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Antidote to sins

CHENNAI : Recitation of the Bhagavata Purana or listening to its narration in seven days is hailed as the best antidote to all the sins of omission and commission. Devotees consider this text as their very life and peruse it to experience the bliss of God while for spiritual aspirants it is a scripture enshrining the highest wisdom.

In her discourse, Srimathi Prema Pandurang said the life of Atmadeva illustrated that listening to this Purana destroyed sins. Though he led a comfortable life he did not have a child and this depressed him. A monk he met prophesied that he would be childless for seven lives and advised him to follow the path of renunciation. When Atmadeva kept persisting the sage gave him a fruit to be given to his wife Dhundhuli. She however was not keen on having a child and gave the fruit to a cow. In order to appease her husband she conspired with her sister who was expecting a child to give it to her. They named the baby Dhundhukari with great fanfare and lavished their affection on him.

Strangely, the cow that ate the fruit gave birth to a beautiful human baby with ears like a cow's and Atmadeva named it Gokarna. Both the boys grew up to manhood, Dhundhukari into a wicked man who squandered away Atmadeva's wealth, while Gokarna into a wise and learned man. When Atmadeva lamented about his destiny Gokarna advised him to retire to the forest and serve the sages. He took Gokarna's advice seriously and attained liberation by listening to the sports of Lord Krishna.

Dhundhukari by his licentious life died in tragic circumstances and took the form of a dreadful spirit. Gokarna in all good faith performed the Sraddha ceremony for him at Gaya and other pilgrim centres for his soul to rest in peace but it didn't. When the spirit pleaded for redemption stating that even hundreds of Gaya Sraddha would not nullify his sins, Gokarna consulted Sun god, who said, "Liberation will follow from Srimad Bhagavata. Give it a complete reading in the course of a week." Gokarna did so in good faith and many flocked to listen to him including Dhundhukari's spirit, which entered a bamboo with seven joints. A marvel happened. At the end of each day one of the seven joints cracked and on completion of the recitation the spirit was liberated before the huge assembly.

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