|| Om Namo Bhagavathey Vasudevaya ||

Chapter – 119- The legend of Surya dynasty -3

The Saubhari Maharishi and his fifty wives, contemplated upon supreme Lord with the constant remembrance of supreme Lord who is eternal, resides as soul in the living beings.  They thoroughly understood the impermanent nature of material well-being, and the permanent nature of the supreme soul, in this way they got freed from the fear.  Once, there was a huge wood fire occurred, Maharishi Saubhari and his fifty wives sacrificed their lives in the wood fire, eventually attained the abode of Lord.

King Mandhatha had a son named Thrishanku.  He had a desire to go to heaven with the human body; he approached his preceptor Sage Vashishta who refused to yield his desires.  Thrishanku approached the sons of Sage Vashishta, was rejected the plea of the King and cursed him for his ignorance.  Thrishanku did not leave his plan to go to heaven with the mortal body; he met Sage Vishwamithra, who was not in good terms with Sage Vashishta, agreed to fulfill the desire of King Thrishanku.  Thus, Sage Vishwamithra began the fire sacrifice and sends Thrishanku to the heaven, on his way to heaven, Lord Indra found Thrishanku ascending to heaven was given a spank with his Vajrayudha.  Thrishanku descends to Earth, upside down was stopped with the divine powers of Sage Vishwamithra.  Thus, new heaven was created named after ‘Thrishanku’. 

King Thrishanku had a son Harishchandra.  He had no offspring, so he conducted a Yaga praying to Lord Varuna with a promise that the infant born would be offered to Lord Varuna.   Thus a child was born to King Harishchandra,   was approached by Lord Varuna and reminded his promise.   King Harishchandhra had to offer the infant to Lord Varuna was delayed several times; finally, his son got married and had his son.  Later, he came to know about the father’s promise to Lord Varuna, returned to woods and underwent austerities.   He pacified Lord Varuna by offering the son of a Vipra, Sage Vishwamithra intervened and protected the son of Vipra from Lord Varuna.  Thus illustrious rulers of the Surya dynasty were highly intellectuals realized the fact that the material-wellbeing cannot help to elevate their souls had complete control over sense, therefore they underwent austerities and penance, finally attained union with the supreme Bhramam.