In Krityug there lived a great yogi, Wamdeo by name. He was selfless, content and observed 'Moun'. He applied Bhasma to his body, wore scale of trees and the skin of tiger and roamed on earth. Once he came to the Krounch forest. A Brahma, Rakshas approached him and intended to devour him. He caught Wamdeo by his hands and due to this he had a touch of the Bhasma applied to Wamdeo's body. Instantly he lost his hunger and thirst and he got knowledge of his previous births. He therefore, requested Wamdeo for liberation.
Wamdeo asked, 'Who are you ? How did you come in this ,dense forest ?' Brahma Rakshas:'! was a king named Durjaya in in a Muslim country. I had a very loose character. Being a king, I married many women. Besides I enjoyed other innumerable females. I used to enjoy a new woman everyday. I molested the wives of well-to-do persons, living in my kingdom. I enjoyed devoted wives, widows of all castes and profession. I thus incurred curses o several women and suffered from consumption and other diseases.
'The enemies usurped my kingdom. After death, I was in the life of a spirit for many years and suffered severely. Thereafter I was a tiger, a python, a lamb, a pig, a deer, a bear, a cock, an ass, a cat, a frog, a tortoise, a fish, a rat, an owl, an elephant and in the 25th birth, I have become a Brahma Rakshas.'
Being pleased by his speech, Wamdeo said, 'this is due to the great power of the bhasma applied to my body. I will tell you a tale in this connection. Formerly a Brahmin lived in Draviddesh. He had given up his rituals and was living with a shudra woman. He was adulterous and a thief also. Once when he was committing a 'theft, a shudra killed him and threw his corpse outside the town. A dog, who had rolled in Bhasma, came to eat the flesh of the corpse. Thus the bhasma touched the dead body of the Brahmin. He being a sinner, was being taken by the Yamadoots. But as his body had the marks of bhasma, Shivadoots also came to carry him to Shiva's place. The Shiva¬doots attacked the Yamadoots, who then left the Brahmin's corpse and complained to Yama, who came to the Shivadoots and angrily asked them. "Why did you take that sinful Brahmin from mymen?" The Shivadoots told him, "The body of the Brahmin had marks of bhasma on it and so as per Shiva's orders we are taking him to Kailas Your men should not have taken him as sin does not touch the body, with marks of Bhasma." Being satisfied Yama then went away.
Brahma Rakshas said, 'when I was the king, I had construc¬ted a tank in a forest and had given some land to the Brahmins. So as told by Yama, 1 had the fortune to see you in this 25th life. Kindly tell me how bhasma is to be applied and liberate me from the cycle of births and deaths'.
Wamdeo said, 'Shri Shanker had gone to Mandrachal along with his Rudragan. Indra, Brahmadeo, Vashishta, Narad, Yaksh, Gandharva and Rishis also had come there to see Shri Shankar, who was seated on a beautiful throne, having seven back grounds, all very bright and made of precious stones. He had the Moon on his forehead, locks of hair on his head, Takshak on one ear and Vasuki on the other and wreaths of serpents around this neck. He had trishul in one hand, Damaru (drum) in the second, sword in the third and the bow and arrows in the fourth. Thus all his ten hands, held different weapons. He was sitting with Parwati devi, who was wearing rich clothes and ornaments.
Sanatkumar requested Shri Shankar to tell some means by which one could attain all the four Purusharthas.
Shri Shankar said, 'have tripundra ( 3 lines ) on the forehead and apply bhasma on the body. This will destroy all the sins, such as taking the wealth of others, enjoying with others, wives, cajoling, giving false witness, stealing of cow, land, gold or til, selling milk, flesh, salt and doing adultery etc and after deat one goes to heaven.
Wamdeo gave enchanted Bhasma to the Brahma Rakshas who applied it to his body and had tripundra on his forehead. He was at once transformed into a celestial person and a plane descended to take him to the heaven.
Though bhasma has much greatness, the greatness of Shri Guru is still more and so due to the favour of Wamdeo the Brahma Rakshas was liberated."
Topic: CHAPTER 29 The Great Power of Bhasma (Read 3131 times)