Narayan Ravi - Mumbai

Pavanapuresha-Series

Pavanapuresha series part 17: The legend behind Vakacharthu.

Vakacharthu ('charthu' means to 'anoint' or 'apply') is the ceremony where the oil on the deity is removed by applying the powder of the bark of the 'vaka' tree.

Once there lived an orphaned boy named Chashu who did odd jobs for a meagre amount. He prayed to the Lord every night to save him from hunger. Once he went without food for 3 days in a row. Unable to bear the hunger pangs any longer, he was about to drown himself in the river when sage Narada appeared before him.

Saying that it was a sin to commit suicide, the sage gave him a vessel which he said would produce food at will. As days passed, Chashu became greedy and thought another attempt to drown would fulfill his wish of having a big house to live in. But to his dismay, not only did Narada not appear but the food giving vessel also vanished. Gripped by hunger his body was afflicted by severe rashes & infections. Narada advised him to pray to the Lord.

When his cries were heard in Vaikuntha, Lakshmi appealed to the Lord to rescue him. The Lord said that Chashu in his previous birth as a priest had a son Shambhu who was a great devotee of the Lord & soon became one with Him. But Chashu continued to suffer since he remained devoted only till his purpose was served. 'I accept my devotees only after testing them', said the Lord. When Chashu became unconscious the Lord stroked his head. Chashu prayed to be taken to the Lord's abode. The Lord said that he would be born as a vaka tree in Kaliyuga & the powder of its bark would be used to remove the oil on the Lord's body. Thus would Chashu serve the Lord & through the Lord, would serve devotees affected by skin diseases. May the supreme Lord Dhanvanvantari – the divine healer rid us of all our physical & mental illnesses.

Hare Krishna