A mother is the real teacher of a child. Whatever is the nature, thought and behavior of the mother, the foetus will develop the same attributes. If after getting pregnant, the mother shifts to pious food, religious life style and begins to follow self control and listens to religious scriptures, the child would be born with religious and pious virtues and sanctify his clan. The mother of Prahlad, Kayadhu is an example of such a pious mother.
Hiranyaksha and Hiranyakashipu were the two extremely powerful sons of Diti- the mother the demons. They both conquered the three Lokas and defeated even the gods. Both the brothers had deep love for each other. When at the beginning of creation, Hiranyaksha kidnapped the earth and took it to the abyss, Lord Narayana appeared in Varaha (boar) form and killing the demon rescued the earth. Having lost his brother, Hiranakashipu grew indignant with mourning. He decided to perform penance in order to become immortal. Thus assuring his mother Diti, sister-in-law and nephews of his safe return and handing the onus of his kingdom to his ministers, he went to Mandarachal to observe hard penance. Seeing the demon kingdom without the king, Indra, the king of the gods launched a massive attack on it and began to plunder it. Indra even killed the demon children for the fear that they would also grow powerful demons and bring calamity on devaloka. The remaining demons fled to save their lives and hid at safer places.
Hiranyakeashipu's wife Kayadhu was pregnant then. Forcibly boarding her on the charoit, Indra headed to Indraloka (heaven). Reprimanding Indra in highly pitiable voice, the chaste woman said: "What purpose would it serve for you, O Indra. Don't you see the demerit in kidnapping a helpless woman like me?"
Hearing those pitiable cries of Kayadhu, Narad appeared there and stopped the chariot. Reprimanding Indra, he said: "O Mahendra! You are the king of the gods. It does not fit your grace to kidnap a helpless woman. Set this chaste woman free at once". Indra however replied: "Devarishi, this woman is nurturing the seed of the demons. I will destroy it before it germinates, then I will set this chaste woman free and she will have no pain".
Narad said: "Devaraja Indra, you don't know that her unborn baby is long living. It is not in your powers to kill him. But the gods will have no fear from him. He is going to be the cause of your welfare. In the womb of this demon queen, there is a supreme devotee of God".
Knowing that a supreme devotee of God is present in the womb, Devaraj Indra respectfully went around Kayadhu and greeting her, he respectfully deboarded her from the chariot and went to her abode. Narad said to Kayadhu: "Daughter, your kingdom is no more than ruins now. So you come with me to my hermitage and stay comfortably as long as your husband does not return from his penance".
By that time, Narad had not been cursed by Prajapati daksha and he had not become a restless, ever wandering sage. But he used to stay in his hermitage, spending his time singing devotional songs. Accepting Narad's suggestion, Kayadhu came to stay at his hermitage. There she served Narad with faith. She used to clean the hermitage and smear it with cow dung and fetch water from the river. She even began to worship God. She had adopted a hermitic life- wore clothes of bark, slept on Khusha bed, observed difficult fasts and ate roots and tubers to satisfy her hunger. Thus she totally transformed from a demon queen to a great penancer. At times, Devarishi related to her the divine appearance of God with endless virtues and greatness. Addressing the foetus, Narad preached her Yoga, Sankhya, devotion and cryptic knowledge of Tantras. Declaring the world as meaningless, he preached her Vairagya (abstaining).
Demon ladies are able to give birth to their child at will. For the fear of the gods, Kayadhu did not give birth to her child. After penancing for thousands of years, when Hiranyakashipu returned, Devarishi Narad escorted Kayadhu respectfully to her husband and there Kayadhu gave birth to a child Prahlad who was the supreme devotee of God and venerable by the demons.
Hiranyaksha and Hiranyakashipu were the two extremely powerful sons of Diti- the mother the demons. They both conquered the three Lokas and defeated even the gods. Both the brothers had deep love for each other. When at the beginning of creation, Hiranyaksha kidnapped the earth and took it to the abyss, Lord Narayana appeared in Varaha (boar) form and killing the demon rescued the earth. Having lost his brother, Hiranakashipu grew indignant with mourning. He decided to perform penance in order to become immortal. Thus assuring his mother Diti, sister-in-law and nephews of his safe return and handing the onus of his kingdom to his ministers, he went to Mandarachal to observe hard penance. Seeing the demon kingdom without the king, Indra, the king of the gods launched a massive attack on it and began to plunder it. Indra even killed the demon children for the fear that they would also grow powerful demons and bring calamity on devaloka. The remaining demons fled to save their lives and hid at safer places.
Hiranyakeashipu's wife Kayadhu was pregnant then. Forcibly boarding her on the charoit, Indra headed to Indraloka (heaven). Reprimanding Indra in highly pitiable voice, the chaste woman said: "What purpose would it serve for you, O Indra. Don't you see the demerit in kidnapping a helpless woman like me?"
Hearing those pitiable cries of Kayadhu, Narad appeared there and stopped the chariot. Reprimanding Indra, he said: "O Mahendra! You are the king of the gods. It does not fit your grace to kidnap a helpless woman. Set this chaste woman free at once". Indra however replied: "Devarishi, this woman is nurturing the seed of the demons. I will destroy it before it germinates, then I will set this chaste woman free and she will have no pain".
Narad said: "Devaraja Indra, you don't know that her unborn baby is long living. It is not in your powers to kill him. But the gods will have no fear from him. He is going to be the cause of your welfare. In the womb of this demon queen, there is a supreme devotee of God".
Knowing that a supreme devotee of God is present in the womb, Devaraj Indra respectfully went around Kayadhu and greeting her, he respectfully deboarded her from the chariot and went to her abode. Narad said to Kayadhu: "Daughter, your kingdom is no more than ruins now. So you come with me to my hermitage and stay comfortably as long as your husband does not return from his penance".
By that time, Narad had not been cursed by Prajapati daksha and he had not become a restless, ever wandering sage. But he used to stay in his hermitage, spending his time singing devotional songs. Accepting Narad's suggestion, Kayadhu came to stay at his hermitage. There she served Narad with faith. She used to clean the hermitage and smear it with cow dung and fetch water from the river. She even began to worship God. She had adopted a hermitic life- wore clothes of bark, slept on Khusha bed, observed difficult fasts and ate roots and tubers to satisfy her hunger. Thus she totally transformed from a demon queen to a great penancer. At times, Devarishi related to her the divine appearance of God with endless virtues and greatness. Addressing the foetus, Narad preached her Yoga, Sankhya, devotion and cryptic knowledge of Tantras. Declaring the world as meaningless, he preached her Vairagya (abstaining).
Demon ladies are able to give birth to their child at will. For the fear of the gods, Kayadhu did not give birth to her child. After penancing for thousands of years, when Hiranyakashipu returned, Devarishi Narad escorted Kayadhu respectfully to her husband and there Kayadhu gave birth to a child Prahlad who was the supreme devotee of God and venerable by the demons.
No comments:
Post a Comment