RAJA JANAKA WHO WAS HIS GURU?

[Guest guest]

Jai Gurudev,

 

Raja Janaka is good example of leading a spritual while still

functioning in the world, we can learn from his way of life

Here is a story which tells how raja janaka got "thokar"(jerk) (as

beloved Gurudev used to call), that led to his realisation.

 

 

RAJA JANAKA'S DREAM

Raja Janaka ruled over the country of Videha. He was once reclining

on a sofa. It was the

middle of the day in the hot month of June. He had a short nap for a

few seconds. He dreamt that a

rival king with a large army had invaded his country and slew his

soldiers and ministers. He was

driven out of his palace barefooted and without any clothes covering

him.

Janaka found himself roaming about in a jungle. He was thirsty and

hungry. He reached a

small town where he begged for food. No one paid any attention to his

entreaties. He reached a

place where some people were distributing food to the beggars. Each

beggar had an earthen bowl to

receive rice water. Janaka had no bowl and so they turned him out to

bring a bowl. He went in search

of a vessel. He requested other beggars to lend him a bowl, but none

would part with his bowl. At

last Janaka found a broken piece of a bowl. Now he ran to the spot

where rice water was distributed.

All the foodstuff had been already distributed.

Raja Janaka was very much tired on account of long travelling, hunger

and thirst and heat of

the summer. He stretched himself near a fireplace where foodstuff was

cooked. Here some one took

pity over Janaka. He gave him some rice water which was found at the

bottom of a vessel. Janaka

took it with intense joy and just as he put it to his lips, two large

bulls tumbled fighting over him.

The bowl was broken to pieces. The Raja woke up with great fear.

Janaka was trembling violently. He was in a great dilemma as to which

of his two states was

real. All the time he was in dream, he never thought that it was an

illusion and that the misery of

hunger and thirst and his other troubles were unreal.

The queen asked Janaka, "O Lord! What is the matter with you?" The

only words which

Janaka spoke were, "Which is real, this or that?" From that time he

left all his work and became

silent. He uttered nothing but the above words.

The ministers thought that Janaka was suffering from some disease. It

was announced by

them that anyone who cured the Raja will be richly rewarded and those

who fail to cure the Raja will

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be made life prisoners. Great physicians and specialists began to

pour in and tried their luck, but no

one could answer the query of the Raja. Hundreds of Brahmins well

versed in the science of curing

diseases were put in the state prison.

Among the prisoners was also the father of the great sage Ashtavakra.

When Ashtavakra

was a boy of only ten years of age, he was told by his mother that

his father was a state prisoner

because he failed to cure Raja Janaka. He at once started to see

Janaka. He asked the Raja if he

desired to hear the solution of his questions in a brief and few

words as the question itself is put or

full details of his dream experience may be recited. Janaka did not

like to have his humiliating

dream repeated in presence of a big gathering. He consented to

receive a brief answer.

Ashtavakra then whispered into the ear of Janaka, "Neither this nor

that is real." Raja Janaka

at once became joyful. His confusion was removed.

Raja Janaka then asked Ashtavakra, "What is real?" There upon there

was a long dialogue

between him and the sage. This is recorded in the well-known

book, "Ashtavakra Gita," which is

highly useful for all seekers after Truth.

 

 

Englighten yourselves

 

 

Jai Gurudev