Rama Katha Rasa Vahini - Post 10

When the king and queen entered the cottage and sat in their places, with the assembled sages and seekers, Vasishta suggested to the latter to move into their own hermitages, and asked the king the reason for his coming to his place accompanied by the queen and none else. The king communicated to his preceptor the nature and depth of his grief, and prayed for the only remedy that could remove it, namely, his Grace.

Listening to that prayer, Vasishta was lost in deep meditation. Perfect silence prevailed. The king too sat in the lotus posture on the bare floor and merged his mind in God; the queen attuned her mind with the Divine.

At last, Vasistha opened his eyes and said, "King! The will of God can be thwarted by no man, whatever his might or authority. I have no power to override the decree of the Divine. I cannot manifest enough Grace to confer, through my blessings, the son you desire. You have drawn on yourself a curse. On one occasion, when you were approaching the

Capital, during your journey home, the Divine Cow, Kamadhenu, was reclining in the cool shade of the Divine Tree, the Kalpatharu! Your eye fell on her, but caught up in the tangle of worldly pleasures; you ignored her and passed on, in pride, to the palace. 

Kamadhenu was pained at the neglect, she was hurt that you had failed to honor her; she felt that your people will start dishonoring the cow, since the king himself had failed in his duty. When rulers, who do not revere the Vedas or adore Brahmins who learn and practice the Vedas or neglect the cow which sustains man, continue to rule without restraint, she argued, there will be no Dharma in the land.

"Kamadhenu cursed you that day that you should have no son to succeed to your throne; she declared, however, that when you take the advice of the Guru and start in humility and reverence to serve the cow and worship her in gratitude, the curse will be rendered ineffective and you will be rewarded with a son and heir.

"Therefore, worship the cow from this moment, with your queen, as laid down in the sacred texts and you are certain to have a son. The hour is near when cows start returning home from the pasture. My treasure, the divine cow, Nandini, is fast approaching the hermitage. Go, serve her with devotion and steady faith. Give her food and drink at appropriate hours. Wash the cow and take her out to the pastures and see that no harm comes to her while she grazes."

Vasishta then initiated the King and Queen in the ritualistic vow of 'Cow Worship' (Dhenuvratha); he sent them into the cow-shed with holy water and offerings for the worship and himself walked towards the river for ablutions and evening prayers.

Continued...

Love.