In heaven, a great soul sits in peace. His name is Shrutakeerti. In his life on earth he was a righteous king. He performed many sacred rites. And now even Indra, the king of the gods, honours him.
And then, without warning… he falls.
Down from heaven… into the world of Yama.
He stands before Yama, the lord of death and of dharma. And he does not bow his head. He looks him straight in the eye.
"You are Dharmaraja, the king of justice," he says. "I have done no sin. Why am I here?"
What had happened? Who had pulled a good man out of heaven?
Vasishtha Speaks of the Greatest Gift
Today, Vasishtha told King Janaka about the greatest of gifts in this month, the gift of a daughter in marriage, kanyadana. And about its opposite.
The Exiled King on the Narmada
Long ago, in the age called Dvapara, there was a king of Vanga, in the east, named Suveera. He was brave. But he was cruel and selfish.
His enemies rose against him and took his kingdom. So Suveera went to the forest with his wife. They built a hut of leaves on the bank of the river Narmada, and lived on roots and fruit.
There, a daughter was born to them. She grew up lovely, like the waxing moon.
One day a young man came to the hut. He was the son of a sage. He asked for her hand in marriage.
Suveera said, "I am poor. If you want my daughter, you must pay for her. A large sum."
The young man had nothing. But he went to the Narmada and did tapas, deep prayer, to Kubera, the lord of wealth. And Kubera gave him great riches. He brought it all and handed it to Suveera. The wedding took place in the forest, and the daughter went away with her husband.
Suveera and his wife now lived very comfortably… on the price of their daughter.
Then a second daughter was born. And Suveera was delighted.
"Wonderful," he thought. "When I sell this one, I'll have enough for the rest of my life."
One day a holy man came to bathe in the Narmada. He saw the hut and asked, "Who are you? Why do you live here?"
Suveera told him everything. His lost kingdom. His poverty. And the money he had taken for his daughter.
The holy man's face grew stern.
"Do you know what you have done? Selling a daughter is the worst of sins. There is no atonement for it. It displeases your ancestors. But listen. There is still a way. Your second daughter is not yet married. Adorn her with gold, and give her as a gift, in the right way, in the month of Karthika, to a learned and good young man. Kanyadana in Karthika is equal to bathing in every holy river, and to the great horse sacrifice."
Suveera laughed.
"What is dharma? What is heaven? Earning and enjoying, that is everything. I will give her to whoever pays me."
The holy man said no more. He left.
Some time later, Suveera died in that forest. Yama's messengers dragged him away. And Yama sent him to a hell called Asipatravana, the forest of sword-sharp leaves.
But his sin did not stop with him. It reached back… to his ancestors.
And that is how Shrutakeerti, a righteous king of his line, was thrown out of heaven.
Yama's Answer and the Remedy
Now we're back in Yama's hall. Shrutakeerti stands there, demanding, "I did no sin. Why am I here?"
Yama answered him calmly.
"You are right. You did no sin. But your descendant, Suveera, lived on the price of his own daughter. Because of that, all his ancestors suffer. And they will be born again in low births."
Shrutakeerti was shaken. "Is there no remedy?"
"There is," said Yama. "Suveera's second daughter is still unmarried. She lives in that hut on the Narmada with her mother. By my grace, go to earth in this very body. And see that she is given in kanyadana, in the month of Karthika, to a worthy groom. The merit of a kanyadana in Karthika has no measure."
So Shrutakeerti went down to earth in human form.
He found the little hut on the Narmada. He found Suveera's wife, and the young girl.
He adorned the girl with gold ornaments. And in the month of Karthika, in the bright fortnight, he gave her in marriage, in the proper way, to a worthy young man, the son of a wise sage.
Not sold. Given.
At that moment, far away in hell, the noose of Yama fell from Suveera. And he rose to svarga, the world of the gods.
Shrutakeerti didn't stop there. He also gave money to ten poor young brahmin students so that they too could marry. All the ancestors of the line rose to heaven. And Shrutakeerti himself returned there.
What This Chapter Asks of Us
Notice this. One man's greed pulled a whole family line down. And one man's kanyadana lifted the whole line back up.
Vasishtha said to the king, "Janaka, in Karthika these are the great dharmas: giving a daughter in marriage, the early morning bath, helping a poor brahmin boy receive his sacred thread and his learning, and giving clothes and food. And even those who have no daughter can earn the merit of kanyadana, by helping to pay for a poor girl's wedding. Even helping a wedding happen with your words brings endless merit."
So, today's practice. If there is a wedding in a family that is struggling, help it in whatever way you can. With money. With work. Or even with a kind, helpful word.
Read next
- Karthika Puranam – all 30 days
- Previous chapter: Karthika Puranam Day 12: The Stone That Conquered Death
- Start from Day 1: Karthika Puranam Day 1: The River in Every Well
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- Why We Light a Lamp (Deepam): Meaning, Oil, Wicks and Rules
- How to Do Tulasi Puja at Home: Method and Rules