The great ascetic Sage Sobhari was once meditating in the waters of the Yamuna River. Even the most virtuous and enlightened souls can be tempted by the illusion of Maya. While meditating, he observed two fishes engaged in mating. Witnessing this scene, he thought: there must be great pleasure in mating, as even such a small creature seemed so delighted. This idea led him to conclude that he, too, should experience this joy.
With this desire in his heart, Sage Sobhari decided to marry. He went directly to King Mandhata’s palace, where the king had fifty daughters. The sage approached the king and said, “Grant me the hand of one of your daughters in marriage as alms.” This presented a significant dilemma for the king. Sage Sobhari’s body emitted the odour of fish due to his time spent in the water, and his extremely thin and weak frame, with bones visible, made him appear unattractive. The king wondered which of his daughters would willingly marry the sage.
To navigate this challenging situation, the king responded diplomatically: “O revered sage, you may marry the princess who chooses you willingly.”
Sage Sobhari Marries Fifty Princesses
Sage Sobhari understood King Mandhata’s intentions. He thought to himself, “You consider me old and unattractive. Because my body is wrinkled, my hair has turned white, and my appearance has deteriorated, you assume no one would accept me. But now I shall take on such a form that all fifty of your daughters will quarrel amongst themselves to marry me.”
Sage Sobhari told the king, “Announce to your daughters that Sage Sobhari is coming to the palace. Those who wish to marry me can choose me as their husband.” For great sages, nothing is beyond their reach. Through his spiritual resolve, Sobhari transformed himself into an extraordinarily handsome man.
Notice how, once worldly desires arose, his penance and devotion became tools to fulfill those desires! Upon seeing his stunning form, all fifty princesses rushed to him, and, in the end, each one accepted him as her husband.
Sage Sobhari Creates a New Realm
The fifty princesses, delighted to have such a powerful sage as their husband, were initially content. However, soon they began quarrelling, each claiming, “He is meant for me, not for you.” Witnessing this discord, Sage Sobhari assured them, “Do not fight. I am capable of fulfilling all your desires.”
Using the power of his penance, he created an entirely new realm. On the banks of the Yamuna, he built magnificent palaces, lush gardens, and splendid towns. There were fragrant flower gardens, lotus-filled ponds, and enchanting locations. Inside the palaces were luxurious beds, exquisite furniture, fine clothes, dazzling ornaments, and numerous attendants. All of this he manifested through his spiritual prowess. Now, Sage Sobhari lived with the grandeur of a king.
When Sage Sobhari entered this new phase of life after marrying the fifty princesses, King Mandhata grew concerned about how the sage would provide for such a large family. To this, Sage Sobhari said, “Come to the Yamuna tomorrow, and you will see.”
The next day, King Mandhata, ruler of the seven continents, arrived at the Yamuna and was astonished by the extraordinary wealth and opulence Sage Sobhari had created. The grandeur he witnessed exceeded even his royal splendour. All of this was made possible by the immense power of Sage Sobhari’s penance.
Sage Sobhari’s Discontent with Worldly Pleasures
Sage Sobhari became deeply immersed in the comforts of household life, indulging his senses to their fullest extent. However, indulging in worldly pleasures never leads to true satisfaction; it is akin to adding a few drops of ghee to a blazing fire, which only makes the flames grow stronger. Similarly, his discontent with worldly pleasures kept increasing. Despite living a life of grandeur with fifty princesses and immense wealth, he could not find true fulfillment.
Sage Sobhari Turns Away from Worldly Pleasures
One day, Sage Sobhari sat by the banks of the Yamuna, lost in deep reflection. He thought, “The fleeting association with a fish brought me to this state, causing me to lose all my penance—for nothing but worldly pleasures! I was once a great ascetic and a master of self-discipline. How could I have made such a grave mistake? Look at my downfall! For so long, I had preserved the brilliance of my spiritual power, yet a brief encounter with a fish mating in the water destroyed it entirely.”
saṅgaṁ tyajeta mithuna-vratīnāṁ mumukṣuḥ
sarvātmanā na visṛjed bahir-indriyāṇi
ekaś caran rahasi cittam ananta īśe
yuñjīta tad-vratiṣu sādhuṣu cet prasaṅgaḥ
Srimad Bhagvatam 9.6.51
A person desiring liberation from material bondage must give up the association of persons interested in sex life and should not employ his senses externally [in seeing, hearing, talking, walking and so on]. One should always stay in a secluded place, completely fixing his mind at the feet of the lord, and if one wants any association at all, he should associate with persons similarly engaged.
Watching Inappropriate Content Leads to Destruction
We must never fix our gaze on any being engaged in sexual activity, be it an animal or a bird. If such a scene accidentally comes into view, immediately avert your eyes and begin chanting the Lord’s name. Do not make the mistake of looking again, as a repeated glance can create an impression on the mind, which may eventually lead to action.
Remain detached, immerse yourself in constant remembrance of God, and turn your senses inward. Do not be attracted by such sights, or you may meet a fate similar to Sage Sobhari’s. He warns, “Look at my plight!” Despite his great austerity and deep meditation, a fleeting distraction—a fish engaging in mating—shattered his focus and led to his downfall.
Sage Sobhari, who once stopped the flow of a river to aid his penance, succumbed to worldly desires. Reflect on this: if such a great ascetic can falter due to a single moment of distraction, how can those who willingly watch inappropriate content on their phones or elsewhere remain unaffected?
Can one truly engage in devotion while indulging in harmful visuals? The answer is no. Control your senses, avoid triggering situations, and stay absorbed in God’s remembrance. Such vigilance is the only safeguard against distraction and destruction.
The Negative Impact of Mobile Phones
Mobile phones are one of the greatest forms of deception in Kaliyuga. If you can use it wisely, limit it to listening to the words of great sages or completing essential tasks. Otherwise, switch it off and set it aside. Constantly checking your phone can create a fixation in the mind, leading to the habit of watching inappropriate content in solitude. If not used correctly, a mobile phone is more than capable of corrupting and destroying you.
Sage Sobhari Resumes His Spiritual Practice
Sage Sobhari says, “I was once alone in solitude, engrossed in penance. However, after witnessing the mating behaviour of a fish, my meditation was disrupted. I married fifty women, and as a result, my family grew to more than five thousand people due to the children. Just think, I was once absorbed in the remembrance of God in solitude, and now I was caught up in the concerns of five thousand people. By accepting the pleasures of the world, my intellect was taken away by Maya.”
When Sage Sobhari realized this, he immediately renounced worldly life and went to the forest. His wives, who had considered their husbands as everything, left their homes and embraced solitude in the forest, dedicating themselves to the remembrance of God and eventually leaving their bodies. Sage Sobhari, after intense penance, dried up his body and ultimately merged with the Supreme Soul. His fifty wives, through their devotion to his feet and their devotion to God, attained the highest spiritual destination.
Lessons from the Life of Sage Sobhari
From the story of Sage Sobhari, we should learn that we must never look at any living being engaged in sexual activity. If, by chance, our gaze falls upon such a sight, we should immediately avert our eyes and never look again. Such a scene creates a spark in the mind, which can eventually turn into a resolve and ultimately lead to action. Therefore, it is crucial to crush this impulse right at the beginning. To prevent this, we should chant the Lord’s name so that the urge is eliminated and no such resolve arises in the mind. This is the best path for us to follow.
Guidance By: Pujya Shri Hit Premanand Govind Sharan Ji Maharaj
