Marmik Katha (Story that touches our hearts):

                                   Interpreting Story of Bhasmasur

Many of us would have heard the story of Bhasmasur, the powerful demon. He planned for penance to seek a boon and went to the Himalayas. Physically as well as mentally he was very strong and was capable of performing devout tapa (penance). He had one big fault though, he failed to refine his evil tendencies and wickedness. With his crude mind-set Bhasmasur performed an incessant tapa that lasted hundreds of years and ultimately pleased God of gods Shiva. Lord Shiva appeared before him and asked him for some boon.

Bhasmasur rose and feeling proud of his siddhi (attainment) asked, “The person on whose head I keep my hand must get burnt to ash.” The demon was after all wicked. He couldn't ask for any boon for self-welfare or welfare of the world. He stood cheated by his crude mind and its evil workings. All the severe austerities of so many years he wasted on such a worthless boon.

Lord Shiva bestowed on him the power to reduce to ash anyone whom he touched and thus Bhasmasur was blessed with his desired strength. With this power Bhasmasur got intoxicated. He began to long for Goddess Parvati, consort of Lord Shiva. Raising his hands, he ran after Lord Shiva himself to burn him to ash. Lord Shiva began to run and the treacherous beggar followed him. Lord Vishnu saw Lord Shiva’s misery and came to his rescue. He knew that the demon, goaded by terrible deceit, could be killed by cunning. Instantly he disguised himself as Parvati, appeared before Bhasmasur and said, ‘If you, like him (Shiva), can dance with me and impress me, I shall marry you.'   Lust-maddened Bhasmasur had lost discernment. He at once got ready to dance. He failed to understand the mystery hidden in the proposal. While dancing she directed him to a dance pose keeping hand overhead. Bhasmasur copied her. The moment he put his hand over his head he was burnt to ash...

While this is just a fable, deep meanings lie hidden behind it which we must understand:

- Accomplishments and achievements of virtuous persons prove good and auspicious  while those of selfish people prove inauspicious. 

- Only virtuous and benevolent persons can resist the power-madness of siddhis (accomplishments), and not selfish or ignorant people. This is because whatever virtuous people attain, they do not keep more than what is required for basic sustenance. Anything extra they distribute on the path of benevolence.

And most importantly, the meaning that applies to us all :

- Prosperity and wealth, talent, intelligence, respect in society, power etc are all our accomplishments attained by hard work. We need to equally work hard to develop virtuousness, generosity and wisdom to use these for betterment of self and the society. If we do not pay attention to this important requirement, our accomplishments themselves can lead to our downfall like Bhasmasur. 

Upakhyan (Anecdote):

Somebody brought a tamed parrot in a cage to the ashram or hermitage of a saint. The saint taught him the way to deliverance and made him remember a new sentence- leave cage, fly high. The parrot mugged up these words.

One day the door of the cage was left open. The parrot would peep its head out of the cage and utter the crammed words – leave cage, fly high. Ashram inhabitants were amazed watching this scene. The door is open, no restriction on flight, the lesson is well-learnt, but the parrot would not fly. Why? Instead, seeing the crowd it would hide itself in the corner of the cage. Why?

In order to satisfy the curiosity of the laughing ashram inhabitants the saint said, ‘Most of us also utter crammed words and although the gate to Bhakti or devotion is open to all, we never try to get rid of worldly attachment. We only spread the illusion of being religious instead.’

SADVICHAR (Thought of the week):

End of vanity is the beginning of nobility.

SAMPARK (Contacts):
Yug Shakti Gayatri Kendra

16/2, 1st Floor, 3rd cross, 3rd Main Road,
Prakash Nagar, Bangalore 560021
Phone: 91-80-23526694
Mobile: 9844503818 / 9880679755

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