Page 14 - Amrit Varta - Issue Feb. 2023 - English

6 MA ANANDAMAYEE AMRIT VARTA Vol. 27, No.1, February2023

work, as is so is’. (2) ‘If the young is old, then give him due respect’. (3) ‘Never
ever divulge a rich man’s secrets’. (4) ‘Never ever forsake offered food’. Both
the friends liked these sermons. Purchasing the four pitchers they decided that
they would try their best to follow these sermons. One day when the prince was
having a bath, the intellectuals of that kingdom while searching for the right
person ro replace their deceased king, observed positive traits on the minister’s
son and took him captive and enthroned him as their king.
After finishing his bath the prince, not finding his friend anywhere became
worried. Suddenly his eyes fell on the sermon ‘Keep doing your work, as is so
is’ written on one of the pitchers. Considering this sermon as the best one to
follow, he disguised himself and entering the palace of that kingdom requested
for a job. The king, i.e., the minister’s son not recognising the prince gave him
a job. His job was that of the caretaker of the royal court, and hence he had to
check that everything was in order before the king arrived in the royal court.
The prince started his job with full dedication. Even though he knew that the
minister’s son was his king now, following the second sermon, ‘If the young is
old, then give him due respect’, he never dishonoured the king. However due to
the change in circumstances the minister’s son had totally forgotten his friend
the prince and also could not recognise him through his disguise. Pleased with
the prince’s cordial behaviour and loyalty the king gave him permission to enter
the private rooms of the palace without any hindrance. Once the queen became
very ill. While roaming in the inner wings the prince came to learn that if the
queen was bathed with the blood of the first person to arrive in the royal court
the next day, she would recover from her illness. But the prince did not inform
anyone about this, because he then remembered the third sermon, ‘Never ever
divulge a rich man’s secrets’. The next day as was his duty he was on his way to
enter first into the royal court for his daily supervision.
Observing the prince’s devotion towards his duty, Lord Mahadev disguised
as a brahmin sat down under a banyan tree for selling various food items. The
moment the prince passed that way, the brahmin requested him to have some
food before moving to the royal court. Initially the prince considering it to be
an hindrance to his duty, ignored him and walked ahead. Suddenly he remem-
bered the fourth sermon, ‘Never ever forsake offered food’. He returned back,
ate the offered food prepared by the brahmin and moved ahead towards the
royal court. In the meantime, according to fate another person entered the royal
court first and the royal soldiers killed him. The queen was bathed with his
blood and she quickly recovered from her illness. When the prince observed