Dharma-Mūrti Upākhyāna
Dharma-Mūrti Upākhyāna is an upākhyāna (a short account inside a larger text) in the chapter of the Matsya Mahā Purāṇa on the Śarkarā Parvata, the mountain of sugar given as a gift. It tells of King Dharma-mūrti, whose royal glory, shining body and beautiful queen Bhānumatī are explained by his purohita (family priest) Vasishṭha. They are the fruit of a small act of selfless service in a past life, when the king was a poor goldsmith. The account shows that even helping with a parvata dāna (gift of a mountain) gives great fruit.
The setting
In a great age of the past (bṛhat-kalpa) there lived a king named Dharma-mūrti, a dear friend of Indra. He had killed countless asuras. His tejas (radiance) was greater than the sun, the moon and the stars. He had never lost a battle, and he could take any form he wished.
His chief queen Bhānumatī was the most beautiful woman in the three worlds. She was lovelier than the apsarases of svarga and looked like Lakshmī herself. Among his ten thousand wives she shone like Lakshmī come down to earth. Many subordinate kings stayed always at the side of the royal pair.
One day, seated in his court, Dharma-mūrti looked at his purohita Vasishṭha and asked in great wonder: “Revered Vasishṭha, by what karman (deed) have I been given such great Lakshmī and such endless tejas in my body?”
Vasishṭha’s answer
Vasishṭha began to tell him what had happened.
In an earlier kalpa (age) there lived a veśyā (courtesan) named Līlāvatī, who had taken Bhagavān Śiva as her highest refuge. On a Caturdaśī (the fourteenth day of the lunar fortnight) she gave the Lavaṇa Parvata Dāna, the gift of a mountain of salt, with gold trees and images of the devas (devatā pratimās). She did it exactly by the rule (vidhi) and gave it to her ācārya (teacher).
In Līlāvatī’s house lived a śūdra goldsmith (suvarṇakāra) named Sāṇḍu, who served her. For the vrata (vow) he was asked to make the gold trees and the images of the devas. He did the work with full devotion and care and made them with great beauty and fine skill. He knew that this was deva-kārya (work for the devas) and not only a job. When the work was done, he refused any payment at all.
Sāṇḍu’s wife helped by polishing all the gold trees and the images of the devas until they shone.
Husband and wife also helped with the brāhmaṇa-sevā (service of the brāhmaṇas) around the vrata. They served the brāhmaṇas who came, without any deceit or thought of gain.
Līlāvatī lived out her life in this way. She was freed of all pāpa (sin) and reached Śiva-loka.
Vasishṭha names the goldsmith
Vasishṭha then said to Dharma-mūrti:
“That poor goldsmith who, though poor, made those gold trees and images of the devas with perfect honesty and the heart of a devotee, and who refused any payment because he held the work sacred, is you. You are now Dharma-mūrti, lord of the seven dvīpas (saptadvīpādhipati), shining with the light of ten thousand suns. The goldsmith’s wife, who polished those gold trees and images with devotion, is your Bhānumatī. Her great beauty and her excellence among all women come from that polishing of divine images. And your own strength that cannot be beaten, your long life and health (āyur-ārogya) and your good fortune (saubhāgya) came because you served the brāhmaṇas without pride in the time of the Lavaṇa Parvata vrata.”
Vasishṭha then urged Dharma-mūrti to give all ten kinds of parvata dāna.
What Dharma-mūrti did
Having heard Vasishṭha, Dharma-mūrti bowed at his feet with deep devotion. Then he gave all ten mountains of grain and the rest, by the rule. They were the mountains of dhānya (grain), lavaṇa (salt), guḍa (jaggery), suvarṇa (gold), tila (sesame), kārpāsa (cotton), ghṛta (ghee), ratna (jewels), rajata (silver) and śarkarā (sugar).
By the puṇya (merit) of these gifts he reached Śiva-loka, where the devas honoured him.
Sources
- Matsya Mahā Purāṇa, Chapter 91 (the Śarkarā Parvata chapter)