Tuesday, January 21

King Harishchandra: the story that impressed Mahatma Gandhi


It's been a long time I don't listen to a story with the heart of my childhood. I was lucky to find Murali who is a storyteller. A real one
The way Murali tells the story is so captivating, his attitude and sense of humor made me feel like a child again.
I confess I've been listening to this story lately repeatedly - isn't it what we do when we are children? We want the same story over and over again.
There are two others on Youtube and I keep going from one to another.
I wish I knew Murali.

Mahatma Gandhi heard this story when he was a child:
"King Harishchandra had to face a lot of difficulties and tolerate grief. He lost his kingdom, lost his wealth, had to live in the forest and had to sell his wife and son too. Ultimately he had to sell himself to the keeper of the cremation ground. He had to go through these hair-raising experiences but still he remained truthful.

Gandhiji had seen King Harishchandra's drama in his childhood and since then he always had dreams about Harishchandra. He would weep whenever he remembered this story. Later he wrote, "Even today, reading that drama makes me weep." He said that bearing grief like Harishchandra and yet remain truthful is the real truth!" (entire story here)

This is the origin of Gandhi's Satyagraha philosophy.
What better way to start a new year?
And we need truth so much!