Prathama skandha, saptama adhyaaya

Saunaka and other sages, after listing the story behind the birth of Narada, with feelings in their faces looked at Suta Muni and asked.....All the doubts in his mind of was evaporated when, in the bank of river Ganga, the divine sage Narad left him. After his departure keeping the divine sayings of narada in his heart what did Vyasha deba do, please do explain.......

Suta thus said..............

On the western banks of Saraswati, there is a hermitage called Shamyaaprasa, which is Vyasa’s own abode a forest surrounded by (Badari bana)jujube trees. That forest is also very sacred because on regular basis saints used to do sacrifices(yagna) in their respectve hemitages. Sage Vyasa sat down in meditation, by self-effort. In his sinless mind, which had been perfectly concentrated through the practice of devotion, he saw the Supreme Person as well as Maya, who depends for her very existence on him. He saw how the Jivatma gets deluded by this Maya and though beyond the three gunas, gets affected by identifying with it and suffers the evil consequences brought about by this identification. Knowing that the practice of devotion, to the Lord to be the direct means of counteracting these evils, the sage composed Bhagavata Purana, so that even the common people, who are ignorant of this fact would get benefited. Having composed and revised the Bhagavata Purana, the sage taught it to his son Suka, who loved to live in retirement.

During his meditation Vyasha could behold the Supreme God along with maya. And also could find how maya is a combined picture of trigunas which make the illusion between the real and false. For which souls are misguided. To make the souls get their right path, Vyasha deba rewrote Bhagabata with the treasure of devotion towards Krishna in his heart. He thus taught the gists of Bhagabata to his son Suka Deba who was also a saint.

Then Saunaka, the senior most sage asked, Suka is by his very nature selfless who is devoid of Maya or illusion then what is the requirement of any epic or scripture for him? I am puzzled about why Vyashadeba taught him Bhagabata, please clear out my doubts.

Suta muni thus said.................

Even though the mind of the pious sage was not bounded by any books or scriptures, he was devoted to Srikrishna and was seeing his presence everywhere. Thus he loved to practice krishna priti (loving the eternal) by reading Bhagabata regularly. Now I am telling you all, the story of Parikhita.

When in the end of the Mahabharata war the warriors of the Kauravas and Paandavas died like heroes and when Duryodhana had his thigh broken by a stroke of the mace dealt by Bhima, Duryodhana hid himself inside the Byasha-sarobara (River of Byasha) in order to save his life. When the night comes Duryodhana could see the son of Dronachaarya (Aswasthaamaa) coming towards him.

Duryodhana said him to kill the paandabas secretly, as a reward of which he will make him his minister. Aswathama then severed the heads of Droupadi’s sons, while they were asleep with an intention of pleasing Duryodhana, but which really proved most distasteful to him. At the news of the terrible slaughter of her sons, Draupadi wailed bitterly. Then Arjuna, comforting her said: “Plese be calm, I will be in peace only when I cut off the head of that Brahmana with my Gaandiba and present it to you so that you may set your foot on it and bathe after the cremation of your sons.” Having thus consoled his wife, Arjuna put on his armor and taking his Gaandiba, rode in a chariot with Krishna with the flag on it with the picture of Hanuman (kapidwajaa) in it, in pursuit of Aswathama.

Aswathama, who was now sad at heart for his shameful act, saw at a distance that Arjuna was rushing towards him, he ran for life in a chariot as far as he could on earth. When he saw that his horses were tired and had none to protect him, that son of a Brahmana thought of Brahmastra as the only means to protect his life. Even though he did not know how to withdraw the missile, he sipped a little water and finding his life in peril, fitted the same to his bow with an attentive mind. A fierce flame blazed forth from the missile and enveloped all sides. When Arjuna saw the danger to his life, he addressed Krishna as follows.

hey krushna krushna jogeswara sharana jananka sodara
sanshaara anala dahane dare smaranti tate jane
taahaanku deu mokhya gati abhaya brahme se pashanti
aadi purusha niranjana prakruti pare to bishraama
swarupe maayaa tu sanharu kaibalya rupe tu biharu
enu tohari gati muhin maayaara bale najaanai
e jiba loke ghora maayaa tutai jaare karu dayaa
e je tohara abataara khandiba abanira bhaara
tora sharana je pashai sanshaara taaku nalaagai
enu mohara gati tuhi to maayaa bala mu jaanai

Arjuna then addressed Krishna............... Oh krishna you are the true friend of those who have surrendered themselves before you. To get rescue from the blaze of life people call you as their last resort. You being in nature oh ancient being give those salvation who recognize your being everywhere. You bless him and pour compassion on him to break the maayaa who surrenders before you. Now I am surrendering before you please do save my life from the recent danger the brahmaastra thrown by Aswasthaamaa.

Krishna replied..............................

The son of Drona, (Aswasthaamaa) has done a sinister job. His sin is running after him even if he hides himself in deep forests. He is afraid of his own sin so much that a sight of you makes him forget his conscience and without knowing the principle of calling back the brahmaastra, he discharged it from his bow towards you. Now as you know Brahmastra can't be overpowered by any other missile, other than itself so I suggest you to discharge Brahmastra from your bow Gandiba to control the Brahmastra already in action.

On hearing the Lord’s words, Arjuna fitted a Brahmastra to repel the Brahmastra. The two flames filling the heavens as well as all the space between heaven and earth swelled like the sun and the fire at the time of universal destruction. Perceiving the mighty flames of the two missiles, all the people, who were being scorched by their heat, thought it to be the fire of universal destruction. Seeing the distress of the people and the impending destruction of all the worlds and finding the approval Sri Krishna, Arjuna withdrew them both. Then he quickly nabbed the cruel Aswathama, and bound him with a rope as one would bind a sacrificial animal. Having forcibly bound the enemy with a rope and when he was about to be taken to the camp, the Lord said to Arjuna in rage: “Arjuna, you ought not to spare him. Do kill this fallen Brahmana, who murdered at night innocent boys in the state of asleep .

matta pramatta unmatta baala banitaa nidraagata
sharanaagata ratha hina sankate dekhi ripujana'
ehaanku badha je karanti jibana thaaun se maranti
para jibana maari aani aatmaaku posanti je praani
taanku maarante bahu punya bede kahanti bipra jana
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Srikrishna said, Oh Arjuna, those persons who kill their foes in the state of drunk, unguarded, madness, insane, asleep, tender age, stupid, terror stricken, surrendered,
or whose chariot has broken, or kill a woman, they die even in the state of living. But to slay this merciless wretch who maintains his own life at the cost of others is a great deed of righteousness.

Affirming the words of Sri Krishna, who was putting his righteousness to test. Arjuna did not slay Aswathaamaa even though he had killed his own sons. Taking him to his camp, Arjuna dumped him before Draupadi, who had been grieving all the while for her dead sons. Draupadi looked intently at Aswathaamaa, who was being bounded with cords like a sacrificial animal, whose face was pale on account of his shameful act. Draupadi, who was tender by nature took compassion on the offender and bowed to him and said, “Let him be freed, a Brahmana that he is and worthy of our utmost adoration. That worshipful Dronacharya, by whose grace you learnt the science of archery with its manifold secrets and acquired the knowledge of the various missiles is himself present in the form of his son. His wife Gautami who is very pious should not suffer the loss of son as I am doing. Let not his mother wail even as I do.”

On that occasion Bhima in an outraged manner said, “For him, who murdered sleeping youngsters without any gain, death has been declared as a boon.” Hearing the words of Bhima as well as Draupadi, Sri Krishna asked Arjuna to carry out the commands of both Bhima and Draupadi. Arjuna instantly understood the words of Sri Krishna and with his sword cut off the gem on Aswathaamaa’s head and expelled him from his camp. That was a grave insult for a brahmin duing that period. That was recognized as vile as death for a Brahmin. Thus Aswasthaamaa exited from the kingdom towards a forest.

End of Saptama Adhyaaya..............