STORIES FROM SRIMAD BHAGAVATAM: 3 - Dhundhukari and Gokarna

    (Continued from previous story THE STORY OF ATMADEVA)     

    Dhundhukari continued his evil ways. After his father left for the woods, one day, Dhundhukari severely beat his mother. “Tell me where the money is, or I will beat you with a burning stick,” he threatened her. Terrified by this threat and sorely grieved at the ill-treatment from her son, Dhundhuli threw herself into a well and died.

Gokarna, who was ever in union with God, experienced neither sorrow nor joy. He had neither enemies nor friends. He left on a pilgrimage.

Dhundhukari stayed in the house with five sinful women. He used to steal money to buy costly garments and gold ornaments for these women. One night, the evil women plotted amongst themselves, “This fellow commits thefts every day. Surely, the king will apprehend him. Not only will the king sentence him to death, but all this stolen wealth will also be confiscated. Therefore, to keep this wealth to ourselves, why not secretly kill Dhundhukari?”

While Dhundhukari slept, the wicked women bound him with ropes and strangled him by tying a noose around his neck. They also put burning coals into his mouth. Thus, he died a most painful and agonizing death. As a result of his evil life, Dhundhukari took the form of a dreadful ghost. Like a whirlwind, the ghost kept running here and there, always hungry and thirsty.

After some time, Gokarna heard from people about Dhundhukari’s death. The kind-hearted Gokarna performed the Shraadha (obsequies) ceremony for Dhundhukari at Gaya and other holy places. After visiting various places of pilgrimage, Gokarna returned to his own town. Unnoticed by others, he entered his own house one night and slept there.

Coming to know that Gokarna was in the house, the spirit of Dhundhukari appeared before him. The spirit assumed various frightful forms. It said, “I am the spirit of your own brother Dhundhukari. Because of the numerous sins I committed during my life, I have been punished with this miserable plight. I live on air alone. Only you can redeem me from this misery.”

Gokarna was shocked to see Dhundhukari in this frightful form. He was moved to pity at Dhundhukari’s suffering. Gokarna said, “I am surprised that even though I have offered oblations for your benefit at Gaya and other holy places, you have still not attained liberation. If your liberation cannot be brought about by Gaya-Shraadha, then I think it is impossible for you to attain liberation.”

The spirit pleaded with Gokarna to find a way of redemption. Gokarna thought about the problem the whole night, but he could not think of any solution. He consulted wise men learned in the Vedas. They consulted a number of sacred books in search of a way to liberate the spirit of Dhundhukari, but no solution could be found.

The wise men advised Gokarna to consult Surya the Sun God. Gokarna – by virtue of his Tapas (spiritual power) – hailed Surya and asked him, “O Surya, you are all-knowing. Please tell me a way of liberating the spirit of Dhundhukari.”

Surya replied, “Mukti (liberation) will follow from Srimad Bhagavatam. Read this holy book in the course of a week.”

Gokarna immediately made preparations to start his reading of Srimad Bhagavatam. People flocked from far and near to listen to the divine nectar of the Lord’s story. The spirit of Dhundhukari too arrived. Looking about for a seat, he saw a bamboo with seven joints. He entered the hollow of the bamboo and settled down there to hear the reading.

Gokarna began to expound Srimad Bhagavatam. At the close of the first day’s reading, a miracle took place. One of the seven joints of the bamboo cracked. On the second day, likewise, at sunset, a second joint burst open. In this way, the spirit burst open the seven joints of the bamboo in seven days by hearing the entire Bhagavatam.

He now shed his ghost-form and appeared in a divine form, clad in yellow silk, wearing a crown on his head. He said, “O Gokarna, my brother, you have rescued me from the ghost-form and given me liberation. Blessed is the reading of the Srimad Bhagavatam, which washes away our sins and rewards us with an abode in Vaikuntha, the realm of Sri Krishna. Just as a fire consumes pieces of wood, a hearing of Srimad Bhagavatam burns away our sins.”

Presently, there arrived a heavenly Vimana (aerial car) manned by the attendants of Lord Vishnu. They had come to take Dhundhukari to Vaikuntha. Dhundhukari boarded the Vimana.

Gokarna asked the Lord’s attendants, “Many good people have listened to my reading of Srimad Bhagavatam. Why have you not brought Vimanas for them too? Why this discrimination?”

The servants of Sri Hari answered, “The disparity in reward is because of difference in the hearing of the reading. Though all have done Sravanam (hearing), Mananam (reflecting) has not been done equally by everybody. The reading of Srimad Bhagavatam was heard by the spirit of Dhundhukari while abstaining from food and drink for seven days and nights. He has listened to the reading with complete devotion and thoroughly reflected in his mind after listening.”

The divine servants assured Gokarna, “After a second reading of Srimad Bhagavatam, all will surely attain Vaikuntha. O Gokarna, Sri Krishna will personally take you to Vaikuntha.”

A few months later, Gokarna conducted a second reading of Srimad Bhagavatam for seven days. At the end of the seven days, as soon as the reading was completed, Sri Krishna and his devotees arrived in a number of Vimanas. Sri Krishna gave Gokarna and his listeners divine forms similar to Himself. They all boarded the Vimanas and ascended to Vaikuntha – the abode of Sri Krishna.

Thus, this story teaches us about Bhagavata Mahatmyam (the greatness of Srimad Bhagavatam). Listening to the Bhagavatam with devotion is a sure way to wash away our sins and attain the lotus feet of Sri Krishna.

A heinous sinner like Dhundhukari could attain Vaikuntha. How? Listening with full devotion to the reading of Srimad Bhagavatam in a week and reflecting on it in his mind burned away the effects of his previous evil Karmas and earned him a place in the Lord’s abode.

There is a lesson also in Dhundhuli’s evil life and terrible end. She only reaped the results of her own evil acts. Dhundhuli and her son Dhundhukari both led evil lives, but while the son ultimately got liberation and attained Vaikuntha, the mother met with an awful end. Why this discrepancy? In fact, weren’t Dhundhukari’s sins even more heinous than his mother’s?

Actually, there is no discrepancy. Dhundhukari committed innumerable sins, but – as we saw in this story – his evil Karmas (also called Paapas or sins) were burnt away by his devout hearing of Srimad Bhagavatam in seven days. Besides, after his gruesome and painful death, his spirit had to endure much suffering and genuinely repented the evil life that he had led. On the other hand, Dhundhuli neither repented her evil life, nor heard Srimad Bhagavatam. This again brings home to us, the divine power of Srimad Bhagavatam.

What can we learn from Gokarna’s pure and worry-free life? Throughout his life, Gokarna was pure-hearted, sinless and detached from the snares of the world. If we too lead such a life, we can make our whole life blissful just like Gokarna.

Let us pray to Sri Krishna to make our minds pure like Gokarna and not cunning and cruel like Dhundhuli.

  

(This story forms part of the 4^th discourse of Bhagavata Mahatmyam in the Uttara Khanda of Padma Purana)