Glimpses of The Devi Bhagavatam: 29. THE HAIHAYAAS HUMBLED

 

INDIAN MYTHOLOGY

Glimpses of The Devi Bhagavatam:

29. THE HAIHAYAAS HUMBLED

One of them, who had not come quite close, retained a dim sight. He managed to return to the princes and report to them the predicament of the spies. They hurried into the valley to put an end to the strange infant. Unfortunately, they had not taken any precaution to protect their eyes, and the aura of the child attracted them. They gazed at the child. The next moment they found that they had turned blind.

They sat helpless in that forlorn valley and began to repent their senseless actions. Then they addressed the mother of the child and said, “Never, never shall we harm any of the Bhrigus. We will leave you in peace. Should you like to return to your homes, we will even escort you. But, please give us back our eye-sight.”

The child’s mother said: “It’s not in my hands to cure you of your blindness. You came here with the intention of killing my child. The power that protected the child has punished you. The barbarity with which you have acted has no parallel. Worse maybe your suffering in future unless you are pardoned by the child himself.”

The humbled Haihayas knelt down before the child and expressed in many words their repentance for their misdeeds. Said the child, named Ouryu, “I’ve been given a certain power by the Divine Mother in order to punish you. If you are really repentant and are sure that you will not be repeating your follies, then pray to Her. So far as I am concerned, my anger has subsided.”

The Haihayas did as advised by Ouryu. The Divine Mother pardoned them. They got back their sights.

As is well known, the Bharata dynasty began from King Bharata and so did the Yadava dynasty from King Yadu. How was the Haihaya dynasty founded? The legend runs like this!

One day Revanta, son of the Sun-God, went to meet Vishnu. He rode the excellent horse, Uchaishravas.

Lakshmi, the consort of Vishnu, saw the horse. It had emerged from the waters during the churning of the ocean by the gods and the demons–as had Lakshmi Herself emerged.

Lakshmi naturally looked upon the horse as her brother. She kept gazing at it, moved by a feeling of affection.

That was the time when Lakshmi used to worship Vishnu. Observing that Lakshmi had forgotten Him for a moment, Vishnu said, “Do you know the consequence of your concentrating on the horse at this auspicious hour? You will be identified with her and an emanation of yours will go out and become a horse!”

Lakshmi came to her senses. “Is that inevitable?” she asked.

“Do not worry, for, I’m sure, something unexpected

“What is wrong in that? Isn’t the whole universe our form?” Vishnu said and smiled. Soon an emanation of Lakshmi came down to the earth and got changed into a mare. She prayed to Lord Siva and wanted to get freedom from the present form.

“Do not worry, for, I’m sure, something unexpected will happen. Because Mother Lakshmi concentrated on Uchaishravas, an emanation of hers turned into a horse that you are. I can see that Vishnu, too, is deeply concentrated on you. Who knows if the same won’t happen to Him? Have patience,” said Siva. He then despatched Chitrarupa, one of his supernatural attendants, to Vishnu.

Chitrarupa arrived in Vaikuntha and told Vishnu, “I understand that Mother Lakshmi remains invisible. However, my Lord has met an emanation of Hers roaming about in the forest as a mare. Should it not be proper for an emanation of yours also to go into the forest, so that Lakshmi’s emanation is not left alone?”

Vishnu, who was already engrossed in thoughts on Lakshmi, instantly sent an emanation of His to the earth– in the form of a horse.

The horse-couple lived in the forest for some time. In due course, a human child was born to them.

“We must now return to Vaikuntha,” said Vishnu’s emanation.

“How can I desert this newborn babe?” asked Lakshmi’s emanation.

“You need not be attached to the child. It is so ordained that a prince called Turvasu is ardently aspiring to have a child. He shall come across this one. Its protection is assured,” said Vishnu’s emanation.

The emanations of Vishnu and Lakshmi departed to heaven, leaving behind a charming child in a forest on the banks of the river Tamasa.

The murmuring brook lulled the infant to sleep. Trees showered flowers on it. Birds chirped and whistled on joyously while circling over the child.

A Gundharva couple, Champak and Madalasa, happened to pass flying over the forest. Their eyes fell on the child. They descended and picked it up.

Motherly love welled in Madalasa. She kissed the child again and asked, “Who is this child? Who could have abandoned it here?”

Champak gazed at the child with great interest. He had no difficulty in realising that a childlike that could not have been born of human parents.

“Who are this child’s parents?” asked Madalasa.

“It is not possible for me to tell. Indra might be knowing,” replied Champak.