(E) King Rantideva (hospitality)
As an exalted devotee, King Rantideva saw every living being equally. He directly perceived the real self, the atman, who is eternal and directly related to the Supreme Lord. The king, therefore, completely engaged his mind, word, body, and his very self in the service of the Lord and his devotees. Rantideva never endeavoured to earn anything. He would enjoy whatever came easily by the arrangement of providence, but when guests came he would endeavour to give them everything. In this way, he voluntarily underwent considerable suffering, along with the members of his family. Indeed, he sometimes shivered for want of food and water, yet he always remained sober and undisturbed.
One morning, after fasting for forty-eight days, Rantideva received some water and eatables made with milk and ghee. However, when he and his family were about to eat, a brahmin guest unexpectedly arrived. Because Rantideva perceived the presence of the Supreme everywhere, and in every living being, he received the guest with faith and respect and offered him a share of the food. The brahmin gratefully ate his portion, and then went on his way. Thereafter, having divided the remaining food with his relatives, Rantideva was just about to eat his own share when a man from the shudra class arrived. . Seeing the shudra in relationship with God, King Rantideva gave him also a share of the food. As soon as the shudra had gone, another guest arrived, surrounded by dogs, and said, “O King, my company of dogs and I are extremely hungry. Please give us something to eat.” With great respect, King Rantideva offered the rest of the food to the dogs and their master, who had come as guests. The King offered them all respects and obeisances.
Thereafter, only the drinking water remained, and there was barely enough to satisfy one person. When the King was just about to drink it, a chandala (untouchable) appeared and said, “O King, although I am lowborn, kindly give me some drinking water.” Aggrieved at hearing the pitiable words of the poor fatigued chandala, Maharaja Rantideva spoke the following words, which were just like life-giving nectar.
“I do not pray to the Lord for the eight perfections of mystic yoga, nor for salvation from repeated birth and death. I want only to stay among all the living entities and suffer all distresses on their behalf, so that they may be freed from suffering. By offering my water to maintain the life of this poor chandala, who is struggling to live, I myself have been freed from all hunger, thirst, fatigue, trembling of the body, moroseness, distress, lamentation and illusion.” Having spoken thus, King Rantideva, although on the verge of dying of thirst, without hesitation gave his own portion of water to the chandala, for the King was naturally very kind and sober.
Then the demigods, including Brahma and Shiva, who can satisfy all materially ambitious men, manifested their own forms before king Rantideva. It was they who had presented themselves as the brahmin, shudra, the chandala and so on. King Rantideva had no ambition to enjoy material benefits from the demigods. He offered them obeisances. Because he was factually attached to Lord Vishnu, he fixed his mind at the Lord’s lotus feet and refused to accept any material benedictions.