KING VIKRAMADITYA
The legendary King Chandragupta Vikramaditya is a popular figure in both Sanskrit and regional languages in India who ruled vast territory in and around present-day India about 2100 years ago. He was the king of Kalinga kingdom ruled by Gupta Dynasty which had its capital at Ujjaini on the banks of Shipra river.The Hindi Vikram samvat calender is followed after his name. There are numerous legends ascribed to the King Vikramaditya, some of which have become part of Indian folklore. As per one such legend there is an inscription in Kaaba in the praise of King Vikramaditya, which says:
Fortunate are those who were born (and lived) during king Vikram’s reign. He was a noble, generous dutiful ruler, devoted to the welfare of his subjects. But at that time we Arabs, oblivious of God, were lost in sensual pleasures. Plotting and torture were rampant. The darkness of ignorance had enveloped our country. Like the lamb struggling for her life in the cruel paws of a wolf we Arabs were caught up in ignorance. The entire country was enveloped in a darkness so intense as on a new moon night. But the present dawn and pleasant sunshine of education is the result of the favour of the noble king Vikramaditya whose benevolent supervision did not lose sight of us - foreigners as we were. He spread his sacred religion amongst us and sent scholars whose brilliance shone like that of the sun from his country to ours. These scholars and preceptors through whose benevolence we were once again made cognizant of the presence of God, introduced to His sacred existence and put on the road of Truth, had come to our country to preach their religion and impart education at king Vikramaditya’s behest.
We do not deny nor confirm the story here as we will talk about it later. This is the story of about 600 to 700 years prior to Mohammad and a shade prior to the time when Isa (Jesus) lived in Jerusalem. There is no doubt it was a period of Dark Age in Arabia for any kind of religion, social or moral code to exist. It is possible that King Vikramaditya might have given some grants to the custodians of Kaaba during that time or might have even sent some scholars to teach his religion to the Arabians.
Let us ponder what the religious status of Indians was during those times when the Arabs were “caught up in ignorance”. King Vikramaditya’s period is subsequent to decline of Buddhism and the end of hegemony of kings who called themselves Buddhist and wanted entire India to follow their religion. Buddhists, for reasons best known to history, had fled the entire Indian peninsula, seeking refuge either across the Himalayas, in the east towards present day Myanmar or to the southern-most edges like present-day Sri Lanka. If they didn’t flee so far off, they took refuge in caves situated deep inside the forests where they painted stories of Buddha’s lives on walls of the caves. Such caves with painted walls bear testimony to this day that the Buddhists were living here, deep in the jungles as in the case with Ajanta and Ellora caves, or at a far off distance in the sea, as in the case with Elephanta caves. Unfortunately they couldn’t remain peacefully there as well. The caves remain to this day but the Buddhists disappeared altogether from India. Just as brahmins were left with no option but to hide their sacred books during the times when rulers who claimed to be champions of Buddhist cause reigned supreme, it was time now for Buddhist monks to flee or slowly amalgamate in the rest of Indian population.
It is reasonable to say that there must be an equal zeal among the Hindu kings and their subjects to revive the Vedic teachings and preach religion centred around gods like Indra, Yama and Agni. People who had themselves only half-understood the Vedic content must be fervently and zealously propagating their religious beliefs as true. Therefore, if preachers went as far as present day Arabia, it can be accepted. However, looking back at India in the early medieval period, we find a general irreligiosity prevailing all across the country, and a real and systematic attempt to revive the Hindu religion and give it its present shape took place only in the 8th to 10th centuries A.D., when Hinduism came face to face with the marauding armies of Muslim Caliphs tyring to take advantage of lure of death in the name of Jehad.
If you recall, in Part-I, we had mentioned the kings and priests who circulated stories of the Devatas providing arms or assistance, so as to instil fear among their subjects as well as neighbouing kingdoms. We have given several stories from Puranas to justify our claim. It appears King Vikramaditya too was one such king, an astute PR person in modern parlance, whose interest was not much to revive religion but to take advantage of the people’s beliefs and fears to make himself more powerful.
This view of ours can be substantiated from some of the stories that have become part of the Indian folklore. See one such story:
Vikramaditya’s intelligence in giving right justice to everyone led him to be invited to heaven by Lord Indra - the god of rain and thunder and King of all Devas - to render right Justice for a dispute among the celestials.
One day Indra, the King of the gods, sent for Vikramaditya. In heaven, there was a dance competition between Apsaras Urvasi and Rambha. They were two of the best dancers of heaven. Indra said: ‘Vikramaditya, you will be the judge of which of the two is the better dancer.’
Vikramaditya gave Urvasi and Rambha each a bunch of flowers to hold while dancing.
He told them: ‘You must keep them erect while dancing.’ Vikramaditya had put a scorpion in each of the flower bunches. The scorpion stung Rambha viciously. She threw away the bunch, and stopped dancing. But Urvasi danced so well that she lulled the scorpion into deep sleep in the bouquet. It did not sting her.
Vikramaditya said: “Well done, Urvasi! You are without question the better dancer.
Who saw Vikramaditya go to the heavens; who saw Indra or the gods in the heavens and who verified the story? None! But the story is talked about to this day.
The story further says that even the gods became friends of King Vikramaditya. The legend says Lord Indra was so much impressed by the justice given by King Vikramaditya that he gifted a Golden Throne with 32 talking statues whose names were:
1 Ratnamanjiri, 2 Chitralekha, 3 Chandrakala, 4 Kamkandala, 5 Leelavati, 6 Ravibhama, 7 Kaumudhe, 8 Pushpavati, 9 Madhumalthi, 10 Prabhavati, 11 Trilochana, 12 Padmavati, 13 Keertimati, 14 Sunayana, 15 Sundervati, 16 Satyavati, 17 Vidhyati, 18 Taravati, 19 Rooprekha, 20 Gyaanvati, 21 Chandrajyothi, 22 Anurodhvati, 23 Dhramvati, 24 Karunavati, 25 Trinetri, 26 Mrignayani, 27 Malayavati, 28 Vaidehi, 29 Manvati, 30 Jayalaxmi, 31 Kousalya, 32 Rani Rupavati.
The legend tells all the 32 statues were actually cursed Apsaras who were cursed to become statues and could only get relieved from the curse by serving a Great Chakravarthy King like Vikramaditya. The majestic beauty of the golden throne was incomparable in the three worlds. Each section of the throne was decorated with different colours of gems, pearls and diamonds whose value and price can’t be imagined.
It appears that Apsaras couldn’t be relieved even after serving the “great chakravarthy king like Vikramaditya”. We say so because there are several stories in circulation regarding the throne, long after Vikramaditya was no more. As per one such story, the throne of Vikramaditya got lost and was recovered by King Bhoja, after several centuries. King Bhoja is himself very famous and there is a set of tales about his attempts to sit on the throne. The throne, adorned as it was by 32 female statues who, being able to speak, challenged him to ascend the throne only if he was magnanimous as Vikramaditya. This lead to 32 attempts (and 32 tales) of Vikramaditya and in each case Bhoja had to acknowledge his inferiority. Finally, the statues let Bhoja ascend the throne when they were pleased with his humility.
It appears King Bhoja was as great a PR person as King Vikramaditya was, if not bigger. Instead of coining new stories, he thought of using the prevalent stories among the masses regarding the throne. But the statues were still there, which shows either the gods were on the wrong when they gifted the throne to King Vikramaditya in hope that the accursed Apsaras would get relieved or the story itself was framed for certain other purposes.
Reading the lives of these kings, it appears that the stories of the Devatas, as people believed them to be, were being discussed and taught in the Ashrams. This can be seen from the advice given by Vikramaditya to his elder brother Bhartari-hari regarding the duties of kings, when the two brothers were still studying in the Guru’s Ashram. See:
As Indra, during the four rainy months, fills the earth with water, so a king should replenish his treasury with money. As Surya the sun, in warming the earth eight months, does not scorch it, so a king, in drawing revenues from his people, ought not to oppress them. As Vayu, the wind, surrounds and fills everything, so the king by his officers and spies should become acquainted with the affairs and circumstances of his whole people. As Yama judges men without partiality or prejudice, and punishes the guilty, so should a king chastise, without favour, all offenders. As Varuna, the regent of water, binds with his pasha or divine noose his enemies, so let a king bind every malefactor safely in prison. As Chandra, the moon, by his cheering light gives pleasure to all, thus should a king, by gifts and generosity, make his people happy. And as Prithwi, the earth, sustains all alike, so should a king feel an equal affection and forbearance towards every one.
This shows to what extent the subject of Devatas was commonly discussed in the society. This also shows how erroneous was the understanding of people about the Devatas.
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