॥ ॐ नमो भगवते वासुदेवाय ॥
Thursday, 5 January 2023 VI.13 - Indra is chased by Brahma Hatya Dosha for killing Vrittra and manages to cleanse himself by the Lord's grace.
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Indra is an interesting character. He easily gets into trouble. He is always saved, but not before being bruised and stigmatised. He always recovers because the Lord wants him to continue playing his role in this Leela. Indeed, in this instance, for a brief period, when Indra was in hiding, to escape the sin of Brahma Hatya (murdering a Brahmin), the Indra Padavi or the post of Indra was occupied by King Nahusha, who began with a great meritorious CV but succumbed to the ills of power and glory that every Indra seems to suffer from and had to be banished back to earth!
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The sages told Indra that indeed he had incurred great sin, but it could be cleansed by performing the Ashwamedha sacrifice to propitiate Bhagavan Maha Vishnu. Meanwhile...
तां ददर्शानुधावन्तीं चाण्डालीमिव रूपिणीम् । जरया वेपमानाङ्गीं यक्ष्मग्रस्तामसृक्पटाम् ॥
विकीर्य पलितान् केशांस्तिष्ठ तिष्ठेति भाषिणीम् । मीनगन्ध्यसुगन्धेन कुर्वतीं मार्गदूषणम् ॥
नभो गतो दिश: सर्वा: सहस्राक्षो विशाम्पते । प्रागुदीचीं दिशं तूर्णं प्रविष्टो नृप मानसम् ॥
स आवसत्पुष्करनालतन्तू- नलब्धभोगो यदिहाग्निदूत: ।
वर्षाणि साहस्रमलक्षितोऽन्त: सञ्चिन्तयन् ब्रह्मवधाद्विमोक्षम् ॥
तावत्त्रिणाकं नहुष: शशास विद्यातपोयोगबलानुभाव:। स सम्पदैश्वर्यमदान्धबुद्धिर्नीतस्तिरश्चां गतिमिन्द्रपत्न्या ॥
ततो गतो ब्रह्मगिरोपहूत ऋतम्भरध्याननिवारिताघ: । पापस्तु दिग्देवतया हतौजास्तं नाभ्यभूदवितं विष्णुपत्न्या ॥
T: Indra saw the sinful reaction (result of his sin) personified and chasing him, appearing like a Chandala (wild tribal) woman, very old, with a wasted body, covered with blood, emitting a terrible odour like a fisherwoman, calling out, “Wait! Wait!” Indra flew but did not escape the terrible figure until he plunged into the Manas Sarovar Lake.
Indra hid from his sin for one thousand years inside the stem of a lotus. Agni used to bring him offerings of food from Yajnas but was afraid to enter the lake! So Indra starved. King Nahuṣa was anointed as the interim Indra for his ability, knowledge, austerity and mystic power. But Nahusha let his new position get into his head
He was blinded and maddened by power and opulence, and coveted Indra’s wife! Therefore, Nahusha was cursed by a sage and later became a snake.
Indra’s sins were diminished by the influence of Rudra, Lord Shiva. Also, Goddess Lakshmi protected him as she dwelt inside the Manas Sarovar lotus. Indra was finally relieved of all the reactions to his sinful deeds (Karma Phalas) by strictly worshipping Lord Maha Vishnu. Then he was called back and reinstated in his position by the celestial sages. He then performed the Ashwamedha Yajna diligently to propitiate Maha Vishnu.
Sage Shuka concludes that this chapter too gives an inkling of the power of prayer and the glory of Bhagavan Maha Vishnu.
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॥ ॐ नमो भगवते वासुदेवाय ॥
