Rishi Parasara

Mahabharata Adiparva Chaitrarathaparva section 180 - 184

Sri Sadgurubhyoh Namah

Adrisyanti, wife of Shaktri, gives birth to a boy. Vasishtha performs all religious ceremonies for his grand son, and raises him up. He is known as Parasara (restorer of the dead), as his birth has stopped vasishtha from committing suicide.

Parasara thinks that Vasishtha was his father, and during one day when parasara addressed vasishtha as 'Father', Adrisyanti, becomes sad, and tells Parasara that Vasishtha is his grandfather, and his father Shaktri is devoured by a rakshasa.

Parasara decides to destroy all worlds. Vasishtha, knowing what is in the mind of Parasara, dissuades him from that act. He tells Parasara a story about Bhrigu race.

Once upon a time there was a king named Kritavirya. He ruled entire earth, and was a benevolent king. He gave away lot of wealth as charity to brahmanas, especially belonging to Bhrigu race. After he ascended to heaven, the kshatriyas belonging to his clan, in need of wealth started taking back from brahmanas. Some brahmanas gave it back, some hid it in earth. The kshatriyas found the hidden wealth , and despising brahmanas as concietful, started persecuting them. They killed any brahmana belonging to Bhrigu race including the embryos. The women of Bhrigu race, fled out of fear to different places. One woman, held an embryo in her thigh to perpetuate the race of Bhrigu. Knowing that, some kshatriyas pursued her to kill the embryo. The embryo, endowed with great energy, wanted to protect itself and its mother, tore open the thigh and came out blazing like a sun. The kshatriyas got blinded by the energy and lost their eyesight and reason. They begged for protection. The woman says to them, this embryo, last of Bhrigu race has been held by me for hundred years in my thigh, during the time which, all the knowledge of vedas came unto this embryo. It is by his brilliance that you have been blinded, seek his protection. Then, the kshatriyas seek the protection of that person born from thigh, and hence known as Aurva (thigh born) and gets their eyesight back.

Rishi Aurva resolves to destroy all the worlds to revenge his ancestors death and did great penance, and performed severest austereties. His ancestors (pitrs), knowing that their offspring is about to destroy the world, descend from heaven, and address him, "O Aurva, please desist from destruction of worlds. We wanted to end our long life, and purposefully ignited the passions of kshatriyas by hiding the wealth. otherwise what is the use of wealth to us. Please do not commit a sin by destroying the worlds."

Aurva replies, "O Pitrs, I have heard the cries of my ancestors, women of bhrigu race, while hiding as an embryo in my mother's thigh. These kshatriyas performed heinous crime by killing even the embryos. It is the lack for a punisher that people commit crimes. If there is punishment meted out , nobody will be committing crime. Having energy, power and if I still dont punish the offenders, then there wont be justice in the world, and crimes such as these will happen again, please let me know what to do."

Pitris of Aurva reply "cast the fire of your anger into the ocean. This world is made up of water, and let your anger consume water. "

So Aurva, casts his anger into ocean. This fire is seen as face of horse in ocean, and known as 'vadavamukha' and consumes water in ocean.

Saying this story Vasishtha was able to stop his grandson Parasara from destroying the three worlds. But Parasara starts a Yajna (sacrifice) to destroy the race of Rakshasas. Vasishtha does not try to stop his grandson second time.

Rakshasas of all sizes are destroyed by this sacrifice. Sage Atri, Pulastya, and Pulaha, wanted to do good to Rakshasa clan, and wanted to end this sacrifice. They come and pacify Parasara saying that, Shaktri is a very powerful sage, and no rakshasa could have killed him without his consent. He should not punish all rakshasas for the deed of one. Parasara agrees to stop the sacrifice, and casts his anger to the north of Himavat mountains. That fire is still seen as devouring rakshasas to this day.

My commentary :

Couple of take aways from this story,

1) One has to be forgiving

2) Without the fear of punishment, people commit crimes. It is the fear of punishment that keeps society checked.

Hari OM