Karthika Puranam Day – 5

Karthika Puranam – Day 5:

Namashshivabhyam Navayauvanabhyam Namo Namah Shankara Parvatibhyam

Salutations to Shiva and Parvathi! Salutations, salutations to Shankara and Parvati. We are diligently performing the daily reading and discourse of the Karthika Purana, explaining its significance to you. Yesterday, we began the story of Ajamila.

Ajamila breathed his last while chanting his son’s name, ‘Narayana, Narayana.’ Vishnu’s messengers (Vishnudutas) and Yama’s messengers (Yamadutas) arrived there, and Ajamila, in his subtle body, witnessed the debate between them. The Vishnudutas questioned the Yamadutas, saying, “Who are the sinners and who are the virtuous? What are the principles that Yama-Dharmaraja (the God of Dharma) has instructed you? Please tell us.” To this, the Yamadutas replied, “The witnesses to the sins committed by humans in this creation are the Sun, the Moon, the Wind (Vayu), the Sky (Akasha), the ten directions (Dashadishas), and the seasons (Kalas). The Sun and the Moon mean that the Sun watches the sins committed during the day, and the Moon watches the sins committed during the night. Similarly, the Wind, as there is no place where the air does not blow, and the Sky. The presiding deities of whatever direction a sin is committed in, watch it. Likewise, the seasons—the time in which a sin is committed keeps a watch. Therefore, we examine the merits and sins committed by humans, with the Sun, the Moon, the Wind, the Sky, the ten directions, and the seasons as witnesses, and dispense the appropriate punishment.

O messengers of Vishnu, listen carefully. The sinners are those who abandon the righteous conduct prescribed in the Vedas, who criticize the Vedic scriptures, who commit great sins like cow slaughter and killing of a Brahmin, who are liars, who abuse and torment their parents, teachers, relatives, and professional community, who commit violence against living beings, who oppress people by increasing interest through fraudulent accounts, who are corrupted by adultery and theft, who usurp others’ property, who commit infanticide, who trouble even those who seek refuge, who are ungrateful (Kritaghnas) and forget a good deed done, who obstruct marriages and auspicious ceremonies, who abandon the annual remembrance rituals (Shraddha Karma) for their parents, who lust after another’s wife, and those who only think about eating.

Yaḥ śāstravidhimutsṛjya vartate kāmakārataḥ
na sa siddhimavāpnoti na sukhaṁ na parāṁ gatim

(He who, setting aside the injunctions of the scriptures, acts according to his own whims, attains neither perfection, nor happiness, nor the supreme goal),’ as stated by Lord Krishna in the Gita. The scriptures instruct us on what to do and what not to do. Hell is inevitable for those who ignore the scriptures and act as free-willed people, doing whatever they like.

The Yamadutas state that Ajamila has not left any sin undone, and therefore, he must go to hell. Then the Vishnudutas reply to them, “O servants of Yama! We will explain the subtle principles of Dharma to you; please listen. Those who associate with good people, who perform Japa (chanting), charity (Dana), and righteousness (Dharma), those who perform the charity of food (Annadana), the charity of a maiden (Kanyadana), the charity of a cow (Godana), and the charity of a Saligrama stone, those who perform the last rites (Samskaras) for orphaned corpses, those who cultivate a Tulasi garden, those who dig ponds, those who worship Shiva and Keshava, and those who constantly remember the name of Hari (God) never go to hell. However, Ajamila did not do any of these, but he did perform one virtuous deed.”

“Whoever remembers Sri Hari as ‘Narayana’ or Shiva as ‘Shiva’ at the time of their death, or those whose ears hear the chanting of Hari’s name, whether knowingly or unknowingly, in any form, are virtuous! Therefore, even though Ajamila was a great sinner, since he died remembering ‘Narayana’ at the time of his death, we will take him to Vaikuntha,” they said.

Antakāle ca māmeva smaran muktvā kalevaram
yaḥ prayāti sa madbhāvaṁ yāti nāstyatra saṁśayaḥ

(And whoever, at the time of death, quits his body, remembering Me alone, at once attains My nature. Of this, there is no doubt),’ as stated by Lord Krishna in the Gita.

Ajamila, listening to the debate between the Vishnu and Yama messengers, is astonished, thinking, “Alas! What good deed did I perform in my previous birth that I was able to utter ‘Narayana’ at the time of my death in this birth?” Janaka Maharaja, upon hearing this story, questions Vashishtha, “O best of the Sages! What was the previous birth of this Ajamila? What sins and merits did he commit in his previous birth?” Vashishtha then begins to explain the subsequent story to the king, saying, “Maharaja, I will explain everything you have asked; please listen.”

After the Vishnudutas took Ajamila to Vaikuntha, the Yamakinkaras went to their master, Yama-Dharmaraja, and explained what had happened. Yama, through his divine vision, learned the history of Ajamila’s previous birth and realized, “Oh! Since he remembered ‘Narayana’ at the time of his death, he is indeed worthy of going to Vaikuntha.”

Ajamila, in his previous birth, was a priest in a Shiva temple in the Maharashtra region. Even in that birth, he abandoned the path of Dharma, became corrupt by associating with another’s wife, and wandered about. The sins of those whose tongue does not praise Hari, whose mind does not rest on Hari’s feet, and whose ears do not listen to Hari’s praises will not be destroyed in any way. Such is the power of Hari’s name. ‘ Kanjākṣunaku gāni kāyaṁbu kāyamē pavana guṁbhita carmabhastrigāka vaikunṭhu bogadani vakraṁbu vakramē ḍhamaḍhama dhvanitōḍi ḍhakkagāka ‘ (Is the body which does not belong to the Lotus-Eyed one really a body, or just a leather bellows filled with air? Is the mouth which does not praise Vaikuntha (Vishnu) really a mouth, or just a drum with a ‘ḍhamaḍhama’ sound?), as stated in the Potana Bhagavatam.

Vashishtha Maharshi explains to Janaka Maharaja, “Due to the sins committed by Ajamila in his previous birth, he suffered from disease, died, fell into the hell-pits like Raurava, and endured various torments. He was born again as a human. Due to the virtue gained by taking a ritual bath in a river and having the sight of the deities (Devata Darshanam) in the month of Karthika, his sins were destroyed, and he was born as Ajamila in this life and attained the supreme state.”

Vashishtha tells Janaka Maharaja that the full moon (Pournami), the eleventh day (Ekadashi), and Monday (Somavaram) in the month of Karthika are all special days. There is no doubt that those who chant the name of Hari or Hara during this period will attain a superior birth and become eligible for salvation (Moksha).

On Karthika Shuddha Shashthi (the sixth day of the bright fortnight), the Usiri (Indian Gooseberry/Amla) is prohibited. Also, whatever is one’s favorite thing is prohibited on that day, meaning one should try to give up what they like. Similarly, donating Chimmini (likely a kind of lamp or a sweet dish) brings the favor of the deities. The scriptures state that those who worship Subramanya on that day will receive good progeny and knowledge. We shall meet again tomorrow with the topic for the next day’s reading. May Dharma be victorious!

Dharmasya Vijayosthu!