Mahabharata - Parikshit and Sushobhana

Parikshit and Sushobhana

Once upon a time there was a king called Pariskshit belonging to the Ikshaku dynasty of Ayodhya. He had gone for hunting. The deer whom he was chasing led him astray and he lost his way and was far away from the human habitat. He was extremely fatigued and afflicted with hunger and thirst and saw himself in a dense forest devoid of any human habitation. In that forest he came across a vast lake of weet water. Being extremely thirsty, he took a bath, drank water, unharnessed his horse to give it good grass and water and took some rest. While resting he heard a sweet music and being curious about it he searched and found a very beautiful lady who was singing while gathering flowers. The king was fascinated by her beauty and without much enquiry asked for her hand in marriage. The lady consented upon one condition, that the king would never show her any water. The king agreed and they got married and had a great time together. In the meanwhile king's soldiers came to that spot searching for him and by seeing him along with the beautiful lady, they were delighted and too both of them back to the capital. After coming back to the palace the king forgot all his duties and remained with the fair lady day and night. Nobody could meet the king and all royal duties came to a standstill. At this the minster became very anxious and he enquired the king's companions the reason for king ignoring his duties. The companions told him that the king is married to a beautiful lady and made a pledge before her that he would never show her water and he was busy in her company day and night. At this the minister formed an idea. He caused an artificial forest to be created near the royal palace and also built a tank full of sweet water in one corner and covered it with a net of pearl to keep it hidden. Then he told the king that the king could roam around delightfully with his queen in that beautifu forest. The king accordingly took the queen out and sported with her. After a while he got tired and thirsty and discovered the tank. He sat beside the tank and told his wife to take a plunge in it, quite forgetting his pledge. At this the fair lady took a plunge in the water but never came back. At this the king was extremely sad and he ordered the water of the tank to be drawn out to make it empty, in the hope of discovering his love. However when all the water was drawn out he could see nothing but a frog near a water hole. At this the king was enraged and said that the frog must have killed his wife. Therefore all frogs should be exterminated. He ordered in wrath that nobody should visit him without giving him a tribute of dead frogs killed by that person. Soon there began a terrible slaughter of frogs in his kingdom and all the frogs became very much afraid and went to their king. The king of frogs became very sad seeing his subjects getting killed, transformed himself into an ascetic and came to meet the king Parikshit. He told Parikshit that it was not proper for him to kill innocent frogs. Parikshit told him that a frog killed his wife and he must kill them to avenge her death. At this the frog king said that he was the king of frogs and that his name was Ayu. The king had actually married his daughter Sushobhana, who was that beautiful maiden. She had played a prank with him, as she had done earlier with several kings. The king then requested him to giver his daughter in marriage to him, to which the frog king consented. However the frog king was very angry with his daughter as because of him so many innocent frogs had died and so many kings were deceived by her. He cursed her saying that her sons would not respect or obey Brahmins and thereby incur great unpleasantness. Sushobhana married Parikshit and had three sons by the names of Sala, Dala and Vala.

Mahabharata - Story of the Four Yugas

Story of the Four Yugas

In Krita or Satya age, Truth and morality prevailed. Everybody was pure and virtuous and nothing bad or evil could happen. Dharma or the ethics was like a cow with four legs. In the Treta age there was one leg of unrighteousness and therefore vices came into being. In Dwapara, virtue and vice were both in equal measures. In the Kali age, virtue was only one fourth while vice reigned supreme. Period of life, strength, intellect and size of men as well as their energy decreases in every age, being of the highest in Krita age. In Kali age men behave deceitfully towards fellow beings. Truth and morality decreases and hence the lifespan of man is short. Therefore they do not acquire knowledge and are bereft of all wisdom. They are ruled by greed, lust, anger, jealousies, hatred towards fellow human beings and calamity befalls them repeatedly. The four orders do not adhere to their prescribed duties and esp. Brahmins are much fallen and degenerated to the level of Sudras. Men will appropriate what belongs to others. They will do all such activities that are strictly forbidden in scriptures. The behaviors of Melcchas (one who are devoid of the Vedas) will become the norm and all sacrifices cease to exist. Along with them all joys and happiness will go away and misery will reign. The Kshatriyas, instead of performing their duties (of upholding virtue through chastisement) will contribute towards an increase in disharmony and discord through constant warfares. Instead of protecting then honest and virtuous they will like plunderers rob them of their weath, wives and possessions. Men who betray the truth and are immoral will appear as men of learning while true men of learning will not get any attention. Cowards will be considered brave while real bravehearts will perish unsung. All men will behave like Sudras and towards the end of the Yuga all virtues will disappear. The householders, husbands, wives, sons, daughters will forget their duties and will always break all scriptural injunctions of a virtuous life, by being immoral and corrupt. Religion will be only in symbols and people will falsely try to appear as religious. Malice and hatred will fill the earth. There will be famines and earthquakes and all sorts of natural calamities in consequence of the evil deeds of mankind. Men will become cruel, selfish and devoid of all compassion. Kings will levy oppressive taxes and subjects will perish without protection. They will destroy trees, gardens and other natural resources. When men thus begin to slay each other, take their possessions, when the good are very few and unprotected, when evil reigns supreme, the Yuga will come to an end. All kinds of unnatural things will happen and clouds will rain incessantly. Disciples will not listen to gurus and Sudras will rule over Brahmins. Men of learning and wisdom will have to fear for their lives and there will be no distinction (on the basis of knowledge, piousness, wisdom and merit). People will only covet after wealth and sinfully indulge in lust and sense pleasures. Crops will not grow and men will perish like insects. Men will leave their own country and migrate to others in search of food and livelihood. When such is the state of affair of all living beings, creation will begin anew. When the planetary conjunctions are auspicious, Krita yuga will begin once again and prosperity, health and abundance will once again return on earth. About this time will be born the divine Kalki. He will be born in the small village called Sambhala. He will be ever devoted to virtue and will get everything needed to bring about the transformation. He will destroy all evil and restore peace and harmony. After exterminating the Mlecchas, i.e. people of vulgar behavior, Kalki, in a great horse sacrifice will give away the earth to the Brahmins. Countries of the earth, one after another will be subjugated by him.  When sin is thus rooted out and virtue flourishes, Krita age will set in. Brahmins will become true Brahmins devoted to truth, penance, sacrifices and ever possessed of wisdom and all other orders will follow their course. Peace and prosperity will rule all over the earth.

Mahabharata - Story of Sage Markandeya

Story of Sage Markandeya

After the pralaya or the universal dissolution, Marakandeya alone, with a heavy heart by seeing the destruction and dissolution, roams around over that vast mass of water. Wandering over that huge expanse of water he became fatigued but could see no resting place. Then he came across a gigantic banyan tree. On one branch of the tree there was a conch and a beautiful celestial bed on which was seated a beautiful boy of tender age. At this sight the sage was filled with wonder and he began to think within himself as to wherefrom this boy came. Although the sage was aware of the past, present and future, he could not ascertain anything about the boy. The boy had the mark of Sreevatsa and had eyes as large as petals of lotus and hue of the atasi flower. Seeing the sage the boy told him that he was fatigued after exertion and hence he was invited to take rest within him. The boy opened his mouth and sage Markendeya entered in that mouth as if driven by an irresistible urge. Inside he beheld with wonder all the sights of the very earth before its destruction, as if nothing had changed. He saw the rivers, Ganga, Yamuna, Sarswati, Sindhu, chandrabhaga, Satadru, Godavari and others, he saw kingdoms and cities and villages, the mighty oceans full of sea creatures, the mountains Himalayas and Vindhyas, the Brahmins engaged in sacrifices, Kshatriyas in governing, Vaishyas in trade and agriculture and Sudras in serving. Markandeya became very surprised. He could not ascertain as to how it was possible to have the whole of universe within that child and that too in the form that he saw before the universal dissolution. He saw all animals and the forests, he even saw all the gods with their chief Indra, he also saw the asuras. He dwelt in that body for many years but could never find the end of the universe or of that body. Then humility developed in him and he sought the protection of that divine being. Then when his mind had become purified and tranquil and his anxiety got dispelled through devotion, he suddenly found himself ejected from that body through the mouth. Then he found himself once again on that same branch of the same banyan tree with that young child with sreevatsa mark (of Vishnu), attired in yellow robes. The boy then spoke to the sage saying that, "Oh Markandeya, take some rest, for you have been tired of living in my body." At these words of the boy the cloud of ignorance got dispelled and Markandeya realized at once the divine illusion and got emancipated from the world or samsara. He developed the supreme knowledge and also supreme devotion. He approached that divine boy with reverence and worshipped Him mentally. He wished to know from the divine boy the meaning of the illusion that he saw. The divine boy, who was in reality Vishnu, said that even gods do not know Him properly. He is called Narayana because when the entire universe is submerged in water (causal state or the state where everythings dissolves), Vishnu stays and hence He is called Narayana (Nara - water, ayana - home). He is the source of all things. he is the creator, the preserver and destroyer. Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva are really the same Supreme Being, the eternal Vishnu who is beyond all space and time. All gods including their chief Indra reside in Him. Vedas and all knowledge originate from Him. He is the originator and also the recipient of all sacrifices. He is the force that holds the earth and all the planets, He is the energy that pervades the universe. He is there in all human beings and He has become Brahmins, Kshatriyas, Vaisyas and Shudras, the four orders. He is also the all destroyer flame called Samvartaka. The sun, moon, stars, oceans and all other living and non living objects constitute His great body called Virata. He is really the cause behind everything, all actions. It is His will that is driving this universe, not human will. At times when virtue and morality decreases and sins increase, He appears in new forms for establishing righteousness, for the sake of good and His devotees. When foremost rakshasas and demons take birth on earth, He also takes birth in virtuous homes for exterminating the evil and for reestablishing virtue. There are four ages in which the Lord assumes four different hues, like white (purity) in Krita or Satya, yellow (some purity and some impure action in Treta), red (mostly impure action like wars) in Dwapar and black (darkness, tamas, impurity and inaction) in Kali age. At the end of ages He appears like Rudra, the destroyer. He is the cause of existence of all objects, in Him exists all and in Him returns all at the time of dissolution. One of His innumerable forms is that of divine Vishnu with the conch shell, discuss (Sudarshana), mace and lotus. At the time of universal dissolution when Brahma goes to sleep, Vishnu, taking the form of a little boy stays in that gigantic banyan tree created by His illusion. In Him rests the entire universe. The universe with its immovable and movable objects and creatures remain in seed form within Him, just as the mighty banyan tree is in a tiny seed that sprouts in time. The divine Vishnu then told the rishi to stay with Him as long as Brahma was sleeping. Once Brahma was awakened , the creation would begin all over again.

Mahabharata - Story of Pralaya

Story of Pralaya - the great destruction and dissolution

Markendeya was a sage who had the rare fortune of being immortal. He could see the different ages and their dissolution and upon questioned by Yudhisthira on the same, he narrated his experience. Krita or Satya Yuga, the first after creation, is of four thousand and eight hundred years in duration. The Treta is three thousand six hundred, Dwapara is two thousand four hundred and Kali is one thousand and two hundred years long. After Kali ends, Krita comes again. A cycle of Yugas is twelve thousand years in duration. a thousand such Yugas comprise of a day of Brahma. When the dissolution of the last yuga comes very near, people become addicted to falsehood and people generally do not follow the norms and dictum stipulated by the Vedas. There is unrighteousness everywhere and the Mlecchas rule the earth. There is a general decay of religion and piousness and unholiness and improper conduct prevails. Men become sinful and take recourse vices in trades and professions. People who are virtuous live in misery while those who are sinful live happily. Under such a circumstance men becomes short lived and evil reigns. This is the time when universal dissolution comes forth.

At first there is a drought that extends for many years. Then men and creatures perish by thousands on the wayside, and famines dwindle the population. Then seven blazing suns appear on the horizon, sucking up all the water from the rivers and seas. Every thing is reduced to ashes by the heat. All the greenery dries up. Then the fire called Samvartaka, propelled by the winds, appear and consumes everything, even the nether regions. Then there arise in the sky large masses of clouds, monstrous in appearance, with terrible lightnings.  They then pour rain over the earth. The rain soon floods the entire surface of the earth. When the entire world is thus flooded, no movable or immovable creatures or beings can remain alive, even gods, yakshas, rakshashas, asuras, nagas, all are destroyed. The trees, plants, mountains all disappear and the first cause of everything, the creator Lord Brahma, goes to sleep.