Anec.13&14 of Part I Myths

[Guest guest]

Dear Bhagavatas,

Given below are Anecdotes 13 and 14 from Part I Myths.

Dasoham

Anbil Ramaswamy

================================================================================\

=====

13. The power of Elderly advice ( Parasara )

 

Parasara was the grandson of the grand sire Vasishta and son of Sakti.

His father, Sakti was killed by demons. To wreak vengeance, Parasara did

a yaga to exterminate the demons. Millions of demons perished. Vasishta

intervened and advised that killing the demons in retaliation was

equally heinous, that 'two wrongs don't make one right' and asked him to

desist from further damage to the demons. He also explained that Sakti

had to die because of his own Karma and the demons were only tools in

the hands of fate.

 

Respecting the advice of his grandfather (who was also his preceptor),

Parasara called off the yaga. At that time., Pulastya, the son of

Brahma came on the scene and blessed Parasara saying that though he had

anger and enmity against the demons, he heeded the advice of his Guru

and stopped the yaga. Appreciating this, he conferred a boon on

Parasara that he would come to know the truth 'as it is' as to who

indeed is the Paramatma and that he would write a Puarana on that

Supreme deity. Vasishta seconded this saying that Pulastya's boon will

soon come true. This is how Vishnu Purana came into being - identifying

Sri Vishnu as the Supreme Deity.

 

Pulastya :- "Purana sahita kartha bhavan vatsa! Bhavishyasi

Devata paaramaartyam cha yatavat vedsyate bhavan'"

Vasishta :- " pulastyena yaduktham the sarvametat bavishyati"

 

Comment

 

In the olden days, respecting and listening to the well meant advice of

elders was considered the foremost duty of youngsters. It was believed

that this could result in a reward which cannot be measured. The

blessings of Vasishta and Pulastya enabled Parasara to understand the

ultimate truth 'Yataavat' (as it was) which resulted in the birth of

Vishnupurana considered to be the gem among Puranas (Purana ratnam).

 

In the modern days, this respect for elders has become totally extinct.

We cannot, however, blame the present day youths for this erosion. The

elders of today both in India and more so in the West have lost touch

with the Scriptures and are as unexposed to standards of rectitude as

the youngsters and have thus forfeited their right to be heard and

respected.

 

If the elders could at least strive to familiarize themselves with the

salutary morals contained in our scriptures and try to live up to them

modern youths will not lose faith in them and will surely endeavor to

follow their example. The scenario unfurled in the Parasara story, if

followed by old and young would certainly elevate both the advisors and

the advised.

 

14. The power of filial love ( Bhishma)

 

King Santanu had eight sons through Ganga but due to a commitment to

her, he did not object to her throwing away the first seven children

into the river,soon on their birth. As he protested when she was about

to throw away the 8th child, she left Santanu. She, however,restored the

boy to him when he had grown up into a youth well versed in the holy

scriptures. The boy was Devavrata.

 

After Ganga left him Santanu lost all interest in life and gave up all

sensual pleasures but not for long. Four years after, he was accosted by

a beautiful maiden with a divine fragrance. This was Satyavati

a.k.a.Matsyagandhi, a fisherwoman. He fell in love with her and asked

her to marry him. But, the girl's father stipulated a condition that

only the child born to her should inherit the throne. Santanu could not

agree since it was crown prince Devavrata's right to follow him to the

throne.

 

Sad and depressed, Santanu had to reveal his plight to Devavrata.

Devavrata straight went to the fisherman and told him that he was

prepared to renounce his right as heir apparent in favor of Satyavati's

son. The fisherman was shrewd. He questioned what would happen if.in

future,children born of Devavrata claimed their right. On hearing this,

Devavrata raised his arms and swore that he would never marry but

dedicate himself to a life of absolute celibacy and beseeched the

fisherman to give Satyavati in marriage to Santanu. The Gods showered a

confetti of flowers on him and declared him " Bhishma"- meaning one who

undertakes a terrible vow and fulfills it.

 

Bhishma lived long honored by all until the end of the Kurukshetra war.

>From beginning to end, Bhishma, the Pitamaha,(the grand old sire) was

venerated by both Pandavas and Kauravas. He was the preceptor par

excellence but since he was in the employ of Duryodhana,could do no more

than advise him against harboring enmity against the Pandavas. But for

this, he led a virtuous life that won the admiration of the entire

world. At the time of Kurukshetra war, he fought on the side of

Kauravas.

On the 10 th day, arrows of Arjuna stuck all over his body in such a way

that there was no intervening space and his body did not touch the

ground due to the arrows sticking out of his body. Lying on the bed of

arrows, he shone brighter than ever before.

 

The filial love which prompted him to renounce marriage and remain

celibate for the rest of his life secured for him a boon from his father

that he could choose the actual time of his death. He lay on the bed of

arrows till Uttarayana when the Sun turned northwards and then he shed

his tabernacle of flesh.

 

Comment

 

No one, much less a crown prince would give up his right to marriage and

to the throne as did Bhishma just for facilitating a second marriage for

his father. The magnitude of the sacrifice can be appreciated only by

imagining ourselves in the shoes of Bhishma while he made the terrific

pledge. This brahmacharya coupled with the benign blessings of his

father earned for him a pride of place none else could hope for. It was

this Bhishma who advised all the warriors from his deathbed Dharma

sastras and the Vishnu Sahasranama (1000 names of Lord Vishnu)- a

discourse glorified by the personal audience of Krishna, the very Avatar

of Lord Vishnu.

 

The efficacy of filial love is a matter for experience and not for mere

debate like whether Santanu was right in going in for a second wife

when he had a son of marriageable age. While we may not agree with

Santanu's action, the purpose of the story is to show that any service,

let alone sacrifice, rendered to anyone is self rewarding. More so, in

the case of parents who would bless them even without such service. The

lesson is as valid today as in the days of Bhishma.

================================================================================\

=====