Message of HH Sri Ganapathy Sachchidananda Swamiji in Bhakti TV Program telecast on May 6, 2020
Compiled by: Jaya Akkanapragada
Narasimha Avatāra Part 2
Let us listen to this beautiful composition by Tyagaraja Swami – Sri Narasimha Māmpāhi sung by the children.
We have been talking about the story of Shiva Sharma. When the father summoned the second son Veda Sharma and expressed his interest to marry the young girl. The son could not understand the father’s strange request, but without hesitating, he approached the young girl and befriended her. He told her about his father’s greatness and finally requested her to marry Shiva Sharma. The young girl started laughing and said “Is this all your intelligence? I have been walking in front of your house to get your attention. You and I would make a good pair. And you bring me your father’s alliance? You should ignore that toothless old man’s requests! Old people have many strange food cravings. But if we indulge these requests, the ones who care for them will have to clean up after them. it is very hard on them. My father is very rich, and I am an only child. Let us run away from here to my home.”
Veda Sharma was unaffected by her words. He tried many ways to persuade her, but soon realized that she was no ordinary girl. He begged her to somehow marry his father, and even fell at her feet. The young girl teased him and said “if you cut off your own head, and offer it to me, I will then marry your father.”
Veda Sharma who was accomplished in mantras and yoga, used his yogic powers to create a sword. He held his hair with his right hand and slit his own throat with his left hand so that he could offer the head with his right hand. The girl was horrified seeing the sight of the headless body helplessly struggle and die. Everybody in the neighborhood ran helter-skelter in various directions. (Nowadays, instead of helping someone in distress, people take out their camera phones and shoot videos. They do not care if someone is dying of thirst, all they want is good footage.)
After a while, the young girl recovered, and carrying the severed head in one hand and the body in the other, she reached Shiva Sharma’s house. The father was very strange. Seeing the son’s body lying lifeless, he started matching horoscopes and picking a good date for the wedding. The other sons stood completely speechless. Shiva Sharma then called upon his third son – Dharma Sharma and said “Son, I shall be getting married tomorrow. But it would not be considered auspicious with a dead body in the house. Can you find some way to bring your brother back to life so that I can get married? It is okay even if he only stays alive till the wedding is over.” Using his powers, the third son invited Yama Dharmarāja to come there. Each of the sons had great powers. Lord Yama immediately appeared and asked Dharma Sharma to ask for a wish, and brought Veda Sharma back to life. The old man and the young girl got married.
After a few days, the old man summoned his fourth son – Vishnu Sharma and said “Son, I am getting very old. Could you go to Devaloka and get me a pitcher of nectar so that your step-mother and I can live happily?” (In Bhāgavatam, we hear stories of a drop of nectar. This old man wanted a pitcher of it as if it was some coffee!)
Vishnu Sharma immediately left for svargaloka. Indra realizing why he had come there, tried to tempt Vishnu Sharma with Apsarās and other celestial dancers. But none of these tricks worked. Indra who was responsible for protecting the nectar disappeared from there. Angered at his disappearance, Vishnu Sharma decided to use his yogic powers to create and install a new Indra there. Realizing his shakti, Indra reappeared and offered the amrita kalasham – pot of nectar to Vishnu Sharma.
Pleased with his four sons, Shiva Sharma summoned all four of them and said “I am very happy that each of you has gone to great lengths for me. Ask me for any boon.” All the four sons in unison said “Father, please bring our Mother back to life.” Hearing this, the father laughed and said “Your mother is very much alive.” As he said these words, his second wife turned back into their mother. All the sons realized that everything which had happened so far was their father’s yoga māya. Pleased with their devotion, the mother asked them to ask for a boon. The sons replied “Please bless us with unwavering and unending devotion to our father.” The mother blessed all her sons.
Shiva Sharma placed the pot of nectar in the altar where he prayed, but he never even touched a drop of it. After a few days, he summoned his fifth son – Soma Sharma and said “Son, you are all grown up now. Your mother and I would like to go on tīrtha yātra to various pilgrimage centers. Until we return, please perform puja and guard this pot of nectar.” Being the youngest child, Soma Sharma was raised very lovingly and was very dear to his parents. (The eldest children are always raised to be very obedient, and the youngest are always doted on too much. No one really pays attention to the ones in the middle.)
Soma Sharma felt a little bad at the idea of his parents going away but promised to guard the nectar. He used his powers to draw a chakra around the nectar. Every day, he would sit in front of the nectar and perform japam. His thoughts would go to the churning of the ocean, and how the amritam emerged. He began wondering what it was made of to grant one eternal life. He also wondered why the devatās and demons fought over it, and why the Father Sri Hari supported one set of children in the war. Both the demons and gods were His children, but He still picked sides. Soma Sharma spent his time thinking like this. When his thoughts would become too muddled, he would use his powers of yoga to bring his buddhi back on track. In this manner, twelve years went by.
The parents finally returned after twelve years with wounds all over their bodies. The wounds were filled with pus and maggots. Soma Sharma was unable to bear the sight of the suffering parents. He requested his parents to let him alleviate their suffering, but they refused saying “We must suffer for our karmas. You care for us in whatever way you can.” Soma Sharma took great care of his parents and nursed their wounds. He noticed that they seemed to have lost their minds. They were speaking foul language, something they had never even known before. He wondered if it was because of the effects of the disease. It is only natural that one who is suffering will curse those who are caring for them. Sometimes when the pain is too acute, they will even lash out and bite. The parents heaped curses on the son. No matter how much they cursed him, he kept caring for them for many years, but the wounds did not heal.
One day, Shiva Sharma asked Soma Sharma to bring the pot of nectar. Thrilled that the father was willing to be cured of the disease, the son went running to fetch the pot of nectar. As soon as he picked up the pot, it felt very light. When he opened the lid, he found the pot to be empty. How could someone steal the nectar when he had protected it with the yoga chakra. He was worried that everyone would accuse him of stealing the nectar. Angry that he could not save his parents with the life-saving nectar, he became enraged and commanded whoever had stolen the nectar to return it. The pot once again became full, and Soma Sharma offered it to his father.
The father was not pleased, but he did not say anything to the son, nor did he drink the nectar. Soma Sharma was scared of asking his father. As he stood there, the parents’ diseased bodies slowly started healing and the wounds disappeared.
What an incredible story this is! It is all Paramātma’s Grace.
Jaya Guru Datta.