Acharya Tulsi
Many stories, legends and anecdotes relating to Raja Bhoj of the city of Dhara and the great Sanskrit poet, Kalidasa are well-known. Raja Bhoj would never be satisfied by anything a learned man may say in the course of a debate. Only the great poet, Kalidasa, could satisfy him. One day a novel idea occurred to Raja Bhoj. He said to Kalidasa, "Oh, great poet, I want to hear with my own ears the eulogy you would read after my death." It was alright for Raja Bhoj to talk like that, but how would a prudent and learned person like Kalidasa accept such a demand? He said, "I wish you a very long life. I can recite a poem about that if you like."
But once Raja Bhoj got something into his head, ne did not easily give it up. He persisted with the same request. Kalidasa said, "Command me to do anything else. But I certainly would not recite such a poem."
The king's insistence now turned into an angry outburst and he exiled Kalidasa from his kingdom. Kalidasa went away. Now the king was ill at ease. He set out in disguise in search of Kalidasa. After several months, he found Kalidasa seated by the side of a lake. The king went up to him in the guise of an ascetic. Kalidasa asked him, "Oh you great soul, from where do you hail?" The ascetic replied, "I come from the city of Dhara". Many memories of Raja Bhoj and the Dhara city crowded in Kalidasa's mind. He asked eagerly, "Is the king doing well?" the ascetic confined the identity of Kalidasa. He said, "Do not ask anything about the King. I cannot say about it. Kalidasa said with eagerness, "What has happened?" The ascetic said, "Cruel death has taken away that great valiant king. That is exactly why I have come away abandoning Dhara."
Hearing about the death of Raja Bhoj, the poetic faculty in Kalidasa woke up:
"With the passing away of Raja Bhoj, the city of Dhara is now without support. Saraswati (the goddess of learning) has lost her support and men of learning are heartbroken."[*]
The king disguised as an ascetic, smiled at hearing those words. The moment Kalidasa noticed that smile, he recognised the king. He promptly changed those words:
"Now the city of Dhara is eternally protected. Saraswati has her support and all learned men are also supported when Raja Bhoj is flourishing on the earth."[*]
Those two separated friends were reunited. Raja Bhoj returned to the Dhara city with Kalidasa.
I am reminded of that verse of Kalidasa in the present context. I wish to say by installing self-restraint in the place of Raja Bhoj that the entire mankind has lost its support with the basis of self-restraint gone. The support of human values is gone and there is no organisation of people devoted to moral values. If mankind is to be saved, then human values have to be reinstated. If human beings have to be created in the real sense, then self-restraint will have to be revived. The whole attempt of anuvrat is in the direction. I am firmly convinced if there is anything that can protect humanism, it is self-restraint.
