Devibhagavatapurana 5.32.5

5.32.5

vyāsa uvāca |
svārociṣe'ntare pūrvaṃ suratho nāma pārthivaḥ |
babhūva paramodāraḥ prajāpālanatatparaḥ ||

Vyâsa said:-- O King! In days of yore in Svârochisa Manvantara there was a king, named Suratha, very liberal-minded and devoted to govern well his subjects. He was truthful, active and energetic, and devoted to his Guru; he always served the twice-born and he never used to hold any sexual intercourse except with his legal wife. He was generous, not liking to quarrel with anybody, and expert in the science of archery. While he was thus governing his kingdom, the Mlechchas, the hill tribes, turned out his enemies. They destroyed the city of Kolâ, became very haughty and turbulent and desired to conquer the whole earth by their sheer force. Thus accompanied by the great four-fold army elephants, chariots, cavalry and infantry they came to conquer the dominion of the King Suratha. A dreadful fight then ensued between the King and the dreadful Mlechchas. O King! The Mlechcha forces were not at all numerous whereas the armies of the king were large; still the Mlechchas were lucky to win the battle. The King, defeated, fled to his own city which was a strongly fortified place. The good King, wise in statesmanship when he saw that his ministers had gone over to the enemies’ party, became very anxious and thought whether it was advisable for him to wait for a better opportunity, remaining within his own extensive city, well guarded by a strong wall and ditch or it would be better to fight on. The King thought also that it would not at all be advisable to consult with his ministers who were, then, under the control of his enemies; what then would he do under the circumstances? Those vicious ministers could at any time deliver him to the hands of his enemies; what would then happen to him! Those men, that are avaricious, can do anything in this world; therefore it would never be advisable to trust them. The people under the sway of greed commit injury to their fathers, brothers, friends, acquaintances, their Gurus and the adored Brâhmanas. When the ministers had joined with his enemies, they could well be classed with the vicious; no doubt in this. Never could they be trusted under the above circumstances. Thus pondering over the matter, the King became absent-minded, and, finding no remedy, went out of the city alone, mounted on a horse. The intelligent King, helpless, entered into a dense forest and thought where would he go now? Knowing, then, that there was, at a distance of three Yojanas from that place, a hermitage of the great ascetic the Sumedhâ Risi, the King went there. (N.B.:-- A Yojana is a distance measuring four Krosas or eight or nine miles.)