138 - The Story of the Wag-tail

Süta said:

1. After hearing about the greatness of Saukara and the benefits drawn from it and its capacity to change one being into another.

2. The goddess who knew everything about dharma was wonderstruck and felt much gratified.

3. She then asked Lord Vishnu: How great is this tirtha Saukara of yours! Whichever being dies here without desire becomes a human being.

4. What other story do you propose to tell me about Saukara. I am very much curious to know.

5. What merit accrues to a person who sings there or renders instrumental music?

6. What merit is acquired by one who dances there or what by one who keeps awake all the time. What is the effect of making gifts of cow, food and water there?

7. What benefit is got by-cleaning, anointing, offering flowers, incense, lamp and naivedya?

8. What is the effect of other actions like japa and sacrifice performed there? Please tell me all this for the sake of your devotees.

9. Hearing these words of Earth, Lord Hari spoke in sweet words.

Varäha said:

10. O fair goddess, I shall tell you what you wish to know, the sacred deeds that bring about happiness.

Il. In Saukara a wag-tail bird ate too many worms as a result of which it was suffering from indigestion.

12. By this action, it fell down dead.

13. Then came there many boys to take it for playing and they were running for it.

14. They began to quarrel among themselves each attempting to get it for himself.

15. Then one of them took it and threw it into the river Ganges saying that it was of no use to them.

16. The wag-tail happened to fall in Äditya tirtha in the Ganges.

17. As a result of this, it was born as the beautiful son of a Vaišhya who had performed numerous sacrifices and was very wealthy.

18. Intelligent, pure and devoted to me he was, and twelve years passed in this manner.

19. Once when his father and mother were together, he bowed to them and made a request.

20. If I am dear to you, please grant me a boon I ask for.

21. I should not be said ‘No’ cither by you father, or you mother. I swear by my preceptor.

22. Hearing these words of the son, the parents were very glad and they told the dear son.

23. Whatever you say and whatever you have in mind, be confident that we Will fulfil.

24. Thirty thousand milch cows are here and you can make a gift of any of them.

25. If you do not wish to have trade which is our occupation, you may gift away all wealth to your friends.

26. You can gift away quite unhampered all the grain and money.

27. We shall bring here aristocratic girls of our clan to choose one as your bride.

28. If you wish to perform sacrifices, you can do the same according to the rules laid down for Vaišhyas in this regard.

29. If you wish to be a farmer you have here eight mighty bulls and eight thousand ploughs.

30. If you wish to feed Brahmins sumptuously you can do it as you like.

31. Hearing these words of his parents, the virtuous boy held their feet and said:

32. I don’t wish to make gifts of cows. I have not thought of my friends. I don’t wish to have a bride and I ‘don’t wish to have the merit of sacrifices.

33. I don’t wish to enter trade or farming and cattle-rearing. Nor do I wish to host anyone. 

34. There is only one thing that I desire and that is to go to Saukara, the place of Lord Näräyana.

35. Hearing these words of their son, the two devotees of mine began to weep. (The mother said):

36. How is it that you think of Lord Näräyana now? That is of course, good to you at the proper age.

37. Even now I have to run after you to make you eat. How is it that you think of going to Saukara now?

38. My breasts are still full of milk for you and I still wish to fondle you. How is it that you think like this?

39. During sleep when you turn on the bed you call ‘mother’ even now. How is it. that you have this desire?

40. The women hold you when you play. No offence has been committed in temples or homes.

41. No relation or servant has spoken to you anything harsh.  You have with you the cane when you are threatened or made angry.

42. I do not find any reason for your renunciation.

43. Hearing these words of the mother, that delighter of the Vaišhya clan, spoke to her in sweet words: 

44. I have always been attached to your person. During pregnancy-I was in your womb. As child I was playing over your shoulders. 

45. I have suckled your extensive breasts and, sitting on your lap, I have soiled your whole body.

46. O mother, be kind to me. Give up the grief of parting with the son.

47. People come and go. When once gone, they are never seen again.

 48.  From where is one born? What relation has. he Whose is a mother or father? I happened to fall in your womb and thereby into the ocean of samsära.

49. Thousands there are of fathers and mothers and hundreds of sons and wives in numerous lives. Who are they and who are we?

50. Therefore, O mother, don’t feel sorry. The parents were surprised at this and they said:

51. What a great secret is it that you speak about.

Then the Vaišhya boy told his parents in sweet words:

52. If you think that there is a secret in what I said, then ask me about it at Saukara.

53. There I shall tell you the secret about me if you ask there in Süryatïrtha.

54. They agreed and resolved to go to Saukara.

55. Arrangements were made for everything regarding the journey to Saukara, the place of the lord of Äbhiras.

56. Twenty thousand cows were sent there in advance.

57. People went in front with all materials, whatever in the house that could be offered to Lord Näräyana.

58. Then on the Trayodašhi day in the month of Mägha, he called together all his people.

59. They all started together at an auspicious time, cleansed themselves and took bath with lord Näräyana in mind.

60. Meditating on Näräyana for a long time, they reached my temple on the Dvädašhi day in the month of Vaišhäkha.

61. After bathing there and propitiating the manes and putting on the dress prescribed for my devotees, they moved forward with thousand cows.

62. They were received duly by my devotee named Bhañgurasa

63. He was given twenty milch cows all of them sacred and auspicious.

64. The king was giving gifts of money and gems every day and feeling happy with his wife and son.

65. While he was spending the days like this, the rainy season set in which makes all plants grow.

66. The Kadamba, Kutaja and Arjuna trees flowered profusely. Women separated from their husbands were feeling extremely sad.

67. The waterfalls produced roaring sound in some places and gentle sound in others.

68. There were the subdued sound of flowing rivers and the cooing of peacocks. The fragrance of Kutaja, Kadamba and Arjuna flowers was spreading everywhere.

69. The blowing wind gave delight to the peacocks but agony to women in separation.

70. As the rainy season with its drums of thunder passed, the autumn season set in and the Agasti star (Canopus) rose.

71. The ponds became clear and smelt of lotuses and lilies which blossomed producing fine fragrance.

72. The wind was pleasant with fragrance and coolness and the smell of the Saptaparna flowers excited lovers.

73. When the autumn was over and the month of Kärttika started, on the Ekädašhi day in the bright half of the month.

74. The couple took bath and dressed themselves in silk and then spoke to the son;

75. ‘‘We have now stayed here for six months and the auspicious Dvädašhï day has come. Why don’t you tell us the secret which you have been hiding from us?”

76. Hearing the words of his parents, that dutiful son spoke in sweet words:

77. What you say is true. Tomorrow morning, I shall tell you this secret.

78. This Dvädašhi, O my parents, is particularly dear to Vishnu and it is very auspicious and it brings about the well-being of the devotees of Vishnu.

79. The initiated yogins among the devotees of Vishnu are delighted on the Dvädashi day of Kärttika and they make gifts.

80. By these gifts meant to propitiate Vishnu, they are able to cross the dreadful ocean of samsära.

81. As he was telling them this, the night came to a close. After worshipping sandhyã at dawn;

82. He had the ritualistic bath, and putting on silken garments, bowed to Lord Vishnu.

83. And holding the feet of his parents, told them:

84. I shall tell you, my parents, the purpose of our coming here. It is to give you the secret of this Saukara.

85. I belong to the species of birds and I was born as a wagtail. I ate numerous flies and worms and I began to suffer from indigestion.

86. Because of that I was unable to move and, seeing this, boys took me in their hands to play with.

87. They made-fun of one another and I was moved from hand to hand, but soon a quarrel arose each saying, ‘I saw the bird first’.

88. One of them snatched me away and threw me in Ganges. That happened to be the Somatirtha and I breathed my last there.

89. Since I died there without any desire, by the power of that Place, I was born, O mother, as your son on this holy day.

90. Thirteen years have passed since then and I have been hiding this truth from you all the time.

91. I have now told you the purpose of our coming here.

92. I shall now engage myself in what I have to do. I bow to you, O father, be pleas to return.

 The parents said to the son again:  

93. Whatever deeds you do to propitiate Lord Vishnu, the same we shall also do. 

94. They became my devotees for a long time and performed actions laid down for liberation from samsära.

95. In the end they died there and due to. their determination and by the power of this place, they were liberated and they reached Shvetadvipa.

  96. All the attendants who had come there with them were endowed with health and wealth.

97. They acquired the smell of lotus, became yogins and felt happy by the prowess of this sacred spot.

98. Thus have I told you about this great story.

99. Such is the prosperity which this place bestows on those who go there: Even what is originally an animal goes to Shvetadvipa attaining liberation.

100. He who reads this in the morning ever day, liberates ten generations of his ancestors and ten generations of his successors.

101. This should not be read fools or those who decry the shästras or within the hearing of wicked people. It is best to recite it in solitude at home.

102. This should be recited before Brahmins who are well-versed in Veda, before devotees of Vishnu and those who are learned in shästras.

103. It liberates from samsära the pure and the humble.