In the previous episode, we had witnessed Sage Paraashara commencing his reply to Sage Maithreya’s intriguing, but genuine questions. As Sage Paraashara commences his reply, he invokes an interesting conversation between his predecessors – Sage Vasishta and Sage Vishwamitra. Through this, in due course of yesterday’s episode we had witnessed how Sage Paraashara too exhibits utmost humility when he replies. He doesn’t proclaim that he is the one who knows the answers fully, but is humble enough to acknowledge the contributions made by great sages previously. Thus, rather than starting by saying “I know the answer and my accord goes like this…”, he commences by saying, “According to what I had learnt from an interesting and an informative conversation between Sage Vasishta and Sage Vishwamitra…”. Thus, it is important for us to acknowledge the scholarliness of our great Maharishis while we discuss important aspects of our Sanatana Dharma’s Vedanta.
“Tato ham rakshasaam satram vinaasaaya samaarabham!”
As Sage Maithreya listens to Sage Paraashara’s introductory words, he is totally moved to tears of joy! He immediately asks Sage Paraashara thus, “Oh Great Sage! Have you been in association with the great Sages Vasishta and Vishwamitra? You’re indeed so fortunate to invoke a lot of lessons from them! The world knows how great they were in terms of their spiritual knowledge and wisdom. If you’ve been in direct association and lineage with such great sages, you’re indeed so fortunate in this birth and with this, I’m also fortunate, because I’m getting an opportunity to learn from a great sage who has ancestral and knowledge roots from great sages!”
This is not something very surprising! Even today, if we happen to meet people who are of the family ancestral lineage or “Sishya” lineage of great “Pandithas”, or “Bhaagawathas”, etc. we pay lot of respect to them isn’t it? For instance, if we meet a person who sings carnatic music very well, we would immediately ask the question – Who is your Aachaarya or Guru. If that person invokes the name of some renowned and veteran classical musician as his / her Aachaarya, how would we react? We would immediately exclaim, “Oh wow! Are you the Sishya of this renowned veteran musician? It shows in the way you’re singing! You’re really fortunate to learn from such a great person and I’m also fortunate to listen to the disciple of that renowned musician!” We would immediately say thus, isn’t it? This is exactly what Sage Maithreya is also exclaiming here. As Sage Paraashara invokes the great Sages Vasishta and Vishwamitra, he is thrilled to bits. His level of interest and curiosity multiplies several times and with this itself, Sage Maithreya is more and more eager to listen to Sage Paraashara’s words.
Notwithstanding thus, Sage Maithreya requests Sage Paraashara to talk a few words about his association with the two great sages! Sage Maithreya asks thus, “Oh Sage Paraashara! Leave alone the Srishti, Samhaara, etc. Now tell me more about your association with Sage Vasishta and Sage Vishwamitra!” As Sage Maithreya asks thus, Sage Paraashara gives a brief introduction about himself and his association with Sage Vasishta.
Sage Paraashara narrates thus, “Oh Maithreya! You’ve asked an important question here. Let me tell you a brief of my past. There was a time when I used to get terribly angry over lot of things. Especially when my grandfather Sage Vasishta’s son, (my father) Sage Shakti was killed in a very ghastly way. When I came to know the death of my father, I was a small boy at that time and because of the grief of my father’s sudden demise, I was crying profusely. Also, when I came to know that my father did not have a natural death, but was killed by someone, my grief gave way to intense anger and frustration. At that time, my grandfather, Sage Vasishta was also angry over what had happened. But due to his enormous spiritual wisdom, he somehow controlled himself and also advised me to do the same! However, I wasn’t as mature as my grandfather spiritually. My anger didn’t come down by any ways or means. I was of a savage resolution to bring the perpetrators of my father’s murder to justice and to punish them miserably. With this, I started a huge “Yagnya” (Spiritual offering) to bring the criminals into its fold. With this, the entire world started to shake with fear as there were many perpetrators to my father’s death. It is at this point, Sage Vasishta wanted to stop this Yagnya somehow – The reason behind it is, if someone had to meet his / her death due to his / her past “Karma”, how is it fair to blame someone else for his / her death? If this sets in as a trend, it is going to be dangerous and people are going to start hunting down each other, by seeking vengeance. Such things shouldn’t be set as a precedence for the world to follow!
Thus, Sage Vasishta, along with other great Sages like Sage Pulasthya, etc. came up to me and gave me some valuable advice as to how to control anger and frustration. Obviously it is natural for everyone to get angry with such incidents, but even then, it doesn’t give a person incentive to do whatever the anger is inducing him / her to do! Once the sages assembled at the “Yagnya-shaala” and advised thus, I immediately stopped the proceedings of the Yagnya, which vowed to destroy the entire clan of the perpetrators of the crime! I abandoned the attempt straightaway and wound up the entire show!”
As Sage Paraashara narrates this incident, there is an important learning for all of us here. What is that learning? Let’s wait for the next episode to witness in detail! Stay tuned! 🙂
The Indian Dharma 
Very interesting read. I read all 13 episodes at a time and cant wait to read further. Our history, if explained like this, it will reach more Paamaras like us. Thank you for doing this.
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