The king's choice¹⁰

There was a time in India when kings used to honour poets. Once, many poets came to the palace for a poetry contest. The king was to select the best poet. Finally he selected two poets who had written extremely good poems: one young man and one old man.

The king said, “Now the time has come for me to make the final decision between these two. In both cases, the poems are so good that it is difficult for me to say which one is the better of the two.” The king said to the young man, “Please read your poem again.”

The young man read out his most soulful and spiritual poem. The aspiration of the poem moved everyone deeply. The king said, “I am so pleased,” and he gave the young man his own necklace. The young poet was so moved, and everybody gave him thunderous applause.

As soon as the old man came up to read his poem, some people giggled, others laughed; everything went on. The king said, “Stop, stop! I am also an old man, almost this poet’s age. Do not make fun of him because of his age.”

The old man read out his poem. It was about the passing of Dasharatha, the father of Ramachandra, in the absence of his son. The king cried, “Oh, it is a most pathetic story. This is also most beautiful. I am giving you my golden ring. Even now I won’t be able to make the choice. The young man’s poem is more spiritual and full of dedication, and your poem is about the passing of Sri Ramachandra’s father.”

Most of the people in the court said the young man’s poem was nicer than the other poet’s, but the king said, “You are prejudiced because all of you are young. One day all of you will become old. I may not appear old, but I am almost the same age as this poet. I wish to tell you, do not mock at old age. Your time also will come. Always be nice and kind to people. You see that I am having real difficulty in making the choice. For me, both are equal. Both are supremely great. Even though I am unable to make the choice, I am so happy that I am able to appreciate their merits. They deserve all my appreciation and admiration, in addition to the humble little gifts I have given them.”