10 - The dialogue between Rukmangada   and Vamadeva

Vasishtha continued:

1-2. On hearing the words of her husband, the wide-eyed lady said: “O king, the truth has been spoken by you. 0 leading king, just as the sages say, there cannot be a greater happiness than that of a son. In this world it is equal to that of the greatest being named Vishnu.

3-4. The burden of responsibility arising out of the administration of the seven continents has been placed on the son by you. Abstaining from the violence to the deer, worship Janardana by means of sacrifices; abandon desire for worldly pleasures; serve the celestial river; this is the proper and justifiable course of life to you but not the killing of the deer.

5. O king, resorting to worldly pleasures by fathers having grown up sons is like leaving the amorous marks with the nail on the breasts of an old woman.

6. O ruler of the Earth, worship Lord Hrushikesha (Vishnu) in the house. It is not proper on your part to kill innocent herds of deer.

7-8a. Non-violence has been glorified as the greatest virtue in the Puranas. One who maintains himself through violence pursues holy rites in vain. He who follows the path of violence does not gain anything, even if he follows the righteous path.

O king, good men do not enjoy those things polluted and hurt by others.

8b. Violence to living beings is said to be of six types, O king.

9. The first man responsible for violence is the person who approves of it; the second one is the actual killer; the third one is the person who believes in it (who has faith in it); the fourth man (guilty) of violence is he who eats (the meat); the fifth man is the person who cooks and O king the sixth one is the person who is a participant in it. Learned men know the Dharma connected with violence is Adharma.”

10. O king, a father who resorts to Dharma and who has become old in age, does not commit sins after entrusting the burden to the son.

11. Eschew the emotional feeling connected with the violence done to the deer. O king, hundreds of kings addicted to the vice of hunting deer have perished.

12-13.  Hence I consider the act of striking down deer as wickedness. Excellent deep sympathy and mercy towards deer is seen in the righteous kings. It is with the earnest desire for your welfare that you are being prevented by me.” To his wife who repeatedly urged thus, the king spoke these words:

14. O gentle lady, I do not wish to hurt or kill the deer. Under the pretext of hunting deer, I will wander in the forest weeding out thorns (undesirable element) with the bow kept ready in the hand.

15. May my son be among the people,0 fairfaced lady, and may I be in the forest. The subjects must be protected from both the beasts of prey and the robbers, by the king.

16. O auspicious lady, the subjects must be protected by oneself or through one’s son. The king who does not protect his subjects faces downfall, though he may be virtuous or religious.

17-20. O beloved lady, it   is      with the   protection   of people   in view that I will be going to the forest. I am devoid of false emotions and feelings. After saying this  to  her, the  king climbed on to an excellent horse like the sun 0n the peak of the Meru mountain. The horse was defectless, lustrous  like  the moon, and was as it were the ornament unto the Earth. It was like the celestial horse Ucchaihshravas in respect of its beauty; it was like the Wind God in its speed. Paying respect to the Earth the king offered  his right  hand (?) which had given gifts of thousands and crores, which used to press and  rub  the breasts of beautiful ladies, which had the shape and appearance of the tender sprouts of the   Ashoka     tree and    which bore  the marks of a thunderbolt and goad.

21. The ruler of the Earth set off on his journey making the ground quake (beneath him). The excellent king   passing many lands reached the forest.

22. Elephants, horses and chariots were shaken off due to the velocity of the horse. The foot soldiers fell unconscious on the surface of the Earth.

23. O king, after traversing hundred and eight Yojanas (one Yojana= 12 kms.) that king all at once reached the great Ashrama (hermitage) of the sages.

24-27. He entered the beautiful hermitage abounding in trees such as clusters of plantain trees, Ashoka, Bakula Mimusops Elengi) , Punnaga (nut-meg), Sarala (pine trees), Matulinga (chitron trees), Kapittha (feronia elephantum), date palms, jack trees, coconut palms, palmyra, Ketakas, Sinduvaras, Sandalwoods, Tamalas (Xanthochymus epictorius), Pippalas, Champakas, Arecha palms, Dadimas (pomegranates), thousands of embylic myrobalans, margoas trees, mango trees, Lodhras (a tree with red-white flowers) and many other trees full of ripe fruits. They bent down due to the weight of fruits and many birds perched on them.

28-29. Sweet smelling wind gently blew, wafting the fragrance of the flowers. Searching for the sages therein the king saw Vamadeva¹, the most excellent Brahmana who had the lustre of fire and who was surrounded by many disciples. On seeing him the king got down from his horse and bowed to him with great respect.

1. This is not the Vedic seer Vamadeva but some other sage of the same name. A number of sages of this name are mentioned in the Mbh. (Sabha. 7. 17, Vana. 192. 43 H, Shanti. 92-94) and VR. (I. 7. 4. II. 67. 3 etc.)

30. The king was honoured and greeted with Arghya and other things by that sage. Sitting on the Kusha grass seat he said in a delighted tone: -

31. “On seeing today the lotus-like feet of yours who are ever engrossed in deep meditation, my sins have been eliminated and fruition of my meritorious deeds has been achieved.’’

32. On hearing the words of king Rukmangada, sage Vamadeva rejoiced much. After enquiring about his health and welfare he said thus:

33. O highly blessed king, my hermitage visited by you, a highly meritorious devotee of Vishnu, has become the most sanctified on the surface of the Earth.

34. Which other king on the Earth can attain equality with you by whom Yama has been vanquished and the path leading to his abode has been broken.

35. O king, by compelling them to observe fast on the Dvadashi day that is destructive of sins, the entire world has been led to the imperishable region of Vaikuntha.

36. After controlling and restraining the subjects on the surface of the Earth soundly through the four splendid Upayas (means of success, viz. Saman, dana, danda, bheda) they have been led to the region of the slayer of Madhu (i.e. of Vishnu) whether they abide by their duties or carry on the duties of others.

37-38. 0 king, you have come within our view and we had been desirous of seeing you. O king, even a Chandala who is a devotee of Vishnu is superior to a Brahmana. Even a Brahmana devoid of devotion to Vishnu is inferior to a Chandala. O king, rare indeed are those kings who are devoted to Vishnu is the surface of this Earth.

39-40. No king who is not a devotee of Vishnu can be the person who embellishes the glory and splendour of the Earth. If the king is not devoted to Hari but is devoted to other Deities, that king is like a woman who has abandoned her husband and is attached to her paramour. Certainly this kind of adverse behaviour affects that king.

41-43a. His behaviour will be contrary to virtue, wealth, love, intelligence and salvation.

Hence, the worship of Vishnu that is reasonably laid down has been performed by you. Hence, O king, you are blessed. We too arc blessed since we have seen you.

Even as Vamadeva spoke thus to him, the excellent king, naturally endowed with humility bowed down humbly and said:

43b-45. O excellent Brahmana, I crave your forgiveness, O holy Lord, I am not like this. O   Brahmana, I am not equal to even the dust of your feet. Never can even the Devas be superior to Brahmanas. A creature (i.e. the individual soul) becomes devoted to Madhava through the Brahmanas who are satisfied. If they are furious he becomes worthy of being hated (by Madhava). This is the truth that has been stated by me.

46. Vamadeva then asked him-Tell me. What shall I give you? O king, there is nothing that cannot be given to you who have come to my house as my guest now.

47. O king, if he gives anything on the earth, it must be that which is the most pleasing to him like the announcement through drums on the day of Vishnu which prevents people from taking food.

48. The king thereupon joined his palms in reverence and said to him- I have achieved everything by the sight of the pair of your feet.

49. O Brahmana, I have a doubt that has persisted for a long time. I am asking you the same since you are a leading Brahmana, who dispel all doubts.

50. By what meritorious deed has my wife become the most beautiful lady in the three worlds. She looks upon me as though I am superior to Manmatha.

51. Wherever the fair-complexioned gentle lady sets her foot, the earth reveals its great treasures.

52. Her limbs are devoid of the symptoms of old age. There are neither wrinkles nor greying hairs. O excellent sage, she shines always like the lustre of the autumnal moon.

53. O Brahmana, even without fire she prepares dishes. of six tastes. Crores of men take their meal out of the little quantity of food that she cooks.

54. She is a chaste woman. She is by nature munificent; she causes happiness to all living beings. 0 Brahmana, dis respect is not expressed by her through words even when she is. asleep.

55. My son who is born of her abides by my behest always. O excellent one among the leading Brahmana, on the surface of this earth, I am the only one who have a son in the sense of the term.

56. My son is a great devotee of his father. He surpasses me by means of his attributes. It is well known on the surface of the Earth that I am only the ruler of a single continent.

57-58a. My son has surpassed me in this respect as he is the protector of all the seven continents. O leading Brahmana, for my sake, the princess well-known by the name of Vidyullekha, had been brought by him after conquering many kings in the battlefield.

58b-59a. In the course of six months that Lord equipped with the wealth of beauty conquered those kings and made them stripped of their weapons.

59b-60. He went to the realm of damsels and conquered them in the battle. He brought eight excellent ladies from among them with force and presented them to me with repeated obeisances.

61. Urged by his mother, my son brought and handed over to me the divine and exquisite garments and jewels on the surface of the Earth.

62. Within a day he takes a round of many Yojanas over the Earth and returns to me by nightfall for the purpose of massaging my feet.

63. After massaging my feet, he stands at the threshold at midnight with his coat of mail on. He wakens and pulls up the attendants and servants who are overwhelmed by drowsiness.

64. That is why, O excellent sage, this physical body of mine is free from sickness and ailments. My happiness is immeasurable. My beloved in the house is fully subservient to me.

65. I have numerous horses and elephants. The food-grains and riches I possess are infinite. All the people on the Earth obey my behests.

66. My present happiness is infinite. What is that meritorious action thanks to the power of which I possess it? Is it what has been performed in the course of this birth or the previous one?

67-68. O Brahmana, recount to me about my merit after pondering over it in your mind. There is no ailment in the body; the beloved wife is submissive; there is affluence in the house, devotion to Hari and reverence to scholars as well as capacity to give liberally to the Brahmanas. I consider this as originating from my merits.