Sunday 20 January 2008

Rishi Padhanjali

Ohm Sivaya Namaha!!! Ohm Sri Sairam!!!

Sri Adhiseshan, the holy seat and Bed of Sriman Narayana once desired to see the
Divine Dance of God Siva. To fulfill his desire he born as child to Athiri Mharishi. when he born the lower part of his body was like that of a snake and because he was son of Athiri Maharishi, he was called Athireya. He was also called as Padhanjali. He reached Chidambaram where Sri Siva perform his pleasant holy Dance, and did penance to have a dharshan of Sri. Nataraja’s Holy Dance. After years of vigorous and sincere penance, Lord Nataraja appeared before him and allowed him to see his Holy Dance, and ordered him to write Yogasutra and Athreya Samhida known as Ayurveda to keep up better health for human beings. During the days of Padhanjali there was confusion about using the language with correct and proper words. Sri Nataraja also ordered Rishi Padhanjali to develop Vyakarana Bhashyam and teach everyone who wants to learn the same.

As news spread that Rishi Padhanjali had written Vyakarna Mahabashyam many disciples came and met Rishi Padhanjali with an intension to learn the Mahabashyam. When counted he found one thousand disciples have come to learn the Bhashyam from him. Pathanjali thought for a moment as to how to teach all the thousand students as it would take so many days to do so and decided to take the form of Adhisesha who has thousand heads and teach all the students simultaneously with his thousand tongues. But except Sriman Narayana no one else can see him direct at his face because his eyes are so powerful, would give out light of a crore Suns. His mouths would spit venomous fire which will burn anybody standing in front of him. .To avoid that he (Kodi Surya prakasam) decided to hang a screen between himself and his disciples and warned the students that they should not try to see him while teaching the Mahabashyam and if they try to do so they would meet their fate and become ash instantly. He also warned that in between the teaching anybody leaving the class without his knowledge and permission would become a Brahmarakshas. Our legend says a Brahma rakshas is cursed Brahmin brahmachari(bachelor) who would eat only well studierd brhmin brahmachari.

But no one can expect all are same. One fellow left the room without the knowledge and permission of the Guru to answer nature’s call. And one curious and foolish disciple, wanted to see how the Rishi teaching, stealthily lifted the screen and saw the Maharishi, and the next moment all the students present in the class were burnt and became heaps of ashes as already warned by Pathanjali, except the one who left without the permission of Rishi Padhanjali. The only escaped disciple was coming back after answering nature’s call thinking nothing wrong in the class room. On seeing him Pathanjali who, was very sad at the loss and sudden death of nine hundred and ninety nine disciples in a single stroke felt little happy also, because he could teach at least this single student. He taught this student the Vyakarna Bashyam. But because of his earlier waning this student, Gouda Padhar, after learning became a Brahma Rakshas and flew away. This Brahma rakshas was hanging on a banyan tree and waiting for a studied Brahmin Pandit with an intension to select a qualified bachelor Brahmin to teach him the Vyakarna Bhashyam as ordered by his Guru Padhanjali. Whenever a well studied Brahmin Bachelor passed that way the Brahma Rakshas (Gouda Padhar) would ask a question. If that brhmin gives a wrong answer, the brahma rakshas will swallow him alive. Days were passing but no one
could answer him correctly. Guru Padhanjali understood what was going on through his yoga sadhana: wanted to help his disciple, now brahma rakshas because unless until he complete the job of spreading the Vyakarna Bhashyam in this world he would not be relieved from his curse and get back his original human form.

The Curse of Indhra, king of Devalogam

Ohm Namasivaya!!! Ohm Sri Sairam!!!

Once Indra, the king of Devas and Indrani, his wife were enjoying some dance and music in his palace in the presence of Devas and other dignitaries. At that moment Devas’ Guru Sri Pragaspathi came to that Saba. Though Indra saw him coming to his place he did not bother to welcome him and pay his respects due to him. The Kula Guru felt insulted and left the place. When Indra came to know about this, he understood he made a mistake and wanted to pacify and bring back his Guru.

The Guru noticed that Indra was coming in search of him, used his yoga power and disappeared from him. Indra searched all over for his Guru with no luck. Asuras, the ever enemies of Devas were very happy to note that their Guru left them started troubling the Devas. Devas couldn’t take it anymore and with their king Indra complained about it to Sri Brahma who condemned them that their sufferings were the results of their own sins. As there was no Guru for devas at that moment he advised them to select one Viswaruban, son of Dhwashta as their Guru. Sri Brahma assured devas that though Viswaruban, related to Asuras, he would be good to the Devas. The Indhra and the Devas were very happy to know that they now have a Guru who would guide them in the war against Asuras. Indhra and all the Devas went and surrendered to Guru Viswaruban and requested him humbly to be their Guru. Though Viswaruban was not interested, agreed to be their Guru.

Viswaruban taught Indra Sri Narayana kavasam and advised him to chant the kavasam always because it would give him victory in whatever he does. Also it would save his life from his enemies for ever. Indhra did the same continuously and sincerely and accumulated great strength and power and went on to win the Asuras in the war. Viswaruban performed many Yagna for the benefit of Devas. While doing this he was giving avirpagam secretly to Asuras as well even though they are not eligible, because of his love for them. Indra came to know this and immediately he cut off all three heads of Viswaruban. (As per our purana, Viswaruban had three heads each named different). Because of this Brahmahathi dhosham caught Indra.

The news Viswaruban’s end reached Dwashta, his father which made him very sad and angry. He wanted to take revenge for his son’s murder. He started doing a yagna to kill Indra. From that yagna fire, appeared one terrific asura named as Viruthrasuran., with very big eyes like fire tongs and a big mouth like a cave. His colour was black like cloud. He bowed humbly before Dwashta and asked for an order to execute. Dwashta ordered him to kill Indra and come back. This Viruthrasusran was a devotee of Sriman Narayana in his previous birth. In the meantime Indra distribusted his brahmahathi to the world, water, trees and to ladies and became free of the brahma hahi dhosham. Indra gave some boons to the world, water, trees and ladies for accepting his brahma hathi. Viruthrasuran reached Indra’s world Indra logam and Indra’s palace and started creating havoc there. The very sight of him terrified the Devas and they started runningfor their lives. Indra came with his Vajrayudham and fought a vigorous battle with the sura but could not win him. His Vajrayudham became useless before the asura. He himself had to run for his life. He ran and reached Sri Vaikundam and surrendered to Sriman Naryana and begged him to save him and his world from Viruthrasura. Sriman Narayana advised him to go and meet Dhadhisi maharishi the son of Adharva Maharishi so that he would give his back bones to him in order to make a new Vajrayudham with the help of Viswakarma. Sriman Narayana assured that with the strength of new Vajrayudham and with his support Indra can kill Viruthrasura. Indra did whatever Lord Vishnu advised him.

Now the Devas under Indra again started the war with Viruthrasura with their new Vajrayudham. They felt extra strength because of Sriman Narayana’s assurance. They fought with more vigour and chased all the asuras. Now only the asura was on the war field on the side of asuras. He understood that he can not do any thing before the power of the new Vajrayudham with Indra. He tried in vein to persuade the asuras from running back from the war field. But they did not bother to hear as they were running for heir lives. .Viruthrasura because of his devotion to Lord Vishnu in his previous birth understood that he could not win Indra and would die in the war. In the course of the war Viruthran walked towards Indra like a black mountain moving. Opened his cave like big mouth and swallowed him with his Iravadham and Vajrayudham. But because of Narayanakavasam, Indra did not die. He cut off the stomach of the asura and came out alive with his Iravadham. Indra though victorious in the war could not ascend the throne as king of Indra world because the brahmahathi for killing asura was chasing him. To escape from that he jumped into Manasa sarovar and hide inside he stem of a lotus plant. He stayed their hidden for one thousand years. Because of this the devas could not their share from the yagnas performed in the world became weak. Devas wanted a leader for them at least temporarily. So they made king Nagusha from the world to be their king. Till Indra come back. King Nagusha became Indra because of his sincerily and because he did one hundred Asvamedha yagas. But once becoming Indra he became very proud and started illtreating and insulting other Devas and maharishis. At this moment Maharishis decide to bring back the original indra who was hiding in the stem of Lotus for thousand years without food and sleep. The Maharishis startedto perform a Asvamedha yagam to save Indra from the brahma hathi. Indra came out of the lotus stem and because of the asvamedhayagam the brahma hathi also left him. Indra again ascended the thone and became president for all the three world.

Monday 7 January 2008

King Sowdhasar - From a King to Rakshasa

Ohm Namasivaya!!! Ohm Sri Sai Ram!!!!

Once upon a time, there lived a king called Sowdhasar. Once he went to forest for hunting. There in a scuffle he had to kill a Raksha. The brother of that Raksha was very sad at the death of his brother and decided to take revenge for the murder of his brother. But he understood that he could not win the king in a straight war, but could win him through a conspiracy only.
He disguised as a cook and entered the palace of the king and joined there as a cook for the king. One day Sage Vashishta, the Guru visited the king and told him to arrange for dinner as he was very hungry. The Rakshasa in the disguise of cook made use of the occasion, cooked and brought human flesh as food to the sage and gave the king. The king without knowing these served his Guru with his own hand. But the guru understood that food was made from human flesh got angry at the king for his carelessness and cursed him to become a Raksha immediately. But, only later realized the mistake was not that of the king and reduced the severity of the curse for twelve years. So the king had to be a Rakshasa for twelve years then he would be released from his curse and get his original human form. The king became very sad and wanted to punish his Guru in retaliation of the curse. He took water to curse his guru. But on a second thought decided not to do so. Without knowing what to do with the water taken to curse his guru he simply sprinkled the water on his own legs. His legs became black in color immediately and because of this he was called Kalmasha Padhan.

The king became a Rakshasa immediately because of the curse of his guru and wandering in the forest. While doing so with hungry he saw a sage engaged with his wife to create his next generation. Once becoming a Rakshasa the king lost all his human qualities. In his hunger he decided to kill the sage and eat him. But the Rishi Pathni understood that though he looked like a Rakshasa he was a human originally but was so because of a curse, requested him not to kill her husband. Instead he could kill her and eat her as she could not live without her husband. But the Rakshasa was not in the mood to hear whatever the lady requested, simply killed the hermit and ate away. The rishi’s wife crying of the death of her husband, collected the remaining bones of her husband and created a funeral pyre for him fell in it and killed her self. Before jumping into the fire she cursed the Raksha that he would die whenever he touches a girl to make love, he would die immediately. After completion of twelve years, he was automatically released from his curse and got his human form back, returned to his kingdom. His wife on seeing him because of the long separation from her husband came running and embraced him with great affection and love. She wanted to celebrate the occasion by enjoying sex with him. But when the king told her about his curse in the forest, she left him without troubling him anymore. The king had no sons to continue his heredity. This worried him very much. He shared his worry with his Gurus vahishta. The Guru used his yogic power and made the queen pregnant. But the baby did not come out of the womb after the lapse of ten moths. Instead the baby was in the womb for seven years and born only after treatment for this defect.. The baby was named as Asmaga. This Asmaga had a son called Mulaga. At that time Sri Paraurama was there with intension to remove the kshatria caste (warrior caste)from the world i.e. to kill all the kings. When Sri Parasurama was looking for Mulaga to kill,all the girls surrounded king Mulega and concealed the king Mulaga and saved his life from Sri Parasurama . So Sri Paarasurama could not kill him. Because of this reason he was also called as Narigavasa. In the future he became an efficient ruler. King Narigavasa’s son was Dasaraha (Not Sri Rama’s father) Dasaratha’s son Alapidi, Alapidi’s son Visvasagan and Visvasagan’s son Katvangan. King Katvanga stood on the side of Devas and fought against Asuras won the battle in favour of Devas. Thus in the Krudhayuga, human kings helped the Devas to won the battles against Asuras.

The story of Chandrasharma

Om Namasivaya!!! Om Sri Sairam !!!

It was an early morning. A young Brahmin Brahmachari was returning from the River Narmadha after bath and Surya Namaskar. He was coming by a big Banyan Tree on which the Brahmaraksha, Gouda Padhar, the disciple of Rishi Padhanjali was hanging because of the curse of his Guru and waiting for a brahmachari passing that way for asking a question. The young, charming beautiful brahmachari came under the tree. The Brahmaraksha called him and asked him his regular question expecting an incorrect answer. But, to his utter surprise the Brahmachari answered it right. Now the Brahmaraksha Gouda asked about him. The Brahmachari said his name was Chandragupta Sharma, and was going to meet of Rishi Padhanjali in order to learn the Vyakarna Bhashyam from him. Now the Brahma rakshas said that it was all finished story and narrated the whole thing in short form to that boy. Here it should be noted that the young brahmachari was none but reincarnation of Rishi Padhanjali himself. Though after learning everything from the Guru, the disciple became brahma rakshas, Pahanjali was watching the disciple as what was he doing and what was going on and understood through his yogic power, that his disciple (now Brahmarakshas) could not find a person to teach the Vyakarana Bhashyam, decided to help his disciple, because only after giving his acquired knowledge to an eligible Brahmachari he would be released from his curse and get his human form otherwise he would remain as Brahma rakshas for ever. So Padhanjali decided to shed his body to born again in a Brahmin family to become the disciple of his disciple.

Now the Brahma rakshas decided to start his teachings to the boy with some conditions; that the boy should also sit on a branch of the banyan tree and should never come down till the teaching was complete. And that Brahmarakshas would go on dictating the explanation and the boy should take down it without delay as there was no time for the Brahmaraksha to explain and clarify the doubts of his disciple. Though it might take many days and night to get the study completed there would be no food sleep or rest to both of them. Without wasting a single second he started dictating the explanation. Chandra Sharma was stunned for a moment because he did not bring any material to write down whatever Brahmaraksha is dictating. Without knowing what to do he scratched his thigh with his nail. Blood was coming from the scratch. He plucked the leaves from the tree and started writing with his blood oozing from his thigh. The speed of dictation of the Brahmarakshas was very fast because the faster he finish up his work sooner will he get himself free from the curse of his Guru, and get his original human form. Chandra Sharma wrote faster than the Brahma rakshas because he was none but Adhisheshan’s re-incarnation. The process was going for days. Chandra Sharma plucked and used all leaves from the tree and by that time the dictation was also finished. As soon as the work was completed, the form of Brahma rakshas flew away screaming from Gouda Padhar and he got back his human form. Thus Gouda Padhar released from his curse took leave of Chandra Sharma and left for Himachal region to do penance.

Chandra Sharma who was writing and writing for days together without food, rest or sleep felt very tired. He collected all the leaves in which he wrote the explanation for Bhashyam bundled them in a cloth and kept aside and started sleeping under the same tree besides the bundle. Now the fate started its play in its own way. While he was sleeping a goat came there in search of food. As he could find no grass around, looked up the tree but could not find a single leaf there as all the leaves were used by Chandra Sharma to write the explanation for Vyakarna Bashyam. The goat scratched the cloth bundle with leave beside Chandra Sharma, opened it and started eating the leaves. Even the smell of the blood could not drive him away. The Brahmachari was so tired that he was sleeping like a dead. On satisfaction of his appetite the goat started making noise happily. Chandrasarma woke up at the noise made by the goat and saw his bundle opened, part of the explanation eaten away by the goat. The Brahmachari was very sad, collected the balance explanation on leaves in the same cloth and bundled again and started walking with it looking for a nearest village. After walking for some distance he entered into a village. The first house he could see was that of a merchant. The big sit out on out side of the house welcomed him. Without a second thought the hungry and tiresome Chandrasarma straight away went and laid there throwing beside his Bashyasm explanation bundle and fell into deep a sleep and swooned. After some time the door of the house opened and the daughter of the merchant came out and saw the young handsome charming Brahmachari and understood that the boy was unconscious due to fasting (without food).She immediately went into the house and mixed rice with curd, made into a paste and applied the same all over the body of the Brahmachari. The juice of the curd and rice slowly penetrated through the hair holes in the body and straight away mixed into the blood, gave some strength. The Brahmachari woke up and started walking with his bundle. But the girl held him back and told him not to go. By the time the girl’s father came on the scene and requested the Brahmachari not to leave until he marries his daughter. So far his daughter refused to marry, now agreed to marry on seeing this Brahmachari. But Chandra Sharma was not interested in marriage. Now the father told him that it was his daughter who saved him from death and as a show of his thanks he should marry her. He did not leave the matter with that and took the matter to the king for justice. Due to compulsion the young Brahmachari married the merchant’s daughter and got a child. Then he left his wife and child under the care of the merchant and proceeded towards Himachal region for doing penance. So it should be noted that Vyakarna Bashyam now available is only part of the original explained and taught by Rishi Padhanjali because a portion of he same was eaten by that hungry goat.