॥ ॐ नमो भगवते वासुदेवाय ॥
Sunday, 5 March 2023 - IX.04 Part 2 - Bhagavan's Sudarshana chases Durvasa when he tries to destroy Ambarisha.
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After accepting the warm welcome of Ambarisha, Durvasa said he would first go and bathe in the Yamuna, finish his prayers and then come for his meal.
Ambarisha waited for the Sage’s return. In the meanwhile, the golden hour for his breaking the fast as per the scriptural injunctions was about an end. He was deeply distressed that his entire Yajna and the one-year austerity and fast which needed to be concluded well now in the Dwadashi Muhurta was about to be jettisoned if he did not break his fast. But he could not have his food until fully satisfying Sage Durvasa with his hospitality and serving him food to his satisfaction!
He consulted the priests and sages present and they all advised him that he should nominally break his fast by drinking a sip of water and then await to serve Sage Durvasa before eating food. The king did so, despite his own misgivings.
Durvasa returned. His Tapas power revealed at once that King Ambarisha had taken a sip of water to break his fast. True to his reputation, Durvasa flew into a rage.
मन्युना प्रचलद्गात्रो भ्रुकुटीकुटिलाननः । बुभुक्षितश्च सुतरां कृताञ्जलिमभाषत ॥
अहो अस्य नृशंसस्य श्रियोन्मत्तस्य पश्यत । धर्मव्यतिक्रमं विष्णोरभक्तस्येशमानिनः ॥
यो मामतिथिमायातमातिथ्येन निमन्त्र्य च । अदत्त्वा भुक्तवांस्तस्य सद्यस्ते दर्शये फलम् ॥
एवं ब्रुवाण उत्कृत्य जटां रोषविदीपितः । तया स निर्ममे तस्मै कृत्यां कालानलोपमाम् ॥
तामापतन्तीं ज्वलतीमसिहस्तां पदा भुवम् । वेपयन्तीं समुद्वीक्ष्य न चचाल पदान्नृपः ॥
प्राग्दिष्टं भृत्यरक्षायां पुरुषेण महात्मना । ददाह कृत्यां तां चक्रं क्रुद्धाहिमिव पावकः ॥
Translation:
Still hungry, Sage Durvasa, his body trembling, his face curved and his eyebrows crooked in a frown, angrily spoke to King Ambarisha, who stood before him with folded hands.
“ Alas, just see the behaviour of this cruel man! He is not really a devotee of Lord Vishnu. Being proud of his prosperity and kingship, he considers himself God. Just see how he has transgressed the laws of religion.”
“King Ambarisha, you have invited me to eat as a guest, but instead of feeding me, you have eaten first. Because of your misbehaviour, I shall act to punish you.”
As Sage Durvasa said this, his face became red with anger. Uprooting a bunch of hair from his matted locks, he created a demon resembling the blazing fire of devastation to punish King Ambarisha. Taking a trident in his hand and making the surface of the earth tremble with his footsteps, that blazing creature rushed towards King Ambarisha.
But the King, upon seeing him, was not at all disturbed and did not move even slightly from his position. By the previous order of Bhagavan Maha Vishnu, His Sudarshana chakra, which was invisibly guarding Ambarisha, now manifested itself. It immediately burnt to ashes the created demon, as fire in the forest immediately burns to ashes an angry snake, to protect the Lord’s devotee.
Now the Sudarshana turned towards Durvasa. He was very frightened and started to run. Hardly able to keep ahead of that blazing infallible discus spinning menacingly, Durvasa rushed to all parts of the world including Sumeru caves, oceans and far-off lands. No heavenly king could protect him. Finally, he barely managed to go and fall at Lord Brahma’s feet. But Brahma surprised him.
‘Durvasa, by a mere twitch of His eyebrows, Bhagavan Maha Vishnu ends all creation at the great dissolution.”
अहं भवो दक्षभृगुप्रधानाः प्रजेशभूतेशसुरेशमुख्याः । सर्वे वयं यन्नियमं प्रपन्नाः मूर्ध्न्यर्पितं लोकहितं वहामः ॥
T: “I, Lord Shiva, Daksha, Bhrigu, all the gods and men are but subjects surrendered to Bhagavan’s will! We merely discharge our duties for the welfare of creation, with our heads bowing at His feet.”
Hoping for more support from Lord Shiva, Durvasa rushed to Kailasa. Lord Shiva shook his head. ‘Durvasa, it is true that I, Brahma, and other deities know the past, present and future. But we all act as per Bhagavan’s will. We are all subdued by His Maya!”
तस्य विश्वेश्वरस्येदं शस्त्रं दुर्विषहं हि नः । तमेवं शरणं याहि हरिस्ते शं विधास्यति ॥
T: “Durvasa, this infallible Sudarshana of Bhagavan Vishnu is far beyond our abilities to tame. Your only hope is to go and surrender to Him! Sri Hari will take care of you.”
Sage Durvasa went to Vaikuntha, where Bhagavan Maha Vishnu Narayana resides with His consort Sri Lakshmi.
Imagine this. Sage Durvasa, the great mystic, scorched by the heat of the Sudarshana chakra, relentlessly pursued, fell at the lotus feet of Narayana.
His body trembling, Durvasa spoke as follows: “Oh infallible, unlimited Lord, protector of the entire universe, You are the only desirable goal to attain for all devotees. I am a great offender, my Lord. Please give me protection. O my Lord, O supreme controller, without knowledge of Your unlimited prowess I have offended Your most dear devotee. Very kindly save me from the reaction of this offence. You can do everything, for even if a person is fit for going to hell, You can deliver him simply by awakening within his heart the holy name of Your Lordship!”
श्रीभगवानुवाच
अहं भक्तपराधीनो ह्यस्वतन्त्र इव द्विज । साधुभिर्ग्रस्तहृदयो भक्तैर्भक्तजनप्रियः ॥
(This is a famous shloka. It establishes where a true devotee stands.)
नाहमात्मानमाशासे मद्भक्तैः साधुभिर्विना । श्रियं चात्यन्तिकीं ब्रह्मन् येषां गतिरहं परा ॥
ये दारागारपुत्राप्तान् प्राणान् वित्तमिमं परम् । हित्वा मां शरणं याताः कथं तांस्त्यक्तुमुत्सहे ॥
मयि निर्बद्धहृदयाः साधवः समदर्शनाः । वशीकुर्वन्ति मां भक्त्या सत्स्त्रियः सत्पतिं यथा ॥
मत्सेवया प्रतीतं च सालोक्यादिचतुष्टयम् । नेच्छन्ति सेवया पूर्णाः कुतोऽन्यत्कालविद्रुतम् ॥
साधवो हृदयं मह्यं साधूनां हृदयं त्वहम् । मदन्यत्ते न जानन्ति नाहं तेभ्यो मनागपि ॥
उपायं कथयिष्यामि तव विप्र शृणुष्व तत् । अयं ह्यात्माभिचारस्ते यतस्तं यातु वै भवान् । साधुषु प्रहितं तेजः प्रहर्तुः कुरुतेऽशिवम् ॥
तपो विद्या च विप्राणां निःश्रेयसकरे उभे । त एव दुर्विनीतस्य कल्पेते कर्तुरन्यथा ॥
ब्रह्मंस्तद्गच्छ भद्रं ते नाभागतनयं नृपम् । क्षमापय महाभागं ततः शान्तिर्भविष्यति ॥
Translation:
Bhagavan spoke to Durvasa:
“Durvasa, I am abjectly and completely under the control of My devotees! I am not free to act! The reason is that I am overtaken by the goodness of truly holy men. Indeed, I am the servant of the servants of My devotees!
O best of the Brahmins, without saintly persons for whom I am the only destination, I do not desire to enjoy My transcendental bliss and My supreme opulences.
Since pure devotees give up their homes, wives, children, relatives, riches and even their lives simply to serve Me, without any desire for material improvement in this life or in the next, how can I give up such devotees at any time?
As chaste women bring their gentle husbands under control by service, the pure devotees, who are equal to everyone and completely attached to Me in the core of the heart, bring Me under their full control.
My devotees, who are always satisfied to be engaged in My loving service, are not interested even in the four principles of liberation [sālokya, sārūpya, sāmīpya and sārṣṭi], although these are automatically achieved by their service. What then is to be said of such perishable happiness as elevation to the higher planetary systems?
The pure devotee is always within the core of My heart, and I am always in the heart of the pure devotee. My devotees do not know anything else but Me, and I do not know anyone else but them.
O Brahmin, let Me now advise you for your own protection. Please hear from Me. By offending King Ambarisha, you have acted out of envy. Therefore you should go to him immediately, without a moment’s delay.
One’s so-called prowess, when employed against the devotee, certainly harms him who employs it. Thus, it is the subject, not the object, who is harmed.
For a Brahmin, austerity and learning are certainly auspicious, but when acquired by a person who is not gentle, such austerity and learning are most dangerous (to himself finally!)
O best of the Brahmins, you should therefore go immediately to King Ambarisha, the son of King Nabhaga. I wish you all good fortune. If you can satisfy King Ambarisha, then there will be peace for you.”
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॥ ॐ नमो भगवते वासुदेवाय ॥
