DIVINE INFORMATION PART 115
389 . SriMadh Bhagavatham.... part 96 Posted by: "DILIP KUMAR RAVINDRAN"[email protected] prdili Date: FriMay 6, 2011 5:10 am ((PDT)) 389 IKSHVAKU DYNASTY MANDHATA Ikshvaku was a son ofVivaswata Manu. Once Ikshvaku wasperforming Ashtakasraddhaand deputed Vikukshi, his son to fetch from the forest flesh of animals fit for offering at sacrifice.Vikukshi had collected many animals. Due to his exhaustion and unknowingly, he prepareda meal from a hare out of the slaughtered animals and ate it. The preceptor Vasishta, by his power, declaredthe hunted animals as defiled, becausepart of them was already consumed. Ikshvaku expelled his sonfrom the kingdom for transgression of Dharma Ikshvaku eventually resorted toYoga and attained salvation. Out of his hundredsons, the eldest, Vrukshi, was the father of Puranjayan. In the war between Devas and Asuras, Indra sought the help of Puranjayan, who conquered the Asuras,seated on the bull-form of Indra. Thus Puranjayan was known as Indravahana; alsoKakusthan (seated on the hump of thebull). Lord Rama, Having been born inthe lineage of Kakusthan, was known as Kakustha. In the Kakusthadynasty was born Yuvanaswan. Therishis performed the Yajna forYuvanaswan begetting a son. The consecrated water was kept for the wives of Yuvanaswan in aholy spot. In the night, Yuvanaswangrew thirsty and helped himself to the consecrated water, unaware of itsimpregnation with Mantra. Afew months passed and the right flank of the king became bloated with a child. It was torn apart and a son was born (firstCaesarean). With the blessings of Devas and Brahmanas,Yuvanaswan survived. When the child cried with hunger, Indra, who waspropitiated in the Yajna, placed his right, amrita-flowing forefinger in the mouth of the child. Indra named thechild Mandhata (drank milk from me). Mandhata ruled as the emperor. He had three sons and fiftydaughters. 390 SOWBHARI The Maharishi Sowbhariwas doing penance, submerged in the waters of the Yamuna. He observed the sporting of the fish-king and his mates and was tempted himself. Sowbhari approached Mandhata and his wife Bhindumati and sought the hand of a daughterof theirs. The king replied, OBrahman! If the maiden chooses you, the hand is yours. Sowbhari reflected that he was old andunattractive to women, with shrunkenskin, gray hair, trembling in movements and for that reason the king had refused. I shall make my form attractive even to celestials, not to speak of human?, he said to himself, as theBrahmana was ushered into the splendid apartments of the princesses. The overwhelmed princesses quarrelled with each other,saying, He is worthy of me only and not you?. Sowbhari, endowed withmystic power by dint of his unceasing Tapas, ordained facilities for enjoymentsand sported with them amidst a variety of objects of luxury, like comfortable bedding, seats, dress,decorations, ornaments, wreaths and food in palatial buildings, provided withsplendid outfits, decors and liveried attendants of both sexes, as well as in wooded parks, enlivened by the music ofwarbling birds and intoxicated and humming honey-bees, and in lakes. Seeing the splendor of Sowbharis household life surpassing his own, Mandhata gave up pride in his own riches and glory. Deeply attached towives, Sowbhari enjoyed sense-pleasures in all aspects but found that his desires, instead ofbeing quenched, only grew as ghee poured in fire. One day, Sowbhari, in a reflective mood,realized the degenerationcaused by his uncontrolled mind at the sight of the mating fishes. He thought, Alas! Look atmy degradation in spite of my severeausterity, pious living and adherence to virtues! The temptation foranimal-pleasure has ended in the total dissipation of the spiritual prowess Iattained to with long and great effort. Painful indeed! The seeker of liberation should abandon the company of revelers. The senses should not be exposed to external objects. Moving about in solitude, the mind shouldever be united with the SupremeLord. If company is sought after, be it onlyof the virtuous and pious. I wassingle. I was a Tapasvi. Dipping into water and tempted by the mating fishes, I divided myself into fifty bodies due tocontact with fifty women. hereafter, in each of them, I was rebornas hundred sons, aggregating to five thousand. Deprived of discernment (discrimination) bymy contact with earthly persons, Ihave deluded myself that sense-pleasures are alone the goal? Thus saying, Sage Sowbhari, who led a householder's life for long years, attainedto detachment by giving up company and resorted to forests (Vanaprastha).His consorts, for whom Sowbhari was themanifest God, also followed him to the forest. Sowbhari engaged himselfin the body-drying penance and attained to the Lords Feet. His consorts alsoemulated him. Posted to the groups by R. Gopalakrishnan, 78 dated12-10-2021. -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Thatha_Patty" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to [email protected]. To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/thatha_patty/359391187.1349108.1634024780742%40mail.yahoo.com.
