Vriddhagoutama
The sage Goutama had a son named Vriddhagoutama. Vriddhagoutama was also a sage. But he was very ugly. Besides, he had no nose; had never had one since he had been born. He was so ashamed of this deformity that he could not bear to join the other children of the sages in studying the Vedas and shastras under a teacher. But Vriddhagoutama knew some incantations (mantras) which he always chanted. He also worshipped the god Agni.
When he grew a bit older, Vriddhagoutama went out to tour the world. He travelled to many places and met many people. Since he was deformed, he never got married. Who would want to marry a person so ugly as he?
In the course of his travels, Vriddhagoutama arrived at a mountain named Shitagiri. He discovered a beautiful cave in the moutain and thought that this might be a good place to live in. So he entered the cave and was very surprised to find an old woman inside. The woman had obviously been living inside the cave for many years. He body was thin and wasted from the rigor of severe tapasya.
Vriddhagoutama was about to touch the feet of such a venerable old woman, but the woman restrained him. Please don’t touch my feet, said the woman. You are my guru. Does a guru ever bow before his disciple?
Vriddhagoutama was surprised at these words. This was the first time in his life that he had met the old woman. How can I be your guru?, he asked. You are much older than me. Besides, I have never learnt anything and you are clearly a respected ascetic. Your words are a complete mystery to me.
Let me tell you my story, said the old woman. Otherwise, you will not understand.’
There used to be a handsome and brave prince named Ritadhvaja. He was the son of King Arshtishena. Ritadhvaja went on a hunt to the forest and arrived at that very cave. There he happened to meet an apsara named Sushyama. The two fell in love with each other and got married. But eventually, Ritadhvaja had to return home and Sushyama gave birth to a daughter there. Sushyama left her daughter in the cave itself with the instruction that she was not to leave the cave. The first man to enter the cave would become her husband. It was this daughter who had now become the old woman. Ritadhvaja had reigned for eighty thousand years. After that, Ritadhvaja’s son had reigned for ten thousand years. All this while, Sushyama’s daughter had lived in the cave, that is, for ninety thousand years all together.
Now you see that you are to be my husband, said the old woman. Is a husband not a guru?
What you say is quite impossible, replied Vriddhagoutama. You are much older than me. I am only a thousand years old and you more than ninety thousand. How can we marry? I am like a child next to you.
If you do not marry me, I will kill myself, said the old woman.
But I am ugly, protested Vriddhagoutam. I will promise you this much. If I ever become handome and learned, I will indeed marry you.
I have pleased the goddess Sarasvati, who presides over all learning, through my tapasya, said the old woman. She will make you learned. I have also pleased the Varuna and he will make you handsome.
Vriddhagoutama became handome and learned and married the old woman. They lived happily in the cave.
One day, various sages came to visit the couple. Amongst them, there were learned sages like Vashishtha and Vamadeva. But here were also young sages who were not all that sensible. The younger sages started to laught at the sight of the young and handsome Vriddhagoutama and his aged wife.
Who is this man? they asked the old woman. Is he your son or your grandson?
The sages went away, but the couple felt ashamed. They asked the sage Agastya what they might do. Agastya told them to go and bathe in the river Goutami Ganga. The river is so sacred that all one’s heart’s desires are thereby granted. The couple did this and prayed to Vishnu and Shiva. Wonder of wonders, the old woman became young and pretty. The place on the banks of the river where these wonderful things happened is a tirtha named vriddhasangama.
Pippalada
Many years ago, there used to be a sage named Dadhichi. His wife was Lopamudra. Dadhichi’s hermitage was right next to the holy river Ganga. Lopamudra’s sister Gabhastini also used to live in the hermitage. Such was the sage Dadhichi’s powers that daityas and danavas dared not set foot inside the hermitage.
The gods once fought with the demons and managed to defeat them. After the war was over, they came to pay their respects to Dadhichi. Dadhichi welcomed his guests and wanted to know how they were faring.
Thanks to your blessings, we are fine, replied the gods. We have just defeated the demons in a war. In fact, we have a slight problem. We no longer need our weapons now that the demons have run away. We don’t know of a safe place where we can store all these weapons. We were wondering if we might keep the weapons in your ashrama. This is one of the safest places that can be found.
Dadhichi consented to this proposal. The gods left their weapons in the hermitage and went back to heaven.
When Lopamudra heard what Dadhichi had done, she was not at all pleased. You have done something that is most improper, she told her husband. One should never accept responsibility for someone else’s property, especially if one is an ascetic and has no material possessions of one’s own. Moreover, you have agreed to store the weapons of the gods. Does this not mean that those who are the gods’ enemies will look upon you too as an enemy? And what are you going to do if something should happen to the weapons? Will the gods not blame you then?
Your points are well taken, said Dadhichi. But I had not thought of them and I have given the gods my word. I can’t very well go back on my word now.
A hundred years passed. The gods did not return to collect their weapons. The weapons began to lose their lustre. Dadhichi did not know how the energy of the weapons might be preserved. He washed them with holy water and the energy of the weapons got dissoved in the water. Dadhichi then drank up the water. As for the weapons themselves, they faded away once their energy was gone.
Finally the gods came to claim their weapons. Can we have our weapons back? they asked. Our enemies have become powerful again. We need our weapons.
That may be, said Dadhichi. But the weapons are no longer there. I have swallowed up their energy. Let me tell you what can be done. I will use the powers of meditation (yoga) to give up my life. Then excellent weapons can be made out of my bones.
The gods were reluctant, but there was no other solution. Dadhichi died and the gods requested Vishvakarma to make weapons for them out of Dadhichi’s bones. Vishvakrama complied and the weapon name vajra that he made was truly remarkable.
Lopamudra was away when this incident ook place. She returned and found that her husband had died. She was afflictd with sorrow and wished to immolate herself in a fire. But she happened to be pregnant at the time, so that this could not immediately be done. Once the baby was born, she killed herself, after having handed over the baby to a pippala (fig) tree to rearing.
Since the pippala tree brought up the boy, he came to be known as Pippalada. Chandra was the lord over all trees. The trees asked Chandra for some amrita for Pippalada and Chandra obliged . The amrita gave Pippalada a lot of strength.
When Pippalada grew up, he wanted to know who his parents were and the trees told him the story. Pippalada blamed the gods for his parents’ death and decided to seek revenge. The trees brought Pippalada to Chandra.
You are still too young, said Chandra. First you must become learned and well-versed in the use of weapons. Go the forest of dandakaranya. The river Goutami Ganga flows through that forest. Pray to Shiva there and I am sure that your wishes will be fulfilled.
Pippalada pleased Shiva through his prayers.
What boon do you desire? asked Shiva.
I want the boon that I may be able to destroy the gods, replied Pippalada.
I have a third eye in the middle of my forehead, said Shiva. The day you can see my third eye, your wish will be granted.
Try as he might, Pippalada could not see Shiva’s third eye. Pippalada therefore performed even more difficult tapasya for even more years. Eventually he managed to see Shiva’s third eye. From Shiva’s third eye was born a demon that looked like a mare.
What is your desire? asked the demon of Pippalda.
Kill my enemies, the gods, was the reply.
The demon immediately attacked Pippalada.
What are you doing? asked Pippalada. Why are you trying to kill me? I asked you to kill the gods.
But your body has been created by the gods. Replied the demon. I will therefore kill you also.
Pippalada ran to Shiva for deliverance. Shiva earmarked a region inside the forest for Pippalada. There the demon was not permitted to enter. Pippalada lived there , protected from the ravages of the demon. Meanwhile, the gods requested Shiva to save them as well. Shiva persuaded Pippalada to control his anger. He convinced Pippalada that nothing was to be gained by killing the gods. That would not bring his parents back.
Pippalada agreed. But he wished to see his parents once. Accordingly, a vimana descended from heaven on which Dadhichi and Lopamudra were seated. They blessed Pippalada and asked him to marry and have children.
As for the demon, it became a river and merged with the holy Ganga.
