Sunday, 28 December 2014

Virochan and Vishalakshi

Parents of Bali

Virochan was attracted to Vishaalaakshee, the daughter of his minister Vishaalaaksh (the minister of Daanav Raaj Taaraasur), and got married by the blessing of his grandmother Kayaadhu (Hiranyakashyap's wife and Prahlaad's mother). Prahlaad coronated Virochan as the king and took Sanyaas. Bhrigu Jee predicted danger to Virochan's life and suggested Virochan to do Tap. As Virochan left for doing Tap, Vishaalaakshee gave birth to a son (Bali). Anyway, Virochan left for Tap for 10 years, because the stars under which his son (Bali) was born were unfavorable for him. Pleased with Virochan's Tap, Soorya Dev gave him a crown which should protect him from his bad stars.

Virochan's wife Vishaalaakshee was always ready to worship Braahman. She daily invited a Rishi, worshipped him and took his Charanodak (water after washing the feet). After Hiranyakashyap was killed, all Devtaa were scared of Prahlaad's son Virochan because he was also a great devotee of Vishnu. One day Indra consulted Brihaspati about the power of Daitya and what they should do next about it. Brihaspati suggested that they should go to Vishnu. They went to Vishnu and prayed Him. Vishnu got pleased by their prayer and appeared before them. Devtaa prayed Him to kill Virochan as soon as possible. Vishnu consoled them and sent them back.

Now Vishnu went to Virochan's house in disguise of a Braahman. Vishaalaakshee got very happy to see an unknown Braahman who had never come before to her house. She immediately welcomed Him and offered Him an Aasan to sit up on. Braahman said - "I will not sit on this Aasan. I accept the Aasan only from the same person who promises me to fulfill my wish." Vishaalaakshee was good in talking, she got very happy. Vishnu's Maayaa had deluded her. She could not think otherwise also because of her women-like nature. She said - "Whatever you will ask, I will surely give it to you. Please accept this Aasan and give me your Charanodak."


Braahman said - "I don't trust women, if your husband says this then I can believe it." So she called her husband and again offered Him Aasan but still Braahman did not accept that Aasan until He had heard her husband, so she told everything to her husband. Virochan also agreed His condition. Braahman happily said - "Give me your age." Both husband and wife got stunned but then after a little pause they said - "Take our lives but give us your Charanodak. We will prove your request true." Then Braahman accepted His Aasan Vishaalaakshee washed His feet and kept His Charanodak on their head. Immediately they both left their physical body, took Divine body and went to Vaikunth Dhaam sitting on a Divine Vimaan (airplane). 

Source
Narada Puran

Virochan and Indra

This story teaches that it is not the external shape or form that distinguishes a god from a demon, but it is the inner attitude of a person that decides his class and category. Both Indra, the king of gods and Virochan, the leader of demons heard Prajaapati declare one day, "Aatman is untouched by old age, death and sorrow, hunger or thirst etc, He does not desire anything. He who understands Aatmaa becomes a master of all the worlds." So both of them decided to seek that knowledge and requested Prajaapati only to teach them that. Prajaapati asked both to stay with him for 32 years observing strict Brahmcharya.

After the 32 years passed, 

Prajaapati said - "One must search out and must try to understand the Self or Aatmaa which is free from sin, old age, death, grief, hunger and thirst, with true desires (Sat-Kaam), and true will (Sat-Sankalp). Then only he will obtain eternal bliss and immortality."
Prajaapati said - "Adorn yourself well; dress yourself well; clean yourself well and then look at yourself in the basin of water." Indra did so.

Prajapati said- "O Indra, What do you see?"
He replied - "I behold myself in the basin of water well-adorned, well-dressed and clean.
Prajaapati said - "That is the Self, the Immortal, the Fearless that is Brahm."

Virochan was satisfied with this answer so he went to his kingdom and taught his people that this self is to be glorified in order to control and enjoy both the worlds etc.

Indra also went back but he was not satisfied with this instruction. He reflected within himself - "The Aatmaa also will be blind, if the body is blind; lame, if the body is lame; one-eyed, if the body is one-eyed; crippled, if the body is crippled; and will perish if the body perishes. Therefore I see no good in this doctrine." So he again went to Prajaapati and expressed his doubts.

Prajaapati now asked Indra to stay with him for another 32 years.

After 32 years Prajaapati and said - "He who is great and wanders like a Lord in the dream consciousness is the Aatmaa. The Self that dreams is the Immortal, Fearless, Brahm."
Indra was not satisfied with this explanation also and expressed his doubt that in the dream also there is suffering etc, and so, The fearless, sinless Aatmaa cannot undergo sufferings.

Indra was not satisfied with this doctrine also. He reflected again, "Though the dream self is not blind when the body is blind, not one-eyed when the body is one-eyed, is not destroyed when the body is destroyed yet it becomes conscious of pain and sheds tears even in dream. Therefore I see no good in this doctrine too. So he again went to Prajaapati and expressed his doubts.

Prajaapati was kind enough now to ask Indra to stay only for 5 years more.

After 5 years, at the end of this stay of 101 years, Prajaapati said - "Now you deserve the highest truth. This body is a perishable piece of matter. This is the mortal abode of the immortal, bodyless spirit which is beyond all dualities. Like the wind, the cloud, lightning etc, body takes shape and form and perishes once the Aatmaa leaves it. The Aatmaa goes wandering freely in the infinite worlds. Aatmaa is the truth and the final repository of all existence."

Now Indra was satisfied. he went back and imparted this knowledge to his subjects and they learnt that all that leads man towards this knowledge is good and all that leads man away from it is evil. Indra meditated on Brahm and attained Eternal Bliss and Immortality through Brahm-Gyaan or knowledge of the Brahm.

Prajapati said - "The Self that enjoys deep sleep is the Immortal, Fearless, Brahm."

Indra again reflected, "In deep sleep there is utter annihilation. I do not get any intuitional knowledge, I see no good in this doctrine also." So he again went to Prajaapati.

Prajaapati now asked Indra to stay with him for another 32 years.

After 32 years Prajaapati said - "O Indra, This body is mortal. The embodied Self is subject to pleasure and pain. The eye is the instrument of seeing. The nose is the instrument of smelling. The ear is the instrument of hearing; but the Aatmaa or Brahm is the silent witness (Saakshee). He is immortal, fearless. He is distinct from the three bodies, the three Avasthaa or states of consciousness the mind, body and senses."

Source
Chandogya Upanishad

Tube
https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=Virochan+and+Indra

Prahlad and Bali on Forgiveness


Draupadi tells to Yudhistra , the ancient story of the conversation between Prahlada and Bali, the son of Virochana, is quoted as an example. One day Bali asked his grand-father Prahlada, the chief of the Asuras and the Danavas, possessed of great wisdom and well-versed in the mysteries of the science of duty, saying,

'O sire, is forgiveness meritorious or might and energy such? I am puzzled as regards this; O sire, enlighten me who ask thee this! O thou conversant with all duties, tell me truly which of these is meritorious? I will strictly obey whatever thy command may be! Thus asked (by Vali), his wise grandfather, conversant with every conclusion, replied upon the whole subject unto his grand-son who had sought at his hands the resolution of his doubts.

Prahlada said, 'Know, O child, these two truths with certainty, viz., that might is not always meritorious and forgiveness also is not always meritorious!

Listen now, O son of Virochana, to the merits of those that are always forgiving
He that forgives always suffers many evils. Servants and strangers and enemies always disregard him. No creature ever bends down unto him. Therefore it is, O child, that the learned applaud not a constant habit of forgiveness!

The servants of an ever-forgiving person always disregard him, and contract numerous faults. These mean-minded men also seek to deprive him of his wealth. Vile souled servants also appropriate to themselves his vehicles and clothes and ornaments and apparel and beds and seats and food and drink and other articles of use. They do not also at the command of their master, give unto others the things they are directed to give Nor do they even worship their master with that respect which is their master's due.

Disregard in this world is worse than death. O child, sons and servants and attendants and even strangers speak harsh words unto the man who always forgives. Persons, disregarding the man of an ever-forgiving temper, even desire his wife, and his wife also, becomes ready to act as she will. And servants also that are ever fond of pleasure, if they do not receive even slight punishments from their master, contract all sorts of vices, and the wicked ever injure such a master. These and many other demerits attach to those that are ever-forgiving!

Listen now, O son of Virochana, to the demerits of those that are never forgiving
The man of wrath who, surrounded by darkness, always inflicts, by help of his own energy, various kinds of punishment on persons whether they deserve them or not, is necessarily separated from his friends in consequence of that energy of his. Such a man is hated by both relatives and strangers. Such a man, because he insults others, suffers loss of wealth and reaps disregard and sorrow and hatred and confusion and enemies. The man of wrath, in consequence of his ire, inflictes punishments on men and obtains (in return) harsh words. He is divested of his prosperity soon and even of life, not to say, of friends and relatives. He that puts forth his might both upon his benefactor and his foe, is an object of alarm to the world, like a snake that hath taken shelter in a house, to the inmates thereof. What prosperity can he have who is an object of alarm to the world? People always do him an injury when they find a hole.

Therefore, should men never exhibit might in excess nor forgiveness on all occasions.
One should put forth his might and show his forgiveness on proper occasions. He that becomes forgiving at the proper time and harsh and mighty also at the proper time, obtains happiness both in this world and the other.

"'I shall now indicate the occasions in detail of forgiveness, as laid down by the learned, and which should ever be observed by all. Hearken unto me as I speak! He that hath done thee a service, even if he is guilty of a grave wrong unto thee, recollecting his former service, shoul thou forgive that offender. Those also that have become offenders from ignorance and folly should be forgiven for learning and wisdom are not always easily attainable by man. They that having offended thee knowingly, plead ignorance should be punished, even if their offences be trivial. Such crooked men should never be pardoned.

The first offence of every creature should be forgiven.
The second offence, however, should be punished, even if it be trivial.
If, however, a person commits an offence unwillingly, it hath been said that examining his plea well by a judicious enquiry, he should be pardoned. Humility may vanquish might, humility may vanquish weakness. There is nothing that humility may not accomplish. Therefore, humility is truly fiercer (than it seems)! One should act with reference to place and time, taking note of his own might or weakness. Nothing can succeed that hath been undertaken without reference to place and time. Therefore, do thou ever wait for place and time! Sometimes offenders should be forgiven from fear of the people. These have been declared to be times of forgiveness. And it hath been said that on occasions besides these, might should be put forth against transgressors.'

"Draupadi continued, 'I, therefore, regard, O king, that the time hath come for thee to put forth thy might! Unto those Kurus the covetous sons of Dhritarashtra who injure us always, the present is not the time for forgiveness! It behoveth thee to put forth thy might. The humble and forgiving person is disregarded; while those that are fierce persecute others. He, indeed, is a king who hath recourse to both, each according to its time!'"

Source Mahabharata
Vana Parva, Section XXVII

Virochan Fight with Garuda

Under World

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