"Vedayana went and saw the body of his disciple. Desiring to re¬lieve his wife and mother of their grief, he explained the them the nature of the soul, and the temporary material body. He said, "Birth and death are only seen by those who think that the body is the self-One who understands the Supreme Soul, never laments for the tempo¬rary change of body."Vedayana performed the funeral ceremonies. He forbade the preg¬nant wife from entering the fire, thus following her husband. He then went to the Ganga, along with Mukunda's brother and other relatives. As the party slept that night by the side of the Ganga, a dog came and ate their cooked food. Indeed, the dog repeatedly licked the cooking pots. Finally, being struck on the head by someone, like a henpecked husband being hit by his wife but unable to retaliate, the dog ran away.
Later on, the dog returned and took away the cloth parcel con¬taining Mukunda's ashes and bones. After tearing open the parcel, the dog threw the fleshless bones into the Ganga. As soon as this was done, Mukunda was seen, seated upon a celestial chariot. Seeing his guru and younger brother asleep, Mukunda gently awakened them. In his divine form, he offered respect to his preceptor.
Being astonished, Vedayana asked, "Mukunda, tell me the truth. After death, where did you go? What is life like there?"Mukunda said, "I shall tell you what happened after my death. When the wicked Chandaka killed me, the Yamadutas came to take me. As they dragged me along the path of heated sand, beating me with iron hammers, I felt very aggrieved. They told me, 'It is because of your offense to your preceptor that you died prematurely.' Soon, I reached Samyamani, the abode of Yamaraja.""Yamaraja then said, 'When I was appointed to this post, Lord Brahma told me, "Especially you should punish these two- one who does not support his parents, and he who offends his preceptor. Do not show any compassion to these.' Thereafter, the Yamadutas threw me into various hells. On the thirty-first day of my torment, my bones were thrown into the Ganga, and so I was delivered instantly and went to live in heaven.""The inhabitants of Yama's city cause fear to sinners but are pleasing to the pious. When I first came, I saw that even the young girls have faces like animals, with fangs. They have fat bellies and other grotesque features. But, when I became freed from all sins, I saw that these same people had divine features. Now, kindly allow me to go to the planet of Indra."Vedayana inquired, "I always remember how you served me so faithfully, from your very childhood. I cannot understand- what of¬fense did you commit?"Mukunda said, "I never disobeyed my parents. I served my mother-in-law and father-in-law like a menial servant. I never disobeyed you, either. But, I did offend the family priest. This is the long-standing rule of our family: When a son is born, the umbilical cord is cut only after a cow or something of similar value is given to the family priest. When my son was born, I foolishly did not perform this ritual. In this way, I offended our family priest. Now, please allow me to go to heaven."Vedayana asked, "By what act of religious merit did it happen that your bones were deposited in the Ganga, thus freeing you from hell?":
Mukunda said, "One evening, a brahmana came to my house. 1 welcomed him nicely, gave him sumptuous food and then offered him a bed for sleeping that night. But, that night he had a terrible fever. He could not sleep, and in the morning, he died. I performed his funeral rites and afterwards, deposited his bones and ashes in the Ganga. It is for this reason that I was similarly favored."After saying this, the brahmana ascended to heaven.
Meanwhile, after Chandaka, the barber, killed Mukunda, the citi¬zens heard the news and reported the matter to the king. The king then angrily ordered his minister to bring the culprit. The king said, "A king in whose country his subjects are harrassed by thieves, and who does not protect them- surely goes to hell.The minister mounted his horse and took a hundred soldiers to Mukunda's house. He asked the relatives, "Who killed Mukunda? They replied, "Mukunda was killed by Chandaka, the barber. His young wife saw him.The minister quickly went to Chandaka's house. Going inside, he saw the barber asleep. The soldiers seized Chandaka by the hair and picked him up from his bed. Opening his eyes and saying, "What is this?" Chandaka remembered his crime and felt as if the Yamadutas had come for him.The minister took Chandaka to the king and said, "Here is the killer of the brahmana. What is your order?"The king replied, "One who dies here, by the side of the pious River Chandrabhaga, goes to heaven. Therefore, take this sinner some¬where else, so that he will go to hell.The minister then had chandalas take the barber far away and cut off his head. In his next life, Chandaka became a poisonous snake who lived in the hollow of a tree. Because of the snake's poison, the tree dried up. Indeed, the whole area eventually became barren.One day, a caravan passed that way, headed for Badari, the abode of Lord Narayana. A brahmana had joined the caravan. On his shoul¬ders he carried a wooden box containing the bones of his parents. He wanted to put his parents' remains in the Ganga. When the caravan stopped at that barren place, the brahmana kept the box somewhere. The snake then came and opened the box with his hood. When the box was partially opened, the snake slithered inside and again closed the lid. The next morning, the caravan resumed it's journey and the brahmana picked up the box with the snake inside. After some time, the caravan reached Koshala and halted. There was a blanket around the box. Feeling cold, the brahmana removed the blanket, causing the box to open slightly. The snake then came out, and this frightened all the people. The snake slithered away, while the people threw stones at it. Indeed, hit by some stones, the snake gave up it's life. Being released from the snake body, he attained a divine form and ascended a celestial airplane.
The serpent said to the people: "Formerly, 1 was a barber named Chandaka, who killed a brahmana. Due to this great sin, I became a serpent. But now, by the potency of this holy place, I have become freed.The former serpent then ascended to heaven.
http://bachelorpledge.blogspot.com/search/label/PadmaPurana
Later on, the dog returned and took away the cloth parcel con¬taining Mukunda's ashes and bones. After tearing open the parcel, the dog threw the fleshless bones into the Ganga. As soon as this was done, Mukunda was seen, seated upon a celestial chariot. Seeing his guru and younger brother asleep, Mukunda gently awakened them. In his divine form, he offered respect to his preceptor.
Being astonished, Vedayana asked, "Mukunda, tell me the truth. After death, where did you go? What is life like there?"Mukunda said, "I shall tell you what happened after my death. When the wicked Chandaka killed me, the Yamadutas came to take me. As they dragged me along the path of heated sand, beating me with iron hammers, I felt very aggrieved. They told me, 'It is because of your offense to your preceptor that you died prematurely.' Soon, I reached Samyamani, the abode of Yamaraja.""Yamaraja then said, 'When I was appointed to this post, Lord Brahma told me, "Especially you should punish these two- one who does not support his parents, and he who offends his preceptor. Do not show any compassion to these.' Thereafter, the Yamadutas threw me into various hells. On the thirty-first day of my torment, my bones were thrown into the Ganga, and so I was delivered instantly and went to live in heaven.""The inhabitants of Yama's city cause fear to sinners but are pleasing to the pious. When I first came, I saw that even the young girls have faces like animals, with fangs. They have fat bellies and other grotesque features. But, when I became freed from all sins, I saw that these same people had divine features. Now, kindly allow me to go to the planet of Indra."Vedayana inquired, "I always remember how you served me so faithfully, from your very childhood. I cannot understand- what of¬fense did you commit?"Mukunda said, "I never disobeyed my parents. I served my mother-in-law and father-in-law like a menial servant. I never disobeyed you, either. But, I did offend the family priest. This is the long-standing rule of our family: When a son is born, the umbilical cord is cut only after a cow or something of similar value is given to the family priest. When my son was born, I foolishly did not perform this ritual. In this way, I offended our family priest. Now, please allow me to go to heaven."Vedayana asked, "By what act of religious merit did it happen that your bones were deposited in the Ganga, thus freeing you from hell?":
Mukunda said, "One evening, a brahmana came to my house. 1 welcomed him nicely, gave him sumptuous food and then offered him a bed for sleeping that night. But, that night he had a terrible fever. He could not sleep, and in the morning, he died. I performed his funeral rites and afterwards, deposited his bones and ashes in the Ganga. It is for this reason that I was similarly favored."After saying this, the brahmana ascended to heaven.
Meanwhile, after Chandaka, the barber, killed Mukunda, the citi¬zens heard the news and reported the matter to the king. The king then angrily ordered his minister to bring the culprit. The king said, "A king in whose country his subjects are harrassed by thieves, and who does not protect them- surely goes to hell.The minister mounted his horse and took a hundred soldiers to Mukunda's house. He asked the relatives, "Who killed Mukunda? They replied, "Mukunda was killed by Chandaka, the barber. His young wife saw him.The minister quickly went to Chandaka's house. Going inside, he saw the barber asleep. The soldiers seized Chandaka by the hair and picked him up from his bed. Opening his eyes and saying, "What is this?" Chandaka remembered his crime and felt as if the Yamadutas had come for him.The minister took Chandaka to the king and said, "Here is the killer of the brahmana. What is your order?"The king replied, "One who dies here, by the side of the pious River Chandrabhaga, goes to heaven. Therefore, take this sinner some¬where else, so that he will go to hell.The minister then had chandalas take the barber far away and cut off his head. In his next life, Chandaka became a poisonous snake who lived in the hollow of a tree. Because of the snake's poison, the tree dried up. Indeed, the whole area eventually became barren.One day, a caravan passed that way, headed for Badari, the abode of Lord Narayana. A brahmana had joined the caravan. On his shoul¬ders he carried a wooden box containing the bones of his parents. He wanted to put his parents' remains in the Ganga. When the caravan stopped at that barren place, the brahmana kept the box somewhere. The snake then came and opened the box with his hood. When the box was partially opened, the snake slithered inside and again closed the lid. The next morning, the caravan resumed it's journey and the brahmana picked up the box with the snake inside. After some time, the caravan reached Koshala and halted. There was a blanket around the box. Feeling cold, the brahmana removed the blanket, causing the box to open slightly. The snake then came out, and this frightened all the people. The snake slithered away, while the people threw stones at it. Indeed, hit by some stones, the snake gave up it's life. Being released from the snake body, he attained a divine form and ascended a celestial airplane.
The serpent said to the people: "Formerly, 1 was a barber named Chandaka, who killed a brahmana. Due to this great sin, I became a serpent. But now, by the potency of this holy place, I have become freed.The former serpent then ascended to heaven.
http://bachelorpledge.blogspot.com/search/label/PadmaPurana
