Chapter 33 - Ānandeśvara (ānanda-īśvara-liṅga)

[Sanskrit text for this chapter is available]

Śrī Hara said:

1-7. Know that Ānandeśvara Liṅga is the thirty-third deity, meritorious and destructive of sins. It always causes (gives) all types of riches.

Formerly, in the Rāthantara Kalpa, there was a king named Anamitra. He was an emperor on the earth, pious and noble-souled. The king was endowed with wealth of exploits. He excelled all other living beings and shone immutable like the Sun. He was impartial to his enemies, sons and friends. He was conversant with the greatest Dharma. O Daughter of the Mountain, he married Giribhadrā, a lady of excellent complexion. She was his greatest favourite, dearer to him than his own life. He had a son named Ānanda of good intellect and was engaged in the pursuit of knowledge. Immediately after the birth when the child rested in the lap of the king steadily he began to lisp again and again. The king used to embrace him with great affection and make him lisp again and again. He had the power of remembering previous births. Lying in the lap of his mother, he laughed. The excited mother spoke these words:

8-15. “I am afraid. What is this, dear child? Laughter is visible in your face. Have you attained premature enlightenment? What is the blessed thing that you see?”

On being asked thus, he replied to his mother: “Everyone desires his own personal benefit. A female cat in front wishes to seize me. Don’t you see? This second one, the spirit that takes away the newborn young one, has vanished. With affection for the son, therefore, O dear mother, you too wish for your own benefit. You make me utter words many times and embrace me repeatedly. This excitement due to affection for the newborn son is present in all women. Hence I was forced to laugh. Listen to the cause thereof. This pet female cat attached to her own benefit covetously looks at me. Similarly this second one, the spirit that takes away a newborn young one and that has vanished, also does so. Yoū wish to enjoy the benefit derived from me gradually. You do not know who I am, nor what help I have rendered to you. The association with children is also not of very long duration. It has been only for five or seven days. Still you love me dearly and embrace me always. You falsely speak to me, ‘O dear one, O dear child, O fair one.’” On hearing these words of her son, the angry mother said thus:

16-23. “It is not for your return help, dear child, that I lovingly embrace you. My own benefit that is likely to be derived from you, has been given up by me.”

After saying this she discarded him and went out of the lying-in-chamber. Then Jātahāriṇī (a spirit taking away newborn ones) carried away the abandoned child.

O my beloved, the boy had the power to remember previous births. The spirit Jātahāriṇī took the boy to the bed of Haiminī, the spouse of king Vikrānta. The king thought him to be his own son and gave him the well-known name Ānanda.

The (real) son of Vikrānta was taken away (by Jātahāriṇī) to (the abode of) a Brāhmaṇa Bodha. The child was named Caitra by him and consecrated through Vedic Mantras. The third (one involved in this process), the (real) son of Bodha, was eaten by an ogress. The Upanayana (sacred thread ceremony) of Ānanda, who could remember the previous births, was celebrated. The preceptor directed him to pay obeisance to his mother nearby at the outset. On being told so, he spoke these words: “Which mother has to be saluted by me, one who gave birth to me or one who nursed me?” On hearing Ānanda’s words the preceptor spoke these words:

24-33. “O blessed one, here is your mother, the chief queen of Vikrānta, named Haiminī, daughter of Janaka.”

Ānanda said:

I am the son of Giribhadrā. This is the mother who gave birth to Caitra. This Caitra is in the house of a Brāhmaṇa. He is consecrated by the Brāhmaṇa through Mantras.

Then the preceptor asked: “Who are you? Who is this Caitra mentioned by you?” Thereupon he narrated the previous details from the beginning.

The Preceptor said:

O dear child, a grave emergency has arisen. I do not comprehend anything. My mental faculties whirl due to delusion and enchantment.

Ānanda said:

Where is the occasion for a delusion or fascination? This is the established thing in the world. Who is whose son, O Brāhmaṇa- Sage? Who is not whose kinsman? Hence, the state of worldly existence destroys the worldly existence of all living beings. Their mind is afflicted with great delusion. How can there be anything surprising (in this), O preceptor? Jātahāriṇī, the daughter of Dussaha, the wicked son of Brahmā, changes the children. In this very birth I have had two mothers. This fact has been comprehended by me on remembering the previous births. So I shall perform penance. Let Caitra be brought here.

The king, his wife and all the kinsmen began to wonder. He caused his attachment to him recede. He then brought Caitra and made him eligible for the kingdom.

34-39. Ānanda duly honoured the Brāhmaṇa by whom he (Caitra) was brought up, considering him his own son, and performed penance in the splendid Mahākālavana. He devoutly propitiated the excellent Liṅga to the west of Indreśvara Deva. He performed a very difficult penance. As he performed the penance, O lady of pure smiles, the deity spoke to him: “O dear one, why do you perform this severe penance? Tell me. You shall be the sixth Manu. Go and act accordingly. Enough of your penance. You will get liberation thereafter.” On being told thus by the Lord of Devas, the highly intelligent one said: “So be it.” O goddess, he became Manu of a very great fame, on a par with Brahmā. By worshipping this Liṅga he begot sons. The excellent deity was then named Ānandeśvara.

40-45. Since the rare Siddhi has been obtained by Ānanda, it became well-known on the earth as Ānandeśvara. O lady of large eyes, those who visit Ānandeśvara, the deity, will be richly endowed with sons and grandsons. By seeing Ānandeśvara the men attain that excellent devotion, and their sins accumulated in the course of crores of births are dissolved. Instantaneously the man becomes liberated from births, deaths, old age etc. when he sees the deity named Ānandeśvara.

Thus the vision of Ānandeśvara that bestows salvation on men, has been recounted by me. Ānandeśvara Liṅga is the excellent deity that bestows Svarga and Apavarga (salvation). O lady of wide eyes, the excellent Liṅga has been adored here by Devas. Thus, O goddess, the sin-destroying power of Ānandeśvara Deva has been recounted to you. Listen to (the story of) Kanthaḍeśvara.