PLATE ONE

In the province of Sarasena there was a King named Citraketu, who
ruled the entire earth. Although he had millions of wives, by chance he
did not receive a child from any of them. One queen, however, having
received a benediction from the great sage Angira, bore the King a son
and thus became his most favored wife. This caused her co-wives to be-
come extremely unhappy. These queens, burning with envy and unable
to tolerate the King’s neglect, poisoned the son. When the King heard of
his son’s death, he became almost blind and fell at his son’s feet. Accom-
panied by his wife, who was lamenting for her dead child, King
Citraketu began crying loudly in grief. While the King lay like a dead
body beside his dead son, the two great sages Narada and Angira ap-
peared and enlightened him with instructions about spiritual conscious-
ness. Then, by mystic power, the great sage Narada brought the dead son
back into the vision of all the lamenting relatives. The son then spoke to
further enlighten the King. (pp. 12-80)
