Çiva Rätri

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March 1st, 2003, Saturday (Caturdaçi)

Çiva Rätri

 

 

The following is a story of Nanda Mahäräja's deliverance from the

snake from Çréla Prabhupäda's Kåñëa Book, entitled "Vidyädhara Liberated and

the Demon Çaìkhacüòa Killed" (a lélä that took place at the night of

Çiva-rätri).

 

There are also a few notes from Çréla Bhaktivinoda Öhäkura at the

bottom regarding the meaning of this pastime.

 

 

Kåñëa Book,

Chapter 34:

"VIDYÄDHARA LIBERATED AND THE DEMON ÇANKHACUDA KILLED"

 

 

Once upon a time, the cowherd men of Våndävana, headed by Nanda

Mahäräja, desired to go to Ambikävana to perform the Çiva-rätri performance.

The räsa-lélä was performed during the autumn, and after that the next big

ceremony is Holi or the Doläyäträ ceremony. Between the Doläyäträ ceremony

and the räsa-lélä ceremony there is one important ceremony which is called

Çiva-rätri, which is especially observed by the Çaivites, or devotees of

Lord Çiva. But sometimes the Vaiñëavas also observe this ceremony because

they accept Lord Çiva as the foremost Vaiñëava. But the function of

Çiva-rätri is not observed very regularly by the bhaktas, or devotees of

Kåñëa.

 

Under the circumstances, it is stated in Çrémad-Bhägavatam that the

cowherd men headed by Nanda Mahäräja "once upon a time desired." That means

that they were not regularly observing the Çiva-rätri function but that once

upon a time they wanted to go to Ambikävana out of curiosity. Ambikävana is

situated somewhere in the Gujarat Province. Ambikävana is said to be

situated on the river Sarasvaté, yet we do not find any Sarasvaté River in

the Gujarat province; the only river there is Savarmaté. In India, all the

big places of pilgrimage are situated on nice rivers like the Ganges,

Yamunä, Sarasvaté, Narmadä, Godävaré, Käveré, etc. Ambikävana was situated

on the bank of Sarasvaté, and all the cowherd men and Nanda Mahäräja went

there.

 

They very devotedly began to worship the deity of Lord Çiva and

Ambikä. It is the general practice that wherever there is a temple of Lord

Çiva, there must be another temple of Ambikä (or Durgä) because Ambikä is

the wife of Lord Çiva and is the most exalted of chaste women. She doesn't

live outside the association of her husband. After reaching Ambikävana, the

cowherd men of Våndävana first bathed themselves in the river Sarasvaté. If

one goes to any place of pilgrimage, his first duty is to take a bath and

sometimes to shave his head. That is the first business. After taking bath,

they worshiped the deities and then distributed charity in the holy places.

 

According to the Vedic system, charity is given to the brähmaëas. It

is stated in the Vedic çästras that only the brähmaëas and the sannyäsés can

accept charity. The cowherd men from Våndävana gave cows decorated with

golden ornaments and beautiful garlands. The brähmaëas are given charity

because they are not engaged in any business profession. They are supposed

to be engaged in brahminical occupations, as described in the Bhagavad-gétä

-- namely, they must be very learned and must perform austerity and

penances. They must not only themselves be learned, but they must also teach

others. Brähmaëas are not meant to be brähmaëas alone; they should create

other brähmaëas also. If a man is found who agrees to become a brähmaëa's

disciple, he is also given the chance to become a brähmaëa. The brähmaëa is

always engaged in the worship of Lord Viñëu. Therefore the brähmaëas are

eligible to accept all kinds of charity. But if the brähmaëas receive excess

charity, they are to distribute it for the service of Viñëu. In the Vedic

scripture, therefore, one is recommended to give in charity to the

brahmanas, and by so doing one pleases Lord Viñëu and all the demigods.

 

The pilgrims take bath, worship the Deity, and give charity; they

are also recommended to fast one day. They should go to a place of

pilgrimage and stay there at least for three days. The first day is spent

fasting, and at night they can drink a little water because water does not

break the fast.

 

The cowherd men, headed by Nanda Mahäräja, spent that night on the

bank of the Sarasvaté. They fasted all day and drank a little water at

night. But while they were taking their rest, a great serpent from the

nearby forest appeared before them and hungrily began to swallow up Nanda

Mahäräja. Nanda began to cry helplessly, "My dear son, Kåñëa, please come

and save me from this danger! This serpent is swallowing me!" When Nanda

Mahäräja cried for help, all the cowherd men got up and saw what was

happening. They immediately took up burning logs and began to beat the snake

to kill it. But in spite of being beaten with burning logs, the serpent was

not about to give up swallowing Nanda Mahäräja.

 

At that time Kåñëa appeared on the scene and touched the serpent

with His lotus feet. Immediately upon being touched by the lotus feet of

Kåñëa, the serpent shed its reptilian body and appeared as a very beautiful

demigod named Vidyädhara. His bodily features were so beautiful that he

appeared to be worshipable. There was a luster and effulgence emanating from

his body, and he was garlanded with a gold necklace. He offered obeisances

to Lord Kåñëa and stood before Him with great humility. Kåñëa then asked the

demigod, "You appear to be a very nice demigod and to be favored by the

goddess of fortune. How is it that you performed such abominable activities,

and how did you get the body of a serpent?" The demigod then began to

narrate the story of his previous life.

 

"My dear Lord," he said, "in my previous life I was named Vidyädhara

and was known all over the world for my beauty. Because I was a celebrated

personality, I used to travel all over in my airplane. While traveling, I

saw a great sage named Aìgirä. He was very ugly, and because I was very

proud of my beauty, I laughed at him. Due to this sinful action, I was

condemned by the great sage to assume the form of a serpent."

 

One should note here that before being favored by Kåñëa, a person is

always under the modes of material nature, however elevated he may be

materially. Vidyädhara was a materially elevated demigod, and he was very

beautiful. He also held a great material position and was able to travel all

over by airplane. Yet he was condemned to become a serpent in his next life.

Any materially elevated person can be condemned to an abominable species of

life if he is not careful. It is a misconception that after reaching the

human body one is never degraded. Vidyädhara himself states that even though

he was a demigod, he was condemned to become a serpent. But because he was

touched by the lotus feet of Kåñëa, he immediately came to Kåñëa

consciousness. He admitted, however, that in his previous life he was

actually sinful. A Kåñëa conscious person knows that he is always the

servant of the servant of Kåñëa; he is most insignificant, and whatever good

he does is by the grace of Kåñëa and the spiritual master.

 

The demigod Vidyädhara continued to speak to Çré Kåñëa. "Because I

was very proud of the exquisite beauty of my body," he said, "I derided the

ugly features of the great sage Aìgirä. He cursed me for my sin, and I

became a snake. Now I consider that this curse by the sage was not at all a

curse; it was a great benediction for me. Had he not cursed me, I would not

have assumed the body of a serpent and would not have been kicked by Your

lotus feet and thus freed from all material contamination."

 

In material existence, four things are very valuable: to be born in

a decent family, to be very rich, to be very learned, and to be very

beautiful. These are considered to be material assets. Unfortunately,

without Kåñëa consciousness, these material assets sometimes become sources

of sin and degradation. Despite Vidyädhara's being a demigod and having a

beautiful body, he was condemned to the body of a snake due to pride. A

snake is considered to be the most cruel and envious living entity, but

those who are human beings and are envious of others are considered to be

even more vicious than snakes. The snake can be subdued or controlled by

charming mantras and herbs, but a person who is envious cannot be controlled

by anyone.

 

"My dear Lord," Vidyädhara continued, "Now since I think I have

become freed from all kinds of sinful activities, I am asking Your

permission to return to my abode, the heavenly planet." This request

indicates that persons who are attached to fruitive activities, desiring

promotion to the comforts of higher planetary systems, cannot achieve their

ultimate goal of life without the sanction of the Supreme Personality of

Godhead. It is also stated in the Bhagavad-gétä that the less intelligent

want to achieve material benefits and therefore worship different kinds of

demigods, but they actually get the benediction from the demigods through

the permission of Lord Viñëu, or Kåñëa. Demigods have no power to bestow

material profit. Even if one is attached to material benediction, he can

worship Kåñëa the Supreme Personality of Godhead and ask Him. Kåñëa is

completely able to give even material benediction. There is a difference,

however, in asking material benediction from the demigods and from Kåñëa.

Dhruva Mahäräja worshiped the Supreme Personality of Godhead for material

benediction, but when he actually achieved the favor of the Supreme Lord and

saw Him, he was so satisfied that he refused to accept any material

benediction. The intelligent person does not ask favors from or worship the

demigods; he directly becomes Kåñëa conscious, and if he has any desire for

material benefit, he asks Kåñëa, not the demigods.

 

Vidyädhara, awaiting permission of Kåñëa to return to the heavenly

planets, said, "Now because I am touched by Your lotus feet, I am relieved

from all kinds of material pangs. You are the most powerful of all mystics.

You are the original Supreme Personality of Godhead. You are the master of

all the devotees. You are the provider of the planetary systems, and

therefore I am asking Your permission. You may accept me as fully

surrendered unto You. I know very well that persons who are constantly

engaged in chanting Your holy name attain release from all sinful reactions,

and certainly persons who are fortunate enough to be personally touched by

Your lotus feet are freed. Therefore I am sure that I am now relieved from

the curse of the brahmana simply by being touched by Your lotus feet."

 

In this way, Vidyädhara got permission from Lord Kåñëa to return to

his home in the higher planetary system. After receiving this honor, he

began to circumambulate the Lord and after offering his respectful

obeisances unto Him, he returned to his heavenly planet. Thus Nanda Mahäräja

also became relieved from the imminent danger of being devoured by the

snake.

 

The cowherd men who had come to execute the ritualistic function of

worshiping Lord Çiva and Ambikä finished their business and prepared to

return to Våndävana. While returning, they recalled the wonderful activities

of Kåñëa. By relating the incident of Vidyädhara's deliverance, they became

more attached to Kåñëa. They had come to worship Lord Çiva and Ambikä, but

they became more and more attached to Kåñëa. Similarly, the gopés also

worshiped goddess Kätyäyané to become more and more attached to Kåñëa. It is

stated in the Bhagavad-gétä that persons who are attached to worshiping

demigods like Lord Brahmä, Çiva, Indra and Candra, for some personal

benefit, are less intelligent and have forgotten the real purpose of life.

But the cowherd men, inhabitants of Våndävana, were no ordinary men.

Whatever they did, they did for Kåñëa. If one worships demigods like Lord

Çiva and Lord Brahmä to become more attached to Kåñëa, that is approved. But

if one goes to the demigods for some personal benefit, that is condemned.

 

 

* * *

 

In his Çré Caitanya Çikñämåta Çréla Bhaktivinoda Öhäkura gives the

summary of the demons Kåñëa killed in His Våndävana pastimes and the

anärthas they represent. We should note that not in all cases is Lord Kåñëa

dealing with demons as such, like in the pastime of the Brahmä-vimohana-lélä

(bewildering Lord Brahmä), and the lifting of Govardhana Hill (chastisement

of Indra), although He is always dealing with people who have antagonistic

mentalities.

 

This pastime represents how Kåñëa saves the truth of devotional

service from being swallowed by the Mäyävädés (impersonalists) and other

atheists. It illustrates how devotees must avoid the company of such

snake-like people.

 

Bhaktivinoda Öhäkura says: "The devotee who worships the Holy Name

should first petition the Lord for the strength to cast out all these

unfavourable tendencies - and should pray thus before Lord Hari on a daily

basis. By doing this regularly, the devotee's heart will eventually become

purified. Çré Kåñëa has killed a number of demons which may arise in the

kingdom of the heart - so in order to destroy these problems, a devotee must

cry very humbly before the Lord and admit defeat - then the Lord will

nullify all contaminations."