The story of Parikshith… : 2. Swami Udit Chaithanya.

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Thursday, July 14, 2022. 09:30.

Bhagavatham : Canto-2.

The story of Parikshith… : 

POST - 2.

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Parikshith revives Dharmam…

Parikshith says that it is his Dharma as a king to save the helpless victims from oppressors. Seeing that the Maharaja was going to kill him, Kali pleaded with him to spare his life. He said, what he was doing was only what happens naturally in the Kaliyuga. Taking his appeal, Maharaja Parikshith, the Dharmishta, withheld the weapon he had wielded to kill him. Parikshith also told Kali “I adhere to Dharma, as the “Kuladharma” of Pandavas, so you are spared now. Now get out of my kingdom! Hereafter, you can live only where there is Adharma. Here in Brahmavartha, the sages and kings are ever conducting yajnas and I am here to protect them. So do not live in my kingdom”.

Hearing this, Kali asked the Raja, “then where should I live? I see you everywhere, overlooking every inch of your kingdom to make sure there is no Adharma. So where can I find Adharma in your kingdom?” The King thought for a moment and listed four places of Adharma as Kali’s dwelling places. They are the places where the drunkards, gamblers, liers and womanizers live. Then Kali requested for one more place, so the King suggested the fifth as the place where greed of gold and riches persist. These are the abodes of Adharma. Consenting to this order, Kali went off after making his pranams to the mighty King. (And to this day, he lives wherever these fivefold sins are being done).

And King Parikshith made arrangements for the peaceful conducting of yatnas, yagam, and for propagating the Dharma. Thus the bull, Dharmadeva who was limping on one leg alone could walk around on all his legs, and because of Dharma was again doing well in this world, Bhoomidevi too became happy.

Note – Bhagavatham says how the three pillars of Dharma were ruined. “Thapas or penance” was replaced by “Garvam or arrogance”, “Shaucham or cleanliness of self-centredness” was replaced by “Samgam or over attachment” and “Daya or mercy” was replaced by “Madham or selfishness”.

This leaves a note of caution for us. It is not money, but the greed for money that ruins our mental peace. We may be rich or not, but when our minds are filled with the desire to make money at any cost, it will lead us to Adharmik ways. Same is the case with fame, lust and power.

Here, another inspiring factor is the nobility of Parikshith as a compassionate and efficient ruler. As noble and serviced minded people keep away from politics, the majority of our rulers are those people inhabited by “Kali”. It is the need of the hour that good people should join politics and serve and preserve the interest of the nation.

Now the story goes further to how Parikshith was cursed by Sameeka Muni’s son.

One day, the king was hunting as usual and somehow he got lost from his path. It was a hot and dusty day, and he felt very thirsty for a drop of water. He could not see anyone nearby. So, tired with fatigue and thirst, he accidentally saw an Ashramam. It was Sameeka Maharshi’s Ashrama, and the Muni was in meditation. The king loudly asked the Muni for water and directions, but the Muni was totally immersed in Samadhi and did not answer. On a spurt of anger, King, took his arrow head, and draped a dead snake lying nearby on to the Muni’s neck. Then he went away still thirsty and on top of that with a remorseful heart.

He knew he should not have done that. Nearby, the Muni’s son was playing, and on returning he saw the dead snake around his father’s neck and with the power of Jnanadrushti saw the whole thing that had happened. He became so agitated that he cursed the King, that Takshaka the king of snakes will bite Parikshith and he will be dead by the seventh day. When Sameeka Muni knew about his son’s curse on the King he felt sorry and sent the word to the King. Parikshith grew remorseful that he did such a nasty, unpardonable thing.

Note – This shows how damaging our emotional outbursts could be. Before doing such a rash thing, the King should have paused to think. He could at least go back to the Sage and ask for pardon.

This is a typical situation in many people’s lives where they do not bother to understand or compromise with others. When they realize the hard fact, it will be too late. Even a noble person like Parikshith, who was holding onto Dharmam and protecting everyone always has slipped from it now. This shows how fickle the mind is and how strong our emotions are!

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To be continued ....

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