Sage and the Crow
This thread would describe a story about Sage Kalakavrikshiya and his pet crow, who came to the court of King Kshemadarsin of Kosala in order to check the conduct of ministers of the king.
#Story ЁЯз╡
This thread would describe a story about Sage Kalakavrikshiya and his pet crow, who came to the court of King Kshemadarsin of Kosala in order to check the conduct of ministers of the king.
#Story ЁЯз╡
In the kingdom of Kosala, with its capital at Sravasti, ruled a king named Kshemadarsin.
The king was young and inexperienced, and his ministers, seeing this, used to embezzle the royal treasury, of which the king had no idea.
The king was young and inexperienced, and his ministers, seeing this, used to embezzle the royal treasury, of which the king had no idea.
There arrived a sage named Kalakavrikshiya at Kosala, who had his pet crow with him.
He traversed the kingdom and told people that his crow knows the past, present and future of persons and kingdoms.
He traversed the kingdom and told people that his crow knows the past, present and future of persons and kingdoms.
The sage became very popular among the masses and many people followed him, interested to know about their own future.
The sage also saw the mismanagement of the kingdom done by the king's ministers, while traversing the kingdom.
The sage also saw the mismanagement of the kingdom done by the king's ministers, while traversing the kingdom.
The king heard this strange incident of the sage and his crow, and invited the sage to his court.
At the appointed day, the sage came to the court and was welcomed by the king and his ministers.
At the appointed day, the sage came to the court and was welcomed by the king and his ministers.
This spoke the sage to the king:
" I've come here and know everything about your kingdom. I also know that your ministers are plundering the royal treasury, because my crow told me this."
" I've come here and know everything about your kingdom. I also know that your ministers are plundering the royal treasury, because my crow told me this."
Hearing this, all the ministers of the king became angry and accused the sage of speaking lies.
They demanded proofs from the sage for levelling unwanted accusations against them.
They demanded proofs from the sage for levelling unwanted accusations against them.
The sage asked for one day to prove his accusations, and also wanted any of the ministers to keep his crow for a day.
The ministers told the king that if something happens to the crow, then they will be held responsible, and advised the king to make the crow stay with the sage.
The ministers told the king that if something happens to the crow, then they will be held responsible, and advised the king to make the crow stay with the sage.
The king agreed and told the sage to keep the crow with himself and come back the next day.
Meanwhile, the ministers hatched a plan to kill the sage at night. Their assassin tried to hit the sage with arrows, but the arrow hit the crow instead, and it died.
Meanwhile, the ministers hatched a plan to kill the sage at night. Their assassin tried to hit the sage with arrows, but the arrow hit the crow instead, and it died.
Next day, the sage arrived without the crow and the king asked the sage about this, to which the Sage replied that someone tried to kill him at night, but the crow died instead.
Hearing this, the ministers told the king that the sage should be punished for spreading lies.
Hearing this, the ministers told the king that the sage should be punished for spreading lies.
The king asked the sage to speak freely to which the sage replied:
" I have come to you, so I may tell you about your ministers. The sastras say those who cannot get help from anywhere, go to the king."
" I have come to you, so I may tell you about your ministers. The sastras say those who cannot get help from anywhere, go to the king."
The sage continued:
"I've not come here to criticize your ministers, but you should know about 'Raj-dharma' and rights and wrongs happening in your kingdom."
" Whoever is looting the royal treasury, is doing so under your patronage."
"I've not come here to criticize your ministers, but you should know about 'Raj-dharma' and rights and wrongs happening in your kingdom."
" Whoever is looting the royal treasury, is doing so under your patronage."
"O king, politics is like a river, in which corrupt ministers and other nobel-men are like predatory fishes and crocodiles, who eat up the good people for trying to cross this river and approach the king."
"Just as it is difficult to traverse on a road, which is full of stones and wild animals, in the same way good people in your country cannot come to you, as their path is obstructed by these corrupt ministers."
King Kshemadarsin understood what was going on, and with folded hands requested Sage Kalakavrikshiya to stay with him, in order to make him understand about his duties and conduct, to which the sage agreed.
Some time later, all the corrupt ministers were thrown out of Kosala and the kingdom prospered.
King Kshemadarsin ruled wisely for a long time, with Sage Kalakavrikshiya as his guru.
King Kshemadarsin ruled wisely for a long time, with Sage Kalakavrikshiya as his guru.
The story tells about the king's responsibilities and appropriate conduct, wherein, he should listen to wise men, who are keen to further his cause, and the cause of his kingdom.
In conclusion, the Mahabharata says about the king:
рдпрдерд╛ рд╣рд┐ рдЧрд░реНрднрд┐рдгреА рд╣рд┐рддреНрд╡рд╛ рд╕реНрд╡рдВ рдкреНрд░рд┐рдпрдВ рдордирд╕реЛрд╜рдиреБрдЧрдореН ред
рдЧрд░реНрднрд╕реНрдп рд╣рд┐рддрдорд╛рдзрддреНрддреЗ рддрдерд╛ рд░рд╛рдЬреНрдЮрд╛рдкреНрдпрд╕рдВрд╢рдпрдореН рее┬а
'The King is like a mother who sacrifices all that she holds dear for good of her child.'
-- MbH, 12.56.45
End
рдпрдерд╛ рд╣рд┐ рдЧрд░реНрднрд┐рдгреА рд╣рд┐рддреНрд╡рд╛ рд╕реНрд╡рдВ рдкреНрд░рд┐рдпрдВ рдордирд╕реЛрд╜рдиреБрдЧрдореН ред
рдЧрд░реНрднрд╕реНрдп рд╣рд┐рддрдорд╛рдзрддреНрддреЗ рддрдерд╛ рд░рд╛рдЬреНрдЮрд╛рдкреНрдпрд╕рдВрд╢рдпрдореН рее┬а
'The King is like a mother who sacrifices all that she holds dear for good of her child.'
-- MbH, 12.56.45
End
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