What is Mritasanjivani vidya (Shukracharya) story | Shukracharya learning Mritasanjivani vidya from Lord Shiva
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Just before moving forward to know about “What is Mritasanjivani (Mritasanjeevani) vidya (Shukracharya) story | Shukracharya learning Mritasanjivani vidya from Lord Shiva“, let’s know the meaning of Mritasanjivani.
I urge the readers to read this post fully to know full information about Mritasanjivani Vidya.
Here Mritasanjivani = Mrita + San + Jivani = Death + With the help of + Getting back the life.
Here Mritasanjivani (Mritasanjeevani) means:
If someone has died, then if he / she has to comeback to life again means, using either mantra or divine plant, that person or those people can be brought back to life again.
Because of the demons (rakshasas) ill behaviour, Devatas / Demigods had to fight with those demons (rakshasas) and the demons (rakshasas) were sometimes worsted in these encounters.
Shukracharya [remember Shukracharya is a Brahmana (Brahmin) and is the son of the Great Maharishi Sri Bhrigu] consoled the demons (rakshasas).
[Maharishi Bhrigu is the same Maharishi, who kicks at the ‘vaksha sthala‘ (chest part) of Lord Sri Vishnu.]
[Because of Maharishi Bhiru, Lord Sri Vishnu came down to earth as Lord Sri Srinivasa (Venkateswara) (Balaji).]
[In Tirupati (Tirumala) we can see the most divine temple of Lord Sri Srinivasa (Venkateswara) (Balaji).]
[And Goddess Sri Maha Lakshmi Devi also came down to earth and she is staying as Goddess Sri Mahalakshmi at Kolhapur, Maharashtra.]
“Do not worry,” he said. “I will try and acquire powers that will make the demons (rakshasas) invincible. I am going off to pray.”
“While I am gone, do not fight with the Devatas / Demigods. Give up arms and lead the lives of hermits. Wait till my return.”
Shukracharya’s father was the great sage Maharishi Sri Bhrigu.
[Maharishi Sri Bhrigu is the Supreme among all the Sages (Rishis) only after Devarishi Narada.]
The demons (rakshasas) were instructed to wait in Maharishi Sri Bhrigu’s hermitage (ashram) for Shukracharya’s return.
The preceptor of the demons (rakshasas) Shukracharya began to do penance (tapas) to Lord Shiva.
When Lord Shiva appeared, Shukracharya told him that he wished to be taught a mantra that would make the demons (rakshasas) invincible.
“I will grant your request,” said Lord Shiva.
“But you will have to observe a difficult vrata (vrat) (religious rite). For a thousand years you will have to meditate. And you will have to live only on smoke.”
Shukracharya agreed to observe the vrata (vrat) (religious rite).
Meanwhile, the Devatas (Demigods) got to know what Shukracharya was up to.
They realized that, once Shukracharya returned, they would be in no position to tackle the demons (rakshasas).
The best thing to do was to attack the demons (rakshasas) immediately, when they had given up arms and were living as hermits.
The demons (rakshasas) tried to tell the Devatas (Demigods) that this was not fair.
They should not be attacked when they had forsaken arms.
But the Devatas (Demigods) would not listen (Remember rakshasas are after all rakshasas. One can’t believe them).
Devatas (Demigods) started to kill the demons (rakshasas).
The demons (rakshasas) fled to Shukracharya’s mother, Maharishi Sri Bhrigu’s wife Kavyamata, for protection.
“Do not despair,” she assured the demons (rakshasas). “I will protect you.”
When the Devatas (Demigods) attacked, the lady used her powers to make Lord Sri Indra Deva completely immobile.
Lord Sri Indra Deva could not move at all. He stood there like a statue.
This strange sight unnerved the Devatas (Demigods) so much, that they started to run away.
Lord Sri Vishnu came to help Lord Sri Indra Deva.
Lord Sri Vishnu told Lord Sri Indra Deva to enter his body, so that Lord Sri Vishnu will be able to save him.
“I will burn both of you up through my powers,” said Shukracharya’s mother Kavyamata.
“What are you waiting for?” Lord Sri Indra Deva asked Lord Sri Vishnu.
“Can’t you see that this woman will destroy us both? Kill her at once.”
Lord Sri Vishnu summoned up his Sudarshana chakra and with this, he neatly severed the lady Kavyamata’s head.
The sage Maharishi Sri Bhrigu was not present at that time. When he returned and found out what had happened, he was greatly angered.
Maharishi Sri Bhrigu taught, Lord Sri Vishnu had committed the crime of killing a woman.
(Remember killing an Adharmi is not a crime even she is a woman and Lord Sri Vishnu knows best what to do).
Maharishi Sri Bhrigu therefore cursed Lord Sri Vishnu that he would have to be born several times on earth.
[Again remember, these all are leela (vidambana) of Lord Sri Vishnu to teach the rakshasas a lesson.]
These are Vishnu’s avatars (incarnations) (Including the Lord Sri Vishnu’s Dashavatar).
(Lord Sri Vishnu Dashavatar names – Matsya, Varaha, Narasimha, Kurma, Vamana, Parashurama, Rama, Krishna, Buddha and Kalki.)
As for Maharishi Sri Bhrigu’s own wife, Maharishi Sri Bhrigu resurrected her through his powers.
Lord Sri Indra Deva had a daughter named Jayanti.
Having failed in his attempt to kill the demons (rakshasas), Lord Sri Indra Deva reasoned that he ought to try and disturb Shukracharya’s meditation.
Lord Sri Indra Deva therefore sent Jayanti to the place where Shukracharya was praying. Her instructions were to try and distract the sage.
Jayanti served Shukracharya faithfully throughout the appointed period of a thousand years.
When Shukracharya’s vrata (vrat) (religious rite) was over, Shiva appeared before Shukracharva and taught him the art of mritasanjivani vidya.
It was then that Shukracharya noticed Jayanti. “Who are you?” he asked. “And why have you been serving me thus?”
“I am exceedingly pleased with what you have done. Tell me what I can do for you.”
“If you wish to grant me a boon, marry me and live as my husband for ten years,” replied Jayanti.
Shukracharya was lured away by Jayanti. Lord Sri Indra Deva was bent upon ensuring the destruction of the demons (rakshasas) and he now hit upon a plan.
He asked Brihaspati to adopt Shukracharya’s form and go to the demons (rakshasas).
The demons (rakshasas) were expecting their Guru back after the thousand years were over and took Brihaspati to be Shukracharya.
They honoured him and served him faithfully. When the ten years with Jayanti were over, Shukracharya returned and discovered Brihaspati among the demons (rakshasas).
“Who is this upstart?” he demanded to know. “Give him up and seek refuge with me. I am the real Shukracharya.”
“Not at all,” replied Brihaspati. “I am the real Shukracharya.” The demons (rakshasas) were bemused.
Brihaspati and Shukracharya were as alike as two peas in a pod; there was no way of telling the apart.
They finally reasoned that the person who had been living with them for the last ten years must be their real Guru.
They therefore accepted Brihaspati and shooed Shukracharya away.
Shukracharya cursed the demons (rakshasas) that they were bound to be destroyed.
As soon as Shukracharya cursed the demons (rakshasas), Brihaspati adopted his own form.
The demons (rakshasas) realized that they had been tricked, but the harm had been done.
PS: We need to always remember that Lord Sri Vishnu will always support only Dharma and Dharmic people.
Almost all the rakshasas are Adharmic (expect very very few) and thus they have to be taught their lessons.
Lord Sri Vishnu knows best (he is called “sarva svatantra”, means completely independent and doesn’t need anybody’s help, support, instruction, etc.).
Whatever Lord Sri Vishnu does will yield fruits to the Dharmic (Followers of Sanatana Dharma) people.
One of the best example about the Dharmic person is Arjuna (Lord Sri Indra Deva avatar). Arjuna always on the Dharma side and thus Lord Sri Krishna (Vishnu) always supported him through out his life.
Now again coming back to our topic, that is:
What is Mritasanjivani vidya (Shukracharya) story?
Daityas (Rakshasas) (demons) always fight against Devatas to satisfy their ill habits.
The Daityas (Rakshasas) (demons) Guru is Śukrācārya (Shukracharya).
Shukracharya knew the vidya (knowledge) of Mritasanjivani Vidya (mṛtasanjīvinī) (Knowledge about making death person alive).
Shukracharya obtained the Mritasajivani Vidya (knowledge) by doing a long tapas (penance) of Lord Shiva.
Using this vidya, Śukrācārya used to bring back the dead Daityas (Rakshasas) (demons) to life and save them.
However the Devatas (Demigods) neither knew the Mritasanjivani Vidya nor the Daityas (Rakshasas) (demons).
This was because, this story happened before the Kṣhīra sāgara mathanam (Samudra Manthan) (churning of the great ocean Kshira (Ksheera) Sagara).
The Devatas (Demigods) asked their Guru, Brihaspati, for help.
Brihaspati asked his son, Kacha: “to become a student of Shukracharya, serve your Guru with utmost care, learn all the shastras etc. and also the mṛtasanjīvinī vidya from Shukracharya“.
Kacha immediately followed the instructions of his father and reached the hermitage of Shukracharya.
He did sāṣhṭāṅga namaskāram (Doing namaste with whole body on the ground) to Shukracharya and said:
“O Guru Deva (To Shukracharya)! I am from the Āṅgīrasa gotram and the son of Brihaspati, the Guru of the Devatas (Demigods)”.
“People call me by the name Kacha. I came to become your student”.
Shukracharya happily agreed to have the son of the great Brihaspati as his student.
Everyday Kacha used to wake up before the Sunrise, and do Sandhyāvandana (A Hindu ritual) and other rituals.
Kacha used to be very obedient student to his Guru Shukracharya and was learning everything with utmost concentration and respect.
Kacha never let any attractions, deviations to enter his mind and always concentrated on serving his Guru Shukracharya and always wanted to learn about Hindu Shastras.
Shukracharya had a very beautiful and young daughter by name Devayānī (Devayani).
Devayani was very young and had a lot of attraction and love towards Kacha.
Devayani tried to express herself many times to Kacha, but Kacha never had anything in his mind except his education.
Also since Devayani was the daughter of his Guru Shukracharya, who is equal to his father, he had sodarī-bhāvam (Feeling like a sister) about Devayani.
Slowly Kacha, due to his unparalleled efforts and modesty became the favourite student of his Guru Shukracharya.
This could not be tolerated by the Daityas (Rakshasas) (demons) who were burning with īrṣha (jealousy).
Also those Daityas (Rakshasas) (demons) were afraid that Kacha would soon learn the Mritasanjivani Vidya from Shukracharya and later it would be difficult for them to face the Devatas (Demigods).
Once Kacha went to the forest as per his Guru’s instructions to collect the dry wood.
As the Sun was setting the power of Daityas (Rakshasas) (demons) increased.
They attacked Kacha and killed him immediately. Devayani was waiting for Kacha in the hermitage.
Devayani told her father Shukracharya, “everyday by the time of Sunset, Kacha returns home. Somehow he did not return today. O father! please see if he is ok.”
Shukracharya with his divya-dṛṣhṭi (Divine eyes) saw what happened to Kacha and immediately brought him back to life.
The Daityas (Rakshasas) (demons) jealousy increased with this and this time they planned to kill Kacha in such a way that it will be difficult for Shukracharya to save him.
They killed Kacha, burnt him and mixed his ashes in surāpānam (A type of alcohol) and served it to their Guru Shukracharya.
Shukracharya drank the surāpānam (A type of alcohol). Seeing Kacha not returning home, again Devayāni asked her father.
Shukracharya was shocked to know what mistake he committed unknowingly.
Shukracharya thought “a man who is under the influence of surā-pānam (A type of alcohol) will loose all his distinction of good and bad, does not think and can do any great dad deeds“.
Once the dad deeds is done, for normal humans, it is impossible to undo it.
Shukracharya thought that if he was not under the influence of surāpānam (A type of alcohol), he could have easily identified with his power of penance, that Kacha’s ashes were mixed in his surāpānam (A type of alcohol).
So Shukracharya made a firm rule that surāpānam (A type of alcohol), in what ever small quantities, is highly a great sin and it must never be drunk by any one.
Shukracharya used his Mritasanjivani Vidya and brought back Kacha to life.
However Kacha remained in Shukracharya’s stomach in a sūkṣhma rūpam (micro particle).
Shukracharya then taught Kacha Mritasanjivani Vidya and asked him to come out of his stomach, by tearing it.
Kacha came out of Shukracharya and then used the Mritasanjivani Vidya to bring back the life of his Guru Shukracharya.
Kacha, after the completion of his education, took the permission of his Guru Shukracharya and was planning to leave.
Devayani then told Kacha, “Please do not leave me and go. Marry me“.
Kacha said “you are like a sister to me, since a Guru is equal to one’s father“.
Devayani got angry with Kacha and said, “Since you rejected my love and pained me, your vidya (knowledge) will not be of any use to you“.
Kacha was not sad, because he knew though his Vidya (knowledge) will not be directly useful to him, but he can spread his Vidya (knowledge) to others and thereby become useful to the society.
Vidya Danam (Teaching) is the only danam / donation that can never be destroyed and robbed.
The more and more it is given to others, the more and more it grows…
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