Monday 19 August 2019

Parrot

This is a story from Padma puranam. Heroine is our little Sita Devi of Mithila. She was about seven years old and was playing with her friends in her beautiful garden. Then two green parrots came there and started singing beautifully. It was not mere chirping of parrots, but they were singing Ramayana story as if somebody had taught them. They sang that part of the story where Rama came to Mithila and married Sita by breaking Siva's bow. Songs of the parrots were very clear and sweet. Sita fell in love with those parrots and asked where they learnt this song and who was this Rama and Sita. They said they learnt it from Valmiki Maharshi himself because they stayed in the same forest. Then they explained that Sita is the little girl in front of them asking questions and charming Prince Rama would come one day to marry her.

Sita requested them to stay back so that she could listen to them everyday. Then the female parrot told Sita that she was pregnant and she would like to go back to her own forest and would come back after she delivered the children. But Sita could not resist the temptation of owning her and enjoying her sweet music and did not allow her to go. Female parrot was captured and was put in a beautiful cage. Sita told the female parrot: " I shall release you when that charming Rama you described come and marry me".

 Male parrot also begged Sita to free his wife, but Sita told him to come back later. This parrot who was pregnant was very sad to be separated from her beloved husband. She refused to eat and cried and cursed Sita, "Since you separated me from my beloved husband during  pregnancy, you also will have to experience the same fate" .

Having spoken thus the miserable female parrot uttered Rama naamam and died. Seeing this the male parrot was extremely sad and distressed and fell in to the Ganga and drowned himself. His last words were : "You killed my beautiful pregnant wife by separating her from me. I will take janma in Ayodhya and will cause your separation from your husband during your pregnancy".

Later Rama married Sita. Ravana kidnapped her and Rama defeated Ravana and brought her back to Ayodhya. This  male parrot was born as Krodhan, the washerman in Ayodhya  and because of  his harsh words Sita was exiled to the forest. Sita was pregnant at that time and she had to face separation from her husband living alone in the forest. Padma purana says that everybody has to experience the results of each and every karma we do. Either the results will be experienced in the same janma or in the subsequent janmaas.

Rama and Sita being Purusha and Prakrithi, acted as if they were going through the suffering to show us that karmaphalam will always follow karmam. This story tells us to be considerate to other fellow creatures' feelings and pain.

According to Njaanaananda Saraswathi Sukritham and Dushkritham are like bouncing balls. If we throw the ball of sukrutham, only the ball of sukrutham will bounce back. If we throw ball of Dushkrutham, only ball of dushkrutham will bounce back. But what about the balls of dushkruthum that we threw in the previous janmaas? We do not know how many balls we played with. Scriptures say, sankeerthanam and satsangam will change the direction of the ball of dushkrutham or at least lessen the force with which it will bounce back on us.

https://www.speakingtree.in/blog/retelling-ramayana-through-padma-purana

Friday 3 May 2019

Many Deity Forms

Text 60


sitam tatyaja rajendro
     vane lokapavadatah
aho satam api bhuvi
     bhavanam bhuri-duhkha-dam

     sitam—Sita; tatyaja—renouncing; raja—of kings; indrah—the king; vane—in the forest; loka—of the people; apavadatah—because of the criticism; ahah—ah; satam—of the saintly devotees; api—also; bhuvi—in the world; bhavanam—manifestation; bhuri—great; duhkha—pain; dam—giving.


     Then, because of the criticism of the ordinary people, Rama, the king of kings, abandoned Sita in the forest. Ah, this brought great pain to the saintly devotees in the world.


Text 61


yada yadakarod yajnam
     ramo rajiva-locanah
tada tada svarnamayim
     sitam kritva vidhanatah

     yada yada—whenever; akarot—performed; yajnam—a sacrifice; ramah—Rama; rajiva—lotus; locanah—eyed; tada—then; tada—then; svarnamayim—golden; sitam—Sita; kritva—making; vidhanatah—according to the rules of religion.


     Whenever he performed a yajna, lotus-eyed Rama, following the rules of religion, had made a golden Deity of Sita.


Text 62


yajna-sita-samuho 'bhun
     mandire raghavasya ca
tash chaitanya-ghana bhutva
     rantum ramam samagatah

     yajna-sita-samuhah—a multitude of these Deities; abhut—was; mandire—in the palace; raghavasya—of Rama; ca—and; tah—they; chaitanya-ghana bhutva—having come to life; rantum—to enjoy; ramam—to Rama; samagatah—went.


     In Rama's palace there were many of these yajna Deities of Sita. (One day) they came to life and approached Rama to enjoy (with Him).


Text 63


ta aha raghu-vamshendro
     naham grihnami he priyah
tadocus tah prema-para
     ramam dasharathatmajam

     tah—to them; aha—said; raghu-vamsha-indrah—the king of the Raghu dynasty; na—not; aham—I; grihnami—I accept; he—O; priyah—O beloveds; tada—then; ucuh—said; tah—they; prema-parah—full of love; ramam—to Rama; dasharatha—of Dasharatha; atmajam—the son.


     To them Rama, the king of the Raghu dynasty, said,  O beloved wives, I cannot accept you". Then, filled with love, they said to Rama, the son of Dasharatha, . . .


Text 64


katham casman na grihnasi
     bhajantir maithilih satih
ardhangi yajna-kaleshu
     satatam karya-sadhinih

     katham—why?; ca—and; asman—us; na—not; grihnasi—You accept; bhajantih—the worshiping; maithilih satih—chaste women of Mithila; ardha—half; angi—Your body; yajna—of the yajna; kaleshu—at the times; satatam—always; karya-sadhinih—performing duties with You.


 . . . "Why do You not accept us? We are all Sita, the chaste daughter of the king of Mithila. We are half of Your body. At the time of the yajnas we were Your assistants.


Text 65


dharmishöhas tvam shruti-dharo
     'dharmavad bhashase katham
karam grihitva tyajasi
     tatah papam avapsyasi

     dharmishöhah—religious; tvam—You; shruti-dharah—aware of the teachings of the Vedas; adharmavat—like an impious person; bhashase—You speak; katham—why?; karam—hand; grihitva—taking; tyajasi—You reject; tatah—then; papam—sin; avapsyasi—You will attain.


     "You are a pious person. You know the teaching of the Vedas. Why do You speak as one who is impious? First You take our hand and then You reject us. From this You will incur sin."


Text 66


shri-rama uvaca
samicinam vacah satyam
     yushmabhir gaditam ca me
eka-patni-vrato 'ham hi
     rajarshih sitayaikaya

     shri-ramah uvaca—Shri Rama said; samicinam—right; vacah—statement; satyam—truth; yushmabhih—by you; gaditam—said; ca—also; me—of Me; eka—one; patni—wife; vratah—vow; aham—I; hi—Indeed; raja—king; rishih—sage; sitaya—by Sita; ekaya—alone.


     Shri Rama said: Your words are right. What you say to Me is true. (Still,) I am religious king, and I have vowed to accept only Sita as My wife.


Text 67


tasmad yuyam dvaparante
     punye vrindavane vane
bhavishyatha karishyami
     yushmakam tu manoratham

     tasmat—therefore; yuyam—you; dvapara—of Dvapara-yuga; ante—at the end; punye—spiritual; vrindavane—in Vrindavana; vane—forest; bhavishyatha—you will be; karishyami—I will do; yushmakam—of you; tu—certainly; manoratham—the desire.


     Therefore at the end of Dvapara-yuga you will take birth in the spiritual land of Vrindavana, and there I will fulfill your desire.


Text 68


ta vraje 'pi bhavishyanti
     yajna-sitash ca gopikah
anyasam caiva gopinam
     lakshanam shrinu tad vidhe

     tsh—they;a vraje—in Vraja; api—and; bhavishyanti—will be; yajna-sitah—the yajn-sitas; ca—also; gopikah—gopis; anyasam—of other; ca—also; eva—indeed; gopinam—gopis; lakshanam—characteristics; shrinu—please hear; tat—that; vidhe—O Brahma.


     These yajna Deities of Sita will also become gopis in Vraja. Now hear, O Brahma, of the other gopis.

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