Tripura Rahasya

Continued from here

Sage Dattatreya said,

Susena was surprised and said to his brother (Mahasena):

Brother! Go to the place of the Sage Gana. Remember that penance-doers are wonderfully powerful and cannot be conquered even by the Gods. Therefore take care to please him, so that you may be allowed to bring back the princes and the horse in time for the sacrifice which is fast approaching. Pride before sages will always be humbled. If enraged they can reduce the world to ashes. Approach him with respect so that  our object may be fulfilled.

Mahasena obeyed and immediately started on his errand. He arrived at Gana's hermitage and found the Sage seated peacefully like a rock, with his senses, mind and intellect under perfect control. The sage, who was immersed in the Self, looked like a calm sea whose waves of thought had quieted down. Mahasena spontaneously fell prostrate before the Sage and began to sing his praises, and here he remained for three days in reverential attitude.

The sage's son who had been watching the new visitor was pleased, and coming to him said, "I am pleased with the respect you show for my father. Tell me  what I can do for you and I will do it at once. I am the son of this great Gana, the unique hermit. Prince, listen to me. This is not the time for my father to speak. He is now in kevala nirvikalpa samadhi and will come out of it only after twelve years, of which five have already passed and seven yet remain. Tell me what you desire from him and I will do it for you. Do not underestimate me and think that I am only a headstrong youth not worthy of my father. There is nothing impossible for yogis engaged in penance."

After hearing him, Mahasena, being wise, saluted him with clasped hands and said: "Oh child of the Sage! If you mean to fulfil my desire I want to make a short request to your wise father when he has come out of his samadhi. Kindly help me to that end if you please." After he had thus requested, the sage's son replied: "King, your request is hard to grant. Having promised fulfilment of your desire, I cannot now go back on my word. I must now ask you to wait an hour and a half and watch my yogic power. This, my father, is now in transcendental peace. Who can wake him up by external efforts? Wait! I shall do it forthwith by means of subtle yoga.

Saying so, he sat down, withdrew his senses, united the in-going and outgoing breaths, exhaled air and stopped motionless for a short time; in this way he entered the mind of the Sage and after agitating it, re-entered his own body. Immediately the Sage came to his senses and found Mahasena in front of him, prostrating and praising him. He thought for a moment, taking in the whole situation by his extraordinary powers.
(To be continued)