Noble example worth emulating

IN the Vedas, there’s a story about a saintly king named Maharaj Pariksit. He was a pious and sincere ruler, and everyone loved him. One day, he suddenly got thirsty as he was traveling through a forest. So, he decided to ask for some water at a hermitage. The sage, who was meditating, didn’t reply.

It was standard etiquette to welcome visitors into one’s home by offering a seat, some water and some sweet words for the guest. The king received none of them, however—so, he was upset. He picked up a dead snake, put it around the sage’s neck then left the place.

Curse

When he learned about what the king did, the sage’s son boasted to his friends that he would curse the king to die from snakebite after seven days. When the boy entered the hermitage, he started crying—so, his father snapped out of his trance and asked him why. When he learned about what his son has done, the sage was devastated. He prayed and sought forgiveness for his son’s foolishness. Unfortunately, the curse could not be taken back!

Thereafter, King Pariksit was bitten by a snake and was given seven days to live.

What’s inspiring about the story is that the ruler used the remainder of his life on earth to seek spiritual wisdom. There was no bitterness in his heart. He readily accepted the reality of his impending death by devoting his attention to what became his life’s most important concern—spiritual realization.

He sought out the sage, Sukadev Goswami, and heard amazing spiritual stories that brought him great joy and enlightenment. He immersed himself in spiritual meditation. He was prepared to leave his mortal body.

Because of this, King Pariksit achieved the ultimate goal of human existence and experienced genuine happiness. He set a noble example worth emulating: He taught others how to live and die!