146 - Greatness of Rurukshetra and Hrushikesha

Suta said:

1. On hearing about the greatness of Salagrama, Earth became wonderstruck and asked again.

Earth said:

2. How wonderful is the place about which you spoke to me! I feel very much gratified to hear this.

3. You have said about a very sacred place called Rurushanda. who was this Ruru and how could be that, O Hrushikesha you have chosen to remain there?

4. Please tell me this if you consider me deserving of this favour.

Varaha said:

5. Once there lived a Brahmin by name Devadatta, a descendent of Bhrugu, well versed in the Vedas and Vedangas.

 6. He was an expert in matters relating to sacrifice, highly ascetic, and fond of guests.

7. His penance-grove was full of sacred trees and creepers, was abundant in roots and fruits, and had herds of gentle beasts.

8. He performed penance there for a thousand years.

9. This made Indra restless in mind. He called the Gandharvas together with their associates and also the season spring and spoke to them in sweet words.

10. I badly need your help to overcome a serious trouble. Let me get peace of mind through you.

11. Then Kamadeva and the Malaya wind replied to the lord of gods.

12. Command us as to what we may do for your pleasure. Which ascetic’s mind, despite his control of senses, should we disturb? Which man should we pull down from his severe penance? Tell us quick.

13. Thus asked, Indra was pleased and he replied.

14. I was much worried till I saw you. I shall tell you everything in detail.

15. A sage named Devadatta is performing severe penance in the beautiful Hrushikesha in the Himalayas.

16. His aim is to attain my position. see that his penance is disturbed.

17. Receiving this command of Indra, Kamadeva started with the spring season and the Malaya wind.

18. Then Indra called the celestial damsel named Pramloca and spoke to her in endearing words.

19. I wish you success in what you do. Go to the hermitage of sage Devadatta and captivate him by your charm.

20. Accomplish this so well as to gain my special favour.

21. Taking this command of Indra, she went to the hermitage of Devadatta.

22. She stood there in the nearby grove which was beautiful with a variety of trees and creepers, sweet with the warblings of joyful cuckoos;

23. Delightful with the humming of swarms of bees that enjoy honey in the blossoms of the Rasala trees;

24. With the music of Gandharvas spreading around and the Malaya wind blowing cool; with lotuses in bloom in the clear ponds;

25. With calm prevailing everywhere due to the prowess of the sage; captivating with the sweet odour spreading in every place;

26. And she began to sing there so well that the sage became attracted and he slowly stopped his penance.

27-28. The Gandharvas also began their music, and, seizing the occasion, Kamadeva strung his flowery bow and aimed his arrows at the tranquil sage.

29. Hearing that music beautiful with the Panchamasvara the mind of the sage became perturbed.

30. Kamadeva tirelessly shot his arrows again on him.

31. The sage, with perturbed mind, moved about all around and saw at a distance beautiful damsel playing with a ball.

32. Hit by the arrows of Kamadeva, the great sage approched her with a smile.

33. She too looked at him amorously but with shyness.

34. Attracting the mind of the sage with her irresistible charms, she continued to play the ball unmindful of flowers falling from her dishevelling hair.

35. At that time the Malaya wind blew off her garment freeing it from its knot and the girdle holding it.

36. Kamadeva lost no time in hitting him again. And the excited sage went close to her and said:

37. who are you and whose, O lovely lady. What do you seek in this forest?

38. Do you wish to make people like me beasts to be drawn by your hands; and, catching us in this way, what do you propose to do?

39. Anyway, we are entirely under your control and we will do whatever you make us do.

40. Then he held that smiling damsel by the right hand. He embraced her and gave her delight.

41. Day and night he enjoyed with her every pleasure helped by the power he had acquired by his penance.

42. A long time elapsed like this. one day suddenly, as if waking from sleep, discrimination dawned upon him.

43. He felt aversion for everything and exclaimed with remorse.

44. How powerful is Maya that deluded me in this way, that my dislodgement from penance was effected in spite of my awareness of it.

45. The saying that woman is like a pit of fire and man is like a pot of ghee, is not of the wise because there is much difference when we think about it.

46. The ghee in the pot melts only in contact with the fire, but man melts at the very sight of woman, deluded by her. 

47. So saying, he gave up the celestial lady, Pramloca, and began to think.

48. There has been a great impediment to my penance here. So I shall leave this hermitage and go somewhere else where I can perform severe penance and emaciate my body.

49. So deciding in his mind, he went towards the hermitage of Bhrugu.

50. He bathed at the confluence of the river performed ablutions there for the manes and gods, worshipped Vishnu and Shiva and then thought of the proper locality for penance.

51. Seeing the hermitage of Bhrugu towards the north, he moved there on the eastern bank of Gandaki.

52. Resting for a while, he looked for a fit place there for penance.

53. He chose the spot known as Bhrugutunga and engaged himself in meditating on Shiva.

54. After a long period Shiva became pleased and appeared before him in the form of a linga with water flowing from it at the bottom, top and the sides to give him peace.

55. He told the sage, “O sage, see me Shiva. Know me to be Vishnu too. Don’t feel that there is any difference between us.

56. Formerly you took us to be different from each other. Therefore, it was that impediment occurred to your penance and you were dislodged from it.

57. You will attain your aim if you look at us both with the same attitude.

58. This place where lingas have arisen due to the power of penance, will be known as Subhanga.

59. He who bathes in the Gandaki tirtha and worships these lingas, will attain the fruit of yoga. So saying Shiva disappeared.

60. The sage Devadatta obtaining supreme knowledge by the means suggested by Shiva, gained supreme beatitude.

61. Pramloca, who became pregnant through the sage, gave birth to a daughter near the hermitage, but leaving the child there, returned to heaven, considering herself as having taken a new birth.

62. The girl was brought up by the animals called Rurus. She, therefore, came to be known as Ruru and remained in her father’s hermitage.

63. Although her hand was sought by many young men (when she came of age), she did not encourage any one.

64. She then resolved to perform penance meditating on lord Vishnu.

65. In the first month she took fruit on alternate days, in the second month once in three days.

66. In the third month once in five days and in the fourth once in seven. In the fifth month she took food once in nine days and in the sixth once in fifteen days.

67. In the seventh month she lived on fallen leaves and in the eighth on air alone.

68. A period of one hundred years was thus spent in meditating on Vishnu, and she became motionless like a stone.

69. She did not distinguish between opposites and attained the supreme stage of penance which gave a halo to her.

70. Seeing everything illumined by her halo, I was wonderstruck, O Earth, and I appeared before her.

71. But as she had withdrawn all her sense-organs, she did not see me.

72. Then I entered her sense-organs and stood before her heart. She saw me then.

73. Since I made myself visible thus by subduing the senses (Hrushikas), I came to be known as Hrushikesha, and I continued to be there.

74. Soon after that, she could not see me. Then she opened her eyes and saw me standing before her. She then prostrated at my feet, with her whole body in horripilation, and was sobbing.

75. Seeing her in that condition, I spoke.

76. “O beautiful girl, I am pleased with your penance. Seek of me what you have in your mind. I shall grant you that even if it is one not normally granted to others.”

77. Hearing these words of the lord, she bowed to him and said with folded hands.

 78. “O great lord, if you are pleased to give me a boon, then let it be that you remain in this place in this very form.”

79. (I then said): “Let it be so. I shall remain here. But seek another boon also, as I am pleased with you.”

80. So asked, she prostrated at my feet again and said:

81. “If you are so pleased, O Lord, then make me holy and give this place my name”.

82. Then, O Earth, I spoke to her again:

“Your body will become the holiest of all tirthas.

83. This place also will be known by your name. He who takes bath in that tirtha after fasting for three nights, will see me and become purified.

84. Even sins like killing the Brahmin, committed knowingly or unknowingly, will be removed immediately.”

85. After giving her these boons, I again became invisible.

86. In due course, she became the tirtha.

87. Thus have I told you about the greatness and secret of Rurukshetra.