The Divine Journey of Kagbhushundi: From Sin to Salvation - Garib Das Ji

The Divine Dialogue Between Garuda and Sage Kagbhushundi: The Secret of Eternal Peace and Radiance

Once, Garuda—the mighty vehicle of Lord Vishnu—was drawn toward an extraordinary sage whose presence radiated divine light and immense peace. This sage was none other than Kagbhushundi, a being of deep wisdom and spiritual power. As Garuda sat near him, he felt a profound calmness settle over his soul. Captivated by Kagbhushundi's soothing speech and glowing form, Garuda respectfully asked, “Seeing you brings an unexplainable peace. Your words are so sweet and calming, and your body shines with divine brilliance. How did you attain such a state? Please, tell me about yourself.” This conversation marks the beginning of a deep spiritual revelation.

Garuda says

Give me complete information, for your words are gentle and your gaze is full of affection. Your speech is very kind and graceful. Your eyes reflect nobility and purity. You have the body and face of a divine crow, and on your head, like a rooster’s crest, there are three feathered plumes resembling flowers. Thus, on the head of Kagbhushundi, there are three such crests.

Now Garudadev is setting the stage and offering praise, saying,
"Your words are very sweet. Speaking with you brings me peace."

The beauty of your body is so radiant, as if the rays of the sun are shining. Who are you by nature? Who are your parents? What is your lineage? Please reveal this secret to me. To this, Kagbhushundi replied:

Kagbhushandi is addressing Garuda as "Khagesh" i.e. superior amongst birds and saying, I will narrate to you the tale of my previous births. Countless past lives were wasted. They were trampled, lived in vain, and destroyed. I could not preserve them. I wasted countless human births.

In the city of Avadhpuri, I was born. When I turned 20, both my parents passed away. At that time, a terrible famine struck the land—so severe that people began eating one another to survive. Many died of hunger. I left Avadhpuri, O Lord of birds! O King of the skies! I traveled to the region of Malu, to a city called Avantika. O Khagraaya! O Master of Birds! O Garuda, please listen now. There was no famine in Avantika. There, I could eat to my fill and satisfy my hunger.

Now Bhushundi Ji says that he met a priest at a Shiva temple, a Shivalay. That priest used to recite stories and teachings of Lord Shiva. I stayed in his company for six months. He treated me like a son, gave me love, respect, and advised me, “My child, people in this world are always suffering. Sorrow never ends—You should worship God.”

For six months, he kept teaching me, again and again, to engage in devotion to God. But such was the burden of sin blocking my path, that only after six continuous months of satsang (spiritual discourse) did this soul finally begin to awaken.

Kagbhushundi is narrating the story of his past life. His Guru, who was a devoted follower of Lord Shiva. His Guru was truly blessed and favoured by Shiva. One day, however, Kagbhushundi failed to show proper respect to his Guru. The Guru came to the temple, but that day, out of pride, Kagbhushundi did not rise to greet him. He merely offered a half-hearted greeting while still seated—or perhaps not even that, just looked at him indifferently. Such is the suffering brought by pride and karmic worthlessness.

Then, a divine voice (akashvani) echoed. Lord Shiva said, “You cannot even respect my devotee, my priest, my servant—how can you claim to be my devotee? You will be cast into hell for one hundred thousand years!” This divine proclamation was heard by my Guru himself.

Now see—Kagbhushundi had disrespected his Gurudev. The Guru, the Pandit, stood before Lord Shiva and pleaded repeatedly,
“O Supreme Lord, please forgive him. He is just a child. O Lord, have mercy—he is young and unaware.”

He also turned to Kagbhushundi and said, “My son, you too fold your hands and pray to the Lord.”
The Guru kept praying for twelve hours—four full watches of the day—earnestly trying to save his disciple.

Then, a divine voice from Lord Shiva came again. Shiva said, “The words I have spoken cannot be undone. He must go to hell.”

Still, the Guru continued to pray. Eventually, another divine voice was heard: “Very well. He must still go to hell, but he will not suffer there. He must pass through Yama’s realm, but no harm shall come to him.”

Bhushundi Ji says, “My sinful deeds caused me immense suffering. When that body of mine perished, I went to the realm of Yama—Kaal’s domain, that is, hell. However, I did not experience torment there, because Lord Shiva had already given the order that I should not be harmed or beaten. But still, I had to remain there for one hundred thousand years.”

Now understand this—
even twenty minutes of suffering can feel unbearably long, while three hours of happiness, like when watching a movie, pass unnoticed.
In the same way, Bhushundi Ji says, “Yes, those years in hell passed somehow. What can I say? I remained in hell for a hundred thousand years.”

It’s like this—if someone has connections with the prison minister and for some reason must still go to jail, they may have to stay there, but with a word from above, the jailor won’t cause them any extra trouble. That’s the kind of relief I received.

Now the conversation turns to Rishi Lomas, and how Kagbhushundi was born again.

Kagbhushundi says:

“After that, I was reborn in a human body. At one place, Rishi Lomas was delivering a spiritual discourse. I went there and sat among the audience.

He was mostly speaking about the sagun (form-based aspect of God)—about this and that, describing it in various ways. And I began arguing with him. The fault was mine—my intellect wasn’t working properly, and I kept looking for flaws in what the Rishi was saying.

Then Rishi Lomas cursed me:

'O Chandala! Be born in the house of a low-caste scavenger—a Kaag-Chandala (crow-born).'

But I did not feel sorrow or anger at that moment. I was frightened. With a downcast face and folded hands, I said humbly, 'O Rishi, if you must give me a birth, then at least bless me so that I never forget God.'

Hearing this, Rishi Lomas was pleased. He said, 'Very well. Your next birth will be as a Kaag (crow) and Chandala. But your lower body will remain human, while the upper part—your beak—will be like that of a crow.'

There was a debate, and through this event, Saint Garib Das Ji is explaining it to us via the story of Rishi Lomas and Kagbhushundi.”

Now what is being explained here is:

What is Sagun (form-based aspect of God)?

And what is Nirgun (formless aspect of God)?

One example was given by Rishi Lomas, as narrated by Saint Garib Das Ji:

He said—just as the river Ganga descended from Satlok and entered into the coiled hair (jata-kundal) of Lord Shiva. It took six months to fill that coiled lock. After six months, when it was filled, Ganga began to move upward again.

During this time, King Bhagirath was performing penance. He prayed for Ganga to come down to Earth. Although she was destined to descend anyway, his devotion pleased her, and she agreed.

Just as the river Ganga was dwelling in the coiled locks (jata-kundali) of Lord Shiva,
and through penance Bhagirath brought her down—here, the famous story says that Ganga came because of Bhagirath's penance.

And there is a common saying: “Ganga was destined to come, and Bhagirath was destined to gain the glory.”

This illustrates the idea that—When something is not yet with us, and we only know its qualities, it is Nirgun (formless or inaccessible), because we cannot actually experience its benefits.

But when that very thing becomes available to us—when it is present before us—then it becomes Sagun (manifested with qualities). Only then can we truly enjoy or experience it.

So it is explained: When Ganga was not yet on Earth, she was Nirgun—she had qualities, but they were inaccessible.

When she descended and began flowing visibly on Earth, she became Sagun—you could see her, bathe in her, wash with her, drink her clear, pure water. This is not about liberation—it's just to help understand the concept.

So one example given was that earlier Ganga was Nirgun because she was hidden and not on Earth.
When she appeared and all her qualities could be experienced, she became Sagun.

Another example:

Like a tree exists in a seed, but it is not visible—until the seed is sown and grows into a plant or tree,
its benefits cannot be realized. So the seed is Nirgun, and once it grows and is visible and useful, it becomes Sagun. This is how the concept was explained.

But Kagbhushundi says:

"I couldn’t understand any of it. My mind wasn’t functioning clearly. I kept arguing again and again.

Despite many examples given, due to my ignorance I kept escalating the debate.

Then Rishi Lomas finally said, 'O Chandala! You deserve to be born in the house of a Chandala (low-caste scavenger).’”

Now Rishi Lomas said, “Alright, you will at least retain the memory of devotion to God. Go and take birth in the house of Kaagchand.”

Then the story of that birth is narrated:

Lord Brahma's vehicle is a swan (hansa), and he also had a female swan (hansini). Goddess Savitri used to ride on the female swan. When the hansini came into a fertile state, she was taken to Kaagchand. There, she conceived—and from that union, Kagbhushundi was born.

He had the body of a celestial being, but the face of a crow.

He (Kagbhushundi) says:

“Countless births were wasted; not even a beginning was made in true dharma, karma, and devotion.
And even when a beginning was made, it got spoiled by arguments and ignorance. As a result, I had to suffer one hundred thousand years in hell.”

Then, he received a human birth again—but once more, this sinful mind argued with Rishi Lomas and earned a curse. Only after that, he was born again as Kagbhushundi. It was then that he met the Supreme God in the form of Jogjeet. And when that Supreme Being gave him spiritual knowledge different from anything he had heard before, he was shaken—completely transformed. He fell at God’s feet.

He received his first divine mantra at that time. And he remembered all his past sufferings—how much pain he had endured through many lifetimes. So he began to worship with full determination.

He became long-lived, though liberation was still far away. Later in the story—which will be told ahead—he meets a sage named Satsukrit. This is actually the Supreme God Himself, who appears to meet worthy souls. Then, by God's grace, Kagbhushundi received true knowledge and true devotion.
That was the real beginning of his spiritual journey—like a student picking up the pen for the first time.

He had earlier taken initiation from a Pandit and started worshipping Shiva. Later, he took initiation from Rishi Lomas again. After being reborn, his devotion gradually increased.

Eventually, the Supreme Lord Himself came to meet him. He gave him a portion of true spiritual knowledge and devotion—not the complete one, but even that was enough. Kagbhushundi practiced that devotion with great determination, which led to him attaining his current state of immortality. He was granted a very long life.

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