He Did Not Have Teeth

 

The King was a very worried man. He had just returned from a cabinet meeting after reviewing the status of finance in his Treasury. The statements submitted by the finance minister showed that the expenditure was increasing by leaps and bounds but the income was dwindling. Despite a half day discussion, they could not find even one item of expenditure that could be deleted or deferred. On the other hand, there were requests for additional funds by almost all the departments. Each department head put forth very convincing arguments as to how cuts in grants would impact the administration and people's welfare. Even after all brain storming and minute analysis, not one additional source of income could be found. Above all, the inflows into the Treasury were getting lower and lower each year. The King was recapitulating in his own mind, the discussion on the income side of the financial statements.

"Why are the inflows from taxes lower this year?"
"There was drought in some areas of the state this year, Sir"
"There was drought in some other areas of the state last year as well"
"Taxes were reduced on some items this year Sir"
"Last year taxes were reduced on some other items. These were assessed before reduction"
"Some additional expenses were incurred on war on the eastern border Sir"
"I am asking about income. Not expenditure. Can someone explain why inflows have dwindled?"

There was no satisfactory answer. The problem could lie elsewhere. The bureaucrats and ministers were not able to grapple with the situation. The King sent for the Royal Consultant. The Consultant was a wise man and had solved many problems earlier, though his fee was quite heavy. King thought of one more item of expenditure; consultant's fee. But that could not be avoided.

The Consultant came, heard the King and smiled. He said he could answer the question in words, but he would like to demonstrate the answer to the problem in the royal court on the next day. The King agreed.

The royal court was in session on the next morning. The King was seated in his place as were the other courtiers. The consultant was sitting near the King. The King asked for the demonstration. The consultant got up and signalled a servant who was stationed at the other end of the royal court. The servant had brought a big ball of butter. He handed over the ball of butter to the person nearest to him and asked the same to be passed on to the next person and so on until it reached the King. Finally the ball of butter reached the King. The King received it and looked at the consultant. The consultant now spoke thus:

"Your Majesty, you have seen the ball of the butter when my servant produced it at the other end of the court. It was of the size of a football. Please see the ball of butter in your hand. It has now reached the size of a cricket ball. Please observe what all the courtiers are doing. They are licking their palms and fingers. As the butter passed each hand, a part of it got stuck in each hand. Same thing is happening to your revenues. Revenue collected from the tax payers is the size of football. But there is some pilferage at each level when it is handled. By the time it reaches the Royal Treasury it is much less than the collections. This shows that corruption has increased tremendously. Your inflows into the treasury can increase only if the pilferage is checked".

It was indeed a very good demonstration and the reason for dwindling revenues was explained perfectly. But the King was not in a position to enjoy the demonstration. He asked the consultant after the day's session as to how this problem could be solved. The consultant suggested that some employees who are highly corrupt should be identified and dealt with firmly to teach a lesson to others. One such tax collector was identified and the King put him in the royal horse stables without giving him any work. The idea was to isolate him from fertile revenue portfolio and remove the very possibility of corruption. But the employee was kept under observation as advised by the consultant.

On the first day of the new assignment, the employee made a full round of the stables and familiarised himself about the working systems there. On the second day he went to the stables with a weighing scale and a ledger. He went to each horse, weighed the horse dung and noted their weight in the ledger. All the stable employees were amused by his strange behaviour, but he continued with his work without any hesitation. After three days, the supervisor of the stable came to him and enquired why he was dirtying his hands by weighing the horse dung. "The King has come to know that there is misuse of the fodder and horse feed in the stables. He has asked me to check the same. I am weighing the output in the form of horse dung. Through that I will calculate the quantity of feed you are giving to each horse. When the aggregate is compared with the amount of feed purchased for the stables, the amount of pilferage will be known". The supervisor told the tax collector to protect him and other employees and in consideration the tax collector would get his cut without doing anything at all. The tax collector now earned much more than his earlier assignment. The modus operandi reached the King.

The King removed the tax collector from the stables assignment. He was told to go to the river banks everyday, just sit till evening without any work and go home at sunset. No work was allotted to him. The tax collector went to the riverside on the first day and observed the scenery. On the second day he went with a ledger, sat below the tree and started making some entries in the ledger. After a few days the boats supervisor came to him and asked what he was doing. "The King has asked me to find out how many boats are there, how many trips are done each day and how much money is collected from the passengers when they cross the river. He has a doubt that you are cheating the treasury by under declaring the earnings and paying lower taxes. You will be caught now and punished". The supervisor was startled, had a deal with the tax collector and the employee started earning his cut thereafter. This episode also reached the King.

The King again called the consultant and narrated his predicament. The consultant's face lit up. He told the King not to worry. "My dear King, now you have the perfect candidate for heading your "Anti-corruption Task Force". Designate him as the head of the team as he knows how corruption is possible in every assignment. He will bring things under control. But do not pay him any salary. He can be paid a percentage of the corruption money identified. Then he will work sincerely". The King agreed with the bright idea. So was it done.

The King died shortly thereafter and the Consultant left the job. We do not know what happened after that. 

*****

Even in todays world, in many societies including ours, the position is not different on the expenditure side as well. A former Prime Minister of our country famously conceded that only 15 paise (15 per cent) of each rupee spent by the government on welfare activities reaches the poor. This statement found an echo in one of the landmark judgements of the Supreme Court of the country. Funds meant for developmental spending as well as welfare activities are swallowed all the way by sharks in the administration and their political patrons. Corruption has been institutionalised and its systems are much stronger than the administration systems and their supervisory machinery. 

One of the Chief Ministers in a state ran a very corrupt regime. Everyone including the incumbent agreed with this assessment and nonchalantly blamed the system for the same. To everyone's surprise he and his party got reelected after the first tenure. How was this possible? An analyst summed up the situation very well. The good thing about the reelected regime was that people were able to get their job done quickly once the required extra was given. It was different from the systems where one pays but does not get the job done as well. Further, everyone knew whom to approach, how much to give and how to give. There was also no discrimination. The unauthorised charges were also the same for all. The system was so equitable (!) that everybody was at ease and peace with the happenings. Why disturb the equilibrium and sow the seeds of uncertainties? Better to re-elect the regime and be comfortable! 

Some of the news headlines we came across in the last few months are like this:

• Two Crore false MANREGA cards were identified. These fake card holders were very active and worked regularly for claiming the wages due to them. 
• Some of the beneficiaries of this scheme were citizen of a neighbouring country.
• Six Lac fake midday meals claims were routinely made.
• 20,000 fake NGOs collected donations for their social work!
• 80,000 fake teachers were paid salaries regularly. One lady teacher was getting salaries from three schools in three different districts without visiting any of those schools.
• Five Crore fake ration card holders drew subsidised rations every month.
• 43,000 dead people were drawing pensions even after reaching the other world.
• 4,00,000 shell companies existed on record and aided wholesale money laundering.
• Many schools paid scholarships to students much more than their recorded strength. Even the school headmasters and the students that were paid did not know that they were receiving scholarships.

These are only specimen of wholesale pilferage of public funds on the expenditure side. The amounts siphoned off and laundered are running to several thousand crores in many cases. The records maintained in all these cases are more perfect than other genuine projects and they are regularly audited and examined as well. The stories of money diverted from bank loans is even more painful. A three digit loan scam is considered as a disgrace and laughed at as a incompetent job. These scams are shaking the very foundations of the financial sector. Many well-known names that were even decorated with awards suddenly surface in such scams.

*****

During my childhood days I had heard a Sanskrit verse about corrupt revenue officials who would eat and swallow anything from iron and stones to garbage. There was also a case of a stolen well from the agricultural lands of a farmer. All the documents were perfect and the money was spent for digging a very beautiful well in the farmer's land. Money spent was accurately accounted. The only problem was that the farmer did not have a well in his lands. He was forced to give a complaint that his well was stolen by somebody.

It is a beautiful verse and even after sixty years it still lingers in the memory. It runs like this:

ग्रामाधिकारी गर्भस्तः मात्रु मांसम् न खादति |

पापभीत्या न मन्तव्यम् दन्ताभवत्व हेतुना ||

Gramaadhikari Garbhastaha Maatru Maamsam na Khadati

Paapabheetya Na Mantavyaha Dantaabhavatva Hetuna!

The word "Grama" means village in Sanskrit and many other Indian Languages. Adhikari means an official or officer. Gramadhikari represents a government official at the village level. He is born to eat things (meaning he has a cut on anything he comes across). He is born with a mission to swallow things around him. The only thing he did not eat in his life is the meat in the mothers womb, when he was there. That he did not eat it was not because of any fear of committing a sin, for eating mother's womb would be the worst kind of sin one can imagine. The real reason for not eating it was because he did not have teeth then. Had he got teeth in the womb, he would have eaten her womb itself!

*****

It is often said that only two have "Vishwaroopa" or are "Omnipresent". The Supreme Lord and Corruption. The first we can understand and feel with dedicated efforts and higher learning. The second is felt without any difficulty, even if we do not want the same.

Jada Bharata to Ronald Nixon

There are three personalities with the name of "Bharata" that adore our epics. They are from different periods in time and belong to different clans. All of them are well-known for their valour and rich contributions our land. 

The first Bharata is a part of Adikavi Valmeeki's immortal work "Ramayana". He belongs to the Surya Vamsha (Sun Dynasty) and better known for the 14 year period as ruler of kingdom of Ayodhya. As brother of SriRama, he took care of the affairs of the state as a representative of his elder brother when he was banished to the forests for that period. Though he could have occupied the throne of Ayodhya himself, he chose to be a shadow of his great brother and attained an exalted position due to his qualities of brotherly love and sacrifice, among others. 

The second Bharata finds mention in the epic "Adi Purana" of Poet Jinasena, that describes the life and times of Rishabadeva, the first Tirthankkara in Jainism. The story of the two sons of Rishabadeva, Bharata and Bahubali is well known. This Bharata was also a great warrior and King, though his younger brother Bahubali is more praised and later became known as Gomateshwara. A Kannada Epic "Bharatesha Vaibhava" by Poet Ratnakara Varni in Kannada language describes the life of this Bharata Chakravarthy. (Please click here to read about this.)

The third Bharata finds mention in the epic "Mahabharata" of Veda Vyasa, in the Adi Parva. This Bharata was born in the Chandra Vamsha (Lunar Dynasty). He was the son of King Dushyantha and Shakuntala. Mahakavi Kalidasa has used the story of Dushyantha and Shakuntala as the base for his epic "Abhignana Shakuntalam". This Bharata is the king after whom our land got its name "Bharata". The land known as Aryavarta was called Bharatvarsha after this great Emperor. Those who have seen the tele- serial Mahabharata by B R Chopra will recall that the serial starts with this Emperor Bharata in episode 1.

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Bharata was said to be in mother Shakuntala's womb for 36 months and born as a very strong child. Due to his capacity of subduing even the strongest of wild animals he was named as "Sarvadamana", meaning one who can conquer everyone. After succeeding his father as the King, he won over large areas of land and expanded his Kingdom that reached out to the present parts of Russia, China, Iran and Eastern parts of Asia as well. He was a model and just ruler. It is also said that he was the emperor who sowed the seeds of democracy and chose an outsider as his successor though he had nine sons. He believed that none of his nine sons had the qualities to succeed him as the Emperor. 

After handing over the reins of the kingdom to his successor, Bharata proceed to the forests to live the life of a Vanaprastha, away from the lures of the worldly pleasures. He lived on the banks of the river Chakra and spent all his time in penance. While sitting on the banks of the river, one day he saw a pregnant Doe (female deer) drinking water in the river. There was a big roar of a lion nearby and the Doe became scared, stopped drinking water and jumped to the other bank of the river. The doe delivered the baby deer in mid flight and the baby deer was dropped in the flowing waters and being washed away. The mother Doe reached the other bank, hit a rock and died instantly. All this happened in a flash. Bharata jumped into the river and rescued the baby deer from drowning. As the mother had died, Bharata started taking care of the baby deer. His life changed and the deer became everything for him now! The king who renounced his Kingdom became a prisoner in the love of the baby deer. Shortly thereafter his end came and he died thinking of the baby deer and about its welfare after his death.

As he died thinking of the Deer, Bharata was born in the next life as a Deer. Because of his earlier penances, though born as a deer, he had the memories of the earlier birth and he continued his saadhana in that life also. As a deer he would always be moving and staying around the hermits of the rishis, listening to their discourse and hearing their discussions about the Lord. As a result he was born as a scholar's son in the next life.

Bharata in this life ignored all earthly pleasures and lived like a deaf and dumb boy even though he was perfectly alright. He would not talk to anybody and appeared inert to this world. He was now known as Jada (Inert) Bharata or Jada Bharata. People around made fun of him and called him stupid, but that did not matter to him. One of the Kings needed a human for being sacrificed in a ritual before godess Kaali. Jada Bharata was picked up by his servants and led to the sacrificial altar. Even when the sword was to be lowered on his neck in the ritual, he did not flinch. The mother godess appeared and killed all the others and released him. He continued to live in inner penance but appeared as stupid to outsiders.

King Rahoogana was now ruling the land. On a particular when he was travelling in his land, his servants found one person short to carry his palanquin (palki or pallakki). When they were looking for a person to fill the gap, they found Jada Bharata nearby. They found him fit for the job and drafted him to carry the palanquin. Jada Bharata quietly joined the pall bearers. While carrying the palanquin, he would jump whenever he found an insect on the way to avoid stepping on it. This resulted in violent shaking of the palki and caused severe discomfort to the King sitting in the palki. Rahoogana shouted at him but Jada Bharata did not change his ways. When the palanquin shook with very violent jerk, the King lost his patience and shouted that he would award death penalty to Jada Bharata. Jada Bharata now spoke for the first time and asked the King whether the punishment would be for the body or the soul. The King was taken aback and realised that this was no ordinary person. 

He requested Jada Bharata to accept him as his disciple and took him to the palace. He later learnt that Jada Bharata was his ancestor in earlier life. In due course Jada Bharata attained salvation. His story is remembered with respect and admiration even today.

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Ronald Henry Nixon (1888-1965) was born in England and educated at Taunton. He became a British fighter pilot during World War I. Elevated as a Flying Officer in Royal Flying Corps in 1917, he had a miraculous escape when surrounded by many enemy planes. He had several close encounters with death during those days. He left air force at the end of the war and went to Kings College, Cambridge to study English Literature. During his studies there he developed interest in spiritual life, Hinduism and Buddhism. He got an offer to teach English literature in Lucknow University in India. He accepted the offer, came to India and taught in Lucknow University for some time. While so working he became close to the first Vice Chancellor of the university Shri Gyanendra Nath Chakravarti. He became a disciple of Gyanendra Nath's wife Monika Devi and pursued his spiritual journey.

When the family of Gyanendra Nath moved to Varanasi, Ronald Nixon also moved and joined Benaras Hindu University and taught English literature there. Monika Devi later renounced the world and became a sanyasi under the name Sri Yashoda Mai. The bright English Professor Ronald Nixon also chose to quit his job in BHU and became a sanyasi. People around him made fun of him but it did not matter to him. He learnt Urdu, Hindi, Sanskrit and studied various texts relating to spiritualism. He took sanyas later under the name of Sri Krishna Prem. Sri yashoda Mai and Sri Krishna Prem together founded the Mirtola Ashram in present Uttaranchal. Sri Krishna Prem travelled to South India to have interaction with Sri Ramana Maharshi and Sri Aurobindo. Sri Krishna Prem was widely accepted by Indian disciples, and the then President of India Ir S Radhakrishnan held him in high esteem for his spiritual knowledge. 

Sri Krishna Prem lived his last years in the Mirtola Ashram, on the Almora - Pithoragarh Road. Entry of foreigners was banned to Badrinath in those days, after the Indo-china war. Nehru Government gave special permission to Sri Krishna Prem to visit Badrinath and prey there. He has authored many books on the spiritual pursuits. It is said that that Sri Krishna Prem, known as Gopal Das to his disciples, used to offer fruits to the Krishna idols he worshipped, close the doors of the pooja room, come out and offer prayers. When the doors were reopened, the plate in which the fruits were kept would be empty. Sri Krishna Prem was known to say "My Krishna Really Eats!". This was not an occasional occurrence, but repeated many times.

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Bannanje Govindacharya (1936-2020) who passed away recently and known for his discourses rich in content and delivery, has made references to Sri Krishna Prem in his discourses. One such reference led to further learning about Sri Krishna Prem and this blog post.

Many enlightened souls would be around us and look like stupid and inert human beings. We may not be able to recognise them, but it does not matter to them. They concentrate on their spiritual pursuits and are oblivious to their surroundings.