॥ ॐ नमो भगवते वासुदेवाय ॥
Wednesday, 16 November 2022 IV.23 - Prithu and Archi's penance and liberation.
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I cannot contain my enthusiasm for today's reading. We have seen in King Prithu the ideal king, the ideal devotee, and now we are going to see him as the ideal Tapasvi who attains liberation. His queen Archi follows suit in a most befitting way.
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King Prithu saw himself getting old, and decided to give up the royal life. He gave away royal possessions to all according to their needs and merits and handed over the kingdom to his sons to rule.
Despite tearful remonstrations from the people, he and Archi, his queen, went away to the forest.
Prithu strictly followed the regulations of retired life and underwent severe austerities in the forest. He engaged in these activities as seriously as he had formerly engaged in ruling his kingdom and extending his territory.
कन्दमूलफलाहार: शुष्कपर्णाशन: क्वचित् । अब्भक्ष: कतिचित्पक्षान् वायुभक्षस्तत: परम् ॥
ग्रीष्मे पञ्चतपा वीरो वर्षास्वासारषाण्मुनि: । आकण्ठमग्न: शिशिरे उदके स्थण्डिलेशय: ॥
T: Prithu's Tapas was relentless. He subsisted on fruits and roots sometimes, sometimes only dry leaves, and some weeks he lived only on water and eschewed that too later on.
In accordance with set-down practices, he surrounded himself with five fires (fires on four sides and sun overhead) in summer, drenched himself in the rains, and stayed neck-deep in water in chilly winter.
He slept on the muddy earth.
King Prithu was clear that this was to conquer whatever bodily attachment he may have had and to intensify his devotion to Bhagavan Sri Krishna, as Sage Vyasa states - आरिराधयिषु: कृष्णमचरत्तप उत्तमम्
There is a term ऊर्ध्वरेतस्. This is the practice of not allowing any sexual energy (semen) to flow downwards.
Note: Krishna is the fully manifested incarnation of Vishnu and his story is the central part of Srimad Bhagavatam (Skandhas 10 and 11). Also, Krishna is used as a synonym for Vishnu in many scriptures. Both were dark in complexion, which is another meaning of the word Krishna!
Thus King Prithu was freed from the clutches of this bodily ego ("I" and "Mine") and the material bondage.
After realising the presence of Bhagavan Sri Krishna in every being, King Prithu no longer needed to perform any of the Yogic practices or Jnana meditations. He had cut asunder the bonds of Maya that tie one down to this existence controlled by the Gunas. Sri Krishna calls this असङ्गशस्त्रेण दृढेन च्छित्त्वा in BG 15th chapter.
Sage Vyasa describes now the methodical process King Prithu followed to give up his body. This is a bit unnerving for those unfamiliar with Yogic methods practised for long in Sanatana Dharma for giving up one's body by breaking the shackles of the Pranas that bind the Atma to the body.
Prithu fixed his mind firmly upon the lotus feet of Bhagavan Sri Krishna and attained the state called Brahma-bhuta (Atma-centric). Sitting in a Yogic posture, he blocked the flow of Prana at his evacuatory aperture by his ankles. Then he raised the Prana methodically to his navel, heart, throat and finally to the point between the eyebrows called the third eye. These are the classical Chakras in Yoga.
Then Prithu raised his Prana to the crown of the head and released the Prana from the body to merge in the universal Prana. Prithu let his bodily apertures merge with the sky (Akasha), his bodily fluids with water (Apa), and the flesh and bones with the earth, which merged with fire and wind and finally into Akasha. Prithu's body was now one with Mahattattva. King Prithu's Atma was one with Paramatma.
Queen Archi had obediently followed her lord and master Prithu to the forest and observed all austerities completely. She had become very frail, and had drawn great joy from the occasional touch of her husband's hands. Now she was deeply distressed to see that King Prithu had given up his body. She arranged the funeral pyre, and placing his body on the pyre, she completed all her prayers and obeisances. She lighted the fire, gave the Tarpana to her husband, and ascended the blazing funeral pyre and gave up her body. In life and death, Archi, an incarnation of Devi Lakshmi, was one with her husband, King Prithu, an incarnation of Maha Vishnu.
Gods and celestials came and praised the devoted Archi's way of serving her lord Prithu and the way she had merged her breath with his in this final moment. They showered flowers to bless the couple. They said Archi had served Prithu and merged with him exactly as Devi Sri Lakshmi serves Yajnesha Bhagavan Vishnu.
Sage Vyasa repeats that there are two paths for a human being to take -the material, worldly, acquisitive way of the bound being; and the liberation-giving path of Bhakti to Bhagavan, as exemplified by King Prithu. The second path gives freedom of the ultimate kind which is essentially the supreme goal of human existence. The worldly person has to come back again and again into the circle of birth and death conditioned by his Karmas.
Sage Vyasa concludes this chapter by stating the many auspicious benefits for anyone studying, reciting, and hearing the story of King Prithu. People can fulfil any material desire for progeny, wealth and health. One can also allow oneself to be motivated for spiritual pursuits.
अनुदिनमिदमादरेण शृण्वन्पृथुचरितं प्रथयन् विमुक्तसङ्ग: ।
भगवति भवसिन्धुपोतपादे स च निपुणां लभते रतिं मनुष्य: ॥
T: By daily, reverential, reciting of and listening to the story of King Prithu, and by developing detachment, every man will develop great devotion to Bhagavan, who is the only boat to take if one wants to cross the ocean of this material existence of duality and distress.
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॥ ॐ नमो भगवते वासुदेवाय ॥
