Long years ago, there lived a king named Yashwardhan who ruled his dynasty with peace and justice. The people of his kingdom admired and loved him dearly. Known for his piety and humility, he was supported by his equally revered queen, Padmavari. She was not only wise and graceful but also compassionate and deeply connected to the welfare of their people.
The royal couple had a son, Prince Yashaswi. From childhood, Yashaswi showed all signs of a perfect heir—handsome, brave, skilled in warfare and diplomacy, well-read in scriptures, and beloved by the people. Yet, he had one flaw that concerned his parents deeply: he was too trusting, especially of people dressed as saints or sages. Yashaswi believed anyone who looked or spoke like a holy man, offering them gifts without question.On his sixteenth birthday, he gifted a royal necklace to a stranger dressed like a sadhu, who vanished the next day. Another time, he gave away palace grain to a group of supposed monks who turned out to be frauds. Despite warnings, he held firmly to his belief that questioning a holy man was sinful. This weakness troubled King Yashwardhan, who, though aging, couldn’t yet pass the throne to his son.
One morning, Queen Padmavari noticed Yashaswi missing the diamond bracelet she had gifted him. When she asked, the prince replied excitedly, “Mother, I met a saint yesterday. He is no ordinary man—he is a trikaal darshi! He can see past, present, and future. I gave him my bracelet. He didn’t want to accept it, but I insisted. I’ve decided he should be my Rajguru when I become king.”The queen smiled but felt deeply troubled. Instead of rebuking him, she calmly said, “Why not invite this divine man to the palace for lunch? I would love to meet him.”Yashaswi was thrilled. As he went to extend the invitation, the queen called four loyal guards and instructed them to disguise themselves as saints. They were trained to speak wisely, quote scriptures, and act with dignity—just like genuine holy men. The queen wanted to reveal the truth to her son without direct confrontation.
The next day, the palace was decorated for the grand lunch. When Yogibaba, the self-proclaimed seer, arrived, he found four other saints already seated—Queen Padmavari’s disguised guards. A lavish meal was served with utmost respect. During lunch, the fake saints spoke humbly and wisely, while Yogibaba boasted about his spiritual powers and ability to predict fate.After the meal, Queen Padmavari brought out five pots as gifts. Each fake saint received one filled with gold, silver, or jewels. Yogibaba’s pot, however, contained cow dung. Furious, he shouted, “What insult is this? Am I not the greatest among them? I am a trikaal darshi, yet you give me dung?”The queen remained composed and said, “If you can see the future, surely you saw what’s inside the dung.” She signaled a servant to break the pot. To everyone’s amazement, sparkling diamonds fell out. The queen stood and spoke sternly: “You, who claim to see time itself, could not see past cow dung? You are no sage—only a fraud. Leave this palace at once, or face punishment.”
Shamed and speechless, the fake saint fled. Yashaswi was left in stunned silence, deeply ashamed. The queen gently approached him and asked, “What did you learn today, my son?” The prince bowed his head and said, “That faith must be guided by wisdom. I have been foolish.”In the following months, Yashaswi changed. He studied governance more seriously, sought advice from wise ministers, and spent time with real scholars and saints to understand true spirituality. He began to observe more keenly, question more carefully, and act more wisely.
A year later, King Yashwardhan and Queen Padmavari saw that Yashaswi was now ready to rule. The coronation was grand. As he was crowned, King Yashaswi pledged, “I will rule not just with love, but with justice, wisdom, and discernment.”Under his reign, the kingdom flourished like never before. People not only admired him for his skills and strength but also remembered the lesson that shaped him—the day when truth was hidden in dung, and wisdom was born from shame.His legacy lived on for generations, not just as a mighty king, but as a ruler who overcame his greatest weakness and became the wisest of them all.
