Chitraketu
Chitraketu is a king who rules over Surasena. He has all the qualities of a Kshatriya, marries a million women and enjoys all the material pleasures of life. But deep within he feels sad because he is unable to beget a son on any of his wives.
One day, rishi Angiras comes to meet Chitraketu. Angiras says, “O king Chitraketu, I admire the total self-control you have over your mind. Bhudevi has blessed the people of your kingdom with peace and prosperity only because you follow the principles of Dharma at all times. Yet I know that some deep sorrow haunts you. Do share it with me. Who knows – I may even be able to help you fulfil your dream.”
Chitraketu says, “O Mahamuni, I wish to experience the joys of fatherhood. I yearn for a son who will inherit my kingdom when I am no more.”So Angiras performs a yagna. He invokes Tvashtar who willingly accepts the payasam that Angiras offers to him and disappears after that. Angiras asks Chitraketu’s senior-most wife, Kritadyuti to drink the rest of the payasam.
Angiras looks at Chitraketu and says, “You shall have a son. He will bring you untold joy. But untold sorrow too.” Chitraketu wonders how a child can bring sorrow to his parents. But he is delighted with the news so does not pay much attention to the second half of Angiras’ statement. Angiras leaves Surasena with a knowing smile on his face.
In time, Kritadyuti gives birth to a fine son. Chitraketu is overjoyed and dotes on his son. He showers lavish gifts on his people and performs the appropriate sanskaars for his son on a grand scale. Kritadyuti glows radiantly and finds great contentment in the joys of motherhood and soon her son grows up into a handsome prince.
Chitraketu’s other wives too yearn for children of their own. But Chitraketu is so besotted with his son that he stops visiting them. Over years, Chitraketu’s queens feel lonely and jealous of Kritadyuti and her son. One day they all conspire together and poison the young prince’s food.
Kritadyuti is inconsolable and wails loudly with grief when she realizes that her son is dead. Chitraketu is so stunned that he loses his vision, babbles incoherently and falls down in a stupor. He looks blankly at Kritadyuti who curses God saying, “O God. I thought you were full of mercy. But I was wrong. You are cruel indeed to snuff out the prana from a naïve child when his parents are still alive. Why did you bless us with a son when you knew he would leave us so soon?”
Narada
When Angiras gets the news he requests Narada to accompany him to Surasena. Narada rouses the grieving king and his wife and says, “Did you know who your son was in the past? Or who your son will be in the future? No one is related to anyone in any way. Our karma brings us together. Why then do you grieve for your son like this? A thousand other children are dying this very moment. But you don’t grieve for them. You are born according to your karmic debts. When you clear the debt your soul moves to a different realm. And we all go to different realms when we die.
Only the body perishes. The Atma is eternal. Maya deludes. Karma binds. So use your AtmaGyan to break free from the fetters of samsara. Don’t cling to your fears, griefs and joys. Control your mind. For your mind leads you to attachment – to your wives, children, kingdom, people and possessions. Fix it on Narayana. He is the only one who will free you from this pain.”
Angiras says, “Initially, I came here to impart AtmaGyan. But I knew you were still mired in Maya and unprepared to receive this Gyan. Now that you know that Maya is a source of grief, fear and pain and it is illusionary, you are willing to plumb the depths of your Atma – the source of eternal peace.
Your world makes no sense to you. You can never understand it either. So don’t even attempt to do so. Go. Cremate the body of your son, bathe and return to us. Narada will teach you the Mantropanishad. Meditate upon it. You will find Samkarshana in seven nights.
Samkarshana
Chitraketu imbibes this divine knowledge with humility controls himself and follows the instructions of Angiras. Narada teaches Chitraketu the Mantropanishad and both rishis return to Brahmaloka. Chitraketu chants the Mantropanishad for seven days.
Samkarshana, Ananta Sesha, the cosmic serpent appears before Chitraketu, cleanses him of his sins and transforms into a Vidyadhara. Sesha looks at him kindly and says, “A wise man withdraws from karma, leaves the Pravritti marg, the life of deeds and sets foot firmly on Nivritti marg, the life of a recluse and renunciate.
You cannot escape from the joys and sorrows of life by performing rituals Chitraketu. You must convert your very life into a ritual, a yagna to discover the atma that lies buried in your own heart. Combine gyana, dhyana and bhakti to find your way out of samsara.” Sesha then passes on Vishnu’s gift to Chitraketu – a splendid vimana and disappears.
Vidhyadhara
One day, Chitraketu, now a Vidhyadhara, flies past mount Kailash. He is surprised to see Shiva in an intimate embrace with Parvati. Chitraketu bursts out laughing and says, “O sweet indeed are the pleasures of Maya. So sweet that even Shiva, the lord of detachment succumbs and indulges in passion.” Shiva breaks free from Sati and laughs heartily with Chitraketu – for he knows the truth of that statement. Very well.
Sati
But the Devi does not laugh. She frowns. And her face grows dark. She says, “You, a mere Vidhyadhara have the gumption to deride Shiva for succumbing to my ardour. I curse you Chitraketu. You will be born as an asura and die at the hands of a deva.”
Chitraketu smiles with delight, alights from his vimana, bows reverentially to the Devi and says, “Thank you for your curse mother. Only good can come out of it. I am Samkarshana’s bhakta. So pain and pleasure, blessing and curse, hell and heaven mean the same to me. I have to go through whatever is written in my destiny. So I accept your curse with peace in my heart. O Mother, do forgive me for hurting you. For that was not my intention.”
Shiva looks at Sati and says, “Chitraketu is a true Vishnu bhakta Sati. And like all other Vishnu bhaktas, he too has transcended Maya.” Sati calms down because she realizes that Chitraketu could have easily cursed her back but such base things do not even occur to him.
Chitraketu flies off from there with his radiance intact – knowing full well that he will be reborn as Vritasura to avenge the death of his brother Trisiras. And he will attain Moksha only after Indra kills him.
We create infinite worlds of our own in our lives. We are so embroiled and intoxicated by the headiness of our lives that we crumble and collapse when our worlds come crashing down around us. Maybe that is why Samkarshana, Ananta Sesha appears before Chitraketu. Not Vishnu or any other deity. For Sesha alone can and will take us on those divine inner and outer journeys – from Shunya to Ananta – from zero to infinity – repeatedly – till we attain Moksha.
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