SrI vEnkaTEswara swAmi mahatyam part-6

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SrI:

SrImathE rAmAnujAya nama:

SrI krishNa parabrahmaNE nama:

SrImAn nArAyaNa charaNau saraNam prapadyE

 

dear vaishNavAs,

 

18. Padmavathi dEvi's previous birth

 

PadmAksha maharaja performed varalakshmi vratham and

by Her mercy he got a female child, masulungi.

Musulungi rises brighter day by day as the rising

moon. Very soon, she becomes skilled in many arts. At

sixteen, she attains puberty.

 

From her childhood, masulungi is an ardent devotee of

Lord Hari. She is worshipped Him all the times,

dedicated her life to Him and decided to marry Him

only. PadmAksha comes to know her desire. He therefore

declared for her svayam vara (ceremony to select a

groom from the group of able people by the bride

herself). Kings from all different countries(except

rAvaNa) are invited and all of them are present.

RAvaNa comes to know about the swayamvara and comes

there uninvited. Driven by lust, he decided to possess

her at all costs. PadmAksha maharaja tries to protect

his daughter from the lust of rAvaNa and gets killed

in fight by rAvaNa. All the kings who are present in

swayamvara are frightened by the prowess of rAvaNa and

flees away.

 

Masulungi prays to SrI Hari and with His name on her

lips manages to disappear from the scene. She reaches

a place in a forest where rishis are reciting vEdAs.

As she appears before the rishis when they are

reciting vEdas, they names her vEdavati. After taking

the blessings of the rishis, vEdavathi sits on a deep

meditation of the lotus feet of her beloved Lord.

 

Disappointed for not been able to enjoy the beauty of

masulungi, returning to his kingdom in his aearial

mansion, pushpak. On his way, he sees masulungi who is

meditating. His wicked mind again wants to try to

possess her, and comes infront of her. Mother

vEdavathi is in deep meditation of the Lord and has

not opened her eyes, hence unaware of rAvaNa's

arrival.

 

rAvaNa tickles masulungi's cheek with his index finger

and says, ' darling! having fled from there, you

arrived here, thinking that nArAyaNa can save you. You

cannot escape from me. I and I alone am the suitable

match for you. Please come and enjoy with me.'

 

VEdavati is stuns to see rAvaNa again. She angrily

shouts, 'you devil! how dare you forcea woman against

her will? On account of being contaminated by your

touch, I am leaving this body immediately throwing

myself in fire. You and your race will come to an end

because of a lady like me.' So cursing, she creates

fire with her yoga power and throws herself into it.

She stays under the care of agni dEva.

 

In rAma avathAr, Sri rAma, sIta dEvi and lakshmaNa

spends fourteen years in exile. They spend that period

in DandakAraNya. One day when rAma and lakshmaNa are

away from home and when jAnaki mAtha is alone, rAvaNa

attempts to kidnap her. Having come to know about this

attempt of rAvaNa beforehand, agni dEva substitutes

sIta dEvi with vEdavathi. He leaves sIta dEvi in his

wife swAha dEvi's care. RAvaNa carries vEdavathi to

lanka mistaking her to sIta dEvi.

 

After rAvaNa is killed by rAma, vEdavathi enters fire

to prove her chastity. From that fire, agni dEva

appears with both the sItAs and explains to rAma how

rAvaNa is deceived. Agni requests Sri rAma to marry

vEdavathi, who has undergone sufferings in the capture

of rAvaNa to serve the divine couple. sIta dEvi also

agrees to that proposal.

 

But SrI rAma is observing 'Eka patnI vrata' (marrying

only once) in that avathAr. However He promises her

that he will marry her in kaliyuga when He appears as

SrInivAsa. That very vEdavathi is padmAvathi dEvi.

 

(to be continued ....)

 

dAsOham,

SrIperumbUdUru vEnkaTa vinOd.