Chapter 210 - Importance of Tāmbūla

[Sanskrit text for this chapter is available]

Viśvāmitra said:

1-6. On hearing the words of the celestial sage Nārada, king Siddhasena, awaited the excellent astral combination. On the eighth lunar day in the month of Mādhava (Vaiśākha) coinciding with a Sunday, he took his holy bath at sunrise and worshipped Ravi.

Immediately, he became rid of his leprosy. He attained a divine physical form and became highly pleased.

He then performed the expiatory rite for having chewed the broken betel leaves, unwittingly. Thereupon, the king regained the greatest splendour and glory. He then ruled over the ancestral kingdom as before.

Thus, O excellent king, the greatness of Śaṅkhatīrtha has been wholly narrated to you. What else do you wish to hear further?

Ānarta said:

7. O holy Sir, your statement that he (the king) lost his royal glory by chewing the broken betel leaves is extremely surprising.

8. Of what nature is the expiatory rite performed by him for gaining purity? How was his own kingdom ruled by him as before?

Viśvāmitra said:

9. O king, this Nāgavallī (betel leaf and its creeper) is sacred and pure. If it is placed within the mouth (i.e. chewed) in an improper manner it will result in many disasters and adverse effects. Hence, the leaf should be scrupulously eaten (chewed) after giving it (offering it) in accordance with one’s own capacity.

Ānarta said:

10. How did the Nāgavallī originate? How is it said that by chewing improperly there will be great defect? It behoves you to tell me.

Viśvāmitra said:

11. The importance of the questions asked by you is great. Still, O king, if you have any curiosity, I shall explain to you how evil results from chewing the broken leaves.

12. Formerly, the Milk Ocean was churned by Devas after making the Mandara mountain the churning rod and Vāsuki the cord.

13. At the suggestion of Vāsudeva, Bali engaged himself at the facial region (of thee serpent) and all the Suras in the region of the tail. The Kacchapa (Tortoise incarnation of Viṣṇu) held up (the mountain).

14. O excellent king Ānarta, when Mandara was being whirled three Ratnas (jewels) came out at the outset.

15. The first one was a frightening person of crooked nose. He wore a dark-blue cloth. He was swarthy and blacktoothed. His head was big, neck long and belly bulging out. His feet resembled a winnowing basket. The eyes were flattened.

16. His wife had the same hideous form like that of a Rākṣasī. An infant had caught hold of her fingers. She was experiencing great fatigue due to pregnancy.

17. Thereupon, all the groups of Devas and Dānavas in particular left the churning rod and ran after them to seize them.

18. Seeing them hideous and horrible all of them hesitated, O leading king. They could not seize them. They looked at one another and laughed.

19-20. Then Daitya Bali stood with palms joined in reverence and spoke: “Brahmā is the first i.e. chief one, as usual. It is he who should get what comes out at the outset. Hence, let the Lotus-born take these three jewels. Thereby, we shall have Siddhi in this activity of churning because it (Trinity of Ratnas) is dedicated to Ka (Brahmā).”

21. That statement of his was approved by Viṣṇu, Śaṅkara, Indra and other Suras and especially by all the Dānavas in particular.

22. In the meantime, Brahmā accepted the three things out of courtesy and consideration for the Devas, O king, though he did not relish it. They persevered more and churned the ocean again, O king.

23. Then Vāruṇī (Liquor) came out effervescent with divine odour. Even as Indra watched, it was taken up by Bali.

24. After one more round of churning the Kaustubha jewel came out. O great king it was taken by Viṣṇu, the powerful one.

25. In the next round, the Lord of the Night (the Moon) came out. It was instantly taken up by the Lord having the bull as his emblem (Śiva).

26. Pārijāta with divine scent came up then. All the Suras took it up and planted it in the Nandana garden.

27. Thereafter, Surabhi (Divine cow) (Kāmadhenu) along with her calf came up and proceeded to Goloka by the heavenly path.

28-29. Then Dhanvantari came out holding the Kamaṇḍalu (Pot) filled with Amṛta (Nactar) in his hand. It was grasped simultaneously by both the Devas and the Dānavas who were furious and desired to conquer one another.

The Vaidya (physician Dhanvantari) came within the grasp of the Devas and the Kamaṇḍalu that of the Daityas.

30. Then, O king, those greedy ones churned the ocean. Thereupon, Lakṣmī clad in white garments, came out holding a lotus in her hand.

31-32. O excellent king, Viṣṇu was wooed by her herself. Then the ocean was churned further with more ardour by the Devas and the Dānavas. Then Kālakūṭa poison came up whereby both the Suras and the Asuras experienced great suffering. They scattered themselves in all the ten quarters.

33. On seeing it, O leading king, Lord Śaṃbhu of great valour quickly swallowed and became Nīlakaṇṭha (one with a blue throat).

34. Then the Daityas and the Suras left the churning activity, Mandara and Vāsuki. For the sake of Amṛta, the Devas fought a fierce battle with the Daityas.

35-39. Then Viṣṇu assumed the guise of a woman and said to them such words as made Bali convinced and he handed over the Pīyūṣa (Nectar) to her. In great confidence, he fought with the Suras.

Viṣṇu left the female form and resumed the manly form. He then took the Amṛta to the place where the Heaven-dwellers were present. With great delight he said: “O Suras, drink the nectar. Thereby, you will gain immortality and slay the Dānavas. Affirming “It shall be so” they drank the excellent Pīyūṣa. Becoming immortal they slew the great Asuras in battle.

40. Even as their drinking bout went on, O king, Rāhu drank Pīyūṣa in the guise of a Deva.

41. At that very instant the great Daitya was noticed by Moon and Sun. O king they reported: “O Hari, this is a great Asura, not a Deva.”

42. On hearing it, O excellent king, the discus Sudarśana having adamantine lustre, was discharged in order to kill him.

43. Since, O king, only the body had been pervaded by the Amṛta, his head was cut off though the Amṛta was never futile.

44. Thereupon, the son of Siṃhikā (Rāhu) gained immortality and so Acyuta told him in excessively sweet conciliatory terms:

45. “O highly esteemed one, leave the Daityas and be honoured by the Devas. You will always be adored in the group of Planets.”

46. Saying “So be it”, he abandoned the excellent Daityas. Stationed in the midst of the Planets, he receives the adoration of human beings.

47. In the meantime, the Daityas were defeated by the excellent Suras. Utterly frightened, they fled to different quarters. Some of them died too.

48. The Pīyūṣa that remained after they had drunk it, was placed in the Nandana garden where the king of elephants (i.e. Airāvata, the elephant of Indra) had been tethered to his post.

49. The leading elephant shed its ichor day and night. Due to its power, the pot of Pīyūṣa got split.

50. Then a creeper grew up from the pot. It twined round the tethering post (of Airāvata) and had a luscious growth.

51. The excellent Suras found the leaves thereof extremely fragrant and hitherto unknown. Hence they plucked them and ate them.

52. O king, they found them especially useful in purifying the mouth and they were delighted.

53. O king, Dhanvantari, the physician, came to know of it. Since the creeper grew out from the tethering post of an elephant (Nāga), it will be called Nāgavallī (a creeper from an elephant’s post) or ‘betel’.

54. It will be the place or abode of Smara (god of Love). Then he named it Nāgavallī.

55. He stipulated its combination with areca-nut, lime powder and Khadira (catechu). The combination shall be Tāṃbūla.

56. Once upon a time, King Vāṇīvatsaraka propitiated Śakra by means of his pure penance.

57. Then Indra who was pleased with his penance spoke these words:

Indra said:

58. O king, I am pleased with this penance now. Tell me what boon I shall give, the boon you have been always cherishing.

59. He replied: “If you are pleased with me, if a boon has to be granted to me, give me an aerial chariot that can go through the firmament. Thereby, I can come to your abode from the surface of the earth everyday, dear Lord, in order to offer obeisance to you.”

60. He consented saying “So be it” and gave him a Vimāna (aerial chariot). It produced the sounds of swan and peacock and had the velocity of mind and wind.

61. Imbued with great devotion, he rode in it everyday and went to the abode of Devas in order to pay respect to the Thousand-eyed One.

62. Śakra gave him the Tāṃbūla (betel leaves together with the other items for chewing) with his own hand and he chewed it with highly delighted mind.

63. Thanks to the power of the Tāṃbūla, O king, his lust increased despite his old age.

64-65. Then, endowed with excessive humility, the king said this to Śakra; “May I be favoured with the offer of Nāgavallī. I intend to take it to the mortal world, so that it can be propagated.”

He consented saying “So be it” and gave that (leaf) to him.

66. He went to his home town and planted it in his own garden. Then, in the course of a long time it became popular all over the earth.

67. By tasting it all the people became sex-minded. No one performed Yajña himself nor on behalf of another. All other religious rites and holy activities came to a standstill.

68. Thereupon, all the groups of Devas were deprived of their share in the Yajñas. They became afflicted and therefore furious. They went to Pitāmaha and reported:

69. “In the mortal world, O most excellent one among Suras, all sacred rites have ceased because by chewing Tāmbùla, the people have become indulgent in love play. Hence do this favour unto us so that our rites can be revived.”

70-72. In the meantime, O king, a poor man saw Pitāmaha who was stationed in Puṣkara, arriving for performing of Yajña. He bowed down to him humbly and said: “O most excellent one among Suras, I have become disgusted with this continuous stay in the abodes of Brāhmaṇas. Hence suggest to me an excellent abode of wealthy people. O Lord, I can attain satisfaction there in plenty.”

73. On hearing his words, Pitāmaha pondered for a long time and spoke to the poor man about vulnerable points found in wealthy people:

74-76. “O poor man, you shall permanently stay in broken leaves at my instance. Your wife shall stay at the tip of the leaf. Your son shall stay around the stalks of the leaves. At night you always stay along with both of them in the Khadirasāra. These four spots are said to be the vulnerable points of the wealthy people and more so in the case of kings. At my instance do hurry up and go there.”

Nārada said:

77. Thus, O king, everything that I have been asked has been narrated to you.

78. O king, you have unwittingly employed all these vulnerable points in the case of betel leaves. It was on account of that, that all your riches became ruined all of a sudden.

The king said:

79. O leading sage, tell me the expiatory rite for that also. It is probable that sometimes I might have chewed betel leaves in that manner.

80. By that expiatory rite purity can be regained (dispelling the adverse) effect of evil betel leaf.

Viśvāmitra said:

81. O king, listen, I shall explain to you the expiatory rite to be performed confidently for purifying the evil arising from eating a bad betel leaf.

82. With festival occasion in view (i.e. at that time), a person equipped with perfect faith should bring a Brāhmaṇa who has mastered the Vedas and Vedāṅgas, O king.

83-84. His feet should be washed and he should be made to wear two cloths. After honouring him with sweet scents, flowers etc. he should get a betel leaf made of gold in accordance with his capacity. In the place of lime paste, a pearl should be used. A heap of lazuli stones shall represent the arecanut and a piece of silver catechu. The devotee then offers the same repeating the following Mantra:

85-86. “Since the stalk of a betel leaf, a broken leaf and other things have been chewed by me earlier and catechu at night too, I have incurred sin. By way of dispelling it and regaining purity again, let this Tāṃbūla be accepted.” Thereafter, the Brāhmaṇa should repeat this Mantra, O king:

87-88. “(I utter this Mantra) for the benefit of the

householder (devotee) and for the purification of all sins. If the despised betel leaf is chewed knowingly or unknowingly, if he is likely to swallow anything (similar), let the defect thereof be warded off undoubtedly at my instance and thanks for propitiating me.”

89. By offering the betel leaf (made of gold) etc. in this manner, one shall regain purity. O king, no man suffers from the defect of chewing an evil betel leaf.

90. Hence, O great king, perform this rite. Indeed this is highly meritorious and it increases great enjoyment of pleasures.

91. If a person, O leading king, makes this gift devoutly in this manner, he will never be defiled in any of his birth thereafter by the evil betel leaf.

92. A person who chews (such a) betel but does not make this gift, shall be deprived of Tāṃbūla in all subsequent births.

93. If anyone’s mouth is deprived of betel leaf, O king, it is the cavity of an impoverished miser and not a real mouth.

94. He who offers (expiatory Tāṃbūla) at the outset i.e. a betel leaf to a leading Brāhmaṇas and then chews it himself, shall become handsome, fortunate and efficient in every birth.

95-96. Thus the adverse effect of chewing an evil betel leaf has been described to you entirely. O king, by the gift thereof (purity is regained). In the context of the description of Śaṅkhāditya the good and evil effects of chewing a betel leaf etc. and the benefit of its gift have been stated.