CHAPTER
1- THE SLAYING OF MADHU AND KAITHAV
The
mahatma begins as a story (rather lesson) being delivered by rishi Markandeya
to his disciple Krasustuki Bhaguri. He
describes the story of how Savarni
(Who was the son of savarna the wife
of god surya) became the lord of eighth manvantara{One cycle of creation is divided into fourteen manvantaras. The period ruled
over by one Manu is called a Manvantara. There are, therefore,
fourteen Manus as follows: Svayambhuva,
Svarocisa, Uttama, Tamasa, Raivata, Caksusa, Vaivasvata, Savarni, Daksha-savarni, Brahma-savarni,
Dharma-savarni, Rudra-savarni, Deva-savarni,
and Indra-savarni.To have a detailed understanding of time units you may visit http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hindu_units_of_time} by the grace of Mahamaya.
So he starts his story by talking about former times when
there was a king named Suratha, born of the Chitra dynasty, ruling over the
whole world in the period of Svarocisamanvantara.
He protected his subjects duly like his own children. At that time a nomadic
tribe, who were the destroyers of the chola, became his enemies. King Suratha fought a battle with the
tribe, but was defeated by them despite them having a small force. Then he
returned to his own city, and ruled over his own country. Then that illustrious
king was attacked by those powerful enemies.Even in his own city, the king,
(now) bereft of strength, was robbed of his treasury and army by his own
powerful, vicious and evil-disposed ministers. Thereafter, deprived of this
sovereignty, the king left alone on horse-back for a dense forest, under the
pretext of hunting.(Kings
returning to forests after losses for contemplating on future move is a common
affair. Even Maharana Pratap a great
Rajput, had retired to cave on back of his horse chetak only to come back later and attack again. At the forests the
kings had useful and knowledgeable encounters with powerful sages who taught
them new lessons in kingship and battle tactics. Also hermitage of sage was
considered to be a safe place for hiding as most kings revered and patronized
them for their knowledge and did not interfere in their daily matters)
In the forest Suratha came across the hermitage to sage Medhas. He decided to
spend some days at the hermitage and was welcomed by the sage. In the hermitage
Suratha was constantly worried about the wellbeing of his subjects, his
elephant, his riches, his followers etc...(This worrying about worldly things is abhorred by the
hindu philosophy because it considers this false attachment with worldly
objects as the act of ego. It is the ego telling what we are (the imaginary
self) but it is actually not who we really are. It is the perceived I not real
I, This is an illusion under the influence of maya the root of problems. Under
this veil of maya we think about brother, mother, sister. Lord Krishna narrated Gita to Arjuna so that he could overcome the
powerful maya and participate in the battle.) . Near the hermitage
of the sage he saw a merchant, and asked him: ‘Ho! Who are you? What is the
reason for your coming here? Wherefore do you appear as if afflicted with grief
and depressed in mind?’ Hearing this speech of the king, uttered in a friendly
spirit, the merchant bowed respectfully and replied to the king. The merchant
said:
‘I am a merchant
named Samadhi, born in a wealthy family. I have been cast out by my sons and
wife, who are wicked through greed of wealth. My wife and sons have
misappropriated my riches, and made me devoid of wealth. Cast out by my trusted
kinsmen, I have come to the forest grief-stricken. Dwelling here, I do not know
anything as regards good of bad of my sons, kinsmen and wife. At present is
welfare or ill-luck theirs at home? How are they? Are my sons living well or
evil lives?’
The king was surprised to see that like him the merchant
under the influence of maya thought about loved ones or the people one
considers as their own despite being shunned by them. So they decided to go to
the sage medhas for guidance and approached the sage (Medhas) (Because a
teacher who is a tatvadarshi, the learned can help in this regard. As Krishna
advices arjuna to visit and learn from tatvadarshi.)
The king asked in a tone of bewilderment the rishi that
despite them being knowledgeable persons who know the defect of attachment to
objects can’t abstain from it. Where this delusion does comes from? Please help us and provide a solution.
To know what soln Rishi gives and to know more read here....next
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