Chapter 20 - The Legend of King Sumati

[Full title: The Legend of King Sumati (sumati-bhūpa-kathā-varṇana)]

Nārada said:

1. O holy sir, the knower of all Dharmas, the master of all scriptural topics, the most excellent of all holy rites (or observances), the installation of the banner (on Viṣṇu shrines) has been recounted by you.

2. O sage, narrate to me in detail, the anecdote of Sumati^[1] who is mentioned by you as one devoted to the installation of banners.

Sanaka said

3. Listen with single-minded attention to this ancient meritorious mythological anecdote that is destructive of all sins. It has been narrated to me by god Brahmā.

4. Formerly, there was a king named Sumati, in the Kṛta-yuga. He was born of the lunar race. He was (then the sole) glorious sovereign ruler of all the seven continents.

5. A scion of the Lunar race, he was pious-souleḍ, truthful and fond of guests. Endowed with all auspicious characteristics, he was embellished with all kinds of wealth.

6. He always resorted to (listening to) the stories of Hari, and was always absorbed in the worship of Hari. Devoid of arrogance, he was eager to render service to those who were absolutely absorbed in devotion to Hari.

7. He was devoted to the worship of those who are worthy of adoration. He was impartial in outlook. He was endowed with all good qualities. He was a benefactor of all living beings, quiescent, grateful and glorious.

8. O sage, his wife was a highly blessed lady named Satyamatī. She was richly endowed with all auspicious characteristics. She was chaste, and to her, her husband was her very vital breath.

9. That couple were always engaged in the adoration of Hari. Those highly blessed persons could remember their previous births. Knowers of the truth as they were, they were absorbed in what was Reality.

10. They were always engaged in offering charitable gift of food and cool water. They built and dug innumerable bunds, tanks and parks.

11. The pure and chaste lady Satyamatī, the charming, sweet-voiced queen used to dance delightedly in the temple of Viṣṇu.

12. On every Dvādaśī day, the highly blessed king also used to install a wide and charming banner (on the shrine of Viṣṇu).

13. Even the Devas always eulogised the king who was perpetually devoted to Hari, and was an expert in Dharmas, and his beloved queen Satyamatī.

14. On coming to know that the couple were well-known in the three worlds as adepts in Dharmas, sage Vibhāṇḍaka^[2] who was desirous of seeing them, came there along with a number of disciples.

15. On hearing that the sage was coming, the king accompanied by his wife, went out to greet the sage Vibhāṇḍaka with extensive material of honouring the guru.

16. When the rites of hospitable reception had been completed and when the sage had taken his seat, the king, seated on a lower seat, spoke to the quiescent sage with palms joined in reverence.

The King said:

17. O holy sir, I feel satisfied by your visit. Good men praise the arrival of saintly persons as pleasing.

18. Learned men say that all riches are where great men offer their affection. Brilliance, renown, wealth and progeny also do abide there.

19. O holy lord, O sage, all good fortunes and welfare flourish day by day where good men bestow their great mercy.

20. There is no doubt in this that he who wears on his head the dust and the water that has washed the feet of great men is a meritorious soul.

He has the benefit of having bathed in all sacred rivers, O Brāhmaṇa.

21. O leading Brāhmaṇa, my sons, my wife, my riches—all these are dedicated to you. Kindly command me what shall I do, by way of pleasing you?

22. On seeing the king full of modesty, the leading sage was much delighted. Lovingly he stroked him with his hand and said as follows:

The sage said:

23. O king, what has been said by you is fully befitting your family. Every one who bows down with humility, attains great wealth.

24. O excellent king, it is due to humility, that a man obtains virtue, wealth, love and liberation (i.e. all the four Puruṣārthas). What is it that is difficult to attain in the case of a noble-souled person?

25. O protector of the Earth, I am pleased with you inasmuch as you follow the path of the good. May welfare bless you perpetually. May what I ask you, be very kindly related.

26. There are various types of worship causing satisfaction to Hari. But among them, you abide always by the installation of banners. You are always attempting that alone.

27. This chaste lady, your wife, is always engaged in dancing before the deity. How has this come about? It behoves you to relate it to me precisely.

The king said:

28. Listen, O holy sir, I shall tell you everything that you ask. The conduct of life of both of us is surprising and astonishing to all worlds.

29. O excellent one, formerly I was a Śūdra named Mālinī. I was always engaged in evil ways. I was absorbed in the acts of injury to all worlds.

30. I was a slander-monger, a hater of righteousness. I used to plunder the wealth of deities (in shrines), and to kill cows and Brāhmaṇas—nay—all living beings. I was a thief (also).

31. I was always harsh in speech and a sinner devoted to the dalliance with prostitutes. Thus I continued for sometime, disregarding the words of the great.

32. Later on, I was abandoned by my kinsmen. In misery I went to a forest subsisting myself on the perpetual diet of venison and other flesh. I used to rob the way-farers.

33. Isolated and extremely miserable, I stayed there in the tenantless forest. Once I was extremely oppressed by the heat of the summer. I was utterly famished with hunger. I was thirsty.

34. In the lonely forest, I saw a ruined dilapidated temple of Viṣṇu. There was a great lake near it, teeming with swans and ducks called Kāraṇḍava.

35. O prominent sage, it was covered with clusters of flowers from the surrounding forest. I drank water therefrom. On its banks, I alleviated my tedium.

36. By eating fruits scattered here and there, my hunger was satiated. I resided in that dilapidated temple of Viṣṇu.

37. Every day, I repaired the decaying ruined place, joining together the broken parts. With leaves, grasses and assemblages of twigs and wood, an abode (a shrine of the god) was duly erected.

38- 39. O leading sage, to increase my own happiness and comfort, the whole area was scrubbed and smeared well by me. Killing various kinds of animals and maintaining the practice of hunters, I maintained my livelihood, for full twenty years there. Then came this chaste lady hailing from the lands adjoining the Vindhya mountains.

40. O Brāhmaṇa, she was born of the family of Niṣādas (hunters). She was known by the name Avakokilā. She too had been abandoned by her kinsmen. She was very miserable with shattered body.

41. She was overwhelmed with fatigue. She repented for the sins committed by herself. Wandering in the lonely forest, it was only by chance that she came there.

42. Externally she had been oppressed by the summer heat. Internally she was afflicted with worries and anxieties. On seeing her affected by miseries, great sympathy surged in me.

43. Water, wild fruits and raw flesh were given to her by me. O Brāhmaṇa, when her exhaustion subsided, she was asked by me as to the real state of affairs.

44. She told me about her history. O great sage, listen to that; (She said:) “I am born of a Niṣāda family and (am known) by the name Avakokilā.

45-46. I am the daughter of Dāruka. I was a resident of the Vindhya mountains. I was forsaken by my kinsmen condemning me—“She is an unchaste woman. She always loots wealth and assets of others. She is a perpetual back-biter.”. Though censured by the world, I was maintained by my husband for some time.

47. Unfortunately, he too went to die world of Yama, leaving me here. In the lonely forest, I am roaming about alone and am afflicted by misery.

48. By chance, I have come near you. I have been brought back to life by you now. Thus, she recounted to me all of her activities.

49. Thereafter, for ten years, we two stayeḍ in that temple as husband and wife, with flesh and fruits constituting our diet.

50-51. Once, O sage, we became much intoxicated due to the drinking of wine. At night, there in the temple, we were so overjoyed by eating meat that we began to dance, utterly deluded and (blissfully) unconscious of our bodies and garments. At that time, the last stage of our experiencing the fruits of our past acts, the activities that had begun to bear fruits, befell us both at the same time.

52. Even as we were absorbed in our dance, the terrible emissaries of Yama came there, armed with their nooses in order to take us to the terrible torture some hell of Yama.

53-54a. O bestower of honour, thereafter, the Lord who was pleased with our services, namely the scrubbing and cleaning of the lord’s abode, and who was always interested in protecting his own devotees, sent his angels.

54b-56a. Each of those emissaries of the Lord of Devas wielded a conch, a discus and a mace (in their hands). All of them resembled a thousand suns in refulgence. All of them had four splendid arms. Wearing crowns, ear-rings necklaces and garlands of sylvan flowers, they made all the quarters free from darkness by means of their lustre, O Brāhmaṇa.

56b-57. The followers of Kṛṣṇa spoke to the servants of Yama who were terrible with their curved fangs, had nooses in their arms and were attempting to capture us.

Viṣṇu’s Emissaries said:

58. O ruthless ones, O wicked ones devoid of discrimination, leave off the sinless couple who are beloved of Hari.

59-60. In the three worlds, it is discrimination that is the first cause of riches and prosperity. Know him to be the meanest of person, who regards a non-sinner to be sinner. Know that person to be the meanest of the mean, that person who considers a sinner to be a non-sinner.

Yama’s Emissaries replied:

61. Truth has been mentioned by you all. But these two are the most notorious among sinners. Sinners must be punished by Yama. Hence, we shall take them away.

62. That which has been enjoined in the Śrutis is the Dharma. Adharma is the opposite of the same. This is the way to distinguish between Dharma and Adharma. Hence, we will take them to Yama’s presence.

63. On hearing this, the exceedingly powerful emissaries of Viṣṇu became infuriated. They spoke in reply to the soldiers of Yama who were considering Adharma to be Dharma.

Viṣṇu’s Emissaries said:

64. Alas! It is pitiable that Adharma affects the assembly of the seers of Dharma. The diagnosis of those lacking in discrimination is a great calamity.

65. Why do you, who have been reduced to preside over hells, still exert to commit more sins by means of a special argument today?

66. Even the great sinners remain in the terrible hell till their sins have been exhausted as long as the sun, the moon and the stars shine.

67. Without seeing the expiation of sins accumulated before, why do you commit sins again and again?

68. What is enjoined in the Śrutis is the Dharma. True. Undoubtedly it is true. But we will relate precisely the virtuous acts performed by these two.

69. These two are absolved from sins because they were engaged in serving Hari. They are being protected by Hari. Hence, without any more delay leave them off.

70. At the time of death, she performed a dance (before Lord Viṣṇu) and he installed the banner in the abode of Viṣṇu. Hence, they have attained freedom from sins.

71. Either by bearing or by uttering his name even for once, at the time of death, one attains the greatest abode. What then if one is engaged in service of that Lord?

72. Though he be vitiated with great sins or minor sins, a man who serves Kṛṣṇa, attains the greatest goal at the end.

73. O messengers, those who are engrossed in the service of ascetics or the devotees of Viṣṇu instantaneously attain the supreme goal, even though they be sinners.

74. He who stays in the temple of Hari even for a Muhūrta (48 minutes) or half that time, goes to the greatest abode (Vaikuṇṭha). What then of a person who has stayed for thirty-two years?

75. These two had been engaged in sweeping and cleaning and smearing in the abode of Hari. They had been looking after its maintenance by repairing the decay and the ruins.

76. They had been sprinkling water and they had lighted lamps in Hari’s abode. How can these blessed ones deserve the experience of tortures in the hell?

77. After saying this and cutting off our bonds, the emissaries of Viṣṇu took us in an excellent aerial chariot and went to the greatest region of Viṣṇu.

78. O leading sage, there we attained the Sāmīpya (nearness) of the discus-bearing Lord of Devas. We enjoyed the exquisite divine pleasures throughout that period.

79. After enjoying the divine pleasures there, we came back to this earth. Here also, our wealth is incomparable due to the grace of service to Hari.

80. O sage through services rendered to Hari without entertaining any special desire for return, such a fruit has been attained which is difficult to access even to Devas, O Brāhmaṇa.

81. We shall attain the greatest elegance and welfare by propitiating Mahādeva the Lord of the Universe (by offering service for some object) willingly and with devotional feelings. For this purpose, the cause (of our prosperity etc.) is explained.

82. If any holy rite, performed by one due to helplessness, bears great fruit, O leading Brāhmaṇa, what doubt is there that a rite performed with faith becomes so?

83. On hearing what has been thus narrated, the leading sage Vibhāṇḍaka^[2] praised the couple and went back to his penance grove.

84. Hence, O celestial sage, know that the service of the discusbearing lord of Devas is remembered as something comparable to the wish-yielding cow.

85. To those who are devoted to the worship of Hari, it is eternal Hari himself who grants the highest beatitude. He is the bestower of all desired benefits.

86. He who reads or listens to this meritorious narrative, that is destructive of all sins, attains the greatest goal.

Footnotes and references:

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[1]:

Sumati (a person with excellent intellectual capacity) is a popular name in Purāṇas. The Puranic Encyclopaedia records Sumatis, male, female, kings, sages, demons (p. 763) but this Sumati in the Nārada Purāṇa is a different person. As this legend is given to illustrate the efficacy of the merit in hoisting a flag on the temple of Viṣṇu and is not found elsewhere, it is presumably a new contribution of the Nārada Purāṇa

[2]:

Vibhāṇḍaka—A sage born in the family of Kaśyapa; a member of Indra’s assembly. He was the father of the Vedic scholar Ṛṣyaśṛṅga who married Rāma’s sister Śāntā. (Mahābhārata Vana, ch.l 10-113; Vālmīki Rāmāyaṇa. I. Sarga 9 & 10).