Jai Sriman Narayana !!
Rishi Vaishampayana narrates the
Vanaprasthashrama life of Pandu, dedicated for severe penance and
austerities. Within a short span of time, Pandu gained huge admiration
from the holy men and saints lived in the woodland. He relentlessly
served them and washed off his egos, he sincerely underwent austerities and had
a great control over his senses, the sages and holy praised Pandu for his determination.
They treated Pandu as their own relative/friend/son/brother. Several
years of continuous austerities and penance raised Pandu to the state of
Brahmarishi.
On an Amavasya day, all the Rishis and Sages
assembled in a place to conduct a journey to Brahma Loka. Pandu arrived
on the spot and earnestly enquired about their journey. They informed
Pandu that it was the day all the deities, Pitrus and Rishis assemble in Brahma
Loka/Sthya Loka and they are proceeding to the world of self-manifested Lord
Brahma. Pandu informed Kunthi &Madhri and prepared to leave with the
holy men through the complicated path of hills. The holy men narrated the
difficulties involved in the journey to Sathya Loka. The King of hills
should be climbed up with utmost dedication, crossing the uneven paths of
Garden of Lord Kubera and crossing the places where the affluence of deities,
Apsaras and Gandharvas safeguarded in the magnificent palaces, while crossing
vast rivers of enormous depth requires extreme care, it is not possible for an
ordinary human to conduct journey through the dangerous hills. Some of
the areas in the hills are covered with thick snow and uninhabitable, in some
places there is no vegetation or animals, in some areas are flooded with
uninterrupted downpour, some of the areas are filled with dangerous species of
animals where only air and some of the holy men can enter into those
places. The holy men revealed their deepest concern about Kunthi &
Madhri’s trip through the most dangerous hills and discouraged Pandu to follow
them.
Pandu was crestfallen, he gloomily answered them
that it was his ill fate to remain childless and a childless person cannot go
to Sathyaloka. Pandu cursed his destiny and revealed his anxiousness
about his inability to perform homage to ancestors. All human on Earth
born with four types of debt such as Deva Runa, Rishi Runa, Pitru Runa and
Manushya Runa and each individual has the responsibility to pay off the debt at
the right time of their life time; otherwise they will not attain
salvation. The deities can be pleased with the performance of Yagna
&Yaga, visiting pilgrim places on Earth etc.. in this way the Deva Runa can
be paid off. Rishi’s can be pleased with the Supreme knowledge, ultimate
wisdom & intelligence, knowledge in Sastra & Puranas, etc… in this way
Rishi Runa can be paid off. Pitrus can be satisfied with the virtuous
progeny and performing homage to ancestors, in this way Pitru Runa can be paid
off. The humans can be pleased with the good character, without harming
or hurting anyone by action, word or deed, in this way Manushya Runa can be
paid off. Pandu miserably stated that he had paid off Deva Runa, Rishi
Runa and Manushya Runa, but he was unsuccessful in pleasing his Pitrus.
He earnestly prayed to the holy men to suggest how to obtain a virtuous
offspring as the way his father Vichithraveerya attained progeny from the
blameless Maharishi Veda Vyasa.
The holy men assembled were advised Pandu, the
irreproachable will have virtuous, sinless and devoted children like
deities. They advised him that they could foresee the birth of righteous
offspring’s to him, and comforted him to be patient to receive the fruit of his
action. Pandu once again became gloomy after receiving the joyful news
from the holy men; he remembered the curse of Sage Kindhma. Pandu
approached Kunthi in a secluded place and advised her to think for an offspring
to get over from the miseries. Pandu narrated the disgrace of a
childless, performing Yagna and Yagas, charities, attaining spiritual growth
and performing austerities would never bring any devoutness, unless and until
there is no offspring to perform homage to ancestors. Pandu lamented over
his powerlessness to have offspring’s with his chaste wives due to the curse of
Sage Kindhma.
Pandu describes Prudha/Kunthi about the
categories of perfect and imperfect progeny according to Dharma Sastra, six
categories of progeny are accepted as perfect for the family and for the
performance of duties and responsibilities involved in the Sastra and another
six categories are treated as members of the family not as a perfect
progeny.
(a) Child born to a married
couple is treated as perfect
(b) Child born to a married
woman from a proficient man through illicit relationship is
treated as second category.
(c) Child born to a married
woman from a rich man through illicit relationship is treated as third
category.
(d) Child born to a woman
after the death of her husband is treated as fourth category
(e) Child born to a woman before
marriage is treated as sixth category
(f) Child born to a woman of
immoral character is seventh category
(g) An adopted child is
eighth category
(h) A child attained through
wealth is ninth category
(i) A child come forward and
accepts a couple as his/her parents is tenth category
(j) A child born to a
married woman who was already conceived the child before marriage but gave
birth after the marriage is treated as tenth category.
(k) Son of brother is
treated as eleventh category.
(l) A child born to a low
caste woman is treated as twelfth category.
It was prescribed in the Sastra that if a family
lack virtuous offspring due to ill fortune, the woman should desire for a child
from a superior family. It was suggested by Swayambu Manu that a childless
couple can have a child from the source of Niyoga. Pandu advised Kunthi
that as he was unsuccessful to give a child, she can have child from a person
equivalent to him or somebody superior to him. He described the courage
of the daughter of Sharadhanthaya to receive children from a Brahmin,
eventually she had three offspring from the Brahmin and Durjayan was the first
child born to this couple. He advised Kunthi to have child from a
righteous Brahmin as Niyoga.
