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a small story of Yagnyavalkya and janaka
A small story about Yagnyavalkya and Janaka goes
like this:
One day Y comes to Janaka's court is very respectfully
and warmly received by Janaka. Janaka is a maharaja, and
Y is a poor ascetic brahmin. both were however co-students
of same guru.
Y scholds Janaka for forgetting what all their guru taught,
and leading a life of pleasures and vices. Janaka expresses
his helplessnes blaming it on his circustamsces, and Y argues
it is a pretext to enjoy. Janaka says he willing to do anything
Y advises, and Y asks him to leave the kingdom and come with him
into deep forests to lead an ascetic life. Janka follows without
raising a question, without even formal delegation of authority,
or bidding a farewell to family.
Y is rather surprised at the sincerity of Janaka. througout
their long walk through rought terrain, agricultural fields,
thorns etc, he notices that Janaka is suffering, and bleeding
but is coming with him, without complaining. after some walk,
Y feels sympathy for Janaka and asks him to take rest under a
tree, while he goes out for fetching water from a nearby lake.
Meanwhile, a provincial king (a king of a neighbouring kingdom
who recognises Janaka as emperer) happens to come over that way
with all his paraphernalia. Another neighbour was planning to
wage a war against this small king, and he was coming to janaka
to ask for assurance of his support in any eventuality of war.
He was pleasantly surprised to see Janaka under the tree,even before
reaching his kingdom! His entourage makes a temporary but elaborate
tent and Janaka is offered the main seat, and the king sits down
near him, explaining the situation.
Y comes back with water, and to his amazement he finds all
military activities etc, but Janaka is not to be seen under the tree.
He enquires about janaka, and comes to know he is in the tent.
but Y is not allowed by the gatekeeper to go in. a messenger
informs Janaka, and Janaka comes out and receives Y.
Then, Janaka explains this:" See: you were under the impression that
only unhappyness is what haunts the beings. and somehow you
interpreted our guru's teachings as asking us of leading a
hard life.
but the fact is that even pleasures haunt us. we can not run
away anywhere. even in forest, see how i am trapped in this
condition! even though i wanted to leave every thing including
family behind to come to lead a different life.
What our guru taught is that we should be "unattached" to the
worldy affairs, not that we should somehow *suffer* . We can
continue our functions as beings, but inside, we should be
untouched like a lotus leaf remains untouched by falling water
drops. "
Where is this story from? Sri Ramana Maharshi is said to quote
this story to emphasise that the realized souls are difficult
to recognize, since they need not look like a swamijis. they
might lead ordinary life, amongst us, with all human emotions,
actions.
"Lona-namaludaguchu, bayalvedalu veera raama" [remaining
untouched inside, go out oh *veera* rama] Yoga-vaasishtha
raamayanamu (telugu version)
