Description of the downfall of Uparicharavasu
Savarni asked:
That king of the Vasu-s (a class of demigod) was a great devotee of the Lord! What kind of lie did he say as a result of which he descended to the earth? (1)
Who saved him again him from the earth? Why was he cursed by the Manes? Oh, Lord Skanda! Please tell me everything about it. (2)
Skanda said:
“Oh, Brahmana ! Listen to the stay of that Uparicharaasu, who was as radiant as Indra. One who listens to this story will be freed, at once, from all sins. (3)
Oh, Sage! Long ago in the Svayambhuva Manvantara (the period of the age of the Mane comprising 4,320,000 human years or 1/14th part of the day of Brahma, the creator, the fourteen ‘Manvantaras’ making one whole day) Indra began the horse-sacrifice called ‘Vishvajit’. (4)
There, the goats and other innumerable animals tied to the sacrificial posts were screaming. All the groups of demigods, filled with desire to partake the oblations, were assembled
there. (5)
Divine sages, who were radiant like the sun and who were moving around freely to places of their liking for the welfare of the universe, came there. (6)
After being welcomed by the customary offering of water for washing the feet and hands by the groups of demigods, the great sages saw the screaming animals reserved for the
sacrifice. (7)
On seeing the elaborate arrangements of the sacrifice being full of violence, the sages were taken aback by great surprise, even though the cause was a pious one. (8)
Being virtuous and righteous great Brahmins, they saw that unrighteous procedures being followed. Overwhelmed with mercy for the animals, they addressed Indra and others thus: (9)
The great sages said:
“Oh Mahendra! Both the demigods and sages are your fellow-beings; please should listen to our words. We will tell you about the eternal principal of righteousness as it is. (10)
At the time of creation of the world by Brahma the creator, you were created with eternal righteousness with all the four legs having predominant purity (goodness). (The rule of Dharma existed in its entirety at the time of your creation).(11)
Brahma with his second constituent quality — Rajas and with his third quality - Tamas, created the Manes, the Lords of men and the lords of Asuras respectively. For the welfare of all, he created the Vedas, which bestow all your desires and prescribe the method of performing sacrifices (which are the correct means of having the desires fulfilled). (12-13)
Those Vedas dwell at length, about non-violence and other allied aspects (as the basic tenets of the) greatest righteousness. The Vedas do not approve sacrificing animals in sacrifices. (14)
The essence of the Vedas is to establish ‘Dharma’ firmly with four pillars. Performing violent sacrifices is totally against the spirit of Dharma. (15)
Being possessed by rajasic and tamasic qualities and sickness of the mind, the Asura kings and kings of men, wrongly understood the meaning of the word ‘medhyena ajena’ (Aja - means goat also) as a goat and not paddy and which is the right meaning of the word. (16)
As you are ‘Sattvika-s’ (driven by the effect of the quality of ‘Sattva’) it would be in the fitness of things to interpret the meaning of the Vedas in its right spirit. It is not right on your part to interpret it in a wrong manner. (17)
The nature of a person will be in accordance with his qualities and his doings will be in accordance with their nature. (18)
As you are ‘Sattvika-s’, Lord Vishnu, the spouse of Goddess Lakshmi, is Himself your God. You have the power to please Him by performing sacrifices which are non-violent. (19)
Oh, great angels! Performing sacrifices which involves killing animals is diametrically opposed to righteousness. (20)
These priests who conduct such violent sacrifices, are under the influence of the qualities Rajas and Tamas (that create aggression and lethargy respectively in the person), have taken refuge under demonical wealth, due to their ignorance of the correct meaning of the Vedas. (21)
Your association with them alone has changed your minds now. It is therefore, that you have begun to perform this kind of a sacrifice. (22)
According to their own qualities, Humans possessing the quality of Rajas and demons who possess the quality of Tamas, worship the gods like ‘Bhairava’ (a demigod who represents the quality of Tamas) and other gods respectively. (23)
The violent sacrifices are prescribed for appeasing those demigods whom the violent people worship. These sacrifices are prescribed for those types of people only. (24)
Violent sacrifices are prohibited even for the Rakshasas, Daityas and humans, who are devotees of Lord Vishnu. When it is so, how can it be appropriate for you, who are Sattvikas? (Those who posess the quality of Sattva.) (25)
The Vedas have ordained that all those who perform the sacrificial rituals, must partake the residuals of the sacrifice that they perform. (26)
We have neither heard from our virtuous forefathers nor seen that the Sattvika demigods drink wine or eat meat.(27)
Hence sacrifices are to be performed only with paddy, milk, ghee, sacred cooked rice, and other essences alone. It should not be done by killing animals. (28)
There too, sacrifices should be performed with grains that have been stored for three years and thus have lost the capacity to sprout. Such grains are known as ‘Aja’. (29)
It is said that loyalty, generosity, self restraint, kindness to animals, penance, celibacy, truthfulness, humility, forgiveness, courage - are the forms of eternal righteousness; whoever transgresses these, is a slayer of righteousness, and will surely have a downfall.” (30-31)
Skanda said:
“The great sages who knew the secrets of the Vedas, taught them with great respect and sincerity. However, in certain places, they could not understand the spirit of those teachings. (32)
They were possessed by pride, anger, insolence and such other characters and therefore, they started to look for weaknesses in others’ theories. (33)
Even as they were arguing that the word ‘Aja’ means ‘a goat’ and not ‘grain’ and the great sages were repeatedly abusing them, the wealthy King Uparichara who was wandering
around came there. He was an intimate friend of Indra, and was spreading his luster in all directions. (34-35)
The Brahmins who saw Uparichara-Vasu arriving by the skyway, told the demigods – “this king will clear our doubt”. (36)
This king has performed thousands of sacrifices in the past, as laid down in the Sattvata Tantra (the procedure of sacrifice followed by devotees of Sri Hari) and Aranyaka Vidhana (another procedure of sacrifice). (37)
No animal was sacrificed directly in any one of those sacrifices. There was no indirect worship of any demigod. Neither was any particular dakshina (donation of money as part of the sacrifice) offered. (38)
He is well-known everywhere for his non-violence and protection of righteousness. He is the foremost among the devotees of Lord Vishnu and practices the vow of having a single wife. (39)
He is a great Dharmika (follower of Dharma), truthful, and a knower of the Vedas. Such a great soul, being the king of Vasu-s (a class of demigods) never utters a lie. (40)
Having decided thus, the demigods and sages gathered quickly before the Vasu King and questioned him eagerly: (41)
The demigods and sages said:
Oh, King ! Which is the article that is to be used to perform the sacrifice? If it animals or herbs? Please clear our doubt. We believe that you are the authority in this regard.(42)
Skanda said:
“With folded hands the Vasu asked them – ‘Who is advocating which school of thought’? Tell the truth calmly.(43)
The great sages said:
Oh King! It is our opinion that sacrifices should be performed with grains only. It is the opinion of the demigods that it has to be performed with animals. Oh, great king! Please let us know of your opinion” (44)
Skanda said:
“Knowing the opinion of the demigods, the Vasu-king who had taken accepted their opinion, said — “The sacrifice has to be performed with goat and other animals only” (45)
Though the king was a knower of righteousness, he thus took the side of the proud, dishonorable demigods and uttered a lie, by saying that the Vedas advocated violence in the performance of sacrifice. (46)
Immediately, the King, who was guilty of uttering falsehood, fell down from the sky and entered the earth. (47)
Reaching the earth, the king got into a perilous life. But as he had taken refuge under Sriman Narayana, memory of his past birth did not vanish. (48)
Thereafter, the demigods, being afraid of violence, freed the animals and went back to Heaven. The great sages also went to their hermitages. (49)
End of chapter six, that describes “the Fall of Uparichara Vasu” in the second part of Sri Vasudeva Mahatmaya of Sri Skandamaha Purana