| CHITRAKETU |
| Chitraketu was the king of Surasena. He had everything that a monarch could wish for. Rih lands, good ministers, obedient subjects, youthful vigour and a thousand beautiful wives. But he had no son. And this made him very unhappy. One day the sage Angiras visited his royal court and found the king sad and thoughtful. ‘King, ‘ he said ‘There is something which is worrying you beyond measure. This can only be due to some unfulfilled desire.’
You know everything in my heart, O reversed sage! I have all that a man could possibly wish for, to make him happy. But I have not got the fondest desire of my heart granted yet. I have no son.’
Angiras then blessed him and his chef queen and said, ‘this son you certainly shall have, O king. But your son will not only bring you much happiness, but much sorrow also.’
In course of time, a son was born to the chief queen. There was great rejoicing throughout the country. The king, like a generous rain-bearing cloud, showered rich gifts on his courtiers and citizens. The happiness of the king and queen knew no bounds. They doted upon the little baby, who was the very joy of their lives. Now the other queens got jealous. So, one day they poisoned the baby prince. When the nurse went to fetch him, she saw his eyes turned upward in death. It was terrible to see the deep sorrow of the queen and king. Their grief was inconsolable. The king would beat his chest and lament loudly at his loss.
The sage Angiras and the divine seer Narada now appeared before him and said, ‘whom do you weep for, O kings? Who was there before your son was born and who is there now that he is no more? The soul is but one. It is the body, which is different. Why be attached to a body, king, when you know its perishable nature?’
Chitraketu wiped his teachers of grief, and said, ‘Holy sages. Shed your light of wisdom upon me that my ignorance may vanish. Teach me the ways of the Lord.
Angiras and Narada taught him the paths of worship and meditation. Chitraketu learnt much at their feet and then fixed his mind in meditation upon the Lord. Soon, Bhagvan (The lord) gave him darshan (a vision) and blessed him. Chitraketu then retired to the valleys of Mount Meru, and spent his time in devotional practices.
One day, he was passing mount Kailash in his arial chariot. There he saw all the sages of the land gathered around the feet of Lord Shiva. Shiva was teaching them and Parvathi was seated on his lap. When Chitraketu saw them, he passed a rude remark, which was heard by the divine couple. Now Shiva is ever calm and controlled. He just smiled and went on teaching. But Parvati felt insulted. In her anger, she cursed Chitraketu and said, ‘To redeem yourself of this sin, you will have to take an asura birth.’
Chitraketu, with good grace, accepted the curse.
So talking the form of a demon-body which he had to acquire to fulfill the curse, he remained devoted to the Lord. When a demon was summoned to kill Indra, Chitraketu sprang up as Vitra and was killed but even after he died he went to Narayana as he was devoted to the Lord. |
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