THUS SPAKE VASAVI

Revered preceptor Sri Baskaracharya, my beloved mother and father, revered elderly grahastas who are ready to sacrifice your lives on the alter of Agni deva, the citizen traders, agriculturists and the future citizens of Penugonda, I give thee the message.

When I appeared as a child a couple of years ago, on Vaisaka Suddha Dasami I imparted joy to my parents and to the people of Penugonda. My father was instrumental for my divine knowledge. My mother taught me to love and care for the needy. My brother taught me to be bold when the occasion demands.

Revered Baskaracharya’s religious teachings blessed me to adore Lord Shiva. The peace in Penugonda was shattered by the visit of the.over lord Vishrnuvardhan. The curse as old as sixteen generations has come into operation. The Vysya rishis of Mount Kailsash were sent to the banks of pulasya theertham as a punishment, when they entered into unavoidable arguments with the other Brahma rishis.

My Lord Shiva sent me to earth to be born as a child to Kusumarya. Nandhikeswara was born as my brother Virupaksha to provide security.

You, Balanagara might not have seen your parents in their wedding dress, wearing veerakankan and flower garlands. I see my revered father holding the hand of my beloved mother as if he is leading her to the dais for mangalya dharan. True, as Vasavi I have not seen their wedding nor you. Our parents in the yagasala appear like brides and bridegrooms. My mother’s neck shines bright and glorious with the mangalyam graciously offered by my father. Kamesa badda mangalaya soostra shobitha kandharah.

Parvathi’s graceful neck was graciously beautiful by the tying of Mangalyam by Lord Kameswara.

We have now many a sumangali-Dheerga sumangali here now and for ever.

We are born in a land of peace and plenty, brought up to follow the tenets and principles of Vysya community and live in a city of trade and commerce, planned well by the divine architect Vishwakarma. We are here to inflict no harm unto others nor spill the blood of the kings army on the banks of sacred Pulasya theertham. I ordain the futurecitizens of Pentrgonda to follow the teachings of Poojya Baskaracharya, the incarnation of Brahma. There will be timely rain and shine in all the eighteen mandala. Bountiful agriculture and flourishing horticulture will be the speciality of the land. The farmers and traders will help raise the wealth of the nation and keep the standard of Penugonda high aloft in the comity of nations.

My brother Virupaksha’s administration and justice will be written in letters of gold and will be known as the golden era of Vysyas.

My brother Virupaksha’s administration will render all help to the agriculture, horticulture, cattle farming and commerce, inland and overseas. The Vysya community will be an economic force as the brahmins stand for religion and administration and kshatrias for the defence of the land.

My brother Virupaksha’s administration will render all help to the agriculture, horticulture, cattle farming and commerce, inland and overseas. The Vysya community will be an economic force as the brahmins stand for religion and administration and kshatrias for the defence of the land.

You are the fortunate children of noble souls ready to sacrifice their lives for the sake of honour. The fruits of their labour are laid before you on a golden platter.

I foresee a bright future for you young men and young women. You are a growing fraternity at once gentle, genteel and global, motivat­ed by service and sacrifice. The brotherhood which fastens the Vysya community into one makes joy and sorrow inseparable. It compels affection by the better-off towards worse-off. That affection is to be imparted in a spirit of humanity, charity and distributive equity. Such affection should flow from a kind heart through affable and embracing arms. In cultural and social concept it drives you towards the final goal call it Vummadi Kutumbam (co-operative concept) or Vasudeva Kutumbikam. Your service to the community should be religiously national and cosmic in vision. In a holy united pattern you can move onwards and onyards and onwards till you reach your goal. Who will hamper your move’ thus farther and no farther?

My advice to the youth of Penugonda is to marry the daughter of your maternal uncle (mother’s brother’s daughters) Daughters of blood brothers can marry, the sons of their maternal aunts (father’s sister’s daughters) and vice versa.When the maternal uncle is blessed with a daughter he should pamper his sister’s son (newphew-called son-in-law) with gifts galore. This matrimonial arrangement is most suited traditionally for Vysyas. If the gothram of the son-in-law and the bride’s maternal uncle’s gothram is same, the alliance should not be pursued. The maternal uncle (mama) should give his daughter in marriage to his sister’s son, even though he is illiterate or not well placed in life. For this matrimony, birth date, birth star or lagna need not be looked into.

If the wife (aunt) of maternal uncle is pregnant, the nephew should not get married till she delivers the child.

Your elders have thoughtfully suggested that marriage cel­ebrations may go up to seven days.

Ganga Pooja is to be performed on the first day. Prayers and pooja to be performed to all the Gods on the second day. The third day is intended for pada .pooja to the elders belonging to same gothra by the youngest male member of the family. Goh (cow) pooja is celebrated on the 4th day.

On the fifth day two decorated ships made out of plantain barks decorated with flowers are worshipped.

On the sixth day Kumba pooja is performed. In a pot or a metal vessel containing turmeric powder mixed with water (called ganga theertham) a few mango leaves are placed on the mouth of it. A coconut with a vermillion dot will be placed over the mango leaves. The Kumba Pooja is considered as prayer to Goddess Parvathi.

On the seventh day after Nandhikeswara pooja and dinner to Vysya youth, the Kankana visarjana should take place.

Now is the hour to hear my advice and I will tell you the time (muhurtham) to participate in the yagna

We are standing before Agni deva, the alter of destruction. you are all mortals. One day or other your bodies will become useless and will be burnt by your kith and kin with due respect.

Now we ourselves enter the sacred fire voluntarily for a cause obviously known to us

Even though the body disintegrates the resident Atman never dies.

Atman is eternal, Niranjan, peaceful, shapeless, diseaseless (Rogarahitha) and indestructible.

When the Atman is liberated from the body it reaches Brahman, the supreme being. Millions and trillions of Atman (souls) enter the newly born (created) mobile abodes (human beings) making their stay temporary. The Brahman remains unchanged and unaltered either with the deletion or with rejoining of souls. Mathematical calculations do not apply to Brahman, the ultimate. Look at me I am the Brahman.

I am the incarnation of Parvathi. Adhi shakthi.

I have no mother, no father, no relatives, no guardian, no friend and no enemy. lam the mother of all the (Maya) Worlds, The World you live is (Maya) illusory. I am the princess of penugonda by illusion. Kusumasreshti as my father is by the accident of a curse 16 generations ago I am subtler than an atom and greater than the greatest. I mingle with nature, burn with fire, permeate with water and pervade in the air to my liking. 

Your forefathers lived for a while in the universe (womb) of Kamadhenu. Their living in Kamadhenu was equal to that of a birth cycle. Goh matha is your mother, Guru and God 

The consigning of the body to the sacred fire of Homakundam will liberate the Atman to reach me. Agnideva will be the medium for the purpose. The curse generated (happened) 16 generations ago will be fulfilled and the Viswa Viman (space ship) floating in the skies will transport you all to your original abode mount Kailash. 

The wish of Samadhimuni, the Dharmadhikari of Kailash and your forefather will be fulfilled. 

To save the dignity of the community and the nation, to raise the nobility of the womanhood on to a high pedestal, our poojya Baskaracharya decided the yagna of self sacrifice to be performed today. To-day Magha Suddha Vidhia will be written in letters of gold in the history of Arya Vysya community belonging to 102 gothra. It is the hour and now is the muhurtham for the liberation of our souls. I will walk into the Homagundam where Agni Deva has been initiated to be present to transport us to Kailash with his transplanatory prowess. Then those of you wearing the Veerakankanam will follow me. The all pervading explosive fire is the ultimate medium in this universe to level all the material things into indivisible elementary particles, i.e. Pancha Bootham. Prithvi, Appu, Thejus, Vayu and Akash. Prithivi means land, Appu means water, Thejus means fire, Vayu means atmosphere and Akash means space 

The young Princess, a paragon of beauty and a flame like personality grew taller and gesturing the elderly couples to move into the (firepits) raging Hontagundams, walked into it. 

When Vasavi entered the homagundam of raging fire, suddenly the fire became a cool breeze and Agni Deva came out with folded hands and said that he could not bear Vasavi who was hotter than him.

Vasavi said Agni Deva, I do not want to perform Agni pariksha i will grow cooler to you and you can transport me and others to Kailash through your transplanatory prowess. I am performing Agni Pravesam (entering the fire) to reach Kailash

The young and old Vysya couples belonging to the 102 gothrams were spellbound to hear her and followed her commands and carved a niche for themselves in the valhale of immortals. The youths of Penugonda, relatives and others who were merely mute witnessess were shaken out of their trance only after their dear parents and Vasavi became one with fire.

The young and old consoled each other and specially consoled their heir apparent Virupaksha who not only lost his father and mother but also his sister.

The love sick King Vishnuvardhan was yearning for the wed­ding day. He spent many sleepless nights. A day before the marriage was to take place he left his camp to reach Penugonda. While on his way the news reached him that Vasavi and many devout couples of Peace loving Vysya community sacrificed their lives. A change dawned in him. He understood that he was the cause for bringing in sorrow to hundreds of families in his rule. His mind was agitated. He rememberedthe time bomb curse of his previous birth, while as gandharva King Chitra Kanta falling in love with Keerthi Kanya, a Vysya girl.

The smoke from the sacrificial fire crossed his path. It appeared like a hydra headed dragon (Anantha naga) spewing venum. He saw his end was nearing. He saw Vasavi Kanyakaparameswari, the incarnation of Adhi Sakthi with eighteen hands holding weapons of war and spitting fire before him in the sky. Her very presence made him to drop down dead.

The land of Vysyas with its capital Penugonda, known as garden of peace plunged in sorrow. The wailing of the relatives rent the air, the younger generation loosing their parents were thrown into an uncon­trollable grief. It was poojya Baskaracharya’s affectionate words that made them to realise that their parents who had lived in prosperity and plenty died for the principle they cherished. Those elders will be remembered as long as Sun and Moon existed.

On hearing the sudden demise of his father Vishnuvardhan in a ignoble manner Prince Rajaraja Narendra visited the land of Vasavi with a retinue of peace loving citizens and consoled Virupaksha.

The younger generation of Vysyas and young Rajaraja Narendra got closer in such sorrowful circumstances.

Virupaksha, the heir apparent of Penugonda was proclaimed as the Chief of Penugonda by Rajaraja Narendra after performing the ceremonies for the departed souls with all reverence and due respect.

There after Vasavi’s spiritual soul was sanctified, deified and installed as a Goddess. Vasavi was worshipped as Kanyakaparameswari. The first temple for Vasavi was built in Penugonda. Temples, were raised at many places for the princess of Penugonda, the apostle of peace and an epitome of kindness who lived and sacrificed her life for welfare of her parents, community and the Nation.

By Vummudi Ethiraj   31,january 1996