How Gokarna attained final liberation
Today’s blog is about Srimad Bhāgavatam Mahatmyam – Discourse V.
This story is continued from the previous story.
After Atmadeva went to the forest, Dhundukārī severely beat his mother, threatening her and saying if you don’t give me money I will thrash you with a burning stick.
Receiving this ill-treatment from her son she felt devastated. She fell into a well and died because of what Dhundukārī said and did.
All of this happened when Gokarna went to a pilgrimage.
After his mother’s death, Dhundukārī was living in a house with five evil women. The five evil women asked Dhundukārī for money, jewels & ornaments. Dhundukārī went to houses in his neighborhood and stole money, jewels, and ornaments.
The evil women talked amongst each other and realized that the king will catch him one day since he has been stealing most of the time.
So they wanted to take the money and kill him. They killed him one day and hid his body in a pit.
The evil women ran away somewhere else with the money and disposing the dead body.
Gokarna heard that Dhundukārī had died so he did gayā Shrādham.
When Gokarna came back to his house, he heard a strange noise and it was very disturbing. So he said a mantra and sprinkled water on the area. Suddenly, Dhundukārī appeared in a spirit form.
Gokarna was very surprised to see a spirit and he asked, “who are you?”
The spirit said, “I am your brother Dhundukārī”.
Gokarna was worried and said, “How can you remain a spirit !? I did gayā Shrādham for you and you should have been liberated. How are you here as a spirit even after that?”
Dhundukārī said, “I have committed many bad deeds in my life. That is why I am a spirit and I am thirsty always roaming here and there.” Gokarna told him that he will find a way to relieve his suffering.
Gokarna told this to the learned people and asked what to do. They told him to read Srimad Bhāgavatam for seven days. And he did the same for seven days. All great people and devotees gathered to listen to the story. The spirit of Dhundukāri needed a place to sit. So he hid under the hollow part of a bamboo stick next to the place where Srimad Bhāgavatam was chanted. The bamboo stick had seven joints.
After each day of listening to Srimad Bhāgavatam, each of the joints burst open.
After the seven days of chanting were over, the spirit attained the form of Sri Krishna/Liberation and thanked Gokarna for relieving his suffering. The glorious devotees of Lord Krishna came and took him in an aerial car to Vaikunta.
Gokarna asked them how to attain the same Vaikunta. The devotees said that if he chants the Srimad Bhagavatam a second time with faith, devotion, and intensity, he will reach Vaikunta.
Gokarna finished his second exposition of Srimad Bhagavatam on Shravana month. Sri Hari personally appeared to him along with his devotees and took him back to Vaikunta.
That is the power and greatness of Srimad Bhāgavatam.
Thus ends the fifth discourse of Srimad Bhāgavatam Mahatmyam from Padmapurana.
