The Story Of Nabhi & Avatar Of Rishabhadeva
Agnidhra, Priyavrata’s son was now ruler of the entireJambudvipa. He was young, energetic and well skilled in the artsof war and peace. After some years, desiring an heir, he retiredto the forest and prayed to Sri Hari. Aghnidhra had nine sons, Nabhi,Kimpurusha, Harivarsha, Ilavita, Ramyaka, Hiranmaya, Kuru,Bhadrasura, and Ketumala. They all had great beauty of formand divine qualities like their mother , Purvajithi.
King Nabhi and his queen Merudevi were issuless.They Desirous of ensuring prosperity of his subjects and the glory of his line decided to perform a great yagna.. King Nabhi meditated and performed severe penance to please Lord Vishnu and in return got a son like Vishnu. The king, queen and the assembled rishis were greatly delighted and all departed awaiting the happy event. In due time the queen gave birth to a beautiful son with all the divine marks of conch, the chakra -wheel - and mace engraved in his palms and feet. The child Rishabha, grew up very rapidlyinto a tall, powerful and handsome person, the very picture of SriHari. The parents, knew that their time was over. They handedover the great kingdom to their divine son and retired to the forestfor the final penance. Rishabha married Jayanti, daughter of Indra. Rishabha had one hundred sons with his wife Jayanti. The eldest of the sons was Bharata. Rishabha ruled many years with equity and wisdom and celebrated many sacrificial rites. He resigned the sovereignty of the earth and designated the position to the heroic Bharata. He retired and settle in a hermitage Pulastya. Rishabha adopted the life of a sage, practicing religious penance, and performing all prescribed ceremonies. In the end he performed more severe austerities; he put pebble in his mouth and naked roam about. The pebble was intended either to compel perpetual silence, or to prevent his eating.
After the reign of Bharata India was named Bharatvarsa. Other sons of Rishabha are Kusavarta, Ilavarta, Brahmavarta, Malaya, Ketu, Bhadrasena, Indrasprk, Vidarbha and Kikata. There were also other nine sons named Kavi, Havi, Antariksa, Prabuddha, Pippalayana, Avirhotra, Drumila, Camasa and Karabhajana. These nine sons of Rishabha became mendicant preachers, following the religious precepts of the Bhagavatam. Rishabha was known as an ideal father as he gave appropriate instructions to his father. To teach the general public, King Rishabha performed many sacrifices and taught his sons how to rule the country and the people living there. The remaining sons had brahmanic qualities and became brahmins.King Rishabha ,also known as Rishabha Deva, in the course of his travels came to Brahmavarta where the Brahma Rishis were holding a great conference. Finding such a fine responsiveaudience Rishabha Deva wanted to address them. His sons werealso there among the audience.
Rishabhadeva instructed His sons, although they were already very well behaved, devoted and qualified. He instructed them so that in the future they could rule the world very perfectly. He said, “The attraction between male and female is the basic principle of material existence. On the basis of this misconception, which ties together the hearts of the male and female, one becomes attracted to his body, home, property, children, relatives and wealth. In this way one increases life’s illusions and thinks in terms of “I and mine.” When the strong knot in the heart of a person implicated in material life due to the results of past action is slackened, one turns away from his attachment to home, wife and children. In this way, one gives up the basic principle of illusion [I and mine] and becomes liberated. Thus one goes to the transcendental world.” This body is difficult to understand
But my heart is full of sathvic virtues and dharma,And I have put adharma far behind,Hence the wise ones call me Rishabha.You are all born, out of my heartTherefore all of you deserve to follow,And obey implicitly your eldest brother Bharata,That way, you will be serving me and the people.Among creation you have immovable things like stones,Then come tanks and rivers, then trees and reptiles,Then human beings, and then gandharvas,And then yakshas and beyond them gods.And there is Indra, chief of gods, above him Daksha, thesons of Brahma,And Lord Siva, part of me, I follow the realized sages andBrahmins,These Brahmins are above every one else and the offerings made to them,Is superior even to offerings in the fire made to me. The Vedas are my body, the Brahmins preserve it by study,by restraint of mind and body, by following the truth,by penance and by fortitudeEven from me, the dispenser of all blessings and finalsalvation,These wandering sages desire nothing but continuousdevotion.My sons! Worship not only Brahmins, worship all livingcreaturesAnd even inanimate nature, because I abide everywhere.That is real worship, let all your actions, and words bededicated to Me,and only this dedication will help you to escape from themeshes of death.
Thus advising his sons , who were by nature already saintly,King Rishabha handed over the reins of government to Bharata and taking nothing with him, left for the forest, completely alone.He travelled over hill and dale, not caring for the big mosquitoes or even wild animals. He subsisted on wild fruits androots, making no attempt to get food, slaking his thirst from the mountain streams, sometimes lying down, and not even taking a bath. But, strange to say a sweet fragrance like that of muskspread all over the place. Various sidhis such as distant vision,entering another body, transporting oneself to any place, reading another’s thoughts and the like now presented themselves before Rishabha willing to obey him but Rishabha declined.,
Lord Rishabhadeva lived like a madman, naked and with disheveled hair. Then the Lord took the sacrificial fire within Himself, and He left Brahmavarta to tour the whole world. After accepting the feature of avadhuta, a great saintly person without material cares, Lord Rishabhadeva passed through human society like a blind, deaf and dumb man, an idle stone, a ghost or a madman. Although people called Him such names, He remained silent and did not speak to anyone. While He was wandering about, a wild forest fire began. This fire was caused by the friction of bamboos, which were being blown by the wind. In that fire, the entire forest near Kutakachala and the body of Lord Rishabhadeva were burnt to ashes.Bharata accepted his responsibility as the next king after his father Rishba renounced the world.
प्रियव्रतस्य प्रियपुत्रभूता-
दाग्नीध्रराजादुदितो हि नाभि: ।
त्वां दृष्टवानिष्टदमिष्टिमध्ये
तवैव तुष्ट्यै कृतयज्ञकर्मा ॥१॥
priyavratasya priyaputrabhuutaa
daagniidhraraajaa-duditO hi naabhiH |
tvaaM dR^iShTavaa-niShTadamiShTi-madhye
tavaiva tuShTyai
King Priyavrata had a dear son named Asgnidhra king, of whom Naabhi was born. While Naabhi was performing a Yanjya, for propitiating Thee, he had a vision of Thee, the bestower of desired boons to devotees.
Dasakam: 20-- Shlokam: 02
अभिष्टुतस्तत्र मुनीश्वरैस्त्वं
राज्ञ: स्वतुल्यं सुतमर्थ्यमान: ।
स्वयं जनिष्येऽहमिति ब्रुवाण-
स्तिरोदधा बर्हिषि विश्वमूर्ते ॥२॥
abhiShTutastatra muniishvaraistvaM
raaj~naH svatulyaM sutamarthyamaanaH |
svayaM janiShye(a)hamiti bruvaaNa-
stirOdadhaa bahirShi vishvamuurte || 2
O Lord of the whole universe! In that sacrifice, The sages sang Thy praises and the king prayed to Thee for a son like Thyself. Thou then declared that Thou would Thyself be born as his son and then Thou disappeared in the sacrificial fire.
Dasakam: 20-- Shlokam: 03नाभिप्रियायामथ मेरुदेव्यां
त्वमंशतोऽभू: ॠषभाभिधान: ।
अलोकसामान्यगुणप्रभाव-
प्रभाविताशेषजनप्रमोद: ॥३॥
naabhipriyaayaamatha merudevyaaM
tvamamshatO(a)bhuurR^IShabhaabhidhaanaH |
alOkasaamaanya-guNa-prabhaava
prabhaavitaasheSha janapramOdaH || 3
In keeping with Thy word, Thou took birth as Nabhi's son, Rishabha, in Nabhi's belovedwife, Merudevi, bringing great joy to the people of the land, due to Thy extraordinaryqualities and might.
निधाय नाभि: सह मेरुदेव्या ।
तपोवनं प्राप्य भवन्निषेवी
गत: किलानन्दपदं पदं ते ॥४॥
tvayi trilOkiibhR^iti raajyabhaaraM
nidhaaya naabhiH saha merudevyaa |
tapOvanaM praapya bhavanniShevii
gataH kilaanandapadaM padaM te || 4
Naabhi entrusted the administration of the kingdom to Thee, who are the ruler of the three worlds and went away to the forest with his wife Merudevi to lead an ascetic life. Worshipping Thee there, he attained to Thy state of Supreme Bliss
Dasakam: 20-- Shlokam: 05
इन्द्रस्त्वदुत्कर्षकृतादमर्षा-
द्ववर्ष नास्मिन्नजनाभवर्षे ।
यदा तदा त्वं निजयोगशक्त्या
स्ववर्षमेनद्व्यदधा: सुवर्षम् ॥५॥
indrastvadutkarSha-kR^itaadamarShaa
dvavarSha naasminnajanaabhavarShe |
yadaa tadaa tvaM nijayOgashaktyaa
svavarShamenad vyadadhaassuvarSham || 5
Indra, who was jealous at the prosperity of the world generated by Thy (Rishabha's) greatness, Indra withheld rain from the continent Ajanaabha. Thereupon Thou by Thy yogic power brought enough rain on this Thy continent.
Dasakam: 20-- Shlokam: 06जितेन्द्रदत्तां कमनीं जयन्ती-
मथोद्वहन्नात्मरताशयोऽपि ।
अजीजनस्तत्र शतं तनूजा-
नेषां क्षितीशो भरतोऽग्रजन्मा ॥६॥
jitendra dattaaM kamaniiM jayantii
mathOdvahannaatmarataashayO(a)pi |
ajiijanastatra shataM tanuujaa-
neShaaM kshitiishO bharatO(a)grajanmaa || 6
Thus defeated, Indra bestowed beautiful Jayanti on Thee as Thy wife. Though Thou were ever absorbed in the Aatman, Thou be got in her one hundred sons, the eldest of whom was king Bharat became king.
Dasakam: 20-- Shlokam: 07नवाभवन् योगिवरा नवान्ये
त्वपालयन् भारतवर्षखण्डान् ।
सैका त्वशीतिस्तव शेषपुत्र-
स्तपोबलात् भूसुरभूयमीयु: ॥७॥
navaabhavan yOgivaraa navaanye
tvapaalayan bhaaratavarShakhaNDaan
saikaa tvashiitistava sheShaputra-
stapObalaat bhuusurabhuuyamiiyuH || 7
Nine of them became great yogis, and another nine ruled over the various regions of Bhaaaratavarsha. Thy remaining eightyone sons attained Braahminhood by the power of their austerities Dasakam: 20-- Shlokam: 08
उक्त्वा सुतेभ्योऽथ मुनीन्द्रमध्ये
विरक्तिभक्त्यन्वितमुक्तिमार्गम् ।
स्वयं गत: पारमहंस्यवृत्ति-
मधा जडोन्मत्तपिशाचचर्याम् ॥८॥
uktvaa sutebhyO(a)tha muniindramadhye
viraktibhaktyanvitamuktimaargam |
svayaM gataH paaramahamsyavR^itti-
madhaa jaDOnmatta pishaachacharyaam || 8
Afterwards Thou instructed Thy sons along with the great ascetics in the path of salvation through renunciation and devotion. Then adopting the life of a total renunciate Thou moved about behaving like, a mad man or a ghost.
Dasakam: 20-- Shlokam: 09
परात्मभूतोऽपि परोपदेशंकुर्वन् भवान् सर्वनिरस्यमान: ।
विकारहीनो विचचार कृत्स्नां
महीमहीनात्मरसाभिलीन: ॥९॥
paraatmabhuutO(a)pi parOpadeshaM
kurvan bhavaan sarvanirasyamaanaH |
vikaarahiinO vichachaara kR^itsnaaM
mahiimahiinaatmarasaabhiliinaH || 9
Thou roamed the entire world, in the guise of a
Dasakam: 20-- Shlokam: 10शयुव्रतं गोमृगकाकचर्यां
चिरं चरन्नाप्य परं स्वरूपं ।
दवाहृताङ्ग: कुटकाचले त्वं
तापान् ममापाकुरु वातनाथ ॥१०॥
shayuvrataM gOmR^igakaakacharyaaM
chiraM charannaapya paraM svaruupam |
davaahR^itaangaH kuTakaachale tvaM
taapaan mamaapaakuru vaatanaatha ||10
Observing the ways of the life of a python, a cow, a deer, and a crow, Thou wandered about for long, attaining identity with the Supreme Brahman. Thy body then perished in the forest fire in the Coorg mountains Oh Guruvayurappa ! May Thouremove all my woes. And eradicate my afflictions.
