MAHA BHAGAVATHA _ SAPTHAHA METHOD OF READING

A STORY FROM MAHABHAGAVATHA

Friends,

There is a good story in MAHABHAGAVATHAM as to how to read it in SAPTHAHAM i.e. WITH- IN 7 days.

The story is that one good Brahmin by name ATHMA DEVA had no children. Hence he went to a MAHARSHI (Saint) and told him that even though he was performing all the duties of a Brahmin he was not blessed with a child and wanted to know as to why he was not blessed with a child and how to get a child.  The saint was such a powerful person who could read about the PRESENT, PAST and FUTURE of any one from the knowledge attained by him due to his penance. He came to know that the Brahmin was not destined to have a child from his wife and told him thus:-

ll  मुञ्चाज्ञानं प्रजारूपं बलीष्ठा कर्म्मणो गतिः

    विवेकं तु समासाद्य त्यज संसारवासनाम्  ll

The yogi told “Hey Brahmin, the sorrow you have without a son is due to your ignorance about ATHMA.  Leave that ignorance. You do not have the fortune of having a son.  What is destined cannot be changed by any one.  Hence leave this ambition about having a family life. “

 

ll  श्रुणु विप्र मया तेऽद्य प्रारब्धं तु विलोकितं

    सप्तजन्मावति तव पुत्रो नैवच नैवच  ll

“Hey ! Brahmin lend me your ears patiently. I have seen that you do not have the fortune of having a child through your wife in all the seven lives which you will take.”

ll सन्ततेः सगरो दुखःमवापाङ्गः पुरा तथा

   रेमुञ्चाद्य कुटुंबाशां सन्यासे सर्वथा सुखम् ll

“I am advising you, therefore, not to have this ambition which will be perilous to you. For having a child SAGARA Maharajah and ANGA RAJA suffered.  Hence leave this ambition of keeping the family root and go for penance which will be good for you.” 

However the Brahmin was not satisfied and told the SAINT that “ You give me the boon to have a child or else I will be committing suicide in front of you “

Hearing these words of the BRAHMIN (ATHMADEVA), the SAINT gave him a MANGOE FRUIT which, if consumed by the wife of the BRAHMIN, will consume. The Brahmin became happy and took the fruit with all reverence and gave his wife (DUNDHULI), the fruit instructing her to eat the fruit, and told her that he would consume if she eats the fruit.        After giving the fruit to DUNDHUBHI, he went away for some job. This wife of     

ATHMA DEVA was too frail and hence thought lot of things which might occur to her once she eats the fruit.  This is told in 10 verses in Maha Bhagavatha. In the mean while her younger sister went to see her and told her that she was pregnant and she would help her in this predicament by saying that she would give her child to her once she delivered to save her from pregnancy. This appealed the wicked DUNDHBHI and hence threw the fruit outside the compound. This was eaten by a cow brought up by ATHMADEVA.  See the fate. The cow became pregnant. DUNDHULI told her husband that she had delivered to a child and since she had no sufficient milk to feed the child would engage a lady to give breast milk to the child.  The poor Brahmin in his ecstasy agreed to this and hence called her sister to feed the Time went by and the Brahmin wanted to perform the NAMAKARANA (Naming ceremony) of the child. He called all the people and in a pompous way named him as DHUNDUKAARI.  After three months the cow also delivered to a male child.  Except the ears which were like a cow’s ears he was looking as a human child.  Without knowing that this child was born by eating the Mango Fruit given by the saint, he was named by ATHMA DEVA, the Brahmin, as GOKARNA after the ears of the child.  This is given in Maha Bhagavatha thus:-

ll   न ज्ञातं तद्रहस्यं तु केनापि विधियोगतः

     गोकर्णं च स तं दृष्ट्वा गोकर्णं नाम; चाकरोत्  ll

Fate can never be changed, both the sons of the Brahmin grew and the conduct and character of both the youths are given in MAHA BHAGAVATHA thus:-

“  ll   कियत्कालेन तौ जातौ तरुणौ तनयावुभौ

         गोकर्णः पण्टितौ ज्ञानी दुन्धुकारी महाखलः  ll  “

“  ll   स्नानशौचकृयाहीनो दुर्भक्षी क्रोधसंयुतः

         दुष्परिग्रहकर्त्ता च शवहस्तेन भोजनंलल  ll 

 “  ll  तिलधेनुर्ग्गजो वाजी प्रेतान्नमजिनं मणिः

         सुरभिः सुयमाना च दुष्टाः सप्त परिग्रहाः  ll  “

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“  ll  तेन वेश्याप्रसङ्गेन पित्रं वित्तं तु नाशितम्

        एकदा पितरौ ताड्य पात्राणि स्वयमाहरत्  ll  “

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There are more Stanzas about the character and conduct of DUNDUKAARI. However, GOKARNA grew up as a man who had knowledge and wisdom.

“  ll तदानीं तु समागत्या गोकर्णो ज्ञानासंयुतः............”

When ATHMADEVA was thinking of committing suicide thinking about the bad habbits of his son, his actual son born to the cow (GOKARNA) who was highly knowledgable  came there and told him thus :- 

“  ll  धर्म्मं भजसः सततं त्यज लोकधर्म्मान्

        सेवसः साधुपुरुषान जहि कामत्रुष्णाम्

        अन्यस्य दोषगुणचिन्तनमाशु मुक्त्वा

        शैवीकथारसमहो नितरां पिब त्वम्  “  ll

Hearing these wise words of his SON, GOKARNA,  Readers  please do not think GOKARNA was not his SON.  In SMRUTHY it is told :

“  ll  अन्नदाता भयत्राता यश्चकनां प्रयच्छति विद्याप्रदो मन्त्रदश्च पञ्चैते पितर स्मृताः  ll

Hearing these wise words of his Son , Gokarna, ATHMADEVA left his house and became a SAINT and attained the PAADAS OF LORD. His SHRAADHA (श्राद्ध) was performed by GOKARNA.

DHUNDHULI, wife of ATMADEVA, could not bear the torture by her son, DUNDUKARI, and hence fell in the well and committed suicide.

“  ll  इति तद्वाक्या सन्त्रासाज्जनान्या पुत्रदुःखतः    

   कूपे  पातः कृतो रात्रौ तेन सा निधनं गता  ll  “

There is an inner meaning to the above lines. we can construe the meaning as she fell in HELL (नरक).  After the death of his mother DUNDUKAARI started living in the house with FIVE prostitutes. He was such an idiot to perform  such nasty things. 

Once, these prostitutes asked him to bring some gold ornaments.  He went and brought some ornaments and good clothes by committing theft.  The prostitutes during night thought that ‘if this person brings every day like this, he would be caught one day by the king .  Instead of that, why not we kill him during night and put in a pit and close it “. Thus thinking they killed him and dug a pit in the compound and put the dead body in it and closed it. Since he committed sin and was killed unnaturally, he became a ghost (प्रेत)  which is called MAHAA PRETHA .  In  MAHAA BHAAGAVATHA   it is said       “ ll  पान्थानागमं दृष्टवा भवेद्रौद्रवपुर्धरः असफुटार्त्थां वदन् वाचं महाप्रेतः स उच्चयते ll “.  Gokarna with an indent to perform SHRAADHA for the departed soul of his cousin “DUNDUKAARI” after performing it in several holy places came to his home place. Since he could not find any one there in his house he slept in the verandah.  Well knowing this DUNDUKAARI’s ghost came there taking different shapes like goat, oxen etc. and started threatening his cousin “GOKARNA”.  Seeing this and after gaining confidence, GOKARNA asked the GHOST as to who was he and why he was threatening all.  DHUNDUKAARI replied that he was his brother who has lost BRAHMATHVA “ ll  अहं भ्राता त्वदीयोऽस्मि दुन्धुकारीति नामतः स्वकीयेनैव दोषेण ब्रह्मत्वं नाशितं मया  ll  “ .  GOKARNA SAID THAT HE HAD DONE ALL TYPES OF SHRADHAS and how he was wandering without getting MUKTHI. (SALVATION).  For this , he replied that he had done so much of SINS and hence any amount of SHRAADHA canot get his salavation. Gokarna tried his best to find ou the remedy for the salvation of his cousin and asked LORD SUN who was the shape of VEDAS who told Gokana the the remedy is only by reading MAHA BHAAGAVATHA in SEVEN DAYS which should be heard by DUNDHUKAARI’S GHOST and taught him as to how MAHAA BHAAGAVTHA was to be read within seven days which was taught by BRAHMA DEVA to NARADA MUNI thus : ll  प्रथमेऽह्नि  वराहान्तं द्वितीये भरतान्तकं त्रितीये नृसिम्हान्तं चतुर्थे वंशवर्ण्णनं पञ्चमे गुरुलीलान्तं षष्ठे लीलासमापनं सप्तमे शुकपूजान्तं सप्ताहक्रम ईरितः  ll The meaning is that MAHAABHAAGAVATHA TO BE READ IN SAPTHAAHA KRAMA ( IN SEVEN DAYS ) IS ON THE FIRST DAY READ UPTO VARAAHAAVATHAARA, ON THE SECOND DAY UPTO BHARATHA STORY, THE THIRD DAY UPTO NARASIMHAAVATHAARA, ON THE FOURTH DAY UPTO VAMSA VARNANA, ON THE FIFTH DAY UPTO LORD KRISHNA’S GURUKULAVAASA, ON THE SIXTH DAY UPTO KRISHNA- LEELAASAMAAPTHI AND ON THE SEVENTH DAY UPTO POOJA TO SHRI. SHUKA MUNI.

Friends,  DUNDHUKAARI’S GHOST  heard MAHAA BHAAGAVATHA, narrated by his cousin GOKARNA in seven days and got SALVATION.

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