Princess Hemalekha: The Spiritual Guru to Her Husband
She was so enlightened that she became a spiritual guru to her husband and the entire kingdom. But unfortunately, she has been lost in the pages of history. She is one of the many courageous and heroic women whose tale of valour remains unsung. But in this blog, we will unveil the great achievements, contributions, and legacy of Princess Hemalekha. Princess Hemalekha’s story is mentioned in the Indian scripture called ‘Tripura Rahasya’. She lived in Dwapara Yuga. She was married to the prince of Tripura, Prince Hemachuda. Princess Hemalekha was an erudite and enlightened being with profound knowledge of vedas and purans. She was highly spiritual person.
After few years of marriage, she started losing interest in materialistic things and became quite sombre. Seeing her subdued her husband once asked her, “What happened dear? Why do you look so solemn these days?”
Princess Hemalekha replied, “Oh prince, I’m troubled for I’m not able to demarcate between good and bad in this world.”
The prince laughing heartily said, “Oh you poor women! Even the smallest of reptiles know what is good and what is bad. Whatever gives you pleasure is good and what causes you pain is bad my dear.”
The princess further asked, “You summed it up very well prince. But sometimes the same thing acts as good as well as bad depending on the circumstances. For instance, the sunlight in winters act as a source of pleasure but in summers it irritates us and causes discomfort. Your father is a king but he’s gloomy most of the times albeit he has all the riches and wealth whereas people who possess nothing are content and going on with their life merrily.”
The princess’s words put the prince in dilemma. He became desponded for he was in a similar condition. He relished at his riches but at the same time he also feared death and losing all his possessions. He realised his mistake of disparaging his wife’s knowledge and taking her for granted.
The prince wholeheartedly apologised to her saying, “Oh princess! I’m sorry for not appreciating the depth of your knowledge. Teach me how to live life and how to live happily.”
From then prince Hemachuda was an ardent disciple of princess Hemalekha. She taught him as well as the whole kingdom about spirituality. She elucidated that how the mantra of a happy life lies in understanding the essence of oneself. One needs to renounce all materialistic possessions. She underscored that understanding oneself and renouncing all the materialistic possessions is the panacea of all agony.
She said, “People understood the universe in space but did not consider space itself.”
Achievements
The notable achievements of Princess Hemalekha are:
- Spiritual Teachings
Princess Hemalekha taught her husband and the entire kingdom about spirituality. Some of her prominent teachings are:
- Renounce worldly attachments, possessions, and allurements.
- Preach god. God is the sole creator of this universe.
- God remains your heart and he is omnipotent.
- Nothing can harm you if you chant Lord Krishna’s name.
- Lord Krishna will always come to your rescue.
- Spiritual Guru to Her Husband
Princess Hemalekha broke the stereotypical and orthodox mentality that women cannot have knowledge and they are just dumb beings. Women were regarded as dumb cows but princess Hemalekha shattered this notion by proving her worth and teaching her husband and her entire kingdom about spirituality and true devotion towards God.
- Pioneer of Women’s Education
Princess Hemalekha has played a pivotal role in promoting education for women. She proved that women can also have deep and profound knowledge if they are given the opportunity. She is a remarkable inspiration for women.
- Cultural Significance
She is celebrated in local legends and folk traditions for her contributions and leadership.
Legacy
The cause of death of Princess Hemalekha is not known. Princess Hemalekha is a great figure from ancient India however not much is known about her that’s why through our blog we have tried to celebrate this unsung wise female saint and give her the due respect and recognition she deserves.
Princess Hemalekha is no more but her teachings will keep inspiring generations about generations. Her knowledge and invaluable insights on life, death, spirituality, will push us to go on the right path.
