This Khand covers the pages 217-331 (115 pages) of the book. It covers the stories of Shiv Sharmaa, Prithu, Vane, Sukalaa, Yayaati and Kunjal bird.

Story of Satee Sukalaa-1       Story Cont...     Teerth Cont...

Bhagavaan Vishnu continued - "I tell you more about Naimittik Daan. Who donates elephant, horse or chariot, he becomes king; who donates land or cow on some great Parv, he enjoys all kinds of pleasures; who gives "secret donation" on some Parv in a Teerth place, he soon gets eternal Siddhi. Who gives beautiful clothes and gold to a Braahman in Teerth on some Mahaa Parv, he begets qualitative sons. Aabhyudaayik Daan - This increases a man's intelligence and never has to suffer from sorrows. Whoever does this Daan, he takes even his family to Swarg for thousand Kalp. Considering one's body mortal, one must donate for his own welfare. Who doesn't do that he feels hungry and thirsty and afflicted with many sorrows on the way to Yam Lok. Nobody is of anybody, that is why one should donate himself for himself. Ann, water, gold, cow with calf, land, and various fruits. If one wants more comfort, one should donate shoes also." (see Doubts under 2Padm Puraan, 2/7)

Story of Satee Sukalaa

Vane asked - "How son, wife, mother, father and Guru are Teerth? Tell me this." Vishnu said - "Listen to a story, how a wife is Teerth. There lived a Vaishya named Krikal in Kaashee Puree. His wife was very good, her name was Sukalaa. She was beautiful and had qualitative sons. Once the Vaishya heard that "going to Teerth is good not only for Punya but also for one's welfare.", so he proceeded for Teerth. Seeing him going, his wife Sukalaa said - "Swaamee, I am your wife; I have the right to follow Dharm living with you; I wish to follow you; I cannot separate you from me, so take me also along. Husband is like all Teerth for a woman. Whatever Punya a man gets after doing a Yagya, a woman can get it just by worshipping her husband. Therefore I will serve you in all Teerth and will come back following your shadow." Krikal thought, "If I take her long, I will be able to walk on even difficult paths, but she will be out of shape, and if she died there, then I will be lost completely. She is my life, I cannot take her there, that is why I alone will go there."

Thinking thus he said to her, "I will never abandon you." and went away without telling her. Next morning when Sukalaa woke up, she did not find her husband, she started crying. She asked her neighbors about him. Her neighbors told her that her husband had gone for Teerth, you should not worry about him." Still she went inside the house and continued crying. Then she thought that till he comes, she would sleep on floor, she would not eat oil, milk and yogurt, betel leaf, sugar and salt. Till he came she would eat only once a day or keep fast. Thus she started passing her time. She could not sleep at night, nor she felt hungry. Seeing in this condition, her friends asked her the reason of this type of living. She said - "I am faultless, still my husband has left me here and has gone to Teerth, that is why I am sad. It is better to die, but it is not good to leave one's husband."

Her friends said - "You are worrying uselessly. He has gone to Teerth, he will come back after the pilgrimage. Nobody is of anybody, so live comfortably." Sukalaa said - "Friends, Whatever you have told, this is not according to Ved. Ved say that a woman gets the company of her husband because of her Punya [therefore she should always live with him]. Only husband is Teerth for women, that is why she should always worship him. Husband is woman's right part. Whatever Daan, Punya, Havan a woman does sitting in the left part of her husband, its fruit is great. She cannot get that kind of Punya even after visiting many Teerth. If a woman does any Yagya alone, she doesn't get its fruit. A woman's everything - youth, beauty, birth, everything is for her husband. When a woman has no husband, she cannot get anything - prosperity, son, fame etc. I tell you a story of queen Sudevaa in this regard."

Story of Sudevaa

Her friends asked - "Who was this queen Sudevaa?" Sukalaa said - "Very long time ago, Manu's son Ikshwaaku ruled in Ayodhyaa. He was married to Sudevaa - the daughter of Kaashee's king Dev Raaj. The king performed many Yagya with his wife. One day he went to a forest near Gangaa River with his wife and started hunting there. He killed many lions and pigs. He was still hunting that a big pig came in front of him along with many herds of pigs. His she-pig was also with him. That pig saw the king and said to his wife - "Koshal king Ikshwaaku has come here for hunting, so there is no doubt that he will kill me also. I will fight with him bravely. If I won I will enjoy life on Prithvi, otherwise I will go to Vishnu Lok. I don't know what sin I committed that I had to be born as a pig. You leave me here and go to some cave protecting our family. Do not be attached to me and protect our children."

The she-pig spoke - "My children live on your might only. If I will leave you, my children will be orphan. As without good conduct a man; without Gyaan a Sanyaasee; and without secret consultation a kingdom doesn't look good, in the same way in spite of having everything, a woman does not look good without husband, that is why I cannot leave you. We both should go to some cave to save ourselves. Why do you want to die leaving us behind?" The pig said - "You do not know the warrior's Dharm, I tell you that now. If a warrior does not fight his opponent at his challenge, because of any reason, he lives in Kumbheepaak Narak for 1,000 years; but if he fights back and if he wins, he enjoys the world; and if he dies in the battlefield, he goes to Swarg Lok. Thus if the king wants to fight with me, I will surely fight with him. He has come as the guest of fight, and the guest is another form of Vishnu, therefore it is my Dharm to felicitate him with fight."

The she-pig said - "If you have decided this, then I will also see your fight standing beside you." She immediately called her children and said - "Dear sons, Vishnu Roop guest has come in the battlefield, so my husband will go to welcome him, I will also go with him. You go and hide in some cave till your father is alive. Ikshwaaku is like death for us, he will kill all of us, so you run away from here." Sons said - "Who runs away seeing his parents in trouble, is a sinner. He has to fall in a severe Narak. Therefore we will not go leaving you here alone." Thus all pigs stood there for fighting.

On the other side king came for hunting with his wife and army. Great warriors came to face those pigs, but pigs wounded them with heir sharp teeth. All, but the parents and a few (5-7) sons and grandsons pigs, were either killed or ran away. At that time the she-pig said to the pig - "Now you should run away from here along with children and me." The pig said - "A pig can drink water between two lions but a lion cannot drink water between two pigs. I cannot go back from here. You go from here and live comfortably." The she-pig said - "You are my husband. I am bound to you, that is why I will die here only with you with my children."

Ikshwaaku got very angry seeing his army defeated by that pig, so he attacked the pig and killed him. Pig went to Vishnu's Dhaam. Then all those warriors came to the she-pig, she was standing surrounded by her four children. Seeing her husband killed she said to them- "Run away from here." Her eldest son said - "How can I run away leaving you alone here? I will take the revenge of my father's killing, you run away with my other brothers." But nobody went from there. In the meantime the eldest son was also killed. Now the she-pig started wounding king's army.

Seeing this Sudevaa asked - "This she-pig has wounded a large part of your army, why are you ignoring her?" King said - "She is a woman. a great sin is attached to a killer of a woman. That is why neither I am killing her, nor I am sending anybody else to kill her. I am afraid of the sin of her killing." There was one hunter named Bhaargav, he pierced her with a sharp arrow. She got unconscious. Sudevaa got pity on her, she went to her and poured some cool water on her face. She-pig came into senses and spoke in human voice - "God bless you. You have done my Abhishek. My all sins are destroyed by your Darshan."

Story of the She-Pig

Sudevaa got very surprised as well as happy to hear a pig speaking in human voice. She called her husband and said - "See, This she-pig is speaking good Sanskrit in spite of being an animal." Then she asked the she-pig - "Who are you" You speak like a human being in spite of being an animal. Tell me something about yourself and your husband." She-pig said - "My husband was a Gandharv in his previous life. His name was Rang Vidyaadhar. He had read all Shaastra. Once it so happened that Pulastya Jee was doing Tapasyaa on Meru Parvat. Rang went there and started practicing music there. Hearing the music Muni got disturbed, he said to him - "My mind goes astray by your music. Tapasyaa can be done only when one's mind is concentrated, therefore I urge you to go somewhere else and practice your music, otherwise I myself will have to go somewhere else."

Rang Vidyaadhar said - "Who has won his Indriyaan, only he is called Tapaswee, or Yogee, or Saadhak. You have not won your Indriyaan, that is why you don't have that power. This forest is for everybody. I cannot go anywhere else, you may stay here or go elsewhere, I don't care." Pulastya Jee pardoned him and went somewhere else. After some time Rang Vidyaadhar again remembered him and thought, "Oh, So Rishi ran away from here because of being afraid of me. Let me see, where is he and what is he doing." So he assumed the form of a Varaah and went there where Pulastya Jee was sitting. Pulastya Jee was shinning with his powers, but this didn't affect my husband. Rang did not pay any attention to anything and started insulting him with the front part of his mouth. Still Muni pardoned him. But my husband again went there and disturbed him. Muni understood that he was the same Gandharv who was disturbing him before, so this time he gave him Shaap - "You are disturbing me by assuming the body of pig, so you become a pig." This was my husband's story, now I tell you my own story. I have also committed a great sin."

Story Cont...       Teerth Cont...