Tapoṇishṭha and Cinnakarṇa

Tapoṇishṭha was a disciple of the ṛshi Durvāsa at Brahmeśvara on the Godāvarī. He kept his tapas and studied the Vedas. But whenever Vishṇu-kathā was recited in the āśrama, he got up and left. After his death he became a piśāca (a hungry, restless spirit) named Cinnakarṇa, and he suffered on a Śamī tree for more than ten thousand divine years. His fellow disciple Satyanishṭha gave him the puṇya (merit) of one muhūrta of listening to Vishṇu-kathā in Vaiśākha, and he was freed. The Vaiśākha Māsa Māhātmya of the Skanda Mahā Purāṇa tells this in chapter 14. It shows how important it is to hear Vishṇu-kathā in the month of Vaiśākha.

Tapoṇishṭha at Brahmeśvara

The place was the tīrtha (sacred place) of Brahmeśvara on the bank of the Godāvarī. The ṛshi Durvāsa, who was strong in his ways and quick to anger, kept an āśrama (hermitage) there. He had a group of disciples who did tapas (austerity) and studied the Vedas. Two of them had names that fit their natures. One was Satyanishṭha, “devoted to truth”. The other was Tapoṇishṭha, “devoted to tapas”.

Tapoṇishṭha was a sincere student. He kept his tapas with discipline, studied the Vedas and did his duties in the āśrama. But there was one custom of the āśrama that he did not share. This was the regular Vishṇu-kathā, when the disciples heard and recited together the glories of Bhagavān Vishṇu. Whenever a session was announced and the disciples gathered, Tapoṇishṭha found a reason to leave. He did not stay or listen. He did not join in the joy of hearing Vishṇu-kathā.

The Māhātmya does not give his reason. The result was the same in any case. (Chapter 14)

The piśāca Cinnakarṇa

After Tapoṇishṭha died, his habit of walking out of Vishṇu-kathā bore fruit. He became a piśāca, one of the lowest and emptiest states of being in the Purāṇas, and he was held to a Śamī tree. The piśāca was named Cinnakarṇa, which means “split-ear” or “cut-ear”. The name matches his fault. He had refused to use his ears to hear the glories of Vishṇu, and he was born with split and useless ears.

On the Śamī tree the piśāca Cinnakarṇa suffered for more than ten thousand divine years. This was a very long time of loneliness, craving and torment. The piśāca state is marked by great hunger and thirst, with no way to satisfy them. (Chapter 14)

Satyanishṭha meets him

Satyanishṭha, his faithful fellow disciple, had grown into a man of deep devotion to Bhagavān Vishṇu. Unlike Tapoṇishṭha, he listened to Vishṇu-kathā and loved it. Hearing the glories of Bhagavān Vishṇu was the greatest joy of his spiritual life. Many years after the two had parted, and after Tapoṇishṭha had died, Satyanishṭha was travelling. He stopped to rest near the Śamī tree where the piśāca Cinnakarṇa lived.

The piśāca knew his old friend. He was full of misery, and he made himself known and told Satyanishṭha his state. He said that he was Tapoṇishṭha. He told Satyanishṭha his fault, that he had walked out of Vishṇu-kathā, and he described his suffering. He begged Satyanishṭha: “I know what caused this. It was my leaving the Vishṇu-kathā again and again. I would not listen. Now I am like this. Can you help me?”

Satyanishṭha was moved by pity. He looked over the puṇya he had gathered through years of Vaiśākha practice, including the listening to Vishṇu-kathā for the time laid down. He worked it out. Even one muhūrta, which is about 48 minutes, of the puṇya of listening to Vishṇu-kathā in Vaiśākha would be enough to free his friend. (Chapter 14)

The gift of puṇya and the moksha

Satyanishṭha gave to Tapoṇishṭha, now Cinnakarṇa, the puṇya of one muhūrta of his listening. This was the puṇya of hearing Vishṇu-kathā for one muhūrta in the month of Vaiśākha, when the Sun is in Mesha.

The effect came at once. The piśāca body fell away. In its place stood Tapoṇishṭha in a divine form. He was bright, wore divine ornaments and was free of every trouble of the piśāca state. A divine aerial chariot came down. Tapoṇishṭha, now in his own pure form, bowed to Satyanishṭha with deep thanks and went up in the chariot to the divine world. (Chapter 14)

Sources

• Skanda Mahā Purāṇa, Vaishṇava Khaṇḍa, Vaiśākha Māsa Māhātmya, chapter 14