How to Beg of A Beggar
A certain king once led his army against the ruler of another land. He, however, was badly beaten in the battle. His routed soldiers fled in different directions to save their skin. Even his bodyguards deserted him. The king was closely pursued by the enemy. His horse fell to their arrows. It was narrowly that he escaped into a forest that was situated within his own territory. He was extremely fatigued and thirsty. He faltered in the forest for a while and then fell down and swooned away. A hermit who lived in a cave close by saw the king. He revived him, pouring cool water into this mouth. The king relaxed in the hermit's cave for the night. By morning he had recovered his lost strength. "O Sage, how should I repay my debt to you? Just tell me your need and it will be fulfilled," said the king when it was time for him to leave for his palace. "I live quite content. I have no need of anything in particular," replied the hermit. The king looked sad. The hermit asked him what saddened him. Replied the king, "O Sage, till today, I was happy with the fact that I had not remained indebted to anybody. From today onward I have to remain indebted to you. That makes me sad."
The hermit kept quiet for a moment. He then said, "Well, King, I do not wish to deprive you of your happiness. Should any need arise, I will go and ask you to help me. I promise." "Thank you, O Sage. If ever you feel the need for a house here, tell me and the needful will be done. If you develop any ailment, tell me and my physicians, who are the best in the country, will be at your disposal," said the king, and thereafter he took leave of the hermit. Few years passed. The hermit suffered from a disease. He thought of the king's offer to help him with the royal physicians should the need arise. One morning he proceeds to the palace. The king, after his bath, was praying to his deity inside the shrine. "O Lord, grant me strength, grant me prosperity!" the king was repeating in the course of his prayer. The hermit stood in front of the shrine listening to the king. Then he turned back and walked towards his forest. The palace officers requested him to wait for a while but he did not respond to them. Upon coming out of the shrine the king heard about the hermit's visit and prompt return. He made haste to catch him on the way. And before long he located him in the meadow that lay stretched between the town and the forest. "Why didn't you wait for a moment, O Sage? Certainly, you had need of something and that was why you had come. Please tell me how I can help you," said the king. "It is true that I had need of something. But I have decided not to ask you for it," replied the hermit.
"But why? After all, you had come all the way to ask me for it!" observed the king. The hermit smiled and replied, "To be frank, just as you followed a principle according to which you were not to remain indebted to anyone, I too followed a principle. That was never to ask anything of anybody who was himself needy. I was under the impression that being a king, you had no need of anything. But I heard you asking your deity for a number of things. How can I beg something of a beggar?" The king kept quiet. After a while, he sighed and said," My pride shattered. I have to remain indebted to you all my life ." "You are mistaken there, O King. You have imparted me a great lesson. Thereby you have repaid the debt," said the hermit. "What lesson did I give you and when?" queried the king. "When I came to beg something of you, I heard you begging something of God. I asked myself, why should I not beg of God directly for sending me the help I needed? After so many years of meditating on God, was it not foolish of me to look to a human being for help? God showed me my error. And that He did through you. Hence I am grateful to you as you were grateful to me. Our exchange is complete!" explained the hermit and he departed.
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