gold and silver 2

[Guest guest]

Dear sri vaishNava perunthagaiyeer,

 

The whole build up in the previous post leads to following questions.

 

Who is that beautiful dancer?

Who were the two warring groups?

For what they were carrying out the war?

Is it to obtain or possess that dancer lady?

Then what happened?

Who is that person in yOga nishtai who suddenly became kaama rahitha?

Who is the wife of that kaama rahitha?

Then what happened to this kaama rahitha?

Could he get that dancer lady

or was he left in lurch as usual by that dancer lady?

How this is connected with gold and silver and such precious metals availability on which the topic started and took a quixotic turn?

 

If I start rolling out answers straight, it may become a little routine stuff. So let the suspense continue for some time. Meanwhile if some have guessed it right then full marks for them. So let us see first these precious metals were created in this world as per our puraaNams and ithihaasams.

 

About the creation of old we have to see mahaa bhaaratham bheeshmaa's answers to yudhishtira's questions. Since bheeshmaa had the 'power of attorney' of supreme lord krishNa to answer all questions, we have to take that the questions are directly answered by krishNa himself. Since krishNa only knows about creation of all in the very first instance, bheeshma's answers are krishNa's and a such they are so authentic.

 

Section 84 anusaasana parvam 13

 

Yudhishtira asks bheshma

 

Quote -- " The Vedas and the Upanishads also have laid down that in all sacrifices, -in fact, in all kinds of religious acts, - the Dakshina should be

1. earth

 

2. or kine

 

3. or gold.

 

 

The Srutis, however, declare that in all Dakshinas, gold is superior and is, indeed, the best. I desire, O grandsire, to hear thee discourse truly on this topic.

 

§ What is gold?

§ How did it spring up?

§ When did it come into existence?

§ What is its essence?

§ Who is its presiding deity?

§ What are its fruits?

§ Why is it regarded as the foremost of all things?

§ For what reason do men of wisdom applaud the gift of gold?

§ For what reason is gold regarded as the best Dakshinas in all sacrifices?

§ Why also is gold regarded as a cleanser superior to earth itself and kine?

§ Why, indeed, is it regarded so superior as a Dakshina?

Do thou, O grandsire, discourse to me on all this!'

-- unquote

 

Bheeshma in reply tells a story and that runs – he did sraardham for his father santhanu as per procedure on the kusa grass with gifts of gold. Later in the dream bheeshma's pithris came and said they were pleased. Then bheeshmaa rolls out the following as heard his guru parasuraama – as told to parasuraama by sage vasishTa.

 

Quote --

Page 128

Then the illustrious VasishTa especially, of rigid vows, addressing him, [MGV adds bhaargava raama or parasu raama] said,

 

'Hear, O Rama, how gold, which has the splendour of fire sprang into existence. That gold will confer merit on thee.

 

 

In matters of gifts, gold is highly applauded. I shall also tell thee what is gold, whence it has come, and how it has come to be invested with superior attributes.

 

Listen to me, O thou of mighty arms, as I discourse upon these topics.

§ Know this as certain that gold is of the essence of Fire and Soma.

§ The goat is Fire (for if it is given, it leads to the region of the deity of fire); [MGV adds this and following are gifts offered during sraardham and other occassions]

§ the sheep is Varuna (for it leads to the region of Varuna the lord of waters);

§ the horse is Surya (for it leads to the region of Surya);

§ elephants are Naagaas (for they lead to the world of Naagaas);

§ buffaloes are Asuraas (for they lead to the region of Asuraas);

§ cocks and boars are Rakshasas (for they lead to the regions of the Rakshasas),

 

O delighter of the Bhrigus;

§ earth is sacrifice, kine, water, and Soma (for it leads to the merits of sacrifice, and to the region of kine, of the lord of waters and of Soma).

Even these are the declarations of the Smritis.

 

Churning the entire universe, a mass of energy was found. That energy is gold.

 

Hence, O regenerate Rishi, [vasishTa saying to parasuraama] compared to all these objects (which I have named above) gold is certainly superior. It is a precious thing, high and excellent.' [1] unquote --

 

MGV adds - The footnote at page 128 [1] reads as

128:1 The commentator explains that hence, by making gifts of gold, one comes to be regarded as making gifts of the entire universe.

 

Now bheeshma comes back from that vasishta story back to address back yudhishtira and then continues with the story –

 

 

Quote continued --

It is for this reason that the deities and Gandharvas and Uragas and Rakshasas and human beings and Pisachas hold it with care. All these beings, O son of Bhrigu's race, shine in splendour, with the aid of gold, after converting it into crowns and armlets and diverse kinds of ornaments.

 

[This MGV feels is addressed to yudhishtira by bheeshma]

 

It is also for this reason that gold is regarded as the most cleansing of all cleansing things such as earth and kine and all other kinds of wealth, O prince of men.

 

The gift of gold, O puissant king, is the highest gift. It is distinguished above the gifts of earth, of kine, and of all other things, O thou that art endued with the effulgence of an immortal, gold is an eternal cleanser. Do thou make gifts of it unto the foremost of Brahmanas as it is the foremost of cleansing things. Of all kinds of Dakshina, gold is the best. They who make gifts of gold are said to be givers of all things. Indeed, they who make gifts of gold come to be regarded as givers of deities.

 

Unquote—

 

So now what is gold, how it came into existence, why gift of gold is considered superior is known as read from maha bhaaratham. Let us continue with some more in next post.

 

DhasanVasudevan MG