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Description of Udumbara, Anantakaaya, etc.
Yoga Shastra, Third Light, Verses 30 to 43. 209. Bees, sitting on each flower, drink its nectar and vomit it. The righteous do not eat that vomited honey. 38. Meaning: Bees sit on each flower, drink its nectar, and vomit it. The righteous do not eat that vomited honey (honey). Even in worldly practice, only pure food is considered fit for consumption by the righteous. 38. Here, a doubt is raised: Honey calms the three doshas. There is no better medicine than this for disease prevention. Then what is the fault in its consumption? In response to this, it is said. 210. Even if taken as medicine, honey is a bond to hell. Even a small particle of poison, if eaten by mistake or out of a desire to live, is fatal. 39. Meaning: Forget about the desire for taste, even taking honey as medicine for disease prevention is a cause of falling into the abyss of hell. Because even a small particle of poison, if eaten by mistake or out of a desire to live, is fatal. 39. Here, another question is raised: Like the juice of dates, raisins, etc., honey is sweet, delicious, and pleasing to all the senses. Why should it be abandoned? In response to this, it is said. 211. The sweetness of honey is said to be ignorance. Those who taste it experience hellish torment for a long time. 40. Meaning: It is true that honey seems sweet in worldly experience. But from the transcendental point of view, it is extremely bitter because it is the cause of hellish torment. It is unfortunate that ignorant people, unaware of the transcendental truth, call bitter honey sweet in the end. Those who taste honey have to suffer hellish torment for a long time. 40. Those who believe that honey is pure and therefore useful for the anointing of gods are ridiculed. 212. Honey, vomited from the mouth of a bee, born from the killing of creatures. Oh! Those who consider it pure, use it for the anointing of gods like Shankar. 41. Meaning: Oh! It is amazing that people who consider honey, vomited from the mouth of a bee and born from the killing of many creatures, to be pure, use it for the anointing of gods like Shankar. Brother! This is like a donkey becoming a musician at the wedding of camels and praising the appearance of the camel, and the camel praising the voice of the donkey! In this way, both praise each other, just like the above statement. 41. Now, the five faults of consuming Udumbara are explained in order. 213. The fruits of Udumbara, Vat, Plaksha, Kakodumbara, and Pipal are full of countless creatures. Therefore, all these five Udumbara fruits are to be abandoned. 42. Meaning: The word Udumbara should be understood to refer to all five types of trees: Gulal, Bada, Pipal (Plaksha), Pars Pipal, Kathumar, Lakshpipal (Lac). The fruits of all these five types of trees should not be eaten; because there are so many insects in one fruit that they cannot be counted. Even in worldly scriptures, it is said: 'There are countless creatures living in the fruit of Udumbara, and it is not known how or from where they enter? It is also difficult to say whether these creatures die when the fruit is cut, broken into pieces, crushed, ground, or even filtered or separated!' Now, those who follow the rule of abandoning all five Udumbara fruits are praised. 42. 214) Even if a virtuous soul, a devotee of vows, is in a country and time where there is an abundance of easily available grains and fruits, he does not eat the fruit of the five Udumbara trees out of virtue. 43. Meaning: A virtuous soul, a devotee of vows, who is in a country and time where there is an abundance of easily available grains and fruits, does not eat the fruit of the five Udumbara trees out of virtue. 43.