Like Son, Like Father

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Like Son, Like Father

 

Sons taking after fathers is common. Is the reverse

also true?

 

A brief study of Jyotish shows that this is indeed

within the realms of the possible.

 

For instance, let us consider how Vipracitti suffered

a fate similar to his son.

 

Vipracitti was the son of Rishi Kashyapa and his wife

Danu. He was also the husband of Simhika, who was the

sister of Hiranyakasipu and Hiranyaksha, who were

killed by Lord Vishnu in His avatars of Narasimha and

Varaha respectively.

 

Simhika gave birth to the asura who was killed by Lord

Vishnu during His avatar of Kurma/Mohini. The two

parts became Rahu and Ketu.

 

Now, Vipracitti died and was reborn as Jarasanda, who

was killed by Bheema. Jarasanda was actually born as

two halves and was put together by Jara, an asura

woman, and this is how he was called Jarasanda.

 

Jarasanda fought the Pandava Bheema and as per

Krishna's instructions, tore Jarasanda into two

pieces. Thus did Vipracitti suffer the same fate as

his own son--like son, like father, indeed!

 

Talking of sons and fathers, Hanuman killed an asura

woman called Simhika in the Ramayana, while crossing

the ocean in search of Sita. This Simhika is also

referred to as Chayagrahini--the shadow

seizer--because she could hold on to the shadow of a

flying creature and swallow it. Note that Rahu and

Ketu, apart from being called " Simhika Putras, " are

also called chaya grahas because they are shadowy.

 

Talking of fathers and sons, Hanuman, who killed the

mother of Rahu and Ketu, and Bheema, who killed their

father, were both sons of Vayu.

 

It is also interesting to note that while Rahu and

Ketu were created by being cut away head from body,

Jarasanda was killed by being split in two, with each

side possessing one eye, ear, hand, and leg.

 

Now, according to Mahabharata, Anusasana Parva,

Chapter 152, Vayu told the thousand-armed

Kartaviryarjun that Brahmins are superior to

Kshatriyas, and warned that a Brahmin would curse

Kartaviryarjun. This came to pass when Agni begged

Kartaviryarjun for food, and Kartaviryarjun told him

that he could feed on anything in his kingdom. While

doing so, Agni burnt the asrama of the sage Apava, who

cursed him and said that Lord Vishnu's avatar

Parasurama would kill Kartaviryarjun. It is

interesting to note that Vayu's warning was fulfilled

by Agni, who is a son of Vayu (Rig Veda, Mandala 1,

Anuvaka 7, Sukta 112).

 

Now, let us discuss Kartaviryarjun in greater detail.

Kartaviryarjun is none other than Sudarsana, who cut

Rahu and Ketu into two. It is said that Sudarsana grew

arrogant and thought that Lord Vishnu depended upon

him. To curb his arrogance, Lord Vishnu told Sudarsana

to be born on earth and to battle Vishnu Himself. When

Lord Vishnu was born as Parasurama, he fought

Kartaviryarjun, who was Sudarsana reborn. Needless to

say, Parasurama chopped off the arms of Kartaviryarjun

and killed him.

 

All this talk of death may seem gory, but let us never

forget that if Lord Vishnu had not used Sudarsana

during his Kurma/Mohini avatar, then Rahu and Ketu

would not have been created. Without the existence of

Moksha Karaka Ketu, the concept of Moksha itself might

not have existed as we know it today, at least from

the Jyotish angle.

 

* * *

 

(Vettam Mani's Puranic Encyclopedia was consulted for

this article)

 

 

~~~~~~~~~

Balaji Narasimhan

Author & Editor

http://www.balaji.ind.in/

~~~~~~~~~

 

 

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