||Om Namo Bhagavathe Vasudevaya||

Chapter – 68 – The legend of Vriththasura - 4

Vriththrasura continued “ Oh! Indra, my mind relentlessly eulogizes the glories and virtues of Lord Hari, I have surrendered to the supreme Lord who resides as soul and protects my body. I am performing all the tasks with the knowledge that I am the servant of supreme Lord.  I have devoted my mind and intellect to the supreme Lord, and my body for the service of the Supreme Lord and his devotees.  I do not want to be an emperor  of Druvaloka, or Bhrama Loka or Rasathala or Prithviloka, or I do not want Yogasiddhis or Moksha, I am sincerely praying for not to forget the supreme Lord not even for a second, I cannot bear the separation from the supreme Lord.   The intense devotion to the Supreme Lord must be like the birdies in their nests, impatiently waiting for the return of its parents who went in search for the prey,  it must be like a hungry calf waiting for its mother and stay close to her bosom,  and her return home after grazing in the forest, it must be like a young bride who impatiently waiting for the arrival of her husband,  eagerly staring at the pathways in search for his return home and unite with him.  I have always yearned for the association of saintly and pious people; we have taken several births to attain the life of a human, in this way  we are rotating within the wheel of Samsara, therefore we should not keep association with the people who are soaked in the worldly matters.”  

Lord Indra was in dilemma, after listening to nectar-like speeches of Vriththrasura. Indra left the hold of the weapon Vajrayudha was asked to fight by Vriththrasura who was holding a spear and ready to fight against him.  Lord Indra stopped Vriththrasura and cut off his hand that was holding the spear. Vriththrasura gave a powerful smack on the Airavatha with his other hand, eventually, Indra lost hold of Vajrayudha.  Indra felt ashamed to pick up the weapon Vajrayudha before Vriththrasura was asked to take back the weapon.  Vriththrasura inspired Indra who was in utter shame, he took the Vajrayudha and cut Vriththrasura's other hand.  Vriththrasura spoke “Oh! Indra, Do not think that you are killing me with your power, every action are pre-destined by the supreme Lord, it was destined that my body has to face its death in your hands. The ignorant people are besieged by illusion forced to think all that achieved by their individual efforts and skills, the human body is a corpse without the presence of soul/vital air and mind.   The soul and the intellect can leave the body any moment through any one of the nine gates.  As long as the presence of the soul exists, the intellect and body start its function.  Oh! Indra, body, sense organs, and intellect are functioning with the grace of supreme Lord, this knowledge itself would create humility in individuals, if you do not understand the truth, you cannot perform any of the functions.  Oh! Indra, if you learn to face the fame and ill fame, respect and disrespect, success and failure, happiness and sorrow,  gain and loss, with a balanced state of mind, it would not do any harm.  Oh! Indra, Therefore,  do your duty.”  Lord Indra regained his enthusiasm, came forward with folded hands and prayed before Vriththrasura “Oh! Vriththrasura, though you have born in the clan of demons, you have attained closeness to supreme Lord, you have attained union with the Supreme Lord.  It is surprising to witness that your body has the appearance of demons, but your intellect is vested in the intense faith upon Lord Vasudeva who resides as a soul in living beings.  Whoever contemplates upon the supreme Lord with intense faith and devotion would soak their mind in the ocean of nectar-like supreme bliss.” Indra killed Vriththrasura, thus he attained Bhramahathyasin, later he sought advice from illustrious Rishis and got rid of the same.

||Om Namo Bhagavathe Vasudevaya||

Chapter – 67 – The legend of Vriththrasura - 3

The demons started to flee from the battlefield were caught in hand by Vriththrasura were received the knowledge of spirituality.  Vriththrasura said “ Oh! Men, listen to me carefully, it is a quite natural phenomenon that all the living being has to undergo death, thus the life cycle continues with the presence of Athman/soul, there is no permanent way out of it.   The body deteriorates called Sthoola Shareera, but the soul/mind known as Sookshma Shareera that has no death, once the body leaves, the soul takes another birth.  The pious, intellectuals and a renounced soul with a thorough knowledge of self attain union with the Bhramam.  Oh! Children, learn to die as a brave man, not like a fearful one, be fearless and look forward to your life with courage and enthusiasm.  Whatever going to happen should face fearlessly, therefore, face your death with courage.  There are two ways you can welcome your death, one attains Bhrama Nirvana that is the union of mind with the soul/Athma,  and another one is facing death with courage while performing one’s own duties and responsibilities.”  Even after listening to the marvelous advice of Vriththrasura, the demons could not stop themselves on the battlefield.  It enthused Lord Indra and deities to fight against the remaining army of demons.   

Vriththrasura said “ Oh! Deities, you are fighting for a selfish cause of Lord Indra, you should be ashamed of yourselves.  Lord Indra who disrespected his own preceptor Sage Bhrihaspathi, he accepted my brother Vishwaroopa as his preceptor was killed for his selfish reason.  Now, he put the illustrious Maharishi Dhadhichi in death for killing me.” Lord Indra got infuriated; he aimed Vajrayudha against Vriththasura who spanked  the forehead of the elephant Airavatha, with his sharp spear.  In a moment the elephant Airavatha lost its balance, Indra fell down from the top of it.  The deities were mystified to watch the power of Vriththrasura.  Lord Indra felt weak for a moment, Vriththrasura began to speak “ Oh! Indra, I feel ashamed of myself to stand before you, because you have humiliated your preceptor, you have killed my brother, even though you are Lord Indra, you have no honesty or integrity, therefore I feel embarrassed to fight against you. You have committed a grave sin, by indulging in the luxuries of your supreme abode.  Oh! Indra, while you were chasing wealth, luxuries, fame and glories and indulging in it, forgot that it will leave you one day, they are impermanent nature.  You have chosen the impermanent one, leaving the permanent and supreme wisdom.  Therefore, I have no desire to fight with you.  I have gained a permanent wealth of supreme knowledge of self, therefore I have no interest to fight with you.  Oh! Indra, I have already surrendered my intellect to the supreme Lord which is impossible to seize, hence you can take my body.  Oh! Devesh, why you did not utilize the weapon Vajrayudha? Undoubtedly, You can take my body, I do not need this.  This Vajrayudha will do its duty with the power and austerities of Maharishi Dhadhichi, not because of your skill.  I am willing to offer my body like that magnanimous Rishi Dhadhichi who offered his backbone to you.  I have attained a balanced mind from my preceptor Sankarshana.   Whoever contemplates upon supreme Lord with firm devotion and faith, would attain Lord himself to his devotees.  A renounced person handles every situation be it happiness or sorrow as the Prasada/gift of supreme Lord.  Whoever constantly contemplates upon him with intense faith and devotion with the knowledge that Dharma, Artha, Kama, and Moksha can be attained at ease, and shower all their compassion and faith upon supreme Lord, they would attain supreme Lord who provides the intense belief that HE is relentlessly following his worshiper to remove their extreme fears and anxieties.  Oh! Indra,  I am the servant of devotees of the devotees who are surrendered to the lotus feet of the Supreme Lord Hari.  My heart is already surrendered to that supreme Lord Hari who resides as soul and protects my body, and it is performing all the duties with the thought that I am the servant of Lord Hari.”

||Srimad Bhagavath Mahapuran||

||Om Namo Bhagavathe Vasudevaya||

Chapter – 66 –The legend of Vriththasura -2

The supreme Lord spoke “ Oh! Deities, I am highly pleased with your devotion, If I get pleased what would be impossible for you? You have already surrendered your heart upon me, therefore there is nothing impossible for you.  The intellectuals have a thorough knowledge of the origin of mind, they contemplate upon me, they have a thorough knowledge of the mind originated from me should return back to me.  They also knew that I am the protector and preserver of their mind a soul; therefore they do not desire anything other than me. An ignorant who is not aware of ‘fortune/auspiciousness’/Shreyas, should not be heaved to further ignorance,  it is the duty of an intellectual to elevate the soul with the knowledge of self from the darkness of ignorance.  Vriththrasura cannot be killed that easily, he should be killed with a weapon made with the backbone of a supreme intellectual who have performed numerous austerities and penances, hence appeal to Maharishi Dhadhichi who is supreme ascetic taught the hymns of sacred armor of Lord Narayana/Narayana Kavacham  to Vishwaroopa.”  The deities reverentially prostrated before Lord Vishnu and disappeared. 

The deities proceeded to the hermitage of Maharishi Dhadhichi and requested for his backbone.  Maharishi Dhadhichi laughed out and spoke “ Oh! Indra, the body of human depends on the strength of the backbone, who will be willing to offer that?” Lord Indra spoke “ Oh! Mahatma, it is impossible to see a pious and ascetic like you, this world is full of selfish people, your backbone would save the life of deities,  therefore kindly do not leave us.”  Maharishi Dhadhichi said “ Oh! Lord Indra, you are speaking about the righteousness, I am sacrificing my body right now, kindly make use of my backbone.  This body is bound to death; it is impermanent nature, if I am not using it for the welfare of others, what would be the use of it? The rivers flowing for making the land inhabitable, the trees bearing flowers and fruits for the consumption of all living beings, therefore it is fortunate to utilize my body for the welfare of the deities, otherwise, it would become useless.”  Maharishi Dhadhichi contemplated upon supreme Lord and attained union with the Bhramam.  Vishwakarma carved out a diamond-like beautiful and powerful weapon from the backbone of Maharishi Dhadhichi, this weapon of Vajrayudha was given to Lord Indra.  A vicious battle held between Lord Indra who mounted on the Airavatha accompanied by the army of deities,  against Vraththrasura.  This brutal battle held in the Thretha Yuga between Lord Indra and Vriththrasura with numerous demons.  The army of demons horrified at the sight of Vajrayudha of Lord Indra, but Vriththrasura was least worried about it, the demons were started to flee from the battlefield after witnessing the powerful Vajrayudha and the strength of the army of deities, was caught hold by Vriththrasura and inspired them to fight against the deities.  In the fierce battle, the demons became weak before Lord Indra and his fierce weapon Vajrayudha.

||Srimad Bhagavath Mahapuran||

||Om Namo Bhagavathe Vasudevaya||

Chapter – 65 –The legend of Vriththrasura -1

Vishwaroopa has great intellect, courage and might, he relentlessly engaged in the performance of fire sacrifices for the prosperity and the well-being of deities and Lord Indra.  Once, Vishwaroopa performed the fire sacrifices offering ablations for the welfare of preceptor of demons, Lord Indra came to know about this; he was furious, chopped off the head of Vishwaroopa.  Therefore Lord Indra was afflicted with the sin of Bhramahathya, and the sin was equally distributed among Earth, Trees, Water,  and Women.  Due to the sin of Bhramahathya ¼ of the Earth has turned into desert, Water which was afflicted with the Bhramahathya turned its color filled with foam and bubbles, the trees have become impure and harmful for the atmosphere, and the women got menstruation for reproduction.  Thus Lord Indra got rid of the Bhramahathya sin. 

Vishwaroopa’s father Thvashta came to know about the death of his son,  decided to perform a fire sacrifice for obtaining a son to kill Lord Indra.  A huge fire sacrifice was organized and abundance of the oblations was offered in the fire, unfortunately, while reciting the hymns due to the slip of the tongue recitation of the hymns went wrong.  The result was a huge dreadful form with blazing eyes and disheveled hair appeared from the sacrificial fire.  The child born from the fire was named as Vriththra, he was constantly trained and taught to fight against deities and kill Indra.  Once, the dreadful Vriththra approached the deities at the command of Thvashta.  The deities were alarmed and prayed to the supreme Lord and eulogize “ Oh! Bhagavan,  we shall surrender at your lotus feet, you symbolize the five essential elements such as Vayu, Agni, Water, Earth and Ether, deities, Lord Bhrama, Lord Maheshwara, you are the creator and preserver of the Universe and its living beings, kindly protect us.  Oh! Bhagavan, you are flawless, it is difficult to realize the supreme Lord who resides as a soul in living beings, you are all-pervading, an ignorant person never realizes your presence in him/her or will not surrender to you.  The person who lives a life without surrendering to the supreme Lord is like crossing a river holding the tail of a dog.  The individual who surrenders at your lotus feet would elevate his soul and attain supreme bliss.  Oh! Bhagavan kindly protects us, like when the Universe was under inundation, Sathyavratha who was born in the clan of Manu was protected from the deluge.   Oh! Bhagavan, you have no duality, you are the creator and preserver of the universe and its living beings, you are absolute truth reside as soul, we are not able to perceive your real form due to Maya/illusion,  Oh! Bhagavan, you have taken numerous incarnations to grace the Earth and its living beings, we shall surrender at your lotus feet again and again.  Whoever realizes the supreme knowledge of self, the presence of supreme Lord as the creator and preserver, he resides as soul in living beings,  he is Purusha who is  beyond Prakrithi which undergoes constant transformation, he is the essence of Universe and its living beings, hence there is no way to realize the absolute truth other than total surrender to the supreme Lord.”  Lord Vishnu who holds Shakha, Chakra, Gadha and Padma appeared before the deities.  All the deities prostrated before supreme Lord and praised “ Oh! Yajjaveera, Oh! Puruhuthe, Oh! Narayana, we shall reverentially prostrate before you. Oh! Mahapurusha, Oh! Mahanubhava, Oh! Paramakalyana, Oh! Paramakarunika, Oh! Parama Mangala, Oh! Lokaikanatha, Oh! Sarvadhara, Oh! Sarveshwara, Oh! Lakshminatha, you are not easily attainable, you are not easily obtainable, you are not easily realizable,  Oh! compassionate Lord, though you have no specific form, you have taken numerous manifestations for performing various passionate sports.  Oh! Paramaguru, We shall surrender at your lotus feet.  We shall prostrate before the supreme Lord Krishna who symbolizes preceptor of the Universe, he resides as a soul in living beings, witnesses all the happenings, knower of all, beyond comparison, elevates the soul from the worldly existence, we shall surrender at your lotus feet.  He is Lord Hari who takes away all the miseries and sorrows of the worshiper/taking away the concentration from the dark side of life while contemplating upon him.”