When King Bharthari attained youth, lust appeared in his heart, and he wanted to get married. King Bharthari had more wealth than we can imagine. The great, powerful, and intelligent king Vikramaditya of Ujjain was his younger brother. Bharthari Ji was all-powerful; he ordered the most beautiful princess to be brought to him to be chosen as his wife.
Marriage of Bharthari and Pingla
Bharthari Ji chose a very beautiful girl named Pingla as his wife. He thought I must find out what happiness is in pleasure, and I need solitude. He told Vikramaditya Ji to handle the governance of the state until he fully experienced the pleasures of married life. No one was to go to the palace with any kind of royal matter. Does pouring ghee into a fire ever put the fire out?
Similarly, enjoying such pleasures increases and does not subside the fire of lust. One day, Pingla was peeping from the back window of her palace. Behind the palace was the state horse stable. There, the horseman who protected and serviced the horses was busy looking after the horses along with his servants. He was very strong and young, and seeing him, Queen Pingla became attracted towards him.
Pingla Became Attached To The Horseman
The queen started meeting that horseman in private. When Vikramaditya Ji learned about this through spies, he felt betrayed. He was thinking about what should be done; if he said something, he could be accused, but if he did not say anything, it would be a betrayal towards the king, who was also his elder brother. Vikramaditya Ji requested to meet King Bharthari in solitude. Pingla understood that Vikramaditya Ji knew everything about her wrong conduct. Even before his arrival, Pingla told Maharaj Bharthari she knew why he was coming there. The king was surprised.
Vikramaditya Ji said that the character of Queen Pingla is not good. I have learned from the spies that she has an illicit relationship with Horseman. The king went to the palace angrily; the queen said let me tell you what your brother might have told you. He must have told you that I have an illicit relationship with Horseman. How do you know this, Maharani? Maharaj asked. The queen said that your brother is characterless. The king asked for proof. The queen gave money and persuaded a family to tell the royal court that Vikramaditya Ji had a lusty eye for their daughter-in-law. That family said the same in the royal court out of fear of the queen. Maharaj Bharthari Ji was infatuated with Pingla, and this proof was also found. On Pingla’s advice, without thinking anything, he ordered Vikramaditya Ji to be expelled from the kingdom.
Bharthari Ji Got The Immortal Fruit
God definitely protects those who follow their duty well. Vikramaditya Ji also had to be protected by God. When a Brahmin was doing penance to gain wealth, Lord Indra appeared before him. He gave him the immortal fruit (after eating it, he would become immortal) and disappeared. The Brahmin thought, I am still poor and dying of hunger; what will I do after becoming immortal? I wanted money. He thought that I would give this fruit to Maharaj Bharthari. If the righteous king lived long, the people would remain happy. Maharaj Bharthari accepted the fruit and ordered as much money as he wanted to be given to that Brahmin.
Pleasures Won’t Satisfy You!
In solitude, Maharaj thought he was engrossed in Pingla and that if she became immortal, Pingla would remain with him as long as he lived. He gave the fruit to Pingla, and Pingla accepted it, promising to eat it later. Pingla thought their union would continue if Horseman ate the immortal fruit. In solitude, Pingla gave the immortal fruit to Horseman.
Ashwapal was infatuated with a prostitute who danced in the king’s court. He gave the fruit to the prostitute so that he could keep seeing her for the rest of his life. The prostitute thought it would be good if the king of the court where she danced remained immortal. She requested to meet the king, and after meeting him, he gave him the immortal fruit. The king lost his senses as soon as he saw the immortal fruit. He told the prostitute that you would not be punished in any way but, to tell the truth about where you got this immortal fruit.
She said I have a friend who serves the royal family’s horses; he has given me this immortal fruit. Maharaj called the Horseman and said, I can cut you into hundreds of pieces, but if you tell me the truth from where you got this immortal fruit, I will forgive you. Frightened, he said that Queen Pingla had given him that immortal fruit. The king was surprised. He thought Pingala was not satisfied with him, the Emperor of the world and was attached to the Horseman. The Horseman was not satisfied with the queen and was attached to the prostitute; shame on this lust and attachment. He announced that he would renounce everything and leave the state the next day. By sending spies, he called Vikramaditya Ji back to take care of the kingdom.
King Bharthari Became A Renunciate
Maharaj said in the royal assembly in front of the entire people of the kingdom that today, everyone would see the results of the penance of the Brahmins of my kingdom. I will slit the throat of Queen Pingla with my sword, but she will not be killed because she has eaten the immortal fruit. As soon as he was about to attack, the queen screamed, wait, Maharaj! The queen said she had not eaten the immortal fruit and gave it to Horseman because she was attached to him. The king did not say anything, placed his crown on the throne, and said, Vikramaditya, take care of this kingdom; I can no longer live in such a bad world.
Shame on the world and sexual pleasures that this Pingla could not be satisfied with me, and the Horseman could not be satisfied with the Queen and became attached to the prostitute. Everyone is just betraying others. He was dissatisfied with the false love of this world. After this, he renounced the kingdom, lived a very ascetic life, and saw Lord Shiva. He asked for a boon from Lord Shiva, saying that no one should ever respect him because it is the respect that strengthens our passion and attachment to this world.
Conclusion
We can worship God continuously only when we become disinterested in the pleasures of this world. We are considering the pleasures as truth. This is what brings us sorrow, distress and unrest again and again. Only in this human birth can we attain God. Any joy in the entire world is being experienced because of a millionth part of God. Consider how happy you would feel if you found that whole God. Until that is found, just as thirst is not quenched by licking dew, your desire for happiness will not be quenched by enjoying pleasures. Please convince yourself that there is no happiness in anything in this world.
Narrated by – Pujya Shri Hit Premanand Ji Maharaj
