||Om Namo Bhagavathe Vasudevaya||

Chapter – 70 – Chithrakethu Upakhyanam - 2

Maharishi Angirass spoke “ Oh! Rajan, the mind is originated from the soul, it has two capabilities, either to attach with worldly matters or elevate the soul by constant remembrance of supreme Lord, like a tortoise pull out its head from the shell and return to its shell during the hours of threat.  The life on the Earth is impermanent, all the living being has to return to Earth, the soul has no death, it keeps take birth in different attire and conducts its journey like the large number logs despatched through the water did not accumulate on single shore, even though they have started traveling together from one location,  the destination will be different.  The body has to undergo constant changes, but the soul remains unchangeable.  If you do not contemplate upon supreme Lord and keep attachments on worldly matters would be like ignoring the handful of meal and licking on one’ own elbow, It would multiply your grief and sorrows.”  Thus the two saints put great efforts to elevate the soul of King Chithrakethu who was completely shattered at the death of the child.  Alas! King Chithrakethu could not recognize them.

King Chithrakethu spoke “Oh! Mahabhaga, you both are liberated souls, you both must have achieved great status in spirituality, but I could not recognize both of you.  Who are you? Kindly introduce to me.” King wept bitterly.

Maharishi Angirass said “ Oh! Rajan, you know me well.  I am maharishi Angirass, I have performed fire sacrifice for obtaining the child.  This is Maharishi Narada who is the son of Lord Bhrama.  Oh! Rajan, I have come here to elevate your soul which is grieving over the death of your child.  Previously I have visited to impart the supreme knowledge, but you did not pay attention to any of my words, you were already distressed in the absence of a child.  Therefore I have decided even if I impart the supreme knowledge, it will not go into your mind.  Now, your mind is full of pain and agony, you are weeping at the separation of child and anxious of your life. Oh! Rajan, You were under the misconception that all that wealth, glories, children, wives, etc. are permanent; therefore you have vested all your interest and attachment on them.  Your mind was closely attached to your body and worldly bondage caused extreme sorrow in you.  Therefore, keep your mind calm and meticulously ponder over it and come out of your grief.   Oh! Rajan, think carefully how you should react to this situation and elevate your soul.”

Maharishi Narada said “ Oh! Rajan, I shall advise the supreme hymn, contemplate upon supreme Lord and recite these hymns for seven nights,  you can attain Sankarshana as your preceptor.  He will guide you to achieve knowledge of the supreme soul.”  Maharishi Narada looked at the face of King Chithrakethu, who was not convinced thoroughly, he was still mourning at the death of his child.

Shuka Bhramam speaks “ Oh! Raja Pareekshith, Maharishi Narada showed the soul of the deceased child with his divine powers to King Chithrakethu.  Then, Maharishi Narada spoke “ Oh! Jeevathma did not see your parents and relatives are grieving over your separation.  They are worn out of extreme grief and pain, therefore return to your body and enjoy the kingly pleasures with it.”  The Jeevathma replied “In which birth they have become my parents? the soul is taking several births and performs its Karma.  Therefore, I have no parents; I have taken birth through them because of the unfinished Karma.  I have no relationship with anyone other than supreme Lord who is my father, mother, relative, companion, etc. hence all those relations made while talking shelter in a body are not permanent, it keeps changing during different births.  The soul cannot recognize its parents, it is conscious about the supreme Lord only.  Oh! Prabho, tell them not to cry for this soul, it has taken shelter in that body of the child due to ignorance.  This mind has no capacity to think, or perform its deeds without the grace of the Supreme Lord; therefore I have no relationship with these people.”  The Jeevathma left the place. 

King Chithrakethu got freed himself from the grief and all the attachments to the child, like an elephant drenched in mud raised out of the pothole of dirt,  fallen at the feet of Maharishi Narada.    King Chithrakethu got out of the darkness of ignorance with the brilliant rays of Sun-like the advice of Maharishi Narada and spoke “ Oh! Maharishi, kindly make my life fruitful, I have understood, I need not grieve over the separation of the child.  I am already worn out of worldly existence, Kindly elevate my soul.”  King Chithrakethu took a dip in the sacred river Kalindi and took shelter under the feet of Maharishi Narada who advised the sacred syllables “ Om Namasthubhyam Bhagavathe Vasudevaya Dheemahi | Pradhyumnayaruththaya Nama Sankarshanaya Cha ||” in this way, King Chithrakethu sincerely followed the advice of Maharishi Narada and attained Sankarshana as preceptor, eventually attained the supreme Bhramam.   Later he had committed a mistake, therefore he had to take birth as Vriththrasura.

||Om Namo Bhagavathe Vasudevaya||

Chapter – 69 – Chithrakethu Upakhyanam -1

Pareekshith spoke “ Oh! Bhraman, how did Vriththrasura who was born as a demon, possessed the qualities of Rajasik/Kama, Krodha, Lobha, Moham, etc. and gain supreme knowledge of Bhramam? How did he achieve intense devotion and faith upon supreme Lord Narayana? It is difficult to achieve even for the deities and Rishis who perform numerous austerities and extreme penances to fix their intellect at the lotus feet of Lord Mukunda.  Therefore, kindly narrate to me.”

Shuka Bhramam replied “ Oh! Rajan, listen to me carefully, Vriththrasura was an Emperor Chithrakethu of the Kingdom Shoorasena, in his previous birth.  Even though he was married several times, unfortunately, he had no offspring.  It created extreme distress in the life of the Emperor Chithrakethu, all his wives were rich from the illustrious clan and beautiful, but everyone was equally depressed for not having a child.  One day, Maharishi Angirass visited the palace of Emperor Chithrakethu, was received with great respect.  The Emperor washed his feet, offered Arghyam and a raised seat.  Maharishi Angirass was highly pleased with the dedication and devotion of Emperor Chithrakethu, he asked the well-being of his Kingdom and his subjects. He asked “ Oh! Rajan, I could sense your distress; I can read your face is troubled with anxiousness.  Something is bothering you. What is the reason for it?”  Maharishi was well understood the reason for his distress of not having an offspring for performing rites for ancestors, not having an heir to rule the Kingdom, not having a child to shower his affection and love.   Maharishi Angirass pacified Chithrakethu and advised that even if he attains a son, he would not add any fame to his clan, therefore accept all the happenings as the blessings of the supreme Lord.   Chithrakethu begged before Maharishi “Oh! Maharishi, I am extremely worn out of the grief of the absence of an offspring, like an individual suffering from hunger and thirst.   Oh! Mahabhaga, I shall surrender at your feet, you are a supreme ascetic, kindly bless us to obtain a virtuous offspring and kindly protect us from our sufferings.”  Maharishi Angirass advised the Emperor to organize a fire sacrifice to obtain an offspring.  Thus a huge fire sacrifice was held, at the successful completion of the fire sacrifice, the deity appeared with the vessel of kheer/Payasam, which was reverentially received by Chithrakethu.    The Kheer was given to his Empress, in due course of time she was pregnant with a male child.   Emperor Chithrakethu and his subjects were extremely happy at the arrival of the beautiful male child, he was named Shoorasena.  On an auspicious day, the child was attired in majestic clothes, rites were performed and predictions were made about the future of the child. 

As the day’s passes, Chithrakethu was getting too attached to his child, he could not separate himself from the newborn and the mother, and eventually, he lost interest in the kingly duties.  It annoyed the other wives of the King; they felt ignored by him and treated as bad as servants of the palace, the King miserably failed in his duty as a husband and a ruler.  They collectively have taken a decision to kill the new-born who has stolen all the attention of the King from them, further they poisoned the child and killed.  The Empress looked at the cradle of the child who was already dead; she mistook the child in deep sleep.  The hours passed, the attendant of the Empress checked on the child and found the child was already dead.  The attendant handed the dead child to Empress, she could not bear the separation, she wept bitterly fallen on the ground.  She vehemently beaten her chest and cried out loudly, her hairs were disheveled, clothes were misplaced, ornaments were shattered all over the ground.  The Emperor who heard the tragic incident, rushed out of the assembly to the child and seated near the legs of the child, bashed his head on the ground, cried out bitterly.  They both could not control their grief, Empress could not withstand the sorrow of her husband, and they were completely heartbroken.  Her eyes were overflowing with tears wetted her bosom, she could not take her mind off from the image of the child, she cried loudly saying “ Oh! Vidhatha, do not be so cruel to us.  How could you seize my child before I shower all my love to him? How could you be so unkind to us, I have heard that the aged would die, why did you take my new-born child? You could have taken me instead if you want.  Oh! Bhagavan, you have thrown me into the bottomless ocean of worldly existence.” She kept whispering to her child and talking and crying to her dead child as if it is alive.  The other wives of the Emperor were assembled and shed tears as if they are grief-stricken at the death of new-born.  The husband and wife were shaking the child miserably and tried to wake him up; she cried to her child that her bosoms are full of milk waiting to feed him.  Thus, the husband and wife were soaked in utter grief and pain of separation from the child. 

Maharishi Narada and Sage Angirass arrived at the palace and witnessed the heart-wrenching sight; they have decided to raise the mind of Emperor and his wife from the grief of the loss of new-born.  Maharishi asked “ Oh! Rajan, Who is this child? You are saying it is your child, for whom are you grieving for? Oh! Rajan, you did not bring the child into the womb of its mother, you did not protect it while it was in the mother’s womb, you did not bring the child out of its mother’s womb, and therefore you cannot claim that it is your child.  The time plays an important role in everyone’s life like the river carries the sand and deposit the sands on the shore.  The life cycle on the Earth continues like the seed produces grains and the process repeats with the strength of Prakrithi, Time, and the supreme Lord.  The body/Dheha/creation originates from the mind/Dhehi, and process repeats, in this way human life cycle continues, in other words for every creation begins with the desire as its basis, later it produces with the help of reproductive organ.  Therefore, every creation begins with the push of desire; the body takes the action to fulfill the desire, as a result, the birth takes place.  The mind is initiated from the supreme Lord who resides as a soul in living beings, hence all those desires of the mind are contributed by the Supreme Lord, so the mind has the strength to go back to its origin/supreme Lord as well, with this knowledge you can get rid of sufferings of worldly existence and bondage.”