Sankarshanaya namah

Maharishi Śuka continued, “Emperor Māndhāta, who was the sole ruler for the entire earth consisting of the seven continents, was astonished seeing the grandeur of Maharishi Saubhari’s home. Seeing this grandeur, he gave up the ego that he was the sole ruler of the world.

In this way Maharishi Saubhari immersed himself in enjoying sensual pleasures through the medium of the senses. Just as fire cannot be put out as long as drops of ghee (clarified butter) are poured into it, Maharishi Saubhari could not satisfy his senses even after endlessly enjoying these comforts.

One day, Maharishi Saubhari sat down and began to ponder, “Seeing a pair of fish enjoying sensual pleasures my mind was enticed. As such my penance has taken a beating. What is it that I have done?

Aho imaṁ paśyata me vināśaṁtapasvinaḥ sac-carita-vratasya Antarjale vāri-cara-prasaṅgātpracyāvitaṁ brahma ciraṁ dhṛtaṁyat

Oho! Look at me! Walking on the dedicated and disciplined path, I ensured that penance was my only way of life. Nevertheless, I had to face this downfall. Observing the pair of fish which were immersed in sexual pleasures I slipped from my path of penance which I had been steadfastly performing from long periods of time. A spiritual aspirant who sincerely seeks liberation should stay away from householders, isn’t it?

Why did my mind get trapped in this scene? Why couldn’t I retract my mind from there? A spiritual aspirant should ensure that his senses do not travel towards external objects, isn’t it? He should sit in isolation and fix his mind solely upon the indestructible Supreme Lord. He should associate only with the noble saintly persons who are eternally engrossed in worshipping the Supreme Lord. Why then was I fascinated with these scenes?

Fie on me! Seeing the pair of fish engrossed in pleasures I was drawn towards these pleasures. How shamelessly I have behaved! I have accumulated many sins in the process. Previously I was living in isolation engrossed entirely in penance. Because of associating with the fish I was tempted to marry. I obtained fifty wives and through them begot five thousand sons and daughters. Infatuated by these family members and by developing attachment to them I have attained oneness with them all. What a grave mistake I have committed!

I, who was alone, have multiplied into fifty and thereafter into five thousand members. Influenced by the illusionary energy which is composed of the three attributes of Nature, wisdom has depleted entirely in me. Hence I am unable to reach the end of my material desires pertaining to this world and the next.

I was under the misconception that sensory pleasures are the only goals of life. I mistakenly presumed that enjoying these material comforts is the sole purpose behind my birth. I believed I would derive total contentment from them. How wrong I was!”

Thinking in this manner Maharishi Saubhari continued to live in that house for a very long period of time. He gave up all material and sensory comforts in totality. Thereafter he retired into the forests desirous of penance. His fifty wives, who were very chaste, followed their husband into the forests.

In the forests Maharishi Saubhari, who was ripened in wisdom, performed intense austerities due to which his body became emaciated and weak. One day he invoked the holy fires into him. Dissolving the feelings of I-ness into the Supreme Self, he obtained liberation. Due to his greatness his wives who witnessed him merging into the Supreme Lord, were also able to obtain liberation”.

With this the sixth chapter of the ninth canto comes to an end.

Ninth Canto Chapter Seven

In this chapter, the stories of Triśanku and Hariśchandra are covered.

Maharishi Śuka continued, “Among the sons of Māndhāta, Ambarīṣa was the most exalted. Grandfather Yuvanāśva adopted Ambarīṣa as his son. Ambarīṣa had a son named Yuvanāśva whose son was Harīta. All of them increased the fame of Māndhāta’s lineage.

The serpents (Nāgās) gave their sister Narmada in marriage to Purukutsa, another son of Māndhāta. Under the command of serpent-king Vasuki, Narmada took her husband to the lower planetary system called Rasātala. Purukutsa, who was endowed with the radiance of the Supreme Lord Vishnu, annihilated the wicked Gandharvas who had occupied Rasātala. Thereby he freed the serpents from their enemies. Serpent-king Vāsuki blessed Purukutsa that those who remember this story will no longer have to fear snakes.

Trasaddasyu was the son of Purukutsa.Trasaddasyu’s son was Anaraṇya. Anaraṇya’s son was Haryāśva whose son was Aruṇa. Aruna’s son was Tribandhana. Tribandhana’s son was Satyavrata who later on became famous as Triśanku.

Due to the curse of his Guru Vasiṣṭha, Satyavrata became a butcher. However on the strength of Maharishi Viśwamitra’s mystical powers he reached heaven in his gross body. The Devatas in heaven threw him headlong down. Maharishi Viśwamitra prevented him from falling down to earth and ensured he remains hanging in space with his head down. Even to-date this Triśanku is still hanging there.

Hariśchandra is the son of Triśanku. It was because of Hariśchandra that Maharishis Viśwamitra and Vasiṣṭha cursed each other. They transformed into birds and fought for many years. For a very long time Emperor Hariśchandra remained childless. Thereafter, upon the advice of Maharishi Nārada, he worshipped Varuna and pleased him. He beseeched Varuna to bless him with a son. He begged, “O Lord, if a son is born to me I shall offer him to you in sacrifice and thereby worship you”. Lord Varuna blessed him saying, “Let it be so”.

Subsequently a son called Rohita was born to Hariśchandra. After the birth of the son, Varuna approached Hariśchandra and said, “O king! Hand over your son to me in sacrifice as promised”. Hariśchandra replied, “O Lord, this infant who is designated as a sacrificial animal is not even ten days old. Only after completion of ten days he will be eligible to be offered in sacrifice.”

At the end of the ten day period Lord Varuna appeared again before the king and said, “O King, kindly commence the Yagna (sacrifice)”. The king replied, “O Lord, only after the boy develops teeth he is fit to be offered in sacrifice, isn’t it?”

A few months later when the boy developed teeth Lord Varuna appeared before the king and said, “Now commence the Yagna.” Hariśchandra replied, “O Lord, the boy has only milk-teeth. Only after these teeth fall out he is fit to be offered in sacrifice, isn’t it?”

Sankarśanaya namah