It is night in Ayodhya.
Outside the walls, the enemy kings have made camp. Their fires are burning, just a short distance away. Tomorrow, they will come again.
Inside the palace sits a king who rode out to battle roaring like a lion. Now his army lies broken on the field. He came back into his own city by a secret way, so that no one would see.
He sits alone with his head in his hands. "Why did I ever go to war?"
And then his priest walks in. And the priest does not talk about soldiers, or weapons, or walls.
So what could a priest possibly tell a king who has lost everything in a single day?
King Puranjaya Rides Out to Battle
Yesterday we met King Puranjaya of Ayodhya. Rich, proud and greedy, he seized the lands of temples and brahmins, and let robbery spread. The kings around him, led by the king of Kambhoja, surrounded his city, and Puranjaya rode out to fight them.
The sage Atri went on telling the story to the sage Agastya.
The two armies crashed together.
Chariot against chariot. Horse against horse. Elephant against elephant. Foot soldier against foot soldier. Swords, maces, arrows, axes. War cries. Drums. Conches.
The battle was terrible. Many horsemen fell. Many chariot warriors fell. And it went on, and on, all through the day, until the sun began to set.
By evening, it was over.
Puranjaya was completely defeated.
His army had been cut down. There was nothing left for him to do. And so, as darkness fell, the great king of Ayodhya slipped away from the battlefield in secret, and crept back into his own palace.
The enemy kings didn't leave. They made camp a short way off, and waited for morning.
Puranjaya was overwhelmed with grief. And with shame. He kept asking himself the same question. "Why did I ever go to war?"
The Priest Sushila Speaks Plainly
It was then that Sushila came to him.
Sushila was the family priest of the Solar dynasty. A wise and learned man. The king, broken as he was, rose and seated him with respect.
Sushila looked at him.
"King," he said, "don't grieve. Victory and defeat are in the hands of fate. If you truly want to defeat your enemies again, then do as I tell you. What I tell you will be for your good."
And then, gently, he said the hard thing.
"I told you this when you first left the path of dharma. But because of your past karma, you couldn't hear good advice. You couldn't listen."
Puranjaya said nothing.
"Even so," said Sushila, "nothing is lost. It is not too late. Feel truly sorry for what you have done… and do what I say."
"You left the path of dharma. You earned your wealth unjustly. You insulted brahmins. And so the favour of the gods turned against you. That is why you were defeated."
A Bath, a Lamp and a Dance
The king listened.
"Now listen carefully," said Sushila. "This is the month of Karthika. Of all the months, it is the holiest. And tomorrow is Karthika Purnima, the full moon of Karthika. And tomorrow, the full moon falls with the Krittika star. That doesn't happen often."
"Put all your worries aside. Wake at dawn. Bathe. Do your morning prayers and your daily rites."
"Then go to the temple. Light lamps before the Lord."
"And then, King… dance. Dance however your heart moves you. And as you dance, sing the names of God."
Think about that. The enemy is camped outside the walls. The army is broken. And the priest's advice is… a bath, a lamp, and a dance.
"Do this," said Sushila, "and you will find the means to defeat your enemies. Long life, health and prosperity will come to you. Return to dharma, King. Be a righteous king again."
Karthika, the Month of the Way Back
Notice what Sushila did not say. He didn't say, "Pray, and everything will be fine." First, he made the king face what he had done. He said it plainly: you lost because you left dharma. Only then did he show him the way back.
That is the teaching of this chapter. Defeat follows adharma. When we turn our back on what is right, even the gods' favour turns away from us. But Karthika is the month of the way back. And the way back begins with something very small.
What This Chapter Asks of Us
So today, do what Sushila told the king. Bathe early, light a lamp before the Lord, and sing God's names with a full heart.
Read next
- Karthika Puranam – all 30 days
- Previous chapter: Karthika Puranam Day 20: The King Who Lost His Way
- Start from Day 1: Karthika Puranam Day 1: The River in Every Well
- Why Karthika Masam Is So Sacred: Meaning and Key Days
- Why We Light a Lamp (Deepam): Meaning, Oil, Wicks and Rules
- How to Do Tulasi Puja at Home: Method and Rules