Merits of Chastity

 

A cinema during childhood

During my teenage days we saw the Malayalam movie “Chemmeen” which was about fishermen’s lives. There is a belief that the fisherman’s safe return from the sea is guaranteed by his wife’s chastity or faithfulness to her husband. In the movie, on a stormy night when the husband is out in the sea fishing, the wife sleeps with her lover and in the morning she gets to see the husband’s dead body. It had a deep impact on my psyche. For me, truthfulness and faithfulness are two basic qualities in a good human being.

Over the years I got this question in my mind whether chastity is a quality that only women should have. It is nauseating to see men boasting about having multiple one night stands and some fathers feeling proud that their sons are womanisers. It is a sad aspect that in modern days women are also going the same way.

A blessing indeed

I feel blessed to have a relative who reads our sacred books and scriptures for the last 30 years. Whenever I have any doubts to clear on religion and spirituality, it is to him that I turn to. Recently, out of the blue, he narrated the story of Sudhanva to my husband. When I heard it, I told my husband that it was a message for me that answered the question lingering in my mind for many years.

The Ashvamedha Yagya

After the passing away of grandfather Bhishma, Lord Krishna advised Maharaja Yudhisthira to conduct  Ashvamedha (horse) Yagya (sacrifice). These sacrifices required the subordination of all earthly Kings. Maharaja Yudhisthira released the sacrificial horse and ordered Arjuna to follow it wherever it went and to fight with any belligerent rulers, who did not want to accept the King's sovereignty. The sacrificial horse was freed from the city of Hastinapura and allowed to wander wherever it wished. If the horse entered a kingdom and was taken captive, the warrior following the horse fought with the challengers. Thus Arjuna followed the sacrificial horse as it roamed from one country to another.

Sudhanva’s story

His story begins with capture of this stallion. Sudhanva, son of Hamsadhvaja, stops the horse with only one intention. Being an ardent devotee of Lord Krishna, Sudhanva wanted to see him and attain emancipation (moksha) in front of Krishna. As the war begins, Sudhanva is disappointed that Krishna is not the charioteer for Arjuna. Sudhanva is equally skilled in the war compared to Arjuna and kills the charioteer, thus forcing Lord Krishna to arrive.

After an intense fight between the two, Sudhanva gains a slight upper hand against Arjuna. He vows to kill Arjuna within the next three arrows. When it appears that Arjuna is about to be killed, Krishna comes to his help to counter the arrows. He says to Arjuna, “Sudhanva, apart from being a great warrior, has only one wife and has accumulated immense merit by being completely loyal to her. We both don’t have any such merit. So this is going to be really tough.”

                                                 Lord Krishna's words from Mahabharata

When they were ready with their first arrows, Lord Krishna puts all the merit he had accumulated by lifting the Govardhan mountain and saving the people into the arrow of Arjuna to make it all powerful. Then Sudhanva puts all his merits due to ‘Ekpatnivrat’ into his arrow, and that broke Arjuna’s arrow into two mid air.

For the second arrow, Lord Krishna added the merits he gained during ‘Varaha’ (boar) avatar when he lifted the Earth from the ocean and restored her place in the Universe, after killing the demon Hiranyaksha. Sudhanva put all the merits gained from his ideal character and conduct. This time also his arrow broke Arjuna’s arrow.

For the third and final arrow, Lord Krishna pledged all merits earned during his avatar as Rama on account of his absolute loyalty to Sita. Sudhanva put all merits earned from selfless life and constant remembrance of God. This time Arjuna’s arrow cut Sudhanva’s head, which flew and fell at the feet of Lord Krishna. Thus he attained moksha. Sudhanva’s life revealed that a house holder’s ( Grihasta dharma) life is no less that any sage’s life, when lived in proper way.

Garuda’s  dilemma

Lord Krishna summoned Garuda and asked to take Sudhanva’s head to the Prayag (Triveni sangam). Garuda was confused, “Sudhanva has attained moksha, so why is this necessary?”

Lord Krishna said, “This is not for his benefit. The divine vibrations from his head when merging with the holy waters, will help those who take bath to remove their sins.” Then Garuda takes the head to Prayag.

A place in Lord Shiva’s garland

When Garuda was about to drop the head, Nandi arrived there and said, “Lord Shiva has sent me to get Sudhanva’s head. It is so divine that he wants to put it around his neck.” There was argument between the two, and the moment Sudhanva’s head touched the water (thus imparting vibrations), Nandi lifted it and went to Lord Shiva.

It is interesting that while the great merits of being loyal to one wife is explicitly described in this incidence from Mahabharata, it is never discussed or publicized, and this information is not available on the net too. Another proof that it IS a MAN’s world!!

References:

https://www.wisdomlib.org/hinduism/book/mahabharata/d/doc118467.html

https://payaniga.com/yakshagana-war-sudhanva-arjuna/

https://www.punjabkesari.in/dharm/news/mahabharat-1545923