Shiva’s gift to Vishnu
An asura called Sridaman worships Sri Lakshmi for several yugas. Sri Lakshmi is pleased with his devotion and blesses him with the fortune of all the worlds. But Sridaman catches sight of the Srivatsa mark on Vishnu’s chest. He knows that this endless knot signifies eternal good fortune and goddess Sri Lakshmi resides in that symbol on Vishnu’s chest. He feels he is now the rightful owner of the Srivatsa. So he marches to Vaikunta with his Daityas.
When Vishnu comes to know of Sridaman’s intention, he flees to mount Kailash to seek Shiva’s blessings. He meditates upon him for millions of years with complete devotion. Every day, at dawn he goes to the Manasa lake to pluck the holy lotus flowers that blossom there. He plucks a thousand flowers every day and offers it to Shiva as and when he chants each of his thousand names.
One day, Shiva decides to test the sincerity of Vishnu’s devotion. He removes one lotus flower from the thousand flowers that Vishnu had set aside for his prayers. Vishnu notices the missing flower while chanting Shiva’s name. He is deeply distraught because he knows he had brought a thousand flowers that day too. So he searches for the missing flower in Swarga, Bhoomi and Patala but is not able to find the missing flower.
But Vishnu is keen on completing his prayers to Shiva properly. So he chants the last name of Shiva, “Sarvasattvaalambana”, calmly plucks out one of his lotus-shaped eyes and offers it to his lord – Shiva in place of the missing holy flower.
Shiva appears before him instantly in the form of a huge beam of light and gives him his weapon, the wheel of time, the great Sudarshana Chakra. Vishnu receives the Sudarshana Chakra from lord Shiva with utmost humility. But his heart still shudders when he thinks of Sridaman’s intent. He knows how powerful the Shakti of Sri Lakshmi can be.
Shiva understands Vishnu’s fears and says, “Go on with the mission you have in mind and do what you have to do with the wheel of time, the Sudarshan Chakra. It is now yours to keep. And know that the Sudarshan Chakra will never fail you.” So saying, Shiva vanished into thin air.
Armed with the wheel of time, the Sudarshan Chakra, Vishnu whirls the Sudarshana at Sridaman and watches in grim silence as the asura’s body falls apart from his egoistic head within seconds. Vishnu distributes all the wealth that Sridaman had hoarded to their rightful owners and then returns to his abode, Vaikunta and reclines upon Sesha peacefully.
The Sudarshan Chakra
The Sudarshana Chakra is believed to be made out of Shiva’s feet. It is a disc of auspicious vision and has the splendour of ten thousand suns. The twelve devas, Agni, Soma, Mitra, Varuna, Indra, Indragni, the Vishwadevas, the Prajapatis, Hanuman, Dhanavantari, Tapas and Tapasya reside within the spokes. The Panchamahabhutas – wind, water, fire, earth and space are contained in its swiftness. The clouds of dissolution, lightning, the planets and the stars are embedded in edges of the spokes.
The Sudarshan Chakra at Jagannath Puri
When Krishna leaves Vrindavan, he knows he will never meet Radha again. He marries eight other women and 1,600 princesses too. Yet he never forgets Radha. He cries out her name and mutters about the divine Raas Leela even when he is fast asleep at night. Rukmini and Satyabhama are unable to grasp the essence of the divine Raas Leela.
So they ask Rohini, Balarama’s mother about it. Rohini asks Subhadra, her daughter to guard the entrance of their room. Rohini gives Subhadra strict instructions that she is not to allow anyone, not even Krishna or Balarama to enter their room when she discusses the essence of the Raas Leela with Rukmini and Satyabhama.
Subhadra obeys Rohini’s orders. Rohini experiences Ananda as she discusses the divinity of the Raas Leela with Rukmini and Satyabhama. Time flies and Krishna’s queens listen in rapt attention to all that Rohini tells them. However, Subhadra has a tough time keeping Krishna and Balarama away from Rohini’s discussion. Krishna and Balarama are supposed to be away at work. But, as usual, both appear out of nowhere sensing something interesting was going on at home.
Subhadra is firm in her stance, however. She refuses to let them enter the room. All three of them reach the doorway and can overhear a few nuances of the discussion. When they hear the description of the divine Raas Leela – Krishna, Balarama and Subhadra become numb with ecstasy – so much so that their limbs start melting. The Sudarshan Chakra that Krishna had on his right hand too melts onto the floor and forms a short pillar. And that is why the Sudarshan Chakra is worshipped in the form of a pillar in the Jagannath temple at Puri.
Krishna teaches Sudarshan Chakra a lesson
After this incident, Krishna gives the Sudarshan Chakra a special place beside his seat. Sudarshan feels proud now because Krishna gives him a separate identity now.
Krishna senses this immediately so one fine day he says, “Sudarshan, I want to meet Hanuman immediately. Please convey the message to Hanuman.” Sudarshan’s ego does not like the fact that he has to do the work of a messenger. But he did not have to audacity to disobey the lord’s orders.
Sudarshan does as he is told and conveys Hanuman’s message to the Lord saying, “Lord, Hanuman is on his way to meet you…” Having completed his task, Sudarshan goes back to the main entrance of the temple and blocks Hanuman’s path. Hanuman knows what Krishna is up to. He understands Sudarshan’s intentions.
So he engages in a fierce duel with Sudarshan and subjects him to a crushing defeat. Hanuman catches Sudarshan in his mighty hands and sets him rolling before the lord’s feet as he bows down before Krishna. Sudarshan realizes the might of Hanuman and understands that lord Krishna is teaching him a lesson in humility.
However, Sudarshan’s former glory dwindles after this duel. For a while, Krishna keeps quiet about it. And when Krishna is certain that Sudarshan’s ego has downsized suitably, he gives him a more illustrious and honoured place by asking him to reside on the pinnacle of the Jagannath Puri temple. That is why we call the Sudarshan Chakra atop the Jagannath Puri temple as the Neel Chakra.
The Sudarshan Chakra is the wheel of Time. It is a wheel. It symbolises change. And change as we all know is the only constant. Yes, Time changes many things in all our lives. The moon waxes and wanes. The sun rises and sets. People enter and exit our lives. Situations change with Time. And people change with situations and time. Yes, we also know that change is not always for the better. And that change is not so easy to take in our stride too. But let’s remember one thing. Always. That the Sudarshan Chakra belongs to Vishnu. And He alone knows when to set it rolling in our lives and when to hold it aloft in His hands.
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