KRSNA The Supreme Personality of Godhead Vol. 2 ... - Prabhupada

The Story of the Syamantaka Jewel 3in the form of the valuable jewel obtained from the sun-god.Satrajit, however, did not come to see Kra; he was instead overwhelmedby the jewel of Syamantaka. He installed the jewel in a templeto be worshiped by briihmar-as he engaged for this purpose. This is aninstance of a less intelligent person worshiping a material thing. In theBhagavad-gitii it is stated that less intelligent persons, in order to getimmediate results from their fruitive activities, worship the demigods whoare created within this universe. The word "materialist" means oneconcerned with gratification of the senses within this material world.Although Kra later asked for this Syamantaka jewel, King Satrajit didnot deliver it to Him, but he installed the jewel for his purposes of worship.And who would not worship that jewel? The Syamantaka jewel was sopowerful that it was daily producing a large quantity of gold. A quantityof gold is counted by a measurement called a bhiira. According to Vedicformulas, one bhiira is equal to sixteen pounds of gold; one mound equalseighty-two pounds. The jewel was producing about 170 pounds of goldevery day. Besides that, it is learned from Vedic literature that in whateverpart of the world this jewel is worshiped there is no possibility of famine;not only that, but wherever the jewel is present, there is no possibility ofanything inauspicious, such as pestilence or disease.Lord Kra wanted to teach the world that the best of everythingshould be offered to the ruling chief of the country. King Ugrasena wasthe overlord of many dynasties and happened to be the grandfather ofKra, and Kra asked Satrajit to present the Syamantaka jewel to Ki!J.gU grasena. Kra pleaded that the best should be offered to the king. BhtSatrajit, being a worshiper of the demigods, had become too materialisticand, instead of accepting the request of Kra, thought it wiser to worshipthe jewel in order to get the 170 pounds of gold every day. Materialisticpersons who can achieve such huge quantities of gold every day are nointerested in Krwa consciousness. Sometimes, therefore, in order to showspecial favor, Kra takes away great accumulations of materialistic wealthfrom a person and thus makes him a great devotee. But Satrajit refused toabide by the order of Kra and did not deliver the jewel to him.After this incident, Satrajit's younger brother, in order to display theopulence of the family, took the jewel, put it on his neck and rode onhorseback into the forest making a show of his material opulence. Whilethe brother of Satrajit, who was known as Prasena, was moving here andthere in the forest, a big lion attacked him, killing both him and the horseon which he was riding, and took away the jewel to his cave. The news wasreceived by the gorilla king, Jambavan, who then killed that lion in the