QUEST FOR JUSTICE
-10. The Verdict

Shubam and the villagers heard this decision of the King calmly and were then led by the guards to a dark and dingy cell.  King Rajneesh apologised before the merchant on behalf of the villagers who thereby took his leave. For the next three days, the villagers were locked up in the dungeon.  They were subjected to a very hoarse treatment by the guards who stood outside on vigil.  If any of the villagers tried to speak among themselves, they not only hushed them to maintain silence but also even manhandled them mercilessly. Meanwhile, King Rajneesh was lost in deep thought.  Finally, on the fourth day, he called over the merchant to his chambers, “Gopinathji, it is plain that one among you is speaking a lie about the dream which you claim to have seen.  If the Lord indeed appeared in your dream then I do not feel that a reputed sage like Sadanand would tell Shubam that what you say is false by coming in his dream.  The guru of Sadanand, Sage Aryaman, has acquired such great yogic powers by doing tapas that by merely looking at a person, he has the ability to find out everything about him.  I am going to take both of you to him and I am sure that the truth would be out.  He is performing a yagna at the moment and as soon as it is over, we will go to him.” The merchant agreed and then took his leave.  Thereby, the King went to Shubam and revealed his plans to which the boy readily agreed. The next day, just as the King had finished offering prayers to the rising sun, he had a visitor in the form of the merchant, Gopinath.  Rajneesh was surprised that he had come over to see him so early in the morning.  He welcomed Gopinath and asked him to sit by his side.  However, the merchant did the unexpected!  He fell at the King’s feet!  Instantly, Rajneesh helped Gopinath to his feet, “What are you doing, Gopinathji?” “Oh, Maharaj!  I have come here to confess my wrongdoing!” the merchant said remorsefully.  As the King looked at him questioningly, the merchant continued, “I have lied about my dream!  I did not want Shudras to enter my temple, which is why I made up that dream!  I know that the truth would be anyway out if you take me to Sage Aryaman. So, what’s the point in hiding the facts anymore?” Although the King was startled to hear these words of the merchant, there was also an expression of satisfaction in his face for his trick had worked.  He asked Gopinath to wait outside and spent a long time in isolation.  Thereafter, he came out and led the merchant to the dungeon where Shubam and the villagers were kept as prisoners.  The King asked the guards to open the iron-barred door of the cell and then made the merchant confess to his wrongdoing before the villagers.  Rajneesh, then, came close to Shubam, “When you spoke those thought-provoking words of the Lord not getting angry when devotees belonging to all caste and creed of my neighbouring kingdom enter his temple, I looked at the merchant not knowing how to respond.  At that time, I observed that there was an expression of fear in his face as if these words spoken by you may make me suspect his dream!  This made me suspicious.  However, as I was angry with all of you for going against my wishes, I put you in this dungeon.  After that, the more I thought about what you said, the more I began to feel that there was something terribly wrong with Gopinath’s dream.  Therefore, to know the truth I came out with the plan of taking both of you to Sage Aryaman.  The moment I told this merchant about this, there was again that expression of fear in his face.  Quite contrary, you seemed undisturbed when I put forth my plan before you.  I knew that the truth would be out before we go to meet Aryaman, which is exactly what happened!  In the few moments I spent alone today pondering about my next step, I realised some vital factors, Shubam.  Just like this notion that the Lord would get angry when people like you enter his temple and a severe calamity might befall the kingdom was man-made, so also should be other factors which compel you to lead a wretched life.  If people do not treat you with due respect fearing that doing so will lower their own dignity, it is a perception formed by them for meeting their own selfish interests and not something which has been preached in our holy textures or in our religion.  All of these beliefs do not have an element of authenticity in them.”  The King paused and continued with regret in his eyes, “I also realised as to how an irresponsible ruler I have been all these years!  Despite knowing that injustice was happening to you, I preferred to look the other way round owing to evil counselling and also because I did not want to invite the ire of the Brahmins who are in a majority in our kingdom.  When a ruler himself is so callous towards the grievances of his subjects, how can justice ever be established?  I promise you, Shubam, that I will not rest in peace till the time I fulfill your third demand.  I am very sorry for keeping all of you in this cell for three days!  You are now free but wait till I call for a Durbar meeting today!  Till that time all of you can rest inside the palace chambers.”  Shubam and the villagers were delighted to hear these words of the King.  Shubam could now feel that his mission to provide justice to his community would, at last, be accomplished!  Thereby, the villagers were led to the visiting chambers where they took some rest unfurling a mat on the floor. The King pronounced that he was calling a Durbar meeting that evening and asked  his subjects to attend it.  In that meeting in the presence of his ministers, his subjects and the villagers, he made the merchant admit to his culpability and took a solemn pledge that he will bring the caste discrimination in his kingdom to an end.
****************** Sage Suryananda who was narrating this story concluded, “From that day onwards King Rajneesh underwent a metamorphosis.  He strived hard for the welfare of the low caste community. The King build wells and dharmashalas in Shubam’s village.  He accorded stringent punishment to those who maltreated people of the low caste community.   As both the sages Aryaman and Sadanand were great scholars and did not believe in caste system,  the King went and requested them to impart education to Shubam and his villagers to which they agreed. There were protests from several quarters at these bold moves of the King but he was undaunted for he was now determined in his intentions.  After the villagers were educated the King helped them to hold dignified positions in society as per their knowledge and intellectual. As for as Shubam was concerned, he followed in the footsteps of his guru after completing his education. Slowly but surely due to the efforts of Shubam and later by the stand taken by the King, the caste differences in Shubam’s kingdom subsided. So children, always treat everyone as your equals and never bear injustice quietly.  Also remember what the King spoke towards the end.  We may raise our voice in protest against injustice but if our rulers are indifferent to our sufferings, things are difficult to change for the better.  Remember that all of us are equal in the eyes of God and therefore we have no right to find differences among one another.”

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