Slokam 4

The slokam describes the travails of the king of Shoorasena, called Chitraketu.  A son was born to him with the assistance of Sage Angirasa.  Chitraketu was happy that he had a heir to the kingdom.  The step mothers however let threatened that their status may be lowered.  They kill the child,  and Chitraketu lost consciousness in grief. 

Undoubtedly the instinct to protect one’s domain is an immensely strong one. Women tend to protect their domain vigorously.  The kings of yore, with multiple wives had to contend with the rivalries on a daily basis.  The most glaring occurrence in the Ithihasas is the insistence of Kaikeyi that Sri Rama had to give up His position as the Heir to the throne and retire to the forest for 14 years.  This was an overwhelming proposition for king Dasharatha and the people of Ayodhya. 

Being the custom in the days of yore, kings married multiple times, almost without exception.  In the modern world,  except for a few regions,  it is universally accepted that a marriage should be only with one partner.  However,  it is a known fact that about half the population in the western world does succumb to temptations and weaknesses and people get married more than once in their lifetimes.  This disrupted family and marital life causes great damage to the psyche of the children, and impacts the society at large.

King Chitraketu faced an extreme consequence of this rivalry between his wives. He was plunged in great anguish.

It is a fact that a parent is very much attached to his children and wants to see them succeed.  The slokam points out that it is ultimately the Paramathma that takes care of all of us and it is but an illusion on our part to take illusory ownership of our so called relationships and what we think are our possessions.

The desire to expand our pleasures, luxuries, has no limits.  As long as we seek more and more comfort, the web of life will get more and more intricate and our problems will expand multifold.

The challenges posed by marital lives can be overcome only with the guidance of the Paramathma.  May we ever be situated in full and complete consciousness of the Paramathma and always be contended with what has been bestowed on us.