A WORLD-VIEW

 

King Bhoj was himself a poet. Kalidas was the court poet. Both were great souls. There was some little pride in then about their sublime poetic art. One day they went for a long walk in the forest. They could not find their way back. And there was no one around whom they might ask. At this juncture they saw a hut in the distance. They went there. There was an old, experienced woman. The king and the court poet said to her, “Respected old lady, we have lost our way. Which way is Mithila, please?”

The old woman said, with a view to testing them,”Being men of learning and high culture, you shouldn’t have lost your way. How come it happened so?”

Bhoj and Kalidas were taken aback by the old woman’s question, “Yes, we shouldn’t have, but unfortunately, have lost our way. Kindly, show us the way to Mithila and oblige.”

“O,K. I will show the way,”said the old woman.”But tell me who you are.”

They : We are kings.

She : There are only two kings in this world. One is Megharaja who keeps the whole earth green. The other is King Time or yamaraj who controls the world.

They : We are the beloved of mankind.

She : There are only two benefactors of mankind — food that satisfies hunger; and water that satisfies thirst.

They : We are men of substance.

She : The sea which is the store-house of pearls and diamonds and mountains, which are the source of other mineral wealth, are the real persons of substance, not you!

They : We are great poets.

She : Trees, birds, beasts, hills and mountains, rills and rivers, lakes and seas constitute the real riches of Nature which is True, Good and Beautiful. The poets of the world get their inspiration from Nature. The ever new world of Nature is in reality the great poet.

They : We are guests.

She : The real guests are Youth and Talent, which in life come and go without anybody ‘s bidding.

They : We are travellers.

She : The sun and the moon. who, travelling from end to end of the earth, illuminate it by day and by night, are the only travelers in the real sense of the word.

They : We are orphans.

She : The soul has no father and mother. Those who bore him are not alive. So ‘soul’ is the only ‘orphan’. Then who are you ?

They : We are sanyasis.

She : Those who don’t want to live in their own houses, and who are reverenced by all, are sanyasis. Truth and Peace are revered by all, but are not adhered to by them. Truth and Peace are the true sanyasis, not you.

They : We are men patience and forbearance.

She : Our human mother and mother Earth, who bear us, give birth to us, forgive our tres passes, and forgetting our ingrate behavior, feed and sustain us every born day of our lives — they are the beings who personify patience and forbearance. Who, then, are you, realIy?

They : (Crestfallen) We are the losing and lost party.

She : He who has borne more number of children than he can support, and he who has run into debts that he cannot discharge, are the losers. Then who are you?

King Bhoj and Kalidas were for a moment astonished at the learning and mystical experience of the old woman. They fell silent, not knowing what to say next.

“Enough is enough,” concluded the old wonan. She then came to ‘brass-tacks.’ “I meant only to spend some time with insightful and knowledgeable beings like you,” said the old woman. “So I asked you some questions. Let me not be misunderstood, please.”

“Please partake of these fruits,” she added, hospitably holding forward a plateful of fruits.

They : We are extremely pleased and appreciative of your profound experience and your hospitality, old lady. We mean to do something to relieve you of the cares of your day to day living. Please tell us what favour we may do.

She : I don’t want anything at all. I am grateful for your generosity of heart. If ever you come to this forest once again, please visit me and partake of the fruits that grow around here.

With these words she showed the way to Mithila and bid them farewell.

Ruminating over the old woman’s intelligence and her feeling heart, the one setting off the other like gold and diamond, Raja Bhoj and Kalidas directed their steps towards Mithila.