Ribhu
Created by Jijith Nadumuri at 25 Jul 2011 11:08 and updated at 25 Jul 2011 11:08
VISHNU PURANA NOUN
vp.2.15 | Bharata relates the story of Ribhu and Nidagha. The latter, the pupil of the former, becomes a prince, and is visited by his preceptor, who explains to him the principles of unity, and departs. |
vp.2.15 | Parasara continued. Having terminated these remarks, the Brahman repeated to the silent and meditating prince a tale illustrative of the doctrines of unity. "Listen, prince," he proceeded, "to what was formerly uttered by Ribhu, imparting holy knowledge to the Brahman Nidagha. Ribhu was a son of the supreme Brahma, who, from his innate disposition, was of a holy character, and acquainted with true wisdom. Nidagha, the son of Pulastya, was his disciple; and to him Ribhu communicated willingly perfect knowledge, not doubting of his being fully confirmed in the doctrines of unity, when he had been thus instructed. |
vp.2.15 | "The residence of Pulastya was at Viranagara, a large handsome city on the banks of the Devika river. In a beautiful grove adjoining to the stream the pupil of Ribhu, Nidagha, conversant with devotional practices, abode. When a thousand divine years had elapsed, Ribhu went to the city of Pulastya, to visit his disciple. Standing at the doorway, at the end of a sacrifice to the Viswadevas, he was seen by his scholar, who hastened to present him the usual offering, or Arghya, and conducted him into the house; and when his hands and feet were washed, and he was seated, Nidagha invited him respectfully to eat (when the following dialogue ensued): |
vp.2.15 | Ribhu". Tell me, illustrious Brahman, what food there is in your house; for I am not fond of indifferent viands. |
vp.2.15 | Ribhu". None of these do I like; give me rice boiled with sugar, wheaten cakes, and milk with curds and molasses. |
vp.2.15 | Ribhu". A hungry man, Brahman, must needs be satisfied when he has finished his meal. Why should you inquire if my hunger has been appeased? When the earthy element is parched by fire, then hunger is engendered; and thirst is produced when the moisture of the body has been absorbed (by internal or digestive heat). Hunger and thirst are the functions of the body, and satisfaction must always be afforded me by that by which they are removed; for when hunger is no longer sensible, pleasure and contentment of mind are faculties of the intellect: ask their condition of the mind then, for man is not affected by them. For your three other questions, Where I dwell? Whither I go? and Whence I come? hear this reply. Man (the soul of man) goes every where, and penetrates every where, like the ether; and is it rational to inquire where it is? or whence or whither thou goest? I neither am going nor coming, nor is my dwelling in any one place; nor art thou, thou; nor are others, others; nor am I, I. If you wonder what reply I should make to your inquiry why I made any distinction between sweetened and unsweetened food, you shall hear my explanation. What is there that is really sweet or not sweet to one eating a meal? That which is sweet, is no longer so when it occasions the sense of repletion; and that which is not sweet, becomes sweet when a man (being very hungry) fancies that it is so. What food is there that first, middle, and last is equally grateful. As a house built of clay is |
vp.2.15 | "Having heard these words, conveying the substance of ultimate truth, Nidagha fell at the feet of his visitor, and said, Shew favour unto me, illustrious Brahman, and tell me who it is that for my good has come hither, and by whose words the infatuation of my mind is dissipated. To this, Ribhu answered, I am Ribhu, your preceptor, come hither to communicate to you true wisdom; and having declared to you what that is, I shall depart. Know this whole universe to be the one undivided nature of the supreme spirit, entitled Vasudeva. Thus having spoken, and receiving the prostrate homage of Nidagha, rendered with fervent faith, Ribhu went his way." |
vp.2.16 | Ribhu returns to his disciple, and perfects him in divine knowledge. The same recommended to the Raja by Bharata, who thereupon obtains final liberation. Consequences of hearing this legend. |
vp.2.16 | "AFTER the expiration of another thousand years, Ribhu again repaired to the city where Nidagha dwelt, to instruct him farther in true wisdom. When he arrived near the town, he beheld a prince entering into it, with a splendid retinue; and his pupil Nidagha standing afar off, avoiding the crowd; his throat shrivelled with starvation, and bearing from the thicket fuel and holy grass. Ribhu approached him, and saluting him reverentially (as if he was a stranger) demanded why he was standing in such a retired spot. Nidagha replied, There is a great crowd of people attending the entrance of the king into the town, and I am staying here to avoid it. Tell me, excellent Brahman, said Ribhu, for I believe that thou art wise, which is here the king, and which is any other man. The king, answered Nidagha, is he who is seated on the fierce and stately elephant, vast as a mountain peak; the others are his attendants. You have shewn me, observed Ribhu, at one moment the elephant and the king, without noticing any peculiar characteristic by which they may be distinguished. Tell me, venerable sir, is there any difference between them? for I am desirous to know which is here the elephant, which is the king. The elephant, answered Nidagha, is underneath; the king is above him. Who is not aware, Brahman, of the relation between that which bears and that which is borne? To this Ribhu rejoined, Still explain to me, according to what I know of it, this matter: what is it that is |
vp.2.16 | meant by the word underneath, and what is it that is termed above? As soon as he had uttered this, Nidagha jumped upon Ribhu, and said, Here is my answer to the question you have asked: I am above, like the Raja.; you are underneath, like the elephant. This example, Brahman, is intended for your information. Very well, said Ribhu, you, it seems, are as it were the Raja, and I am like the elephant; but come now do you tell me which of us two is you; which is I. |
vp.2.16 | "When Nidagha heard these words, he immediately fell at the feet o the stranger, and said, Of a surety thou art my saintly preceptor Ribhu the mind of no other person is so fully imbued with the doctrines of unity as that of my teacher, and hence I know that thou art he. To this Ribhu replied, I am your preceptor, by name Ribhu, who, pleased with: the dutiful attention he has received, has come to Nidagha to give him instruction: for this purpose have I briefly intimated to you divine truth, the essence of which is the non duality of all. Having thus spoken to Nidagha, the Brahman Ribhu went away, leaving his disciple profoundly impressed, by his instructions, with belief in unity. He beheld all beings thenceforth as the same with himself, and, perfect in holy knowledge, obtained final liberation. |
vp.6.8 | This Purana, originally composed by the Rishi Narayana(), was communicated by Brahma to Ribhu; he related it to Priyavrata, by whom it was imparted to Bhaguri. Bhaguri recited it to Tamasitra 6, and he to Dadicha, who gave it to Saraswata. From the last Bhrigu received it, who imparted it to Purukutsa, and he taught it to Narmada. The goddess delivered it to Dhritarashtra the Naga king, and to Purana of the same race, by whom it was repeated to their monarch Vasuki. Vasuki communicated it to Vatsa, and he to aswatara, from whom it successively proceeded to Kambala and Elapatra. When the Muni Vedasiras descended to Patala, he there received the whole Purana from these Nagas, and communicated it to Pramati. Pramati consigned it to the wise Jatukarna, and he taught it to many other holy persons. Through the blessing of Vasishtha it came to my knowledge, and I have now, Maitreya, faithfully imparted it to you. You will teach it, at the end of the Kali age, to samika 7. Whoever hears this great mystery, which removes the contamination of the Kali, shall be freed from all his sins. He who hears this every day acquits himself of his daily obligations to ancestors, gods, and men. The great and rarely attainable merit that a man acquires by the gift of a brown cow, he derives from hearing ten chapters of this Purana 8. He who hears the entire Purana, contemplating in his mind Achyuta, who is all things, and of whom all things are made; who is the stay of the whole world, |
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