The Greatness of Saturn by Robert E. Svoboda Part II

The Greatness of Saturn by Robert E. Svoboda

A Therapeutic Method

(Book review 12/2015)

 

 

The beginning of the seven and a half year period of Saturn’s dominance of Vikramaditya’s life

One day shortly thereafter Saturn took the form of a rich merchant and arrived in Ujjayini to sell horses. The king liked a horse named Sarang, so he mounted a rider with a whip on Sarang’s back and took him so nearby parkland for a trial. The rider rode him well, and the king was pleased. By this time the merchant had brought forward another horse named Akhlakh, and he said to the king, “This horse’s price is one hundred thousand silver rupees. The king then mounted the horse and took him to the parkland. After cantering him a bit, he said, to no one in particular, “This horse is indeed high-spirited and swift.” As soon as these words left the king’s mouth Akhlakh gave a tremendous leap and sailed in to the sky at breakneck speed. The more he leapt the further he flew, as the king held on for dear life. Finally the penetrated a dense jungle in a faraway land and landed on the bank of a river. The king collected himself sufficiently to jump off the horse, who immediately disappeared from view, as did the river.

The Sun promptly set, and darkness spread in all directions with such dispatch that it soon became impossible for the king to see any path through the dismal woods. He had no choice but to pass the night beneath a tree. He had to walk to the nearest city of Tamalinda. 

The morning after the king’s disappearance, the horse merchant waylaid the prime minister and said, “Now please me for my horse.” The prime minister responded, “When the king returns he will pay you.” He then sent men in all directions to search for the sovereign, but since they could get no hint of where he had gone, the prime minister finally had to pay the merchant one hundred thousand silver rupees, which was the price he had mentioned to the king. Pocketing the money, Saturn became invisible.

King Vikrama had meanwhile slowly made his way to the city of Tamalinda, and on entering it he encountered its shopping bazaar. He sat to rest for some time in front of a trader’s shop. It so happened that the trader’s sales during that period of time were double his usual take. Noting this the shopkeeper thought to himself “Here must certainly be a very lucky man”. He took King Vikrama to his home and served him delicious meal.

It so happened that the merchant’s daughter, by name Alolika was searching for a man of her liking to marry but she first wanted to test the King before marrying him. The merchant consequently sent King Vikrama to his daughter’s room.  Seeing the room’s unparalleled ornamentation, King thought “All this seems to me to be one of Lord Saturn’s illusion. Even the merchant’s daughter must be part of Lord Saturn’s illusion. Now I will see what happens next.” He then got into bed, covered his head, and pretended to sleep.

The merchant’s daughter tried for three full hours, but no avail to awaken her intended. Finally she got tired and hung her pearl necklace over a handy peg and went to sleep. Thereupon the king pulled the covers off his face. While thinking King Vikrama witnessed a wonder. A painted swan in one of the pictures came to life and started to eat the pearl necklace. King thought, “Let me be charged with theft, but I will not destroy my reputation for generosity by taking the necklace from the swan. “Thinking thus, the king finally fell asleep.

King Vikrama is falsely accused of theft, is tied and thrashed nicely then also he says he didn’t steal the necklace so he is taken to the king. Saturn had turned King Chandrasena’s mind topsy-turvy, making him believe that King Vikramaditya was a thief, and preventing him from taking the least cognizance of King Vikrama’s pleas. King Chandrasena’s servants, following their master’s orders, then took King Vikrama out of town to the executioner, who chopped off his hands and feet and dumped him to a desolate wood. All the city people were also forbidden to offer him food or water or to take his care.

But King Vikrama survived; if he had died, how would Saturn have been able to continue to harass him? After a month passed, the planet Saturn at last felt some compassion for King Vikrama. Saturn then created compassion in the heart of King Chandrasena, who suddenly asked his servants, “What condition is that thief in? The flunkeys replied, “Great King! He is still alive, but he is in terrible shape. Without any food or drink he is hovering on the point of death.” The king ordered his men, “From today onwards have mercy on him, and give him food and drink!”

In this way, two arduous years passed for the wretched king Vikrama, until one day a woman who had been born in Ujjaini and who had returned there to visit her family passed in palanquin, she took him to her father-in-law who was an oil merchant. The merchant took the permission of King Chandrasena and kept King Vikrama in his house. Vikramaditya told him. “Don’t let anyone know that I am Vikramaditya, and don’t speak about this matter to anyone.’ The oilman agreed to this and said to King Vikrama, “From now on, you should sit always atop my oil press and press out the oil, and I will keep you supplied with food and clothing.”

King Vikrama, who was a talented musician, knew all the classical ragas used to sing while sitting atop oil press. Princess Padmasena , King Chandrasena’s daughter took instant liking for the voice of king Vikrama and ordered her maids to bring the king to the palace where she heard all the ragas and raginis and decided to marry King Vikrama only. She embarked on hunger fast for this purpose. Queen and the King tried a lot in vain to persuade her, but they failed by seeing the determination in her eyes. So King Chandrasena became angry and agreed for the wedding as he had no alternative left, thinking that it was purely her daughter’s fate.