KNOWLEDGE

King Bhoj was a worshipper of the Goddess Saraswti. He believed in scholarship, not of the king that stays buried in books, but the kind that strives relentlessly to extend the limits of human knowledge. In his court, the greatest honour was accorded to learning and the people who pursued it. He himself was well-versed in language and grammar, poetry, sculpture, architecture, science and engineering, astrology, music, theatre and the highest questions of ethics and philosophy.

Once, Bhoj went walking out in the countryside with a very learned scholar from a neighbouring kingdom. As they walked both were deeply immersed in literary and philosophical discussion. This caused them to lose their way. Arriving at a village where an old woman was tending her field, they stopped and asked, “Respected mother, where does this road go ?”

”The road does not go anywhere. It stays here. Only the people who walk along it will go somewhere. So tell me, who are you ?” , said the woman in response. “We are travellers”, they replied.

The old woman smiled.
”Travellers! there are only two. The sun and the moon. Tell me truly, who are you ?”
”Sister, we are guests”, said the scholar.
”Guests! there are only two. One is wealth and the other is youth. Now tell me which are you ?” said the old woman.
”We are kings”, said king Bhoj.
“There are only two kings. One is Indra (king of gods) the other is Yama (god of death). Tell me now, which one are you ?” enquired the old woman.
King Bhoj and his companion were by now truly astonished.
”We… we are two of great ability”, they said.
”There are only two of great ability”, said the woman. “One is the earth, the other is woman. But you look neither of them. Say now, who are you?”
”Sister…. we are sadhus(holy men)”, said king Bhoj, getting desperate.
”You do not look like Sadhus to me”, said the woman nodding her head in disagreement.
“Anyway, sadhus there are only two”, she went on, “One is modesty, the other contentment”.
Now the scholar pluked courage and spoke up. “Sister, we are pardesi”(not the local people, migrants)
But the woman would have none of it. “Perdesi you are not”, she said. “Only the soul and the leaf of a tree can be pardesi. Now , who are you ?”
The King and the scholar were becoming increasingly lost for words in the face of the woman’s astonishing replies.But how could they admit defeat in a duel of words with a mere old woman?
It was the scholar’s turn to say something. “Sister… we are clever”, he said.
“There are only two clever things in this world grain and water. Which one are you?” Countered the old woman.
At this, both king Bhoj and the visiting scholar groaned and said, “We are defeated”.
“There are only two defeated people in the world”, said the woman. “One is a man burdened with debt, the other is the father of a girlwithout good qualities. Why do you not tell me truthfully, who are you?”
Throwing up their hands in despair, king Bhoj and the scholar said, “What can we say, sister? The truth is, we seem to know nothing. It is you who know it all”.
At these words the face of the old woman broke into a smile then she turned serious in a kind and soothing voice she said, “Both of you have become too proud of your wealth and learning. I knew right from the beginning that you are king Bhoj and he is your scholarly guest. This was my way of bringing you back to earth. Go along this path”, she gestured, “That is the way back to Dhar”.
The king and the scholar bowed deeply to the poor old woman who had helped open their eyes to their own faults. They had much to think about on their way home.

"The real source of knowledge is not the books in the library, but what one can glean through reading the Book of Life”.