Happiness multiplies when shared; comfort enhances with added blessings! Dasharatha shared with Vasishtha and other Gurus the happiness of Rushyashrnga’s consent to perform Ashvamedha; his happiness got a boost by the happiness of the masters! Blessing from Rushyashrunga became more graceful with the blessings from Sage Vasishtha and other masters!
“You will be blessed with four sons of unparalleled valour; your pious deed of Ashvamedha is prelude to completion of your wish!” – this is how Guru blessed him! Guru’s words are true to the last word! What is in today’s thoughts turns out to be future tomorrow!
King was filled with happiness on hearing the words of Guru; the satisfaction it gives when your deeds are endorsed by someone who has attained the pinnacle of right! Furthermore, the words of assurance, “you will have children” had come from the face of someone whose words can never go wrong; he was very accurate in his predictions, “you will have four sons”, that too, “sons of unparalleled valor” indicating progeny of superior Kshatriya qualities! Won’t it be like pouring sweet milk on King’s heart?
Excitement with the emperor emerged as exodus; King commanded his cabinet to commence the work on hand immediately; “Ministers, Guru’s words have taken the form of King’s dictat and are before you now; complete the preparations for Ashvamdeha MahaYajna; let the Pearl among horses be let lose in the security of able warriors; let the land north of River Sarayu be prepared for the fire sacrifice.”
While cajoling his deputies for the preparations, King also had words of caution to them: “Though every ruler has the opportunity of performing Ashvamedha, it is performed by very few, a chosen one seldom performs it! Because it is not an easy job; even a small discrepancy in the sacrifice ritual can completely decimate the performer; BrahmaRakshasas, who are well-versed with the complete knowledge of the Yajna are always on their toes and are looking out; even at the glance of a small lapse they pounce at the site of the sacrifice, like deadly insects which attack your garden! So, take all precautions to ensure that there are no lapses in the performance of Ashvamedha Yajna.”
True, as the saying goes, “Shreyansi Bahu Vighnani” good deeds encounter more obstacles; diseases which mar the crops never affect the weeds! Ashvamedha is meant for might matchless masters; anyone can arrest the horse which the performer of the sacrifice lets loose; and if someone arrests it only option is a war! If there is any lapse in the rituals he should be prepared for attack from BrahmaRakshas!
So, when Ashvamedha is performed to perfection it gives boundless bounties; if not, it results in limitless destruction! On contemplating, Dasharatha felt the weight of the ritual was heavier than a mountain; he felt he couldn’t stand it! He surrendered at the feet of GuruVasishtha, at who’s feet the entire weight of Dasharatha and his progeny was deposited..
~*~*~
Translated blog of Sri Samsthana SriSri RaghaveshwaraBharati MahaSwamiji
Leave a Reply