After a long travel long through a forest, Kalidasa the great and famous poet of ancient India reached a village. He was thirsty and sought water.
He saw an old woman drawing water from a well. He went up to her and requested her for some water.
She agreed to give him water, but asked him "Who are you? Please introduce yourself.”
Kaldasa a renowned and revered scholar of his time did not expect an ordinary, old village woman in a remote area to know about him or his fame. So he replied, “I am a traveller”.
The old lady replied, “You cannot be a traveller, for 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?
A thirsty Kalidasa said, “Alright, then consider me a guest.”
The old lady replied, “No you cannot be a guest son because, 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 may be called 'guests'.”
Who are you?
Thirsty but now quite intrigued with the profoundness of this old lady, Kalidasa said, “I am a tolerant Person, mother”
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. However much you stamp upon the earth or throw stones at the tree (for the fruits), both continue to nurture us.”
So, tell me who are you?
Kalidasa's throat was parched, and he became irritated. He said, “Fine then, you may consider me a Stubborn Person”
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 frequently, but they continue to grow.”
So, 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 possessing 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?
Awestruck and humbled, Kalidasa knelt and brought his forehead to the feet of the old lady, saying, “O mother! How ignorant I was to think that I knew myself."
"Please forgive my ignorance. Show mercy, and grant me water, I beg of you."
Then Kalidasa raised his eyes and stood up. Standing before him was not the old woman but Saraswati ji, the Goddess of Learning and Wisdom.
She said - "Kalidasa, you are intelligent but unwise. Remember, only if you know yourself do you become a true Manushya (human being)."
"Your ego has cast a shadow over your achievements. You are knowledgable, but you are given to arrogance. Hence, I had to come to guide you."
"The mark of a true human being is not his knowledge, but his humility born out of knowing himself. Your Intellect and learning are useless if they only serve to feed your ego."
Remember the tree heavily laden with fruit bows down. So it is with the one who is knowledgeable and wise, he is humble.
Maa Saraswati ji then served Kalidasa water. After that Kalidasa's genius expanded greatly in scope and deeply in emotion, and his reputation remains unmatched to this day. Yet he remained grounded and humble, thanks to the blessings of Maa Saraswati ji.
Interesting fact:
Both the images used in this article were generated by using AI (Artificial Intelligence).
Interesting Links:
The Supreme Poet (Kalidasa) ~ Ancient Wisdom of India
Knowledge is a Barrier ~ Guru Wonder
Who are you ~ Guru Wonder
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