Saturday, December 29, 2012

Vipra Vakyo Janardana

Here is a story firstly:

A king of Nepal by name Bhadraka had gone out on shikar(hunting). On his way a bird of omen, perched on the branch of a tree, uttered some significant sounds. On hearing them, the king asked a member of his party who was conversant with the language of birds: "What does the bird say?"

The interpreter replied: "King! What the bird says does not concern you. It says that a farmer who is going uphill for cutting grass for his cattle will die, bitten by a snake."

Just as he had uttered these words, the party saw a farmer proceeding towards a nearby hillock, carrying a scythe. On seeing him, the interpreter observed: "I think this is the farmer referred to by the bird. Your Majesty may be sure that he will die as foretold."

Out of curiosity the hunting party stayed in the vicinity, waiting for the farmer to return.

They saw the farmer's silhouette, after some time, coming down the slopes of the hill carrying a bundle of grass, whereupon the king heckled the interpreter: "My dear man! What happened to your prediction? Look! Has that farmer has the power to walk even in death? Or did he bribe Yama's messengers? Or better far, did he drive those messengers away in battle? Or did the serpent miss its aim? Perhaps you will say that the bird of omen got befuddle but once. Pray, enlighten me how this farmer cheated death."

"May i request my liege to wait for some time before rushing to conclusions?" replied the interpreter, annoyed and disturbed.

When the farmer came near, the interpreter beckoned to him and asking him to unload the stack, wanted to question him.

But as he unlocked the stack, the grass-rope with which it was tied got broken and the hay fell apart. What should they see in the middle of the stack but a mighty cobra cut in twain by the sharp scythe embedded in it?

The interpreter drew the attention of the king to it and said: "This cobra came to kill him, but got killed instead; I do not know what mighty virtue this man had acquired to accomplish this. Anyways, let us question  him."

So saying, the interpreter asked the farmer: "Brother! When you went to cut grass did anything special happen?"

He replied: "I am a farmer. I do not know anything except my plough and my bullocks. When i was ascending the hill, an aged Brahmin walking with the help of a stick came across my path. I paid my respects to him in my humble way and he blessed me. Beyond that, nothing un-usual occurred!"

Turning to the king, the interpreter said: "Did you listen to what he said, my lord? Is it not clear that this farmer escaped death by the blessings of that aged Brahmin? A few moments back you ran me down; can you now tell me if the science of omens has gone wrong? Never will it. But this is clear: even the writings of Brahma on our skull can be changed by the blessings of the learned and pious souls."

"Did not the great sage Gautama, in his arguments with Lord Shiva, show the divine eye at the sole of his feet? Did not the great Bhrigu manage to kick Lord Vishnu on his chest? Did no the great Agastya swallow the entire ocean like a spoon of water? Did not the great Vasishtha successfully replace the mighty Sun with a piece of a wand? Did not Sage Kashyapa create a duplicate Indra? Who can hope to stand up to real Brahmins? Did not Markandeya of yore who was face to face with death, as ordained by Brahma, throw him out by the blessings of Brahmins?"

Happy to be convinced of the truth of what the interpreter has said, the king replied: "Indeed, Brahmins are embodied gods living in this world," and gave away rich presents to the interpreter.

(Story sourced from "Untold Stories Of King Bhoja" by V.A.K.Ayer)

Some more lines from the book:

Vipra means A Brahmin.  The word of a Vipra will never go wrong. Lord Janardana will carry out His behests through the words of Vipras and hence the saying Vipra Vakyo Janardnah. There is no difference between God's words and a true Vipra's words. The Vipra is embodied God. Vipra is a an embodied god. Blessings of a brahmin can save a person from death too.

We have known these sages' stories since our child hood, but never parred our observations to the depth to which the story narrates. I was literally stunned by the truth the story exposes about the pious Brahmins who can challenge the GOD. What a glory one earns with truth!! Woww....Truth & Dharma has such a power to question the creator of the world. 

But i doubt any such qualified Brahmin exists in our living world now.

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