||Om Namo Bhagavathe Vasudevaya ||

Chapter - 146 – The legend of Soma dynasty

King Shanthanu had a son Beeshma from Devi Ganga. He had two sons Vichithraveerya and Chithrangadha from Sathyavathi who was a fisherman’s daughter; had already a son Vedavyasa from Sage Parashara.  The elder son of Satyavati,  Chithrangadha died in youth, and Vichithraveerya was married to Amba and Ambika, later Vedavyasa was brought to the palace to expand the clan, Amba and Ambika give birth to Pandu and Dhrishtarashtra and the modest female attendant gave birth to Vidura.  Pandu was married to Devi Kunthi and they had three sons Yudhishtira, Bheema, and Arjun.   Pandu married Devi Madhri and had two sons Nakula and Sahadeva.  Dhritarashtra was married to Devi Gandhari, this couple had a hundred sons and one daughter.  Pareekshith was born to Abimanyu and Uththara.

Maharishi Shukha Bhramam describes the clan of Yadhu,  “ Oh! Rajan, Vasudeva was born in the illustrious clan of Yadhu, during his birth there was a divine sound of Dhundhubi produced in the sky, Vasudeva had a sister Pritha who was adopted daughter of  King of Kunthibhoja.  Vasudeva and Devaki had eight sons; the eighth son was the incarnation of supreme Lord Hari.  Oh! Rajan, you must be aware of Devi Subhadhra who is the wife of Arjun/ your Pithamaha, I need not tell you in detail.  Lord Hari was born the son of Devi Devaki and Vasudeva for the welfare of the Universe and its people.  The supreme Lord Hari has neither birth nor death, he has no specific form, still, he incarnates on the Earth with the influence of ‘Maya’/his own energy, he personifies and leaves the Earth at his own will to elevates the souls.  He personifies for blessing/Anugraha and elevation of soul/Nivriththi /liberation/of the living beings.  He has performed various amusements on the Earth; he has performed various deeds with the Sankarshana.  He has personified for eradicating the sorrows and grief of the living beings on the Earth and blessed his ardent devotees.  Oh! Rajan, supreme Lord has personified on the Earth to elevate the soul from miseries and grief of worldly existence, and destroy the haughtiness, arrogance, unruly nature, impurities of the mind and intellect, and thereby provide the serenity of mind.  He has given us ears to listen to his glorious myths, and sincerely follow his path which could eradicate all the impurities /ego, jealousy, pride, lust, desire, etc. of the mind.”

“Sacchidhananda Roopaya Vishvothpathyathi Hethave | Thapathraya Vinashaya Sri Krishnaya Vayam Nama: ||”

Shuka Bhramam continues “The supreme Lord Personified as Krishna and performed various pastimes, he spread happiness in this world, and thereby elevated the souls.  Lord Krishna, who is adorned in Makarakundala that spreads intense luster, has a pleasing personality, smiling face, resembles Nithyothsav/eternal celebration for the people of Vraja who were witnessing this beautiful appearance of supreme Lord Krishna could not take extreme pleasure in it due to the frequent shut of eyelids and they started cursing it.  The Supreme Lord Krishna was born in the prison; he missed the opportunity to be under the constant care, love, and affection of his mother Devi Devaki.  He had to live in Vraja, during his childhood killed numerous demons that created obstacles and finally his uncle Kamsa.   He married sixteen thousand and eight women and had children in them.   He destroyed the entire clan of Kuru, in the great battle of Kurukshethra, he advised the essence of ‘Bhagavad Gita’ to Arjun, by performing the duties of a charioteer to him, finally offered all those appreciation of victory to Arjun.  Before leaving the Earth, Lord Krishna advised the supreme knowledge to Udhdhava.   Even though he performed all those amusements, he was not attached to any of the deeds or people, ultimately elevated his soul to supreme Bhramam and returned to his supreme abode.”

||Om Namo Bhagavathe Vasudevaya ||

Chapter - 145 – The legend of Ranthideva

King Sankrithi of the clan of Puru had a son ‘Ranthideva’ who ruled the Kingdom cleverly and set himself as an example of righteousness.  He spends the entire wealth and the richness of the country for the welfare of its people, especially on the twice-born,  serving them with an abundance of funds for the performance of Yagna, Yaga and various religious and spiritual rites.  Gradually, he became pauper left with no funds, he and his family outlived forty-eight days with no meal.  He did not beg for alms; he and his family consumed any food offered with respect.  

Once, Ranthideva and his wife were starving continuously for forty-eight days, surprisingly they received a handful of grains of wheat from somebody, his wife ground them into a fine powder and prepared Roti.  While the family was ready to consume the Roti, there appeared a Bhramin was received with due respect and offered the meal.  Even though Ranthideva and his family were starving for long, he realized the presence of Lord Hari in every human being.   Once, the guest was bid farewell, the family prepared to have the leftover meal with the remembrance of Lord Hari.  Suddenly there appeared a poor old man in ragged clothes, Ranthideva received him with respect and served the leftover meal.  Soon after a poor man with his dogs arrived at the doors of Ranthideva and requested food as they were starving for several days was served with the remaining part of the meal.  The final few pieces of the Roti left for husband and wife were prepared to consume, shortly there arrived a Chandala.  Ranthideva readily offered both of their meals to him.  Ranthideva and his wife were extremely devoted and were always been courteous to their guests, did not get disappointed in the absence of a meal.  Ranthideva eulogized the supreme Lord “Oh! Bhagavan, I have no desires for material welfare, or for the supreme abode of Lord or Ashtashidhdhis, or Moksha, You can give everyone’s grief and sorrows on me, let them free from the miseries of worldly existence.  ”  In this way, the King Ranthideva who shared all his wealth for the welfare of twice-born and his subjects, he was neither distressed at the loss of richness nor gave up his righteousness, he graciously confronted the sufferings of poverty, served his guests with sincerity and devotion and eventually elevated his soul from the sorrows and grief of worldly existence.  Soon, the three guests reappeared before Ranthideva as trinities were highly pleased with the hospitality of Ranthideva who has a thorough knowledge of ‘Vishnumaya’, that all the material matters are subjected to perish, the supreme soul Vasudeva is eternal.   Ultimately, Ranthideva immersed in the supreme Bhramam, following the path of Karma and Dharma/righteousness.

||Om Namo Bhagavathe Vasudevaya ||

Chapter - 144 - The legend of King Dhushyantha

Maharishi Vedavyasa wrote eighteen Puranas and Upa Puranas, and various scriptures which narrates the numerous righteous deeds to attain the supreme Bhramam.  The legends of Srimad Bhagavath Mahapuran describes the Karma, Dharma, and Bhramam, to elevate the souls to the ultimate Bhramam.   It repeatedly affirms the nature of material matters, wealth, richness, possessions, fame, respect, appearance, people,  and sensual pleasures that have impermanent nature, and the supreme Lord who resides as a soul is eternal and bliss.  Whoever realizes the absolute truth of the ‘Athman’ and its existence as the supreme soul would be relieved from miseries and sorrows of worldly existence.  The supreme soul has subtle nature, it cannot be seen, but it can be experienced the same as the feel of cool braze.   Whoever performs the duties and responsibilities with the knowledge of the Supreme Lord who resides as a soul in living beings would be liberated from the cycles of repeated births. In this scripture, Maharishi Vedavyasa describes the legend of the King Pareekshith/Vishnuratha who got cursed to die in seven days by the serpent bite of Thakshaka,  elevated his soul with the knowledge of Bhramam, from his preceptor Shukha Bhramam/Bhramaratha in seven days and attained liberation with the constant contemplation upon the supreme Lord.

Shuka Bhramam describes the clan of ‘Puru’, the legend of King Dushyantha who was born in this clan.   Once King Dhushyantha went for a hunting expedition, he arrived at the hermitage of Maharishi Kanva.  He met a stunningly beautiful woman surrounded by her female attendants.  His complete attention was drawn towards her lovely appearance.   He approached her and asked “Oh! Devi, why are you here in this dense wood? Why are you living in this hermitage?” Shakunthala replied “ Oh! Rajan, I am born to Sage Vishwamithra and Menaka, later Sage Kanva brought me in his hermitage and taking care of me as his daughter.”  King Dhushyantha has fallen in love with her instantly and requested to marry.  Thus, King Dhushyantha and Shakunthala married following the Gandharveeya rites of marriage.  They happily spend that night, while Sage Kanva was not in the hermitage.  The next morning King Dhushyantha left the hermitage of Sage Kanva, leaving a marvelous ring as a mark of his love for Devi Shakunthala.  

In due course of time, Shakunthala got pregnant with a child.  Shakuntala described Maharishi Kanva about the happenings in his absence, daughter, and father patiently waited for the arrival of King Dhushyantha, but they did not receive any message from him.   Sage Kanva took his fully pregnant daughter to the assembly of King Dhushyantha was not welcomed with respect, asked her to prove the marriage taken place between the King and Shakunthala.  Unfortunately, traveling through the dense wood she has lost the ring that was given as a mark of love by the King, ultimately she fails to produce the ring in the assembly.  Soon, a divine voice echoed “Oh! Rajan, do not abandon the chaste woman Shakunthala who is already married to you, and the child she is bearing is yours, therefore do not give up on her.”  Thus Shakunthala was accepted as the Queen of King Dhushyantha with all the respects and the child born to the couple was named Bharatha who brought up in the palace with all royal comforts.  Later, Bharatha was crowned as the King and ruled the Kingdom wisely like his father.

||Om Namo Bhagavathe Vasudevaya ||

Chapter - 143 - The legend of Yayathi -4

The King Yaythi contemplated upon the supreme soul Vasudeva and attained highest of the spiritual state.  Devayani and Sharmishta abandon interest in worldly matters and bondage, they isolated themselves from the marvelous royal life, possessions, and people who are soaked in the worldly matters, and soon they realized all those richness, people and luxuries of life as a dream that does not last for more than a few seconds.  They have attained the knowledge about the real nature of the worldly matters which is impermanent and contemplated upon the supreme soul that represents permanent bliss, eventually left the mortal coil.

Namasthubhyam Bhagavathe Vasudevaya Vedase | Sarvabhoodhadhivasaya  Shanthaya Bhrihathe Nama: ||

The mind and intellect that has originated from the supreme soul should merge with the supreme Lord; otherwise, it takes several births and undergoes constant troubles, miseries and sorrows of worldly existence.  The illustrious Rishis realized that the individual soul whose mind and intellect is under the constant  influence of Kama, Krodha, Lobha, Madha, Moha, and Mathscharya, finds pleasure in material matters, people and richness, without the knowledge that it has fleeting nature, finally put the individual into extreme grief and agony.  Therefore the intellect and mind should be always united with the supreme Bhramam to get relieved from the sorrows and miseries of worldly existence, while performing the duties and responsibilities too.  The constant practice of devotion, and contemplation upon the supreme Lord would eradicate the impurities of the mind and intellect; eventually helps to unite the soul with the supreme Bhramam.   The intellectuals take immense pleasure in the  contemplation of supreme soul who resides as soul, and remains themselves unaffected by the worldly matters, different from the ignorant who does not realize the all-pervading nature of the supreme soul takes several births and undergoes miseries and grief of worldly existence.

||Om Namo Bhagavathe Vasudevaya ||

Chapter - 142 - The legend of Yayathi -3

 King Yayathi was described as ‘Dharmshita’ in Srimad Bhagavath Puran.  He was the first one to discover the reason for an inexorable desire for the physical pleasures with the woman.  The keenness of seeking physical pleasures is not related to sense organs, it is an unstoppable urge of the human mind and intellect that can wedge to material matters and spiritual matters as well.  The more interest in physical pleasures causes the mind and intellect to wedge on it.  The human intellect and mind are a highly powerful instrument which can be used in either way.  King Yayathi experienced it with the physical pleasures with his wives after some time he realized that those were not going to help his afterlife.  In a sudden moment, he took all his attention of mind and intellect towards contemplating the supreme Lord to elevate his soul.

Yayathi described a story of the greatest of the male goat to Devayani.  Once a charming male got was traveling in the woods, found a beautiful female goat in a manhole, he prepared to elevate the female goat from the manhole; he filled the hole with sand and lifted her up.  They began to live together enjoying physical pleasures, they have attained several children, continued to live in the coziness of each other.  Further, the male got started finding pleasures in the association of other female goats, the previous female goat complained the same to its master/Bhramin who got angry and cut off the sexual organs of the male goat.  Once, again the male goat pleaded before the Bhramin for regaining its old charm and continued to live in the physical pleasures with the female goat.  After some time, the male goat realized that his perception of life was completely wrong.  In this way, King Yayathi narrated his own life to his wives. 

King Yayathi sadly admits that he is not yet satisfied with the physical pleasures from his wives or pleasures from the Kingdom, the more he is attached to the physical pleasures and material world, the deeper the intellect and mind are getting wedged to it.  King Yayathi said “ I have understood that our mind and intellect works like the ghee poured to a blazing fire,  I was wrong, I have stuck in the physical pleasures with my wives. Therefore I have decided that I am not continuing the same old way of living seeking pleasure in material and physical pleasures, I have already lost good ‘times’ to contemplate upon the supreme Bhramam that has no duality.  All these years I have seen and took pleasures in ‘Asath’ things that have fleeting nature.  My attachments towards physical and material pleasures would destroy my soul and cause repeated births, and heave me to ignorance.  Therefore I am going to educate my mind and intellect to contemplate upon the supreme Lord.”  He equally distributed the Kingdom and possessions to his sons, even though Yadhu attained the Kingdom, he was not recognized as King due to the curse of his father.  Gradually he freed his mind and intellect from the material comforts and physical pleasures like a baby birdie prepares to fly from its nest.  In this way, he contemplated the supreme soul who resides as a soul and elevated his soul.

||Om Namo Bhagavathe Vasudevaya ||

Chapter - 141 - The legend of Yayathi -2

Devayani speaks to King Vrishaparva “Oh! Rajan, if you want my father Shukracharya to be with you, you have to send your daughter Sharmishta as my maidservant to serve myself and my future husband King Yayathi.” King Vrishaparva was in dilemma, the demons need constant counseling of their preceptor to rule the Kingdom, so he decided to leave his daughter Sharmishta as a maidservant to Devayani, for the welfare of the Kingdom.  Thus, King Yayathi and highly intelligent  Devayani got married, she asked her father to instruct King Yayathi not to have a child in any other woman except her.

Years passed, Yayathi and Devayani had two children.  One day, she saw three children playing in the portico.  Three of them look alike, she went straight to the children and asked about their mother, and they rushed to the chamber of Sharmishta.  Devayani questioned King Yayathi about the children who had a similar appearance to the King.  Finally, it was confirmed that the King Yayathi had children in Sharmishta too.  Devayani could not control her anger, she left the palace in extreme shame and guilt, went to meet her father Shukracharya.  Devayani narrated the incident to Shukracharya, Yayathi who was following his wife to pacify her was cursed by Shukracharya, and eventually Yayathi became too old with unpleasant look due to the curse.  Yayathi fell at the feet of Shukracharya, he begged for forgiveness and requested for his youthfulness and charming appearance once again.  Shukracharya advised Yayathi to request his youthful children to get back his youthfulness.

King Yayathi got back to the palace and called for his elder son Yadhu born from Devayani. He requested Yadhu for his youthfulness so that he can enjoy being in the wedlock.  Yadhu advised his father about the physical pleasures with the woman is merely an attraction to meat, therefore asked him to leave his desire for bodily pleasures with his mother and stepmother, further advised his father to contemplate upon supreme Lord who resides as a soul in living beings.  King Yayathi got very angry and cursed Yadhu that even though he attains Kingdom, he won’t be recognized as King.  King Yayathi called for his second son, he also advised him to leave attachment to worldly matters and sensual pleasure.  The third son also did the same and the fourth one also had the same advice to his father.  The fifth child Puru noticed the gloominess of his father, inquired the reason to his mother and found his father wants to get back his youthfulness and he requested all his children except him to give their youthfulness, but none were willing to give their youthfulness. 

Puru immediately approached his father Yayathi and said “ Oh! Father, If was a virtuous son, I would have resolved your troubles already, I did not even listen to your troubles or put an effort to resolve it. If I did not listen to your request and fulfill your desire, I would be the immoral child, which is equivalent to your secretion.  Oh! Father, I am unfortunate I could not be a virtuous son, therefore kindly accept my youthfulness, and fulfill all your desire for sensual pleasures.”  Thus Yayathi attained his youthfulness from Puru and immersed in the physical pleasures with the two wives.  Gradually, Yayathi realized that he was heaving himself to the utter desolation and ignorance.  

||Om Namo Bhagavathe Vasudevaya ||

Chapter - 140 - The legend of Yayathi - 1

The King Nakusha of Soma dynasty after performing hundreds of Yagna obtained the honor of Lord Bhramam for a short period of time.  Lord Indra disappeared after the battle with the demon Vriththasura, therefore the title of Lord Indra was given to King Nakusha who has completed hundreds of fire sacrifices.  Thus, King Nakusha took the throne of the abode of Lord Indra, unfortunately, he had a deep desire for Devi Indrani who is the chaste wife of Lord Indra.  The Saptharishis took Nakusha in a celestial vehicle to the fortress of Devi Indrani, meanwhile, King Nakusha disrespectfully frowned at Sage Agasthya was cursed to become a serpent and has fallen down to Earth.

Once, King Yayathi who is the son of King Nakusha went for a hunting expedition, arrived in the middle of the woods, there he could hear the voice of a woman shrieking out for help.   King went in search of the voice and found a well, inside the well, there was a beautiful woman without any clothes.  King Yayathi took his upper clothe and put forward to her, as the well was not so deep.  The woman took hold of the upper clothe and came out of the well, took the hand of the King Yayathi.  She requested the King to marry her, as he was the one who took hold of her.  King Yayathi enquired her whereabouts in detail were narrated as follows.  She introduced herself as Devayani, the daughter of Shukracharya who is the preceptor of demons.  Devayani with her father Shukracharya resided in the fortress of King Vrishaparva.  Devyani became close companion Sharmishta who is the daughter of King Vrishaparva.  Once, Devayani, with her companion Sharmishta and numerous attendants went to the pond for taking bath, they kept their clothes on the bank and merrily played water sports.  At that moment Lord Mahadeva and Parvati were traveling close to the pond, Sharmishta hurried to the bank and covered herself with the clothes of Devayani who was furious and shrieked in utter dismay, “How dare you wear the clothes of a Bhramin woman? You have performed most outrageous act like a dog in the Yagna arena licking the offerings kept for the Yagna.” The most humiliated Kshathriya woman Sharmishta, replied “ You are utterly shameless, you twice-born are living with the graciousness of the Kshatriyas, do not forget that.  We are the one living source for you and your father.” After saying so, Sharmishta pushed Devayani into the well.  King Yaythi amiably listens to her pathetic story and advised her that Shukracharya won’t agree with her to marry him, thus he put off her desire to marry him.  Devayani narrated the curse on her by the son of Bhrihaspathi, that she won’t get a right match from the family of twice-born, she insisted the King Yayathi to marry her, further she went to get permission from her father.  Devayani explained the happenings in the wood to her father Shukracharya and compelled him to leave the fortress of KingVrishaparva who was extremely worried at the decision of Shukracharya who is his preceptor. King Vrishaparva was fully aware of his strength is vested with his preceptor, approached him anxiously, and fallen at his feet with a request not to leave his fortress.  Thus, Shukracharya agreed to stay in the palace if Devayani was treated with honor.  King Vrishaparva requested Devayani what should he do to make her happy.