BLOG NUMBER NINE- BHU KAILASA

The Story of Bhu-Kailasa

In the last Satya Yuga, Para Brahma’s force, in the form of Lord Eshwara, was on the entire earth. Lord Eshwara was a friend and guide to all the human beings. He moved physically, all over the earth, spreading rays of peace, happiness and love all throughout the Satya Yuga- the account of Trust.

As the Yuga was drawing to a close, Lord Eshwara thought of staying in one place and from there, send out the vibrations of peace, happiness and love. So, as the next Yuga, Treta, neared, Lord Eshwara retired to Mt. Kailas and taking up his abode there, stayed there.

During this time, Ravana also lived, his life span extended to one full chatur yuga cycle, that is, 51840 human years. He was born in the line of Pulastya Maharishi, his father’s name was Vishravasu and mother’s name was Kaikasi. He was the eldest of three brothers, the other two being Kumbakarna and Vibhishana.

Ravana could speak in ten languages like that of animals, trees, plants etc. He performed intense tapas on Brahma and secured boons to the effect that except from human beings, death should not come to him, since to his prowess, humans were negligible. He defeated Kubera and took away the city of Lanka from him. Ravana married Mandodhari, daughter of Maya, who lived near Somali. Ravana used to live in China and was well versed in all the 64 arts/vidyas.

Ravana became mighty as the days passed; he conquered all the ashtadikpalakas and made them as stepping stones to ascend his throne; he made the Chaturmukha Brahma, his panchanga reader at his court. The Rakshasas advised him to tackle Maha Vishnu. He said Maha Vishnu is a very clever person, first I will tackle Lord Eshwara and then I will turn my attention on Maha Vishnu.

Ravana was thirty years in age, when he decided to beautify the city of Lanka, which was already beautiful. He thought of bringing the Mt. Kailas to Lanka. So, he went to the Himalayas, assuming a huge form, he tried to lift up the Kailas mountain. As it started shaking, the inhabitants of Kailas, were terrified about this. They approached Lord Eshwara for help. He just pressed the ground below His toe, Ravana’s body was crushed by the weight of the mountain.  Then, Ravana started praising Lord Eshwara, he made his spinal column as a Veena, the nerves as strings and praised Lord Eshwara. Ravana was the first one to make the instrument- Veena.

Pleased with him, Lord Eshwara, released him from the plight and presented him a sword. Thanking the Lord, Ravana returned to his palace. One day, Ravana saw his mother Kaikasi, worshipping a sand linga, and as he was watching, the waters from the sea, came and washed away the sand shivalinga.

Then he told his mother that he will go and bring the Atmalinga of Lord Eshwara himself for her to worship. Saying this, he went to the Himalayas and performed severe penance on Lord Eshwara in order to secure His Atmalinga.

The Gods and the Rishis fearing that he may be given the Atmalinga, requested Goddess Saraswathi to sit on the Ravana’s tongue at the time of him asking for a boon. This Goddess Saraswathi did. At the end of the penance, Lord Eshwara, appeared to Ravana, alongwith his consort, Parvathi. The Lord asked what boon do you ask from me? Ravana saw in front of him the Lord and His consort and sought for Parvathi, who was most beautiful and charming. To this, the Lord said – So be it and Ravana felt very happy to have secured Parvathi. As per the boon, Parvathi began to follow Ravana towards his city, Lanka.

On the way, Narada maharishi meets Ravana who was looking very joyous and proud. Narada asked Ravana what is the matter? You look so happy. Ravana answered-Look behind and tell me who is there, it is none other than the Parvathi! I have secured her so I am happy. Narada said there is no Parvathi, you are just talking wildly. Ravana turns behind and looks, he sees a huge and terrible form of Kali, that is, Parvathi, in her original form. Ravana rushes back to Kailas and started shouting at Lord Eshwara and finally returns home, unsuccessful in his attempt to bring Atmalinga.

As the time passed, Ravana, once again thought of the Lord’s Atmalinga; again he set out on his penance, more careful than before, performed intense tapas on Lord Eshwara. As before, Lord Eshwara appeared in front of him and this time, careful as he was, Ravana asked for Lord Eshwara’s Atmalinga. To this, the Lord gave away his Atmalinga to Ravana. He was asked not to keep it on the ground, anywhere during the journey to Lanka.

Carrying the Atmalinga, Ravana set out towards his city. At this incident, all the Gods and the Rishis felt shocked, as Ravana was already very powerful and now with Lord Eshwara’s Atmalinga, he would become invincible. So they thought of a plan and approaching Lord Vigneshwara, set him out ahead of Ravana, on the route. As Ravana came near the present place of Gokarna, close to the sea, the Sun was about to set.

As he belonged to the twice born caste – a Brahmin – he regularly performed his sandhyavandana. To perform his evening prayers before sunset, he looked around for someone who would hold the Atmalinga, till he finished his prayers. There, he sees a cow-herd boy (Lord Vigneshwara in disguise) and asks him to hold the Atmalinga, so that he could quickly return from his prayers.

The boy agreed to hold the Atmalinga on one condition, that is, before he would call out the name Ravana thrice, Ravana should come and collect the Linga, back. To this Ravana agreed and gave the Linga into the hands of the boy.

As Ravana turned and walked towards the waters, the boy called out once and after this twice again while Ravana was praying and the boy quickly placed the Linga on the ground and stood aside.

Ravana after finishing his prayers, comes and sees that the Linga is on the ground, he gets very angry with the boy, he attempts to lift the Linga from its position, using all his strength.                         

He fails in his attempts, but twelve pieces come out during his ordeal. Ravana threw these twelve pieces in the 12 directions. These are the 12 jyotirlingas in India. At such distant places, the pieces landed.

Ravana does not give up his attempts easily. He even goes below the earth to lift the Atmalinga and again he fails. A huge cave formed over the spot and the most portion of the Linga goes below the earth. And after the pieces were removed, the Linga appeared like that of the two ears of a cow and hence the name Go-karna is given to this place. Finally, Ravana returned to his city-Lanka.

The people living at Gokarna and all over the earth, enjoyed the conditions like those of Kailasa Loka, they were all divine and peaceful and happy and on account of this peace, the place came to be called as Bhu-Kailasa, all over the earth. In the coming Satya Yuga, it will be the turn of Maha Vishnu, to live with all human beings on the earth physically, and spread out the divine rays of Truth, Love, Peace and Happiness.

So, the Rishis, during the solar eclipse on 16^th February 1980, undertook the work of transferring the force of Para Brahma, which was at Gokarna, the Lord Eshwara’s Atma Linga to Puri Jagannath. Now, it will be Maha Vishnu’s turn to live with us and the whole earth will be called Bhu-Vaikunta for the coming 20,000 years.

The End.