TWO STORIES FROM MATSYA PURANA

Respected friends

While surfing the net I could read two stories not much known from the Matsya Purana. I thought of sharing the same with members. The stories are suitably edited to make the reading enjoying. Sage Lomaharshana is narrating these stories to other sages in a suitable context.

Sincerely

Gopala krishnan

1. STORY OF PRITHVI

1.1 Sages kill king Vena

King Anga was a descendent of Svayuambhu Manu. Anga married Sunitha. She was the daughter of Mrityu and they had a son named Vena.

Unfortunately Mrityu was an evil person. From his childhood, Vena associated with this maternal grandfather in spite of his father’s objections. So he acquired evil ways.

After death of Anga Vena became king. Vena started to oppress the world. He stopped all yajnas and the prayers to the Gods. He insisted that people should pray only to Vena. The sages did their level best to persuade Vena to return to the righteous path, but Vena would not listen.

The sages then killed Vena.

(The Matsya Purana merely states that Vena died as a result of the curse imposed on him by the sages. Some other Puranas state that the sages used some straw over which incantations had been chanted and placed on King Vena and he met with death.)

1.2 Sages knead King Vena’s dead body

Vena had no sons and a kingdom does not flourish in the absence of a king. Therefore, when Vena was dead, the sages started to knead the dead body so that a son might be born.

The first being that emerged as a result of this kneading was a dark and dwarfish son. All the evil that was in Vena’s body entered the body of this son so that there was no more evil left in the dead body.

(Some other puranas state he was named Nishada. This name was also passed on to his descendants. The nishadas became a class of hunters and fishermen.)

1.3 Birth of Prithu

When the kneading continued, a handsome son was born from Vena’s right hand. He was born fully-grown and held bows, arrows and clubs in his hands when he emerged. His entire body was clad in shining armour. Since the son was born after a great deal of effort, he was given the name Prithu. The word prithu means great

4. Prithu rules over kingdom

The sages made arrangements for Prithu’s coronation. Prithu was a good king who ruled well.

But Prithu’s subjects still did not have the food to make a living and they were starving. They asked their king to do something about this.

1.5. Pithru try to kill earth

Prithu decided that since the earth was not providing any food grains, he would kill the earth.

1.6.Earth adopt the from of cow

The earth adopted the form of a cow and started to flee. Wherever the earth went, the king followed in hot pursuit. The earth finally realized that she could not escape by running away. She told Prithu, "Please do not kill me. Then your subjects will not even have a place to live in. Your object is to find a means of living for your subjects. How will that be accomplished if you kill me’

1.7.Cow request, “milk me”

Milk me instead of killing me. The food grains that the milking will yield will provide the sustenance for your subjects."

1.8. Pithru milk earth and origin of Prithvi

Prithu accordingly milked the earth. It is because of this that the earth is known as prithvi. Prithu also levelled out the earth with his bow so that his subjects could live in the plains thus created.

The earth prospered during Prithu’s rule. Poverty, disease and sins were unknown. Everyone was righteous.

2. BRAHMADATTA

2.1 Introduction of Kousika’s sons

There was a sage named Koushika. (Not the king Koushika who later became Viswamithra) . Koushika had seven sons. These sons all became disciples of the sage Garga.

After the death of Koushika there was a terrible drought on earth. Famine raged and people went hungry. We will call the sons “seven brothers for simplicity”.

2.2 Sage Garga orders seven brothers to tend cattle

Garga asked his disciples to tend to his cattle and the seven brothers took the cattle to the forest so that they might browse on the grass that grew there.

The brothers suffered so much from hunger that they decided to slay one of the cows and eat it.

"Killing a cow would be a sin," remarked the youngest. "If we have to kill the cow, let us at least perform its funeral ceremony. Perhaps that will reduce the severity of the sin that we are committing."

The other brothers agreed to this. The funeral rites of the cow were observed. It was then killed and eaten by seven brothers.

2.2 Seven brothers tell lie to sage Garga

The brothers returned to Garga and told him. "A cow has been killed and eaten by a tiger."

Garga saw no reason to disbelieve them. But the sin remained a sin. And as a consequence of having committed a crime they had to take rebirth as lower forms of animals.

2.3 Seven brothers take re birth as Jatismaras

The brothers were born as hunters in their next life. But they were born as jatismaras. That is, they remembered the incidents of their earlier lives.

Since the brothers remembered what they had been in their earlier lives, they saw no reason to live as hunters. They therefore fasted until they died.

They were next reborn as deer. But the deer continued to be jatismaras and fasted to death.

The brothers were reborn as birds. Four of the brothers continued to be detached from material pursuits and spent their time in meditation. But the three remaining brothers were not so lucky.

2.4 Vibhraja king of Panchala come to forest

The king of Panchala had once come to the forest with his retinue. The king’s name was Vibhraja. One of the birds was struck by the king’s pomp and glory and wished to be born as a king in his next life.

All the soldiers seemed to be following the instructions of the ministers. Accordingly, two of the birds desired to be born as ministers in their next lives.

2.5 Birth of Prince Brahmadatta

The one who wished to be a king was born as Brahmadatta, King Vibhraja’s son. The two who desired to be born as ministers became Pundarika and Suvalaka, the sons of the two ministers whom they had seen. The remaining three brothers were not attached to material pursuits and were born as Brahmans.

2.6 Brahmadatta marry Kalyani

In due course Prince Brahmadatta married Kalyani. Actually Kalyani was in her earlier life the cow that the brothers had killed. In due course a son was born to them. He was named Vishvaksena.

What was most remarkable was the fact that Brahmadatta could understand the languages of all living beings. This was because King Vibraja had prayed to Vishnu that he might obtain such a son and the boon was granted. But the king Brahmadatta never used it in the presence of queen.

2.7 Kalyani disbelieve Brahmadatta

Brahmadatta and Kalyani were once taking a walk in their garden. Brahmadatta heard two ants conversing. Since he could understand the languages of all living beings, he could follow what the ants were saying.

Hearing their conversation Brahamdatta could not control his laugh.

Princess Kalyani naturally wanted to know why Brahmadatta was laughing like that and the king reported the entire conversation to his wife.

But Kalyani refused to believe her husband. "How can any man understand the language of ants’" she wanted to know. "You are lying. You must have been laughing at me."

Brahmadatta tried to convince his wife, but Kalyani would not listen.

2.8 Lord Vishnu appear in Brahmadatta’s dream

The king did not know what to do. But while he was sleeping, he dreamt that Vishnu appeared before him and told him to wait till the next morning. Brahmadatta’s mind got a little bit of rest.

2.9 Story of “four brothers”

I hope you may be recollecting that four of the “seven brothers” had been born as Brahmans.

They had been born as the sons of a Brahman named Sudaridra. We will call them four brothers for simplicity. Since they were born as jatismaras, they remembered their earlier lives and had no desire to tied down by material pursuits. They wanted to retire to the forest and meditate.

2.10 Sudaridra father of “four brothers” object to their desire for forest life

But Sudaridra tried to restrain his sons. "How can you go to forest?" He asked, "How can you retire to the forest to meditate? Your duty is to look after me in my old age. If you do not look after, I shall starve to death. Please do not commit that sin."

2.11 Sudaridra comes to king Brahmadatta and gets wealth

"You will not starve to death," replied his four sons in one tone. "Go to King Brahmadatta and ask him for wealth. He will give you gold and villages. Just tell him to remember the sage Garga, the hunters, the deer and the birds.

The four sons went to the forest. Sudarida met the king on the day following Brahmadatta’s dream. Sudaridra’s words reminded Brahmadatta of what he had been in his earlier lives.

He felt he got addicted to material pursuits. He decided to join his brothers in the forest. He gave Sudaridra as much wealth as the Brahman wanted and handed over the kingdom to the prince, Vishvaksena.

2.12 Brahmadatta retires to forest along with Brothers

Knowing all truth Queen Kalyani remained with the Prince and permitted Brahmadatta to follow his brothers.

The other two brothers Pundarika and Suvalaka who became ministers also accompanied Brahmadatta to the forest. It was thus that Koushika’s seven sons eventually attained salvation.

MY NOTE

I was very much attracted to the story seeing the name Brahmadatta. Normally in Kerala Nampoothiri Brahmins have such name. One Sri Brahmadattan was my General Manager while I was in Calicut working as Divisional Engineer there. He belonged to a famous Nampoothiri village Mukkam near Calicut. Later he joined Chennai telephones as Chief General manager and retired from Chennai. He is settled in Trichur now.

Sri Brahmadattan was very much personal to me. He used to avoid me calling by my name. I did not miss to meet him while I came to Chennai after my retirement