Raja Janak Ji- Translated from Sri Gur Bhagat Mala Steek by Pandit Narain Ji
Raja Janak was a king
of Mithlapuri. He was a good hearted person. He always ensured justice in his
kingdom and was always compassionate toward the poor. He worshipped Shiv Ji’s
bow that he was given.
One day, a saint came to Raja Janak
and asked him a question, ‘Hey Raja, who is your Guru?’
Raja Janak started thinking and
after some time replied, ‘Until today, I have not accepted anyone as my Guru. I
only worship Shiv Ji’s bow.’
‘Raja, adopt a Guru. Without a
Guru, you cannot obtain liberation, and all your good deeds will go to waste.
You are a good soul.’
Hearing this, Raja Janak agreed
and called all his ministers to discuss this matter. He decided to call an
assembly of saints, sadhus, pandits, Rishis and great scholars. From them, he
would choose a Guru.
The
day came and all the saints and scholars came well prepared. They were
discussing amongst themselves on who will be fit to be the king’s Guru. Raja
Janak got up from his throne and addressed everyone. ‘Oh great saints and scholars,
you must know the reason for this assembly, that I am to adopt a Guru. But I
have one condition. I would only accept the person as my Guru, who would be
able to give me spiritual wisdom as I mount the horse, and before I sit on the
saddle of the horse. If you think you would be able to give me spiritual wisdom
in this short period, then please step forward. If you fail to fulfil the
condition, then you will be punished, as you have disgraced yourself and
myself. Therefore, only the courageous and well-prepared saint scholar step
forward for this test.
Upon hearing this, all the saint
scholars got shocked and started looking at each other. They were thinking, who
would be that great to give wisdom in such a short period to the King? The
whole assembly fell into pin-drop silence. No one stepped forward. Raja Janak
started feeling uneasy and restless. ‘Is there no one who can fulfil the
condition?’, he thought. He felt quite upset.
Just
then, a Brahmin stepped forward. His name was Ashtavakar. As he was walking,
everyone looked at his body and started laughing. Even the King was
embarrassed. Why? Ashtavakar was a hunchback, his legs went bent, and he only
had one arm. His fingers were joint up. But his face wasn’t that bad. The
king’s minister stopped him and said, ‘Are you sure about this? If you fail,
you will be killed!’
Ashtavakar spoke, ‘Oh minister,
you are saying this, maybe after looking at my ugly body. Maybe, I am also poor
and homeless. Maybe you are thinking that I am doing this out of greed. But
look at this, all these people that you have called, are lacking in spiritual
wisdom. It is a shame that no one can step forward for this test. Let me ask
you, is spiritual wisdom connected to the soul and mind or the body?’ These
people who are of high caste, so well dressed, with saffron mark on their
forehead, why aren’t they coming forward? They are laughing at this body of
mine. But they have forgotten that this body is an illusion, Maya, which is
created by God. Those who proud and worship this body, can never attain
spiritual enlightenment.
All the other saint scholars were
ashamed. Raja Janak stepped forward and with folded hands, said, ‘Come O Great
One, if you have faith in yourself, then please fulfill my condition and give
me assurance.’
Raja Janak called for a horse,
and just as he was about to put his foot on the stirrup, Ashtavakar spoke. ‘Oh
King, believe me when I say that I will end up becoming your Guru and you shall
be my disciple. But before I give you any wisdom, you must give me an offering.
The offering must be either, your body, mind or wealth. Choose one to give to
me, and choose wisely.
Raja Janak started thinking, and
after a while, said, “I will give you one of these, but please allow me to
return to my palace. After my return I will give you an offering. Ashtavakar
agreed. He started his meditation while waiting. Raja Janak went into his
palace and narrated the whole incident to his wife.
His wife said, ‘If you give your
wealth, we all shall be poor and will suffer, and if you give your body, he is
able to do anything with your body, and you will be in agony and pain. The best
is to give your mind. This will not affect you much.’
Raja
Janak started thinking. He went back to the assembly and told Ashtavakar, ‘I
will give you my mind as an offering.’
‘Alright then, King, please mount
your horse now. Your mind is mine now and will listen to me,’ said Ashtavakar.
Just as Raja Janak was about to
mount the horse, Ashtavakar said, ‘Raja Janak, my mind does not want to mount
the horse.’ Raja Janak immediately stepped down and his wish to mount the horse
disappeared. At that point Ashtavakar gave another command. ‘Oh King, my mind
wishes to take off the royal robe and clothing.’ At that point, Raja Janak
started taking off his clothes, and he attained the spiritual wisdom. ‘The mind
must be controlled, and not to follow what the mind says is the way to
happiness. The mind always wanders around.’ At that moment of realization, Raja
Janak fell onto the feet of Ashtavakar and exclaimed, ‘You are my Guru!’
Bhai Gurdas Ji writes about this,
5
: rwjw jnk
King Janak
Bgqu
vfw rwjw jnku hY gurmuiK mwieAw ivic audwsI[
King Janak was a great saint who
amidst maya remained indifferent to it.
dyv
lok no cilAw gx gMDrb sBw suKvwsI[
Along with gans and gandharvs
(calestial musicians) he went to the abode of the gods.
jmpuir
gieAw pukwr suix ivllwvin jIA nrk invwsI[
From there, he, hearing the cries
of inhabitants of hell, went to them.
Drmrwie
no AwiKEnu sBnW dI kir bMd KlwsI[
He asked the god of death,
Dharamrai, to relieve all their suffering.
kry
bynqI Drmrwie hau syvk Twkuru AibnwsI[
Hearing this, the god of death
told him he was a mere servant of the eternal Lord (and without His orders he
could not liberate them).
gihxy
DirAnu eyk nwau pwpw nwil krY inrjwsI[
Janak offered a part of his
devotion and remembrance of the name of the Lord.
pwsMig
pwpu n pujnI gurmuiK nwau Aqul n qulwsI[
All the sins of hell were found
not equal even to the counterweight of balance.
nrkhuM
Cuty jIA jMq ktI glhuM islk jm PwsI[
In fact no balance can weigh the
fruits of recitation and remembrance of the Lords name by the gurmukh.
mukiq
jugiq nwvY dI dwsI ]5]
All the creatures got liberated
from hell and the noose of death was cut. Liberation and the technique of
attaining it are the servants of the name of the Lord.
After adopting the teachings of
Ashtavakar, he meditated a lot. He could control his mind such that it would
never wonder around, and never get affected by the power of Maya (illusion). He
was free of all the 5 vices (lust, anger, greed, attachment and pride).
His last days came. He was
welcomed by the gods and celestial musicians, by saints and great souls. As he
was being brought on a chariot to the Kingdom of Vaheguru, the charioteer passed
through hell, and Raja Janak could hear the screaming and crying of the people
below. He asked the Jamdoot (Messengers of death, ‘What is this place?’
The Jamdoot replied, ‘Oh great
one, this place is for those who do not commit any good deeds in the world, and
do not remember and meditate on Vaheguru.’
Raja Janak replied, ‘They should
be released. They have suffered too much.’
‘Everything happens within the
Hukam, the will and command of Vaheguru, even a leaf cannot move against the
wish of Vaheguru. But, if someone is willing to give offer his good accounts to
these souls, then they can also be liberated.’
Raja Janak felt pity on them. He
said, ‘Weigh one ghari (22.5 minutes) of my simran (meditation and remembrance
on Vaheguru) and give to these souls.’
While being weighed, all the
souls were one scale, and one ghari of Simran on the other scale, and yet the
weight of one ghari of Simran was heavier. Hell was emptied, and the souls went
to heaven. Raja Janak was welcomed into the court of Vaheguru.
Pehar system
Day = 8 Pehars = 24 hrs
1 Pehar =8 Gharis=3hrs
1 Ghari =60 Pal =22.5 minutes = 1350
secs
1Pal=3 Chassa= 22.5 secs
1 Chassa=15 Visuas=7.5 secs
1 Visua =15 Nimakh=0.5 secs
1 Nimakh=0.0333 secs
-END-
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