||Om Namo Bhagavathe
Vasudevaya ||
Chapter - 145 – The legend
of Ranthideva
King Sankrithi of the clan
of Puru had a son ‘Ranthideva’ who ruled the Kingdom cleverly and set himself
as an example of righteousness. He spends
the entire wealth and the richness of the country for the welfare of its
people, especially on the twice-born, serving them with an abundance of funds for the
performance of Yagna, Yaga and various religious and spiritual rites. Gradually, he became pauper left with no funds,
he and his family outlived forty-eight days with no meal. He did not beg for alms; he and his family
consumed any food offered with respect.
Once, Ranthideva and his wife were starving continuously for forty-eight days, surprisingly they
received a handful of grains of wheat from somebody, his wife ground them into a fine powder and prepared Roti. While the
family was ready to consume the Roti, there appeared a Bhramin was received
with due respect and offered the meal.
Even though Ranthideva and his family were starving for long, he
realized the presence of Lord Hari in every human being. Once, the guest was bid farewell, the
family prepared to have the leftover meal with the remembrance of Lord
Hari. Suddenly there appeared a poor old
man in ragged clothes, Ranthideva received him with respect and served the
leftover meal. Soon after a poor man
with his dogs arrived at the doors of Ranthideva and requested food as they
were starving for several days was served with the remaining part of the
meal. The final few pieces of the Roti
left for husband and wife were prepared to consume, shortly there arrived a
Chandala. Ranthideva readily offered both
of their meals to him. Ranthideva and
his wife were extremely devoted and were always been courteous to their guests,
did not get disappointed in the absence of a meal. Ranthideva eulogized the supreme Lord “Oh!
Bhagavan, I have no desires for material welfare, or for the supreme abode of
Lord or Ashtashidhdhis, or Moksha, You can give everyone’s grief and sorrows on
me, let them free from the miseries of worldly existence. ” In
this way, the King Ranthideva who shared all his wealth for the welfare of
twice-born and his subjects, he was neither distressed at the loss of richness
nor gave up his righteousness, he graciously confronted the sufferings of
poverty, served his guests with sincerity and devotion and eventually elevated
his soul from the sorrows and grief of worldly existence. Soon, the three guests reappeared before
Ranthideva as trinities were highly pleased with the hospitality of Ranthideva
who has a thorough knowledge of ‘Vishnumaya’, that all the material matters
are subjected to perish, the supreme soul Vasudeva is eternal. Ultimately, Ranthideva immersed in the
supreme Bhramam, following the path of Karma and Dharma/righteousness.
