srimadbhagavatham-skandha9- chapter4 and 5

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Chapter4and5- Ambarisha charithram

 

Nabhaaga

another son of Manu had a son Naabhaaga, who was the youngest. When he returned

from gurukula his brother, taking all his share of wealth and property , gave him only their father as his

inheritance. His father told Naabhaaga to go to the Sathra yaga being performed

by Angiras clan and instruct them with the two visvadeva sukthas on the sixth

day when they will be deluded regarding their karma when they would give him

their wealth on their ascending to heaven. Naabhaaga did so and they gave him

all their wealth. Rudra came as a dark skinned man and argued with him that all

that is left in the yajna should go to him. Nabhaga affirmed this knowing him

to be Rudra and Naabhaga asked forgiveness and gave the wealth to him, who

returned it with his blessing. Ambarisha was the son of Naabhaaga.

 

Ambarish

was a great devotee of Narayana and though he was a great king possessing of

immense wealth and fame he considered everything as worthless and transitory

due to his devotion to the Lord. He was engaged in worship of the Lord and service to

the holy men and devotees and turned away from sensual pleasures. Pleased with

his bhakthi the Lord gave him the Sudarsana chakra to protect him from evil

forces.

 

He

observed dvadaSi vrata for one year with his wife. In the month of karthika

when the vrata was about to finish he fasted for three days and worshipped Lord Hari in Madhuvana doing

mahaabhisheka, with fragrant oil, panchaamrtham, ghee, milk,curd, honey, sugarcane

juice, fruit juice, coconut water, sandal paste and holy water. He gave tasty

food to the Brahmins and when they were satisfied , with their permission was

about to end his vrata by taking prasada when the sage Duravasa came there with

his disciples.

 

The

king asked the sage, after honouring him duly, to take food but Durvasa replied

that he would first go and take bath in river Yamuna and went there with his disciples. The sage was

immersed in meditation in the river and took along time to arrive and the king

seeing that there was only half a muhurtha of dvadasi remaining, was at a

dilemma whether to observe the rules of the vratha that he should end it while

it was dvadasi or to incur the displeasure of the sage who was well known for

his anger. Then he decided that he could drink water to end the vratha as

drinking water is considered as not eating and also it would mean that he had

ended his fast. He did so and waited for the sage to return.

 

 

When Durvasa returned he knew through his

yogic power that the king has drunk water and he considered it as a great sacrilege

and became angry. He tore a strand of his hair and created a demon from it to

kill Ambarisha. The king was not at all

perturbed and sat with folded hands meditating on the Lord. But the Sudarsana chakra placed

there by the Lord to protect Ambarisha burned the demon and started chasing the

sage. He went to all lokas but all the devas including Brahma, Indra and Siva

refused to help him as he had committed a sin against a devotee of Lord Hari and he at last went to

Lord Hari Himself but the Lord said that he was bhaktha paraadheena and was

completely under the power of His devotees, who resort to Him leaving all else.

Hence He told Durvasa to go back to Ambarisha and ask his forgiveness.

 

The

sage went to Amabrisha and fell at his feet, who was upset that a great sage

had thus fallen at his feet and prayed to Sudarsana by 9 slokas. Then he said

that if it were true that his clan was pious doing dhana dharma yaga etc. and

worshipped Brahmins and if Lord Hari was pleased with them then this brahmin should

be free from fear. Then Sudarasana Chakra which was tormenting the sage from

all sides was pacified. Durvasa praised Ambarisha and went away after accepting

the food from him. Those who read and think persistently of this episode will

become great bhakthas and bhaagavathas. Thus

a drama was enacted by the will of the Lord to show the greatness of bhakthi