King Bhartruhari who became saint Bhartruhari
 | There was a king ruling the city of Ujjaini, situated in the middle of present day India. BhartruHari was a wise and loving ruler, but his mind was always on Love and Romance, he had around 100 beautiful women for his wives as stories say, obviously there wasn't much time left for him to look after the Kingdom, his younger step-brother Vikramaditya (who is famously known, Indian calendar system which is still used was found during his era) was looking after the whole of kingdom, and was unhappy with his brother for not taking responsibilities. |
Bhartruhari was so much immersed in romance and sex, that he wrote 100 stanzas on 'the art of romance and sex', now famously called 'Shrungara Shataka'. All the stanzas are on sensuality and sexual pleasure.
King Bhartruhari was obsessed with his youngest wife Pingala, she was beautiful and charming. Once king's brother complained to the king about the affair of queen with king's charioteer and advised him to banish her for the sake of the kingdom. King was too obsessed with her to heed to his brother, in fact when the queen heard of this from her sources, she manipulated the king and banished his brother from the kingdom
One day a yogi came to his court and presented the king with an apple, which he said would bless one with 'youth and longevity' on eating (stories say that the ascetic got the apple as a boon from the gods and that the apple was from the Kalpavruksha- 'wish fulfilling tree').
The king wanted queen Pingala to have the apple, so that she would always look young for him.
Queen Pingala gave the apple to the charioteer. She wanted him to be young and strong.
The charioteer was in love with a prostitute, he gave her the apple to eat.
The prostitute thought 'it would be better if someone deserving ate this', she always liked the king, he was noble and pious, his long living also meant the peace and stability of her kingdom, so she took the apple to the king and give it to him.
King Bhartuhari was surprised to see the apple with her, and enquired how she got it. She told him how she got it from the charioteer, king sent men to bring the charioteer, he told the king that he got it from the queen, and confessed of his affair with the queen.
Bhartruhari realized the fleeting nature of the pleasure from worldly objects, he wrote a poem about the incident which changed him in his Niti Shataka. (100 stanzas on Moral conduct)
"(She) whom on I contemplate, is not passionate for me, she loves another;
that whom she loves, loves another;
One whom he loves, loves another.
Refuse (disdain to) that woman, that man, Cupid, me."
Deep Vairagya (dispassion) arose in him, he gave up the desire for his wife, realizing his mistake he brought his brother back and crowned him, renouncing the world he lived rest of his life as an ascetic. Bhartruhari wrote Niti-Shataka and Vairagya Shataka during his later years.