Sampoorna Mahabharata • సంపూర్ణ శ్రీమహాభారతము • Episode 713

Episode 713: BG Chap 7
In the morning Shiva narrated the dream to his brothers. They decided to try to locate the wealth & use it for charitable deeds. On an auspicious day & time, they set out. They identified the spot where the wealth was buried based on the clues seen in the dream. They began to dig.
Suddenly a cobra emerged from the pit & began to hiss. Shiva lifted the axe to kill it when he heard a voice, ‘I am your father. Do not kill me’. Shiva stepped back. He again heard, ‘Shiva! I am your father. Listen to me’. In great anxiety, Shiva looked all around but did not see anyone. The brothers concluded that the snake was talking to them.
Shiva asked the snake, ‘Who are you? How do you know about me?’
The snake said, ‘I am your father. Due to my sins, I have got this worst birth. I came to your dream to help you. Throw the axe away’.
Shiva threw away the axe. The snake said, “I am your father. I died at this spot due to a snake bite. In that birth, I disobeyed the elders due to my greed. I never donated even a rupee or fed anyone. I cheated people & told lies. As a result of my sins, I fell into Kumbhipaka & other terrible hells & suffered horribly for very long.
Yama’s attendants fried me in boiling oil, hammered me with iron clubs having sharp thorns, plucked my nails again & again, & pierced my eyes & body repeatedly with spears. I would scream in pain. But there was no relief. Thereafter I was reborn as a snake’.
One son asked, ‘How can snakes talk & remember their past birth?’
The snake said, ‘Normally snakes cannot talk or have past birth memory. However, I have some supernatural powers due to which I could come into Shiva’s dream’.
Shiva asked, ‘Dear father! Forgive me for trying to kill you. You are reborn as a snake yet you love us dearly. You are trying to hand over the wealth to us. You are showing us the right path. You are teaching us the punishments that await us if we commit sins. All these are qualities of a father’.
The snake said, ‘As I would always call you by your name Shiva, I have obtained great merit. May that merit go to you. Just as water always flows down, the elders always love the younger generation. This is the law of nature. It is the same with you too.
But a wise man realizes the truth that love always flows down. One who understands this is mature/ has the right samskaras. He will think of ways by which his father, grandfather & other elders can be uplifted”.
Shiva said, “Dear father! For your sake I offer sesame seeds & water daily but I do not know how it benefits you”.
The snake said, “Due to your offering, I who was being burnt in the hot oil did not experience hunger or thirst. In this way, you helped me. But you can still help me in other ways”.
The 4 sons said, “Dear father! You should be redeemed from this painful birth. Tell us what we should do”.
The snake said, “I will not trouble you much. Already you perform the death ceremony for me once a year & smaller rituals for my benefit on every newmoon. On the next newmoon offer tarpana to me. Invite Brahmins to chant the BG 7th chapter. After the chanting, offer them sumptuous meals & give them Dakshina. As you are going to get this treasure, you have no paucity of funds”.
Shiva asked, “We have never heard BG being chanted during death ceremonies. Only Upanishads are chanted”.
The snake said, “During death ceremonies, Upanishads must be read. However, not everyone can read all Upanishads. But BG is the essence of all Upanishads. The 7th chapter is the essence of the BG. Hence everyone must read it, and understand it. The merit that arises due to deeply studying this chapter is limitless. If this chapter is read daily even without knowing its meaning it gives greater merit than that obtained from all Yagnas, all charities, & bathing in all sacred rivers. Yama’s attendant said this to me.
The person who chants this chapter daily is freed from rebirth, disease, old-age & death. He gets liberation. Merely by listening to this chapter once I got the memory of past birth. My request to you all is to chant this chapter along with all other mandated rituals on my death ceremony & offer the result of the chanting to me. I will be freed from rebirths & get liberated. Even though you offer the result to me, you also stand to gain. The resultant fruit will accrue even to your children”.
The snake went away. The sons took the wealth. They completed the rituals as promised. They led righteous lives & used the wealth for charitable & other good deeds. They built hospitals, schools, & temples, dug ponds, and planted trees. They offered money for the sustenance of temples. They offered salaries to temple priests. They contributed to all festivities in all temples. Every day they would unfailingly chant the 7th chapter. They led happy lives & ultimately gained liberation”.