"Pingala! I am immensely pleased by your performance on the Mridanga. Congratulations to you for your mastery over this musical instrument", said the king, patting the back of the artist.
"O great king!" said the artist, "I am indeed fortunate to have gained your recognition."
"Pingala! I reckon you to be worthy of my companionship. I liked particularly your bold decision to give up the family tradition of brahmins - of studying scriptures - observing austerities - living on the meagre income accrued from teaching the scriptures - and take to a life of music, dance and merriment."
"I consider myself to be lucky to have gained your favours."
"Pingalal I am telling you in my authority as the king of Madra, there is no place in my kingdom for brahmins and for their way of life. Music, dance and merriment - these constitute real happiness. I discover joy in them only. You will have a respected place in my palace in your capacity as a distinguished court musician and more so as my close companion. You can enjoy all the pleasures of this palace. You shall not be denied entry even into my private chambers and the harem. Rest of it I don't want to elaborate", said the king with a chuckle.
Pingala also chuckled with the king.
The company of the king, the royal wine and harem were all exciting experiences for Pingala. He spent his time freely amidst them. The king had no time to care for his queen Aruna, as he was completely engrossed in other beautiful women. Gradually, Aruna was enchanted by Pingala and their acquaintance developed into close intimacy. They continued their close life of intimacy for a long period.
In course of time, the king came to know about their private intimate life.
He ordered Aruna to murder Pingala while he was asleep. Though she was averse to crime, she had to obey the royal command; and Pingala died an untimely death.
In his next birth, Pingala was born as a vulture on a tree near a cremation ground.
After a few weeks, queen Aruna also died. She was born as a parrot on the same tree in the vicinity of the cremation ground. Both grew up.
It was rainy season. The young vulture was starving, with no food in sight anywhere near. At that time, lot a sweet young parrot flew into the tree. Somehow, the very sight of the parrot evoked more anger in the vulture than a desire to appease its hunger. It pounced on the parrot and took it to a sturdy branch of the tree to open its belly. As the parrot screamed and wriggled in pain, it and slipped from the hold of the vulture and fell into the water accumulated in a skull lying under the tree and died there.
"Aaahh…!" screamed the vulture. It was hit by a hunter's arrow, and it tumbled down from the tree into the same water, accumulated in the skull below. Soon it also breathed its last
Yama, the Lord of Dharma, gave a patient hearing to the sins committed by both the parrot and vulture, as well as the merits earned by them. For atonement of their sins, they were sentenced to various kinds of punishment in hell.
'As for their merits," said Chitragupta, the super-computer- accountant of Lord Yama, 'They both gave up their bodies by falling into the water accumulated in the skull of a great ascetic.Therefore…"
'"You are right," said Yama, "Send them to the world of Lord Vishnu."
When their time came to depart from hell, the soldiers of Yama appeared by their side to escort them to their new world, the world of Vishnu. On their way out, they stopped in front of Yama, prostrated to him and asked: "O Lord! how do we, who have committed only sins both as human beings and as birds, have earned the merit which enables us to attain the world of Vishnu?"
Yama said: "Because both of you died in the water accumulated in the skull".
"By dying in the skull-water, will people attain the Vishnu Loka?"
"No" said Yama, "I will explain"
"Long ago, there lived a pious brahmin, an ascetic, on the banks of Ganga. He was famous for his righteousness and selfless work. He never took any food before reciting the fifth chapter of the Bhagawad Geeta, every morning. He verily became a great seer, and he dedicated his entire life and activities in the service of the Lord, and his fellow beings. After living thus for a long time, he gave up his body and attained liberation. It was his skull that was lying under the tree near the cremation ground. Rain water had accumulated in that skull and it was by falling into this water that both of you had died. Therefore all your sins have been wiped out. That is why you have become eligible to attain the Vishnu Loka."
"Why does the mortal remains of the ascetic still exist in the cremation ground?" they asked.
"For the benefit of others," said Lord Yama, "The people of meritorious deeds, whether they are alive or dead, sanctify all those who come in contact with them. The skull lying there in the cremation ground is still a sacred remnant of the head of the great man which had reverberated to the chants of the fifth chapter of the Geeta when it was alive. Such is its spiritual power!"
"Bless us, please. By the Lords grace our time here is over," said both of them.
"You will better do the recitation of the fifth chapter of Geeta everyday in the world of Vishnu", said Lord Yama "Then you will not have any further fall. Otherwise, the moment you exhaust the present merits gained by you, that very moment you will fall down into the world of mortality. So, study chapter five of the Geeta very well."
They both prostrated to Lord Yama and departed to the sorrowless world of Vishnu.
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