Chapter 86 - Divyādevī As Citrā in Her Former Birth

[Sanskrit text for this chapter is available]

Kuñjala said:

1. O boy, I (shall) tell you all the acts of that Divyādevī. Listen to all that she did in the former birth as I am telling you.

2-7a. There was an auspicious city named Vārāṇasī, the destroyer of sins. In it lived a very intelligent man named Suvīra, who was born in the Vaiśya caste and who possessed wealth and grains. O you very intelligent one, his wife was Citrā by name, who was well known. She, abandoning the family-practices, behaved improperly. She did not care for her husband, (and) behaved wantonly. Bereft of piety and merit she would act (i.e. she acted) sinfully only. She always reviled her husband, and always loved quarrelling. She always stayed in the house of another (person), and wandered from house to house. She would observe (i.e. she observed) the weak points of others, and was always wicked to beings. She was very much given to condemning the good, and always laughed.

7b-9a. Knowing her to be of an improper conduct and very sinful, Vīra reproached her. O you very intelligent one, that pious, highly intelligent (Vīra) oftruthful and religious thoughts, abandoned her and married another Vaiśya’s daughter; and stayed with her righteously.

9b-14. That bold Citrā, expelled by roamed over the earth. She became associated with wicked and sinful men. She of a wicked determination, worked as a go-between. The sinful one split the houses (i.e. families) of the good. She would call a chaste woman and would induce her with evil words. She violated customary observances. With convincing (but) evil words that Citrā would present the wife (the wives) of good men to someone else. Thus Citrā certainly split a hundred houses. The very wicked one created quarrels between husbands and sons. The sinful one would stir the minds of men for (i.e. make them sexually disposed to) women. She set up a quarrel making Yama thrive.

15-20. Thus having split a hundred houses (i.e. families), she then died. O good son, she was punished by king Yama with a heavy penalty. The Sun’s son (i.e. Yama) threw her into many hells (like Raurava). Citrā was roasted in Raurava. Various afflictions were shown (i.e. imposed on her). As a deed is done so it (i.e. its fruit) is enjoyed. Due to a wicked resolve that Citrā split a hundred houses. O best brāhmaṇa, she experienced the fruit of the respective deeds. Since she split a hundred houses, therefore she is experiencing grief. When the time of (her) marriage came, her destiny had become ripe. When the proper time (for) her marriage came, her husband died. As she split a hundred houses, a hundred grooms died at the time of the self-choice marriage and twenty-one (grooms died) at the time of (her proposed marriage).

21. As you asked me I have told you (the account) of, Divyādevī. I have told you all these—her former deeds.

Ujjvala said:

22. You first told me the former deeds of Divyādevī, so also the fierce sin called splitting the houses (that she committed).

23. Due to the prowess of which religious merit did that daughter of Divodāsa, the king of the Plakṣa island, obtain (a. birth) in a great family?

24. This is my doubt, O father. Please tell it to me. How did the princess become (a woman) of such a sinful behaviour?

Kuñjala said:

25; I shall (now) tell you about all the pious acts of Citrā. O (my) son Ujjvala, listen to what Citrā did formerly.

26-30. A very wise Siddha (i.e. a man endowed with supernatural faculties), while wandering came to the door of Citrā’s house. He wore tattered clothes, was without a (proper) garment, was a recluse, and had held a staff (in his hand). He had a small strip of cloth worn over his privities, had a pot in his hand and was (otherwise) naked. Having come to the door of Citrā’s house, he remained there. He observed a vow of silence, was clean-shaved, had his mind and organs ofsense conquered. He abstained from food, took a very small quantity, and knew the essence of everything. He was very much tired due to having been on a long journey, and his mind was distressed with heat; O good son, he was depressed with fatigue, and was overcome with thirst. Having come to the door of Citrā’s house, he resorted to the shade (of a tree). The noble one, afflicted with fatigue, was seen by Citrā.

31-35. Citrā served that very noble one, by washing his feet and giving him an excellent seat. “Sir, be seated comfortably on a very soft seat. Eat excellent food to remove (i.e. satiate) your hunger. Being contented drink cold water as you like.” Saying so, and doing like that (i.e. giving him food etc.), and worshipping him like a deity, she, O son, massaged his body and removed his fatigue. The noble Sidha, thus addressed by her, ate (food) and drank (water), O best brāhmaṇa. The Siddha, who knew the essence of everything, thus pleased. by her, was gratified, and he, the soul of entire piety, remained steady for a while. That great meditating saint went (away) according to his will, as he had come.

36-44. When that noble and glorious Siddha had left, Citrā met with death, being under the sway of (i.e. according to) her deeds. She was punished by Dharmarāja (i.e. Yama) with very painful penalties. That Citrā reached hell causing a host of agonies. O great king, (there) she experienced misery for a thousand yugas. At the end of (i.e. after having) experienced (misery) she got the birth of (i.e. was born as) a human being. She had formerly worshipped the Siddha, the best among the meritorious. It is the ripening (i.e. the fruit) of her deeds that she came to (i.e. was born in) the house of Divodāsa, the great king, (and) in the family of meritorious Kṣatriyas. O best man, she got the name Divyādevī; and she had given good food and drink to the noble one. She enjoyed the meritorious consequence of the great righteous act of charity. She drank cold water, and ate dainty food. Enjoying divine pleasures, she lived in her father’s house; and due to the povver of this Siddha, she was born as a princess. O good son, due to the efficacy of her great sin of splitting the families, O king, that Divyādevī experienced widowhood.

45. I have thus told you all the deeds of Divyādevī. What else, which you ask me now, should I tell you?

Ujjvala said:

46-48. Tell me how she got free from grief and great affliction. What kind of young woman was she, who was afflicted with great grief? What kind of happiness did she have? What will be its consequence? O father, please remove doubt of mine now. Tell me (about) the means by which she will obtain salvation. The noble one is all alone weeping in the great forest.

Viṣṇu said:

49-60. Having heard (those) great (i.e. important) words of his son, and having thought for a moment, that very wise Kuñjala replied to his son: “O my noble son, listen; I telling you the truth. Having reached (i.e. being born in) a sinful stock, due to my former deeds, and due to the contact with this tree, the knowledge of me, who was pious and noble, has now been lost in this existence of a lower animal, O son. I shall tell you about that instruction by which, and through the favour of Revā and grace of Viṣṇu, she has obtained knowledge and has reached salvation; being free from blemish, she will go to salvation, as gold becomes pure due to the contact with fire and gets (back) its own nature. O very intelligent one, due to the meditation on Hari (i.e. Viṣṇu) and due to the muttering (of prayers), sacrifices and vows the sin of the sinners perishes. As an elephant would always give up his intoxication due to the fear of a lion, so the sin goes away due to the recitation of the names of Viṣṇu. As the serpents become poisonless due to the lustre of (Garuḍa) the son of Vinatā, so all sins like the murder of a brāhmaṇa perish; and in no other way. They too go away due to the recitation of the names of Viṣṇu. When being steady, and free from lust and anger, she would mutter the hundred names, destroying heaps of sins, and when, having controlled all the organs of sense, would guard them through the knowledge of self, and when, having entered into his meditation, having become one with (i.e. having become sincerely devoted to) him, and being composed, she would mutter (the names of Viṣṇu) she would reach (i.e. obtain) highest knowledge and salvation. When she would be endowed with abstract meditation, and when she would set her heart upon him, she would be completely resting at his feet.”

Ujjvala said:

61. O father, right now tell me about the great, highest knowledge; and after that the vow of meditation and the auspicious hundred names.

Kuñjala said:

62. I shall explain to you the highest knowledge, which nobody has perceived (i.e. acquired). O son, listen to (the description of) the perfect final emancipation, free from impurity.

Sūta said:

63-69a. O highly intelligent one, as a lamp in a place sheltered from wind, is steady (as it is) free from wind, burning brightly, (and) would destroy all darkness, in the same way the soul, free from blemishes, remains alone, free from desires, pure, and O son, he is never a friend or a foe. (He has) neither grief nor joy; (he has) neither greed nor jealousy. Being all alone, he is free from dejection, joy, happiness and unhappiness; so also free from all the objects of sense, (when) he would withdraw his organs of sense (from the objects). Then he has become absolute and salvation takes place (in his case). O lord of kings, a lamp, without any company (i.e. being solitary), and free from wind, would, through the contact of the movement of fire, dry up the oil due to the support of the wick. Then it emits soot, and on the top of the lamp a dark line of (i.e. due to) the oil is seen, O you very intelligent one. It itself draws oil and becomes spotless by means of the oil.

69b-72a. In the same way he (i.e. the soul) remains in the wick of the body and would draw the oil of the deeds; and would himself shine with lustre. Being free from anger etc. and winds called troubles, so also being desireless and steady he would glow with lustre. Remaining in his own place, he sees all the three worlds by means of his lustre.

72b-84. I have told (i.e. described to) you this (soul), of the nature of absolute knowledge. I shall (now) explain to you the meditation upon the disc-holder (i.e. Viṣṇu); he is seen with the eye of knowledge, of the nature of absolute knowledge. Whom (i.e. him) the noble ones, intent upon (obtaining) the highest object (i.e. salvation), and having abstract meditation, and being watchful, see. His penance (i.e. penance practised to reach him) manifests everything. Being without hands and feet, he moves everywhere. O son, he captures (i.e. pervades) all the three worlds—mobile and immobile. O son, (even being) without nose and mouth, he smells and eats. He, the witness (to everything), the lord of the world, (even though) without ears, hears everything. (Though) without a form he is connected with forms and is under the sway of the group of five (organs of sense). Who (i.e. he) is the life of the entire world, and is worshipped by the mobile and the immobile. O son, (though) tongue-less, he recites everything according to the Vedic texts. For him, who is without skin, touch of all objects is produced (i.e. he can touch everything). He is ever joyful, is detached, has one form (only), is independent, is without old age, without the feeling of mineness, just, possessing qualities, without the feeling of mineness, and pure. He is not under the control of anyone, (but) everything is under his control; he is the giver of everything and the best. among the omniscient ones. He has no supporter; he, the eternal one, is full of everything. He who thus observes everything as full of meditation of the noble one, goes to the incorporeal, highest place, resembling nectar. I shall explain to you another meditation of this noble one. It is having a form, corporeal, formless and sound. O my son, he is called Vāsudeva since the entire matchless-universe is occupied by him. His colour would be (i.e. is) that which is of the showering cloud. He, the lord of gods, resembles the sun’s lustre and has four arms.

85-95. In his right hand shines a conch decorated with. gold and jewels, and the disc resembling the sun’s orb and a lotus are (held) in it. O boy, the mace Kaumodakī, destroying great demons, shines in the left hand of the illustrious one. A big lotus, rich with fragrance is (held) in his right hand. He, dear to Kamalā (i.e. Lakṣmī) always shines with weapons. (A man should meditate upon) Viṣṇu (whose) neck is like a conch, face is round, and eyes resemble lotus-leaves, who shines with teeth resembling jewels. His hair is (flowing) like treacle, and the lips have the form of a coral. O son, he having the eyes like lotuses, shines with a crown. Janārdana (i.e. Viṣṇu) shines with a glorious form and great lustre and is marked with the Kaustubha gem. Hari (i.e. Viṣṇu) shines with ear-rings resembling the sun’s. lustre and always shines with the auspicious mark of Śrīvatsa. Vijaya, the best among the victorious, shines with a body having armlets, bracelets, necklaces and pearls resembling stars. That Govinda also shines with a golden-coloured garment and with fingers with rings and gems. The creator of the worlds, the lord of the worlds (i.e. Viṣṇu), (shining with) all complete weapons and divine ornaments, is mounted upon Garuḍa. A man who thus meditates upon him with a concentrated mind is free from all sins, and goes to Viṣṇu’s world.

96. I have thus told you everything about the meditation upon the lord of the world. I shall now tell you (about) the vow, destroying all sins.