THE ROGUE AND THE GOD

                                      THE ROGUE AND THE GOD

This is an incident of ancient times. Some jewel traders decided to sell their jewels to buyers of distant states in order to earn high profit. At that time India was not a single country but it was divided into hundreds of states. There were no roads like today. There was no guarantee of safety of property and life out side native state. All people used to travel on feet. Keeping in view safety, people used to travel in groups. Mostly they kept with them various types of weapons like swords for safety of life and valuables. The traders also decided to perform their journey according to this tradition.

One rogue came to know about this trade journey of traders. He felt much enthusiastic that there was an opportunity to deceive the traders and acquire all the valuables and jewels from them. He went to head of traders and requested to give him some job. The head of traders said that they were going to distant states and are unable to give him job in this situation.

The rogue pretended and captured their feet and said that he was a very good cook. He will also go with the traders and cook delicious food for them. The head of traders came under a sensation of pity and agreed for this.

The motive of rogue was to kill all the traders and take away all the jewels from them. he knew that where jewels had been hided by the traders. The rogue also bore similar clothes as were born by the traders. Now he also looked like a trader. The traders promised him to give money to him in lieu of his service after their jewels are sold.

The traders and rogue began their journey. They continued to travel for days and nights through various types of terrain of lands like plains, forests, deserts. The rogue used to cook delicious meal for the traders but could not get an opportunity to kill the traders. His aim was to mix medicine of unconsciousness in the dinner food of traders and when all the traders would be unconscious, he would kill them with sword and take away all the hidden jewels. He could not get such opportunity because the traders were very clever and remained awakened turn by turn during the night.

One day when they were resting in a forest, a group of dacoits surrounded them. After a brief fighting the traders were defeated by the dacoits. The dacoits warned the traders to hand over every thing precious with them. The traders said that nothing is with them. The dacoits checked them physically but could not find any thing precious. Then chief of dacoits threaten to kill them one by one and dissect their dead bodies to check whether or not any thing precious was hidden under the skin of traders. The traders again said that nothing precious is with them.

When nothing precious was found in the bag and baggage of traders, the chief of dacoits ordered to kill traders one by one and dissect their bodies to search for precious thing. He ordered to traders to come forward one by one for this activity.

At this moment, a thought came in the mind of rogue that, now, there was no chance of his survival. He will also be killed by the dacoits along with all other traders and his skin will be cut into pieces. He gazed upon his past life and observed that during most of times, he used to deceive and loot the people for money, gold and other valuables. His past life seemed to him full of sins. He thought that there was no chance of survival but utilize this moment to wash out his past  sins.

He stepped forward towards chief of dacoits and said that he was ready to be killed in first instance.

The dacoits killed him with sword and cut his skin into pieces to check for any hided jewel or precious thing but failed to get.

When chief of dacoits found this, he thought that blood was being shed in vain. He stopped his dacoits from killing rest of traders and went away from there.

The traders saw dead body of their companion and cook. They wept upon the dead body of rogue. They were not aware about his intention but it was he who saved their lives by sacrificing his own life.

When traders returned to their town, they created a Samadhi of rogue there and used to worship him as god.