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Short Stories
 

      Mahajanaka’s Renunciation


After the death of Mahajanaka of Mithila, his eldest son Aritthajanaka became the king and his younger brother Polajanaka became the Viceroy. But some confusion made the younger brother disobedient.

 Then due to this a war has risen between them both, in which the elder brother was killed. But before Polajanaka could take over the throne the queen, who was then in a family way escaped with her unborn son and plenty of gems to a far off land, where she lived with some ascetic like his sister. There, she delivered the prince, who was named after his grandfather.

When the prince was at the age of sixteen, he decided to capture his father’s kingdom. So, to raise money and gather up crowd he sailed to the Suvannabhumi. On the way, the boat turn over and he tried his best to survive on the sea to reach the shore. On the seventh day an outer-space fairy named Manimekhala saw him working hard to survive and was impressed by his velour and strong willpower.

 So, she gave him the offer to take him to his aim to realize his desire. When Mahajanaka accepted the offer she tossed him in the air like a flower and held him up in the air and flew to Mithila where she placed him in a mango grove. When being placed there, Mahajanaka was in his deep sleep.

That was the time when king Polanajasaka who was the king of Mithila has died. As he had no son and as he had wished on his death-bed that his successor had to be acceptable to the princess Sivali, his ministers had sent a royal chariot  along with bands and beating of drums to look for an perfect groom all around.

Finally, they saw a person sleeping under a tree. The gentlemen saw the auspicious marks on his feet and suggested him for the royal invitation. Further, when Mahajanaka solved all the riddles to impress the princess and pass the tests to qualify as the king of Mithila. he was married to the the princess. So, he became the ruler of Mithila. Sivali gave him a son which was named as Dighavukumara.

One day, moving in the royal mango-grove the king noticed that a fruit-laden mango tree was destroyed by the people, however, a barren tree on the other side was left untouched; and lay in peace. So, the seek for peace in the king became powerful in his heart and he set on to give up all the fruits of riches and worldly life. Since then he led the life of a ascetic.

Pretty Sivali, however, tried to win his heart over in many ways. She dressed her best and used the best of the cosmetics to impress him but failed. Apart, the king eventually refused the royal life and retired as a loner in a forest.

"He who does all, a man can do is free from guilt towards his relations"
"The lord of heaven frees him too and he feels no guilt within."
"So, I will ever do my best to fight through ocean to the shore"
"While strength holds out I still will strive nor give up till I can live no more."