Mahabharata Tatparya Nirnaya: Chapter 12: Part 1

|| OM namo bhagavate vasudevaya OM ||

• 1 There existed a Gandharva Sage by name Devaka; He was born as a son to Ahuka in order to perform the service of Lord Hari; He was the younger brother of Ugrasena and his name was Devaka; Devaki was born out of him.
• 2 Few other wives of Sage Kashyapa were born as daughters to Devaka; Among them, Ahuka accepted the eldest one, Devaki, as his daughter; Therefore, she became Kamsa’s aunt as well as his sister.
• 3 Aditi, in the form of Devaki, became the wife of Vasudeva; Kamsa himself drove the auspicious chariot during her wedding; At that time, Vayu made a statement from the skies.
• 4 If he does not commit any sin against his elders, then Lord Vishnu, who will follow the rules of the world, will not find his own maternal uncle fit for being eliminated; Therefore, Vayu spoke the way he did in order to create hatred over Lord Krishna’s parents in Kamsa.
• 5 “O fool! The eighth son of this Devaki will become your death” – as soon as he heard this voice, Kamsa picked up a sword; Vasudeva gave him a word about handing over his son and got her released and went home with her.
• 6 Vasudeva also married the six young sisters of Devaki; Vasudeva stayed happily with them; Before that, he had married Rohini, the daughter of King Bahlika; She was his wife earlier (as Kashyapa’s wife) by name Surabhi.
• 7 Vasudeva married the daughter of King of Kashi under the Putrika Putra Dharma; Similarly, he married the daughter of King Kara Veera; These two were earlier Diti and Danu.
• Note: Under the Putrika Putra Dharma, the son born out of the wedding is taken over, and taken care of, by the father of the wife in order to further the dynasty.
• 8 The sinner Vena who used to think “I am Vishnu” was born as Poundraka vAsudeva; He was born to Vasudeva in the daughter of King Kashi; He used to always state – “Vishnu is not different than me”.
• 9 A daitya named Dundhu, who was the son of Madhu, was born as Shrugala vAsudeva in the daughter of King Kara Veera; Once Vasudeva married Devaki, he did not go back to the two of them.
• 10 Therefore, these two eldest sons of Vasudeva became the eternal enemies of the Yadavas; The all-knowing Vasudeva then had many children, who were the avataras of Devatas, from his other wives.
• 11 All those with the amshas of Devatas who came down to Earth became the students of Lord Vyasa; They learnt the truth about Lord Vishnu from Him, and became knowledgeable according to their yogyata.
• 12 There were six Sages who were born from Sage Marichi; Once they made fun of Sage Devala over his thin frame; Due to the curse of that Sage, they were born as Kalanemi’s sons; They also performed penances in order to become immortal.
• 13 Brahma gave them that boon; Hiranyakashipu, upon getting to know that they got a boon from someone other than himself, got very angry and cursed them – “May you all be born on Earth; There, you will get killed by your own father”.
• 14 Due to the inspiration from the Lord, Durga brought them over after making them lose consciousness over their bodies and put them into Devaki’s womb; Kamsa killed them.
• 15 Around the same time, Pandu wished to go to the excellent assembly of Brahma, along with the company of Sages; The Sages then stopped him.
• 16 A Sadhaka will never attain a good state if he doesn’t fulfill the work for which he took birth on Earth; Hence the Sages stopped him.
• 17 Pandu had taken avatara in order to obtain the main Devatas by ordering his wife; Without fulfilling that, he would not obtain a good state.
• 18 Otherwise people can obtain a good state even without having children; Just like how Dharmabhushana, the son of Sandhyavali, obtained a good state.
• 19 Around the same time, Kali, Indrajit and other Rakshasas had entered the womb of the wife of the son of Vichitravirya (Gandhari).
• 20 It was around this time that Pandu listened to those words of the Sages; Having thought over their advice, Pandu, who always had Lord Vasudeva in his mind, spoke thus to his wife (Kunti).
• 21 “You obtain a son from one who is higher than me in attributes; The noble people are saying that one cannot obtain a good final state without having sons”.
• 22 Kunti agreed to his orders with great difficulty; She said – “I know an excellent mantra which can make Devatas listen to me and give me sons”.
• 23 “There is none equal to you other than Suras; Even amongst Devatas, only a few are equal to you; Therefore, as per your orders, which Devata higher than you shall I call?”
• 24 One who has an excellent husband will not have any remedy if she engages with anyone lesser than him; She cannot reach her husband’s world.
• 25 Earlier in the Kruta Yuga, the Suras never involved themselves with anyone apart from their designated wives; Similarly, the Devata ladies also never engaged with anyone apart from their own husbands.
• 26 Those Devatas were always Pativratas in mind, speech and body from time immemorial; Therefore, they always used to unite only with their husbands.
• 27, 28 They always obtained Mukti along with their wives; After the Kruta Yuga ended, Apsaras were born in large numbers; They never had their own husbands; They always take whomever they desire as their husbands; Therefore, they are not the ones who obtain Mukti along with their husbands.
• 29 Due to strong reasons, if Devata ladies violate the rule of being with their own husbands only, then they obtain great problems which cannot be tolerated and will also lead to separation from their husbands.
• 30 “Therefore, what you have instructed me is not appropriate; Still, I cannot violate your words; Therefore, who is that Devata who can give me a son? Tell me”.
• 31 When she said thus, King Pandu replied – “Without Dharma, no King can rule the Earth; Therefore, you immediately call the Lord of Dharma (Yama)”.
• 32 “The son born out of Dharma will be excellent and will also be very Dharmic” – when he said thus, she invited Yama; He came immediately.
• 33 Kunti then immediately gave birth to an excellent son called Yudhisthira; Yama himself was born as his own son.
• 34 As soon as Yama was born as Kunti’s son, Gandhari became very troubled due to jealousy; She hit her own womb.
• 35 As soon as she aborted her own womb, Lord Keshava in the form of the son of Parashara came over there; He divided the foetuses and placed them in jars.

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