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Ramanuja List Archive: Message 00062 Apr 2005

 
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SrI:
SrImathE rAmAnujAya nama:
SrI krishNa parabrahmaNE nama:
SrImAn nArAyaNa charaNau saraNam prapadyE

dear vaishNavAs,

18. Padmavathi dEvi's previous birth

PadmAksha maharaja performed varalakshmi vratham and
by Her mercy he got a female child, masulungi.
Musulungi rises brighter day by day as the rising
moon. Very soon, she becomes skilled in many arts. At
sixteen, she attains puberty.

>From her childhood, masulungi is an ardent devotee of
Lord Hari. She is worshipped Him all the times,
dedicated her life to Him and decided to marry Him
only. PadmAksha comes to know her desire. He therefore
declared for her svayam vara (ceremony to select a
groom from the group of able people by the bride
herself). Kings from all different countries(except
rAvaNa) are invited and all of them are present.
RAvaNa comes to know about the swayamvara and comes
there uninvited. Driven by lust, he decided to possess
her at all costs. PadmAksha maharaja tries to protect
his daughter from the lust of  rAvaNa and gets killed
in fight by rAvaNa. All the kings who are present in
swayamvara are frightened by the prowess of rAvaNa and
flees away. 

Masulungi prays to SrI Hari and with  His name on her
lips manages to disappear from the scene. She reaches
a place in a forest where rishis are reciting vEdAs.
As she appears before the rishis when they are
reciting vEdas, they names her vEdavati. After taking
the blessings of the rishis, vEdavathi sits on a deep
meditation of the lotus feet of her beloved Lord. 

Disappointed for not been able to enjoy the beauty of
masulungi, returning to his kingdom in his aearial
mansion, pushpak. On his way, he sees masulungi who is
meditating. His wicked mind again wants to try to
possess her, and comes infront of her. Mother
vEdavathi is in deep meditation of the Lord and has
not opened her eyes, hence unaware of rAvaNa's
arrival. 

rAvaNa tickles masulungi's cheek with his index finger
and says, ' darling! having fled from there, you
arrived here, thinking that nArAyaNa can save you. You
cannot escape from me. I and I alone am the suitable
match for you. Please come and enjoy with me.'

VEdavati is stuns to see rAvaNa again. She angrily
shouts, 'you devil! how dare you forcea woman against
her will? On account of being contaminated by your
touch, I am leaving this body immediately throwing
myself in fire. You and your race will come to an end
because of a lady like me.' So cursing, she creates
fire with her yoga power and throws herself into it.
She stays under the care of agni dEva. 

In rAma avathAr, Sri rAma, sIta dEvi and lakshmaNa
spends fourteen years in exile. They spend that period
in DandakAraNya. One day when rAma and lakshmaNa are
away from home and when jAnaki mAtha is alone, rAvaNa
attempts to kidnap her. Having come to know about this
attempt of rAvaNa beforehand, agni dEva substitutes
sIta dEvi with vEdavathi. He leaves sIta dEvi in his
wife swAha dEvi's care. RAvaNa carries vEdavathi to
lanka mistaking her to sIta dEvi.

After rAvaNa is killed by rAma, vEdavathi enters fire
to prove her chastity. From that fire, agni dEva
appears with both the sItAs and explains to rAma how
rAvaNa is deceived. Agni requests Sri rAma to marry
vEdavathi, who has undergone sufferings in the capture
of rAvaNa to serve the divine couple. sIta dEvi also
agrees to that proposal. 

But SrI rAma is observing 'Eka patnI vrata' (marrying
only once) in that avathAr.  However He promises her
that he will marry her in kaliyuga when He appears as
SrInivAsa. That very vEdavathi is padmAvathi dEvi.

(to be continued ....)

dAsOham,
SrIperumbUdUru vEnkaTa vinOd.


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