King Jalaka - A Legend

Sham S. Misri

Asoka conquered Kashmir in about 250 B.C. With him also came Buddhism in Kashmir. Asoka had four sons, though Kalhana mentions only Jaluka. The empire was divided among the four sons and Jaluka got Kashmir. According to Kalhana, Asoka eliminated Malechas, completely. The learned Brahmins did not adopt Buddhism; however, it was the low caste Hindus who presumably adopted the new faith. It is recorded that Asoka sent Majjhantika (threat as missionary) to Kashmir who converted nearly 80,000 people. There is a mention of about 500 Buddhist Monasteries in Kashmir in his time. He gave up all in Kashmir for the benefit of “Buddhist Church.” Saffron cultivation was introduced in his time. The Siva temple at the shrine of Vijayesvara (Bijbhihara) is also attributed to him.

Asoka was succeeded by his son Jaluka in about 220 B.C. Jaluka was a great worshipper of Lord Siva. There is a legend according to which he possessed a magic substance which could transform base metals into gold. He also routed the remaining Malechas badly. His kingdom extended up to Kannauj and Kandahar. About him it is said that he used to go to a far of spring at Wangat and bathe there in the spring every morning. One day he was too late. The deity felt compassionate for him and so willed that another spring arose in the city called Sahodara (born of the same parents). Thus was he saved of the great trouble of making a long journey every day to the holy spring? To test the identity of Sahodara he threw a golden cup in the original spring and this after two and a half days appeared in the spring at Srinagar. Such was the devotion of the king.

Another fable about Jaluka says: that once a man named Kritya begged food and then human flesh which the king Jaluka agreed to give him from his own body.

The legend throws light on the fact that Asoka should have been a Buddhist, while his son Jaluka a staunch Hindu.

The Legend of the Birth of Samba

Sham S. Misri

According to Devi Bhagavata Purana and Mahabharata, Krishna’s wife Jambavati had no son. She was unhappy as she was the only one who had not borne any child to Krishna while all his other wives were blessed with many children. She expressed her wish to Krishna to be blessed with a son. Lord Krishna then went to a sage who advised him to pray to Lord Shiva. Pleased with Krishna’s austerities, Lord Shiva finally appeared in the form of Samba, the half-male, half-female form of the god and asked him to ask a boon. Krishna asked for a son for Jambavati; Lord Shiva granted. A son was born to Jambavati and he was named as Samba. It was through his actions and anger that brought an end to the Yadu dynasty.

Lord Krishna wanted his son Samba to be exactly like Lord Shiva. However, Lord Shiva’s main function is to destroy creation and so for his son to be like Lord Shiva it meant that the child too would have to be the main cause of the destruction of his entire race, the Yadu Clan. No wonder, this was what Lord Krishna desired as the Yadus were unbeatable, the one who could not be defeated by anybody. Samba was not a nice boy. He was a nuisance to the Yadvas. His Marriage with Duryodhana’s Daughter (Kuru Clan) was a wrongdoing. He abducted Duryodhana’s daughter Laxmana on the day of her marriage. He had heard of her beauty and wanted to marry her though she had no interest in him. Samba was arrested by the elders of the Kuru clan and threw him in their prison. However, Balarāma (Krishna’s brother) rescued him out.

Samba Was Cursed By His Own Father

According to Skanda Purana some of Lord Krishna’s junior wives were infatuated with Samba. One wife Nandini even disguised herself as Samba’s wife and embraced him. For this, Lord Krishna cursed Samba to be inflicted with leprosy and his wives to be kidnapped by robbers after his death. Next, Samba got infected by leprosy. However, he got cured by worshipping Surya in the temple. All Sun temples are attributed to Samba.

Samba Was the Reason of Yadu Clan’s Demise. Samba once pretended to be a pregnant woman and his friends asked some sages that who will the child be. Offended by the mischief, the sages cursed that an iron pestle will be born to Samba and will destroy the Yadvas. The curse came true leading to the death of Krishna and his clan. The Bhagavata Purana records the weeping and crying of Krishna’s queens and their subsequent leap in Krishna’s funeral pyre immolating themselves as (sati). The Hindu epic Mahabharata describes the death of Krishna and end of his race and declares that Jambavati killed herself by burning alive after being attacked by robbers while leaving Dwarka after Krishna’s funeral.

The legend of Shani

Sham Misri

The legend that depicts the influence of the worship of Shani goes as follows, and is narrated whenever a worship or offering is made to the deity.

The legend pertains to a king. The king invited merchants from far and wide and proclaimed that the king himself would purchase all unsold goods. The merchants were happy. Once a blacksmith who had an iron image of Saturn wanted to sell it to the king. The blacksmith had it for sale. The king paid good amount of money for the iron idol of Shani (Saturn) and was ultimately purchased by the king. The king installed the idol in his palace with reverence. On seeing this action of the king, other gods’ became unhappy.

That very night, the king saw a brilliant woman going out of the house. On king's enquiry, he learnt that, it was Lakshmi. She said that she could not stay in the place where Saturn is present.

After sometime a male image went out of the house. The king again enquired about it. This time he was told it was Bhaivabh (Prosperity) who had left.

Similarly all other gods Dharma (Religion), Dheriye (Patience), Kshama (Pardon) and all others went out. When the last Satya (Truth) was going out, the king protested and said that because of faith in Satya, he did not object to the others from going out. Feeling the sentiments of the king, Satya stopped. All other deities were waiting outside for Satya, but when he did not come out Dharma (religion) said that he could not remain without Satya; so he returned in. Similarly all others followed suite and all gods and attributes came back inside the palace. They told the king that only because of his devotion to the Satya (truth); they all had to return and that such a king could never be unhappy. Due to the devotion to Satya, (truth), Lakshmi (wealth) and Shani (Saturn) came to live together, to the benefit of the devotees.

The legend of Saturn

The legend of Saturn

Sham Misri

The legend of Saturn goes as follows:

Once there was a dispute between the nine planets as to who is superior among them. When they could not decide, they all went to Indra the king of gods, who was also was confused  to decide such an issue. So he advised that they should go to the just and benevolent king Vikramaditya.

King Vikramaditya, after great thought got seven seats spread out, the first of gold and the last of iron. He then requested the deities to take their seats. Shani (Saturn) knew that his seat was iron seat viz. the last and as much, he was recognized as inferior to all. Therefore, he cursed Vikramaditya and said "Surya stays on one Zodiac for one month, the moon for two days, Mangal (Mars) for one and a half month, Brihaspati (Jupiter) for thirteen months, Budha (Mercury) and Shukra (Venus) for one month each and Rahu, Ketu for eighteen months only; but I (Saturn) stay at one Zodiac for thirty months: I have made many a gods suffer because of my power and influence. Due to my influence Rama and Lakshmana were exiled and Ravana suffered a defeat and his dynasty destroyed, so a king, you beware of my wrath."

The king said, "Whatever be my luck, I shall face it."

After some time, a merchant of beautiful horses came to Ujjain, the capital of Vikramaditya. The courtiers praised the horses and requested the king to visit. When the king came, he took a fancy for the particular horse and to try the same, he got on the saddle. The horse took to heels. The king tried hard to stop the horse, but the house flew into the forest, with none to accompany or follow the king. In the far off, where no one knew him, desperate with hunger and thirst, he sought refuge in the house of a rich merchant. The merchant judging the person as a good person allowed him (king) to stay in his house. At night, Vikramaditya saw that a pearl necklace hung on a peg, was being swallowed by the peg. The next day when the merchant found the necklace missing, he reported the matter to the kotwal who got king Vikramadiya's hands and legs cut. The king was then left helpless. An oil crusher took pity on him and employed him to sit on the crusher and see to the proper movement of the bull while sitting, handicapped and helpless. Vikramaditya used to sing. One day, the princess of the kingdom heard the song and was charmed by it. She sent her maidens to find out the singer and she made up her mind to marry him. Her parents tried their best to make her select any other but she did not agree. She was married to the handicapped person (Vikramaditya). At night on the nuptial bed, the king in a dream saw Shani deity who said that all his sufferings were because of his (King) having decided Saturn as Inferior. The king asked his pardon, worshipped him and sought his blessings. The king (Vikramaditya) then narrated his story of woe to his bride. Saturn deity blessed the couple so that they would lead a happy married life. His limbs were restored. The rich merchant invited them to his house and there in the presence of everyone, they saw that the lost necklace was oozing out from the peg. All were surprised. The merchant felt ashamed and asked his pardon and offered his daughter to Vikramaditya in marriage. Then Vikramaditya and his two brides went in procession to a rousing reception in Ujjain.