The extraordinary story of Bhusunda, The Crow

Sage Vasishta was explaining to Sri Rama that liberation and perfection can be attained in two ways. One is by the method of Self-Enquiry and the other by having complete control over life-breath, called Prana. The second method is commonly called Yoga. Both lead the practitioners to the same result.

He continued, “I will tell you now, a remarkably interesting story of an exalted being who was very adept in Yoga. Once I was visiting heaven (Deva loka) and there were some discussions about long-lived and ever-living beings (chiranjeevis). During this discussion one Rishi Satatapa mentioned about a crow, named Bhusunda, living on a wish fulfilling tree called Kalpaka Vrksha, in mount Meru which is on the northernmost tip of the universe. This Bhusunda has lived through many Chatur yugas or Kalpas¹, which translates to millions of years, surviving many cosmic dissolutions called Pralayas. It is generally known that some dissolutions are brought about by extreme heat. In some the entire earth gets submerged in swirling waters. Sometimes the dissolution is due to winds of unimaginable force which can uproot even mountains. No being survives a cosmic dissolution. After a long gap, evolution or Shrusti starts gradually all over again.

The most amazing tale is that Bhusunda, the crow survived many such cosmic dissolutions, which made me very curious and inquisitive. I decided to visit this crow and through my yogic powers, instantly landed near the tree, Kalpaka Vrksha. Bhusunda recognized and welcomed me, with appropriate respect and affection. He asked me to tell him the purpose of my visit.

Thereupon I asked him, ‟Oh! the longest-lived Yogi and King of birds, I came here to visit your gracious self and would like to hear the story of your life which will be inspiring and beneficial to all who listen to it.”

Bhusunda started narrating:

“Once there was a festival, for the great divinity Siva, which was attended by his Ashta Maha Sakthis or eight forces. They are Jaya, Vijaya, Jayanthi, Aparajita, Siddha, Raktha, Alambusa and Udhbala. Of these Alambusa is famous and her vehicle is a powerful crow called Chanda, which mated with the swans, which were vehicles of the Goddess Brahmi, who also attended the festival. The swans laid twenty-one eggs near lake Manasarovar and we all brothers were born into the family of Chanda. We adored Goddess Brahmi, the deity of knowledge, and by her grace achieved self-knowledge. As per our father’s instruction we reached this secluded and tranquil tree and took up our abode”.

I asked “I do not see your brothers. Where are they?”

“After a very long-life lasting aeons, they all abandoned their bodies and ascended into Siva Loka, world of God Siva” replied Bhusunda.

I asked, “During cosmic dissolution, when every being in the cosmos is destroyed, how come you alone survived all cataclysm and that too multiple times?”

Bhusunda said “During such times, I remain united with cosmic space, free from all thoughts. When 12 cosmic suns come together in the sky and scorch everything in sight, I practice Varuni Dharana, contemplation of Varuna, the lord of waters and remain unaffected. When wind blows with unbelievable force destroying everything, I practice Parvati Dharana, contemplation of Parvata, the mountain and remain unaffected. When the creation is dissolved in mighty waters, I practice Vayu Dharana, contemplation of wind and remain unaffected. Then I remain in deep sleep state and when Brahma, the creator, starts the next cycle of creation I return to my nest in this tree which comes up in every creation. This wish fulfilling tree is never shaken by any calamity which befalls cosmos.”

 I felt that it will be very interesting to know what all this ever-living being had witnessed, for it is near impossible to find another being who was an eyewitness to many cycles of creation, sustenance, and dissolution. So, I asked him “Pray tell me whatever you remember across so many Yugas.” I was as excited just as a small child, waiting for the mother to unravel a story and started listening to the extraordinary story never recited or heard before.

The Yogi Bhusunda slowly started narrating,

“There was a time when for eleven thousand years, this earth was covered by lava. One mass of dust filled with stones but without mountains or trees. Even grass started appearing in it only after a long time. In another time only polar region was illumined and in the rest of the earth there was neither day nor night but covered with water. In one Chatur-Yuga (four yugas), this earth was one vast forest and human beings were created spontaneously. In another Chatur-Yuga, it was one chain of mountains without any earth to separate it and there were no living beings. In another there was no earth, and gods and sages lived in space. At another time it was completely dark, there were neither gods nor sages. First there evolved an idea of creation and one after another, beings were created as also the planets and stars. I have observed, with my own eyes, the origin of the sun, moon, and planets. In one epoch it was Vishnu who was the creator, in another it was Brahma and in yet another it was Siva.

Oh! Sage Vasishta, I shall now narrate some important happenings. I saw the consolidation into one, the Vedas which were scattered in pieces in different directions. I saw Maha Vishnu incarnate as Kurma(tortoise). I saw the churning of the Ocean of milk, with Mandara hills as the churning rod and the huge serpent Vasuki as the rope, when many things came out including nectar and poison. Twelve times has the Ocean of milk has been churned and I was a direct witness of all these.

Thrice had the demon Hiranyaksha taken away the earth to Patala loka or nether world. Then Maha Vishnu incarnated as Varaha (boar)Avatar and retrieved it. I saw Maha Vishnu incarnating as Parasurama, the son of Renuka, six times. In this creation, Sri Rama has incarnated for the eleventh time on this earth, and he will incarnate again as Sri Krishna in the wealthy house of Vasudeva. Like Rishi Valmiki who recited the Ramayana now, there have been twelve Valmikis who brought out the same story before.

The Tripura or the three worlds, golden, silver and iron governed by Taraka, Vidhyunmali and Kamalaksha and its denizens have been consumed by the flames thirty times. Daksha, the Prajapati lost his Yajna (sacrifice) twice. I have seen Sri Parameswara defeating Indra ten times. I have seen the conflicts between him and Arjuna as well.

I saw the birth of endless Avatars, Naradas, Bharadwajas, Marichis, Pulastyas, the elephant headed Vinayakas, Subramanyas, Bhringisas and others. Therefore, it is impossible to give out the number of those who came into existence in creation up to now. The illusions of the world will at one time manifest themselves and at another time not. All these illusory happenings will be latent in the one Brahman, like foams in an ocean, will revive and perish, again and again. It is all cyclical.

Oh! Great Rishi Vasistha, this is the eighth of your incarnations and you were born once in the Akasa (Space). This is the eighth time we have met each other,” said the Yogi Bhusunda, which simply astounded me.

I asked him why death has not consumed him as it does for other beings. He said that “Yama the God of death does not come near those who have conquered the negative forces like desire, greed, lust, hatred, jealousy etc. and the mind is like a spotless blue sky. Further Yama will not approach those who do not have any Vasanas (mental impressions which are seeds of thought) whereby the mind is without any ripple or thought even while one is awake.”

He said that the practice of Pranayama, helped him to eliminate thoughts. He elaborated the process to add clarity. The upward flowing life-force is called Prana and the downward flowing life-force is called Apana. Prana arises in the heart and terminates at 12 finger breadths(dwadasanta) outside the body. Apana does the exact reverse, i.e., arises at 12 finger breadths from the body and terminates in the heart. Thus, Apana arises where Prana terminates and vice versa. Prana is like fire moving up and going out, while Apana is like water which goes down towards the heart. Prana is like the sun or fire taking care of the body’s welfare from inside while Apana is the moon which protects the body from outside. One who sees the truth about the sun and moon in one’s own heart, is not born again. If one keenly observes the place and the exact moment at which Prana has stopped and Apana has not yet started, there rises the Kumbhaka (retention of breath) which is effortless. Prana and Mind are directly connected. When Prana is controlled mind is also controlled. The wise attach immense importance to this supreme state of effortless suspension of breath. This is the state of supreme and infinite consciousness otherwise called the SELF or Brahman.

I was still intrigued and asked him, “How is that others are not able to do what you have been doing?” to which Bhusunda answered “It is all Parameswara’s will. It is HIS will that I should be like this, and others should be as they are,” in his own simple and humble way.

I told the Yogi Bhusunda, “That was marvellous, and you are like a creator yourself, for none other than the creator can give eyewitness account spanning many creations. I have earned great merit by seeing you. Kindly give me permission to depart “. He held my hand tightly in a gesture of friendship and we parted.

Sage Vasishta said, “Oh Rama, I was as enthralled as a young child would upon hearing some fascinating tale. All this was in the previous age, Krta Yuga and now it is Treta Yuga. You also practice Pranayama as the great Yogi Bhusunda did and live like him, absolutely unfettered.”

Author’s Note:

This story is part of Nirvana Prakaranam of Yoga Vasishta, a section dealing with liberation. This story details an alternate path to Self-Enquiry, namely Practice of Pranayama, which also ends up in the knowledge of the Self. The explanation on pranayama is a revelation and should be a Yoga practitioner’s delight and those interested should read the original text. The Yogi Bhusunda is beyond the cycles of time and if time is compared to an ocean, he is on the shore, unaffected by time.

Note ¹ Chatur yugas and Kalpas

As defined in the Hindu cosmology, the universe operates in a cyclical mode, each cycle divided into 4 Yugas or ages namely Krta, Treta, Dwapara and Kali. Each Yuga lasts for a definite period. Our present age is Kali Yuga which lasts for 4,32,000 human years, Dwapara Yuga is twice Kali which will be 8,64,000 years, Treta Yuga will be Three times Kali Yuga which will be 12,96,000 years and Krta Yuga four times Kali Yuga which is 17,28,000 years. These four Yugas put together is called a Chatur Yuga or Maha Yuga which totals up to 43,20,000 human years, also referred as One KALPA. At the completion of each KALPA, there will be a Pralaya or dissolution of our world along with many other worlds or Lokas (There are fourteen Lokas in all as per Hindu scriptures.)

A Chatur Yuga constitutes one day of the deity of creation, Brahma. A similar period is Brahma’s one night. Brahma thus lives for one hundred years and at the end of it a Mahapralaya or great dissolution, happens destroying all fourteen Lokas or worlds. The God of creation, Brahma also ceases to exist then. For a duration of one hundred Brahma years nothing exists and “BRAHMAN” the infinite and indescribable alone exists. Then another creation starts with a new Brahma.

One can then imagine the longevity of Bhusunda when it is said that he has seen dissolution and creation so many times!!  

Author’s Reflections

This is an extraordinary tale even by Yoga Vasishta standards. A reader, regardless of age, will relish this description of universe, during various Yuga and times. My recounting the tale is an abridged one taken from abridged and translated works and therefore subjected to double condensation. It will be worth reading the original text.

That all happenings are cyclical and keeps recurring in every age, is a great point to ponder. That means it is possible that this blog has been written by me earlier and may be for an n^th time I am doing this!

If that is so, then the notion that I have compiled this now is blown to bits. Both “I” and “now” in the previous line have no real meaning and my assumption of the authorship does not fit in. Truly mind boggling.

On a different note, I came across many travel vlogs by trekkers going to Kakbhusundi lake in the upper reaches of Himalayas. One can search and get details in internet.

So next time you see a crow, particularly in Himalayas, observe it keenly, for that could be our Yogi Crow Bhusund