Episode # 101 – King Puranjana meets his friend Avignyaata after “five births”!!!

In the previous episode, we were at a juncture wherein King Puranjana is about to get married to a “strange” woman and we’re yet to witness whether this marriage is going to be successful or not! To get a glimpse of the whole situation once more, King Puranjana and his friend Avignyaata walk through like wanderers, searching for a suitable place to spend few days with peace and happiness. As they walk their way through, they approach a peculiar city which consisted of nine entrances! From this peculiar city, came an equally peculiar woman who was extremely beautiful and attractive, but had a venomous snake coiling her head and ten bodyguards surrounding her! From the look of it, it would seem that everything was so peculiar and strange in that particular place, however, King Puranjana eventually fell for that woman! It was an open and shut case of “love at first sight”! 😊 As Puranjana goes and proposes his love for her and his desire to marry her, this woman readily accepts him, which thrilled him even more! He thus decides that his marriage is only going to be with this woman and he’s all set for it as well! However, his friend Avignyaata had other thoughts in his mind! He smelled a great danger that was approaching his friend if he gets married to this woman. He thus warns him of the same, but King Puranjana is in no mood to listen! Thus at one stage, Avignyaata declares that there is no point in staying with Puranjana anymore, and if at all in future if Puranjana had any problems with his married life, he can readily approach Avignyaata at any point in time! This, of course all of us talk when a couple is getting married! This is just an overall advice which we give to newly married people and this is nothing new here!

Now from this point, let us continue the story and witness what happened next. Was King Puranjana happy after marrying this strange woman? Was his decision right in marrying this woman? Let’s look on! King Puranjana got married to this woman finally and they had a very nice and romantic life together! King Puranjana was extremely in love with this woman and he eats only if she eats! He sleeps only if she sleeps! He laughs only if she laughs! He cries if she cries! All were good between them. One fine day, King Puranjana wanted to go out of their place for hunting. He expressed the same to his wife, however, she refused permission! Upon this, King Puranjana tried to convince her as to how long can he keep sitting idle at home and eventually he has to do some sort of an outdoor activity some day! Even after so much of convincing, his beloved wife didn’t accept his request! Sensing thus, King Puranjana wasn’t very happy. Hence he decided that he’s going out of their place during the night time and return back early morning before she wakes up! Accordingly thus, one day, there was a luxurious chariot that was arranged for King Puranjana secretly. This chariot was being pulled by five horses, which were extremely well-trained to drive the chariot swiftly, without any hassle. As King Puranjana wanted to go out for hunting, he had some ten assistants who were ready to accompany him like bodyguards. King Puranjana took a huge bow and few arrows with him and sets out secretly for hunting. He goes on and on in his chariot, hunting his way through!

As time passes by, King Puranjana’s wife slowly realizes that her husband has left her alone in the house and has gone for hunting. This is despite of her denial of permission for the same. Sensing her husband’s absence, she gets angry and lay on the floor with her open hairs! As King Puranjana returns back, he sees his wife full of anger! He somehow convinces her slowly day after day and finally wins her heart again. This kind of instances kept happening repeatedly and very frequently, however, their life was smooth and without any hassle. As their married life entered into their old age, both of them started to realize that they’re going to pass away very soon and their physical body and strength slowly start giving up.

It was at this time that there was someone who advanced towards them with a 360-member-army! This fellow was a king of a neighboring territory and he wanted to fight a battle with King Puranjana! As the enemy was advancing, King Puranjana gets ready to fight. A bitter war was raging and it continued for days together. As days and months passed by, King Puranjana, due to his old age and slowing down physical capabilities, started to be on the receiving end of the enemy. At this moment, someone enters into the kingdom. In fact, there were two people who enter – One is a lady and the other is a gentleman. This lady peculiarly runs around amidst many men in the battlefield asking if someone can marry her! Unfortunately at that moment, nobody is interested in doing so, and they realized that she has come to destroy King Puranjana and his kingdom! Eventually, she bumped into someone from the enemy camp who was extremely handsome and well-built! She asks the same question to him too, upon which he replies thus, “Oh! I cannot marry you, however, I can offer you some help. I know your agenda and for what you’ve come. I can help you in destroying King Puranjana and his kingdom totally. Here is my brother. You can take him along with you and all of us can jointly attack the king and finish him off!”

This offer seemed to go well with this woman! The plan was made! All of them join hands and attack King Puranjana and eventually capture him and kill him too! Along with King Puranjana, his wife also gets killed! The kingdom is totally destroyed into shambles! Thus after this, King Puranjana and his wife take multiple re-births in this world and undergo similar sufferings! At the end of their fifth birth together, both of them are fed up of what was happening to them repeatedly! They’re totally exhausted physically and mentally and are completely mad!

It is at this crucial time, King Puranjana’s old friend, Avignyaata comes along this way! Avignyaata appears in front of his friend from nowhere! Avignyaata spots his old friend and his wife and immediately goes near them. He inquires about their well-being and thus, King Puranjana explains what all has happened to both of them for the past five births! King Puranjana says thus, “Oh Avignyaata! It is my mistake that I didn’t pay heed to your words when you advised me not to get into a married life! You had said to me that you can be contacted if in case I require some help! I had totally forgotten you all these days! Now that you’ve come in front of me, I’m asking you – Please, can you help me and bring me out of this suffering?”

Hearing thus from his friend, Avignyaata’s heart melts and he offers help to King Puranjana. He takes him out of that place somehow and takes him to a place where he finds the ultimate peace of mind and happiness! Now, both King Puranjana and Avignyaata spend their rest of the days happily with each other, as per their original plan five births ago! 😊

With this, the story comes to an end! Many of us might wonder, what kind of a story is this? Isn’t this a vague, foolish and an unimaginable story? Is there any connection with this story with Shrimad Bhaagawatha Puraana, which we’re currently discussing right now? Let’s try to answer all these questions in the next episode! Stay tuned! 😊