Uttar-Priyadarshi

Uttar-Priyadarshi

Indian history mentions the story of Emperor Ashoka’s transformation after the Kalinga Conquest. However, in Buddhist Culture there is another popular story which is based on Lord Buddha’s prophecy about Ashoka. A well-known Hindi Poet and Writer ‘Agyeya (Ajneya)’ wrote a play named ‘Uttar-Priyadarshi.’ And the story of the play goes like this:

After killing his brothers, Ashoka (Priyadarshi) went to win the rebels around the entire Bharatvarsha. He fought continuous wars for four years and then he ascended the throne in the fifth year. After his coronation, he still conquered kingdoms and imprisoned the ones who didn’t surrender. Then he ordered his men to make an execution chamber where these people could be executed according to the sins. That prison was known as ‘Ashoka’s Hell’. However, it was underground. The upper floor was flourished with gardens to make it look like a paradise. Then the emperor ordered to find the cruellest man who could be the executioner. They found a man in some village who had killed his own parents, whose name was Girika (Ghor). He was a giant man with anger filled in his heart. He was summoned into the court, where the emperor commanded him to take charge of the prison and torture and execute prisoners brutally. The emperor made him the king of prison and told him that he should torture everyone who steps into that prison. Even if the emperor stepped in himself, he should capture him and torture him. Girika agreed and he started his cruelty in the prison.

One day a monk was passing by the prison. He stopped to rest in that garden where Girika’s men came and imprisoned him. He was taken inside. However, the monk insisted those men to have lunch before they would torture him. Meanwhile, other men executed another man who had stepped in by crushing his bones and flesh. When the monk saw the blood coming out of a chamber, he learnt how mortal human bodies are. Later when those men tried to torture the monk, the monk remained still and smiling. They called Girika who threw the monk in boiling oil. However, the monk rose out of it, sitting in a floating lotus. Bewildered by this sight, the guards rushed to the emperor. When the emperor refused to step in, they insisted that it was some kind of magic. Eventually, the emperor agreed and came inside the prison. He saw the monk, sitting on a floating lotus. But before he could approach Girika laughed like a devil and wielded his sword toward the emperor. However, the emperor leaned aside toward the monk. There he felt an invisible bubble with forces of purity and eternal bliss. He felt complete. He felt his heart was calming itself. He bowed to the monk who preached the emperor about Dharma and peace. Emperor Ashoka was transformed and he followed the path of Dharma since then. His teachings of Dharma made him the most glorious emperor among the entire world.