Panch Kanya – Sitayana the Origin stories 1 The Kingdom of Videha was the Janmabhoomi for Lady now called Vaidehi, as the region was Mithila, she is called Maithili, as the King of Vidarbha regardless of personal name had taken the oath to be father of people, the lady will be called Janaki. Every girl, women and crone in the land of Vaideha will be called Janaki, Vadehi, Maithili, Janaktanaya, Videhaja et all. The King in the time period was also called Janaka, big surprise, every King was called thus, but this king was also called by two other names. With the headlines obsessed abridged understanding nation, the names of the father and mother of Lady of Videha are forgotten. When he was born the Prince was called Nimi and he went to gurukula with his close neighbor and friend Prince Nemi. Later on they will be called different names when they succeed to their kingdoms, King Seerdhwaja (also called Haladhwaja, Kuntalaketu and Vrkadhwaja) and King Dashratha. Nimi’s younger brother was Kushadwhaja (Kusha being the rope used for connecting the yoke of plough with the pole). It is said that their father Hrasvaroman (“on hearing whose voice, so reassured were people that hairs standing in terror would relax and lie down”) practiced the labor like his farmers and hence named his progeny after the instrument of the plough. First Nimi Ikshvaku had many famous sons and they spread the Suryavansha. One of the brightest of the sons of Ikshvaku was Nimi. His glory and deeds will percolate down the ages and every prince will share his name. King Nimi was a popular king and a noted early vegetarian. Emperor Nimi was also very generous with his gifts. He was also a great Yagnika, and preformed many Yagnas. The feeding hall that can be seen even today near the Asrama of Gautama Maharsi was built by emperor Nimi. (The text was written long time back obviously.) The emperor, who had surfeit of sattva and rajas gunas, decided to conduct a Yajna which would take a long time to end and which required much money for gifts. Nimi went and obtained the permissions of his father Ikshvaku and older brothers including Vikukshi before starting the Yagna. Arrangements were made for the Yajna, and Rsis like Bhrgu, Angiras Vakshnadeva, Pulastya, Pulaha and Rcika who were competent to perform yajna and great scholars in the Vedas were invited for the Yajna. Lastly he met his family preceptor Vashishtha and told him thus: Oh preceptor! I have made all arrangements for a Yajna, which it is my desire should last for many many years. You would also come with me and see that the Yajna is duly performed. Vasistha listened to Nimis request with great attention. But, he had already been invited by Indra to conduct a Yajna which would last for many many years, and he would be able to oblige Nimi only after that period of time. So Vasistha asked the emperor to postpone his proposed yajna by many many years. Nimi returned disappointed. Nimi was angered by the arrogance of Vashishtha. If Vashishtha was unavailable then he should have kindly bowed out and suggested an alternate Brahmana to conduct the Yagna. Nimi was angry and frustrated. Fearful of Vashishtha’s wrath, no other Rishi stepped up. Nimi then nominated an ordinary but well educated common man to conduct the yagna. The name of that man was Gautama. Rigveda indicates that He was an ex-cowherd. He will not be the last ex-cowherd who will stand up and be the sword point (or chakra point!) of a revolution to destroy old crumbling dharma and fashion new lively dharma. He will not be a last Gautama to challenge the status quo and generate and infuse new life blood into an innovative dharma. The original Gautama was a quite dignified but brave and eloquent well educated man of lowly origins. His children would become Brahmins and Kshatriyas and change the world. Jab Asal aisa ho to Fasal achhi hi hoti hai. (When the roots are like that, the crops will flower in plenty!). Life and culture became interesting when Nimi met Gautama. Asli heere ki parakh jauhari hi ko hoti hai. (Real pearls are only identified by expert goldsmiths.) Nimi started the yajna with Gautama as his preceptor. After Indras Yajna was over, Vasistha came to Nimis Yajna hall. Nimi, at the time, was in the inner apartment of his palace. Though his servants went to him to tell him that his preceptor Vasistha had come, they waited outside his chamber as he was sleeping. Angered at being sidelined in Yagna and now made to wait while the tired King slept, Vashishtha blazed in anger. He raised his hands and cursed Nimi thus: Oh ! Nimi, you have insulted me, your preceptor. You disobeyed my injunction and began the Yajna. Therefore, let your body be parted from the soul and fall on the ground. This curse of Vasistha alarmed the servants of Nimi so much that they roused him from sleep and told him all about the affair. Nimi hurried to Vasistha and prostrated at his feet. But, Vashishtha did not shed his anger. This made Nimi also angry. He also raised up his hands and cursed Vasistha thus: Oh muni !you who got angry without reason are worse than a Chandala. Therefore let your body also be parted from the soul and fall to the ground. Thus the power of the great and wise ruler was equal to the son of Brahma. The King protects his subjects and rules wisely, he takes the risk of partaking fourth of their sins and he also gets fourth of their merits. Thus King is the master and the servant of the people, he is their father and like all fathers, his place in heaven is at the sufferance of the people and their merits and demerits. Thus, a wise king with wise people will gather merits like bountiful crops while a bad king will lie with broken thighs in a remote corner of battlefield. A great king like Nimi will earn enough merits that a Brahma’s son will fall at his curse. Later, Uttanka and Paushya would clash similarly and there the two men immediately realized their follies and took back their curses. It did not happen here. Trust Another way to look at this is the Trust. The contract between a Deity and Devotee is the Trust that the devotee has in the power, the munificence of the Deity. There is no other middleman or person involved. The Trust of the devotees literally maintains the power and position of the Deity. Like the merits of the men maintain them in heavens, the entire heavens are maintained by our FAITH. OUR HOPE, OUR TRUST. As the merits exhaust, the men fell to earth like Yayati but are reprieved by the merits of the children, grandchildren and the descendents. Similarly, on secular level, the kings have power for the people, by the people, of the people. And the heavens have the Trust. Creators In a similar situation, Vashishtha sons refused to do Yagna for Trisanku and Visvamitra built a new heaven and planets for Trisanku, creating a whole new srishti nature with Trisanku as new Indra and maintained it on merits of his tapas. His trust, his faith and his prayers. Brihaspati similarly rejected Marutta Karandhaam for being Ayogava, son of a Sudra and a Vaisya lady. Marutta went to Brhaspati’s younger brother Samvartta who did the yagna for Marutta and there a series of incidents occurred leading to Sanmvarta creating a whole new shrishti and Marutta as the Indra of that shrishti and maintained it on power of his FAITH and TRUST. Parasurama challenged Rama who destroyed the Shrishti created by Parasurama by breaking the faith and confidence Parasurama had in himself. Vashishtha and Nimi Upahansar Vashishtha in his ego did not relent or rethink. Nimi very calmly returned to the Yajna hall and told Gautama and Munis about the curse on him of Vasistha. While the munis wanted to use some devices to cancel the curse, Nimi stopped them as it would further insult his old preceptor. So as Gautama, Rcika and others looked on, Nimis body got separated from the soul and fell down. The munis placed the dead body in an uncovered coffin, kept it free from putrefaction with the help of medicines and mantras and continued with the Yajna. At the close of the Yajna the Devas appeared and asked Nimi what would he prefer to have, a human body or body of a Deva. Nimi chose the higher creation of Brahma and ascended to the Heaven in his Deva body. As Nimi had no sons to perform his obsequies, Gautamadi munis began churning the corpse repeating mantras and there arose from it an ideal person as glowing as Nimi. As he was created by `mathana (churning) the munis named him Mithi. Again, as he was created from a dead body he came to be known as ,Janaka also. Further, as he was born from the body from which the soul had departed he was called Videha also. The famous kingdom of Mithila on the banks of the Ganga was founded by this Janaka. Janaka, the father of Sita, was a King born in this dynasty. To all the Kings born in this dynasty the surname `,Janaka and personal name Nimi came to be applied. This dynasty is known as Mithilavansha after the city of Mithila built by Mithi. What happened to Vashishtha? Vasistha got alarmed at the above curse. He ran up to and submitted his grievances to Brahma, who told him My son, your action was really foolish. Yet, I shall advise you a way out of your troubles. You dissolve your-self in the effulgence of Mitra and Varuna and remain there permanently. After sometime you will be able to be born without being present in the womb of a woman. Then you will remember every thing about your previous birth will acquire sense of righteousness and knowledge of the Vedas will become respected by all and will be omniscient.” The soul of Vasistha parted from his body on account of the curse of Nimi, saluted Brahma, went to the asrama of Mitravarunas and got mixed with their effulgence. Meanwhile Urvasi one day came to the asrama of Mitravaruna, who had seminal emission at her sight. The semen fell into a pot. The pot duly burst open and there emerged from it Agastya and Vasistha. Twins sons, the first Dronas! Thus, Vashishtha got the blessing of remembering past lives and hence all descendents or Vashishthas would be like the first Vashishtha, remembering all their past lives. Till Kalmashpada broke the thread. Agastya will bless the line of Janaka and a daughter Lopamudra would be born in the line of Mithi under the King Nimi. Agastya will espouse Lopamudra and marry her. Descendent of that line will be Sita thus Lopamudra and Sita are both Vaidehis and Janakis and Maithilis. The parallel version in another Purana is that this is first Agastya and later Agastyas will be born and Lopamudra is sister-in-law to Sita for a later Agastya. Common misconceptions There are three Aswini kumars: Dasra, Nasatya and Revanta. First two are popular and hence famous and so it is assumed Aswinikumars are only two. But they are three. Revanta is very important to the whole story even for Ramayana to have happened in first place. Similarly, Panchalas were a land of five chief tribes as the name goes. No. There was a central tribe and five surrounding tribes under its protection, alaya hence Panchala, Central tribe sheltered Five tribes. Many of these six tribes are subordinate or client tribes. So Panchala had as many as eleven tribes!! The sons of Mitra Varuna are Agastya and Vashishtha. Yes but there were three sons born, Sutiksna was third one to emerge from the vessel. When Rama visited Sarabhanga’s ashrama,, he would guide them to Sutikshna’s ashrama. Seeing Rama Sutikshna who was waiting only for that moment went to Brahmaloka. It is the merit of the tapas of Sutikshna among other things that gives power to mantras uttered while sprinkling Ganga jala on someone to destroy their sins just like Panchkanya Mantra. Sutikshna is a great hero and is mentioned prominently in Setumahatmyam, the treatise to great engineering achievements, building the bridge to Lanka and bringing Ganga to earth, Sutikshna is one of hidden unheralded real heroes of our culture. Na kuch poocha Na kuch manga Tune dil se diya jo liya Na kuch bola na tola Muskura ke diya jo diya Tu hi dhoop tu hi chaya Tu hi apna paraya Aur kuch na jana Bas itna hi janu Tujh mein Ram dikhta hai….
Posted on: Tue, 14 Oct 2014 01:58:11 +0000
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