How a Sage Lost His Spiritual Power Because of a Fish 🐟

King Māndhātā’s wife, Shashibindu, had a daughter named Bindumatī. She gave birth to three sons Purukutsa, Ambarīṣa (not the famous King Ambarīṣa, another one), and the great yogi Muchukunda. She also had fifty daughters, and all fifty of them chose Sage Soubhari as their husband.

The Fall of Sage Soubhari

Sage Soubhari was a powerful ascetic performing deep penance underwater in the river Yamunā. One day, while absorbed in meditation, he saw the king of fishes joyfully enjoying with his wives.

Seeing their happiness, a thought arose in the sage’s mind — “How blissful family life is! I, too, should marry.” Thus, his mind, once fixed on Brahman, got disturbed by a passing worldly desire.

He then went to King Māndhātā and asked for one of his fifty daughters in marriage. **

The king replied respectfully, “O Brāhmaṇa, if one of my daughters chooses you in her svayamvara (self-choice ceremony), you may take her.”

Sage Soubhari immediately understood the king’s intent — “The king thinks I am too old and unattractive; no princess will choose me.” He thought, “Very well! I shall transform myself into a handsome youth — so beautiful that even celestial nymphs will desire me.”

By his yogic powers, he did exactly that.

When he arrived at the palace, the guards, enchanted by his divine appearance, led him straight to the princesses’ chambers. Seeing him, all fifty daughters of King Māndhātā fell in love and each desired to marry him.

In the end, all fifty of them became his wives. **

A Life of Luxury

By his immense ascetic power, Soubhari created grand palaces filled with gardens, lakes, flowers, ornaments, rich clothes, food, and countless servants. He enjoyed royal pleasures with his fifty wives — yet, even amidst all this luxury, his mind never found peace. Like fire that can never be satisfied with fuel, his desires only grew.

Realization and Renunciation

One day, as he sat quietly reflecting, realization dawned upon him:

“Oh! Just by watching a fish with its mate, I was thrown into this whirlpool of worldly life. Once I was a great ascetic, full of spiritual power — but that single moment of indulgence destroyed my penance and made me lose myself completely.”

He thought further —

“A seeker of liberation must avoid all contact with sense enjoyment. Even a moment of outward distraction can ruin years of spiritual effort. If one must keep company, let it be only with great devotees who have pure love for God.”

He remembered —

“Earlier, I was alone and peaceful in solitude. Then, by seeing a fish, I became entangled in marriage with fifty women; from them came thousands of children. My mind got caught in endless worldly attachments — now neither this world nor the next gives me peace.”

Filled with detachment, Sage Soubhari left his palace, took sannyāsa (renunciation), and went to the forest. His wives, devoted entirely to him, followed their husband into the woods.

There, the great sage performed intense austerities once again, gradually burning away all material desires. In deep meditation, he merged his being into the Supreme Truth.

When his wives saw their husband attain liberation, they too entered the sacred fire of devotion and became one with him — just as flames merge into the extinguished fire.

Thus, the story of Sage Soubhari teaches that —

Even the greatest yogi can fall if the mind turns outward for a single moment. But through realization and devotion, one can again rise and merge with the Eternal. **