Wednesday, June 10, 2020

The Tale of Ambarisha…

Hi there!!! Today's story is about the Suryavamshi king, Ambarisha. He was the great-grandson of Manu, the first person on Earth. His story is remembered for his immense devotion to Lord Vishnu, even in the lowest of times. This dedication proved to be of great use to Ambarisha, as it saved his life. Let's go…

Ambarisha was a king from the race of Rama, the Suryavamsha. He was said to be one of the greatest kings of Ayodhya. He was remembered not only for his power and his strength, but he was also known for his devotion to Lord Vishnu. He used to think of Vishnu when he woke up, ate his breakfast, did his chores too. He even dreamt about Vishnu in his sleep!!
The people of Ayodhya loved their king. He wasn't hated by anyone.
One day, Ambarisha and his equally-devoted wife decided to perform a huge penance for Lord Vishnu. Consulting the Head Priest, they went into the forest and sat under a big tree.
The news of Ambarisha's penance reached far and wide. People flocked to see how the couple was doing.
Ambarisha and his wife survived hail, rain, and freezing cold winds to appease Lord Vishnu.

After the year had passed, Ambarisha and his wife awoke from their meditation to a crowd of people. They had come to welcome the king and queen back to the kingdom.
The priests who had come to perform the final pooja to release Ambarisha from his fast, told him, "O King, you must finally eat a small morsel of food to complete your penance." Ambarisha agreed to the proposal and sat down to eat.
Just before he was going to put a scoop of rice in his mouth, Ambarisha saw the infamous Sage Durvasa approach him. Leaving the rice back in the bowl, Ambarisha stood up and clasped his hands in front of Durvasa. "Namaskara, O Sage. I feel enlightened in your presence." Durvasa blessed Ambaisha and smiled, "Hello, Ambarisha. I have heard of your penance. I am impressed. But, before you sit down and eat, wait for me to bathe and come. I shall also eat with you," and Durvasa paced off to a nearby river.
Ambarisha nodded his head and went to see his subjects. But, the priests warned him, "O King, you must eat the food before the sunsets. Or else, by tradition, you must do another year of meditation!" Ambarisha heard the priests' warnings and got stuck in a dilemma. On one hand, he had Sage Durvasa and his short temper. On the other hand, he had another year of penance. He didn't know what to do!

The day slowly started to end. The sun came down, just avoiding the cut of the horizon. Ambarisha and the priests trembled in anxiety. If Durvasa didn't come back by the sun had completely gone down, Ambarisha would have to do one more years' penance!!
The priests started to think. They thought deeply, trying to get their king out of this situation.
Suddenly, one of the priests cried, "O King!!! I know what you can do!!! You may drink a few drops of water, because water isn't considered food and you shall break your fast!! It's a win-win!!!" Ambarisha bowed to the priest and thanked him.
Ambarisha sipped a few drops of water, when suddenly, Durvasa appeared in front of him!! He shouted, "O KING!!!! Couldn't you have waited for me?!?! I have been deeply offended by you!!!!" He then plucked out a single, long strand of his hair and set in on the floor. He stamped on it, and lo!!! It turned into a huge fire demon called Krucha!!!! Ambarisha's subjects ran in terror. But, Ambarisha and his wife didn't run. They stayed here and closed their eyes. They chanted many chants, all going to Lord Vishnu. They knew that he would save them.

Meanwhile, in Vaikunta, Vishnu was watching the whole incident unfold. He flung his celestial discus, the Sudarshana Chakra, down to Earth, where it chopped of Krucha's head!!! Durvasa was shocked!!!! He ran for his life, as the chakra followed him.
The chakra followed Durvasa everywhere. It followed him into a river. It followed him into his house. It followed him into the sky. It followed him everywhere!!!!
Finally, Durvasa fell at Ambarisha's feet. He pleaded him, "O King, please save me from this deadly weapon. I beseech you, please save me!!" Ambarisha smiled and said, "If my devotion to Lord Vishnu has paid off, then the Lord will withdraw his weapon," suddenly, the Sudarshana Chakra vanished from the air, and in its place came Lord Vishnu. He blessed Ambarisha, "May you obtain immortality." Ambarisha bowed to the Lord, along with his wife and Durvasa.
Vishnu blessed all of them and flew back to his abode in the heavens.
Durvasa thanked Ambarisha and walked away, letting the king go back to his throne.

Thus, Ambarisha's devotion reaped the fruits of immortality.

Moral: Pure devotion is the ultimate strength

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