Power of Shravana - Part 2 - Dhundukari and Gokarna

The Vishnu Purana and the Srimad Bhagavata have delineated nine forms of Bhakti to attain the lotus feet of Vishnu.

Ø  Sravana (hearing of God's Lilas and stories),

Ø  Kirtana (singing of His glories),

Ø  Smarana (remembrance of His Name and presence),

Ø  Padasevana (service of His feet),

Ø  Archana (worship of God),

Ø  Vandana (prostration to the Lord),

Ø  Dasya (cultivating the Bhava of a servant with God), Sakhya (cultivation of the friend-Bhava) and

Ø  Atmanivedana (complete surrender of the self).

Let us see an interesting story in the Bhagavada Purana that helps us understand the power of Sravana. (Listening)

Dhundukari and Gokarna – Part 2

(Story from Bhagavada Purana)

In the last section, we saw how the bad ways of Dhundukari made him a violent and cruel thief. He made his parents unhappy and was a threat to all the people. His father, Atmadeva died of heartbreak and his mother committed suicide unable to put up with his cruelt.

Dhundukari started living with many women who were greedy and vicious. One day, they decided to kill him and take all his wealth. They strangled him to death. His untimely death and the life of vice that he led meant his soul did not get any peace. The spirit was wandering the village and neighbourhood tormenting travellers and the villagers.

Some days they could hear the spirit crying and wailing in the middle of the night about his life and cruelty towards others and pleading with them to help him attain peace. The villagers felt sorry for the spirit but did not know how to help Dhundukari.

One day, Dhundukari’s brother Gokarna came back to the village much wiser and kinder after travelling many kingdoms and learning many complex texts from many Gurus. He had heard about the untimely death of his brother Dhundukari and had performed his shrardha in Gaya and in many other holy places.

When Gokarna came back to the village he was surprised to hear from the villagers that his brother’s spirit was wandering without any peace in that area. He felt sorry for Dhundukari even though he knew that his brother had tormented their parents and committed many wrong deeds. Being kind at heart, he wanted to help his brother to be freed from his sins.

That night, Gokarna slept in the courtyard of his parent’s house. Dhundukari, true to his ghost form, started trying to terrorize his brother Gokarna by taking many scary forms. Gokarna who was spiritual and knowledgeable was not afraid of the antics of this spirit. He said “Oh brother Dhudukari, why are you doing all this? I know you are my brother and love you with all my heart. I heard about your death and have been doing your shrardham in all the holy places I have crossed.”

Hearing the kind words of Gokarna, the spirit of Dhundukari started crying. It told Gokarna. “Brother, you don’t know what a horrible person I have been. I tortured many good people. I did not respect my parents. I stole from my own house. My father left home because of me and still I did not come to my senses. I was violent towards my own mother and drove her to desperation. Even if you do a thousand shradhs in a thousand kshetras I will not be redeemed.”

Gokarna felt pity for the spirit. He said “Don’t despair brother. I shall think of some way to help you. In the mean time, try to be in one place. Do not wander and scare simple, good people of the village.” Dhundukari’s spirit thanked Gokarna and left for the nearby forest.

Next day many learned people from nearby villages came to visit Gokarna whose wisdom and piety was well known. Gokarna consulted these people about the plight of his brother and ways to help him. Most people were not able to come up with anything useful.

In the end, an old learned sadhu who was in the gathering told Gokarna. “Learned one. Pray to the Sun God. He will give you a way to relieve your brother of his dark soul and get liberated.”

As advised, Gokarna propitiated the Sun God with proper prayers and offerings. Pleased with his prayers, the Sun God made an appearance inf front of Gokarna. Gokarna told the Sun God Surya about his brother and asked for help.

A pleased Surya told him “If so many shrardhs in holy places have not helped this spirit attain peace, there is only one way. Pray to the God who dispels all evil – Lord Narayana. Recite Srimad Bhagavatha with full belief and devotion in a proper manner. Lord Narayana will take care of the rest.

The whole village heard the uttering of Lord Surya and were very curious. The next day, after proper prayers and preparations, Gokarna started reciting Srimad Bhagavatha. Many people from the village and nearby had assembled to listen to the sacred text and also to see how the spirit will be freed. After all, curiosity is a human trait.

The fist day when the recitation started, Dhundukari’s spirit also came to listen to the holy text. Being in spirit form, it could not stay still and listen. It decided to enter a bamboo lying nearby and be still. It entered the bamboo through one end and listened to the recitation.

At the end of the recitation on the first day, when Gokarna was closing the sacred book for the day, there was a loud clap. One of the knots in the bamboo pole had broken. The villagers did not understand and did not pay much attention.

The same thing got repeated the next day when the second knot of the bamboo pole broke with a loud clap. This time, people realised it was not a coincidence.

On the third day, it recurred. This time, Gokarna and the villagers were actively watching for it. Except for Gokarna and some of the wiser people, others did not understand the significance of this loud sound and the cracking of the bamboo.

The spirit of Dhundukari realised it was slowly becoming less restless. It made it a point to go everyday into the bamboo and listen to the recitation by Gokarna.

At the end of the seventh day, the bamboo split into half and from there a spirit wearing the thulasi garland, adorned in yellow clothes and looking resplendent emerged. The spirit bowed before Gokarna and said “My brother. Thanks to your effort a sinner like me has been freed. I am proceeding to the Lotus feet of SriVishnu. Blessed is the Srimad Bhagavata that can redeem a sinner like me. Blessed will be those who observe Srimad Bhagavata week and listen to the story in totality. They will attain the Lotus feet of SriVishnu.”

The spirit of Dhundukari bowed again to its brother Gokarna and other assembled villagers and left the place. The villagers saw with their own eyes the power of the shravana of a holy text like Srimad Bhagavatham.