॥ ॐ नमो भगवते वासुदेवाय ॥
Tuesday, 27 December 2022 VI.04 - Prachetas Prajapati Daksha prays and secures the boon of progeny from Bhagavan.
***
Parikshit wants to go back to the story of how the world was populated by the Prachetas. Sage Shuka is happy to oblige.
When the ten Prachetas emerged from the ocean after their great Tapas, they encountered the earth filled with dense forests cramping all life. They went into a rage and invoked fire and wind to burn down the forests.
As we have read before, Chandra or Soma is the god in charge of nourishing all vegetation and in turn all creatures with food. Naturally, he had to stop this inferno. He appeared and said,
मा द्रुमेभ्यो महाभागा दीनेभ्यो द्रोग्धुमर्हथ। विवर्धयिषवो यूयं प्रजानां पतयः स्मृताः ॥
T: The moon spoke: "Oh Prachetas! Don't burn down all these forests in your rage! You should not destroy these forests when people look up to you as their saviours! Know that under my watch, all these trees selflessly nourish all life. Without these trees, there would be no nourishment for either gods, or humans, or animals, birds and insects. The trees are a sacred part of the circle of life."
"Just as the eyelids protect the eyes, just as parents lovingly raise children, kings should take care of all their citizens including forests and rivers and all forms of life. That is their bounden duty assigned by Bhagavan. If anyone is provoked any time into a rage, he is well advised to introspect and deal with what gave rise to rage and calm himself down. That is indeed the mature way to deal with provocations."
"Protect whatever trees have survived. I bless you to marry this Apsaras damsel, born of this forest and raised by the forest, and beget your progeny."
The Prachetas did as told. In time they had a great son who was none other than Daksha Prajapati reincarnated as a Prachetas.
When Daksha grew up, he did carry out his responsibility of populating the earth in many ways, by using his spiritual powers. But finally, he wanted to get the Lord's grace for continuing the line of his succession. Therefore he went to a region near the Vindhya mountains with a holy lake called Aghamarshana. There he performed Tapas and chanted a prayer called हंसगुह्य - Hamsaguhya.
न यस्य सख्यं पुरुषोऽवैति सख्युः सखा वसन् संवसतः पुरे अस्मिन्।
गुणो यथा गुणिनो व्यक्तदृष्टेस्तस्मै महेशाय नमस्करोमि॥
यस्मिन् यतो येन च यस्य यस्मै यद् यो यथा कुरुते कार्यते च।
परावरेषां परमं प्राक् प्रसिद्धं तद् ब्रह्म तद्धेतुरनन्यदेकम् ॥
T: "What a wonder, oh Lord, that when You are within everyone, as the the indweller and their dearest friend, man fails to recognise You! It is like form, sweetness, and fragrance themselves do not recognise the senses that sense them and enjoy them. You are the eternal Witness whom no one recognises within."
"This world is entirely within You. You alone have created it all, by Yourself, as both the means and the material. So You are the maker and You take the form of this world! You preexisted the chain of cause-effects that make up this creation. You are that Brahman, Supreme, without a second!"
स मह्यं परमः प्रसीदतु - T: "May that Supreme Bhagavan grace me compassionately!"
Out of His infinite compassion, the Lord manifested Himself.
त्रैलोक्यमोहनं रूपं बिभ्रत् त्रिभुवनेश्वरः। वृतो नारदनन्दादैः पार्षदैः सुरयूथपैः॥
T: "Bhagavan Maha Vishnu, in His divine form with eight hands holding Shankha, Chakra and so on, wearing divine ornaments, looking His famous self that bewitches the three worlds, appeared in front of Daksha, accompanied by Sage Narada, His attendants like Nanda, and the retinue of gods."
As the celestials were singing the Lord's glories, Prajapati Daksha fell down in obeisance. He was overwhelmed in all his senses like a river is flooded from a cascade of water down the mountain. He stood tongue-tied.
Bhagavan smiled and spoke. प्रीतोऽहं ते प्रजानाथ T: "I am pleased with you, oh King!"
'Your Tapas has been fruitful. You have worshipped me for boons of progeny. Your wish coincides with My own will for the propagation of humans on earth. Know that all the gods including Brahma and Shiva are parts of Me, supporting all creation."
एषा पञ्चजनस्याङ्ग दुहिता वै प्रजापतेः। असिक्षी नाम् प्त्नीत्वे प्रजेश प्रतिगृह्यताम् ॥
तत्वोऽधस्तात्प्रजाः सर्वाः मिथुनीऊय् माय्या ...
T: "Here is the daughter of Prajapati Panchajana, her name is Asikshi. Take her as your wife. You two shall procreate by your physical union. Thus would the world be populated through male-female union, as a part of the Maya arrangement! The world shall prosper, and people will do well and also propitiate Me!"
***
