KING AMBARISHA
Ambarisha was a king, kind and noble, although he was the ruler of the whole earth and had all the wealth and enjoyments to make a man contended, he cared not for them. For he knew that earthly enjoyments are never lasting and that only the ignorant take delight in them. He was a great devotee of Sri Narayana.
If ever the Lord had a devotee, it was he. At all times his mind was fixed on the lotus feet of Sri Vishnu. He spoke of nothing but the glories of Vaikuntha. He used his hands to clean Sri Narayana temple; his ears heared only the praises of Sri Narayana. Everywhere he saw the expressions of his divinity; everything he touched reminded him of His devine presence. His nose smelt only the holy fragrance of tulasi, which proceeds from the feet of “Lord Narayana”. His feet walked the places dear to him, and his head was ever bowed at his lotus feet. He enjoyed doing things in the service of Sri Narayana and if he was attached, it was only to those devoted to Him. He offered to Him the fruits of all his actions and thus, by constantly dedicating himself to him, he gradually came to give up all his desires. Sri Vishnu was very pleased with him and gave him His charka for his protection.
Once, King Ambarisha and his wife undertook a special fast called the Ekadasi Vratha. He practiced special disciplines for a whole year. Towards the end, he fasted for the eleventh day from the new moon or full moon, he used to break the fast on the twelfth day. On this occasion, he bathed in the waters of the Yamuna and worshipped Sri Narayana at Madura. He made gifts of his wealth and cattle to the poor and the needy, and distributed his riches among the Brahmins. Next he fed them all and then asked permission to eat himself. At that very moment “Rishi Durvasa” came there. The King invited him to be his guest. The sage accepted the invitation and then went to the river to bathe and to perform his daily rites.
When he had finished bathing, the Rishi sat down for meditation and soon became absorbed in it. Thus the time slipped by Ambarisha grew anxious. For if the auspicious hour to break his fast passed away, his vrata would be of avail. If he eats, it would be an insult to an invited guest, and the most wrathful Rishi at that time. (Durvasa was known to have a quick temper). So he decided to compromise by sipping a little water, which the shastras say as both eating and non-eating. This way he broke his fast without meaning any offence to the sage.
When Durvasa came back and learnt that the King had taken water, he was very angry, for he thought that Ambarisha had done this purposely in his pride as a monarch. He cursed the king and tore up a tuft of hair, which turned into a demon. He then commented the demon to devour him. But Ambarisha remined calm and was not at all afraid. The charka of Sri Vishnu, however, sprang up for the protection of the king. It moved menacingly towards Durvasa, from whom the curse had come. The demon lost all his power because Ambarisha stood unmoved.
Durvasa ran in all directions in a desparate attempt to save him. But the weapon fallowed him, steadily. At last he ran to Brahma and implored him to save him. Brahma said to him, “Soon, you have offended a Vishnu-bhakta, I can honestly do nothing to save you”.
Then Durvasa went to Shiva and asked for his help. Shiva looked at him compassionately and replied, “I am powerless to do anything. This weapon is too much for me. You will have to ask Sri Vishnu Himself to help you”.
The charka was now getting closer to him. In a last bid to escape from the deadly weapon, he appealed to Sri Vishnu for help. Vishnu smiled at him ruefully and said, “Son, I am the slave of my devotees. My heart is in their possession. They cannot live without me and verily I cannot live without them. They are my life as much I am theirs. My devotees forsake their wives, wealth, children and homes for my sake. How can I forsake them in their hour of need? They have given their hearts to me. They give up all desires even that of liberation all for my sake. With their minds calm, they offer all their service unto me. There fore, my child, even I am powerless against the weapon, which has been released by my devotee. There is but one-way for you out of this. Go to him whom you have offended. Beg his pardon. He is sure to forgive you for your offence”.
Durvasa hurried back to where Ambarisha was and fell at his feet. Ambarisha asked the charka to desist from it’s round of destruction. He showed the Rishi due respect and requested him to come and have his meal. Then Durvasa and Ambarisha had their meal, which had been waiting for so long. Soon after, Ambarisha made over his kingdom to his eldest son and retired to the forest, there to plunge his mind in to meditation upon the Lord.
Ambarisha was a king, kind and noble, although he was the ruler of the whole earth and had all the wealth and enjoyments to make a man contended, he cared not for them. For he knew that earthly enjoyments are never lasting and that only the ignorant take delight in them. He was a great devotee of Sri Narayana.
If ever the Lord had a devotee, it was he. At all times his mind was fixed on the lotus feet of Sri Vishnu. He spoke of nothing but the glories of Vaikuntha. He used his hands to clean Sri Narayana temple; his ears heared only the praises of Sri Narayana. Everywhere he saw the expressions of his divinity; everything he touched reminded him of His devine presence. His nose smelt only the holy fragrance of tulasi, which proceeds from the feet of “Lord Narayana”. His feet walked the places dear to him, and his head was ever bowed at his lotus feet. He enjoyed doing things in the service of Sri Narayana and if he was attached, it was only to those devoted to Him. He offered to Him the fruits of all his actions and thus, by constantly dedicating himself to him, he gradually came to give up all his desires. Sri Vishnu was very pleased with him and gave him His charka for his protection.
Once, King Ambarisha and his wife undertook a special fast called the Ekadasi Vratha. He practiced special disciplines for a whole year. Towards the end, he fasted for the eleventh day from the new moon or full moon, he used to break the fast on the twelfth day. On this occasion, he bathed in the waters of the Yamuna and worshipped Sri Narayana at Madura. He made gifts of his wealth and cattle to the poor and the needy, and distributed his riches among the Brahmins. Next he fed them all and then asked permission to eat himself. At that very moment “Rishi Durvasa” came there. The King invited him to be his guest. The sage accepted the invitation and then went to the river to bathe and to perform his daily rites.
When he had finished bathing, the Rishi sat down for meditation and soon became absorbed in it. Thus the time slipped by Ambarisha grew anxious. For if the auspicious hour to break his fast passed away, his vrata would be of avail. If he eats, it would be an insult to an invited guest, and the most wrathful Rishi at that time. (Durvasa was known to have a quick temper). So he decided to compromise by sipping a little water, which the shastras say as both eating and non-eating. This way he broke his fast without meaning any offence to the sage.
When Durvasa came back and learnt that the King had taken water, he was very angry, for he thought that Ambarisha had done this purposely in his pride as a monarch. He cursed the king and tore up a tuft of hair, which turned into a demon. He then commented the demon to devour him. But Ambarisha remined calm and was not at all afraid. The charka of Sri Vishnu, however, sprang up for the protection of the king. It moved menacingly towards Durvasa, from whom the curse had come. The demon lost all his power because Ambarisha stood unmoved.
Durvasa ran in all directions in a desparate attempt to save him. But the weapon fallowed him, steadily. At last he ran to Brahma and implored him to save him. Brahma said to him, “Soon, you have offended a Vishnu-bhakta, I can honestly do nothing to save you”.
Then Durvasa went to Shiva and asked for his help. Shiva looked at him compassionately and replied, “I am powerless to do anything. This weapon is too much for me. You will have to ask Sri Vishnu Himself to help you”.
The charka was now getting closer to him. In a last bid to escape from the deadly weapon, he appealed to Sri Vishnu for help. Vishnu smiled at him ruefully and said, “Son, I am the slave of my devotees. My heart is in their possession. They cannot live without me and verily I cannot live without them. They are my life as much I am theirs. My devotees forsake their wives, wealth, children and homes for my sake. How can I forsake them in their hour of need? They have given their hearts to me. They give up all desires even that of liberation all for my sake. With their minds calm, they offer all their service unto me. There fore, my child, even I am powerless against the weapon, which has been released by my devotee. There is but one-way for you out of this. Go to him whom you have offended. Beg his pardon. He is sure to forgive you for your offence”.
Durvasa hurried back to where Ambarisha was and fell at his feet. Ambarisha asked the charka to desist from it’s round of destruction. He showed the Rishi due respect and requested him to come and have his meal. Then Durvasa and Ambarisha had their meal, which had been waiting for so long. Soon after, Ambarisha made over his kingdom to his eldest son and retired to the forest, there to plunge his mind in to meditation upon the Lord.
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