KING KHANITRA

Markandeya says- ‘People present at the oblation site were shocked to see the dead bodies of Vishwavedi and the four priests. When Khanitra got this news, he too was shocked. Khanitra went to Vashishta and asked him the reason about the deaths of his brother’s minister and the four priests. Vashishta revealed the conspiracy hatched by Vishwavedi to kill him (Khanitra).

Khanitra in a sad tone, said- ‘Shame on me as I have been the cause of the death of the Brahmins. Had I not taken birth as a human being, my brother’s priests won’t have died. I am the real culprit.  What  should  I  do  now?  Where  should  I  go?  The  remorseful  Khanitra  decided  to relinquish his kingdom and go to the forest to do penance so that, he could get liberated from the grave sins of causing death to the Brahmins. He went to the forest accompanied by his three queens after appointing his son Kshup as the king. He did a severe penance for 350 years. After that, he died because of his bad health. All the three queens died too and went to heaven along with him.

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