Chapter 50 - Sagara’s visit to Aurva’s hermitage

Jaimini continued:

1. “Thus that king duly protected the earth consisting of seven continents very well, like another Dharma (God of Righteousness).

2. He duly established the Brāhmaṇas and other castes in their respective duties separately. He protected them without getting his sense-organs affected adversely.

3. The subjects belonging to all the different castes behaved with due deference to the most excellent among them (the less distinguished among them followed and obeyed the more distinguished ones). The castes followed the due order of seniority and excellence. They enjoyed the objects of pleasures in due order.

4. When that king was ruling, death never approached a young child while an old man was alive. This was true of all castes.

5. Then the entire nation flourished with all hindrances removed. There were many outlying countries and districts fully inhabited by the people of the four castes.

6. While that king reigned, the whole realm consisted of many hundreds of houses and villages divided into various zones and had many residential apartments.

7. At that time no Brāhmaṇa on the earth was Anāśramin (one who does not follow the rigorous disciplines of the four stages in life). All the enterprises of all the subjects became fruitful.

8. Men began only those activities which befitted them. Then the activities of the men were in consonance with the four aims of men in life (i.e. virtue, wealth, love and salvation).

9. People inhabiting the groups of cities and villages were always engaged in great festivities. They were endowed with devotion and loyalty to the king as well as were desirous of the welfare of one another.

10. No one among the subjects was despicable, accursed, impoverished, sickly, greedy or miserly.

11. People were delighted with other’s merits. They were eager to have contacts with good people. They bowed down to elderly people and always indulged in learning good things.

12. They were afraid of slanderous remarks of others. They were always delighted in the amorous sports with only their own wives. By nature they desisted from associating with wicked people. They adhered to righteous activities.

13. When that Kṣatriya king was governing the subjects and the earth acquired by his own valour, the people everywhere were theists (or believers in Vedas).

14-15. When that mighty king was ruling over the realms, O highly fortunate one, the seasons had the regular normal timings. The whole of the earth yielded plenty of paddy and other plants.

16. His assembly-hall brilliantly illuminated by plenty of gems and jewels shone like that of Śakra (Indra) in heaven. As Indra’s assembly was occupied by the Devas on seats decorated with precious stones, so his hall was occupied by hundreds of kings and the overlords of eighteen Maṇḍalas (zones or political divisions). They used to visit him in order to serve him. They were well-renowned on account of their excessive valour and exploits. Those coronated kings were seated separately in seats studded with gems.

17. His vassal kings occupying different territories used to visit him with presents. During those occasions, they used to keep the camps of their armies all round the city separately. They were desirous of seeing the king along with their sons. But frequently they had to send the information through the gatekeepers to the king, as he tarried in the harem for a long time.

18. Due to excessive friction of the series of crowns of kings who were bowing at his feet, the feet of that king appeared to have got scarred thereby.

19. His assembly hall shone like the cave of Sumeru, due to the precious gems and jewels scattered all round, by the groups of leading kings who had to attend on him.

20. Thus righteously ruled that king, the crest-jewel of the solar race, the suppressor of his enemies. He ruled over the earth with no one else to rule it (except king Sagara).

21. Though king Sagara protected the earth thus, he never had the pleasure that usually results on looking at one’s own son.

22-25. Without that pleasure he was extremely distressed and many times he began to ponder. “Alas, I am devoid of a son. Certainly, on account of this, our forefathers in this family will face the loss of their balls of rice. When a good son is born, it is said, the forefathers delightedly hasten to his house even from the hell, because they are enthusiastic over the postnatal holy rites.

A man may reach heaven, due to a great deal of religious merits. Even then, if he has no son, the immortal beings in the heaven, do not keep the gates of heaven open to him.

When a good son is born, the father wins both the worlds (i.e. attains pleasure in this world and in the next) and his grandfathers in both the families attain heavenly world.

26-29. I will not attain that good which belongs to those blessed with sons. Due to the fact that I am issueless, certainly that goal is extremely inaccessible to me.

My prosperous and undivided kingdom is, it is said, not at all different from Indra’s realm. Since I have no religious merit even that kingdom is of no benefit to me.

This throne occupied by my ancestors as well as this kingdom will become subservient to others on account of the fact that I am issueless.

30a. Hence, I shall go to the hermitage of Aurva accompanied by both of my wives. I shall propitiate that leading sage for obtaining a son.

30b-33a. I shall go there and intimate to that noble-souled sage the fact that I have no issue. Undoubtedly, I will carry out whatever he says.”

After thinking like this, O king, the excellent king Sagara, who was aware of his duties, decided to go to the hermitage of Aurva.

After entrusting the excellent minister with the charge of administration of the kingdom, he joyously went to the forest riding his chariot, accompanied by both of his wives.

33b-35. He proceeded ahead and due to the rumbling-sound of the chariot he was observed with motionless eyes by the peacocks on either side of the pathway (i.e. the peacocks thought, on hearing the rumbling sound of the chariot, that it was the rumbling sound of the cloud). O king, he pointed out to his wives the deer that stood motionless for a moment, lifted up their faces, and then got ready to run away. He became delighted on seeing the trees richly laden with flowers and fruits.

36. The king entered the penance-grove. All around it consisted of many trees where the blossoms had not faded, the fruits of which were tasty, that had a grassy grounds all round and which had plenty of tender sprouts and cool shades.

37. All around, in every quarter, the cuckoos cooed loudly and sweetly, as their throats became clear due to their having tasted the tender sprouts at the tips of the mango trees.

38. It was endowed with the flowers of all the seasons. It was embellished by the hovering bees. It contained many trees round which turned the creepers, stooping down with bunches of flowers.

39. It was covered with hundreds of trees occupied by herds of monkeys. It contained multitudes of chirping birds such as the extremely delighted peacocks, Sāraṅga birds and others.

40. It was very fascinating, due to the songs of singing Vidyādhara maidens. It had many sylvan caves where couples of Kinnaras used to wander about, making them shine brilliantly.

41. It was surrounded by lakes, the banks of which were occupied by many birds of sweet notes, such as the swan, the ruddy goose, the parrots, the Kāraṇḍavas (a sort of duck) and the Sārasas (a variety of crane).

42. The quarters were filled with gentle breezes wafting slowly over the lakes abounding in lotuses and lilies of various sorts.

43. Proceeding ahead thus in his chariot along the penance grove that had the qualities described above, the king attained the greatest delight.

44. Having reached the precincts of the hermitage, his mind attained calmness. The glorious king then got down accompanied by his wives.

45. “Let the horses rest”—so said the king to the charioteer. Then he came to the outskirts of the hermitage of the great sage of sanctified soul.

46. From the disciples of the sage, he heard that the sage had concluded his daily routine of holy rites. In order to see the sage, he then entered the hermitage with an humble attitude.

47. Accompanied by his wives, the king delightfully bowed down his head to the great sage seated in the middle of the sages and accompanied by groups of ascetics.

48. Sage Aurva of great power and potentiality, directed the king who bowed down to him along with them (i.e. the two queens) to take his seat saying lovingly—“Sit down”.

49. After honouring him very well by means of Arghya, Pādya etc. the great sage pleased him along with his wives by according him a hospitable reception befitting the sylvan environment [i.e. with the products of the forest such as roots, fruits and the like].

50. After the hospitable reception, the king took rest for a while. Thereupon, he bowed to him and sat in front of him. Aurva then addressed the following gentle words to the king.

51. “I hope that your kingdom is all right externally and internally. I hope that you protect all your subjects righteously.

52. I hope that you yearn properly to win over the trívarga (three aims in life viz. Dharma, Artha and Kama) by means of proper expedients. I hope all the expedients in politic (such as alliance, war, diplomacy and others) are well practised by you and they yield groper results to you.

53. Fortunately, O excellent king, all the enemies have been conquered by you. How glad I am that the entire kingdom is righteously protected by you.

54. There is no loss or destruction to those who strictly abide by Dharma. Does not Dharma save that person by whom it has been kept up and sustained?

55. I have already heard that you have arrived at your capital along with your army after conquering the whole of the earth and that you have married.

56-68. The proper protection of the subjects is the most excellent duty of kings. They become happy here and hereafter only on that account.

Then why, O king, have you abandoned the duty of administration of the kingdom and approached me along with your wives? Tell me”.

Jaimini said:

On being asked thus by the sage, the excellent king Sagara joined his palms in reverence and spoke these sweet words.