Raja PrachinVahirsh ruled over the vast kingdom of Madhya Desha of Bharat. He was a voluptuary. Eating, drinking and indulging in all sorts of excesses was how he spent his life.
For his own pleasures, he did not mind exacting heavy taxes and tributes from his subjectsand the dependent principalities. Not that the people did not raise their voice against him, but through his efficient and highly paid spies, PrachinVahirsh put an end to whoever dared to oppose him. The once prosperous country suffered on account of the king’s misrule and there seemed no respite from its woes.
Then Vahirsh’s own body started to show signs of aging. The burden of years and overindulgence brought in illnesses in their wake and he realised that death was staring him in his face. The powders and potions given by the royal physicians did not prove much effective. The magic spells of the kingdom’s renowned magicians and necromancers were also futile.
Finally, he summoned the royal priest to his presence and asked him two questions: how long he had to live and what he could do to merit the pleasures of swarga in the event of his death. In answer to his first question, the purohit told him bluntly that he had barely a year to live and to the second he said that he should perform sacrifices and yagyas to gain entry to the heaven.
Taking the Brahmin’s advice to his heart, the raja took to performing yagyas on a grand scale in every corner of his kingdom, sacrificing a great number of animals in the rituals. A time came when there was no town or village left in his domain where animals were not killed in large numbers on the orders of the over-zealous raja.
Panic spread among poor beasts and their cries reached Vishnu loka. Finally, it was Narad Muni who decided to come to their help. Appearing before PrachinVahirsh, Naradsaid,”If you follow a path without seeing where it is leading, you will reach nowhere. In bargain, you will bring misery to yourself and all the creatures who depend on your good sense.
‘But I am only doing what my priest has advised me to do!’ the king replied indignantly.
In response, the sage with his mystic powers showed him the cattle he had massacred in his blind faith. With their bleeding and half-burnt bodies they all glared at him in anger. The king got the message and put a stop to the sacrifices at once.
PrachinVahirshes of the world only think of themselves, in life, as well as in death. Their narrow vision does not allow them to see what misery their selfish ends cause to others around them.
Religiosity alone does not earn merit in the eyes of the Deity. One cannot hope to win His favour if one is unkind to His creatures.
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