The ARROGANCE

After travelling long through a forest, Kalidasa reached a village. He felt very thirsty and looked around for water, whereupon he saw an old woman drawing water from a well.

He went up to her and asked her for water. 

She agreed to give him water, but asked him to first introduce himself, “Who are you? Introduce yourself.” (apna parichay do)

Now Kalidasa, who was a renowned and revered scholar of his time, thought that an ordinary and old village woman was not worthy of knowing who great Kalidasa was.

So he said, “I am a traveller.” 

But the old lady replied, “No, you cannot be a traveller. In this world there are only 2 travellers – the Sun and the Moon. Both Rise and Set every day and keep travelling perpetually. Who are you?”

Then thirsty Kalidasa said, “Alright then, treat me as a guest.”

The lady promptly replied, “No you cannot be a guest, son. In this world there are only 2 guests – Youth and Wealth … both are temporary and do not stay even if you plead with them a million times, and hence can only they be called as guests. Who are you?”

Thirsty but now quite intrigued with the profoundness of this old lady, Kalidasa said, “I am a Tolerant person, mata (sahansheel vyakti).” 

Now the old lady replied, “You don’t quite look tolerant, young man. In this world only 2 truly know the meaning of Tolerance – Bhoomi (Earth) and Tree. How much ever you stamp the earth or throw stones at the tree (for the fruits), both continue to nurture us. So, who are you?”

With unquenched thirst, Kalidasa was increasingly becoming irritable. He said, “Fine then, consider me a stubborn person (hatavaadi).”

The lady smiled and said, “No my child, you are not that stubborn. There are only 2 truly stubborn personalities our nails and our hair. We keep cutting them non-stop, but they continue to grow. Who are you?”

Kalidasa had been patient so far, but now in anger he said, “Alright, I am a fool”. 

Now the lady gave a wide smile and said, “There are only 2 kinds of fools in this world a King who rules without having any capability or knowledge and a Minister who is a sycophant to such a King and lavishes praises on such a useless king. Who are you?”

Kalidasa realised that he had been outsmarted by an old illiterate village woman. In complete awe and humility, he fell at the feet of the lady, saying, “O mother! How ignorant I was to think that I know myself. I am ashamed of myself. Pardon my ignorance. Show mercy, and grant me water, I beg of you.”

When he touched her feet and then got up, whom did he see?

Mata Saraswati the Goddess of Learning and Wisdom.

She said, “Kalidasa, you are wise. But only if you know yourself do you become a true Manushya (human being). Your ego has overshadowed your achievements. You are educated, but you are also given to arrogance. Hence, I had to come to guide you.”

Morals:

#The mark of a true human being is not his knowledge, but his humility. 

#Your intellect and education is of no use if it only feeds your ego.*