Brahmana and House-lizard Samvada (विप्रगृहगोधिका-संवादः)

Brahmana and House-lizard Samvada (Samskrit : विप्रगृहगोधिका संवादः) or conversation is a legend extolling the greatness of Jaladana, an offering of water. Described in the Skanda Purana, this samvada praises the merits of making a gift of water, which awards more merits when performed on Venkatachala, the great mountainous abode of Sri Venkatesvara.

तस्माद्वेंकटशैलेन्द्रे यथाशक्त्यनुसारतः ।। जलदानं हि कर्तव्यं सर्वेषां जीवनं महत्।। २ ।। (Skan. Pura. 2.1.16.2)

On the prominent mountain Venkata a gift of water should be made in accordance with one's capacity. It is a great thing as it is the life of all beings.

हेमांगः॥ Legend of Hemanga

Jaladana or gift of water is considered the greatest of all danas as water is the essential life source for all beings on this loka. In early times, there was a raja Hemanga of Ikshvaku lineage, who was very hospitable to Brahmanas and engaged in meditation on Brahman. He had conquered enemies and had perfect control over his sense-organs. He gave away numerous cows, lands, til seeds, gold etc in yajnas. The earth came to be known as Barhismati on account of the Darbha grass used in the Yajnas performed by him. Although he gave away many significant things in danas, he did not pay attention to jaladana as he thought that it was easily available everywhere.

तेनादत्तानि दानानि न विद्यन्त इति श्रुतम् ।। तेनादत्तं जलं चैकं सुखलभ्यधिया द्विजाः ।। ७ ।।

बोधितो ब्रह्मपुत्रेण वसिष्ठेन महात्मना ।। अमूल्यं सर्वतोलभ्यं तद्दातुः किं फलं लभेत् ।। ८ ।।

अलभ्यदाने पुण्यं स्यादित्यवादीत्सयुक्तिकम् ।। ९ ।। (Skan. Pura. 2.1.16.7-9)

When urged by Vasistha, he exclaimed and argued for a long time saying, "it is worthless, available everywhere hence what is the merit to the donor who gifts it (water)?" He reasoned that there is merit in gifting away what is rare to get.

जलदानाकरणेन गृहगोधिकात्वप्राप्तिः ॥ Becoming House-lizard For Not Offering Water

Hemanga thus by his own reasoning that only rare things should be offered as dana, did not attempt to make the offering of water (jaladana). Further he worshipped Brahmanas who were physically challenged, who lost limbs, who were poor and lacked means of livelihood. Such gestures of humanity are praiseworthy and yield punya, do not fulfill the injunctions laid down in the Vedas as to who should be the recipient of danas when yajnas are conducted. Raja Hemanga did not honor the Brahmanas well-versed in the Vedas and who are expounders of Brahman and offered danas to only those people who were not covered by Vedas saying

प्रख्यातान्पूजयिष्यन्ति सर्वलोकाः सहार्हणैः ।। अनाथानामविद्यानां व्यङ्गानां च कुटुंबिनाम् ।। ११ ।।

दरिद्राणां गतिः का वा तस्मात्ते मद्दयास्पदाः ।। इति दुष्टेषु पात्रेषु दत्तवान्किमपि स्वकम् ।। १२ ।। (Skan. Pura. 2.1.16.11-12)

Meaning: All people will worship renowned and famous persons with due veneration and honor. But what about helpless persons, those devoid of learning, persons with defects (in body parts) and poor householders? Such are objects of my compassion. Thus he gave whatever he possessed to defective recipients. On account of such faulty activities (doshas) he was born as a lower being, as a chataka bird in three births, an eagle in one birth, and a dog in seven births. Thereafter the Raja Hemanga took birth as a house-lizard in the mansion of Mithila raja, Srutakirti.

एकजन्मनि गृध्रत्वं श्वत्वं वा सप्त जन्मसु ।। १३ ।।

प्राप्य पश्चाद्गृहे जातो भूपोऽयं गृहगोधिका ।। श्रुतकीर्तेस्तु भूपस्य मिथिलाधिपतेर्द्विजाः ।। १४ ।। (Skan. Pura. 2.1.16.13-14)

He lived there feeding on the insects and worms for eighty-eight years.

विप्रगृहगोधिका संवादः ॥ Brahmana - House Lizard Samvada

Srutakirti, Maharaja of Mithila was a pious being who respected the seers and brahmanas.

गृहगोधिकायाः जातिस्मरणम् ॥ Lizard recollects its previous birth

Once an excellent Brahmana Srutadeva came exhausted and tired, to the abode of Srutakirti at noon time. Instantly Srutakirti, with due reverence received him and offered a seat and Madhuparka (given to honored guests). He washed the feet of Srutadeva and sprinkled the water on his head as a mark of respect. As destined, a few such drops of that sprinkled water fell on the house-lizard. Immediately, the lizard recollecting all the previous births, cried out loud, asking to be saved from ill fate.

On being questioned by Srutadeva, the lizard recalled that he was once born in the famous Ikshvaku vamsha as Hemanga famed as an expert in the art of wielding weapons (शस्त्रविद्याविशारदः) and narrated his excellent deeds of performing yajnas, danas of cows, til and lands. He lamented that in spite of arranging for Purtas (works of public welfare, construction of rest-houses, tanks etc) and performing pious rites, he has accrued ill-fate and attained lowly births. He goes on to explain the various births he took of chataka bird, eagle, dog and finally the domestic lizard that he is now. Due to the water sprinkled on him from the feet of Brahmana Srutadeva, he regained his past memory. Further Hemanga, in the form of a lizard, says

तदा जन्मस्मृतिरभूत्तेन मे हतपाप्मनः ।। २७ ।। गोधाजन्मानि भाव्यानीत्यष्टाविंशति मे द्विज ।। दृश्यन्ते देवदिष्टानि बिभ्यते जन्मभिर्भृशम् ।। २८ ।। (Skan. Pura. 2.1.16.27-28)

Meaning: Oh Brahmana, I have yet to take twenty-eight births as a domestic house-lizard as ordained by destiny. I am fearful of taking so many births I do not understand the reason for such births, explain it to me in detail.

हेमांगस्य गोधिकात्वविमुक्तिः ॥ Hemanga freed from births as a lizard

Hearing his account, Srutadeva explains the reason for the miseries faced by Hemanga.

शृणु भूप प्रवक्ष्यामि तव दुर्गतिकारणम् ।। न जलं तु त्वया दत्तं वेंकटाह्वयभूधरे ।।

तज्जलं सुलभं मत्वा न मौल्यमिति निश्चितः ।। नाध्वगानां द्विजादीनां घर्मकालेऽप्यजानता ।। ३१ ।।

तथा पात्रं समुत्सृज्य ह्यपात्रे प्रतिपादितम् ।। ज्वलन्तमग्निमुत्सृज्य न हि भस्मनि हूयते ।। ३२ ।।

तुलसीं तु समुत्सृज्य बृहती पूज्यते नु किम् ।। अनाथव्यंगपंगुत्वं न प्रयोजकतामियात् ।। ३३ ।।

पंग्वाद्या येप्यनाथा हि दयापात्रं हि केवलम् ।। तपोनिष्ठा ज्ञाननिष्ठाः श्रुतिशास्त्रपरायणाः ।। ३४ ।।

विष्णुरूपाः सदा पूज्या नेतरे तु कदाचन ।। तत्रापि ज्ञानिनोऽत्यर्थं प्रिया विष्णोः सदैव हि ।। ३५ ।। (Skan. Pura. 2.1.16.30-35)

Meaning: Listen O Bhupa, I shall tell you the reason for your miserable plight. Water was not offered by on the mountain of Venkatachala. Thinking that water is easily available, you came to the conclusion that it had no value. Ignorant that you were, you did not give water to Brahmanas and other wayfarers even during the summer season. You left out the deserving persons and showered gifts on the undeserving. Homa is not performed on the ash after setting aside the blazing fire. Is the Tulasi plant totally abandoned to worship the Brhatii plant? The state of being helpless, physically challenged, devoid of limbs, cannot be the ground of (charitable) gifts. The lame and others who have been abandoned are to be looked at with compassion.

Those who are engaged in tapas, seeking the knowledge of Brahman, and those who are devoted to Shrutis and Shastras are persons in the form of Vishnu himself. They are always to be revered based on their jnana while others are to be shown compassion.

Know that Jnanis are extremely dear to Vishnu and viceversa. Hence a person with knowledge is always worthy of being worshipped. It is laid down in the Smritis also that a Jnani is more venerable than the most venerable ones.

O Raja, water was not offered nor pious men served by you. Therefore you attained this miserable state. After saying this, he touched the water and offered to release Himanga from the births as a lizard.

वेंकटाद्रौ कृतं पुण्यं तुभ्यं दास्यामि शान्तये ।। भूतं भव्यं भवत्तेन कर्मजातं विजेष्यसि ।। ३८ ।।

इत्युक्त्वाप उपस्पृश्य ददौ पुण्यमनुत्तमम् ।। यद्दत्तं ब्राह्मणेनापि स्नानं चैकदिने कृतम् ।। ३९ ।।

तेन ध्वस्ताखिलाऽऽगास्तु त्यक्त्वा च गृहगोधिका ।।(Skan. Pura. 2.1.16.38-40)

Meaning: I shall give the punya acquired on the Venkatachala mountain for winning over the past, present and future results of your Karmas. After saying so, he touched the water and gave (Hemanga) the punya accrued by him from taking a holy bath on one day. With what was given by the Brahmana, all the papa (Aga) (of Hemanga) crumbled and instead of a lizard stood a celestial being.

He was seated on a divine aerial vehicle, decked in garlands and ornaments. Even while all men were watching in Mithila, Hemanga bowed in reverence to the Brahmana and left for the celestial abode. There he enjoyed the pleasures of the higher worlds for ten thousand years and was reborn as Kakutstha, in the family of Ikshvaku.

Hence, know that Venkatachala is a place where papa (sin) is destroyed and jaladana on this mountain bestows the world of Vishnu.