|| Om Namo Bhagavathe Vasudevaya||

Chapter – 13– The legend of Lord Krishna -  13 – Mahathmayi – The legend of Athmadeva

Yevam  Sapthadhinashchaiva  Sapthagrandhivibhedhanam | Krithva Sa  Dhvadhasha Skandha Shravanath Prethatham Jahau || Dhivyaroopadharo Jathath Thulasidhama Manditha: | Peethavasa Ghanashayamo Mukuti Kundalanvitha: ||

The body undergoes transformation and ruin, the soul have neither birth nor death.  The mind and intellect originated from the soul get attached to the worldly matters and persons, while leaving the mortal coil, the unfinished desires and lust causes rebirth, though Dhundhukari left his body after the sequence of physical pain, his soul attained the form of a spirit. Gokarna who was on a spiritual tour came to know about the death of his brother Dhundhukari, he went to Gaya and performed the final rite for his brother and returned home.  One day, it was the hours of dusk; Gokarna could hear frightening loud cries, a shadow moving around him, assuming various forms like elephant, goat, bull, fire, etc. He sprinkled water from the Kamandalu on the shadow. The spirit spoke “Oh! Bhratha, I am Dhundhukari even though I have achieved a birth in the highest clan of twice-born, I have met a horrible death due to my immoral deeds. Oh! Brother, I have no one other than you; kindly relieve me from the body of spirit.” Gokarna replied “Oh! Brother, I have already performed Gaya Shradham for you, did not that bring liberation to your soul? What should I do to relieve your soul?” The spirit replied “Oh! Brother, if you perform hundreds of Gaya Shraddha I would not get relief from the body of spirit, I have no one to help me out, you are the only one could help me.” Gokarna was an ardent devotee of Lord Surya, underwent meditation, on the next day early hours of dawn, he stopped Lord Surya’s movement and requested “Oh! Lord, kindly advise me how I could liberate the soul of my brother who has attained the body of spirit.” Lord Surya advised Gokarna to recite the glorious Srimad Bhagavath Mahapuran for seven days to liberate the soul from the body of spirit.

Gokarna made arranged for the Sapthahapadanam/recital of Srimad Bhagavath Mahapura for seven consecutive days. Dhundhukari’s soul was invoked inside the bamboo shoot that has seven holes in it, as soon as the spirit entered the shoot the seven holes were closed, at the end of the recital on the first day, one of the holes rips opened, and it repeated the second day as well, thus at the end of the seventh day, all those seven holes on the bamboo shoot were open. A divine form appeared out of the bamboo shoot, adorned in yellow silk garment, dark-complexioned, adorned in Vanamala, Kausthubham, and Srivathsam, magnificent ear ornaments, crown, ornaments on the chest, waist, and feet.  It was Dhundhukari with folded hands revealed his gratitude to Gokarna.  Thus, Dhundhukari attained freedom from the dreadful form of spirit that was roaming consuming heat and air, ultimately attained the divine form of Lord Vishnu at the end of the seventh day of the recital of Srimad Bhagavath Mahapuran.

Whoever recites or listens to the recital of Srimad Bhagavath Mahapuran, would get destroy all their sins instantly.  The human body is impermanent, fastened with several thousand veins, bones, flesh, blood, secretes of waste, undergoes aging, illnesses, depression, body emit a foul smell if it is not washed for a few days, undergoes constant foray of worms inside, and it continues after death as well. The human life is like a water bubble, it is like a fragile creature, therefore while residing in the temporary nature of body, the soul that has immense potential should strive to attain the eternal Bramham.  Whoever listens or recites the glorious scripture for seven days would get liberated from the cycles of repeated births.