Welfare!

 

As Pilgrimage progressed, Pāndavās reached a place where Mandhātā had formerly performed sacrifices. The King was born from the body of his father Yuvanāsva, after he drank consecrated water meant for his queen. He was given the name Mandhātā (he shall suck me) because Indra put his forefinger into baby’s mouth to nourish him. Rsi informed Yudhisthira: While bathing here, one is enabled to envision entire universe. Hearing this Yudhisthira eagerly bathed & was able to see everything in 3 planetary systems, including his brother Arjun, who was residing with Indra

 

Pāndavās at last came to where Daksa had formerly performed his sacrifice. Lomasa Rsi said: Daksa had benedicted that whoever dies at this place will attain heaven. For this reason, you can see that 1000’s of elderly persons are coming here to give up their material bodies

 

Then they reached sacrificial arena of King Sibi & Rsi narrated following story: Once Indra & Agni decided to test Sibi’s exalted qualities. For that purpose, Indra assumed form of a hawk & Agni took form of a pigeon. Chased by fierce hawk, pigeon fearfully flew into Sibi’s sacrificial arena & took shelter on King’s thigh. Seeing this, hawk pleaded: Saintly king, don’t act unrighteously by denying me my ordained food

 

Sibi said-I can’t forsake this poor pigeon trembling with fear. He has taken shelter of me & to betray one who seeks protection is considered as sinful as killing a Brāhmanā or a cow. The hawk argued: If I don’t eat this pigeon, I may starve to death so that my poor wife & children will also perish. To protect one living entity at the cost of so many others is certainly not an act of virtue

 

Sibi said-You speak nicely on morality considering you’re just a bird. Still, how can you advocate that I perform sinful act of forsaking one taking shelter of me? If you’re afraid of starving, I’ll offer you any other food you like, such as meat of a deer. The hawk rejected his proposal saying that creator has ordained pigeon to be food for hawks

 

On Sibi’s insistence that he’ll give anything in exchange for life of the pigeon, hawk said: Noble king! If you’re willing to cut off flesh from your body, equal to weight of the pigeon, I’ll be satisfied. Sibi began cutting off his own flesh after putting pigeon on one side of a scale. Miraculously, no matter how much flesh the king cut off from his body & put on scale, weight of pigeon was more. At last, the king was entirely devoid of any flesh

 

When he saw that he was unable to keep his promise, the king placed remainder of his skeletal body on the scale. At this the hawk revealed that he was Indra in disguise & pigeon is Agnidev. The 2 demigods said: We came here just to test your exalted character. Be assured that you’ll be eternally famous for this extraordinary act of charity & will reside eternally in heaven at the end of this life

 

Krsna says:

yajña-dāna-tapaḥ-karma na tyājyaṁ kāryam eva tat

yajño dānaṁ tapaś caiva pāvanāni manīṣiṇām

 

Acts of sacrifice, charity and penance are not to be given up; they must be performed. Indeed, sacrifice, charity and penance purify even the great souls

 

Any sacrifice which is meant for human welfare should never be given up & all prescribed sacrifices are meant for achieving the Supreme Lord. It leads one to advanced spiritual life

 

Thoughts? #gameoflife

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