Dated 22nd March 2020

Place: Manglam Estate, Agra

Got opportunity to be at home today courtesy *Janta Curfew* declared by our Prime Minister Modi ji.. 😀😆..
I became curious to find out how did this Coronavirus word and disease got originated? I got very interesting
results, which I am sharing with all of you... 👉
********
According to information available on Wikipedia
"*The name coronavirus is derived from the Latin corona, meaning "crown" or "halo", which refers to the
characteristic appearance reminiscent of a crown or a solar corona around the virions (virus particles) when
viewed under two-dimensional transmission electron microscopy, due to the surface covering in club-shaped
protein spikes*"

Then some of my Telugu friend shared me a video, wherein it is shown that Coronavirus is mentioned in
ancient Hindu scripture *Yog Vashishtha*.

That video refers to a Demon (रा सी) named *Karkati* (ककटी) in telugu book *Yog Vashishtha
Ratnakaram*, hence I did further research through net and got the authentic transcription of *Yog Vashishtha*
(योग वािस ). It is supposed to be the second largest Hindu (Sanskrit) Scripture after Mahabharata, written
by Maharishi Valmiki. In Chapter LXVIII & LXIX (68 & 69) of Part III of *Yog Vashishtha*, very interesting story
of *Karkati* is written, which I have copied in Sanskrit & English both and reproducing here below for
your reading.

At the end of story, a mantra is given by lord Brahma as a medicine and it is mentioned that who recite this
mantra, will not be afflicted by the disease. I request all to recite this mantra; which will certainly be helpful
in today’s Coronavirus pandemic scenario

YOGA VASHISHTHA
The below list gives an overview of the contents and stories in the Yoga Vasistha, as it appears in
Swami Venkatesananda's translation. The same stories are included in the Moksopaya, on which
the Yoga Vasistha was based, as well.
It should be noted that in the beginning of the book Vasistha states that the stories have a "definite
purpose and a limited intention. They are not to be taken literally, nor is their significance to be
stretched beyond the intention."
Section One: On Dispassion
Section Two: On the Behavior of a Seeker

 The Story of Śuka

 Self Effort

Section Three: On Creation

 The Story of Lila

 The Story of Karkati
 The Story of the Sons of Indu
 The Story of Ahalya
 The Story of the Great Forest
 The Story of the Three Non-Existent Princes
 The Story of Lavana

Section Four: On Existence

 The Story of Sukra

 The Story of Dama, Vyala and Kata
  The Story of Bhima, Bhasa and Drdha
 The Story of Dasura
 Kaca’s Story

Section Five: On Dissolution

 The Story of King Janaka

 The Story of Punya and Pavana
 The Story of Bali
 The Story of Prahlada
 The Story of Gadhi
 The Story of Uddalaka
 The Story of Suraghu
 The Story of Bhasa and Vilasa
 The Story of Vitahavya

Section Six: On Liberation

 Discourse on Brahman
 The Story of Bhusunda
 Description of the Lord
 Deva Puja
 The Story of the Wood-apple
 The Story of the Rock
 The Story of Arjuna
 The Story of the Hundred Rudra
 The Story of the Vampire
 The Story of Bhagiratha
 The Story of Sikhidvaja and Cudala
 The Story of the Philosopher’s Stone
 The Story of the Foolish Elephant
 The Story of Kaca
 the Story of the Deluded Man
 The Story of Vipascit
 The Story of the Hunter and the Sage
 The World Within the Rock
 The Story of the Sage from Outer Space
 The Story of Bhrngisa
 The Story of lksvaku
 The Story of the Hunter and the Deer
 The Seven States of Yoga

The following excerpts are copied by me from Yog Vashishtha (Link

https://www.wisdomlib.org/hinduism/book/yoga-vasistha-sanskrit/d/doc245898.html)
Yoga Vasistha (Sanskrit: योग वािस ) is a spiritual text written by Srishti Rachaita Lord Valmiki Ji. It is believed
by some Hindus to answer all the questions that arise in the human mind. By reading this book one can get the
moksha. It recounts a discourse of the sage Vasistha to a young Prince Rama, during a period when the latter is
in a dejected state. The contents of Vasistha's teaching to Rama is associated with Advaita Vedanta, the illusory
nature of the manifest world[1] and the principle of non-duality. The book has been dated between the 11th and
14th century AD) and is generally regarded as one of the longest texts in Sanskrit (after the Mahabharata) and
an important text of Yoga. The book consists of about 32,000 shlokas (lines), including numerous short stories
and anecdotes used to help illustrate its content. In terms of Hindu mythology, the conversation in the Yoga
Vasishta takes place chronologically before the Ramayana.
 ीविस उवाच ।
अ व ै ोदाहर तीमिमितहासं पुरातनम् ।
रा यो ं महा जालमाविलतािखलम् ॥ १ ॥
Vasishtha said:—Hear me relate to you, Rama! an old anecdote bearing upon
this subject, and relating to a difficult proposition adduced by the Rakshasi
for solution.

अि त क लप का े रवो ा शालभि का ।
िहमा े रे पा ककटी नाम रा सी ॥ २ ॥
There lived on the north of Himalaya a heinous Rakshasi, by name of
Karkati—a crooked crab; who was as dark as ink and stalwart as a rock, with
limbs as strong as could split the sturdy oak.

िवषूिचकािभधाना च ना ा य यायवािधका ।
िव याटवीव देहन
े शु का का यमुपागता ॥ ३ ॥
She was also known by the title of Visuchi by which she was ever afflicted,
and which had reduced her frame like that of the Vindhya hill, which was
cowered down.

महाबलाि नयना रोदोर ाधपूरणी ।

नीला बरधरा कृ णा देहब व
े यािमनी ॥ ४ ॥
Her eye-balls were as blazing as fires; and her stature reaching half way to
the sky, was girt by a blue garment, like the shade of night wrapping the
atmosphere.

नीहारवसन छ ा मेदरु ा िशरःपटा ।

ल बा िब बो लिसता िन यो थितिमरो वजा ॥ ५ ॥
A white mantle formed the covering of her head, like the fragment of a cloud;
and the long erect hairs of her head, stood like a sable cloud on her crest.
ि थरिव ु लताने ा तमालत जानुका ।
वैदय
ू शूपा नखी भ मनीहारहािसनी ॥ ६ ॥
Her eyes flashed as lightnings, and her sharp hooked nails glistened as
sapphires; her legs were as long as tamala trees, and her loud laughter was as
a burst of frost.
िनमासनरदेहौघपु प दामभूिषता ।
सवा गोदा सं ोतशवमालािवरािजता ॥ ७ ॥
A string of dried bones decorated her body, like a wreath of flowers; and the
relics of dead bodies, adorned every part of her body.
वेतालावेशिवचल कालक कालकु डला ।
अकादानो कदीघा भीमो भुजम डला ॥ ८ ॥
She frolicked in the company of Vetalas, with human skulls hanging down
her ears as ear-rings; and stretched out her arms aloft, as if she was going to
pluck the sun from his sphere.
त या िवपुलकाय वा दुलभ वाि जा धसः ।
अतृ ोऽणवलेखाया इवाभू ाठरोऽनलः ॥ ९ ॥
Her huge body being in want of its necessary aliment, caused her culinary fire
to blaze like the submarine flame, which the waters of the deep are unable to
quench.

न कदाचन सा तृि मुपयाता महोदरी ।

वडवानलिज वेव िच तयामास चैकदा ॥ १० ॥
Nothing could ever satiate the insatiable hunger, of this big bellied monster;
nor satisfy her lickerish tongue, which was always stretched out like a flame
of fire.

ज बू ीपगता सवाि िगरािम जना य द ।

अनारतमनु ासं जलरािशिमवाणवः ॥ ११ ॥
She thought in herself saying said:—Oh! if I could but once go to the Jambu-
dwipa—the land of Asia, I would devour all its men in one swoop, and feast
on them continually, like the submarine fire upon the waters.

मेघेन मृगतृ णेव त मे द

ु प
ु शा यित ।
अिव व ै सा युि ययाप द िह जी ते ॥ १२ ॥
As the clouds cool the burning sands by their rain, so will I allay the burning
fire of my hunger there. It is settled as the best plan to support my life, at this
critical moment.

म ौषधतपोदानदेवपूजा दरि तम् ।

सममेव जनं सव िनबाधं कः बाधते ॥ १३ ॥
All men are well guarded by means of their mantras, medicines, austerities,
devotions and charities, from all evils of the world; whence it is impossible
for anybody to destroy the indestructible devotee.

तपः करोिम परममिख ेनव ै चेतसा ।

तपसैव महो ेण य दुरापं तदा यते ॥ १४ ॥
I will perform the most rigorous austerities, with an unflinching heart and
mind; because it is by intensity of painstaking, that we may gain what is
otherwise hard to be had.

इित संिच य सा सवज तुजातिजघांसया ।

तपोथमथ स मार पवतं भूतदुगमम् ॥ १५ ॥
Having thought so, she repaired to an inaccessible mountain, for the purpose
of destroying all animal beings.

आ रोह च त छृ गं ि थरिव ुि लोचना ।

ह तपादा दम ेहा यामलेवा म डली ॥ १६ ॥
She climbed to the top of the mountain, by scrambling over it with her hands
and feet; and stood on it with her body resembling a cloud, and her eye-balls
flashing as lightnings.
त ग वाथ सा ा वा तपः कतु कृ ति थितः ।
अित देकपादेन च ाका प दलोचना ॥ १७ ॥
Having got to the summit, she made her ablution and then sat at her
devotion; with her steadfast eyeballs resembling the two orbs of the sun and
moon, and fixed on one object.

मेण दवसाः प ा त या मासतवो ययुः ।

शीतातपेषु लीनायाः कृ ताया इव शैलतः ॥ १८ ॥
She passed there many a day and month, and saw the course of many a season
and year. She exposed her huge body to the rigor of heat and cold, like the hill
itself.

सा बभूवा मालायाः समासं ति भताकृ ितः ।

कृ णो वगो वके शी च खमाहतुिमवो ता ॥ १९ ॥
She with her huge black body, remained unmoved as a thick sable cloud, on
the mountain top; and her jet black hairs stood up as if to touch the sky.

आलो य तां पवनजज रता गक वक् चीरा गणाकृ ितरण पवनावधूतैः ।

ऊ व थमूधजतमःपटलैदधानां तारोघमौि कमजः समुपाजगाम ॥ २० ॥
Seeing her body beaten by the blasts, and covered with nothing but her
ragged skin; and her hairs standing up to their end, to be tossed to and fro by
the raging winds; while the twinklings of her eyelids, shed a whitish glare on
her sable frame, the god Brahma made his appearance before her.

ीविस उवाच ।
अथ वषसह ण े तां िपतामह आययौ ।
दा णं िह तपः िस यै िवषाि रिप शीतलः ॥ १ ॥
Vasishtha resumed:—After the lapse of a thousand years, Brahma appeared
to her, in order to put an end to the ardour of her austerities, and crown her
with success or the reward of her devotion.

मनसैव ण यैनं सा तथैव ि थता सती ।

को वरः ु छमायालिमित िच ताि वताभवत् ॥ २ ॥
She saluted him internally in her mind, and remained fixed in her position;
thinking about the boon she should beg of him, for allaying her keen appetite.

आ मृतं ाथिय येऽहं वरमेकिममं िवभुम् ।

अनायसी चायसी च यामहं जीवसूिचका ॥ ३ ॥
She soon recollected a certain request, which she should prefer to her
complying god; and it was to transform her soft and flexible form to the shape
of an inflexible iron-nail, wherewith she could torment all living beings.
अ यो या ि िवधा सूिचभू वाल या िवशा यहम् ।
ािणनां सह सवषां दयं सुरिभयथा ॥ ४ ॥
At Brahma's bidding, she bethought in herself: “I will become as thin as a
minute pin, in order to enter imperceptibly into the hearts of animals, as the
odor of flowers enters the nostrils.” (In today’s context, name it Cancer,
Corona, Cholera, or any other disease)

यथािभमतमेतन
े सेयं सकलं जगत् ।
मेण ुि नाशाय ुि नाशः परं सुखम् ॥ ५ ॥
“By this means will I suck the heart-blood of beings, to my heart's
satisfaction; in this way will my hunger be satiated, and the gratification of
my appetite, will give the greatest delight to my soul.”

इित संिच तय त तामुवाच कमलालयः ।

अ यादृ या तथा दृ वा तिनता ारवोपमम् ॥ ६ ॥
As she was thinking in this manner, the God discovered her sinister motives,
contrary to the character of a yogi; and accosted her in a voice resembling the
roaring of clouds.

ोवाच ।
पुि कक टके र ःकु लशैला मािलके ।
उि वं तु तु ोऽि म गृहाणािभमतं वरम् ॥ ७ ॥
Brahma said:—Daughter Karkati, of the Rakshasa race, that sittest here like
a cloud on the inaccessible top of this mountain; know that I am pleased with
thy devotion, and bid thee now to raise thyself, and receive the boon that thou
desirest of me.

कक वु ाच ।
भगव भूतभ ेश यामहं जीवसूिचका ।
अनायसी चायसी च िवधेऽपयिस चे रम् ॥ ८ ॥
Karkati answered said:—“O Lord of the past and future! If thou art inclined
to grant my request, then please to confer on me the boon, of transforming
my unironlike body to the form of an iron needle.”

ीविस उवाच ।
एवमि वित तामु वा पुनराह िपतामहः ।
सूिचका सोपसगा वं भिव यिस िवषूिचका ॥ ९ ॥
Vasishtha said:—The God pronounced “Be it so,” and joined, “thou wilt be as
a pin, and shalt be called the choleric pain, for thy giving pain to all bodies.”

सू मया मायया सवलोक हंसां क र यिस ।

दुभ जना दुरार भा मूखा दुःि थतय ये ॥ १० ॥
“Thou shalt be the cruel cause of acute pain and pang to all living being; and
particularly to the intemperate and hard-working fools, and loose libertines,
who are destined to be thy devoted victims”.
दुदशवािसनो दु ा तेषां हंसां क र यिस ।
िव याऽऽ दयं ाणैः प लीहा दबाधनात् ॥ ११ ॥
“Moreover shalt thou molest the dwellers of unhealthy districts, and the
practicers of malpractices; by entering their hearts with thy infectious breath,
and by disturbing their sleep, and deranging the liver and other intestinal
parts of the body.”

वातलेखाि मका ािधभिव यिस िवषूिचका ।

सगुणं िवगुणं चैव जनमासादिय यिस ॥ १२ ॥
Thou shalt be of the form of wind (in the bowels), and cause bile and
flatulence under the different names of colic diseases, and attack the
intemperate both among the wise and unwise.”

गुणाि वतिच क साथ म ोऽयं तु मयो यते ।

ोवाच ।
िहमा े रे पा ककटी नाम रा सी ॥ १३ ॥
“The wise when attacked by thee, will be healed by repeating this runic
mantra, which I will here propound for their benefit.”
िवषूिचकािभधाना सा ना ा य यायबािधका ।
त या म ः ।
The mantra runs thus said:—“There lives Karkati, the Rakshasi, in the north
of the snowy mountain; her name is Visuchika, and it is for repelling her
power that I repeat this mantra;

ॐ ांर रां िव णुश ये नमः ।

ॐनमो भगवित िव णुशि मेनां ॐहरहर नयनय पचपच मथमथ उ सादय दूरेकु वाहा िहमव तं ग छ जीव सः सः
सः च म डलगतोऽिस वाहा ।
इित म ी महाम ं य य वामकरोदरे ।
माजयेदातुराकारं तेन ह तेन संयत
ु ः ॥ १४ ॥
Om, I bow to hring, hrang and ring, rang—the powers of Vishnu, and invoke
the Vaishnavi powers to remove, destroy, root out, drive away this choleric
pain, far beyond the Himalayas, and afar to the orb of the moon. Om (amen)
and swaha (soho), be it so”. Let these lines be held on the left arm as an
amulet.

िहमशैलािभमु येन िव त
ु ां तां िविच तयेत् ।
ककटीककशा दां म मु रम दताम् ॥ १५ ॥
“Then rub the painful part with the palm of that hand, and think the colic
Karkati to be crushed under the mallet of this amulet, and driven back beyond
the hills with loud wailing.”
आतुरं िच तये े रसायन द ि थतम् ।
अजरामरणं यु ं मु ं सवािधिव मैः ॥ १६ ॥
“Let the patient think the medicinal moon to be seated in his heart, and
believe himself to be freed from death and disease; and his faith will save his
life and heal his pain.”

साधको िह शुिचभू वा वाचा तः सुसमािहतः ।

मेणानेन सकलां ोि छनि िवषूिचकाम् ॥ १७ ॥
“The attentive adept, who having purified himself with sprinkling the water
in his mouth, repeats this formula, he succeeds in a short time to remove the
colic pain altogether.”

इित गगनगति लोकनाथो गगनगिस हीतिस म ः ।

गत उपगतश व मानो िनजपुरम यमायमु वल ीः ॥ १८ ॥
The lord of the three worlds then disappeared in the air, after delivering this
efficacious amulet to the Siddhas attending upon him. He went to his
splendid seat in heaven, where he was received by the god Indra, who
advanced to hail him with his hosannas.

Composed & edited by:

Rakesh Mohan Khanduri