Shri Mad-Bhaagvat Puraan
Skandh 9: Page 3, Chapters 6
Brahamrishi Saubhari and Maanndhaataa Rishi (Angira vansha&Ikshwaaku Vansh)
Shuk Dev Ji said - "Raajaa Ambareesh had three sons - Viroop, Ketumaan and Shambhu. Viroop had a son named Prishdashwa and he had the son named Ratheetar. Ratheetar did not have any child so he requested Angiraa Rishi for a son. Angiraa produced several sons from his wife equipped with Brahm Tej. Although the Gotra should have been of the King Ratheetar, but all of them were called Aangiras.
Hey Pareekshit, Once a son was born from Manu's sneeze, his name was Ikshwaaku. Ikshwaaku had 100 sons. Three were the eldest - Vikukshi, Nimi, and Dandak. His 25 younger sons were the rulers of the eastern part of Aaryaavart, and the older 25 became the Raajaa of the western part of Aaryaavart and the first three were the kings of the Central part. Remaining 47 sons became the kings of southern part etc.
Once Ikshwaaku ordered his eldest son at the time of Ashtakaa Shraaddh - "Vikukshi, Go and bring the meat of sacred animals for Shraaddh." Vikukshi went to the forest and killed many animals. He got tired and hungry, so he forgot that he should not eat those animals killed for Shraaddh. He ate one rabbit from those animals and brought the remaining meat home. When Ikshwaaku asked his Guru to make it worthy for Shraaddh, he told that the meat was not worthy for Shraaddh. Then Ikshwaaku exiled his son and he himself had a discussion on Gyaan-related topics with Vashishth Jee and left his body through Yog. After his father died, Vikukshi came back to his city and started ruling this Earth. He worshipped Bhagavaan with great Yagya and got famous as Shashaad. He had a son named Puranjaya. Some called him "Indravaah" and some called him "Kakutsth". Why people called him with these names, now listen to that story.
In the end of Sat Yug, Devtaa and Daitya had a great war. All Devtaa were defeated in that war. Then they extended their friendship with Puranjaya. Puranjaya said - "If I can get Dev Raaj Indra as my ride then I can fight." First Indra did not agree for that but later on he did and turned himself into a big bull. Vishnu filled Puranjaya with his powers. Then he rode on the bull and got ready for the fight. Devtaa started praying to him. He fought with a great bravery and got Indra's wealth and Puree back to him. That is why he was called "Puranjaya". Puranjaya means who has won the Puree; and because he used Indra as his ride he was called "Indra-Vaah"; and because he rode on bull he was called "Kakutsth".
Puranjaya's son was 'Anenaa' and his son was Prithu. Prithu's son was Vishwarandhi, his son was Chandra, his son was Yuvanaashwa, his son was Shaabast who habited Shaabastee Nagar. Shaabast had a son named Brihdashwa and his son was Kuvalyaashwa. He was very mighty. To please Uttank Rishi he took his 21,000 sons and killed Dhundhu Daitya. That is why he was called as Dhundhumaar also. The fire from Dhundhu's mouth burned his all sons except three - Dridhaashwa, Kapilaashwa and Bhadraashwa. Dridhaashwa had a son named Haryashwa, his son was Nikumbh, his son was Barhanaashwa, his son was Krishaashwa, and his son was Senjit. Senjit had the son named Yuvanaashwa. Yuvanaashwa was childless, so he was very sad. He went to forest with his 100 wives. There he did a Yagya of Indra Devtaa to get a son with the help of Rishi.
During the Yagya period, one day Raajaa Yuvanaashwa got very thirsty in the night. He went to Yagyashaalaa (the place where Yagya was taking place) to find some water, but he found all the Rishi sleeping there. He found no other way to quench his thirst except to drink the Abhimantrit Jal. When Rishi woke up in the morning, they found the Kalash (pitcher) empty, so they asked - "Who has drank the Yagya water?" Then they knew that Raajaa has drank that water. They bowed to Bhagavaan, because it was all done by Bhagavaan's wish. When the time came, a son came out of Raajaa's right side of stomach. As soon as he was born, he started crying for milk. Rishi asked - "Whose milk it will drink?" Then Indra said - "He will drink mine (Maan = Myself; Dhaataa = nourisher)." and put his index finger in his mouth. Yuvanaashwa also did not die. He did Tapasyaa there only and left his physical body. Indra named that boy "Trasdasyu" because Raavan etc Dasyu (robbers) were scared of him. Maandhaataa became the Raajaa after Yuvanaashwa died. He ruled the seven-Dweep Prithvi alone.
Maandhaataa's wife Bindumatee was the daughter of Shashbindu. Maandhaataa had three sons from her - Purukuts, Ambareesh and Yogee Muchukund. They had 50 sisters who married to Saubhari Rishi. Once Saubhari Rishi dipped in Yamunaa River for his Tapasyaa and he saw a fish playing with his wives and children, so Saubhari Rishi also desired for that kind of pleasure. He went to Raajaa Maandhaataa and asked the hand of one of his 50 daughters. Raajaa said - "Brahman, if the girl chooses you in her Swayamvar, then you can take her." Rishi understood that Maandhaataa has replied him like that because he has become old now. So he intended to become so handsome that leave kings' daughters, even Dev daughters should want to marry him. He did so, and the guards of princesses' palace took him inside the palace. Now he was so handsome that all princesses started quarreling among themselves to become his wife. He married to all of them. Then he started enjoying with all of them in very expensive clothes, jewelry, flowers, with tasty food and many servants and maidservants. Seeing his enjoyment, even Maandhaataa got very surprised. A lot of time passed but Saubhari Jee did not get satisfied with that pleasure.
One day Saubhari Rishi was sitting with a good clean heart, and it came to his mind that how I lost my Tap and myself just by a momentary look at the fish. Whosoever wants Moksh, he should leave Bhogee people. First I was alone in Tapasyaa, then I came into contact of one fish and then I became 50 and then 50,000 in the form of children. Maayaa has affected my wisdom. Now I am full of so many desires that there is no end of them, this is not good. So after some time he took Sanyaas and went to forest. His wives also went with him. There he did so intense Tapasyaa that his body started burning by his own Tap. His wives also became Satee with him. They also got the same Gati which Saubhari Rishi got."
He was a great yogi who used to perform intense tapasya within the waters of the Yamuna. One time he opened his eyes and chanced upon a pair of fish engaged in mating. That great muni fell from his high achievement in yoga and emerged out of the waters with a mind to engage in lustful activities.
He approached Maandhaata, a great king, and asked for the hand of all his fifty daughters in marriage. Maandhaata feared going to hell - since giving a young daughter in marriage to an old, infirm man was a grave sin. He dismissed the request by stating that he will arrange a swayamvar for his daughters.
Saubhari, who could read the minds of others, understood this. He made 49 other copies of himself by his attainments in Yog, and also made himself very young and strong. Thus, he married all 50 daughters of Maandhaata and started a great family with thousands of grandchildren.
Once, when he was sitting on the banks of the same Yamuna, he remembered his exalted position before, and lamented very loudly about his downfall.
Brahmarshi Saubhari is also associated with Kaaliya and Garuda. Garuda used to eat the fish of the river, Yamuna. The king of fishes pleaded the sage, who'd been engaged in austerities within those very waters at the time, to stop this menace. Saubhari declared to Garuda that if he came anywhere near the Yamuna again, he would die. Knowing this secret, the famous naag Kaaliya had migrated from the island of Ramnaka to a lake within Yamuna (which had been absolutely giant as a river at the time) and polluted its waters with his terrible poison.
💐💐💐💐💐💐💐💐💐💐💐💐💐💐💐💐
Saubhari Rishi was a great rishi mentioned in the Srimad Bhagavatam 9th canto chapter 6. This is the beginning of the pastime of Saubhari Rishi. According to Vishvanatha Cakravarti T?hakura, Mandhata was the king of Mathura, and Saubhari Rishi was engaged in austerity while submerged deep within the River Yamuna. “When the Rishi felt sexual desire, he emerged from the water and went to King Mandhata to ask that one of the King’s daughters become his wife.
Saubhari Muni thought: I am now feeble because of old age. My hair has become grey, my skin is slack, and my head always trembles. Besides, I am a yogi. Therefore women do not like me. Since the King has thus rejected me, I shall reform my body in such a way as to be desirable even to celestial women, what to speak of the daughters of worldly kings. Thereafter, when Saubhari Muni became quite a young and beautiful person, the messenger of the palace took him inside the residential quarters of the princesses, which were extremely opulent. All fifty princesses then accepted him as their husband, although he was only one man. Thereafter, the princesses, being attracted by Saubhari Muni, gave up their sisterly relationship and quarrelled among themselves, each one of them contending, “This man is just suitable for me, and not for you.” In this way there ensued a great disagreement. Because Saubhari Muni was expert in chanting mantras perfectly, his severe austerities resulted in an opulent home, with garments, ornaments, properly dressed and decorated maidservants and manservants, and varieties of parks with clear-water lakes and gardens. In the gardens, fragrant with varieties of flowers, birds chirped and bees hummed, surrounded by professional singers. Saubhari Muni’s home was amply provided with valuable beds, seats, ornaments, and arrangements for bathing, and there were varieties of sandalwood creams, flower garlands, and palatable dishes. Thus surrounded by opulent paraphernalia, the muni engaged in family affairs with his numerous wives. In this way, Saubhari Muni enjoyed sense gratification in the material world, but he was not at all satisfied, just as a fire never ceases blazing if constantly supplied with drops of fat.
Thereafter, one day while Saubhari Muni, who was expert in chanting mantras, was sitting in a secluded place, he thought to himself about the cause of his falldown, which was simply that he had associated himself with the sexual affairs of the fish. Alas! While practising austerity, even within the depths of the water, and while observing all the rules and regulations practised by saintly persons, I lost the results of my long austerities simply by association with the sexual affairs of fish. Everyone should observe this fall down and learn from it. When Saubhari Muni, who was quite conversant with the self, went to the forest, he performed severe penances.
In this way, in the fire at the time of death, he ultimately engaged himself in the service of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Vishvanatha Cakravarti Thakura remarks that Saubhari Muni had fallen from his austerity because of a vais?n?ava-aparadha. The pastime is that when Garud?a wanted to eat fish, Saubhari Muni unnecessarily gave the fish shelter under his care. Because Garud?a’s plans for eating were disappointed, Saubhari Muni certainly committed a great offence to a Vaishnava. Because of this vaishnava-aparadha, an offence at the lotus feet of a Vaishnava, Saubhari Muni fell from his exalted position of mystic tapasya.
This is the lesson we must learn from this incident concerning Saubhari Muni. Saubhari Rishi was a great yogi. Yogic perfection makes available eight material opulences — an?ima, laghima, mahima, praapti, praakaamya, ishitva, vashitva and kaamaavasaayitaa.
Brahmarishi Saubhari exhibited super-excellence in material enjoyment by dint of his yogic perfection. The word bahv-richa means “expert in chanting mantras.” As material opulence can be achieved by ordinary material means, it can also be achieved by subtle means through mantras. By chanting mantras, Saubhari Muni arranged for material opulence, but this was not perfection in life. As will be seen, Saubhari Muni became very dissatisfied with material opulence and thus left everything and reentered the forest in the vanaprastha order and achieved final success. Those who are not atma-tattva-vit, who do not know the spiritual value of life, can be satisfied with external material opulences, but those who are atma-tattva-vit are not inspired by material opulence. This is the instruction we can derive from the life and activities of Saubhari muni.
साभार:- ओमन सौभरि भुर्रक, भरनाकलां, मथुरा
संबंधित लिंक...
