VISHNU!
The Greatest Devotee of Shiva!
The Greatest Knower next to Shiva!
Why did he attend the Sacrifice, where Shiva was not invited?
Why did he fight Shiva’s army?
What made him act without sense?
King KSHUVA! He was a close friend of the Great Sage DADHICHI! Many were the discussions that took place between the two friends. Once the discussion was about the greatness of castes! Dadhichi held that the Brahmins were the Best!
The king was rich! The whole world was at his feet! He had extreme physical prowess! He looked at the withered body of the Sage. He looked at the abode of the Sage built by wood and leaves! He looked at the worn out bark garments of the Good Sage! He smiled! He said that, he as the greatest king was the greatest; the Sage better worship him!
Dadhichi was angry! He for a minute lost his self-control! His left hand rose in anger! The king was hit on the head! The king had a weapon made of lightning! The Sage fell on the ground! The Sage thought of SHUKRA, his predecessor! Shukra appeared there, and cured the fallen Sage of his wounds. Shukra was the foremost among the devotees of Shiva!
He was the originator of the MAHA MRINTYUNJAYMANTRA!
The Mantra to free oneself from death!
OM TRYAMBAKAM YAJAAMAHE
SUGANDHIM PUSHTI VARDHANAM
URVAARUKAMIVA BANDHANAAT
MRITYOR MUKSHEEYA MAAMRUTAAT.
[We contemplate on the Three-eyed reality
which permeates and nourishes all like a fragrance;
even as the cucumber is severed from bondage to the creeper
may we be liberated from death through the attainment of immortality]
Shiva is the Lord of the Three Worlds!
Shiva is the Lord of the Three Gunas!
Shiva is the Lord of the Three Spheres!
Shiva is the Lord of the Three Tattvas!
Shiva is the Lord of the Three Fires!
Shiva is the Lord of the Three Heavens!
Shiva is divided into THREE everywhere!
Shiva is the TRINITY!
Shiva is endowed with the Three Arms!
Shiva is the Sweet Perfume in everything!
Shiva is the Sweet Smelling Self of everything!
Shiva is the Nourisher of everything!
Shiva is in all the GANAS!
Shiva is in all the Gods!
Shiva is Prakriti and Purusha!
Shiva is the Sweet smelling Prakriti!
Shiva is the nourishing Purusha!
Shiva is the Power in everybody!
Attain him through Self-study, Yoga and Meditation.
He is capable of freeing you from the bondage of life and death as easily as removing a cucumber from the plant! This Mantra is a hymn on that part of Shiva which frees one from death!
With correct phonetic recitation it can raise even the dead!
The ‘Supreme Form’ of Mrintyunjaya!
He [the worshipper] takes two pots of water in his hands.
He Sprinkles his own head with the water from the two pots.
Again he has brought them down with his hands.
He keeps them on his laps; meditates now on the form of Shiva!
A garland of crystal stones!
A black tilak on the forehead!
A lotus in the hand!
Nectar from the crescent moon on the head bathing his whole person!
Seated along with him is Uma, the daughter of the hills!
Three eyed face! White lustrous form!
One should contemplate on this form and repeat the Mantra!
This is the Maha Mrintyunjaya Mantra, taught to Sage Dadhichi by Shukra!
Dadhichi took the MANTRA! He performed penance using the Mantra! Shiva was pleased. He appeared in front of Dadhichi. The Sage asked for three boons. His bones should be as strong as Vajra, the Weapon Supreme made of diamond! He should not be killed by anybody. He should never attain a wretched state. Shiva granted the boons!
Revenge was burning in the heart of the Sage! He immediately went to King Kshuva! He kicked him on the head. The king hit him back with ‘Vajra’! Nothing happened to the Sage! Dadhichi had won over the royalty!
The king was not to be put down! He went to the forest. He performed penance on Vishnu. Vishnu appeared pleased by his penance. The king reported all that had happened. Vishnu explained to him the Greatness of Shiva! He said that there was no weapon against the Mrintyunjaya Mantra! He also said that Brahmins had more power than even Gods! Even he was a victim of a curse pronounced by a Brahmin! He will get the result of this in the Sacrifice performed by Daksha! He will die and rise again by the Will of Shiva! He will help in the Sacrifice so Dadhichi will be conquered! However the Yajna will not be completed. Yet, He will try his best! Kshuva agreed and waited.
Lord Vishnu!
He was bound by his promise to his devotee. He took the form of a Brahmin. He went to Sage Dadhichi. He saluted him with reverence and asked for a boon. Dadhichi was not to be fooled. He saw Vishnu through the disguise! He laughed aloud. He asked him what he wanted. Vishnu asked him to confess to King Kshuva that he was afraid of him. The Sage refused! He said that he was not afraid of anybody or anything. He was a devotee of Shiva! Nobody could hurt him. Vishnu was angry. He used all his weapons on the Sage. Nothing worked. Vishnu even threw his Sudarshana Chakra to cut the head of the Sage. It failed. The weapon given by Shiva could not hurt the devotee of Shiva! Gods tried to help him. Various weapons fell on the Brahmin Sage. The Sage took a dry grass and contemplated on Shiva. A Trident made of fire rose and chased all the Gods away! Vishnu tried various methods; Yogic Maaya; Vishva roopa; endless armies of his people! Nothing worked! As a result he got cursed by the Sage to lose his Knowledge! Even the Gods were cursed. King Kshuva fell at the feet of the Brahmin Sage. He had understood his lesson. Brahmins were more powerful than kings and Gods. To teach his devotee this lesson, Vishnu had to enact this drama. But the curse was there. There was no escape from it. The curse was from a devotee of Shiva! Vishnu had no power against it.
Vishnu, Brahma, and other Gods went to Mount Kailaasa, the abode of Shiva. They apologized for their sins. Shiva forgave them. Daksha’s body was brought! The head of a Sacrificial goat was attached to his headless body. Daksha came back to life. He apologized. He praised Shiva. The Yajna was completed by the Grace of Shiva. All left satisfied.
Shiva was left alone.
Alone!
Shiva went mad!
He cried! He wept! He rolled on the floor!
He kissed the objects that belonged to his dear wife.
Had he really renounced her in the mind?
How can he reject his own essence?
Had he fooled himself into believing that he was above love? He did not understand!
He felt as if death had swallowed him.
He felt incomplete.
He felt angry at her.
He felt pity for her.
He felt like slapping her.
He felt like embracing her.
‘O O why did I love her!’ He screamed in agony.
Broken down, he closed his eyes in contemplation.
He was dead! Dead to his duties! Dead to the world! Dead to his own eternal life!
Dead to his own self! As dead as his beloved!
Would Daakshaa know of his agony?
Will she come back?
Will she make him alive again?
No comments:
Post a Comment