A humbling experience

That unflinching faith and humility are the basic essentials of Bhakti is well illustrated in the inspirational accounts of the lives of the devout. Familiarising oneself with the infinite ways in which God has stood by His devotees even as they stood steadfast in their devotion to Him can help to inspire Bhakti which the Bhagavata Purana extols as the most efficacious path to liberation.

The story of the exemplary devotion of King Ambharisha and the unprecedented manner in which Sage Durvasa was made to undergo a humbling experience for trying to harm him is an instance to show that the Lord is so much committed towards His devotees and that He cannot brook any insult to them, pointed out Srimati Visakha Hari in a discourse.

Ambharisha was totally dedicated to his duties as a king — both secular and spiritual. Having understood that the essence of life is devotion to the Lord, he was not attracted towards worldly comforts and remained an embodiment of modesty and integrity. It so happened that Sage Durvasa visited him during the completion of the three-day Ekadasi fast (a sacred spiritual discipline that holds the Dwadasi Parana — meal at the appropriate time as mandatory) that the king had observed meticulously with all sincerity on the banks of the Yamuna.

The deferential king felt honoured at this and requested the sage to join him for the meal. Since the stipulated time for the meal was ticking away and the sage who had gone to the river for ablutions had not returned, the king completed the ritual in a symbolic manner by taking sacred water to make the fast effective. While the enraged sage took affront at this act and attacked the king, unaware of the repercussions that follow when one tries to harm a devotee of the Lord, the king had remained unperturbed, knowing fully well that he had not transgressed. Being chased by the Lord's powerful discus (Sudarshan Chakra), the sage ran from world to world seeking the protection of Brahma, Siva and finally Vishnu. The Lord directed the sage to seek the feet of Ambharisha himself, and reiterated that it is modesty and absence of ego alone that lend respect to knowledge or austerity. The sage then appreciated the king's devotion and good nature that showed kindness even to enemies.