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Untold Stories from ramayan-part 14

2015-12-29T22:19:00.000+05:30

CHAPTER 10: THE ARMY GOES TO SRI LANKA

So Hanuman flew back. And then while coming back, and when they reached Kishkinda, there was a beautiful forest called Madhuvana. This Madhuvana was a private garden of Sugriva. There was so many honey hives there, and honey was flowing on the ground and so many fruits. It was well guarded. There was one great monkey called Dadhimukha. Dadhimukha was sitting in front of this garden at four doors. Only Sugriva was allowed in. So when the monkeys were returning, they went to Hanuman and said to him, "We have done a great task, so we must have some enjoyment. Let us go inside Madhuvana and drink honey." Hanuman said, "What? Go inside Madhuvana? Sugriva will get angry. He will know we have done a good job. We are not allowed to go in there." Then Jambavan said, "Oh Hanuman, you don't think properly. That Madhuvana is such a wonderful place, there is so much honey there. We have worked so hard. All these monkeys were so patient. They must be rewarded. If you are not going, I am going."

So Jambavan entered the Madhuvana, and all the monkeys entered the Madhuvana. There was a difference of opinion, but eventually they were won over, and then all the monkeys were all drinking honey like anything and eating fruits. Dadhimukha went to Sugriva and said, "What is this? Even your defense minister Hanuman is totally useless. Even your great uncle Jambavan is also useless. They are all coming inside the royal forest, and they are drinking the honey." Sugriva looked at Ramacandra and said, "O Lord, Your work has been accomplished." Ramacandra said, "How do you know that?" Sugriva replied, "How can they dare enter Madhuvana, my garden, and drink honey? This means they have done some wonderful task. Maybe Sita is with them, otherwise they wouldn't dare to do it." So he told Dadhimukha, "Give them more honey! Give them more fruits. Open the gates of Madhuvana, it is open for everyone." And then Hanuman came, and he was saying, "We found Sita! We found Sita!" Hanuman was thinking, "If I say "Sita..." then Ramacandra may think that I have not found her." He did not want to confuse him. First of all he said, "Found, found, found."

When Ramacandra heard this, he said to Sugriva, "What you said was true. Hanuman is in the sky, and he is saying, `I have found.' What would he have found? He would have found Sita, because he was looking for Sita." So then Hanuman came and there was discussion, and then Ramacandra decided, "Attack!" So to summarize, they built this wonderful bridge and crossed over it. Then they arrived there on the shore. As soon as they arrived there Sugriva was looking this way and that, and Vibhisana said, "That is Ravana's palace, that ten-floor building." So then they all commented, "What a beautiful building." When Ramacandra looked back there was no Sugriva. He said, "Sugriva! Where is Sugriva?" Vibhisana said, "Some demon is playing a trick. We must be on guard, everyone be ready." Everyone took their weapons but Sugriva was not there. Sugriva flew to the tenth floor of the building. He simply could not tolerate that Ravana was living there with Sita under his custody, and Ramacandra was here. Sugriva got so angry, he went there, and Ravana was as usual looking upon the mirror. Sugriva became small, and he went around his face and spat on it. Ravana was doing his make-up with fifteen assistants spraying, and doing all sorts of things to make up his face, and then he felt something wet. "What is this? What is that?" Sugriva was spitting all over his face. Then he told his servants to stop doing what they were doing, but still it was coming. He said, "There's some bee or mosquito here."

He looked around, and then he caught hold of Sugriva, holding him in his hand. Ravana said, "How dare you do this? What are you doing, spitting on my face?" He looked closely, and realized it was a monkey. "Another monkey! And so small?" The monkey was speaking, "Ravana, I spat on your face. Now I am happy," and before he could catch him he flew away. He landed in front of Ramacandra. Ramacandra said, "Sugriva, where have you been?" Sugriva said, "I went there and spat on the rascal's face!" Ramacandra said, "What did you do? Oh, I have made a great mistake by associating myself with monkeys. I am the son of Dasaratha. I have landed in another man's country, and you have already gone and spat on his face." Sugriva said, "I am sorry my Lord, but you must understand that after all, I am a monkey. When I get angry, I can't control it. All your yuga-dharma you can keep in your pocket. Nobody will blame you, because they will say, "Sugriva was a monkey. What can you do? It was not Ramacandra's defect." So then Ramacandra said, "I want to send a messenger."" So Sugriva said, "The only person who has got so much sense control, apart from Hanuman, and he has already gone anyway, is Angada." So Ramacandra called Angada and embraced him.

He said, "My dear Angada, I am going to send you to Ravana. He is a very dangerous person so be careful. You go to him and tell him that Ramacandra does not have any intention to fight with him. All I desire is that he give back Sita, and I will leave. I will make friendship with him. I will be his greatest friend. If anybody attacks Lanka, I will protect him. You please tell this to him. Only Sita, nothing else do I want from him. I don't want these monkeys to get killed and I don't want to kill his demons, and I don't want to kill Ravana." So Angada said, "All right, I will take this message to Ravana." He circumambulated Rama and Laksmana, touched Rama's feet. Then he came to Hanuman, touched his feet and said, "You must bless me, because you were the first one to go." "Go there," Hanuman said, and he called him close by and in his ear he said, "You must insult them." And then Angada flew off. Angada came straight in front of Ravana, flying in, landing right in front of him. He said, "Ravana, my name is Angada. I am the son of Bali. You may remember him." This Bali did one wonderful pastime with Ravana. When Ravana heard that anyone who goes in front of Bali will lose half his strength, he was thinking, "This means that he will become more powerful than me in this world, so I must first control Bali."

So he went there, and Bali had made a vrata or vow that he would worship Salagram in four holy places every day. He would worship in Rameshvaram, Badrinath, Jagannatha Puri and Dvaraka. All that he would do in one way. Each place he would visit in one leap. He would leap from Kishkinda to Rameshvaram. He would do the worship, and before it is too late then he will jump back to Kishkinda. From there he would jump to Dvaraka. He was just leaping. Then to Badrinath and coming back. While he was doing this he would make sure that he would keep his foot on top of Sugriva's head and press it a little bit. That he was doing also. Sugriva was hiding there, in one area.

In that place Bali cannot go because he was cursed that if he entered there his head would break into 10,000 pieces. Sugriva took shelter in that place. Even then, before going to Dvaraka, Bali would make sure he would give him one kick on his head, and then he would go to Dvaraka. While coming back, again one kick. In a day, eight kicks Sugriva was getting. Hanuman could not tolerate, so once when Bali was kicking like that Hanuman caught Bali on his waist, and he was trying to pull him down, because if he touches the ground he would be dead. Bali knew that if he touched the floor he would be dead, so he was trying to pull Hanuman up. One was pulling down and one up, and they were in one spot. They had equal strength, ten thousand elephant strength. Neither was going anywhere. Bali said, "Leave me alone! Let me go!" Hanuman said, "I will let you go on one promise; you don't do this kicking any more. Otherwise, I will pull you down." Bali said, "All right, we will make a truce. I am not against you, you are not against me. I am against Sugriva. I will not come here and kick him, and you leave me alone." He left. After being harassed by Hanuman, he went to Dvaraka and quickly he was doing his worship and Ravana was behind. Ravana did not come in front because he knew he would lose half of his strength. From the back he was thinking, "Slowly I will catch hold of the tail, and then I will do something." So when Ravana came close to the tail, he caught it, and he was thinking, "Oh that was very easy." But when he was trying to pull the tail, instead of pulling the tail the tail pulled him. And then the tail extended and came around his body. He held him in his tail, and then he leaped to Kishkinda, from there to Badrinath, from there back and to Puri, leap back. Ravana was hanging in the tail.

Even the Gandharvas were laughing, the women and the Caranas were laughing, and Ravana was closing his eyes, and he said, "Bali, please leave me, don't tie me in the tail. At least carry me in the hand, it is more prestigious than being tied in a monkey's tail. This is not good." Finally when they arrived in Kishkinda he brought his tail around in front of him and said, "Hey, you be careful. You don't come in this area any more." Ravana said, "I am surrendered to you, I am your servant. And don't attack Shri Lanka, and I won't come here." So Ravana made a pact. Angada told him, "Ravana, do you remember Bali? At least you should remember his tail. I am his son. I am the smallest in the army that Ramacandra has brought. That is why Ramacandra picked me to come and see you. I am a very small person. I am a prince, and there are bigger monkeys there. But I am requesting you one thing. Ramacandra said that if you give back Sita, he would go back, and he does not want anything." Ravana said, "Why are these monkeys coming and talking like ministers to me? You had better put your tail between your legs and run away from here before I kill you." Angada said, "Oh, you are going to kill me? You can kill me later." He lifted his leg and put it in front of Ravana. "But for now you please move my foot. Then we can think about scheming and murdering and killing." Ravana said, "Come here Indrajit." So Indrajit got up and went there. He slapped, and after slapping he saw his palm swell up, because it was like a rooted Banyan tree. Then he sat down and used both hands and tried to shake it, and found that it was like Mount Meru. Indrajit was sweating profusely, and he gave up. Vibhisana got up and said, "Ravana, your time is coming. Look at this.

A monkey's foot cannot be shaken. Don't you understand that there's something happening? You were keeping the planets in your kitchen and now a monkey's foot cannot be shaken? Something is wrong somewhere. Think about it." Ravana said, "You are so weak-minded. I will do it," and he got up. Angada said, "You want to touch my foot?" Ravana said, "Aaargh! I have lifted Kailash!" So Ravana had all his twenty hands going, he was holding his legs and straining like anything, but he couldn't move it. Angada said, "Try my toe. You may be able to do that." Ravana bent down and he was completely helpless, because he couldn't move it. Ravana sat down and said, "Where do you get your strength from?" Angada said, "The same old question. Where are you getting your strength from? Where is anyone getting their strength from? The source of strength is Rama, and simply by chanting his name I am holding my breath. That is why you are not able to move my toe. I am the smallest monkey in the army. There are bigger monkeys than me. And with all of us is your brother Vibhisana who is helping. Laksmana is also there, and above him is the Supreme Lord Ramacandra. Use your intelligence Ravana, and give back Sita." Ravana said, "No! I'm not giving back Sita. I don't believe any of this." Angada said, "Then you will meet your death," and he flew back. When he came back, Jambavan came to him, and asked him, "They couldn't move your toe?" He was seeing Ramayana over and over. So then Angada said, "How do you know this?" Jambavan said, "I am Jambavan. I have been here for a long time." Then the monkeys asked Angada, "Tell us the story." Jambavan said, "I will tell you the story, Angada go and tell Ramacandra what happened." So Angada went and told Ramacandra. Vibhisana said to Rama, "Now is the time. We must attack." Ramacandra said, "We will wait for tomorrow," and they all took rest. Vibhisana told Hanuman, "You can't believe these demons, they're very tricky. Especially when the sun sets they become more strong. This is one property of demons. I know, because I am from this civilization. Be careful with these demons."

So Vibhisana said, "We have to protect Rama and Laksmana," and he told Hanuman, "You build a fort with your tail, and we will put Rama and Laksmana inside. Then we won't lose them. You and I should guard." They divided the monkey army into four groups, east, west, south and north. Angada, Nila, Sugriva, Jambavan, they all became guards. No-one slept, because they were expecting someone to come and kidnap Rama and Laksmana. So he made a huge big fort with his tail. It had rooms, verandas, courtyards, seven stories. To enter this fort you have to first go through the ear of Hanuman, and from there enter the mouth. From there you go to the back of the neck. There is one nerve that goes from there straight to the tail. You go into that, and past the tail. You travel in the tail and a little bit along there is a small opening. That is the gate. How could anyone enter Hanuman's ear and go through his mouth and all that? So everyone was satisfied, "This is such a good defense." The tail had been circled, and circled differently in some places to make windows. Everything was there, recreation and swimming pool. Everything was created by the mind of Hanuman, and it was all inside his tail. Outside Hanuman was going around that tail fort guarding. It was a conscious building, because it was the tail. Rama and Laksmana were there inside.

Hanuman and Vibhisana were patrolling back and forward guarding. Then at one point when Hanuman saw Vibhisana, Vibhisana said, "I want to go in and check. Please make sure that no-one comes over to this side. You stay here." Hanuman was standing standing standing, but he did not come. He said, "Let me take a quick flight." He flew across and he came back. When he was coming back he saw Vibhisana standing outside. He said, "If you went inside, why didn't you come back? I was in the door." Vibhisana said, "I never went inside." Hanuman said, "There is something wrong," and they both went inside. They saw that there was no Rama and no Laksmana. They were missing. They checked everywhere but they couldn't find them. Then all the monkeys were crying and lamenting. Vibhisana said, "This must be the work of Mahi-Ravana, the brother of Ravana. He stays in the netherlands, he has a secret city somewhere underneath. He is a great Mayavi. Somehow or other he has taken Rama and Laksmana. Hanuman, only you can go and get them, and I can tell you how to reach this place." Hanuman decided to go and get Rama and Laksmana.

Information of Indian Mythology

2015-06-14T14:56:00.000+05:30

पाण्डव पाँच भाई थे जिनके नाम हैं -
1. युधिष्ठिर 2. भीम 3. अर्जुन
4. नकुल। 5. सहदेव

( इन पांचों के अलावा , महाबली कर्ण भी कुंती के ही पुत्र थे , परन्तु उनकी गिनती पांडवों में नहीं की जाती है )

यहाँ ध्यान रखें कि… पाण्डु के उपरोक्त पाँचों पुत्रों में से युधिष्ठिर, भीम और अर्जुन
की माता कुन्ती थीं ……तथा , नकुल और सहदेव की माता माद्री थी ।

वहीँ …. धृतराष्ट्र और गांधारी के सौ पुत्र…..
कौरव कहलाए जिनके नाम हैं -
1. दुर्योधन      2. दुःशासन   3. दुःसह
4. दुःशल        5. जलसंघ    6. सम
7. सह            8. विंद         9. अनुविंद
10. दुर्धर्ष       11. सुबाहु।   12. दुषप्रधर्षण
13. दुर्मर्षण।   14. दुर्मुख     15. दुष्कर्ण
16. विकर्ण     17. शल       18. सत्वान
19. सुलोचन   20. चित्र       21. उपचित्र
22. चित्राक्ष     23. चारुचित्र 24. शरासन
25. दुर्मद।       26. दुर्विगाह 27. विवित्सु
28. विकटानन्द 29. ऊर्णनाभ 30. सुनाभ
31. नन्द।        32. उपनन्द   33. चित्रबाण
34. चित्रवर्मा    35. सुवर्मा    36. दुर्विमोचन
37. अयोबाहु   38. महाबाहु 39. चित्रांग

40. चित्रकुण्डल41. भीमवेग 42. भीमबल
43. बालाकि    44. बलवर्धन 45. उग्रायुध
46. सुषेण       47. कुण्डधर 48. महोदर
49. चित्रायुध   50. निषंगी     51. पाशी
52. वृन्दारक   53. दृढ़वर्मा    54. दृढ़क्षत्र
55. सोमकीर्ति 56. अनूदर    57. दढ़संघ

58. जरासंघ   59. सत्यसंघ 60. सद्सुवाक
61. उग्रश्रवा   62. उग्रसेन     63. सेनानी
64. दुष्पराजय        65. अपराजित
66. कुण्डशायी        67. विशालाक्ष
68. दुराधर   69. दृढ़हस्त    70. सुहस्त
71. वातवेग 72. सुवर्च    73. आदित्यकेतु
74. बह्वाशी   75. नागदत्त 76. उग्रशायी
77. कवचि    78. क्रथन। 79. कुण्डी
80. भीमविक्र 81. धनुर्धर 82. वीरबाहु
83. अलोलुप 84. अभय 85. दृढ़कर्मा
86. दृढ़रथाश्रय    87. अनाधृष्य
88. कुण्डभेदी।     89. विरवि
90. चित्रकुण्डल    91. प्रधम
92. अमाप्रमाथि    93. दीर्घरोमा
94. सुवीर्यवान     95. दीर्घबाहु
96. सुजात।         97. कनकध्वज
98. कुण्डाशी        99. विरज
100. युयुत्सु

( इन 100 भाइयों के अलावा कौरवों की एक बहनभी थी… जिसका नाम""दुशला""था,
जिसका विवाह"जयद्रथ"सेहुआ था )

"श्री मद्-भगवत गीता"के बारे में-

ॐ . किसको किसने सुनाई?
उ.- श्रीकृष्ण ने अर्जुन को सुनाई।

ॐ . कब सुनाई?
उ.- आज से लगभग 7 हज़ार साल पहले सुनाई।

ॐ. भगवान ने किस दिन गीता सुनाई?
उ.- रविवार के दिन।

ॐ. कोनसी तिथि को?
उ.- एकादशी

ॐ. कहा सुनाई?
उ.- कुरुक्षेत्र की रणभूमि में।

ॐ. कितनी देर में सुनाई?
उ.- लगभग 45 मिनट में

ॐ. क्यू सुनाई?
उ.- कर्त्तव्य से भटके हुए अर्जुन को कर्त्तव्य सिखाने के लिए और आने वाली पीढियों को धर्म-ज्ञान सिखाने के लिए।

ॐ. कितने अध्याय है?
उ.- कुल 18 अध्याय

ॐ. कितने श्लोक है?
उ.- 700 श्लोक

ॐ. गीता में क्या-क्या बताया गया है?
उ.- ज्ञान-भक्ति-कर्म योग मार्गो की विस्तृत व्याख्या की गयी है, इन मार्गो पर चलने से व्यक्ति निश्चित ही परमपद का अधिकारी बन जाता है।

ॐ. गीता को अर्जुन के अलावा
और किन किन लोगो ने सुना?
उ.- धृतराष्ट्र एवं संजय ने

ॐ. अर्जुन से पहले गीता का पावन ज्ञान किन्हें मिला था?
उ.- भगवान सूर्यदेव को

ॐ. गीता की गिनती किन धर्म-ग्रंथो में आती है?
उ.- उपनिषदों में

ॐ. गीता किस महाग्रंथ का भाग है....?
उ.- गीता महाभारत के एक अध्याय शांति-पर्व का एक हिस्सा है।

ॐ. गीता का दूसरा नाम क्या है?
उ.- गीतोपनिषद

ॐ. गीता का सार क्या है?
उ.- प्रभु श्रीकृष्ण की शरण लेना

ॐ. गीता में किसने कितने श्लोक कहे है?
उ.- श्रीकृष्ण जी ने- 574
अर्जुन ने- 85
धृतराष्ट्र ने- 1
संजय ने- 40.

अपनी युवा-पीढ़ी को गीता जी के बारे में जानकारी पहुचाने हेतु इसे ज्यादा से ज्यादा शेअर करे। धन्यवाद

अधूरा ज्ञान खतरना होता है।

33 करोड नहीँ 33 कोटी देवी देवता हैँ हिँदू
धर्म मेँ।

कोटि = प्रकार।
देवभाषा संस्कृत में कोटि के दो अर्थ होते है,

कोटि का मतलब प्रकार होता है और एक अर्थ करोड़ भी होता।

हिन्दू धर्म का दुष्प्रचार करने के लिए ये बात उडाई गयी की हिन्दुओ के 33 करोड़ देवी देवता हैं और अब तो मुर्ख हिन्दू खुद ही गाते फिरते हैं की हमारे 33 करोड़ देवी देवता हैं...

कुल 33 प्रकार के देवी देवता हैँ हिँदू धर्म मे :-

12 प्रकार हैँ
आदित्य , धाता, मित, आर्यमा,
शक्रा, वरुण, अँश, भाग, विवास्वान, पूष,
सविता, तवास्था, और विष्णु...!

8 प्रकार हे :-
वासु:, धर, ध्रुव, सोम, अह, अनिल, अनल, प्रत्युष और प्रभाष।

11 प्रकार है :-
रुद्र: ,हर,बहुरुप, त्रयँबक,
अपराजिता, बृषाकापि, शँभू, कपार्दी,
रेवात, मृगव्याध, शर्वा, और कपाली।

एवँ
दो प्रकार हैँ अश्विनी और कुमार।

कुल :- 12+8+11+2=33 कोटी

अगर कभी भगवान् के आगे हाथ जोड़ा है
तो इस जानकारी को अधिक से अधिक
लोगो तक पहुचाएं। ।

Untold Stories from Ramayan-part 8

2015-05-22T09:04:00.000+05:30

CHAPTER 6 BIRTH AND YOUTH OF HANUMAN (cont'd)

In this way, Hanuman had so many wonderful pastimes. Then he told Ketari, "I want to get education. I have so many benedictions, but I need some education too, I need vidya. I am very much hankering for vidya." Ketari said, "But who could give you vidya? You have so many benedictions, but you also have uncontrollable behaviour. I can't find a guru for you, because you are so strong, and so naughty also." Hanuman said, "This means that you are not going to perform the duty of the father. You're not giving me any education." Ketari said, "I have to give you education, but you do one thing. You go to the Sun-god. He is the most powerful. Some time ago he was suppressed by you, but I can't think of anyone else. So you go to him." Hanuman went to see the Sun-god, and when the Sun-god saw Hanuman coming, he said, "It's Hanuman again. What is he here for? He's grown up now, so he must have stopped playing his mischief." Hanuman came up and paid his obeisances. The Sun-god said, "What are you here for now? Whom are you going to swallow?" Hanuman objected, "No, no, all that was because I was in ignorance. I still have so much ignorance, but I want to get some knowledge. I've heard that you are a great pandit, so please teach me. I've come to join your gurukula." So then the Sun-god looked down. He has a big sitting place in the front of his chariot.

There, there are six million rishis sitting, and they are constantly reciting Yajur-veda, Rg-veda, Sama-veda and Atharva-veda to the Sun-god. So he looked to see if there was any vacant seat, but the whole place was filled up, so he said, "Sorry, but no admission." Hanuman said, "If there is no seat then I will stand and learn from you." The Sun-god said, "But I have to keep moving. If you stand in front of me then I won't be able to move and the seasons won't be there. I will be in trouble."Hanuman said, "Then I will move and learn." The Sun-god said, "All right. But you have to face me and move backwards. In this way you have to listen to me, and whatever I say you have to learn. I won't repeat it." So Hanuman was there in front of the Sun-god, and he was walking backwards. He was so sense-controlled that he could join the orbit of the sun. In 60 orbits he learnt everything, Rg, Sama, Yajur and Atharva. The Sun-god spoke it, he heard it and immediately he knew it. And then he said, "Now I have finished. Everything you have said I have heard and I remember it." The Sun-god said, "Very good, but you have to give me some dakshina." Hanuman said, "Well what do you want? Do you want Indra's crown? You tell me anything and I will get it for you in a second." The Sun-god said, "No, I don't want any of that. Only one guru-dakshina I need from you. I have a monkey friend. You must become his minister. You must always protect his life." Hanuman said, "Oh? You have a monkey friend, and I should protect him? This is only glory for me. I will do it, I will protect him as my life." And then the Sun-god told him who was that monkey. It was Sugriva, and he is the son of the Sun-god. How Sugriva became the Sun-god's son is a wonderful story.

There was one lady who was known as Narayani, and her husband was called ugra-tapas. That means "ferocious austerities," but he never did any austerities. He was only engaged in sense gratification. He became so diseased and paralysed that he had to be carried in a basket. Narayani would carry him in a basket so that he could go to different places and get sense gratification. Ugra-tapas told Narayani, "You must take me to such and such prostitute today." So she was carrying him. While Ugra-tapas was in the basket and Narayani was carrying him, there was one rishi whose name was Bishmanda Rishi, and he had been put on a trident by a king because of some misunderstanding, and was suffering in that condition. He had tri-kala-jnah, knowledge of past, present and future, and when he saw Ugra-tapas he knew he was going to a prostitute's place, and that he was crippled and being carried by his wife. So he got so upset, and forgot about his pain. He called out, "Hey Ugra-tapas, what are you doing? Your name is Ugra-tapas, and what is your life like? And now you are asking your wife to carry you to a prostitute's when you are paralysed. What kind of a person are you? You should die immediately. When the sun rises tomorrow you will die." When Narayani heard this she said, "When the sun rises tomorrow my husband will die? Then I curse that the sun will not rise." She cursed the sun. So the sun became motionless. The Sun-god's charioteer Aruna was getting ready, packing the horses etc, and then he looked back and saw the sun had become static. "Oh? It is a vacation for me. I never got any holiday, because there was never any chance. Let me have some fun."

So he went and asked the sages that sit on the Sun-god's chariot, "How come the sun is not moving any more?""This is the curse of a chaste lady," they replied. "How long will this curse last?" Aruna asked."At least one day." "That's good," Aruna said. "One day is good. I can enjoy nicely." So Aruna got one day's holiday. He was thinking, "How can I enjoy this day? It never happened in the creation before, and it will probably never happen again. The sun never goes on holiday. I only have one day, so I must get the highest enjoyment." So he took a book, like a tourist guide for the heavenly planets, and he found out that Indra was having a special feast and dinner in respect of some great personality, and Menaka was dancing at that festival. "Oh I must go and see that," he said. But in this party, only the invited guests were allowed. You had to bring an invitation, and you had to be dressed in a special design. It was only Indra's close friends. So he was wondering, "How will I go? I know, I will also become a dancer." So he turned into a woman, Aruna became Aruni. And this Aruni was so beautiful, because he always sat with the sun and he was shining so brightly. He came in front of Indra's palace. The gateman said, "Hey, who are you?" "I am Menaka's make—up assistant," she said.

She forgot to put one line on her face, so I have to do it. I am the only one who is expert enough." "All right, you may come." So then Aruni entered. Menaka was dancing on one side and Aruni was hiding. And then Indra was looking through the crowd, and suddenly he saw Aruni. "She is more beautiful that Menaka," he said. So he immediately cancelled the party, and started showing everyone out. Aruni was going to leave, but Indra caught hold of her and said, "Wait a minute! Who are you?" Aruni said, "I am Menaka's make-up assistant. Leave me alone! I am going." "No you are not going, you are staying," Indra said."I'm staying where?" "With me," Indra said. "No, I am not staying with you. I know your history," Aruni said. Indra said, "No, no, I will keep you next to Indrani." Aruni objected, "Even if you keep me more than Indrani, I cannot be here because I am a man." Indra said, "Don't play these games with me, I know you are a woman." Aruni said, "No I am not a woman! I am a man! I just turned myself into this form." Indra said, "Even then, you are the most beautiful woman that I have seen." Aruni said, "If you were to give me a conception, who would bring up the child? I am the charioteer of the Sun-god." Indra said, "Whatever or whoever you are, and whatever will come out of it, I'm going to enjoy you." Aruni agreed, and immediately there was a conception, and a demigod was born.

And then Aruni ran, because it was getting late already, and the Sun-god was slowly getting his movement back. At the last moment Aruna jumped on the chariot and grabbed the reins. The Sun-god said, "You're sure cutting it fine. Where did you go?""Oh, no where," Aruna answered. "Tell me!""Oh, I went to Indra's planet." "What did he do to you?" the Sun-god asked."He gave me a conception." "How did he give you a conception?" Aruna said, "It's getting late now, we only have a few moments." The Sun-god said, "A few moments is alright. It needs only one moment. Let me see that beautiful form." Aruna objected, "No, no. This will only cause more trouble." "No, I must see," said the Sun-god. "You are my servant." "Alright," said Aruna, and he became Aruni. In the next moment there was another conception. So this is demigod life. Only a very few of them are thinking of Visnu. The bulk of them think of Visnu only when the demons come, and then when the demons leave they go back to their sense gratification. It is mentioned in the Visnu Purana that one who hears this story loses the attraction for going to the heavenly planets. So now two babies were crying. This was not usually the way that birth happened in the heavenly planets, so all the demigods were disturbed in their sense gratification.

They all went to Brahma and Brahma approached Indra, saying, "You are the cause of this problem. You settle this down." "I can't have babies in the heavenly planets," Indra said. "We'll have to give them to someone." Then he remembered the king of Varanasa, Riksharaja, who had no children. He was performing austerities to please Indra so he could get a son. A benediction from the demigods is usually something that demigods don't want in the heavenly planets, so they give it away. So Riksharaja was standing on one leg to get some children, and Indra came and said, "Why are you standing on one leg? Here are two babies you can have." So they had two sons, Bali and Sugriva. Bali was the son of Indra, and Sugriva was the son of the Sun-god. And the Sun-god got the benediction of guru-dakshina from Hanuman that he would always protect Sugriva. In this way, when Bali was anointed the king after Riksharaja, Sugriva became his minister, and Hanuman became the counsellor or minister of Sugriva.

Transcribed from lectures given by His Grace Atma-tattva dasa during Gaura-purnima in Sridham Mayapura

Untold Stories from Ramayan- part 7

2015-04-22T06:00:00.000+05:30

BIRTH AND YOUTH OF HANUMAN

Hanuman is originally the son of Vayu, the air god. And he is also an expansion of Lord Siva. All the demigods were helping Lord Ramacandra in his battle. Lord Siva was thinking, "I must also help him." So long before Lord Ramacandra incarnated, Lord Siva had a pastime. Once Siva and Parvati were playing in Kailash, and they saw a monkey. Lord Siva, by looking at this monkey, he also took the form of a monkey. Parvati also took the form of a monkey, and they played. During that time, Lord Siva gave Parvati a conception. Then immediately she became Parvati again and said, "I'm not going to give birth to a monkey." So Siva said, "Well you have a conception so now you have to give birth to it." Parvati said, "No no, when you gave the conception you were a monkey, so my son will become a monkey. Already I have an elephant, that is enough. I can't have this." So Siva said, "All right then, I will make some arrangement." Siva then called Vayu, and Vayu came there. Once before Siva had given a conception and Agni had carried it, and Agni had said that he would never do it again.

So Vayu came, and Siva said, "Vayu, you have not done anything to me up till now, so please do this for me. Take this conception and look after it." Vayu said, "But you are the most hot person, and I am going to be carrying this around when I am supposed to be cooling everything. The wind will be hot." Siva said, "You make some arrangement." So Vayu was carrying this conception wondering what to do, and then he saw the sapta-rishis going somewhere. He went before them and asked, "This is a conception from Lord Siva. This has to be preserved until the Supreme Lord incarnates as Ramacandra. That is a long time away, but it has to be kept. Please make some arrangement." The sapta-rishis said, "Oh we will make some arrangement." So they went to origin of the Mandakini river and they took a leaf which was made of metal, and put the conception there. In this way it was preserved, and Vayu was supposed to come and see that nothing happened to it. And then Brhaspati, the spiritual master of the devas, he had a maidservant in his house, and she was supposed to bring flowers for worshipping Salagram. One day when she went to get flowers, she saw some gandharvas having conjugal pastimes, and she was very attracted. So instead of collecting flowers, she came back early and Brhaspati was sitting on a deerskin in his ashrama.

Suddenly this lady jumped on him and began covering him with kisses. Brhaspati had not expected this, because he was doing puja, and he said, "What is this? You are behaving like a monkey! Therefore become a monkey!" When she became a monkey she cried, "I'm very sorry. Some ignorance came in my mind, and I have insulted you. But you have made me a monkey, so when will I again become normal?" Brhaspati said, "Why have I cursed you like this? I did not lose my temper." Then he thought for a while, and said, "Oh, I know. There is some arrangement. So now you must go to Kishkinda, and you get married to a great monkey warrior king. His name is Ketari, and you become his wife. There is a big plan for you." She came down, and she met Ketari who was jumping for some fruits, and she appeared on top of the tree. Then they had some talk, and they got married. When she was in the body of a monkey she was known as Anjana. They were living for a long time, but they were having no children. Ketari went on performing austerities to please Lord Indra so that he could get a son. He wanted a very powerful son, so he was doing meditation. While he was doing meditation, Vayu came, and somehow or other, in his invisible form, he managed to give the conception to Anjana. Anjana felt someone holding her, and she said, "Who is this person? You must come before me otherwise I will curse you." So then Vayu came before her and said, "Your curse will be gone only when you deliver a strong person, and I am giving you that person. So close your eyes and take this conception. Then deliver your baby and you can return to the heavenly planets. You do not want this?" And then she remembered all her previous activities.

She took that conception, and what was this conception? It was originally conceived by Lord Siva, carried by Vayu for so long, and Vayu gave it to her, so it was Vayu's son and it was Siva's angsha, or expansion. And then Anjaneya was born. As soon as he was born he grew into a sixteen year old boy. That was the potency of Lord Siva. So then Anjana immediately rose up to go to the heavens, and Anjaneya caught hold of her cloth and said, "Wait a minute, where are you going? You gave birth to me, and now you are leaving? What will I eat?" She was looking around, and it was sunset so she said, "Any fruit which is as red and as ripe as the sun planet, you can eat it." Then she left, and he was very hungry. He thought and then said, "Why as red as sun and as ripe as sun? Why not just eat sun?" So he jumped up, and straight away went to the sun planet and jumped on the chariot of Lord Suryadeva. He was extending his hands, and he took the whole sun planet and reduced it to a small ball and put it in his mouth. Just then he looked and saw Rahu coming. "I am going to eat the sun," Rahu said. Rahu always says this but he only ever half eats it.

So then Anjaneya said, "Oh you are going to eat the sun? Well I have already eaten the sun and now I will eat you also." So then he swallowed Rahu. Indradeva had been sitting in his seat discussing politics, but suddenly everything had become dark. Agni was there, so due to his light he could see. He asked Agni, "Why is this? Why is there no light?" Agni replied, "Somebody has taken the sun away." "What? Somebody has taken the sun away?" Agni said, "Why are you wondering who has taken it? Just use your shabda-viddhi." Shabda-viddhi means that just by hearing the sound you shoot your weapon. So he threw his vajra. While throwing it he was already jumping on his white elephant, Airavata, and he was coming. Anjaneya looked this way and that and he saw that everything was dark, and then he saw this white elephant coming. "Oh, I will eat that also," and then he jumped on Airavata. While he was jumping on Airavata, the vajra came, and hit Anjaneya on his teeth. Anjaneya quickly caught hold of it. Indra turned around and saw Anjaneya holding the vajra, and he thought, "This must be some big Visnu avatar. I'd better keep quiet. Out of living entities, only Indra can hold this thunderbolt, so he must be some incarnation with a tail." So Indra went back. Now Anjaneya had the sun, Rahu and this vajra weapon, and he went back to his place in Kishkinda to eat it. He sat down looking at this vajra, and thought, "Should I bite it or chew it?" At that time everyone went to Brahma and asked him, "What is happening in this universe? Rahu is gone, sun is gone." Brahma said, "Don't worry. This is the potency of Lord Siva, and this person is a great devotee of Lord Rama." Brahma lives for a long time, and so many Ramayanas are happening. So he knows that it is almost the same every time, but the pastime is a little different in each kalpa. So he said, "This is Hanuman. All of us have to go there and touch his feet and beg him. If you do that you will get the sun, otherwise no sun."

So all the demigods came, thirty three crores of them. They all came there with folded hands. "Please Anjaneya, open your mouth." He was upset because Indra's vajra had hit him on his teeth. "You have already broken my jaw. If I open my mouth you will just break my other jaw." So then Brahma said, "My dear boy, I will give you anything you like. You can live as long as I live." Anjaneya was not satisfied. Then Agni came forward and said, "Fire will not burn you." Still he was not satisfied, so Indra came forward. "You are already holding my Vajra, so what benediction can I give you? But I tell you this, you will become the most famous, as famous as me." Still not satisfied. Then Vayu came. "You will be as fast as me." He smiled a little bit. One by one they all came and offered benedictions, and after everyone came and offered benedictions, still Anjaneya was not satisfied. Brahma said, "Don't worry, I will use my mystic powers." And he read Anjaneya's mind. Anjaneya was thinking "Why is there no fruit in this world?" Brhaspati came to know of his desire and he came forward and said, "Anjaneya, I will give you all the fruits in this world, and I will give you the knowledge of Ayurveda by which you will know all the fruits, all the plants, and all the trees. Any plant in the creation, you will know it, and what is the use of it you will know, and what is the medicinal effect of it you will also know. This is my benediction to you." Then Dhanvantari spoke, "I will be at your command. You put any medicine on anyone and they will come alive."

So Anjaneya opened his mouth, and the Sun-god was there, and the demigods were very much satisfied. So then Brahma called him "Hanuman." Hanuman means one who has got some kind of a defect in his teeth. That is the meaning of Hanuman. Hanuman is also known as Vajranga, which means the same thing. Vajra means teeth and anga means missing one part. One other name for him is Marut-suta, the son of the wind god. He is known as Anjaneya, the son of Anjana. And lastly he is known as Mahavira, or a great king. These are some different names of Hanuman. And then Brahma gave him a diamond necklace, and told him, "This is the highest benediction you can get. You will be the eternal servant of the eternal Lord, and only the eternal Lord will be able to recognize this necklace. That means you will be recognized by him, and he will be recognized by you as the one who recognized the necklace." When Ramacandra asked the beggar, "What kind of a beggar are you? You have a wonderful necklace on your neck." So Hanuman immediately recognized, that this is my worshippable Lord. And he immediately surrendered to Him. In this way he went to Sugriva, and Hanuman had so many other exploits too, when he was a small boy. After the sun-swallowing pastime there were so many other pastimes. He used to take elephants and tigers and play with them. One day he caught hold of a very wise elephant. He was holding it by the tusk, and he was also holding a tiger by the tail, and swinging them around. They were making some sound. This was Hanuman's fun. And then he saw an ashrama. The sage who lived here had never gotten angry in his life. He was known for his sense control. Hanuman thought to himself, "Now we will test his sense control." So he put the tiger and the elephant tied up together in front of his ashrama. This was early in the morning, during the brahma-muhurta time.

So the rishi slowly opened the door and took his lota for taking bath. And then he looked out and saw this tiger, so he closed the door quickly. Up to that time he had constipation, but when he saw this tiger suddenly he felt nature calling. So he had to go out. But what could he do? There was a tiger outside his door. He looked out the door again, and this time he saw the elephant as well, so he quickly shut the door again. He had to pass. But how could he pass inside? He had to go out of the window, and there was a tree outside of the window, and he looked up and saw Hanuman at the top of the tree. "So you are the cause of this mischief. Come here!" Hanuman thought, "He's becoming angry. I must go." So he came down, and he became small and entered the window. The rishi gave Hanuman a curse that limited his strength. "Why did you curse me like this?" Hanuman asked. "This is only good for you. You are having your strength controlled so you can use it only for the Lord's service. And when the service is coming, the Lord will arrange for someone to remind you."

So then Hanuman said, "I will never tie an elephant to a tiger any more. And I will certainly not put it in front of your ashrama. I'll put it somewhere else." So then he came back, and he did not play for a whole week. Ketari was asking, "Hanuman, how come there have been no complaints from anyone for a whole week? Have you become a good boy?" Hanuman said, "I don't want to give trouble to anyone." Then they heard a sound, a very nice sound. Ketari said, "What is this? It is Narada Muni coming!" Hanuman asked, "Who is this person?" Ketari replied, "He is a very great soul. He doesn't need any introduction. You just go to him and you will find out the greatness of this man."Immediately Hanuman jumped up and Narada was just on his way past their place, going to see some rishi, so Hanuman jumped in his way and paid pranams. "Narada Muni, I heard that you are a very great person, so you must bless me. Without blessing me, you are not allowed to go." Narada said, "What blessing do you want?" Hanuman said, "Already the demigods have given me so many blessings. I cannot think of anything else, so you think of a blessing, and you give it to me." Narada thought, "What blessing does Hanuman not have?" And so he said, "You will become expert in music." That was the only benediction left to give. So Hanuman got that benediction, and Narada Muni said, "So I have given you the benediction, and now I am going." Hanuman said, "One minute, one minute." "What do you want?" Narada asked. "How will I know that I am the most expert in music?" Hanuman inquired. "My father told me that you are the most expert in music, so you must do me a favour today. Give me the benediction that I will be more expert than you."

So Narada said, "All right, I will sit somewhere and listen to you." "Shall I start singing?" Hanuman asked. "Yes." Narada Muni put his vina on a rock, and he sat down on the ground. So Hanuman selected that tune which would melt the rock, and he began to sing it. The rock melted, and the vina was in the liquid. He was singing and singing, and the vina was floating in the liquid rock. Narada was closing his eyes and enjoying, and he said, "All right Hanuman, you are the best musician. You can stop singing now." Hanuman said, "You open your eyes and tell me if I should I stop singing." Narada said, "How do you mean?" Hanuman replied, "You open your eyes." So Narada opened his eyes and looked around. He didn't notice the vina floating in the stone water. "Yes, you can stop singing." So then Hanuman stopped singing, and the liquid stone became rock, and the vina got stuck. Narada said, "I am going," and he took his vina, but it wouldn't move. "What did you do, Hanuman?" Hanuman said, "I only sung a song. You told me to sing a song, and you also gave me the ability. Now you are complaining. I have been a good boy for a whole week." Narada said, "One week of doing nothing means that before that week you did too much." And then Hanuman told him all about what he had done, swallowing the sun etc, and Narada became very pleased.Then he said, "Now whatever it was, you please sing the tune again, so I can get my vina." Hanuman said, "Well, I don't know...." Narada Muni said, "Please do it!" "No I won't," Hanuman said, and he jumped up and ran inside the palace. Narada Muni came in there and called out, "Hey Hanuman, come and get my vina out! I have to go." Just then Ketari came out, and when he saw Narada Muni he touched his feet. "What is my son doing, he is giving you some trouble?" Narada said, "Oh no, no trouble, just that he got my vina stuck in the rock." Ketari said, "Oh no, he has started his mischief again. Hanuman, get Narada's vina out of the rock!" And then Hanuman said, "I want Narada Muni's feet to touch every room in this palace, that’s why I was doing this. Now he has touched all the rooms, and I will release his vina. The dust from his lotus feet is so rare that what is the use of just having it in one part of our kingdom? We should have it all over." Narada said, "You are already blessed, because you are Lord Rama's eternal servant." So Hanuman went and sung for Narada, who quickly took his vina and left.

Untold Stories from Ramayana - part 6

2014-11-08T00:05:00.000+05:30

The Lifting of the Bow

After Rama's fight with the demons Marica and Dusana, Vishwamitra didn't come back to Ayodhya, instead he told them, "There is going tobe a big fire sacrifice in Mithila." King Janaka was ruling. So Vishwamitra said, "A great sacrifice and all the rishis and pandits will be there. I will take you there so you can see it."

On the way so many other pastimes happened, these are already famous pastimes. Ahalya, the wife of Gautama Rishi had been cursed to become stone, and she would not be released until Ramacandra touched her with His lotus feet. Then she would come alive again. So those pastimes happened within the travel from Vishwamitra's ashrama to the present Lucknow, and from there up to Mithila. Mithila, the country of Janaka is known as Mithila because long before Janaka there was one king in the Iksvaku dynasty. Vasistha was the guru for a many generations, and the king at that time wanted to perform a yajna. Vasistha had agreed to perform a yajna for Indra in the heavenly planets, so he told him, "I will finish this yajna, then I will come back and perform yours." The king did not say anything. He didn't want to displease Vasistha, he was a great devotee. Vasistha went to the heavenly planets, and before he came back the king called some other rishis, Gautama and his brother, and he engaged them as priests and completed his yajna. He did not tell them that Vasistha was only in the heavenly planets. Vasistha came back. Very quickly he completed his yajna, he didn't even wait for receiving payment for it. He told Indra, "Just keep it in credit and I will collect it later." Very quickly he returned, but when he got back he saw that Brahmins were coming out of the palace with cows. "What's happening here?" he asked. "Oh, big yajna. It's all over now, though. We just received dakshina and now we are going."

So Vasistha was very upset. He called the king and said, "What is this? First you tell me that I should do the yajna, so I finished my job in the heavenly planet very quickly and even displeased Indra and his party, and I have come here because I am your Kula-guru, your family spiritual master. So how is this proper that you have taken some other person and performed the yajna?" The king was still keeping quiet, not saying anything. Actually Vasistha should not have gone to the heavenly planets to perform yajna because he is the family guru of the Iksvaku dynasty. So if Iksvakus are having a yajna he is supposed to do that first, and then if it is necessary he can go to the heavenly planets. So it was actually a mistake on the part of Vasistha, because he was a little greedy from the great remuneration he would get from the heavenly planets. A Brahmin should not be greedy. By doing that, a great trouble happens. What was the trouble? Vasistha became so angry that he said to the king, "You become nirdeha." Deha means "this body" and nir means "without." "So you will be without body."

All this time the king was tolerating, but now he said, "What is this? I must perform my yajna on time, and you went there because you are greedy. Now you are cursing me." So the king got angry with Vasistha and said, "You also become nirdeha." So at the same time, both bodies were lost, and they both became nirdeha. When Vasistha became nirdeha he was going here and there and then one group of rishis who were meditating took him and put him inside a pot and kept him inside the pot for a long time until he could take another body. In the same pot another rishi's soul was kept. They became brothers. Vasistha is therefore known as kumbha-muni, the rishi coming from a pot, and another kumbha-muni was Agastya. He was thumb sized. Not thumb sized of our thumb, but the thumb of the demigods, so he was much taller than us. In Dvapara-yuga people were ten times taller, eating was ten times bigger, lifetime was also ten times longer, and in Treta-yuga it was a hundred times. So now we are living a hundred years, in Dvapara yuga they lived 1000 years, in Treta-yuga it was 10000 years, and 100,000 years was the lifetime in Satya-yuga. So that is why in Satya-yuga the process is meditation, because if you are living 100,000 years, what it the problem with spending 30,000 years meditation? Agastya lived through all the yugas. He is even living now in the southern part of India.

There is a mountain in South India called Kozwalla mountain, and on Kozwalla mountain there are caves, and the scriptures say that Agastya is still there. These rishis are chiran-jivas, meaning that up to Brahma's life-span they will also live. So Agastya and Vasistha came from the same pot. In this way Vasistha got his body, and this person who became nirdeha couldn't get a body because of the rishi's curse, no-one tried to give him an artificial room like Vasistha got. These test tubes are nothing new. The rishis have been doing it for ages. They take the sperm and put it in a pot, create some artificial climate and it would grow in there and become a saintly person. These two rishis became test tube babies, but the other person just remained nirdeha and he remained for a long time, and then he went to the heavenly planets and from there to the spiritual world.

His dead body was there, so all the saintly people in the country churned the body as there was no dynasty, just like in the Srimad-Bhagavatam there is the story of how Vena's body was churned and Prthu Maharaja came. So this churning was done, and this churning is called Mithi. When churning the body you have to keep the foot from the body of that person and take the leg and then churn it. So this is why it was called Mithila, and the man who came out of that body was called Mithi Janaka. Ja means "birth" and Janaka means "one who has taken birth by churning." So Mithi Janaka means "one who has taken his birth by churning of someone's body." And this Mithi Janaka, he didn't want to be in Ayodhya because of all the prestige the family had. So he left Ayodhya and created a separate kingdom, and that kingdom was known as Mithila, because the Mithi Janaka created that kingdom so it was called Mithila. And all his sons were known by the name Janaka. He was Janaka, and then Janaka I, Janaka II, Janaka III and so on. Janaka had a great property in his palace. This property was the bow which was used by Mahadeva, Lord Shiva, in a battle between him and Vishnu. Once there was a battle between Vishnu and Shiva. There was no cause for this, it was just Narada Muni's jubilation. He was once in the assembly of Indra, and Indra was praising Mahadeva. He was saying, "Lord Shiva has three eyes, and fire comes out of his third eye and all that." So Narada Muni said, "There are so many Shivas. In every universe there are eleven Shivas. My Lord is different. He has no third eye but He knows everything." Then Indra said, "No no no, you don't know. Vishnu is alright, he's the avatar, but Shiva is the great powerful person." "If it is so," Narada said, "Why don't you go and ask Shiva to have a fight with Vishnu? Then we will see who is more powerful." Then Indra thought, "That would be a nice thing to do," so he went to Kailash. Shiva's bull, Nandi, was asking, "What are you doing on Kailash? This I he could take another body. I is meant for people who meditate." Nandi is a great yogi, and an astrologer too. He saw Indra and knew there would be trouble, so he said, "Get out of Kailash. You are an enjoyer, so what are you doing here?"

Indra said, "No no, I have only come here for Shiva's darshana without any motive."Nandi said, "I am an astrologer, and I can see on your face that you have come here to create trouble. Don't give any trouble to my Lord, he is peacefully meditating."Then Indra said, "Let me in Nandi." So he was allowed. When he came in, Shiva was in deep meditation. Indra came in there and prayed to Mahadeva so much, and finally Shiva opened his eyes. "Indra! Why are you here? There is no trouble happening. I don't think you have come here to ask me to fig ht with someone." Indra said, "I must say that I only visit Kailash to ask you to fight with someone, but this time it's not a demon.""Who is it then?" Mahadeva asked. "Well we had a little argument," Indra said. "Myself and Narada. I said that you are the most powerful, but Narada said that Vishnu is the most powerful." Shiva said, "You see this japa-mala I am holding? Do you know what I am doing with this? Do you know what I am chanting?" "I heard that you chant Rama's name," Indra replied.

Shiva said, "So I am chanting Rama's name. And then you are asking who is more powerful. If I am more powerful than Him, then He must be chanting my name. But it would never happen, I am chanting His name." Indra said, "That is right, that is Purana, but I want to see it." Shiva said, "Why do you want to see it? I am telling you, He is the most powerful and all power comes from Him. I only destroy this universe, that is all the power I have." So Indra said, "Even though you say these things, I don't believe it." "Why don't you believe it?" "Because you are so powerful that you burnt the fort which was flying in the sky."Then Shiva said, "I know what you are up to. You want to have some entertainment. So you go to Visvakarma and ask him to make a bow for me. I am a babaji, but you want me to fight. So at least give me some weapons." So Visvakarma used his mystic power and made a bow. This bow was so big that 300 people had to carry it. Actually it was in a cart. The cart had so many wheels, and 300 people had to push it to move it an inch, and then they had to rest for half an hour. So this was the size of the bow. It was unstrung also, the thread was separate. So that was brought in front of Lord Shiva. "This is a good bow," he said, and took it up. When he took it up all the demigods fainted. It was such a huge bow and Shiva was just lifting it so easily. Then Indra was saying, "See? I told you, he's very strong. Don't think that he's just a babaji meditating. He's got so much strength." Shiva then strung the bow and he said, "All right, I am ready." Then they went to Brahma and asked, "Please bring Lord Vishnu for a fight." So Brahma went to the milk ocean and meditated.

Vishnu was sitting there in the Svetadvipa, and he said to Laksmi, "I wonder what Brahma is calling for now?"Laksmi said, "Maybe some demon is there." "How can a demon have come without My knowledge? There is no demon," the Lord said."Then You must also know why he is calling You," Laksmi said. "Yes I do. He wants Me to have a fight with Lord Shiva." "Oh," Laksmi said. "I would like to see that." "Then I'll have to do it," the Lord said. So then He got up from His seat and He came to the other side of the milk ocean. He said, "All right Brahma, I am ready." And then Indra said, "But there is one condition - You don't bring any bow or anything from Your spiritual world. We will give You something from this world. Otherwise You will overpower him easily, we know that. We want a straightforward fight." So Visvakarma made another bow. Shiva's bow was called Mahesh-chapa, and Vishnu's bow was called Vishnu-chapa. Both were made by Visvakarma and were equal in strength. They were exactly the same. They were copies. So Vishnu came and said, "No problem, I will take it." So he took the bow, and he came and lifted it. When he lifted the bow, because He has got an eternal associate called Sarnga, who is His bow, and when Vishnu touches any bow Sarnga will come in there and it will become Sarnga-dhanu. He took the bow and Sarnga entered. Nobody could see this happen. So He came and Shiva was there, and as soon as Vishnu was in vision of Mahesh, Shiva offered his obeisances and clapped his hands, rolling on the floor in ecstasy. Indra said, "What's going on?" He turned to Narada Muni and said, "Go and tell him to give up his devotion and fight!" Narada Muni went to Siva and said, "You have forgotten that there is supposed to be a fight. You have surrendered." So then Mahesa said, "Please, bless me so that I can fight with You." Vishnu blessed him, "All right. You can fight with Me." So they were fighting, fighting, fighting, and it was going on for a long time. Finally Shiva put the bow down and started running away from the battlefield, and all sorts of astras were coming out of Sarnga, and Shiva ran away. He ran, and he was shouting to Indra, "I told you! I told you! Now I am in trouble!" Of course, Vishnu was not angry, he was only smiling. But then all the demigods prayed to Vishnu, "Please stop the war. We need Lord Shiva." So then the war was over, and Shiva was saved.... to be continued

Transcribed from lectures given by His Grace Atma-tattva dasa during Gaura-purnima in Sridham Mayapura

Untold Stories from Ramayan- Part 05

2014-11-01T16:56:00.000+05:30

The story of sage Vishwamitra

Now Vishwamitra is not just some mystic yogi or a gurukula teacher or something. Vishwamitra was such a great powerful personality. He was a great ksatriya. One day he was going on a big hunting tour, and while he was going, the tradition was that when you pass by a gurukula or an ashrama, the kings must stop. And they must go there and respect the saint. The saintly person in turn will feed the king, because the king will not carry so much ration when he goes into the forest. And he's not going to live on fruits and roots, because he's the king, not some saintly person. He needs some feast, so the saintly person must arrange the feast. And for arranging the feast the kings will always donate a lot of things to the saintly person. In this way there was a nice arrangement for making feasts and taking feasts. So this great army of Kaushika, Vishwamitra , was coming, and he had his hundred sons and he was thinking, "That's a small ashrama there." He looked down into the valley and the ashrama was about four houses, and there was stream running nearby. Vishwamitra thought, "My army of a hundred sons shouldn't go. You all stay here," he said to his sons. "It is a custom that I should go and respect this saintly person, so I will go there and then I will come back. And if he asks to feed something to me that is alright, but he can't feed my whole army."

So Kaushika went down, and there was two brahmacharis washing cloth in the stream, so he asked them, "Whose ashrama is this?" The brahmacharis replied, "This is the ashrama of Vasistha Muni." "Vasistha?" Kaushika asked. "He's in my country and I didn't even know." "He came three months ago," the brahmacharis replied. He would always go like that. He stays in a place for about three hundred years and then he moves to another ashrama, because too many students come there and he doesn't like a big population. So whenever there is too many people he disappears with one or two students and goes to open another school somewhere else. "I would like to see him" Vishwamitra said. So the brahmacaris brought him before Vasistha. Vasistha was making some thread from cotton. He was wearing a gamsha around his waist and another around his shoulders. Kaushika was coming with many ornaments and a golden crown, so he came in there and took his crown off, and touched Vasistha's feet. He then said, "I am Kaushika and I am on a hunting trip. I have a hundred sons who I have left on the highway and I have come here just to see you. So you please bless my kingdom." Vasistha said, "How is this possible that you are coming to my ashrama and going without a feast?" Vishwamitra looked at the house with its grass roof and cow-dung floor and the whole ashrama was only three or four houses. "You're going to give me a feast?" Vishwamitra asked "How will I eat it without mysons?" "No no, your sons, your army, your castle, everyone. Bring them here." "But where will they sit? You have only four huts." "Bring them here,"

Vasistha said very determinedly. "If I don't bring them, he will curse," Vishwamitra thought, so he went back to his sons."All of you come with me to this ashrama," he told them. "You must be joking!" the sons replied. "If we all go to that ashrama, we will be crushed. There's no place in there." Vishwamitra said, "This great rishi has asked, so we must go." They were thinking, "Even if we passed by there, by the sound of these chariots the roofs will cave in." Their chariots were huge with eighteen horses each. Kaushika said, "I don't want to be cursed, so let's go down there." As they were going down into the valley they saw that a big township was there. Palaces, roads, and swimming pools. People were running out of the city. It was a city suddenly, and Kaushika was thinking, "This is wonderful. Just in the time of closing my eyes there is a big city here. It's bigger than Mahismati, my capital! Look at these palaces!" They were all looking at this and wondering, and then Vasistha came out and said, "What are you doing? You must all go and take bath. Feast is already prepared. It will get cold." So then after they took bath they came and thousands of them sat down on a big grass lawn. They saw no plates or anything in front of them, and Vasistha made them sit in rows. Vishwamitra said, "What items are you going to give us, and how are you going to serve it?" asistha replied, "You can think of any plate you like, and you can think of any item you like, and you can think of any quantity you like, and you will get it." Vishwamitra thought, "A diamond plate." Boom! And the diamond plate was there. And whatever he liked at that time was coming, heaps and heaps and they were eating and eating, but still it was just coming and coming, and they were just eating all the items they had ever heard about. One person said, "What Indra eats on his birthday, I want that." So he got it. Everyone got everything they liked. They were so satisfied, and then they wanted to see a dance. "What dance do you want to see?" Vasistha asked them. Vishwamitra said, "The dance that is seen by Narayana in Svetadvipa, I want to see that." "All right, you can see," Vasistha replied. Immediately there was a stage. And there was a wonderful stage by the celestials of Vaikuntha. And Vishwamitra was so envious. He was thinking, "What is this? Some baba, he is having so much opulence. I am a king, and I look like a beggar in front of him."

So he came to Vasistha and asked, "Please tell me, what is the source of your opulence? I'm sure it's not this beard." Vasistha replied, "No, it's not my beard. It's my cow." Then he clapped his hands and he said, "Kama-dhenu, come here." And then a kama-dhenu came. This cow had a long tail like a braid, and a peacock feather on the back. It had the breasts of a human female on her chest and the body of a cow. And in her whole body is the potency of all the demigods. This cow came when the milk ocean was churned for nectar, and was given to Vasistha by the Supreme Lord, because he performed wonderful sacrifices so he needed a lot of wealth. Where could he go, because the kings were such small timers. Sometimes they would have wealth, and even though they had sometimes they would say that they don't have. So he gave this cow. "You can get anything from this cow." Vishwamitra said, "I will give you one million ordinary cows. You give me this cow."Vasistha said, "You must be a fool.

One million ordinary cows, why should I take them and give you this special cow. If you give me one million kama-dhenus then I can think of giving you this one." "But you know," Vishwamitra said, "according to the shastras, whatever is in this land belongs to the king, and I am the king so it belongs to me." Vasistha said, "Look at the kama-dhenu again, Kaushika." Vishwamitra looked at the cow and noticed that it was four feet off the ground. "This cow does not belong to you," Vasistha said. "Only if it touches the earth does it belong to you." So Vishwamitra was defeated. He said to Vasistha, "Look, you may have so much tapovalam, but I am a ksatriya and I have so much strength, one hundred sons. I am not going to ask you for the cow, I am just going to take. So he came behind the kama-dhenu and started to pull, and his hundred sons were helping him. "What are you doing?" the cow said to Vasistha. "You are my protector, and you are not doing anything. This mleccha is taking me away." Kaushika said, "You are calling me a mleccha?" "Yes, you are taking the property of a Brahmin, so you are a mleccha at least now, or in the next life you are going to be. Why are you doing this? This is nonsense, and even the Lord will not be tolerant of this, you will be finished. Your whole dynasty will be finished, this is my curse." Vishwamitra said, "You are a cow, so don't talk so much. Just come with me. " So then Vasistha said, "Don't do this. She does not like it. If she liked it, then you could take her, but she does not like it." Still Vasistha was keeping his anger inside, not showing it.

"You keep quiet," Kaushika said. "I am taking the cow." Vasistha said, "Where are your 100 sons? I will show my power on them, because I don't want to finish you. If you are there you can produce another 100 sons. Show me your sons." "Here are my sons," Kaushika said, and then Vasistha looked at them and they were all gone. And then he said, "Kaushika, do you want to become a heap of ash? Then you'd better run away from me." Then Kaushika, in great disgust left the ashrama. He went to the Himalayas and performed austerities for 300 years to please Mahadeva. Lord Siva came, and asked Kaushika, "What benediction do you want?" There's one great thing about a benediction from Siva. If you take a benediction from him, it is only for your destruction. His benedictions will only destroy, they will never give anything good. Unless you ask for love of God, or devotion, but if one has approached Siva he generally doesn't ask for these things. So Siva was asking, "What benediction do you want?" Or in other words, how do you want to be destroyed? So then Kaushika said, "I must have all the divine weapons.

All the weapons that Indra has, Agni has, Varuna has, all of them must come to my mind, and I must control them. I must be a rajarishi." "Yes, you are a rajarishi," Siva said. "Now stop doing austerities, because it is burning my body. Go." Then Vishwamitra immediately flew to Vasistha's ashrama. Vasistha was having an oil bath, having oil massaged on his body. When someone is having an oil on the body you're not supposed to talk to him or talk in conversation. Kaushika did not even give him a challenge or anything, he just immediately started doing all the astras on Vasistha. Vasistha was still sitting there getting oil on his body, and the first thing that Vishwamitra threw was a brahmastra. "Suddenly so much heat is in mustard oil," Vasistha said. "It's not that hot!" So then Vasistha looked over his shoulder and saw the brahmastra. "My God! What is he doing? Who taught him these weapons? He does n't know where to put them! He's throwing them here, but I am having an oil massage here. Kaushika, stop doing this nonsense!" Then came Agni astra, and then came Vayu astra. They were all coming one after another. "This is too much," Vasistha said, and he looked around. He saw his walking stick, which was getting old, so he took that and threw it out. Then he continued with his massage. The walking stick came out and faced the brahmastra. The brahmastra touched this walking stick, and it became like ice, and fell down. Then came the Agni astra, which came emanating so much fire, and all the trees were burnt, but when it faced the stick this astra was also pulled down. Then Vayu astra came, and all the astras that he learnt from Lord Siva were all used up, pulled down by the stick. Then the stick started moving towards Vishwamitra , so Vishwamitra started running away.

As he crossed the area of Vasistha's ashrama, the stick went down and Vasistha kept it down. Then Vishwamitra sat up and he was thinking, "That is just a stick that he uses for walking. What will happen if he takes a bow? What will happen to me then? So this rajarishi is no good, I will become a brahmarishi." So again he went up to the Himalayas, and he performed tapasya for such a long time that Brahma came to him. "What do you want?" Brahma asked. "Why are you troubling me like this?" "I want to be a brahmarishi," said Vishwamitra . Brahma said, "Well I am Brahma, and I am calling you a rishi, so you are a brahmarishi. You be satisfied." Vishwamitra said, "No, Vasistha should say it." So Brahma brought Vishwamitra to Vasistha and said, "Please call him brahmarishi." Vasistha looked at him and said, "What a great tapasa you have done! After all you are a ksatriya, you are supposed to been enjoying your senses. Simply by my challenge, you have become such a great rishi. Why brahmarishi? You are a jnanarishi, the rishi of saintly people. You are worshipable by me. Now Vishwamitra , you stop your austerities." So Vishwamitra stopped his austerities there, and he became well known as brahmarishi and was moving around.

Untold Stories of Ramanyan - part 4

2014-07-29T17:13:00.000+05:30

Childhood of Lord Rama

Now Lord Rama took His advent on the earth planet, and he was growing up. He was learning archery in the ashrama of Vasistha. When the first lesson started, Vasistha told Dasaratha, "I don't want you to be here when your son is learning archery." Dasaratha said, "It is the tradition that the king sits there and watches the son, how he holds the bow." Vasistha said, "Yes, but it is not the tradition that you produce children from sweet rice." So Dasaratha went back, and the education started in confidence. When Lord Rama, Laksmana, Satrughna, and Bharata were sitting, Vasistha got up from his seat and circumambulated them. That is why he got Dasaratha out, otherwise there would be confusion. And then Vasistha said, "You always do this. Whenever you take an incarnation, You select a rishi to become Your guru. And he has to teach You this knowledge of which You are the source.

So please excuse me if I commit some offence." One day Rama and Laksmana saw a girl walking one day with a huge nose ring. In India the women wear big nose rings, sometimes so big that when they go on the bus the woman's son can hold it. So she had this huge nose ring, and she was walking with a water-pot. Laksmana looked at it and he laughed. He said, "Look at that nose ring! It's so big." Lord Rama said to him, "Vasistha is looking away, so let us do some pastime." So they looked around and they saw an arrow. They took that arrow, but they had not been taught yet how to do archery. "I will make this small," Laksmana said, and he shot the arrow. While the girl was walking, the arrow came next to her nose and started pouring some sort of mystical substance on the nose ring, which became so small that it got stuck on her nose and she couldn't breathe.

Then she dropped the water-pot, and she was trying to breathe but she can only breath in one nostril and she was very confused, so she began to call, "Help! Help!" Laksmana said, "Oh no, now Vasistha will hear and we will have a problem." Lord Rama said, "Don't worry," and he shot another arrow. That arrow made it big enough that she could breathe. So she turned around and said, "What is this you are doing to me?" Laksmana replied, "Oh, we made your nose ring small, but it was too small so then we made it big." "You made it big and then small?" she asked. "I don't believe it." "Oh, you don't believe it?" Laksmana asked, "So then we will take it off." Laksmana then shot another arrow which took the nose ring out of her nose, and all this was happening without touching her face. And then the nose ring was flying in the sky, and she began to cry out, "My nose ring! My nose ring!" Very quickly Rama fired another arrow and put the nose ring back in the nose. These were some of the childhood pastimes of Lord Rama. All these childhood pastimes are all archery and bows and arrows. Anyway, Rama was growing up and one day a rishi came, Visvamitra Muni. He came in the entrance of the palace, and he said to the messenger, "Where is that Dasaratha? You tell him that Kaushika is here." He is known as Kaushika because he is coming in the dynasty of Kusha. Kusha and Kushanabha were great kings.
In the Bhagavatam you read about them. So Kaushika was known for his anger. If he gets angry, he would curse and he will use all his tapovalam, all the strength of his austerity simply to place some obstacle. On one occasion he was sitting doing his meditation, and a bird passed stool on him. It's natural for a bird to pass stool, and it's natural for a rishi to sit under a tree. But stool on the head was not natural, and Visvamitra was very upset. He looked at the bird and burnt it. In burning that bird he used 50 years worth of tapovalam, because that bird had a long lifetime and he reduced it and suppressed it by his tapovalam, so now he lost the strength of that austerity. Then he got up and said, "This situation will make me remember that incident always, so now I will go to another tree." Then he would perform more austerity for another thousand years, and he was spending his whole life like this. So Dasaratha looked at Vasistha and said, "Kaushika is here. What am I supposed to do? I don't know what wrong I did, why he came to my palace, because he only goes to curse people or kill a demon or something." Vasistha said, "First of all, you must go from here to the messenger,and tell him to say that `The whole kingdom is yours. I am just taking two minutes to walk to the entrance. Please don't lose your temper'." So the messenger went back to Visvamitra and said, "King Dasaratha said that the whole kingdom is yours. He will take only two minutes to walk here. He wants you to be peaceful and take this nice asana." Visvamitra said, "I don't want any asana! Where is the king! Bring him here!" By the time Dasaratha got there, he fell at his feet and said, "What do you want? If you want the whole Kosala then please take it." "What?" the rishi asked. "I am not into kingdoms. I had a kingdom too."

He was a great prince, a ksatriya, and by some arrangement of the Lord he had become a Brahmin. "I do not want your kingdom," he said. "I have come here to ask something, and you must tell me that you will give it." Dasaratha was thinking, "I wonder what it could be that he wants? Maybe my head. I don't mind giving him that, but please don't let him ask for Rama."Visvamitra said, "What are you thinking? You are trying to save something."Dasaratha said, "No no, you just ask and I will give it." So then Visvamitra said, "I want Rama and Laksmana." Dasaratha immediately fainted. When he woke up, Visvamitra said, "See! You fainted, this means that you don't want to give. And you lied to me! I am rishi and you lied to me that you will give everything, and now you won't give. I'm not going to take them away forever; I only need them for a small purpose. I am doing a yajna, and someone is passing stool and urine on it. I want these children to come and play there, and then these demons will go away." "What? Demons?" And then Dasaratha fainted again. He couldn't bear his being taken to demons, so he said, "I will come. I will defeat them!" Visvamitra said, "Don't you think I can defeat them? I could easily defeat them, but I want Lord Rama and nothing else. What do you say?" "All right," Dasaratha said. "But please take good care of my son, and also teach Him something since you know so many things." Visvamitra said, "I know what I will do with Rama, and he is coming with me. Now." Dasaratha said, "But you have come a long way, you should rest a while in my palace.""I don't stay in palaces," Visvamitra said. "Where is Rama and Laksmana? Give them to me." So he took Rama and Laksmana and he left. They were walking, and as they were crossing so many rivers and going through so many different forests, Visvamitra was telling them stories, and Rama and Laksmana became so happy because there was no class and no study, this was like a complete vacation for them.

They were swimming here and swimming there, and Visvamitra was such a nice teacher that he would swim with them and play with them, tell them far-out stories of demons and goblins and ghosts. They were so happy. In the evening time at sunset, Visvamitra told them, "Now you do your sandhya, and then you sit here and listen to these mantras. I'm going to teach you some great, powerful mantras. One is known as Bala, strength. Another is known as Adibala, great strength. You may need them for these demons. So Rama and Laksmana sat down and listened to Bala and Adibala, and then they massaged the teacher, Visvamitra. Visvamitra took rest. The next day Visvamitra woke them up and they reached the ashrama of Visvamitra and they began a yajna. Then came this demon, a very famous demon called Marica. Marica was a great magician. Whenever he would come, then you would see that trees would be falling, the rivers would be flying up in the sky, and stars would be falling. The animals would also go crazy, the birds would scream, and the rishis would die as Marica' s breakfast was saintly persons only. For lunch he ate something else like ksatriyas or kings, but breakfast was sages. He was a cannibal, human eater. So Marica was coming there, and with him was Dusana. His very name is the same as his character. Dusana means "all bad things." His father named him like that, so it must have been a good family. Dusana and Marica were flying in space and were coming. So Rama and Laksmana were sitting there and Visvamitra was the head priest, he was offering ghee into the fire. He looked at Rama to signal that the demons were coming. Rama looked at Laksmana and said, "So Laksmana, what are you going to do?"

Laksmana said, "Yes, we will do something." So he took several arrows and shot them into the sky. They went up into the sky about three or four miles, and then from each arrow came a million arrows, and all together they formed a huge wheel of arrows, and this wheel started circling on top of the fire. So Marica and Dusana came and all that they saw was a wheel and some spokes. "Where is the fire?" Dusana said, "I told you I wanted to pass water three hours ago and you said I should wait till we got here. I have been holding it in, and I can't see the fire. What are you doing to me? Let me go pass somewhere." "No no," Marica said, "Visvamitra's fire, that is where we should pass." "But I can't see the fire, I only see this wheel." Then Marica said, "This must be the trick of these Brahmins. Let me come closer and see." So he came closer, and as he came close he got stuck with one of the spokes of the wheel, and he was thrown miles away. While he was already thrown, Lord Rama took one blade of grass, and he threw it at Marica. It got stuck on his back and carried him to the ocean. He fell in the ocean, and after that he never touched the Indian land again. He opened an ashrama and became a babaji somewhere in Sri Lanka, and didn't even go back to see his family. That was what happened to Marica, and Dusana was k illed. All this killing was done by grass. Then the yajna was over and Visvamitra came to Lord Rama and he said, "What a great, wonderful thing you did! I saw Marica flying away and falling into the ocean." Then Visvamitra said, "There's only one small question I want to ask You.""What?" Lord Rama replied. "What about Bala and Adibala and all those mantras I gave You?" Lord Rama said, "That is for an emergency, then we will use these ones. Grass is sufficient for these demons." Then Visvamitra said a famous verse, that for a mighty person even grass becomes an astra. Lord Rama is so mighty, He's the source of all Bala. So why should He take Bala and Adibala? In this way He finished the demons.

Untold story from Ramayana - Part 3

2014-07-22T17:09:00.000+05:30

CHAPTER 2: STORYOF RSAYASRNGA (cont'd)

When Vibondaka left, the demigods made arrangements and got him involved in so many other things so that Rsayasrnga was left by himself. Rsayasrnga went to the river to take water for the yajna, and he saw this moving ashrama. He'd never been anywhere, but he'd studied a lot of shastra, and he'd never heard of anything like this before. And whenever the description came of women, Vibondaka would never explain it. He would never read such parts. In this way he was kept brainwashed to be a brahmacari. He looked at this ashrama, "This is so nice." And then he saw some figures in there. "What kind of rishis are these? This is a different type of rishi." He became very eager. "Anyway, if they are in the area, they must visit my father's ashrama." And they did come. They just made sure that Vibondaka was not around, and then three of the great saintly people walked out of the boat. And then they came, raising their hands and calling "Rsayasrnga! Rsayasrnga!" Usually when the rishis came they called for Vibondaka. So he saw these rishis coming, and he went and addressed them. And after addressing them he was asking, "Where are you coming from? Which planet? What mantras do you chant? How come by the touch of your bodies all my hairs are standing on end? Why am I having suchromancha?" They were smiling at each other, and they said, "We are rishis from another place, it is eight yojanas from here.

It is an island, and no human beings come there. We are born with perfection. We came to see your father. We know that you are very learned, so in our moving ashrama, we want you to come and stay for a few days." Rsayasrnga said, "I would be very happy to do that, but my father is not here. I don't even brush my teeth unless my father tells me to. So how will I go away from here, and who will perform the yajna three times daily?" One lady said, "I will do it, I am expert in this line." And she sat down. Somehow Rsayasrnga fell prey for this. These were saintly people, so why shouldn't they do yajna? And they looked different, very attractive. He couldn't understand what the tejas was that was coming from that body and attracting him. He didn't know it was lust. This was never explained to him. So he left that lady there doing yajna, and they had a flower ladder from the ashrama up to the bank of the river. This ashrama was filled with saintly people, so somehow they engaged him in listening to music, and dancing and so many other things, and slowly they came to Angadesha. In Angadesha there was big reception arranged for Rsayasrnga, brahmacari incarnate. There was purna-kumbha and there was mantras and Brahmins. The Brahmins all came to know that Rsayasrnga was coming, and they came and waited there. He was worshipped like anything.

He saw more saintly people were sitting there in that country, and they were sitting with other saintly people. Then he started realizing that something was wrong in his understanding. He asked the king, "Why have you brought me here?" But as soon as he stepped off the boat, rain came. And people were all happy, they were showering akshada and touching his feet. All the people came and told him, "You must never leave our country. You must become the son-in-law of our king." He didn't know what son in-law meant. So then they had to have special classes for him to explain how to become a son-in-law. Then he understood everything and finally he blessed the king by marrying Shanti, Dasaratha's daughter. In the meantime Vibondaka had returned to his ashrama, and saw this lady sitting there offering ghee into the fire. He grabbed her by the hair and said, "Who are you? What are you doing with my fire? It's been here for six thousand years. You came and contaminated it. What are you doing?"She said, "I am not this body. I am spirit soul." Vibondaka said, "That's very nice, that you're not this body, but you are not supposed to do this." So then she said, "No no, Rsayasrnga told me to do this." So he said, "So come on tell me, where is Rsayasrnga? What did you do to him? There was one man in this world who was pure, and you spoiled him too!" And then the lady said, "What could we do, this was a nationalistic service. We are serving the nation. In the service of our nation we have done something so we will go to heavenly planet." So then Vibondaka said, "I'm going to curse that king, that Angadesha Raja! He's getting rain, but I will see that he gets nothing anymore. The lady fell at his feet and said, "At least do the curse there. Then he will know you are cursing him.

Don't do the curse from here." "All right," he said. He was so angry, but Romapada was so clever, he was arranging for many Brahmins chanting mantras, glorifying Vibondaka, showing pictures of Kashyapa Muni just to attract him. But Vibondaka came and said, "Where is the king? Bring him here!" Romapada came and begged, "Please don't curse me! Already there are enough curses! All that I have done is that I have made your son the king of this country." So then something dawned on Vibondaka. "My so has become the king of this country. Now he has become the king, he has to protect the citizens. If I curse, then the blame is on him because he couldn't protect his citizens." So then he called his son, "Rsayasrnga, come here." Rsayasrnga came, and Vibondaka said, "All right, as soon as one son is born, you must be back in the ashrama. You understand?" This was the time when Dasaratha was told, by Vasistha Muni, the story. And Vasistha said, "If you personally go, then Rsayasrnga may come." So Dasaratha started, with all his paraphernalia, his seven akshauhini-shainyas, and arrived in Angadesha. Romapada was thinking "What is this? Suddenly Dasaratha is coming with his army. He is going to fight with me or what?" So he came with a white flag. "There is no question that your army can even stay in my country. Your army is so big that they can only just stand inside my country, not much more. Why are you coming with seven akshauhini-shainyas?" Dasaratha said, "No, I am just coming to request Rsayasrnga to come and perform a yajna for me." Romapada said, "I don't know. I don't know how long the yajna will be. I'm not going to play any more tricks, because already Vibondaka has told him, `One son and you are back in the ashrama'." Dasaratha said, "I will fall at his feet. He has protected your kingdom, why will he not save my country too? Why will he not do it?" So Dasaratha went there, paid his pranams, and he cried and told Rsayasrnga, "I have no hope. I will jump in the fire of asvamedha instead of the horse, if you don't come." So then Rsayasrnga calculated, "How many days are left?" It was 28 days more before the delivery. "That's all right. In 24 days I will come and do putra-kamesti."

So he came, and right next to the asvamedha-yajna he created another fire from that, and he quickly started putra-kamesti. And when he was finishing with the purnahoti, the yajna-purusha came, a dark, black figure which was three miles tall. He had a huge big pot in his hand. He was holding Narayana in it, so it was no small affair. He said to Dasaratha, "Please give this sweet rice to your queens." Dasaratha was looking at the size of the pot, and he was thinking, "If I give this to my queens, then there will be no more queens." It was a huge big pot. asaratha asked Vasistha, "How is this possible? How can they eat this much sweet rice?"So then Vasistha said, "You ask Rsayasrnga, he will tell you." Rsayasrnga asked the yajna-purusha, "Why are you giving such a big pot to these human beings that they can't even hold it?" The yajna-purusha said, "The personality who is coming is so powerful, that you can't reduce him smaller than this." Then Rsayasrnga closed his eyes and said, "Ah! Bigger than the biggest, and smaller that the smallest. He is in this pot. You give it to me." So he took the pot, and it became small. By the request of Rsayasrnga the Lord reduced His aishvarya, and the pot became small. He gave it to Dasaratha and said, "All right, I have two days to get to my ashrama. In between I have to take care of the delivery." So Dasaratha took the sweet rice. He gave half of it to Kausalya. The remainder he split in two, one for Sumitra and one to Kaikeyi. After Kaikeyi drank it, there was still some left, so that was also given to Sumitra. In this way the Lord came as Lord Ramacandra in Kausalya's womb. He came as Laksmana and Satrughna in Sumitra's womb, and he came as Bharata in Kaikeyi's womb. Vasudeva came as Ramacandra, Sankarsana came as Laksmana. The Sudarshan disc came as Bharata, and the Pancajanya conchshell came as Satrughna.

Untold stories from Ramayana - Part 2

2014-07-15T17:06:00.002+05:30

CHAPTER 2: STORY OF RSAYASRNGA

So then Vasistha told the story of Rsayasrnga. Srnga means "horns" or "a person possessing horns." Rsa means "deer," so Rsayasrnga means "a human possessing horns." He is a human being with deer horns who performs yajna and speaks Sanskrit. Vasistha said, "I will tell you the story of Rsayasrnga. Long ago, Kashyapa Muni produced a son while meditating on the sunlight. While he was meditating on the sunlight, suddenly he thought of a personality. When he thought of a personality, that person would come into existence. And he would come out of his mind. Kashyapa was Prajapati, "progenitor." And this person was known as Vibondaka. As soon as Vibondaka came out of Kashyapa's mind, he went to the deepest forests in Madhya Pradesh which is now very famous as Chandal Valley.

All the dacoits are there. That is where Vibondaka went, and he performed ugra-tapasa, very severe austerities. He was only performing tapasa for self-realization, but Indra was worried. Indra has a special secretary for this department. He gives him a list of people who are performing austerities, because he is so worried that they may become the opposition and may even try to usurp his own seat. So when he heard the name Vibondaka he asked, "What kind of tapasa is he doing?" The secretary mentioned to him, "He is performing such huge austerities that if he were to ever get angry, this whole universe would be burnt to ashes. And if he ever thinks of anything, it will automatically come to him without his having to perform any sacrifice. This is the potency of his tapovalam." Indra said, "Then he is my candidate. I will have to work on him." He thought of all the damsels on his planet, and he decided, "These are no good." So then he went to Satyaloka, Brahma's planet. In Satyaloka there are damsels who are self-realized souls. They dance only for the pleasure of the deity that Brahma keeps for worship. Indra, for his political purpose, wanted to pollute these damsels. So he went to Brahma, but he couldn't spend much time there because if you are too long in Brahma's planet by the time you return your time will be over, So Indra said, "Give me the best damsel, quickly! I have to go!" So Brahma said, "All right, take this one."

There was one lady called Harsha, because she was always smiling. Harsha came with Indra, and even while flying with Harsha, Indra could understand that he was so greedy and lusty, and this woman was so saintly and serene, always meditating on the Absolute Truth. He was thinking, "What happens if I send her and they both become self- realized?" Indra wanted something wrong to happen. So he fell at the feet of Harsha, and said, "Please, protect my seat." Harsha said, "I don't think that this Vibondaka desires to enjoy anything." Because she was sitting in Satyaloka she could see Vibondaka and what type of austerity he was doing. So she said, "You are unnecessarily sending me there, and I may even get burnt by his anger. But because Brahma has told then I am coming with you. Vibondaka has no such material desires.

He won't even look at me. I don't know how I'm going to attract him and make him fall." Indra said, "I don't know what you will do, but at least get it confirmed from him that he has no desire to become Indra. Then my position is safe." So Harsha said, "All right, I will do it. Whatever is given to me as a mission I will accomplish. “So Harsha came to that valley, and Vibondaka was coming from the Ganges and going to his ashrama. So she came and sat there, and chanted mantras. There are different ways of making people fall down. Whatever is your weak spot, that can be used. Vibondaka's weak spot was mantras and meditation, so she started chanting mantras. Vibondaka was so absorbed, and then suddenly he heard this clear pronunciation of Vedic mantras, clearer than anything else he had ever heard anywhere in the three planets. He turned back and looked at her, and immediately she fell at his feet. She said, "Only for the prayer of getting tras. Vedic mantras which are chanted should not go in vain. Somebody must give a benediction, and I don't want this benediction from anyone else, not even from Brahma. I only want It from you.

If you don't accept this request, then I will perform austerities and I will leave my body. And brahma-hatya will come to you." In this way she blackmailed him. So Vibondaka said, "What is this? I am just trying to peacefully think of God. Why is this trouble coming?" So he looked at her and said, "I am Vibondaka, and I have no interest in this world. I don't know why I was even sent here, but Kashyapa produced me. I am just trying to go away from here. What is this, giving you a son? You can't get a son from anywhere else? You mention any other person, and I will command him to give you a son. If you want a son from Brahma, I will request him. If you want a son from my father Kashyapa, I will request him. Why me, in the whole creation?" So she said, "No, only you. You are the only person who should give me a son." And then he said, "No this is not possible. I am not going to do it. If you have been even been thinking about me like that, that is bad for me." And then he said, "Here is the potency from my body. You can arrange for getting a son." And he dropped some semen and left. Harsha then understood that Indra had nothing to fear, so her mission was fulfilled. But this shukla coming out of the body of Vibondaka, was there burning the whole world. She was now responsible for it, she had to direct it somewhere. She did not want to hold it and produce a son, because that was only a trick she was using. But when she looked up she saw a very transcendental deer moving around there. So immediately by her potency, she put the semen in the body of the deer, and the deer conceived a child. Since it was the conception of a rishi, it did not stay for more than a night. The next morning, the deer delivered a baby. It had a human form, but with deer horns. This was Rsayasrnga.

So this deer ran to the ashrama of Vibondaka and started crying. Vibondaka saw this and thought, "Why are these things happening to me? Some lady wants a son, and now a deer is crying in my ashrama." So Vibondaka asked the deer, "What is wrong? Who is giving you trouble?" The deer started walking away and Vibondaka followed. The deer brought him to where Rsayasrnga was, and Vibondaka saw this shining young baby with deer horns. He thought, "Oh, this is my son. If nobody wants him, then I will take care of him." Then Vibondaka thought, "Now I know why I was sent here, for some reason. Kashyapa did not conceive me for nothing. I am supposed to conceive this son, and God knows what he is going to conceive." So Vibondaka brought him to the ashrama and gave him milk. He taught him Vedas and Upanishads and philosophy. There was no woman in that forest, which was yojanas wide. There was not even any tigresses, only tigers. So Rsayasrnga had no idea of women. He grew up, and for everything he was depending on his father. He would ask his father, "Father, can I take this book and read?" And if his father said yes, then he would do it.

He would ask, "Father, should I brush my teeth?" And if the father said yes, he would brush his teeth. He was so dependent on his father. He would always walk everywhere holding his father's hand. In this way Rsayasrnga grew up to be the most innocent person in the creation. Lord Ramacandra had to appear, and if he was to appear then the yajna-purusha has to give the khir, and if that khir is to come, then the yajna has to be performed by someone who has never seen a woman. Lord Ramacandra's advent was not that easy. This whole story is already in Visnu Purana. In this way Rsayasrnga was growing up, never hearing of any woman. Dasaratha, when his daughter was born to Kausalya, he was thinking, "What shall I do with this daughter?" Then one day, from Angadesha, the country of Anga, Dasaratha's friend Romapada (which means "hairy feet") was hankering for a child too. He had some sons, but he had no daughter. This is the material world. He who has daughters, he is hankering for a son. And he who has sons is hankering for a daughter. And he who has no children, they are hoping for children, and those who have children are thinking "How to get rid of them," and they send them to Gurukula. So Romapada came to Dasaratha and said, "You are my very good friend, and you have no sons. You always think, `What is the use of a daughter?' And I want a daughter, so why don't you give her to me?" And Dasaratha said, "All right, you can have her." So he gave Shanti in adoption to the king of Angadesha known asRomapada. Romapada brought Shanti to his kingdom.

And whether it way the girl's misfortune or the king's misfortune, the second day was the day the rainy season was supposed to start but there was no rain. The whole rainy season went by and there was no rain. The second rainy season also went by with no rain. A big famine came about. So the king went to the astrologer and asked him, "Why is there famine in my kingdom? Is it due to this daughter? Everyone is saying it is due to her." They found out that during some yajna that had been performed by Romapada he had cheated a Brahmin. He first promised him, "I will give you this much amount of diamonds," but while he was counting the diamonds to be given as dakshina, he found one diamond which was very valuable, and he thought, "What is the Brahmin going to do with this?" So he took it out, and put a bigger diamond in its place, which was less valuable. When he gave the bag of diamonds to the Brahmin, the Brahmin touched the bag and said, "You cheated me! You removed one of these diamonds and put a bigger diamond to cheat me." It was inside the bag, and the king was thinking, "How does he know this?" The Brahmin said, "I am a Brahmin, so I know this. You are cheating, so all the Brahmins will leave this country." So he formed a big union and all the Brahmins wa lked out of the country. No more Brahmins means no more yajna, and it was Treta-yuga, so no yajna means no food.

The king was wondering what to do, so slowly from here and there he collected some Brahmins from other countries, and he brought them on immigration, so they couldn't stay long. These Brahmins were coming and going, and in this way he was running his kingdom. Now famine had come due to this curse, and the fact that all the Brahmins had left his country. So the astrologer said, "So to solve this problem, you have to bring all the Brahmins back." Romapada said, "But these Brahmins have formed a union. They won't come back." "They will come back if you bring one person here." Romapada asked, "Who is that?" "There is one rishi. He has never seen a woman. And he doesn't even know what is a woman. That person must come, and he must marry your daughter. If that rishi stays in your kingdom, then the Brahmins will not stay anywhere else. They will come here, because he is such a learned person. To see him, they will come. And after they come, they will stay." So now he had to get this Rsayasrnga, and he was thinking "How to get him?" So he asked this to his ministers, and they said, "Rsayasrnga is not an easy object, his father is Vibondaka. If Vibondaka gets angry he will burn the universe to ashes. If you try to get his son he will get angry, and then there is no necessity of yajna or rain, because the whole universe will be burnt, and you will also be burnt." "So what to do?" Romapada asked.

"You have to use some trick," his ministers replied. Then they advised him, "You must go and consult the society girls, the famous prostitutes of the country." So then Romapada made an announcement, "Special interview with the prostitutes of the country." They all came, and they were thinking it had something to do with dance or music, or something like that. But when they heard that they had to bring Rsayasrnga, then they ran away because everybody knew this person. However, one lady came up, and she said, "For the benefit of my country, I will sacrifice myself. I will try; if he comes, that's good. Then the kingdom will be happy. If he doesn't come, only a prostitute will be killed. What's the problem? I don't care, I will go." Romapada asked, "What do want in return?" "I don't want anything, let the country be happy." "What help do you need?" Romapada asked. "Your treasury, whenever I go, must open. And if I want anything from any department, they must say yes, because you must know I am sacrificing my life." So the king gave her a special green card. Anywhere she goes, anything she wants she would get. She made a boat which was four miles long and two miles wide.

On top of the boat she made an ashrama. This boat was totally covered with trees and bushes, flower gardens, lakes and deer. All kinds of things she put in there. And thousands of people were rowing the boat, but you couldn't see anything, it was all covered by bushes. There were pathways, small mountains, waterfalls, everything was created. It looked like a island, but it was moving. No-one knew what it was. They all though it was the gandharvas who have come. It was a special ashrama, no men. Only women were there. No tigers, only tigresses. It was filled up with women. They all had rudrakshas, tulasi-malas, jasmine flowers tied up in their hair, and they were all praying, doing meditation and chanting mantras. This boat was floating so nicely down the river, and somehow or other they got it into Madhya Pradesh. So as they reached Vibondaka's ashrama, Vibondaka went out to help a sage who had gotten stuck in the mouth of an elephant. He was calling, "Save me! Save me!" And no-one heard him, only Vibondaka. So he told Rsayasrnga, "You must perform the yajna three times daily. Don't worry about cleaning the ashrama, because it's too big for you. Just perform the yajna till I get back."

Untold stories from Ramayan-part 9

2014-07-01T15:28:00.000+05:30

CHAPTER 7 THE GREAT MONKEY ARMY

When the monkeys were looking for Sita, they were going to commit suicide on account of their not being able to find her. Angada was putting the kusa grass, and he said, "I'm going to die. I can't find Sita." The other monkeys said, "No, no, there is a nice secure place where we can go to live." Hanuman chastised them. "This is illusion," he said. Hanuman got so upset, and he was chastising Angada and the rest of the monkeys. "What are you trying to do? Do you want to end your life in a prestigious way, or do you want to go for some `security'?" They were on a mission for Ramacandra. They had to find Sita and then come back with that information. Thirty thousand monkeys went on that mission. That was only in the south. In the north there were eighty thousand monkeys. And because east and west were not so important, there was only ten thousand in those places. The greatest corporals and generals of Sugriva were ordained to go, and they were told not to come back until they found Sita. Unfortunately all the other groups came back. The north, the east and the west. But the southern party was still going. Hanuman, Jambavan, Angada and Nila were the greatest leaders of that group. We have discussed Hanuman's appearance already. Now we will discuss Jambavan. Jambavan is the oldest created being in the universe, apart from Brahma. When Brahma was thinking of making the creation and he had the vision of the Lord, the Lord shook hands with him and gave him the information of Bhagavatam, aham evasya evagre. "I am before everything and after everything." Brahma was contemplating to create, and he was thinking, "How great is this creation, and how am I going to do it?" In the meantime, the Garbhodakasayi Visnu was laying down on the snake, and from both of his ears, two drops of sweat came out. One drop became Madhu, a great demon, and the other became Kaitava, another great demon. Madhu and Kaitava came and met, and shook hands. They looked back and said, "We must finish this." This is a demon. You take shelter of something, and then when you are done with it you destroy it. This Rakshasa mentality of Madhu and Kaitava created a bad atmosphere and Brahma started sweating. The sweat came from hisfour faces. Lord Visnu got up and looked at Madhu and Kaitava and said, "O great personalities Madhu and Kaitava, please give me a benediction." They said, "This is easy! He is surrendering to us. Do you know who we are?" they addressed him. "Oh, you are the great Madhu and Kaitava, supremely powerful persons." They said, "What benediction do you want, Visnu?" Visnu said, "You give me a benediction that I can fight with you." "Oh, you want a fight?" they said. "That is what we are expecting too. Now it is more prestigious for us, because it is our benediction. Yes you can fight with us, but one thing. If ever you think that you want to kill us, you can only kill us in a place where there is no earth, no water, no air, no fire, no ether, no mind, no intelligence and no false ego. You can kill us in that spot." That means that they cannot be killed anywhere in the universe, that was what they were thinking. They didn't know anything beyond the universe, because they were demons.

Then Visnu started fighting with them, and it went on for a long time. While the fight was going on, Brahma was sweating again because of the whole evil atmosphere created by Madhu and Kaitava. This time with the sweat came a small entity, and it was there on his cheek. It was moving around there. Brahma said, "What is this?" and he looked at it. It started growing, so he threw it on the floor. It grew more, and it was a bear. No species were present at that time. "What is this?" Brahma said. Black bear with so much hair on the body, and it grew and grew and became so strong. It spoke in Sanskrit. He spoke to Brahma, "You have created me, so where shall I go?" Brahma said, "I created something without my knowledge. You go to Jambunada." That was one piece of land in the water of dissolution, Jambunada-ksetra. So immediately he entered Jambunada, and he sat down there and was looking around. What he saw was Madhu and Kaitava fighting. He was clapping his hands and whistling, and he called out, "Wonderful! Hit him on the head!" He was the audience. Visnu was going up into the sky and picking them up and throwing them. They were so strong, coming from the ear of Visnu, so they were giving a good fight. Garbhodakasayi Visnu was laying down on Sesa naga for a long time, so he wanted to have some pastime. He wanted to have some entertainment, so he created somebody and started fighting. He took Madhu and Kaitava on his lap, and then with his hand he crushed them. They were finished, because there was no earth, water, fire, air, ether, mind, intelligence or false ego. His was a transcendental body. Jambavan jumped up and down and said, "Wonderful, wonderful fight! Can I see more?"

Visnu said, "You wait for the creation to start. Then there will be so many fights." So creation started, and the Manvantaras came one by one. There was a great dissolution, and Satyavrata was on the boat, and a golden fish came, a huge big fish with a horn. With Vasuki, the snake, they tied the fish's horn yo that boat. The sapta-rishis were there and Jambavan was sitting there looking. "Aah, what a nice fish," he said, and he circumambulated the fish. The fish was circumambulating the whole universe. In this way Jambavan had a good engagement at that time. Jambavan will not die, he is a ciranjiva. He was getting old, but he was quite strong. Then Kurma-avatar came, and Jambavan witnessed that also. He also was there when Varaha-avatar slapped Hiranyaksa. Hiranyaksa was slapped and he went up circling around, and while he was circling around his eyes came out of his sockets, and Jambavan was playing with them. "What a wonderful fight!" That was finished, and he saw Nrsimhadeva also. And then Vamanadeva appeared. When Vamanadeva grew into a huge big figure lifting his leg and piercing the universe from the top, Jambavan, in six moments, circled this great form of Trivikrama eighteen times. That was the speed of Jambavan. He was in ecstasy, "Oh! What a beautiful form!" He was going around and around, eighteen times in six moments. When he was coming back down he was in so much ecstasy, and he scratched Mount Meru with his toe-nails. Meru got upset. Meru came in person and said, "Hey, you dirty bear! What are you doing to me? You are touching me with your foot. Even the sapta-rishis don't do this, they float over me. They don't set foot on me. You are doing this, so you become old. Because you are young and so fast, you have offended me. You become old and weak." He cursed him. So Jambavan became very old. Meru told him, "Although you are old, when the pastimes of Lord Ramacandra come, you will do a lot of service for him."

This was Jambavan. And Jambavan was called by Sugriva, who said to him, "Jambavan, you are the oldest. There is nothing that you don't know. There is no demigod that you don't know. There is no avatar that you haven't seen. There is no ocean that you don't know. You know everything in this creation. So you must help Angada, the son of Bali. Find out where Sita is." Jambavan agreed, and he told Angada, "Don't worry. I cannot fly like before, but I know every place. I can be your guide in this area of south India. Somehow we will find Mother Sita." Then there was Nila. Nila was also a Brahma-putra, a mental son of Brahma, and he was an engineer, a chemist and a scientist. He was also a bear, a bear scientist. So this scientist could float stones, reduce and increase the density of stone, he was such a physicist and chemist that he could take different things, mix them up and create diverse effects of colour, smell, and various feelings. He could change feelings by chemical combination. He could take something and mix with something else, and you would feel miserable. By another combination he could make you feel happy. He could make you feel angry and even change someone's mind by chemicals, without that person having to take it, unlike the drugs of today. He constructed a kingdom in Kishkinda which was so strong. It was complete stone, no cement or concrete. Just stone on top of stone. It was constructed so each stone was holding another, and it was a huge big palace, very strong. This is Nila. Hanuman, Jambavan, Nila and Angada set forward with thirty thousand vanaras. They looked everywhere, but couldn't find anything. Then they came to the Vindhya mountains. By the time they had crossed the forest, which had no leaves (big trees are there, but they are only branches because one rishi's son cursed the forest, "You will become barren"). So many trees are there but there are no leaves. No leaves means no flowers, and no flowers means no fruit, so all the monkeys were hungry. Already they had been about three weeks with no water and no food. They didn't know what to do. They saw a black cave in front of the Vindhya mountains. Hanuman said to Angada, "We are great warriors, so we must have some thrill. Let us enter this cave." All the monkeys said, "No, no, we are not going inside this cave. Already there is no water, no food, and if you go inside this cave there will be no light. And if you go deeper there will be no air, and we will all die."

So Hanuman said, "Whoever wants to go, raise their hand." So Jambavan, Angada, Nila and of course Hanuman, and a few other monkeys, they all raised their hands. Hanuman said, "All right, hold my tail." So Angada was holding his tail, and Nila was holding Angada's tail. Jambavan was in the middle, because he was old and they didn't want to lose him, and there were other monkeys and all of them started walking into this cave. The only symptoms that they saw was some birds coming from inside, and their wings were wet. Hanuman said, "Look, their wings are wet. That means some water is there. And if the birds are coming from inside the cave that means some people must be living there. It must be a nice place, so everyone should come." He was preaching like this, and the monkeys were one by one joining. A few were standing there and wondering what to do. They thought, "Hanuman, Jambavan and everyone else are all going, and we are standing here. There is no water here, and they are the only protection for us. If they are gone, what will we do?" So they also decided to go. All the monkeys joined, they all went into the cave. Every five minutes Jambavan was shouting the names of all the different monkeys, just to check that everyone was there, because it was so dark, you couldn't see anything. And after crossing eighty miles in complete darkness, finally there was a glimmer of light coming. Hanuman shouted, "Rama! Rama! Rama! There is light here. Maybe there are some people and we can get some food. We are hungry monkeys." So they all went towards the light and discovered a beautiful city inside the cave. And so many mansions were there. These mansions were all made with gold and rubies and diamonds, they couldn't believe their eyes. There was lakes and lotus flowers, nice creepers and fruits. Angada said, "Don't believe this. It may be the work of some demon, that as soon as we go in he will swallow us. Don't touch anything. Keep leaping." They were leaping from one place to another, and then they leaped into a mansion. Without making any sound they were inside and looking around. They found one woman who was dressed in tiger skin, with matted locks of hair. She had a trident in her hand. "What is this?" they said. "She looks like a babaji, and she is in this wonderful palace." Hanuman went in front, and he folded his hands. Hanuman is very good in talking. He gave a smile. He said, "Please tell us who you are. You look like a very spiritually advanced person." Flattery. "I hope you are not a demoness. But you don't look like one, you look very pious. So you must tell us who you are." She said, "First you tell me who you are. How did you get inside this place? This is a mystic place, and human beings, gandharvas, vanaras, can never come here. Only celestials can come here." Jambavan was mumbling, "Yes, yes, they are all celestials. They only look like monkeys."Angada asked him, "What did you say?" "No, no," Jambavan replied. "I am just telling something old." Jambavan had been in Rama-lila before, and every time they had gone in search of Sita, and every time they had gone into this cave also. Every time he saw something like that, he would say, because he has seen it so many times. They were seeing it for the first time, because demigods keep changing, but Jambavan is the same Jambavan. Hanuman said, "We are all servants of Lord Ramacandra, the son ofDasaratha." Then she said, "This Ramacandra, I don't think he's the son of an earthly king, because otherwise how just by chanting his name could you cross that dark cave. It is not possible for anyone to do that. This must be an incarnation of Visnu." Jambavan said, "She also knows so much.

I know that he is an incarnation of the Supreme Lord, and I also know who will find Sita." Some monkeys said, "What did you say?" Jambavan said, "Don't listen to me. I'm just an old bear, and old people always mumble like this." Hanuman and this lady got into a good conversation. Hanuman pleased her, and she told her identity. She was a friend of Hema, and Hema was the daughter of Mount Meru. This Hema was once being kept captive in that city by one great demon called Mayasura. He was a great magician. Indra came, and he sent his vajra, and he finished this demon Maya. He took charge of Hema, and she became Indra's wife. Hema was alone in that huge big magical city, so Indra requested Meru to send his daughter so they could have some association. Hema had gone out somewhere, so that is why this lady was there. She was an ascetic, and she believed in worship of impersonal Brahman, and mukti. She was there with tiger skin and trident. This was the story. Hanuman said, "We are very hungry, and we are monkeys. Please give us something to eat." "No problem," she said. "You just go into this garden and you can eat plenty of fruits, fill your stomachs." So the whole army went into this beautiful garden of Mayasura, and they ate stomachs full. They came to drink water, and after drinking water she supplied them with wine which they also took. They took a little wine. The wine back then was just a drink, not an intoxicant. In this way they enjoyed nicely, and they asked her, "You please tell us how we can now get out of the cave."She said, "Get out of this cave? No, you can never get out of this cave."They said, "What? You've fed us nicely, you've given us so much nice drink, and now you're going to keep us in prison?" Hanuman took his club and said, "You want to see this?" She said, "Wait a minute, you just ate in my house. You can't fight with me. I said, `You can't get out of the cave'. I never said that you won't go out of the cave. All of you, close your eyes." They all closed their eyes. And then she said, "Now open your eyes." And when they opened their eyes they were not there. In front of them was a huge big ocean, Mahodadhi.... to be continued

[In the last part, Hanuman and the monkey army had just left the cave of Mayasura and were transported to the ocean, Mahodadhi.]

Transcribed from lectures given by His Grace Atma-tattva dasa during Gaura-purnima in Sridham Mayapura

Untold Stories from Ramayan- part 13

2014-06-25T15:30:00.000+05:30

CHAPTER 9: HANUMAN'S ADVENTURES IN SRI LANKA

All these stories were going through Hanuman's mind as he stood there before Shri Lanka, how Ravana got cursed in many places, and how he is so foolish. Hanuman actually felt very compassionate, and he was thinking, "If I see Ravana, by any method, I will give him good advice. I will tell him that he is very intelligent, and that maybe he could use his intelligence. Just give back Sita, and everything will be alright." Hanuman went into the city, and it was just before midnight. The moon was present, and he could smell wine all over the city. Practically 99.9% of the population was drunk. Everyone was in the enjoying mode, and in Shri Lanka there was plenty of enjoyment to be had. These demons went all over the world, and brought women from all over the world. Ravana had more than 12,000 wives.

All of them liked him, although he was a demon. He had a brownish colour, but the form of his body was next to the beauty of Upendra (the brother of Indra, not the dwarf incarnation of Vishnu). He had a very broad chest and a beautiful face. Sometimes he is depicted as very ugly, but actually he was not ugly. When he got angry or lusty, he could produce such ugly forms, but Ravana's true form looks very beautiful. Vishnu Purana, Valmiki and all the narrators describe as a person of great granduer. When Hanuman and Sugriva, or anyone for that matter saw him for the first time, they would think, "This cannot be Ravana, because his body is so beautifully designed. This man must be full of good qualities. He cannot be a demon. We must have made a mistake." He was so beautiful.

He had this hole in his chest which was from the tusk of Airavata. He had other holes in his body from Sampati, but he covered these with his silk cloth. He had a beautiful hairstyle. His speech of course was so excellent that he could speak and make day look like night. These are the glories of Ravana. Amongst his queens were nagas, and there were princesses from Satyaloka, Siddhaloka, Caranaloka, Gandharvikas, every species of life was present in his palace as queens. They all liked him and respected him. Ravana's country was so good. There was plenty of fruit and food, and they had dharma which was followed. Ravana was ruling wonderfully, and no-one had any fear in Shri Lanka. They had no fear even from Indra, Candra or Agni, because Ravana was so respected. So Hanuman was going from room to room. "Is Sita here? Is Sita there?" In every room he found about ten beds and so many queens sleeping. Hanuman was a naisthika brahmacari, and he was thinking, "Oh God, I have to do this. All these queens of Ravana are sleeping here, and most of them are drunk." It is not good for a brahmacari to see a woman while she is sleeping, and Hanuman had to do this. At first he thought, "Should I do this?" And then he concluded, "I am serving Rama, and if I don't look at all of them, Sita may be somewhere in between, and I will miss her." So he made up his mind, "I'm not going to be attracted. How will I not be attracted? I won't stop chanting Rama's name." So he was chanting, "Rama, Rama, Rama, Rama," and he was looking everywhere. When Hanuman saw so many queens, their make-up and dress, their beds and their silk, he was completely shocked. "What kind of place is this? It is like a heavenly planet." They had false eyelashes, they had shaven their eyebrows, and they had coloured in 12 tones from the eyelash up to the eyebrows.

Hanuman actually saw this. He got scared by looking at them. He said, "If they are so beautiful, why do they have to put false eyelashes on?" Hanuman saw all this, and he was very happy. "This man, whatever he has done, is enjoying his senses very nicely. At least he is good at that." And then he came and saw in the middle of a room a wonderful bed made of coral and diamonds, and on top of it was white silk covering the bed. There was a brown figure lying there with big shoulders and wonderful bodily beauty, and he was snoring. Hanuman said, "So beautiful, but he is snoring and his mouth is wide open. He must be very ignorant person." Although Ravana has so much knowledge, still there is ignorance." Then Hanuman looked around and saw that there was a white umbrella on the side of the bed. That means he is the king. So Hanuman looked at him, and then he walked backwards to get a better look. And then closer and closer. He looked from all angles. "Oh! What a great fighter." Then he saw the hole, and he said, "I have heard about this hole. This man would have fought with Airavata." Hanuman was getting fired up, and he thought, "I would like to fight with him. But if I wake him up everything will be spoiled." And then he looked around on the other side, and he saw a very beautiful woman laying down on the bed. The smell of wine was coming from her mouth. Hanuman had never seen Sita. He inspected the woman and said, "Oh! A heavenly body. This person must be Sita. No, how can it be Sita? She is the chaste wife of Ramacandra. Here she is brought by the demon, and she is dressing herself nicely with silk and ornaments, and she's laying there with wine on her breath. I am a monkey, but I do have some discrimination. How can this be Sita? Sita would be lean and skinny and crying with demonesses around her. That is Sita, not this. This is not Sita." Then he looked everywhere but he couldn't find Sita. So he came out of the palace, and he was thinking, "What should I do? I was preaching to Angada, `Don't give up your body. And don't try for some security.' But now it looks like I will have to do that, jump in the ocean and die. How can I go back and tell them, `Yes, I went across the ocean, I saw Ravana, but no Sita'. What will they do to me? If I go to Sugriva he will kill me. Even Angada himself may kill me. And If I see Ramacandra's dissatisfied face I will die myself. What is the use of my existence? Let me die."

And then he was walking and crossing the gardens and coming to the ocean. He thought, "Let me check once more." He looked at the garden. It was Ashoka-vana, Ashoka trees. Very thick garden. He thought, "Sita must be in this forest. Why? Because Ravana would have kept her in a nice garden, but she will be thinking of these Ashoka trees. In Pancavati where Ravana lifted Sita from, there were Ashoka trees. I remember Ramacandra telling me that he was going to the Ashoka trees and crying, "Oh Ashoka trees, please tell me where is my wife?" So she must be remembering that when she sees these Ashoka trees. She must have walked in here. At least she must have been through here at some stage. Let me ask the Ashoka trees, they may tell me" In this way, Hanuman, with some little glimmer of hope came into the Ashoka forest. There was a very tall tree which he climbed up, and when he got to the top he looked down. To his surprise, under the same tree was Mother Sita.

She was sitting there with Vibhisana's daughter, Trijata. Trijata was consoling her. "I had dreams that Ravana was smearing oil all over his body and drinking oil with his two hands, and he was sitting on a chariot driven by monkeys. This chariot was being driven through the southern side. This means he will die. I also saw that Shri Lanka was burning, and a monkey was flying over. I also saw that Ramacandra was sitting in the coronation ceremony with you. So don't lose faith. Don't give up your body. One day or other Ramacandra will come here." Hanuman was listening to all this and he was so happy. Then Ravana came and gave so much preaching to Mother Sita. "You must marry me!" She refused and he said to the demonesses, "You kill her if she won't listen to your advice." The demonesses were preaching to her, and then when she wouldn't listen they decided, "We will kill her." Exactly at that point, Hanuman jumped.

As soon as they saw this monkey jumping, they all fled this way and that. Sita looked at him and she said, "Ravana, you can take any form, but I'm not going to be attracted. Why did you think that if you took a monkey form I would be attracted?" Hanuman said, "Wait wait, I am not Ravana! I am the servant of Rama, and I have come here to serve you." So she said, "I don't believe it. If you are from Rama, then how did you cross the ocean?" Hanuman said, "Oh, that is very interesting. I grew big." "You grew big? How can monkeys grow big?" Hanuman said, "I will show you," and then he grew, and he touched the skies. Sita got so scared, she said, "Maybe this is another demon." While he was growing he was chanting, "Rama, Rama, Rama, Rama," and she thought, "Ravana would not chant so many Rama-namas. It is not possible. He can't be a demon." Then Hanuman reduced this form, and said, "Here I have the sakshi, the evidence that I am coming from Ramacandra. This is his ring." Hanuman talked with Mother Sita and she gave him the hair ornament. Hanuman took it, and after taking it he said, "I am a monkey. I cannot just come like a saintly person and go, I want to do some naughtiness here in this forest. You won't be affected, don't worry. Some nonsense must be there. You just watch." So he put the cudamani hair ornament somewhere safe, and then he started uprooting the Ashoka trees, throwing them here and there. There was a rock waterfall, and he destroyed it, and the water flooded all over the place. He took the creepers and threw them this way and that.

Then he took the demonesses and put them in his mouth, biting them and spitting them out. He was shouting and slapping his shoulders. He was yelling, "I am the servant of Rama! Who will stop me? I will destroy Shri Lanka! I will swallow Ravana! Anyone who is as powerful as me should come for a fight! Challenge! Challenge!" And then he jumped up on the entrance of Ashoka-vana, and he was eating fruits and spitting everywhere. The minister for Ravana in charge of the Ashoka forest came in front of Hanuman. It had been a long time since he had landed in Shri Lanka, gotten in the gate, checked everyone, seen and spoken to Sita, but he had not passed water the whole time. It had been six or seven hours. When the minister came and opened his mouth yelling, "What are you doing?" he got Hanuman's blessing. The minister said, "Hey! Hey! Stop!" Hanuman said, "I am a monkey, what do you expect?" The minister felt very bad, and he went into the forest and asked the demonesses, "What are you doing? A monkey is doing so much harm." They said, "What are you doing? The monkey is doing so much harm, but why are you telling us?" "Yes, what am I doing?" the minister said, and then he went to Ravana. He said, "A monkey has passed urine in my mouth." Ravana said, "You came to report this?" And he gave him a slap. "What kind of a caretaker are you? You come and tell me that a monkey passed water in your mouth." The minister said, "What was I supposed to do? I was speaking to him." Ravana said, "Don't you know that you never open your mouth when monkeys are around?" The minister said, "Well you have to do something, he has destroyed the whole Ashoka forest." Ravana said, "What? One single monkey?" Vibhisana closed his eyes and he was thinking, "Hm, monkey. Monkey. Monkey smashing Ashoka forest. I remember this." Then he left the palace, and went to his place and he was sitting and thinking. "Monkey, Ashoka forest. Monkey, Ashoka forest.

I heard it somewhere." And he was trying to figure it out. It took him two days to understand it. He understood it. Ravana said, "You call Prahasta's son Jambumali. He is the first card." This Jambumali is in a big lake of wine. He is sleeping there, and whenever he wakes up he drinks a little bit. And then again he sleeps, and he wakes up and drinks more. He can't wait to go fill up the cup and drink, it takes too much time. So he is in a lake of wine, and he is kept like that so that whenever war comes he can be used. Jambumali was woken up. They had some anti-liquor medicine, so they gave him that and he woke up. He asked, "Why are you calling me? You want to change the lake or put me in another one?" They said, "No, a fight!" Jambumali said, "Fight? Aargh! Yes, I am going!" He came to Ravana and said, "With whom should I fight? With Indra, with Agni?" Ravana said, "No no, with a monkey." "I'm going back," Jambumali said. "No no, it's not an ordinary monkey. It's a very great monkey. He has finished our Ashoka-vana, so we must finish him. Take 80,000 soldiers and go." So 80,000 demon soldiers and Jambumali walked up. He was a very young demon, Jambumali. Hanuman was still sitting on top of the arch, and he was saying, "I am the servant of Rama. Who is there to fight with me? I can swallow Ravana. Come on, challenge! Challenge!" Jambumali said, "Hey monkey, you are talking too much! Do you understand that Ravana's son has tied Indra to a flagpost here? Do you know that the nine planets are serving in the kitchen cutting subji? What do you know? You don't know the power of Ravana.

You don't know the power of my father Prahasta. He has eaten mountains and digested them." So then Hanuman said, "All past. What about now? This has happened, that has happened. But now you look, I can also tell you that the whole Ashoka-vana has been destroyed. That has happened, and now something else is going to happen. Don't waste time." Jambumali said, "What? You think you can fight with me?" Hanuman said, "Why are you talking?" and he began to pick up rocks and throw them at him. The rocks were coming so fast and furious, and he couldn't fight them. Then he got on the chariot and started shooting arrows. Hanuman said, "Oh, these demons are very cultured. He is sitting on the chariot doing acaman, chanting mantras and firing astras." All these astras were coming, and Hanuman was holding them, breaking them and giving them back. No astra can affect Hanuman, that is a benediction. Jambumali saw this and said, "Now I will have to do some magic," and he started growing, and he became so big. Hanuman was only up to his ankle. That is what Jambumali was thinking. He was thinking, "That big? All right, I will grow more."

He closed his eyes and grew more. Then he thought, "Now I have grown so much, Hanuman will be this big." And then he opened his eyes. He saw some big round thing in front of him. He looked at it, and he thought, "What is this? It is not Hanuman's face. There is no mouth and no teeth. It's just a big round thing." He looked to the other side, and it was just another round thing. "What is this one?" he thought. He was looking, and he was so confused. Then he heard a sound from way way above, "They're my knees Jambumali!" He looked up, and Hanuman was way up there. Jambumali thought, "My God, what a growth! This is the topmost I can do, and I am only up to his knees." So then Jambumali looked back, because he didn't want to discourage the soldiers. Hanuman said, "What are you looking at? I finished them all." He had finished the 80,000 soldiers already. There was a beautiful parliament hall called Caitya, belonging to Ravana. This hall had very huge marble and diamond pillars. Ravana took one of the pillars, and he just put it on top of the army. They were nicely organized so that simply by a little work Hanuman could finish them all. This happened while Jambumali was growing. Jambumali was alone. His chariot had been smashed and his horses killed. Jambumali was standing there alone. Hanuman said, "What are you going to do? If you want to take shelter of my feet, they are way down there. You will have to look for them." So Jambumali was very insulted, and he said, "No! This is maya! You come before me in your original form!" Hanuman said, "What are you doing then? That is also maya. You come in your original form." So he came down, and then Hanuman came down also. Hanuman said, "All right Jambumali, there are three minutes for you. There is one nice mantra I will teach you. If you chant this mantra while dying you will attain the Supreme Lord. There is only two syllables in it. Ra-ma. Chant." Jambumali said, "What? I didn't come here to learn mantras. I am here to fight with you. I want to finish you."

Hanuman said, "You cannot do that, so you might as well do this. You cannot finish me, so why don't you do something within your means. Just chant Rama, and then go back home." Jambumali screamed, "Aaarghh!" and jumped on Hanuman. Hanuman put his index finger in his navel and lifted him up, and then he circled and threw him. All his liver and everything came out of his mouth, and then he died. When the news came that Jambumali was finished, immediately Ravana's son Indrajit got up and said, "This must be a demigod, so he must be fought nicely." So Indrajit came. With Indrajit there were some scenes, and then Indrajit said, "I am going to use Brahmastra on you." So he threw the Brahma rope. Hanuman thought, "I have done enough harm now, so I must see Ravana. If I get bound by this rope, I can see Ravana." He looked at the rope and thought, "I will respect Brahma." Then the rope came and tied him. Indrajit was pulling the rope, and he pulled Hanuman to the court of Ravana. As they entered there, Ravana said, "Hey, you mischievous monkey! Who are you?" Hanuman said, "I am a servant of Rama, and a messenger. You please give me a seat." Ravana scoffed, "A seat for a monkey? You can climb up in the tree if you want." Hanuman said, "No, that is not proper. I have come here to talk politics, and I have come here to give you a message. You must give me a seat." Ravana said, "In my assembly, I don't give a seat to animals." Hanuman said, "You mean that to get a seat in your assembly I have to be less than an animal?" Ravana said, "Hey, you are talking too much." By that time Hanuman had extended his tail and made a big big seat. It was above Ravana's head, and he jumped up and sat on that. Then he said, "So Ravana, I think this is a good seat for me."

So then Ravana was looking up. Then they had a discussion, and Hanuman gave a very good piece of advice. "You please give up Sita. I saw your palace. You have so many beautiful queens. Why do you want to take Sita? I can tell you, Sita is not that beautiful." Hanuman was using some sama dhana bheda danda. He said, "Sita is not that beautiful. Vandudari is a much more beautiful dancer. Surely you must satisfied with that. You can have so many others. I will myself procure women for you if you want. Just give up this Sita, for your own benefit." Ravana said, "No, I won't listen to this. I will keep Sita, and not only that, I will finish you." Hanuman said, "Finish me? How can you finish me?" And Ravana said, "You are tied up." Hanuman said, "I am not tied up, I am just holding myself. And then he lifted his hands and Brahma's rope broke. Indrajit's jaw dropped. "What is this? This monkey has broken Brahma's rope." So then Hanuman said, "If you want you can use ordinary rope and tie me. Only if I want to be tied can you tie me. Now I allow you, tie me. Let me see what sort of punishment you will give me." So then they tied him with ropes, and great demons were pushing him on both sides with tridents. He made no objection. Ravana said, "Put fire to his tail." So they set his tail on fire, and Hanuman said, "Wonderful, you gave me an idea. I was just wondering what to do. I wanted to do so many things, but I didn't want to do it myself, because Ramacandra will say, `Why did you do it?' Now I have no problem.

They put fire, and I was just jumping around and things happened to catch on fire. I didn't want to burn Lanka. Why should I? I am just a messenger. A messenger cannot attack the opponent. But what can I do? They put fire on my tail, and I am a monkey so when I jump the tail goes this way and that way." So in this way Hanuman was jumping from roof to roof, window to window, and everywhere he put fire. Even in Ashoka-vana he put fire. Everything was burning. Hanuman was jumping up and down. "Aah, wonderful! Wonderful!" And then suddenly he thought, "Maybe Mother Sita is also burnt! What have I done? Oh no!" So he went into the Ashoka forest and he was looking, and he saw Mother Sita sitting in the Ashoka forest under a tree. No harm was there. So then he told her, "Why should you wait? Just climb on my shoulder. You know I crossed the ocean here, so I can also cross the ocean back. You sit on me, and I will take you. Before I fly from here, I will kill Ravana." So Sita said, "No! What are you doing? You already told me that Ramacandra promised He will kill Ravana and take me back. If you do this, my husband's promise will go in vain. Ramacandra has one word, one wife and one arrow. He uses only one arrow, he has only one wife, and if he says a word, he keeps it. So don't do this, you are not supposed to do it. Even if you are supposed to do it, I'm not going to sit on your shoulder. On the way you may see some fruit that you like, and you will shake the tree and I will fall into the ocean. I don't trust you completely. So you enjoy yourself, and go back and tell my Lord that I am waiting. And if he doesn't come in this many days, then I will leave my body."

Untold stories from Ramayan -Part 12

2014-06-22T15:29:00.000+05:30

CHAPTER 8 BACKGROUND STORIES (continued)

Ravana made the biggest mistake in his life by kidnapping Sita. Ravana was a great scholar and pandit. He was known as Shastra-jna. He knew all shastras, in all the Vedas he was expert. Nobody at that time had the expert pronunciation of Ravana. Even in the demigod's assembly sometimes when they held sacrifices, they would bring Ravana for chanting verses. If someone is chanting Sanskrit verses, that does not necessarily mean he is a great devotee. Demons are also chanting Sanskrit verses. Vedais ca sarvair aham eva vedyah. Ravana read all the Vedas, yet due to his lust he could not even accept that another man's wife should not be taken. Ravana's lust was exemplary. Once he was performing a fire sacrifice, and Agni appeared there with his wife, in spite of Brahma telling him not to go there, this Ravana was a trouble-maker. Agni said, "Look at his chanting, so perfect. Such wonderful installation of fire, so I must go there personally."
Brahma said, "All right go, but don't take your wife." So then Agni said, "How is it Vedic that one goes without his wife? If I go without her I will only be 50%. I must go with my wife." Brahma said, "Well, if that is written in your head, what can I say? You go." So Ravana was circumambulating the fire with folded hands chanting mantras, and then Agni came. "Ravana! I am here." Ravana looked around. Not only was he there, but Agni's wife, Swaha, was also there. She looked so beautiful, as beautiful as fire. She is actually the flame of the fire. When Ravana looked at her, he immediately lifted her and flew away in the middle of his yajna, before completing it. The priests were shouting, "Ravana! At least do the purnahoti!""What purnahoti?" Ravana replied. "Woman is more important." So Agni was shouting, "Please, please Ravana, give me my wife back! I'll give you anyone, but don't take my wife." Every husband thinks like this, "If my wife goes, how will I eat?" The wife is supposed to be the saha-dharmani, one who helps the husband in his religious practices. After Ramacandra had said, "I will finish all the demons in Dandakaranya," Sitadevi was looking so worried that Ramacandra asked her, "How come you are so unhappy after your husband made such a wonderful promise, and flowers fell from the heavens?" She said, "You took the vanaprastha life to live in the forest for fourteen years, as an ascetic. Only for defending me did You say you were carrying your bow and arrows. You have come here, and now, instead of living as an ascetic, You are beating on Your shoulders, saying You will kill the demons. That is one point. Another point is that a king of noble quality should not become the enemy of someone unless that person has given him some trouble. The demons have given you no trouble. They are eating rishis, but they are not troubling you. And if rishis are being eaten then it is the responsibility of Bharata, he is the king. You are not the king, and You said that you did not want to be, so you are breaking your word." Women give very technical arguments, but sometimes they are totally useless. At least in this case they were. Sitadevi was saying this, but then another time when Gautama Rishi's wife gave her cosmetics which were in two big heavy baskets, she asked Laksmana, "Can you please carry this for me?" Laksmana said, "But mataji, we are in the forest. We are supposed to be wearing tree bark. Only because Dasaratha begged did you get some silk saris, and I am already carrying one basket full of silk saris. We have to climb mountains, cross rivers, I have to carry sword, shield, bows and arrows, an axe, and now cosmetics? What for?" Anasuya, Gautama's wife, was no ordinary woman. She had heavenly cosmetics. You only had to put this make up on once every five or six days. You can take bath, do anything. Laksmana was complaining, "These cosmetics will smell for ten kilometres distance. It is dangerous. We are moving in the forest, and ten miles around we are propagating that we are here. It is unsafe. A tiger, a lion or even some demon may come." Actually these cosmetics were so dangerous that she had so many problems. Even demigods were attracted to her. "But I won't use them," Sita argued. "Then what is the use of carrying them?" Laksmana said. This is also traditional for women to carry things that they never use. Poor Laksmana left his wife in Ayodhya, and he had to carry these cosmetics for fourteen years. Even when they crossed the ocean he had to carry it. She said, "When I am back in Ayodhya I will use it." When she was sitting in the Ashoka-vana, she was lamenting, "What did I do? I said such bad words to Laksmana who was carrying all that weight for me. He was even carrying all those useless cosmetics on his shoulder. I criticized him, `You want to enjoy me, that is why you are not going'. Why did I say that? Now I am suffering because of it." In this way Mother Sita was lamenting. So back to the original story.

Ravana knew all these mantras, but why was he a demon? Being the son of Vishravas, he is a Brahmin, not a ksatriya. He is the grandson of Brahma, and a very learned pandit. Still he is a demon. What makes him a demon? He does not accept that the Supreme Lord is the enjoyer, the Supreme Lord is the controller and the Supreme Lord is the friend. Bhoktarama yajna tapasam sarva loka mahesvaram / suhrdam sarva-bhutanam jnatva mam santim rcchati. So Ravana lost his shanti, he had no peace. Why? Because he was not accepting the Supreme Lord's sovereignty. Ravana was thinking, "Why not me? I am the lord." That is why he called himself, "Trilokeshvara Ravana." This means "the controller of the three worlds." That was his ambition, even while he couldn't control a common cold. But still he was Trilokeshvara. In any case, Ravana got so many curses. He was cursed that a monkey would burn his city down. Another curse was that monkeys will spit on his face. When a monkey spits on his face, the tenth day after that he would die. He would be killed by human beings who were surrounded by monkeys. This was all predicted, but the foolish Ravana with his ten brains couldn't accept this, because of lust. Ravana did not carry his ten heads all the time. If he lost one head, another would come. And if he lost that head, the previous one will come back again, because his life point was somewhere else, not in the neck or the chest. This was one trick of the demons. They would keep their life point somewhere else. It may be in a bird, a lizard or a lotus flower, and from here they extend their power. If you killed him, slashed him or did anything to him, he wouldn't die because his life was somewhere else. So these heads were coming whenever one was removed, and these ten heads possessed ten kinds of intelligence. This was the benediction he got from Brahma. One head was expert in politics, one in Vedic dharma, one in administration, one in how to enjoy, another in travelling plans, etc. In this way when he was going to take Sita, he consulted all the ten heads. Nine heads refused, "Don't kidnap Sita." Only his own head refused to listen to that instruction. So many powerful things he had, but by exploiting the property of the Supreme Lord, Ravana met his death.

Once he even challenged Narada Muni. Narada was flying, and Ravana saw him. He called out, "Hey! Come here." Narada Muni thought, "Why should I be of any trouble? Let me go there." Ravana said, "You teach me the meaning of om, right now." Narada said, "No. Meaning of Om is not to be taught to people like you. I won't teach." Ravana said, "Why not? I am a disciple, and you are a guru. You must teach me." This started in Treta-yuga, the disciples telling their guru what to do. So then Narada said, "This is not for this age, Ravana. You please wait."Ravana said, "No! Do you know who I am? I am Trilokeshvara Ravana. Here is my sword!" He had a sword called Candrahasa. This sword was so wonderful, that you can just tell the sword, "You go and kill him." It will chase you through the fourteen planetary systems, kill you and then return. Such a missile he had. Candrahasa can go through steel, through brass, even through illusion. Suppose a person creates an illusion by magic, Candrahasa would go through the illusion and kill that person. This is the sword he used when fighting with Airavata, the white elephant. So Narada said, "You are showing me some sword, and you think you are going to frighten me into teaching you the Vedas? This is not the principle for learning Vedas. What kind of knowledge will you get from me? That knowledge will become useless, so I will not teach you." Ravana said, "All right Narada, get ready.""I am always ready," Narada said. "What do you mean? Get ready now!" So he took the Candrahasa sword and slashed Narada. It went right through him, but nothing happened. Narada was standing there smiling. Ravana got so angry. "I am going to finish you!" he screamed and took his trident which emits fire, which is only used by Lord Siva and which is more powerful than the Brahmastra. It went right into him, but Narada was still standing there chanting, "Hari! Hari!" Ravana took all his astras and weapons at his command and threw everything at Narada, who was catching them and giving them back, "Don't lose this, you may need it." So then Ravana put all his weapons aside, touched Narada's feet, and gave him a seat. "Please tell me," he inquired. "How come you arenot killed?" Narada said, "This is a benediction from the Supreme Lord, that I have got a spiritual body. You don't understand this. Once upon a time you also had one, but you lost it because of some mistake. Don't waste time trying to kill me, because I won't die." Ravana said, "That's what I want also! Can you teach me the trick?" Narada said, "Very simple, just accept Visnu as the Supreme Lord. Surrender to him." Ravana's face screwed up. "Oh! Aaargh! Again that Visnu! I don't want to listen to this name! Get out of my palace, you and your transcendental body. All bogus!"

So then Narada Muni said, "But Ravana, you have unnecessarily used your anger on me, so this will not go in vain. A monkey will spit on your face, and the tenth day after that you will die, although you are thinking you are so powerful." Narada Muni cursed him. Actually it was a benediction. All curses by Narada are benedictions. Because of that curse that he would get spat on by Sugriva, he got the arrow of Rama in his chest. Sometimes when a Vaisnava is agitated, that is also auspicious. But we have to be a demon to agitate a Vaisnava. If we are not a demon, and he becomes agitated, he may not curse us but the material nature will take action. In any case, Hanuman thought, "Let me go and find Sita."

Eighteen has been an important number in Mahabharata

2014-06-19T10:53:00.003+05:30

Mahabharata

In the context of Mahabharata, eighteen is quite and important figure. It is no incidence that Duryodhana's army had 11 Akshauhinis (2,405,700 soldiers) while Yudhishthira had 7 Akshauhinis (1,530,900 soldiers). The chapters in Mahabharata are eighteen and these are called as Parvas and last, but not the least, This battle was fought for 18 days.

A detailed and interesting account of events of 18 days are available here.

A brief description of Mahabharata story will be interesting to read.

Untold stories from Ramayana - Part 1

2014-06-19T10:16:00.000+05:30

INTRODUCTION

There are innumerable Vaikuntha planets, and in each planet there is a predominating deity who is an expansion of Vishnu. He has three expansions, and then there are the quadruple expansions, and then there are servants and devotees. In this way the Vaikuntha planets are full of activity. The top of Vaikuntha, before one reaches Goloka, the gateway to Goloka is Ayodhya. In Ayodhya is Lord Sri Rama, and Laxmana, Bharata, Satrughna, Sumantra, Dashratha, Kaushalya, all these characters we find in Ramayana are eternal citizens of this Ayodhya.

Shri Rama Avatar

And from this planet Lord Rama expands into His Rama-avatar, through milk ocean Vishnu, Ksirodakasayi Vishnu. In every Treta-yuga there is Rama-avatar. One may think, "Oh that must be boring. Every time the same activity." But it is never boring. How many times have we heard these Ramayana stories, but still when someone is reading Ramayana, everyone comes. To hear is not boring, so to experience it can't be boring at all. That is the proof. Ramayana has been heard generations and generations. In all countries. In Indonesia they have their Ramayana. In Malaysia they have their Ramayana. In Thailand, even in Jamaica and Africa. Just a little bit different for every culture. Indonesian Ravana is a big crocodile, and they carry him on sticks. In Bangkok, Thailand all the roads are names Rama 1, Rama 2, Rama 5 etc. So the purpose of the avatar is described in Brahma-samhita:

lilayatena bhuvanani jayaty ajasram

govindam adi-purusam tam aham bhajami.

The living entities have forgotten their relation with Krsna. And they have been conquered by maya, illusory energy. Krsna bahirmukha haya bhoga vancha kori / nikata stha maya tare japatiya dhare. The conditioned soul has been caught by maya. The Lord comes to reconquer them. That is the mission of the avatar incarnation of the Lord.

Dashratha's desire for a child

Rama appeared in the Iksvaku dynasty. He is known as Iksvaku Kuladhana. Kula means "dynasty" and dhana means "property" or "valuable jewel." So he is the jewel of the Iksvaku dynasty. Dashratha was known as such because he could fight in ten directions simultaneously. Dashratha was such a great fighter that sometimes Indra would summon for him when there was a fight with the demons. So Dashratha would go to the heavenly planets and fight with the demons. And these demons were so expert with maya, they would create darkness, expand into various forms etc. So Dashratha would fight in ten directions, and when you looked at his ratha, his chariot, it would look as though there were ten kings and ten chariots fighting simultaneously. Dasa means "ten" and ratha means "chariot". That is how he got the name Dashratha. So Dashratha was famous for fighting for demigods and righteous kings. And he married Kaushalya. From Kaushalya, only one daughter was born. She was named Shanti, or "peace." But Dashratha had no peace, because he only had one daughter, and that daughter would only get married and go to another dynasty. The Vedic system is that when a woman marries, she belongs to the husband's gotra or family line. So if Shanti married to another dynasty, she would belong to it. What about the Iksvaku dynasty? Dashratha was so worried. Then he married Sumitra. At least Kaushalya had a daughter, but Sumitra had no child. Then Dashratha was getting old. He gave up the idea of producing dynasties. As he was getting older he saw that some less powerful kings were doing small yajnas, so he did big yajnas.

They were trying to get their name known, because once Dashratha died Kosala would be broken. The kingdom of Kosala started all the way from what they now call the Dalai lama's line. From up in the north, in Tibet, all the way down to the river Godavari in Andhra Pradesh. So this was Kosala, practically it was the whole of India, not the democratic India but the Vedic India. So he was very worried that this kingdom will be broken to pieces and some small-timers will become emperors. Then Vasistha advised him to go to Kaikeya. This kingdom was right on the border of Afghanistan. They now call it the Sind region. Kaikeyi was the only daughter of the king of Kaikeya. The king's name was also Kaikeya. And when Dashratha came for marriage negotiation, Kaikeya told him, "You have two queens, and they both have no children. Now you will marry my daughter, but what will happen to her if the other wives have children?" Dashratha replied, "I don't think they will have children because they have had none up to now.

Dashratha's promise to father of Kaikeyi

I am also getting old. They're not going to get any child. Only Kaikeyi will get a child." So Kaikeya said, "That's all right, but you must give this in writing." There is a system in the ksatriya marriage known as kanya-sulka. Sulka means "will". When you accept a virgin in marriage, you must give in writing what properties she will enjoy as your wife if you are a ksatriya. This is kanya-sulka, the "will of dowry." So Dashratha wrote kanya-sulka. He said, "Whoever is born to Kaikeyi will enjoy my kingdom, even if my other wives produce children later." This kanya-sulka was known to three people. Of course, now we all know it, but at that time only three people knew it. Vasistha knew it,Dashratha knew it, and Kaikeya knew it. It was kept a secret, because otherwise they would blame Dashratha, "What is this? He is giving the kingdom to a younger woman." So this kanya-sulka was kept secret. But at the time of the marriage, due to great attachment, Kaikeya told his daughter this secret, that whoever is your son will rule this kingdom. Kaikeyi kept this at heart. Once Vasistha advised Dashratha to perform asvamedha-yajna. He was telling him, "If you perform asvamedha-yajna, then all the demigods will personally come to accept the oblations." There are two kinds of offering oblations to the yajna. One is that Agni will take the oblations and offer it to the different destinations. Another is that the devas will personally come in the sacrificial arena. They will stand in the sky holding their hands open, and when you offer in their name in the fire then the harvest will get up from the fire and go into their hands. And they will eat it right there in front of everyone,.

These types of sacrifices are considered first-class, because the devas have come in person. So Dashratha should perform asvamedha, and all the devas will come. And then Dashratha will tell them, "You have your kingdom only because of my fighting. So why don't you continue my dynasty and give me blessings that I can get some son?" That was the plan. There was a big arrangement for asvamedha-yajna, and wherever Dashratha's horse went, no-one objected. Asvamedha-yajna means that you have to select a horse with certain lakshanas or qualities. The ears have to be a certain way, the nose a certain way. There has to be a black part behind the tail. The hooves have to be a certain shape, 35 degrees bent. There is a whole description in karma-khanda. So you have to find out that horse, and after finding it you have to tie a golden leaf on his head. There it will be written, "This horse belongs to King Dashratha. He will perform asvamedha-yajna, so everyone should donate liberally. And whoever stops this horse will have to meet the army of King Dashratha." So this horse will go around the whole world, and if any king dares to stop the horse there will be one army which is following about 100 metres behind the horse. They will have to meet that army. This army would consist of the best fighters in the army, all the generals, and if one can defeat that then more army would be sent. In this way the challenger would have to fight and prove that he is the emperor. So asvamedha-yajna was already started, and then when the yajna was going on, Sumantra (the minister of Dashratha) came to Dashratha and said, "I remember one incident when Sanat-kumara came to our assembly, when you were a prince." At that time Dashratha was not married, and Sanat-kumara was visiting Dashratha's father, Aja.

Predictions of Sanath Kumaras

Sanath-kumara made some predictions. "Maharaja Dashratha will become very famous throughout the three worlds, and he will perform a putra-kamesti yajna, a sacrifice for getting a son. So in this sacrifice, the yajna-purusha, the personification of fire, will come there and give him some sweet rice. And out of this sweet rice Dashratha will get the Supreme Lord as his sons." This was predicted by Sanat-kumara. At that time Dashratha was just an unmarried prince, a brahmacari. So Sumantra was a very old man and he suddenly remembered this. He came to Dashratha and said, "You are doing asvamedha for getting a son, but Sanat-kumara told you that you should do putra-kamesti." So then there was confusion over which yajna should be performed. In Treta-yuga everything was yajna. For material benefits, for spiritual realization, for anything tretayam yajato makhaih. Makha means "yajna". Now Dashratha got confused. So he went to Vasistha's house and prostrated himself before him. "Guru maharaja, we have spent 60% of the treasury, and now we come to know that this is not the proper yajna, that there is another yajna. How am I supposed to do this?" So then Vasistha said, "Oh yes, I remember too now. Sanat-kumara said this. It is not a very expensive yajna, but the purohit, the priest who performs the yajna must be a very special person. That is the difficulty. That person must have not seen a woman until the time of his marriage. He should not have even known what a woman is. Such a great personality must perform the yajna. Then only can the putra-kamesti be performed with the purnahoti and we will get a son." Then Dashratha said, "You must tell me where this person is." Vasistha was a walking encyclopedia, because he had been there three lifetimes with the same remembrance. There is no-one in this world who knows better than Vasistha. So Vasistha said, "Yes, there is a person like that." Dashratha said, "Who is this person? He has never seen a woman or known what a woman is until marriage? At least he must have known about his mother! What kind of a person is he, that he has never heard of a woman yet he has taken birth?"

Pictorial representation of Bal Kand

Untold Stories from Ramayan- part 11

2014-06-15T15:29:00.000+05:30

CHAPTER 8 BACKGROUND STORIES

Sri Lanka was built on top of a mountain called Tri-kuta Giri. This Tri-kuta was a piece of rock that broke from Mount Meru. Long ago, there was some discussion between two Gandharvas. One Gandharva said, "Vasuki is such a powerful strong snake, that when the Lord took incarnation as Matsya, he used Vasuki as a rope to tie the horn of that fish to the boat where Maharaja Satyavrata and the sapta-rishis were travelling. In the dissolution water, this boat was kept safe due to Vasuki binding Matsya and the boat." The other Gandharva said, "Maybe he is strong, but do you think he could be as strong as Vayu, Varuna or Agni?" The other said, "He must be stronger than them, otherwise why did the Lord select Vasuki?" While they were discussing in this way, Vayu, the god of air, who is present everywhere, he couldn't tolerate this discussion. He personally came in front of them and asked them, "What is this useless discussion?""Who are you?" they enquired. "I am Vayu," he replied. "Is there anyone as strong as me? Why do you even discuss these things?

Don't you know that I am everywhere and I am listening to these things?" One Gandharva said, "Well, I have seen Vasuki. I was the last one to creep into the water at that time. I've seen how strong he is." Vayu said, "Bring that Vasuki, and we can test." Then Vasuki was brought, and he challenged Vayu. "What do you mean? I am so strong! Every time the Lord selects me, so there must be some reason." Vayu said, "Then we can test our strength." Vasuki said, "I will coil around the Meru three times, and you blow and see if you can open my coils." But they never consulted Mount Meru whether they could do it. Around Mount Meru were so many insects and creatures. All the planetary systems were going around it. Vasuki went on there, and Meru did not mind. So many snakes were on there already. But he didn't know there was going to be some sports. Vasuki coiled around Meru three times and started getting tighter and tighter. And then Vayu started blowing against Mount Meru in full force. Mount Meru started moving back and forth, because Vayu was using all his strength, and Vasuki was not going to give up. So it was not just Vasuki, but Vayu had to work on both, the strength of Mount Meru and the strength of Vasuki. And then Mount Meru started complaining and screaming. "What is this? There are three parties involved in this, but I was never consulted. Why am I being given trouble like this? I am going to turn upside down and create trouble. All the planetary systems will fall." Brahma heard all this, and he appeared on the scene, telling Vayu and Vasuki, "You have your kind of strength, and he has his kind of strength. In your kind of strength, you are the most strong. And in his strength, blowing, that you cannot do. So in that way he is strong." When Vasuki uncoiled after the sports, one rock was broken from Mount Meru, and it fell in the salt ocean.

This rock had three peaks, so it was known as Tri-kuta. It was on the salty ocean for a long time. And then Visvakarma, for the purpose of making a nice palace for the pastimes of the demigods, he made this Sri Lanka city on top of Tri-kuta mountain. Later, Kuvera, the cousin brother of Ravana, took over this place. He also got an appointment as the treasurer of the demigods, so they didn't mind him using it. Kuvera was there for a long time. When Ravana, Vibhisana, Kumbhakarna and Surpanakha went there for performing austerities, Ravana's mother Kaikashi became very envious that Kuvera was sitting on this wonderful Sri Lanka city, so she told Ravana, "Why don't you perform some austerities so that you can get a benediction and kick him out of this place." Kaikashi was the wife of Vishravas, and Vishravas had another wife through whom Kuvera was born. These were co-wives, and they were rivals. Kaikashi was inciting Ravana, "You must perform some tapasya, some great austerities." Ravana performed austerities, Kumbhakarna performed austerities, Vibhisana performed austerities, and Surpanakha also performed austerities as well as Khara and Dusana. Each one was born with 1 hour 45 minutes difference between them. Ravana, then Kumbhakarna, then Vibhisana, then Surpanakha, then Khara and Dusana. So they were all in Himalayas performing austerities. When Brahma appeared before Ravana, he asked for all kinds of greedy benedictions, and he got them. Kumbhakarna was thinking to ask for a benediction by which he will live forever. The word in Sanskrit is "nitya-tvam." nitya means eternal and nitya-tvam means eternity. "I want eternity."

But somehow the material nature tricked Kumbhakarna. The word devata, the power of speech, came in his tongue, and tilted his tongue. Instead of nitya-tvam, he asked for "nidra-tvam." Nidra means "sleep", so he asked for sleep.Brahma said, "Tadastu, you can have it." Kumbhakarna said, "What? No! I wanted to live forever, not sleep! Please stop this benediction!" Brahma said, "No, I have given you this benediction, I cannot take itback." He begged, "This is not fair! It is a trick of the demigods! I did so much austerity, and now I am simply going to sleep. This is not proper! Why would a person ever perform austerities so that he can just sleep forever, and then die at the end?" So Brahma felt very compassionate. "All right, Kumbhakarna, you sleep for six months. And then you get up, and you eat for six months." So Kumbhakarna went to sleep. At the end of the sixth month, waking him up was very difficult. They had to bring a huge army. The army would march on his body. Elephants and camels would walk over him, and they would play bugles and put fire on his chest. Still he would be snoring and wouldn't get up. After all the army marched past shooting astras and creating a lot of noise, then slowly he will feel some pain somewhere and then he got up. When he got up he would smash half of the army. He was a huge big figure. As soon as he got up he would ask, "Where is food?" He hadn't eaten for such a long time, so he eats for six months. This is what he did before he went back to sleep again. While he ate, his education was done. Pandits would sit on both sides and read books to him. He would be simultaneously eating and listening to the shastras. In this way, he also became an expert archer. He got other benedictions also. He was a great yogi, and while sleeping he would come out of his body in his subtle body, and he would travel around and find out everything.

One body was asleep, but in his sukshma-sharira, Kumbhakarna visited Kailash, performed austerities and got astras from Lord Siva. Only his gross body couldn't be seen. Vibhisana was also praying, and when Brahma came, he said, "Give me devotion to the Supreme Lord." Ravana said, "Oh no! One more in the family. First Prahlad, and now him! What are you doing? Brahma is here, so get something worthwhile. But no, `devotion to the Supreme Lord.' What will you do with this? You have become a demon!" For the demons, a devotee is a demon. "You are not against Hari, you want to worship Him."sind him using it. Kuvera was That was Vibhisana's benediction. And Surpanakha got a benediction for changing her form. Whatever form she wanted she could take. That was how she was trying to attract Laksmana and Ramacandra. She became a beautiful girl, and she was saying, "Ramacandra, I'm so attracted by you." Ramacandra said, "Yes, anyone will be attracted by me. The only problem is that my wife is here. If she was not here, I wouldn't mind. But look at my brother! He is also married, but his wife is not here. You check with him." Laksmana said, "How is it possible? When my elder brother is in front of me, how can I do it? You go to my elder brother, he is just jokingwith you." So she went back to Ramacandra, and said, "Your younger brother is not interested in these things. You are the older one, why aren't you interested?"

He replied, "Yes I am the elder, but the point is that my wife is very wild. If she ever finds out that I am talking to you, I don't know what will happen. He is free, an individual separate from his wife.Go to him." She went to him, but Laksmana said, "Yes his wife is wild, but she is not here now. You should be utilizing this opportunity. You go try with him, and if that doesn't work you just come back to me." So she went back to Ramacandra, saying, "See? Your wife is not here now." Ramacandra said, "Yes, my wife is not here, but this brother is very political. When she comes back, he will tell her. So you first go to him, and if he is happy then he won't tell." So she ran back to Laksmana. By that time Sita came. Surpanakha said, "All this trouble is because of you!" And she ran and picked Sita up. As soon as she did that, Laksmana came with his sword, and cut off the tips of her nose, ears and breasts, and the original Rakshasi form came out. She was crying, and then she disappeared into the sky. Then Khara and Dusana came with 14,000 able fighters from the demon dynasty. Ramacandra finished all of them with one arrow. Janasthan was a very strategical point. Janasthan was the last point in the mainland. If anyone could conquer the soldiers in Janasthan, then they could dare to cross the ocean and come to Sri Lanka. Ravana was so happy because Janasthan was there, and Khara, Dusana and Surpanakha were just exploiting the area, eating rishis every day. He was so happy. "Who can come to Sri Lanka?" But then, this so-called human being, Ramacandra, he told Laksmana, "Don't even move. I will do it." He killed 14,000 demon soldiers, and Khara and Dusana were destroyed. When the news reached Ravana, he was thinking, "No this is not true. It cannot be true. How can a human being kill 14,000 demons?" Always Ravana was thinking, "No, it's not true. It's not true." But it was true. Everything he heard seemed to him to be like it was not true. When he went to Marica and said, "Please go and become a deer,"

Marica said, "What? Become a deer and do what? What can a deer do to Rama? I still remember how he pushed me right across the mainland and threw me into the salty ocean with only a blade of grass. That is why I became a babaji, not for searching after the Absolute Truth. In fear of the blade of grass I became a babaji, an ascetic. Don't drive me in front of Ramacandra again." Ravana said, "If you don't go, I will kill you." Marica was thinking, "Ravana will kill me anyway. Ravana or Rama, but it's better to die in the hands of Rama. Why die in the hands of this demon?" So Marica said, "I will go." Ravana said, "Ahh! I always knew you had great affection for me." "No, I don't have any affection for you." "Then why do you want to go?" Ravana asked. "Well who wants to die in your hands?" Marica said. "I would rather die in the hands of Rama. And I know I will die, so I am going."... to be continued

[In the previous installation, Ravana has just dispatched Maricha to pose as a deer so that he could kidnap Sita.]

Untold Stories from Ramayan -Part 10

2014-06-08T15:28:00.000+05:30

CHAPTER 7 THE GREAT MONKEY ARMY (continued)

They were somewhere between Rameshvara and Puri, but this land extended so many miles down in Treta-yuga. The Ceylon that we are seeing today is not the same Sri Lanka. Sri Lanka is further down, because Hanuman flew one hundred yojanas. A yojana is eight miles. Eight hundred miles is not the distance from Rameshvara to Ceylon. You can reach it in forty five minutes by a boat. It's not that far. It is mentioned that they were on top of a mountain from where Hanuman flew, and in the area of Rameshvaram you don't find any mountains. So that area from where Hanuman jumped, the Gandha-madana hills, is much more down. And that is all eaten up by ocean. We shouldn't think that this was the shore where they were standing. They were miles down at that time, because the ocean comes and eats the land. Hanuman and the others saw this Mahodadhi ocean. It was very fierce. Angada said, "We have come to the end of the land. Where is Sita? We have not found her. How can we go back, now that is a month? We started on the full moon night, and now it is again full moon night." Angada felt very bad. He said, "Bring some darba grass." He placed it with the tips facing the north. He was going to do a Prayopavesha.

Prayopavesha means that when a great personality cannot accomplish a task which he promised he would do, he would sit on the kusa grass and leave his body by fasting. He was sitting there on the kusa grass. Hanuman was sitting there with his head in his hands looking at the ocean. He thought, "We have come to a blank disc. What is going on now? Should I go back or forward? What should I do?" Jambavan was taking rest, because he was tired after drinking wine and eating so many fruits. Other monkeys were wandering around and looking here and there. Hanuman saw the monkeys, and he asked them, "What are yougoing to do?" They said, "We have a good idea. We will go back to the cave. Plenty of fruits, plenty of wine. You cannot get out. If you cannot get out, you cannot get in, and no-one will come to trouble us. We will be happy there."

Hanuman said, "What a silly idea. This is maya. Ramacandra is our Lord. What do you need this security for? You want to take shelter in wine and fruit? You must be a monkey." He chastised them. Angada was sitting there chanting mantras, and preparing to leave his body. Hanuman also approached him. "Angada, you are a prince. What are you doing looking to the north, sitting on kusa grass? This is not meant for strong people. Look at your shoulders, they're so strong. They are supposed to be for fighting for Lord Ramacandra. Here you are fasting, preparing to die. What are you going to accomplish because of this? You will die. And everyone will say, `That son of Bali is a useless monkey. He died because he couldn't accomplish his mission." Angada said, "You are saying all this, but you tell me, what are we supposed to do? If I go back Sugriva will kill me and take the kingdom. Already he planned somehow to kill my father. Now he has got a reason to kill me. He will say, `Now you didn't accomplish your mission so I will kill you.' No-one will say anything, and he will have the kingdom. Let him have the kingdom anyway, let me just die. At least he won't die." Hanuman realised he would have to use politics here. Sama dhana bheda danda. There are four ways of preaching. First you speak nicely, and then you offer something, then you make a bheda, a difference of opinion between the groups. "Do you know what he said about you?" If none of those work, you use the stick, danda. Hanuman thought, now I have to use bheda, politics. He said, "Yes, Sugriva is like that. He may take the whole kingdom, but your mother is there. If you die, she will certainly suffer. He will give her no food, no cloth and no respect. She will beg in the street. Your mother!" Angada said, "No!" And he threw the kusa grass away. "I'm not fasting!" Hanuman said, "If you die, what is the benefit? You must go back now. Somehow or other we must convince him that we couldn't find Sita." Angada said, "How will I go back? I have no strength." Hanuman said, "You sit down. I will tell you the pastimes of Lord Ramacandra. Then you will gain strength." He began to describe the pastimes of Ramacandra. They discussed all these wonderful things of how Lord Ramacandra broke the bow, how he defeated Parasurama, how he caressed Jatayu and cremated him. As soon as they were talking about that, they saw some change in the atmosphere. Everything was trembling and shaking. Hanuman caught hold of Angada and said, "Some demon is coming." They were looking everywhere, and then from under the mountainside they saw two big feet coming out. They looked like bird's feet, and each nail was about two kilometres long. Angada said, "That's it. All thirty thousand monkeys will be eaten by this bird demon now. Look at his fingers, they are so big!" Slowly the bird came into sight, and then they noted that this bird did not have any speed. It was dragging itself, slowly. They saw the wings also, which were each 14 yojanas long. However, the wings were broken, and they looked completely burned. They looked like charcoal. He was dragging himself with great difficulty, and then slowly his face came into view, a huge beak. He opened his mouth and spoke, "Who is talking about my brother Jatayu?" So many monkeys were blown over just by the air coming out of his mouth. Jambavan was called, and Hanuman said, "Look after the monkeys, we must take care of this person. He may be useful to us." They both came to him, and asked him, "Who are you? We are talking of Jatayu, and I am Hanuman and this is Angada. I am the son of Vayu, and we are messengers of Rama." Slowly the bird opened his eyes and said, "Rama? Is this the son of Dasaratha?" Hanuman said, "Yes, this is the same Rama." The bird continued, "He was exiled to the forest. Has he completed his exile?" "What a wonderful bird," Angada remarked. "He is sitting under the mountain and cannot see anything, yet he knows history. Yes they are still in exile because they lost their wife. Sita has been taken by Ravana."

The bird said, "Ravana! Aargh! I will eat him up." Hanuman said, "Oh very good! Please do it." The bird said, "But I cannot fly. My wings are broken. I am Sampati, the elder brother of Jatayu. I am much stronger than Jatayu. I heard that Jatayu was killed by Ravana. I want to kill him, but I can't kill him as I have entered into an agreement with him." Long ago when Sampati was flying, when he was young and very strong, Ravana was flying with somebody's wife. This is what he does all the time. Once he was doing a fire sacrifice, and when Agni came to give a blessing, he took Agni's wife. Ravana is famous for taking people's wives. Sampati stopped him and said, "Where are you going? Who is this woman?" Ravana said, "This is Nalakuvera's wife, and I am taking her to Kailash." Sampati said, "You had better leave her right here, otherwise you don't know what I will do to you." Ravana said, "Ah, you are just a dirty bird." So he took one of his feet and caught hold of Ravana and crushed him. Blood came out of his body, and that is why Ravana has five holes in his body, from Sampati's claw. Ravana covers these so no-one can see him. But there is one hole which he doesn't cover on his chest. That is the tusk of Airavata. He wants to show that because it is a great fighting wound. At that time Ravana touched Sampati's feet. "Although you are a bird, I touch your feet. Please make an agreement with me. I won't come in your area and do anything, and you don't come in my area." They signed an agreement. Because of this, Sampati was bound by dharma. Hanuman asked Sampati, "And how have you become old like this?" Sampati said, "Once Jatayu and I were having a competition, and we were flying higher and higher. But we came very close to the sun, and I saw Jatayu was burning. So to protect him I put my wings over him. However, I also was very close to the sun, and my wings got burnt and came loose. After that I don't know where my brother went. You are the first I have heard say that he died in the service of Lord Ramacandra. I have stayed here so long, and a rishi once told me that when I told you where Sita was, at that time I would get my strength back." Hanuman became very excited, "What did you say?" Sampati repeated, "When I tell you where Sita is..." Hanuman cut him short, "You know where Sita is?" And all the monkeys
started jumping up and down. "We've found Sita, we've found Sita!" Sampati said, "Can you please move me out of this cave? I have to climb on top of the Vindhya mountains to look at it." Angada asked, "Look at what?""To look at Lanka," the bird replied. Angada said, "Look at Lanka? It is eight hundred miles away!"

Hanuman came close to Angada and said, "Just look at this bird. He's so huge, fourteen yojanas each wing. This bird itself is about thirty yojanas long. Can you imagine how much power he must have in his eyes? He can sit here and see Lanka!" With great difficulty all the monkeys came under Sampati and moved him. Thirty thousand monkeys were trying so hard. It was difficult for them to somehow put him on top of the rock with his wings like that. Then he lifted his beak and said, "I can see Sri Lanka. I can see the ten-story building of Ravana. I can see the roof, and Ravana standing on the top." He could see everything, he had such optical power. Sampati is the son of Aruna, the charioteer of the Sun-god, so he must be very powerful. "I cannot see Sita," he continued, "But Ravana is walking here and there. So many demons are around. I can see a forest of Ashoka trees. I can see a yellow cloth hanging there." As soon as he said that, Hanuman said, "Yes, yellow cloth. That is what Mother Sita was wearing." Previously Sita had taken some ornaments, put them in yellow cloth that she tore from her sari, and threw them down. Hanuman picked them up before Rama came to Kishkinda, and Laksmana identified them as Sita's jewellery. Hanuman became very happy. Even while they were looking, slowly Sampati's wings became straight, and new feathers were coming out of his body. Next moment they heard a loud, "Rama!" Sampati had chanted Rama. When he started "Ra" he was already up in the sky. By the time they had heard the whole world he was just a point in the distant sky. Sampati went to the heavenly planets. He didn't want to be there, because he wanted so desperately to kill Ravana, but because of the pact he couldn't do it. So he just helped them and then went. They had found out where Sita was. Hanuman was asked by Jambavan, "You must leap over this ocean, and go to SriLanka." Hanuman said, "This ocean is so big. How will I do it?" Jambavan then told Hanuman his own pastimes. How he got the sun planet inside his mouth etc. As Jambavan was narrating, Hanuman began to grow. He became bigger and bigger and bigger. He became so big that Valmiki says his shadow was fifty yojanas long. All the monkeys were like mosquitoes in front of him. Then he said to Jambavan, "Yes, I am the servant of Rama! I am the son of Vayu. No-one can stop me! I will crush Ravana with my thumb, and I will bring Sita on my shoulder! There is no need for Ramacandra to go. I am going now." He chanted "Rama!" He started with "Ra," and he ended with "m". When he said "m" he was in Sri Lanka. That was how fast he was. Being an angsha of Lord Siva, he took the path that Lord Siva travels. There are different levels that different entities travel at. Gandharvas travel very close to earth, and after Gandharvas come Kinnaras, after Kinnaras come Vanaras, and after Vanaras come Siddhas, after Siddhas come Caranas, and after Caranas come bigger demigods like Ganesh or Kartikeya, and them comes Lord Siva's tract. In that area no-one flies. It is Lord Siva's zone. That is where Hanuman went. He was flying fearlessly. In this way, by chanting Rama only once, Hanuman reached Sri Lanka. Before reaching Sri Lanka he encountered many disturbances, as well as much help on the way. There was one mountain called Mainata Parvata. which can grow simply by thinking. The ocean king told Mainata Parvata, "Hanuman, the servant of Rama, is coming, and he must take some rest. He is leaping in one breath, so you must grow upwards and give him somewhere to rest." Mainata Parvata grew upwards to the sky and stopped Hanuman. Hanuman said, "What's this? There is no mountain here. Who are you?" Hanuman can speak not only from his mouth but from any hole in his body, this was his yogic perfection. He had only one breath, so he didn't use his mouth which he was using to chant Rama. "M" had to be pronounced in Sri Lanka, and he was still on "Ra". He was talking through some other hole. Mainaka Parvata thought, "This is a wonderful phenomenon. A monkey with a long tail speaking through the holes of the body. Please put your lotus feet on my head," the mountain said, "because I have to show to the ocean king that I have served you." Hanuman said, "No rest when I am doing Krsna-seva. I am going." The demigods thought, "This is not correct that he reaches Lanka so easily. There must be some fun." So they called a great snake called Sarasa. This Sarasa was ordered to stop Hanuman. This Sarasa took the form of a demoness. She came there and opened her mouth. Hanuman was flowing and she was growing upwards, her mouth open like a big cave. Hanuman said, "Please move away from here. I am on the Lord's mission." "No no no," she said. "Brahma has given me a benediction that unless somebody goes in my mouth, he cannot pass by." Hanuman said, "Ah, but this mouth is too small for me." And he started growing more.

She started growing also, making her mouth bigger, so he also grew. She grew more. They were growing and growing, and her mouth became half the size of the universe. At that time Hanuman suddenly became small, and he entered the mouth and came out. Then he said, "See, I have defeated you. I entered your mouth and came out again. Now you please bless me." So she gave blessings, and then he went. Another great demoness came and said, "She didn't swallow you, but I must swallow you." She also did the same thing. Hanuman also asked the same thing. "You please open your mouth a little wider so you can eat me comfortably." She opened her mouth wider, and Hanuman became small. Though he became small, the strength is same. He went inside the mouth, and hit the back of her mouth. By that hitting, blood came out and she died. Then Hanuman got her blessings too, while she was dying. She was some Gandharvika that had been cursed to become a demoness. She said, "Now I am killed by Hanuman, I will get liberation." So she blessed Hanuman. She said, "There is one more person that you have to kill, at the entrance gate." Hanuman landed in Sri Lanka. He looked at Lanka, a beautiful city. He felt very bad. "Why should a demon have such a beautiful city?" He made up his mind, "Before I go from here, I will destroy this city, somehow or other."He came and Lankani was sitting there, a great demoness with a trident. So Hanuman became a small monkey, very small, and he was running inside the gate. She was sitting there and she said, "Wait! You are not going." "She is very intelligent," Hanuman said. "I am so small and she saw me." He climbed on her hand and up to her shoulder. He looked at her and said, "I am a small monkey, please let me in. I want to eat some fruits." "Fruits?" she asked. "What fruits are you going to eat?" Hanuman said, "I heard that there are beautiful mangoes, and Ravana is keeping them only for himself." She said, "I will get you any mango outside this gate. There are so many gardens here. Why are you going inside for food?" Hanuman said, "Don't waste my time. You'd better let me in." She was shocked. "What? You are just sitting on my shoulder. Don't you know who I am? I am Lankani." Hanuman said, "You are Lankani? I will slap you." She was amused. "You will slap me? You can't even reach my cheek." "Please take me to your cheek," Hanuman said. She took Hanuman and placed him next to her cheek. He slapped her and she fell down and blood came from her mouth. He was so small, but his strength was the same as when his size was normal. Then he went inside the city.

Transcribed from lectures given by His Grace Atma-tattva dasa during Gaura-purnima in Sridham Mayapura

Bol Bam - its Shravan

2013-08-06T21:47:00.001+05:30

Har har Mahadev. Like every year, this year is also celebrating Lord Shiva's month with zeal and vigour.

In Deoghar, there is special importance of worshipping Shiva. Below are few articles which are essential for Shiva bhakta to know. Happy Reading.

How Lord embraced Deoghar - The story Baidyanath Jyotirlinga.

The importance of Shiva Linga.

Also there are stories of other Jyotirlinga's

- Mallikarjuna
- Kedarnath

Hope you will enjoy these articles. HAR HAR MAHADEV!!!

Why did Draupadi have five husbands?

2013-05-27T15:49:00.001+05:30

Because of her ambition. Draupadi in her earlier life, was daughter of Nala and Damyanti and he wished that a number of qualities to be available in her husband. She did great penance to achieve the same and earned a boon from Lord Shiva. This was the reason why she had five husbands. read the full story here.

Draupadi in the court of Kauravas, where Yudhishthira lost her and his brothers

Were Shri Krishna and Achilles the same?

2012-10-23T21:44:00.001+05:30

Please do not get surprised. Why this is being asked is the way they were rendered vulnerable. Shri Krishna had to leave this world after an archer accidentally shot him in the heel.

Similarly, Achilles had his weakness in his heel.

You can read the whole story here

Ravana was actually a follower of Vishnu

2012-08-11T15:35:00.000+05:30

Though Ravana was killed by Ram ( Vishnu's dashavatar), but as a fact, Ravana was a follower of Vishnu. Due to a curse from Sanath kumaras and subsequently according to a remedy suggested by vishnu, gatekeepers of Vishnu, Jaya and Vijaya born as rakshashas in three births and killed by Vishnu. Have a look at them who were they in their three births:

Hiranyakashyap- killed by Narsingh Avatar.
Ravana- killed by Ram avatar.
Shishupala- killed by Krishna avatar.

Ram killing Ravana

Hiranyaksha - killed by Varaha avatar.

Kumbhkarna - killed by Ram avatar.

Dantavakra- killed by Shri Krishna avatar

Read the full story here of the curse.

Read the story behind death of Ravana and Hiranyakashyap.

Shri Krishna TWICE used a weapon in Mahabharat war!

2012-04-03T22:14:00.000+05:30

Surprised? Many of us don't know that Shri Krishna vowed to not to use a weapon in Mahabharat war, but he did use them couple of times. you will wonder that what were the occsasions. well, one was against Bhishma when he lifted the wheel of the chariot and the second time he actually used his Sudarshan chakra. This culminated in the killing of a warrior from Kaurava's side. Read the following articles to know more:

First incident of Shri Krishna using a weapon

Second incident of Shri Krishna using a weapon

New Year - Chinese and Japanese

2011-12-27T21:27:00.000+05:30

Do Chinese and Japanese celebrate their new year on same day? Find out at this article

Only one team played in the game's spirit

2011-12-26T09:00:00.000+05:30

The above statement will surely evoke memories. It was said after India Aus sydney test. Perhaps the most controversial test match of our times. So many things happened here. In the end, Australia won it by a narrow margin, but so many things have been lost here. For the uninitiated, there were seven decisions gone against India and save for these decisions, we might have seen an Indian series victory over Australia.

India still managed to lose narrowly was commendable. Symonds made 160 + not out or can we say
"160 not out after getting out four times?"

Here is a list of incidents what happened during and after the game:

1. India showed the world who is the boss by staying put in Canberra. ICC had to change the umpires.
2. Steve Bucknor never umpired again.
3. We do not hear about Mark Benson anymore.
4. Ponting lost credibility. If you research how Ganguly was "given" out, you'd know why.
5. Gilchrist losing his reputation when appealed for Rahul Dravid catch behind wicket. He is known to be a "walker", but appealing for a non existent catch did not confirm with his standards.
6. Monkeygate happened in this test only. Both players involved directly are not part of this series now. Thanks to IPL, they are good friends and share the same dressing room now.
7. Virender Sehwag was not in the playing eleven.

Intersting quotes from this test:

Run out of petrol - Aussies only walk when they are out of gas. referring to Ponting and Hussey.
Ordinary umpiring- This game has been played by 22 good players and two ordinary umpires.
Gavsaskar was livid when Ganguly was given out asking how Ponting can be trusted when he did not walk when out on 14?

As an Indian fan, this defeat still hurts, but India managed to beat Australia in next match at Perth.
MOM - Irfan Pathan

Who said the famous statement "Only one........."?

Who wrote Mahabharat - were there two people or only one?

2011-12-25T23:04:00.000+05:30

The great indian epic is written by Ved Vyasa. But there was someone, who actually put the pen to paper? Who was he?
Veda Vyasa invoked the presence of Lord Ganesha to record it in written form . Ganesha accepted with one condition , that Veda Vyasa must not stop while reciting the Mahabharata . Veda Vyasa accepted this condition but also said that Ganesha must understand what he is writing and then only write . Sometimes , Veda Vyasa would compose complex verses and when Ganesha sat , understanding their meaning , Veda Vyasa would compose more verses in his mind .
Read in detail about Mahabharat @ A brief introduction of Mahabharat

--Rudraksh

2011-12-25T11:06:00.002+05:30

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Untold Stories from ramayan-part 14

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Only one team played in the game's spirit

Who wrote Mahabharat - were there two people or only one?

--Rudraksh

Hiranyaksha - killed by Varaha avatar.

Kumbhkarna - killed by Ram avatar.

Dantavakra- killed by Shri Krishna avatar