Table of Contents
How Kandara was liberated
Recap
After having conquered Airavata’s ego, Ganga as Alakananda had travelled with Bhagiratha till they came to Kailasha. From there, they would start their journey towards earth. Earth was not able to bear Ganga’s force and Shiva had to intervene. After Shiva washed off his sin of hurting a brahmin, he created Varanasi. From there Ganga flowed till Rishi Jahnu swallowed her. After Bhagiratha pleaded with the Rishi, Jahnu released Ganga and she became known as Jahnavi.
Story of Kandara
After leaving the ashrama of Rishi Jahnu, Bhagiratha started travelling north.
Let me now tell you what happened in this spot. There was once a brahmin called Kandara. As a brahmin he had been initiated with the sacred thread and was supposed to lead a peaceful life, devoted to meditation. Kandara was just the opposite. From childhood, he mixed with the wrong kind of people and by the time he had grown up, there was no vice that was unknown to him. Whatever money he could get, he would spend that on the courtesans. There was one particular courtesan that he was extremely fond of and he would spend most of his days, in her house. For the courtesan this was a win-win situation. The presence of a holy man would attract customers who would pay to listen to Kandara. It was a different matter though that Kandara just talked, but did not practise what he preached.
One day, when the courtesan was about to cook food, she discovered there was no firewood. She could not go out, so she asked Kandara to go and get it. Reluctantly, Kandara left the woman’s house and went to the forest with an axe. He had been drinking and his gait was unsteady. He would fall at times, and then get up and look for trees to chop. His activity was noticed by someone. A hungry tiger was there in the forest. The rustling got the animal’s attention. It came to take a look. Kandara, in the forest caught hold of a tree. He was about to pull on the axe when he felt himself being pulled away. The tiger had caught hold of him. That was the end of Kandara. As soon as he died, messengers of Yama arrived. They bound his soul and began dragging him towards hell.
In the forest, the tiger had finished its meal and had left. What was left on the ground were some bones. A crow had been watching the tiger. When the tiger left, the crow flew down and looked around. What was there for it to eat? There was not a tiny bit of flesh. The tiger had licked everything clean. Suddenly the crow spotted a small bone with some tissue sticking to it. The crow grabbed that and taking the bone with him, flew onto the branch of a tree. A hungry hawk had spotted the crow. Instead of looking for food within the heap of bones the tiger had left, the hawk flew towards the tree where the crow was sitting. As soon as the crow spotted the hawk, he too flew off with the bone.
A dramatic chase began; the crow flying, trying to avoid the hawk, who wanted not only the bone but the crow too. The hawk at one point caught up with the crow and both began fighting for the bone. In that struggle the bone slipped from the crow’s beak. Before the hawk could grab it, the bone fell down. It happened to fall at the same spot where river Ganga, as Jhanavi, had just turned north. The bone fell into the waters of the river.
As soon as this happened, Kandara was freed of his sins. Now that he was sin-free, he could not be allowed to go to hell. Vishnu sent his attendants to confront the messengers of Yama who were dragging the soul of Kandara to hell. Now sin-free, Kandara’s soul looked divine. When the messengers refused, a quarrel started and the messengers were driven away, and Vishnu’s attendants left with the soul of Kandara. Defeated, the messengers went to Yama and complained saying, “We will not work for you anymore. We were during our duty and attendants of Narayana came and beat us up and took the soul away, that were bringing to hell. Kandara is a sinner and the whole world knows about him. He was a cheat, a swindler and spent his days in the arms of a woman of ill-repute. What would Vishnu want with that soul?”
Yama was frustrated. He consoled his workers and decided to find out what was happening. He went where Vishnu was and said, “I have dissatisfied workers and I had to somehow manage them. But, how could this happen? I will not work in this way if sinners are taken away by you. This is injustice. Kandara was a sinner and everyone knew about that. Still, why did you rescue him?”
Vishnu smiled and pulled Yama towards him and said, “Ganga is there on earth. Wherever she flows, there can be no sin. Any sinner who touches the water, whether dead or alive, will get instant liberation. Not only her water, but the breeze that touches the waters of Ganga have purifying effect. Kandara was a sinner, but his bone ended up in Ganga when she was in her northward journey. After this, how could Kandara still be a sinner? Any person, whose bones or ashes touch the waters of the river, will come to me.”
Hearing this, Yama took leave of Vishnu.
Analysis
The story introduces Kandara who had the outer symbol of authority—the sacred thread—and the capacity to preach. Even then, his life was governed by lower impulses and vice. He was what we call a ‘spiritual hypocrite’ - one who does not practice what they preach. His knowledge was a commodity used by the courtesan to attract customers. He had led a life of unrighteousness, which led to retribution. Thus, it was logical for the messengers of Yama to come and drag the soul to hell. Then he was liberated. Not because he had a change of heart when the tiger attacked him. It happened due to something outside his control—the falling of his skeletal remains into the waters of Ganga.
In traditional geography, places where a river flows northward (against the natural southern or eastern slope) are considered highly auspicious spiritual vortexes. So, not only did Kandara’s bone land in the waters of Ganga, but it also landed in a spiritual vortex. The upward motion represents the upward movement of the soul toward liberation.
Yama represents the law. So, he is correct to say if the wrongdoers are liberated without punishment, the moral structure of the world will break. Vishnu does not deny Kandara’s sins. He talks about total purification through contact with the divine.
The word Kandara literally means a cave. A cave is a deep dark place where light cannot easily penetrate. Similarly, Kandara lived a life full of spiritual darkness. He is like the person who has the tools for a better life but squanders them. Many times, this is us, when we are driven by our vices.
Other sources
This tale is not present in the Ramayana of Valmiki. A very similar tale is present in the Padma Purana and the Skanda Purana (Kashi Khanda). In the Patala Khanda of the Padma Purana, there is the story of a thief named Valuka. He led a life of vice. While trying to escape guards, he was mauled and killed by a tiger. A vulture picked up one of his bones and flew away. A hawk attacked the vulture to steal the bone, and during the mid-air struggle, the bone fell directly into the Ganga.
The Skanda Purana (Kashi Khanda) talks about the northwards flow of the river.
The Shiva Purana (Uma Samhita and Rudra Samhita) talk about Yama complaining to Vishnu about sinners getting liberated because of Ganga.
Conclusion
This is the end of this story. Next week, join me when river Ganga liberates the sons of Sagara. This has been my interpretation and I would like to know the view point of others. It will be great if you can share comments and let me know what you think. Thank you and next, the next chapter from the Ramayana of Krittibas.
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