Tidbits (7)Who
Passed Through Narak While Going to Swarg?
Although
the most known name comes to the mind is of Yudhishthir, but there are
some more stories like that in our books :-
(1)
Yudhishthir
Everybody knows that Yudhishthir went to Swarg with this physical body.
When he was taken to Swarg, he didn't want to live in swarg withpout his
people, so Indra asked his messenger to take him to the place he wanted
to go. the messenger took him and came to Narak. Yudhishthir could not
tolerate the smell and the condition of Narak. He asked him, "How
far we have to like this and where are my brothers?" The messenger
said - "Our chief has ordered us to bring you up to here only, so
if you wish, you may return with us."
Since
Yudhishthir was not feeling good he got ready to return. as he returned,
he heard the voices - "Please stay for some more time, we are
feeling very comfortable while you are around." Yudhishthir thought
that he had heard these voices but he could not recognize them
immediately. He asked them, "Who are you and why are you
here?" They said, I am Bheem, I am Karn...". He could not
understand why Duryodhan was in Swarg and why his own people were here
in Narak. So he said to the messenger, "Go and tell your master,
that I am not going anywhere. I am living here with my own people."
The messenger returned. Within a moment Indra arrived there. The whole
scene disappeared and Indra and other Devataa took him to Swarg.
(Mahaabhaarat, Swargaarohan
Parv)
(2)
Maheerath
This story comes in 2Padm,
4-Paataal-21. In this story also, when king Maheerath was taken to Swarg
by Vishnu's messengers, he was taken through Hell. There also people got
relieved by feeling the air which was coming touching the king to them.
The king refused to move from there since he could not see them
suffering. But Vishnu's messengers told that he could not stay there as
he was a Punyavaan. But the king saw that the sinners were relieved by
his presence, so he refused to move from there. Later he donated his
Punya to them (see this story below - "Who donated their Punya to
others?")
(3) Janak
This story comes in
Padm Puraan,
4-Paataal-6. Jaabaali Rishi told this to Satyavaan - "At one time
King Janak left his body through Yog. A Divine Vimaan came and took him
to Swarg. As he he was passing Dharm Raaj's Sanyamanee Puree, the sinful
people living there started crying and said - "Please don't go from
here. Even the air which is coming through touching your body, is giving
us so much relief." The King thought, "if these people feel so
comfortable in my presence then I will live here only. This is the only
Swarg for me." So he stopped at the door of Narak.
At
the same time Yam Raaj came there to punish those sinners. He found King
Janak standing on the door of Narak. He said to him - "Punya souls do
not come here, how come that you are standing here? Go from here and
enjoy your Punya." Janak said - "I feel pity for these people. Even the
air which is flowing touching my body is giving them so much relief. If
you free them from Narak, then only I can go from here comfortably." Yam
Raaj said to him pointing to people - "All these sinners will have to
suffer for their sins and then only they will be freed from this place.
Therefore you go to your own Lok because you have earned a lot of Punya
(results of good actions)."
Janak asked - "Dharm Raaj, Please tell me how they can be uplifted from
this Narak?" Dharm Raaj said - "If you want them to be freed, then you
offer them your Punya. Which one? I tell you that. One day you meditated
upon Raghunaath and pronounced "Raam, Raam", give that Punya to them.
That will free them from this Narak."
Jaabaali said - "Thus Janak gave them all his Punya earned in his
lifetime to those sinners. As he did Sankalp of giving that Punya to
them, they all immediately got freed from that Narak. They all got
Divine bodies and said to Janak - "Because of you only we got freed from
this Narak and now we are going to Param Dhaam." When they all left,
Janak asked Dharm Raaj - "You said - "Only sinners come here, Punya
souls do not come here, then why did I come here? Tell me what sin I
committed?" Dharm Raaj said - "Raajan, You have earned a lot of Punya.
Nobody else on earth is as pious as you. Still you committed a sin
because of which you had to come here. Once a cow was grazing somewhere.
You created an obstacle in her grazing, this is the fruit of the same
sin. Now you are freed from that sin and your Punya has increased a lot
than before. Only the kind people like you feel concerned about others'
pain." And the King Janak went to Param Dhaam.
[It is not clear that which Janak was this, as
people know that Janak is not a name, it was a kind of surname, but all
were called Janak.]
Who Saw Narak
We have cited some incidents where
people passed Narak while going to Swarg. Here we write some incidents
where people have seen Narak and have come back from there to Prithvi.
(1) This incident is
from Padm
Puraan, 5/32. In reference to the glory of Maagh Snaan, Vashishth
Jee told this to the King Dileep - Mrigshring Rishi brought 4 girls to
life while they were dead. They went to take bath in Kaaveree River for
Maagh Snaan, that an elephant followed them and they ran so much that
they got tired and fell in a dry well which was covered with straws and
leaves and died. Mrigshring Muni came, worshipped Yam Raaj and when he
appeared and asked him to ask for a Var, he asked only their life which
he gave instantly. Then they told Yam Lok's description to their
parents.
(2) This incident is
also from
Padm Puraan, 5/33. In this incident Yam Raaj sends his messenger to
bring one Pushkar named Braahman who lived Nandi Graam. Now there were
two Pushkar Braahman in Nandi Graam. One was who was a great devotee of
Vishnu and did Maagh Snaan regularly and other one was an ordinary
Braahman. the messengers took the devotee Braahman to Yam Raaj by
mistake. Yam Raaj ordered his people to take him back to Earth. But
before going back to Prithvi, he requested Yam Raaj to show him Narak
where sinners suffered for their sins. Yam raaj showed him hundreds of
Narak. Innumerable people were crying there.
As he was standing
there, those people got some relief. Pushkar asked them if they did any
Punya in their previous lives. They said "No" and asked him to stand
there for some time more. Yam Raaj reminded him to go back to Prithvi
but he did not go. He told he would not go till they were crying. He
started reciting Vishnu's names and immediately they all become free
from their sins. Then he came back to Prithvi.
Who Donated
Their Punya to Others?
No
specific person comes to mind while thinking about this, but still there
are some stories in which people gave their Punya to others.
(1)
Yayaati's Four Grandsons
After his death Yayaati went to Swarg and there he misbehaved, so Indra
sent him down. While he was coming down, he wished that he should fall
among Rishi. He had four sons of his daughter Maadhavee who were doing
Yagya at one place. He fell there. When they saw their father coming
down, they got worried and thought how could they help him? Then they
decided to give him all their Punya. As they gave their Punya to him, he
start rising again and went to Swarg again.
(Mahaabhaarat)
(2)
Maheerath
When Maheerath arrived in Narak, he heard cries of sinners. As he
reached there, they felt a little comfortable, so he decided to stay
there near them so that they could be relieved of their pain. But
Vishnu's messengers told that he could not stay there as he did not
commit any sin. Then he decides to give them his Punya's fruits, so that
they can go to Swarg in his place. And he does so. He donated them his
one day Punya of Vaishaakh Maas and because of that their all sins were
destroyed and they went to Swrag.
(Padm
Puraan, 4/21)
Who Spread Vaishnav Dharm
The
following kings spread Vishnu's name in their kingdoms :--
(1)
King Yayaati
When Naarad Jee praised Yayaati, Indra got worried and he thought to
invite him to Swarg, so he sent a messenger with his Saarathee Maatali.
Yayaati talked to Maatali and decided not to go to Swarg, and preferred
rather to convert this Prithvi into Swarg. He sent his messengers all
over to follow his instructions that they should meditate only upon
Vishnu and be happy. Whoever will not follow his teachings he will be
considered as thief and will be punished. People started doing it and
they lived happily and did not go to Yam Lok. Even after living for 100,000 years he looked as
young as of a 25 years young man.
(Padm
Puraan, 2/11, p 286-310)
(2)
King Rukmaangad
This story comes in Naarad Puraan in reference to Ekaadashee fast. This
king was so much devotee of Vishnu that he regularly kept fast of
Ekaadashee, Vishnu's favorite day, and asked his public also to observe
the same. He used to declare it in his kingdom a day before that
"tomorrow is Ekaadashee, keep fast on this day". All people,
from the age of 8 years to 80 years, used o keep fast on that day. This
observance of fast resulted that nobody was going to Narak, and both Yam
Raaj and Chitragupt were soon out of job.
Yam
Raaj got so much worried seeing this, that he had to go to Brahmaa Jee
and do something about it, otherwise he would resign from his position.
Brahmaa Jee did something, but he could not move the king and his family
from his vow.
(Naarad
Puraan, 2/2, p 580-639)
(3) King Satyavaan
His story comes in Padm Puraan. When Raam sent His horse for Ashwamedh
Yagya, King of Tejpur, Satyavaan had ordered his people, from the age of
8 to 80 years, to observe Ekaadashee Vrat. He was such a devotee of
Vishnu that only by taking his name, people would be free from Brahm
Hatyaa sin.
[Padm
Puraan, 4/6, p 474]
(4)
King Surath
His story comes in Padm Puraan. When Raam sent His horse for Ashwamedh
Yagya, King Surath of Kundal city held him. He also spread Vaishnav
Dharm. All people listened to Raam's Kathaa daily and thus they did not
go to Yam Lok. Yam Raaj got worried seeing this, so he went to Surath in
a disguise of a Muni. Surath worshipped him and requested him to tell
him Raam's stories. But Yam Raaj tried to misguide him by suggesting to
follow Karm path. Surath got angry and asked his servants to expel him
out of his kingdom. Yam Raaj got very pleased seeing his Bhakti. Then
Surath asked the Var from him that he should not die until he sees Raam.
(Padm
Puraan, 4/9, p 503-504)
(5) King Muchukund
His story comes in Padm Puraan, that he used to announce in his kingdom
on Dashamee itself that nobody would eat food on next day, Ekaadashee
day. Even elephant, horses and other animals also did not eat grass,
then how human beings could eat food on that day?
[Padm
Puraan, 5/7]
Who Saw
Extraordinary Deer
It is really surprising that
appearing as an extraordinary deer is a common trick to -- people :-
(1)
Raam and Seetaa
The first and most common names that come to our mind are of course of
Seetaa and Raam. Seetaa saw the golden Mrig (deer) and sent Raam to
bring him for her. Surprisingly Raam also went to bring him to please
His dear wife. That deer was not really a deer, he was Maareech Raakshas
in disguise of the golden deer to move Raam and Lakshman from their hut,
so that Raavan could kidnap Seetaa.
(2)
King Yayaati
This name is unknown to most people in relation to seeing an
extraordinary deer in a forest. When Naarad Jee praised Yayaati, Indra got worried and he thought to
invite him to Swarg, so he sent a messenger with his Saarathee Maatali.
Yayaati talked to Maatali and decided not to go to Swarg, and preferred
rather to convert this Prithvi into Swarg. He sent his messengers all
over to follow his instructions that they should meditate only upon
Vishnu and be happy. Whoever will not follow his teachings he will be
considered as thief and will be punished. People started doing it and
they lived happily. Even after living for 100,000 years he looked as
young as of a 25 years young man.
This
worried Indra. After Maatali failed to bring Yayaatti to Swarg, he took
help of Kaam Dev to bring the king to Swarg. Kaam Dev succeeded in
forgetting his Dharm and sprouting the feelings of desires in his heart.
One day when he went to a forest for hunting, he saw an extraordinary
deer in the forest. He had four horns and was extraordinarily beautiful.
King followed him, and he took him far away (as Raam's deer took Him
away). This was a trick to get Yayaati into trouble so that he forgets
everything and comes to Swarg Lok.
(Padm
Puraan, Bhoomi Khand, p 302-303)
Who Loved
Animals and Were Born as Animals
Hindu religion
believes in rebirth, and that with whatever feelings one dies, he is
born again with the same. There are two examples of this
(1) Jad Bharat
--This king, got attached to a deer when he went to take bath, and a
she-deer died leaving her newborn baby. This king who was living in a
forest as a Sanyaasee, brought him to his Aashram and started taking
care of him. Gradually he got so much attached to him that when he died
he was thinking about that deer also. He was reborn as a deer. This
story comes in several Puraan - Vishnu Puraan, Bhagvat Puraan, Naarad
Puraan, and is very important Pauraanik story.
(2) Kunjal Parrot
This story comes in Padm
Puraan, Bhoomi Khand. This Kunjal parrot tells his previous life
account to Chyavan Rishi, that he was a Braahman. First he did not go to
any Guru so he did not have any Gyaan, later somehow he got it from a
Rishi. But then, a Braahman bought a parrot and gave it to him to make
him happy. Now he loved him very much because he used to talk very
sweetly, and forgot his Gyaan. One day some wild animal took him away
and ate it. That Braahman died in the same grief. That is why he was
born as Kunjal parrot.
Who Did 100
Ashwamedh Yagya
There are very few kings who have completed 100 Ashwamedh Yagya --
(1) Pururavaa ->
Aayu -> Nahush did 100 Ashwamedh Yagya and that is how he was
appointed Indra in his absence.
(Padm,
2-Bhoomi-11)
(2) Nahush's son
Yayaati also did 100 Ashwamedh Yagya. Indra was afraid from Yayaati
also, that is why he sent his Saarathee Maatali to bring him to Swarg;
and when he refused to go there, he had to send Kaam Dev to misguide
him.
(Padm,
2-Bhoomi-11)
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