Your first Dharma

Under all circumstances, your first Dharma is self-preservation. You are duty bound to protect your all-round wellbeing, be it physical, financial, or mental. 

What this means is that you have an imperative to understand fully well the functioning of your body, and the role played by anything that nourishes it, or harms it, or as in the case of most objects, both (too much of a good thing can be poison, too). I would also strongly urge you to learn and master self-defense - a practical tool like Boxing, Brazilian Jiujitsu, or Krav Maga. However, always remember that violence is the last (and usually the worst) option, and the best fights are the ones avoided. To that extent, even the ability to outrun the aggressor is a superpower worth having!

Curiosity killed the cat, goes a popular English proverb. This could not be more true in the Indian context, what with most public places being death traps for hapless citizens. This means you never fiddle with "public infrastructure" like exposed wires, man holes, barbed wire fences, and all other sorts of stuff, and be extremely wary every time you're on the road - since "everything can kill" is an axiom in India, as is "nobody is responsible for your death". Government parks are known have live wires hidden among the grass, flooded roads hide crater-sized potholes and open drains, and everything the government takes claim for "building" can come down crashing 10 times faster than it took to erect in the first place. 

For preserving Artha (or, financial self-preservation), you must acquaint yourself with all sorts of illegal/unethical schemes (Ex: multi-level marketing, phishing etc.) run by all sorts of people (especially banks) and protect your assets at all costs. Remember that for building long term wealth, avoiding a downside is more effective than chasing upside. It is also important to understand tax laws, applicable not only to your present condition, but to other conditions you could potentially navigate to (ex: 1 person company, LLP, Hindu undivided family etc.) to aggressively reduce your tax outlay and save your wealth from state-sponsored extortion. 

Reflections on Indian "democracy"

From childhood, we've been fed that democracy is the latest and the greatest form of governance, that it is a "government of the people, by the people, and for the people", without even attempting to to define what 'governance' is. The situation is muddied further when economic philosophies of the incumbent government come into play, be they capitalism, communism, socialism, or a hogdepodge of whatever fancies the high and mighty who rule over us, "democratically". Furthermore, given the dismal quality of primary and even graduate level education in India, entire generations have passed without learning  or worrying about (ignorance is bliss!!) what words like governance, capitalism, communism etc. really mean.

That the Indian democracy is a sham can be readily proved, especially the parts - "of the people" and "for the people". The manner in which the constitution that all political parties across the spectrum claim to pledge allegiance to, and the other arms of the government rely on for functioning, was written, by coping most of the *constitution* of the foreign power that looted enormous wealth, oppressed natives for centuries, and treated them worse than wild animals, inspires no confidence that it would even attempt to deliver a "democracy", based on the definition above. No wonder, then, that every single government since "independence" (another undefined word), has turned out to be a kleptocracy, or a mobocracy, or a plutocracy, or a kakistocracy, or, more accurately, a mix of all of the above. You can't do the same thing and expect a different outcome. 

On the economic front, admittedly, there is no country that is a 100% capitalist, or socialist. But, that should not stop us from trying to identify where, on the spectrum, we stand as a country. After all, should we decide to move in a particular direction, it serves us well to know where we stand, in which direction we ought to turn, and how far we must travel before reaching the destination we intend to reach. I confess it is impossible for me to pinpoint where, on paper, or ideologically, the Indian government claims to stand. However, as I write this post, I know well where it stands, really.

It is my lived experience that nearly every arm of the Indian state is deeply corrupt, and beyond redemption in its current form. Having born before liberalization and grown up during days without ubiquitous smartphones and the internet, I can vouch for the fact that *some* basic services (telephones, gas connections) are easier to avail, but more as a side-effect of globalization that led to commoditization of these services, than any real intent from the government in improving lives of its hapless citizens. 

As things stand in 2022, 75 years after "independence", you cannot get an electric connection or a water connection without paying a bribe. You also cannot register property in your name without running from pillar to post like an Indian street dog, unless you pay a hefty bribe and employ "agents" who will do the dirty work for you. Note that property registrations are another avenue for state-sponsored extortion rackets in the name of "stamp duty", a hefty fees collected by government without delivering any value-added service. Heck, the government cannot even guarantee that the property you're purchasing will legally remain yours in the foreseeable future. You also have to pay a bribe to get your building plan approved, and face regular harassment when you build, unless you pay a bribe every single time. Note that there is not a single 1km stretch of road anywhere in India that is spotless, has usable footpaths, streetlights, does not flood, and is safe for motorists and pedestrians alike - forget the disabled and the old, this is no country for such folks. I can summarize my interactions with other "arms" of the government (law enforcement, mostly), with just 1 word - thoo. The politicians do not even deserve that. 

Such is the state of the the world's largest "democracy" and rising economic superpower.

Reflections on Poverty, by Shri Rohit Arya

[I follow Sri Rohit Arya on Facebook, and I've found his commentary on the human condition one of the best I've ever come across. This post is a reproduction from his wall.]

Poverty damages the psyche more than anything else. Those who have never been poor can never understand that to be poor is to be in a permanent war zone with no exit and no ceasefire. And you inevitably develop PTSD. Every choice you make is not a financial one but one of survival. What will you do without so that you and family can eat? It is that stark. High rates of alcoholism are almost inevitable. There is no other way to last and many decide it is not worth it. A person who travels by bus or local train all the time is not the same kind of human being who moves by car. A train and bus option creates one sort of personality while the same journey by plane and private taxi makes another sort. We have this fetish for equality without realizing it is impossible. Leftists think making incomes equal will fix matters. No, all it will do is make more broken people.

It is worst of all for the intelligent who are poor. They feel the shame of it, they develop a permanent hunger for things they can’t have, and many of them become rabid leftists out of spite, malice and envy. They know all the things they could have done to be a productive member of society had they the slightest break. One story was of somebody who could not afford taxi fare for an interview and was rejected for wearing ‘shabby crushed clothes’ because the bus did that to them. The person who told me that drives a Merc today but his eyes were wet. Poverty creates this permanent sense of humiliation which leaves a person without dignity or self-respect. Movies lie about the nobility of poverty, which may soothe for a while, but then reality pushes the person back into the mud pit. I always regard Deewar’s Vijay as a genuine positive breakthrough in the Indian psyche, because he refused to go back into poverty even when his mother disowns him.

Those who know they are doomed to poverty finds ways of coping. I once learned a hard lesson about not being pompous from a bai who announced she was marrying off her minor daughter. I gave the English education liberandu lecture on how sad that was and how bad she was too. She knocked me flat with a no holds barred description of what life was like in that environment and how girls needed protection even from within family. The mangal sutra was a social protection. All my notions of right were upended and I was shown up as being shallow and ignorant of reality. It is not that I was that much better than her financially but between living in a flat in a mid-level housing society and a chawl there was already an impassable gulf of comprehension. It was a most valuable lesson in perspective and context.

The utter all pervasive reality of such a life is Lack. Of Everything. And such a person receives so much damage to the mind and spirit they hardly ever recover. When I started my spiritual process I learned the hard way that sadhana is not for the struggling. Most of my mentoring is to fix income issues because one may go a long way without fixing that but one day it explodes in the face. You renunciate and become a sanyasi. Then it may work. Some basic modicum of comfort is needed for the average person however. The damage caused otherwise is too great to repair. Those who come from poverty very soon learn that those who have do not care. It disturbs and upsets them and many of them are snobbish and put down the person for their ‘background’.

Silence about the past is the mark of the poor person who has escaped poverty. They have learned there is a taint they will never shrug off if it was known they were poor. I had a friend who had climbed out of poverty and whose breakup tactic was to send his girlfriends to his childhood family home. Once they saw his home, they were full of praise and admiration for how far he had come up in life and dumped his ass in less than 3 months. Every single time. He and I would laugh over it but the taste in our mouths was not good.

The single most important thing a society can do is wealth creation. ‘Kosha purva sarvarambham’ as Chanakya so grimly began in his Arthshastra. It is not a coincidence that every golden age of Bharatiya Spirituality overlaps with an age of great prosperity.

First one must live well. Then one can be good and noble. Dharmasya moolam artha!

A mindset of prosperity

[I follow Sri Rohit Arya on Facebook, and I've found his commentary on the human condition one of the best I've ever come across. This post is a reproduction from his wall.]

Prosperity and abundance is a mindset, before it becomes reality. People do a million small things to reveal an unconscious poverty consciousness even if they wish to have better circumstances. In the days when I would still be foolish enough to personally advise people on such things, when visiting the house I would always ask to see the kitchen. In the kitchen, which was usually a filthy mess, I wanted to see the main knife used. In almost all cases the handle used to be broken and was held together with wire or rubber bands. You are preparing your food, which nourishes you, with an implement that communicates this is all you are worth. Which is not very much.

I am not saying a good knife will bring abundance instantly. But you won’t attract prosperity by using a toota foota piece either. Get a decent knife and then take care of it. And for the love of god have a clean and tidy kitchen In the old days there used to be a puja space in the kitchen so that food was sanctified even as it was being cooked. Today that is too much to ask perhaps, but food eaten from a dirty place will never nourish you into abundance.

I could go on and on, but will restrict myself to one other dead giveaway. Unless it is the clothes used for sadhana , and that too for many years, - never ever wear clothes with holes and patches. Most of all socks. Don’t do it. Don’t train yourself into accepting a poverty mindset. Get good quality clothes even if fewer in number and take care of them. Your mind is very susceptible to what you do and if you keep communicating an acceptance of phate haal circumstances you will always live in such…

Advice on dating and mating

[I follow Sri Rohit Arya on Facebook, and I've found his commentary on the human condition one of the best I've ever come across. This post is a reproduction from his wall. Original link here]

This was originally a comment on Rohit Arya SGRA's wall, converted into a post on his advice.
In spite of SGRA's explicit and tacit warnings and caution, many folks seem to conflate red pill advice with game. This post will make an attempt to expound his caution, and present some experiences. The idea is not to preach, nor to amuse. This post is mostly for thin/ skinny/ weak young men who are trying to navigate the world. This post would also be of interest to Aspies( men with Asperger's syndrome/ extreme male brain).

If you are a well built male who is on firm footing, and feel on top of the world- then you can stop reading further. This post is not for you. Like many millions of 80s kids, and as a tall thin man who was brought up under daily moral preaching, middle class monetary ethos(parents sarkari mulazims), a B&W TV and the ever looming corporal punishment for infractions(bad marks, school fights, stealing and lying) I entered the dating market woefully ill prepared.

Parents of that era and societal situation were prisoners of the scarcity mindset. They were and are intensely god fearing, pious Hindus who lived life only to scrimp and save. The said savings were poured into kid's education and marriage. That was the unitary driving force of their lives. To give a solid education and Hindu ethos to their kids. All in middle class flavor. Take the bus, walk to school, no wastage of food, speech, sleep or resources. Gandhian, if you can live with that word. A permanent sermon when I was growing up was-' hard work and sacrifice is the only way to success.'

I was told for long years that boys who don't smoke, drink, behave well and focus all their waking hours on studies <shall> land a nice, susheel, chaste and pretty wife. In fact the prettier the girl; the more her parent's inclination and desire to hitch her to a well educated sanskari non drinker boy. So that was the text which was etched into our slate.
I was told to get a haircut every week, cut my nails every day, stay miles away from the partying, fun loving boys my age as they are the worst company a young man could keep. It was sort of a factory line prepping up a man to be a ramrod straight army officer, doctor, lawyer, engineer or a civil servant. The pinnacle of success as per our parents.

So that was the dumb/ incorrect programming with which I plunged into the the dating pool at 18. The first red pill lesson arrived when in the small, conservative city where I grew up- I saw this curious event. As the board results and JEE/PET/PMT results came out: typical small town girls latched onto and snagged the boys who had cracked IIT! These 'simple' girls knew that an IIT catch is a good investment. That too at a time and place where having held a girl's hand would assure either a severe beating, or being feted as Rambo!

As for the 'not so good' girls at school and later college- they cared zero effs whether the boy had a proper haircut, cut his nails, or smoked. Badder the boy- the more the number of women wanting him. This is where it also (painfully) became evident that most girls don't want a thin guy. Your susheel 'Mr Yogi' is only good as a friend. Men with a broad chest wet panties. There.

From age 18, to the current middle age era. Those female mate selection strategies mentioned above have shown themselves in Indian women so many times that the 'sati-saavitri' drama put forth by any woman only induces eye rolls. And even the 40 something women I cross path with won't let go of claiming their chastity. Which is comical because I see married women swooning when a gorgeous dude with a chest bursting out of a tight T-shirt walks by. It is also evident on dating sites where man after man is posing bare chested, and are getting picked up by well educated women by the hour. All this while decent men wait like losers for a match. It also becomes evident when young guys call me to seek mentoring and counselling and I find that thin guys aren't getting laid. The pattern is hard to miss or deny.

Now, coming back from biological laws of attraction, to everyday wisdom. I hope all young men reading redpill literature, SGRA'S posts, blogs on game do not get it wrong.
As I mentioned to SG, men reading your posts should/ are expected to work towards physical fitness, staying away from intoxicants, cultivating a healthy bank balance and investing in themselves. If you were to read them only with an intention to get laid: you are doing a great disservice to yourself and men trying to help you.

Rather than waste time and money on broads to get laid: buy books, travel, go skydiving, hiking, trekking , buy bikes, ride fast cars, find a guru, find a financial adviser, find a dietician, find a Hindu network and contribute. Go to temples. Do teerths. Climb high mountains to pay your respects at Hindu shrines. Carry heavy bags ( with due advice and training) and challenge yourself. It will not be easy, but there is no other option. You chasing skirts without a big chest, bike, car and confidence with amount to poor ROI.

Being alpha is not about how many women one has bedded. It's imo about being a better version of you, every day. It's about fighting anxiety, depression, nihilism, the desire to reach out for a beer or drink whenever stressed, or lonely.

Bedding woman- In today's world finding action is simply a function of your body shape-size and your willingness to tolerate bs and inane conversations. As Charlie Sheen said- 'you can bed any woman, you just have to throw many dinners, drinks and time her way.' Plus you have to be charming( read vain). Aspies cannot do it. They are not biologically wired to be good listeners. They can't engage in a long drawn conversation, even if sex is on the cards. Accept that reality, and make peace with it. Don't jump headlong to fight hypergamy.
Work on yourself. Women will follow. You might not get quality, but the quantity will never be a challenge. That is not a reflection of your worth. There are extraneous factors such as karma, destiny, providence, luck, fortune, stars, time and space that often determine carnal success. We live in a world which no one could predict. The genie of female sexuality is out of the bottle, and can't be put back in.
Someone recently told me : women are like salt. Most men make the mistake of thinking that women are the meal....

I'll leave you with some goals worth chasing:
1. Net Worth - your net worth(INR lakhs should exceed your age). By age 30- you must have in excess of 30 lakhs. That amount should grow by 10% each year. Find men who can teach you wealth management. Treat them with respect. They are not your pals, but your teachers. We are not Americans- we don't hi our teachers.
2. Weight gain - aim for a BMI of 20. Find strength training coaches for expert advice on exercise and diet.
3. STDs - Stay wary of STDs: Everyone is having sex. Casual or otherwise. Do note that while there is awareness about HIV, other STDs like Herpes are rampant. Around 60% young people in India have herpes. Look up the net.
4. Hinduism - Do not give up on your culture. We proudly worship monkey god, divine pillars, phallic energies and had flying chariots. Those who don't find them to be scientifically true can indulge in their own empirical fantasies. Stay steadfast on your path. There are many spiritual gurus on SM that you can follow and thus find your own answers. We are seekers, and need to find our own path.
5. Drugs - Never do drugs. That includes marijuana.
6. Hookers - Never patronize hookers/ CSWs. Period. Suffer in solo agony but don't take a step on that path.
7. Married women - Don't sleep with married women. There comes a time in every man's life when he will finds that the number of married, divorced and separated women who are sexually interested in him far outweigh available single women (both in quality and quantity). Be worried. Be very very scared. Sleeping with a married woman will open gates of hell. Sooner or later...

The son who excelled his father

PERUNTHACHAN WAS A renowned architect. He was famous for his skill in constructing temples, houses and tanks. In olden days, huge temples and palatial houses used to be constructed on a grand scale and the supervision of an efficient architect was considered necessary for planning them and carrying out the work. Every stage of work was done in his presence. There was a difference between the architects of those days and today. They used to work with the labourers, eat with them and live with them. Perunthachan too, whenever he took up a piece of work, lived with the labourers and worked with them. The carpenters, masons and others were happy to work with him.

One day the people of a village approached him to dig a big temple-tank. In the past, every temple had a big tank near it, in which the devotees took a dip before entering the temple to offer prayers. A temple committee had been formed to look after the construction of the tank and the job was entrusted to Perunthachan. He started the work of digging the tank with the help of his assistants, but then arose some difference of

opinion among the members of the committee. Some wanted it in the shape of a square, others in a rectangular form, some in oval shape and some others in the form of a circle. Perunthachan said, “All right, I shall dig a tank which will satisfy you all.”

When the tank was completed, strangely enough it had all the shapes, if seen from different angles, and all were satisfied and they congratulated Perunthachan. But Perunthachan's son, who always worked with him, raised a point. He said, "Father, you've constructed this tank for the use of devotees who want to bathe before going to the temple. Who will come to bathe in this tank when there is a river before they reach the tank? People will always prefer to bathe in the fresh water of a river rather than the stagnant water of a tank."

Perunthachan asked, "Are you mad my boy? The river is far away and those who come to worship in the temple are staying on this bank of the river." The son simply laughed and said, "The river is likely to flow touching the temple tank, father." "That is impossible," answered Perunthachan. "The river is far away." "That does not mean that it will not flow this side. The river can alter its course, or someone can change its course." Perunthachan was furious. He didn't like his son's reply. "Then do it!" he shouted.

The son took up the challenge. He, no doubt, had learnt work from his father. But he had improved upon his knowledge. He started thinking how best he could alter the course of the river without his father ever knowing it. He slipped away in the night and was at it until dawn. He chose a particular place from where he could change the course of the river, and lo! It started flowing, almost touching the temple tank. A person who wanted to come to the temple had to cross the river first. The father was very much impressed by the ingenuity of the son, but at the same time he felt that he had been outsmarted.

After a few days, the villagers again wanted the help of Perunthachan; this time to construct a bridge across the river, so that the people on the other side of the river could easily come to the temple without the aid of a boat. He built a nice bridge for them within record time. But just for the sake of some fun he installed a doll on one side of the bridge. Whenever a person came from the other side of the bridge, this doll would go down, fill its mouth with water, come up to its former position and spit at the passer-by. And sometimes Perunthachan would stand at a distance and enjoy the 'fun'. 

One day his son was coming along the bridge. The doll emptied a mouthful of water on his face. Perunthachan standing at a distance saw it and was very much amused. The son laughed and went away. The very next day another doll was seen at the other end of the bridge. This doll would go in front of anyone who started crossing the bridge. When Perunthachan's doll dipped down to fill its mouth with water and came up ready to spit at anyone, the second doll would give it such a slap on its face that its face would turn and the person walking along the bridge would go unscathed. Perunthachan saw the second doll and he knew that it was a trick played on him by his son. He had to accept defeat at his son's hands but he was happy that his son had excelled him.

The Jackal that was too clever

A JACKAL was wandering in search of food. He was extremely hungry, as he didn't get sufficient food for two days. Suddenly an idea struck him.

A farmer named Kelachar, had a large sugarcane field nearby. When the sugarcanes had grown to full size, he had fenced the field safely, and he himself was staying there in a raised hut to see that no one destroys or steals sugarcane from his field.

One day, he was sitting in his Machan when the clever jackal approached him. The jackal said, "Kelachar, something is going to happen this night. You know there is a big elephant staying in the forest. That elephant has an eye on your sugarcanes. So be alert with your bow and arrow." Kelachar was very perturbed. Due to his hard toil and the rich manure he put, his sugarcanes had grown up very well. If the elephant attacked it, all his efforts would go waste. So he had to be on his guard. Kelachar took his bow and arrow and cleaned them. He took his food early that night and lay in wait for the elephant.

From Kelachar's place, the jackal went straight to the hideout of the elephant. The elephant was crouching on the ground near a pond. The jackal stood at a respectable distance and spoke to the elephant; “You are my mighty uncle of the forest. But I know that now a days you are not getting enough food to fill you belly. The difficulty is because you are a vegetarian. And you eat only plants, and that too a selected few.”

"You are right, my friend," replied the elephant. "I can't eat all plants. And actually I have to go from forest to forest to get my food. It is a difficult task and on some days I have to go without food. Of course, this forest is better, but still..." the elephant sighed. "Uncle, I have come all the way to give a piece of good news to you. You will have feast for one full week." "Interesting! Tell me, tell me. What is it? Where is the feast?" asked the elephant. 

"You know that Kelachar has a big sugarcane field. You might have seen it. It is just at the foot of this hill. He is about to cut the sugarcanes tomorrow. They have grown to full-size and this is the proper time to eat them. No doubt he has fenced it, but that fence is nothing for you! So you can easily go there this midnight when Kelacher will be sleeping, and eat to your heart's content. Don't lose this opportunity."

  

"Thank you very much for giving me this information. I shall attack the field at the dead of night," said the elephant. "That will be ideal. When Kelachar sleeps he sleeps like a pig and you don't worry about any danger." Saying this, the jackal went down the hill.

He reached the boundary of the sugarcane field where there was a lonely tree. Kelachar was there. He went near him. "What are you doing here ?" the jackal enquired. "Nothing in particular. I was just seeing from which place I can shoot my arrow at the elephant," replied Kelachar. "I was about to tell you that," the jackal said. "Do you see a lonely tree at the boundary of the sugarcane field ? That is the ideal place for shooting your arrow. You can hide behind the tree. The elephant wouldn't see you." "You are right, my dear friend. That is the right place." Saying this, Kelachar went to his hut. 

The jackal went near the tree. In a hole near this tree a snake was staying. The jackal went near that hole and called it. It came out. "My dear brother," began the jackal, “You are facing a grave danger. Have you ever seen Kelachar?” “Yes, Yes. Isn't he the farmer who owns this sugarcane field?” "Well, he is going to destroy you, wipe you and your family out of this world. He has come to know that you are staying here, that you are very poisonous and in one bite you can kill anyone.”

"Is that so? Then what shall I do jackal brother? Please advise me. You are very resourceful. If I die, my wife and little ones will be put to trouble. The little ones are too young to look after themselves. And my wife will die if she hears of my death. Please show me a way out," implored the snake.

“The best way is to kill Kelachar before he kills you. So do one thing. At midnight he will come this way. Sometimes he stands near this tree to see whether his sugarcanes are safe on not. At that very moment, go and bite him ; not once, but four or five times. You are so poisonous that he will die immediately.” Saying this, the jackal bid him good-bye, wished him success and went home with great satisfaction. He was very happy. He was confident that his plan would work well. From the next day onwards he would have plenty to eat. The huge elephant’s flesh would be enough for him for a month, and that of Kelachar's for not less than a fortnight. At night the huge tusker entered the sugarcane fields. The fence was no obstacle for aim. Kelachar saw it from his observation point. He took his bow and arrow and aimed at the elephant.

He sent three arrows. He was an expert archer. All the three arrows struck the elephant at vulnerable points. Suddenly he felt an inscrutable pain on his ankle as if some insect had bitten him—not once but three or four times. He looked down and saw a snake gliding at fast speed on me ground. Immediately he trampled on it with all his might. The snake died at once. But suddenly Kelachar's bow and arrow fell down from his hands and he too fell dead. 

The jackal, seeing all this from a distance ventured to come near the dead body of Kelachar. Even though it was dark, he could see the bow lying by his side. On the bow, were some blood spots and so he decided to lick it first, before he started the grand feast. But while licking, his teeth touched the string of the bow and it broke. The string was so tightly tied to both ends of the bow that due to its impact there was sudden jerk and one end of the bow went deep inside the jackal's mouth cutting it into two. And that was the end of the cunning jackal too.

x

It's all mine!

Akbar came to the throne when he was only thirteen years old. In the years that followed, he built on of the greatest empires of his time. He lived in unimaginable splendor. He was surrounded by courtiers who agreed with every word he said, who flattered him and

treated him as if he were a god. Perhaps it was not surprising that Emperor Akbar was sometimes arrogant and behaved as if the whole world belonged to him.

One day, Birbal decided to make the great emperor stop and think about life.

That evening as the emperor was going towards his palace, he noticed a Sadhu lying in the center of his garden. He could not believe his eyes. A strange Sadhu, in ragged clothes, right in the middle of the palace garden? The guards would have to be punished for this, thought the emperor furiously as he walked over to that Sadhu and prodded him with the tip of his embroidered slipper.

"Here, fellow!" he cried. "What are you doing here? Get up and go away at once!"

That Sadhu opened his eyes. Then he sat up slowly. "Huzoor," he said in a sleepy voice. "Is this your garden, then?"

"Yes!" cried the Emperor. "This garden those rose bushes, the fountain beyond that, the courtyard, the palace, this fort, this empire, it all belongs to me!"

Slowly that Sadhu stood up. "And the river, Huzoor? And the city? And this country?"

"Yes, yes, it's all mine", said the emperor. "Now get out!"

"Ah", said the Sadhu. "And before you, Huzoor. Who did the garden and fort and city belong to then?"

"My father, of course", said the emperor. In spite of his irritation, he was beginning to get interested in the Sadhu's questions. He loved philosophical discussions and he could tell, from his manner of speaking, that the Sadhu was a learned man.

"And who was here before him?" the Sadhu asked quietly.

"His father, my father's father, as you know."

"Ah", said the Sadhu. So this garden, those rose bushes, the palace and the fort all this has only belonged to you for your lifetime. Before that they belonged to your father, am I right? And after yours time they will belong to your son, and then to his son?

"Yes", said the Emperor Akbar wonderingly.

"So each one stays here for a time and then goes on his ways?"

"Yes."

"Like a dharmashala?" the Sadhu asked. "No one owns a dharmashala. Or the shade of a tree on the side of a road. We stop and rest for a while and then go on. And someone has always been there before us and someone will always come after we have gone. Is that not so?"

"It is", Emperor Akbar quietly.

"So your garden, your palace, your fort, your empire... these are only places you will stay in for a time, for the span of your lifetime. When you die, they will no longer belong to you. You will go, leaving them in the possession of someone else, just as your father did and his father before him."

Emperor Akbar nodded. "The whole world is a dharmashala", he said slowly, thinking very hard. "In which we mortals rest awhile. That's what you are telling me, isn't it? Nothing on this earth can ever belong to a single person, because each person is only passing through the earth and must die one day?"

The Sadhu nodded solemnly. Then, bowing to the ground, he removed his white beard and saffron turban and his voice changed. "Jahanpanah, forgive me!" he said, in his normal voice. "It was my way of asking you to think about..."

"Birbal, oh, Birbal!" the emperor exclaimed. "You are wiser than any philosopher. Come, come at once to the royal chamber and let us discuss this further. Even emperors are but wayfarers on the path of life, it is clear!"

Is that so?

The Zen Master Hakuin was honored by his neighbors as on who led a pure life. One day it was discovered that a beautiful girl who lived near Hakuin was pregnant. The parents were very angry. At first the girl would not say who the father was, but after much harassment she named Hakuin. In great anger the parents went to Hakuin, but all he

would say was, “Is that so?”

After the child was born it was taken to Hakuin – who had lost his reputation by this time, although he didn’t seem much disturbed by the fact.

Hakuin took great care of the child. He obtained milk, food, and everything else the child needed from his neighbors.

A year later the girl-mother could stand it no longer, so she told her parents the truth – the real father was a young man who worked in the fish market. The mother and father of the girl went round at once to Hakuin to tell him the story, apologize at great length, ask his forgiveness and get the child back.

As the master willingly yielded the child he said, “Is that so?”

The Panchatantra - Story 80

STORY NO. 80. THE DEMONS KILL EACH OTHER

Sunda and Upasunda were two demon brothers of terrible strength and endurance. They wanted to conquer the three worlds. So they did, the most terrible penances to please Siva and obtain boons from him. Siva appeared before them with his consort Parvati and asked them to request for any boon they liked. They were overcome by the beauty of the goddess Parvati and forgot their original purpose. Being demons, with no sense of propriety they prayed Siva to give her to them. Siva did so, acting ac- cording to his promise. 

The two demons then quarreled as to which one of them should have Parvati as wife. They saw a handsome stranger of striking personality go past and asked him ta arbitrate and say which one of them should have Parvati, The stranger was no other than Sri Krishna who had been sent by the distressed Devas to rescue Parvati somehow from the demons. Krishna told the demons, "You two fight it out to death. She shall belong to the victor who- survives."The demons fought with demoniacal fury and determination, and, being equal in strength and skill, each fatally wounded the other, and both died. Parvati was i&us rescued from their clutches.

The Panchatantra - Story 79

STORY NO. 79. THE MOUSE AND THE HERMIT

The saint Mahatapas lived in the dense forest of Gautama, doing terrible penance. One day, he saw a young mouse fall on the grass in front of him from the beak of a crow. He saw also a cat run to eat the mouse. 'Moved by love, tenderness and pity, the saint used his extraordinary powers, derived from austerity, and made the mouse into a big cat. The cat, which had gone to eat it, ran away. A dog came along, and the cat was afraid. The saint turned it into a dog, and saved it. A tiger arrived now, and the dog trembled before it. The saint turned the dog into a tiger, and saved it. 

But some people who saw this said, "This was a dog and was made into a tiger by this saint."The mouse-tiger thought to itself, "So long as this saint lives, he will remember that I was a mouse once, and will spread the tale. Let me therefore kill him". He prepared himself to spring on the saint and kill him. The saint guessed what was passing in his mind and said, "Be a mouse again", and the tiger became a mouse again. 

The Panchatantra - Story 78

STORY NO. 78. THE ARTFUL WIFE

There was an old merchant called Samudradatta in Vikramapura. He married a pretty young woman called Ratnaprabha. Disgusted with her old husband, she used to amuse herself with the young and handsome cook. One day, Samudradatta actually saw her kissing the cook. The wife saw him notice the act, and, before he could say anything, said to him in an angry voice, 'My lord, this cook is eating the scented betel kept exclusively for you. I have smelt its odour from his mouth just now". The cook then said indignantly to his master, "How can any servant serve in this house when his mouth is being smelt every now and then to see what he eats? I am leaving". Samudradatta was taken in by all this, and begged of the cook to overlook the inconvenience and remain. The cook did! 

The Panchatantra - Story 77

STORY NO. 77. SACRIFICED HIS OWN SON

A Rajput called Viravara presented himself before King Sudraka of Ujjaini and wanted employment. The King asked him what wages he wanted. He said "Four hundred gold coins a day". What are your accouterments?" asked the astonished King, "These two arms, an unswervingly loyal heart, my sword, and a readiness to sacrifice everything for my master. "You demand far too much" said the King, and sent him away. But the Prime Minister said to the King, "He seems to be a remarkable man. why not your majesty try him for a week and then dismiss him if he is not worth his salary?". "Right"said the King, and employed Viravara for a week. 

Viravara spent half his salary every day on gods and Brahmins, half the balance he gave the poor and spent the rest on himself, his wife and only son Saktidhara whom he loved to distraction. The King learnt all this through his spies. Viravara used to stand guard at the palace night and day most vigilantly. On the night before New moon day, the King heard the sound of a young woman's weeping. It was pitch dark. He asked Viravara to go and find out why the woman was weeping. Viravara left. The- King followed him to see what happened. Viravara asked the weeping young woman why she was weeping. She replied, "I am the Fortune of King Sudraka. He will die in three days, and I shall be left desolate. So I am heart-broken and am weeping.""Is there no way of preventing it?" asked Viravara. 'There is,"said the young woman, "But it is a terrible one. If you will sacrifice your only son, Saktidhara, possessed of all the thirty-two auspicious qualities, to the goddess Sarvamangala in the Mahakali temple, outside the fort, the King's death will be averted and he will live for a hundred years."Viravara went to his house, followed secretly by the King, and told his wife and son about what the young woman had told him. Saktidhara said, "Why hesitate, father? Sacrifice me for the sake of your master whose wages you are enjoying.'' His mother also agreed. 

So, Viravara went with his wife and son to the Ujjaini Mahakali(Called Uchimakali (Ujjaini Mahakali) in South India) temple and cut off his son Saktidhara's head as a sacrifice to the goddess Sarvamangala. Then, saying, "After my beloved son's death, my life is not worth living", he cut off his own head. His wife too cut off her own head, saying, "I cannot live without my husband and son."The king, who was watching all this in astonishment, said to himself, "Why should useless people like me continue to live at the expense of such brave and self-sacrificing people?"and took his sword and proceeded to cut off his own head when the goddess Sarvamangala appeared before him and caught his sword and asked him to desist from the rash act. He told her that he would desist only if she restored to life Viravara, his wife and son. She did so, and they returned to their house, and the King to the palace. When Viravara returned, to the palace, the King asked him, "What happened?". He replied simply, "That weeping woman disappeared on my approaching and questioning her." Pleased with his bravery, self-sacrifice and modesty, the King said, "You are the model warrior" and made him the ruler of Karnataka province,' under him, with the full approval of his Prime Minister. 

The Panchatantra - Story 76

STORY NO. 76. THE CROW AND THE QUAIL

A crow dwelt on the branch of a tree, and a quail lived below the tree. One day, both went to witness a festival. The crow repeatedly dipped into a pot of curds carried on his head by a cowherd. The infuriated cow-herd looked up and saw the crow and the quail above his head. The cunning crow flew away. The slower quail was caught and killed.

The Panchatantra - Story 75

STORY NO. 75. THE GANDER AND THE CROW

Once upon a time, a weary soldier, on a long journey, lay under the shade of pipal tree, in hot summer, and fell asleep with his bow and arrow by his side. A gander and crow lived on that tree* Seeing the hot sun's rays fall on his face, the kindly gander went and spread his wings over his face. The soldier slept with his mouth open, due to weariness. The crow, moved by its natural malevolence, dropped its dung into the open mouth of the soldier. The soldier woke up in a rage, and saw the gander above him. Mistaking the gander to be the miscreant, he took up his bow and arrow and shot it dead. Thus the poor gander, because it kept the society of the wicked crow, met with its end. 

The Panchatantra - Story 74

STORY NO. 74. THE SWAN KING AND THE PEACOCK KING

In the island of Karpura(Kashmir, considered to be an island, as it was isolated, from India by high mountain ranges) in the North, there was a lake called Padmakeli(Dal Lake, full of lotuses at times), There lived in it a royal swan called Hiranyagarbha(Golden-Germ)

who was crowned by all the water birds as their King. He protected his subjects, and, in turn, they enhanced his pomp and glory. In the Vindhya mountains, five hundred miles to the south, there lived a royal peacock called Chitravarna(picturesque colour) who was crowned King by all the land birds. 

One day, a crane called Dirghamukha(Long-Face) went to the Vindhyas reconnoitering. He was searching for some food there when some land birds met him and asked him about his land and King. He replied that he was from the island of Karpura and was a subject of King Hiranyagarbha. He added proudly, "Our land is a bit of paradise on earth and our King is a celestial. He asked all of them to leave their jungle country and migrate to Karpura. The land birds rebuked him for his boastful words and pointed out that he had to go to their country for his very food. Thereupon a quarrel started. 'The land birds asked him who had made Hiranyagarbha King. He asked them who had made Chitravarna King. They told him that King Chitravarna was King of all Jambudvipa(India) which included Karpura also. He replied "That will be so if words will do to conquer Kingdoms. Our King Hiranyagarbha will also assert his over-lordship over Jambudvipa.""How?" asked they, "By waging War" said Dirghamukha. The land birds said, "We can easily meet him in War, however powerful he is. Even by a fiction, as in the Story of "The Lake of the Moon", we can defeat him in war, as the rabbits did the elephants."

Then they took him to Chitravarna and reported the incident. An ambassador, a parrot, asserted to the king that Karpura-desa was in Jambudvipa, Chitravarna too asserted that

he was King of all Jambudvipa and was therefore, overlord of Karpura-desa too, Dirghamukha retorted that his king Hiranyagarbha was overlord of Jambudvipa. "How will he prove it?"asked Chitravarna. "In War" said Dirghamukha. He asked Chitravarna to send an ambassador to Hiranyagarbha with an ultimatum threatening invasion and war unless he acknowledged his suzerainty, and see what happened, Duradarsin, a wise Vulture, was Prime Minister of Chitravarna. He asked Dirghamukha who the Prime Minister of Hiranyagarbha was, and was told that it was the chakravaka(A Brahminy Duck) Sarvajna(All-knowing) He remarked that it was a good choice as was a native of the country and fit for the post. 

After consulting Duradarsin, Chitravarna chose the parrot as his ambassador to Hiranyagarbha. The parrot agreed, but refused to go to Karpura-desa with Dirghamukha

a!s he was a villainous person, like the crow in the stories "The Crow and the Gander" and "The Crow and the Quail" and unfit to be associated with. He said he would prefer to travel alone to Karpura-desa after Dirghamukha had left. Dirghamukha asked, "Why do you call me a villainous person ? 1 shall accord to you, as ambassador, the same respect I accord to His Majesty Chitravarna. "I call you a villainous person because of your stirring up a war by your provocative words and conduct. Conciliatory, tactful words would have smoothed the position and even earned you adulation and admiration just as in the story of "A Fool's Rejoicing" the foolish wheel-right carried on his head with pride his adulterous wife and her paramour, and danced about in joy despite the gross offence committed by them in his very presence."

Dirghamukha returned to Karpuradesa and narrated the whole story to Hiranyagarbha when he was sitting on his throne of lotuses surrounded by his prime minister, the chakravaka Sarvajna, and other ministers and courtiers. Hiranyagarbha told him that in threatening War he had acted rashly and without due consideration of the strength of his country, like the "Ass in Tiger's Skin" Sarvajna said that Dirghamukha had acted like a fool in provoking a quarrel and threatening War. He then took the King aside and told him privately that Dirghamukha must have acted thus at the instance of some of their chauvinistic army officers. The King said, ''Let us ignore the past. Suggest what should be done at present."Sarvajna suggested the sending of two spies to Jambudvipa, one to spy out everything, and the other to act as his messenger to report to his King. Dirghamukha and another crane were chosen as the two spies, and their families were held in court as hostages. 

The door-keeper then announced the arrival of the parrot as ambassador from Jambudvipa. Sarvajna asked the parrot to be taken to the embassy room and brought later on, when directed, to the King. Hiranyagarbha said with enthusiasm, So, now, war is in sight.""Sire,"said Sarvajna, ''Do not be enthusiastic as if war is a desirable thing. War should not be resorted to in a hurry any mere than object surrender of one's country to the enemy. Only when soft words, gifts, and threats and breaking off of diplomatic relations fail should War be resorted to by the wise. Every man fancies himself a hero who has not engaged in a life and death struggle. People merrily ring the bells welcoming the declaration of War, but soon they wring their hands when theirs beloved ones die and their country is invaded by the ruthless enemy. All wars must end in peace, some day or other. So peace is the normal state and is far more to be desired than War. But now that War is at hand, let all preparations be made to prosecute it to a successful end. Let us remember that Chitravarna is a powerful King and that the land birds are far more numerous and stronger than sea birds. Our position is like that of a whale fighting an elephant on land. A prudent man will retreat like a tortoise when a strong foe attacks. 

But, when the time comes he will attack in turn like an angry serpent. Let the ambassador, the parrot, be detained and given light refreshments, and made to rest, while we put the fortress in order."General Sarasa, the crane general, was called in and asked to put the fortress in a fit condition to stand an assault or siege. He said that he had done it already, but wanted enough grains and salt to be stored for the garrison inside the fort. The king and Sarvajna nodded approval. The door-keeper announced the arrival of Meghavarna(Cloud-coloured, black), the crow king of Simhala-dvipa with his attendants and his wish to have audience with the king. Hiranyagarbha said that Meghavarna was wise and deserved to be received. "How is he to be received ? As friend, foe or neutral ?", asked Sarvajna. "He is a land bird and therefore prima facie ranged with Chitravarna. Any one who deserts his kith and kin the land birds, deserves to be killed like the Blue Jackal in the story King Kukudruma" "As he has come from a distance, let him be admitted to our presence.", said the king. "All right", said Sarvajna. "We shall also call in the parrot as the spy has been dispatched and the fortress put in order. But as Chanakya slew Nanda by employing an assassin as messenger, let the sovereign be at a distance from him and he surrounded by his warriors."

After the court had assembled, the parrot and Meghavarna were both called. The parrot bowed and took his seat on the seat allotted to him and said, "O Hiranyagarbha! the prosperous and powerful Chitravarna, King of kings, commands you to go to him speedily and do homage to him if you have any love for your life and if you do not intend to flee from your kingdom". Hiranyagarbha cried out loudly, "Is there none in this assembly who will stop his throat?" Give the order, sir, and I shall put this base parrot to death", said Meghavarna. Sarvajna said, "Sire, an ambassador's person, even if he is a barbarian, even if he is insolent, is inviolable, for he only represents his king. And because of the inviolability of his person he talks arrogantly. Leave him alone and send him back."Hiranyagarbha recovered his temper and allowed the parrot to depart in peace. Sarvajna took the parrot out, and gave him the customary gold and other presents and sent him away. 

The parrot went back to his country. Chitravarna asked him, "What news?"The parrot replied, "Your majesty, Let preparations for war be made immediately. Karpura is a powerful country and is indeed a bit of paradise. But King Hiranyagarbha and Prime Minister Sarvajna are adamant." Chitravarna held a meeting of his ministers to consider what was to be done now that war was inevitable. Duradarsin the vulture prime-minister said that war should be resorted to only in the last resort and then too only after full consideration of one's strength compared with that of the enemy, and the possibility of avoiding war by small concessions and that war should not be undertaken in haste. ''Again", said he, a small but good army is better than a rabble of shavellings(A contemptous term for buddhist and jain monks) or cowards or ill-trained men for the flight of the worthless will surely cause the rout also of the good. Fame and reward are the spur to bravery. We must discuss everything fully." The king said impatiently, "What need for so much talk ? We must invade the enemy country at once."He rose and set out with his army at the time already fined by the astrologer. 

Soon after, a messenger appeared before Hiranyagarbha and told him that he had been dispatched by the master spy to tell him that Chitravarna had begun his invasion and that he was camping in the Malaya mountains(Banihal hills, part of the Himalayan foot hills) leading to Karpura valley, and that there was some ground for believing that there was a fifth columnist agent of Chitravarna inside the fort, and that the fort should there- fore be cleared. Sarvajna said that he suspected the crow Meghavarna, a land bird, to be an enemy agent. "That' can never be", said Hiranyagarbha. "Why was he then so eager to suppress the parrot? Besides, he arrived long before the declaration of war". Nevertheless, he is a stranger and is to be suspected", said Sarvajna. "Even strangers deserve to be treated with consideration. Remember that a stranger, Viravara, engaged a few days before was ready to sacrifice his only son's life for King Sudraka'. There are good, bad and indifferent people among strangers as well as among natives.", said the king. 

"But ministers have to speak out what they feel to be the truth", said Sarvajna."A physician, a spiritual preceptor, and a minister who hides the truth from the king, soon deprives him of bodily health, morality and prosperity. Counting on great profits from unknown strangers will be acting like the barber who killed an unknown monk from an infatuation that he would get a treasure thereby though, in the result, he was himself put to death.""What shall we do now ?", asked the king* "I hear from our spy that Chitravarna has disregarded the advice of his wise prime-minister Duradarsin, the vulture, and has advanced headlong against our country. We can now attack bis army wearied by the march, and ignorant of the terrain in the mountains, rivers and forests, and otn the roads before they recover from their fatigue. Let General Sarasa and others do it."This was done and many of Chitravarna's advance guards were killed in the mountains and forests and on the roads and the banks of the river. 

The humbled Chitravarna asked Duradarsin's advice, Duradarsin chided him for his hasty declaration of war and rash and headlong advance. Chitravarna begged of him to organize a safe retreat to the Vindhyas. Duradarsin then said, "Do not despair. I have a plan. Attack, the fortress in force". This was done. 

The crane spy reported it to Hiranyagarbha and Sarvajna advised Hiranyagarbha to put the fortress in order, and, forgetting economy, to give the soldiers big largess-es to induce them to defend it bravely regardless of their lives. Meghavarna offered to sally out of the fort to fight the foe. Sarvajna was against this course and was for all taking shelter in the fortress and offering fight to the foe. So, when Chitravarna's army advanced on the fortress, a great battle ensued at all the gates. When Hiranyagarbha's troops were thus engaged, Meghavarna and his crows threw lighted brands on every house inside the fort and there were cries of. Fire' 'Fire' The fortress is captured.' In panic, most of the water birds left the fortress and entered the waters of the moat. Hiranyagarbha and his General Sarasa were sur- rounded by General Cock of Chitravarna. General Cock inflicted terrible injuries on Hiranyagarbha with his spurs. When Sarasa went to protect him, Hiranyagarbha told him "Leave me to my fate. Crown my son, Chudamani, king.'' Sarasa said, "The enemy can get at your majesty only over my body."He pushed Hiranyagarbha into the moat despite General Cock's attempt to prevent it. General Sarasa attacked General Cock fiercely and killed him, but was himself killed by a mass attack by the land birds. Then Chitravarna entered the fort amidst great shouts of "'Victory' 'Victory' The war has ended victoriously."

PEACE

Hiranyagarbha asked his followers, "Who threw the fire-brands at the houses in our fort ? Was it one of the enemy or an inhabitant of our fort employed by the enemy ?"''Sire", said Sarvajna, "Your disinterested friend Meghavarna the crow and his attendants are no longer to be seen here. I think that they did the mis- chief."The king said, "It is our destiny, our misfortune."' "Why blame destiny ? People who will not listen to good advice sustain misfortunes like the tortoise Kambugriva who disregarded the advice of his two geese friends, Sankata and Vikata", said Sarvajna. An emissary came then and told Hiranyagarbha and Sarvajna that Chitravarna had proposed to make Meghavarna King of Karpura for his services in capturing the fortress but that Duradarsin had advised him not to do so but give him gold and robes as a mean and treacherous fellow like Meghavarna should never be put in the position of the great as the meanness would persist as in the story of the Mouse and the Hermit*^, Chitravarna had said, "If I make him the king of Karpura, be will be daily sending me the famous Kashmir shawls and fabrics, saffron and fruits-"Do not build castles in the air like Devasarma", Duradarsin cautioned him. 

Chitravarna asked Duradarsin to advise him as to what he should do. Duradarsin asked him to make peace with Hiranyagarbha and go back to the Vindhyas. "If we linger here till the rainy season, we shall have another battle with the enemy and we shall fare very badly. We have captured the fort and acquired fame. Why take the chance of losing all that? In a battle between forces of equal strength, sometimes both perish as in the story of "The Two Demon". So we should seek peace with an equal like Hiranyagarbha."

Chitravarna, flushed with victory, was at first averse to concluding a lasting peace and alliance with Hiranyagarbha. So Sarvajna sent the junior General Sarasa, who had succeeded his deceased father as commander-in-chief, to Jambudvipa to spread disaffection there and to Simhaladvipa to provoke an invasion of Jambudvipa. Duradarsin asked Chitravarna to consult Meghavarna. Meghavarna too advised peace and alliance with Hiranyagarbha. "The king is a high minded soul and the minister an able and noble person. Both will make worthy allies.'* Chitravarna asked, ' Then how did you deceive the king and minister?' 'Sire'', said Meghavarna. "What credit is there in deceiving the noble ones who trust you, any more than in killing one who trusts you and sleeps on your lap ? A noble soul who takes a rascal for a good man judging him by his own nature may be deceived like the brahmin in the story who was induced by rogues into believing a goat to be a dog'. Rogues may also trap the good as the crow, tiger and jackal did the camel.*' But all this does not disprove my point. "Meghavarna !'' said the king, "How did you manage to live among them and serve them so long ?""I had to do so to achieve my object even as Mandavisarpa in the story' had to do. My lord, I advise you to conclude an alliance with Hiranyagarbha". Sarvajna nodded assent. Chitravarna said, "Let Hiranyagarbha, who has been defeated by me, at best pay tribute to me and act under my orders, as a vassal, Else, let us make war on him again."

Just then the parrot came from Jambudvipa and told him, "A king in Simhaladvipa, a Sarasa, has invaded Jambudvipa."Duradarsin exclaimed "Well done, Sarvajna!". "I shall soon go to the Vindhyas and tout Sarasa and his men", said Chitravarna. "Sire, no use getting angry", said Sarvajna. 'Ill considered action leads to sorrows as in the case of the Brahmin and the mongoose'" Chitravarna was convinced. He then asked Duradarsin to arrange for an honourable peace as suggested by him. Duradarsin then went to Hiranyagarbha with peace pourparlers. The crane spy announced his visit. Hiranyagarbha said to Sarvajna "This is again a trap as in the case of Meghavarna "No", said Sarvajna, "This is different. Duradarsin is an able and honest and noble soul. Do not go by past bad experience. Let us receive him honorably with a gift of jewels."That was done. Duradarsin said to Sarvajna, "Let us make a golden peace between our two kings and countries. Truth and peace based on truth are worth a thousand horse sacrifices."Sarvajna agreed with a joyful heart. A golden peace was accordingly concluded, and Chitravarna and Duradarsin return- ed to the Vindhyas and ruled in peace over a prosperous Jambudvipa. Hiranyagarbha and Sarvajna ruled over a peaceful and prosperous Karpura. Meghavarna ruled over a peaceful and prosperous Simhaladvipa.