Guru Shukracharya- the Guru of demons

Guru Shukracharya, was the son of Bhrigu Rishi and Ushana, the daughter of Hiranyakashyap. Guru Shukracharya was the preceptor of the Asuras (the demons). Shukracharya had been to Maharshi Angarishi for education but dropped out upon seeing his excessive favoritism towards his son Brihaspati. He then visited study with Rishi Gautam instead. Here is the mythology of Guru Shukracharya- the Guru of demons.

Mythology

Guru Shukracharya decided to go through an arduous penance and invoked the blessings of Shiva. He asked for a mantra, which could confirm that the demons never lost. Shiva agreed to undertake to to so, but Shukracharya would wish to perform a specific ritual for thousand years and live only on smoke during this era . Shukracharya began this ritual so on urge the mantra from Shiva.

Meanwhile, the devtas (deities) learnt of Shukracharya’s plans. They determined to destroy the demons before Guru Shukracharya acquires the divine mantra. As per instruction of Guru Shukracharya, the demons were residing at the hermitage of Sage Bhrigu who is the fatherof Shukracharya.

The demons pleaded that that that they had given up their weapons and were leading a peaceful life and hence it had been unfair for them to be attacked at now . But the devtas carried on regardless. Since Bhrigu was away, the demons requested his wife, Usha, to return to their aid. Usha convoked her mystical powers and rendered Indra, the King of the devtas, immobile.


The other devtas seek help from Vishnu but Usha threatened that she will turn Vishnu and Indra to ashes. But before that, Vishnu beheaded Usha with his sudarshan.

When Bhrigu returned and saw the decapitated body of his wife, he cursed Vishnu. Since Vishnu was guilty of killing a woman he would wish to require birth on earth time and again. This provided the thought for the incarnations of Vishnu. Bhrigu then used his divine powers to rejoin the body of Usha and gave her fresh life.

Role of Indra

After failing with demons, Indra turned his attention to Shukracharya. He instructed his daughter, Jayanti, to either distract Shukracharya using her charms or win him over along side her service. However, modest behavior of Jayanti prevented her from seducing the Sage, so she followed the second option. She served Shukracharya with all dedication during his penance for thousand years. Shiva appeared to Shukracharya and blessed him with MritSanjeevani mantra. The mantra had the power to bring back the dead.

As Jayanti was serving Shukracharya with all her devotion, Shukracharya was pleased with jayanti and gave boon to her. She asked Shukrachariya to live with her for ten years as her husband and he happily accepted the same.


On the other hand, Indra hatched another plan. He told his teacher, Brihaspati, that the demons were expecting Shukracharya, but unknown to them Shukracharya was living with Jayanti. Indra asked Brihaspati to mimic Guru Shukracharya and approach the demons. Brihaspati did so and over subsequent ten years he won the demons over completely.

After ten years when Shukracharya returned, he was aghast to determine that an imposter had taken his place. But as Guru Brihaspati was already with demons mimicking Shukracharya so it had been impossible to tell who was the real Shukracharya. Finally the demons chased the real Shukracharya away.

Guru Shukracharya couldn’t bear this insult, especially after the thousand-year penance he had undergone for the benefits of demons. He was a hot-tempered person and eventually cursed the demons that they would be unable to conquer the devtas (deities). Indra took a sigh of relief and Brihaspati took his true form. At the same time, the demons realized that they had been tricked but now had no option.


Kacha as disciple of Guru Shukracharya

After this, Brihaspati sent his son Kacha to Shukracharya to seek out out the Mrita-Sanjivani Vidya. Shukracharya accepted Kacha as his student. But other demons didn’t like it. As the time progressed, Kacha felt in love with the daughter of Shukracharya, Devyani. This annoyed the demons even further.

One day, the demons killed Kacha in the absence Shukracharya. Devyani got upset with the news . On the request of his daughter, Sage Shukracharya brought Kacha back to life with the help of “Mritsanjivni” knowledge. From there on Kacha and Devyani started loving more each other.

One day while Kacha was alone within the forest, the demons killed him for the second time. They burnt his body and mixed his ashes during a drink, which they gave to Shukracharya. Devyani was shocked with the news. She requested her father to revive Kacha for the second time. The agony of his daughter was unbearable for Shukracharya. Again he used his powers to bring life back to Kacha.


Realizing his mistake of consuming Sura (wine), and its harmful aftereffects, Shukracharya prohibited the Brahmins from consuming it. He warned them that it would destroy their religiousness which they could acquire the sins almost like that of killing a Brahmin and would be condemned both during this world and thus the opposite world.

Devyani was happy to see her father and Kacha alive. But again a problem erupted. Kacha was reluctant to marry Devyani on the basis that since he was reborn from the stomach of Shukracharya. Thus, he was his son and he couldn’t marry his daughter Devyani. This was a bitter shock for her.

She cursed Kacha that from now he would never be ready to use the knowledge of MritSanjeevani mantra . Kacha cursed Devyani reciprocally , that no Brahmin would marry her. Shukracharya had another wife named Gou and he had four sons with Gou. All his four sons were killed during the battle with the devtas. Shukracharya was very pleased and proud with his knowledge and spiritual power, then he always hated Brihaspati, the guru of the devtas.

There is also a mention of Guru Shukracharya with the incident during the incarnation of Lord Vishnu as Narasimha. Hiranyakashyap tried some ways to kill his son Bhakt Prahlad, a lover of Lord Vishnu. Shukracharya, who was against Vishnu, helped Hiranyakashyap during this shameful act. Devi Ganga resisted Shukracharya from indulging himself during this sinful act but Shukracharya didn’t desist from his support of the demons.


Similarly, during the Vaman incarnation of Lord Vishnu, while King Bali was donating the land to Lord Vaman, Shukracharya shrunk himself together with his powers and sat within the spout of the vase, from which water has got to be poured to seal the promise to the deity in disguise. Lord Vishnu, within the disguise of Vaman, understood immediately what was happening, and picked up a stalk of durva grass and stuck it within the spout, poking out the left eye of Shukracharya within the process.

Shukra nities (Rules)

1) The mere mention of a woman’s name delights an individual and his thoughts are crammed with lust, then why not by watching a gorgeous woman who makes her eyebrows dance.

2) Why not a lady , who is clever enough to possess her food alone, who talks softly and delightfully, who can taunt affectionately, will capture the guts of any man.

3) The lust for ‘other women’ has caused destruction to several men like Indra, Dandakya, Nahusha and ravana.

4) king should never have lust for ‘other women’, should never have greed for ‘other’s wealth’, should never give punishment to his subject in anger because ‘Lust’, ‘Greed’ and ‘Anger’ are the causes for downfall

5) One shouldn’t clean his nostrils by inserting fingers in it, shouldn’t draw lines on the world suddenly or shouldn’t dig the world . One shouldn’t scratch his head.

6) One must not be indifferent towards his wife, his son, diseases, servants, livestock , wealth, knowledge and studies and doing service to a gentleman . One should lookout of them.

7) One should accept the great qualities of even the enemies and will salute him but on the opposite hand albeit his teacher has bad qualities, he should reject them.

8) A misadventurist, who tries add a haste without giving much thought, and without knowing the results , gets only sorrow either due to the work itself or due to the results of that employment

9) A person who is under the influence and control of girls , who may be a debtor, struck by extreme poverty, a demander with none quality and wealth- such a person is worse than a dead man, throughout life.

10) One should maintain secrecy of his age, wealth, demerits of his home, Hymn (mantra), copulation, medicine, charity, respect and disrespect i.e. he should never tell others of those nine things.

11) During this world, nobody may be a Brahmin, a warrior caste, a caste doing trading/business and low caste by birth but on the idea of quality (sanskar) and deeds and actions (Karma)

12) One who cleverly protects his subjects, is brave, has control over his senses and whose nature is to punish the incorrect doers is named a Kshatriya.

13) One who is efficient in purchasing and selling daily earns his livelihood by his business, one who does farming and farming are called Vaishya

14) A person is capable or incapable of doing good or evil in his present life consistent with the Karmas wiped out his previous birth that’s if he has done evil Karmas or good Karmas in his previous birth, then his mind will change accordingly in his present birth and can either benefit or can face backlashes as per the karmas.

15) The mind changes soon when the time comes to pay the Karmas. because the destiny is, accordingly one gets friends (good or evil)

16) All the actions of the planet are supported by destiny and labour(Karma), actions committed within the previous birth are destiny and actions committed during this life are called PURUSHARTHA. Thus KARMAS are differentiated in two ways whichever of the 2 (Bhagya and Karma) is powerful forces the opposite to surrender. The strength can’t be identified merely by analyzing the results of the Karma or by the other means

17) It might not be possible to destroy the evils and evil doers if the destiny was unchangeable that’s Karma (labour) can change even the Bhagya (destiny)

18) If the destiny is unfavourable then the foremost virtuous of actions gives bad results a bit like the king Bali who was engaged even after being so charitable and Harishchandra had to serve a MLECHA, even after being a Truthful man

19) Good actions give good results and evil actions give bad results, so one must accept good action give bad results, so one must accept good actions and reject evil actions as described within the scriptures.

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