Stories

Home | Upanishad | Stories

Previous | Next

Pratardan

There was a young prince Pratardan, the son of Divodaas (read the Story of Gaalav), a King of Kaashee. Pratardan was a very good scholar. he had studied logic, Hetu Vidyaa etc. He proudly debated in his father's court wearing a red cap and a red shawl, and defeated them in reasoning. Although he was a prince, but he had few friends as he was very much aware of his intelligence. he was always busy in explaining the secrets of puzzles. Once he thought to discover the source of logic so he went to Indra. But his heart was not pure that is why it was difficult to reach to Indra. He had to overcome many obstacles after leaving the Earth. At last he came to Indra Lok. he climbed up a narrow mountainous path, and as he reached on the top of the hill, he saw many valleys and grasslands ahead stretched all around. Gandharv were playing music and many celestials were enjoying the fruits of their work.

He proceeded towards Indra's city Amaraavatee. There was a Nandan Van (garden) there. It was beautiful. It had a Kalp Vriksh also there under which if somebody would sit, he would forget his all miseries and sorrows. Under that tree there was the Kaamdhenu cow who could fulfill all desires. It is said the her milk filled the Ksheer Saagar at the beginning of the Creation. There was the palace of Indra nearby. He saw Indra there along with his Uchchshraivaa horse and 4-tusk elephant Airaavat too. Indra was carrying his Vajra in his hand. he was wearing a long necklace of white pearls. It was a special necklace as in each of its pearls were hidden the other pearls, this meant that if one had seen one pearl, he had seen all the pearls.

Indra knew that Pratardan was coming to him and he made a lots of effort to reach to him so he asked him to ask for a boon. Pratardan thought of many things to ask as a boon, but then he said politely - "Whatever you like you may give to me." Indra said to him - "I am giver and you are a taker, so it is not correct for me to choose the boon for you, you should choose your boon for yourself." Pratardan again said politely - "O Indra, If I will choose, it will not be the boon."

Indra understood that he is not going to ask so he said - "Know the Self - this is the highest and most beneficial boon for you as well as for mankind. Whoever has known the Self will not be injured. He will always desire only the good and the color of his face will not become pale." Then Indra explained to him - "Wholeness is the breathing spirit, wholeness is the Self, know the wholeness as life, as immortality, as Amrit. Life is breath and the breath is life. As long as you are breathing, you are alive. With the same breathing spirit, one obtains long life in this world. So who knows the Self as life, enjoys all the senses in this world and immortality in the other world."

Pratardan did not understand this so he asked him - "Does each sense has its own source, or do they all come from one source?
Indra replied - "If they had not come from a single source how could eyes see? How could ear hear? How could the voice speak? How could the mind think? All of them come from the same source - and that is life.
When we speak, life speaks,
When we see life sees
When we hear, life hears
When we think, life thinks

Pratardan still did not understand this so he asked Indra again - "One can live without the speech, as there are many dumb in the world. One can live without sight as there are many blind in the world. One can live without hearing as there are many deaf in this world. Even one can live without a good mind as there are many childish people living in this world."

Indra intercepted - "But without the breath one cannot live; and this breath gets its life from consciousness.
So what is the Breath of Life? - Pure Consciousness.
What is the Pure Consciousness? - the Breath of Life
This is the right view, right understanding.

Pratardan asked - "Then what is the relationship between Consciousness and the senses?"
Indra replied - "When Consciousness governs the speech, we speak through our speech
When Consciousness governs our eye, we see the things,
When Consciousness governs the ear, we may hear all sorts of sounds
When Consciousness governs the tongue, we may taste all kinds of tastes.
When Consciousness governs our feet, we may go anywhere we wish
When Consciousness governs our mind we may think all thoughts."

Pratardan asked - "O Indra, can we live without Consciousness?"
Indra replied - "Sure, We can, but without Consciousness, we may not speak, and say "My mind was somewhere else, I could not say that name."
Without Consciousness our eyes will not be able to see any form, and say "My mind was somewhere else, I could not see."
Without Consciousness our ears may not hear any sound, and say "My mind was somewhere else, I could not hear anything."
In the absence of Consciousness we will not be able to taste anything, and say "My mind was somewhere else, I could not taste."
Without the Consciousness our feet may not make any movement, and say "My mind was somewhere else, I could not move anywhere."

Pratardan was still confused, he said - "But to know what we speak, we should know speech, to know what we see, we have to know the seen."
Indra replied - "==============================================

Pratardan Learns About Wholeness
Now Pratardan had lost his pride and he knew what he was looking for. He became the King of Kaashee and ruled his kingdom with fair mind, knowing that he and his people were drawing the same breath of life. He saw life as a whole not as the pieces of a puzzle which was to be solved.

Home | Upanishad | Stories

Previous | Next