SVETAKETU

 

SVETAKETU (SVVETHAKETHU) was a son of sage Aruni alias Uddaalaka.  Under his father's training Svetaketu became a great scholar even in his young age.  With the increase in his scholarship, he became very proud.  

After having understood about this, his father called and asked him, "By studying all about what you can see, hear and understand, have you learnt anything about what you cannot see, hear and understand?"  Svetaketu accepted that he did not know. 

Then his father explained to him the mystery of Paramaathmaa (Supreme Soul)which is without beginning or end.  After completing his education under his father, Svetaketu went to the Paanchaala kingdom.  There in the royal assembly named Jaivaali, the King Pravaahana asked aske severaal like where ddo people go from this world?  How do they return?  Svetaketu was unable to answer these questions because these points were not taught by his father to him.

Svetaketu became dissappointed with his inability, approached his father and told his failure to answer such questions.  But his father advised him to meet and to ask the same questions to the same king.  As Svetaketu refused to go there, his father met the King Pravaahana and returned after enlightening the king.  Then he explained all these things to his son Svetaketu.

It has been observed that Svetaketu was the first person who raised his voice against the evil of drinking and adulteries in the society.  There is astory in the MahaBharata about the fact which prompted him to marriage within the frame work of law.

Svetaketu's sister name was Sujaathaa. She got has married with Khahodaka.  Ashtaavakra was their son.  Thus Svetaketu was Ashtavakra's maternal uncle.  Svetaketu and Ashtavakra grew up together In Khahodaka's Aasramam.

(This is a part of Blogchatter's Half Marathon 2023 )

MARKANDEYA

Markandeya was the son of the sage Mrukandu.  Mrukandu did not have children for a long time.  So, he performed penance for several years to please the Lord Siva to get a son.  Siva appeared before him in person and asked him thus, “Do you desire to have a virtuous, wise and pious son who would live up to sixteen years or a dull-witted, evil-natured and arrogant son who would live long?” 

Mrukandu chose the first type and soon a son was born to him.  He name his son Markandeya.  Even from boyhood, Markandeya was very intelligent, by which he knew all the Vedas and Sastras.  His pleasing manners got the approval of his teachers and he was liked by one and all.

But the parents were sad and whenever they looked at their son a gloom spread over their face.  The secret of the short span of his life was hidden from him.

The sixteenth year was fast approaching and one day unable to control their grief, they wept before their son Markandeya.  Markandeya asked them the reason why they wept.  Mrukandu with tears running down his cheeks, told him the story.

From that day, Markandya started performing penance wearing barks of trees for his dress and growing matted hair.  Then he soon engrossed in severe austerirties.

The day of his death came and Markandeya sat before on the idol of the Lord Siva in deep meditation.  The servants of Yama, the Lord of Death could not approach Markandeya for the radiation from him was too hot for them. 

So, Yama himself came to fetch him.  Then Markandeya crying loudly for help, embraced the Lord Siva’s idol before him.  Yama threw his rope with a noose and it bound along with the idol also.

Then, the enraged Siva appeared from the idol and coming down killed Yama to save Markandeya.  From that moment, Siva got the names Mruthyunjaya and Kaalakaala etc.  After that being requested by the Devas, Lord Siva gave life to Yama again and MARKANDEYA to be of SIXTEEN YEARS for ever.

(This is a part of Blogchatter's Half Marathon 2023)

PRAHLADA

 

          The Creator Kasyapa had two demoniac sons named Hiranyaksha and HiranyaKasipu, and a daughter named Simhika through his wife Diti.

          Once the elder brother Hiranyaksha got boons from the Creator Brahma and roamed about as a very valiant hero destroying everything on the earth and finally pulling down the earth to the depths of the ocean.  Mahavishnu then incarnated as Varaha-the wild boar, killed Hiranyaksha, lifted the earth from the ocean and placed it in its original position.

          Later, HiranyaKasipu became very angry at Mahavishnu for killing his elder brother Hiranyaksha.  He performed penance to propitiate Brahma, with a view to wreaking vengeance on Mahavishnu.

          When HiranyaKasipu went the forest to do penance, the Devas attacked the regions of the Demons.  In that Great War the Devas were defeated.  While feeing away, Indra took away Kayaadhu the pregnant-wife of HiranyaKasipu by force.

          The Divine sage Narada who heard the moanings of the poor woman under the clutches of Indra, got her released from Indra’s hold.  For some time she stayed in the Asrama of Narada worshipping him.  Narada taught the child in Kayaadhu’s womb lessons in Vedas, moral philosophy, duty and spiritual knowledge.

          When HiranyaKasipu returned after his penance, Kayaadhu joined him and very soon gave birth to a son.  The boy was named Peahlada.  HiranyaKasipu decided to make Prahlada an instrument to wreak vengeance on Mahavishnu.  Entrusting the education of his son to able preceptors, he instructed that the boy should never mutter “Naaraayanaaya Namaha”, but should on the other hand mutter “Hiranyaaya Namaha” only.  Not only that, HiranyaKasipu wiped out the name of Narayana from the land altogether. 

          Prahlada stayed in the preceptor’s house and studied his lessons. One day Prahlada went to see his father along with his preceptors.  The affectionate father asked him to repeat the good things that he had learned so far.  The intelligent Prahlada who had acquired the knowledge already when he was in his mother’s womb, immediately repeated, “I bow down to Mahavishnu, the root cause of all things seen and unseen, beginning, center and end of all the things and who is without origin, growth and decay.

         On hearing this, the irritated HiranyaKasipu, somehow managed and politely asked him not to do so. But Prahlada refused and repeated the same. Then enraged HiranyaKasipu ordered his attendants to kill his own son by all means, but he failed always. 

As days went by, HiranyaKasipu got wild again and he could not bear Prahlada’s increasing devotion to Mahavishnu.  Once Prahlada was repeating the same, HiranyaKasipu jumped up from his thrown with sword in his hand asked Prahlada where is Vishnu.

Vishnu very calmly replied that Vishnu was present everywhere even in stones, trees or the pillars of the palace.  HiranyaKasipu in uncontrollable anger, struck the nearest pillar with his sword.  Then to the shocking surprise of HiranyaKasipu, Mahavishnu in the form of a fierce man-lion (Narasimha) jumped out from the pillar and jumped on the body of HiranyaKasipu and tearing him with his nails and brought him to end.

Everything happened in no time and the Narasimha changing into the form of Mahavishnu for the sake of Prahlada, blessed him and disappeared.

(This is a part of Blogchatter's Half Marathon 2023)

NACIKETAS

          Naciketas (Nachikethas) was a famous hermit boy by his intelligent.  Katopanishad is the exhortation given by Yamadeva the God of Death to this hermit boy.  There is a story to substantiate this statement.

          There was a hermit by name Vajasravas the father of Nachikethas, once performed sacrifices.  At the end of the sacrifices, hermit Vajasravas gave as alms, cows which had grown lean by old-age and lack of food.  Nachiketas felt grieved at this action of his father.  He asked his father, “Father! To whom are you going to give me?”  On hearing this enraged Vajasravas replied his son, “You are to be given to Yama.”

          On hearing these cruel words of his father, the boy Nachikethas went to the palace of Yama who had been away.  For three days and nights the boy waited there without food and drink.

          When Yama returned, the boy Nachikethas was happy and cheerful and Yama was pleased with him.  Yama promised Nachikethas to give three boons and he asked him what boon Nachikethas wanted.

          The clever Nachikethas asked the first boon that “Give me the boon that my father will be pleased and not angry with me.”

          The second was, “Advise me how to attain heaven.”  And the third was “Tell me solution of the mystery, whether the soul remains after the death?”

          On listening to the intellectual Nachikethas, Yama granted the first two boons and said to him, “Dear! Child! Nachikethas! This is a difficult question.”  So ask for another boon such as long life, power over the world, and all the pleasures of the world and so on.

          Then the intelligent Nachikethas replied: “The things you have promised to give me are useless things because after a while the organs of sense will become fragile.  The life also will end.  So please tell me.  I want the answer to my question.”

          Being greatly pleased at the reply of the clever boy Nachikethas, Dharmadeva expounded to him about the immortality of the soul and the essence of things regarding the God Almighty.

(This is a part of Blogchatter's Half Marathon 2023)

DHRUVA

Svayambhuva Manu, the son of the creator Brahma, had two sons named Priyavrata and Utthaanapaada.  Utthaanapaada had two wives, Suruchi and Suneethi.  Suruchi gave birth to Utthama and Suneethi to Dhruva.

Utthaanapaada showed more favour towards Suruchi and Utthama than Suneethi and Dhruva.  Once Utthama sat on the lap of his father when Dhruva was sitting on the throne.  On seeing this, Dhruva wanted to sit along with his brother on the lap of father.  But fearing the displeasure and the presence of Suruchi, the king avoided Dhruva to seat on his lap.  But Dhruva kept on trying to do so.

On seeing this, Suruchi said to Dhruva, “Child! If you wish to sit on the lap of your father, you ought to have been born in my womb. But you are not deserved.” Having heared this piercing words of Suruchi, disturbed Dhruva ran to his mother Suneethi and conveyed everything.

On seeing the pathetic condition of his mother, Dhruva made a vow.  “I will get a position unattainable even for my father, by my own endeavour.”  Then he started to forest to attain self-renunciation and practiced the severe penance like elders like saints, even in his childhood.

Dhruva performed his penance as per the advice of the seven-sages, rigorously in the region of MadhuVanam.  The frightened Indra, the lord of gods failed in his mission, who tried to disturb Dhruva by all means.

At last Mahavishnu appeared before him and touched Dhruva’s cheek with His Conch Paanchajanya.  Dhruva requested for a lofty, and eternal place which would become a prop of the world.

Accordingly, Mahavishnu pointed out to Dhruva, a noble place,higher than the planets, stars Saptarishis (Ursa Major) and the devas who travelled in aeroplanes.

Mahavishnu gave boon by saying that “Dhruva would live in a lofty place as a star till the end of Kalpa and his Mother Suneethi would also remain as a star near the Lord Siva, as long as Dhruva lived.

(This post is a part of Blogchatter Half Marathon)

ASHTAAVAKRA

 

Participating for the first time in the Blogchatter's Half Marathon, I chose to write about the TEN CHILD PRODIGIES from Indian Scriptures.  

         Ashtaavakra was a son of the great sage Kahodara.  Kahodara married Sujaathaa, a daughter of his preceptor Uddaalaka, who has accepted to do so, for his disciple Kahodara’s devotion and good conducts. 

        Kahodara was so devoted to his study that he generally neglected his wife.  When once she was far advanced in pregnancy,  Kahodaras’s neglect of her, made the unborn rebuke. 

        Then he provoked and uttered thus "I have learnt the Mantra you are chanting but the way you chant it is wrong, because the vibrations of sound created by the utterance of each word is important.  

        On hearing this, the father Kahodara got angry at this impertinence and condemned him thus Since your mind seems to be crooked let you body also to be crooked; so Ashtaavakra, came forth with his (Ashta) eight (Vakra) so limbs crooked. So he was named Ashtaavakra. 

(यस्मात्कुक्षौ वर्तमानो ब्रवीषि तस्माद्वक्रो भवितास्यष्टकृत्वः। - Chapter-132, VanaParva, MahaBharatam).

 Afflicted by the growth of the child in the womb, Sujata, desirous of riches, conciliating her husband who had no wealth told him in private: 'How shall I manage, O great sage, the tenth month of my pregnancy having come? Thou hast no substance whereby I may extricate myself from the exigencies, after I have been delivered." Thus addressed by his wife, Kahoda went unto king Janaka for riches. He was there defeated in a controversy by Vandin, well versed in the science of arguments, and (in consequence) was immersed into water. 

        After getting the birth, in course of time, the young Ashtaavakra defeated the sage Vandin in the same debate. Then, the defeated Vandin, taking king Janaka's permission, entered into the waters of the sea. And then Ashtavakra worshipped his father to come back.  Ashtavakra returned to his own hermitage. 

        

        There in the presence of his mother, his father addressed him, that, 'O my dear son, you speedily enter into this river, Samanga.' And accordingly, Ashtaavakra entered into the water. And as he plunged beneath the water, all his crooked limbs were immediately made straight. And from that day that river came to be called Samanga and she (River) became invested with the virtues of purifying (sins).

        With his intelligence, Ashtaavakra, brought back his father and he himself also got rid of his deformities.  All these he did in a very young age.  That's why he is considered as a child prodigy.

(This post is a part of Blogchatter Half Marathon 2023)