Jai Sriman Narayana !!
The great epic Mahabharath was composed by Maharishi Veda
Vyasa/Krishna Dwaipayana, son of Sage Parasara and Sathyavati, a woman from
fishermen clan. Mahabharath describes
the legend of Bharatha Dynasty. It
was written in 18 Parva such as Adhi Parva, Sabha Parva, Vana Parva, Virada
Parva, Udhyoga Parva, Bhishma Parva, Drona Parva, Karna Parva, Shalya Parva,
Soupthika Parva, Stri Parva, Shanthi Parva, Anushasana Parva, Ashwamedha Parva,
Ashramavasika Parva, Musala Parva, Mahaprasthanika Parva and Swargarohana Parva
and each Parva has divided into many Upaparva and has chapters in detail. Adhi Parva depicts the life of King
Dushyantha and his wife Shakunthala and their son Sarvadhamanan, who was
famously known as Bharatha, a righteous ruler of Bharatha Empior.
Lord Brahma created deities, Sages and Prajapathis. It was the beginning of the growth of human
race from the sixty daughters of Daksha Prajapathi. Pururavass,
Yayathi, Puru, Dushyantha, Bharatha, Shanthanu were born in the family
of Dithi, one of the daughters of Daksha Prajapathi.
Rishi Vaishampayana narrates
the Vanaprasthashrama life of Pandu, dedicated for severe penance and austerities. Within a short span of time, Pandu gained
huge admiration from the holy men and saints lived in the woodland. He relentlessly served them and washed off
his egos, he sincerely underwent austerities and had a great control over his
senses, the sages and holy praised Pandu for his determination. They treated Pandu as their own
relative/friend/son/brother. Several
years of continuous austerities and penance raised Pandu to the state of
Brahmarishi.
On an Amavasya day, all the
Rishis and Sages assembled in a place to conduct a journey to Brahma Loka. Pandu arrived on the spot and earnestly enquired
about their journey. They informed Pandu
that it was the day all the deities, Pitrus and Rishis assemble in Brahma
Loka/Sthya Loka and they are proceeding to the world of self-manifested Lord
Brahma. Pandu informed Kunthi &
Madhri and prepared to leave with the holy men through the complicated path of
hills. The holy men narrated the
difficulties involved in the journey to Sathya Loka. The King of hills should be climbed up with
utmost dedication, crossing the uneven paths of Garden of Lord Kubera and
crossing the places where the affluence of deities, Apsaras and Gandharvas
safeguarded in the magnificent palaces, while crossing vast rivers of enormous
depth requires extreme care, it is not possible for an ordinary human to
conduct journey through the dangerous hills.
Some of the areas in the hills are covered with thick snow and uninhabitable,
in some places there is no vegetation or animals, in some areas are flooded
with uninterrupted downpour, some of the areas are filled with dangerous species
of animals where only air and some of the holy men can enter into those places. The holy men revealed their deepest concern
about Kunthi & Madhri’s trip through the most dangerous hills and
discouraged Pandu to follow them.
Pandu was crestfallen, he
gloomily answered them that it was his ill fate to remain childless and a
childless person cannot go to Sathyaloka.
Pandu cursed his destiny and revealed his anxiousness about his
inability to perform homage to ancestors.
All human on Earth born with four types of debt such as Deva Runa, Rishi
Runa, Pitru Runa and Manushya Runa and each individual has the responsibility to
pay off the debt at the right time of their life time; otherwise they will not
attain salvation. The deities can be pleased
with the performance of Yagna &Yaga, visiting pilgrim places on Earth etc..
in this way the Deva Runa can be paid off.
Rishi’s can be pleased with the Supreme knowledge, ultimate wisdom &
intelligence, knowledge in Sastra & Puranas, etc… in this way Rishi Runa
can be paid off. Pitrus can be satisfied
with the virtuous progeny and performing homage to ancestors, in this way Pitru
Runa can be paid off. The humans can be
pleased with the good character, without harming or hurting anyone by action,
word or deed, in this way Manushya Runa can be paid off. Pandu miserably stated that he had paid off
Deva Runa, Rishi Runa and Manushya Runa, but he was unsuccessful in pleasing
his Pitrus. He earnestly prayed to the
holy men to suggest how to obtain a virtuous offspring as the way his father
Vichithraveerya attained progeny from the blameless Maharishi Veda Vyasa.
The holy men assembled were
advised Pandu, the irreproachable will have virtuous, sinless and devoted
children like deities. They advised him
that they could foresee the birth of righteous offspring’s to him, and comforted
him to be patient to receive the fruit of his action. Pandu once again became gloomy after
receiving the joyful news from the holy men; he remembered the curse of Sage
Kindhma. Pandu approached Kunthi in a
secluded place and advised her to think for an offspring to get over from the
miseries. Pandu narrated the disgrace of
a childless, performing Yagna and Yagas, charities, attaining spiritual growth
and performing austerities would never bring any devoutness, unless and until
there is no offspring to perform homage to ancestors. Pandu lamented over his powerlessness to have
offspring’s with his chaste wives due to the curse of Sage Kindhma.
Pandu describes Prudha/Kunthi
about the categories of perfect and imperfect progeny according to Dharma
Sastra, six categories of progeny are accepted as perfect for the family and
for the performance of duties and responsibilities involved in the Sastra and
another six categories are treated as members of the family not as a perfect
progeny.
(b) Child born to a married woman from a proficient man through illicit relationship is
treated as second category.
(c) Child born to a married woman from a rich man through illicit relationship is treated as
third category.
(d) Child born to a woman after the death of her husband is treated as fourth category
(e) Child born to a woman before marriage is treated as sixth category
(f) Child born to a woman of immoral character is seventh category
(g) An adopted child is eighth category
(h) A child attained through wealth is ninth category
(i) A child come forward and accepts a couple as his/her parents is tenth category
(j) A child born to a married woman who was already conceived the child before marriage
but gave birth after the marriage is treated as tenth category.
(k) Son of brother is treated as eleventh category.
(l) A child born to a low caste woman is treated as twelfth category.
It was prescribed in the Sastra
that if a family lack virtuous offspring due to ill fortune, the woman should
desire for a child from a superior family. It was suggested by Swayambu Manu
that a childless couple can have a child from the source of Niyoga. Pandu advised Kunthi that as he was unsuccessful
to give a child, she can have child from a person equivalent to him or somebody
superior to him. He described the courage
of the daughter of Sharadhanthaya to receive children from a Brahmin,
eventually she had three offspring from the Brahmin and Durjayan was the first
child born to this couple. He advised
Kunthi to have child from a righteous Brahmin as Niyoga.
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