||Srimad Bhagavath
Mahapuran||
||Om Namo Bhagavathe
Vasudevaya||
Chapter – 41– The legend of
Prachina Barhis & Dasa Prachethas
Prithu Maharaj and Archi
left the Kingdom and went to woods for Tapasya. Vijithashva, the elder son of Prithu
Maharaj was crowned as King, he assigned his four brothers to rule the four
quarters and he ruled the entire Kingdom.
Vijithashva married Nabhasvathi and this couple had a son Havirdhana
who was married to Havirdhani. This
couple had six children, soon after Havirdhana abandoned the worldly matters, family and Kingdom, and conducted Tapasya.
Barhishath was the elder son of Havirdhana, married to the daughter of
Lord of sea Shathadruthi. This couple
had ten children and they were known as Dasa Prachethas, who were fervent
devotees of Lord Narayana, when King Barhishath advised his children to rule
the Kingdom, they revealed their intention to do Tapasya and went on the bottom
of the sea and conducted intense penance.
King Barhishat was a true
Karma Yogi, he believed in the performance of Yagnas. Thus, he conducted numerous Yagnas. In the long run, the performance of Yagnas
became his obsession, as a result, the Earth was in abundance Kusha grass which has sharp blade-like
tips facing east, which is essential for the Yagnas. Thus the King Barhishath got the name
Prachina Barhis. One day Maharishi
Narada visited King Barhishath was received with great honor. King offered an elevated seat for the
Maharishi Narada and washed his feet.
Maharishi Narada enquired about the welfare of the Kingdom and his
subject and said “ Oh! King, I see that you are immersed in the performance of
Yagnas one after another, you are completely absorbed in the performance of
Yagnas, this cannot bring eternal bliss.
The performance of Karma can provide either happiness or sorrow; it will
not give liberation from repeated births.”
King Barhishath said “ Oh! Maharishi, I have been so wrapped up in the
performance of Yagnas, so I did not realize the prime objective of the soul. Kindly advise me on what should I do to get
salvation from repeated births? I have forgotten the highest of the path of
liberation Moksha.”
Maharishi Narada took the
King Barhishath out of the Palace and with his Yogic power showed the
number of cows he had sacrificed while performing Yagnas. There were several thousand cows waiting
to pierce the King after his death, with its sharp horns which are hard as iron rods. The King Barhishath was
shocked to witness the cows which are staring at him in vengeance. Maharishi Narada took the King inside the
palace and narrated the marvelous legend of a handsome man and a lovely damsel
famously known as Puranjana Upakhyanam.
