||Sri Ram Jaya Ram Jaya Jaya Ram||

Chapter -17 - Uththarakandam

Sage Kakabhushundi speaks about the significance of devotion/Bhakthi/ The importance of the Sthoolashareera/cosmic body, to achieve devotion/Kakabhushundi describes his previous birth in Ayodhya and  the influence of evilness of the Kali era

Pakshiraj grieved over his ignorance, followed with the misconception of that supreme Bhramam as an ordinary human, he fell at the feet of Kakabhushundi several times, considered him as equivalent as Rama, and showered his great affection and respect to him. It is impossible to cross the unfathomable ocean of worldly existence without the help of a preceptor, even if he is Lord Bhrama and Lord Shiva.” Garuda speaks to Sage Kakabhushundi “Oh! Thatha, I have got bitten by the venomous serpent of misconceptions, therefore I had to undergo several hardships like unconsciousness, the supreme Lord Raghunayaka who is the source of happiness to devotees, send me to a physician who can cure of the serpent bite, thus you have removed the desires like venom in me, and I have come to know the highly confidential philosophies of that supreme Lord Ramachandra.” He eulogized Kakabhushundi, prostrated before him with folded hands, and affectionately spoke “Oh! Prabho, I wanted to ask something, kindly consider it as my ignorance, and treat me as your sincere servant, Oh! Kripasindho, kindly answer me. You are the knower of all, you are the knower of absolute truth, you have crossed the darkness of ignorance, you are highly intelligent, humble, truthful, and you are the storehouse of Gnana, Bhakti, Virakthi, Viveka, Vignana, Vairagya and Sadhana, after all these, how did you attain the body of a crow? Oh! Prabho kindly describes it to me. Oh! Natha, how did you achieve the beautiful Manasa Saras like the legends of Rama, Oh! Prabho, I have heard from Lord Mahadeva that you will not face any destruction during the deluge, and it won’t be untruthful, although I am still having doubts about it. The Universe and its living beings, Naga, Manushya, Deva, all are bound by the time and undergoes ruin at the end of Pralaya, it destroys the countless Bhramanda, therefore the Kala is powerful and unconquerable. Why did the Kala can’t overpower you? Oh! Compassionate one,  kindly describe me, is it because of your Gnanashakthi or  Yogashakthi,? Oh! Prabho, my Moha, and Maya have vanished the moment I have entered in your hermitage. Oh! Prabho, kindly describe the reason for it.”

Sage Kakabhushundi replied with a smile “Oh! Sarppashathro, you are fortunate and highly intelligent as well, you have raised a brilliant question, listening to your compassionate inquiries, I recollected my previous births. I shall narrate all those to you, kindly listen to them carefully. The results of Japa, Tapa, Yaga, sense control, following austerities and vows, charities, Virakthi, Viveka, Yogam, Gnanam, are the pathways to the devotion at the lotus feet of Raghupathi, without this none could achieve welfare and happiness. I have attained the blessings of that supreme Lord while I have assumed the form of the crow; therefore I love this form dearly. It is quite natural to have a fondness towards the things that are promising. Oh! Sarppashathro, the Veda recommends that the status of the birth of a person does not matter if it is most promising and fruitful, even the noble souls agrees with this, the silkworms are the source of the expensive and magnificent silks, therefore the fondness to the worms are quite natural, even though they are impure by nature. The devotion at the lotus feet of Lord Srihari makes the Jeeva fortunate, therefore the body assumed is significant, it should be utilized for the practice of intense devotion and belief of that Lord, to makes the life of the Jeeva fruitful, even after obtaining the body of Bhramana if one is not devoted to that supreme Lord is considered as mere waste. I have obtained devotion at the lotus feet of Sri Hari with the body of a crow, so it is dear as my life, even though I have the boon to leave the life as and when I require/Icchamrithyu, but I will not discard this body, Oh! Garuda, the Veda pronounces that it is impossible to practice devotion at the lotus feet of that Prabhu without a Sthoolashareera/cosmic body. In the beginning, I was wielded in Maya, therefore I had no peace or sleep. I have performed Yaga, Yoga, Tapas, Dhanam, and various austerities, Oh! Pakshishwara, we have taken several births and traveled through several Yonis, and performed various deeds, Oh! Prabhu, I have never been at peace like this before, it was the grace of supreme Lord Mahadeva, I am not under the influence of Maya, and therefore I could remember all my previous births. Oh! Pakshiraja, I shall narrate my previous births, that would enhance the devotion at the lotus feet of Prabhu, it would remove all the sufferings and sorrows of the Jeeva.”

Sage Kakabhushundi speaks “Oh! Prabho, I shall narrate my previous births in detail, it was Kaliyuga in another Kalpa, which is the root cause of all the evilness, the males and females were engaged in various immoral deeds, discarded the teachings of Veda and scriptures. I was born in the city of Ayodhya, in a family of Shudra, I was an ardent devotee of Lord Shiva, with words, deeds, and mind. I took pleasure in disgrace other deities, and I was arrogant as well. I was swollen with the pride of wealth, have been talkative, wicked-natured, and deceitful. Even though I have born in the city of Ayodhya, I had no knowledge of the greatness of that city I have born or Prabhu Sri Ramachandra. In this life, I have attained all the knowledge about the splendor of Ayodhya and Prabhu Sri Ram. The Veda and Purana speak that whoever taken birth in the city of Ayodhya in their previous life would take great pleasure in the reading and listening to the glorious myths of Prabhu Sri Ramachandra. Whoever has the devotion at the lotus feet of Lord Rama who is wielded in bow and arrow, would understand the splendor of Ayodhya. Oh! Sarppashathro that the kali era was extremely pathetic and the people were immersed in various sinful deeds. The Kalimala/evilness of the Kali era wipe off all the Dharmic rites and all those sacred scriptures got vanished, the Pankhandis introduced various traditions of their won, and people started to follow them. The people were drenched in material welfare and bondage, extremely lustful; all those righteous deeds were swallowed by Lobha, Oh! Highly intelligent Harivahana, I shall narrate the characteristics of the Kali era. Listen to me carefully.”