Sinners and Polluters, Beware!

A pilgrim paid his obeisance to a revered Sant at Mahakumbh city, Prayagraj, and asked, ‘Swamiji, what benefit accrues from Triveni snan?’

Sant: Shastras mention that sins committed at other holy places are removed at Kumbhakonam, sins committed at Kumbhakonam at Varanasi, and sins committed anywhere are removed by a holy dip at Prayagraj. Sangam snan removes sins of this and all previous births.

(Photo Credit: https://kumbh.gov.in/en/mediagallery)

Pilgrim: Is it necessary to perform any special puja before or after snan?

Sant: Ordinary snan cleans the body, but snan at Prayagraj and other holy rivers purifies the spirit. No special puja is required; but Kumbh snan should be undertaken with Shraddha and Sankalp.

Pilgrim: What Sankalp do you suggest?

Sant: Forty crore devotees will perform Mahakumbh snan. Each of them should make a Sankalp- NOT to pollute any waterbody- and truthfully implement it. Then only, Ma Gange, the holy rivers, and all the water-bodies would be clean and life-sustaining.

Pilgrim: Why does water pollution worry you?

Sant: Because polluting waters- the amrut of life- is a terrible sin. Listen to this ancient story.[i]

~~~

The gods in heaven feared the growing power of Vritra, a Vishnu-bhakt brahmin but a demon. Indra, King of gods, engaged Vritra in a long war, but failed to kill him. In fact, Indra was overwhelmed, confused, and dis-oriented by Vritra’s magical powers upon which Vasishtha reminded him of his extraordinary and invincible powers (just as Jambavant had reminded the forgetful Hanuman of his enormous strength and capabilities in the Ramayana), and got him ready for battle once again. But Brihaspati, the Guru of gods, knew it was beyond Indra’s ability to kill Vritra. He solicited help from Shiva who entered Vritra as fever (jvara), weakened his body, and when Vritra yawned, fatigued by fever, Indra hurled his thunder-bolt vajra (into which Vishnu had entered to make it lethal) into the demon’s body which killed him.

Before Indra could celebrate his victory by drinking soma (once he had drunk up, on his own admission, twenty lakes of soma!), there arose from the demon’s corpse a terrible woman, the incarnation of brahmahatya (brahminicide), the most heinous sin, to infect Indra and render him ineligible to be King of the gods. Chased by her around the three worlds, Indra ran away in terror and hid in the middle of a lotus stalk for many years after which he cautiously emerged from it when Brahmahatya, patiently lying in wait for her victim all those years, grabbed him by the neck and held fast. Indra tried hard, but failed to get release from her vice-like grip; but somehow managed to reach Brahma to whom he prayed for release.

Brahma spoke sweetly to the fearsome lady, and solicited her to release Indra. She said, ‘You are the Creator of the three worlds; so, I agree to release Indra, but you must tell me where I may live.’

Brahma thought for a while and said, ‘I will assign not one but four places for you to reside,’ which pleased her.

Brahma divided Brahmahatya to four parts, and assigned a part each to Fire, Trees-Herbs-Grasses, Apsaras (charming women who entertained the gods in heaven), and Waters; who obeyed Brahma’s command but requested for moksha (riddance) from the terrible sin at some point of time.

Brahma assured each of them that they would be relieved from the sin in specific ways: Fire when humans fail to offer seeds, herbs, and juices to a flame they meet; Trees-Herbs-Grasses when humans mindlessly cut or chop them on parva (auspicious) days; Apsaras when men engage in sex with women during their period. Lastly, whenever dumb and deluded humans treat Waters with irreverence, and pollute water-bodies with their phlegm, urine, and faeces; the terrible sin will afflict them.[ii]  

~~~

Pilgrim: Why did Brahma choose those four agencies?

Sant: Because each of them is a fundamental life-force. Agni is still worshipped, and ceremonial offerings (patra, pushpa, Akshata, ghee) are made during a yagyan or puja. In traditional homes, after a meal is cooked, a morsel is first offered to Agnidev before the humans are served. Scriptures prescribe detailed guidelines for harvesting trees, plants, and herbs for human use. Even for Lord Jagannatha’s nabakalebara, the chosen trees for the new idols are worshipped and their permission is sought before putting the axe to the trees. Sex is sacred, and for procreation; not for carnal pleasure. Waters are life-sustaining, life-nourishing, and purifying; but humans are duty-bound to keep them clean. That is why the seers of the Rig Veda composed Nadi Stuti, and later Sants composed Gangashtakam, Yamunashtakam, Narmadashtakam, and other prayers and stotras for rivers, lakes, and water-bodies.

In Kaliyug, the terrible sin of brahmahatya no longer resides in the four agencies which bore the original burden as per Brahma’s command; the humans have transgressed, and the sin now stands transferred to humans in whom it stays settled. Sinners suffer, and Polluters pay!

Brahmahatya is not murder of a brahmin. Brahma (ब्रह्म) is the life-energy or life-principle which resides in Fire, Trees, Women, and Waters. Lack of reverence for these fundamental life-forces, and mindless abuse amounts to destroying life. That is brahmahatya in Kaliyug!

~~~

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[i] It’s a well-known story from the Mahabharata (Bhishma Parva, 12.272 & 273).

[ii] Waters said: Pray tell us how we will be rid of this sin?

Brahma said:

अल्पा इति मतिं कृत्वा यो नरो बुद्धिमोहितः |

श्लेष्ममूत्रपुरीषाणि युष्मासु प्रतिमोक्ष्यति ||५२||

तमेषा यास्यति क्षिप्रं तत्रैव च निवत्स्यति |

तथा वो भविता मोक्ष इति सत्यं ब्रवीमि वः ||५३||

(Source: sanskritdocuments.org: Mahabharata: Critical Edition: 12.273: 52-53)

Thinking of Waters as trivial, whenever deluded humans pollute waterbodies with their phlegm, urine, and faeces; You will be rid of this sin which will swiftly migrate to humans and stay settled in them. This is the method for your moksha, I am telling you the truth!