Brahmavadis and Brahmavadinis.

Males who have attained realization are Brahmavadis.

Females who have attained realization are Brahmavadinis.

If mantras have been revealed to them, then they become Rishis and Rishikas.

I deliberately did not use the terms men and women.

Instead I used males and females.

Because Brahmavadis and Brahmavadinis need not be humans alone.

There was a Rakshasi who was a Brahmavadini.

Her name was Karkati.

Born like any other Rakshasi.

Looked like any other Rakshasi, huge body.

Her limbs looked like the legs of a crab.

Crab is called karkata in Sanskrit.

Matted hair, protruding teeth, black as coal.

Voice like thunder.

Very scary.

Rakshasas and Rakshasis have insatiable hunger.

You should remember the kitchens of the homes of Rakshasas in Lanka.

Hundreds of buffaloes, camels, donkeys.

They were eaten every day, cooked and raw.

Karkati was always hungry.

Nothing could satisfy her hunger.

She thought if I could eat every living being of Jamboo-dweepa together, then that might satisfy my hunger.

Jamboo-dweepa is Eurasia.

But the inhabitants of Jamboo-dweepa then were virtuous people.

They were under the protection of Gods.

She couldn't go near them.

So, she decided to do tapas.

At the end of intense tapas Brahmadeva appeared before her.

He gave her two solutions.

I will make your external body as small as a needle.

And also turn you into an invisible needle, being which you can attack and consume people.

This invisible needle that she became is the epidemic called vishoochika, Cholera.

Brahma said but you can attack only people who keep their surroundings dirty, who eat unhygienic food, and who have got unhealthy habits.

With this boon Karkatika's food intake increased tremendously.

She attacked and killed millions in the form of the epidemic, Cholera.

It was a pandemic.

She kept on doing this.

Her mind was satisfied, but not her body.

She wanted to go back to her original form.

And started doing tapas again.

For 7,000 years she did tapas.

But this long tapas started purifying her mind.

At the end of this tapas, she got realization.

She enjoyed being in samadhi for days together.

But she had started tapas to get enjoyment of food.

Brahma appeared again before her and said: don't worry, whenever you come out of samadhi you will get food without any effort.

And also karkati got back her original form.

Once she went into samadhi for 6 months at one go.

When she woke up, she felt very hungry.

It was night time.

She started roaming around in the forest.

Two men came her way.

She thought if they are good people then I won't touch them.

If they are bad then I will eat them.

She decided to test them.

She went in front of them roared loudly and said: I am going to eat you both.

One of them said: don't bother to scare us, look for someone else.

I am the king of this place and this is my minister.

My people are suffering from Cholera and we are looking for those who are responsible for this.

And one more thing, I or anyone for that matter dies only as per the wish of supreme Almighty.

And as long as my karma with which I am born is not exhausted, nobody can kill me.

Rakshasi said: oh! you seem to be quite knowledgeable.

Let me ask you some questions.

If you answer them correctly then I will spare you.

Karkati asked them tricky questions.

Who is inside an atom having single and many forms and who carries lacs of universes?

Who am i?

Who are you?

Who moves ?

Who is stationery?

What is alive?

What is dead?

What is most subtle?

What is darkness?

What is light?

What is as short as closing of the eyelid and at the same time as long as a kalpa?

Such questions.

They answered all the questions correctly.

Of course, Karkati was qualified to approve their answers.

She said, I am happy for you both.

How can I help you?

The king said: give me a solution for Cholera.

She said I will give you a mantra.

Let the physicians of your kingdom write it on bhoja leaves and tie them to their right hands.

Let them keep their left palm on the patient, keep the right palm on top of it and then chant this mantra.

The patient will be cured.


ॐ ह्रीं ह्रां विष्णुशक्तये नमः। ॐ नमो भगवति विष्णुशक्तिमेनां ॐ हर हर नय नय पच पच मथ मथ उत्सादय दूरे कुरु स्वाहा। हिमवन्तं गच्छ जीव सः सः चन्द्रमण्डलगतोऽसि स्वाहा।

The king said: please come to the palace and enjoy our hospitality.

She said: I am a Rakshasi.

Your royal hospitality will never satisfy me.

Still come with us for six days.

During that time whoever is sentenced to death in my country, I will give them to you.

At the end of six days Karkati realized that this was a good arrangement.

The king said, you can continue your spiritual pursuit.

Whenever you wake up from samadhi, come here.

I will keep alive all those death deserving criminals until then.

You can consume them and satisfy your hunger.

There is another mantra of Karkati to ward off bad dreams.

हिमालयस्योत्तरे देशे कर्कटी नाम राक्षसी।
तस्याः स्मरणमात्रेण दुःस्वप्नः शमितिं व्रजेत्॥