Sri Daalbhya Rishi said to Palastya Muni, “When the spirit soul comes in contact with the material energy, he immediately begins to perform sinful activities, such as stealing, killing, and illicit sex. He may even perform many other terrible deeds, such as killing a brahmin. Oh purest of personalities, please tell me how these unfortunate souls may escape the punishment of being sent to hellish regions of creation. Kindly inform me how, by giving even a little in charity, one may be easily released from the reactions of his sins.”
Pulastya Muni replied, “Oh fortunate one, you have asked me an important and confidential question, which not even Brahmaa, Vishnu, Shiva or Indra has ever asked. Please listen very carefully to my answer.
“With the arrival of the month of Magh (January – February), one should bathe, carefully control his senses by giving up lust, anger, pride, jealousy, faultfinding, and greed, and meditate on the Supreme Personality of Godhead Lord Sri Krishna. One should then gather up some cow dung before it touches the ground and, after mixing it with sesame seeds and cotton, form 108 balls. This should be done on the day when the constellation of Purva-ashadha nakshatra arrives. then one should follow the rules and regulations of Sri Ekaadasii, which I shall now explain to you.
“After bathing, the person who intends to observe Ekaadasii should worship the Supreme Lord. While praying to Lord Sri Krishna by chanting His holy name, he should promise to observe the Ekaadasii fast. He should remain awake overnight and perform a homa (fire sacrifice). Then the devotee should perform an Arati ceremony for the pleasure of the Lord – Who holds a conch, disk, club, and so on in His hands – offering Him sandalwood paste to his feet, incense, camphor, a bright ghee lamp, and delicious food preparations. Next the devotee should offer the 108 balls of cow dung, sesame seeds, and cotton wool into the sacred fire whilst chanting such holy names of the Lord as Purusha sukta, and other names. Throughout the whole day and night he should also observe the standard Ekaadasii vrata (fast, which in this case is a fast from all kinds of grains and beans). On this occasion one should offer the Lord pumpkin, coconut, and guava. If these items are unavailable, betel nut may be substituted.
“The devotee should pray to Lord Sri Janardana, the benefactor of all living beings, in this way; ‘Oh Lord Sri Krishna, You are the most merciful Personality of Godhead and the giver of liberation to all fallen souls. Oh Lord, we have fallen into the ocean of material existence. Please be kind to us. Oh lotus-eyed divinity, please accept our most humble, affectionate and respectful obeisances. Oh protector of the entire world, we offer You our humble respects again and again. Oh Supreme Spirit, Oh Supreme One, Oh source of all our forefathers, may You and Your eternal consort, Srimati Laxmi-devi, please accept these humble offerings.’
“The devotee should then try to please a qualified brahmin with a warm welcome, a pot full of water (purna kumbha), an umbrella, a pair of shoes, and clothes (cloth – dhoti, and anga vaastra), requesting him at the same time to bestow his blessings, by which one may develop unalloyed love for Lord Sri Krishna. According to one’s ability, one may also donate a black cow to such a brahmin, particularly to one who is very well versed in all the injunctions of the Vedic scriptures. One should also offer him a pot full of sesame seeds.
“Oh exalted Daalbhya Muni, black sesame seeds are especially suitable for formal worship and fire sacrifices while white or brown ones are meant to be eaten by a qualified brahmin. One who can arrange to give both kinds of sesame seeds (black and white or brown) especially on this Sat-tilaa Ekaadasii day will be promoted to at least the heavenly planets after leaving this present body, for as many thousands of years as the number of seeds that would be produced if the seeds he donated were sown in the ground and grew into mature, seed bearing plants.
“On this Ekaadasii a faithful person should (1) bathe in the water mixed with sesame seeds, (2) rub sesame seed paste on his body, (3) offer sesame seeds into the fire in sacrifice, (4) eat sesame seeds, (5) give sesame seeds away in charity, (6) accept charitable gifts of sesame seeds. These are the six (sat) ways in which sesame seeds (tilaa) are utilised for spiritual purification on this Ekaadasii. Therefore it is called Sat-tilaa Ekaadasii.
“The great Devarishi Naarad Muni once asked the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Sri Krishna, ‘Oh mighty armed Lord, Oh You who are so affectionate to Your loving devotees, please accept my most humble obeisances. Oh Yaadava, kindly tell me the result one obtains by observing Sat-tilaa Ekaadasii.’
“Lord Sri Krishna replied, ‘Oh best of the twice born brahmins, I shall narrate to you an account of an incident I personally witnessed. Long ago on earth there lived an old female brahmini who worshipped Me every day with controlled senses. She very faithfully observed many a fast, especially on special days honouring Me (My various appearance days Janmaasthami, Rama-navami, Vaman Dwadasi, Nrisimha Chaturdasi, Varaha Dwadasi, Gaura Purnima, etc. – Calendar) and served Me with full devotion, devoid of any personal motive. Her rigorous fasting made her quite weak and thin. She gave charity to brahmanas and to young maidens (kanyas), and even planned to give away her house in charity. Oh best of the brahmanas although this spiritually minded woman gave charitable donations to worthy people, the odd feature of her austerity was that she never gave food to brahmanas or the devas (demigods).
“‘I began to reflect on this curious omission: “This fine woman has purified herself by fasting on all the auspicious occasions and by offering Me strict devotional worship. Therefore she certainly has become eligible to enter My personal abode, which is unattainable by ordinary persons.” So I came down to this planet to examine her, disguising Myself as a follower of Lord Shiva’s, complete with a garland of skulls draped around My neck and a begging pot (kumandalu) in My hand.
“‘As I approached her, she said toMe, “Oh respectful one, tell me truthfully why You have come before me.”
“‘I replied, “Oh beautiful one, I have come to get some sacred alms from you” – whereupon she angrily threw a dense lump of mud into My begging pot! Oh Naarada Muni I simply turned around and went back to My personal abode, astonished at this fine brahmani’s peculiar mixture of great magnanimity and stinginess.
“‘At last this austere lady reached the spiritual world in her self-same body, so great were her efforts at fasting and charity. And because she had indeed offered Me a lump of mud, I transformed that mud into a beautiful home. However, Oh Naradaji, this particular house was just like that mud completely devoid of any edible grains, as well as any furniture or ornamentation, and when she entered it she found only an empty structure. She therefore approached Me and said with great anger, “I have fasted repeatedly on so many auspicious occasions, making my body weak and thin. I have worshipped You and prayed to You in so many different ways for You are truly the master and protector of all the universes. Yet despite all this there is no food or wealth to be seen in my new home, Oh Janardana, please tell me. Why is this?”
“‘I replied, “Please return to your house. Sometime later the wives of the devas (demigods) will pay you a visit out of curiosity to see the new arrival, but do not open your door until they have described to you the glories and importance of Sat-tilaa Ekaadasii.”
“‘Hearing this, she returned to her house. Eventually the devas’ wives arrived there and in unison said, “Oh beautiful one, we have come to have your darshan. Oh auspicious one, please open the doorto your house and let us see you.
“‘The lady replied, “Oh most dear ones, if you want me to open this door, you will have to describe to me the merit one obtains by observing the sacred fast of Sat-tilaa Ekaadasii.” But to this request, not even one of the wives responded.
“‘Later, however, they returned to the house, and one of the wives nicely explained the sublime nature of this sacred Ekaadasii. And when the lady at last opened her door, they saw that she was neither a demigoddess, a Gandharvi, a she-demon, nor even a Naga-patni. She was simply an ordinary human lady.
“‘From then on the lady observed Sat-tilaa Ekaadasii, which awards ALL material enjoyment and liberation at the same time, as it has been described to her. And she finally received the beautiful furnishings and grains she had expected for her home. Moreover, her once ordinary material body was transformed into a beautiful spiritual form made of sac-cid-ananda (eternality, knowledge,and bliss), with a fine complexion. So, by the mercy and grace of Sat-tilaa Ekaadasii, both the lady and her new home in the spiritual world were at last radiantly splendid and lustrous with gold, silver, jewels, and diamonds.
“‘Oh Naradaji, a person should not ostentatiously observe Ekaadasii out of greed, with the hope of attaining wealth dishonestly. Selflessly, he should simply donate sesame seed, clothes, and food according to his capacity, for by doing so he will achieve good health and exalted spiritual consciousness, birth after birth. Ultimately, he will begiven release from the bonds of this world (liberation) and admittance into the Lord’s supreme abode will be his to enjoy. That is my opinion, Oh best of the demigods deva-rishis).’
“Oh Daalbhya Muni,” Pulastya Rishi concluded, “one who properly observes this wonderful Sat-tilaa Ekaadasii with great faith become free from all kinds of poverty – spiritual, mental, physical, social, and intellectual – as well as all kinds of ill luck and evil omens (sakuna). Indeed, following this Ekaadasii fast by donating, sacrificing, or eating sesame seeds frees one of all past sin, without a doubt. One need not wonder how this happens. The rare soul who properly performs these acts of charity in the right devotional mood, following the Vedic injunctions, will become utterly free of all sinful reactions and go back to Godhead, back home to the spiritual world.”
“With the arrival of the month of Magh (January – February), one should bathe, carefully control his senses by giving up lust, anger, pride, jealousy, faultfinding, and greed, and meditate on the Supreme Personality of Godhead Lord Sri Krishna. One should then gather up some cow dung before it touches the ground and, after mixing it with sesame seeds and cotton, form 108 balls. This should be done on the day when the constellation of Purva-ashadha nakshatra arrives. then one should follow the rules and regulations of Sri Ekaadasii, which I shall now explain to you.
“After bathing, the person who intends to observe Ekaadasii should worship the Supreme Lord. While praying to Lord Sri Krishna by chanting His holy name, he should promise to observe the Ekaadasii fast. He should remain awake overnight and perform a homa (fire sacrifice). Then the devotee should perform an Arati ceremony for the pleasure of the Lord – Who holds a conch, disk, club, and so on in His hands – offering Him sandalwood paste to his feet, incense, camphor, a bright ghee lamp, and delicious food preparations. Next the devotee should offer the 108 balls of cow dung, sesame seeds, and cotton wool into the sacred fire whilst chanting such holy names of the Lord as Purusha sukta, and other names. Throughout the whole day and night he should also observe the standard Ekaadasii vrata (fast, which in this case is a fast from all kinds of grains and beans). On this occasion one should offer the Lord pumpkin, coconut, and guava. If these items are unavailable, betel nut may be substituted.
“The devotee should pray to Lord Sri Janardana, the benefactor of all living beings, in this way; ‘Oh Lord Sri Krishna, You are the most merciful Personality of Godhead and the giver of liberation to all fallen souls. Oh Lord, we have fallen into the ocean of material existence. Please be kind to us. Oh lotus-eyed divinity, please accept our most humble, affectionate and respectful obeisances. Oh protector of the entire world, we offer You our humble respects again and again. Oh Supreme Spirit, Oh Supreme One, Oh source of all our forefathers, may You and Your eternal consort, Srimati Laxmi-devi, please accept these humble offerings.’
“The devotee should then try to please a qualified brahmin with a warm welcome, a pot full of water (purna kumbha), an umbrella, a pair of shoes, and clothes (cloth – dhoti, and anga vaastra), requesting him at the same time to bestow his blessings, by which one may develop unalloyed love for Lord Sri Krishna. According to one’s ability, one may also donate a black cow to such a brahmin, particularly to one who is very well versed in all the injunctions of the Vedic scriptures. One should also offer him a pot full of sesame seeds.
“Oh exalted Daalbhya Muni, black sesame seeds are especially suitable for formal worship and fire sacrifices while white or brown ones are meant to be eaten by a qualified brahmin. One who can arrange to give both kinds of sesame seeds (black and white or brown) especially on this Sat-tilaa Ekaadasii day will be promoted to at least the heavenly planets after leaving this present body, for as many thousands of years as the number of seeds that would be produced if the seeds he donated were sown in the ground and grew into mature, seed bearing plants.
“On this Ekaadasii a faithful person should (1) bathe in the water mixed with sesame seeds, (2) rub sesame seed paste on his body, (3) offer sesame seeds into the fire in sacrifice, (4) eat sesame seeds, (5) give sesame seeds away in charity, (6) accept charitable gifts of sesame seeds. These are the six (sat) ways in which sesame seeds (tilaa) are utilised for spiritual purification on this Ekaadasii. Therefore it is called Sat-tilaa Ekaadasii.
“The great Devarishi Naarad Muni once asked the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Sri Krishna, ‘Oh mighty armed Lord, Oh You who are so affectionate to Your loving devotees, please accept my most humble obeisances. Oh Yaadava, kindly tell me the result one obtains by observing Sat-tilaa Ekaadasii.’
“Lord Sri Krishna replied, ‘Oh best of the twice born brahmins, I shall narrate to you an account of an incident I personally witnessed. Long ago on earth there lived an old female brahmini who worshipped Me every day with controlled senses. She very faithfully observed many a fast, especially on special days honouring Me (My various appearance days Janmaasthami, Rama-navami, Vaman Dwadasi, Nrisimha Chaturdasi, Varaha Dwadasi, Gaura Purnima, etc. – Calendar) and served Me with full devotion, devoid of any personal motive. Her rigorous fasting made her quite weak and thin. She gave charity to brahmanas and to young maidens (kanyas), and even planned to give away her house in charity. Oh best of the brahmanas although this spiritually minded woman gave charitable donations to worthy people, the odd feature of her austerity was that she never gave food to brahmanas or the devas (demigods).
“‘I began to reflect on this curious omission: “This fine woman has purified herself by fasting on all the auspicious occasions and by offering Me strict devotional worship. Therefore she certainly has become eligible to enter My personal abode, which is unattainable by ordinary persons.” So I came down to this planet to examine her, disguising Myself as a follower of Lord Shiva’s, complete with a garland of skulls draped around My neck and a begging pot (kumandalu) in My hand.
“‘As I approached her, she said toMe, “Oh respectful one, tell me truthfully why You have come before me.”
“‘I replied, “Oh beautiful one, I have come to get some sacred alms from you” – whereupon she angrily threw a dense lump of mud into My begging pot! Oh Naarada Muni I simply turned around and went back to My personal abode, astonished at this fine brahmani’s peculiar mixture of great magnanimity and stinginess.
“‘At last this austere lady reached the spiritual world in her self-same body, so great were her efforts at fasting and charity. And because she had indeed offered Me a lump of mud, I transformed that mud into a beautiful home. However, Oh Naradaji, this particular house was just like that mud completely devoid of any edible grains, as well as any furniture or ornamentation, and when she entered it she found only an empty structure. She therefore approached Me and said with great anger, “I have fasted repeatedly on so many auspicious occasions, making my body weak and thin. I have worshipped You and prayed to You in so many different ways for You are truly the master and protector of all the universes. Yet despite all this there is no food or wealth to be seen in my new home, Oh Janardana, please tell me. Why is this?”
“‘I replied, “Please return to your house. Sometime later the wives of the devas (demigods) will pay you a visit out of curiosity to see the new arrival, but do not open your door until they have described to you the glories and importance of Sat-tilaa Ekaadasii.”
“‘Hearing this, she returned to her house. Eventually the devas’ wives arrived there and in unison said, “Oh beautiful one, we have come to have your darshan. Oh auspicious one, please open the doorto your house and let us see you.
“‘The lady replied, “Oh most dear ones, if you want me to open this door, you will have to describe to me the merit one obtains by observing the sacred fast of Sat-tilaa Ekaadasii.” But to this request, not even one of the wives responded.
“‘Later, however, they returned to the house, and one of the wives nicely explained the sublime nature of this sacred Ekaadasii. And when the lady at last opened her door, they saw that she was neither a demigoddess, a Gandharvi, a she-demon, nor even a Naga-patni. She was simply an ordinary human lady.
“‘From then on the lady observed Sat-tilaa Ekaadasii, which awards ALL material enjoyment and liberation at the same time, as it has been described to her. And she finally received the beautiful furnishings and grains she had expected for her home. Moreover, her once ordinary material body was transformed into a beautiful spiritual form made of sac-cid-ananda (eternality, knowledge,and bliss), with a fine complexion. So, by the mercy and grace of Sat-tilaa Ekaadasii, both the lady and her new home in the spiritual world were at last radiantly splendid and lustrous with gold, silver, jewels, and diamonds.
“‘Oh Naradaji, a person should not ostentatiously observe Ekaadasii out of greed, with the hope of attaining wealth dishonestly. Selflessly, he should simply donate sesame seed, clothes, and food according to his capacity, for by doing so he will achieve good health and exalted spiritual consciousness, birth after birth. Ultimately, he will begiven release from the bonds of this world (liberation) and admittance into the Lord’s supreme abode will be his to enjoy. That is my opinion, Oh best of the demigods deva-rishis).’
“Oh Daalbhya Muni,” Pulastya Rishi concluded, “one who properly observes this wonderful Sat-tilaa Ekaadasii with great faith become free from all kinds of poverty – spiritual, mental, physical, social, and intellectual – as well as all kinds of ill luck and evil omens (sakuna). Indeed, following this Ekaadasii fast by donating, sacrificing, or eating sesame seeds frees one of all past sin, without a doubt. One need not wonder how this happens. The rare soul who properly performs these acts of charity in the right devotional mood, following the Vedic injunctions, will become utterly free of all sinful reactions and go back to Godhead, back home to the spiritual world.”
Thus ends the narration of the glories of Magh-krishna Ekaadasii, or Sat-tilaa Ekaadasii,
from the sacred Bhavishya-uttara Purana of Srila Krishna Dwaipayana Vyaasa.
from the sacred Bhavishya-uttara Purana of Srila Krishna Dwaipayana Vyaasa.
These stories have been summarised and slightly changed or abbreviated from how they are found in the celebrated book, “Ekadasi: The Day of Lord Hari” 1986. HH Krishna Balaram Swami. Bhaktivedanta Institute Press. pages 39-44.
Aindra Prabhu once tried to follow as many angas of this ekadasi , in 1988 we did this ekadasi together in Vrindavana, he made the cowdung with the sesame seeds, we offered lots of sweets with sesame seed to our Salagrama and Govardhana silas and then offered these sweets to many devotees .He did the whole thing with smearing sesame past and taking bath in water with sesame seeds, the idea is when you offer Tila prasadam , sesame seed prasadam to Krsna and the Brahmin Vaisnavas and everyone your spiritual piety even in Goloka Vrindavana increases. There is many stingy and self centered and sometimes extremely eccentric person in bhakti , to this world they look like total weirdoes .This lady is not mentioned by name by Krsna Balarama Swami ,her name was Vanalika brahmani..So she was a bit stringy and though she observed full fasting on Janmastami, Narasimha Caturdasi ,Radhastami etc whe failed to offer grains to Lord Visnu and Krsna ,so the demigods where not pleased with her.So Lord Visnu came and begged from her , in disguise of a follower of Lord Siva, but she got angry with even Lord Visnu and only offered Him so mud in her begging bowl.Imagine you are very hungry and all you are offered is a some mud in your begging bowl.Visnu smiled and with this mud created a residence for her in Vaikuntha.When she went to Vaikuntha ,she came in her spiritualized body ,but same body she had in India on this earth , how amazing is that , but in the house given by Lord Visnu there was nothing to eat ,so she went in front of Lord Visnu and chastised Him.Hahah yes such an amazing relationship she had with the Lord .HE send her back to earth and instructed her to here the glories of ekadasi from some demigoddess ladies (this part is a bit badly translated by Krsna Balarama swami ,but you get the idea)So she did Sat tila ekadasi and later when she left this world ,she obtained a form like a Laxmidevi (a servant of Laxmidevi ) in Vaikuntha, and the house she had been given previously by Lord Visnu was fully furnished and she obtained all opulences of a resident of Vaikuntha , eternally serving Sri Sri Laxmi Narayana.
There is a letter from Srila Prabhupada that caused some confusion and sadness to some devotees because Srila Prabhupada wrote one devotee that Kunti and Arjuna never goes back to Godhead they always stay and preach here in the material world .It is explained that the inhabitants of Dvaraka and the Vrijabasis and Mathurabasis all went back to Godhead when Krsna left this world ,well how about our dear Pandavas:
my friends listen to the Mahabharatas account:this is from Svargarohanika Parva translated by
Kisari Mohan Ganguli, tr.
[1883-1896]
Yudhishthira Maharaja attains the heavenly planets but finds the Pandavas and Drupadi are all fallen into hell
1
Om! Having bowed down into Narayana, and to Nara, the foremost of men, as also to the goddess Sarasvati, should the word "Jaya" be uttered.
Janamejaya said, "Having attained to Heaven, what regions were respectively attained by my grandsires of old, viz., the Pandavas and the sons of Dhritarashtra? I desire to hear this. I think that thou art conversant with everything, having been taught by the great Rishi Vyasa of wonderful feats.
Vaishampayana said, "Listen now to what thy grandsires, Yudhishthira and others, did after having attained to Heaven, that place of the deities. Arrived at Heaven, king Yudhishthira the just, beheld Duryodhana endued with prosperity and seated on an excellent seat. He blazed with effulgence like the sun and wore all those signs of glory which belong to heroes. And he was in the company of many deities of blazing effulgence and of Sadhyas of righteous deeds. Yudhishthira, beholding Duryodhana and his prosperity, became suddenly filled with rage and turned back from the sight.
"He loudly addressed his companions, saying, ‘I do not desire to share regions of felicity with Duryodhana who was stained by cupidity and possessed of little foresight. It was for him that friends, and kinsmen, over the whole Earth were slaughtered by us whom he had afflicted greatly in the deep forest. It was for him that the virtuous princess of Pancala, Draupadi of faultless features, our wife, was dragged into the midst of the assembly before all our seniors. Ye gods, I have no desire to even behold Suyodhana. I wish to go there where my brothers are.’
"Narada, smiling, told him, ‘It should not be so, O king of kings. While residing in Heaven, all enmities cease. O mighty-armed Yudhishthira, do not say so about king Duryodhana. Hear my words. Here is king Duryodhana. He is worshipped with the gods by those righteous men and those foremost of kings who are now denizens of Heaven. By causing his body to be poured as a libation on the fire of battle, he has obtained the end that consists in attainment of the region for heroes. You and your brothers, who were veritable gods on Earth, were always persecuted by this one. Yet through his observance of Kshatriya practices he has attained to this region. This lord of Earth was not terrified in a situation fraught with terror.
"‘O son, thou shouldst not bear in mind the woes inflicted on thee on account of the match at dice. It behoveth thee not to remember the afflictions of Draupadi. It behoveth thee not to remember the other woes which were yours in consequence of the acts of your kinsmen,—the woes, viz., that were due to battle or to other situations. Do thou meet Duryodhana now according to the ordinances of polite intercourse. This is Heaven, O lord of men. There can be no enmities here.’
"Though thus addressed by Narada, the Kuru king Yudhishthira, endued with great intelligence, enquired about his brothers and said, ‘If these eternal regions reserved for heroes be Duryodhana’s, that unrighteous and sinful wight, that man who was the destroyer of friends and of the whole world, that man for whose sake the entire Earth was devastated with all her horses and elephants and human beings, that wight for whose sake we were burnt with wrath in thinking of how best we might remedy our wrongs, I desire to see what regions have been attained by those high-souled heroes, my brothers of high vows, steady achievers of promises, truthful in speech, and distinguished for courage. The high-souled Karna, the son of Kunti, incapable of being baffled in battle, Dhrishtadyumna, Satyaki, the sons of Dhrishtadyumna and those other Kshatriyas who met with death in the observance of Kshatriya practices, where are those lords of Earth, O Brahmana? I do not see them here, O Narada. I desire to see, O Narada, Virata and Drupada and the other great Kshatriyas headed by Dhrishtaketu, as also Shikhandi, the Pancala prince, the sons of Draupadi, and Abhimanyu, irresistible in battle.’
2 Yuddhistira Maharaja is taken to hell and decides better to live in hell with the Pandavas ,than live in heaven with Duryodhana
2
"Yudhishthira said, ‘Ye deities, I do not see here Radha’s son of immeasurable prowess, as also my high-souled brothers, and Yudhamanyu and Uttamaujas, those great car-warriors that poured their bodies (as libations) on the fire of battle, those kings and princes that met with death for my sake in battle. Where are those great car-warriors that possessed the prowess of tigers? Have those foremost of men acquired this region? If those great car-warriors have obtained these regions, then only do you know, ye gods, that I shall reside here with those high-souled ones. If this auspicious and eternal region has not been acquired by those kings, then know, ye gods, that without those brothers and kinsmen of mine, I shall not live here. At the time of performing the water rites (after the battle), I heard my mother say, ‘Do thou offer oblations of water unto Karna.’ Since hearing those words of my mother, I am burning with grief. I grieve also incessantly at this, ye gods, that when I marked the resemblance between the feet of my mother and those of Karna of immeasurable soul, I did not immediately place myself under orders of that afflicter of hostile ranks. Ourselves joined with Karna, Shakra himself would have been unable to vanquish in battle. Wherever may that child of Surya be, I desire to see him. Alas, his relationship with us being unknown, I caused him to be slain by Arjuna. Bhima also of terrible prowess and dearer to me than my life-breaths, Arjuna too, resembling Indra himself, the twins also that resembled the Destroyer himself in prowess, I desire to behold. I wish to see the princess of Pancala, whose conduct was always righteous. I wish not to stay here. I tell you the truth. Ye foremost ones among the deities, what is Heaven to me if I am dissociated from my brothers? That is Heaven where those brothers of mine are. This, in my opinion, is not Heaven.’
"The gods said, ‘If thou longest to be there, go then, O son, without delay. At the command of the chief of the deities, we are ready to do what is agreeable to thee.’
Vaishampayana continued: Having said so, the gods then ordered the celestial messenger, O scorcher of foes, saying, ‘Do thou show unto Yudhishthira his friends and kinsmen.’ Then the royal son of Kunti and the celestial messenger proceeded together, O foremost of kings, to that place where those chiefs of men (whom Yudhishthira had wished to see) were. The celestial messenger proceeded first, the king followed him behind. The path was inauspicious and difficult and trodden by men of sinful deeds. It was enveloped in thick darkness, and covered with hair and moss forming its grassy vesture. Polluted with the stench of sinners, and miry with flesh and blood, it abounded with gadflies and stinging bees and gnats and was endangered by the inroads of grisly bears. Rotting corpses lay here and there. Overspread with bones and hair, it was noisome with worms and insects. It was skirted all along with a blazing fire. It was infested by crows and other birds and vultures, all having beaks of iron, as also by evil spirits with long mouths pointed like needles. And it abounded with inaccessible fastnesses like the Vindhya mountains. Human corpses were scattered over it, smeared with fat and blood, with arms and thighs cut off, or with entrails torn out and legs severed.
"Along that path so disagreeable with the stench of corpses and awful with other incidents, the righteous-souled king proceeded, filled with diverse thoughts. He beheld a river full of boiling water and, therefore, difficult to cross, as also a forest of trees whose leaves were sharp swords and razors. There were plains full of fine white sand exceedingly heated, and rocks and stones made of iron. There were many jars of iron all around, with boiling oil in them. Many a Kuta-salmalika was there, with sharp thorns and, therefore, exceedingly painful to the touch. The son of Kunti beheld also the tortures inflicted upon sinful men.
"Beholding that inauspicious region abounding with every sort of foulness, Yudhishthira asked the celestial messenger, saying, ‘How far shall we proceed along a path like this? It behoveth thee to tell me where those brothers of mine are. I desire also to know what region is this of the gods?’
"Hearing these words of king Yudhishthira the just, the celestial messenger stopped in his course and replied, saying, ‘Thus far is your way. The denizens of Heaven commanded me that having come thus far, I am to stop. If thou art tired, O king of kings, thou mayst return with me.’
"Yudhishthira, however, was exceedingly disconsolate and stupefied by the foul odour. Resolved to return, O Bharata, he retraced his steps. Afflicted by sorrow and grief, the righteous-souled monarch turned back. Just at that moment he heard piteous lamentations all around, ‘O son of Dharma, O royal sage, O thou of sacred origin, O son of Pandu, do thou stay a moment for favouring us. At thy approach, O invincible one, a delightful breeze hath begun to blow, bearing the sweet scent of thy person. Great hath been our relief at this. O foremost of kings, beholding thee, O first of men, great hath been our happiness. O son of Pritha, let that happiness last longer through thy stay here, for a few moments more. Do thou remain here, O Bharata, for even a short while. As long as thou art here, O thou of Kuru’s race, torments cease to afflict us.’ These and many similar words, uttered in piteous voices by persons in pain, the king heard in that region, wafted to his ears from every side.
"Hearing those words of beings in woe, Yudhishthira of compassionate heart exclaimed aloud, ‘Alas, how painful!’ And the king stood still. The speeches of those woe-begone and afflicted persons seemed to the son of Pandu to be uttered in voices that he had heard before although he could not recognise them on that occasion.
"Unable to recognise voices, Dharma’s son, Yudhishthira, enquired, saying, ‘Who are you? Why also do you stay here?’
"Thus addressed, they answered him from all sides, saying, ‘I am Karna!’ ‘I am Bhimasena!’ ‘I am Arjuna!’ ‘I am Nakula!’ ‘I am Sahadeva!’ ‘I am Dhrishtadyumna!’ ‘I am Draupadi!’ ‘We are the sons of Draupadi!’ Even thus, O king, did those voices speak.
"Hearing those exclamations, O king, uttered in voices of pain suitable to that place, the royal Yudhishthira asked himself ‘What perverse destiny is this? What are those sinful acts which were committed by those high-souled beings, Karna and the sons of Draupadi, and the slender-waisted princess of Pancala, so that their residence has been assigned in this region of foetid smell and great woe? I am not aware of any transgression that can be attributed to these persons of righteous deeds. What is that act by doing which Dhritarashtra’s son, king Suyodhana, with all his sinful followers, has become invested with such prosperity? Endued with prosperity like that of the great Indra himself, he is highly adored. What is that act through the consequence of which these (high-souled ones) have fallen into Hell? All of them were conversant with every duty, were heroes, were devoted to truth and the Vedas; were observant of Kshatriya practices; were righteous in their acts; were performers of sacrifices; and givers of large presents unto brahmanas. Am I asleep or awake? Am I conscious or unconscious? Or, is all this a mental delusion due to disorders of the brain?’
"Overwhelmed by sorrow and grief, and with his senses agitated by anxiety, king Yudhishthira indulged in such reflections for a long time. The royal son of Dharma then gave way to great wrath. Indeed, Yudhishthira then censured the gods, as also Dharma himself. Afflicted by the very foul odour, he addressed the celestial messenger, saying, ‘Return to the presence of those whose messenger thou art. Tell them that I shall not go back to where they are, but shall stay even here, since, in consequence of my companionship, these afflicted brothers of mine have become comforted.’ Thus addressed by the intelligent son of Pandu, the celestial messenger returned to the place where the chief of the deities was, viz., he of a hundred sacrifices. He represented unto him the acts of Yudhishthira. Indeed, O ruler of men, he informed Indra of all that Dharma’s son had said!
3 Yudhishthira Maharaja pious presence turns hell into the heavenly planets:(all the demigods come to hell also)
3
Vaishampayana said, "King Yudhishthira the just, the son of Pritha, had not stayed there for more than a moment when, O thou of Kuru’s race, all the gods with Indra at their head came to that spot. The deity of Righteousness in his embodied form also came to that place where the Kuru king was, for seeing that monarch. Upon the advent of those deities of resplendent bodies and sanctified and noble deeds, the darkness that had overwhelmed that region immediately disappeared. The torments undergone by beings of sinful deeds were no longer seen. The river Vaitarani, the thorny Salmali, the iron jars, and the boulders of rock, so terrible to behold, also vanished from sight. The diverse repulsive corpses also, which the Kuru king had seen, disappeared at the same time. Then a breeze, delicious and fraught with pleasant perfumes, perfectly pure and delightfully cool, O Bharata, began to blow on that spot in consequence of the presence of the gods. The Maruts, with Indra, the Vasus with the twin Ashvinis, the Sadhyas, the Rudras, the Adityas, and the other denizens of Heaven, as also the Siddhas and the great Rishis, all came there where Dharma’s royal son of great energy was.
"Then Shakra, the lord of the deities, endued with blazing prosperity, addressed Yudhishthira and comforting him, said, ‘O Yudhishthira of mighty arms, come, come, O chief of men. These illusions have ended, O puissant one. Success has been attained by thee, O mighty-armed one, and eternal regions (of felicity) have become thine. Thou shouldst not yield to wrath. Listen to these words of mine. Hell, O son, should without doubt be beheld by every king. Of both good and bad there is abundance, O chief of men. He who enjoys first the fruits of his good acts must afterwards endure Hell. He, on the other hand, who first endures Hell, must afterwards enjoy Heaven. He whose sinful acts are many enjoys Heaven first. It is for this, O king, that desirous of doing thee good, I caused thee to be sent for having a view of Hell. Thou hadst, by a pretence, deceived Drona in the matter of his son. Thou hast, in consequence thereof, been shown Hell by an act of deception. After the manner of thyself, Bhima and Arjuna, and Draupadi, have all been shown the place of sinners by an act of deception. Come, O chief of men, all of them have been cleansed of their sins. All those kings who had aided thee and who have been slain in battle, have all attained to Heaven. Come and behold them, O foremost one of Bharata’s race.
"‘Karna, the mighty bowman, that foremost of all wielders of weapons for whom thou art grieving, has also attained to high success. Behold, O puissant one, that foremost of men, viz., the son of Surya. He is in that place which is his own, O mighty-armed one. Kill this grief of thine, O chief of men. Behold thy brothers and others, those kings, that is, who had espoused thy side. They have all attained to their respective places (of felicity). Let the fever of thy heart be dispelled. Having endured a little misery first, from this time, O son of Kuru’s race, do thou sport with me in happiness, divested of grief and all thy ailments dispelled. O mighty-armed one, do thou now enjoy, O king, the rewards of all thy deeds of righteousness of those regions which thou hast acquired thyself by thy penances and of all thy gifts. Let deities and Gandharvas, and celestial Apsaras, decked in pure robes and excellent ornaments, wait upon and serve thee for thy happiness. Do thou, O mighty-armed one, enjoy now those regions (of felicity) which have become thine through the Rajasuya sacrifice performed by thee and whose felicities have been enhanced by the sacrificial scimitar employed by thee. Let the high fruits of thy penances be enjoyed by thee. Thy regions, O Yudhishthira, are above, those of kings. They are equal to those of Hariscandra, O son of Pritha. Come, and sport there in bliss. There where the royal sage Mandhatri is, there where king Bhagiratha is, there where Dushmanta’s son Bharata is, there wilt thou sport in bliss. Here is the celestial river, sacred and sanctifying the three worlds. It is called Heavenly Ganga. Plunging into it, thou wilt go to thy own regions. Having bathed in this stream, thou wilt be divested of thy human nature. Indeed, thy grief dispelled, thy ailments conquered, thou wilt be freed from all enmities.’
"While, O Kuru king, the chief of the gods was saying so unto Yudhishthira, the deity of Righteousness, in his embodied form, then addressed his own son and said, ‘O king, I am greatly pleased, O thou of great wisdom, with thee, O son, by thy devotion to me, by thy truthfulness of speech, and forgiveness, and self-restraint. This, indeed, is the third test, O king, to which I put thee. Thou art incapable, O son of Pritha, of being swerved from thy nature or reason. Before this, I had examined thee in the Dwaita woods by my questions, when thou hadst come to that lake for recovering a couple of fire sticks. Thou stoodst it well. Assuming the shape of a dog, I examined thee once more, O son, when thy brothers with Draupadi had fallen down. This has been thy third test; thou hast expressed thy wish to stay at Hell for the sake of thy brothers. Thou hast become cleansed, O highly blessed one. Purified of sin, be thou happy.
O son of Pritha, thy brothers, O king, were not such as to deserve Hell. All this has been an illusion created by the chief of the gods. Without doubt, all kings, O son, must once behold Hell. Hence hast thou for a little while been subjected to this great affliction. O king, neither Arjuna, nor Bhima, nor any of those foremost of men, viz., the twins, nor Karna, ever truthful in speech and possessed of great courage, could be deserving of Hell for a long time. The princess Krishna too, O Yudhishthira, could not be deserving of that place of sinners. Come, come, O foremost one of the Bharatas, behold Ganga who spreads her current over the three worlds.’
"Thus addressed, that royal sage, viz., thy grandsire, proceeded with Dharma and all the other gods. Having bathed in the celestial river Ganga, sacred and sanctifying and ever adored by the Rishis, he cast off his human body. Assuming then a celestial form, king Yudhishthira the just, in consequence of that bath, became divested of all his enmities and grief. Surrounded by the deities, the Kuru king Yudhishthira then proceeded from that spot. He was accompanied by Dharma, and the great Rishis uttered his praises. Indeed, he reached that place where those foremost of men, those heroes, viz., the Pandavas and the Dhartarashtras, freed from (human) wrath, were enjoying each his respective status.
comment: Srila Prabhupada once said King Yudhishthira was shown hell because he refused to lie for Krsna and say that Aswatthama was dead to Dronacarya (otherwise it would have been hard to kill him in fair fight ,so he gave up fighting and was killed in an irreligious way while meditating on the supreme Lord in his chariot). Yudhishthira said , Aswatthama ( the elephant ,at that time Krsna blew His conch) is dead .So Yudhishthira went to hell and liberated everyone in hell by his presence. Yudhishthira idea was if all the Pandavas are in hell then this is heaven to me.Srila Prabhupada told a funny story about a man that was drinking and the Christian preacher said you will go to hell ,he then said well my mother, brother, sisters all drink ,the christan preacher said, then they will all go to hell.The man said then hell is heaven because everyone I love is there.
Being in hell is no fun but pure devotees liberate even residence of hell , also it is mentioned that Krsna and Arjuna came to look after the sons of the Brahmana that was stolen by Lord Mahavisnu , and when they sounded their conchells all residents of hell was liberated at that time also . So this is a second occasion where residents of hell goes back to Godhead in the presence of a pure devotee.The Puranas narrate how Sitadevis father on the way back to Godhead Ayodhya dharma ,stopped by the hellish planets and by his presence all residence of hell where send to Vaikuntha .Janaka Maharaja
King Yudhishthira is taken back to Svarga loka where he sees Lord Govinda Krsna ,being worshipped by Arjuna (another name of Arjuna is Phalguna ,because he was born in February )
4
Vaishampayana said, "King Yudhishthira, thus praised by the gods, the Maruts and the Rishis, proceeded to that place where those foremost ones of Kuru’s race were. He beheld Govinda endued with his Brahma-form. It resembled that form of his which had been seen before and which, therefore, helped the recognition. Blazing forth in that form of his, he was adorned with celestial weapons, such as the terrible discus and others in their respective embodied forms. He was being adored by the heroic Phalguna, who also was endued with a blazing effulgence. The son of Kunti beheld the slayer of Madhu also in his own form. Those two foremost of Beings, adored by all the gods, beholding Yudhishthira, received him with proper honours.
"In another place, the delighter of the Kurus beheld Karna, that foremost one among all wielders of weapons, resembling a dozen Suryas in splendour. In another part he beheld Bhimasena of great puissance, sitting in the midst of the Maruts, and endued with a blazing form. He was sitting by the side of the God of Wind in his embodied form. Indeed, he was then in a celestial form endued with great beauty, and had attained to the highest success. In place belonging to the Ashvinis, the delighter of the Kurus beheld Nakula and Sahadeva, each blazing with his own effulgence.
"He also beheld the princess of Pancala, decked in garlands of lotuses. Having attained to Heaven, she was sitting there, endued with a form possessed of solar splendour. King Yudhishthira suddenly wished to question her. Then the illustrious Indra, the chief of the gods, spoke to him, ‘This one is Sree herself. It was for your sake that she took birth, as the daughter of Drupada, among human beings, issuing not from any mother’s womb, O Yudhishthira, endued with agreeable perfume and capable of delighting the whole world. For your pleasure, she was created by the wielder of the trident. She was born in the race of Drupada and was enjoyed by you all. These five highly blessed Gandharvas endued with the effulgence of fire, and possessed of great energy, were, O king, the sons of Draupadi and yourself.
"Behold Dhritarashtra, the king of the Gandharvas, possessed of great wisdom. Know that this one was the eldest brother of thy sire. This one is thy eldest brother, the son of Kunti, endued with effulgence of fire. The son of Surya, thy eldest brother, the foremost of men, even this one was known as the son of Radha. He moves in the company of Surya. Behold this foremost of Beings. Among the tribes of the Saddhyas, the gods, the Viswedevas, and the Maruts, behold, O king of kings, the mighty car-warriors of the Vrishnis and the Andhakas, viz., those heroes having Satyaki for their first, and those mighty ones among the Bhojas. Behold the son of Subhadra, invincible in battle, now staying with Soma. Even he is the mighty bowman Abhimanyu, now endued with the gentle effulgence of the great luminary of the night. Here is the mighty bowman Pandu, now united with Kunti and Madri. Thy sire frequently comes to me on his excellent car. Behold the royal Bhishma, the son of Santanu, now in the midst of the Vasus. Know that this one by the side of Brihaspati is thy preceptor Drona. These and other kings, O son of Pandu, who had warred on thy side now walk with the Gandharvas or Yakshas or other sacred beings. Some have attained to the status of Guhyakas, O king. Having cast off their bodies, they have conquered Heaven by the merit they had acquired through word, thought and deed.’
you can read more if you desire : http://www.sacred-texts.com/hin/m18/m18005.htm
So there is no mention in the Mahabharata of Kunti and Arjuna not going back to Godhead in Goloka Vrindavana . In the conversation with Mahavisnu and Arjuna and Krsna, Lord Mahavisnu requested them to return to the spiritual world that is in the 10 canto . SO the neophytes can be sad and think Srila Prabhupada said even Kunti and Arjuna did not go back to Godhead ,they then think ,then how can I go ? Arjuna and Kunti are always wirh Krsna so that is as good as Vaikuntha. Lord Siva told Parvati :
nārāyaṇa-parāḥ sarve
na kutaścana bibhyati
svargāpavarga-narakeṣv
api tulyārtha-darśinaḥ
na kutaścana bibhyati
svargāpavarga-narakeṣv
api tulyārtha-darśinaḥ
Devotees solely engaged in the devotional service of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Nārāyaṇa, never fear any condition of life. For them the heavenly planets, liberation and the hellish planets are all the same, for such devotees are interested only in the service of the Lord.
These subjects gives spiritual happiness to those who read them ,only the envious snakes will find faults in this .The acaryas has stated the 5 Pandavas took birth as trees at Shyama kunda because they want to be elevated to Vraja Bhakti .How about Bhismadeva? Bhismadeva has been described to enter Visnu loka after he left his body on the perfect time in Sri Krsnas presence.Here now from Navadvipa Bhava Taranga what Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura has stated about Arka Tila in (Modrumadvipa one of the islands of Navadvipa :
125 In this forest, the five brothers headed by Yudisthira (the Pandavas) lived in exile for some time with their wife Draupadi. They invited Srila Vyasadeva here and listened to him recite the Gaura Purana. Remaining in seclusion, they performed intensive worship of Sri Gaurahari.
126 Even now in this forest of Kamyavan, devotees can see the assembly of Yudisthira and the same named Bhauma, Shuka, Devala, Chavan and Garga Muni. Sitting at the base of a tree, they are all weeping as they hear the stories of Lord Gaura.
127 When will I go to that learned assembly? Bowing down to the sages from afar, I will then come closer and join them. Hearing from the very mouth of Vyasadeva the amazing stories of Gaura delivering the atheists, I will breathe a heavy sigh in ecstatic love.
and Bhismadeva he met in Jahnudvipa in his spiritual form:
96 This island of Jahnu-dvipa is non different from the forest of Bhadravan in Braja. When will that spotless divine forest be visible to my eyes? Within that forest is the hill known as Bhisma Tila. On top of that hill I shall stay and perform my worship of the Lord.
97 In the evening Bhisma-deva with a pleased mind will appear before me in his pure spiritual body - his complexion blackish like Krsna's holding Tulasi beads in his hand and marked with twelve tilaka marks on his body, he is overflowing with the bliss of constantly chanting the Lord's holy names.
98 He will say to me, "Listen, O newcomer to Navadvipa! Today my words are praising the glories of Lord Gauranga. Long ago, during the battle of Kuru-ksetra, I was struck down and fatally wounded. While dying I was able to behold the form of the moonlike Sri Krsna-chandra with fixed attention."
99 "At the time of my death, Lord Krsna told me, 'Formerly you had darshan of Navadvipa, and by that pious activity you have gained Gauranga's mercy. Thus you have now become the eternal resident of Navadvipa.
100 (Bhisma continues) "therefore, I also ask you to please give up all other desires, live in Navadvipa and worship Gaurahari. You need no longer fear the bondage of material sense objects, for you will definitely attain the service of Gauranga's lotus feet."
101 "By the desire of the Lord, the liberated souls can see at all times the pastimes of Krsna and the pastimes of Gaura in this Dhama. Here is the complete absence of the conditioned soul's afflictions such as lamentation, fear, death, all causes of disturbance, as well as desires to be inimical to the Lord."
102 "The pure devotees are intoxicated by drinking the wine of servitude to Lord Krsna, and they are all immersed in the ocean of happiness while performing their respective forms of worship. They do not know the pains of the material world, nor do they experience the difficulty of any wants because everyone is situated in their pure spiritual bodies and possess only perfect desires."
103 "The Supreme Lord has multitudes of servants who are limitless in number. His devoted associates come from two main categories - the nitya mukta or eternally liberated souls, and the baddha-mukta or liberated souls coming from the material world as former conditioned souls. In these very forests of Navadvipa Dhama, the Lord performs His eternal pastimes along with each of these devotees according to their own respective emotional mood."
104 "This transcendental abode is unlimited, with no presence of dull matter whatsoever. Here, only the spiritually conscious energy is in control as the predominating goddess. Everything and everyone here is in perfect accord as followers of the Lord, including place, time, actions, and the bodies of the living entities. all these things are harmoniously situated far beyond the illusory energy - this truth is definitely absolute."
105 "According to the Lord's desire, as long as we do not give up the material body, then for that long we will not perceive the actual ecstatic mood of this Dhama in its complete form. That is because your intelligence refuses to give up its habitual attachment to material designations."
106 "According to the Lord's desire, when you receive a spiritual body then your progressive advancement here is unobstructed. The veil of illusion generated by the material energy will retreat far away, and you will obtain unlimited bliss in this eternal spiritual realm."
107 "O brother! As long as you have this material body, then very carefully remain always fixed in the principles of devotion. Service to the devotees, chanting the holy name of Krsna and worship of the Divine Couple Sri Sri Radha and Krsna should be performed diligently at all times while remaining aloof from temptations of sense gratification.
108 "By the power of the mercy of the Dhama, the mercy of the holy name and the mercy of the devotees, expertly keep undesirable association far away. Very soon you will attain residence in the eternal abode, where pure devotional service to the Divine Couple will become manifest by direct revelation.
109 Hearing these instructions of Bhisma-deva, I will fall down at his feet like a rod and offer obeisances with all my limbs. Giving me his blessings, he will then disappear. Weeping and weeping, I will proceed to the forest on the island of Modadruma-dvipa.
The Pandavas appeared in Gaura lila , but those who studied CC carefully will know this
yours sincerely in Srila Prabhupadas service
Paramananda das
You need to be a member of Sastra Caksusa to add comments!
Join Sastra Caksusa