The King and the Ascetic

The following day, the news that the king had returned to the city filled the entire city. Rich and poor, young and old, all came to see the king at the palace. The entire city was filled with happiness, it was filled with melodious music, games, dances and jokes.

Few days later, an ascetic named Shantasila visited the palace, kept an apple in the king's hand, sat in the palace for a few minutes, and left after a few minutes without uttering a word. When he departed, the king suspected this was the enemy ascetic who had come to murder him. Thus, the king, who had not eaten of the apple, went off with it to one of his servants, and told him to take good care of it.

The next day, the ascetic came back and put another apple in the king's hand and went away without breaking anything. Thus he delivered an apple daily for weeks.'' One day, when the king visited the armory with his entourage, the ascetic who came to him that day also offered him an apple. But then for some reason, it dropped to the ground. Suddenly, a monkey came from nowhere and snatched the apple and cracked it into two. And, because the apple had been opened, a ruby gem of such extraordinary brilliance leapt from it.

The king then inquired of the ascetic why he had granted him the priceless gem.

''Your Majesty, so it is said in the sacred texts that nobody should approach a king or a priest or god without gifts, for by gifting others, one also receives gifts. Your Majesty, though you spoke of a singular gem, every single apple I had given you held the rubied gem within it.''

Thawsa replied. Upon hearing this, the king at once instructed a courtier to fetch all those apples which he had commanded to be prized. When he opened all the apples, every one of the apples had diamond in value inside it. Then he brought in a gem merchant to look at them.

''Jeweler, the most precious thing in this world is truth. So tell me what these gems are really worth.''

The jeweler looked them over carefully and said, ''What you're saying is right, O king. In the same where truth is, there is found all virtue. Truth always will be an aid to people who live in this world and another worlds. King these jewels are alike in hue, in size, and in luminosity. Taken together, their worth is priceless. But if you buy one, one will cost more than one hundred thousand rupees, king.''

This, much to the delight and pleasure of the king. He presented the jeweler with prized gifts and dismissed him. Then the king looked at Thausa, took him by the hand and seated him on the throne. ''O ascetic king, your gift is equal in every respect to all the wealth of my kingdom. ''I beseech you, ascetic, tell me what benefit you expect from presenting so great a gift to me.''

A king or queen must never converse in public about future plans, family disputes, money affairs, magic, love affairs, medicines, gifts, and a person's honor or dishonor. What you ask of me cannot be spoken before your household. It is said that there is no secret to six ears. It is a secret only if it has four ears on its side. If there are only two who hear it, not even the gods can guess it.

The king then took Thawsa aside and told him to take a look at him however he liked.

''Shri Rajanaka, a big graveyard is on the banks of the Godavari River. There I will fully make my sacrifice and become the strongest in the eight magical powers. Hence, I require assistance from a courageous man to brave a night there. You, O king, are the most fearless man in this world. If you assist me, I will reach my goal, O king.'' Tausa said. (The Eight Magical Powers 1. Turning someone into anima making them invisible 2 Mahima-expanding a person to the infinite 3. (4) Garima-making someone infinitely heavy Laghima-inducing the experience of being made infinitely small and light 5. Knowledge: Prapati-the power to obtain everything 6. Prakramya- the power to execute an idea without anyone stopping it 7. Maha-Sastra-the supreme knowledge of the whole universe 7. Vashitva–All others are your subjects.)

''Yes, any night you choose,'' said the king.

Thausa, however, asked the king to secure him that evening; by then it was already the fourteenth day of the final month of Bhadrapad (the month that shuttles between August and September in the southern region of the Narmada). Thausa proceeded to his hermitage and there to the place he prepared.

The appointed day arrived. O the king girded on his sword and his sword on his sword on his side, The king alone ventured to meet Thause. The king, addressing Thausa, said, ''O ascetic king, I have come to be of service to you.''

''Sit down, my lord.'' King Thawsa took a seat and glanced around. The king had phantom personas of every kind. They were circling around Thawsa, who was playing a horrifying song.

But the king was not afraid. He asked Thawsa what to do.

''Four miles south of this cemetery, is another cemetery. There you discover a corpse strung up from a tree. Bring that body to me,'' the ascetic said. The king started walking.

It was a horrible, dark night. Meanwhile, a torrential rain was pouring down. And all around him he could hear the sounds of corpses and ghosts whispering to one another, shouting. But he refused to stop and walked on, taking long strides. When snakes were biting his feet, the king was able to drive them away before they could bite him by reciting the mantras he had learned. In the end, the king