BLOG NUMBER TEN - THE STORY OF DHUNDULI - AS NARRATED BY SHRI AMBARISHA VARMA

                                  The Story of Dhunduli

                         

In the days gone by, a beautiful town was located on the banks of the river Tungabhadra. All the residents of that town performed the duties of their caste, spoke the truth and engaged themselves in the righteous activities.

There lived in that town, a Brahmana named Atmadeva, who was well versed in all the Vedas and was proficient in performing the rites as laid down in the Srutis and Smritis. He was glorious like a second Sun. Though rich, he made his living by alms.

His wife was called Dhunduli, was of good parentage, good looking: but she always wanted to rule over her husband. She indulged in the worldly gossip, was a talkative lady, cruel and miserly, though an expert in household activities, she was highly quarrelsome. The Brahmin couple lived and enjoyed their life. They had enough to satisfy their desires and achieve their objects. They had good lives to lead, yet they were not happy, as they were not blessed with any child.

With the object of getting a child, they began to gift cows, land, cloth and gold to the needy every day. In this manner they had spent half of their fortune, yet they did not beget a child. This matter, greatly worried Atmadeva.

One day, Atmadeva distressed as he was, left his house for the forest. At mid-day, feeling thirsty, he went up to a water tank to quench his thirst. The grief born of not having a child, had made him thin. After drinking water, Atmadeva, sat down near the Tank. After a duration of one muhurtha (48 minutes), a sanyasi arrived there for water. After the sanyasi had quenched his thirst, the Brahmin went before him, and bowed down to sanyasi.        The sanyasi enquired as to why Atmadeva was weeping and asked him the cause of his grief.

The Brahmin told the sanyasi that life was worthless without a son or daughter, of what use was all his wealth, the cow at his also was also barren, what for should he continue living? He had come there to end his life. The sage who was well established in Yoga, looked into the lines on the forehead of Atmadeva told Atmadeva-Give up all hope of getting a child for your next seven lives and further told him that there is all happiness in renunciation. The Brahmin asked as to how Viveka can help? Let me have a son or I will, in your very presence, give up my life, the only sweet thing in this world is family life crowded with sons, daughters and grandchildren.  

Even after some counselling, seeing that the Brahmin was persisting in his demand, the sage who was rich in ascetic powers, gave a fruit to the Brahmin saying- “Let your wife eat this fruit, she will then give birth to a son, for one year your wife must practice-truthfulness, cleanliness, kind heartedness, give alms, take meals consisting of only one type of cereals and that too, once a day. By doing so, she will get a son of exceedingly sinless disposition.”

The Brahmin returned to his house and told his wife what the sage had said and gave her the fruit and went away somewhere. Crooked, as she was, the wife weepingly said to one of her friends – “I am greatly worried and so, will not eat this fruit: by eating this, I will conceive and get a belly, I will not be able to eat a full meal, do domestic work, cannot escape if dacoits attack the village, in case the foetus comes out in a slanting position during delivery, I may even lose my life. How will a delicate woman like me bear the pain? My husband’s sister may take away all whatever she wants from the house during my confinement, moreover it appears difficult for me to observe the vows”.

Thinking on these lines, she did not eat the fruit and when her husband enquired of her-whether she had eaten it, she said- yes. One day, her sister arrived there to see her and she told her sister, the whole story. The sister said-if this is the case, when a child is born to me, I shall give you the child. Till then, you act as if you are pregnant, give some money to my husband, who will hand over the child to you. I will so manipulate things that people will say that my child died when it was six months old and when I visit you daily, I will look after the child. In order to test the efficacy of the fruit, give it your cow just now, for it to eat. As is the nature of the women, the Brahmin’s wife, precisely carried out the instructions of her sister.

In due course, the sister’s child was secretly given to the Brahmin’s wife and all rejoiced to learn that a son was born to Atmadeva, who performed his jataka karma ceremony, gave away gifts and great festivities took place on the occasion. Later, Dhunduli told her husband-there is no milk in my breasts; let my sister suckle the child and nourish it. For the protection of his son, the husband did all that was told by her. The mother, Dhunduli, named the child as “Dhundhukari”.

After a few months, the cow also gave birth to a human child. The child looked divine, spotless and shone like gold. Atmadeva was delighted to see this and performed all purificatory ceremonies connected with the birth of the child. All people came to look at the divine child. Atmadeva named this child- Gokarna, since the ears of the child were looking like those of a cow.

With passage of time both the boys, grew up to adulthood; Dhundukari turned out be a wicked fellow, not observing the rules of conduct set for the Brahmins, extremely ill-tempered, committed theft, bore ill-will to one and all, set fire to others’ houses. He threw children into the wells, took delight in killing, moved about armed, oppressed the weak, and finally falling into evil company  of prostitutes, he squandered all paternal fortune, including the vessels at the house.

When all his property was lost, Atmadeva, wailed out loudly saying that an evil son is a source of agony. Why should he live anymore’ who will alleviate his suffering? As he was thinking like this, Gokarna, arrived there on the spot, shining like a Sun. Gokarna told Atmadeva- “There is no substance in this world; this world is full of misery and is a source of great infatuation; neither one’s children nor one’s wealth really belonged to one. Give up this notion that Dhundhukari is your son; through infatuation one’s lot is cast into hell. Therefore renounce everything now and retire to the forests; cease you to identify yourself with the body made of flesh, bone and blood. Constantly look upon this world as momentary. Taste the joy of dispassion and get established in devotion to the Lord.”

Renouncing his home in response to his son’s advice, Atmadeva, withdrew to the forest. Although he was on the wrong side of sixty years of age, he was a man of firm determination. Engaged in the service to Sri Hari, day and night, he attained the lotus feet of Lord Krishna.

His father having gone to forest, Dhundhukari, began to beat his mother. One day he threatened her saying-let me know where the money is or else I will thrash you with a burning stick. Afraid of this threat, Dhunduli, jumped into a well and died. Established in union with God, Gokarna, experienced neither joy nor sorrow. He had no enemies or friends and he left on a long pilgrimage.

Dhundhukari stayed on his house now along with five prostitutes, whom he had to maintain. In order to maintain his life, he perpetrated most heinous of crimes. One day those unchaste women planning to get all his wealth, tried to kill him by strangling, which when did not succeed, put live coal into his mouth. Distressed with extreme agony and burning caused by the fire, Dhundhukari finally died. They consigned the dead body to a pit and told all that their paramour had left for some distant place and would return soon. So saying, they all went away from that place.

Dhundhukari took the form of a dreadful spirit as a result of his evil deeds. Assuming the form of a whirlwind and tormented by cold and sunshine, he ever ran here and there, without any nourishment and remaining thirsty. After sometime, Gokarna learnt from the people that Dhundhukari had died. Realizing how helpless he was, Gokarna, performed the Shraddha ceremony with respect to Dhundhukari at Gaya; nay, to whatever place he visited, he did the Shraddha, there.

Roaming like this, Gokarna, came to his own town and slept at night in the courtyard of his own house. There, Dhundhukari, seeing his brother Gokarna there, revealed himself in most frightful forms like a ram, a buffalo, an elephant. Gokarna, concluding that it was someone in evil plight and remaining firm, spoke as follows. “Who ae you appearing like this? Tell me whether you are a spirit or friend or ogre?” The spirit submitted- “I am none other than Dhundhukari, your brother. Numberless sins I committed due to ignorance, I killed many men and in turn was killed by evil women. Attaining the form of an evil spirit in consequence, I am suffering too much now. I subsist on air alone, Oh brother! Ocean of compassion as you are, redeem me soon”. Gokarna said it is a matter of great surprise to me. How you have not been liberated even though I did Shraddha for you at Gaya? I am afraid that there is no other remedy. Point it out to me what I should do to redeem you. The spirit said- “My redemption will not come even if hundred shraddhas are done at Gaya. Think of some other remedy now. After instructing the spirit to remain at his abode, Gokarna taxed his brain to find out an expedient to redeem him.

Men of learning, those established in the Yoga, enlightened souls and exponents of Veda, even though they ransacked heaps of sacred books, did not see his liberation through any expedient. Finally, the verdict of the Sun God was accorded the supreme place by all. Gokarna, then arrested the movement of the Sun God, by virtue of Tapas. Gokarna prayed to the Sun God who said distinctly – Mukti will follow from Srimad Bhagavatha, give a complete reading to it in the course of a week.

Gokarna set himself to the task of expounding the Srimad Bhagavatha. Men flocked to that place from all the corners to listen to an exposition of Srimad Bhagavatha and for attenuation of their sins. There was a large concourse, which caused wonder even to the Gods. The moment Gokarna ascended the seat to start his exposition, the aforesaid spirit too, arrived there. Looking about for a seat, he saw there a bamboo, which had seven joints standing erect, entering the hollow at the base of the bamboo, he actually settled down there for hearing the exposition. Unable to remain fixed at one place in the air, gaseous as he was, he entered the bamboo.

Gokarna commenced the exposition in an audible tone. At the close of the day, when the exposition was adjourned, they say, a marvel took place. One of the seven joints of the bamboo (the last one) cracked with a noise while the good men present there, looked on. On the second day at sunset, the second joint burst open. Having opened this way, the seven joints of the bamboo in seven days, the spirit shred the form of a spectre through the hearing of all the twelve skandhas of the Bhagavatha. He appeared in a divine form dark brown like a cloud, clad in yellow silk, adorned with the strings of Tulasi beads, wearing a diadem on his head and decked with a pair of alligator shaped ear-rings.

He presently greeted his Gokarna, his brother and said – I have been rid by you of the deluded form of a ghost. Blessed is the exposition of the Bagavatha, which drives away sins, recent or old, minor or major, perpetrated in thought word and deed. When the joints of a dry bamboo could break open through the hearing of such an exposition, what wonder then if the knot of ignorance in the mind gets similarly snapped thereby? When the sacred water in the shape of such an exposition, which is highly efficacious in washing off the stain occasioned by the mud (sins) of worldly life gets treasured up in the mind, Mukti is declared, by the wise, as ensured.

Even while the spirit was talking like this, there arrived an aerial car manned by the denizens of the Vaikunta, with dazzling halo. The spirit of Dhundukari boarded the aerial car while all those assembled there looked on. Beholding the attendants of Lord Maha Vishnu. Gokarna asked them as to how only one car was brought there to carry one and not many to those who had also heard the exposition.

The servants of Lord Sri Hari said that although the exposition was heard by all assembled there, it had not been reflected upon in an equal degree of intensity, by everyone there. Dhundhukari had abstained from food and drink throughout the exposition. Cogitation was done by him thoroughly with a composed mind. Faith in the words of a preceptor, the thought of one’s wretchedness, subjugation of one’s mental aberrations and unfaltering devotion to the hearing- if these and other virtues are accomplished, then alone is the hearing efficacious. Saying so, they all ascended to Vaikunta, chanting the names and praises of Lord Sri Hari.

In the month of Shravana, Gokarna gave another exposition. Lord Sri Hari himself appeared there, along with his devotees, in a number of aerial cars. Out of delight, Sri Hari, blew his Conch-Panchajanya on the occasion. And thereafter embracing Gokarna, the Lord gave him a similar form to His own. Sri Hari, likewise instantly, transformed the other listeners too into many divine beings, dark brown in colour. All living beings that were there in that village including the dogs, the pariahs were also given seat in the aerial cars, by the grace of Gokarna. They were all transported to the many realms of Lord Sri Hari, the destination of the Yogis.

The End.