Synopsis of the Story of the futility of the vEdic and other actions to grant Self-Knowledge

Synopsis of the Story of the futility of the vEdic and other actions to grant Self-Knowledge, set down by Saint SrI sADu Aum in His text 'The garland of the Spiritual Instruction of SrI ramaNA'.

Translation by R.K. Shankar

There were these householders doing penance in the 'tArukA forest'. Lord SivA willed to redeem them by showing them the path to liberation.

Then, He assumed the form of a beggar. Thus, He entered the tArukA forest. Lord ViShNu then assumed the form of a 'mind-bewitching' beautiful woman.

Upon seeing the beautiful woman, the householders got deluded. They then forgot the daily vEdic rituals enjoined upon the householders in the vEdAs.

They started following this beautiful woman, overpowered by lust.

Their wives got bewildered by the divine lustre of the beggar. They lost their self-control. They also started following the beggar uncontrollably.

Seeing the delusion that has overtaken their wives, the householders were enraged at the beggar. Then, they started performing some vEdic rituals chanting some vEdic chants. Then, there arose from the vEdic fire, different weapons and wild animals.

These were directed at Lord SivA. But, Lord SivA assumed the weapons as His own. And, He killed the wild animals. The householders saw that the fruits of their powerful vEdic actions were powerless before the Lord.

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