sri vEnkatEswara mahatyam part -1

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srI:

SrImathE rAmAnujAya nama:

SrI krishNa parabrahmaNE nama:

SrImAn nArAyaNa charaNau saraNam prapadyE

 

dear vaishNavAs,

 

It is a great pleasure to read Sriman mAdhava kannan's

postings on sri srInivAsa vaibhavam. The renderings

are heart touching to even impure hearts like that of

mine. This inspired me to share some of the avathAra

viseshAs of the Lord, thus learn some thing about our

Lord. Please correct me wherever I have mistaken.

 

 

part I

 

1. SrI sUta Maharishi tells Sownaka and other sages

the leelas of SrI vEnkatEswara swami.

 

Naimisharanyam is a denseforest in the northern part

of India. Great sages gather there to perform great

sacrifices and penances for the welfare for every one.

Their presence which is hallmarked by the discussions

about the supreme Lord sanctifies the place. In that

very holy place Sri sUta maharishi revealed the 18

purANas (the stories that happened in the past)

composed by Sri vyAsa bhagavAn to the great sages

assembled there. Sownaka, the best among the brAhmaNas

inquisitively enquired about the supremely relishable

pastimes of Sri vEnkatEswara swami from sri sUta

maharishi. SUta maharishi who is always immersed in

thoughts of Supreme brAhmaN, Sri mahA vishNu, is very

happy about such enquiry and started to explain the

whole vrittAnta (entire history).

 

He said> ‘Sri vEnkatEswara swami appeared on earth as

a savior to help the people who are suffering with the

unsurpassable samsAra (cycle of repeated birth and

death). The great compassion of Sri mahA vishNu is

the only reason for His appearance on earth. His form

in Sri vaikuntha is inconceivable to the mankind,

hence He mercifully took a form that is easily

conceivable to all men without any difficulty and

attract them with all His kalyANa guNAs to develop

devotion unto Him. For the same reason our AchAryas

call His ‘prathyaksha daiva’. He is always ready to

answer the calls of His Bhaktas(devotees). You are

fortunate to hear the pastimes of such incomparable

Lord and gave me the opportunity to meditate on His

activities. All those who read or hear His story and

visit His shrine to have His darshaN will be lifted up

beyond the knots of material existence and granted

mOksha. Please hear to my narrations carefully.’

 

SrI sUta maharishi first offered his prayers to his

guru vyAsa bhagavan to be able to describe the Lord’s

pastimes. By the Mercy of Sri vyAsadEva, the entire

story of Sri vEnkatEswara reeled in his mind.

 

2. Narada meets brahma in ‘satya lOka’

 

Brahma is the demigod for the task of creating the

material word as a service to SrimAn nArAyaNa, from

whose navel sri Brahma appears. NArada is the mAnasa

putra of Sri brahma. Narada is renouned in the three

worlds as a great devotee of the Supreme Lord, SrimAn

nArAyaNa, whose name dances ever on his lips. He is

the spiritual guide for the fourteen lOkAs and can

travel to any place at his will. He is also famous for

carrying the news of rivals and create apparent

troubles, though they all end up in universal welfare.

In this way he helps the maintanance of dharma.

 

One day , brahma is seated on his lotus seat. By his

side was his consort, saraswathi dEvi, playing on the

celestial veeNa (A string musical instrument). The

assembly is attended by Indra, dik-pAlakAs(controllers

of different directions), the sun god, nava grahAs

(the nine planets), sapta rishis (the seven celestial

sages) and other prominent people. They are all

offering their prayers to the universal creator, lord

brahma.

 

It was that time that nArada entered the sathya lOka

chanting the names of SrimAn nArAyaNa. He saluted his

parents- saraswati and brahma and after getting

blessings occupied the seat offered to him. Every one

is anxious to learn the news from Sri nArada who

travels the fourteen lOkAs at his will.

 

NArada says to his father brahma: ‘Father, after

krishNa avatAra (incarnation), srI Hari has not gone

to bhooloka again. In the absence of Supreme Lord, the

earth became like hell. Lawlessness is prevailing

there and people have gone fearless. ‘might is right’

is the order of the day. The innocent are teased by

the wicked. The time has come when Lord has to appear

again on earth to restore dharma.’

 

Brahma said: ‘My dear child, you are a great devotee

of SrImAn nArAyaNa and the well wisher of every one.

By your mere will you can create a problem and solve

it as well. There is nothing unknown to you. Please

carry on with what is necessary. I wish you all good’.

 

NArada took leave his father and proceeded towards

bhoolOka.

 

3. Narada asks: ‘ who is the ultimate enjoyer of all

sacrifices’

 

From satya loka, nArada reaches the banks of the holy

ganges river chanting the names of Sri Hari and

beautifully singing the glories of ‘neela gagana Ghana

syAma’. There, sages like kasyapa and others are

performing a great sacrifice (yagya) for universal

good. Upon seeing the great sage nArada, all the sages

respects him duly and informed him of their desire to

perform a great sacrifice.

 

NArada appreciates such an effort for the welfare of

every one and asked ‘ who is going to be the enjoyer

of the proposed great yagya? Among trimurthis, who is

most suitable?’ That is too big a question for the

sages to answer. They looked each other for an answer.

The sages were all divided in their opinions and

formed into groups.

 

Devotees of Siva says, the sacrifice shall be made to

satisfy mahEswara. But the vaishNavAs insists on the

supremacy of SrimAn nArAyaNa, and wants to offer the

sacrifice to Hari. Some others prefer brahma as a

suitable god for receiving the sacrifice. Each of them

argued in support of their stand.

 

NArada suggests a way to resolve this apparent

dispute. He says: ‘ you can elect a worthy person to

test the trimurthys (trinity). But you must also

consider that testing trimurthys is like playing with

fire. I suggest Brighu, who is super excellent mysic,

fit for accomplishing such a great task’. Every one in

that assembly approves this plan of nArada. In such

circumstances, bhrigu is not left with other option

but to accept.

 

In selecting Bhrigu for this job, nArada has a purpose

to teach a lesson to the proud bhrigu for having super

natural powers. Having succeded in his plan, narada

takes leave of the sages and left the places chanting

the names of the Lord. Bhrigu is set on his job.

 

4. Bhrigu tests Lord brahma

 

In satya lOka, brahma and saraswati are seated on a

golden throne. Assembled there are maharishis,

dEvarishis, brahmarishis on one side and surAs,

yakshas, gandharvas, kinnaras , kimpurushas on the

other side. Brahma is explaining them about the

secrets of vEdAs.

 

Just then, there arrived Bhrigu, and glanced at the

audience. Without saluting the creator of the

universe, the proud bhrigu occupied his throne in the

court. Though every one in the assembly are happy for

Bhrigu’s sudden visit, nevertheless they do not

appreciate his negligence towards brahma. They all

considered it a willful haughty act. Brahma considered

the disobedience towards him seriously and cannot

tolerate such misbehaviour. In an angry voice he burst

out: ‘Bhrigu, you belong to my own dynasty. By dint of

great sacrifices, you have acquired somany super

natural powers. I expect you to behave well. How could

you think that you are greater than all the great

sages present in this great assembly? Are you greater

than sage atri’s wife anasUya, the chaste woman, who

converted even the trimurthys as babies? Are you

greater than Gowthama who cursed even dEvEndra? Are

you more powerful than jamadagni?’

 

Bhrigu immediately gets down from his throne and

thinks, how uncourteous brahma is? Only those with

tamO guNa should possess such temperament. He is not

fit for the fruit of sacrifice.

 

Addressing brahma he said, ‘ Oh Lord, you never tried

to understand why I came here. You unnecessarily

rebuked me. Therefore, behold my curse: You will not

have any temples on earth and none will worship you.’

He then marched towards kailAsa, the abode of Lord

Siva.

 

5. Bhrigu curses Lord Siva

 

KailAsa is a silver mountain, the abode of Lord Siva.

Just when Bhrigu entered kailAsa, nandeeswara,

bhringeeswara, chandeeswara and all other devotees of

lod Siva are changing the names of Lord Siva and

entire kailAsa is echoing with those prayers. He

directly proceeded towards siva’a apartment. In this

private room, Siva is in the company of his wife,

pArvathi dEvi. Bhrigu was warned by the guards near

entrance not to enter that room as Siva is in private

company of his wife. But Bhrigu doesnot care for their

warning and entered it.

 

At that time, celestial couple are in the process of

enjoying one another’s private company. On seeing

Bhrigu suddenly, pArvathi grows in shy and at once

flees to a side of the room. Siva became extremely

angry at such an uncourteous behavior of Bhrigu and

burst out: ‘ you are coming from the same

family(dynasty) of the creator, a great scholar of

vEdAs, and a great mystic. Yet you lacked a decent

behavior, and it is a shame on your part to behave

this way’. So saying, he even raised his trisool

(trident weapon) towards bhrigu as if to kill him. But

pArvathi intervened and stopped lord Siva.

 

Bhrigu also becomes very angry at the behavior of Siva

and says ‘MahEswara! Even without knowing the purpose

my arrival, you treated me in such an ugly way. Only a

person of tamO guNa can behave in this manner.

Therefore you hold this my curse, You will not be

worshipped on earth in your original form but only in

linga form’. Saying so, Bhrigu leaves that place and

heads towards sri vaikuntham.

 

6. Bhrigu kicks mahA vishNu on His chest

 

Sri Vaikuntha, the abode of Sri Hari along with Sri

dEvi and nitya sUris, is the most excellent place.

Just when Bhrigu arrived in Sri vaikuntham, sri dEvi

is massaging the feet of the Lord with Her tender

hands.

 

Bhrigu has already tested brahma and Siva and found

them to be either of rajO or tamO guNa and hence unfit

to recoeve the benefit of yagna. Hence Vishnu alone

is remained to be tested. Thinking so, he reached Sri

vaikuntham.

 

Sri Hari, the antaryAmi (omni present in every one’s

heart) knows the arrival of Bhrigu as well as his

intentions, yet pretended as if He has not observed

the arrival of Bhrigu. This reminds Bhrigu of his

treatment in satya loka and kailAsa. He feared that he

may receive the same fate here as well. This thought

provokes him to rush towards mahA vishNu and kicks His

sri vakshasthala (chest) with his right foot.

 

Maha vishNu is least perturbed by such an act of

Bhrigu, instead He knw got up from His serpent bed and

fondly holds Bhrigu’s hands, made his sit on his bed

and pressed his feet. Sri Hari showed His concerns

for having bhrigu’s tender feet hurt for being hit by

his hard chest. While massaging his feet, Sri Hari,

tactfully pinched the third eye that is embedded in

Bhrigu’s right foot. The whole powers of this sage as

well as his pride rest in that eye.

 

Then the Lord gracefully says: ‘oh! Greatly learned

one! Forgive me for my negligence and kindly let me

know the purpose of your visit’.

Having lost all his power and pride, Bhrigu realized

his folly to attempt to disrespect the Supreme Lord,

and begs pardon.

 

Sri Hari says, : ‘ Oh mahArishi, you are not to be

blamed, you have not done anything that is out of way.

This is all due to happen, and you are only

instrumental, do not be bewildered, I wish all good

luck’.

 

Bhrigu then explained the purpose of his visit and

requested mahA vishNu to come and receive the benefit

of yagna(sacrifice) which the sages are performing.

Maha vishNu agreed to the same. Bhrigu is very much

pleased at the Lord’s behavior and returned to ganges

bank where the sages are performing the sacrifice. He

explained in great detail about his visit to the three

lOkAs (abodes) and explained how mahA vishNu is the

supreme deity and eligible for the fruits of the

sacrifice. All the sages thanked Bhrigu for solving

such a big problem.

 

(to be continued...)

 

dAsOham,

srIperumbUdUru vEnkaTa vinOd.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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