A page from Padam Purana

To accept a gift someone gives and to offer it to another does not speak well. It is a crime and invites disaster, Rama meekly tells sage Agastya. However, the sage relates an ancient tale when Brahmins request Brahma to give a king to them. The gods of heavens - Indra, Varuna, Kubera and Yama come forward to help created beings and make lives contented, reveals Rama - a part of Indra, and so, should accept the gift of divine attributes.

Rama looks at the dazzling precious gift of divine virtues. To convince Rama he tells tale of a legendary King Swet a king of Dharma in the Age of Truth, who looks after the people well but does not give gifts or food to guests. After years, he does not show interest in the affairs of government, goes to undergo tapa. When he dies, he goes to Brahmloka but feels hungry and thirsty. It surprises him, and therefore, he asks for food and water. Now, he comes to the lake, takes bath, eats the flesh of the dead body lying near the lake, and goes back to heaven on the air car. When sage Agastya asks the celestial man, he narrates the tale and as destined, he gives the divine ornament to him and seeks blessings. The holy man blesses him.

The legend of Manu and Ekswaku reveals the secret of barren forest. Manu teaches qualities of an ideal king to son Ekswaku. He adheres to the principles of dharma, and after years, his son Dand a man of dharma takes over and governs. Once, he goes to the ashrama of sage Sukracharya. Arja, his daughter, mesmerizes the king with beauty and charm. In spite of the sane counsel of Arja, he violates her modesty and so, an angry father issues a strong curse. He asks daughter to undergo tapa for one hundred years in penitence, asks the inhabitants to vacate the hermitage and go to some other country and then, reduces the entire land to ashes. A person, however, holy and saintly he or she may be, if fails to adhere to the principles of dharma and exhibits no penitence for the sins and violates laws of truth and uprightness, invites misfortunes.

Salvation of King Swet

Lord Rama came to the ashrama of sage Agastya after he killed Shambuka, a sudra. After he enquired him about the wellbeing, he said, “O sage, I am sure, living beings of the forest face no problem.”

“O the greatest son of Raghu dynasty, I welcome you. You are the eternal and the most revered lord. A mere glimpse has purified me along with the monks. It is an oblation. Kindly accept, O lord. Because of gracious qualities, the sages honour you. You are always present in my heart, and therefore, you are the most valued. With the strength of dharma, you revived the dead son of a brahmin. O lord, you spend the night in the ashrama. O great soul, you may return tomorrow to Ayodhya by pushpak aircraft. O noble soul, Vishvakarma designed this ornament. It is a divine ornament and shines brilliantly with celestial light. O king, show favour and accept this ornament. It is gratifying if one gives an already received gift to someone.”

Rama said, “O holy brahmin, to accept a gift given to you by someone, is not a matter of honour. How can a ksatriya accept a gift from a brahmin when he knows it. Please tell. An unseen calamity gives troubles is not a fact this time. How can I accept a gift? No doubt, I shall be a participant in a sinful act if I accept the gift.”

After a few moments, sage Agastya said, “Sri Rama, in ancient times of Satyayuga- the age of truth, it is believed that mostly brahmins lived and the public did not know of a king or a guardian. One day, in the hope and desire to get a king, the entire population went to the ancient Person Brahma and said to him, “O god of the worlds, like the lord of gods Indra, for the welfare of human beings, you may kindly appoint a king. It is our ardent desire. People would revere and all would enjoy on earth… and give gifts.”

Supreme Lord heard appeals and entreaties of human beings and thereafter, called porters of heavens and the lord of gods Indra and said, “All should collect an ounce of radiance.”

Value of gifts and the birth of a king on earth and at once Indra, Varuna, Kubera and Yama come forward to help created beings. The gift with divine attributes startles. An encounter with a dead body amazes even as the arrival of a man from above stuns.

The guardians of heavens gave four parts of the brilliance and energy infinite. Out of the boundless portion, a king was born. Supreme Brahma collected a part of divine light for men on earth. From the limitless fraction, a king took birth. He proved efficient in the welfare activities and performance, and was obliging to the public. With whatever energy came from the part of Indra the king used to govern the people. A part of Varuna looked after the created beings of mortal bodies and catered to the requests. From the part of Kubera, he gave money to the needy and beggars. The king penalized from the part of energy he acquired from Yama -the lord of Death. You were born from the part of lord Indra O the best among Raghus, and therefore, you are the king of men. It is therefore, requested O king, you accept the ornament so that I attain deliverance.”

Sage Agastya tried to convince lord Rama. He was silent for a few moments.

Sage Agastya was quiet and looked intimately at Rama. Rama spread out a benign smile, took the ornament that appeared amazing and shinning like the sun and continued to look at the sage reverentially with a bit of surprise. After thinking for some time, he said, “I have not seen such jewels even in Lanka of Vibhishana.” Rama was astonished at the mysterious, divine and extremely radiant ornament. Curiosity increased each moment and then, after a few moments, he said to sage Agastya, “It is a wonderful ornament…kings cannot procure it. How did you get the fantastic ornament, O holy sage …and who made it?”

Agastya satisfied Rama’s curiosity, “In Tretayuga, a huge forest aroused inquisitiveness of everybody. Its radius was one hundred yojanas but no animal or bird lived in the vast jungle. In the heart of the forest, a large four kosas long lake beautified it. Swans and karandav lived. I witnessed an astounding incident. A vast ashrama near the lake appeared quite ancient and it looked immensely sacred but no man of tapa or meditation preferred to live. Surprisingly I found no living being even of ordinary birth. It was a day of hot summer and I spent the night in the ashrama. I got up early in the morning and went towards the lake. On the way to the lake, I saw a very healthy corpse. I guessed it was a body of a young man.” He continued to narrate an incredible experience.

After sometime, he said, “When I looked at the dead body, I thought about the identity of the young man. How did he meet death and how did he come to the vast jungle where none lived. I decided to find out the truth behind the strange occurrence. I deliberated on the possible questions and at that time, I observed a celestial and dazzling aircraft landing at the place. The air car was beautiful, and appeared to move as swiftly as the mind. In a moment, the air car reached near the huge lake. I saw a divine man getting down from the aircraft. He took bath in the lake, and afterward began to eat flesh from the young man’s carcass. He ate flesh of the healthy dead body and filled his belly. When satisfied, he again descended a few stairs, entered the lake, witnessed its charming beauty, and immediately began a mysterious journey to heaven.

Celestial man appeared extremely bewitching and striking and when he started to move above, I said to him, “O citizen of heaven, just stop for a while. I want to ask a question. What is it? Why you behave like this? Who are you? You look like a dev - a god but you eat the most loathsome food. Where do you live and why do you eat vile and despicable food?” The strange celestial man stopped, looked at the sage and kept quiet for some time.

Celestial man reveals identity …Swet, the prince of Vidharbha he was abandoned the joys of power and underwent austere penance…and later, he went to Brahmloka but suffers from bodily needs, and therefore, felt disturbed

After listening to the words of anxieties, the man of heaven, folded hands and said, “O holy brahmin, whatever the circumstances are, you listen. This happening relates to ancient times. My father governed the state of Vidharbha. He was a king of glory and splendor, and was a deeply religious man called Vasudeva in the three worlds. He had two wives. Each gave birth to a son and thus, the king had two sons. I was elder. People called me Swet. Younger brother was Suratha. After the death of the king, the people of the kingdom enthroned me as the king of Vidharbha, and therefore, I began to rule with utmost care and sincerity. Thousands of years passed but I continued to govern the state and sincerely took care of the people. For some unknown reasons but with an objective in mind, I began to show disinterest in the affairs of the kingdom and power and pleasures of the state and decided to proceed to the forest to undergo severe penance until death. With the intent to relinquish power and pelf, I made Suratha the king of the empire. Afterward, I reached here and was engaged in austere tapasya on the bank of the lake.”

“I continued meditation and tapa for eighty thousand years and with the grace of God, I attained a place in one of the most splendid citadels of Brahmloka, the holy abode of Supreme Brahma. However, when I reached Brahmloka, thirst and hunger began to give trouble and senses craved for worldly joys and made me impatient. I asked Brahma, the supreme lord of the three worlds, “O god, I heard that no thirst or hunger in the holy abode gives troubles but please tell me what kind of karmas penalize, for hunger and thirst still chase me in Brahmloka, the land of Supreme. O lord, tell me what is my food?”

Brahma thought for a long time and then told, “O son, you do not get anything to eat without giving anything in charity on earth. You did not give anything to a beggar in the previous life. When you lived in the palace and governed the state. At that time, no guest got food or any gift. It might be ignorance or intentional act. Therefore, while you live in Brahmloka, you feel thirsty and hungry. You lived among the kings and tasted various types of food and so you had a stout and healthy body that is lying near the lake now after you died. You should eat flesh out of the body and it would satisfy you.”

When the Supreme Brahma told so, Swet said, “O god, after eating the flesh of my body, I am left with no other food, which could satisfy hunger. Kindly give food that does not end.”

Brahma said, “Your dead body is inexhaustible and it will not face end. You will daily eat flesh and experience satisfaction. You would continue to eat flesh from the carcass, and after completing one hundred years, sage Agastya will arrive at the huge hermitage. On his arrival, you will be free from sufferings. O king, sage Agastya is capable of blessing the lords, the gods and goddesses, the celestial beings and the asuras with a boon of salvation. I find no difficulty in freeing you from this monstrous curse where you eat flesh to satisfy hunger, he advised. After I heard Brahma, I began to eat flesh from my body, and thus, I could not avoid disgusting food. O holy brahmin, it is not destroyed and my hunger is also satisfied. I do not know when the sage will arrive in the hermitage and give darshana. Thinking thus, I spent one hundred years. O brahmin, now sage Agastya will deliver me from the present sufferings. It is a fact of life I live with for years.”

After listening to the divine man Swet, and throwing a glance at the repulsive food, I said, “That is true. You are fortunate that I arrived. Undoubtedly, I shall grant you deliverance from the sin of eating abhorrent food I told. When he recognized me, Swet fell on the ground like a staff. I made him stand and asked, “Tell me, what good act…noble karma I am do…?”

Swet said, “O brahmin, kindly free me from the sin of eating despicable food and also grant deliverance from the offense …a sin that condemns and humiliates, and tells to live on human flesh. I wish to attain real brahmloka where I am free from thirst and hunger. I can enjoy in the divine land only if I am free from the torture of hunger and thirst. To attain deliverance, I offer this divine ornament to you. Please accept and bless.”

Sage continued in soft voice, “Sri Rama, after listening to the agonizing tale of the dead king, I took pity and accepted the divine ornament. However, I had no love or interest in the celestial ornament. The moment I took the ornament, the dead body disappeared. Afterward, the divine man took permission and ascended to heaven on the aerial car. Swet, a royal sage was as radiant as lord Indra, who had given the ornament and thus, was free from all sins.” Rama was quite convinced. Argument of the sage appeared rational.

Inquest does not end. Rama wishes to know about the barren forest and its cause of desolateness…Agasgtya takes the king to the age of truth and King Manu…legend behind the deserted forest…birth of Eksawaku…son Dand violates modesty of Arja and runs away

Rama heard an amazing tale of Swet, the divine man and asked out of curiosity, “O great monk, how a vast forest as long as one hundred yojanas became deserted and infertile and appeared frightful where no animal or bird lived?”

Rama’s question was quite pertinent. Sage Agastya thought for a while and said, “O King, it is again an incident of ancient times of Satya Yuga –the age of truth when Manu governed the whole world. His eldest son Ekswaku was very handsome.

Manu made him the king of earth and after he declared him the king, he said, “You become the emperor of the dynasties of kings of the earth.”

Ekswaku, without a word, obeyed the instructions of father-king. Manu was extremely pleased and satisfied and after a pause told, “O son, you should protect people with a rod in hand - symbolizes reward and penalty to the good and the wicked, a rod stands as a mark of justice and fair play. However, you should not use this rod without motive. A king should chastise the culprits at the right time, and reward a man for the noble acts also and the just conduct would take him to heaven. Therefore, O brave king, be alert to use law of justice appropriately. Such a conduct requires adherence to the principles of supreme dharma.”

King Manu gave sermons to Ekswaku and while doing so, he maintained immense love, serenity and concentration. Thereafter, filled with joy, he left for Brahmloka. The prince listened to instructions carefully –a few obvious and some very metaphorical.

Afterward, Ekswaku was worried as to how he should produce a son. With this objective in mind, he performed karmas as prescribed in Holy Scriptures, organized yajnas, and pleased the lord immensely. Later on, lord blessed the king with many sons. Thus, godly son Ekswaku had sons, satisfied ancestors -pitres and fulfilled a great obligation.

After a short while, he resumed, “O king of Raghu dynasty, among the sons of Ekswaku, the youngest was the wisest. He was courageous and a man of learning undoubtedly but he also earned respect of people, which was a great honour. Ekswaku gave him the name of Dand, and then, he offered a town Madhumat, situated between the two peaks of Mountain Vindhya. Dand, a man of dharma, ruled the state for many years without any problem. In the month of Chaitra when nature was a wondrous beauty, King Dand went to the fascinating ashrama of monk Bhargava. In the adjoining forest, he saw a girl of unrivaled beauty, a daughter of monk from the dynasty of sage Bhargava, roaming about leisurely in the divine forest.”

He continued, “When the king saw the beautiful girl, he was filled with impure immoral thoughts and feelings, and suddenly intensity of love and passion assaulted and so, he went near the girl and said, “O beauty, from where did you come? Whose daughter you are? I am deeply in love and so I ask you. I am your slave O beautiful girl. Please accept love of a devotee.”

Arja, daughter of sage Sukracharya spoke, “O king, you should know that I belong to Bhargava dynasty. I am Arja, elder daughter of a holy soul Sukracharya. My father resides in the ashrama. O King, Sukracharya is my father and you are his disciple. Thus, I am your sister, and therefore, you should not talk of marrying. If some wicked man has evil eyes on me, you should always protect me. Sukracharya is a man of terrible anger, and if you still insist, he can reduce you to ashes. Therefore O king, the greatest among the kings, you should approach him, a sage of divine aura, virtuous conduct and dharma. Pray and request or beg my hand. Otherwise, if you conduct improperly, you will face his immense anger, and consequent sufferings will know no end. To be precise, in extreme annoyance, he can reduce the three worlds to ashes. Please do not irritate him.”

Dand listened to the girl and said, “O beautiful girl, I nurse intense desire to get you, and if I am assassinated or forced to undergo sufferings, I accept. I am your devotee, a devotee of love. Please accept me.”

His earnestness was apparent. He was unable to control, so immediately, he took Arja in strong arms, embraced, and thereafter, took her forcibly to a place from where no one could hear any voice or cry. She tried to get out of the strong arms but could not… and the king did not hesitate to violate modesty of a helpless girl despite protests. After he committed the most unforgiving and appalling offense, the king rushed to state capital immediately. Arja, in a pitiable condition felt upset, distressed and wept profusely. After sometime, she returned to the ashrama and appeared before the godlike father. At that time, sage Sukracharya had gone to the lake to take bath. Sage Sukracharya returned after sometime to the ashrama along with disciples. He observed Arja smeared with dust, thought over deeply and very soon, visualized what had happened to her.

Sukracharya was annoyed, filled with rage and anger, he instilled fears in the three worlds, and immediately called disciples and said, “Dand, a shortsighted king, has acted against the principles of dharma, and you ensure that a terrible disaster as if fuming fire-flame visits him. Wicked king of polluted intellect will face annihilation along with the state, queens, army and vehicles. He has a kingdom of a hundred yojanas in length and breadth and at that moment, Indra shall bring rain of dust, which will destroy the animate and inanimate beings. An abrupt rain of dust in the entire kingdom of Dand, its gardens and ashramas will destroy everything.”

Sage Sukra burnt with rage and unable to restrain anger, he had issued a curse, and said to the inhabitants of ashrama, “You should take all the residents living here out of the boundaries of the state.”

On hearing the commands of the sage, the residents of the state left the area and encamped outside the borders to evade the ghastly impact of curse of the sage. Afterward, sage Sukra spoke to Arja, “O girl of low intellect, live in the ashrama and restrain mind. It is a lake of beauty and grandeur with an area of four kosas. O Arja, bereft of qualities of rajas, you should live a life of virtues -sattvic gunas for one hundred years.” His daughter obeyed the great sage with the words ‘tathastu’ - it will be so. At that time, she felt very miserable.

After issuing the commands, Sukracharya left the place for another ashrama. Awful curse of the great sage played havoc with the entire realm of Dand and reduced the kingdom to ashes within a week. From that very moment, the forest is known as dandakaranya.”

After a moment’s pause, sage Agastya said, “Sri Rama, whatever you asked, I narrated the tale in its entire background and so it contains everything. Now, time of evening prayer slowly slides and look, the sages bring pitchers full of water for paying oblation to the setting sun. You should also pay respect to sacred evening.”

Sri Rama obeyed the sage and went to the lake bank for evening prayers -upasana. Afterward, he arrived at the hermitage of Mahatma - a great soul Kumbhaj. Kumbhaj greeted Rama with useful roots and fruit, and offered delicious saag and food. Rama relished food and after fully satisfied, took rest in the ashrama. After getting up in the morning, performed obligatory duties, took leave of Mahatma and returned to sage Agastya.

Bowing reverentially, he said, “O brahmin, I take leave. Kindly permit me to go. O great monk, I am indeed obliged with the holy darshana, and feel beholden.” He had understood the latent message and without asking any more question, he left.

All sages eulogized the divine qualities of Rama and after soliciting blessings from the sages of the ashrama, he returned to Ayodhya.