Kings’ transformation

 Kings’ transformation

In the aftermath of the tragic events, King Hitamata withdrew from the bustling life of the palace and its politics. Carrying the heavy weight of guilt and remorse, he sought solace in the quiet corners of the realm. The lush landscape that once resonated with his noble rule now echoed with the whispers of his internal turmoil.

The king, guided by an inexplicable force, ventured into the deep forests that bordered his kingdom. There, he stumbled upon an ancient temple, hidden from the eyes of the world. The temple, draped in vines and shrouded in mystique, seemed like a haven for introspection and spiritual awakening.

Within the temple, King Hitamata encountered a wise sage who sensed the monarch's inner conflict. The sage spoke of the interconnectedness of life, the delicate balance between duty and detachment. He urged the king to seek forgiveness for his impulsive actions and find a path of redemption.

Embracing the sage's counsel, King Hitamata embarked on a journey of self-discovery and penance. He traversed treacherous terrains, meditated under the vast expanse of the open sky, and immersed himself in the purity of nature. The king's journey mirrored the transformation of the landscapes he traversed—from lush valleys to barren deserts, reflecting the arduous path of his inner pilgrimage.

As seasons changed, so did the king. The burden of governance, once shouldered with ambition, now seemed like a distant memory. The riches and power that once defined his identity lost their luster in the wake of his newfound enlightenment. King Hitamata's heart, once heavy with regret, gradually lightened as he embraced the simple joys of existence.

In the quiet solitude of his penance, the king found a connection with the divine, realising that true nobility lay not in the grandeur of a throne, but in the purity of one's intentions and actions. His dedication to duty transformed into a commitment to the greater good, unmarred by the shackles of power and possession.

The story concludes with King Himatata, now a sage in his own right, returning to the kingdom after years of spiritual sojourn. The ministers, surprised and enlightened by the monarch's transformation, welcomed him with open hearts. The kingdom flourished under his benevolent guidance, as he governed not with the rigidness of a king but with the wisdom of a sage.

The legacy of King Hitamata lived on, not in the opulence of the palace, but in the hearts of the people who witnessed the remarkable journey of a once-mighty ruler who, through trials and tribulations, discovered the true meaning of nobility and redemption.

During the early days of kingship, Hitamata had a loose character. He had many concubines in his court.  

Once, in the king’s court, the soldiers had brought a young man dressed in ordinary attire. The young man was suspected of carrying a hefty sum of money under suspicious circumstances. Based on his appearance, it was not clear if he was the owner of the wealth. The soldiers thought that he might be a thief and might flee with the stolen money. When the king asked the young man about his identity and how he acquired the wealth, the young man explained that he was a servant at the house of a wealthy lady and that all the money belonged to her. Intrigued, the king wanted to know why the lady had given him the money and where he was going with it. The young man revealed that the lady had asked him to wait at a particular place. The lady had an illicit relationship with him and had conspired to meet him after murdering her husband.

Taking all their wealth, they went far away and lived a comfortable life. To verify the truth of the young man's story, the King immediately sent his soldiers to the address provided. The soldiers reported back that the lady had already received information about her servant's arrest. She hit upon a plan. Now, she was lamenting, claiming that robbers had looted all the money and killed her husband before escaping. She had prepared the scene to show her concern for her husband's welfare and planned to commit suicide. For this, she thought of sati to prove her devotion. The next morning, accompanied by the young man and the soldiers, the King reached the lady's house, only to be astonished by what they witnessed. The lady was sitting on her husband's funeral pyre, and it was about to be set on fire. The king stopped the person who was about to ignite the pyre and asked the lady to descend from it. He showed her all the money and brought her servant forward, telling her that he knew the whole truth. He asked her to abandon her wicked ways and be prepared to face punishment.

For a few moments, the lady was terrified, but then she said that before passing judgment on her character, the king should examine the character of his queen.

Saying this, she leapt onto the funeral pyre like a lightning bolt, setting herself on fire. No one did anything, and she turned to ashes. The king returned to his palace with his soldiers. Her last words still haunted him. He started keeping an eye on the dazzling queen. 

One night, thinking she was asleep, the queen got up and left the palace through the back door. The king also started following her carefully. They walked some distance until they reached a hermit meditating. When the hermit saw them, he stood up and took them inside a nearby hut. What the king saw inside the hut was unbearable for him. The queen, upset, started embracing the hermit, and they engaged in a passionate act as husband and wife without any hesitation. The king thought that despite loving his beautiful queen so much, she was betraying him. His anger crossed all limits, and he entered the hut, pushing the hermit and the queen to their death.

When the king returned to the palace, his mental peace had been restored. He began to feel restless and unhappy. His mind became detached from worldly pleasures and the feeling of renunciation arose within him. He felt that there was some deficiency in his duties and actions, which is why God punished him by showing him the scene of the queen’s betrayal. The king entrusted the burden of governance to the ministers and himself set out to perform penance.