Long long ago, there was a thief by name Vajra in Kāñcīpuram. He used to steal small things and gradually amassed large quantum of money. As the wealth accumulated considerably, he wanted to hide it safely and went to the nearby forest to do so. In a dense part of the forest, he dug a deep pit and secured the money therein.
However, a hunter by name Vīradanta, sitting on a tall tree observed all this, quite unexpectedly. After the thief has left the place, the hunter dug out the pit and after taking only one-tenth of the money, he covered the pit, without causing any doubt to anyone. The hunter’s wife saw the money and knowing how her husband got it, she said, “It is customary that many brāhmaṇas visit the home of my parents. Whenever they saw me, they used to predict, “You will get rich quite suddenly. Their prediction came true now”.
The hunter Vīradanta planned to purchase meat and wine with the money. However his wife said, “The brāhmaṇa visitors of my parents’ home used to tell something more. They cautioned that hard-earned money only will give durable enjoyment and that the easy money was sinful. Hence, let us use this unexpected and unearned money for charities. After prolonged discussions, the wife’s opinion won.
Then Vīradanta selected a place of water scarcity and arranged the digging a big water tank for public use. While the work was in progress, further plans were made and accordingly he started the construction of temples for Viṣṇu and Śiva by the side of the tank.
When the projects were half way, the money was exhausted. Hence Vīradanta started spying like a detective to find out the several places at which the thief Vajra was hiding the stolen wealth. Without causing any doubt to the thief, the hunter used to take out money little by little from the pits and continued the construction without interruptions. Along with this, he started to donate the money. However the hunter did not use the money for himself or his family.
Thus, constantly encouraged by his wife, his charities developed. The brāhmaṇas of Kāñcī were glad and gave the titles “Dvijavarma” and “Śīlavati” to the hunter and his wife. These titles eventually became their names in vogue.
Some time later, the hunter planned and constructed a city. Instead of giving it his own name, the hunter named it as “Devaratapura”, as a mark of respect to his guru “Devarata”.
After a few years, the hunter and his wife died at the same time. The messengers of Yama (The God of death and the Lord of Hell), and Śiva and Viṣṇu arrived to take away the jīva (the subtle form of life of the dead). Their debate as to who can take the Jīvas could not be settled.
At that time, the sage Nārada arrived there. He asked the three groups of messengers to stop the arguments and revealed another aspect of the code of righteousness thus, “The hunter has performed the deeds of merit (puṇya) like charities, with the money stolen by him. Hence as per the rules of righteousness, he must move about in the form of a ghost until the death of all the owners of the stolen wealth. Hence none of you have the right to take away the jīva.
“Next, his wife was great. She didn’t commit any sin. As she was a devotee of Śiva, the messengers of the Lord can take away her Jiva.”
Listening to this ruling, Śīlavati’s jīva sat down obstinately, saying “I won’t go to Kailāsa, the abode of Śiva, leaving my husband in the form of a ghost”. She prayed to the sage Nārada, “Sir! Kindly direct me what I have to do to unburden my husband’s sins”.
Nārada was very much pleased with her chastity and fidelity and gave initiation of Śiva mantra to her. By her penance, the husband and wife attained the grace of Śiva and were accepted to stay in Kailāsa.
Sometime later, the thief Vajra and the persons from whom he stole the money died. All the Jivas reached the Hell, the abode of Yama, the god of death, He asked all of them to assemble and said, “Though you did not intend to do the acts of puṇya, they were performed with your money. Hence you are eligible to stay in Kailāsa for sometime. Hence I ask you whether you choose to experience either the effect of puṇya or pāpa (sin) in the first instance. They replied in chorus “we opt to experience the effect of merit first. By doing so, we will have a chance of association with the pious which in turn will wipe out past sins".
Yama felt glad by their choice and sent them all as the attendants of Dvijavarma to Kailāsa. By his good association, all their sins were washed off and they settled in Kailāsa happily.
Preaching of Bṛhaspati
After narrating the story, Bṛhaspati said, “Indra! Now you think of your sins”. Indra once again prostrated to the sage and requested. “Sir! I am unable to realise my sins. Kindly give me details”. Bṛhaspati replied “In the distant past, ‘Diti’, the second wife of Kaśyapa gave birth to a son by name Danu and a daughter named Rūpavati. Danu is the predecessor of the race of Dānavas (demons). Rūpavati was married to Brahmā. Her son was Viśvarūpa. He did severe penance. He had many divine aspects. However he was a nephew of the demons. He was affectionate towards both the races – the celestials and the demons.
After a while, Indra chose Viśvarūpa as his Guru (at that time, Bṛhaspati was not the Guru of the celestials). Indra expected that Viśvarūpa would be partial towards the celestials and that he would destroy the demons. However Viśvarūpa was friendly towards all.
Observing this, Indra suspected that being a friend of the demons, Viśvarūpa was harming the celestials. One day, Indra suddenly went to Viśvarūpa and cut off all his three heads. By doing so, Indra was afflicted by the sin of brahmahatyā (killing brāhmaṇa). Not only that, aggrieved by the death of his son, Brahmā cursed Indra. Terrified by these two (brahmahatyā and curse of Brahmā), Indra accompanied by all the celestials, sought refuge at the feet of Viṣṇu, who contemplated deeply and allocated the effect of Indra’s sins to the earth, the trees and the women.
As compensation, Viṣṇu gave the power that the pits of earth could be filled up, the power that even the trees once cut off could revive and the power of women to beget children. Thus Indra was relieved of the effect of the sin of brahmahatyā. However, the curse of Brahmā still persisted. Viṣṇu called for Brahmā and requested him on behalf of Indra for relief from the curse. Brahmā thought over the same and said, “Ok, for now my curse won’t take effect”. Viṣṇu said nothing.
Again Indra became prosperous. However, very soon his pride increased. This time, Indra was affected by the anger of Śiva and so he was cursed by the sage Durvāsa”.
Listening to all this, Indra recollected the past events and sadly asked Bṛhaspati “Master! What have I to do now”? When the Guru was about to reply, a demon named Malaka invaded the heaven with a huge army and seized the kingdom. Indra had to escape in a great hurry.
He went straight to Brahmā and prayed to him for mercy, who also pitied Indra. However even the Creator could not decide what to do and approached Viṣṇu along with Indra and the celestials.
The churning of the ocean
Viṣṇu thought of the problem deeply and advised them, “You churn the ocean to get the Goddess of Prosperity”. For this purpose, Indra made reconciliation with the demons and taking their help, he and the celestials churned the ocean. During the churning, very valuable things emanated from the ocean. At last, Dhanvantari (the God of Healing and Āyurveda) came out holding the pot of amṛta (nectar). Looking at him, the demons grabbed the pot and started running away with it.
A bitter battle started between the celestials and the demons. There was utter confusion. Even Brahmā and Śiva escaped and reached their abodes.
Observing all this, Viṣṇu went to a secluded spot and started meditating on Śrī Lalitā Devī, who dwells within him as the aspect of power. Due to this meditation he manifested as a form of Lalitā Devī. Taking this incarnation as an embodiment of eroticism, Viṣṇu approached the celestials and demons.
The celestials could realise the form as divine and auspicious. However, due to their predominating trait of Tamas (ignorance), the demons were enchanted by the beauty of the form and stopped fighting. She mesmerized them and took the pot of amṛta from them, taking their consent to her to serve the nectar to all. She asked the celestials and the demons to sit in separate rows. She started to give the nectar to the celestials only first. Allured by her, the demons sat still stupefied. By the time the nectar was given to the celestials, the stock exhausted. She disappeared suddenly.
The demons again started to fight with the celestials. However as the celestials have already drunk the nectar by then, the demons were defeated.
Thus, the Divine Mother who manifested and enchanted the demons was called Mohinī (the divine enchantress). Śiva, staying in Kailāsa came to know of these events and wanted to note the speciality of the new form of Viṣṇu. Along with his consort Pārvatī, Śiva went to Vaikuṇṭha, the abode of Viṣṇu and pressed him to show the form of Mohinī. Viṣṇu suddenly disappeared without saying yes or no. While Śiva was searching for Viṣṇu, he happened to reach a new place where he continued to search.
There he heard the music of Vīṇā. He saw a beautiful young lady. Unable to resist his infatuation, Śiva embraced her. At once a son was born. He was named Śāstā (one who rules). He became a commander of Śiva’s army.
At once the lady disappeared. Śiva realised that she was none else than Mohinī, a form of Viṣṇu. He applauded her beauty and returned to Kailāsa along with Pārvatī. Thus the Divine Mother incarnated as Mohinī and granted success to the activities of the celestials.
Source: 2nd Day (11-10-99) of Sri Devi Navaratri Festivals ’99, Avadhoota Datta Peetham – Mysore
