Contd: Chapter 2 – Srī Siddhendra Yogi and the Story of Vichitrapuram
“A merchant named Dhananjaya found the Shiva linga consecrated by Indra and informed the matter to the ruler of that region called Kula Sekhara Pāndya. Following the command of Shiva, Kula Sekhara Pāndya developed it and built a town there. He named the town as Madhura. The Vegavati River, which is born out of the matted hair of Shiva, is sanctifying Madhura town. His son Malaya Dhwaja Pāndya conducted a sacrifice called putrakamesti[1] for obtaining progeny. From the altar of that sacrifice, a three-year-old baby girl emerged as one not born out of womb. She is Mīnakshi Devi. She married Sundareswara. Maha Vishnu Himself participated in the ritual of offering the bride to the bridegroom and organised the divine marriage of Mīnakshi and Sundareswara on a very grand scale.”
Srī Siddha Yogindra had added, “My son Shankar Bhatt, vibrations emanate from every article in the Creation. On account of these variegated vibrations, attraction and repulsion take place with other things. In the gross, subtle and mortal (fleshy) bodies, good vibrations due to good deeds and bad vibrations due to sinful acts arise. On account of a meritorious virtue, the desire for meeting pious persons, visiting holy places and an interest in righteous deeds will increase. Thereby, the virtuous merit gets enhanced. Unless that virtue increases and sin diminishes, we cannot have a steady devotion towards Lord Datta. A variety of incidents happen owing to time, accumulated merit or demerit or other causes. You could come here only on account of Srīvallabha’s boundless compassion on you.
“Dhananjaya, the merchant who gave information to Kula Sekhara Pāndya about the Shiva lingam installed by Indra, acquired great merit. As a consequence of that merit, he was born as Kusuma Sresthi, the king of Brihat Sila Nagaram[2], and got Jaganmatha[3] as his daughter. Virupāksha, with the amsa[4] of Nandiswar[5], was born to Kusuma Sresthi couple as the brother of Ambika. Srī Lord Datta kept an amsa of Him in Virupāksha. According to the word given by Her, Ambika, she took birth in Brihat Sila Nagaram and the name Vasavī[6]. Only jnanis[7] know that Srī Vasavī Kanyaka Parameswari was Ambika Herself and that Srīpāda Srīvallabha, the embodied Dattatreya, was Lord Narayana Himself.
“On the full moon day in the month of Sravana[8], Ambika will tie a raksha bandhan[9] to Srīpāda Srīvallabha. This is a divine secret. It is not to be revealed to ordinary people. I revealed this to you only on the order of Srīvallabha. On that day, if anyone has dārshan of the deities in the temples of Ambika or in Datta kshetras, he or she will get the fruit of special merit. Shiva and Keshava[10] are not different. If anyone sees them differently, they will get the fruit of sin. On the day of Ekadasi[11], all sins will be tagged on to food. If one fasts on that day and gives food to a good Brahmin on the next day (Dwadasi[12]) one gets merit. He gets the highest merit if he fasts on Dwadasi day also and then gives food. Along with getting merit, his sins will also get destroyed. If one fasts on Ekadasi, gives food to a suitable Brahmin and also takes food himself on the next day, he will get average fruit. He will get merit, but his sins will not be destroyed. If one fasts on Ekadasi day and takes food himself on Dwadasi without also giving food to a suitable Brahmin, then he will get the lowest fruit. He will get only the minimum merit. Sin will not be destroyed.”
In what way can I describe the speciality of the fruit of my merit? I questioned Srī Siddhendra yogi like this. “Maha Prabhu, what was the reason for Ambika to take the name Vasavī? Whom did she give this promise and why did she become Vasavī Kanyaka Parameswari like this? Please show grace on me and reveal this to me.”
Srī Siddha Yogindra smiled to my prayer. He said, “My dear, I realize that you have a great interest in listening to the words related to jnana. There is a restriction that divine secrets should be revealed only to those who are inquisitive, qualified and suitable. We should not reveal these to unsuitable, argumentative people and atheists. Blaming divine secrets and divine plays becomes the reason for acquiring sin.
“Srimannarayana has another name, Upendra[13]. Once Indra asked Srimannarayana, ‘Swamī, because you have the name Upendra, you have become my brother. In that case, Ambika should also become my sister. She should also have a name which reminds my name.’ Srimannarayana smiled and said, ‘Yes, your argument has a good reason. You put this question to Ambika Herself.”
“As time passed, gods killed demons and became arrogant. The time had come to destroy their pride. Ambika took the form of a yaksha[14]. When Vayu deva[15] reached there, the yaksha put a small blade of grass there and asked him to move it. Vayu deva could not move it. Similarly, Agni[16] could not burn it. In this way, the gods became humiliated. But Devendra[17] could recognize that it was not yaksha but the Para tatwam[18] itself. Because Devendra could recognize the Para tatwam, he became great. So, he got the name of Indra. That Para tatwam took the form of Ambika. Indra praised Her with many verses[19]. Pleased with that, Ambika gave a boon to Indra that she would manifest Herself in Kali Yuga in Brihat Sila Nagaram and take the name of Vasavī which would remind Indra’s name Vasava. In accordance with that boon, She manifested as Vasavī Kanyaka Prameswari. My dear, every small incident happens in accordance with time, effect of karma and a reason. Divine plays cannot be predicted. They cannot be comprehended. Before Srimannarayana took birth to Devaki and Vasudeva as Srī Krishna, Ambika manifested as yoga māya8. When Kamsa tried to kill her, she took to the sky with a divine form. In Srī Krishna avatar, the Lord could not get the affection of maternal uncles. But he will get that affection in the avatar of Srīpāda Srīvallabha. If anybody worships Srīvallabha thinking that He is his child, Srīpāda Srīvallabha will be moving incognito in his house as a small child.
If somebody worships Vasvī Kanyaka Parameswari thinking that She is their child and shows affectionate devotion, She will be moving incognito as the divine child in their house. Disciples[2] having pure hearts will hear melodiously the sound of Her anklets. This is the absolute truth in Kali Yuga. There should not be any doubt.
“Now, you take rest. Always remember the name of Srīpāda Srīvallabha. The sins acquired in many births will be burnt out. You could come here because of the endless grace of Srīpāda Srīvallabha on you.” Thus saying, Srī Siddha Yogindra blessed me. Because I was tired, I slept deeply.
I was wondering at my extreme fortune and becoming excited in my mind. I was eager to reach Kuruvapuram quickly and I decided not to leave the holy feet of Srīvallabha.
When I woke up the next morning I was subjected to amazement and astonishment because I was lying at the base of an audumbara tree[22] on a hillock. There was no movement of people in the surroundings. Was my stay during night in the hermitage of Srī Siddhendra Yogi merely a hallucination? Was Srī Siddhendra Yogi a cheat? A magician? Or a devil? Such doubts crept in my mind. The words of Srī Siddha Yogindra about Lord Srī Datta were resounding in my ears. I wondered as to what use it would be for Srīpāda Srīvallabha to keep me in such a predicament. Many thoughts were crossing in my mind. I collected my belongings and resumed my journey.
Word References
[1] A sacrifice upon the advice of a sage to obtain a male progenitor
[2] Today the town of Penugonda
[3] The Mother of the World
[4] Part, a part of God that has descended and taken to form; an avatar is a complete descent
[5] Nandi, the bull, the vehicle of Shiva, his guardian and servant; Nandiswar: Nandi and Ishvara together as a unit
[6] Literally: Treasure, a name of Ambika, wealth
[7] Sages
[8] 5th month of the Indian year, beginning at the end of July and ending in the 3rd week of August
[9] A friendship thread tied at Raksha Bandhan around the wrist of a brother or a sister; Raksha Bandhan is an Indian festival where the love and duties between brothers and sisters are celebrated, also between similar, biologically unrelated relationships.
[10] Name for Vishnu
[11] 11th day of the Indian lunar calendar
[12] 12th day of the Indian lunar calendar
[13] Younger brother of Indra, the celestial king
[14] A class of supernatural of beings who have higher powers; in the Indian scriptures, God frequently appears as a yaksha to test the morals of humans. They also guard hidden treasures.
[15] God of Wind
[16] God of Fire
[17] A name of Indra
[18] The highest truth; the best of essences
[19] Here: Stotras
[20] Power of Yoga, which brings forth super-natural phenomena
[21] Here: Sadhakas
[22] Very sacred Indian fig tree (Ficus racemosa); the audumbara tree is seen to carry the energy of Jupiter, the guru vibration, causing extension of consciousness
Video of Part 1 Chapter 2 of Srī Siddhendra Yogi and the Story of Vichitrapuram – Sripada Srivallabha Charitramrutam (English)
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Video of Part 1 Chapter 2 of Srī Siddhendra Yogi and the Story of Vichitrapuram – Sripada Srivallabha Charitramrutam (Telugu)
Video of Part 1 Chapter 2 of Srī Siddhendra Yogi and the Story of Vichitrapuram – Sripada Srivallabha Charitramrutam (Tamil)
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