DELIVERENCE OF NALAKUVARA AND MANIGRIVA BY BHAGAVAN SRI BHAGAVAN SRI KRISHNA

26—12—2010 (Sunday)

The story of the cursing of Nalakuvara and Manigriva by Maharshi Narada and their deliverance by Sri Bhagavan Sri Krishna, under the all-blissful desire of the great sage Narada, is described below.

The two great demigods, Nalakuvara and Manigriva, were sons of the treasurer of the demigods, Kubera, who was a great devotee of Bhagavan (Lord) Siva. By the grace of Bhagavan (Lord) Siva, Kubera's material opulence had no limit. As a rich man's sons often become addicted to wine and women, so these two sons of Kubera were also addicted to wine and sex. Once, these two demigods, desiring to enjoy, entered the garden of Bhagavan (Lord) Siva in the province of Kailasa on the bank of Mandakini (Ganges). There they drank wine too much and engaged in hearing the sweet singing and dance of beautiful young damsels who accompanied them in that garden of fragrant flowers. In an intoxicated condition, they both undressed and entered the cool water of the huge lake, Padma Sarovar, nearby which was full with lotus flowers, and there they began to enjoy the physical union with the young teenage girls exactly as the male elephant enjoys the female elephants within the water.

While they were thus enjoying themselves in the water, all of a sudden Narada, the great sage, happened to pass that way. He could understand that the demigods Nalakuvara and Manigriva were too intoxicated and could not even see that he was passing. The young teenage damsels, however, were not so intoxicated as the demigods, and they at once became ashamed at being naked before the great sage Narada. They began to cover their naked bodies with all haste. The two demigod-sons of Kubera were so intoxicated that they could not appreciate the presence of the sage Narada and therefore did not cover their naked bodies and continued their games of physical union with those naked girls.

The great sage, Maharshi Narada, was compassionate and wanted to save them from their degraded life. They were in the state of utter ignorance, and therefore unable to control their senses; they were addicted to excessive drinking and sex games. Sage Narada therefore cursed that the two demigods, Nalakuvara and Manigriva should remain for one hundred years, in the form of trees, and after that they would be fortunate enough to see the Supreme Divine Personality of Bhagavan Sri Krishna, face to face, by His boundless mercy. And thus they would be again promoted to the life of the demigods and become great devotees of the Bhagavan (Lord) Sri Krishna.

After this, the great sage Narada returned to his abode known as Narayana asrama, and the two demigods turned into trees, known as twin arjuna trees. They grew in Nanda's courtyard so that they can see Bhagavan Sri Krishna face to face.

Although the child, Bhagavan Sri Krishna, was bound up to the wooden mortar, He began to crawl and proceed towards the growing trees in order to fulfill the boon of His great devotee Narada. Bhagavan Sri Krishna knew that Narada was His great devotee and that the trees standing before Him as twin arjuna trees were actually the sons of Kubera. "I must now fulfill the boon of My great devotee Narada," He thought. Then the child began to crawl and proceed through the passage between the two trees. Although He was able to pass through the passage, the large wooden mortar stuck horizontally between the two trees. Taking advantage of this, Bhagavan Sri Krishna began to pull the rope which was tied to him and the mortar. As soon as He pulled, with great strength, the two trees, with all branches limbs, and roots, fell down immediately with a great sound. Out of the broken, fallen trees came two great personalities, shining like blazing fire. All sides became illuminated and beautiful by their presence. The two purified bodies of the demigods immediately came before child Bhagavan Sri Krishna and bowed down to offer their devotion, respects and prayers in the following words. “O Bhagavan (Lord), your infinite grace enabled us to see You personally. We therefore pray for a boon, that we may always be engaged in Your transcendental loving service by speaking only about Your glories and praising Your divine activities. May our senses and body organs be engaged in Your service and our minds always be concentrated at Your lotus feet and our heads always bowed down before the all-pervading universal form of Your Bhagavan (Lordship)."

When the two demigods Nalakuvara and Manigriva finished their prayers, the child, Sri Bhagavan Sri Krishna, the master and proprietor of Gokula, bound to the wooden grinding mortar by the ropes of Yasoda, began to smile and said, "It was already known to Me that My great devotee-sage Narada had shown his mercy by saving you from the abominable condition of pride due to possessing extraordinary beauty and opulence in the family of the demigods. He has saved you from gliding down into the lowest condition of hellish life. Therefore, O Nalakuvara and Manigriva, your lives have now become pious because you have developed ecstatic love for Me. This is your last birth within material existence. Now you can go back to your father's residence in the heavenly planet, and by remaining in the attitude of devotional service, you will be liberated in this very life."

After this, the demigods circumambulated the Bhagavan (Lord) Sri Krishna 108 times and bowed down before Him again and again, and thus they left. The Bhagavan (Lord), as a crawling child (one year old) remained bound up with ropes to the grinding mortar. -----

Compiler : Prof. Komaragiri Venkata Ramana Rao. Ph.D., (Retired Professor; Andhra University College of Engineering); Astrologer-Scienitst. Durham. NC; U.S.A.: (Tatayya = Grand-father). My e-mail address : pandit@jyothishi.com---------- I dedicate all these stories in the blog with utmost devotion to Sri Parama Paalakas (Supreme Rulers of this entire Universe): Bhagavan Sri Siddhi Vinayaka, Sri Lakshmi Narayana and Sri Gouri Sankara and Sri Saraswathi and Bhagavan Sri Venkateswara ! Aum tat sath !

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