The Diamond Weapon

The Diamond Weapon

Part—29 (Jan—22—2011) Saturday

Once upon a time, the Jnanasagar (means, ocean of wisdom) was born as the son of the King and Queen of Varanasi (Benares). On the day of his naming, 9 fortune tellers (astrologers)were invited to the palace. As presents, they were given whatever they desired to make them happy for the moment. The they were asked to tell the fortune of the newborn prince. This was so they could find a good name for him. One of the fortune tellers was an expert in reading the marks of the body. He said, "My Bhagavan (Lord), this is a being of great merit. He will be king after you."

The fortune tellers were very clever. They told the king and queen whatever they wanted to hear. They said, "Your son will be skilled in five weapons. He will become famous as the greatest master of all five weapons throughout India." Based on this, the king and queen named their son 'Panchaayudha'.

When the prince turned 16, the king decided to send him to college. He said, "Go, my son, to the city of Takkasila. There you will find a world famous teacher. Learn all you can from him. Give him this money as payment." He gave him a thousand gold coins and sent him on his way.

The prince went to the world famous teacher of Takkasila. He studied very hard and became his best pupil. When the teacher had taught him all he knew, he gave the prince a special graduation award. He gave him five weapons. Then he sent him back to Varanasi (Benares).

On his way home he came to a forest which was haunted by a monster. The local people warned Panchaayudha, "Young man, don't go through the forest. There is a monstrous demon called Jatasura living there. He kills everyone he sees!"

But the prince was self-confident and fearless like a young lion. So he pushed on into the forest, until he came to the dreadful monster. He was tall as a tree, witha head as big as the roof of a house and eyes as big as dishes. He had two big yellow tusks sticking out of his gaping white mouth filled with ugly brown teeth. He had a huge belly with white spots, and his hands feet were blue.

The monster roared and growled at the prince, "Where are you going in my forest, little man? You look like a tasty morsel to me. I'm going to gobble you up!"

The prince had just graduated from college and had won the highest award form his teacher. So he thought he knew just about everything, and that he could do just about anything. He replied, "Oh fierce demon, I am Panchaayudha, and I have come on purpose to find you. I dare you to attack me! I will kill you easily with my first two weapons - my bow and poison-tipped arrows."

Then he put a poison arrow in his bow and shot straight at the monster. But the arrow just stuck fast to his hair, like glue, without hurting him at all. Then The prince shot, one after another, all the rest of his 50 poison-tipped arrows. But they also fast to the hair of the one called Jatasura.

Then the beast shook his body, from ugly rooftop-sized head to blue-coloured feet. And all the arrows fell harmlessly to the ground.

Panchaayudha drew his third weapon, a 33-inch-long sword. He plunged it into his enemy. But it just stuck fast in the coat of sticky hair.

He threw his fourth weapon, his spear, at the monster. But this too just stuck to his hair.

Next he attacked with the last of his five weapons, his club. This also stuck fast onto Jatasura.

Then the prince yelled at him, "Hey you, monster, haven't you ever heard of me, Panchaayudha? I have more than just my five weapons. I have the strength of my young man's body. I will break you into pieces!"

He hit Jatasura with his right fist, just like a boxer. But his hand just stuck to the hairy coat, and he couldn't remove it. He hit him with his left fist, but this too just stuck fast to the gooey mess of hair. He kicked him with his right foot and then his left, just like a martial arts master. But they both stuck onto him like his fists. Finally he butted him as hard as he could with his head, just like a wrestler. But, lo and behold, his head got stuck as well.

Even while sticking to the hairy monster in five places, hanging down from his coat, the prince had no fear.

Jatasura thought, "This is very strange indeed. He is more like a lion than a man. Even while in the grasp of a ferocious monster like me, he does not tremble with fear. In all the time I've been killing people in this forest, I've never met anyone as great as this prince. Why isn't he afraid of me?"

Since Panchaayudha was not like ordinary men, Jatasura was afraid to eat him right away. Instead he asked him, "Young man, why aren't you afraid of death?"

The prince replied, "Why should I be afraid of death? There is no doubt that anyone who is born will definitely die!"

Then the Jnanasagar thought, "The five weapons given to me by the world famous teacher have been useless. Even the lion-like strength of my young man's body has been useless. I must go beyond my teacher, beyond my body, to the weapon inside my mind - the only weapon I need."

The prince continued speaking to Jatasura, "There's one small detail, oh monstrous one, I haven't told you about yet. In my belly is my secret weapon, a diamond weapon you cannot digest. It will cut your intestines into pieces if you are foolish enough to swallow me. So if I die - you die! That's why I'm not afraid of you."

In this way the prince used his greatest inner strength in a way that Jatasura could easily understand. He knew this greatest of all weapons, the one inside his mind, was the precious diamond gem of his own intelligence.

Jatasura thought, "No doubt this fearless man is telling the truth. Even if I eat as much as a pea-sized tidbit of such a hero, I won't be able to digest it. So I will let him go." Fearing his own death, he set Panchaayudha free.

He said, "You are a great man. I will not eat your flesh. I let you go free, just like the moon that reappears after an eclipse, so you may shine pleasantly on all your friends and relatives."

The Jnanasagar had leaned from this battle with the monster Jatasura. He had learned the only worthwhile weapon is the intelligence inside, not the weapons of the world outside. And with this diamond weapon he also knew that destroying life brings only suffering to the killer.

In gratitude, he taught the unfortunate demon. He said, "Oh Jatasura, you have been born as a murderous blood sucking flesh eating demon because of unwholesome deeds in your past. If you continue killing in this way, it will lead only to suffering for you - both in this life and beyond. You can only go from darkness to darkness."

"Now that you have spared me, you won't be able to kill so easily. Hear this - destroying life leads to misery in this world, and then rebirth in a hell world, or as and animal or a hungry ghost. Even if you were lucky enough to be reborn as a human being, you would have only a short life!"

Panchaayudha continued to teach Jatasura. Eventually the monster agreed to follow the Five Training steps. In this way he transformed him from a monster into a friendly forest fairy. And when he left the forest, the prince told the local people about the change in the onetime demon. From then on they fed him regularly and lived in peace.

Panchaayudha returned to Varanasi (Benares). Later he became king. The moral is: The only mighty weapon you need is your own intelligence and it is hidden inside you. It can save you from any trouble in your life.---------------

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 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 !

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 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 !

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 !============

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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