|| Om Nama: Shivaya ||

Chapter –4– The significance of Sri Shivamahapuran – The legend of Chanchula -1

 Sutha ! Sutha ! Mahabhaga! Sarvajjoasi Mahamathe | Thvath Prasadhath Kritharththyoaham Puna: Puna: || Dhanya Dhanya Katha  Shambhosthavam  Dhanyo Dhanya  Yevacha | Yadha Karnenamathrena  Shivalokam Vrajen Nara: ||

Shaunaka speaks “Oh! Sutha, Oh! Mahabhaga, you have profound knowledge of scriptures, you have described the significance of Sri Shiva Mahapuranam brilliantly, we are grateful to you.  We repeatedly offer our salutations to you. We are extremely delighted to listen to the glorious legend of supreme Lord Shiva, kindly narrates another legend that enhances the devotion at the lotus feet of supreme Lord Shiva.  The people who engage in immoral deeds, consumption of intoxicating drinks would never attain salvation, but the nectar-like legend of Lord Shiva would easily bring salvation to them as well, we are fortunate to listen to the marvelous description of the legend of supreme Lord Shiva,  mere listening to these glorious myths would provide the abode of supreme Lord Shiva. ”

Sutha Pauranika speaks “ Oh! Vedaviththama who is profound in Veda, listen to me carefully, although the legends of supreme Lord Shiva are highly confidential, I would like to recite the entire myths before you because you are the foremost disciple of Lord Shiva/Shivabhakthanam Agrani.  There was a village named Bhashkala located on the shores of a vast ocean, where people were not interested in the Vedic way of life, wicked natured, engaged in various deceitful deeds, unfortunate and evil natured, earned a livelihood by farming, they were skilled in the usage of the weapon for their selfish motive, they were ill-mannered to their wives.  They were isolated from Bhakti, Gnana Vairagya, which is the source of the welfare of all.  They were illiterate, behaved like animals, they have no faith or beliefs, they madly followed in made-up stories, these people did not know Varnna or Ashrama Dharma, always engaged in worldly matters.  The women of the village are quite displeased, ill-mannered, and short-tempered, engaged in various immoral deeds, freely moved at their own will.  There was a Bhramin Binduka who was exactly virtue less like the other inhabitants of Bhaskala, engaged in various disrespectful deeds, even though he had a beautiful wife named Chanchula.  Bhramin Binduka was lustful, forced his wife to follow illicit relationships with men, therefore the wives of Bhramins in the same village isolated Chanchula who was virtuous before, meanwhile,  Binduka took great pleasure in the association of prostitutes, and Chanchula forced to work for other men. Thus the husband and wife engaged in lustful deeds for livelihood.  Later, Binduka started abusing her physically; she could not bear the torture of Binduka.  She refused to be with him, she became lustful and angry over her husband’s company with other women.  Binduka forced her to take money from the people who enjoy bodily pleasures with her, and he would enjoy the company of other women with the money earned by his wife.  Thus, the husband and wife mutually agreed and started living an utterly disgraceful life.  Several years have passed, Binduka reached latter years of age and died of an incurable illness.  Chanchula spends her youthful days with men and lived in her son’s house.  Finally, the youthful days have passed, once she had to travel to the glorious land Gokarna with her relatives.  She had a dip in the sacred river and started wandering around aimlessly; she found a shrine in which a Bhramin was reciting wonderful legends of Sri Shiva Mahapuran.  The Bhramin was explaining the hellish tortures to the people who take pleasure in the illicit relationship, women who neglect to serve their husbands and enjoys bodily pleasures with other men would undergo tortures by the emissaries of Lord Yama, they will be taken to the hell and blazing rode of iron would be thrust in their womb.  Chanchula was horrified listening to this legend explained by the intellectual Bhramin, instantly it multiplied Vairagya in her.  Thus, the recital of Srishivamahapuran was concluded on that day.  The Bhramin scholar was about to leave the shrine, Chanchula ran after him and confessed all her terrible sins before him, shed tears of extreme agony, and begged to relieve from the sins and ignorant deeds.  The widow Chanchula was extremely pain-stricken, regretted the life she had followed all these years.  She has realized that she had forgotten her noble path and heaved to the disgraceful ways that accumulated various sins due to her excessive lust and greed for a few pennies. She was terrified and ashamed of her deeds, various thoughts splashed her mind, and how could I face the emissaries of Lord Yama after the death? How could I bear the tortures of hell?.    She was broken down with extreme fear and guilt, she understood that there is no atonement for her sins, even the hundreds of Ashwamedha Yaga, or bathing in the sacred river Ganga for hundred years won’t bring any relief to her.  She was terrified, various thoughts were crossing her mind, who will protect me from my sins? She felt like drowning once again in the unfathomable ocean of worldly existence.  She has fallen at the feet of Bhramin scholar and cried with folded hands “ Oh! Noble Bhramin, I shall take refuge at your feet, kindly protect me from the hellish tortures, you are my preceptor, therefore kindly protect this miserable woman before you.”