The Story of King Rantideva
- Srimad Bhagavatam
Rantideva is glorified not only in human society but also in
the World of Gods (devas), for his exemplary tolerance, compassion, and
selflessness.
Rantideva never endeavored to earn anything. He would enjoy
whatever he got by the arrangement of providence, but when guests came he would
give them everything. Thus he underwent considerable suffering, along with the
members of his family. Indeed, he and his family members shivered for want of
food and water, yet Rantideva always remained sober. Once, after fasting for
forty-eight days, in the morning Rantideva received some water and some foodstuffs
made with milk and ghee, but when he and his family were about to eat, a
brahmana (priest) guest arrived.
Because Rantideva perceived the presence of the Supreme
Godhead everywhere, and in every living entity, he received the guest with
faith and respect and gave him a share of the food.
During a period of devastating famine in
his kingdom King Rantideva spent the whole of
his wealth in feeding the hungry and the
distressed. Deeply pained by the sufferings of
his people and by way of atonement, the
King undertook a fast for forty-eight days and
did not take any food or even water during
that period.
On the forty-ninth day, when he was
satisfied that almost all the hungry and the distressed in his kingdom had been
well looked after, he decided to break his fast. Just as he was about to do so
by taking a morsel of food and a cup of water he heard the piteous cry of a
person of low caste (Pulkasa as he is called in the Purana), asking for water
to quench his thirst. The King was then in the midst of his ministers and
councillors. He stopped tasting the water placed before him and ordered that
the cup be given to the Pulkasa.
The people around him remonstrated strongly
at this suicidal act on the part of the King.
It was pointed out by them that it was too
much on his part to take the risk of sacrificing
his own life for the sake of a pulkasa
after this long fast of nearly forty-eight days.
Immediately afterwards the King began to
take the morsel of food. Even for that food
there came a guest at his doors. At this
stage, Ranti Deva made the famous
pronouncement recorded in fitting terms by
Vyasa:
“I do not seek from the Supreme Lord the
highest Bliss attended with the eight powers or
siddhis. Nor do I care for apunarbhavam or
cessation of the cycle of births and deaths.
But my only desire is to be present in all
beings, undergo suffering with them and serve
them so that they may become free from
misery.”
In the next verse he continues to say:
“Hunger, thirst, fatigue, loss of strength
in limbs, distress, languor, grief, disappointment,
delusion – all these undesirable features
of my distressed soul have all disappeared upon
my giving water to one who was suffering
from acute thirst.”
The Trimurtis, the rulers of the three
worlds, revealed themselves to him and praised his
heroic sacrifice and infinite mercy for his
suffering fellow men. There can be no higher or
nobler humanitarian ideal than the one
revealed by this episode. Not only did Ranti Deva
seek to relieve the misery of his
fellow-men, but he also desired to so identify himself
with them and become a part of them so as
to undergo their suffering and thereby share
their miserable predicament.
Mahatma Gandhi, the Father of our Nation (India
Srimad Bhagavatam as the inspiring motto of
his life. He inscribed this verse in front of
the Sabarmati Ashram founded by him for the
inspiration and guidance of his followers.
The fundamental basis of the great national
movement started by Mahatma Gandhi was
suffering and sacrifice for the
liberation of his countrymen from foreign yoke.
Three Basic Truths
Ranti Deva lays down three basic truths for
the guidance of mankind:
• The paramount duty of relieving the
suffering of others both for moral purification and for bettering the lot of
our brethren.
• The doctrine of sharing the
suffering of others both for moral purification and for lessening the burden of
the sorrow.
• This duty of relieving the
suffering of others is greater than that of working for one’s own salvation or
the attainment of moksha or of siddhis or miraculous powers.
The gods have not ordained that humans die of hunger; even
to the well-fed man death comes in many shapes. The wealth of the generous man
never wastes away, but the niggard has none to console him.
He who, possessed of food, hardens his heart against the
weak man, hungry and suffering, who comes to him for help, though of old
he helped him – surely he finds none to
console him. …
In vain does the mean man acquire food; it is – I speak the
truth – verily his death; he who does not cherish a comrade or a friend, who
eats all alone, is all sin. Rig Veda
10.117.1-2,6
Bhagavad Gita urges people to act selflessly for the welfare
of others: ‘Strive constantly to serve the welfare of the world; by devotion to
selfless work one attains to the supreme goal in life. Do your work with the
welfare of others in mind’ (3.19-26).
Aum Namo Narayanaya
Aum Namo Narayanaya
Aum Namo Narayanaya
No comments:
Post a Comment