 According
to Bhagavadha, There are 8 gigantic divine Python kings living
in 8 directions of Globe and saving the earth from calamities.
One among them is Karkotaka, whose face is like lion.
Because of his pride about himself, he insulted a one of the
great Saint (Sage). Also, his wives and servants laughed at the
saint. The saint felt ashamed and got angry. The saint has
cursed Karkotaka as follows: “O! Karkotaka, Being a Boo Balaga,
you built super ego in your mind and insulted me. Upon Sri Hari,
I curse you to lose your power and kingdom. Let your wives,
sons, followers and big crowd of servants leave you. Let your
breath produce terrific fire in all the directions so that no
body could come near you. Let you be living isolated “.
By hearing this curse, Karkotaka became fearsome. With shaking
hands and tears full of eyes, he caught hold the feet of the
great Saint and started begging him for relief “O! Greatest
among the saint, please forgive me. Being a great devotee of Sri
Hari, please shower mercy on me. As you are a pure Vaishnava,
your words are none other than Sri Hari’s “.
Karkotaka repeatedly offered obeisance’s to the saint. “One
could escape from punishment of demigods, could get shelter
against fiend actions of demons or even get relief from
unlimited and abominable sins. But no one could escape from
curses of Sri Vaishnava. Even Lord Brahma and Lord Shiva won’t
help for people who offended devotees of Sri Hari.
Hence, I don’t have any other way other than you. Please forgive
and guide me the Pariharam to get rid of the curse. The saint,
with great mercy, prayed Sri Hari and guided as follows: “Go to
the eternal place of Earth and start chanting Lord Sri Hari’s
sacred names - such as Rama, Vishnu, Janardana and Krishna. Do
Dhapas (deep meditation) towards Lord Sri Hari and do fasting on
the sacred day Ekadasi. Once the Lord satisfied with your
activities, Lord Sri Hari will come and relieve you from all the
curses “. Karkodaka thanked Saint and came to Earth.
Karkodaka came to “Namagiri Shethram”, at which even Goddess
Mahalakshmi did Dapas. He started worshipping Lord Sri Hari in
all sorts and followed fasting on Ekadasi. As the days passed,
Karkotaka became so weakened. With full of worries and fear on
being isolated, he skipped food and water. His breath is burning
the site in all the directions.
 Lord
Sri Hari felt mercy on Python King Karkodaga. Lord Hari said
“There is no higher merit one can achieve than that attained by
fasting on EkAdasi. Indeed, nothing in all the three worlds is
as pleasing or as able to purify one of accumulated sin as
EkAdasi, the day of mine. As this Python king observed many
EkAdasi’s and chanted my holy names numerous times, I have to
save him. More over, no one could live at “Namagiri Shethram”,
because of this firestorm breaths of Karkodaga.I should save him
and the environment as soon as possible “.
Lord Sri Hari appeared as PADMANABHAN in front of Karkotaka.
With the Dharsan of Sri Padmanabha, Python King Karkotaka got
liberation from all curses: all his sins are nullified; His
breath becomes pleasant breeze. He started pleasing the Lord
Padmanabha with pleasant words “"O Madhava, Mukunda, Govinda,
Narayana”. The Lord Sri Padmanabha offered Karkotaka boons at
his choice. Karkotaka being a good Vaishnava, told "Oh Lord,
after having Your Darshan and getting Your Grace, I don’t want
anything else.” With smile, Lord Sri Padmanabha blessed
Karkotaka as follows:
“O! King of all Pythons! A great Boo Balak, I honor you by
permitting you to be the bed for me in this Namagiri Shethram.
Till now, only Anandha and Adi Shesha are the two Python kings
got this opportunity. By your auspicious meditation and
chanting, you got this honor as boon. In earth, who ever suffer
from Sarpa thosha (curses of Pythons / fear from Pythons / sin
due to killing Python) can get relief by worshipping me in this
“Namagiri Shethram”.
Thus, Lord Sri Padmanabha Swami gives Dharsan in Namakkal in
Karkodaga Sayanam (with Python King Karkotaka as bed) with the
name of Lord Renganatha. |
