It was ancient times. Nestled in the foothills of the Himalayas was a prosperous and happy kingdom—Vijayagarh. Its king was Vikramaditya, a remarkable combination of power, justice, and compassion. The people regarded him not only as a king but as a father figure. No one in the kingdom went hungry, and no one tolerated injustice. The temples resounded with the sound of conch shells and bells, and the markets brimmed with prosperity.
But within this golden kingdom lay a source of deep concern—the king's only son, Prince Veersen. From childhood, his nature was cruel and fiery. He would explode with anger over trivial matters. A maidservant's slightest mistake would result in punishment, a soldier's imprisoning. He found a strange satisfaction in tormenting others.
The king made every effort. He had his children educated by the best teachers, taught the Vedas, scriptures, ethics, and the art of warfare. He had them listen to the teachings of scholars, sometimes with love, sometimes with strict discipline. But his anger remained the same—it would subside for a while, then erupt in even greater intensity.
Now fear began to spread among the people. People would say,"The king is like a god, but the prince is a demon. If he becomes king, the kingdom will be destroyed."
King Vikramaditya couldn't sleep at night after hearing all this. He feared that his own son would become the ruin of his kingdom.
At that time, a great saint lived in the neighboring town of Satyapur—Maharishi Dharmaveer. He was ascetic, wise, and compassionate. When he learned of the prince's cruelty, he agreed to go to Vijaygarh himself.
A few days later, disguised as an old sage, the sage arrived at the palace. The king invited him with respect. The sage politely said,"Your Majesty, please hand over your son to me for a day. Perhaps light will awaken in his heart."
A ray of hope lit up in the king's eyes. He ordered the prince to go with the saint. Reluctantly, the prince agreed.
The sage led him to the forest. The prince mocked him on the way, but the saint remained calm. Upon reaching the forest, he showed him a small neem tree and said,"Prince, pluck a leaf from it and taste it."
The prince put the leaf in his mouth. The intense bitterness made him scream. He angrily exclaimed,"Uproot this poisonous plant right now!"
The soldiers uprooted the neem tree.
Then the saint spoke in a serious tone,"Prince, this plant is still small and so bitter. If it were bigger, it would be even more poisonous. It's right to destroy it now, isn't it?"
The prince nodded proudly.
The saint said,"Then you are still young. Your nature is also bitter and poisonous. People fear you. If someone were to destroy you now, would it be wrong—like you did to this plant?"
Hearing this, the prince was stunned. For the first time, he saw the truth within himself.
The saint continued,“Neem is bitter, but it is a medicine for all diseases. Its shade is cool, every part of it gives life. Behind its bitterness lies its virtue. You are like that too. You too have the seed of greatness within you. Give up anger, embrace compassion. Otherwise, people will uproot you in the same way.”
Tears flowed from the prince's eyes. He fell at the saint's feet and said,“Your Majesty, you have given me a new life. Please reform me.”
After that day, Veersen was completely transformed. He gave up anger, embraced service and restraint. Later, that same prince became a great, just, and compassionate king.
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Lesson : - Leave bitterness, embrace virtue.
Anger leads to destruction, restraint leads to creation.
What is bitter today can become medicine tomorrow—if given the opportunity.
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