The Sage's Story (#2)

"The King Who Sought The Absolute"

by Phani Bhusana Das

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CAST: Narrator, King, Priest.

Narrator: A glorious sacrifice was performed to sanctify the country and the earth on which we all reside. The glories of the Supreme Personality of Godhead have been sung, along with numerous other Vedic mantras. The entire atmosphere has been cleansed, and charity is prepared for distribution to all in attendance, The king has taken a humble seat beside the presiding priest. Smoke rises from the fire as the offered grains and fruit combined with ghee produce a pleasant air of purity for everyone's mind and soul.

King: (to priest) Before dispensing the wealth amassed in the form of a feast to the people at large, I beg that you bestow your blessings upon the immediate participants who have witnessed this rite. Will you not bestow upon each your special gifts of good wishes?

Priest: My dear ruler of the land, if it pleases you, I shall bless these individuals as I see fit. Kindly be attentive and try to comprehend my intentions.

King: We will do so. (looks about)

Priest: First, your son the Prince — I bless him that he should live but he should not die. (everyone assumes pleased expressions) And here, the son of the brahmana — I bless him that he should die immediately. (everyone looks about in astonishment) This hunter, the animal slaughterer — I bless him that he should not live and that he should not die. (more amazement and confusion on their faces) And the Vaishnava, the devotee of Lord Krishna — he is blessed that he should either live or die. (all fall silent)

King: My dear Priest, I have attempted to understand your prayers, but I am incapable of doing so. I believe the others are also feeling some confusion as to the meaning of your words. Though clear, the thoughts behind them remain beyond us. Kindly explain the inner purpose of your blessings.

Priest: Yes, yes, my King. I shall, I shall. The Prince lives a life of luxury, enjoying all the pleasures of a worldly man. At your expense, his senses are gratified in every conceivable way. Yet when death comes, so does the karma — his karmic reactions will be equivalent to his pleasures. He will suffer great distresses after the demise of this royal form. Therefore I said that he should live, but he should not die. Next, the son of the austere brahmana — this boy is undergoing the same difficulties as his aspiring father, performing great voluntary tribulation in this life. The result of this pious lifestyle and all his penances is a great reward. In his next life, he will be awarded a place among the demigods in a heavenly abode. So that he reaps the benefits as soon as possible, I said that he should die immediately. As for the butchering hunter — his life is hellish in itself, full of cruelty and bloodshed. Intense pain and fear are always at hand. And such a person's afterlife repays him fully, misdeed by misdeed. Thus I blessed him that he should not live and that he should not die. Now, the devotee of Sri Krishna — the humble Vaishnava is always bowing down before God and chanting His glories. He is humbler than a straw in the street, more tolerant than a tree. He is ready to offer all respects to every living entity, yet is not expecting any respect in return. In such a state of mind, the devotee is fully engaged in transcendental devotional service to Lord Krishna twenty-four hours a day. For such a devotee, with his life surrendered to the lotus feet of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, death brings no change, for his mood of ecstatic service carries him closer to his object of worship with every act, and with each recitation of Krishna's holy name. Therefore, O King, I've blessed the devotee that he may either live or die.

King: We thank you for your blessings, and even more, for the lessons they hold.

Narrator: There are caste divisions and orders of life designated by actions of occupational duty and progress on the path of self-realization. Yet, if one can become a devotee, a soul situated in transcendence, he is freed from all material conceptions. One may immediately come to the sublime state of God-consciousness by chanting Krishna's holy names. As stated in the Brihan-Naradiya-Purana:

harer nama harer namaharer namaiva kevalam

kalau nasty eva nasty eva

nasty eva gatir anyatha

"In the iron age of Kali, there is no other way, there is no other way, there is no other way, but to chant the holy names, chant the holy names, chant the holy names of the Lord."

King: I realize now that Lord Sri Krishna is Himself the Absolute Truth. (begins kirtan)

The End