Dandavat pranams! I'm taking a hike through Bhagavatam -
thought maybe you'd like to join me...we're in 4th Canto and Dhruva
Maharaja is going to fight with Yaksas (Srimad Bhagavatam 4:10).
The chapter's called "Dhruva Maharaja's Fight With the Yaksas".
Okay - first let's look up what a Yaksa is...
wiki :
Yaksa (
ヤクシャ,
Yakusha), or Yaksha, is a recurring demon in the series. History
Edit. Yaksha (Sanskrit:
यक्ष,
yakṣa,
ञक्ख, yakkha in Pāli) is
the name of a broad class of nature-spirits, usually benevolent, who
are caretakers of the natural treasures hidden in the earth and tree
roots.n Hindu, Jain, and Buddhist texts, the
yakṣa
has a dual personality. On the one hand, a
yakṣa
may be an inoffensive nature-
fairy,
associated with woods and mountains; but there is also a darker
version of the
yakṣa,
which is a kind of ghost (
bhuta)
that haunts the wilderness and waylays and devours travelers, similar
to the
rakṣasas.
...here's
one supporting a Greek scroll, (must be one of their jobs).
...here's
one in Bangkok, (a bit scary)!
Back to the chapter...
Summary:
Dhruva is a bit grown up after his
famous austerities that allowed him darshan with Vishnu on Garuda.
His father, Uttanapada leaves home to find self-realization in the
forest. Dhruva is installed as king, gets married, has kids and then
his younger brother is killed by a powerful yaksa, while out hunting.
The younger brother's mother also dies and Dhruva is furious at the
yaksas. He goes to the main yaksa city called Alakapuri in a
valley of the Himalayas. There is some information that these
particular yaksas are followers of Lord Siva.
Dhruva is faced in battle with
130,000 armor plated, gold studded, multi-weaponed, fierce yaksas.
Demi-god people in the sky watch on and lament thinking Dhruva will
be killed. But Dhruva is really, really angry and yaksa
heads and body parts soon cover the battlefield. The yaksas run
away but sling some super natural, magical illusions at him - blood
and body parts falling from the clouds, snakes breathing thunderbolts
and vomiting fire, herds of mad elephants and lions and tigers (all
this is falling from the sky). ((Dhruva gets a bit freaked
out))!
Thankfully some sages and rishis are
praying close by and they remind Dhruva that by simply remembering
the Lord he will be saved (yea, rishis)! and they encourage him with
this beautiful verse:
munaya ucuh
auttanapada bhagavatams tava
sarngadhanva
devah ksinotv abhidhaya
nisamya caddha
loko 'njasa tarati dustaram
anga mrtyum
All the sages said: Dear
Dhruva, O son of King Uttanapada may the Supreme Personality of
Godhead known as Sarngadhanva, who relieves the distresses of His
devotees, kill all your threatening enemies. The Holy name of
the Lord is as powerful as the Lord Himself. Therefore, simply
by chanting and hearing the holy name of the Lord, many men can be
fully protected from fierce death without difficulty. Thus a
devotee is saved.
Next time you meet the yaksas of your
life - chant, chant chant!
ys, g.
