Friday, January 24, 2020

Story of Jalandhar

PURANIC STORIES 10

 Dear friends

 This story is about the demon Jalandhar told in Siva purana. I have edited the  language   where necessary for simplicity. I hope this story will be interesting. I am thankful to all responding members and the moderators for publishing the postings immediately

Sincerely

Gopala Krishnan 3-4-2011

 REPOSTED ON 17-1-2020

 1. Appearance of Jalandhar

 The brightness which appeared when   lord Shiva looked into the ocean once resulted into the manifestation of a small child. This incident happened at the place where river Ganges submerged into the ocean and which is known as Gangasagar now.

 

The child was crying so ferociously that an environment of fear was created everywhere. The deities and the sages went to Lord Brahma to satisfy their curiously. Lord Brahma assured then that he will  find out the reason. He went to the seashore. The sea put the child in his lap and enquired about the name of that child and also about his future.

 Meanwhile the child pressed lord Brahma's neck with such power that tears rolled down from his eyes. For this reason he named the child as Jalandhar.

Lord Brahma told the sea that the child will become the mighty ruler of the demons. No deity would be able to kill him except Shiva.

 The sea was very pleased by Lord Brahma's predictions. After Lord Brahma returned to his abode, the sea brought that child to his home and brought up that child with great love and care.

 2. Marriage with Vrinda

 When Jalandhar grew up he married Vrinda, who was the daughter of Kalnemi. Later on he became the ruler of the demons.

 3. Sage Brighu narrate to Jalandhar the story of Palazhimanthan

 One day Sage Bhrigu came to meet Jalandhar. After receiving him with due respect Jalandhar asked him as to who severed the head of Rahu.

 Sage Bhrigu then told him about Hiranyakashipu who was the maternal uncle of Rahu. Sage Bhrigu also told him about Virochana - the son of the extremely charitable king Bali.

  Then sage Bhrigu narrated the tale connected with the churning of ocean and how ambrosia emerged from the churning of the ocean.

 Sage Bhrigu told Jalandhar how Rahu's head was severed by lord Vishnu, while he was sitting among the deities and at the time when ambrosia was being distributed to all the deities.

4. Indra do not bother to hear Ghasmar

 Jalandhar became very furious after hearing this story. He summoned one of his messengers whose name was Ghasmar and instructed him to go and ask Indra, as to WHY HAD HE MISAPPROPRIATED ALL THE WEALTH OF HIS FATHER (SEA) WHICH EMERGED DURING THE CHURNING OF SEA. 

He also instructed Ghasmar to warn Indra about the dire consequences unless he takes his refuge. 

But Indra sent back Ghasmar without any specific assurance or hearing. This action of Indra made Jalandhar more angry than before. He collected his army and attacked Indra. 

5. Jalandhar attacks Indra

 A fierce battle was fought between his army and the army of the deities. Many warriors got killed from both the sides.

 Shukracharya the guru of the demons brought back the dead warriors from the demon side back to life by his mritasanjivani vidya.

 Similarly Sage Brihaspathi brought back the dead warriors from the devas's side back to life with the help of medicinal herbs from Dronagiri Mountain.  

 When Shukracharya saw that, sage Brihaspathi too was successfully making the dead devas alive, he instructed Jalandhar to submerge the Drongiri Mountain into the sea, so that it becomes impossible for Brihaspathi to get the medicinal herbs by the help of which he made the dead deities alive.

 Jalandhar obeyed the command of Shukracharya and lifted the Drongiri Mountain submerged it into the sea. The devas became unsuccessful and fled from the battle field Jalandhar captured Indrapuri.

 6. Battle between lord Vishnu and jalandhar

 The terrified devas took the refuge of lord Vishnu and sought his help. Lord Vishnu gave a patient hearing and agreed to help them, but there was a hitch.

 6a. Don't kill my brother

 His consort goddess Laxmi considered Jalandhar as her brother because both of them originated from the sea. She instructed Lord Vishnu against killing Jalandhar.

 Lord Vishnu promised her that he won't kill Jalandhar. After giving his word to goddess Laxmi, he went to fight a battle with Jalandhar.

 A fierce battle was fought between both of them which remained indecisive till the end. Lord Vishnu became very much impressed by the valiance of Jalandhar and asked him to demand any boon he liked.

 6b. Jalandhar get boons from Lord Vishnu

 Jalandhar requested him to make his dwelling in the Ksheersagar-the abode of Jalandhar, along with his sister (Laxmi).

 Lord Vishnu agreed to fulfill his wish and started living in the Ksheersagar along with his consort Laxmi. This is the reason the sea is wealthy with resources.

 6c. Deities get dissatisfied

 Being undefeated by Lord Vishnu himself, Jalandhar became the ruler of the entire three worlds. All his subjects were satisfied by his just and virtuous rule, except the devas. The devas now eulogized lord Shiva to seek his help in defeating Jalandhar.

 7. Narada meet Jakandhar

 According to the wish of lord Shiva, Sage Narad came to meet the devas. The devas narrated their woeful tales to him.Feeling pity on their condition, he went to Jalandhar who accorded a grand reception to him which pleased Narada very much. 

8. Narada play trick

 Narad praised the splendors and prosperity of Jalandhar but added that it was nothing in comparison to Shiva's splendors 

Narad told him that in spite of all his authority and splendors, his prosperity was still incomplete, as he did not have a proper consort. Jalandhar asked curiously as to where could he find his consort. 

According to his strategy, NARADA ADVISED JALANDHAR TO MAKE PARVATI AS HIS CONSORT. Jalandhar fell into Narad's trap. 

9. Jalandhar send Rahu to Lord Siva to part with Parvati

 He sent 'Rahu' to lord Shiva with a proposal to part with Parvati. Rahu went to lord Shiva and demanded Parvati, which made lord Shiva extremely furious. His anger resulted into the manifestation of a ferocious creature, which ran towards 'Rahu' to devour him. Rahu had no option but to take the refuge of Lord Shiva. Lord Shiva protected the life of 'Rahu'.

 The hungry creature, asked Shiva as to what should he eat to satisfy his hunger. Lord Shiva instructed him to devour his own limbs. The creative followed his instructions and devoured his limbs. Lord Shiva was very pleased by his sense of obedience. He also blessed him saying that he too would be worshipped along with him (Shiva). Rahu went back to Jalandhar and narrated the whole story to him.

10 Jalandhar attack Kailas

 Jalandhar then attacked Kailash Mountain with his huge army. A fierce battle was fought between the Shiva-ganas and the demons.

 When Jalandhar realized that lord Shiva had begun to dominate the battle he created beautiful 'Apsaras' and 'Gandharvas' by his illusionary powers to divert the attention of lord Shiva and his ganas.

 10a. Jalandhar create apsaras

 He was successful in his attempt. Lord Shiva and his ganas became enchanted by the heavenly beauty of the apsaras. They stopped fighting and started watching their dance and music.

 11 Jalandhar approach Parvati

 Meanwhile Jalandhar went to Parvati disguising as lord Shiva but Parvati recognized Jalandhar. Being enchanted by the beauty of goddess Parvati, he looked at her with his evil intentions, but was immobilized by her wrath.

 11a. Parvati approach Lord Vishnu

 Parvati then went to lord Vishnu and narrated the whole story. She wanted to teach Jalandhar a lesson. She requested lord Vishnu to go to Jalandhar's wife Vrinda in the guise of Jalandhar and act in the same way.

 12. Vishnu approach Vrinda disguising as Jalandhar

 With the help of his divine powers, Lord Vishnu created many inauspicious dreams while Vrinda was asleep. Vrinda became very restless and when the anxieties become unbearable she proceeded towards the forest.

 Vrinda saw a hermit in the forest who was preaching his disciples. The hermit was none other than lord Vishnu. She went to that hermit and prayed to save her husband's life.

Lord Vishnu disappeared from the scene and reappeared - this time in the guise of Jalandhar. But Vrinda was unable to recognize the real identity of her husband. She was very pleased after finding her husband. Both of them stayed in that very forest as husband and wife for a very long time.

 13. Vrinda identifies Vishnu and immolate herself

 

One day, Vrinda came to know about the real identity of the person, who was impersonating as her husband.

 Realizing that her chastity has been breached, she cursed lord Vishnu by saying that just as he had played a deceitful trick with her in the same way somebody would deceitfully abduct his wife and he too would wander in her search.

 After cursing lord Vishnu, Vrinda embraced death by entering into the fire.

 14. Shiva too reccognises the folly

 On the other side, after the departure of Parvati from Kailash Mountain and after the illusionary powers created by Jalandhar had ended all the apsaras and gandharvas vanished. Shiva realized that whatever he was watching was nothing more than illusion.

Lord Shiva recommenced his battle.  Now Jalandhar again arrived to fight with lord Shiva. A fierce battle commenced between them. Finding an opportune time, Shiva severed the head of Jalandhar by his 'Chakra' which had been created from his toe. After his death, Jalandhar's soul united with Shiva.

15. Deities make a sigh of relief

 When the devas came to know about the killing of Jalandhar, they became overjoyed. They came to Lord Shiva and eulogized him. Thy also hailed his great achievement. After expressing their gratitude they returned to their respective abodes.

 16. Manifestation of 'amla' (myrobalan), tulsi (basil) and 'malti'

 Lord Vishnu was very much saddened by the death of Vrinda. He took the ashes from the pyre and after applying them on his body started wondering here and there.

 Devas became very much  worried to see the condition of lord Vishnu. They went to lord Shiva and requested him to eliminate the false attachment with which Sri Vishnu was suffering.

 Lord Shiva sent the devas to goddess Parvati, saying that she would certainly help in this regard.

 The deities went to goddess Parvati and prayed to her. She became very pleased and with the assistance of Laxmi and Saraswati, gave some seeds to then. The deities sprayed those seeds on the pyre, on which Vrinda had given up her life.

 Three holy plants manifested from that pyre-Amla, Tulsi and Malti. Later on Tulsi and Malti attained to the Vishnuloka, by the virtue of their respective penance.

 ABOUT THE COMPILER-

 I am R..Gopala Krishnan, 76 now, a Keralite iyer, retired as Asst General Manager, BSNL, Kerala circle Trivandrum, now settled in Chennai.

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