Stories of the Brahma Purana Part-XIII

**Story of Goutama and Manikundala**

In the city of Bhouvana, there lived a brahmana named Goutama and his vaishya friend Manikundala. Goutama, influenced by his mother's ill advice, convinced Manikundala to embark on a journey to trade and seek wealth beyond what Manikundala had inherited from his father.

During their travels, Goutama cynically observed that those who followed the path of dharma often suffered and were neither wealthy nor happy. Manikundala, however, strongly believed in the importance of dharma and dismissed Goutama's viewpoint. To settle their dispute, they decided on a bet: they would seek the opinions of others, and the loser would surrender all their wealth to the winner.

The majority of people they asked believed that evil thrived, causing Manikundala to lose the bet and surrender his wealth to Goutama. Despite his loss, Manikundala continued to praise dharma, claiming that wealth was insignificant compared to righteousness.

Their disagreement persisted, and they made another bet. This time, the stakes were higher; the loser would have their two arms chopped off. Again, the majority of people they consulted believed that adharma triumphed, and Manikundala lost his arms but remained steadfast in his belief in dharma.

Undeterred, they made a final bet, with the loser forfeiting their life. Tragically, Manikundala lost again, and Goutama gouged out his eyes and left him for dead by the Goutami Ganga.

Manikundala lay helpless by the riverbank until Vibhishana's son discovered him. Vibhishana, a devotee of Vishnu, learned of Manikundala's plight and remembered a herb named vishalyakarani from his past. This herb had the power to cure all illnesses and had fallen near an image of Vishnu. Father and son found the herb, which had grown into a tree, and used it to heal Manikundala's eyes and arms. They then returned to Lanka.

Manikundala, now cured, continued his journey and eventually arrived in Mahapura. There, he encountered King Maharaja, who had a blind daughter. Maharaja offered his daughter's hand in marriage and the throne to anyone who could cure her. Manikundala used his knowledge of vishalyakarani to restore the princess's sight, winning her heart and becoming the king of Mahapura.

Years later, Goutama's life took a downward turn. He lost all his wealth and ended up as a beggar. Soldiers brought him before Manikundala, who, despite the past animosity, pardoned his old friend and shared what he had.

**Story of sage Kandu**

Kandu was a devoted sage who performed rigorous tapasya (meditative austerity) in his beautiful hermitage on the banks of the Goutami Ganga. He meditated through extreme conditions, from the scorching sun of summer to the wet ground of monsoon and even in winter with wet clothing.

Indra, the king of the gods, became anxious that Kandu's tapasya might lead him to aspire to become Indra himself. To disrupt Kandu's meditation, Indra sent an apsara (celestial nymph) named Pramalocha, who possessed a captivating singing voice. Pramalocha arrived at Kandu's ashrama, and her enchanting presence distracted Kandu from his ascetic practices.

Kandu was smitten by Pramalocha and married her, forsaking his tapasya entirely. Many years passed, and Pramalocha expressed her desire to return to heaven, but Kandu was unwilling to let her go.

One evening, after many years had passed, Kandu, now distracted and confused, left his hut to perform evening rites. Pramalocha informed him that centuries had gone by since her arrival, specifying that it had been sixteen hundred years, six months, and three days.

Shocked by this revelation, Kandu realized that he had lost track of time due to Pramalocha's presence and the years that had slipped by unnoticed. He decided not to curse her since she had been his wife, allowing her to return to heaven. Kandu then embarked on a pilgrimage to Purshottama kshetra to atone for his negligence.

Through his penance, Kandu received blessings from Lord Vishnu. In time, Kandu and Pramalocha had a daughter named Marisha.

**Story of Chandala and Brahmarakshasa**

In the city of Avanti, there lived a chandala, an outcast, on the outskirts. Despite his social status, the chandala was deeply devoted to Lord Vishnu and possessed a beautiful singing voice. Every month, on the auspicious Ekadashi tithi (eleventh lunar day), he observed a strict fast during the day and, at night, would visit the temple of Vishnu to sing praises and worship the deity. This ritual was a significant part of his life, and he never missed it.

The city was blessed with the presence of the Kshipra River, and on one Ekadashi night, the chandala went to the riverbanks to collect flowers for Vishnu's worship. There, he encountered a brahmarakshasa (demon) dwelling in a tree. The demon, ravenous after not having eaten for ten days, threatened to devour the chandala.

Desperate to continue his worship, the chandala pleaded with the demon, promising to return once his prayers were concluded. Moved by the chandala's sincerity, the demon agreed to let him go.

The chandala faithfully worshipped Vishnu throughout the night, singing His praises with utmost devotion. As the dawn broke, he returned to the demon as promised. To the demon's astonishment, the chandala proved to be a man of unwavering truthfulness and commitment.

The demon, realizing the chandala's immense merit, requested to share in his accrued punya (merit) for his own redemption as he had committed grave sins. The chandala initially refused, reluctant to part with his hard-earned punya. However, upon hearing the demon's story, he was moved by pity.

The demon, named Somasharma, revealed his background. He was the son of Devasharma, a righteous brahmana. However, Somasharma committed a grave sin by acting as a priest in a yajna without undergoing the sacred-thread ceremony (upanayana). Due to this transgression, he was reborn as a demon upon his death. Touched by Somasharma's remorse, the chandala agreed to share a portion of his punya, relieving the demon of his sinful state.

Grateful for this act of compassion, Somasharma went to a sacred tirtha (holy place) and performed penance, ultimately gaining his freedom from the demonhood.

As for the chandala, he embarked on a pilgrimage to various sacred places, seeking spiritual growth and redemption. During his travels, he recalled the story of his past life. He had once been a hermit, well-versed in the Vedas and shastras, surviving on alms. One day, he received alms tainted with dust from a herd of cows being stolen by thieves. In disgust, he discarded the alms, an act of ingratitude. For this sin, he was reborn as a chandala.

Understanding the gravity of his past actions, the chandala performed intense penance at a tirtha, seeking forgiveness for his previous life's sins. Through his sincere efforts, he was eventually pardoned, his soul purified.