haravi is a great name in the galaxy of Sanskrit writers. He was born the son of a great scholar. Even at a tender age, Bharavi made a name for himself for his profound scholarship. He gained wide acclaim for his amazing intellectual abilities. But to his disappointment and indignation, his father would never utter a word of approval for him. He always used to make light of his son’s achievements. However hard he tried, Bharavi could not get a word of praise from his father. This filled him with resentment and he started nurturing feelings of grouse and grudge against his father. Finally, he decided to do away with him.
One night Bharavi equipped with a huge stone hid himself in the atticrightabovehisfather’sbed.Hewaitedforanopportunemoment to let fall the stone on his father to ensure his death.
A conversation ensued between Bharavi’s mother and father which was clearly audible to him. His mother who had perceived Bharavi’s sulking, was cross with her husband. She said, “You are always unfair to Bharavi. Every one is full of praise for him. But you’re always unkind to him. Can’t you utter a good word about him? Why do you always belittle my son?”. Bharavi’s father replied,” I’m not without love for my son. I am really proud of all his accomplishments and achievements. But it is not proper for a father to praise his own son in public. It shows his own vainglorious nature and fills his son with vanity. It does good neither to the father nor the son.”
These wise words of his father opened Bharavi’s eyes. He realized how egoistic and stupid he had been. He felt ashamed of his nurturing revenge against his father and plotting to kill him. Immediately, he climbeddowntheatticandexplainedtohisfatherallhisfeelingsand intentions and begged him to punish him suitably. Bharavi’s father, full of compassion for his son, readily pardoned him. But Bharavi insisted that suitable punishment should be awarded to him for his criminal intentions. The sire pronounced the sentence finally that Bharavi should spend six months in his wife’s parent’s home.
Bharavi wondered what kind of punishment it was, still he proceeded to carry out his father’s command. At his wife’s parents’ home, he was received as an honoured guest. For a few days, he was shown all hospitality. Then the parents-in-law wondered why their son-in-law was not going back. His prolonged stay puzzled them and caused them discomfort. They started feeling that he was a liability and a cause of nuisance. Since, as per his father’s instruction, he had not brought anything with him, Bharavi had to depend entirely on his wife’s parents. He suffered a lot of humiliation and indignities, even though he did all kinds of menial and lowly jobs with utmost patience.
One day, as Bharavi was working on a literary task he had undertaken, his wife approached him for some money. He had no money whatsoever to part with. He handed over to her the Thalapatra on which he had just written the verse
xÉWûxÉÉ ÌuÉSkÉÏiÉ lÉ ÌMë rÉÉqÉç
AÌuÉuÉåMüÈ mÉUqÉÉmÉSÉÇ mÉSqÉç |
uÉ×hÉÑiÉå ÌWû ÌuÉqÉ×zrÉMüÉËUhÉqÉç
aÉÑhÉsÉÒokÉÉÈ xuÉrÉqÉåuÉ xÉqmÉSÈ ||
Nothing should be done in haste, because the man of indiscretion always lands in deep trouble. Prospertity (Goddess Lakshmi) waits on the man who acts wisely after weighing pros and cons.
The lady, appreciative of her husband’s plight, left the scene. She happened to show the verse to her neighbour. She admired the beauty of the verse so much that she displayed it prominently in her bedroom.
Actually she belonged to a business community. Her husband had left home on some business purpose and had not been seen for over twenty years. Having earned a lot of wealth, he returned. As he entered the bedroom he saw a young man sleeping there. He became furious as he assumed that his wife was living with another man in his absence. He took out his sword to put an end to him. As he raised the sword, he looked at the verse.
xÉWûxÉÉ ÌuÉSkÉÏiÉ lÉ ÌMë rÉÉqÉçHe held back his sword. Later he came to know that the young man was none other than his own son who was a small child when he had left home. Had he acted in haste, he would have killed his own son. The family had a very enjoyable reunion.
They attributed their turn of fortune to Bharavi and rewarded him profusely. The six month term ended. Bharavi returned home along with his wife. He was a matured man now, full of respect for his father.
A sculptor chisels an idol by strenuous and determined strokes,
so as to bring out a perfect, enduring, enkindling piece of art. It is just like gold which emerges
from fire, as pure as possible.