{"collection":"Hinduism","html_url":"https://unchartedknowledge.5gfusion.net/browse/hin/db/bk09ch19.htm","path":"hin/db/bk09ch19.htm","source_url":"https://sacred-texts.com/hin/db/bk09ch19.htm","text":"THE NINTH BOOK\nChapter XIX\nOn the going of the Devas to Vaikuntha after Tulas\u00ee\u2019s marriage with S\u2019ankhach\u00fbda\n1. N\u00e2rada said :-- \u201cO Bh\u00e2gav\u00e2n! Wonderful is the story that has been now recited by you. My ears are not satisfied. So tell me what happened afterwards.\u201d\n2-94. N\u00e2r\u00e2yana said :-- O N\u00e2rada! The Creator Brahm\u00e2, blessing them, departed to His own abode. The D\u00e2nava married Tulas\u00ee under the Gandharba method. The celestial drums sounded and the flowers were showered. In the beautiful lovely house the D\u00e2navendra, remained in perfect enjoyment. Tulas\u00ee, too, being busy with fresh intercourses, became almost mad after them. The chaste Tulas\u00ee and S\u2019ankhach\u00fbda both became deeply immersed in the ocean of bliss in their sexual union and began to enjoy sixty-four sorts of amorous sports. In the S\u2019\u00e2stras on love affairs, all the connections of limbs with limbs that are described, as the lover and the loved desire, they both enjoyed those with perfect freedom and pleasure. The place was solitary; to add to it, the scenery was grand and lovely; so nothing remained untasted of the several tastes of amorous pleasures. On the banks of the river, in flower-gardens, they slept on the flower beds smeared with sandal-paste, and enjoyed the amorous pleasures. Both were adorned with\njewel ornaments; both were skilled in amorous practices; so no one desisted. The chaste Tulas\u00ee out of her nimbleness due to young age, easily stole into the heart of her husband. S\u2019ankhach\u00fbda, too, a great expert in knowing other\u2019s amorous sentiments, attracted the heart of Tulas\u00ee. Tulas\u00ee obliterated the sandal marks from the breast of the King and the sign of tilak from his nose. The King also wiped away the dot of Sindur and Alak\u00e2 (vermillion) marks from Tulas\u00ee\u2019s forehead and put marks of nails on her round plump breasts. Tulas\u00ee also hurt the King\u2019s left side by her bracelets. Then the King bit the lips of Tulas\u00ee. Thus each one embraced the other, kissed each other and each one began to champoo the thighs, legs, etc. When both of them thus spent their time in amorous sports, they got up and began to dress themselves as they desired. Tulas\u00ee smeared S\u2019ankhach\u00fbda\u2019s nose with red sandal-paste mixed with kumkum (saffron), smeared his body with sweet-scented sandal-paste, offered sweet-scented betels in his mouth, made him put on celestial garments (fireproof; brought from Fire) put unto his neck the wonderful garland of P\u00e2rij\u00e2ta flowers, destructive of disease and old age, invaluable jewel rings on his hand and offering him excellent gems, rare in the three worlds, said :-- \u201cO Lord! I am your maidservant\u201d and uttering this repeatedly bowed down to the feet of her husband with devotion. She then got up and with smiling countenance began to look on his face with a steadfast gaze. The king S\u2019ankhach\u00fbda then attracted his dear Tulas\u00ee to his breast and took off the veil fully from her face and began to look on that, next moment he kissed on her cheek and lips and gave her a pair of garments brought from the Varuna\u2019s house, a necklace of jewels, hard to get in the three worlds, the tinklets of Sv\u00e2h\u00e2, the wife of Agni, the Keyura (armlets) of the Sun\u2019s wife Chh\u00e2y\u00e2, the two earrings of Rohin\u00ee, the wife of the Moon, the finger rings of Rati, the wife of K\u00e2madeva, and the wonderfully beautiful conch, given by Vis\u2019va Karm\u00e2, excellent bedding studded with pearls and jewels and various ornaments; and when he gave her all these things, he smiled. The king then put garlands on Tulas\u00ee\u2019s braid of hair, nicely variegated Alak\u00e2s on her cheek, three crescent lines of sweet-scented sandal paste within the Alak\u00e2s, dots of saffron all around that, the brilliant Sindura mark looking like a flame, and red \u00c2lt\u00e2 on the feet and toes; he then placed those feet on his breast and utterred repeatedly :-- \u201cI am your servant\u201d and then held her on his breast. They then left the hermitage, in that state and began to travel in various places. In the Malaya mountain, in mountains after mountains, in solitary flower gardens, in the mountain caves, in beautiful sea-beaches, on the banks of the Puspabhadr\u00e2 river, cool with\nwatery breeze, in various rivers and riversides, in Vispandana forest echoed with sweet songs of the birds of the vernal season. They then went from Vispandana forest to the Surasana forest, from the Surasana, forest to the Nandana forest, from the Nandana forest to the nice Chandana forests, from Chandana forest to Champaka, Ketak\u00ee; M\u00e2dhav\u00ee Kunda, M\u00e2lat\u00ee, and Kumuda and lotus forests; thence they went to the forest of desire gratifying trees (Kalpavriksa forest,) and P\u00e2rij\u00e2ta trees. They then went to the solitary place K\u00e2nchan, thence to the K\u00e2nch\u00ee (forest) they then went to the K\u00ee\u00f1jalaka forest, thence to the K\u00e2nchan\u00e2kar (the gold mine), thence to Kanchuka and various other forests echoed with the sweet sounds of cuckoos. There, on beds strewn with flowers and scented with sandal paste they both enjoyed each other to their hearts content and with great pleasure. But none of them, whether S\u2019ankhach\u00fbda or Tulas\u00ee, got quenched with their thirst. Rather their passions were inflamed like the fire on which clarified butter is poured (in sacrifices). The King of the D\u00e2navas, then, brought Tulas\u00ee to his own kingdom and, there, in his own beautiful garden house, he incessantly enjoyed her. Thus the powerful king of the D\u00e2navas passed away one Manvantara in the enjoyment of his kingdom. He spread his sway over the Devat\u00e2s, Asuras, D\u00e2navas, Gandharbas, Kinnaras, and R\u00e2ksasas. The Devas, dispossessed of their realms, wandered everywhere like beggars. At last they united in a body and went to the Brahm\u00e2\u2019s assembly and there they began to cry and then related the whole history how the D\u00e2nava S\u2019ankhach\u00fbda oppressed them. Hearing all this, Brahm\u00e2 took them to S\u2019ankara and informed Him of the whole history of the case. When Mah\u00e2deva heard all this, He took them all to the highest place, Vaikuntha devoid of old age and death. Going towards the first entrance of N\u00e2r\u00e2yana\u2019s abode, they saw the gate-keepers watching the gate, taking their seats on jewel thrones. They all looked brilliant, clothed with the yellow garments, adorned with jewel ornaments, garlanded with forest flowers, all of S\u2019y\u00e2ma Sundara (dark blue, very beautiful) bodies. They were four-armed, holding on their hands, conch, mace, discus and lotus; sweet smile was on their faces and eyes beautiful like lotus leaves. On Brahm\u00e2 asking them for entrance to the assembly, they nodded their assent. He, then, accompanied by the Devas, passed one by one, sixteen gates and at last came before N\u00e2r\u00e2yana. On reaching there, He saw that the assembly was completely filled with Devarsis, and four-armed N\u00e2r\u00e2yanlike P\u00e2risadas (attendants), decked with Kaustubba jewels. The sight of the Sabh\u00e2 (assembly) makes one think that the Moon has just arisen, shedding effulgent rays all round. By the will of S\u2019r\u00ee Hari, excellent diamonds, invaluable gems and necklaces of gems and jewels were\nplaced at various places. At other places rows of pearls were shedding their splendour and brilliance like the garlands of gems and jewels. At others, the mirrors were placed in a circle; and at various other places, the endless wonderful artistic picture lines were drawn. Again at other places the jewels called Padmar\u00e2gas were artistically arranged as if the lotuses were there spreading their lustrous beauty all around. At many other places rows of steps were made of wonderful Syamantak jewels. All around the assembly, there were the excellent pillars, built of Indran\u00eelam jewels. Over those pillars, sandal leaves strung on strings from to pillar to pillar, were suspended. Golden jars, all brimful with water were located at various places. All around, the garlands of P\u00e2rij\u00e2ta flowers were seen. The hall was decorated with sweet scented sandal trees, red like saffron and musk. Sweet scents were being emitted all round. The Vidyadh\u00e2ris were dancing at places. The assembly hall measured one thousand Yojanas. Countless servants were engaged all over on various works. Brahm\u00e2, S\u2019ankara, and the other Gods saw there S\u2019r\u00ee Hari seated in the centre on an invaluable jewel throne, as a Moon looks surrounded by stars. There were the crown on His head, the ear-rings on His ears; garlands made of wild flowers were on his neck and His body was smeared all over with sandal paste and He was holding Kelipadma (a sort of lotus) in His hand. He was seeing, with a smiling countenance, the dancing and music before Him. He was full of peace, the Lord of Sarasvat\u00ee. Laksm\u00ee was holding gently His lotus feet and He was chewing the sweet scented betel offered by Her. Gang\u00e2 also was fanning Him devotedly with a white Ch\u00e2mara and the others were singing hymns to Him with their heads bent low with devotion. Brahm\u00e2 and the other Gods all bowed down to Him; their bodies were all filled with Pulaka (excessive joy causing hair stand on end); tears flowed from their eyes and their\nvoices were choked out of emotion. The creator Brahm\u00e2, then, with clasped hands informed Him, with head bowed down, of the whole history of S\u2019ankhach\u00fbda. Hearing this, the omniscient Hari, knowing the minds of all, smiled and spoke to Brahm\u00e2 all the interesting secrets :-- O Lotus born! I know all about S\u2019ankhach\u00fbda. He was in his previous birth My great devotee, an energetic Gopa. Now I speak to you the ancient history of Goloka; hear. This story about Goloka is sin destroying and highly meritorious. S\u2019ankhach\u00fbda, in his previous birth was the Gopa Sud\u00e2m\u00e2, My chief P\u00e2risad (attendant). He has now become a D\u00e2nava on account of the dire curse pronounced by S\u2019r\u00ee\nR\u00e2dh\u00e2. One day when I went from My abode, accompanied by Viraj\u00e2 Gop\u00ee, to the R\u00e2sa Mandala, My beloved R\u00e2dh\u00e2, hearing this news from a maid servant, came up at once with Her whole host of Sakh\u00ees\nwrathful, to the R\u00e2sa Mandalam (ball dance in Goloka) and, not being able to see Me, saw Viraj\u00e2 turned into a river, She thought that I had disappeared. So She went back to Her own abode with Her Sakh\u00ees. But when I returned to the house with Sud\u00e2m\u00e2, R\u00e2dh\u00e2 rebuked Me very much. I remained silent. But Sud\u00e2m\u00e2 could not bear and he rebuked R\u00e2dh\u00e2 in My presence, a thing quite intolerable to Her dignity! On hearing this rebuke, R\u00e2dh\u00e2\u2019s eyes became red with anger and She immediately ordered Her Sakh\u00ees to drive him away. Sud\u00e2m\u00e2 began to tremble with fear. Immediately on Her command lakhs and lakhs of Sakh\u00ees got up immediately and drove that hot irresistible Sud\u00e2m\u00e2 away. Sud\u00e2m\u00e2 repeated his chafings and roarings. On hearing these, She cursed him :-- \u201cYou better be born in the womb of a D\u00e2nav\u00ee.\u201d Hearing the terrible curse, Sud\u00e2m\u00e2 bowed down to Me and went away crying; then R\u00e2dh\u00e2, who was all-mercy, became melted with mercy. And She prevented him repeatedly, not to go away. R\u00e2dh\u00e2 wept and told him, \u201cO Child! Wait. Where are you going? No more you will have to go; return.\u201d Thus saying She became very distressed. The Gopas and Gop\u00ees also began to weep. I then explained to them, \u201cIn about half a moment Sud\u00e2m\u00e2 will come back, fulfilling the conditions of the curse. O Sud\u00e2m\u00e2! Come here when the curse expires.\u201d Then he appeased R\u00e2dh\u00e2 also. \u201cKnow that one moment (Ksan) in Goloka is equal to one Manvantara on earth. The Yogi S\u2019ankhach\u00fbda, expert in M\u00e2y\u00e2 and very powerful will soon return from the earth. Take this My weapon S\u2019\u00fbla and go early to Bh\u00e2rata. S\u2019iva will slay the D\u00e2nava by this S\u2019\u00fbl\u00e2stra. The D\u00e2nava holds always on his neck My auspicious Kavacha and will therefore become the conqueror of the universe. No one will he able to kill him as long as be holds the above Kavacha. So, first of all, I will go to him in the form of a Br\u00e2hmana and ask from him the Kavacha. O Creator! Thou also didst give him the boon that his death would occur when the chastity of of his wife would be destroyed. I will go and hold intercourse with his wife. Then his death will occur without fail. His wife after her death will come and become My dearest wife. Thus saying, N\u00e2r\u00e2yana gave over to Mah\u00e2deva the S\u2019\u00fbl\u00e2stra. Then He went gladly to His inner compartments. On the other hand, Brahm\u00e2 and Rudra and the other Devas incarnated themselves in Bh\u00e2rata.\nHere ends the Nineteenth Chapter on the going of the Devas to Vaikuntha after Tulas\u00ee\u2019s marriage with S\u2019ankhach\u00fbda in the Mah\u00e2pur\u00e2nam 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 19","type":"page"}