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King Dasaratha summoned his council of ministers to discuss the grave predicament. After weighing the pros and cons of the situation, they reached a conclusion. They advised that it was imperative that both King Dasaratha and Janaka should handover the burden of administration to the learned council of ministers, and leave their empire at once. They should retire to some forest, disguised as ascetics and return when the circumstances were favourable. The demonic clan excelled not only in warfare but also in magic and sorcery, it would be perilous for both the kings to stay in the palace. Advised thus, both the kings donned the saffron robes of ascetic order and left for the forest. The news of their departure was kept a secret. Then, the ministers ordered the sculptors to prepare effigies of both the kings. The effigies that were prepared painstakingly looked so authentic that no one would know that they were unreal. Aspects like the colour and texture of hair, the toning and colour of the skin, the height, and other proportions, the regal attire and finery were studied in detail by the artists before preparing the dummies. Both the effigies were placed on the royal couches. Then the ministers heaved a breath of relief.
As long as the virtue of soul is intact, the greatest troubles cannot ruffle him. Dasaratha was still a baby when he was coronated, but his virtue was so great that no one dared to attack him, but when his virtue was eclipsed by sins, the same Dasaratha and Janaka were compelled to flee from their luxurious abodes and live the austere life of ascetics. This is the power of our merits and demerits ! Our merits lead us to the path of elation and our demerits lead us to the road of destruction.
When our sins become mightier than virtues, we are afflicted with disasters, emotional upheavel and conflicts, both external and internal. King Subhūma was a cakravarti, sixteen thousand celestial beings bowed down to him in servitude and yet his sins compelled him to die by drowning. King Munja was compelled to discard his regalia and beg for alms, by his sins. Now it was a time for both Dasaratha and Janaka to reap the harvest of their sins. They wandered from jungle to jungle. The news of their departure was kept a closely guarded secret by the council of the learned ministers. No one, not even the queen's knew this reality.
Two Kings- both noble, both having impeccable background and sound knowledge, left their royal power and embraced a simple life of mendicants. If it is considered rightful to abandon ones kingdom to elude one death then why isn't it fair for the enlightened souls to forsake the whole world, viewing the infinite cycle of birth and death. They might enjoy the wealth, live a comfortable life and yet they do not forget the death even for a moment. Thus, gaining an opportunity they renounce the
world and conquer death. Jain Education International
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