Thursday, 8 December 2016

Vatapi

A sage called Khaga once did severe penance to please Vishnu. He got what he wanted and returned to the mountain Rishyamukha. On the mountain lived a king called Rishya with his wife, Roopavati. The king died childless. The queen was stricken with grief. She was crying in the forest when her cries were heard by Garuda. He took the form of a human and seeing the queen was in love with her. He asked her who she was. She said she and her husband had come to the forest to pray for a child and in the process the king had died and she was now all alone.
Garuda said he would have a child with her. The queen asked for  hundred children. Garuda lived with her for twelve years. The king Rishya had another wife, Sushila. When she heard about this, she too begged for a child.
Soon both queens were pregnant and they gave birth to eggs. Sushila gave birth to twins - the eldest was blind and called Andhaka and the younger was called Jatayu. The other queen gave birth to a son called Kubala and ninety nine others. Kubala was made the king of birds.
Once the nagas attacked and fought Kubala. Kubala and his ninety nine brothers were killed in the fight.
Andhaka seeing this took refuge with the Nagas. The Nagas made him the king.
When Garuda came to know this he began killing the Nagas and was stopped by Brahma.
Soon Jatayu, the peaceful one had two sons, Sukha and Sarana. Andhaka had thousand sons, the eldest of whom was called Vatapi.
Vatapi made friends with the Nagas. Seeing this Sukha and Sarana prayed to Shiva and got boons. They realized that Vatapi would bring an end to their clan. So with the boons, they and fought and killed Vatapi.

This is how Dhritarashtra is acting and he will then go the way of Vatapi.

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