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Kathaa-G - 4-Van - page 20

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Paandav's Teerth Yaatraa-4

[3-114] Vaishampaayan Jee said - "O Janamejaya, Then Yudhishthir started from Kaushikee River and went to all shrines and came to where Gangaa falls into the sea, and there in the center of 500 rivers he took a holy dip. Then he proceeded towards Kaling tribes lived. Lomash Muni said - "This is the land where Kaling tribes live and Vaitaranee River passes through here. Even Dharm Raaj performed religious rites under the protection of celestials. Here Devtaa and Rishi worshipped the immortals and Shiv took the sacrificial beast and went away saying, "This is mine." then Rishi said - "Do not eye at other's property." Then they satisfied him by various worship and sacrifices. Rudra gave up the beast and went away. Now listen to what happened to Rudra? Because of Rudra;s anger, Devtaa got their share separated and it was the best among all."

Vaishampaayan Jee said - "Then all the sons of Paandu and Drauapadee took a dip in the river and made libations to their fathers. Yudhishthir said - "This is a wonderful place, I can hear some prayers of the dwellers of the wood." Lomash Muni said - "This sound is coming to you from 300,000 Yojan far place. Just hear it quietly. This is the Divine forest of the Self-Existent One which has now come to our view. Once Vishwakarmaa performed religious rite and on that occasion, the Self-existent One gifted this whole Prithvi to Kashyap Jee. As soon as the Prithvi was given away she became said and spoke to the One - "It is not good to give me away to an ordinary mortal, and that is why I am going to Nether World." Kashyap Jee tried to appease her seeing her sad, the Prithvi got pleased and came up in the form a sacred altar. This is that spot which looks like an altar, so ascend over it and you will get strength. And when you will ascend over it, I will perform the ceremony to remove all evils from you; because this altar, as soon as gets a mortal touch at once enters into the sea. You should pronounce these words quickly and while pronouncing them ascend the altar - "The God of Fire and the Sun and the organ of generation and Water and Goddess and the seed of Vishnu and the navel of nectar. The God of Fire is the organ that generated the ocean, the Earth is your body, Vishnu deposited the seed that caused your being and you are the navel of nectar." You should say them loudly and while so reciting one must plunge into the sea, otherwise this sea water should not be touched, even with the end of the sacred grass."

Vaishampaayan Jee said - "When the ceremony was completed on his behalf, Yudhishthir went into the sea and having performed all that Lomash Jee asked him to do came into the vicinity of Mahendra Hill and spent the night there.

[3-115] Vaishampaayan Jee said - "They stayed overnight there and Lomash Muni told him all the names of Bhrigu, Angiraa, Vashishth and Kashyap. Yudhishthir paid his respect to all of them and then he asked Akritavran who was the follower of Parashuraam Jee, as when Parshuraam will show himself to him. It will be a good occasion to have his Darshan. Akritvran said - "The journey to this place is already known to Parashuraam Jee who knows everything. he is very pleased with you and he will surely give his Darshan to you. The saints who practice penance here are already eligible to see him on the 14th and 8th day of Lunar month. Tomorrow morning is 14th day, so you will have a sight of him. he will be wearing a deer skin and matted hair on his head." Yudhishthir said - "You are the follower of Parashuraam Jee, you must have witnessed all his deeds done in the past. I request you tell me how he defeated all the Kshatriya and what was the original cause of that."

Story of Parashuraam

Akritvran said - "I will tell you everything, not only the deeds of Parshuraam Jee but also Haihaya King Arjun who was killed by Raam. Arjun had 1,000 arms and by the grace of Dattaatreya he had a golden chariot also. His chariot could go anywhere without any obstruction. He was ruling the whole Prithvi in a justified way, but he harassed Yaksh, Devtaa and saints whenever he wanted, so once they went to Vishnu and requested Him to kill Arjun. Once when Indra was enjoying with Shachee, Arjun came there. So Vishnu consulted Indra about killing Kaartveerya and went to Badaree Van which was Vishnu's favorite place for penance. At that time a king was ruling in Kaanyakubj named as Gaadhi. he accepted the life of a dweller of forest and there he had a beautiful daughter [Satyvatee]. Muni Richeek, who was in Bhrigu's line asked her hand for himself. Gaadhi who was leading a rigid austere life, said to Muni - "Hey Muni, We have a custom which was started by our ancestors that the bridegroom must pay the dowry of 1,000 horses, whose color must be brown and everyone of whom must possess one black ear. I cannot ask the same from the sage like you, nor I can refuse my daughter to you." Richeek said - "I will give you 1,000 horses of brown color and each with one black ear. Give me your daughter."

Akritvran said - "After saying this he went to Varun Dev and asked him for 1,000 brown colored horses with one black ear saying that he wanted them to give them to the King as a dowry. Varun Dev gave him the 1,000 such horses. They came out of Gangaa, and for the same reason this place is called "The Horse's Landing Place". And Gaadhi married his daughter Satyavatee to Richeek Muni, and Devtaa also attended the marriage from bride's side. Richeek Muni thus got 1,000 horses, had Darshan of Devtaa and got a wife in proper manner. After the marriage had been performed Bhrigu Rishi also came to see his son along with his wife and they were very happy to see their son. Richeek and Satyavatee gave them Aasan to sit upon and waited upon them for their orders. Bhrigu said - "Dear Daughter-in-law, I will give you any boon you ask for." Satyvatee asked for a son for each - herself and her mother. Bhrigu said - "So be it."

He further said - "When your season comes, you and your mother must take bath with the ceremony to bring forth a son. You must embrace two separate trees - you a fig tree and your mother a Peepal tree. Here are two pots of rice and milk, I have prepared them with great care, because I looked for these herbs in the whole world and their essence has been mixed with this rice and milk. It must be taken as food with great care." and he vanished from the sight. The two women interchanged the pots as well as the trees. After quite some time Bhrigu Jee came again. He had known about the interchange by his Divine power, he said to Satyavatee - "O my beautiful daughter-in-law, You have taken the wrong pot of rice and milk as food and embraced the wrong tree. And it was your mother who deluded you. So a son will be born to you h=who in spite of being Braahman will be of heroic nature; while a mighty son will be born to your mother but later he will accept ascetic qualities. His power will be great and he will tread great people's path." Hearing this Satyavatee said - "Please, let my son should not be like this, maybe my grandson is like that." Bhrigu replied, "So be it." Later Satyavatee gave birth to Jamadagni and he grew in years and in strength. He had learnt military art without any teaching.

[3-116] Akritvran said - "Jamadagni became very famous for his asceticism. Then he studied methodically and mastered Ved. He went to King Prasenjit and asked for his daughter Renukaa's hand. King agreed and married Renukaa to Jamadagni. Jamadagni brought her to his Aashram and started his Tapasyaa with her help. They had five sons - Parashuraam Jee being their youngest and the most superior amongst all their sons. Once Jamadagni's all sons went out to bring fruits and Renukaa went to take bath. There she saw the King of Maatrikaa, Chitrarath playing with his wives in the river. He was wearing a lotus garland. Seeing this she was inspired with desire and could not control herself. She got polluted in the water. Then she gathered herself and came back hurriedly but Rishi had known everything about her. When he looked at her, she had been giddy, he cried at her, "Fie". At the same time his eldest son Rumanvaan came there, then Sushen, then Vasu, and then Vishwaavasu also arrived. he asked all of them to end the life of their mother. They all got stunned and lost. They could not utter a single word. He got very angry with them and in fury he cursed them and they became like animals and birds in conduct. Then came Raam. He asked Raam also to kill his mother. Raam immediately picked his axe and cut his mother's head. Maharshi Jamadagni got very pleased with Raam and said to him - "You have performed this great task for me, ask what you wish for." Raam said - "Restore my mother's life and that she should not remember that I killed her and I should not be attached with any kind of sin. My brothers should also be all right and I will be unrivalled in battle and I will have long life." His father whose penance was so great, he granted all this to his worthy son.

Once the King of that country which was near the seashore, Kritveerya's son Kaartveerya (Arjun), came in the hermitage of Jamadagni. His all sons had gone out, so Renukaa received him with great hospitability, but Arjun was very proud of himself of being warrior, so he did not like it and took away the cow which supplied the Rishi and his other Braahman the sacrificial butter by force. The cow cried a lot but he did not pay any attention to her. When Raam came back, Jamadagni Jee told him everything. He immediately ran towards Arjun and cut Arjun's arms which were 1,000 and looked like wooden bars. Raam had overpowered him. Once while Raam was away and Jamadagni Jee was busy in his penance, Arjun's relatives came to Jamadagni Muni's Aashram and killed Jamadagni Jee. Although his penance was great, still he could not do anything because he was busy in penance and he would not fight. He repeatedly called Raam in this situation. Arjun's sons killed him and went away. When Raam came back to Aashram with fuel in his hands, his father had been killed. He cried a lot for him.

[3-117] Raam said - "This was my fault that you were killed like this by the hands of Arjun's sons. They have also committed a sin by killing you, an old man who was engaged in Tapasyaa, by thousands of arrows." Then he performed his last rites and took a vow on his pyre that he would end all the Kshatriya. He picked up his axe and killed Arjun and his sons single handedly. He killed Arjun's sons' followers three times, and all other Kshatriya seven times. He built five ponds of their blood in Samantpanchak area. Then he offered libations to his forefathers. Bhrigu and Richeek Muni appeared in person and counseled him. After that Raam performed a great sacrifice and donated the Earth to the priests who were residing over it. He then made an altar of 10 Vyaam in breadth and nine Vyaam in height and gave it to Maharshi Kashyap Jee. Kashyap Jee gave it to Braahman and they divided it among themselves. They became famous as the Khand Vyaam (the shareholders). Now Raam lives in Mahendra Parvat. Thus Raam defeated the entire world."

Vaishampaayan Jee said - "Next day on the 14th Lunar day, Parashuraam Jee appeared in front of those Braahman and Yudhishthir. All of them worshipped him and with his advice they stayed on Mahendra Parvat for one night and next day they went southward.

Paandav Go to West, Meet Krishn

[3-118] Vaishampaayan Jee said - Thus they continued their journey seeing the places, somewhere worshipping, somewhere bathing, then O Janamejaya, they came to Gadaavaree River. There he was freed from his sins. he came to Draavid land and Agastya Muni's Aashram. Proceeded from here, Yudhishthir heard the stories of the feats of Arjun and he got very happy to hear them. He donated thousands of cows there. he proceeded and came to Suraparak Teerth and then to the forest where Jamadagni Jee had his sacred altar. he visited many temples of Devtaa and Vasu, Vaayu Dev, Ashwinee Kumaar and Yam Raaj, Indra, Vishnu, Shiv, Chandramaa, Soorya Dev, Varun Dev etc. There he observed various fasts and donated many gems. They then came again to Surparak Teerth and from there they came to Prabhaas. There they took bath and offered Tarpan to their Pitri. There they lived for 12 days only on water and air and performed many sacrifices.

When Krishn heard this news, He with Balaraam and other Vrishni Vanshee came to see them. When they saw Paandav and Krishnaa in such a state, they felt very sad and could not hold themselves and broke into tears and started crying loudly. Yudhishthir met all of them with great courage. They all seated around Yudhishthir. he then told them the whole story of their exile period.

[3-119] Janamejaya said - "When all, Paandav and Vrishni, came to Prabhaas, what did they do there? What did they talk?" Vaishampaayan Jee said - When all had sat down, Balaraam Jee, whose body is as white as cow's milk, or Kund flower, or lotus root, spoke to Lotus-eyes Krishn - "I do not see that people who practice virtue lead good life, or who practice unrighteous practices lead evil life. Yudhishthir is in such a miserable state and Duryodhan is ruling the Earth and the ground yet does not swallow him. When people see both of them what inference they can make? This son of Kuntee can give up his pleasure or wealth but cannot give up his path of righteousness. How those Bheeshm, Kripaa, Drone and the senior people of the house are sleeping in luxury? I am sure when Dhritraashtra and his sons have committed this inhuman act, they must have seen the spot also where the dead bodies will be burnt. This Bheem whose appetite is like a wolf, can destroy a huge army alone. And now this man is suffering from hunger. When he will take his weapon and meet his enemy, he will remember all his sufferings and he will not leave anyone from them. It is so pity that all these sons of Devtaa are living in forest subsisting on fruits and roots deprived of all comforts. When they had to come out of their kingdom why this earth did not go to Rasaatal with all her mountains?"

[3-120] Saatyaki said - "O Balaraam, This is not the time of for lamentations, we should act according to present conditions although Yudhishthir is not speaking anything. Those people who have others to look after them do not do their own work, other do them for them, as Shibi and others did for Yayaati. How is it that when Yudhishthir has us all - Raam, Krishn, Pradyumn and Saamb and me, and we can protect the three worlds, these Paandav are living in forest? Krishn alone can kill Dhritraashtra's all sons. Even I can kill all of them. I know the power of Arjun's son (Abhimanyu), he is like Krishn Himself. What is in the whole world which Krishn cannot encounter? And Gad and Ulook, and Baahuk and Bhaanu, Need and Nishaad, and Sharan and Chaarudeshn, let all of them show their bravery in the war. Let all Saatwat, Vrishni, Andhak and Bhoj should kill these Dhritraashtra's people, and let Abhimanyu rule the world and Yudhishthir complete his vows that were accepted and declared by him at the time of Dice Game."

Krishn said - "Saatyali, You are saying right, but Yudhishthir will never accept the kingdom unless it is won by his own self. Neither for the sake of pleasure, nor from fear, these five brave people renounce the rules of their caste. Both Bheem and Arjun are unrivalled on the Earth. Nakul and Sahadev, Drupad and Kaikaya King and us, we all will unite to kill those people."

Yudhishthir said - "All of you are right but for me the truth is at the top - even above my kingdom. it is only Krishn knows what I am and only I know what Krishn is. As soon as Krishn will think that the proper time has come, He will defeat Suyodhan. So today you may go back. It is so nice that you have come to see me. Never fall from the path of virtue. I shall see you again when you will be happily gather together."

After this Yadu people went to their homes and Paandav continued their journey. They came to Payoswinee River. Its landing place was built by the King of Vidarbh and he used to live on  her banks.

 

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Created by Sushma Gupta On 05/27/04
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Modified on 12/19/12