Canto 6 - Chapter 14: The Lament of Citraketu

Discourse XIV

The Lament of Citraketu

Parikṣit submitted : How did (such an) unflinching devotion to the almighty Nārāyaṇa appear in the heart of the sinful Vṛtra, whose nature, O holy Brāhmaṇa, was predominated by Rajas and Tamas? (1)
Devotion to the feet of Lord Viṣṇu (the Bestower of Liberation) does not ordinarily develop in the heart of (even) gods, whose intellect is (generally) pure, and sages, whose mind is untainted by sin. (2)
Living beings in this universe are as numerous (innumerable) as there are particles of dust. Of them, only a few human creature and other (higher) beings, as a matter of fact, practise virtue. (3)
Of them (again) seekers of liberation are ordinarily only few, O jewel among the Brāhmaṇas! And among thousands of those seeking release scarce one is completely rid of attachment (to his home etc.) and attains success (in the shape of Self-Realization). (4)
Even among tens of millions of those who have been rid of identification with the body etc., and even realized the Self, he whose mind is perfectly serene (entirely free from the craving for sense-gratification) and solely devoted to (the feet of) Lord Nārāyaṇa is most difficult to find. (5)
How, then, did the sinful Vṛtra, the tormentor of all the worlds, who gratified by his valour on the battle-field (even) Indra (the thousand-eyed lord of paradise), remain so steadfast in (his) devotion to the Lord (the Attractor of all) in the midst of a fierce combat? Great is our doubt in this matter and so is our eagerness to hear about it, O Master. (6-7)

Sūta continued : The glorious Śuka (the son of Bādarāyaṇa, more popularly known as Vedavyāsa) welcomed the relevant enquiry of the devout king Parikṣit, when he heard it, and then made the following reply. (8)

Śrī Śuka said : Hear attentively, O king, the following legend as heard (by me) from the mouth of (my father,) the sage Vedavyāsa (who was born in an island), as well as from the sages Nārada and Devala. (9)
In the Śūrasena country (the tract lying about the city of Mathurā), so the tradition goes, there was a king, called by the name of Citraketu, O Parikṣit, who ruled over the entire globe and to whom the earth yielded everything sought after (by him). (10)
He had a crore wives; but, though capable of procreation, the emperor got no issue by (any of) them. (11)
Anxiety now laid hold of Citraketu, who, though (fully) endowed with beauty, generosity, youth, noble lineage, learning, (universal) sovereignty, imperial fortune and all other virtues, was (yet) the husband of barren ladies. (12)
All his riches, fair-eyed queens and (even the sovereignty of) this earth did not prove a source of delight to that ruler of the entire globe. (13)
Ranging through these worlds, however, the glorious sage Aṅgirā on one occasion came to his house by chance. (14)
Having honoured him with due ceremony by rising to greet him and offering him articles of worship etc., the emperor sat with a collected mind near the sage, who was now comfortably seated, having been (fully) entertained as a guest. (15)
The great sage (Aṅgirā). O emperor, showed every courtesy and consideration in return to Citraketu, who sat close to him on the (bare) ground, bent low with modesty, and, calling his attention (to him), spoke the following words. (16)

Aṅgirā said : Is everything well with your person as well as with your Prakṛtis (the constituent elements of a state, viz., the high priest, the chief minister, the territories, i.e., the people, the fortresses, the treasury, the police and army—that enforce law and order—and the allies) and are you enjoying a sound health—you as well as your Prakṛtis? (Even) as a Jīva (the embodied soul) is protected by the seven material sheaths (viz., Mahattattva or the principle of cosmic intelligence, the ego and the five subtle elements), so the king too is protected by the (aforesaid) seven constituent elements. (17)
A king can enjoy the blessings of sovereignty by actually placing himself under the control of his Prakṛtis; (and) the Prakṛtis are likewise enriched by the king (by following his will and carrying out his commands), O ruler of men. (18)
Are your wives, subjects, ministers, servants, people following particular trades, counsellors, citizens and inhabitants of the other parts (of your state), tributary chiefs and offspring obedient to your will? (19)
All these (unquestionably) follow the will of the man whose mind is under his control. (Nay,) all the worlds along with their guardian deities dutifully offer tribute to him. (20)
(It seems to me that) your mind is not pleased either with others or with your own self. (For) I find your face discoloured with anxiety, and (thereby) conclude that you have not attained the object of your desire. (21)
Subjected thus, O Parikṣit, to various presumptions by the sage, even though the latter knew everything (by intuition), Citraketu, who was full of longing for a son, and was bent low with modesty, thereupon replied to the sage (as follows). (22)

Citraketu submitted : O worshipful sage, what is there without or (even) within (in the mind of) embodied beings, which is not known to Yogis (like you) whose sins have been wiped out through asceticism, spiritual enlightenment and deep concentration of mind ? (23)
Yet, prompted by your command. I should speak out, O holy Brāhmaṇa, the thought (which is foremost) in my mind to you, who ask me about it even though you know it. (24)
The sovereignty of the entire globe and the power and affluence attending it—which are worthy of being coveted even by the guardians of the spheres—bring no delight to me, issueless as I am, just as other things do not rejoice him who longs for food and drink under pressure of hunger and thirst. (25)
Therefore, (be pleased to ) protect me, O highly blessed one, and do that for us whereby we may be able with the help of a son to get out of the dark abyss of hell (the lot of those who die issueless) which has (all but) been reached by us along with our forefathers, and which is so difficult to cross over. (26)

Śrī Śuka continued : Implored thus, that glorious, merciful and mighty son of Brahmā got a special oblation prepared for being offered to the god Twaṣṭā, and propitiated the said god with the same. (27)
The (holy) Brāhmaṇa further gave the remainder of the sacrificial offering to the queen known by the name of Kṛtadyuti, who was the eldest and the foremost (in other respects too) of all the king's spouses, O Parikṣit ( a descendant of Bharata ) ! (28)
The sage Aṅgirā (Brahmā's son) then said to Citraketu (a ruler of men), "O king ! a son, who will be a source of (both) joy and grief to you, will be born to you !" and left. (29)
Merely by eating the remainder of that sacrificial oblation even Kṛtadyuti (who was barren) conceived a child through Citraketu just as the goddess Kṛttikā (the deity presiding over the constellation of that name) conceived a son through the god of fire. (30)
The embryo in the womb of that lady, which owed its existence to king Citraketu (the ruler of the Śūrasena territory) gradually developed from day to day, (even) as the moon (the lord of the stars), O king (Parikṣit), waxes during the bright fortnight. (31)

Now, when the time (of delivery) came, a son was duly born, causing supreme delight to (all) the inhabitants of the Śūrasena territory, who heard of it. (32)
The king, who felt (much) delighted (at the news), took his bath and, (thus) purified, he adorned himself with ornaments. Then, getting the Brāhmaṇas to pronounce benedictions (on the babe), he caused the rite called Jātakarma (the ceremony of touching a new-born babe's tongue thrice with ghee after appropriate prayers) to be performed (for the purification of the child). (33)
To the Brāhmaṇas he gifted gold and silver, clothes and ornaments, and villages, horses and elephants and sixty million cows. (34)
Like a rain-cloud sending down showers according to the will of the people, the generous king (Citraketu) gratified the desire of other men (as well) by making gifts calculated to bring riches, glory and longevity to the babe. (35)
The affection of the father, the royal sage (Citraketu), for his son, who had been got after great hardship, constantly grew from day to day like the love of a pauper for his hard-earned money. (36)
The attachment of the mother to her son, however, grew to an excessive degree, caused as it was by infatuation; while agony in the shape of longing for a son appeared in the heart of the co-wives of queen Kṛtadyuti. (37)
Even as Citraketu fondled the babe everyday, no such type of excessive fondness appeared in his heart for his other wives as he developed for the one who was blessed with a son. (38)
Reproaching themselves through jealousy, they felt agonized (in their heart) due to the grief caused by issuelessness and the indifference shown to them by the king (their husband). (39)
Fie upon the accursed woman without a child, (who is) not esteemed at home by her husband and is insulted like a maid-servant by her co-wives blessed with good children. (40)
What agony can be the lot of maid-servants (who are) constantly honoured because of their service rendered to the master? We wretched women (however) are (no better than) the maid-servant of a maid-servant (worse even than a maid-servant). (41)
In this way there sprang up (a feeling of) bitter hatred in the heart of those queens whose life was neglected by the king and who were fully burning with jealousy at the fortune of their co-wife in the shape of a son. (42)
The cruel-hearted ladies, who had lost their good sense through deep malice and were full of resentment towards the king, administered poison to the babe. (43)
Queen Kṛtadyuti, who had no idea of the grievous misdeed of her co-wives, thought on looking at it that the babe was asleep, and went about in the palace. (44)
Perceiving (however) that the babe had been sleeping too long, the wise queen commanded the nurse who suckled the child in the following words: "Bring me the babe, O good woman!" (45)
When (however) she went near the babe lying in bed, and found that the pupils of its eyes had turned upwards and that life, the senses and other faculties and the soul (too) had quitted it, she cried "I am finished!" and dropped on the ground. (46)

Hearing at that time the most painful cry of the nurse, who was violently beating her breast too with both hands, the queen quickly entered into the presence of her child and found her infant son a victim of sudden death. (47)
Due to excessive grief she fainted and fell on the ground, her hair flung about and garments thrown out of order. (48)
Hearing the wail, the inmates of the royal gynaecium, both men and women, thereupon came (to the spot) and, sharing the queen's grief and, therefore, much distressed, fell to weeping; (nay), even the queens who had perpetrated the crime shed crocodile tears. (49)
Hearing that his son had died, though the cause of his death was (still) unknown, the king lost his vision through grief intensified beyond measure by uninterrupted love. Followed by his ministers and other people and surrounded by the Brāhmaṇas (priests), he (too) came stumbling and falling on the way and, sighing deeply, dropped unconscious near the feet of the dead child, his hair dishevelled and, clothes thrown about in disorder; and, his throat choked due to obstruction caused by tears, he could not utter a word. (50-51)
Seeing her husband overwhelmed with excessive grief and the infant son, her only progeny, dead, the virtuous queen then wailed in various ways, (thereby) enhancing the heart-ache of the people as well as of the ministers and others (present there). (52)
Bathing her breasts—painted with saffron and sandal paste—with the drops of her tears mixed with collyrium and throwing about her hair with the flowers dropping from them, she mourned (the death of) her child like a female osprey in loud and diverse tones (as follows) :— (53)

"Alas, O creator, you are extremely foolish in that you act contrary to (the interests of) your own creation. Oh, the death of a youngster while an elder is (still) living points (unmistakably) to this. If (however) you are (just) the reverse (a wise fellow doing all this designedly), you are our constant enemy (and no benefactor). (54)
If (it is urged that) there is no (strict) regularity in this world in the matter of death and birth of embodied beings, then let everything happen according to their Karma (independently of you). (It is, however, strange that) you are cutting asunder (by wresting babes from the hands of their parents) this cord of affection, which was produced by yourself for the growth of your creation! (55)
(Addressing her dead child,) and you, dear child, ought not to forsake me, a wretched and helpless woman; (O) look at your father, burning with grief. With you (as our pilot) we could easily cross the dark region of hell, which is difficult to cross for the issueless. (Please) do not go far in the company of cruel Death. (56)
Arise, darling! These infant playmates of yours, O prince, are calling you to romp freely (with them). You have slept long and must be seized with hunger. (Therefore,) eat something, suck my breasts and take away the grief of us (all), your near and dear ones. (57)
Having lost (all) good fortune, I could not (get to) behold (when I came by your side to see you) your lotus-like countenance with its innocent smile and cheerful glances. Or, taken by the cruel Death, have you gone to the other world, whence you are not going to return? (For) I no longer hear your sweet words." (58)

Śrī Śuka resumed : Along with the queen, (who was) mourning her departed son through such varied laments, Emperor Citraketu (too) wailed at the top of his voice, extremely agonized as he was. (59)
While the couple were (thus) wailing, all those who were devoted to him, men as well as women, wept and everything was lifeless (as it were). (60)
Knowing the king to have lost (all) consciousness due to his having given way to despair, and without a guide the sage named Aṅgirā appeared (at the scene) along with Nārada. (61)

Thus ends the fourteenth discourse entitled "The lament of Citraketu,"
in Book Six of the great and glorious Bhāgavata-Purāṇa,
otherwise known as the Paramahamsa-Sarhhitā.