Sampoorna Mahabharata • సంపూర్ణ శ్రీమహాభారతము • Episode 728

Episode 728: BG Chap 9
Glory of 9th chapter from Padma purana
Shiva said, “Parvati! Priest Madhava lived in Mahismati on the banks of Narmada. He was virtuous, and always spoke sweetly to all. He revered his guests & offered good hospitality. He maintained good relations with all. In all ways he prospered. When he became prosperous he strived for renown. As Yagnas grant merit & renown, he began a great Yagna called Jyotishtoma.
This Yagna required him to offer a goat sacrifice. So he arranged a goat. At the time of the sacrifice, the priests chanted the necessary mantras into the goat’s ear. Just as they were about to kill it, the goat laughed like a human leaving everyone petrified. Some priests fled. Madhava & his family members sweated & trembled. Some priests chanted mantras to drive away the ghost which they believed had entered the goat. Once again the goat laughed boisterously & said in a human voice, “I am not a ghost”.
The frightened priests became silent not knowing what to do. Madhava’s head reeled. After a while, he gathered courage. With the permission of the head priest, he gave up his vow of silence. He bowed to the goat & asked, “Who are you? Have I erred in this yagna?”
The goat said, “Madhava! My story is very long. I was a Brahmin in one of my births. I too began a yagna like you. You have earned money & renown with enormous effort for Yagna. Why are you not content? Why are you doing this yagna which requires an animal sacrifice? Why are you torturing other animals? With this, you will obtain the same benefit which I obtained. You will be reborn as a goat like me. Even my wife was reborn as a goat.
Your today’s actions brought back memories of my past birth. So I laughed. After killing me in sacrifice, you will be reborn as a goat. I am only alerting you”.
The frightened priests discussed among themselves and asked Madhava Sharma to gather all the details from the goat. On Madhava’s request, the goat said, “5 births before this birth I was a Brahmin who had studied the Vedas. I lived in a small town, earned well & had a good name. But for very long we were childless. We had many marital disputes. We did many good deeds seeking children. At last, a son was born. When he was young we sent him to a Gurukula for education.
A few months later, suddenly our son arrived home with his friend. I scolded, “Why did you abandon your studies & return home?”
His friend said, “Your son has a strange disease. Our Guru has asked me to drop him home”. Leaving our son, he went away.
I learnt that my son had a life-threatening disease which was in an advanced state. I spent a lot of money on his treatment but to no avail. Along with it, I undertook many rituals to appease the planets. I did mrutyunjaya japa. But there was no visible improvement. One day my wife said, “I have heard that the forest tribals have cured many diseases. Why don’t we approach them?”
For long I was reluctant. But when she pestered me night & day, I met the tribals. I returned & said to her, “Let us not associate with them. Because they follow vamachara. They will offer animal sacrifice. It is a sin”.
My wife was enraged. “Are your customs and principles more valuable to you than our son?” A huge argument ensued. She then fell on our son and wept, “Perhaps you do not love our son. But I love. I shall sell my mangalasutra. With that money I shall revive our son. I shall go to those tribals and fall at their feet”.
I was convinced that I was wrong. I was ashamed of my behaviour. I pacified her. I took my son to the tribals. They began the ritual as per the Vamacara method. They tied a black goat to the tree & began the homa. They chanted some mantras in their tribal style and performed strange homa. I was frightened but sat beside them.
After a while, the priest suddenly began to dance violently. He said, “O ghosts! I am offering food to you. Now you spare this boy. If you attack him again, you will not survive any longer”.
He then handed me a sword & said, “Now kill this goat”. I was sweating & trembling. By then the goat’s mother came there weeping. I was not in a position to kill that baby goat. But the man prodded me to kill it saying, “Kill it before the mother arrives. If you do not offer the goat, the ghosts will revolt & eat us. The puja will backfire. It will kill you and us. Quickly kill it”.
In great fright, I killed the baby goat. The mother goat wept profusely. Then in a human voice, it said to me, “O degraded Brahmin! How can you kill my son just to save your son? I wanted to get my son married next month. Is your action justified? Is this what you have studied? Is this what you teach others? Even talking to you is a sin. May you be born as a goat. May you be taken for animal sacrifice. Only then you will know the value of life”.