The Story of Karkaṭī 3

3. The Story of Karkaṭī

Summary—Having shown fully that the universe is but the diversity of Māyā, being in its true state, Caitanya (consciousness) per se, which can be perceived through divine vision, the author in this story describes the play of that Caitanya in the present state.

Now that you have heard the story of Līlā which removes all belief in the reality of the visible things, know that Brahman alone is that which is the non-dual one and which is Sat, Chit and Ānanda, but which manifests itself as this paltry universe.

Therefore shake yourself free from this terrible burden of a universe, subject to destruction.

Know also that the eternal supreme Jīva is no other than the Light of Brahman, shining steady and quiescent like a lamp in a windless place of an ocean without waves, being, like Brahman,, above speech, all pervading, all-full, transcendent, immaculate, and indescribable even by the cognizers of that Sat.

Like small pieces of wood, which by attrition generate a little fire and expand into a vast flame, the Jīva through its manifold experience of many objects generates in itself the differentiated concepts of ‘I’, etc.

Through its Saṁkalpa, Ahaṁkāra is engendered, and by virtue of this Ahaṁkāra, different names such as Citta, Manas, Prakṛti, Māyā, etc. have been superimposed by the wise upon this all-full Jīva.

Manas which expands through Saṁkalpas and Vikalpas is generated thus with Brahman as its cause. The universes which appear only through Manas are only its modes. Alone the ocean of Jñāna shines with its countless waves of Vṛtti-Jñāna (mental modifica­tions).

The universe appears to be real through Manas only. This reality is like a dream extending over a long period.

Like the delusion that there is a thief, arising out of the want of true knowledge, when the trunk of a tree is seen by the wayside on a dark night, the conception of the reality of the universe arises in the absence of the knowledge that all is Brahman.

Just as there is no difference between Jīva and the imperish­able Brahman when one forgets about them, there is no difference at all between Jīva and Citta. Similarly there is not the slightest difference between the ephemeral Manas and the universes.

Now listen to the story of a powerful Rākṣasa woman who lived in days of yore; it will relieve thee of all doubts:

This Rākṣasī lived on the northern slopes of the Himālayas and was called Karkaṭī. Being a Rākṣasa woman, she was large-mouthed, crescent-teethed and lightning-eyed.

It seemed as if the dark rocks them­selves yielded their contents to frame her legs and hands wherewith to move and act. Her laugh was like a thunder clap.

Her eyes whirled in their sockets, like creatures that circle round and round but do not run away. Her thighs, which were like big date trees supported a huge, cumbrous body. Her nails, able to pierce the clouds, were of adamantine density.

She afflicted all creatures on the earth with her insatiable hunger, which blazed day and night like the Manvantaric flames.

Even were all creatures of Jambu-dvīpa to fall a prey to her capacious stomach, she would find them a scanty meal, like an ocean which receives river- waters, and crave for more. Her gastric, fire would be only slightly appeased, like the autumnal heat with slight showers.

As she wanted to appease this fire without injury to herself, she performed Tapas by propitiating Brahma for aid.

For this purpose, she resorted to the Himālayas and having bathed, stood on one leg on the ground, and concentrated her eyes upon the sun shining in the sky.

After she had performed such painful Tapas for 1,000 years, the lotus-seated Brahma appeared visibly before her. Are there any objects which cannot be acquired in this world, even by the vicious, through the performance of uncommon Tapas?

With the arrival of Brahma before her, she made obeisance to him mentally without stirring from, the spot and reflected thus:

In order to assuage my ever-increasing fire, if I transform myself into an iron-like Jīva-sūcikā (living needle), I can enter into the bodies of all in the world and consume as much food as I require.

Whilst these thoughts were revolving in her mind, Brahma asked her the object of her wish.

Karkaṭī replied:

Oh Lord that favourest those devotees who contemplate thee and praise thee, thy servant wishes to become a Jīva-sūcikā.

Thou shaft become Sūcikā having the prefix Vi attached to thy name and hence be called Viṣūcikā (meaning “cholera”).

Thou shalt afflict those who feed themselves on unwholesome food, who betake themselves to vicious courses, who are ignorant or ferocious, who live in insanitary places, and who are wicked.

Thou shalt mingle with Prāṇa-vāyu in the heart and afflicting people with the diseases Padma, Plīha, etc. thou shalt be (the disease) Viṣūcikā. Thou shalt enter both. Saguṇā and Nirguṇa people. But in the case of entry in Saguṇā men, to remedy the above disease, the following Mantras will have to be uttered:

“Oh Vishnu Śaktī, fit to be worshipped, prostrations to you; please come here, take her, take her (Viṣūcikā); burn her, burn her; kill her, kill her; cook her, cook her; churn her, churn her; destroy her, destroy her; drive her, drive her; Oh Viṣūcikā, go away to the Himalayas; oh the essence of Jīvas, you are of (or go to) the sphere of the moon.”

The reciter of the above Mantra should write it on the left hand (with the right) and should pass the left hand over the body of the diseased person. Then he should contemplate Karkaṭī, who is crushed with the pestle of the Mantra and hence angry, as haying departed for the Himalayas.

Then he should regard the diseased person as bathing in the ambrosia, of the moon and as free from diseases, mental or physical.

Being pure and having duly performed Āchamana (sipping water), with all his senses under perfect control, he will destroy all Viṣūcikās through the due per­formance of the above-mentioned means.

So saying, Brahma vanished from view, whereupon this mountain-sized personage reduced' herself to the size of a Jīva-sūcikā and entered into the minds of the ferocious as well as the timid in order to make them perish.

Having entered in the form of Vāyu within all Jīvas on earth and in Ākāśa, she fed upon their lives in the form of Jīva-sūcikā and Vāyu-sūcikā.

Surfeited with such enjoyment, she exclaimed:

Agitating and making me despondent, my desires make even the needle to wear away and, making me giddy, destroy me. Away with these desires of mine! With a cruel heart, I have afflicted many lives in vain. Therefore, I shall divest myself of all desire and perform Tapas in the Himalayas

So saying, she gave up all fluctuation of mind, becoming devoid of longing for objects. Thus a thousand years passed, purifying her of the twofold Karmas (virtuous and sinful).

While she was engaged thus in spiritual contempla­tion with an illumined mind, free from the pain of love and hatred, and ignoring this universe, the all-full Jñāna dawned in her mind and therefore Brahma came voluntarily to her and imparted the following truths:

Thou hast attained the Jīvan-mukti state. Thy mind is illumined; yet thou shalt remain in thy old form of a Rākṣasa woman and support thyself on earth on the bodies of persons without Jñāna, as well as the cruel and the base. Happiness shalt thou enjoy thus.

With these blessings, Brahma disappeared.

Contemplating Brahman alone as the non-dual one and as the All, she rested in the actionless state of ‘That’.

After remaining thus in Nirvikalpa Samādhi for a very long time, she returned to the normal state, in contact with her mind. Instantaneously the thoughts of her old hunger revived. And as the conception of ‘I’ is incidental to this body so long as it exists in the uni­verse, she resolved upon tasting flesh, the food peculiar to Rākṣasas.

Then exulting in the consumption of the body of the ignorant, as directed by Brahma, she retired to the slopes of the Himālayas and reached the country of the hunters.

While she was dwelling in the forest there, a king chanced to go to it along with his just minister.

The night was, enveloped, with such intense gloom as not to be dissipated by the light of even sun, moon and Agni (fire) combined together. Tearlessly did the king and minister perambulate together on such a night, scaring away Piśāchas and other mischievous creatures.

As soon as Karkaṭī saw these two passing in the forest, she reckoned upon a good repast:

At first, she thought that they were ignorant persons without true Jñāna and as such productive of pain in this and the higher- worlds, as also everywhere.

On further reflection, she said to herself:

According to the direction of Brahma, those who are not content with what comes in their way are of weak mind. On the other hand, would anyone be so foolish as to injure those who have illumined minds and good qualities?

Would such virtuous persons suffer thereby? Such illumined persons have undying fame, long life, and bliss, worthy of being venerated by all.

As they are more fond of one another than even of their own lives, they will, at their own risk, protect another amongst themselves. They have even the power to make their devotees obtain the good graces of Yama and thus overcome him.

While even a Rākṣasa woman like myself goes to the length of worshipping the wise, who else will fail to do the same, like a fond dog?

Like the full moon which protects this earth (and makes it appear gay), the wise gladden the hearts of those who visit them. Persons not associating with such wise men debase themselves and are as men dead; otherwise they would attain the good effects of Mokṣa, etc.

Then she decided to test whether they were Jñānins or not. With this purpose, she roared aloud (unperceived) in the Ākāśa, outvying the thunder, with the following, words:

Oh ye who resemble the sun and the moon in the ineffable forest of Ākāśa, showering rain like clouds, Oh ye who are like the countless hosts of vermin writhing and perishing underneath the dark and terrible stone of Māyā,

have ye come here simply for the purpose of falling a prey to me this instant? Ye seem to me to be wise ones, and yet it strikes me that ye belong to the other class also. To which class then do ye belong?

At this the king thus addressed her:    

Oh Rākṣasa woman, ever prone to injure creatures, hear me. Where are you now? We listened to the sounds you uttered like the buzzing of a young bee.

There­upon the lady exclaimed: “Well done” and laughed aloud, standing before them.

The king, observing her huge form by the intense lustre of her large teeth, was not in the least appalled at the sight and said to her:

Do not open wide your capacious mouth like the Maināka (mountain) and afflict yourself thereby.

Whatever may be said by persons who do not long after the fruits of actions that such fruits are baneful and do not really exist, the light-minded are ever engaged in such only; but the wise who have great quiescence are bent upon performing transcendent spiritual actions through their subtle intelligence.

Our valour is such as to blow away, like mosquitoes, persons of vicious proclivities like yourself. Therefore abandon your foolhardiness. Apprise us of your real intentions. We are able to confer, even in dream, any objects begged of us with intense desire by any person approaching us.

At these words of the king, the woman came to understand that they were persons of unlimited Jñāna, power and quiescence of mind.

Then in extreme wonder at their noble words and truth, she muttered to herself:  

A stainless mind can be judged through speech, face and eyes. Through their expressions, their opinion also can be well gauged. Those whose doubts (about the higher spiritual path) have not been cleared, along with the love of wealth, should be classed among the ignorant.

Then address­ing these two great ones, she inquired who they were.

The minister replied, pointing to the personage near him:

He is the king of hunters and I am his minister. Nightly we patrol everywhere to punish the vicious and protect the virtuous. On that mission we have wended our way hither.

Whereupon Karkaṭī said:

By the counsels of a wicked minister, a good king too is turned into bad ways; even a bad king becomes virtuous, if counselled by an honest and virtuous statesman.

Conversely, a wise king generates a good, minister. Therefore when a king is counselled by a statesman of great discrimina­tion, what blessings will he not achieve?

As is the king, so are his subjects. Those only are qualified to be kings or ministers who have developed nobleness of disposition, equal vision over all and have made a profound study of Jñāna works. Otherwise they are not worthy of discharging such duties.

Therefore, if you are not well versed in these Jñāna books, you will have to replenish my stomach and forfeit all chances of enjoying your youth.

I will now catch you, both, who are like two lions, in the cage of my questions. Try to unlock its portals with the keys of your discrimination. Else, you will not be able to outlive that period.

On the king asking her to state the questions, the lady rained her queries on them both like ambrosia.

Muni Vāsiṣṭha continued:

Oh Rāma, listen atten­tively to the questions posed by the Rākṣasa woman:

(1) What is that atom which is the cause of the origin, preservation and destruction of the myriads of heterogeneous universes springing up like bubbles on the surface of the ocean?
(2) What is that which is Ākāśa and yet is not?
(3) What is that which, though it is unlimited, has yet a limit?
(4) What is that which, though moving, yet moves not?
(5) What is that which, though it is, yet is not?
(6) What is that which manifests itself as Cit (consciousness) and is yet a stone (or inert)?
(7) What is that which portrays pictures in the Ākāśa?
(8) What is that atom in which are latent all the microcosms, like a tree in a seed?
(9) Whence do all things originate, like undula¬tions in water, being not different from that cause, like the foam in the ocean?
(10) And in what will these two (undulations and water) become merged as one?

If you are able to solve these riddles through your intelligence, then you can aspire to a seat on my head, like fragrant blossoms gracing my locks.

Otherwise, if you muddle yourself over these ques­tions through the obtuseness of your heads, you will serve as fuel for the gastric fire blazing in my stomach.

Then the minister replied:

Your questions point to the non-dual Brahman. Being above the reach of mind and the five Iṅdriyas (organs), it is the endless, absolute Jñāna, more subtle than Ākāśa and the Supreme Atom of atoms (Paramāṇu). Out of that Atom, all mundane eggs arose and into it all were (or will be) absorbed.

Question 2. As there is no such attribute as exterior (or interior) to this all-pervading Brahman, it can be said to be Ākāśa itself; yet it is not the Ākāśa of the elements, as it is pure Jñāna itself.

Question 3. As there is no abode for it in which to abide, it is not limited; and yet it ever abides in all as the absolute Sat.

Question 4. Through its relationship with many objects, it moves about; yet it is devoid of motion, as there is no space outside of itself in which to move.

Question 5.  As it cannot be known by being pointed to (as this or that), it is not, and yet it is, as it is “Be-ness” itself.

Question 6. As it is the self-shining Light, it is consciousness per se, and yet it is like the inert stone since it has not the power of knowing (being itself the All); (also since it is that which manifests itself in the two aspects of intelligence and matter).

Question 7. This is what depicts pictures of a series of universes in the Cidākāśa, which is very subtle, immaculate and self-existent.

Question 8. As the heterogeneous universes are but the light or manifestation of that One, therefore naught else is but That; yet all the different worlds arising out of the conception of “I”, “Thou”, etc. are inseparable from it, being but its aspects.

So replied the intelligent courtier standing by the side of his king, when Karkaṭī became overjoyed with him and then addressed the king for a solution of her questions, in order to sound his depth of knowledge.

The king said:

It is indubitable that this universe is not and it is equally certain that the partless One alone is. Now thou shalt hear an account of the nature of that One, namely - Brahman.

Brahman can be attained through the mind after abandoning its Saṁkalpas and Vikalpas.

The origin and dissolution of this universe (which is nothing but a mode of consciousness) take place with the origination and destruction of the Saṁkalpas of the mind.

Such a process is the real import of the holy sentences in the Vedas; yet it is exterior to them, as it is only through self-experience that such a process can take place.

Brahman represents a state beyond Sat (being) and Asat (non-being) and is the real state of the two. It is the Saṁkalpa of the mind that brings into play the world with all its moving and fixed creatures.

Thou hast in thy questions referred to Brahman only which, manifesting itself as this universe, is yet the impartite plenum of Jñāna, being the non-dual Principle from of old. This is the one Reality cognized by men of true love.

At these words of the king, the Rākṣasa woman felt her body calmed as if showers of nectar had been rained on it. Having steadied herself after her exultation, she spoke the following words:

Do not all men wear, as their crown, the feet of such holy personages like yourselves who have rare intelligence, like unto a Jñāna-sun, which has neither degree nor stain, neither setting nor rising?

Will despondency ever rise in the hearts of those who associate with Ātma-Jñānins, being, as they are, invincible conquerors of Mokṣa-loka?

Despite your acquisition of all things through Ātman, will you please lay your commands on my head, so that I may serve you in some respect?

The king replied:

Oh wench of the Rākṣasa race, who art like a poisonous fruit in the forest of Viṣadruma (poisonous trees), desist from thy massacre of lives in this world.

She having nodded assent, the king asked her what such a carnivorous person as herself would do to appease her hunger.

The Rākṣasī said that she would resort to Nirvikalpa Samādhi, as she did before to alleviate her gastric fire.

She remarked further that she would thus pass a long time in the state of Jīvan-mukti, tasting the ambrosia flowing within and then reach Videha-mukti. She promised on her honour not to hurt any creatures, now that she had developed Jñāna.

While she was meditating upon withdrawing, the king said:

We have accomplished our object very smoothly. If you will choose to accompany us to our palace and there remain as one of our family, we will bestow upon you the bodies of those villains who take to murder and other crimes.

So long as this body endures, thoughts and other pain incidental to it will not disappear. Therefore you can devote yourself to Niṣṭhā (meditation) after quenching the fire in your stomach with the victuals supplied to you in the form of the bodies of the vicious.

Thus shall you act in this world with true love.

Thereupon the woman walked with great joy along with the king and his minister to their golden palace when the sun rose. Within six days after their arrival, three thousand wretches were handed over to her by the king.

Discarding during nights the resplendent form of Lakṣmī with which she shone during the day in that palace, she transformed herself into a Rākṣasa woman and piled upon her shoulders the bodies of the ignorant.

Then having taken leave of the king and his counsellor, she fled for meditation to the Himālaya mountains. Even to this day, the king and Karkaṭī are friendly towards one another.

So said Vāsiṣṭha to Rāmachandra.