||Sri Ram Jayram Jaya Jaya Ram||

Chapter -69 – Dhoha -68

The penance of Ravana, Kumbhakarnna, and Vibheeshana 

The three brothers returned to the palace delightfully. The demon Mayasura had a beautiful daughter Mandodhari who resembles the precious jewel adorned on the head of females. Ravana became the King of Lanka and got married to the stunning Devi Mandodhari, he was extremely pleased to achieve Mandodhari as a wedded wife, in due course of time his two brothers were got married. There was a stunning fortress on the mountain Trikoota located in the middle of the ocean, which was built by Lord Bhrama. The demon Maya renovated that fortress, it has numerous chambers decorated with gems and precious yellow metal, it was superior to the Bhogavathi the city where the serpents lived, it was superior to the fortress in Amaravathi of Lord Indra, later it became famously known as the city of Lanka. The stunning palace in the city of Lanka was surrounded by ocean on its four sides, stood as deep waterway, the entire fortress in this city was made of the precious gem and yellow metal with exquisite artwork was beyond description. In each Kalpa the powerful and most valorous Rakshasadhipa lived with his army of warriors in this fortress at the command of Lord Hari. There were numerous demons were killed in the battle with the deities, finally, Yakshapathi Lord Kubera with his crores of warriors lived in this magnificent fortress at the instruction of Lord Indra. Ravana came to know about this marvelous city and surrounded the fortress with his army men, Yakshas ran off to save their lives, Dhashanan takes a look around the beautiful city, he could not control his greed, and soon he took possession of this magnificent city. He allocated places for his army of demons to live in this marvelous city. Once, he fought with Kubera and abducted his most stunning Pushpaka Vimana/flower chariot. Later, Ravana went to Mount Kailash to test his powers of the hands, was miserably failed. Thus Ravana’s wealth, possessions, children, warriors, attendants, victory, fame, prowess, intellect, strength, were augmented on a daily basis. He had powerful brother Kumbhakarnna who remained unbeatable, consumes a huge quantity of meal and intoxicating drinks, and sleeps for six months, the three world quivers once he gets out of the sleep, if he consumes meal on a regular basis the whole world would get destroyed. His skill in the battlefield was indescribable, like Kumbakarnna there were several warriors in the city of Lanka. Meghanatha who is the elder son of Ravana was one of the extremely valorous, skilled, none could defeat him in the war fields. Ravana put extreme pressure on the deities and their abodes.

There were several warriors like Kumukha who had the dreadful appearance, fearless Akambana, Kulisharadhan who had Vajra like pair of teeth, Dhoomakethu, Athikaya, there are several powerful warriors capable to conquer the entire Universe. The warriors have illusionary powers, capable to assume the form as they wish; there was no existence of Dharma/righteousness and Dhaya/kindness in their dictionary, not even in their dreams. Once Ravana called for an assembly of members, after witnessing the huge number of the family members, sons, grandchildren, relatives, attendants, people of his kingdom, spoke in extreme haughtiness and pride “Oh! Warriors, listen to me carefully, the deities are my enemies. They are coward to fight against me, they have no courage to fight against me, they run out from the war zone if they met powerful enemy, I have a plan to destroy them.  You create obstacles for all the Dharmic and religious rites; destroy Yaga, spiritual and religious rites, ancestral rites, and all the deity worship as well. It will put the deities in extreme hunger and anguish, eventually, they will come under my control, at that moment I will decide whether to kill them or persuade them to work for the welfare of me.”

||Sri Ram Jayram Jaya Jaya Ram||

Chapter -68 – Dhoha -67

Vipra's curse on King Prathapbhanu

The Brahmins assembled were cursed in extreme fury “Oh! Rajan, you are dull-minded, you have invited us with families to serve the meat, and you and your family will take birth as Rakshasa. Oh! Wicked Kshatriya, you have invited the twice-born with families and decided to destroy them, the supreme Lord protected us and our righteousness. You and your family will face destruction in a year. You will not have anyone in your clan to perform the ancestral rites.” The king was terrified to listening to the curse of twice-born, soon another divine voice raised in the sky “Oh! Twice-born, you have cursed the King without giving a thought. The king is not responsible for any of the sins.” The twice-born were surprised to listen that, the King went back to that mega kitchen, there was no meal or cook in there, the King was stunned and returned to the palace. He informed the sight in the kitchen, soon fell unconscious.

The twice-born worriedly spoke “Oh! Rajan, the curse of twice-born cannot be erased, even though you are sinless, the curse of twice-born is too harmful, it is impossible to rewrite.” Thus twice-born with families returned to their home, the people in the city were extremely grieved over this incident, remarked “The creation of Hamsa transformed into crow’ and they blamed the Lord for it. The Rajapurohitha was returned to wood to meet that wicked sage and informed everything that happened in the palace of the King. This news spread across countries like forest fir.   The Kings of neighboring countries accompanied by their warriors with the huge sounds of kettle drums surrounded the Kingdom of Kaikeya. The country faced threats from neighboring countries on a regular basis; the vast army of King Prathapbhanu fought with them and sacrificed their lives on the battlefield. King and his younger brother Arimardhan fought with the enemies and defeated by them, thus none of the members left alive in the clan of Sathyakethu. The curse of the twice-born became true, once again proved it would never go waste. The Kings of the neighboring cities conquered the Kingdom of Prathapbhanu and returned to their palace in extreme happiness.

Sage Yajjavalkhya speaks “Oh! Bharadhwaja, listen to me carefully, whoever displeases the supreme Lord, even the sand becomes Mount Meru and stood before them, the father becomes Yama for them, and the rope becomes serpent before them. Oh! Mune, in due course of time King Prathapbhanu and his families took birth as Rakshasa, he had ten heads and twenty powerful hands, and he was famously known as Ravana who was extremely valorous. The younger brother of King Prathpbhanu was born as Kumbhakarnna. The minister Dharmaruchi was born as Vibheeshana younger brother of Ravana, was an ardent devotee of Lord Vishnu, highly knowledgeable, and had endless fame. The sons and the attendants of King Prathpbhanu were born as the dreadful demons that had great illusionary powers. These demons were extremely cruel, ferocious, dull-minded, merciless, engaged in wicked activities, and sinners. They have become extremely brutal, and indescribable, even though they all have taken birth in the clan of the illustrious Sage Pulasthya, due to the curse of twice-born they have become demons and created havoc in the three worlds.

The powerful three brothers Ravana, Kumbhakarnna, and Vibheeshana conducted intense penance, Lord Bhrama pleased with their austerities appeared before them “ Oh! Vathsa, I am pleased with your devotion, ask for a boon. Dhashamukha fell at the feet of Lord Bhrama and prayed with folded hands, “ Oh! Jagadeesh, kindly shower a boon I should not face death in the hands of anyone except Vanara and human.” Lord Bhrama spoke “Oh! Dhashamukha, you have performed sincere austerities, let your wish comes true.” Lord Bhrama moved to Kumbhakarna was surprised to watch his powerful body, and talked to himself that this wicked eat and eat results the entire world into doom, causes to suffer the people to undergo famine, therefore he has given instruction to Goddess Saraswathi, and she changed the mind of Kumbhakarnna who was prepared to ask for a boon. Thus, Kumbhakarnna got the boon to sleep six months a year. Lord Bhrama moved to Vibheeshana and spoke “Oh! Son, ask for a boon,” Vibheeshana asked for intense devotion at the lotus feet of Lord Hari as a boon. Thus, Lord Bhrama provided a boon for these three brothers and disappeared.

||Sri Ram Jayram Jaya Jaya Ram||

Chapter -67 – Dhoha -66

The havoc caused by the demon Kalakethu in the city of Kaikeya

The ascetic advised the King Prathapbhanu to get a good sleep and the wicked sage retired to his seat. The King Prathapbhanu was already tired, so immediately fallen asleep. The sage who was plotting against the King could not sleep that night.  At that moment a demon Kalakethu who was disguised as wild boar and enticed the King appeared before the Sage. Kalakethu was a close companion of the Sage; they both were efficient in all the deceitful deeds. He had hundreds of sons and ten brothers, all these demons were killed in the battle by King Prathapbhanu, all of them were extremely wicked, unconquerable, harassed the deities. All these days, these demons made close contact with the sage and were waiting for an opportunity to destroy their enemy; unfortunately the King Prathapbhanu was not aware of any of these.

Tulsidas Maharaj speaks “Oh! Mithra, never consider a powerful enemy as easy to win even he is all alone; the Rahu who had lost the body and remained with head, even now he is creating extreme trouble to Chandra and Surya.”

The wicked ascetic received his friend demon Kalakethu, with great delight; their meeting brought great pleasure in both of them. He filled the ears of demons what had happened to King Prathapbhanu and Rakshasa were extremely happy. The Rakshasa spoke “Oh! Rajan, listen to me carefully, you have conquered your enemy with my ideas. Therefore leave all your worries and go to sleep; you have cured the enemy without the medicine. We can destroy Prathapbhanu and his entire clan; we will meet on the fourth day from today.” In this way that Rakshasa pacified the Sage and left the hermitage, he took the horse of the Prathapbhanu and tied it in the stable in his palace in a short span of time. He carried the King Prathapbhanu while deep sleep and placed him near the queen in her chamber. He abducted the Kulaguru/preceptor of King Prathapbhanu, he forced to lose the consciousness of his preceptor and hidden him in a cave.

The Rakshasa assumed the form of the royal preceptor and took rest on a divine mattress. The King was completely surprised to see him back safe in his palace, got up early in the morning; he remembered the greatness of the Sage met in the wood. He sneaked out of the chamber, took his horse, and returned to wood. The King returned to the Kingdom in the afternoon, was surprised to see the feel of celebration in the Kingdom, people were cheering and happily moving around. King met the Kulaguru, instantly remembered the words of the Sage, and looked at him in utter awe. The three days of separation from the wicked Sage made him feel like three Yuga, the preceptor reminded all that conversation took place between the Sage and King Prathapbhanu, he mistook the Sage in the disguise of the preceptor, King Prathapbhanu was completely under the control of the wicked Sage, his intellect did not co-operate with him. King invited hundred of thousands of twice-born with their families for the sumptuous meal in the palace. The preceptor cooked four types of meals and six kinds of taste as prescribed in the Veda. The Rakshasa cooked various types of sweets and savories using his illusionary powers, he cooked meat of numerous animals and even the meats of twice-born were added in the menu, and he invited all those Bhramins to take part in the meal. King washed the feet of the Brahmins and offered them seats, and prepared to serve the meal.  Alas! Immediately he could hear a divine voice from the sky that too produced by the Maya of the Rakshasa Kalakethu, “Oh! Bhramin, leave your seat immediately and return to your homes. You should not consume that meal; it will bring inauspiciousness to you. The food planned to serve is made of the meat of twice-born and various animals.” All the twice-born with their families assembled were raised from their seats abruptly in extreme terror, the King who was utterly confused listening to the divine voice, and he could not speak a single word.

||Sri Ram Jayram Jaya Jaya Ram||

Chapter – 66 – Dhoha – 65

The conversation between King Prathapbhanu and the ascetic

The wicked ascetic began to speak “Oh! Rajan, do not disclose your meeting with me to anyone in this world; I warn you, do not let anyone know about our meeting, it would cause extreme agony to you, it would destroy you. Oh! Prathapbhanu, my words are true, if you disclose our meeting or undergo the Viprashapa, it would cause your destruction, and even the curse of Lord Shiva and Lord Hari won’t cause death punishment.” The king fell at his feet and spoke “Oh! Mune, you are absolutely correct, it is impossible to protect from the curse of Vipra or preceptor, none could protect from these two. If Lord Bhrama gets angry, the preceptor could save, if the Guru gets angry none in the world could protect. I have thoroughly understood the Viprashapa and its intensity, I will sincerely follow them. Oh! Mune, how could I please the twice-born? Kindly describe that to me. You are extremely compassionate like a close relative to me.”

The ascetic began to speak “Oh! Rajan, listen to me carefully, there are different ways to please a Vipra, do not know how it will work, and difficult as well. There is a way to achieve it, I cannot come to your city, and I have not been to anyone’s home or cities or villages after birth. If I did not accompany you, that would bring ill fortune to you, therefore I am in a dilemma.” The King spoke amiably “Oh! Prabho, the Veda pronounce that the Mahathma and noble souls shower an abundance of kindness to his fellow beings, the mountains gracefully offer space for the small grass and shrubs to grow, the unfathomable ocean carries the weightless foam on its surface, the graceful Mother Earth holds sands on her chest.” He again and again prostrated before the ascetic and speaks “Oh! Prabho, kindly shower your grace upon me. You are a noble soul and kind as well, Oh! Prabho, therefore you should take the trouble to visit my Kingdom.”

The wicked ascetic understood the King is already under his fist, spoke “Oh! Rajan, I am true, there is no Siddhis  are  impossible for me in this world, you are true to words, mind, and deeds, therefore I can fulfill your desire, but the Yoga, Yukthi, Tapas, and Manthra should remain confidential always for its powerful effects. Oh! Rajan, I will cook a meal for the entire Vipra of your Kingdom, but you should not reveal my identity, you should serve the meal, then all those people will become your favorites and follow all your words, go back to your Kingdom and introduce this system, and practice this for a year. Everyday invite lakhs of twice-born with their families, I will cook for them and you should serve them. In this way, you can influence the Vipras.  These twice-born would perform fire sacrifices, perform Vedic chants, and various religious rites and in this way they bring the deities favorable to you. Oh! Rajan, I cannot appear in my original form, with my divine powers of Tapasya I can abduct your preceptor and keep him in this hermitage in my form for a year. I shall assume the form of your preceptor and perform all those tasks for you.  It is already in the night, go to sleep, on the third day from today I will meet you, with my divine powers I will drop you in your palace with the horse while you are asleep. I will meet you in the form of your Kulaguru I have assumed, when you recognize me I shall remind you with all that we have conversed with each other.”

||Sri Ram Jayram Jaya Jaya Ram||

Chapter – 65 – Dhoha – 64

The conversation between King Prathapbhanu and the ascetic 

Tulsidas Maharaj speaks “Most of the times not only the ignorant even the intellectuals get baffled by the outward appearances. The peacock has a marvelous appearance, but it eats serpents.”

The ascetic began to speak “Oh! Son, I am residing in the wood not to get myself fall as prey in the worldly matters, I have no relation other than supreme Lord Hari, and he is the knower of all. Therefore I need not please the world and I have nothing to gain in that way. You are intelligent and innocent as well; therefore you are beloved to me. I have gained your love and faith, Oh! Son, if I hide anything from you that would cause grave sin to me.” King was highly pleased with the abandoned nature of the ascetic who understood the King already have good faith in him, he began to speak “Oh! Brother, I am Ekathanu,” King bow down before the ascetic and requested to explain the inner meaning of his name. He began to explain “Oh! Son, I have born at the beginning of the Creation, I have not taken any other body, that’s why I am Ekathanu. You need not get surprised because there is nothing in the Universe that is impossible with the penance. Lord Bhrama creates the Universe and its living beings with his penance. Lord Vishnu preserves the same and Lord Shambhu with the power of penance destroys the Universe. There is nothing in the Universe unattainable with the Penance.” The King was highly pleased with the intelligent words of the ascetic who began to narrate the legends from various scriptures, he described Karma, Dharma, Ithihasa, intelligence, Virakthi, and various legends on Shrishti, Sthithi, and Laya as well. Listening to the highly scholastic information, the King began to speak out of the truth; the ascetic spoke “Oh! King, although you have hidden your original identity, I have known you already, but I respect you. Oh! Rajan, the Rajaneethi says a King should not reveal his identity to the strangers; I am highly pleased with your skill. You are Prathapbhanu, son of Sathyakethu, Oh! Rajan, I know everything about you with the grace of my preceptor; I will not predict them beforehand that may cause harm to me. I am pleased with your straightforwardness, faith, affection, and innocence; I have narrated my story to you. Oh! Rajan, I have no ill feelings; you can ask me any question.”

The King Prathapbhanu was highly pleased with the knowledge of ascetic, he fallen at his feet and eulogized him, and spoke “Oh! Mune, Oh! Kripasindhu, I have gained Purusharththa with the mere sight of you. The supreme Lord is extremely compassionate, I ask for a boon from you, that would help me to cross the sufferings of miseries and sorrows, my body should not undergo Jara, death, and sufferings. None should win over me in the battlefield, kindly provide me that boon to rule the world for hundreds of Kalpa without any enemy and serve my people.”

The ascetic spoke “Oh! Rajan, Let it be! But I have to tell you the truth, the twice-born are the powerful ones with their extreme austerities and Tapas, no one could save you from the curse of these twice-born. Oh! Rajan, worship the twice-born, it would please even the deities Lord Bhrama, Vishnu and Mahesha, Oh! Rajan, I shall guarantee you, if you have saved yourself from Viprashapa you will not find ruin.” King Prathapbhanu was extremely happy and spoke “Oh! Natha, Oh! Kripanidhe, I will not face any ruin with your blessings, therefore I will have all the auspiciousness.” That wicked ascetic pronounced ‘Let it be!’.

||Sri Ram Jayram Jaya Jaya Ram||

Chapter – 64 – Dhoha – 63

King Prathapbhanu's meeting with the ascetic in the wood.

King Prathpbhanu understood that he was left alone in the wild forest without men, tired of hunger and thirst, he wandered with his horse all around searching for the water, soon he has fallen unconscious. Once, he regained consciousness and saw a hermitage.  The ascetic lived in the hermitage was one of the Kings who was battled against King Prathapbhanu,  flew from the battlefield leaving his army men, felt disappointed in the battlefield and abandoned home and families, his pride was not willing to make a peace treaty with the King Prathapbhanu. He controlled all his disappointments and frustration and was living like a mendicant in the woods. It was that ascetic received the King Prathpabhanu who was in a miserable state of hunger and thirst, could not recognize the ascetic. King Prathapbhanu got down from the horse and prostrated before the ascetic, he pointed a pond full of drinkable water to the King. He went with horse and took bath and quenches his thirst, all the tiredness was gone, and the ascetic took the King to his hermitage. It was during the hours of dusk; the ascetic gave a seat for the King and began to speak softly “Who are you? Why are you wandering all over the woods? You have a marvelous appearance of an emperor, I feel pity for you.” King Prathapbhanu spoke “Oh! Maharshi, there is a King Prathapbhanu, I am the minister of him, I have lost track while chasing an animal, it was great fortunate I have found you. It is highly promising that I met you here.” The ascetic spoke “Oh! Son, it is already dark, you cannot go back to your kingdom which is seventy Yojanas far from this dense wood. Oh! Dear friend, spend this night in this hermitage, the night hours are too dark and difficult to cross the dense wood, you can start your journey in the morning.”

Tulsidas Maharaj speaks “ The movement of ‘Time’ either goes miserably opposite for a person or favorable. Sometimes, it may bring unexpected happiness or unexpected agony as well.”

King Prathapbhanu sincerely thanked the ascetic and withdrawn to his space, he tied the horse under a tree and took a seat in the hermitage. King highly praised the ascetics and prostrated before him, and felt fortunate and spoke “Oh! Maharishi, I consider you as my father and wanted to share my thoughts with you. Kindly treat me as your son and reveal your identity.”  King did not recognize the ascetic, spoke with innocence, the ascetic was wicked, was aware of everything about the King.  He considered the King as his enemy, a powerful Kshatriya and a King, decided to play a trick on King Prathapbhanu. The loss of stately pleasures made the ascetic to take revenge on him, he was completely burned with the feeling of jealousy, listening to the innocent words of King Prathapbhanu, smiled wickedly, and spoke softly and introduced himself as Bhikhari/beggar, has no home or wealth. King Prathapbhanu spoke “Oh! Maharishi, intelligent people like you live in complete renunciation never reveal their identity. They are the happiest in the world, lives in impure clothes. Therefore these mendicants and ascetics are favorites of supreme Lord Hari pronounced by Veda and scriptures. The mendicants like you put Lord Bhrama and Lord Shiva in uncertainty, whoever you are I shall prostrate before you. Oh! Prabho, kindly shower mercy upon me.” listening to the innocent and devoted words of King the ascetic replied that he has started living in the woods so long, he has never seen anyone and never tried to have acquaintance with anyone, because the interest in the worldly matter is like a forest fire,  destroys the penance like wood.

||Sri Ram Jayram Jaya Jaya Ram||

Chapter – 63 – Dhoha – 62

The legend of King Prathapbhanu and his hunting expedition

Prathapbhanu wisely ruled the Kingdom, followed all the rites prescribed in the Veda, the city of Kaikeya was free from sins and miseries. He had a minister Dharmaruchi was equivalent to Shukra, was highly skilled and promising like King Prathapbhanu. Thus, the Kingdom of Kaikeya had a highly efficient army of warriors, under the supervision of the minister Dharmaruchi and the brother of King Prathapbhanu, he had accumulated an excellent army of men to fight against the neighboring countries, and King was highly pleased with his army.  He fought against the countries that declared battle against him; the divine sounds of Dhundhubi echoed in the sky and marched against the enemy Kingdom on an auspicious time. King Prathapbhanu conquered the seven islands, asked the Kings to pay off taxes and released them. Thus the powerful King Prathapbhanu became the Emperor of Kaikeya, he achieved Dharma, Artha, and Kama, and the Mother Earth shone like the divine Kamadhenu under his regime. The people of his Kingdom were happy and comfortable, the women and men were extremely attractive followed all the righteousness. The minister Dharmaruchi was highly devoted at the lotus feet of Lord Hari, worked for the welfare of the people of the Kingdom, and efficiently advised the King Prathapbhanu in his regime. The King worshiped preceptor, deities, saintly men and ascetics, Pithrus, and twice-born, he sincerely followed all the Rajadharma prescribed in the Veda. He performed various austerities and charities on a regular basis; he listened to the recitation of Veda and sacred scriptures. He beautified the sacred lands on the Earth, constructed several wells, pleasure gardens, shelter homes, ponds, forests, residential places for twice-born, and magnificent shrines, etc.

King Prathapbhanu sincerely followed the rites prescribed in the Veda and sacred scriptures, he performed various fire sacrifices, he performed all the charities and righteousness without any selfish motive, he was highly intelligent and man of righteousness. All those deeds performed with the mind, words, and intellect was dedicated to the supreme Lord Vasudeva. Once, King Prathapbhanu with men went for a hunting expedition to the mounts of Vindhyachala. He arrived in the dense forest and killed several animals; suddenly saw a pig with sharp protruding white teeth resembled the Rahu keeping Chandra on its mouth,  it has a huge sized body, it produced oink and spread its ears on the direction of the sounds of the hooves of the horses. The King Prathapbhanu on his horse chased the wild boar, but it flew like the wind and escaped from his sight. He fastened the arrow and aimed at the boar, but it smartly escaped from the shower of arrows, keep appearing and disappearing from the sight of the King who followed it with great enthusiasm, soon the boar disappeared in the dense wood, where it is difficult to for the elephant or horse to enter. King Prathapbhanu did not leave his attempt; he followed the boar in the dense wood, seeing the King the boar took shelter inside a deep cave. The King realized that there is no way to approach the mouth of the cave, so he returned with extreme disappointment.