Dvisahasri of Tembesvami (Summary and Study)
by Upadhyay Mihirkumar Sudhirbhai | 2012 | 54,976 words
This page relates 鈥楩ruition of Action鈥� of the study of the Dvisahasri by Tembesvami:鈥攁 Sanskrit epic poem (mahakavya) narrating the legend and activities of Lord Dattatreya, including details on his divine sports and incarnations. Also known as Datta, he is considered one of the Holy Masters in the Natha cult imparting spiritual knowledge and adequate practice to the aspirant.
Go directly to: Footnotes.
Chapter 15 - Fruition of Action
[Note: This page represents a summary English translation of the Dvis膩hasr墨 by 峁琫mbesv膩m墨, chapter 15.鈥擭ow in order to destroy the evil actions the collection of 5 chapters (14-18) is being depicted for evoking detachment for those whose minds are impure.鈥擨n the 15th chapter the fruition of the action told to a low-caste person, the rite of expiation to a mendicant, the greatness of applying ashes and releasing a demon are dealt with.]
15/01-02: 狈腻尘补诲丑腻谤补办补 spoke: What happen to the low-caste person?
15/03-04: Siddha spoke: The Holy Master鈥檚 grace makes him ask past actions for his present down-fall (04)
15/05-29: Holy Master spoke: A being gets upward or downward due to one鈥檚 own actions (06). He enumerates the 38 types of sinners (07- 12) followed by 21 types of Brahmin-sinners who go to hell and experience torturing of the god of Death (13-17). They attain next births of a ghost, goblin and so on as per the intensity of the individual desires (18). One insulting a teacher or a Brahmin is born as a Brahmin-ghost (19). He then enumerates the evil consequences of stealing different objects[1] (20-26) followed by the enumeration of the evil consequences of enjoying another鈥檚 wife (27-28).
15/29: Trivikrama鈥檚 question about the destruction of the sins committed knowingly or unknowingly.
15/30-47: Holy Master spoke: He gives the solutions of destroying the sins such as, (01) Repentance, (02) Expiatory rites, (03) Declaring the sin publicly, (04) Donating gold to a Brahmin, (05) Resorting to the Holy Master, (06) Repitition of the 骋腻测补迟谤墨 formula, (07) Ablution in the river Gang膩 at 碍腻艣墨 or in the ocean near 搁腻尘别艣惫补谤补尘 [搁腻尘别艣惫补谤补], (08) Visiting the holy places, (09) Recitation of the 狈腻肠颈办别迟补鈥檚 narration, (10) Repitition of the 础驳丑补尘补谤峁峁嘺 , hymn (RV 10/190), (11) Practising the 颁腻苍诲谤腻测补峁嘺 -vow and (12) Partaking 05 cow-products (31-44).[2]
The expiatory rite does not purify one in the absence of devotion to Lord 痴颈峁ａ箛耻, like a river not purifying a covered vessel of liquor (45).
The low-caste person has been born in this caste on account of forsaking his parents in his previous 07th birth (46), but he would be born as a Brahmin by taking bath in the river (Amaraj膩) (47).
15/48-53: Holy Master spoke: 痴颈艣惫腻尘颈迟谤补 requests the gods for the Brahmin-hood. They ask him to go to Vasis峁環a who is not ready to grant. 痴颈艣惫腻尘颈迟谤补 being angry kills his 100 sons and when he wants to kill even 痴补蝉颈峁ａ弓丑补, he becomes afraid of the Brahminicide. He is then instructed to practise penance (49-51) which 惭别苍补办腻 takes away. 痴颈艣惫腻尘颈迟谤补 again practises the penance and eventually becomes the chief of the sages (52).
For this reason the low caste one would get Brahmin-hood in the next birth only (53).
15/54-57: The low-caste person: How the iron transformed into gold can remain iron only. As a Brahmin, he doesn鈥檛 want to stay with his wife and children. The Holy Master asks a disciple to make him bath (55-56). After the bath he comes to senses and goes home with his relatives (57).
15/58-59: Trivikrama spoke: How can a deviated be sanctified? How could he become the same as before? (59).
15/60-62: Holy Master spoke: He becomes as he was before by the bath given removed the effect of the Ashes (61).
Sage 痴腻尘补诲别惫补 walking through the forest pacifies a Brahmin-demon who has come to devour him just by his touch and reminds him of his all previous births (62).
15/63-69: Brahmin-demon spoke: In his previous birth he being a lascivious king, enjoys many women. The subjects leave the city (64-65). He suffers from diseases and is killed by enemies. (66). After suffering pain in different species, he wanted to devour him, but knows no reason for getting pacified thus (67-69).
15/70-73: 痴腻尘补诲别惫补 spoke: The touch of the holy ashes he is pacified. Lord 艢颈惫补 adorns His body with the ashes (71). In ancient time a debaucher is killed and thrown out of the house, but when he is touched by a dog covered with ashes, 艢颈惫补鈥檚 attendants obstruct Yama鈥檚 attendants and take him to 碍补颈濒腻蝉补 (72-73).
15/74-76: Demon spoke: He has met 痴腻尘补诲别惫补 due to his previous merit. How the holy ashes are produced? How to apply it?
15/77-79: 痴腻尘补诲别惫补 spoke: 厂补苍补迟办耻尘腻谤补 requests Lord 艢颈惫补 to instruct an easy way to the liberation.
15/80-94: 艢颈惫补 spoke: One is free from sins by mere sight of the ashes, enjoys beneficence by anointing and is liberated by applying it (81). The ashes of the sacrifices or of the dried cow-dung and should be applied along with the recitation of the formulas (82). It should be applied on the eyebrows (83-85ab). The application of the ashes frees the sinners. One is venerated in heaven by applying it. Even the 搁耻诲谤腻办峁-beads are auspicious (85cd-87). The application of the ashes destroys the faults, leads to heaven and entitles one for the abode of Lord 艢颈惫补 (88-89). 痴腻尘补诲别惫补 gives ashes to the Brahmin-demon and asks him to apply. He does so, abandons the demoniac body and is freed (90-91). He attains heaven (92).
Trivikrama should apply the ashes, too and he would be free. He obeys (92-93). The fruition of actions being difficult to bear, one should practise beneficial acts (94).
Footnotes and references:
[1]:
Vide. Appendix 07.
[2]:
He adds here that a husband or a wife committing a sin, incurs the sin equally (15/44).