Friday 7 April 2017

Ananta Vrata

Bhishma said - Leave your grief aside Yudhistira. Let me tell you about Ananta Vrata, about which I have heard from Narada. There was a king called Chitrangad in the kingdom of Kosala. He and his wife were devotees were Narayana.
The king performed the worship for Ananta Vrata and the same was announced in the city. He asked all his subjects to perform the worship.
Fearing the king, everyone started performing the worship. With performing the worship, the subjects were relieved of all their sins. With this worship, people started living longer and this dis-balanced the cycles. The celestial beings were worried that king was changing the laws of creation. This was the Dwapara Yuga and not the Satya Yuga. The spirit of Dwapara Yuga called out to Vishwakarma for help. When Vishwakarma came, Dwapara said please provide me a maiden whose beauty is incomparable.
Getting all the good qualities, an immensely beautiful woman was created.  The woman asked Dwapara what to do. Dwapara asked her to go to earth and entice Chitrangad. Who ever was performing the Ananta Vrata was to be enticed and his worship was to be broken.
The woman went and started her work. The king had gone hunting near a hill and she went there. The king wanted to know who she was and wanted to marry her. The woman said she was a resident of the hill and would marry him if he agreed to listen to whatever she said. The king agreed and took her home.
When the time for the Anata Vrata came, and the king and his first queen performed the worship and were fasting. Seeing this, the new wife said the king needed to break his fast. The king got angry and said he would not do that. He then said I will tell you about the merits.
In my previous birth I was born in a low caste family. I was called Sushena. I was cruel person who rejoiced in killing birds and animals. Seeing my nature, I was driven away. Alone, hungry and thirsty, I came across a temple of Krishna. I was fasting and entering the temple, I went to sleep there. In the middle of the night, a snake came and bit me. When I died, I was taken to Vaikuntha. This is why in this birth I am following the worship.
The woman said This means you do not respect my word and you are a liar.
The king said I will kill myself but I will not break my fast.
Saying so, the king called his eldest son, made him king. The king then sat in a yogic posture and gave up his body.


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