The King's Dilemma

When six days had passed since Parikshit had been listening to the Bhagavata Katha, Shukdev noticed that Parikshit was still afraid of death. Seeing his condition, Shukdev told King Parikshit a story...

A king once went hunting in the forest. While wandering, he lost his way. After wandering around, he came across a small hut. When the king entered, he saw a hunter who had been ill for a long time.

When the king entered the hut, he saw that the sick hunter had set up a toilet on one side of the hut and had hung animal meat from the ceiling for food and drink. All these things in the small hut filled the hut with a foul stench. However, having no other option, the king requested the hunter to stay there.

The hunter replied, "I always give lost travelers shelter in my hut. But when the next morning comes, no one wants to leave and insists on staying here. I don't want to be put through this hassle again, so I can't let you stay in my hut." The king was a little surprised and then said, "I promise you I won't do that and will leave for home in the morning." Trusting the king, the sick hunter gives him a place to stay. The king lies down to rest there that night, and the smell of the hut permeates him. By morning, the king becomes so intoxicated by the smell that he, too, forgets his promise and starts talking about staying there like the others. This sparked a quarrel with the sick hunter.

Then Shukdev asked King Parikshit...

Was the king right in doing this?

So  Responding to Shukdev's question, King Parikshit said, "No, he was absolutely wrong. He was a foolish king who wanted to leave his good kingdom and live in that dirty hut, breaking his promise. Can you tell me who that king was?"

Shukdev replied, "That king is none other than you yourself, O King. You want to live in this body, this hut filled with feces and urine, even though your soul's time in this body has ended. Yet, you are still mourning for it." Shukdev then asked, "Is it right to still mourn death?" King Parikshit then decided to remove the fear of death from his mind and listened to the story with complete devotion until his last breath.

Read more : -  Celibacy Through Inner Union: The Path to Self-Realization