Long, long ago there lived a king
named Punyabalan . By conquering eighty thousand cities , he widened his
kingdom. He was an efficient ruler. He built shining castles and sparkling
fortresses and the kingdom looked like a paradise on the earth.
Once
the king was riding on his chariot .On the way he saw a pathetic sight. A
patient was lying there, shivering and groaning with pain. He thought – ‘I
claim to be a powerful king who has conquered eighty thousand cities. But if a
patient suffers without getting proper treatment, the country is not a good
place to live in and I ‘m not a good ruler.’
The
king was muc worried . Good men are like chintar (a gem that glitters in the
sunlight- ‘ Suryakantham’).Just as it attracts the heat of other objects, the
heat of other people’s grief penetrates through good people.
The
king gave orders to start dispensaries in towns and villages. Good physicians
were appointed . He knew that medicine has only secondary importance .So the
King sent orders :-
“Physicians,
treat your patients mentally and physically. Treat with your mind and body.
Word is the best medicine. Speak sweet words to the patients.Their heat can be
reduced by courtesy , numbness by warmth , exhaustion by balanced food and
mind’s fatigue by jokes .A good physician is one who is always cheerful “
The
physicians roamed about the country in search of patients and treated them,
strictly following the King’s instructions. Often the king himself visited the
sick as well as the cured .
Even
Devendra could not but respect the king and consider him as his peer .For this
great king, he made a chariot drawn by six white elephants. Also made beautiful
gardens and lotus pools. Angels danced on these lotuses and sang the glory of
the king.
To
test the King’s honesty and devotion , Devendra reached there in the guise of a
blind man.
Punyabalan
could not believe his eyes. A blind man in a disease – free country! The blind
man said- “Lord , you provide the best medicine and the best physician to every
patient . I have lost the sight of my right eye .Had I lost the sight of both
eyes , I could have lived by begging. Those who are cured of their diseases
sing of your magnanimity . But poor me ! I get no mercy from any one . So
please give me your right eye”.
Without
any hesitation, Punyabalan plucked out his right eye with a gold knife and gave
it to the one- eyed man. The king was prepared to give the other eye too. At
this time Devendra exhibited his real self and blessed the king , giving back
his eye-sight . Gods showered flowers from the sky .
Prof.
C. Chandramathy
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