Chapter 144 - The Story of Citrāṅgadeśvara, Phalavatī and Jābāli

[Sanskrit text for this chapter is available]

[Full title: The Story of Citrāṅgadeśvara (Citrāṅgada-īśvara), Phalavatī and Jābāli]

Sūta said:

1-2. She went to heaven and later told the Lotus-eyed One (Indra) along with the Devas: “Fortunately, O Lord, the great sage has been rendered agitated. The penance that he had accumulated with great difficulty has been entirely shattered. He has become deprived of refulgence. Hence relax and be happy.”

3. On uttering these words, Raṃbhā was congratulated by all the Suras.

Since the sage was Amogharetas (‘one whose semen never goes in vain’) she conceived the foetus in her womb.

4. As for sage Jābāli, he regretted very much for what he did. But he resumed his penance once again in the hermitage where he stayed.

5. Ten months later, the Apsarā delivered a splendid daughter marked with divine characteristics with eyes like the petals of a lotus.

6. In view of the fact that she had origin from a human being, the mother of the girl went to his hermitage and left her there. She then told him directly:

7-8. “O tiger among sages, nurse and bring up this girl born from your semen, and conceived in my womb. Human beings cannot have a permanent stay in Svarga. For this reason, O Brāhmaṇa, she is being entrusted to you.”

9. After saying this, Raṃbhā hastened back to the abode of Devas. On seeing his own daughter Jābāli was drawn to her by great affection.

10. He kept his child well-guarded in a creeper-hut and nurtured her day and night with the juice of sweet fruits.

11. Like the digit of the moon in the sky in the bright half of a month, the girl slowly grew up day by day.

12. As the lotus-eyed girl grew up, the filial affection of Jābāli too increased steadily.

13. In her childhood the splendid girl played with the deer and birds that remained calm and carefree. Thereby she enhanced the delight of the sage.

14. She grew up form the childish stage into a young maiden regularly clad in bark garments. She always helped the sage in all his holy rites.

15. She brought sacrificial twigs, Darbha grass etc. along with fruits and flowers from the forest and thereby heightened his pleasure.

16. After a few days, once, in the heat of summer, the fawn-eyed girl went far into the forest from her hermitage to collect fruits.

17. In the meantime Citrāṅgada, a Gandharva out of the celestial beings, came there riding in his aerial chariot.

18. In the desolate forest, the girl with the countenance resembling the full moon was seen by him, like the digit of the moon fallen on the ground.

19. He experienced the pangs of love all over the body. He descended to the earth from his aerial chariot. With palms joined in veneration, he spoke these sweet words:

20. “Who are you, O bright-eyed girl roaming about in the great desolate forest? Your complexion is like the tender inside of a lotus. Yet you move about alone.”

The girl said:

21. I am the daughter of Sage Jābāli, named Phalavatī. I have come to this forest to gather fruits for him.

Citrāṅgada said:

22. O lady of beautiful thighs, it is reported that the excellent sage is a life-long celibate. How were you then born without a wife of his?

The girl said:

23. O highly esteemed one, it is true that the sage has not taken a wife unto himself. Listen then how I came to be born.

24. Formerly an Apsarā named Raṃbhā was seen by him. As he was overcome by love then the celestial lady was resorted to by him for pleasure.

25. I was born out of her womb in the exalted Devaloka. I was then entrusted to the sage by her.

26. It was in this manner that the excellent sage Jābāli came to be my father. Thereafter, I was brought up by him by means of juice extracted from various kinds of fruits.

27. Then I was given the name Phalavatī by that noble-souled one. Indeed this befits me. This is the story about which you have asked.

Citrāṅgada said:

28. O timid lady, after seeing your beautiful form I have become a slave unto Kāma. Hence do resort to me. Otherwise I shall be doomed (die).

29. I am a Gandharva out of the heaven-dwellers named Citrāṅgada. I have come to this holy spot with great faith, in the course of my pilgrimage.

The girl said:

30. I am still virgin and under the control of my father. O Citrāṅgada, I am not conversant with the nuances of love play.

31. Hence request my father. He will give me unto you. You are a young man fully qualified and so suitable to me, a girl of exalted mind.

32. Your excellent words appeal to me too. I will consider myself blessed if I can embrace your neck as I please.

Citrāṅgada said:

33. O highly esteemed maiden, I cannot wait so much time. The great fire of love arising out of my body burns me.

34. Hence, O splendid maiden, do me the favour of the gift of sexual intimacy. Who knows how his mind will react?

The girl said:

35. If you behave thus, there is no doubt about it that my father, out of anger, will bum you down giving you a terrible curse.

Citrāṅgada said:

36. O honour-bestowing maiden, your father will bum only after the lapse of some time. But this fire of love will reduce me to ashes immediately.

37. After saying thus to the timid, bashfully trembling maiden, he caught her right hand and entered the temple.

38. There the Gandharva being afflicted with love, sported with her who had become shameless at that time with her passion rendering her blind.

39. O excellent sages, even as she remained thus along with him, the day passed off like a minute. Then the day came to a close. The sun set.

40. In the meantime, the Brāhmaṇa Jābāli became extremely miserable, after having noticed that his daughter had not returned. He wandered here and there.

41-42. ‘Alas, has my daughter been devoured by tigers? Has she fallen on the ground after climbing up a tree? Or did she enter some pond and get drowned because she could not gauge the depth? She might have entered it seeking water.’

43. Lamenting thus the Brāhmaṇa roamed about in the dense forest. He was himself agitated due to hunger and thirst. Thorns and Kuśa grass wounded his limbs.

44. At night whenever he heard some sound of a bird or animal, he became startled thinking that it was Phalavatī.

45. Slowly the excellent sage came to the temple of Hara where his daughter was present in close intimacy with Citrāṅgada.

46. She was speaking many words expressing love unhesitatingly but improper in the case of virgins especially if they hail from a Brāhmaṇa family.

47. Even from afar he had been hearing those words for a long time and was astonished. On seeing the activity of the girl, he became angry with reddened eyes.

48. He gathered together a bundle of sticks and rushed against them with the intention of killing both. He rebuked them repeatedly:

49-50. “Fie upon you, O girl of sinful behaviour! You have defiled your own virginity. A stigma has been brought on me. It is bound to be known in all the three worlds.

Certainly, O base girl, you have obtained a husband by means of this misdeed. I shall destroy you already defiled by this sin.”

51. After saying thus the excellent sage was about to hurl the stick to strike when Citrāṅgada disappeared quickly through the path of the sky.

52. Stripped of her clothes and fatigued by love play (Phalavatī) could not get up from the ground and go somewhere else.

53. With a number of strokes of the stick he continuously thrashed the fallen maiden on the ground with excessive anger. He thought her dead (and ceased to beat).

54. On seeing the frightened Citrāṅgada passing through the sky, he uttered a curse on him:

55-56. “Let this sinful fellow who has ravished my daughter

and who tries to flee fall down immediately like a bird whose wings have been clipped. Let him be afflicted with leprosy and be incapable of even moving.” In the meantime, he did fall on the ground from the sky.

57. The young man Citrāṅgada was overtaken by the disease of leprosy. With a piece of wood raised up in his hand with anger, the sage said to him:

58. “Who are you, O fellow of sinful activities? Who are you by whom the virgin had been ravished? Hence I shall send you to the abode of Yama.”

Citrāṅgada said:

59. I am a Gandharva, one of the (categories of) Heaven-dwellers. I am Citrāṅgada by name, I came to this holy spot in the course of my pilgrimage.

60. On seeing this girl, I wsas overcome by Kāma (sexual desire).

61. Therefore I resorted to her in this bower of creepers isolated from people. So do forgive me. I am distressed myself and I readily bow down to you.

62. With your favour, let this disease be eradicated. Let me have the freedom of movement in the sky. Indeed the anger in good men is meagre and short-lived.

Jābāli said:

63-65. Indeed, as per my utterance you will be in this form alone. This my sinful daughter shall always be nude like this. There is no doubt about it. If at all she comes back to life and if she were to wear any cloth, her head will burst undoubtedly.

After saying thus he got rid of his anger and went back to his hermitage.

66-67. Cirtāṅgada continued to be there along with her in that plight.

Once thereafter, on the fourteenth lunar day in the bright half of the month of Caitra, the Moon-crested Lord came to that holy spot in order to sport about in the Citreśvara Pīṭha. He was surrounded by his terrible attendants and the fierce Yoginīs. It was at nightfall that he came.

68. When it was midnight the extremely terrible Yoginīs began to clamour for food saying, “The great (human) meat! The great meat (of humans)!”

69. They began to dance before the Trident-bearing Lord of Devas. In their devilish dances they vied with the chiefs of the Gaṇas dancing all round.

70. He who at that time offers to them the great meat (human flesh) sanctified by Mantras shall attain desired Siddhi.

71. If one offers liquor, meat or other food offering such as fruits etc., his Siddhi has been mentioned as anything cherished in his own heart.

72. In the meantime the daughter of Jābāli and Citrāṅgada went there and spoke respectfully.”

73. “May the delighted Yoginīs eat comfortably our flesh that we offer ourselves voluntarily.”

74. On seeing the male being afflicted with leprosy and the girl stripped of her clothes, all of them were surprised.

75. All the Gaṇas of Rudra and the three-eyed Lord were surprised. The Lord prompted by curiosity asked Citrāṅgada:

76-77. “Who ṇre you, O bold one having great courage and strength? You are offering your very life which is endearing even to an insect.

Who is this maiden without clothes, without anguish, who offers along with you her own body that should not be given to anyone else?”

Sūta said:

78. Then he recounted everything regarding his own act, how he had intercourse with the girl and how the good sage cursed.

79. On seeing Citrāṅgada, the Gandharva (one) among the Heaven-dwellers, in that form, Śaṅkara became sympathetic and said to him:

80. “After seeing me no one meets death. Nor can my vision be futile. Hence request (for a boon) respectfully.”

Citrāṅgada said:

81. O Śaṅkara, I have become greatly affected due to this ailment. Hence, O Lord, I came here so that along with the destruction of the body there can be the eradication of the ailment too.

82. Hence do destroy the disease. If you grant me any boon, give me back my ability to go freely through the sky so that I can go to Svarga.

Śrī Śaṅkara said:

83. Install my Liṅga on the sacred pedestal (Pīṭha) here, O most excellent one among Gandharvas. Then propitiate it with love and devotion for the period of a year.

84. As you go on performing the excellent adoration of my Liṅga everyday, so your ailment will be getting eradicated.

85. Then you will attain the ability to go through the sky and will go to Svarga with my favour. There is no doubt about it. It is the truth that I have uttered.

86. Since this maiden entered the area of the pedestal, she will become a Yoginī named Phalavatī.

87. She will become installed in this same naked form. She will be the chief object of worship. She will grant things cherished in the heart of those who worship. She will even grant the same a hundred-fold.

88. A man should worship her and thereafter the pedestal. If he worships so, he will attain the desired Siddhi.

89. On being told thus she became extremely delighted. Standing in the centre of the group of Yoginīs, she began to dance.

90. It was thus that the excellent maiden became a Yoginī. She danced well and Maheśvara was pleased with it.

91-93. On being delighted the Lord said to her in the presence of all the Yoginīs: “O dear maiden, I am pleased with this dance of yours as well as with the song sung. Hence listen to my words. On this day at mid-night, if a devotee worships you with the offerings of liquor, meat and cooked food uttering the Mantras taken from Āgamas, he will become at that very time one having the power to curse and bless.”

94. There is no doubt about it that he will have the following powers against his enemies: Bandhana (bondage), Mohana (fascination, enchanting), Uccāṭana (exorcising) and Vaśīkanaṇa (keeping under one’s control).

95. Occupying the triangular Kuṇḍa, he shall adore the Guardians of the Quarters, the Kṣetrapāla and all those deities of the firmament.

96-97. He should then duly perform the worship of Catvara (the levelled ground kept ready for Yajña); then he should worship you and perform Homa with Guggula (fragrant gum resin) mixed with the dust of the left foot of the enemy. The devotee thereby attains the power of Staṃbhana (benumbing, stupefying) of a thousand (persons).

98. The devotee thinks about the enemy in his heart and mixes the unguents, the bodily dirt and Dhātrī fruits (embylic myrobalan) (for the Homa). He will be able to enchant people or the enemy (Mohana).

99-100. Further, the devotee should collect the water wherein the enemy has bathed. It is then to be mixed with mud and Śivanirmālya (Remnants of the worship of Śiva) to be consigned to the sacred fire by way of Homa. The entire worship is to be performed before you and certainly the man outwits the enemy. This lover of yours, Citrāṅgada will get due worship by virtue of your contact.^[1]

Phalavatī said:

101-104. If, O Lord, you are pleased with me, do grant me another excellent boon whereby the pleasure cherished in my heart can be realized fully. Let^[2] this father of mine, Jābāli, also be stripped of his clothes always. Let him stand day and night in the manner that I stand.

Let him thereby become more distressed on seeing my acts involving use of liquor and meat contrary to the conventions of Brāhmaṇa families.

He should smell the (odour) of liquor and see meat consecrated. He shall also witness me engaged in free love play. Thereby he shall undergo misery day by day.

Śrī Bhagavān said:

105. O splendid lady, this shall become as mentioned. It has already happened now. I shall go to Kailāsa. Do remain here as you are told.

Sūta said:

106. After saying thus, Lord Hara vanished. All those Yoginīs remained settled in their respective abodes.

107. Citrāṅgada made an excellent palace there and installed the Liṅga of the Trident-bearing Lord of Devas.

108. Then he propitiated it alertly without lassitude day and night.

109. Then at the end of a year he was rid of his disease and he regained excellent form. Riding on an excellent aerial chariot, he went to the abode of Devas. The sage named Jābāli remained naked.

110. He caused derisive laughter among the people and remained thus always ruefully observing the aberrations of his daughter.

111. The great sage having come near the Pīṭha (pedestal) became extremely distressed and censured the life and activities of women.

112-114. “Alas, such women come across sinful men, as have conduct like this although they are born of Brāhmaṇa families!

Only for once did I have close intimacy with a woman, but a sin like this extending from birth till death has been incurred.

On the other hand, there are base men who are enamoured of them always. What will be their destiny? Although I ponder over it, I do not understand.”

115. Even as he was prattling thus, the infuriated Yoginīs surrounded the Brāhmaṇa with contempt and spoke thus:

Yoginīs said:

116. O deluded soul, you may have practiced yoga but do not censure women because this entire universe consisting of the mobile and immobile beings is sustained by women.

117. It is by them that Śeṣa and Kūrma were given birth to. These two, Śeṣa and Kūrma, sustain and stabilize the earth and it is the earth whereon the universe is established.

118. O deluded fool, blessed indeed is your daughter who has acquired the excellent yoga in the course of a very few days.

119. You are foolish enough and cling to the path of the Chandas (Vedas). You are associated with Avidyā (ignorance) and roam about in the world.

The sage said:

120. All the women deserve to be censured in all conditions. They give only misery. Neither in this world nor in the other world can pleasure be derived from them.

121. It is on account of them (women) that the great Asuras, Śuṃbha, Niśuṃbha, Rāvaṇa and Daṇḍabhūpa (King Daṇḍa) and thousands of others have been killed.

122. Despite the fact that she had such a brilliant husband as Brāhmaṇa Gautama, Ahalyā devoid of the conventional decorum, loved and resorted to Śakra.

The girl said:

123. O deluded one, you are going on censuring and trying to establish that young women are worthy of being censured. Well, speak with me so that I can make you sensible.

124. O sage, there is neither intellect nor shame nor mercy in your heart. Does even a base-born Śūdra commit the deed perpetrated by you?

125. O base one, I was killed by you when you struck me with the piece of wood (stick). You never worried about the sin arising from the murder of a woman.

126. Your sin is all the more, because it was your own daughter that you murdered in the height of your anger. Of course, a few sins get dissolved through different kinds of expiation.

127. But that arising from the murder of a woman? Say if there is any means whereby it will disappear. O mean Brāhmaṇa, I do not at all feel miserable for having been struck by you.

128. O highly evil-minded one, even at the end of a Kalpa, this sin of yours will not vanish—this sin caused by your curse whereby I was rendered nude forever.

129. Stay here itself along with me. Continue your misery and reap the fruit thereof. You will not dare to censure and you will not commit another murder.

130. All young maidens are not to be deemed censurable. They are not at all defiled. The monthly menstrual cycle takes away their sins.

The sage said:

131. Women are sinful in their conduct. They cannot be purified at all. Their attachment to another woman’s husband gives them the status of a Śūdra.

The girl said:

132. O deluded one, do not say that young midens are impure. In this connection there is a verse sung by Manu earlier. Know it from me.

133. “Brāhmaṇas are pure in their feet. Cows are pure in their hind parts. Goats and horses are pure in their mouths. Women are pure all over their person.”

The sage said:

134. Brāhmaṇas are pure everywhere. Cows are pure everywhere. Goats and horses are pure in their mouths. Women are not pure anywhere.

The girl said:

135. He who has a loving woman in his house has the Philosopher’s Stone (Cintāmaṇi) in his hand, and the wish-yielding Kalpa tree in his house. Kubera is a servant unto him.

The sage said:

136. He who has a lustful woman in his house has all the adversities. Everything in his house is miserable. Naraka is all round him.

The girl said:

137. It is from women that all these originate: wherever things are pleasurable, whatever things yield enjoyment, everything yielded by virtue, wealth and love.

The sage said:

138. It is from women that all these originate: whatever yields misery and pain unto embodied beings, whatever is desagreeable and undesirable.

The girl said:

139. Through the four circumambulations of fire at the time of marriage a woman displays the four Puruṣārthas (aims in life), viz. Dharma, wealth, love and salvation.

The sage said:

140. At the very first close contact under the pretext of the (religious rite of) circumambulations of fire, a woman makes the roaming (cycle of coming and going) in the worldly existence manifest.

The girl said:

141. Who among even the wise men, becomes disinterested on seeing a woman of plump breasts and wide eyes extending upto the ears?

The sage said:

142. What (that is all) people of deluded wisdom who approach a big-buttocked woman thinking her to be beautiful, do not get perished like fire-flies in flames? (All perish.)

The girl said:

143. Only a blessed man resorts to the breasts of a woman that are Nirmukha (having no face, no prominent nipple), Kaṭhora (hard), Proddhata (haughty, protruding) and manorama (charming to the mind) and specially one who also resorts to liquor and meat.

The sage said:

144. It is better to touch two serpents rather than the two breasts of the wife though both are Ābhogins (having big body and expanded hood yielding pleasures), Maṇḍalis (circular in coils), Muktakañcuka (have bodice stripped; having shed the slough) at that time.

The girl said:

145. Not only the structure of the limbs of women is beautiful but their embrace also gives pleasure and causes horripilation.

The sage said:

146. The structure of the limbs of these is not merely beautiful but accords sin to the eyes. The body of women, if touched, is conducive to ruin and to Naraka after death.

The girl said:

147. If womenfolk begin to love one, who is not happy in the world, who is not meritorious and who is not covetable?

The sage said:

148. If one does not take interest in womenfolk, who does not attain salvation, who is not praiseworthy, who is not happy and well-off.

The girl said:

149. The female body appeals exceedingly even to an insect sleeping in the world, and to a discriminating man still more so.

The sage said:

150. The appeal of the female body to a lustful man in the world is like that (appeal) to a worm arising from rubbish.

151. The creator was thinking of (creating) a permanent and pleasing spot unto men. Not being able to see anything else, Strīratna (jewel of a woman) was brought (created).

The sage said:

152. A noose in the form of a woman was made by the creator who could not see anything else that could bind the world.

Sūta said:

153. Thus the tiger among sages was rendered incapable of making any reply by her. Then he said to his daughter:

The sage said:

154. Now I should not hold further conversation with you. Though a girl you have negated (refuted) me in every respect.

155. I consider myself highly blessed because I have a daughter like you, an able exponent of the scriptural texts.

156. Hence, O highly esteemed woman, I have not even the vestige of anger in me. So engage yourself in sports as you please in the midst of the Yoginīs.

157. On seeing her father so very affectionate she became bashful. Standing amongst the Yoginīs she bowed to him and spoke again:

158-159. “Whether through knowledge or ignorance, O holy Sir, if you have been negated by me, may it be forgiven especially because I am only a girl.

After coming to this Pīṭha, all the excellent Brāhmaṇas will perform your worship at the outset and only later the adoration of all the other deities in the Pīṭha. Devout men thus will attain the greatest goal.”

160. It was thus that the daughter of Jābāli, the sage, happen to be there. So also the excellent sage Jābāli and Citrāṅgadeśvara.

161-164. A man who performs the worship of all the three everyday shall attain Siddhi. There is nothing here on the earth which cannot be achieved. Thus the narrative that accords all cherished desires has been told to you. It yields all benefits to those who read and listen both in this world and in the other world.

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

This vidhi described in vv. 95-100. is really atrocious.

[2]:

The boon sought is inhuman.