Guru Bhakti - 3.

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Dear friends and devotees,

 

Bhakti is eternal.

 

Story of yavakrita

 

Bharadwaja maharshi and Raibhya maharshi were very good friends. They always

used to wake up well before Sunrise, take bathe in the river after natural

calls, do their aahnikas and start the dhyanam with clear devotion. Their only

food was fruits from the forest. Yavakrita and Arvavasu, Paravasu were the sons

of Bharadvaja and Raibhya maharshis respectively.

 

Bharadwaja maharshi was always in Dhyaana-samadhi and hence did not take care

about Yavakrita’s education. However Raibhya maharshi made Arvavasu and Paravasu

great Vidvans. Both of them traveled many places, spread their knowledge and

earned great fame. Yavakrita felt very bad of his status and he also wanted to

earn great name through education. He immediately started tapas (penance) with

utmost devotion.

 

Devendra, seeing the devotion of Yavakrita, appeared and said “Education must

always be learnt through a Guru. Adhyayanam is very important. This is the only

way for really earning Veda, Vedanga Vignanam. Please stop the tapas and

approach a sat-Guru”. Yavakrita did not like the words of Devendra and continued

his tapas. In order to change the mind of Yavakrita, Devendra came in the form

of an old Brahmin. He was taking sand in his hand and throwing into the river.

Yavakrita, who came for bathing in the river, saw the brahmana and asked him why

he was doing it. The old Brahmin replied that he was trying to build a wall

across the river. Yavakrita laughed and said “with such small amounts of sand

will you be able to complete the wall in your life time?” The brahmana replied

“O kumara! This is not more foolish than thinking of learning Veda-Vidya without

doing Guruseva”. Yavakrita again pleaded Devendra to bless him with Veda-Vidya.

Devendra finally, thinking that there is no use of advising him, gave Vidya

anugraham.

 

Yavakrita became a Sarva-shastra-Veda-Vidya Vignaani. He immediately stopped his

tapas, returned to his father and explained him what happened. Bharadwaja

maharshi replied “O kumara! Vidya earned in such a way will give only ahankaram

(egotism). Ahankar is Aatma-naashana-kaaranam. Now listen to this word of mine:

never go near the Ashramam of Raibhya maharshi. Never also get into an argument

with Arvavasu and Paravasu.”

 

Yavakrita also went to Desha-deshaantaras. Once in the month of Vasanta-maasam,

when forest was very beautiful and everywhere there was fragrance from the

flowers, Yavakrita went near Raibhya maharshi’s Ashramam and saw that Raibhya’s

snusha (daughter-in-law) was alone. Since he had not learnt Vidya in a proper

way he did not have his Indriyas in his control and tried to molester the

daughter-in-law of Raibhya maharshi. Learning what happened, Raibhya maharshi

got wild, took two jatas from his hair and created a beautiful lady and a demon.

They approached Yavakrita. The beautiful lady attracted Yavakrita and took away

the purified kamandalam from him. With that all his energy was lost. Later the

demon killed Yavakrita.

 

Seeing this Bharadvaja maharshi said “Kumara! You always wanted to learn Vidya

in an easy way and did not listen to me when I said that this will lead to

disaster.” Bharadvaja maharshi, in the sadness of loosing Yavakrita, gave curse

to Raibhya maharshi to die in the hands of his son and left his life. With the

result of the curse, Raibhya maharshi also left his life in the hands of

Arvada’s. However Arvavasu then did Upasana of Surya-bhagavan and brought back

the life of Raibhya maharshi, Bharadvaja maharshi and Yavakrita.

 

Yavakrita then asked the Devatas, who appeared before them, why he had less

power than Raibhya maharshi; though he was a Veda-vetta. The Devatas replied “O

kumara! He learned the Veda-Vidya by doing Guruseva, but you did it without it.

Vidya must always be learnt through a sat-Guru“.

 

With love and regards,

 

Sastry