An Indian Tale on The King of Compassion

Kindnesscanhelptosailthroughtoughtimes.ReadanIndiantaleon‘TheKingofCompassion’whichteachesushowbeingkindcanturnaroundastressfulsituation.Onceuponatime,therelivedakingwhoruledhiskingdomwithutmostcompassionandkindness.Heneverturnedanyindividualandacceptedeveryonewithasmile.Hewaskindandcompassionatetoeverybeingthathecameacross.Heshowedcompassiontowardsbirds,animalsaswellasallindividuals.Atthesametime,healsoworshipedGodswithgreatdevotion.EvenGodswerepleasedwithhiskindandcompassionatenature.So,onedayLordIndraandDharmadecidedtotesthim.LordIndratooktheformofahawkandLordDharmatooktheformofadove.LordIndrawhowasindisguiseofahawkstartedchasingLordDharmadisguisedasadove.Scaredofthefurioushawkandtosavehislife,thedoveenteredthepalaceofthekindking.Hestraightawayenteredtheroomwherethekingwassitting.Shiveringwithfear,adovesnuggledinthearmsoftheking.Thehawkstartedpersuadingthekingtoabandonthedoveclaimingthatitwasitsnaturalprey.Hetoldthekingthatifhedoesnotallowhimtoeatthedoveaway,whichwashisnaturalprey,hewilldieofstarvationandthekingwillberesponsibleforhisdeath.Afterlisteningtothepleasofthehawkthekingfeltcompassionforhimaswell.Heprotectedthedovefromthehawkbutatthesametime,hedidnotwantthehawktodieofstarvation.So,tocooldownthesituation,thekingofferedhimtoaskforanyfoodthatisequivalenttothedove.Takingtheadvantageofthekindnessoftheking,thehawkaskedfortheking’sflesh.Butthekingdidnotstepbackward.Heorderedhisservicementogetaweighingscale.Heplacedthedoveononeofthescales.Hethenstartedcuttingouthisfleshandputtingitonanotherscalewaitingforthescaletogetbalanced.Asthescalewasnotgettingbalancedatallhesatonthescales.Thistimethescalegotbalanced.Thekingsaidtothehawkthatashisweightisequivalenttothatofthedove,hehastoeathimasawhole.Withoutanyfearorhesitation,thekingwasreadytosacrificehislifeforthedove.Soheaskedthehawktotakehimaway.Everyonewassurprisedbythisactoftheking.Atthatmomentaheavenlyvoicecouldbeheardpraisingthekingforhisdeeds.Thekinghadoutdonethetestso,boththeGodswhowereindisguiseofthehawkanddovereappearedintheiractualformsinfrontoftheking.Theyblessedthekingandpromisedtoprotecthimforever.Moral:Beingkindandcompassionatealwaysworks,sooneshouldnever-give-upthisvirtueevenduringtestingtimes.

Kindness can help to sail through tough times. Read an Indian tale on ‘The King of Compassion’ which teaches us how being kind can turn around a stressful situation.

Once upon a time, there lived a king who ruled his kingdom with utmost compassion and kindness. He never turned any individual and accepted everyone with a smile. He was kind and compassionate to every being that he came across. He showed compassion towards birds, animals as well as all individuals. At the same time, he also worshiped Gods with great devotion. Even Gods were pleased with his kind and compassionate nature. So, one day Lord Indra and Dharma decided to test him.

Lord Indra took the form of a hawk and Lord Dharma took the form of a dove. Lord Indra who was in disguise of a hawk started chasing Lord Dharma disguised as a dove. Scared of the furious hawk and to save his life, the dove entered the palace of the kind king. He straight away entered the room where the king was sitting. Shivering with fear, a dove snuggled in the arms of the king. The hawk started persuading the king to abandon the dove claiming that it was its natural prey. He told the king that if he does not allow him to eat the dove away, which was his natural prey, he will die of starvation and the king will be responsible for his death.

After listening to the pleas of the hawk the king felt compassion for him as well. He protected the dove from the hawk but at the same time, he did not want the hawk to die of starvation. So, to cool down the situation, the king offered him to ask for any food that is equivalent to the dove. Taking the advantage of the kindness of the king, the hawk asked for the king’s flesh. But the king did not step backward. He ordered his servicemen to get a weighing scale. He placed the dove on one of the scales. He then started cutting out his flesh and putting it on another scale waiting for the scale to get balanced. As the scale was not getting balanced at all he sat on the scales. This time the scale got balanced. The king said to the hawk that as his weight is equivalent to that of the dove, he has to eat him as a whole. Without any fear or hesitation, the king was ready to sacrifice his life for the dove. So he asked the hawk to take him away.

Everyone was surprised by this act of the king. At that moment a heavenly voice could be heard praising the king for his deeds. The king had outdone the test so, both the Gods who were in disguise of the hawk and dove reappeared in their actual forms in front of the king. They blessed the king and promised to protect him forever.

Moral: Being kind and compassionate always works, so one should never-give-up this virtue even during testing times.