॥ ॐ नमो भगवते वासुदेवाय ॥
Tuesday, 15 November 2022 IV.22 - The great Satsang of King Prithu with the Kumaras.
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As Bhagavan Maha Vishnu had assured King Prithu, now the Kumaras arrive. In his interactions with them, King Prithu demonstrates how an ideal Satsang should be with enlightened masters. No wonder that Poet Vyasa is compelled finally in the chapter to compare King Prithu to Bhagavan Sri Rama Himself! Sri Rama is described as the epitome of greatness in a human being - वन्देहं करुणाकरं रघुवरं भूपालचूडामणिम् (Saint Tulasidasa).
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While the assembly was extolling King Prithu, the four Kumaras, firstborn of Lord Brahma and enlightened from birth, descended from the sky to the boundless adulation of King Prithu and everyone else. These radiant sages had the same impact, Sage Vyasa says, as the attractions of a fancy mall to a modern man like me steeped in worldliness! King Prithu rushed to receive them with exemplary reverence and courtesy as stated in the scriptures.
Sage Vyasa reminds us that these Kumaras were born even before Lord Shiva. They blazed in spiritual glory after being seated ceremonially by the king, who washed their feet and sprinkled the sanctified Tirtha water over his head.
King Prithu addressed the Kumaras with great dignity wondering what merit on his part had been rewarded by their sanctifying arrival.
नैव लक्षयते लोको लोकान् पर्यटतोऽपि यान् । यथा सर्वदृशं सर्व आत्मानं येऽस्य हेतव: ॥
अधना अपि ते धन्या: साधवो गृहमेधिन: । यद्गृहा ह्यर्हवर्याम्बुतृणभूमीश्वरावरा: ॥
व्यालालयद्रुमा वै तेष्वरिक्ताखिलसम्पद: । यद्गृहास्तीर्थपादीयपादतीर्थविवर्जिता: ॥
T: "Most revered sages, you travel in the three worlds but are not seen by ordinary mortals, just as Bhagavan Paramatman remains invisible to all creatures. A poor man is enriched immensely when holy men visit him and receive his humble hospitality. On the other hand, even one with all the riches will be, in truth, impoverished if he lacks piety and does not receive holy men and wash their feet. His opulent home is just like a tree harbouring serpents in its insides!"
Normally sages would visit a king regarding some difficulty or want that he should address. But King Prithu now said that he shall refrain from the usual enquiries about the Kumaras' material well-being as such worldly trappings are pertinent only to ordinary souls unlike the Kumaras who are the foremost enlightened sages. Indeed their visit would always be to help someone break free from worldly bondage. So he begged them for spiritual advice.
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The Kumaras were most pleased with King Prithu's words and smiled benevolently. Then one of them, Sage Sanatkumara, began to speak.
सनत्कुमार उवाच
साधु पृष्टं महाराज सर्वभूतहितात्मना । भवता विदुषा चापि साधूनां मतिरीदृशी ॥
सङ्गम: खलु साधूनामुभयेषां च सम्मत: । यत्सम्भाषणसम्प्रश्न: सर्वेषां वितनोति शम् ॥
अस्त्येव राजन् भवतो मधुद्विष: पादारविन्दस्य गुणानुवादने ।
रतिर्दुरापा विधुनोति नैष्ठिकी कामं कषायं मलमन्तरात्मन: ॥
T: Sanatkumara said: "My dear King Prithu, it is befitting you, an advanced aspirant and one with concern for everyone's welfare, that you ask for our advice as it will help all others. Let me say this. A Satsang with holy men is twice blessed - as the conversations will give rise to wise queries from the assembly, and the holy men are happy to cast the auspicious light of their wisdom in answer to those queries for everyone's benefit."
"Dear King, you are already immersed in Bhakti towards Bhagavan Maha Vishnu and in worshipping His glorious feet. Such rare devotion, when unflinching, automatically cleanses one's heart of worldly desires and lust."
"The formula for one's upliftment is threefold. The assiduous practice of Bhakti, listening to the Bhagavan's glories all the time, and worshipping the Yogeshwara Bhagavan, the Supreme Master of all Yoga."
"Eschew the company of the wicked and the materially attached men, and avoid their favourite haunts. They are steeped in worldliness and money-making. The acid test is if one feels extremely thirsty for the nectar of recitation of the Lord's glories and is simply disenchanted with worldly pleasures."
"A disciplined life, nonviolence, adhering to the instructions of holy men, and an outlook towards all without love and hate. Not speaking ill of others, and taking the good and bad in life with Equanimity. These are essential."
"Constant listening to the Lord's glories becomes an adornment of the ears of the devotee!"
दग्धाशयो मुक्तसमस्ततद्गुणो नैवात्मनो बहिरन्तर्विचष्टे । परात्मनोर्यद्वयवधानं पुरस्तात्स्वप्ने यथा पुरुषस्तद्विनाशे ॥
आत्मानमिन्द्रियार्थं च परं यदुभयोरपि । सत्याशय उपाधौ वै पुमान् पश्यति नान्यदा ॥
T: "When a person becomes devoid of all material desires and is liberated from all material bonds, he transcends distinctions between actions executed externally and internally. At that time, the difference between the Atma and the Paramatma, which was existing before self-realisation, is dissolved. When a dream is over, there is no longer a distinction between the dream and the dreamer."
"When the Jiva pursues sense pleasures, he allows himself to be bound by differentiation. But when one pursues liberation, one is simply devoted to following the Lord. He then sees the differentiation in this world to be simply so many reflections of the Supreme."
"When is a Jiva considered lost? When he has forgotten his essence to be divine."
"Even the higher states like heavens we cherish are a part of this impermanent creation of bondage."
"Man pursues four goals in life called Pursharthas - Dharma or right living, Artha or material prosperity, Kama or desires and pleasures, and Moksha or liberation. The first three are inferior as they exist only in the orbit of Time and hence are subject to destruction! Therefore Moksha is the only worthy goal of human existence."
तत्त्वं नरेन्द्र जगतामथ तस्थूषां च देहेन्द्रियासुधिषणात्मभिरावृतानाम् ।
य: क्षेत्रवित्तपतया हृदि विश्वगावि: प्रत्यक् चकास्ति भगवांस्तमवेहि सोऽस्मि ॥
T: "Therefore, oh, King Prithu, after realising the truth of this apparent world of differentiation in layers of the body, breath, and the senses, you shall attain to the vision of Bhagavan present as the Paramatma in every particle and pore of existence, and thus realise the nature of oneself, i.e. the Atma."
यस्मिन्निदं सदसदात्मतया विभाति माया विवेकविधुति स्रजि वाहिबुद्धि: ।
तं नित्यमुक्तपरिशुद्धविशुद्धतत्त्वं प्रत्यूढकर्मकलिलप्रकृतिं प्रपद्ये ॥
T: "Let me add that Maya creates the layers of gross and subtle coverings of existence, causing one to see erroneously, akin to mistaking for a snake a garland of flowers. Therefore I worship Bhagavan, who is beyond this Maya, eternally free, self-possessed, pure, and uncontaminated by the Karma cycle."
"The world of bondage is a mighty ocean difficult to cross. The only boat that can ferry you across is Bhagavan Vasudeva. Those who practise austerities and disciplines will yet find it diffucult to cross, but not those surrendered in Bhakti."
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King Prithu was flooded with gratitude and said that the visit of the Kumaras crowned the blessing of Bhagavan's own Darshan just a while ago. He said he had nothing to offer in tribute to the Kumaras since he had become only an administrator of all the kingdom as he had already handed over any ownership and all his possessions and even his family to the people. What an example of an ideal monarch!
Then King Prithu said something very insightful.
स्वमेव ब्राह्मणो भुङ्क्ते स्वं वस्ते स्वं ददाति च । तस्यैवानुग्रहेणान्नं भुञ्जते क्षत्रियादय: ॥
T: " Indeed, a quintessential Brahmin is the true possessor and enjoyer of all material wealth as he has earned it all by his spiritual merit (since all wealth is only the Lord's gift). If the Kshatriya or anyone else in society has to enjoy any material wealth, it is only owing to the Brahmin's generosity!"
This line is close to the idea of the Ishavasya Upanishad which says, तेन त्यक्तेन भुञ्जीथाः T: "Renounce possessiveness as then only you are entitled to enjoy the world's riches gifted to you by the Lord."
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Thus concluded perhaps the world's first Satsang. The four Kumaras, who were masters of Bhakti, became very pleased. They departed in the sky, extolling King Prithu, and everyone saw them with a sense of benediction.
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The poet now describes how King Prithu was an exemplary ruler, nay a manifestation of the eight gods appointed to guard and nourish the world. Like Soma or the moon, he nourished the kingdom. Like the sun he shone equally on all. He was strong like Indra and firm like Yama. He was grand like the Himalayas, opulent like Kubera and contained without ostentation the treasury like Varuna.
Prithu and Archi had five worthy sons - Vijitashwa, Dhumrakesha, Haryaksha, Dravina and Vrika. King Prithu ruled like the ideal Rajarshi, unattached to the pomp and glory of kingship. He was a true Bhakta. He was kind, caring and generous to his citizens.
Throughout the whole universe — in the higher, lower and middle spheres — King Prithu's reputation was loudly celebrated, and as all men and women saw him, he was as glorious as Bhagavan Sri Rama!
