Sivaanandalahari - 17

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Sivaanandalahari - 17 (2)

 

Once upon a time there was an asura by name Jalandara who by his austerities

obtained a boon from Shiva that he would be invincible against anyone whom

he chooses to fight. Using this boon he vanquished Indra, Brahma and even

Vishnu and then subjugated all the devas and naras and ill treated them.

With these great victories gone into his head he decided that he would

defeat Parameswara Himself and thus marched towards Kailash. At the gate

Shiva in the guise of an old man stopped Jalandara and told him that he has

to prove that he is a worthy opponent to fight the Lord. Jalandara wanted to

know from the old man the kind of proof that was required more than the

defeat of Indra, Brahma and Vishnu in his hands. Upon this the old man drew

a chakra with his foot on the sand and told Jalandara that if he could lift

the chakra out of the sand that would be proof enough. Jalandara immediately

gathered his intellectual prowess and decided to life the chakra and proudly

lifted the chakra out of the sand. Alas! No sooner he lifted the chakra than

it sprung into action and cut-off his head! Then the powerful Sudharsana

chakra that was brilliant as the sun rested with Shiva.

 

At a later time rakshasaas were on the rise and were giving himsa to devas.

Desirous of protecting the devas, Mahavishnu decided to do a sahasranaama

archana to Parameswara using lotus flowers so Shiva would be pleased and

give him that brilliant Sudharsana Chakra. When he said the 999th naama and

placed the lotus flower at the feet of Shiva all the lotus flowers were

exhausted and Vishnu was nonplussed for the 1000th flower for the 1000th

naama. Suddenly he remembered that people call him Aravindaaksha (lotus

eyed) and immediately he plucked one of his eyes and placed at the feet of

Shiva saying the 1000th naama. Such was the devotion of Mahavishnu to

Parameswara! Parameswara immediately restored Mahavishnu his eye that he

placed at the feet of Shiva.

 

:Devakaaryasya sidyartham dhaithyanaasaaya saachramam

Sudharsanaakyam chakram cha dhadhaami thava sObhanam”

 

Eva mukthvaa dhadhou chakram sooryaayutha samaprabham|

Sudharsanam svapaathOththam sarvachathruvinaasanam||

 

So saying Shiva gave him the coveted Sudharsana Chakra that became the

familiar weapon in the hands of Vishnu who came to be known as Chakrapaani

thenon. This wonderful story is given in Shiva MahaapuraaNam.

 

With this Sudharshana Chakra which came out of the foot of Parameswara,

Vishnu went on to save Gajendra, did the samhaara of sisupaala, saved

parikshit from distruction in the womb and so on. In essence this is the

Sudharsana Chakra that is destined for “ParithraaNaaya saadhoonaam

vinaasaaya cha dhushkrthaam”.

 

In this sloka AachaaryaaL says: O! Parameswara! As a dheenan I am trying to

submit a bilva dhaLam at your feet but all the devas have gone ahead of me

in a hurry and are placing their heads with the many jeweled kireetams at

your feet that blinds my eyes in their brilliance. What a surprise! That one

bilva dhaLam that I sent towards your feet fell on all their heads and gave

me the benefit of worshipping all the Devathaas!

 

Aum Namasivaaya!