Talk:Chandragupta Maurya (ruled from 322–298 BCE) & Guru Cāṇakya:Rājā Bhoja
By Vishal Agarwal
Raja Bhoja, who ruled central India in the 11th century CE, was renowned for his generosity and patronage to scholars and poets. He also constructed the famous Sarasvati Mandir at Vidisha in central India.
Story: Flatterers are Plenty, Truth Speakers are Rare
In his initial years, Bhoja was a miserly king. One morning, he was touring his capital. A Brahmana crossed his way, and then suddenly turned his face away.
Raja Bhoja was perplexed, because the Brahmana had insulted him by not greeting his own king. He asked the Brahmana as to why he had the look of disgust when he saw his king. The Brahmana replied, “Your majesty, wealth and joys of this world are all temporary and they do not last forever. It is only our good acts of Dharm that accompany us when we die. Giving charity brings glory to kings that last beyond their lives. Unfortunately, you are a miser and it is bad luck to see the face of a miser in the morning. That is the reason why I had turned my face away from you.”
The king was impressed with the Brahmana’s response. He thought, “It is not difficult for a king to be surrounded by flatterers. But this Brahmana is brave and truthful.” He asked the Brahmana to come to the court every day to give a sermon. From that day onwards, Raja Bhoja became a great patron of scholars and poets.
Story: Benefits of Reading Scriptures
A traditional story is narrated from the life of Raja Bhoja. In his kingdom, there lived a virtuous Brahmana who was very learned in Śāstras, but was very poor. The Brahmana was too proud to beg for food. But one day, he was so overcome by the hardships of poverty that he decided to rob Raja Bhoja’s palace.
He somehow entered the palace on a dark night, and reached the chamber in which the king was sleeping with his queen. Expensive jewels, gold jewellery, and other costly items were scattered all across the room. The Brahmana could have stolen some of them, but just at that moment, he recalled the teachings of scriptures that one must not steal. Heeding the teaching, he refrained from the evil act. But now, he realised that the sun was rising on the horizon and darkness was vanishing rapidly. There was no way he could escape from the palace in daylight. Scared, he quickly hid under the bed of the king.
Soon thereafter, royal attendants arrived to awaken the king and the queen with song and music. The king got out of the bed in a good mood, and said three quarters of a verse that praised the joys and pleasures of his life.
When the Brahmana heard these words, he could not restrain himself and uttered the fourth quarter of the verse “But none of these remain when the eyes are shut.”
Startled, the king bent down and saw him. His guards rushed to arrest the Brahmana. The king asked him the reason for his hiding. The Brahmana narrated how he wanted to rob the palace but that he recalled the words of śāstras at that very moment and therefore stopped himself. The king was pleased to hear the truthful Brahmana and said, “Since you have practised the teachings of our scriptures, I will not let you go away empty handed. You certainly seem to be a scholar because you completed my verse. And I value scholarship and give gifts to poets in my kingdom.” Saying this, Raja Bhoja ordered that the Brahmana be sent away with costly presents.
Story: We Take Nothing Upon Death
It is said that when Raja Bhoja was on his deathbed, he summoned his prime minister and said, “When my dead body is being taken to the cremation ground on a carriage for the funeral, thousands of my citizens will line up the streets to pay their respects. I want you to expose both the arms of my corpse. Also, you must paint one of the arms black, and the other with the white colour.”
The prime minister was puzzled at the king’s strange request and asked him the reason. Raja Bhoja replied, “My bare arms and hands signify that I came empty handed in this world, and will leave empty handed as well. Nothing of my wealth and riches will accompany me after death. The colours on my arms will indicate that only my white and black deeds my evil and virtuous karm will go with me to the other world.”