Vrihaspativar ki Kahani
Rituals - I - II

Vrihaspati Saved Indra

(Showing discourtesy or disgrace to guru brings sufferings and sorrows. One heinous deed affect society.)

Once Lord Indra, surrounded by many gods, Rishis, Kinnaras and Gandharvas sat on his throne in a proudly mood. As guru Vrihaspati reached there all of them except Indra stood up to pay respect. Indra used to pay obedience to his guru regularly but he showed discourtesy at that time. Vrihaspati felt bad and left his palace. As Vrihaspati left the palace Lord Indra realized his mistake and repented over his action. He felt that all his luxurious possessions were due to his guru blessings. Guru’s anger will turn it to dust.

Indra decided to go to Vrihaspati and tender apology for his action. It may pacify his anger. He went to Vrihaspati. Vrihaspati intuited that Indra was coming to his Ashram. He avoided meeting out of anger and disappeared immediately. Lord Indra returned home disappointed. A demon god Vrishvarsha, sensed this situation and went to his guru Shukracharya. He begged his guru permission to attack Indrapuri, the kingdom of Lord Indra in those circumstances. Shukracharya permitted him. The demon god surrounded Indrapuri and made a sudden attack. In the absence of Guru Vrihaspati blessings the gods lost all battles one after the other.

After his defeat the gods went to Lord Brahma and related the whole story. He begged for safety and asked for some strategy. Lord Brahma said, you have not done well by disgracing Vrihaspati. Anyway go to Vishwaroopa the learned son of Twashta. Request him to become your priest. His blessings can save you. They went to Twashta and sought his blessings. Twashta said, by becoming your priest I do not want to lessen my virtues. But you go to my son Vishwaroopa. He will oblige you by accepting your request for priesthood.

All the gods went to Vishwaroopa and requested him to become their family priest for performing Yajna. He accepted their request. By Vishwaroopa grace demon Vrishvarsha was defeated and Lord India regained his kingdom. Lord Indra was happy. He implored Vishwaroopa to perform a special yajna for further gains. Vishwaroopa agreed. Vishwaroopa had three mouths. With one mouth he sucked the juice of Sompalli a special creeper. From the second mouth he used to drink wine. He used his third mouth for eating meals.

Vishwaroopa started performing Yajna. The demon gods were frightened. They thought a plan to undo the Yajna effects. One of the demon god went to Vishwaroopa and implored, Honorable Sir, do you know that you belong to demon genealogy from your mother side. Your mother is the daughter of a demon god. While performing Yajna kindly make some offerings in the names of demon gods for their happiness. Vishwaroopa agreed to his request. He made some silent offerings to demon gods so that no one may hear it. The result was that the Yajna advantages were divided between deities and demon gods.

When Lord Indra came to know the treachery he beheaded Vishwaroopa in a state of extreme anger. One of his mouth from which he took wine, turned into a black bee. The second, which he used, for sucking Sompalli juice became a pigeon while the third one used for taking meals was transformed into a partridge.

Lord Indras body was immediately deformed due to sacrilege, the murder of a Brahman. All the gods made repentance for one year but it had no effect on Indra. They approached Lord Brahma for seeking some remedy to redeem Indra from the sacrilege. Lord Brahma accompanied by Vrihaspati went to Indra. He decided to distribute the sacrilege act into four parts.

The first part was given to the earth. As a result the earth became uneven. Some of its portion became barren. But as a boon he said that the earth would develop power to fill the khuds automatically.

The second part of the sacrilege was given to the trees and as a result they began to ooze gum. But as a boon he said that the gum of guggul will be treated pure and they would have the power to rebud from their roots though their upper portion may be dried up.

The third part of the sacrilege was given to the woman folk and so they experience menstruation. As a boon he blessed them to the pure or chaste on the fourth day and capable to give birth to children.

The fourth portion. Of the sacrilege was given to water. As a result it is covered with aquatic plant or Shaivaal. As a boon the object in which it is added gains weight.

In this way Lord Brahma freed Indra from the heinous crime by dividing it into four places. Who so ever reads or listens this story is blessed by Vrihaspati.