Lakshmana comforted and consoled Sri Rama suffering from the
agony of separation from his dear wife Sita! Sri Rama lauded his brother for
implicitly obeying him and leaving Sita in the ashram of Valmiki. Sri Rama was
however much upset as he could not attend to his royal duties. He directed his
brother to summon ministers, and all people to attend to their grievances. A
king who does not execute his public duties is sure to suffer in hell! To
impress upon Lakshmana the significance of fulfilling public duties, Sri Rama
narrates the story of Nruga Maharaja who was undone by his nonchalance and
carelessness!
Nruga
Maharaja was truthful, ideal and pure hearted. On an auspicious occasion, at a
holy place, he gave away a crore of beautifully decorated cows along with their
calves in charity to Brahmins!
Unfortunately, a cow and calf belonging to a very poor Brahmin got mixed
up in the cattle that the king gave in charity. The Brahmin, hungry and
stricken by abject poverty searched for his lost cow and calf in many places
but in vain. Finally he came to a village and saw to his pleasant shock and
surprise his cow, lean and skeletal, in a brahmin’s house! Very happy at the
sight of his cow and calf, the poor
Brahmin called it by its name ‘ sabala.
‘ The cow, amazingly recognized the voice of its original master and followed
him!
Meanwhile
the Brahmin who was looking after the cow stopped the other man and asserted
that it was his cow given in charity by Nruga Maharaja! Arguments followed
endlessly and there was no agreement between the two. Finally they decided to
refer the matter to the king himself for a wise and right judgment. But they
were prevented by the guards at the entrance. Not knowing what to do, they
waited for the audience of the king for days together without any result!
Enraged
and terribly disappointed at this failure to have an audience with the king, they
cursed king Nrugu to be unseen by all creatures and turn into a chameleon and
remain for several thousand years in a cave! They also granted a way out to get
relief from the curse! The king will get relief from Lord Krishna who will take
avatar at the end of Dwapara yuga! The two Brahmins were none other than sage
Narada and Sage parvata! They gave away the cow and calf to another Brahmin and
departed. Sri Rama told Lakshmana that it is the defect of the king that causes
quarrels and troubles among people! King Nrugu blamed his own fate for what has
happened. His mistake was entirely unintentional! The two sages are moving in
the world in the form of air! King Nrugu directed his people to prepare three
caves—one, rain proof, the second snow proof
and the last sun proof where he will perform penance He directed that
his son Vasu should be crowned as the king of the country. He counseled his son
to be an ideal king and follow the path of righteousness always!
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