Bhuśuṇḍa
Bhuśuṇḍa (भुशुण्ड) or Kākabhuśuṇḍa, the venerable and large-hearted crow from the Valmīki Rāmāyana, whose conversation with Sage Vaśiṣṭha is narrated by Vaśiṣṭha to Rāma:
अथ राम भुशुण्डोऽसौ न प्रहृष्टो न वक्रधीः ।
सर्वाङ्गसुन्दरः श्यामः प्रावृषीव पयोधरः ॥
Vasiṣṭha says (śrīvasiṣṭha uvāca ): “Now Rama, know this Bhuśuṇḍa, who was of a complexion as black as that of a cloud heavy with water in the rainy season; to have a countenance which neither merry nor sorry, and a mind free from guile and cunning.”
Bhuśuṇḍa looked upon both the past and future dispassionately, and took many births and observed the world through the ages.
आसीत्किंचित्पुरा कल्पे जगद्यच्चिरमास्थितम् ।
संनिवेशेन चैतद्वदद्यापि च न दूरगम् ॥
“This world has existed by the prior and bygone kalpa, in the very same state as it does at present, and there is no variation in the formation or location of any thing in any wise.”
Bhuśuṇḍa resided on a Kalpavṛkṣa standing on a beautiful peak surrounded by luxuriant vegetation in the north-eastern corner of Mahāmeru. There were numerous bird-nests on the southern branch of that Kalpavṛkṣa. Once, when the Sage Vasiṣṭha went to Devaloka, he happened to hear about this crow and went to see Bhuśuṇḍa in its nest. The crow recognised the venerable Sage Vasiṣṭha at once.
इदममलगिरा समाह शुद्धममृतमनुज्झितसंभ्रमक्रमेण ।
कथयितुमखिलं निजं स्वरूपं मधुपमिव स्तनितेन मुग्धमेघः ॥
“After he had respectfully received and honored me, with his pure and nectarine words; he began to recite to me his own narration, as the rumbling of a rainy cloud, delights the hearts of the thirsty world.”
The Sage opened the conversation as follows:
”Oh, King of birds! when were you born? How did you become a great soul? How old are you? Have you recollections of the past?”
स्निग्धगम्भीरवचनः स्मितपूर्वाभिभाषणः ।
करस्थबिल्वफलवत्प्रतोलितजगत्त्रयः ॥
(Vasiṣṭha says to Rāma) “His voice was grave and mild, and his words were accompanied by a gentle smile, and he spoke of the three worlds, as if he balanced three beal fruits in his hands.”
Bhuśuṇḍa narrates all that he had seen in his past lives.
“Long long ago, the whole earth was full of big rocks, without trees, forests or mountains. After a great flood the surface of the earth was covered with ashes. In one caturyuga (a period equal to the length of the four yugas, Kṛta, tretā, dvāpara and Kali) the earth was filled with forest trees and in another Caturyuga, mountain ranges appeared. I have seen an age in which Brāhmaṇas were drunkards, Śūdras were virtuous and women of noble families committed adultery. You have now been born in the eightieth “janma” as the son of Brahmā. You were born once from the sky, at another time from water, then from the mountain and again from fire. I can remember this earth sinking into the ocean five times and Lord Viṣṇu taking the form of a tortoise, lifting it up, above the water. I have seen the ocean of milk being churned twelve times. I know that Hiraṇyākṣa had taken the earth three times to Pātāla (underworld). The Lord has incarnated six times as Bhārgava Rāma. Incarnation of Buddha has taken place in six Kaliyugas. Tripuradahana (burning of the Tripurāsuras) has taken place thirty times. Dakṣa yāga was broken up twice. Lord Śiva has slain ten Indras. He fought seven times with Śrī Kṛṣṇa for the sake of Bāṇa. I also remember another epic entitled “Rāmāyaṇa”, containing one lakh of verses and dealing with metaphysical problems. I have seen the customs of Kṛtayuga being followed in Kaliyuga and the customs of Kaliyuga being followed in Kṛtayuga.”
इति सुमतिभुशुण्डसत्कथां यो विमलमतिः प्रविचारयिष्यतीह ।
भवभयबहुलाकुलास्थितां स प्रसभमसत्सरितं तरिष्यतीति ॥
Valmīki says to Rāma at the conclusion of recounting his conversation with Bhuśuṇḍa: “The man of pure heart, that considers well the narrative of the virtuous Bhusunda, will undoubtedly pass over the unstable gulf of this world, which is full of formidable dangers on all sides.”
Sources:
1. Yoga Vasistha by Vihari-Lala Mitra; 1891
2. Puranic encyclopaedia by Vettam Mani
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