Ashoka's Hell

Emperor Ashoka decided to follow Buddhism. It is said that after witnessing the horrors of the human suffering brought about as a result of the Kalinga battle, he decided to move away from violence and respect life in all of its forms. This version of why he turned towards Buddhism has been immortalized by storybooks and the movie world, but there is yet another tale that has gone down in legend. This tale highlights the unbelievable extent of human abilities through meditation. This legend is known as Ashoka's hell.

Allow me to narrate the same to you, the way I imagine it to have unfolded:

Emperor Ashoka was at the prime of his rule. His kingdom was vast, his army was the strongest in the world, he had yet to beat Kalinga. He wasn't too bothered about this battle as his very accomplished and worthy army generals were taking care of it. At the peak of his power, he would indulge in all sorts of activities. He was bored by his harem of women...they were available to him all too willingly. There was just no quest or challenge there. The usual entertainment with the problems of his people had begun to bore him. His ministers were wise and could easily pass suitable judgment once the entire case was laid before them. His battlefield days were over it seemed and his kingdom was secure. Having met all his worldly requirements and desires, he thought to himself, "I must now ensure that only the worthy remain in my kingdom. Temptation is what should be rooted out!" They say an empty mind is the devil's workshop....he smiled as he thought of a way to root out temptation.

A few months later, the great emperor was overheard by the palace servants during a deep conversation with a huge man, the size of a gorilla, covered in a veil, so that his face was not seen.

"O, great king! The Buddhist way is the best..." He turned and saw the servants, he quickly closed the doors so that no more was heard.

Exactly a year to the day, the strange man came to the palace to see the emperor and was again heard to say, "Oh great king! Don't worry! I shall follow your instructions to the letter and treat every human as equal."

The servants said that for a split second, they saw a glint of fear in the eyes of the great emperor. "Go! And begin the task given to you!" He commanded as the man left.

One fine day a traveling Buddhist monk called Samudra was passing by the kingdom and reached Pataliputra which is modern-day Patna. He was thirsty and tired and looked for a place to rest. His eyes fell upon a huge palace. It was the most beautiful place the monk had ever seen, and the garden had flowers and fruit trees. To a tired monk, this place looked almost like heaven. He decided to go in. The magnificence of the exterior was only surpassed by the elaborately decorated and furnished interior which had marble floors and walls along with baths fit for a king.

He was met by a man who towered above him with a muscular form, a magnificent beast of a man with a cruelly scarred face. The huge man looked at Samudra and asked him in a rough voice "What is your name Monk?"

"My name is Samudra, kind Sir. What is your name?"

"I am known as Girika the cruel." He said fiercely and looked at him as a predator looks at its prey.

Samudra was unmoved by his attitude and said simply, "I look for shelter for the night, after which I will be on my way."

"No one who enters here is allowed to leave. You have to come with me now." thundered Girika blocking the way out.. The monk was no match for the huge man so he went along with him.

The Girika took him past the beautifully decorated halls and baths, to a beautifully carved door encrusted with jewels.

"This is the last beautiful thing you will see Monk!" laughed the Girika.

The door opened into a stone bare tunnel which went downstairs. He was literally pushed down, and when they reached the floor below, he saw that it was an elaborate torture chamber. It had the most horrific torture instruments which were known about in what was called the Buddhist hells.

The Girika laughed yet again."I know of all the hells of the Buddhists, and I have created these torture devices myself using those texts as inspiration." There was pride in his voice, like that of a craftsman showing off his craft.

"All these torture devices are based on Ashokavadana documents." The Girika continued grimly, "Yes indeed, Emperor Ashoka himself has approved of the building of this place. Ashoka's Hell! Boiling humans in their own flesh, bone and blood until they die a slow painful death is one of my favourite tortures. I have made a pact with Emperor Ashoka that I will treat all who are tempted by the beauty and grandeur of this place equally. A way to get rid of temptation. Even if the king himself comes here, I will treat him in the same way. He is wise because he stays away." The Girika grinned in a demented manner and looked at Samudra "And now Monk it is your turn, as you have entered here. I will put you in the boiling pot and hear your screams of agony!"

Samudra was shocked, but decided to remember all that he learned at the monastery. He went into a deep meditative state, and allowed the Girika to do with him as he pleased. The Girika laughed as he took hold of Samudra and literally threw him into the terrible pot. To his surprise, Samudra did not fall into the pot. He remained suspended above the pot, unaffected by his surroundings.

He tried to burn him, but the fire would not affect him. He was unable to touch, forget torture Samudra. He appeared to be able to neutralize the torture methods by realizing that the suffering of the other prisoners is part of the Buddhist dogma of suffering and attaining arhatship which simply means to be far advanced in the path of enlightenment. He also managed to cool down the contents of the boiling pot he meditated cross legged on a lotus that sprouted from the fluid in the pot.

This was too much for Girika, who decided to inform the emperor that he was unable to torture a mere monk. When Ashoka heard about this miracle, he was overcome with curiosity and decided to enter the chamber to verify for himself the truth of what was told to him. On reaching there, he witnessed Samudra levitating with half his body on fire and the other half raining water, but seemingly unharmed.

Intrigued and amazed, he asked Samudra, "Who are you?"

Samudra replied that he was a disciple of Buddha and adherent to the Dharma. "Oh King! You have built an elaborate torture chamber when you had no need to do so! You have to atone for all the unnecessary suffering you have brought on innocent curious people. There is no temptation in admiring beauty in whichever form. For this, you should build 84,000 stupas according to Buddha's prophecy, which will guarantee the security of all living beings."

Emperor Ashoka held down his head in shame. He agreed to whatever Samudra instructed and confessed to his crimes and accepted Buddha and the Dharma. His acceptance coincided with the end of the Battle of Kalinga, whereupon he saw human suffering and decided even more firmly, not to hurt any living creature again in his lifetime, respect all religions and treat all fairly and equally.

It took a miracle of meditation by a simple monk, to change the ways of the great emperor.