Gokarna Sthala Mahatmya
Namdharak was thrilled with joy listening to the origin of Gokarna Mahabaleshwar. He said to Siddha Yogi "From what you have said, the place must be spiritually very powerful, and it should have been conferring immense benefits materially, morally and spiritually on all pilgrims visiting there. I am eager to hear of any instance in which anyone had derived such benefits from making a pilgrimage to the place." In reply to this, Siddhayogi narrated the following anecdote...
In the Ikshwaku race, there was once a king by name of Mitrasahu. He was very pious, noble and kind hearted king. He treated his subjects as his own children and was ever engaged in promoting their welfare. Vasishtha Maharishi was his family guru and priest. The king, however, had one weakness (vice), viz., his craze and over fondness of hunting.
The king once went out for hunting, he killed many wild animals. Thereafter, he confronted a wicked Rakshasa and wounded him mortally. The Rakshasa, before falling down dead, told his brother that he should take revenge on this king. The brother Rakshasa then took the guise of a human form; he went to the king's palace and managed to become a palace cook. One day there was a Shraddha ceremony in the royal family (the annual ceremony in memory of the departed soul of a family elder and ritualistic offerings of food and water with chant of the Mantras, on the anniversary day of death of the person). Meat is forbidden on such a day, as the Brahmin priests and Rishis would come to partake of the food. The vicious Rakshasa surreptitiously cooked human flesh on that day, and taking everyone unawares, served it to the Brahmin priests, instead of the vegetarian food which was supposed to be served. The priests got enraged and were furious, and the spur of the moment, without waiting to know the truth, cursed the king that he should become a Brahma Rakshasa. The king was about to curse the priests in revenge taking water in his palm for the purpose, when the queen restrained him saying it was not proper for anyone to curse the priests. The king then let the water from his pal drop on his own feet. The feet got charred and because of this , he came to be know as Kalmashapada. Vasishtha Maharishi, realising that the king was really innocent, felt sorry for the curse uttered, and told the king that he was blessing him that the curse would last only for 12 years, and at the end of 12years, he would get back his normal form.
The king because of the excurse, became a Brahma Rakshasa, and made the forest his habitation. He used to kill and eat whichever or whoever came by that way, whether they be animals, beasts or human beings. One day, a Brahmin couple happened to be passing through the forest. The Brahma Rakshasa caught hold of the Brahmin, and ignoring the requests and plaintive pleadings of his wife, - who was imploring him to consider her as his own daughter and spare her husband's life - mercilessly killed the Brahmin and devoured him. At this, the wife of the Brahmin, who was suddenly widowed because of the blood thirstiness of the Rakshasa, cursed him saying, "Although after the expiry of the 12 years you are going to get back your human form, if you try to court the pleasure of your wife, you will be instantly drop down dead and your queen would become a widow like me". Thereafter the woman, along with the bones of her dead husband did Sahagamana and ended her life also.
The king, after the expiry of the curse period of 12 years, was rid of the form of Brahma Rakshasa. Having become normal again, he returned to his kingdom. He confided to the queen the curse of the Brahmin woman. Hearing it, the queen was heart broken as the prospect of her getting a son was now doomed. Seeing her grief, the king consulted the wise men of the court and priests, to find out whether hey could suggest any way of him escaping for the operation of the curse. They advised him, that if the royal couple could make pilgrimages to holy places and do their offering to Gods, the power of the curse would at least get mitigated and with Divine Grace, it would perhaps even be overcome altogether.
The king and queen set out on pilgrimage to almost all the holy places of the land, doing severe penances at those places. They came to Mithilpur at last. They were exhausted and sat down under the shade of the tree to rest. At this juncture, the king saw an illustrious sage Gautama passing by, along with a group of other Rishis. The king ran towards them and fell prostrate at the sage's feet and prayed that he should save him from the curse of the Brahmin woman and show him the way to expiate the sin of Brahmahatya.
Sage Gautama told the king that he should visit the holy Gokarna; his pilgrimage to the holy place would expiate his sin for certain. The sage said that all the gods, even the celestial beings make pilgrimage to Gokarna for expiating their sins and to earn merit. He said that even Brahma and Vishnu visited the holy place and did penances for a long time in order to earn merit.
The sage citied the instances of incomparable redeeming power of the holy place. The greatest sins like killing or causing the death of a Brahmin, cow, etc., could be expiated by pilgrimage to and worship a Gokarna, he said. He narrated the following incident, which he himself had witnessed just a few days ago.
The sage saw a low cast woman at Gokarna; she was blind and was suffering from a dreadful disease. She was very exhausted and was very hungry. She begged for food, but could not manage to get anything. Due to exhaustion and hunger, she died. As soon as she died, messengers of Siva came near her in celestial Vimana to take her to Kailash, but, at the same time, the messengers of Yama also arrived there, both the groups laying claim to the Jiva of the dead woman, Gautama inquired of them as to why this conflict and confrontation should arise between them. The Yamadootas said the woman was a very sinful person; the sins she committed in her life were gravest and what she deserved were only the tortures and fire of hell. But the Shivadhootas said that, although she committed many a sin but yet as she died at the holy Gokarna, Lord Shiva had granted her Kailash Pada and sent them to fetch her. Her past story was as follows:
The woman in her previous birth was born in a Brahmin family. Her name was Saudamini. She was very beautiful and charming. When she was ten years old, she was married, but her husband died only few years after her marriage. In course of time, unable to control her sensuous desires and passions of youth, she yielded to and started living with a Wani (a grocer) from her neighbourhood. She also got addicted to drink and other evil habits and once after taking wine, in her intoxication, she killed a calf for food, mistaking it for a goat. At that time the husband was away. When she came to her senses, it was time for milking the cow , and she went for milking. But the cow, not finding her calf nearby, did not yield any milk. The women felt dead scared as to how her husband and neighbours would react to when they would come to know what she had done. She pretended to be weeping, telling that a tiger came and killed the calf and ran away with it. Everyone believed it to be true. After some years, the woman died and she was taken to hell. She was put to great torture there. The woman was late born as Chandali (in a very low caste). She was very ugly. As she grew up, she lost her sight and became blind. She was overtaken by leprosy also. As long as her parents were alive, they took care and looked after her. After she lost her parents, there was no one to take care of her; she never had enough food to eat. She was suffering great misery.
Once, in the holy month of Magha, she had heard that some people of the place were going to Gokarna for the Shivaratri festival. She thought if she accompanied them, they would give her something to eat during the journey. Hoping thus, she accompanied the party of pilgrims, but the pilgrims did not take to her kindly. On Shivaratri day too, as no one had given her anything to eat, she also had to fast. Then Bilwa leaves, were being distributed y someone. They gave her also some Bilwa leaves, but in anger, she flung them away. Lo! the Bilwa leaves although she never intended it, fell right on the ShivaLinga. And in a few moments after this, the woman famished and exhausted died.
Even the least worship, either done with devotion or without devotion, knowingly or unknowingly is enough to please Shiva. Thus the Chandali woman earned the favour and grace of Shiva. The merit earned by her was all the more because it happened to be the done at Gokarna the abode of Shiva's Atma Linga, and besides that day was Holy Shivaratri Day. Therefore no sooner that the woman died, than Lord Shankara sent his messengers to bring her to Kailash.
Hearing the narrative of Shivadhootas, the men of Yama beat a retreat, leaving the woman in the hands of the Shivadhootas. Such being the power and glory of Gokarna, Gautama Rishi advised the king to go to Gokarna and to do penance there, and assured him that thereby freed from the curse. The king advised by Gautama Rishi, made a pilgrimage to Gokarna, did penance there, and thereby got rid of the curse. Thereafter, he lived happily with the wife, was blessed with sons and lived for a long time.
Thus ends the Seventh Chapter of Sri Guru Charitra, describing "the redeeming power of the Holy Gokarna Kshetra." In the Ikshwaku race, there was once a king by name of Mitrasahu. He was very pious, noble and kind hearted king. He treated his subjects as his own children and was ever engaged in promoting their welfare. Vasishtha Maharishi was his family guru and priest. The king, however, had one weakness (vice), viz., his craze and over fondness of hunting.
The king once went out for hunting, he killed many wild animals. Thereafter, he confronted a wicked Rakshasa and wounded him mortally. The Rakshasa, before falling down dead, told his brother that he should take revenge on this king. The brother Rakshasa then took the guise of a human form; he went to the king's palace and managed to become a palace cook. One day there was a Shraddha ceremony in the royal family (the annual ceremony in memory of the departed soul of a family elder and ritualistic offerings of food and water with chant of the Mantras, on the anniversary day of death of the person). Meat is forbidden on such a day, as the Brahmin priests and Rishis would come to partake of the food. The vicious Rakshasa surreptitiously cooked human flesh on that day, and taking everyone unawares, served it to the Brahmin priests, instead of the vegetarian food which was supposed to be served. The priests got enraged and were furious, and the spur of the moment, without waiting to know the truth, cursed the king that he should become a Brahma Rakshasa. The king was about to curse the priests in revenge taking water in his palm for the purpose, when the queen restrained him saying it was not proper for anyone to curse the priests. The king then let the water from his pal drop on his own feet. The feet got charred and because of this , he came to be know as Kalmashapada. Vasishtha Maharishi, realising that the king was really innocent, felt sorry for the curse uttered, and told the king that he was blessing him that the curse would last only for 12 years, and at the end of 12years, he would get back his normal form.
The king because of the excurse, became a Brahma Rakshasa, and made the forest his habitation. He used to kill and eat whichever or whoever came by that way, whether they be animals, beasts or human beings. One day, a Brahmin couple happened to be passing through the forest. The Brahma Rakshasa caught hold of the Brahmin, and ignoring the requests and plaintive pleadings of his wife, - who was imploring him to consider her as his own daughter and spare her husband's life - mercilessly killed the Brahmin and devoured him. At this, the wife of the Brahmin, who was suddenly widowed because of the blood thirstiness of the Rakshasa, cursed him saying, "Although after the expiry of the 12 years you are going to get back your human form, if you try to court the pleasure of your wife, you will be instantly drop down dead and your queen would become a widow like me". Thereafter the woman, along with the bones of her dead husband did Sahagamana and ended her life also.
The king, after the expiry of the curse period of 12 years, was rid of the form of Brahma Rakshasa. Having become normal again, he returned to his kingdom. He confided to the queen the curse of the Brahmin woman. Hearing it, the queen was heart broken as the prospect of her getting a son was now doomed. Seeing her grief, the king consulted the wise men of the court and priests, to find out whether hey could suggest any way of him escaping for the operation of the curse. They advised him, that if the royal couple could make pilgrimages to holy places and do their offering to Gods, the power of the curse would at least get mitigated and with Divine Grace, it would perhaps even be overcome altogether.
The king and queen set out on pilgrimage to almost all the holy places of the land, doing severe penances at those places. They came to Mithilpur at last. They were exhausted and sat down under the shade of the tree to rest. At this juncture, the king saw an illustrious sage Gautama passing by, along with a group of other Rishis. The king ran towards them and fell prostrate at the sage's feet and prayed that he should save him from the curse of the Brahmin woman and show him the way to expiate the sin of Brahmahatya.
Sage Gautama told the king that he should visit the holy Gokarna; his pilgrimage to the holy place would expiate his sin for certain. The sage said that all the gods, even the celestial beings make pilgrimage to Gokarna for expiating their sins and to earn merit. He said that even Brahma and Vishnu visited the holy place and did penances for a long time in order to earn merit.
The sage citied the instances of incomparable redeeming power of the holy place. The greatest sins like killing or causing the death of a Brahmin, cow, etc., could be expiated by pilgrimage to and worship a Gokarna, he said. He narrated the following incident, which he himself had witnessed just a few days ago.
The sage saw a low cast woman at Gokarna; she was blind and was suffering from a dreadful disease. She was very exhausted and was very hungry. She begged for food, but could not manage to get anything. Due to exhaustion and hunger, she died. As soon as she died, messengers of Siva came near her in celestial Vimana to take her to Kailash, but, at the same time, the messengers of Yama also arrived there, both the groups laying claim to the Jiva of the dead woman, Gautama inquired of them as to why this conflict and confrontation should arise between them. The Yamadootas said the woman was a very sinful person; the sins she committed in her life were gravest and what she deserved were only the tortures and fire of hell. But the Shivadhootas said that, although she committed many a sin but yet as she died at the holy Gokarna, Lord Shiva had granted her Kailash Pada and sent them to fetch her. Her past story was as follows:
The woman in her previous birth was born in a Brahmin family. Her name was Saudamini. She was very beautiful and charming. When she was ten years old, she was married, but her husband died only few years after her marriage. In course of time, unable to control her sensuous desires and passions of youth, she yielded to and started living with a Wani (a grocer) from her neighbourhood. She also got addicted to drink and other evil habits and once after taking wine, in her intoxication, she killed a calf for food, mistaking it for a goat. At that time the husband was away. When she came to her senses, it was time for milking the cow , and she went for milking. But the cow, not finding her calf nearby, did not yield any milk. The women felt dead scared as to how her husband and neighbours would react to when they would come to know what she had done. She pretended to be weeping, telling that a tiger came and killed the calf and ran away with it. Everyone believed it to be true. After some years, the woman died and she was taken to hell. She was put to great torture there. The woman was late born as Chandali (in a very low caste). She was very ugly. As she grew up, she lost her sight and became blind. She was overtaken by leprosy also. As long as her parents were alive, they took care and looked after her. After she lost her parents, there was no one to take care of her; she never had enough food to eat. She was suffering great misery.
Once, in the holy month of Magha, she had heard that some people of the place were going to Gokarna for the Shivaratri festival. She thought if she accompanied them, they would give her something to eat during the journey. Hoping thus, she accompanied the party of pilgrims, but the pilgrims did not take to her kindly. On Shivaratri day too, as no one had given her anything to eat, she also had to fast. Then Bilwa leaves, were being distributed y someone. They gave her also some Bilwa leaves, but in anger, she flung them away. Lo! the Bilwa leaves although she never intended it, fell right on the ShivaLinga. And in a few moments after this, the woman famished and exhausted died.
Even the least worship, either done with devotion or without devotion, knowingly or unknowingly is enough to please Shiva. Thus the Chandali woman earned the favour and grace of Shiva. The merit earned by her was all the more because it happened to be the done at Gokarna the abode of Shiva's Atma Linga, and besides that day was Holy Shivaratri Day. Therefore no sooner that the woman died, than Lord Shankara sent his messengers to bring her to Kailash.
Hearing the narrative of Shivadhootas, the men of Yama beat a retreat, leaving the woman in the hands of the Shivadhootas. Such being the power and glory of Gokarna, Gautama Rishi advised the king to go to Gokarna and to do penance there, and assured him that thereby freed from the curse. The king advised by Gautama Rishi, made a pilgrimage to Gokarna, did penance there, and thereby got rid of the curse. Thereafter, he lived happily with the wife, was blessed with sons and lived for a long time.
Glory to the All merciful, the Omnipresent and the ever responsive Guru Nath.
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