Tidbits-22
Who Were Tested By Devtaa
There have been several kings who have been tested for their virtues by
Devtaa. After testing them they appeared before them and granted boons to
them. Let us take a look at them...
(1) Raajaa Shibi
Raajaa Shibi was tested by Indra and Dharm Raaj for the virtue of his Daan
quality. Later they appeared before him and bestowed him many boons.
[
MBH, G-4-Van/36]
(2) Raajaa Harishchandra
Raajaa Harishchandra was tested by Vashishth Jee and Vishwaamitra Jee for his
truth speaking. Later Vishnu, Indra, and Dharm Raaj appeared before him along
with Vishwaamitra and brought alive his son, and took his all people to Swarg.
(3) Raajaa Nal
Raajaa Nal was troubled by Kali Yug. Karkotak Naag helped him in his bad
times to hide him and then to regain his original form.
[MBH,
G-4-Van/12]
(4) Raajaa Ranti Dev
Raajaa Ranti Dev was tested by Dharm for his Daan quality
(5) Karn
Karn was tested by Indra for his Daan quality. After receiving Karn's Kavach
(armor) and Kundal (earrings), Indra appeared before him and granted him his
power, although it could not be used as Karn wanted to use it. Karn had to
use that Power on Ghatotkach.
(6) Daitya Raaj Bali
Raajaa Bali was also tested for his Daan quality and after receiving three
feet land from him, Vishnu in Vaaman Roop, appeared before him in his
Viraat Roop which was never seen by anybody and bestowed him the boon of
becoming Indra of the Next Manvantar and settled him in the Sutal Lok.
(7) Sukanyaa
Sukanyaa, the daughter of the King Shayaati and married to Rishi Chyavan
because of her foolishness, was tested by Ashwinee Kumaar. She used to go
to river to take bath. One day Ashwinee Kumaar saw her and asked her who
she was. Sukanyaaa replied - "I am the daughter of the King Sharyaati and
the wife of Muni Chyavan. Ashwinee Kumaar said - "But Muni is very old and
blind, How do you live with him? Youa are so beautiful. What is the use of
of your beauty if he cannot appreciate it?" Sukanyaa said - "But who are
you who is talking to me like this?" Ashwinee Kumaar said - "We are
Ashwinee Kumaar Devtaa. You choose one of us and you will be very happy."
Sukanyaa said - "Being Devtaa you should not talk to me like this. I am a
Pativrataa woman and I love my husband very much." Ashwinee Kumaar got
very pleased with her and said - "We can cure your husband. We can give
him eyes and make him young." Sukanyaa said - Let me ask him and i will
let you know. You come tomorrow." Hearing this Ashwinee Kumaar went away
promising her to come on next day. Sukanyaa talked to Muni Chyavan, he got
ready. So next day both went to the banks of that river. Ashwinee Kumaar
also came there. They asked the Rishi to have a dip in the river. So all
three entered the river and a dip. When they came out, they were all
looking alike. Ashwinee Kumaar asked Sukanyaa to identify her husband.
Sukanyaa could not identify her husband. She then prayed Ashwinee Kumaar
to guard her Paativrat and show her her husband. Ashwinee Kumaar were very
happy and then showed her her husband. Sukanyaa and Rishi Chyavan thanked
them and came to their Aashram.
(8) Padmaa
Padmaa was the wife of Rishi Pippalaad. Pippalaad was old and Padmaa was
young and beautiful. She was a Pativrataa woman. Once Dharm Raah tested
her for her Paativrat Dharm. She was tested by Dhram Raaj. Dharm Raaj
tried to distract her repeatedly pointing out Muni's old age. At this
Padmaa got angry and she cursed him to demolish soon. Hearing this Dharm
Raaj showed her his real form. Seeing Dharm Raaj in front of her, Padmaa
apologized for cursing him and told that she could not take her curse
back, but in every Yug one part of Dharm will be destroyed." Dharm Raaj
blessed her with 10 children, and made her husband a handsome youth.
When Incarnations Got
Educated
Even incarnations of God had to be educated either by other incarnations or by
some other great sages
(1) Durvaasaa Muni took
Sanyaas Deekshaa from Sanak Kumaar
(2) Parshuraam Jee
learnt Tripur Rahasya from Dattaatreya
(3) Krishn studied in Saandeepan Muni's Aashram
(4) Raam got trained from Vashishth Jee
(5) Hanumaan got educated by Soorya Dev
Who Met Yam Raaj Face to Face
There are some people who met Yam Raaj directly face to face and this resulted in
all different kinds of results - when Sage Maandavys met Yam Raaj and cursed him
to live on Prithvi for three lives as a Shoodra for 100 years; when Nachiketaa met
him he obtained knowledge from him; when Saavitree met him she brought her dead
husband alive; when Yudhishthir met him he answered many questions and showed his
mercy to him.
(1)
Sage Maandavya
Once a Pativrataa woman was carrying her husband to a prostitute's house.
When she was coming back carrying him on her back, sage Maandavya was caught
in a crime of theft and was hung on a spear. Since he was in Yog he was not
feeling anything. But when the woman was coming back carrying her husband on
her back, her husband's foot touched him. he woke up from his Yog and felt
very intense pain. Luckily later the sage was freed. After that the sage
Maandavya went to Yam Raaj to ask as why he had to suffer so much pain? Yam
Raaj told him that once in childhood he had pierced a locust with a straw,
that is why he had to suffer this. The sage said - "That must be in
childhood when the child does not understand the sin and merit." he
then increased the age to 14 years and cursed yam Raaj - "You will be
born on Prithvi, three times, as a Shoodra, for 100 years each time." So
he was born as a Chaandaal in Harishchandra times, Vidur in Paandav times, and ....
(2)
Nachiketaa
When sage Uddaalak decided to a yagya in which he had to donate everything, his
16-year old son Nachiketaa noticed that he was donating only sick and useless
cows. He did not like it and asked him - "What is the use of donating these
sick cows?" When his father did not answer anything, he asked him - "To
whom you will give me?" he asked this several times but his father did not
reply this question also. When Nachiketaa did not stop, he replied angrily -
"I will give you to Yam Raaj." So Nachiketaa headed towards Yam Lok.
When he arrived there, yam was not at home. He waikted there for 3 days and 3
nights without eating or drinking anything. When yam Raaj came back, he was very
sorry about the behavior of his people towards a guest. He repented for it by
granting him three boons. By these three boons Nachiketaa was educated by Yam
Raaj himself.
(3)
Saavitree
Raajaa Ashwapati of Madra Desh had no child, so he did a yagya and got a girl. He
named Saavitree. She was so qualitative that the King could not fond a suitable
husband for her. He asked her to search for a husband herself. She selected her
husband, Satyavaan, the son of Raajaa Dyumatsen. Naarad jJe told them that he was a
very good choice, but his age was only one year from that day. Saavitree was asked
to choose another one but she was adamant. They got married. From 3 days before the
D-Day, Saavitree kept fast and did Poojaa. Three days later Satyavaan died. Because
of the effect of her Poojaa, she could see Yam Raaj. She followed him and requested
him to return her husband. Although Yam Raaj was very careful, but still he was
cheated and he had to return her husband. Getting her husband back including many
other boons she came back.
(4)
Yudhishthir
When Paandav were in exile, just before their 13th year was going to start, a
deer took away a Braahman's Arani (churning pot) and Manthan Kaashth (churning
rod) to start fire for Agnihotra. The Braahman came running to Paandav and
requested them to recover his things, so that he could complete his Agnihotra.
They immediately ran after the deer, but could not find him. Instead they felt
very thirsty, so they went to a pond to drink water. All the four younger
brothers died there because that pond belonged to a Yaksh, and Yaksh wanted to
ask them some questions before they drank water, and they ignored him. At last
Yudhishthir comes and answers his questions. Yaksh reveals his identity, brings
his brothers alive, blesses him not to be recognized during their 13th year of
incognito.
Second time he meets him when he was going to Swarg. Yam Raaj was following
him in the form of a dog. When Indra's charioteer said that the dog could
not go to Swarg, Yidhishthir did not leave him. Then the dog revealed his
identity to him.
(5) Sage Mudgal
Sage Mudgal also went to Yam's city and when he found that the people
suffering there got relieved by his presence, he asked the reason of this.
And Yam told him that it was because of Dhenu Daan he got this quality.
[Mudgal]
(6) Raavan
When Raavan went on his victory tour, he went to Yam Raaj also and met him
face to face. Yam Raaj wanted to kill him but Brahmaa Jee stopped him to
do so, otherwise Brahmaa Jee's words will be a lie, so he called his Kaal
Dand.
[V-Raamaayan,
7/9]
Who Were
Protected by God?
there are some people (or kings) who were protected by God -
(1) Raajaa Bali by
Kapil Dev
(2) Raajaa Baanaasur
by Shiv
(3) Raajaa Ambareesh
by Vishnu's Chakra
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