Nachiketa

Part-2 Jan—30-2011 Sunday

Nachiketa found his way to Yama Puri, only to find that the Bhagavan (Bhagavan (Lord)) was out, and wouldn’t return for 3 days. The guards refused to let him enter the palace in the absence of their master, and the little boy spent the 3 days and nights outside the palace gates of Yama, without a morsel of food or a drop of water! What endurance! and that too for a boy barely 7 years old!

When Yama returned, he was stunned to see the child waiting for him at his doorstep, and was aghast when he learnt that no one had even offered him food or water for 3 days! He reprimanded his wife and servants, and ordered them to serve Nachiketa at once. He himself took the little boy inside and fed him with the choicest delicacies, and made him comfortable.

However, he still felt responsible for violating the rules for treatment of a guest, and, in an effort to make up for it, said, “Nachiketa, I have sinned by making a Brahmin child like you wait without food or water. Allow me to cleanse myself by offering you three boons. Ask for whatever you wish, and it will be yours!”

Nachiketa explained the situation to Yama and said that as per his father’s word, he was now a property of Yama, and that he would stay back in Yama Puri as his servant. But Yama pacified him, and assuring him that he was relieved from his bondage, and insisted that he ask for the 3 boons he wanted. Finally, Nachiketa replied, “Bhagavan (Bhagavan (Lord)), thank you for welcoming me so warmly, setting me free of bondage, and offering me the boons. My first wish is that when I return home, my father should welcome me warmly, without any ill feeling.” Yama replied “Let it be so.” Nachiketa then said, “My second wish is that I acquire the knowledge through which I can attain immortality and go to heaven.” Yama was pleased and taught him the secrets of the sacred fire which unveiled the secrets of heaven and immortality. Nachiketa learnt this so fast and easily, that Yama further declared that this fire would henceforth be known by his name, as ‘Nachiketa Agni’. ---------------- Compiler : Prof. Komaragiri Venkata Ramana Rao. Ph.D., (Retired Professor; Andhra University College of Engineering); Astrologer-Scienitst. Durham. NC; U.S.A.: (Tatayya = Grand-father). My e-mail address : pandit@jyothishi.com---------- I dedicate all these stories in the blog to Sri Parama Paalakas (Supreme Rulers of this entire Universe): Bhagavan Sri Siddhi Vinayaka, Sri Lakshmi Narayana and Sri Gouri Sankara and Sri Saraswathi and Bhagavan Sri Venkateswara !

Nachiketa

Part-2 Jan—30-2011 Sunday

Nachiketa found his way to Yama Puri, only to find that the Bhagavan (Bhagavan (Lord)) was out, and wouldn’t return for 3 days. The guards refused to let him enter the palace in the absence of their master, and the little boy spent the 3 days and nights outside the palace gates of Yama, without a morsel of food or a drop of water! What endurance! and that too for a boy barely 7 years old!

When Yama returned, he was stunned to see the child waiting for him at his doorstep, and was aghast when he learnt that no one had even offered him food or water for 3 days! He reprimanded his wife and servants, and ordered them to serve Nachiketa at once. He himself took the little boy inside and fed him with the choicest delicacies, and made him comfortable.

However, he still felt responsible for violating the rules for treatment of a guest, and, in an effort to make up for it, said, “Nachiketa, I have sinned by making a Brahmin child like you wait without food or water. Allow me to cleanse myself by offering you three boons. Ask for whatever you wish, and it will be yours!”

Nachiketa explained the situation to Yama and said that as per his father’s word, he was now a property of Yama, and that he would stay back in Yama Puri as his servant. But Yama pacified him, and assuring him that he was relieved from his bondage, and insisted that he ask for the 3 boons he wanted. Finally, Nachiketa replied, “Bhagavan (Bhagavan (Lord)), thank you for welcoming me so warmly, setting me free of bondage, and offering me the boons. My first wish is that when I return home, my father should welcome me warmly, without any ill feeling.” Yama replied “Let it be so.” Nachiketa then said, “My second wish is that I acquire the knowledge through which I can attain immortality and go to heaven.” Yama was pleased and taught him the secrets of the sacred fire which unveiled the secrets of heaven and immortality. Nachiketa learnt this so fast and easily, that Yama further declared that this fire would henceforth be known by his name, as ‘Nachiketa Agni’. ---------------- Compiler : Prof. Komaragiri Venkata Ramana Rao. Ph.D., (Retired Professor; Andhra University College of Engineering); Astrologer-Scienitst. Durham. NC; U.S.A.: (Tatayya = Grand-father). My e-mail address : pandit@jyothishi.com---------- I dedicate all these stories in the blog to Sri Parama Paalakas (Supreme Rulers of this entire Universe): Bhagavan Sri Siddhi Vinayaka, Sri Lakshmi Narayana and Sri Gouri Sankara and Sri Saraswathi and Bhagavan Sri Venkateswara !

. I am not the original author of those stories. I am only the compiler. I convey my respects and thanks to all the original authors and translators. This is a purely children—service venture. I gain nothing and nothing personally by publication of this blog. So I hope I will not be bound by any copy-right and such restrictions. I dedicate all these stories in the blog to Sri Parama VISVA-Paalakas (Supreme Rulers of this entire Universe): Bhagavan Sri Siddhi Vinayaka, Sri Lakshmi Narayana and Sri Gouri Sankara and Sri Saraswathi and Bhagavan Sri Venkateswara ! I ask them only one boon / blessing from Them in return. Aayu. Aarogya, Aiswaryam and Happiness and the most important Boon of Sri Kaivalayapadam for me (liberation from the cycle of birth and death and oneness with Parama-atma!). I firmly believe They grant me this Boon, because I led a pious life all these years! I also pray Bhagavan: Sarva Janah Sukhino-bhavanthu! (May He / She bestow Peace and Happiness to All the persons in this world) !

Nachiketa

Part-1 Jan—22-2011 Saturday

The Kathopanishad deals with the complex matter of life and death, dealt in the simple manner of a dialogue between the Bhagavan (Bhagavan (Lord)) of death, Yama, and a little boy named Nachiketa. The story of Nachiketa is an inspiring one, and is what forms the basis of the entire Kathopanishad.

Nachiketa was the son of the rishi Uddalaka. Uddalaka was a great Rishi with great capability, but just one flaw – he was a miser. Once, he performed a great Yagna to please the gods. It is customary to donate cows, money, clothes and food to Brahmins during a yagna, but Uddalaka loathed spending precious money to make the donations. He sought an easy way out, donating old and weak cows past their milk-bearing stage, which no one would otherwise take, to the Brahmins who arrived for the yagna. Nachiketa was aware of this, and was deeply disturbed by the parsimony of his father.

He attempted to speak to his father, warning him of the effect of his wrong-doing, but Uddalaka turned a deaf ear to his wise son. Nachiketa did not give up, but instead asked his father, “I too am your property, a property which does not yield any returns. Whom will you donate me to?” This question annoyed / irritated Uddalaka so much that he finally lost his patience and shouted, “I shall donate you to God Yama!” Yama was the Bhagavan (Bhagavan (Lord)) of death, presiding over the nether regions called ‘Yama Puri’, and Nachiketa decided to go there, as commanded by his father.

As soon as Uddalaka realized what had happened, he repented for his anger as well his greed, and tried to persuade Nachiketa to stay back. However, Nachiketa was firm. He had been given to Yama in charity by the word of his father, and he would gladly go to the abode of death in fulfillment of his father’s command. --------- Compiler : Prof. Komaragiri Venkata Ramana Rao. Ph.D., (Retired Professor; Andhra University College of Engineering); Astrologer-Scienitst. Durham. NC; U.S.A.: (Tatayya = Grand-father). My e-mail address : pandit@jyothishi.com---------- I dedicate all these stories in the blog to Sri Parama Paalakas (Supreme Rulers of this entire Universe): Bhagavan Sri Siddhi Vinayaka, Sri Lakshmi Narayana and Sri Gouri Sankara and Sri Saraswathi and Bhagavan Sri Venkateswara ! =========================================================

GOOD NATURE IS INHERENT IN THE PERSON

GOOD NATURE IS INHERENT IN THE PERSON

Part—29 Jan—23—2011 Sunday

Once upon a time, there was a king who loved to gamble with his royal priest. WheA he threw the dice, he always recited this lucky charm:

"If tempted any woman will, for sure,
Give up her faithfulness and act impure."

Amazing as it may seem, by using this charm the king always won! Before long, the royal priest lost almost every penny he owned.

He thought, "I have lost almost all my wealth to the king. It must be because of his lucky charm. I need to find a way to break the spell and win back my money. I must find a pure woman who has never had anything to do with a man. Then I will lock her up in my mansion and force her to remain faithful to me!"

This seemed like a good plan to him. But then he started having doubts. He thought, "It would be nearly impossible to keep a woman pure after she had already become accustomed to men. Therefore I must find the purest woman possible - one who has never even seen a man!"

Just then he happened to see a poor woman passing by. She was pregnant. The royal priest was an expert in reading the meaning of marks on the body. So he could tell that the unborn baby was a girl. And the thought occurred to him, "Aha! Only an unborn baby girl has never seen a man!"

The royal priest was willing to do anything to beat the king at dice. So he paid the poor woman to stay in his house and have her baby there. When the wonderful little girl was born, the priest bought her from her mother. Then he made sure she was raised only by women. She never saw a man - except of course the royal priest himself. When she grew up, he still kept her completely under his control. It ws just as if he owned the poor girl!

The cruel priest did all this only because of his gambling habit. While the girl was growing up, he had avoided playing dice with the king. Now that she was of age, and still his prisoner, he challenged the king to a game of dice once again.

The king agreed. After they had made their bets, the king shook the dice and repeated his favourite lucky charm:

"If tempted any woman will, for sure,
Give up her faithfulness and act impure."

But just before he threw down the dice, the priest added:

"Except my woman - faithful evermore!"

Lo and behold, the king's charm didn't work. He lost that bet, and from then on the priest won every throw of the dice.

The king was puzzled by this turn of events. After considering, he thought, "This priest must have a pure woman locked up at home, one who is forced to be faithful to him alone. That's why my lucky charm doesn't work anymore."

He investigated and discovered what the cruel priest had done. So he sent for a well-known playboy character. He asked him if he could cause the lady's downfall. He replied, "No problem my Bhagavan (Lord)!" The king paid him handsomely and told him to do the job quickly.

The man bought a supply of the finest perfumes and cosmetics. He set up a shop just outside the royal priest's mansion. This mansion was seven stories high, with seven entrance gates - one on each floor. Each gate was guarded by women, and no man except the priest was allowed to enter.

The priest's lady was waited on by only one servant. She carried everything in and out, including perfumes and cosmetics. The priest gave her money for her purchases.

The playboy saw the servant going in and out of the priest's mansion. Soon he realised she was the one who could get him inside. So he devised a plan and hired some cronies to help him.

The next morning, when the serving lady went out to do her shopping, the playboy dramatically fell to the ground before her. Grabbing her knees tearfully cried, "Oh my dear mother, it's so wonderful to see you again after such a long time!"

Then his cronies chimed in, "Yes yes, this must be she! She looks the same - her hands and feet and face and type of dress. Yes yes, this must be she!" They all kept saying how amazing it was that her looks had changed so little in all that time.

The poor woman must have had a long lost son, for soon she was convinced this must be he. She hugged the king's clever playboy, and both sobbed tears of joy over their miraculous reunion.

In between bouts of sobbing, the man was able to ask her. "Oh dear dear mother, where are you living now?" "I live next door," she said, "in the royal priest's mansion. Night and day I serve his young woman. Her beauty is without equal, like the mermaids sailors love to praise."

He asked, "Where are you going now, mother?" "I'm going shopping for her perfumes and cosmetics, my son." "There's no need, mother," he said, "from now on I will give you the best perfumes and cosmetics free of charge!" So he gave them to her, along with a bouquet of lovely flowers.

When the priest's lady saw all these, much better quality than usual, she asked why the priest was so happy with her. "No no," said the serving woman, "these are not from the priest. I got them at my son's shop." From then on she got perfumes and cosmetics from the playboy's shop, and kept the priest's money.

After a while the playboy began the next part of his plan. He pretended to be sick and stayed in bed.

When the servant came to the shop she asked, "Where is my son?" She was told he was too sick to work, and was taken to see him. She began massaging his back and asked, "What happened to you, my son?" He replied, "Even if I were about to die, I couldn't tell you, my mother."

She continued, "If you can't tell me, to whom can you tell?" Then according to his plan, he broke down and admitted to her, "I was fine until you told me about your beautiful mistress - 'like the mermaids sailors love to praise'. Because of your description, I have fallen in love with her. I must have her. I can't live without her. I'm so depressed, without her I'll surely die!"

Then the woman said, "Don't worry, my son, leave it up to me." She took even more perfumes and cosmetics to the priest's lady. She said to her, "My lady, after my son heard from me about your beauty, he fell madly in love with you! I don't know what to do next!"

Since the priest was the only man she had ever seen, the lady was curious. And of course she resented being locked up by force. So she said, "If you can sneak him into my room, it's all right with me!"

Everything the servant took in and out was searched by the woman guards at the seven gates. So she had to have a plan. She swept up all the dust and dirt she could find in the whole mansion. Then she began taking some of it out each day in a large covered flower basket. Whenever she was searched, she made sure some of the dust and dirt got on the guard women's faces. This made them sneeze and cough. Pretty soon they stopped searching her when she went in and out.

Finally one day she hid the playboy in her covered flower basket. He was trim and fit, not heavy at all. She was able to sneak him past all seven guarded gates, and into the priest's lady's private chamber. The two lovers stayed together for several days and nights. So the paly-boy was able to destroy her perfect chastity (faithfulness), which had been forced on her by the cold-hearted priest.

Eventually she told him it was time to go. He said, "I will go. But first, since the old priest has been so mean to you, let me give him one good blow to the head!" She agreed and hid him in a closet. This too was part of his secret plan.

When the priest arrived, his lady said, "My Bhagavan (Lord) and master, I"m so happy today! I'd like to dance while you play the guitar."

The priest said, "Of course, my beauty." "But I'm too shy to dance in front of you," she added, "so please wear this blindfold while I dance." Again he agree to her request and she put a blindfold over his eyes.

The priest played a pretty tune on his complicated Indian guitar, while his lady danced. After a bit she said, "As part of my dance, won't you let me give you a tap on the head?" "As you wish, my dear," he said.

Then she motioned to the playboy, who came out of the closet, snuck up from behind, and hit the old priest on the head! His eyes nearly popped out, and a bump began rising from the blow. He cried out and the lady put her hand in his. He said, "Such a soft hand sure can deliver a wallop, my dear!"

The playboy returned to the closet. The lady removed the priest's blindfold and put some ointment on his bump. When he had left, the serving woman hid the playboy in her flower basket and smuggled him out of the mansion. He went immediately to the king and told him the whole story, in a very boastful way of course.

The next day the royal priest went to the palace as usual. The king said, "Shall we gamble on the throw of the dice?" The priest, expecting to win once more, agreed. Just as before, the king recited his lucky charm:

"If tempted any woman will, for sure,
Give up her faithfulness and act impure."

As usual the priest added:

"Except my woman - faithful evermore!"

But lo and behold the dice fell in the king's favour and he took the priest's money.

The king said, "Oh priest, your woman is no exception! True faithfulness cannot be forced! Your plan was to snatch a newborn baby girl, lock her up behind seven gates guarded by seven guards, and force her to be good. But you have failed. Any prisoner's greatest wish is freedom!"

"She blindfolded you and then her playboy lover gave you that bump on your old bald head - which proves your gates and guards were useless!"

The priest returned home and accused his lady. But in the meantime, she had come up with a plan of her own. She said, "No no, my Bhagavan (Lord), I have been completely faithful to you. No man has ever touched me except you! And I will prove it in a trial by fire. I will walk on fire without being burned to prove I speak the truth."

She ordered the old servant woman to fetch her son, the playboy. She was to tell him to take the lady by the hand and prevent her from stepping in the flames. This the woman did.

On the day of the trial by fire, the priest's lady said to the crowd of onlookers, "I have never been touched by any man except this priest, my master. By this truth, may the fire have no power over me."

Then, just as she was about to step into the fire, the playboy leaped from the crowd and grabbed her hand. He shouted, "Stop! Stop! How can this priest be so cruel as to force this tender young lady into a raging fire!"

She shook her hand free and said to the priest, "My Bhagavan (Lord), since this man has touched my hand, the trial by fire is useless. But you can see my good intention!"

The priest realised he had been tricked. He beat her as he drove her away forever. At last she was free of him, and mistress of her own fate.

The moral is: You can't force someone to be good. GOOD NATURE IN INHERENT

The Diamond Weapon

The Diamond Weapon

Part—29 (Jan—22—2011) Saturday

Once upon a time, the Jnanasagar (means, ocean of wisdom) was born as the son of the King and Queen of Varanasi (Benares). On the day of his naming, 9 fortune tellers (astrologers)were invited to the palace. As presents, they were given whatever they desired to make them happy for the moment. The they were asked to tell the fortune of the newborn prince. This was so they could find a good name for him. One of the fortune tellers was an expert in reading the marks of the body. He said, "My Bhagavan (Lord), this is a being of great merit. He will be king after you."

The fortune tellers were very clever. They told the king and queen whatever they wanted to hear. They said, "Your son will be skilled in five weapons. He will become famous as the greatest master of all five weapons throughout India." Based on this, the king and queen named their son 'Panchaayudha'.

When the prince turned 16, the king decided to send him to college. He said, "Go, my son, to the city of Takkasila. There you will find a world famous teacher. Learn all you can from him. Give him this money as payment." He gave him a thousand gold coins and sent him on his way.

The prince went to the world famous teacher of Takkasila. He studied very hard and became his best pupil. When the teacher had taught him all he knew, he gave the prince a special graduation award. He gave him five weapons. Then he sent him back to Varanasi (Benares).

On his way home he came to a forest which was haunted by a monster. The local people warned Panchaayudha, "Young man, don't go through the forest. There is a monstrous demon called Jatasura living there. He kills everyone he sees!"

But the prince was self-confident and fearless like a young lion. So he pushed on into the forest, until he came to the dreadful monster. He was tall as a tree, witha head as big as the roof of a house and eyes as big as dishes. He had two big yellow tusks sticking out of his gaping white mouth filled with ugly brown teeth. He had a huge belly with white spots, and his hands feet were blue.

The monster roared and growled at the prince, "Where are you going in my forest, little man? You look like a tasty morsel to me. I'm going to gobble you up!"

The prince had just graduated from college and had won the highest award form his teacher. So he thought he knew just about everything, and that he could do just about anything. He replied, "Oh fierce demon, I am Panchaayudha, and I have come on purpose to find you. I dare you to attack me! I will kill you easily with my first two weapons - my bow and poison-tipped arrows."

Then he put a poison arrow in his bow and shot straight at the monster. But the arrow just stuck fast to his hair, like glue, without hurting him at all. Then The prince shot, one after another, all the rest of his 50 poison-tipped arrows. But they also fast to the hair of the one called Jatasura.

Then the beast shook his body, from ugly rooftop-sized head to blue-coloured feet. And all the arrows fell harmlessly to the ground.

Panchaayudha drew his third weapon, a 33-inch-long sword. He plunged it into his enemy. But it just stuck fast in the coat of sticky hair.

He threw his fourth weapon, his spear, at the monster. But this too just stuck to his hair.

Next he attacked with the last of his five weapons, his club. This also stuck fast onto Jatasura.

Then the prince yelled at him, "Hey you, monster, haven't you ever heard of me, Panchaayudha? I have more than just my five weapons. I have the strength of my young man's body. I will break you into pieces!"

He hit Jatasura with his right fist, just like a boxer. But his hand just stuck to the hairy coat, and he couldn't remove it. He hit him with his left fist, but this too just stuck fast to the gooey mess of hair. He kicked him with his right foot and then his left, just like a martial arts master. But they both stuck onto him like his fists. Finally he butted him as hard as he could with his head, just like a wrestler. But, lo and behold, his head got stuck as well.

Even while sticking to the hairy monster in five places, hanging down from his coat, the prince had no fear.

Jatasura thought, "This is very strange indeed. He is more like a lion than a man. Even while in the grasp of a ferocious monster like me, he does not tremble with fear. In all the time I've been killing people in this forest, I've never met anyone as great as this prince. Why isn't he afraid of me?"

Since Panchaayudha was not like ordinary men, Jatasura was afraid to eat him right away. Instead he asked him, "Young man, why aren't you afraid of death?"

The prince replied, "Why should I be afraid of death? There is no doubt that anyone who is born will definitely die!"

Then the Jnanasagar thought, "The five weapons given to me by the world famous teacher have been useless. Even the lion-like strength of my young man's body has been useless. I must go beyond my teacher, beyond my body, to the weapon inside my mind - the only weapon I need."

The prince continued speaking to Jatasura, "There's one small detail, oh monstrous one, I haven't told you about yet. In my belly is my secret weapon, a diamond weapon you cannot digest. It will cut your intestines into pieces if you are foolish enough to swallow me. So if I die - you die! That's why I'm not afraid of you."

In this way the prince used his greatest inner strength in a way that Jatasura could easily understand. He knew this greatest of all weapons, the one inside his mind, was the precious diamond gem of his own intelligence.

Jatasura thought, "No doubt this fearless man is telling the truth. Even if I eat as much as a pea-sized tidbit of such a hero, I won't be able to digest it. So I will let him go." Fearing his own death, he set Panchaayudha free.

He said, "You are a great man. I will not eat your flesh. I let you go free, just like the moon that reappears after an eclipse, so you may shine pleasantly on all your friends and relatives."

The Jnanasagar had leaned from this battle with the monster Jatasura. He had learned the only worthwhile weapon is the intelligence inside, not the weapons of the world outside. And with this diamond weapon he also knew that destroying life brings only suffering to the killer.

In gratitude, he taught the unfortunate demon. He said, "Oh Jatasura, you have been born as a murderous blood sucking flesh eating demon because of unwholesome deeds in your past. If you continue killing in this way, it will lead only to suffering for you - both in this life and beyond. You can only go from darkness to darkness."

"Now that you have spared me, you won't be able to kill so easily. Hear this - destroying life leads to misery in this world, and then rebirth in a hell world, or as and animal or a hungry ghost. Even if you were lucky enough to be reborn as a human being, you would have only a short life!"

Panchaayudha continued to teach Jatasura. Eventually the monster agreed to follow the Five Training steps. In this way he transformed him from a monster into a friendly forest fairy. And when he left the forest, the prince told the local people about the change in the onetime demon. From then on they fed him regularly and lived in peace.

Panchaayudha returned to Varanasi (Benares). Later he became king. The moral is: The only mighty weapon you need is your own intelligence and it is hidden inside you. It can save you from any trouble in your life.---------------

Compiler : Prof. Komaragiri Venkata Ramana Rao. Ph.D., (Retired Professor; Andhra University College of Engineering); Astrologer-Scienitst. Durham. NC; U.S.A.: (Tatayya = Grand-father). My e-mail address : pandit@jyothishi.com---------- I dedicate all these stories in the blog to Sri Parama Paalakas (Supreme Rulers of this entire Universe): Bhagavan Sri Siddhi Vinayaka, Sri Lakshmi Narayana and Sri Gouri Sankara and Sri Saraswathi and Bhagavan Sri Venkateswara !

Compiler : Prof. Komaragiri Venkata Ramana Rao. Ph.D., (Retired Professor; Andhra University College of Engineering); Astrologer-Scienitst. Durham. NC; U.S.A.: (Tatayya = Grand-father). My e-mail address : pandit@jyothishi.com---------- I dedicate all these stories in the blog to Sri Parama Paalakas (Supreme Rulers of this entire Universe): Bhagavan Sri Siddhi Vinayaka, Sri Lakshmi Narayana and Sri Gouri Sankara and Sri Saraswathi and Bhagavan Sri Venkateswara !

Compiler : Prof. Komaragiri Venkata Ramana Rao. Ph.D., (Retired Professor; Andhra University College of Engineering); Astrologer-Scienitst. Durham. NC; U.S.A.: (Tatayya = Grand-father). My e-mail address : pandit@jyothishi.com---------- I dedicate all these stories in the blog with utmost devotion to Sri Parama Paalakas (Supreme Rulers of this entire Universe): Bhagavan Sri Siddhi Vinayaka, Sri Lakshmi Narayana and Sri Gouri Sankara and Sri Saraswathi and Bhagavan Sri Venkateswara ! Aum tat sath !============

Compiler : Prof. Komaragiri Venkata Ramana Rao. Ph.D., (Retired Professor; Andhra University College of Engineering); Astrologer-Scienitst. Durham. NC; U.S.A.: (Tatayya = Grand-father). My e-mail address : pandit@jyothishi.com---------- I dedicate all these stories in the blog with utmost devotion to Sri Parama Paalakas (Supreme Rulers of this entire Universe): Bhagavan Sri Siddhi Vinayaka, Sri Lakshmi Narayana and Sri Gouri Sankara and Sri Saraswathi and Bhagavan Sri Venkateswara ! Aum tat sath !============

V

JAATAKA CHANDRIKA. ; Part-16

Hearty Greetings and Best wishes to all persons in this entire world for a very happy and prosperous Sankranthu / Pongal festival. Sarve Janah Sukhinobhavanthu

Jan—16—2011 Sunday Story--29

PART : 2

The baby grew into a little boy. His friends took to making fun of him for not being of high class birth like they were. So he went and asked his mother who his father was. She told him to pay no attention to what the other children said. She told him his father was the dead King Dushtaphal of Mithila, and how the throne had been stolen by his brother, Prince Heenaphal. After that, it didn't bother him when the others called him "son of a widow."

Before he was 16, the bright young Susatva learned all there was to know about religion, literature and the skills of a warrior. He grew into a very handsome young man.

He decided it was time to regain his rightful crown, which had been stolen by his uncle. So he went and asked his mother, "Do you have any of the wealth that belonged to my father?" She said, "Of course! I did not escape empty-handed. Thinking of you, I brought pearls, jewels and diamonds. So there is no need for you to work for pay. Go directly and take back your kingdom."

But he said, "No, mother, I will take only half. I will sail to Burma, the land of gold, and make my fortune there." His mother said, "No my son, it is too dangerous to sail abroad. There is plenty of fortune here!" He said, "I must leave half with you, my mother, so you can live in comfort as a queen should." So saying, he departed by ship for Burma.

On the same day that Prince Susatva set sail, his uncle King Heenaphal became very ill. He was so sick that he could no longer leave his bed.

Meanwhile, on the ship bound for Burma there were some 350 people. It sailed for seven days. Then there was a violent storm that damaged and weakend the ship. All except the prince cried out in fear and prayed for help to their various gods. But the Bodhisatta did not cry out in fear; Susatva being the Enlightenment Soul did not pray to any god for help. Instead he helped himself.

He filled his belly with concentrated butter mixed with sugar, since he didn't know how long it would be before his next meal. He soaked his clothes in oil to protect himself for the cold ocean water and help him stay afloat. Then when the ship began to sink underwater, he pulled himself up the mast.

Meanwhile his trembling praying shipmates were sucked underwater and gobbled up by hungry fish and huge turtles. Soon the water all around turned red from blood.

As the ship sank, Prince Susatva reached the top of the mast. To avoid being devoured in the sea of blood, he jumped mightly from the tip of the mast - in the direction of the kingdom Mithila. And at the same time as he saved himself from the snapping jaws of the fish and turtles, King Heenaphal died in his bed.

After his mighty leap from the top of the mast, the prince fell into the emerald-coloured sea. His body shined like gold as he swam for seven days and seven nights. Then he saw it was the fasting day of the full moon . So he purified his mouth by washing it out with salt water and observed the 'Eight noble duties'.

Once upon a time in the very distant past, the gods of the four directions had appointed a goddess to be the protector of the oceans. They had told her that her duty was to protect especially all those who honour and respect their mothers and other elders. All such, who did not deserve to fall into the sea, were to be protected by her.

It just so happened that Prince Susatva was one who deserved the protection of the ocean goddess. But for the seven days and seven nights that he had been swimming through the sea, the goddess had not been paying attention and doing her duty! She had been to busy enjoying heavenly pleasures to remember to keep watch on the oceans.

Finally she remembered her duty and looked over the oceans. Then she saw the golden prince struggling in the emerald sea after seven days and seven nights of swimming. She thought, "If I let this Prince Susatva die in the ocean, I will no longer be welcome in the company of the gods. For truly, he is the Enlightened Soul!"

So she took on a form of splendour and beauty, and floated in the air near him. Wishing to learn Truth from him, she asked, "Without seeing the shore of the ocean, why are you trying to reach the ocean's end?"

Hearing those words the prince thought, "For the seven days I've been swimming, I have met no one. Who can this be?" When he saw the goddess above him he said, "Oh lovely goddess, I know that effort is the way of the world. So as long as I am in this world, I will try and try, even in mid-ocean with no shore to be seen."

Wishing to learn more from him, she tested him by saying, "This vast ocean stretches much further than you can see, without reaching a shore. Your effort is useless - for here you must die!"

The prince replied, "Dear goddess, how can effort be useless? For he who never gives up trying cannot be blamed, either by his relatives here below or by the gods above. So he has no regrets. No matter how impossible it seems, if he stops trying he causes his own downfall!"

Pleased with his answers, the protecting goddess tested him one last time. She asked, "Why do you continue, when there really is no reward to be gained except pain and death?"

He answered her again, like a teacher to a pupil, "It is the way of the world that people make plans and try to reach their goals. The plans may succeed or fail - only time will tell - but the value is in the effort itself in the present moment.

"And besides, oh goddess, can't you see that my actions have already brought results? My shipmates only prayed and they are dead! But I have been swimming for seven days and seven nights - and lo and behold here you are, floating above me! So I will swim with all my might, even across the whole ocean, to reach the shore. While I have an ounce of strength I'll try and try again!"

Completely satisfied, the ocean goddess who protects the good said, "You who bravely fight the mighty ocean against hopeless odds, you who refuse to run from the task before you, go wherever your heart desires! For you have my protection and no one can stop you. Just tell me where I may carry you to."

The prince told her he wished to go to Mithila. The goddess gently lifted him like a bouquet of flowers and laid him on her chest, like a loving mother with her newborn babe. Then she flew through the air, while the Enlightenment Soul slept, cradled against her heavenly body.

Arriving at Mithila, she laid him on a sacred stone in a garden of mangos, and told the garden goddesses to watch over him. Then the protector goddess of the oceans returned to her heaven world home.

The dead King Heenaphal had left behind only a daughter, no sons. She was well educated and wise, and her name was Princess Sivali.

When the king was dying, the ministers asked him, "Who will be the next king?" King Heenaphal said, "Whoever can satisfy my daughter Sivali; whoever recognises the head of the royal square bed; whoever can string the bow that only a thousand men can string; or whoever can find the 16 hidden treasures."

After the funeral of the king, the ministers began searching for a new king. First they looked for one who could satisfy the princess. They called for the general of the army. Princess Sivali wished to test him, so Mithila could be ruled by a strong leader. She told him to come to her. Immediately he ran up the royal staircase. She said, "Top prove your strength, run back and forth in the palace." Thinking only of pleasing her, the general ran back and forth until she motioned for him to stop. Then she said, "Now jump up and down." Again the general did as he was told without thinking. Finally the princess told him, "Come here and massage my feet." He sat in front of her and began rubbing her feet.

Suddenly she put her foot against his chest and kicked him down the royal staircase. She turned to her ladies in waiting and said, "This fool has no common sense. He thinks the only strength is in running around and jumping up and down and following orders without thinking. He has no strength of character. He lacks the will power needed to rule a kingdom. So throw him out of here at once!"

Later the general was asked about his meeting with Princess Sivali. He said, "I don't want to talk about it. She is not human!"

The same thing happened with the treasurer, the cashier, the keeper of the royal seal and the royal swordsman. The princess found them all to be unworthy fools.

So the ministers decided to give up on the princess and find someone who could string the bow that only a thousand men can string. But again they could find no one. Similarly, they could find no one who knew the head of the royal square bed, or who could find the 16 treasures.

The ministers became more and more worried that they could not find a suitable king. So they consulted the royal family priest. He said to them, "Calm down, my friends. We will send out the royal festival carriage. The one it stops for will be able to rule over all India."

So they decorated the carriage and yoked the four most beautiful royal horses to it. The high priest sprinkled the carriage with holy water from a sacred golden pitcher. He proclaimed, "Now go forth, rider-less carriage, and find the worthy one with enough merit to rule the kingdom."

The horses pulled the carriage around the palace and then down the main avenue of Mithila. They were followed by the four armies- the elephants, chariots, cavalry and foot soldiers.

The most powerful politicians of the city expected the procession to stop in front of their houses. But instead it left the city by the eastern gate and went straight to the mango garden. Then it stopped in front of the sacred stone where Prince Satva was sleeping.

The chief priest said, "Let us test this sleeping man to see if he is worthy to be king. If he is the one, he will not be frightened by the noise of the drums and instruments of all four armies. "So they made a great clanging noise, but the prince just turned over on his other side, remaining asleep. Then they made the noise again, even louder. Again the prince simply rolled over from side to side.

The head priest examined the soles of the feet of the sleeping persoe. He said, "This man can rule not only MIthila, but the whole world in all four directions." So he awakened the prince and said, "My Bhagavan (Lord), arise, we beg you to be our king."

Prince Susatva replied, "What happened to your king?" "He died," said the priest. "Did he have any children?" asked the prince. Then Prince Susatva agreed to be the new king.

The chief priest spread jewels on the sacred stone. After bathing, the prince sat among the jewels. He was sprinkled with perfumed water from the gold anointing bowl. Then he was crowned King Susatva. The new king rode in the royal chariot, followed by a magnificent procession, back to the city of Mithila and the palace.

Princess Sivali still wished to test the king. So she sent a man to tell him she wished him to come at once. But King Susatva ignored him, simply continuing to inspect the palace with its furnishings and works of art.

The messenger told this to the princess and she sent him back two more times with the same results. He reported back to her, "This is a man who knows his own mind, not easily swayed. He paid as little attention to your words as we pay to the grass when we step on it!"

Soon the king arrived at the throne room, where the princess was waiting. He walked steadily up the royal staircase - not hurrying, not slowing down, but dignified like a strong young lion. The princess was so impressed by his attitude that she went to him, respectfully gave him her hand and led him to the throne. He gracefully sat on the throne.

Then he asked the royal ministers, "Did the previous king leave behind any advice for testing the next king?" "Yes Bhagavan (Lord)," they said, "'Whoever recognises the head of the royal square bed head.'" The king took a golden hair pin from his head and gave it to Princess Sivali, saying, "Put this away for me." Without thinking, she put it on the head of the bed. As if he had not heard it the first time, King Susatva asked the ministers to repeat the question. When they did, he pointed to the golden hair pin.

"Was there another test?" asked the king. "Yes Bhagavan (Lord)," replied the ministers, "'Whoever can string the bow that only a thousand men can string.'" When they brought the bow, the king strung it without even rising from the throne. He did it as easily as a woman bend the rod that untangles cotton for spinning.

"Are there any more tests?" the king asked. The ministers said, "'Whoever can find the 16 treasures.' These are the last tests."

"What is the first on the list?" he asked. They said, "The first is the treasure of the rising sun." King Susatva realised that there must be some trick to finding each treasure. He knew that a Silent Buddha is often compared to the glory of the sun. So he asked, "Where did the king go to meet and feed Silent Buddhas?" When they showed him the place, he had them dig up the first treasure.

The second was the treasure of the setting sun. King Susatva realised this must be where the old king had said good-bye to Silent Buddhas. In the same manner he found all the hidden treasures.

The people were happy that he had passed all the tests. As his first official act, he had houses of charity built in the center of the city and at each of the four gates. He donated the entire 16 treasures to be given to the poor and needy.

Then he sent for his mother, queen of the dead King Dushtaphal, and also for the kind wise man of Champa. He gave them both the honour they deserved

All the people of the kingdom came to Mithila to celebrate the restoration of the royal line. The decorated the city with fragrant flower garlands and incense. They provided cushioned seats for visitors. There were fruits, sweets, drinks and cooked foods everywhere. The ministers and the wealthy brought musicians and dancing girls to entertain the king. There were beautiful poems recited by wise men, and blessings chanted by holy men.

The Enlightened Spul, King Susatva, sat on the throne under the royal white umbrella. In the midst of the great celebration he seemed as majestic as the heavenly god, King Sumathi. He remembered his great effort struggling in the ocean against all odds, when even the ocean goddess had abandoned him. Only because of that almost hopeless effort, he himself was now as magnificent as a god. This filled him with such joy that he spoke this rhyme-

"Things happen unexpectedly, and prayers may not come true,

But effort brings results that neither thoughts nor prayers can do."

After the wonderful celebration, King Susatva ruled in Mithila with perfect righteousness. And he humbly gave honour and alms food to Holy Buddhist monks- monks living in a time when their teachings could not be understood.

In the fullness of time Queen Sivali gave birth to a son. Because the wise men of the court saw signs of a long and glorious life ahead of him, was named Prince Chiranjeevi. When he grew up, the king made him second in command. ========

King Susatva and Queen Sivali

King Susatva and Queen Sivali

THESE ARE NOT MY ORIGINAL TALES; I HEARD THEM; I NOW COMPILED THEM FOR THE BENEFIT OF THE CHILDREN & ELDERS ALIKE ALL OVER THE WORLD, AT ALL TIMES: EACH STORY HAS A MORAL TO EMULATE / PRACTISE. THESE STORIES ARE FOR FREE USE OF ALL; THERE IS NO COPY-RIGHT !-------- I dedicate all these stories in this blog with utmost devotion to Sri Parama Paalakas (Supreme Rulers of this entire Universe): Bhagavan Sri Siddhi Vinayaka, Sri Lakshmi Narayana and Sri Gouri Sankara and Sri Saraswathi and Bhagavan Sri Venkateswara ! Aum tat sath !

Hearty Greetings and Best wishes to all persons in this entire world for a very happy and prosperous Sankranthu / Pongal festival. Sarve Janah Sukhinobhavanthu

Jan—15—2011 Saturday Story--27

PART : 1

Once upon a time in the city of Mithila, there was a king who had two sons. The older son was named Dushtaphal, and his younger brother was called Heenaphal.

While they were still fairly young, the king made his older son the crown prince. He was second in command and next in line for the throne. Prince Heenaphal became commander of the army.

Eventually the old king died and Prince Dushtaphal became the new king. Then his brother became crown prince.

Before long, a certain servant took a disliking to Crown Prince Heenaphal. He went to King Dushtaphal and told a lie - that his brother was planning to kill him. But after the servant kept repeating the lie, the king became frightened. So he had Prince Heenaphal put in chains and locked up in the palace dungeon.

The Prince thought, "I am a righteous man who deserve these chains. I never wanted to kill my brother. I wasn't even angry at him. So now I call on the power of Truth. If what I say is true, may these chains fall off and the dungeon doors be opened!" Miraculously the chain broke into pieces, the door opened, and the prince fled to an outlying village. The people there recognised him. Since they respected him they helped him, and the king was unable to capture him.

Even though he lived in hiding, the crown prince became the master of the entire remote region. In time he raised a large army. He thought, "Although I was not an enemy to my brother at first, I must be an enemy to him now." So he took his army and surrounded the city of Mithila.

He sent a message to King Dushtaphal - "I was not your enemy, but you have made me so. Therefore I have come to wage war against you. I give you a choice - either give me your crown and kingdom, or come out and fight." Hearing of this, most of the city people went out and joined the prince.

King Dushtaphal decided to wage war. He would do anything to keep his power. Before going out with his army, he went to say goodbye to his number one queen. She was expecting a baby very soon. He said to her, "My love, no one knows who will win this war. Therefore, if I die you must protect the child inside you." Then he bravely went off to war and was quickly killed by the soldiers of his enemy brother.

The news of the king's death spread through the city. The queen disguised herself as a poor dirty homeless person. She put on old rags for clothes and smeared dirt on herself. She put some of the king's gold and her own most precious jewelry into a basket. She covered these with dirty rice that no one would want to steal. Then she left the palace carrying the basket on her head. It was still before sunrise and no one recognised her.

She left the city by the northern gate. Since she had always lived inside the city, the queen had no idea where to go from there. She had heard of a city called Champa. She sat down at the side of the road and began asking if anyone was going to Champa.

It just so happened that the one who was about to be born was no ordinary baby. This was not his first life or his first birth. Millions of years before, he had been a follower of a long-forgotten teaching 'Buddha' - a fully ‘Enlightened Soul’. He had wished with all his heart to become a Buddha just like his beloved master.

He was reborn in many lives - sometimes as poor animals, sometimes as long-living gods and sometimes as human beings. He always tried to learn from his mistakes and develop the 'Ten Noble precepts'. This was so he could purify his mind and remove the three root causes of unwholesomeness - non-attachment, loving-kindness and wisdom.

This Enlightened Soul had been a humble follower of the forgotten Buddha. His goal was to gain the same enlightenment of a Buddha - the experience of complete truth. So people call him 'Bodhisatva', which means 'Enlightenment Soul'. No one really knows about the millions of lives lived by this great hero. But many stories have been told - including this one about a pregnant queen who was about to give birth to him. After many more rebirths, he became the Buddha who is remembered and loved in all the world today.

At the time of our story, the Enlightenment Soul had already achieved the 'Ten Noble precepts'. So the glory of his coming birth caused a trembling in all the heaven worlds, including the Heaven of 33 ruled by King Sumathi. When he felt the trembling, being a god he knew it was caused by the unborn babe inside the disguised Queen of Mithila. And he knew this must be a being of great merit. So he decided to go and help out.

King Sumathi made a covered carriage with a bed in it, and appeared at the roadside in front of the pregnant queen. He looked just like an ordinary old man. He called out, "Does anyone need a ride to Champa?" The homeless queen answered, "I wish to go there, kind sir." "Come with me then," the old man said.

Since the birth was not far off, the pregnant queen was quite large. She said, "I cannot climb up into your carriage. Simply carry my basket and I will walk behind." The old man, the king of the gods, replied, "Never mind! I am the cleverest driver around. So don't worry. Just step into my cart!"

Lo and behold, as she lifted her foot, King Sumathi magically caused the ground under her to rise up! So she easily stepped down into the carriage. Immediately she knew this must be a god, and fell fast asleep.

Sumathi drove the cart until he came to a river. Then he awakened the lady and said, "Wake up, daughter, and bathe in this river. Dress yourself in this fine clothing I have brought for you. Then eat a packet of rice." She obeyed him, and then lay down and slept some more.

In the evening she awoke and saw tall houses and walls. She asked, "What is this city, father?" He said, "This is Champa." She asked, "In so short a time? I heard it was a long way to Champa." King Sumathi replied, "I took a short cut. Now that we are at the southern gate of the city, you may safely enter in. I must go on to my own far-off village." So they parted and Sumathi disappeared in the distance, returning to his heaven world.

The queen entered the city and sat down at and inn. There happened to be a wise man living in Champa. He recited spells and gave advice to help people who were sick or unfortunate. While on his way to bathe in the river with 500 followers, he saw the beautiful queen from a distance. The great goodness of the unborn one within gave her a soft warm glow, which only the wise man noticed. At once he felt a kind and gentle liking for her, just as if she were his own youngest sister. So he left his followers outside and went into the inn.

He asked her, "Sister, what village are you from?" She replied, "I am the number one queen of King Dushtaphal of Mithila." He asked, "Then why did you come here?" "My husband was killed by the army of his brother, Prince Heenaphal," she said. "I was afraid, so I ran away to protect the unborn one with me." The wise man asked, "Do you have any relatives in this city?" She said, "No sir." Then he said, " Don't worry at all. I was born in a rich family and I myself am rich. I will care for you just as I would for my own young sister. Now you must call me brother and grab hold of my feet and cry out."

When she did this, the followers came inside. The wise man explained to them that she was his long lost youngest sister. He told his closest followers to take her to his home in a covered cart. He told them to tell his wife that this was his sister, who was to be cared for.

They did exactly as he had said. The wife welcomed her, gave her a hot bath, and made her rest in bed.

After bathing in the river the wise man returned home. At dinner time he asked his sister to join them. After dinner he invited her to stay in his home.

In only a few days the queen gave birth to a wonderful little baby boy. She named him Susatva. She told the wise man this was the name of the boy's grandfather, who had once been King of Mithila.

GOOD PERSONS HELP EVEN RELATIVES OF THEIR ENEMIES, WHO ARE INNOCENT & GOOD.

HASTE IS WASTE.

HASTE IS WASTE.

Part-22 (Jan—9—2011) Sunday.

Vidhyadhara had four sons; Sarada’s son was Bhattu, Rajyalaskmi’s son was Vikrama- adithya; Kankavalli’s son was Varahamihira; Kalavathi’s son was Bharthruhari. The four boys were given excellent education by teachers of gurukulam; later they learnt all the special subjects and rare sciences from their father. They all were erudite scholars and won fame and name all over the world.

Vikramaadithya worshipped Goddess Kali and got boons from her; he should rule the kingdom for one thousand years; Bhatti (Bhattu) was the prime-minister and chief advisor to the emperor. The two brothers came to a good understanding. “Vikramaadithya rules for six months and goes on tour of the empire for next six months in disguise; and personally observe the conditions of the people

and the situation in the empire. When the emperor rules, Bhatti goes on the tour; when Bhatti rules the emperor goes on tour. So they cleverly manage to rule the kingdom each for one thousand years and also extend their lives-span by 2 thousand years.”

Varahamihira acted as financial advisor to king and minister of finance, trade & commerce; he was also an expert astrologer and wrote many standard works on astrology in Sanskrit. (Even now they are available. The author of these stories, Prof. Ramana Rao, translated some of his books into English.)

Bharthruhari took the duties of the chief military commander; and protected the empire from foreign invasions and maintained excellent conditions of law and order in the entire empire. He was also renowned as a great poet and writer. He wrote sathakams (100 verses) on the moral values of life. Even now they are widely red.

He had a very noble and well-behaved lady as his wife; her name was Sunanda. She was very beautiful and attractive and adored as a divine damsel (apsarasa). Once Bharthruhari was on the terrace and watching the beauty of dusk and the sky and the beautiful flower garden around. Then the saw a funeral procession and the wife of the diseased man is accompanying for sathi (burning of

the living wife with the dead-man). In those days the Sathi was a prevalent social custom; now it is deemed as a social evil and punishable under-law.

Then Sunanda asked why the wife is going to the burial ground; Bharthruhari was surprised but explained her the sati-practice; she expressed her surprise, “What need is for Sathi?”. Bharthruhari was having an inner- contemplation; “ Is his wife not true to him? Has she no love for him? Is she averse to sathi-practice”; he was unhappy with her. But he never expressed his feelings to anyone. He wanted to test her nature and truth of her love for him and waited for an opportunity.

Once Bharthruhari took a thousand soldiers and went to a forest to clear it of wild animals, which were pestering the nearby villages, killing hundreds of people & thousands of cattle. They camped in the forest. On third day Bharthruhari got an idea to test his wife; he sent a word to his wife by one of his trusted soldier that a leopard killed Bharthruhari during hunting action. When she heard the

news, she swooned and fell down and died in a few minutes. The messenger-soldier rushed back and told Bharthtruhari what happened. Bharthruhari was stunned; he realized the true meaning of his wife’s remarks. There is no need for a true wife to go to burial ground for sathi; she dies on the spot and on the minute when her husband dies. This is the true nature of a dedicated wife. He realized his grave mistake of putting a test to his wife’s love and noble nature. But this is weeping over spilt milk. Nothing could be done now. So he went and performed the funeral ceremonies of his wife with utmost sorrow and guilty-feeling. He realized hasty ideas and actions were hazardous & were to be avoided. HASTE IS WASTE.

Bharthruhari was disenchanted with life and worldly pleasures; he relinquished his duties of the chief military commander; he took to the life of a hermit (sanyasi). A cottage was built for him on the banks of nearby river amidst fruit and flower gardens; he took to renunciation and lived there alone doing penance and writing sathakams (100 verses is one sathakams) for the benefit of posterity; on moral behaviour, on futile nature of world and worldly possessions and pleasures; on sanyasa (renunciation) and other such topics in Sanskrit language. Even now those sathakams are in popular study. (The author of these stories Prof.Ramana Rao translated his Moral Verses into English prose).