समानबुद्धि (Equanimity)

Original post by Vimla Anand in www.mdmsin.com We know that King Janaka, even while performing ordinary worldly duties like ruling kingdom and looking after the needs of the kingdom, found it possible to turn his thoughts completely towards the divine. The great rishi Sukha was once teaching several things to his disciples in a forest quite close to Mithilapura. Janaka, hearing about this requested permission to attend the classes. Janaka became one of the students. One day when he did not arrive on time, Suka did not start his class and waited till he arrived. But the other disciples started murmuring amongst themselves. From that day, their faith in the Guru started weakening. They also became envious of King Janaka. As soon as Suka saw such envy and jealousy among his disciples, he decided to teach them a lesson. At an opportune moment, all the disciples were made to feel that the entire city of Mithila was in flames. Then each of them began to think of the consequences, of the effect it would have on their houses. They ran to the city, to salvage what they could.    But King Janaka did not waver or move from his place. Suka told Janaka that the flames appear to have spread to the palace and he asked Janaka to go and save the inmates of the palace. Janaka was only smiling, thinking that God's will shall be done and no one can change it.  The envious students who ran to the city found that there were no flames at all and it was only a make-believe. They came back and reported this to Suka. They expressed surprise at the steady mind of Janaka. Suka looked at the disciples who were envious and told them it is better to have one disciplined student rather than many who have no stability of mind.

Translated into TM from the original English राजकार्य निष्टांन करतानापणीं जनक महाराजाला परमात्माच व॑र पूरा ध्यान द्याला झाल॑ म्हणून अम्हाला कळल॑. एकदफा मिथिलापुरीच जवळच॑ एक राणांत॑ शुकमहाऋषी शिष्यांला पाठ करत होते. हे ऐकून जनक महाराजापणीं शिक्षणांत मिळिवाला शुक महाऋषींकडे आग्रह कळिवले अणी त्यंच शिष्य झाले. एक दिवस जनक महाराजा पाठाला बरोरल॑ वेळाला आश्रमाला आलनाही अणी तेनी या पर्यंतीन शुकमहाऋषी पाठ आरंभ केलनाहीत॑.  दुसर॑ शिष्यांस हे अवडल॑ नाही अणी ते दिवस पसून त्यांस॑ गुरूच व॑रल आदर उणे होत गेल॑. जनक महाराजांव॑र असूया पणीं त्यांस वाढाला आरंभ झाल॑. . हे अग्गीन पाव्हून शुकमहाऋषी शिष्यांस बुद्धि कळिवाला निश्चय केले अणी एक बरोरल॑ समयांत मिथिलापुरी थोर विस्तूंत॑ जळून पेटास्क॑ दृश्य दाखिवले.  त्यंच-त्यंच स्वंत घर, आस्त-संपत्त हेज व॑र मात्र ध्यान ठींगून अग्गी शिष्य लोकीं पट्णाला भरडपळून गेले. स्वंत घर संपत्त कस॑ दत्तन करणे हे विचार मात्र शिष्य लोकांच मनांत होत॑.  पण जनक महाराजा शांत होऊन बसलते ठिकाणीच बसलसाच पाव्हून "राजवाडा विस्तु पेटून जळत आहे, तेथ॑ जाऊन तेथल॑ लोकांस रक्षा करा", अस॑ शुकमुनी सांगूनपणी जनक बसलते ठाम सोडून सरकनास्क॑, हे सगळीन देवाच खेळ आहे, कोणालीं बदलिवाला होईना, अस॑ मनांत॑ म्हणींगून नुस्त मंदहांसांत॑ बसल होते.  पट्णाला पळून गेलते शिष्य लोकांस तिकड॑ विस्तूच काह्यीं दिसल नाही अणी झालते अग्गीन एक माया होत॑ म्हणून कळून परतून येऊन शुकमुनीला विषय सांगट्ले.  जनकाच दृढ मन्न पाव्हून त्यांस आश्चर्य वाटल॑.  चंचल मन्नाच भरून शिष्य असापक्षा दृढ मन्नाच एक शिष्य असलतर॑ तेच बर॑, अस॑ शुकमुनी त्यांस पाव्हून सांगट्ले.