There are men
whose philanthropic deeds serve as guide lines to mankind for leading a noble
life. Lord Buddha narrates the story of a virtuous king who lived and died for
the welfare of the people.
“It was
long, long ago. The beautiful city , Mahendravathy , was ruled by King Mahendra Senan . His fame spread far and wide
like the fragrance of burning camphor .
The king had a son named
Sathoushadha. Gem of a son! A blending of all virtues – the dazzling splendour
of the sun and the coolness and freshness of the moon. At his sight, sorrows vanished;
at his touch , diseases disappeared .
Strange are the ways of destiny.
This favourite king , who was a solace to the people, had an untimely death. He
used to absorb all types of diseases to
his body, in order to give relief to the ailing people. Perhaps this might have
been the cause for his early death.
Even though there is no
moonlight , we know the moon is in the sky. Even after the petals are blown off
, the fragrance of the flowers lingers in the breeze. Similarly after the loss
of a precious person , his sweet memory will be fresh in mind. The king’s death
was a severe blow to the people. But his memory lived in their hearts.
The ministers refused to
bury the body because it did not decay even after many days .They believed that
the body had some mysterious power.. They thought the body would be quite
beneficial to the world. So they awfully kept the body in a special place near
the forest surrounded by lotus pools.
The
sick and the bereaved flowed to the sacred place . What a miracle ! A touch at
the body made them perfectly healthy , as if they drank nectar! By chanting his
name, all woes vanished. Even the breeze that touched his body cured all ills!
Thus, Sathoushadha went
on serving the people even after death.”
Prof.Chandramathy.C
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