The Strange Silence
t was a terrible night. The rain came down in torrents and thunder rumbled threateningly. The frequent flashes of lightning revealed the ugly vistas of grinning ghouls. King Vikram tripped over the gnarled, knotty roots of the ancient tree as he reached for the corpse that dangled from its branches. He put the corpse on his shoulder and started walking back. He had a rendezvous to keep with the strange mendicant.
“What makes you so determined to carry me away from here?” asked the Vetal who possessed the corpse. But King Vikram kept silent. “Your silence is enigmatic, rather like King Sushanta’s!” commented the Vetal. “Have you heard of him? Let me regale you with his story to make your journey easier!” And he narrated this story:
King Sushanta of Pushpanagar was wise and noble. He gave alms to holy men and gifts to deserving artists and poets. He made sure that his subjects were happy and that his kingdom was prosperous. If he had a fault, it was anger. He would fly into a rage if something did not happen as he wanted it to. Once when the royal cooks messed up a special dish that the king had ordered for some very special guests, they not only lost their jobs but were also sent out of the kingdom immediately.
If an officer was found to be guilty of some lapse in duty, he was punished immediately. He would lose his job and life. The king’s reputation of being an angry man made sure that the people lived in uneasy calm.
One day a holy man appeared in his court, and said that he wanted the king’s permission to hold discourses at the temples in the kingdom.
“Who are you, O noble one? Where are you from?” asked the king courteously.
“I’m Pranananda. I’ve just come here from the Himalayas where I was meditating for the last decade”, replied the saintly man. “Meditation brought me peace of mind. But my guru said the purpose of my life should be not only to seek salvation for myself, but to show the path to other less fortunate men and women. That is why I am here!”
King Sushanta was impressed. “Swamiji! We shall be grateful if you’ll settle down here and guide me and my subjects”, he said.
The saint laughed. “O King, I’ve decided not to settle down in any place. But your affection and kindness ties me to your kingdom. I shall stay here for some days and try to make myself useful to your people”.
The king ordered a cottage to be built for the swamiji in the royal park. He called the park keeper, Sumangala, and asked him to look after the swamiji’s comforts.
Soon Sumangala and the swamiji became great friends. Sumangala lived with his wife and two sons in a cottage in the park. Every morning, after prayers, Pranananda would spend a couple of hours with the king. Sushanta listened earnestly to swamiji’s discourses and tried to act according to his wise advice. Swamiji would then go around, addressing people gathered at the temples.
At night, he would have dinner at Sumangala’s house. The swamiji would tell wonderful stories to his two sons way into the night.
One day, when the king and the swamiji were at the park, Sumangala was trimming a bush nearby. He noticed that some bees were bothering the swamiji. He rushed to him, waving his hands to keep the bees away.
But the king did not like the way Sumangala had interrupted the conversation. “How dare you jump between us like that?” he shouted. “Who asked you to interfere? Had the bees got intolerable, wouldn’t I have helped swamiji? Get out of my sight! I don’t want to see you here again!” he shouted.
Sumangala was stunned. But swamiji went to his rescue. “Don’t shout at him, my son”, he urged the king. “After all, his intention was good. It is easy to get angry. But decisions taken in a moment of anger will prove to be wrong. When you are angry, the best course is to be silent till you feel that you are once again your old reasonable self. If in a fit of anger you send away Sumangala, you might not easily find another capable and honest man to replace him”.
King Sushanta accepted his advice and pardoned Sumangala. Pranananda’s words of wisdom had a tremendous impact on the king. A few months later, however, the swamiji became very restless.
One day, he told the king: “My goal in life is to help as many people as I can, and not just the citizens of your kingdom. I would like to travel to other lands and guide other people”.
But the king would not hear of his going away. Then swamiji relented and said he would return to Pushpanagar every third month and spend a month with the king. King Sushanta had to accept this.
The king ordered a cottage to be built for the swamiji in the royal park. He called the park keeper, Sumangala, and asked him to look after the swamiji’s comforts.
Soon Sumangala and the swamiji became great friends. Sumangala lived with his wife and two sons in a cottage in the park. Every morning, after prayers, Pranananda would spend a couple of hours with the king. Sushanta listened earnestly to swamiji’s discourses and tried to act according to his wise advice. Swamiji would then go around, addressing people gathered at the temples.
At night, he would have dinner at Sumangala’s house. The swamiji would tell wonderful stories to his two sons way into the night.
One day, when the king and the swamiji were at the park, Sumangala was trimming a bush nearby. He noticed that some bees were bothering the swamiji. He rushed to him, waving his hands to keep the bees away.
But the king did not like the way Sumangala had interrupted the conversation. “How dare you jump between us like that?” he shouted. “Who asked you to interfere? Had the bees got intolerable, wouldn’t I have helped swamiji? Get out of my sight! I don’t want to see you here again!” he shouted.
Sumangala was stunned. But swamiji went to his rescue. “Don’t shout at him, my son”, he urged the king. “After all, his intention was good. It is easy to get angry. But decisions taken in a moment of anger will prove to be wrong. When you are angry, the best course is to be silent till you feel that you are once again your old reasonable self. If in a fit of anger you send away Sumangala, you might not easily find another capable and honest man to replace him”.
King Sushanta accepted his advice and pardoned Sumangala. Pranananda’s words of wisdom had a tremendous impact on the king. A few months later, however, the swamiji became very restless.
One day, he told the king: “My goal in life is to help as many people as I can, and not just the citizens of your kingdom. I would like to travel to other lands and guide other people”.
But the king would not hear of his going away. Then swamiji relented and said he would return to Pushpanagar every third month and spend a month with the king. King Sushanta had to accept this.
Three months passed. One evening Pranananda came back to Pushpanagar and went to his cottage. Sumangala did not notice his arrival. It was now dark and swamiji was thirsty. He went to the pond in the park to fill his jug with water.
As he dipped his jug into the pond to fill it, it made a loud gurgling sound.
Sumangala, whose cottage was nearby, heard the noise. He thought some animals had entered the garden and were at the pond. He rushed out and threw his spear in the direction of the pond.
Alas! The spear pierced swamiji and he cried aloud. Sumangala recognised his voice and ran out in horror. He found swamiji gasping for breath. He fell at his feet and begged his pardon. The swamiji said, “Remove the spear from my back so that I can die in peace”. Sobbing, Sumangala did as he was told and gently laid him on the ground.
“Forgive me”, he sobbed. “I did not mean to do it”.
Swamiji smiled: “I know it. I forgive you”. And he breathed his last.
Suddenly, Sumangala was struck with fear. ‘What would happen to me and my family if the king were to hear of this?’ he wondered. He rushed to his cottage, told the whole story to his wife, and along with their two young children, they disappeared into the night.
The next day the guards discovered the swamiji’s body in the park. They searched for Sumangala but could not find him anywhere. They concluded that he must have killed the swamiji for some reason. They took the news to the king.
King Sushanta was furious. He ordered a manhunt, but Sumangala could not be traced.
Meanwhile Sumangala had taken up a job in a neighbouring kingdom. But he was not happy. He wanted to return to Pushpanagar. When one year had passed, he ventured into Pushpanagar and met an old friend, a courtier in the palace. He requested him to find out if the king had forgiven him for the swamji’s death.
The courtier found an opportunity to broach the subject with the king. The royal gardener was asking the king for some implements. The courtier intervened: “Sumangala was a wonderful gardener! He did not spend so much on implements”.
But the king did not say a word. The courtier told Sumangala to stay away. Six months later, at Sumangala’s request, the courtier took up his cause. This time, too, the king remained silent.
Another six months passed. Sumangala was now quite desperate. This time he risked his life and went to Pushpanagar with his family. Instead of going to his friend, he presented himself at the court and fell at the feet of the king. He narrated the whole story of the swamiji’s untimely death.
“I know it all, Sumangala. I know you could not have done it intentionally. Come back and join my service once again!” said the king.
Here Vetal stopped his narration and turned to the king. “O king, when Sumangala’s friend sang the park-keeper’s praises in the court for the first two times, the king would not react at all. But when Sumangala himself went and fell at the king’s feet two years after the accidental death of swamiji, the king took him back. Doesn’t this show the king to be inconsistent in his behaviour?
Do you think that only when he saw Sumangala he realised that he couldn’t have killed the swamiji deliberately? If you know the answers to these questions, but choose to remain silent, your head will split into a thousand pieces!”
King Vikram replied promptly: “No, King Sushanta was not inconsistent in his behaviour. And he must have realized long back that the swamiji’s death was an accident, for, didn’t you say that he was a wise ruler? Surely he knew his park-keeper well! If he had ordered a manhunt for Sumangala, it was because he was blinded by anger at the thought of the untimely and violent death of swamiji, whom he revered very much. We know that anger was the king’s greatest weakness. Swamiji had once advised him not to do anything when he was angry, but to wait till he was his old reasonable self. The king was still angry at the park-keeper when the courtier pleaded on his behalf. But he remembered his mentor’s words and remained silent, perhaps because he was afraid that he might, in a fit of rage, harm Sumangala if he were to present himself before him. Two years after the incident, the wound had healed. When Sumangala made his desperate appearance in the court, the king reacted in a reasonable way. The king was only following the wise words of his mentor when he held his tongue and let time heal his anger before he felt able to talk rationally to Sumangala”.
No sooner had King Vikram answered than the Vetal once again gave him the slip and glided back to the ancient tree. And King Vikram drew his sword and followed the Vetal.
t was a terrible night. The rain came down in torrents and thunder rumbled threateningly. The frequent flashes of lightning revealed the ugly vistas of grinning ghouls. King Vikram tripped over the gnarled, knotty roots of the ancient tree as he reached for the corpse that dangled from its branches. He put the corpse on his shoulder and started walking back. He had a rendezvous to keep with the strange mendicant.
“What makes you so determined to carry me away from here?” asked the Vetal who possessed the corpse. But King Vikram kept silent. “Your silence is enigmatic, rather like King Sushanta’s!” commented the Vetal. “Have you heard of him? Let me regale you with his story to make your journey easier!” And he narrated this story:
King Sushanta of Pushpanagar was wise and noble. He gave alms to holy men and gifts to deserving artists and poets. He made sure that his subjects were happy and that his kingdom was prosperous. If he had a fault, it was anger. He would fly into a rage if something did not happen as he wanted it to. Once when the royal cooks messed up a special dish that the king had ordered for some very special guests, they not only lost their jobs but were also sent out of the kingdom immediately.
If an officer was found to be guilty of some lapse in duty, he was punished immediately. He would lose his job and life. The king’s reputation of being an angry man made sure that the people lived in uneasy calm.
One day a holy man appeared in his court, and said that he wanted the king’s permission to hold discourses at the temples in the kingdom.
“Who are you, O noble one? Where are you from?” asked the king courteously.
“I’m Pranananda. I’ve just come here from the Himalayas where I was meditating for the last decade”, replied the saintly man. “Meditation brought me peace of mind. But my guru said the purpose of my life should be not only to seek salvation for myself, but to show the path to other less fortunate men and women. That is why I am here!”
King Sushanta was impressed. “Swamiji! We shall be grateful if you’ll settle down here and guide me and my subjects”, he said.
The saint laughed. “O King, I’ve decided not to settle down in any place. But your affection and kindness ties me to your kingdom. I shall stay here for some days and try to make myself useful to your people”.
The king ordered a cottage to be built for the swamiji in the royal park. He called the park keeper, Sumangala, and asked him to look after the swamiji’s comforts.
Soon Sumangala and the swamiji became great friends. Sumangala lived with his wife and two sons in a cottage in the park. Every morning, after prayers, Pranananda would spend a couple of hours with the king. Sushanta listened earnestly to swamiji’s discourses and tried to act according to his wise advice. Swamiji would then go around, addressing people gathered at the temples.
At night, he would have dinner at Sumangala’s house. The swamiji would tell wonderful stories to his two sons way into the night.
One day, when the king and the swamiji were at the park, Sumangala was trimming a bush nearby. He noticed that some bees were bothering the swamiji. He rushed to him, waving his hands to keep the bees away.
But the king did not like the way Sumangala had interrupted the conversation. “How dare you jump between us like that?” he shouted. “Who asked you to interfere? Had the bees got intolerable, wouldn’t I have helped swamiji? Get out of my sight! I don’t want to see you here again!” he shouted.
Sumangala was stunned. But swamiji went to his rescue. “Don’t shout at him, my son”, he urged the king. “After all, his intention was good. It is easy to get angry. But decisions taken in a moment of anger will prove to be wrong. When you are angry, the best course is to be silent till you feel that you are once again your old reasonable self. If in a fit of anger you send away Sumangala, you might not easily find another capable and honest man to replace him”.
King Sushanta accepted his advice and pardoned Sumangala. Pranananda’s words of wisdom had a tremendous impact on the king. A few months later, however, the swamiji became very restless.
One day, he told the king: “My goal in life is to help as many people as I can, and not just the citizens of your kingdom. I would like to travel to other lands and guide other people”.
But the king would not hear of his going away. Then swamiji relented and said he would return to Pushpanagar every third month and spend a month with the king. King Sushanta had to accept this.
The king ordered a cottage to be built for the swamiji in the royal park. He called the park keeper, Sumangala, and asked him to look after the swamiji’s comforts.
Soon Sumangala and the swamiji became great friends. Sumangala lived with his wife and two sons in a cottage in the park. Every morning, after prayers, Pranananda would spend a couple of hours with the king. Sushanta listened earnestly to swamiji’s discourses and tried to act according to his wise advice. Swamiji would then go around, addressing people gathered at the temples.
At night, he would have dinner at Sumangala’s house. The swamiji would tell wonderful stories to his two sons way into the night.
One day, when the king and the swamiji were at the park, Sumangala was trimming a bush nearby. He noticed that some bees were bothering the swamiji. He rushed to him, waving his hands to keep the bees away.
But the king did not like the way Sumangala had interrupted the conversation. “How dare you jump between us like that?” he shouted. “Who asked you to interfere? Had the bees got intolerable, wouldn’t I have helped swamiji? Get out of my sight! I don’t want to see you here again!” he shouted.
Sumangala was stunned. But swamiji went to his rescue. “Don’t shout at him, my son”, he urged the king. “After all, his intention was good. It is easy to get angry. But decisions taken in a moment of anger will prove to be wrong. When you are angry, the best course is to be silent till you feel that you are once again your old reasonable self. If in a fit of anger you send away Sumangala, you might not easily find another capable and honest man to replace him”.
King Sushanta accepted his advice and pardoned Sumangala. Pranananda’s words of wisdom had a tremendous impact on the king. A few months later, however, the swamiji became very restless.
One day, he told the king: “My goal in life is to help as many people as I can, and not just the citizens of your kingdom. I would like to travel to other lands and guide other people”.
But the king would not hear of his going away. Then swamiji relented and said he would return to Pushpanagar every third month and spend a month with the king. King Sushanta had to accept this.
Three months passed. One evening Pranananda came back to Pushpanagar and went to his cottage. Sumangala did not notice his arrival. It was now dark and swamiji was thirsty. He went to the pond in the park to fill his jug with water.
As he dipped his jug into the pond to fill it, it made a loud gurgling sound.
Sumangala, whose cottage was nearby, heard the noise. He thought some animals had entered the garden and were at the pond. He rushed out and threw his spear in the direction of the pond.
Alas! The spear pierced swamiji and he cried aloud. Sumangala recognised his voice and ran out in horror. He found swamiji gasping for breath. He fell at his feet and begged his pardon. The swamiji said, “Remove the spear from my back so that I can die in peace”. Sobbing, Sumangala did as he was told and gently laid him on the ground.
“Forgive me”, he sobbed. “I did not mean to do it”.
Swamiji smiled: “I know it. I forgive you”. And he breathed his last.
Suddenly, Sumangala was struck with fear. ‘What would happen to me and my family if the king were to hear of this?’ he wondered. He rushed to his cottage, told the whole story to his wife, and along with their two young children, they disappeared into the night.
The next day the guards discovered the swamiji’s body in the park. They searched for Sumangala but could not find him anywhere. They concluded that he must have killed the swamiji for some reason. They took the news to the king.
King Sushanta was furious. He ordered a manhunt, but Sumangala could not be traced.
Meanwhile Sumangala had taken up a job in a neighbouring kingdom. But he was not happy. He wanted to return to Pushpanagar. When one year had passed, he ventured into Pushpanagar and met an old friend, a courtier in the palace. He requested him to find out if the king had forgiven him for the swamji’s death.
The courtier found an opportunity to broach the subject with the king. The royal gardener was asking the king for some implements. The courtier intervened: “Sumangala was a wonderful gardener! He did not spend so much on implements”.
But the king did not say a word. The courtier told Sumangala to stay away. Six months later, at Sumangala’s request, the courtier took up his cause. This time, too, the king remained silent.
Another six months passed. Sumangala was now quite desperate. This time he risked his life and went to Pushpanagar with his family. Instead of going to his friend, he presented himself at the court and fell at the feet of the king. He narrated the whole story of the swamiji’s untimely death.
“I know it all, Sumangala. I know you could not have done it intentionally. Come back and join my service once again!” said the king.
Here Vetal stopped his narration and turned to the king. “O king, when Sumangala’s friend sang the park-keeper’s praises in the court for the first two times, the king would not react at all. But when Sumangala himself went and fell at the king’s feet two years after the accidental death of swamiji, the king took him back. Doesn’t this show the king to be inconsistent in his behaviour?
Do you think that only when he saw Sumangala he realised that he couldn’t have killed the swamiji deliberately? If you know the answers to these questions, but choose to remain silent, your head will split into a thousand pieces!”
King Vikram replied promptly: “No, King Sushanta was not inconsistent in his behaviour. And he must have realized long back that the swamiji’s death was an accident, for, didn’t you say that he was a wise ruler? Surely he knew his park-keeper well! If he had ordered a manhunt for Sumangala, it was because he was blinded by anger at the thought of the untimely and violent death of swamiji, whom he revered very much. We know that anger was the king’s greatest weakness. Swamiji had once advised him not to do anything when he was angry, but to wait till he was his old reasonable self. The king was still angry at the park-keeper when the courtier pleaded on his behalf. But he remembered his mentor’s words and remained silent, perhaps because he was afraid that he might, in a fit of rage, harm Sumangala if he were to present himself before him. Two years after the incident, the wound had healed. When Sumangala made his desperate appearance in the court, the king reacted in a reasonable way. The king was only following the wise words of his mentor when he held his tongue and let time heal his anger before he felt able to talk rationally to Sumangala”.
No sooner had King Vikram answered than the Vetal once again gave him the slip and glided back to the ancient tree. And King Vikram drew his sword and followed the Vetal.
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