SrI vEnkaTEswara swAmi mahatyam part-6

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SrI:

SrImathE rAmAnujAya nama:

SrI krishNa parabrahmaNE nama:

SrImAn nArAyaNa charaNau saraNam prapadyE

 

 

18. Padmavathi dEvi's previous birth

 

PadmAksha maharaja performed varalakshmi vratham and by Her mercy he got a

female child, masulungi. Musulungi rises brighter day by day as the rising moon.

Very soon, she becomes skilled in many arts. At sixteen, she attains puberty.

 

>From her childhood, masulungi is an ardent devotee of Lord Hari. She is

worshipped Him all the times, dedicated her life to Him and decided to marry Him

only. PadmAksha comes to know her desire. He therefore declared for her svayam

vara (ceremony to select a groom from the group of able people by the bride

herself). Kings from all different countries(except rAvaNa) are invited and all

of them are present. RAvaNa comes to know about the swayamvara and comes there

uninvited. Driven by lust, he decided to possess her at all costs. PadmAksha

maharaja tries to protect his daughter from the lust of rAvaNa and gets killed

in fight by rAvaNa. All the kings who are present in swayamvara are frightened

by the prowess of rAvaNa and flees away.

 

Masulungi prays to SrI Hari and with His name on her lips manages to disappear

from the scene. She reaches a place in a forest where rishis are reciting vEdAs.

As she appears before the rishis when they are reciting vEdas, they names her

vEdavati. After taking the blessings of the rishis, vEdavathi sits on a deep

meditation of the lotus feet of her beloved Lord.

 

Disappointed for not been able to enjoy the beauty of masulungi, returning to

his kingdom in his aearial mansion, pushpak. On his way, he sees masulungi who

is meditating. His wicked mind again wants to try to possess her, and comes

infront of her. Mother vEdavathi is in deep meditation of the Lord and has not

opened her eyes, hence unaware of rAvaNa's arrival.

 

rAvaNa tickles masulungi's cheek with his index finger and says, ' darling!

having fled from there, you arrived here, thinking that nArAyaNa can save you.

You cannot escape from me. I and I alone am the suitable match for you. Please

come and enjoy with me.'

 

VEdavati is stuns to see rAvaNa again. She angrily shouts, 'you devil! how dare

you forcea woman against her will? On account of being contaminated by your

touch, I am leaving this body immediately throwing myself in fire. You and your

race will come to an end because of a lady like me.' So cursing, she creates

fire with her yoga power and throws herself into it. She stays under the care of

agni dEva.

 

In rAma avathAr, Sri rAma, sIta dEvi and lakshmaNa spends fourteen years in

exile. They spend that period in DandakAraNya. One day when rAma and lakshmaNa

are away from home and when jAnaki mAtha is alone, rAvaNa attempts to kidnap

her. Having come to know about this attempt of rAvaNa beforehand, agni dEva

substitutes sIta dEvi with vEdavathi. He leaves sIta dEvi in his wife swAha

dEvi's care. RAvaNa carries vEdavathi to lanka mistaking her to sIta dEvi.

 

After rAvaNa is killed by rAma, vEdavathi enters fire to prove her chastity.

>From that fire, agni dEva appears with both the sItAs and explains to rAma how

rAvaNa is deceived. Agni requests Sri rAma to marry vEdavathi, who has undergone

sufferings in the capture of rAvaNa to serve the divine couple. sIta dEvi also

agrees to that proposal.

 

But SrI rAma is observing 'Eka patnI vrata' (marrying only once) in that

avathAr. However He promises her that he will marry her in kaliyuga when He

appears as SrInivAsa. That very vEdavathi is padmAvathi dEvi.

 

(to be continued ....)

dAsOham,

SrIperumbUdUru vEnkaTa vinOd.