Chapter 174 - Birth of Pippalāda

[Sanskrit text for this chapter is available]

Note: An ancient teacher, the editor of the Atharva Veda, is mentioned in Praśnopaniṣad. He subsisted on Pippala leaves and hence came to be known as Pippalāda. The derogatory Puranic account is untraceable in the Upaniṣad and in Mahābhārata.

Sūta said:

1. Further I shall describe unto you another Liṅga established there. This Liṅga was installed by Pippalāda and is called Kaṃsāreśvara.

2. If it is visited sins of people committed on that day are dispelled; if it is bowed down to, sins of six months are eradicated and if it is adored, of the whole year (are destroyed).

The Ṛṣis Said:

3-4. O Sūtanandana, you said that the Liṅga installed by Pippalāda is called Kaṃsāreśvara. Kindly tell us why it is so. Who is this Pippalāda? Whose son was he? Tell us for what purpose was the Liṅga installed there in that holy place by the noble-souled one.

Sūta said:

5. A great burden of questions has been placed upon me by you all. I shall, however, answer after paying obeisance to the Self-born Lord.

6. Yājñavalkya had a sister well-known as Kaṃsārī. Observing celibacy even in childhood, she performed a severe penance.

7-8. She stayed in the meritorious hermitage of Yājñavalkya in the company of kinsmen. Once, O Brāhmaṇas, Yājñavalkya had an emission of semen at the end of a dream when he saw an excellent Apsarā. Although he was endowed with the power of penance, O excellent Brāhmaṇas, he was after all in the prime of his youth.

9. His cloth got drenched with the powerful semen. Of course, at dawn he discarded that cloth.

10. But, O excellent Brāhmaṇas, Kaṃsārikā did not know that the cloth had been wetted by semen of never-failing efficacy. She took the cloth at the time of her bath.

11. It so happened that she was in her menstrual period then. While she was taking her plunge the water mingled with the semen entered her vagina.

12. As a result of that she conceived a foetus in her womb. It grew up daily like the Moon in the bright half of a month.

13. Realizing that a child had been conceived in her womb the poor woman was extremely distressed and overcome by shame.

14. She pondered over this for a long time. She was perplexed and wondered how it had happened. Perforce she concealed herself from men and never came within their view.

15. Under the pretext of the observance of holy vows, she always isolated herself. On the completion of ten months, at midnight, on a certain day, a boy was born to her. He had a lustre resembling that of the morning Sun.

16. She covered the child with a nice cloth and took it to a forest devoid of human traffic. All the while, she was crying to herself in great wretchedness. Her eyes welled up with tears.

17. In the desolate region, she came to the foot of a great Aśvattha tree and left the child there speaking these words:

18-19. “O Aśvattha, you are Viṣṇu in visible form. You have a pre-eminent position among Devas. Hence, O Vanaspati (Tree), protect my son from all sides.

This child, my son, is seeking refuge in you, though I may seem to be ruthless and sinful. Do protect him.”

20. After saying thus, the poor ascetic woman cried for a long time and later started towards her hermitage with her eyes dimmed by profuse tears.

21. While the distressed mother was lamenting beneath that tree, an aerial voice arose resembling a rumbling cloud:

22-28. “O splendid lady, do not grieve over this boy. He is the incarnation of Bṛhaspati who was cursed by his elder brother Utathya. He will occupy an honoured place on the earth. He will condense the Atharva Veda that has a hundred Śākhās and Kalpas into one of nine Śākhās and five Kalpas. He will imbibe the juice of Pippala tree and therefore will be well-known as Pippalāda.^[1]

You were wondering how a full-fledged child was born to you without (contact with) a man. Listen to the cause thereof.

The bath-towel of your brother which was drenched with his seminal discharge was worn by you during the menstrual period, O fair lady.

At the time of your bath the waters got mingled with the seminal fluid. This son of yours is the product of that never-failing seminal fluid. Now that you have understood everything, O highly esteemed lady, do what is proper in this respect.”

Sūta said:

29. On hearing the thunderbolt-like words originating from the divine region, she cried loudly and fell on the ground.

30. That pitiable lady fell down like a creeper cut off from a tree.

31. On coming to know that the hermitage was vacant and her sister was late in returning, Yājñavalkya, the great sage, asked the other sages:

32. “Where has my sister Kaṃsārī, the excellent ascetic woman, gone? Without her the entire penance grove has become void.”

33-34. A certain sage announced: “Your younger sister has fallen down on the ground near the Aśvattha tree without any movement of the limbs. I saw her, O excellent sage. Save her. Do not delay.”

Thereupon he (Yājñavalkya) hastened there in bewilderment.

35. He went to the place where the ascetic had said she was lying. He saw her gasping for breath at that place.

36. He sprinkled her with cold water frequently and fanned her. By the time she regained consciousness Kātyāyanī and Maitreyī reached the place with great excitement.

37-38. “What has befallen you, O sister-in-law? Tell us quickly. Were you bitten by a serpent or are you afflicted with the derangement of the three humours (Vāta, Pitta and Kapha)? Are you posessed by spirits? Or are you in the grip of the Māhendra fever?”

39. Though she had regained consciousness, she was overcome with bashfulness seeing Yājñavalkya standing in front in the company of his wives. She gave up her life.

40. On seeing her dead, O Brāhmaṇas, Yājñavalkya and his wives lamented much. They cremated her and offered libations. Eventually, they returned to their hermitage.

41. At the foot of the Aśvattha, the boy grew slowly sustaining himself by the tasty Pippala juice.

42. Once Nārada, the excellent sage, came that way in the course of his pilgrimage.

43-45. On seeing the boy with the refulgence of twelve Suns engaged in regularly tasting the Pippala all by himself in that desolate forest, he asked in great surprise: ‘Who may you be, O lonely fellow? This is a extremely terrible desolate forest infested by lions and tigers. Why do you stay here alone? Where are your mother and father? How do you manage to live? Tell me in detail.’”

Pippalāda said:

46. I do not know my father and mother or any kinsman. Nor do I know you who came near me now.

Sūta said:

47. On hearing his words the leading sage meditated for some time. When he understood everything by means of his divine vision, he laughingly said:

Nārada said:

48. O dear boy, I have understood who you are. The seminal fluid of Yājñavalkya gained entry into the womb of his sister entirely by chance at the time of the menstrual period. You are born thus.

49. You are the incarnation of Bṛhaspati, the preceptor of Devas (born), as a result of the curse of Utathya. It is for the accomplishment of a divine task. Listen to it.

50-51. The Atharvaveda of a hundred Śākhās and a hundred Kalpas has been gcomposed for the accomplishment of various tasks of kings. Its meaning is incomprehensible. It should be condensed within nine Śākhās and five Kalpas so that there will be facility thereby.

52-54. O highly esteemed one, your mother, the sister of Yājñavalkya, was a woman with geat [great] ascetic virtues. By mistake and due to no desire at all, she took the bath towel of Yājñavalkya and wore it. Earlier, that cloth had been drenched with his own seminal fluid which got mingled with water and gained entry into her vagina. It was never ineffective. You are born on the earth due to that. After realizing this, your mother became ashamed resulting in her ultimate death.

55. O highly esteemed one, your progenitor as well as maternal uncle is present at Camatkārapura now. Do go to him now.

56. This is your eighth year. It is time for religious Vratas and rites.

On hearing these words of Nārada, the boy bashfully stood with face turned down.

57-5 8. After a long time, he spoke to the sage these piteous words: “O excellent sage, tell me what sin was committed by me in my previous birth as a result of which this birth has been so deplorable. I am also separated from my mother. I will forsake my life on account of this misery.”

Nārada said:

59. No sin was committed by you in the previous birth. Then why this mishap? Listen.

60. You are born with Saturn in the house of nativity. There is no doubt about it. Hence you fell into this miserable plight. There is no other cause.

61. On hearing these words his eyes became red with anger. He looked up towards Śanaiścara (Saturn).

62. As his glance fell on him, the son of Ravi (i.e. Saturn), fell down from his aerial chariot like Yayāti, the son of Nahuṣa.

63. He fell with face down, O excellent Brāhmaṇas, as per the command of his father. (You may remember) in childhood the feet of Ravi had been burned by him.^[2]

64-65. Then Nārada said to him as he fell with face down: “O Śanaiścara, it is due to the childishness of this boy that you have been made to fall down. Hence do not look at him. He will become very angry. Further, stop falling on the ground by the force of my utterance.”

66. After having rendered Śanaiścara stable even as he was in the sky, the leading sage spoke to the boy Pippalāda:

67-71: “O boy, do not be angry. This is the Planet, son of Sun-god. When he is in the eighth house (zodiac) he inflicts pain on even the Devas.

He is all the more malific when he is in the house of nativity. Further he is so in the second house as well.

If he angrily looks at you at all, there is absolutely no doubt that he will reduce you to ash just in front of me.

Even at the time of his own birth, the feet of his father, Sun-god, were looked at by him. The father had joyously come to see his son. Knowing that he was hideous-eyed a cloth had been put over the feet: Still both of the feet were burnt. Even now they are seen covered with skin^[3] for a Ghaṭikā (short while, period of time) on the earth.”

Sūta said:

72. On hearing the words of Nārada, the boy was extremely frightened. He asked the sage:

73. “O excellent sage, tell me how he will be pleased with me. Unknowingly, I have caused him to fall down. I never knew his power too.”

Nārada said:

74. Planets, cows, kings and Brāhmaṇas in particular, honour (others) when they are honoured. If they are insulted, they burn them.

75. Hence, O lordly boy, eulogize, according to your capacity, the son of Bhāskara, so that he will eschew the anger caused by his fall and become pleased.

76-77a. Then the boy stood with palms joined in reverence. O excellent Brāhmaṇas, this Pippalāda was extremely frightened. He took leave of the sage and bowed down to Sanaiścara repeatedly and eulogized:

77b. “Obeisance to you who are wrathful by nature. Obeisance to the Piṅgala (tawny-coloured one).

78. Obeisance to the deity Babhru (deep brown) in colour. Obeisance to you, the dark-coloured one. Obeisance to you the deity with a terrible body. Obeisance to you, the destroyer.

79. Obeisance to you having the appellation ‘Yama’. Obeisance to you, O Lord, O son of Sūra (the Sun). Obeisance to you known by the appellation ‘Manda’ (slow). O Śanaiścara, I make obeisance to you.

80. O Lord of Devas, be pleased with this wretched (boy) who has bowed down to you.”

Śanaiścara said:

81. O dear boy, I am pleased with this eulogy of yours now. Welfare unto you. Choose your boon so that I can grant it to you.

Pippalāda said:

82. O son of the Sun-god, from now onwards you should not inflict harassment on boys and girls,

83-86. O Sūryaja, at my instance you must desist from troubling them till the eighth year.

If anyone gets up early in the morning and eulogizes you by means of this prayer, O Bhāskaranandana, you must not inflict harm to him.

If anyone takes oil bath on the day pertaining to you (i.e. Saturday), you must not afflict him for eight subsequent days.

If anyone makes an iron (metallic) image of yours, puts that image topsy-turvy into oil and then takes his bath with that oil, you must not afflict him. You must accord benefit unto kings.

87-90. During the seven and a half years of your malefic period, if someone tries to consume gingelly seeds with some metal on Saturdays, he should not be troubled by you, O Lord.

If anyone gives a black cow to a Brāhmaṇa with you in view, O Lord, you must desist from afflicting him during those seven and a half years.

If anyone performs Homa unto you with Śamī twigs, covers your image with black cloth, worships you with black gingelly seeds, black flowers and unguents and offers incense burning Guggulu, you must avoid harassing him.

Sūta said:

91. On being requested thus by him, Śani said (promised): “Of course, it will be done,” took leave of Nārada and went to his resort.

92. Moved by compassion Nārada took that boy and went to Camatkārapura. He entrusted the boy to the care of Yājñavalkya.

93. He told him all the report concerning his birth and the like which had been seen by him with the lamp of knowledge.

94-95. “This is your sister’s son born of your seminal fluid. I found him in the forest near an Aśvattha tree at its root.

Now he is eight years old. Perform the holy rites of Vratabandha (investiture with the sacred thread) unto him. In this affair, O great Brāhmaṇa, there is no fault of yours nor of your sister. Accept your own son who is also your nephew.”

Sūta said:

96. After saying thus, the celestial sage vanished. On hearing all this Yājñavalkya experienced great distress and anguish.

97. Considering that a sinful incident, he had no peace of mind. He despised himself day and night and grieved over it.

98. Through various signs and similarities with him, he recognised him as his son. He brought him up and performed his thread ceremony.

Footnotes and references:

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[1]:

A popular etymology from Pippala + ad - to eat.

[2]:

The reference is to the behest of the Sun that Saturn should avert his eyes from seeing good people.

[3]:

Icons of the Sun found in Gujarat have boots on the feet. Is this a reference to icons of the Sun-god wearing boots (but covered with skin), as the Purāṇa states.