Philosophy and Religion / Yoga Vāsistha / Yoga-Vāsistha (6.1): Nirvāna-Prakarana

Válmiki

Yoga-Vāsistha, Book 6: Nirvāna-Prakarana (On ultimate extinction). Chapter 77 - Narrative of Cudāla and Sikhidhwaja

Vasistha related- Rāma! do you keep your view fixed to one object, as it was kept in the mind of Bhagīratha; and do you pursue your calling with a calm and quiet understanding, as it was done by that steady minded prince in the accomplishment of his purpose! ¹

Give up your thoughts of this and that ², and confine the flying bird of your mind within your bosom, and remain in full possession of yourself after the example of the resolute princes sikhidhwaja of old.

Rāma asked- Who was this Sikhidhwaja, sir, and how did he maintain the firmness of his purpose? Please explain this fully to me for the edification of my understanding.

Vasistha replied- It was in a former Dwapara age, that there lived a loving pair of consorts who are again to be born in a future period, in the same manner and at the same place.

Rāma rejoined- Tell me, O great preacher! how the past could be the same as at present, and how can these again be alike in future also. ³

Vasistha replied- Such is the irreversible law of destiny and the irreversible course of nature, that the creation of the world must continue in the same manner by the invariable will of the creative Brahmā and others. ⁴

As those which had been plentiful before come to be as plenteous again, so the past appears at present and in future also. ⁵

Some reappears in their former forms and some in their resemblance also; others are changed in their forms, and many more disappear altogether: ⁶.

These and many other things are seen in the course of the world; and therefore the character of the subject of the present narrative will be found to bear exact resemblance to that of the by-gone prince of the same name.

Hear me tell you, also, that there is yet to be born such another prince, as valiant as the one that had been in the former dwāpara age of the past seventh manvantara period.

It will be after the four yugas of the fourth creation, past and gone, that he will be born again of the Kuru family in the vicinity of the Vindhyan mountains in the Jambudwipa continent. ⁷

There lived a prince by name of Sikhidhwaja in the country of Malava, who was handsome in his person, and endowed with firmness and magnanimity in his nature, and the virtues of patience and self control in his character.

He was brave but silent, and even inclined to good acts with all his great virtues; he was engaged in the performance of the religious sacrifices, as also in defeating bowers in archery.

He did many acts ⁸, and supported the poor people of the land; he was of a graceful appearance and complacent in his countenance, and loved all men with his great learning in the śāstras.

He was handsome, quiet and fortunate, and equally as valiant as he was virtuous. He was a preacher of morality and bestower of all benefits to his suitors­.

He enjoyed all luxuries in the company of good people, and listened to the lessons of the Śruties. He knew all knowledge without any boast on his part, and he hated to touch women as straws.

His father departed to the next world, leaving him a lad of sixteen years in age; and yet he was able at that tender age to govern his realm, by defeating his adversaries on all sides.

He conquered all other provinces of the country by means of the resources of his empire; and he remained free from all apprehension by ruling his subject with justice and keeping them in peace.

He brightened all sides by his intelligence and the wisdom of his ministers, till in the course of years he came to his youth, as in the gaudy spring of the year.

It was the vernal season, and he beheld the blooming flowers glistening brightly under the bright moon-beams; and he saw the budding blossoms, hanging down the arbours in the inner apartments.

The door ways of the bowers were overhung with twinning branches, decorated with florets scattering their fragrant dust like the hoary powder of camphor; and the rows of the gulunca flowers wafted their odours all around.

There was the loud hum of bees, buzzing with their mates upon the flowery bushes; and the gentle zephyrs were wafting the sweet scent amidst the cooling showers of moon-beams.

He saw the banks decorated with the kadalī shrubbery glistening with their gemming blossoms under the sable shade of kadalī ⁹ leaves; which excited his yearning after the dear one that was seated in his heart.

Giddy with the intoxication of the honey draughts of fragrant flowers, his mind was fixed on his beloved object, and did not depart from it, as the spring is unwilling to quit the flowery garden ¹⁰.

When shall I in this swinging cradles of my pleasures garden, and when will I in my sports in this lake of lotuses, play with my love-smitten maid with her budding breasts resembling the two unblown blossoms of golden lotuses?

When shall I embrace my beloved one to my bosom on my bed daubed with the dust of powdered frank incense, and when shall we on cradles of lotus stalks, like a pair of bees sucking the honey from flower cups?

When shall I see that maiden lying relaxed in my arms, with her slender body resembling a tender stalk, and as fair as a string of milk white kunda flowers, or as a plant formed to moon-­beams?

When will that moon like beauty be inflamed with her love to me? With these and the like thoughts and ravings he roved about the garden looking at the variety of flowers.

He then went on rambling in the flowery groves and skirts of forests, and thence strayed onward from one forest to another, and by the side of purling lakes blooming with the full blown lotuses. ¹¹

He entered in the alcoves formed by the twining creepers, and walked over the avenues of many garden grounds and forest lands, seeing and hearing the descriptions of wood-land sceneries ¹².

He was distracted in his mind, and took much delight in hearing discourses on erotic subjects, and the bright form of his necklace and painted beloved was the sole idol in his breast.

He adored the maiden in his heart, with her breasts resembling two golden pots on her person; and this weep was soon found by the sagacious ministers of the state.

As it is the business of ministership to dive into matters by their signs and prognosis, so these officers met together to deliberate on his marriage.

They proposed the youthful daughter of the king of Syrastra ¹³ for his marriage, and thought her as a proper match for him, on account of her coming to the full age of puberty ¹⁴.

The prince was married to her who was a worthy image ¹⁵ of himself; and this fair princess was known by the name of cudāla all over the land.

She was as joyous in having him, as the new blown lotus at the rising sun; and he made the black-eyed maid to bloom, as the moon opens the bud of the blue lotus. ¹⁶

He delighted her with his love, as gives the white lotus to bloom; and they both inflamed their mutual passions by their abiding in the heart of one another.

She flourished with her youthful wiles and dalliance, like a new grown creeper blooming with its flowers, and he was happy, and careless in her company by leaving the state affairs to the management of the ministers. ¹⁷

He disported in the company of his lady love, as the swan sports over a bed of lotuses in a large lake; and indulged his frolics in his swinging cradles and pleasure ponds in the inner apartments.

They revelled in the gardens and groves, and in the bowers of creepers and flowering plants; and amused themselves in the woods and in walks under the sandal wood and a gulanca shades.

They sported by the rows of mandāra trees, and beside the lines of plantain and kadalī plants; and regaled themselves wandering in the harem, and by the sides of the woods and lakes in the skirts of the town.

He roved afar in distant forests and deserts, and in jungles of Jām and Jam bira trees; they passed by paths bordered by Jātī or Jasmine plants, and in short they took delight in everything in the company of one another.

The mutual attachment to one another was a delight-some to the people as the union of the raining sky with the cultivated ground; both tending to the welfare of mankind by the productiveness of the general weal. ¹⁸

They were both skilled in the arts of love and music, and were so united together by their mutual attachment, that the one was a counterpart of the other.

Being seated in each others heart, they were as two bodies with one soul; so that the learning of the śāstras of the one, and the skill in painting and fine arts of the other, were orally communicated to and learnt by one another.

She from her childhood was trained in every branch of learning, and he learned the arts of dancing and playing on musical instruments, from the oral instructions of cudāla.

They learned and became learned in the respective arts and parts of one another; as the sun and moon being set in conjunction (amvasyā), impart to and partake of the qualities of each other.

Being mutually situated in the heart of one another, they became the one and the same person and both being in the same inclination and pursuit, were the more endeared to one another, ¹⁹.

They were joined in one person, as the androgne body of Umā and Śiva on earth; and were united in one soul, as the different fragrances of flowers are mixed up with the common air. Their clearness of understanding and learning of-the śāstras led them both in the one and same way.

They were born on earth to perform their parts, like the God Viynu and his consort Laks mi; they were equally frank and sweet by their mutual affection, and were as informed as communication of their learning to others.

They followed the course of the laws and customs, and attended to the affairs of the people; they delighted in the arts and sciences, and enjoyed their sweet pleasures also. They appeared as the two moons, shining with their beams.

They tasted all their sweet enjoyments of life, in the quiet and solitary recesses of their private apartments, as a couple of giddy swans sporting merrily in the lake of the azure sky.

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