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182
JAÎN RAMAYAN
"What you say is true. But a soul that fears uttering lies cannot utter lies at any time, even once. Moreover, here I have to utter a lie and falsify my Gurudev's interpretation. I cannot act thus. I am prepared even to give up my life for your sake; but this is impossible! I cannot speak a lie”.
King Vasu had been a truthful man throughout his life; and now how could he utter a lie that too a lie that would falsify his revered teacher's interpretation ? He firmly and clearly refused to utter a lie. But she was not prepared to appreciate the value of her husband's interpretation on account of her affection and love for her son.
Blinded by her affection for her son, she could understand only one truth. Her husband's interpretation and King Vasu's truthfulness were absolutely unimportant for her. What she desired was her son's safety and welfare.
"Dear child ! If you want to save the life of your Gurudev's son, you have to say that Aja means a goat in that context. Great men give up even their lives to stand by their friends and to save their lives; but here you have only to give a different interpretation. That's all. It is only a matter of interpretation", she said in a serious tone.
"You are not realizing a vital point here, mother! If it were merely a matter of giving a different interpretation, I would have easily done it; but it is a question of acting according to the principle of truthfulness. The basic question here relates to the breaking of the principle of truthfulness. Moreover, it is a question, of safeguarding and maintaining the truthfulness of my Gurudev's interpretation, and it is a challenge to my principle of truthfulness.”
Noticing that King Vasu was determined to stick to his principle, Kshirakadamba's wife became very angry. She began to burn with anger.
"All right! If you think that your truthfulness is all important, then you safeguard it; and if you have any affection
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