Sri Vishnu Puranam: section 1 - chapter 1

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Srimathe Lakshmi Narasimha Parabramhane namaha:

Srimathe Srivan Satakopa vedantha Desika Yathindra desikaya namaha:

Srimathe Lakshmi Narasimha divya paduka sevake Srivan Satakopa

Sri Narayana Yathindra Maha Desikaya namahe:

 

Vishnu Puranam: Section 1: Chapter 1:

 

One fine morning sage Maitreya after completing his nitya

anusthanam approached his acharyan, sage Parasara, with the

intent of learning the "paramartha tattuvam".

 

Maitreya: (with all humility) Gurudeva! By your divine grace

I has learnt the vedas and the shastras. Now a few questions

have arisen in my mind. You should kindly address these

as well.

 

Parasara: Feel free to ask your questions.

 

Maitreya: I am interested to know the origin of this universe.

What is the primal force behind its creation? How is it sustained?

How is it going to end?

 

Sri Vishnu Puranam was composed as an answer to these and

other questions that sage Maitreya puts forth during the course

of his discussion with his acharyan, sage Parasara. Before he

answers sage Parasara pauses for a moment and contemplates

on his acharyas, showing us by "anushtanam" (practice) that

before we start to discuss vedantha vidya we should always

stop for a few seconds to think about our acharya paramparai and

feel humble and thankful for the knowledge we have gained

from them.

 

He then narrates to sage Maitreya the following story.

 

Not long ago there lived a king by the

name Kalmashapadan. He was a disciple of sage Vashista. While

he was sporting in the jungle, hunting wild animals, he happened

to pass along a narrow one way path. Half way down this path

he noticed another person walking in the opposite direction. This

other person was sage Shakthi, the eldest son of sage Vashista.

Both approached closer expecting the other to give way. When

they met headon (!) the haunty king ordered sage Shakthi to move

aside and give way to him. Shakthi was one who always followed

the dharma-shastra and kindly mentioned to the king that according

to the shastra when a king and brahmin meet under these circumstances

it is the brahmin who has the 'right of the way'.

 

An argument ensued but the egotistic king, blinded by his wealth

and fame, was in no mood to listen to the good advise of the sage.

He insisted that his orders had to be obeyed. When sage Shakthi

stood his ground, this angered the king and he wiped sage Shakthi

and dragged him out of the way. seeing that the king behaved in a

demonic fashion, the wounded and humiliated Shakthi cursed the

king to turn into a human flesh eating demon. After this incident the

king returned to his kingdom, but he was besieged with all kind of

problems and his life turned miserable. He was deeply saddened

by the turn of events and this sadness slowly turned into anger toward

sage Shakthi. One day, in a fit anger, he attacked sage Shakthi and

ate (!) him.

 

When sage Vashista (Shakthi's father) came to know of these events

he felt terrible and went to visit his grief stricken daughter-in-law.

At

that time his daughter-in-law, sage Shakthi's wife, was pregnant.

Vashista consoled her and asked her to depend on Perumal's grace at

her time of despair. During this conversation Vashista was perplexed

to hear the Veda's being chanted (since he was alone with his daughter-

in-law). When he mentioned this to his daughter-in-law and asked her

if she know from where these vedic chants were emanating, his daughter-

in-law pointed to her womb and told him it was her unborn child that

was chanting (having constantly heard his father chant the Vedas the

featus had mastered the Vedas in the womb!). When sage Vasistha

heard this he was immensely pleased.

 

In due course a beautiful baby boy was born to Shakthi's wife. Sage

Vashista named the child Parasara (One who can provide effective

counter arguments to his opponents while discussing Vedantha). The

child having seen only Vashista from the time of his birth assumed

Vashista was his father and started calling him "appa". When Vashista

pointed to Parasara that he was not his appa (father) but was his

"thatha"

(grandpa), the innocent child immediately asked the whereabouts of

his father. Vashista narrated to Parasara how his father met a cruel

end at the hand of the demon king, Kalmashapadan. This event sowed

the seed of hatred against all "raksheshaas" (demons) in Parasaras

heart. As the boy grew into a young man his hatred for those in the

"raksheshaas lineage" grew manifold. One day the young Parasara

decided to conduct the "Satrama yaga" with the intent of destroying

all "raksheshaas". This "yaga" (ritual sacrifice) was started and as it

progressed a number of "raksheshaas", attracted by the "mantra-shakthi"

(power of the mantras chanted during the yaga), were drawn into the

sacrificial fire and were destroyed.

 

When sage Vashista came to know of this yaga, he immediately came

to Parasaras "ashramam" (place of residence) and advises him to stop the

yaga. Vashista explains to Parasara that he should not hold accountable

all the raksheshass for the deeds of one demonic king and that it is not

advisable to act in hatred and anger. Vashista then points out that it

was

his father's anger that led him to curse the king to become a "human

flesh

eating demon". Vashista then asks, "if such a demon turns to the very

person who cursed him to be so and kills and eats him, is it the fault

of

the demon or the person who cursed him? Wise men do not succumb

to anger. So Parasara, my child, take my advise and stop this yaga".

When Parasara heard the good advise of his "pitamahan" (grandfather),

he immediately stops the yaga. (Here again sage Parasara shows by

his "anushtanam" how one should respect and abide by the wishes of

ones elders). Sage Vashista is extremely to see this.

 

At this time Sage Pulasthiya comes to Parasara's ashramam. He is the

son of Brahma and the first among the forefathers in the raksheshass

lineage. Both sage Vashista and Parasara welcome this "mahan" and

inquire about his trip to their "kutil" (hermitage). The gentle

Pulasthiya

praises Parasara for following the wise advise of his grandfather and

stopping the yaga. He tells Parasara that if the yaga had continued any

longer all his "santhathi" (lineage) who have been engulfed by the

sacrificial fire and none of his progeny would have survived. He then

grants a boon to Parasara that some day the Parasara will compose

a sacred Purana that will bring to light the nature of "Parabrahmam"

and the route to attain the "Paramporul" (the supreme being).

 

Parasara (after narring this story to Maitreya): I now recollect the

words of sage Pulasthiya. My answers to your questions will take

the shape of a Puranam. So listen carefully! This knowledge that

I am going to impart to you, I have obtained through a bonafide

"guru-parampara" (Acharya-lineage). The Pajapathies got this

knowledge from the four faced Brahma and them taught this to

a king called Purukutsan. This king taught this brahma-vidya to

sage Saarasvathar and he in turn taught it to me. The knowledge

that I have received from these elders, I know am going to teach

you. So listen with attentively.

 

Parasara (continues): The primal cause for this universe is Lord

Narayana. However he is immune to the constant change that this

universe undergoes. He is distinct and stands apart from this

universe and at the same time this universe is contained in Him

and He pervades all that is see and unseen in this universe. He lacks

nothing nor does he desire anything. He is neither born nor does

he ever die. The elders call Him Vasudevan. He is the repository

of all supreme qualities and is blemishless. He is the

"parabrahmam". He is the one who creates and destroys this

universe.

 

With Perumal's anugraham this series will continue. Stay tuned!

 

 

Side Comments 1: Other puranas such as "Liga-Puranam" were

composed in response to specific questions such as "please explain

the qualities of the Liga". However the questions raised sage

Maitreya are general (such as "please explain the nature of this

universe and its cause"). In response to these questions sage

Parasara need not have started to eulogize Lord Narayana. The

fact that Parasara does just that (!) and all this sounds appropriate

shows the uniqueness Sri Vishnu Puranam and the greatness

of our Lord.

 

Side Comment 2: In my next post I will attempt to summarize the

remaining portions of this chapter and then shift gears to move to

adiyEn's favorite chapter on Prahalada Charittram.

 

 

adiyEn rAmAnuja dAsan

Ramesh Sarangapani