A History of Indian Literature v2.c19.s3.t2.291

v2.c19.s3.t2.291

Almost all these legends are in the form, already known to us, of sacred ballads. A large number of these poems tell of kings, who were stimulated to thought by some insignificant event or other, gave up the throne, renounced the world, and led a quiet contemplative life as hermits¹ in the Himalayas. A king sees a mango tree bereft of its fruits, is thereby reminded of the transitoriness of all earthly things, and renounces the world. Another, by hearing the tinkle of two bangles on a girl's arm, is reminded of the fact that only the solitary man can find peace; a third, seeing vultures fighting for a piece of meat, and tearing one another, learns how contemptible greed is; a fourth, sees how a mad bullock rushes towards a cow and is pierced to death by a second passionate bullock, and learns to despise the desire of love. The result is always the same.² The legend of King Makhādeva (No. 9), whom the sight of his first grey hair impels to renounce the world, also belongs to this group. The most beautiful of these poems, however, is the Mahājanaka-Jātaka (No. 539), the hero of which is that wise King Janaka of Videha whom we have already met so frequently in the Upaniṣads and in the Mahābhārata. According to the Jātaka he is supposed to have pronounced his famous utterance: "Though the whole of Mithilā burn, nothing of mine burns,"³ when the queen showed him the blazing town, in order to persuade him to return. How Janaka arrives at his decision of renouncing the world, how he first stays on the balcony of the palace in deep meditation, but is soon convinced that he must go away into solitude with the earthen begging-bowl instead of the golden coronation bowl, how his wives attempt to hold him back, how he is strengthened more and more in his resolve, how he remains unassailable and finally goes on his solitary way—all this is described with such thrilling force, as could only have been inspired by the very deepest conviction, combined with no mean poetical talent.