Tag Archives: Lord Narayana

THE STORY OF AJAMILA … A story from Srimad Bhagvatam by Kamlesh Tripathi

article, casual causerie, moral lesson, mythology, short story, Uncategorized, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Copyright@shravancharitymission

    Once, in the city of Kanyakubja (present-day Kannauj), there lived a Brahmin named Ajamila. He had studied all the Vedic scriptures from a very young age. He was noble in character and conduct. Well-mannered, free from false pride, he was upright and kind to all living beings.

    One day, when Ajamila was gathering flowers in the forest for his daily puja, he saw a beautiful enchantress. Her beauty captivated him, and immediately he fell under her wicked spell.

    Soon, Ajamila drove out his faithful wife and elderly parents from his home. He married the enchantress and had many children with her. Ajamila, who had once led a chaste life, now spent his days trying to please his immoral wife. He indulged in many sinful activities that he would have never done before.

    Despite being born a Brahmin, Ajamila started killing innocent animals to feed his large family. He began stealing and cheating others, and even encouraged his sons to follow a similar sinful path.

    Among all his children, Ajamila was especially fond of his youngest son. His name was Narayana. The child’s innocent behaviour and playful ways had won over Ajamila’s heart. He spent most of his time with Narayana.

    Years passed, one day, when Ajamila was old and on his deathbed, he saw three Yamadutas, the terrifying servants of Yamaraja, the god of death, coming towards him. They had come to take Ajamila’s soul and punish him for all the sins that he had committed in his life.

    Gripped by intense fear, Ajamila began to weep. In panic, he started calling out the name “Narayana,” which was his beloved son’s name. And, he kept calling ‘Narayana’ on and on, without realising that he was actually chanting the holy name of Lord Narayana.

    The Vishnudutas, who were messengers of Lord Vishnu, heard the holy name of their Lord being chanted by Ajamila on his deathbed, and immediately, they rushed to the scene.

    Just as the Yamadutas were about to pull Ajamila’s soul out of his body, the Vishnudutas arrived there and tried to stop them. But the Yamadutas refused to listen. They insisted that Ajamila should be punished for his sins. The Vishnudutas then explained, “Ajamila has already atoned for his sins. Not only those sins committed in this life, but also for those committed over millions of lifetimes, simply by chanting the holy name of Narayana in his helpless state. The name of the Lord is divine. Even though Ajamila was unaware, each time he called his son by his name Narayana, he was actually chanting the Lord’s name and cleansing himself of his sins. Lord Narayana protects those who chant His Holy Name.”

    The Yamadutas were thus silenced by the profound wisdom of the Vishnudutas. Defeated, they returned to Yamaraja, their master, and recounted all that had happened. Yamaraja concurred with what they had been told. He said, “What you have heard is true. Although I’m your master, Lord Narayana is the Supreme Lord of the entire universe, and we are all His servants.” He added, “Just as a king has ministers to carry out his commands, I and other demigods work under the direction of the Supreme Lord.”

    Yamaraja then explained the rewards of chanting the holy name of Lord Narayana:

    “Even the most sinful person is taken to the Supreme Lord’s abode, and he is freed from all punishment if he chants the holy name of Lord Narayana at the time of his death. Lord Narayana will always protect those who chant His holy name.”

    He then advised his servants never to bring a person who chants the Holy Name or engages in the devotional service to Lord Narayana. Instead, they should bring only those who do not chant or fail to remember the lotus feet of the Supreme Lord.

    Ajamila sincerely bowed to the Vishnudutas when he realised he had been saved from the Yamadutas. He expressed gratitude for rescuing him from going to Naraka. Reflecting on his past sins, Ajamila was filled with remorse for having abandoned his first wife and parents. He now clearly saw the wrongs he had committed.

    Ajamila now understood the immense power in chanting the holy name of Lord Narayana. He deeply regretted wasting his life in sinful acts and resolved that, if given a second chance, he would dedicate himself to the service of the Lord.

    By the mercy of the Lord Narayana, Ajamila was granted a second chance to live. He seized the opportunity and went to Haridwar, where he spent the rest of his life chanting and serving Lord Vishnu, also known as Lord Narayana.

    One day, when Ajamila was meditating, he saw a golden aircraft descending from the sky. Inside it were the same Vishnudutas who had saved him earlier. They had now come to take him to his eternal home, the abode of Lord Narayana.

    Ajamila peacefully left his body on the banks of the sacred Ganga River in Haridwar and joined the Vishnudutas to serve his Supreme Lord forever.

Written and posted by Kamlesh Tripathi

Author, Poet, & Columnist

*

https://kamleshsujata.wordpress.com

*

Like it and Share it

*

Shravan Charity Mission is an NGO that works for poor children suffering from life-threatening diseases, especially cancer. Our posts are meant for our readers, including children and adults, and have a huge variety of content. We also accept donations for our mission. Should you wish to donate to the cause of cancer? The bank details are given below:

NAME OF ACCOUNT: SHRAVAN CHARITY MISSION

Account no: 680510110004635 (BANK OF INDIA)

IFSC code: BKID0006805

***

THE STORY OF DHRUVA

casual causerie, column, fable, festival, moral lesson, mythology, nature, Uncategorized, , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Copyright@shravancharitymission

An inspiring story from Bhagavata Purana

    Once there lived a king named Uttanapada (son of Manu). He was married to two queens, Suruchi and Suniti. They had two sons, Uttama and Dhruva respectively. King Uttanapada was more attached to Queen Suruchi.

    One day while Uttama was playing on the lap of King Uttanapada, as a child, Dhruva too wanted to play with his father. So he tried to get onto his father’s lap. Suruchi, Dhruva’s stepmother, saw this and got angry. She chastised Dhruva, “Get down from your father’s lap, Dhruva! You cannot sit there because you have not taken birth from my womb.”

    King Uttanapada seemed helpless and could not stop Suruchi even though she was inflicting pain on his little five-year-old son. Dhruva burst into tears and ran to his mother and narrated what had happened. Queen Suniti immediately lifted her son and tried to pacify him. She consoled,

    ‘Don’t cry my child and do not take offence of your stepmother. Remember, only Lord Narayana can fulfil your desire. But you must perform penance to seek his blessings.’

    Dhruva was prepared to do anything to get what he wanted, but because he was just a little boy he had to ask his mother, ‘Ma! Where can I find Lord Narayana?’ He asked. Suniti did not have an answer to his question but she told Dhruva that saintly people go to the forest and do penance (Tapasya) to find Lord Narayana.

    Though Dhruva was just five years old he was a determined child. So he went deep into the forest to meditate. In the meantime, the great sage Narada had come to know of what had happened and was awestruck. So he too went to the forest looking for Dhruva because he wanted to test Dhruva’s determination.

    Narada approached Dhruva and blessed him. He said ‘Dear child I know of your predicament, but it is not easy even for the greatest of sages to find God even after a long penance over many births. I think you should go back home.’

    But Dhruva was determined so he humbly submitted, ‘Respected Rishi Narada, I have been insulted by my stepmother. I therefore cannot follow your advice. I wish to occupy a more exalted and important position than my father, grandfather, or anyone else. If you want to help me, please tell me how to find Lord Narayana.

    Sage Narada then explained to Dhruva how to perform penance to find Lord Narayana.

    Heeding sage Narada’s advice, Dhruva reached the forest of Madhuvana where he took a bath in River Yamuna and remained without food all night. For the first month, Dhruva ate only fruits and berries every day. He ate just enough to keep his body and soul together.

     In the second month, he ate only dry grass and leaves once in six days. In the third month, he drank water, once in nine days. He remained in a trance while worshipping the Lord. In the fourth month, he mastered pranayama, the art of breathing, and thus inhaled air only on every twelfth day. In this manner, he became proficient in meditation. His mind and body were now fully fixed for Lord Narayana.

    By the fifth month, Dhruva had controlled his breathing to such perfection that he was able to stand on one leg, like a column. He concentrated fully on the Supreme Lord and could now feel Lord Narayana in his heart.

    But surprisingly when Dhruva was engaged in deep meditation the feeling of the Lord residing in his heart suddenly disappeared. He thought he had lost him. Anxious, he broke his meditation. But when he opened his eyes, he saw Lord Narayana standing before him. Bewildered Dhruva fell on the lotus feet of the Lord. He wanted to offer prayers and gratitude, but mesmerized he could not even speak. Lord Narayana could understand Dhruva’s emotions, and out of mercy, He touched Dhruva’s cheek with His conch shell.

    Dhruva returned to his senses and was blessed with all the Vedic knowledge. He comprehended the ‘Ultimate Truth’ of life and his connection with all living beings.    With folded hands, Dhruva addressed Lord Narayana. He said, ‘Bhagwan before you blessed me I wanted more wealth and power than anyone else in the world but now I realise how foolish I was. I was searching for broken pieces of glass all along but now I have found You my Lord, the most valuable jewel. I now know I need nothing else but you. There is no reward greater than You.’

    Upon hearing His ardent devotee, Lord Narayana blessed Dhruva and awarded him the highest planet, ‘Dhruvaloka.’

    Meanwhile, Narada met King Uttanapada and asked him not to worry about Dhruva. When Dhruva returned from the forest he was given a grand reception.     King Uttanpada enthroned Dhruva as the emperor of the planet and left for the forest for his spiritual realization.

    Dhruva, now Maharaja Dhruva at the age of six ruled the earth as its king for many years. Later he handed over his kingdom to his son and left for the forest in the Himalayas. He meditated in pursuit of the Lord and entered into a complete trance. In the last few hours of his life, a celestial vehicle descended with two personal associates of Lord Narayana. Dhruva was then taken to Dhruvaloka, an eternal spiritual planet where he now resides eternally.

    Dhruvaloka, also known as Dhruv nakshatra, Dhruv-tara or the Pole Star, is the brightest star in the night sky. Even today when you look at the night sky you see the brightest star. Dhruva though a young child was able to see the Lord Himself because of his determination.

    The Sanskrit term Dhruva nakshatra has been used for the Pole-Star in the Mahabharata, personified as the son of Uttanapada the grandson of Manu.

***

Posted by Kamlesh Tripathi

*

https://kamleshsujata.wordpress.com

*

Like it and Share it

*

Shravan Charity Mission is an NGO that works for poor children suffering from life-threatening diseases, especially cancer. Our posts are meant for our readers, including children and adults, and have a huge variety in content. We also accept donations for our mission. Should you wish to donate to the cause? The bank details are given below:

NAME OF ACCOUNT: SHRAVAN CHARITY MISSION

Account no: 680510110004635 (BANK OF INDIA)

IFSC code: BKID0006805

*

Kamlesh Tripathi’s Publications

GLOOM BEHIND THE SMILE

(The book is about a young cancer patient. Now archived in 8 prestigious libraries of the US which include Harvard College Library; Harvard University Library; Library of Congress; University of Washington, Seattle; University of Minnesota, Minneapolis; Yale University, New Haven; University of Chicago; University of North Carolina, at Chapel Hill University Libraries. It can also be accessed at MIT through Worldcat.org. Besides, it is also available for reading in libraries and archives of Canada; Cancer Aid and Research Foundation Mumbai; Jaipuria Institute of Management, Noida, India; Shoolini University, Yogananda Knowledge Center, Himachal Pradesh and Azim Premzi University, Bangalore).

ONE TO TANGO … RIA’S ODYSSEY

(Is a book on ‘singlehood’ about a Delhi girl now archived in Connemara Library, Chennai and Delhi Public Library, GOI, Ministry of Culture, Delhi; It is also available for reading in the Indian National Bibliography, March 2016, in the literature section, in Central Reference Library, Ministry of Culture, India, Belvedere, Kolkata-700022)

AADAB LUCKNOW … FOND MEMORIES

(Is a fiction written around the great city of Nawabs—Lucknow. It describes Lucknow in great detail and also talks about its Hindu-Muslim amity, which is the undying characteristic of Lucknow. The book was launched at the Lucknow International Literary Festival in 2014. It is included for reading in Askews and Holts Library Services, Lancashire, U.K; Herrick District Library, Holland and Charlotte-Mecklenburg Library, Mecklenburg County in North Carolina, USA; Black Gold Cooperative Library Administration, Arroyo Grande, California; Berkeley Library, University of California).

REFRACTIONS … FROM THE PRISM OF GOD

(Co-published by Cankids–Kidscan, a pan India NGO and Shravan Charity Mission, that works for child cancer in India. The book is endorsed by Ms Preetha Reddy, MD Apollo Hospitals Group. It was launched at the Lucknow International Literary Festival in 2016).

TYPICAL TALE OF AN INDIAN SALESMAN

(Is a story of an Indian salesman who is, humbly qualified. Yet he fights his way through unceasing uncertainties to reach the top. A good read not only for salesmen. The book was launched on 10th February 2018 at Gorakhpur Lit-Fest. Now available on Amazon, Flipkart and Onlinegatha)

RHYTHM … in poems

(Published in January 2019. The book contains 50 poems. The poems describe our day-to-day life. A few poems from the book have been published in Shillong Times, Bandra Times and Bhavan’s Journal. The book is available on Amazon, Flipkart and Onlinegatha)

MIRAGE

(Published in February 2020. The book is a collection of eight short stories available on Amazon, Flipkart and Notion Press)

AWADH ASSAM AND DALAI LAMA … The Kalachakra

(The story of the man who received His Holiness The Dalai Lama and his retinue in 1959 as a GOI representative when he fled Tibet in 1959. The book was launched on 21st November 2022 by His Holiness The Dalai Lama at Dharmshala. The title is archived in the library of the Department of Information and International Relations (DIIR) Government of Tibet, Tibet Policy Institute (TPI) and the personal library of His Holiness The Dalai Lama. The title is also archived in The Ohio Digital Library, USA. It was recently included in the digital library of the world-renowned company APPLE).

BHAVANS JOURNAL

Short stories, Book reviews and Articles published in Bhavan’s Journal: 1. Reality and Perception, 15.10.19; 2. Sending the Wrong Message, 31.5.20; 3. Eagle versus Scholars June, 15 & 20, 2020; 4. Indica, 15.8.20; 5. The Story of King Chitraketu, August 31 2020; 6. Breaking Through the Chakravyuh, September 30 2020. 7. The Questioning Spouse, October 31, 2020; 8. Happy Days, November 15, 2020; 9. The Karma Cycle of Paddy and Wheat, December 15, 2020; 10. Power Vs Influence, January 31, 2021; 11. Three Refugees, March 15, 2021; 12. Rise and Fall of Ajatashatru, March 31, 2021; 13. Reformed Ruler, May 15, 2021; 14. A Lasting Name, May 31, 2021; 15. Are Animals Better Teachers? June 16, 2021; 16. Book Review: The Gram Swaraj, 1.7.21; 17. Right Age for Achievements, 15.7.21; 18. Big Things Have Small Beginnings, 15.8.21; 19. Where is Gangaridai?, 15.9.21; 20. Confront the Donkey Within You 30.9.21; 21. Know Your Strengths 15.10.21; 22. Poverty 15.11.21; 23. Top View 30.11.21; 24. The Bansuriwala 15.1.22; 25. Sale of Alaska 15.2.22; 26. The Dimasa Kingdom 28.2.22;27. Buried Treasure 15.4.22; 28. The Kingdom of Pragjyotisha 30.4.22; 29. Who is more useful? 15.5.22; 30. The White Swan from Lake Mansarovar 30.6.22; 31. Bhool Bhulayya 15.9.22; 32. Good Karma 30.9.22; 33. Good Name vs Bad Name 15.10.22; 34. Uttarapath—The Grand Trunk Road 1.12.22; 35. When Gods Get Angry 1.1.23; 36. Holinshed’s Chronicles 15.1.23; 37. Theogony 15.2.23; 38. Poem: Mother 14.5.23; 39. THE NAG MANDIR 30.6.23; 40. The Story of Garuda 30.7.23; 41. Janmabhoomi vs Karmabhoomi 31.8.23; 42. The Ghost Town of Kuldhara 15.9.23; 43. The Tale of Genji 15.10.23; 44. The Soul Connection 1.12.23; 45.Book review: Jungle Nama … a story of the Sundarban 16.3.24; 46. Book review: A Forgotten Chapter 16.5.24;

THE SHILLONG TIMES

ARTICLES & POEMS: 1. POEM: HAPPY NEW YEAR 8.1.23; 2. POEM: SPRING 12.3.23; 3. POEM: RIGHT AND WRONG 20.3.23; 4. THE GUSH OF EMOTION—WRITING, 26.3.23; 5. THE NAG MANDIR, 7.5.23; 6. POEM: MOTHER 7.5.23; 7. POEM: RAIN RAIN 9.7.23; 8. POEM: YOU COME ALONE YOU GO ALONE 6.8.23; 9. RAIN RAIN (SECOND TIME) 10.8.23; 10. POEM: GURU TEACHER 1.10.23; 11. POEM YOU COME ALONE YOU GO ALONE 8.8.23; 12. POEM: AUTUMN … THE INTERIM HEAVEN 15.10.23; 13. POEM: HAPPY DIWALI 12.11.23; 14. OVERCOMING BLINDNESS: LEARN IT THE JOHN MILTON WAY 10.12.23; 15. THE HAPPY PRINCE AND THE HAPPY MAN’S SHIRT 31.12.23; 16. ANNUS MIRABILIS 2024 7.1.24; 17. GANDHI TO MAHATMA GANDHI- Incidents that Shaped Gandhi in South Africa 28.1.24; 18. POEM: TOGETHER BUT NOT MADE FOR EACH OTHER, 11.2.24; 19. THE BIRDS BEES AND THE SPIDERS OF NICHOLAS GUILDFORD AND JONATHAN SWIFT 25.2.24; 20. THE OVERCOATS OF NIKOLAI GOGOL AND RUSKIN BOND 10.3.24; 21. THE ETHNIC COLOURS OF HOLI 24.3.24; 22. A LESSON FROM DALAI LAMA, 21.4.24; 23. POEM: MORNING WALK 28.4.24; 24. TRIP TO RHINE FALLS, SWITZERLAND, 19.5.24; 25. POEM: HURT 2.6.24; 26. POEM: YOUR CONSCIENCE WAS MY SIGN ON 16.6.24;

THE ASSAM TRIBUNE

ARTICLE: 1. THE MAGIC OF READING 11.12.23; 2. GANDHI TO MAHATMA 29.1.24; 3. GEOGRAPHY OF SOLITUDE 8.4.24; 4. A LESSON FROM DALAI LAMA, 22.4.24; 5. A SOURCE OF INSPIRATION, 29.4.24; 6. THE FOUR-LEGGED LIBRARY, 12.5.24; 7. AGE AND ACHIEVEMENT, 10.6.24; 8. READ … TO RISE ABOVE MEDIOCRITY, 1.7.24;

THE ARUNACHAL TIMES

POEM: 1. HOPE—IN THE ARC OF TWIGHT 2. SPRING 3.3.24; 3. POEM: THE MORNING WALK 10.3.24;

BANDRA TIMES, MUMBAI

ARTICLES & POEMS: 1. POEM: SPRING, 1.4.23; 2. POEM: MOTHER, 1.6.23; 3. POEM: RAIN RAIN, 1.8.23; 4. A LESSON FROM DALAI LAMA 1.6.24;

ARTICLES IN THE DIGITAL MAGAZINE ESAMSKRITI

29.12.2020: INDICA BY MEGASTHENES; 14.3.22: ABOUT THE DIMASA KINGDOM ASSAM; 10.12.22: GRAND TRUNK ROAD-UTTARAPATH; 5.10.23: THE GHOST TOWN OF KULDHARA NEAR JAISALMER;

(ALL THE ABOVE BOOK TITLES ARE AVAILABLE FOR SALE ON AMAZON, FLIPKART AND OTHER ONLINE STORES OR YOU COULD EVEN WRITE TO US FOR A COPY)

*****