Rājarshi Ajapāla and Rāvaṇa
Ajapāla Rāvaṇa · aja-pāla rāvaṇa, “Ajapāla, keeper of goats, and Rāvaṇa”
Rājarshi Ajapāla is the king who first performed the Nīrājana-śānti, and Śrī Kṛshṇa tells his account to Yudhishṭhira in the Uttara Parva of the Bhavishya Purāṇa. In his time Rāvaṇa, lord of the rākshasas, held the devas in his service at Laṅkā, and all the kings came to serve him except Ajapāla. Rāvaṇa sent the rākshasa Dhūmrāksha with a threat, Ajapāla sent him back with reproof, and then he sent Jvara (fever), in embodied form, who made Rāvaṇa shake as he sat among his retinue. Rāvaṇa gave up his demand. The śānti that Ajapāla began removes all calamities and destroys all diseases.
Ajapāla’s śānti
In ancient times there was a rājarshi named Ajapāla. Once his subjects prayed to him to remove their sorrows. He reflected on it deeply and then performed the Nīrājana-śānti.
The court of Rāvaṇa
When Ajapāla was king, Rāvaṇa, lord of the rākshasas, was king of Laṅkā. He had put the devas to work in his service:
- Candra held his parasol.
- Indra was his senāpati.
- Vāyu cleared away the dust.
- Varuṇa served water.
- Kubera guarded his wealth.
- Yama restrained his enemies.
- Rājendra Manu gave counsel.
- The clouds gave cool, gentle rain as he wished.
- The Saptarshis with Brahmā wished daily for his peace.
- The gandharvas sang.
- The apsarās danced and sang.
- The vidyādharas played instruments.
- Gaṅgā and the other rivers gave him drinking water.
- Agni did the Gārhapatya work.
- Viśvakarmā prepared the food.
- Yama did crafts and such work.
- Other kings served in the city.
Seeing his power thus, Rāvaṇa said to his pratihāra (door-keeper), the niśācara Prasasti: “Who has come here to serve me?”
Prasasti bowed and said: “Mahārāja, Kakutstha, Māndhātā, Dhundhumāra, Gala, Arjuna, Yayāti, Nahusha, Bhīga, Rāghava, Vidūratha, all these and many other kings have come here to serve you. But King Ajapāla has not come to your service.”
Dhūmrāksha and Jvara
Rāvaṇa, in anger, at once said to the rākshasa Dhūmrāksha: “Dhūmrāksha, go and give Ajapāla this message by my order: come and serve me, or I shall kill you with the sword.”
Dhūmrāksha went with the speed of Garuḍa to Ajapāla’s beautiful city and reached the royal house. He repeated Rāvaṇa’s words. But Ajapāla, with reproof and giving other reasons, sent him back.
Then the king summoned Jvara and said: “Go to Laṅkeśvara Rāvaṇa and do there what is fitting.” Jvara, in embodied form, went there and made the lord of the rākshasas shake, as he sat with all his retinue. Rāvaṇa, knowing that most terrible Jvara had come, said: “Let King Ajapāla stay where he is; I have no need of him.”
The Nīrājana-śānti
This śānti was set going by that wise rājarshi Ajapāla. It removes all calamities and destroys all diseases. Śrī Kṛshṇa says that a king should have it duly performed through his purohita.
On the dvādaśī of the śukla paksha of Kārttika, in the evening, after Bhagavān Vishṇu has woken, brāhmaṇas perform homa for him. With lamps fed with oil from vardhamāna (the castor tree), the nīrājana (waving of lamps) of Bhagavān Vishṇu is performed slowly, and he is worshipped with flowers, sandal, ornaments, cloths, ratnas and so on. Nīrājana is performed also of Lakshmī, Caṇḍikā, Brahmā, Āditya, Śaṅkara, Gaurī, Yaksha, Gaṇapati, the grahas, mother and father, and the nāgas, and of cows, buffaloes and others, with the sound of bells and other instruments.
The cows are adorned with sindūra and many-coloured cloths and led along with their calves, and behind them the cowherds follow, making sound. The horses and others are led too. The king adorns the courtyard of his house with the royal insignia, and with purohitas, ministers and servants worships with śaṅkha, turahī, gandha, flowers, cloth and lamps. The purohitas keep saying śāntir astu, samṛddhir astu: may there be śānti, may there be prosperity.
In whatever kingdom, city or village this nīrājana, known as Mahāśānti, is performed, all diseases and sorrows are destroyed and there is plenty of food. By this very Nīrājana-śānti King Ajapāla increased his kingdom and made all beings free of disease. So one who wants freedom from disease and his own good should perform it every year. Whoever performs the nīrājana of Bhagavān Vishṇu lives happily, free of disease, possessed of cows, brāhmaṇas, chariots, horses and so on.
Source: Bhavishya Purāṇa, Uttara Parva, Chapter 71
Sources
- Bhavishya Purāṇa, Uttara Parva, Chapter 71