The Saviour of King Puranjana

In the last two blogs, "King Puranjana: The Mysterious World" and "King Puranjana: The Fall of the Mysterious World," we examined the life of King Puranjana. Dissatisfied with his existence, he left his friends and possessions in pursuit of a more meaningful life. He found a beautiful city south of the Himalayas, married its most beautiful woman, and led a life of luxury. Over time, King Puranjana fathered children, aged and became fragile. Eventually, the five-headed snake that once protected the city abandoned it, leaving him to fend for himself. Ultimately, death overtook him.

Now, let's continue to unravel this mysterious tale..........

Rebirth as Princess Vaidarbhi

King Puranjana took his final breath while thinking about his beloved wife, Puranjani. In his next life, he was born as a beautiful princess—the enchanting Vaidarbhi, daughter of the mighty King Vidarbha. Her father arranged her marriage to King Malayadhvaja, a ruler who was a devotee of Lord Narayan.

As the years flowed like a mighty river, the couple was blessed with seven sons and a daughter, filling the palace with laughter and life. But time, relentless and unyielding, began to weave its silver strands into King Malayadhvaja's once-dark hair. One fateful day, a single grey hair caught his eye, which awakened his desire to seek peace in solitude.

A Shared Path

Vaidharbhi, his beloved wife, stood by him, like a moonlight ever chasing the moon. With heavy hearts and a shared purpose, they left behind their children and the opulent comforts of the palace and headed towards the forest.

Malayadhvaja plunged into the depths of austere penance, enduring trials that tested his very essence. Days melted into nights, and with each gruelling moment, he drew closer to the divine. At last, after what felt like an eternity of striving, he achieved the ultimate goal of God-realization. With a sense of fulfilment and peace enveloping him, he cast aside his mortal body.

Grief, Sacrifice, and a Mysterious Visitor

Vaidharbhi, his wife, decided she could not live without her husband. She collected wood and placed his body on it, preparing to ascend the funeral pyre alongside her husband. While arranging her final journey, a Brahmin approached; she acknowledged his presence and bowed to him respectfully.

The Brahmin looked at her and asked, "Do you remember me?"

Vaidharbhi looked at him hard and, while nodding in disagreement, she said, "No, I do not know who you are."

Then the Brahmin said, "My friend, do you not recognise me at all? Do you remember a long, long time ago, before you became involved in the material world, you had a friend named Avignyat?"

Vaidharbhi observed him closely, a flicker of recognition in her eyes, the Brahmin began to explain: 

"We were always together and inseparable, like two swans in the Manas lake. You were important to me, and I was important to you.

However, one day, you chose to see the world and left my company to explore this material world. You arrived at the city with nine gates.

In this way, you forgot about me. However, I remained concerned for your welfare and thought about you often."

The Brahmin then revealed the incredible truth:

"Now is the time for me to reveal the truth. Forget this man; you are not his wife. Why are you weeping for him? Who is he? You do not belong here. Come with me because you belong with me, and we will be together again."

Unveiling the True Identity

The Brahmin paused and then said:

"In your previous life, you were known as King Puranjana; however, you are neither King Puranjana, who married Puranjani, nor are you the princess who married Malayadhvaja. It is an illusion created by yourself because of your ignorance."

Vaidharbhi observed the Brahmin with slight recognition and waited for the full explanation:

"You (Vaidarbhi or Puranjana) are the Jeevatma, the soul, and

I, the Brahmin (Avignyat), am Paramatma, the Almighty God.

The Manas Lake is the heart where we coexist. We have always existed together.

Your involvement in the city guarded by the five-headed snake, and your marriage to Puranjani, is all due to Maya, the Illusion."

And now, let me reveal to you each character who was part of your life as King Puranjana:

•The city of Bhogavati represents the human body.

•The nine gates of the city are the nine openings in the body – two eyes, two nostrils, two ears, the mouth, and two excretory organs.

• Puranjani, who helped King Puranjana enjoy worldly pleasures, is your mind.

• The ten attendants of Puranjani are the ten indriyas (your senses and organs of action).

• The hundreds of female attendants are the many functions of these indriyas.

• The five-headed snake that protected the city of Bhogavati is the breath of life (five pranas).

• The hundred years King Puranjana spent with Puranjani? That's the span of life granted to you.

• Chandavega is time, moving ruthlessly on. The 360 warriors are the days of the year, and their dark counterparts (the women) are the nights.

• Jara represents old age or decay.

• Yavaneshvara is death.

• The Yavanas are the diseases of the mind and body.

• Prajavara is fever, an affliction that hastens death.

Your True Self is beyond gender, beyond attachments

The Brahmin concluded by saying:

"You are neither Puranjana, the lord of Puranjani, nor the wife of Malayadehvaja. The soul transcends gender and lacks attachment. You are a reflection of me, clouded by ignorance.

You've been living under an illusion, mistaking this body for your true identity.

You had lost sight of the truth, but now you are united with me once again.

Let us return to the lake Manas, where we once floated together."

Summary

The narrative describes the concept of the soul's journey through various lives. It follows the transmigration of a single soul, first as King Puranjana, consumed by worldly desires, and then as Princess Vaidarbhi, who eventually understood her true identity with the help of her old friend Avignyat (Brahmin). He revealed to her the soul's true, genderless nature and its ultimate connection to the divine, emphasising that earthly experiences are temporary illusions.

Moral

The soul's true nature is genderless and beyond attachment, and its ultimate goal is to reunite with its divine essence, the almighty, rather than accumulating the worldly pleasures that lead to nothing but misery.

Let's Reflect

Will this understanding change the way you perceive your own life?