A cure for food poisoning as suggested by Kunti Dēvi.

This is a flower, that blossomed from the Bhāgavata Discourses by paramapūjya Srī Vidyāḍhīśa Tīrtharu

• Author :- Śrī Sagri Rāghavēndra UpAdhyAya
• Translation :- Akshay Venkatesh
• Illustration : Smt. Vandana Karatagi

Kunti Dēvi, recollects all the incidents in which Pāṇdavas were saved by Lord Kriśṇa and praises Him – “viShAnmahAgnEheh drOuNyastrataschAsma harEBhirakshitAha”. These incidents are listed in the 10 chapters of mahābhārata (from Adi parva, saBhA, vana, virAtparva, udyOga, BhEShma, drONa, karNa, shalya, and sOuShuptika parva). The first as listed in Adi parva goes like this “viShAth …… harEBhirakShithAha”. She remembers the following 3 incidents where Pāṇdavas were saved by Lord Kriśṇa –

1. Bhīma fed with poisonous food
2. Bhīma bitten by poisonous snakes
3. Food poisoning in the wax house.

The poison’s nature: She sets the prelude with “viShAt……harEBhirakShitAha”, intending to convey that Kriśṇa protected Bhīmasena from the poisonous food (variety of sweets and soups) served by the chef sent by Shakuni and Duryōdhana. “viShamulbana manthakAbham kSErOdaDhermaThanajam tapasA girEshAt | shukrEna labdamamutaha subalAtmajEna prAptam”

The poison served to Bhīmasena was not ordinary; it was the posion that came out of the churning of the milky-ocean and was called kālakūta. Śukrācārya through his penance obtained this poison from Rudradēva, who had this kālakūta viSha. Shakuni had obtained this from sage śukrācārya. Śrīman Madhwācārya has thus clarified the source of the poison which was used against bhīmasena.

The intention here is that the poison digested by BhīmasEna was not of any ordinary strength. Not only did bhīmasEna digest this kālakūta viSha now, he in his mUlarUpa as vāyudēva had digested all this kālakūta poison that came out during the churning of the ocean and controlled the situation.

Although many purAnas including bhāgavata, mention Lord Rudra to have consumed the poison to save the worlds, kEshI sUkta of rigvEda mentions that is was kEshI (a form of Lord vāyu) who consumed the poison. Śrī man MaDhvAchArya, has quoted this and established that the prime resolver of the kālakūta episode is none other than Lord Vāyu himself. The idea behind explaining the origins of the poison is to link Bhīma’s episode with the churning of the ocean and show it was none other than Lord Vāyu who had the power to digest the entire kālakūta poison.

How could Bhīma digest this? : How could Bhīma digest such a powerful poison? ”balavAn sa BhEmO viṣṇōranugrahabalAjjarayAnchakAra” (Mahābhārata tātparya nirṇaya -14-71). Bhīma has this power inherently, and moreover the Supreme Lord has blessed him to express such a power, thus such a feat was possible through Lord’s blessings. This is explained by Kunthi dēvi’s prayers – “harEBhirakShitAha”.

“yat parasmaI nivEdayEth”: To seek Lord’s blessings, BhīmasEna sought to ensure he offered the food to Lord before he partook it. Like how UdDhava sang – “thvayOpabhukta…..uchChiShtaBhOjiNo dAsAha thava māyam jayEmahi” and partook the leftovers of the food offered to Lord Kriśṇa, similarly a much higher BhAgavathotthama, BhīmasEna would always offer the food to the Lord and then partake it. By doing so, the binding force called “māya” and any poison in the food can be evaded. Thus the poison did not harm BhīmasEna in any which way.

“viṣṇō annam rakShasva”:- Kunti Dēvi’s prayer “viShAth ……harEBhirakShitAha” thus is not only pertaining to Bhīmasena but for others as well. Food that may have contained poison (“vi-na sahyata ithi viSham”) and other harmful forces including bacteria and viruses can do no harm to us, if it is first offered to the Lord and then partaken. When the Lord accepts our offerings and partakes His share (called sāra), He blesses it and purifies the food by removing all such harmful particles.

A cure to food poison:- An effective remedy to avoid food poisoning it to offer the food we consume, to Lord Nārāyaṇa and Lord Vāyu as suggested by Kunti’s prayers “viShAth…..harEBhirakshiThAha”. As the Supreme Lord with Lord Vāyu blesses the food by partaking the sāra and purifying it, we must pray “viṣṇōsnnam rakShasva” – ‘Hey Lord Viṣṇu please protect and purify the food from all sorts of poison by your divine sight”, when doing parishEka (parishEka is a procedure done while partaking the food)

Akshaya

Ramaa-kalatrana Daasa-vargake Namipenanavarata || Always at the humble feet of Sri-Hari’s dasas!!