Srimad Mahabhagavatham : 3.5 - Swami Krishnananda.

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Monday,  December 27, 2021. 6:00. AM. 

Srimad Mahabhagavatham : 3.5. 

Chapter-3 : Kapila’s Instructions to Devahuti - 5.

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In one place, Maharishi Kapila says, “Who is there in all creation free from total attachment to the finite objects of the world except Narayana, the great rishiwho is supposed to be abiding in Badrikashrama? Except Him, who can resist the temptations of life?” In all the creations of Brahma, who is free from attachment except Narayana Himself? He is Tapomurti, whose incarnation is incidentally described in the Srimad Bhagavata Mahapurana, and there is also a reference to Nara-Narayana in the Mahabharata.

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In Brahma’s court, when all the divinities were seated, two persons rushed across without even paying attention to Brahma and the audience. How would you feel if two people suddenly, unceremoniously, crossed through the audience when you were holding a conference and large number of people were seated? Would you feel it is all right? People were surprised, and wondered who these two persons were. Brahma alone knew, and to the query of the gods seated there in audience, he said, “These two are Nara and Narayana. They do not have any concern for me or for any one of you. They have risen above common perception. The power that they wield is more than the power of the wind, the sun and the moon.”

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This dual force of Nara-Narayana is in Badrinath. In the Mahabharata there is a story about them. There was a king called Dambhodbhava, who wanted to conquer the whole world. He did not want to leave anything unconquered. He extended his kingdom to the shores of the ocean, and there was no king whom he had not vanquished. But his egoism did not feel satisfied, and he wanted to conquer more.

He went to Brahma and said, “I have conquered everybody, but still I have the desire to conquer more. Is there anyone whom I have not conquered? Tell me, so that I can conquer him also.”

Brahma wanted to tease this egoistic king, and said, “There are two persons whom you have not yet conquered, and you may go there and see if you can do anything to them.”

“Oh! Is it so? Let me know who they are,” said Dambhodbhava.

“They are Nara-Narayana. They are in Badrikashrama. You can show your strength to them,” replied Brahma.

“I will conquer them,” the king said.

He went to Badrikashrama with a huge army, and told Nara-Narayana, “I have come to seek battle.”

Nara and Narayana replied, “This is not the place for battle. We are rishis. We are calm and quiet people. We don’t require any disturbance here, and you should not come and speak to us in this manner.”

“But I have been told by Brahma that you are capable of meeting me, and I want to have a battle with you,” said the king.

Again Nara and Narayana said, “This is not a proper place for battle. We do not fight with anybody.”

The king again persisted. Then Nara and Narayana took a little piece of grass and let it off, and it shot like a piercing arrow through the eyes, the chest, and every limb of the king and of every soldier, who were thousands in number. They cried in agony. They did not know whether they were alive or dead.

The king prostrated before Narayana and said, “Please withdraw this curse upon us. I made a mistake, and I accept that I am defeated by you.”

Then Nara withdrew the astra, and the king and the army left.

The very thought of these Maharishis is a purifying tapas for us, an uncontaminated perfection of tapas force. “Except for them, who is free from any kind of desires?” says Maharishi Kapila. This is incidental to the main subject.

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To be continued....

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