Chapter
29
The Dialogue Begins
Some
ascetics who heard the story of the curse from the lips
of the King were so incensed at the 'son of Sameeka' that
they declared he must be a fake, an unworthy child, for,
no child born of a Rishi of the 'stature of Sameeka' will
ever pronounce such a devastating curse, for such a
trivial misdemeanor. He must be an ignorant fool or a
madcap, they guessed. How can the curse emanating from
the tongue of such a one take effect they asked? The King
cannot come to harm, as a consequence of his curse, they
affirmed. They tried to convince the King that he need
have no fear on that account.
Many who felt similarly
argued that the King had no reason to take the curse
seriously, but, the King was unmoved. He replied to them
with folded hands: "You are thinking and speaking on
these lines, prompted by sympathy and kindness towards
me. But, I know that the wrong I have committed is not
light and inconsiderable. Is there a more terrible sin
than casting insult on those deserving reverence?
Besides, I am the King, responsible for their welfare and
the maintenance of their honor. How can my act be
dismissed as light and inconsiderable? Moreover, if you
only consider it deeply, the curse pronounced by the boy
is no curse at all. It is on the other hand, a great big
boon.
For, I had fallen into
the well of sin called empire; I had deluded myself into
the belief that pleasure is the be-all and end-all of
life; I was leading the life of a mere beast; I had
forgotten God and my duty towards Him. God Himself has,
by this means and through this instrument, directed me
along the correct path. God has blessed me. This is a
boon, not a punishment for past wrongs, as you
imagine".
When the King spoke
thus, tears of joy and thankfulness flowed from his eyes;
he was visibly moved by extreme sincerity and devotion.
He was uttering what he felt in calm, unruffled
contentment. The ascetics and the subjects around him
were amazed at his equanimity. They knew his declaration
was true.
The aged ascetic rose
and standing before the wailing populace, he addressed
the gathering thus, "O Best of King! Your words are rays
of sunlight to the hearts of the ascetics; they are so
appropriate to your lineage and upbringing; for, you are
a Pandava born. The Pandavas never even once slipped into
wrong or sin. They held fast always to the Feet of Hari,
the Lord; they stuck to the commands of the Lord,
unwaveringly. When the Lord returned to His Abode, they
gave up the kingdom as a result of spontaneous
renunciation; they left for the northern regions. You too
are today following this holy path, since you belong to
this great clan, which has inherited this way of
life."
At this, the King
prayed to them, with palms folded in adoration: "O best
among ascetics! I have just one doubt; please remove it
from my mind. Make my days worthwhile." "Tell me what it
is," responded the ascetic. The king asked that he be
informed what the man for whom death is imminent can best
do. At this, one sage rose and said that, so far as time
permitted, one could perform yajnas or yagas, or one
could engage himself in japa or thapa, acts of charity or
pilgrimages, or fasts or ritual worship. Another declared
that liberation can be acquired only through the
acquisition of Jnana, "Jnaanaa
devathu Kaivalyam;"
a third spoke of the supreme importance of holy acts
prescribed in the Vedas and Sastras, "Karmanyai vahi
samsiddhi." Some others argued that cultivating devotion
to God is the best method of using the week,
"Bhakthirvasah Purushah," the Lord is won over by
devotion alone. In this confusion of conflicting
opinions, the king sought the true path and the
ascetics were silenced by the persistence of the king to
get a real answer to the problem he had posed.
Meanwhile, a youthful
ascetic, with an extra-ordinarily bright face, and a
personality of attractive splendor, moved through the
gathering of aged sages, like a fast stream of light and
reaching the presence of the king he seated himself on a
height. The onlookers were amazed at this sudden
appearance. Some among them were stricken with curiosity
about his antecedents. To all outward appearance, he was
a 'munikumar' that is to say, the son of an ascetic. But,
his stance, his pose and poise, his personality -
all affirmed that he was a Master. In years, he was quite
tender. Yet, there was a divine halo, bathing
him. (See
also
Srimad Bhagavatam
Canto 1, Chapter 19: The Appearance of Sukadeva Gosvami)
Very soon, one wise old
sage, identified him and approached him reverentially
with folded palms. "Blessed indeed are all of us. This
ray of Divine effulgence is no other than Sri Suka, the
precious offspring of Vyasa-bhagavan." Introducing the
stranger thus to the gathering, the sage continued: "From
the moment of birth, this person is free from all
attachment. He is the master of all knowledge." The king
who heard this shed tears of gratitude and joy. He rose
like a kite in the air, so light and full of joy, and
fell prostrate at his feet. His palms were folded in
prayer when he stood up; he was straight and silent as a
pillar. He was immersed in bliss. He visualized the youth
before him as Krishna Himself. The splendor of Suka was
too brilliant for his eyes. His charm appeared to the
king, equal to the God of Love. The black curly rings of
hair moved like black serpent-hoods hovering over the
white oval face. As stars amidst the dark clouds, his
eyes shed cool luster and shone extra-ordinarily bright.
A smile showered drops of joy from his lips.
The King neared Suka,
with slow steps; his voice was broken and indistinct his
throat was quivering with emotion. He said, "Master! I
have no strength to describe the depth of your grace.
Every act of yours is aimed at the welfare of the world.
It is indeed my fortune that I had your Darsan today, so
easily, for, I know it can be won only by protracted and
persistent effort. 0, how fortunate am I! I must ascribe
it to the merit earned by my grandparents". The King was
overcome with grateful joy at the presence of Suka; he
stood with tears of joy streaming from his
eyes.
With a smile hovering
on his lips, Suka directed the King to sit by his side.
He said: "0 King! You are no doubt straight and steadfast
in moral conduct. You are ever intent on the service of
the good and the godly. Your meritorious life has drawn
this large gathering of sages around you, this day. Or
else, these ascetics who are concerned with spiritual
discipline would not have left their schedules to come
here and pray that you may attain the realization of the
Highest. This is no act of charity! You have earned this
gift by many lives spent virtuously and well."
The King was gazing
with devoted admiration at the face of Suka, while he was
speaking to him. Suddenly, he raised his head and
addressed the young sage thus: "Lord! I have a doubt
pestering me. Remove it and give peace to my heart. I was
laying it before this assembly when you came. You can, I
know, solve that doubt, in a trice. It must be child's
play for you." Suka interrupted him and said,
"Parikshith! The reason I came to you is to solve this
doubt that is pestering you. You can ask me what you have
in mind. I shall resolve your doubt and grant you
satisfaction". When the great Suka uttered these words,
the sages who had gathered, exclaimed, "what great
fortune!" "Blessed indeed!" and clapped their hands in
joy so loud that the acclamation reached the
sky.
The King spoke humbly
and with evident anxiety, "Lord! What should a person
facing death who is aware of the oncoming of the end,
engage himself in? What should his mind dwell upon? After
succumbing to death, he should not be born again. When
that is his prayer, how should he spend the days at his
disposal? This is the problem that is bothering me at
present. What is my highest duty?" the King pleaded again
and again for guidance.
Suka answered: "King!
Withdraw your mind from worldly thoughts and fix it on
Hari, the Lord who charms all hearts. I shall instruct
you in the wisdom of the Divine, the Bhagavathathatwa.
Listen to it with all your heart; there is no activity
holier than that. There can be no greater spiritual
exercise, or discipline or vow. The human body is a
worthy boat; the story of Hari is the rudder; this world
of change, this constant flow, this Sansar, is the sea.
Hari is the boatman! Today, this sacred equipment is
available for you.
The problem you have
raised is not concerned with just one individual, the
whole world is concerned with it, and its solution. It is
the most vital of all problems that deserves inquiry. The
Atma principle is the panacea for all beings. That is the
ultimate Truth. No one can escape it. To establish
oneself in that faith during the final days is the duty
of living beings. It is on this basis that status in the
next birth is determined. So, the question that you
asked, the doubt that you raised, are matters of great
moment for the welfare of the whole world. The answer is
not for you alone. Listen."
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