The Greatness of Madhuvana

Narada said:

1-9. O king, having heard these words of his father, he quickly went to the holy Madhuvana, a hundred times holier than Gaya. Then the learned brahmana spoke to the brahmanas living at that holy place, and again having invited them after some time, spoke to them words of welcome. Then having washed their feet and worshipped them with sandal etc. he made respectful offering at their feet, and similarly himself sipped (water). Then taking the brahmanas he seated them at the place of the sraddha. And filling the pot (used) for the rite with darbhas, water, tulasi (leaves), flowers, sandal, sacred rice grains and Sheshamum-seeds, he remembered Vishnu. The brahmanas thrice recited the verse: Devatabhyafi.... Then he tied it containing Sheshamum-seeds with darbhas that were purified, in the directions beginning with the east, in the proper order with (the recital of) the hymn Agnisvdtta With the hymn Raksobhuta...he tied the ends of the garment worn round the waist into a knot. Then taking the pledge, he gave darbha seat to the brahmanas. Then the best brahmana invoked his dead ancestors. Then giving respectful offering into their Pi.;: \nia hands, he turned down the vessel and made it lie on its face. Having offered sandal etc. he, with his sacred thread hanging down over the left shoulder, sipped water. Then the brahm.ina gave the pots after having his sacred thread (once) hanging down over the left and (one-) over the right shoulder.

10-24. Permitted by the brahmanas, hi offered oblations like ghee into the fire. Then he filled those vessels (with water), O king. With his hand turned up and down lie took the vessels and taught by the brahmanas he recited (the hymn) Prthvl tvd... With (the reciting of) the hymn Asamskruipraiiitar.arn... the brahmanas offered seats with the darbhas strewn (there) with their points in the southern direction. O king, with (the reciting of) the hymn Agnidagdha... lie put food mixed with gaa and along with water on the seats made by darbhas. Again, with his sacred thread hanging down over the left shoulder, he sipped a mouthful of water. He asked them, " Are you satisfied? " They replied, " We are satisfied." He took the permission of those brahmanas to eat the remaining food. The brahmana male an altar of the measure of the length of twelve angulas, and drew a line facing the south with a darbha. He laid the firebrand with (the reciting of) the hymn Ye rupdni... in the direction of fire. O king, he duly offered darbha-seats and six pindas only to them who v, ere, in the former existence, his mother, father, so also to their parents, i.e. his grandfathers, so also, O best king, who were his maternal great-grandfather and paternal grandfather, along with their wives. Having worshipped them with sandai etc. and having cast off the middle pinda and after having smeit the pot containing the pindas, he put it on his left shoulder. Then taking the vessel containing water, and reciting (the hymn) Vaje vaje...again offering respectful oblation to their feet, he pleased them with presents etc. Having followed them up to the door, and having secured their permission, the brahmana dined along with his relatives, O king. O best king, when the best brahmana, after thus finishing the sraddha of his ancestors in the pious Madhuvana, and with his mind tranquil, started for his father's hermitage, he met on his way those who had eaten at the sraddha. They, seated in six aeroplanes, adorned with divine ornaments, wearing celestial garments thus spoke to the best brahmana:

The ancestors said:

25-26. O child, O best brahmana, ask for an excellent boon. You, performing a sraddha at this holy place, have emancipated us. Due to your favour we have become Vishnu's attendants. O you very intelligent one, ask for what is desired in (i.e. by) your mind. The sage's son said:

27. Who are you? Wherefrom have you come? How did you become (Vishnu's) attendants? Why do you grant me a boon without my having obliged you?

Narada said:

28. Hearing these words of the son in his former existence, the father, who had died after taking poison due to grief, said: The father said:

29-35. O brahmana, I am your father, a brahmaria, in your former existence. I was very much troubled by your. unchaste mother. Being extremely afflicted, I took poison at night, died prematurely, and, therefore, became a demon: O dear one, after being turned into a demon, I passed a period of Manuand one hundred and fifteen years (in that condition). Now in the (hundred and) sixteenth year, when you performed a sraddha in this meritorious holy place Madhuvana, I attained godhead. This aeroplane sent by Indra along with attendants and a host of the celestial nymphs has arrived from heaven for me to get in. I, along with the attendants and the host of celestial nymphs, have, while going to the heaven after getting into the excellent aeroplane, come here to give you a boon. Ask for a boon. God bless you. We can't brook any delay. Indra, mounted upon the elephant Airavata, is waiting for me. Narada said:

36-37a. O king, thus telling his son his own account, and giving him the devotion for Vishnu (as) asked by him, he went to heaven. Then his mother spoke to him, her son in the previous existence:

The mother said:

37b-41. Due to your favour I have become a goddess and am freed from sins. O best brahmana, I, though a sinner, have become the friend of Saci, when you performed the sraddha at this holy place called Visranti. O glorious one, ask for what is desired by your mind. I shall give it to you, since the words of us, the deities, are never falsified. O best brahmana, you know the sin due to which I, after staying in the hell for a long time, became an alligator in the cremation ground. O son, allow me (to go). Saci, surrounded by hosts of celestial ladies is waiting for me in the sky. Narada said:

42-43. O king, his mother too, having thus spoken to him, her desireless son, went after being saluted by him with his head (bent down) to heaven. Then his grandfather, having similarity of form with Vishnu, again spoke (these) words to his grandson, the best brahmana. The grandfather said:

44-46. O child, O child, live long. Obtain what is desired by you. Due to your favour we have crossed over this ocean of mundane existence, difficult to cross. O child, I am your grandfather, and this is your grandmother. The chaste lady followed me who had died, and soon obtained residence in the same heaven (as of Vishnu). When today you performed the sraddha-rite at Visranti, we have obtained similarity of form with Vishnu in his heaven. Narada said:

47-48. O best king, the brahmana, after having spoken like this, went along with her, his wife, to Vaikuntha after having crossed Brahma's world. O best king, listen attentively to the words, the brahmana, his great-grandfather spoke to him, which I am telling you. The great-grandfather said:

49-54. O child, O glorious one, I am your great-grandfather. Asaiesult of my causing an abortion, I obtained the stock of (i.e. was born as) a pig. Then I went out of it, and being oppressed by my sin, became a dog. Then I became an inanimate object on the best mountain, Vindhya. Then I who for a long time remained in that condition of an inanimate object, was forcibly uprooted by an elephant. Then at that time only you performed the sraddha at this excellent holy place. And therefore I was freed from that inanimate condition and got an excellent residence in the city of the lord of yaksas. O best brahmana, permit me. Due to your favour I (shall) go. With the desire to see you I have come here, and have seen you of a pious appearance (and) the Madhuvana, the best of all holy places.

Narada said:

55. Thus addressed by him, the sage's son, knowing religious merit, asked, after saluting his great-grandfather with (having bent) his head to him, his great-grandfather:

The sage said:

56-57. O dear one, you were born in a great brahmana family. How did you, O great one, commit the sin of causing abortion, due to which you obtained (i.e. were born in) a series of censurable stocks? O illustrious one, tell me that if you recollect (it). The great-grandfather said:

58-66. O best brahmana, formerly, in the existence of a brahmana, I maintained myself by the employment of spells and amulets. Due to greed of wealth, I, with my understanding destroyed due to (ill) luck, gave them (clients) medicine for conception and abortion; for greed would take away the understanding of those having no wealth, as the sun takes away the water of the canals in the hot season. O dear one, when a man's understanding perishes, he certainly commits a sin. Due to the sin he gets (into) a hell, and from there goes to (i.e. is born in) a bad stock. In that existence, one pregnant woman asked me: " O brahmana, shall I give birth to a son or a girl? " Then I said to her: " A daughter will be born to you. (Therefore) I shall give you a medicine for the birth of a son." Thus addressed, the woman, the crest-jewel of the foolish, seized my feet and gave me a pala of gold. She said to me: " I have given birth to six daughters. You have now told (i.e. predicted) the seventh. After her birth I shall not live. O brahmana do that by which I shall not give birth to another daughter destroying my life."

67-79. Hearing these words of her, I again said to her: " At the time of your delivery I shall give you a medicine (capable of) generating a son." Saying, " All right" and having heard me she went home and believing in my words, remained waiting for that time. When she had gone, I became anxious like this. Listen as to how I became so. I (shall) tell it. 'She convinced of the birth of a son, gave me a pala of gold. I did not know what (i.e. a boy or a girl) would be born to her. What should be done in thus case? How would that (gold of) a measure of a pala remain in the house of me who am poor? ' Thinking like this, I handed over to her maid that medicine causing abortion and made her give it to her. Due to that medicine she aborted in the third month (of pregnancy). The sign of either a boy or a girl was not noticed. She, dejected due to the abortion, came to my house, and having no hope for the birth of a son, demanded (back) the gold. Then I showed her powder of bricks (mixed) with ash, and mixed with turmeric powder and with water. " O mother, for the birth of a son to you I have prepared this powder. For preparing that I required double the money that you had given me." Thus addressed by me, she ignored the powder, and went home, saying to me, " O brahmana, I shall take it from you at the proper time." O dear one, I have thus caused a very fearful (sin of) abortion, due to which I roamed in three very censurable stocks. Now due to your favour I am freed from the state of an inanimate object. O best sage, permit me. I (shall) go to the auspicious Alaka. Narada said:

80-82. O king, his great-grandfather, speaking like this, and saluted by him with his head (bent down), went to the northern direction in a beautiful aeroplane having rows of small bells with gandharvas dancing (in it) and charming with jewelled ramparts, Then the great-grandmother of the brahmana seated in an excellent aeroplane, spoke to her great-grandson, O great king:

The great-granchnother said:

83-85. O you of a good vow, due to this religious merit you have not to go anywhere else except the temple marked with Vishnu's lotus-like feet. O sage, this my sinful husband is your great-grandfather. He, of a very wicked mind, though warded off by me, committed a sin. He too, of a very sinful mind, is liberated by you from the ocean of misery. Who is able to describe your virtues?

Narada said:

86-96. Speaking like this, she too went to her husband's world, O best king. With that same husband she rejoiced in Alaka for a long time. Then all those — grandfather etc. — got into the aeroplanes along with their wives and went to heaven. The best brahmana went from that holy place to his father's hermitage. And he described to his father the full account. He also went along with his family to Madhuvana and prepared a hut of leaves near Visranti. The best sage, bathing three times (a day) at the holy place called Visranti, did not even long for Vishnu's world. O king, once, while bathing in the water he wondered: 'When shall I see Vishnu? ' O king, when the excelbnt sage was wondering like this, Vishnu, seated on the king of birds, hastily came (there). He came along with Lakshmi (close) to his chest; he had four arms. The complexion of his body was like a fresh cloud. He was covered with a garment with the colour of lightning. His largs chest was shining with the Kaustubha (jewel). He held a conch, a disc and a lotus. His neck shone with a garland of wood-flowers. His earrings had the shape of crocodiles. His eyes resembled the blooming lotus-flowers. His hands were tawny, and feet had good soles. Covering the directions with the mass (of lustre) like that of the moon, he spoke to the best brahmana, illumining him with his lustre: The lord said:

97-99. O best brahmana, this is the meritorious place known as Visranta, and saered to me. It gives all desired objects on one's bathing in it. Today at the time of your bath you longed for my sight. I have presented it, difficult to be obtained by gods, to you. O brahmana, give up this human body. Take up a divine one. Mounting on the lord of birds, come to my place along with me.

Narada said:

100. O king, having heard these words of the lord of Lakshmi, the chief of sages, bowing down, praised him (by remaining) in the water only. The sage said:

101-107. O lord of Lakshmi, your beautiful lotus-like feet have lovely lotuses offered to them. They destroy the torment of the mundane existence and are saluted by gods. O lord, those beings that are deluded by your Maya here, can never be liberated without your grace. O lord, due to their resorting to holy places, and their company with the good, devotion (for you) in (these) men is produced due to your grace. O Vishnu, he who, having heard the narration of your merits uttered (i.e. made) by many good people and destroying all sins, repeats it, would not fall into the cavity of a mother's womb. O lord of Lakshmi, the mind of your man (i.e. devotee), (though) fallen into the great going (of the mundane existence) and covered with dust (i.e. passion), does not, like an excellent gem, give up its purity. The man who having horripilation on his body falls (prostrate) like a staff at your lotus-like feet, takes his family to your place, longed for by all meditating saints. O lord, this very soul, deluded by your Maya roams along all paths, (but) by means of the glances of your charming eyes, crosses the ocean in the form of the world. Narada said:

108-111. Praising Vishnu like this, the best sage, saying, 'Victory to you', fell at his feet (prostrating himself) like a staff. Laksml's lord, raised the best sage fallen at his feet like a staff, and the universal Soul put him and (the members of) his family on Garuda and went to Vaikuntha. O Sibi, I have told you the greatness, destroying all sins, of Madhuvana, O king. What else do you desire to hear? A man who listens to this (account) is freed from all sins.

 

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