THE STORY OF SAGARA

Another great king of the Ikshvaku clan is Sagara chakrvarthi who paved the way for the  arrival of the the river Ganga from Heaven to the earth. It is also believed that the sea is called “Sagara” because of this renowned king! Sagara was the son of Bahuka of the Ikshvaku clan. His father at a later stage retired to the forest and after many years passed away. His wife, pregnant at that time decided to  commit sati as was the custom during those days! But the sages persuaded her not to kill herself. Other wives of Bahuka grew jealous of her as the son born to her would be the heir to the kingdom. They decided to kill her along with the child and poisoned her. But by divine dispensation she did not die and the child survived!The child was named Sagara which means the one born with a layer of poison! (Sanskrit: ‘gara’ means poison)

Sagara grew up and came to the throne as expected. He ruled the country righteously and treated the subjects as his own children. His fame spread far and wide. As it was the custom for the kings of the day, Sagara wanted to perform the Aswamedha Yagna to assert his supremacy. He made all arrangements and sent out the Horse to see if anyone would challenge his  authority by capturing it and preventing its onward progress. Indra, the Lord of Heaven was in jitters on knowing this and decided to thwart the yagna in someway or other! He finally stole the horse of King Sagara and left it at the ashram of sage Kapila in Patala Loka- nether world! Sagara waited for long but the horse didn't come back as expected! Very much worried at the non arrival of the horse, Sagara deputed his sixty thousand sons to go in search of it and bring it back! They went to all the four corners of the world in search of the horse but in vain.

Not relenting, the sons of Sagara dug up the earth to see if the horse by any chance could be found in Patala Loka!!  They discerned a cave in the northwest and a sage sitting in deep samadhi totally oblivious of  his surroundings. To their pleasant shock and surprise, they saw the horse in pursuit of which they had travelled tirelessly and in despair! The horse was safe and secure. Though valiant and indefatigable they were puffed up with ego, pride, and arrogance! They mistook the sage for a thief who had stolen the horse! In their ignorance and momentary emotion they approached the sage to attack him.The sage was Kapila, an incarnation of Lord Vishnu himself! The moment he opened his eyes, all the sixty thousand sons of Sagara were reduced to a heap of ashes on account of the tremendous power of his tapas! King Sagara at length came to know of this catastrophic news and grieved very much.The Aswamedha Yagna had to be continued and completed!

King Sagara was In a dilemma. He had no other alternative but to depute once again his grandson Amsumantha whom he loved very dearly. He was very well behaved and obedient. He followed the footsteps and the path taken by his predecessors and came to the same cave where the sage was in penance! But unlike his predecessors he was able to recognize the greatness of the sage and his avatar. He praised sage Kapila as the incarnation of Lord Vishnu, the protector of the universe. He is manifest in all creatures! He transcends all Maya or illusion! He has no beginning, middle and end! He narrated how wrong his predecessors were in trying to attack him! He told about the mahayagna being performed by king Sagara and requested  sage Kapila for permission to take back the horse. to Impressed by the humility and good manners of Amsumantha, sage Kapila blessed him and asked him to take back the horse for the successful completion of the yaga. Accordingly Amsumantha brought back the horse after which the yagna was completed without hindrance!

Sage Kapila informed Amsumantha that his predecessors who were reduced to ashes would reach pitruloka if river Ganges ran over them! King Sagara tried to get the river to earth but  failed. Meanwhile Amsumantha was crowned and he too performed penance to bring Ganga to  earth. He too failed! It was the indomitable will and performance of Bhagiratha that brought the Ganga to earth! He performed severe tapas and through the grace of Lord Siva and Vishnu  could  bring Mandakini- river Ganga to earth and send his predecessors to 'pitru Loka!’! It is believed that the waters of river Ganga filled the great pits dug by the sixty thousand sons of King Sagara and formed the seas! Hence the sea is called ‘Sagara’!

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THE GREAT CLAN OF IKSHVAKU

THE GREAT CLAN OF IKSHVAKU

It is astounding to trace the history of the Ikshvaku clan whose great kings were exceptional warriors!! A few of them were sought after by Indra, king of Swarga, to fight the ever tormenting asuras! One such king was Puranjana by name. The Lord of Heaven Indra once approached him for help in fighting the demons. Puranjana accepted the request on condition that Indra should become his mount--vahana! It was embarrassing for Indra to stoop down for a mortal and become his Vahana. But on the advice of Lord Vishnu he relented and took the form of a Bullock! Riding on this divine Bullock, Puranjana fought the asuras and drove them away restoring the lost kingdom to Indra! From that day onwards he was renowned as ‘Indra vahana’- the one who had Indra as his mount! Later he called himself ‘Kakutsa’ and that started the lineage of the  famous kings of that dynasty!

The story of Yavanaswa, another king of the clan is more interesting and incredible! Disgusted with life since he had no children, he retired to the forest where the sages performed a yagna to   bestow him with a son. They kept a pot with sanctified water intended for the wife of the king. At midnight, Yavanaswa got thirsty and finding the pot with water, drank the contents unwittingly! The sages were shocked in the next morning to see the pot empty and wondered at the turn of the tide! After a few months, Yavavaswa’s right side swelled and he became pregnant!! Surgery followed and a baby boy was taken out! It was an extraordinary child and he cried with insatiable hunger even as he was born! Since it was Indra who was invoked to provide a child for the king, he came to satisfy the boy. He placed the right index finger into the mouth of the baby boy. The blessed boy drank the ‘amrita’- nectar that oozed from the finger and stopped crying!! Yavanaswa lived long and the boy was called Mandhata! He became one of the greatest emperors of the time and was called as the ‘ jewel of Kruta Yuga’!

Much more interesting and unbelievable is the story of Trisanku the son of Satyavrata who wanted to reach Heaven with his mortal body!  Surprised at this strange desire of his disciple, sage Vasishta refused and cursed him to become a chandala! Trisanku went to the great sage Viswamitra who accepted his request and performed a yagna! When Trisanku rose towards Heaven through the power of the yagna, the Devas stopped him at the gates and pushed him down! Sage Viswamitra prevented him from falling down and with the power of his penance created a separate Heaven for Trisanku to live in! He even created stars and was about to create an Indra when he was stopped by the Devas!  Trisanku remained in mid Heaven upsidedown and this state came to be known as “Trisanku Swarga”!

Khatwanga is another great king of the Ikshvaku clan noted for his valour and good righteous rule. It was usual for Devas to approach great monarchs on earth for help in fighting the asuras who used to attack them frequently! Indra again needed the king’s help and requested him to vanquish the asuras. Accordingly king Khatwanga drove out the asuras and pleased Indra. When Indra desired to grant a boon to the king, he wanted to know, strangely, how long he would live on earth! As a special favor Indra told king Khatwanga that he would live for one muhurta which is equal to just twenty minutes!! The king immediately gave up his princely life, family and all belongings! He went to the forest and performed tapas! He wanted to release himself from the cycle of birth and death and come out of the web of Maya or illusion!  Finally he surrendered himself to the Lord and merged into Him!

There were many more kings of this Ikshvaku clan who were brave, righteous and respected. They were noted for their good rule and frequently sought after by the Gods themselves! To us in this Kali Yuga, their lives and incidents may appear incredible and improbable! But they lived thousands and thousands of years ago in different societies noted for the practice of Santana Dharma and righteousness!!

HOW DEVAVRATA BECAME BHSHMA

How Devavrata Became Bhisma!

The story of Bhisma, the grand old man of Mahabharatha is as fascinating as it is rare and interesting! Here is a man with an iron will who sacrificed his life for the sake of his father and remained a confirmed bachelor throughout his life! But for him the Great Chandravamsa and the Kuru clan would not have come into existence? Who was this Bhishma and what were the circumstances that compelled him to take upon himself this great but terrible oath of celibacy? Legend has it that a great king Mahabhisha once went  to Indra, king of heaven. Attracted by his handsome appearance, Ganga, who happened to be there, casts amorous looks on him! Embarrassed at this objectionable behavior, Indra directs her to be the wife of King Mahabhisha in his next birth! Ashamed and downhearted at her indecent behavior, Ganga was on her way back. It was then that she met the “ashta vasus”-a group of celestials, who themselves were cursed to be born as mortals! In spite of the curse, the Vasus abhorred life as mortals and desired to return to heaven as early as possible.

Knowing her plight and predicament they made a request to her. They would  be born to her and that she should throw them all into the river as soon as they were born! This would enable them to go back to heaven. Time rolled on and Mahabhisha took birth as the great King Santanu. He fell in love with Ganga and asked for her hand! Remembering her promise to the eight Vasus, she agreed to marry king Santanu on condition that he should never object to her acts. Seven children were born and one by one she threw them into the river! king Santanu was aghast at this unprecedented cruelty of the mother. He could not tolerate the action of Ganga any more. When she was about to throw her eighth son into the river, he objected to her act and stopped her! Thus he breached his promise to her earlier. Ganga took her newborn son and left the king. The son was named Devavrata and grew up under the care of great gurus. He flowered into a young, energetic and handsome lad. Ganga brought her son back to king Santanu, explained all details and departed.

Now the king had a grown up son but no wife! Moving about his territory on an occasion, he happened to see an extraordinarily beautiful girl, Satyavati by name and fell in love with her. But her father was unwilling to offer her in marriage to the king since he had already a heir to the kingdom. He desired that the son born to his daughter Satyavati should be the heir to the kingdom of Santanu! His condition for marriage was against the principles of the era and dharma. King Santanu did not accede to the condition laid down by the father of  Satyavati.The king was very unhappy and worried. Observing his father and his worried look, Devavrata came to know the cause for his father’s worry and gloom. He went and met the father of Satyavati. He explained to him that there will be no bar for the son of Satyavati to become the heir to the kingdom of his father Santanu! But the words of Devavrata did not impress the father of the girl. He questioned how that can happen when Satyavrata was there already. After Satyavrata, his son shall be the king!

Satyavrata contemplated for awhile. His father’s happiness was the most important thing for him! He had to convince Satyavati’s father regarding the proper heir to the kingdom of his father. He cannot be the king after his father. The doubt that his son may become the heir to the Kingdom  had to be dispelled. Things became clear to him. He declared to Satyavati’s father that he would never marry  and remains celibate all through his life! Devavrata took this terrible oath for the happiness of his father sacrificing his personal desires! The Devas showered flowers on him for this rare virtue of personal pleasures and enjoyment! Thus this sacrifice is considered as terrible or. “bhisma!j” From thence onwards  Devavrata became BHISMA and called so by the world!

Satyavati’s sons Chitrangada and Vichitravirya died without children. But Vichitravirya married Ambika and Ambalika before his demise. Through the intervention of Sage Vyasa, Dhritarashtra, Pandu and Vidura were born.The Kauravas and Pandavas thus were children of Dhritarashtra and Pandu respectively. Bhishma had the greatest responsibility of looking after them in every aspect of their growth and progress! In spite of his lofty stature, rectitude and valour, Bhishma was not at all happy as he was a silent spectator to all the misdeeds of the evil minded Kauravas! He was on the side of adharma and could not override the opinion and misdeeds of the Kauravas! He had the rare and divine quality of deciding the time of his death! Events conspired in his life and he had to die fighting against a transgender, Sikhandi!  Finally he chose ‘uttarayana’ period for his death and breathed his last! He was a towering personality who strikes us with awe  and surprise!

ON SIN OF BEING BORN

ON THE SIN OF BEING BORN

Birth is considered as “ adhi vyadhi”-original disease! Spirituality and philosophy  do not speak highly of birth. It is considered as a misery. Why are creatures born in this world? Philosophy argues that it is because of one’s karma or deeds good or bad.A person or a creature is born with the consequence of the deeds of his previous birth. He continues to perform deeds and accumulates the effect of his good and bad deeds which form the basis of his future birth and  its happiness or suffering. Thus birth is the result of “ prarabda, sanchitha and agami “ karmas. there is no escape from this cycle! That is what Adi Sankara points out: “ Punarapi jananam Punarapi maranam Punarapi janani jatare sayanam.” Is man satisfied in his birth? The answer is no! Under the influence of illusion or Maya he considers life as permanent and forgets  the purpose of his life on earth totally! Krishna was once asked what was the most miraculous thing in all creation, and he replied that a man should wake each morning and believe deep in his heart that he will live forever even though he knows that he is doomed!

His ‘ mamakara’ or attachment to his wife, children, property and kith and kin leads him to intense misery and the various vicissitudes of samsara or family life. More and more insatiable desires torment him and there is no escape from the resulting agony! Every second he loses his longevity, youth deserts him, days lost never return, time swallows up the whole universe, wealth blows up like the bubble on the waves of the sea and life itself is like the momentary flash of lightning! The sea of Samsara is fathomless and abysmal. It is shoreless. It is infested with alligator like wife and children who drag you down further! “ Life and death are illusion. We are in a constant state of transformation.” says a  writer! “ Life and death are one thread, the same line viewed from different sides” according to Lao Tse. According to Socrates, the famous Greek philosopher, “ The hour of departure has arrived, and we go our separate ways, I to die and you to live. Which of these is better only God knows.”

It follows, therefore, that birth is the  result of the sin or the punya that one has  accumulated! Is it possible to live without doing anything to avoid birth? Lord Krishna tells Arjuna that it is impossible. If there is no karma there is no birth! If the body is at rest the mind is active! Mental activity is also karma and that has its effect. As such man is caught in the inescapable grip of the cycle of birth and death! When can man release himself from this everlasting cycle? It is only after innumerable births and deaths after experiencing the effects of all previous births. After all this experience emancipation is granted as per the Sasthras  and philosophy. But that stage is very far and the chances are remote since karma and its effect is continuous and unstoppable!

Man should realize that the world he lives in is unreal! It is an illusion, a make believe. It weaves a web in which we are caught and think it is real! It is like the silver in the seashell. For a look it shines like silver but there is no silver in it! The shell is real but the shine of silver is deception! But we are carried away by the shine of silver and think it is real.  This feeling is also similar to a dream. So long as we dream we feel it is real. We sometimes laugh and cry, feel sad or happy. But the moment we open our eyes the realization dawns that, after all, it was a dream! We still live in this dreamy world imagining it to be real! The world itself is of temporary existence and is it not foolish to think that we would live forever?

How to avoid birth? It is impossible to stop karma or escape from the ordeals of experiencing its gruelling effects! Janmarahitya -- birthlessness can be achieved by an attempt to achieve the aim and purpose of our earthly existence!  We are born not to live to eat. We eat to live. The purpose of our birth is to realize ourselves!  We are the Indestructible 'atma’, a chip of the block of the Paramatma or the Brahma the Supreme Reality! We are not the body with which we identify ourselves! we are not the small i but the big I which is the Infinite! In that constant thought we release ourselves from all our attachments and entanglements. We grow spiritual, detached, meditate on the Supreme Reality, attain Jnana and eventually merge with the Supreme Being! This is called emancipation or salvation or mukti when birth is annulled!

TOTAL SURRENDER

TOTAL SURRENDER

Of the nine types of bhakthi or devotion the most important and the most difficult is total surrender or ‘saranagati’. -The! devotee totally resigns himself to the will of God! He throws all his responsibility on the Providence and involves himself in His meditation day in and day out. He has no other attachment to the material world. He puts himself into the protection of God and in turn God takes over the task of looking over the total welfare of the Bhaktha! The bhaktha is totally devoid of his ego which is the root cause of all entanglements in life. The story of Gajendra in the Bhagavata is a  classical example of how total surrender impels the Lord to run to the rescue of his bhaktha in dire distress! In the beautiful Trikuta range of mountains there was an orchard with a variety of fruits and a captivating lake with crystal clear water. Gajendra

came to the lake with his female elephants and began to play with them by splashing water on them and disturbing the stillness of the cool lake! Rudely shaken by the commotion created by Gajendra, the crocodile in the deep waters grew furious and caught one of the legs of  Gajendra!

Gajendra struggled to extricate itself from the firm clasp of the crocodile. But in vain.In it's arrogancce of power it tried it's best but the more it tried the stronger grew the hold of the crocodile since water was its natural habitat! The tug of war went on for many years and gradually Gajendra grew hopeless. He then thought of God and prayed to Him for succour! There was no other alternative but to pray for the grace of God! Now he resigned himself to the will of God and praised Him with great faith and devotion. He surrendered himself totally to the grace and will of the Almighty! “ You are the creator,protector, and destroyer of the universe. You are the sea of compassion! All creatures finally merge into you at length! The world is full of avidya! In ignorance I thought I could win with my strength and now realize the futility of my effort! I want to get rid of the cycle of birth and death! Save me from the jaws of this monstrous crocodile! I entirely depend on your Grace! O Lord! kindly come to my rescue!” said Gajendra in his pathetic plight.

Potana, the celebrated Telugu poet describes the reaction and response of Lord Vishnu to the sincere prayer of Gajendra very beautifully! He was reclining in Vakunta in the company of Lakshmi Devi when he heard the prayers of Gajendra. Suddenly He got up and started to run! He did not release himself from the apron of his spouse! He did not summon Garuda his mount! He did not care to take the famous conch and the Sudarsana Chakra? Lakshmi wondered at the haste with which her Lord ran! Soon she followed him and with her the conch, Chakra and other Devas amazed at the anxiety and speed of the Lord! Gajendra saw his saviour, Lord Vishnu and lifting his trunk presented Him a lotus as an offering! The Lord was pleased and with the Chakra he killed the ferocious alligator and released Gajendra from its deathly grasp! Lo! Behold! From the dead body for the crocodile emerged a form bright and radiant with heavenly glow!

The form that came out of the dead crocodile was that of Huhu, a Gandharva who was cursed by the sage Devala! He dragged the toe of the sage while he was performing penance standing in water! Huhu apologized for his mischief and requested the sage for relief from the curse.The sage said that when Lord Vishnu comes to save Gajendra, he would be free from the curse and regain his original form! Gajendra in his previous birth was the Pandya King Indradyumna. He was pious and a devotee of Lord Vishnu. He was in deep meditation when sage Agasthya came. The king, in his thoughts on God, did not notice the sage and receive him with due honor! The sage took this attitude as the quality of ‘thamasa’ and cursed him to be an elephant! With the benign touch of the Lord the elephant transformed into the King Indradyumna! Though he became an elephant he remembered his previous birth because of his devotion to the Lord! Thus Indradyumna attained mukti and Huhu regained his Gandharva form!

So long as man believes in his physical and mental strength and becomes proud and arrogant God does not help him. It is only when he throws up his hands in despair and hopelessness and prays sincerely for his Grace, does God respond! In the Kaurava court, while Draupadi was being disrobed Krishna did not come to her rescue immediately! When she gave up all her attempts to save her own chastity and called upon the Lord sincerely did Krishna grant her His Grace and a never ending series of saris to protect her! There are many instances of total surrender in the lives of our ancient saints like the Azwars and the Nayanmars who lived in God and never cared for themselves. It was God himself who cared for them and demonstrated that he takes over all the responsibilities of his devotees if only they surrendered to Him in true faith and devotion!