137 - The Vulture and the jackal

Süta said:

1. Hearing this elaborate account of expiations pertaining to the devotees (Earth said):

2. What you have said about the great expiations for the welfare of your devotees, is pleasing to me.

3. It behoves you now to tell me, O lord, the means of acquiring dharma.

4. What is the holy vow to be performed in Kubjämraka and which is the holy spot that brings pleasure to the devotees?

Varäha said:

5. Listen to what you have asked of me, which is of a highly secret nature, namely the most sanctified spot for the devotees.

6. Kokämukha is a great spot, so too Kubjämraka, so again Saukara which gives release from samsära.

7. Holding which spot I raised you from the underworld and where the river Gañgä flows.

Earth said:

8. To which worlds do those who die in Saukara go? What merit is acquired by bathing there or drinking its water?

9. What are the sacred Tirthas (places for bath) in Saukara. It behoves you to tell me all this for the sake of establishing dharma.

Varãha said:

10. Listen to what I say in reply to what you ask, namely where the people dying in Saukara go.

11. What merit accrues to those who go there or die there and the tirthas therein.

12. Listen to the merit that those who go to Saukara get.

13. Those who die there send to heaven seven generations of their ancestors and fourteen generations of their successors.

14. By merely going there and seeing me, one takes birth for seven lives in a big family.

15. Affluent in wealth and grain, handsome and virtuous and ever devoted to my service.

16. He who goes there without committing any offence and lives there till death,

17. Assumes a form with conch, disc, mace, lotus and bow in four hands and goes to Shvetadvipa.

18. I shall tell you, O Earth, what happens to the man who bathes in these Tirthas.

19. One acquires enormous religious merit by bathing in the Chakratirtha where the Chakra (disc) is installed.

20. Going to Chakratirtha taking only limited food and in all austerity,

21. And taking there ritualistic bath on Dvädašhi day in the month of Vaišhäkha, one takes birth in a large and affluent family and remains in it for ten thousand ten hundred years.

22. He becomes a great devotee dedicated to my service, gets initiated and avoids all offences.

23. By this he crosses the ocean of samsära and attains a four-armed form holding disc, mace, conch and lotus.

24. He who dies there gets a form similar to mine, and excels in my world.

25. Hearing these words of the Lord, Earth said with hands folded over her head.

26. In the tïrtha Saukara, the moon propitiated you. Tell me about this, as I am eager to know.

27. At these words of Earth, Vishnu, the repository of all mayä, spoke to her in a voice like thunder.

28. O Earth, listen. I shall tell you the reason why I was worshipped by him.

29. I was pleased with him and I revealed to him my original form which is difficult even for the gods to see.

30. Soma could not stand the effulgence of this form and he fell down senseless.

31. Then closing his eyes and folding the hands over his head, he desired to speak but could not.

32. Seeing this condition of this lord of the Brähmanas, I prompted him in sweet words.

33. O Soma, with what aim do you perform this severe penance? Tell me what you have in mind. I shall grant that for your pleasure.

34. On hearing my words, the lord of luminaries, who had come to Soma-Tirtha, spoke thus.

35. O great god, the master of yoga and the lord of yogins, now that you are pleased and have come here,

36. May I have firm and eternal devotion for you as long as these worlds exist.

37. May the form you have given me be visible in all the seven islands of the earth.

38. Let it be soma that Brahmins drink in sacrifices and may they attain the divine supreme path.

39. On new moon day when I am weak, let there be oblations for the manes, and may I become pleasant to look at after that.

40. Let my mind never turn to what is unrighteous. Let me be the lord of all herbs.

41. If you are pleased, O great god without beginning, middle or end, may this be granted to me.

42. Hearing these words of Soma (I gave him the boon) and disappeared there.

43. Thus did Soma perform penance and get supreme attainment at Somatirtha rare to get.

44-46. I shall tell you the result that accrues to a devotee of mine of righteous conduct, who takes bath in Somatirtha where the great Soma performed penance standing on one foot.

47. Remaining like that with upturned face for five thousand years and doing severe penance, Soma attained great brilliance.

48. He became free from the effect of all his offences. 

49. He who performs oblations in the Somatirtha is born a Brahmin well-versed in Veda and Vedäñga for three thousand three hundred years.

50. He becomes wealthy, virtuous and well known and a devotee not committing any offence. He finally gets liberated from samsãra.

51. O fair one, I shall tell you the sign by which Somatirtha can be identified by a devotee.

52. On the Dvädašhi day in the bright half of the month Vaišhåkha, when darkness sets in and nothing is visible,

53. Moonlight is seen on the earth without, however, the moon being there.

54. Such is the wonder of the place which I have to tell you.

55. This is the indication by which the Somatirtha in Saukara can be known, where all beings get release.

56. I shall tell you another thing which shows the wonderful greatness of this place.

57-58. By the prowess of this place of mine, a female jackal who happened to die there without any desire, was born as a highly beautiful princess, supremely virtuous and proficient in all the sixty-four arts.

59. On its eastern side is the tirtha called Grudhravata, where a vulture which died without any desire, became a human being.

60. Hearing these words of Lord Näräyana, the holy Earth spoke for the welfare of the devotees of Vishnu:

61. What a power does this tirtha possess, by which two beings in the animal kingdom, namely a vulture and a jackal, attained human form!

62. O Janärdana, tell me what befalls a person who bathes or dies there.

63. What identification do they get who die there without any desire?

64. Hearing these words of Earth, Vishnu, the foremost knower of everything righteous, spoke to Earth in sweet words.

65. Listen, O Earth, I shall tell you what you seek to know, namely how these two beings attained human form.

66. When due to what I had ordained, Krutayuga was over and Tretäyuga had set in,

67. A virtuous king by name Brahmadatta was ruling in the city of Kampilla.

68. He bad a handsome and righteous son named Somadatta.

69. Once the prince went for hunting in the forest full of tigers and lions for the sake of his father.

70. While he was wandering, being not able to get any game, he came across on his right a female jackal.

71. The prince hit her with an arrow and she fell down in great pain.

72. Being wounded by the arrow and tormented by the heat of the sun, she went to a Shäkhotaka tree.

73. Then she gave up her life without any desire in the Somatirtha.

74. Meanwhile, the prince felt thirsty and reached Grudhravata for taking rest.

75. He saw a vulture on the branch of a banyan tree and then hit it with an arrow.

76. It fell down dead being pierced in its heart.

77. The prince was delighted. He plucked out its wings to feather his arrows and went home.

78. The vulture died there without any desire, and after a long time, it was born as the son of the king of Kaliñga.

79. He was handsome, virtuous and learned and always delighted the people.

80-81. The jackal was born as the daughter of the king of Käñchi. She too was beautiful, virtuous, cuckoo-voiced and proficient in all the sixty-four arts.

82. O Earth, due to my favour, Käñchï and Kaliñga became very friendly and closely attached to each other.

83. In due course, the marriage of the prince of Kaliñga with the princess of Käñchî was conducted in the proper manner.

84. The King of Käñchi bestowed on them numerous gems and jewels and elephants, horses and women.

85. Honoured well by him, the king of Kaliñga also went to his capital with his son and daughter-in-law.

86. The couple lived in extreme happiness like Chandra and Rohinï.

87. They delighted themselves in temples, gardens and other places of enjoyment.

88. If the princess did not find her husband by her side even for a moment, she felt extremely anxious.

89. Similarly, the prince too felt the same if he could not find the princess near him even for a moment.

90. Day by day, their love waxed like this and there was no difference between them in any matter whatsoever.

91. The prince, by his intelligence and nobility pleased all his subjects and all the ladies in the harem.

92. By the couple everybody was made happy.

93. Their mutual love steadily grew up and their intimacy was like that between Indra and Shachi.

94. The loving princess once made a request to her husband:

95. O famous prince, I wish to ask you something which you may tell me because of your love.

96. Hearing these words of his wife, the prince of Kaliñga said in sweet words:

97. O fair princess, shall tell you in truth whatever you wish to know.

98. Truth is the source of all Brahmins, Vishnu is established in truth. The source of that is penance, the kingdom is established by truth.

99. I will never speak falsehood, I have not said anything false so far in my life.

100. I shall give you elephants, horses, chariots, vehicle, gems and wealth. I shall even raise you to the very position of the ruler.

101. Hearing these words of her husband, the princess of Käñchi held his feet and said.

102. I don’t wish to have gems or elephants, horses and chariots. I don’t wish to rule the kingdom so long as you are there.

103. I wish to sleep for a short while at noon without being seen by anybody.

104. During the time of this vow, even the father-in-law and mother-in-law and any one like them shall not see me.

  105. Those in my own household may, however, at times see me sleeping.

106. Hearing these words of his wife, the prince of Kaliñga agreed to what she said and spoke to her:

107. Be assured, O my love, that none will see you in your bed during your vow.

108. As time was passing, the king of Kaliñgs having become old, installed his son on the throne.

109. He gave the kingdom, as is wont in his line, after making it free from all troubles.

110. After receiving this gift from the king, he used to sleep alone without being seen by anyone.

111. In due course, he begot five children resplendent like the sun.

112. Such is the human world under the spell of my mäyã that everyone revolves like a wheel in accordance with one’s own actions.

113. A human being is first born, then he becomes a boy, then a youth in the prime of life, and after that attains old age.

114. Whatever deed a boy does without knowing it, does not bring upon him any sin.

115. While he was ruling the kingdom happily and free from trouble, seventy-seven years passed.

116-117. In the seventy-eighth year, on the Dvädašhi day in the bright half of the month of Mädhava, when the sun was at the zenith, the desire came upon him to see his wife.

118. He thought: Who is worshipped by her and what is her vow to sleep in loneliness. A vow during sleep is not heard of anywhere.

119. This is not ordained by Vishnu or Shiva, nor do we find it in the dharmašhästra of Manu.

120. A detestable action can never be dharma even for yogins. There will be none who will do like this.

121. We do not find in dharmašhästra of Bruhaspati or Yama anything ordaining a vow for a woman in sleep.

122. Enjoying as much as she liked and eating meat, taking tambüla and wearing red garments,

123. Having fragrant unguents and numerous gems, what is the sort of vow she performs?

124. Certainly my wife will be angry if I see her. All the same, I should know what vow she practises.

125. Perhaps she wants to acquire the power of attraction of the Kinnaras or to become a yogïšhvari to go wherever she likes.

126. Or she is having sexual urge for another person.

127. While he was thinking like this, the sun set and night began giving pleasure to all.

128. When night was over and day set in, the bards began singing rhapsodies.

129. As the sun rose for the welfare of the world, the king was roused by the sound of conchs and drums.

130. The desire to see his beloved was still there in his mind.

131. He then took bath and wore silken clothes and gave orders to keep away people from him.

132. Anyone who touches me during my vow will be punished according to the rules of law.

133. Issuing the order in this manner, the king went to the place of vow of his beloved in order to see her. 

134-135. He found her there crying with severe headache and asking herself.

136. What wrong did I do that lam now in this despicable

137. My husband docs not know that I am helplessly suffering like this. What will he or my relations think of me?

138. What shall I tell those who are my constant companions?

139. How has all this come about? What will my husband say? What will others say?

140. The vow which is not properly done will be defective. But I shall once go to Saukara and there I shall utter what I have in my mind.

141. Hearing these words of his beloved, the king embraced her and said:

142. What do you say? Why do you condemn yourself? Why should you be sorry when you can be happy?

143. Are there not doctors adept in the eight kinds of treatment, who can control your headache?

144. Under the pretext of observing a vow, you have been hiding your severe headache.

145. The head is aching because of the disturbance of wind, phlegm, bile or blood or all these together.

146. It can also be due to exciting bile in place and out of place by eating meat. 

147. The head can be bored, blood expelled and anointed. How then can the ache remain?

148. Why is it that without telling me about this, you undergo all this suffering under the guise of vow?

149. You now speak of going to Saukara. What is the secret for you there?

150. Then that beautiful and bashful lady held her husband’s feet and told him:

 151. Be pleased, O king, not to ask me this question. My former life was full of bad deeds.

152. Hearing these words of his beloved, the king of Kaliñga spoke to her with composure. 

153. O beautiful lady, why should you hide anything from me. Tell me the truth.

154. She then told the king softly with eyes wide with wonder.

155. The husband is virtue, the husband is glory and the husband is the most dear. So what the husband asks should certainly be told.

156. Still I don’t wish to say what I have in mind because it may cause sorrow to you.

157. My distress remains in mind. You are a handsome king ever remaining happy.

158. You have numerous wives like me in the harem. You can have any food you like, so too clothes and jewels.

159. You can drive in any vehicle, or on the back of elephant or horse. So even without me you can have a life of pleasure.

160. Your command is inviolable and you have everything for your pleasure. So it is not necessary for you to ask me about my illness.

161. O noble king, you are my god, preceptor, husband, sacrifice, dharma, wealth, desire, fame and heaven.

162. So when you ask me anything, I should tell you the truth. That is the duty of all obedient wives.

163. But the happiness of the husband should not be disturbed by a wife. Therefore, please don’t ask me about my pain.

164. Hearing these words of his wife, the king of Kaliñga spoke being distressed at her ailment:

165. Happy or unhappy, the husband should be told what he asks.

166. No virtuous wife will hide from the husband any matter private or public, good or bad.

167. Even if it is a sin committed out of passion, if the wife hides it, she is never considered virtuous.

168. Considering all this, O great lady, tell me the truth. You will not be committing any sin by telling me the truth.

169. Hearing these words of her husband, who was standing on dharma, she replied:

170. It’ is said that the king is god, the king is preceptor and the king is Soma. Therefore, in the name of dharma I should tell you what you ask.

171. If I should not keep it secret, install your eldest son on the throne, as is the usual practice.

172. Then come along with me to the place called Saukara.

173. Hearing these words of his wife, the king of Kaliñga agreed to her proposal and said:

174. As you say, I shall give my kingdom to my son as I got it from my father.

175. The king and the queen in full agreement with each other, left that place.

176. Then seeing the chamberlain, he asked him in a loud voice to dispel the crowd that had gathered there. All those who had collected there out of curiosity were asked to leave the place.

177. Then a tumult was heard inside the palace.

178. Why are we being sent out from here? We have come here for our own purpose. Why should there be a command like this? Perhaps we are not to know the reason.

179. Then he ate sumptuous food and took rest with his wife for a while.

180. Then he sent for his ministers and asked them to make arrangements for the coronation of the son.

181. He also asked them to decorate the capital in an auspicious manner.

182. Then he went near the oldest minister, who was well-versed in polity, and told him.

183. O revered minister, I wish to coronate my son tomorrow. Please make arrangements for all the necessary rituals.

184. The arrangements have already been made, they said. What you proposed to do is agreeable to us also.

185. Your son, O king, is interested in the welfare of your subjects and he is always just and considerate.

186. Your proposal really gladdens us. So saying the ministers left and the sun set.

187. He spent the night well and was roused in the morning by music and the rhapsodies of the minstrels. 

188. When the night was over and the sun rose up, the son was crowned at an auspicious time.

189. Giving him thus the kingdom and smelling him on his head, he told him.

190. Although you have now become the king, listen to what you should do.

191. If you wish to acquire great merit and liberate your manes, you should be a liberal giver and abstain from injury.

192. But one who molests another’s wife should be punished, so also one who kills children.

193. Do not entertain desire for another’s wife particularly when she is a Brahmin. Close your eyes if you see a beautiful lady who is another’s wife.

194. Don’t desire the wealth of another or any ill-earned wealth. You should protect the land with cleverness and justice.

195. Be always enterprising and follow the advice of the ministers. The report of a minister should be carefully considered.

196. Take care to protect your person. See that the subjects as a whole, and Brahmins in particular, are happy.

197. Indulgence in the seven kinds of pleasure may bring about great harm.

198. Wealth should never be squandered. Unpleasantness with ministers should be avoided particularly by those that are interested in the welfare of the subjects.

199. Do not prevent me from going away renouncing everything, but observe all that I have said.

200. Hearing these words of his father, the prince held his feet and said piteously:

201. Whät are kingdom, treasury and army to me. Without you here, I may not be able to have any activity.

202. You have crowned me king, but I don’t consider it great without you.

203. I know only to play as other boys do. I do not know the administration of the kingdom, which only experienced kings know.

204. Hearing these words of his son, the king of Kaliñga spoke to him words of consolation.

205. I do not know why you say like this. The citizens will instruct you as to what you should do.

206. After advising the son in this way, the king started for Saukara.

207. Seeing him leave like that, the citizens with their families followed him.

208. The elephants, horses, chariots and women in the harem gladly followed him.

209. After a long time, he reached Saukara and there he made large gifts of money and grain.

210. O Earth, as time passed, they became more and more purified.

211. Then the handsome prince spoke pleasantly to the princess of Käñchi.

212. Now a thousand years of my life is over, please tell the secret about which I asked you before.

213. Hearing these words of her husband, she laughed and told the king:

214. It is all as you say. You fast for three days and then you will know the truth.

215. The king agreed: O my beloved, I shall do what you say. That is to my liking also.

216. Then he took the prescribed twig, twelve fingers in length, and after bathing took the vow of fast for three days.

217. For three days they observed fast according to rules and after bathing, put on new silk.

218. Then they bedecked themselves and offered worship to Vishnu.

219. Then she removed all ornaments, offered naivedya to me and then told the king.

 220. O my lord, come along so as to know the secret. Then holding his hand as in wedlock, she spoke sweetly to the king.

221. I was formerly a vixen and I was hit by the arrow of Somadatta when he was hunting.

222. See here the stump of the arrow well lodged in my head, as a result of which I have developed headache.

223. I was then born in the Käñchï royal family and I was given to you in marriage. By the prowess of this place I attained all this.

224. Hearing this, the king of Kaliñga said to her remembering his previous life.

225. I was a vulture who was hit by the same Somadatta by a single arrow.

226. Then I was born as the king of Kaliñga and attained great prosperity and this kingdom.

227. All this was because I died without any desire in this holy place.

 228-229. The devotees of Lord Näräyana and all the other people there, hearing about this, began to perform rites there without any sense of loss or gain.

230. Those who died there without any desire went to Shvetadvïpa with a four-armed body, all of them holding conch and various weapons.

231. The women also went to Shvetadvïpa and enjoyed all pleasures there.

232. I have thus told you about the greatness of Saukara.

233. Those who perform rites here and die without desire go to Shvetadvipa.

234. Now listen, O Earth, what results from a bath in Šhäkhotaka tirtha.

235. For twelve thousand and twelve hundred years they enjoy pleasure in the Nandana garden.

236. They then come down to the earth and are born in a big family of my devotees.

237. I shall now tell you the result of merely bathing in Grudhravata.

238. For nine thousand nine hundred years he delights himself in the world of Indra with the gods.

239. Then coming down from Indraloka, he is born as a devotee with full detachment.

240. I have thus told you the result of bath in this tirtha which you desired to know. 

241. Hearing these words from Lord Narayana Earth asked him again in sweet words:

242. Due to the result of which action is this tirtha attained for bath or for death? Be pleased to tell me this.

Varäha said:

243. O goddess, listen. Due to the defect of some action, one is born as an animal.

244. But due to merit acquired in former lives by deeds like bath in sacred spots, and by liberal gifts etc, one happens to die there.

245. The action performed in a former life, whether it is big or small, gives its effect without fail.

246. Even by the very sight of a sacred spot at some time or other and even alone, what is weak becomes strong and what is strong becomes weak.

247. The result of action is mysterious because what is little becomes enormous.

248. That is the reason of being born as a human being and attaining kingship.

249. The jackal and the vulture, by their death in the tirtha, got their sin removed and attained memory of their former lives and went to Shvetadvipa. 

250. shall now tell you about the tirtha called Vaivasvata where Sun-god performed penance.

251. In order to get a son, Sun performed severe penance and Chändräyana for ten thousand years.

252. Then for seven thousand years, he lived on air alone.

253. I was very much pleased by this action of Sun and I asked him to seek a boon, as he was devoted to me.

254. Choose a boon which you have in mind.

255. Hearing these words, the mighty son of Kašhyapa, spoke to me in sweet words:

256. If you are pleased with me, then give me the boon of my getting a child by your favour.

257. I was glad to hear this uttered by him in all purity and seriousness.

258. You will. beget a twin, Yama and Yamunä.

259. After giving this boon to Sun I disappeared due to my yogic power. Sun too returned to his abode.

260. One who attains merit by austerities at Saukara, eating but little and bathing there, remains in the world of Sun for ten thousand years.

261. The virtuous man who dies there never goes to the world of Yama, because of the power of this tirtha.

262. Thus have I told you about the benefits of bath and death at Saukara.

263. This is the narrative of all narratives, the action of all actions. This is to be recited as authority during the worship of sandhyä.

264. This is the glorious mantra dear to all devotees.

265. This should not be imparted to a wicked person, a fool or one who is not a devotee, nor to a Vaishya or Šhüdra who does not know me as the Supreme being.

266. This should be recited in an assembly of learned men or in a hall full of Brahmins proficient in Vedas. It may be imparted to those who are initiated and who know the shästras.

267. O blessed goddess, thus have I told you about the merit that accrues from Saukara.

268. He who recites this rising up early in the morning, gets the result equivalent to contemplating on me for twelve years.

269. He does not take birth again, but attains eternal liberation. He who reads even one chapter of this, liberates ten generations of his ancestors.