The Rishis of the ancient eastern tradition have delved deep into the reasons for human birth and existence. In their meditation, when they were merged with the highest levels of consciousness, they were able to see that the Supreme Power was the cause of origin of the cosmos and all existence in all dimensions. The sentient and insentient beings are all a part of that Great Power. That Supreme Power exists within every person. A spark of the Supreme Soul lights up every being as the individual soul. Therefore each of us is a part of the Supreme Soul. We are here to realize our Supreme Self. And this journey of our life is mapped out for us by the Ancient ones as the four Purusharthas or goals of life.
Dharma is the first Purushartha of life. It is conscientious living. It is an orderly and holistic living. It is all about live and let live policy where all co-exist in perfect harmony and understanding. Dharma makes us sensitive to others and makes us care for others. It makes us compassionate and helps us understand the pain of others and take steps to alleviate their pain. When we walk the path of Dharma, we understand that we are part of one huge Universal family and all our actions – in thought, word and deed will be in accordance with this truly holistic understanding.
This is the story of King Shibi who was a great follower of dharma: King Shibi belonged to Raghuvamsham. He was an ancestor of Sri Rama. He was a great king and was well known for being a follower of dharma. He had deep understanding of the tenets of dharma and the dharma of a King. He was kind and charitable. His fame spread in all the earth and heavens. Lord Indra was curious to check if King Shibi was indeed as great as his reputation. He took the help of Lord Agni – Fire God and both of them went to test King Shibi. Lord Indra took the form of a fierce hawk and Lord Agni assumed the form of a dove
King Shibi was in his gardens offering donations to the needy when suddenly a fluttering dove landed on his wrist. There was fear and pain in the eyes of the dove. King Shibi felt pity for the dove and caressing it softly with his hands, he promised it safety and sanctuary. Immediately behind, a hawk came flying with great speed and tried to grab the dove from the King’s hands. When the King obstructed the hawk, the hawk was angry and said: O King, kindly give me my prey. I chased and hunted it first. The King replied that he had offered protection to the dove and could not hand it over. The hawk was disturbed and said to the King: It is your dharma or duty to protect the dove. You have done so. But you are denying me my rightful food. I am hungry. Provide me with suitable food to appease my hunger. Providing me food is also your dharma. So are you going to kill another life to give me food?
King Shibi offered flesh, equal to the weight of dove, from his body to the hawk. He cut portions of flesh from his body and placed then on a scale with the dove as weight. To the surprise of all, the dove was very heavy. No amount of flesh cut from the King’s body could balance the weight. So the King finally sat on the scale and then the scale balanced. King Shibi said to the hawk: O hawk, the scales are finally balanced. Eat me and leave the dove alone.
At that moment, flowers rained from the skies over the King and the hawk and dove assumed their true forms. Lord Indra told King Shibi that he had come to test him and see if he was truly a man of his word and followed dharma. They blessed him that his name and fame would be eternal and he would be an example of dharma. The wounds in the King’s body healed and he stood strong and healthy as before. He lived long and ruled wisely and well. Even now his name is well known for his acts of charity and dharma.
