It was a long time ago that the fear of a very dreaded dacoit was prevalent in some states. The name of that dacoit was Ratnakar. He, along with his companions, robbed the passers-by passing through the forest and even killed them if they protested. Once, Devrishi Narad was also going from the same forest while chanting God. When they reached the dense ravines, they saw some people running in the opposite direction.
When Devrishi asked him the reason for doing this, everyone told him about Ratnakar’s presence on the way. But in spite of this, the Devrishi started moving forward.
“Aren’t you scared?”, the people running asked seeing him doing this.
“No, I do not believe that there is anyone else here besides me, and fear is always caused by someone else, not myself. Saying so, the sage stepped forward.
After going some distance, Danku Ratnakar along with his companions came before him.
Ratnakar – Narad, I am Ratnakar, Danku Ratnakar.
Narada smiled and said – I am Narada, Devrishi Narada, your guest and I am fearless. are you fearless?
Ratnakar – What do you mean?
Narad – I have no fear of life, no failure, no tomorrow, no stigma, and there is no fear that you know? Now tell me are you fearless?
Ratnakar – Yes, I am fearless, neither I am afraid of life, nor of failure, nor of tomorrow nor of stigma.
Narad – Then why do you live here hiding in these dense forests? Are you afraid of the king?
Ratnakar – No!
Narad – Are you afraid of the people?
Ratnakar – No!
Narad – Are you afraid of sin?
Ratnakar – No!
Narad – Then why do you stay here hiding?
Hearing this, Ratnakar was terrified and stared at Devrishi alone.
Narad – I will answer. You sin and are afraid of sin.
Ratnakar laughed and said – Narada, you cannot confuse me with these things. I am neither afraid of sin, nor of virtue, nor of gods, nor of demons, nor of the king, nor of the kingdom, nor of punishment nor of law. I have betrayed the state, I have betrayed the society, so I live here in these ravines. This is my vengeance.
Narad – What was the sin of which you are afraid?
Ratnakar – Don’t provoke me so much that I kill you, Narada. So much so that I have already learned that the definition of sin and virtue is always determined by the strong and imposed on the weak. I have seen the expansion of empires, by murder, by force, by deceit, I have seen the expansion of commerce, by deceit, immorality, iniquity, was that not a sin? I was a soldier, protected even the wicked and ruthless merchants… Wasn’t that a sin? Why did I kill the soldiers who treated the women of the losers in the battle with animalism, I have become a sinner? I became the culprit of the king, the army, and the general. Was that a sin?
Narad – The sin of others cannot justify his own sin Ratnakar.
Ratnakar shouted – I am not a sinner.
Narada – Who will decide? Those who are with you on this journey or not? Is your wife, your son, with you in this sin?
Ratnakar – Yes, why will they not be together, whatever I do, I do it only for their happiness.
Narada – So those who are with you make them decisive. Go, ask your wife, your son, your father, your near relatives, what you are doing is not a sin, and are they all with you in this sin? Are you a participant in this sin?
Ratnakar – Okay, I will go back now.
And instructing his companions to keep Narada tied, Ratnakar goes straight to his wife and asks her – “What I am doing is a sin? Are you my partner in this sin? ,
The wife says, “No lord, I have vowed to accompany you in your happiness and sorrow, not to be a participant in your sin. ,
Ratnakar gets shocked hearing this. Then he repeats the same question to his blind father, “Father, what I am doing, is it a sin? Are you my partner in this sin? ,
Father says, “No son, this is your income, how can I share it. ,
On hearing this, it is as if lightning strikes Ratnakar. He becomes very sad and walks slowly back to the deity Narada.
Narad- Your companions have left me alone, Ratnakar.
Ratnakar, falling at the feet of Devrishi – Sorry Devrishi Pardon, now I am also alone.
Narad – No Ratnakar, you are your friend and you are your enemy, you also created your old world. You will also create your new world. So get up and write your future with your effort. Ram-Ram, may your path be in the morning.
Friends, after this incident, the life of dacoit Ratnakar changed completely, he renounced the path of sin and adopted the path of virtue and later this dacoit became the author of Ram-Katha, Maharishi Valmiki.This story, taken from the Upanishads, tells that man is the master of infinite possibilities, where on one hand he can become a king by his effort and on the other hand he can also rank with his laziness. He can destroy himself by his indiscretion, so can his nirvana by his conscience. That is, we are all superpowers in our own right, But most of us are not able to use even a small part of our infinite powers in our lifetime. Why not leave mediocrity like Danku Ratnakar and move towards excellence!
