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PATALA KHANDA
This khanda mostly deals with the pastimes of Lord Ramachandra.
Because the life of Lord Rama is most authoritatively described by Valmiki in
his Ramayana, I will not duplicate those pastimes here. In the Ramayana of Valmiki there is mention
that Lord Rama performed the horse-sacrifice, but here, in Padma Purana, it is
described very elaborately.After the killing of Ravana, Lord Rama had returned to Ayodhya, along with Sita and
Lakshman. There, He ruled the kingdom for 11,000 years, in an ideal manner.One
day, the great sage, Agastya, came to see Lord Rama at His royal court. During their conversation, Lord Rama
expressed His great unhappiness at having killed Ravana, due to his being the
son of a brahmana. Agastya assured Lord Rama that there was no fault on His
part, but still, he suggested that He
perform the ashvamedha-yajna.Rama agreed to this proposal and then asked
Agastya to go to His stables and select a suitable horse. Thereafter, all of
the necessary paraphernalia was
collected. Rama then accompanied Agastya Rishi to the banks of the River
Sarayu. There, Rama used a golden plough to pre¬pare the sacrificial arena, and
many palatial buildings were
constructed. All of the great sages were then invited. Being extremely eager to
see Lord Rama- Narada, Asita, Parvata, Kapila, Angira, Vyasa, Atri,
Yajnavalkya, and Sukadeva, as well as numerous
others, soon arrived at Ayodhya. Lord Rama gave them all gifts of cows
and gold.Later, as they were all seated together, Lord Rama questioned the
great sages, and they, in turn, gave Him instructions on various subjects.After some days,
Vasishtha Muni informed Rama that the proper time for releasing the
challenge-horse had arrived. Rama then ordered Lakshman to bring a suitable
horse. In turn, Lakshmana spoke to the
military commanders, instructing them to be ready to depart, for the Protection
of the challenge-horse.The commander-in-chief, Kalajit, then brought the horse
to be sacrificed. This horse was
decorated very nicely, and the necessary rituals were performed.Shatrughna was
appointed the protector of the horse, as it would roam at will over the Earth.
Finally, the horse was let loose. Rama
ordered Shatrughna to follow the horse, and defeat anyone who would attempt to
capture it.
Bharata's son, Pushkala, accepted a sword from Lord Rama's hand
and took up his position, guarding Shatrughna's rear. At this time, Rama
requested Hanuman to also go and protect Shatrughna. The challenge-horse went
toward the East. As it passed through numerous kingdoms, no one tried to
capture it, out of respect for Lord Rama's prowess. At last, the
challenge-horse reached the city,
Ahicchatra, which was ruled by King Sumada. The horse entered a
beautiful garden there, and Shatrughna followed it.Within the garden,
Shatrughna saw a lovely temple. He questioned his minister, Sumati, about this. In reply, Sumati
explained that it was a temple of Kamakshi, who had been worshiped by King
Sumada, and thus resided there to protect his city.The minister suggested
that Shatrughna offer his respects to
the goddess.Shatrughna asked Sumati to tell him about King Sumada, and so the
minister related the following account: After his parents had been killed by
rival kings, Sumada went to the forest
and performed severe austerities, while meditating upon Goddess Bhavani (the
wife of LordShiva).Being afraid of the strength of his tapasya, Indra sent
Cupid, along with many Apsaras, to
obstruct him. But, it came to be that, even in the presence of the celestial
damsels, the king did not waver in his determination. At last, goddess Kamakshi
appeared to the king and advised him
that, in the future, when Lord Rama's brother would come to his kingdom, while
following a challenge-horse, he should accompany him.Shatrughna was delighted
to hear this. Meanwhile, seated in his
court, King Sumada heard from a messenger that a challenge-horse had come to
his city. The king had always been thinking,When will the challenge-horse of
Lord Rama come here, as predicted by
goddess Kamakshi?The king arranged for a very royal reception for Shatrughna
and his entourage. When they met, King Sumada placed Shatrughna and Pushkala on
an elephant, so that they could enter
the city in style.
After remaining for three nights, Shatrughna again set out,
following the challenge-horse. The horse proceeded through areas inhabited by
numerous sages, and so Shatrughna could hear everywhere the glories of his elder brother being
sung.One day, the horse entered the ashram of Cyavana Muni. When Shatrughna
entered the hermitage, he saw Cyavana, seated next to Sukanya. Shatrughna introduced himself as the brother of Lord
Rama. In the course of their conversation, Shatrughna invited Cyavana to Rama's
ashvamedha-yajna, and he ordered Hanuman to carry the sage to Ayodhya.
Thereafter, the wandering challenge-horse reached the Nila
mountain. A king's son named Damana was hunting there. When he saw the horse,
the prince had his men capture it. Damana read the note on the horse's head, which said, "There
was a king named Dasharatha. Ramabhadra is his son and He is unparalleled in
the use of the bow. He has released this horse, and his brother, Shatrughna,
is protecting it. Those who consider
themselves to be great warriors can seize the horse, but rest assured that
Shatrughna will easily set it free. Otherwise, bow down at Ramachandra's feet,
without a fight.The prince thought,
"Only Rama is an expert bowman, and we are nothing?" He ordered his
commanders to make the army ready to fight, and had the challenge-horse brought
into his city. Just then,the horse's
protectors arrived at that place.Pratapagrya, a king who had accompanied
Shatrughna,took up the challenge of the opposing army.A fierce duel ensued with
Damana facing Pratapagrya. Finally,
Damana pierced Pratapagrya in the heart with his arrow, so that the
uncon¬scious king had to be taken from the battlefield by his driver.After
defeating the king, Damana waited for Shatrughna to arrive. Shatrughna became enraged, after
seeing the slaughter of his army, and so he first sent Bharata's son, Pushkala,
to confront Damana. After a fierce battle,Pushkala managed to pierce
Damana in the heart with his arrow.
Seeing him lose consciousness, the driver took Damana away from the
battlefield, and so his soldiers fled back to the safety of the city.The king,
Subahu, then entered the battlefield. He
fought Valliantly, but in the end, he was defeated, and so he surrendered to
Shatrughna.
As the challenge-horse continued to wander over the Earth,
Shatrughna and his companions had to fight with many Rakshasas, headed by
Vidyunmali, who had been a friend of Ravana's and so wanted to gain
revenge.Then, one day, after coming to the shore of the River Reva, the horse
jumped into the water and did not again come to the surface.The guardians of
the horse were confused about what to
do. Finally,Shatrughna arrived there. After hearing about what had happened, he
entered the water, along with Pushkala and Hanuman.There, within the river,
Shatrughna saw a beautiful city, having many nice gardens. He also saw Rama's
horse, tied to a golden stake.Nearby was seen many excellent ladies, waiting
upon another lady, who was seated upon a couch. When they saw Shatrughna and
his companions, the ladies said to the
queen, "These three will make excel¬lent food for you. They are
well-nourished, and so their blood will certainly be very sweet.Upon hearing
this, the queen laughed. The three then
approached the ladies, who shone brilliantly, and offered their respects. The
queen said, "Who are you, that have come here? My place is inaccessible,
even to the demigods. One who comes here
never returns. To whom does this horse belong? Please tell me
everything.Hanuman replied, "We are servants of the king, Lord Ramabhadra,
to whom this horse belongs. The king is reparing to perform a horse-sacrifice. Now, you must
release the horse. We are all skilled in the use of weapons and we are prepared
to kill anyone who obstructs the horse's journey.The queen laughed and
said, "No one will be able to free
this horse, kept by me. But, don't worry, for 1 am also a servant of Lord Rama.
Since I now understand that the horse belongs to Rama, 1 consider myself to be
an offender. 1 pray that Lord Rama will
pardon me. Now, you can ask for a benediction, so that your king will be
pleased with me.Hanuman replied, "By Lord Rama's mercy, we find everything
very nice. Still, 1 will ask this
benediction. May we have Rama as our Lord, birth after birth.Again the lady
laughed and then said, "Whatever you desire will surely take place. Later
on, King Viramani, under the protection of
Lord Shiva, will seize your horse. Now, you may take a wonderful
weapon from me that will enable you to conquer that king. Shatrughna, you
should fight with Viramani in a single combat, riding upon chariots. When you release this weapon, the
king will realize Rama's true posi¬tion and so voluntarily return the horse to
you.Shatrughna received that wonderful weapon from the queen. Thereafter,
he took the challenge-horse and rose out
of the water, onto the shore. Upon seeing this, all of the soldiers, who had
waited by the side of the river, were highly delighted.After wandering at will
for some time,the horse arrived at the
vicinity of Devapura.This city was so opulent that even the houses of the
ordinary citizens were made of silver.The king was named Viramani,and his son
was Rukmangada.One day, Rukmangada went
to the forest, surrounded by many beautiful women. In that enchanting
atmosphere, some women pleased the prince by their dancing, others by their
singing, and others by their
affectionate embraces. Just at this time, the challenge-horse arrived there.
Upon seeing the horse, the women requested, "My dear prince, capture this
lovely horse. Look, there is a golden
note on it's forehead." Rukmangada easily caught the horse with one hand,
and then read the note to the ladies. After doing so, he said, "Who is
this Rama? My father is the most powerful king,
and he is protected by Lord Shiva. Take this horse to our stables, so
that my father can perform the ashvamedha-yaj na.Thereafter, the prince
returned to the city, along with his wives, and then presented the horse to his father. Upon
hearing of what had happened, King Viramani, being very intelligent, did not
approve of the act. Indeed, the king thought that his son had acted like a
thief.
Taking the horse, Viramani then went to consult Lord Shiva.
Mahadeva told the king, "Your son has done well. Today, there will be a
great war, enabling me to see my Lord Rama, upon whom I always Meditate. Even though Rama is my Lord, I am
still confident that even tne thirty-three crore devas would not be able to
take the horse from y°u, because I am your protector.Meanwhile, Shatrughna could not find the challenge-horse. He thus
inquired from his minister, Sumati, who then informed him that '¦he king of the
region was Viramani. He also warned Shatrughna that the king was being personally protected by Lord Shiva.
While Sumati was thus speaking, King Viramani arranged his
army,getting ready to fight with Shatrughna.Soon thereafter,Shatrughna saw the
vast army approaching for battle.Sumati advised Shatrughna that Pushkala should fight with the king, so
that he could engage with Lord Shiva.First, Rukmangada fought with Pushkala.
After a fierce fight, Pushkala discharged a weapon that burnt Rukmangada's chariot and made the prince fall unconscious
onto the battlefield. After witnessing his son's defeat, Viramani angrily
approached Pushkala, desiring revenge. Hanuman rushed at Viramani, but
Pushkala stopped him, saying that this
enemy was too insignificant to worry about. Thus, Hanuman desisted and Pushkala
went to encounter Viramani.The king said, "You are but a child. Do not try
to fight with me, for I am very angry
and 1 am invincible in battle!Pushkala replied, "You say that 1 am a
child, but 1 say that you are an old man. 1 have already defeated your son, and
now 1 shall knock you down from your
chariot with my weapons.A terrible battle ensued, with innumerable casualties
on both sides. Pushkala and Viramani greatly afflicted one another with their
weap¬ons but at last, the king was
struck in the chest with a powerful arrow, causing him to fall
unconscious from his chariot. In this way, Pushkala again attained victory.Upon
seeing the defeat of his devotees, Lord Shiva sent Virabhadra to fight with Pushkala, and Nandi
to fight with Hanuman.After an intense fight, when Virabhadra broke his
chariot, Pushkala dismounted. The two great warriors then fought with their
fists. In¬deed, the fight went on for
many days, continuing throughout the day and night.On the fifth day, Virabhadra
grabbed Pushkala and ascended to the sky, where the battle continued.
Finally, Virabhadra threw Pushkala to
the ground and then cut off his head with his trident.At this, Lord Shiva
challenged Shatrughna to fight. Thus, a great battle was fought between the
two, and it continued for eleven days.
On the twelfth day, Shatrughna discharged a brahmastra, but in retaliation,
Lord Shiva sent a fierce arrow into his chest. At this, Shatrughna became
unconscious, and so Hanuman angrily came
to fight with Lord Shiva.
Hanuman said, "Rudra, you are acting against religious
principles. Formerly, I had heard that you always meditate upon the lotus feet
of Lord Rama. Now, I see that this is simply false propaganda! For this deceit, I shall make you fall onto the
battlefield this very day.After saying this, Hanuman hurled a huge boulder,
smashing Lord Shiva's chariot. At this, Nandi came and requested Lord Shiva to
sit on his back. Lord Shiva then hurled
a trident, but Hanuman caught it and broke it to pieces. The battle continued
with both discharging a barrage of missies. Finally, Hanuman encircled Lord
Shiva with his tail while assaulting him
with stones, mountains and trees. At this, Nandi be¬came frightened, and Lord
Shiva also became confused.Lord Shiva told Hanuman, "You have accomplished
a great feat! I am very pleased with
you, and so I wish that you ask me for a benediction.Hanuman smilingly replied,
"By the grace of Lord Rama, I have all that I need. Still, I will ask for
this: Pushkala has died and Shatrughna
is unconscious. Please protect all of the fallen heroes so that no ghosts,
vultures or animals may drag their bodies away and eat them. 1 will now go and bring
the Drona mountain, which is full of
life-restoring herbs.Lord Shiva gave his assent. Hanuman then quickly went to
the Ocean of Milk, picked up the Drona mountain, and returned to the
battlefield.The devas protecting the Drona
mountain angily attacked Hanuman, showering their weapons upon him.
Hanuman easily drove them off, however, and so they went to the shelter of
Indra. When the king of heaven heard of Hanuman's exploits, he rallied the demigods and ordered
them to go and, after binding the collosal monkey, bring him as a prisoner.Thereafter,
the demigods attacked Hanuman, but very easily they were vanquished. When they returned to Indra and
told him what had happened, the King of heaven became afraid. He then went to
Brihaspati and asked about the monkey's identity.Brihaspati informed Indra, "He is the servant of the One who
killed Ravana and Kumbhakarna. He is Hanuman, who burnt Lanka with his tail. He
wants to take the Drona mountain so that he can revive those who were killed in battle. Even if you fight with Hanumanfor
one hundred years, you will not be able to defeat him. You should give him the
herbs that he requires.
Upon hearing all this, Indra gave up his fear. Thereafter,
Brihaspati, surrounded by Indra and the demigods, went to Hanuman. Brihaspati
apologized, on behalf of the demigods, and then requested Hanuman to give up his anger.When Hanuman
returned to the battlefield, he went to Pushkala and put herbs on his chest,
praying to Lord Rama that he would be revived. Pushkala then got up and angrily asked where Virabhadra could be
found.Next, Hanuman went to Shatrughna and put herbs on his chest while again
offering a prayer. Instantly, Shatrughna rose up, asking.Where is Lord Shiva?
Thereafter, Hanuman revived all of the wounded and dead sol¬diers.
At last, the battle recommenced. Pushkala attacked Virabhadra, Hanuman fought
with Nandi, and Shatrughna again battled Lord Shiva. King Viramani came and
intercepted Shatrughna as he was ap¬proaching Lord Shiva. During the terrible
battle that took place, Shatrughna finally remembered the weapon given to him
by the fe¬male devotee of Lord Rama.
This wonderful weapon hit Viramani's chest, making him fall unconscious. When
Lord Shiva came to the king's aid, Shatrughna attacked him.A wonderful battle
took place, with the releasing of
weapons and counter-weapons, as was never seen even between the devas and
asuras. Finally, Shatrughna became very afflicted. Hanuman then advised
Shatrughna to meditate upon Lord Rama.
Shatrughna prayed, "O my Lord, My brother, Lord Shiva is sntaching away my
life in this battle. With Your bow, kindly protect me.O Rama, many devotees
have crossed the ocean of birth and
death, simply by chanting Your holy name.just then, Lord Rama became visible on
the battlefield. Seeing his elder brother, Shatrughna was amazed. Lord Shiva
came and fell at Lord Rama's lotus feet,
offering his prayers. Lord Shiva begged for forgiveness because he had fought
for the sake of his devotees, and he assured Lord Rama that King Viramani would
now return the challengehorse.Lord Rama
replied, "It is the duty of the devas to protect their devotees, so what
you have done is not wrong. O Shiva, you are in My heart, and I am in yours.
There is no distinction between us. Only
wicked-minded fools make such a distinction.Rama then revived King Viramani by
touching him. Thereafter, the king returned the challenge-horse and indeed, at
Lord Shiva's urg¬ing, he offered his
entire kingdom for the service of Lord Rama. After being praised, Lord Rama
suddenly disappeared.
As the challenge-horse continued to wander over the Earth, King
Viramani accompanied Shatrughna, along with his army. Then, one day, something
wonderful occured. The challenge-horse suddenly
became stiff, like a statue, and thus did not move. The guards beat the
horse with whips, and yet it still remained immovable. When Shatrughna was
informed of this, he had Pushkala lift up the horse. Still, the horse remained stiff. Hanuman then
went and dragged the horse, and yet, it remained like a statue.Shatrughna
approached his minister, Sumati, and inquired as to the cause of this
wonderful occurance. Sumati suggested
that this must be the work of a powerful sage. Soldiers were sent to search for
this mendicant and finally, at a great distance, a hermitage was discovered.
Shatrughna was informed that the ashram
of the sage Shaunaka was nearby. Along with Hanuman, Pushkala and some others,
he went there. The sage gave Shatrughna a nice reception and asked about the
purpose of his visit. In response,
Shatrughna explained how his chal¬lenge-horse had miraculously become
paralyzed.After contemplating for a moment, Pushkala replied, "There was a
great sage named Sattvika, who practiced
penance on the banks of the River Kaveri. One day, death appeared before
Sattvika and took him to the peak of Mount Meru. A great Jambu tree was there,
and a river called Jambabati. There,
Sattvika enjoyed the company of many celestial girls, according to his
desire.Being very proud of himself, however, he arrogantly disrespected those
girls, and as a result, he was cursed by sages
to become a demon. When he begged for forgiveness, the sages told him,
'When you make Rama's challenge-horse stiff, you will be able to hear Rama's
pastimes. After that, you will become freed from our curse.Shaunaka thus urged Shatrughna to
go and narrate Rama's pas¬times to the demon, thus freeing him from the sages'
curse. Shatrughna went and narrated Rama's pastimes near the challenge-horse, and while doing so, he
suddenly saw a divine being, ascending to heaven in an airplane. That being
then said, "I have become released from the sages' curse by hearing Rama's
astimes. i am returning to my celestial
abode, by your mercy.At that time, the horse became free from stiffness, and
thus pro¬ceed to wander over the Earth. Finally, after seven months were
com¬pleted, the horse came to the
kingdom of Suratha, who was a great devotee of Lord Rama. When the king's
servants spotted the challenge-horse, they reported the matter to their master.
They said, "This horse belongs to
Rama, the king at Ayodhya. Why don't you seize it? It is very charming.Suratha
ordered.
It is our great fortune thtat we shall be able to see Lord Rama. 1
will capture the horse and then release it when Rama comes here. In this way,
my goal of life will be achieved.The king's servants caught the challenge-horse. When he came to know of
this, Shatrughna questioned Sumati about the king of that region. In response,
Sumati described King Suratha as Rama's loyal devotee, and he advised Shatrughna to send Angada as an envoy.Angada
thus went to Suratha's assembly, and advised him to re¬turn the
challenge-horse.King Suratha replied, "I have knowingly seized Lord Rama's
horse. I will not release it from fear
of Shatrughna, however. Only if Rama personally comes here will I not only
return the horse, but also offer my entire kingdom in His service. If Rama does
not come, then I will easily defeat
Shatrughna and his followers.Upon hearing this, Angada laughed and said, "You
have become senile with old age! You greatly underestimate Shatrughna, and his
brother's son, Pushkala. What then to
speak of Hanuman? Compared to them, you are but a mosquito! You must return the
horse if you at all desire your welfare, and that of your sons.King Suratha
remained adamant, however, considering
himself to be more powerful than even Hanuman. Angada returned to Shatrughna
and informed him of all that had taken place.Thereafter, a great battle
commenced. Suratha's son, Champaka,
fought with Pushkala. After a heroic fight, Champaka released an ar¬row that
struck Pushkala in the chest and bound him. Champaka then took Pushkala on his
chariot. Upon seeing this, Shatrughna
ordered Hanuman to free Pushkala. In the fight that followed, Champaka sur¬prisingly
foiled all of Hanuman's attacks.The enraged Hanuman then grabbed Champaka by
the arm and took him into the sky. Even
there, Champaka fought bravely, but fi¬nally, Hanuman grabbed him by the foot
and threw him to the ground, causing the prince to faint. After accompishing
this feat, Hanuman freed Pushkala from
Champaka's nooses.Suratha angrily challenged Hanuman, and proceeded to pierce
him with numerous arrows. Hanuman then went and grabbed Suratha's bow and broke it to pieces. Indeed, again and again,
Suratha picked up a new bow, and again and again, Hanuman broke each one. In
this way, eighty bows were destroyed.Suratha then struck Hanuman with a
shakti weapons. In retalia¬tion, Hanuman
picked up the king's chariot and began carrying him toward the sea. Suratha
struck Hanuman severely on the chest with his club and so the chariot fell from
his hands and broke. Suratha mounted
another chariot but again, Hanuman shattered it to pieces. Indeed, forty-nine
chariots were smashed in this way.
King Suratha then angrily relased the Pashupata weapon, causing
countless ghosts, witches, and fiends to suddenly appear. Indeed, Hanuman was
bound by that weapon of Lord Shiva. However, while remembering Lord Rama, Hanuman easily broke
his bonds.Finally, Suratha put the weapon of Lord Rama upon his bow. Being
bound by that weapon, Hanuman did not even try to free him¬self, out of respect for his master. Pushkala then came
and attacked Suratha. After a breathtaking battle, Suratha made Pushkala faint
upon the battlefield. At this, Shatrughna finally came and challenged
Suratha. After a fierce fight, Suratha
released an arrow that fell upon Shatrughna's chest, making him fall
unconscious. Seeing this, the other warriors supporting Shatrughna fled.
Sugriva then challenged King Suratha.
Soon, Suratha was able to bind Sugriva with the weapon presided over by Lord
Rama.Thereafter, in his court, Suratha told Hanuman, "Kindly remem¬ber
Lord Rama, the protector of His
devotees, so that He will come nere and release you. Otherwise, I will
not free you, even after many, many years.Hanuman offered prayers to Lord Rama,
begging for his release. He concluded by saying, "O Lord, I have been bound by Suratha's
nooses. If You do not come and release me, the people of this world will joke
about us. For this reason, please do not delay.Lord Rama immediatley came, accompanied by Lakshman and Bharata, riding
upon the Pushpaka chariot. Suratha offered his obei¬sances, hundreds of times.
Rama then came and embraced the king. After doing so, He freed his dear devotees from their bondage. Indeed, all
of the unconscious warriors quickly regained consciousness. After this was
accomplished, Suratha gladly presented the challenge-horse to Rama, and begged for His forgiveness. After staying in
Suratha's palace for three days, Lord Rama returned to Ayodhya in the Pushpaka
chariot. Putting Champaka in charge of the city, Suratha accompanied Shatrughna on his journey, protecting Rama's
challenge-horse. After wandering at will, the horse finally came to the ashram
of Valmiki Muni.Meanwhile, Sita's son, Lava, along with many sages, were collect¬ing firewood in the forest, when they
happened to see the horse. Lava went up to the horse and read the note on it's
forehead. After reading it, Lava angrily said to the sages, "Just see
the audacity of this ksatriya! Who is
this Rama/ Who is Shatrughna? They are like insects of little strength!After
saying this, Lava seized the horse. Soon, the horse's guards arrived upon the
scene and discovered that someone had
captured it. Lava drove off these guards, with a shower of arrows, and so they
went to the shelter of Shatrughna.
At this point m the narration, it is described how Sita was
ban¬ished to the forest after Rama heard criticisms from the citizens.Rama had
sent out spies in the evening to find out what His subjects were saying about Him. One spy went to a rich
man's house. There, they saw a beautiful woman offering her breast milk to her
child. She said, "My son, drink as much milk as you like, for later, it
will be difficult to obtain. Rama is the
Lord of our city. Those who live here will not be reborn in this world. In the
absense of rebirth, where will be mother's milk? Those who always think of Lord
Rama will not have the chance to drink
their mother's milk again! A second spy, having gone to another house, saw a
beautiful lady, seated upon a couch. She said to her husband, "You look to
me like a second Rama! You are so
handsome, your eyes are like lotus petals, and your chest is broad and
strong.The husband replied, "O chaste lady, you have spoken in a way that
is just suitable for a loyal wife. But,
who am I, compared to Rama? Compared to him, I am but a mere insect. How
can you compare a rabbit with a lion? How can the Ganga be compared to muddy
water in the street?The faithful wife then
fondly embraced her husband. A third spy went to a house where he saw a
lady making ready her bed by placing flower petals on it, and smearing it with
sandalwood paste and cam¬phor. When the bed
was thus ready for the act of love, she said to her husband,
"Please lie down on the bed, for it is now fit for enjoyment. People like
you always deserve happiness, but not those who are adverse to Lord Rama. Enjoy now that which is obtained
through His grace. A loving wife like me, and this bed strewn with flowers- all
this is due to Rama's grace.The husband replied, "You are right. Whatever
I have is by the mercy of Lord Rama.A
fourth spy entered a house and saw a lady playing a musical instrument while
her husband sang the glories of Lord Rama. She said, "We are so fortunate
to be living in Rama's city, for He
protects His subjects as if they were His own children.The husband said,
"Being requested by Lord Brahma, the Lord appeared as the son of Kaushalya,
as a human being. Actually, He is the
Lord of the three worlds. We are lucky that we can see Rama's lotus-like face.
Even demigods like Brahma are able to see the Lord but rarely.A fifth spy,
after entering a house, saw a husband and
wife play¬ing dice. She said, "I have won everything! What will you
do now?Saying this, she joyfully embraced her husband. The husband re¬plied,
"Charming one, of beautiful body, it is I alone who have won. I always remember Lord Rama. Just
now watch as I vanquish you.Saying this, he rolled the dice and won. Being
delighted, he said, "I have defeated you. One who remembers Lord Rama has
no need of fearing any enemy.
That loving husband, longing for his wife, tightly embraced
her.The sixth spy entered a house and saw a washerman, his eyes red with anger,
kicking his wife because she had spent the night at another
man's house. He said, "You can go and live with that other
man. I shall no longer accept you.The washerman's mother begged, "Do not
abandon your wife! She has not committed any fault.The angry washerman replied,1 am not as great as
Rama,so that I can take back my wife,after she has stayed at another man's
house!Being the king,He can do as He likes,but I will not accept such a
wife.Upon hearing this, the spy became
enraged. Taking his sword, he prepared to kill the washerman. But then, he
remembered Rama's in¬structions: "None of My subjects should be killed.
Thus, he put away his sword and went to
where the other spies were waiting.The next morning, after entering the royal
assembly, Rama asked the spies to disclose what they had heard from the
subjects, the previous evening. With
great reluctance, and after being repeatedly asked to do so, the sixth spy
finally informed Rama of what the washernan had said.Rama was greatly shocked
to hear this report. Indeed, He fainted
onto the floor. After regaining His composure, Rama called for Bharata
and confided in him all that had happened. Rama asked Bharata, "What
should I do? Should I kill Myself? Should I abandon Sita?"
Enraged, Bharata was ready to go and kill the washerman. With
great endeavor, he tried to convince Rama of Sita's purity. Rama then said,
"I know that My wife is pure and uncontaminated, but still, I will abandon her, for I am afraid of public
scandal. Take your sharp sword and cut off My head- or else abandon Sita in the
forest.Upon hearing this, Bharata lost consciousness and fainted. At this
point in the narration, there is the
story of who the washerman was in his last life: Sita appeared from a furrow,
as the land was being plowed by King Janaka, in preparation for the performance
of a sacrifice. He happily accepted the
girl as his daughter. Once, when Sita was playing in a garden, along with her
friends, she saw a charming pair of parrots.The male and female parrots were
conversing with great affection,talking
about a girl named Sita and a man named Rama. Suspecting that the parrots were
talking about her, Sita ordered her friends to catch them. The girls caught the
birds and then Sita asked,Who are the
Sita and Rama that you speak of? From where did you learn about them?The
parrots explained how they had repeatedly heard the future pastimes of Lord
Rama at Valmiki Muni's ashram.
They informed Sita that, in the future, she would become the wife
of Lord Rama. The parrots then narrated the pastimes of Lord Rama, for her
pleasure.Sita asked the parrots to remain with her, but they declined, say¬ing that they were used to
having the freedom of living in the forest. The female parrot then informed
Sita that she was pregnant. She prom¬ised to return after the birth of her children. Still, Sita would not re¬lease the
parrot. The male parrot then implored Sita to release his wife. In reply, Sita
gave permission for the male parrot to depart, but said that she would keep
the female parrot as a pet.The male
parrot refused to depart without his wife. The female parrot then cursed
Janaki, saying, "As you are separating me from my husband, in the same
way, you will be separated from Rama,
when you are pregnant.Indeed, while saying this and remembering Rama, the
female parrot gave up her life. Being greatly distressed, the male parrot then
fell into the Ganga while saying,In
Rama's city, I will be born as a shudra. It will be because of my words that
Sita will experience separation from her husband.Because the male parrot had
died while insulting Sita, he was next
born as a washerman named Krodhana.Meanwhile, back in Ayodhya, when He
saw Bharata unconscious, Rama asked the doorman to summon Shatrughna. Rama then
told Shatrughna about His determination
to abandon Sita. Upon hearing of this, Shatrughna also fainted. Finally, when
he regained conscious¬ness, Shatrughna again and again tried to persuade Rama
to give up his intention to abandon
Sita. When Rama remained adamant, Shatrughna fainted again.Rama next summoned
Lakshman and informed him of the situa¬tion, concluding with the words,
"Leave this chaste lady in the
forest, °r else kill Me with your sword.Lakshman finally said,
"What ought not to be done should be done because an elderly person's
order must not be violated. Therefore,I shall do as You say.Thus, it came to be that Sita was abandoned in the
forest by Lakshman. She finally came to Valmiki's ashram and there, she gave
birth to twins, Lava and Kusha. These twins were initiated by Valmiki, who taught them use of the bow, along with the
Vedas and Ramayana.When Shatrughna heard from his guards about how the
chal¬lenge-horse had been captured by a boy who had the likeness of Rama,
he quickly had his commander, Kalajit,
array the army and set out. Thus, Kalajit went and challenged Lava.After a
fierce battle, Lava cut off Kalajit's head with his sword. The survivors went
and informed Shatrughna of their commander's
death, and the defeat of the army. Shatrughna next sent Pushkala to fight.
After an intense duel, Pushkala fell from his chariot,
unconscious, onto the battlefield, having been pierced in the chest by Lava's
arrow. Next, Hanuman came to challenge the enemy. Thereafter, while fight¬ing, Hanuman found Lava to be
unconquerable by him and so he de¬cided to pretend to faint, so that Shatrughna
could take his place.Coming before Lava, Shatrughna saw that he appeared
just like Rama, in His childhood. During
the fight that followed, Lava made Shatrughna fall unconscious onto the floor
of his chariot, and so the kings, Suratha and Viramani, as well as others,
entered the fray. Soon thereafter, when
Shatrughna regained consciousness, he again ap¬proached Lava to fight.When
Shatrughna put a blazing arrow upon his bowstring, Lava remembered his brother,
Kusha, thinking, "If my brother
were here, I would not be humbled by this Shatrughna.That arrow struck Lava in
the chest and made him fall uncon¬scious. Shatrughna went and took the
unconscious Lava onto his chariot. Some
students of Valmiki went and told Sita about all that had hap¬pened. Upon
hearing how her son had been arrested, she fell to the ground, weeping.Just at
this time, Kusha returned to Valmiki's
ashram, having gone with some sages to a place of pilgrimage. Upon seeing his
mother overcome with grief, Kusha inquired about the cause. After hearing
every¬thing from his mother, Kusha set
out to encounter the enemies.Soon thereafter, Shatrughna engaged in fighting
with Kusha. Be¬fore long, a powerful arrow struck his chest, making Shatrughna
fall unconscious onto the battlefield.
Hanuman came to fight with Kusha but he also soon lost consciousness. Sugriva
fought next, but was bound by Kusha's weapon.Lava and Kusha then tied Hanuman
and Sugriva together, and 'ragged them
back to Valmiki's ashram. Later, when Sita saw how "anuman and Sugriva
were bound up by her sons, she laughed at them, he told her sons, "Untie
these monkeys immediately. They will die
if hey see me laughing at them. This is Hanuman and this is Sugriva." Sita
told Lava and Kusha that they should not have captured Rama's challenge-horse.
She informed them that Rama was their
fa¬ther. In reply, Lava and Kusha said that for ksatriyas, there could be no
question of sin, even if sons fight with their father, or disciples fight with
their preceptor.Still, Lava and Kusha obeyed
their mother by releasing Hanuman and Sugriva, as well as the
challenge-horse. Sita then prayed to Rama that Shatrughna would regain
consciousness, and quickly this was ac¬complished.Sumati then advised Shatrughna that, since the horse was
now free,they should return to Ayodhya as quickly as possible. When He heard of
the arrival of the challenge-horse and it's protectors, Rama sent Lakshman to welcome His brother.Thereafter, Rama
happily embraced Shatrughna and Pushkala, who had fallen at His lotus feet.
Finally, at Rama's request, Sumati narrated to Him all that had happened as
the challenge-horse wandered over the
Earth.
As a result of hearing this narration, Rama came to understand
that the two boys residing at Valmiki's ashram were His sons. Rama then went to
Valmiki and asked about the boys. In reply, Valmiki said,
How is it that You, who live within the hearts of all men, do not
know about this without asking?Valmiki related to Rama all that had happened
after Lakshman nad abandoned Sita in the forest. He also explained how he had com¬posed the Ramayana
and then taught it to Lava and Kusha.Valmiki requested Rama to take Sita back
to Ayodhya, along with Lava and Kusha. Thus it came to be that Rama sent Lakshman to bring Sita back, and so she
came and sat next to Him for the performance of the horse-sacrifice.The sage,
Agastya, handed Rama the consecrated sword and in¬stantaneously, as the sword touched his neck, the horse assumed a
di¬vine form and got onto a celestial airplane. When questioned by Rama, that
divine person explained, "In my last life, 1 was a righteous brahmana
but later on, I acted in a manner
opposed to the Vedas. Indeed, I be¬came hypocrisy personified, for I practiced
religion duplicitly.Once, Durvasa Muni came to the riverbank where I was
practic¬ing my so-called austerities
with the intent of fooling the people. I did not offer the sage any words of
welcome, and nothing for his worship. Becoming angry, Durvasa cursed me,
saying, 'You hypocrite. May you become
an animal!' Upon hearing this, I came to my senses and caught hold of the
sage's feet. He then told me, "You will become a horse at the sacrifice of
Lord Rama. As soon as He touches you,
you will attain a divine form.After saying this, that divine person
ascended to heaven. The sages said, "We have heard from you the
description of Lord Rama's horse-sacrifice. Now, kindly describe the glories of Lord Krishna." Suta Gosvami
said, "I shall relate to you the following conversa¬tion between Parvati
and Lord Shiva, in which the greatness of Lord Krishna is nicely
delineated.Lord Shiva described the
abode of Lord Krishna as follows: The most confidential abode of the Lord is
known as Vrindavana. Vaikuntha is just a portion of this supreme abode of Lord
Krishna. What exists in Goloka
Vrindavana is manifested on the Earth, in Gokula. Whatever exists in Vaikuntha,
is seen in Dvaraka. Because of this, of all the places within the three worlds,
the Earth is considered to be the
mostauspicious.Vrindavana consists of twelve forests- Bhadra, Shri,
Loha, Bhandira, Maha, Tala, Khadiraka, Bakula, Kumuda, Kamya> Madhuvana, and
Vrindavana. Seven are on the western bank of the Kalindi river, and five are on the eastern
bank.
Gokula is in the shape of a thousand-petal lotus. The pastimes ot
Lord Krishna take place in each of these petals.In the pericarp, Lord Govinda
is seen seated upon a golden throne. This abode is also called the yoga-pitha, and the description
found here is quoted by Shrila Prabhupada, as follows:"In the Padma
Purana, there is a full description of the yoga-pitha, or the particular place
where the Lord is in audience to His
eternal devotees. In that yoga-pitha, the personifications of religion,
knowledge, opulence and renunciation are all seated at the lotus feet of the
Lord. The four Vedas, namely Rk, Sama,
Yajur and Atharva, are present there personally to advise the Lord. The sixteen
energies headed by Chanda are all present there. Chanda and Kumuda are the
first two doorkeepers, at the middle
door are the doorkeepers named Bhadra and Subhadra, and at the last door
are Jaya and Vijaya. There are other doorkeepers also, named Kumuda,
Kumudaksha, Pundarika, Vamana, Shankukarna,
Sarvanetra, Sumukha, etc. The Lord's palace is well deco¬rated and
protected by the above-mentioned doorkeepers.The first petal is considered to
be the best, and it is situated toward the South. The second petal is situated toward the South-east,
and two small cottages are found there. The third petal is toward the East. The
fourth petal is in the North-east. A gopi attains Krishna as her husband
by worshiping Goddess Katyayani at that
place. This is also where Lord Krishna had stolen the gopis' garments.In the
North is the fifth petal. It is called Dvadashaditya. The sixth petal is toward
the North-west. The lake where Krishna
chastised Kaliya is situated there. In the West is the seventh petal. Here,
Lord Brahma had stolen Krishna's cows and friends. In the South-west is the
eighth petal. The killing of
Shankhachuda took place there.In this way, each of the petals are described as
the places where Lord Krishna's various pastimes were enacted. The Vrindavana
on Earth is a most confidential abode of
the Lord. It is non-diffferent from Lord Krishna's body. One gains liberation
simply by touching the dust of Vrindavana.It is said that Cupid was created
from just one ten-millionth part °f a
ten-millionth part of the luster of Lord Krishna's body. Indeed, the
mfinite brahmajyoti has been manifested from the lustre emanating rrom the
nails of His two lotus feet. Radha is the original expansion of Lord Krishna's pleasure potency,
and Durga is but one ten-millionth Part of one ten-millionth part of her.
Lord Govinda, along with Radha are seated upon a golden throne.
His lovliness surpasses millions of Cupids as He stands in His three¬fold
bending form, while playing upon His flute. Other gopis are sur¬rounding Them, and they are all portions
of Radha.Shrila Prabhupada has written: "The Padma Purana confirms that
Sri Radha is the foremost of the gopis:
yatha radha priya visnos I tasyah kundam priyam tatha
sarva-gopisu saivaika I visnor atyanta-vallabha
Just as Srimati Radharani is most dear to Krsna, Her bathing pond
is similarly dear. Of all the gopis, She is the most beloved of the Lord.While
continuing to speak to Parvati, Lord Shiva narrated this incident: Knowing of the descent of Lord
Krishna, Narada came one day to the village of Nanda Maharaja. There, he saw
the Supreme Lord acting as a small child. He was seated upon a cloth that
had been placed on a couch. His body
appeared to be extremely delicate, His hair was dishevelled, and His sweet smile
displayed His lovely teeth. The Lord was naked,and He appeared very blessful.Approaching Nanda, Narada said,
"To get birth as an associate of Lord Narayana is very difficult in this
world. Even Brahma and Shiva aspire for such a birth. The activities of this
boy will give delight to all pious
people. Everyone will come to dearly love your son, whose powers are
inconceivable.O best of the cowherds, give up all other desires and with
single-minded devotion, love this
child.After leaving Nanda's house, Narada thought, "The Lord's
be¬loved consort, Lakshmi, certainly must have appeared somewhere nearby, as a
cowherd girl, so that she can enjoy pastimes with Him.Today, 1 shall look for her in every
house of Vraja.Narada Muni went into every house, and everyone respected him
greatly. Finally, in the house of one cowherd, he saw a girl of very fair complexion. He thought, "This must be
Lakshmi.Later, Narada entered the house of a cowherd man named Bhanu, who was
Nanda Maharaja's friend. When Narada inquired as to whether Bhanu had any children, the cowherd man brought his son and
made him bow down, to offer obeisances. Upon seeing that handsome boy,whose
eyes were like lotus petals, Narada embraced him.The Devarshi said, "Bhanu, this boy of yours will be a good
friend of Krishna's and Balarama's. You must take care of him, because he will
play with Them, day and night.When Narada was about to depart, Bhanu
informed him, "I also have a
daughter. She is younger than this boy and she resembles the goddesses of
heaven. The problem is that she is deaf and blind, and she seems to be mentally
disturbed. O Devarshi, kindly bless me
in such a way that this girl will become glorious.
Narada went into the next room and saw the girl, rolling on the
floor. Narada lifted her up and placed her upon his lap.Becoming enchanted by
the girl's beauty, Narada went into a trance of meditation. Finally, when he regained his composure,
Narada thought, with astonishment, "I wander throughout the three worlds,
but I have never seen such a beautiful girl as this! Even I have seen the
illusory energy personified, the goddess
Parvati, but her beauty cannot be compared to even a fraction of that possessed
by this girl. I am feeling the same degree of love for her that I feel toward
the Supreme Lord, Govinda. I am sure
that she will give great delight to Lord Krishna.Narada sent Bhanu on an errand
and then took the girl to a secluded place. He offered many nice prayers to the
girl, addressing her as the Supreme
Lord's internal potency. After much glorification, Narada requested the girl to
assume the form by which she would entice Lord Krishna in the near future.As
Narada continued to describe the glories
of Lord Krishna to her, the girl suddenly manifested a very charming form of a
fourteen-year-old girl. At that time, all of the other gopis came and
surrounded her. Upon seeing all this,
Narada became stunned with wonder.Out of compassion, the gopis sprinkled water
upon Narada, thus reviving him. They told him, "This divine girl, who is
very difficult to approach for even Brahma
and Shiva, is now seen by you. This is certainly your great, inconceivable
fortune. In Vrindavana, there is an auspicious Ashoka tree, at the foot of
Govardhana Hill. Tonight, you shall be able to
see all of us there.Narada Muni then went to Bhanu and told him about
the glories °f his daughter while requesting him to take very good care of
her.Thereafter, Narada went to the Ashoka tree at the base of Govardhana Hill. There, he waited for
the arrival of Bhanu's daughter.
At midnight, Narada saw all of the gopis and so he fell down to
offer his obeisances. Desiring to speak, Narada could not do so, however, for
he was speechless, due to astonishment.The presiding deity of the Ashoka grove, Ashokamalini, then came
to him and said, "I reside here, dressed in red garments and decorated
with red ornaments. You had desired to see the girl who would become the
consort of Lord Krishna. Please listen
now as I describe to you how it came to be that various fortunate souls were
born in the land of Vraja, as daughters of the cowherd men.There was a sage
known as Chandraprabha, who had a
charming son named Chitradhvaja. This boy was a great devotee of Lord Krishna
from childhood.One day, the boy went to Lord Vishnu's temple. While there, he
thought as follows: "How shall I
worship Lord Krishna, who fascinates the cowherd girls of Vrindavana? Indeed,
the Lord is always engaged in pastimes with them, in the forest and by the side
of the River Yamuna."
That night, the boy had a dream. He saw before him the beautiful
form of Lord Krishna. It was a Deity made of stone, and was placed upon a
golden throne. The Lord was standing in His charming three¬fold bending posture, and He was
playing His flute. On His two sides, the Lord was being served by two of the
best of gopis. Indeed, infatu¬ated with love, the gopis were embracing and
kissing their Lord.Lord Krishna then
said to the gopi on His right, "Lotus-eyed one, you will manifest a
wonderful female form, who is very bashful in behavior. Touched by the lustre
of your body, that form will resemble
yours.That gopi then approached Chitradhvaja, so that the lustre of 1 ei body
filled his body. From the lustre of her breasts, two stout breasts were
produced. From the lustre of her hips,
charming round hips be¬came manifested. In this way, a female form came
into being, decorated with garlands and ornaments. It was as if from one lamp,
another lamp was lit. The gopi took that girl's
hand and led her to Govinda's side, saying, "My Lord, this is Your
female servant. Kindly tell her what service she should perform.The gopi then
named her Chitrakala and instructed, "Always stay near the Lord and sing in accompaniment to His
flute.Chitrakala touched the lotus feet of the Lord, taking the dust and
placing it upon her head. She then began to sing, giving pleasure to Lord
Krishna and the gopis. The Lord then
lovingly embraced her.At this point in the dream, Chitradhvaja woke up.
Remembering his dream and the sweetness of Lord Krishna, he wept. From that
time on, being determined to think of
Krishna only, he gave up all material enjoyment and remained silent, even when
addressed by his father. In this way, he remained at home for one month.After
that, he went to the forest and
practiced austerities that were difficult to perform. Some time later on, he
gave up his material body and was then born as Chitrakala, the daughter of the
cowherd, Viragupta.Shrila Prabhupada has
quoted a verse from this section: "This same fourfold categorization of
the gopis is given in the Padma Purana:
gopyas tu srutayo jneya / rsi-ja gopa-kanyakah
deva-kanyas ca rajendra I na manusyah kathancana
It is understood that some of the gopis are personified Vedic
literatures, while others are reborn sages, daughters of cowherds, or demigod
maidens. But by no means, my dear King, are any of them ordinary humans.Once, Lord Vishnu said to
Brahma, "Some call Me Prakriti (the primordial matter) and some call Me
Purusha (the Lord). Some call Me Dharma, some call Me wealth, and some call
Me Moksha (salvation). Some say I am
void. Some call Me devotion. Some call Me Sadashiva. Some say that I am the
origin of the Vedas, without change, the form of goodness, etc. Today, I shall
show you My real form, which is
con¬cealed by the Vedas.Brahma then saw a boy, who was dark, like a monsoon
cloud. He was laughing, while seated at the base of a Kadamba tree, along with
many cowherd boys. He was wearing yellow
garments, and He looked wonderful.Brahma then saw the forest of Vrindavana, and
the River Kalindi. He also saw Govardhana Hill. Next, he saw Lord Krishna,
playing His flute, and surrounded by the
gopis. The Lord said to Brahma, "There is no greater form of Mine that
this. You should know that this Vrindavana is eternal. Do not have any doubt
about it.Lord Brahma asked, "Who
are these gopis? Who are these cow¬herd boys? Who are these cuckoos? Who is
this Kadamba tree?The Lord replied, "The gopis are the Vedas personified.
The daugh¬ters of the cowherd men are
rishis. All the cowherd boys are sages. This Kadamba is a desire-tree (kalpa
vriksha). The cuckoos are Siddhas, Sadhyas and Gandharavas.Once, Arj una was
seated beneath a tree, along with Lord
Krishna, on the banks of the River Yamuna. Arjuna said, "O Lord, please
tell me something which is unknown even to Lord Brahma and Lord Shiva. The
wives of the cowherds are very dear to You.
How many are there, and of how many different kinds? Where do they stay
and what are their activities? Where do You eternally engage in pastimes with
them?" Lord Krishna replied, "How can you expect to understand such things, which are
unknown to even Lord Brahma and Lord Shiva? Therefore, you should desist from
your questions.Upon hearing this, Arjuna fell at the Lord's lotus feet, begging forgiveness. Lord Krishna then
affectionately lifted Arjuna up and embraced him, saying, "What use is
there in My telling you these things?Now, you will directly experience them!
First, you must worship the goddess
Yogamaya. Without her, I cannot show you what you desire.Thus, Arjuna
approached the goddess Yogamaya, seated upon a golden throne. The goddess told
Arjuna to go with her female attendent
and bathe in a certain lake, and then return. Arjuna did as he was told,and
after coming back, the goddess had him recite some mantras and perform some
rituals. She told him, "Worship me
as I have directed.Only after 1 am pleased, will you be able to sport with Lord
Krishna as you desire.Arjuna continued the worship of Goddess Yogamaya. After
some time, the she told him, "Now
go into the interior of that house, along with this girl.Thus it came to be
that Arjuna entered Vrindavana, the abode of Lord Krishna, in which the
festival of rasa-lila was continually going on.
Feeling indescribable ecstasy, Arjuna fainted. Thereafter, when he
regained consciousness, Arjuna asked the girl what else he should do.The girl
then took Arjuna by the hand and led him to the south.
They came to a beautiful garden, and the girl told Arjuna to bathe
in the lake there. Upon plunging into the lake, which was decorated with
various kinds of lotuses, Arjuna found himself transformed into a beau¬tiful girl, in the prime of her
youth. Indeed, he completely forgot about his former masculine body.Coming out
of the water, Arjuna stood there, not knowing what to do. A voice from the sky then said, "Go along this path and
you will find your friends there. They will help you fulfill your desire.After
walking some distance, she (Arjuna) saw a group of young girls, all of whom
were fascinating in appearance, speech
and manner¬isms. One of the girls, Priyamuda, came and asked, "Who are
you? Whose daughter are you? Who brought you here? Whose beloved are you?Arjuna replied, "I do not know who 1 am, or
whose daughter 1 am. I came here on my own, being sent by a goddess. Who are
you, and whose daughters are you?Priyamuda said, "We are daughers of
cowherd men and we are the beloved of
Lord Krishna.Priyamuda then introduced many of the gopis. She took Arjuna (now
called Arjuni) to a lake and made her bathe, and then gave her a mantra to
chant. The goddess Radhika then
appeared, and Arjuni fell at her lotus feet to offer obeisances. The goddess
had a gopi, Priyamvada, bring Arjuni close, so that she could further instruct
her in the science of pure devotion.They
next went to where Lord Krishna was staying, and it so happened that the Lord
called for Arjuni. Arjuni approached the Lord and fell to the ground, to offer
obeisances. Finally, after opening his
eyes with difficulty, Arjuni saw himself in a wonderfully beautiful place.There
was a desire-tree, and under it was a jewelled throne. On that seat was an
eight-petaled lotus. On the left and
right were Shanka and Padma. In the four directions were desire-yielding
cows (kamadhenu), The breeze was scented by lovely flowers of all kinds and was
cool because of containing drops of honey.
The humming of intoxicated bees could be heard, as they swarmed to taste
that honey. There was also the sounds of parrots, cuckoos and other birds. Here
and there were dancing peacocks.
Arjuni saw Lord Krishna, whose black hair was very glossy and
curly. On His head was a peacock feather. His cheeks shone like mir-tors, and
His forehead was decorated with tilak. His lips were charming
like bimba fruits, and His gentle smile inflamed the passion of
love. A nice garland of flowers hung on His broad shoulders, and a Kaustubha
jewel hung on His powerful chest, which was also adorned with the mark of Shrivatsa. His arms reached
to His knees, and His navel was very deep. The Lord was decorated with many
ornaments, and He was dressed in yellow garments. Indeed, His lovliness seemed to conquer millions of Cupids.
Lord Krishna, the knower of everything, then seized Arjuniya by
the hand and began sporting with her in an isolated forest. Finally, putting
His arm on her shoulder, the Lord told the gopi, Sharada, "Have this lady, who is fatigued, bathe
in the western lake.After bathing, when she came out of the water, Arjuniya
found that she was once again a male. Seeing Arjuna dejected, Lord Krishna
touched his hand and said,
"Dhananjaya, you are My dear friend. There is no one else in the three
worlds who knows this confidential secret of Mine. Do not reveal your experience
to anyone else!Being highly delighted,
Arjuna thereafter returned home, remem¬bering his pastimes with Lord
Krishna.Once, desiring to disclose the truth about Vrindavana to his son,
Narada, Lord Brahma took him to see Lord
Maha-Vishnu.After hearing about Brahma's desire, Lord Maha-Vishnu told
him, "Take Narada and arrange for his bath in the lake called
Amrita.Thereafter, when Narada bathed in Lake Amrita, he found that he had been transformed into a woman. On
the shore of the lake, she saw many other girls. They came to her and inquired,
"Who are you, and from where have you come?Narada, in the form of a woman, replied, "I don't know how I
assumded this form. Am I dreaming?One of the women replied, "This is the
town of Vrinda, which is very dear to Lord Krishna. I am the goddess, Lalita.
Now, come with me.They went to where
Lord Krishna eternally resides. There, Narada, in the form of a woman, saw the
Lord, and enjoyed pastimes with Him for one year.Lord Krishna then told
Radhika, "Take her to the Amrita
lake and arrange for her bath.After bathing in the lake, the girl immediately
regained her masculine form as Narada. After bidding Lord Brahma farewell,
Narada went to an assembly of great
sages, but did not disclose this wonderful experience.After Lord Krishna had
killed Shishupala in the arena of Maha¬raja Yudhisthira's Rajasuya sacrifice,
Dantavakra came to Mathura, seeking
revenge. Hearing of this, Lord Krishna mounted His chariot and came out
of the city to fight.After killing Dantavakra, Lord Krishna crossed the Yamuna
river and went to Nanda Maharaja's house. There, He offered His respects to His parents and
consoled them. In turn, they embraced their son with great affection.
The Lord then went and embraced all of the old cowherd men and
pleased them by giving many garments and ornaments.On the banks of the River
Yamuna, Lord Krishna enjoyed, for three days and nights, pastimes with the gopis. Thereafter,
all the residents of Vrindavana, assuming their original, spiritual bodies,
boarded transcendental airplanes and ascended to the spiritual world.
Thereafter, Lord Krishna returned to
Dvaraka.Parvati asked Lord Shiva, "How can one attain success in life,
during the terrible age of Kali?Lord Shiva replied, "Kali does not harrass
one who always chants Hare Krishna, Hare
Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare/ Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare
Hare. While doing his work, a man should continuously chant, 'Krishna, Krishna,
Krishna...' Whether pure or impure, one
who constantly remembers the Lord becomes freed from material existence.In the
age of Kali, these two are most auspicious- bathing in the Ganga and chanting
the name of Krishna.Lord Krishna has the
mark of a disc at the root of His right thumb. He has the mark of a lotus at
the root of His middle finger.Below the lotus is the mark of a flag.At the root
of His small finger is the mark of a
diamond. At the side of His hand is the mark of a goad. At the joint of the
thumb there is the mark of barley-corn. At the root °f the thumb there is the
mark of a mace.Lord Shiva next discussed the
necessary qualifications for both a spiritual master and a disciple:An
intelligent person realizes that all experiences in this world are temporary.
He sees how miserable life in this material world is. When he decides to become detached from all
material desires, he should search for a bona-fide spiritual master.Such a
spiritual master is peaceful in mind, free from jealousy and fully devoted
to Lord Krishna. Being free from lust
and greed, the spiritual master's only aim in life is to engage in the Lord's
devotional service. Such a guru has received full knowledge from his spiritual
master, and in turn, tries to educate
his disciples in the same way, following in the footsteps of the previous
acharyas.A disciple is one whose desire in life is to serve his spiritual
mater's lotus feet. When the spiritual
master initiates a bona-fide student, he gives him a new name, along with the
word dasa.Just as a woman who is devoted to her husband always thinks of him
with love when he is away from home,
while on a journey, so in the same way, a devotee should meditate upon the
qualities and pastimes of Lord Krishna, in a mood of separation.When Narada
desired to hear about Lord Krishna's
pastimes with the gopis in Vrindavana, Lord Shiva suggested that he go
see Vrindadevi. Thus it was that Narada approached Vrinda and inquired from
her. In response, Vrinda spoke as follows: Within a grove of desire trees, Radha and Krishna had
rested in the afternoon. Indeed, the two re¬mained embracing one another, not
wanting to be disturbed.By Vrinda's order, birds then began to sing
nearby, awaking the divine couple.
At this time, the assisting gopis entered the bower and offered
appropriate services. Thereafter, Radha and Krishna returned to Their
respective homes.The next morning, Krishna, being awakened by His mother, quickly got up. After cleaning His
teeth, Krishna, along with Balarama, went to the cow sheds.Radha, too, being
awakened by her friends, first of all cleaned her teeth. After being bathed by
her friends, Radha was dressed and
deco¬rated very nicely. Thereafter, she was invited by Mother Yashoda to come
and cook.At this point, Narada asked, "When at Yashoda's house there was
already the foremost of cooks, like
Rohini, why was Radharani invited to cook?Vrinda continued the narration, as
follows: Long ago, Radha received a benediction from Durvasa Muni that whatever
she cooked would become as sweet as
nectar, and would increase the lifespan of anyone eating it. For this reason,
Mother Yashoda invited Radharani to cook. Thus, with her mother-in-law's
permission, she would daily go to Nanda
Maharaja's house.Thereafter, Krishna would return home, after milking the cows.
First, He would be bathed by His servants. Then, He would put on new garments
and have His body smeared with
sandalwood pulp. While holding Baladeva's hand, and being followed by His
friends, Lord Krishna would enter the dining room, after being repeatedly
called by His mother. Then, in the
company of His friends, Lord Krishna would joke and laugh while eating.
When His meal was finished, Krishna would lie down and rest for awhile. After
getting up, He would then go out to tend the cows in the pasturing grounds.After entering the
forest, along with His friends, Lord Krishna would play for awhile. Then, by
deceiving his friends, He would leave them, taking only two or three
associates, and go to meet Radha. She
too, after deceiving her elders, under the pretext of some kind of demigod
worship or collecting flowers, would go to the forest to meet her lover.Thus,
Radha and Krishna, with much endeavor,
would meet in the forest, and then spend the rest of the day together.
Sometimes, They would sit on a swing, as their friends surrounded them, perform¬ing
various services. Sometimes, Radha would
hide Krishna's flute, caus¬ing Him to search for it, here and there. Sometimes,
They would enter the river and enjoy by splashing water upon one another.Then,
being tired, They would enter a grove of
trees. Sitting at he base of a large tree, They would become intoxicated by
drinking a ind of liquor. With Their eyes closing, due to sleep, They would
hold ach other's hands and then go to
lie down. Being intoxicated, the other gopis would also lie down in the bowers,
and Krishna would ex¬pand Himself so that He could lie down with each of
them.After waking up, Radha and Krishna
would go to sport in a nearby lake. After playing in the water, They partake of
fruits and sweets, given by Their servants. Afterwards, Krishna and the gopis
would play and joke in various ways.
They would sometimes play with dice, and the wager was in the form of kisses
and embraces. If Radha would win.
Lord Krishna would say, "I am defeated, and so accept from me
what was wagered (kisses).Thereafter, Krishna would return to the cows, while
Radha would return home. After some time, Krishna would also go home. Nanda and the others- women and
children- upon hearing the sound of Krishna's flute, would assemble to see Him
enter the village. As Krishna passed by, He would smile at some, touch others, glance at some others, speak to some
elderly cowherds, and offer His respects to His parents.After returning the
cows to their sheds, Krishna would bathe and then eat. Afterwords, he would return to the sheds to milk the cows. At that
time, Radha would send various kinds of food to Nanda Maharaja's house.Radha's
friends would then return to her with remnants of the food that was eaten by Lord Krishna, as well as other food given
by Mother Yashoda. She would then prepare to meet Krishna again that night, as
prearranged.Somehow, Radha would go to the bank of the Yamuna, along with her friends. Understanding this, Krishna
would go with His mother to a friend's house. After His mother had returned
home, Krishna would slip out unnoticed, to meet His beloved. Thus, Krishna would dance with the gopis, to the
accompaniment of music. After dancing half of the night, the Two would sleep
within a bower on a bed made of flow¬ers.After hearing all this from Vrinda,
Narada exclaimed, "O goddess, 1 am
blessed! 1 have been favored by you so that 1 have heard about the divine
pastimes of Radha and Krishna.Next, there are lengthy discussions of pious and
impious activities, and their results.
In the course of such talks, Narada said, "The ways of morality are very
subtle! Even the learned are often bewildered in this regard.Just consider
these examples: Ajamila had abandoned
his wife, and had become the husband of a prostitute. He gave up all his
religious practices, remaining fixed on the path of sin. And yet, just by
calling for his son, Narayana, at the time
of death, he attained an exalted position.The sons of Pandu were born of
Kunti and Madri, but from A various demigods and not from their father. And,
all five Pandavas shared the same wife! Still, their fame is spread over the three worlds.
Therefore it must be concluded that the ways of morality and
immorality are very subtle, and sometimes very difficult to ascertain. Strange
are the actions of men! Strange are the potencies of those acts! A good deed, even performed hidingly,
will one day fructify, giving an auspicious result. The result of a certain
auspicious act, even though covered with sins, comes from some unknown
place and gives benefit."
Sometimes, even a seemingly small auspicious act can free one from the results
of a huge amount of sins. Generally, it is supposed that a big thing consumes a
smaller one, as a lion might eat a
rabbit. But, the opposite is often true. Just consider how a great heap of dry
grass is consumed by a small spark of fire!Shrila Prabhupada quotes from this
section of Padma Purana, in his purports
to the 9th chapter of Bhagavad-gita:"In the Padma Purana, man's sinful
activities have been analyzed and are shown to be the results of sin after sin.
Those who are engaged in fruitive activities
are entangled in different stages and forms of sinful reactions.For
instance, when the seed of a particular tree is sown, the tree does not appear
immediately to grow; it takes some time.It is first a small, sprouting plant, then it assumes the form of
a tree, then it flow¬ers and bears fruit, and, when it is complete, the flowers
and fruits are enjoyed by persons who have sown the seed of the tree.
Similarly, a man performs a sinful act,
and like a seed it takes time to fructify.There are different stages. The
sinful action may have already stopped within the individual, but the results
or the fruit of that sinful action are
still to be enjoyed. There are sins which are still in the form of a seed, and
there are others which are already fructified and are giving us fruit, which we
are enjoying as distress and pain.
Long ago, there was dog who wandered through the kingdom of
Mithila, being greatly afflicted with hunger. One hundred births previ¬ously,
he had been a sinful brahmana.In his youth, the brahmana had been very devoted to the study of the
Vedas. One day, after bathing in the Ganga, he entered the city of Prattalika
and took shelter in a brahmana's house. In that house, there Was staying
the youthful daughter of a kshatriya.
Her husband hadbeen killed in battle, and thus she had lost her wealth and
kingdom.
That night, as the brahmana was sleeping in his room, that woman
came to him and said, "O brahmana, from where do you come? Where are you
headed?The brahmana woke up and replied, "Your coming here will cer¬tainly create suspicion
in the minds of the people. We are both young, and so our talking together is
not proper.The ksatriya woman replied, "Talks between a young man and woman are not wrong if a story is being told,
if it happens while on pilgrimage, or at a sacred place, or when there is some
disaster, such as a fire or famine. For this reason, no one will be
suspicious."
The brahmana said, "Please go from here." The ksatriya
woman then thought to herself, "I must somehow be lovingly embraced by
this man! 1 will cry, so that he consoles me. In this way, he will lift me up into his arms. At this time, I'll put my
arms around his neck. Then, pretending to faint, I will press my breasts
against his body.He will sit down, placing me upon his lap. Then, while
weeping, I will displace my garments,
exposing my private part, which is in the shape of an ashvattha leaf, which is
free from hair and is very lovely, and which is the fragrant abode of Cupid. In
this way, I shall bring the brahmana
under my control. What mind of a man does not become excited while seeing a
woman's breasts, and watchomg while she touches her vagina?Thinking in this
way, the ksatriya woman left the
brahmana's room and then began to weep. Upon seeing this, the brahmana thought,
"The grief of a woman, a child, an old man, an invalid person, a king, and
a mendicant should always be removed by
any means.The brahmana thus approached the woman and said, "Enough of this
grief. Unhappiness simply dries up the body, and harms the mind as well. There
is no use in grieving. Why are you
crying?Without replying, the woman suddenly fell to the ground, as if fainting.
The pious brahmana picked her up, but again she fell to the floor. Finally, the
brahmana placed the woman upon his lap
and wiped her eyes.Then, as if making herself comfortable, the woman removed
her garment, thus revealing her breasts and genitals. As she clung to his neck,
the woman pressed her breasts against
the brahmana's body. The moonlight was bright and there was a gentle breeze.
The brahmana thought to himself, "I should not be doing this.
This is the work of her mother, father, husband or guru. To me, an ordinary
conditioned soul, this appears very inauspicious.Cupid arrived there, as the two were thus seated in a
secluded place. He struck the brahmana with his sharp arrows. Becoming lusty,
the brahmana thought, "This woman is very beautiful, and she also seems to
be lusty. I will know the truth of the
matter when I touch her breasts.As the brahmana proceeded to touch the woman's
breasts and vagina, he could see that she had a smile on her face,
although pretend¬ing to be unconscious.
Suddenly, the woman tightly embraced the brahmana, and kissed him repeatedly on
the mouth. Thus it so hap¬pened that the ksatriya woman and the brahmana became united in a sexual relationship for
many years.Then, one morning, the brahmana went to bathe in a nearby river, and
the ksatriya woman accompanied him. Present there was another brahmana who was reciting the Puranas. Upon hearing
this verse: "He who kills a brahmana, who drinks liquor, who is a thief,
and who has sexual relations with his preceptor's wife, becomes free from all
sins just by listening to this
Purana.The consort of the kshatriya woman asked the brahmana who was reciting
the Puranas, "The forbidden acts that I have committed are countless. Tell
me- what could I do, that would destroy
my heap of sins.In response, the learned brahmana advised, "Worship Lord
Shiva, for when he is pleased, all of your sins will be vanquished.Taking this
advice seriously, the brahmana left that
ksatriya woman and regularly went to a temple of Lord Shiva, to perform
wor¬ship. Once, however, whle eating outside the temple, he took ghee from the
lamp there, and mixed it with his food.
After some time, he met with death, and so was taken to Yamaraja's
abode.Yamaraja said, "Due to your worship of Lord Shiva, some of your sins
have perished. But, others remain, and as a result, you will have to reside in hell for twenty
million years. After that, you will have one hundred births as a dog. Due to
the act of stealing ghee from a lamp at a temple of Lord Shiva, a man must
suffer in hell for a hundred years.
He then becomes wood in the Kumbhipaka hell, and as a result, he
exists as ash for ten years. He then becomes an insect for another ten years.
Then he becomes the wick of a lamp full of pus, stool, urine and semen. After partking of all these
punishments in hell, he gets one hundred births as a dog.Meanwhile, Narada came
to where that former consort of a kshatriya's brahmana wife, Avyaya, was lamenting. Narada informed her that her
husband had died, and he asked her to go to where the body was lying and then
enter his funeral pyre. Narada explained that her husand's body was very
far away, and would be burnt the next
day. When she agreed to do this, Narada took her upon his vina and transported
her to that place, in a moment. He then told her, "By en¬tering the fire,
all of your sins will be nullified, even
if you have en¬joyed the embraces of a man other than your husband.Avyaya
asked, "What must I do before entering the fire?" Narada explained
how she must decorate herself and apply
tumeric and other substances, as well as nice jewelry. She said, "I don't
have tumeric or ornaments, so please give them to me.In a moment, Narada
travelled to Mount Kailash. There, he
saw Parvati, and requested, "Mother, kindly give me some ornaments and
tumeric.Parvati replied, "How can I give these things to a widow?"
Narada explained, "Until the body of her husband is burnt, a woman is not considered to be a
widow.Parvati said, "Whatever I possess should be used by me alone.Please
go to my servant, Jayanti.Thus, Narada approached Jayanti and then returned to
Avyaya
with the required ornaments and tumeric. Narada then asked,
"Who will perform the funeral rites?Avyaya replied, "You shall do so,
for you are like my father." Narada burned the brahmana's body and told Avyaya, "Enter the fire, if you so
desire.She first circumambulated the funeral pyre three times, offered some
prayers, and then entered the fire. Immediately, she saw a celes¬tial airplane
and so boarded it and ascended to
heaven.Devavrata's very beautiful and young daughter was the wife °' Shona. The
two, husband and wife, were very pious. Once, having gone to bathe in the
Ganga, they found a silver pitcher
within the water.Shona asked his wife, Kala, "What should we do with this
treasure?She replied, "A man should not undertake any endeavor by
de¬pending upon the advice of a woman.
If one gets something of value, while in the presence of women, he should speak
to them in such a way that they will be deived (so that they will not undertand
that the thing of value is actually
his). If a man is not cautious, great trouble may come to him.
"You should never put your complete trust in a woman. After
all, a woman's love can go toward any young man she sees. If she is at¬tracted,
a woman may approach any man and speak to him. That can easily lead to sexual enjoyment between
them. If a woman enjoys one man and then, later on, enjoys another- to whom
will she actually be loyal?If a wife is attached to another man, she may use the wealth of her husband to impress him.
Indeed, it sometimes happens that a par¬amour kills a woman's husband, so that
he can also enjoy her wealth.After becoming a widow, when such a woman feels the desire for sex, day or night, she
may go to a secluded place and remove her clothes. Putting her hand on her
genital, she may curse her condition by saying, 'Vagina, why are you troubling
me so? What sin have you committed? Or,
is this torment the result of the sins of the men that had entered you?To
satisfy her itching, she will do strange things with her hands, while
repeatedly shaking her legs and
embracing pillows. Still, being frustrated, she might go into the streets at
night, ready to be enjoyed by anyone. Going to an unknown man's house, she
would gratify her lust with him. All
this is what can be expected when wealth is obtained in we presence of a
woman. Therefore, there is no need for you to consult «ie in this
matter.Saying, "It is certainly true, just as you say", Shona asked his wife to go pass stool in the field,
while he waited for her return. Kala went and then Sona dug a hole in the
ground and buried the pitcher. When his wife returned, he told her to return
home alone.Knowing of this, a demon
named Maricha assumed the form of "er husband and then approached Kala.
Maricha said, "On the banks of the river, there is a nice grove that is
just suitable for enjoyment.Come on,
let's go there.Kala replied, "Why are you telling me this? To change your
plans like this is not approved by those who are wise.Maricha said,It is the
wife's duty to obey her husband. Just
tell me- are you coming or not?The chaste woman remained silent and accompanied
the demon to the forest. Then, she said, "It is midday, you should perform
your religious duties.The demon replied,
"This is not a proper place. We shall go some¬where else.When they came to
a cave near a lake, Maricha said, "This is a good place. I shall bathe
first.The demon dove in the lake and then ate
some fruit.At this time, Kala meditated upon goddess Uma, wondering
whether this was her husband or not. Finally,by dint of her meditation, she
could understand that the man accompanying her was actually an imposter, and so she became
frightened.Crying out, "A great disaster has befallen me!", she fell
to the ground. At this time, the demon tried to forcibly rape Kala but was not
able to,because she had somehow made a
garment out of stones that covered.her, from her knees up to her waist. Upon
seeing this, the demon thought, "I shall kill her and eat her up!As the
demon reached for his sword, Kala said,
"My husband will curse you for this." But, nonetheless, he cut off
her head. At that time, the servants of Lord Shiva came there and put Kala onto
a celestial airplane, to take her to
their master's abode.Thereafter, Kala was welcomed by Uma, who said,
"I am pleased by your devotion to your husband. 1 am prepared to give you
whatever you desire.Kala replied, "I would just like to be your menial servant. What is the use of
other things?Parvati gave her consent and meanwhile, Shona reached home. Not
finding his wife there, he became engrossed in thought. Finally, through
his eye of introspection, he could see
that she had been taken away by a demon and killed, thus enabling her to reach
Lord Shiva's abode.
Being aggrieved, Shona went to the house of his father-in-law,
Devarata, and reported the matter to him. The two then went to se Vishvamitra,
who then took them to see Vasishtha Muni.Thereafter, they all journeyed to Lord Shiva's abode. Being
greeted by Virabhadra, they explained how Shona's wife had been kidnapped. Lord
Shiva was informed of the situation, and he told the sages, I already knew
of all this. Kala's death was untimely
and her allotted life-span is one hundred years more. She will regain her life
and then give birth to ten sons. Because she had uttered my name while dying,
all her accounts with Yamaraja were
erased, and she came to me. You should all go and tell your story to
Parvati.When the sages approached Lord Shiva's wife, Vishvamitra said, "This
Kala is my rand-daughter. What can I do to
get her back. 1 desire to eat food that is cooked by her.Parvati replied,
"She desires to remain with me, and 1 also cannot part with her.Shona then
said, "1 love this wife only. If I do
not get her back, I will surely die.Parvati responded, "Husband and
wife should be equally qualified and suitable for one another. This woman is
not proper for you. I shall give you another woman who is just right for you. I cannot abandon one
who has taken shelter of me.Shona said, "If you will not return my wife,
then give me another woman who will become dear to me. Also, grant me a
kingdom, as well as firm devotion to
Lord Shiva.Parvati replied, "You shall enjoy in my house for three days.
There¬after, you must execute the mode of worship that I prescribe. This practice
will award you with the fulfillment of
your desires. Most impor¬tantly, you must honor the brahmanas, in the manner
that will be described by me.After hearing this, Shona and the sages gave their
consent, and then went to the Ganga to
perform their worship. Thereafter, they returned to Parvati's house and offered
their obeisances. Thereafter,worship of the brahmanas was arranged.When
panchagandha (musk, sandalwood paste,
camphor, and two portions of aguru) was being applied to the bodies of the brahmanas,
there came into the assembly an old, weak brhamana, who appeared like a madman.
Indeed, the bald brahmana was naked, he
was coughing badly, and he was very hungry. Saliva poured from his mouth. Being
invalid, he walked in a hesitating manner. The old brahmana was ac¬companied by
a sixteen-year-old girl.
This girl was exceptionally beautiful, and as she came into the
assembly, she glanced at all the men. She was singing and dancing, and while
looking at her husband, she laughed. Indeed,she continually troubled him, saying, "You weak, cruel
man, come quickly! What is the use of all my possessions? After all- jewelry,
clothes, fragrances, gar¬lands, singing, laughter, a good house, and wealth,
are all simply meant for augmenting the
enjoyment of sex, and nothing else.Sex alone is the purpose of all desires.
Indeed, if all the pleasures of the world wre placed together on one side of a
scale, and the pleasure of sex were
placed on the other, sexual pleasure would be found to weigh a hundred times more
than all of the others.Having obtained a husband like you, what is a woman like
me supposed to do?The girl said all this
while holding her husband's hand. He re¬plied, "What can we do? Our
destiny is like this! Knowing what I am, you should not pierce me with such
sharp words!Kala, along with Arundhati
and Anasuya, fed that naked brahmana, and he ate everything in a moment.
Indeed, he ate so much that there was nothing remaining for the other
brahmanas. Parvati herself then began
serving the naked brahmana, but still, he continued to eat
everything.Parvati, without becoming angry, then said, "Let this food be
in¬exhaustible.Thus, at last, realizing that he could not finish all the food, the naked brahmana got up and washed
his mouth and hands. He told Parvati, "I am pleased with you. Ask for a
benediction.Parvati replied, "Even if you are capable of benedicting me,
what would be the use? After all, Lord
Shiva is my husband!The brahmana said, "Is this Shankara suitable for you,
or not? Handsomeness and cleverness are liked by women. For what other rea¬son
would you have come under my
influence?" Parvati replied,This is not true!" The brahmana said,
"I shall tie your braid. Come and sit on my lap. If your mind becomes
agitated, then how can you be considered
as chaste?Parvati responded, "It is my vow to sit on the lap of my
husband, and no one else.Thus understanding the mind of Parvati, Lord Shiva
next be¬came a sixteen-year-old youth. His
charming eyes were full of affec¬tion. His body was very fair and more
beautiful than thousands of Cupids. He went and put his hands on the
sixteen-year-old girl's shoul¬ders, while singing and dancing with her.Indeed, it was Parvati
herself who had manifested as that girl. Thereafter, the brahmanas worshiped
Lord Shiva and then departed. Kala was given back to Shona, and they continued
to live a very pleasurable life on
Earth, for a long time. After death, they attained the realm of Lord Shiva.