Havyavāhana and Śubhāvatī
Havyavāhana and Śubhāvatī · havya-vāhana, śubhā-vatī, “the bearer of offerings and the auspicious one”
Pippalāda has other meanings too: see all meanings of Pippalāda.
Havyavāhana was a king of the Candravaṃśa, and Śubhāvatī his paṭarānī (chief queen). The Uttara Parva of the Bhavishya Purāṇa tells their account as the teaching of the Āpāka-dāna, the gift of a potter’s kiln of a thousand vessels. Yudhishṭhira asks Śrī Kṛshṇa for a dāna by which a person may be endowed with wealth, sons and saubhāgya, and Śrī Kṛshṇa answers with this itihāsa.
The king had a peaceful kingdom but no able mantrī, son, friend or helping kinsman. When Pippalāda Muni came to his house, Queen Śubhāvatī honoured him and asked the reason. He told her that a kingdom given in a former birth had come back to them, but no bond had been kept with friends and servants. She asked for a remedy, gave the Āpāka-dāna as he taught, and received sons, friends, wealth and servants.
Source: Bhavishya Purāṇa, Uttara Parva, Chapter 167
King Havyavāhana
In the Candravaṃśa there was a king named Havyavāhana. In his kingdom there was no upadrava (disturbance), he had no enemy, and all his people were free of disease. He was majestic, healthy, strong and a conqueror of enemies. But through the force of inauspicious karma of a former birth he had no mantrī who could run the kingdom well, no son, no friend and no helping kinsman. He did not even get his food at the proper time, and so he was always anxious.
Pippalāda Muni’s teaching
Once Pippalāda Muni came to his house. Queen Śubhāvatī honoured the muni with śraddhā with pādya and arghya, seated him and said: “Munīśvara, we have received this kingdom free of thorns, but why have we not received a mantrī, friends, sons and the like?”
Pippalāda Muni said: “Devī Śubhāvatī, the fruits of karmas done in a former birth are what one receives in the next birth. This is the karmabhūmi, so you should not grieve. What a person has not earned in a former birth, no enemy, friend, kinsman or king can give. In a former birth you gave a kingdom in dāna, and that has come to you. But you kept no bond with friends, servants and the like. So how would these come to you in this birth?”
The queen replied: “What happened in a former birth has passed. Now tell me some vrata, dāna, upavāsa, mantra or siddha-yoga by which I may receive sons, wealth, friends, servants and the rest.”
Pippalāda Muni said: “There is a mahādāna named Āpāka, giver of every kind of prosperity. Give it with śraddhā.” As the muni said, Queen Śubhāvatī gave the Āpāka-dāna, and she received sons, friends, wealth and servants.
The vidhi of the Āpāka-dāna
Śrī Kṛshṇa then gives the vidhi. Āpāka is the potter’s kiln, and the potter is called the Bhārgava.
- Considering the strength of the grahas and the stars, in an auspicious muhūrta honour the Bhārgava with agaru, candana, dhūpa, flowers, cloth, ornaments and naivedya, so that he is content.
- Request him: “Mahābhāga, you are the form of Viśvakarmā. Make for me fine earthen vessels, small and large: ghaṭas, sthālīs, kasoras (bowls), kalaśas and other vessels.”
- The Bhārgava makes the vessels, and a kiln is set up according to vidhi.
- One thousand earthen vessels are placed in the kiln, and at evening the fire is lit.
- The night is spent in jāgaraṇa, with instruments, song and dance, as an utsava.
- At the first light of morning the yajamāna quiets the fire and takes the vessels out.
- He bathes, puts on white cloth, and places sixteen of the vessels before him.
- He covers them with red cloth and does arcana with garlands of flowers.
- Brāhmaṇas do svastivācana and the like, and the Bhārgava too receives pūjā.
- The vessels may be of māṇikya, gold, silver or even clay.
- After pūjā of saubhāgyavatī women, he goes round the vessels in pradakshiṇā and gives them away with these mantras.
आपाक ब्रह्मरूपोऽसि भाण्डानीमानि जन्तवः ।
प्रदानात् ते प्रजापुष्टिः स्वर्गश्चास्तु ममाक्षयः ॥
भाण्डरूपाणि यान्यत्र कल्पितानि मया किल।
भूत्वा सत्पात्ररूपाणि उपतिष्ठन्तु तानि मे॥āpāka brahmarūpo’si bhāṇḍānīmāni jantavaḥ |
pradānāt te prajāpushṭiḥ svargaścāstu mamākshayaḥ ||
bhāṇḍarūpāṇi yānyatra kalpitāni mayā kila |
bhūtvā satpātrarūpāṇi upatishṭhantu tāni me ||“Āpāka, you are the form of Brahma, and all these vessels are the form of living beings. By giving you, may I have increase through progeny and undecaying svarga. May all the vessels I have had made stand before me in the form of worthy recipients.”
Whoever wishes to take whichever vessel should take it himself, and he should not be stopped.
Source: Bhavishya Purāṇa, Uttara Parva, Chapter 167
The phala
The man or woman who gives the Āpāka-dāna in this way pleases Viśvakarmā for three births, and receives sons, friends, servants, a house and all such things. The woman who gives this dāna with bhakti receives, with a fortunate husband, sons, grandsons and all things, and in the end goes to svarga together with her husband. Śrī Kṛshṇa says that the Āpāka-dāna is equal to bhūmi-dāna.
Source: Bhavishya Purāṇa, Uttara Parva, Chapter 167
Sources
- Bhavishya Purāṇa, Uttara Parva, Chapter 167