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19-Shiv and Champak Flowers

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19-Shiv and Champak Flowers
[Taken from "Introduction" of Shiv Puraan]

Nor must a Champak flower be used to offer to Shiv. In the land of Gokarn there was a temple dedicated to Shiv. Once Naarad Jee decided to go and visit the temple. On the way, he saw a flowering Champak tree. He stopped there to admire it. A Braahman came there to pluck flowers from the tree. But seeing that Naarad was there, the Braahman refrained himself from plucking any flowers. Naarad Jee asked him - "Where are you going?" The Braahman lied and replied - "To beg some alms." Naarad Jee went to the temple. Meanwhile, the Braahman plucked the flowers from the Champak tree and placed them in a basket and covered it up well. Naarad Jee met the Braahman again on his way back from the temple.

He asked the Braahman - "Where are you going now?" The Braahman lied again, "Home. I could not get any alms." Naarad's suspicions were aroused. He went to the Champak tree and asked, "Has that Braahman plucked any flowers here?" The tree asked - "What Braahman? I don't know of any Braahman. No one has plucked any flowers here." Naarad Jee went back to the temple and discovered fresh Champak flowers lying there on top of the Shiv Ling. There was another devotee praying there. Naarad Jee asked him, "Do you know who came to worship with these Champak flowers?" "Yes, I do. It is an evil Braahman. He worships Shiv every day with these Champak flowers. Thanks to Shiv's blessings. He has completely brainwashed the King and has secretly been stealing the King's wealth. He also oppresses other Braahman." Naarad Jee asked Shiv, "Why do you encourage such evil?" "I am helpless," replied Shiv, "I cannot resist it if someone worships me with Champak flowers."

Just then, a Braahman woman came running with her tale of woe. Her husband was crippled. But they had managed to get some money from the King so that their daughter could be married. They had also received a cow from the king. But the evil Braahman was claiming that half of whatever wealth they had received was his. It was due to his good offices that the King had been so generous, he was saying. The evil Braahman had already appropriated half of the money. But how on Earth was a cow to be divided?

Naarad Jee then decided that something needed to be done about the Champak tree and the evil Braahman. Apart from everything else, the Champak tree was a liar. Naarad cursed the Champak tree that its flowers would never be accepted by Shiv as an offering. He cursed even the evil Braahman that he would be born as a Raakshas (demon) named Viraadh. But the Braahman had been a devotee of Shiv. So the curse was qualified by the stipulation that Viraadh would be killed by Raam and would then again become a Braahman.

 

 

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Created and Maintained by Sushma Gupta
Created on March 15, 2003 and Updated on February 12, 2013
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