Lives of Ancient Indian Saints

Angiras - Blessing Chitraketu

In those days Chitraketu became the king of the country, called Surasena. He was equal to Devendra, the King of Heaven in wealth. Credited with many virtues, he ruled over the hearts of the people as well as the country. Winning name and fame he won the hands of many maidens, who were full of youth, beauty, wisdom and wealth. They were like the horses of Cupid, the sharp-edged swords of Madana, and the lotus eyed damsels of Cupid, Inspite of happy marital life, to none of them he was able to give a child male or female. Chitraketu was famous for beauty, valour, youth, virtue, victory,truth, fame and a number of rare qualities. But, he had no issue. His sorrow for its absence had no limits. With all the great qualities to his credit, he had only this single item to his debit side. All his pleasures were unable to givve him solace for this childlessness.

One day Angiras came to his house. Chitraketu's joy new no bounds. Along with his wife, he worshipped the sage with great devotion and sincerety. Angiras asked Chitraketu, enquiring after his welfare " Oh King ! I trust you are in full control of your kingdom. The jiva is safe by the protection of earth, water, light, wind, sky, mahat and ahamkara. So, you must be safe by the protection of your ministers, villagers, forts, money, bodyguards, the rod of rule, and friends. Are you happy entrusting your duties to your trusted lieutenants ? I trust you wield the obedience of your wives, people, ministers, peons, citizens and village folk. Inspite of your powerful position, shadows of agony and sorrow hang heavy upon your head it appears. Is it ? why are you said ? ". The King replied : "Oh great seer ! Will there be anything which your power of penance cannot catch ? " so saying he hung his head in sorrow. Angiras could understand by his divine sight and ordered the king to perform a sacrifice for begetting a son. The king performed it. Angiras gave the sacrificial food to Kritadyuti, the queen among the wives of the king. " A son will be born to you. You will experience the consequent pleasures and sorrows ", so saying Angiras went away.

In course of time, Kritadyuti was big with a child. After nine months, she gave birth to a son. The joy of the King knew no bounds. He distributed sweets and presents to all. The child began to grow. The king was always with Kritadyuti neglecting his other wives. They grew jealous. They could not tolerate the presence of the boy, who was responsible for the King's all affection for Kritadyuti much to the neglect of his other wives. They poisoned the boy, who never woke up from his eternal sleep. The whole harem was plunged into great sorrow. The King forgot everything in his great grief.

Then Angiras came along with his friend, the divine saint Narada. He called forth the King Chitraketu and said "Why do you grieve like a fool ? Who is he ? What are you ? How are you related to him and he to you ? Everything is a mirage. Your wives and children in this birth were wives and children of someone else in their past births. Like the sands of the river, they meet, mingle add move away. So also, all beings come, grow and die. This is illusion created by God. Death is as inevitable as birth. Birth makes death sure. We are born. We grow. We die. Nobody can stop it. Birth and death are not true. Bodies are formed out of bodies. Bodies make bodies grow, bodies make bodies die. This is the game, a playful fancy of the Lord. Nothing is independent. The body of the father, through the body of the mother, creates the body of the child. All the bodies are the bodies of one and only one Jiva. This is an eternal process. The seed comes out of the seed. Jiva is eternal, the bodies are ephemeral. Men of wisdom knowing this will not grieve over loss or loss of life. Everything is mental. Kick off the illusion or mirage. Be pure-minded. There is no sorrow for you then. "

The King could not know, who spoke to him, in his great grief. He asked Angiras " Who are you ? What is all that you teach ? " " I am Angiras who blessed you with a child. This is saint Narada. As you are immersed in unending grief, we came here to console you by teaching you wisdom. We can make your son come back to life, but then you have to experience greater sorrows. The consequences of sons and daughters, wives and children, pleasures, wealth, positions, power, kingdoms, are all ephemeral. Kingdom, land, strength money create agony, sorrow, attachment and fear. Like the cities of Gandharvas, the riches of the dream and transient water-bubbles, they are a passing show, momentary and fickle. This body of Jiva creates sorrow after sorrow. So please realise who you really are and enjoy eternal bliss ".

The wise words of the great saint became scented waters wasted in desert sands. Miraculously, Narada made the dead boy come to life again. He asked the boy to tell Chitraketu who really he was. The boy said " I have nothing to do with this king. I had innumerable in my coming births. It is senseless, silly and stupid to think that the bodies are related. They are inanimate objects; they move talk and dance as long as the Jiva is in them. Bodies get perished. Jiva remains eternal. I am the Jiva. I grieve not for the body, which is inevitably perishable. " so saying, he disappeared.

In this way, Angiras used to visit the sincere and the devoted to dispel the darkness of ignorance from them. (to be continued....)