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Suta Puranika said to Bharadwaja Maha Muni, O' Bharadwaja! Let me tell you how Narasimha became Brahma and became engaged in the activity of the creation of the world. O vidvan! It is said, with utmost devotion, that the paternal grandfather of the world, known by the name Narayana, just came to be utpaannah. In his own reckoning his life span is for one hundred years. This is called ‘para’. Half of that is parardha. O sinless one, I told you about the time-form of Sri Maha Vishnu, by which you can know how time-measurements of all other beings are explained. 1 Nimisha = Is defined as the time taken to blink an eye 18 Nimishas = 1 Kasta 30 Kastas = 1 Kaala 3 Kaalas = 1 Muhurtam 30 Muhurtas = 1 Ahooratra (day and night) If we take day and night to be approximately 24 hours, 1 Muhurtam = 48 minutes 1 Kaala = 16 min 1 Kasta = 32 secs 1 Nimisha = 1.8 secs. 30 Ahooratras = 1 Maasa (1 month) Each Maasa has two Pakshas of 15 Ahooratras each. 6 Maasas = 1 Aayana viz., Dakshina Aayana and Uttara Aayana The Dakshina Aayana is the night of the devas and the Uttara Aayana is the day of the devas. 2 Aayanas = 1 Varsha 1 Maasa = 1 Ahooratra of the Pitras 1 Vatsara of Humans = 1 Ahooratra of the Vasus and others. Is is also called as a divine day and night. 1 divine year = 360 Human years. 1000 divine Varshas = 1 Yuga 12000 divine years = 1 Chaturyugam or also called as 1 Maha Yugam. 1 Chaturyugam consists of the following
A Chaturyugam has Kruta Yuga, Tretaa Yuga, Dvaapara Yuga and Kali Yuga. A thousand Chaturyugams is equal to 1 day of Brahma. There are 14 Manus in a day of brahma. The Saptarshis, Manus and Devas (Shakra and others) are destroyed at the same time. 71 and more caturyugas form a Manvantara, the period of the Saptarshis, Manus and Devas. Further more, Reckoning of time amongst the Pitṛs (ancestors): 1 human fortnight (15 days) = 1 day (light) or night of the Pitṛs 1 human month (30 days) = 1 day (light) and night of the Pitṛs 30 days of the Pitṛs = 1 month of the Pitṛs = (30 × 30 = 900 human days) 12 months of the Pitṛs = 1 year of the Pitṛs = (12 months of Pitṛs × 900 human days = 10800 human days) The lifespan of the Pitṛs is 100 years of the Pitṛs (= 36,000 Pitṛ days = 1,080,000 human days = 3000 human years) Reckoning of time for Brahma: 1000 Mahā-Yugas = 1 Kalpa = 1 day (day only) of Brahma (2 Kalpas constitute a day and night of Brahma, 8.64 billion human years) 30 days of Brahma = 1 month of Brahma (259.2 billion human years) 12 months of Brahma = 1 year of Brahma (3.1104 trillion human years) 50 years of Brahma = 1 Parārdha 2 parardhas = 100 years of Brahma = 1 Para = 1 Mahā-Kalpa (the lifespan of Brahma)(311.04 trillion human years) The cycle repeats itself, so altogether there are 1,000 cycles of Mahā-Yuga in one day of Brahma. One cycle of the above four Yugas is one Mahā-Yuga (4.32 million solar years) As is confirmed by the Gītā Śloka 8.17 "sahasra-yuga-paryantam ahar yad brahmaṇo viduḥ rātriṁ yuga-sahasrāntāṁ te 'ho-rātra-vido janāḥ", meaning, a day of brahma is of 1000 Mahā-Yuga. Thus a day of Brahma, Kalpa, is of duration: 4.32 billion solar years. Two Kalpas constitute a day and night (Adhi Sandhi) of Brahma A Manvatara consists of 71 Mahā-Yuga (306,720,000 solar years). Each Manvatara is ruled by a Manu. After each Manvatara follows one Saṃdhi Kalā of the same duration as a Kṛta Yuga (1,728,000 = 4 Caraṇa). (It is said that during a Saṃdhi Kalā, the entire earth is submerged in water.) A Kalpa consists of a period of 4.32 Billion solar years called followed by 14 Manvataras and Saṃdhi Kalas. A day of Brahma equals (14 times 71 Mahā-Yuga) + (15 × 4 Caraṇas) = 994 Mahā-Yuga + (15 * 4800) = 994 Mahā-Yuga + (72,000 years)[deva years] / 6 = 12,000[deva years] viz. one maha yuga. = 994 Mahā-Yuga + 6 Mahā-Yuga = 1,000 Mahā-Yuga Currently, 50 years of Brahma have elapsed and this is the first 'day' of the 51st year. This Brahma's day, Kalpa, is named as ShvetaVaraha Kalpa. Within this Day, six Manvantaras have already elapsed and this is the seventh Manavatara, named as – Vaivasvatha Manvantara (or Sraddhadeva Manavatara). Within the Vaivasvatha Manavantara, 27 Mahayugas (4 Yugas together is a Mahayuga), and the Krita, Treta and Dwapara Yugas of the 28th Mahayuga have elapsed. This Kaliyuga is in the 28th Mahayuga. This Kaliyuga began in the year 3102 BC in the proleptic Julian Calendar. Since 50 years of Brahma have already elapsed, this is the second Parardha, also called as Dvithiya Parardha. The time elapsed since the current Brahma has taken over the task of creation can be calculated as 432000 × 10 × 1000 × 2 = 8.64 billion years (2 Kalpa (day and night)) 8.64 × 109 × 30 × 12 = 3.1104 Trillion Years (1 year of Brahma) 3.1104 × 1012 × 50 = 155.52 Trillion Years (50 years of Brahma) (6 × 71 × 4320000 ) + 7 × 1.728 × 10^6 = 1852416000 years elapsed in first six Manvataras, and Sandhi Kalas in the current Kalpa 27 × 4320000 = 116640000 years elapsed in first 27 Mahayugas of the current Manvantara 1.728 × 10^6 + 1.296 × 10^6 + 864000 = 3888000 years elapsed in current Mahayuga 3102 + 2013 = 5115 years elapsed in current Kaliyuga. So the total time elapsed since current Brahma is 155520000000000 +1852416000 +116640000 +3888000 +5115 = 155,521,972,949,115 years < as of 2013 AD > The current Kali Yuga began at midnight 17 February / 18 February in 3102 BC in the proleptic Julian calendar. As per the information above about Yuga periods, only 5,115 years are passed out of 432,000 years of current Kali Yuga, and hence another 426,985 years are left to complete this 28th Kali Yuga of Vaivaswatha Manvantara. Source: Narasimha Purana
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Vishnu tells to Vaivasvata Manu how he created the universe. In the beginning, there was nothing in the universe. There was only darkness. When the time came for creation to begin, Vishnu removed the darkness and expanded into three. These three parts came to be known as Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva. The first object that appeared was water and Vishnu slept on this water. Since 'nara' means water and 'ayana' means resting-place, Vishnu is accordingly also known as Narayana. In this water next appeared a golden (hiranya) egg (anda). The egg shone with the radiance of a thousand suns. Inside the egg, Brahma grew from the navel of Vishnu. The egg was golden. Garbha means womb, and since Vishnu appeared inside a golden egg, he is also known as Hiranyagarbha. For a thousand years Brahma stayed inside the egg. He then split the shell into two and emerged out. Heaven (svarga) was made from one half of the shell and the earth from the remaining half. All the land masses, the oceans, the rivers and the mountains, had been inside the egg in embryonic form. Brahma made them manifest. Since he was the first (adi) being to be born, he is known as Aditya. (The name Aditya is more commonly explained as characterizing the offspring of Aditi, from whom all the gods were descended. The Matsya Purana refers to this later.) Brahma’s first act was to meditate. It was while he was meditating that the Vedas were revealed from within his heart. He then distributed that knowledge. Ten sons were also born to Brahma. Created from Brahma’s mental powers, they all became sages. Their names were Marichi, Atri, Angira, Pulastya, Pulaha, Kratu, Pracheta, Vashishtha, Bhrigu and Narada. There were others too who were born. Daksha was born from Brahma’s right toe. And the god Dharma was born from his chest. But for further creation to continue, it was essential that created beings should have proper mothers and fathers. Brahma accordingly created two beings from his body, one was male and the other was female. The male half was named Svayambhuva Manu and the female half was named Shatarupa. Shatarupa is also referred to as Savitri, Gayatri, Sarasvati or Brahmani. Since she had been born from Brahma’s body, she was like Brahma’s daughter. In fact, Vashishtha and the other sages who were Brahma’s sons welcomed her as their sister. But Shatarupa was so beautiful that Brahma fell in love with her and wished to marry her. Shatarupa circled Brahma and showed her respects to him. When she stood in front of him, Brahma gazed upon her with the face that he had. But when she went and stood behind him, Brahma could see her no longer. (Brahma, obviously, did not want to turn his head.) Another head with another face therefore sprouted behind Brahma’s first head so that he might be able to see Shatarupa. In similar fashion, a head sprouted to Brahma’s right another one to his left. Brahma married Shatarupa and they lived together as man and wife for a hundred years. Their son was named Svayambhuva Manu. Remember that this story was being told by Vishnu to Vaivasvata Manu. Hearing the account, Vaivasvata Manu exclaimed. What you have just said is truly amazing. To continue with the account of the creation, Brahma created the four Kumaras from his mental powers and their names are Sananda, Sanaka, Sanatana and Sanatakumara, and they became celebrate brahmacharies. Shiva appeared as well. Brahma asked Shiva to help him in the act of creation. Why don’t you create some beings as well?’ asked Brahma. Shiva complied and started to create. But all the beings that he created were just like him in appearance. That is, they were all immortal. What are you doing? asked Brahma. Don’t create immortal beings. Create mortal ones instead. That I refuse to do, retorted Shiva. If I am to create, I shall create only immortals. Please do not create then, requested Brahma. I will take care of creation myself. Svayambhuva Manu performed very difficult tapsaya and obtained a wife named Anati. (In other Puranas, Svayambhuva Manu is stated to have married Shatarupa.) Svayambhuva Manu and Ananti had two sons named Priyavrata and Uttanapada. From Uttanapada was descended Prachinavarhi. Prachinavarahi married Savarna, the daugther of the ocean, and they had ten sons. These sons were known as the Prachetas. The ten Prachetas married a woman named Marisha. That is, all of them had the same wife. Daksha was the son of the Prachetas and Marisha. Thus the universe was formed. Source : Matsya Purana
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The gods and the demons fought with each other all the time. As you know, Brihaspati was the preceptor of the gods and Shukracharya was the preceptor of the demons. Shukracharya knew a wonderful art known as mritasanjivani. This was the knowledge of bringing back dead people to life. Since Shukracharya knew this art, the gods were terrified. Any demons that the gods killed were promptly brought back to life by Shukracharya. But Brihaspati knew no such art. So any gods that the demons killed stayed dead. The gods pondered about this problem and finally arrived at a solution. Brihaspati had a son named Kacha. The gods told Kacha. Go and become Shukracharya’s disciple. Try to learn the art of mritasanjivani from him. Shukracharya has a beautiful daughter named Devayani. Try to gain her favour so that your task may become easier. Kacha went to Shukracharya. Please accept me as your disciple; he said "I am the great Brihaspati’s son. I will serve you faithfully for a thousand years". Since no mention was made of mritasanjivani. Shukracharya gladly agreed to this proposition. Kacha lived with Shukracharya and served his guru (teacher). He became friendly with Devayani and Devayani started to fall in love with Kacha. Five hundred years passed. The demons got to know that Kacha was Brihaspati’s son. Since they hated Brihaspati, they hated Kacha as well. Kacha was in the habit of taking Shukracharya’s cattle to the forest to graze. When Kacha was alone in the forest, the demons seized their chance. They slew Kacha and fed his body to the tigers. In the evening, the cattle returned home alone. Kacha was not with them. Seeing this, Devayani told her father, "The cattle have returned home without Kacha. I am certain that someone has killed him. I am in love with Kacha and cannot survive without him. Please do something". "Do not worry", Shukracharya told Devayani "I will bring Kacha back to life with the art of mritasanijivani". As soon as Shukracharya recited the magical mantra (incantation), Kacha appeared before them, strong and healthy. Days passed. Kacha went to the forest once more, this time to get flowers. The demons killed him again. But this time they burnt the dead body and mixed the ashes in a goblet of wine. They then served the wine to Shukracharya to drink. When Kacha did not return, Devayani again told her father "I am certain that someone has killed Kacha. I cannot survive without him. Please do something". Through his powers, Shukracharya discovered what had happened. He told his daughter, "We have a real problem on our hands. Kacha is inside my stomach. I can revive Kacha by summoning him through mritasanjivani. But in the process, he will have to tear asunder my body and I shall die. Tell me, beloved daughter, which do you want? Either Kacha or your father." "I refuse the choice" replied Devayani "Both you and Kacha must live. I cannot survive without either". Shukracharya then decided that there was only one way out. He addressed Kacha, who was inside his stomach, and taught him the words of the mrtasanjivani mantra. He then recited the words himself and out came Kacha. Shukracharya’s body was torn apart and the sage died. But Kacha had learnt the words of the mantra. He now recited them to bring Shukracharya back to life. Kacha thus learnt what he had set out to achieve. After spending a thousand years with Shukracharya, he prepared to return to heaven. "Where are you going?" asked Devayan "Do you not know that I am in love with you? Please marry me". "I am afraid that I cannot do that", replied Kacha "You are my guru’s daughter. Therefore, you are my superior just as my guru is my superior. I cannot marry you. Moreover, I have spent some time inside his body. And when I came out, it was as if a son had been born from him. You are therefore my sister. How can I possibly marry you?" Thus spurned, Devayani became very angry. "You are playing with words", she said "I curse you that although you have learnt the art of mritasanjivani, it will prove to be of no use to you". "You have needlessly cursed me", retorted Kacha "I too curse you that no brahmana will ever marry you and that you will never get whatever it is that you wish for". Thus ended the story of Kacha and Devayani in Matsya Purana as told by Romaharshana. Source : Matsya Purana
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Shibi chakravati was the son of Ushiinara King and a devotee of Vishnu. Shibi was a King who never said a "No" for a donation and his fame was praised by everyone. Devendra and Agnideva once wanted to test the greatness of Shibi’s limits of donation. Agnideva took the form of a Pigeon. Devendra took that of a Eagle. The Pigeon, which was chased by the Eagle, came to Shibi chakravarti’s palace where he was seated and pleaded “Save me!! save me!!”. Seeing this, a Shibi's guru said “O' King! Because of life-threat this Pigeon came to you for protection. Every being has the right to survive. Also there is no greater help than protecting a being's life.”. Pigeon replied “O' King! Being afraid of the Eagle I have asked you protection. Rules say that a King must protect the weak and disabled”. The Eagle, which reached the palace by then, said “O' King! Every being takes many forms. This pigeon came to your protection. But dont forget that Pigeon is the food for a Eagle. Please leave this Pigeon, which is my food, and save my life. If I don't eat now, I will die.”. Shibi chakravarti thought “In a country ruled by a king who does not give protection to a weak and disabled being asking for shelter who has life-threat, there will be no rains, no crops and it will become a barren land. Also the people will have to face many difficulties and finally such king will reach hell. However, the Eagle is hungry and has put in a lot of effort chasing its food. Taking away its food is also a sin. Now what should I do?”. Thinking so led to the following conversation. Shibi: O Eagle! I will give you a better, tastier food than this. Please leave this Pigeon. Eagle: O' King! No other thing can be tastier than this pigeon. It was decided by Brahmadeva that they are food for us. Shibi: O Eagle! I cannot leave this Pigeon that is in my protection and break the rules. I am also ready to sacrifice my life to save the Pigeon. You ask me whatever you want except this. Eagle: O' King! If you really want to protect this pigeon, give me the flesh from your right thigh which is equal in weight to that of the Pigeon. Immediately Shibi chakravarti got a balance and kept the Pigeon on one side and started to cut his thigh and weigh it. Howmuch ever he cut it was not enough to equal the weight of the pigeon. Failed to equal the weight of the pigeon from his thigh flesh, he himself sat on the balance and told the eagle that it can eat him. At this stage, the two gods revealed their identity and Agni said, “O' King! I am Agnihotra. This Eagle is Devendra, We came to test your will to protect and donate to the needy and your compassion towards other beings. You qualified in the test. Your fame will spread throughout the world. Your son will also live up to your name”. Having said that and blessing Shibi both the gods disappeared from there.
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Dhruva is a devotee of the god Vishnu according to Hindu mythology. Dhruva was the son of Uttānapāda. His tale is recorded in the Vishnu Purana and the Bhagavata Purana. Dhruva was born a son of the King Uttānapāda (the son of Svayambhuva Manu) and his wife Suniti (or Sunrita, the daughter of Dharma). The king also had another son Uttama, born to his second queen Suruchi, who was the preferred object of his affection. Once, when Dhruva was a child of five years of age, the two princes playfully raced towards their father's lap. But, the headstrong Suruchi chided Dhruva and insulted him for trying to woo the attention of his father, when he did not deserve it because "he was not born to her." She further mocked at his plight, by asking him to redeem himself by seeking Vishnu's blessings. Suniti consoled the distraught child, by asking him to take Suruchi's words seriously and to observe penance in meditation of the Lord. She bid him farewell as he set out on a lonely journey to the forest. Dhruva was determined to seek for himself his rightful place, and noticing this resolve, the divine sage Narada appeared before him and tried to desist him from assuming a severe austerity upon himself at such a tender age. But, Dhruva's fierce determination knew no bounds, and the astonished sage guided him towards his goal by teaching him the rituals and mantras. The one mantra which Narada taught and which was effectively used by Dhruva was Om Namo Bhagavate Vasudevaya. Having been advised, Dhruva started his penance, and went without food and water for six months, his mind fixed on the Lord. The austerity of his penance shook the heavens and the Lord appeared before him, but the child would not open his eyes because he was still merged in his inner vision of Vishnu's form described to him by Narada. Lord Vishnu had to adopt a strategy of causing that inner vision to disappear. Immediately Dhruva opened his eyes, and, seeing outside what he had been seeing all along in his mental vision, prostrated himself before the Lord. But he could not utter a single word. The Lord touched his right cheek by his divine conch and that sparked off his speech. Out poured forth a beautiful poem of praise of the Lord in 12 powerful verses, which together are called Dhruva-stuti. Vishnu Purana gives a slightly different account here. When Vishnu was pleased with Dhruva's tapasya and asked him to ask for a varadāna (grant of wishes), Dhruva said that he (being an uneducated child) did not know how to sing the praise of Lord Vishnu, and therefore asked the varadāna of a knowledge of stuti (hymn in the praise of Vishnu). Other persons would have asked for worldly or heavenly pleasures, or for moksha at most, but Dhruva had no personal desire. Renunciation of all desires is regarded to be essential for eternal peace in Hinduism: this is the meaning of Dhruva-pada. That was the reason why the Saptarshis decided to give Dhruva the most revered seat of a Star. The Dhruva-stuti as mentioned in the Vishnu Purana is an extended version of the Vedic Purusha sukta and is quite different from the Dhruva-stuti of Bhagavata Purana. Having spent a long time in the Lord's remembrance he even forgot the objective of his penance, and only asked for a life in memory of the Lord. Pleased by his penance and by his stuti, Vishnu granted his wish and further decreed that the lad would attain Dhruvapada - the state where he would become a celestial body which would not even be touched by the Maha Pralaya, or the final cataclysm. Dhruva returned to his kingdom, to be warmly received by his family, and attained the crown at the age of six. He ruled for many decades in a fair and just manner.
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Nachiketa was the son of Vājashrava. Vājashrava, desiring a gift from the gods, started an offering to donate all his possessions. But Nachiketa noticed that he was donating only the cows that were old, barren, blind, or lame; not such as might buy the worshiper a place in Heaven. He told his father that it is of no use to donate such cows and it is as good as not donating anything at all. But Vājashrava was deaf to Nachiketa's words and kept on donating whatever he pleased and upon that, Vājashrava was irritated with Nachiketa's advises. Nachiketa wanting the best for his father's rite, asked: "I too am yours, to which god will you offer me?". After being pestered thus, Vājashrava answered in a fit of anger, "I give you to Death (Yama)". So Nachiket went to Death's home, but the god was out, and he waited three days. When Yama returned, he was sorry to see that a Brahman guest had been waiting so long. He told Nachiketa, "You have waited in my house for three days without hospitality, therefore ask three boons of me". Nachiket first asked for peace for his father and himself. Yama agreed. Next, Nachiketa wished to learn the sacred fire sacrifice, which also Yama elaborated. For his third boon, Nachiketa asked to learn the mystery of what comes after death. Yama was reluctant on this question; he said that this had been a mystery even to the gods. He asked Nachiketa to ask for some other boon, and offered many material gains. But Nachiketa replied that material things will last only till the morrow. He who has encountered Death personally, how can he desire wealth? No other boon would do. Yama was secretly pleased with this disciple, and elaborated on the nature of the true Self, which persists beyond death. The key of the realization is that this Self (within each person) is inseparable from Brahman, the supreme spirit, the vital force in the universe. Yama's explanation is a succinct explication of Hindu metaphysics, and focuses on the following points:
Thus having learnt the wisdom of the Brahman from Yama, Nachiketa was freed from the cycle of births. Source : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nachiketa Rukmangada or Rukmangad is the name of a person in the Hindu sacred books. He was a great devotee of Vishnu. Rukmangada was looked upon as a good and pious king. He is happily married to Sandhyavali and the couple have a small son named Dharmangada or Dharmangad. As a devotee of Vishnu, Rukmangada is very particular about observing the Ekadasi (the 11th day of every lunar fortnight), which is sacred to Vishnu, as a day of fasting, prayer and abstinence. The Gods decide to test Rugmangada's orthopraxy. They send Mohini, an apsara or celestial enchantress, to beguile Rukmangada. Mohini succeeds in her mission; upon first sight, the king is utterly bewitched by her beauty. A courtship ensues and Mohini extracts promises from the king to the effect that she will stay with him only as long as he grants her every wish and never thwarts her in anything. In particular, the promise is given that since Rukmangada is ardently seeking Mohini's favour today, he must never rebuff her when she makes advances to him in future. On these conditions, Mohini becomes Rukmangada's paramour. The virtuous Sandhyavali swallows her pride and receives Mohini into the palace. Come Ekadasi, the time to test Rukmangada's devotion to Vishnu is at hand. As usual, Rukmangada takes a ritual bath, anoints himself with the Kumkuma-chandanam (vermilion and sandalwood) pastes sacred to Vishnu, and sits down to his pooja before the idol of Vishnu, to spend the day in prayer, meditation and fasting. Mohini chooses this time to approach Rugmangada and caress him. He rebuffs her with a reproach about the untimeliness of the advance. Mohini declares herself offended, reminds him of his promise, and demands its immediate fulfillment: Rukmangada must accompany her to the inner chambers immediately. Rukmangada is horrified, words are exchanged; Mohini accuses Rukmangada of having beguiled her and ruined her virtue without being actually in love with her. There is nothing worse that a chaste woman can suffer. In losing her virtue she has lost everything that was precious to her. What reparation is possible? What penalty can even approach the magnitude of her loss? What one thing was dearest to Rukmangada? His son! Mohini presents Rukmangada with a horrific ultimatum: she will release him from his promise and leave his kingdom forever, but only if Rugmangada slays his only child, Dharmangada, as a penance for ruining her. After much mental agony, Rugmangada decides that he would rather kill his son than break the observance of Ekadasi and thus compromise his devotions to Vishnu. The distraught but unwaveringly devoted Sandhyavali acquiesces to this decision. Rukmangada raises his sword. Just as he is about to strike off his son's head, Vishnu appears before them, pleased. Vishnu reveals that Mohini is an apsara, sent to test Rukmangada's devotion, a test which he has passed. Dharmangada is crowned king. Vishnu takes Rukmangada and his pious wife Sandhyavali away to his heavenly abode, Vaikuntha.
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Ajamila was raised according to the Vedic regulations. He was a perfectly trained Brahmin and had a chaste and beautiful wife. But one day, while he was out in the fields collecting flowers for worshipping the Lord, he happened to see a drunken sudra and a prostitute engaged in sexual embrace. Ajamila became bewildered and attracted; his mind becoming more and more attached to the prostitute. In Bhagavad-Gita it is said that if one contemplates sense objects, he becomes attached to them. Although Ajamila was a strict Brahmin he became helplessly entangled by seeing a man and woman engaged in sexual activity. Consequently he took this prostitute into his home as a maidservant. Inevitably, he became so entangled that he abandoned his family, wife and children and went off with the prostitute. Due to his illicit connection with the prostitute, he lost all his good qualities. He became a thief, a liar, a drunkard, even a murderer. He completely forgot about his original training as a Brahmin, and his whole life was ruined. Engaging in sinful activities, Ajamila fell down from his position, and he begot many children through the prostitute. Even towards the end of his life, around the age of eighty, he was still begetting children. It is explained that while he was dying, which is a very fearful time, he began to call out to his pet child, whose name was Narayana. Narayana is another name of God or Narayana. At that time, the Yamadutas, the messengers of death, were coming. They were tying up the subtle body of Ajamila and preparing to take him to be punished by Yamaraja, the lord of death. At the same time, because he happened to be speaking the holy name of the Lord Narayana, the beautiful Visnudutas, the messengers of Narayana, also arrived there. They checked the activities of the Yamadutas, refusing to allow them to take Ajamila for punishment. The Yamadutas were bewildered. "Why are these effulgent and beautiful personalities checking our action? It's our duty to take sinful men to Yamaraja for punishment; then they are awarded another material body for the next life so that they can get the result of their sinful activity." There was a discussion between the Yamadutas and the Visnudutas. The conclusion was that although Ajamila was sinful throughout his life and gave up his religious life, his wife and children and begot children through a prostitute, he nevertheless was purified from all these sins because at the last moment he chanted the holy name of Narayana. If this single act of the utterance of a four-syllable word Narayana can make such a difference to life after death, what larger worlds of fullness and majesty he may not conquer by really leading a noble life of Dharma in the memory of the Lord? -- so thought Ajamila. And that very moment he renounced everything to which he was attached, went to Benaras and engaged himself in austerities and meditation and in due time reached the abode of the Lord. It is noteworthy that a wrongdoer is given a chance to correct himself and thereafter lead a virtuous life before attaining salvation. It is not as if the Lord gives him a boon because he uttered the Lord's name when death was nearing him. It was the resultant of his previous good deeds that helped him to remember who he was and then get back to his previous position. Yet he had to struggle again and do enough penance before he could get salvation. Kaumodaki or The Mace of Vishnu represents spiritual, mental and physical strength, which has a tendency to be quite overwhelming at first. The name Gada has a lot of history that comes along with it. Gada was the name of a mighty demon who once brought much terror upon humanity. Many legends tell about how terrible Gada was, but he had one flaw that was quite easy to take advantage of. It is said that despite how horrible Gada was, he could also be quite charitable. Gada never refused a request that was asked of him no matter how ridiculous the request might have been. My creator, Vishnu, disguised himself as a poet of sorts, also known as a Brahmin. The disguised Vishnu approached Gada and requested that Gada lend his own bones to him. Gada ripped himself apart at the seams to deliver his bones to Vishnu. Vishnu then took these bones and fashioned for himself one of the most grand maces of all time. This mace is called as Kaumodaki. Due to the fact that the mace was created from the bones of Gada the word Gada came to permanently mean mace in Sanskrit. Kaumodaki was created in order to protect humanity. There is nothing that it cannot conquer. This is why the mace has often been compared to the element of time. Time is always moving and can never be stopped. Time itself is unconquerable just like Kaumodaki.
Image Source : http://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O68210/painting-personification-of-the-chakra-of/
The Sudarshana Chakra is a spinning, disk-like super weapon with 108 serrated edges used by the Hindu god Vishnu. The Sudarshana Chakra is portrayed on the right rear hand of the four hands of Vishnu, who also holds a Shankha (a conch shell) in his left fore hand, a Gada (mace) in his left rear hand, and a Padma (lotus bud) in his right fore hand. Viswakarma's daughter Sanjana was married to Surya, the Sun God. Due to the Sun's blazing light and heat, she was unable to go near the Sun. She complained to her father about this. Viswakarma took the Sun and made him shine less so that his daughter would be able to hug the Sun. The left over Sun "dust" was collected by Viswakarma and he made three things out of it. The first one was the famous aerial vehicle Pushpaka Vimana, the second being the Trishula (Trident) of Lord Shiva, and the third was the Sudarshana Chakra of Lord Vishnu. The Chakra comprises 10 million spikes in two rows moving in opposite directions to give it a serrated edge. It was also used to cut the Goddess Sati, consort of Lord Shiva into 51 pieces after she gave up her life by throwing herself in a yagna (worshipful fire ritual) which was held at his father's place. It is said that Shiva, in grief, carried around her lifeless body and was inconsolable. The 51 parts of the Goddess' body were then tossed about in different parts of Bharatvarsha and came to be known as "Shakti Peeths". The use of the Sudarshana Chakra is occasionally mentioned in the Hindu texts of Rigveda, Yajurveda and Puranas, as an ultimate weapon to eliminate the enemy of law, order and preservation. Such enemies are enumerated variously as rakshasas, asura, and vikrutatma. In one such instance, as scribed in the stanzas of the Mahabharat, Lord Shri Krishna, the Avatar of Lord Vishnu, beheads Shishupala with the use of the Sudarshana Chakra, for his rapacious behaviour (committing 100 mistakes each worthy of death) at the Rajsuya yagna celebration of Emperor Yudhishthira. It was also used to cut the celestial mountain Mandrachal Parvat for churning the ocean of milk (Samudra Manthan). This is a stotra dedicated to Sri Chakralzhwar or Sudarshanar. Prathibhata Shrevi Bhishana Varaguna Sthoma Bhusana Janibhaya Sthana Karana Jagadavasthana Karana Nikhila Dushkarna Karshana Nigavana Saddhama Darshana Jaya Jaya Sri Sudarshana Jaya Jaya Sri Sudarshana Source : www.wikipedia.com |
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