Kākabhuśuṇḍi Pūrva Gātha

This episode comes from the Uttara Kāṇḍa of the Tulasī Rāmāyaṇa. After Garuḍa had heard the whole Rāmakathā from Kākabhuśuṇḍi, he asked why a being so great lived in a crow’s body, and how he had come to hold the Rāmakathā. Kākabhuśuṇḍi then told the story of his past lives. He had been a śūdra in Kali Yuga in Ayodhyā, a strong devotee of Bhagavān Śiva who looked down on all other devas. Bhagavān Śiva put a śāpa (curse) on him for guru-droha (wrong done to his guru). His guru prayed for him with the Rudrashṭakam, and Bhagavān Śiva softened the śāpa. After many births he became a brāhmaṇa, met Lomaśa Maharshi on Mount Meru, argued with him about nirguṇa and saguṇa upāsanā, and was given a crow’s birth by Lomaśa’s śāpa. Lomaśa then gave him great varas (boons) when he saw his pure bhakti.

Why the crow body

After all his teaching was done, Garuḍa put one last question to Kākabhuśuṇḍi: “O Sarvajña! O Sadācārin! You live in this crow body, yet you are a servant at the feet of Bhagavān Rāma and a storehouse of *Rāmabhakti. How did you take this crow form? And how did this holy Rāmacaritamānasa come to you? Parameśvara himself has said that you will not perish even at the time of pralaya. How is this possible? Please explain everything.”*

Kākabhuśuṇḍi heard the question with joy and answered: “O Dvija-rāja! This crow body has been the means by which Rāmabhakti came to me. That is the only reason I love this form so much. Whatever has been the means of our highest good, even if it looks humble, we should love and keep. The silkworm is a tiny creature, yet because it gives silk we love and care for it. In this crow body Rāmabhakti rose in me. Through that *bhakti I saw Bhagavān Rāma himself. Through this body Bhagavān Rāma blessed me with his highest grace. So I cannot give it up.*

“In many earlier births I did *japa, tapas, yoga and many good deeds. But in none of those births did I find the happiness and fulfilment I have in this birth. I say this with full certainty.”*

Born a śūdra in Kali Yuga

Long ago, in an earlier kalpa, Kali Yuga came. In that age people lived without right conduct and against dharma. Kākabhuśuṇḍi was born at that time as a śūdra in Ayodhyā, the city of Bhagavān Rāma. In that birth he was an intense devotee of Bhagavān Śiva and served him with unbroken bhakti. But he insulted all other devas as much as he liked, and blamed them freely and without limit. He also looked down on Bhagavān Vishṇu and on those who worshipped Vishṇu. The power of Kali Yuga made him proud and foolish in this way. He did not understand that being born in Rāma’s own city of Ayodhyā leads a person sooner or later to Rāmabhakti. He wasted that rare blessing through narrow loyalty to one side.

In time a hard famine fell on Ayodhyā. He left the city and settled in Ujjayinī. There he slowly gathered some wealth and kept up his devotion to Bhagavān Śiva.

The brāhmaṇa guru’s kindness

In Ujjayinī lived a remarkable brāhmaṇa. He was a devoted follower of Bhagavān Śiva and also a paramatattvajña (knower of the highest truth). Though he was a Śaiva, he never spoke against Bhagavān Vishṇu or his devotees. He walked the path of nīti (right conduct) and righteousness. He took the young śūdra under his care like a son. He gave him moral teaching and also the sacred Śiva-mantra as dīkshā (initiation).

But the student, in spite of this grace, kept to his old ways. He secretly hated Hari and troubled Hari’s devotees, while in front of his guru he kept up a pious look.

From time to time the guru gently advised him: “My dear one, the true mark of Śiva-bhakti is that love for Śrī Rāma rises in a person. Even Parameshṭhi (Brahmā) and Parameśvara always meditate on Śrīpati. What happiness do you think you can gather by hating Śrī Rāma?” The student heard these words with rage inside, while keeping calm on the outside. His loyalty had turned to treachery, like a fed serpent that keeps its venom.

Bhagavān Śiva’s śāpa for guru-droha

One day the śūdra student was sitting in the Śiva temple doing japa of Bhagavān Śiva’s name. His guru came into the temple. The student saw him come in, but out of pride and ego he would not rise or bow. He sat like a python (ajagaravat), unmoving in his pride.

The guru was a man of deep calm and was not angered. He still looked on his student with a parent’s love. But this guru-droha, disrespect to one’s guru, could not go unanswered. From inside the liṅga in that same temple, the voice of Bhagavān Śiva spoke, unseen, as an ākāśavāṇī (a voice from the sky):

“O self-conceited one! O wretched one! Your guru has conquered anger. He is devoted to his students and has a kind heart. So he has put up with your disrespect. But I cannot forgive you. If such conduct is not checked, the path of the Vedas will be harmed in this world. Therefore I pronounce this *śāpa: one who commits guru-droha must be born in low births for ten thousand lives and live in suffering. You sat there like a python, unmoving, out of pride. So you will be a serpent and take a low birth.”*

Hearing this fearful śāpa, the student shook with terror. But the guru, hearing that his student had been cursed, was at once filled with pity. He could not bear to see his student suffer. He raised both hands to the sky, turned his face upward, and with deep and honest prayer sang the eight-verse stotra to Bhagavān Śiva that became famous as the Rudrashṭakam. He pleaded for the grace of Bhagavān Śiva on his erring disciple.

Bhagavān Śiva softens the śāpa

Moved by the guru’s unselfish prayer and the beauty of the Rudrashṭakam, Bhagavān Śiva was pleased. The voice spoke again from the temple: “O Bhūsura-uttama! Ask for any *vara.”* The guru folded his hands and said: “O Dinabandhu Parameśvara! All beings are under your *māyā and wander away from the true path. My student is a fool. Please let your grace fall on him, and let him soon be freed from this śāpa and receive your blessing.”*

Bhagavān Śiva was pleased that the guru prayed for another’s freedom, and said: “Tathāstu. Your student has done the grave wrong of *guru-droha and fallen into great wickedness. But out of love for your holy character, I pardon him. Let him keep his earlier knowledge through all his births, and be free from the suffering of birth and death. O Śūdra! You were born in the holy city where Śrī Rāma was born. And you have served me with bhakti. So may you grow a supreme devotion to Śrī Rāma and be happy for ever. From now on, no longer showing disrespect to brāhmaṇas, wander freely. Nothing in any of the worlds will be beyond your reach.”*

The guru then went back to his āśrama, blessing his student with deep love.

Through many births

After that, in due time, the student was born as a serpent in the Vindhyā region. From there he went through many more births in different species and forms. In each birth he kept his earlier knowledge (pūrva-jñāna) and served Rāma with constant devotion. In each birth he kept his memory across the line of death. This went on for a long time, through many births and many species.

At last, after a very long journey through those lives, he was born as a human in a brāhmaṇa family. Even as a child in this birth he never forgot Rāma. His father tried to give him worldly schooling, but the son had no interest in it. His mind was wholly fixed on Rāma. His only wish was to see Rāma with his own eyes.

After his parents had died, he wandered the forests, visited the āśramas of munis, and listened to Rāma’s guṇa-kathā (the story of his qualities) wherever he could find it. He asked the munis where Rāma was. They tried to teach him about nirguṇa Brahman, but saguṇa Rāma was his only love and his mind would not accept their teaching.

The meeting with Lomaśa Maharshi

In this state of longing, wandering and calling the name of Rāma, he came upon the great ṛshi Lomaśa Maharshi sitting under a great banyan tree on the peak of Mount Meru. He bowed fully before the ṛshi and asked with folded hands: “O Munivarya! Please teach me the way of *saguṇa-brahma-upāsanā, for I long deeply to see the divine form of Bhagavān Rāma.”*

Lomaśa was glad at first and began to tell some of Rāma’s glories. But then he went on to teach nirguṇa-tattva, the formless Absolute. The student pushed back: “O Mahātmā! As a fish cannot leave water, my mind cannot leave saguṇa tattva. My eyes have burned for a long time to see the divine beauty of Bhagavān Rāma. Once I have seen him, I will gladly hear your nirguṇa teaching.”

But Lomaśa went on arguing that nirguṇa upāsanā is higher. In reply, the student argued firmly that saguṇa upāsanā is higher. He made his case so strongly, in effect contradicting and answering the great ṛshi, that Lomaśa became angry. He glared at the student and said:

“O fool! I offered you the teaching of Brahma-tattva, and you refused it and stood against me with stubbornness. Therefore take the low birth of a crow and roam!”

Accepting the crow’s birth

Kākabhuśuṇḍi tells Garuḍa: “I took Lomaśa’s *śāpa without any disturbance and without any fear. With a fully peaceful mind I received the crow-birth. Then I bowed at the ṛshi’s feet, calling the name of Rāma, and left his presence calmly.”*

Bhagavān Śiva, telling this to Pārvatī, said: “A person who is free from *kāma (desire), krodha (anger) and the other enemies, and who worships Prabhu Rāma of Avadha without a break, sees the whole world as Rāma-maya, filled with Rāma. Such a person has no wish to quarrel with anyone, in any situation.”*

Lomaśa’s varas

Lomaśa Maharshi saw how deep Kākabhuśuṇḍi’s bhakti was and how complete his calm in accepting the śāpa. He was convinced that the student’s devotion was true.

Lomaśa then called the crow Kākabhuśuṇḍi to him with great warmth and love: “O Vāyasottama! Now I will tell you the Rāmacaritamānasa-kathā, which I myself received from Śaṃkara. Hear it fully.” First he taught Kākabhuśuṇḍi the sacred Rāma-mantra. Then he taught him the dhyāna (meditation) on the beautiful form of Bāla Rāma, the form that became Kākabhuśuṇḍi’s own ishṭa-deva (chosen deva). Then he told him the whole Rāmacaritamānasa.

When the teaching was done, Lomaśa called Kākabhuśuṇḍi with deep love and blessed him, placing a hand on his head:

“O Bhūśuṇḍī! You are *dhīra-vrata, one of firm vow. I give you these varas. May firm bhakti to Śrī Rāma be fully realised in you! May you take whatever form you wish! May death come to you on your own terms! May no māyā or moha arise within a yojana of your āśrama! May you be beyond all pleasures and pains that come from kāla (time), karma, the guṇas and the doshas! By Śrī Rāma’s grace, may nothing in this world be beyond your reach!”*

As Lomaśa spoke these words, an ākāśavāṇī, the voice of Śrī Rāma himself from the sky, confirmed: “O Munivarya! Kākabhuśuṇḍi is truly my highest devotee. May your words to him surely bear fruit!”

Life at the Nīlādri āśrama

After receiving Lomaśa’s blessings, Kākabhuśuṇḍi took the ṛshi’s leave and came to the Nīlādri āśrama. He has lived there for about twenty kalpas. He told Garuḍa: “Here I live, always singing and telling the glories of Sītānātha. An assembly of haṃsas and other birds gathers to hear my Rāma-saṅkīrtana, with *śraddhā (faith) and devotion. Only at the time of each Rāmāvatāra do I go to Ayodhyā, see Bāla Rāma, and then return here to go on with my blessed life.”*

Sources

• Tulasī Rāmāyaṇa, Uttara Kāṇḍa, Bhūśuṇḍi’s Past Lives
• Tulasī Rāmāyaṇa, Uttara Kāṇḍa, Kali Yuga Effects
• Tulasī Rāmāyaṇa, Uttara Kāṇḍa, Śiva’s Curse
• Tulasī Rāmāyaṇa, Uttara Kāṇḍa, Lomaśa Maharshi’s Curse
• Tulasī Rāmāyaṇa, Uttara Kāṇḍa, Varadāna from Lomaśa