Satyasandha, a reputed king belongs to the Ikshavaku race. He has many sons and one very beautiful daughter. Since his daughter looks like a lotus-shaped ear ornament, he names her Karnotpala.
In time, Karnotpala blossoms into a lovely damsel. Satyasandha strongly feels that he will not find a suitable groom for her in Bhuloka, Swarga or Patala. So, he decides to get Karnotpala married only to the groom suggested by Brahma.
So Satyasandha takes Karnotpala with him to Brahmaloka. Unfortunately, by the time he reaches Brahmaloka, the Brahmi Sandhya (Brahma’s twilight) sets in. Brahma is busy with his evening rites and meditation. Satyasandha patiently waits for him to finish and says, “O Pitamah, I, a mortal Satyasandha, am the king of Anarta. I have come to you because I want to find a suitable husband for my most beautiful daughter Karnotpala. I will get her married only to the person you suggest.”
Brahma laughs on hearing Satyasandha’s words and says, “O king, a girl should marry a man who belongs to the same caste and is older than her. Since your arrival in Brahmaloka, three yugas have passed in Bhuloka. Karnotpala is now senior to all the kings in Bhuloka. All your sons, grandsons and kinsmen have died. And no deva will marry a mortal woman because mortals have receptacles for phlegm, urine, and faeces. So, O Satyasandha stay here in Brahmaloka itself with your daughter.”
Satyasandha agrees to live in Brahmaloka. But Karnotpala weeps and says, “O father, I will not stay in Brahmaloka. Please take me back to the realm of my mother and friends. For they love me and I wish to spend my time with my loved ones. Moreover, I do not wish to live endlessly in time without a husband.”
Satyasandha loves his daughter beyond words. So, he goes back to Bhuloka with Karnotpala. But they are shocked when they see different people following different customs in their erstwhile kingdom. Soon, they realize the gravity of Brahma’s words. All their relatives and kinsmen had died.
Soon they are in for an even greater shock. For the moment Satyasandha and Karnotpala touch the winds of Bhuloka they are overcome with old age. Karnotpala shrieks with misery when she sees her wrinkled deformed limbs, flat eyes and toothless jaw. She looked ugly. As for Satyasandha, he had become so old that he could barely walk.
Several passers-by see their sorry plight and say, “You are in the city of Praptipura through which the sacred Sabarmati flows. A virtuous king Brahadbala rules our kingdom. We, the citizens consider ourselves fortunate to live in this sacred place which is also known as Garta Teertha. Because ancient sages perform penance here even today. Yet both of you are weeping with such misery. Do tell us your problem. We reassure you that our king, Brahadbala will solve it and ensure you live happily here.”
When Satyasandha narrates everything to them, they immediately report the matter to Brahadbala. When Brihadbala gets the news he rushes to meet Satyasandha and says, “O king, I have heard a lot about you. When you did not return, your ministers crowned your son as the king. And I, Brihadbala am the seventy-seventh successor of your son, Suhaya. Please rule over the kingdom again.”
But Satyasandha says, “I am not interested in ruling over my kingdom anymore. O Brihadbala, I had enshrined an aspect of a Linga called Vrishbhanatha in the Hatakeshwara Kshetra. If it is still there, I would like to perform penance there along with Karnotpala. For all I wish is that my daughter, Karnotpala regain her youth and former beauty. Please take me there if you know where it is.”
Brihadbala takes both of them to Hatakeshwara. Satyasandha feels delighted on seeing the idol of Hatakeshwara and starts performing penance there. Karnotpala goes to a sacred pond in Garta Teertha, installs an idol of Gauri and performs a penance there.
After a while, unfortunately, Brihadbala and his sons get killed in a battle. The Brahmins of Anarta approach Satyasandha and say, “We are already worshipping the 27 Lingas enshrined by your previous generations in Hatakeshwara. O Satyasandha, we shall worship Vrishabhnatha, the 28th Linga you have enshrined too with utmost reverence. We shall perform all the rituals with devotion. Please become our king again and sire a successor for Anarta. For the welfare of the entire kingdom is at stake.”
But Satyasandha says, “O Brahmanas, I have renounced the world. I neither want to become a king nor marry and beget sons. But I will help you resolve your issue. Like in the times of Parashurama, ask the wives of Brihadbala to take a bath in this sacred pond soon after they take their menstrual bath. Let Brahmanas approach them at this time and sire sons in their wombs. These sons will rule over Anarta with Dharma and protect all of you.” The Brahmanas are pacified by this solution for they know that this was their only option.
Karnotpala meanwhile remains unaware of all this. She is deeply engrossed in her meditation. One day, goddess Gauri manifests before her and says, “O Karnotpala, I am very pleased with your devoutness. I shall grant you whatever you wish for.”
Karnotpala says, “O goddess, my father lost everything in trying to seek a good husband for me and lives a miserable life. He became so disgusted and detached that he ended up performing penance for my sake.
And I lost my youth and remain single even today. O Devi, I wish to regain my youth and beauty, marry the most handsome among devas and human beings and make my father happy.”
The Devi says, “So be it, O Karnotpala. Meditate on a beautiful and youthful form on the third day of the Krishna Paksha of Magha. And take a purifying bath in this sacred pond. I will surely fulfil your wish on that day. What is more, any woman who does all this on this auspicious day will be endowed with beauty.” Goddess Gauri then disappears.
On the appointed day, Karnotpala does all that the goddess tells her to do and acquires a young divine physical form. And Kama, the god of love appears before her.
Kama says, “O Karnotpala, I Kama have manifested before you to claim you as my wife as directed by goddess Gauri. O lady, since I came to you with great pleasure, you will be known as Priti as soon as we marry.”
Karnotpala says, “Let me meet my father first. He is performing penance in Hatakeshwara Kshetra. Please ask my father for my hand in marriage after I meet him.”
On seeing Karnotpala’s radiant youthful form, Satyasandha is overjoyed. And he eagerly offers his daughter in marriage to Kama bearing Agni as the witness. And the pond in which Karnotpala’s wishes were fulfilled became famous.
After Karnotpala’s marriage, Satyasandha continues to worship Vrishabhnatha. And sheds his body soon after. After his demise, the Brahmanas are astounded when they see that lord Vrishabhnatha, the Linga that Satyasandha had worshipped was extremely auspicious, fulfilled the wishes of all devout creatures and destroyed their sins.
This ancient story conveys a profound message. As parents, we do aspire for the best for our children. But sometimes like Satyasandha, we become so besotted with them, that we end up doing more harm to their lives than good. Let’s remember that all stories don’t always end on a happy note.
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