Gokarna

A story from Puranas

Once there was a beautiful settlement on the bank of the Tungabhadra. The

people of that city were truthful,religious,and dedicated to executing their

prescribed duties. In that city lived a brahmana named Atma Deva,who was

expert in studying de Vedas and performing karma-kanda activities. He was

brilliant like the sun,and although rich, he lived by begging. He had a

beautiful wife named Dhundhuli,who came from a good family, but was very

obstinate. By nature she was very cruel, talkative and took great pleasure

in gossiping with others. Although expert in household duties, she was

miserly and quarrelsome.2 This brahmana and his wife lived together

lovingly, owning ample wealth and objects for sense enjoyment. Though their

house was very beautiful, they were not happy because they had no son.3 As

old age crept up on Atma Deva, he engaged in various pious activities for

getting a son. He distributed charity to the poor and donated cows, land,

gold, cloth and so on. In this way he spent half of his wealth on religious

activities. Still he could not get a child and thus he was filled with

anxiety. One day feeling very disheartened, he left home and went to the

forest. As the sun reached its zenith he was thirsty and approached a pond.

Owing to lack of progeny he was depressed, weak en tired,4 and after

drinking he sat down to rest5. By and by a sannyasi came there to drink. The

brahmana approached him and fell at his feet breathing heavily. The sannyasi

asked, “O Maharaja, I am suffering from sins committed in my past life. Even

my forefathers are in such anxiety that when I offer oblations of water,

they accept, but remain full of worry. The demigods and brahmanas do not

happily accept my offerings of food. I am so miserable for want of children

that my life appears wasted. I have come here to give up my useless life, as

I have no son. A house without children is like a forest,and wealth loses

all value. Indeed a family without children is very inauspicious. O

Maharaja, even the cows I acquire become barren ! When I plant a tree, it

yields no fruits or flowers. And when I bring fruit to my home, it spoils

very quickly. I am most unfortunate because I have no son, and therefore my

life has no purpose.” Saying this, the brahmana began crying piteously and

the saint’s heart became filled with compassion.6 He was a perfected yogi

and by seeing the lines on the brahmana’s forehead, he could understand

everything about his life. The sannyasi said “O brahmana, give up your

attachment and desire for children, for Fate is very powerful. Take shelter

of discrimination and give up attachment to this world. O brahmana, I can

understand your fate and am certain that you will have no son for the next

seven lives. Previously, King Sagara and King Anga had to suffer, repeated

miseries because of not having a son. Therefore, brahmana, give up all hope

for success in family life. Happiness is only in the life of renunciation.

“The brahmana said, “O Swamiji, what is the value of such discrimination?

There is simply no spice in sannyasa life. Somehow or another give me a son,

otherwise, I will plunge into lamentation and give up my life. One who does

not experience the happiness of wife and children lives in a desert.

Happiness exists only when the house is filled with wife, sons, and

grandsons.7 Seeing Atma Deva’s great attachment, the saint said, “O

brahmana, King Citraketu had to suffer excessively because he wanted to undo

his fate.8 Providence is very powerful, hence none of your endeavors will be

successful. For this reason you will not get the happiness of a son, but I

see that you are very obstinate, and since you have approached me desiring a

son, what can I say in these circumstances?” Understanding the brahmana’s

determination,the saint offered him a fruit and said, “Your wife will surely

get pregnant and bear you a son upon her eating this fruit. She should

follow a vow of truthfulness, cleanliness, mercy, and charity, and eat only

one meal a day for one year. By doing so, she will have a son who will be

pious and righteous.” After saying this the sannyasi disappeared and the

brahmana joyfully returned to his house. He gave the fruit to his wife and

left for another place. His wife, whose nature was crooked, began crying and

spoke to her associate; “My dear friend, I am in great anxiety! My husband

has brought a fruit which has the potency to give me a son. If I eat, I will

become pregnant, my womb will grow, and not being able to eat properly I

will become weak and unable to perform my household duties. If by ill

fortune dacoits attack, I will not be able to run in my pregnant condition.

And if during the time of delivery, the child gets stuck in the birth canal,

I will lose my life. Or if he remains in my womb for an extended period,

like Sukadeva how much I will have to suffer. I am very tender bu nature,

how will I be able to tolerate all this? During the pregnancy I will be

weak, then my sister-in-law is sure to come and pilfer all my welth.

Moreover, I will have to follow so many rules and regulations which will

create difficulty. Child-bearing is very painful, and upbringing more

painful still.9 I think only barren women and widows live happily.” Thinking

in this way she did not eat the fruit. Yet when her husband asked her, she

deceitfully said, “Yes, I have eaten it.”10 One day her sister visited and

Dhundhuli confided the whole story to her, revealing her distress.

Dhundhulli said, “O dear sister, owing to anxiety, day by day I am becoming

weaker. Please tell me what I should do?” Her sister replied; “I am now

pregnant so when I deliver this child, I will secretly give him to you.

Meanwhile you pose yourself as pregnant and offer some wealth to my husband,

thus he will not mind giving his child to you. Somehow or another we will

arrange for everyone to think that I suffered a miscarriage after six

months. Later I will arrange to nourish the baby at your house.11 Now to

test this fruit, let us give it to this cow.” Dhundhuli fed the fruit to a

cow and in due course her sister gave birth to a son. The child’s father

quietly delivered it to Dhundhuli who informed Atma Deva that she had

delivered a son. Hearing this Atma Deva became very jubilant. He performed

the birth ceremony along with various other auspicious activities, gave

charity to the brahmana’s and arranged musicians to celebrate the birth of

his son. Dhundhuli said to her husband, “Tere is no milk in my breast and I

think it is not possible to feed cow’s milk to the child yet. What shall I

do? My sister’s child was still-born so if you call her, she can breast-feed

my son.’ Atma Deva took her suggestion, and Dhundhuli named the boy

Dhundhukari. After three months the cow that ate the fruit also delivered a

beautiful human child. He was peaceful and divine looking and his face was

very brilliant. Seeing this, the brahmana became very ecstatic.12 He

performed all the appropriate ceremonies for this new baby. Hearing this,

all the people were astonished and all came to see the baby born of the cow.

They started talking among themselves, “Just see how fortunate Atma Deva has

become. Even his cow has borne him a son!” By the will of the Divine no one

could understand the secret behind the intrigue.Atma Deva named the cow’s

son Gokarna because his ears resembled those of a cow. In time both boys

grew up. Gokarna was intelligent and scholarly,while Dhundhukari was a

rogue. He would not perform any brahminical duties or follow the rules of

cleanliness. He used no discrimination when eating and was irate. He would

accumulate useless articles and would even eat food touched by a dead body.

He was expert in stealing and envious of others. Sometimes he would quietly

go and set fire to another’s house, or he would abduct a baby an throw it in

a well. He took pleasure in violent activities and always carries weapons.

He happily troubled blind and handicapped people and ask special friendships

with candalas. He also kept a pack of dogs and would often go hunting. He

was attached to prostitutes and thus he wasted all his father’s wealth. One

day he severely beat his parents,took all the pots and utensils in the

house,and sold them. In this way, all of Atma Deva’s property was lost. He

began lamenting, “Alas! Alas! I was better off when my wife was barren! Oh!

To have a rascal son is worse than having no son at all. Where shall I go?

What sall I do? Who will help me in this unfavorable situation? O misery! I

am being tormented by my own son and I’m prepared to give up my life!13

While he lamented in this ways, Gokarna arrived and began instructing him;14

“O father, this world is full of delusion and misery, and is useless. You

schould deliberate upon who is the real owner of sons and wealth. Those who

are attached to material things burn day and night like a ghee lamp.

Neither Lord Indra nor the emperor of the whole universe can find happiness.

Only those who are renounced and live in a solitary place have peace.

Therefore give up this ignorance, thinking that this is your wife, this is

your son, and so on. Owing to such delusion one goes to hell. This body will

one day be lost, therefore, go and live in the forest.” Hearing this words

of Gokarna, Atma Deva decided to go to the forest. He asked, “My dear son,

please explain what I should I do in the forest. I am very foolish and very

much attached to karma-kanda activities. Now I have lost everything and am

bound in this well of household life. You are very merciful-please deliver

me.” Gokarna said, “O father, this body is nothing but a combination of

bones, fat, blood, and flesh. Therefore, do not consider that you are this

body and that this wife and children are yours. Day and night meditate on

the ephemeral nature of this material world and thus do not become attached

to anything. Become renounced and perform devotional service unto the

Personality of Godhead. Devotion is the greatest religion, therefore take

shelter of it, and give up all other material religious principles. Render

service to saintly people and give up all toughest of sense gratification

and greed and wealth. Do not meditate on the defects of others, fully engage

in the service of he Lord, and always drink the nectar of His holy

partimes.” Influenced by the preaching of his son, Atma Deva left home and

though he was sixty years old, went to the forest with great determination.

Day and night he remained engaged in the service of he Lord.15 He regularly

recited the tenth canto of Srimad Bhagavatam until finally he attained the

lotus feet of Lord Krsna. Chapter five Dhundhukari gets a ghost body and

is delivered by Gokarna. Suta Gosvami said, “O Saunaka, one day, after Atma

Deva went to the forest, Dhundhukari beat his mother severely, demanded her

wealth, and treated to burn her. Being overly troubled and afraid of her

son, one night Dhundhuli stole out of the house, threw herself into a well

and drowned. The saintly Gokarna, who was not troubled by happiness or

distress and did not consider anyone his friend or enemy, left to go on

pelgrimage. Dhundhikari remained living in their house with five prostitutes

and constantly worried how to accumulate wealth for sense gratification.1

Owing to this he lost all his intelligence and thus engaged in cruel and

heinous activities.2 One day the prostitutes requested that he give them

various ornaments. Dhundhikari, completely blinded by lust and forgetful of

death, left to fulfill their desire by hook or crook. In this attempt to

please them, he stole some wealth and used it to buy beautiful clothes and

ornaments. After receiving the stolen goods, one night the prostitutes began

to consider, Dhundhikari is always plundering others and in time surely get

caught by the king, who will confiscate his wealth and hang him. We might as

well kill him ourselves, take his wealth and move to a distant place.”

Thinking in this way, one night while Dhundhikari was sleeping, they tied

him with ropes, put a noose around his neck and tried to strangle him. He

would not die easily and this worried the prostitutes.3 They then brought

burning wood, shoved it into his mouth. The wood burned him to death and

they buried his dead body. Indeed women are very courageous and it is

difficult to understand their mind. No one could understand what happened to

Dhundhikari. When asked, the prostitutes said that he had gone far away to

collect some wealth and would return after a year. An intelligent person

should never believe an unchaste woman. Any foolish man who puts faith in

such women will suffer like Dhundhukari. The voice of an unchaste women

appears as sweet as nectar to a lusty man. Actually her heart is as sharp as

a razor. Unchaste women have no love for anyone-they only value wealth. The

prostitutes who had experienced many lovers, thus took all Dhundhukari’s

wealth and disappeared. Owing to his misdeeds Dhundhukari attained a ghost

body,4 and remaining within a whirlwind, wandered here and there suffering

from hunger and thirst, and lamenting his misfortune. He could find no

shelter anywhere. After some time the news on Dhundhukari’s death reached

Gokarna, so he went to Gaya to perform sraddha, considering his brother

destitute. Later, while traveling to the holy places, Gokarna reached his

home town and hiding from everyone, went to his former house to pass the

night. Dhundhukari’s ghost observed Gokarna return so he assumed very fierce

forms and appeared before him. Sometimes he took the form of a dreadful

sheep, then a elephant, or a buffalo, or like Indra and sometimes like

fire.5 Finally he appeared as a human being. Seeing this, Gokarna realized

that a ghost must be making this display. With courage and patience he

spoke, “Who are you? Why are you exhibiting all these fearsome forms? How

did you fall into this condition? Tell me clearly are you a ghost, goblin,

or a demon?” Suta Gosvami said, “When Gokarna questioned him, the ghost

started crying loudly. He did not have the power to speak, so ge gestured

with his hands. Gokarna sprinkled some water on the ghost. This relieved him

of enough sinful reactions that he was be able to speak. “I am your brother

Dhundhukari,”the ghost said. “Because of my misdeeds I have fallen from my

respectable birth as a brahmana. Owing to complete ignorance I killed many

people. It is not possible to count my sins. I was addicted to five

prostitutes who finally killed me, and as a result I am suffering the

reactions for my ill activities and have thus gotten this ghost body.

Somehow, by the will of the Lord, I am now surviving only on air. My dear

brother, you are an ocean of mercy. Please somehow deliver me from this

ghostly form.” Gokarna replied, “Dear brother, I am very suprised. I duly

performed oblations for you in Gaya and it is a wonder that you still have

not been relieved from this ghostly form. If you cannot be delivered by

performing sacrifice in Gaya then I do not know what to do. Tell me what is

the solution?” The ghost said, “I cannot be relieved of this condition even

by the performance of hundreds of sraddhas at Gaya. You must think of some

more powerful practice.” Gokarna, astonished to hear this, said, “If you

cannot be delivered by hundreds of sraddhas in Gaya, then your liberation is

practically impossible. Anyway, do not fear. Stay here and I will think of

some procedure to deliver you.” The ghost left and Gokarna passed the night

in deep thought but did not discover a solution. The next morning many

people including scholars, savants, knowers of the Vedas, and yogis came to

see him and he explained the incident which had occurred the previous night.

They all consulted their particular scriptures but could not suggest a

suitable means to deliver Dhundhukari. They finally decided to follow

whatever Surya-narayana, the sun-god, would order. By the power of his

accumulated penance, Gokarna checked the movements of the sun-god and

prayed, “O Lord, you are the witness of the whole universe, I offer my

obeisance’s unto you. Please be merciful and tell me the process to deliver

Dhundhukari.” The sun-god replied, “Only one thing can be done to deliver

him—recitation of Srimad bhagavatam for one week.” The assembly heard this

statement of the sun-god and agreed that this simple process should be

executed. Thus the news spread that Gokarna would perform the Saptaha Yajna.

From the nearby villages many people came who were lame, blind, aged, and

less intelligent, all had the desire to become free from their sins. Such a

crowd assembled that even the demigods were surprised.6 Gokarna took his

seat on the vyasasana and began reciting the pastimes of Lord Krsna as

described in the Bhagavatam. All the time the ghost also came and searched

for a place to sit. Because he had an airy body he could not sit outside, so

he entered a bamboo rod wich had seven knots and thus began hearing Srimad

Bhagavatam. After Gokarna appointed one Vaisnava brahmana as the chief of

the assembly, in a clear, sweet, voice he started reciting Srimad Bhagavatam

from the first canto. That evening during a pause in the katha, a wonderful

incident occurred. The people in the assembly noticed that one of the knots

in the bamboo cracked and burst. In this way, at the end of each day, a knot

would burst and on the seventh day, when the recitation was complete, all

the knots were cracked. Dhundhukari was delivered from his ghostly form.7 He

attained a divine body, which was blackish like rain clouds. He was clad in

yellow garments, a Tulasi garland around his neck, a crown adorning his head

and beautiful earrings dangling from his ears. He immediately offered

obeisance’s to Gokarna and said, “My dear brother, by your mercy I have been

released from the ghostly body. This ceremony of Saptaha is so glorious that

it can destroy ghostly forms and elevate one to the abode of Lord Krsna.

When a person starts hearing the Saptaha, sins tremble in fear anticipating

that the bhagavatam-katha will burn them to ashes. In the same way that fire

burns a twig or a tree so, this Saptaha burns all big or small sins,

performed with the body, mind, and speech. Scholars in the assembly of

demigods have said that the lives of those Indians who do not hear Srimad

Bhagavatam, then there is no gain from this so-called beautiful body? This

body is supported by bones, which are like pillars, and tied together with

the ropes of nerves and veins. It is covered with skin and is filled with

flesh and every part reeks being nothing more than a pot of stool and urine.

In old age it is the cause of lamentation and misery. Indeed it is a

residence for aliments and to maintain it is a great burden. It is

continuously troubled by desires that can never be satisfied. Every pore is

full of defects and it can be destroyed within a moment. When buried, it is

eaten by worms; if thrown out, it is eaten by vultures and transformed into

stool; and if burned, it turns into ashes. Indeed these are the only

destinations of this body. Who is that sane person who will not utilize this

temporary body to gain permanent benefit? Food which is cooked in the

morning is putrid by evening, so how can this body be considered eternal,

since it is nourished by elements that decompose? In this material world

people can very quickly attain the lotus feet of the Lord by hearing

Bhagavata Saptaha. This is the only means to get rid of he defects of human

birth. Those people who do not hear bhagavata-katha are just like bubbles in

water, or like mosquitoes, who take birth only to die uselessly. If this,

bhagavata-katha can burst the knots of bamboo, then why can it not burst

those in the heart? By hearing Srimad Bhagavatam, one’s doubts are removed,

the karma is slackened and one becomes relieved of the knots in the heart.

Bhagavata-katha is like a tirtha that cleanses one from all impurities.

Scholars say that when the Bhagavatam becomes fixed in the heart, one’s

liberation is definite.” When Dhundhukari was speaking in this way, the sky

became effulgent and a Vaikuntha airplane appeared carrying associates of he

Lord.8 In front of the whole assembly Dhundhukari boarded the airplane.

Gokarna posed a question, “O dear associates of the Lord, in this assembly

there are many pure hearted people and all of them heard the Bhagavata

Saptaha. Why is it that this airplane has come exclusively for Dhundhukari?

Why are the others not getting the same result? The servants of the Lord

spoke, “O Gokarna, the difference lies in the quality of their hearing.

Although it is true that everyone heard the katha, everyone did not meditate

on it equally. For this reason the results of performing bhajana or

devotional service are different.9 This ghost fasted for seven days and

heard Bhagavatam with a completely fixed and attentive mind. That knowledge

which is not stable is useless. In tha same way, if one does not hear

attentively or if one harbors doubts or lets his mind wander here and

there,then he will not get the benefit of chanting his mantra. Land devoid

of Vaisnavas, Sraddha offered to unqualified persons, charity given to ill

behaved brahmanas who do not know the Vedas, are all useless. Faith in the

words of the spiritual master, humility, control of the mind’s defects, and

attentive hearing of bhagavata-katha all grant the full result. If one hears

the Bhagavatam attentively he certainly attains Vaikuntha. O Gokarna, as far

as you are concerned, the Lord Himself will come to take you to

Goloka.”Thereafter the associates of the Lord, performing

hari-kirtana,,ascended to the Vaikuntha. In the month of Sravana Gokarna

again performed the Saptaha Yajna of Srimad Bhagavatam and those people

again listened to it.O Narada, please listen what happened at the end of

that Saptaha. The Lord appeared in a plane filled with devotees. From all

quarters could be heard. “All glories! All glories!”and people were paying

obeisance’s. The Lord blew His conch shell named Pancajanya and embraced

Gokarna. In a moment He granted everyone who listened to the Srimad

Bhagavatam a body just like His own. They all acquired a blackish body and

wore yellow garments, helmets, and earrings. By the mercy of Gokarna all the

living entities in that village, including dogs and even the dog-eaters,

ascended in that airship. They were carried to the place where only devotees

go-the abode of the Lord. In this way, Lord Krsna being very pleased by His

katha took Gokarna with Him to Goloka Dhama, which is most dear to the

cowherd people. In the past Lord Ramacandra took all the residents of

Ayoddhya to His abode, Saketa.10 In the same way, Lord Krsna took everyone

to Goloka Dhama which is not attained even by great yogis, the Sun God, Moon

God, or even perfected beings, but is attained only by hearing Srimad

Bhagavatam. O Narada, what can we say about he wonderful result which one

attains by hearing Bhagavat-Saptaha? Even those who have heard a fraction of

the history of Gokarna do not take birth again. That destination which can

not be attained by those live on air, water, or dry leaves, executing

extended penance, or the practice yoga, is easily attained by hearing

Bhagavata-Saptaha. The great sage Sandilya, who is always absorbed in

transcendental bliss, engages in reciting this pious history at Citrakuta.11

This history is so purifying that anyone who hears it even once, becomes

free from all sin. If it is recited during the Sraddha ceremony, the

forefathers are very pleased. Anyone who recites Srimad Bhagavatam daily

attains liberation.