In the previous episode, we were amidst a very interesting conversation between Sage Thanu and a king with regards to “belief” and how it is very fragile in nature. Bhishmachaarya is narrating this particular conversation to Yudishtra, to highlight the point that belief doesn’t hold any waters beyond a point in life. Per the conversation, we’ve witnessed that the king has lost his son and is having a “belief” that he would come back to him some day. This king is intercepted by Sage Thanu, who is trying to make him understand that such beliefs in this world do not have any value. However, the king is not getting convinced and this forces Sage Thanu to explain how fragile belief is in this world. He narrates three to four instances wherein belief is fragile – For instance, having the belief that an opportunistic person whom we’ve helped a lot in the past will not ditch us when we are in need of something, is one of the most fragile beliefs that we might have. If we have a belief that a mentally unstable person will do something good for us, this is also something which is extremely fragile in nature. This is because, as all of us know, mentally unstable people are extremely unpredictable in nature. How are we going to expect something sensible and good from them? Isn’t it a folly? Similarly, people who are opportunistic – How can we expect something good from them? Believing in such people is the stupidest thing that we can do in life!
Saying thus, Sage Thanu continues further to give more such instances wherein belief can be more fragile than his own physical appearance. We’ve seen earlier that Sage Thanu is merely a bag of bones with a tall figure. He doesn’t have any fat in any part of his body, which makes him look very scaly like a skeleton moving around. If there can be something more fragile than Sage Thanu’s physical body, there can be nothing else in this world other than belief. Sage Thanu continues further thus, “Oh king! Imagine a person having a single son, who is working in some place far away from his father. One day there’s news that the entire place where his son is working is affected by an earthquake and there are no survivors there. If the father believes that his son might still be alive amidst the debris of the buildings, isn’t this belief more fragile than my physical appearance? Oh king! Let me tell you another example of this sorts – Imagine a king of a small empire looking at someone like King Dasharata or any other king of a large territory and saying that he wants to have his coffers filled up like how King Dasharata has! Can a small king ever achieve the amount of wealth that King Dasharata’s coffers have? If this small king has such a belief, of course it is extremely fragile in nature, isn’t it?”
As Sage Thanu describes all such scenarios, we also understand that belief is something which is extremely fragile in nature. Of course, I’m not saying that we should never have belief in anything or anyone. It is important. But whom are we having belief upon? If it is upon Bhagawan that He would protect us at all times, then this belief is extremely strong and can never be fragile. Whereas, if this belief is towards worldly affairs, then obviously it is going to be fragile in nature! This is the lesson that all of us have to learn through this story. The story of course doesn’t end here. It continues further. Now that the sage has outlined that belief is extremely fragile in nature, the king slowly asks the sage thus, “Oh Sage Thanu! My entire belief revolves around my son’s life. I’m still having the belief that he will come to me someday. Now tell me if this belief is fragile or not!” Upon hearing this from the king, Sage Thanu understands the level to which the king is affected and obsessed with his son. He decides to teach the king a lesson, and in that process, with his extreme power of penance, Sage Thanu brings back the king’s dead son to life! As this happens, the king’s son comes back alive in front of the king! With this, the king is extremely happy!
Now the king asks the sage once again thus, “Oh Sage Thanu! Till now you’ve been telling me that belief is extremely fragile, weren’t you? I have proved to you today that having a belief is not as fragile as you’ve mentioned! What is your take on this?” This is a very important question that the king has asked here, and I’m sure we might also have the same question in our minds too – Till now we were witnessing that belief is extremely fragile and there’s no point in believing that a dead person will come alive in this world. Now the same Sage Thanu has brought back the king’s dead son to life! Isn’t this contradicting? So, can we have a belief that is not as fragile as how it was projected earlier? We shall wait till the next episode to witness Sage Thanu’s interesting answer to this riddle! Stay tuned for an absorbing accord! 🙂
The Indian Dharma 