Friday, July 5, 2013

Death of Moses-3

Death of Moses-1       Death of Moses-2

Moses Goes to His Wife
Now Moses went to his wife. When he was going there his heart was sinking and the color of his face faded away. he did not know where was he going to. When he came to the door of his wife's house, he called - "I am Moses, open the door." His wife came and opened the door. Moses entered the house. His wife also noticed that his face was colorless and his heart was sinking. She said - "Dear, What has happened to you that your heart is sinking and the color of your face is gone? Have your camels slept or some other thing is lost?"

Moses replied her the same which he replied to his mother - "Who can call me except the God and who else can frighten me except the Death." His wife said - "He who has talked to God face to face also has to die?" Moses said - "Yes, he also has to die. Abraham has also died and other messengers have also died."

Moses again spoke - "Where are my children?" The wife said - "They are sleeping." Moses said - "Bring them to me." Hearing this Moses' wife broke into tears and crying said to her children - "Go meet you father before his death, because after that you will not be able to see him again." She woke them up and brought them to Moses holding their hands in their left and right hands. She again said to them - "Go and meet your father and weep for him because he is getting separated from us." the children asked - "Where is our father?" She brought them to their father and said - "You see your father to your heart desire because you will be separated from him in a very short time.

When the children saw their father, the fell their face down and then broke into tears. They were crying loudly. Moses also cried with them. Then he gathered himself and spoke to them - "We are separating on this Earth." Moses' wife said - "And then we will not be able to see each other ever again." Moses said - "Yes." He picked up his younger son Eliezer and made him sit on his right knee, and the elder son Gershom on his left knee. He blessed them.

The younger brother said to his elder brother - "From today, when we will be separated from our father, whoever has loved us before, he will deceive us; and whoever has hated us, he will exile us." Hearing this from his children Moses again cried. Sky and Earth also cried with him.

God Shows Him His Valor
God asked Moses - Why do you weep Moses? Is it that you are going leaving this Earth? Or is it that you fear the Death?" Moses said - "These my two children and my wife are making me weep. Because my wife's father Jethro has died, my brother Aaron has also died and my sister Miriam too is dead. And if I will also die then with whom I will leave them?"

God said - "When you were born Moses, your mother Jochebed had thrown you in the ocean hiding in a box. Did I forget you at that time? Only I shut the mouth of the King of Egypt Pharao. and shut his mouth in such a way that he was not able to speak even a word. And I made you such that Pharao's daughter Tarmut loved you very much and called you as her son. You stayed there for 40 years. Now you get up and beat a stick in Red Sea."

Moses got up and beat a stick in Red Sea. He saw a large round stone there. God said - "Now you hit that stick on this stone also and rll it." Moses did the same as God told him to do. As Moses hit the stone with his stick, the stone broke and he saw that a tiny worm was eating a blade of green grass. The worm said - "Thanks to that God who has not forgotten me while I am lying on this seabed inside this stone.

And God said - "Aren't you seeing that I have not forgotten even this tiny worm which is lying in the sea hiding in this stone. Then do you think that if they worship me, I will forget them? Your children are now under my protection. Now you kiss your wife and children,  because whoever will take your life will never bring you back and they are standing nearby." Moses' wife cried a lot embracing him and Moses also wept a lot along with her.

Moses Dies
Moses left his wife and children and set off. His heart was sinking, his face was gloomy and he did not his path also. As he was going, he met three young men who were digging a grave. He said to them - "Be happy. And may God also keep you happy. For whom you are digging this grave?" Those young men said - "We are digging this grave for one of God's dear men." Moses said - "If you are digging this grave for one of God's dear men then I will also help you in digging this grave."

When that grave was dug, Moses asked - "Where is that dead body whom you want to bury it here?" The young men said - "We are afraid that lest this place falls short for him to whom we want to bury here, but he is like you in form, size and length. Give us the measurement of this grave by entering this grave." And Moses entered the grave. There he met the Death angel, he spoke to Moses - "O the Son of Amram, be happy." Moses said - "May God give this greeting back to you.." And Moses died and those God's messengers young men buried him.

Death of Moses-1       Death of Moses-2

Sushma Gupta
www.sushmajee.com

Death of Moses-2

Death of Moses-1    Death of Moses-3

Moses Meets the Death Angel
Now from that day Moses started wearing his death dress every Friday and waited for his death that perhaps on that the Death angel comes to take his life. Thus lots of time passed and Moses forgot about his death. One day Moses again went on Mount Sinai to pray God and he prayed God. The Death angel appeared in the form of an Israel young man and said to Moses - "Be happy, Moses."

When Moses heard the voice of Death angel, his throat started choking and his tongue started freezing. No word could come out of his mouth. His legs started trembling and he fell down on the ground face down. A little later he got up and said to the Death angel - "Who are you who is saying to me to be happy? I have never heard such frightening voice as yours ever before." The Death angel said - "Don't you know me? Listen to O Moses, I am the same who compels to leaves one's family. I am the same who makes graves after destroying houses till deluge time comes. My name is Suryal, the Death angel."

Moses said - "But what are you dong here?" The Death angel said - "I have come here to take your life which I will give to God." Moses said - "I pray you by the same God who has asked you to bring my life by the third hour of the day (9.00 am) that let me go to see my wife and children till then." At this God said - "Till his Time comes, leave him him." And the Death angel left him there only till his Time came and went away.

Moses Goes to See His Mother
Moses came down of Mount Sinai and came to crossroad where three roads met. One road went to his mother's house and another road went to his wife's house. He was thinking that where should he go first , to mother's house or to wife's house. In the meantime a Divine voice said - "Go first to your mother." and he went to his mother's house.

He knocked at mother's door and spoke loudly - "Mother, Open the door." His mother came and opened the door. She saw that her son is serious and his face is colorless. She said - "My Son, What has happened to you? Have your shepherds said to you that you animals are lost? What has happened to you, my Son?"

Moses said - "Who can call me except the God? And who can frighten me except the Death?" Mother said - "Does he, who talks to God face to face, also has to die?" Moses said - "Yes, Mother, He also has to die. All prophets have died. Now you get up and keep your left foot on my left side and pray to God extending your both hands that he should spare me from the pain of death." Moses' mother did what Moses said to her. he then kissed his mother and went away.

Moses' mother cried a lot and said - "We should not believe on our existence in this world, rather we should expect for it from the Heaven."

Death of Moses-1    Death of Moses-3

Sushma Gupta
www.sushmajee.com

Death of Moses-1

Today I am writing a blog on Jewish religion, not on Hindu religion. You must have heard the name of Moses who brought Ten Commandments to this world. So this blog is about the same Moses. This story of Moses is from Falasha literature of Ethiopia. Falasha are the Israel Jews living in Ethiopia. It is long time ago, about 3000 years before, South-western Arabian queen Maqeda (or Queen Sheba) went to see Solomon. Later they had a son from that meeting. Queen Sheba named him Menelik. Queen Sheba was the queen of Ethiopia also. Later Solomon sent some of his people of Israel to help Menelik to rule his country Ethiopia. Those Israel people who came to Ethiopia initially were called Falasha (foreigners) in Ethiopia, although this term was coined in 15th century by the then King of Ethiopia.

They live near Lake Tana, the source of River Blue Nile, speak Agaw language. They worship in Geez language and their worshiping place is called Masjid (mosque)

Falasha have developed their own literature - some biblical and some non-biblical, and it has its own very special important place in Ethiopian literature, although it is very little.Among the non-biblical literature there is one Mota Muse (The Death of Moses) also. Edward Ullendorff has translated this piece in English. This story is based on the same translation. This story describes the death of Moses as how Falasha know about his death. I love this story very much.

It is such a beautiful that it reminds me several basic tenets of Hinduism at different points. That is why I am presenting this story here. Read it and think over it. It is a bit long story that it is presented in three parts.

Moses Meets the God
Once Moses went to pray on Mount Sinai. There he prayed and opened the Book of Torah. He found five things in that book which he could not understand. God appeared before him and said - "Moses, I myself have written these so I know their meaning. I tell you their meaning, listen to it and try to understand it. The first thing is that at the time of living outside of one's own country, being in poverty, being hungry, getting something in plenty, being happy, being sick, being poor and being sorrowful, who thinks that there is some God who is with me, I will guide him. Because I am God whose seat is at the highest.

The second thing is, who has faith in me, he passes his life comfortably and is worthy of my immediate kindness. The third thing is, he who commits sins happily and smilingly, I take him towards the fire of Gehenna (Hell) weeping and crying. The fourth things is, he who gets lots of wealth, and he does not accept that he has got it by God's grace, rather he says that he has earned it himself, I throw him in the fire of Gehenna at the time of deluge. And now you listen to the fifth thing, to whom I have created , if they do not worship me sincerely and do not say that "You are our master", then I cannot show them any kind of my grace. If they do not believe that only I have created these Earth and sky, Heaven and Hell, day and night and Sun and Moon; and they do not believe this also that only I sit on my throne above the sky, I cannot show my grace to them."

Hearing all this Moses said - "I have read in your book that You asked the Earth and sky whether they believe in you or not, and they said - "O Master, Yes we believe in You. But if they had said that we do not believe in You, what would You have done with them?" God said to Moses - "I would have chosen the tiniest animal of the world, whether it was of the Earth or of the sea; and nobody would have known where it lived, and to whom I alone could search; I would have sent the same immediately to destroy them. Then they would not have been seen even like a mustard seed fallen on the Earth."

Moses said - "O Master, Now I ask you by your that name which is not known to anybody else except me, that tell me the day on which you will take my life?" God said - "Listen Moses, what I say to you. Till now there has been no human being born to whom I have told the day of his death, even not to those prophets who has been born before you, nor to those angels who live with me. But Moses, I will surely tell you this I will take your life on Friday." And God disappeared.

Death of Moses-2    Death of Moses-3

Sushma Gupta
www.sushmajee.com

Tuesday, July 2, 2013

Chaatak Bird

Water is an essential thing for all living beings. Some need it 5-6 times a day while some can manage only with a few times a year. We are familiar with camel that it can retain water for several weeks that is why it is very useful animal for desert areas because the water is scarce there.

Chaatak is a Pied Crested Cuckoo bird who is several steps ahead then camel. He is a migratory bird who appears only in rainy season. He has a shrill voice in which he pleads to the clouds to rain water to quench his thirst.He can survive even for months together without drinking water. Why? Because he is a special bird. What is that specialty? That he does not drink water found on earth. He drinks only that water which falls as rain from the sky during Swaati Nakshatra. He will never drink any ordinary water from anywhere even if his throat is cracking with thirst. Even if he is about to die of a parched throat, and around him there are seven oceans, rivers, and lakes overflowing with water still he will not touch that water. He looks only up, mouth agape, for the rain to fall when the star Swaati is in the ascendant. To the Chaatak bird all waters are mere dryness besides Swaati Nakshatra water.

The Curse of the Bullock
There is a short story related to Chaatak bird - "The Curse of the Bullock". In fact it was not so all the time with Chaatk bird that he would drink water only from sky raining in Swaati Nakshatra. Before he used to drink water ordinarily like other birds and animals, but after this curse his nature changed.

Long time ago, there lived an old woman with her daughter in a small village. While the old woman was hard working, her daughter was very lazy and selfish. They had a bullock in their house too.

“We should take proper care of our bullock.” The old woman would say.
“Hah! Animals should serve us, not that we should serve them,” the daughter would reply.

Now there was a pond, at some distance from the woman’s house. Every afternoon, the woman used to take the bullock to the pond to have a bath and to make him drink water. Meanwhile her lazy daughter would eat and sleep.

One day, the old woman fell ill, so she requested her daughter to take the bullock to the pond.
“It is very hot today, dear! The bullock must be thirsty, take him for a drink” said the old woman.
“Look! I have some sweets here. I know you love sweets, dear. Take the bullock for a drink. While he is drinking water, you can eat these sweets,” the old woman added, handing a box of sweets to her daughter.

The greedy girl agreed, but as soon as she was out of her mother’s sight, the lazy girl tied the bullock to a tree and sat down to eat the sweets. The thirsty bullocks waited for the daughter to finish eating the sweets. “I hope she eats her sweets fast. I am really thirsty,” thought the bullock.

But even after having eaten all the sweets the daughter will not take the bullock to give him a drink of water, The daughter returned home and lied to her mother that she had taken the bullock to the pond and that the bullock had drank water from the pond. The bullock was extremely angry. He cursed the daughter, “In your next birth, you may be born as a Chaatak bird, and will drink water when only it rains in Swaati Nakshatra, not from water found on the earth. As you kept me thirsty today, so you will also remain thirsty.” The curse of the bullock came true. In her next birth, the daughter was born as a Chaatak bird.

Sushma Gupta
www.sushmajee.com

Monday, July 1, 2013

Vashishth

Although there are many stories about Vashishth Jee, but here I will tell you only those stories where he had changed the course of Destiny of the people. Vashishth Jee was 1 of he 10 Maanas Putra of Brahmaa Jee in the beginning of the Creation.

(1) Vaivaswat Manu
The 7th Manu, Vaivaswat Manu, had no son in the beginning. Then Vashishth Jee performed a Yagya for him to get a son, but his wife Shraddhaa wanted a daughter, so at the end of the Yagya she requested for a girl. The priest offered the Aahuti and Shraddhaa had a daughter named Ilaa. Manu performed this Yagya for a son, so he was not happy. Then Vashishth Jee changed her gender and made her a male, named Sudyumn.

(2) Vishwaamitra
Vishwaamitra was a king, the son of King Gaadhi. Once he saw the glory of Nandinee cow and bent upon that the powers of a Brahmarshi had more powers than a king. So he left his kingdom and started doing penance to become a Brahmarshi. Now it depended on Vashishth Jee when he declares him a Brahmarshi. But his ego was not going and that is why Vashishth Jee was not declaring him Brahmarshi. After the penance of several thousand of years Vashishth Jee declared him the Brahmarshi and change his Varn from Kshatriya to Braahman. This is the only case of changing Varn in the whole history.

(3) Raajaa Dileep
It is believed that when Raajaa Dileep was getting married to Sudakshhinaa, the ends of the garments of the groom and the bride were tied very tightly. When Vashishth Jee inquired the reason of this tight knot, he was told that the couple would die the moment their knot was untied. Vashishth Jee then altered the course of their Destiny and averted their death.

(4) Raajaa Dasharath
Raajaa Dasharath of Soorya Vansh had no son in the beginning. He waited for many thousand years for a son. Vashishth Jee then suggested him to invite Rishyashring Muni to perform a Putreshti Yagya for him. Rishyashring Muni was the son-in-law of Raajaa Rompaad. Rompaad had married his daughter Shaantaa to him. And Shaantaa was in fact Raajaa Dasharath's daughter. Romapaad was his very good friend, and he had no child of his own, so Raajaa Dasharath gave his daughter to him. That is how indirectly Rishyashring was Dasharath's own son-in-law too. He came and he performed the Yagya then only Dasharath had 4 sons at the age of 60,000 years. Everybody knows that he did not live long after getting his sons, maybe at the most 30 years only.

(5) Changed of the Sequence of the Yug
I read this incident in Gita Press Tulasee's Maans Notes. I do not know how far it is true, but when it is given in Gita Press' Maanas Notes, it should be true, but I myself have never read it anywhere. Vashhishth Jee is a 1 of the 10 Maanas Putra of Brahmaa Jee. So Brahmaa Jee appointed him the family priest of Soorya Vansh. Vashishth Jee was not willing to accept this position as it was not a very respectable position for a Maharshi like him, but Brahmaa Jee persuaded him saying that "the Lord Himself will incarnate in this family in Tretaa Yug, you will benefited with HIs Darshan.".

Now original sequence of the Yug was Sat Yug, Dwaapar Yug (literally the second Yug), Tretaa Yug (literally the third Yug) and in the last Kali Yug. But Vashishth Jee could not wait for Tretaa Yug (the third Yug) to come as the third Yug, so he changed their order of their sequence. It was under his dispensation that after Sat Yug came Tretaa Yug and then came Dwaapar Yug.

That is how he not only changed the course of people's fate, but also even the sequence of Yug also.

Sushma Gupta
www.sushmajee.com