Stories of the Brahma Purana Part-X

**Story of Sage Visvamitra**

In the midst of a devastating drought, Sage Vishvamitra found himself on the banks of the river Goutami Ganga with his family and disciples, all suffering from hunger. Desperate, he sent his disciples to search for food, but they could only find the corpse of a dog. With no other choice, Vishvamitra instructed them to clean the meat and offer it to the gods, sages, and ancestors for sustenance.

This unconventional offering drew the attention of Indra, the god of rains, who, fearing Vishvamitra's curse, transformed the dog-meat into heavenly amrita and stole the vessel containing it. Vishvamitra, however, remained steadfast in his belief that, in times of dire need, there should be no sin in consuming dog-meat or offering it to the gods.

To convince Vishvamitra otherwise and end the drought, Indra resorted to making it rain, thereby alleviating the famine. With this divine intervention, Vishvamitra and his disciples agreed to partake of the amrita, realizing that the crisis had passed.

**Story of Shveta**

In this story, there was a Brahmana named Shveta, who was a close friend of Sage Goutama and a devoted worshiper of Lord Shiva. When Shveta passed away, Yama's messengers came to take his soul, but they were unable to enter his house because Lord Shiva himself was guarding Shveta's body.

Yama sent his companion, Mrityu (Death), to investigate. Mrityu tried to take Shveta's soul with a noose, but one of Shiva's companions intervened and killed Mrityu. This enraged Yama, who then launched an attack on Shveta's house. A fierce battle broke out, with gods and divine beings taking sides.

The situation became chaotic, and even Yama himself was killed by Kartikeya, a son of Lord Shiva. The gods intervened to restore order and mediate the conflict. It was a complex problem because Yama was simply performing his duty as the lord of death.

Ultimately, a resolution was reached. Lord Shiva insisted that his devoted followers should not be taken to Yama but should go directly to heaven. The gods agreed to this condition, and Nandi, Shiva's divine bull, sprinkled water from the Goutami Ganga on Yama and the others who had perished in the battle, bringing them back to life.

**Story of Kubera**

Kubera, the eldest son of the sage Vishrava, was born to Vishrava's first wife. Vishrava had another wife, a rakshasa (demon) woman, who gave birth to Ravana, Kumbhakarna, and Vibhishana. Despite being cousins, Kubera and Ravana's relationship was initially friendly. However, Ravana's mother was not pleased with this camaraderie, as she believed that demons and gods should be enemies, not friends.

Ravana's mother encouraged her sons to improve their stature and ambition. Heeding her advice, Ravana, Kumbhakarna, and Vibhishana embarked on a journey into the forest to perform tapasya (deep meditation and penance). Through their prayers, they pleased Lord Brahma and received boons. Ravana, in particular, obtained immense strength.

Empowered by their newfound abilities, the demon trio launched an attack on Kubera, defeating him and driving him out of Lanka. They also seized Kubera's magnificent flying vehicle, the Vimana named pushpaka. To ensure no one would offer refuge to Kubera, Ravana declared that anyone who did so would be killed.

Seeking guidance, Kubera turned to his grandfather, Pulastya. Pulastya advised Kubera to pray to Lord Shiva at the banks of the Goutami Ganga. Shiva appeared before Kubera and blessed him with the boon of becoming the god of all wealth.

**Story of King Harishchandra**

The story revolves around King Harishchandra, who faced a moral dilemma and hardship in his pursuit of fulfilling a vow made to the god Varuna. Harishchandra had no children, and two sages, Narada and Parvata, visited him, warning that he would go to hell if he didn't have a son. He sought their guidance, and they advised him to pray to Varuna on the banks of the Goutami Ganga, believing that Varuna would grant him a son.

Harishchandra's prayers were answered, and he named his son Rohita. However, there was a condition attached to Varuna's blessing: Harishchandra had to organize a yajna (sacrificial ritual) in Varuna's honor and sacrifice his son during it. Harishchandra, driven by his devotion, agreed to this condition.

As time passed, Harishchandra postponed the yajna on various pretexts, including Rohita's age and readiness. Varuna patiently waited, but when Rohita reached the age of sixteen and became skilled in warfare, he finally reminded Harishchandra of the impending yajna.

Rohita, however, had already vowed to perform a yajna in honor of Lord Vishnu. He asked for his father's permission to fulfill this vow first. In the forest, he encountered a poor sage named Ajigarta, who was willing to sell his middle son, Shunahshepa, to Rohita for a considerable price to save his family from starvation. Rohita brought Shunahshepa home for the intended sacrifice.

Disturbed by the morality of this act, Harishchandra questioned his decision. He understood that it was a king's duty to protect Brahmins and couldn't sacrifice a Brahmin's son. Rather than proceeding with the sacrifice, Harishchandra was willing to die. However, a divine voice from heaven intervened, instructing him to perform the yajna on the banks of the sacred Goutami Ganga, assuring him that no human sacrifices were necessary there.

Following this guidance, Harishchandra performed the yajna at the Goutami Ganga, and Varuna was satisfied. Shunahshepa, who was saved from the sacrifice, was adopted by the sage Vishvamitra as his son.