Bhagwat Stories for All. 25th Jan 2006

Summary of Bhagwat Pravachan

Date: 25th Jan 2006
Original Hindi : Pt.Satyavan Mishraji
English Translation: Suresh Kumar Ranga

Continuing from last week about the two sons Atmadev had got. Gokarn the one born from cow, the holy and righteous (with ears like a cow-Go) and Dhundhkari. As time passed, GoKarn being the religious, righteous and good man grew in stature. Where as his brother, Dhundhkari, had all the wrong habits. There was a world of difference between the brothers, but never the less they were still close. Dhundhkari died when he reached his age and because of all his misdeeds, became a demon. An evil spirit. Gokarn came to know about this because he was in meditation always. He felt very sad. He decided to do something. So he went to the Lord Brahmaji and asked him. He said that he is very saddened by the fact that his brother is an evil spirit now. He wanted to do something so that he could relieve his brother of this misery. Brahmaji thought for a while and told him to recite the Bhagwat. The Bhagwat is the scripture of the lord that can relieve not only humans of their misery and misdeeds (karma) but also spirits. Gokarn’s hopes raised. He decided to do as he was told.

In the month of Jyeshta (according to the Hindu calendar. It comes roughly in the June-July month of the English calendar), he went to the place Gaya (the one in modern Bihar of India) and decided to have a Bhagwat Saptah (the word Saptah means a week or 7 days, when the entire Bhagwat is completed in a week, that is known as Bhagwat Saptah). Gokarn went to each house in the village (those days Gaya used to be a village, today it is a large city) and told the village folk that, he was organizing the Bhagwat Saptah. They were all invited to come and listen to the same. So the entire village turned up for the Saptah.

Before we do any activitiy (religious prayers etc) we need to do a Sankalp (or promise or the objective why we are doing this). Gokarnji also made a Sankalp that he wanted his brother to be liberated from evil form. Gokarnji brought one large bamboo stick that had seven knots on it. He began the Bhagwat Saptah. Dhundhkari (his brother in evil spirit form), came to listen the Bhagwat as well. He sat on the top knot of the bamboo stick. The Bhagwat was recited in a very easy and clear form. All the listeners were getting interested to know about it. Something strange was happening at the end of each day. The Bamboo stick was getting sliced into half, day by day. At the end of each day, the length till one knot used to get sliced off. At the end of the 7th day the entire bamboo stick sliced to two pieces.

From inside came a well dressed Brahmin. Once he came out he recited the prayer to the lord. Gokarn was very surprised. He asked the Brahmin who he was. The Brahmin said, brother I am Dhundhkari, your brother. I had been listening to your Bhagwat all these days and surprisingly on the last day, I shed by evil form, through some miracle. I then took up this Brahmin form. I thank you and thank the lord for having mercy on me. Gokarn also noticed that some devtas had come there from Lord Vishnu. Gokarn was surprised to see them there. He asked them, how they had come there. The devtas said that, they were specially sent there by the Lord Vishnu Himself. He told them to go to the place where Gokarn was having his Bhagwat Saptah. To bring Dhundhkari to him once the saptah was over. The Lord was very impressed by the dedication of Dhundhkari.
Gokarn asked the devtas, that was so special that was done by Dhundhkari, although everyone from the village was also listening to the Bhagwat. The devtas replied that, Dhundhkari listened to the entire Scripture told in the day. In the night he contemplated on the stories that were told. The remaining time he spent meditating on the lord and thanking him for such a wonderful opportunity. In this way he spent all his days and no wonder that the lord was so happy with him. Gokarn was very happy that the sankalp that he took before starting of the Bhagwat had got fulfilled as well.

He then turned towards the villagers assembled there. He told them that had you all also listened with the same intend you all would have achieved the same result. The people in the Village told that, Dhundhkari was a spirit. So he did not have any worldly work. But we are all here with our family. We have our children, parents, spouses to take care. We are so busy with our day to day work that there is very little time for us to focus on meditating on the Bhagwat. But nevertheless they told Gokarnji that they were also interested in Moksha.

Gokarnji knew from his vision that his parents had passed to the next world. His father and mother were living on the banks of Ganga in their Old Age. He felt very sad on their demise, but wanted to do something so that they can also get liberated of their karmas.

Our shastras say that if there is a holy person in our family he can liberate seven generations of ours. If any of our seven generation are in lower planes they can be transferred to higher planes. At the same time if there is an un-holy person in our family. He can downgrade seven generations to lower planes. That is the importance of our human birth. We can stay good and liberate not only ourselves but also our ancestors who for any reason are lying in lower planes. Gokarnji here is a good example of a holy son. He helped not only himself but all his ancestors as well.

So in the coming months of Shravan (the rainy season), Gokarn again organized another Bhagwat Saptah. This time he took the sankalp of liberating his parents. He also called the entire village again. He told them that this time they have to have full attention and intend while listening to the Bhagwat. In this way Gokarn, did a great service to mankind. All this happened because of greatness of Bhagwat. All those who listen to Bhagwat will all interest, contemplate on the message within and meditate the lord for liberation, can with no doubt achieve liberation within this lifetime itself.

One nice incident was narrated by Panditji. He was telling about the time when Lord Krishna, killed Kamsa (his evil uncle) and reinstated Ugrasen (Kamsa’s father) as the King. After Kamsa’s defeat and death, his friend Jarasandh was very angry. He thought of teaching Krishna a lesson. So he attacked Lord Krishna’s armies. 16 times the Lord fought and pushed him back. Jarasandh had a boon. And the Lord knew about it. Jarasandh used to go back wait for a couple of months, reassemble his armies and come back and attack the lord.
In the Seventeenth attempt, the lord decided other wise. Once he saw Jarasandh coming, he turned his back and started to act as if he was running away from the war. Jarasandh thought the lord was running away. He kept on shouting, Oh Krishna, don’t be a coward, face and fight me. (In our current day we have a name of Lord Krishna has Ranchoddasji which when literally translated means one who leaves the battlefield and flees). So Lord Krishna on the front and Jarasandh behind. When the lord reached a hill, he saw one king by name Mirkit sleeping there. The lord quickly took out his battle gown (the overcoat with bright golden colors also called Pitambar). He put it on the sleeping king. When Jarasandh reached a while later he thought Krishna got scared and was hiding. He shouted saying, come out you coward and gave a kick. The king woke up and as he opened his eyes Jarasandh was burnt to ashes. The Lord has his own ways.
The story of this king, is thus. He used to have a kingdom on earth and was a powerful king. In one of the wars between the devas and asuras, the king was called. He went to fight for the devas and managed to defeat the asuras. The devas were very happy and asked him to spent time in devlok. The king wanted to return back. The devas told him, why don’t you ask for a boon. The king said, I am going down to earth, and want to sleep. If any one wakes me up, and I see the person he should be destroyed to ashes. So he selected a place in the hills and decided to rest there. Lord Krishna the creator knew about this and brought the end of Jarasandh in this way.

Thus ended towards pravachan. Panditji thanked all the people who had assembled there to listen to the pravachan (talk). He said from the next week he would start with the Chapter 1.