Badola was an agricultural
implements salesman. One evening he was hurrying home after a busy a day, reached
a crossroad. It was drizzling incessantly therefore the road was murky and
milieu bleak. In the middle of the crossing was a large banyan tree around
which a round platform. There was no one save an old man sitting on the round
platform. He approached the old man and asked,
‘Which road leads to the station?’
The old man looked at him intently
then said,
‘It’s a long time now but I
remember a guy, a professional chess player wanting to go to station, taking
this road on your left but came back haggard and disgusted he then took the one
direct in front of you, didn’t come back.’
‘So the road in front of me goes
to station?’
‘So it seems but another guy, a
Kathak dancer also wanting to go to station took that road but came back
haggard and disgusted. He then took the road to your right, didn’t come back?’
‘Beats me!’
‘That’s not the end of it, on one
another occasion I met a football player wanting to go to station took the road
on your right came back haggard and disgusted. He then took the road to your
left didn’t come back!’
‘I don’t get it. You are saying
that chess player was lost in the road to left, the Kathak dancer was lost in
the road straight ahead and footballer lost in the road on my right.’
‘Quite so I am afraid.’
‘So which road I should take?’
‘I don’t know; you will have to
figure that out yourself.’
Badola tried hard but couldn’t
figure out so the old man said,
‘I heard that there is fiery
canal a short distance on the way on your left. A rope bridge in very bad shape
hangs over. The water on canal speeds under it foaming and roaring. You have to
cross it to make any progress on the way. The road straight ahead of you also
has a hurdle. Just a short distance from it passes through an elaborately constructed
maze. It’s a dicey thing to enter the chance of getting lost is high. The road
on your right similarly has a problem. As
soon as move up hundred yards you come up against sloping down tunnel. Its sidewalls
very rough and abrasive and the road is covered with thick layer of oil. You
need to pass through this tunnel to make any progress down the road. ‘
2 comments:
This story is allegorical in the tradition of Katha. Ancient saints in India didn't write treatise but gave us 'Sutra' (aphorism) like the celebrated 'Brahm Sutra' or Kapila's 'Sankhya Sutra' and other aphorisms. Other wise men wrote treatise on these sutras
In Hindu tradition God can be realized in several ways, chief among them are Bhakti, Yog and Gyaan ( Devotion, Yoga and Knowledge. The three roads represent Bhakti Marg, Yoga and Gnyaan marg. Chess player is adept at Gyaan marg, Footballer can negotiate Yoga and the Kathak dancer likely to be devotional type.
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