MADHWAVIJAYA PRATHAMAHA SARGAHA – SHLOKAS 34, 35 AND 36

(Description of Bhima’s exemplary and extraordinary activities has been carried forward in these stanzas too. It is a prelude to the entirely different, knowledge-spreading incarnation of Lord Vayu as Sri Madhwacharya. Please read, comment and share. SDN)

ViShNOho padashridbakasannirAsee kShiptAnyapakShiprakaraha supakShaha|

SasOdarO(a)ThAdita rAjahamsaha sa rAjahamseemiva rAjakanyAm||34||

SUMMARY; The Swan (Rajahamsa) roams about in the sky, preys on cranes and wins over other birds; it dazzles with attractive wings. Sri Bhimasena always takes shelter under Sri Mahavishnu and always savours divine principles. He killed Bakasura and destroyed the entire team of enemies. Like male swan unites with female swan, Bhimasena united with Draupadi.

The word ‘Baka’ means both the Bakapakshi or crane and Bakasura, a demon, who was living in the outskirts of a village near Yekachakranagara, where Pandavas, along with Kunti, lived after escaping from the Lakshagruha or Lacquer House, which was set on fire by Duryodhana. This Bakasura had promulgated a condition on the residents of that village that every day, a bullock cart of food and a person should be sent to him for consumption. When this was heard by Kunti from her neighbour, Bhima was sent in the cart instead of the neighbouring Brahmin family. Bhima kills Bakasura and relieves the villagers from his tyranny.

The fact that Draupadi was a multi-personality and that she used to assume the designated forms of respective wives of Dharmaraya and others when she had to live with them by turn and Bharati Devi was the wife of Lord Vayu, has been subtly indicated in this Shloka.

IndeevarasreejayisundarABham smErAnanEndum Dayitam mukundam|

SwamAtulEyam kamalAyatAkSham samBhyanandat suchirAya Bheemaha||35||

SUMMARY: Bhimasena was ecstatic when he met, after a very long gap, Sri Krishna, who had taken birth as son of his (Bhima’s) most beloved maternal uncle Vasudeva and an incarnation of Lord Vishnu, with a charm that would put the attraction of red lotus to shame, a countenance wearing a smile reminiscent of a full moon and wide eyes that resemble lily petals.

Bhimasena met Srikrishna during the Draupadi Swayamvara. Bhimasena considered that moment as the most valuable and holiest of moments in his life. However, Sri Madhwacharya mentions in his Mahabharata Tatparya Nirnaya that earlier, Sri Bhimasena, along with Nakula and Sahadeva, lived with Sri Krishna for three years in Mathura. The delight he experienced during Draupadi Swayamvara could be due to the fact that there was a very long gap between his first meeting with Sri Krishna and the present one. The word ‘Suchiraya’ in this stanza indicates that about a decade had elapsed between the two meetings. It should also be noted that Lord Vayu always stays with Lord Hari and this separation and reunion during Dwapara Yuga was to demonstrate that they were different then.   

MahAgadam chanDaraNam pruThivyAm bArhadraTham mankShu nirasya veeraha|

RAjAnamatyujjwalarAjasUyam chakAra GOvindasurEndrajABhyAm||36||

SUMMARY: Along with Sri Krishna and Arjuna, Bhimasena immediately killed son of Bruhadratha, Jarasandha, who possessed an extraordinary mace and was capable of indulging in a horrible war. Later, he got the holy Rajasuya Yaga performed by Dharmaraya.

Although it was Dharmaraya who performed Rajasuya Yaga, the assassination of Jarasandha and victory over the eastern provinces that were under the rule of Keechaka and Karna, were imperative for that performance. It was Bhimasena who accomplished these tasks, albeit with the grace and blessings of Lord Krishna. 

VISHWAMITRA - EPISODE OF AMBAREESHA MAHARAJA

(This is the latter part of Chapter 61 in Balakanda, Sri Valmeeki Ramayana that relates to the story of Ambareesha Maharaja. Please read, comment and share. SDN)

Ambareesha Maharaja, who was a radiant Rajarshi, prostrated before Brahmarshi Rucheeka, who was glowing with radiation that had covered him because of continuous penance, and said: “Revered Maharshi, is your penance going on without any impediment or obstruction? Are all the members of your family healthy and cheerful?”

After exchanging pleasantries that way, he also explained the reason for his visit too:

“Oh fortunate, if you agree to take one lakh cows and give me one your sons in exchange for offering him as prey in the sacrifice, I will be highly obliged. I travelled across all countries, towns, hills, valleys and forests to search for the lost horse. But, I did not find that animal anywhere. Therefore, give me one of your sons by accepting any amount of wealth as exchange value.”

Requested in this manner, Maharshi Rucheeka told the King:

“Oh Great Man, I cannot give my eldest son for any value.4”

Hearing the words of Rucheeka Maharshi, mother of those great sons told tiger-like Ambareesha: “My revered husband and descendant of Bhrugu Maharshi has said that he will not barter eldest son, has he not? Youngest Shunaka is very dear to me. Therefore, I will not barter my youngest son for any value.

PrAyENa hi narashrEShTha jyEShThaha pitruShu vallabhAha|

MAtrUNAm cha kaneeyAmsastasmAdrakShE kaneeyasam||18||

UktavAkyE munau tasminmunipatnyAm tathaiva cha|

ShunahshshEpaha swayam RAma madhyamO vAkyamabraveet||19||

PitA jyEShThamavikrEyam mAtA chAha kaneeyasam|

Vikreetam madhyamam manyE rAjanputram nayaswa mAm||20||

GavAm shatasahasrENa ShunahshshEpam nareshwaraha|

GruheetwA paramapreetO jagAma RaGhunandana||21||

AmbareeShastu rAjarShee rathamArOpya satwaraha|

ShunahshshEpam mahAtEjA jAgAmAshu mahAyashAha||22||

“Maharaja, generally, eldest child is very dear to the father and the youngest is dearest to the mother. Therefore, I have decided to protect Shunaka, my youngest son.”

Rama, after Rucheeka and his wife clearly expressed their opinion about the eldest and the youngest sons respectively, the middle son, Shunahshepa, voluntarily went to Ambareesha and said: “Maharaja, my father has said that he would not barter the eldest son and my mother has said that she would not sell tha youngest son. As a consequence of this, it is as good as stating that both of them have agreed to sell me, the middle one. You can take me with you by giving adequate value to my father.”

Neither Rucheeka nor his wife reacted to what Shunahshepa said. Immediately, Ambareesha gave one lakh cows to Rucheeka and bought Shunahshepa. Highly pleased Ambareesha then went out of the hermitage, along with Shunahshepa. Victorious Ambareesha took Shunahshepa in his chariot and moved towards his city at a great speed.

MADHWAVIJAYA PRATHAMAHA SARGAHA – SHLOKAS 31, 32 AND 33

(Description of Bhimavatara continues in these Shlokas. Please read, comment and share. SDN)

Bhuktam cha jeerNam paripanThidattam visham viShaNNO viShaBhrudgaNO(a)taha|

PramANakOTEhe sa hi hElayA(a)ggAnnEdam jagajjeevanadE(a)tra chitram||31||

SUMMARY: The venom deceitfully fed by foes was easily assimilated by Bhima; he terrorised and benumbed the cluster of venomous serpents; regained his consciousness and came out of Pramanakoti, a pond in which he had been submerged. None of these instances can be conceived as bewildering in the case of Bhimasena as he gives life to the entire universe.

It has been explained in Mahabharata that Duryodhana and his brothers had cunningly fed Bhimasena with a poison called Kalakoota, which is said to be highly lethal. It is also mentioned in Mahabharata that the serpents that Duryodhana and his brothers threw upon Bhimasena have been described as equal to those serpents that could burn the entire universe into ashes at the time of Great Destruction or Mahapralaya merely with their exhale or the breath. In this stanza, all those instances in which Bhimasena emerged victorious have been subtly indicated.

DagDhwA puram yOgabalAt sa niryan DharmAniva swAn sahajAn daDhAnaha|

AdAriBhAvEna jagatsupUjyO yOgeeva NArAyaNamAsasAda||32||

Like a Yogi, who burns his corporal body with his Yogic power, comes out of it, wears all the positive energies he had earned through charity, culture, obeisance etc., and reunites with the Lord by discarding all the lust and other negative qualities, Sri Bhimasena deftly burnt the house of lacquer, escaped from there, carrying his brothers on his shoulders, rushed towards the Hidimba Forest before joining Sri Narayana, who was then in the form of Sri Vedavyasa.

The intrinsic philosophical significance of the escape of Bhimasena with his brothers from the house of lacquer has been metaphorically explained here by comparing it with the salvation that a Yogi attains at the end of his term on earth.  

Samarpya krutyAni krutE krutyAni VyAsAya BhUmnE sukrutAni tAvat|

KariShyamANAni cha tasya pUjAm sankalpayAmAsa sa shudhDhabudhDhihi||

SUMMRY: Most knowledgeable and pure-hearted Bhimasena surrender unto the feet of Lord Vedavyasa all the positive energies or the Punya he had till then earned and pledged again to surrender the positive divine energy he would be acquiring in future as an offer of worship.

Bhimasena is showing to the humanity that whatever one does each day should be surrendered to the Lord by pronouncing Sri Krishnarpanamastu or by reciting :

PrAtahapraBhrutisAyAntam sAyAdiprAtarantataha|

YastkarOmi JagannATha tadastu tava pUjanam||

(Summary: Oh Lord Jagannatha, whatever I have done since morning today till now, I am submitting to you as a part of submission and worship.) 

VISHWAMITRA BEGINS PENANCE YET AFAIN

(Sage Vishwamitra had to lose the entire power of penance he had done in the past to create a parallel heaven to Trishanku and therefore, he begins penance yet again to achieve his dream of attaining the status of a Brahmarshi. The episode of Ambareesha Maharaja is also a part of this Chapter 61 in Balakanda of Sri Valmeeki Ramayana. Please read, comment and share. SDN)

VishwAmitrO mahAtmATha prasThitAnveekshya tAnruSheen|

AbraveennarashArdUla sarvAmstAnvanavAsinaha||1||

MahAnviGhnaha pravruttO(a)yam dakshiNAmAsThitO disham|

DishamanyAm prapaTsyAmastatra tapsyAmahE tapaha||2||

PashchimAyAm vishAlAyAm puShkarEShu mahAtmanaha|

SuKham tapashchariShyAmO varam tadDhi tapOvanam||3||

YEvamuktwA mahAtEjAha puShkarEShu mahAmunihi|

Tapa ugram durADharSham tEpE mUlaPhalAshanaha||4||

YEtasminnEva kAlE tu AyODhyADhipatirnrupaha|

AmbareeSha iti KhyAtO yaShTum samupachakramE||5||

“Rama, after all the guest Rishis departed, great Vishwamitra told the ascetics, who were there in the Tapovana:

“Great sages, I came to this Tapovana1 in the southern region to do penance and attain the status of Brahmarshi. But, in this direction not only did I face many obstructions for penance but also lost a lot of positive and divine energy I had so far earned through penance. Let us go to the west, where there are many dense Tapovanas, besides serene and sublime ponds and streams that never dry and do the penance there.”

All the Rishis agreed with what Vishwamitra, said. Vishwamitra, along with other Rishis, travelled in the western direction, reached the sprawling Tapovana near a Pushkara Teertha and settled down to do a very severe penance that was impossible for others to replicate, living on roots, vegetables and fruits.

Raghava, at that point of time, the then king of Ayodhya, Ambareesha, began performing a sacrifice. Indra abducted the sacrificial horse that Ambareesha had chosen. With the horse having been lost, the priest told the King:

“King, the horse has been stolen due to your apathy and negligence. If the sacrificial prey is lost due to negligence, the sin of incompletion of sacrifice will destroy the person undertaking the sacrifice. It is not that there is no solution for the loss of sacrificial animal. There is a way out for the loss of sacrificial animal. You may immediately go, before the start of the sacrifice, and bring a human being for the sacrifice. Offering a human being2 as the sacrificial prey for the loss of animal is the ultimate solution. Alternatively, you should quickly find out the lost horse and bring it here.”

Rama, most intelligent Ambareesha took thousands of cows and he wanted to exchange them for a human pray for the sacrifice and went in search of such a person. He travelled across several countries, met and spoke to several people. He roamed about in many cities, towns and villages, forest and other places. He went round towns, cities, villages, forests, dales and meadows and several other places. He visited several hermitages too. Finally, he met Rucheeka3, a Maharshi, who was living with his wife and children in a pilgrim centre called Bhruguthunga.

VISHWAMITRA CREATES A HEAVEN FOR TRISHANKU

VISHWAMITRA CREATES A SWARGA FOR TRISHANKU

(This is the latter part of Chapter 60 in Balakanda of Sri Valmeeki Ramayana where the deities deny physical entry to Trishanku into the heaven and Vishwamitra saves him from falling back to earth. A separate heaven is created to Trishanku between the earth and the heavens. Please read, comment and share. SDN)

                  

                   Raghava, how can I describe the astonishing incident that happened then? As soon as Vishwamitra said ‘Rajan! sashareerO divam vraja’, and transferred the fruits of his penance, Chandala-looking Trishanku climbed into the heaven in front of the eyes of all the Munis due to the power of the penance of Vishwamitra.

Observing the entry of Trishanku to the world of deities, king of deities Indra, along with all the gods and goddesses, said:

                   ‘Trishanku, return to the place from where you have come. You stupid, how can you get a place in the heavens after getting cursed by your Guru? You do not have any place here. Fall back on earth with your head down and the feet up.”

                   As soon as Mahendra said these words, Trishanku started yelling “Trahi…Trahi” or “save me…save me” and was falling at a great speed towards the earth with head down and the feet up. Hearing the desperate howling of Trishanku, who was falling towards the earth, Vishwamitra became very angry at Indra for pushing down Trishanku. He shouted at Trishanku “Tishtha…Tishtha” or “stop…stop”. Due to the power of the penance of Vishwamitra, Trishanku halted midway in the sky and did fall back to Earth. Later, most radiant and furious Vishwamitra stood amidst the Rishis like a neo-Brahma and created the south-faced new Saptarshis (Great Bear or Ursa Major) and another cluster of twenty-seven Stars around the Saptarshis. Similar to the North Star that stays in the North he consecrated Trishanku in the South and made him stay there eternally. Further, he created Saptarshis and the Stars around Trishanku. With a mind that had been infected by rage, penance-hardened Vishwamitra said “I will create an alternative Indra or else let there no Indra at all in the world” and began creating all the deities in their established order of status and position. Rishis, Sura, Asura, Kinnara, Yaksha, Siddha and Charana were totally puzzled and bewildered at the strange process of creation that Vishwamitra had launched. All of them came close to Vishwamitra, consoled him with kind and pleasant words:

“Oh penance-rich great sage, this king has become a Chandala due to the curse of his Guru. Therefore, he is not eligible to enter heavens alive.”

Haring the words of deities, Vishwamitra told the Rishis, Maharshi and deities:

                   “Oh deities and great sages, wish you good luck. As he had submitted himself to me seeking shelter, I have taken an oath that I will send him to the heavens, alive. This promise should not become a lie. As promised by me, he should get into the heavens. Therefore, let the heaven where he is now staying be accepted by all of you as heaven. Let all the comforts of heaven be made available to him in the same place. This would also ensure that my promise is kept up. Let the Saptarshis and stars created by me remain in their present position. Till as long as these worlds created by Brahma exist, the heaven created by me shall be adorned with Trishanku, Saptarshis clusters and lines of stars remain in the same position you are empowered to make whatever I have demanded happen.”

                  “Vishwamitra, wish you good luck. Your creation will remain as they are now. These clusters of Stars will remain outside the orbit of other stars called Vaishwanara Patha². Glowing like burning fire at the centre of these Stars, Trishanku, who will be equal to other deities in all respects, will be eternally stationed here with his head turned downwards. The Stars created by you will follow the movement of Trishanku, who will have all comforts he would have got by entering the real heavens alive. Thereby, he will have the satisfaction of having realised his cherished desire. This will also affirm that you are a Satyavrat³.”

With all the deities and Rishies requesting him to calm down, Vishwamitra said “Badham” (it is alright) and conceded their advice. Later, Vishwamitra sought the permission of the deities and performed the Avabhruta (finale) rituals of the sacrifice he had begun. After the completion of sacrifice, deities and penance-rich Rishis sought the permission and returned to their respective places.

MADHWAVIJAYA PRATHAMAHA SARGAHA – SHLOKAS 26 and 27

(Only two stanzas are given hereunder because from the next stanza, i.e. Shloka 28 onwards, the narration shifts to Bheemavatara, incarnation of Lord Vayu as Bheema during Dwapara Yuga. Please read, comment and share. Hari SarvOttama, Vayu jeevOttama. Nakaskara – SDN)

Kim varNayAmaha paramam prasAdam SeethApatEstatra hariprabarhE|

Munchan maheem nityaniShEvaNArTham swAtmAnamEvaSha dadau yadasmai||26||

SUMMARY: How else can we describe the grace that Seethapati bestowed upon greatest monkey Sri Hanumantha after learning that at the time of renouncing the earthly life, he (Srirama) gave himself to Hanumantha for daily worship?

There are two factors to be taken note of here. One is the compassion, affection and love that Hanumantha had attracted from Srirama, This incident of the Lord giving himself to Hanumantha reminds us of the hug, the embrace that Srirama bestowed upon or conferred on Hanumantha at the end of Sundarakanda. Secondly, the words “munchan maheem” only means ‘renunciation’ or departure from this world to Vaikuntha. It is not the ‘death’ that correlates to human world.  

SwAnandahEtau BhajatAm janAnAm magnaha sadA RAmakaThAsuDhAyAm|

AsAvidAneem cha niShEvamANO RAmam patim kimpuruShE kilAstE||27||

Is Hanumantha not residing even now in Kimpurusha Khanda or continent, worshipping his Lord Sri Hari in the form of Srirama and always drowned in the ocean of the elixir of the story of Srirama, which is the only means for attaining salvation and which he (Hanumantha) blesses his ardent devotees with?  

It is pertinent here to state that in Panchama Skanda of Srimad Bhagavata it is clearly mentioned that Hanumantha is residing in Kimpurusha Continent, which is one among the nine continents of Jamboo Dweepa (peninsula).

VISHWAMITRA BEGINS SACRIFICE

(This is an except of Chapter 60 in Balakanda, Sr Valmeeki Ramayana where Vishwamitra launches a sacrifice to send Trishanku to the Heaven, physically. Please read, comment and share. SarvE janAha suKhinO Bhavantu. SDN)

TapObalahatAnkrutwA VAsiShThAnsamahOdayAn|

RuShimaDhyE mahAtEjA VishwAmitrOBhyaBhAShata||1||

AyamikShwAkudAyAdastrishankuriti vishrutaha|

DharmiShThashcha vadAnyashcha mAm chaiva sharaNam gataha|

TEnAnEna shareerENa dEvalOkajigeeShayA||2||

YaThAyam swashareerENa swargalOkam gamiShyati|

TaThA pravartyatAm yajnO BhavadBhishcha mayA saha||3||

VishwAmitravachaha shrutwA sarva yEva maharShayaha|

Oochuhu samEtya sahitA DharmajnA Dharmasahmitam||4||

Ayam kushikadAyAdO munihi paramakOpanaha|

YaThAha vachanam samyagEtatkAryam na samshayaha||5||

Sitting in the midst of sages, saints, priests, Brahmins and scholars, Vishwamitra killed Vasishtha, Mahodaya and the 100 children of Vasishtha with the divine power of his penance through the curse and then told those sitting around him:  

“Great sages this King belongs to Ikshwaku dynasty. He is popularly called as Trishanku. He is highly cultured, virtuous, pious and philanthropic. Now, he wants to go to heaven alive, without sacrificing the corporal body. He has surrendered to me to realise his desire. Let us all join together and perform a sacrifice that can enable him to go to heaven with the corporal body.”

The learned, culture-bound and wise Maharshis, who had just witnessed the intensity of the rage of Vishwamitra, began discussing among themselves about the sanctity and validity of the proposed sacrifice:

“Vishwamitra of Kushi dynasty is very short-tempered. It appears that we should do whatever he says. There can be no doubt about his statement. If this fire-like Vishwamitra gets angry, he will curse all of us. Therefore, let any sacrifice that carries the corporal body to heaven be begun in right earnest. We need not have a bit of doubt about Trishanku, the beacon of Ikshwaku dynasty, physically going into the heavens. Let us start the sacrifice in the manner that Vishwamitra tells us to do. Let all the Rutvijas occupy the seats convenient to perform the Artijya. All of you should start discharging the duties assigned to respective individual.”

After conversing among themselves, the Maharshis informed their opinion to Vishwamitra and began the preparations for the sacrifice. In that sacrifice, which was taken up in the name of Trishanku, most radiant ascetic Vishwamitra was the Adhwaryu¹. Rishis, who had thorough knowledge of all hymns and were aware of the specific occasion for chanting each hymn in a particular method, including variations in sound, allowing the pause, repetition of certain lines or words, performed the sacrifice strictly in accordance with the norms mentioned in the epics and as per the established modalities. The sacrifice went on in the right way. Penance-expert Vishwamitra chanted relevant hymns for several days, invited the respective deities to receive their share of offering of Havis. He invited them again and again. Yet, none of the deities arrived. This enraged Vishwamitra. Lifting his hand in which had kept the Sruva, an offering, upwards, Vishwamitra, who was still in a fit of ferocity, told Trishanku:

“Oh Trishanku, as promised to you, I will definitely send you to the heaven. At least you may now see the power of the penance I have so far done. Just watch! I will send you to the heaven in your present Chandala form itself with the positive energy I have acquired from the penance.

Lord of Lords, go to the heaven, where none can go, in your present body alone. At least a portion of the power of penance I have done all these years will be with you and with that power of my penance, you can physically enter the heaven.”