Test for Dharmaraja and Duryodhana

[Guest guest]

I recall a Mahabharata episode that Swami Satchidanandaji used

to narrate regarding knowing ourselves and others.

 

Dharmaraja and Duryodhana were once given a private task by their

teacher. Dharamaraja was asked to report the most indecent person

living in the city. And Duryodhana was given the task of finding

the most noble person alive in the city. And they were given a week

duration to report back their findings.

 

At the end of period, Dharmaraja submitted with regret to the

teacher that he could not figure who would be the most indecent

person in the city, because any one he looked at seem to have some

good quality or the other. And concluded that probably he himself

is the most indecent one because he was looking for some negative

traits in others, while every one else was busy minding their own

business!

 

And Duryodhana came back to the teacher and was fuming at the

teacher for giving him such a ridiculous task. He said, that whom

ever he looked at, had some fault or the other, including even the

teacher himself, who he said is thoughtless to give him such a task!

And he concluded that he himself appeared far better than any one

else he came across!

 

Same world, but different ways to look at it. And Swamiji used to

add, as the mind so the man.

 

Hari Om!

-Srinivas