The Story of Jayamala
There was a king named Jayamala who loved Krishna with all his heart. He followed with unfailing devotion, all the rites and ceremonies associated with the adoration of Sri Krishna, whom Jayamala worshipped under the name of Syamalasundara. Completely satisfied with his own Deity, he never directed his attention to any other God or Goddess. One of the inflexible rules of his devotions was to worship the Deity daily till almost midday. He would never deviate from this practice, even at the risk of his wealth or his kingdom. Learning this secret, an enemy king invaded the kingdom during the morning hours. Jayamala’s soldiers could not fight without his command; so they watched the invasion silently. Slowly the enemy surrounded the moat of the capital; yet Jayamala did not come out of his shrine room. His mother came to him and wept bitterly, trying to persuade the king to fight. He said to her calmly: “Why are you worried? Syamalasundara gave me this kingdom. What can I do if He had decided to take it away? On the other hand, none will be able to do me harm if He protects me. Our own efforts are vain.”
Actually, in the meantime, Syamalasundara, the Deity Himself had taken the King’s horse from the stable and had ridden fully armed to the field. Alone He faced the hostile king and alone destroyed his army. Having crushed the enemy forces, the Deity returned to the temple and fastened the horse nearby. Jayamala, on completing his worship, came out and discovered the horse there, panting and covered with sweat. “Who has been riding my horse?” He demanded. “Who brought it to the temple?” The officers declared they knew nothing about it. In a pensive mood the king proceeded to the battlefield with his army and there found the enemy, with the exception of their leader, lying dead. He was staring uncomprehendingly at the scene, when the enemy king approached, worshipped him and said: “Please permit me to tell you something. How could I fight? You have a warrior who could conquer the entire world. I do not want your wealth or your kingdom; indeed I will gladly give you my own, if you will tell me about that Blue Warrior, your friend. No sooner did I turn my eyes on Him than he cast a spell on my heart and soul.” Jayamala then realized it had been none other than Syamalasundara that had appeared on the battlefield. The enemy king understood too. He worshipped Jayamala and through his blessings received Krishna’s grace.
MORAL OF THE STORY:
Belief brings miracle. We must do our daily routines. Nitya karma. Balance will be taken care of by God.