Śveta of Vidarbha

Śveta was a king of Vidarbha and a son of Vāsudeva. He ruled justly, held yajñas and honoured brāhmaṇas, but in his whole life he never gave annadāna (the gift of food). After death he went to svarga through his other merits, yet he was tormented by hunger and ate his own flesh. The ṛṣi Vasiṣṭha taught him the dāna vratas that free a person. Agastya Maharṣi finally freed him by accepting a divine ornament from him. Agastya later gave that ornament to Bhagavān Rāma during his forest exile.

Kingdom and virtues

Śveta was king of Vidarbha, born as a son of Vāsudeva. He was not an irreligious king. He supported yajñas, respected brāhmaṇas and ruled by the principles of rāja-dharma (the dharma of kings). He had many merits that would take him to svarga after death. But one thing was missing. In his whole reign and life Śveta never gave annadāna. He never gave food to the hungry and never arranged to feed guests or the poor.

Suffering in svarga

After his death Śveta’s merits took him to svarga. But the lack of annadāna in his record of karma showed itself in a terrible way. Though he was in the world of the devas, he was tormented by constant burning hunger. He could not take the divine foods that the other blessed beings there ate. In his desperation he began to eat his own flesh. The one who gave no food to others could not receive food even in svarga.

Vasiṣṭha’s teaching

The great ṛṣi Vasiṣṭha came to Śveta in svarga. He was moved by his plight and explained the cause and the remedies. He taught the tila-dhenu dāna (the gift of a cow made of sesame) and the brahmāṇḍa dāna. He also taught the whole body of the great forms of dāna: the daśa-mahādānas (ten great gifts), the śaila-dānas (gifts of mountains) and the various forms of go-dāna (gift of cows). Each had its own power to remove particular debts of karma. Vasiṣṭha’s teaching showed the way to freedom, but the full release came through Agastya.

Freed by Agastya

Years later Agastya Maharṣi met Śveta still suffering in svarga. Through his tapas-śakti (power of austerity) and his compassion, Agastya offered Śveta full freedom. Śveta gave Agastya a divine ornament of great spiritual power. He gave it as a last act of dāna, with complete surrender. This giving was done with true renunciation and no wish for gain, and it ended the remaining burden of his karma. Śveta was freed and reached a higher and more fitting world.

The ornament given to Rāma

The divine ornament that Śveta gave to Agastya was later given to Bhagavān Rāma when he came to Agastya’s āśrama (hermitage) during his forest exile. So the ornament passed from Śveta, who was freed by giving, to Agastya, who freed him, and then to Rāma, the avatāra (descent) of Bhagavān Viṣṇu. This chain of sacred giving joins the account of Śveta’s release with the Rāmāyaṇa.

What his account teaches

The Padma Purāṇa gives Śveta’s account as an example of the greatness of annadāna. A king with many virtues suffers for the one gift he left out. His release came through proper dāna, the teaching of a good person (satpuruṣa) and surrender at the feet of a mahārṣi.

Śveta-rāja in the Kedāra Khaṇḍa

A king named Śveta-rāja also appears in the Kedāra Khaṇḍa of the Skanda Mahā Purāṇa, Chapter 32. He was a very devoted Śaiva king. His devotion was so complete that Bhagavān Śiva burned Kāla, Death himself, with his third eye to protect him.

Sources

• Padma Mahā Purāṇa, Sṛṣṭi Khaṇḍa, Chapters 34–36
• Skanda Mahā Purāṇa, Kedāra Khaṇḍa, Chapter 32