When and how do our prayers get answered ?

 

When and how do our prayers get answered ?

An interesting conversation between 

Lord Krishna ( Vishnu ) and Lord Mahadeva

 

सुखासने सुखासीनं विश्रान्तं चन्द्रशेखरम् ।।
श्वेतचामरवातेन सेवितं विष्णुपार्षदैः ।। ३९ ।।
अक्रोधं सत्त्वसंसर्गात्प्रसन्नं सस्मितं मुदा ।।
स्तूयमानं पञ्चवक्त्रैः परं नारायणं विभुम् ।। 2.13.४० ।।
तमुवाच प्रसन्नात्मा प्रसन्नं सुरसंसदि ।।
पीयूषतुल्यं मधुरं वचनं सुमनोहरम् ।। ४१ ।।

श्रीभगवानुवाच ।।
अत्यन्तमुपहास्यं च शिवप्रश्नं शिवे शिवम् ।।
लौकिकं वैदिकं चैव त्वां पृच्छामि तथा ऽपि शम्।।४२।।
तपसां फलदातारं दातारं सर्वसम्पदाम्।।
सम्पत्प्रश्नं तपःप्रश्नमयोग्यं त्वां च साम्प्रतम्।।४३।।
ज्ञानाधिदेवे सर्वज्ञे ज्ञानं पृच्छामि किं वृथा ।।
निरापदि विपत्प्रश्नमलं मृत्युञ्जये हरे ।।४४।।
त्वामेव वाग्धनं प्रश्नमलं स्वाश्रयमागमे ।।
आगतोऽसि कथं वेगादित्युवाच रमापतिः ।। ४५ ।।

श्रीमहादेव उवाच ।।
वृषध्वजं च मद्भक्तं मम प्राणाधिकप्रियम् ।।
सूर्य्यः शशाप इति मे हेतुरागमकोपयोः ।। ४६ ।।
पुत्रवात्सल्यशोकेन सूर्य्यं हन्तुं समुद्यतः ।।
स ब्रह्माणं प्रपन्नश्च स सूर्य्यश्च विधिस्त्वयि ।।४७।।
त्वां ये शरणमापन्ना ध्यानेन वचसाऽपि वा ।।
निरापदस्ते निश्शङ्का जरा मृत्युश्च तैर्जितः ।। ४८ ।।
साक्षाद्ये शरणापन्नास्तत्फलं किं वदामि भोः ।।
हरिस्मृतिश्चाभयदा सर्वमङ्गलदा सदा ।। ४९ ।।
किं मे भक्तस्य भविता तन्मे ब्रूहि जगत्प्रभो ।।
श्रीहतस्यास्य मूढस्य सूर्य्यशापेन हेतुना ।। 2.13.५० ।।

श्रीभगवानुवाच ।।
कालोऽतियातो दैवेन युगानामेकविंशतिः ।।
वैकुण्ठे घटिकार्द्धेन शीघ्रं याहि नृपालयम्।। ।।५१।।
वृषध्वजो मृतः कालाद्दुर्निवार्य्यात्सुदारुणात् ।।
हंसध्वजश्च तत्पुत्रो मृतः सोऽपि श्रिया हतः ।।५२।।
तत्पुत्रौ च महाभागौ धर्मध्वजकुशध्वजौ ।।
हतश्रियौ सूर्य्यशापात्तौ वै परमवैष्णवौ ।। ५३ ।।
राज्यभ्रष्टौ श्रिया भ्रष्टौ कमलातापसावुभौ ।।
तयोश्च भार्य्ययोर्लक्ष्मीः कलया च जनिष्यति ।।५४।।
सम्पद्युक्तौ तदा तौ च नृपश्रेष्ठौ भविष्यतः ।।
मृतस्ते सेवकः शम्भो गच्छ यूयं च गच्छत।।५५।।
इत्युक्त्वा च सलक्ष्मीकः सभातोऽभ्यन्तरं गतः ।।
देवा जग्मुश्च संहृष्टाः स्वाश्रमं परमं मुदा।।५६।।
शिवश्च तपसे शीघ्रं परिपूर्णतमो ययौ।।५७।।
इति श्रीब्रह्मवैवर्त्ते महापुराणे द्वितीये प्रकृतिखण्डे नारदनारायणसंवादे तुलस्युपाख्याने त्रयोदशोऽध्यायः।।१३।।

Lord Mahadeva says to Lord Vishnu - 

Demi God Sun has cursed my dearest devotee. When I wanted to curse Sun, he took the refuge of Brahma. Now both the Sun and Brahma have taken your refuge. The ones who praise you and call on to you in adversity also can win over death. These two have taken your refuge directly. Oh Supreme Lord Krishna, tell me what becomes of my devotee now ? 

Lord Vishnu says - Oh Mahadeva, by the time you all have spent half a second in Vaikuntha with me, 21 yugas have passed on the earth. Your devotee is already dead and his 2 sons also have dead. Your devotees grandsons are now praying to Supreme Goddess Lakshmi for wealth as they lost all the wealth due to the curse of demigod Sun. Goddess Lakshmi will be born with her one speck of splendor as one of their daughters. They will attain wealth and prosperity then.

Chandrashekhar resting comfortably on a comfortable seat

It was served by the white chamara wind and the attendants of Lord Visnu. 39 ।।

He was free from anger and happy from the association of the mode of goodness with a joyful smile

By the five-faced Shiva Supreme Lord Narayana is being praised. 2.13.40 ।।

Pleased with himself in the assembly of the gods he addressed him

His words were sweet and pleasant like nectar 41 ।।

The Lord said: ।।

It is extremely ridiculous and auspicious to ask Shiva

I ask you both worldly and Vedic, and yet peace.

Giver of the fruits of austerities and bestower of all wealth.

The question of wealth is the question of austerities and you are not worthy of it at present.

Why in vain do I ask knowledge of the omniscient Lord of knowledge

In the absence of danger, the stain of the question of calamity, O Hari, conqueror of death.

You alone are the wealth of speech and the stain of questions when I come to your own refuge

How did you come so quickly asked Ramapati 45 ।।

Sri Mahadeva said.

Vrishadhvaja is my devotee and dearer to me than my life

The sun cursed me as the reason for my anger 46 ।।

Out of grief for his son's affection he prepared to kill the sun

That is the Brahman who has surrendered to you and that is the sun and the method in you.

Those who have taken refuge in You by meditation or by words

They are safe without doubt and have conquered old age and death 48 ।।

What can I say, sir, of the fruits of those who have taken refuge in the Lord Himself?

Remembering Hari always brings fearlessness and auspiciousness to all 49 ।।

O Lord of the universe tell me what will happen to my devotee

Because of the curse of the sun this foolish man was killed by the goddess of fortune 2.13.50 ।।

The Lord said: ।।

By fate twenty-one ages have passed by

Go quickly to the royal palace in half an hour in Vaikuntha ।।51।।

Vrishadhvaja died of an inevitable and terrible time

His son Hansadhvaja died and he too was killed by Shriya

His two most fortunate sons were Dharmadhvaja and Kusadhvaja

They were both supremely Vaishnavas deprived of their opulence by the curse of the sun 53 ।।

They had lost their kingdom and their opulence and were both lotus ascetics

Lakshmi and Kalaya will be born to both their wives.

Then both of them will be endowed with wealth and will be the best of kings

Your servant is dead, O Lord, go and you go.

Having said this Rama went inside the assembly with Lakshmi

The gods were delighted and went to their hermitage with supreme joy.

Shiva also at once went to the most perfect of austerities.

This is the thirteenth chapter in the Śrī Brahma-vaivartta, the second section of the Maha-purāṇa, the Prakṛti-khaṇḍa, containing the conversation between Nārada and Nārāyaṇa, containing the story of Tulasi.