Skip to the content

This earth is our mother. When the burden of sins increase on the earth, she turns very unhappy. The saints and Rishies cannot tolerate her condition of wretchedness [plight].

Once one hundred thirty nine Rishies and Saints including Marichi, Harit, Gautam, Bhrigu and Bhardwaj, came to Badrikashram to have the Darshan of Shri Lord NarNarayan. They took bath in the Ganga and they bowed down to Shri NarNarayan.
Lord Narayan asked them, “Oh, Rishis, What is the news of the earth?” “Lord, the burden of sin has greatly increased on the earth. Immoral behaviou has increased leaps and bounds. Hypocrisy and pretensc prevail everywhere in the name of religion. Innocent people have no leaders to lead and look after them,” was the reply of the Rishies.

During this discussion, Dharmdev and Bhakti Mata arrived. They were informed of the earth’s plight by Lord NarNarayan. Everyone was engrossed in hearing about the earth’s plight. Meanwhile Rishi Durvasa arrived, but nobody noticed him. Durvasa was irascible (a man of anger or rage). He felt insulted when no one welcomed him.

Therefore he became angry and cursed them all: “You have disregarded (forgotten) me in the worry for the earth. Hence, go and live there on the earth as men, and suffer a lot from the hands of evil spirits.” Lord NarNarayan and the other saints came to their senses; they prayed to Durvasa muni, “O great saint, have mercy on us.” “My curse will not fail,” said Durvasa, “but on account of my curse, the burden of sin on the earth will decrease by your hands. Lord Narayan will be born as the son of Dharma-Bhakti, and it will benefit the universe. You will be free form the curse after that.”

Lord Narayan chuckled gently and said, “the curse is the result of my wish. The curse of a saint is not a curse, but it is a boon in disguise. I will decrease the burden of sin on the earth; I myself will be born as the son of Dharam and Bhakti for the establishment of true religion. So you all will be born as men.” On hearing this, everyone was pleased. Thus the curse of Durvasa turned into a boon.

EXERCISE

Can you answer the following questions

(a) How many saints visited Badrikashram?

(b) What did the saints tell Lord Narayan?

(c) Why didn’t anyone notice the arrival of Durvasa?

(d) What kind of curse was it?

(e) How did Durvasa’s curse turn into a boon?