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26
Santi-snätra
On
the
eighth waxing moon of the auspicious month of Aṣādha, King
Dasaratha organised Aṣṭāhnikā caitya mahotsava with full pomp. Best of the best ingredients for worship were bought from all over and a ritual called Santisnātra was performed.
The auspicious water utilised during this ritual is distributed among the faithful devotees. Kancuki, the chamberlain of harem, carried an urn full of this auspicious water and left fo the sanctum of the chief consort Kausalya first. The other maid- servants, then carried the auspicious water to the sanctums of other consorts. It is a common practice to appoint a man of advanced age as a chamberlain. The kancuki of Dasaratha was a frail man afflicted by old age, The others were young maidens. They reached hurryingly and delivered the auspicious water to the remaining consorts. The frail and aged kancuki could not match the ladies in speed and therefore, though he left first, could not reach the sanctum of Kausalya on time.
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DILIP SON
Kausalya's attempt to suicide
When the chief consort Kausalya, eagerly waiting for the auspicious water, learnt the news that everyone else except her had received the snātrajala, the aucpicious water, she was dejected. She thought, 'Here I am... the chief amongst the royal consorts and yet everyone else gets the auspicious water except myself. How unfortunate I am! It is better to embrace death instead of being subjected to further humiliation. I think death alone will end all my sorrows.' Kausalya's pride was wounded. The frustration and anger subdued her power of reasoning. A wise Indian sage says, "Anger is born out of self love and affects the power of reasoning. This leads to the total defeat of wisdom and conscience, which in turn causes total destruction."
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