Glimpses of The Devi Bhagavatam: 35. SATYAVRATA RELEASED FROM CURSE

 

INDIAN MYTHOLOGY

Glimpses of The Devi Bhagavatam:

35. SATYAVRATA RELEASED FROM CURSE

“Where are you taking him, mother?” asked the other two sons. She did not answer them but continued her journey. In fact, she did not want to do what she was doing. At the same time, she had to do something so that the children survived the crisis.

Their mother’s conduct appeared strange to the boys. They began to wail. That attracted the attention of Satyavrata who was living in the forest like a hunter.

“What’s the matter, mother? Why are these boys crying?” he asked.

“I’m Sage Viswamitra’s wife and they are our sons. He has been away for a long time. I’ve no means to look after the boys. So, I propose to sell one of them,” answered the hermitess.

“Mother, these boys have been brought up in the forest. They’ll be unfit for any work in wealthy households. Let them continue to be with you. I’ll give you a share of whatever food I get every day,” said Satyavrata.

The hermitess thanked Satyavrata and went back to her hut. True to his promise, Satyavrata, left some fruits or a piece of meat every day in the hollow of a tree behind Viswamitra’s hut.

As has already been said, Sage Vasishtha lived in the palace of King Arun. His hermitage in the forest was not guarded well. One day Satyavrata stole one of his cows. When Vasishtha was informed about it, he came to the forest and found Satyavrata and said angrily, “Once you were harassing Brahmins; then you caused great anguish to your kind-hearted father. Now you’ve harmed me. You should be called Trishanku (one who has proved to be a menace thrice) and turned into a vampire!”

The curse reduced Satyavrata to a vampire. He roamed about in great grief until a young sage taught him a hymn to the Divine Mother. He got back his peace by reciting the hymn.

One day he met a group of Brahmins and requested them to perform a certain rite for him. They laughed and said, “Do you forget that your own family-priest had cursed you to become a vampire? Who then will be prepared to serve you?”

Satyavrata felt so much humiliated at this that he decided to put an end to his life. He raised a fire at a lonely spot, into which he would plunge himself. However, before doing that, he prayed to the Divine Mother.

Suddenly the flames assumed the colour of dazzling gold. Out of the flames appeared the Divine Mother. “Don’t kill yourself. Your agony will be over very soon!”

She disappeared, after restoring some confidence in Satyavrata.

King Arun had by then returned to his palace. But he had lost all interest in ruling his kingdom and was eager to retire to the forest again, this time forever. He very much wished that his exiled son returned so that he could pass on the throne to him.

Sage Narada met the king and told him how his son was no longer a wayward youth and how he was about to kill himself. The king at once asked his minister to proceed to the forest and locate the prince and bring him back to the palace.

The minister and his party found the prince. By then the spell of Vasishtha’s curse had also come to an end. The prince was no longer a vampire, though he looked pale and sad.

The prince was taken to the king who could not check his tears on seeing his condition. After so many years, he was bathed in perfumed water and was given proper food. The king then taught him the laws of administration and later departed for the forest.

Satyavrata ruled as an ideal king. However, he continued to be called Trishanku.

After reigning in peace for several years, King Trishanku handed over charge of his kingdom to his son, Harishchandra, and retired to the forest. He met his family priest, Vasishtha, and said, “O Guru, I’ve a special desire and that is to go to heaven while remaining in my physical body. Can you help me in fulfilling my wish? You can ask me to perform any kind of Yajna necessary for this.”

“O King, one can go to heaven by virtue of performing the right Yajna only after one’s death. There is no possibility of anyone going there when he is alive,” explained Vasishtha.

“There must be some way for going to heaven while alive, though you might not be aware of it. Well, I shall seek the help of some other sage,” said Trishanku.

Vasishtha flared up. “So, you look upon me as an ignorant priest, do you? Apart from the absurdity of your desire, how do you forget your past? How do you dare dream of going to heaven and that, too, while alive? It was my folly to lift the curse that had made you a vampire. Better become a vampire once again!” shouted Vasishtha.

Trishanku was changed into a vampire once again. This was a great shock to him. Again he wanted to put an end to his life, but he knew that no sin was greater than taking one’s own life. He who killed himself had to suffer much in his bodyless self. The consequence of the sin would have to be gone through even in one’s later life.

Instead of killing himself, he decided to wait for a natural death, spending his days on the banks of the Ganga. Soon Sage Viswamitra met Trishanku and expressed his gratitude to him for what he had done to his family during his long absence. The sage wanted to do a good turn to him. Trishanku told him of his desire to go to heaven while he remained in his physical body.

Viswamitra thought for long and meditated on the issue. He then said there was a very special kind of Yajna that could make Trishanku’s dream come true.