SUCCESSOR TO GHADI

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SUCCESSOR TO GHADI

Baba said, "Unless a man discharges satisfactorily and disinterestedly the

duties of his station in life, his mind will not be purified and, unless his

mind is purified, he cannot get ....." in Sri Sai Satcharitra, ch XVI & XVII.

A king in ancient times, by the name of Mahendra, was famous for his wisdom and

righteousness. People in his kingdom were very happy because their great king

ruled justly, and looked after the needs of his subjects.

Alas, each episode of happiness has its flipside also. The law of the opposites

is relentless. Heat and cold, pleasure and pain, happiness and unhappiness;

they revolve and put in an appearance in turn.

King Mahendra was also subject to the law of the opposites. The king had one

regret. He had no children. The question about the successor to the throne was

worrying the king. His ministers were becoming anxious because the king was

advancing into old age and his subjects were also becoming unsure about their

own future.

To solve the question about the successor to the throne, King Mahendra thought

of looking for a person with good character. He announced throughout his

kingdom that people were invited to the palace grounds and from amongst the

people present a successor to the throne may be chosen.

People flocked to the palace on the appointed day. King Mahendra addressed the

people and told them that he would hand out seeds to each person present. The

seeds were to be planted and whoever brought back the best-grown and most

colourful flowers would be chosen as the crown prince. A person that can take

care of plants and make them prosper can also make the kingdom prosper.

The people took the seeds and went back home.

Some weeks later, people started bringing flowerpots with some amazing results.

There were happy plants all over the palace grounds and the plants were

displaying their bright smiles through their colourful flowers of great

variety. Each pot plant was bearing the name of the owner written in big bold

letters on a tag that was attached to the plant. Some of the ministers even

appointed a team of judges to help select the winner on the appointed day.

One man, however, had not succeeded in growing any plant in his flowerpot. There

was just the soil and not even a tiny plant in his flowerpot. When he brought

his empty flowerpot to the palace grounds, people stared at him in disbelief.

Some even ridiculed him. His flowerpot with no plant in it was drowned in a sea

of colourful flowers. There was no plant to which he can fasten his nametag. He

simply attached the tag to the side of the flowerpot.

The whole palace ground was turned into another Vrindavan garden. There were

rows upon rows of flowers of the most magnificent varieties that one ever saw

and the colours were breathtaking. The judges thought amongst themselves that

it would be a difficult task to choose the winner. Such was the enthusiasm of

the people.

On the appointed day, the whole population turned up at the palace grounds.

Speculations were rife as to which flowerpot would get chosen. The ministers

looked at the judges and the judges again went into last minute consultations.

The harbinger then announced the imminent arrival of his majesty, king

Mahendra. There were loud cheers as the king entered the royal pavilion erected

specially for this occasion. Long live the king! Long live the king! The people

started singing in chorus. The king was then seated on his throne.

The king asked the ministers to brief him about the efforts of the people and

the ministers told the king about the incredible variety of flowers that were

brought back by the people. One minister announced to the people that his

majesty had decided to walk amongst the plants to savour the wafting scents of

the flowers and to behold the beauty of the colourful flowers.

Accompanied by his ministers and by the palace gardener, the king was walking

and observing each flower pot and now and again made some comments about the

spectacular colours and the pleasing aroma that permeated the palace grounds.

Upon completing his tour, the king returned to the royal pavilion.

The final hour had arrived. The time for announcement about the successor to the

throne was approaching by the minute. The king rose from his throne to address

the people. There was a pin drop silence. People felt their heartbeats quicken.

The expectations were very high and so were the high standards of the flowerpot

entries. The ministers were looking at the judges who signaled that they were

ready to announce their decision.

The king started to address the people. In a sombre tone, king Mahendra enquired

about one failed entry where the flowerpot had only soil in it and asked its

owner to come forward and explain to him. A man right at the back of the huge

crowd raised his hand and started making his way towards the royal pavilion. He

could hear people making caustic remarks about him. His ears were getting full

with sarcasm and stinging words that were being tossed about by the people. An

expression of timidity began to creep upon his countenance as he came face to

face with his majesty, king Mahendra.

The king requested an explanation as to why his flowerpot had no plant. The man

answered that he had tried his best, even adding more fertilizer and carefully

watering the seeds, but that he was disappointed and sorry that he could not

grow anything. The king stood up and told the people present that he had chosen

his successor. It was none else than the man whose effort at growing flowering

plant from the seeds that were given to him by the king was a total failure.

The people were incredulous and the ministers and the judges were dumbfounded.

With a look full of puzzle on their faces, they awaited an explanation from the

king. King Mahendra placed his hand upon the shoulder of the man that was chosen

as his successor and spoke to the people.

The king said: I was looking for a man with character and I have found him. I

had all the seeds roasted before I gave them out. This fact was kept a secret.

It was not possible for any seeds to germinate. People who received the seeds

from me bought other seeds for their flowerpots when they did not see any

plants growing in their flowerpots. I was on the lookout for that honest person

who would produce the correct results and when I saw that one flowerpot without

any plant, at that moment I knew that I had found that honest man. The man with

the strength of character displaying purity of heart, fearlessness,

straightforwardness, truthfulness, absence of crookedness.

The people were taken aback. The ministers and the judges stood there with their

heads bowed in agreement. The minds of the people were filled with wonderment

and satisfaction. A sense of authority prevailed when king Mahendra bestowed

the title of the crown prince upon the man whose honesty won over the hearts of

the people. The king, who was learned and full of wisdom, concluded his address

by saying that he was searching for a man, who possessed the Divine Wealth

(Daivy Sampat), to become his successor.

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:

Congruence of intellect and mind and concordance between mind and senses,

facilitates progress. However, the subservience of mind to the senses and that

of the intellect to the mind, leads to a fall.

(Amrta Bindu #49)

 

 

 

 

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