Lessons from Puranas and Real Life

1. Jaya Vijaya Story from Bhagavatam

Shri Jaya and Shri Vijaya were the two gate-keepers of the abode of Lord Vishnu. One day, four very reverential Sanagaathi  Sages (Munivars)  came to visit the Lord. They do not wear any dresses and they wander  naked throughout (another version says that these Sages remained like children of just five years old as they remained celibate).  On seeing these naked Sages at the gates of the Lord, Jaya and Vijaya   the gatekeepers mocked  at them and refused entry to the abode of the Lord Vishnu. The Sages were amused by the peculiar behaviour of the gate keepers and asked reasons for discriminating them from others and  their refusal to allow them from entering the abode of the Lord. Not convinced with the explanation of the gatekeepers, the Sages cursed  Jaya and Vijaya that they would have to give up their divinity to be born as mortals in the Earth (Bhoologa) where people are wicked, crooked and jealous. On hearing this incident, the Lord appeared before them. The Sages narrated the incident and the curse they placed on Jaya and Vijaya for their misbehaviour and sought His intervention to pardon the gatekeepers. The Lord declined the request of the Sages  to pardon the gatekeepers.  Moreover, on a previous occasion, these gatekeepers had insulted the Lord Lakshmi also by refusing entry to her to his abode.  The Lord  observed that he, as the head of the abode,   assumed  responsibility for any misbehaviour of his servants including the gatekeepers and so they should go through the punishment given to them. But, the Lord  assured the gatekeepers that he would ensure their return to his abode  at a later date. So, they were born as sons of the Sage Kashyapa  who later became  the dreaded demon kings Hiranyaakshan and Hiranyakashyapu. The Puranas say that it took three avatars for  the Lord  to kill these two demons completely beginning from  Varaha, a boar and Narasimha, a man-lion. Then, in the Rama Avatar as Ravana and Kumbakarna and in the Krishna Avatar as Shishubala and Dantvakra in Maharabharat war. (One version goes that the Lord gave Jaya and Vijaya gave two options to come back to him as desired by them; option one take seven births and be His disciple  and sing in praise of him or take three births and be his enemy and get killed every time. They preferred the second one and hence it took three avatars for the Lord to kill them completely). Of course, the Lord was also not spared. Lord Krishna says that in his previous birth as Rama in the Tretayuga, Rama killed Vaali (Sugreeva's brother) from behind. So, Krishna reaped the price for the same through Jara who was king Vaali in his previous birth. This story beautifully brings out the very important fact that, even for the Ruler of the Universe, the laws of Karma remain the same. Hence, lord Krishna left the mortal world. The time from which lord Krishna died is considered to be the beginning of Kaliyuga.

2. Bhindranwale and Indira Gandhi story from India

According to various media reports, during the Congress rule under Mrs Indira Gandhi in the 1970s, the Congress supported Bhindranwale. The Congress backed him to weaken the Akali Dal in Punjab and split the Sikh vote. The Congress supported the candidates backed by Bhindranwale in the 1978 SGPC elections. The media reports say that the Congress leader (and ex-President of India) Giani Zail Singh allegedly financed the initial meetings of the separatist organization Dal Khalsa. The association of Bhindranwale with the Congress increased his influence and stature in the political capital, Delhi. He became one of the closest to the then leader of Congress. Later, at one point of time, Bhindranwale was noted for strongly opposing Indira Gandhi for alleged policies against Punjab during Dharam Yudh Morcha (battle for righteousness). Rest, as they say is history.  Later that year,  she ordered the attack on Golden Temple, Sikhism's most sacred Gurdwara, in Amritsar on the martyrdom anniversary of 5th Sikh Guru, Guru Arjan Dev ji when the complex had pilgrims. Since his death, Bhindranwale has remained a controversial figure in Indian history. Later, Indira Gandhi was killed by her own guards who were from the same community of Bhindranwale. The humiliation the Sikh community suffered  since the period of attacking the Golden Temple and killing of Bhindranwale to the riots in Delhi post murder of Indira Gandhi which took on innocent Sikh community is also well documented. 

3. Story from the life of a common man

Ravana (name changed) was a good boy as a student. But, at some stage in his life during the school days, he picked up one demonish vice of taking to drinking alcohol. Then he took to cigarette smoking. By the time he reached his middle age, he had already contracted cancer and his health suffered and died at the young age of forty. But, the sufferings for him and the family were so huge that had to spend all their savings and also borrow to maintain him during his cancer treatment. At one stage, when he was admitted to the Critical Care Unit (CCU) in a speciality hospital, the expenditure on him was around Rs.50000/- every day. One day, when the hospital authorities asked his family to remit Rs.1.0 lakh immediately to continue keep him in the CCU, they could not raise the money. The hospital refused to keep him further in the CCU and continue their treatment, they directed his family to take him home. The family, with no other option, had to take him back home same day where he suffered further and died. The end was very painful for all in the family and the savings completely vanished leaving the family in penury for years to come. 

Take Aways   from three stories

The  Indian epic Bhagavatam  tells us that the Lord maintained the punishment given to his own gatekeepers and made them born as demons on the earth, though he owned the responsibility for their misdemeanour. Then through these demons, the Lord  created  havoc  and made people suffer for no fault of them.  Of course, he killed them, but after making the people pay a heavy price. In the end, he was also not spared and got killed.   In the real life story, nearer home, we have anecdotal evidence how Bhindranwale was the creation of Indira Gandhi and ultimately she had to take extreme steps to eliminate her own creation. 

In  the epic story, the Lord was instrumental in creating demons and made people suffer and then intervened and it took him three avatars to kill them. Here, the story stops with the Lord killing of the demons created by him (as no story is there where any demon or his/her subjects have killed the Lord). In real life,  the Lord (Indira Gandhi) who created the Bhindranwale went on to kill him. But, the Lord (Indira Gandhi) here,  had to pay her price by laying down her own life at the hands of the followers of principles of Bhindranwale. 

In the real life of a common man, due to his own creation of a demon within himself, he, besides his own sufferings,  made everyone around him to suffer also. He neither lived a happy life nor made his family to be happy during his life and after his death too. 

Do not create your own demons. Then, you may appear to be thinking that you have killed them when not needed; but, the ghost of the demons will take revenge on you and you will get killeld by your own creation.