Rahu - A prelude to Kurma Avatar

By Sri Chiraan 2009/01/31 

Rahu was a demon, son of Simhika, he took penance or many years to obtain Amrut [nectar]. Bramha gave him the boon to obtain thus. Amrut gives one immortality. 

Once Sage Durvasa was giving a discourse on Lord’s supremacy. Indra was passing by, so the rishis listening to the discourse, made a garland and offered it to Indra as a mark of respect. Indra out of haughtiness, kept the garland on the Elephant [kumbhasthala]. As elephant  shook its head the garland fell down. Seeing the disrespect and carelessness of Indra, Durvasa cursed him to loose his opulence.

Immediately Demons took over the kingdom of swarga and Devatas lost their charm. All of them went to Kshirsagar and requested Narayana to end their plight. Narayana advised them, since their time is presently not favourable, they must make mends with Demons and get ready for great churning of the ocean together and share everything that comes out of it.

Devatas and Danavas agreed. To churn they chose the Mandar parvat. But none could lift it. So God effortlessly plucked it and summoned Garuda [Anantha], and he took it to the place of action. But again both Devatas and demons together tried to grip the Mandar parvat, but it slipped and fell on the earth and many got disabled and crippled under it. Again God with his left hand plucked it and placed it on Garuda, and also cured those crippled. Garuda with his wings held it for churning, but ocean could not be churned and it slipped to the bottom of the ocean.

Lord Narayana then took the form of the Tortoise [Kachchap] Kurma, held the mountain Mandar on its back, and brought it above the ocean and it stayed still supported on the Kurma. Narayana entered the mandar, devatas and demons to renew their strengths to churn the ocean with the Vasuki the snake offering the services as rope to churn the ocean with the golden Mandar.

Demons preferred to hold the face of the Vasuki as tail was inauspicious. But as the churning would commence, Vasuki breathed heavily and dispelled poison and fire though its mouth causing distress to Demons and Devatas at the tail were at ease. [Evil intentions bear always negative results and discomfort even if good choices are made, here though a face is more auspicious than tail, it turned out to be uneasy option].

While churning the deadly poison of KaalKuut emerged. This was very embodiment of Kali. By the boon of Bramha, it could not be even touched as it burnt heavily. Lord Vayu took it in his palm and in a Golden Vessel. He took a drop out of it, placed in his palm and rubbed it to reduce its potency, and then a small portion of it, placed on the tongue of Shiva, Shiva before it could reach his throat, fell unconscious, his Neck turned blue. [He was thus called NEELKANTH]. Lord Vayu drank the whole vessel full of poison and nothing happened as he digested it.

As the drop was being given to Shiva, a few droplets fell on the earth, as it was Kali himself, it spread rapidly and the poison assumed various forms of manifestations as serpents, wolfs, lions, and other poisonous creatures, and poisonous tribes of man eaters and cannibals. Many weapons of poisonous nature also emanated from it.

Lord Narayana placed his gracious palm on the Shiva,he got up, but unable bear heat of the poison, he chose to stay in the cold snow regions of Kailash near  Meru, but still his pain and heat was unbearable, thus he kept Ganga in his hair locks [Ganagadhar], still he could not relieve severe headache, thus he kept the Moon on his head. Yet to save himself from pain and swelling, he invited serpents round his neck to give soothing effect.

Churning continued a whole vessel of intoxicating Madya came up, Demons accepted it, and out came Uchhaishrava, Bali kept it for himself. Then came Airavat, it was given to Indra. Many Apsaras emanated they were all sent to Swarga. Then came Moon, Parija , Kamadhenu and Kalpavraksha, Kaustubha gem, Lord Narayana accepted it as a present from Bramha. Then came Indira Devi as Mahalakshmi, She adored the chest of Narayana as Srivatsa.

Then finally Lord Dhanvantari came up with a kamandalu and a vessel full of nectar [Amrut]. Rakshasas snatched it from HIM. God allowed it to be snatched. As one must commit crime to be punished, Demons transgressed the rule that everything must be shared ,thus were entitled to be punished. Demons started fighting amongst each other as Narayani the beautiful form of the Lord appeared.

Demons struck by her beauty handed over the pot of nectar to her distribute. Devatas and Demons sat in opposite rows and Mohini, poured the nectar to Devatas and just water to Demons. Here God betrayed Demons to validate the dictum according to the Dharma.

Dharmachhellam papajaneshu Dharma

Cheating evil people is akin to Dharma or One must not apply usual parameters of Dharma to sinners. One must pay back in the same terms as used by sinners.

But Rahu took his position between Sun and the Moon among the devatas. Lord put a drop in his palm [to honour the Bramha’s words]. But when alerted by Sun and moon, he slit of the throat of the Demon with his Sudarshan chakra. But by then the Nectar had already entered his neck. Thus his both head and the Body [headless kabandh] became immortal. Head became one of the navagraha's and the body is still in the Shubodh Sagar. Aspiring for things undeserving always results in disaster. Though Rahu aspired for Amrut but failed to obtain grace of Lord Narayana, he suffered. But vowed to avenge, thus time and again eclipses Sun and Moon, who suffer at the hands of Rahu owing to his immortality. Though Rahu’s head was severed by Narayana, just a mere touch of Amrut entitled him to survive. [What a greatness of Amrut the nectar]. 

Krishnarpana

5th House - Chiratputra Yoga [Vaman Avatar]

By Sri Chiraan 2009/01/20

• When ascendant lord and fifth lord are in shubha rashi and benefics and Jupier, Venus and Mercury are in fifth, one will have a son after many years of penance [chiratputra prapti].
• When Mars as lagnadhipati is exalted and Saturn, Sun is in eighth is aspected by benefics one will have offspring after many years of austerities.
• Benefics in lagna, malefics in 2nd and 3rd, fifth lord benefic placed in benefic rashi will give son in a old age after many prayers. 

King Bali was the son of Virochan [son of Prahlad], he had defeated Indra and occupied the three worlds. In those days all the yagnya done were accepted by Demons in Swarga, as Indra had fled. Seeing the plight of her son, Indra’s mother ADITI, decided to get him his kingdom back. She started praying to Lord Vishnu, for twelve years she performed PAYOVRATA. After 12 years of penance Lord Vishnu appeared, and gave her a boon that he would be born to her as VAMAN and get her son Indra his kingdom back.

After some time Vaman was born to Aditi and Kashyap, he was accorded jatakarma upanayan  etc. by Bramha himself. Then Lord Vaman proceeded to Bali’s Yagnya. As he kept his feet, entire earth trembled, and fire in the Yagnyashala extinguishes and Ritwij mantras misspelled. Seeing this Bali asked his Guru Shukracharya, what was the reason?

Shukracharya said Vaman is coming to take away your wealth and kingdom to give it back to Devatas, your oblations are hence not being accepted by Agni. Do not promise to give anything to Vaman. Bali says I cannot refuse alms to Lord or for that matter anyone during my yagnya.

Vaman appears before Bali, Bali welcomes Lord with arghya pada etc. He then pleads Hari to let know the purpose of his visit, Vaman asks for three steps Bhumi [land] dana. Bali agrees, So Vamana says if you have agreed then let the water from the kamandalu be poured onto my palm as promise. BALI prepares, but Shukracharya becomes tiny and obstructs the hole [mouth] of Kamandalu to prevent the fall of water. Vaman with a kusha [grass] clears the hole, Shukracharya loses his eye. He comes out and speed away to a distant land for penance. Water falls onto the palms of Hari.

Instantly the dwarf  Vamana takes on a huge form spanning entire universe [this form is known as Trivikram] and with one step spans the entire earth, and with another he reaches and covers the top edge of Bramhanda. There remains no space in the universe for the third step.

This is achintyadbhut shakti of Lord [making impossible possible] changing form from small dwarf Vaman to huge gigantic Trivikram is an impossible task, as change of mass and density in time cannot be instantaneous for material bodies. But Lord exhibits this quality instantly, As his foot reaches the edge of Bramhanda, his toes nail pierces the Bramhanda Kharpar. Outside Bramhanda is a layer of Shudhodaka [the original water "Apa" one of the 24 mool tatvas, not the water on the earth which is panchabhutamaya  "toyam" ]. This water as it touches, adorns [washes is not a right word] Lord’s lotus foot, it acquires the name of Haripadodaka [in temples, teertha is nothing but water that sweeps through God’s idol and collects at the feet, this is very sacred everyone takes it with reverence as it is sanctified by touch of Lord’s feet].

Here this water is touching not the idol but the Lord himself [Hari -> Lord, Pada-> feet, Udaka -> water] thus this is Haripadodaka, and is more important and sacred, shreshtha, it flows like a river into Bramhanda, Chaturmukha Bramha realising the opportunity to accept this, extends his kamandalu and collects the entire water, rest flows into the swarga as GANGA. If ordinary teertha in temples can wash off sins, then Ganga can assuredly can cleanse one of Sins as Ganga is very sacred because it has come from the feet of the Lord. But it was all in swarga [before Bali there was no ganga in universe]. Afterwards it came to earth only when Bhagirath brought it through penance.

So there was no space left for third step, those who fail in fulfilling promise, Varuna captivates them, thus Bali was tied down by Varun Pasha. Bali offers his head as the third step, Lord steps onto his head forcing him to Patala, and gives back the Kingdom to Indra and other devatas, killing all the demons.

Why did Lord not Kill Bali? Usually We hear Rakshasas troubling Devatas and Vishnu appearing and killing the Demon. But in this case Vishnu appeared to ask dana, he did not uses Danda neeti. Why?

Because Bali was Grandson of Prahalad. Prahalad never asked a boon in his life to the Lord. But Lord insisted to ask a Boon. Prahalad after much pursuing by Lord to ask for a boon asked Oh my Lord Narsimha let my offspring's never hurt or insult any Bramhin in their lives, and I ask your devotion to all  my offspring's and my father [whom you have killed now], for Rakshasa as we are, they are bound to commit some mistakes. You [the Lord] forgives all the mistakes of devotee except hurt or insult to a bramhin. [Thus he ensured his offspring's be saved from being killed by Lord]

Having given this Boon to Prahalad, Lord never killed Bali or Banasur etc. Instead personally  protected him in Patala and Promised him the seat of Indra in the next Manvantara.

Krishnarpanamastu