॥ ॐ नमो भगवते वासुदेवाय ॥
Saturday, 11 March 2023 - IX.09 Cont'd - Two contrasting stories - King Sudasa and King Khatvanga.
***
The entire wisdom of Sanatana Dharma can be summarised in these words, ॥ सत्यं वद, धर्मं चर ॥
The triumvirate of Life is Bhagavan, Karma and Dharma. Bhagavan regulates all creation and runs it according to our Karma. Karma is what has happened to this second and whose effects we experience. Bhagavan has also given human beings Free Will to convert actions, also called आगामी कर्म, into Dharma. That Dharma will not create new entanglements, but will lead one to wisdom, dispassion and release.
The two stories we read today are quite strange.
***
The first is one of the Ikshwaku king Sudasa (सुदास).
Sudasa went hunting and encountered a Rakshasa whom he slew. The Rakshasa's brother wanted to avenge his death. He entered Sudasa's kitchen in disguise and offended Sage Vasishtha by feeding him human flesh. Vasishtha promptly condemned the king to become a Rakshasa. When he realised that the king had no hand in this offence set up by a Rakshasa, Vasisshtha mitigated the curse by saying it would last twelve years.
Sudasa had also responded in that moment of provocation. He was going to pronounce a countercurse on Vasishtha! But he desisted, by controlling his anger. That powerful oblation of water he had invoked Mantras with, in his palm for cursing, he poured on his own feet, lest it harm any creature. This act of sacrifice earned him two names - Mitrasaha and Kalmashapada (friend of creation, one with burnt feet).
Working out his banishment in the forest as a Rakshasa, Sudasa once could not resist his hunger and devoured a Brahmin who was in the throes of passion with his wife. That Brahmin's wife cursed Sudasa for this offence, saying that he would never consummate his sexual union with his wife. Thereafter she did Sati to go with her dead husband Brahmin.
Sudasa became human again after twelve years but was childless as he could not consummate his union with his wife. Out of compassion, Vasishtha gave his queen a child (like Vyasa did in the Mahabharata - an accepted practice in ancient India).
The takeaway from this story is the powerful play of Karma which is inescapable.
***
Khatvanga was another emperor in the Ikshwaku dynasty. His story is quite the opposite.
यो देवैरर्थितो दैत्यानवधीद्युधि दुर्जयः । मुहूर्तमायुर्ज्ञात्वैत्य स्वपुरं सन्दधे मनः ॥
न मे ब्रह्मकुलात्प्राणाः कुलदैवान्न चात्मजाः । न श्रियो न मही राज्यं न दाराश्चातिवल्लभाः ॥
T: Khatvanga was once engaged in helping the gods win in their fight over the demons. As a gesture of gratitude, the gods offered him a boon. The boon he asked for was strange. ""Tell me how long do I have as my life span?" They answered in a grave voice, "Just a couple of hours!"
At once, Khatvanga embraced renunciation, realising that the bubble of life's pleasures was to burst soon for him in this material world. "I shall have no attachment to my family, wealth, kingdom or even rituals I performed thus far."
अथेशमायारचितेषु सङ्गं गुणेषु गन्धर्वपुरोपमेषु । रूढं प्रकृत्याऽऽत्मनि विश्वकर्तुर्भावेन हित्वा तमहं प्रपद्ये ॥
इति व्यवसितो बुद्ध्या नारायणगृहीतया । हित्वान्यभावमज्ञानं ततः स्वं भावमाश्रितः ॥
यत्तद्ब्रह्म परं सूक्ष्ममशून्यं शून्यकल्पितम् । भगवान् वासुदेवेति यं गृणन्ति हि सात्वताः ॥
T: "Therefore I should now give up my attachment to things created by Bhagavan's Maya. I shall meditate on the Lord in total surrender. This material creation of Maya is like an imaginary town visualized on a hill or in a forest. Every conditioned soul has a natural attraction and attachment to material things, but one must simply give up this attachment and surrender to Bhagavan."
So saying, King Khatvanga in his wisdom gave up the false identification with the material body full of ignorance. He identified himself as the Jiva in service of Ishwara.
Understanding Bhagavan as not an eternal void of negativity or nothingness but as Parabrahman full of vibrancy in the form of Ishwara, as Bhagavan Vasudeva, is the path of the wise who act in total surrender.
***
॥ ॐ नमो भगवते वासुदेवाय ॥
