Citraketu Maharaja Cursed

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26 March 2017 - Srimad-Bhagavatam Canto 6, Chapter 17 Bhagavan spoke with Citraketu and then disappeared. Citraketu offered pranam to the direction where Anantadeva was present before him only moments before. He had met with his Lord after only one week of chanting the mantra he received from Sri Guru. At that time, he offered prayers and heard the sweet words of Bhagavan Anantadeva. Now he began to travel in a celestial airplane and chant the holy names of the Lord wherever he went. He did not think about eating or sleeping. He only engaged in sankirtana. One day, Citraketu, flying in his airplane, which could take him even to planets of the siddhas and Caranas, noticed that an assembly of many great souls had formed and was hearing hari-katha from the mouth of Siva Thakura. Sivaji was holding Parvati-devi on his naked lap as spoke to the assembled saints. At that time, Citraketu said, “O Lord Siva, you are the best of speakers of hari-katha. But in this assembly of rsis you have given a seat on your lap to your wife and are embracing her while you speak? What is this? You are a maha-tapasvi, fully realized in God-consciousness, but where is your shyness? Not even people under the influence of raja-guna share intimate meetings with their wife in public. What are you doing?” Sukadeva Gosvami said, “O king, Mahesvara Siva heard these teasing words but was not disturbed by them. He smiled and continued speaking hari-katha. Also, the listeners there and the followers of Siva were not disturbed because they knew of the close relation between both Citraketu and Lord Siva. The two of them were godbrothers for they both worshiped Sankarsana Rama. It was a very different situation to that of the assembly of Daksa, in which Siva Thakura was greatly blasphemed.” Citraketu was affectionately joking with Siva and actually glorifying him, not insulting him. But Parvati-devi became angry upon hearing his words. She did not know the exalted position of Citraketu. She said, “This person has no shame. He has come here to judge others, thinking he has the adhikara to do so.” She then addressed Citraketu directly, “Who do you think you are? Are you the holder of the stick—the personality in charge of judgment? You don’t see that hari-katha is going on? You see only that Mahesvara is holding his wife on his lap. All these rsis have said nothing, only you are finding fault. Do you have no idea of my Lord’s exalted nature? O fallen person, do you think all these great souls are foolish? They all are here to respect Siva Thakura but you are insulting him. Do you think you are superior to him?” “You think you are dharma-jna, but you are criticizing the dharma-murti. You are so full of pride. You are unqualified to be at the feet of Bhagavan. Durmati, may you be born in a tamasik family. Be far away from the sadhus, to whom you act offensively. I am like your mother. If her children do wrong, the mother gives punishment. So, go now and be born in a demon family.” Sukadeva Gosvami said: Citraketu heard the curse and descended from his place in the sky. He offered pranama and said, “O Ambike, I accept your curse. You are the well-wisher of all. May I be born anywhere, according to my past actions. I have no objection to my fate. The conditioned soul is attached to avidya and he wonders in this world sometimes happy and sometimes sad. This is his own fault. Your cursing me is just. You have helped me by allowing me to atone for my sinful actions. Curses, blessings, cold, heat—these things always come to the jivas in their long journey within the cycle of birth and death. Any undesired situation is also temporary, therefore, why should I lament that you have cursed me? “Those who are neutral are always content. Those engrossed in material things are subject to happiness and distress, along with loss and gain in this world. They cannot be neutral like this. “O Bhavani, you have become angry with me and I will not request you to retract your curse, it has come to me because of my karma. I have no problem with this.” Sukadeva Gosvami said: Citraketu thus spoke humbly to Parvati-devi and then left on his airplane. All present there were surprised that he was not at all disturbed upon being cursed. In fact, he offered beautiful prayers just afterward. Then Siva Thakura said something to Parvati, for her benefit and for the benefit of all. “O Sundari,” he said. “Hari’s servants are transcendental and whatever they do is also transcendental. They are detached from the material world and meditate on Hari constantly. The curse you have spoken to Citraketu will not cause him to lose his bhakti. In fact, your curse is powerless. Curses do not work on hari-bhaktas, but Citraketu, being very respectful toward you, accepted this curse of yours. You have no tolerance or patience. He and I are like brothers. He has the adhikara to speak to me with a light-heart. “Devotees of Bhagavan are not disturbed with the idea of going to hell, nor are they happy about the idea of going to heaven. They are equipoised. They are always content because of their bhakti. No matter what kind of body he may have, the devotee never loses his mood of service and meditation. “Bhagavan’s quality is such that even if His bhaktas are separated from them, he follows them, for they are very dear to Him. Therefore, The maha-bhagavata Citraketu has no need to fear your curse. If anyone ought to be worried it is you. If the prince is wronged by someone, will the king not be upset? Citraketu said something to me out of affection but you could not understand him or his nature and now you have done something quite unwise.” Parvati, thus corrected, felt ashamed and hid her face. The para-bhakta Citraketu was powerful enough to counter the curse but because he was a sadhu, he accepted Parvati-devi’s curse and went on his way. Sukadeva Gosvami said: That Citraketu next took birth as Vrtrasura from the yajna of Tvasta. O King, you asked me to explain to you how a bhagavat-bhakta could be born as an asura, thus I have given you the detailed answer. Anyone who hears the glories of the mahatma Citraketu from a pure devotee will lose attachment to this material world and become liberated. If a person rises early and recites this history, having bathed, applied tilak to his body, performed acamana, and fixed his mind in meditation of Sri Hari, he will be protected from maya. He certainly becomes very dear to the Lord and will always be with Him. Chapter 18 [Prabhuji reads the first 18 verses. These describe the lineage of the Adityas and the Daityas—the sons of Aditi and Diti.] Sukadeva Gosvami told Pariksit Maharaja: marutaś ca diteḥ putrāś catvāriṁśan navādhikāḥ ta āsann aprajāḥ sarve nītā indreṇa sātmatām Srimad-Bhagavatam 6.18.19 The forty-nine Maruts were born from the womb of Diti as well. They did not have children. Although they were born from Diti’s womb, Lord Indra granted them a position as demigods. King Parīkṣit inquired, “O lord, how was this possible? How did these sons of Diti become elevated to the level of demigods? Were they not demonic by nature? Did they perform some kind of ritual or pious activity? Sukadeva Gosvami then answered the humble inquiries of Maharaja Pariksit. Click to Support! [CC by NDNC Bhaktabandhav]