them and they receive me as Sachchidanand *arbrahma$ +hus, pleasing me through my "orship is eCtremely difficult$ Hence, ordinary people give me up and "orship other deities, "hich are in fact different forms of me$ ,ord Shiva is 5shutosh and besto"s his devotees Fuic%ly "ith grace$ He gives "ealth and other riches to his devotees$ But once they get "ealth, the devotees become despotic and even forget the -od "ho had blessed them$G (n this conteCt Shu%dev narrated one ancient tale to *ari%shit$ &nce upon a time, there "as a demon Vri%asur$ He had pleased ,ord Shiva and sought a boon that the person, upon "hose head the demon put his hand, should be incinerated at once$ ,ord Shiva granted the boon "ithout considering the conseFuences$ But as soon as the demon got this supernatural po"er, he ran to incinerate ,ord Shiva first$ +he demon "as eyeing -auri *arvati, so he "as determined to eliminate ,ord ,ord Shiva$ Ao" afraid of his o"n boon, ,ord Shiva ran for his life, "ith the demon follo"ing him in hot pursuit$ 5t last ,ord Shiva reached in Vai%unth and told ,ord Vishnu about his crisis$ ,ord at once illusioned the demon and made him put his hand, on his o"n head$ By the virtue of the boon, the demon "as incinerated in no time and thus ,ord Shiva could be saved$
6I.6M.J;
,esting o ,rinity
&nce upon a time, all the sages assembled on the ban% of Saras"ati river$ 5 dispute errupted among them as to "ho among the trinity "as the greatest$ By consensus they appointed sage Bhrigu to test the trinity of Brahma, Vishnu and ;ahesh$ Bhrigu reached to Brahma, but did not greet him$ Brahma got infuriated but since the sage Bhrigu "as his o"n son, He did not curse him$ +hen Bhrigu visted ,ord Shiva$ ,ord Shiva proceeded to embrace the sage$ But instead of accepting ,ord ShivaDs "elcome, the sage began to abuse Him, saying: GYou violate the dignity of Vedas, so ( "ill not meet "ith you$G 5ngry ,ord Shiva raised his trident to %ill him, but Bhaga"ati stopped Him$ 5t last Bhrigu reached Vai%unth to see ,ord Vishnu$ ,ord "as lying "ith head in the lap of ,a%shmi$ Bhrigu %ic%ed hard at His chest$ But instead of getting angry, ,ord got up, bo"ed his head before the sage and begged pardon: G& Sage, pardon me, ( could not "elcome you at once, at your arrival$ Your feet are soft, ( hope they are not hurt$ 5ll my sins have been "ashed by the touch of your feet$G Bhrigu felt very pleased by the serious tal%s of ,ord$ His heart felt over"helmed "ith eCcess of devotion$ He returned to the assembly of the sages and narrated his eCperience$ Since then ,ord Vishnu is regarded as the Supreme and giver of peace and fearlessness$
6I.6M.J7
"evival o Brahmin)s dead children
+here in 6"ara%a lived a Brahmin$ =hen the first son "as born to his "ife, it died immediately after birth$ +he Brahmin too% his dead son to the royal court and complained: G;y Son has died because of anti.Brahmin and licentious actions of the %ing$G &ne by one, thus, eight sons "ere born to the Brahmin couple# but they all died immediately after birth$ 5nd the Brahmin %ept on dumping his dead sons at the gate of the royal palace$ =hen his ninth son "as born, and died, 5rjun "as also there in 6"ara%a$ He made a promise to the Brahmins: ( shall guard your son or commit self immolation$ 5t the time of neCt delivery, the agitated Brahmin came to 5rjun$ +raining his bo" and arro"s, 5rjun made all arrangements to protect BrahminDs tenth son$ Sanctified by many mantras, 5rjunDs arro"s constructed a fence around the labour room$ 5 child too% birth# but it too died after some time$ Brahmin,then, cursed 5rjuna$ 5rjun scouted through all the three "orlds and even the nether"orlds in search of the BrahminDs dead son, but he could not find him any"here$ <ltimately accepting his failure and as per his promise, 5rjun proceeded to immolate himself$ ;ean"hile, ,ord !rishna too learned about 5rjunDs vo" and stopped him from self.immolation$ +hereafter, riding a divine chariot, ,ord set out "ith 5rjun, to"ards "est$ Beyond the limits of cosmos$ +hey reached the abode of ,ord Vasudev in +ripadvibhuti$ +here 5rjun sa" that ,ord "as present in *urushottams appearance$ Shri !rishna and 5rjun greeted Him$
,ord *urushottam said in a serious voice: G& !rishna and 5rjuna, only to have a sight of both of you, ( brought the BrahminDs sons to me$ Both of you had ta%en incarnation on earth from my part to protect the religion$ 5ll the demons have been slain by no"$ Ao" you too return to me$ Shri !rishna and 5rjun again greeted ,ord and returned on earth "ith all the sons of the Brahmin$ 5rjun "as greatly surprised to see the supreme abode of ,ord$ He felt that "hatever strength a living being had, it "as all by Shri !rishnaDs grace$ ,i%e common, ordinary people, the ,ord stayed on earth enjoing mundane comforts, performed Yagyas li%e %ings, behaved li%e idealistic people# deterred His subjects and slayed evil %ings to re.establish religion on earth$
11&110hapter 11
,his chapter contains F sub3sections.
6I.66.6
>urse o 1ages to Yaduvanshis
Shu%dev said: G& *ari%shit, as the time passed, Yaduvanshis gre" stronger and more influencial$ Ao" no longer did they li%e the "elcoming and treating of the great sages li%e !anu, 6hrvasa, ;aitreya, 6hannmy etc$ by the ,ord$ ,ord !rishna %ne" about their disli%ing, but secretly He "as pleased by this change in YaduvanshiDs behaviour, for He %ne" that by disregarding the saints and the scriptures, they "ould meet their end sooner$ &nce the Yaduvanshis clothed 2ambvatiDs son Samb in a "omanDs attire and, sho"ing him to the sages as%ed moc%ingly: G;aharaj, this is our sister.in.la"$ She is an eCpecting mother$ She feels shy to as% but tell us "hat "ill be born to her' +hrough their unfailing vision, the Sages %ne" the reality and said: GEools, a pestle shall be born to her and that pestle shall eCterminate the entire Yaduvansh$ Ao" all the Yaduvanshis "ere perpleCed by sagesD prediction, and approached their %ing <grasen$ But, even the %ing "as helpless no" because he could not change the "ords the pious sages$ (n due course , a pestle "as born to Samb$ Erightened of an imminent fate, Yaduvanshis crushed the pestle into a fine po"der and thre" it into the sea$ &nly a nail remained, that also "as thro"n into the sea "here a fish s"allo"ed it$ 5 fisher caught the fish and cut it open and found the nail$ He gave it to a hunter$ +he hunter fiCed the nail in the head of his arro"$ &n the other hand, the sea "aves "ashed the po"der of the pestle ashore "here it germinated and gre" as luCuriant grasses$ ,ater on, once all the Yaduvanshis assembled at the sea.shore for a picnic "here they dran% "ine and began to fight "ith one another under intoCication$ Soon their Fuarrel gre" so high that they pulled out the grasses, "hich "ere gro"ing there, to use as the arms$ =ith the grasses the Yaduvanshis beat one another to death$
6I.66.;
Ereaching o +arad about Bhagvad
&nce Aarad arrived in 6"ara%a$ Vasudev prayed him and reFuested to provide him "ith pious company of Bhag"ad dharma$ Aarad said: G& %ing, once upon a time, nine great sages arrived in the court of the %ing 2ana%$ !ing 2ana% had put the same curiosity before them also$ ( "ill narrate the conversation that follo"ed there bet"een the sages and the %ing$G Eirst of all, the first Yogish"ar !avi said: G& %ing 2ana%, dedication is the first duty (dharma of a Vaishnav$ He should devote everything . his actions, fruits of actions and even himself, at the feet of ,ord$ He ought to hear about ,ordDs virtues$ Such a devotee shall be indifferent to the "orldly affairs and shall laugh, dance or sing occasionally and sanctified all the three "orlds$G +he %ing then as%ed about the characteristics of the ,ordDs devotees$ 5nother Yogesh"ar Hari said: G5 true devotee of the ,ord remains unaffected by feelings li%e hunger, thirst, life, death, labour, pain, fear and desire$ Such a devotee is the eCcellent %ind of Bhag"ad$ )ven the "ealth of all the three "orlds cannot sha%e the faith of such a devotee, because ,ord Shri Hari himself stays in his heart$G G=hat is illusion'G 5 Yogesh"ar 5ntari%sh replied: G!ing, an illusion is also -odDs play$ Having a
possessive feeling about mundane is illusion$ +hin%ing in terms of D(D, D;eD, D;ineD, D;yD, DYouD, DYourD is also illusion$ (f one can have such an affection for -od as he has for "orldly things, one can easily surmount the illusion$G !ing 2ana% then as%ed about the method of "orshipping ,ord$ 5 yogesh"ar, !arbhajan said: G & %ing, the ,ord had a fair compleCion in Satyuga$ *eople used to receive Him through methods li%e meditation, reconciliation, etc$ (n +retayuga, the ,ord had reddish compleCion and Yagyas "ere the main means to achieve Him$ (n 6"aparyuga, the ,ord had yello"ish compleCion and He could be pleased through "orships$ (n the present !aliyuga, ,ord has dar% compleCion and one can receive Him through means li%e recitation, narration and hearing of His name and plays$ +hus, narad preached Vasudev about Bhag"ad dharma$ Ao" the heart and mind of Vasudev "ere thoroughly clean and pure$
6I.66.7
Lord)s Departure to his Abode
+o remind the ,ord about the moment of His departure, Brahma arrived in 6"ara%a accompanied by all the gods$ He prayed to Him: G& ,ord, you have completed your duty of "hat "e had once reFuested you$ Ao", You please return to your abode$ ,ord said: G&n the seventh day from no", 6"ara%a shall submerge in the sea and Yadavas shall fight among themselves to death$ ( too shall depart then$ +he arro" of a hunter shall be the cause of my departure$G =hen <ddhav learned that ,ord "as about to "ind up His plays, he approached Him and said: G( understand, & ,ord, that this all is happening by your "ish$ But ( cannot part for a moment from your feet$ Hence, ta%e me also "ith you to your abode$G ,ord said: G<ddhav, ( "ill not go any"here$ ;y entire brilliance "ill be present in Shrimad Bhag"ad$ You stay here preaching Bhag"ad dharma$G Saying thus, lord preached <ddhav about the -eeta -yana through the tale of 5vadhoot$ ,ord narrated thus: G<ddhav, &nce, our ancestor Yadu happened to see ,ord 6attatreya in a forest$ ,ord "as indulged in the supreme joy in the guise of 5vadhoot$ Yadu as%ed him about the reasons for his "himsical state$G 5vadhoot had said: G& %ing, ma%ing the various animals, birds, insects etc as my teacher, ( have learned about spirituality from them$ +hat is "hy ( am free from mourning and attachment$ )arth, air, s%y, "ater, fire, the moon the sun, pigeon, python, sea, grasshopper, bumblebee, honey bee, elephant, eCtractor of honey, deer, fish, prostitute, osprey, boy, girls, arro".ma%er, sna%e, spider and "asp are all my teachers$ ( too% refuge at these t"enty.four teachers and learned from their behaviour$ ( learned forgiveness from earth, purity from the s%y, holiness and cleanliness from the "ater, innocence and renunciation from the fire# indifferentness from the air, to remain unaffected by circumstances from moon, abdication from the Sun, incoherence from the pigeon, dependence upon fate and remain effortless from the python, to remain al"ays happy and serious from the sea, to be under the control of sense organs and hence meet total destruction from the grasshopper, acFuiring of virtues from bumblebee, fault in cumulating from honey bee, to abstain sensuous tal%s from the 6eer, to eliminate greed from the fish, sorro" in hope and happiness in desperation from the prostitute, to feel happy in uncertainty from osprey, dispute among many from the girls, concentration from the arro".ma%er, to roam alone and detachment from a particular place from the sna%e, virtues of the creator ,ord from the spider, and ( learned similarity from the "asp$G (n the guise of 5vadhoot, ,ord 6attatreya says: G& %ing, ( learned "isdom and apathy from my body also, because life, death, life and death again are inseparably intert"ined "ith it$ Hence the net result of loving this body is nothing but sorro"$ +hus our o"n body also helps us to learn about metaphysical %no"ledge$ ,ord !rishna also eCplained <ddhav regarding futility of physical and heavenly luCuries$ +his human body is li%e a tree, on "hich t"o birds . 2eevatma and *aramatma (microcosm and supreme soul . have ta%en shelter$ +"o fruits . happiness and sorro" . appear on it$ +hese fruits are eaten by 2eevatma (micrososm "hile *aramatma (supreme soul stays as an indifferent onloo%er$ +here are three %inds of 2eev . Baddh (Bound , Bha%t (devotee and ;u%t(liberated $ Baddh 2eevas (bound souls are those "ho indulge in sensual pleasures and those "ho disli%e pious company$ ;u%t 2eev (liberated souls are those "ho are free from attachment and bindings$ Bha%t (devotees are those
"ho meditate on me and dedicate their everything in my feet and have love for my virtues$ ;y devotee is %ind, free from fla"s, tolerant, has feeling of fraternity for all and controls his desires$
6I.66.F
Bhikshu3Beet
,ord said: G<ddhav, in the "orld, there is indeed a dearth of such tolerant people "ho can tolerate bitter remar%s of evil ones$ (n this conteCt there is a tale of a greedy Brahmin "ho lived in <jjain$ +hat Brahmin had been badly tormented by the evil people after he had lost his "ealth$ But still the Brahmin did not lose his patience and regarding his present state as a result of his previous birthDs deeds, he eCpressed his feelings thus: +hese people are not the cause of my miseries# neither the gods, nor body, not even planets and time, can be blamed for my miseries$ Scriptures and learned ones held the mind itself guilty of oneDs miseries$ (t is the mind that runs the cycle of the "orld and ma%es every %ind of efforts$ (n the absence of mind, even the soul is rendered motionless$ =hen one accepts the dictates of the mind and indulges in sensual pleasures, soul too comes to be bound "ith them$ +he ultimate outcome of all the spiritual efforts li%e celibacy, study of Vedas etc$ and abidance to pious actions is the concentration of mind$ @oncentration of mind and is abstaintation from sensual pleasures are the primary conditions for attainment of *aramyoga (supreme meditation $ +hus ,ord preached <ddhav about -yana -eeta$ <ddhav too too% Bhag"ad ("hich is a form of the ,ord "ith honour and departed for Badri%ashrama$
11&1!0hapter 1!
,his chapter contains I sub3sections.
6I.6;.6
Description o Dynasties in Kaliyuga
Shu%dev describes about the dynasties that "ould occur in !aliyug$ Ripunjay or *uranjay "ould be the last %ing of Brihdrath dynasty$ +his dynasty "ould be succeeded by the %ings of Aand dynasty$ +hen a diplomatic Brahmin, named @hana%ya, "ould eCterminate this dynasty and enthrone @handragupt ;aurya$ (n ;aurya dynasty, a great %ing "ould occur by the name of 5sho%vardhan$ 5fter him, Yavans "ould rule then for siC hundred and forty years$ +heir rule "ould be succeeded by the governance of the fair.compleCioned foreigners, "ho "ould rule for one hundred and siCty years$ +hereafter, there "ould be no %ing and no subjects because people from all the classes "ould come for"ard to rule$ +he ruler "ould be selected by the majority votes$ +here "ould be no any thing li%e holyness$ @o"s "ould gro" thin li%e nannies$ *eople "ould not marry, as per their castes$ -reed, selfishness and seC "ould be the base of marriage life$ (n adverse conditions, spouses "ould desert each.other$ +here "ould be nothing li%e duty, responsibility and conduct$ Hair "ould be the main item of adornment for the "omen$ *eople "ould not have the %no"ledge of religious scriptures in !aliyug$ +al%ativeness "ould be identified "ith %no"ledge$ &nly those "ould be regarded as clever, "ho could pic% othersD poc%ets$ @hildren "ould not regard or pay due respect to their parents$ @hildren "ould maintain relations "ith parents till their marriage only, not after that$ Boys "ould not touch the feet of their o"n parents, but "ould pay full respect to their father and mother.in.la", Brother.in.la" "ould be dearer to them than their o"n brother$ Shu%dev says: *ari%shit, !aliyug is the mine of faults, But it has only one great virtue . that the people "ill acFuire divine position only by reciting ,ordDs name$ Recitation of ,ordDs name, regardless of intention and motivation.. "hether it is love, derision, la?iness or maliceness. "ould destroy oneDs sins$ But & *ari%shit, the sinister people "ould do even the most difficult tas%s in !aliyug, but they "ould not recite ,ordDs name$ +hey "ould not have an interest in the ,ord$ +heir interests "ould be more in sensuous things li%e sound, touch, beauty, scent etc$ & *ari%shit, the *aramgati (supreme salvation that people could receive by ten thousand years of
meditation in Satyuga# by performing Yagya for hundred years in +retayuga and by "orshiping ,ord,s idol for ten years in 6"apar, that supreme salvation is easily available for people in !aliyug simply by reciting ,ordDs name for one day and one night continuously$ But still,in !aliyug people "ould not have faith in ,ordDs name$ (t is their misfortune$
6I.6;.;
Last Ereaching o 1hukdev9i
Shu%dev says: & *ari%shit, recitation of Shri Hari has occurred in Shrimad Bhag"ad ;ahapuran$ & !ing, this soul is eternal, so you abandon this animal. li%e feeling that you "ould die$ You are not the body$ You are the eternal form of joy$ (mbibe your mind "ith the reflections of *aramatma (supreme spirit and have a sight of Him in the end$ You are -od yourself$ +hen neither +a%sha% nor death "ould do any harm to you$ <nify yourself in the supreme being by thoughts li%e, D( am *arabrahma$D +hus Shu%dev assured *ari%shit to be fearless$
6I.6;.7
Dinal Beatitude o Earikshit
+hus graced by Shu%dev, %ing *ari%shit faithfully "orshiped Brahmrishi and prayed to him "ith folded hands: G,ord, you are an idol of %indness$ You have besto"ed your graced on me narrating the plays of ,ord Shri Hari$ Ao" ( am salved and have achieved my natural state$ You helped me receive the supreme position in my life alone$ Ao" ( can eCperience the soul as separate from my body$G 5ccepting *ari%shitDs "orships, Shu%dev made his departure$ *ari%shit himself achieved the status of the sage and concentrated his soul in supreme spirit$ +hus, before +a%sha% could bite him, he "as merged in Brahma$ +a%sha% stung his physical body only, "hich "as burnt by the effect of the sting$
6I.6;.F
+agayagya o #anamee9aya
=hen 2anmejay, the son of *ari%shit, learned that a sna%e had stung his father, he organised, Sarpsatra$ 6uring the Satra, and invo%ed by the hymns of Brahmins, sna%es dre" from far and near and got burnt in the fire$ Erightened +a%sha% approached (ndra for refuge$ (ndra promised to help him$ +here, on earth, 2anmejay as%ed the Brahmins: G=hy has +a%sha%, the %iller of my father, not arrived yet'G +hrough reconciliation, Brahmins sa" that +a%sha% "as clinging to (ndraDs throne$ +he Brahmin invo%ed +a%sha% along "ith (ndra$ (ndraDs throne began to move earth"ard$ But then Brahaspati, the teacher of the gods, intervened and stopped the Yagya$
6I.6;.8
Branches o Vedas and Division
S<+2( described about the Samhitas and divisions of Vedas to the sages li%e Shauna% etc$ Ved Vyas divided Vedas into four parts and created four Sanhitas vi?, Rig, Yajur, Sama and 5tharva and taught Rigsanhita to *ail, Aigad sanhita to Vaishampayan, @hhandog Sanhita to 2emini and tought 5tharvangiras Sanhita to Sumantu$ 5ll these four sages are the disciples of Ved Vyas$
6I.6;.I
Eenance o @arkandey N 1ighting o @aya
S<+2( narrated the tale of ;ri%anduDs son ;ar%andey$ +a%ing shelter at ;aha%aal (,ord Shiva , ;ar%andey had turned a"ay even !aal (death $ 5nd by penance had a sight of ,ord Shri Aarayana$ He prayed -od to sho" His ;aya (illusion $ +hus ;ar%andey sa" the scene of *ralaya$ 5ll the creatures "ere dro"ning in the deluge$ &n a leaf of Banyan, then he sa" Bal ;u%und$ ;ar%andey entered ,ordDs heart and sa" endless cosmos there$ +hen, by -odDs instinct, ;ar%andey returned to his hermitage$ +hus ;ar%andey had the %no"ledge of ,ordDs metaphysical state$ (n the last chapters, a brief content of Bhag"ad and glory of ,ordDs devotion have been discussed$ S<+2( says: & great sages, ( have described "hat you have as%ed on the occasion of this pious assemblage$ +hat voice is useless, "hich cannot recite ,ordDs name and can not praise His virtues$ 5ll the sins and omens are destroyed by constant recitation of ,ordDs name$ &ne then receives devotion for ,ord "ith pure heart and begins to eCperience and feel -odDs tangible form$ +hough all the other *urans contain description of ,ordDs appearance, but in Shrimad Bhag"ad ;ahapuran, there is profuse description of Shri Hari in every chapter$ Shrimad Bhag"ad has a confluence of %no"ledge, asceticism and devotion$ &ne receives devotion for ,ord and salvation eventually merely by reciting, listening and reflecting over it$
NAMA SANKIRTANAM YASYA SARVPAP PRANASHANAM | PRANAMO DUKHSHAMANAM TAM NAMAMI HARI PARAM ||
10 6in9a Purana
,his is the Di th Eurana. Ereaching about the greatness o Lord 1hiva and propagation o Ling3pu9a (worship o 1hiva3Ling) are the main ob9ectives o this Eurana. ,his Eurana has ive parts5 6) Description o the creation. ?rigin o Ling and its worship. Yagya by Daksha. *mmolation o @adan (Kamadev). Cedding o Lord 1hiva. ,ale o Varaha. ,ale o +arasimha. Description o 1urya and 1oma vansh. ;) Breatness o Lord Vishnu& Lord Brahma becomes the creator&*ncarnations ? 1hiva During Various Dwapar Yugas &Dadhichi 1ub9ugates ,he 1ages and 1hiladAs *mpossible Demand. 7) @ani estation ? Lord +andishwar &Kaliyuga &,he 1even *sland &,he @eru @ountain&,he Erominent @ountains &Lord Brahma Assigns Lordships ,o ,he Deities and ,he "adiance ? 1urya. F) Dhruva 3 ,he 1upreme Devotee &,he ?rigin ? Deities&,he Lineage ? Aaditya&Yadu Dynasty& Appointment ? Andhak As ,he Lord ? Banas&,he Liberation ? -arth &Killing ? #alandhar and ,he ?rigin ? Lord Banesh. 8) 1tory ? %pamanyu& Breatness ? Dwadakshar @antra &Breatness ? 1hadakshar @antra& ,he @a9estic Lord @aheshwar&,he 1un @ani estation ? 1hivaAs Eower& *mportance ? Buru &*nstallation ? 1hiva Linga &Va9reshwari Vidya And Di erent ,ypes ? Yoga is covered in Di th Eart. As per the Eurana& a iery 1hivaling appeared a ter the Eralaya. Drom this 1hivaling& emerged all the Vedas and other scriptures& even Brahma& Vishnu and all other deities. >urrent prevalence o worship o 1hivaling and idols seems to be an outcome o this Eurana.
14&1 'inga Purana Part 1

,his section contains 6F sub3sections (to ollow)5
6<.6.6 1ut9i +arrates the Divine ,ales o Linga Eurana

?nce& sage& +arad arrived at +aimisharanya where he ound many sages engaged in austerities. All the sages were delighted to see him. ,hey eulogi:ed him in reverence and o ered him seat. 1age +arad narrated some ama:ing tales describing about the greatness o Linga Euran. ,his made the sages even more curious about Linga Euran. "ight then& 1ut9i also arrived there and the sages reHuested him to narrate the tales o Linga Euran. A ter making salutations to lord Brahma& Vishnu& @ahesh and 1age Krishna Dwaipayan& 1ut9i said333 1ound is the medium through which the almighty Brahma mani ests himsel . Brahma mani ests himsel in the sacrosanct ?@KA" mantra. "igveda is his mouth& 1amaveda his tongue& Ya9urveda his neck and Atharvaveda is his heart. (e is the 1upreme Being and is beyond the reach o creation or deluge. (e is one but mani ests himsel as three distinct deities333Brahma& Vishnu and "udra. ,hese three deities are the e/pression o the three natural Hualities respectively3"a9as& 1atva and ,amas. (e mani ests himsel as @ahesh in his ormless (+irguna) identity. (e mani ests himsel in all the living creatures as well as imperceptible things in the orm o seven natural elements3 @ahattatva (8 basic elements) Ahankara (ego)& 1habda (1ound) 1parsh (touch)& "oop (appearance)& "asa (taste) and Bandha (smell). Lord Brahma compiled the divine tales o Linga Euran. *t covers wide range o sub9ects like the beginning o creation& the origin o universe& description o the time& tales o di erent Kalpas& the greatness o Linga and its worship& tales related with Lord 1hiva& characteristics o 1hiva temple etc. *t specially elaborates upon the greatness o 1hiva linga and its worship. >I#ST C*"TO P#*T+*, S*#5 1hiva is both invisible as well as the root cause o all the delusions o the world. ,his is why 1hiva is also known as Alinga (unknowable). Linga is nothing but the non3mani ested (Auyakta) orm o 1hiva. ,his implies that the visible world is the medium through which 1hiva mani ests himsel . +ature (Erakriti) in itsel is devoid o Hualities like smell& taste& touch etc. But& all these Hualities become apparent in it only because o 1hiva& who is imperishable and whose characteristics are the natural Hualities like taste& smell& touch and sound. ,he whole world along with the gross and subtle has originated rom Alinga 1hiva. ,he whole world comes into being with the help o eleven components36M sense organs and mind. *t is pervaded by the delusions o AAlinga 1hivaA. ,he three prominent deities333Brahma Vishnu and @ahesh are the mani estations o 1hiva. (e is the creator in the orm o Brahma& the nurturer in the orm o Vishnu and the annihilator in the orm o @ahesh.
+ature is pervaded by the delusion o 1hiva& which is also known as A9aa (unborn). ,he three basic colour 3red& white and black are the symbolic e/pressions o the three Hualities "a9a& 1at and ,amo respectively. @a9orities o people all prey to the delusions o this world and get entangled in its illusionary appearances& but there are ew that understand the utility o this illusionary world. Cith the desire o beginning creation& the supreme Almighty mani est himsel in the imperceptible which results into the creation o the @ahattatva ( ive basic elements). Drom @ahattatva mani ests the ego or Aahankara which comprises o three gunas. Drom -go mani ests the ,anmantras or subtle orms o matter3sound& orm& taste smell and touch. Among these subtle orms o matter& 1ound came into being irst o all and space originated rom it. ,he second tanmantra& touch originated rom the space. Air mani ested rom touch or sparsh. ,he third tanmantra& orm or roopa originated rom air or Yayu. Dire or Agni mani ested rom roopa. ,he ourth tanmantra& taste or rasa mani ested rom Agni. 1imilarly& water or #al mani ested rom "asa& smell or Bandha rom #al and -arth mani ested rom Bandha respectively. All the ive organs o action (Karmendriya) sense organs and mind originated rom pure -go (1atva ahankara). *n course o time all these elements got trans ormed into a mammoth egg (Anda)& inside which Lord Brahma mani ested himsel . ,he whole universe is said to be established inside the above mentioned egg. ,he egg is covered by seven layers and Lord Brahma dwells inside it& seated on a lotus lower. ,he mammoth egg contains crores o universes inside its old.
6<.6.; ,he Beginning o >reation

,he whole creation lasts or the total period eHuivalent to BrahmaAs day. ,he almighty Bod created during daytime and annihilated during night. ?ne day o Lord Brahma is eHuivalent to one Kalpa o this world. ,he cycle o our Yugas occur periodically or 6MMM times& during which period altogether ourteen @anus take incarnation& one a ter another. 1atyuga consists o FMMM years. Di teen +imesha make one Kashtha (unit o time measurement) ,hirty Kalas make a @uhurta& i teen @uhurta a day and night each.,he dark lunar phase is said to be the day& while bright lunar phase is said to be the night o the manes. ?ne year o this world consists o 7IM days.,he deitiesA day lasts or the ull period& when the sun is positioned towards the north o eHuator. 1imilarly& the deitiesA night lasts or the total period when the sun is positioned towards the south o eHuator. ?ne year o the deities is eHuivalent to thirty years o this world. 1imilarly three months o the deities are eHuivalent to one hundred months o this world. -ach o the our Yugas is measured on the basis o divine years. 1atya Yuga is eHuivalent to FM&MMM divine years& while ,reta Yuga is eHuivalent to JM&MMM divine years. Dwarpar Yuga is eHuivalent to ;M&MMM years o the deities& while Kali Yuga is eHuivalent to IM&MMM years o the deities. ,he period o each Yuga given here is e/clusive o the periods o 1andhya (evening) and 1andhyansh (part o evening.) Lord Brahma commences creation at the ag end o night and all his creations e/ist or the whole day. Chen the night descends& everything is annihilated. ,his is the time when Kalpa ends.
6<.6.7 ,he ?rigin o >reation

*n the initial phase o his creation& Lord Brahma created immovable natural things like trees& mountains etc3then birds and animals. *n the process o creation& he created various things and human being was his seventh creation. Dirst o all Lord Brahma created his @anasputras31anak& 1anandan etc& who had no worldly desires. (e then created the nine supreme sages333 @arichi& Bhrigu& Angiras& Eulastya& Eulaha& Kratu& Daksha& Atri and Vashishth by the help o his yogic powers. A ter that& it was the turn o the twelve Era9apatis3"ibhu& 1anatkumar& 1anatan etc. All o them were divine& e/tremely virtuous and had reali:ed the supreme 3 sel & Brahma.1hatarupa had begotten our children rom 1wayambhuva @anu3Eriyavrata& %ttanpad& Aakuti and Erasuti. Aakuti was married to a Era9apati named "uchi& while Erasuti married Daksha. Aakuti gave birth to two children3Dakshina and Yagya. Dakshina had twelve sons.Erasuti3the youngest daughter o 1hatarupa had begotten twenty our daughters rom Yaksha31hraddha& Lakshmi& Dhriti& ,ushti& Eushti& @egha& Kriya& Buddhi& La99a& Vapu& 1iddhi& Keerti& Khyati& 1ambhuti& 1mriti& Ereeti& Kshama& 1annati& Anusuya& %r9a& 1waha& 1ura Arani and 1wadha. ,hirteen o them were married to Dharma3a Era9apati. Khyati was married to sage Bhrigu while Arani married sage Bhargava. 1imilarly various sages like @arichi& Angira& Eulastya& Eulaha& "itu& Atri and Vashishth got married with 1ambhuti& 1mriti& Ereeti& Kshama& 1annati Anusuya and %r9aa respectively. 1waha was married to Vibhavasu while 1wadha married the Eitrishwaras. Dharma had begotten all together 68 sons rom his thirteen wives3Kaam& Darp& +iyam& 1antosh& Alobha& 1hrut& Dand& 1amay& Body& @ahadyuti& Apramadd& Vinay& Vyavasay& Kshem& 1ukh and Yash. Khyati3wi e o sage Bhrigu gave birth to 1hri who later became the consort o lord Vishnu. 1he also had two sons named Dhata and Vidhata. Erabhuti3wi e o sage @arichi gave birth to two sons3Euranama and @aarich. 1he also had our daughters3,ushti& Drishti& Krishi and Apachi.Kshama3 wi e o 1age Eulaha had many o spring among whom Kardam N 1ahishnu were prominent. Ereeti& wi e o 1age Eulastya had two sons named Dattarnavr and Dahvahu. 1he also had a daughter named Dwashdwati. KratuAs wi e31annati had si/ thousand o spring who became amous as Baalkhilyas. 1mriti3Ci e o 1age Angiras had given birth to ive daughters333 1ini& Vali& Kuhu& "aka and Anumati. Anusuya& wi e o 1age Atri had si/ children3 ive sons and one daughter. ,he names o the sons were 3 1atyanetra& Bhavyamuni& @urtiray& 1hanaishchar and 1omatha.%r9aa& wi e o sage Vashishth Ano Bhadraha Kritavayo Yantu Vishwataha (Let noble thoughts come rom every side) ! "g Veda
Vishva Dharma ki #ay$ (Victory to %niversal Dharma$) gave birth to seven sons3#yay9i& Eundarikaaksh& "a9& 1uhotra& Bahu& +ishpaap& 1hravan& ,apasvi and 1hukra. AgniAs consort 1waha gave birth to three sons3Eavamaan& Eaavak and 1huchi.
6<.6.F Lord 1hiva ! ,he 1upreme Liberator

1ati3 daughter o Daksha had married lord 1hiva much against the wish o her ather. ?nce& Daksha organi:ed a grand yagya in which he did not invite his son3in3law. 1ati went to attend the yagya ceremony inspite o 1hivaAs orbiddance. A ter seeing her& Daksha calumniated Lord 1hiva and made un o him. ,his in uriated her to such an e/tent that she gave up her li e by 9umping into the sacri icial ire. 1he was born as Earvati in her ne/t birth and once again got 1hiva as her husband. ?nce& Lord Brahma reHuested 1hiva to create a world& which was ree rom death. Lord 1hiva re used apprehending its disastrous conseHuences. Lord Brahma was le t with no other option than to commence creation on his own. @eanwhile& 1hiva became immovable 9ust like the trunk o a tree (sthanu). Lord 1hiva& who is capable o attaining any orm. (e showers benediction on mankind. (e is engrossed in the supreme state o Yoga with e ortless case. +obody can attain liberation without his grace. (e is the bestower o religiousness (Dharma)& knowledge (Byan)& asceticism (Vairagya) and splendour (Aishwarya). 1inners who do not take re uge in 1hiva have to e/periences the unbearable tortures o countless hells.
6<.6.8 *ncarnations o @anu N Vyas

?n being asked about the incarnation o 1age Vyas during various eras and @anvantars& 1ut9i replied3? Brahmin$ +ow * am going to mention the names o all the incarnations o Vyas who e/isted during Vaivasvat manvantar o Varah kalp. ,he names are as ollows3"itu& 1atya& Bhargava& Angira& 1avita& @rityu& 1hatakratu& Vashishth& 1araswat& ,ridhatma& ,rivrit& 1wayam& Dharm& +arayan& ,arakshu& Aaruni& Kritan9ay& ,rina& Bindu& "uksha& @uni& 1hakti& Earashar& #atukarnya and 1ri Krishna Dwaipayan. ,he names o @anuAs belonging to di erent manvantars o Varah kalp are31wayambhu& 1warochiAs& %ttam& ,amas& "aivat& >hakchhus& Vaivaswat& 1avarni& Dharmasavarni& Vishang& Avishang& 1habal and Varnak. All o these @anuAs were named according to their appearances and comple/ions. Dor e/ample vaivaswat @anu was o dark comple/ion.
6<.6.I ,he -ssence o Yoga

Yoga means union with Bod. ,he state o yoga is impossible to attain without the blessings o Lord 1hiva. *t needs a concentrated and ocussed mind. ,here are some speci ic spots in the human body concentrating upon which& enables a man to attain the state o yoga3spot between the eyebrows& lower part o the throat& +avel and si/ inches above it etc. ,he state o yoga can never be attained until and unless a person has ully controlled the tendencies o sense organs. *t can be achieved with the help o eight means3Yama (Eenance)& +iyam (discipline)& Aasan (Eosture)& Eranayam (Breath3control)& Eratyahar (restraint o passion)& Dharan (retention)& Dhyan (concentration) and 1amadhi (deep meditation). -ach o them holds an important position in the path o yoga. Describing about the methods o per orming yoga& 1ut9i says333 A person should sit with his legs crossed in Eadmasan and try to concentrate his mind by i/ing his ga:e between his eyebrows. (e should keep his spine erect. (e should meditate either on the orm o ?mkar or on the orm o lord 1hiva. Breath control is an important aspect o yogic e/ercise. A man should e/hale deeply or 7; times and then breathe in deeply. (e should then retain his breath as long as possible and visuali:e lord 1hiva within his body. By constant practice he will achieve mastery over this art and a time will come when he will e/perience divine bliss. ,his divine bliss can not be e/perienced unless one has attained a deep state o meditation (1amadhi).
6<.6.< ?bstacles in the Eath o Yoga

A man e/periences numerous obstacles in the path o Yoga3la:iness& restlessness con usion& a diseased body etc. ,he main reason or being la:y is a bulky physiHue and oneAs inability to concentrate his mind. Lack o concentration results in restlessness& which is a ma9or obstacle in the path o yoga. * a person in unsure about the results he becomes con used. *t is impossible or a person su ering rom any disease to concentrate his mind. All the above mentioned hurdles can be overcome by irm resolution. A man who has success ully overcome all these obstacles might e/perience other obstacles in the orm o siddhis (divine powers). ,here is a real danger o getting lured by these divine powers. As a result his mind may get distracted rom his original goal and he may deviate rom his path. ,he names o these siddhis or divine powers are3Eratibha (having knowledge o past present N uture incident)& 1hravan (being capable o listening to abnormal sounds)& Varta (whatever is said becomes true)& Darshana (capable o seeing things which can mot be seen by the mortal eyes)& Aaswada (being capable o e/periencing divine (tastes)& Vedana (being capable o relieving otherAs pain by a mere touch). * a person success ully overcomes all these allurements then he becomes a siddha3 or man o accomplishment and divine powers.
6<.6.J Bali ! ,he "eali:ation o 1hiva

Lord 1hiva showers his blessing on one and all without any discrimination& but virtuous people have special privilege in the sense that it is easier or them to reali:e Lord 1hiva.?nce& Earvati asked Lord 1hiva as to how a devotee could reali:e him. Lord 1hiva recalled an incident when Lord Brahma had asked the same Huestion. Lord 1hiva had told lord Brahma3PAnybody can reali:e me by having deep devotion towards me. A devotee can meditate upon me in the orm o Linga with total devotion. *t is only by deep devotion that a man can achieve true knowledge as well as salvation.P
6<.6.G Venerableness o 1adyo9aat

,he sages asked 1ut9i as to how was lord Brahma able to have a divine glimpse o 1adyo9aat. 1ut9i replied3During the Kalpa named 1hwetalohit& once lord Brahma witnessed the mani estation o a divine child who was o mi/ed (red N white) comple/ion. ,he child had a 1hikha (topknot) on his head. >onsidering him to be an embodiment o almighty Bod& Lord Brahma eulogi:ed that child. 1uddenly our children appeared and ormed a protective ring around 1adyo9aat. ,he names o these children were31unand& +andan& Vishwanand& and %panand. All o them were o air comple/ion and very handsome.Anybody who is desirous o attaining to "udraloka must take re uge in 1adyo9aat.
6<.6.6M
Lord Vaamdev
?nce& during thirtieth kalpa named "akta& Lord Brahma was meditating on Earameshthi 1hiva. 1uddenly a divine child appeared be ore him who was o red comple/ion and who had put on red apparels. (e was none other than Lord Vaamdev. Lord Brahma immediately reali:ed the divinity o that child and was convinced that he was the embodiment o Almighty Bod. Ano Bhadraha Kritavayo Yantu Vishwataha (Let noble thoughts come rom every side) ! "g Veda
Vishva Dharma ki #ay$ (Victory to %niversal Dharma$) Lord Brahma eulogi:ed Vaamdev who was pleased by his devotions. Dour divine entities3Viri9a& Vivahu& Vishoka and Vishwabhavana mani ested rom the body o Vaamdev. All o them had great resemblance to Lord Vaamdev. Vaamdev preached them on the iner points o religiousness so that mankind could be bene ited by this knowledge.
6<.6.66
Lord ,atpurush
,he thirty3 irst kalpa was known as Eeet Kalpa. ,he term AEeetA means yellow and this Kalpa was named Eeet because Lord Brahma had put on yellow apparels during this Kalpa. ?nce& while he was meditating on the orm o Lord 1hiva& a divine child mani ested be ore him. ,he child had a halo o light all around him and had put on yellow coloured clothes. -ven his turban& sacred3thread and garland were yellow in colour. (is arms were abnormally long. Lord Brahma immediately reali:ed that the child was none other than Lord @aheshwar himsel . 1uddenly a divine cow appeared rom the mouth o @aheshwar& who had our aces and possessed all the thirty3two Hualities. ,he divine cow was none other than Boddess Bayatri hersel .Lord Brahma eulogi:ed her and @aheshwar was very pleased by his deep devotion. @aheshwar also blessed him with divine knowledge and unrevealed the secret o yoga to him. "ight then& many divine children appeared rom the body o lord @aheshwar. -ach o them had put on yellow apparels and had great resemblance to lord @aheshwar. ,hey were e/tremely virtuous and served the mankind by giving sermons. A ter having completed their mission o spreading the message o virtuosity to the mankind& all o them got united with Lord @aheshwar ultimately. A person& who is desirous o getting liberated rom all his sin& must seek the blessings o Lord @aheshwar who is also known as ,atpurush.
6<.6.6;
Lord Aghoresh
Eeet kalpa was ollowed by Eradhritta kalpa. Black was the predominant colour o this kalpa. *nitially& the whole earth was submerged in the water and Lord Brahma desirous o commencing his creations wished or a son. As a result& a divine child mani ested whose comple/ion was dark. +ot only that he had put on black apparels and a black crown on his head. A black sacred thread was hanging across his shoulder. Lord Brahma immediately recogni:ed Aghoresh and eulogi:ed him. Lord Aghoresh became pleased by his devotion and blessed him. #ust like the preceding Kalpas& our divine children mani ested rom lord AghoreshAs body. All o them had great resemblance with Aghoresh in every respect. *n course o time& they did tremendous penance and preached the virtue o religiousness to the mankind. A person who worships Lord Aghoresh and has deep devotion in him becomes liberated rom gravest o sins like Brahmhatya (sin acHuired due to killing a Brahmin) etc.
6<.6.67
Lord *shaan
*n the beginning o Vishwaroopa kalpa& lord Brahma& desirous o commencing creation was engrossed in deep meditation. ,his resulted into the mani estation o a divine cow& which pu::led lord Brahma very much. Actually& this divine cow was none other then Vishwaroopa 1araswati& but lord Brahma ailed to recogni:e her. Lord Brahma decided to take the help o Lord *shaan and started meditating on him. Chen Lord *shaan appeared be ore him& he was reHuested by Lord Brahma to shed light on the identity o that divine cow. Lord *shaan replied by saying3P,he present kalpa is called Vishwaroopa kalpa. *t has originated rom the le t side o my body and is the thirty3third kalpa. ,his divine cow has also originated rom me. 1he is goddess Bauri3the source o all creation. A ter saying like this& Lord *shaan created our divine entities rom the body o the cow3#ati& @undi& 1hikhandi and Ardhamund. All o them were very luminous and virtuous. A ter preaching the world or thousands o divine year. ,hey got reunited with lord "udra.
6<.6.6F
,he ?rigin o 1hiva Linga
,he sages asked 1ut9i333 Lord 1hiva is ormless then how come 1hiva Linga is worshippedL Chat is the signi icance o 1hiva LingaL Chat is the proper method o worshipping a 1hiva Linga L 1ut9i replied333 ?nce& Lord Brahma and Lord Vishnu developed serious di erent on the matter o superiority. A tremendous duel broke out between them. As they were ighting a mammoth Linga appeared on the scence& the e ulgence o which made e orts both o them ama:ed.Both o them decided to ind out the origin o that divine Linga. Lord Brahma trans ormed his appearance into that o a swan and lew up in the sky to determine the height o that Linga. Lord Vishnu trans ormed himsel into a roar and entered the depth o earth to ind the source o that 1hiva Linga. But both o them ailed in their ob9ectives and returned to the same place e/hausted. 1uddenly& they heard a loud sound o A%@ emanating rom the 1hiva Linga. Very soon& the whole orm o ?@& consisting o all the three letters A& % and @ became visible. (,he letters A& % and @ symboli:e Lord Brahma& Vishnu and @ahesh respectively). At last& both o them reali:ed their mistake and stopped Huarrelling. ,his way& Lord 1hiva was success ul in subduing their arrogance.Lord "udra is beyond sensual perception. (e is the supreme Almighty and the bestowers o divine bliss. ,he mystical orm o 1hivalinga is a symbolical e/pression o sacred mantra3A%@. ,he letter A symboli:es Bee9a (1eed)& @ the creator himsel and % is the symbolical e/pression o Yoni (Vagina). Lord "udra is beyond sensual perception. (e is the supreme Almighty and the bestowers o divine bliss. ,he mystical orm o 1hivalinga is a symbolical e/pression o sacred mantra3A%@. ,he letter A symboli:es Bee9a (1eed)& @ the creator himsel and % is the symbolical e/pression o Yoni (Vagina).
14&! 'inga Purana Part !

,his section contains 67 sub3sections (to ollow)5
6<.;.6 Lord 1hiva Blesses Brahma and Vishnu

At the time& when this incident o mystical 1hiva linga had occurred and a ter which Lord Brahmaand Vishnu had stopped Huarelling& Lord 1hiva appeared be ore them and said333 P* am very pleased with both o you& Both o 3 P ? Vishnu$ You are the creator& Lord 1hiva. ,his made Lord 1hiva e/tremely pleased and he the preserver as well as the destroyer o this world. * am the supreme you& though having distinct identities have actually mani ested rom my body3Brahma rom my le t side and Vishnu rom my right.P almighty and distinct rom all three o you3Brahma& Vishnu and @ahesh.Lord Vishnu e/pressed his undiluted devotion towards Lord 1hiva. ,his made Lord 1hiva e/tremely pleased and he said. Ano Bhadraha Kritavayo Yantu Vishwataha (Let noble thoughts come rom every side) ! "g Veda
Vishva Dharma ki #ay$ (Victory to %niversal Dharma$) P? Vishnu$ You are the creator& the preserver as well as the destroyer o this world. * am the supreme almighty and distinct rom all three o you3 Brahma& Vishnu and @ahesh.P Linga is the personi ication o the Almighty Bod. ,he term Linga means usion and the 1hivalinga are said to be the symbolical e/pression o all the deities.
6<.;.; ,he @ani estation o Lord Brahma

,he 1ages reHuested 1ut9i to elucidate how Lord Brahma emerged rom the navel o Vishnu seated on a lotus lower. 1ut9i replied333 At the time o deluge Lord Vishnu went in his yoganidra lying on the back o 1heshnag. As the result o his divine play& a huge lotus lower along with a long tubular stalk emerged rom his navel. Lord Brahma was seated on the Lotus lower.Chen Lord Brahma saw Lord Vishnu& he asked3PCho are you sleeping in this oceanLAA Lord Vishnu also asked the same Huestion as to whom was he and rom where had he mani ested. Very soon& a Huarrel ensures between them.Desirous o knowing the identity o the stranger& Lord Vishnu entered BrahmaAs abdomen through his mouth. (e was ama:ed to ind the e/istence o whole universe inside BrahmaAs abdomen. (e remained there or thousands o year but could not ind the end. Being e/hausted& he came out and told Lord Brahma that even his abdomen had the same unlimited e/panse. Lord Brahma decided to check the authenticity o VishnuAs statement and entered into his abdomen through the mouth. Lord Brahma wandered inside the abdomen or thousands o year but could not ind the end. @ean while& Lord Vishnu has shut each and every opening o his body which made it impossible or Lord Brahma to come out. %ltimately he was success ul in coming out through the tubular stalk o the lotus.As Lord Brahma was not amused by VishnuAs behaviour& he started ighting with him. "ight at that moment& Lord @ahadev arrived there. (is moments created high tide and strong mind& which vigorously shook the lotus lower. Lord Vishnu immediately reali:ed that these signs orebode the arrival o @ahadev. (e revealed this act to Brahma and about @anadevAs greatness. But Lord Brahma was not impressed. Lord Vishnu then said 333 P1hiva is the almighty Bod. (e is the one& whom& enlightened people are always in search or. (e mani ests himsel in the orm o an egg on account o the union o his ormless and with orm appearances. *n course o time the egg gets divided into two halves& rom which are created the di erent Lokas (world). ,he egg is the very place rom where originates the whole creation. -ven you (Brahma) own your e/istence to that egg. Your arrogance might invite the wrath o 1hiva. 1o& come let both o us eulogi:e and praise the holy name o @ahadev.
6<.;.7 Lord Brahma Becomes the >reator

At last& Lord Vishnu was success ul in convincing Brahma o 1hivaAs supreme status. Both o them eulogi:ed and sang hymns in the praise o Lord 1hiva.Lord 1hiva became very pleased by their devotion. (e reHuested Lord Vishnu wanted nothing else but undiluted devotion in him. Lord 1hiva agreed and said P1o be itP. Lord 1hiva then blessed Brahma and made him the creator. Lord Brahma did a tremendous penance& which continued or a very long period. ,he severe penance strained his eyes as a result o which tears started rolling down his cheeks. Eoisonous snakes mani ested rom those teardrops. Lord Brahma became disillusioned by his maiden creation and gave up his li e. -leven "udras emerged rom his body and started wailing. ,hey then brought Lord Brahma back to li e.A ter becoming alive& Lord Brahma eulogi:ed Vishveshwar and goddess Bayatri. (e was ama:ed to see the e/istence o whole universe inside the body o Lord Vishveshwar all the kalpas including the di erent incarnations o lord 1hiva about origin o these kalpas and various incarnations like sadya& etc.
6<.;.F Description o Di erent Kalpas

Lord 1hiva revealed to Brahma that the 1hwet3kalpa derived its name rom his comple/ion. P* took incarnation attired in white apparels. @y comple/ion was air. You being sel 3begotten were able to recogni:e me. Boddess Bayatri had also mani ested rom my body and later on became amous as A1hwet3Lohit3BrahmA.P P,he ne/t kalpa was known as Lohit kalpa because o my red comple/ion& Boddess Bayatri had also incarnated in the orm o divine cow. * became amous as Vaamdev during this kalpa.P Lord 1hiva then went on to describe about the rest o the kalpas which had been named a ter his comple/ion. (e also gave in3depth description o various sub9ects like& the di erent worlds& the vedas the our ma9or castes etc.
6<.;.8 *ncarnations o 1hiva During Various Dvapar Yugas

?n being enHuired by Lord Brahma about his various incarnations& Lord 1hiva said 333 P* shall incarnate as 1hwet3@ahamuni during 6st Dwapar yuga o Vaivaswat manvantar. @y abode shell is at >hhogal peak o (imalaya mountain. * shall have our disciples who will be pro icient in the Vedas.P P* will incarnate as 1utar during second dwapar. At that time& 1addyo9aat Era9apati will be holding he post o Vyas.* will have our sons3Dundubhi& 1hataroopa& "ichika and Keluma.P PDuring third dwapar and at the time when 1age Bhargav will be acting as a Vyas& * will take incarnation as Daman. * will have our sons3Vikrosh& Vikesh& Vipash and Eaapnashak.P PDuring ourth dwapar and at the time when 1age Angira will be acting as a Vyas& * will take incarnation as 1uhotra. * will have our sons31umukh& Durmukh& Durdhar and Duratikram.P P* will take incarnation as Kank during i th dwapar and at the time when 1age 1avita will be ul illing the obligations o VyasK * will have our sons31anak& 1anandan& 1anatan and 1anatkumar.P PDuring 1i/th dwapar& * will take incarnation as Laugakshi. At that time 1age @rityu will be holding the post o Vyas. @y sons will be 1udhama& Vira9a& 1hankh and Eadra9.P Ano Bhadraha Kritavayo Yantu Vishwataha (Let noble thoughts come rom every side) ! "g Veda
Vishva Dharma ki #ay$ (Victory to %niversal Dharma$) P1age 1hataritu will act as Vyas during 1eventh dwapar. * will have our sons31araswat& @egh& @eghvah and 1uvahan.P P1age Vashishth will be the vyas during eighth dwapar. * will take incarnation as Dadhivahan. @y sons will be3Kapil& Aasuri& Eanch& 1hikhomuni and Vashkal.P P1age 1araswat will act as Vyas during nineth dwapar. * will take incarnation as "ishabh. * will have our sons3Earashar& Barg& Bhargav and Aangiras.P P,he tenth dwapar will see ,ripad ul illing the duties o Vyas. * will incarnate as Bhavita @uni. * will have our sons3Bala& Bandhu& +iramitra and Ketu.P P1age ,rivat will be the Vyas during eleventh dwapar. * will take incarnation as %gra. @y sons will be3Lambodar& Lambaksha N Lambakesh.P P1age 1hatate9a will per orm the duties o Vyas during twel th dwapar. * will have our sons31arvagya& 1ambuddhi& 1aadhya and 1arva.P PDharma will be the Vyas during thirteenth dwapar. * will take incarnation as Bali and live at the hermitage o the Baalkhilya. * will have our sons3 1udhama& Kashyap& Vashishth and Vira9a.P ,his way& Lord 1hiva elaborated upon his various incarnations till the period o twenty3eight dwapar& which went as ollows.
D=*P*# 6Fth 68th 6Ith 6<th 6Jth 6Gth ;Mth ;6st ;;nd ;7rd ;Fth ;8th ;Ith ;<th ;Jth
.3*S ,arakshu ,raiyyaruni Deva Kritan9ay "itan9ay Bhardwa9 Bautam Vachashrava 1hushmayan ,rinabindu "iksha 1hakti Earashar #atuk Karnya Dwaipayan
S+I.* Bautam Vedshira Bokarn Buhavasi 1hikhani #atamali Attahaas Daruko Langli Bheem Kalan9ar 1hooli Dandi3@undishvar 1ahishnu 1omsharma Lakuli
S+I.*AS SO"S Atri& Devarudra& 1hravan N 1hrivishthak Kuni& Kunibahu& Kusharir N Kunetrak Kashyao& 1hukracharya& >hyavn N Vrihaspati %tathya& Vamadev& @ahayoga N @ahabal Vachashrava&"ichik&1hyavashva N Yateeshwar (iranyabh& Kaushal& Laungakshi N Kuthumi 1umantu& Varvari& Kavandh N Kushi Kandhar "ampkshoda& Bhayani& Ketuman N Bautam. Dharmik& @ahayotri& Bhallavi& @adhupinga&1hwetu& Ketu N Kush %shik& Vrihadashva& Deval N Kavirevach 1halihotra& Agnivesh& %nashva N 1haradvasu. >hhagal& Kundak& Kumbhand N Erawaha9 %look& Viddyut& 1hambuk N Aashwalayan. Akshapad& Kumar& %look N Vatsa. Kushik& Barg& @itra N Kaurushya
6<.;.I "ituals o 1hiva3Linga Corship (Eurity)

?nce& Boddess Earvati asked Lord 1hiva about the proper methods o worshipping 1hiva3linga. Chile 1hiva was elucidating upon the rituals& +andi who was present there too got enlightened on this sacred topic. *n course o time& this knowledge was passed on to 1anat Kumar& who in turn revealed it to 1age Vyas. 1ut9i came to know about it rom 1hailadi.Lord 1hiva had described the ollowing three methods& by the help o which a devotee should become pure be ore commencing his worship.
Varun 1nan (,aking bath in open) Bhashma 1nan (1mearing ashes on the body) @antra 1nan (>hanting o mantra)
Lord 1hiva had stressed upon the importance o taking bath in a river or a pond. According to him a manAs mind& which is like a lotus& could never blossom unless it received the radiance o the sun. Describing about the methods o taking Bhasmsnan& he said3A ter washing his hands and eet& a devotee should smear any o the ollowing things on his body to make it pure3mud& cowdung ashes etc. Chile smearing mud on his body& he should chant the mantra 3%ddhatashivarahen. A ter becoming pure according to the methods mentioned above& he should then worship Lord Varun. (aving done& this& he should take a dip in the river a ter puri ying the water by chanting the sacred AAdhamarshanA mantra. (e should then worship all the deities by sprinkling water rom the 1hankh (>onch) and amidst the chanting o mantras like A"udren EavamanenA etc. (e should then concentrate upon the orm o a 1hivalinga. (e should drink some water holding some Kusha grass in his right hand simultaneously. A devotee should commence his worship only a ter becoming pure. *n the beginning he should per orm Eranayam or three times so that his lungs are illed up with resh air. A ter this& he should concentrate his mind on the orm o Lord ,rayambak in all his glory. (e should puri y all the articles reHuired Ano Bhadraha Kritavayo Yantu Vishwataha (Let noble thoughts come rom every side) ! "g Veda
Vishva Dharma ki #ay$ (Victory to %niversal Dharma$) or the worship by per orming ablution and by chanting ?@ +A@A( 1(*VAY. (e should also make o erings o lowers& rice grains& barley etc. to the deity. Corship o Lord 1hiva is believed to be incomplete without the worship o his amily3+andi& Kartikeya& Vinayak and Boddess Earvati. 1o& the devotee must not orget to worship them.
6<.;.< Lord 1hiva ,ests the Eatience o 1ages

?nce upon a time& the sages were busy doing their penance to please Lord @ahadev. Lord 1hiva decided to test patience and visited daruk orest in naked position. By the virtue o his divine power& he was success ul in corrupting the conduct o the sageAs wives. ,hose women became so in atuated by his divine appearance that they lost control omen themselves. ,hey were desirous o satiating their lust but 1hiva maintained silence and did not oblige them. Chen the sages saw the women olk in such a pitiable condition& they started abusing Lord 1hiva. Lord 1hiva did not respond and disappeared rom the scene. +ow& the sages became very rightened. All o them went to Lord Brahma and narrated the whole incident. Lord Brahma reprimanded them by saying that how un ortunate they had been in not recogni:ing Lord 1hiva3 the Almighty. Lord Brahma said3PYou have committed a grace sir by showing disrespect to your guest. Your conduct was unlike 1udarshan3a Brahmin who by his hospitality was able to win the lord o death.P Lord Brahma narrated the ollowing tale to them 333 P?nce there lived a kind hearted Brahmin named 1udarshan. (e was very hospitable and considered his guests& as Lord 1hiva himsel . (e had given strict instructions to his wi e that under no circumstance should a guest return unsatis ied rom his home.P PDharmara9 wanted to test 1udarshan irmness in his belie . ?ne day he arrived at 1udarshanAs hermitage disguised as a Brahmin. At that time he was not present in his hermitage. Dharmara9 re used to accept anything in donation e/cept 1udarshanAs wi e hersel . P1udarshanAs wi e o ered hersel without any hesitation. Chen he returned& not inding her wi e started calling her name. At that time he heard a voice saying that his wi e was satis ying the lust o a guest. 1udarshan remained unperturbed and reHuested his guest to carry on till he is satis ied.P PDharmara9 became pleased. (e appeared be ore 1udarshan and gave blessings. (e appreciated his hospitable nature by saying that by the virtue o his undiluted hospitality he had even vanHuished him (Dharmara9).P ,he sages were very ashamed o their conduct and returned Lord Brahma to e/plain as to how they could have devotion in Lord 1hiva. Lord Brahma elucidated on the virtue o devotion and narrated the tale o sage 1hwet who had sub9ugated even death by his devotion.
6<.;.J 1age 1hweta

,he sages were very curious to know about sage 1hwet. Lord Brahma narrated the ollowing tale 333 P?nce& there lived a sage named 1hwet. (e was a great devotee o Lord 1hiva. (e lived in a cave and engaged himsel in severe penance& continuously chanting the holy name o 1hiva. Chen the time o his death approached& AKaal arrived there to take his li e. 1age 1hwet started eulogi:ing Lord 1hiva. (e challenged AKaalA that being a devotee o 1hiva he was beyond the reach o death. But& Kaal made un o him and told him that nobody could escape death. 1age 1hwet had unshakable aith in Lord 1hiva. Eointing towards the 1hiva Linga& he told Kaal that he would remain unharmed because o Lord 1hiva who was present in that 1hivalinga. 1uddenly& Kaal tied him with his noose and said3331ee& +ow you are absolutely under my control and even your deity seems to be helpless. ,o protect his devotee& Lord 1hiva arrived on the scene accomplished by Boddess Amba& Banapati and +andi. AKaalA got scared to such an e/tent that he ainted and died.P ,he sages curiously asked Lord Brahma about the means with which 1hiva could be pleased. Lord Brahma told them that only deep devotion and nothing else could please Lord 1hiva.
6<.;.G 1age -ulogi:es Lord 1hiva

(aving reali:ed their mistake& the sages returned to Daruk orest and engaged themselves in austere penance to please 1hiva. ,hey did a tremendous penance& which lasted or a year. %ltimately their wished were ul illed as Lord 1hiva appeared with ashes smeared all over his body. (e had a begging3 bowl in his hands and e/hibited strange mannerism. But this time the sages did not ail in recogni:ing him. ,hey begged or his orgiveness and sought his blessings. Lord 1hiva became pleased and blessed them divine sight& which made them enable to see his orm o ,rayambak. ,he illumines appearance o Lord ,rayambak cast a spellbound over them. ,hey eulogi:ed Lord 1hiva by singing praise in his name. ,his way& their deep devotion in Lord 1hiva had e/ploited them rom their sin.
6<.;.6M
Lord 1hiva Ereaches the 1ages
Lord 1hiva revealed to the sages that a emale se/ organ was nothing but a symbolic e/pression o goddess Earvati where as a male se/ organ symboli:ed his own sel . (e also cautioned them against making un o hermitAs appearance. (e said3P,hese hermits who appear absured by their looks are my great devotees. ,hey donAt care about their physical appearance because * predominantly occupy their thoughts. Anybody making un o these AnakedA hermits& whose bodies are smeared with ashes is in act making un o me.P Lord 1hiva then went on to describe the purity o ash and said333 Ash is e/tremely pure& as it is the residual element o matter& which is le t a ter burning. *t is sacred and indestructible. ,his is why& * smear it on my body. A person who smears ash on his body becomes liberated rom all his sins. *t is the destroyer o sin. *t is the symbolic e/pression o my AVeeryaA (1emen). ,his way& Lord 1hiva enlightened them on various spiritual topics.
6<.;.66
Dadhichi 1ub9ugates the 1ages (Kshoopa)
,here ruled a king named Kshoopa whose riend was 1age Dadhichi. ?nce they got into argument over the superiority o their respective castes. King Kshoopa was o the opinion that a Kshetriya was superior to Brahmin. Very soon& the dispute took an ugly turn and a duel broke out between them. Ano Bhadraha Kritavayo Yantu Vishwataha (Let noble thoughts come rom every side) ! "g Veda
Vishva Dharma ki #ay$ (Victory to %niversal Dharma$) Dadhich punched Kshoopa on his head. Kshoopa retaliated by attacking Dadhichi with his weapon named Va9ra. ,he assault proved to be or Dadhichi and he ell down& Be ore his death he prayed to his guru31hukracharya and sought his help. "eali:ing that his disciple was in danger& 1hukracharya rushed to the spot& but Dadhichi had already died be ore he could arrive there. 1hukracharya knew the secret learning3@ritasan9ivani Vidya. (e brought back Dadhichi alive and advised him to please Lord 1hiva to attain invincibility. (e also taught Dadhichi the proper methods o worshipping 1hiva. Dadhichi did an austere penance and pleased Lord 1hiva. Lord 1hiva appeared and blessed him with invincibility and also made his bones as hard as *ndraAs thunderbolt (Va9ra). Dadhichi then went to ight Kshoopa. (e kicked Kshoopa on his chest. Kshoopa retaliated by attacking Dadhichi with his Va9ra. But this time Dadhichi remained unharmed. Kshoopa was surprised to see his assault going in vain. (e decided to take the help o Lord Vishnu and engaged himsel in austere penance.
6<.;.6;
Kshoopa Accepts De eat
Chen Lord Vishnu appeared be ore Kshoopa& he sought his help in de eating Dadhichi. Lord Vishnu e/pressed his inability by saying333 * donAt punish a Brahmin& especially i he is a devotee o "udra. Dadhichi is both& so orget about de eating him. Anyhow& * will try me best to make Dadhichi devoid o his power. Lord Vishnu then went to DadhichiAs hermitage disguised as a Brahmin. Dadhichi recogni:ed him and came to know about his intentions. (e reHuested Lord Vishnu to go ahead with his demand. P* have conHuered ear on account o my total devotion in Lord 1hivaP said Dadhichi. Lord Vishnu did not like his arrogant behaviour. (e said3P* know you have conHuered ear. But& 9ust or once& say that you are ear ul o me& as * am Vishnu.P But& Dadhichi re used to obey his commands. ,his in uriated Lord Vishnu and he tried to kill Dadhichi with his >hakra. Dadhichi remained unharmed and said3(ow can this >hakra harm meL Lord 1hiva has given whose devotee * am it to you whose devotee * am. Lord Vishnu tried to use his other weapons but ailed to cause any harm to Dadhichi. All the deities came to his help but still their e orts o de eating Dadhichi went utile.Lord Vishnu then tried to impress Dadhichi by his divine powers and showed his divine appearance in which the whole world was visible. Dadhichi gave a be itting reply by showing the whole universe including Lord Vishnu within his body. Lord Vishnu was ama:ed by his divine powers. %ltimately& Lord Brahma persuaded Lord Vishnu to discontinue the ight. 1eeing his lord in such a helpless condition& Kshoopa had no other option but to accept de eat. (e tried to paci y Dadhichi anger by asking cursed him as well as all the deities by saying333 All o you including the deities and Vishnu will be destroyed in DakshaAs yagya as the conseHuence o "udraAs wrath. ,he place where DadhichiAs hermitage was situated later on became amously known as 1thaneshwar. *t is considered to be the most sacred place o pilgrimage.
6<.;.67
1hilad)s *mpossible Demand
?nce& 1hilad did an austere penance to please *ndra. (e was desirous o begetting a son. Chen *ndra appeared he reHuested him to bless him with a son who was sel 3born as well as deathless. *ndra e/pressed his helplessness in ul illing impossible demand. -ven Lord Brahma meets his end a ter the passage o crores o KalpasP3said *ndra. 1hilad tried to convince the validity o his demand by citing the e/ample o DakshaAs son who according to his best o knowledge were sel 3born as well as deathless. *ndra told him that it was not true. ,o prove his point *ndra said3P-ven Vishnu and Brahma are not sel born. Lord Vishnu created Brahma during @eghavahan Kalpa. 1ome are o the view that Vishnu and Brahma mani ested rom the le t and right sides o 1hiva respectively. 1o& your demand is unsubstantial and without any base.P According to a mythological tale Lord Vishnu mani ested rom in between the eyebrow o Lord Brahma. At that time Lord 1hiva had arrived there to bless both o them.A ter the departure o Lord 1hiva& Vishnu took the incarnation o Varah (Boar) and reestablished the earth in itAs original position. Lord Brahma then commenced his creation and in course o time the earth came to be inhabitated by all kind o living creatures.
14&* 'inga Purana Part *

6<.7.6 ,he >haracteristics o the Dour -ras

1hilad reHuested *ndra to shed light on the special characteristics o each o the our eras. *ndra replied333Lord Brahma created the our eras (yugas)331atya& ,reta& Dwapar and Kali. ,here eras keep on occuring in a cyclic order where the ormer is ollowed by the latter.1aoguna (Eure) prevails during 1atyayuga. "a9oguna is the dominant Huality prevailing during tretayuga. During Dwapar yuga both "a9oguna and tamoguna are present. ,amoguna (Dark) is the dominant Huality prevailing during Kaliyuga. During 1atya yuga& meditation was the means by the help o which a man could achieve salvation while oblation& devotion and donation were said to be the means capable o giving salvation during ,reta& Dwapar and Kaliyuga respectively. ,he inhabitants o 1atyayuga were virtuous and ree rom sorrow. But& the vice o desire started to raise itAs head during ,reta and people started being troubled by it. Lord Brahma created the warrior caste Kshatriya or the protection o virtuosity.Lord Brahma propogated the rituals o oblation during ,retayuga. -verything was ine till ,retayuga but there was a drastic change in the human behaviour during Dwapar Yuga. All the vices sur aced and people were troubled by them. 1ome e/traordinary lietarary eats were accomplished during dwapar331age Vyas categori:ed the veda into our sections& all the ma9or puranas were compiled and smritis were written. Kaliyuga saw the devline o virtuosity and religiousness. *gnorance and alse knowledge prevailed everywhere during this era.
6<.7.; Kali Yuga

Describing about the decline in moral values during Kaliyuga& *ndra told 1hilad33 *n Kaliyuga& people will be under the total in luence o the worldly illusions. *gnorance diseases& ear and hunger will be prevalent everywhere. Damine and drought would occur Huite reHuently as the all out o inadeHuate rain. 1inners would outnumber the virtuous people would deviate rom the path o religiousness. Brahmins would lose their superiority and 1hudras would become the rulers. Brahmins will not be respected and will be orced to serve the lowlye people. @a9ority o women would be immoral and progenies would not obey the commands o their parents. Ano Bhadraha Kritavayo Yantu Vishwataha (Let noble thoughts come rom every side) ! "g Veda
Vishva Dharma ki #ay$ (Victory to %niversal Dharma$) Eredicting a grim scenario& *ndra stressed great importance o religiousness during Kaliyuga and said33 A virtuous deed accomplished in Kaliyuga gives ruits in aday as compared to ,reta and Dwapar& which take one year and one month respectively.
6<.7.7 @ani estation o Lord Brahma

?nce& Lord Brahma did an austere penance to please Lord 1hiva. 1hiva mani estated as Ardhnarishwar (Eartly male partly emale) rom his orehead and said33A* am your sonA. But& the unberabale heat emanating rom the e ulgence o Ardhanarishwar burnt the whole world including Lord Brahma. Lord 1hiva then separated the eminine part o his body (Boddess Earmeshwari) and instructed her to begin creation.Both Brahma and Vishnu mani ested rom the body o goddess Earmeshwari. Lord Vishnu divided his body into two halves and created the world. Lord Brahma once again did a tremendous penance which lasted or ten thousand years. ?nce again 1hiva mani ested rom his orehead& but this time as +eelalohit. Lord +eelaLohit became pleased by BrahmaAs eulogy and blessed him.
6<.7.F @ani estation o Lord +andishwar

1hilad did a tremendous penance to please Lord 1hiva. (is penance continued or thousands o year. At last& Lord 1hiva appeared be ore him and said33P* am e/tremely pleased by you devotion. * shall bless you with a son who will become amous or his knowledge and learning.P But& 1hilad was desirous o a sel 3born and immortal son. Lord 1hiva said33AYour desire will be ul illed. -ven Lord Brahma had reHuested me to take an incarnation. * will take birth as your son and my name will be +andi.P *n course o time& 1hiva mani ested rom the oblation site. ,he deities became pleased a ter seeing +andi& who possessed three eyes& our arms and a crown on his head.
6<.7.8 ,he +ether Corld

Lord 1hiva is the source rom where all the di erent worlds originate. Eeople in their ignorance are unware o the act that the whole universe is nothing but a medium through which 1hiva mani ests himsel .,he various worlds like @aha& #ana& ,apa& 1atya etc. and all the natural eKements like earth& 1ky ocean etc& owe their origin to 1hiva. %nderneath the earth lies the netherworlds which are all together seven in number33 ,ala& Vitalo& 1utala etc. ,he netherworld named @ahatala is the dwelling place o Lord @uchkand and king Bali. 1utala is yellow in colour while Vitalo shines brightly like a coral. Atala is o white colour and ,ala has a shade o white. All these netherworld have the same e/panse as the earth. "asatal is the place where Vasuki resides. ,alatal is the dwelling place o mighty demons like Virochan and (iranyaksha. *t is also the place where hell is situated. ,he netherworld named 1utal is the dwelling place where ,arka& Agnimukh and Erahlada live. ,ala is the dwelling place o mighty warriors like @ahakumbh& (ayagreeva etc.
6<.7.I ,he 1even *slands

,he earth consists o seven islands& many rivers& mountains and seven oceans. ,he Elaksha& 1haalmali& Kush& Kraunch& 1haak and Eushkar. Lord 1hiva alongwith goddess Ambika and his ganas dwell in all these seven islands in one orm or the other. ,he name o the seven oceans are Ksharod& "asod& 1urod& Bhatodakshi& Dadhyarnav& Kshirod and 1wadood. L?rd 1(iva mani ests himsel in all o them. Lord 1hiva dwells in the ocean named Kshirarnav. King Eriyavrata was the grandson o @anu& who ruled during 1wayambhuva manvantar. (e had ten sons33 Agnighra& Agnibahu& @eghatithi& Vasu& Vayushmaan. #yotishmaan& Dyutimaan& (avya& 1avan etc. Eriyavrata had made Aghnighra the king o #ambudweepa. 1imilarly the islands o Elakshadweepa& 1haalmali& Kushadweepa& Kraunchdweepa& 1haalvadweepa and Eushkar were given to @edhatithi& Vayushmaan& #yotishmaan& Dyutimaan (avya and 1avan respectively. (avya had seven sons who became rulers and the di erent territories they ruled desired their names rom them.
6<.7.< Bharat Varsh

Agnighra33the ruler o #ambudweepa was a great devotee o Lord 1hiva. (e had nine sons33+abhi& Kimpurush& (arivarsha& *lavrata& "amya& (iranyamaan& Kuru& Bhadrashva and Ketumaal. Agnighra appointed +abhi the king o (emakhya. 1imilarly& Kimpurush& (arivarsha& *lavrata& "amya& (iranyaman& Kuru& Bhadrashva and Ketumaal were given the kingdoms o (emakoot& +aishadh& @eru& +eelachal& 1hwet& 1hringavarsh& @aalvan and Bandhamoodan respectively. A ter this& Agnighra renounced everything and went to do penance. @erudevi was +abhiAs wi e and the mother o "ishabh. A ter growing up "ishabh got married and became the ather o no less than one hundred sons. Among them Bharat was the eldest. Chen Bharat grow up& "ishabh appointed him as his successor and a ter renouncing everything went to the orest. Bharat went on to become a great king and ruled over the whole territory southwards o (imalaya. ?ur country derives itAs name rom him. Bharat had a son named 1umati who succeeded his ather as a king.
6<.7.J ,he @eru @ountain

@eru mountain is situated in the heart o #ambudweepa. ,he @eru range is spread in the area o 6I thousand yo9an. *tAs towering peak is JF thousand in height rom the ground level and had even penetrated the depth o earth to the measurement o 6I thousand yo9an. @eru mountain is considered to be very sacred and is believed to be the dwelling place o the deities. Yamra9As abode33Vaivaswatipuri is situated in the souther part o @eru mountain. 1?me other holy places like 1huddhavati& Bandhavati and Yashomati are also situated on this mountain where Lord Brahma& Lord Vishnu and Lord 1hiva are believed to have their respective abodes.,he sun continuously shines over @eru mountain. A river named #ambu lows down this mountain. ,here is also a tree by the same name which is eternally ladden with ruits. ,he @eru mountain is surrounded on all its sides by a country *lavrita. ,he residents o *lavrita relish the ruits o #ambu tree.
6<.7.G ,he Erominent @ountains

Describing about the physical characteristics os all t9e seven islands& 1ut9i says 333 Ano Bhadraha Kritavayo Yantu Vishwataha (Let noble thoughts come rom every side) ! "g Veda
Vishva Dharma ki #ay$ (Victory to %niversal Dharma$) P1even mountains are situated in Elaksha dweepa3Bobhedak& >haandra& +arad& Dundubhi& 1oyak& 1umana and Vaibhra9. 1imilarly& the prominent mountain ranges situated in 1haalmali dweepa are Kumud& %ttam& Balahak& Drona& Karkamahish Kumudman etc. Kushadweepa also has seven mountains among which Vidhrabh and (em are the prominent ones. All these seven islands are surrounded by seven oceans. ,he mountain named Lokalok is so gigantic in si:e that hal o its part is always covered in darkness. ,he omnipresent Lord 1hiva pervades the whole universe. ?nce& being con ronted by the e ulgence o Lord 1hiva& who had disguised himsel as a Yaksha& all the deities became devoid o their power. *ndra was ama:ed and asked the Yaksha as to who he was. Lord 1hiva disappeared without giving any answer and goddess Ambika appeared be ore the deities. *ndra asked her the same Huestion to which goddess Ambika replied333 (e was none other than the almighty 1hiva. * being the Erakriti (nature) do creation ollowing his instructions. (e is the embodiment o Eurush (1upreme almighty).
6<.7.6M
,he 1un
,he movement o 1un is rapid when it is positioned south o eHuator (Dakshinayan)& on the other hand its movement is slow when positioned north os eHuator (%ttarayan).,he time is indicated by the various positions o 1un while it is on its course o movement in the hori:on. Chile the sun is situated in the 1outh3-ast direction it is believed to be the morning time. 1imilarlt& when the 1un has positioned itsel in the south3west& +orth3west or 1outh3-ast direction& it is said to be the Abe ore3noonA& Aa ter3noonA and +ight respectively. ,he 1un is believed to be mounted on a chariot while on its course o movement in the (ori:on. All the deities& apsaras and gandharvas are believed to ollow its movement.,he periods o day and night consist o 7M ghadi each. ,he 1un causes rain all due to the process o evaporation. Cater is the source o li e and is the mani estation o Lord 1hiva himsel .
6<.7.66
Lord Brahma assigns lordships to the Deities
,he 1ages reHuested 1ut9i to describe how Lord Brahma assigned Lordships to all the deities and the demons. 1ut9i replied333 ,he 1un was made the lord o all the planets. 1oma was made the lord o all the constellations and medicinal herbs. 1imilarly& Vaun was made the Lord o water& while Kuber was assigned the Lordship o wealth. Lord Vishnu attained the Lordship o Aadityas& Eawak o Vasus& Daksha o Era9apatis& *ndra o deities& and Erahlad attained the Lordship o all the demons. 1ome other prominent species and the assigned Lordships are as ollows333
SP'CI'S Animals Comen "udras ?bstacles Eower o 1peech @ountains "ivers ?ceans ,rees Bandharvas 1erpents Birds
6O#D "udra %ma +eelalohit Ba9anan 1araswati (imalaya Banga Ksheersagar Eeepal ((oly Dig) >hitrarathi ,akshak Baruda
Erithu was made the lord o -arth and Lord 1hiva the lord o whole universe.
6<.7.6;
,he >hariots o the 1un& @oon and Elanets
,he chariot o 1urya is believed to have been created by Lord Brahma. *t is made up o gold and its wheels have ive spokeseach. ,he chariot is very huge in si:e and its e/panse covers the area o nine thousand yo9an. *t is pulled by seven horses which are o green comple/ion. ,he movement o 1un results into the occurence o day and night. ,he moonAs chariot consists o three wheela and is pulled by ten white horses. -ach wheel is supported by one hundred spokes.,he chariots o @ercury& @ars and #upiter are believed to be pulled by eight horses each. ,he chariot o 1aturn is believed to be pulled by ten black horses.
6<.7.67
,he "adiance o 1urya
,he 1urya is the source to which all the living beings owe their e/istence. All the deities derive their e ulgence rom 1urya& who in turn derives its own radiance rom Lord @ahadev.,ime is determined with the help o 1uryaAs movement. ?ne can not even imagine the various units o time& like Kshana& muhurta day& night& ortnight& month& season etc. without the e/istence o 1urya. ,he 1un& which illuminates the whole world is nothing but the medium through which the almighty "udra mani ests himsel . ,he 1un sheds thousands o rays among which seven are prominent31ushumna& "ishikesh& Vishwakarma& Vishwatyacha& Annadh& 1arvavasu and 1warah.
14&, 'inga Purana Part ,

,his section contains 6; sub3sections (to ollow)5
6<.F.6 Dhruva ! ,he 1upreme Devotee

,he 1ages asked 1ut9i as to how Dhruva became success ul in attaining immortality and supreme status among all the stars. Ano Bhadraha Kritavayo Yantu Vishwataha (Let noble thoughts come rom every side) ! "g Veda
Vishva Dharma ki #ay$ (Victory to %niversal Dharma$) 1ut9i narrated the ollowing tale333 ,here lived a king named %ttanpad& who had two Hueens331uniti and 1uruchi. ,he eldest Hueen 1uniti had a son named Dhruva. ?ne day while Dhruva was sitting in his atherAs lap& 1uruchi33his step mother& contemptuously pulled him rom %ttanpadAs lap and made her own son sit in his place. Dhruva went to 1uniti and complained about his steps motherAs behaviour. 1uniti advised Dhruva that he should seek or the supreme status& which is permanent. Dollowing his motherAs advice& Dhruva went to the orest in search o that supreme status. *n the orest& he met 1age Vishwamitra who advised him to seek the blessings o Lord Keshav by chanting the sacred mantra A?m +amo VasudevayA. Dhruva did an austere penance or thousands o year. At last& lord Vishnu became pleased and appeared be ore him mounted on Baruda. Lord Vishnu touched DhruvaAs ace with his conch as a result o which he attained 1el knowledge. Lord Vishnu blessed Dhruva by saying 333 * give you the supreme place& which even the deities and the sages long or. ,his way& Dhruva attained a supreme status among all the stars with the blessings o Lord Vishnu.
6<.F.; ,he ?rigin o Deities

?n being enHuired by the sages about the origin o deities& demons and other celestial entities& 1ut9i said33 Daksha being desirous o enhancing the population& created ten3thousand sons merely by his wish and instructed them to contribute in the propagation o population. (is ob9ective remained un ul illed as +arad was success ul in preaching them towards the path o devotion. As a result all o them went to do meditation a ter renouncing the world. 1eeing his e orts go in vain& Daksha created ten thousand more sons who were convinced by +arad to the path o renunciation once again.Daksha then begot si/ty daughters rom his wi e named Vairini. Chen these girls grew up& Daksha married to di erent sages33ten o them were married to Dharma& thirteen to Kashyap& twenty3seven to 1oma& our to Arishtanemi& two to BhriguAs son& two to Krishashwa and the remaining two were married to Angira. ,he named o DharmaAs wives were @arutivati& Vasu& Aryama& Lamba& Bhanu& Arundhati& 1ankalpa& @uhurta& 1adhya and Vishwabhamini.Vishwabhamini was the mother o Vishvedeva& while 1adhya gave birth to 1adhva. 1imilarly& @arutvati& Bhanu& @uhurta& Lamba and 1ankalpa gave birth to Varutwan& Bhanav& @ahurtik Bhosh and 1ankalp respectively. Vasu became the mother o eight Vasus. Among the twenty seven wives o Kashyap the names o some prominent ones were33Aditi& Diti& Arishta& 1urasa& @uni& 1urabhi& Vinata& ,amra& Krodha& Vasha& *la& Kadru& ,wishad& Anga etc.Kashyap had two sons rom Diti& (iranyakashipu and (iranyaksha. Danu gave birth to one hundred sons among whom Viprachit was very prominent. ,amra gave birth to si/ daughters3331huki& 1weni& 1ugreevi& Bridhika& Bhasi and 1huni. Kashyap did an austere penance and was blessed with two sons33Vatsar N Asit& Vatsar had two sons33+aibudh and "aimbh. Asit married -kparna and had one son rom her33Brahmanishth.Vashishth was married to Arundhati and had one hundred sons rom her among whom 1hakti was the eldest. 1hakti was married to Adrishyanti and Earashar was his son. Dwaipayan was the son o Earashar and 1hukra was DwaipayanAs son.
6<.F.7 1age Earashar

,he 1ages asked 1ut9i how 1hakti had been devoured by a demon named "udhir. 1uti9i replied333 ?nce& 1age Vashishth was presiding over a grand Yagya being organi:ed by a king named Kalmashpad. Vashishth had a rivalry with Vishwamitra. ?n seeing Vashishth busy in that Yagya& Vishwamitra instigated "udhir33 a demon& to kill his sons. "udhir ollowed the instructions and devoured VashishthAs sons including 1hakti. Chen Vashishth learnt about his sons death his heart was illed with grie . (e desired to give up his li e but was prevented rom doing so by his daughter3in3law. 1he in ormed him about her pregnancy and said33 Very soon you will see your grandson. 1o& Huit the idea o giving up your li e.Vashishth& though still mourn ul o his sonAs death& postponed the idea o giving up his li e or the time being. ?ne day while he was engrossed in the thoughts o his departed son& he was ama:ed to listen the recital o a vedic hymn. (e looked all around but ound nobody. 1uddenly he heard a heavenly voice that revealed by his grandson who was still inside the womb o his mother. *n course o time& Arundhati gave birth to a son who was named Earashar. ?ne day young Earashar curiously enHuired rom his mother as to why she did not put on ornaments like other women o her age do. Arundhati kept Huite but when Earashar kept on insisting she revealed to him that it was not proper or a mourn ul women to adorn hersel . 1he also told him how his ather331hakti had been killed by "udhir& the demon. Earashar consoled Arundhati by saying that he would avenge his atherAs lord 1hiva. (e then made an earthen 1hivalinga and started worshipping it by chanting the scared mantras o 1hiva31ukta and trayambak 1ukta. Lord 1hiva became pleased by his devotion and blessed him with a divine vision which enabled him to see his dead ather. Earashar then commenced a yagya with the purpose o annihilating the demons. All the demons started being tormented by the e/treme heat generated by that oblation. Vashishth prevented by that oblation. Vashishth prevented Earashar rom contiuing with that Yagya as many innocent demons had su ered. Earashar stopped per orming the rituals at his atherAs reHuest. 1age Eulastya had also been invited in that yagya. (e was very pleased by his devotion toward his ather and blessed him with the knowledge o all the scriptures. *n course o time& Earashar became amous or his treatise33Vishnu Euran.
6<.F.F ,he Lineage o Aditya

?n being enHuired by the 1ages about the respective lineage o Aaditya (1un) and 1oma (moon) 1ut9i replied333 1age Kashyap had a son33Aaditya& rom Aditi. Aadity had our wives331angya& "a9yi& Erabha and >hhaya. 1angya gave birth to @anu whereas "agyi was the mother o Yama& Yamuna and "aivat. Erabha gave birth to Erabhat while chhaya was the mother o three children331avarni& 1hani& ,apti and Vrishti. >hhaya was e/tremely a ectionate towards her step son33 Yama. ?ne day Yama kicked her in anger as a result o which his leg became in licted with incurable disease. (e became cured o his disease only a ter doing penance or thousands o years at as place called Bokarna. @anu had nine sons333 *kshavaku& +abhag& Dhrishnu& 1haryati& +arishyant& +aabhaag& Arisht& Karush and Erishaghna. (e also had three daughters33 *la& #yeshtha and Varishtha who coincidentally attained male physiHue later on in their li e.*la became amous as 1udyumna and had three sons33 %tkal& Ano Bhadraha Kritavayo Yantu Vishwataha (Let noble thoughts come rom every side) ! "g Veda
Vishva Dharma ki #ay$ (Victory to %niversal Dharma$) Bopa and Vinitashva. (arishwa was the descendant o *kshavaku and had a son named Vasumana. ,ridhanva was VasumanaAs son. (e had attained the designation o ABanapatyaA by virtue o accomplishing one thousand Ashwamedha Yaga. ,ridhanva had a son named ,rayyarun and the name o his son was 1atyavrata. ,he same 1atyavrata became amous as ,rishanku& who was the only person to attain to heaven with his mortal body. ,he most truth ul king (arish >handra was the son i ,rishanku. (arish chandra had a son named "ohit. 1agar belonged to the lineage o (arish chandra. (e had two wives33 Erabha had given birth to si/ty thousand sons but Bhanumati had only one son named Asaman9as.Anshuman was the son on Asaman9as. AnshumanAs son was Dilip. 1age Bhagirath was the son o Dilip. 1ome prominent personality who belonged to the lineage o *kshavaku were 1hrut& +aabhaag& Ambarish& Dirghabahu& Dilip (DirghabahuAs son)& "aghu& A9a& Dasharath& "am& La/man& Bharat& 1hatrughna& Lav and Kush. ,he amous king Eururava also cause rom the same lineage. (e was a great devotee o Lord 1hiva. (is son was +ahush. +ahush had si/ sons among whom Yayati was the eldest. Yayati had two wives333 Devayani and 1harmishtha. Yayati ruled over the whole earth. (e had conHuered the whole earth with the help o divine weapons and chariot which he had received rom his ather in law331hukracharya (DevayaniAs ather). Yayati had two sons rom Devayani33 Yadu and ,urvasu. (e also had three sons rom his second wi e331harmishtha whose names were Drushya& Anu and Euru.Yayati appointed his youngest son Euru as his successor because o his total devotion towards his parent. Yadu was made the ruler o 1outhern province.
6<.F.8 ,he Yadu Dynasty

Yadu had ive sons among whom 1ahastra9eet was the eldest. 1hatar9ay was the oson o 1ahastra9eet and himsel had three sons33(aihya& (aya and Venu. Dharma was (aihyaAs son. Dharmanetra was the son o Dharma and himsel had two sons33Kirti and 1an9ay.1an9ayAs son was @ahishman and Bhadrashrenya was @ahishmanAs son. Durdam was the son o Bhadrashrenya and DurdamAs son was Dhanak. Dhanak had our sons among whom the youngest 33Kartaveerya Ar9una was very mighty. (e was killed by Earashuran. Kartaveerya Ar9una had many sons among whom 1hoor& 1hoorsen& Dhrishta& Krishna and #ayadhura9a were prominent. #ayadhwa9a had a very mighty son named ,ala9angha. ,ala9angha too had many mighty and brave sons like Veetihotra& Vrisha eetc. Vrisha had a son33 @adhu. @adhuAs son was Vrishni. 1ome other prominent kings o Yadu dynasty were33Eraghra9it& #yamagh& 1hrut& Vidarbh& 1ubhag& Vayu& Kratha& Kaushik& "omapad& Vabhru& 1ughriti& Kunta& "anadhrista& Bheemarath& +avarath& Dhridharath& Karambha& Devaratha& Devakshatrak and @adhu.,he amous Kaurava dynasty came rom the lineage o @adhu.
6<.F.I 1ri Krshna

Aahuka came rom the lineage o Yadu. (e had two sons33 Devak and%grasen. ,he eldest son& Devak had eleven children33 our sons and seven daughters. ,he names o his sons were33 Devavaan& %padeva& 1udeva and Devarakshit. All his seven daughters& which also included Devaki were married to Vasudeva. AahukAs youngest son& %grasen had nice sons among Kansa was the eldest. Vasudeva had a son named Balaram rom "ohini. Devaki& one o his wives gave birth o lord 1ri Krishna. Vasudeva had e/changed 1ri Krishna with the daughter o Yashoda as 1ri KrishnaAs li e was under threat rom Kansa. Chen Kansa tried to kill her& 1he slipped away rom her hand and ascended towards the sky. 1he then thundered. AA,here is no use killing me. ,he person who is supposed to kill you has already taken birthA. (er prophesy came to be truth and Kansa was ultimately killed by 1ri Krishna. 1ri Krishna had 6I6MJ =ueens among whom "ukmini was dearest. (e did an austere penance to please Lord 1hiva as the result o which (e was blessed with many sons like >harudeshna& 1ucharu& Eradyumna etc. (e also had a son named 1aamb rom #aambawati. Lord Krishna le t or heavenly abode a ter en9oying a long li e o 6;M years. (e had destroyed (is whole clan be ore leaving (is mortal body. A hunter named #ara who mistook him to be a deer killed him. Due to the curse o Ashtavakra& 1ri KrishnaAs wives had been abducted by the dacoits.
6<.F.< Lord Brahma blesses the Demons

,he 1ages asked 1ut9i as to how did @aya33,he demon acHuire three well orti ied orts rom Lord Brahma and how was lord 1hiva inally success ul in destroying them. 1ut9i replied33 A ter ,arakasurAs death his three sons& Vidyunmali& Kamlaksha and ,arakaksha did tremendous penance to please Lord Brahma. Chen Lord Brahma appeared. ,hey e/pressed their desire o attaining immortality. Lord Brahma re used to oblige them. ,he demons a ter consulting each other demanded three invincible orts rom him and said A?nly such a person should be able to kill us& who is capable o destroying all the three orts with a single shot o an arrow.A Lord Brahma blessed them and disappeared. @aya& then did an austere penance and with the help o divine powers attained rom it& constructed three orts at three di erent places. ,he ort made o gold was situated in the heaven& while the silver3 ort was situated in the space. ,he third ort& which was made o iron& was situated on the earth. ,he gold3 ort was given to ,arakaksha& the silver3 ort to Kamalaksha and the iron3 ort was given to Vidyunmali. A ter acHuiring these invincible orts all the demons had become e/tremely arrogant. ,hey started tormenting the deities. ,he deities went to Lord Vishnu and reHuested help. Lord Vishnu created thousands o spirits (Bhootganas) and instructed them to destroy those three orts. But& the Bhootganas were unsuccess ul in their attempt and were charred to death. Lamenting their death the deities went to Lord Vishnu and sought help once again. Lord Vishnu was aware that the demons derived their power rom Lord 1hiva. 1o& (e decided to deviate them rom the path o 1hivaAs devotion. (e then created an illusionary entity. ,he illusionary entity went to the place where demons lived and was success ul in in luencing them by his illusionary tactics. All the demons became so impressed by him that they stopped worshipping Lord 1hiva and became (is disciples. ,his resulted into a total degradation o moral values among the demons. Dinding the time opportune& Lord Vishnu eulogi:ed 1hiva who appeared and agreed to destroy those three orts.Vishwakarma made a divine chariot or Lord 1hiva and Lord Brahma became the charioteer. @ounted on that chariot& Lord 1hiva proceeded towards the demon. All the deities ollowed him. Lord Brahma said333A"ight now it is Eushya yoga and it is very auspicious or launching and it is very auspicious or launching an attack on the demonAs orts.ALord 1hiva then released his arrow& which a ter destroying all the three orts returned to his Huiver. ,he deities became pleased and eulogi:ed lord 1hiva.
6<.F.J Appointment o Andhak as Lord o the Banas

?n being asked by the 1ages how Andhak33the demon was appointed as the lord o Banas by Lord 1hiva& 1ut9i narrated the ollowing tale to them.33 ,he mighty demon& Andhak was (iranyakshAs son. By the virtue o his austere penance he had received a boon o immortality rom Lord Brahma. *n course o time he conHuered all the three worlds. (e started tormenting the deities and as a result o which they had to take re uge in the causes o @andarachal mountain. ,he deities went to Lord 1hiva and narrated their woe ul tale to him. ,hey also reHuested him to kill Andhak so that they could live in peace.Lord 1hiva went to the place where Andhak lived accompanied by all the deities. Chen Andhak saw them coming& he attacked menacingly with his various weapons. ,he deities became scared and started running helter3skelter. Lord 1hiva then killed Andhak with his trident. (e then li ted the corpse with the help o his trident and kept in that position or a very long period. ,he divine sight o Lord 1hiva had liberated Andhak rom all his sins.Dinding himsel in a helpless position& Andhak eulogi:ed 1hiva and begged or orgiveness. At last& Lord 1hiva became pleased and brought Andhak down a ter lowering his trident. (e gave him the designation o a Banapati and made him the lord o his ganas.
6<.F.G ,he Liberation o -arth

,he 1ages were curious to know how Lord Vishnu in his incarnation o Varah (Boar)& had liberated the earth rom the captivity o (iranyaksha. ,hey also wanted to know why Lord 1hiva adorned himsel with the horn o that boar. 1ut9i narrated the ollowing tale333 (iranyaksha33AndhakAs ather was a tyrant. A ter VanHuishing the deities& he had taken the earth to A"asatalaA. ,he deities sought the help o Lord Vishnu. Lord Vishnu then took the incarnation o Varaha (boar) and killed (iranyaksha with his sharp horns. (e then brought the earth rom "asatala and kept it in its original position. ,he deities eulogi:ed both Lord Vishnu and mother earth. Lord 1hiva adorned and himsel with the ornament carved out rom the horn o that boar. ,his is the reason why he is also called ADanshtriA (wild boar).
6<.F.6M
Killing o #alandhar
,he 1ages reHuested 1ut9i to reveal how Lord 1hiva had killed the notorious demon33 #alandhar. 1ut9i narrated the ollowing tale333 ,here was a demon named #alandhar. (e had mani ested rom the ocean. (e had acHuired divine power by the virtue o his austere penance.#alandhar had de eated the deities and conHuered the heaven. (e even de eated Lord Vishnu and boasted333A* have conHuered everybody. +ow$ ?nly 1hiva is li t to be conHuered.A #alandhar went to ight a battle with Lord 1hiva accompanied by a huge army. Lord 1hiva was aware o the boon& which Lord Brahma had given to Andhak and which had made him invincible. #alandhar derived his power rom his wi e3 Vrinda who was an e/tremely chaste woman.As per the plans o the deities& Lord Vishnu disguised as #alandhar and went to breach the modesty o Vrinda. Vrinda could not recogni:e Lord Vishnu and mistook him to be her husband33#alandhar. %ltimately& Lord Vishnu was success ul in his motives. @eanwhile& the battle had commenced between #alandhar and Lord 1hiva. Lord 1hiva destroyed the whole army o #alandhar by the sight o his third eye. #alandhar became urious and tried to kill Lord 1hiva with the 1udarshan >hakra& which he had snatched rom Vishnu. Butas soon as he li ted the 1udarshan chakra& his body got cut into two parts. ,he death o #alandhar brought immense 9oy to the deities.
6<.F.66
,he ?rigin o Lord Banesh
?nce& the deities reHuested Lord 1hiva to device some means so that they no longer had to live under the threat o the demons.,he most merci ul Lord Einaki 1hiva then took the incarnation o Baneshwar. (e had a human body but his heard resembled like an elephant. (e held a trident in his hand. All the deities eulogi:ed Lord Banesh33the Lord o wisdom and the remover o all obstacles. Lord Banesh is the irst deity to be worshipped in any ritual as he is believed to remove all the obstacles. A devotee o Lord Banesh is ree rom the ear o ailures and achieves success in any endeavour he undertakes.
6<.F.6;
1hiv ,andav
,he deities were curious to know the story behind A,andavA3 the amous dance o Lord 1hiva. 1o& they asked 1ut9i how it started and what made 1hiva to per orm ,andav. 1ut9i replied333 ,here lived a demon named Daruk. (e had acHuired divine powers by the virtue o his austere penance. (e started tormenting te deities& sages and all the virtuous people.All the deities went to Lord 1hiva and reHuested him to give protection rom the tyrany o Daruk. Lord 1hiva then reHuested Earvati to help the deities. ?ne part o EarvatiAs consciousness entered into the body o Lord 1hiva. But& the deities were not aware o this happening. Boddess Earvati then attained her physical orm with the help o poison stored in the throat o Lord 1hiva. ,he e et o poison had made her comple/ion dark. Lord 1hiva then brought her out rom within his body through his third eye. ,he deities became rightened a ter seeing her terri ic appearance. 1he was none other than Boddess Kali. Boddess Kali then killed Daruk with the permission o Earvati.But& even a ter the death o Daruk& her anger did not subside and the whole world was abla:e due to her anger. Lord 1hiva then incarnated as a small child and started crying as i he was hungry. Boddess Kali could not decipher the illusions o 1hiva and thought that the child was crying because o hunger. 1he started eeding the child her breast3milk. *n the process o sucking milk& 1hiva also sucked out her anger. ,he e/treme anger o Kali had resulted into the mani estation o eight divine entities who became amous as AKshetrapaal. A ter her anger had subsided Boddess Kali became unconscious. Lord 1hiva then per ormed his amous dance33,andav or the irst time to bring Kali back to consciousness. (e was accompanied by all the Bhosts and spirits in his terri ic dance. Chen Kali regained her consciousness she ound 1hiva dancing. 1he too started dancing and this is the reason why she is also called Yogini.
14&/ 'inga Purana Part /

6<.8.6 %pamanyu
,he sages were curious to know how Lord 1hiva had bestowed the designation o Baanpatya and an ocean o milk to %pamanyu. ,hey reHuested 1ut9i to shed light on the two incidents. 1ut9i narrated the ollowing tale 333 %pamanyu was a brilliant child. ,here is an interesting story how he became the supreme devotee o Lord 1hiva. ?nce& during his childhood he had gone to his maternal3uncleAs place. ?ne day& while he was hungry he tried to drink some milk. But his cousin did not allow him to drink milk and a ter snatching the bowl o milk drank himsel . %pamanyu started crying. (e went to his mother who tried to console him by giving a solution o powdered grains. But& %pamanyu did not want anything less than milk. (is mother said33AYou should be satis ied with whatever you get. Eerhaps we did not worship Lord 1hiva in our past lives. ?ur hardships are the allouts o those unpardonable sins. ?nly a devotee o 1hiva is entitled to all kinds o com ort and pleasure.A %pamanyu decided then and there to please 1hiva by his penance and attain an ocean o milk rom him. (e went to (imalaya mountain and started doing an austere penance. (is penance had resulted into the generation o unbearable heat. ,he deities became terri ied and went to seek the help o Lord Vishnu. Lord Vishnu along with the deities went to Lord 1hiva and sought his help. Lord 1hiva decided to test the devotion o %pamanyu. (e disguised himsel as *ndra and went to the place where %pamanyu was doing penance. (e started abusing 1hiva which made %pamanyu so angry that he tried to kill him. Chen %pamanyu ailed in his attempt to kill 1hiva& he tried to kill himsel by chanting AAagneya mantraA. Lord 1hiva was very pleased by his total devotion and revealed his identity. (e blessed %pamanyu and a ter accepting him as his son granted the designation o Banpatya. (e also provided oceans o milk and curd to %pamanyu.
6<.8.; ,he Breatness o Dwadashakshar @antra

?n being asked by the sages about the sacred mantra33 the chanting o which enabled a man to attain salvation 1ut9i replied 333 Lord Vishnu gives salvation to those people who endeavour to seek Brahm33 the Almighty Bod. A man whose mind is preoccupied with the thought o Lord Vishnu and nothing else is entitled to attain 1alvation. 1uch a man is also blessed by goddess La/mi.P Describing about the greatness o Dwadakshar mantra& 1ut9i said 33 AA,he sacrosanct Dwadakshar mantra consists o twelve letters 7as ;ritten in deBana9ri script11AO, "*,O )+*5*=*T' .*S$D'.*3A 8 . ,his power ul mantra helps a man to achieve pro/imity with Lord Vishnu. A?nce there lived a brahmin who used to stammer while talking. All his e orts o making him speak distinctly went in vain as the child continued to lisp. Chen the brahmin tried to teach his son. the dwadakshar mantra& he incorrectly pronounced AVasudev as A-tarevaA. 1o the child was given the name A-tarevaA.,he brahmin became disgusted and married or the second time. (e had many sons rom his second wi e& all o whom were very studious. -tarevaAs mother used to curse her ate because o his habit o stammering. ?ne day she said33ALook$ * am no more able to tolerate the humiliation o being a mother o a dull child33Look at your step3brothers& who have achieved ame and respect on account o their learning. * have decided to give up my li e.A -tareva became very sad. (e started chanting the dwadashakshar mantra regularly and as a result a day came& when he could pronounce it correctly and without stammering. ?ne day -tareva happened to pass by a place where a yagya was being per ormed. As soon as he reached that place& the priests ound to their surprise that they had become dumb. All the priests became restless& as the rituals were still incomplete.Looking at their pitiable condition& -tareva chanted the dwadakshar mantra33 O, "*,O )+*5*=*T' .*S$D'.*3. ,he priest regained their power o speech by the virtue o the lawless pronunciation o the mantra. 1uch is the greatness o dwadakshar mantra. Later on& -tareva went on to become a renowned scholar. A person who chants this sacred mantra regularly become liberated rom all his sins and attains to Vishnu Lok.
6<.8.7 1hadakshar @antra

Describing about the greatness o 1hadakshar mantra that consists o si/ letters& 1ut9i said 33 ,he sacred mantra 33 O, "*,*+ S+I.*3 holds a supreme place among all the mantras. During the @eghavahan kalp o the irst ,reta yuga& there lived a brahmin named Dhoondhmook. (e became a licentious person due to the curse o a sage. As a result he became a man o loose moral conduct. (is wi e gave birth to a child on the inauspicious day o Amavasya. ,he astrologers predicted a very bleak uture or that new born child. Chen the child grew up he became notorious or his sin ul conduct. Dhoondhmook married his son in a respectable amily but his son being a man o loose character& developed intimacy with a woman belonging to a low caste. ?ne day& Dhoondhmook that son developed sharp di erences with that woman on some matter and in a it o range killed her.Chen the amily members o that woman came to know about her death& they retaliated by killing Dhoondhmook his wi e and his daughter3in3law. 1inec& DhoondhmookAs son was not present in the house at that time he survived. (e avenged the death o his amily members by killing the assasins. +ew DhoondhmookAs son had become disillusioned with li e. (e started wandering aimlessly and reached a hermitage. ,he sage who lived in that hermitage was a great devotee o Lord 1hiva and taught him the rituals o Eashupat Vrata as well as the sacred 1hodakshar mantra.DhoondhmookAs son per ormed the rituals o Eashupat Vrat or twelve months. All the while he kept on chanting the 1hadakshar mantra. As the result o his devotion towards Lord 1hiva and by the virtue o chanting 1adakshar mantra he as well as all his ancestors attained salvation.
6<.8.F Lord Eashupati

,he sages were curious to know why Lord 1hiva was also known as Eashupati33 ,he lord o all animals. 1ut9i retold the same tale which sage 1hiladi had once narrated to 1anatkumar 333 Ano Bhadraha Kritavayo Yantu Vishwataha (Let noble thoughts come rom every side) ! "g Veda
Vishva Dharma ki #ay$ (Victory to %niversal Dharma$) ?nce& 1anatkumar went to the hermitage o 1age 1hiladi and asked him as to why was Lord 1hankar also known as Eashupati. (e also inHuired about the reason o manAs ondages and how could he be liberated rom them. 1age 1hiladi replied333All the living beings including Lord Brahma have been re erred to animals because o their attachment to worldly desires and ignorance. Lord 1hiva being the lord o them is also known as Eashupati. *t is none other than Lord Vishnu whose illusionary and divine powers keep them in bondages. *t is also only lord Vishnu who liberates them by bestowing the knowledge o Byan3Yoga. +obody can attain salvation without the blessings o Lord 1hiva. ,he nothing but the ;F elements336M sense organs& F type o consciousness& 8 basic elements rom which matter is made and 8 subtle orms o matter.A person who worships Lord 1hiva with total devotion becomes liberated because devotion is capable o destroying all types o sins.
6<.8.8 ,he @a9estic Lord @aheshwar

Lord @aheshwar is beyond the reach i any kind o bondage. (e is totally liberated entity. *t is only by his blessings that the +ature3Erakriti& creates intelligence33buddhi. 1imilarly& intelligence creates ego3ahamkara and subtle orms o matter33tanmatra creates the greatest o matter by the blessings o Lord 1hiva. +o word can describe the greatness o Lord 1hiva.*t is only with the permission o Lord @aheshwar that our sense organs unction the ire burns and all the living beings ul ill their respective duties. Lord 1hiva is the Almighty Bod and goddess Earvati is also called 1hivaa. (e is the Eurusha and she is the nature or Erakriti. ,he matter derives itAs power rom goddess Bauri. -verything that is capable o creating is nothing but the orm o %ma. ,he whole universe is established in the orm o 1hiva Linga and hence everybody must worship Lord 1hiva.
6<.8.I ,he 1un ! @ani estation o 1hiva)s Eower

Lord 1hiva mani ests himsel in the orm o 1un. ,he 1un radiates twelve di erent types o rays which have speci ic impacts and in luences on the world.
,he irst ray is called Amrit and the deities derive their power rom it. ,he second ray is called >handra and it helps in the preservation o medicinal herbs. ,he third ray is called 1hukla and it helps in the propagation o religiousness in the world. *t also helps the ood crops to become ripe. ,he name o the ourth ray is (arikesha and all the constellations get their nourishment rom it. ,he i th ray is called Vishwakarma and it gives the planet mercury. ,he si/th ray is called 1anyadwasu and it nurtures the planet33@ars. ,he seventh ray is called Arvavasu and it nurtures the planet #upiter. ,he eighth ray is called 1urat and it nurtures the planet 331aturn. ,he nineth ray is called 1usumana and it nutures the moon& etc.
6<.8.< 1hiva ,atva

,he learned and sages call 1hiva by many names 333 Kshetragya& Erakriti Vyakta& Kalatma etc. ,he synonyms o Kshetragya and Erakriti are Eurush and Eradhan respectively.,he delusionary net o the Erakriti is known as Vyakta (apparent). Kala (time) is the resultant by product o Eradhan and Vyakta. 1ome sages call (iranyagarbha (Brahma) as the Eurush and 1hiva as Eradhan. ,hey consider (iranyagarbha to be the creator and Eurush to be the en9oyer. -ven these sages are o the opinion that (iranyagarbho& Eradhan& Eurush and en9oyer are the mani estations o 1hiva.
6<.8.J ,he Breatness o 1hiva

,he almighty 1hiva mani ested in the orm o 1thanu (Eillar) rom his imperceptible orm and looked at Lord Brahma. Lord Brahma then commenced his creation and established the norms o Vannashram. (e also created A1omaA which is reHuired or the per ormance o AYagyaA. ,his world& including all the deities are the embodiments o 1oma. ,he deities eulogi:e Lord 1hiva by chanting the mantras o A"udrashtadhyayA. ?nce& Lord 1hiva was sitting surrounded by all the deities. ?n being reHuested by the deities to shed light on his mysterious sel & Lord 1hiva said333 P* was present be ore the beginning o time and * will be present orever. -verything originate rom me and get submerged in me ultimately. * am the Lord o Brahma. * am the truth itsel . * mani est mysel in the orms o "igveda& 1amaveda& Ya9urveda and Atharvaveda. * am the light as well as the darkness. * am Brahma& Vishnu and @ahesh. ?ne who is aware o my omnipresence is the only person who is worthy o being called an enlightened one.P ,his way& a ter enlightening the deities on his myssterious sel Lord 1hiva disappeared.
6<.8.G ,he *mportance o the Buru

A devotee should commence the worship o Lord 1hiva only a ter taking permission rom his Buru& ?nly such a person is worthy o being called a Buru who is virtuous and well versed in the scripture. A disciple should unwavering by be in the service o his Buru and should try to please him by his devotion because only he (Buru) is capable o liberating him rom the miseries o world. A guru should try to test the worthiness o his disciple by employing di erent means or three years.?nce& the Buru has accepted a person as his disciple& he should try to impart all the knowledge to him. (e should never discriminate on the basic o caste or creed o a disciple. *t is the duty o a Buru to make his disciple destitute o laws and shortcomings.
6<.8.6M
,he "ituals o *nitiation
Be ore commencing the rituals o initiation& the Buru should puri y the place where the rites are supposed to be per ormed. (e should make an attar and draw an eight3petalled lotus at its centre. (e should then establish the various embodiments o 1hiva like Aghor& Eranav& Vamadeva& on each o the eight petals. ,he Buru should then puri y all the directions by chanting di erent mantras. (e should then meditate on the orm o Lord 1hiva. A ter that he should make o erings in the sacri icial ire and puri y himsel by doing aachaman. (e should then have Eanchagavya as prasadam and smear ashes on his body. ,he Buru should instructed his old disciples to sit towards the south o altar. (e should make o erings o ghee into the sacri icial ire or 6MJ times amidst the chanting o Aghor mantra.,he new disciple then arrive blind olded and circumambulate the sacri icial altar or three times. Chile circumambulating everybody should chant either the mantras o "udrashtadhyay or ?mkar mantra. ,he new disciple then smear ashes on their bodies amidst the chanting o Aghor mantra. ,he Buru then sprinkles holy water on the new disciples. *n the end the disciple takes a religious vow. DI shall neBer haBe food ;ithout ;orshippin9 ShiBaD% ,his way the ritual o initiation comes to an end.
6<.8.66
*nstallation o 1hiva Linga
Describing about the methods o installing a 1hiva Linga 1ut9i says33 A devotee should install a 1hivalinga made o either gold& silver or copper. ,he shivalinga should be installed along with the altar. ,he altar o the 1hivalinga symboli:es goddess %ma. Lord Brahma is said to mani est at the base o 1hivalinga while Lord Vishnu at its centre. A ter the installment o 1hivalinga it should be worshipped with appropriate rituals. ,he 1hiva linga should be adorned with clothes and its ablution should be per ormed. A devotee should chant the Brahma vigyan mantras or the consecration o Lord Brahma who is supported to mani est at the base o 1hivalinga. 1imilarly& or the consecration o Lord Vishnu dwelling at the centre o 1hiva linga& Bayatri at the centre o Lord 1hiva is consecrated by the chanting o any o the ollowing mantras333 O, "*,*+ S+I.*3C "*,O +*"S* S+I.*3 C+* A devotee should then worship the 1hivalinga and make o erings in the sacri icial ire.
6<.8.6;
Vra9eshwari Vidya
,he sages reHuested 1ut9i to elaborate upon the rituals o Va9ravahanika Vidya or Va9reshwari Vidya. 1ut9i replied333 Anybody who is desirous o VanHuishing his enemy must per orm the rituals o Va9reshwari Vidya. ,he devotee should worship Va9ra (a spear) and make o erings in the sacri icial ire holding it (Va9ra) in his hand. ,he ollowing mantra should be chanted while making o erings. O, )+$#)+$.*+ S=*+ T*TS*.IT$#.*#'"3*, )+*#5O D'.*S3* D+I,*+I D+I3O 3O"*+ P#*C+OD*3*TC O, P+*T <*+I +OO, P+*T C++I"D+I ,I"D+I<*+I +*" +*" S=*+*% *n the past Lord Brahma had taught this secret Vidya to *ndra with the help o which he had killed the erocious demon vritrasur.A man can acHuire all the types o supernatural powers with the help o Va9reshwari Vidya. Describing about the rituals o @rityun9ay #ap& 1ut9i said33 A person who chants @rityun9ay mantra with appropriate rituals becomes ree rom the ear o death. A devotee is reHuired to make o erings o ghee in the sacri icial ire or one lakh times. *nstead o ghee he can also make o erings o ghee and sesame seeds ?" dhoob grass& ghee& milk and honey.
6<.8.67
Di erent ,ypes o Yoga
,he sages asked 1ut9i as to how should a devotee meditate on Lord ,riyambak ollowing the path o Yoga. 1ut9i then retold the tale which @andishwar had once narrated to 1anatkumar33 6. ,he irst type o Yoga is called @antra Yoga. *n this type o yoga a devotee tries to attain deep state o meditation by chanting mantras. ,he chanting o mantras helps a man to concentrate his mind. ,he second type o Yoga is known as 1parsh Yoga. *n this type o yoga& a man acHuires per ection in breath3control by constantly practicing various e/ercises like "echak (-/halation)& Kumbhak (retention)& etc. ,hese e/ercises helps to puri y the nerves and blood vessels. ,he third type o yoga is known as Bhava Yoga. ,his is the state in which a personAs mind is totally engrossed in the thoughts o Lord @ahadev. ,his state o mind can not be attained unless the two ormer types o yoga have been mastered. ,he ourth type o Yoga is called Abhava3yoga. Chen a man has mastered this particular yoga his ego is subdued in totality. Ano Bhadraha Kritavayo Yantu Vishwataha (Let noble thoughts come rom every side) ! "g Veda
;.
7.
F.
8.
Vishva Dharma ki #ay$ (Victory to %niversal Dharma$) ,he i th type o yoga is called @aha yoga. *t helps a man to understand his real sel and get united with the supreme Almighty.
,he secret o Yoga should be revealed to worthy disciples33who are virtuous and religious.P ,his way& 1ut9i described the divine tales o Linga Euran and blessed the sages.,he Linga Euran contains eleven thousand shlokas in it. ,he study o Linga Euran ul ills all the our worldly aspirations o a man3Dharma& Artha& Kaam and @oksha.*t also helps a man to attain salvation.
14 "arad Purana
*t is a Vaishnav Eurana presented in a style o dialogue between +arad and 1anat kumar in ;; chapters. ,his Eurana contains detailed description o ma9or places o pilgrimage. Vedas are regarded as the oldest scriptures in the entire known history o human civili:ation. -ven the Vedas speak about Euranas. A shloka in @atsya Eurana speaks3 P$#**"*, S*#.*S+*ST#**"**, P#*T+*,*, )#*+,*"** S,#IT*, *"*"T*#*, C+* .*/T#')+3O .'D**ST*S3* .I"I#5*T*+ Brahma recalled about Euranas even be ore starting the creation o other scriptures. Vedas emerged therea ter rom his mouth. *t clearly shows the antiHuity o Euranas. ,here are in all eighteen Euranas. Among them& +arad Eurana is perhaps the most signi icant as it has been created by none other than the sage +arad. "*#DO/T*, P$#**"*, T$ "**#DI3*, P#*C+*C++*T' @eaning3 +arad Eurana is what emerged rom the lips o @aharshi +arad. *nitially& it had a collection o about twenty3 ive thousand stan:as. But& the currently available version o +arad Eurana contains not more than twenty3 two thousand stan:as. ,he whole content o +arad Eurana has been divided into two parts. ,he irst part contains our chapters which include dialogue between 1uta and 1haunak& origin o the universe& salvation& birth o 1hukadev& training o the mantras& worship rituals& provisions and the results o the various asts observed on particular days in particular months. ,he second part contains beauti ul tales related to various incarnations o Lord Vishnu& depiction and signi icance o pilgrimage centers and per orming pilgrimage.
18&1 Penance of the )ages in 3aimisharn

?nce upon a time& about twenty3si/ thousand sages assembled in the holy ambience o +aimisharanya. All o them had renounced their desires and homely com orts and were worshipping Lord Vishnu or the bene it o the entire humanity. During their stay in +aimisharanya& those sages called a huge assembly to discuss about the means o attaining all the our goals o li e like Dharma& Arth& Kama and @oksha. ,he great sage 1haunak was presiding over the assembly. (e said5 P? sages$ Ce have assembled here to discuss the most cryptic disciplines o li e. But it is beyond my powers to answer the Huestions you have put be ore me. ?nly a great sage like 1uta& who is the most learned disciple o Vedavyasa& is able to answer these Huestions. Eresently& he lives in a hermitage in 1iddhipeeth. Let us all go there and reHuest him to preach us about the cryptic disciplines o li e.P (earing these words& all the sages thanked 1haunak with 9oy. ,hen& led by 1haunak himsel & all o them reached the hermitage o the sage 1uta. At the hermitage& sage 1uta welcomed them all and satis ied their Hueries. (e said5 P ? great sages$ * narrate to you& the great Eurana& which was once narrated by the great saint 1anatkumar to Devarshi +arad and now known as +arad Eurana.P
18&! 3arad Prays to 'ord +ishnu

1haunak says5 P1uta9i& how did 1anatkumar un old the mystic character o the religion to +aradL Chen and where they had the meeting to hold this pious discussionL Kindly tell us in detail.P
1uta9i says5 P,he great sage 1anatkumar& who was ree rom illusions& was the creation o Brahma)s imagination. (e always remained engrossed in the worship o Brahma. ?nce& he was going towards the peaks o the mighty @eru @ountains ((imalayas) when on the way& he happened to sight the sacred Banges. (e was about to take a dip in the waters when Devarshi +arad also arrived there. Devarshi +arad greeted his elder brother and took bath in the river. A ter carrying out usual rituals& they seated there and started a discussion about the virtues o Lord Vishnu.P Devarshi +arad asked3 P? brother$ (ow can one reali:e the Lord VishnuL Cho is the cause o this whole creationL Chat is the appearance o devotion& knowledge and penanceL Kindly elaborate the mystery o treating the guests also. Also tell me& how did Lord Vishnu e ected the origin o Brahma and other godsLP 1anatkumar says5 *n the beginning o creation& the sel 3illuminating Lord Vishnu created Brahma rom (is right hand side& "udra rom (is central part and Vishnu& his own replica rom (is le t hand side. As Lord Vishnu is omnipresent& similarly his illusions are also omnipresent and known with di erent names like Lakshmi& %ma& 1hakti and >handi. ,hese are the powers o Lord Vishnu. 1ome people identi y these powers with the illusions created by the Lord whereas the sages regard them as nature.P ,he gods& who protect the world& are Eurush& and the 1upreme Being& who is above these levels& is Lord. +obody else is greater than (e is. Drom (is navel even Brahma has originated on a divine lotus. (e is the 1upreme Being the eternal 9oy incorporating all the three virtues. ? +arad$ Dive senses3 sights& sound& scent& touch and taste have originated rom the ego. -go is the origin o other eleven senses also. ,hese ive senses in turn gave rise to ive physical elements3 ether& air& ire& water and earth. *t was a ter the creation o these ive physical elements that Brahma created the lower living beings. ,hen he created human beings ollowed by the creation o all the seven worlds and seven guards o these seven worlds. Dor the inhabitation o the living beings& Brahma also created great mountains& plains and seven seas. ,owards the north o the great saline sea and towards the south o the great (imalayas is situated the (oly Land o *ndia. Eeople who worship Lord 1hiva and Lord Vishnu inhabit this land. Because o their virtues& even the gods worship the people who populate the *ndian landmass. ,hose ignorant people& who do not seek salvation despite having been born in *ndia& have to su er the tortures o hell as long as the 1un and the @oon shine in the sky. ,he whole world rom Brahma to a seemingly unimportant blade o grass is the mani estation o Vasudev (Lord Vishnu).
18&* Profile of the )age Mar.andeya

1anatkumar says5 ? sage$ Daith has the greatest signi icance. Achievement o everything and appeasement o Lord Vishnu depend upon the aith. +othing is attainable without aith. 1uch as a human being aces inertia in the absence o li e and is rendered motionless. 1imilarly& aith is like a spiritual light without which& religious actions o a man come to cease. 1imilarly& devotion is also known as the li e o all the achievements. *t is also the giver o our supreme goals o li e like Dharma& Arth& Kama and @oksha. +o action succeeds without the input o devotion and aith. -ven the menial 9obs done with aith gives everlasting results. ?n the contrary& even the pious actions o envious people go utile. Attainment o Bod by envious people is impossible. -nvy is the greatest enemy o the human being. *t creates a gap as big as the one that separates the sky rom the nether world. ? Brahmanandan$ ?nly those people& who remain engrossed in aith ul devotion o Bod& attain to the abode o Vishnu. Dallen are those who& despite having the knowledge o Vedas& do not comply with the moral code o conduct o their clan. +either Vedas nor even devotion can salve such people. *n other words& moral conduct is everything. ? great sage$ Devotion is like mother who is the base o li e or every living being. ? +arad$ >ompany o the pious people and the saints is the best means to cherish devotion. 1aints are the teachers o the entire world. Chen the sins that have been accumulating all throughout the previous births decay only when one gets pious company and those who once get pious company e/periences eternal 9oy. +arad says5 P? great devotee o Lord Vishnu$ Kindly relate the actions and appearance o the Lord)s devotees to me.P 1anatkumar says5 PDuring the period o Eralay& when all the world was inundated& Lord Vishnu was sleeping on a Banyan lea . ,hat scene had ama:ed @arkandeya& the supreme devotee o the Lord.P
,he sages asked5 PChen all the world was inundated& how did @arkandeya escapeL 1uta9i kindly remove our doubt.P 1uta9i says5 P? great sages$ +ow& * am going to narrate the tale o @arkandeya. Listen to it care ully.P ?nce upon a time& there lived a ortunate sage in the pious land o *ndia. ,he sage was amous as @rikandu. (e had observed a very severe penance at the holy pilgrimage center o 1haligram. (is penance began to cause worry or *ndra. 1o& accompanied by other gods& *ndra reached to Lord Vishnu who was resting on 1heshnaag in Ksheersagar& the ocean o milk. ,he gods prayed the Lord to protect them rom the radiance o @rikandu. Listening to the prayers o ered by the gods& Lord Vishnu appeared in (is our3armed orm holding conch& wheel& mace and lotus in each o those arms. (is radiance was enough to beat the shine o crore 1uns. (is radiance caused tremendous 9oy or the gods who ell lat at the eet o the Lord. Lord says5 P? gods$ Bet up. * am ully aware about your miseries. But your worries are meaningless because @aharshi @rikandu is really a gentleman. (e is not going to harm you in any way. -ven i the situation arises& * am always ready to protect you.P 1aying these words& the Lord disappeared. ,hus& assured by the Lord)s words& the gods also returned to their abode. ?n the other hand& pleased by @rikandu)s penance& Lord appeared be ore him. As soon as @rikandu opened his eyes& he saw Lord Vishnu standing be ore him. Lord)s our3armed& blue and radiant appearance caused great e/hilaration or @rikandu. (e ell lat at (is eet and prayed (im with tear ul eyes. Eleased with his prayers& Lord asked @rikandu to seek a boon. But @rikandu re used saying that he had attained salvation 9ust by having (is sight. 1till& Lord said that (is appearance never goes in vain&P 1o& * will be your son who will live a long li e.P Branting this boon& the Lord disappeared.P
18&, "ale of the )age Mar.andeya

+arad says5 P? great sage$ Chy did Lord Vishnu appear as the son o @rikanduL Chat did (e do as his sonL ,he Euranas say that during the Eralay& @arkandeya had witnessed the direct appearance o Lord Vishnu)s illusion. Kindly narrate these things in detail.P 1anatkumar says5 PListen ? Devarshi$ A ter observing severe penance& the sage @rikandu got married and received an eHually virtuous and chaste wi e. *n the tenth month a ter their marriage& his wi e gave birth to an e/tremely beauti ul baby. ,he baby in act had incorporated the radiance o the Lord. @rikandu carried out all the necessary rituals and consecrations o the baby happily. *n his i th year& he carried out the thread ceremony o his son and started to educate him in Vedas. (is education developed all the pious virtues in his son whom he had named @arkandeya. A ter inishing his education& sage @arkandeya also started a severe penance to please Lord Vishnu. Eleased by his penance& Lord Vishnu blessed him with a boon o creating Eurana 1amhita. ,his is the reason why the sage @arkandeya is also known as +arayan. ? Brahmins$ Lord Vishnu did not annihilate @arkandeya during the Eralay only to show him (is illusions. *t was due to this grace that @arkandeya survived the Eralay and passed that time loating on a Banyan lea . As long as the Lord slept& @arkandeya kept loating on that lea . As long as the night o the Lord lasted& @arkandeya stayed on that limsy lea . At the end o the night& when the inundating Eralay receded and the Lord awakened rom (is prolonged sleep& (e began the work o creation again. *t was even more ama:ing or @arkandeya to see the inundating water recede and new creation taking place. (e began to pray the Lord with olded hands. Eleased by his prayers& the Lord said that (e always protected (is devotees even during the most severe crises. @arkandeya then asked about the appearance o the true devotees o the Lord. (e also e/pressed his curiosity to know the reasons o their birth. Lord Vishnu says5 P? great among the sages$ ,he greatest devotees are those who do not harm others with their mind& words and actions and who are ree rom envy. ,hose who have impartial view are best among the devotees. ,hose who protect the human beings& cows& Brahmins& vegetation and remain engrossed in discussion o Lord)s virtues. ,hose who salute the garden o basil and put the earth rom basil)s roots on their heads& those who are beloved to Lord 1hiva& put ,ripund on their orehead and worship (im per orming Yagyas acing south. ,hose who always donate water and cereals& cows and daughters are the e/cellent among all the devotees. ? great sage$ ,hese are some o the characteristics o a true devotee. >herish these characteristics and you will also attain salvation in the last.P ,hus& preaching& Lord Vishnu disappeared. @arkandeya therea ter led a pious li e and observed penance and in the last he too attained to the supreme abode o the Lord.
18&/ "he (reatness of the (anges

1uta9i says3 P,he glorious description o devotion or Lord Vishnu caused e/treme 9oy or +arad.P +arad says5 P? great sage 1anat$ +ow kindly tell me about such a place o pilgrimage which is even holier than the holiest places o pilgrimage.P 1anatkumar says5 ? +arad$ >on luence o Banga and Yamuna is the holier than any other place o pilgrimage. ,he e/tremely sacred and pious Banga rises rom the eet o none other than Lord Vishnu. Yamuna on the other hand is the daughter o 1urya. -ven the remembrance o Banga is enough to do away with all the sins and making one peace ul. ,his place where Banga and Yamuna merge is amous as Erayaag in the world. *t is the same place where Brahma had once invoked Lord Vishnu in a Yagya. 1ince then& innumerable sages have ollowed Brahma and per ormed di erent kinds o Yagyas there. -ven a person who recites the name o Banga hundred miles rom Erayaag attains salvation. 1mear the sand o Banga)s bank on the orehead is like& in a way& bearing the crescent shaped @oon on the head. ,hose who remember Banga receive the bene it o per orming pilgrimage to all the holy places. Among other places o pilgrimage& Varanasi has almost eHual signi icance to that o Erayaag. ? Brahmin$ Banga is the mother o the entire world. @ere touch o her sacred waters salved the si/ty thousand sons o 1agar. +o one can describe the greatness o Banga
18&1 >ate of 2ing #aahu

+arad says5 P? great sage who in the dynasty o 1agar received salvation rom Ereta Bhava. Cho was 1agarL Kindly narrate his whole story to me.P 1anatkumar says5 PLong ago& there occurred a king named Baahu in the dynasty o 1urya. (e was very religious in nature and looked a ter his sub9ects like his own o spring. -veryone was happy in his kingdom& which he ruled with polity and 9usticeP. But destiny was playing another game or the king. Cith time& evils like envy and ego began to rise in the mind o Baahu. (e began to think that nobody else was as religious as he was. ,hese evils in turn caused the king to incline towards sensual pleasures. ? +arad$ An unconscious mind is the greatest cause o destruction. -veryone& even the better hal begin to nurture hostility against such a person. 1o& the same thing happened with the king Baahu. @any neighbouring kings together launched a massive attack on the kingdom o Baahu and de eated him a ter a month3long ierce battle. A ter his de eat& the king Baahu le t his kingdom and began to wander along with his Hueens. At last& he came to stay beside a big lake. -ven the local inhabitants and lower creatures hid seeing the king approach. (is sub9ects too had lost their sympathies or him. +ow the li e o the king was not more than the death. 1o& repenting his condition& king Baahu met his death in the presence o the sage Aurv. At that time& his youngest Hueen was e/pecting an issue. A ter her husband)s death& she decided to commit 1ati. But& the sage Aurv prevented her convincing that her would be son would en9oy more popularity than his ather had. Besides& nothing is more wretched than killing an unborn baby. ,hus& convincing the Hueen with all means& sage Aurv guided the Hueens to per orm cremation o her husband and other rituals. 1ince then& both the Hueens began to live in the hermitage o sage Aurv.
18&4 "he #irth of )agar

1anatkumar says 53 P? +arad$ Both the Hueens were passing their time in the hermitage o sage Aurv. Chen hal o the rainy season had passed& the elder Hueen began to cultivate evil eelings or the younger. 1he& there ore& made deceit ully the younger Hueen to consume poison. But the poison could not a ect the Hueen and her unborn baby because o the virtues she had acHuired serving the sage Aurv. A ter three months& the younger Hueen gave birth to a son. 1age Aurv carried out necessary rituals and consecrations o the child and named him 1agar because he was born with the e ect o poison.P 1agar began to grow in Aurv)s hermitage. ,he sage had started to train the boy in weaponry. ?ne day& out o curiosity& 1agar asked his mother about his ather. (is mother related to him all the events that took place with his ather king Baahu& her husband. Listening to the ate o his ather& 1agar took an oath to destroy all those who
had caused misery to his ather. >ircumambulating his teacher Aurv and taking his mother)s permission& 1agar at once set out on his mission. (is irst halt was at the hermitage o sage Vashishta. 1agar narrated the whole thing to the sage Vashishta. 1age Vashishta presented him with a number o divine weapons and saw him o blessing him with a boon or victory. Armed with many divine weapons and the blessings o his mother and teachers& 1agar de eated even the most power ul enemies o his ather in no time and established his rule over the entire earth. ,he de eated kings took asylum in the hermitage o sage Vashishta who assured them to be earless. 1pies on the other hand in ormed 1agar about this development. 1agar at once set out to the hermitage o Vashishta with an intention o e/terminating those kings but meanwhile& sage Vashishta had got all the kings shaven. 1o& assuming that his enemies were dead& 1agar mockingly said to sage Vashishta5 P? sage$ Chy are you guarding these characterless creaturesL * will not spare their lives.P Vashishta says5 P? son$ You are great. +ow listen to me care ully or your bene it. * have already killed your enemies& so you will not gain anything killing them again. ? king$ ,his physical body is the root o all the sins. You will not receive popularity killing the physical body. 1o& give this matter a little thought be ore killing them.P ,he words o sage Vashishta soothed 1agar)s anger. ,herea ter& sage Vashishta carried out the coronation o 1agar. ,he king 1agar had two wives& Keshini and 1umati. ,hey both were the daughters o Vidharba)s king Kashyap. Chen sage Aurv heard about 1agar)s coronation& he visited his palace and returned a ter preaching him. 1ome months later& with a desire o having sons& both the Hueens secretly summoned sage Aurv once again and received the talisman or having sons. @editating or a while& the sage Aurv said5 P? ortunate ones$ ?ne o you will receive a son who will continue his progeny in uture and the other will have si/ty thousand prowessive sons.P ,he sage also advised them to seek the boon o their respective choices. Cith time& Keshini gave birth to one son Asman9as who grew in a whimsical person. 1umati gave birth to si/ty thousand sons who were very obedient initially but ollowing Asman9as& they too began to behave whimsically. Asman9as had one son& Anshuman who was very obedient to his grand ather. 1i/ty thousand sons o 1agar soon began to torment all the three worlds. Eerple/ed by their atrocities& *ndra appealed to the sage Kapil to get them rid o their woes. Cith the inspiration o 1age Kapil& 1agar organi:ed an Ashwamedha Yagya. *ndra kidnapped the horse o the Yagya and tethered at the hermitage o sage Kapil. Chen all the si/ty thousand princes reached Kapil)s hermitage& they began to abuse him seeing the horse there. *n uriated Kapil at once incinerated them with his curse. King 1agar then sent Anshuman in search o his si/ty thousand sons and recovered the horse. 1age Kapil assured Anshuman that his grandson Bhagirath would please Banga to descend and salve his ancestors.
18&8 )alvation of )audas

+arad says5 P? great brother$ Chy did sage Vashishta curse 1audas and how did he recover rom this curse by the virtue o the Banges watersLP 1anatkumar says5 P? +arad$ 1audas was a virtuous king. (e ruled over his sub9ects religiously. (e was very ond o hunting. 1o& one day& he went on hunting in the orest. (e continued his e/cursion all day long. ,owards evening& he reached at the bank o Bodavari and decided to pass the night there. *n the ne/t morning also& he began his hunting e/cursion one again. During the hunting& he spotted a deer and began to chase it. >hasing the deer& he reached the core o the orest. ,here& the king saw a pair o tigers copulating. 1audas was an e/pert archer. (e trained an arrow and killed the tigress in 9ust one shot. As soon as the tigress died& she assumed the orm o an enormous ogress. Death o his partner in uriated the tiger& which was in act a monster in disguise. (e decided to avenge the death o his mate. ?n the other hand& the whole event rightened the king. (e held a hasty parley with his ministers. ,hey unanimously took a decision to give up the hunting orever. Long a terwards& king 1audas organi:ed an Ashwamedha Yagya in the auspices o sage Vashishta. At the completion o Yagya& sage Vashishta went to take a bath be ore taking his meal. @eanwhile& the monster appeared there in the guise o Vashishta and e/pressed his desire to eat meat. ,hen& in the guise o the cook& the monster cooked human lesh and served it in golden bowls. Chen sage Vashishta arrived& 1audas o ered him the dishes made o human lesh. Dor a while& Vashishta thought in ama:ement but soon he reali:ed the whole thing. *ndignantly& he cursed the king to become a man3eating demon. ,he king tried to assert his ignorance and said3 PYou yoursel had e/pressed your desire to eat the meat.P Cith his divine sight& sage Vashishta learnt that the king had been tricked with. By then& the king himsel got ready to curse the sage in retaliation. But his prudent wi e @adayanti stopped him. ,hus& convinced by the Hueen& the anger o 1audas subsided. But he had taken water in his palm& so the problem arose where to dispose it o or it was sure to burn anything it ell upon. A ter a little consideration& the king dropped that water right on his eet that
burnt immediately. 1ince then& the king 1audas came to be known as Kalmaashpaad. 1age Vashishta then consoled him.Vashishta says5 P? king$ *mprudence is the root o all the obstacles and crises. But ? king$ You have no reason to be sorry. Your miseries will end soon and you will regain your original radiance by the virtue o the Banges) waters.P 1aying this& sage Vashishta returned to his hermitage. ,he whole body o the king had turned black. 1ince then& he began to roam in the orests like a wild animal. ,here he ate whatever he ound3animals& birds and even human beings. Cithin si/ months& he devoured all the animals in one hundred Yo9an e/panses o the orests. ,hen he migrated to another area in the orest. ?ne day& in the guise o a monster& 1audas was wandering in a orest on the bank o +armada. ,here he spotted a sage couple engaged in carnal con9ugation. 1audas at once got hold o the sage and began to devour him. ,he sage)s wi e pleaded him to release her husband but 1audas did not pay heed to her pleas and devoured the sage. *n anguish and anger& the Brahmini cursed 1audas that he would die i he tried to copulate with a woman and that he would always remain a monster. *n uriated& 1audas cursed her in retaliation5 P? evil one$ #ust one curse was su icient. Chy did you pour down two curses on meL Bo and become a devil.P ,he Brahmini at once turned into a devil. A terwards& both o them began to wander in the orest. ?ne day& they reached to such part o the orest where another monster was living. ,hat monster too had acHuired the ormidable appearance because o not obeying his teacher. 1eeing them& the monster enHuired about the reasons o their coming to that orest. ,hey narrated the whole thing to him. 1audas says5 P? riend$ Cho are youL ,ell me& what sins did you committed. Do not conceal anything rom your riends.P ,he monster says5 PBe ore acHuiring this appearance& * was a Brahmin and well versed in all the Vedas. * lived in @agadh. ?ne day& blinded by my knowledge and youth& * insulted my teacher. ,hat is the reason o my acHuiring this monster)s appearance. 1ince then& * have been eating lesh only and * do not know how many Brahmins * have devoured so ar. 1till& my hunger is insatiated. ? ortunate one$ (ence * advise each and everyone never to insult their teachers.P 1audas says5 PChat is a teacherL Cho was your teacherLP ,he monster says5 ? brother$ ,here are many kinds o teachers but * am telling about the most revered ones. All including the teachers o Vedas& preachers o scriptures and mantras& remover o doubts& protectors& wi e)s ather& elder brother& mother)s brother& amily priest and own mother and ather all in the category o teachers. * had received preaching about all the religions rom sage Bautam while staying on the enchanting banks o the Banges. ?nce& when * went to worship 1hiva& * did not greet him. 1age Bautam did not mind my behavior but Lord 1hiva turned me into a monster out o anger.P ,hat sort o pious discussion among the monsters attenuated their sins. *n the meantime& a Brahmin& who had hailed rom Kalinga (?rrisa)& arrived there carrying the holy water o Banges. ,he monsters reHuested the Brahmin to sprinkle some o the waters over them. ,hey also narrated the greatness o Banges be ore the Brahmin. Eleased with their willingness& and appraisal o Banges& the Brahmin sprinkled some Banges water on them. ,he monster and the ogress resumed their divine appearance but 1audas remained unchanged. (is worries began to mount but the invisible 1araswati consoled and advised him to recite the Lord)s name. 1audas then migrated to Varanasi where he continuously recited the Lord)s name and took bath in the holy Banges. ,hus& he overcame the curse o Brahmini and returned to his kingdom. ,here& sage Vashishta once again carried out his coronation. 1ince then& 1audas ruled his kingdom through religious means and attained the supreme abode o Lord Vishnu.
18&9 2ing #ali defeats the (ods

+arad says5 P? brother$ Kindly narrate the tale o the Banges) origin rom the eet o lord Vishnu.P 1anatkumar says5 Long ago& in the beginning o creation& one sage Kashyap had two wives Diti and Aditi. ,hey both were the daughters o Daksha. Aditi was the mother o the gods while Diti had given birth to demons. ,hus& the demons and the gods were stepbrothers and ought accordingly or the power and prestige. Demons were
elder. (iranyakashyap& the demon king was the son o Diti. (is son Erahlad was a great devotee o Lord Vishnu. *n the lineage o Erahlad& occurred the great king Bali who was the son o Virochan. Bali had conHuered entire earth and was now eyeing the heaven. Bali had two ministers& Kubhand and Koopkarna and an eHually prowessive son Baan. Cith a huge army& Bali launched a massive attack on heaven and soon a ierce battle broke out. ,he battle lasted or one thousand years. At last& the gods lost the heaven to the demons and began to wander here and there in search o solace. De eating the gods& the king Bali organi:ed many Ashwamedha Yagyas. Deeling sorry or the plight o her sons& Aditi began a severe penance on the (imalayas.
18&1:=rigin of the (anges

+arad says5 P? brother$ You narrated a wonder ul tale. +ow& kindly relate to me& how did the Banges originateLP 1anatkumar says5 ? +arad$ Eleased with the severe penance o Aditi& Lord Vishnu appeared be ore her and asked her to seek a boon. Deeling elated with e/hilaration& Aditi ell lat at the Lord)s eet. 1he intimated the Lord about the plight o her sons and sought that (e should help them to regain the heaven without killing the demons or they were also her sons though step. Eleased by her indiscrimination or her stepsons& Lord Vishnu assured Aditi that soon (e would arrive as her son and salve the gods rom their miseries. ,hen& the Lord presented Aditi with (is garland and disappeared. *n due course o time& Aditi gave birth to a son who was holding a conch& a wheel& a mace and a lotus in each o his our hands. ,he child was named as Vaaman. -ven his ather& sage Kashyap greeted him with respect. By the time& when the thread ceremony was about to be carried out or Vaaman& king Bali organi:ed a grand Ashwamedha Yagya in the auspices o his teacher 1hukracharya. Lord Vishnu (imsel had been invoked in the Yagya along with Lakshmi. ,aking his parent)s permission& Vaaman too arrived at the sight o the Yagya. Cith their divine sight& all the sages who were present there recogni:ed Lord Vishnu and elt e/treme 9oy and greeted (im with respect. -ven 1hukracharya understood the motive o Vaaman)s coming there. (e cautioned Bali in isolation not to grant any demand o Vaaman. (e also advised Bali to abide by his dictate or he would have to ace severe conseHuences. But illumined by the destiny& king Bali did not pay heed to 1hukracharya)s advice and welcomed Vaaman warmly and asked him to seek anything he wished. Vaaman said5 P? king$ * you want to give me something& kindly grant me three steps o land so that * may carry out my Yagyas smoothly. King Bali tried to dissuade Vaaman with temptations o heavenly com orts and other lu/uries. But Vaaman stayed to his demand that he needed nothing else but three steps o land or carrying out Yagyas. At last Bali agreed to grant his demand. (e reHuested Vaaman to pour some water rom the Kamandalu on his palm so that he could take a vow. As the last attempt to prevent Bali rom making a vow& 1hukracharya assumed a miniature appearance and clogged the snout o the kamandalu. ,he omniscient Lord pricked the snout with a sharp stem and pricked 1hukracharya)s one eye. ,herea ter& taking some water on his palm& king Bali proceeded to grant Vaaman three steps o land. As soon as Bali granted the demand& Vaaman assumed a gigantic appearance and measured the entire earth and heaven in his two steps. Chile Lord Vishnu was measuring the universe& it broke into two pieces with the impact o (is toe. Cith the tearing o the universe& millions o streams sprang out. *n the course o their low& these streams merged into a single mightier stream and& sancti ying Brahma and other deities& ell on the mighty 1umeru @ountain ((imalayas). As there was no other room le t or the Lord to put (is third step& Bali presented his own head or the purpose. Vaaman put his third step on Bali)s head and pressed him down into the hades. +arad says5 P? great sage$ (ow did the Lord arrange or Bali)s ood in the nether worldLP 1anatkumar says5 P?blations o ered without hymns and alms given to undeserving person constitute the ood or Bali. ,hus& the Lord snatched the kingdom o heaven rom Bali without any bloodshed and returned it to the gods.P
18&11$efinition of $harma
+arad says5P? great sage$ * have 9ust heard the tale o sacred Banges. +ow kindly describe about the people who deserve to take donations.P 1anatkumar says5 ? +arad$ Brahmin is considered as the e/cellent among all the our castes. (ence& to make the
donation ruit ul& one should donate to the Brahmins only. A Brahmin can accept donation candidly but not a Vaishya or a Kshatriya. -ven among Brahmins& there are many categories who do not deserve to accept donation. ,hese are3 Brahmins who practice astrology& act against the religion& who are greedy& who sell scriptures and other religious materials& who have relations with other women than their wives& who are envious& ungrate ul& singer& who have characterless wi e& who are soldiers& priests& harbinger& cook& poet& doctor& who eat meat and cereals given by a 1hudra& who carry out cremation and the Brahmins who consume the ood given by prostitutes. Donation given to all these types o Brahmins go utile. Besides these& Brahmins who habitually en9oy sensual pleasures during siesta& who dine during the dusk& who have been boycotted by their brothers and society& who have taken birth illegitimately or a ter the death o their real ather because o dubious relations o their mother& whose younger brother have married earlier and those who are always controlled by lusty women& who act as pimps or remain indulged in mean activities also do not deserve donation. Donation& spending to meet necessities and wasting in useless activities are the three ates o wealth. A donation made sel lessly to a deserving person on a reHuest is e/cellent among all kinds o donations. A donation made with some desire is mediocre while donation given as sacri ice is o the lowest category. 1anatkumar then narrated the tale o Bhagirath and Dharmaraa9. ?nce& Dharmaraa9 visited the kingdom o king 1agar. Dharmaraa9 praised 1agar overtly. Cith olded hands& king 1agar reHuested Dharmaraa9 to preach him about religion and non3religion and tell him something about divine worlds and hell. Dharmaraa9 says5P? king$ Eroviding a Brahmin amily or a Vedapathi Brahmin with a means o sustenance is the most virtuous donation. *nspiring others to make donation to such a Brahmin is also eHually ruit ul. Apart rom these& digging out reservoirs and maintaining them and inspiring others to do the same thing also bears unending ruits.P ,o corroborate his point& Dharmaraa9 narrated the tale o king Veerbhadrak and his minister Buddhiraa9.
18&1!$escription of 6eligious Action

Dharmaraa9 says5 P? king$ ,hose who build temples with earth stay in the abode o Vishnu or three kalpas. ,hen they attain Brahmaloka. ?ne receives double virtues i he builds a temple with wood. Building a temple with bricks and stones gives our3 old virtue while with the precious stones one gets ten3 old virtues. Building o temple with copper and gold gives hundred old and crore old virtues. ,hose who preserve temples and reservoirs receive hundred times more virtues than the builders do. Virtues o a rich man donating whole estate and a poor person donating a yard o land are eHual.P P? virtuous one$ ,hose who develop gardens and parks also receive same virtues. ,hose who preserve them receive more virtues than the developers. ?ne who plants a basil sapling salves his crores o ancestors. 1imilarly& those who bathe the Lord)s idol with milk on Dwadashi and Eoornamaasi salve millions o their ancestors. ,hose who bathe Lord)s idol with Eanchamrit on -kadashi receive everlasting 9oy and salvation. 1imilarly& those who bathe Lord)s idol with coconut milk& sugarcane 9uice& and water containing lowers or iltered water get ree rom all their sins. 1imilarly& those who bathe Lord Vishnu)s idol during eclipses or on auspicious dates and con9ugations receive the virtue o all the Yagyas. ,hose who bathe Lord Vishnu)s and 1hiva)s idols with coconut milk& ghee& honey and sesame oil on auspicious dates assume respective appearances o these gods.P P,hose who worship Lord Vishnu and 1hiva o ering them lowers o lotus& Eandanus& and particularly o er Dhatura to Lord 1hiva attain their respective abodes. 1imilarly& donation o Buggul (scented raisin)& lamp& water and cereal bears ine/haustible ruits. Virtues o donating land and milch cow to a Brahmin cannot be described in words. *t is the case with the donation o knowledge& 1haligram& 1hivalinga& horse& bu alo& elephant or any other vehicle. ,hose who arrange or the cremation o an orphaned Brahmin receive virtues eHual to thousands o Ashwamedha Yagyas. ,hose who serve the Brahmin deities or cow& those who play instruments& bell& and blow conch or clap in the temple en9oy intimacy with divine beauties in the heaven or ive Kalpas. Blowing o conch helps one attain the abode o Vishnu. -ven the remembrance o Lord Vishnu)s name does away with the imminent crises.P
18&1*E-piation for the )ins

Dharmaraa9 says5 P? king$ * am now going to narrate about the religion. Listen to it aith ully. * a person touches or gets touched by an impure or irreligious thing& he should observe ast or three days and si/ nights or e/piation. (e should take bath thrice a day. * a Brahmin de ecates during dining& he must give up his ood at once
and take water only. ,hen he should observe a ast or a day and night and close it taking Eanchgavya only to get pure again. * a person dines immediately a ter urination& or urinates during dining& he must observe a day and night long ast and close it with (avan. ,hose women who do not serve their husbands should be e/pelled rom the home or a period o twelve years and should not be helped in any way during the e/ile. *mpurity resulted because o touching a woman in menses takes ast or three nights to get puri ied.P Dead body o a person who had committed suicide should be smeared with sandalwood paste or any other holy material. * a person escapes an attempt to suicide& a ine o two hundred rupees should be imposed on him. ,hose who deliberately eat cereals o washers& skinners and other downtrodden classes and tribes or have illicit contacts with their women are reHuired to observe >handrayan ast in order to get pure. Dor those who establish abhorrent connection with their mother& sister or daughter& sel 3immolation is the only way to e/piate. ,hose who mate with their teacher)s wi e ormal observance o ast is reHuired. * someone has killed a pregnant cow& he must e/piate or it observing >handrayan ast separately or each o the animals. ?ne should not use the soil collected rom pond)s bottom& termite)s mound& mouse burrow& barren land& road& cremation ground and ground used or de ecation purpose. %se o Eanchgavya washes even the most severe sin. * a second death occurs in the amily while the puri ication period o irst death is still onK separate puri ication is not reHuired. *ll e ect o an abortion lasts or three days. A ter marriage& a woman adopts her husband)s name. (ence& oblation or a married woman must be o ered by her son or someone belonging to her husband)s clan. Ashes must be collected on the irst& second& third or ourth day a ter the cremation. ?ne must o er watery oblations to his dead ancestors standing in navel3deep water acing south.
18&1,"orture in the ?ell

Dharmaraa9 says5 P? king$ ,hose who commit severe sin on earth are bound to su er eHually severe torturing in hell. * am now describing about such sins and the tortures vouchsa ed or them in the hells. ,apan& Balukaakumbh& @aharaurav& "aurav& Kumbhipaak& Eramardan& Lalabhaksha& Vasaakup and Vaitarni are some o the prominent hells. Drinking o urine in a ditch ull o eces& eating o canine lesh& eating o worms& drinking o semen& sleeping on cinders& stinging by snakes& boring through bones& drinking o bile& biting by ants& breaking o teeth& tethering to hot iron etc. are some o the tortures one has to ace or his sins in the hell. ,hose who critici:e Brahmins and dictate them or kill them& drinker& those who steal gold& have illicit contact with the wi e o their teacher and even those who accompany such people are condemned as great sinners. All o them deserve a place in the hell.P 1tealing o items like copper& iron& water& musk& betelnut& sandalwood etc. is also like the crime o stealing gold. *llicit contact with sister and daughter3in3law and orce ul copulation with a woman in menses are also like having illicit contact with the wi e o the teacher. ?ur great sages have given dictates or the e/piation o such sins. ,hose who live in Buddhist monasteries or reHuently visit there live in the hells or crores o years. 1inners pass initial phase o their e/piation in the hells. Dor the seven births then& they take incarnation as asses. ,hen or the ne/t si/ births& they appear as snake& diseased people& dog& deer& tree and monitor. ? king$ ,hose who long or and have illicit contacts with women other than wi e are orced to copulate with a pretty but e/tremely hot copper manneHuin and then thrown into the hells. ,hose women who pre er to sleep with men other than husband are orced to embrace hot iron statue on a bla:ing bed. ,hen they are orced to embrace a hot iron pillar& take bath in saline water& and drink it. ,hey have to su er these tortures or thousand years. ,hose who listen to other)s criticism with interest have to bear lot o su ering. (ot nails are hammered into their ears. ,he pores thus ormed are illed with boiling oil. ,hey are then thrown into Kumbhipaak hell. ,hose who abuse Lord Vishnu and 1hiva are ed with salt only or crores o years then they are thrown into "aurav hell& which is ull o hot scorching sand. ,raitors and greedy o other)s cereals have to eat their own lesh. ,hose who eat astrologer)s and priest)s cereals are kept in di erent hells or crores o years ollowed by their keeping in the wells o boiling oil and saline water where they are ed with eces only. At the completion o their punishment& such people appear as @alechchha on earth. ,hose who torment others are thrown into Vaitarni. ,hose who do not per orm Eanchmaha Yagya or worship deities are kept in Lalabhaksha and "aurav hells respectively. ,hose who do not act as per the scriptures are thrown into the hells or thousand crores o Kalpas. ,hose who throw e/cretion rom their bodies or leave parts like hair& tooth& bone& nails etc. in the temple commit sins eHual to killing an unborn baby. ,hey are sub9ected to severe tortures in the hells be ore being sent into abhorrent incarnations. ,hose who give alse witness undergo su erings in the hells till the rules o ourteen *ndras. ,hose
who do not curb immoral tra ic despite being capable go to hell. ,hose who alsely blame gentlepeople have to live in the hell or crores o years. ,hose who give up a ast be ore stipulated period go to the hell named Asipatra. ,here is no penance or the ones who adopt partial view during 9ustice or religious education. ,hose who consume cow)s lesh live in Vingbho9ya hell or thousands o years. ,hose who torture Brahmins through their thoughts& actions and words always all in the hell. ,hose who destroy gardens have to su er all the above mentioned hells. ? king$P ?ne must repent or his sins be ore Lord Vishnu. 1ight o the Banges and basil& singing o devotional songs& magnanimity and non3violence attenuate the e ect o the sin. +o action bears ruit i not o ered to Lord Vishnu. Devotion to Lord Vishnu is the e/cellent way to repent or the sins. Abidance to morality is the best way to train the religion. "eligion without morality is eHually pain ul. ? king$ +ow * have related all about religion. 1ince now onwards& cultivate devotion or Lord Vishnu and invoke the Banges to descend on earth in order to salve your sinister ancestors. ?nly the Banges is capable o salving one and all.P 1anatkumar says5 P? +arad$ ,hus preaching the king 1agar& Dharmaraa9 disappeared rom the sight. *t was due to the severe penance o king Bhagirath that the Banges descended on the earth and salved the si/ty thousand deceased sons o 1agar.P
18&1/$escent of (anges and )alvation of )agar<s )ons

+arad says5P? @uni$ Chat did king Bhagirath do on (imalayasL (ow did he please Banges to descend on the earthLP 1anatkumar says5 ? +arad$ "enouncing all his royal com orts& Bhagirath went to the snow3capped& lo ty peaks o the (imalayas. ,here he saw dense orest and herds o deer and elephants playing. -ven his hermitage was ull o sweet chattering o the birds. "eciting o Vedas and other scriptures was reverberating all around. Bhagirath came ace to ace with the sage Bhrigu who was surrounded by his disciples. Bhagirath approached and respect ully greeted the sage Bhrigu. Bhagirath says5 P? omniscient sage$ Kindly grace me with the knowledge o the path that leads even the most mourn ul souls to salvation.P Bhrigu says5 P? king$ * know that you have arrived here with a beauti ul motive o salving your ancestors. (ence& you are like 1hri (ari yoursel . +ow& * describe about the actions& which please 1hri (ari. ? king& be non3violent& altruistic& virtuous& speak truth and seek pious company to be a devotee o Lord Vishnu. "ecite the ollowing mantras3 *$, "*,O )+*5=*T' .**S$D'.**3 "*,*+ F *$, "*,O .**S$D'.**3 You will de initely attain peace o mind.P Bhagirath says5 P? sage$ Chat is truthL Chat is in the interest o all the living beingsL Cho are evil onesL Cho are asceticsL Chat are virtuous actionsL (ow should one remember and worship Lord VishnuL Chat is peaceL ? great sage$ Kindly describe about these things.P Bhrigu says5 P? knowledgeous one$ All such actions& which do not harm any living being& are non3violence. Actions& which aid in moral conduct and paci y the people& are in the interest o the public. All the people who are envious and oppose the religion and the scriptures are evil ones. ,hose who tread the path shown by religion and scriptures and always engage in the bene it o people are ascetics in the true sense. All the actions& which lead to devotion or Lord Vishnu and cause e/treme 9oy or all are virtuous. Lord Vishnu incorporates all the other deities. (aving such thoughts like '* will worship (im with correct methods) is devotion. 1eeing Lord Vishnu in each living and non3living things is impartial view. ,o be in peace and harmony in all circumstances with each and everyone is peace. ? king$ * have described now all the things to you. Bo now and begin your penance. @ay it all be well or you.P ,hus& with the permission and blessing o sage Bhrigu& king Bhagirath started his penance. (e continued his penance or si/ty thousand years at length in an enchanting place +aandeshwar in (imalayas. 1eeing his severe penance& and perple/ed by its radiance& all the gods appeared be ore Lord Vishnu in Ksheersagar.
,he gods say5 P? remover o sorrows$ ? controller o all the three worlds$ Ce all greet you.P Eleased by the prayers& Lord Vishnu instinctively learnt about the motive o the gods. (e assured them to be earless and (imsel appeared be ore Bhagirath. Bhagirath elt hilarious and greeted 1hri (ari. Lord Vishnu says5 PYour desires shall be ul illed. Your ancestors shall attain to my abode. But now go and pray Lord 1hiva with your ull capacity. (e will de initely bene it you.P 1aying this& Lord Vishnu disappeared. ,he king stood there or some time wondering whether it was all a dream when an invisible voice announced& 'it was not a dream ? king$ *t is reality. Do as Lord Vishnu has said.) King Bhagirath began even more severe penance to please Lord 1hiva. A ter a prolonged penance& Lord 1hiva appeared there. Bhagirath ell lat at (is eet. Eleased by his devotion and prayers& Lord 1hiva blessed Bhagirath that (e would hand over the Banges to him or the salvation o his ancestors. As soon as Lord 1hiva uttered these words& the Banges emerged rom (is tussocks and ollowed Bhagirath wherever he walked. ,hus& ollowing Bhagirath& the Banges reached Bangasagar at the hermitage o sage Kapil where the ashes o Bhagirath)s ancestors were lying unattended. As soon as the holy waters o the Banges touched the ashes& Bhagirath)s ancestors got reed rom the noose o Yama and ascended to their heavenly abode. 1ince then& the Banges is also known as Bhagirathi.
18&11$escription of $wadashi >ast

,he sages say5 P? ortunate one$ You have obliged us narrating the tale o sacred Banges. +ow we desire to hear what +arad asked 1anatkumar.P 1uta9i says5 P? great sages$ +ow * narrate what +arad asked 1anatkumar& listen to it care ully.P +arad says5 P* am blessed hearing the pious tale o the Banges. +ow kindly tell me about the ast and rituals per orming which& 1hri (ari could be pleased.P 1anatkumar says5 ? +arad$ @ay Bod bless you$ You are the supreme devotee o Lord Vishnu. ,hat)s why& you are asking about these rituals. +ow * am telling you about these rituals and asts& which make a man earless. ? +arad$ ,here is a special provision or worshipping Lord Vishnu on the twel th day o 1hukla Eaksha (brighter phase) in the month o @aargashirsh. ,his worship could be per ormed wearing white or yellow clothes. During the worship& one should recite the mantra ! /'S+*.**3* "*,*ST$)+3*,% ?ne should then o er oblations o ghee and sesame seeds in sacred ire. During the night& one should sing devotional songs be ore 1haligram and remain awakened. ,hen the idol o Vishnu should be bathed with ive liters o milk. 1imilarly& Boddess Lakshmi and Lord Vishnu should be worshipped with +aivedya and edible items three times. +e/t morning& similar worship should be repeated. At the end o the worship& one should donate sweetmeats made o milk& ghee and coconut to Brahmin while reciting3'@ay the Lord materiali:e all my wishes.) 1eeing o the Brahmin& one should break his ast at the end. ?n the same day& in the month o Eausha& one should observe a ast and worship Lord Vishnu)s idol bathing it with milk while reciting "*,O "*#*3*"*% *n this worship also& there is provision o nightlong prayers and vigilance. Donating the Brahmins with rice& pulses& ghee etc.& one should respect ully eed them and break his ast in the last. Donation o Dakshina is a must. 1imilarly& on the same day in the month o @aagh& there is a provision o daylong ast and worship. ,his time& ive kilos o sesame seeds are donated to the Brahmins. ?n the twel th day o 1hukla Eaksha in Ehagun& one should bathe 1hri (ari)s idol with ive liters o milk. ,hen one hundred and eight oblations o sesame seeds and ghee are made to the sacred ire. +ightlong prayers& eeding o Brahmins etc. are as usual. *n this worship& unhusked rice is donated. ,he reHuired mantra is 5O.I"D**3 "*,*ST$)+3*,
?n the same day in the month o >haitra& there is a provision o bathing Vishnu)s idol with ive liters o ghee and making oblations o honey& ghee and sesame seeds one hundred and eight times while reciting 3 "*,OST$ .IS+"*.' T$)+3*, ,hen our kilos o rice are donated to a Brahmin. ?n the twel th day in the brighter phase o Vaishaakh& there is a provision o bathing Vishnu)s idol with milk and making one hundred and eight oblations o ghee reciting 3 "*,*ST' ,*D+$+*"T' ?n the twel th day in the brighter phase o #yeshtha& there is a provision o o ering one hundred and eight oblations o kheer (rice cooked in our liters o milk) while reciting "*,*+ T#I.I/#*,**3% ,wenty @aalpuas (wheat lour kneaded in milk and sugar and ried in ghee) are donated to a Brahmin. ?n the same day in the month o Ashaadh& Lord Vishnu)s idol is bathed with our liters o milk. ,hen oblations o ghee are made and cereal mi/ed with coconut and curd are donated to the Brahmins. ,his worship is directed to Vaaman incarnation o Lord Vishnu. (ence& mantra "*,*ST' .**,*"**3 is recited all along the rituals. *n the month o 1hraavan& there is a provision o bathing Lord)s idol with milk and honey on the twel th day o the brighter phase. ,hen one hundred and eight oblations are made reciting ! S+#ID+*#**3 "*,OST$T'% ,hen our liters o milk& clothes and two golden earrings are donated to the Brahmin. Lord)s idol should be bathed with milk while reciting 3 +#IS+I/'S+ "*,OST$)+3*, on the twel th day in the month o Bhaadrapad. ,hen one hundred and eight oblations are made with cooked cereals mi/ed with honey. Cheat donated along with gold to the Brahmins besides eeding them with respect. *n the month o Ashwin also& Lord)s idol is bathed with ive liters o milk. ,hen& one hundred and eight oblations are o ered with ghee& sesame seeds and rice reciting 3 "*,*ST' P*D,*"**)+**3% ,wo hundred and i ty grams o honey are donated to a Brahmin. *n the month o Kartik& on the same day& Lord)s idol is bathed with our liters o milk& curd or ghee while reciting3 "*,O D**,OD*#**3% ,hen& one hundred and eight oblations are o ered with sesame seeds mi/ed with honey and ghee. ,his worship is closed with donating ive types o edible items to a deserving Brahmin& eeding him and seeing him o with Dakshina. ? @univar$ ,hose who observe this virtuous ast or the twelve months o a year attains to the supreme abode. ?bservance o this ast or one or two months only is also eHually bene iting. * this ast is observed or a year& there is a provision o special closing ritual at the end so that one shouldn)t have to observe it again in his li e. ,his closing ritual is per ormed on the twel th day o the darker phase in the month o @aargsheersh. ?ne should get up early in the morning that day and a ter attending routine tasksK he should take bath& wear white clothes& smear sandalwood paste on the orehead and make a sHuare3shaped altar on the ground. ,his altar
should be decorated with 9ingling bells& whiskers& lags and white cloth. ?n the our corners o the altar& our lamps should be lighted. At the center o the altar& a 1arvatobhadra wheel is drawn and twelve urns illed with water are kept on it. Eutting ive kinds o gems in these urns& they should be covered with white cloth. ,he worshipper must procure silver or gold idols o Lakshmi and Lord Vishnu and place them on the lids o the urns. Drugality is not e/pected in this ritual. ,hese idols should be bathed with milk containing ghee& honey& curd and ive types o dry ruits. *t should be ollowed with proper worship o Lord Vishnu and Boddess Lakshmi. ,hese rituals last nightlong. +e/t morning& oblations are o ered with sesame seeds reciting all the twelve mantras described above. Donation o ten @aalpuas& curd& kheer& ghee etc. are made to twelve Brahmins. At last& all the idols and other materials are handed over to the priest who had guided the worship. Devotee must dine a ter all and he should not speak during dining. All the desires o the one who observes all these twelve asts and closes them properly are ul illed and he attains abode o Vishnu along with his twenty3one generations.
18&14$escription of >ast for 'a.shmi3arayana

1anatkumar says5 P ? great among the sages$ +ow * am narrating about an e/cellent ast& which destroys all the sins. ?bserving ast on ull @oon day is considered e/cellent among all the asts. *t leads to ul illment o all the desires and protects the devotee rom in luence o harsh planets. Like the ast o Dwadashi& this ast is also begun rom the month o @aargsheersh and observed continuously on every ull @oon day o succeeding months till Kartik when it is closed with proper ritualsP. ,o begin with& one should start worshipping Lord Vishnu since the morning o ull @oon day in the month o @aargsheersh wearing white clothes and reciting "*,O "**#**3*"**% A ter the worship& the devotee must per orm a (avan on a sHuare3shaped altar o ering oblations with cooked cereals& sesame seeds& ghee etc. Chite lowers& unbroken rice grains and water are o ered to the Lord. *n the evening& the same things are o ered to the rising ull @oon also. A devotee must pass the night engaged in religious discussion& singing o devotional songs etc. +e/t day& donations are made to the Brahmins a ter per orming usual worship. ,he same rituals are per ormed every month to observe the ast. "ituals or closing this ast in the month o Kartik on ull @oon day are also elaborate. Dirst o all& the devotee should build a rectangular canopy and decorate it with loral garlands& arches& lamps& cinnabar& mirrors& whiskers etc. At the center o the canopy& on the ground& 1arvatobhadra wheel should be drawn with ive pillars. ,hen one to twelve urns are kept on this wheel and on these urns& silver or golden idols o Lord Vishnu are placed. ,hese idols are bathed with milk containing curd& ghee& honey and ive types o dry ruits. ,hen a proper elaborate worship is carried out or these idols. +ight is passed singing devotional songs. +e/t morning& a ter proper worship& these idols are donated to the presiding priest. *t is ollowed by eeding o Brahmins. All these rituals are closed with per orming a (avan o ering sesame seeds as oblation. ,hose who per orm these worships with proper rituals en9oy worldly com orts li elong and attain abode o Lord Vishnu.
18&18>lagging in the "emple of 'ord +ishnu

1anatkumar says5 P? +arad$ +ow * am narrating about the lagging ast in order to please Lord Vishnu. (e who per orms this ast is even worshipped by Brahma and other deities. ,his ast accords virtues eHual to those o donating one thousand carats o gold to a Brahmin or those attained taking bath in the Banges and worshipping 1hivalinga and basil sapling. P ,he devotee should observe this ast on the tenth day o the brighter phase in the month o Kartik. (e should worship 1hri (ari since morning a ter taking bath and wearing resh clothes. (e is e/pected to sleep be ore the idol that day. +e/t day& he should again per orm worship& recite +andishraaddh along with our Brahmins and bathe masts o the two lags. (e should then worship the 1un& the @oon and Barud. ,hen turmeric& sandalwood paste are smeared on the masts and white lowers are o ered on them. ,herea ter& the devotee must smear 9ust enough ground with cow dung and produce a ire in an altar. ?ne hundred and eight oblations are made with kheer in this ire. (avan thus per ormed is directed to Lord Vishnu& Brahma and Lakshmi then eight oblations are o ered reciting 3
.'"T'3**3 S=*+*% *t is ollowed by oblations o ered to the 1un& the @oon and Kaamadhenu. ,he night is passed in worship and per orming (avans. +e/t morning& the same rituals are per ormed to worship Lord Vishnu. At last& the lags are carried to a temple o Lord Vishnu and installed at the pinnacle or on top o a column. Lord Vishnu is worshipped with proper rituals. >ircumambulating the temple& one should then present Brahmins with clothes and Dakshina& eed them and should take ood a ter all. *t is said that as long as the lag lutters in air& as much sins o the devotee are destroyed and he attains the abode o Lord Vishnu.
18&19"ale of 2ing )umit<s Previous #irth

+arad says5 P? 1anatkumar$ A king 1umit had per ormed this lagging ast or the irst time. Kindly narrate to me the tale o his li e.P 1anatkumar says5 During 1atayuga& a 1omavanshi king 1umit was ruling the entire earth. (e was very religious in nature and a great devotee o Lord Vishnu. (e served the other devotees with respect and was a down to earth person. (is Hueen 1atyamati was also a chaste woman. Both o them were the great worshippers o 1hri (ari and knew everything about their previous birth. ,hey regularly donated cereals and water. 1atyamati used to dance in the temple o Lord Vishnu with pure eelings. ,he king also would install a big and beauti ul lag in the temple on the twel th day o brighter phase o every month. ,heir reputation had reached all the three worlds. ?ne day& a sage Vibhaandak came to visit the king along with his disciples. ,he king and the Hueen treated the sage with respect and the king himsel seated on a lower seat be ore the sage. ,he king says5 P* am salved ? sage$ +ow order me how can * serve youLP ,he sage says5 P? king$ * am very much pleased with you. +ow * will ask you a ew Huestions. Answer them honestly. You regularly install a big and beauti ul lag in the temple o Lord Vishnu whereas there are many more rituals to please (im. ,ell me the reason or your actions.P ,he king says5 P? sage$ * tell the reason or my action. Kindly listen to it. *n the previous birth& * was a 1hudra named @aalini and always engaged in appalling activities. ?ne day& * abandoned my amily and society and migrated to the orest where * sustained mysel on deer)s lesh. But there too& * used to rob the passersby. ?ne day& * had nothing to eat nor could * lay my hand on any passerby. 1corching sun o the summer was adding to my woe moreover. ,hus perple/ed by the thirst& hunger and intense heat& * was roaming in the orest when all o a sudden * stumbled upon a temple o Lord Vishnu. *t had long been deserted and was very much in dilapidated condition. A small lake was also there beside the temple. *n the lake& beauti ul birds like swan and ducks were playing and delicious ruits and scented lowers also abounded in the orest. 1ince * was eeling tired to the point o dropping down& * ate the ruits which had allen on the ground. ,hen * took rest at the bank o the lake. 1ince that day& * began to live in that temple. ,here * repaired the walls& cleaned the premises and erected a small hut or mysel . But still& * used to hunt small animals to satis y my hunger. ,wenty years passed like that. ?ne day& a 1aadhvi (a emale hermit) named Avakokila& who hailed rom a +ishaad amily in Vindhyaachal& came there. (er amily members had deserted her because o sinister actions she was involved in. 1he was thin and lean due to continuous starvation. Deeling pity on her& * gave her some ruits and lesh to eat. Chen she recovered& she narrated her tale that * am narrating to you as it was.P 1aadhvi says5 P* was born in the amily o oarsman& Daaruk was my ather. * was a great backbiter& thie and sinner. @y amily there ore deserted me. Dor sometime& my husband ostered me but he too died. 1ince then& * have been wandering rom this place to that and it is because o Lord)s grace that * have arrived here.P ,he king says5 PListening to her tale& * married her and we began to live in the temple. -very day we used to eat lesh and ruit. ?ne day& under the into/ication o wine& we en9oyed our time greatly. Ce even began to dance orgetting our physical condition. 1uddenly& agents o Yama arrived there and began to tighten their noose around us. 1imultaneously& 1hri (ari too sent (is agents.P Vishnu)s agents say5 P? imprudent Yamadoots$ "elease this great devotee o Lord Vishnu.
Yamadoots say5 P,hese are ab9ect sinners. Ce will de initely take them with us.P ,hese words in uriated the agents o Vishnu. Vishnu)s agents say5 P,hey are not sinners. ,hey are great devotees and the servers o Lord Vishnu. ,his woman has per ormed a dance while this man has installed a lag in the temple. ,hus& their sins have been destroyed and they have now a right to the supreme abode. ,hey have served this temple or the past thirty3two years.P 1aying this& the agents o Vishnu snapped the noose and carried us to the abode o Vishnu in a divine aircra t. (earing this tale rom the king 1umit& sage Vibhaandak elt e/treme 9oy and went to the orest.
18&!:$escription of ?ariPancha6atra +rata

1anatkumar says5 ? +arad$ * am now narrating about another ast. *t is (aripanchak ast and is rare in all the worlds. *t destroys all the sorrows o the devotee& ul ills his all desires and helps him attain the our goals o li e. *t is observed or ive days in the month o @aargsheersh starting rom the tenth day o the brighter phase till the ull @oon day. ?n the irst day& a day long ast is observed a ter worshipping Lord Vishnu in the morning. *t is broken with a plain meal in the evening. +e/t day& Lord)s idol is bathed with milk containing ghee& curd& honey and ive types o dry ruits ollowed by usual worship. Vows o the ast are recited and prayers are made or their success ul completion. ,hat whole night and also the subseHuent nights till ull @oon night are passed reciting Lord)s name and singing devotional songs. Bathing o Lord)s idol with milk containing ghee& curd& honey and dry ruits continues in the morning everyday till ull @oon day. ?n the ull @oon day& (avan is per ormed with oblations o sesame seeds and donations. ?n the si/th day& the devotee must drink Eanchgavya and worship 1hri (ari& eed Brahmins and only then should take meal silently. ,his ast is observed every month till Kartik and closing rituals are taken up in the month o @aargsheersh ne/t year. During the closing rituals& the devotee should observe day long ast on the eleventh day and take only Eanchgavya on the twel th day. ,herea ter he should worship Lord Vishnu& donate honey& ghee& ruits& kheer and an urn illed with water and containing ive 9ewels to the Brahmin. (e should then eed the Brahmins be ore himsel taking any meal. ? +arad$ ,hose who observe this (aripanchak ast never return rom Brahmaloka. ,hose who desire or salvation should essentially observe this ast. *t destroys all the sins like a ire destroys a orest. *ts virtues are eHual to those o donating millions o cows.
18&!1$escription of the >ruits of the >ast

1anatkumar says5P+ow * am narrating about an e/cellent ast or the bene it o the world. Listen to it care ully ? +arad$ ,his ast must be observed in the months o Ashaadh& 1hraavan& Bhaadrapad or Ashwin. ?n any day during the brighter phase o these months& the devotees must drink Eanchgavya and pass his time in the vicinity o Lord Vishnu)s idol. ,hen& reciting scriptures in the guidance o learned Brahmins& he should take a vow to observe a month long ast praying Lord Vishnu to protect him rom any un oreseen crises. ,he devotee should since then pass his time in a temple or one month. -veryday& he should bathe the idol with milk containing ghee& curd& honey and dry ruits and light the lamps be ore the idol. (e is also e/pected to pass his li e in a natural way without using any arti icial thing like toothpaste or soap. ,hen he should eed a Brahmin and give them Dakshina. According to the provision o ast& the devotee should eed at least twelve Brahmins and donate 9ewelry. Virtues o this ast are enormous. A widow woman who has no son& ascetic& bachelor and Vanaprasthi should essentially observe this ast.
18&!!"ale of #hadrasheel #rahmin

1anatkumar says5 P? +arad$ A ast on -kadashi (eleventh day) in both the phases o a month pleases 1hri (ari and ul ills all the desires. ?n the eleventh day o each phase& one should not dine. ,hose who dine on the eleventh day commit severe sins. 1alvation rom sins like killing a Brahmin is possible but there is no method to eliminate the sins incurred because o dining on the eleventh day. Brahmins should essentially observe ast on the eleventh day o each phase. ,he preparations or -kadashi Vrata start on the tenth day. ,he devotee should worship 1hri (ari in the morning with proper rituals and pass the night in the vicinity o the idol.P
?n the eleventh day& the devotee should worship 1hri (ari in the morning and take an oath to observe ast during the day and pray the Lord to protect him rom calamities. ,he devotee must pass the night singing devotional songs& reciting scriptures and i possible dancing. *n the morning o the twel th day& he should worship Lord Vishnu as usual. ,hen he should eed Brahmins and make donations as per his powers. Eer orming ive kinds o Yagyas& the devotee should break his ast in the last. During the period o ast& the devotee must not see wretched ones and desist rom talking to such people who oppose Brahmins. As there is no pilgrimage place holier than the BangesK no teacher greater than the @other and no deity more virtuous than Lord Vishnu. 1imilarly there is no ast greater than -kadashi Vrata is. ? +arad$ * am now narrating an old tale. Listen to it care ully. *n the ancient times& a great sage Baalav lived in the dense orest on the bank o the river +armada. (e was very peace loving and truth abiding in nature. ,he orest surrounding his hermitage was the playground or beauti ul auna& Yakshas& Bandharvas and Vidhyaadhars. 1age Baalav passed his time engaged in penance. ,hus& he lived there or a long time. (e had an eHually virtuous son named Bhadrasheel who was a great devotee o Lord Vishnu and who knew everything about his previous birth. *n his childhood& Bhadrasheel used to play with his riends but his plays re lected his religious sentiments. (e would make an earthen idol o Lord Vishnu and worship it. (e also would tell his riends to always worship Lord Vishnu and observe ast on the eleventh day o every phase in every month. (is riends too ollowed him. During the worship& Bhadrasheel used to wish well or the entire world. (is activities pleased the sage Baalav very much. Baalav says5 P? ortunate one$ You are really Bhadrasheel because even the Yogis rarely have a nature like yours. You always indulge in worship o (ari& bene it o all and observe ast on -kadashi. You always abstain rom orbidden work. (ow come& you acHuired such a peace ul and uncon licting mind. * am very much pleased with you. Kindly tell me& about your achievements.P Bhadrasheel says5 P? ather$ * have some remembrance o my previous birth. During my previous birth& Yama had preached me about religion.P ,hese words surprised Baalav. (e says5 P? ortunate one$ Cho were you in your previous birthL Chat did Yamaraa9 said to you and whyLP Bhadrasheel says5 P? great sage$ * was a king in 1oma dynasty. * had received knowledge rom Dharmakeerti and Dattatreya. * ruled continuously or thousand years. During this period& * committed various religious as well as irreligious tasks. *n the company o imposters& * too became an imposter. Corking diplomatically& * destroyed Yagyas. @y sub9ects also ollowed me and began to behave irreligiously. * received si/th part o their evil deeds. ?ne day& * went to the orest hunting. ,here& * killed many animals. A ter a while& perple/ed by thirst and hunger& * reached the bank o +armada. * had strayed into deeper orests all alone. ,he intense sun was scorching my body. * was about to drop down because o hunger when * saw that people on the bank o +armada were observing -kadashi Vrata. * 9oined them and stayed awake all along the night without taking any ood. But * could not bear the starvation and e/ertion and died as a result. Dierce looking Yamadoots took me to Yamaraa9. Yamaraa9 asked >hitragupt to open the account o my li e. >hitragupt thought or a moment and said5 P*ts true ? Yamaraa9 that this person is a sinner. But now he is ree rom his sins due to observing ast on -kadashi and passing his night in the company o pious devotees.P (earing these words& Yamaraa9 greeted me and worshipped me with devotion. ,hen& he called his servers.P Yamaraa9 says5 PListen to me& ? agents$ * am narrating something to your interest. +ever bring to me in uture anybody who is engaged in religious task. 1tay away rom those who always recite the name o 1hri (ari. Breet them rom a distance. ,his is my order as well as teaching to all o you. 1pare all those who serve their teachers& love their religion& are helpless& serve the pious one and are truly deserving. Bring all such people who abuse their mother& hate the world& steal the wealth o temples and Brahmins& who are killers& who do not observe ast on -kadashi& who are short tempered& critici:e me and nurture hostility with others.P (earing such words rom Yamaraa9& ire o penance began to burn within me. @ore intense this ire grew& more o my sins were destroyed. * acHuired an appearance o 1hri (ari. -ven& Yamaraa9 greeted me with respect. (is action even surprised the Yamadoots. Corshipping me& Yamaraa9 sent me on a divine aircra t to the abode o Vishnu. ? ather$ * was passing my time happily. * did not know how and when crores o years passed. ,hen * arrived in *ndraloka. ,here * stayed with the gods or many Kalpas. *t was a ter such a great e/perience that * have arrived on the earth. (aving the knowledge o my previous birth& * always engaged in the worship o (ari and inspire
others to ollow suit. -arlier& * didn)t know the virtues o -kadashi Vrata. But now& because o the knowledge o my previous births& * have come to know about it. * observed it without any desire and without knowing that * was actually observing a ast and received so much in return. (ence& * cannot tell how much will one receive i he observes -kadashi Vrata with some desire. ,hose who devotedly worship 1hri (ari and observe -kadashi Vrata attain even the supreme abode o Lord Vishnu.P ,he words o his son gladdened sage Baalav. (e says3 P@y birth has been success ul because * got such a devotee son like you who told me the complete method o worshipping Lord Vishnu.P
12 Sanat:umar Purana 7$pa1Purana 18

YC?"K *+ E"?B"-11QZ ,his Eurana consists o // chapters5
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Dharmo rakshati rakshitah (Dharma protects those who protect it)

Compiled by the Dharmic Scriptures Team October 3, 2002

Vishva Dharma ki #ay$ (Victory to %niversal Dharma$)

Vishva Dharma ki #ay$ (Victory to %niversal Dharma$)

Vishva Dharma ki #ay$ (Victory to %niversal Dharma$)

Vishva Dharma ki #ay$ (Victory to %niversal Dharma$)

Vishva Dharma ki #ay$ (Victory to %niversal Dharma$)

,his chapter contains G sections5

6.6.6 A Ero ile o Brahma9i

6.6.; 1criptural Appearance o Brahma9i

6.6.7 Dour (eads o Brahma9i

6.6.F Chite Beard o Brahma9i

6.6.8 1wan as a Vehicle

6.6.I Eurpose o (olding Vedas

Vishva Dharma ki #ay$ (Victory to %niversal Dharma$)

6.6.< "osary in 1econd (and

6.6.J Kamandalu (>oconut 1hell Bowl)

6.6.G 1eat o the Lotus

,his chapter contains 7 sections5

6.;.6 Appearance o 1arasvati

6.;.; 1igni icance o Book and Veena (Lyre)

6.;.7 Beaded "osary

Vishva Dharma ki #ay$ (Victory to %niversal Dharma$)

,his chapter contains 66 sections5

6.7.6 Appearance o Lord Vishnu

6.7.; "e lection o 1criptural Appearance

6.7.7 1cienti ic Depiction o Vishnu)s Appearance

6.7.F Chy does Lord Vishnu rest on 1heshanagaL

6.7.8 Chy is Lotus in the +avelL

6.7.I Chy does Vishnu stay in the 1ea o @ilkL

Vishva Dharma ki #ay$ (Victory to %niversal Dharma$)

6.7.< "eason or holding the Cheel

6.7.J "eason or holding the >onch

6.7.G Eurpose o Kaustubhamani

6.7.6M Chy does Lord Vishnu hold a @aceL

6.7.66 Chy is Baruda (-agle) the Vehicle o VishnuL

,his chapter contains 7 sections5

6.F.6 Chy Boddess La/mi presses the eet o BodL

6.F.; "eason or LiHuidity o La/mi

Vishva Dharma ki #ay$ (Victory to %niversal Dharma$)

6.F.7 Chy is the owl the vehicle o La/miL

Vishva Dharma ki #ay$ (Victory to %niversal Dharma$)

;.6.6 ,he Beginning o >reation

Vishva Dharma ki #ay$ (Victory to %niversal Dharma$)

Vishva Dharma ki #ay$ (Victory to %niversal Dharma$)

;.6.7 ,he Dour Erominent >astes

;.6.F ,he @ani estations o Boddess La/mi

Vishva Dharma ki #ay$ (Victory to %niversal Dharma$)

;.6.8 1ati gives up her Li e

;.6.I ,he ?rigin o Deities& Demons and 1erpents

Vishva Dharma ki #ay$ (Victory to %niversal Dharma$)

;.6.< ,he ?rigin o @arudganas

Vishva Dharma ki #ay$ (Victory to %niversal Dharma$)

;.6.J King Erithu and the 1urya Dynasty

Vishva Dharma ki #ay$ (Victory to %niversal Dharma$)

;.6.G Bashkali& the Demon king

;.6.6M 1ri "am kills 1hambuk

Vishva Dharma ki #ay$ (Victory to %niversal Dharma$)

;.6.66 @ani estation o Banesh N Kartikeya

Vishva Dharma ki #ay$ (Victory to %niversal Dharma$)

;.6.67 A Brahmin)s Livelihood

Vishva Dharma ki #ay$ (Victory to %niversal Dharma$)

;.6.6F +arottam ! ,he Brahmin