Wisdom Wins

There was silence in Yamaraj's court, which was broken by the heavy breathing of a giant elephant. Yamaraj leaned from his throne, looked at the elephant and laughed loudly, "O Gajendra! You have a body like a mountain, legs like pillars... yet you returned from the mortal world defeated? Did you find someone stronger than you there, that you returned empty-handed?"

The elephant raised its trunk and said with great restraint, "Your Majesty, you are mistaken. Strength lies not in muscles, but in the subtle intellect of man. He is much smaller than you or me, but with his intelligence, he makes the entire universe dance on his fingers."

Yamaraj laughed loudly, "That straw-like human? Whom one of my messengers can blow away with a blow? I cannot believe that this mere flesh-and-blood figure can surpass the gods in intelligence."

Gajraj said in a challenging tone, "Then summon a living human being, Your Majesty! You've been dealing with files of the dead for centuries. If you ever encounter a living mind, you'll discover who the true magician of the universe is."

The Mysterious Midnight Abduction

Yamaraj made it a matter of prestige. He ordered his messengers, "Go and bring the most intelligent human being from Earth, physically present. Let me see what he possesses that has so impressed my elephant."

It was midnight. In a field outside the village, a young man named Somdutt was fast asleep on his cot. Without waking him, the messengers of Yama lifted him, along with his cot, into the air.

When Somdutt's eyes opened to a cold breeze, he saw not the ground beneath his feet, but a blanket of clouds. He saw four terrifying, dark shadows flying through the sky, holding his cot.

Somdutt's heart sank, but he was no ordinary man. He thought, "If I scream, these terrifying creatures will throw me down from here. Fear is certain death. I must muster the courage to fight. But I must defeat them not by force, but by deceit."

He immediately searched his pockets. He found a pen and a diary page. In the pitch darkness, steadying his trembling fingers, he wrote a few words and left a deep thumbprint. Then, he pulled the sheet over him and lay down as if he were unaware.

The Arrival of the 'Chief Justice' in Yamaloka

As soon as the cot was placed in front of Yamaraja, Somdutt stood up like an emperor. Before Yamaraja could ask anything, Somdutt, with all his might, extended a paper towards him.

Yamraja read it. It read :

> "By Your Order: The bearer of this letter is appointed the 'Chief Justice' of Yamaloka with immediate effect."

> — Signature: Adi Narayan (Vishnu)

Yamaraja was stunned. The handwriting was a bit blurry, but upon reading the name 'Narayana', his hands trembled. He thought, "If I refuse and this is truly an order from Vaikuntha, I will lose my throne." Without delay, Yamaraja had Somdutta crowned with a grand coronation and seated him on the high throne next to him.

When the cauldrons of hell cooled down

Now Somdutta was on the seat of judgment. Yamadutta brought a notorious sinner—"Your Majesty, he has stolen and plundered all his life. Tell me, in which cauldron of oil should I fry him?"

Somdutta twirled his moustache and said, "Sin and virtue are merely a matter of the eye of the beholder. He stole to feed the hungry (even if it was his own). He should be sent honorably straight to Vaikuntha!"

For the next seven days, this drama continued in Yamaloka. Whether a murderer or a fraud, Somdutt began distributing tickets to Vaikuntha like discount coupons. There was no room left in heaven, and the cauldrons of hell began to cool and rust.

Lord Vishnu became distraught. He thought, "Has a great soul suddenly appeared on Earth, making everyone sinless overnight? My karmic data shows nothing of the sort."

He immediately reached Yamaloka. Trembling, Yamraj showed him the appointment letter. Narayana smiled upon seeing it. He called Somdutt close, "Son, I never wrote such a letter. You have falsely used my name to disrupt the balance of the entire universe. Why?"

Somdutt folded his hands and said with utmost humility, "Lord! You yourself said in the Gita, 'I am the intelligence and memory residing in the hearts of all beings.'"  So who inspired you to write that letter on the cot that night? Surely you! If you call this letter a lie, then your own words and the Gita will be false. Will you prove your own words wrong?"

Lord Vishnu was stunned by Somdutt's eloquence and reasoning. He laughed and said, "Wonderful! You won the argument. But why did you send these sinners to heaven? Weren't you afraid of punishment?"

Somdutt's eyes sparkled, "Lord! I was brought here 'illegally'. I knew my position was temporary. So I thought, as long as I had a pen in my hand, I should do as much good as I could to as many people as possible. And look, this very 'cleverness' of mine even allowed me to see you in person. If I had sent everyone to hell, would you have come to see me?"

The Lord softened. He said, "Okay, clever man! Now you can enjoy your life back on Earth."

Somdatt threw his last card, "Lord! Even after having a glimpse of you, if I have to sift through the dust of the world again, people will laugh at your glory. They will say that even the reward of seeing Narayana is ultimately 'labor.' Do you want the devotee's faith to be shattered?"

The Lord burst out laughing, "You turned out to be even the guru of Devarshi Narada! Now, get the real ticket to Vaikuntha."

As he left, Somdatt winked at the elephant. The elephant smiled and said to Yamraj, "See, Maharaj! This is the power of a 'living man'. He can even write his part in the law of God with the ink of his wisdom."

The essence of this story :

* Patience in adversity: The true power of a human being lies in remaining calm and finding a solution instead of shouting in times of crisis. 

* Public Welfare: Somadatta used his wisdom not only to save himself, but also to uplift others.

* God and Reason: True reason and love can even force God himself to bow down.

Read more : -  The Boundless Liberation