By and by, the elegance of the two birds became a favourite topic of discussion among the celestial and supernatural beings like the Devas (radiant beings), Nagas (Serpants), Yaksas (ogres with great supernatural powers; also the attendants of Kubera); and the Vidyadhara women (believably dwelling in the Himalayan region and possessing the power of special sciences to perform spells). These beings also conversed with the enlightened human beings, who in turn, conversed with their disciples and friends. Thus, the fame of the two swans spread all over the human land like a wild fire and reached the court of the king of Varanasi, too.

Impressed and charmed the Varanasi king’s urge to possess the two birds became so intense that he decided to capture them by all means. So, he had a magnificent lake constructed, which rivalled the splendour of the Lake Manasa. Thence, a variety of attractive water plants, water lilies and lotuses of all sorts, namely, padma, utpala, kumuda, pundarika, saugandhika, tamarasa and kahlara were grown there. The lotus pollen carried by the ripples of the lake would embellish the banks like the gold wires. Further, the limpidity and calmness of the lake’s transparent water displaying the fair hue of the swarms of fishes swimming beneath its surface would catch the eye of every beholder. Thus, at night the lake would become a mirror for the moon and stars. Further, the elephants dipped their trunks and blew forth the cascades of spray like the loosened pearls from a string there. And the fragrance of which then mingled with the odour of their ruts and the juices of the trampled flowers and the emanated pastes of the bathing beauties of all over the places, made the lake the most spectacular site on the earth.

Furthermore, the king in order to win the confidence of the birds ensured the safety for all birds by a royal proclamation. So, myriad birds visited the newly constructed lake and made it their new home.

Now, in a gorgeous autumn day, when the rainy season was just over, and the sky looked resplendent blue, a pair of Manas swans by chance flew over the newly constructed lake, which to them appeared to be the birds’ paradise. Allured, they descended and lived there joyously until the advent of the next rain. Upon return to Manas, the description of the splendour of the newly discovered lake, which they narrated before their friends, impelled most of the swans to visit the new lake. But their king and his commander-in-chief were opposed to any proposal to visit the place inhabited by the human beings. He instead said:

The birds and animals have the habit

Of expressing their feelings by their cries;

But the creatures called the ‘men’

Are skilled in the expressions

Contrary to their intentions.

Nonetheless, the swans persisted and persisted; and at last the king and his commander had to accede to their repeated requests. Eventually, one day they all flew to Varanasi and descended on the new lake; and their graceful presence further enhanced the beauty and the splendour of the lake.

When the swans arrived there along with the two most conspicuously gorgeous birds – whose wings were radiant gold; beaks and feet had the lustre, which even surpassed gold; and whose size exceeded an average swan – the king was informed of their arrival in no time. He then without wasting time, hired the service of a skilled fowler (nishada) to catch those two birds. The fowler in turn laid down some well-concealed snares on the sites often frequented by the two swans. Next day, when the swans were wandering cheerfully in a bright sunny day their king reached the site where the fowler had concealed a snare. And he was decoyed. Alarmed, he cried loudly to warn all his friends and called upon them to fly away. Responding to the call all the swans flew away. But Sumukha, the commander-in-chief, however, insisted to stand by his king at the time of his distress. So, despite the requests made by Yudhisthira he stood there adamantly.

When the fowler came near them, he noticed that one of the two prized swans was not caught. Nonetheless, it was neither flying away nor showing any sign of fear. The fearlessness of that bird surprised him. Further, when he came closer, Sumukha, the uncaught fearless bird, requested him to hold him captive in place of the other swan as he was his king. The exemplification of such loyalty and valour by a bird changed the mind of the nishada so much so that he released both the birds notwithstanding the fear of incurring the wrath of the Varanasi king by defying the royal order order, which meant nothing but the death sentence. The two birds did not fly away to take advantage of the situation. When set free, they wanted to reciprocate goodness to the fowler. So, they perched on his shoulders and asked him to carry them to his king because they wanted him to be saved from his king’s wrath.

In the court when the king was apprised of the whole story he, too, was greatly moved by the virtues and valour of the two swans. He extended hospitality to them; and amnesty to the fowler. The birds then stayed there for a few days as the royal guests to give some discourses to the king and his courtiers. They then flew back to the Manas to join other swans.

Though born in an inferior family, a wise man shines forth /

Like the fire in the night, if endowed with the virtuous conduct//

The author of this story is unknown and greatly appreciated!

The post The Story Of Two Swans appeared first on Spiritual Growth Events.

Once, rambling in a thick forest he heard a heart-rending cry. Curiously, when he looked at the direction he saw a man being carried away by a gushing stream. The sight of the man in his utter distress filled his heart with compassion. In order to rescue him, he jumped into the water and asked the man to cling fast to him. The man instead of clinging to him climbed on his delicate back in his panic. Nonetheless, the deer bore the heavy load of the man and brought him safely on the river-bank. He then comforted the shivering man with his warm caresses until he regained consciousness. When the man was back to his senses Ruru dismissed him by saying, “You may now go back to your own fellow beings!”

The man thanked him and expressed his gratitude by saying,

No friend from childhood; nor a kinsman has ever done

What thou hast done to me.

This life of mine is now thine.

Gratefully, I shall always be at your service,

Command me to do something for thee.

The deer then said,

If this be so

Then tell this to none

That thou art saved by one

Who surpasses beauty

And is the most desirable prey for any man –

As the hearts of men have little mercy and no restraint.

Ruru watching the man drowning

Ruru saving the man

the king is pointing the arrow to shoot Ruru

the king salutes Ruru

The man promised to keep his pledge; and protect the life of his benefactor before he departed.

One day, the queen of that country saw a dream where a golden deer appeared standing on a throne and preaching dhamma in an articulate human voice. Bewitched by the elegant sight of the deer, she requested the king to catch the deer for her. The king, who trusted in the veracity of her dreams acted according to her wish by the royal proclamation of the reward of a rich village and ten lovely women for one who would help find out the deer. The man, who was once rescued by the deer, when heard of the rich rewards, went to the king and divulged the secret abode of Ruru. All the more, he took the king and his men to the thicket, where the deer dwelt. But surprisingly, when he raised his hand to show the deer his hand fell off like a chopped limb.

In the meanwhile, the king had seen the deer and his eyes were wide-open at the wonderful sight of the deer.

Now, when the deer noticed the king’s arrow pointing at him; and the people surrounding him from all directions and there was no place to escape, he spoke to the king in an articulate human voice, ‘Sir! Pray first satisfy my curiosity before you kill me. Can you tell me, how did you reach here because I never tread the path of a man”. The king, charmed by his gaiety pointed the man by turning the arrow towards him in reply. The deer then recited,

Better is to lift a log of wood out of water

Than to save an ungrateful one !.

This utterance of the deer aroused the curiosity of the king, who in turn asked the deer to explain the context. The deer then narrated the story of the man, who he had rescued. The king was moved by the story and commended his compassion and bravery; but at the same time was terribly furious at the ungrateful man. So, to punish the man when he pulled the string of the bow to shoot him, Ruru requested him to forgive the man. So, the king forgave the man but invited the deer to visit his kingdom as a royal guest. Ruru accepted the invitation; and on the king’s request mounted the royal carriage to proceed to the kingdom in a pompous procession. Reaching the king’s court, he perched the throne and delivered several discourses to the king, queen, princes and the courtiers for some days. He then returned to his abode for good.

The word of men, O king! Is far harder than these].

The author of this story is unknown and greatly appreciated!

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