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I am the Soul
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his bedroom. The Brahman was shocked, 'Good God! They say he is a videhi, a great man above bodily passions, and here I am told he is in the bedroom during the day! That sage has sent me to a person infatuated with his Queens to learn about attachment and detachment'.
The Brahman went on towards the private quarters. The door to the bedroom was open. King Janaka was in bed with a beautiful, young Queen. The Brahman was dumbfounded at the scene. King Janaka saw him and read his thoughts, hence without stepping down from the bed, welcomed the former and said, “Welcome, O noble Brahman! Do come in".
The Brahman was at a loss, hesitating whether to go in or not. Then Janaka repeated, “Come, come O Brahman! Do not hesitate, come in happily”.
Now the Brahman stepped closer and was awestruck at what he saw. The King had one arm around the Queen in embrace while the other hand was placed on the embers in the hearth. Now the hand was burning. The Brahman had not noticed this from the distance but now he was looking at a paradox. He also noticed that the King was undisturbed by either. Neither the pleasure from the Queen's touch nor the pain from the burning hand seemed to affect him. His face showed no expression, absolutely unmoved he was. Aloof from the pleasures and pains, he was experiencing a state beyond the physical existence. The Brahman was overwhelmed. He had come in intent upon subjugating Janaka, to step on his pride. But on the contrary it was his pride that met the dust and he too prostrated before Janaka.
Said he, “O great King! I carried a mistaken notion that you were a fraud. That people sang your praises just to humour you. I was misled. That is not the truth. I have learnt so many treatises, defeated so many in debates, yet the disenchantment that you
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