| The above mentioned
manuscript contains the first lines of
Vairagya shatakam composed by king Bhartrhari,
who lived about two thousand years ago.
Once a saint visited king Bhartrhari and
gave him a delicious fruit. The saint
told the king: “Whoever eats this fruit
will be healthy and live long. Therefore
I better give this fruit to you who are
the ruler of the country.” The king had
many queens but was very much attached
to the youngest. Out of love he gave the
fruit to his beloved queen. She gave the
fruit to her lover, who gave it to one
of the king’s courtesans with whom he
was in love. Eventually the courtesan,
who was fond of the king, gave the fruit
to her master. When the king saw the fruit
he wondered how it had come back to him
and inquired from her. On hearing the
whole story king Bhartrhari realized the
illusion of human love. He gave up his
kingdom and wrote his famous Vairagya
shatakam. Earlier he had compsosed two
more shatakams, namely Shringara and Niti.
In the first verse of Vairagya shatakam
king Bhartrhari writes:
"About whom I ever think she is disinterested
in me. She loves another man who is attached
to another lady who is secretly in love
with me. Fie on her, on him, on Cupid,
on the queen and on me." |
