The mother immediately had such faith in this old lady. She felt that old people know everything. When the mother-in-law says something nice, everybody believes it. The mother-in-law was such a wise old lady. She felt that the child would become king.
But the father said, “Who cares for my mother’s opinion? She is just an old lady. What does she know about these things? Let me go and bring the astrologer.”
The village astrologer came and cast the child’s horoscope. Then he said, “No, no, he will not be a king. He will be a very, very great scholar and philosopher.”
The wife said, “I believe what the child’s grandmother says. I know she is right. He will be a king when he grows up.”
The husband said, “I have brought the astrologer. The astrologer is saying that the child will be a great scholar, a philosopher and a learned man.”
The wife said, “Let us bring a palmist to see what he has to say.”
The palmist looked at the child’s hand and said, “Oh no, he will be a very, very famous singer.”
They all had a difference of opinion. The old grandmother said one thing and the mother believed it. Then the husband had to go and bring the astrologer, and the astrologer said something else. Now the palmist came into the picture and said that the child would be a great singer. Everybody said something different. One said he would be a king, one said he would be a great philosopher and scholar, and the third one said he would be a great singer and musician. Still the mother and father were so happy that they had got this little baby. Everybody in the family was very happy.
At that moment an old beggar came to the house for alms. The grandmother, who had predicted that the baby would become a king, was giving some rice to the beggar. All of a sudden she saw a mark over his left eye, and she fell down and fainted. Everybody said, “What happened, what happened?”
When the grandmother opened her eyes, she pointed out the mark on the left side of the beggar’s forehead. Then everybody cried and cried and cried, “Alas, alas, alas!” The beggar had the same mark that the little baby had! Just a few moments ago they were all full of joy. Now everybody in the family felt miserable. They were swimming in the sea of sorrows because the beggar had the same mark. First the son was going to be a king, then he was going to be a great scholar, and finally he was going to be a wonderful singer. All their predictions were smashed when the beggar appeared.From:Sri Chinmoy,Life’s bleeding tears and flying smiles, part 2, Agni Press, 2001
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