Chapter 95 - Greatness of Ajāpāleśvarī (Ajāpāla-īśvarī)

[Sanskrit text for this chapter is available]

Note: Chapters 95-105 gives the version of Rāmāyaṇa. The author has skilfully welded the incidents (may be imaginary) in the Rāma story around the sacred spots (deities and Tīrthas) in Camatkārapura.—Ajāpāla in this chapter is Aja, Daśaratha’s father. He transformed all the ailments into goats and kept them locked up for preservation of the health of his subjects (vv 42-45). He propitiated the Devī who became known after his name (Aja). After the complaint from Yama, Śiva assumed the form of a deer and began to eat the goals. The king fought unarmed with that tiger and Śiva manifested himself and look him and his queen with him without giving him any time to crown Daśaratha.—Rāmāyaṇa does not know this. Kālidāsa describes how he fought for the sake of Nandinī, Vasiṣṭha’s cow.

Sūta said:

1-2. Further, there is another goddess also there who bestows desired things on men. She was installed by King Ajāpāla and is destructive of all sins.

A man who worships Ajāpāleśvarī on the fourteenth lunar day in a bright half (Śukla Pakṣa) with devotion by means of incense, flowers and unguents shall obtain all desired things inaccessible to all other men.

3. He acquires (everything) with that favour of that goddess. It is the truth that has been uttered by me. Formerly there was a king named Ajāpāla, greatly honoured by good people.

4-5. He was one who did what is beneficial to all the people like their mother and like their father. After acquiring the splendid kingdom from his father and grandfather the noble-souled king mentally thought to himself thus: ‘Such work should be done by me as has not been done by other kings and will not be done by those who are to be born later.’

6. Perpetual protection of the subjects and safeguarding their all-round happiness alone has been cited as the greatest virtue of kings.

7. The more greedy kings levy taxes and tributes on their subjects, inevitably, the more agitation is provoked in their hearts.

8. Without taxation kings will not be able to maintain an army consisting of elephants, horses etc. and also infantry in particular.

9. Without levying taxes a king is likely to be overcome easily and quickly by base (enemies). It is for this reason, that kings levy taxes on the people.

10-11. Hence my kingdom should be rendered free from thorn-like enemies by me solely through the power of penance, without having recourse to elephants and human beings (infantry), without levying taxes, but always keeping the public in good humour. That will keep me distinct from other noble-souled kings.

12. After deciding thus in mind, he sent for the leading sage Vasiṣṭha, his priest, and then said to him respectfully:

13-14. “O Brāhmaṇa, tell me quickly, which is the most excellent of all the Tīrthas on this earth? It should be a place where Maheśvara, Vāsudeva or Brahmā may be pleased within a short time.

O excellent Brāhmaṇa, I solely pledge myself that I am not after selfish interests. I will perform a penance for the sake of the welfare of all the world.”

Vasiṣṭha said:

15. O tiger among kings, there are thirty-five million Tīrthas on the earth. All of them are highly powerful.

16. There are sixty-eight holy places on the earth where Maheśvara is always present.

17-19. Further, Brahmā, Viṣṇu, Śiva and all the Suras are pleased with them.

But, O king, the holy place of Lord Hāṭakeśvara yields Siddhi very quickly to men. It is destructive of the sins of all the Devas too.

Caṇḍikā becomes pleased quickly if propitiated by men endowed with perfect ardour and faith on the earth.

Hence, O highly esteemed one, go to that holy place and propitiate that goddess with perfect faith. You will attain Siddhi within a short time.

20. On being told thus by him (Vasiṣṭha) he went to that excellent holy spot, installed that goddess and worshipped with devotion.

21. He strictly adhered to the vow of celibacy. He observed all vows. He remained pure. He observed restraints in everything and particularly in the matter of the intake of food. He took holy bath thrice a day.

22. While he continued the propitiation thus with sweet scents, flowers and unguents and performed the adoration, the goddess became pleased with him.

The Devī said:

23. O dear one, I am well pleased with your continued Vratas and the performance of adorations and oblations in this manner.

24. Hence, O king, tell me so that I can grant you what you have in your heart, immediately, be it very difficult of obtaining even to Devas.

The king said:

25. This Vrata has been eagerly taken up by me with a desire for the welfare of the worlds so that, with my favour, they will attain excellent happiness.

26. Hence, O highly esteemed goddess, grant me missiles along with perfect knowledge. They must be able to move all round unimpeded. They should be of diverse kinds.

27. Though they may be staying at my side, they should be aware of all crimes such as ravishing other people’s wives etc., wherever they are committed on the earth or anywhere in the world.

28. They must be able to mete out befitting punishment for the said sins so that there will not be inter-mixture of castes.

29. Further, O goddess, grant me different kinds of Mantras whereby I can immediately restrain and control ailments and beings that cause them.

30. Thereby all men in my kingdom shall be happy, well nourished, free from ailments and also devoid of fright and grief.

31. O goddess, I am not gathering together elephants, horses and chariots because they can be sustained only through money and money can be collected through taxes levied on all the people. So I do not like this.

Śrī Devī said:

32. O king, highly wonderful is your undertaking which has not been practised by anyone else nor anyone is likely to undertake.

33. Still I shall do this. I shall grant you weapons and missiles along with perfect knowledge and the requisite Mantras too.

34. By these all terrible ailments can be curbed. But, they should be well preserved always along with my Mantras.

35. If perchance they stray away from the range of your vision, they will be afflicting men who may get more of the calamities.

36. When you ascend to heaven from the earth, they should be deposited in the watery expanse existing before me.

37. All the Mantras and the missiles should, at this bidding of mine, be undoubtedly deposited in the Tīrtha so that all the activities of kings shall be carried on as before.

Sūta said:

38. When the king said “So it shall be”, O excellent Brāhmaṇas, many divine missiles manifested themselves.

39. All of them were appended with the full complement of perfect knowledge (of Mantras) in the manner requested for by that noble-souled king. So also there were the Mantras for ailments.

40. By these, the ailments can (could) be curbed and released always as one pleased. Kept within the range of vision they can (could) be easily maintained.

41. Thereupon, after acquiring the favour of Caṇḍikā, he gave away to Brāhmaṇas everything including elephants etc.

42-45. He gave away everything excepting his wife and his only son Daśaratha.

After assiduously controlling all the ailments in the form of goats through the Mantras himself pursuing them with a staff in his hand, he protected the land (This is the significance of his name Ajāpāla).

As the king maintained all these things on the earth here was no offence or crime stealthily perpetrated. How could there be open offence?

If anyone perpetrated any sin on the earth, a befitting punishment followed instantly, in the form of death, bondage or sufferings at the hands of enemies.

46. These invisible missiles did everything instantly. Of course in the dominions of other kings men committed many secret crimes. In those places Vaivasvata (Yama) carried on the task of restraining and punishing.

47. There the people were too frightened to perpetrate crimes openly, especially due to the fear of the weapons.

48. Therefore, the people devoid of sins became sanctified in their bodies. When the ailments were curbed, they attained excellent happiness.

49. When the worlds thus became rid of sins and ailments, all the Narakas in the abode of Yama became empty.

50. No one fell into Naraka. No man traversed the path of death. Even in Tretā Yuga everything was a though in Kṛtayuga.

51. All the activities of Yama’s world came to a standstill. All living beings free from death, attained happiness on a par with Svarga.

52. Vaivasvata went to the abode of Brahmā in great distress. He bowed down to Pitāmaha and said:

53-56. “Formerly, O Lord, I was entrusted by you with the task of punishing and blessing for the purpose of keeping watch on Dharma (virtue) and Adharma (vice).

Everything has been nullified by King Ajāpāla, O most excellent one among the Suras, through the power of his penance, acquired by propitiating Goddess Caṇḍikā.

As in Kṛtayuga, no one commits sins and no one falls sick or feels mental anguish.

Hence, of excellent one among the Suras, do something so that all the activities in my abode can be revived as before.”

57. On hearing those words of his, Brahmā, the grandfather of the worlds, glanced at the face of Śiva who was sitting by his side.

58. On hearing the highly mysterious news conveyed by Yama, Three-eyed Lord laughed and said to the Four-faced One.

Maheśvara said:

59. How can one restrain or punish a king of excellent conduct pursuing the path of righteousness?

60-61. Since an unusual and unprecedented path has been shown and perfect righteousness has been established by that noble-souled one, O most excellent one among the Suras, an unusual and unprecedented favour should be shown by me, lest righteousness might be defiled.

62. After saying thus to the Four-faced One Śiva said to Yama: ‘Tell me how much of the span of life of King Ajāpāla yet remains so that when the time arrives I can take him to my abode.”

Yama said:

63-64. Five thousand years of his life have passed. Fifty-five thousand years yet remain. How can I wait till then? By that time my abode itself will become a void. So undertake some means immediately to destroy him.

65. When this was stated by Yama, Śiva sent him off to his abode. He assumed the form of a tiger and went near the king himself.

66. The king was stationed there engaged in his duty of according protection to the subjects. He (Śiva in the form of tiger) roared repeatedly in the loud rumbling sound of clouds.

67. The goats saw the tiger’s aweful form and became frightened. They sought refuge in Ajāpāla.

68. Notwithstanding the carefulness of the king in guarding them, those goats were devoured by Śaṅkara in the form of a tiger.

69. On seeing the destruction of the goats, the king threw away the staff from his hand and took up a sharp weapon.

70. That fierce weapon had the lustre of the hot-rayed sun and was given to him by the goddess who was pleased with him. Śaṅkara, the great Lord, slowly grasped with his mouth that weapon as well as the other missiles given by the goddess.

71. The king had no weapon left with him. Though he was held back by his beloved, the king fought a duel with the tiger.

72. At the contact with the body of the king, the Lord cast away the form of the tiger and resumed his own form embellished with the moon and smeared over with holy ash.

73. The divine form had a garland of headless trunks (skulls?) along with serpents. It had the Khaṭvāṅga weapon. On seeing it the king and his wife bowed down to him.

74. He stood humbly drenched with tears of joy. After eulogizing the Lord, he spoke with words choked with great joy:

The king said:

75. O Lord, I have hit you out of ignorance. I have insulted you. O Lord, may this be forgiven by you.

Śrī Bhagavān said:

76. O dear son, all your misdemeanour has been pardoned by me for I have witnessed with delight your superhuman exploit.

77. No other king administers the kingdom nor will ever do so in the manner done by you. The subjects have been protected by you very well.

78. Hence, O excellent king, accompany me to the nether world in this very body along with your virtuous wife.

79. Henceforth you shall never stay in the mortal world, since your activities are against the interests of all the Devas.

The king said:

80. O Lord, I shall do so after going to the great city of Ayodhyā, informing the ministers and installing my son as king in the kingdom.

81. Further I was particularly instructed thus by the delighted goddess who granted the series of Mantras and diverse kinds of weapons:

82. “O highly intelligent one, when you leave the mortal world ordinarily very difficult to get rid of, all these (Mantras and missiles) should be thrown into my holy Kuṇḍa.”

83. O Lord of Suras, do hand over them again (to the goddess) so that, with your favour I shall be free from indebtedness to the goddess now.

84. On being told thus by the king, Lord Tripurānataka commanded them (weapons etc.) and gave them (to the goddess) quickly after going there.

85-89. The Lord said this also: “Your son shall himself be the king. He is endowed with heroism and exaltedness. He is capable of uplifting the race.

Do come to my palace this day itself after diving into the meritorious waters of Devīkuṇḍa.

O excellent king, on this day, i.e. the fourteenth lunar day in the bright half of the month of Māgha, if anyone else worships this goddess with great devotion, enters this water and casts off his life, he will go to the place in Pātāla where Hāṭakeśvara is present.

O excellent one among kings, a man who regularly takes his holy bath there will never contract hundred and eight kinds of ailments.”

90. After saying thus Parameśvara took the king along with his wife, the goats and the weapons. He entered the waters of Devīkuṇḍa.

91. O excellent Brāhmaṇas, with the same human body and his wife the king was led to his (Lord’s) own palace.

92. Even today he stays there without old age and death. He continues to worship Lord Hāṭakeśvara in Pātāla.

93. It was thus that Goddess Parameśvarī was installed by that king with his mind sanctified with faith.