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Per sons, who recognized in him the former crowned king, began to shed tears at his approach. Even when he was paid res pects and requested by his enemy of a king to resume the scep tre and protect his subjects, he would not give up his present avocation and long for even the smallest trifle. Thus to the infinite chagrin and disappointment of all, he went to foreign places. Filled with bliss through true quiescence of mind and without despondency of heart, he indulged in Atmic THE STORY OF BHAGEERATHA. 271 vision within himself wherever he went along with his Guru, whether over mountains or forests or countries. Thus did the Acharya and his disciple become of full and equal minds ; and supporting- their bodies, as if in sport, were listless as to whether they had their bodies of clay or not Then roving at pleasure and reflecting well upon the adoption of the course consistent with the universal law, they were indifferent to pleasures and pains or their intermediates and spurned as paltry baubles wealth, women and the 8 Siddhis, such as Anima, &c., and then left for a foreign country. The king of that spacious country having died without any male progeny, the ministers therein deliberated upon the nomination of a successor, when the beggar Bhageeratha of graceful mien appeared upon the spot and was pitched upon as a fit successor to the late king. Being anointed a king, he wielded the sceptre over his realm, protected by innumerable hosts of armies. This news was wafted over to his former country from which the courtiers therein repaired to him and implored him thus — " The king, whom you installed in your stead, has expired. We are left without a ruler. So please accept the responsibilities of ruling over our kingdom too." As it is not proper to spurn the wealth which comes to one of its own accord, he assented to their entreaties. So Bhageeratha of beautiful breast, began to rule over the whole earth. Maintaining a perfect silence (or control over senses), quiescence of mind and an equal vision over all, he was without desires or oscillations to extremes. So following the even path of rectitude in all affairs, he performed a faultless Tapas for many years to emancipate his grandsires, brought down on earth the divine river Ganges, and established it there without any decay of its sacredness. 272 VOGA-VA'SISHTA. THE STORY OF SIKHIDWAJA. Summary — In this story, it is sought to show that the path to the higher goal will be rendered smooth by an A'charya who is able to make his disciple progress through various means as well as by true renunciation, though many obstacles may intervene. "Oh mayest thou merge thyself in thy all-peaceful Atma, like the King Sikhidwaja who annihilated that Great Bird called mind." So spoke Vasishta to Rama, whereupon the latter questioned him thus: — "Tell me, O Guru, who was this King Sikhidwaja, who was absorbed in the ecstatic enjoyment of all-embracing bliss ? Be pleased to bestow on me thy bless ing, so that Jnana, which is the basis of every thing, may arise in me and wax to its fullest strength." Thereupon the Muni thus replied : — "This king who bore the name Sikhid waja was born in the Dwapara Yuga after the seven Manus* who presided over the country like the sun had passed away. His justice knew no bounds, and he was moreover devoid of the bad qualities arising from desire. For he was replete with the goodness of charity and other virtues, and preserved that silence which avoids the discord born of words. He had cultivated mental and also bodily restraint and other powers of will, and especially delighted in doing good toothers. The partner of his marriage was Chudalaif born through Tapas in the womb of the Queen of the Sourashtra country, who resembled the peacock in beauty, and could not in the space of the whole world find one to compare with her in her imperishable virtue. And these two lived together in perfect happiness with their two minds interblended performing all actions without the least difference of opinion, having mas tered all the departments of knowledge. Delightfully indeed they passed their youth, as if but one breath of life pervaded in common their bodies. As the years glided sweetly by, * The seventh Manu is Vaivasvata who is our present Manu. t The present story, though intended to illustrate the idea of Acharya's grace and true renunciation, has itself an esoteric meaning underlying it. For instance, Chudalai is composed of two roots mean ing, resting on the head. Hence that which rests on the head, or the Pineal Gland, is Buddhi — the Atmic Ray. It is Chudalai who though the wife of S'ikhidwaja yet initiates him into Jnana. S'ikhidwaja means one having the peacock flag. Close students will understand from the color of the peacock that he typifies the higher Manas. THE STORY OF SIKHIDWAJA. 273 their ephemeral youth passed away like water from a broken pot, and middle age fell upon them, like flakes of snow on lotuses in the waters of a rivulet. Like water trickling from O the palm of the hand, so their lives sped away, day by day. Then the desires, which had in youth expanded themselves more and more'like a gourd plant that grows in the rainy season, ever winding itself round and round, began to lessen like waters in the time of autumn. All the pleasures that once arose in the body now darted from out it, like arrows from a bow. Just as a plantain tree grows useless after it has put forth its fruit-bunches, so they became indifferent to worldly actions after tasting of their fruit. In unison of heart they thus both began to contemplate : — Of a surety that is the most beneficial state from which the mind, when it once reaches it, never returns to another. But such a discriminative state is impossible in the case of those plunged in mundane existence. Therefore the most exalted Adhyatmic-Jnanic knowledge alone is the sure panacea for the cure of the disease of re-birth. Coming thus to the conclusion that re-birth cannot be avoided except through Atma-Jnana alone, both betook them selves to such a life, with their minds absorbed in it and with true meditation. And for the attainment of their wish they ever associated with the wise and learned. Thus did they live long together, exulting over their store of accumulated knowledge and leading a practical life of spirituality in ac cordance with that knowledge. Then the Lady Chudalai, of true discrimination, having heard and clearly understood the real signification of the Sastras, taught by the wise for the attainment of the different stages leading to the realms of the higher spirituality, thus began to commune with herself: — " While there exists Atma (as I clearly perceive it), to what do we apply the term ' 1' ? Whence is this delusion in the mind ? To whom is it due ? How and whence did it arise ? How can we apply the term ' 1' to the body visible to us ? As the body is inert and ignorant, therefore the term * T cannot be applied to it. Again, can the term ' I' be applied to the ten organs which vitalise the body ? No, since like a tile which is moved by a rod, the ten inert and separate sense- organs (Indryas) are moved by the flitting mind. Can the term ' I' be applied to the Manas which agitates, through 35 274 YOGA-VA'SISHTA. its power of Sankalpa, the organs ? No, since even the Manas is inert, being goaded on to action by the certainty of Buddhi, like a stone flung from a sling. Nor is * I* Buddhi,* as it is in turn galvanised by Ahanka"ra. Nor is it the baneful Ahankdra which galvanises Buddhi, as it (Ahankdra) is the inert seat of Jiva (the higher ego). Once more, can ' I' be applied to Jiva which moves Ahank^ra ? Being of the nature of actions and Pr£na, it rests in the heart and there enjoys the bliss of Pratyag&tma. Hence Jiva is not ' I' ; thus I have now learnt through this enquiry that what renders Jiva blissful is Atma, the true Jn£na. Such a Jnana will never be bedimmed by objects, but will ever become clearer and clearer. My own Jiva exists only through Atmic reality, the eternal Jnana. Verily the state of Jiva, which gets, ensnared by objects through Jncina, may well be likened to that of water standing in a deep pool, or an odor wafted by the breeze.