Durvasa pronounces a curse on Indra
Narada said—О lord, MahalaksmI who happens to be the beloved of Narayana, the best of the lord, resides in Vaikuntha. MahalaksmI too is the supreme goddess of Vaikuntha and eternal but how could she be bom on earth as the daughter of Sindhu. You kindly let me know her dhyanam, kavaca and the method of her adoration?
Who adored her first of all offering prayers, you kindly tell me.
Narayana said—О Narada, in the earlier times, the glory of Indra was lost as a result of a curse pronounced by him on Durvasa. Because of that the gods and the people on earth, were also deprived of their glory.
О Narada, Lakshmi then felt disturbed because of the anger of the sage and leaving the heaven she reached Vaikuntha and got herself merged in Mahalaksmi.
At that point of time the grieved gods went to Brahma and all of them proceeded on to Vaikunt ha. Reaching there, they sought the protection of lord Narayana who mostly remains scheduled. At that point of lime all the gods were filled with grief and with humility, their throats, the lips and tongues had dried up.
Thereafter Lakshmi from one of her rays was born as the daughter of Sindhu, who was like the fortune of Indra. She had already been ordained by lord Narayana in this regard. Thereafter the gods accompanied by the demons, churned the ocean as a result of which they could have an audience with LaksmI and also received boons from her.
Thereafter Lakshmi was pleased and granted the gods a boon. She then placing a garland of forest flowers around the neck of Lord Vishnu selected him as her husband.
After receiving the boon from the goddess, the gods also got back their kingdoms. All the gods then adored LaksmI, appropriately offering salutations ю her. This way all the gods were freed from all the miseries.
Narada said—In the earlier times the sage Durvasa possessing the divine knowledge pronounced a curse on Indra. What was the reason for it? О lord how did the gods chum the ocean. By reciting of which stotra, Indra pleased LaksmI having an audience with her and what was the subject of conversation between them you kindly tell me.
Narayana said—Once Indra the god of all the three worlds was enjoying the company of Rambha, intoxicated with the drinking of wine.
After enjoyment with her, that women had over-powered his mind and he was therefore indulging in the love-sport.
Perchance Durvasa, who, while going from Vaikuntha to Kailasa passed by that way. The sage possessed divine lustre and Indra looked at him from a distance.
Durvasa was having the lustre of thousands of rays of sun of the mid-day and was the great lord, besides having the glory of molten gold, beautiful matted locks of hair on the head, wearing yafiiopavlta and clothes, holding a staff and a Kamandalu. His forehead was painted with sandal-paste which looked like the crescent.
Thus the sage who was well-versed in the Vedic and post-Vedic literature, was accompanied by a number of his students. Finding them there, Indra offered his salutation to them bowing his head.
He with a delightful mind and with devotion offered prayers to the students of the sage. Thereafter the sage blessed him together with his pupils. He then handed over the Parijata flower to Indra which he had brought from Vaikuntha and looked quite charming. It relieved one of death, disease, old age and grief, providing the salvation.
But influenced by the illusion and becoming arrogant of his riches, Indra took that flower and placed it on the head of the elephant. With the touch of the flower, the elephant was turned into the form of Vishnu having the same beauty, virtues, lustre, age and glory like that of lord Vishnu.
О sage, the elephant at once left Indra and went to some other place in the dense forest and Indra with all his prowess could not prevent him from leaving the place.
Thereafter the best of the ascetics and the illustrious sage Durvasa felt enraged at the sight of Indra’s disowning the flower and placing it on the head of the elephant. In rage he pronounced a curse on Indra.
Durvasa said—By getting Lakshmi you have been intoxicated. Why are you insulting us by placing the flower given by me to you on the head of the elephant in pride? You are unaware that the offerings of the lord like flower, naivedya, fruit and water should be consumed at once as soon as it is received by anyone. By discarding it, one earns the sin of Brahmahatya. Therefore the one who throws away the auspicious naivedya of lord Visnu, is deprived of LaksmI and intelligence and falls from grace. The one who consumes the naivedya of lord Vishnu with devotion at once, redeems his hundred generations.
Thus the one who consumes the naivedya of Lord Vishnu daily with devotion offering prayers to him, becomes equal to Vishnu.
О foolish one, with the touch of wind of whose feet, the sacred places are purified and the dust from his feet purifies the entire universe. The food offered by a wicked woman, a widow, a Sudra and the food of sraddha besides the food which is not offered to lord Visnu, they are all useless like the meat and cannot be eaten.
But the food offered to Sivalinga, the food offered by a Brahmana who performed yajna for Sudras, the food offered by a physician Brahmana and also by the temple priest, the food offered by the one who sells his daughter or the food offered by anyone who lives in immorality, the cold and left-over food, the food left after eating, the food offered by a Brahmana who is the husband of a Stidra woman, the food of a Brahman who loads the bullocks, the food of a Brahmana who has received dlksd, the one who bums the dead bodies or and the one who cohabits with a degraded woman, the food offered by the one who betrays his friend, an ungrateful person, a betrayer of the faith, the Brahmana who gives false evidence, all such sinners are purified with the consuming of the naivedya of Lord Vishnu.
Not only this, even the sweeper who serves lord Visnu redeems crores of his generation, but a Brahmana who is deprived of devotion of lord Visnu is unable to protect himself. In case one consumes the naivedya of Visnu even by mistakche redeems seven of his generations.
There is no doubt about it. The one who consumes the naivedya of lord Visnu with devotion, is surely relieved of the sins of crores of his births.
Therefore, since you have thrown the flower on the head of elephant, Lakshmi will surely desert you returning to the abode of Lord Vishnu.
I am a devotee of Lord Narayana, therefore I am not afraid of Siva, Brahma, Kala, death and old age, what to speak of others.
I remain carefree even from the lord. Therefore your father Prajapati Kasyapa and the teacher Brhaspati are of no consequence for me.
The head on which this flower remains, will always be worshipped and it will be replace the head of the son of Siva whose head would be cut-off. The head of this elephant will be fixed on the human body.
On hearing this, indra was grieved and terrified at the same time. He then held the feet of sage Durvasa and started crying aloud.
Indra said—О lord, you have done well by pronouncing a curse on an arrogant person like me. In case you have deprived me of all my riches you kindly bestow some knowledge to me also.
Because the riches are the seeds for misfortune. Wealth is the means for achieving hidden wisdom, leads to obstruct the road to salvation, prevents in getting true devotion of the lord and causes birth, death, old age, disease, grief and trouble. The darkness of riches blinds a person who cannot lead himself to the path of salvation. О sage, the one who gets intoxicated with riches, loses his wisdom, consciousness and he becomes envious of his own relatives should they surround him.
A person possessing immense riches gets intoxicated with the same and indulges himself into all the worldly pleasures, remain anxious, passionate and courageous but never follows the virtuous path.
There are two types of person infested with rajas and tamas. Out of these the one possessing lamas is deprived of the knowledge of the Sastras but the one who is rajas possesses all the knowledge of the scriptures.
О best of the sages, there are two types of paths prescribed for the people in the scriptures. The first one is the path of indulgence and the other is of detachment.
The soul first of all follows the path of indulgence which is troublesome, devoid of pleasure and makes one to move at will.
This path of indulgence outwardly looks pleasant though it results into grief always, the greedy person mistakes pain for pleasure which leads to the misfortune in future. Therefore this path is considered to lead to the birth, death and old age.
The souls move into human bodies according to their actions. They continue moving in this way for a thousand years. Only a selected few achieve the devotion of lord Krsna and the company of the noble people, which results into the crossing of the ocean of the universe by the soul.
The noble people indicate the right path showing the lamp of sattva which results into redemption. Thereafter the soul tries to free itself from the worldly bondages. Then after performing the yogis practices for a number of births, by fasting, he achieves the road to salvation which bestows welfare.
Though I had heard from the mouth of my teacher all this, yet having been surrounded by the miseries of the universe, I could not question him further. At this time of misfortune, the destiny has bestowed the ocean of knowledge to me, this misfortune has provided me with immense treasure. Therefore, I am sure to be the ocean of knowledge and the compassionate one, now you bestow the knowledge by which I should be redeemed from the ocean of the universe.
On hearing these words of Indra, the teacher of the learned people was satisfied and with a smile on his face he started speaking.
Durvasa said—О Mahendra it is quite astonishing that you intend to witness your own welfare, since yourself are suddenly in trouble but which will ultimately lead you to pleasure. It relieves of the pains of birth and leads one to cross the difficult ocean of the universe.
This is the cause of the destruction of the tree on which the leaves of the actions sprout. It redeems everyone, increases patience and is the best of all the paths. The people enjoy pleasure by giving away in charity, by performing tapas, vratas and fasting and achieve heavenly pleasures.
Therefore one should be active in subjugating one’s desires which are the sole reason for the destruction. Because any deeds performed without definite resolve lead one to salvation; therefore such of the sattvika deeds as are performed without definite resolve should be offered to lord Krsna, as a result of which a person merges himself into the eternal Brahman.
For the worldly people this is described as salvation which is not desired by the Vaisnava people because they feel pain after having been deprived of the devotion of Lord Vishnu.
The Vaisnava people proceed to Goloka or Vaikuntha and. enjoy themselves after serving lord Visnu in divine form.
О Indra, they are deprived of the birth and redeem their own races. They are only desirous of serving the lord. Lord Visnu is adored by them daily; they recite his name, offer piija to him, serving at his feet, offer prayers, consume his naivedya while sipping the water with which the feet of the lord are washed. They recite his divine mantra which is the cause of salvation and is desired by all the people.
This is the knowledge which will enable one to overcome his death. This was received by me from Lord Siva himself. I am the pupil of Siva and by his grace I carelessly wander in the entire Universe.
He is the creator of the noble people, is a teacher and the best of the relatives, because it is he alone, who can bestow the devotion of lord Visnu in the three worlds. The one who leads a person to another path leaving the adoration of lord Krsna, surely meets with his end. Therefore, he becomes responsible for his killing and has to slay as Dhruva.
The recitation of the name of lord Krsna is the cause of the welfare of the world, besides being the welfare itself. By doing so, life never gets wasted. The Kala, the death, the diseases, grief and pain disappear with the recitation of his name as the serpent disappears at the sight of Garuda.
Irrespective of a Brahmana or a Candala whosoever recites the name of lord Krishna reach the Goloka after crossing Brahmaloka.
Brahma and other gods adore such people offering Madhuparka while offering prayers to them. Lord Siva achieves the essence of the knowledge and the essence of the Brahma and the essence of the great welfare and yogic practices only by serving at the feet of lord Krishna.
Everything from an insect to Brahma is all false and the name of lord Krsna alone is truth, eternal Brahman, beyond Prakrti, quite pleasant and bestower of the salvation, besides all the riches.
Though all the yogis, siddhas, yatls and tapasvl have to suffer for their deeds yet this does not apply to the person who engages himself in the service of Lord Narayana.
All his sins vanish like the dry wood thrown into the flames of fire which are reduced to ashes. All the ailments, sins, fears disappear and the messengers of Yama run away from the devotees of Vishnu.
A person remains captive in the prison of the universe till such time he is not educated by his teacher reciting the mantra of Lord Krishna to him.
Because they are the cause of destruction of the bondages created by the performing of deeds, destroyer of the illusion, the one which destroys the bondage of illusion, the step towards the Goloka, the seed for redemption, a form of the sprouting of the devotion, is always increasing, is eternal, the essence of all the tapas, recitation of the Vedas, bestower of the siddhis and the source of all the vratas.
О Indra, of all the types of charities performed, baths taken at holy places, the yajnas, adoration and fasting are based on the same. This has been ordained by Brahma himself.
Therefore by receiving the mantra of lord Krs na, a devotee of the lord redeems a lakh of his earlier generations from the maternal and paternal side, the father, the teacher, real brother, the wife, relatives, pupils, the servants, parents- in-law, daughter and her sons, the classmates, the wife of the teacher and his son are all redeemed.
By merely receiving the mantra one is relieved of the cycle of birth and by touching him all the sacred places are sanctified besides the earth. A person without dlksa for many births and achieving little merit for his devotion if he achieves the mantra of some other gods.
He serves the same gods for seven years as a result of which he receives the Surya-mantra.
That virtuous person adores the sun-gods for three births and then he receives the Ganesa- mantra which relieves one of all obstacles. After serving him up to three births, he is relieved of all the obstructions and with the grace of lord Ganesa, he receives the divine knowledge.
Thereafter the great intelligent person after thinking deeply using his knowledge, destroys the darkness of ignorance and serves Mahamaya, which is also called Prakrti, Visnumaya, remover of misfortune, Durga, Siddhiprada, Siddhisvarupa, the great SiddhiyoginI, Sarasvatl and Kamala beloved of lord Krsna he serves the goddess in various forms for a hundred births and with her grace, he achieves the divine knowledge. It is only then that he adores the blissful lord who happens to be lord Krsna, the lord of all knowledge, eternal, bestower of welfare, Siva and bestows all pleasures and salvation besides riches, etemalship and long life.
He is in a position to bestow the status of Indra on a man quite playfully. He also bestows kingship, eternal knowledge and the devotion of the lord. With the grace of Siva, who gets pleased in no time, he adores him for three births. Thereafter with the grace of lord Siva who is blissful and the bestower of the boons, he receives the devotion of Lord Krishna. With the devotion of the lord he also receives the mantra of Lord Krishna.
Thereafter such a truthful person achieves spotless knowledge right from Brahma to a straw, to whom the whole universe seems to be falsehood only. Thus with the grace of the merciful lord he achieves the spotless knowledge. Then Siva the bestower of the boon grants him the eternal devotion and he attains the supreme knowledge. The body which received the mantra, devotee of the lord remains on earth in the land of Bharata. Thereafter his soul departs from the human body of five elements and attains the divine body. With that divine body he serves the lord remaining in Goloka or Vaikuntha.
O Indra, he always enjoys eternal ecstasy, free from all the attachments. He is never reborn on earth again and does not suck milk from the breast of his mother. Because a devotee of Visnu, who serves at the holy places like Ganga, who follows with devotion his own dharma and the
Bhiksus are never reborn, besides those who perform all the rites, reciting the name of the lord. This has been ordained by Brahma who has described it to be the personal dharma, for the devotees of Visnu who recites his mantra and adore him, performing all the vratas and fasting, are called the personal dharma. The one who remains unmoved by good and bad food, treats gold and iron alike, treats all the people alike, is termed as a Samnyasl. The one who carries a staff, a kamandalu, wears saffron clothes, is always on фе move, never resides for long at one place, is also termed as a Samnyasl. The one who consumes the food from a noble Brahmana, is freed from the grief, is never desirous of anything, is called a Samnyasl. The one who does not resort to trading in anything nor does he make any place, is devoid of all the karmas and is always engrossed in meditation, is called a Samnyasl. The one who always keeps mum, remains away from all the worldly affairs and looks everything in the world as the form of Brahman, such a Brahmacarl is called a Samnyasl. The one who treats everyone with the same wisdom, is free from violence and illusion, is free from anger and pride is called a Samnyasl. The one who consumes the tasteless or untasteful food without begging, who never begs for food, is called a Samnyasl. The one who never looks at the face of the woman nor does he stay close to them and does not touch even a female image made of wood, is called a Samnyasi. This has been ordained by Brahma. In case one discards the dharma he has to suffer from the pains caused by the messengers of Yama. The pain of birth has been described as the greatest pain of Yama.
О Indra, thus, the gods, the pigs, the animals and small insects have to suffer equally the pain of birth. While in the mother’s womb all the creatures are reminded of all the actions of their previous births. But on coming out of the womb they forget everything because of the illusion of Lord Vishnu. Whether it is a god or a small insect, he protects his body with great care.
At the time of the implanting of a seed by a man in the womb of a woman, his blood is united with that of the woman.
With the increase in the blood the womb appears in the form of a mother and when it is reduced she appears like a father. At the time of conception during the even days one gets a son and by conceiving on the odd days one gets a daughter. If one conceives on Sunday, Tuesday and Thursday one gets a son and by conceiving on other days a daughter is born.
The child who is bom in the first prahara of the day, such a child has short life, the one who is bom in the second prahara, enjoys middle age and the one who is bom in the third or the fourth prahara he enjoys long life. The person enjoys pleasure and pain according to his previous karmas.
The moment during which a child is bom, he achieves vices and virtues according to the time of birth. This is the way intelligent people have described about the birth of a child.
After the accumulation of the menstruation and till the child is born, it goes on increasing daily. On the seventh day it develops into the size of Jujubi. In a month it increase in size further, during the third month it develops into a pinda devoid of hands and feet. Thereafter the foetus after the period of five months develop further with all the human limbs.
Life is generated in the child after the expiry of six months and it remains in a compact form lodged in the womb like a bird in a cave. Remaining in the unclean environment, the child has to live on the food taken by the mother. He cries in pain in the womb always reciting the name of the lord.
Similarly all the four months are spent bearing the pain and at the appropriate time pressed with the wind, the child comes out of the womb.
The illusion of lord Visnu which pervades everywhere over-powers the child which forgets all its past memories. Thereafter having been surrounded by the refuse and urine he crosses infancy and becomes a child.
Since he remains dependent, he is unable to drive away even the mosquito and other insects, which bite him making him to cry. While sucking the milk he is unable to express his desires because up to sometime he is unable even to express himself clearly.
Thus suffering variously during childhood, he becomes a youth. Infested with the illusion of Lord Vishnu he becomes helpless and is unable to remember the happenings of his past birth.
During those days, he engages himself in consuming food eaten by the mother, in the womb and he is over powered by illusion. When he is grown up and children are born to him, he engages himself in the love of the children and the wife, carefully bringing them up.
The people of the house respect him up to the time he is able to provide livelihood to them and when he is unable to feed them, they consider him like an old bull.
Thus when he grows further old he becomes deaf, suffers from ailments like cough and bronchitis and he becomes dependent totally on his relatives for food etc. At that stage he starts repenting on his past deeds further saying, “I never visited the holy places of the lord nor did I keep the company of the holy people or resorted to the reciting of the name of the Lord.
In case I am reborn in the land of Bharata and achieve the human form then I shall surely travel to the holy places and shall also recite the name of lord Krsna. О God, thus he remains thinking in his mind, when life departs out of his body and the terrific messengers of Yama arrive and carry him away.
Не looks at the messengers of Yama at that point of time who hold the bamboo staff in their hands, their eyes appear red with anger and have deformed bodies. Such messengers of Yama are quite powerful and horrible to look at. Their very sight is painful, they possess all the knowledge and becoming invisible remain at the spot.
At the sight of the messengers of Yama, the person on death bed releases refuse and urine in terror. Thereafter he discards from the human body the five elements. The messenger of Yama then captures the ethereal body of the size of a thumb and place it in the tiny body and then carry him on to the abode of Yama.
The soul then arrives in the abode of Yama where he looks at him. Yama is in the know of all the dharma, is seated on a gem-studded lion throne wearing a serene smile on his face.
The sole rights up the universe were entrusted to the god of death in earlier times by the creator, who is all knowledgeable, having faces on all sides and is of religious mind. He is clad m the costumes sanctified by god Agni and adorned with all the ornaments studded with gems. He is surrounded by his courtiers and three of the messengers. He holds a rosary of crystal beads in his bands and always recites the name of Krsna. His mind is always devoted at the feet of Lord Krishna and he becomes emotional often with pleasure.
At times his voice is choked because of his intensive love for Krsna with tears coming out of his eyes. He is quite beautiful and looks evenly on all sides. He is always youthful and illumines with his own lustre. He is pleasant to look at, is a wise person and maintains the lustre of the full moon. Citragupta stands besides him.
Yama is quite pleasant for the noble soul and is quite terrible for the sinners. At the sight of such a Yama, the soul bows in reverence to him and remains there getting terrified.
Thereafter in consultation with Citragupta, he gives the reward of the good or bad deeds of the persons. Thus because of the cycle of birth and death the souls never get freed, because the only way to escape the cycle of birth and death happens to be the service at the feet of Lord Krishпа. О son, thus I have explained to you everything. Now you asked for a boon, because I am competent enough to bestow everything and nothing is beyond me.
Mahendra said—О wish-fulfilling tree, О best of the sages I have already fallen from the position of Indra which was beneficial for me. Now these worldly pleasures are of no consequence for me. Therefore, you bestow the eternal position on me?
Listening to the words of Mahendra, Durvasa who was truthful and knew the essence of the Vedas, smiled and said.
Durvasa said—О Mahendra, it is quite difficult for the people who achieve the eternal position and indulge in all the worldly pleasures. It is impossible for a person like you to achieve salvation even at the time of dissolution.
As a person goes to sleep and then wakes up, similarly you people always emerge at the time of creation and disappear at the time of dissolution.
With the will of the lord, such people roam about in the universe like the potter’s wheel. Similarly the people who indulge in worldly pleasures keep on rotating.
As the sixty vipalas make a pala, sixty palas make a danda and two dandas make a muhUrta and thirty muhUrtas make a day and night, the wise people have declared fifteen days to be a fortnight. The month comprises of a bright and a dark fortnight. The Mathematicians describe a season comprising of two months, the three seasons make an Ayana or a half year and two Ayanas or two half years make a year. The human yugas comprise of forty three lakhs and thirty thousand years. The age of peoples comprises of twenty five thousand five hundred and sixty yugas as the age of Indra and Manu. Thus with the fall of ten lakhs and sixty thousand Indras, Brahma also has to fall and get merged into Prakrti. О son, the eye lid of lord Krsna drops at the same time during the time of dissolution. When he reopens his eyes the creation starts. The number of Brahmas, the creation of universe and the number of dissolution have not been prescribed in the Vedas, because they are immeasurable like the particles of dust. This has been described by lord Siva himself. All the gods do not achieve salvation.
Therefore О God, this is the form of creation and therefore you ask for any other boon except the same. О sage, on hearing these words of Durvasa, Indra the god of gods, was extremely surprised.
Indra then prayed for the restoration of his earlier glory. Durvasa said: you will surely get it in no time. Thus speaking the sage Durvasa went to his abode. Indra got the great knowledge but there can be no riches without misfortune.
