[29]
Many days passed like this.
After the king fell asleep,
Chudaalaa returned to the palace and completed her duties of the kingdom.
In the morning Kumbha became
a young man again and wandered with his friend. At night also, as a female
named Madanikaa, he slept with the king, only as a friend.
One day Madanikaa told the
king that her youthful charms as a girl were going waste without fulfillment.
She requested ShikhiDhvaja to marry her and give company at night.
ShikhiDhvaja had stopped
bothering about anything that happened in the world. For him, body was just an
illusion.
If Kumbha, his friend wanted
to be happy by marrying him, he had no objection he said; he would do anything
for a friend who had guided him in the correct path.
That very night, Madanikaa
created a divine hall made of precious stones; and married him in a grand
manner through proper rites.
Kumbha acted as a friend at
day times and as a wife at night times.
They both enjoyed many happy
days in the company of each other.
Chudaalaa observed that the
king was not at all disturbed by any act of passion and that he remained always
in the unwavering state of the Self.
She decided to test him as to
whether he would be attracted by the pleasures of heaven.
By her power of Yoga she created
Indra and his retinue.
[30]
ShikhiDhvaja saw in front of
him, Indra with his complete retinue of gods and Apsaraas.
Indra saluted him and
requested the great Sage to accept all the Siddhis as a gift and come to
heaven; and to reside there enjoying all the pleasures of heaven.
ShikhiDhvaja refused the
invitation politely and said that he perceived no divisions of heaven and earth
any more. He was in the state of Self and found heaven wherever he stayed.
Indra was disappointed;
greeted Kumbha who was standing next to the king; and vanished from sight.
Chudaalaa was happy that her
husband was not attracted towards pleasures whether of heaven or earth.
Now she decided to test
whether he could get angry or annoyed by any event.
[31]
One evening, ShikhiDhvaja was
engaged in the worship of Sandhyaa on the river bank.
Madanikaa intoxicated by
drinking wine walked into a bush nearby. She created through her Yogic power, a
handsome paramour waiting for her inside that bower. She and her illusory paramour
spent some time in various amorous sports.
ShikhiDhvaja finished his
evening worship and came searching for Kumbha.
He saw Kumbha as Madanikaa in
the company of another young man.
He silently walked away
without disturbing the passionate couple.
He sat on a rock in a
solitary place and was absorbed in contemplation.
Soon Madanikaa came there,
flushed in the face and body.
She stood embarrassed in
front of him, feeling shy and guilty.
ShikhiDhvaja tenderly asked
her as to why she had to come off so soon, as he would never have minded her
being happy in the company of someone else.
Madanikaa confessed that
because the king was engaged in his evening worship, she was overcome by
passion and had to seek another man’s company. After all she was a foolish girl
apt to make mistakes.
She pleaded with him not to
get angry.
The king consoled her saying
that he was not at all disturbed by her immoral act.
Chudaalaa knew that it was
the ripe time for her to reveal her original form.
[32]
To the amazement of the
king-turned Sage, Chudaalaa appeared out of Madanikaa’s form. The king was
overcome by the bliss of his beloved wife standing before him and without any
control embraced her with much affection and love.
Both remained in each other’s
embrace for long, like carved statues.
Chudaalaa told him all that
had happened and begged him to forgive her.
Instead of getting annoyed,
the king praised her devotion for the husband and acclaimed that she was the
best of all women in the three worlds.
He said that he was indeed
very fortunate that he had a wife who lifted her husband out of the deep pit of
ignorance.
Chudaalaa then suggested that
they both should return to the kingdom and remain there as the king and queen.
Since ShikhiDhvaja had no
likes or dislikes, he agreed to his wife’s suggestion.
By his request, Chudaalaa
created a huge army of men, horses, and elephants. They both sat on the best of
elephants and journeyed towards their kingdom. After many days they reached the
kingdom and were welcomed by all the people and ministers with affection.
ShikhiDhvaja and Chudaalaa
together ruled the kingdom for ten thousand years and attained Videha Mukti at
the end of their earth-life.
[33]
Sage Vasishta completed the
story of ShikhiDhvaja and Chudaalaa and said to Rama-
“This story happened in the Dvaapara Yuga of the
previous Kalpa.
It will again happen in the next forthcoming Dvaapara
Yuga of this Kalpa!
Rama! Jeevas are all like waves rising in the ocean of Brahman
Everything is Brahman alone!
The same Brahman can randomly appear as any Jeeva at
any time again and again.
There is no second! Only Brahman alone shines forth as
all!”
END
No comments:
Post a Comment