Manorama and Swarochi

March—25—2012            (Sunday)

This story appears in Markandeya Purana.                                                           In the days of epics and puranas (3000—2000 BC), many ladies were educated.  Some of them acquired expertise in one branch of knowledge or other.  Draupadi in Maha Bharatha epic was an expert in interior decoration, beauty parlour (decorating women) and preparing rare health-drinks and wines.   When she stayed in the palace of King Virata, she took the profession of Sairandhri (beauty parlour expert).  Here is a story.

Once King Swarochi went to forests for hunting cruel animals and protect the people of nearby towns and villages.  There he saw a very beautiful teenage girl. She was being chased by a demon (Brahma-rakshasi).  She was running fast and approached Swarochi.  She beseeched the King to protect her from that demon.  She told him her name as Manorama; she was a princess.  She was the daughter of Gandharva King Indeevaraksha.  She had two close friends, Vibhavari and Kalavathi.  Vibhavari was the daughter of Mandara, a king of Vidyadharas.   Kalavathi was the daughter of a sage Maharshi Paaru.         One fine evening, the three friends want to a flower garden inside a forest for a pleasure trip.  There, they collected many sweet-scented  beautiful flowers. Then they found an old aged sage doing meditation (Tapas) in a small cave in the garden.  They were amused and approached him.  They poked in his face for fun.  The sage was disturbed in his tapas; he cursed Manarama that she will be pested by a fierce demon. He cursed her two friends to suffer with incurable disease of tuberculosis.

The curse of the sage caused a fierce demon chasing the princess Manorama.  She begged Swarochi to protect her. She told she learnt  powerful martial techniques of magic weapons from her father.  She offered to teach that Asthra-vidya to Swarochi, so that he can kill the demon. Swarochi agreed. He learnt that Asthra Vidya from Manorama and killed that fierce demon easily.   

Later King Swarochi was married to the princess Manorama by king Indeevaraksha.  Soon Manorama beseeched Swarochi to cure her friends, Vibhavari and Kalavathi.  King Swarochi learnt the science of Ayurveda (herbal medicine) from his mother when he was a boy.  He treated the two damsels for one month with proper medicines; the two damsels were cured completely.

Vibhavari taught Swarochi  a vidya of talking and understanding the languages of birds and animals.  Kalavathi taught Swarochi a vidya called Padmini.  This vidya can provide a person all royal comforts within a few minutes.  Later, King Swarochi married those two damsels and also.  He lived happily for a thousand years with his three learned wives.  This story was depicted beautifully in a great prabandha “Manucharithra” in Telugu by Allasani Peddana who was one of the Ashta Diggaja poets in the royal court of Sri Krishna Devaraya.

This story depicts many women of noble families were experts in various Vidyas (knowledge) during the purana and epic age (3000 to 2000 BC). -------------------------------------------------------------

Author :  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 ! 

Andal – Goda Devi

Mar-24-2012             (Saturday)

Early life

Andal is believed to have been discovered under a Tulsi(Basil) plant in the temple garden of Srivilliputtur, by a person named Vishnuchitta who later became one of the most revered saints in Hinduism, Periyalvar. The child was named Kodhai. This is popularly thought to mean "a beautiful garland" in Tamil^[2] .  The name Kodhai is often Sanskritized as Goda. Kodhai was raised by Vishnuchitta. Kodhai grew up in an atmosphere of love and devotion. Vishnuchitta doted on her in every respect, singing songs to her about Bhagavan Sri Maha Vishnu; teaching her all the stories and philosophy he knew; and sharing with her his love for Tamil poetry. As Kodhai grew into a beautiful maiden, her love and devotion for the Bhagavan Sri Maha Vishnu grew to the extent that she decided to marry none but the Bhagavan Sri Maha Vishnu Himself only. As days progressed, her resolve strengthened and she started to live in a dream world with her beloved Bhagavan Sri Maha Vishnu and was constantly fantasizing about marrying Him. ^[3]

Vishnuchitta had the responsibility of delivering flower garlands to the Bhagavan Sri Maha Vishnu's temple, everyday. Kodhai made these garlands and sent it to her beloved Bhagavan Sri Maha Vishnu through her father. Eventually she started acting unusual by wearing the flower garland which was meant to be offered to the Bhagavan Sri Maha Vishnu. This is generally considered sacrilege in Hinduism because the scriptures teach the devotees not to offer to the Bhagavan Sri Maha Vishnu, a thing that has already been used by a human being. However, Kodhai felt she should test to see how the garland suited her and only if it did, she should offer it to the Bhagavan Sri Maha Vishnu. One day, she was caught red-handed by her father in this strange act, and as an orthodox devotee he was extremely upset. He rebuked her and told her not to repeat the sacrilegious act in the future. Frightened and apologetic, Kodhai made a new garland for the offering that day. Legend says that that very night the Bhagavan Sri Maha Vishnu appeared to Vishnuchitta in his dream and asked him why he had discarded Kodhai's garland instead of offering it to Him. The Bhagavan Sri Maha Vishnu is believed to have told Vishnuchitta that He had whole-heartedly accepted Kodhai's offering all this time. This moved Vishnuchitta so much even as he started to realize the Divine Love that existed between the Bhagavan Sri Maha Vishnu and his daughter. From this day on, Kodhai is believed to have been respected by the devotees and came to be known as "Andal", the girl who "ruled" over the Bhagavan Sri Maha Vishnu. She is also known by a phrase Soodi kodutha Sudarkodi which means "The bright creeper-like woman who gave her garlands after wearing them".

Marrying the Bhagavan Sri Maha Vishnu

As Andal blossomed into a fifteen-year-old beautiful young woman of marriageable age (girls were married at a much younger age in those days), her father prepared to get her married to a suitable groom. Andal, however, was stubborn and insisted that she would marry only the Bhagavan Sri Maha Vishnu at Srirangam. This perplexed and worried her father. Legend has it that he had a vision give by the Bhagavan Sri Maha Vishnu, once again, and was instructed to send Andal to Srirangam; the Bhagavan Sri Maha Vishnu simultaneously commanded the priests at Srirangam, in their dreams, to prepare for the wedding. Andal who was anxious to reach Srirangam was unable to control herself in her urgency to meet her beloved Bhagavan Sri Maha Vishnu. She ran into the sanctum sanctorum of the Bhagavan Sri Maha Vishnu and is believed to have merged with Him completely at that point.^[4]

Literary works

Andal composed two works in her short life of fifteen years. Both these works are in Tamil verse form and are exceptional in their literary, philosophical, religious, and aesthetic content. Her contribution is even more remarkable considering that she was a girl of fifteen when she composed these verses and her prodigiousness amazes readers till date.

Her first work is the Thiruppavai, a collection of thirty verses in which Andal imagines herself to be a Gopi or cowherd girl during the incarnation of Bhagavan Sri Maha Vishnu Krishna. She yearns to serve Him and achieve happiness not just in this birth, but for all eternity, and describes the religious vows (pavai) that she and her fellow cowherd girls will observe for this purpose. ^[5]

^[The second is the Nachiar Tirumozhi, a poem of 143 verses. Tirumozhi, literally meaning "Sacred Sayings", is a Tamil poetic style. "Nachiar" means Goddess, so the title means "Sacred Sayings of the Goddess." This poem fully reveals Andal's intense longing for Vishnu, the Divine Beloved. Utilizing classical Tamil poetic conventions and interspersing stories from the Sanskrit Vedas and Puranas, Andal creates imagery that is possibly unparalleled in the whole gamut of Indian religious literature. However, conservative Vaishnavite institutions do not encourage the propagation of Nachiar Tirumozhi as much as they encourage Tiruppavai. This is because Nachiar Tirumozhi is belongs to an erotic genre of spirituality that is similar to Jayadeva's Gita Govinda.

The impact of these works on the daily religious life of the South Indian has been tremendous. Just like the Ramayana and the Mahabharata, the Thiruppavai is recited with great religious fervor by women, men, and children of all ages, particularly in Tamil Nadu. The daily services in most Vaishnava temples and households include this recitation. Both of these works, particularly the Thiruppavai, has been studied extensively by innumerable scholars. It has also been translated into a number of languages over the centuries.

Status in the Society

Andal is now one of the best-loved poet-saints of the Tamils. Pious tradition reckons her to be the veritable descent of Bhumi Devi (Mother Earth) in bodily form to show humanity the way to His lotus feet. She is present in all Sri Vaishnava temples, in India and elsewhere, next to her Bhagavan Sri Maha Vishnu, as she always desired. During the month of Margazhi, discourses on the Tiruppavai in Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Hindi and English take place all over India. ^[7]

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 am not the author of these stories. I only presented them here free for benefit of all readers. -------  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 !

Andal – Goda Devi

Mar-24-2012             (Saturday)

Early life

Andal is believed to have been discovered under a Tulsi(Basil) plant in the temple garden of Srivilliputtur, by a person named Vishnuchitta who later became one of the most revered saints in Hinduism, Periyalvar. The child was named Kodhai. This is popularly thought to mean "a beautiful garland" in Tamil^[2] .  The name Kodhai is often Sanskritized as Goda. Kodhai was raised by Vishnuchitta. Kodhai grew up in an atmosphere of love and devotion. Vishnuchitta doted on her in every respect, singing songs to her about Bhagavan Sri Maha Vishnu; teaching her all the stories and philosophy he knew; and sharing with her his love for Tamil poetry. As Kodhai grew into a beautiful maiden, her love and devotion for the Bhagavan Sri Maha Vishnu grew to the extent that she decided to marry none but the Bhagavan Sri Maha Vishnu Himself only. As days progressed, her resolve strengthened and she started to live in a dream world with her beloved Bhagavan Sri Maha Vishnu and was constantly fantasizing about marrying Him. ^[3]

Vishnuchitta had the responsibility of delivering flower garlands to the Bhagavan Sri Maha Vishnu's temple, everyday. Kodhai made these garlands and sent it to her beloved Bhagavan Sri Maha Vishnu through her father. Eventually she started acting unusual by wearing the flower garland which was meant to be offered to the Bhagavan Sri Maha Vishnu. This is generally considered sacrilege in Hinduism because the scriptures teach the devotees not to offer to the Bhagavan Sri Maha Vishnu, a thing that has already been used by a human being. However, Kodhai felt she should test to see how the garland suited her and only if it did, she should offer it to the Bhagavan Sri Maha Vishnu. One day, she was caught red-handed by her father in this strange act, and as an orthodox devotee he was extremely upset. He rebuked her and told her not to repeat the sacrilegious act in the future. Frightened and apologetic, Kodhai made a new garland for the offering that day. Legend says that that very night the Bhagavan Sri Maha Vishnu appeared to Vishnuchitta in his dream and asked him why he had discarded Kodhai's garland instead of offering it to Him. The Bhagavan Sri Maha Vishnu is believed to have told Vishnuchitta that He had whole-heartedly accepted Kodhai's offering all this time. This moved Vishnuchitta so much even as he started to realize the Divine Love that existed between the Bhagavan Sri Maha Vishnu and his daughter. From this day on, Kodhai is believed to have been respected by the devotees and came to be known as "Andal", the girl who "ruled" over the Bhagavan Sri Maha Vishnu. She is also known by a phrase Soodi kodutha Sudarkodi which means "The bright creeper-like woman who gave her garlands after wearing them".

Marrying the Bhagavan Sri Maha Vishnu

As Andal blossomed into a fifteen-year-old beautiful young woman of marriageable age (girls were married at a much younger age in those days), her father prepared to get her married to a suitable groom. Andal, however, was stubborn and insisted that she would marry only the Bhagavan Sri Maha Vishnu at Srirangam. This perplexed and worried her father. Legend has it that he had a vision give by the Bhagavan Sri Maha Vishnu, once again, and was instructed to send Andal to Srirangam; the Bhagavan Sri Maha Vishnu simultaneously commanded the priests at Srirangam, in their dreams, to prepare for the wedding. Andal who was anxious to reach Srirangam was unable to control herself in her urgency to meet her beloved Bhagavan Sri Maha Vishnu. She ran into the sanctum sanctorum of the Bhagavan Sri Maha Vishnu and is believed to have merged with Him completely at that point.^[4]

Literary works

Andal composed two works in her short life of fifteen years. Both these works are in Tamil verse form and are exceptional in their literary, philosophical, religious, and aesthetic content. Her contribution is even more remarkable considering that she was a girl of fifteen when she composed these verses and her prodigiousness amazes readers till date.

Her first work is the Thiruppavai, a collection of thirty verses in which Andal imagines herself to be a Gopi or cowherd girl during the incarnation of Bhagavan Sri Maha Vishnu Krishna. She yearns to serve Him and achieve happiness not just in this birth, but for all eternity, and describes the religious vows (pavai) that she and her fellow cowherd girls will observe for this purpose. ^[5]

The second is the Nachiar Tirumozhi, a poem of 143 verses. Tirumozhi, literally meaning "Sacred Sayings", is a Tamil poetic style. "Nachiar" means Goddess, so the title means "Sacred Sayings of the Goddess." This poem fully reveals Andal's intense longing for Vishnu, the Divine Beloved. Utilizing classical Tamil poetic conventions and interspersing stories from the Sanskrit Vedas and Puranas, Andal creates imagery that is possibly unparalleled in the whole gamut of Indian religious literature. However, conservative Vaishnavite institutions do not encourage the propagation of Nachiar Tirumozhi as much as they encourage Tiruppavai. This is because Nachiar Tirumozhi is belongs to an erotic genre of spirituality that is similar to Jayadeva's Gita Govinda.

The impact of these works on the daily religious life of the South Indian has been tremendous. Just like the Ramayana and the Mahabharata, the Thiruppavai is recited with great religious fervor by women, men, and children of all ages, particularly in Tamil Nadu. The daily services in most Vaishnava temples and households include this recitation. Both of these works, particularly the Thiruppavai, has been studied extensively by innumerable scholars. It has also been translated into a number of languages over the centuries.

Status in the Society

Andal is now one of the best-loved poet-saints of the Tamils. Pious tradition reckons her to be the veritable descent of Bhumi Devi (Mother Earth) in bodily form to show humanity the way to His lotus feet. She is present in all Sri Vaishnava temples, in India and elsewhere, next to her Bhagavan Sri Maha Vishnu, as she always desired. During the month of Margazhi, discourses on the Tiruppavai in Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Hindi and English take place all over India. ^[7]

All for a loincloth

     March - 11 - 2012.          (Sunday)
One of the tales Sri Ramakrishna Paramahamsa used to tell is about a holy man who had given up all his possessions. His teacher had advised him to make a little hut thatched with palm leaves, in a solitary place away from the public. This he did. He began to live there, meditating long hours and going out only to beg his one meal of the day.
   But there was one problem. After his morning bath, the sadhu (holy man) would hang his loincloth on the limb of a tree close to the hut. When he returned from the village it would be dry. It would also have some holes in it! It turned out that rats were running up the tree and chewing holes in the cloth. Rats will munch on almost anything.
   One day he decided to dry it on the roof of his hut. That was worse. The rats tore it into shreds, and he had to go and beg a new one in the village. When the villagers heard of his predicament, they said, “Who is going to supply you with cloth all the time? Why not keep a cat; that will chase the rats away.” So someone in the village gave him a kitten, he brought it home to the hut, and sure enough, the rats disappeared and the trouble stopped.
   The sadhu became delighted and took great care of the cat. Not finding any rats, it needed milk, so he went again to the village and begged for milk for the cat. After some days, a villager said, “We can't go on this way. Who is going to supply you with milk all year long? Why not keep a cow; that way you too will have milk – you and your cat.”
   It took a long time for the man to acquire a cow. Finally someone took pity on him and gave him one. Of course the cow had to be milked. Moreover eventually she ate up all the greenery for yards around. “What will the cow eat now?” he thought. Going to the village to beg for some straw, he got more advice. What do you think it was?

   “Till the land around your place and grow your own grain!”
   With great difficulty the sadhu was able to clear land, cultivate it with borrowed tools, and sow a crop. His days were busy. His hut grew into more of a house.
   One day his teacher came that way. What he saw was a collection of possessions. He inquired of a passerby, “An ascetic used to live in this hut, a meditator with no possessions. Do you know where he has gone?”  But the traveler knew nothing. The teacher ventured into the place and found his disciple.
   “What! You went out to be alone, and to meditate. You were going to renounce everything and be free. What in the world happened?” Shame-faced, the man told his story.
   And this is why Sri Ramakrishna used to say, “Be careful: ‘All for a loincloth.’”

A STRANGE GHOST

(Mar-4-2012)                      (Sunday)

It was New Year's night, and Rabbi was walking to his home when he met a shadowy figure. He was stunned to see that it was a man of the city who had recently died! "What are you doing here?" the Rabbi asked, "you are supposed to be dead."
"Rabbi, you know," replied the ghost, that this is the night when souls reincarnate on earth. I am such a soul."
"And why were you sent back again?"
"I led a perfectly blameless life here on earth," the dead man told him.
"And yet," remarked the Rabbi, "you were forced to be born here again?"
"Yes," said the other, "when I passed on I thought about everything I had done and I found it so good; I had done everything just right. My heart swelled with pride, and just then I died. So I was sent back to pay for that."
The figure disappeared and the Rabbi, pondering, went on to his home. Shortly after, a son was born to his wife. The child became Rabbi Wolf, who was a humble man.

Moral :  Pride or ego is also a bad quality and is harms the person.  

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 !

 

Poundareeka Vaasudeva

Mar—2—2012          (Friday)                                                                                   Poundareeka was the Raaja of Karuusha desham. He always used to try to imitate Shri Bhagavan Sri Krishna.      He used to dress like Shri Bhagavan Sri Krishna, wearing Piitaambaram, carrying Venu and Shikhi Pichchham (peacock’s feather) on the kiriitam (crown). He also got imitations of Sudarshana Chakram, Paanchajanya Shankam, Koumodaki Gada, Padmam, Shaarnga Dhanuh (bow). He also put a mark on his Vakshasthalam and said it is Kaustubham.

Though he was doing all this, Shri Bhagavan Sri Krishna, the Purushottama, never got Krodham. He thought may be atleast by imitating My outward appearance, his internal behaviour will change.

But no. Poundareeka was no Bhakta to imitate outward appearance of Shri Bhagavan Sri Krishna and change his buddhi. Infact, he started saying he is the “true Vaasudeva”, not Shri Bhagavan Sri Krishna. He used to tell everybody, with Ahankaaram, that He is Paramaatma not Shri Bhagavan Sri Krishna.

Sarvagnya, Shri Bhagavan Sri Krishna, even then didnt get any Krodham. He tolerated the duushanams of Poundareeka. However once with Garvam, Poundareeka went to the extent of imprisoning Parama Bhakta and sakha of Shri Bhagavan Sri Krishna, Sudaama.

Bhagavaan can tolerate anything but not His Bhaktas being tortured. He immediately reached Poundareeka, killed him in a fight and saved Sudaama, His priya-mitra. Once again God proved that He is a Bhakta-sulabha.

Morals in the Story:

1.    Imitating, following Mahaapurushas is good, but following them fully is very very difficult. Poundareeka could only imitate outward appearance but not the Dharma-buddhi of Shri Bhagavan Sri Krishna.

2.    Ahankaaram (ego) is the root cause for one’s destruction. With Ahankaaram, Poundareeka thought he was only God, behaved like a Kruura and imprisoned Bhakta Sudaama.

3.    The greatness of a Bhakta is well shown in the story. Shri Bhagavan Sri Krishna didnt get angry with Poundareeka until he tortured His bhakta, Sudaama.  ==============================

Feb--25--2012            Saturday

I plan to re-start my blog of Children’s stories which I started during June—2008.  I am not the original author of those stories.  I am only the compiler.  I convey my respects and thanks to all the original authors and translators.  This is a purely children—service venture.  I gain nothing and nothing personally by publication of this blog.  So I hope I will not be bound by any copy-right and such restrictions. I dedicate all these stories in the blog to Sri Parama VISVA-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 !  I ask them only one boon / blessing from Them in return.  Aayu. Aarogya, Aiswaryam and Happiness and the most important Boon of Sri Kaivalayapadam for me (liberation from the cycle of birth and death and oneness with Parama-atma!).  I firmly believe They grant me this Boon, because I led a pious life all these years!  I also pray Bhagavan:  Sarva Janah Sukhino-bhavanthu! (May He / She bestow Peace and Happiness to All the persons in this world) !

Story of the great Parikshit maharaja

Saturday   (Feb—25—2002)

Parikshit, the great Bhaagavatottama, was the son of veera Abhimanyu and Viraata's daughter, Uttara and was the only successor of Pandavas (see Aswatthaama killing Upa-Paandavas story). He, while in maatru-garbham itself, used to examine carefully all directions (paritaH eekshate) for God! Krishna, the sthiti kaaraka, saved Parikshit in Uttara's garbham, from the devastating Brahmaastra of Ashwatthaama. Parikshit was such a great favourite of God, to the extent that God suppressed the unstoppable Brahmaastra, because he was a great Bhakta and never deviated from the path of Dharma.

After Shri Krishna left to Vaikuntam, the Bhu-devi (who is realized to be in the form of Goomaata) again sank into uncontrollable sorrow. The Dharma-devata (who is realized to be in Vrishabha form) was tortured and legs cut off by Kali. Due to the entrance of Kali, all kinds of adharma kaaryas were encouraged. There is no shuchi-shubhrata, no daya-daanam, no vedas, puraanaas, or shaastra knowledge, no adherence to satyam etc. But Parikshit, with his power, controlled everything and taught Kali a lesson. Kali begged Parikshit mahaaraaja not to kill him saying that, following the kaala-dharma, since it is the start of Kalikaalam, he must be allowed to come and must not be killed. Parikshit to obey the kaala-dharmam allows him some specific places to stay in.

Though Parikshit was so great, due to Kaala Mahima (also see Kaala mahima story) and due to the effect of Kali, unfortunately did a mistake — for which the punishment was death! Once after Mrugaya-vihaaram and killing the trouble causing wild beasts in the forest, completely exhausted, Parikshit reaches the ashram of the great Semeeka maharshi. The maharshi at that time was in deep Daiva-dhyaanam and completely detached from his karmendriyas. Hence, he did not notice the exhausted Parikshit mahaaraaja. King Parikshit, completely exhausted, thought that the maharshi, knowing his exhaustion, did not offer him even water, leave aside aatithyam. So he puts a dead snake around the neck of Semeeka to insult him and leaves the place. Shrungi, the son of Semeeka, realizing that Parikshit did such an insult to his father, who was a great maharshi, gives Parikshit a shaapam that in seven days Parikshit will die of Takshaka's vishaagnijwaalas. Meanwhile Semeeka maharshi comes back from dhyaanam (deep meditation) and comes to know about the entire story.

Semeeka tells Shrungi "Krodham (anger) is the main hinderence to tapas. Krodham only stops Animaadi Ashtasiddhis. It is a big hurdle for following the path of Dharma. A tapaswi never should get krodham. Similar to how water unknowingly leakes away quitely from a filled pot, the tapas of a tapaswi who does not have kshama, the dhanam of a dhanavanta who has garvam and the kingdom of a ruler who does not follow Dharma also fade away. Parikshit mahaaraaja is not an ordinary king. It is because of him that Dharma-devata has all four legs. It is because of him Kali has been restricted. Why did you give such a big irrevocable shaapam for a small mistake Parikshit mahaaraaja committed? One must always think twice before he acts and never come into the clutches of anger. One's anger is his greatest enemy. A person looses his dharma-adharma gnyaanam, does not think and causes harm to others and himself because of anger. On receiving scoldings or beatings or whatever harm, a parama-bhakta will experience it with shaantam and will not take pratikaaram. I am quite sure, Parikshit mahaaraaja will not give you a prati-shaapam. Sajjana's do Upakaaram to Upakaaris and Apakaaris. Mahaatmas do not even feel the pleasures and sorrows, everything is same". Semeeka, knowing that now nothing can be done (since the words of Shrungi, who is a firm satya-vaak-paripaalaka, cannot be undone!), sends his shihsya, Gauramukha, to atleast inform Parikshit about the Shrungi's shaapam. Parikshit mahaaraaja comes to know about Shrungi's shaapam.

Parikshit mahaaraaja, thinking why he was taken over by kaama-kroodhaadi (Arishadvargas), says to himself "Why did I insult the great maharshi, knowing that they must always be respected? Why did I venture into such unpardonable Paapakaaryas? Anyway, who can change Daiva-sankalpam. One has to experience the result of his own paapam. Truly speaking what is the mistake of Shrungi? With the ahankaar of a king I act like this. Which son wont give shaapam for such an insult to his father? How can I always make sure that I wont unnecessarily cause pain to goomaatas, devatas and braahmanas?". Being a winner over Arishadvargaas, due to his undisturbed Bhakti on Parameshwara, Parikshit mahaaraaja did not get even a bit angry on Shrungi. Being capable of giving a pratishaapam, he did not give shaapam to Shrungi. Later, due to listening to Srimad Bhaagavatam from none other than Shri Shuka maharshi, Parikshit attains the unattainable Moksham.

Morals in the story:

1.    The importance of being able to control one's anger (and other Arishadvargaas) is well portrayed in the story. One small mistake of Parikshit mahaaraaja costed him his life. (Think — Why Krishna who saved him from the Brahmaastra did not save him from this also)

2.    The conversations between Semeeka maharshi and Shrungi; Parikshit and himself, are a great treasure for morals. Importance of shaantam, being unaffected by joy and sorrow, nature of a true Bhakta etc. can be learnt from the conversations.

3.    The end result for good people is always good (also see King Nruga's story). So though Parikshit mahaaraaja had to experience the result of his mistake, in the end, because he was a true Bhakta and firm-follower of Dharma got Paramapadam in the end.

4.    Knowing that he will be dying in 7 days, Parikshit mahaaraaja did not want to, in hurry, enjoy off all the pleasures before he dies nor he wasted time in trying to protect himself from Takshaka. This shows what unnata-bhaavas a Bhaagavatottama's (true Bhakta; devotee) will have!