23rd Figure's Story - 23-Dharmvatee
A Man is Great by Birth or by Karm?

As Raajaa Bhoj tried to sit on the throne again, this time the 23rd figure whose name was Dharmvatee burst into laughter and asked him - "Do you still think you are the right person to sit upon this throne?" Raajaa Bhoj again said with courage - "Yes." She said - "First listen to this story and then decide if you can sit on this throne. Listen, Once Raajaa Vikram was sitting in his court that a discussion broke among the courtiers that a man is great by his birth or by his actions. The discussion was not coming to an end. One group was saying that a man is great by his birth, because his birth is the result of his previous Karm (actions). Good Sanskaar are the result of heredity, such as a king's son becomes a king and his behavior is like a king. While the other group was of the opinion that he is great because of his Karm, because people become bad even born in high families and fall by indulging themselves in bad habits.

But the first group presented the argument that the Sanskaar of previous life are not destroyed, as a lotus plant does not lose its qualities even in mud, rose grows on thorns still does not lose its smell, sandalwood does not lose its smell even poisonous snakes are wound around it. Thus both groups were presenting their arguments in favor of their statements. No group was ready to change its mind. When their discussion continued for long, Raajaa told them to stop it and that he would find its solution by practical example.

He ordered to bring a lion's cub. Then he called a herdsman and asked him to bring it up with his goats. The herdsman did not understand anything but he took him and started bringing up with goats. Thus the cub also started drinking milk, then eating grass and leaves. When he had grown a little more, he continued his milk, but he could not eat grass and leaves. One day Vikram called the herdsman and asked him about the cub, he told him that he behaved like goats. But he requested Raajaa to feed him meat, because now he did not like grass and leaves. Vikram clearly refused this and told him to feed him only milk. The herdsman did not understand Raajaa, that why he was bent upon a carnivorous animal to feed only milk. He came back home.

The lion cub was growing with goats. He drank milk, but sometime when he was very hungry he ate some grass or leaves also. One day when he was grazing with other goats, a lion in cage was brought there. As the goats saw him they started running away with fear, he also ran away from there.

After this incident Raajaa asked the herdsman to keep him separately from the goats. Then he started killing small animals and eating them but when the herdsman brought him to shut in the stable in the evening, he came quietly and got shut in it. After some time he did not fear from the lion. When he heard the roar of the lion, he also roared loudly.

Seeing all this Raajaa told his courtiers that all the root attitudes are in a man since birth and when they get opportunity they appear in him. The lion cub was not taught lion's behavior, but he behaved like him whenever he got that opportunity. But a human being should be respected by his Karm.

All agreed with Raajaa but one Minister did not agree with him. His opinion was that Vikram became king because he was born in a royal family, otherwise he could not have become king even after working hard even for seven lives. Raajaa smiled at this. The time was passing. One day a boatman came in the court carrying a beautiful flower. That flower was really beautiful. People have seen such beautiful red flower for the first time.

Raajaa sent his Minister and the boatman to find the source of that flower. Boatmen rowed his boat in the direction from where it came. At last they came to a spot where they saw a very strange scene. A Yogee was hanging upside down from a tree bound with chains. He was wounded because of being tied with chains. His wounds were bleeding and when that blood fell in the river it changed into red flowers. At some distance some Tapaswee were busy in doing Tapasyaa. They brought a few flowers from there to Raajaa's court.

Raajaa said - "Consider that Yogee as Raajaa and those Tapaswee as his courtiers. Only the actions of previous lives make one Raajaa or courtier." Now that minister understood Raajaa and he agreed that one can get Raajaa's throne only on the basis of his Karm done in his previous lives.