||Srimad Bhagavath
Mahapuran||
||Om Namo Bhagavathe
Vasudevaya||
Chapter – 50 – Jadabharatha
Upakhyanam -1
Sutha Pauranika continues
to describe the significance of reciting the sacred scripture Srimad Bhagavath
Mahapuran to Shaunakadhis, which brings an abundance of meritorious rewards to
worshiper, the home where the recitation of this sacred scripture held would
be sanctified; it removes all the sins of the worshiper like the holy river
Ganga and Gaya.
King Agnethra born in the clan of Priyavratha felt twelve hours of daylight is not enough to perform the tasks, he found the discipline that all the living beings on the Earth return to their nest and stayed away from the work during the night hours. He created a magnificent chariot made of precious yellow metal of gems decorated, took round and round of the Earth, which removed the darkness of the Earth with its brilliance. In this way he removed the darkness of night, it affected the lives of all the living beings on Earth, put their lives in chaos without sleep, thus it affected the creation of Lord Bhrama. Swayambhuva Manu intervened and advised King Agnethra about the chaos caused in the Earth and the necessities of day and night. King Agnethra established the Sapthadhvipa such as Jambu, Plaksha, Shalmali, Kasha, Krauncha, Shakha and Pushkara. This Sapthadhvipa was surrounded by seven ocean of Salt, Sugarcane juice, Intoxicating drink, Ghee, Milk, Curd, and water.
Sutha Pauranika describes
the legend of Rishabhadeva who was born in the clan of Priyavratha to Shaunakadhis " Oh! Sages, Rishabhadeva ruled the Kingdom wisely for several years, later crowned his elder son
Bharatha as the King, and returned to the woods of Bhramavarththa for Tapasya. He undertook the vow of
silence and wandered in the woods like a mendicant with no clothes on the body and disheveled hair, he was least bothered
about his surroundings or places. Thus he lived in the woods meditating upon
the supreme Lord with intense devotion and faith, ultimately attained Mukthi at the
lotus feet of Mukunda. I shall
prostrate before supreme Rishabhadeva who had attained the highest of the
piousness, performed his kingly duties and responsibilities, finally leaving all the material comforts, practiced intense devotion and faith upon the supreme Lord, eventually attained liberation from
worldly existence."
The King Bharatha, elder
son of Rishabhadeva wisely ruled the Kingdom/Ajanabham, later it came to
known as ‘Bharath’./Bha – illuminating, radiating, Ra – living on it, Tha-
crossing it /the country which beliefs in the highest of the supreme knowledge
of Bhramam, the knowledge of the Supreme Lord who resides as a soul in living beings and believes ‘Oneness-in-All’ which helps
to elevate the soul from miseries, sorrows, grief, and pain and attain
liberation from the worldly existence.
He ruled the Kingdom Bharath for several years, he considered subjects as his offspring, people were extremely happy. Bharatha married and had children, he crowned
the elder son as the King of Bharath and returned to woods for Tapasya on the
river banks of Chakra/Gandaki located near the Pulahashram.
He contemplated upon the magnificent form of supreme Lord Narayana who holds conch, disc,
mace and lotus flower, adorned in Srivatsa and Kausthubham. He performed all
the duties as the command of the supreme Lord.
He had accepted all the happenings in life as God’s willing. His mind was serene, immersed in the worship of the Supreme Lord with intense devotion and faith/Bhakti yoga.
