Delhi The City of Sorrow .

- No matter what kind of Garuda bird, it can never lift an elephant and fly. But now? Catching the elephant by the trunk, the bird is going into the sky, and the elephant is screaming terribly.

- Somdev spoke in his mind: "I will establish a beautiful city here. Based on today's event, I will name it Hastinapur."'Hasti' means elephant.

- Jivram Joshi

S ince the establishment of Hastinapur, neither have its kings been fully happy, nor have its people found complete happiness.

Thousands of years have passed since that matter. Delhi is the oldest of cities, and its stories are just as old. The sins of the ancient city of Delhi are also ancient. Its foundation was laid in sin. This continues even today. This story is written in the pages of the Puranas.

There was once an ascetic sage (Rishi). His name was Atri. He was a great scholar and very intelligent. There is a small story regarding his knowledge and wisdom.

Once, Atri Rishi needed wealth, meaning he needed many things. He went to great rich men. He went to great kings. But no one said yes to giving as much wealth as he asked. Finally, he asked a king of the Vetkula clan for wealth. The king gave it. Because of this, the king's treasury became empty. Not even a speck of gold or silver remained in the palace. Even the jewelry of the King, Queen, Prince, and Princess was gone.

Seeing such generosity from the king, Atri Rishi was very happy. He praised the king greatly. In his praise, he told the king, "You are like God. Today, I call you God."

There was another sage named Gautam. His penance, knowledge, and learning were superior to all. He heard this talk.

He said to Atri: "It is good to praise someone who does good work. But one who gives false praise becomes false himself."

Atri said: "Meaning?"

Gautam said: "The king gave you a donation, so you started calling him God. That is not considered right. How can a human be called God?"

Atri smiled slightly and spoke: "I called the king God, and I said it truly."

Gautam became silent.

Atri smiled and said: "Why are you sitting silently?"

Gautam said: "I am very surprised. An intelligent man like you, with such learning and penance, should not speak like this."

Atri said: "What I spoke is the truth."

Gautam said: "Just because you say it, does not make it true."

Atri said: "Then let us get it tested."

Gautam said: "Who will test it?"

Atri said: "Is Sanat Kumar a great knower and ascetic or not?"

Gautam said: "Yes."

Atri said: "Then let us go to him and ask if calling the king 'Lord' was true or false."

Gautam said: "Let's go."

Atri and Gautam walked and went to Sanat Kumar. They told him the whole story.

Sanat Kumar thought about it and spoke: "A king or any human cannot consider himself God. If someone says 'I am like God,' he tells the biggest lie. But Atri calling the king God is not wrong. Mercy, love, and generosity are the virtues of God. Whoever has these virtues, to that extent, should be called God. Doing good for others is God's quality. Giving happiness to others is God's work. Helping others and removing the pain of the unhappy is God's work. The king did such work, that is why Atri called him God. That is not wrong."

Gautam was pleased. He understood why Atri called the king God.

This Atri Rishi had three sons. One of them was named Som. Som was a scholar, intelligent, and strong. He did not like becoming a Brahmin. He decided to become a King.

It is a matter of one time. He mounted a horse and went out for a ride along the banks of the Yamuna. The waters of the Yamuna were flowing brimful on both banks. Further ahead, a dense thicket came. Seeing the beauty of the canopy of vines, the plants adorned with bunches of colorful flowers, and the density of fruit trees, Somdev felt such joy as if he had gone out for a walk in a beautiful garden. The horse kept walking, and he reached far away.

Suddenly, the horse's ears stood up. It looked here and there. The speed of the horse's legs also began to slow down. Somdev's mind was absorbed in the beauty of the forest.

Noble horses and noble men recognize time beforehand. Then, without knowing or understanding, they hesitate to take a step forward.

Somdev also turned his mind; his ears perked up.

Oh yes! Whose scream is this?

Yes, yes, an elephant is trumpeting. Oh, but in this trumpet of the elephant, there are screams of pain.

And yes, the screaming elephant does not seem to be running away anywhere, but his screams seem to be rising upwards.

What could it be?

Let me make the horse run.

Somdev shook the horse's reins. The horse understood the rider's mind and ran. It started going in the direction from where the screams were heard.

Ahead was the bank of the Yamuna and a plain was visible. There, heads went up. And the horse's reins were pulled.

The horse stood still.

Somdev froze.

A thing that cannot happen. A thing that if told, no one would believe.

He saw a bird in the sky. Was it an eagle (Garuda) or a demonic hawk? Whatever it was, it had caught an elephant's trunk in its claws. That demonic bird was flying away, and the elephant hanging from its claws was also being dragged upwards.

An elephant's weight is not ordinary. No matter what kind of Garuda bird, it can never lift an elephant and fly. But now?

Catching the elephant by the trunk, the bird is going into the sky, and the elephant is screaming terribly.

Somdev was completely baffled. He watched with surprise as the bird carried the elephant. Why?

The elephant must be saved.

But how?

There is no time to think of a way now. He lifted the bow hanging on his shoulder. Pulled an arrow from the quiver. He put the arrow on the bow and looked. But the bow remained frozen in his hand.

There was a mountain peak in front. There was dense forest all around. In the middle were the banks of the Yamuna. Taking the elephant, that demonic bird crossed to the other side of the Yamuna. Now it was not within the range of the bow and arrow. He kept watching, and the bird disappeared with the elephant.

Somdev fell into thought. Oh ho ho ho! What a powerful bird? Is there a demon in the form of a bird?

Somdev got down from the horse.

A thought came that the land of this plain must be strange. Such strength came into a bird that it lifted an elephant and flew away. That's it, I shall rule here.

Thinking this, Somdev took a pinch of dust from the plain. Looking at that pinch of dust, he spoke in his mind: "I will establish a beautiful city here. Based on today's event, I will name it Hastinapur."

'Hasti' means elephant.

A mistake was made in thinking.

This plain on the bank of the Yamuna is so strong that a bird lifted an elephant from here-that was not what should have been thought. But he should have thought that this plain is so weak and painful that even an elephant like an elephant became weak and was caught in the claws of a cruel bird. This land is a land of sin. Instead of thinking this, Somdev thought otherwise. Then Hastinapur was established there. Somdev became the Maharaja there.

This Hastinapur is today's Delhi.

That story of the Puranas happened thousands of years ago. Since then, that city rises and falls in the same way.

Since the establishment of Hastinapur-Delhi, none of its kings have been fully happy, nor have its people found complete happiness.

Hastinapur has been destroyed many times and has been settled again many times. New kings come. For a short time, the king and people become absorbed in joy, then such a calamity falls that the king and people become unhappy.

According to the Puranas, Somdev settled Hastinapur. The Som dynasty was established. After that, such a calamity came that Hastinapur and its kings were wiped out. The people became unhappy.

A new king sits, and pomp and show go on for a while. Then both the people and the king become unhappy.

The Mahabharata of Pandavas and Kauravas happened there. After that, in the fifth generation from King Janamejay, a Maharaja named Nimichak was ruling.

Then the whole city drowned in water.

It has remained the same since then.

New kings come. For a few days, songs of happiness are sung, and again days of sorrow have to be seen. Seven kings of one dynasty have not ruled anywhere on the throne. No one has received complete happiness.

The Mughal emperors fought and went. Then the British came. Their rule went in one hundred and fifty years.

... And then, India's self-rule (Swaraj) came.