॥ ॐ नमो भगवते वासुदेवाय ॥
Monday, 6 March 2023 - IX.05 - Durvasa prays to Ambarisha and Ambarisha prevails on Sudarshana to stop burning Durvasa.
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Sage Shuka continued: When thus advised by Lord Vishnu, Durvasa, who was very much harassed by the Sudarshana Chakra, immediately approached King Ambarisha. The distressed Sage fell down and clasped the King’s lotus feet. When Durvasa touched his lotus feet, King Ambarisha was very much ashamed, seeing Durvasa offering him prayers, his compassion was immense. He immediately began offering prayers to the great weapon of Bhagavan.
King Ambarisha said:
"Oh Sudarshana Chakra, you are fire, you are the most powerful sun, and you are the moon, the master of all luminaries. You are water, earth and sky, you are the air, you are the five sense objects [sound, touch, form, taste and smell], and you are the senses also.Oh, the favourite weapon of Achyuta (means infallible!), my Lord! You have thousands of spokes. O master of the material world, destroyer of all weapons, Indeed embodiment of Bhagavan Himself, I offer my respectful obeisances to you. Kindly give shelter and be auspicious to this Brahmin! You ggive the original Darshan of the Lord, and therefore you are known as Sudarshana! You are the upholder of all Dharma, and you are just like an inauspicious comet for the Adharmic demons. Indeed, you are the maintainer of the three worlds, you are full of transcendental effulgence, you are as quick as the mind, and you are able to work wonders. I can simply utter the word नमः offering all obeisances to you!Oh, protector of the universe! You are deployed by Bhagavan as His all-powerful weapon in killing the envious enemies. For the benefit of our entire dynasty, kindly favour this poor Sage Durvasa. This will certainly be a blessing for all of us. If our family has given charity to the proper persons, if we have performed ritualistic ceremonies and Yajnas, if we have properly carried out our duties, and if we have been guided by learned sages, I wish, in exchange, that this Brahmin be now freed from the burning caused by you, the Sudarshana Chakra.If Bhagavan, who is one without a second, who is the reservoir of all transcendental qualities, and who is the life and soul of all living entities, is pleased with us, we wish that this Sage Durvasa, be freed from the pain of being burned.”
When the King offered prayers to the Sudarshana Chakra and Lord Vishnu, the Sudarshana Chakra became peaceful and stopped burning Durvasa. Durvasa, the greatly powerful mystic, was indeed satisfied when freed from the fire of the Sudarshana Chakra. Now he praised the qualities of King Ambarisha and offered him the highest benedictions.
दुर्वासा उवाच
अहो अनन्तदासानां महत्त्वं दृष्टमद्य मे । कृतागसोऽपि यद्राजन् मङ्गलानि समीहसे ॥
दुष्करः को नु साधूनां दुस्त्यजो वा महात्मनाम् । यैः सङ्गृहीतो भगवान् सात्वतामृषभो हरिः ॥
राजन्ननुगृहीतोऽहं त्वयातिकरुणात्मना । मदघं पृष्ठतः कृत्वा प्राणा यन्मेऽभिरक्षिताः ॥
T: Sage Durvasa said: “My dear King, today I have experienced the greatness of devotees of Bhagavan, for although I have committed an offense, you have prayed for my good fortune.
For those who have achieved communion with Bhagavan, the master of the pure devotees, what is impossible to do, and what is impossible to give up? Oh, King, overlooking my offences, you have saved my life. Thus I am very grateful for your mercy.”
Expecting the return of Durvasa, the King had not taken his food. Therefore, when the sage returned, the King fell at his lotus feet, pleasing him in all respects, and fed him sumptuously.
Durvasa, after eating varieties of palatable food was so satisfied that with great affection he requested the King to eat also, saying, “Please take your meal.”
Sage Durvasa said: "I am very pleased with you, my dear King. At first, I thought of you as an ordinary human being and accepted your hospitality, but later I could understand, by my own intelligence, that you are the most exalted devotee of the Lord. Therefore, simply by seeing you, touching your feet and talking with you, I have been pleased and have become obliged to you. All heavenly beings and the people of this world will chant your glories continuously."
Sage Durvasa left the palace of King Ambarisha.
संवत्सरोऽत्यगात्तावद्यावता नागतो गतः । मुनिस्तद्दर्शनाकाङ्क्षो राजाब्भक्षो बभूव ह ॥
T: During this episode, as long as Durvasa had not returned — for one complete year — the King had fasted, maintaining himself simply by drinking water.
After one year, when Sage Durvasa had returned, King Ambarisha sumptuously fed him all varieties of pure food, and then he himself also ate. When the King saw that Durvasa had been released from the great danger of being burned, he could understand that by the grace of the Lord, he himself was also powerful, but he did not take any credit, for everything had been done by the Lord.
In this way, because of devotional service, King Ambarisha, who was endowed with varieties of transcendental qualities, was completely aware of Brahman, Paramatma and Bhagavan, and placed Bhakti Yoga above all.
Finally, Ambarisha retired from active family life. He divided his property among his sons, who were equally as qualified, and he himself took the order of Vanaprastha and went to the forest. Anyone who chants this narration or even thinks of this narration about the activities of King Ambarisha certainly becomes a pure devotee of the Lord and attains liberation without delay.
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॥ ॐ नमो भगवते वासुदेवाय ॥
