Kaliyugada Kalpataru Sri Baahika Rajaru The Majestic Personality of Bahlika Raja
Kaliyugada Kalpataru
Third Delight
Sri Baahika Rajaru (ಶ್ರೀಬಾಹ್ಲೀಕರಾಜರರು)
Authored by Raja, S. Gururajacharya
6. The Majestic Personality of Bahlika Raja
Bahlika Raja, the protagonist, ascended to the throne of his maternal grandfather's kingdom and ruled with righteousness. As an incarnation of Prahlada Raja, all the virtues of Prahlada were naturally present in him. It goes without saying that his actions, speech, conduct, devotion to God, and governance were universally acknowledged.
Sri Bahlika Raja was endowed with truth, righteousness, penance, self-study, yajna, devotion to Lord Hari, prayer, and meditation. His qualities of peace and patience shone brightly. He was serene, steadfast in truth, and virtuous. Understanding the transient nature of worldly life, he did not become entangled in it but focused on pleasing God and earning His grace. He revered gods, sages, and elders and treated his subjects like his own children, constantly thinking of their welfare. He was an exemplary ruler through his practice of Bhagavata Dharma.
The scriptures describe Bhagavata Dharma as recognizing the Supreme Lord as the most exalted, refraining from indulgence in worldly matters, showing compassion to all beings, constantly associating with devotees, maintaining purity and cleanliness, and practicing tolerance. They emphasize the importance of devotion through listening, singing, remembering, serving, worshiping, bowing, being a servant, and self-surrender to the Lord. These forms of devotion, when practiced sincerely, please the Lord.
In summary, Bhagavata Dharma comprises actions performed with the firm belief that everything is done by and for the pleasure of Lord Hari.
Due to their dedication to practicing Bhagavata Dharma, the Bahlika Rajas became renowned as propagators of this dharma in the world.
As previously described, notable figures in propagating and spreading Bhagavata Dharma include Goddess Lakshmi, Brahma, and Vayu. Brahma taught the profound knowledge found in the Vedas, emphasizing the path to liberation and demonstrating how to achieve it. This wisdom has been passed down through various means and continues to shine brightly even today. The lineage of knowledge initiated by the Sanaka sages is one branch, and that started by Narada is another. Though they differ in approach, their ultimate goal is the same.
In the lineage of Bhagavata Dharma, the first prominent figure we encounter is Sri Prahlada. He advanced along the path shown by Narada, along with other notable figures like Tumburu, Arjuna, Uddhava, Indra, and Shukaacharya. Many sages and hermits have also dedicated themselves to the path of knowledge, achieving great heights, but their efforts often remained personal and limited to their own liberation.
Prahlada was different. He neglected his own bliss for the welfare of the world, believing that true happiness lay in the upliftment of the ignorant and the downtrodden. He prayed not for his own salvation but for the well-being of the dependent and needy. His dedication to serving humanity was seen as the highest form of service to God, meditation, and penance. This exceptional devotion earned him unparalleled grace from the Lord.
Lord Narasimha, in his divine words, said, “Prahlada, you are mine. Those who follow you are worthy of becoming my devotees. Those who constantly remember you and then remember me will be freed from the bondage of karma and attain liberation.” Such divine words from the mouth of the Lord himself indicate the profound love and compassion He had for Prahlada. This is why Prahlada is celebrated as the foremost of Hari's devotees and a propagator of Bhagavata Dharma in all three worlds.
The illustrious Bahlika Raja, an incarnation of Prahlada, continued to practice Bhagavata Dharma with steadfast devotion and dedication, always worshipping the Supreme Lord with love and reverence. He awaited the right time to serve in the divine mission of Sri Hari, contributing to the righteous cause with unwavering faith.
Therefore, even though Bahlikaraja was very powerful, he did not use his strength and capabilities for conquering enemies or expanding his kingdom for the sake of glory. He did not use his great power for selfish purposes. In this, we can see the qualities of Prahlada.
Bahlikaraja, following the expectations of the elders in his family, embraced the householder's duties and performed them with devotion to Lord Hari, making him a devoted servant of the Lord while managing his kingdom with righteousness.
During this time, Lord Hari had incarnated as the son of Devaki and Vasudeva in the Yadu dynasty to punish the wicked, protect the virtuous, and establish dharma. Vayu Deva incarnated as the son of Pandu and Kunti, while other deities also took different forms to serve in the divine mission of Lord Hari as per His command. Lord Hari, incarnated as Krishna, was performing various miraculous deeds, playful activities, and destroying demons, thereby becoming the beloved of all virtuous people in Bharatavarsha. Hearing about and understanding the divine deeds and glory of Krishna, Bahlikaraja was filled with immense joy and spent his time contemplating and meditating on the divine form of Krishna.
At the same time, by the grace of the Lord, Bahlikaraja was blessed with a son named 'Somadatta,' one of the eleven Rudras known as 'Tapatapa.' Bahlikaraja named his son Somadatta. Somadatta later had three sons: Bhuri, Bhurishrava, and Sala. Somadatta and his sons were very powerful, influential, devoted to Vedic studies and rituals, and possessed great strength and noble qualities, living their lives following Bahlikaraja's commands.
During this time, Pandu, who was living in the forest, learned from Kunti Devi that he could be blessed with children by invoking gods through a divine mantra, a boon she had received from Sage Durvasa. Overjoyed, Pandu instructed Kunti to use the divine mantras to bear children. Following her husband's instructions, Kunti invoked the blessings of Yama Dharma, Vayu Deva, and Indra, and thus, she bore three divine sons: Yudhishthira (Dharma Raja), Bhimasena, and Arjuna. At her husband's wish, Kunti taught another mantra to Madri, who invoked the Ashwini twins and bore twin sons named Nakula and Sahadeva. The five sons of Pandu grew up, bringing joy to their parents.
One day, while Pandu was with Madri, he died due to a curse from a sage. Madri performed Sati, joining her husband in death. Then, Sage Vyasa took care of the five Pandavas and Kunti Devi, sending them to Hastinapura along with the sage's disciples for protection and growth.
At that time, Dhritarashtra was ruling in Hastinapura. He had a hundred sons, including Duryodhana, all of whom were embodiments of demonic forces. When Pandu died, leaving behind five sons, and Sage Vyasa sent them to the capital, Bahlikaraja, upon learning of this, went to Hastinapura with his son Somadatta to meet the Pandavas. Delighted to see them, Bahlikaraja advised Bhishma and Vidura: "Just as Dhritarashtra and his sons are rightful heirs to the Kuru kingdom, so too are Pandu's sons, the Pandavas. Therefore, they should be welcomed warmly and protected with fairness and righteousness, showing no partiality between the Kurus and Pandavas." With this advice, he returned to Bahlikadesha with his son.
Bahlikaraja's affection and love for the Pandavas, who were the grandsons of his brother Shantanu and devoted to Lord Hari, became evident through this. Following the advice of Satyavati Devi, Bhishmacharya, Dhritarashtra, the divine voice, and the commands of Sage Vyasa, Kunti Devi welcomed Pandu's sons with love and continued to protect and nurture them.
Days passed..... Under the supervision of Bhishmacharya and Acharya Dronacharya, the Kauravas and Pandavas became proficient in all weapons and archery. True to their nature, the Pandavas excelled in truthfulness, righteousness, devotion to God, respect for elders, trustworthiness, and bringing joy to the people, earning great fame as mighty warriors. In contrast, adhering to their demonic nature, Duryodhana and the Kauravas exhibited arrogance, deceit, self-glorification, cruelty, self-praise, treachery, and insolence, harboring intense hatred towards the Hari-devoted Pandavas.
Duryodhana, an incarnation of Kali, particularly harbored insurmountable hatred towards Bhimasena, the incarnation of Vayu Deva, and continually plotted against the Pandavas. Shakuni, Dushasana, and Karna were his allies, and together they influenced Dhritarashtra to plot the destruction of the Pandavas. Consequently, Bhimasena faced numerous attempts on his life, including snake bites and poisoned food, but his divine strength rendered these attempts futile. Following the incident of the House of Lac, the Pandavas and Kunti Devi narrowly escaped death with Bhimasena's help and retreated to the forest.
During Draupadi's Swayamvara, the Pandavas, disguised as Brahmins, attended the event. Arjuna gained great renown by successfully hitting the fish target. Following Kunti Devi's command and Vyasa Deva's timely religious counsel, Draupadi, in her five forms, married the five Pandavas. Subsequently, the Pandavas, accompanied by the grand Krishna Paramatma, returned to Hastinapura.
On Krishna and Vyasa Deva's advice and with the concurrence of the Kuru elders, Dhritarashtra arranged for his sons to rule Hastinapura while assigning Khandavaprastha to the Pandavas. With Krishna's assistance, the Pandavas transformed the wilderness of Khandavaprastha into a splendid city with the help of the architect Maya. This city was named Indraprastha. Yudhishthira ruled as king, administering justice and righteousness. Bhima, Arjuna, and the other brothers were loyal to Yudhishthira, and many other kings submitted to his sovereignty, bringing tribute and pledging allegiance.
As a result, the fame of the Pandavas spread throughout the world day by day.
