{"collection":"Hinduism","html_url":"https://unchartedknowledge.5gfusion.net/browse/hin/db/bk09ch15.htm","path":"hin/db/bk09ch15.htm","source_url":"https://sacred-texts.com/hin/db/bk09ch15.htm","text":"THE NINTH BOOK\nChapter XV\nOn the anecdote of Tulas\u00ee\n1-6. N\u00e2rada said :-- O Bhagav\u00e2n! How came the pure chaste Tulas\u00ee to be the wife of N\u00e2r\u00e2yana? Where was Her birth place? And what was She in Her previous birth? What family did She belong to? Whose daughter was She? And what austerities did She practise, that She got\nN\u00e2r\u00e2yana for Her husband, Who is above Prakriti, not liable to change without any effort, the Universal Self, Para Brahm\u00e2 and the Highest God; Who is the Lord of all, omniscient, the Cause of all, the Receptacle of all, Omnipresent, and the Preserver of all. And how did Tulas\u00ee, the chief Dev\u00ee of N\u00e2r\u00e2yana, turn out into a tree? Herself quite innocent, how She was attacked by the fierce Asura? O Remover of all doubts! My mind, plain and simple, has become restless. I am eager to hear all this. So kindly cut asunder all my doubts.\n7-40. N\u00e2r\u00e2yana said :-- O N\u00e2rada! The Manu Daksa S\u00e2varni was very religious, devoted to Visnu, of wide renown, of a great name, and born with Visnu's parts. Daksa S\u00e2varni\u2019s son Brahm\u00e2 S\u00e2varni was also very religious, devoted to Visnu and of a pure S'uddha Sattva Guna. Brahm\u00e2 S\u00e2varni's son, Dharma S\u00e2varni was devoted to Visnu and He was the master of his senses. Dharma S\u00e2varni's sons Rudra S\u00e2varni was also a man of restraint and very devoted. Rudra S\u00e2varni's son was Deva S\u00e2varni, devoted to Visnu. Deva S\u00e2varni's son was Indra S\u00e2varni. He was a great Bhakta of Visnu. His son was Vrisadhvaja. But He was a fanatic S'aiva (devoted to S'iva). At his house S'iva Himself remained for three Yugas according to the Deva measure. So much so that Bhagav\u00e2n Bh\u00fbtan\u00e2tha loved him more than His own son. Vrisadhvaja did not recognise N\u00e2r\u00e2yana, nor Laksm\u00ee nor Sarasvat\u00ee nor another body. He discarded the worship of all the Devas. He worshipped S'ankara only. The greatly exciting Laksm\u00ee Puja (worship of Mah\u00e2 Laksm\u00ee) in the month of Bh\u00e2dra and S\u2019r\u00ee Pa\u00f1cham\u00ee Puja in the month of M\u00e2gha, which are approved of by the Vedas, Vrisadhvaja put an entire stop to these and the Sarasvat\u00ee Puja. At this the Sun became angry with the King Vrisadhvaja, the discarder of the holy thread, the hater of Visnu, and cursed Him thus :-- \u201cO King! As you are purely devoted to S\u2019iva and S\u2019iva alone, and as you do not recognise any other Devas, I say within no time, you will be deprived of all your wealth and prosperity.\u201d S'ankara, hearing this curse, became very angry and taking His trident, ran after the Sun. The Sun, becoming afraid, accompanied His father Kas'yapa and took refuge of Brahm\u00e2. Bhagav\u00e2n S'ankara went to the Brahm\u00e2 Loka, with trident in His hands. Brahm\u00e2 became afraid of Mah\u00e2deva and took Sun to the region of Vaikuntha. Out of terror, the throats of Brahm\u00e2, Kas'yapa, and Sun became parched and dry and they all went afraid for refuge to N\u00e2r\u00e2yana, the Lord of all. They all bowed down to Him and praised Him frequently and finally informed Him of the cause of their coming and why they were so much afraid. N\u00e2r\u00e2yana showed them mercy and granted them \u201cAbhaya\u201d (no fear). O You! Who are afraid, take rest. What cause of fear there can be to you, when I am here!\nWhoever remembers Me, wherever he may be, involved in danger or fear, I go there with the Sudars'an disc in My hand and save him. O Devas! I am always the Creator, Preserver and Destroyer of this universe. In the form of Visnu, I am the Preserver; in the form of Brahm\u00e2, I am the Creator; and in the form of Mahes'a, I am the Destroyer. I am S\u2019iva; I am you; and I am the S\u00fbrya, composed of the three qualities. It is I who assumes many forms and preserves the universe. Better go to your respective places. What fear can ye suspect? I say, all your fears due to S'ankara, are verily removed from this day. Bhagav\u00e2n S'ankara, the Lord of all, is the Lord of the S\u00e2dhus. He always hears the words of His Bhaktas; and He is kind to them. He is their Self. Both the Sun and S\u2019iva are dearer to Me than My life. No one is more energetic than S'ankara and the Sun. Mah\u00e2deva can easily create ten million Suns and ten million Brahm\u00e2s. There is nothing impossible with S'\u00fblap\u00e2ni. Having no consciousness of any outer thing, immersed, day and night, in meditating on Me with His whole heart concentrated, He is repeating with devotion My Mantra from His five faces and He always sings My glories. I am also thinking, day and night, of His welfare. Whoever worships Me in whichever way, I also favour him similarly. Bhagav\u00e2n Mah\u00e2 Deva is of the nature of S\u2019iva, all auspiciousness; He is the presiding deity of S'iva, that is, liberation. It is because liberation is obtained from Him, He is called S\u2019iva. O dear N\u00e2rada! While N\u00e2r\u00e2yana was thus speaking, the trident bolder Mah\u00e2deva, with his eyes red like reddened lotuses, mounting on His bull, came up there and getting down from His Bull, humbly bowed down with devotion to the Lord of Laksm\u00ee, peaceful and higher than the highest. N\u00e2r\u00e2yana was then seated on His throne, decked with jewel ornaments. There was a crown on His crest; two earrings were hanging from His ears; the disc was in His hand, forest flower's garlands on His neck; of the colour of fresh blue rain cloud; His form exceedingly beautiful. The four-armed attendants were fanning Him with their four hands; His body smeared all over with sandal-paste and He is wearing the yellow garment. That Bhagav\u00e2n, distressed with the thought of welfare for His Bhaktas, the Highest Self was sitting on a jewel throne and chewing the betel offered by Padm\u00e2 and with smiling countenance, seeing and hearing the dancing and singing of the Vidy\u00e2dhar\u00ees. When Mah\u00e2deva bowed down to N\u00e2r\u00e2yana, Brahm\u00e2 also bowed down to Mah\u00e2deva. The Sun, too, surprised, bowed down to Mah\u00e2deva with devotion. Kas'yapa, too, bowed and with great bhakti, began to praise Mah\u00e2deva. On the other hand, S\u2019ankara praised N\u00e2r\u00e2yana and took His seat on\nthe throne. The attendants of N\u00e2r\u00e2yana began to fan Mah\u00e2deva with white chowries. Then Visnu addressed Him with sweet nectar like voice and said :-- \u201cO Mahes'vara! What brings Thee here? Hast Thou been angry?\u201d\n41-45. Mah\u00e2deva said : -- \u201cO Visnu! The King Vrisadhavaja is My great devotee; he is dearer to Me than My life. The Sun has cursed him and so I am angry. Out of the affection for a son I am ready to kill S\u00fbrya. S\u00fbrya took Brahm\u00e2's refuge and now he and Brahm\u00e2 have taken Thy refuge. And Those who being distressed take Thy refuge, either in mind or in word, become entirely safe and free from danger. They conquer death and old age. What to speak of them, then, of those who come personally to Thee and take Thy refuge. The remembrance of Hari takes away all dangers. All good comes to them. O Lord of the world! Now tell me what becomes of My stupid Bhakta who has become devoid of fortune and prosperity by the curse of S\u00fbrya.\u201d\n46-51. Visnu said :-- \u201cO S'ankara! Twenty-one yugas elapsed within this one-half Ghatik\u00e2, by the coincidence of Fate (Daiva). Now go quickly to Thy abode. Through the unavoidable coincidence of the cruel Fate, Vrisadhvaja died. His son Rathadhvaja, too, died. Rathadhvaja had two noble sons Dharmadhvaja and Kus'adhvaja. Both of them are great Vaisnavas; but, through S\u00fbrya's curse, they have become luckless. Their kingdoms are lost; they have become destitute of all property, prosperity and they are now engaged in worshipping Mah\u00e2 Laksm\u00ee. Mah\u00e2 Laksm\u00ee will be born in parts of their two wives. Then again, by the grace of Laksm\u00ee, Dharmadhvaja and Kus'adhvaja will be prosperous and become great Kings. O S'ambhu Your worshipper Vrisadhvaja is dead. Therefore Thou dost go back to Thy place. O Brahm\u00e2, O Sun! O Kas'yapa! You all also better go to your places respectively.\u201d O N\u00e2rada! Thus saying, Bhagav\u00e2n Visnu went with His wife to the inner rooms. The Devas also went gladly to their own places respectively. And Mah\u00e2deva, too, Who is always quite full within Himself, departed quickly to perform His Tapas.\nHere ends the Fifteenth Chapter on the question of anecdote of Tulas\u00ee in the Ninth Book in the Mah\u00e2puranam S\u2019r\u00ee Mad Dev\u00ee Bh\u00e2gavatam of 18,000 verses by Maharsi Veda Vy\u00e2sa.","title":"The Devi Bhagavatam: The Ninth Book: Chapter 15","type":"page"}