In the previous episode, we had witnessed Sage Maarkandeya’s next accord on the Madhu-Kaidavas and how they started torturing Bhagawan Brahma. These Madhu-Kaidavas are Raakshasas who were born from the fat tissue of Bhagawan Vishnu during the Pralaya-Kaalam. As time progressed, the Madhu-Kaidavas started to violently stir the umbilical cord that connects Bhagawan Vishnu to Bhagawan Brahma, which made Bhagawan Brahma to shake with fear. Initially, Bhagawan Brahma too offered a chance to the Madhu-Kaidavas of giving some boons to them, but they were in no mood to listen to him. Instead, the Madhu-Kaidavas were only interested in bringing Bhagawan Brahma under their control and replied harshly to him! Bhagawan Vishnu was watching all this patiently. At one time, even Bhagawan Vishnu became concerned. He comes to the rescue of Bhagawan Brahma and joins hands to request the Madhu-Kaidavas to stop this violent stir. Bhagawan Vishnu too offers to grant some boons to the Madhu-Kaidavas, but they were in no position to listen.
Moving on thus, as this deadlock continues, the Madhu-Kaidavas tantalizingly reply to both Bhagawan Vishnu and Bhagawan Brahma thus, “Oh Bhagawan Brahma and Bhagawan Vishnu! Who are you to grant us boons? We’re nobody to beg in front of you for boons. If you want, you may ask us for boons. We shall grant them to you! Instead, don’t ever think that you can come to terms with us with your boon fiasco! Such things might work with other people, but not with us!” As the Madhu-Kaidavas reply arrogantly thus, Bhagawan Vishnu gets surprised! He laughs within Himself and replies back calmly thus, “Oh Madhu-Kaidavas! You wanted me to request you for a boon didn’t you? Now let me go by your request only – Please grant me a boon! The boon is very simple – You should be killed by none other than this Bhagawan Vishnu Himself!” As the Madhu-Kaidavas listen to this, they replied back thus, “Oh wow! There you go! Now you’ve come to the point and I know you would ask this to us! We shall grant you the boon, but it comes with a rider – You would be able to kill me, but only if the place is a complete barren land without any habitat, vegetation, weapons, etc. There would be nobody to come to your support or rescue. If there is such a place in this world, probably the boon would work! Else it will not!”
As the Madhu-Kaidavas say thus, Bhagawan Vishnu had no other option but to accept! Initially, Bhagawan Vishnu thinks that it is quite easy to find a place where there are no objects, vegetation, people, animals, etc., but when He actually starts searching, he wasn’t able to find such a place in any of the worlds! Wherever Bhagawan goes, there is something or the other. If He goes to the “Aakaasha” (Sky), there are clouds, water vapour, ice drops, dew, etc. Hence, this is not the right place! He now comes to our “Manushya Lokha” and searches. Even here, something or the other is there – Water, plants, shrubs, animals, human beings, etc. As He goes to the Indra Lokha, Varuna Lokha, etc. even there He finds so many objects, people, etc. Thus, He wasn’t able to find any place in all the three worlds, wherein not even a single object is present!
So what does Bhagawan Vishnu do now? Can He still find a place wherein no object is there, and which will satisfy the conditions set up by the Madhu-Kaidavas? We shall wait till the next episode to find out! Stay tuned! 🙂
The Indian Dharma 