Prelude - 1

Auspicious Introduction

1. Salutations to the Supreme True Self from whom all the beings emerge, who sustains all these beings and in whom they merge.

2. Salutaions to that Self of Knowledge, who is the Knower, that which is to be known and that which is knowledge ; that which is phenomenon, the observer and the observation; that which is the action, the actor and the cause.

3. Salutations to that Self of Beatitude and Bliss, who showers down dribbles of Bliss from the sky waters of Bliss and who gives life to all beings.

The Story

4. A Brahmin called Suthishna was beset with doubts. He went to the hermitage of Agastya and asked of him thus.

Sutishna

5. O Bhagavan, the Knower of all Dharma, the great arbiter of all scriptures, I am having a great doubt. Please relieve me of that with compassion.

6. Is it action or knowledge that can lead one to liberation? Or, are both capable of leading to liberation? Tell me clearly.

Agasti

7. Birds fly in the sky with the help of their two wings.In the same way, a person attains the Supreme state with the help of both Jnana and action.

8.  Liberation cannot be achieved with either Jnana or action alone and so wise men consider that both together are the instruments for liberation.

9. To clarify this point I shall narrate to you an ancient story. There was once in some town a brahmin called Karunya.He was learned in allthe scriptures.

10. He was the son of Agnivesya. He learnt the Vedas and associated scriptures from a Guru.After finishing his education, he returned to his house.

11. He, however, developed a sense of doubt in what is said in scriptures about rights and rituals.And so, he abandoned all rituals.His father, Agnivesya noticed his son's reticence about rituals.

12. He then spoke thus to his son: "My son,why are you not performing the rituals prescribed?

13. Tell me how you can accomplish anything without being engaged in the ritual activity. Tell me why you have given up the right rituals.

Karunya

14. Keeping the fires, performing "Sandhya" and such rituals lead one to the field of worldly action. All the such rituals laid down by the scriptures are merely forms of worldly action and impulses to such action.

15. Liberation cannot come out of money or bearing children.Only by renunciation, Immortality is obtained.

16. O my father and teacher, I was not able to decide between the two paths.And so, I became reticent about ritual action.

Agasti

17. After saying thus, child Karunya became silent. The father then asked his son thus.

Agnivesya

18. Listen my son.I shall tell you a story for this purpose(in answer to your doubt). Think about it carefully, then do what you want to.

19. Once, an apsara, called Suruchi was sitting on a peak of himalayas, surrounded by peacocks.

20. Nearby,were the kinnera and kinneri couples engaged in voluptuous sports. The great Ganga, which can wash the sins off people was flowing nearby.

21. She saw then the messenger of Indra flying across the sky.She accosted him and said thus.

Suruchi

22. O Blessed messenger of Indra! Where from are you coming and to what destination are you proceeding? Please tell me.

Messenger of Indra

23. O Lady of beautiful brow,you have asked me in a gentle way.I shall tell you about my errand.Rajarshi Aristanemi abdicated his kingdom in favour of his son.

24. Shedding all attachement, this noble king decided to engage himself in penance in a forest.He is now absorbed in deep penance on the"Gandhamaadana" mountain.

25. I have finished my work there (as ordered by Indra). I am returning to report about the work i did to Indra.

Apsara

26. O Lord, What is the story there? I am interested in knowing about it. I am asking in all humility.Please do not slight me (by not telling the story)

Messenger of Indra

27. Listen, O honourable and auspicious lady! I shall tell everything in
    detail. King Aristanemi is performing intense penance in the mountain
    forest.

28. Indra, the King of Gods, ordered me to go to the place where Aristanemi is performing his penance, taking the heavenly aeroplane with me.

29. -31. He wanted me to take along with me the apsaras, kinneras, gandharvas, sidhas, yakshas, accompanied by an orchestra of musical instruments.He wanted me to fly Aristanemi to Amaravati by the heavenly aeroplane so that he can enjoy all pleasures of heaven.

32. Ordered thus, I proceeded to Gandhamaadana with all the accompaniments, along with the aeroplane (flying machine of Indra).

33. Reaching Gandhamaadana, I conveyed the orders of Indra.

34. King Aristanemi heard me and said, "May I ask you of God's Messenger, this question?

35. Please describe to me, the good and bad about Amaravati.I shall then decide what I should do."

The Messenger

36. -37. People enjoy the happiness of heavens according to the level of merit.The highest heaven is obtained by the most virtuous.For the medium merit, middle heaven is obtained.For the lowest level of merit, the lowest of heavens is obtained.

38. When all the acquired merit declines after enjoyment in the heavens, people feel jealous about those still in heaven.They feel a sense of competition with the peers.They look down upon those who are less than them.

39. When the merit is exhausted, they enter Earth as human beings.Heavens the shine with such qualities and blemishes.

King

40. Hearing this, the King said, "O messenger of the gods, I do not desire such heavens".

41. -42. I shall continue my intense penance and shed this polluted body like a snake shedding its skin.O messenger of gods, please take this flying machine and go back to Indra.My salutations to you."

The messenger

43. When the king said this, I returned and conveyed the entire conversation to Indra. Indra was tremendously surprised.Indra said again the following to me in soft tones.

Indra

44. -45. "O messenger, go back to the king again.Take that man of detachment to sage Valmiki, the knower of Truth, for his enlightenment.Please deliver this message of mine to sage Valmiki.

46. O Sage, please enlighten this king, who is humble, detached and not desirous of heaven.This king,who is bedevilled by the world, will attain liberation in course of time."

47. -48. With this message, I was sent back to the king.I went back to the king.Taking him along with me, I went to sage Valmiki's hermitage.I delivered the message of Indra to Valmiki.I also informed him of the king's desire for liberation.

49. Sage Valimiki then enquired of the well being of the king with great love and affection.

The King

50. -51. O Bhagavan, by your grace, I am in a good state of being.I want to ask of you, how I can get released from this bondage of the world.

Sage Valmiki

52.  Listen, O king. I shall narrate to you the great Ramayana.Hear with attention and absorb it with appropriate effort.You shall attain liberation.

53. O man of enquiring nature, the intelligent one, I shall narrate the dialouge between sage Vasista and Sri Rama.It is auspicious and liberating.

The King

54. O best of knowers of truth, who is this Rama?Is he liberated or bound? Tell me clearly.

Sage Valmiki

55. O king, he is Hari himself, who donned the role and ropes of a king due to some curses given to him.He is endowed with knowledge, but he shed that and behaved like one without any knowledge.

The King

56. O sage, what is the cause of curses on Rama, who is the very embodiment of Consciousness-bliss and who is consciousness itself? Who cursed him? Please tell me.

Sage Valmiki

57. Once, the desire-free Sanathkumara was in Brahma loka.Then there arrived Sri Vishnu from Vaikuntha.

58. Except Sanathkumara, everyone else in that Satyaloka greeted him and worshipped him.Then Vishnu addressed Sanathkumara and said thus.

59. "O Sanathkumara, you have remained silent (without greeting).You have become arrogant thinking that you have no desires. Be born as Kumaraswami and suffer from the pangs of sex."

60. Then Sanathkumara cursed Vishnu (in return) that he should loose memory of all knowledge and live for a while (on earth).

61. Sage Bhrigu got enraged when he saw that his wife was killed by Sri Vishnu and cursed Vishnu that he should suffer from separation from his wife.

62. Brinda cursed Vishnu that he should suffer from separation from his wife.She thought that Vishnu cheated her.The wife of Devadatta saw the fierce form of Lord Narasimha on the banks of river "payoshni" and left her body out of fear. Devadatta, aggrieved of his wife's death , cursed Vishnu that he should also suffer from similar separation.

63. Thus, Vishnu was cursed by Santhkumara,Bhrigu, Brinda, and Devadatta and so he took the human form.I told you all about the curses of Vishnu.Now listen with attention about the ways to liberation.