Srimad Bhagavatam – day 247
As Puranjana’s mind was always focused upon his wife, he was reborn as the daughter of Vidarbha King after completing his suffering. As he always thought about women, he had to be reborn as a woman.
This princess was an epitome of beauty. In those days there was a valourous Pandu king by name Malayadhwaja who had conquered many kingdoms. The king of Vidarbha decided to give his daughter in marriage to any valorous prince who could defeat other princes in a combat arranged by him.
Malayadhwaja defeated other princes in the combat and married this princess. They were blessed with a beautiful black-eyed daughter and with seven sons. These seven sons later became the kings of the Dravida deśa. Each of those sons was in turn blessed with many sons. Those from this lineage rule the earth till the end of the Manvantara.
Malayadhwaja’s daughter was rigid in her disciplines. Maharishi Agastya married her. Dṛdachyuta Maharishi was the son of this couple. Idmavāha was the son of Dṛdachyuta Maharishi.
Malayadhwaja decided to distribute his kingdom amongst his 7 sons and dedicate the rest of his life for worshipping Lord Krishna. He went to the Malaya Mountains.
Just as moonshine eternally follows the moon, this Vidarbha princess who was an epitome of beauty left her children and all palatial luxuries and followed her husband into the forests.
In the forests, at the confluence of the 3 rivers Chandradaśa, Tāmraparni and Vaṭodaka, Malayadhwaja used to bathe thrice daily. Along with bodily impurities he washed away his mental impurities. He survived on roots, seeds, fruits, nuts, flowers and leaves. At times he sustained purely on water. He was engaged in severe austerities. Gradually his body began to shrink.
As he saw Lord Krishna pervading everything, with feelings of equanimity he could conquer dualities such as heat-cold, hunger-thirst, likes-dislikes, happiness-sorrows etc.
Along with worship and penance he practiced Yama and Niyama disciplines. Yama includes disciplines known as truthfulness, non-violence, non-stealing, celibacy and non-acceptance. The 5 disciplines of Niyama are cleanliness, penance, contentment, Self-study and Self-surrender. Through this he was able to wash away all subtle impressions of past actions from his mind.
He also practiced Praṇāyāma and sense-withdrawal (pratyahara). Through dhārana and dhyāna, he merged his mind completely into the Supreme Lord. He obtained Samādhi. Like a motionless rock he remained in the same place for a 100 celestial years in meditation.
Due to his intense devotion towards Srikrishna, he was unaware of his surroundings. Although the Self pervades the body, senses and mind, it is separate from them all. Differences such as knower (jnāta) and known (jneya) illumine only in the Self’s consciousness (chaitanya). He realized that the Self is merely a witness to the actions of the mind. With this realization he was able to give up everything in totality.
The Supreme Lord, the Paramaguru, himself came and lit the lamp known as Supreme Knowledge directly in his mind. This knowledge illumined his entire heart. With this he was able to see the Lord seated within him and he seated himself within the Supreme Lord. When all his mental modifications ceased completely, he gave up his body.
Vidarbha princess was a chaste woman who considered her husband as God. Giving up all palatial luxuries with great love and devotion she served her husband. She too was attired in garments made of bark. Having complied with all disciplines at par with her husband, she was weak and emaciated. Her hair was knotty and ashen.
Beside her husband she glowed like a hidden flame that shines from within the log of wood. Malayadhwaja gave up his life when he was seated motionless in samadhi state. Hence she was unaware that her husband had reached the higher planes. She continued to offer services routinely.
When she offered worship to her husband’s feet, she could not feel the warmth in them. Just as a deer panics when it is separated from its group, she was aghast and agitated. There was none to support her who was alone in that forest. She grieved piteously. She shed profuse tears due to which her chest was completely wet.
She cried loudly and in her beautiful voice said, “O saintly king! Get up! This earth, which is surrounded by water on all sides, faces threat from unworthy kings and dacoits. It trembles. You have this responsibility of protecting this earth.”
In this way this chaste lady wept uncontrollably falling at her husband’s feet. She then arranged her husband’s body on the pyre and lit it. She planned to enter into that fire.
O emperor, this lady had an earlier friend. He came there exactly at that moment. He was a Self-realized Brahmin. Seeing her, who was grieving piteously, he pacified her with sweet words and said,
“O Mother, who are you? To whom do you belong? Why do you grieve for this man? Who is this man who is sleeping? I am your dear friend who was with you during your previous birth. Have you recognized me? Do you remember that in your previous birth you had a friend called Avijnāta. Are you able to recollect him?”