Tuesday, 6 December 2016

Angiras

"The god of wind said,

'Hear, O deluded man, what the attributes are that belong to Brahmanas all of whom are endued with high souls. The Brahmana is superior to all those which, O king, thou hast named! In days of yore, the earth, indulging in a spirit of rivalry with the kind of the Angas, forsook her character as Earth. The regenerate Kasyapa caused destruction to overtake her by actually paralysing her. The Brahmanas are always unconquerable, O king, in heaven as also on earth. In days of yore, the great Rishi Angiras, through his energy, drank off all the waters. The high-souled Rishi, having drank off all the waters as if they were milk, did not feel yet his thirst to be slaked. He, therefore, once more caused the earth to be filled with water by raising a mighty wave. On another occasion, when Angiras became enraged with me, I fled away, leaving the world, and dwelt for a long time concealed in the Agnihotra of the Brahmanas through fear of that Rishi. The illustrious Purandara, in consequence of his having coveted the body of Ahalya, was cursed by Gautama, yet, for the sake of Righteousness and wealth, the Rishi did not destroy outright the chief of the deities. The Ocean, O king, that was full in former days of crystal water, cursed by the Brahmanas, became saline in taste. Even Agni who is of the complexion of gold, and who blazes with effulgence when destitute of smoke, and whose flames uniting together burn upwards, when cursed by the angry Angiras, became divested of all these attributes. Behold, the sixty thousand sons of Sagara, who came here to adore the Ocean, have all been pulverised by the Brahmana. Kapila of golden complexion. Thou art not equal to the Brahmanas. Do thou, O king, seek thy own good. The Kshatriya of even great puissance bows to Brahmana children that are still in their mothers' wombs. The large kingdom of the Dandakas was destroyed by a Brahmana. The mighty Kshatriya Talajangala was destroyed by a single Brahmana. viz., Aurva. Thou too hast acquired a large kingdom, great might, religious merit, and learning, which are all difficult of attainment, through the grace of Dattatreya. Why dost thou, O Arjuna, worship Agni everyday who is a Brahmana? He is the bearer of sacrificial libations from every part of the universe. Art thou ignorant of this fact? Why, indeed, dost thou suffer thyself to be stupefied by folly when thou art not ignorant of the fact that a superior Brahmana is the protector of all creatures in the world and is, indeed, the creator of the living world? The Lord of all creatures, Brahman, unmanifest, endued with puissance, and of unfading glory, who created this boundless universe with its mobile and immobile creatures (is a Brahman). Some persons there are, destitute of wisdom, who say that Brahman was born of an Egg. From the original Egg, when it burst forth, mountains and the points of the compass and the waters and the earth and the heavens all sprang forth into existence. This birth of the creation was not seen by any one. How then can Brahman be said to have taken his birth from the original Egg, when especially he is declared as Unborn? It is said that vast uncreate Space is the original Egg. It was from this uncreate Space (or Supreme Brahman) that the Grandsire was born. If thou askest, 'Whereon would the Grandsire, after his birth from uncreate Space, rest, for there was then nothing else?' The answer may be given in the following words, 'There is an existent Being of the name of Consciousness. That mighty Being is endued with great energy. There is no Egg. Brahman, however, is existent. He is the creator of the universe and is its king! Thus addressed by the god of wind, king Arjuna remained silent.'"

http://www.sacred-texts.com/hin/m13/m13b118.htm

"The god of wind said, 'Once on a time, O king, a ruler of the name of Anga desired to give away the whole earth as sacrificial present unto the Brahmanas. At this, the earth became filled with anxiety. 'I am the daughter of Brahman. I hold all creatures. Having obtained me, alas, why does this foremost of kings wish to give me away unto the Brahmanas? Abandoning my character as the soil, I shall now repair to the presence of my sire. Let this king with all his kingdom meet with destruction? Arrived at this conclusion, she departed for the region of Brahman The Rishi Kasyapa, beholding goddess Earth on the point of departing, himself immediately entered the visible embodiment of the goddess, casting off his own body, by the aid of Yoga. The earth thus penetrated by the spirit of Kasyapa, grew in prosperity and became full of all kinds of vegetable produce. Indeed, O king for the time that Kasyapa pervaded the earth, Righteousness became foremost everywhere and all fears ceased. In this way, O king, the earth remained penetrated by the spirit of Kasyapa for thirty thousand celestial years, fully alive to all those functions which it used to discharge while it was penetrated by the spirit of Brahman's daughter. Upon the expiry of this period, the goddess returned from the region of Brahman and arrived here bowed unto Kasyapa and from that time became the daughter of that Rishi, Kasyapa is a Brahmana. Even this was the feat, O king, that a Brahmana did. Tell me the name of the Kshatriya who can be held to be superior to Kasyapa! Hearing these words, king Arjuna remained silent. Unto him the god of wind once more said, 'Hear now, O king, the story of Utathya who was born in the race of Angiras. The daughter of Soma, named Bhadra, came to be regarded as unrivalled in beauty. Her sire Soma regarded Utathya to be the fittest of husbands for her. The famous and highly blessed maiden of faultless limbs, observing diverse vows, underwent the severest austerities from the desire of obtaining Utathya for her lord. After a while, Soma's father Atri, inviting Utathya to his house, bestowed upon him the famous maiden. Utathya, who used to give away sacrificial presents in copious measure, duly received the girl for his wife. It so happened, however, that the handsome Varuna had, from a long time before, coveted the girl. Coming to the woods where Utathya dwelt, Varuna stole away the girl when she had plunged into the Yamuna for a bath. Abducting her thus, the Lord of the waters took her to his own abode. That mansion was of a wonderful aspect. It was adorned with six hundred thousand lakes. There is no mansion that can be regarded more beautiful than that palace of Varuna. It was adorned with many palaces and by the presence of diverse tribes of Apsaras and of diverse excellent articles of enjoyment. There, within that palace, the Lord of waters; O king, sported with the damsel. A little while after, the fact of the ravishment of his wife was reported to Utathya. Indeed, having heard all the facts from Narada, Utathya addressed' the celestial Rishi, saying, 'Go, O Narada, unto Varuna and speak with due severity unto him. Ask him as to why he has abducted my wife, and, indeed, tell him in my name that he should yield her up. Thou mayst say to him further, 'Thou are a protector of the worlds, O Varuna, and not a destroyer! Why then hast thou abducted Utathya's wife bestowed upon him by Soma?' Thus requested by Utathya, the celestial Rishi Narada repaired to where Varuna was and addressing him, said, 'Do thou set free the wife of Utathya. Indeed, why hast thou abducted her?' Hearing these words of Narada, Varuna replied unto him, saying, 'This timid girl is exceedingly dear to me. I dare not let her go!' Receiving this reply, Narada repaired to Utathya and cheerlessly said, 'O great ascetic, Varuna has driven me out from his house, seizing me by the throat. He is unwilling to restore to thee thy spouse. Do thou act as thou pleasest.' Hearing these words of Narada, Angiras became inflamed with wrath. Endued with wealth of penances, he solidified the waters and drank them off, aided by his energy. When all the waters were thus drunk off, the Lord of that element became very cheerless with all his friends and kinsfolk. For all that, he did not still give up Utathya's wife. Then Utathya, that foremost of regenerate persons, filled with wrath, commanded Earth, saying, 'O amiable one, do thou show land where there are at present the six hundred thousand lakes.' At these words of the Rishi, the Ocean receded from the spot indicated, and land appeared which was exceedingly sterile. Unto the rivers that flowed through that region, Utathya said, 'O Saraswati, do thou become invisible here. Indeed, O timid lady, leaving this region, go thou to the desert! O auspicious goddess, let this region, destitute of thee, cease to become sacred.' When that region (in which the lord of waters dwelt) became dry, he repaired to Angiras, taking with him Utathya's spouse, and made her over to him. Getting back his wife, Utathya became cheerful. Then, O chief of the Haihaya race, that great Brahmana rescued both the universe and the Lord of waters from the situation of distress into which he had brought them. Conversant with every duty, the Rishi Utathya of great energy, after getting back his spouse, O king, said so unto Varuna, 'I have recovered my wife, O Lord of waters, with the aid of my penances and after inflicting such distress on thee as made thee cry aloud in anguish! Having said this, he went home, with that wife of his. Even such, O king, was Utathya, that foremost of Brahmanas. Shall I go on? Or, will you yet persist in thy opinion? What, is there a Kshatriya that is superior to Utathya?'

http://www.sacred-texts.com/hin/m13/m13b119.htm

Source
http://1th0.blogspot.com/search/label/Pavana

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