Lakshman Rao
One day, as Lord Rama convened his court, a poor yet learned Brahmin entered and brought a grave matter before the assembly. He reported that an intruder named Sambhuka had terrorized the peaceful and sacred village, abducting a boy without reason or ransom. Bharata, moved by the Brahmin’s plea, sought permission to lead the mission to rescue the boy and punish the aggressor.
However, Lord Rama, in his wisdom, declared, “It is the duty of a king to assure the safety of his subjects and grant them freedom from fear. As the ruler of this realm, I shall personally undertake this mission. I will face the one who has committed this act and return the boy unharmed.”
Reassured by the king’s words, the Brahmin returned to his village, filled with confidence. Without delay, Lord Rama began his search, methodically tracing the abductors through the dense forests. After hours of careful pursuit, he came upon a small group of aggressors. Commanding their attention, he ordered them to return the boy unharmed if they wished to save themselves.
The aggressors, trembling, confessed their jealousy of the village’s intellectual community. Their intent had been to strike fear and unsettle the villagers’ peaceful pursuits. Expressing deep remorse, they admitted that they bore no true enmity toward the boy and handed him back to Rama. The king, contemplating their confession, understood that an attack upon the intellect is a grievous moral crime, capable of halting a society’s growth. Thus, he banished the aggressors on the spot and returned the boy to the villagers, instructing them to seek his father’s blessings upon his safe return. Grateful, the people saluted Rama and departed.
As Rama pondered the cruelty of the aggressors and the mechanisms of such future threats, Indra, Varuna, and Agni descended from the heavens. They praised his wisdom in resolving a grave crisis without violence, advising him to visit the great sage Agastya for counsel. Agastya, they said, possessed immense power, capable of sustaining the earth in place of Adisesha for days.
Heeding their advice, Rama journeyed to the sage’s ashram, where Agastya received him with great reverence. The sage lauded Rama’s diligence, resilience, and skill in safeguarding his kingdom against negative forces. Agastya invited Rama to stay as his guest for a few days, and the king graciously agreed. During his time in the ashram, Rama delved into the deeper intricacies of Dharma and its application in governance.
As night fell, Rama retired, and the next morning, he rose early to offer prayers to Lord Surya, feeling a profound sense of peace. Agastya then presented Rama with a magnificent ornament, resplendent with universal energy. When asked about its significance, the sage revealed that it had been crafted by the divine architect Vishwakarma and gifted by the celestial king Swetha, whose stature rivaled that of Indra. Though Rama admired its beauty, he hesitated to accept it, explaining that Dharma forbade kings from receiving gifts, especially from sages, as such sacred possessions were not to be taken lightly.
Agastya shared a tale from the Krita Yuga, when the earth lacked a king while the gods had one. The people prayed to Brahma, who summoned the Dikpalas, the guardians of the cardinal directions. They offered Brahma portions of their divine energy, and from this, Brahma created a powerful being, Kshupa, who became the first king of the earth. The ornament belonged to the earth, Agastya explained, and as king, Rama was entitled to it. Moved by this explanation, Rama accepted the gift, acknowledging that when one gives without selfish motive, it is a noble act worthy of praise.
Later, as Rama wandered the tranquil forest, surrounded by a vast and clear lake, he marveled at the serenity. He inquired how the sage had come to such a place, and Agastya shared the story of his arrival. In his search for solitude, the sage had crossed valleys, rivers, and mountains, eventually settling in this untouched forest, where nature provided everything he needed. One day, Agastya witnessed the celestial king Swetha descend to the lake to perform a strange ritual—consuming his own corpse. When Agastya confronted him, Swetha revealed that he was once a king of Vidarbha, who had retired to the forest for penance. However, his past selfish acts had left him cursed to suffer hunger and feed upon his own body until he encountered a sage. Through Agastya’s blessings, Swetha was freed from his curse, and in gratitude, he gifted the sage many treasures, including the ornament.
Curious about the history of the desolate forest and lake, Rama learned from Agastya of the ancient king Danda, who had once ruled over the kingdom of Madhumanta. Though mighty in strength, Danda was brutish and devoid of wisdom. One day, he violated the honor of Araja, the daughter of the demon sage Shukracharya. Enraged, Shukracharya cursed Danda’s entire kingdom to be destroyed within seven days by fire and earthquakes. True to the curse, Danda’s kingdom perished, leaving behind a barren wasteland that became known as Dandakarnya. Araja, innocent and pure, was elevated to celestial status.
Having received such profound lessons in Dharma, Rama took leave of Agastya, grateful for the wisdom imparted to him. He returned to Ayodhya, his heart enriched with the knowledge that righteousness, justice, and selfless service must always guide a king’s rule.
