SAMRADITYA SAGA Part 2 - TANGLES OF HATRED

Feeling of detachment, somewhere around death

The engagement ceremony of Sinhakumar and Kusumavali was over. King Purushdutt and Mahasamant Laxmikant were now tied in a bond of a new relation. Both the royal families turned this occasion of happiness into celebration of joy and enthusiasm.
Sinhakumar and Kusumavali sometimes exchanged pictures, sometimes sent precious ornaments as gifts to each other. At times, a bunch of flowers became the carriers of their love poems. This means of exchanging gifts gave the seeds of their love a chance to sprout into a mature plant. Their bond grew stronger.
It doesn’t take time for days to pass!
One day, King Purushdutt asked Laxmikant about the date of the marriage.
Laxmikant said, “Whatever date you decide, will be acceptable to me.”
King Purushdutt called the astrologer and asked to him find out the best day for marriage. The astrologer gave the day of Vaishakh Shukla Tritiya. The preparations for the wedding began.
The entire city of Jaipur was decorated like a bride. Relatives and friends were invited. Songs and music was played in the palace and on the main road of the city. The melody of the music started flowing. The citizens also started enjoying the occasion. A joyful atmosphere prevailed all around.
The auspicious day had arrived. The wedding rituals started. On one hand, Sinhakumar became a groom and on the other hand Kusumavali dressed up as a beautiful bride with the help of her friends.
The bride and groom were brought in the pavilion of juhi and jasmine flowers made for the wedding. All the rituals were performed according to the customs and traditions. The entire marriage hall was crowded with people. The citizens had forgotten everything in the joy of celebrating the wedding of their beloved prince.
The bride and groom were made to sit  facing each other at the altar of fire. The pandit recited mantras and offered pure ghee and various grains. Rice grains were also put and the fire ignited.
The bride and groom started giving circumambulation around the fire. At the time of the first round, Mahasamant Laxmikant gave a lot of gold as gift to his daughter. During the second round, he gifted various nacklaces, bangles, etc. During the third round, silver utensils were gifted and hundreds of expensive sarees, shawls and clothes were given during the fourth round.
King Purushdutt also gifted priceless ornaments studded with precious gems to his daughter-in-law.
The men and women present at the wedding were gifted elephants, horses, ornaments and clothes according to their  class. With great hospitality, Mahasamant Laxmikant gave a feast to all those who had come on the occasion of the marriage. The entire atmosphere was echoing with the sound of various musical instruments.
Friends, relatives and Nagarshreshthis wished the bride and groom heartily. They gave their best wishes. The wedding celebration became spectacular and memorable.
***
The life journey of Sinhakumar and Kusumavali was going on with happiness. There was no kind of tension or stress in their married life. The bridge of mutual understanding between them was so strong that there was so place for any difference in opinion.
There was no such incident in their entire life in which they had any sort of argument or fight.
‘Is such a life possible?’ - it is natural for such a question to spring up. But on thinking deeply, it seems quite possible. A life full of affection isn’t impossible. If good fortune accumulated in previous lives is constant and unhindered, then the happiness resulting from it is also long-lasting. Such happiness can remain undisturbed and intact. No sorrow or flaw can arise in its enjoyment. The flow of joy doesn’t break.
The life of men and women born in the Mahavideh is generally quite unique. From the materialistic point of view, they are always content. That is why, the era  is called Sushamkaal i.e. happy time.
Moreover, it is natural that the beings born in the royal family were completely satisfied with material pleasures. But this does not mean that there was no rise of sinful karmas. Those sinful karmas that are bound intensely, do not leave beings even in Mahavideh. They show their negative effects there as well.
The journey of Sinhakumar’s life is also going to be a victim of such merciful consequence.
***
Millions of years passed in the enjoyment of sophisticated pleasures. The worldly life of Sinhakumar and Kusumavali is going on uninterrupted, as if a heavenly river was flowing at its own joyful pace.
One day, a divine factor entered their life. It was of great importance and significance as it was going to transform their lives.
As per his daily routine, Sinhakumar rode on his favourite horse and went out. He went to Nagdev Park situated outside the city. The garden was spread over an expanse of miles. Sinhakumar’s horse was moving ahead slowly amidst the row of trees with branches adorned with colorful flowers.
In the western part of the park, where there was no greenery except trees, the prince saw a pleasing sight. He got down the horse. Making the horse stand under the shade of a tree, he himself walked ahead on foot.
On the barren land under a tree, he saw a saint sitting on a mat. The saint’s face was looking as calm as the moon. The sun of knowledge was shining on his forehead. At a distance, he saw hundreds of other saints. All of them were indulged in their respective spiritual activities.
The prince had never seen such a wonderful sight in his life before. His heart was filled with joy. His conscience automatically started feeling drawn towards the great saints.
The prince worshipped the saint with due respect. The saint blessed him saying 'Dharm-labh’. The patient and mature voice of the saint touched the prince’s heart. He sat on the ground with the permission of the saint. Some questions were arising in his mind. He humbly informed saint about his curiosity.
"Saint! You are young and handsome. Your body is strong, healthy and capable; it seems to me. Instead of drowning in worldly pleasures, why did you choose the thorny path of renunciation in youth? Did any tragic incident take place in your life? Is there any reason for you to be detached? Lord, if time permits you and at the same time you find my queries reasonable, then please feed my curiosity.”
That saint was Acharya Shri Dharmaghosh.
Along with his family of disciples, he had come to Nagdev Garden of Jaipur City. He was an intellectual. His saint-life was completely flawless. He was a conqueror of the senses. He had a peaceful  personality.
He guessed that ‘this is the prince.’ From his modesty, behaviour and curiosities, he understood that ‘this soul is divine and worthy.’
Acharyaji said with a gentle smile, "Prince, I will try to answer your questions now. You listen to me with complete focus.
Prince, you are surprised, aren’t you? In the age of pleasure, I accepted renunciation. But there is an important reason for this - the realization of death. Prince, no stage or age of man is sympathetic for death. Death is not ashamed of childhood, it also grabs youth in its trap. It even holds adults in its claws and old age is like a mere pathway towards the destination of death.
Prince, if death can approach at any time, then before the darkness of death descends on the path of age, this human life should be utilized for self-realization and self-learning. It is necessary for man to be atleast so aware that this life is for the purification of the soul. And the process of purification of the soul is a combination of three things – non-violence, restraint and austerity."
"Gurudev, I didn’t understand one thing. Can the soul not be purified whilst living in this physical world, in the realm of household life?" Sinhakumar expressed his curiosity!
"Prince, the limits of household life are such that it is not possible to follow complete non-violence. Neither can complete abstinence be observed nor can one reach heights of austerity! Yes, all three can be done in a more or less partial way. But if the aspiration for complete purification arises, then acceptance of renunciation is the only way! The most appropriate time to observe ideal monkhood is youth! In youth, when all the five senses are strong and capable, the music of knowledge and meditation can be played. In old age, when the senses become weak and the energy of the body withers away, it becomes impossible to follow sainthood well."
“But Acharyaji, did not have any desire for pleasures in the days of youth?” the prince could not suppress his thoughts.
“In the presence of mind, desires are bound to arise. Desires used to arise, sensual pleasures used to feel good. Sometimes, the mind would get drawn towards it. However, when the horrific nature of death was understood, those desires automatically subsided.
Prince, the feeling of death creates detachment from worldly pleasures. It strengthens detachment. Even today, we live life keeping death in front of our eyes. Due to this, the mind becomes a carrier of pure and auspicious thoughts. Speech looks for purity and all the senses prevent from being victims of impurity. All actions move around purity.”
"Lord, did you have this realisation of death yourself or through some other wise man?" asked the prince politely.
That realisation of death struck me through a great learned man. It was his death that ignited a spark of detachment within me. Perhaps, there was no such tragic incident in my household life. But I don’t know why, I was quite distant from external pleasures even then. I used to see the disputes, fights, quarrels, abuses among the people around me. I would observe the blind selfishness of people. I would see father and son quarreling for the sake of women and wealth. I would  see the high walls between brothers. I had no attraction towards householder’s life filled with violence, theft, corruption.”
"Forgive me if I am crossing any limit. But lord, I want to know how did the detachment and realisation of giving up on home emerge in your heart? You were anways away from the loop of attachment in your household life."
“Prince, there is a town named Rajpur in this area. I was born in that city. People knew me by the name Dharmaghosh. And since childhood, the environment within me was such that I liked spirituality and spiritual Gurus. Whenever any great saint arrived in the city, I would go to them  leaving all my work aside. I loved sitting with them, serving him, listening to their preachings.
One day, my friends told me, "Dharmaghosh, an Acharya has arrived outside the city. His name is Amargupt. A thousand monks are also present with him. He has halted in Ashokvan. We have heard that Acharya Amargupt attained Avdhi Gyan some time ago."
As soon as the unknown word, ‘Avdhi Gyan’ struck his ears, Sinhakumar asked, “Gurudev, Avdhi Gyan means what kind of knowledge?"
Acharyaji said, “Prince, those who attain that knowledge, those intellectual beings receive knowledge without the help of the mind and the senses. They can know the things of the past and future, within the limits of a few incarnations. They can see distant things in the light of their knowledge. Nevertheless, their knowledge is also limited. This knowledge is manifested directly in the soul. It does not require the medium of the mind or senses. They can know their past and future and also tell about the past of others. You can talk about the future of others. Prince, such knowledge is attained on the basis of one’s self-purification. But in heaven, all the gods are owners of this knowledge. It may be less or more, clear or blur; there may be difference, but it is available to all the  gods - the Vyantar Dev, Jyotish Dev, Bhavanpati Dev and Vaimanik Dev!
Similarly, even the hellish beings have Avdhi Gyan. Beings having right perception have clarity in this knowledge while those with false perception have it blurred, which is called Vibhang Gyan.”
The prince felt like getting some more information about Avdhi Gyan.
He asked, "Gurudev, does the field of this knowledge also increase or decrease?"
“Yes, it decreases and increases too. The reason behind this is the emotional ability of the person carrying this knowledge."
"So, did you go to meet that Avdhi Gyani Acharya then?
"Yes, my heart blossomed after listening to my friends. I reached Ashokvan with my friends. Just like this Nagdev Park, Ashokvan was peaceful, enchanting and suitable for monks. Whenever any monks visited Rajpur, they used to halt in Ashokvan only.
We went and worshipped Acharyaji with devotion.
• Young age!
• Flawless looks!
• Gentle features!
• Endlessly knowledgeable!
I felt, ‘they are living such a faultless life. They might not be binding new sinful karmas at all. Not a single day of their life might be passing without austerity.
Whoever sees them, whether human or heavenly god, king or beggar, they definitely get blessed!
The news of Acharyaji’s arrival had spread throughout Rajpur. The king of our city, King Arimardan had come to worship along with the royal family. Thousands of other citizens had also gathered to visit Acharyaji.
Prince, just like curiosity arose in your mind after coming here and you asked questions, in the same way, various questions were arising in my mind like waves in the sea. I thought, "In sometime the crowd of people will scatter, the king  will also leave. Then I will sit at Acharyaji’s feet and ask my queries. They will surely solve them. I stood at a distance. But my eyes were only looking at that great man.
There was some attraction in them which was pulling me towards him. Some divine charisma was emerging around his existence, which was influencing me. My thirst seemed to have vanished. The crowd gradually dispersed but the king did not leave. He remained seated next to Acharyaji.
I went near Acharyaji and bowed down at his feet. I humbly sat down in front of him.
‘Dharmlabh!’ Acharyaji’s blessings showered like a waterfall.
My existence got blessed!