60 - Indra Relieved of the Bondage 

Sri Narayana said- О Narada, after listening to the prayer of Sachi, Bruhaspati was immensely pleased; thereafter quite peacefully he spoke sweet these words to her.

Bruhaspati said- О daughter, you be free from all danger, you will face no danger as long as I am alive. О beautiful one, as I have my daughter in-law, the son of Kaca you are like her.

Because as the son serves the food, Pindadana and maintains the parents, similarly the pupil also does so. Therefore, there is no difference between a son and a pupil. As the son performs the last rites, similarly the pupil also does so. This is certain and this has been prescribed by Brahma in Kanva-shakha.

Brahma has ordained that the father, the mother, the teacher, the wife, the children and orphan relatives are to be served by the people. The one who does not take care of them has to remain infested with impurity, right from birth to cremation and is not considered fit to perform the adoration of gods or the manes; this has been prescribed by lord Shiva. The one who illiterates his parents and the teacher, earns a bad name and has to face obstruction at every step. 

Getting intoxicated with riches if he insults his teacher, he surely meets with his destruction. This is certain. 

After finding my arrival at his court, Indra did not get up to welcome me from his lion-throne and presently he had to suffer for the same. I will surely protect you and also redeem Indra because the one who can rule and protect every one of his pupils, only he is called the true teacher.

The one who becomes careless about his wife, who is spotlessly chaste and only thinks of his own selfish ends, several types of desires therefore arise in his mind and ultimately his dharma is destroyed. 

O chaste damsel, your influence would be like that of Durga and your glory would be like that of Lakshmi.

Your fortune would be like that of Radhika and like her you would achieve love, glory, affection. You and I would always be devoted to Indra

You will be desirable by Indra like Rohini, would be adorable like Sarasvati and would always be spotless like Savitri. 

In the meantime, a messenger arrived from the house of Nahusa and feeling panicky, he spoke before Bruhaspati. The messenger said- "O goddess, get up, Nahusa is waiting for you in a charming and lonely place in Nandana-vana for love-sport and you immediately move on to that place." 

On hearing the words of the messenger, Bruhaspati was enraged. His body started shaking and the eyes turned red the blood. 

Bruhaspati said- You go and inform Nahusa, “in case you intend to enjoy the conjugal pleasure with Sachi, then you come at night mounted on an unprecedented vehicle. Or otherwise you come in a palanquin carried by Saptarshis clad in beautiful costumes." 

On hearing the words of Bruhaspati, the messengers went back and informed the king accordingly. Listening to the words of the messenger, Nahusa laughed and said to the messenger.

"O messenger, you move at once and bring the Saptarshis here at once I shall make suitable arrangements with them.",

On hearing the words of the king, the messengers went to Saptarshis and repeated the words of Nahusa to them. 

On hearing the words of the messengers, all the Saptarshis arrived at the palace of the king delightfully who bowed in reverence to them. 

Nahusa said- All of you are the sons of Brahma, possessing the eternal lustre and are attached to your devotees like Brahma himself.

Because of your devotion to Narayana you are spotless and are the form of sattva, free from attachment, pride and arrogance. You equate yourself with Narayana in lustre and glory, you are also like him in virtues, compassion, love and granting the boons.

Thus, speaking the king meekly prayed to them and started crying. Finding the king filled with grief, the ascetics said. Saptarshis said- О son, you ask for a boon; whatever is desired by you we are sure to bestow on you. There is nothing beyond our competence,

The position of Indra, Manu, long life, the lordship of seven islands, becoming eternal and achieving of everlasting pleasure, all the success of all the fortunes which are beyond the reach of anyone else or salvation or the devotion to Hari or whatever is beyond the reach of anyone else can be bestowed by us. 

O son, in which one of these things are you interested you tell us just now with pleasure, we shall bestow everything delightfully and thereafter leave for performing tapas.

The time spent without the adoration of Krishna is equated with lakhs of yugas and the day which is spent without his adoration is considered to be a bad day. 

The one who desires for something else than serving him is considered to be like inviting his total destruction and the consumption of poison.

All the gods like Brahma, Shiva, Dharma, Vishnu, Mahavirat, Ganesha, Surya, Sesha, Sanaka and other sages always meditate upon his lotus-like feet. The same feet relieve of birth, death, old age and ailment. We always meditate upon the same. On hearing the words of the Saptarshis, Nahusa who was influenced by illusion spoke in shame casting his head downwards. 

Nahusa said- "You are competent enough to bestow everything and are graceful to the devotees. Therefore, you kindly bestow the boon of granting Sachi to me at the moment. The chaste Sachi desires that her beloved should be carried by Saptarshis in a vehicle. I only desire this much of the boon; you kindly bestow on me your grace accordingly.". 

О Narada, on hearing the words of Nahusa, all the ascetics playfully laughed aloud. Finding that the king had been influenced by the illusion of Vishnu, the Rushis who were graceful on the down trodden people agreed to carry the palanquin of the king Nahusa. 

Thereafter the palanquin which was inlaid with several gems was carried on their shoulders.  King Nahusa adorned himself with all the gem studded ornament and the best of costumes was seated in the palanquin. Finding that the sages were moving quite slowly, the king admonished them for their low speed. The sage Durvasa who was leading them all was enraged and he pronounced a curse on the king saying, "O foolish minded king, you fall down becoming a huge python." You will be relieved of the curse only at an audience with Yudhishthira. О great king, thereafter, you will proceed to Vaikuntha mounted on a gem-studded plane and would enjoy all the pleasures, because the actions never remain infructuous.

О great sage, thus speaking all the sages left the place similarly and with the curse pronounced on the king he was turned into a snake. On hearing this Sachi bowed in reverence to her teacher and went back to the city of Amaravati. Bruhaspati also reached there quickly, the place where Indra was hiding himself in the lotus stalk.

The merciful Bruhaspati with a delightful mind went into the lake and started calling Indra.

Bruhaspati said- О son, you come near me because, as long as I am there, you can never be afraid, be fearless and come to me, I am Bruhaspati your teacher calling for you.  Recognising the voice of his teacher Mahendra at once was filled with delight and shedding away his tiny form, took to his natural form. On reaching before the teacher he prostrated before him. Bruhaspati on his part lifted up the terrified and crying Indra and embraced him lovingly.

Thereafter he had the soma-yajna performed by Indra for his repentance and then enthroned him on the gem-studded lion-throne. He was bestowed on him four times more the fortune and all the gods returned to serve him. 

Sachi getting back Indra the lord of gods went to her place and delightfully started enjoying the conjugal pleasures on a bed of roses.

O son, thus I have narrated to you the story relating to the shattering of the pride of Mahendra and the protection of the chastity of Sachi. What else do you want to listen to from me? 

Narada said- О best of the sages, you kindly tell me the method of performing Soma-yajna. How does the teacher get the yajna performed and what is the result of the same? 

Narayana said- О sage, the main object of performing the Soma-yajna is to relieve one of the curses of the Brahmahatya. According to the procedure laid down in the scriptures, the performer has to consume Somalata for a year.  He takes fruit for one year and for one year he has to live on the water alone. It destroys all the sins and can be completed in three years. The one who keeps a stock of eatables for three years, for increase in the welfare of the people for three years and stores the food stuffs for more than that period, he alone gets entitled to the drinking of Soma.

О sage, only the great king or the god can perform this yajna and none else because one has to distribute enough of riches and food stuffs as dakshina for this yajna.