THE STORY OF THE BILVA TREE
NAIMISHARANYA TALES
The story goes that Lubdhaka, a poor tribal man and a devout worshipper of Lord Shiva, once goes into the deep forests to gather firewood. It became late at night, and the darkness engulfed the jungle; Lubdhaka lost his way and couldn’t find his way home. He became highly terrified as deep growls of animals began to fill the wilderness.
Seeking protection till daybreak, Lubdhaka climbed the closest bael tree and sought safety and shelter in its branches. Since Lubdhaka was perched on a bark, he was afraid that he might fall off the tree if he dozed. To stay awake all night, Lubdhaka decided to pluck one leaf from the bael tree and drop it while chanting the name of Shiva.
By sunrise, the devout tribal realized that he had dropped thousands of leaves onto a Shiva Lingam, which he had not seen because of the darkness. Lubdhaka’s all-night worship pleased Lord Shiva, and by his heartful grace, tigers, lions and other wild animals didn’t come on that way. So that Lubdhaka not only survived but was also rewarded with heavenly bliss. Consistent with Puranas, ever since that day, the story of the tribal Lubdhaka has been recited every year on the night of Mahashivaratri.
This popular legend also forms the idea of the favoured custom of offering bael leaves to Lord Shiva on Shivaratri as a ritual.
Different varieties of the legend
The story of King Chitrabhanu Shanti Parva of the Mahabharata speaks about the legend of king Chitrabhanu observing a festival. As told by Bhishma while lying down on the bed of arrows and discoursing on Dharma, the story says that when King Chitrabhanu of the Ikshvaku dynasty ruled over the entire of Jambudvipa, he was observing a fast together with his wife, it being the day of Maha Shivaratri.
The sage Ashtavakra visited the King’s court and enquired the King about why they were fasting. King Chitrabhanu, who had the gift of remembering the incidents from his previous birth, said he was a hunter in Varanasi within the past birth, and his name was Suswara. His means of living was to kill and sell birds and animals. While he was roaming through the woods searching for animals, he was overtaken by the darkness of the night. So Suswarna sought shelter within the nearest tree branches searching for shelter from wild animals, which happened to a bael.
Swarna has also shot a deer on that day, but there was no time to take it home. So he packed it up and tied it to a branch on the tree. He was unable to sleep because of hunger and thirst. He felt sad that his poor wife and children were starving and must be anxiously expecting his return, and Suswarna began to shed tears. Suswarna engaged himself in plucking bael leaves and dropped them down onto the bottom to pass on time. Having passed the night thus, the next day, Suswarna sold the deer and brought some food for himself and his family. But, the instant he was close to breaking his fast, a stranger came to him begging for food. Humbly, Suswarna served food to a stranger first then had his food.
During his death, Suswarna saw two messengers from heaven who carried his soul to the abode of Lord Shiva. He was then informed of the merit he had earned for his unconscious worship of Lord Shiva during that night.
Divine messengers informed Suswarna that a Shiva Lingam was at the bottom of the tree he stayed. The leaves he dropped fell on it; meanwhile, his tears of sorrow for his family also fell upon it and cleansed it. As Suswarna was fasting day and night, he had unconsciously worshipped Lord Shiva.
To conclude the epic, the King said he had lived within the abode of the Lord and enjoyed divine bliss. Now, he has reborn as Chitrabhanu.
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