172 - The Story of Gokarna (continued)

Varaha said:

1. Did in the temple for (the other) thirteen days (in the fortnight) what he did on the first day.

2. The goddesses, beautiful and well ornamented, used to visit there and happily perform their dance.

3. Gokarna soon forgot everything about his home. Then once he saw the goddesses coming there to be devoid of their usual lustre.

4. They were weak and pale, without their attractive garments and jewels, and with the hair on the head and eyelids reduced.

5. They were deformed and disfigured and had several bleeding wounds. He was very much pained to see them in that condition.

6. He felt that, being an issueless man, not only he himself will have no salvation, but by his association even these goddesses were reduced to that state.

7. Thinking so, he asked them to tell him how such a change occurred in their form.

The Goddesses said:

8. “O noble man, don’t ask about this. Fate is the cause for everything. In the form of Time, it gives us the effects of our merits (as well as demerits). 

9. Fate should be sought after for an answer. People who are very much distressed do not talk with one who is himself distressed.”

10. Gokarna, however, out of a desire to know the truth, bowed to them and asked again.

11. “If you consider the cause of this disfigurement a secret and are not inclined to tell me about it, I shall put an end to my life.”

12. When he told them thus, one among them said, “Let us tell him about our sorrow if that will give him relief.

13. I shall tell you how this disfigurement happened to us. Listen with attention. 

14. There is the beautiful city of Mathura which brings about salvation to people.

15. Once the king of Ayodhya went there with all the four components of his army to worship in the tirthas there for four months.

16. He chose there the temple of Vishnu with its five parts and having gardens and arbours around with wells and sweetsmelling flowers and trees bearing fruits in all seasons.

17. The king arranged his residence near this.

18. His followers destroyed the garden with its fruit-bearing trees and the surrounding walls were razed to the ground.

19. Although prevented from doing this, these sinful people did not listen. The king felt himself like a lion in a cage”.

20. She then covered with the hands her face shedding tears on the breast and cried aloud, “Alas! who will protect us”.

21. Then all of them began to cry, and hearing their wailing sound resembling the cry of the Kurari birds, Gokarna became very sad.

22. He fell down at the feet of every one of them and slowly consoled them with soothing words.

23-24. He then told them that is he had been there, he would have prevented the king himself from being there, but unfortunately, he was incapacitated.

25. When he said this, all of them became curious and asked him who he was and from where he came there.

Gokarna said:

26. “I am Gokarna. I told you I was happy to see you all formerly very beautiful.

27. But now you are all otherwise and that gives me grief. Tell me the cause of this transformation”.

28. The eldest among them said, “We were well decorated with various flowers because we were in that garden protected by its owner.

29. Therefore you could see us beautiful with all those flowers. I shall tell you how the change occurred.

30. The king’s men tormented us by their cutting and uprooting (the garden). We became miserable and hence the present appearance.¹

1. This indicates that the goddesses were nymphs of the garden (Udyanadevatas).

31. We are without flowers, left but with the root and trunk. Thus, are we reduced with loss of our identity.

32. The god who is shaped there in stone and clay, but who is really of the nature of Sattva, is the witness of all good deeds.

33. It is meritorious to water well the garden and to dig ponds and make them full of lotuses and swans.

34. The trees laden with fruits are (to be considered) golden to protect the garden is to provide pleasure to people. To destroy it is to do harm as the disfigurement of ours.”

Gokarna said:

35. Tell me what kind of merit accrues to a person who makes a garden, digs wells and instals images of gods.

The eldest said:

36. For the twice-born, ishtapurta is the foremost means of dharma. Heaven is acquired by ishta and liberation by purta.

37. He who renovates tanks, wells, ponds and temples gains the result of purta.

38. The same world as is ordained for those who make gifts of land or cows, is attained by one who grows trees.

39. He who plants a peepal, a margosa, a banyan, ten flowering plants, two pomegranates, two oranges and five mangoes never goes to hell.

40. Just as a dutiful son raises his family by hard effort and austere resolve, so do the trees with their flowers and fruits, raise up from hell their planter.²

2. The text has after this ‘Gokarna said’, but this seems to be wrong.

41-42. The service of the trees in providing firewood, sticks for sacrifices like Agnihotra, shade for the travellers to rest, nests for birds and medicine for men through the leaves, root and bark is said to be its five sacrifices (panchayajna).

43-44. The learned people declare a tree to be like a son because it provides materials for domestic life, provides shelter for small animals, twice in a year birds breed in it and it provides fruits to the originator throughout the year.

Varaha said:

45. When told thus by the goddess Malati, he swooned saying ‘Alas, Alas!’

46. They brought him back to consciousness by sprinkling water on him and sought to know why he swooned.

Gokarna said:

47. “In Mathura I have my aged parents and four wives. The garden and the temple you speak of are mine.

48. If I am able to go to my parents and see the king I shall tell them what has befallen you”.

49. The oldest goddess said, “I shall take you wherever you like. We shall see Mathura today itself.

50. You may get into this aerial vehicle. You may also take with you these celestial gems, jewels and fruits and present them to the king without arghya”.

51. He agreed and, bowing to Lord Vishnu there, got into the vehicle and soon descended at the place where the king was camping.

52. He then presented to the king the numerous gems he had brought with him.

53. The king was very much pleased even at their sight. He welcomed Gokarna, showed him hospitality and honoured him by giving half his seat due to a donor of gems and money.

54. Gokarna then offered to show him a wonder and also explain about it.

55-56. He agreed and asked his commander-in-chief to get ready the army soon.

57. The commander-in-chief carried out the orders of the king¹. The deformed goddesses attained their original celestial form.

1. After this the portion relating to what was done seems to be lost. Presumably it is about the king being taken to the deformed goddesses to convince him of the misdeeds of his men and then making him restore the garden and renovate the temple.

58. They praised Gokarna again and again. They gave him boons and bestowing benedictions went to heaven.

59. Gokarna then told the king all about himself and of the result of Purta dharma.

60. The king then bestowed on him some villages, cities, clothes, elephants, horses and abundant money.

61. Having known how great a dharma the making of a garden is and how wonderful its results are, the king did everything in that realm.