As I walk closer to my goal,
stories read as child keep coming to mind thick and fast ….
There lived a king who was one of
the most powerful kings of his time. He was popular amongst his subjects and
never gave up a single opportunity to show off his powers. Royal procession on
festival days was a ritual, king cherished the most. He mounted a big mighty
elephant as a part of his royal procession. Crowd used to cheer the king as the
procession passed through crowded streets …..
… Once during a procession, a
rustic man jumped up from the crowd and caught the royal elephant by its tail.
With one jerk of his hand he made the mighty royal elephant sit down! The crowd
was stunned for a moment and then there was a thunderous applause! The man
smiled with an innocence of a child. King quickly regained his composure and
rewarded the man with a bag of gold coins.
Back in the palace, the king
paced nervously in his chamber … after some time he called for his wise old
minister … Once the minister arrived king said, “The man who pulled down the
elephant today looked innocent but he is mighty. Who knows, one day he might
challenge me”. Sensing the king’s apprehension, the wise old minister asked the
king not to worry about it. He promised the king that he will ensure that the
rustic man would not even have strength to stop a horse in the next festive
procession that was just a month away….
The wise minister made some
inquiries about the rustic man- Bhima. Bhima was a carefree, happy-go-lucky son
of a hunter who had grown up in jungle. He was an innocent man and had never
harmed anyone. The minister then called Bhima to the palace. He offered the Bhima
one of the finest rooms in the palace and cuisine Bhima had never dreamt
of. Once Bhima got used to the palace
comfort, minister gave Bhima a small responsibility. Bhima was to light a lamp
in the temple on the hill exactly before sunrise. Bhima felt obliged and started
his duty. For the first time in his life Bhima had restless nights as he did
not want to go wrong on his job.
A month later as the royal
procession passed through the streets, the wise old minister challenged Bhima
to stop the king’s horse the way he has stopped the elephant. Bhima smiled and
moved ahead. As he tried to pull the horse, the horse dragged him!
Back in his palace, the king
asked the minister about how he managed the coup. The wise old minister
answered, “Your majesty, Bhima’s real strength was his carefree attitude. I
gave him all material comforts and best of the cuisine. But I also gave him a
small responsibility. Bhima was so addicted to the comfort that he started
worrying about his responsibility. Once he stopped being carefree, I knew that
he wouldn’t have a strength to even pull a horse!”
Remaining carefree is THE source
of your strength. While it is good to chase comforts, be careful of what you
are possibly trading off!
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