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Short Stories
 

      Ghata - The Virtuous King


Once there was Bodhisatta who was born in Varanasi as the son of the king Brahmadatta with the name Ghata. As he was educated in Taxila he gathered the knowledge of arts and also the like subjects useful to any ruler. When he became the king he ruled his kingdom honorably.

One day, when he entered his kingdom, he saw his minister misbehaving with the queen. The king punished him by dismissing him from his kingdom.

The unhappy man then went to Savatthi and entered into the assistance of King Vanka. Soon he won the king's heart by opening the military secrets of the Varanasi kingdom and activated him to attack Varanasi.

The military forces of Savatthi attacked Varanasi. And in spite, the tough challenge put by the army, King Ghata lost the battle. Then, he was captured and was bought up and thrown into the prison. When he entered the prison he sat down and started doing meditation. During that time, the King Vanka felt burning heat in his palace; so, he moved near the prison. There, he saw Ghata was sitting cross-legged in the air and took a great relief and was meditating. His face was bright and looked like a fully bloomed flower. The king was interested to know why Ghata neither looked sad; nor scared even though he was trapped in an enemy’s prison.

 So, he asked him, 
                                                                                                       "When others weep and shout, and mark their face with tears, Ghata! how do you have the smiling face with no fears ?"

Ghata replied,

"To be sad to change the sadness of the past is hopeless, Vanka! Why should I then complain. As the act of the pain, shall have no effect to the future. So why should I allow it to come up?"

Vanka was impressed through the words of the prisoner and gave him his kingdom back again. But Ghata handed it over to his ministers for the caring rule and settled to the Himalayas to live a pleasant life.