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Suta and the Other ages

Narayanam namaskritya naranchaiva narottaman devim sarasvatinchaiva tato


This is always the first shloka in any Purana. Narayana is another name for Vishnu. The
couplet means that, prior to reading the sacred texts, one should pray to Narayana and
Nara, the best of all humans. One should also pray to Sarasvati, the goddess of learning.
It is only after these prayers are over that one can start reading the sacred texts known
as jaya. The word jaya was initially used to refer to the Mahabharata, but subsequently
came to include the Ramayana and the eighteen Puranas as well.

There was a forest known as naimisharanya. Shounaka and several other sages
performed meditation (tapasya) there. The sages were all honest and righteous. They
had attained control over their senses and over hunger and thirst. They did not fall prey
to pride, jealousy or pity. In that forest, they prayed to Vishnu. Some sages performed
sacrifices (yajna), others meditated on the true nature of Vishnu, and still others made
offerings to the great god.

The sages were trying to attain the four goals of dharma (righteousness), artha (that
which gives meaning to life). Kama (that which is desired) and moksha (liberation).
They called for a huge assembly at which the means for attaining these goals might be
debated. Twenty-six thousand rishis (sages) came to attend this assembly. As for their
disciplines, there were too many to be counted.

When the sages were busy discussing and debting, the sage Shounaka said, "I would like
to submit something for the consideration of the assembly. Not very far from here is the
hermitage (ashrama) known as siddhashrama. The sage Suta lives there. I do not need
to remind you that Suta is Vedavyasa’s disciple and the great sage Lomaharshana’s son.
Suta is learned in the Puranas. The best means for attaining the four goals is to listen to
a recital of the sacred Puranas. Why don’t we go and ask Suta to recite the Puranas to

The other sages were delighted at this wonderful suggestion. They all trooped off to visit
Suta in siddhashrama.

Suta was engaged in performing a yajna then. That special yajna was known as
agnishtoma and was dedicated to Vishnu.

The sages waited till the ceremony was over. Then they told Suta, "We are your guests
and it is your duty to serve your guests. You have to give us what we desire. We are
thirsting for knowledge. Please recite to us the wisdom of the Puranas."

"I will do that gladly," replied Suta. "Narada had recited to Sanatkumara the wondeful
Narada Purana. A sinner who listens to a recital of this Purana is pardoned all his sins.
This is the text that I am going to reveal to you. If one faithfully listens to the recital of
even one couplet of this Purana, the severest of sins is forgiven. The only stipulation is
that the text must never be revealed to those who are evil or to those who do not revere
religion. Please focus your minds on Vishnu and concentrate. I am about to start."

Narada and Sanatkumara

Brahma had four sons named Sanaka, Sanandana, Sanatkumar and Sanatana. All four
of them became sages devoted to Vishnu. They were always on the search for wisdom
and knowledge.

Brahma had a city on the peak of Mount Sumeru. The four brothers once went on a visit
to that city. By the side of the city flowed one of the tributaries of the holy river Ganga.
This tributary was named Sita. The brothers were bathing in the river Sita, when who
should arrive there but the sage Narada himself?

Sanatkumara and his brothers greeted Narada and Narada reciprocated

Sanatkumara told Narada, "You are omniscient, you know everything. You are also a
famous devotee of Vishnu. Tell us about the mysteries of Vishnu. Tell us about the
methods whereby meditation becomes successful."

Narada prayed to Vishnu and started the recital.


Prior to creation, there was the great godhead (mahavishnu) which was everywhere.
When the time for creation drew near, the godhead expanded himself into three forms.
Brahma was created from the right side of the godhead and Brahma’s appointed task
was creation. Shiva was created from the centre of the godhead and his job was
destruction. Vishnu was created from the left side of the godhead. Vishnu was assigned
the task of preservation.

The female counterpart or principle of the godhead is referred to as Shakti. Shati

divides herself into two, vidya (knowledge) and avidya (ignorance). Knowledge means
an appreciation of the identity between the brahman and the universe. Ignorance is the
absence of such an appreciation and it is ignorance that is responsible for the miseries of
the world. Shakti herself is referred to by various names. When she is identified with
Vishnu, she is known as Lakshmi; when associated with Shiva, she is called Uma or
Parvati; and when in conjunction with Brahma, she is known as Sarasvati. But they are
really one and the same, manifestations of the same force.

Brahma and Sarasvati are thus together responsible for creation (srishti), Vishnu and
Lakshmi are responsible for preservation (sthiti), and Shiva and Parvati are responsible
for destruction (laya). The unified Shakti is sometimes also called Mahamaya or

The universe is made of five elements (bhuta). Their names are kshiti (the earth) apa
(the water). teja (the energy), marut (the wind) and vyoma (the sky).

The universe is divided into fourteen regions (bhuvanas or lokas). Seven of them form
the upper regions and are known as bhuloka, bhuvarloka, svarloka, maharloka,
janaloka and satyaloka. There ae seven more regions that constiute the lower regions or
the underworld. Their names are atala, vitala, sutala,talatala, mahatala, rasatla and
patala. The word patala is also used to signify all of the underworld as a region.

Each of the fourteen regions has its own inhabitants, mountains and rivers. The earth is
bhuloka and the earth is split up into seven regions (dvipas). They are known as
Jambudvipa, Plakshadvipa, Shalmaladvipa, Kushadvipa, Krounchadvipa, Shakadvipa
and Pushkaradvipa. Bhuloka also has seven oceans named Lavana, Ikshu, Sura, Sarpih,
Dadhi, Dughdha and Jala.

Bharatavarsha lies in Jambudvipa. It is that part of the land which is bounded by the
Lavana ocean on the south and the Himalaya mountains on the north. Bharatavarsha is
a wonderful place to live in, and even the gods desire to be born in this land.
Bharatavarsha is known as karmabhumi. Karma means action. This land is therefore a
place where actions have to be performed. Bhoga means to enjoy or savour,
Bhogabhumi is a place where the fruits of one’s actions are pleasured or savoured.
Bharatavarsha is not a bhogabhumi, it is merely a karmabhumi. The fruits of actions
performed in Bharatavarsha are savoured elsewhere. Good deeds are rewarded in
heaven (svarloka or svarga) and sins have to be paid for in hell(naraka).

To be born in Bharatavarsha means to be given the opportunity to perform good deeds.

A person who does not avail of this opportunity is like a person who gives up a pot of
amrita ( a heavenly life-giving drink) for a pot of poison. If one wishes to be rewarded in
heaven, one should relentlessly pursue the path of good karma. But actions should not
be performed with an eye to the fruits of such actions. One should disassociate oneself
from the fruits, which vest only with Vishnu. This sort of detached action is known as
niskama karma and it is superior to all other forms of action.


But nothing can be accomplished without faith. Vishnu spurns prayers and offerings
that are made by the faithless. Faith and devotion are like a mother. Just as a mother is
the refuges of all living beings, faith and devotion are the refuges of those who are
devoted to Vishnu. This is what Vishnu told Markandeya.

Sanathkumara interrupted Narada. "Who was Markandeya?" he asked, "And what did
Vishnu tell him?"

Narada related the stories of Mrikandu and Markandeya.

There was a sage named Mrikandu. A tirtha is a sacred place of pilgrimage and the
place named shalagrama was the most wonderful of all tirthas. Mrikandu prayed for
many years there. He regarded all other living beings as no different from his own self.

Indra and the other gods got scared at Mrikandu’s tapasya. They themselves went and
began to pray to Vishnu on the shores of the great ocean. "Lord," they prayed, "please
deliver us from Mrikandu’s tapasya. He will please you with his meditation and heaven
alone knows what boon he will then demand. He may dislodge us from heaven and start
to oppress us."

Vishnu was moved by the prayers of the gods and appeared before them. He held a
conch-shell (shankha), a bladed-discus (chakra) and a mace (gada) in his hands. His eyes
were like the petals of lotus flowers and his body shone with the radiance of a millions
suns. His clothes wear yellow of hue and he was bedecked with jewellery.

When the gods expressed their fears, Vishnu calmed them down. "Be at peace," he said.
"I know Mrikandu. He is a righteous and good individual, I am sure that he has no
intention of oppressing you. Only sinners peform meditation so as to obtain boons that

can be used to oppress other people. I shall go to Mrikandu and find out what he

Having blessed the gods, Vishnu went to pay Mrikandu a visit. The sage was delighted
to see Vishnu. He fell at Vishnu’s feet and did obeisance.

"I am pleased at your tapasya," Vishnu told Mrikandu. "Crave the boon that you

"I want no boon," replied Mrikandu. "You have appeared before me, you whom the
gods themselves find it difficult to see. What more can I want? I have no more desires."

"That cannot be," retorted Vishnu. "Let it not be said that Vishnu appeared before a
devotee and did not grant hima boon. I’ll tell you what we can do. I will myself be born
as your son. Any line in which I am born is forever blessed. And that is what is going to
happen to your line as well."

Vishnu then blessed Mrikandu and departed.


Mrikandu had a son named Markandeya. Since Markandeya was born form Vishnu, he
shone with radiance and was also a very holy man. He became well-versed in the
knowledge of all the shastras (sacred texts).

Markandeya started to pray to Vishnu. Vishnu was so pleased withhim that

Markandeya was granted the boon that he would compose a Purana. This was the
Markandeya Purana.

The entire world is periodically destroyed and flooded with water. At the time of one
such destruction, all living beings on eath were killed. But Markandeya was spared by
Vishnu. He floated on the water like a dried leaf. This went on for a long, long time. To
understand how long this was, one has to have some conception of the measurement of

The small unit of time is a nimesha, fifteen nimeshas constitute one kashtha, thirty
kashthas make a kala and thirty kalas are one kshana. There are six kshanas in one
danda, two dandas in one muhurta and thirty muhurtas in one day. There are thrity
days in a month and each month is divided into two pakshas of fifteen days each. Two
months constitute a season (ritu) and three ritus constitute an ayana. There are thus six
seasons and two ayanas in a year.

The two ayanas are known as uttarayana and dakshinayana. One year for humans is
equivalent to one day for the gods. Uttarayana corresponds to day for the gods and
dashinayana to night.

Twelve thousand years of the gods are known as a mahayauga. Each mahayuga is
divided into four sub-periods of satya yuga, treta yuga, dvapara yuga and kali yuga.

Two thousand mahayugas are merely one day for Brahma. There are fourteen eras
(manvantara) in each of Brahma’s days. Brahma’s nights are just as long and it is
during Brahma’s night that the world is destroyed and flooded with water. Each of
Brahma’s days is called a kalpa.

A hundred years for Brahma are equivalent to a single day for Vishnu.

This gives you some idea of how long Markandeya floated on the water, throughout one
of Brahma’s nights. The sight of the water everywhere frightened Markandeya out of
his wits. But he continued to pray to Vishnu. And thanks to Vishnu’s blessing, no harm
came Markandeya’s way.

Vishnu even appeared before the sage and said, "I shall save you. I always protect those
who pray to me devoutly. Let me also tell you the signs of my true devotees. They love
all other living beigns and are free of jealousy and hatred. They never cause pain to
others through their thoughts, words or deeds. They are peace-loving. My devotees
serve sages, guests, and parents well. They build temples and dig wells and ponds. They
read and interpret the Puranas. In fact, you display all the traits of a true devotee of

Blessed by Vishnu, Markandeya performed a lot of tapasya in the tirtha known as


Some other Puranas state that Markandeya became immortal due to a boon received
from Vishnu. The Padma Purana however states that this boon was received from
Brahma. The Markandeya Purana gives many more details about Markandeya.

The Ganga

The most holy of tirthas is the confluence of the rivers Ganga and Yamuna. Someone
who bathes there attains perpetual good health, prospers, lives to a ripe old age and is
pardoned all his sins. Even the gods and the sages are fond of the waters at this sacred
confluence. The river Ganga emerges from the feet of Lord Vishnu himself. (The story
of this is related in the Brahmanvaivarta Purana.) And the river Yamuna is the
daughter of the sun god Surya. (This is related in many Puranas, such as the
Markandeya Purana. Yamuna was the daughter of Surya and Samjna.) Such being the
origins of these two holy rivers, it is but natural that their confluence should be so

In fact, the Ganga is so sacred that even if one just thinks of her, all pain is relieved and
all sins are pardoned. Along the banks of the Ganga is a remarkable tirtha known as
Prayaga. Brahma himself peformed a yajna there. You can bathe in the waters of all the
tirthas if you so desire. But the punya (store of merit) that you will acquire from this is
only a sixteenth of the punya you will acquire from touching a few drops of water from
the Ganga. A person who anoints his head with mud taken from the banks of the Ganga
becomes like Shiva himself. There are three objects that are sacred to Vishnu - the
Ganga, the tulasi (basil) bush and dust from the feet of a devotee of Vishnu.

There are some other rivers also in which the Ganga is always present. Their names are
Godavari, Sarasvati, Kalindi, Kaveri, Krishna, Reva, Vahuda, Tungabhadra,
Bhimarathi, Vetravati, Tamraparni and Shatadru.


In the solar dynasty there was a king named Vrika. Vrika’s son was Vahu and Vahu
became king after his father’s death.

Vahu was a good king who followed the righteous path. He ruled the earth well. The
four clases are brahmanas, kshatriyas, vaishyas and shudras. It is desirable that each of
the classes should follow the duties that are prescribed for it, otherwise there is complete
chaos. What are the duties prescribed for each of the four classes? The Narada Purana
will detail them subsequently.

To come back to the point, Vahu ruled so well that during his reign, none of the classes
deviated from its pre-assigned duties. As you have been told earlier, the earth is divided
into seven regions or dvipas. In each of these dvipas, King Vahu performed an
ashvamedha yajna (horse sacrifice). The king was not only wise, he also defeated all his
enemies. His subjects were happy, rains came on time and there were good harvests.
The sages performed their meditations free of all fear, and sin virtually vanished from
earth. For ninety thousand years the king ruled happily.

But thereafter, trouble started. All this pomp and glory turned Vahu’s head and he
began to think,"I rule over everyone. I am all powerful and I have performed many
yajnas. Why should anyone else but me be worshipped? Do I not rule over the ends of
the earth? Am I not learned in the shastras? I do not think that here is anyone superior
to me."

This inflated ego was a calamity and brought other evil traits. The possession of four
objects lead to unhappiness. These four objects are youth, wealth, power over others
and lack of foresight,. Unfortunately, all four were combined in King Vahu. He started
to suffer from envy and jealousy and soon made enemies. It does not take very long for
an envious person to make enemies.

Among the power enemies that King Vahu had to contend with, were kings known as
Haihayas and the Talajanghas. And since the king had been dislodged from the
righteous path, Vishnu and Lakshmi (the goddess of weath and prosperity) also deserted
him. After a fierce battle that went on for a month, the Haihayas and the Talajanghas
managed to defeat the king. They annexed his kingdom and drove him off into the

Vahu’s wife Yadavi was expecting then. Vahu’s enemies were not content with driving
him off into the forest. They feared that Vahu’s son might try to avenge his father. They
therefore fed Yadavi some poison (gara). (This does not agree with the account given in
some other Puranas, such as the Padma Purana. In those accounts, Vahu had a second
wife. And it was this second wife who fed Yadavi poison).

Vahu was now penitent for his past misdeeds. With his wife, he intended to seek peace
and solitude in the sage Ourva’s ashrama (hermitage). But the way to the hermitage was
long and the king suffered from hunger and thirst. He dIscovered a pond on the way
and thought that he might drink some water from the pond. Vahu and Yadavi quenched
their thirst and rested under the shade of a tree that grew by the side of the pond.

On that tree lived many birds. They began to talk amongst themselves. "Hide," they
said. "The sinner Vahu has come here. It is best not to look upon him."

King Vahu overheard this conversation and was mortified. He discovered that people
were also freely criticising him. Even his subjects were not at all unhappy that he had
been robbed of his kingdom. This made the king so miserable that he had no further
desire to live. His health deteriorated and old age took its toll. Vahu died as soon as he
reached Ourva’s ashrama.

His wife wished to immolate herself on her husband’s funeral pyre.

But the sage Ourva restrained her. "You are expecting and such an act would be
tantamount to murder," He said. "It is a crime that I cannot permit to happen. Please
refrain from what you are about to do. I can foretell that you will give birth to a
powerful king."

Yadavi listened to the sage’s advice. She performed Vahu’s funeral rites and
accompanies Ourva to his hermitage.


Yadavi lived in the hermitage and, in due course, gave birth to a son. You will recall that
she had been fed some poison. The poison had done her or the baby no harm and was
ejected when Yadavi gave birth. Since the word gara means poison and since sa means
together with, the baby was given the name of Sagara.

Ourva took great interest in the boy’s development. He taught Sagara the shastras and
the duties of a king. When the boy grew up, the sage also taught him the art of warfare.
Sagara became leanred, honest and wise, apart from being brave and powerful.

One day Sagara asked his mother, "Where is my father? Who is he and where is he
now? Cursed is the person who does not have a father. Please tell me where my father

Yadavi had not so far told her son anything about King Vahu. But now she had no
choice. When Sagara got to know how his father’s enemies had driven his parents out
from their kingdom, he resolved to exact vengeance. He sought his mother’s blessings
and bade farewell to Ourva.

King Vahu had had the sage Vashishtha as chief priest and guru (teacher). Thus,
Vashishtha should be Sagara’s priest and teacher as well. Sagara went to visit Vashistha
and received the sage’s blessings. The sage also gave him several divine weapons named
aindrastra, varunastra, brahmastra and agneyastra, and a wonderful bow as well. This
made Sagara invincible.

Thus fortified, Sagara waged war on his father’s enemies and defeated them. Some of
them were killed outright. Others fled to Vashishtha for refuge and Sagara followed
them there.

"Sage," he said, "it is better to kill these sinners. Please do not grant them refuge. Only
the stupid permit evil enemies to live."

"No," answered the sage. "Let them be. There is no point in senseless killing. These
sinners will have to pay for their misdeeds later. Why should you commit a sin by killing
them when they have sought refuge?"

Sagara spared the enemies. But he did mete out token punishments to the enemies.
Amongst his foes were the Shakas and their heads were shaved off. Also amongst the
foes were the Yavanas and these were instructed that , henceforth, they would have to
sport long hair. As for the other enemies , their heads and beards were shaved off and
they were told that would no longer be permitted to follow the sacred religion laid down
in the Vedas.

Sagara was then crowned king by Vashishtha. He had two wives. The first was Keshini,
the daughter of the king of Vidarbha. The second wife was named Sumati.

The sage Ourva had got to know about Sagara’s coronation and marriage. He came to
bless him. "I shall grant your wives a boon," he said. "One of your wives will have a
single son and the other will have sixty thousand. Tell me who wants what."

Keshini wanted a single son and Sumati desired sixty thousand. Having granted the
boon, Ourva returned to his hermitage.

There is some inconsistency here with the account given in the Mahabarata. In the
Mahabarata, Sagara did not have any sons and prayed to Shiva so that he might have
offspring. The boon was granted by Shiva nd not by Ourva. And it was Sumati who had
the single son and Keshini, sixty thousand.

To return to the account of the Narada Purana, Keshini had a son. Right from birth,
this son turned out to be evil. The word asamanjasa means unbalanced or improper.
Since the son was evil, he came to be known as Asamanjasa. Meanwhile, Sumati gave
birth to sixty thousand sons and, following their elder brother’s lead, these sons too
became evil.

At first, Sagara ignored the misdeeds of his sons. He tended to dismiss them as juvenile
exuberance. In any case, Asamanjasa had a son named Amshumana who turned out to
be quite unlike his father and uncles. Amshumana was good and righteous.

But Asamanjasa and his brothers continued to do as they pleased. They disrupted the
performances of yajnas and oppressed religious people. They appropriated for
themselves the offerings that were made to gods at sacrifices. Apsaras (dancers of
heaven) were abducted by these evil princes. They also stole flower from the divine
parijata tree. Drinking was their favourite pastime, together with robbery and theft.
They even wagen war against his father Sagara himself. Need one say more?

Indra and the other gods began to plot so as to devise ways for bringing about the
destruction of Asamanjasa and his brothers.

There was a sage named Kapila who was devoted to Vishnu. He was so powerful that he
was like the great Vishnu himself.

Kapila had an ashrama in the underworld. The gods went there and started to pray to
Kapila. "Great sage," they said, "Deliver the world from the depredations of Sagara’s
evil sons."

"Do not despair," answered Kapila. "Those who oppress others are sinners and fate
decrees that they are soon destroyed. Thee princes will soon have to pay for their
misdeeds. Go back to heaven and rest in peace."

The gods returned to heaven.

Meanwhile, King Sagara organized an ashvamedha yajna. Vashishtha and other great
sages satced as priests at this sacrifice. In such a sacrifice, a horse is an important part
of the ceremony and is left free to wander around wherever it chooses. Indra chose an
opportune moment to steal the horse. He then left the stolen horse in Kapila’s hermitage
in the underworld.

Sagara’s sons were supposed to guard the horse. When the horse was found to be
missing, they looked everywhere for it. But in vain. The horse was not to be found in any
of the seven regions (lokas) that form the upper reaches of the universe. The princes
therefore concluded that the horse must be hidden somewhere in the underworld. They
went to the shores of the ocean. And there, each of them began to dig a hole in the
ground so that they might be able to penetrate to the underworld.

Thus it was that all sixty thousand sons along with Asamsanjas entered the underworld.
And in these lower regions they happened to come upon the sage Kapila’s hermitage.
The stolen horse was tethered in the hermitage. Oblivious of everthing, Kapila was busy

The princes concluded that it was the sage who had stolen the horse. They proceeded to
tie up Kapila. "Tie up the thief," they exclaimed. "Bind him and kill him. Look at the
way the thief is him and kill. Look at the way the thief is meditating. This is one of the
laws of the world. He who is the greatest sinner, pretends to be the most holy."

Sagara’s sons bound up the sage, although this did not disturb Kapila’s meditation. But
thereafter,the princes began to kick Kapila and tug at this arms. This roused the sage
from his meditation. Angered at the disturbance, he sternly gazed at the princes. Such
was the fury of Kapila’s gaze that the princes were immediately burnt to ashes. So
terrible were the flames that emanated from Kapila’s eyes that the snakes, who lived in
the underworld, fled from there and sought refuge in the waters of ocean.

The saga Narada brought the news of this misfortune to King Sagara. But the king did
not mourn the death of his sons. He was rather pleased that his evil sons had been so

But the horse had to be brought back so that the sacrifice might be completed. There
was also a stipulation that he who had no son did not have the right to perform a yajna.
Sagara therefore adopted Amshumana as his own son. He also instructed Amshumana
to go and fetch the horse.

Amshumana went down to the underworld to Kapila’s hermitage. He prayed to the

sage. "Please forgive my uncles and my father," he said. "The holy are by nature
forgiving. They are like sandalwood. Just as sandalwood continues to give off fragrance
even if it is chopped, the holy forgive those who do them harm. Please pardon the sin."

"I am pleased with you," said the sage. "Ask for a boon."

"Please tell me of a way whereby my father and uncles may ascend to heaven,"
requested Amshumana. "There is nothing else that I desire."

"Your grandson will bring down the holy Ganga from heaven," answered Kapila.
"When that happens, your father and uncles will be pardoned their sins and will ascend
to heaven. Take the sacrificial horse now and go. My blessings are with you."

Amshumana returned to Sagara and related all that had happend. Amshumana had a
son named Dilipa and Dilipa’s son was Bhagiratha. It was Bhagiratha who brought
down the river Ganga from heaven.

One of Bhagiratha’s descendants was a king named Sudasa. Sudasa’s son was
Mitrasaha, also known as Soudasa. Vashishtha cursed Soudasa that he would become a

rakshasa (demon). But as soon as Soudasa touched the holy water of the Ganga, he
returned to his human form.


The sages interrupted Suta. "You are going too fast," they complained. "Why was this
Soudasa and why was he cursed by the sage Vashishtha? How can you proceed without
telling us the whole story?"

Suta obliged.

Soudasa was a king. And as a king he was good and righteous. He was learned in the
shastras. Blessed with good fortune, he had many sons and grandsons and was
exceedingly wealthy. He ruled happily for thirty thousand years.

Once King Soudasa went to the forest for a hunt. With him were his soldiers and
ministers. But while pursuing a black buck, Soudasa got separated from his
companions. His pursuit led him to a place in the forest where he found two tigers
sporting. With an arrow, the king killed one of the tigers. Before dying, the tiger
adopted the form of a gigantic rakshasa.

"I shall have my revenge," said the other riger and vanished.

Soudasa was mystified at these happenings. He was also slightly scared. When he was
reunited with his companions, he related to them all that had transpired. With slight
misgivings,the retinue returned tot he capital.

After some days had passed, the king decided to organize a horse sacrifice. Vashishtha
and other sages were invited to act as chief priests. After the yajna was over, Vashishtha
went off to have a bath.

Meanwhile, the rakshasa who had been in the form of tiger appeared before Soudasa.
But he was now in the disguise of Vashishtha and the king did not see through the

"King," said the rakshasa, "get some meat cooked for my meal. I am going to have my

Soudasa instructed his cook to do the needful. The rakshasa now adopted the form of
Soudasa’s cook and brought the king some cooked human meat. Soudasa did not realize
this and he waited patiently for the sage to return.

When the real Vashishtha came back after completing his bath, Soudasa served him the
human meat.

Vashishtha of course recognized the meat to be human meat and was furious.
"Audacious king," he exclaimed, "how dare you serve me human meat? That is the food
of rakshasa. For this sin, I curse you that you will become a rakshasa and will live on
human meat."

The king did not understand what was going on. But through his powers, Vashishtha got
to know that the entire affair what been no fault of the king’s. He had been deceived by
a demon. When Soudasa realized this, his anger was aroused. He felt that his guru

(teacher) Vashishtha had unjustly cursed him. Soudasa therefore prepared to curse the

But the king’s wife Madayanti intervened. "Have you taken leave of your senses?" She
asked. "How can you curse your own guru?" Control yur anger. What was destined to
happen to you has happened. How can you blame Vashishtha for that?"

Madayantis words curbed Soudasa’s anger. But the act of cursing required some water
to be taken up in one’s hands. Mantras (incantations) were then to be chanted over this
water. What was going to happen to the water over which Soudasa had chanted
incantations? It had become sanctified and was energized.

Soudasa flung the water onto his own feet. The holy water immediately blackened the
king’s feet. Since the word kalmasha means black and pada means feet, Soudasa
henceforth came to be known as Kalmashapada.

The king touched Vahishtha’s feet and begged forgiveness. "Please pardon me, " he

Vashishtha was now dismayed at his own anger. He realized that he had been hasty and
had punished the king for no fault of his own. "A curse once imposed cannot be
revoked," he told Soudasa. "But you will not remain as a rakshasa indefintely. The
duration of the curse will be for a period of twelve years. After this period is over, the
holy water of the river Ganga will purify you and you will return to your human form."

The unhappy king retired to the forest as a rakshasa. He lived on deer, lizards, birds
and humans. When all the living beings in the forest had been eaten, he moved on to
another forest. Thus it continued and Soudasa the rakshasa moved from forest to forest.

Eventually the demon arrived on the banks of the river Narmada. A sage and his wife
lived on the banks of river. Soudasa grabbed the sage and prepared to devour him.

The sage’s wife begged the demon to spare her husband. "You are not really a raksahas,
" she told the king. "You were born a kshatriya (the second of the four classes) and used
to be a king. Please remember that you belong to the great solar dynasty, that you are
the king Mitrasaha or Soudasa. Please recollect the way of dharma. I am like a daughter
unto you. Protect me and spare my husband.

Soudasa paid no heed to these words. He ate up the sage.

The sage’s wife thereupon cursed Soudasa. "You did not listen to my entreaties," she
said. "Therefore, I curse you. You will die when you meet your wife. Moreover, you will
continue to be a rakshasa for a long time."

"I have committed only one sin," replied Soudasa, "yet you have cursed me twice. You
have cursed me that I will die when I meet my wife, that is curse number one. You have
also cursed me that I will be a rakshasa for a very long time, that is curse number two.
My single sin had been that of eating your husband. Two curses for one sin is most
improper. I accordingly curse you. You will become a pishacha (demon)."

Now there were two demons who were wandering around, Soudasa and the sage’s wife.
These two demons came to the banks of the river Narmada. In a banyan tree that stood

near the river, there lived a third rakshasa (demon). "Who are you two?" asked the

Soudasa and the sage’s wife told him their stories. "And who are you?" Soudasa then
asked the demon.

The demon related his story.

He used to be a brahmana (the first of the four classes) named Somadatta lived in the
Kingdom of Magadha. He was extemely religious and devoted to the Vedas. But
unfortunately, he happened to insult his guru and was cursed that he would become a

Having exchanged notes on their past lives, the three demons continued to live there.

One day, a brahmana from the land of Kalinga happened to arrive at that place. The
brahmana’s name was Garga. The three demons saw Garga coming and were delighted.
"Food has come, food has come," they exclaimed. But Garga was busy chanting the
names of Shiva and Vishnu, and the demons could not even approach the brahmana.
They then addressed Garga and said, "You must be a very holy man. We have eaten
several brahmans, but you are the first one whom we could not even approach. You
alone can deliver us. Please sprinkle some water from the holy river Ganga on our

Garga was slightly surprised at hearing three demons praise the river Ganga, but he did
as he had been bidden. He took up some of the holy water in a tulasi(basil leaf) and
sprinkled it on the bodies of the demons. Immediately, the demons attained divine
forms. The sage’s wife and Somadatta both ascended to heaven.

As for Soudasa, he first went on a pilgrimage to the city of Varanasi. Thereafter, he

returned to his own kingdom and ruled there happily.

Need one say more about the wonderful properties of the holy river Ganga?

Aditi’s Tapasya

There was a brahmana named Kashyapa who was the father of Indra and other gods.
Kashyapa married two of Daksha’s daughters. They were named Diti and Aditi. The
gods (suras or adityas) were Aditi’s sons and the demons (asuras or daityas) were Diti’s

The gods and the demons did not like each other and perpetually fought amongs

The demons had an extremely powerful king named Vali. He was Virochana’s son and
the grandson of Prahlada.

Vali was so strong that he conquered the entire world and thereafter resolved to
conquer and annex heaven. So prosperous was Vali that his riches are impossible to
describe. He possessed millions of elephants, horses and chariots, and a huge army. His
two chief ministers were named Kumbahanda and Kupakarna. Vali also had one
hundred sons who were the equals of their father in valour and wisdom. The eldest son
was named Vana.

So the terror that Vali’s invasion of heaven caused can easily be imagined. Threatened
with a siege, the gods came out to fight. Terrible was the war that raged. Countless
arrows darkened the sky. The wheels of chariots thundered, horses neighed, elephants
trumpeted, and the sound of the twangs of bows filled the battlefield. All other living
beings feared that the universe was about to be destroyed. The demons hurled
mountains at Indra and the king of the gods chopped these up with his arrows.
Elephants fought with elephants, horses with horses and chariots with chariots. Blood
flowed freely and dead bodies littered the battlefield.

For a thousand years the fighting went on. But eventually, the demons defeated the
gods. The gods were forced to flee from heaven and started to dwell on earth in human

Vali was not an evil person. He was indeed quite devoted to Vishnu. He performed
yajanas and ruled over the three regions of heaven, the earth and the underworld. He
ruled rather well.

But Aditi was greatly distressed to see her sons suffer thus. She desired that the demons
might be vanquished and that Indra might be restored to heaven. She therefore retired
to the Himalayas and there began to pray to Vishnu. She meditated sitting and she
meditated standing. For part of her tapasya she stood on one leg, for some more time
she stood balanced on her toes. For some time she ate only fruit, then only leaves and
later still, she thrived only on water. Eventually, Aditi gave up both food and water. For
a thousand years she prayed to Vishnu in this fashion.

Vali got to know about Aditi’s meditation and sent his companions to distract her. These
demons appeared before Aditi in the guise of gods and said, "Mother, please give up this
difficult meditation. Your body is suffering. You are trying to do all this for us. But do
you think that we will survive if our mother dies? Please desist."

But Aditi did not listen to these entreaties. She continued to pray and this angered the
demons. From this anger emerged fire and the flames threatened to engulf Aditi. But
such was the power of Aditi’s tapasya that the fire could do her no harm. Instead, the
flames burnt down the entire forest and all the demons who had gathered there to
disturb Aditi.

Vali and the Dwarf Incarnation

At long last, Vishnu appeared before Aditi.

"I am pleased at your tapasya," he said. "What is the boon that you desire?"

"You are the lord of everything," answered Aditi. "Please deliver my sons from the

"It shall be as you desire," said Vishnu. "I will be born as your son. And in that form I
will bring deliverance for your sons."

After some days, Aditi gave birth to a boy who was known as vamana (a dwarf).

Meanwhile, Vali had begun a yajana and the chief priest at this sacrificial ceremony was
Vali’s guru Shukracharya. Several sages came to attend this ceremony and so did the

Shukracharya realized that the dwarf was none other than Vishnu and tried to warn
Vali. "Be careful," he said. "This vamana is Vishnu. Don’t grant him a boon or promise
him anything. I am sure that he has come here to deceive you."

"That is impossible," responded Vali. "It is my good fortune that Vishnu has come here
to grace my house. How can I refuse him what he wants?" He then went up to the dwarf
and said, " I am blessed that you have come. Please tell me how I can serve you."

"I need some land for my prayers," answered the dwarf. " Please grant me as much
land as may be covered in three of my footsteps."

This boon Vali granted. But as soon as the boon had been granted, the vamana started
to increase in size. Vishnu placed his first step on heaven and the second on the earth.
Since there was no more space left, the third step was placed on Brahma’s world of
Brahmaloka. But in the process, the universe was split asunder and a lot of water
emerged from the centre of the universe (brahmanda). These waters washed Vishnu’s
feet and poured down on Mount Sumeru. Thus they formed the holy river Ganga.

What was to be done about Vali? There was no place left for him to live in. Pleased at
Vali’s generosity, Vishnu granted him the boon that he could live in the underworld
with the other demons.

Bhagiratha and the Ganga

In Sagara’s line, there was born a king named Bhagiratha. He was a truthful and
righteous king. He regularly performed sacrifices. He was also handsome, brave and
wise. The god Yama himself came to see what sort of a person Bhagiratha was.

The king worshipped Yama with offerings and said, "I am blessed that a great god like
you has come to visit a mere mortal like me. Please tell me about dharma
(righteousness). What are the characteristics of those who are righteous? Tell me about
sins. What happens to those who are sinners?

Yama told Bhagiratha about the deeds that bring punya (store of merit).

The greatest punya is acquired from donating wealth to brahmanas. Or from providing
them with employment. Another performer of good deeds is one who gets a pond digged.
Punya is also acquired by building temples dedicated to Shiva or Vishnu. The best
temple is one that is made of gold. Progressively lower down the ranking are the ones
that are made of copper, crystal, stone, bricks and wood. He who maintains a pond, a
temple or a village is also a performer of good deeds. Donating alms like cattle or land
also brings punya. Other good deeds are establishing gardens and planting trees. Any
one who plants a basil bush is eternally blessed. Sins are pardoned if one wears a
garland of basil leaves around one’s neck. These who bathe Vishnu’s images with milk
or clarified butter are certain to be taken to heaven. The images can also be bathed with
coconut-milk or sugar-cane juice . Shiva’s images should also be thus bathed. A tithi is a
lunar day. The lunar fortnight during which the moon waxes is known as shuklapaksha
and the lunar fortnight during which the moon wanes is known a krishnapaksha.
Certain specific tithis are particularly auspicious for bathing imates of Vishnu and
Shiva. Examples are panchami (the fifth day of the lunar fortnight), ashtami (the eight
day), ekadashi (the eleventh day), dvadashi (the twelfth day) and chaturdashi (the
fourteenth day) in shuklapaksha. Purnima (the day of the full moon) and solar and
lunar eclipses are also auspicious occasions.

Punya can be acquired through donating food to the hungry and water to the thirst. A
person who donates these objects never has to go to hell (naraka). Another good deed is
to massage the feet of guests with oil. Anyone who helps brahmanas or donates cows to
them is blessed. One who protects those who seek refuge also obtains a lot of punya.

The importance of donating alms cannot be over-emphasised. Apart from cows,

buffaloes can also be donated. Other objects which may be donated are curds, milk,
clarifed butter, honey, sugar-cane, fragrant objects, flowers, fruit and molasses.
Knowledge (vidya) is also a worthwhile object for donation. Gold, jewellery and
precious stones too qualify for donations. Images of Shiva (linga) and Vishnu
(shalagrama) should also be donated.

Other traits characterise those who have acquired punya. They do not criticise others
and prefer to associate with people who are righteous. They have managed to control
their senses and are not too addicted to food. They serve guests, brahmanas and
teachers well. Vishnu and the other gods are forever in their minds.

Yama next told Bhagiratha about sins, and the various hells (naraka) where sinners
have to suffer.

Hells are terrible places and there are several such narakas. The names of some such
hells are Tapana, Valukakumbha, Rourava, Maharourava, Kum-bhipaka, Nirucchvasa,
Kalasutra, Pramar-dana, Bhishana, Asipatravana, Lalabhakshya, Himothkata,
Mrishavastha, Vasakupa, Shvabha-kshya, Mutrapana, Purishahrada, Taptashula,
Taptashila, Shalmali-druma, Shonitakupa and Shonitabhojana.

In some of these hells sinners are made to eat their own flesh. In others, they are burnt
in fire. Some hells are such that stones and weapons are showered down on the sinners.
Narakas may be extemely hot or extemely cold. Sinners are fed molten iron. They are
hung upside down. In some hells, sinners are hurled down from mountain-tops. Worms
feed on sinners and they are compelled to lie down on burning coals. Throughout,
Yama’s servants beat the sinners with clubs. Their bodies are sliced with swords and
bitten by snakes. Scorpions are also let loose on the sinners. Jackals and tigers feed on
their meat. There are so many different types of misery in the hells that it would take a
thousand years to catalogue all of them.

Sinners are those who kill brahmanas, drink wine or steal gold. It is sinful to criticise
brahmanas or elders. One who promises to donate alms but goes back on his word, also
commits a crime. An egotist is a sinner. It is forbidden to dabble in medicine or
astrology without knowning the shastras. One who interprets the shastras without
knowing them is a sinner. Slander, vanity, lying, fraudulence and murder are crimes.
One who partakes of food offered by a shudra (the fourth of the four classes) is a sinner.
Thieves are bound to be punished. One who associates with a sinner becomes a sinner by

Sins can be atoned for by performing penance (prayashchitta). But there are some sins
for which there is no penance. Such a sin is the worshipping of an image of Shiva or
Vishnu that has been worshipped by a shudra or by a woman. Shudras and women are
not supposed to touch images of Shiva and Vishnu. One who murders a brahmana may
perform prayashchitta for his sin. But there is no penance for someone who hates
brahmanas. This is also true of someone who criticises his teacher or the sacred Vedas.
A brahmana who strays into the fold of Buddhism cannot hope for deliverance through

After sinners have paid for their sins in hell, they are born again. One who commits a
severe sin is first born as a tree. In successive births, he is then born as a worm, a snake,
an animal and as someone who does not believe in the Vedas. Eventually, he is born as a
poor brahmana. Other sinners spend seven lives as donkeys, ten lives as dogs and pigs, a
hundred years as worms, a hundred years as rats, and twelve lives a snakes. A thousand
lives thereafter are spent as animals like deer, before the sinners are finally born as
cows. Seven lives then have to be spent as chandalas (outcasts), sixteen lives as shudras,
two lives as kshatriyas and two lives as vaishyas (the third of the four classes). Next,
sinners are born as brahmanas, but only as poor and diseased brahmanas.

Vishnu delivers humans from all evil. The fruits of all actions should be vested with
Vishnu. Devotion to Vishnu is of paramount importance, but there are different types of
devotion to Vishnu. The three basic elements (guna) are sattvika, rajasika and tamasika.
Sattvika guna is holy and pure, rajasika guna is passionate and tamasika guna is torpid.
Thus sattvika guna is superior rajasika guna is medium and tamasika guna is inferior.

Different types of devotion ot Vishnu owe their nomenclature to these three elements. A
person who prays to Vishnu for someone else’s destruction is adhama-tamas. A devotee
who makes a pretense of praying to Vishnu is madhyama-tamasa. A person who picks
up devotion to Vishnu by observing others praying is uttma-tamasa. An adama-rajasa
devotee claims wealth from Vishnu as a reward for his devotion, a madhyama-rajasa
devotee claims the fame of great deeds and an uttama-rajasa devotee desires freedom
from all illusions. A devotee who prays so as to atone for his sins is adhama-sattvika.
One who prays because such prayers are loved by Vishnu is madhyama-sattvika. And a
devotee who prays for the sake of devotion alone is uttama-sattvika. This list thus has
nine different types of devotion to Vishnu. But there is one further type of devotion to
Vishnu, and this is the best form of devotion that one can think of. This is known as
uttamottama devotion and occurs when the devotee feels no difference between himself
and Vishnu. There is complete union and identification.

Concluding the account, Yama told Bhagiratha, "King, I have answered all your
questions. Be righteous and prosperous. Rule well and be devoted to Vishnu. But do not
forget that there is no difference between Vishnu and Shiva, they are one and the same.
Your ancestors were evil and are now rotting in hell. They will be freed when the waters
of the river Ganga touch their ashes. I bless you. Do now as you will."

Yama departed. Bhagiratha resolved that he would perform tapasya so as to bring down
the Ganga from heaven. He accordingly went off to the Himalayas to meditate.

(The Narada Purana gets slightly confused here. Having stated that Bhagiratha went to
the Himalayas to meditate, it states that the king went to the banks of the river
Godavari. The accounts in the Ramayana and the Matysa Purana are unambiguous in
stating that Bhagiratha went to the Himalayas).

To return to the account of the Narada Purana, Bhagiratha went to the banks of the
river Godavari, where the sage Bhrigu had a beautfiul hermitage. In the nearby forest
lived black buck, elephants and boars. Birds chirped on the trees, peacocks danced in
gay abandon. The forest was full of trees and flowers.

Bhagiratha worshipped Bhrigu and said, "Great sage, you are well-versed in the ways of
dharma and learned in the shastras. Please tell me how I may please the Lord Vishnu."

"King," replied Bhrigu, "you are indeed holy . Had that not been the case, you would
not have thought of trying to free your ancestors. Be truthful, do not lie, and always

associate with those who are good. Give up all thought of violence. And most important
of all, always meditate on Vishnu. That will bring you punya."

"What is truth?" asked Bhagiratha. "What is non-violence? Who are the people who
are good? What is punya? How does one go about worshipping Vishnu? Great sage, you
are well-versed in the knowledge of all the shastras. Treat me like a son and tell me the
answers to all these questions.

Bhrigu obliged. He told Bhagiratha that truth consisted of saying that which was in
consonance with the dictates of religon and did not contradict it. Non-violent acts were
those that did not cause other living beings any harm. The evil were those who treated
other people as enemies were against religon and were also stupid. Those who were not
evil were good. They did that which was right, followed the Vedas and performed acts
that were beneficial to other living beings. All that good people did constituted punya.
There were no prescribed rites for worshipping Vishnu. The best form of worship was
to realize that Vishnu was everywhere in the universe, that he was the cause of
everything, and that every living being was completely identified with Vishnu.

Armed with this wisdom, Bhagiratha bade adieu to Bhrigu and went to the forest to
meditate. After spending some time in the forest, he went to the Himalayas. The river
Ganga flowed there, at a tirtha (place of pilgrimage) named Nadeshvara.

It was there that Bhagiratha decided to meditate. The tapasya that he performed was
extemely difficult. He lived on fruits and roots and made offerings of leaves, flowers,
fruit and water to Vishnu. Several years passed. Bhagiratha next began to control his
breath though the technqiue of pranayama. For sixty thousand years Bhagiratha prayed
in this way. So difficult was the meditation that smoke started to billow out of
Bhagiratha’s nostrils.

The gods got frightened at these happenings. They were worried that Bhagiratha might
obtain a boon as a reward for his tapasya and try to dislodge them from heaven. The
gods therefore went to the northern shores of the ocean known as Kshiroda and began
to pray to Vishnu. Vishnu appeared before them and assured them that Bhagiratha had
no such evil intentions. In any case, he would go and find out what it was that
Bhagiratha wanted.

Vishnu accordingly appeared before Bhagiratha and the king fell down at Vishnu’s feet
in obeisance.

"Bhagiratha," said Vishnu, "I know that you want to free your ancestors. Shiva is no
different from me, we are really one and the same. Please pray to Shiva. He will do what
you desire."

After Vishnu had left, Bhagiratha started praying to Shiva. Shiva appeared before the
king. He had five heads and ten arms, and he wore the crescent moon on his forehead.
Snakes hung like garlands around his neck and he wore the skin of an elephant as

"Bhagiratha," said Shiva, "I am pleased with your meditation. Crave a boon. I grant
you the boon that you will prosperous and will attain eternal bliss."

"Lord," replied Bhagiratha. "If you are indeed pleased with me, grant me the boon that
the heavenly river Ganga might be brought down from heaven. I wish to free amy

Shiva granted the boon.

Bhagiratha started to return and the river Ganga followed the king wherever he went. It
is for this reason that the river is also known as the Bhagirathi. Bhagiratha held the
river to the place where Kapila’s hermitage was, that is the place where his ancestors
had been burnt to ashes. As soon as the water from the holy river touched those ashes.
Sagara’s sons were freed from hell and ascended to heaven.

(The account in the Narada Purana differes slightly from the accounts given in the
Ramayana and the Matsya Purana. In those accounts, Bhagiratha first prayed to
Brahma. It was Brahma who asked the king to pray to Shiva and please him.)


A vrata is a religious rite performed on a special occasion. The Narada Purana next
describes several such important vratas.

One such rite is known as ekadasi vrata, so called because it is performed ekadashi tithi
(the eleventh day of the lunar fortnight). The rite is observed in the month of
Agrahayana, during shuklapaksha. One has to stay up during the night and bathe a
shalagrama image in the morning with milk. Sesamum seeds are to be offered to a fire
and offerings of good are made to Vishnu and Lakshmi. Brahmanas have to be invited
and fed and they are also given alms.

Similar rites are recommended on dvadashi tithi (the twelfth day of the lunar fortnight),
during shuklapaksha and in the months of Pousha and Falguna. In fact, such rites can
be oberved in all the months, on ekadashi tithi and dvadashi tithi. The observance of
these vratas brings punya that is far in excess of any punya that can be obtained from
the performance of famous yajnas.

There is another vrata which brahmanas, kshatriyas, vaishyas, shudras and even
women can observe. This is known a pournamasi vrata as it is performed on the day of
the full moon (purnima). It can be observed in any month. Observance means praying to
Vishnu and Lakshmi with a pure heart. Mantras should be chanted and the Puranas
should be recited. Rice, sesamum seeds and clarified butter have to be offered to the fire.
After these are over brahmanas have to be invited and fed. It is best if the rite is
observed in all the months and the vrata comes to a close in the month of Kartika. That
is an auspicious occasion for building a temple dedicated to Vishnu. Narayana is another
name for Vishnu. Since one prays to Vishnu and Laksmi, this vrata is also known as
lakshminarayana vrata.

A vrata named dhvajarohana is recommended for everyone, irrespective of whether he

is man or woman and irrespective of what class he belongs to. A dhvaja is a flag and a
flag is erected atop Vishnu’s temple in the course of this vrata. This begun on ekadashi
tithi, during shuklapaksha and in the month of Kartika. Vishnu has to be worshipped
first and four brahmanas have to be invited to act as priests. The sun, the moon and
Garuda also have to be worshipped. Amongst the prescribed offerings are turmeric,
long-rained rice and fragrant flowers. Besides this, one hundred and eight bowls of rice
pudding and clarifed butter have to be offered to the fire. The flag can be erected either
on the top of the temple or on the main gate. As long as the flag waves in the wind, the
sins of the person who has erected the flag are forgiven.


Many years ago, in satya yuga, there used to be a king named Sumati. He was born in
the lunar dynasty. The king was handsome and righteous and he ruled over the seven
regions of the worlds. Sumati never lied and he was so hspitable that he never refused
even a dog as a guest.

Sumati was devoted to Vishnu and so was his wife Satyamati. The king and his wife
were also jatismaras, that is, they could remember the incidents of their earlier lives.
Sumati and Satyamati fed the poor, they dug poinds and faithfully observed the
dhvajarohana vrata. On such occasions, satyamati used to dance in Vishnu’s temple.

There was a sage named Vibhandaka. He and his disciples once came to visit this holy
couple. The king and the queen were delighted and welcomed the sage with offerings.
"We are gratified that you have come to visit us," they said. "Please tell us what can we
do for you?"

Vibhandaka blessed them and replied, "Truly well spoken. Not only are you holy, but
you are modest as well. Modestly is the root of all virtues. I am very happy to have met
you. There is nothing that you can do for me, except provide the answers to two
questions. Why do you faithfully observe the dhvajarohana vrata and why does
Satyamati dance in Vishnu’s temple?"
Sumati recounted their past histories for the sage’s benefit.

In an ealier life, Sumati used to be a shudra named Matuli who was evil. Matuli would
harm other people and steal offerings that were meant for the gods. Since he was a
sinner, he was poor and lost all his sons. His friends also deserted him. Matuli thereupon
retire dto the forest and survived on deer meat.

On one particular occasion, Matuli was very hungry and thirsty and came upon a pond
that stood in the middle of the forest. There was a temple of Vishnu by the side of the
pond and swans and geese sported ont he water. Mantuli satisfied his hunger with lotus
stalks and also quenched his thrist. He began to live in that dilapidated temple and
repaired parts of it. He built a house for himself near the temple and adopted the
profession of a hunter.

Twenty years passed.

There was a woman named Kokilini who had been born as the daughter of a hunter.
Kokilini was forsaken by her friends and relatives and arrived at the forest, suffering
from hunger and thirst. Matuli offered her fruit and meat and water. He discovered that
Kokilini hailed from the region known as the Vindhyas. She was the daughter of a
hunter named Damhbika and had done all sorts of evil things in her life. But once her
husband had died, her friends and relatives had forsaken her and she had nowhere to go

Matuli married Kokilini. They lived there and often got drunk on wine. In these
drunken sprees, they were in the habit of dancing in the temple. During one of these
bouts, they happened to die and Yama’s servants arrived to take Matuli and Kokilini to

But Vishnu had been pleased by the dancing. Vishnu’s servants also arrived and would
not permit Matuli and Kokilini to be taken to naraka. They maintained that these two
were the beloved of Vishnu, and hence, all their sins had been forgiven.

Kokilini had pleased Vishnu with her dances. As for Matuli, he had erected a flag on the
temple in the course of the reapir work that he had done. This amounted to an
observance of dhvajarohana vrata. The two groups of servants took matuli and Kokilini
to Vishnuloka, the abode of Vishnu. After enjoying themselves there for thousands of
years, Matuli and Kokilini had been born as Sumati and Satyamati.

They were born as jatismaras and remembered all that had earlier transpired. Sumati
therefore continued to observe the dhvajarohana’vrata and Satyamati continued to
dance in Vishnu’s temple.

Other Vratas

There is a vrata named haripanchaka. This is observed on dvadashi tithi during

shuklapaksha and in the month of Margashirasha. Vishnu’s image has to be bathed and
offerings of incense, flowers and betel leaves have to be made. For four successive days
one prays to Vishnu, starting from the twelfth day of the lunar fortnight to the day of
the full moon. Thereafter, brahmanas have to be invited and fed. The rite is observed
every month starting from Pousha and ending with Kartika. The punya acquired from
observing this vrata is equivalent to the punya obtained from donating millions of cows.

There is another vrata that is observed on dashami tithi (the tenth day of the lunar
fortnight), during shuklapaksha and in the months of Ashada, Shravana, Bhadra and
Ashvina. This vrata is superior to performing many yajnas.


There was a sage named Galava who lived on the banks of the Narmada river. Galava’s
son was named Bhadrashila and he happened to be a jatismara. Bhadrashila was
devoted to Vishnu. Even as a child, he had been in the habit of making temples to
Vishnu out of clay and worshiping Vishnu. He would tell everyone about the virtues of
observing a vrata on ekadashi tithi (the eleventh day of the lunar fortnight).

Galava was indeed very happy that his son was so devout. But he was also slightly
mystified. He told Bhadrashila, "I am fortunate that I have such a devout son. Your
character is beyond reproach and you are devoted to Vishnu You faithfully observe all
the vratas. How did you come to acquired these traits?"

"That is because I remember the experiences of my earlier lives," replied Bhadrashila.

"I am a jatismara. I remember what Yama had told me."

"Who were you in your earlier life?" asked Galava. "And what did Yama tell you?’

Bhadrashila recounted the story.

Bhadrashila used to be a king named Dharmakirti, born in the lunar dynasty. His guru
was the sage Dattatreya. For nine thousand years Dharmakirti ruled the earth,
performing good deeds as well as evil ones. But towards the end, he was drawn to evil
and committed only sins. He associated with evil persons and his store of accumulatd
punya was gradually depleted. Dharmakirti gave up the performance of yajnas; he
deviated from the path prescribed by the Vedas. Taking a cue from their king, his
subjects also became evil. A king is entitiled to one-sixth of his subjects’ earnings. Thus,
Dharmakirti was also credited with one-sixth of the sins that his subjects committed.

One day, the king went on a hunt to the forest, he killed many deer and became hungry
and thirsty. The river Reva flowed through the forest and Dharmakirti bathed in the
river. But there was no food to be had. Meanwhile, some pilgrims also arrived there and
these pilgrims were observing a vrata on ekadashi tithi. The rites involved fasting and
staying awake at night. Together with the pilgrims, Dharmakirti also fasted and stayed
awake at night. But the king was virtually starving from lack of food. When morning
dawned, he died of starvation.

Yama’s servants arrived to take Dharmakirti to Yama. Their visages were terrible. The
trip to Yama’s abode took many days, but eventually Dharmakriti arrived there and
was taken before Yama.

Chirtragupta keeps account of all good deeds and sins. Yama called Chitragupta to him
and said, "Dharmakirti has been brought here. Tell me about the punya that he has
accumulated and the sins (papa) that he has committed."

"This man has been really evil," replied Chitragupta, "However, he has happened to
fast on ekadashi tithi. His sins have, therefore, all been forgiven."

Yama summoned his servants and started to soundly berate them. "What have you
done?" he demanded "How dare you bring such a holy person to me? You have been
told that you should not bring for punishment people who observe ekadashi vrata. Nor
should you bring those who pray to Vishnu. Such people go straight to heaven. Bring
only sinners here."

Yama repeated to Dharmakirti what he had told this servants and the king became
penitent for his past misdeeds. He had however accumulated a lot of punya because of
observing ekadashi vrata. He therefore spent a lot of time in heaven, before being born
again as a brahmana. It is because he remembered all these incidents that Bhadrashila
was so devout. He ralized that if there was so much of punya to be obtained from
unconsciously observing ekadashi vrata, great indeed must be the punya that could be
attained from observing the rite consciously.

Galava regarded himself as exceedingly fortunate to have fathered such a wonderful


Varnashrama Dharma

There are four classes (varna) and these are brahmanas, kshatriyas, vaishyas and
shudras. The brahmanas class is superior to the other three. Brahmanas, kshatriyas and
vaishyas are sometimes also referred to as dviya or trija. The word dvija signifies a
person who is born twice and the word trija is used for a person who is born thrice.
When the word dvija is used, one refers to two births that these three classes go through.
The first is the act of physical birth and the second is the sacred-thread ceremony
(upanayana). When the word trija is used, a third birth is included. This the act of
initiation (diksha). Shudras do not have upanayana or diksha.

Dharma means that each class must perform the duties that are prescribed for it. Any
deviation from this principle leads to adharma (sin). The primary duties of a brahmana
are donating alms, performing yajnas, worshipping the gods and reciting the Vedas. He
should also be devoted to Vishnu and should never use harsh words. And he should
regard other people’s property as being as worthless as stones. The primary duties of a
kshatriya are donating alms to brahmanas, reciting the Vedas and performing yajnas. A
kshatriya also has to take up arms and protect the world. He is entrusted with the

responsibility of punishing the evil and protecting the good. A vaishya must study the
Vedas. That apart, the duties of a vaishya are animal husbandry, agriculture and trade.
The shudras are permitted to donate alms, but their primary duty is to serve the other
three classes. All four classes should be pleasant of speech and should try to do good to
others. No individual should be overly addicted to sloth or to sensual pleasures.

In times of danger or calamity, it is permitted that a brahmana take up the occupation

of a kshatriya or a vaishya. Similarly, it is permitted that a kshatriya take up the
occupation of a vaishya. But under no circumstances should an individual belonging to
one of the first three classes take up the occupation of a shudra. A person who does this
is to be regarded as a chandala (outcast).

When a son is born, a father has to perform a ceremony named nandimukha. It is only
after this that the boy can be named. A brahmana should have his upanayana ceremony
when he is eight years of age, a kshatriya when he is eleven and a vaishya when he is
twelve. A brahmana ties his sacred thread around his waist, a kshatriya uses the string
of his bow for the same purpose, and a vaishya uses sheepskin. Brahmanas can wear the
skins of black buck, kshatriyas are meant to wear the skin of a deer named ruru, and
goatskin is indicated for vaishyas. If a brahmana carries a stick, it can be so long that it
extends upto his hair. But a kshatriya’s stick should not extend beyond is forehead and a
vaishya’s beyond his nose.

There are four ashramas (stages of life). The first is called brahmacharya (stage of
celibate studenthood). During this period, an individual studies the Vedas in his guru’s
house and serves his guru well. He lives only on food that he has obtained through
begging. There are some objects that are forbidden for such an individual. He is not
permitted to eat honey, meat, salt and betel leaf. Nor is he allowed to sleep during the
day, wear garlands or slippers or use an umbrella. He has to stay away from gambling,
singing and dancing. When he has studied the Vedas well, the student is ready to step
into the next stage of life. But prior to that, he has to pay a fee (dakshina) to his teacher.

The second ashrama is garhasthya (householder stage). The individual has to get
married before he can enter the second stage of life. The bride and the groom should not
be related to one another, upto seven generations on the father’s side and upto five
generations on the mother’s side. Cleaniness brings great punya to a householder. He
also has to serve his guests well. A guest who goes away dissatisfied leaves his papa with
the householder and takes the householder’s punya away.

The third ashrama is vanaprastha (forest-dwelling stage). A householder embarks on

this when he discovers that his hair is turning grey and his skin is getting wrinkled. He
leaves his wife with his grown-up sons or takes her with him and retires to the forest. He
is no longer permitted to clip his nails or shave his hair and he has to sleep on the
ground. For food, he is allowed fruit and roots. Under no circumstances should he eat at
night. His entire time is taken up with meditating on Vishnu.

The fourth and final ashrama is sannyasa (hermit stage). This should only be embarked
upon when one’s mind is completely detached from the world. It is pointless to become a
hermit if one is still addicted to material pursuits. A hermit should completely shave off
his head. He has no friends and no enemies. Insults or praise mean nothing to him. He
obtains his food by begging for alms. A hermit should not spend more than one night at
a stretch in a village or more than three nights at a stretch in a city.

The Narada Purana next describes funeral (shraddha) ceremonies.


Any religious rite that involves fasting should be done on one of the following tithis
(lunar day) - dvitiya (second), shashthi (sixth), ashtami (eighth), ekadashi (eleventh),
chaturdashi (fourteenth), amavasya (night of the new moon) and purnima (night of the
full moon). Vratas are recommended in shuklapaksha, not in krishnapaksha. If there is
a solar or a lunar eclipse, one should not eat until the sun or the moon has been seen
again. Nor should one eat for four hours before a solar eclipse and for three hours
before a lunar eclipse.


"But," said the sages, "What happenes if one commits a sin? What form does the
penance (prayashcitta) take?"

The severest sin is that of killing a brahmana. This may happen inadvertently. In such
cases, the murderer must place his hand on the dead man’s forehead and beg
forgiveness. He then retires to the forest. He keeps matted hair and eat only once a day,
that too, only fruit and roots. He meditates only on Vishnu. The sinner also visits various
famous places of pilgrimage. But he makes it a point to tell whomsover he meets that he
has committed the sin of killing a brahmana. The period of penance continues for twelve
years, after which the sin is pardoned.

There might occur situations where the sinner dies before the twelve years are over. If
the sinner is killed by a deer or if he dies of disease, the sin is automatically forgiven. It
is also pardoned if the person concerned dies while saving a cow or brahmana.

The penance for killing a kshatriya is the same as that for killing a brahmana.
Alternatively, the murderer may immolate himself in a fire or kill himself by jumping
off a high place.

But generally speaking, the sin of killing a kshatriya is only half as severe as that of
killing a brahmana. And the sin of killing a vaishya is only one-third as severe as that of
killing a brahmana.

A shudra who kills a brahmana is to be beaten to death with a club.

There are three types of wine, known as goudi, madhvi and paishti. The drinking of
wine is forbidden. If one drinks wine, the prescribed penance is the drinking of clairfied
butter and the urine of cows. Drinking wine, in fact, is as great a sin as the killing of a

There are various units for measuring gold (kanchana). When sunlight filters through a
window, small particles can be seen. These are known as trasarenu. Eight trasarenus
make a nishka, three nishkas are one rajasarshapa, three rajasarshapas are one
gosarshapa, six gosarshapas are one yava, three yavas one krishnala, five krishnalas one
masha and sixteen mashas one suvarna. A person who steals gold amounting to one
suvarna from a brahmana commits a sin tha tis equivalent to the killing of a brahmana.
The same sort of atonement is thus indicated. In addition, the sinner has to apply
clarified butter and cowdung on his body. If a kshatriya steals gold from a brahmana,
he has to perform a horse sacrifice. The alternative is to donate to brahmanas three
hundred cows or gold equivalent to the weight of one’s own body. But if the thief shows
penitence and returnes the gold to the brahmana immediately after he has stolen it,
twelve days of fasting is enough.

The penance is halved if the object that has been stolen is not gold, but is gem, land or

Naturally, the penance is less if the amount of gold that has been stolen is not a suvarna,
but is less. For example, if a trasarenu of gold has been stolen, two rounds of pranayama
(a breathing exercise) is sufficient atonement. If a nishka of gold has been stolen, three
rounds of pranayama are needed and if a rajasarshapa of gold has been stolen, four
rounds pranayama are indicated. A person who steals a gosarshapa of gold has to chant
the gayatri mantra (an incantation) one thousand and eight times. If the amount of
stolen gold increases to one yava, the mantra has to be chanted throughout an entire
day. For stealing gold amounting to one krishnala, a special vrata named santapana has
to be observed. What about situations where one masha of gold has been stolen? Then
the sinner has to eat for three months foodgrains soaked in the urine of cows and
worship the gods for a corresponding period. The period is increased to one year if the
amount of stolen gold is more than one masha, but less than one suvama.

Separate vratas are prescribed for the stealing of silver, bronze, brass, copper and
jewels. The severity of the vrata depends on the object that has been stolen and on the
amount of the theft.

A person who associates with a sinner has to undergo penance. The penance is the same
as would have been the case had he committed the sin himself.

There is a special vrata known as prajapatya. A person who kills a mongoose, crow,
boar, rat, cat, goat, sheep, dog or a hen, has to observe half a prajapatya vrata. A person
who kills a horse has to observe three such rites. Other rites are prescribed for those
who kill elephants or kill cows inadvertently. If a cow is consciously killed, no penance
other than death will suffice.

A person who steals wood, grass, trees, molasses, meat or skins will fast for three days.
A person who kills birds, turtles or porpoises will fast for twelve days.

Yajnas and religious rites are sacred ceremonies. If the voice of a chandala is heard
while such rites are going on, it is recommended that one fasts for a day and purifies
oneself by partaking of clarifed butter on the second day. One thousand and eight
gayatri mantras also have to be chanted.

No penance is prescribed for those who criticize the gods or the brahmanas. Such
sinners are beyond redemption.

No penance is successful unless it is accompanied by faith in Vishnu. The sins are

forgiven even if one prays to Vishnu inadvertently. Praying to Vishnu is far superior to
visiting places of pilgrimage or performing religious rites.

Yama’s Abode

Yama’s abode is very far away. Those who have accumulated punya have nothing to
fear there. But the sinners have every reason to be scared. The righteous enjoy the trip
to Yama’s abode, but the sinners suffer a lot. The sinners suffer from hunger and thrist
and weep throughout the journey. Yama’s servants continually beat them with whips
and weapons. The road is lined with mud, fire and hot sands. Hail, burning ? , stones
and weapons shower down. In some places there are blistering winds. Parts of the road
are dark and bristle with sharp thorns.

One has to climb mountains and creep through caves. The sinners accordingly suffer
throughout the journey. Yama’s servants goad and prod them along, pulling them with
nooses tied around their necks. Weights are attached to the bodies of the sinners so a sto
make the journey even more difficult. Blinders are sometimes put on the eyes so that the
sinners can’t see. They fall into pits and holes. It is during this journey that sinners
become penitent for their past misdeeds. But by then it is too late.

The righteous have no cause to fear the journey. They travel in great comfort. Those
who have donated food get delicious meals along the way. Those who have donated
water slake their thirst with condensed milk. Thse who have donated clothes get
wonderful clothes to wear. Those who have donated land or houses do not have to walk
at all. They travel in vimanas (space vehicles) and are served by apsaras (dancers of
heaven). This is also true of those who have donated horses, chariots or foodgrains.

Upon reaching Yama’s abode, people are taken before Yama. Yama has four hands and
in three of these hands he holds a shankha (conch shell), a chakra (bladed discus) and a
gada (mace). The righteous are welcomed by Yama and sent off to enjoy the fruits of
their punya.

But the sinners tremble before yama’s stern visage. He treatens them with his sceptre
(kaladanda). His voice thunders. The righteous get to see Yama’s pleasant appearance,
while his terrible appearance is reserved for the sinners. This terrible manifestation has
twenty-two arms, bloodshot eyes and fearsome teeth.

Chitragupta is Yama’s companion and keeps account of all good deeds and sins. He tells
the sinners, "You are evil, you have many sins to your credit. Suffer in hell, repentance
now will serve no purpose."

The sinners are then taken to hell (naraka). After they have served their sentences in
hell, they are born again.

They are first born as trees, herbs, grass and creepers. They are thereafter born as
worms. When these lives are over, they are born as animals. It is only after several lives
that they get to be born as humans again. But ther are different gradations in the
human lives as well. The sinners progressively graduate from being born as tanners to
being born as outcasts, hunters, washermen, potters, blacksmiths, goldsmiths, weavers
and traders. Some are born rich, others are born poor. Some are born hale, others are
born diseased and malformed. Each birth is determined by the actions of one’s earlier


The world is full of miseries. How does one rise above the illusions of the world, how
does one free oneself from these miseries? How does one attain bliss(moksha)?

It is Vishnu who provides bliss, Brahma creates the world on Vishnu’s orders and Shiva
destroys it also on Vishnu’s instructions. The entire universe is completely identified
with Vishnu. Vishnu has no form, nor is he without form. He is the source of all dharma.
It is from him that all the elements originate. Humans who worship him become like

True knowledge consists of the realization that Vishnu is everything. In this sense, bliss
can be achieved through knowledge (jnana). Knowledge needs the bedrock of faith
(bhakti) to support it. Good actions (karma) give rise to faith in Vishnu. In fact, actions

are the first step towards attaining knowledge. There are very few people who can
embark on the path of knowledge straight away. In the final stage of knowledge, one
realizes that Vishnu is everywhere in the universe and that there is therefore no
difference between oneself and other living beings. This sense of union with Vishnu is
referred to as yoga.

A person who is for this sort of supreme knowledge is known as a mumukshu. There are
certain traits that enable one to identify a mumukshu. He has no sense of anger or hate,
he is not addicted to the senses and he evinces pity towards all living beings. His mind is
perpetually preoccupied with thoughts of Vishnu.

There is another way of expressing the idea behind yoga. The divine soul is known as the
paramatman and it has no form. As opposed to this, there are human souls known as
jivatmans. These are attached to individual bodies and egos. Yoga tries to overcome this
illusion and establishes the union between the jivatman and the paramatman. It is true
that the human soul is confined by the shackles of the body, but it is the overcoming of
this illusion that is important. This sense, the sense of the union between human souls
and the divine soul, is true or supreme knowledge, referred to as brahma jnana. (The
word brahman is used synonymously with paramatman, although the latter is loosely
translated as the divine soul and the former as the divine essence.)

The path of yoga is aided by eight techniques. The first of these is known as yama (self-
control). This requires non-violence, truthfulness, love, pity and control over the senses.
Jealousy and envy also have to be given up. The second technique is niyama (practice).
This requires meditation, chanting incantations, reading sacred texts and cleanliness.
Yama and niyama purify the mind and the body and thus enable one to meditate on the
true nature of Vishnu. But meditation requires a proper posture and this the third
technique of asana (posture). There are thirty major postures that are recommended for
someone who is practising yoga. The fourth technique is pranayama (controlling one’s
breath). The control over one’s breath aids the process of meditation.

The fifth technique is known as pratyahara (withdrawal). This means the withdrawal of
the mind from all sorts of sensual pleasures. The sixth technique is known as dharana
(retention). One visualises the identity of the paramatman and the jivatman, and retains
the image of the identity in one’s mind. It helps to concentrate one’s mind on an image
of Vishnu seated on a lotus flower. When one meditates continuosly on this image, that
constitutes the seventh technique of dhyana (contemplation). There are three objects
that are involved in the process of meditation¾ the person who is doing the meditating,
the object of meditation and the act of meditation. When all sense of distinction between
these three objects is lost, the contemplation can be regarded as complete. When the
final point of contemplation is reached, one attains the eighth and final technique of
samadhi (intense bliss). The brahman is fixed in the mind of such a person and he loses
all other senses.


A person who is devoted to Vishnu is eternally blessed.

Many years ago, a brahmana named Devamali lived in the land of Raivata. He was
learned in the Vedas, pitiful towards other living beings, and devoted to Vishnu. But
unfortunately, he had many sons, friends and a wife to take care of. Making a living was
difficult and Devamali was constrained to trade in objects that no brahmana should
touch. He also interacted with outcasts. He thus committed many sins.

After some years, two sons named Yajnamali and Sumali were born to Devamali. With
great care and perseverance, the father taught the sons how to make money.

By then, Devamali himself had made a lot of money and had accumulated a lot wealth.
One day, he sat down to count his wealth and discovered that he had millions and
millions of coins. He thought to himself, "I had made a lot of money; look at the number
of coins I have accumulatd. Unfortunately, I have had to do this through evil means, by
means of trading in objects that I should not even have touched. But is it not strange
that, despite all my riches, my thirst for more wealth remains unsatiated? This
conclusively proves that it is the craving for riches that is the root of all evil. One
continues to want more wealth even if one’s teeth decay and one’s skin gets wrinkled. A
person who wants peace should give up all hankering after riches. I think tha tI have
had enough. I should now start to think about the life that comes hereafter."

Thinking this, Devamali resolved that he would devote himself to the path of dharma.
He divided his riches into four parts. He retained two parts for himself and distributed
the remaining two parts to his sons Yajnamali and Sumali.

With a view to acquiring punya, Devamali constructed temples and gardens and had
ponds constructed. He went to the banks of the Ganga and donated alms. In this fashion,
he exhauted all his wealth. Eventually, he went off to perform tapasya in the forest
known as vadrikashrama. In the hermitage there lived many sages. Devamali joined
them in their meditations. He contemplated on the true nature of the brahman.

The sages gave Devamali plenty of good advice. One particular sage named Jananti
taught Devamali the techniques of yoga. It was through the practice of yoga that
Devamali was freed of all his illusions.

Yajnamali and Sumali

You will remember that Devamali had two sons named Yajnamali and Sumali.
Yajnamali was the elder of the two.

Yajnamali divided whatever riches he had received from his father into two parts and
gave one part to Sumali. But Sumali spent all his wealth on idle and evil pursuits. When
his money was exhausted, he resorted to theft and robbery.

Yajnamali tried to restrain his brother. "Please mend your ways," he told Sumali.
"What you are doing is evil. Do not bring ill repute to our family."

These words of advice only served to anger Sumali and he took up a sword to kill his
borther. But the city-guards came and arrested Sumali before he could cause his
brother any harm. Yajnamali used his good offices to free Sumali. He divided whatever
riches he then possessed into two parts and gave one part to Sumali. As had happened
earlier, Sumali again spent this money on evil and idle pursuits.

Sumali’s friends and associates were evil and outcasts. He was punished by the king and
banished to the forest. When this happened, all his co-called friends deserted him.

Yajnamali was righteous. He associated with holy people, donated alms and dug ponds.
Soon his wealth was also exhausted, being spent on all these good pursuits. Yajnamali
retired to a temple of Vishnu and there spent his time in worshipping Vishnu.

By a curious quirk of fate, Yajnamali and Sumali died at the same time. A vimana
arrived to take Yajnamali to heaven. While travelling in this wonderful vehicle,
Yajnamali noticed that his brother was being taken to hell. Yama’s servants were
beating Sumali and the poor fellow was suffering from hunger and thirst.

Yajnamali asked Vishnu’s companions, who had come to take him up to heaven, "How
can my brother be freed of his sins?"

"Let us tell you your story," replied the Companions. "In your earlier life you were
born as a vaishya named Vishvambhara. You were evil and committed many sins. You
were so evil that you deserted your parents and all your firends, in turn, deserted you.
Once you were hungry and thirsty and sought refuge in a temple of Vishnu. Your feet
were dirty and when you tried to clean them, part of the temple also got cleaned. This
was a punya that was credited to your account. Since you had no food, you fasted
throughout the night. And in the morning you died of snake-bite. But the little bit of
punya was enough to ensure that you became devoted to Vishnu in your next life, when
you were born as Yajnamali. So far as your brother is concerned, there is indeed a way
to free him. Give him the punya that you had acquired as a result of cleaning part of the
temple and your brother shall go free."

Yajnamali did as he had been bidden. Yama’s servants immediately left Sumali and
fled. A wonderful vimana came down to take Sumali as well to heaven. The two brothers
were delighted to see each other. So great was Yajnamali’s punya that he did not have to
be born again. But after spending some time in heaven. Sumali had to be born again. In
his next life, he was devoted to Vishnu and performed only good deeds. Eventually, he
too was freed.

Such is the wonderful punya that can be acquired from something so trivial as cleaning
a tiny part of Vishnu’s temple.


A house where Vishnu is not worshipped is like a cremation ground and a person who
does not pray to Vishnu is like a dead body. Humans who do not worship Vishnu and do
not revere the Vedas, brahmanas and cows are like rakshasa (demons). But devotion to
Vishnu does not come automatically. It itself is earned through the punya of many lives.
Even a little bit of devotion to Vishnu destroys the accumulated sins of many lives. This
is irrespective of whether this devotion is conscious or not. Inadvertent prayers to
Vishnu also confer on one the right to live in heaven.

In satya yuga there lived a hunter named Kanika. He was a robber and stole other
people’s property. He oppressed others and killed hundreds of cows and brahmanas. He
even stole objects from temples. So myriad were his sins that it would take millions of
years to catalogue them all.

One day, the hunter went to the city of Soubira. There was a temple to Vishnu there and
a number of golden pots adorned the top of the temple. Kanika was delighted to see
these golden pots. He thought that he would be able to steal a lot of gold. Accordingly, he
entered the premises of the temple at night.

A sage named Utanaka was sleeping in the courtyard of the temple. Kanika decided that
the sage was an obstacle to his stealing the golden pots. He therefore placed his feet on
the sage’s chest and prepared to behead him with a sword.

Utanka woke up. "Why are you trying to kill me?" he asked. "I have done you no harm.
People only kill those who have done them some harm. It is a sin to punish those who
have not committed any transgression. One might commit sins to feed one’s near and
dear relatives. But the sins do not accrue to the accounts of the relatives; they are one’s
own. Relatives are meaningless; they do not last beyond the earthly life. It is only the
papa and the punya that are carried over beyond death."

These words struck terror in Kanika’s heart. He begged forgiveness from the sage and
became penitent.

"It is my great good fortune that I have met you," he told the sage. "I am a sinner. What
can I do to free myself? Where shall I seek refuge? To whom shall I pray? I must have
committed many sins in my ealier life to have been born as a hunter in this life. But woe
and alas, I have committed sins in this life as well. What is to become of me? For how
many lives more must I suffer?"

So great was Kanika’s shame and mortification that he died on the spot. Taking pity on
the poor hunter, the sage sprinkled some holy water on the dead body. The water was
holy because it had been used to wash the feet of one of Vishnu’s images.

Wonder of wonders - as soon as the sanctified water was sprinkled on the dead body, all
of Kanika’s sins were forgiven. A vimana descended to take him up to heaven.

Utanka ws thunderstuck to see this wonderful happening. He started to pray to Vishnu.

And Vishnu appeared before the sage and granted him the boon that he would be
rendered free of all wordly bonds.


Many years ago, there used to be a king named Yajnadhvaja. He was born in the lunar

The king was devoted to Vishnu. He got all of Vishnu’s temples cleaned regularly. He
made sure that lamps were lit in the temples at night.

Yajnadhvaja also had a temple to Vishu built on the banks of the river Reva. There too,
he made arrangements for the temple to be swept regularly. And he also made sure that
lamps wre lit in the temple at night.

The king had a priest named Vitahotra.

Vitahotra once asked the king. "Please tell me what is so special about cleaning temples
and lighting lamps in them at night. There are many other tasks that are regarded as
being sacred to Vishu. Why do you devotee special attention to these two tasks?"

"Let me tell you my story," replied Yajnadhvaja.

The king remembered the story because he was a jatismara.

Many years ago, in satya yuga, there was a brahmana named Raivata. The brahmana
had studied the shastras well. Nevertheless, he acted as priest for people whom no
brahmana should serve as priest. Raivata was also cruel and he traded in goods that no
brahmana should touch. Because of these evil ways, the brahmana’s friends and

relatives deserted him. Raivata had no opiton but to wander around from country to
country. In a poor and diseased state, he finally died on the banks of the river Narmada.

Raivata’s wife was named Bandhumati. She too was evil and gave birth to a son named
Dandaketu. This turned out to be a sinner. He oppressed brahmanas, stole other
people’s property, drank wine and killed many living beings.

One night, Dandaketu happened to turn up at a temple of Vishu. He decided to spend

the night there. To clean a place for him to sleep at night, Dandaketu swept part of the
temple with his clothing. Although he did not realize it then, this act of piety pardoned
many of his sins and gave hima lot of punya. The sinner then lit a lamp so that he could
see better. And this additional act of piety pardoned all his ealier sins.

Meanwhile, the city-guards arrived at the temple. They took Dandaketu to be a thief
and killed him. But since Dandaketu had now acquired such a lot of punya, a vimana
descended and took him straight up to heaven. After spending some time there, he was
born again as the king Yajnadhvaja.

Yajnadhvaja told Vitahotra, "Now yu realize the increditble amount of punya that I
accumulated by sweepinga temple and lighting a lamp, there inadvertently. Can you
imagine what the punya would be like if I did these things consciously? Thankfully, I am
a jatismara and I remember the events tha ttranspired in my earlier life. No wonder
then that I devote so much of attention to the cleaning of temples and to the lighting of
lamps there. I am sure that your question is now answered.

Vitahotra marvelled at the story and became even more devoted to Vishnu.

If one wants to overcome the miseries of life, one has to pray to Vishnu. There is no
other way. Great punya is also acquired by serving those who are devoted to Vishnu. If
a person serves Vishnu’s devotees, twenty-one of his ancestral generations ascend to
heaven. All the gods and Lakshmi, the goddess of wealth, are ever-present in a house
where Vishnu is worshipped. A house where the basil tree, sacred to Vishnu, is planted,
is eternally blessed. Also blessed is a house where there is a shalagrama, Vishnu’s image.

Sudharma and the Manvantaras

Once, Indra went to Brishaspati, the teacher of the gods, and asked, "I have heard that
the gods change from manvantara (era) to manvantara. Can you please tell me the
names of the gods who have ruled earlier?"

"I am not that old," replied Brihaspati. "I do not know the answer to your question. But
there is a holy man named Sudharma. He knows everything and is bound to know the
answer to your question. Let us go up to him and ask."

Accompanied by the other gods, Indra and Brihaspati went to visit Sudharma. After
they had worshipped the learned man, Indra asked, "Tell me, what is the secret of your
knowledge? Have you donated a lot of alms or performing many yajnas? Or does the
secret lie in visiting tirthas and peforming tapasya? Please also tell us about the various

"I will first tell you about the manvantaras," replied Sudharma.

There are fourteen such eras in one of Brahma’s days. Each such era is ruled over by a
Manu. And the gods also change from one manvantara to another. In addition, the title
of Indra changes hands.

The first Manu was Svayambhuva. The gods were then the yamas and the Indra was

The second Manu was Svarochisha. The gods were the paravatas and tushitas and the
Indra was Vipashchita.

The third Manu was Uttama. The gods were the sudhamas, satyas, shivas and
pratardanas and the Indra was Sushanti.

The fourth Manu was Tamasa. The gods were the surupas, haris, suptas and sudhis and
the Indra was Shibi.

The fifth Manu was Raivata. The gods were the amitabhas and the Indra was Ribhu

The sixth Manu was Chakshusha. The gods were the adyas and the Indra was

The seventh manu was Vaivasvata. This is the manvantara that is now current. The
gods are the adityas, vasus and rudras and the Indra is Purandara.

There will be seven more manvantaras before the destruction.

The eighth Manu will Suryasavarni. The gods will be the sutapas and the Indra will be

The ninth manu will be Dakshasavarni. The gods will be the paravatas and the Indra
will be Adbhuta.

The tenth manu will be Brahmasavarni. The gods will be the vamanas and the Indra
will be Shanti.

The eleventh Manu will be Dharmasavarni. The gods will be the vihangamas and the
Indra will be Vrisha.

The twelfth manu will be Rudrasavarni. The gods will be the haritas and the Indra will
be Ritadhama.

The thirteenth Manu will be Rouchya. The gods will be the sutramas and the Indra will
be Divaspati.

The fourteenth Manu will be Bhoutya. The gods will be the chakshushas and the Indra
will be Shuchi.

(All the Puranas agree that there are fourteen manvantaras. They also agree that the
gods and the name of the person who holds the title of Indra change from one
manvantara to another. But the names of the fourteen manvantaras often vary from one
Purana to another. So do the names of the gods and the name of Indra. Thus the list
from the Narada Purana given above will not necessarily tally with the list given in
another Purana.)

"You also asked about the source of my punya," continued Sudharma. "I used to be a
vulture and lived on carrion. Once I was sitting on a wall that surrounded a temple of
Vishnu. Suddenly a hunter arrived and shot me dead with his arrow. My dead body fell
down on the ground and a dog picked it up in the mouth. Pursued by other dogs, the dog
circled the temple. This act of piety freed me and the dog of all illusions and gave us a lot
of punya. It is my secret."

Indra wondered at this story and himself became a devotee of Vishnu.

The Yugas

"You have answered all our questions," the sages told Suta. "We are much obliged.
There remains one final question. Please tell us about the four yugas and their

Suta obliged.

There are four yugas (eras). They are known as satya yuga or krita yuga, treta yuga,
dvapara yuga and kali yuga. Four such yugas constitute a mahayuga and a mahayuga
lasts for twelve thousand years of the gods.

In satya yuga dharma reigns supreme and everyone is as righteous as the gods. Each
varna pursues the duties that are prescribed for it and people are devoted to Vishnu and
to tapasya. The law of the four ashramas is meticulously followed and the Vedas are
studied. In treta yuga the miseries of people increase, although the dictates of dharma
continue to be followed. In dvapara yuga the power of dharma diminishes and the
Vedas have to be divided to disseminate the knowledge among humans. People start to
lie and anger and hate start to become common. If yajnas are performed, they are
always with some end in view, not because of selfless and altruistic reasons. Life
expectancies start to diminsh.

Kali yuga is the worst of the four eras. It is extemely rare to find a righteous person.
Yajnas also become rare. Jealousy, vanity and hatred are however very common. People
do not live for very long. Even the brahmanas stop studying the Vedas. The kings who
rule then are bad kings; they are obsessed with the idea of accumulating wealth. In fact,
the word king conveys no meaning at all. Anyone who has many chariots, horses or
elephants comes to be called a king. The brahmanas become the slaves of the shudras.
The brahmans strive after evil pursuits and forever try to acquire the possessions of
others. Sons hate their fathers, students their teachers, and wives their husbands.

People eat fish and meat. They even plough the banks of rivers to grow foodgrains. If
cows are taken care of, that is only because they provide milk. No one likes a person who
is devoted to Vishnu. Towards the end of kali yuga, no one even remembers the name of

But because evil reigns supreme in kali yuga, a minor good act in kali yuga gives a lot of
punya. The punya that takes ten years to be acquire din satya yuga can be acquired in
one year in treta yuga, one month in dvapara yuga and one day in kali yuga. The punya
that required meditation and sacrifices in the other three eras can be acquired through
just chanting the name of Vishnu in kali yuga. Vishnu is the salvation for everyone in
kali yuga.


Suta told the sages, "I have now finished reciting to you the whole of the Narada
Purana. This a sacred text. Someone who reads a single couplet from this Purana is
forgiven all his sins. Someone who reads an entire chapter acquires the punya that can
be otained from wonderful yajnas. If this text is kept inside a house, ghosts and demons
avoid the house. Arson or theft are never heard of in the household. It is recommended
that twenty shlokas from this Purana be read every morning."

The Narada Purna ends rather abruptly. In the other Puranas, the sages generally
thank Suta for his pains. There are no such couplets in this Puranan. The glories of the
Purana are also described much more perfunctorily.