The ministers' demise⁴

In India there was a particular kingdom where the ministers were very bad — absolutely wicked to the backbone. They killed one king after another, after each had ruled only about a year or so. They would not allow any king to rule for more than a year. The ministers were very deceptive and cruel, and they got great joy in killing the kings.

Once a new king named Lara came to the throne. He thought that since he had become King, his days were numbered. “What can I do?” he asked. “How can I fight with the ministers when they are so cruel and powerful? Let me resign myself to my fate.”

But all his subjects loved King Lara dearly and they felt miserable that he too would soon be killed like his predecessors. The King’s wife, Jayanati, came to know that the ministers were indeed plotting to kill her husband. She was determined to save him, but she cried bitterly because she did not know how to go about it.

One day she said to her husband, “You go and live in the forest. My son and I can stay here, because we are not important and the ministers will not bother to kill us. Your life is much more precious to me than the kingdom. Please go live peacefully in the forest. This is the only way that we can be assured that the ministers will not kill you.”

King Lara refused, “No, that I cannot do. If I go I will have to take you and our child. I must take care of you. Without you I cannot go.”

But the Queen insisted on his going. Finally the King said, “All right, if you insist I will go into the forest. But I am afraid they will harm you.”

“No,” she said. “They know that my child and I are helpless without you. They won’t bother us after you leave, because we are useless people. The ministers won’t do anything to us.”

King Lara went into the forest and the ministers no longer felt threatened by him. But alas, they started torturing the Queen. They put her into prison and did not allow her to eat. Finally, they made up their minds to kill her.

Through all this, the Queen didn’t say a word. Even when she was about to be hanged, she remained silent to the last moment. But there were people in the kingdom who loved the King deeply and who loved the Queen deeply. They got furious with the ministers. “There is a limit to one’s patience. We shall destroy the ministers,” they said.

So they went into the forest and told the King, and they brought him back to fight against the ministers.

Although his subjects were for him, unfortunately the military was under the control of the ministers. The King said, “It is useless to fight against the military. Now I am helpless, my wife is helpless, our child is helpless. Only I can cry and lament for my Queen. And I know that they will kill me as well, after they kill my wife. I resign my fate to God’s Will.”

As soon as the King said, “God’s Will,” something happened. All of a sudden the soldiers felt that they were doing something undivine by listening to the ministers. The soldiers were very tricky, and their commander said to the ministers, “We should also kill the subjects who are still cherishing good memories of the King and Queen.”

“That is a good idea,” said the ministers.

“Then let us go and destroy them,” cried the soldiers. “We shall leave immediately to destroy the whole area surrounding the kingdom.”

But as soon as the soldiers encountered the people who appreciated the King and Queen they told them, “We are your followers. We also are admirers of the King and Queen and we shall follow your instructions. Whatever you want, we shall do.”

All the subjects said, “Kill the ministers!” and the ministers were killed. Then the King and Queen and their subjects lived happily and peacefully.