||Sri Ram Jayram Jaya Jaya Ram||

Chapter – 63 – Dhoha – 62

The legend of King Prathapbhanu and his hunting expedition

Prathapbhanu wisely ruled the Kingdom, followed all the rites prescribed in the Veda, the city of Kaikeya was free from sins and miseries. He had a minister Dharmaruchi was equivalent to Shukra, was highly skilled and promising like King Prathapbhanu. Thus, the Kingdom of Kaikeya had a highly efficient army of warriors, under the supervision of the minister Dharmaruchi and the brother of King Prathapbhanu, he had accumulated an excellent army of men to fight against the neighboring countries, and King was highly pleased with his army.  He fought against the countries that declared battle against him; the divine sounds of Dhundhubi echoed in the sky and marched against the enemy Kingdom on an auspicious time. King Prathapbhanu conquered the seven islands, asked the Kings to pay off taxes and released them. Thus the powerful King Prathapbhanu became the Emperor of Kaikeya, he achieved Dharma, Artha, and Kama, and the Mother Earth shone like the divine Kamadhenu under his regime. The people of his Kingdom were happy and comfortable, the women and men were extremely attractive followed all the righteousness. The minister Dharmaruchi was highly devoted at the lotus feet of Lord Hari, worked for the welfare of the people of the Kingdom, and efficiently advised the King Prathapbhanu in his regime. The King worshiped preceptor, deities, saintly men and ascetics, Pithrus, and twice-born, he sincerely followed all the Rajadharma prescribed in the Veda. He performed various austerities and charities on a regular basis; he listened to the recitation of Veda and sacred scriptures. He beautified the sacred lands on the Earth, constructed several wells, pleasure gardens, shelter homes, ponds, forests, residential places for twice-born, and magnificent shrines, etc.

King Prathapbhanu sincerely followed the rites prescribed in the Veda and sacred scriptures, he performed various fire sacrifices, he performed all the charities and righteousness without any selfish motive, he was highly intelligent and man of righteousness. All those deeds performed with the mind, words, and intellect was dedicated to the supreme Lord Vasudeva. Once, King Prathapbhanu with men went for a hunting expedition to the mounts of Vindhyachala. He arrived in the dense forest and killed several animals; suddenly saw a pig with sharp protruding white teeth resembled the Rahu keeping Chandra on its mouth,  it has a huge sized body, it produced oink and spread its ears on the direction of the sounds of the hooves of the horses. The King Prathapbhanu on his horse chased the wild boar, but it flew like the wind and escaped from his sight. He fastened the arrow and aimed at the boar, but it smartly escaped from the shower of arrows, keep appearing and disappearing from the sight of the King who followed it with great enthusiasm, soon the boar disappeared in the dense wood, where it is difficult to for the elephant or horse to enter. King Prathapbhanu did not leave his attempt; he followed the boar in the dense wood, seeing the King the boar took shelter inside a deep cave. The King realized that there is no way to approach the mouth of the cave, so he returned with extreme disappointment.