English Padmapuran-9

Glorification of Gita Chapter IX

Madhava & Goat

(Chapter 183, Padma Purana, Part-VIII)

 Sri Mahadeva said:
Hereafter I shall carefully explain (this importance of) the ninth chapter. Being steady (i.e. attentive) listen to it, O daughter of the Himalaya Mountain. On the bank of Narmada, there was a city named Mahismati. There lived an auspicious brahmana named Madhava, who knew the true nature of the Vedas and Vedangas, who every time loved the guests. The pure-minded one, having earned much money by means of his learning only, some time commenced to perform a great sacrifice. He brought a goat, for killing him at the sacrifice after worshiping his body. He (the goat), laughing loudly, uttered (these) words: "What is the use of these many sacrifices, though performed in the proper manner, (but) having perishable fruits, and causing birth, old age and death? O brahmana, see my condition like this." Men staying in the pavilion, were amazed at hearing these words of the goat, that greatly excited curiosity. Then the brahmana, with his eyes motionless, saluting him devoutly and with the palms of his hands joined, respectfully asked the goat : (1-8)

 The brahmana said:
Which caste do you belong to? What is your nature? What is your mode of life? Tell (me that). Due to what act (of yours) you obtained the birth as a goat? (9)

 The goat said:
Formerly I was (born) in a very pure family of brahmanas. I was proficient in the Vedic lore and offered hosts of sacrifices. Once my wife, modest with devotion to Chandika, asked for a goat from me for appeasing the disease of (our) son. Then when the goat was being killed in the pavilion of Chandika, the goat's mother, expounder of the Vedas, cursed me : "O mean brahmana, O you who are performing a sacrifice that is not approved by the holy texts, since you are killing my innocent son, you will get the stock of (i.e. will be born as) a goat." Then, O best brahmana, I, after dying after (some) time, was born as a goat, after having crossed (i.e. gone through) torment and torture of many kinds of existences. Even though I had gone to the stock of (i.e. was born as) a beast, I had (retained) the recollection of (former) births.

 The brahmana said:
My mind is curious, is intent on hearing about your birth due to curiosity. Tell all (about) that to all these brahmanas.

 The goat said:
Some time I was (born as) a monkey. Children saw me dancing in every courtyard due to instruction given to me by a juggler. Seeing the generous sons, and my wife also, I became averse to any act and gave up the going round in dancing. Then the juggler, with his eyes red due to anger, severely beat me with round sticks, difficult to bear. Then I bleeding continuously, fainted. Smelling at food and water, I died. Then I became a dog wandering in every house. I, eating food that was abandoned and that was left after eating, filled my belly on the way. Sometime I entered the kitchen of my own house. Being hungry, I started eating the boiled rice placed in a plate. I smelt the ground, looked into the ten directions slowly and through fear. Being afraid of the sound of people, I licked my side. Then my sons came and saw me at some time. And my old wife beat me with clubs etc. Then, I, with my waist broken and discharging much blood fled. (10-24)

 Overcome with swoon, I somehow went out of the house. In course of time my limbs were stinking with pus and full of insects. Then I obtained the state of (i.e. was born as) a horse. O learned man, I became a horse in the house of a distiller and died in course of time. Some time he brought me, with my teeth falling due to old age, in a square crowded with people, for sale. My wife intent on going on a pilgrimage to Dvaraka, trying to buy me for a small price, bought me and tied me, the old one, with a rope, and mounting on me along with her two or three sons, started going. Slowly I got plunged into deep mud on the bank of a lake. There I, with my neck turned, and falling into the mud, was again and again being beaten by (my) sons having clubs and stones in their hands. Being repeatedly raised I died. Then having decided that I was dead, the sons who gave up their exertion, wailed, and having surrounded their helpless mother, they went home. Then having died there I went to the stock of (i.e. was born as) a goat. I passed through many stocks, low and high, giving torment and agony. (25-33)

 The brahmana said:
O great goat, what is the use of this collection of miseries everyday? (Tell me) properly and uprightly, by what I would have endless happiness. (34)

 The goat said:
I shall, O brahmana, tell another wonder comfortably to you who are asking me, if you have curiosity. There was a city named Kuruksetra, giving salvation. There lived king Chandrasarman of the solar dynasty. At the time of the solar eclipse he, endowed with great faith, started giving gift of Kalapurusa. Having called a brahmana, master of the Vedas and Vedangas, he went with his priest to bathe with auspicious holy water. Then Kalapurusa, laughing, said: "O brahmana, at the time of the solar eclipse, at this holy place called Kuruksetra, others do not accept anything. How do you desire to receive a gift? Knowing that all this certainly causes sin, how do you proceed to do it with a mind blinded by greed of wealth?" Having heard these words of him, causing wonder to the world the brahmana said: "What is the use of this fear of great gift? I do know the means properly to cross the unfathomable ocean of the sin due to a great gift like this." Then the king, having bathed, having put on two garments, being pure, pleased in mind, having put on white flowers and having anointed his body, having held the hand of the priest, being served by persons proper for the occasion, came (there). The king, having come there, gave the brahmana, Kalapurusa, according to the proper rite. Having pierced the heart of the Kalapurusa, a sinful chandala, with red eyes, of a cruel appearance went out. So also, at the joy due to interest in censuring others, a female chandalika, viz. Censure, came to the side of the brahmana whose death was brought near. (35-48)

 This couple of the chandalas of ruddy eyes, going out, forcibly moved into the body of the brahmana. While the king was looking on, the brahmana stood muttering the ninth chapter of the Gita in his mind, trembling a little and remaining silent like the ocean with Vishnu sleeping inside trembling due to the movements of the wind. Then the chandala-couple that was near the brahmana, was troubled by Vishnu's (attendants) appearing due to (the recitation of) the letters of the Gita, and with its efforts rendered futile, and (deciding to) flee, went away. The king who actually noticed the happening like this, with his eyes smiling (i.e. dilated) due to wonder, asked the brahmana: "How - by muttering what hymn, or remembering what god - did you go over this calamity? Who was that man? Who was that woman? How did they approach (you)? How were they appeased? O brahmana tell it to me."

 The brahmana said:
I know the couple: Strong sin had assumed the form of the (male) chandala. Censure took the form of the female chandala. I remembered the series of the verses of the ninth chapter of the Gita. O king, know that all this is its virtue. O king, everyday I mutter the ninth chapter of the Gita. Due to that the calamities caused by my accepting bad gifts were overcome by me. The king learnt the ninth chapter from the brahmana. Both obtained highest joy. (49-60)
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SUMMARY

 Then Lord Shiva related to Parvati the glories of the ninth chapter of the Bhagavad-gita. Once in a town called Mahishmati there lived a brahmana named Madhava. He strictly followed all the Vedic injunctions, and he was so learned that he always received much charity, with which he performed great sacrifices. Once, however, when he was about to offer a goat in sacrifice the goat laughed and said, “O brahmana, what benefit is there in performing these sacrifices, which simply keep one in the cycle of repeated birth and death? Just see my position after performing so many fire sacrifices.”

 Madhava asked the goat what activities it had performed in previous lives to become a goat. Everyone at the sacrifice gathered around to hear the goat’s words. The goat told them that he had been a ritualistic brahmana. Because his wife had wanted her child cured of some disease, she had once asked him to offer a goat to Durga, the wife of Lord Shiva.

 As the brahmana offered the goat, it cursed him: “You sinner! Lowest of all! You wish to make my children fatherless? You will also have to take birth as a goat.” So at the time of his death the brahmana had attained grace of Govinda he remembered his previous birth. The goat continued: Once in Kurukshetra there lived a king named Candrasarma, who belonged to the sun dynasty. At the time of a solar eclipse, the king decided to give a shudra,a worker, to a brahmana. After he offered this worker to the brahmana with much devotion, two of dog-eaters, appeared from the worker’s body. Both of them closely approached the brahmana, and suddenly entered his body. The brahmana, however, remained undisturbed, and while remembering Lord Govinda he began chanting the ninth chapter of the Bhagavad-gita.

 The whole event stunned the king. His amazement increased, however, when the Vishnudutas, the devotees of Lord Vishnu, appeared. The Vishnudutas ousted the chandelas from the body and drove them away. Then the king asked the brahmana: “O learned one, who were those two persons, and which mantras did you chant? Which Deity did you remember?”

 The brahmana explained that sin personified, accompanied by offense personified, had appeared as two candalas. And he had been chanting the ninth chapter of the Bhagavad-gita, which can release one from all fearful situations. He informed the king that by chanting this chapter, anyone can remember the lotus feet of Govinda. Thereafter the king learned from the brahmana to chant the ninth chapter, and he gradually attained the lotus feet of Govinda. When Madhava heard this narration from the goat, he at once set the goat free. Thereafter Madhava recited the ninth chapter of the Bhagavad-gita daily.

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 Online Sources:
1a) Padma Purana, Uttarkhandam : West Bengal Public Library Network
1b) Padma Purana, Uttarkhandam : Digital Library of India
1c) Padma Purana, Uttarkhandam : Derived from 1a,b

Hard Copy Source: (scanned "PDF"s from Online Source#1a,b)
"The Padma-Purana (English)" by Veda Vyasa, 1954 & 1956. Translated by Sri N.A. Deshpande, Indian Translation Series of the UNESCO Collection of Representative Works, jointly sponsored by UNESCO & Government of India. Part VIII & IX, First Edition. 2906-2970p. Published by Motilal Banarsidass Publishers Pvt.Ltd., Bungalow Road, Jawahar Nagar, Delhi-1110007. Printed by Jainendra Prakash Jain at Jainendra Press, A-45 Naraina Industrial Area, Phase 1, New Delhi-110028.

Online References:
संस्कृत श्लोक - Sanskrit Padmapuran-9

বাংলা অনুবাদ - Bengali Padmapuran-9
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Typed, OCR-ed, edited and uploaded by rk

Acknowledges Keshav Srinivasan for citing the Online Sources#1a,b of Padma Purana.

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