Chapter 53 - Ṛkṣaśṛṅga Goes to Svarga

[Sanskrit text for this chapter is available]

Uttānapāda said:

1-7. O Lord, how did the younger son of Sage Dīrghatapas who was residing in the hermitage, meet death?

Īśvara said:

Listen with concentration to the divine story, O king. Merely by listening to it, one is rid of all sins.

The king of Kāśī was well-known on the earth, O king, as Citrasena. He was mighty, had great energy and was great in exploits. Righteousness always prevailed in his kingdom. There was no impiety anywhere. Engaged always in the Vedic rites, he protected the subjects righteously. He strictly adhered to his duty. He was fond of war as well as of hospitality to guests. Abiding by the conventional duties and rights of Kṣatriyas, he enjoyed worldly pleasures as he pleased. There is (was) no limit to the wealth in his treasury. He possessed elephants, horses, chariots and foot-soldiers. He used to discuss and discourse with the scholars well-versed in Itihāsas and Purāṇas. The king shone like Lord Śaṅkara in Kailāsa. While he was ruling the kingdom like this (once) the king spoke to the minister:

8-17. “I shall go ahunting. Stay here you all attending to the protection of the kingdom.” When the ministers said, “You may go”, the ruler of the land went off.

His vassal kings following him hurriedly riding on their respective horses even as their royal umbrellas got brushed with one another. Thus they followed him to the forest. Dust from the ground was kicked up by the hoofs of the horses and the elephants. Thereby the solar disc and the quarters were completely covered. Neither the sun nor the moon, neither the quarters nor the trees nor even the peaks of the mountains all round could be seen. They could not even see one another as if it were a mid-night in the rainy season.

There he espied a great herd of deer. Accompanied by all those princes, the king rushed at them. The herd was dispersed and the deer ran helter-skelter in various directions.

King Citrasena alone took a path and reached the place where those deer were present. He entered the impenetrable forest and the dark.caves of the mountains completely overgrown with creepers and hedges. He stopped in a place where he could scarcely be seen. Thinking that the deer had disappeared, the king looked around and thought: ‘In which direction shall I go? Where can I be in touch with the soldiers of the army?’ Thus King Citrasena was in a great predicament. He resorted to the shade of the trees and took rest.

18-29. Distressed with hunger and thirst, he wandered all round in the forest and caves of the mountains. Then he saw a divine lake adorned with clusters of lotuses. It was full of swans and Kāraṇḍava variety of cranes. The Cakravāka birds rendered it splendid. On seeing it, the great king felt his hairs standing on ends. He gathered the lotuses and took his bath. After offering libations to the Pitṛs, Devas and human beings duly, he covered Śaṅkara with the lotuses and adored him. He drank the pure water adequately with mental concentration and purity. He came out of the water and saw a tree nearby. He spread his upper cloth on the ground and sat down. Then, as he sat there he began to think, ‘What shall I do now?’ Even as he was sitting there, he saw many deer in the forest region. Some were facing the east; others the south; some faced the west and a few the northern direction. Some deer were asleep. Others stood with their ears lifted up. In the centre of those deer, was standing Ṛkṣaśṛṅga, the Yogin of great austerities. On seeing the deer, the king thought about his food intake, ‘I shall kill one from these deer and eat as I please. By eating the venison, I shall become normal in my physical state. I shall return to Kāśī assiduously enquiring about the pathway.’ After thinking thus the king who was at the foot of the tree raised his bow and fixed an arrow therein. He discharged the arrow into those deer that had been herded together. That Ṛkṣaśṛṅga of great austerities who was in their midst was hit.

30-38. All those forest-dwellers (deer) became frightened and went from there crying. The sage who fell down cried “Kṛṣṇa! Kṛṣṇa!” and continued: “Alas! something horrible has been committed by him who has killed me now. Who is that evil-minded wretch, in whom this sinful thought has occurred? I was stationed amidst the deer. I do not harass or obstruct anyone.” On hearing that human voice, the king was struck with dismay. Hurrying there he saw the Brāhmaṇa shining with Brāhmaṇical splendour.

Citrasena said:

Alas! Something horrible has been committed by me because the Brāhmaṇa was slain.

He then said to the Brāhmaṇa: “You have been unwittingly killed by me, O sinless one, because I mistook you for a deer. I shall now gather together much wood and immolate myself. Among things seen and unseen, there is nothing like the slaughter of a Brāhmaṇa. Unless I immolate myself, I will not be rid of the sin of Brāhmaṇa-slaughter.”

Ṛkṣaśṛṅga said:

At my death you will not attain Siddhi (object desired). Now when I die, there will be many killings. On my death my mother, the aged father, the saintly brothers and their wives will die. When these deaths occur how can there be purity in you? If you are inclined to do so, I shall tell you a means.

Citrasena said:

39-45. May the means which is in your mind be mentioned. O great sage, I shall do everything even if I have to exert myself.

Ṛkṣaśṛṅga said:

I shall ask you something regarding yourself. Who are you? From where have you come? How did you come here? Who are you? One among Brāhmaṇas, Kṣatriyas or Vaiśyas? Or are you Sūdra-born?

Citrasena said:

O dear one, I am not a Śūdra. I am neither a Vaiśya nor a Brāhmaṇa. O Brāhmaṇa, ī am not low-born. O great sage, I am a Kṣatriya. I know my duties. I am aware of what has been done by me. I am engaged in the welfare of all living beings. Unwittingly a sin has been perpetrated. What is the means of becoming purified?

Ṛkṣaśṛṅga said:

Take me to the hermitage where my parents are present. Introduce yourself as the slayer of their son and say that you regret it. On seeing me, perhaps they may have compassion for you. They will tell you the means whereby there can be (mental) peace.

After hearing his words, O excellent king, Citrasena took the Brāhmaṇa on his shoulder and went to the hermitage.

46-49. When he became unable to carry he began to take rest frequently. Presently he saw that the Brāhmaṇa had lost consciousness and that all his sense-organs had become impaired. Citrasena kept him in the shade of a banyan tree. He folded his cloth four times and began to fan him therewith frequently. Even as he watched, O great king, Ṛkṣaśṛṅga of great austerities quickly passed away by means of Dhyānayoga (meditation) because he was fully conversant with Yoga. He cremated the Brāhmaṇa according to the rites that have been enjoined. After taking his bath, he lamented with great sorrow.