Devaraja's Story

Shounaka said

Suta, very fortunate one, you know the supreme meaning and are blessed. Out of your compassion you have let us hear this divine and extraordinary account. It purifies the mind and destroys a torrent of sins. We have heard this wonderful account that pleases Shiva; nothing on earth equals it and nothing is higher. By your compassion we have certainly come to know it. In kali yuga, who are the sinners that get purified by this account? Suta, please tell us out of compassion, for the sake of pleasing the world.

Suta replied

There are people who commit sins, who are deceitful and wicked in conduct, constantly given to desire and other vices. They too are purified by this. This is an excellent sacrifice of knowledge. It always gives enjoyment and liberation, washes away all sins and pleases Shiva. There are people overcome by thirst, without truth, who revile their fathers and mothers, who are insolent and violent. Even such people are purified by this. There are those who abandon the dharma of their own varna and ashrama and are full of envy. In kali yuga even they are purified by this sacrifice of knowledge. There are deceivers who practise fraud, cruel and heartless. Even they are purified by it in kali yuga. There are those who live by taking brahmanas' property and are addicted to going astray. Even they are purified by it in kali yuga. There are those who constantly commit sin, practise fraud and are very wicked. Even they are purified. There are those who are filthy and evil in understanding, who live on the possessions of calm gods. Even they are purified by this sacrifice of knowledge in kali yuga. This is the most sacred of Puranas. It destroys major sins, gives enjoyment and liberation and pleases Shiva.

Here an ancient history is told, and as soon as one hears it, sins no longer remain. In the city of the Kiratas there was a brahmana of poor learning. He turned away from the dharma of the gods and sold juices to the poor. He gave up bathing at the sandhya time and took up the livelihood of a vaishya. He was called Devaraja, and he cheated people who trusted him. He robbed brahmanas, kshatriyas, vaishyas and shudras of their belongings. By such fraud he piled up wealth, by many acts of adharma, and being a sinner he never spent the slightest bit of it on dharma. Once the brahmana went to a lake to bathe. A courtesan named Shobhavati came there. Seeing her, he was stirred. Realizing that the wealthy brahmana had fallen under her spell, the beautiful woman was glad. As they talked, love arose in his mind. He wanted to make her his wife, and she agreed to take him as husband. So, under the sway of desire, they sported for a very long time. Sitting, lying, drinking, eating and playing, they behaved as couples do and lived so. His mother, father and wife repeatedly tried to stop him, but he would not listen and went on in his wicked ways. One night, when he lost his patience, while they were asleep, the wicked man killed his parents and wife and stole their wealth. His mind was full of desire for the courtesan. He gave her his wealth and what he had taken from his father and the others. The sinner ate what should not be eaten and wanted to drink liquor. That worst of brahmanas always ate from the same vessel as the courtesan.

Once, driven by destiny, he came to the city of Pratishthana. He saw a Shiva temple there, surrounded by virtuous people. While the brahmana was there he came down with a terrible fever, and he kept hearing Shiva's account recited by another brahmana. At the end of a month, suffering from the fever, Devaraja died. Yama's servants bound him in nooses and dragged him to Yama's city. But Shiva's attendants were there, dressed in white, tridents in their hands, their limbs smeared with ash and wearing rudraksha beads. They came from Shiva's world and angrily went to Yama's city. They scolded the messengers and struck them again and again, freed Devaraja and seated him on a wonderful celestial car. As the attendants eagerly set out for Kailasa with him, there was a great uproar in Yama's city. Hearing it, Dharmaraja came out of his residence. He saw those four messengers, who looked like Rudra himself. Dharmaraja, who knew dharma, worshipped them by the rules. By his insight Yama learned the whole story. Frightened, he asked the great-souled Shambhu's messengers nothing. After being worshipped they took leave, went to Kailasa and handed him over to Shiva and Amba, oceans of compassion. The accounts of the Shiva Purana are blessed and supremely purifying. As soon as he hears it, a sinner is freed. Sadashiva's excellent abode is a great, supreme region, located above all the worlds, as those who know the Vedas say. The brahmana Devaraja was a sinner. Out of greed he did violence to brahmanas, kshatriyas, vaishyas, shudras and many other beings, robbing them of their lives. He killed his mother, father and wife. He was a drunkard and lay with a courtesan. Yet as soon as he got there he was freed.