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2024-04-24, 1:40 AM |
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Chapter
13: King
Indra Afflicted by
Sinful Reaction
(1)
S'rî
S'uka
said: 'With Vritra killed the
leaders and everyone else in the three worlds oh charitable one, were immediately freed
from their worries and depressions, except for the mighty Indra [S'akra] himself. (2)
Without
taking leave from Indra thereupon the demigods following Indra,
Brahmâ, S'iva
and the other God-conscious people, the saints, the forefathers, the
rest of the living
beings and the demons, all returned
to
their
places.'
(3) The
king asked: 'Oh my Lord, oh sage, I'd like to know why Indra was not
respected by the others. Why was he so gloomy while all his demigods
were so very happy?'
(4) S'rî S'uka said: 'All
the
godly ones and the sages were
terrified by Vritrâsura's
display of power, but Indra had declined
their
request
to
put
an
end
to
him
because
he
was
afraid to
kill a brahmin. (5) Indra
had said: 'The burden of the sin
of
killing Vis'varûpa was as
a favor to me carried by the
women, the earth, the trees and the water [see 6.9:
6-10], but how will I
be purified from killing
Vritra?'
(6) S'uka continued:
'When the sages heard that, they said the following to the great Indra:
'We wish you all good fortune, don't be afraid, we will perform
an as'vamedha, a horse sacrifice for you. (7) The as'vamedha
sacrifice of worshiping the Original Person, the
Supersoul, the Controller who is Nârâyana our Lord,
liberates one even from the sin of destroying the world! (8-9)
Someone who killed a brahmin, his father, a cow, his mother or his
spiritual master, such a sinner and even an outcast dog-eater may find
purification by singing His holy name. If an as'vamedha
sacrifice, the topmost of all
sacrifices, by us conducted with
faith keeps you from being contaminated by the killing of all creatures
of
Brahmâ including the brahmins, what then do you expect from
killing a harassing demon?'
(10) S'rî
S'uka
said: 'Indra thus
being
encouraged by the learned killed
his
enemy
Vritrâsura when he approached him. He, Vrishâkapi, the
mythical king of the gods, was then tormented by the reaction following
that act of killing a brahmin. (11) Even
though he had done others a favor
with his deed, Indra because of that reaction suffered [the deepest] misery in which he found no happiness. Missing his
qualities he felt but shame and
guilt. (12-13) It
persecuted him in the form of an old,
outcast woman trembling all over her body whose clothes were covered by blood because she suffered from consumption. She
with
her
disheveled, gray hair yelled at him 'Wait, wait', and spread thereby
with her
breath a bad fishy smell that polluted the entire road. (14) The thousand eyed Indra, sought his refuge
in heaven and in all directions of the sky after which he hurried in
the northeastern
direction to enter there oh King, the Mânasa-sarovara lake. (15) Hidden
from
view
he,
bereft
of
all
the
sustenance
[normally
supplied] by the
servant of the sacrificial fire, lived there for a thousand years in
the subtle network of the fibers of
a lotus stem. And all that time he in his heart pondered over the
question how he
could find liberation from [the sin of] having killed a brahmin. (16) For
the
time
of his absence the heavens were ruled by Nahusha who, equipped
with education, austerity, yoga and strength, turned mad because his
intelligence got bewildered by the power and excessive opulence.
Chasing Indra's
wife [S'acîdevî] he fell victim
to
the fate of a snake [after being cursed by sage Agastya
for having kicked him]. (17) He whose offense through the divinity of Rudra was nullified because he
meditated on the Maintainer of Truth [Vishnu], was after having
recovered from [the karmic rebound] invited back through
the brahmins. Now that he enjoyed the protection of the wife of Vishnu, the
goddess of fortune,
the sin had
lost its grip on him. (18) In order to please the
Supreme Lord Hari, the brahminical sages [upon his return], then properly, according to the
rules, stepped forward to consecrate him for the sake of an as'vamedha
sacrifice oh son of Bharata. (19-20) Only
when that as'vamedha
sacrifice was performed by the
expert brahmins and the great
Indra thus was of worship for the Original
Person, the Supersoul and Maintainer of all divinity, the matter could be considered
done. Only
then, despite of the seriousness of having killed the son of Tvashthâ, definitively that sin could [formally] be
considered as being reduced to nothing, like fog before the sun oh
King. (21) After the as'vamedha
sacrifice as
prescribed was
performed by
the priests headed by Marîci and Indra had worshiped the Lord of
Sacrifice, the Supreme Personality, he, being purified from sin,
retrieved his greatness.
(22-23) This great
history describing the glorification of the Lord of the
Holy Places, the growth in devotion and the victory and liberation of
Indra the King of Heaven, frees one from innumerable sins. This
narration should therefore always be read and continuously be heard by
those who cherish the intelligence and be reiterated on the occasion of
great festivals. It
sharpens one's senses, brings wealth and fame and releases from all
misconduct; it brings victory over one's enemies and good fortune and
longevity to all.'
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