धनशर्मा

यन्त्रोपारोपितकोशांशः

Purana Encyclopedia

पृष्ठभागोऽयं यन्त्रेण केनचित् काले काले मार्जयित्वा यथास्रोतः परिवर्तयिष्यते। तेन मा भूदत्र शोधनसम्भ्रमः। सज्जनैः मूलमेव शोध्यताम्।

DHANAŚARMĀ : A brahmin belonging to Madhyadeśa. Once when Dhanaśarmā went to the forest to get darbha he confronted three fierce evil spirits and gett- ing frightened ran away from them. But the spirits followed him and the Brahmin then cried and said “Oh, please do not harm me. Mahāviṣṇu will bless you.”

The moment they heard the name of Viṣṇu there came a change in them. They reiterated their story to Dhanaśarmā. Their names were Vaiśākha, Sudāsa and Advaita. Because of the ingratitude of Vaiśākha he got a nick-name ‘Kṛtaghna’ (ungrateful man) also. All the three were human beings in their previous birth. Not only that, Advaita was a king called Harivīra. All the three became evil spirits because of their sins.

From the conversation Dhanaśarmā understood that Vaiśākha was his father and they then knew each other. The son then anxiously enquired what he should do to absolve his father of his sins and save him from hell. Vaiśākha then told him observe the vrata, Vaiśākha- pūrṇimā. He did that and all the spirits went to heaven. (Chapter 94, Padma Purāṇa).


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*8th word in left half of page 220 (+offset) in original book.