The Padma Purana’s Uttara Khanda has a very interesting tale to tell, highlighting the glory of listening to Srimad Bhagavatam. The Sanat Kumara rishis were describing to the sage Narada about how even those people who have done the worst type of sins are emancipated through the Bhagavatam.
On the banks of the Tungabhadra river was a beautiful city. There was a very learned Brahmana called Atmadeva. He had a wife called Dhundhuli. Her description in the story is interesting, something that reminds us of characters in the television serials of today. She is one who asserts her ideas always. She is beautiful and is born in a good family though. She likes gossip. She is very cruel in her thoughts and generally speaks a great deal! She is an expert in carrying out her household duties, miserly and loves creating quarrels and disturbances.
The couple, however, lived happily. Yet Atmadeva was sorrowful as they did not have a child. Even after doing all the required charities to pray for a child, it did not happen. He left his home one day to roam around the forest and was contemplating suicide. A wise renunciate passed by and asked him the problem. The sanyasi replied that his fate was such that, not in this birth, but in seven births to come, there was no possibility of having a child. He even narrated stories of kings who suffered because of their children and requested him to give up that thought.
“I want none of these lectures on renunciation. If it is possible, even by force, bless me with a child. Else I will take recourse to suicide,” Atmadeva threatened. The renunciate gave him a ripe mango and asked him to give it to his wife. “Give this fruit to your wife and let her eat it. However, she has to follow truthfulness, cleanliness of mind, compassion, charity, eat once a day for a whole year!”
Atmadeva was thrilled and gave the fruit to Dhundhuli. She was not very happy about it and she cried to her sister, “I am not going to eat this fruit. When I become pregnant, I will lose my beauty. When I eat little, then how will I have the strength to do household work? If robbers come to the village, then how will I run? If the foetus chooses to stay in the womb itself like Suka Maharshi, then how will I deliver? If the baby is lying across, then I will die on childbirth. How will a slender woman like me bear with the difficulty of labour pain? When I become weak, my sister-in-law will snatch all my wealth. Moreover, even the rules that go with this fruit such as speaking the truth, maintaining purity of heart seem very difficult. Once the child is born, there is a lot of sorrow involved in raising and protecting the child. In conclusion, I feel it is better to be issueless or a widow.
Only then is there happiness!”
Arguing this way, she did not eat the fruit. What did Dhundhuli do with it? We will see next week!
(www.sharanyachaitanya.blogspot.in)