Srimad Bhagavatam – day 350
Achutāya namah
Just as a penniless person who is suddenly showered with money develops intense attachment towards it, the saintly king Chitraketu, who was blessed with a son after being childless for a very long period of time, developed extreme love towards his new born. His attachment multiplied with each passing day. Due to her attachment towards her son mother Kṛtadyuti also was overflowing with joy.
Jealous of the attention the king was showering upon his son, the other wives of Chitraketu turned resentful of Kŗtadyuti and were now eager to be blessed with sons of their own. Needless to say, Chitraketu unfailingly visited his son every single day and spent a great deal of time playing with him. His affection towards his first wife, the mother of his son, also intensified.
Unable to withstand this neglect by their husband, the other wives began to lament and they blamed themselves for being childless. They thought, “A childless woman is humiliated by her husband and is treated like a servant by the co-wife who has been blessed with a child. Being a sinner, she is destined to lead a life of humiliation. Royal servants are better positioned than us. They complete their duties, serve the king and are duly respected by him. Unlike us, they do not agonize. We, the unlucky ones, are presently comparable to the servants of these servants. Such is our fate.”
They further thought, “Kṛtadyuti’s son is the sole cause for the king to treat us miserably”. With this they now burned with envy towards the boy. This envy transformed into deep hatred towards him. Hatred caused their wisdom to deplete completely. They turned stone-hearted and one day poisoned him.
Unaware of this cruel sinful deed of her co-wives, Kŗtadyuti, believing her son to be fast asleep, was walking up and down the palace waiting for him to awaken. When her son did not awaken even after a very long period of time, she asked a nurse to fetch the prince.
The nurse went in and realized that the prince was dead. Although it appeared as if he was in deep sleep, his eyes had bulged. Bodily movements and breath had ceased completely.
Aghast, she fell to the floor and beating her chest with her hands began to wail loudly. Hearing her wails, Queen Kṛtadyuti rushed into her son’s chambers. Seeing him dead she began to tremble uncontrollably. Wailing loudly, she fell to the ground and swooned. Hearing this commotion, all the palace attendants rushed to the prince’s chamber and seeing him dead they grieved as if it was their personal loss. Co-wives who had poisoned the princes also arrived there and shed copious crocodile tears.
The king had never even dreamt that his son would meet death at such tender age. It was as if he was struck by lightning. He was inconsolable. He rushed to the prince’s chamber. To him it was if his world had turned dark. Due to his excessive love for his son, his grief multiplied. Falling, swooning and then waking up with great difficulty he walked slowly towards his son’s corpse. The king who was accompanied by his ministers, advisors, Vedic priests, swooned upon seeing his son’s dead body.
A little later he regained consciousness. He touched the son’s feet and swooned once again. His hair was disheveled and his clothes slipped from his body. As tears flowed copiously, his voice chocked and he could not even speak coherently.
Queen Kṛtadyuti observed her husband weeping uncontrollably. She once again saw her son’s dead body and wept loudly in her crystal-clear voice. Tears flowing from her eyes completely wet her chest. The flowers that adorned her hair fell. Her hair was scattered. She cried,
“O creator, you are ignorant. Your actions are against the dictates of the rules of creation. Is it right for a son to die when his parents and elders are still alive? It is terrible. You, who behave in such contrary nature are surely the enemy for one and all. If living beings in this universe do not follow a pattern for births and deaths, then what is the use of your existence? Birth and death is as per destiny of the living entity. For the propagation of your creation you have bound us in the noose called attachments. You are now shredding that noose”- saying this she fell on her son’s corpse and wailed loudly.
Swamiji says: In this way she abused the Lord. It is for this reason that customarily people are forbidden from entering Puja rooms and temples immediately after death of a family member. They will end up abusing Him. By abusing God, the dead person will never ascend to heaven.
The queen wept, “My dear son, I am helpless woman. I have been orphaned. Is it right for you to leave me and go away? Please look at your father who is sunk in grief. Childless couples go to hell. Only through you we can cross that unfortunate situation. Do not associate with that heartless Yama (Lord of death). Associating with him please do not leave us and go away.
O prince! Your play mates are waiting for you. You have been sleeping for a long time. You must be hungry by now. Please wake up. Drink milk and eat food. Please dispel my sorrow. All my punya has been snatched away from me. That merciless Yama has taken you to those planes from where there is no return. I will never ever be able to see your lotus face and your charming smile. I will never ever hear your sweet talk”. She cried loudly.
Chitraketu too cried desolately. All their attendants and relatives also wept along with them. The entire city was drowned in tears. It wore a gloomy look. Trapped in infatuation, the citizens lost their wisdom and intelligence. They felt as if they were deprived of a king.
Maharishi Angira came to know of this unfortunate incident. Together with Maharishi Nārada he arrived at the palace”.
With this the fourteenth chapter of the Sixth Canto comes to an end.