CHAPTER FOURTEEN

King Citraketu’s Lamentation

In this Fourteenth Chapter, Pariksit Maharaja asks his spiritual master,
Sukadeva Gosvami, how such a demon as Vrtrasura could become an ex-
alted devotee. In this connection the previous life of Vrtrasura is dis-
cussed. This involves the story of Citraketu and how he was victimized
by lamentation because of the death of his son.

Among many millions of living entities, the number of human beings
is extremely small, and among human beings who are actually religious,
only some are eager to be liberated from material existence. Among
many thousands of people who desire relief from material existence, one
is freed from the association of unwanted persons or is relieved of
material contamination. And among many millions of such liberated per-
sons, one may become a devotee of Lord Narayana. Therefore such devo-
tees are extremely rare. Since bhakti, devotional service, is not ordinary,
Pariksit Maharaja was astonished that an asura could rise to the exalted

osition of a devotee. Being doubtful, Pariksit Maharaja inquired from
Sukadeva Gosvami, who then described Vrtrasura with reference to his
previous birth as Citraketu, the King of Sirasena.

Citraketu, who had no sons, got an opportunity to meet the great sage
Angira. When Angira inquired from the King about his welfare, the
King expressed his moroseness, and therefore by the grace of the great
sage, the King’s first wife, Krtadyuti, gave birth to a son, who was the
cause of both happiness and lamentation. Upon the birth of this son, the
King and all the residents of the palace were very happy. The co-wives of
Krtadyuti, however, were envious, and later they administered poison to
the child. Citraketu was overwhelmed by shock at his son’s death. Then
Narada Muni and Angira went to see him.

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