The Greatness of the Eleventh chapter: Sunanda's Story

The goddess said:

1-2. O god, this history is a great means of accomplishing the good. O merciful one, my desire is further aroused on hearing it. O Virupaksa, O the first (i.e. greatest) one among speakers, explain to me the importance of the eleventh chapter (of the Gita) supported by a story. The lord said:

3-17. O dear one, listen to a story resting on the description of the Gita. Even the greatness of the chapter (called) Visvarfipa (-darsana) is purifying. O you of large eyes, (the greatness of) the chapter cannot be told. There are thousands of stories. One of them will be told by me. On the bank of the river Pragita there was a city known as Meghankara. It had a heavily laid foundation, lofty ramparts and gates. It had big (sacrificial) halls of hermitages adorned with golden pillars. Rich, happy, calm, well-behaved men with their senses controlled and speedy in their actions lived there. It was charming with the places where four roads met. It was adorned with markets and quadrangulars where gold in the jewelled pillars was shining. In it the sweet and indistinct sound of the multitude of (moving) banners and jingling bells was (heard). The atmosphere was shaken with the loud noise of Vedic recitation. The vast sky was full of the loud sounds of musical instruments. It won battles with the breezes due to flags and foliage (obscure). It appeared splendid with the jingling sounds of the anklets of women on the royal path and at the excellent gates, and with (sounds of) lutes, flutes, songs and the neighings of excellent horses. It constantly appeared to be equal to the cities of the regents of the quarters. There the lord of the world, Sarrigapani, shone. He was the embodiment of the highest Brahman, and the life of the sight of the world. His great form was worshipped by the lotus-eyes of Lakshmi (obscure). His body was that of Trivikrama; he was dark like a cloud. His lustre was mild; he had Shrivatsa (mark) on his chest; and was adorned with lotuses and garland of wood flowers. He was having (i.e. had put on) many ornaments and was, as it were, the ocean full of jewels. His lustre was like that of a cloud with the flashing of the streak of lightning. On his (? ) crown dwelt the highest soul Sarngapani himself. On seeing him a living being is freed from the bondage of the worldly existence. In that city there was a great holy place called Mekhala. By bathing there men always obtained the position of Vishnu. Having seen Narasirhha, the lord of the world, the ocean of pity there, a man is free from a terrible sin committed during seven existences.

18-27. A man who sees the lord of ganas at Mekhala always overcomes dangers, even though they are difficult to be overcome. In that Meghankara (city) there lived an excellent brahmana who practised celibacy and self-control, who was free from the feeling of mineness and from egotism. He was wellknown as Sunanda, and was proficient in the Vedas and in (other) holy texts. He had subjugated the group of his senses; he was highly devoted to Vasudeva. O dear one, by the side of god Siarrigin he recited this eleventh chapter (of the Gita called) Manifestation of the Cosmic Form. The ascetic obtained knowledge of Brahman due to the power of the chapter. The meditating saint, enjoying liberation (even) while alive, desiring to reach a steady condition, always remained in profound intellectual meditation, praiseworthy due to the mass of great joy. Once that great meditating saint set out on a pilgrimage to Godavarl when Jupiter was in the Zodiacal sign Leo. Having, on the first day, come to the excellent holy place Viraja, and having begun with the centre among the holy places, he bathed again and again, and saw Kamala (i.e. Lakshmi), the prop of the world. Having worshipped her, the great divine power, giving the fruit of all desires and then bathing at Taratlrtha, then at the confluence of Kapila, he visited the eight holy places. Then having offered oblations to the dead ancestors, having bowed to the lord of Kumarl, Shiva, he came to Kapiladvara.

28-40. Having bathed there, and washed off the sins of former existences, having worshipped, saluted and heard (about) god Vishnu and having lived there for that night, he went with the brahmanas from it in the morning. In the forest Narasirhha there is at the holy place a well sacred to Rama. Narasimha worshipped by Prahlada himself dwells there. Having seen that lord of gods, having devoutly worshipped him, and having passed the day there, he went to the city of Ambika. Ambika, showering grace on her devotees, dwells there. She fulfils all the desires of men. Having devoutly worshipped Ambika with flowers and unguents, with various hymns, and salutations also, the brahmana then reached the city called Kanthasthana in olden times. There the great power, MahaLakshmi, of great lustre, dwells. Having seen her, having the orb of the brightness of nectar and the sun, the river of the nectar from lotuses cutting off the torment of the worldly existence, and served by royal swans of the lotuses of the hearts of best meditating saints, full of the sound produced without beating, and of the form having no second, having worshipped with a devout heart that revered MahaLakshmi, giving desired objects, the lord of sages reached along with the brahmanas, the city called Vivahamandapa. In every house in the city he asked for taking shelter. The brahmana could not get lodging in any house. The head of the village showed to him a big temple to stay in. The brahmana entering it with his companions stayed there. Then when it was bright morning he saw from his place of lodging his body, where by chance all travellers were produced. When he was going, the village-head saw him coming (to him).

41-50a. The village-head said to him: " You are by all means a long-lived one. You are (the best) among the lucky, and (most) auspicious among the auspicious also. O child, you have some extraordinary power. Where have your companions gone? How did they get out of that house? See that, O best sage, I shall tell you. But I do not see here any other ascetic comparable to you. Do you know a great spell? Which science do you practise? Due to the kindness of which god have you this uncommon power? O best brahmana, then please stay in this village. O revered one, I shall render you every service." Speaking like this, he made the best sage stay in the village. He devoutly served him day and night. When seven or eight days passed, he came (to him). Having come to him in the morning, he, much grieved, wept before him. " The devout son of me who am luckless today, was eaten at night by a demon having bright fangs." When the protector (of the village) said like this, the restrained one

2946 Padma Parana asked him: " Where is the demon? Tell me how your son was devoured." The village-head said:

50b-59. In the city there is a terrible demon eating human beings. Everyday he comes and eats men frequenting the city. All the citizens formerly requested him: " O demon, protect us all. We shall arrange for your food. O demon, eat those travellers who sleep (here) at night." For protecting his life, he devoured the travellers that were ushered into this house by the village-head. You had slept in this house accompanied by other unlucky persons. They were eaten by him, and you were abandoned, O best brahmana. O best brahmana, you know your own power. Today a friend of my son has come. I, being ignorant, (i.e. unknowingly) put that dear (friend) of my son in the (same) house along with other travellers. Hearing that he was put into it, my son went to bring him at night. He too was eaten by the demon. I who was afflicted, said to the demon in the morning: " O wicked-minded one, at night you ate my son also. O demon, tell me if there is a means by which my son gone down into your belly will be revived." The demon said:

60-63a. Through ignorance I devoured your son that has gone into (my belly). This your son was eaten by me through ignorance along with the travellers. Brahma has also laid down (the way) in which he who has entered my belly, will be revived. By the power of the brahmana who constantly recites the eleventh chapter, I shall get salvation and the dead will be revived. The village-head said:

63b-73. " How does the eleventh chapter have such wonderful power? " O brahmana, thus asked by me, the demon said: " Formerly some vulture going along the aerial path dropped from its beak a piece of bone somewhere in the water. Someone, best among the wise, having come to that lake, and taking it to be a great holy place, had offered oblations to the dead ancestors. All people said to him: 'Tell (us) how this is a holy place'. The restrained one muttered the eleventh chapter thrice a day.

The brahmana who had observed silence, was killed by thieves on the way. A piece of his bone fell from the vulture's beak into water. Due to that this has become a divine holy place destroying sins. Then all those men bathed there in that lake. Due to their being free from sins, they obtained the highest position. Owing to the power of the eleventh chapter, I too will get salvation, and the travellers will again come back to life. The brahmana spat out by me, will stay here only. If he constantly muttered the eleventh chapter, and if that best brahmana throws on me the water that is consecrated by the hymn of the eleventh chapter, then, undoubtedly I shall be free from the curse." Thus told by him, I have come to you. The brahmana said:

74-89a. O protector (of the village), tell (me) due to what sin he had become a demon, eating men in the house at night. The village-head said: Formerly in this village there was a brahmana farmer. Once he was busy with the protection of the paddy-field. Not far from him, a great vulture devoured a traveller. An ascetic at a distance took pity on him to free him. Just then the bird ate up the traveller and went by the aerial path. Then the ascetic, through anger, said to the farmer: " O you wicked-minded, harsh-hearted, cruel ploughman, fie upon you who are selfish, averse to protecting others, and of an accursed life. One who though capable, ignores men being struck by thieves, wild boars, serpents, enemies, poisoned water, vultures, demons, evil spirits, goblins etc., would obtain the fruit of their murder. He who being capable, does not free a brahmana seized by thieves etc. goes to a horrible hell, and is again born as a wolf. He who (seeing one) being killed (or) harassed by a vulture or a tiger in a forest, says 'Leave (him), leave (him)', goes to the highest position. Those also who are killed while (protecting) cows by tigers, hunters or wicked kings, go to Vismi's position, difficult to be obtained even by meditating saints. Thousands of horsesacrifices and hundreds of Vajapeya sacrifices are not worth even a sixteenth part of the protection of one seeking shelter. Even a meritorious person, by ignoring a helpless and a frightened person, is roasted in the Kumbhipaka (hell) after (some) time. Since you were unkind, as you on seeing the traveller (being) eaten by the wicked vulture, did not ward off (the vulture) though you were capable of warding it off, you will be (born as) a demon." Having heard this curse of the sage, the ploughman, with his body trembling, saluted the brahmana and said (these) piteous words: " With my eyes cast on protecting the field here, I did not notice this man being killed by the vulture. Therefore, please favour me who am helpless." The brahmana said:

89b-91. When the water consecrated by him who knows the eleventh chapter (of the Gita) and mutters it everyday, falls on your head, then you will be free from the curse. Speaking like this the ascetic left, and the ploughman became a demon. Therefore, O brahmana, come on; consecrate him with (the recitation of) that chapter. Drop with your (own) hand the holy water on his head. Mahadeva said:

92-108b. Having heard this request of him, the sage, full of pity, saying 'All right' went with the head of the village near the demon. The brahmana, the meditating saint, dropped on his head the water consecrated with (the recitation of) the eleventh chapter (called) Visvariipa (-darsana). By the power of the chapter of the Gita, he obtained freedom from the curse. Abandoning the body of the demon he became one having four arms. Those men, the travellers who were ejected, were in thousands. They became four-armed ones holding conches, discs and maces. They got into aeroplanes. At that time he said to the demon: " O demon, which is my son. Show him (to me)." Thus addressed by the village-head, the demon of divine intellect said: " Know your son to be four-armed like these and having dark lustre like the tamala tree and having a crown of rubies, and adorned with divine, jewelled ear-rings, with great shoulders charming due to a necklace, and adorned with a golden armlet, having lotus-like eyes, affectionate, and holding a lotus in his hand, having got into a divine aeroplane, and having obtained godhead." Hearing these words of him, and seeing his son like that, he started taking him home. Then the son laughed (and said): " O protector (of the village), for how many times have you become my son? Formerly I was your son, (but) now I am a god. Due to the brahmana's favour I shall go to Vishnu's abode. See this demon also has secured a four-armed body. Due to the greatness of the eleventh (chapter) he will go to heaven with (these) people. Learn the chapter from this brahmana and constantly mutter it. There is no doubt that you will obtain the same position. Therefore, O father, the company of the good is always difficult to be had by men. That too has come up for you today. Accomplish your desired object. What is the use of wealth, enjoyment, gifts, sacrifices, penance, acts of pious liberality? Final bliss is obtained by the recital of the (chapter called) Visvarupa(-darsana). By hearing the chapter (men see) that form of Vishnu which is the highest, which came out of the mouth of Krishna, the Brahman, the mass of complete joy, which — the nectar of salvation — was spoken by him to his friend Arjuna on Kuruksetra, which removes maladies, diseases and fears of men afraid of the mundane existence, which destroys the misery of many existences. I do not see any other (hymn) like that. Remember it." Shiva said:

108c-110. Speaking like this, he went to Vishnu's highest position with them. The village-head learnt that chapter from the brahmana. Due to its greatness both of them went to Vishnu's position. Thus I have told you the account of the eleventh chapter, by merely hearing which great sins perish.

 

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