SATYAN
-8. A King With A New Mission

“…Come on!  Let’s go!  Being with him, we, too, may get inane.”  Sridhar said with resentment.  “If you lost an idol of Lord Krishna, you could have brought another from the bazaar!  Where was the need to change yourself for that?  You have been utmost sincere and dedicated to your work all these days.  Then, why hasn’t your Lord returned back to you?  Anyway, it’s useless trying to reason out with you.  We were just returning from our work when we saw you.  We are tired and need to rest.”  Hari deduced as he walked off to the door. 

As he was about to open it, there was a knock on the door.    Even as Hari wavered to make a move, Vasudev gestured his friends to wait and opened the door.  To his utter amazement he found King Bharadwaj alongwith some of his guards standing before him!  Gone was the anger in the King’s face and he looked at Vasudev with remorse in his eyes.  “Won’t you ask me to come inside, Vasudev?” 

“O..Oh!  I am s…sorry, Maharaj.  Please c…come in!”  Vasudev escorted him inside and made him sit on the cot.  “Sorry, Maharaj.  There’s no other place in this little house where you can be comfortably seated!”  Vasudev said.

“Oh!  That’s okay!”  Bharadwaj held Vasudev’s hand and made him sit beside him.  Although the King smiled at his friends who greeted him, he was perplexed.  Had he not seen them before?  For the moment, he could not figure out their identification.  “Vasudev!”  he began softly, “I am very sorry for my outburst yesterday.  Please pardon me!” 

“Maharaj!  What are you saying?  It is not befitting for a ruler like you to seek pardon from a small person like me.” 

“No, Vasudev.  I have erred and therefore it is incumbent upon me to ask for your forgiveness.  Yesterday evening, after you left the palace I thought of taking a round in the kingdom incognito and hear what the people are talking about me.  By doing so the truth would be apparently out.  Till late night I roamed about in several areas of our kingdom and what I heard was utmost disheartening for me.  All that you said was a stark truth, Vasudev.  No one in this kingdom has any good opinion about me.  At that time, I was deeply aggrieved to hear the abuses my subjects were hurling at me.  But when I returned to the palace and thought over this matter, I realised a fact.  After all, what right did I have to feel so deeply hurt by the derogatory remarks the people passed at me?  Had I done anything for their benefit all these years?  Since I had not bothered for my people, I actually deserved to be rebuked by all of them.  I have now realised my folly and am now committed to make amends for it, Vasudev.  I feel ashamed of myself for being such an irresponsible ruler.  What a fool I have been!  I accorded such a callous approach towards my subjects and expected them to praise me!  Oh Vasudev!  Had you not been so frank in apprising me of what the people thought about me, I may have never realised the gross injustice I was meting out to them.” 

He clasped Vasudev’s hands and continued, “I want to change, Vasudev.  I cannot live with such a bad reputation.  I want to henceforth dedicate my life for the sake of my subjects.  You have opened up my eyes and now I will help you to appease your God.  In your incredible dream, didn’t the Lord ask you to be honest and dedicate your life for the benefit of others?  You are already leading a life of honesty and now I will provide you with an opportunity to live for others.  From now on, you will not be my cook, Vasudev.  In fact, you would now become one of my very close associates.  I want such upright and trustworthy persons like you to succeed in my mission of working for the people’s cause.  Both of us will ensure that all the schemes and policies that I introduce for the subjects actually benefit them.  We will have to see to it that the poor are not exploited, the sick, the needy and the homeless are looked after properly and such other factors.  O Vasudev, I am certain that if you lend me a helping hand in serving the people, God would be pleased and come back to you.  Tell me, Vasudev, will you help me in this task?” 

Vasudev responded in an emotionally choked voice, “How can I ever deny such a noble offer, Maharaj?  I feel honoured.” 

Bharadwaj was jubilant to see Vasudev consent to his request.  “Thank you!”  he exclaimed and looked at his friends who were standing in a corner.  They were confounded to witness these proceedings and did not dare to look at Vasudev in his eyes.  “I have a faint memory of seeing them before.  Who are they, Vasudev?”  the King asked.

“My friends, Maharaj!”  Vasudev recollected the events of that fateful evening which revived the King’s memory.  “…When I was in the palace as a cook, I had asked you to help them further their talents.  I had even tried to contact them twice but couldn’t find them.  At that time they were working in some houses as maid servants.” 

“I am sorry, Vasudev…” said the King apologetically, “…I did not pay much heed to what you said at that time.  I want them to gain mastery in the fields they have keen interest so that they can have a bright future.  I shall send them to the abode of some reputed teachers who can make them an adept in their respective streams.  Would that suffice?” 

“Certainly, Maharaj!”  Vasudev said pleased.

The trio came forward and effusively thanked Bharadwaj for all that he was going to do for them.  They asked Vasudev to excuse them for the remarks passed at him to which he smiled and gave them a warm hug.

As the King led Vasudev to the palace alongwith his friends, he queried, “Maharaj, what did you do to those two ministers who had deceived you?” 

“They would be punished, Vasudev.  I can perceive as to why they lied about the people having a high regard about me.  They expected a similar treatment I meted out to you if they spoke the truth!  But presenting a rosy picture about the kingdom when things are actually somber was not proper.  Besides, after you told me the truth about the opinion people possessed towards me, I had called them over.  They not only let down an opportunity to speak the truth but also passed nasty remarks at you, which is unpardonable. ” 

Vasudev nodded his head in understanding.

(To Continue)