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SUMITRA
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distinctiveness and existence of its own, each one has separate karma and each one is a separate prey to their outcome »
“Still I don't agree till I am an eye-witness of its practical usefulness."
This sort of debate often took place between the king and the minister, but none would yield
It so happened one day that the minister, having finished his duties at the court, returned to his residence after dusk That being a chaturdası (fourteenth) day of the fortnight, he was on fast. But as he could not come in time to perform the pausadha, by way of atonement, he imposed on himself the vow of not to move out from his house during the night till sun-rise and sat down in pratikramana
At night, there came a messenger from the king with an urgent call for the minister, but the minister, communicated back his inability to comply with the king's request till day-break. The king was aflame at this insubordination on the part of the minister and sent the messenger again with a stricter order for the minister either to turn up at once to attend urgent business of the state or resign his office and surrender the seal thereof
This was a test for Sumitra. Thought he.
'To transgress the vow is a great sin. I am at this moment a minister, and even if the position goes, I may get similar position again. A position is insignificant when compared with a vow. So it is not worthwhile to give up the vow as desired by the king and save the position.'
So thinking he did not comply with the king's order The messenger started back to apprise the king of the minister's stand
On the way back, the messenger was thinking. If I were the minister and then he did not know when he started saying
"I am the minister, I am the minister ..."
No sooner had these words been uttered than there was an uproar :
"Strike him, kill him."
