Chapter LI - Dasura’s begetting a son

Argument:—Mental sacrifices of Dasura, and his production and Instruction of a son begotten by the sylvan goddess.

Vasishtha continued:—

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Thenceforward Dasura remained as an ascetic in his hermitage, in that forest, and was known as the Kadamba Dasura, and a giant of austere devotion.

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There sitting on the leaves of the creepers growing on the branch of that tree, he looked up to heaven, and then placing himself in the posture of padmasana, he called back his mind to himself.

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Unacquainted with spiritual adoration, and unpracticed to the ceremonial ritual, he commenced to perform his mental sacrifice, with a desire of gaining its reward.

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Sitting on the leaves of the creepers in his aerial seat, he employed his inward spirit and mind, in discharging his sacrificial rites, of the sacred fire and horse sacrifice.

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He continued there for the space of full ten years, in his acts of satisfying the gods with his mental sacrifices of the bull, horse and human immolations, and paying their honorariums in his mind.

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In process of time, his mind was purified and expanded, and he gained the knowledge of the beatification of his soul. (It is believed that ceremonial acts, lead to the knowledge productive of spiritual bliss).

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His ignorance being dispelled, his heart became purified of the dirt of worldly desires; and he came to behold a sylvan goddess, standing beside his leafy and mossy seat.

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She was a body of light and dressed in a robe of flowers; her form and face were beautiful to behold, and her large bright eyes turned wistfully towards him.

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Her body breathed the fragrance of the blue lotus, and her figure charmed his inmost soul. He then spoke to the goddess, standing before him with her down cast looks.

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What art thou, O tender dame! That lookest like a creeper fraught with flowers, and defiest the god Cupid with thy beauteous form and eyes, resembling the petals of the lotus.

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Why standest thou as Flora, the befriending goddess of flowering creepers? Thus accosted, the dame with deer-like eyes and protuberant bosom replied to him.

She said to the hermit with a sweet and charming voice in the following manner said:—

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"Mayst thou prosper in obtaining the objects of thy wishes:—

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"For any thing which is desirable and difficult of attainment in this world, is surely obtainable when sought after with proper exertion by the great":—

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"I am, O Brahman! a sylvan goddess of this forest, which is so full of creeping plants, and decorated by the beautiful kadamba trees.

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"Here I strayed to witness the festive mirth of the sylvan goddesses, which always takes place on this thirteenth day of the lunar month of chaitra in this forest.

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"I saw here my companions enjoying their festival of love, and felt myself sorry to think of my childlessness among them.

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Finding thee accomplished in all qualifications, I have resorted hither with my suit of begetting a son by thee.

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"Please Sir, to procreate a son in me, or else I will put my person in the flames, to get rid of my sorrow of childlessness.

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Hearing the sylvan dame speaking in this manner, the hermit smiled at her, and spoke kindly to her with presenting her a flower with his own hand, and said:—

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Depart O damsel! and betake thyself to the worship of Siva for a whole month, and then thou shalt like a tender creeper, beget a boy as beautiful as a bud by this time of the year.

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But that son of thine, whom thou didst desire of me at the sacrifice of thy life, will betake himself to austerities like mine, and become a seer like myself (because he will be born of my blessing to thee).

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So saying the sage dismissed the suppliant dame now gladdened in her face, and promised to perform the necessary for her blessing's sake.

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The lotus-eyed dame then retired from him, and went to her abode; and the hermit passed his months, seasons and years in his holy meditation.

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After a long time the lotus-eyed dame returned to the sage with her boy, now grown up to the twelfth year of his age.

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She made her obeisance and sat before him with her boy of the moon bright face; and then uttered her words, sweet as the murmur of the humble bee, to the stately Amra tree.

26. This sir, is the would be son (bhavya) of both of us, who has been trained up by me in all the branches of learning. (The Veda and its branches. The future bhavya—would be, should be the preter bhavita—was to be).

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He is only untaught in the best knowledge, which releases the soul from its return to this world of troubles. (By the best or subha knowledge, is meant the para—superior or spiritual learning).

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Do you now my lord! deign to instruct him in that knowledge, for who is there that should like to keep his own boy in ignorance (of his future and best welfare)?

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Being thus besought by her, he bespoke to the tender mother, to leave the child there and depart her own way.

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She being gone, the boy remained submissive to his father, and dwelt by his side as his pupil, like Aruna (Ouranus) waiting upon the sun.

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Inured in austerity, the boy continued to receive his best knowledge from the various lectures of his father, and passed a long time with him in that place, under the name of the sage's son.

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The boy was taught in various narratives and tales, and with many examples and ocular instances; as also in historical accounts and evidences of the Veda and Vedanta (for his best knowledge of spirituality).

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The boy remained attendant on the lecture of his father, without feeling any anxiety; and formed his right notions of things by means of their antecedents. (The antecedent or preliminary causes of right judgements are, perceptions, inferences, comparisons and testimony or authoritative statements of sastras. (These are originally termed as pratyaksha, anumiti, Upamiti and Sabda or Sabda-bodha)).

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The magnanimous father thus instilled true knowledge into the mind of his boy, by means (of the quadruple process) of right reasoning and correct diction, rather than regarding the elegance of expression; as the cloud indicates the approaching rain to the peacock by its hoarse sounds. (The quadruple process as mentioned above.)