Scene with king & the court poet.
King: "Dear poet, if one does wrong but later realizes the mistake, how does one become good?"
Poet: "When one realizes one's error, one automatically becomes good."
King: "How does someone good become divine?"
Poet: "One becomes what one focuses on. One becomes divine by focusing on the divine."
King: "Where is the divine? What direction is it facing? What is it doing now?"
Poet: "Divinity is everywhere, within you & me as well."
King: "This is not convincing to me. Answer my questions precisely. Answer me tomorrow morning."
Scene with poet & grandchild.
Child: "You look troubled. What's bothering your, Grandpa?"
Poet: "The king has asked me 3 questions that I'm supposed to answer precisely. I don't know how to answer them."
Child: "What are the questions?"
Poet: "Where is the divine? What direction is it facing? What is it doing now?"
Child: "These questions are simple, Grandpa. Don't worry. I'll answer them in the court for you. I won't tell you the answers now. Listen to them in the court with the king."
Scene with poet, grandchild & the king.
King: "Do you have the answers to my questions, dear poet? Swagatham, dear child. Dear poet, your grandchild is very cute. What brings you here today, dear child?"
Child: "Pardon me, dear king. Only a child is appropriate to answer questions with a child-like curiosity. I've come to answer your questions on behalf of Grandpa. May I do so?"
King: "But these questions have deep import. How can a child answer it?"
Child: "Didn't the child Murugan teach Shiva the meaning of Om? Knowledge knows no age."
King: "Well spoken, child. You have shown that you are the grandchild of our scholarly court poet."
Child: "So, what was your first question?"
King: "Where is the divine?"
Child: "Can you please request the cook to bring a platter of these items on this list?"
King: "Sure."
Child: "What is there in this platter?"
King: "Why this silly question that everyone can answer? You have milk, curd, yogurt, butter, ghee, paneer cheese."
Child: "What did all these forms come from?"
King: "From the milk, of course."
Child: "Show me the milk in the curd, yogurt, butter, ghee, paneer cheese."
King: "It is inherent, within these items themselves."
Child: "Similarly, the divine is inherent, within everything."
King: "What an amazing answer, dear child. You are indeed wise beyond your age. You have truly show that wisdom has no age boundaries."
Child: "Thank you, dear king. What was your 2nd question?"
King: "What direction is the divine facing?"
Child, pointing to a lamp: "What direction does the fire in this lamp give light?"
King: "It is no single direction. In all directions."
Child: "Similarly, the all-pervading divinity faces & lights up all directions."
King: "You are no mere child, you are my Guru."
Child: "You're too gracious, dear king. What was your 3rd question?"
King: "What is the divine doing now?"
Child: "To answer this, you've to crown me ruler."
King: "Of course, wise child. You're my Guru. Anything you ask."
King crowns the child ruler.
Child: "Now, I'm the ruler & you're an ordinary citizen, right?"
King: "That is indeed so."
Child, harshly: "Seize this man. Thrown him in the dungeons. Banish all the ministers. Increase the taxes. Hoard the grain."
King, shocked: "What is this, child?"
Child: "Till a moment back, you were the ruler. I was a mere child. Now, I'm the ruler & you're on the way to prison. Good times can turn bad in an instant. Bad times can turn good in an instant. Everything, be it a human, animal, kingdom, empire or country will go through good & bad times and eventually end with the great destroyer, time. This is the constant play of the divine. I'm sorry, dear king, for acting like this. I cancel my orders and return the kingdom back to you. Please forgive my behavior, dear king."
King: "Dear child, you have opened my eyes & cleared my doubts. Thank you."
References:
Shaiva stories. Adaptations in the Tamizh movie, Thiruvarutchelvar & Kannada movie, Shiva Leela.
