Ajāmila — an old itihāsa of. A Brāhmaṇa of Kanyā- kubja, versed in śāstras and celebrated in ācāra. Once when out to get kuśa grass, he saw a dāsī and fell in love. Then he abandoned all his duties and discarded his wedded wife. The dāsī became his wife. She bore him ten sons. The last was named Nārāyaṇa best loved of his parents. At the time of his death, when the messengers of Yama were waiting to remove him to hell, he called out his last son by his name Nārāyaṇa. On this, the messengers of Vīṣṇu were on the scene and prevented Yama's men from taking the Brāhman to hell. It was argued that pronouncing the name of Hari at his death redeemed him of all his sins, and that alone was the secret of Dharma. Yama heard this and approved it. Ajāmila, thus rescued from Death, felt peni- tent, and while making tapas at Gaṅgādvāra, he cast off his body and reached Viṣṇuloka. Bhā. VI. 1. 20. to the end; Ib. VI. ch. 2 & 3.
AJĀMILA . Ajāmila's story is given in the Bhāgavata as an example to illustrate that even the most wicked person can attain Viṣṇupāda (Salvation). Ajāmila was a Brahmin who was once sent by his father to the jungle to fetch samit (leaves and twigs to make the sacrificial fire). Ajāmila met there a beauti- ful Śūdra woman. Forgetting everything, the Brahmin made her his wife and children were born to them. When that Brahmin, who was the very embodiment of all vices, reached the age of eighty-seven, the time came for him to die. Yamadūtas (Agents of Yama—the god of death) had arrived. The frightened Ajāmila shouted loudly the name of his eldest son, ‘Nārāyaṇa’. Hearing the repeated call of his name ‘Nārāyaṇa’, Mahāviṣṇu appeared there and dismissed the agents of Yama. From that day Ajāmila became a devotee of Viṣṇu and did penance on the bank of the Ganges and after some years attained salvation. (Bhāgavata, Aṣṭama Skandha, Chapter 1).