Royal Emancipation

The ancient Indian history has yielded not only sages even Kings like Janaka etc. pertained the spiritual values. Devi Bhagavata Maha Puranam explains in detail.

The Janaka Dynasty certainly ruled the Videha kingdom from their capital, Mithila,(the modern Janakpur in Nepal) ruled during the c. 7th century BCE, is mentioned in the late Vedic literature as a great brave and philosopher-king he was well versed in the Sastras and Vedas as any rishi. King Janaka is mentioned in the Ramayana epic. Brihadaranyaka Upanishad. is expounding the details about king Janaka and also Sri Krishna mentions in Bhagavat Gita as a celebrated example about the king Janaka as a great philosopher-king of Videha, renowned for his patronage of Vedic culture and philosophy of the Karma yoga , and whose court was an intellectual center for Brahmin Sages such as Yajnavalkya.

The King Janaka was also called Rajarshi, having advanced spiritually and reached the state of a rishi, though he was a king administrating the kingdom of Mithila, He was also instructed by sage Ashtavakra upon the nature of the true self (Atman).

Devi Bhagavatha mahapuranam first skantham chapter 17 speaks elaborately about King Janaka. Once sage Vysa was advised his son Sugar to enter in the Grhastasramam but Sugar did not wish to marry any one and His ambition was renunciation,(sanyasam) Sage vyasa was very worried and he advised his son many ways but Sugar did not accept his father then Sage Vyasa directed his son sugar under King Janaka's tutelage. Sugar accepted and did pranams to his father proceed to Mithila to meet King Janaka.

Sugar after his long way of walking by passing mount Meru and Himalayas reached Mithila. He amazed to see the kingdom, all houses having golden gates and door steps, everywhere he could hear nama sangeerthanam, citizens look well learned, and discipline. When he was going around the kingdom security came and stopped him and ask questions. “Who are you sir, where are you from and why this visit to kingdom? Sugar silently flashed a smile at him. That security was became enraged but control him self he told “Sir even a sap head without reason will not enter in to any place but you look like a wise mentor and meritorious sage, kindly let me know the details about you then can interdependently go into the kingdom, because without king's permission no one can enter in this kingdom”. Heard the security now he broke his silence and said” O wise security gourd I feel very glad that your knowledgeable approach of attitude, nothing to explain about me however I tell you my name is Sugar son of sage Vyaser, I have come to meet your king Janaka”. As soon heard this the security did pranams and said “O sir before I go to king I wish to ask a small doubt; what is pleasure and pain? Who is enemy and friend, perhaps one wish the pleasure what should do? Please explicate to me sir, Sugar told to security that “O guard there are two kind of peoples are living in this world called 'Ragi' and 'Viragi' their cognition of act is also two kind. Whoever is wise, smart, and knowledgeable natures he is called Viragi. Otherwise foolishness and pleasure liking kind of people are called Ragi. Now I explain, if one wish to have family life Wealth, wife, house, children, entertainments, pleasure, income Prestige, every thing with him as his wish, though all the time he will feel worry, and dissatisfaction, his only happiness is pleasure. Who is called ragi. Doing all pious deeds, sat sangam contact namasangeerthanam, yagnam, yagam without any attachment, this people are called Viragi. Ragi's enemy and friend are with in him self but Viragi has no enemy no friend he will feel every one equal to almighty of god”. Heard this from Sugar the guard allowed him to kingdom. Sugar was happily seeing the kingdom market the amazement was the people are doing their work , the merchants were talking about their business deals, no one is wasting time, then he came to the residential area and saw the palaces and mansions with beautiful art works then he wish to go in another part of the kingdom another guard stopped him so he went to under a tree shadow nearby sat and he began to do meditation. In the mean time the kings minister (Manthiri) came and did pranams to Sugar and ask his apologize for a little delay and took him to the second part of place is called udyana vanam and arrange some beautiful ladies for his service. However Sugar did not care them luminously sitting and was in deep meditation. Once Janagar find out about his decipherable and his virtuous conduct happily the King with his ministers according to vadic regulations cordially invited the sage. Sugar pleased and he accepted his invitation. In a while King Janaka told to the sage “ O sage with your blessings I am reigning wisely in this country yet I wish to know about your visit here because the power of the austerity you are luminously shining so I am presuming that you seems to not any expectancy from me hence I request you tell me about your visit here”. Sage Sugar told to the king “O Janaka between the four asramas (the four classes) Brahmachariyam, Gruhastasram, Vanaprastham, and Sanyasam. My father's notion is Grahastrasram is the best saying this he was compelling me in many ways to marry. But strictly I refused so he said go to Mithila meet Janaka he is vedegar, Jeevan mukthar gyani, though he is a king , family person ruling the country without any bondage. If any more doubt he said ask you so I am here”. More he said “ I am always wish to have realization for that which is the best way to avail from the followings, penance, going on a pilgrimage, Chandrayana virtham,Yagam, Yagyam,Meditation, or Teaching veda which one is the best to avail realization. Need reply elaborately”. The king Janakar did Pranams to the sage and he sat on his thrown and offered a seat near to him he began to preach. “O Sage I explicate the truth listen; a born Brahmin should certainly follow the rules as vedic instructions. A brahmin boy in his fifth age should perform his Upanayanam (thread ceremony)then he has to go and stay in gurukula vasam and learn veda vedanthas once he has acquire the scholarly knowledge return home and select a bride from a good and pious family marry her and lead the family life earn wealth in rightness path free from greediness, following all pious deeds like 'agnihotram' etc. and having children grow them then in certain age handover his wife to his son then he has to take vanaprastham doing all severe yaga yagna and controlling his mind; once he ripe with his austerity he can enter the sanyasam once he enters into sanysam he should be calm, peaceful, he should not have any desires, sanysam is not a easy task if he miss the rule he is not fit for the sanyasa asramam, O sage there is 48 samskaras (algorithm) among them 40 is for grahasta (Family man) eight is for one who wishes to get realization hence whoever follows this forty eight then he can think about realization“.

Sugar was calmly listened his preach and again he asked the king that ” Janaka if a man born brilliant and strong mind no desires, still he has to be in all these asramas or directly can go to sanysam?” Janaka replied to Sage Sugar “ Yes can take sanyasam directly but very very rare because; There are five faculties, as sight, hearing, smell, taste, or touch, which humans perceive stimuli originating from outside or inside the body: we all know. During the young age shutting down all will not be possible. Always there will be a crave stimulation on something, controlling is very hard and also this kind of urges will become a severe act because of his previous birth deeds, hence he has to practice systematically step by step; otherwise he will fail in the sanyasam, an example if a man sleep on a high place once even a small move he will fall down,similarly a sanyasi if he make mistake he will fall then he is unfit to practice sanyasam;another example is the ants slowly move by move climb on a tree with lot of stress and difficulties at-last it will reach the tree top and eat the nice ripped fruit but the bird fly fast and with a one poke on a fruit it will fall down, at the same way if a man practice piousness, serenity, doing all kind of good deeds, following Veda regulations, entrusting to almighty of god free from desires likewise a man even he is in grahastaram gain or loss, friend or enemy, bondage nothing will affect him. He will perform his all duties without bondage, his foresightedness only on 'Eswararppanam.'

Calmly hearing his explanation still with confusing mind he asked “Janaka whatever you explained till now my mind is not satisfied, my doubt is increased as my sincere opinion is the 'grahastaram' is worldly illusionary fact. Straightaway I ask you a family oriented how can be free from wishes, or desires or he can be a clear minded, even he is a scholar in all Veda sastras; if one pronouns just light brightness won't display similarly not enough to say that you are self realized. (Jeevan mukthar) how it is possible ? Are you not worried to save this country from enemies, are you not worried about the strength of wealth, at least do you think to leave this kingdom, then how you are proclaiming that you are self realized king? After sugar asked the simultaneous questions he was expecting the answer from King Janakar

The King calmly with smiling face he began to answer for all his questions. “O sage you are without realizing your self charging too many complaints as discharging a volley of arrows. Your father Vyasar was my guru, you think that if you be with your father you will have attachment bondage; you think if you go to forest you can be free from worries? if that so all wild animals will be as your relatives or your enemies, at least you have to worry for your food so how did you be with out worry the worry is the common to all. Without realizing this fact you are telling so many faults on me. You have come for from your place with confused mind but I am not confused with any thing; my mind is very clear, One thing should remember if anything is visible which is the reason to bondage to the life, invisible will not bondage to the life which is called Paramatma he is invisible, virtuous, and stainless, he is beyond the cast creed one can realize him only on belief with inference, one has to have bondage with him everything will be easy; without realizing him there is no use to take dip even in ganga, if one not get god's realization mean the reason is neither his body nor soul or senses. But only his mind. Paramatma associated jeevaima never have any wordily bondage in his life. Jf one has peaceful of mind will not have any impression about differences. Ignorance is the reason to have bondage so hear after remove all worries from your mind. Perhaps whoever practice certainty in his mind as I am not this body, house, wealth, kingdom, everything are not mine, This kind of certainty is called Jevan Mukthi. (Self realization)

Heard this Sugar happily took leave and went to his father.

Message:-

Sage Vyasa made this Janakar and Sugar conversation to learn to identify which is right and wrong. Those days even the kings were very religious and did all deeds in spite of their busy schedule. Ruling a country is not easy but they had time to do practice the pious deeds. Eventually, everybody doing some devotional acts to achieve freedom. Yet highly formulated souls may reach this in current living life which is called self realization (Jeevan Mukthi) while unformulated souls may need some more re-births. However, sincere systematic spiritual practice can help one to fulfill to destination. 

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